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Chapter Text

Ume Shinsato awoke to the sound of her alarm clock ringing next to her ear. She shot up from her bed with widened eyes before placing the origin of the sound. With a quick huff Ume slapped the clock quiet and rubbed her temples. She didn’t know why she thought opening her salon early was a good idea, but her investment partner suggested she start a routine to attract more clients. Unfortunately, he was right, and she was booked the whole day.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Ume trudged into the kitchen and started to prepare her breakfast. The young woman mentally prepared herself for a longer day of silent ridicule and hushed whispers. She knows that’s what she gets from being in a girl gang during middle school and high school, but time machines don’t exist and can’t erase her past.
After internally recalling part of her backstory, she got ready for the day and set out to the salon. As she approached the building, she could already hear some of the ladies she booked around the corner. The older women grew quiet when Ume shown herself to unlock the doors, apparent looks of disdain as she kept the closed sign up. The shop wasn’t due to open for another hour, yet the women clamored into the salon, but not to get their hair done yet.
“Shinsato-chan, I heard you didn’t go to your high school reunion last week! The boys were all so confused when you weren’t there.” Matsuyo Matsuno said with genuine concern.
“Matsuno-sama, I think the high school reunion was for those who actually graduated, not for dropouts such as myself.” Ume gave a small smile to the older woman and addressed her professionally.
The women around Matsuyo nodded in agreement with Ume, whispering about delinquents and her old gang members. She was used to the whispers and gossip about her, but she was heartbroken to see the sextuplet’s mom involved with these vile women.
The young woman excused herself and got her station ready while idle chatter filled the room. Ume sighed and cursed herself, already wishing for the day to be over.

Ume said goodnight to the last customer in her salon and locked up for the night. Too exhausted to make her on dinner, she headed away from her apartment and down to Chibita’s oden stall. Her childhood friend greeted her with a smile and gestured towards the seat, where she saw her other friend and former gang leader, Saki.
Ume sat down and let out a loud sigh, releasing her hair from the clip she was using and pushing the bleached strands behind her ear. Chibita placed a beer bottle in front of her.
“Did you open early this morning like I told you to, Ume-chan?” The young man started pulling out the bowl that Ume kept with him.
“Yea....I shouldn’t have followed your advice Chibita-kun, all of the women showed up an hour early and I forgot to book an hour in advance. I am absolutely beat.”
“It’s better than not making any money, ya idjit!” He gave a hearty laugh and set down a hot bowl of oden.
Ume nodded in agreement and prepared her chopsticks, eyeing the carrots in particular before diving in.
While eating her meal, she heard a loud and familiar yell from behind her. Osomatsu and his brothers were walking towards the stall. She turned over her shoulder to see Karamatsu, the second-oldest sextuplet, jerk when he saw her sitting there. He was obviously shocked to see Ume sitting so casually at the stall during the night. He noticed Ume’s gaze on him, and he shook off his surprise, putting on his usual macho character. She could tell he’d been avoiding her since the last time they spoke, which was a few days before graduation. They didn’t exactly have a fallout, rather they just drifted apart. However, his brothers were excited to see her and eagerly sat down next to her.
“What’s got you at Chibita’s this late at night, Ume-chan?” Jyushimatsu plopped right down in the seat next to her.
“I just got off work, actually. Your mother actually came by this morning and asked about the reunion, I wonder who tipped her off that I didn’t come...” She shot a playful glare at Osomatsu, who sheepishly grinned.
“You didn’t miss much anyway, we totally got exposed for being NEETs after Todomatsu lied. Osomatsu wasn’t much help anyway.” Ichimatsu said.
“At least I tried to save us the humility of being unemployed virgins! You guys were stalling too hard and just had to go along with it!” Todomatsu grabbed Ichimatsu’s arm and shook him.
Ume snorted at the men’s antics. They always amused her in high school, even when they were in different social circles.
Karamatsu chimed in, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, brothers, we’ve got nothing to be ashamed of! Your big brother could’ve handled that messy situation if Todomatsu didn’t chime in.”
“Don’t lie Shittymatsu! You were just as petrified with that pole up your butt as the rest of us were!” The younger brother turned his attention to his older brother with a look of disgust.
Ume froze in her place as the word Shittymatsu left Todomatsu’s mouth. She hadn’t heard that nickname in a while, and she certainly never thought she’d hear it again. Flashbacks of after-school meetups swam in Ume’s head, each one more personal than the last.
She remembered the first time she met Karamatsu behind the gym. He was sitting on the ground eating his bento, tears ran down his face as he stared solemnly at Ume’s gang. The other girls didn’t notice his tears and went to move away from him, but Ume stayed put. She watched as he embarrassingly tried to act unafraid of the girl as she approached. He was practically trembling when she reached him, and she squatted down to his eye-level. His eyes clenched shut as she reached her hand out, only to peel them open when he felt a soft piece of cloth dab at his tears. Ume patted his freckled cheeks with her handkerchief and smiled behind her mask.
He stared at her in confusion. Before he could even comprehend it, she swiftly left, leaving the tear-soaked handkerchief behind.
Ume felt her cheeks flush red, eyes glued to the empty bowl in front of her. The chatter the sextuplets were carrying amongst themselves lay deaf on her ears. She stood up quietly and placed down some money before walking away. The young woman was almost halfway home before she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She whipped around and flung her fist at the gripper, but he caught her hand.
Karamatsu’s chest was heaving up and down like he ran after her. His macho manner nowhere to be found as he caught his breath.
“Listen Matsuno-san, I’ve had a long day and-“ Ume felt him take her hand in his.
He fished in his pocket and produced a familiar piece of cloth. Ume’s handkerchief sat in her palm. Karamatsu’s hand gently grasped her own.
“We both remembered, didn’t we Ume-chan?” The young man weakly smiled at her.
The two stared at each other for a while, words escaping them both. Ume didn’t know how to start, and Karamatsu didn’t know if he should.
“I...I remember when you dried my tears that day, and all the days after until-“
Ume stopped him, raising her hand up to his mouth and pushing on his lips.
“Ka-Matsuno-san, I think you should sober-up before we talk about what happened. I don’t want you to forget my apology.”
He hesitantly let go of her hand before nodding. They stared at each other for a moment before Ume bowed her head slightly and practically ran away.

