Summer break, a one and a half month period of revitalization following the conclusion of final exams; a respite filled with festivity and good feelings. For university students specifically, it was a time known to be spent away from the books, and instead, invested in social events.

More importantly, it was the perfect opportunity for couples to go on dates. Especially for Nariyuki, since today marked the day that Fumino would be officially returning home for the break.

"Don't worry. I have everything planned already, and it's a surprise, so stop asking!" Nariyuki laughed over the phone. "I'll come pick you up after I'm done with volunteering, okay?"

That's right. Though Nairyuki no longer had summer prep classes from his high school days to worry about, his summer schedule was still one filled with apparent busyness. Thanks to a referral from one of his university professors, he had been introduced to a volunteering program for Ichinose Elementary's summer school service. The program consisted of assisting teachers with day to day operations, while also offering insight to curriculum development for the following fall semester. For aspiring education majors, it was the perfect opportunity to obtain first-hand experience.

"Are you sure you don't want me to meet you at the school?" Fumino's voice rang out through the speaker. "I don't mind walking to see you."

He smiled at the thought. "Don't worry about it. It's your first day back. I'm sure your dad would want to spend as much time as he can with you before our date."

"Ha! I think you must've forgotten who my father is, Nariyuki." He imagined the girl's smirk through the phone. "He's too busy with his research to have even remembered that I was coming back today. The man is too much of a workaholic for his own good."

He chuckled at that, it had certainly been a while since he last saw the math fanatic of a professor. "Well regardless, you don't have to go out of your way for me. Your house is on the way to the place anyway. I'll still pick you up at six, alright?"

"Sounds good! I'll see you before dinner then. I look forward to your surprise!"

Nariyuki smiled.

"Me too."

"Mom, I'm about to head over to the school. I won't be home for dinner tonight, so don't worry about cooking for me."

"Ehhhh?" Hanae complained. "But I was planning on making your favorite rice omelette tonight. What's the occasion?"

"I'm spending the evening with Furuhashi." Nariyuki answered matter-of-factly.

Like night and day, the woman's eyes immediately filled with child-like excitement. "Oh my god, it's happening isn't it? My son's finally going to propose to our beautiful Fumi-chan, isn't he?!"

"W-what?! What are you saying?!" His face burned hotly in embarrassment. "We're just going on a date...what guy proposes to a girl after only being together for five months?"

"Oh, I'm just joking, sweetheart...or am I, hehe." She patted his shoulder playfully. "I'm just so happy that you've found someone so wonderful. You two are just perfect for each other!"

Nariyuki eyed the woman skeptically. "I feel like you're just happy because you're obsessed with romance."

"Oh please." She waved her hand dismissively. "That may be true, but I'm your mother, Nariyuki. I know you better than you probably know yourself."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

Hanae eyed him with a smirk. "Don't think I don't remember you rushing to her apartment a few weeks ago after you heard that she got sick. Honestly, just thinking about it makes me want to swoon. Like a knight in shining armor...you truly are a ladies man now aren't you?" Nariyuki's face turned deep scarlet at the unexpected jibe, which had Hanae burst out laughing.

Eventually her mirth died down and her expression softened. "She's a real keeper you know? It doesn't take much for me to see how happy you are when you think about her." Gently, she took his hands into her own, gazing into her son's eyes with sincerity. "So don't hold back, okay?"

Nariyuki blinked, surprised by the sudden heartfeltness from her usually playful mother, but eventually he smiled appreciatively.

"Okay."

Hanae nodded, satisfied with the boy's response, but no sooner did it leave did her smile turn mischievous again. "Soooo, about that time you went to her place a few weeks ago...how far did y'all go?"

"Mom!"

The hours of the day quickly flew by, and in no matter of time, the evening had arrived.

The sun was preparing to set, hues of orange and pink harmonizing into a prelude for the incoming twilight. The summer atmosphere settled peacefully onto Fumino as she walked down the route towards Ichinose Elementary.

Though they had agreed to meet at her place, in the end she just couldn't help herself. Having the opportunity to see Nariyuki's face even a few minutes sooner, it meant more to her than she was willing to admit.

