Fuse looked in the bathroom mirror and sighed to himself.

Down the hallway and in the living room, Fuse could hear the television playing. His wife, Aiko, sat on the couch enjoying one of her Japanese soap operas. Likely with a glass of wine.

In the mirror, the reflection that Fuse saw was that of a man no longer in control.

While on his trip home to Japan during Golden Pro Wrestling Season Five, Fuse had sought to rid his hometown of the insidious Yakuza crime syndicate. However, he was captured by the Yakuza boss and found out that the crime lord actually the father of his childhood sweetheart, Aiko.

The Yakuza boss forced him to marry Aiko and coerced Fuse to funnel all of his merchandise sales back into the Japanese crime syndicate.

If he didn’t? Then Yakuza would mercilessly victimize Fuse’s family. Now, Fuse is left with his new wife, Aiko, in his small Memphis apartment.

Fuse could sense Aiko’s unhappiness with her living accommodations. Back in Japan, her wealthy father gave her anything she ever wanted, and that entitlement was not being met under her current conditions.

He grasped and tugged at various parts of his Shokunin work attire. When he needed money early on in his Golden Pro Wrestling career, Fuse had taken a job making sushi, and his dedication had led him to be one of the best chefs in the restaurant.

He was proud of that.

With a couple last adjustments to his uniform, he looked away from the mirror and left the bathroom. He tried to quietly sneak by the living room to leave the apartment for his work shift, but Aiko caught sight of him.

“Where you go, Fuse?” she asked.

He stopped with his hand on the knob to the door.

“I must go to work now,” he answered.

“You don’t need to go, I called and told them you quit,” Aiko responded nonchalantly.

Fuse looked back at her in surprise.

“You tell them I quit? Why?”

“This apartment, Fuse. Not good enough. I call dad and he send money, and we move to better apartment,” said Aiko whiling still staring at the television. “You no need extra job now. You focus on wrestling.”

He took a few steps to the living room while attempting to control his anger and frustration. Fuse’s growth as a sushi chef was important to him and didn’t want to simply give it up.

“Aiko, I have good job that I enjoy,” Fuse explained. “My job and the Golden Pro Wrestling give us all we need.”

She finally turned her head and looked at him.

“No, it give you all you need. I want more. Dad sends money and we move to better apartment. Dad will not be happy if we don’t use money for better apartment.”

Fuse simply stared at her silently. He knew that if could not defy her father in any way, and that her father would likely expect even more money from Fuse’s popularity in America.

“Now, Fuse, go take off that uniform and come watch my shows with me,” Aiko demanded.

He hung his head and returned to his bedroom to change clothes.