Chapter Text

Ume’s day off didn’t go as she planned. She woke up, forgetting all about her drunken encounter with Karamatsu last night and felt like death. The young woman was thankful she didn’t have to deal with yammering old ladies this morning and was excited to spend a day inside. She was going to make pon de ring for breakfast, sit at the table and work on her skirt she had been altering for the past few months, then go out to get groceries so she could make katsudon. Her mood swiftly changed when she spotted her old handkerchief on the counter. She wondered how it got there.
She hadn’t seen it since the last time she saw Karamatsu, which was a few years ago. The memories of last night flooded back and she groaned. Deciding to make a quick (and awkward) trip to the Matsuno household to return “Karamatsu’s” handkerchief, Ume set out. She prayed that the sextuplets wouldn’t be awake this early in the morning and could slyly hand it to their parents.
She approached the house and nervously twiddled her thumbs. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door and quietly called out to the Matsuno parents. She heard loud footsteps approach and the door flung open to reveal a half-clothed Karamatsu not paying attention to who was at the door. He toppled over Ume and quickly apologized to her, not fully realizing who she was, and he ran past her.
Osomatsu and Todomatsu were holding up an old bra when they reached the door before spotting Ume. They hurriedly hid the bra and grinned at the young woman. She raised an eyebrow and held up the handkerchief, clearing her throat and stepping inside.
She figured Karamatsu wouldn’t be back for a minute and calmed down a little. She had never seen him with an angry look on his face, and it was kinda hot. She slapped herself and immediately started regretting her inner monologue.
The two looked at her quizzically before she handed the cloth to Osomatsu.
“I found this on the street this morning and though your brother would want it back.”
The oldest brother took the handkerchief from her and looked at it.
“Karamatsu’s been looking for this since we woke up, or rather when he woke us up with his annoying whispers. He was almost in hysterics. I don’t know why this damn handkerchief means so much to him.” Choromatsu peered over Osomatsu’s shoulder.
The two chatted amongst themselves while Jyushimatsu grinned slyly at her.
“Karamatsu-niisan says he doesn’t remember who gave him that handkerchief even though it’s very important. He’ll want to thank you for finding it.”
Ume shook her head too quickly.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, I’ll just leave now and-“
“Shinsato-san?? Where did you find that?” Karamatsu’s voice rung out into the house as he stared at the handkerchief in Osomatsu’s hand.
“A-ah...I was walking by Chibita-kun’s and I found it somewhere nearby.”
He rushed over to the cloth and ripped it from his brother’s hand.
“Thank you, Shinsato-san! Please, let me repay you,” he felt his brothers stare at his back, all of them enjoying the show as if they were actors in a soap drama.
He cleared his throat before continuing, “Let me repay you, my Karamatsu girl~.”
Ume felt herself cringe inwardly, but not wanting to be gawked at any longer, she grabbed his arm and ushered him out the door. He barely managed to grab his hoodie before she basically dragged him out.
He pulled his arm away when they were at a safe distance and quickly put on his hoodie. Ume only noticed for a second, but his skin looked soft and smooth. She blushed at this thought before turning to face him.
“Matsuno-san, do you really not remember last night? You gave me my handkerchief back.” The words left her mouth before she could catch them.
He stood still for a moment, his eyebrows burrowed in focus before his face went red and his lip trembled in embarrassment.
“S-Shinsato-san...I’m so sorry, I was really drunk last night and after I saw you leave I just wanted to-“ he stopped, clearly embarrassed by what he was going to say next before he cleared his throat, “I meant what I said, let me repay you. Even if I gave it back to you, let me pay you back. We can go anywhere you want...” his voice trailed off.
“Come shopping with me today.” Ume cursed her mouth for moving faster than her brain.
“Eh? You want me to shop with you?” Karamatsu’s eyebrows furrowed again, and she couldn’t help but internally squeal at his face,
“Yea, I’ve been getting harassed by one of the cashiers and I just need a fake boyfriend for today, so he’ll stop asking...if not that’s okay.”
His eyes sparkled, his old self shining through the cracks of his macho mask. Karamatsu cleared his throat and held out his hand for a high-five. Ume stared before weakly slapping his hand. He smiled at this.

Ume and Karamatsu awkwardly perused the grocery mart aisles. Ever since they walked in, she felt eyes blazing into the back of her head from all of the middle-aged women. She cursed herself once again for her past actions and tried to lighten the mood.
“Sooooo, you got a real girlfriend?” Ume asked.
“I’ve got tons of Karamatsu girls, I’m just so busy all the time that I don’t bring them around often.”
“What the hell is a Karamatsu girl?”
Ume received no answer, just a sweaty, faltering Karamatsu. The grin on his face trembled a little, she almost giggled. Almost.
With the air less tense, Karamatsu and Ume talked about random things. Food, TV, beer, anything that came to mind they brought up. All but one topic: high school. They both felt the memories pressing at the back of their throats, almost slipping out when they got too chatty, and they reeled themselves in when they realized how close they came to the dreaded conversation. Ume didn’t want to talk about it, at least, not in the middle of a grocery mart.
She gathered all of her food and contemplated grabbing a second cut of pork, gazing at Karamatsu from an angle so he couldn’t see her, but he could feel her gaze. She cleared her throat.
“Got any plans for dinner tonight?” She asked, innocently looking up at him.
Karamatsu’s mouth went drier than the desert. His high school crush-turned-estranged acquaintance asked him about his dinner plans while reaching for another portion of pork. His heart pounded in his ribcage, his palms were sweaty, and he felt his knees grow weak. Good thing he didn’t have his mom’s spaghetti last night or it’d be all over his sweater.
Surely, she’s just asking to be nice, and no ulterior motives would come from her. Since when would she be interested in someone like me. She’s a total delinquent with her long, bleached hair, way too many piercings, her sexy legs covered by that long skirt, and her....wait, sexy legs?
Ume watched his face contort from surprise to confusion, and then his face formed into embarrassment and shame. Her innocent question made the poor man blow a circuit, and she watched in amusement as he struggled to form an answer.
“I’m just asking for dinner at my house, not backstreet services for 50 dollars. I’d be worth more than that, but I’m speaking in metaphors.”
Karamatsu seemed to snap out of it and stammered out his answer, “I’ve got nothing going o-on.”
She smiled at him and picked up the extra portion of pork before heading to the cash register. Thankfully, the creepy cashier wasn’t here today.

