Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Marisha was stunned for a few seconds as soon as I asked for her advice about marrying her daughter, but she soon looked down and sighed before turning to me with a bitter smile. She looked like she wanted to say a lot of things to me but this time, it seemed like she was trying to figure out what to say.

"Wow. You really surprised me..."

"W-Well, I hoped you get surprised so that's a w-win, right?"

Marisha frowned as she raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you did that just to fish a reaction. Are you serious or not?"

I looked at her directly and smiled, "Of course. I'll never joke about that."

"Very well. Hear me out first then. You already know about my daughter's feelings for you when you're still in school, right?"

"Y-Yes. We talked about it last time. A-And the one we just talked about e-earlier. Why do you ask?"

"What can you say about it now?"

"About it? What do you mean?"

"Hmm~ Can you find something similar?"

I didn't answer immediately as I looked down and thought of everything about what I know from both times. I was closing my eyes as I played out everything over and over and based it on what I saw and what I heard from other people's perspectives. After a time, I just opened my eyes with a solemn expression as I looked back at Marisha.

"So, you found an answer?"

"Y-Yeah, I think..."

"And?"

"On the surface, what's similar is that Kaley still had something for me but… there's obviously the time in between when she had other people with whom she had a relationship other than me. I can't call her on that because even if I said I waited for her all my life, I still had a few women that came into my life even if we didn't become serious... Saying that might not connect all of the dots together but… I'm not 100% sure about this but… but if we connect it with the other people we have a relationship with together right now..."

Marisha was just listening to me.

"Is it possible that the reason… I mean- we already know that the reason she went out with someone else after waiting for me was because that I didn't notice the signs she was giving me, and she felt that she wasn't enough… but… could the reason we have this… this group that has been getting larger and larger because of the same thing? Does Kaley still think she's not g-good enough for... for m-me? It might sound extremely cocky but… even if that's what she really thinks… she shouldn't think like that at all..."

Marisha was looking at me seriously, "What are you trying to say then?"

I looked down and looked sullen, "I don't know… I'm not as great as she thinks I am… With that said, I think she needs to think of herself higher compared to what she thinks of herself… because I do. She has flaws but I don't care. She's always horny but I don't mind. She'd sometimes hit me but I could take it. She's so perfect she couldn't see it..."

I just started crying silently.

My nose just felt so sour I couldn't even open my eyes fully. I felt something warm flowing down my cheeks and I can't even raise my sleeves to wipe it. I was looking down the whole time this was happening but I just saw Marisha's knees as she knelt down to raise my head. Her eyes were teary as well but she was smiling brightly.

"Raise your chin up. Listen to me… I think you don't really need my advice... What I could say to you, you already know the answer to. Despite that, I just wanted to say that you should think of yourself higher than what you think of yourself. Yes, what I'm saying is that you should take your own advice. It isn't cocky to think that my daughter might be feeling inferior just to be with you because you're the best man she'll ever have."

"B-But..."

Marisha exploded, "I wasn't sure if you noticed but you two are kinda the same in this department… YOU'RE BOTH JUST FUCKING STUPID! Do you have any idea how many couples I've talked to that married for less?! It wasn't my job to judge them but some of them I'd give one look and I'm sure they aren't compatible, and would just separate in a few weeks! What I'm saying is… you two clearly love each other, yet you two don't even have any idea how much one loves the other. IT'S THE SAME FUCKING ISSUE ABOUT THE ADVICE YOU SHOULD TAKE YOURSELVES! Stupid, right?! RIGHT?!"

"U-Umm…."

"You see, my daughter and your open relationship with those other girls isn't even the problem, it's mine and sometimes yours. Kaley likes it and you do too sometimes but it's fucking complicated to untangle that web. Let's just face it, you're both hornballs… maybe it's one of the reasons you two hit it off, I don't know. Even I'm trying to figure out how the fuck you could fuck those girls and still work your ass off the morning after. Are you using pills? The blue ones? Tell me!"

"L-Language? Please?"

