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Chapter Text

Kirari

01

Shinjuku

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Mimi stretches her arms as she finishes writing the annual student budget report—the last one from her as she's about to graduate in a month. She stands up from her chair and looks down at her table, reminding herself to bring her trolley next week to move out her personal belongings. She gazes outside, the spring blossoms are in full bloom today.

She peers down the window and watches a group of students at the zen garden, huddled for lunch. Lunch. Oh, right! Her eyes shift skyward, suddenly feeling nostalgic about her first days in Waseda. Her eyes linger on the couples surrounding the study group at the garden. She places a palm on her cheek and tilts her head, proud of how the garden blooms in variant warm colors as part of her campus planting project two semesters ago.

Her first two years in university life revolved around someone in her course. Her first boyfriend revealed to her that no matter how kind and polite someone could be, he made her feel that she demands too much and a little easy.

Her eyes narrow, no longer really looking at anything else in the view, but the memory in her head.

And that is the full yet concise history of Tachikawa Mimi's dating life, firmly believing she should not fold for anyone who would not accept her as she is. She winces a little as the spring wind enters the office, tickling her nose.

"A-a-choo!" she sneezes through the back of her sleeve.

Her vice president snaps his head up. "You okay, kaichou?"

"I'm okay, Ken-kun," Mimi smiles and waves at him to not worry. She sniffles, takes her pink face mask out of her pocket, and puts it on her face. Her gaze returns to the garden, where the student couples are. Still, her young heart seeks and aches for resonance.

"Ahhh…" Mimi sighs audibly as she turns to her peers, her ponytail and skirt dramatically twirling. "I want to eat lunch with someone under the sakura tree so bad, but I don't have anyone!"

"Have you ever called back Izumi-san from Todai? I heard Yagami-san's doing well at the bureau, your old crush," teases her secretary Miyako, who was working with Hikari, their treasurer, also the younger sister of Yagami Taichi, who used to be the celebrated striker of the university football team. He had already graduated a year ago.

All of Mimi's current staff have won the elections, with Miyako replacing her as president next academic year. "Ahh, but the devastation you'd leave to the student body if you ever get another boyfriend,"

"Miyako-chan, hush! Yagami-san and I are just friends! Think about Hikari-chan!" The brunette scoffs, blushing. She looks at the window again. "I just can't believe I'm graduating without even having a second chance at a university romance…"

Ken and Hikari exchange a playful look, already used to Mimi's antics.

"Kaichou's probably thinking of an office romance next," Hikari giggles as she types in her spreadsheet. Sensing Mimi's quiet yearning, she adds, "to be fair, I'm sure the people you meet will be less playful and more serious and committed this time around."

The president sighs again heavily, she looks at them, scanning them at work. "Well, no use talking about it right now. I'm hungry. We should get lunch,"

"I'm busy," Ken tells her, eyes still on his laptop.

"Same." replies MIyako.

Mimi turns to Hikari, pleading. The youngest of them smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm preparing for next year's, hehe."

She grumbles under her breath. "Shouldn't you all have finished it the other day? We had almost the entire week off."

The three of them look at each other and laugh nervously. Hikari swallows. "Well… we got busy."

"With what?"

Hikari looks at Miyako, asking for help. Miyako turns to Ken. "Ichijouji, you explain!"

Ken looks between all of the girls, then sighs. He keeps eye contact with Mimi as he reports this. "We had to draw up a plea and defend the council to the faculty committee on last year's festival."

Mimi crosses her arms, alert. "What? Why? What for?"

"They think we didn't mitigate enough of the afterparties."

"Those afterparties are beyond us. They're off-campus," she retorts. "and we did report all the leads and names we got and ran a strict no-substance policy, as always!"

"Exactly," Ken sighs, hand over his forehead. "Honestly, I think they just want to give us a hard time because of finance approving every budget request we did… anyway… It took us all a while, but we finished the job, so don't worry."

She blinks a few times. "You guys finished it without me?"

"Of course," Miyako replies. "You've been very busy with your studies for the past weeks, it's understandable."

