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Kaguya’s eyes had already started watering before her knee even reached the floor. Tears began streaming as Iroha opened the box. A single drop fell to the floor as she opened her mouth,
“Kaguya, will you marry me?”
Kaguya fell to her knees, eyes now an unstoppable flow. She pulled her head up and stared into her beloved’s eyes, which too, were beginning to stream.
“Yes.. Yes!” She could barely speak through the tears. A smile slowly grew on her face. “Yes I will marry you!”
She had never seen Iroha’s face shine so brightly in the dim light of their apartment.
A hand reaches for hers, and gently slides a simple silver band with a small orange gemstone onto her ring finger. Kaguya takes but a second to admire it before throwing her arms around her fiance. They both simply hold each other, letting out an alternating melody of giggles and sobs.
“There’s no one I'd rather live out my fairy tale with.”
A week later, after friends and family had been alerted to the good news, Kaguya made a proposal while they were having a simple dinner in their apartment. One Kaguya had prepared herself, of course.
“Leave the wedding planning up to me.” She held up a peace sign, “I’ve had plenty of time to come up with ideas.”
Iroha gave a small smile, “Are you sure you can handle it all on your own?”
“I’ve been waiting 8000 years for this!”
Iroha gave a small sigh as she turned her attention back to the pasta in front of her, “well what exactly did you have in mind then?” She twisted the fork in her hands, slowly gathering some up.
“It’s a surprise!”
The fork came to an abrupt pause, her gaze shifting back towards Kaguya, whose attention had returned to her own dish.
“Huh?” Iroha just stared at her, any actual response caught in her throat.
Kaguya took an aggressively sized bite of her dinner, eyes finally drifting over to Iroha’s before she simply cocked her head, still chewing with her cheeks puffed out. “What?” she spoke through a half mouthful of pasta.
“You want our wedding ceremony to be a surprise?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” her face grew a concerned look, Iroha’s grew exasperated.
“But.. a wedding ceremony is a really big deal.. you know?”
“Of course I do”
Iroha realized she wasn’t kidding, “.. and why exactly does it need to be a surprise?”
Kaguya swallowed her food before grinning, “the idea I have is a little…”, she paused, “..unconventional” She waved her fork around in a circle as she spoke.
Iroha simply continued to stare at her, “unconventional” she repeated slowly.
“Trust me on this one, please Iroha?” Kaguya turned on the puppy dog eyes.
Iroha had seen these crocodile tears before. She wishes she could pretend that they no longer affected her, but perhaps she had really earned that nickname. She simply sighed before conceding, “Ok, I’ll trust you on this one, I guess nothing about our relationship has been conventional anyways.” Kaguya’s face lit up more and more as her sentence went on.
Iroha finally resumed eating as Kaguya stood up and started dancing around while cheering.
“What exactly does she have in mind though?”
Iroha wasn’t sure what she was expecting the day of to be honest, Kaguya had told her when it would be, obviously, but gave no further hints. She was feeling much colder than usual though, a familiar warmth missing from between her arms. Evidently her partner had left the bed early, “Weird” she thought.
Her eyes finally drifted open, looking over to her right to find that, as she guessed, she had been left in bed alone. A cursory glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand revealed 8:13am. Her alarm had been set for 7 for the last 10 years. Evidently, her partner had decided she would need her rest for today.
Waking up without her fiance on their wedding day was certainly not what she had been expecting.
After finally gathering strength, she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled over to the door. “Kaguya!” she hollered as she pushed it open. However, nothing but an echo responded. She turned to grab her robe from the hook next to the door before making her way out onto the landing.
Nothing but her own footsteps fell upon her ears as she cautiously ventured down the stairs, step by agonizing step. As her feet reached the floor she glanced out into their apartment. It was far more decorated than it had been during the 10 years Iroha had been living here alone. Pictures now adorned the walls featuring scenes from Kaguya’s comeback concert, their vacations, and their little moments together she oh-so adored. Several of Kaguya’s belongings had been replaced including a big tanuki now positioned next to their TV. Nothing exactly stood out though until her eyes glanced past their kitchen counter.
The small TV that she had attached to their counter while she was living here alone had a sticky note hanging from the bottom. Iroha stepped over the pillows left strewn on the floor and stepped into the kitchen before she pulled off the note and read Turn me on and hit play!
Iroha chuckled to herself before grabbing the remote conveniently placed behind it on the counter and hit the power button. Mentally preparing herself for whatever shenanigans were in store.
Usually they used this screen to have Yachiyo join them for dinner. It was a habit Iroha had adopted so she could spend more time with her. Today, however, it was Kaguya who was on the screen. It almost looked like one of her streams, but rather than her Tsukuyomi avatar appearing on stream, it was just her Kaguya,
She hit the play button.