'God, I'm so hopeless...wanting to spend every second possible with him...it's like I'm still in high school.'

Ever since the day that Nariyuki had come to her apartment before finals, she couldn't stop thinking about it; the time he had spent taking care of her, the meaningful conversation that they had shared, and the kiss…

The kiss that ended up turning so heated that if it wasn't for the alarm, who knows how far they would've-

"AH! WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS!" She cried out in embarrassment to no one in particular. "There's no way we would've gone that far...W-we've only been t-together for five months!" A few pedestrians nearby eyed her in a judging manner, further intensifying her chagrin. She increased her pace to escape the attention.

'Get it together, Fumino! This is our first date for the summer break...I can't ruin it for Nariyuki, especially since he went out of his way to prepare everything this time! Calm down, act normal, and make sure you don't say anything stupi- Oh I'm here.' She had arrived at the entrance to the school sooner than she had expected.

Apparently she was particularly fast when monologuing.

Opening the door, Fumino walked up to the reception desk.

"Uhm, excuse me."

The woman at the desk looked up at her approach. "Oh, hello! Are you here to pick up your child?"

"Oh...I'm not a mother." Fumino rubbed the back of her head, abashed. "I'm actually here for a frien- my boyfriend!" She quickly corrected, letting out a nervous laugh. It was the first time, she realized, that she had publicly labeled Nariyuki as her boyfriend to someone other than her father. "Nariyuki Yuiga? He started volunteering here about a week ago."

"Ah, you must be Miss Furuhashi then." The woman recognized, causing Fumino to perk up in surprise. "Yuiga has talked a lot about you, and I must say, you're as pretty as he says you are."

Her face turned to a deep shade of red at the information. "H-he said that?" She never would have thought that Nariyuki would be one to share about their relationship so openly, and it certainly wasn't doing her embarrassment any favors.

"Indeed." The woman smiled. "If you'd like, you can go ahead and take that door to the courtyard to see him. They're just about wrapping up recess for the day."

"T-thank you!" Fumino bowed appreciatively before following the kind lady's directions.

As soon as she was outside again, she could hear the excited cries and squeals of young children playing. The courtyard appeared to be well spaced, with enough room to compensate for frequent outdoor activities.

In front of her, a group of kids were running around in what appeared to be a collective game of tag, and at the center of them all was a familiar someone chasing after them, playing the role of being 'it'.

The children laughed and cried out in playful fear as they escaped the efforts of Nariyuki, who himself was quite immersed in the game with a lively smile plastered on his countenance.

It was infectious, the liveliness and jubilance. So much that Fumino couldn't help her own bright smile from forming on her face.

"Gotcha! Alright that's everyone." Nariyuki said as he picked up the last giggling child left in the game. "Remember what we agreed on, right?"

"Ehhhhhhh?!" All the children whined in unison. "But we wanna play more!"

Nariyuki quirked an eyebrow. "Playtime doesn't last forever you know?" He ushered the group to the teacher watching over them. "Now listen to Mrs. Sato, okay? Your parents are waiting for you, so behave yourself." He finished sternly but also kindly.

One of the children tugged on his shirt. "Will you be back tomorrow, Mr. Yuiga?"

"Of course." He answered assuredly, causing the little girl to cheer in celebration.

"They sure seem to love you."

Naruyiki froze at the familiar voice, turning and eyes going wide as he took in the figure of an approaching Fumino.

"F-Furuhashi?" He said surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to meet at your place."

She smiled sheepishly. "I guess I got tired of waiting for you."

The little girl looked back and forth between the two of them, and curiosity got the better of her. "Is that your girlfriend, Mr. Yuiga?"

Nariyuki blinked, nonplussed by the unexpected question.

"Yeah." He smiled. "She is."

Fluster overcame Fumino as she gaped and blushed at the honest answer. It was one thing to let adults know, but kids too?

The next moment surprised her even more when the little girl ran up to her and looked up with a big smile.

"You're so pretty!"

