Aiko gleefully held onto Fuse’s arm and window shopped during their stroll through Overton Square.

Overton Square was a pleasant entertainment district with a wide variety of eateries, hipster drinking establishments, and even live music.

“Fuse!” exclaimed Aiko, who grinned with interest at a purse inside a window display of a niche modern clothing boutique. She tugged Fuse’s arm repeatedly to make him look.

Fuse Makoto, the former Golden Pro Wrestling Pure Gold Champion, tried to stifle a sigh. He didn’t want to do anything to make his wife, Aiko, upset. Or else, Aiko would tell her father, who was the head of the Yakuza crime syndicate in their Japanese hometown.

For Fuse, it had become a loveless marriage, but Aiko had put all of her energy into embracing this opportunity. As a young Japanese woman, she had married one of Tennessee’s most legendary wrestlers, moved to America, and was making appearances on live sports entertainment television.

“What you think!?” Aiko asked rhetorically.

Before he could even look and see the purse for himself, he was being full-on dragged into the store by his petite wife.

“I want! I want!”

Fuse nodded to the store employee who came and pulled the purse out of the display and handed it to Aiko for further inspection. After his wife examined the purse carefully, she glanced up and nodded to Fuse.

Not a nod of agreement or signaling interest, but rather she gave Fuse a nod of command. She expected Fuse to pay for the purse immediately so they could be on their way.

While paying, Fuse carefully examined how much cash he still had in his wallet. And while he had enough to pay for the purse, he was rather stressed by how thin money had been.

The employee handed the purse to Aiko, who began quickly transferring the entirety of her old purse’s belongings into the new one. Once finished, she tossed the old purse to the store employee and didn’t even give them a second look.

“Aiko, dear,” Fuse begged as they walked out of the door. “In America, you cannot simply throw old purse at person. It is rude.”

Aiko kept walking through Overton Square without looking at Fuse.

“Fuse, dear,” she began while staring straight ahead. “In this marriage, you cannot simply tell me what to do. Especially when you make such little money. You have no say.”

The verbal jab stung Fuse deeply. If a Japanese man couldn’t provide for his wife, he was no man at all.

“But don’t worry, sweet Fuse. I talk to Daddy yesterday. He tell me good news and bad news.”

“Good news? Bad news? What?” asked Fuse while trying to keep pace inside the mall and entertainment district. The bustle of shops, restaurants and patrons kept things chaotic as he tried to maintain a serious conversation.

“Which you want first?” Aiko playfully asked.

“Aiko, I don’t care, tell me news,” Fuse pleaded.

“Bad news: you losing lots. First Shotcaller, then Flip Costa. Merchandise sales dropping… Daddy not happy about that.”

Fuse clenched his jaw in frustration. His entire job now was to win matches and redirect his merchandise earnings to Yakuza. So, if he began losing too much and the merchandise sales slipped, it meant jeopardizing the safety of his parents against the Yakuza gang.

“No response? Okay. Good news: Daddy is friends with important businessmen. They give us money now. Lots of money.”

The former Pure Gold Champion grabbed Aiko by the shoulder and stopped her so they could look face-to-face.

“Wait. Why do they give us money?”

Aiko gazed up at Fuse innocently and batted her dark eyelashes.

“All you have to do is mention their business name when on microphone, and other small things. If you like them, then your fans will like them. They pay you to like them and say their name. They are a spons-”

“Sponsorship!? I am Fuse Makoto, my own man!” Fuse yelled while angrily cutting her off.

There was an uncomfortable silence while Aiko considered what to say.

“Fuse, you are great wrestler. And very handsome. But also very, very naïve. Me and Daddy know better, and I help you get everything you deserve. This is why we make such great husband and wife.”

He could barely bring himself to look at her as the shame welled up inside him.

He was no longer his own man. He belonged to Aiko and the Yakuza.