Karamatsu sat awkwardly at the table as he heard Ume sing quietly in the kitchen while putting groceries away. He didn’t know what to do or say. He didn’t know if he should talk to her in the kitchen or if he should stay at the table. He wanted to talk to Ume, ask her what she was doing, how she was, if she’s happy, or if she even missed him. He wanted to know if she thought about him as much as he thought about her.
As if sensing his anxiety, Ume walked up to the table and sat next to him. She placed a hand over his own and brought it to her lap. There was a wistful look residing in her eyes, almost pulling all of the nervousness out of Karamatsu’s body. His mask slipped and he reached out to caress her thumb.
“Ume-chan?”
Her tears glossed her eyes and were almost to the point of spilling out uncontrollably.
“Matsuno-san...I have no good reason for why I did what I did.”
He remembered that day with heavy pain in his heart. How upset he felt when she looked at him with regret in her eyes before telling him how wimpy he was. She said he should be ashamed to exist, that he had no right to live on this earth if he couldn’t do things without her help, or anyone else’s for that matter. He remembered the pained look on her face, the tears pooling at the sides of her eyes, and her shaky breath. He remembered how much she didn’t want to tell him that. The devastation was written all over her face, yet he never knew why she’d say something so hurtful if she didn’t mean it. He spent years mulling over her words. He’d finally get his answer.
“You know I was a sukeban back when we met, right?” he nodded, “Well, a few of the girls saw me sneak off whenever I’d go to see you. In my gang, we had very strict rules with who we interacted with and how. I used to be able to follow those rules, support my leader with a firm hand, but you grew on me. I started feeling...weak. I felt guilty when I took a kid’s lunch money. I wanted to kick myself when I’d burn girls with cigarettes, when I’d choke them out with towels. I started feeling guilty about everything. I guess the girls noticed this, and one day they followed me when I went to meet you. Unfortunately for them, I was a lot sharper than they thought. That day behind the gym, they were watching me. I know it was selfish of me to hurt you, but I was worried about what they’d do to you...”
Ume looked up at Karamatsu with teary eyes, her hands gripping his.
“I’m so sorry Karamatsu-kun, I’m so sorry that I said those awful things to you. I’m sorry I wasted your time when I made you those lunches, when you helped me with my homework, when I helped you with your brothers, and when I wiped every tear from your face. I’m sorry I ever told you that you weren’t enough for me. I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you. No amount of shame could ever excuse my actions. Please, please forgive me Karamatsu-kun.”
The young man fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at her tears. She sniffled while letting out a laugh. Her laughs turned into sobs. Ume leaned forward into Karamatsu’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. Her body was warm, and her face was wet. Her sobs subsided into little hiccups; occasionally little coughs escaped her throat.
Ume calmed down and pulled away from Karamatsu. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Karamatsu moved her hair out of her face and smiled.
“Ume-chan, of course I forgive you. I’ve always forgiven you. I just wanted to know why you said those things to me without meaning it.”
“How did you know? Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
Karamatsu blushed, “I knew you didn’t mean it because you never turned away from me when you spoke. Every time we spoke, you’d be facing me and looking at me. And I guess I never mentioned it because we never had a good moment to talk about it. You were opening up a salon, trying to work your way out of your reputation, and I just didn’t want to destroy all of your progress if I said something wrong...”
Ume let out a relieved sigh. All of her anxiety melted away, but the guilt sat in her chest. Although she didn’t mean a word of it, and Karamatsu knew that, she wanted to let him know that he was the exact opposite of that.
“Karamatsu-kun...you’re-“
He gently shushed her.
“Karamatsu-“
“If you don’t stop talking, I’ll shut you up f-for real.” His voice wavered; it was really cute seeing him attempt to be aggressive.
“Okay...” Ume smiled at him, not wanting to force him to act on his baseless threat.
At least for now.

Chapter Text

“Karamatsu-kun, what happened to your freckles?”
Ume and Karamatsu were sitting in her living room, the young woman was sewing cross-legged on the floor while the young man watched. He had been coming over for dinner weeks after they made up.
“Ah, I’m glad you asked my Karamatsu girl!” he was back to acting macho.
Ume laughed and rolled her eyes at his façade. Something about his fake coolness was amusing to her.
“You see, my freckles were merely a culmination of masking my coolness-“
“So, you drew them on after getting tired of being confused with your brothers? Got it.”
He stared at her without saying a word, but he broke out in a heavy sweat. Ume giggled at this and let out a small sigh.
“Karamatsu-kun, I know you get along with your brothers now, but did you guys ever truly resolve your issues? Y’know, talked it out?”
“Well,” his voice softened up a little, “We don’t talk about it. We didn’t even remember how we were before the reunion. We argue which is a given...I even punched Osomatsu after he snapped at Jyushimatsu. It felt surreal, but it’s my job as the second oldest to put him in line...”
She tried to imagine him hitting someone seriously. She wondered if he could even throw a proper punch, let alone make an improper one hurt. For some reason she felt her cheeks warm up. Karamatsu pretended not to notice her small smile after he admitted to punching his brother and cleared his throat.
“U-uh, why do you ask?”
“I’m not sure, it just kinda popped into my head. I just noticed how much closer you guys are, closer than you were when you entered high school. I suppose being different really helped you all come together!”
Karamatsu gave a weak smile, “I remember when we drifted apart. The first week felt like a breath of fresh air, I felt like my own person. People were finally starting to refer to me as an individual. But...I hated not talking to my brothers. Every time we tried to talk to each other it devolved into a screaming match, and sometimes we’d argue for days about something stupid. Eventually we stopped trying to talk to each other. The silence was deafening, unbearable...I remember our worst argument on the day of graduation. What’s funny is that I can’t even remember what it was about.”
Ume watched his hands lightly tremble while he talked, but his face remained smiling.
“Well, what’s important is that you guys made up. From the sounds of it that argument probably wasn’t too important.” Ume tried to change the subject by standing up and gesturing to the kitchen, “Let’s make nikujaga, I bought fancy pork today.”
The two perused over to the kitchen, and they left the depressing conversation for another day. They spent the rest of the night sneaking thankful glances at each other. Ume kept staring at his clothed arms. She cursed herself for not staring at his shirtless body when she had the chance, and she cursed the weather for getting colder which meant her chances of seeing his arms were little to none...at least in her mind.