A feeling of warmth quickly gushed through her chest, displacing her previous embarassment. Putting her hands on her knees, she bent down and smiled. "Thanks, so are you." The little girl beamed, happy by the returned compliment. "What's your name?"

"Aiya Yashido!"

"That's a pretty name." She noted. "Nice to meet you, Aiya. I'm Fumino."

The girl's eyes sparkled. "Big sister Fumino!"

It was too much. Maybe it was the fact that she grew up without siblings, but the level of cuteness was more than she could handle.

She felt a strange sense of obsession suddenly overcome her. Placing both hands onto the little girl's shoulders, she whipped to Nariyuki with a pleading look.

"Can I keep her?!"

Nariyuki chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that would be kidnapping. Besides, she already has a sibling, and speaking of which...Aiya, do you know where your brother is? I don't see him around here."

At the mention of her sibling, the little girl's face lit up in remembrance. "Oh yeah! He's hiding behind the playground."

"The playground?" Nariyuki repeated. "Why?"

She looked up in thought, pondering. "He said he didn't wanna go home, but he wouldn't tell me why." Her face then fell. "He looked really sad. I tried cheering him up...but he told me to go away..."

Fumino and Nariyuki looked at each other, concern written on both of their faces.

"Aito?" Nariyuki approached the child who had his face and knees curled up into his chest. Fumino stood a small distance behind, trying to give enough space to not overwhelm the boy from the attention, but still be close enough to listen in on their potential conversation.

The young boy looked up from his knees, tears staining his cheeks. Even from her position, Fumino could easily see the resemblance between him and his sister, Aiya.

"What are you doing here?" Nariyuki asked gently, kneeling down next to him. "Your mom and sister are waiting for you, you know?"

"Go away…" He said with a whimper before curling up into his knees again.

"Hey, it's okay..." Nariyuki rubbed his back in a comforting gesture. "You can talk to me. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

The boy appeared hesitant, but after a few moments of silence he relented. "I don't wanna go home…"

"Why's that?"

"Because I have to go to piano lessons…"

Nariyuki blinked in surprise. "D-do you not like piano?"

He shook his head.

Well that was certainly a start. Intrigued, Nariyuki decided to dig a little deeper. "Then what do you like?"

The boy again returned shy, fiddling with his thumbs, but like before, Nariyuki's comforting presence appeared to be working in opening him up.

"V-volleyball. My cousin plays it and I think it's really cool."

Nariyuki's smile grew at the honest answer. "That's awesome. Volleyball, huh? Why don't you try asking your mom to let you play?"

Aito shook his head. "I c-cant...I'm bad at v-volleyball and sports...I'm only good at piano...Mom would be sad if I quit."

From behind, Fumino felt herself stunned by the boy's explanation, feeling a strange sense of familiarity evoked within herself. To be honest, as far as she knew, it was a very common theme amongst japanese families for children to be forced to pursue music at a young age even if they didn't enjoy it themselves. Heck, Nairyuki's little sister, Hazuki, had voluntarily chosen to learn piano on her own accord, and even she herself had said that she didn't know if she really liked it or not.

In some situations, it was better to leave family matters to family. It wasn't always right to pry on personal matters. Especially in a situation like this, when it was someone that she barely knew.

But…

"You know...once upon a time, I met a girl who was just like you, Aito."

Both Fumino and Aito's eyes went wide at Nariyuki's words.

"She was really good at writing and literature, just like how you're good at piano. But like you, she also had something else that she wanted to do."

"Like what?" Aito asked curiously.

"The stars." Fumino felt a tightness form in her chest as she proceeded to stare, astonished. "She loved the stars more than anything," He continued, "and she wanted to grow up and study them. But in order for her to study the stars she had to also be good at math. And boy...was she really bad at math. So bad that she would get single digit scores on her tests."

Just like that, Fumino's reaction had turned a complete one-eighty. Shock. Complete shock from the fact that Nariyuki would actually disclose such humiliating information about herself even if it was anonymous.

"Single digits? Like a 2? How can you score that low?" Aito asked incredulously.

"Right?" Nariyuki laughed softly. "Even to this day it surprises me."

