Chapter 1: First step
Chapter Text
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His heart was pounding in his chest. His eyes closed as he got down on one knee. A simple extension of the arm is a ring tightly clamped between the thumb and forefinger.
"Suzu Naito, will you marry me?"
"No."
Everything stopped. The world turned cold, his eyes widened in horror. Everything was happening at the rate of a mile per minute, when his chest seemed to tighten. His heart sank in despair, and his expression became depressed…
"HIROKA!" a shout from a certain Watanabe Ruka brought him out of a sudden bout of depression.
For a moment, Kei forgot himself. In fact, it was NOT Suzu Naito in front of him, but her best friend Hiroka Betsuyaku. The bespectacled woman is grinning with her hands behind her head. She was clearly enjoying her role.
"Come on, I'm just teasing him. We need to prepare him in case she says no..."
"Don't scare him! God, just look at him!"
Everyone turned to Kei, who was kneeling with a slightly embarrassed look, playing with his hair to try to calm the warmth that had spread over his cheeks. Frowning slightly, Ruka came to help him up.
Kei began to wonder if it was a wise decision to turn to his oldest allies for help. They had been friends for eight years, and strangely enough, much remained the same. Kamishin was still a bit loud. Extremely kind, but loud. Ruka was still in a relationship with him. Auntie Kame was still an extremely sweet old lady who became like a grandmother to Kei and Tomo. Tomo has become a more open and cheerful boy. And Hiroka… Over the years, she somehow became even more malicious.
When he called everyone to ask if they could help him, they were skeptical. It was quite rare for Kei to ask for help from EVERYONE at once. Especially when he told them to keep it a secret from Suzu. It even got to the point where he asked Shinobu of all people to go for a walk with Suzu to discuss his plans with the others.
After making sure that Suzu was busy, Kei met with the others at Kame's house. After that, it took him almost ten minutes to finally tell them why he had brought them together. To help him figure out a way to propose to Naito.
It was true, Kei was trying to propose to his longtime girlfriend and the love of his life. The two celebrities of the virtual world met in there and never broke up. Of course, there were quarrels and the like, but these two remained faithful to each other from the moment they started dating. Their devotion to each other has never wavered, even in the most difficult times. Which made the situation even more dire if she rejected him. Hence the meeting with their friends.
When Kamishin and Ruka heard him say that, they both squealed with delight. Without wasting any time, they started asking him dozens of questions about when, how, about the ring, and so on and forth. Once he managed to calm them down, he continued to show them the ring and told them that he had bought it at least two months ago.
After that, Kame offered to try trial offer. Ruka was going to replace Suzu, but Hiroka suddenly took over the place before anyone could argue with her. As a result, Kei's heart almost stopped at the thought of Suzu saying no to him…
"You guys are making a big deal out of nothing. I don't think Suzu will turn him down. How long have they been dating? Eight years?" Kamishin asked.
Kei rubs the back of her head, trying to relieve the tension in her chest. The thought that Suzu might refuse his offer actually scared him to death.
"This is A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL, Shinjiro! One of the most magical moments in any girl's life. Try to imagine how things would have turned out if Kei had screwed up and..." Ruka covered her mouth with both hands a moment too late.
Kei's expression turned to worry again as his mind started working again.
"No, no, no! I-I didn't mean that, Kei. Auntie Kame, help me!" Ruka called out to the old woman.
Kame was at that moment getting out some drinks for the others.
"Kei, dear, we all know how much you and Suzu love each other. All you have to do is ask if she's going to be your fiancee, and I'm sure she'll say 'yes'." she said in her usual, rather cheerful tone.
To tell the truth, Kame's words lifted the guy's mood a little, although he was still incredibly nervous. It only got worse when she asked:
"Have you thought about when and where to propose?"
The way Kei's body tensed showed that he was still undecided. Everyone else came up with some good ideas; with the exception of Hiroka, who said she could hack into Main Square of U and put his proposal on the air for everyone to see.
"Oh, he probably has a lot of ideas, but they all pale in comparison to ours... OUCH!" Hiroka gasped when Kei flicked her forehead.
He looked at her with a slightly annoyed frown before leaning forward.
"I have big ideas… But none of them are good enough for Suzu. This… It has to be something special. SUPER special! But…"
Everyone was looking at Kei with a mixed expression. Kamishin gets up first, walks up to him and hits him lightly on the head.
