My friend, Karen sent me this story. There may be some errors because I didn't proof read this again. I will later. Here it is!
Hey guys! I just heard the sweetest love story and I wanted to pass it on!!!! It’s a Japanese love story, so most likely you wouldn’t find it online or be able to rent the DVD here. It’s only a twenty-minute movie, but to include all the important details, the whole thing is kind of long. But it is definitely worth it!!!! I suggest printing out a copy of the story and reading it on your own time. Well me loving stories wanted to send it to everyone else who might also enjoy it! Reply to this email when you can with what you think. By the way, pass it on to every girl or guy who might enjoy it!!!!!!!!(<---Karen's words)
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The Marriage Stimulator
Everyone has a different view of love, but just about everyone falls in love. Commitment is a big step, and is very scary for many. People wonder how their marriage would be like. How they would end up 1 year or maybe 10 years into the future with their partner. Not everything turns out the way they expect it to, and marriages often fall apart. Love is not always strong enough, even if it’s fate. Here is one couple’s story. Yuchi (the guy) and Maru (the girl) who have met because of fate and are planning their marriage. But, along with the marriage package they paid for, came an additional (optional) service. The Marriage Simulator...... It was raining heavily in the streets as Maru waited outside at the bus stop for the rain to cease. She left her umbrella at the train. A bus stops in front, and Yuchi steps out. He didn’t have an umbrella with him either, as he ran for cover, standing next to Maru. He notices the petite women standing beside him. They are standing in front of a movie theatre as the rainwater rushed down the dark streets.
“It’s really pouring huh?” He says, running his hands over his wet hair.
“It is” May replies. She looks away, shy from the stranger who is talking to her.
“Wow, I’ve been meaning to see this movie.” He says, as he looks back at the movie theatre. The poster for the movie, “A Gentle Kiss” lay behind them on the wall.
“I’ve been meaning to see movies, but I never get around to them.” Maru replies. The stranger smiles at her and runs over to the ticket booth. He buys two adult tickets, and walks over. His smile still as bright. “Want to see it with me? It’s about to start.”
Maru blushes. She smiles and agrees. They go inside. This is the story of how they met. The first day of their entire lives.
**********
It’s been less than a year since Maru and Yuchi had been dating. They were no doubt in love, and looking forward to their marriage. They had been planning it in some time. They look around the chapel they will be married in, and sit down in the main room to discuss their arrangements for the marriage with the manager of the chapel, who is also helping them plan for their special day. He explains the services that are included in his premium package.
“For the first anniversary, we will send you two a specially tailored pair of teddy bears in their own wedding clothes. For the fifth anniversary, we will send you the bottle of wine you had in your wedding, in the same year. And for the tenth, we send you your video gifts to each other, where you record yourself talking to your partner ten years from now, expressing your love and care for each other. You make them now, and we’ll send them to you ten years from now. It’s a very romantic gesture to remind yourselves why you two married in the first place.” The manager smiles and the couple happily agree. Eager to purchase the service, and make their videos. They are at the counter, and Maru pulls out a pamphlet from the front desk.
“What is this?” She asks the manager.
“Ahhh. That is an optional service, which is also included in the premium service. That is the Marriage Stimulator. It’s where we show you what you would look like and be like years after you are married with our highly advance technology. Are you two interested?”
“Umm..Sure. That’ll be great.” Maru replies. Although this couple is no doubt in love and anticipates spending their whole life together, they too, like any other couple, are curious at what they might find in their future. They make the video gifts to each other. Each one’s video will be sent to their partner. Then they walk into a large blue chamber with two leather seats in the center. Through the glass viewing window, the manager and his group of expert technicians, they explain the procedure.
“Now you guys just have to lay back and relax. We examine the DNA from you blood samples, your personalities, background profiles, and combine the information to stimulate what you guys will be like years from now. Now the development and ending may chance according to how you guys react emotionally to what you are seeing, so this is nothing like a movie. This is only a virtual stimulation, you can never be sure of what to expect. Are you guys ready”?