Karamatsu stepped into his shoes while holding a box of left-over nikujaga. It was getting late at night and the two were tuckered out from the deviance that was dinner. The kitchen counter was covered in konjac yam corm after the two tried to make their own shirataki noodles, and this proved to be a great challenge, too great for one sort-of experienced foodie and a noob foodie to handle. Eventually they gave up and dug out some prepackaged noodles from the cupboard.
“I never knew the corm on a yam was so hard to work with...” Ume sighed.
“Yea, and I don’t even know what a corm is!” Karamatsu let out a playful and frustrated sigh.
The two giggled at his comment before facing each other. Ume knew he’d come over for dinner tomorrow, but tonight she didn’t want him to leave. She yearned to learn more about the boy she never got to truly know. A desire burned in her chest, and she tried to extinguish it Karamatsu wanted to stay with her for the rest of the night and just talk about anything and everything. He wanted to hear all of her deepest thoughts, what her dreams were, where she wanted to go, and if she was happy. He wanted to just know her.
The silence between them created tension like no other. Both searched for a glimpse of confidence within themselves to stay and talk until the sun came up. The pair was on fire. They were hungry for knowledge that they felt was forbidden to know. They made up, so why couldn’t they say the words? Why couldn’t they spend the night together as friends, keeping each other up at night to talk about the things that made them happy, what made them cry and get angry, or even the little things like the recent weather or a bowl of soup they recently ate.
Karamatsu slipped his shoes off and placed the leftover nikujaga on the floor. He knew why he couldn’t talk with her like a trusted friend. He knew he couldn’t meet up with her for dinner anymore. He couldn’t wait at the salon for her and go shopping together on the weekends anymore. Late nights at Chibita’s stall while sharing drinks was a tradition they’d have to stop, and he couldn’t keep walking on eggshells. He couldn’t be friends with Ume. He wanted more.
“Ume-chan,” Karamatsu reached out for her hands, “I can’t come over anymore.”
Ume looked at him quizzically, “Karamatsu-kun, you’re not making sense. I thought we made up?”
“We did...but I want more. I can’t keep coming over as your friend. I want to be more than your friend. I want to know your deepest thoughts as a man. I want to do everything with you as a man, not a friend.”
The young woman stared blankly at him. Her internal thoughts screamed.
“Karamatsu-kun, if you’re trying to fuck with me, it’s not funny-“
“Never. I’m speaking from my heart. I can’t be friends with you anymore because I want more than that. I want every single day to be filled with laughter, our arguments to end with tearful professions of love, and every night I want to hold you in my arms as we sleep. I just want you as more than a friend.”
Ume was speechless. Her thoughts were racing, and she was suddenly aware of how close the two were. His hands were intertwined with her own, his chest mere inches away. He was slightly taller than her, but she felt like he was towering over her.
His eyebrows furrowed, a silent plea for her to say anything. He wanted to embrace her. He wanted Ume to reject him so he could move on with life. He just couldn’t bear the thought of falling in love with a friend who didn’t know how he felt.
Going through her internal dialogue, Ume tried to choose her words carefully.
“When did you start liking me?” That definitely wasn’t the first thing she wanted to say.
“Ever since you dried my tears that day behind the high school gym.” Karamatsu responded so quickly that it caught her off guard.
“Well...how would you feel if I told you that I wanted to know you as a woman, or that I’ve liked you ever since I met you, too?” Ume smiled at her own words.
Karamatsu excitedly kissed Ume on the cheek. The young woman pulled away, she was shocked by his boldness, but Karamatsu was concerned he crossed a line.
“A-ah, I’m so sorry Ume-chan! I got so excited that you liked me back that my body reacted on its own.” He shyly moved away from Ume.
The young woman grinned at him before gently pulling his collar down and kissing his cheek as well. A strong blush dusted both of their cheeks as they looked away from each other.
“As much as I want you to stay, you have no overnight things and it’s too late to go shopping for some.” Ume cleared her throat.
Karamatsu let out a disappointed, but understanding, sigh. He may have wanted to stay with her tonight, but he figured it was the right place and wrong time.
The two shared an awkward but heartfelt goodbye, which ended with a cheeky kiss on the hand from Karamatsu and a shy smile from Ume.

Chapter Text

Ume opened the door to find Karamatsu unexpectedly at her door. The young man hadn’t visited her apartment for a few days due to “family issues” as he said, so she didn’t expect him to show up uninvited and out of breath. She saw the puffiness in his eyes and the general unkemptness of his person. A fat bruise laid on his cheek as well as supporting a black eye above it, as well as smaller cuts on his lip and knuckles. The young woman would expect this of any of the other brothers, but for Karamatsu it was almost a red flag that something was wrong.
“Karamatsu-kun, are you alright?” Ume watched him clumsily take his shoes off and plaster a smile on his face.
“Of course, my Karamatsu-girl, there’s nothing else I’d be then alright. I’m fine, totally okay, the picture of fineness-“ He stopped himself short as he turned to Ume. His smile wavered. Sadness pooled into his eyes.
“Karamatsu-kun?”
Tears brimmed on his lower lash line.
“I’m sorry, Ume-chan, I just can’t seem to stop myself. I’ll try to be less annoying from now on, I’ll drop the act and-“
“Karamatsu,” Ume grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped his rambling, “You need to breathe. You’re not making any sense, and it’s freaking me out.”
He swallowed the big lump in his throat, sighing out in frustration at his own tears and sadness. He wiped away his tears to the best of his ability. A guttural groan ripped through his throat, his wiping getting more and more aggressive, almost as if he was trying to hit the tears back into his eyes. He was getting angry, overwhelmed, and it hurt Ume.
The young woman grabbed his hands, fighting his resistance and refusing to let him hide his face.
“Karamatsu!” The two both looked surprised at her sternness, “I want you to sit down. Now. Don’t touch your eye, don’t touch your face, just sit, and wait for a second.”
Karamatsu nodded quietly and took his usual seat at the table, the familiarity of her home reminding him that he was safe. He heard rustling in the bathroom before seeing Ume return with her first-aid kit. He hated to admit it, but he was thankful she saw him break.
“Karamatsu-kun, I need you to face me.”
He obediently turned himself towards her and looked down at her legs. He didn’t want to look her in the eyes yet, scared that he’d start crying again. Ume’s fingertips brushed under his chin, and she held his jaw in her hand. He saw a cotton pad approach his face and the smell of hydrogen peroxide filled his nostrils. Karamatsu sucked in a breath through his teeth as the liquid stung the cut on his lip. He painstakingly sat through Ume’s care until she applied band-aids to his injuries. She held his hands in her own and let out a content sigh.
“Now that you’re calmed down, could you tell me what happened?” Ume felt him stiffen.
“A-ah...well. Uhm, Ume-chan, I don’t think you’d care about a brotherly quarrel.” He swallowed when he saw the stern look on her face, “But I guess I can tell you...can I have some water first?”
She shook her head but got up to get him water.
“Well...I had just come home from pachinko, and I hid the money I had in my pocket. My brothers all suspected I had won since I’m not exactly that good at hiding it. I told them that I was saving this money so I could...uhm,” Karamatsu stared at Ume shyly before he kicked himself to say it, “I wanted to buy you groceries since you always buy them for me. Osomatsu started making fun of me and kept trying to take the money. I figured my other brothers would back me up, but they all kept grabbing for it. They kept telling me I was being selfish, that they always shared their money with me, and I was wasting it on a girl who wouldn’t give me more than a week of attention before she got annoyed of my shitty behavior. Because that’s who I am, Shittymatsu, an annoying, selfish prick who can’t even provide his woman with a proper meal! I punched Choromatsu in the face before they all whooped my ass. I’m sorry, Ume-chan, I only managed to keep 2,000 yen and-“
He stifled a sob. He felt pathetic under her gaze, weak. He couldn’t provide her with anything, he couldn’t even buy her groceries, so how was she ever going to put up with him? No job, no degree, nothing.
Ume pulled out her handkerchief and wiped his tears away, careful of his black eye and swelling cheek. Her heart ached. She’d never heard him talk so badly about himself. His form quivered under her touch, silent sobs racking his body and overtaking his breath. She took his head on her shoulder and let him cry into her. His hands clung to her clothes as if he was desperate for her, terrified that if he let go, she’d vanish and leave him alone. He hugged her closely, wanting to stay like this forever.
“Ume-chan...can I stay here tonight?” Karamatsu shyly murmured into her nape.
“Of course, Karamatsu-kun.”