"Hey! What the…"
"Dude, relax. Stop moping and think this through. If I managed to find the strength to confess to Ruka, then you can definitely figure out how to propose to Suzu." he interrupted, pointing at his girlfriend.
Once again, Kei felt a little better in his chest from his friend's words.
"Thanks. You guys are right. I just need to think about it…"
"The Main Square of U~"
"Hiroka. Suzu would have killed me if I had done that…"
Everyone fell silent, lost in thought.
"I'm done." Tomo finally spoke for the first time since he started drawing on his laptop.
All eyes turned to him as he stood up, walked over to them, and put his small computer on the table. All eyes turned to the image he had made. Kei felt his heart racing from what he saw.
The drawing depicted Suzu, and a wedding veil was draped over her head. Her shoulders were barely visible, but it was clear from the use of flowers that she was wearing a wedding dress. The mental image of a girl in a magnificent wedding dress made Kei's cheeks turn pink, and the warmest of smiles appeared on his face.
"Thank you, Tomo. It looks amazing." he said honestly.
Everyone else looked from the image back to Kei before Kame stood up.
"What about a little trip?" everyone else blinked at the old woman's sudden words.
Kei scratched his head in embarrassment.
"But wouldn't that be too obvious? If I just took her somewhere out of the blue, it would be too suspicious." Kei began to reason, to which Kame giggled.
It was a giggle they knew all too well. She had an idea.…
"That's why YOU won't do it. I'll do it!" Kame's statement was followed by the absolute silence of the others.
Kei and Hiroka blinked several times, while Kamishin, Ruka, and Tomo cocked their heads to the side in confusion.
"Wait a minute, how does it even work? Don't they need to be together for him to propose?" Kamishin asked, looking at the old woman as she sat down next to Tomo.
Kame smiled the same trademark smile when she spoke again.
"Well, if YOU take her, she'll understand right away, right? But if someone else had taken her with them, it wouldn't have looked so obvious."
"Yes, I understand, Aunt Kame, but how can I propose if she's somewhere else and I'm here?" Kei asked, to which the old lady giggled again.
"My dear, you're being silly. I'm taking EVERYONE, including our Suzu!"
It took the others a moment or two to process what Kame had said before they finally reacted.
"Eh?!"
"Wait, wait! Aunt Kame, what are you…"
"I've been planning to go somewhere with my husband for a long time, but after his death, this idea was shelved, and I still have the money for tickets. I was trying to figure out what to do with them, and I found a solution. Instead of going somewhere alone, I'm inviting everyone, including Suzu! She'll think it's a gathering of old friends, which means…"
"Kei will be able to propose without Suzu noticing!" Ruka finished Kame's thought, standing up, "This is just great! Shinjiro, we're going shopping for clothes!"
"But, guys, you don't see a problem with this plan?"
"And what is it?"
"I can't do that."
Everyone else fell silent, their excitement subsided for a moment. Everyone stared at Kei, who was sitting in his seat.
"Aunt Kame, I appreciate your gesture, but it's asking too much of you. It must be worth a lot of money… It's too much. I'm sorry, but I'll think of something else." Kei reasoned quite calmly.
Everyone else had their own reaction to his words, but only Kame was the only one who stood up and approached him.
"Lift up your shirt." she suddenly declared.
Kei looked at her in confusion before she motioned for him to lift his shirt. He pulled up his shirt so that his abs were visible.
As for the rest, they were greeted by familiar sights. The various scars and wounds he received during his stay with his father. Kame frowned at him before pointing at the scars.
"Kei... you, Tomo, and Suzu have endured more suffering in your life than any of us. Therefore, you will let me help you so that you can propose to the love of your life! It's… It's the least I can do for you as my adopted son..." she said, lowering her eyes.
Kei lowered his shirt in the middle of her speech and just stared at her.
"...Okay. Okay, fine. Only this time I will accept your offer. But! Each of us will have to contribute to this cause. Agreed?" he asked.
Kame nodded at him. Everyone else smiled at them as Kame wiped away an accidental tear.
"So are we doing this or what? You know, this may be my only chance to go on a trip!" Hiroka suddenly screamed.
Kei glared at her, rolling his eyes, while Kame giggled.
Chapter 2: A long way to go
Summary:
* - Suzu's dog.
Chapter Text
Upon arrival at the station, Kei and Suzu met with the others. Kame thanked the couple for agreeing to join them at their little "gathering". In truth, the old lady was trying to distract Suzu so that the others would do a specific task from Kei.
