Listen To Me

"Thanks for agreeing to come with me Natsuo," Akihito said as they arrived at their destination.

"Of course dad, it's been a while since I visited too," Natsuo replied as he looked out over the graves. After they had dropped Rui off at the airport the family had gone their separate ways: Akihito, Tsukiko and Hina had to get to work while Natsuo got his overnight bag and the chocolates Rui made for him and went back to his apartment to do some tidying and rest a bit.

Before they parted his father had asked if he was busy that evening and if he'd meet up with him. Natsuo had met him at the house before they headed to the cemetery in order to visit Jun's grave, it wasn't often that Akihito asked Natsuo to come with him on a day that wasn't of significance, but Natsuo didn't need to ask why they were there.

After a quiet walk they arrived at Jun Fuji's gravestone; Akihito set up and lit the incense while Natsuo arranged the flowers they'd picked up on the way. Once that was done they said a silent prayer before Natsuo spoke, "Hi mom... Sorry I haven't come in a while, things have been a little crazy lately."

Akihito chuckled a bit before he chimed in, "That's putting it lightly. Jun, our little boy is a published author now, can you believe it? I knew his hard work would pay off, he's made us all very proud."

"I am going through a bad case of writer's block right now though. None of my normal ways of getting through it have worked... so writing is a little up in the air right now," Natsuo added.

"I'm sure he'll be able to get through it though. Just need to give it time," Akihito said reassuringly.

Natsuo paused before he said, "There's something important I haven't told you mom... do you remember when I came here that Mother's Day, and Tsukiko-san's daughters came to pay their respects? Well... I know this is going to sound weird but... Rui, the one my age, and I are in a relationship. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

A playful laugh escaped Akihito as he said, "What's this? You didn't even tell your mother? Shame on you Natsuo, I'd thought you would have confided in her at least," he paused as he watched Natsuo deflate in shame. Turning back to the gravestone he spoke again, "Our son can be a little dense Jun. Despite the circumstances... Tsukiko and I have given Natsuo and Rui-chan our blessing to be together. I'm sure you would adore her Jun, she and Natsuo really do seem to bring out the best in each other. Please, watch over her for us while she's overseas."

"Yes, please watch over her. I know she's with people who will look out for her, but I can't help worrying about her," Natsuo added with a sad smile. They were silent for a moment before the sound of Natsuo's phone alerting him to a notification made him jump slightly as he said, "I'm sorry, I thought I set it to silent on the way here."

Akihito shook his head and replied, "It's okay. Go ahead and check it actually, it might be Rui-chan given how long the flight would have been."

Natsuo checked the new message, and it was indeed from Rui, he opened it and they quickly exchanged a few messages.

Rui: I've arrived safe and sound, got a little sleep on the flight but not much. How's your day been?

Natsuo: I'm glad to hear that! Today was uneventful. I'm visiting mom's grave with dad right now though.

Rui: Oh! Sorry to interrupt! Tell her I say hi, I wish I'd visited while I was home. I promise I'll visit her once I'm back. I'll message later, I love you!

Natsuo: I'll tell her. Talk to you later, I love you too.

He smiled as he pocketed his phone and happily said, "Mom, Rui says hello and that she's sorry she didn't get a chance to visit before leaving. She promises to come visit again once she's home from her training... oh that's right! She's training in New York to improve her culinary skills, she's an amazing chef."

Akihito watched his son's face light up just talking about Rui and let out a small sigh as he said, "I'm glad."

"You're glad?" Natsuo asked.

Akihito nodded as he replied, "I'm glad you've found someone who has this kind of affect on you son. Thinking back on it, it was pretty clear that there was something between you two. And it put me at ease hearing the two of you last night speaking from your hearts. I don't know what the future will bring... But I have a feeling that you two can take on anything that comes your way."

"Thanks dad. And again, I cannot apologize enough that we didn't tell you sooner," Natsuo said after a moment.

Akihito shook his head as he replied, "It's okay son. What's done is done," he paused in sudden realization before looking uneasily at Natsuo and asking, "Um... son. That time I told you to be careful about watching porn –"

"Dad!" Natsuo nearly shouted in panic. He'd rather not remember the time he and Rui had nearly been found out by his father.