The young man awkwardly looked around his girlfriend’s room. She was surprisingly tidy. All of her papers from the salon were stacked neatly in color-coded cubbies, the desk had her sewing supplies tucked into their respective spots, and her bed was cleanly made.
Her bed. Ume’s bed. Ume was going to let me sleep in her bed.
The nerves he felt previously suddenly exploded. He couldn’t believe he asked her such a thing, spending the night while only being together for a few months. He knew she had no interest in the things he was shamefully thinking, but when he was wearing her shirt and her pants that smelled like her, he couldn’t help but feel hot.
The bathroom door opened down the hall and Ume’s footsteps neared the bedroom. Her hair was damp, as was his, and she smiled at him.
“Isn’t my room cozy? I know it’s not much, but it works for what I want.”
Karamatsu shook his head, “No, it’s a wonderful room! And it is very cozy, I imagine I’ll get used to this setting more and more- that is if you decide to have me over again...”
“Karamatsu-kun,” Ume lead him over to the dresser and pulled out a small bag containing a toothbrush, hairbrush, and other bathroom necessities, “I’ve been wanting you to stay the night for a while, I just couldn’t find the courage to ask you. I figured you’d think my intentions were lewd.”
“Ha, you’re not the only one with lewd thoughts! I’ll be honest, I thought I was the only one who felt-“
“I think you misunderstood me; I had no lewd intentions...you have lewd thoughts right now??”
Karamatsu froze in place. His mouth was too fast for his mind, and he ended up saying something he shouldn’t have.
“A-ah! What I meant was that I’m glad we both were worried about intentions! Y’know, worried about lewd intentions and stuff...” His sentence trailed off when Ume smirked at him, seeing through his weak excuse.
“Well, mister lewd thoughts, you are going to bed. No lewdness for you tonight, you need your rest.”
“I-I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep. Sometimes I can’t but help stay awake and reflect on my actions...involuntary actions and such.” He gave her a weak smile but proceeded to hop into bed anyway.
“Well, I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll be on the couch if you need anything, Karamatsu-kun.” Ume strode over to Karamatsu and kissed him on the cheek.
Panicking, the young man grabbed her arm gently and silently pleaded with her. He didn’t want to be left alone, even if she was in a room next to him. She knowingly recalled him doing this when they were in high school. He’d stare at her with those big black eyes and silently beg for her to not leave. Back then, she always did, but this time she had nothing tugging her away from him.
Ume turned off all the lights and slid into bed next to Karamatsu. She stared at his face in the dim light, hoping her eyes would adjust better. When they did, he was looking right at her as well. A small smile was on his face and his eyes swelled with love.
Love.
Ume didn’t think about it until now, but she figured her emotions meant one thing. She loved Karamatsu, and she didn’t want to suppress it.
In the lack of light, she extended her neck upwards and planted a peck on his lips, following this gesture with a quiet, “I love you.”
She felt him tense up. From what little she could make out; he was red in the face and wide-eyed. Mouth slightly agape, she took this opportunity to peck him on the lips again.
His lips were trembling. She feared she crossed a boundary and backed away.
“Karamatsu-kun, I’m so sorry I-“ She was cut off by Karamatsu’s lips.
His kiss was dainty and awkward, evident at the fact that he’d never kissed anyone. His lips were chapped, torn, and battered from the previous altercation from earlier that day with his brothers. No breath escaped his lungs, nor did any enter. He had never actually kissed anyone, and that was cute. He pulled back with wistful eyes. The two stared into each other’s eyes, time halting as if the stars aligned just for them, breath stagnant as if all the oxygen in the world would disappear if either one of them decided to inhale too quickly.
Ume moved up so she was level with Karamatsu’s face and kissed him for a fourth time. This time, he melted into her touch. The world moved at their pace, never too fast or too slow. That night felt surreal for both of them. Karamatsu had never thought someone would love him like this, so carefree and easy. Ume never imagined someone loving her despite her past, scared that her past would cage her heart even further. It felt raw, like the first time her sukeban-self dried the young man’s tears behind the gym on that fateful day.
The two’s bodies moved to embrace each other closely. Heat mingling under the covers as the two pulled at each other’s clothes.
“Well, Miss lewd intentions, I love you too.” Karamatsu paused after his statement, then smiled at her, “But I thought you said I needed to sleep?”
“Don’t lie to me hotshot, you weren’t going to be able to sleep in the first place.” She cheekily grinned at him as his face flushed in the moonlight.
Without missing a beat, Ume slid on top of Karamatsu. Her thighs straddled his own and pinned him to the bed. The young man’s face softened in arousal, his thighs shifting. Her body was soft under his hands as he ran them down her spine and to her hips. He became hyper aware that she wasn’t wearing anything under her large t-shirt when he slipped his hands under her shirt and kneaded her ass.
“U-Ume-chan...do you normally sleep with no underwear on?”
“Yep,” Ume lifted Karamatsu’s shirt and her own, lowering her breasts onto his chest and laying on him, “I’ve also got no bra on either.”
Unbeknownst to Ume, Karamatsu had always wanted to try something. He moved her hips forward so that her breasts were on his neck and moved his hands to her shoulders. He gently lifted her up until he was directly under the two objects of his desire. Wasting no time, he took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked gently on it. His tongue clumsily swirled around the sensitive bud, earning a soft moan from Ume. His hand worked her other breast, tugging and pinching her nipple, kneading her soft flesh, and fondling her.
“Ngh- Karamatsu-kun, I didn’t know you could be so bold.” Ume felt Karamatsu’s erect dick poking her exposed vulva.
He groaned into her chest and drove his hips upwards, grazing her clit with the tip of his clothed cock. The sensation of her nipples being played with and Karamatsu’s length rubbing against her sensitive nub gave her the confidence to prop herself on her elbows and grind her pelvis against his own. The hard muscle twitched in it’s restrains, pre-cum leaking through the fabric and mixing with the slickness from Ume’s sex. The young man moved his mouth from one breast to another, tongue still lapping at her nipple with a greedy hunger.
“A-ah!” He murmured out a whimper. She felt her walls clench.
“Karamatsu-kun, do you have a condom?”
The young man tensed mid-suck, unlatching himself from her bud to answer her question.
“I forgot about that, Ume-chan. We can stop now, if you’d like-“
“N-no! I mean, we don’t have to go all the way today. We’re adults, can’t we fool around without having sex?”
“That’s....not actually a bad idea. Only if you want to, of course!”
She leaned forward and kissed him, pushing her vagina greedily on his cock and eliciting a gasp from him. She slid her tongue inside his mouth, tongues swirling around each other desperately, stealing the air from each other and allowing aroused pants to pass their lips. Karamatsu fumbled with his pants, basically ripping the bottoms off of himself and grabbing Ume’s hips hungrily. He planted the woman’s sex on his dick. The flesh came into contact with each other, and the sensation was enough to make both adults moan out. Hot, thick muscle throbbed painfully underneath her vulva, coated in her slickness, begging to be relieved.
Ume steadied herself by placing her hands on his chest, slowly gyrating her hips on his pulsing cock. The young man bucked his hips against her movements in an attempt to increase friction, panting in new excitement. She decided to test her own theory and leaned down to his chest. She licked a long band of saliva down the middle of his chest before circling around his left pectoral. Closing in on his nipple, Ume plopped her boobs on his stomach with a hefty ‘omph’ and took his sensitive bud in her mouth.
“N-nghh~!” Karamatsu arched his back in pleasure with a stifled moan. As embarrassing as it was to have his nipples played with so casually, it felt heavenly.
His cock twitched on her vulva as more pre-cum leaked out, the air becoming heavy as the two could hear only their panting and the sounds of their own juices mixing together. Ume let go of Karamatsu’s pec with a satisfying ‘pop’ and leaned back over him to stare. His thick eyebrows were furrowed in immense pleasure, his eyes were hungry, lustful, observing her every move. She playfully ground her hips solely on the tip, earning a shaky whimper of satisfaction from the man beneath her.
“Karamatsu-kun, you look so pretty under me.” Ume smirked at his quivering form, awakening something inside him.
Much to her surprise, Karamatsu flipped her on her back and pinned her wrists to the bed.
“You look even prettier under me, Ume-chan.” He purred in her ear, lighting the young woman’s face and neck ablaze.
Karamatsu licked a wide band up from between her breasts to her ear lobe, nibbling and kissing along the way. He sucked a tender spot behind her ear before steadying his shaft on her clit, holding it in place as he thrusted against her vagina as well. She figured he would’ve wanted something more like a handjob or a blow job, something that gave him more satisfaction, but he kept his body close to her, feeling every inch he could get his hands on. Fireworks erupted across Ume’s skin as he drug his fingernails down her sides and chest, kissing her messily and passionately in the process.
Karamatsu’s cock twitched violently, and he jerked his hips irregularly. Cum splattered on Ume’s stomach, surprising both adults at the sudden orgasm.
“Sorry, U-Ume-chan. I guess I got super exicted. I’ve just never felt anything like that before...and you just look so beautiful.”
“No need to lie to me, Karamatsu-kun, I know it feels good and-“
Karamatsu kissed her long and hard, clearly annoyed at her denial.
“I wouldn’t have been so aroused by you that I came faster than I thought if you didn’t look stunningly beautiful...especially when the moonlight illuminates your breath-taking face.” He caressed her cheek lovingly, making the young woman blush hard.
“A-ah, Karamatsu-kun, I think we need to clean up first before busting out the compliments.”
He looked down at his seed on her stomach and sheepishly smiled.

