Volume 3 - CH 30

That moment.

It felt like an eternity to Yuzuru.

The place was dominated by silence.

It was as if time had stood still.

Only the sound of their hearts was marking the passing of time.

“…Yes.”

A small voice broke the silence.

And then Arisa moved her lips and answered Yuzuru’s feelings clearly.

“With pleasure!”

As soon as she said that, Arisa almost collapsed from her chair into an embrace with Yuzuru.

In a panic, Yuzuru caught Arisa in his arms.

The body of his “fiancée”, no, his fiancée1, was very soft and warm.

“You’re too slow… Yuzuru-san.”

“I’m sorry… I was trying to make you happy. Can you please forgive me?”

“Yes. I forgive you… It really is the best proposal.”

With that, Arisa stepped back slightly and revealed her countenance to Yuzuru.

There were tears in her jade green eyes.

“‘I like you, Yuzuru-san.”

“‘I know… I love you, Arisa.”

“Yes. I know… I love you, too.”

(TN: Please understand that Arisa first says “suki desu” which means I like you/I love you. But Yuzuru replies with “Aishite iru” 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 other’s 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 other’s 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.

…But that was not how things work.

“Arisa, can you stand up?”

“…Yes.”

Yuzuru stood up first and gently took his fiancee’s hand.

Arisa took the hand offered by her fiancé and slowly stood up.

Both of their faces were flushed, as if in a fever.

“Um, Yuzuru-san. …could you please?”

Arisa held out her left hand.

Yuzuru took her hand.

He then fitted her white, thin, beautiful ring finger with …a ring.

“…Let’s get married, Arisa. I will definitely make you happy.”

Yuzuru told Arisa once again.

Arisa smiled and nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I will be in your care!!”

Arisa accepted Yuzuru’s feelings.

On the way home.

As usual, Yuzuru walked Arisa to her house.

The only difference is that their relationship has changed from a fake “fiancée” to a normal fiancée.

“I was expecting something to happen… but I didn’t expect you to propose to me.”

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.

“I’m glad that you are pleased… Look, you said before, didn’t you, that ‘a romantic confession would be nice’…? I think I tried my best, but how was it?”

“It was the best.”

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.

“… By the way, Yuzuru-san.”

“What is it, Arisa?”

“How much did you spend?”

With a serious expression, Arisa asked as she looked into Yuzuru’s face.

Unlike before, Yuzuru noticed that Arisa’s voice sounded a little different.

“Eh? No… It’s not something you should be concerned about…”

“I’m Yuzuru-san’s fiancée, remember?”

Arisa then closed in on Yuzuru.

“I have a right to know what you spend and how much you spend… especially if it has to do with me. Isn’t that right?”

“…that’s true, too, I suppose.”

Yuzuru scratched his cheek…

And he told her the price.

“Uh, about ten thousand yen?”

“…”

“No, don’t worry. I paid for it properly with my part-time job earnings…”

“Yuzuru-san…”

Pokan~.

Arisa tapped Yuzuru lightly on the head.

Arisa had a stunned look on her face.

“It’s not an amount of money a high school student should be paying… What were you thinking?”

“No, the engagement ring was more expensive than I expected…”

“It’s… true that I was really happy, but there were other options. You know, like roses and all… you didn’t have to buy a diamond engagement ring…”

Arisa said with a shocked look on her face.

In response to this, Yuzuru attempted to reassure her.

“Look, you said it before right… About how you liked the five great jewelers”

“Ah, you took that to heart? No… I’m happy that you remembered, but…”

Arisa said shyly as she played with her hair in response to Yuzuru’s words.

She seemed to be ashamed of her rather worldly hobby of liking branded products.

“I mean, was that amount really enough?”

“Well, if it’s among the cheaper ones… Even so, I’m sure the quality isn’t bad.”

“I can tell by looking at it… Really, thank you very much.”

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.

“But, Yuzuru-san.”

However, Arisa immediately tightened her grin.

She put her hands on her hips and peered into Yuzuru’s face with an expression that showed that she was angry.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“If it’s for your sake…”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but if you let that happen, you will have no limits!”

Certainly, he had no hesitation in spending hundreds of thousands of yen for Arisa’s sake.　

In fact, he thought that it was a rather cheap price.

“I’m flattered by your love, Yuzuru-san, but …… you see, money is finite. And more than anything… I’m afraid I’m going to be corrupted…”

“Well, that’s true. I can’t say no to you when you ask me for something.”

“That’s it. That’s exactly it!　Please say no! …Well, Yuzuru-san may think that I’m a firm person or a pure and humble type. But I’m probably the type of person who, if not careful, will loosen the purse strings…”

Embarrassed, Arisa said as she lowered her eyes.

Nevertheless, Yuzuru thought that Arisa was a ” firm ” person, but he didn’t think that she was a pure and humble type.

Because…

“Well, you’re rather fond of brands and expensive things.”

“Ugh… please stop… Hearing it said out loud is….”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. My sister and mother love brand-name goods.”

The so-called “rich” members of the Takasegawa family are reasonably spendthrifts.

Yuzuru’s sister and mother don’t spend a lot of money on things they are not interested in, but on the other hand, they don’t even look at the price tag of things they like.

And his father, who complains about his sister’s and mother’s clothing expenses, buys a foreign car that he doesn’t 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.

Yuzuru’s childhood friends, Ayaka and Chiharu, also spend a lot of money on clothes and ornaments.

But to Yuzuru, Arisa’s love for brand-name products is in the “cute” category.

It’s more of a natural desire.

“P-please stop… That’s the only thing I’m worried about in my marriage with you. It’s really dangerous to have money available when you want to spend it.”

“… Well, if you insist. However, even the earliest you can get married is after high school graduation… It’s still a long way off, though.”

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.

“That’s also true… I was a little too hasty.”

Arisa smiled shyly.

Yuzuru couldn’t 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.

“Yuzuru-san. Can I talk to my adoptive father …about this engagement?”

In front of Arisa’s house, Arisa asked Yuzuru.

Yuzuru nodded eagerly.

“Of course. Tell your father that I really love you and want to marry you… I’ll also inform my father about it.”

Up until now, Yuzuru and Arisa had been officially treated as temporary fiancées.

But Yuzuru was planning to have their relationship upgraded to an official fiancée.

That way, he would be able to actively show Arisa’s face to the relatives and business associates of the Takasegawa family…

Whenever Yuzuru goes out in public, Arisa will be invited as his partner.

In other words, Yuzuru and Arisa will become fiancée in both name and reality.

“I understand. Then, Yuzuru-san… See you tomorrow at school.”

“Yeah, see you.”

The two of them embraced each other as if to say farewell, firmly imprinting each other’s body heat and feelings.

Even though they were engaged, it did not dramatically change their relationship.

It’s just that the fake “fiancée” has turned into a real fiancée.　

Perhaps similar days will continue in the future.

But still…

Their relationship had moved forward significantly.

Dere degree: 85% → 120%