They lay back, give one last look at each other before they put on the equipment necessary to show the stimulation. The technicians flip the switch, and the anxious couple falls back against the chair. Asleep, and the stimulation begins in their dreams. In their dreams, they both watch their future lives together past before their eyes.
************
The bells are chiming. People are cheering their joy as the happy couple ran out the church into the limo on their way to their honeymoon. Everyone is smiling and laughing at this wonderful occasion.
Week following the wedding...
“Yuchi! Good morning! It’s morning.” She smiles as her husband wakes up and gets ready for the day. He meets her in the breakfast table and greets her with his own smile. She lays out his plate full of his favorite food.
“You know the good morning thing is sweet.” Yuchi says to his wife. She giggles and they dig in.
Year after the wedding...
Maru is cleaning up the house, and as she enters the bathroom, she calls her husband over.
“Yeah?” Yuchi says.
“You always leave the toilet seat up?” She asks, pointing at the seat.
“Yeah, do you want me to leave it down now?”
“Yeah that be nice.”
Yuchi is watching TV in the living room, as Maru prepares dinner.
“You know, that movie has two endings.” She mentions, trying to make a conversation to her husband, who is lying on the sofa, not looking at her.
“Really?” He says, still watching the TV.
"Yeah in one, they catch the criminal and he is arrested and punished, and in another he escapes.”
“Really?” He says again.
“What do you think honey?” She asks. Feeling ignored.
“Really?” He grunts.
Pissed, Maru walks over to Yuchi, and yells.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Jumping up, he looks at her confused.
“I mean I cook and clean all day. You could at least make the effort to talk to me. “ She said. Standing over her husband, frustrated.
“What about you? I mean I been meaning to mention it before, but look you’re always in sweats.” He yells back.
Maru looks at herself, her hair in roller pins, her standing there in her t-shirt and sweat pants. And looks questioningly at her husband.
“Huh?”
2 years after the Wedding...
The couple is sitting in the living room, deciding what to name their child. There is a collage of papers in the floor, each with a possible name for the child. Maru runs her hand over her bulging stomach. The child kicked. She smiles at Yuchi.
“Okay, so we agree that if the child is female, she will be Sakura. If the child is male, he will be Haruki.”
He nods his head, and holds her in his arms. Later on, after Maru has given birth to the baby boy in the hospital, Yuchi and his mother are there to be by her side. Maru’s mother in low cradle the child in her arms.
“Wow, such a wonderful son in low. Yutaro, you are so adorable!” The mother in law tickles the little baby as she coos at him.
“Yutaro?” Maru sits up confused. “Yuchi, I thought we agreed to name him Haruki.”
“Well in my family’s traditions, all the males’ name begins with a “Yu”. His dad is named Yumachi, his name is Yuchi, and his son will be Yutaro.” The mother in law explains.
“Maru looks over, hurt and confused, at her husband, who only shrugs and said, “Yea that’s how it goes.”
Maru falls back on her bed and signs.
6 Years after the wedding...
Maru and Yuchi are yelling in the dining room, as their son is sleeping in the room across the hall of their apartment building. Maru is packing her suitcase as Yuchi watches.
“I have to leave. The job starts next week. “ She pleads.
“Yutaro is just starting school next week!” He says.
“But we need the money.” She says as she packs more clothes in her bags.
“Well, fine we’ll move into my mother’s place just in case then. To make it easier on us.”
“No I can’t.” She replies. “Can’t you see? I’m stuck here 24 hours a day; I haven’t seen a movie since I had Yutaro. You are always busy. It’s not you would notice anyways. You can’t even show up at your own anniversary dinner.”
“It had important meetings! I’m slaving away to support you two. I work hard to provide for us, and you’re saying it’s not enough!”
He is frustrated and angrily punches his fist into the wall. He wakes Yutaro, who sits up crying in the other room. Maru drops her things and runs to comfort her child. She holds him close in her arms.
