My Stepmother Is an Ex-Demon Queen-Chapter 35 - 36 – “We Got Paired for a Love Skit and I Accidentally Improvised a Marriage Proposal”

Chapter 35: Chapter 36 – “We Got Paired for a Love Skit and I Accidentally Improvised a Marriage Proposal”

Recap – Chapter 35: "The Love Letter Disaster"

Chapter 35 marked a turning point in the chaos-ridden romantic life of Kazuki.

The school day started innocently enough — until an anonymous love letter slipped into Kazuki’s locker turned his routine into emotional roulette. At first, he assumed it was just another prank from Mirelle or a mistake from the junior who once confessed to his shoe rack. But this letter was different — poetic, vulnerable, and painfully sincere.

And worse? He didn’t know who sent it.

The mystery sent waves of confusion through his already complicated harem dynamics. Ayaka was furious — not because she thought he wrote it, but because she thought he was too dumb to cover it up properly. Her pride (and budding feelings) made her more emotionally reactive than usual, and every sentence she spoke was dipped in acid.

Meanwhile, Mirelle, ever the agent of chaos, pretended she was the letter’s author... just to mess with him. She flirted aggressively, dropped cryptic hints, and whispered false clues to classmates, turning the situation into a mini-scandal. Kazuki began questioning reality, his sanity, and whether he had unknowingly unlocked some terrible romantic curse.

Airi, the most analytical of the girls, dissected the letter like a case study. Her conclusion? The handwriting and phrasing didn’t match any of them. Which only deepened the mystery. She even speculated that a fourth girl — someone unknown — might have entered the mix. That theory hit Kazuki like a truck. Was he being targeted?

To make matters worse, the school’s drama club, sensing the buzz around Kazuki’s tangled love life, decided to cast him and Ayaka as the romantic leads in the school’s upcoming play — a romantic drama that ends with a marriage proposal.

The final blow? When Ayaka found out who volunteered her for the role (spoiler: it was Mirelle), she nearly exploded with rage. But with no way out, she accepted... through gritted teeth and flaming eyes.

The Chapter ended with Kazuki standing in the middle of the auditorium, holding a script titled "The Bride of Cherry Blossoms", wondering how he ended up as the main character in a romantic comedy he never agreed to star in.

🎭 Scene 1: The Announcement That Started It All

The first time Kazuki realized his life was no longer under his control was when Ms. Moriko clapped her hands and said cheerfully:

"You two will play the romantic leads!"

He had barely walked into the auditorium, still clutching his half-eaten melon bread, when the words hit him like a chair to the face. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Ayaka stood beside him, her expression a curious blend of "I’ll kill someone" and "I haven’t decided who yet."

"Excuse me?" she said sharply. "I didn’t sign up for this."

Ms. Moriko, unbothered by Ayaka’s death glare, pointed to a clipboard. "You didn’t need to! You were nominated! Isn’t that romantic?"

Kazuki already knew. He could smell the chaos. He turned slowly toward the back row, where Mirelle sat, legs crossed, smug as a cat next to a spilled fish tank.

"You did this," he muttered.

Mirelle gave him a thumbs-up and mouthed, "You’re welcome."

Ayaka folded her arms, clearly ready to argue. But Ms. Moriko clapped again.

"Let’s read from the top! Chemistry test begins now!"

Kazuki stared down at the script. Page one read:

Scene One: Sakura petals fall as the lovers lock eyes for the first time...

This was going to be a disaster.

🎬 Scene 2: Rehearsal Begins (and Dignity Ends)

The rehearsal was held in the gym-turned-temporary-theater. Cardboard set pieces were taped onto walls. Plastic sakura petals were scattered across the stage. The prop sword was made of foam. It would’ve been funny if Kazuki wasn’t the one holding the sword, wearing a half-zipped tuxedo over his school uniform, and trying not to pass out from anxiety.

Ayaka, by contrast, looked composed — dangerously so. She stood in her rehearsal dress (still her school uniform, but she had tied her hair back, and for some reason, that made Kazuki’s brain stop working).

"You look nervous," she said flatly.

"I’m not nervous," he replied.

She smirked. "You’re sweating through your blazer."

"I’m passionate."

"You’re dripping, Kazuki."

Ms. Moriko signaled the lights. "Begin!"

The fake sakura petals dropped from above. Kazuki stepped forward.

"I never thought I’d see you again," he said, reading from the script.

Ayaka replied coolly:

"I hoped I never would."

Their voices echoed slightly in the gymnasium. It was supposed to be a dramatic moment. But the audience — half bored students from the drama club, half curious classmates — started whispering excitedly.

"They look way too natural," someone whispered.

"Wasn’t that the guy who got a love letter yesterday?"

"Is this part of the scandal arc?!"

Kazuki fought the urge to hide behind the prop sakura tree.

