Nobody Marries a Fat Girl
Copyright© 2025 by Megumi Kashuahara
Chapter 4: The Question
Finding the perfect ring took Brad three weeks and visits to seven different jewelers in Osaka.
He knew what he was looking for—something elegant but not ostentatious, something that would suit Suki’s gentle personality. Not too modern, not too traditional. A ring that would make her feel beautiful without making her self-conscious about wearing something expensive.
Emma had been his lifeline through the process, video-calling him from California to review photos of different options.
“Too flashy,” she’d said about a ring with a large center stone surrounded by smaller diamonds.
“Too plain,” she’d critiqued a simple solitaire.
“Getting warmer,” she’d encouraged when he showed her a vintage-style ring with delicate filigree work.
Finally, at a small jeweler in the Namba district, Brad found it. The ring was platinum with a modest but beautiful center diamond—about three-quarters of a carat—set in a vintage-inspired setting with tiny accent stones along the band. It was elegant and timeless, exactly like Suki.
“This is the one,” Brad had told the elderly jeweler, who’d smiled knowingly.
“For someone special?”
“The most special.”
The jeweler had sized the ring—Brad had sneakily borrowed one of Suki’s rings from her dorm room to get the measurement right—and promised to have it ready in a week.
Now, two weeks later, the ring sat in a velvet box in Brad’s desk drawer, and he was planning the proposal.
“You’re being weird,” Suki said one afternoon as they studied in the library.
Brad looked up from his textbook, trying to appear innocent. “What? No I’m not.”
“Yes you are. You keep smiling at your phone and being mysterious about next weekend.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What are you planning?”
“Nothing. Just ... a date. A nice date.”
“Brad Jamison, if you’re planning some elaborate surprise, I swear—”
“Would that be so bad?” Brad reached across the table and took her hand. “You deserve elaborate surprises.”
Suki’s expression softened, but she still looked skeptical. “I don’t need elaborate. I just need you.”
“I know. But humor me anyway.”
She studied his face for another moment, then shook her head with a small smile. “Fine. But if this involves anything embarrassing or public—”
“It won’t. I promise.” Brad squeezed her hand. “Trust me?”
“Always.”
The word still made his heart skip. After months together, Suki’s trust was no longer hesitant or fragile. It was solid, earned, reciprocated. They’d built something real together, and Brad was ready to make it permanent.
Brad had recruited Marcus and Yuki to help with the logistics. Marcus, being a romantic at heart despite his cynical exterior, had been thrilled to be part of the planning.
“So you want to take her to the castle park at sunset, have a picnic, then propose by the water?” Marcus confirmed as they sat in Brad’s dorm room, reviewing the plan.
“Yeah. It’s where we went on our two-week anniversary. She loved it there—said it was one of her favorite places in Osaka.” Brad ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Is that too cliché? The sunset, the water, the romantic picnic?”
“Dude, it’s perfect,” Marcus assured him. “It’s meaningful to both of you, it’s beautiful, and it’s private enough that she won’t feel like she’s being proposed to in front of a crowd.”
“What about the picnic?” Yuki asked, pulling up a list on her phone. “I can help with the food. What does Suki like?”
“Everything,” Brad said, then reconsidered. “Actually, she loves strawberries. And those little sandwiches from that bakery near campus—the ones with egg salad and cucumber. And mochi, but the kind with red bean paste, not the fruit-filled ones.”
Yuki was typing rapidly. “Got it. I’ll handle the food. You focus on not having a nervous breakdown before Saturday.”
“Too late,” Brad admitted. “I’m already having a nervous breakdown. What if she says no?”
“She won’t say no,” Marcus and Yuki said in unison.
“But what if—”
“Brad.” Marcus put a hand on his shoulder. “That girl is so in love with you it’s disgusting. She looks at you like you hung the moon. She’s going to say yes.”
“He’s right,” Yuki added. “I’ve never seen two people more perfect for each other. Stop worrying and start getting excited. You’re about to get engaged!”
Brad took a deep breath, trying to let their confidence seep into his own anxious mind. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. She loves me. I love her. This is going to be great.”
“That’s the spirit,” Marcus said. “Now, let’s talk about what you’re going to say...”
By Friday night, everything was in place. Yuki had assembled the perfect picnic—strawberries, sandwiches, mochi, and a bottle of sparkling cider since neither Brad nor Suki drank much alcohol. Marcus had scouted the location and confirmed that their usual spot by the water would be relatively private on a Saturday evening. Brad had written and rewritten his proposal speech about fifteen times before finally memorizing the version that felt most genuine.
He’d also called his parents to tell them what he was planning.
“Oh, Brad,” his mother had said, her voice thick with emotion. “We’re so happy for you. We can’t wait to meet her.”
“Bring her home for Christmas,” his father had added. “We want to welcome her to the family properly.”
“If she says yes,” Brad had qualified.
“When she says yes,” his father had corrected firmly.
Emma had been characteristically blunt: “If you don’t call me the SECOND she says yes, I will fly to Japan and murder you myself.”