“I can’t go on anymore.” She says sadly as she looks into the eyes of Yuchi.
“Okay, we’ll split up.”
The next week, they sign the divorce papers, and dejectedly walk away from each other. The stimulation flashes away and the couple gets out of their seats and look at each other.
“Well how did it go?” Asked the manager.
Maru slowly walks toward Yuchi, who gets up. She slaps him hard across the face.
“You said you would never leave me! You lied.” She said, tears streaming down her face.
He couldn’t respond. “I guess it’s better this way. Finding out before we wasted too much time.”
He tells the manager that the wedding is canceled. The couple spilt at this point, and walks away from the chapel. Both heartbroken and lost. They had no more words for each other.
***********
Weeks after the breakup...
While Maru is going through her mail, she finds a large yellow packet, addressed from the Chapel. She opens it, and the videotape falls out. She reads the note:

Dear Yuchi,
Sorry to have to send this back. Since the wedding is canceled, we are regretfully returning your video gift. Do as you wish with it. Good luck in the future!
From,
The Manager of Sweet Love Chapel

The video had been sent to the wrong person. She should have received her video gift, not Yuchi’s. What use is it now. Maru looks over the video, and a tear rolled out her eyes. She hasn’t seen him or spoken to him since they left the chapel. She wishes things could have turned out better. The phone rings and she picks it up, wiping the tear away.
“Hey, it’s me.” Says Yuchi.
“Hey.” “They sent me your video by mistake. Do you want me to forward it to you?”
“No it’s okay, just throw it away.” She says, missing his voice.
“Okay,” He says. There is a short pause. “Trash mine as well.”
“Okay. Well I guess we won’t be seeing each other any more. So good luck with your life.” She says, attempting to sound cheery.
"Good bye." He signs, and hangs up.
Maru looks at the video, and puts it in her VCR and turns it on. She leans back in her seat, and watches.
The screen flicks on and there was her beloved Yuchi sitting on a chair, looking at the camera. He begins his message.
"Well here we are. On our tenth anniversary. I hope we had ten wonderful, unforgettable years. When I’m tired from work or had a really bad day, it’s your smile that brightens me up. I know I have probably given you a lot of problems, made you mad a lot. And for that I’ll say in advance, that I’m sorry. You know I’m not a very good communicator. I’ve got a confession to tell you. I’m surprised I’m even saying it." Yuchi says on the screen. Maru leans closer and listens carefully.
“That night when we met, you thought it was fate. You were so happy with that thought that I didn’t want to tell you. I’ve known about you before that night. I’ve noticed you around town, in the supermarket, bookstore, train stations, wherever. I began to look forward to seeing you everyday. I always wanted to talk to you, but I never had the chance. When I was on the bus, heading towards the movies, I saw you standing there. Caught in the rain, no umbrella, and thought, 'Here’s my chance.' Truth is, I had an umbrella that day. I just pretended I didn’t, so I could stand next to you." He laughs, and looks into the screen, almost at Maru. She cries and cups her hands over her mouth. Tears roll down her face as she stares into the screen.
“Well that’s how it went.” He laughs. “Sorry to disappoint you, but you know what, after you see this video, we’ll go to that same movie theatre where we met. If they are showing a love story, we’ll call our meeting fate. Bye bye, my love.”
The screen flicks off, and Maru sits there in silence. All sorts of emotions overwhelm her, and she runs out of her house. She runs until she reaches the movie theatre behind that bus stop. The poster lying on the wall reads, “Trick or Treat”. It’s a horror movie. Sadly, she puts her head down, and walks away slowly. She hears a familiar voice behind her. “Two Adult tickets please.”
She turns around to find Yuchi standing there, two tickets in his hand.
“The movie is about to start.” He says.
Maru runs, crying into his arms and they hold each other, happy again. He cries into her shoulder, as the couple is reunited again.
Weeks later, they marry. Although they encountered many problems, they will never stop loving each other.