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The first attempt to get everyone settled into the van didn’t go well. Akihiko and Mitsuru were perfectly fine in their seats as driver and passenger, but the rest? Not so much.
“Get your elbow out of my ribs, Stupei!”
“I’m sorry, Yuka-tan! I don’t have any room!”
“Ah—Koro-chan! Don’t jump over the seats like that!”
“Aragaki-senpai, are you okay…?”
“If I have to go through the entire road trip like this, I’m leaving.”
“Shinji…”
“I believe that is the use of what is called a hyperbole. Shinjiro-senpai has neither the heart or mind to truly leave the car.”
“Oh my god, Aigis-chan.”
They made it five miles at most—much of which was spent complaining to the two in the front—before Mitsuru instructed Akihiko to pull over and barked out, “Either figure it out yourselves or I will call off this entire trip.”
That shut them up very quickly. They had three weeks before everyone had to return to college (excluding Ken, who would be going into his second year of middle school), and they were going to spend those three weeks on a road trip. There was no question about it.
Even if it meant Shinjiro had to crouch extremely low so that his head wouldn’t hit the roof of the car every time it so much as jolted, or Yukari having to put up with any of Junpei’s limbs suddenly ending up in her personal space.
~ / . / . / ~
For the first night, their home was a large house rented out for them. Their plans to stay in Tokyo spanned four days and five nights, and none of them had any qualms with making themselves comfortable.
Yukari wiped her face, taking care to remove the liner and shadow on her eyelids. She threw the wipe into the trash and went downstairs. She grabbed a bottle of water and made to go upstairs when she spotted Koromaru followed her.
“What’s up, Koromaru?” He nudged her leg slightly before trotting towards the front door. She pulled on her coat and followed him, opening the door. “Want to go on a walk?” Koromaru shook his head and sat down on the porch. Yukari shut the door behind them and sat down on the chair beside him.
She pulled out her phone, meaning to scroll aimlessly through social media, when Koromaru barked happily. Yukari laughed and aimed her camera at him.
“Say cheese!”
The front door opened from the inside and Junpei stuck his head out just as Yukari took the photo. She frowned and lowered her phone.
“You’re in the middle of Koromaru’s picture, Stupei.”
“Whoops! My bad.” He edged around Koromaru, patting him on the head lightly before taking a seat in the chair on the other side of Koromaru. “What’re you doing?”
“Koromaru wanted out. I’m staying with him. What about you?”
“Ken’s in the shower right now. Just waiting for him to finish up.” A comfortable silence settled between them until a strange thought popped into Yukari’s head, the thought so intriguing that she couldn’t resist the urge to voice it. She put her phone down and looked over at Junpei.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that we wouldn’t be friends if this whole thing didn’t happen?”
Koromaru pressed his nose against Yukari’s palm, and she scratched him behind his ears. Junpei let out a vaguely acknowledging sound.
“Like… it would be like if we forgot everything,” Yukari continued. “We’d just be classmates—friends, I guess, but not really close ones like we are right now, and we wouldn’t even know our senpais or Fuuka-chan or Aigis-chan or Koro-chan or Ken-kun.”
“Or Mina-chan,” Junpei said, but not in that impulsive tone he usually held when he blurted things out; had he actually considered his words before speaking up?
Koromaru stilled at the mention of Minako’s name, and Yukari stared up at the night sky. “Yeah,” she finally said, managing to bypass the lump in her throat to actually speak. “Or Ryoji-kun. Or Chidori-chan.” She smiled at that one.
“Yeah.” Junpei was grinning now. “Yeah.” He leaned over and stretched out his hand. Koromaru licked it happily.
“Hey… Junpei?”
“Hm?”
“I… I know I’ve said some really mean things to you, and I’ve done some really dumb things too, but I hope you know that… you’re one of my best friends.”
“...Me too, Yuka-tan. I’m super happy I met you.”
“Keep in touch, Stupei. Like, always.”
“Yeah, I will. You too, Yuka-tan! When you get a boyfriend, make sure I meet him first! No one hurts Yuka-tan, and I’ll make sure of it!”