Mimi purses her lips. Right. She has been quite busy for the last few weeks. Now that she's free from academic pressure, all that's left is her turnover of responsibilities and impending departure. The former, it seems, has already happened.

"Thank you," she smiles, grateful for all of them. "At least I know I'll be leaving this school on a high note thanks to you guys."

They smile back at her.

"It's nothing, kaichou." Hikari replies gently.

She reminds herself she should really grab some lunch as her stomach grumbles. Mimi slings her bag across her shoulder and heads out. "I'll be back."

"Okay, take care!"

###

Mimi ends up in her usual after-school cafe bar nearby Waseda, just two blocks away from campus, where live music would usually be played day and night. She's a little surprised how almost empty it is at this time of the day, for usually, it would be full.

She glances at the platform to check who's playing— Ahh! Blondie-san! —she immediately takes the table near the stage and sits there. A staff member hands her a menu while she watches him. She had taken quite the fascination with him, for he often wears his salaryman suit any time of the day she catches him here and would play his electric guitar as is. He'd typically play covers of old Japanese pop songs. Then, some would be original ones. For the past three months since she saw him, she still doesn't know his name, not really seeing the point of having to. His voice was soothing and melodic, reminiscent of her father's solo works on vinyl.

She places her order, then surveys the bar once more. There's a couple at the back, probably also students from Waseda, then a lone man with his newspaper and laptop. Blondie-san is singing a song from a visual kei band that was popular in the nineties. Mhmm! He knows many genres, she notes to herself. She takes out her phone and scrolls through, not looking at him directly so she won't appear rude or intrusive.

Her food arrives not long after—curry rice and lemonade. Mimi eats her lunch peacefully while Blondie-san continues to play on his own. It seems he's not really sticking to any setlist whenever he plays here, Mimi realizes.

After finishing another song, Blondie-san steps down from the platform. Without looking at him, Mimi claps for his performance, eyes on her phone as she reads through some job listings. He pauses in front of her, slightly disarmed. When she doesn't look up, he continues walking and heads to the bar top, just a few feet behind her.

"Soju, just the classic," Mimi hears him say. Mimi frowns and looks at her watch. It's only noon. She pieces it together instantly that he may be going through things at work. No wonder he always goes here in his suit, she thinks, taking a spoonful of curry.

"Thought you were quitting that job soon? Though you're too young to be jaded like this, oniisan," Mimi hears the bartender ask him. Blondie doesn't reply, instead she hears the clinking of a shot glass and wine pouring into it.

Poor Blondie-san, she laments further, pouting. She quickly finishes her food and pays for her meal. Mimi turns around to see the salaryman still hunched over the bar top, the bottle of soju at least half done. She bites her lip and scans the room first. She palms out her loosely fit sweater to iron them out, one shoulder exposed by the way it naturally hangs on her. She hangs her bag over there. Mimi strides toward the flaxen-haired man and taps his shoulder.

He doesn't move. Without planning ahead, she sits beside him and catches sharp blue eyes and a handsome young face. Her eyelashes flutter, not expecting him to look as such upclose. If she can guess, he's likely around her age or at least a year older. She beams at him. "Hi!"

The man and the bartender look at each other, the latter smirking at him. Blondie-san leans back from the bar top. "May I help you?"

Mimi shakes her head, elbow on the table, her cheek leaning on her fist. "No, actually, I just want to say, I've been listening to you perform, and your voice is quite beautiful."

He squints his eyes at her, then back at his soju. "Thanks."

Blondie-san continues to drink. An awkward silence fills the space between them. "Want something, oneesan?" the bartender offers.

"No, thank you." she stands up from her seat, then bows politely at them. "I better get going, then. I hope you have a wonderful day ahead!"

Mimi turns around, but before she steps forward, Blondie-san calls her by a familiar name.

"Kaichou,"

Her head snaps to look back. Blondie-san's eyes are closed, fingers between his eyebrows as if he's recalling something. Then, he opens his eyes. "You're the student council president, right?"

