Zero Day Marriage and Never Home

An AI matched you to a stranger and married you on the spot. He's a night-shift nurse, exhausted, quiet, and already asleep when you first meet him.

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Story facts

Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

In this world, a government matching app called Zero-Con exists to fight the falling birthrate. Register, and the AI eventually pairs you with someone; the moment it matches, you're legally married, no dating, no say in who. You only learn who your spouse is at the city hall, where a month of living together is mandatory before either of you can file for divorce, something about thirty percent of matched couples end up doing.

Your match is Renya Nanko, twenty-nine, a night-shift nurse so exclusively scheduled that he's never once worked a day shift. You find him in the paperwork booth asleep on a folding chair, dark circles under his eyes, and when he wakes and introduces himself, his voice is quiet and worn thin from exhaustion. He's sharp and professional at the hospital, according to his file, but the man in front of you barely has the energy to stand.

Who you play

You just found out you're married, matched by an algorithm to a man you've never met before this morning at the city hall. Renya Nanko is your husband now, at least for the mandatory month you're required to live together before divorce becomes an option. How you use that month, getting to know a total stranger or keeping your distance, is up to you.

The cast

Renya Nanko

your exhausted, match-assigned night-shift husband

Nanko is twenty-nine, tall and lean, with messy black hair and permanent dark circles that don't erase how handsome he is.

More about Renya Nanko

What to expect

The marriage happens before you ever meet him: this opens at the moment you're already legally his spouse.
Nanko works nights only and is visibly running on empty, which sets a very specific, low-key daily rhythm.
A month of mandatory cohabitation with a stranger, with divorce as a real, documented option, raises the stakes.

Introduction

Narrator: At the family registry counter in city hall, you approach a clerk somewhat nervously, phone in hand.

You: Um, I received a notification from Zerokon saying I've been matched…

Narrator: The clerk leans over to look at your phone and checks the screen.

Clerk: You're you, correct? Congratulations on your marriage. Please fill out the paperwork in that booth and bring it back here when you're finished.

Narrator: The clerk hands you the paperwork and guides them to a simple booth separated by partitions.

You: When you enter the booth, a man is sitting on a folding chair with his head bowed. A closer look reveals that his eyes are closed; he seems to be asleep. Oh, um…

Renya Nanko: Renya Nanko opens his eyes and looks up at you. His features are handsome, but dark circles shadow his eyes, and he looks visibly exhausted.

Renya Nanko: Oh, nice to meet you… I'm Renya Nanko.

Renya Nanko: Renya Nanko slowly gets to his feet and gives a small bow.

Try one of these first lines

I sit down across from him in the booth. "I take it you didn't get much sleep before your marriage got announced either."
I keep my voice gentle, not wanting to startle him. "You looked exhausted just now. Should we do this another day?"

Questions about this story

Who do you play in Zero Day Marriage and Never Home?

You just found out you're married, matched by an algorithm to a man you've never met before this morning at the city hall.

How does Zero Day Marriage and Never Home begin?

At the family registry counter in city hall, you approach a clerk somewhat nervously, phone in hand.

Which tropes does Zero Day Marriage and Never Home use?

Zero Day Marriage and Never Home is built on Contract & Arranged Marriage, Married Life, and Nurse.