“GOOD MORNING IROHA!” Kaguya yelled from the screen. Iroha winced before hitting the volume down button a few times before focusing back on Kaguya’s massive grin.
Kaguya closed her eyes and held the back of her hand up to her forehead dramatically, “While it pained me to leave my lover’s side so early in the morning, it’s bad manners for us to see each other on the day of the ceremony right?” Kaguya’s hand dropped and her grin returned. Iroha swore she saw real sparkles in those eyes.
Kaguya leaned closer to the screen, “I’m sure you’re eager to learn what I have in store for you today!” Iroha lovingly rolled her eyes but kept her attention on the screen.
Kaguya jokingly coughed into her fist, before settling into a mockingly poetic voice. Her hand came to rest on her chest as she spoke. “In order to earn The Princess Kaguya’s hand in marriage” she accented each part of the title in a presenter's tone. “You must fulfill my five impossible requests!”
Iroha simply gave a small smile, she had figured it would be something like this. “This is who I'm marrying after all, who I’m giving the rest of my life to. Of course I know how her mind works.”
“I have five treasures for you to retrieve, in order to earn my hand,” she sounded a little jokingly cocky during that last bit. “Gathering each of these items will lead you to our venue!”
Something about what she just said lit a certain fire within Iroha, a part of her rarely seen nowadays, her competitive side. Long dormant since her days of grinding KESSEN.
“But don’t take too long! I think we’ve both waited long enough for this.” Kaguya’s smile softened as she said that last bit. She leaned into the screen, tilted her head, and held a hand up next to her mouth, “We’ve only got this place booked until 8, so try to be here by 5, ok?” she winked.
She took a step back from the screen. “In order to get you started, I shall offer you your first hint!” She cleared her throat, before pulling a bento box up from out of nowhere and offering it towards the screen, “don’t forget this!” Her face quickly returned to a completely natural smile with a heartwarming look in her eyes, “See you soon.” The screen went black.
Iroha rolled her eyes at the hint. She didn’t even have to think about it. Iroha set down the remote before trotting back upstairs to throw on some clothes, she was still in her pajamas after all. She threw on her normal attire, save for the lab coat, then paused to check the time, 8:22am. Just about 8 and a half hours to find the venue, luckily the first location wasn’t very far.
She trotted downstairs at a slightly faster than usual pace, slipping past their shared living space. As she opened the door to the hallway, she turned around to give one last look before she left. “I wonder how different this place will feel after today.”
Iroha stepped out of their apartment building onto the concrete sidewalk. Luckily, it wasn’t too hot out today. Thankfully the day Kaguya had chosen was right in the middle of Spring, not too hot yet, but warm enough where you didn’t need any extra layers. She turned to follow her commute, albeit at a slightly faster pace than usual.
That bento box was the one Iroha had always brought her lunch to work in. Every single day going to work not knowing if she would be getting any closer to her goal. Thankfully any kind of self-doubts she had were long gone by now. Through all her talks with Yachiyo she had gotten over most of her concerning habits long ago. Of course life was different now that Kaguya was back in her physical form, but it’s not like she was still the same 17 year old, self-destructive high school student when left to her own devices.
Yachiyo had relentlessly grilled the need to eat well into her during her first couple years in university. Constantly threatening to ban her from Tsukuyomi if her eating habits didn’t improve. While she didn’t exactly have the most complex menu ever, it was healthy enough that Yachiyo let it slide. Something simple like a curry or a salad was simple enough to make while not wasting much time cooking, and healthy enough that Yachiyo was satisfied.
Making her own food was a thing of the past now. Kaguya had taken over almost all kitchen duties. It wasn’t that Iroha couldn’t cook, it was that Kaguya simply enjoyed the activity so much. Constantly trying new recipes, purchasing exotic ingredients, and adding to her ever growing gadget collection. Iroha still helped her on occasion to spend time with her. But Iroha rarely cooked alone.
“Frankly she’s much better at it than me.” Iroha thought to herself, noticing the building with her lab beginning to peek its head out over the shorter buildings. The street was much quieter than usual, she supposed most people had already gotten to work by now.
Kaguya had insisted on making Iroha’s lunch every day. At least, on the days she did head into the lab. Now that her goal was accomplished, she didn’t feel the need to go into the office six days a week like she had been, instead only going in for a couple days a week. Mainly for small things like handling general maintenance at this point. She had managed to get taste figured out several months ago which was the final lingering issue.
Now her days are once again spent as IroP, Kaguya’s producer. Writing songs together, joining her on stream, sort of generally just serving as her manager. It was really just a great reason to do what she had already planned to do with her life, spend every moment possible with Kaguya.