Mimi purses her lips, curious. She slowly returns to sit next to him. "I am, actually… how did you know that?"

Blondie-san pours himself another shot. Mimi notices his tie a little loosened, the top button undone. She observes him some more. Despite the undone appearance, he remains lucid and sober, it seems.

"Weren't you also the president the previous academic year?" he asks candidly. "You're kind of hard to miss. Most of my peers were impressed."

Mimi wonders what he actually means by that. She nods slowly, piecing him together. Ahhh. So he was my senior. He also went to Waseda. That makes sense… no wonder he's always around here…

"I was one of the bands from the festival two years ago," he says, drinking the shot. "I was asking for help with stage equipment. You ended up reworking everything else. Kind of overdid it with the audio, though."

She sees him smirk at that as Mimi tries to recall such a moment. She's been too busy moving around and organizing that event that she really doesn't remember the little things. "Mhmmm… that does sound like something I'd do," she laughs.

"I hope it wasn't too bad for your band, though," she adds.

He chuckles, eyes still on the table. "No, it was okay."

"Where is your band, by the way?"

"We're on a break."

"Ahh… I'm sorry,"

He shrugs, then looks at her. "How's campus now?"

The passage of time works its magic here as Mimi loses herself in it. She narrates almost all of her accomplishments and challenges for the academic year as her second term as the student council president of Waseda like a highlight reel. Blondie-san listens with a passive expression, finishing the entire bottle. The bartender also joins to listen to Mimi's account.

"Shit," he says, coughing. "didn't know it was that bad."

"It was," Mimi exclaims, shaking her head as if she's reliving memories of an event project. "It was supposed to open dialogue and widen everyone's minds and beliefs, but some ended up treating it like we were forcing progressive ideas into students,"

Blondie-san hums, looking at her in a way he had just painted a portrait of this person. His eyes zoom in on her face, noting how rarely, refreshingly readable-at-first-look the Waseda student council president is. It usually takes time for him to see people as they are.

"At least it's over now."

Mimi chuckles. "I guess so… but I think I'll genuinely miss the chaos."

Silence fills the gap between them again for a few minutes, until he slides his phone next to her—the numeric keypad on screen. Mimi carefully looks at him and takes it. "Umm…"

"If it's okay," he mutters, head swerving the other direction where she can't see his face. "you don't have to put it in."

Mimi glances to and fro between the phone and him. She bites her lip and takes her phone out of her bag as well. She taps his shoulder and he looks behind, sees her smiling. He takes it and puts in his contact details.

Mimi does the same.

Blondie-san instantly stands up from his seat after they return each other's phones. He checks it. Tachikawa Mimi. Ah, right, Mimi is her first name, he reads his screen quietly.

He pays for his tab and bids her and the bartender goodbye.

After a few moments and exchanges with the bartender, Mimi rises from her seat as well, realizing she has overstayed for lunch. She looks at her phone and reads his name.

"Ishida Yamato."

Chapter Text

Kirari

02

Sangenjaya

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It's already twilight when Yamato, in his leather moto jacket and jeans, arrives at their supposed meeting place, just in front of Sangenjaya Station. The shop lights are already on. 

A month has passed since he had acquainted himself with former Waseda student council president Tachikawa Mimi. If his estimation is correct, she just graduated last week, judging by the engineering juniors who have been seeking recommendations from him.

He leans back on the concrete of the station and checks his phone. Mimi hasn't replied to his last message yet. He receives a few emails about his recent job applications. He quietly sighs. He had just quit his tenured job at the company two weeks ago after receiving a prospective sound designer job at a studio startup in Shimokitazawa. It was his bandmate's, Gen. According to Gen, his portfolio's already on final review with his co-owners. 

Still, despite this reconnection with him, the band remains on hiatus. Yamato puts his phone back inside and waits, ignoring the usual look he gets from passersby, though hyper-aware how much he stands out by racial appearance. Blond hair and blue eyes say it all. 

Mimi surprises him as she emerges out of the station entrance. She jumps directly in front of him, her hair—now shorter as it now sits at shoulder length—falling to the side.

