"Are you ready to go, Furuhashi?"

"Just a few more minutes!" Fumino's voice came through the bedroom door muffled." I'm just about done!"

Nariyuki smiled with a shake of his head. This certainly wasn't the first time where the girl had put an emphasis on detailed packing.

"We're only visiting for a couple days. You don't need to pack all of your clothes, you know?" He chided playfully.

The door of their bedroom opened, and Fumino poked her head out with a pout. "Jeez, I already told you that I'm done packing, dummy. I'm just working on fixing up my hair…"

This earned a contemplative expression from him. "Well…if I'm remembering correctly from our feminine psychology lessons, girls spend more time grooming when it comes to preparing for dates. I wouldn't exactly call visiting home a date right?"

Fumino giggled lightly. "We're going to be visiting your family later. I would say that's plenty of reason for me to try a little bit harder," she said before returning back to the washroom.

"I suppose that's fair." With that he could certainly understand Fumino's reasoning for her efforts, especially with the fact that he too was planning on visiting the girl's father later. Though for him there was a lot less to worry about when it came to his appearance.

'I should definitely try to look my best when I speak to him though…especially since I'm planning on bringing up that.'

He smiled in reflection at the thought. It had been three months since he and Fumino had officially moved away from their long-time homes to live in their own apartment together. This would be the first time they would be visiting since the departure. Eventfulness had been prominent throughout the duration, as Fumino was beginning to finally adjust to her time as an official researcher at the NAO, acquiring numerous skills while working across different departments of the facility. For Nariyuki, it had been one month since he began his mentorship program at Kokasu. He was at the halfway mark for the program, and with the aptitude and success he was currently demonstrating in his shadowing, he was on a hopeful path at obtaining an official teaching position at the school.

They had both reached milestones in the start of their careers, and what better way to celebrate it than a lovely visit back home to see their family. They even had a highschool reunion with their graduating class that they had planned to attend later in the weekend.

And for Nariyuki…there was a certain objective of his that he was intent on fulfilling in the visit. One that made him nervous just thinking about.

His thoughts were interrupted as Fumino came out of the bedroom door, luggage in hand this time.

…and hair well groomed and in wonderful display.

"Okay! All set! We can go now, Nariyuki."

Leaving seemed to be the last thing on his mind as his gaze set onto Fumino's appearance silently, taking in every single detail with open arms.

Or open eyes rather.

The girl blinked before shifting self-consciously at the attention, unsure of what to make of the sudden quietness.

"D-does it look bad?"

Nariyuki nearly laughed in disbelief at the question. There was no world where he could ever house that type of opinion for the girl.

"I don't think you could look bad even if you tried."

Fumino's eyes widened in immediate response, and a blush quickly shot through his cheeks in heated embarrassment.

Did he really have no sense of control when it came to his compliments for her?

"A-Ah I mean…what I meant to say was…"

"You look as beautiful as ever…" He finally managed.

It was definitely what he should've started with, but his slip-up was to be expected. When it came to Fumino's beauty, he could hardly keep his mind straight in any cohesive manner, and in the next moment, his point was proven tenfold when the girl decided to walk up to him, lean up… and press her lips to his cheek in reply.

His heart took its sweet time in remembering how to beat.

Fumino broke away with a smile, meeting his gaze with unquestionable fondness.

"It's okay...I understood you the first time," she answered playfully.

It took him a few moments, but eventually, a wholehearted smile formed in his own expression.

"I guess you're finally getting used to my jumbled mess of compliments, huh."

Fumino giggled in reply.

"In the best way of course."

He laughed joyfully at that, the girl shortly joining him with ease.


DING DONG

Most people didn't have to wait that long to be let in after ringing the doorbell to a home, but for the Furuhashi household, the head of the mansion took quite some time before eventually coming to receive his visitors.

Reiji Furuhashi was very noncommittal to pleasantries in that sense.

"Jeez…he always takes his sweet time. Knowing him, there's a good chance that he's not even at home," Fumino said with a visible pout.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he is. I called him early this morning to make sure that he would be," Nariyuki assured her.

"Eh? He didn't answer when I called him last night!"

Nariyuki chuckled lightheartedly.

"It's probably because I asked him to get coffee with me earlier in the week."

