Okay so I am giving Yumi and Shukichi a well deserved fanfic since they basically are still in love 3 Next to Takagi and Sato, they are my favorite pairing in the series. I really hope they get back together sometime soon. ^^ For now, I hope you enjoy this Yumi x Shukichi one shot. XD

"Miwako!"

Sato heard a familiar voice call her name from a distance, and turned to see it had come from her best friend, Yumi.

"Oh, hey Yumi! What is it?" Sato smiled as she greeted her friend.

Yumi grinned playfully "I am getting off work at 5:00 which is in 10 more minutes. Are you free later on today? Wanna go to karaoke or something?"

Sato's expression dropped. "Oh I'm sorry Yumi I won't get off until 7:00 and Takagi-kun and I planned a dinner date tonight. I won't be able to go. I'm sorry."

Yumi nodded with disappointment. "That's okay I had a feeling this might happen."

Sato frowned and felt bad to have to turn her down. "It'll be okay! Maybe we'll reschedule karaoke for a day we both can go! I promise we'll do it sometime soon okay?" Sato happily reassured.

Yumi looked up and smiled somewhat sadly. "Sure thing Miwako."

Sato looked at her with confusion. "Hey now why do you sound so sad about it?"

Yumi lowered her head and spoke quietly. "Heh I'm not sad. It's just..sometimes I envy you, Miwako."

"Hmm?" Sato raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You and Takagi-kun are so happy together, and you're always there for each other. Same goes for Shiratori and Kobayashi-sensei. I guess I just kind of wish I had something like that."

Sato stared at Yumi stunned and at a loss of words. "Y-Yumi I didn't realize you felt that way..Well what about your old boyfriend, Shukichi-kun?"

Yumi's eyes lifted and she felt her heart pounding. "Yeah so? What about him?" she rolled her eyes pretending not to care.

Sato crossed her arms unconvinced. "Yumi you don't have to put up a front. You can be honest with me. I know you still have feelings for him whether they're romantic or not. He saved you from a kidnapper 2 weeks ago right? Why don't you go out with him to thank him for saving you?"

Yumi dropped the act and raised her voice defensively. "I have tried reaching out to him since then, but he always turns me down saying he's busy! He obviously has no time for me, and probably doesn't care about me as much as he claims he does."

Sato put her hands on Yumi's shoulder. "Yumi you need to calm down. I'm sure he has his reasons."

Yumi took a step back and escaped Sato's grasp. "I bet he already has a new girlfriend who he's kept secret. We did break up 4 years ago after all..Why would he wait that long for me?"

Sato sighed. "Yumi I don't know the answers to those questions. Why don't you schedule a day to meet up with him and talk to him? I'm sure it's all just a simple misunderstanding. Once you know the truth, I bet you'll be able to work things out with him."

Yumi felt herself calm down and she nodded silently. "I..guess you're right."

Suddenly Takagi burst into the room anxiously. "Sato-san! We got a case! Let's go to the car quickly!"

Sato put her game face on and began running out the door. "Right!" she paused for a brief moment. "Sorry Yumi we'll have to talk later. Good luck!"

Yumi watched as Sato ran off with Takagi and smiled. "Good luck to you too."

Several moments passed and finally the time became 5:00. Yumi grabbed her purse and clocked out. She walked down to the car parking lot and put the keys in the ignition. She sat with the car in park and reflected on what Miwako said. "…Maybe I should try to reach out to him just one more time…Maybe it'll be different this time."

Slowly, she reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. She went to her contacts and found "Chuukichi ^_^" She silently chuckled as she remembered when she saved his contact name as that.

(Flashback)

"Yumi-tan, why do you have me as "Chuukichi" on your phone? Haven't I told you that's not my name?" Shukichi playfully tried to grab her phone.

Yumi smiled mischievously and moved her phone out of his reach. "Okay fine have it your way I'll fix it." She began typing.

"Thank you." Shukichi said happily.

