"Umm…Miyamizu-san, did you change your signature?"

What? What is she talking about?

Mitsuha checked down at her promotion papers and saw that her signature was indeed different. It read 'Tachibana Mitsuha'. She wrote it down without even realizing it. With embarrassment, she gasped and quickly shuffled to take back her papers.

"Oh! My goodness, I apologize. I…I'm not sure what I was thinking."

Her manager, despite having a rough exterior and being a bit stern at times, had her fair share of experience as a maiden in love. She quickly remembered signing with her husband's family name for the first time. It was a warming feeling. There was no way she could hold this against Mitsuha.

"Well, I see somebody is spoken for! For now you'll have to sign with your birth name, but once we get your specimen card redone, you can sign in your married name. This must've been pretty recent, huh? How come I never heard anything about this?"

"No, no! I, I'm not actually married yet. It's just…I'm sure you understand. My boyfriend means everything to me. I guess my heart's just rushing things. And pulling the strings right now."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume. Please forgive me. Well, either way, I wish you and your beloved a happy life."

As Mitsuha was re-signing, she felt appreciative of the kind words. And couldn't wait for the day where she would kiss Taki as his wife.

"I'm sorry Tachibana-san, there just isn't an opportunity for you to move up at this time."

"I see. I understand."

The feeling of defeat wasn't new to Taki. He'd been rejected from several companies after interviews before. And he was always able to shake them quickly. But this time, he felt a lot more like his future was in jeopardy. The reason why was obvious, though.

"Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed though. You've definitely given this company an important lift. But remember that I say the same thing to some of your other colleagues. Your group members work very hard in here, too. When the time comes to fill a spot, you'll be up against other good candidates. Keep that in mind. And be ready when your chance comes."

In the grand scheme of things, his supervisor's words bear no weight. It was just a pick-me-up after being denied a chance to move up. Make more money and hold more importance in the company. No manager likes doing that. But Taki found that conversation uplifting. Perhaps not motivating, as he didn't hear anything he hadn't heard already. It gave him something to think about, though. And the words stuck with him. 'Be ready.'

During his commute home, Taki began to think that his efforts were without guidance. Was he just trying to make money to get a big house with Mitsuha and their potential family? Or was he really trying to accomplish something greater, or more for himself?

He opened his door to a pleasant smell. The aroma of eggs cooking in the pan brought him home mentally, gave him to the feeling of coming home to a family. But his appetite skyrocketed and became almost insatiable.

Even though she'd only been living here for a just a couple of days, Mitsuha developed an almost sixth sense for the door. Normally, the noise of housework, usually cooking, would drown out any other noise, but she always seemed to know the exact moment her dear Taki returned home.

"Taki-kun. Welcome home." She came out of the kitchen and greeted Taki with a warm smile and open arms. Taki wasted no time granting his girlfriend her due. They held each other for a while, before Mitsuha remembered there were eggs on the stove.

"Oh! The eggs! Man, I hope they didn't overcook!"

As Mitsuha went back to check on their dinner, Taki couldn't help but smile at the fact that he, in spirit, had a loving wife. They lived together, they did everyday things together, and they spent every second of their free time with each other. At this point, the wedding and rings would've been a formality. Didn't mean either of them didn't plan on it, though.

They discussed their day over a dinner of omurice. Mitsuha excitedly shared her promotion at work, while Taki hesitantly admitted his failure to get one himself.

"I'm curious, though. It already seems like you work really hard. And the money doesn't seem to be a problem either. What makes you want to take on a bigger responsibility?"

A frustrated Taki could only think of a retaliatory response. "Maybe I just want to get out of the bottom of chain, okay?! Maybe I'm tired of not being important, and maybe I want to have the pride of having a higher position! Does that make sense?"

As hurtful as it sounded, Mitsuha knew not to take it to heart. He's probably been looking forward to a promotion for a while now. I probably shouldn't have asked. I'm so sorry, Taki-kun…

"I…I understand. I didn't mean to stir anything. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Taki paused for a second and cringed with regret of what he'd just said to Mitsuha. There was no reason for him to lash at her like that. She just genuinely wanted to learn something about him. Something that could play a huge role in their lives together. He got out of his seat and walked behind Mitsuha, and held her from behind close. As he buried his face into her hair, he searched for anything to say that would possibly reverse his tirade.

"Nothing can ever justify what I just said to you. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you." His grip on her tightened, and his speech was muffled by her hair. "The real reason I wanted a promotion…was that…our current living situation just isn't feasible. Sure, we're happy right now. But I think in due time, we'll need a bigger place to live. Don't you want that, too?"

"Taki…I…it's hard for me to even think about the future right now. Sure someday, it'd be nice to have a house to ourselves but…I'm enjoying every second right now. What more could I ask for? I'm living with the love of my life, I just got a promotion at work, and…look at us, we're having dinner together, we get dressed together in the morning, we sleep together at night, we do all the things that happy couples do. And for right now…that's all I need."

