Chapter LXXVII.

The next day…

'Say, Gōjun, what do you love about Hime? Her heart or her body?'

Gōjun Shoran lifted his head up to look at his friend, surprised by his question. 

They were both sitting around the low table in the living room, playing poker while they were smoking cigarette, having just finished taking lunch.

'I would say both,' he answered. 'Why?'

'But if you had to choose between her heart and her body, which one would you choose?' 

'Her heart, of course!' he replied, earnestly. 'I want us to have a true relationship with each other! I want to live something real with her; something strong!'

He frowned at the reddish-brown-haired young man a little after that, feeling extremely intrigued. He wondered what was going on. He had noticed that both Shunsui and the dark-haired girl had been behaving quite strangely since this morning. In fact, the dark-haired girl had appeared quite strange last night as well when he had left her.

Shunsui looked up at him at that moment to tell him, 'You should say it to Hime. Gōjun, I think that you two should really have a discussion about the physical aspect of any given romantic relationship.'

Gōjun held his breath. He wondered why the reddish-brown-haired young man was saying this, and the latter began to tell him about the content of the girl's conversation with her ginger-haired friend.

When he was done, Gōjun got to his feet immediately to go find the dark-haired girl where she was outside by the pond, feeding the fishes.

***

'Hime,' came Gōjun's voice, and getting to my feet instantly, I turned around to face him.

'We need to talk,' he told me.

'O-Okay,' I nodded, feeling a bit surprised.

'Hime,' he declared, taking hold of my shoulders to stare at me in the eyes, his expression filled with emotions, 'Shunsui has overheard your conversation with Natsui last night when you were on the phone with her.'

My eyes widened at him, my feelings agitated.

'Hime, all my life, I've never believed in love. I'm talking about true love. Of that ardent and reciprocal love. My biological parents have never loved each other. Shunsui's mother has been betrayed. And the first time I took the risk of opening my heart to a girl, I was disappointed. But by looking at Kenren and Katsura, I've been able to start believing that true love does exist. And today, I'm not scared at all of what I feel for you. I love you, Hime! And I know that I will love you all my life! Of course, I want to make love to you, but it's only because I love you. But I'm ready to wait for you until our marriage. I want to do things properly with you!' 

I was not breathing anymore. I stared at him, with wide, unblinking eyes, my heart swollen.

He's ready… to wait for me?!

Oh, Gōjun…

'I love you, Hime! You have given me your heart! That's enough for me for the time being!'

Tears came to my eyes.

Letting go of my shoulders, he cupped the sides of my face with his two hands, and bowing down, he sealed our mouth in an ardent kiss.

When his lips left mine, I gazed at him through my tears, to whisper, 'I love you too, Gōjun! And I know that it's forever!'

***

Unbeknownst to the two love birds, a certain reddish-brown-haired young man was watching them secretly from the window. 

A self-satisfied smile came to Shunsui Shigeizumi's lips.

They look so good together!

***

In the evening...

Some times after dinner, Natsui called me, and I informed her about the conversation I had had with Gōjun at noon.

'Does this mean that you're officially a couple now?!' she exclaimed, ecstatically.

'Yes,' I chuckled.

'Oh, I'm so happy for you!'

'Thanks.'

'By the way, Hime, if I'm calling you, it is to inform you of something. In fact, I have a great news to announce to you!'

'What is it?' I asked, holding my breath in anticipation. 

'Are you ready to hear it? Well, listen! Tomorrow, I've inviting you to the opening of the Mizoroge Restaurant!'

My eyes went wide; my heart skipping a beat.

'The Mizoroge Restaurant?! Natsui, is it what I am thinking?!'

'Yes!' she exclaimed, cheerily. 'My mother and I are going to open a restaurant! And can you guess where it's going to be?! In the commercial emplacement just beneath our apartment itself!'

'Oh my god, Natsui! It's absolutely wonderful!' 

I was thrilled.

'How did you manage-'

'I'll tell you everything tomorrow in person! I'm going to keep it as a surprise! On this, see you tomorrow!'

She gave me a small chuckle, and hang up.

Kami-sama! I'm so happy for her mother and her!

***

The following day…

Shunsui, Gōjun, Tsubasa-sama, Saien-sensei and I found ourselves at the inauguration of the restaurant of Natsui and her mother. Yūsei Nishoji was present by their side. Unfortunately, his brother, Sōken, and legal tutor, Naoyasu Hanabusa have been unable to make it as they had gone out of town. Katsura-san and Gōjun's father had been invited to the inauguration too, the couple having returned from their honeymoon this morning. We didn't miss to felicitate them again for their marriage. 