"The fuck do I care now?! We're solving your problems here, right?!"

"..."

"Answer me, you doofus!"

"D-Do I have to?"

"Yeah! We're talking, right?!"

"I think we're now off-topic… y-you got to c-calm down..."

"Fine… sorry for shouting… it isn't like me. Your workout? Can you bring my husband?"

"U-Umm… I could bring him b-but… Fine… I think it's a mind thing..."

"A mind thing? Can hypnosis work?"

"W-What?! Hypnosis?! You can do that?!"

"No."

"B-But..."

"I could try practicing, it's never too late. It works well for the weak-minded, right?"

"I think Matthew's not-"

"Stupid? Of course, he's not! But basing it on what you told me, that could be a factor!"

"C-Can we go back to the topic at hand? I'm kinda hungry a-and I still have a lot of-"

"Fine. Do you have a ring yet?"

"Ah… don't tell Kaley but… it's in the works..."

"Huh? In the works?"

"It's a little special..."

"How so?"

"I got you curious, didn't I?"

"Shut up, just tell me."

"Why don't you tell me where you got your wedding ring? Jewelry store or passed down? It's really beautiful..."

Marisha looked at me suspiciously before answering, "Passed down for generations. If we're talking about special, mine is."

"Okay, do you have a clue if the diamond is natural or manufactured?"

"I… I think it's found naturally since it's old... Just polished to look like this."

"Probably but do you know which one's better? Stronger?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not an expert in that field!"

"Just let me win one thing against you! Just guess then!"

"The manufactured ones?"

"Is that a question?"

"You're enjoying this too much. The manufactured ones then."

"Fuck..."

Marisha exclaimed, "Stop playing around! Am I right or what?"

I chuckled, "Bingo. The manufactured ones are much stronger and I'll make one."

"You're gonna make diamonds?! For real?! But… how is that more special compared to one that's been passed down? Because you're the one that made it? You see, I'm thinking of passing this down someday… to Kaley. My mom had it and it came from her mom and so on..."

"I'm not making diamonds, just a diamond. A really~ special one. Heh, you have two daughters. No offense but I'd rather you give that to Olivia someday. What I'll be making is not only special because I'll have a hand at it and it'll be stronger, but part of us we'll be on that diamond as well."

"W-Wait… I think I've heard of that before..."

"Maybe. You see, I've asked a few clippings of Kaley's hair and I added some of my own into it. Let's just say I'll be acquiring something really special somewhere and that would help me put our hairs- our DNA into it. It won't be visible inside the diamond itself since I'll be turning it into carbon and mixing it into some more carbon, but after a few more processes and some more time… I'll have one really~ special diamond like I said. If that doesn't work, we'll always have a Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"The ring you're wearing. That's Plan B."

"What?! No! You'll be making her that and Olivia too someday! I'll be keeping my ring from now on!"

"Wut? I'm not even sure I can do it."

"THEN WHY DO YOU SOUND SO CONFIDENT EARLIER?!"

"I used to sell stuff… I have to sound convincing!"

"ARGH! YOU DOOFUS! C'MON! LET'S JUST GO AND EAT! YOU'RE MAKING MY HEAD HURT!"

"Wait!"

"What?!"

"Ibuprofen? Ow! Mari- Ow! That hurts! Stop!"

Marisha just beat me to a pulp and she definitely hit harder than Kaley. Despite that, I saw her smiling nonstop before she opened the door. But the moment she opened it, Kaley was right behind it, alone and crying her eyes out. Marisha and I were stunned when we saw her and we were 100% sure she heard everything. Marisha just looked at me for a moment before letting Kaley come in.

However, the words that came out of Kaley's mouth were something we 1000% didn't expect.

Kaley was still bawling her eyes out as she shouted, "FINE~! I'M NOT GONNA PEG YOU ANYMORE~~~!!!"

Marisha's eyes widened as she almost had a heart attack but before a word came out of her mouth, Kaley chopped the back of her neck, making her fall unconscious.