“Junpei Iori, Ace Detective? More like Stupei, Ace Defective.”
And they laughed and laughed as the wind brushed against their faces, until Yukari could almost feel Isis’s power at the tips of her fingers and Junpei was almost shivering because of Trismegistus‘s weakness and the world felt real.
~ / . / . / ~
Akihiko halted as they passed by the black building. It was a famous jewelry store in this part of Tokyo, its displays filled with glittering jewels illuminated beneath harsh light.
Yukari stopped beside him, although Akihiko didn’t catch the look of confusion on her face as it passed when she cleared her throat in realization.
“Do you want to go in?” Yukari asked, a knowing smile on her lips. Akihiko paused, and she continued, “If it helps, I have the same ring size as Mitsuru.”
“I… yes, it does, but why do you know that?”
“Modeling things. She had to help me pick out a ring for a shot.” Yukari pulled open the door and gestured for him to enter. “Go on.”
He chuckled and stepped inside. He fended off the attempts of store attendants to help him and made his way to the rather prevalent display of rings, Yukari trailing after him.
Akihiko would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about a future with Mitsuru at least once. Or twice. Or five times a day. To tell the truth, it was Mitsuru who had asked him and Yukari to go buy some groceries and breakfast. In that moment, Akihiko had barely been able to hold back a grin. Even the thought of running errands for Mitsuru for the rest of life filled him with joy, as long as he was with her.
He’d heard various horror stories about proposal preparations—things about not being able to find the perfect ring or not being sure if the other would say yes—but none of that seemed to be on Akihiko’s mind. All he really could think about was being able to have a proper future with Mitsuru. Sanada Mitsuru. It sounded so… right.
His phone buzzed after they tried on a third ring, and then again. A call from Shinji, he discovered when he pulled out his phone. He picked up.
“Hey. Mitsuru had me call. What’s taking so long?”
Akihiko was too busy studying another ring to listen to his friend properly. Yukari took the phone away with a sigh and brought it up to her ear.
“Hi, Shinjiro-senpai. Akihiko-senpai’s a little distracted.”
A pause.
“No, we got all the stuff! It’s just…” she glanced at Akihiko, who managed a nod before his attention became consumed with looking at rings. “We stopped by a jewelry store. He’s getting something for Mitsuru-senpai.”
She stopped speaking, and then poked Akihiko in the shoulder.
“Shinjiro-senpai says he wants to talk to you.”
A feeling of apprehension suddenly grounded Akihiko, and he took his phone. “Shinji?”
“Aki, have you even thought this through clearly?”
“Not really, no.” He watched Yukari put on the ring, and tried to imagine Mitsuru wearing it. “That one’s not too bad.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “We can keep it in mind.”
“...Send a picture,” Shinjiro demanded gruffly. “Which ones have you tried on?”
“I think Yukari has the pictures. We’ve tried on four or so.”
“I’ll send them, give me a second.” She took a picture of her hand with her phone before scrolling through her contacts. A few taps later, she reported, “They’re sending.”
Akihiko turned his gaze to the nearby display again.
“Are you really thinking about it, Aki?” Shinjiro asked suddenly. Akihiko suppressed the start that jumped through his body.
“Is it that hard to believe?” he questioned.
“Shit, Aki, I didn’t mean it like that. I just… you know Mitsuru. She’s basically got the entire world in her fucking hands. You’re graduating next year. You’ll be in the police force and she’s gonna be thrust into running a company, and they ain’t gonna appreciate you there. You know the people she has to deal with. They’re…”
“‘Incredibly shitty?’” Akihiko quoted from a conversation they’d had sometime last month. Shinjiro chuckled.
“Glad you remember.”
“Yeah. I know, Shinji. I know what I signed up for. And I guess…” he huffed and shoved a gloved hand into his pocket. “I don’t know. I guess proposing is too strong of a word. I don’t want to plan for a wedding yet. I just want to secure that… you know. She’ll be with me, and I’ll be with her.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I guess… I don’t know. It’s not really a engagement ring, if that makes sense. It’s something… less than that, but has the same idea. Like… a promise ring?”