Now, lying in bed on Friday night, Brad stared at the ceiling and ran through the plan one more time. Pick up Suki at five. Walk to the park. Find their spot by the water. Lay out the picnic. Wait for sunset. Then...
Then he would ask Suki Yakamura to be his wife.
His heart raced at the thought. Not with fear, but with anticipation. With certainty. With the bone-deep knowledge that this was right.
He fell asleep with the ring box on his nightstand, dreaming of Suki’s smile.
Saturday was perfect—clear skies, mild temperature, the kind of autumn day that made Osaka glow golden in the late afternoon light.
Brad showed up at Suki’s dorm at exactly five o’clock, wearing jeans and a nice button-down shirt—casual enough for a picnic, but nicer than his usual campus wear. The ring box was a small weight in his front pocket, and he’d checked approximately forty times to make sure it was still there.
Suki opened the door wearing a soft yellow sundress that Brad had never seen before. Her hair was down, loose around her shoulders, and she’d done her makeup with that careful hand that meant she knew this was a special occasion even if she didn’t know why.
“Hi,” she said, smiling that gentle smile that still made his heart skip. “You look nice.”
“So do you. Really beautiful.” Brad offered his hand. “Ready?”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. A good one, I promise.”
They walked through campus and toward Osaka Castle Park, Suki tucked against Brad’s side. She chattered about her week—a difficult exam in her statistics class, a funny interaction with one of her professors, a text from her mother asking when they’d visit next—and Brad listened while his heart hammered against his ribs.
When they reached the park entrance, Suki looked up at him with delighted recognition.
“The castle park? Brad, I love it here!”
“I know. That’s why I chose it.” He guided her down the familiar paths, past the tourists taking photos of the castle, toward the quieter area by the water where they’d spent their two-week anniversary.
Their spot was empty, just as Marcus had promised. The late afternoon sun painted everything in shades of gold and amber, and the water reflected the sky like a mirror.
“Oh,” Suki breathed. “It’s so pretty.”
“Just wait.” Brad pulled a blanket from his backpack—he’d told Suki he was carrying his textbooks—and spread it on the grass near the water’s edge. Then he unpacked the picnic: the sandwiches, the strawberries, the mochi, the sparkling cider in a small cooler.
Suki’s eyes went wide. “Brad, this is—you planned all this?”
“Yuki helped with the food. But yeah, I planned it.” He settled onto the blanket and patted the space beside him. “Come here.”
She sat, still looking overwhelmed. “This is really special. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”
They ate slowly, savoring the food and the moment. Brad told her a funny story about Marcus accidentally insulting a professor in Japanese, and Suki shared gossip about two students in their accounting class who were definitely dating but trying to keep it secret. It was easy and comfortable and perfect—exactly like every moment they spent together.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, painting the sky in pinks and oranges, Brad felt his nervousness return. It was time.
“Suki,” he said softly.
She turned to him, strawberry halfway to her mouth. “Hmm?”
“Can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
Brad set down his cup and took her free hand. “Do you remember the first time I brought you here? Two weeks after we started dating?”
“Of course I do. You said we were celebrating our two-week anniversary, and I thought you were crazy for keeping track.” She smiled. “But it was sweet.”
“You told me that day that you’d never thought you’d have something like this. A boyfriend who planned special dates, who wanted to celebrate silly milestones. You said it felt like a dream.”
Suki’s expression grew more serious. “I remember.”
“You also told me that you were afraid to believe it was real. That you kept waiting for me to wake up and realize I’d made a mistake.” Brad squeezed her hand. “Do you still feel that way?”
“No,” Suki said immediately, then paused. “Well, sometimes. When I see other girls looking at you, or when I catch my reflection and see all the ways I don’t measure up to Japanese beauty standards, I still get scared. But mostly?” She touched his face gently. “Mostly I believe that you love me. That this is real. That I deserve to be happy.”
“You do deserve it. You deserve everything.” Brad’s throat was tight. “Suki, these past five months have been the best of my life. You’ve changed everything for me. You’ve shown me what it means to love someone not despite their vulnerabilities, but because of the whole person they are. You’ve taught me about gentleness and patience and the kind of quiet strength that comes from surviving things that should have broken you.”
Tears were already gathering in Suki’s eyes. “Brad, what—”
“I love you,” he continued. “I love your gentle heart and your brilliant mind. I love the way you hold doors for strangers and thank people who don’t expect it. I love how you scrunch your nose when you’re concentrating on a difficult problem. I love your laugh, your smile, the way you curl up against me when we watch movies. I love all of you, Suki Yakamura.”
“I love you too,” Suki whispered, tears spilling over now. “So much.”
Brad reached into his pocket, and Suki’s breath caught when she saw the small velvet box.
“Oh my god,” she breathed.
“Five months ago, I watched you get bullied in a cafeteria, and something in me knew—this girl matters. This girl is special. This girl deserves to be protected and loved and valued.” Brad opened the box, revealing the ring. “I was right. You are special, Suki. You’re the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met. And I don’t want to spend another day not being able to call you my fiancée, and eventually, my wife.”
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