Ryuuji always did the same thing work, cook, clean and since his mother is ill he had to pick up the more work to support her. Every time he goes to do the laundry he would remember that short devil angel he met ten years ago. Oh the painful memories that came in seeing that gigantic apartment complex that his love lived in. How he wished she didn't go to live with her mother. He moved on but she had a big chunk of his heart that she could only fill. Ryuuji would cry himself asleep and his mother in a sickly drunkenness would hug him so he would be comforted. Then when he saw his old high school crush bumped into him on his way to work. The sight of Minori reminded him of his fun adventures with Taiga so he asked Minori to join him for diner. She still didn't fill the void that Taiga left him with when she left but it was enough to make him happy once again. He made her a simple rice dish with curry on top for dinner so he did not have to clean as much up. Once Ryuuji finished his food he set his mothers next to her bed and he looked at Minori. She looked scared of his mother like she was a monster but his mother was the opposite. Actually she only wanted for Ryuuji to be happy but she wanted him to still love her no matter what happened. Taiga got alone great with her but Minori has never seen Ryuuji's mom before. When Minori finished her food she asked to stay the night because it was getting to dark to see much of any thing. He agreed that she could stay the night but he said that Minori would have to sleep with his mom. When everyone went to bed Ryuuji grabbed a chair and sat staring at his only loves house. He started to cry when he heard Taiga's voice in the house but when he looked back she was not there. Then he laid down to cry even harder. He was crushed his little devil angel is gone for good and he can't do anything about it. His life use to revolve around the palm taiga but now he had nothing; his mother is dying, he works two jobs to see if his efforts can save his mother, and he still lives next to an old memory so he has happiness but it just makes him sad. Like always Ryuuji fell asleep crying and when he woke up his head was laying in a puddle of his tears. He stood up and got dressed for his job. Then he knocked on his mother's door to wake her up when he saw Minori cooking them breakfast. He saw his mother smile it was the first time in ten years. Then a smile appeared on his face as well and he ran to Minori to hug her. He realized that his angel is not coming so he found a new. His new start on the world and the promise he made to himself that he will not give up on Taiga but still live the life he wanted. Minori gave him a new hope for the future. After he hugged her he smiled and asked Minori out for the first time. Minori gladly accepted his offer because she was waiting for him to ask for eleven years. They went out loads of times but Ryuuji could not understand the conflicting emotions that were stirring up inside him. Instead of crying himself to sleep he would just not sleep and when he looked at Taiga's house he would just stop breathing. Without knowing he started a war within him but to him it was confusion. The battle was between the love for Minori and the love of Taiga. He knew which he loved more but the one he truly loves is gone. Taiga being gone whether for good or not was what keep him with Minori, but soon his world would crumble under the weight of his emotions. First his mother died from a liver failure and that just added to Ryuuji's mental malfunction. Then he was asked to leave work until he could get his life strait and they said that they will pay him till that happens. To his excitement that night he looked at Taiga's old place and the light was on so he got dressed in a tux. Then he ran over there to see if his devil angel had come back.
He opened the door and yelled "Taiga! Aisaka Taiga! Are you really back!? I've been waiting for your return ever since you left!" Then he looked around but he could not see her anywhere. He looked all over the apartment to see if she was there or if he's gone mad. Then he saw his girlfriend sitting in a corner crying so he walked over to see if she was ok.
She said in a sobbing tone "You never wanted me all you wanted was your little Taiga. Well I guess I should have expected this from you because you ran to her when you know she needed comforting. Like when you went to her at Christmas and when you carried her at the ski log after she went looking for my ear ring. I was secretly dying inside every time I saw you with her but I stayed strong for you. Now all you think about is her so just leave and never come back." Ryuuji slowly walked away from her and now he had nothing all he had was lost; his mother, Taiga, and now Minori. Every bit of hope had left him he could not live much longer like this and now he had no one to comfort him. The next day he walked to his mother's funeral but his gloom was more focused on the loss of his own mental state. Ryuuji was the only one that attended her funeral with an acceptation of one mystery hooded lady. After the funeral was over he walked over to her and asked if she would like to say some words for his mother. She declined but he followed her to see where she lived.
Then she led him to a hotel and he asked "Did you just come into town and how did you know my mother?"
She replied "Yes I did just come back into town and I knew you mother as a friend." Her voice sounded familiar but he could not remember where. Then they went to her room where she took her heels off which made her five centimeters shorter. He figured without the shoes she was about one hundred forty-three centimeters tall but he was not sure. When he thought there was a girl around that height back in high school but he draw a blank on whom.
She said "Close your eyes I have a big surprise for you. I know you thinking of Taiga." Then I thought how did she know and she continued "I know she has been thinking of you ever since she left you." Ryuuji felt a jolt and she said "Open." When he opened he saw a short girl latched onto him like a clamp. He looked again and he saw her smiling face.
He hugged her and said "It's been a long time Taiga haven't it and Taiga I've been waiting to say I love you so long. So I love you Taiga." Then he smelled the sent of Taiga's hair.
Taiga said "I love you too Ryuuji. Oh! How about we try getting married again."
Then he replied "Only if you promise not to run off like last time." They both laughed and the next day they made the arrangements. The only one invited was Taiga's mother because she was the only true family left. Then a month later Taiga and Ryuuji was finally married after ten years.