After making sure everything was settled, the group headed to their private bus. It turned out to be as roomy as they expected it to be. Soon after everyone took their seats, they set off, preparing for their little journey. Everyone went about their business to pass the time.
Hiroka and Tomo played video games together. Suzu and Ruka were discussing things related to Belle's recent concerts. Kamishin, strangely enough, was unconscious and quietly snoring in an embrace with Yoshi*. Koji and Kame were discussing various little things.
All this time, Kei pretended to be reading a book; he was too nervous about everything that was going on in the novel to understand a single word. It was difficult, but he knew that he had to keep his composure at any moment so that his plans would not fail. He had everything ready, including several places where he could make a proposal.
'It's okay, Kei. You'll propose, and everything will be perfect. Absolutely nothing can go wrong!'
***
"GOD... FUCKING... DAMIT..." Kei muttered, banging his forehead on the dining table over and over and over again.
To some extent, he was glad that their group had a separate dining room; this meant that no one could see him banging his head in despair. Except for his comrades, of course.
"Kei, stop it! You'll have a bruise on your forehead!" Ruka screamed before trying to force the guy to sit down.
She had to call Kamishin to come over and make Kei sit up straight, watching as he sagged a little on the chair. The main members of the group, except for Suzu and Koji, gathered to meet with him after he sent them a message.
"Kei, can you explain to us why you keep banging your head on the table?" Tomo asked his brother, everyone else was listening intently.
At first, Kei said almost nothing, and then collapsed on the table, moaning softly from his position. It took Hiroka a few seconds to pick up one of the spoons from the table and throw it at him. The guy instinctively caught it before it hit him in the face, but it was enough to snap him out of his stupor for a moment.
"Okay, fine. No need to throw things around..." he muttered before forcing himself to sit up straight.
The bespectacled woman stuck out her tongue at him while he was trying to pull himself together. The next question from Ruka did not help the situation much.
"So, Kei... Is there a reason why we're not all shouting at the top of our voices about your engagement to Suzu?"
As soon as this question left the girl's lips, Kei's body visibly tensed. He froze for a moment, and then, with a groan, he hit his head on the table again. Everyone else blinked when they realized the cause of the problem.
"Kei, honey, have you tried to propose to Suzu yet?" Kame asked with genuine curiosity in her eyes.
They stayed in Okinawa for at least four days. They realized that the first day was too early, so they used it as a way to relax after moving. However, the rest of the week was supposed to be perfect for the couple. This means that Kei had at least three days to try.
About a minute after he hit his head on the table, Kei straightened up and spoke.
"I tried. Several times. And every time something happened, and everything went downhill..." he replied when everyone else looked at him, raising their eyebrows in surprise, "On the first day after we registered, I offered to take a bike and ride around. By the way, thank you, auntie Kame, for helping me carry her bike on the bus."
"Of course. I was very pleased. But, Kei, what went wrong?" the old lady asked.
"We arrived at a really beautiful place. A small playground with a view of the sea. Suzu talked about how wonderful it was to drive through such a beautiful area, and I felt confident. The landscape was perfect. And... I tried to speak… But suddenly there was a damn bus full of tourists before I could say a word!" Kei stated before groaning, "There were a lot of them from everywhere. Some came up to us and asked if we spoke English. This… Definitely ruined the mood… So we just drove back."
"Wow. These tourists seem to be a bunch of jerks."
"Kamishin!"
"Am I wrong?! You can't just walk up to someone and ask if they speak English." everyone else sighed before turning back to Kei.
"So, our fearless dragon was defeated by a bunch of NPCs. What happened the next day?" Hiroka asked, sitting down on the edge of the table she was sitting at.
Tomo jumped up next to her and froze. The others wanted to scold them for such an act, but they were too focused on their friend to think about it. Kei crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.
"The next day I tried to get up early. Using auntie Kame's idea, I ordered a huge breakfast of her favorite dishes for her. Thanks again." Kei said to the old lady, who just nodded, clearly waiting for him to continue, "So yes. A hearty breakfast with all her favorite dishes. Everything went perfectly, and I was going to propose to her right here. But, lo and behold, her phone rang. It was Rumi, and they talked on the phone for an HOUR…"
"But you did try later?" Tomo raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Only to see Kei shrink even deeper into his chair.
"More phone calls… All day long. I kept telling her that we were on vacation, but they KEPT calling her and she KEPT answering. It got to the point where I called Rumi and asked her to stop them. When she did, it was too late, and Suzu was exhausted..." Kei groaned softly under the frowning faces of his friends.
