A/N: Only took a year to update... haha... I am so sorry!

"Alright, I get it so stop yelling already!" Shouta complained as he held his cell phone at an arm's length. Despite the distance, Pin's voice was still audible and loud enough to make Sawako look up from her book.

"Yeah, bye." He hung up after an excruciating and very long conversation with his old teacher, who was still on his honeymoon.

"Are they doing alright?" The noirette asked as she returned to her book. She was brushing up on a novel she was analyzing in class, but she had read it twice already, so she wasn't completely engulfed in it.

"Yeah, he just forgot to do some errands and asked me to take care of it. I'll ask Ryu to help me." Shouta explained as he took a seat at the dining table where his laptop screen was on standby. For some reason he preferred to work on the dining table instead of by a proper desk.

"…Shouta, has Ryu spoken to you about Chizu as of late?" Sawako braved the question after watching him for a few seconds. Shouta seemed to stiffen just the tiniest bit, but then shook his head and looked up from his screen.

"He hasn't said anything, but the last time we walked past the shops, I caught him looking at rings. It was just for a moment, but usually jewelry doesn't interest him, so I assumed he was considering proposing." Her husband explained recalling the way Ryu's eyes had flickered over the display of rings.

"I see." Sawako replied absently, the book in her hands all but forgotten. A small sigh escaped her lips and she leaned back a little.

"Has Chizu said anything?" He asked instead, hoping for some sort of development. When Sawako shook her head, he leaned his elbow on the table top and put his chin in his hand.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. Have you heard from Ayane yet?" Shouta changed the topic so Sawako would stop looking so worried. Ayane had gone out with Mai's colleague a couple of times during the past two weeks and was supposed to have coffee with him earlier that day.

Sawako pulled out her cell phone and unlocked the screen with a quick swipe to the side. She had almost forgotten that Ayane had a date- no, not a date, just coffee-with-a-friend-who-maybe-was-becoming-more-than-a-friend. Lately the brunette had been in a very good mood, which was so refreshing to see.

"Not yet. Are you worried about her?" Sawako asked. Shouta was protective of Ayane and wanted to make sure she was dating a guy who was serious about her.

"Maybe a little." He admitted sheepishly. It wasn't like him to keep being suspicious about a guy, but after her horrible breakup, he took no chances.

Sawako assured her that their friend would be fine and tried to shift her focus back to her book. She had assigned her class an essay based on the novel and was preparing to discuss some of the finer points in their next class. Most of her students had started to sneak in questions about her pregnancy during their classes, and although Sawako didn't find their questions particularly invasive, she wanted them to focus on their studies since exams were only a few months away.

Meanwhile at the Yoshida household, Chizu was pulling a tray out of her oven when her phone started ringing. Glancing at the display and seeing the name on it, she quickly put down the tray on her kitchen counter and rushed to answer it.

"How did it go?" She whispered excitedly, not being able to contain herself. Ayane had promised to call as soon as she got home from having coffee with Ibusaki.

"It was fine. We talked for a while and went home." The brunette replied casually on the other end of the line. Her voice didn't reveal anything and Chizu almost growled in annoyance over how composed Ayane sounded. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she carefully tried prodding her friend once.

"Just like that? Nothing happened aside from you two having coffee?" Chizu had hoped for some development between them. Ibusaki was a genuinely kind person and he was good about respecting other people's boundaries, but Chizu had glimpsed some determination in his eyes the previous week he had joined them for lunch. If anything, she hoped he would become a good friend.

"He walked me home." You could almost hear Ayane shrug her shoulder. She was hiding something, Chizu concluded. Normally, Ayane would have mentioned what they both got or how she liked her coffee, she would even mention some of the more interesting topics they had talked about. So her being sort of taciturn indicated that something had happened and she was keeping quiet about it.

"And?" Chizu sincerely hoped Ibusaki hadn't done anything to upset Ayane. If he had, she would skin him alive or gorge out his eyes with a spoon or maybe even-

"He kissed me," pause, "on the cheek." That put an end to Chizu's violent thoughts.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"And you're okay with that?" Chizu asked tentatively, not wanting to set off the brunette into a tirade about how stupid Ibusaki was for being interested.

"I wish he would have done it sooner." Ayane admitted slowly. She sounded like she was replaying her date over and over again and trying to analyze everything that had happened.