Yumi was chuckling as she was typing which got Shukichi curious. "What's so funny?" he asked concerned.

Yumi lifted her phone and showed him. "There! All fixed!" "Chuukichi ^_^"

(End Flashback)

Yumi smiled sadly as she recalled the good memories when they first started dating. She really did miss him so much even though she was too proud to admit it.

"Chuukichi…"

Finally, her emotions got the best of her and she clicked the "Call" button. There was no backing down now.

The phone dialed for what felt like ages, but finally he picked up.

"Yumi-tan!" he happily exclaimed.

She took a deep breath and couldn't find the words at first, but finally she gave in and decided to follow Miwako's advice and be honest. "Chuukichi, listen up. I'm going to say this once and only once. I want to thank you for saving me from being kidnapped, so you better spare some time for me later today." She came across bolder and bossier than she intended. She mentally slapped herself on the forehead. "Why can't I ever show my soft side to him?"

Shukichi chuckled awkwardly and sounded nervous. "Oh hehe you don't have to thank me, Yumi-tan! I wasn't just going to abandon you! I-!

Yumi interrupted. "So do you have any time later or not? Even if it's only for an hour." She sounded almost desperate at this point to see him.

There was a long pause, but finally he spoke. "I think I can spare some time. How about we go out to dinner at 8 o clock. There are some things I have to tell you anyways, so this is good timing. I'll come pick you up at that time."

Yumi's heart raced as she began to ponder what he had to tell her. "Wait what do you have to tell me? Just tell me now!"

Shukichi smiled. "I can't say it over the phone, but I'll give you a hint. I've waited many years to finally tell you."

"Well wait! What is that supposed to-"

Shukichi cut her off. "Sorry Yumi-tan I really gotta get going now. I probably shouldn't have even gotten up to answer the phone right now, but please just trust me on this. See you later!"

-click-

Yumi looked at her phone and stared down dumbfounded."…He hung up. Darn it what does this mean?"

She sighed and put her phone back in her purse, and began to drive home with a million thoughts rushing through her head.

Finally Yumi got home and threw herself on her bed. She laid down for hours just to collect her thoughts. "What the heck could he have waited years to finally tell me?"

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. "Wait a minute. Maybe could this have something to do with the whole, '"until I collect all seven'" thing?"

She quickly got out of bed and rushed to her desk where she pulled out the envelope he gave her 4 years ago on the day of their breakup.

She stared at it and remembered how she lied to Shukichi that day at the coffee shop by saying she threw it away. She didn't want him to think she actually hung on to the envelope all these years unopened even though it was the truth.

"I know he wanted me to leave this unopened until he collected all seven whatever the heck they are, but….he doesn't know I still have it, so I suppose it couldn't hurt."

She began to slowly tear the top of the envelope. She felt a huge adrenalin rush within her, and her hands were shaking. "I can't believe I'm actually opening this..It feels so wrong, but.."

She pulled the note out of the letter and began to unfold it. She started to read:

Yumi-tan,

On that day on the subway, I fell in love with you from the moment you smiled and told me my sleeping face was too cute. Nobody has ever done something so simple as waiting for me, and causing me to care so much for them. You truly are a gift in my life, and I am so thankful to call you my beloved Yumi-tan. If you are reading this, we have already broken up, and I just want you to know this decision has hurt me, and I still don't accept it. I know that even If I'm not your boyfriend, I will still always love you before anyone else. I will not move on to anyone else, because you are my one and only love in this world. I know that someday we'll meet again, and hopefully I can prove I am worthy of your affections. There isn't a single thing I wouldn't do for you, and I hope you know that. I want to have a beautiful life and future with you, but I know you don't want me to be your boyfriend right now. I still have hope you'll take me back someday, and I am willing to wait however long it takes. I love you more than anything in this world, and I will stake my name on it or my name's not Shukichi "Taiko-Meijin" Haneda.