“A promise ring,” Shinjiro echoed, and Akihiko could practically see the expression of exasperation on his friend’s face. “You’re so fuckin’ cheesy sometimes.”
“Yeah. I know.” There was a moment of silence. Akihiko’s eyes began to drift again. Yukari was examining a display not far away, so Akihiko took a few steps away to look over a row of opened ring boxes.
“I don’t like any of these.”
“What, the rings we tried?”
“Yeah.”
“Well it’s for Mitsuru, not you. Besides, we’re still looking.”
“Fuck you, my input matters.”
“As the fiancé speaking to his best man, I disagree.”
“Fuck off.”
Akihiko chuckled and picked up one of the boxes. The band of the ring was slim but supported by interwoven strands of gold and silver. Three icy blue gems sat upon the helm, two small ones supporting the centerpiece jewel. It reminded him of a crown and, the more he thought about it, Artemisia.
“Find anything?” Yukari called. He gestured for her to come closer. She took one look at the ring and gasped.
“I love it! Here, let me take a picture for Shinjiro-senpai.” She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture.
“Is it that good?” Shinjiro asked.
“It reminds me of Artemisia?” Akihiko remarked in a questioning tone.
“Oh my god, I didn’t even realize,” Yukari said.
“Holy shit, you’re right.” Even Shinjiro sounded surprised. Akihiko broke into a grin, and upon seeing his face Yukari smiled widely as well.
“We’ll be back in a little while,” he said. “Keep her busy until then.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m trying.” He knew Shinjiro was smirking on the other end.
Takeba Yukari created a group with Aragaki Shinjiro and Sanada Akihiko
Aragaki Shinjiro [9:34 AM]: Takeba we’re in the same house at the same table eating the breakfast you guys bought
Takeba Yukari [9:34 AM]: these are important matters that cannot be discussed in the confines of the public space we share
Takeba Yukari changed their username to wingwoman
Takeba Yukari changed Aragaki Shinjiro’s username to wingman
Takeba Yukari changed Sanada Akihiko’s username to mr. lucky man himself
wingwoman [9:35 AM]: perfect!!
wingman [9:35 AM]: jfc
mr. lucky man himself [9:35 AM]: I feel like I made a mistake...
~ / . / . / ~
They hurried on west after their time in Tokyo, spending nights in various little towns until they reached Oosaka, where they promptly threw themselves into the penthouse suites Mitsuru had booked for them.
The day after they arrived was Shinjiro’s day to hold onto the ring, because Akihiko and Mitsuru practically shared everything and they didn’t want her getting suspicious. He shoved the box into his pocket and nodded when Yukari glanced at him. She nodded back and turned her attention back to her book as Shinjiro shuffled away.
“Shinjiro-senpai. What are you doing here?” Aigis questioned when she passed him as she entered the living room and he left. He paused and heard Yukari draw in a nervous breath.
“Looking for Fuuka,” he responded. It was half-true.
Aigis glanced around the penthouse suite before pointing him in the direction of the kitchen. “I believe she is working on her laptop at the kitchen table.”
“Thanks.” A sense of nostalgia wormed its way through his heart when he stepped into the kitchen and he swallowed harshly, pushing back the memories.
No, he couldn’t keep pushing them back. Minako lived for a reason, and died for a reason. He knew that. He had to face it upfront.
“Hey,” Shinjiro said, approaching Fuuka. She started and glanced up from her laptop.
“Can I do something for you, Shinjiro-senpai?”
“Is there a supermarket nearby? We still need to have dinner, and I’m not about to let Aki pour protein powder into bowls and call it a day.”
Shinjiro felt a grin crawl upon his lips when Fuuka laughed softly and began typing into her laptop. Before, Fuuka never would have dared to laugh at his gruff mannerisms.
“There’s one… Oh! It’s just around the corner! Just leave the hotel and follow the road down the right.”
“Mm. Thanks.” Shinjiro made to leave but turned back, pausing before jerking his head towards the door. “You coming?”