'I'm gonna have a word with you later…' Fumino stared daggers at the back of her boyfriend's head.

His next words however, made her go still once again.

"Her dad didn't support her. Her teacher didn't support her. And even her friend…" He smiled sadly, remembering how he too, once had doubts. "Even he at first didn't support her. They all wanted her to stick to what she was good at..."

At that, Aito's face fell, but Nariyuki immediately patted the boy's head reassuringly.

"But you know what? She didn't give up. Even if no one else believed in her. She believed in herself to make her dream come true. She worked super hard and got really good at math, and got into one of the best schools to study the stars!" Nariyuki emphasized.

"R-really?" Aito's eyes lit up brightly.

"Really."

"I-I can become good at volleyball, even if I'm bad?"

He smiled softly. "Of course."

Aito appeared to let himself be hopeful, but only for a brief moment as he quickly remembered that an underlying problem still remained.

"But my mom-"

"Won't support you?" Nariyuki finished his sentence, causing the boy to look up wide-eyed. "Well the girl's story doesn't end there, you know? In the end, her dad saw how much she loved the stars, and agreed to support her in her dream. Her teacher saw how hard she worked, and cried tears of joy when she reached her goal. And her friend...well…" He paused, and Fumino felt her heart stop in anticipation.

"...he couldn't be more proud of her."

Warm.

There were moments from time to time in her life when Fumino would feel the entire world fade away and the only things that remained were the things that she was focused on. Moments like when she was observing stars, or enjoying a particularly delicious bowl of udon.

But lately...she found these moments occurring the most when they revolved around a certain person.

In this moment now…

Nariyuki was everything.

...and he was the most wonderful thing that she had ever witnessed.

"So Aito…" He continued, "Your mom may not support you at first, but at the end of the day she's your mom. I'm sure that what she wants more than anything in the world is for you to be happy." He smiled. "All you need to do is to show her what that is."

Aito looked down at his hands. They were trembling, much like the rest of his body. "What if I'm scared..?"

"That's okay." He assured while reaching out to take both of the boy's hands into his own. "The girl was scared too, you know? But that's what friends are for right?"

Slowly but surely, the shaking stopped.

"I believe in you Aito," Nariyuki said softly. "And I know you can do it."

Silence, and then without warning, Aito flung himself forward into his arms.

Fumino smiled fondly at the display.

"Thank you, Mr. Yuiga!"

Nariyuki chuckled, and hugged Aito back, placing him down on the ground after. "You're welcome. Now go on. Get home to your family." The boy nodded, but still had one last thing to ask.

"Can you do me a favor, Mr. Yuiga?"

"Sure." Nariyuki tilted his head in question. "What is it?"

"Can you tell the girl you met that I said thank you too?"

He blinked, surprised by the unexpected request, and upon noticing Fumino behind him fidget awkwardly, Nariyuki couldn't help but let out an earnest laugh.

"Of course. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to hear that."

"Thanks for coming to pick me up, Furuhashi." He smiled appreciatively. "You really didn't have to go out of your way to meet me, you know?"

Having just left the campus grounds after sending off the remaining kids home to their parents, the two were now proceeding as planned for their date. Dusk was well upon them and the progressive illumination of the neighborhood street lights was well indicative of the change.

"Well I wanted to." Fumino replied softly, causing Nariyuki to stop in his tracks and stare at her. She froze herself and quickly realized how forward her response had just been.

"A-ah! I m-mean-I was already out and about beforehand, you know?! So really it ended up being convenient for me to come over anyway!" She explained in a panic. It wasn't entirely untrue, but it was also completely off the mark to her real reason.

"Oh...well that makes sense." Nariyuki said in understanding. He then smiled softly. "In any case, I'm happy you came."

Fumino's cheeks turned pink as she looked away shyly.

Why was it so hard to be honest with her feelings sometimes?

"Me too…" She whispered.

'I'm glad I came too…'

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Ah...No- It's nothing!" She waved her hands in front of her frantically. "S-So...What's for dinner?!" She quickly tried changing the subject. "I'm sure you have somewhere amazing planned!"

