"Somewhere to seat, somewhere..." Yu-yu has just arrived at Princess Time. He glances at Danji.
"Hey!"
"Hey, Yu-yu."
"Yu-yu!" Danji brings Yu-yu to the table.
"Danji-san!"
"Let's call something for us. You want your usual parfait, right?"
"Yup."
"How are you doing, Yu-yu?"
Yu-yu slowly gives out his response, "Hmm..."
"Does Mirei bother you because of something?"
"I wouldn't say I am being annoyed. It's just..." Yu-yu lets out a sigh, "We haven't done anything much over a month."
"Usually, newlyweds will feel very happy early on. Eventually, that excitement would dwindle down. Did I hit the mark?"
"I think this isn't something to worry about. I mean, Mirei and I are still living happily. We haven't fought even once; maybe some petty arguments about swapping clothes, but they got resolved after anyway..." Yu-yu is sulking.
"Yu-yu." Danji pats Yu-yu's head, "Your devotion towards Mirei is remarkable. Don't get so fed up. I'm sure Mirei doesn't want you to be stressed at all."
"I guess so. There are days that Mirei wakes me up, I make breakfast, we get off to work, taking bath together and dress ourselves up for the bedtime. And nothing really standout happens."
"That sounds amazing. I dream to live like that one day."
"Really?" Yu-yu takes jabs at Danji.
"Ahem. Look at you, marrying Mirei at that age of yours."
"Ahahaha."
"The more you overthink, the less you appreciate what you have. Just relax and tell Mirei about your worries. Duke it out with her."
"Thanks. It was nice talking to you."
"Now finish your plate! I won't let you go if you leave your parfait!"
Daybreak's HQ
"Hello-break! Daybreak! It's Mirei – your leader, and the host of the weekly podcast 'Yu-Rei's Story'! Today, I will tell you about a little dream Yu-yu told me. It was one of our dates back then..."
"Miss Mirei is having a lot of fun with this show." Haruka is impressed with Mirei's performance.
"Something has been ticking me off recently. She doesn't talk about her daily life much. Dream talk is nice, but it feels old." Shinobu comments.
"Maybe Miss Mirei just likes it. The ratings are still consistently high."
"Oh well. Editing these videos make me sick. I love hearing her lovey-dovey stories, but—"
"But what?" Mirei smiles menacingly.
"Yeah?"
"Did you expect something more interesting?"
"Heh, maybe. Nice to hear your background of love though."
Mirei sips into her tea, "You have a point. There isn't much to talk about recently."
"How is Yu-yu, Miss Mirei?"
"He is caring as usual. And cute, too."
Haruka smiles, "What is your next plan for this show?"
"Hmm... I may finish the show in a few weeks."
"That quick!?"
"Yeah, Shinobu. I have it all planned out, so don't worry."
"Well, do whatever you want."
"This is your own idea, after all. I believe in your talent."
"You two have been a great help too. See you later!"
At the couple's home
"Ding-ding!" Mirei presses the bell.
Yu-yu opens the door, "Welcome home, Mirei."
"Good work today, I assume?"
"Yep. You too?"
"No problem, naturally. I'm quite hungry now."
"It's dinner time, then."
Mirei enjoys the dinner, "Your cooking is phenomenal!"
"You have said this since our dating days already, Mirei."
"And I will continue saying that. Because it's just good!"
"I suppose. I love cooking for two of us. It's great."
"Is there anything fun today?"
"I met your brother. At Princess Time."
"Wow! That's lucky! It's quite rare that my brother has time to go there now."
"He asked me about our life. Man, it's not like I have been asked like that before already."
"Ahahaha. Sorry in behalf, then. How did you respond?"
Yu-yu pauses.
"What's your response?" Mirei shakes Yu-yu's shoulder.
"Hmm... I told him that our life is going alright. Just nothing new."
"Nothing new, huh..."
"I guess it's bound to happen."
"We haven't done much for like a month or two. It's not like I am bored of this—" Mirei shakes her head, "No, no, no. I still love you a lot. But really, nothing much is worth being told anymore."
"I think we may find some other activities. Though..."
"Because I am blind and sensitive to sound, our options are limited." Mirei finishes Yu-yu's sentence.
