Fumino was excited. It was hard not to be in the moments leading up to a summer vacation. The day was bright, and it felt as such with all the eventfulness that was to come in the incoming hours.

A trip to Odaiba Beach.

Though this wasn't just some personal summer trip. It was a reunion with her treasured study group from Ichinose. The chosen place of stay being a beach house run by Kirisu Sensei's relatives, similar to the ski house from their graduation trip a year ago. The woman had been kind enough to request the service from her aunt for them once again, who apparently owned quite a number of guest houses, whether it be for the mountains or the coastal line.

Which was why Fumino was eagerly waiting at the front of her house for her ride to arrive. Uruka, Rizu, and even Asumi Senpai were currently being picked up by Kirisu Sensei, and together they would then come to her place to pick her up. Time had surely flown, and it was almost shocking to think how she hadn't seen any of them face-to-face in nearly a year.

She was ecstatic, knowing that she would be able to catch up with everyone, and there was one more important detail that outshined the rest.

Nariyuki would be there, and unlike last year's graduation trip, they would be enjoying their time together as a couple.

It made her heart race, and also made her feel anxious. Ever since the one unfortunate date where they had run into nearly all their old classmates, the two of them had made an active effort to spend most of their dates this past year privately. This would be the one of the few occasions where they would be together again in the presence of others.

Would she be bold enough to display her affections in front of her friends this time? She was always shy when it came to doing forward things, but that was gradually becoming less the case with Nariyuki. The problem was how they wouldn't be alone. It was a lot more embarrassing with that notion in mind...especially with Uruka and Rizu there.

"Maybe we could at least hold hands…" She said softly to herself.

"Hold hands with who?"

"AH!" Fumino jumped and startled at the unexpected voice next to her, which in turn caused the suspect responsible for the voice to recoil back as well.

"N-Nariyuki..?" She breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar face. "You scared me..."

"S-Sorry...I thought you heard me walk up to you." He said apologetically.

Her face turned scarlet as she quickly realized that she had once again been caught thinking about Nariyuki in the moment. How many times was that now? At this point it was practically a daily occurrence. It was as if all of her thoughts, in some form or fashion, had something to do with him. She was saved from her embarrassment however when she noticed the luggage that the boy was carrying at his side.

"W-what are you doing here, Nariyuki..?" She asked. "I thought Kirisu Sensei said she would head to your place after mine."

"My house is a bit out of the way from the route to Odaiba. I figured I'd save some time for everyone and get picked up together with you." He answered with his characteristic selfless reasoning.

"Jeez…" Fumino shook her head affectionately. "Sometimes you can be a little bit too considerate, you know?"

He averted his gaze, abashed. "I mean I say that as my reason...but really I just wanted an excuse to see you before everyone else."

Her cheeks warmed as she looked away shyly and smiled to herself. It was an extremely cheeky statement, but she knew that Nariyuki hadn't intended it to be. He was simply being honest, and that was what made it all the more heartwarming to Fumino.

"Are you excited for the trip?"

She looked up brightly at that. "Of course! We haven't seen everyone in almost a year."

He nodded in agreement. "I wonder if I'll still be able to recognize most of them."

"It's been a year, not a lifetime, Nariyuki." She laughed. "I'm sure they haven't changed one bit."

"You're probably right about that." He said before looking up at the sky thoughtfully. "I guess it just feels like so many things have changed this past year..."

Fumino couldn't agree more as her expression softened. Her time in university so far had certainly been a change up from her previous day-to-day, highschool experience. The most noticeable distinctions could be chalked up to the independent living and the variety in college courses, but there were plenty of other reasons that stood out to her personally.

Like how much her and Nariyuki had grown in their relationship...

And...

'For the kids who are scared...the kids who are lost...even if there are thousands or even millions of them out there unsure of themselves...I want to be there for all of them.'

How much the boy had grown in realizing his dream.

Nariyuki appeared to have been on the same wavelength, suddenly reaching over for her hand and intertwining their fingers together. Fumino blushed instinctively. She should've been used to the gesture by now, but even after all this time, she continued to find the act stimulating for her heart.

Their eyes met, and slowly they smiled at each other in sync.