"A-actually," He started. "I was hoping we could get something to-go."

"To-go?" She repeated, surprised. "What for?"

"Well..." He looked away nervously, avoiding eye contact. "There's a half an hour train ride that we need to catch."

Fumino looked at him dubiously. "A half an hour train ride...to where?"

"That's a secret, remember?" He reminded.

"Hmm..." The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but in the end, she decided to resist her curiousity. "Sounds exciting! Well, what did you have in mind?"

"Uh..there was this really nice croquette stand I happened to pass by the other day...I was hoping we could try it together." Nariyuki suggested.

"Oh, I love croquettes! They're my favorite!"

He chuckled. "You sure have a lot of favorites when it comes to food."

"Hey!" Fumino poked him at his side playfully, causing him to jolt with a cry. "It's not my fault that everything tastes so good."

"R-right…"

As they continued walking down the street, Nariyuki continued to steal glances at the girl, feeling more nervous than he probably should.

Surely the efforts for his surprise would be worth it, right?

"Can I look yet?" Fumino asked.

Nariyuki chuckled, having heard the same question for the third time in the last three minutes. Though he could understand that walking with someone's hands over your eyes could be quite uneasy.

"Just a little bit longer, we're almost there."

They had gotten off the train about five minutes ago, and in hopes of preventing the signs along the route from giving the surprise away, Nariyuki had insisted on covering up her eyes as they walked there.

"If I trip and fall and sprain my leg again, I hope you know we have a much longer way back for you to carry me compared to last time." Fumino warned while trying to maintain her balance.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." He assured. "And besides, we're already here."

"Really?" The enthusiasm in her voice was palpable. "I can look now?"

"Yup." Nariyuki removed his hands.

As Fumino's eyes opened, taking in her surroundings, Nariyuki could visibly determine the exact moment that the girl was able to recognize the place in front of her. Her eyes had widened to its full length, mouth half agape in disbelief.

"Nariyuki...this is…"

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. One of the most prominent facilities for astronomical research in the world, residing in the Mitaka prefecture of Tokyo. It was no surprise that Fumino was able to immediately discern the place that was practically a national treasure.

"I know you haven't been able to visit the observatory next to your university lately because of final exams." He explained shyly. "So I thought, why not take you to the real deal?"

"B-but...How did you manage to get admission?" Fumino asked, still in disbelief. "I thought that they stopped allowing normal visitations a long time ago..."

Nariyuki let out a nervous chuckle. "It turns out Ichinose is affiliated with the place, and so they allow certified teachers to make reservations for educational purposes. I may have begged Kirisu Sensei to book us a reservation."

"A-and she agreed?" She asked.

"Well...only after I told her that it was for you."

Fumino was too astonished to reply.

When the girl continued to remain silent, Nariyuki felt his nervousness peak as he shifted uncomfortably.

"W-we don't have to go in if you don't want to...I can always return the tickets. It's really not a big d-"

In a heartbeat, Fumino was in front of him, grabbing the both of his hands with vigor to silence him.

"A-ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Her eyes were bright and wild, very much the same as a child on the morning of Christmas. "This is one of the greatest organizations for astronomical research in the world! I'd rather die than see you return those tickets! Of course we're going!" She pulled on Nariyuki excitedly. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Letting himself be dragged away by a now hyperactive Fumino, Nariyuki slowly but surely felt relief flood through his body.

He smiled.

It had been well worth it after all.

"Look look, Nariyuki!"

Nariyuki was looking, but he didn't know exactly what he was looking at. All that seemed to be in front of him was a collection of long metal columns and machinery.

"This is a very advanced looking telescope…"

"It's not a telescope." Fumino corrected. "It's the 300m Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Antenna! It's used to detect gravitational waves emitted from massive objects in space. Lot of satellites and spaceships have similar equipment to maintain safe navigation."

"How does it measure it?" Nairyuki asked.

"Oh you know...physics...math..."

"The boring stuff." He answered for her.

"Right! See? You get it. Oh! Nariyuki, come come! This is where it gets interesting!"

"Wow, they look so real…" He said, astounded.