"I understand that today turned out to be as fruitful as the previous ones?" Tomo interjected, whose curiosity was at its peak.
In truth, it was extremely rare to see Kei so upset. Even when they lived with their father, he did his best to maintain the image of a powerful Beast. At the moment, he looked more like a simple man who had a lot of problems on his shoulders. He also did not mention to the others that he had tried to propose several times, but those attempts were too sad to disclose.
However, at the mention of the current day, they noticed something interesting. Kei's body tensed slightly before he sat down with his elbows on the table. Clasping his hands in front of his mouth, he muttered something in response.
"...tried... but... almost…"
"I'm sorry, darling, but could you repeat it louder, please?"
"I tried it in a restaurant a while ago… but... I was almost arrested…"
Absolute silence. You could even hear the sound of a fork falling to the floor. So far, there has been no reaction.
"WHAT?!" everyone except Kei screamed.
None of them expected this. Kei had to try to calm them down for a moment and give him the opportunity to explain himself.
Kei spoke in detail about how he decided to use a more banal option of placing the ring in a champagne glass. The two of them had dinner together and enjoyed it immensely.
After that, Kei excused himself for a moment to 'go to the toilet' . Although he actually went to talk to one of the waitresses to lay out his little plan. The woman was sympathetic to his idea and immediately got to work. She was going to ask him a few more questions, but they both heard Suzu's voice. Kei asked the waitress to wait before returning.
"Leave me alone. I'm here with my boyfriend."
Kei heard Suzu's words only to enter and see her standing in front of a group of five men. From the looks of it, they were a little overconfident. The couple later found out that they were a group of wealthier men who were trying to have fun with a girl who was hiding under the identity of Belle. One of them put his hand on her wrist before she pulled it away with great force; just the sight of this man touching his girlfriend was enough to make Kei absolutely furious.
Then everything was a blur. He remembered walking up to the men and demanding to get away. He also remembered one of them hitting him in the face. And later…
"YOU BEAT THEM ALL UP?!" Ruka exclaimed, while everyone else looked a little shocked.
Kei sighed slightly, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.
"Those bastards were asking for it. The cops would have almost taken me away if it hadn't been for Suzu and waitress. She saw it all and testified. They considered it self-defense and let me go..." Kei groaned one last time before just laying his head on the table.
Before the others could say anything, Kei's phone vibrated. The guy took out his phone and saw a message on the screen.
"Suzu is returning with Yoshi to our beach house. I think I'll go and meet her..." he muttered softly before he forced himself to stand up with difficulty.
Everyone else was trying to think of something to say to him. Of course, they planned to tell him not to give up, but at that moment it wasn't enough. They needed to help him.
At that moment, Kamishin stood up and slammed his palms on the table.
"Dude! This is your chance!" everyone else blinked in surprise before he continued, "The beach is almost empty now, the full moon is visible in the background, so…"
Their eyes widened, as did Kei's, as thoughts flashed through their heads. No people. There was nothing distracting. Just the beach and the full moon.
Kei jumped up and left the dining room without delay. Everyone else looked at Kamishin with raised eyebrows.
"That... was a surprisingly good idea, Kamishin. Since when did you become a romantic?" Hiroka asked incredulously.
He just shrugged his shoulders before pointing at Ruka.
"I have a girlfriend, remember? I'm not that dumb about this stuff."
Chapter 3: The answer
Chapter Text
About twenty minutes after Kei left the others, he found himself on the beach with Suzu. It took him a minute to convince her to walk with him that evening. Stating that there is no one on the beach, and they can enjoy the silence together. So, dressed only in a swimsuit, with a ring in his pocket, he walked next to her. His heart was racing, even though he was trying to calm his nerves.
This was his last chance. There had already been too many failures, and he didn't want it to happen all over again. It was here that he would propose to her. After a moment's hesitation, he turned to her and felt his throat go dry.
Suzu was wearing a simple white bikini, the bottom of which looked like a skirt. Everything about her was perfect for him. In truth, he had long wondered how a man like him was lucky enough to have a woman like her in his life…
"The moon is really beautiful today, isn't it?" Suzu's voice was soft even as she spoke, as if she was entranced by the beautiful sight in front of her.
Meanwhile, Kei was fascinated by her. The way she stood there, illuminated by the moon, with her back to him. A light breeze blew over her body, blowing her short hair. The man's heart began to race at the sight. She was… Perfect.
"...Suzu." Kei said in a slightly trembling voice.