"Uh - right. No need to talk about that," Akihito said in an awkward tone. Both father and son were silent for a few moments before he asked, "Just to make sure... you use protection right?"

"Dad! Not here!" Natsuo shouted as he gestured towards the gravestone as his face turned bright red. He hung his head in embarrassment before muttering a quiet "Yes."

Akihito gave a full laugh as he said, "Good, just needed to make sure. Consider that embarrassment payback for blind-siding us last night son." Akihito watched as Natsuo seemed to melt before turning and saying, "We should get going. We'll be sure to come again soon though Jun."

Natsuo regained his composure as he also said, "Yeah, I'll come back soon mom. I promise." With that the two made their way out of the cemetery. When he noticed his father wasn't walking the way they normally would Natsuo asked, "Where are we going?"

"Oh. I just figured we'd grab a bite to eat. Tsukiko mentioned that she and Hina-chan were going to have a girls night. And you know those two: it's going to involve alcohol, so I thought I'd give them some space," Akihito replied in a jovial tone.

Natsuo laughed as he agreed, "That's a good idea, wouldn't want to in intrude on that. Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Akihito thought for a moment before replying, "Why don't we go that café we went to yesterday for lunch, L'Amant? There were a few other things on the menu I'd been torn between yesterday."

"Sounds good to me. I'm sure Boss will appreciate another regular customer being added to list," Natsuo chuckled as he answered while taking the lead to head to their new destination.

Meanwhile...

Tsukiko and Hina sat down to have a few drinks after eating their dinner of reheated leftovers from the previous night. As Tsukiko set out two tumbler glasses with ice and started pouring whiskey Hina asked, "No wine tonight mom?"

"No, I wanted something a little stronger tonight. My nerves are still a bit of a wreck," Tsukiko replied with small shake of her head as she passed Hina's drink to her.

Hina gratefully accepted the drink as she said, "I understand, the last few days were... eventful." The two drank together in comfortable silence for a few moments, neither wanting to be the first to broach the subject.

After Tsukiko finished her first drink she poured another while asking, "So... you knew since you came back from Oshima?"

Hina paused mid sip in order to reply, "Yeah... I sure was surprised. The last thing I expected was for Natsuo-kun and Rui to actually be in a relationship... I knew how Rui felt but I didn't think anything would come of it."

"How did you find out? Did they tell you right away?" Tsukiko pressed as she passed the bottle Hina's way to refill her drink.

Hina shook her head as she took the bottle and answered, "No, I figured it out and then they confirmed it. Right after I started working at the hotel I bumped into Natsuo-kun was he was leaving a store. I ended up talking him into showing me where he was living. While I was there I found a woman's hair pin on his floor, which he said belonged to a friend that had stopped by earlier... then when I went to use the bathroom I noticed that there was a second toothbrush and a toiletry bag by the sink. It wasn't hard to put two and two together that Natsuo-kun must have had a girlfriend. Then a few days later I saw the same hair pin in the bathroom here, and I asked Rui. Turns out it was hers, so I asked if she was dating Natsuo-kun and she confirmed it."

While giving her answer Hina had finished her drink, refilled it, and drained it again. This did not escape her mother's notice and she asked, "Were you expecting to get back together with Natsuo then?"

Hina looked down for a moment before replying, "I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't a possibility I had on my mind then. I panicked a bit once I figured out Natsuo-kun was probably seeing someone then and kinda rushed out of there. And then when Rui confirmed it was her... I don't even remember what I thought in that moment."

They were silent again as Hina refilled her glass before Tsukiko asked, "Are you okay?"

Hina smiled sadly as she answered, "I'm getting there mom. After Rui told me, and I saw how happy they were when together... I swore that I would put my feelings for him behind me and that I would do whatever I could to support them. Since you know about how I felt, you must understand how badly I want them to be happy."

"I'm proud of you for that Hina," Tsukiko said with a small smile before continuing, "It's not easy to put your feelings aside for the sake of someone else's happiness."

Hina nodded before she asked, "So... how long have you known about...?"