"Right?!" Fumino jumped excitedly. "It's because the dome theater here visualizes celestial bodies using a four-dimensional system; three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension! Real cosmic structures exist on different spatial scales and the temporal scales change corresponding to those different spatial scales. That's why they look so real! The animations here in this theater are actually visually accurate!"

"You don't say…"

Nariyuki shifted his gaze towards Fumino's direction. A beautiful colloid of stars and planets glowed from the panels of the theater around them, streaks of celestial light and matter complimenting each other flawlessly. Even without being sophisticated in the study, Nairyuki could easily tell how brilliantly designed the exhibit was.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Fumino asked with an awestruck expression.

"It is." Nariyuki, however, was enraptured by a completely different beauty. Her silky blue hair glistening in the projection light, the adorable expression of awe on her fair face, it was enough to make his heart flutter with adoration.

'You're more beautiful than I can put into words.'

"Nariyuki! Let's go look at the telescopes!" Fumino pulled him by the hand restlessly.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the spontaneity. "Sure."

"What do you see?" Fumino asked, bouncing on the back of her heels in anticipation.

"A spiral…" Nariyuki said in concentration as he peered through the instrument that was known as the Subaru Telescope.

"Yup! That's the M51! It's a spiral galaxy located in the constellation, Canes Venatici."

Nairyuki actually remembered the name. "The constellation right below the North star, right?"

"Exactly!" Fumino exclaimed, impressed by the boy's answer. "Its name is Latin for 'hunting dogs', and it's often depicted in stories as the dogs of Bootes the herdsman, another neighboring constellation!"

"Wow…" Nairyuki breathed, genuinely impressed. "It's like they're all connected."

She giggled at the observation before smiling to herself, "They really are...that's why I feel like I could look at them forever...to me it's almost as if stars are-"

"A story written in the sky." He finished.

Fumino turned to Nariyuki, her eyes wide-eyed.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." He laughed nervously. "I guess I got lost in the moment?"

Fumino stared at him for a good few seconds, a strange mix of emotions churning within.

Her chest tightened.

Even when I'm caught up in my own world...even when it's the least expected time...you're right there by my side too.

You really are my North Star.

"Yeah...I guess you did."

"Wow, we really did make it through all the exhibits, didn't we?"

Fumino smiled, placing her hand comfortably into Nairyuki's and squeezing. "We sure did."

All four telescopes, three measurement instruments, the observatory museum, the dome theater, the solar tower, and even the souvenir shop. The two of them had certainly made the most of their visit. On that note, their date was slowly coming to a close, and they were now spending their last stop at the observatory field, relishing the view of the night sky under the cool summer breeze.

"Thank you, Nairyuki." She said earnestly. "I had so much fun."

"Me too." He smiled.

She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at that. "I'm sure you'd much rather have done something not related to stars, no? It must've been hard having to listen to me ramble the entire night."

"Quite the opposite actually." He replied, causing Fumino to blink in surprise. "I told you before didn't I? Seeing you talk about the stars and be so passionate about something you love, I wouldn't trade that for the world."

A light tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks at the familiar statement.

"R-right…"

She thought back earlier in the day when she had watched Nariyuki as well. How she had felt so proud and so warm seeing him be himself in bringing the little boy, Aito, back up on his feet.

'When I watch you like that...I feel the same way...'

A comfortable silence fell over them, the moon and starlight dancing elegantly, encompassing their forms, so that it seemed they were nestled into a world entirely their own, quiet and isolated.

It was almost a shock that Fumino decided to break it.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Do you remember the time in our second year...after that festival...when we ended up staying together at that inn?"

"You mean when we pretended to be siblings?"

She blushed. "Well...I didn't mean specifically that detail...but yeah."

Nariyuki peered at her for a long moment before answering. "Of course I remember. It was the first time that I really discovered just how passionate you were about studying the stars."

He shifted his gaze to the sky. Thinking. A few moments later his eyebrows furrowed.

"And...it was the first time that I really asked myself...what I wanted to do."

A new silence fell over them, punctuated by the tension left from Nairyuki's words.