Iroha finally reached the office building, her lab just a few floors up via elevator. Following a short ride, the elevators opened into the main section of the lab. Normally this would be filled with the other staff she had hired, bustling about working on various projects. Being the nice boss that she was though, she gave them the day off. She stepped past various tables with half-finished experiments to reach the door to her personal lab at the back.
As she pushed the door open, she immediately noticed an odd inclusion in the space. A black duffel bag sitting on the middle table. The same table which had held Kaguya’s body for all those months as it was built piece by piece. She took a few steps closer before she noticed a folded piece of pink paper resting at the head of the table.
She reached a hand out to grab it before unfolding it, and immediately recognized it as Kaguya’s handwriting.
Congratulations on discovering the first treasure!
I left you the duffel bag to serve as a sacred container for the five hidden treasures! The first one is already inside. Don’t dally too long!
~Kaguya
P.S. - “Play with me?”
As Iroha finished the letter, her cheeks turned a slight shade of red. Evidently that last line was the hint, cleverly chosen to mock her.
Iroha refolded the paper and shoved it into her pocket, then reached for the duffel bag and unzipped it. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was expecting, but she sure wasn’t expecting to find their pasta machine hidden in there. The very first thing Kaguya had purchased for their new apartment. The appliance that had rested unmoved on their kitchen counter for 10 long years was staring back at her.
Iroha couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the memories it brought to the surface. But given that the clock above the doorway she had come in through already read 9:13am, she figured there would be time to be sentimental later.
She quickly zipped the duffel bag closed with the pasta machine safely secured, before throwing it over her shoulder and hot-footing it back out of the building. She had a long way to go for this one after all.
Iroha slipped inside the train just as the doors were closing. She finally took a minute to catch her breath. This train only ran every 30 minutes, if she had missed this one she would be cutting it too close for comfort. She took a seat and set the duffel bag on her lap as she pulled out her phone, the time now reading 9:31am. She had some time to herself though, this would be quite the train ride.
Obviously the next location is where they watched that fireworks festival.
The place they had sat side by side all those years ago. The place where they had a heart to heart about her mother. The place where Kaguya had announced she was returning to the moon.
Even now that she was back in her body for good, Iroha still didn’t like the memories this place brought up. She had stayed far away from it since. Kaguya had proposed the idea of going to the same fireworks festival being held again a few months from now. Perhaps that could replace the bad memories with good ones. But she didn’t fancy returning to this place alone.
It had taken several months for her to really start to feel comfortable that she was really back, that she wasn’t going to leave again. She still had occasional nightmares about it. Still suffered a brief moment of panic some days when waking up alone. But Kaguya was always there for her. They were there for each other really. Kaguya had her own troubles as well, but Iroha was insistent on sharing that pain with her. That was what it meant to be together after all.
Despite her feeling much more confident in handling the lingering trauma they both shared together, she still hadn’t really worked through the trauma she shared with her mother.
She didn’t hate her mother. She loved her mother. Maybe not in the way that most children would love their parents. She didn’t think she ever would. Sure, she had reconnected with her mother. Her mother had agreed to go along with her crazy plan, even helped pay for college, but she definitely wouldn’t say they were close. They kept each other at arms length, never getting closer lest they reignite the fire.
In a way it was Kaguya who had made any reconciliation possible at all. Those few months she had spent with her back when she was 17 had done a lot to get her out of her bad habits. Habits that she had developed to please her mother, habits that made her act like her mother, habits that were actively hurting her life. Kaguya had helped her step out of her mothers shadow and see herself as her own person. It was Kaguya who had made that possible in the first place.
Iroha smiled a little at that thought, hugging the duffel bag a little closer.
A bell rang and an announcement came on. It seemed she had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she had almost missed her stop. 10:14am, her phone now read. She felt the train slowly start to decelerate as the scenery outside showed a lot more grass than the area around their apartment had.
She stepped off the train and hustled through the turnstiles, swiping her phone to let herself through. The train station was still a bit away from where the fireworks festival was held, but she didn’t have much time to waste. She hustled out of the station and began lightly jogging through the town.
It hadn’t changed much in the last 10 years, though it was certainly less busy than when the fireworks festival was running. Only a handful of other people were out on the town, perhaps most of them were simply at work.
She crossed that old bridge and ran up that same set of stairs. As she crested the stairs she was greeted with the same grassy field from memories. It looked just as it had back in the day. She paused for a moment to steel herself, to hold back those bad thoughts, before heading off. She remembered the exact spot like it was yesterday, and lo and behold sitting right where their blanket had been was a lone cardboard box.
Iroha finally slowed her pace as she walked down the gentle slope towards the box.