The inauguration of the restaurant was kept private, and we all sat together to enjoy a meal in good humor. It was a marvelous feeling to be surrounded like this by all the people who were dearest to us in this world.

The emplacement had been furnished with all that a restaurant needed. It was very cosy, and the ginger-haired girl intended to help her mother after school and during the weekends. We all congratulated them several times for the achievement. I knew that it was a dream come true. Natsui had told me once that their big dream to her mother and she is to open a restaurant, where the woman would be the chef and she will be her assistant. But I also knew that they had been saving money to buy a house of their own in priority, and therefore this made me a little anxious for them.

It was sometimes after lunch that Natsui and I sat together at the counter of the restaurant to have a small chat with each other.

'Did you use the money that you had saved to buy a house in order to set up the restaurant?' 

'No,' she answered, with a smile. 'We have found a sponsor. It's Tsubasa-sama who has financed everything.'

My eyes widened at her in surprise.

'Tsubasa-sama?'

'Yes. One good morning, she came to visit us to tell us that she has always thought that this area deserves a good restaurant, and if we would accept to open one. She said that she would finance everything in exchange of a few free meals!'

She chuckled, and a smile came to my lips.

Oh Tsubasa-sama...

'No, in fact, she admitted to me afterwards that it's Shunsui's idea.'

I was surprised again.

'Shunsui?'

'Yes!'

I turned my head around to look at the reddish-brown-haired young man where he was sitting at a table with Gōjun, the two talking to each other.

Oh Shunsui…

I remembered that I had told the reddish-brown-haired young man once in passing about Natsui and her mother's dream, but I would never have thought that he would do this. 

'In a few years, we would have made enough profit, and we will use this money together with our savings to buy the apartment, as well as the restaurant. My mother and I have had a talk with our landlord. He has told us that he will not sell the building to anyone but us!'

'Oh, Natsui!' I exclaimed. 'It's absolutely fantastic!' 

'You know, I think that Shunsui has his hand in that too. And I'm becoming more and more convinced that he's the one who has helped us to obtain the apartment.'

I gave her a meek smile. Shunsui had made me promise that I wouldn't tell her about it.

'It's him, isn't it?' she said, looking at me in the eyes. 

It was not really a question. It was a statement. She had no doubts anymore.

She lowered her head to smile. 

'We're forever grateful to Tsubasa-sama and him!'

'They have a heart of gold!' I whispered, taking another look at Shunsui, and the blonde woman who has joined Gōjun and him at the table now, my heart swollen with emotions.

'Well, the dishes are awaiting me!' the ginger-haired girl declared then, with a cheery smile.

Getting out of my seat, I told her to wait, that I was going to do it.

'And if you're okay with it, I will come to help your mother and you whenever I can during the weekends!' I added, with another smile.

'Oh, Hime!' she cooed, and sending her arms around my neck, she gave me a large hug. 'You're a true friend! Thank you!' 

She left to catch up with her boyfriend, while I headed for the small room at the back of the restaurant to do the dishes. Once I was done and I had dried all the utensils with a cloth, I went to wash my hands at the lavabo a small distance away. As I made my way back to the sink to find my ring again, suddenly, for my heart to jump to my throat as I realized that it was not where I had left it anymore! I had removed it to do the dishes!

Oh my god! Where is it gone?!

I searched on the floor for a while, but without finding it.

Did it go down the pipe?

I had left it on the counter by the side of the sink!

Oh no!

I stared at mouth of the pipe, horror-struck.

If it had gone down the pipe, it must already be in the drains by now!

'Hime, what's wrong?' Natsui asked me, as she entered the kitchen, concerned at my panicked expression.

'I have lost the ring Gōjun has given to me! He's going to kill me!'

She drew up to me, her expression completely alarmed now.

'Did you search everywhere?'

'Yes. I think it has gone down the pipe of the sink! Oh my god! Kami-sama!'

I covered my face with my hands.

'Hime, relax!' the ginger-haired girl told me, putting a hand down onto my shoulder. 'If it has gone down the pipe, perhaps it's still there. The other day, a coin has gone down the pipe and we have been able to take it out!'

'Really?!'

Just at that moment, Gōjun appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, calling out to me, 

'Hime?'