"Hello!" she greets, too cheerful and loud. 

He clicks his tongue and moves away from the concrete, arms still crossed. "Hey." 

It seems she came from elsewhere, wearing a formal jumpsuit  and cobalt blue coat—Yamato suspects it's either an interview, internship, or classes. Mimi eyes him thoroughly, humming aloud as she studies his outfit. 

"Your day off?"

"Pardon?"

"You look…" Mimi gestures at his entire being. "Relaxed."

"Ahh, yeah," his eyelashes flutter. Yamato chuckles at the realization. "I quit."

 "Waaah?!" her palms go to both sides of her cheeks, shocked. "What happened, Ishida-san?!" 

He cocks his eyebrow up and doesn't answer her question. His feet take him forward and ahead as he looks back for her to follow. "Let's go, kaichou." 

They enter a random alley in Sangenjaya, where okonomiyaki and takoyaki shops stand, embedded in homely structures and buildings as the lanterns glow brighter with the slow death of the sun. The small alley's spacious enough to move around, but each shop seems already full. Yamato turns around to see Mimi eyeing a dimsum menu stand. 

He walks back to her. "Liked anything?"

She glances at him and shakes her head.  They continue to go deeper in the residential maze. 

"So… where did you come from?" he asks, his gaze still on the shop signs.

"I'm taking extra language classes," she answers immediately. "Chinese for now." 

He glances at her. "What was your major?"

"Social Studies."

"What are your plans for a career?"

Mimi shrugs.  "I don't know. I guess anything would work, as long as it's worth my time."

"Elaborate 'worth your time.'"

"If it's fun, or if I learn anything… or if I help people," she answers awkwardly, then laughs at herself. She turns to look at him. "Of course, it better pay me well."

He snickers, returning her gaze.  "That's about right."

They end up in a small Nikkei joint, where most of the people eating there seem to be food vloggers or at least social media enthusiasts, judging by the phone camera stands that Yamato had caught on some tables. Mimi picked the place. Although, like him, she also hasn't eaten anything from this fusion cuisine yet. They take a seat at the bar side by side, with Mimi instantly helping herself with the pitcher of water. The cook takes their orders. Yamato settles for the fusion donburi and a can of beer. Mimi gets skewers, ceviche, and a glass of mojito. 

Their drinks are made and served instantly. Mimi sips from the straw before she turns to him. "So… tell me what happened, Ishida-san!"

Yamato glances at her, clicking the beer can open. "Before that, Tachikawa. Why did you want to meet up? It sounded urgent."

Mimi remains smiling, albeit her intentions betray her as she keeps chewing the bottom of her lip, eyes wandering at the colorful ceiling. Yamato remains silent and waits for her to explain. She sips from her straw again as she bats her eyelashes at him playfully. "Well, you see, you took my number but you never messaged or called."

He fully turns his entire body to her and drinks from the can. The corner of his mouth twitches upward, unnoticeably for anyone else but Yamato."I didn't mean to keep you hanging. I got busy."

Hmmm . "Did you now?"

He attempts to soothe her with a sigh-like laugh. "Yeah," he answers, eyes looking down at his can. "I was overworked last month." 

"Is that why you've quit your job?"

Yamato's eyebrows slightly furrow, sharp eyes glancing between her and his drink. A defeated smile escapes him. "Not the entire reason, but it's part of it, yeah."

Mimi nods in understanding, taking another long sip from her drink before she lets it go, not wanting to feel full before dinner. "You know, I always wondered before why you always wore a suit while you played at the cafe… I thought it was cute."

"Cute?" he almost falters at that.

"Why, yes!" she exclaims, leaning forward with honey eyes on him. "You seem to know almost every hit from every decade, both locally and internationally. You never play the same songs twice, but you sing each one as if it were a love song. It's very cute."

The concept of cuteness no longer becomes the center of his attention. He blinks a few times at her, then turns away, briefly stealing glances. "You noticed all of that?"

