Ayano noticed that the air around Akademi never seemed to settle properly before something else came along. Taro was acting unusually fidgeting, everyone seemed to make time to talk to Ayano but what had really spooked her was Oka telling her that she had a strange dream the night before involving her.
"It was… spooky" The awkward but sweet girl admitted "I dreamt of… you. You stood… between light and dark. Sun and moon both high above... In front of you… stood a gravesite. I believe… You are going to face a test that will… change you. I cannot say… if it will be for better or worse but… please be careful"
The warning was ominous to say the least, Oka was a big believer in dreams holding messages or warning to the dreamer; With how everything had gone at Akademi since the 'Kizana Incident', Ayano was starting to believe that Oka might have been onto something.
Osoro was still herself but the delinquents had become slightly softer and more aware of how they were acting around people. Ayano was stunned when Taro asked her to meet him by the school entrance.
"Ayano… My mother has invited you and your family around for dinner tonight. She wanted to know if any of you had allergies." He spoke softly while scratching his head. Taro was fumbling, quiet and introverted but Ayano guessed that it must have been what she liked about him; he did everything with care, enjoyed gardening and loved watching butterflies flutter around the gardening club…
She thought of him as her special butterfly.
"I would be so happy! I've wanted to meet your family for sometime now. The only I can say is that my mother is allergic to peanuts and dad has an intolerance to dairy." She admitted. Taro turned pink in the face "I'm so sorry I didn't ask sooner, I-I should have spoken to moth-" Ayano interrupted him by taking his hands.
"It's alright, I'm glad you asked me now" Ayano's smile grew bright, so bright that Taro thought he was about to be blinded. He couldn't understand how he had not noticed her before the start of the year: The way her eyes sparkled when she looked at him, her natural smile, the graceful way she would brush his hair away from his eyes sometimes…
He wrote down his address and passed it to her. "If you could get here for 6:30pm, dinner should be nearly ready by then. Mum is a… stickler for being on time." Ayano made a note of that and the pair made their way home.
Ayano rushed into the kitchen just as Ryoba was about to take something out of the fridge.
"Mom! Don't cook anything! Taro's invited us to his house tonight! We need to be there for 6:30" Ryoba froze up as did Jokichi. Her mother turned around quickly! "Really? Oh my god, we need to get ready! Get your best clothes honey. We'll be ready"
She hastily ran up the stair and into her room. Opening the wardrobe, a dress caught her eye. A pink dress with white trimming in the style of a fitted cheongsam. Gold phoenix's dazzled the dress and made it pop, it had been notably expensive but Ryoba made sure Ayano got whatever she wanted. She paired the dress with pink Mary Janes and white ankle socks before making her way downstairs.
Ryoba and Jokichi were both dressed in purple, it was their status quo. They were dressed in a simpler style to Ayano, just to make sure that they did not outshine their daughter. Ryoba rushed over, fussing her daughter "Oh my baby is all grown up! It feels like only yesterday you were walking for the first time!"
She eyed the ponytail and swiftly took it out, let Ayano's hair fall below her shoulders. "That's better! We should get going" As they left, a warm feeling arose in Ayano. 'I'm so close, I can't believe this…'
The house, if you could call it that, was utterly massive.
The Edo period manor stretched at least four stories tall if not more. The front gardens spiralled into several different sensory gardens based around different coloured plants. The more Ayano looked at it, the more she thought that it looked like a castle. No, it was a castle!
Ayano had seen the place a number of times but not once did she think it belonged to her Taro.
It turned out that the place he had been staying in was a mere flat for himself so the commute to school would be easier like he had said. As they entered, a slender woman with long black hair approached and bowed. She was wearing a gold and red suit and tie, with red high heels. The woman's black eyes seemed akin to a pair of swords yet held the same calmness as Taro's. She gave off the aura of a Queen in her own palace.
"Welcome to our home. So we finally get to meet, Miss Aishi" The woman gave a kind smile "I am Mrs Yamada but you may call me Itsumi" Ryoba froze, recalling something. "Wait… Itsumi Yuuki? We attended Akademi together. You were in the gardening club while I was in the cooking club"
The woman scanned her mother before her eyes became brighter with joy "Ryoba? Ah! How could I not realise? Ayano is your daughter!" Taro rushed down the grand staircase and came to halt in front of Ayano. He was wearing a nice dark green shirt, paired with simple jeans and suit shoes. He looked up at Ayano and froze. God, she was beautiful in pink.
His face burned so much it was almost painful. "How are you Ayano?" He stammered out, she chuckled "I'm well Taro. But this place…"
"Its a little extravagant. Isn't it? I think you'll like the garden. That's where we're eating tonight, its normally in the red banquet room when we have guests but I pulled some strings" He admitted to Ayano's laughter. Just then, a dainty girl with shoulder-length black hair and a cottage core red dress came down the stairs and charged towards Taro.