It was then that Fumino opted to stare at him with a flabbergasted look.

"I don't know what to be more surprised by…the fact that you willingly want to spend a coffee date with him, or the fact that he actually agreed to it," she said, still speechless. "Is that why you wanted to wait till later to visit your family?"

"Y-yeah…" He rubbed the back of his head." I sort of had something that I wanted to talk to him about."

"About what?" Fumino asked curiously.

"T-that's-"

He barely stopped himself.

Not only would it have been absolutely mortifying, but spoiling his intention on proposing to his girlfriend to his…well…girlfriend…wasn't exactly the brightest move.

He settled on avoiding eye contact…in a horribly conspicuous manner.

"N-nothing important really..."

He should've known that there was no way that he was getting past Fumino's inspecting eyes.

"It's really important isn't it?" She said suspiciously.

He fidgeted, and when the girl proceeded to pout in a way too adorable manner, his sad excuse of a facade cracked.

"Okay okay!" He relented. "It's pretty important…"

The girl narrowed her eyes for a few more seconds, likely waiting for him to spill more details, but to his much-needed benefit, her expression softened and eventually she giggled warmly at his struggle.

She reached for his hand and smiled playfully.

"You better tell me about it later," she said, letting him off the hook.

Nariyuki relaxed, returning her touch with a gentle squeeze and smile of his own.

One way or another he would eventually tell her about it.

And hopefully…

It would be in the form of a question.

"If you two are done flirting, you can come on inside now."

"ACK!"

With their gazes so focused on each other, the door of the mansion had opened without either of them noticing.

Reiji raised an eyebrow at the both of them.

"Welcome back."

"Father! Do you mind coming to the door a little bit sooner please?" Fumino said admonishingly.

"Hah. As if you clearly didn't enjoy the moments of privacy I gave you two just now."

"T-that's…"

Reiji smiled victoriously at his daughter's blushful state. His gaze then shifted to Nariyuki, who perked up noticeably in response.

"Nariyuki Yuiga," he started in attention. "I believe you said that you wanted to get coffee with me this morning. I'm sure Fumino can vouch for me in saying that I'm not the most pleasing choice of company."

Nariyuki chuckled awkwardly. "T-that's fine, sir. I was hoping we could just chat if that's alright with you."

"Fine by me," Reiji then looked to Fumino with a smirk. "Can I leave you to take care of the house on your own?"

"Jeez…I've only been gone for a few months. I'll have you know that Nariyuki and I take care of house chores for our apartment just fine," the girl retorted firmly.

Reiji directed his amused gaze back to Nariyuki. "Is that true?"

"I-It's really Fumino who deserves the praise there," he admitted truthfully. "Even with her terribly busy job, she's always kind enough to split the cooking and cleaning duties together with me when she comes home."

His expression then softened with affection.

"She really is amazing..."

From the side, Fumino found herself blushing deeply at the heartfelt praise, and in the end it was Reiji who chuckled first to break the silence.

"Hmh. I really should've taken more time to open the door to let you guys have more time flirting."

"Father!"


"So, what is that you wanted to discuss?"

The scent of coffee beans circulated prominently in the atmosphere of the cafe. It was packed, but they had thankfully found a table that was a distance away from most of the other patrons, a much needed circumstance given the privacy of the subject matter.

"Uhm well…" Nariyuki fidgeted awkwardly in his seat.

'I want to propose to your daughter. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want to spend our future always supporting each other…like we've always done for each other.'

'I want to make our promise official.'

He had a clear idea of what his heart wanted, but voicing it into words seemed like an impossible order now that he was actually face to face with the man he yearned the approval from.

"Well let's not beat around the bush," Reiji asserted. "This has obviously something to do with Fumino, correct?"

Nariyuki nodded slowly.

"Yeah…"

Silence again, and eventually Reiji let out a light exhale.

"Even though I'm completely hopeless when it comes to socializing, I would hope that we at least have a relationship of some semblance of closeness, Nariyuki Yuiga. Especially since I see you in a very positive light."

Nariyuki blushed, but compared to the few seconds before, he felt himself relax just slightly from the honest admission.

"Thank you, sir…it's not you really. I'm personally just really nervous thinking about the subject itself."