"Mhmm," she affirms. "I'm pretty good at reading people, you know?"

"Cute, huh," Yamato sighs and shakes his head. "You know you always ordered the same food at that place, right?" 

Mimi squints at him, cheeks a little pink. "And you know that because…?"

He turns his head toward her with a smirk. "Because you're kaichou ."

Mimi playfully slaps him on his arm, earning her another laugh out of the man. Yamato drinks from his beer again and continues. "You always go there alone. Why do you?"

Their meals get served on the table before Mimi could reply. She starts eating the skewers first, making indulgent noises and remarks over how delicious the food is. She even offers him some.

"I'm fine, thanks," he says, breaking his chopsticks apart before he mixes his donburi. "So… why are you always there?"

Mimi looks at him before she bites off of her skewer, eyes wide and expression innocent. There's something childlike about the way she does it. Her blush deepens. She chews it well first and swallows. Then, she sips on her drink. 

"Because I liked the music."

"Ahh," he hums. "Well, the lineups are almost always solid there, so I agree—"

He halts as Mimi weakly holds the sleeve of his jacket. She smiles shyly. "I meant, I like the music you were making."

"They're mostly covers. You've heard them."

"Yeah, I love those too," she nods. "But I also like your original ones."

"You heard those?"

"Yeah…" her smile widens. "they're often at the end of your setlist, which, I suppose, you never really plan your setlists because they're always random... so you use your songs for filler."

Mimi lets go of his sleeve and starts eating her ceviche. Yamato looks away and helps himself with his donburi, stuffing his mouth almost fully,  processing everything thus far as if he's in front of the computer, doing engineering work again. 

The former hyperfunctional, slightly theatrical, J-idol-like student council president of Waseda is a music lover and perhaps a hopeless romantic. He chugs his beer, emptying it.

Cute.

He steals another look at her,  then clears his throat. "What do you usually like?"

"Hmm?" She looks up at him. 

"Music."

Mimi ends up walking him through her long, loving affair with her father's own music—a self-made musician in the 90s who now functions as head producer for a major label. The name Tachikawa Keisuke is familiar. She tells him she also likes listening to various genres, that she really doesn't have a fixed favorite, and that everything depends on her mood.

He rolls his eyes at that. No wonder she likes my setlist, he quietly realizes, smiling. 

They pay for their meals right after they finish them and leave the shop. Yamato watches her. Before he gets to say anything, she dashes off to a dessert stand that serves ice cream. He walks and stands behind her, waiting. 

Mimi turns around, holding a strawberry and  mango soft serve in a cup with two spoons on it. "Ishida-san, want some?"

He obliges and takes the spoon. They eat it at a corner, safe from streetgoers and passersby, with Yamato standing in front of her and her back on the wall. "How is it?" 

"Mhmm," he replies. "It's alright. The mango's kind of too sweet."

"Ahh, I should've asked you what you liked," she pouts, taking a spoonful in her mouth. "I kind of just bought one on instinct. I like washing my palate with sweets after a meal."

He glances and nods, dipping his spoon to scoop a serving of chocolate.  From here, Yamato begins operating more out of impulse than logic. He places it just in front of her lips. She looks at him and the spoon, blushing.

She softly opens her mouth and lets him feed her. When he sees some residue on the corner of her lip, he brushes it off wordlessly. Her color deepens.  

There's no mistaking it. 

Yamato places the spoon back on the cup and coughs. "Want to go somewhere else?"

"Hmm? Where?"

He leads her to Carrot Tower after she finishes her ice cream.

###

"What's in Carrot Tower again?" Mimi muses as they ride the elevator. She hasn't been here since she was twelve with her parents. She notices that they're only heading to Floor 24. "We're not going to the deck?"

Yamato only glances at her before his eyes return to his feet. 

"Follow me," he says, exiting the elevator, slightly pulling her by the cuff of her coat. He scans the hallway and hastily walks toward the left wing's end, Mimi still in his grasp. They reach a staircase and climb it up. Mimi's heartbeat continues to quicken, excited for whatever this mini adventure is. 