Perhaps, it would be okay after all. To behave this close in front of the others.

They had been a couple for over a year now.

Surely, it couldn't be that embarrassing-

"You guys!"

In mere seconds, the two of them flung apart, putting distance between each other with identical blushes on their face.

Apparently not.

The voice was Uruka's, waving at them through the passenger seat window of a familiar SUV that was currently pulling up to the mansion gate. The energetic girl was out of the door as soon as the vehicle had finished parking.

"Fumino-cchi! Nariyuki! Long time no see!"

Rizu followed soon after. "Fumino, Nariyuki-san, I don't have any udon today, so I hope you'll accept these cup noodles instead."

Asumi smirked from behind them. "Aren't you going a little a bit overboard, Ogata? You don't always have to offer noodles as a greeting, you know?"

"You guys…" Fumino greeted them with a bright smile. "It's so good to see you all again-"

The cordiality was put on hold as she quickly noticed that her friends, as Nariyuki had projected, did in fact look very different than she remembered. Uruka's defining tan had mellowed down significantly, her skin tone not quite the lightness as her own unique complexion, but definitely within a reasonable range now. The girl had mentioned that all her swim practices had been moved to an indoor facility this past year. Next was Rizu, who evidently was no longer wearing glasses, now replaced by what appeared to be contact lenses. Her bangs had been parted to the side and the characteristic bookworm look that she had become so used to was now significantly altered. Even Asumi Senpai had changed quite a bit, deciding to grow her hair down to her shoulders, adorned with sunglasses to match the new wild look.

"I guess you were right..." She said somewhat speechlessly to Nariyuki. "They do look different."

"Well...to be fair. I wasn't really expecting this either." He returned with a nervous chuckle.

Kirisu Sensei stepped out of the car, and at this point Fumino wasn't sure if she was just imagining things or not, but the woman had changed her look too, though it was less drastic. Her hair was cut shorter, and quite honestly, Fumino thought it suited her surprisingly well. She walked up to her former teacher and bowed respectfully.

"Uhm! T-Thank you for coming to pick us up, Kirisu Sensei! We're extremely happy that you're accompanying us on this trip." She said gratefully with a hint of nervousness.

Kirisu blinked, unfazed. "Unnecessary. Providing transportation and facilitation for school events is merely another responsibility for faculty. I deserve no such appreciation."

An awkward laugh escaped her lips. Contrary to the woman's words, her sensei definitely did deserve their thanks. They weren't even her students anymore, and faculty members had no such responsibilities for extracurricular activities in the first place. But of course, the current history teacher was still stoically considerate to a fault; her kindness never out fully on display, but always there behind the scenes. It was one of the charming attributes of the woman that Fumino had discovered and come to really like throughout her last year in high school.

She may have looked different, but even after a year since graduating, Kirisu Sensei was still the same enigma of a woman as always.

She turned her attention back to Nariyuki, who had his hands full catching up with everyone else. They were all smiling and laughing together, sharing their personal stories from the past year.

It was as if they were at Ichinose all over again, enjoying each other's presence at their special spot in the library.

Fumino smiled to herself.

'I guess some things never change...'

By the time they had arrived at their destination, it was around noon and the balmy summer heat had already begun to settle in. The view of the beach from the guest house was gorgeous, and there were plenty of other families who were out and about enjoying the excursion as well.

It truly was exciting. Uruka and Rizu had already gotten a headstart to change, so it was just her and Asumi Senpai left in the women's locker room. For girls like them with bright skin tones, it was better to take the extra time applying their sunscreen.

"So, Furuhashi. You look like you've made quite the progress with Kouhai recently." Asumi pointed out while changing into her swimsuit.

"Y-you think so?" She asked with a shy smile.

The older girl nodded. "It's quite funny now that I think about it. Back when we first met, I had asked if you were the one who actually had feelings for Kouhai, and you had given me the most straightforward, scary-looking face denying it." She then turned, and looked at her with a smirk. "But look at you two now, being audacious enough to look all lovey-dovey, holding hands right as we pull up to your place. I didn't think of you as such a flirt, Furuhashi. "

Fumino instantly felt her face heat up at the assertion.