"Well in my experience, letting it fester just leads to more anxiety."

Nariyuki nodded, agreeing silently with the sentiment.

There really was only one right thing to say in this moment.

A deep breath, and the words left his lips.

"I want to propose to Furuhashi."

Once he had said it, all Nariyuki could do was wait tensely for the reaction that followed.

The response came in an instant.

"Knew it," said Reiji.

"W-what?" Nariyuki blinked, confused.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to decide on asking. Once you requested to get coffee with me, it didn't take much for me to deduce your reason for this outing. Why else if not for this?"

Reiji then smiled playfully.

"Besides, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that you two are already close enough to be considered married."

Nariyuki averted his gaze bashfully.

"Y-you're exaggerating."

"False. It surely can't just be from my eyes. From all the way from the beginning, you two have been closer than any two people could ever hope to be with each other. Myself included. Shizuru and I can't hold a candle to how much you two care for one another. That should say something."

The man's praise for their relationship was persistent, and it did a wonderful job at promoting his already heated blush. But Nariyuki's attention surprisingly became drawn to something else.

"Out of curiosity…if you don't mind sharing of course…"

He paused, unsure of himself.

"How did you propose to…Fumino's mother?" He asked.

Reiji blinked, surprised by the question.

"I asked her on the spot of course," the man answered.

"Eh?"

Reiji took a sip of coffee as a brief reprieve, but soon enough he continued in recollection.

"It was a thought that crossed my mind while we were working together one day, and I decided to ask her without thinking. It should be obvious that I have absolutely zero aptitude when it comes to demonstrating romance."

"But…she said yes?

"Something like that. Thinking back on it, it could have been just because she was too caught off guard to say no. I wouldn't recommend spontaneity for such an important question."

A pause, and then Reiji smiled positively.

"Though…for you. I'm sure you'll be just fine," he continued. "As long as you be yourself…"

"There's no world where my daughter wouldn't accept you." Reiji finished.

Nariyuki was stunned into silence, and the man chuckled lightly at his stupor.

"Some borrowed insight that I heard from Fumino a few times." Reiji explained. "Between her and I, she's always the far more mature one. No doubt got it from her Mother."

Nariyuki smiled softly.

"On the contrary, I believe her kindness certainly came from you."

Reiji scoffed dismissively. "You and I both know that I'm anything but kind."

"I would strongly disagree."

The immediate retort had the man smiling in amusement.

"I suppose that means that the next time we meet, you'll be referring to me as 'father' huh. Not sure if I'll ever get used to that."

"I…wouldn't be so sure of that," Nariyuki replied hesitantly. "I haven't even thought of a good plan yet, much less a specific time to ask her…"

"Please. You already have the one and only thing you'll ever need for a proposal to go your way," Reiji reasoned without a hint of worry.

"W-what's that?"

"My blessing of course."

The brief silence that followed was drawn, wide-eyed surprise bearing itself onto Nariyuki's expression fully.

"So make sure that you see it through…Nariyuki," Reiji finished sincerely.

What followed was inevitable.

A smile filled with gratitude and relief.

"Thank you, sir…"


After Nariyuki had returned with Reiji back to the mansion, the three of them had spent the next hour enjoying lunch together before he and Fumino had headed over to his family's house to spend the remainder of the day. Their neighborhoods were practically adjacent, so thankfully it didn't require too far of a walk from the both of them.

Fumino of course had waited until they were completely out of Reiji's sight before digging him for details.

"Soooo…what did you guys talk about? It must have been something important if you managed to even get him to step away from his work." Fumino asked animatedly.

Nariyuki chuckled at the girl's vivid curiosity.

"We talked about you of course," He answered with a smile.

That much was true.

"M-Me? Like what?"

He paused, hesitating…before answering again.

"Like how wonderful it's been living together with you…and just how happy I am to have you with me," he added heartfeltly.

Again…only the truth. If he couldn't reveal his plans, he could certainly be open with his feelings for the girl.

Though judging by the deep red blush marking Fumino's cheeks, he probably could have opted for a less forward answer.

"Dummy…" Fumino said with a bashful smile. "I guess I'll have to return the favor and say the same things to your mom later."

"Oh god…as happy as it will make her to hear it, you know how much of a romance lover she is. We'll never hear the end of it," Nariyuki reminded carefully.