"I found out not long after you transferred schools and left town. I hired a private investigator to track you down, you scared me you know. We didn't tell Rui or Natsuo that we knew where you were, or that we knew what happened," Tsukiko replied as she poured herself another drink.

"I was horrible back then..." Hina trailed off, but when she saw her mother's curious expression she continued, "I was the adult in the situation, I should have been responsible and not gotten involved with Natsuo-kun. Even after Rui told me how she felt about him... I didn't even let that stop me. I was horrible."

"I won't lie to you Hina... ignoring the fact of you being step-siblings, knowing you were involved in a relationship with a student of yours made me feel ashamed at the time. And add on to that your younger sister had already told you she had feelings for the same boy... you're lucky she forgave you for that. I assume that's part of your dedication to supporting them now?" Tsukiko said in a serious.

Hina nodded solemnly as she responded, "That's right. I feel that I owe it to them for betraying Rui like that. She was so hurt when she found out... she didn't speak to me for months. I don't want to see either of them feel that kind of pain again."

Tsukiko smiled proudly at Hina's words as she reach over and put a hand on her shoulder before saying, "You understand where you went wrong, and you've learned from it. As long as you keep that mindset I'm sure it won't be long before you can put that fully behind you."

Hina reached up and put her hand over her mother's as she replied, "Thank you mom, I'm sure you're right. It's just going to take some more time. But I guess that's something we're all familiar with right now huh?"

A small laugh escaped Tsukiko at this as she gave her response, "That's for sure, and to think that when Rui gets back she'll be moving out... this house will feel a lot lonelier then. I do have to admit that decision is for the best though. I'm sure Akihito and I will have fully accepted them being together by then... but them having their own space is important."

"Oh! Where is Fuji-san? I didn't think about it but isn't he normally home way earlier than this?" Hina asked in sudden realization.

"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind. He and Natsuo went to visit Jun's grave after he got out of work, he mentioned they'd stop and get dinner somewhere after so we could have a girls night," Tsukiko replied before taking a long sip.

"I see, that's considerate of him. We should go with them next time, I've only visited her grave the one time. I'd like to pay my respects again, and ask her to keep watching over Natsuo-kun and Rui," Hina said with a smile.

"That's a good idea. I'll ask him to let me know the next time so we can plan for it, but I'm glad he let us have time to have this talk and few drinks," Tsukiko said cheerfully, to which Hina happily nodded in agreeance.

Later that night...

"How many times have I told you not to play that music so loudly at night?!" Kasumi shouted in rage.

The target of her fury, Kuwaba, replied in a frustrated tone, "And I told you a hundred times already: I'm sorry! I lost track of time!"

This was the scene that greeted Natsuo as he climbed the stairs to his apartment: his two neighbors had met each other halfway, in front of his door, to have their latest argument. With a deadpan expression he tried to interject, "Hey guys could you –"

"What do you mean you 'lost track of time'?! You didn't even start until the sun was going down, you had to know it was getting late!" Kasumi continued, not seeming to notice Natsuo.

"Evening is the best time to relax and play music, and then I just got caught up in it and time flew by," Kuwaba countered.

"Guys I need to –" Natsuo attempted to cut in a gain.

"It wouldn't even be an issue if you were actually any good!" Kasumi insulted while pointing in a an accusatory way.

Kuwaba recoiled as though wounded as he replied, "You just don't have good taste in music! You should listen more instead of telling me to stop, maybe you'll start to get it."

"Guys!" Natsuo shouted in frustration. This resulted in him finally getting the attention of his arguing neighbors.

Both turned to face Natsuo in surprise, Kuwaba being the first to reply, "Oh hey Natsuo, haven't seen you the last few days. I left some vegetables in your kitchen while you were out."

"Hey Fuji-kun, everything okay? I heard arguing the other day..." Kasumi asked in a concerned tone.

Natsuo sighed in relief at their argument seeming to be derailed as he responded, "Yeah, sorry about that. Rui surprised me with a visit, she came home from her training for a few days. But I was stupid and we got into a pretty bad fight. Everything's okay now though, we worked things out, was a rough couple days."

"Well I'm glad to hear that. Is she still in town?" Kuwaba asked.