He knew it probably sounded weird, but it didn't matter. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He couldn't do it like a Beast. He had to be himself. Even when Suzu turned to him, he knew he had to do it right now. Until his nerves gave out.
"It's getting pretty late, Kei. It's time for us to get back." she suddenly said out of the blue.
It... almost took him by surprise. But he didn't let that happen.
"Suzu... please wait. Let me speak up. I've been trying to say this for a long time. And I need to do it."
"Kei? What are you..." she began, but Kei continued to insist on his own.
"I love you, Suzu. I love you more than anything in the world. There are days when all I do is dream of you in my arms. Your voice, eyes, lips, thoughts, feelings, everything. There is literally nothing in you that I don't love with all my being."
He put his whole heart and soul into these words, wanting to convey what he really felt.
"Every moment spent together is the happiest in my life. Even when we're fighting, I can't hold back my adoration for you. You are everything to me.… But I want something more between us..." Kei took a deep breath before moving closer to the girl, "I want to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life. I want to hold you to me for the rest of my life. I don't want there to be a single day when we wouldn't be together. You are my soulmate. You're the one who helps me stay sane. I can't imagine my life without you. Suzu. The girl who conquered the heart of a terrible dragon… I want to be with you. Always. That's why I have to do it. Right now."
Finally, he took another breath before dropping to one knee. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"Suzu Naito, will you marry me?"
It took all his courage, but he did it. After all he's been through, he's finally been able to do it. Holding his breath, he waited, holding the ring between his thumb and forefinger, still kneeling on one knee. It seemed like an eternity, but she answered…
"...No."
...And his heart shattered.
***
"DID SHE SAY NO?!" Kame and Ruka exclaimed in shock.
An elderly and a young woman, along with the others, looked at Kei in complete shock when the man sat down at the table. They didn't expect him to return so soon after he left to inform them of the results of his attempt to propose. Even less did they expect Suzu's response or how calm he was, sipping a drink through a flexible straw.
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that you proposed to her and Suzu actually said no?" Kamishin asked their friend, who just nodded before returning to his drink.
Leaving the guy with his mouth agape, everyone else was left in a rather puzzled state. None of them could actually believe what they were told. However, judging by the way Kei spoke, he was completely serious.
"You screwed up again, didn't you?" Hiroka asked, narrowing her eyes.
The man shook his head, finishing his drink and stretching.
"Then how the hell did she say no? Although, wait, not like that, WHY did she say no?" she asked a question that others also wanted to ask, but have not yet decided.
"I'm sorry, but this is a little personal. I can't go into details. Just know that she said no to my proposal." Kei stated before leaning back in his chair rather relaxed.
The others looked at each other in confusion, as there was another thing they didn't understand.
"Uh, brother, why are you so calm about all this? Aren't you sad that she turned you down?" Tomo asked.
They all thought that Kei would be devastated, but he sat quite calmly. There was no deep sadness or pain in his eyes. However, before he could answer this question, someone came into their room. All eyes turned from Kei to the source of the new steps— Suzu.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm glad to see you all here." Suzu said before approaching the group.
An awkward silence reigned even after a few short greetings. The group was extremely surprised to see a woman approach Kei and exchange a quick but passionate kiss before sitting down. Pulling her chair closer to him, she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I take it you guys discussed plans for the future?"
"Uh... sort of?" Kamishin squeezed out nervously.
He, like everyone else, didn't know what to say. None of them really understood what was going on between these two. They seemed to glow with genuine joy as they sat there, despite the fact that, according to the first, the second rejected his offer. After a rather awkward pause, one of the participants finally asked a question.
"Forgive us, dear, but is it just me, or are you shining more than usual?"
Hiroka and Tomo squinted at the brunette, while the others just looked at her curiously. Naito herself seemed quite surprised by such a question before sitting up straight, crossing her right leg over her left. A smirk appeared on her lips.
"Really? Tell me, my love, why is that?"
"I'm not sure, my dear. Ah! Maybe it's because you decided to complement your image a little?"
"Maybe you're right." she replied before theatrically extending her left hand.
Everyone else was a little puzzled by this until they noticed something quite important. One simple thing that they hadn't noticed until now. The ring finger of Suzu's left hand was no longer exposed… Instead, there was a ring that they immediately recognized.
"Oh my God!" Ruka exclaimed when she saw this, "You're wearing a ring! But that means…"
The smile on Suzu's face was so warm and filled with love that she couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks when Kei took her free hand and squeezed.