“Really? Just leaving a cardboard box out here in the open?” Iroha couldn’t help but sigh fondly as her eyes were drawn to a sign taped to the top.
Property of Sakayori Iroha
Iroha wasted no time pulling open the unsealed cardboard box Kaguya had left out in the middle of an open field, only to be met with a familiar sight.
It was Yachiyo’s Octopus.
Well not literally her octopus, that one was virtual. This was the one that Iroha had made herself in real life.
It was made as an initial proof of concept. She had made it during her years in university to get one of the most important question marks out of the way. Could Kaguya actually control a body she could make?
Obviously it was a much simpler implementation, only synchronizing its blinking to Yachiyo’s but it was a very crucial step in the process. Making sure the things she made could definitely be controlled by a virtual being was absolutely imperative. Luckily everything had gone off without a hitch, and her big octopus plush became rather animated.
She had taken quite a liking to the little octopus though. She used to keep it at her lab and hug it. Embarrassingly, she thought it was like hugging Yachiyo. Now it mostly lives in their apartment, resting in a corner of their shared bedroom on top of a dresser. Clearly she had been so rushed this morning that she hadn’t even noticed its absence.
As she lifted the flapjack octopus out of the box, she noticed yet another pink slip of paper folded up right at the bottom of the box. Her next clue it would seem.
Congratulations on discovering the second treasure!
Sorry for making you take the train all the way out here, but trust me, there's a method to the madness.
Without wasting any of your precious time, here’s your next clue!
Printed below was a crudely drawn image of the ocean, with a couple crabs on the beach below. It didn’t seem like she was trying to make these hints particularly difficult.
Iroha simply sighed, another long train ride awaiting her. She folded the letter into her pocket with the other one, stuffed the Octopus into the duffel bag still hanging over her shoulder, and grabbed the cardboard box. She couldn’t let her soon-to-be wife litter now could she?
She broke the cardboard box down as she begrudgingly headed back towards the train station she had just come from, hoping to find a place to get rid of it on the way.
After another 30 minutes, Iroha stepped off of yet another train. This time into a beach town. It didn’t take a rocket scientist, or in this case a Genius Multidisciplinary Award Winning Scientist to figure out she was headed to where their beach trip with Roka and Mami was.
Thankfully a place with much happier memories.
Her phone now read 11:41. She decided to slow her pace for a bit. “Surely there aren’t any more long train rides after this one right?” Instead choosing to take a nice stroll through the beach town. Similar to the fireworks festival, they have also been planning to come back here, though with Roka and Mami tagging along as well. They had a promise to fulfill after all, albeit a decade late.
Roka had gone on to become quite a popular streamer. Definitely not as popular as Kaguya and Yachiyo were, but a very respectable streamer in her own right, even making occasional appearances on Kaguya’s streams. Iroha had heard rumors that she was seeing someone. She’d have to remember to confront her later today.
Mami had definitely slowed down after she had gotten married a few years ago, but she still made a living as a food influencer. Due to how busy her family kept her, Iroha hadn’t seen Mami for a few weeks, she was certain that would change later today though.
As she walks through the beach town, virtually silent, she lets her thoughts wander. With the sea breeze running through her hair, inhaling that distinct ocean scent, her mind drifts to the future, of what there is to do and see. Kaguya had been yapping about wanting to see the world lately. A world she’d spent so long in, but had seen so little of. She hadn’t really been able to leave Japan at all. Now that she could, Iroha wants to explore the world with her..
They both have no plans on moving anywhere though. They love their apartment. The one that gave and continues to give so many cherished memories. Plus, it remains a very convenient spot. Maybe one day they might decide to move, maybe Kaguya would decide she’d like to try living out in the country. But Iroha has a feeling she likes the closeness of living in the city, and Iroha is all too eager to go along with her whims.
Easyha…
Iroha simply sighed as she resigned herself to a lifetime of following along to Kaguya’s every whim. To her wife’s whims. She blushed a little. “Better get used to saying that one.”
A few other thoughts regarding the future drifted through her head. She simply let most of them run by without a second thought, letting the ocean breeze blow them away. At some point the thought “Children” entered her brain. Which caused her to pause for just a second, her cheeks blushing just a shade red, before she continued walking.
“Several new techniques had been developed in the past decade, and adoption is always an option…”
She shook her head again, her cheeks blushing even brighter. She banished the thought to the back of her mind, “maybe after today we can have a chat about that.” She did think Kaguya would make a great mother though.
Luckily, before that thought had a chance to resurface, the beach finally came into view. Not entirely empty like the fireworks festival location had been, but it seemed it was still a little early in the year for any swimming to be done, with only a few people going for a stroll down at one end. She once again noticed another out-of-place container, a little blue cooler sitting under a lonely red umbrella.