"I-it w-wasn't what i-it looked like! W-we were just talking and I happened to p-put my hand into his!" She explained frantically. It was a horrible explanation, barely even qualifying as an actual excuse, but when she was flustered like this, she tended to forget how to think logically.

"Oh?" Asumi quirked an eyebrow. "So can I assume that things aren't working out then? I've been waiting for my turn to take Kouhai from you for quite some time now, you know?"

To say she was shocked at the older girl's words would be a heavy understatement.

"W-wha-"

"I'm just joking of course."

Fumino blinked before deflating with an exhale. She forgot just how much of a tease her Senpai could be, especially towards her. It really wasn't good for her heart.

"How about this then." Asumi said, changing the subject. "Have you two done it yet?"

"D-done what?" She asked, confused.

"Oh, you know…" The girl said suggestively before wagging her eyebrows.

...

...!

"O-of course not! W-why would you think that?!" She yelled with a heavy blush, mortified.

Asumi tilted her head in feigned confusion. "Most university couples would have done it by now, no? Especially after being together for a year. I feel like that's pretty common sense."

"W-w-w-what?" She was genuinely taken aback by that. "A-are you sure? I...didn't know that…"

Was she that much out of the loop to not have heard such a thing? It was true that she had been much too invested in her studies to have any real social groups in college, but she was usually aware of these sorts of trends. They had kissed, and even shared a bed before, but...not much more than that. D-did Nariyuki expect that sort of thing from her..?

"Yeah. I heard that some of them even have kids already." The older girl continued.

"K-Kids?!" She repeated disbelievingly. "I-In c-college? But that's just r-ridiculous! H-how are they going to s-support each other if t-they don't h-have any income y-yet? A-and how can they find the time to t-take care of the k-kids if t-they don't-"

It was too much. Asumi couldn't hold it back anymore as she bursted out laughing, interrupting Fumino's distraught rambling.

The younger girl was just way too gullible for her own good.

"You really are just like Kouhai." She said while trying to calm her tears of mirth. "No wonder you two are a perfect match. You two are as innocent and purehearted as it gets. It's quite the spectacle, really."

Fumino was still staring at her, dumbfounded.

"T-then the things you said before..."

Asumi waved her hand dismissively. "I lied of course. Well...about the kids thing at least. I'm sure a fair amount of couples in college have done it by now, though I figured you two wouldn't have yet. On that note…" The older girl's expression turned serious. "You might wanna make a move soon before it's too late." She warned. "Especially since you're lacking in a...certain department." The girl's gaze shifted to Fumino's chest, making a silent comparison with her eyes. The latter's face reddened at the implication. "You know how boys can be with their physical desires. If they're not satisfied in that way, they might just fall out of love with you. Guys are just so shallow these days."

Fumino felt a rare sense of anger boil within her at the suggestion.

"N-Nariyuki's not like that!"

At her retort, Asumi again smirked victoriously.

"Oh I know. I just wanted to see your reaction is all."

Fumino gaped.

She had fallen for it again.

"Looks like you do get mad, Furuashi. Though I guess that's only the case if someone's bad-mouthing Nariyuki." Asumi grinned playfully. "You're so cute."

After a few more moments of speechlessness, Fumino finally sighed, resigning herself from their exchange.

"This is not how I imagined our first conversation to be like..."

"What can I say? I love teasing my precious Kouhai."

"Nine classes?! That's crazy, Fumino-cchi! I wouldn't last a week with that schedule!" Uruka exclaimed with an awestruck expression.

"You're amazing, Fumino." Rizu added on, just as impressed.

Fumino chuckled light-heartedly. It was a nice change of pace, going from talking to someone like Asumi, who was constantly and relentlessly teasing her, to Uruka and Rizu, who were much more laid back and carefree. She could only handle a heart attack from her senpai so many times in one day.

"It's really not a big deal you guys…" She assured the two. "Compared to our entrance exam period in high school, this isn't all that bad."

"But still…" Uruka rested her chin onto the palm of her hands. "You even have an internship as well. I'm surprised that you still manage to look so beautiful with all that stress."

"You have to teach us how to stay so pretty, Fumino." Rizu requested politely.