Natsuo shook his head while answering, "No, dropped her off at the airport this morning. Her flight left at about five thirty this morning. I actually got a message from her around seven that she'd arrived safe and sound."

"She's over in New York right? The time zone difference must be tough to deal with," Kasumi said with a thoughtful expression before trailing off, "So of it was seven in the evening here that would have been..."

Natsuo replied while indicating his watch, "It was six in the morning there, it's a thirteen hour difference. I have my watch set to her time so I don't forget about the time difference, she does the same with hers."

Kuwaba's face shifted into a grin at this as Kasumi erupted, "That's adorable! You two are so sweet! Why can't I find a guy like you?!"

"Because the first question you ask is about their income..." Kuwaba muttered while suppressing a laugh. To Natsuo's relief Kasumi didn't seem to hear him, the last thing he needed was another argument starting.

"You'll find someone," Natsuo said before letting out a yawn and continuing, "Now if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna head in and start getting ready for bed. It's been a long day." As he finished saying this gestured towards the door the two were still blocking.

"Oh! Sorry, you must be tired. We'll get out of your way... And I'm sure there won't be able any more loud music tonight right Kuwaba?" Kasumi asked as she glanced towards him.

Kuwaba looked as though he was going to retort, but thought better of it and replied, "Yeah I get it. No more music for tonight. Good night you two."

"Good night, and thanks for the vegetables Kuwaba," Natsuo replied as the they started making their way to their own apartments.

"No problem my friend!" Kuwaba said jovially as he got to his door.

"Good night!" Kasumi said cheerfully as she entered her apartment.

Letting out a sigh of relief Natsuo entered his apartment, grateful to have good, if not slightly annoying, friends even here as well. He took a few moments to check what Kuwaba had dropped off and began putting it away when he got a notification on his phone indicating a new message. As he checked it he smiled when he saw that it was from Rui and quickly typed out his response.

Rui: Hey, are you available for a quick video call before you go to bed?

Natsuo: Yeah! I'll call in a few minutes – gotta boot up the laptop, actually just got home a few minutes ago.

Rui: :)

Natsuo continued to smile as he set his laptop back up on his desk and started it up and called Rui. Within seconds she answered and the video feed connected, showing a very tired looking Rui smiling into the camera. "Hi there, someone looks pretty tired. I hope you're not working today," Natsuo said teasingly.

Rui's smile grew at his concern as she replied, "No, I don't start work again until tomorrow. But I have to stay up all day in order to reset my sleep schedule tonight."

"That's going to be rough.. you gonna be okay?" Natsuo asked worriedly.

Rui continued smiling as she nodded and replied, "I'll be okay. I had to do the same when I first came here. Plus Daniella has the day off, so she's volunteered to help keep me awake." After Rui said this Natsuo heard a woman's voice speaking in English in the background, and Rui glanced away for a moment as she replied, also in English, though Natsuo did hear his name being said.

A moment later Daniella appeared in frame, squishing in beside Rui and cheerfully waved while saying a very basic Japanese greeting which Natsuo assumed Rui had taught her. Thinking back to the English classes he'd taken before, Natsuo managed to reply in passable English. This caused Daniella to laugh in an excited manner as she spoke directly to Rui.

After a moment Rui translated, "Sorry about that. Daniella says that was pretty good, and she's sorry if she messed up the Japanese. She also wants to know when she should expect you to come visit so she can meet you in person."

"She did just fine, as far as me visiting..." Natsuo trailed off in a teasing tone, watching Rui's expression shift to curiosity before finishing, "I might be able to figure something out. I'll keep you posted." Natsuo hadn't told her yet, but he had gotten his passport fairly recently, so it was just a matter of figuring out expenses and scheduling.

"Really?!" Rui asked excitedly, which prompted Daniella to ask her something in English. As Rui responded to her Daniella's face shift into a grin and what she said next before she left the frame caused Rui's face to grow red.

"Everything okay?" Natsuo asked after a moment.

"She um... she said that when you visit she'll stay with her boyfriend so we can have the place to ourselves..." Rui mumbled in embarrassment.

Natsuo laughed as he said, "You know you're adorable when embarrassed right?" This caused Rui to hide her face in her hands, and Daniella could be heard laughing in the background.