They reach the actual roof after four flights of stairs.

Mimi gawks at the open-air view of the night and Tokyo city lights. No stars. She feels like a protagonist from an old city drama, with a jazz fusion song playing at the opening.

 "Waaahh, Ishida-san?! How did you—?" she scans the empty area, then looks at him. "we're not supposed to be here, right?" 

He chuckles and walks toward the ledge, leaning on the rails. Mimi does the same. She grabs his arm and loops hers around his when she realizes the distance between the ground and her feet. He scoots closer when he notices this. The wind continues to graze through their hair and clothes.

"Ishida-san, how did you know how to get here?"

"My ex works here."

Mimi squints at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means it's how I knew how to get here." He smirks. 

She tugs his arm. "Am I a rebound?"

"What makes you say that?" he cocks his brow and looks at her, confused. 

"Because you brought me here to an emotionally loaded place for you," Mimi starts pouting. "On a first date, too."

Date. The word reverberates between them. Neither of them can take it back now. Yamato clears his throat. 

"We broke up last year," he explains simply. "we remained on good terms, but there's nothing between us anymore." 

"That still doesn't clarify whether I'm a rebound or not," she sighs. Yamato gives her a look. Silence and the quiet hum of the wind  fall between them.

"Then let me prove it." 

Mimi turns her head to the horizon as she contemplates his words. The view makes her see and imagine things that Yamato may have already done with his past paramour.  

Then again, she thinks, this private view is no longer just theirs. 

She turns to him. "Pick me up tomorrow." 

"Where?"

"I don't know yet," she replies, her hip playfully nudging him.  "I'll let you know."

He chuckles. "Okay."

"Also, you still haven't told me why you've quit being a salaryman." She beams, her tone light. He looks at her with a wry smile.

"Thought you were good at reading people?" he teases as he runs a hand through his hair, feeling one and free with the wind. "No one wants to be a salaryman, Tachikawa,"

"Touché, Ishida-san," she muses to herself. "So… what are you planning to do now?"

"I have enough saved up to buy me some time," he answers. "But I already have prospects I'm keeping tabs on."

"Does it have anything to do with music?" Mimi wonders out loud, doesn't notice the strand of hair stuck between her lips as the wind blows. 

He gives her an honest smile this time, the one that makes his blue eyes twinkle. 

Chapter Text

Kirari

03

Shibuya

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Mimi exits the conference room with silent disappointment as she heads back to her table, clinging to her folders and paperwork in her chest. This is the first time she made a mistake— was it truly even a mistake ?—since her internship began three months ago. 

She returns to her desk with a few male coworkers lingering in front of her.

"May I help you?"

"Tachikawa," one of them, Tanaka, turns to her.  "we're heading out for a drink in a few minutes. You should come with," 

Mimi smiles politely. "No, thank you." 

"That's the fifth time you refused," another coworker, Junichiro, pipes in. "How can you expect to be regularized if you won't make an effort to get to know your coworkers? Hmm?"

I don't even get paid for this job, she thinks, rolling her eyes while organizing her desk. A female coworker, Takenouchi Sora, a year older than Mimi, passes and shoos them off. "You know she has a boyfriend, right?"

"Tch," Tanaka scoffs at her, eyes Sora up and down. "You're also a lost cause."

"And yet here I am full-time," retorts Sora, glaring at the male crowd that's retreating from Mimi's table. She shakes her head disappointingly before she turns to the brunette. "You okay?"

"Mhmm," Mimi smiles gratefully. "Thank you again, senpai," 

"Sora," she corrects her, laughing a little nervously. "Just Sora will do. No honorifics. Stop calling me senpai." 

"Hehe." Mimi admires this senior of hers; she also went to Waseda for Economics, just a year above her. She wonders why they'd never crossed paths until they were out of campus. 

Sora has a boyfriend still studying at Todai named Jyou for medical practice. Based on her shared stories, stability seems inevitable for her and Jyou. Mimi quietly envies that early grasp she has on adulthood, as she's still navigating life post-graduation.

