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Whatever surprise Yusei was planning had Aki growing impatient. He’d pulled a blindfold over her eyes, promising her that it’ll be worth it in the end. She couldn’t imagine what would be worth losing one of her senses for, but she trusted Yusei well enough. He’d taken her on his bike, and they’d been driving for a while now. Or maybe it just felt longer because she couldn’t see. Either way, she finally asked, “Yusei, how much longer is this going to take?”
“We’re almost there, Aki,” Yusei answered back, and she gripped tighter to him. Her hands were starting to wander now, and Yusei groaned. “Aki, I’m going a hundred and twenty miles per an hour right now. Now is not the time to get frisky.” She barely paid attention as her hand ran along his jeans, biting her lip as she thought of the mere idea of getting him off while he was trying so hard to focus. The wind seemed to slow down around them, and she giggled. This time, Yusei’s voice was low and dangerous as he growled her name. “I’ll turn this bike around and have Crow bring you instead if you can’t behave.”
That was enough to cause her to pull her hand away with a pout as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “Why aren’t we there yet?”
“We’re almost there, I promise,” he said, and he had tilted the bike as if he was exiting the highway. The wind blew around them, and Aki caught the smell of the sea salt breeze, the wood of the pier, and the smell of the deep fried food the pier offered. So they were heading to the pier? “You know, we’ve been dating for five years now.”
She considered this. Five years of dating. “You did say this anniversary, you had a special surprise for me,” she said, poking him in the side. “What is it?”
The bike was now at a standstill, and Yusei focused on kicking the kickstand into place. He helped her off the bike, the balls of her feet hitting the ground first out of nerves. Whatever they were on was smooth, however, as her heels didn’t catch in anything. She smoothed her skirt out before reaching for the blindfold. Yusei gently grabbed her wrist, clicking his tongue. “Still not there,” he said, pulling her forward. “Follow me.”
Aki had no choice but to follow after him. Sure, she could reach for the blindfold but something thrilled her about the surprise Yusei was keeping that required it. Whatever it was, Aki didn’t want to spoil it by peaking. Considering his track record, she knew that whatever he was planning would be worth the wait. Instead, she focused on the noises and smells. She could hear children screaming on what sounded like rollercoasters, which reinforced her suspicions that they were at the pier’s amusement park. Children were definitely around, running past them.
She heard some of them mention them as Yusei ignored them, blowing past everything. Aki’s smile only grew as she caught the smell of the boardwalk’s restaurants. Were they going to have a simple anniversary dinner at one? But then why the need for the blindfold? No, that couldn’t be right. And as they passed by them all, Aki’s suspicions only grew. “Yusei, where are you taking me?”
As soon as she asked the question, they came to a stop. He’d lifted her up into a bridal carry, and now he was carrying her. She heard water sloshing as he stepped onto something that she couldn’t be sure of. He finally set her down, and Aki felt the rocking of the sea. So they were on a boat. It took him a moment before he finally said, “You can remove your blindfold.”
She removed it, blinking as she looked around. They were on the sea, and the sun was setting. The moon had risen earlier - both the sun and the moon in the sky. He’d poured out two glasses of champagne, and in front of her were all her favorites. She looked up at him, and he was smiling gently. He’d ditched his jacket, and the white short sleeved shirt clung to all his best assets. “This is the surprise?”
“A private boat ride, yes,” he said as he handed her the glass of champagne, their hands briefly brushing as she took it. “I wanted… to ask you something privately.” He looked nervous now, and he took a swing of his drink, running a hand through his messy hair. He’d now sat next to her, looking at her as if she might shatter his heart tonight. And he’d pulled something out of his pocket, small and nondescript. His cheeks flamed, and Aki had never seen Yusei like this before. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was nervous.
Yusei opened the box and placed it in front of her. She tore her eyes away from him to look at what it was, and then she gasped. Nestled inside the box was a tiny silver rose with clear diamonds decorating it. “Yusei,” she said softly, setting the champagne glass down and staring down the ring. “Is this…”
“Wait, before you answer…” For once, Yusei was stumbling over his words, fidgeting, and Aki realized now that yes, Yusei was nervous . He’d faced worse, and it was becoming increasingly clear to Aki that Yusei was more scared of her answer than anything thrown his way. “I know this might… seem sudden. But we’ve been dating for five years, and I’ve known for a while that I want nothing more than to make this official. I want you to be my wife, and I want to be your husband, Aki. I want you to be my future, Aki. Will you marry me? Please?”
She was blinking back tears as she nodded, taking the ring into her hands and passing it to him. “Put it on me, please?” The nerves Yusei was expressing transformed slowly, until finally as he pressed the ring onto her finger, he looked as if he’d just won a Duel. And as he captured her lips in a kiss, Aki thought this might be the best anniversary they’d ever had. At least for now.