"You... and I still need to get you back for the time you got me like this when I was home... what am I going to do with you..." Rui said suggestively with a wink.

Natsuo, taken off guard by Rui's sudden boldness, floundered for a moment before replying with a slight tint to his face, "Rui, you know you can do whatever you'd like with me. I'm all yours."

Rui smiled mischievously before saying, "That's right. You're mine... I miss you already. I wish we'd had a little more time."

"I know, me too. But I'm sure the time will go by quickly, we're both going to be busy with a lot. But I can't wait to see to see you in person again. We'll make the most of it," Natsuo replied with a loving smile.

Rui returned the smile while responding, "That we will," she paused to check her watch before continuing, "Now, I know I have to stay awake for the rest of the day here, but it's almost eleven there... you should get to sleep."

Natsuo confirmed this by checking the time display on his laptop screen and sighed before saying, "It is unfortunately... You're right. Tomorrow is going to be busy too. I'll let you know how things go with Serizawa after I'm done talking with her."

"Thank you. I hope she doesn't take it too badly... but she needs to be set straight," Rui said with a slight huff and pout.

"You're welcome, and I'll be as gentle as I can while being as clear as possible. I promise," Natsuo offered with a reassuring tone.

Rui smiled warmly, but when she caught Natsuo trying to stifle a yawn she pushed, "Alright then. Off to bed with you, we'll talk again when we have the chance. Sleep well Natsuo."

"I will, tell Daniella thank you for me for helping you stay up to fix your sleep schedule. Good night Rui, I love you," Natsuo said with a loving smile.

"I love you too, good night," Rui replied with an bright smile before ending the call from her side to prevent further delaying from Natsuo. As Natsuo shut the laptop down he let out a small groan remembering he still had to finishing putting the vegetables away.

The next day...

While waiting for her train to arrive at her destination, Miyabi looked at her phone for the dozenth time since that morning, rereading the message that had made her heart race in anticipation. The message had come in while she was preparing for the day, it had been unexpected, but she'd been hoping for it for days now.

Natsuo: Hey, are you free for lunch today? There's something important I need to talk to you about.

She'd quickly responded with an affirmative, and Natsuo had asked her to meet him at a café named L'Amant for lunch. Having never been there she didn't know what to expect, but she'd looked up what the name meant and had become excited to learn the name meant "the lover".

"Why would he ask to meet at a place with such a romantic name? Did... did he and his girlfriend break up? That fight they had seemed to be really bad... I'd feel bad for being the reason to trigger that, but if they broke up then this is my chance to be there for him," She thought as the train arrived and she made her way out to follow the directions to the café.

When she arrived at the cafe she smiled seeing the exterior, to her it looked like a nice place; not overly eye catching but welcoming. When she entered she looked around and didn't immediately see Natsuo, but saw two men at the bar style counter in the back; one more heavy set with a bowl cut and glasses, the other tall with long hair mostly tied back in a ponytail, both gave a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to L'Amant my dear!" the man with the ponytail called out, Miyabi slightly caught off guard by his cadence as she approached. When she reached the counter he continued, "I'm the owner and manager, you can call me Mari-san if you'd like dear. What can we get for you? Or would you like a menu first?"

"Thank you, I have to say this place is lovely. I'm actually meeting a friend for lunch," Miyabi replied.

"Ah-hah! You must be Serizawa-chan. Natsuo-chan told us you'd be here soon, he's already at one of our more private tables," Kobayashi paused to gesture towards the back corner of the cafe where she could now see Natsuo before adding, "You can go ahead and join him. Fumiya will be over shortly to take your orders."

Miyabi nodded and smiled in thanks as she started making her way towards Natsuo, who hadn't seemed to notice her yet. She gathered that he seemed to be absorbed in thought, seeming to mindlessly take a sip of the drink he already had in front of him.

When she took her seat opposite him he snapped out of his thoughts and greeted her, "Oh! Serizawa-san, sorry. I have a lot on my mind. Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

She shook her head as she responded, "It's okay Fuji-kun, and no I didn't have any trouble. I was surprised to hear the owner refer to you by your first name though."

Natsuo smiled as he replied, "Boss and I have known each other for a while now, I'm a regular here."