"I think he was pretty fast. I mean, he seems like the type who would follow your pace and honestly I didn't think he was brave enough to actually kiss you." After her initial surprise, Chizu's thoughts started jumbling around in her mind. She was perplexed and so happy that Ayane wasn't shutting his advance down.

"Really?" Ayane didn't hide the surprise in her voice. Chizu remembered her saying that Ibusaki was pretty direct about everything, but the impression Chizu had gotten herself was that he calmly analyzed the situation before making any move.

"Sawako thought he was pretty timid." Their pregnant friend liked Ibusaki well enough and had actively tried to befriend him. He seemed to have opened somewhat up to her and Sawako, who was usually good at reading people, would be ecstatic even though she had been wrong about him. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones that were messing with her perception.

"Maybe the pregnancy is affecting her so much that she is turning back into clueless teenage-Sawako who got everything backwards." She tried lightening the mood and Ayane chuckled in agreement.

"Probably." The brunette answered before falling silent again. She was probably still thinking about her situation with Ibusaki, which wasn't really a situation yet. Just a little bit of development.

"I gotta say I was surprised." Chizu said cheerfully. She mentally made a note to applaud him for his courage the next time she saw him. Hopefully, she would be able to embarrass him a little.

"Hmm." The brunette still sounded thoughtful. Chizu was thinking about how she could get Ayane to keep talking, but the she excused herself by saying she still needed to call Sawako and update her. Chizu grudgingly got off the phone, slightly dreading Sawako's newly developed temper if she was kept out of the loop for too long.

A few minutes passed where she reflected on their conversation, and Chizu decided that she wasn't all that worried about Ayane. The brunette had been in a lot of meaningless relationships throughout her youth, and after her falling out with Kento she had gained a lot of insight as to what she was looking for in a relationship. Chizu decided that she would observe Ayane and Ibusaki's chemistry, since Ibusaki was different from most of the guys she had dated previously.

Putting Ayane's love life aside, the brunette had to sort out her own relationship. Ryu had been distant for a few days and even quieter than usual. Chizu had yet to figure out how to brave the question that had been on her mind for a while, but putting it off any longer wouldn't benefit either of them. Sighing, Chizu started thinking of ways to approach the subject.

Sawako was coming back from the bathroom for the umpteenth time that day and her feet hurt a little. She had just gotten off the phone with Ayane a few minutes earlier, when she felt the need to go relieve her bladder. The noirette was happy about Ayane's date and she was looking forward to seeing how things were going to play out. Shouta had been finishing up his work when Ayane called and he had also been filled in. He had been waiting for Sawako when he received a text message from Ryu, asking him to meet him outside.

"I hope everything is okay." Sawako said after hearing it. She knew that Ryu had been thinking about taking his relationship to the next level, but it was odd for him to suddenly call Shouta out like this.

"I'm sure he is okay, he probably is just worried about work or something." Shouta tried assuring her, but Sawako's expression didn't change. She had started wrinkling her brows together when she tried to concentrate, and it looked cute on her, Shouta thought.

"Should I come too? I know he only texted you, but I am worried." Sawako frowned.

"Honey, you have to prepare for class tomorrow so you should stay. If anything happens, I'll call you, okay?" Her husband reasoned with her. Finally, Sawako gave up with a nod.

"I am going to propose tomorrow night." Ryu had barely looked up from his seat on the bench when Shouta arrived and joined him. He had asked to meet up in the park they had played in the most when they were younger. He was feeling nostalgic all of a sudden, but he wasn't sure if it was in a good or bad way.

"When did you decide?" Shouta asked, a little out of breath. He had parked his car a little farther away than anticipated and had half-jogged the rest of the way despite the fine layer of snow that covered most of the ground. His breath came out in tiny puffs and he rubbed his hands together to get some warmth back into them as he waited for his best friend to reply.

"It's been weeks. I've been mentally preparing for even longer, but I have been waiting for the perfect moment. And I just realized that there is no perfect moment." Ryu let out a dry chuckle. He had been fretting over his proposal for so long and kept putting it off, only to reach such a simple solution. He really was an idiot.

"I'm glad. Sawako and Ayane have been ganging up on me lately, demanding answers. They thought I was keeping secrets." Shouta admitted with a relieved sigh. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Ryu relax his posture and heard him inhale slowly.

"You can tell them that it is happening tomorrow. I need help from all of you."

