I hope you're satisfied with how this turned out! ^_^
She just stared at him, her eyes sucking in his appearance as if she wanted to burn his form into the back of her mind.
'What is he doing here? I thought he was attending that marriage interview?' She gripped the strap of her bag tightly, 'Maybe he came here to tell me that he's tired of it all..'
Thinking that he hasn't noticed her yet, she did the one thing she immediately first thought of.
She fled.
She had never run so fast in her whole life, she could've been mistaken as an Olympic runner, but it seems like the gods weren't on her side. Before she even knew it, someone was already hot on her heels.
"(Y/N)," He called out.
God, she missed his voice.
"Why are you running?" He continued when she didn't answer.
She panted, "Because...you..!"
"You ran first."
She squeezed her eyes shut, not slowing down her legs as he effortlessly kept up with her without breaking a sweat.
"I'd rather you stop." He spoke. Still, she didn't heed his words and made a round to the other block. She wasn't even sure where she was going, she just wanted him to keep chasing her, anything for him to face her way. Random pedestrians stopped at the amusing sight of a casually dressed girl being chased by a man who seemed as if he had just attended a ball while still hanging onto the bouquet.
"Stop..chasing me!"
"I can only do so once you stop running."
She fastened her pace, leaping forward across the street then inwardly cursed when she hit a dead end. Finally stopping, she crouched down to regain her breath.
"Are you alright?" He rubbed her back.
She scooted away from him and stood up, "What are you..Why are you here?"
"To apologize. We need to talk." He took a step towards her.
'Apologize? For what?' Her stomach dropped at the possibility of him ending what they had. One minute, she was in doubts, the next second she found herself in awe the moment she met those tantalizing pools of red, quietly unraveling her soul.
"Tell me," He growled lightly in her ear before running his lips on the smooth skin on her neck, "...was I missed?" He locked an arm around her, preventing her from any form of escape.
She looked down, "No..."
"Oh?" She felt him start to suck and bite as she could only do nothing in retaliation, "Was I the only one who yearned for you?"
"I..thought you attended.."
"I did, just liked you wanted me to." Her chest tightened at his answer but ignored the pain as she was, after all, the one who wanted him to go in the first place.
"That's good to hear."
"She was a beauty." He daunted, "Wearing a stunning kimono. Any man would love to take her."
"Oh..." She tried to push him away, but he firmly held her in his grasp and hovered his lips over hers,
"But she was nothing compared to what I'm looking at right now. I am certain you would suit that kimono better. No...you would look best in a wedding dress."
Now it was his turn to feel anxious when she suddenly broke out into sobs, clinging onto his vest though careful not to crumple the rich material.
"..(Y/N)? I'm really so-"
"Don't...!" She cried loudly, "Don't ever just walk out on me like that!" She banged her trapped fists against his chest.
"I know, and I regret doing that. I'm sorry for pressuring you. I promise that will never happen again-"
"I hate you! Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you try to send at least one text?" She ranted hysterically, "I couldn't stop thinking about you everyday! Do you see what you've done to me? I became a crybaby! I was never like this, it's all because of you! I hate how much you mean the world to me!"
A sense of bliss bubbled inside him upon hearing her words, his lips curving up into a smile.
"I don't mind if you're a crybaby. I will always be here to wipe your tears away." He held her face in his hands as he kissed the little drops of saltiness, "I love you and only you. Remember that. You're going to have to do a lot more than just reject my proposal for me to let you go. I don't care if you say no, I will ask again a million times until you have no choice but to become Mrs. Akashi."
"It's...It's not like I don't want to be your wife." She sniffled.
"Then what seems to be the problem, love?"
"We...both you and I know that I can't give you anything. You've only ever given me tons of things, yet...there's nothing I can give to you back. After we're married, then what?"
He blinked, "Why would you worry about simple matters like that? It's my own pleasure whether I give you materialistic things and such. Besides they can not amount to the love you have for me. There's nothing that will change even if we are married. Marriage is just a piece of paper, a technicality. It does not really make us any less than each other's...also there are things you have to offer me yet, actually." He kissed her fingertips.
"...?"
"Like your smiles, your laughter, your touches, your kisses, your love, your 'I do', and most of all...a family."
"...Just those? But they're only little things that everyone can give you so easily." (Y/N) frowned, caressing his cheek.
"What do you mean by 'just those'? They are more than enough to be considered a big deal. Plus, I'm asking you to make a huge commitment here. They are things that I want which only you can give me. I've fallen far too deep to just up and move on with someone else." He pulled away, kneeling down on one knee before her as he kissed her palm, "Let me do this properly."
"Seijūrō..."
"What do you say, (Y/N)?" He gazed at her with a sweet smile on his face then continued,
"...Will you grant me this selfish wish of mine to spend eternity...with you?"
And that was it. Endless tears worth of waterfalls streamed down her cheeks as she nodded vigorously.
"Yes."
"...I'm yours, Sei. For the taking."
He let out a breath, signalling his relief as he reached for his pocket.
"Ah...the ring. I will buy you another-"
"Of course I didn't throw it, silly." She grabbed the tiny box from her bag, handing it back to the one who purchased the item in the first place. He opened it, the ring glistening at the exposure as he took her dainty left hand, slipping it around her ring finger.
Kissing the chalcedonic carnelian stone that she was now wearing, he studied her euphoric expression,
"Perfect, don't you think?"