"We're going to get married."
As soon as these words left her lips, the others began to applaud. Everyone was saying their congratulations and the like, until Hiroka squinted at Kei.
"Wait a minute! You said she told you no!"
"I asked twice. The first time she said no, and the second time she said yes." Kei stated quite frankly.
Hiroka, of course, was also going to ask why Suzu said no, but Kei shook his head in response to all this. The look in his eyes told her she shouldn't have asked. So she decided to focus on more pleasant things.
"I—I can't believe it. My little Suzu, you're getting married!" Kame was delighted when she and Ruka rushed to hug Naito.
After that, they started discussing some things, such as when the wedding should take place, which flowers to choose, and so on. While everyone else was arguing about what a wedding should look like, Suzu leaned back in her chair and fell into thought. Her mind wandered as she recalled what had happened to her in the last few hours. How she almost made her biggest mistake…
***
Kei knew that a broken heart hurts. He knew that not many people are able to recover from this. However, even in his wildest dreams, he did not expect that it would hurt so much. His eyes were full of anxiety as he looked at Suzu. The latter refused to meet his gaze as she stood there; she held on with one hand to the other and looked away.
"N-No?.." Kei repeated her answer with obvious weakness in his voice.
Unable to get rid of the feeling of coldness that pierced his body at this answer. The only word he was afraid to hear more than anything in the world at that moment. And yet it sounded. It left him feeling... Empty.
"I'm sorry, Kei, but... My answer is no." Suzu said with a strange tremor in her voice.
Something... Something was wrong. Kei didn't realize that the woman in front of him was avoiding eye contact with him.
"I'm sorry, but…"
"...Why?" Kei asked, tilting his head. "Why not?.."
Suzu was silent for a moment. She looked away from Kei, and fear slowly gripped him.
"M-Marriage has never been an option for me. To achieve my goals… Marriage will just undermine my work. I know we discussed this idea a while ago, but it was just a discussion. But I... I wasn't going to get married. And... I'm sorry, Kei, but I can't…"
Suzu's response made Kei feel even more devastated than before.
"Suzu, this is crazy! I don't understand how…"
"Kei, I've already given my answer. Now, please, just… Just stop..." she said, turning away from the man and staring at the ocean.
She didn't say anything else. Kei remained kneeling in front of her with an expression of undisguised agony on his face. His eyes stung when he felt tears welling up in them.
It was a nightmare. That's probably how it is. After everything they'd been through, did she say no to him because of her job? It didn't make any sense. It must have been a terrible, big nightmare. That was the only explanation. It…
'Stop. Wait a fucking minute.' Kei almost completely succumbed to despair, until he really began to think.
This… This reason didn't make much sense. The more he thought about it, the more gaps he found in her reasoning.
"Let's go back to the way it was before. Let's forget about all this and... And just get back to our normal relationship. I'll even let you do whatever you want, just forget about this marriage, okay?"
Kei didn't think it was possible, but his eyes widened even more than usual. Did Suzu really just say that? Did she want him to forget about his proposal and just return their relationship to what it had always been? This…
"Suzu... What the fuck?" He noticed that his words made her flinch slightly, even if he couldn't see her face.
Kei stood up and put the ring in his pocket, glad that he had bought a swimsuit with zippered pockets.
"Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? Your arguments are meaningless, and you damn well know it."
Kei was clearly displeased. He knew perfectly well that he had to remain calm, but he couldn't. His anger seeped out along with his confusion.
All this time, the woman did not move from her place. She continued to stare at the ocean and never turned her head towards it.
"It's... L-Listen, I... It doesn't matter. I've already said no. So let's just go back to how it was, okay? I even… I'll even let you have your way with me. I'll do anything you ask... Just please, let's forget about it…"
" Are you fucking kidding me?! Now your words make even less sense!" Kei was practically yelling at her. "Are you offering yourself to me like you're a thing so you won't marry me?!" It's just ridiculous! Suzu, give me a fucking straight answer. Why don't you want to marry me? Tell me a reason that really makes sense!"
Meanwhile, Suzu just tilted her head before shaking it back and forth.
"I... Kei, I already said no. Just drop it already. If you don't like it… Then just break up with me…"
This statement alone took Kei's breath away. Did she... tell him to break up with her? After everything they'd been through, was she really ready to just drop everything?
"...Suzu Naito. Stop talking shit." Kei suddenly said in a completely different tone than usual.