She looked away, abashed. The two of them were very much over-exaggerating. The doting was certainly welcomed, but it was hard not to be flustered due to her modesty.

"Speaking of which...why is your class schedule so busy anyway?" Uruka asked suddenly. "Are you trying to finish early?"

She took a moment to take in Uruka's question before nodding. "In order for me to be a research scientist, after my bachelor's, I need to also complete a masters program for research studies which would usually take an extra two years." She explained. "I'm hoping that I can finish it earlier."

Uruka tilted her head curiously. "But why the hurry? I feel like it'd be fine if you took your time with it, no? Is there a reason you have to finish so early?"

At the girl's further inquiry, Fumino blushed to herself.

There was no way she could say it. Not in front of these two.

Heck, she hadn't even told Nariyuki yet.

That the real reason why she was trying to finish early...was so that she could graduate in the same semester as him.

The time Nariyuki would need to complete his education degree was only four years, two years less than her program. Without the accelerated schedule that she was currently undertaking, she would still be in school by the time he finished. That in itself was not much of a problem, but if she was able to finish earlier, then she could very well start working at the same time as Nariyuki.

Which would mean that they could potentially start living together.

It was a desire of hers that she had been thinking about ever since they had spent that one night together at her apartment. She couldn't say it. She could barely even admit it to herself. When Nariyuki had asked her on why she was taking so many classes, she had simply answered that she wanted to start work as soon as possible, which was certainly true.

But...

'If we started living together...I could see Nariyuki everyday…'

She couldn't say it.

"N-no reason…"

Uruka and Rizu looked at each other briefly before turning to her and smirking.

"It's because of Nariyuki, isn't it?" They said simultaneously.

She blinked. The words initially didn't register in her head, but as soon as they did, her face became as red as a beet.

"W-w-what?!" She cried out, stuttering. "H-how did y-you-"

"My psychology professor told me that you can usually tell what a person is thinking about based on the patterns of their facial expressions." Rizu explained. "From my observations, you become noticeably flustered whenever Nariyuki is brought up in a conversation. Additionally, you tend to blush whenever you think about him. A simple analysis suggests that your previous reaction was most likely due to thoughts of said person. I would say it's rather obvious, Fumino."

Her mouth hung agape as she continued to stare astonished. She didn't know what was more surprising; the fact that Rizu was incredibly proficient at reading emotions now, or the fact that she herself was just apparently very easy to read.

Uruka giggled from the side. "I guess you're still worried about us, aren't ya? You're amazingly sweet, Fumino-cchi, and that's what we love about you, but even to us though, it's pretty obvious when you try to keep things to yourself."

"A-am I really that obvious..?" She asked.

Uruka nodded and smiled in amusement.

"Especially when it has to do with Nariyuki."

Her gaze fixed onto her two friends who were still patiently waiting for an answer from her.

For the longest time she had kept her feelings to herself because she thought it would be better for everyone else. That was how she had lived most of her life. Before she had met Nariyuki and started repairing things with her father, she had no one to really confide in, and so she always kept most of her problems bottled up. She didn't want to cause anyone trouble. It was a habit of hers that still stuck with her to this very day.

But…things were different now.

These were her friends who she trusted dearly. Who she loved wholeheartedly. It was only right to be open with them.

Even if it did have to do with the guy that they had both previously liked.

"I...want to graduate early...so that I can start living together with Nariyuki." She admitted with a blush.

The two of them gasped together.

"THAT'S SO CUTE!" Uruka squealed delightfully.

Rizu's eyes were sparkling in amazement. "Does that mean you're going to get married beforehand?" Fumino nearly choked on her own spit at the question.

"I-I haven't thought that far!" She sputtered out embarrassedly.

Uruka was practically jumping in excitement now. "Oh my god, that is just adorable! You'll definitely be married in no time! Does Nariyuki know?!"

"O-Of course not!" She exclaimed before looking away shyly. "I haven't told him yet…"

"Told me what?" Nariyuki walked up to their spot on the sand, hoping to join in on their conversation.

"EEK!" Fumino cried out in panic. "NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!"

'What is with his timing?! Every single time!'