Fumino giggled, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers together afterwards.

"If it means telling her how I truly feel then so be it right?"

Nariyuki's eyes shot wide at that, and seconds later he smiled brightly, squeezing back the soft and delicate hand in his own.

"Right."

"And besides…I was planning on telling Mizuki anyway. I'm sure it would make her happy too. She's always texting me asking how things are between us."

"Well that's no surprise. You know how much she adores you. I can't imagine just how much the others have missed you too-"

"Fumino!"

They had arrived at the house sooner than expected, and before they had even attempted to approach the door, a figure popped up from behind them, hugging Fumino in an affectionate manner.

"I missed you so much, Sis!" Mizuki exclaimed passionately.

"Mizuki-"

Hazuki and Kazuki hopped into the hug from below.

"Big Sis Fumino!"

Hanae completed the welcome from the front, grabbing a hold of her hands warmly.

"Fumi-chan! It's so good to see you sweetheart!"

"Ah uhm…"

Fumino looked to Nariyuki for help, overwhelmed by the onslaught of attention to respond accordingly. The boy simply laughed however, finding the sight both hilarious and warming to his heart.

He had certainly called it.

"Glad to see you all too," he replied, smiling.


"Tell me tell me. I need all the details. How has it been living together with Fumin-chan so far?" Hanae asked with impatience.

Nariyuki chuckled, still attempting to take off his shoes. With her first step into the house, Fumino had been immediately dragged away by Mizuki to her room, likely to catch up on their respective time away from each other. Likewise, Hanae didn't spare Nariyuki a single second to get himself settled before assaulting him with questions of interest.

"I sort of expected this, but can't you let me sit down first, Mom?"

"Oh hush, come help me with dinner and entertain me. You have no idea how deprived I've been of romance since you've left. Mizuki has been so focused on her studies, and you know Hazuki and Kazuki are far from the age for that yet."

Nariyuki chuckled again before smiling softly.

"It's been wonderful," he answered sincerely.

"Details, details! Have you two-"

"No."

"I haven't even finished my-"

"I know what the question is already. The answer is no," Nariyuki insisted with a blush, walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Boooo…" Hanae pouted and handed him ingredients to begin cutting. "I figured it would still be too early for you two. I've just heard that the younger generations have started…you know…doing it much earlier than at least when your father and I did," she reasoned.

Nariyuki paused in his motions, looking away with a tentative blush.

"I…want that moment to be right for the both of us," he admitted shyly. " I don't want to rush it…especially for…you know…something as special as that. I know it's been five years…but I'm honestly more than happy just knowing that I can be by her side everyday."

Hanae stared for several moments, but it didn't take much longer for a proud expression to fill the woman's features.

"That's very mature…from the both of you, even if it does put a damper on my nosiness for you know…that aspect of your relationship. I guess I'll just have to wait for the right time." Hanae finished sheepishly.

Nariyuki smiled softly before appearing thoughtful. "But…speaking of timing," he started. "There is a development that you'll probably be happy to hear about."

"Oh? Tell me tell me!"

"You remember the teaching position I was applying for at Kokasu right?"

Hanae nodded an affirmative. "Of course. You called me to tell me about it before the interview, but you never told me how it went."

"Well…" He fidgeted. "I wanted to surprise you…and….I've been rather busy since they accepted me…but…the thing is-"

His lead up to the main reveal was interrupted as Hanae instantly closed the distance between them.

Embracing him warmly.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart..."

Nariyuki blinked before laughing softly at the premature reaction. "T-Thanks Mom…but uhm that's not the real surprise…"

Hanae pulled away. "That wasn't the development you were referring to?"

"Well uhm…it's a part of it…but it's more about Furuhashi. She's the real reason that everything turned out the way it did…"

"And so…after I got accepted…I decided that…"

He blushed, more deep and fervid from each before.

"I'm going to propose to her."

For the next moments that followed, all that could be heard was the silent dripping of the faucet that he had failed to completely shut off earlier. Hanae's expression was still, eyes wide as it appeared that his fateful words were still in the middle of being processed.

Comprehension dawned soon after, and excitement rushed into the woman's eyes more dramatically than Nariyuki had ever witnessed before.