His yellowish eyes narrowed and his lips tightened into a thin line. Both palms clenched into fists as the dragon got the better of him. However, this was not his good side. This was the part that was ready to tear everyone apart. The side that only showed up when Kei was really upset or embittered.
"You say you won't marry me because of your job, even though marriage wouldn't change anything."
It was clear that at that moment, Kei was beside himself with rage. He would have been reluctant to accept other reasons why she didn't want to marry him. Maybe she didn't love him anymore. Maybe she just wasn't ready. But what she said was just ridiculous, and by the minute Kei was getting more confused and angry. And in the end, he noticed that Suzu had not looked at him once since she had refused him.
"...Suzu. Look at me." Kei finally said.
His gaze burned a hole in the back of her head when she didn't make a sound. She didn't say anything at all.
"I'm not asking. Suzu, look at me right now and tell me why you actually turned me down." he said in a demanding tone.
He would never do that to her, but right now he was at loss. There were so many questions in his head that he had no idea how to voice them all.
Meanwhile, Suzu hadn't moved an inch. Shaking her head, she muttered the word "enough" several times very softly. Eventually, his patience ran out and he started acting on his own. Without giving her a chance to answer, he took her by the shoulder and turned her around... only to stare in shock at what he saw.
Kei expected to see her frown. He thought that maybe she would have a numb expression on her face. But what he didn't expect was to see that her eyes were completely red and tears were flowing non-stop. Judging by how red those eyes were, she was probably crying from the moment she turned away. This only made him more confused. Suzu quickly looked away and started wiping her eyes.
"The sea air makes my eyes water. Listen, I'm…"
"Why are you crying?" Kei asked, trying to calm his anger, "I know these tears. You're in pain right now. So tell me, why are you crying?
Something was wrong here. She shouldn't have looked like that after rejecting his offer. She shouldn't have looked so... Heartbroken. In fact, it hurt him to see her suffer. And he needed to find out why.
"I... It's nothing! J-Just the sea air…"
"Stop lying to me. No more excuses."
Kei wasted no time walking up to the girl and put both hands on her shoulders. He felt her stiffen at his touch, her eyes were lowered down to the sand. She bit her lower lip as her whole body began to tremble. It seemed that her knees were about to give way.
"Kei... Please… I can not…"
"What? Suzu, please… Please be honest with me. I... If you tell me the truth… I will never ask again." he said without thinking.
Just thinking about it broke his heart even more, but seeing her so sad? It was much worse for him.
Suzu was silent for a few moments. Her body was still shaking, and her lower lip was trembling between her teeth. She was clearly in pain and didn't know how to react at first. Until she finally spoke.
"...You know that my mother died when I was very young." she began to tell me. "There were days when I didn't get out of bed for hours and just... immersed myself in my grief. In the end, I seemed to come to my senses, but... everything was different. I became a different person."
"What does this have to do with your answer?" Kei asked, but he already had an idea of what she was going to say.
Straightening up to his full height, he bowed his head again. Suzu looked away.
"Kei, you know that you and I are not normal. We both went through something in childhood that eventually broke us inside in one way or another. A-And at some point I thought, what if something happens to one of us? This thought has been bothering me for a long time, and I... I don't want you or our children to have to go through this. You don't deserve to go through that kind of grief again. Grief of losing your wife early... I… I don't want you to destroy yourself because of me..." Suzu explained, hugging herself tightly to stop shaking, "Kei, I'm so sorry, but I can't. I'd rather you leave me than ever be able to fill yourself with such sadness…"
"...And that's your reason?" Kei asked in a somewhat monotonous voice. "Fear for my well-being?"
Suzu was silent for a moment before continuing.
"Yes... It is.… I'm scared, Kei. I'm scared as hell of all this. Marriage is much more than just dating. This… It means being forever connected to each other. That's why… Perhaps it would be better to just stop communicating with me. Get rid of me forever and find someone with whom you can be truly happy… Do you understand Kei?" she asked before finally looking at him, her cheeks swollen from crying.
This. This was her main point? She was afraid that he might despair of her possible death? That why she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with him? At that moment, Kei felt something snap inside him. Which he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Suzu looked at him, seemingly waiting for an answer. She had been silent all this time and allowed him to stand still. Until finally he reacted... by starting to laugh.
Before Suzu could react in any way, he reached out and grabbed her face. The brunette screamed softly before she got close to him; chest to chest as Kay pulled her to him in a rough kiss. Suzu cried out in embarrassment at first, but then she began to relax instinctively. Her body turned to mush when, without hesitation, she began to kiss him back. They broke off the kiss faster than usual due to the fact that they had too little breath. Their foreheads touched as they broke away from each other.