Chapter Text

The morning sun shone through Ume’s curtains, illuminating the room where Karamatsu was internally freaking out. The girl of his dreams, his high school crush, had absolutely rocked his world last night and he almost forgot about it. He glanced over at Ume, who was still sleeping soundly on her side of the bed, drooling slightly. The young man chuckled to himself. Her hair was stuck to her face, nose ring half-way out of her nostril, and her helix jewelry was tangled together.
“Ume-chan, is the salon open today?” He was promptly answered with a hearty ‘smack’ as Ume’s hair slapped him in the face from the force of her getting up.
The young woman frantically ran around trying to get ready, accidentally showcasing Karamatsu’s handiwork across her sides, chest, and neck. He figured he’d tell her later as he tried to help her get ready as best as he could. Ume threw on her clothes lightning speed and was out the door faster than he’d ever seen her move, but not before kissing Karamatsu on the cheek and telling him that he’s welcome to stay as long as he needs.
“I know apologizing can be very awkward Karamatsu-kun, take all the time you need. Just don’t eat that acorn soup in the fridge.” She playfully caressed his cheek before practically running out the door.
He smiled. He wanted to just wrap himself in her blanket and sleep all day long, but he had to go home to his brothers. He tidied up her bed and locked her door on his way out. He was hoping to resolve things with his brothers, not wanting to intrude on Ume’s home any further over a squabble with his siblings. He left a note with a little heart on the door as he left.