"Oh? How long have been coming here?" she asked with genuine interest.

"About three years now. Fumiya, the other guy you probably saw up at the counter, and I have been friends since we were kids. He started working here during highschool, this place is pretty close to the neighborhood we grew up in. I started coming by then and got hooked," Natsuo replied with a reflective look on his face.

Before Miyabi could respond, the man she now knew to be Fumiya arrived and spoke while placing menus on the table, "Hello there. Natsuo knows the drill, but since you've not been here before I'll explain: you can order anything from the "all day" or lunch portions of the menu at this time, and all of of our drinks are available. If you order anything alcoholic we will of course need to see your ID. Can I start you off with a drink?"

Miyabi quickly scanned the menu, taking note of some of the more extravagantly named items for possible future visits, but decided to play it safe for now as she responded, "I think for now I'll just stick to a coffee. The Blue Mountain Roast please."

"Great choice!," Fumiya said as he wrote it on his order pad before turning to Natsuo and asking, "Do you need yours topped off?"

Natsuo looked down at his drink, surprised he'd drank as much of it as he had already before responding, "Yeah, thanks Fumiya."

"Of course. I'll be back in a few with your drinks, take your time reviewing the menu," Fumiya said towards Miyabi as he left towards the counter.

A few moments of silence passed as Miyabi scanned through the menu, everything sounded great and she was having trouble deciding when Natsuo spoke up, "You can get whatever sounds best to you, it's my treat."

"A-are you sure Fuji-kun?" Miyabi stuttered a bit as she thought about the implication.

Natsuo nodded as he replied, "Yeah, it's not a problem. I am the one who invited you after all."

"Well... if you insist," Miyabi said she returned to the menu. While she continued to scan she thought to herself, "I need to calm down. It's just lunch. With Fuji-kun... this feels like a date almost. But..." she paused in her thoughts to glance towards his face before adding, "He seems a little distant... I hope he's okay."

After a few moments Fumiya returned to take their meal orders, Natsuo settling on a sandwich while Miyabi ordered a chef's salad. "Got it, these will be ready pretty quickly so sit tight," Fumiya said cheerfully as he left the table again.

As the silence began to set in again Miyabi took the initiative and began asking, "Are you okay Fuji-kun? About what happened –"

Natsuo interjected, "Sorry, but let's save that for a bit later. No need to talk about stuff like that on an empty stomach after all. I've missed the last few days of pre-planning for the Spring production, I hope I didn't miss anything too major."

"Oh..." Miyabi trailed off, surprised by the sudden change in topic, but answered, "It's okay. The only important thing you missed that was decided on was the theme, Hana-san won't have the script ready for a bit." The conversation continued from there, the two discussing what had been decided for the production, eventually moving into various non-related subjects until the food arrived.

To Miyabi's surprise it was the Kobayashi who brought the food instead of Fumiya. He sauntered over with a bright smile as he said as he placed their meals in front of them, "And here you two go! I wanted to bring them over myself. I hope everything has been to your liking so far Serizawa-chan."

"I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's been lovely so far, thank you. I can see why Fuji-kun is a regular," Miyabi replied with a smile.

"Speaking of... Natsuo-chan I'm going to have to start paying you for advertising. This is the third new customer you've brought here in as many days," Kobayashi said with a laugh.

Natsuo returned the laugh as he replied, "No need for that Boss. Letting people know about this place is the least I can do in return for everything you've done over the years."

Kobayashi waved this off as Miyabi asked, "So I'm the third new person he's brought here in just a few days? That's some dedication to getting the word out."

"Well just so you know Boss, my budget for eating out is pretty much spent for now, so it'll be a little bit before I come back to eat again," Natsuo added as he scratched the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it. Three days in a row is a record I think though; first you come in with your family and Rui-Rui, then you and your father come back last night and now today!" Kobayashi said cheerfully as he began making his was back to the counter and added, "I'll leave you two to enjoy your meal, if you need anything let us know!"

Miyabi's heart sank at hearing what the owner had said and she thought to herself, "Rui-Rui? So Fuji-kun came here with her and his family together... they must have worked things out. She's probably a regular here too with how Mari-san referred to her..."