The following afternoon, the Kazehaya residence was bustling with activity. Sawako and Ayane were preparing the things Ryu was going to need that evening. Shouta kept repeating the things he needed to do before heading out the door. He had spent a good hour with Ryu, listening to his plan and offering advice. Shouta had then driven to Ayane's apartment and picked her up to stay the night at their house.

Once Ayane had a steaming mug of tea in her hand, he had revealed the big surprise – which wasn't that much of a surprise really – and enlisted their help. Ryu's proposal was going to be simple, but he needed their friends to bring Chizu to the location he had chosen. Shouta was supposed to leave ahead of the ladies and prepare the setting with Ryu. He had even called his little brother and asked him to lend a hand, in case of any mishaps or just to speed up the process.

Ayane and Sawako had been nothing less than thrilled and had agreed straight away, already planning how to lure Chizu out. Ryu had chosen another park for the proposal that he knew Chizu loved, and had tasked the two girls with getting his girlfriend there.

"I can't believe it's finally happening." Sawako was already tearing up at the thought and she had only just looked at the decorations Ryu had arranged for beforehand.

"You've got to get those hormones under control, Sawa." Ayane laughed loudly, but nonetheless rubbed her arm comfortingly. She was also feeling giddy, though she wouldn't openly show it. The brunette returned her attention to packing the decorations.

"I'm just so happy for Chizu!" The noirette was bursting with emotion and her husband actually stepped into the room to calm her, but decided against it. One of her two best friends was getting proposed to very soon; she had every right to be happy.

"I know, I am too, but we have to hurry and finish here. We have to get ready soon. Shou, when are you leaving?" Ayane stuffed the remaining pieces into the cardboard box he was bringing and handed it to him.

"In five minutes. I'm going to pick up Touta and meet with Ryu at half past." Shouta scanned the list he had made one last time and picked up the box, before leaving the kitchen. He returned shortly after having put on his coat and scarf and left again after kissing Sawako goodbye.

"Keep texting me as you come closer. And remember to take the right path." He called over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.

"Okay, time to call Chizu." Ayane smirked devilishly while Sawako unlocked her cell phone and called their friend. Their excuse was already in place, they just needed to convince Chizu to meet with them.

"I watched that movie last week and it was pretty boring. I don't recommend it." Ayane complained as she walked beside her two friends. They were slowly making their way through the snow, heading for the nearest park, which happened to be the one Chizu liked the best. They were going to take a shortcut through the park and head for one of the restaurants they frequently ate at on the other side of it.

Chizu didn't mind walking all the way. She had spent so many hours in the park and especially loved it during the summer. In the winter months, a hush fell over it as children started staying indoors, but it was still beautiful. Days like these, when dusk was approaching, the park looked even more serene as the streetlights flickered on and softly illuminated the way.

"Really? I had hoped it would be amazing." Chizu answered absentminded. She was trying to recall what had happened in the previous movie, but she was drawing a blank. Well, if Ayane said it was boring, she wouldn't watch it. The brunette usually only had good recommendations, and any movie Chizu had watched that Ayane had advised against had been horrible.

"Maybe I should watch it and have my class analyze it." Sawako mused. She knew her class would enjoy analyzing a movie instead of a novel, but maybe the franchise wasn't suited for children their age.

"You should definitely watch it too Sawako. You don't watch enough TV." Chizu laughed, turning to call her friend a bookworm when her eyes caught an orange patch of snow to the side. Chizu stopped short and looked closely at the orange snow, only to discover a cylindrical paper lantern. She slowly stepped closer, wondering why someone had left a lantern in the snow and her breath hitched when she rounded the bend of the path and saw it lined with lanterns all the way down. They were all white paper lanterns and looked identical until Chizu noticed that motives were cut into them. She could make out flowers, trees, birds, fireworks and even butterflies on some of them.

Chizu looked down the path seeing how far the lantern lit path stretched and spotted a gazebo, completely lit up with fairy lights. It had already gotten pretty dark, so it was hard to miss. The brunette turned around to ask her friends their opinion on the scenery, but no one was standing behind her. Panic briefly struck her, but she quickly calmed herself down. Maybe they were just pulling a prank on her? Chizu walked a little ways back and looked around for her friends, but she couldn't find any trace of them.

At that moment, two thoughts ran through her head. One: there was a ghost or a murderer just waiting to attack her after it had kidnapped Ayane and Sawako. Two: she was supposed to follow the trail of lights and it would lead her to a winter wonderland where she would meet the Snow Queen from the fairy tales. A shudder ran through her, but being the eternal optimist she was, Chizu decided to follow the trail and see what was in the gazebo. She sincerely hoped for a portal that would lead to Narnia or just some hot chocolate and her friends. She hated being pranked, and swore she was going to give her friends an earful.

