âIâm sorry⊠I was trying to make you happy. Can you please forgive me?â
âYes. I forgive you⊠It really is the best proposal.â
With that, Arisa stepped back slightly and revealed her countenance to Yuzuru.
There were tears in her jade green eyes.
ââI like you, Yuzuru-san.â
ââI know⊠I love you, Arisa.â
âYes. I know⊠I love you, too.â
( TN: Please understand that Arisa first says âsuki desuâ which means I like you/I love you. But Yuzuru replies with âAishite iruâ which means I love you but in a heavier meaning. And Arisa replies the same.)
For the first time.
The two of them said what they had in mind and confirmed it to each other.
And then they hugged each other again.
To be able to feel each otherâs heat and softness more deeply.
As if to confirm their feelings, their fondness, and their love for each other.
As if to bind each other, never to let go.
Tightly, firmly, they brought each otherâs bodies together with their arms.
It was a time of sweetness and indulgence, like sugar water. ( TN: Sugar water (satoumizu) is sweetened water drank in summer)
And they wished to be immersed in that nectar forever.
Hopefully, in a world of just the two of them⊠forever.
âŠBut that was not how things work.
âArisa, can you stand up?â
ââŠYes.â
Yuzuru stood up first and gently took his fianceeâs hand.
âI was expecting something to happen⊠but I didnât expect you to propose to me.â
She said in a cheerful voice with a bouncy gait.
Her white skin was slightly red as if her excitement had not yet cooled down.
âIâm glad that you are pleased⊠Look, you said before, didnât you, that âa romantic confession would be niceââŠ? I think I tried my best, but how was it?â
âIt was the best.â
Arisa turned around and said, folding her hands behind her back happily.
She had a big smile on her face as if a flower had bloomed.
(Ah⊠this is what I wanted to see.)
It was worth the effort.
Yuzuru felt his own expression soften naturally.
â⊠By the way, Yuzuru-san.â
âWhat is it, Arisa?â
âHow much did you spend?â
With a serious expression, Arisa asked as she looked into Yuzuruâs face.
Unlike before, Yuzuru noticed that Arisaâs voice sounded a little different.
âEh? No⊠Itâs not something you should be concerned aboutâŠâ
âI have a right to know what you spend and how much you spend⊠especially if it has to do with me. Isnât that right?â
ââŠthatâs true, too, I suppose.â
Yuzuru scratched his cheekâŠ
And he told her the price.
âUh, about ten thousand yen?â
ââŠâ
âNo, donât worry. I paid for it properly with my part-time job earningsâŠâ
âYuzuru-sanâŠâ
Pokan~.
Arisa tapped Yuzuru lightly on the head.
Arisa had a stunned look on her face.
âItâs not an amount of money a high school student should be paying⊠What were you thinking?â
âNo, the engagement ring was more expensive than I expectedâŠâ
âItâs⊠true that I was really happy, but there were other options. You know, like roses and all⊠you didnât have to buy a diamond engagement ringâŠâ
Arisa said with a shocked look on her face.
In response to this, Yuzuru attempted to reassure her.
âLook, you said it before right⊠About how you liked the five great jewelersâ
âAh, you took that to heart? No⊠Iâm happy that you remembered, butâŠâ
Arisa said shyly as she played with her hair in response to Yuzuruâs words.
She seemed to be ashamed of her rather worldly hobby of liking branded products.
âI mean, was that amount really enough?â
âWell, if itâs among the cheaper ones⊠Even so, Iâm sure the quality isnât bad.â
âI can tell by looking at it⊠Really, thank you very much.â
As she said that, Arisa happily looked at the ring on her ring finger.
Her mouth loosened slightly⊠and she smiled.
In any case, she seemed to be happy to receive a branded product.
âBut, Yuzuru-san.â
However, Arisa immediately tightened her grin.
She put her hands on her hips and peered into Yuzuruâs face with an expression that showed that she was angry.
âDonât push yourself too hard, okay?â
âIf itâs for your sakeâŠâ
âI appreciate the sentiment, but if you let that happen, you will have no limits!â
Certainly, he had no hesitation in spending hundreds of thousands of yen for Arisaâs sake.
In fact, he thought that it was a rather cheap price.
âIâm flattered by your love, Yuzuru-san, but âŠâŠ you see, money is finite. And more than anything⊠Iâm afraid Iâm going to be corruptedâŠâ
âWell, thatâs true. I canât say no to you when you ask me for something.â
âThatâs it. Thatâs exactly it!ăPlease say no! âŠWell, Yuzuru-san may think that Iâm a firm person or a pure and humble type. But Iâm probably the type of person who, if not careful, will loosen the purse stringsâŠâ
Embarrassed, Arisa said as she lowered her eyes.
Nevertheless, Yuzuru thought that Arisa was a â firm â person, but he didnât think that she was a pure and humble type.
BecauseâŠ
âWell, youâre rather fond of brands and expensive things.â
âUgh⊠please stop⊠Hearing it said out loud isâŠ.â
âItâs nothing to be embarrassed about. My sister and mother love brand-name goods.â
The so-called ârichâ members of the Takasegawa family are reasonably spendthrifts.
Yuzuruâs sister and mother donât spend a lot of money on things they are not interested in, but on the other hand, they donât even look at the price tag of things they like.
And his father, who complains about his sisterâs and motherâs clothing expenses, buys a foreign car that he doesnât even drive.
Even Yuzuru, who secretly thinks that a wagon is enough for a car, asks for an appropriate watch for his birthday.
His four dogs are also money-eaters.
Yuzuruâs childhood friends, Ayaka and Chiharu, also spend a lot of money on clothes and ornaments.
But to Yuzuru, Arisaâs love for brand-name products is in the âcuteâ category.
Itâs more of a natural desire.
âP-please stop⊠Thatâs the only thing Iâm worried about in my marriage with you. Itâs really dangerous to have money available when you want to spend it.â
â⊠Well, if you insist. However, even the earliest you can get married is after high school graduation⊠Itâs still a long way off, though.â
Getting married while still in high school is not a good choice in terms of public opinion.
According to common sense, it should be at least after high school graduation, and possibly after college graduation.
âThatâs also true⊠I was a little too hasty.â
Arisa smiled shyly.
Yuzuru couldnât help but smile as well.
The two of them walked down the street at night, holding hands.
They thought it would be nice if their time together could last forever.
However, the further they went, the closer the time of parting became.
âYuzuru-san. Can I talk to my adoptive father âŠabout this engagement?â
In front of Arisaâs house, Arisa asked Yuzuru.
Yuzuru nodded eagerly.
âOf course. Tell your father that I really love you and want to marry you⊠Iâll also inform my father about it.â