The pair settled into another silence as they ate their meals, and though a salad is a simple meal, Miyabi was surprised at the freshness and crisp flavors. When they were mostly done Natsuo broke the silence, "So... we need to talk."

Miyabi nodded as she replied, "Yeah... I guess we do."

Natsuo took a breath before speaking again, "Okay. I'm sorry for the bluntness of what I'm about to say, but I need you to honest with me, with no room for misinterpretation. How do you feel about me? What have your intentions been?"

Miyabi winced slightly, he hadn't been kidding about the bluntness, but she realized it was needed and he was right. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts she replied, "I'm sorry for not being more direct before... The truth is that I'm in love with you, I have been for a while now. At first I didn't want to admit it, because I knew you already had a girlfriend... but the longer it went the more I couldn't deny it. And then... when I found out your girlfriend would be going overseas for at least a year... I thought that maybe I'd be able to get you to see me the way I see you... If I could show you that I could be there to support you..."

Natsuo was silent for a few moments, shutting his eyes to think. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds but it seemed to stretch on forever before he finally spoke, "I see, Rui was right after all. Looking back on it all, it seems obvious now... I'm sorry that I didn't notice how you felt."

Miyabi let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding once she heard his response, and thought to herself, "He doesn't sound angry... that's good at least."

"That being said... Listen to me," Natsuo spoke again, snapping her out of her thoughts, "That fight that Rui and I had a few days ago, it wasn't just about you; there were other issues that had been building up and her finding out that I was talking to you about my issues instead of her... was the the tipping point and we almost broke up. I won't go into too much detail but she and I talked things through, and we're good now. The reason I asked you to meet with me was so I could confirm how you felt, I promised Rui that I would talk to you about it," he paused again as he saw the look on her face slowly shifting to somber before finishing, "I'm sorry Serizawa-san... But I can't return your feelings. You're a good friend, and an important colleague, but I don't think of you in a romantic way. I love Rui, and I'm fully committed to her. I hope you can accept that, and that we can still maintain our friendship."

Miyabi closed her eyes as she processed what he said, pushing down the heartache she was feeling as she thought, "I should have known... he really does love her. And I actually thought I could win him over just because she's away for a long time... she's pursuing her dream and he fully supports her. I'm just glad he doesn't hate me for it..."

After she finished collecting her thoughts she replied, "You have nothing to apologize for Fuji-kun. I'm the one who needs to apologize, I was selfish and thought I could do better than her. I'm so sorry, and I promise to not try and interfere anymore. Please tell her that for me the next time you talk to her."

Natsuo nodded as he said, "I will, she'll be glad to hear that. It'll be a good thing to start her off with when she gets up."

"And about our friendship, I'd happy to continue being friends Fuji-kun. If you really want to that is," she said with a hesitant smile.

Natsuo returned the smile and extended his hand, "Of course. We just needed to get this settled, I never intended to lose you as a friend if it could avoided. Let's keep working hard together for Forester as well Serizawa-san."

Miyabi reached forward and shook his hand firmly, "Agreed. But since we're friends I insist that you can call me by my first name."

Natsuo chucked at this and replied, "Alright then, but the same for you then Miyabi-san."

"Very well Natsuo-kun. I look forward to continuing to work with you," Miyabi said as her smile grew.

After their conversation, Natsuo and Miyabi finished their meal and she excused herself, citing that she had already planned to meet up with family later in the afternoon but assured Kobayashi that she'd definitely be coming back. Natsuo had relocated to a bar seat to finish his drink and to unwind a bit, he'd hidden it well but he'd been stressed the entire time.

"So, things seem to have gone well with Serizawa-chan?" Kobayashi asked as he cleaned the glasses from another customer's order.

Natsuo sighed before replying, "Yeah, I'm glad. I feel bad for not noticing how she felt... and Rui figured it out a while ago."

"Gonna tell Rui how it went?" Fumiya asked as he came out from the back area.

"I'll tell her later, she would have only fallen asleep a few hours ago," Natsuo replied as he checked his watch to see the time in New York and added, "She gets up around seven in the morning over there, I'll message her then."