"Mitsuh-"

"And hear me out, Taki-kun. You're gonna think I'm crazy, you might even get mad at me again for saying this but…when you said you were seeking a promotion today, I…honestly got a little sad. A bigger role would mean more work…and I was just afraid I wouldn't be seeing you as often. Of having less time with you."

"What about you, though? Won't you be busier?"

"Of course I'll have more things on my plate. But I still come home at the same time every day. It's just how the industry I work in is. Trust me, if moving up would've jeopardized the thing that's most important to me…I would've held off on it and tried again in the future. There's more important things in life than money, Taki. I thought you would've agreed with me."

"But the things that are important to me…unfortunately are tied to money. I…I guess I'm just getting carried away. And it's silly, when we found each other at the staircase, I had this weird thought of wanting to buy you a castle one day."

Mitsuha giggled. "Taki…excuse me if I sound rude…but you are very stubborn. And a poor listener. Because you seem to think that I need all these extravagant amenities to be happy."

"It's what I want for you."

"Why? Why is that so important to you?"

Taki paused for a moment. He realized he'd become so disillusioned in creating this elegant life for Mitsuha that he forgot how he fell in love with her in the first place.

"Because…it's what you deserve."

"Taki, that's nice. But…your effort would be wasted. Remember when we were leaving my…I guess, old house now, when you got on me about not thinking through, and how I'm normally more calculative? You're so much smoother and level-headed than this! I mean, the whole reason you joined this architectural firm was to create memories for people. Well, guess what, Taki-kun. The fond memories that we have together…the things I can look back on to make me happy…are all I need. No big house, no fancy sports car, none of these material possessions. I grew up without any of that. No reason to start now. I've said this for the umpteenth time by now…you are what makes me happy. And your love is all I need. Being with you, spending the time of day with you are what gets me through. So…please, please, please stop this insane crusade of obtaining all these things. They don't do me any good right now."

"Mitsuha…I can't believe you think of me that way. I guess…my main fear is that…at some point I won't be able to make you happy anymore. At least the way you say I do."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes. Now, I labored to make you this food. So you better eat it, otherwise I'm not making you dinner anymore."

Taki wanted to hug Mitsuha for much longer, but decided to grant his girlfriend's request and finish his dinner, since he was still hungry too.

The eve of the weekend dawned, and the two found themselves back at Taki's apartment, itching to find a way to spend their night. They encountered some difficulty deciding what to do. Did they want to hit up a bar and drink away, or maybe play it low-key and get a nice dinner? Go to a shopping mall and check out the wares? The possibilities were open, but Mitsuha came up with an idea that caught Taki completely off guard.

"Taki-kun…would you at all be interested in learning instruments together?"

"That…that sounds amazing. Why, though? I don't ever see you listen to music."

"That's because all my free time is spent doing something with you. At work, I use this really cool program called Spotify. It's an American software, and it has a huge selection of music. And for some reason…I've gotten into western rock music. I'm not really sure where it comes from…but it appeals to me. And my first thought was…it'd be really cool if we could play something together. Either dual leads or guitar-and-bass."

"I…you look like the last person to ever listen to rock music. But back in the day I tried learning acoustic guitar. It didn't really work out, but yeah, the idea of playing something together motivates me to try learning again!"

They discovered that there was a Hard Rock Café in Tokyo, so they headed there for dinner. Along the way there, they talked about some of the bands that Mitsuha had picked up. Taki was only slightly knowledgeable about rock music, so his familiarity with bands only stretched as far as Van Halen, KISS, and all the mainstream bands. As Mitsuha was sharing her newfound expertise on rock music with Taki, she became more and more excited at the idea of playing music with him. And the worries of running out of stuff to do that she had the other day disappeared.

The food was an afterthought, as to be expected with outsourced western chains. But this was the first time either of them had been in an atmosphere like that which Hard Rock Café presented. Classic tunes from the best bands set the ambience, the walls were decorated with tons of memorabilia from guitars to pictures to vinyl records, and the patrons were nothing like what either of them expected. Instead of long haired, rambunctious metal-heads, the people in the restaurant were relatively mellow, save for certain individuals. Neither of them were immediately comfortable with the environment, but once they settled in, they acclimated easily.

Mitsuha was able to pick out some of the bands she'd found on Spotify, and quietly hummed to the tune of her more favorite songs (of course she had no idea what the lyrics were). And the whole time Taki sat there in awe, almost flabbergasted, at this side of Mitsuha he would've never ever thought existed. On the exterior, Mitsuha looked very gentle and mild, soft and very reserved. But the more he thought about it the more sense it made. She did mention her appreciation for expressiveness and creativity. As for Taki himself, not being a huge music person in general, he felt there wasn't a better way to get into music than to start with the stuff his own girlfriend likes. As out of left field it could be.

They ventured to the closest open music store, which happened to be in a packed mall. After fighting through an ocean of people to get to this store, they arrived there, and were met with, of course, a packed lot. The store wasn't huge to begin with (by mall unit standards they actually had a pretty big lot) but the sheer concentration of people made it hard to even get through the store without bumping into someone.