Her eyes didn't leave the white gold band on her finger as she continued to admire it, bringing her hand up as she spread her palms open widely. He chuckled and buried his face into her abdomen, nuzzling it.
"We don't have to get married right away. I was thinking after university. I am just letting you know that you are the only one I want to be with."
"Mhmm...I agree." She replied absent-mindedly. He reluctantly got up on his feet, enjoying the mere view of her seemingly in a daze.
"I'm engaged now." She breathed out with a small smile as he occupied the space between her fingers with his own.
"Yes. Yes, you are."
"I still can't believe it..."
"Well, you better believe it soon. You're no longer my girlfriend. You're my fiancée now." He continued with a breathy chuckle, "If you were going to be this happy being engaged, you should've just accepted my proposal back then."
"I know..."
"I got you these." He presented her the bouquet. Instead of getting the usual white ones, the camellias varied in two different colors; red and pink.
"Oh, I thought they were for yourself." She joked, accepting it. Taking her words seriously, he gave her an incredulous glance.
"I assume you know what they mean." He pecked her lips before pressing his forehead to hers, "The pink ones symbolize my longing for you during those lonely days, as for the red ones, they represent of how passionate my romantic feelings are for you. That's why I was very upset when you thought that I would even think about being with another woman."
She closed her eyes, peppering feathery kisses on his cheeks, "I'm sorry about that, Sei. I actually didn't want to hand you over to anyone, yet I didn't want to drag you down."
"It saddens me a little of how you would even draw to such a conclusion, but I can understand it somehow. It just shows much I mean to you. Thank you for thinking of me, (Y/N). How is it that I always seem to love you more and more each day?" He hugged her petite figure affectionately. For all the priceless things in the world that can't be bought with money, she was his most precious treasure of them all that was worth more than the entire universe itself.
"I love you too, Seijūrō. And I don't think I can ever stop. How I even deserve someone as beautiful as you is beyond me."
"That's my line," He added tepidly.
"Well, I said it first." She stuck out her tongue playfully.
"I suggest you return that tongue back otherwise it will end up somewhere that's not your mouth." He smirked, stroking her side.
"OK." She pulled away from him, her gaze landing on the ring, relishing the new feeling.
"By the way, where did you go earlier? Do you have anything planned right now?" He asked her, taking a hold of her shoulder bag.
"Ah, I was going to prepare dinner for mom and I. Do you want to join us?"
"Of course. I have some things I want to talk about with my mother-in-law, and since I'm going to be marrying her daughter, I should ask for her blessings first." He stated, taking her hand in his as he led her back to her home.
"Finally! My daughter stopped being an idiot and returned to her senses! And you have my blessings, of course, Seijūrō-kun! I would be delighted to have you as my son-in-law! What about Masaomi-san though?" (M/N) chattered excitedly as they had just finished a meal.
"Oh, him." Akashi answered rather blandly, reminding himself to have a talk with that nosy old man of his, "He is fine with it. He was even the one who encouraged me."
"Ah, I'm glad to hear that! You two should have an engagement party! I can't stop myself, my daughter is going to be a bride now!"
"Mom, calm down please. I just accepted his proposal and the wedding isn't until a few years."
Akashi shook his head, "It is not a problem, (Y/N). I'm planning to throw one before I leave. About that matter with studying abroad too..."
"Yes, I've heard about it! Don't worry about me, you too! I'll always support your decision, whatever it is!" (M/N) grinned at him as he smiled back. Turning to his now fiancée, he spoke eagerly.
"(Y/N)...?"
The girl sighed, "I'll...I'll think about it."
"Thank you, sweetheart."
.
.
.
Akashi took off his suit, handing it to a maid, recognizing her as Hanako, the one whom he raised his voice at several days ago.
"I apologize for my rudeness a week ago, Hanako-san."
The maid just smiled at him, "N-No worries, Seijūrō-sama. I understand."
"I will see to it that you will get a raise."
Her eyes widened, "O-Oh, that's too much...!"
"I insist." He noticed another suit draped against her arm, "Heh, father is home?"
"Yes, the master just arrived and he's now at his office."
"Thanks for informing me." He excused himself, heading straight towards the designated room, not bothering to knock on the door.
"I see you are doing well, son."
The younger Akashi's lips thinned into a line, "Father. You know what you have done."
"Do I? Enlighten me." Masaomi claimed in a smug tone.
His son slammed his palm against the marble table.
"Your needless meddling has cost me my relationship to be at stake! Do not speak about irrelevant matters to (Y/N)."
"Ah, the Sakuya's. I may have mentioned a few things to her. More importantly, have you proposed to her yet? I shall organize an engagement party for you during my next business association."
"Please, refrain from doing something unnecessary again." He told his father sternly.
"Relax. I was not even intent on marrying you off to that family."
His statement caused his son to cock an eyebrow at him.
"Some of their females, mostly likely including their daughter, have a long history of infertility and miscarriages. I would rather want you to wed a woman who is able to bear normally."
"..."
"I am still waiting for my grandchildren, Seijūrō."
With a glare, he sneered lightly at his own father.
"If you continue to be meddlesome, you will not have your grandchildren." He then grunted before walking out of the office, leaving the older Akashi to question his ways.
Anyhow, just a few more chapters to go and this book will finally have its end! Thank you all for being with me and this story!