And he was well aware of the scene to follow.

"OH MY-"

"SHHH!" Quick to act, Nariyuki had put a hand over his mother's mouth desperately to silence her. "Mom, keep it down for now please…"

"I'm so sorry…I just…I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that!"

"I…can see that, but I think it's pretty important that I keep it a surprise…" Nariyuki reasoned.

Hanae nodded energetically. "Okay okay. My mouth is sealed, but tell me more! I mean…I knew it was going to happen soon…but what exactly happened at the interview that made you decide on now?"

Nariyuki went silent at the question. It was one that he had more than enough time to ruminate on. With the month in between now and his interview with Kokasu, the answer to it had become clear and firm.

He spoke with a gentle smile.

"There hasn't ever been any doubt in my mind that I was going to propose to Furuhashi. Ever since the day we finally opened our hearts to each other…I've only ever found myself happier and happier," he said reflectively. "The fact that living together has only brought so many more smiles to my day is enough proof to show just how much I want us to always be together. But even so…marriage is still such an important question…that I couldn't help but wonder…if it was truly the right time to ask."

A moment later and his expression softened with tenderness.

"But…the thing is Mom…the reason that I brought up the interview earlier…was that I actually got rejected initially," he admitted. "I've failed a lot of things before…but this was probably the first time that I felt so frustrated that I wanted to cry. I wanted to hide, and I was afraid to even face Furuhashi…because of just how much she had supported me in finding my dream, how much she believed that I would become the teacher that I wanted to be. I was…ashamed."

'Your dream is your own and nobody else's…and that means…through both ups and downs…'

'The journey to reaching it isn't going to be the same for everyone.'

"But…she held me that night…and reminded me of what was important." Nariyuki smiled, and the gratefulness laced into his voice was clear. "She reminded me that a dream is a journey. Obstacles and failures…it's all a part of it, and it doesn't change who I am and what I want to be. She told me that…there's always a way to look forward…"

"And…"

'Failing doesn't make you any less of a wonderful person, Nariyuki.'

"That she knows that I'll never give up for what I believe in…the same way that I believe in her to do the same."

Hanae was speechless, eyes once again wide in stupor. There were still details of his interview that he had left out, but Nariyuki was far too focused on the heartfelt affection in chest to care.

"It was always there, but with her encouraging me through that moment…I finally saw it for everything it was. No matter what the future throws at us…everyday supporting each other is filled with so much hope. When Furuhashi is there with me…everything is beautiful. The ups and downs of life. The struggles and the enjoyment. When we spend the night laying in bed together…sharing about everything about our day and what we look forward to accomplishing in the next…I just...I'm just so happy."

His eyes found Hanae's again, and intent shined resolutely through his gaze.

"I want to acknowledge that joy…and make our promise official. We've already promised each other to always support each other…but…with this…I can fulfill the dream that has become just as important to me since we've been together..."

He smiled…

And every crevice of his being filled with heartfelt passion as he spoke.

"The dream of being a wonderful husband for the person that I love...the person that's always believed in me. That's the journey I'm ready to start," he answered firmly.

It was dead silent. Nariyuki became vaguely aware of just how much his heart was pounding despite his company being someone that he should have been comfortable with. The topic had stirred his emotions into a wild frenzy that he had long lost control of.

Then suddenly, before he could come to terms with it, Hanae was tearing up. A smile accompanied it, one filled with softness and pride. Considering the woman's usual bubbliness, it was a state that he was unaccustomed to seeing.

Hanae closed the distance between them again…hugging him tightly.

"I have no doubt…that you two will always be happy together," she said softly.

Nariyuki smiled, relieved by the affirmation.

"Thanks, Mom..."

Hanae broke away, and reached down to her hand, removing the ring that settled on her left ring finger. When the woman placed the item into his hand, Nariyuki felt his eyes shoot wide in realization.

"M-Mom, no…I can't…"

"Take it."

"But-"

"Take it, sweetheart," she insisted.

Nariyuki's voice caught in his throat, troubled to retort, but upon witnessing the firm gaze in his mother's eye, he knew that there was only one way this would go.

His own eyes watered, and he rushed forward, hugging the woman for the third time that afternoon.

"Thank you…" He whispered.