A short walk over and a cursory glance revealed yet another Property of Sakayori Iroha sign slapped to the side of the cooler. Without wasting any time, she tossed open the lid to reveal yet another letter atop a familiar sight.
An all too familiar simple black t-shirt, slightly oversized, heavily worn. A memento of her Father.
Iroha set the letter aside before grabbing the t-shirt up. It was her t-shirt, of course. Well, one that Kaguya had commandeered. It may as well be hers by now. Seeing the shirt sitting by itself in the bottom of the cooler was almost enough to remind her of a traumatic sight. Instead, however, she simply gently lifted it out of the cooler and brought the carefully folded t-shirt to her chest.
She had kept the t-shirt tucked safe in a drawer, she wouldn’t dare get rid of it. It was simply waiting for its owner to return.
Ever since Kaguya had gotten her body back, she had resumed wearing her t-shirt like nothing had happened. Iroha had offered to get her a new one, but Kaguya insisted. She also liked to force Iroha to wear it to bed sometimes, “So it will smell like you!” she happily replied when Iroha had asked, and Iroha didn’t have the heart in her to decline. At the moment though, it smelled like Kaguya.
Iroha inhaled Kaguya’s distinct scent, faint hints of maple syrup, a dash of her shampoo, all the little scents she associated with the woman she loved. Iroha simply hugged it to her chest for a few moments, letting all the emotions she felt for Kaguya flow through her.
After a few moments, she decided she would probably look weird standing on a beach clutching a t-shirt, so she decided to save her public image and gently place the t-shirt into the bag. She snatched the letter out of the sand and shook it a few times to get the grains off before she opened it and read.
Congratulations on discovering the third treasure!
Keep this one safe for me! It might need an Iroha Refresh soon though!
The cooler and umbrella were rented from a stand right next to the beach by the way, so don’t forget to return them!
Anyways, your next hint!
Below was an image that almost looked like it was cut out from a menu, a stack of pancakes. Not Iroha’s classic water-and-flour pancakes, but a stack of 3 fluffy, golden pancakes with a single strawberry on top, and a circle of strawberries around the bottom.
She’d recognize that stack of pancakes anywhere, Kaguya had dragged her back to that place the day after she got her body back.
Unfortunately for Iroha, that meant yet another long train ride back into the city, for hopefully the last time. She begrudgingly shoved the letter into her pocket, and checked her phone, 12:57pm. “Man have I really been here that long?” Without wasting another minute she scooped the umbrella and cooler up in her arms before storming off the beach.
“She didn’t even tell me which place she rented these from.”
Stepping off of yet another train Iroha thought, “Sheesh, when did she find the time to prepare this?” Her phone now reads 2:15pm. Just under three hours until she needed to arrive. Iroha however, thought she had finally caught onto what Kaguya was doing, and guessed that, assuming she knew where the final hint would lead her, that she would make it with time to spare.
She would have complained about how much all of these trains were costing, demanding payment from Kaguya, but she supposed that it wouldn’t matter whose funds they were after today. As she walked through hopefully her final turnstile of the trip, she was greeted with an old, yet familiar sight, the area she had lived during her high school days, the area she had met Kaguya. She had to take a few flights of stairs to get back down to ground level, as the trains around here were elevated. But she thought it felt odd how familiar it all was. It had barely changed since she had lived around here, aside from the usual wear and tear that comes with the passage of time.
She began to reminisce as her feet started taking her in the right direction without a thought on her part. The same stores in their usual place, the same amount of foot traffic, the hustle and bustle of the city, it transported her back over 10 years to a much darker place in her life. Before she had met Kaguya. Back when she still had delusions of being the perfect daughter, of doing things simply because it was expected of her. She supposed that she had grown into a much better person in those last 10 years, mostly due to her partner.
She had thought she knew how her life was going to go. She would simply work her own way through high school, go to Tokyo University for something she didn’t particularly care for, all for some fleeting sense of accomplishment when she hadn’t even realized what she really wanted.
It was Kaguya who opened her eyes. Who helped her to be herself. In a way she was the first person to ever truly reach out to the real Iroha since her father had died. Asahi had certainly tried, but there was always a distance between them. It wasn’t made easier when he took off to Tokyo by himself to pursue his own goals. They had certainly gotten much closer over the last decade than they had been during her high school years, but in a way he was still more similar to their mother. He had inherited her drive to be the best, to apply himself to something completely.
She supposed in a way she had inherited that drive herself, albeit for someone rather than something. All it had taken was a rainbow-colored shooting star she had seen from almost this very spot over a decade ago.