Uruka however, didn't take the hint and decided to speak up for her. "Oh, Fumino was just telling us how she wanted to-"

In the blink of an eye, she was behind the other girl, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"I was just asking them if they wanted to build sand castles together!" She answered with a suspiciously thin smile. "Isn't that right, you two?"

The emphasis on the last two words mixed with the murderous gleam that Fumino was currently giving them had Uruka and Rizu immediately shutting their mouths. They swallowed together thickly.

"R-right…"

Fumino sighed. As soon as Nariyuki had joined in on them, Asumi senpai had followed as well. The following hours had been a successive number of heart attacks from her senpai subtly teasing her over her chest size, and from making sure that Uruka and Rizu kept their mouths sealed over the 'living together with the boyfriend' ordeal. The ambience of the beach was certainly peaceful, but unfortunately the same couldn't be said for her heart rate. Offering to get everyone lemonade from a nearby stand, she finally had the opportunity to take a breather.

'Jeez...and here I thought I might have had a few chances to hold hands with Nariyuki…' She thought to herself. As she was standing in the line for the stand however, her attention suddenly shifted to a familiar someone sitting a few yards away. The striking pink hair made identifying said person quite effortless.

Kirisu Sensei was sitting by herself, looking out longingly towards the coastline. Fumino followed the woman's gaze and was surprised to see it focused on where she had just come from; where Nariyuki, Asumi, Uruka, and Rizu were currently enjoying a swim in the beach waters.

She almost looked...sad.

Leaving her spot in the line, Fumino curiously approached her former teacher.

"Kirisu Sensei?"

The woman yelped in response to her voice and whipped her head towards her. "F-Furuhashi…! W-what are you doing here?!" Her reaction clearly gave away the idea that she had been caught doing something indecent. For example, spying on her former students.

"Uhm...I was just about to get some lemonade for everyone before I saw you." She replied honestly. "W-what about you? What are you doing here, Sensei?"

For a moment, the woman's eyes appeared to panic, but she quickly cleared her throat to recompose herself. "Simple. As you can see, I'm appreciating the serene atmosphere of Odaiba beach."

"But...earlier when we invited you to come with us, you said you were going to stay at the guest house the whole day to finish your work."

Kirisu stiffened, and this time her composure wasn't nearly as in control.

"I-indeed! I've completed the work, and I have now decided to temporarily catch a breath of fresh air. T-there's nothing more to it!" She insisted sternly, but her voice was far too distressed to give off the same impression.

"I-I see..." Fumino silently accepted the explanation. It made sense. It was summer break after all. Surely teachers couldn't be that swamped with work during this time.

But still, she had a feeling that there was more to it than that. The woman right now looked anxious, and to her, it appeared that her sensei didn't want her to leave. She was suddenly overcome with an urge to do something about it...or at least say something to her.

"U-uhm…" Fumino started awkwardly. "I never got to say this to you, b-but thank you for scheduling me and Nariyuki's visit to the observatory last year! I-It couldn't have been easy getting that reservation…I had a lot of fun that day."

A light blush appeared on Kirisu's face, both from the appreciation and honesty of Fumino's words.

"N-nonsense. You're studying astronomy afterall. It was only right for me to do at least that much for you."

"But the fact that you didn't have to...and the fact that you did." Fumino said before smiling softly. "That made me really happy, Sensei."

Hearing the heartfeltness in her voice, Kirisu failed to contain her disbelief. She rarely had anyone bare their gratitude so openly to her before, and her speechlessness was quite representative of her surprise.

The woman felt the tentativeness surrounding her heart lift just slightly.

"I...you deserved it. After everything that I said to you to sway you away from your dream. It was the least I could do…for wronging you."

"W-wronging me?"

Kirisu nodded. "One of my biggest regrets...as a teacher...was not believing in your conviction for your dream. I was honestly...really happy when you and Nariyuki proved me otherwise." The woman admitted before wrapping her arms around her shoulders meekly.

"I guess...ever since you two have graduated...and...the others too...I've been rather..."

Lonely.

Fumino stared. Her former teacher, who had long been known to be so reserved and frigid had, in a pleasant surprise, opened up to her. It was unexpected, and she was very much stunned by the change in demeanour, but Fumino knew that there was only one right thing to say in this moment.