Hanae giggled, her playful smile returning fully.

"I'll consider the favor returned when I receive the good news."


Darkness and silence often worked wonders for Nariyuki's ability to fall asleep, but that seemed like a particular struggle for the boy tonight. Three hours had passed since he first laid on his futon with hopes of finding rest.

There were two main factors contributing to his struggle. One being that he was sleeping alone for the first time in months.

"You guys, it's time for me and Furuhashi to go to bed." Nariyuki said as he stuck his head into Mizuki's small room, taking in the sight of said girl being bombarded by the playful attention of his three siblings."

"Ehhh already?" Mizuki whined. "We just started catching up though!"

Nariyuki crossed his arms with an eyebrow raised. "You've been with Furuhashi ever since we've gotten back, Mizuki."

"And you've had her all to yourself for the past three months!" The girl retorted.

He blushed at that, unable to counter the sound point.

"Fumino is staying in my room tonight," Mizuki continued with insistence.

"Yeah! Big Sis Fumino is sleeping with us!" Hazuki and Kazuki mimicked his cross-armed pose.

"Did you even ask Furuhashi if she wants to?"

"It's okay, Nariyuki," Fumino assured him with a smile. "It'll just be for tonight."

Nariyuki sighed, expression softening in resignation.

"As long as you're fine with it."

That had been two hours ago.

Not having the warm presence in his arms that he had become accustomed to was of course going to affect his sleep in some way. He had expected that. But in his solitude in the guest room, his mind had also focused on a certain objective of his, planning and brainstorming subconsciously.

Now that his mother had given her ring to him, he had every reason to expedite the original timing of his plan. He had an idea of what he wanted to do, but he still hadn't figured out what exactly he was going to say.

Maybe it'd be better if I waited a little longer-

The sound of a door closing gently a room away followed by light approaching footsteps interrupted him from his thought process. He sat up from his futon, blinking in the darkness.

Recognition quickly followed.

"Furuhashi?"

Fumino smiled. "I figured you would still be awake," she said quietly before making her way beside him.

"I thought you were going to sleep in Mizuki's room tonight…"

"Just until they fell asleep," she replied with a light giggle. "I'll sneak back in before they wake up tomorrow."

She snuck inside the covers, joining him in the futon.

"I didn't want you to be alone," she added softly.

Nariyuki's cheek warmed, and before he knew it, he was reaching for the girl's hand, smiling appreciatively.

"You didn't have to do that for me."

"Well I wanted to," she returned kindly. "And…I've gotten rather used to sleeping next to you. So I don't think I would have been able to fall asleep without being like this anyway."

"I'm glad I'm not alone with that issue..."

Giggles escaped their lips simultaneously. Their eyes met, each of them finding comfort and warmth from the other's gaze, and shortly after, his arms fell to the girl's waist.

"Thank you…for spending time with them today," he said gently. "Even though I get a little jealous of their obsessiveness…it really does make me happy to see you with them."

"You mean seeing me attacked with hugs from every angle?" Fumino added playfully.

He chuckled. "Well there's that…but…just…seeing you be close with my family in general…"

"It makes me really hopeful," he finished.

There was an implication in his words...a hope that things would continue being just that way. Fumino offered no verbal reply, and instead, the girl brought her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

The gesture gave him the courage he needed.

To follow through with his plan afterall.

"Furuhashi…" He said, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"A-After the reunion tomorrow evening…would you be okay with going with me somewhere?"

Fumino blinked in surprise, but eventually, she smiled agreeably.

"I would love to. But where to?"

"Our secret place of course," he answered.

Fumino gasped excitedly at that. "You mean the field?"

He nodded, smiling fondly at the reaction.

"It's been a while since we got to look at the stars there together. And…while we're there…"

He forced his pounding heart to still.

"I have a surprise that I wanted to give you."

A surprise that shook him to his very core…by tomorrow night he would have to muster all the courage he could find.

By tomorrow's end…

He was going to ask her to marry him.

Fumino smiled lovingly.

"I can't wait."


A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading the first part of this chapter!

Decided to split this chapter into two parts. Second chapter will hopefully be done in 2-3 weeks time.

As always feel free to leave a review, fav, or follow. Your feedback is very much appreciated!

Until Next Time!