💍 Scene 3: The Improv Heard Around the School

Then came that scene — the one Mirelle had hyped as "the ultimate climax" and that Ms. Moriko insisted they "try without the script."

The wedding proposal.

Ms. Moriko’s instructions were clear: "Just go with the flow. Act from the heart."

Terrible idea.

They stood center stage. Kazuki cleared his throat.

"I’ve always loved you. Since the moment we met under the sakura tree..."

Ayaka hesitated, off-script. She looked at him, confused.

"You... you idiot. You’re ruining the scene—"

"I’m improvising," Kazuki hissed. Then, louder, "I know I don’t deserve you, but... I want to spend every moment making up for that. So..."

He took her hand — which felt warm, soft, and terrifying.

"Will you marry me?"

There was a beat of silence.

Then all hell broke loose.

The audience screamed. Someone threw glitter. Mirelle howled with laughter. Airi (watching from the balcony) nearly dropped her notebook. And Ayaka—

Ayaka’s mouth opened, closed, and opened again.

"Wha—You—I—That wasn’t in the—!"

But the scene had ended. Curtain down. Ms. Moriko declared it "brilliant improv."

Ayaka was speechless.

Kazuki? He was sweating in places that shouldn’t sweat.

💢 Scene 4: Backstage Fallout

Kazuki barely had time to change before Ayaka stormed up and shoved him into the supply closet behind the gym.

"What was that?!" she whisper-shouted, her cheeks red.

"I was just acting!"

"That was not acting! You said it like you meant it!"

Kazuki held up his hands. "Okay, I panicked, all right? The script was gone. I was under pressure. You were glaring at me. My brain melted."

Ayaka stared at him for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.

It was terrifying.

"Then next time," she said, "be careful where you point that proposal."

She turned to leave — then paused.

"...Though I admit," she muttered without looking back, "you didn’t sound entirely terrible."

Kazuki blinked. "Wait—was that a compliment?"

The door slammed.

🤯 Scene 5: Meanwhile, Elsewhere...

While Kazuki reeled from Ayaka’s unexpected words, the rest of the school wasn’t idle.

By the end of the day:

A photo of the stage proposal had been printed and stuck on the class bulletin board.

A student-run poll labeled "Hottest Couple" had Kazuki and Ayaka at 87%.

Mirelle had started selling keychains labeled "Ayazuki 4ever."

And someone — anonymous, likely Airi or someone worse — slipped a note into Kazuki’s locker.

You picked the wrong girl. Let’s see how long that lasts.

Kazuki stared at the note for a full minute.

Then sighed.

"I need new hobbies."

🧪 Scene 6: Kazuki’s Brain (Also Known as a Wreck)

That night, Kazuki stared at the ceiling.

He had fake-proposed to Ayaka. She hadn’t outright rejected it. In fact, she might have liked it. Kind of. Maybe.

And there were feelings involved now. Dangerous, confusing, blush-worthy feelings. Not just with Ayaka — but with Mirelle, who was clearly playing some long game, and Airi, who was watching like a chess master waiting for her move.

He scribbled in his journal again.

Disaster Level: 9.7/10

Romantic casualties: Pending

Emotional stability: Missing

🗨️ Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 37: "Everyone Thinks We’re Dating and the Harem Revolts"

The school wakes up to "Kazuki and Ayaka are dating" trending on the campus forum. Ayaka, livid, wants blood. Mirelle demands a re-do with her as the bride. Airi announces a "data-driven affection simulation." And Kazuki?

Kazuki just wants lunch without getting tackled.

But when a real confession arrives from someone outside the known love triangle — everything changes.

✅ Call to Action

So... was that proposal too convincing?

Who’s behind the locker note?

Is Kazuki slowly falling for Ayaka, or just losing his grip on sanity?

Vote, comment, and add this novel to your Library so you don’t miss Chapter 37, where drama explodes, enemies plot, and Kazuki might finally get kissed — or punched.

Preview – Chapter 37: "When the Fake Proposal Goes Public"

Kazuki walks into school the next day and sees a giant printed photo of the stage proposal on the bulletin board — with hearts edited around their faces. The student body has decided: Kazuki and Ayaka are now a couple.

But while Ayaka is silently fuming, the other girls in Kazuki’s life are not so silent. Mirelle? Jealous. Airi? Analyzing. Lilith? Plotting sabotage.

And then there’s the anonymous note in his locker that simply says:

"You picked the wrong girl."

Everything’s about to implode.

✅ Call to Action:

🔥 Did that proposal feel too real?

👀 Is Ayaka finally cracking emotionally, or was it all an act?

💥 What will happen now that the entire school ships them?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below — seriously, we want your conspiracy theories, love triangles, and fan-castings.

And don’t forget to:

Add this novel to your Library 📚

Vote ⭐ if you laughed, blushed, or screamed internally

Stay tuned for Chapter 37, because things are about to go off the rails