"You want to grab dinner together?" Sora offers as she double-checks her desk and locks the drawers. 

The younger bows politely. "Ahh, raincheck? He's already waiting for me."

"It's okay," smiles Sora. "I'll head off first. Let's hang soon."

Mimi beams, carefully remembering what Sora asked of her earlier. "Okay. Take care, Sora." 

"That's better." The redhead smirks and waves at her goodbye.  

Mimi heads down and exits the building, suit and tie still intact, pants still clean, feet still functional in kitten heels as she paces toward the meeting place. After a few turns in the bustling heart of Shibuya, Mimi reaches the izakaya, where she sees both the expected and unexpected. Yamato is there, and so are her male coworkers from earlier. Not a single woman is present at that table. Mimi feels goosebumps on her arms. 

Yamato is busy with his phone.

After a few moments with Mimi on  standby, one of her coworkers instantly notices her and calls her name. "Tachikawa! Nice of you to come, finally!" 

He says it so loud that Yamato's head shoots up from his phone, looking around. He spots her easily. Yamato stands up and walks toward her. She tries her best to meet him in the middle. She reaches for his hand. 

"Hey," he greets her with a soft smile, thumbing her knuckles. 

"Hi," she smiles. "Can we go elsewhere?"

"Yeah, of course." Sharp blue eyes shift around, specifically to that table from earlier. "Let me just get my things."

He pads back to his table and wears his backpack and laptop bag. They exit the establishment hand in hand, Yamato leading her deeper into the streets of Shibuya. Mimi suspects the farther they are from her coworkers, the better.

They settle at an almost empty, obscure izakaya—which is quite a miracle at this hour. Mimi sighs out loud as she falls onto the seat, quietly thankful that she doesn't have to sit on the floor. Yamato sits next to her.

"Earlier… what was that?" he asks. A server gives them a menu and leaves a pitcher on their table. 

Mimi sighs again, flipping the menu. "Assholes from work. I want sashimi and kirin, please?"

"Yeah, get what you like. Don't worry about it," he assures her. He places their orders first before he probes further. 

"Maybe I should've just taken International Studies," muses Mimi out loud. "Go abroad and get away from all of this."

He looks at her quietly, his hand over hers. "How often do they bother you at work?"

"A lot." Mimi feels his grip tighten around hers. She squeezes back and shakes her head. "But I'm not giving them what they want. I won't. And it's not like they can do anything about it. Workplace relationships or intimacy among coworkers are prohibited."

Doesn't stop them from being assholes, though. Yamato bites his lip, still unsure.

Their drinks arrive. Mimi instantly opens her beer. Yamato, too. They toast out of habit, not really for celebration or achievement—for there is nothing at the moment.

"Do you still like what you're doing, at least?"

She sighs again heavily and leans on his shoulder. "I do, but I just had a terrible day at work today."

"What happened?"

"My supervisor didn't like my report."

"Whatever for now?" he asks, sounding annoyed, having already heard multiple stories about this person.

"She thought I didn't have enough data," she sniffles. "ehh, you already know though. I still think she just feels insecure about me because the founder listens to me more."

He gently runs his fingers through her hair at the back of her head. Eventually, they settle on her neck, thumbing her nape. Mimi almost wants to fall asleep. She peers at him and loops her arm around his, not minding the cautious look that the server's giving them.

"How's your day?" she asks. He glances at her.

"It's okay," he replies. "Nothing special."

"Ehh," she pouts. "You can't say that when you're working at a cool and hip startup."

"I'm not kidding," he says, sipping from his beer. "It's more like QA work for now than actual sound designing."

"At least you get paid," she frowns, nuzzling her cheek on his arm.  "I'm stuck with doing free labor for three more months."

"I'm sorry," he says, rubbing his cheek on the crown of her head. A grin breaks out of him. "At least we can afford to go on dates."

"When I get my first paycheck, we should go to a buffet," she says indignantly. 

"Okay."

Mimi smiles  and kisses his cheek. "For now, though, you take care of me." 