As she started walking down the path, she couldn't help but smile over the various motives of the lanterns. They were so incredibly beautiful and she was starting to think that maybe it was less of a prank and just a pleasant surprise birthday for her! As the gazebo came into view, a thought struck her. Her birthday was in June, so what was going on? That was when she spotted a round table in the middle of the gazebo. On top of the table was a bouquet of roses along with two mugs of steaming… cocoa? Her wish had come true?

"Chizuru." She nearly shrieked at the sudden voice and spun around to see Ryu standing in the entrance.

"Ryu! I think I am having one of those dreams where everything looks and feels real. I was just with Sawa and Ayane, but then they disappeared and I looked for them here and I also wished for hot chocolate and it's right here on the table! And now… you're here." She spoke so quickly that she actually had to pause and catch her breath as her own words resonated in her mind. Surely, this was all a dream. Hot chocolate didn't just appear next to roses in a beautifully lit gazebo out of nowhere.

"It isn't a dream." Ryu stepped closer and Chizu locked eyes with him. There was no sign of him lying in his eyes, but she still wasn't sure if it was real. She had read somewhere that people couldn't see fingers when they were dreaming, so her eyes darted down to Ryu's hands, which were covered in gloves.

"What do you mean? What is happening?" She was starting to feel panicky again, but she didn't understand why. Ryu, her Ryu, was standing right in front of her, so why was she feeling anxious all of a sudden? It wasn't until Ryu pulled something out of his pocket and slowly leaned down on one knee that she put two and two together. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth and she took a shaky breath. It was really happening.

"Chizuru, will you marry me?" The words sounded so foreign to Chizu's ears, but she had longed to hear them for so long, she could barely contain herself. In Ryu's hands was a black velvet box containing the most beautiful ring she had ever laid eyes on. Tears filled her eyes and she nodded mutely, while her shoulders shook.

Ryu's eyes were filled with emotion and a smile graced his face as he got up and took her left hand. He slowly slid the ring onto her finger, and Chizu just stared at it for a few seconds before throwing herself into his arms.

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course I will marry you!" She finally vocalized her answer, hugging him tightly around the neck. Tears were running down her face, but she didn't care. She had waited so long for him to ask, she still couldn't believe it. The ring on her finger sparkled as she moved her hand. It was a diamond ring with a crossover pattern in a white gold finish. It was breathtaking.

Chizu could feel Ryu's arms tighten around her as he buried his face in her hair, and she could have sworn she felt him let out a sigh of relief, but it was so subtle that she might have imagined it. When they finally let go of each other, Ryu wiped away the remaining tears on his fiancée's face. She was still beaming at him when she heard a camera shutter go off somewhere behind Ryu, who had his back to the opening of the gazebo.

"What the-?" Chizu saw Shouta grinning at her with a camera in his hands, Ayane and Sawako right behind him. Her friends were wearing earsplitting smiles on their faces and she realized they had all been in on this!

"How long have you been planning this?" Chizu asked in disbelief. She waited for Ryu to answer, but he just reached behind her on the table and handed her one of the mugs. It was still warm, but not steaming anymore. Chizu gratefully accepted it and took a sip that warmed her entire body. She loved hot chocolate more than anything. Well, except for Ryu of course.

"A while." He answered mysteriously, but she easily spotted the amusement dancing in his eyes. He leaned down to kiss her and had only just pulled away, when Chizu was tackled into a hug by her best friends showering her with congratulations and examining the ring. It quickly turned into an analysis of its appearance and Ryu was told he did a good job selecting on his own.

"I sneaked a lot of pictures and I don't think she noticed anything until the last one." Shouta had appeared beside Ryu, also patting him on the back and congratulating him.

"I'm looking forward to seeing them." Ryu smiled and looked over at Chizu. He felt warm and fuzzy inside whenever he looked at her and even felt a surge of pride when he caught her repeatedly glancing at her ring finger. There was no doubt about it. This was the right decision to make.

There you have it, Ryu finally proposed! Honestly, I've been putting off writing for so long and I just want to finish this story. I started this story five years ago, but it is nearing the end. I hope you will continue to be patient with me as I finish the remaining chapters. Thank you so much for all your support, it means the world to me!