“Huh? Oh!” Hurriedly, Fuuka shut her laptop and got up. “Are you sure…?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’ll be a good experience for you.” He managed a reassuring smile, the ones that he usually only saved for Minako. The thought of her still made his heart throb and he was sure it always would, but moaning and grieving endlessly wouldn’t be what she wanted. He had to move on. He had to give himself the freedom she had wanted him to have, had died for him to have: the freedom from the struggles she had put an end to.
And that started with friends. These were his friends, he realized exasperatingly when they all mobbed him with hugs and compliments about his cooking. Again. For the hundredth time.
“Alright, alright, I get it! Jeez…” he grumbled, pushing Junpei away from him. Koromaru tugged at his pant leg, and he glanced down before kneeling. “What is it?” The dog leaped up to lick his face, and he started. Akihiko laughed.
“He’s very fond of you.”
“Well, I’m not very fond of any of you.”
“Aw, Shinji.”
“Shinjiro-senpai does not mean that.”
“Yeah we got that, Aigis.”
He was going to be okay. He was sure of it.
wingwoman [8:21 PM]: shinjiro-senpai can i marry your ramen
wingman [8:21 PM]: no
wingwoman [8:21 PM]: what if i propose to it w/ akihiko-senpai’s ring
mr. lucky man himself [8:21 PM]: Please don’t
wingman [8:21 PM]: yes
wingwoman [8:21 PM]: i win
mr. lucky man himself [8:21 PM]: Shinji why
~ / . / . / ~
“Does everyone have their belongings?” Mitsuru asked as she ran a comb through her hair.
“Hold on,” Yukari called from the bathroom. She emerged with a confused look on her face. “Where’s Aigis?”
“Is she not in her room?” Mitsuru frowned. Yukari shook her head. “Could someone check the hallway?”
“I’ll go check,” Fuuka volunteered. “If she’s not there, I’ll see if I can find her elsewhere.”
“Thank you, Fuuka.”
Fuuka smiled and hurried out of the room. Aigis, after a quick look around, was decidedly not in the hallway. She glanced around, trying to see if there was anywhere Aigis could have gone off to. Her eyes drifted to the end of the hallway, where a pair of double glass doors lead to an outdoor garden. A head of yellow peeking over bushes and bundles of flowers indicated to Fuuka who was sitting outside.
Gently, Fuuka pushed open the door and made her way through the nature-filled space towards Aigis.
“What are you doing out here, Aigis-chan? Everyone’s looking for you.”
“My apologies for worrying you all. It is just that spring feels very strange to me.” Aigis stared out at the garden. Fuuka took a seat beside her silently. “After all, my first spring was when Minako passed.”
Fuuka felt her heart ache at the mention of their friend’s name. Aigis held a hand over her heart, glancing down at her feet.
“My apologies.”
“No, it’s alright.” Fuuka rested her hand on Aigis’s. Despite the cold material she had been constructed from, Aigis’s hand bore a startling resemblance to the feel and touch of a human hand. “Do you find spring painful, sometimes?”
“I shall assume that you do, Fuuka-san?”
”...Yes.”
“I see. To answer your question… I do. It is hard sometimes. However, other times, I find spring, particularly the winds, very rejuvenating. I told her once, during my first spring… the spring wind felt nice. From now, it serves as a remembrance of Minako. To me, at least.”
“I’ve never thought of that before,” Fuuka mused. Aigis smiled.
“I’m sure she would be happy.”
“Mhm,” Fuuka hummed in agreement and smiled back. For once, there was no bitter sadness in her heart. Even after years of trying, she had never been able to do that on her own. She couldn’t help but feel that the friends from her time in SEES really were the best friends she had ever made.
Aigis dusted off her skirt as she stood, pulling Fuuka up by their connected hands. “We ought to get going.”
“Oh! Right!” Fuuka nodded happily and followed Aigis.
Later, as they cruised down the highway humming along to elegant French music because of course Akihiko let Mitsuru play whatever music she wanted to, Fuuka rolled down the window slowly, smiling when she felt the breeze blowing against her face. Without reservation, she stuck her hand out of the window and wiggled her fingers at the biting feeling of the wind.
Aigis, she discovered, was right.