"Big brother! You didn't tell me we had guests" She pouted as she grabbed onto his arm. She scanned Ayano, as if she was looking for a weakness to exploit. Taro looked back at Ayano awkwardly. "Mother did say eariler Hanako, this is Ayano. The girl I was talking about..."
The girl before her was clearly Taro's sister, though the way Hanako eyed her worried her; the look in her eyes resembled how a person might look after smelling soured meat.
"Hello Hanako, its nice to meet you at last" Ayano bowed. Hanako simply blinked at her, blanking her before talking to Taro. 'Damn rude' Ayano thought but she knew that she couldn't act up now. She was so close to victory that she could taste it, the way Taro had looked at her in the dress ravished her. Taro looked back at Ayano, his eyes telling of him wishing to make an apology...
A maid approached the group "Dinner is ready in the garden" Itsumi clapped her hands together "Excellent, we have lots of different things which I believe you will enjoy Ryoba. I remember the bao buns you made in school at the cooking club" The two woman continued chattering away as they walked towards the garden. Jokichi joined his daughter.
"You're doing really well so far" He whispered, Ayano noted the apprehensive tone in his voice "What do you mean?"
"I saw the way the sister blew you off. Itsumi did too…" Ayano looked back at Taro's mother. She smile was radiant and sweet, Taro's good looks clearly came from her. Then a disturbing thought invaded her mind.
"Wait, did she plan that?" She whispered
Jokichi shook his head. "Judging by the look on her face. No. I suspect a certain someone in red will be getting a stern talking to after we're gone." He paused to straighten his tie "She did look impressed with how calmly you acted through it, keep it up sweetie. Impress her and he may just want to marry you!" He beamed as they approached the garden.
'Marriage… I didn't think of that...' Ayano's thoughts drifted off to wedding bells...
A pair of butlers opened the golden doors to the garden…
The cool breeze swept the long hanging weeping willows around the dining table. The table itself was in an oval shape with a fine golden silk tablecloth. Th table was dotted with candles and flower petals. On the table was several plates filled up with all sorts of exquisite food for different countries: Unagi sushi top with golden caviar, wagyu a5 steaks paired with french red wines, meatballs with tagliatelle pasta…
Ayano noted the small lights in the trees, blinking in a romantic way but then they moved; she realised that they were actually fireflies. Then the realisation hit her, Taro did all of this… for her. He had planned this. Had she already won?
Itsuki spoke proudly as she looked up into the trees "Taro darling. This is magnificent! I knew leaving the planning in your hands would yield the best results. Your father would be so proud of you if he could see this" Her word shook slightly as she spoke the last part. She smiled again and clapped her hands together "Come everyone. Let's eat!"
Conversation flowed seamlessly as they ate. Ayano tried a little bit of everything while making sure her table manners with in top form. Hanako tried endlessly talking at Taro yet she saw that he only had eyes for her, a soft burning feeling in her heart seemed to make the world brighter than it already was. The colours around her felt more alive and real than ever in her life.
"Ryoba, I was honestly wondering if Ayano had any siblings or not. We went to school in the eighties but both of us had children later in life. Were there any before Ayano?"
Ryoba tilted her head as she thought. "I was thirty-three when I had Ayano. Late for sure when you compare me with the rest of my family. I was pregnant once before when I was twenty-three but… It didn't work out for us" Itsumi gasped softly. "Oh I'm so sorry. I did not mean to bring that out!" She grasped Ryoba's hands as if pleading for forgiveness.
Ryoba merely shook her head, acceptance in her eyes "It's quite alright. Sometimes, it happens that way. They explained to me that the little one, judging by why it happened, was going to have a heart defect which meant he would not have survived long after birth anyway. I would have hated to see our little Sato suffer…" She sighed sadly.
"When Ayano was finally born, I made sure to keep a very keen eye on her health. She was very lucky, the heart defect did not make its way into her. I constantly had doctors check her for anything and everything. I suppose I was a little paranoid..." She admitted but Itsumi brushed her off.
"No. I was exactly the same with Taro and Hanako. Though, the circumstances were more poorly timed" She shook her head "I met Ren Yamada when I opened my flower shop in Kyoto like I had always dreamed. He was a regular of mine and, one day, my family told me that I had been betrothed to someone in an arranged marrage. I panicked at first but it had turned out to be none other than Ren" She smiled as she opened the golden locket around her neck. A picture of a sophisticated young man with golden hair and reddish eyes grinned back. Taro was clearly his father come again.
"We struggled to have children for years, his family tried to blame me of course but when we had the tests done, it turned out to be on Ren's end. Low sperm count. They were embarrassed but Taro came along in 2003. 6th of August" Ryoba raised her eyebrow as did Jokichi. Itsumi laughed "I know, what a day too be born on. The anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing. But no one really pays it any attention..."