"Then why don't we be friends?"

"W-what?" Kirisu exclaimed in disbelief. Their eyes met, but Fumino didn't waver. Eventually, the older woman scoffed dismissively. "R-ridiculous. I-I'm a teacher and you're my student...there's no way we could be-"

"What's wrong with a teacher being friends with a student?" Fumino said with a surprising amount of firmness. It surprised herself even, and upon observing the state of surprise on the woman's face, she quickly realized what she had just done and tried apologizing. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you! Uhm...I just...pardon me for saying this but...isn't the only requirement for being friends with someone to like each other mutually? I can only speak for myself...but..."

"I-I think you're a great person, Kirisu Sensei!"

It was a momentous silence, accentuated by the wide-eyed stare from Kirisu. The older woman broke eye contact first, and looked to the ground in what appeared to be shyness.

"I-I've never had any friends…"

"That's okay! Believe it or not, I don't have that many either." Fumino admitted with a laugh. "We can just start with something simple...like a date!"

"D-date?!" Kirisu repeated incredulously. "T-that's unacceptable, Furuhashi! Y-You're in a relationship with Yuiga! There's no way I could promote such scandalous behavior! B-being in a relationship with two people at the same time...T-that's basically the same as adultery!"

"H-huh? Oh! Well you see, a date doesn't have to refer to people in a relationship. You can have dates with friends and even family members. It's a pretty loose term." She explained.

The roles had switched, and somehow Kirisu was the one being lectured now. "H-humiliating. I was never taught this in my high school curriculum...and...I've never been on a date before in the first place…"

Fumino smiled brightly at the admission. "How about this? We can start by swimming together with the others! I'm sure they would all love to spend more time with you."

"I-impossible. I'm just a teacher...why would they want to spend time with me?"

"Because…" Fumino replied warmly. "You're a good person who cares a lot for her students. Who wouldn't want to spend time with someone like that?"

For the second time today, Kirisu was bound speechless. The way the girl had said it...as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, it was a feeling that she very much knew that she didn't deserve.

Yet...a hint of a relieved smile appeared on her countenance anyway.

"I can see why Yuiga-Kun is so happy when together with you, Furuhashi...you two really are...very much alike. Both of you truly have my blessing."

"B-b-b-blessing?!" Fumino started in a panic. "We're not...I-I'm not..-"

"Married?" Kirisu finished for her. "I am aware. Though as a friend...I wish you the best of luck regardless." The woman had hesitated, but only briefly, as she still wasn't quite used to the foreign word that expressed a new acquired companionship. "As for your offer to join you on your 'date'...I suppose it wouldn't hurt for a teacher to get to know her former students better. Education doesn't just exist in the classroom. If I'm together with you all, then I'll be able to discipline any unacceptable conduct of behavior."

It was harsh, but it was very much a start, and welcomed by Fumino as she let out a slight chuckle.

"We really need to work on loosening you up, Sensei."

"Unfeasible." Kirisu replied, and the younger girl couldn't help but laugh at the immediate response. Together they went back to the lemonade stand that Fumino had initially come for, but not before Kirisu grabbed her hand to garner her attention.

"Furuhashi…"

...

"Thank you..." She whispered gratefully.

Fumino's eyes lit up happily as she smiled.

"Of course, Sensei."

The rest of the day had flown by in no matter of time at all. Following dinner at a nearby ramen bar, the five of them as well as Kirisu Sensei had spent the remainder of the evening partaking in a competitive series of card and board games together. It had been a time filled with laughs and exuberance, and they were now hoping to wrap up the night with roasting marshmallows down at the bonfire by the beach after each of them finished taking their respective baths.

Fumino had finished first and was currently enjoying the shoreside breeze along the guesthouse patio. The stars weren't as visible as they usually were, but the moon was certainly bright enough to be admired. The door behind her slid open and she turned to see who it was.

"There you are, Furuhashi."

"Nariyuki..." She smiled softly as the boy joined her outside. "I guess we're the first ones done."

"Well...we both kept placing last in all our games earlier, so I guess this makes up for it." He chuckled in jest.