-Chuukichi ^_^

Yumi blushed and felt her heart drop. She didn't even know what to say or how to feel after reading such touching words from the guy she treated like trash. She stared blankly at the letter and lowered her arm and the letter slipped out of her hands. She stood there for several moments just totally zoned out. "Chuukichi..."

Yumi assumed he was over her long ago. When they met up again during the case with the woman who was hanged next door to him, she was surprised how he acted so loving around her. Almost as though they never broke up at all. And that was their first reunion in 4 years.

Yumi smiled silently. "I was always so jealous of everyone at the office who's in a relationship, and I was always feeling so down on myself. I guess it's time to stop pitying myself anymore."

She blinked and woke herself up from her daze. She looked at the clock and saw it was 7:25. "Ah, what am I doing? I need to get ready!"

Yumi had changed into a beautiful dress, and wore matching earrings and high heels. She tapped her foot impatiently as she sat on her couch in the living room while staring at the clock periodically. "Darn it Chuukichi it's 8:17! Why do you always make me wait for you when you're the one claiming you are willing to wait as long as it takes to win me back?"

Suddenly, she was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a knock on the door.

"It's about time…" She thought irritated as she got up to answer it.

As Yumi opened the door, she felt her jaw drop when she caught a glimpse of his appearance. Shukichi was dressed in an expensive looking tuxedo, and he actually combed his messy hair to look a little tame. He even wore a super attractive smelling cologne.

"Sorry I'm late, Yumi-tan. I wanted to look my best for you." He spoke sweetly.

Yumi stood in astonishment not knowing how to react. She just kept looking at him up and down and back again. "Was he always this handsome?" She subconsciously thought to herself. Finally after a few moments of silence, Yumi shook her head to snap herself out of this trance.

"Psh you're always looking for reasons to justify making me wait for you forever." She scoffed rudely.

Shukichi lowered his head and looked almost genuinely hurt. "I-I'm sorry Yumi-san. I hope my lateness won't ruin our evening though. I want this to be a night to remember." He smiled sadly and tried to hold her hand, but he backed down at the last second.

Yumi took note of his attempt, but she didn't want to bother talking about it. "Alright, lets go. Where are you taking me?" She asked bluntly with her arms crossed as they started working their way to his car.

Shukichi chuckled and scratched his head awkwardly. "Oh hehe well it's a surprise! Just wait and see!" he opened the door of the car for her, and she got in.

Yumi rolled her eyes. "Aw come on you know I hate surprises! Just tell me now!" He got in the car, and began to drive.

Shukichi ignored her response and immediately started making small talk. "So Yumi-tan, when I went into the police department to give my statement for the case 2 weeks ago, I met your friend Miwako-san, and she told me some interesting things about you."

Yumi's eyes opened wide startled by his sudden comment. "Wh-what? What did Miwako have to say about me?"

"She didn't tell me anything personal, so don't worry. But she did tell me that you can be a little rough around the edges, but you mean well. I know as well as her that's true. I know you're a great person with a good heart, and I know you like to act like you don't care, but I want you to be yourself tonight. You don't need to put up a front. I won't judge you."

Yumi was taken aback by this sudden conversation. "'Putting up a front?' What the heck do you mean by that, Chuukichi? I am being myself! It's not like I have to pretend for anybody!" She argued with her arms still folded.

Shukichi raised an eyebrow and looked at her with an unconvinced face.

Yumi fell back in her seat feeling irritated. "Well anyways, if you won't tell me where were going, why don't you tell me that other secret you've been keeping from me.."

Shukichi's eyes opened wide, but suddenly he smiled mischievously. "How about you guess."

"You want me to guess? Okay fine. You're here to tell me you have a new girlfriend." Yumi spoke bitterly.

Shukichi almost chocked on his tongue. "Wh-why the heck do you keep thinking I'm cheating on you, Yumi-tan? Haven't I told you countless times you're the only one for me?!" he spoke defensively.

"You sound guilty! It's been 4 years since we broke up! Why would you still have feelings for a bossy, mean, lousy ex-girlfriend like me anyways huh?" Yumi yelled.

