That moment—
To Yuzuru, it felt like eternity.
Silence took hold of the room.
It was as though time itself had stopped.
Only the sound of their heartbeats marked its passage.
“…Yes.”
A small voice broke the stillness.
Arisa moved her lips and gave Yuzuru a clear answer to his feelings.
“With pleasure!”
The instant she said it, Arisa collapsed from her chair and threw herself into Yuzuru’s arms.
Startled, he hurried to catch her.
His “fiancée”—no, his fiancée’s body was soft, and warm.
“You’re late… Yuzuru-san.”
“I’m sorry. …I wanted to make you happy. Can you forgive me?”
“Yes. …I’ll forgive you. It really was the best proposal.”
Saying that, Arisa pulled back slightly and showed him her face.
Tears shimmered in her jade-coloured eyes.
“Yuzuru-san, I love you.”
“I know. …I love you, Arisa.”
“Yes. I know… I love you too.”
For the first time,
they put their feelings into words and confirmed them.
Then they embraced again.
So they could feel each other’s warmth and softness more deeply.
As if to reassure themselves of their feelings, their affection, their love.
As if binding each other, never to let go.
They pulled each other close, tightly, tightly, with both arms.
It was a moment as sweet and melting as sugar water.
They wanted to remain immersed in that sweetness forever.
If possible, in a world of just the two of them… forever.
…But that wasn’t possible.
“Arisa, can you stand?”
“…Yes.”
Yuzuru stood first and gently took his fiancée’s hand.
Arisa accepted the hand offered by her fiancé and slowly rose.
Their faces were flushed, as if intoxicated by heat.
“Um, Yuzuru-san… could I ask you something?”
Saying that, Arisa held out her left hand.
Yuzuru took it.
And onto her pale, slender, beautiful ring finger… he slipped the ring.
“…Let’s get married, Arisa. I’ll make you happy. I swear it.”
Once more, Yuzuru said it to her.
Arisa smiled brightly and nodded.
“Yes! I’m in your care!!”
Arisa accepted Yuzuru’s feelings.
On the way home.
As usual, Yuzuru walked Arisa back to her house.
The only difference from before was that their relationship had changed from fake “fiancés” to real ones.
“I had a feeling something might happen… but I never imagined you’d propose.”
With a light, almost bouncing step, Arisa spoke cheerfully.
Her excitement hadn’t faded yet—her pale skin was still faintly flushed.
“I’m just glad you’re happy. …You said before, didn’t you? That you wanted a romantic confession… I did my best, but what did you think?”
“It was perfect.”
Arisa clasped her hands behind her back and turned to him as she spoke.
Her smile was in full bloom.
(…Ah. This is what I wanted to see.)
It had been worth the effort.
Yuzuru felt his expression soften naturally.
“…By the way, Yuzuru-san.”
“What is it, Arisa?”
“How much did you spend?”
With a serious look,
Arisa leaned in, peering up at his face as she asked.
Yuzuru noticed the subtle shift in her tone.
“Huh? No, it’s not something you need to worry about—”
“I’m your fiancée, you know?”
She stepped closer as she said it.
“I have the right to know what you spent, and how much. Especially… if it concerns me. Don’t you think?”
“…You’re right.”
Scratching his cheek,
Yuzuru told her the price.
“Uh—about — ten thousand yen?”
“…”
“No, don’t worry. I paid for it properly with my part-time job—”
“Yuzuru-san…”
Bonk.
Arisa lightly tapped him on the head.
She looked exasperated.
“That’s not the kind of money a high schooler should be spending… what were you thinking?”
“Well, engagement rings were more expensive than I expected…”
“I mean… I really am happy, that’s true, but there were other options. Like roses… you didn’t have to buy a diamond engagement ring…”
Still exasperated, Arisa said this.
Yuzuru tried to justify himself.
“Well, you said before… something about the five great jewellers, didn’t you?”
“Y-you took that seriously? I mean… I’m happy you remembered, but…”
Fiddling with her hair, Arisa spoke bashfully.
She seemed embarrassed about her rather worldly fondness for luxury brands.
“More importantly… was that really enough for — ten thousand yen?”
“Well, if you go for a cheaper one… though I think the quality’s still good.”
“I can tell just by looking. …Thank you, truly.”
Smiling, Arisa looked at the ring on her finger.
Her lips loosened slightly—frankly, she was grinning.
At the end of the day, she was clearly delighted to receive a branded item.
“But, Yuzuru-san.”
However, Arisa quickly composed herself.
Hands on her hips, she leaned in with an unmistakably stern expression.
“Please don’t overdo it anymore, alright?”
“If it’s for you—”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but if I allow that, you’ll go overboard!”
Indeed, when it came to Arisa, he hadn’t hesitated at all to spend hundreds of thousands of yen.
If anything, it had felt cheap.
“I’m happy about your feelings, but… money is finite. And more importantly… I feel like I’d end up spoiling myself…”
“Well, that’s true. If you asked me for something, I wouldn’t be able to refuse.”
“That’s exactly it! Please refuse!! …You might think I’m sensible, or the frugal type, but if I let my guard down, I’m definitely the kind who loosens the purse strings…”
Looking down shyly, Arisa admitted it.
That said, Yuzuru did think of her as sensible—but not particularly frugal.
Because…
“Well, you do like brands and expensive things.”
“Ugh… p-please don’t say it so bluntly…”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. My little sister and my mother love brand goods too.”
The Takasegawa family—what people would call “wealthy”—were, accordingly, spendthrifts.
They didn’t spend much on things that didn’t interest them, but when it came to what they liked, they didn’t even look at the price tags—at least, that was true for his sister and mother.
Even his father, who complained about their spending, bought foreign cars he barely drove.
Yuzuru himself thought a simple wagon was enough—yet he still asked for a proper watch on his birthday.
Their four dogs were also quite the money sink.
His childhood friends Ayaka and Chiharu also spent heavily on clothes and accessories.
So, to Yuzuru, Arisa’s love of brands was actually rather “cute”.
If anything, it felt like a natural desire.
“P-please don’t… Honestly, that’s my one concern about married life with you. Having money available whenever I want to spend it is genuinely dangerous.”
“…Well, if you say so. Though even at the earliest, marriage would be after we graduate high school… it’s still a while away.”
Getting married while still in high school wouldn’t look good socially.
By common standards, it would be after graduation—possibly even after university.
“That’s true. …I got a bit ahead of myself.”
Arisa laughed shyly.
Yuzuru smiled too.
Hand in hand, they walked down the night road.
If only this time together could last forever.
They both thought so—yet with every step forward, the moment of parting drew closer.
“Yuzuru-san. About our engagement… may I tell my adoptive father?”
In front of her house,
Arisa asked him that.
Yuzuru nodded firmly.
“Of course. Tell him that I truly love you, and that I want to marry you… I’ll tell my father as well.”
Until now, officially, they had been treated as provisional fiancés.
But Yuzuru intended to have their relationship elevated to a formal engagement.
That would mean introducing Arisa to the Takasegawa family’s relatives and business associates more actively…
And whenever Yuzuru appeared in public, Arisa would be invited as his partner.
In both name and reality, they would become fiancés.
“Understood. Then, Yuzuru-san… see you tomorrow. At school.”
“Yeah. See you.”
Finally, as if reluctant to part, they embraced once more.
They etched each other’s warmth and feelings firmly into themselves.
Just because they had become engaged didn’t mean their relationship would change dramatically.
All that had changed was that their fake “engagement” had become real.
Most likely, their days would continue much the same.
Even so—
their relationship had taken a great step forward.