"What about now?" Fumino asked.

"Huh?"

"Your dream." She elaborated. "Did you ever end up finding it?"

He went still, thrown aback by the question.

In the recesses of his mind, Nairyuki felt something strange. A past voice seeping into his thoughts like a distant promise,

'But...if...the time comes when you've found something you really want to do, big sis will be here to support you with everything she's got!'

Again, the tense silence returned.

"It's okay!" Fumino laughed nervously. "If you don't wanna talk about it that's completely f-"

"I did actually." He interrupted. "Find my dream I mean…"

When the girl didn't reply, Nariyuki took the silence as an invitation to continue, albeity very nervously.

"I...don't really know where to start. I guess...when I think about being a teacher...I find myself thinking back on my past more than the future. Specifically...I think about how hard it was being a kid." He began. "Kids are clumsy, scared...they're unknowing to what's out there in the world. The smallest influence can have the most drastic change on how they think later on. So much that when it comes to the time where they have to make a decision on what it is that they want to do in life, they might not have any idea what that is. I think that's the scariest thing imaginable. Or at least...that's what it was for me."

He took a nervous breath, before continuing.

"When I became a tutor, I unknowingly became a part of that process...the process of helping someone confront those fears. For you, it was overcoming your weaknesses in math to pursue Astronomy. For Rizu, it was her ineptitude in reading people's feelings for humanities. Both of you were able to overcome your respective hurdles to pursue something that you love." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I was drawn to that...maybe because I felt like I had nothing like that. Being able to help you guys...in a way...it helped me cope with my own fear of not knowing what is that I wanted to do. It wasn't until later...that I was able to understand what being a part of that process actually meant to me."

"Eventually, I ended up believing that I wanted to be a teacher. That's what I told myself when I dropped the VIP nomination. For the longest time I felt like I was grasping at that straw, believing that education was something that I genuinely wanted to do. But in the back of my mind, a part of me was convinced that all I was doing was blindly following my dad's shadow..."

His fingers fell on top of hers, and their eyes met, brown and gold, and his heart began to pound against his ribcage.

"But that day...after we learned our exam results...you told me that I didn't have to be like anybody. That I didn't have to catch up to anyone and that I was great just the way I am. After that day...I felt like I could finally face myself head-on."

His eyes fell to their hands and he smiled.

"I love teaching. And I love helping others. The feeling of seeing someone smile and learning to believe in themselves. I love that. Whenever I see you talking about the stars, I'm reminded of all the years of hard work and difficulties that you overcame to make your dream a reality. I love that. Helping someone understand themselves and reach their dream...I want to be a part of that experience as much as I can!"

Again, their eyes met, his heart pounding all the same.

"That's why…" His voice shook. "For the kids who are scared...the kids who are lost...even if there are thousands or even millions of them out there unsure of themselves…"

"...I want to be there for all of them." He answered. "That's my dream..."

His heart was beating erratically, his mind completely focused on the one person in front of him. He had never felt more vulnerable in his entire life than in that one moment.

Her face was stone still, peering at him with an emotion that he couldn't read.

He felt his confidence waver. Slowly, feelings of insecurity started taking over his conscience.

"I-its weird, I know. I should probably just forget about it, right?" He forced out a pitiful laugh. "It's too unrealistic...how can I even be there for that many kids when I don't even know what kind of teacher I'm going to be yet..." He smiled sadly. "It's just silly…"

A beat.

"What's wrong with that?" He froze at Fumino's sudden voice. "Isn't the whole reason why we chase our dreams is because of how crazy it seems?"

His eyes went wide, not having expected that response.

"I want to study the stars." She reminded. "All of them. I want to see every detail and make every connection that I can possible. Silly right? There's an infinite number of stars out there, residing in an infinite number of universes. How could I possibly do that?"

Now it was Fumino's turn to peer deep into his eyes.

"But even if the finish line is unknown, even if we never know whether we'll make it, it's the steps that we take to discover how far we can go that counts, doesn't it?"

She took hold of his hand tightly.

"What matters is that we don't give up."