That familiar cafe was coming into view now. It had changed slightly since the time she was dragged along by Roka and Mami, looking slightly more modernized, a bit more hip, but they still served the same old pancakes.
Iroha took the last few steps up to the entrance and pushed the door open, greeted with that familiar cafe smell, a mix of coffee and sweets. She stood for a few seconds taking in the atmosphere before a waitress came over after taking another table’s order.
“Ah, you must be Sakayori-san, we’ve been expecting you, right this way please.” She gestured her off to the right of the doorway.
Iroha tentatively stepped forward and followed the waitress until she had arrived at a table with a small vase of white daisies next to a sign labeled Reserved. The waitress gestured to her seat and gave a smile, “your order will be out shortly ma’am.” Iroha set the duffel bag onto one of the extra chairs before taking her seat.
It took Iroha a few seconds of twiddling her thumbs at the table to realize that she was seated at the very same one they’d been placed at when she’d first come here with Roka and Mami. Seated right next to the wooden paneling with a clear view out the windows. Iroha replayed that scene in her mind, how embarrassed and exasperated she had been at the time when Kaguya busted in and swiped her food. She thinks she would react a lot differently now. She simply smiles to herself and gazes out the window, passing the time, grateful for a break from all the running around she had been doing.
It’s a few minutes before the waitress returns to the table, carrying a plate stacked high with delectable golden pancakes, covered in a rich brown syrup, with a ring of strawberries around the base, with a dollop of whipped cream and a single strawberry resting on top. “Please enjoy!” The waitress bowed before walking away to assist other customers.
She gently grasped the fork before reaching out and taking a bite.
“Delicious”
The cafe had developed quite a reputation among certain communities. Mami had done quite a bit of promotion for them, and clearly their reputation was earned. Though she would admit, Kaguya’s pancakes were still her favorite. Her fiance was a true artisan. She had made quite a routine out of making pancakes every Sunday morning. Iroha had grown accustomed to waking up to an enchanting scent coming from downstairs every week. She would stumble out of bed to join her, inevitably filling their kitchen with giggles and smiles. “Gosh we are so sappy.“
She finished her pancakes in silence, almost being lulled to sleep by the relaxing atmosphere of the cafe as she nibbled at them occasionally. “Not far to go now, I can spare a few minutes.”
Around 15 minutes later, the waitress returned to collect her empty plate, with a small gift bag in one hand. She placed the bag in front of Iroha before bowing, “Thank you very much! Please come again!” the waitress grabbed her plate before wandering off once again.
Iroha reached into the bag, discovering another sheet of paper, the same as the ones before.
Congratulations on discovering the fourth treasure!
You’ve been on quite the goose chase so far, I thought I'd give you a nice little break as you come up to the finish line!
Without further adieu, your penultimate hint!
Iroha smiled as her eyes drifted down the paper and caught sight of a crude drawing of a telephone pole. She could’ve guessed what it was without even looking.
Don’t keep me waiting!
Iroha reached back into the bag to discover a familiar old piece of tech. A white egg-shaped gaming kit she’d been given by her brother. While its resident had moved out, she had always kept it around as a memento. A tie to both her brother and to Kaguya.
Fushi was still Fushi, his same old grumpy self. He got along shockingly well with the new Inudoge that Yachiyo had made inside of Tsukuyomi. Fushi still lived in that old fish tank that had been moved into what used to be Kaguya’s bedroom, now transformed into Kaguya and IroP’s office. She’d been floating an idea for a new project in her head for the last few months, making a body for Inudoge. Kaguya had mentioned wanting a pet, and a robot dog would certainly be easier to manage than a real one. Perhaps she’ll get around to that one soon. It would certainly be easier than making another body on the level of Kaguya’s.
Iroha tucked the gaming kit into the duffel bag before slinging it back over her shoulder before heading out the door towards the final treasure.
Her phone read 3:24pm as she stepped foot into her old neighborhood.
The area had certainly seen its fair share of upgrades in the last decade. Several of the smaller buildings had been replaced with skyscrapers, not as tall as the middle of the city, but now standing several stories tall, many buildings had small stores on the bottom, with several levels of apartments above. The area had become more trafficked as a result, but still retained a bit of that charm thanks to the older buildings that were just as Iroha had left them.
She walked a familiar street, and was greeted with the sight she was expecting. Her old apartment building, still sitting right where she had left it. The place had evidently become run down in the last decade, now sporting several signs out front indicating that it was soon to be demolished, to clear way for new things.
Out with the old, in with the new, Iroha thought as she approached that old telephone pole, sitting right where she left it. There was a note taped to the pole where she had found that door all those years ago, it didn’t seem like there was a package this time to go along with it though. She came to a stop and was met face to face with one final sheet of paper, on it simply written the words 2 blocks up, 4 blocks right.