~ / . / . / ~
“That was so cool!” Junpei yelled, pointing at the television. Ken nodded furiously.
“Right!?”
“Holy crap! Oh my god! I can’t believe I’ve never watched this show before!”
“What’re you two doing?” Akihiko asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, his hair damp from his recent shower.
“Akihiko-senpai, oh my god! Have you seen this show!?”
“Phoenix Ranger Featherman R? Of course I have. The younger kids at the orphanage loved it. I liked it as a kid, too. It’s a rather popular show.” Akihiko pulled his shirt on. “I’m going to grab some stuff with Mitsuru and walk Koromaru. We’ll be back by eleven, so don’t worry about us.”
“I never thought Mitsuru-senpai would agree to room with us,” Junpei commented. Akihiko chuckled as he grabbed his coat from a hanger.
“Trust me, neither did I. But she said she’d survive, if only because we’re living in her family mansion in Kyoto for the next three nights.” He pulled his coat on and nodded. “Don’t keep Ken up.”
“Yes, officer!” Junpei grinned. Akihiko smiled back and left the suite.
“Have you really never seen Featherman before?” Ken asked, picking up the conversation.
“My dad never liked me watching television shows and whatnot,” Junpei explained, swallowing back the hesitancy to explain. “I had to sneak manga into my room whenever I borrowed it from the library because he hated them so much. One time, he—” he cut himself off at that, because it sounded like he was telling some playful story about a friend rather than the time his dad beat the shit out of him for reading manga.
“Junpei-san…” Ken drew his lanky legs up to his chest. Junpei laughed awkwardly.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to get all serious there.”
“No, it’s alright. I don’t mind. I’m just glad you’re okay with talking about this stuff with me.”
Yeah, Junpei thought, no kidding. The last person he’d opened up to about this kind of stuff was Minako. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Yeah.”
“I… I know it can be hard, but we’re all here for you, Junpei-san. Just like how you all were there for me… we are all here for each other.”
“I know, Ken.” Junpei grinned. “It’s just like that time Chidori…” he trailed off, scratching the back of his head before taking in a deep breath, “...died. I kept to myself, thinking I’d be fine and that I’d get over it… but I couldn’t. You guys were the ones who saved me.”
“I’m glad we could help,” Ken murmured, smiling. Junpei slung his arm around Ken’s shoulder, grinning back.
“Now, come on! Put on the next episode!” Junpei laughed. “Encore, encore!”
~ / . / . / ~
Mitsuru’s eyes flickered open. She brushed her hair out of her gaze and glanced around. The covers on the other end of her bed were wrinkled and the neatly-folded white shirt atop the dresser was gone, alongside the other occupant of the room. Through the glass door leading out to the veranda, she could see a familiar figure.
She climbed out of bed and pulled on her fur jacket. In the darkness she couldn’t quite make out what he was turning over in his palm, but it must have been something important for him to be so fidgety. She gently pushed the door open.
“Akihiko?”
He started and shoved the item into his pocket before turning to look at her. “Did I wake you up?” he asked apologetically.
She shook her head. “What are you worrying about?”
Akihiko rubbed the back of his neck, his other hand curling tighter in his pocket. “It’s… nothing.”
Mitsuru frowned at that response. She didn’t need to even look at him to know that Akihiko was nervous about this secret.
A rush of anxiety crashed over her. What was he holding back? Was this secret so powerful that it could overthrow everything they’d built during their years together, as friends and even lovers? Maybe she really hadn’t been enough, really hadn’t meant anything to him, was really just a waste of space and someone he didn’t deserve to be with because he deserved someone so much better—
“I want to know,” she said firmly, blurting out the words without a second thought, and watched his eyebrows flicker upwards in surprise. She couldn’t blame him.
Those words felt strange on her own lips. “I want”. As the inevitable inheritor of the Kirijo Group, what she wanted had never been something of priority. She’d spent eighteen years casting aside what she wanted in exchange for everything her position required. She’d never had a taste of freedom or of what she truly wanted.
“Akihiko,” she prompted.