"That's a good idea Natsuo-chan, it'll be a good way to boost her energy for the day," Kobayashi said with a smile.

Natsuo nodded before replying, "My thoughts exactly Boss. By the way, I didn't get a chance to say it before: thank you for helping Rui when she came to you for advice. I really made a mess of things, I was an idiot."

"Yes you certainly were, but there's no need to thank me. You two working things out is thanks enough, I could tell right away when you two came here with your family that you were okay. And judging from the conversation you and your father had here last night your parents took the news well?" Kobayashi asked as he set the glass he'd been cleaning down.

Natsuo laughed a bit while responding, "Should have known you'd overhear us... Yeah, they took it about as well as you could expect: shocked to put it politely. Dad was easier to win over, Tsukiko-san took a bit more effort though. She actually left the restaurant, if Hina-nee and their dad hadn't gone and talked to her it might have been a lot messier."

"Well, the hard part is out of the way. Better late than never, going forward it'll just be a matter of them getting used to it," Fumiya chimed in, "I'm glad their dad had your back as well."

"Yes! Natsuo-chan, you said the restaurant is called Tempo Felice? I think I'll pay it a visit myself so I can thank Hina-chan and Rui-Rui's father for helping as well. I mean we're practically co-conspirators," Kobayashi said with a gleam in his eyes.

Natsuo smirked before replying, "Sorry to burst your bubble Boss, but he's a happily married man." This caused Fumiya to burst out laughing, not having expected the taunt.

"I'll have you know that was not my intention Natsuo-chan... though that is noted," Kobayashi retorted as he and Natsuo joined Fumiya in a much needed laugh.

7:03am New York...

Rui groaned slightly as she held her phone in her hand, having disabled the alarm but not having gotten out of bed yet. She knew it was risky, but she was very comfortable and she'd been having a dream she hadn't wanted to end. Her attention was drawn back to the phone as the sound notifying her of a new message chimed, she looked at the screen and smiled as she read it.

Natsuo: Good morning beautiful, I hope you slept well. I talked to Serizawa-san today and cleared the air with her. She understands that there is no chance of me leaving you for her. She also wanted me to tell you that she's sorry, and that she promises that she will not try to interfere in our relationship anymore.

Rui sighed as she felt another weight lift off of her, she'd been worried about how the conversation would go. She quickly typed out her reply.

Rui: I slept well thank you. I'm glad to hear that it went well, I was worried. I know you didn't want to hurt her. How did she take it?

Natsuo: She took it better than I expected, I think she'd already half reached that same conclusion before I told her. She and I are still friends, and I'm confident things will be okay going forward.

Rui: Good, I'm happy that you were able to preserve a friendship with her. She seems like a good person, maybe once I'm back I should actually try to get to know her...

Natsuo: I think you two would be able to get along, by then it shouldn't be too awkward I hope. It's been a long day, I just had some of the stuff I missed with Forester sent to me so I can review it, then I'm going to turn in early for the night. Have a good day Rui, I love you.

Rui: I'll do my best, good night and sleep well. I love you too.

Rui felt her heart flutter and thought, "No matter how may times he tells me that I still feel giddy." After stretching she got out of bed and went about her morning routine, she didn't have to be at the restaurant until noon but if she didn't get up now she would struggle to do so later – she was still a little tired from the jet lag.

As she started making breakfast Daniella walked over and said, "Well well, someone looks awfully happy this morning. Heard from lover boy I take it?"

Rui giggled at Daniella's nickname for Natsuo as she replied, "I did. He set things straight with that girl I told you about. The one who thought she could take him from me while I'm away. I don't have to worry about her anymore."

"That's good to hear, I didn't like seeing you stress yourself out about that," Daniella said as she started brewing some coffee. After a moment she asked, "Feels good to get all that stress off you doesn't it?"

Rui turned to her with a beaming smile as she replied, "It does, it really feels like a new beginning."

A/N: This chapter ended up being the longest so far, but I didn't want to split it up. This chapter concludes the portion of the story that is a rewrite of the events that happen between 215 and 216 of the manga. Going forward there will be time skips similar in style to how the manga progresses; my plan is show how the ripples caused by this change will affect later events, and also add a few original ones of my own.