Chapter Text
“Happy Birthday! Please accept these flowers and gift I carefully picked for you…”
There was a short pause. He carefully chose his words because he wants it tonight.
It was definitely tonight.
“You’re legal now… you’re allowed to date from now, isn’t it?”
“Ah, Uuh—nn…” It was a short positive response. She didn’t expect it. Today, she just turned 26.
Legal? Allowed to date? Even teenagers are (emotionally) allowed to fall in love. At 26 years old, isn’t it late already?
“We’ve seen each other a couple of times. My sister would often invite you at home so you could teach her to cook. Every time the two of you prepares a meal it would always be me and our younger brother eating those...”
“Those were really delicious”
He smiled while still looking straight to the eyes of the girl in front of him. Later, she won’t be just a “girl” he had known for years. His sister’s friend whom he is watching from afar... for quite a long time now.
“I told you how I feel towards you. That feeling grew stronger by day.”
“Kyyaaahhhh!!!” There was a short distraction. One of the girls in attendance screamed.
Ohh, one of the women, I mean. They are no girls anymore. Most of them in their mid 20s and at the height of their respective careers.
Everyone was in the middle of the dinner hall. They were frolicking, chit chatting, laughing, enjoying when a guy carrying flowers and a gift box came and went straight to the birthday girl. Five minutes have passed since then. All ears to the guy who is in the middle of his confession.
“I understand your polite no to my date invitations. Even to dinners with the presence of my sister. You were an idol after all, bound by a love-ban contract. More than that, you know your responsibility and stayed faithful.”
He took a deep breath. His heart is pounding madly in his chest. He needs to calm it down... even just a little.
“I even asked my sister to cover up for us if you happen to accept and secretly date... Ah, Mizuki just hit me hard. I didn’t know she could get that violent protecting a Musume.” He adjusted his tone, joking a little to loosen things up. Still, he is serious… seriously in love to the 26-year old girl (woman) in front of him.
“Even when you turned me down, I still continued giving you flowers, gifts… love letters on your Birthday, Valentines, Christmas and in other opportunities I had. I never really got a reply but just a Thank You card every year-end. Giving up was not an option, I even cockily thought you’ll eventually fall for me and go on secret dates.” That was the longest he had held his breathing.
He grasped her hands, which were still carrying the flowers and gift, looked down and continued.
“When you graduated from Morning Musume., I thought it was my chance… but I was wrong. They kept you in a love-ban contract and became busier with tours and camps. This time with Sayashi.”
He took another deep breath and looked at her.
“Good that it only disallowed you until your last day as a 25-year old. Aahhhh, I thought I’ll wait forever.”
He ruffled his hair with his right hand as he became a little more nervous, kept his left holding his love's fingers and stepped a little closer.
"Ayumi, for the past year we could only talk thru LINE and sometimes when you visit Mizuki at home. You never directly told me how you feel towards me. I just assumed."
At the last short pause, he cleared his mind and focused his gaze on her...
"I want to make everything formal tonight."
His hands found the sides of her face, cupped her cheeks, jaws and a little of her neck. And moved his face closer to hers...
...and they locked lips.