Shukichi pulled to the side of the road and put his arms on her shoulders assuredly. "Yumi, first of all, don't say those things about yourself. You know it's not true. Second of all, what would I have to gain by saying 'you're the only one for me' if I didn't mean it. Lastly, if you would've kept the envelope I gave you many years ago; you'd know my feelings since then haven't changed even slightly now. So please get that sick thought out of your head, and don't call yourself a lousy ex-girlfriend. In fact, don't call yourself my ex-girlfriend. It hurts me when you say that."

Yumi was so caught off guard by Shukichi's sudden emotional explosion, that she sat there startled and didn't even know what to say after that.

"Chuukichi I-" she said softly, but was interrupted.

"No no Yumi-tan I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know that matter is very serious to me. So why don't you guess again?" he said with a hint of playfulness so she'd want to still play this little game.

Yumi paused for a few moments, and finally decided to let it go. "Ummm…well wait does this secret actually have anything to do with me?" she genuinely wondered.

"Hmm well I'll give you a hint again. It's something I've wanted to achieve for many years so you'd be proud of me." He smiled with a blush.

Yumi felt a blush come across her face as well. "Something he wanted to achieve for my approval? What could that be?"

"Chuukichi, what the heck does that-"

"Oh look we made it!" Shukichi blurted out to prevent Yumi from guessing any further.

Yumi looked up and noticed Shukichi had brought her to the same fancy restaurant that she broke up with him at. "Chuukichi, did you bring me here to make me feel guilty for breaking up with you here?" she tapped her foot and wondered.

Shukichi took her by the hand making her blush. "Don't worry about it. I just wanted to bring you somewhere special." He spoke sweetly.

As they walked into the restaurant, Yumi looked down at their interlocked hands, and was somewhat comforted to have him this close to her again. She hadn't held his hand in so long, and she didn't want to admit it actually made her feel warm inside.

Shukichi looked at Yumi and held onto her hand almost protectively. He didn't want to let go for fear he'd never get a chance to have her so close again. "If things go the way I hope they do tonight, I don't think I'll have to worry about her leaving my side."

As they entered the restaurant, they were greeted by a friendly waiter and taken to the same seat they sat in many years ago.

Yumi looked around suspiciously with her arms crossed.

Shukichi raised an eyebrow and questioned it. "Yumi-tan, what are you thinking?"

"This can't all be a coincidence! Why are we in the same seats as last time? Did you plan this?" Yumi demanded.

Shukichi lifted his hands up defensively. "I swear I didn't plan any of this. It's all just a weird coincidence I suppose.."

Yumi sat there unamused, but decided to drop it.

"Is there anything I can get you started off to drink?" The waiter asked.

Yumi smiled spitefully at Shukichi and decided to go for it. "I'll take a large tequila!"

Shukichi was alarmed by this and intervened. "Yumi no! Please don't get drunk on our date night..why not get a soft drink or tea?" he innocently suggested.

"Screw that! I'm not changing my mind! I want a tequila!" Yumi scoffed.

The waiter began writing it down and looked a little unsure. "If you're sure madam. And for you sir?"

Shukichi shook his head and face palmed. "I'll just have a water."

The waiter wrote it down, and walked away.

"Yumi, why did you do that? Are you going to be able to handle it?" Shukichi asked with concern.

Yumi smiled boldy. "Heh it's impossible for you to invite me to a fancy place and expect me to not get a little drink.. I can handle it don't worry."

Shukichi rested his arm on the table and sighed. "I hope you're right..."

They sat in silence for a while as they waited for their drinks. Finally, Yumi broke the silence. "So, Chuukichi…"

"Hmm?"

"I just want you to know….i am grateful you saved me…from the..you know…" she spoke softly with a blush.

Chuukichi observed her movements and saw this was hard for her to admit. He smiled and boldly placed his hands on hers.

They looked each other deeply in the eyes and blushed.