"Okay, so did everyone and their mother decide to pick an instrument today?"

"Mmm, I don't think everyone here is new. I mean, look at that guy."

Off in the far side of the store was a guy testing out a guitar. And he was good. Really, really good. His fingers moved faster than their eyes could process. Mitsuha recognized the song he was playing as "Metropolis" by Dream Theater, and her jaw dropped at the accuracy of his playing.

"Don't tell me you're about to leave me for that guy."

"If we weren't in public I'd slap you."

Neither of them had any idea what to look for in an instrument, and since all the sales associates on the floor were occupied, they figured that this shredding stranger was the most qualified to give them some pointers. So they quietly approached him.

"Hey. You seem like you could help out some newbies pick out instruments. Think you can help us out?"

"Oh, uhh, I don't work here, sorry."

"Oh! That's okay. All the salespeople are busy, and I don't anticipate them being available for a while."

"Yeah, it is Friday night. Well, okay then, I can help you guys out."

It almost seemed like this random store patron knew more about the store's merchandise than some of the employees. He asked them different questions, like what kind of sound they were trying to create (of course neither of them had any idea), styles of rock, and most importantly price point. The way he was able to expertly choose a guitar for both of them, one would've thought he should've deserved a sales commission. This guy didn't care though. If anything it only validated his own knowledge of the equipment.

But when it was all set and done, the total price of the two guitars and amplifiers exceeded that which either of them were comfortable paying.

"Yeah. It's not a cheap hobby. Even starting out can be a little expensive."

"I feel bad though. You spent all that time trying to help us."

"Well, if you guys can remember what to look for the next time you go out guitar hunting, then our time here wasn't a waste at all."

"Well, thank you very much then."

They big farewell, and Taki and Mitsuha left the store awkwardly. After all that, they left the store emptyhanded.

"Now you see why I'm trying to get a promotion?"

"Well, I mean if we just let a few paychecks pile up, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem."

"True."

The time that was originally going to be spent practicing and learning became vacant. And they found themselves looking for something to spend the rest of Friday doing. It was only 20:30.

"Do you wanna go to a karaoke bar?"

"Really? Mmm. I dunno. I'm not a very good singer."

"Oh, c'mon. Anyone who takes themselves remotely seriously as a singer would never go to a karaoke bar. People go there to sing their hearts out, knowing they probably sound terrible!"

"I don't believe that. But. I don't have an idea what else to do. So, sure. Let's go."

The line looked intimidating, as potential patrons left the scene dejected the second they saw the line. Mitsuha figured it'd be a good idea to let Taki hear some of the music she'd been listening to, before inevitably forcing him to sing something. She leaned more towards bands that had strong lead vocals, such as Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Queen. Taki himself took a particular liking to "Train Kept a Rollin'", despite having no idea what the lyrics were, or what they meant. The extent of his English was only that as far as what he learned in school. Maybe he would just stick to something from ONE OK ROCK or something.

They finally got a room, and Mitsuha almost dove for the setlist binder, and was rather impressed with the selection. Tons of Japanese and English hits. The latter was probably there to appease Western tourists, many of which they saw in line. Mitsuha exhibited a lot of anticipation and excitement to sing, while Taki looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

"Taki? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…I don't like putting myself out doing things I'm not good at. And I am not the best singer."

"Didn't I explain to you that no one comes here to be a good singer? And what's the big deal, we have this room to ourselves!"

Taki relaxed when he realized no one would hear him except Mitsuha. But nevertheless, he decided to let her go first. But by doing so, he took the risk of her being a really good singer, and then he'd get up after her and botch the moment.

"Alright then. Uhh… OH!"

Taki didn't even get the chance to see what Mitsuha picked, and after a few short moments, a crowd of applauding people appeared on the screen, followed by a dimly lit stage, and soon after a woman with thick puffy hair came out on stage. The song was sounded simple, but he found it very catchy. A simple 4-chord progression that played a couple times before the words came out.

A/N: OKAY! SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING WITH THIS CHAPTER. Sorry this one was delayed so badly, it turns out baseball takes more time than I thought! Anyway, I went to a Hard Rock Café IRL for the first time, and it was honestly one of the coolest experiences ever. And then we played Rock Band that night, and that's where I got the idea of making Taki and Mitsuha start getting into rock music together. I dunno. I'm trying not to set this up, and then it ultimately becomes a McGuffin, just something on the side I thought I'd put in to add something to their relationship. Who knows where I'll go with this. So the story has reached the 40 follower mark, and is sorta close to the 40 favorite mark. That to me is just baffling. I would've never thought in my lifetime that I'd ever write something like this, get this much support and feedback, and make it a part of my everyday life the way it has. Seriously, you guys are awesome. The confidence I've developed as both a writer and a creator in general have been invaluable to me. It's something I know I can take with me for a long time. Thank you to each and every one of you still reading. And as per usual, I'll see y'all whenever. Cheers.