"That..." Yu-yu diverts his eyes from Mirei, "I am not being mean to you, Mirei."
"Yeah, I know. But it is undeniable." Mirei stares at Yu-yu.
They quietly finish their dinner.
Bathroom
"I am dumb."
"You aren't."
"I am."
"Fine."
"Try to guess why I am dumb."
"Say... Your puns?"
"Like?"
"The bucket's in the right, right?" (Yu-yu speaks the latter half in English.)
"That's an English pun. Kinda a bad one, now that I think about it. Playing around different interpretations of a word."
"Maybe a Japanese-English pun is better."
"Such as?"
"I. U."
"Ai. You." ("Ai" is Japanese for Love & English pronunciation of I. "You" is abbreviated to U in English.)
"Ai. You."
"Say it properly, Yu-yu." Mirei blushes.
Yu-yu smiles, "I love you."
"I love you." Mirei kisses Yu-yu.
"You seem cuter when you smile." Yu-yu kisses Mirei.
"Honestly, I expect more than puns as an answer."
"But I think so."
"Was I dumb for saying that my disabilities hurt our options?"
"You are correct, though. Nothing wrong with that."
"Others would tell me that it is stupid to think about it that way. For me, it is just sweet words to sweep the problem under the rug, I hate it, I despise it."
"It's hard to judge someone without actually living with them."
"True, true. But I still feel bad. Maybe I hurt your feelings."
Yu-yu embraces Mirei tightly, "I suppose I may feel hurt sometimes. Still..."
Mirei opens her blind eyes, unconsciously.
"I know you want to be open to me. I also want to be someone you can trust. If we know more about one another, we can simply cure the pain in our hearts."
"..." Mirei grunts.
"I promise that I will wipe away your tears. Don't feel upset."
"It's alright. I won't bottle my emotions." Mirei hugs Yu-yu.
They stay in the tub for a little longer.
Bedroom
"Can you leave the window open?"
"Do you want to leave the light on then?"
"Ah, there's no need."
"Then..." Yu-yu turns off the light. Both tuck into their bed.
"Goodnight." Mirei holds her hands on Yu-yu, "Dear."
"D—Dear?"
"Hihi." Mirei chuckles.
They roll into their blanket.
"Mirei is... just too cute. This is the first time she calls me like that..." Yu-yu can't stop blushing.
"Yu-yu..." Mirei whispers, "I can't seem to sleep."
"I have a lot in my mind right now, too."
"Let's watch the sky."
Yu-yu walks to the window. He feels nice breathing some fresh air. Mirei quickly stands next to Yu-yu.
"Today... Quite a bizarre one, isn't it?"
"It may feel like an ordinary day. But it still feels special, somehow."
"Do you expect that we wouldn't be able to sleep?"
"Of course not."
"Ahahaha."
"I wish you can see it, but the stars are bright today."
"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
"It sure is."
"Why do you think people marry, Yu-yu?"
"Hmm... Maybe they look visually appealing, maybe because of money, maybe they share interests. Maybe much more."
"5 years before we met, I was about to marry someone. My brother told you that, right?"
"You were so young back then. I honestly didn't believe that at first."
"Well, it was possible for wealthy families. I don't think I have ever met him before, not even until the engagement."
"Your brother said that he is a jerk."
"Back then, I didn't even know why I decided to marry him, other than fulfilling my duty as a Minae. How would you imagine the future where my brother didn't intervene back then?"
"You would have less time, if even any, for yourself. A housewife, perhaps."
"Would it be cool?"
"Honestly, I can't say. Maybe your spouse was a nice guy, and he would be your best partner. Maybe not. I usually do some of the chores for you, but I think you would be fine doing all of them. Your diligence is something I admire, after all."
Mirei smiles, "I'm glad I got married with you!"
"By marrying you, we have formed many fond memories together!"
They continue stargaze for a while.
"Let's get back to bed, Mirei-..." Yu-yu feels slightly embarrassed, "chan."
"Mirei-chan...?"
"You don't like it?"
Mirei's face turns red, "I—I am a year older than you. Dummy."
"Sorry... I am so sorry, sweetheart~"
"Now that sounds more intimate, dear~"
They kiss.