"Yumi-tan..I-"

"Here our your drinks! Have you decided on what to order or do you need a few more minutes?" The waiter suddenly interrupted the moment.

Yumi and Shukichi both mentally screamed for having their moment ruined, but they kept their composure.

"Oh sure! Have you decided Yumi-tan?" Shukichi smiled with a twitch.

"Sure have!" she said with a similar expression.

The waiter raised an eyebrow not knowing what he did wrong.

"I'll get the #15 meal with the fried dumplings." Shukichi said.

"Certainly." The waiter said as he wrote it in. "For you madam?"

Yumi looked at the menu and pointed. "I'll get the-"

"#13 meal without the sushi rolls. " Shukichi confidently spoke as he cut her off.

Yumi stared at him stunned. "How the heck does he remember? We only came here one time!"

The waiter seemed confused but rolled with it. "So is that okay with you ma'am?"

Yumi handed the waiter her menu and hesitated. "yeah…"

"Alright! We'll get started on this for you!" the waiter politely smiled.

Yumi grinned at Shukichi devilishly. "Really?"

He playfully smiled. "I've got a good memory! What can I say?"

Yumi rolled her eyes and smiled softly. "You're the best in Japan.."

"No! I'm the best in the world! He proudly proclaimed.

Yumi chuckled cutely a little as she remembered how they used to do this all the time. She didn't mind playing around with him even today sometimes.

Time passed by, and finally their meals arrived.

"Here you are!" the waiter said politely as he placed the plates on their table. "Anything else I can get for you?"

Yumi was holding her drink with a slight case of hiccups. "Nope! We're *hiccup* okay for now! Thank-..s!"

Shukichi looked at her with disappointment. "Yumi-tan, please tell me you're not getting drunk…"

Yumi glared and got defensive. "Fuck you! I'm not drunk! I'm just *hiccup* a little tipsy okay?"

Shukichi took the drink out of her hand and moved it to the corner of the table out of her reach.

"Hey! Give it back!" she wailed her arms and tried to grab it back.

"No, Yumi-tan. I've kept you waiting long enough, and I want this to be a serious night. Please drink some water and try to get out of this." He handed her his untouched water and put a straw in it.

Yumi pouted and sank in her seat. "I..'m n-not a child! I can make my *hiccup* own de-cisions.. dammit!" She reluctantly began drinking the water, and moments later she seemed to return to a somewhat conscious state.

"Are you okay, Yumi-tan?" Shukichi asked with care in his voice.

Yumi rubbed her eyes and sat up straight again. "I…think so. I'm sorry to ruin our date, Chuukichi."

Shukichi blushed and reassured her. "Yumi-tan, you didn't ruin anything. We still have time to enjoy our night. Now eat your meal before it gets cold!" he smiled.

Suddenly a man approached Shukichi with a piece of paper and a pen. "Oh my gosh it's Taiko Meijin! I am such a huge fan of yours! Could you please sign this?!"

Shukichi's jaw dropped and he felt a tense sensation go up his spine. "Ahhhh…" he awkwardly said. He looked over at Yumi who still seemed a little out of it. She wasn't even paying much attention.

"Sure…..Let me see that." He uncomfortably spoke as he grabbed the pen and began signing his name. "There you go!"

"Thank you so much! I can't believe it's really you! I'll treasure it forever!" The man then began walking back to his seat.

Yumi dozed off and rubbed her eyes again. "Wh-what just happened?"

Shukichi raised his hands defensively again not knowing what to say. "Should I just tell her the truth now?" He questioned himself.

"I..I'll tell you a little bit later! So how's the food?" he negated the question yet again.

Yumi rolled her eyes and responded bleakly. "Eh it's good. Why do you care?"

Shukichi felt a drop of sweat roll down his forehead. "I..I'm just asking! Ehehhe."

Yumi looked at him with a bored expression and yawned. "Whatever then."

More time went by, and the waiter handed Shukichi the check. "Thank you for stopping by! We hope you enjoyed your meals, and have a great night!" the waiter said professionally before walking away.