Taro was starting to act shifty. He needed to tell her how he felt but the butterflies kept making him feel like he needed to go to the toilet. He straightened himself up and took a shaky deep breath before looking to his mother. Pleading to know if she liked Ayano.
He had admitted to his feelings for Ayano when Itsumi had come up with an idea.
"The best way to judge someone is by meeting them for the first time. Invite her over here for dinner Taro. I would like to meet the girl you wish to court face to face."
Back in present time, Itsumi looked back at her son. Taro could feel the beating of his heart in head, begging her for an answer!
She smiled and nodded. That was his signal.
He swiftly got out of his chair, ignoring Hanako's protests as he approached Ayano. She looked up at him with those doe like eyes, the way the light up when they set on him caused a spark to alight in his heart. Now it was a raging wildfire, begging to be unleashed.
"A-Ayano, I would like to speak with you. Privately" She nodded and stood up. "Big brother! Can I not come too? I want to be there with you!" Hanako begged in her childish voice, the voice she used to get whatever she wanted. It didn't bother him before but now it grated him. "No Hanako!. I need to speak with Ayano alone. I will return afterwards now please leave us alone!" Taro led Ayano to a more closed off part of the garden.
This was the real surprise that not even his mother knew of.
"I want you to do a favour for me" He started "Close your eyes" She closed her eyes and put her hands over them, while smirking cutely. "Ah! No peeking" He jokingly reprimanded her, her laugh was laugh was soft like a cloud, naturally light. He was nervous but he took her gently into the ethereal pink light…
The area was a closed off fountain with marble seating. Pink fairy lights made the place feel perfect for what he planned to do. The sound of the water helped him relax too. The place smelt of strawberries and cream, which were placed on a small table in the centre of the space just as he had hoped. He turned back to Ayano.
"You can open your eyes now"
Ayano felt a sensation akin to being overwhelmed as she opened her eyes. She gasped loudly, throwing her hands to her mouth. Taro pulled out of chair for her, which she gracefully sat down on before feeling her mouth water as she settled her focus on the strawberries and cream before her.
"T-try these…" Taro was stammering again "These were freshly made today. Even the cream…" Ayano obliged, dipping one of the cherry red fruits into the fluffy cream before popping it into her mouth. The burst of sweetness sent shivered down her body while the lightness of the cream soothed her taste buds after the explosion of flavour.
"They are really nice. I don't think I've tasted strawberries this good in a long time. Are they grown here?"
"Yes, they are. My mother is well-known for setting up the 'Yuuki's Flowers' brand of florists which has since expanded into Yuuki's Agriculture enterprises. That includes fruit and veg too. When the company wants to try new things, they are grown on the estate. It only gets sold with mother's approval. These are a mix of a couple of different types: Benihoppe Ichigo and Amaou Ichigo bred with Norwegian strawberries from the north of the country"
Ayano noted this duly "That explains your love of gardening, no wonder you have green fingers. It comes from your mother"
Taro leant down and picked up a small white box. "Ayano Aishi. The reason, the real reason I brought you here is because I have something important to say. When I bumped into you in the hallway that day, I didn't realise how much my life would change; for the better.
I properly met you at a time when I was feeling so unsure of myself and who I was that it was fresh to speak to someone who was vaguely familiar. That terrifying experience in the gym really showed me who you are inside; compassionate, caring and, above all, courageous. You faced every difficulty since with dignity and grace, I couldn't imagine dealing with those circumstances in such as way that would help me grow as a person like you have.
You're so quiet and yet you have left such a lasting impact on those around you." He deep a breath.
"I-I…" His tongue caught in his throat "I really like you Ayano. I… I love you…"
Her heart stopped in the moment. This was supposed to happen under the cherry tree in school, she should have been the one confessing to Taro; yet this felt right, like this was the way Benzaiten had written it in the stars. From the feeling of sheer joy, she could feel her eyes water and spill. The smile on her face was so bright, she knew her cheeks would hurt later on.
"Yes! Taro! I accept your confession. I love you too!" The pair leapt up and he pulled her into a tight hug as he swung her in the air. When he finally put her down, he opened the white box to reveal a gold necklace with a rose quartz pendant. He placed it around her neck and the two shared a kiss that could have lasted for an eternity,
Something had shifted tonight as a shadowy figure with purple hair watched the happy couple. Despite knowing who's daughter this was, she smiled genuinely with tears. Now, it was certain that Ayano Aishi would not harm another soul for as long as she lived.
She would approach the daughter of Ryoba but not tonight, they deserved this moment.
She threw a gaze over to where a girl in a red dress watched the scene before her with a growing darkness in her heart. Her face was almost as red of the dress she wore from the tears streaming down her face. A voice emitted from her mouth but it was not the cutesy on that normally came out.
"You'll regret this, I'll make sure of it 'brother'"