“Come sit with me,” he murmured. She swallowed down the terror clawing at her throat and sat beside him. She trusted him. There was no need to be scared.
Mitsuru froze when Akihiko withdrew his hand and showed her the small black box he’d been hiding.
“Oh,” she breathed without realizing it. When he opened it, she found herself speechless.
“Remember when Yukari and I took an hour to buy a bag of groceries?” She nodded and he smiled reminiscently. “There was a jewelry store on the way back. We stopped by.”
“I see” was all she could respond with. He closed the box.
“I… I bought it without even thinking.” Gently, he pressed the box into her hands. “I want you to have it.”
“Akihiko,” she said as she raised an eyebrow, “I’m sure you understand the implications of this?”
“I know. I didn’t mean for it to be an engagement ring. It’s…. a promise ring, I guess. It’s not exactly an engagement, but it’s a promise. That we’ll always be together, and that I’ll always be with you no matter how bad life gets.”
“A promise ring,” she mused, turning over the box in her hands.
“We don’t even have to get married. You could just wear that for the rest of your life, and I’d be fine with it.”
She laughed at that, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I believe you have an incorrect impression of my thoughts on this, Akihiko. I would very much like to be married to you one day, Monsieur Kirijo.”
He choked on nothing and she laughed again, joy and excitement creating that familiar sensation of fuzzy warmth within her.
“Or… perhaps Kirijo Akihiko is better?”
A hand rested on her back and he pressed a kiss onto her temple. “Whatever you say, Mrs. Sanada.”
That set off a fire of affection in her heart, and she could feel her cheeks flushing red. He laughed and leaned down, nudging her cheek with his nose as he kissed her there. She didn’t fail to notice the blush on his own cheeks.
He picked up the box from her lap and grasped her hand. “Will you marry me?” he asked in a soft voice, his eyes bright.
“Yes,” she replied. The expression on his face that followed—the joy that radiated from his eyes and the way his lips curled upwards into that handsome smile and the way his dimples seemed to brighten his lip—was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and she cupped his cheeks, pulling Akihiko towards her to kiss him.
“I still have to put your ring on,” he murmured when they parted yet were still so close, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.
“Go on,” she said, drawing away and squeezing his hand. He slipped the ring onto her finger, and she revelled at the cool feeling of it compared to the warmth of his palm.
“Come on. We should get back to bed,” he prompted.
“Let’s stay out here a little longer,” she murmured, “please.”
Akihiko relented with a fond smile, and she smiled back. She never could lose a fight with him. When she looked up at him, she could see a light of pride in his eyes. “Minako once told me to tell the girls who wanted to date me, ‘if you can beat me, I’ll be your boyfriend.’”
“So I ought to let you fight everyone who comes asking for your hand?” she mused. “And what should I do if someone does defeat you?”
Akihiko shrugged. “Beat that other person. Though I doubt I’ll lose.”
“This will be the rest of my life, it seems.”
“You said yes,” he rebutted. Mitsuru leaned against him, chuckling softly.
“I wanted to,” she replied. This time, the words felt freeing.
wingwoman added Kirijo Mitsuru
wingwoman changed Kirijo Mitsuru’s username to mrs. sanada
wingwoman [12:51 AM]: WE DID IT!!
wingman [12:51 AM]: really Aki did all the work but sure
mr. lucky man himself [12:51 AM]: I just sent the text why are you both like this
mr. lucky man himself [12:51 AM]: Why are you all awake anyways???
mrs. sanada [12:51 AM]: Oh? What is this?
wingwoman [12:51 AM]: hi mitsuru-senpai!! welcome to the co-conspirators chat
wingwoman [12:51 AM]: by the way your fiancé wouldn’t stop sending “aaaaAAAAH” to the chat ten times every morning at precisely 7 am
mrs. sanada [12:51 AM]: Akihiko? Do you have anything to say for yourself?
mr. lucky man himself [12:51 AM]: I was nervous, okay?
mr. lucky man himself [12:51 AM]: Also Yukari stop avoiding my question
wingman [12:52 AM]: keep avoiding his question Takeba
wingwoman [12:52 AM]: you
wingwoman [12:52 AM]: i like the way you think senpai
mr. lucky man himself [12:52 AM]: I don’t
mrs. sanada [12:52 AM]: I do.
wingman [12:52 AM]: i pronounce you man and wife
mr. lucky man himself [12:52 AM]: SHINJI
wingwoman [12:52 AM]: fhuiawEFUWIAHEUIW
mrs. sanada [12:52 AM]: Oh.