"Seriously...I had no idea that Kirisu sensei was so good at Shogi. She made me look like an absolute child..." Fumino said with a hint of embarrassment.

Nariyuki chuckled again before his expression softened. "I'm more surprised how you managed to get her to join in all of our activities today. That was really sweet of you."

"H-how did you know that it was me?"

"Well...she was sort of clinging to you from the start, so it was pretty obvious." He replied with an amused smile. "It almost looked like you were her mother."

Fumino blushed and looked away, but not before smiling fondly.

"She really is a softie deep down."

Nariyuki nodded in agreement and they quickly fell into a comfortable silence. While the wind bustled around them, Fumino found herself thinking back on the events earlier in the day, or more specifically the conversations.

"Both of you truly have my blessing."

Her sensei had been kind enough to offer her words of encouragement that meant more to her than she really knew. Uruka and Rizu too. Even Asumi Senpai. All of them had expressed their support for her and Nariyuki in their own way today.

"You'll definitely be married in no time!"

"I would say it's rather obvious, Fumino."

"You really are just like Kouhai. No wonder you two are a perfect match."

They really were good friends.

An unexpected amount of courage filled her at the thought, and Fumino spoke up to break the silence.

"Hey Nariyuki."

"Hm?"

"Do you remember the time...when you asked me about my class schedule?"

Nariyuki blinked, appearing to mull over the question briefly before recalling the previous conversation the girl was referring to.

"You mean on why you're taking so many classes?" He answered. "You said it was because you wanted to start work as soon as possible, right?"

She nodded.

"Well...the truth is…"

"Since we'll be graduating at the same time…"

"I was hoping that…"

"I was wondering if…"

She struggled to finish the thought and she was just about to push herself to do so, but in the end, it was Nariyuki's voice that spoke first.

"We could live together?"

He had correctly filled in the blanks, and after a moment's reflection, Fumino's eyes widened in surprise.

"H-how did you..?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well to be honest, I was always worried that we would be graduating at different times. When you told me that you were going to finish in the same semester as me, I was really relieved. Back then, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to live together...but I guess I was just..."

"...too embarrassed to ask…"

Their eyes stayed on each other silently. Feelings of shyness and timidness surrounded the air between them. It was most definitely awkward.

But then she smiled.

And he did too.

And both of them laughed together.

How silly...Back then, both of them had wanted the same thing, and yet none of them had been courageous enough to bring it up until now. Such was the way of love, always afraid of opening up one's heart fully in fear of being disappointed.

But because it was them. Because Nariyuki and Fumino loved each other so truly, they would find themselves baring their hearts to each other like this anyway. In the end, it was inevitable, and time and time again they would be reminded…

Just how warm their love was.

"So...could we..?" Fumino asked hopefully.

Nariyuki nodded with a smile. "Once we graduate…"

He reached out to hold her hand, and slowly but surely, he voiced their shared request.

"Let's live together, Fumino."

She was happy, indescribably so. Their faces were close, and the moment just felt too right for her to not add on an additional request.

"C-Can I kiss you?"

Nariyuki chuckled. "You sure are asking for a lot of permission today."

Her face turned hot in embarrassment. "I-I...I just wanted to m-make sure! I didn't want to shock you or anything! You always decide to kiss me out of nowhere, and it always scares the living life out of m-"

Nariyuki silenced her with his lips.

After a few seconds of shock, Fumino reluctantly but full-heartedly kissed back.

When they broke apart, her blush had remained, and she looked away with a pout.

Dummy...

"Oi!" Uruka's voice rang out behind them, and they both startled at the unexpected noise. "Are you two lovebirds done yet? These marshmallows aren't gonna roast themselves, you know?"

Neither of them had realized that they had acquired an audience. The others had finished their bath and apparently had been observing them in amusement for the past minute now. Fumino and Nariyuki blushed, but this time they didn't pull away from each other from the attention. Instead their hands held tighter and they looked at each other with a knowing smile.

What better way to be embarrassed...than embracing it together.

"Shall we go then?"

Fumino giggled and nodded brightly.

"Lead the way."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Honestly had a tough time writing this one haha.

Feel free to leave a fav, follow, or review. Appreciate all the support!

Until next time!