“Mom, dad, I’m home!” Karamatsu yelled out to his parents as he took his shoes off. Unsurprisingly, his siblings were still asleep while his mom was cooking breakfast and his dad was drinking coffee. They both perked up at the sound of their second-eldest sons’ voice and rushed over to the entrance. His dad let out a sigh of relief as his mom simultaneously scolded and comforted him.
“I’m sorry mom, U-Shinsato-san gave me the couch to sleep on and-“ His mom gave him a horrified look.
“Oh my goodness, it’s a wonder you came out of there alive! You know, she used to be a delinquent when you all were in school! With that hair I’d say she’s still up to no good, but at least she’s good at cutting hair...” She shook her head disapprovingly, “I can’t imagine the hole she must live in, squalor and filth-“
“Her apartment is nicer than our home, and she’s not a delinquent! Shinsato-san is respectable, a good citizen just like you!” Karamatsu moved past his parents and towards the stairs, “Are those boneheads up yet? I wanna apologize, I guess.”
“You know they’re not, Karamatsu, you’re just a bonehead as the rest of them!” She turned away and headed back towards the kitchen.
He rolled his eyes before heading up the stairs and turning into their room, a rush of air leaving his lungs as he pushed open the door and stared at his sleeping brothers.
“Brothers! I have returned, I’m sure you all missed me in my absence!” Karamatsu boldly announced his presence. He figured if he had to open himself up to an apology, he might as well close himself off.
At first his brothers were groggily telling him to stop talking and go back to sleep. After careful processing in their slightly smaller-than-average brains, they shot up from their covers and stared at him.
“Where the hell did you go last night, Karamatsu?!” Choromatsu was the first to stand up and greet his brother.
“Probably slept out on a bench or something, you look like you haven’t slept at all.” Ichimatsu still lay in his spot, eyes closed and everything.
“A-ah, not exactly...brothers, I spent the night at a woman’s house!”
“Oh horseshit! No respectable woman would ever let you sleep near her.” Todomatsu propped his head up to face his brother.
“Ume-chan is more respectable than all of us combined, and generous! She even-“ he cut himself off before he revealed anything else. He was sure his brothers would go blabbing their mouths to anyone who would listen to their awful retelling of his first sexual experience.
“Ume-san?! She let you in her home willingly? That’s surprising. She’s a major hottie though, too bad she’s a delinquent.” Osomatsu walked past Karamatsu.
“She isn’t, she’s not even in contact with those girls anymore! Why does everyone think she’s a delinquent-?”
“She was in high school, and she probably didn’t change!”
“I don’t know guys, Ume-chan seems like she’s changed a lot.” Jyushimatsu chimed in.
“Thank you, brother!”
“Still, it’s no explanation as to why she invited you in her home.” Todomatsu looked at him suspiciously.
“I bet you had to pay a real price for that hot piece of ass to open the door for you, how much does she charge, I’m looking to blow off some-“ Osomatsu turned around to see his younger brother glaring daggers into him.
Karamatsu thought back to Ume’s smiling face as they cleaned each other up the previous night, how her eyes glimmered with love and concern as she dressed his wounds, and the countless comforting times she stroked his hair as they lay on her living room floor. He felt his hands clench into fists, jaw locking with frustration and embarrassment. He wanted to abide by Ume’s wishes to keep their relationship private, but hearing his brothers talk about his girlfriend in such a disgusting way boiled his blood. He wanted to shout his love to the rooftops, but he bit his tongue reluctantly and swallowed his jealousy.
“Ume-chan is my friend, and I won’t stand here and listen to you speak about her like that.” He coldly stared at his brothers; all intentions of an apology gone from his mind.
They stared at him in silence. They weren’t sure how to approach him after that, and they spent the whole day walking on eggshells as he angrily trudged around the house. Eventually, he left around lunch to lord knows where.

Ume watched as the sextuplet’s mother walked into the salon for her appointment. The woman looked mildly uncomfortable as she stood in the lobby.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Matsuno-sama! I’ll have your chair ready in a few minutes.”
“O-of course, take your time, Shinsato-san.” The older woman smiled awkwardly at her.
Ume’s smile faltered slightly at the drop of “-chan” from her client’s greeting. She felt Matsuyo’s eyes on her, anticipating a moment alone with the young woman. She was hoping to God that she wasn’t left alone with her boyfriend’s mom. She felt the impending doom of dreaded questions on the tip of that woman’s tongue. The only thing that could make it more awkward is if he appeared during her appointment.
“M-mom, I was just looking for you!” A suave voice chimed throughout the salon.
Shoot me in the foot right now.
“Karamatsu, sweetie, what are you doing here?”
“U-hmm, I just wanted to know what you had planned for dinner?” his voice wavered and Ume internally face-palmed.
Matsuyo looked at her son quizzically, obviously not buying his pathetic excuse of a reason. She turned to the young woman and gave her a knowing look with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She felt as though Matsuyo wanted to be disappointed that her son loved a “delinquent”, but the mom was impressed that he managed to woo a woman in the first place.
“Matsuno-san, you’re welcome to stay and wait for your mother if you’d like.” Ume could barely keep the words from flowing out of her mouth. She cursed herself.
His face lit up and he slightly smiled, the façade faltering for a second. He sat down closest to the styling chair and watched Ume effortlessly navigate her way through her work. She gracefully moved around the floor, shampooing, cutting, and blow drying her client like second nature. She had a small smile on her face, clearly enjoying herself and being deeply in her element. Karamatsu giddily watched in awe.
“Ume-chan, how did you find your passion in hairstyling?” Karamatsu completely forgot his mom’s presence, focusing only on his girlfriend.
“I used to cut my dad’s hair for him when I was in high school and middle school. He doesn’t like people very much, so he didn’t want to go out and let someone else touch his hair. I still cut it for him when I visit.” Ume shook out the smock around Matsuyo’s neck.
The two smiled at each other, but the older woman coughed awkwardly.
“Karamatsu, I think we’d ought to go. I’m about to fix up that dinner you were curious about.” She eyed her son, hoping to get a reaction out of him.
The young man started sweating, “W-well, I’ve still got some business to take care of in the area...money stuff and all that.”
She smirked at her son knowingly. Her initial intent was to come in the salon and ask Ume to leave him be, but after seeing how smitten her son was, she decided to leave it all alone. She walked up to her son and whispered in his ear.
“I’ll save you a plate for later, it seems like you have some stuff to talk about with your...girlfriend.”
He sheepishly smiled as his mom walked out of the salon. The two young adults were now tasked with closing up shop, stealing a few looks at each other while sweeping.
“Sooo,” Ume closed up shop and turned to look at Karamatsu, “Dinner at my place?”
He smiled back, “Of course.”