~ / . / . / ~
Ken stared at the glimmering ring on Mitsuru’s finger, a stark contrast against the pale skin of her hand and Koromaru’s white fur. He’d never seen it before—was it new? Or possibly...
Mitsuru caught his gaze and smiled softly. “Don’t tell anyone else,” she said, giving Koromaru a final rub before standing up from where she had been kneeling beside the couch.
“When did it happen?” Ken questioned, tilting his head. He turned down the volume on the television, which was broadcasting a news segment. He was up earlier than usual.
“Late last night. Or… well, early this morning,” she corrected laughingly. “I woke up and Akihiko wasn’t in bed. I went to find him, and happened to see him on the balcony fidgeting with a box.”
“...Can I see it?” He blurted out before turning his gaze away. He’d spoken without thinking again; he had to stop doing that. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… um…”
“Of course you may,” she said, a reassuring smile on her lips. He started and glanced up. Mitsuru sat down beside him and extended her left hand. He stared at it.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I agree.”
“My mom never wore a ring.” He paused. “You know… single mom and everything.”
“Yes,” Mitsuru murmured, withdrawing her hand and looking away. “My apologies for bringing up such a painful memory.”
“No, it’s not your fault!” Ken shook his head. “I’m simply glad that I could see one… My mom always wanted to meet someone and I… I’m glad you could, Mitsuru-senpai.”
She smiled gratefully and genuinely. “I will make breakfast. Featherman is starting in a few minutes.” She ruffled his hair gently as she stood, and Ken nodded.
“Thank you very much.”
The notes to the opening theme had just finished when he heard footsteps coming down from the second floor of the apartment. Koromaru raised his head, his ears perking.
“Good morning,” Akihiko greeted as he stepped off the staircase, smiling. Koromaru leapt to his paws, tail wagging happily as he circled Akihiko. Ken stood.
“Good morning, Sanada-san. And, um…” Ken lowered his voice and continued, “congratulations.”
Akihiko sighed. “Is it already out?”
“No, no! I just… um, I just noticed Mitsuru-senpai wearing it. Nobody else knows, and she told me not to tell.”
“Hey, don’t sound so nervous. I wasn’t going to grill you over it.” Akihiko bent down to pet Koromaru before standing and pulling Ken into a hug. “How’re you doing?”
Ken started before relaxing into the hug. “Good. Why do you ask, Sanada-san?”
“Mitsuru and I worry about you, what with school coming up. Don’t put too much on your plate, okay?”
“Alright.”
“Good.” Akihiko kissed his forehead before letting go of him. A sense of warmth wove through Ken’s heart, and he beamed.
It felt strange. Normally he hated being treated like a kid. He was mature; he could handle himself. Yet, the feeling of having a family again—having people who loved him to the ends of the earth and back—shattered that image. He wasn’t the honor student and part of the student council at Gekkoukan Middle School, he was Amada Ken: a kid. It felt strange, but it felt… right.
Junpei came down the stairs, sighing. “Do I really have to go…?”
“Of course. You agreed to this bet, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but still…”
“Come on, Junpei. We don’t have all day,” Akihiko called back, ducking into the kitchen. His voice lowered. “There you are.”
Glancing at the kitchen, Ken could see a shy smile curling up Mitsuru’s lips. She shut the refrigerator, a protein shake in her hand. “Were you looking for this?”
Akihiko quipped something in English—all Ken caught was Mrs. Sanada—and kissed her before taking the bottle from her and leaving, Koromaru’s leash in his hand and Junpei trailing reluctantly after him.
“Have fun!” Ken called after them. Junpei just groaned and Koromaru barked happily. Ken turned back to the kitchen to see Mitsuru watching them leave, affection sparkling in her eyes.