Iroha simply smiled and started following the directions as her thoughts drifted to what awaited her.
One block. I wonder what venue she picked.
Two blocks. I wonder what catering she picked.
Three blocks. I wonder who she invited.
Four blocks. I wonder how she did her makeup.
Five blocks. I wonder what she’s wearing.
As she came up to the last block, her location became apparent. She hadn’t chosen anything needlessly extravagant. She hadn’t chosen anything flashy. Just a simple, run of the mill wedding venue. The closest they could possibly get to where it all began. Location, Location, Iroha mused. She walked up to the door and pushed it open.
An elegant lobby greeted her. Several bouquets lined various tables throughout the room, accented by the bright red carpet and dark wooden panels along the walls. An extravagant chandelier positioned above a table at the center holding a white sign reading simply Iroha and Kaguya. A large pair of wooden doors stood at the back of the room, with hallways flanking it on either side.
Next to the table, facing away from her was her brother dressed in a dark black kimono, decorated sparsely but elegant nonetheless. He turned around with a slight look of surprise on his face as the door behind her clicked closed, pulling out his phone to check the time, 3:43pm. Before putting his phone away and meeting his sister’s eyes with a smile.
“You’re here early,” he says simply.
“Well the hints weren’t really that difficult.” Iroha sounded a little smug saying that one.
Asahi pointed down the hallway to the left, “Your dressing room’s that way, Roka and Mami are waiting.”
Iroha simply stared at him for a moment, before she walked up and embraced him. “Thank you for being here.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” They held the hug for a few seconds before they broke apart.He looked at her one last time, and gave her a light push towards the hallway he had gestured to earlier, and waved her off as she disappeared down it.
Iroha walked down the hallway past several more extravagant wooden doors until she came to one labeled Dressing Room. She gently pulled the handle and was greeted by the sight of Roka and Mami sitting at a simple wooden table dressed in their own respectively colored kimonos. Roka’s a mix of white, light blues, and light purple hues. Mami’s a mix of yellows, light browns, and red highlights. Each slightly different from the other in style, but matching their personalities to a tee.
They were both silenced by Iroha entering the room, turning to smile at her as they stood up and walked over to her. Roka was the first to open her mouth, “You look like you’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, well, I've spent the better part of today train-hopping, and I didn’t want to waste too much time either.”
Roka reached out a hand, offering to take the duffel bag, which Iroha was grateful for. Roka accepted it and moved to place it on the table they were sitting at moments ago.
Mami came up and took her by the arm, dragging her over to the large mirror sitting opposite the door she came in. “Well, now you get to sit right here and let us take care of this part!” she smiled brightly as she released Iroha to move over to collect a clothing bag resting on the couch in the corner.
As she grabbed it up and unzipped it, Iroha was stunned by her attire. An absolutely gorgeous kimono, decorated in shades of dark and light purple, with bright blue circular accents, causing parts of it to appear to shine like the night sky, tied together with an even darker sash. Iroha had definitely caught onto the outfit theming.
As Mami pulled the kimono out of the bag, Roka reappeared, now sporting an excessively large makeup kit. “Leave this to us!” Roka smiled as she held a thumbs up. Iroha simply nodded and let her friends get to work.
A short while later Iroha emerged from the dressing room looking like a different woman. Roka was definitely a master in her field, “and this Kimono is gorgeous,” Iroha thought to herself, glancing down at the outfit, taking in all the details. She wasn’t sure she had ever looked this good in her life. Roka and Mami had left a couple minutes ago to let her admire her attire in the mirror in private. But the words Kaguya had said earlier echoed in her head, “I think we’ve both waited long enough for this.”
Iroha calmly walked back down the hallway and came to a stop in front of those large wooden doors, the lobby now vacant. She thought she could hear a gentle piano coming from the other side, playing a familiar series of notes. “And I thought I was being sentimental.” Iroha had thought she would be more nervous than this, but she was so relaxed it almost scared her. “We’re done waiting.” She thought as she grabbed the handles and pushed open the doors.
Any other thoughts she would’ve had about the room were stopped the second their eyes met.
Kaguya stood at the end of a short aisle on a raised step wearing her signature pink kimono, the one she had worn at her comeback concert. Small stars surrounded by white circles decorated the sleeves. That little golden crescent moon ornament in her hair. Bright red and green eyes staring right into her teal.