"So….Yumi-tan?" he asked plainly.

"What?" Yumi said almost irritated.

"I just want to know…why did you call me to go out on a date?"

Yumi was taken aback. "Wh-where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

Shukichi decided to just go for it. "Well..ever since I saved you, you've called me several times, and well…I guess I just want to know if this means you might want to get back together with me." He said somewhat hopefully.

Yumi paused for several moments and reached over to take the final sips from her tequila. "I just wanted to do something nice for you that's all! Is that a problem?"

"Yumi-tan, what did we talk about in the car? You don't need to put up a front. I want to know the truth. Please just tell me."

Yumi suddenly was overwhelmed with emotion. "I don't want to talk about it right now! I don't know how I feel!" she said with a few tears forming in her eyes.

Shukichi tried motioning her to keep her voice down, but all of a sudden she stood up and started storming towards the door.

"Yumi-tan! Wait!" Shukichi said as he started chasing after her.

"No! I'm done waiting! I don't know why I care so much about you! You're so full of secrets and all you ever do is make me wait!" Yumi said emotionally distraught.

Shukichi started to feel really guilty. "As much as it hurts, she is right…I need to tell her now." "Yumi, please I want to tell you something!" he shouted desperately as he ran after her down the stairs of the tall luxurious restaurant.

Yumi plugged her ears and continued running down. "I don't want to hear it! You're not even going to bother telling me anyways, and it's not going to change anything!"

Shukichi finally caught up to her and grabbed her and pressed her against a wall somewhat roughly with his hands interlaced with hers. "Yumi, I'm not going to hide anything anymore. Please just listen to me."

Yumi was blushing intensely as she was only inches away from him. "Okay….but make it quick. I want to go home…" she scoffed.

Shukichi took a deep breath. "Yumi-tan, I am a famous professional shogi player, and I go by the name 'Taiko Meijin.'"

Yumi lowered her head and closed her eyes. "….Yeah? …Big deal.." she pretended not to care.

Shukichi continued. "Do you remember that sumo wrestler you were fascinated with all those years ago who kept winning all the tournaments one after the other?"

Yumi opened her eyes and looked at him confused. "Tenho? What about him?"

Shukichi began to loosen his grip on Yumi, and he began getting emotional. "Remember how you told me his future bride would really feel like a queen being with a champion like that? Well that's when I made my goal to collect all seven shogi titles so you'd feel like a queen. I just wanted you to feel special.."

"S-seven shogi titles? So that's what collecting all seven meant? You wanted to compete with Tenho and prove yourself to me?" Yumi said stunned.

Shukichi nodded softly and looked her in the eye distraught. "Yes…all these years. I thought maybe you'd take me back after I collected all seven, but I'm not sure that'll be the case.." he turned his back to hide the emotion he was conveying.

Yumi stood in shock. "So that's what "Taiko Meijin" meant in his letter…" "Chuukichi hang on." She grabbed his shoulder and he turned and faced her again.

"I don't even know what to say right now. Why did you feel you had to keep this a secret? I would've loved to know you were trying to do something so sweet for me."

"I wanted it to be a surprise for when I collected all seven, but then you said you wanted to break up…So I used the "collecting all seven" thing as my means of having you wait for me. I just wanted you to feel like my queen.." He said sadly.

There was a long pause, but finally Yumi pulled Shukichi into a loving embrace with tears coming out of her eyes. "Chuukichi, that is the cutest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Shukichi's mouth hung open wide with an immense blush taking over his face. He softly pulled out of the embrace and looked Yumi straight in the eyes. "Y-Yumi-tan.."

"Chuukichi, I have a bit of a confession to make myself while we're on the subject.." Yumi reluctantly admitted.

Shukichi stood with his heart racing. "Wh-what might that be?"