"Well, that's better." Kei declared with a big smile on his lips.
Suzu felt extremely embarrassed, even though her cheeks were flushed. The young woman was really confused.
"I'm... sometimes a really damn bad boyfriend..." Kei's words confused her a little.
"Kei? I-I don't understand."
"You've had panic attacks, haven't you?" Suzu's whole body tensed at this statement.
"I… I didn't have any panic attacks." she said it as a matter of course.
But Kei's gaze did not waver for a second as he continued to look into her eyes. As if he could see right through her.
"No, they were. You were just too scared to figure it out. It was the same with me at school, but it seems like I'm a lousy boyfriend since I didn't notice how you got them too." he sighed softly before hugging Suzu to him.
She didn't really resist when he pressed her head against his chest.
"Kei?.."
"I'm sorry, Suzu. I was so worried that I was going to propose to you, and you had a nervous breakdown, and I had no idea." he was pretty ashamed of himself. "Suzu, I'm not afraid to be with you. Literally, the only real danger I can pose with you is your friend Rumi. Because we both know that she will kick my ass effortlessly if I hurt you in any way."
Kei waited, hoping to hear what he wanted to hear. And he heard it. His girlfriend's quiet chuckle.
"Yes, she once said that if you ever hurt me, she will make sure that your reputation in U falls below the baseboard, and that you will not be able to reproduce offsprings..." she quietly confessed.
Kei, knowing that Rumi was most likely serious in her intentions, frowned.
"That's what I thought. But, Suzu, you have to understand that no matter what happens to us in the future, I will still be there for you. It doesn't matter if you think it's bad for me or not. I will never leave you." Kei stated it as a fact. "Your anxiety won't win you over. I won't let that happen. You are the beautiful Belle, who managed to conquer the hearts of people with her music and save U from destruction, damn it, and something like that will not lead you to fall."
"Kei?" Suzu lifted her head slightly to get a better look at his face.
The man's eyes closed before he started asking the woman about him.
"Hey, freckles, do you love me?"
"...Yes."
"Do you still want to be with me?"
"Yes…"
"Do you want me to leave you?"
"No."
He managed to break through. She answered honestly, without a shadow of doubt. He knew he had to keep going, in case her mind started wandering again.
"Suzu, now answer me honestly… Do you want to be my wife?" he asked cautiously.
He knew it still hurt her, but he had to do it. At that moment, he felt something wet on his chest. The woman's tears as she nodded.
"Yes..." she confessed, and the world suddenly became a little brighter for Kei.
He wasn't sure why, but that alone warmed his whole being. There was a smile on his lips as she continued to nod.
"I-I really want this... But… How can you still ask me after that? I-I rejected you because of such stupidity. This…"
"It's all right, freckles." before the brunette could react, the man sat down and, turning her around, sat her on his lap.
Wrapping his arms around the woman, he kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm sorry that it ended like this. But I need you to promise me something. The next time you feel anxious, tell me right away. Don't hide it, and certainly don't try to suppress it. If we're going to make this work, I need you to trust me. You still trust me after eight years, right?" he asked her.
Suzu fell completely silent as tears streamed down her cheeks and she nodded.
Kei wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, but he didn't have time. The young woman pushed his hands away and stood up quite quickly. Leaving Kei somewhat confused, he watched as she wiped away her tears and tried to pull herself together. It took her a few moments before she could calm her breathing and turn to face him. The one who was about to stand up until Suzu raised her hand at him.
"Wait, Kei. D-Don't get up yet." Suzu asked him, causing the man to raise an eyebrow in surprise, "First I need you to do something for me."
"Whatever you want." he replied immediately.
He waited while she stood there, illuminated by the moon. Kei felt his heart beat faster when she said four simple words.
"Ask me again."
***
"Suzu, are you okay?" the brunette jumped slightly when she heard Kei's voice.
Turning her head, she realized that she was lost in her thoughts, and again met the gaze of her fiance, who was looking at her worriedly. Suzu unconsciously rubs the ring on her hand. A symbol of her next step in love.
"Yes. Now is everything alright." she said when her doubts were finally dispelled.
Although her anxiety hadn't completely gone away yet, she knew that Kei would be there for her every step she took. She was ready to spend the rest of her life with him. And nothing will ever get in their way again.