Nairyuki felt his chest tighten, his eyes beginning to burn.

"That's why...I know that without a shadow of a doubt, Nariyuki, that you'll be able to achieve your dream. Because just like how you were there for Aito today, just like how you've always been there for me…"

"...I know that you'll never give up on anyone who needs help."

The tears fell silently.

"I believe in you, Nairyuki..." Fumino brought both of her hands up to cup his cheeks and her loving gaze pierced through his very soul.

"Won't you?"

The dam burst and there was nothing to hold him back anymore. Nairyuki hiccupped through the torrent of emotions and lunged forward to embrace Fumino.

A whisper, one that shined under the cascading glow of moonlight with sincerity.

"I do…"

It was one that Fumino would cherish forever.

Nariyuki felt himself falling apart.

He was crying, sobbing loudly. Falling at an everlasting pace.

Yet strangely, he felt safe.

Because for the second time in his life...

Someone was there to catch him.

The ride and walk back to Fumino's home had been a quiet one, and through it all, Nariyuki had not let go of Fumino's hand. By the time they had reached her neighborhood, the inhabitants residing in the houses had already gone to sleep. Or Nariyuki was fairly sure they had. The quietness and ever dimming light coming from inside the buildings told him what little they could. Eyeing Fumino's face from the side, Nariyuki felt the events of the night play back in his mind.

With it, he sadly realized...

Their date had finally come to a close.

"Thank you for today, Nariyuki." Fumino said appreciatively as they arrived at the front gate of the mansion.

"I should be the one thanking you." He replied earnestly.

She smiled softly at that.

"I'll see you soon, then?"

"Yeah…"

He stepped away, bidding her goodnight.

She did the same.

It was strange.

How painful it all was.

Maybe it was the action of her waving goodbye.

Or the fact that he still felt a burning sensation in his heart.

Something.

Something there.

Something that was enough to get him to speak up.

"Fumino, wait."

The girl had just begun turning to walk through the gate, but at his voice she immediately turned back around to face him.

"Y-yes?"

His shoulders tense, he let out a breath that looked bizarrely like a sigh of relief. But instead of explaining himself, he looked to the ground, suddenly overcome with nervousness again.

The touch of her hand on his own returned his gaze onto her.

"It's okay...I won't bite." She said warmly. "What is it?"

Their eyes met.

And as it always had...

It blessed him with courage.

"I...don't know what the future holds," he began, "and I probably never will. It's scary...not being able to tell what will happen..."

I love you.

"But I know one thing is for certain…no matter what happens...I don't want anyone else there by my side...except you."

I love you so much

"So…when the time is right…the promise that we made...to support each other…"

Reticence.

One that cut through the suspense between them.

He swallowed the knot in his throat, and gave himself the final push he needed.

"I'll make it official, okay?!" He yelled before falling silent, peering at her with the burning hope that she would understand his meaning.

She did.

Fumino's eyes watered, and one of her hands went to her mouth to hold back the sudden wave of feelings bursting from her heart.

He managed another reassuring smile.

"I love-"

In the next moment, her lips were on his, stealing his words before he could even say it. He surrendered willingly: her arms went around his neck, his hands found her waist, and Nariyuki's heart melted.

When they broke apart, her smile was so radiant that he could practically feel the dark of the night disperse alongside it.

"I'll happily wait for that day to come."

Nariyuki choked out a tearful laugh and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"I'm home." Nariyuki called out, closing the door behind him.

"Welcome back." Hanae walked up to him as he took off his shoes and elbowed him playfully. "Well? How did it go? Did you propose?" She laughed at her own question. "Just kidding. You're probably tired of me joking about that by now."

"Actually…" Nariyuki looked to the ground awkwardly. "...I kind of did."

Hanae blinked. Once. Twice.

"WHAT?!"

A/N: Thanks so much for reading this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. Special thanks to ibeck1 for the prompt idea!

I'll be taking the MCAT next week, so I won't be writing until that's over. Appreciate all the positive reception that this story has received so far.

Once again, feel free to leave a review. Love hearing the feedback.

Until next time!