Ken could get used to a life (a family) like this.
~ / . / . / ~
“I don’t want to go back,” Yukari said as they passed a sign denoting Tatsumi Port Island to be forty-five miles away.
“Me neither,” Ken agreed. Koromaru barked out an agreement from where he was laying sprawled across the laps of those in the back seat.
“Koromaru agrees,” Aigis reported, and then admitted, “To tell the truth, neither do I.”
Ever since rediscovering her purpose for existence, Aigis had come to understand her squadron—friends, she reminded herself, they were her friends—better. Behavior or habits that would have confused her into firing off a series of questions for data-gathering purposes made sense to her. Ken often commented that she was more of a human than some of the people who attended his school.
“Nobody does,” Mitsuru sighed, breaking Aigis’s train of thought. “But life must go on.”
“Mitsuru-senpai’s gonna go back to America next week,” Junpei bemoaned. “The dorm’s going to go back to hell…”
“Not if I can help it,” Akihiko said, but it was clear from the look on his face that he didn’t expect to be able to do much.
“Maybe it’d be better if someone didn’t mess everything up,” Yukari said, directing a glare at Junpei.
“Hey, what’re you looking at me for!?”
“I wonder why, Stupei? I wonder who leaves their socks all over the couch!”
“So!? You’re the one who doesn’t do the dishes when you’re supposed to!”
“None of you do, and it’s because none of you dumbasses know how to use a dishwasher,” Shinjiro snapped.
“Yeah! You don’t do the dishes either, Stupei!”
“We had a dishwasher…?” Fuuka asked softly.
“That’s not the point, Yuka-tan! Besides, I do my chores!”
“Since one year and three days ago,” Aigis recalled from her memory banks.
“Do you really?”
“We don’t even have a chore list at this point.” Ken rolled his eyes. Koromaru let out a breath that sounded like a sigh.
“Don’t fight,” Akihiko called, with the voice of a tired father. Aigis humorously pointed it out and watched Akihiko shoot a pleading glance at Mitsuru. Mitsuru smiled.
“Can’t wait to get married so you can move in with me?” She inquired teasingly.
“You don’t even know,” Akihiko responded.
Aigis blinked, surprise—a feeling she knew well by now—rushing through her veins. “Are you two engaged?” she asked immediately. It was the most logical conclusion she could come to, after all.
They shared a glance in the silence of stunned surprise that followed the question before Mitsuru let out a genuine laugh.
“I’m shocked it took you all this long to realize.” As if to prove it, she raised her left hand to showcase the glittering ring that had gone unnoticed.
“Not me!” Ken called.
The van erupted into pandemonium.
“What do you mean you’re getting married!?” Junpei yelled.
A rough and short laugh that sounded like Shinjiro, accompanied by Yukari’s giggles.
“Congratulations, Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai!” Fuuka smiled.
Koromaru barked something that sounded like “I’m happy!”, and Aigis repeated his words before adding, “I am very happy for you two as well.”
Yukari gasped. “Does that mean they’re officially SEES’s mom and dad?”
Mitsuru sputtered and Akihiko coughed. “Wait, no—” she began.
“My foot hurts, Mom,” Junpei complained, mock pain in his voice.
“Can we go to Hagakure after this, Dad?” Shinjiro asked, a grin on his face.
“Ask your mother,” Akihiko said. Aigis laughed at that one, a joyful feeling spreading through her heart. She wondered when she had begun thinking about her Papillon Heart as a real, human heart. Perhaps it had happened when she had felt the spring wind against her face for the first time on that day in March, when they had been freed from Nyx, when there was nothing else for them to worry about except for the next day.
“Could you open the window?” Aigis asked suddenly, leaning over to speak with Fuuka. Fuuka started before nodding. The clamor of the highway intensified—and alongside it, the teasing calls of “Mom” and “Dad”—but no one seemed to mind. Aigis wondered if her eyes were tricking her when she saw the bright smiles of her friends.
No, she concluded, they had not. They had grown and moved on; they had become free and something beyond just being content. She wondered if this was what pride felt like.