'Y-Yes?' I stammered.

'Come, have a walk with me!' he said, giving me a small sign of his head.

'O-Okay.'

Once he was gone out of the door, I looked at Natsui's face again, my expression even more horrified than before.

In fact, I didn't really think Gōjun was going to kill me. But I was sure that it was going to hurt his feelings if he knew that I have lost the ring he had given to me. 

'Look! Don't worry! Yūsei and I are going to dismantle the pipe and see if we can find your ring. You go with him! And just- hide your hand!'

'Alright,' I said, breathlessly.

I really hoped that they were going to find it by the time we come back. Fortunately, I was wearing a dress that had pockets. Slipping my left hand in one of the front pockets of my dress, I came out of the kitchen to meet up with Gōjun. He sent his arm around my shoulders to lead me out of the restaurant, and we began to take a walk together. 

I kept my eyes down during the whole while, my heart beating very fast at the thought that I might never find the ring back, or worse, that he might discover that I have lost it.

Our walk led us to the local public park. 

There was a small jetty on the lake, with a roofed kiosk at the end of it. 

When we arrived under kiosk, Gōjun pulled me gently to a stop by my right hand to make me turn around to face him, and reaching out for my left hand with his free one, he took it out of my pocket to look at my annular.

My heart throbbed.

'Gōjun… I'm sorry,' I apologized, sincerely. 'I have lost the ring you have given to me.'

'You didn't lose it,' he told me, and letting go of my right hand, he took something out of the back pocket of his jeans. My eyes went wide in shock when I saw that it was none other than the ring he had given to me itself! 

'I stole it from you earlier when you had your back turned towards the sink!'

I looked up at his face instantly, my eyes growing even wider at him.

Why did he do that?

I was extremely intrigued.

'Hime,' he declared, with fervor, staring at me in the eyes, 'I love you. Shunsui, his mother, Kenren, Katsura, and you, are my family. I want to marry you, Hime! Not in five or ten years. I want to marry you once we have finished high school! I can't imagine spending a single day of my life without having you by my side!'

My heart skipped a beat.

'Hime Kirigakure,' he said, getting down onto one of his knees on the ground, while still holding my left hand in his, 'I promise to love you and cherish you till my last breath! Will you marry me?'

Tears welled up my eyes, and I covered my mouth with my hand, unable to speak for a whole minute with the emotion.

'Yes,' I managed to answer at last, and bringing the ring to my annular, he slipped it on my finger, before he got to his feet to cup the side of my face with his other hand and hold my gaze with a gentle smile on his lips.

'I love you,' he said.

'I love you too,' I whispered.

Bowing down, he pressed his lips against mine, sealing our mouths in a passionate kiss.

When his lips abandoned mine, we gazed at each other again, smiling blissfully, before he murmured to me, 'We need to announce it to everyone.'

'Yes,' I murmured back, and on this, we made our way back to the restaurant to give the news of our official engagement to everyone.

'Can we have everyone's attention please?' Gōjun called, as we entered through the door of the restaurant. 

Everyone stopped talking to turn around to face us.

'We have something to announce to you.'

We were standing side by side, and holding hands. Looking at each other's face, we exchanged a tender smile, before we looked back at everyone, and taking a deep breath, Gōjun announced, 'Hime and I have decided to get married once we finish high school! And the day we have chosen for our marriage is the very next day of the graduation ceremony! We have officially gotten engaged today!'

'Oh my god, Gōjun, Hime!' Tsubasa-sama and Shunsui exclaimed together, in a delighted tone, and moving up to us, they gave us a bear hug us to congratulate us. Natsui and Yūsei did the same, and so did Saien-sensei.

'You'd better take good care of her!' the red-haired male said Gōjun, before smiled more widely, to declare, 'Nah! I know that you will take good care of her!'

We looked at Kenren Shoran and Katsura-san after that, a little nervously.

'Otō-san?' Gōjun said.

It was the first time that I was hearing him call the dark-haired male like this.

'It's not me who is going to refuse you my blessing,' the man told us, watching us with a tender smile, pulling his wife closer against his side. 'I remind you that Katsura and I had almost gotten married after high school. Every day of this life is important, and rather spend them all with the woman of your life! Congratulations to both of you!'

Closing the small distance between us, they gave us an arm hug, wishing us a lot of happiness.

And Shunsui immortalized this moment with a selfie of all ten of us.

Thank you for reading!