Iroha’s eye contact never broke, as she stepped forward and the doors closed gently behind her. Stepping past the graceful lunar-themed decorations adorning the room and the small number of guests. Roka and Mami were seated at a table on the left along with her mother, who was now dressed in a plain, traditional, dark green kimono, as well as Mami’s husband, who sat next to his wife wearing a kimono to compliment Mami’s yellows and browns. Positioned right at the middle of the table was a beautiful bouquet of lilies.
To the right was a table populated by the Black Onyx trio, her brother sitting closest to the aisle, with Noi and Rai flanking him on either side. They were dressed in kimonos matching their Tsukuyomi avatars, Noi’s mainly pink and black, Rai’s mainly gray and purple.
An officiant stood to the side of Kaguya on the stage. A table for two was set behind them, featuring in the middle Iroha’s tablet, currently displaying Yachiyo. She appeared in a slightly more traditional kimono than her normal wear, still featuring the same color scheme, with her hair let down.
But Iroha took note of none of this as she drew closer to Kaguya. Not the decorations, not the guests, not the music, nothing but the beautiful girl standing in front of her. She had never seen a more enticing sight in her life. The room was silent aside from the gentle notes of Reply echoing from the pianist in the corner and Iroha’s footsteps as she approached the stage.
Iroha finally broke out of her trance-like state as she came to stand right in front of Kaguya, both of them still looking nowhere but each other's eyes. Iroha thought she had never seen a more beautiful sight in her life. Kaguya reached out and took both of Iroha’s hands in hers.
Kaguya was the first to speak. “Hi”, she whispered with a goofy smile on her face as she giggled a little.
Iroha couldn’t help but giggle a little too. “You look beautiful,” she whispered back
Kaguya’s smile somehow widened, “same to you, silly, you got here early.”
Iroha’s smile poked up a little on one side, “Well like you said, we’ve waited long enough.”
“I hope your outfit lives up to your sky high expectations.” Kaguya sounded a little smug.
Iroha leaned over to touch her forehead to Kaguya’s, “it’s perfect.” Her bright red eyes mere inches away, she could get lost in those eyes. “Wanna tell me what that run around was all about?”
Iroha could feel Kaguya raise an eyebrow, “do you even need me to say it?”
Of course not, Iroha had realized hours ago what she was doing. Sending her down memory lane. Bringing her to their most important places. The places they fell in love.
To the lab, where Iroha had spent countless hours working to bring her back. Spending countless hours just talking, catching up, working through feelings, and where after 10 long years of work, Kaguya returned.
To where the fireworks festival was held all those years ago. Where Iroha had finally realized how much she wanted Kaguya to be in her life. Where all her feelings finally clicked into place.
To the beach where they had bonded, the place where Iroha finally started to feel like her own person, free from her mothers shadow. Where she and Kaguya shared such wonderful memories together.
To the cafe, where she had forced her way out into the open. Where Iroha had given her her name. Where they’d had their first date after Kaguya was back.
And finally back to where it all started, back to that old telephone pole outside that dilapidated apartment building. Where over 10 years ago a shining rainbow gave way to the light of Iroha’s life, and their fates intertwined.
All to find things that were so important to both of them.
No, she definitely didn’t need it spelled out for her.
Iroha simply shook her head, their foreheads still pressed together. They just stood there for a moment, enjoying each other’s presence. Even though it was obvious, the words needed to be said. Iroha finally pulled back.
“I love you, Kaguya”
They both began tearing up.
“I love you, Iroha”
They both took a step back, still holding the other’s hands. The officiant took that as his cue to begin and stepped up.
“Do you, Kaguya, take Sakayori Iroha to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Kaguya’s tears were flowing openly now. “Forever and ever!”
“And do you Sakayori Iroha, take Kaguya to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do” Iroha’s tears matched Kaguya’s, “Forever and ever.”
“The rings?” the officiant called.
Asahi stood up with a velvet box in his hands and walked over to stand next to them, before opening it revealing two matching silver bands resting on a plush red pillow. Both formed a spiral, matching the bracelet that Iroha was wearing even now.
They both released their hands, as they reached into the box, each grabbing a ring. Asahi took a step back.
Kaguya reached up first, gently grabbing Iroha’s left hand, and sliding the ring onto Iroha’s finger. After she finished, she held her left hand out for Iroha to take, who reciprocated the gesture by sliding the ring onto hers. Iroha pulled her hand back, and held out two fingers. Kaguya met them with her own. Then their fingers interlocked, before pulling back to form the shape of a fox then kissing each other. Their eyes once again found each others.
“I now pronounce you Sakayori Iroha and Sakayori Kaguya, you may now…” He paused for a moment and cleared his throat, before finishing with just a hint of embarrassment, “collect your treasure.” Iroha and Kaguya couldn’t help but laugh.
The room cheered. The music soared. Their lips met.
Some things are worth waiting an eternity for.