Chapter Text

“What did you want to be growing up?”
Ume looked up from her paperwork to stare at Karamatsu, who was playing with her hair and looking at her with curiosity.
“Well, it depends on what version of my past self you’d be asking...” She said.
“Lemme rephrase that then I guess,” he chewed on his bottom lip, “Before high school, what would you say you wanted to be?”
She thought back to middle school. Her friends, her dad, her grades, really anything that she could remember she pulled from.
“I wanted to be a therapist. I loved helping people around me when they were nice.”
“When they were nice?”
Ume shifted her gaze to the side, unsure if she should continue. He father has always been an introverted person, leaving him to respond awkwardly to all of her school events. He’d walk her to and from school, the grocery mart, and her friends’ houses, but it never went any further than that. His aversion to human contact was strange to the other kids and their parents, which made its rounds for years and years. They called him lazy, a creep, a drug-using paranoid drunk, and an absent man. This made everyone steer clear of her. Some people even bullied her heavily.
“I’ve mentioned my dad before in regard to cutting his hair, but I want to know if you heard anything at all about my dad in high school.”
“I heard some stuff, but knowing the rumors about you weren’t true, I’m not sure those ones are true either.”
“I can tell you now that they aren’t true, but I do have something to say. Could I say my peace without judgement, Karamatsu-kun?” the young man nodded, face pulled into a puzzled look.
“My father is a severe introvert. People said he was absent and a lazy drunk, but he’s always been there for me. I cut his hair because he can’t be bothered to go let someone else do it for him. I go with him to the grocery store since he can’t be around people for too long without getting drained. He has shown up for me, and I show up for him, we just show up for each other in an unconventional way. People in school didn’t understand that and assumed my dad was an abusive creep. It made a lot of people avoid me from pre-school to high school. Obviously, that stuff got to me, and I just became a really bitter person. That’s why I joined a gang.” Ume watched Karamatsu’s face closely as she told her story, watching his face go from confusion to understanding.
“Thank you for sharing that with me, Ume-chan. To be honest, I was scared you’d tell me the rumors about him were true. I didn’t want you to see him anymore if he was a cruel person to you, but I understand now that the both of you are kinder than any person in this town. I hope that one day I’ll get to meet your father, but I think I should wait until I get a job...” he trailed off.
Karamatsu had been looking into an office job, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay couped up inside all day. He had thought about being a lifeguard, but he was scared his family and Ume would laugh at him. He’d be helping people and being outdoors at the same time, and he’d be able to support himself enough. The second downside was that he’d only have a job for a handful of months due to outside factors, although he could work at an inside pool too. He let out a small sigh before turning his attention back to Ume, who had gotten up to head to the kitchen to get a beer.
“What kind of job would you want, Karamatsu-kun?” Ume passed him a can.
“Uhhh, it’s pretty stupid to say out loud, so I’d have to say an office job.” Karamatsu said.
“Karamatsu-kun, unless you wanted to throw poop at people for a living, it’s not a stupid career. You’re intelligent enough to know that you can get the job you’d like, you just can’t get caught up on other people’s opinions.” She patted him on the back.
“Well, now that you’ve crushed my dreams of being a professional shit-flinger,” Ume playfully rolled her eyes, “I guess I’d like to be a lifeguard.”
The young woman smiled at him.
“Karamatsu-kun, I cut the pool manager’s hair for a living, she’d be thrilled to interview you! You’d have to take some classes of course, but you don’t need a degree to do it. In fact,” she got up to grab her calendar, “The classes start a week from now! If you’d like, I could reach out to her and help you out with that?”
Karamatsu felt his heart skip a beat. He’d never had someone care so deeply for him before, let alone enough to help him out like this. He cleared the lump in his throat before smiling warmly at her.
“If it’s no trouble, I’d like that very much. I really do appreciate you, Ume-chan, and everything you’ve done for me while we’ve been together. I feel bad that I have to rely on you so much, but I promise I’ll pay you back ten times more throughout our whole relationship!”
She giggled, “It’s no trouble at all, Karamatsu-kun. What’s the point of professional connections if you don’t utilize them? I’m incredibly happy to help you.”
The pair held each other’s hands and Ume leaned her head on Karamatsu’s shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Ume sat up and looked at Karamatsu.
“When you get your job, Karamatsu-kun, would you perhaps want to live with me?”
Karamatsu’s face turned bright red, and he started to sweat. He kept opening his mouth to say something but closed it tightly when he couldn’t make a sound. The mere thought of living with such a beautiful girl made him short-circuit, and he couldn’t stop mulling over the fact that they’d be falling asleep and waking up in each other’s arms. He pondered how nice it would be to cook meals together like they had been and not have to go home afterwards, being able to stay up all night watching movies, talking about their days, or how good it would feel to have a constant reminder that he was loved for who he truly was.
Karamatsu mustered up his voice, which came out in a high-pitched, but enthusiastic, “I’d like that.”
Ume hugged him tightly. Karamatsu cherished her warm embrace and tucked his head into the crook of her neck. He wanted to feel this kind of safety every day, the warmth of the person you love fueling you with strength. He knew that he was making the right choice, but he was unsure of how to break the news to his parents and brothers. They didn’t even know he was dating Ume, so he couldn’t imagine what their response would be if he never told them he had a secret girlfriend for a year and a half now.
Ume also thought how she’d break the news to her dad. She didn’t try to keep Karamatsu a secret from her dad at all, but she just never had the time to tell him. Her dad was a scholarly man who loved to dote on his daughter with knowledge and advice, but he was a writer, so they’d never have too long to chat about anything super deep. She figured she could tell him the next time she visited him, which would be next weekend.
“I think it’d be a good time to tell our family about our relationship, don’t you think? We could start off slow. I can introduce myself to your parents, although your mom knows who I am, and I could see if my dad would like to meet you in the future?”
Karamatsu was scared to tell his family, mainly because he was scared his dad would disapprove of Ume. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that his dad would rather he get out of the house and supporting a family than living at home for the rest of his life.
“I think that would be a wonderful idea.”