The time trickled by and before they knew it, Christmas had already passed and the new year was upon them. The date of Ai's graduation came and Ken attended.
While the speeches were happening, Ken disappeared outside the venue and saw a taxi arriving. He opened the door and two familiar figures appeared.
"I hope we're not late." A woman spoke in Japanese, the worry evident in her tone.
"Don't worry Naomi, there's still a few more speeches left until she accepts her degree." Ken said with a smile. He leaned in and gave her a hug, "Thanks for coming."
Tetsu was dressed in a navy blue suit, wearing a trench coat over the top. He would have looked like a mob boss if he didn't have tears at the corner of his eyes.
Without a word he stepped forward and threw his arms around Ken, pulling him in close. "Thank you…" he muttered.