She took a deep breath, and finally decided to drop her act. "I…I guess I've been really lonely for a long time.." she said sadly. "All my friends around the office are happy with their significant other, and I'm left with nobody. I liked to tease the couples cause it filled some strange satisfaction within me, but as time goes by, it just feels empty. I don't have somebody to go out with, or tell me they love me everyday, or go to bed with like they do.. All I have are my dogs, Suta and Hachi. As I get older, I guess I sort of long for the day I can find my prince charming.." Yumi said sadly and seriously.

Shukichi stood in silence for a few moments, and suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her passionately on the lips. Yumi was startled by his sudden affection, but slowly she closed her eyes and put her hands on his cheeks. After several moments, they broke free and stared each other in the eyes deeply to catch their breath.

"Yumi, you've had someone all along who cares about you. It's never stopped. I'm here for you, and if you want me to be your prince charming, you can finally be my queen. I love you."

Yumi blushed. "Oh shut up and be my boyfriend again already." Yumi said with a playful smile.

Shukichi felt his whole world come back together and he was so overcome with happiness he lifted Yumi off the ground and kissed her on the cheek repeatedly. "Oh Yumi-tan! This is the best day of my life!" he exclaimed childishly.

Yumi pushed his face away with embarrassment. "Don't make me change my mind, Chuukichi." She joked.

He smiled and nodded. "ehehe okay okay sorry."

He set her back down and they held hands as they walked back to the car.

Yumi began to feel a little dizzy as they continued to walk, and she quickly fell asleep as soon as she got in the car. "Maybe she was still tipsy from the drink earlier?" Shukichi concluded. He couldn't help but look at her with his peripheral vision as he drove and smiled. "Yumi, I'm so happy this night ended like this. Now that she knows who I am, I won't be such a mystery to her anymore."

After several minutes, he made it to her apartment. He unbuckled her from the seat and carried her up the stairs. He found the key to her room in her purse, and he gently set her down on her bed. She was beginning to wake up.

"mmm….Chuukichi?" she said softly and somewhat confused.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and softly spoke. "I brought you home. You can rest now."

Yumi's two dogs jumped up on the bed and licked Shukichi's face with their tails wagging affectionately. "Ahaha Suta! Hachi! You guys remember me!" he happily petted them as Yumi smiled cutely. "They missed you as much as I have it seems."

He smiled and sat closer to Yumi. "Are you feeling okay? Have you regained all your senses right now?"

"Yeah I'm alright. I'm sorry I let it get to that point. I probably should've just gotten a soft drink or tea like you advised." She mentally slapped herself for letting her act get the best of her earlier. "You know.. I do feel more comfortable being myself around you now. I don't feel I need to lie about my identity since you were able to tell me the truth about yours. I'm not as cold and unloving as I seem.. I just have had a hard time expressing my true emotions to you, but now I can be myself."

Shukichi smiled and rubbed her face gently. "Well I'm glad to hear that. I will try to allow more free time from my shogi tournaments and interviews to spend time with my beloved Yumi-tan from now on, okay?" he said assuredly.

Yumi smiled and held onto the hand he used to stroke her face. "I'm going to hold you to that!" she proclaimed playfully.

He laid down by her side and softly kissed her cheek lovingly. "I promise I will show you now more than ever just how much you mean to me, Yumi-tan."

Yumi smiled mischievously and blushed in her typical tease-like fashion. "Oh really? Well why don't you prove it to me then, Taiko Meijin?"

Shukichi blushed intensely and felt his heart beat rapidly, but he smiled getting the message. "Alright, I'll go gently on you, my lovely Yumi-tan."

THE END! :D Hahaha yeah I know you wanna hear the lemon part, but I'll leave that to your imaginations lol. So I hope you enjoyed this story! Yumi and Shukichi seriously deserve a bigger fanbase! I hope I didn't write any of the characters too OOC, but it's a romance, so I wanted love and mushy feels XD haha leave a review and let me know what you think! I haven't written a story in a long time, so it felt good to write again! Maybe I'll do it again sometime! Thanks for reading! ^-^