He ducks his head to hide his smile and blush. They break apart once dinner arrives. Both of them do not miss the way the server is ogling at them. 

After an hour, they leave the izakaya and head together to a hotel. Yamato heads to the kiosk as he purchases a room for two nights and checks them in through the machine.

Mimi double-checks her things—she had brought an extra suit and heels for tomorrow and the next day—completely forgetting the fact that it’s Friday today. He returns to her and picks up his backpack. They go to the elevator together, hand in hand.

“Ahhh, I think I’ll shower first,” says Mimi, anticipating a hot rinse. He simply pulls her close as he watches the floor indicator. Since they became official two months ago, he’d made sure to save some yen so they could spend time together intimately like this, at least twice a month. It never feels enough for either of them, but it will do for now.

Not for long, they arrive at their floor. They head to the room and unlock it with the keycard. Like a child, Mimi bursts in and places her things on the table, removing her coat and her heels as she looks for her toiletries in her bag. Yamato drops his backpack on the floor and falls onto bed, face down. 

“I’ll go next,” he says, turning his head as he watches her. She’s already wearing her hairband.

Mimi grins cheekily. “Want to just shower with me?” 

Yamato gives her a deadpan expression and turns away. Her laughter continues all the way til she closes the bathroom door. He sighs. He flips himself with his back now on the mattress, one hand over his chest as he realizes Mimi will give him a heart attack one day.

Soon, he gets his backpack and gathers his toiletries as well. He checks his wallet, sees the packet of condoms and brings them out for later. Then, the lube. He puts them inside the drawer of the nightstand. 

After thirty minutes, Mimi gets out of the bathroom wearing nothing but the hotel bathrobe, her hair wet, face bare and dewy, blushed with warmth. “Your turn. Yamato-kun!” 

He goes in without fanfare and locks the door.

Mimi rummages through her bag again to find her body perfume moisturizer, squeezing  a generous amount and rubs it across her entire body. Then, facial skincare with a toner and a serum. A strawberry-flavored lip balm for the finishing touch before searching  the cabinet for the hair dryer. She plugs it in and  turns it on and lets her hair take the heat. After a few minutes, her hair dries up. She lies down on the queen-sized bed and fiddles with her phone.

Yamato finishes a little faster than Mimi does, stepping out of the shower also in the hotel robe with a hair towel over his head. He closes the main lights, now only with the night  lamp switched on. He sits down where Mimi is, watching her. 

“You good?”

She looks at him and sits up. She moves closer till she’s lying with her head on his thigh. Mimi fiddles with her phone again. Yamato puts a hand beneath the collar of her robe, his fingers grazing through her throat as he massages the muscle between her neck and shoulder.

“Mimi. Will you be okay when you see them at work again?”

“Of course.”

He clenches his jaw. “I don’t like that you have to deal with them.”

“Trust me, I don’t either,” replies Mimi, sighing. She puts her phone on the bedside table and looks up at him. Droplets of water from his hair slightly dampen her face. She reaches with both hands to cup his cheeks. 

“Sorry,” he heaves and turns his head a little to kiss her palm. “I just want you safe.”

“It’s okay,” she replies understandingly. Then, she grins. “If only I can summon you at work every time it happens,” 

Yamato snorts. He adjusts his position as he leans on the pillows, entire body now on the bed. He adjusts her so she lies on his chest. “I’d beat them if that’s possible.” The words come out a little instinctively. He regrets it as soon as he hears himself.

Hmmm . Mimi wraps her hands around his neck. “Have you ever beaten someone?”

Yamato swallows and looks away. “Yeah.”

“What happened?”

"...I used to hang around some delinquents.” 

She blinks a few times. “High school? Or Waseda?”

“Middle school,” he clarifies as he clicks his tongue. “it was dumb guy stuff.”

She arches her brow, studying his face. She puts her pointer on the tip of his nose. “You don't appear to be the type to throw a punch… visually speaking.”

He catches her finger and sighs.

“They made fun of me and my family. Divorced and all.” Mimi could hear the slight tone of defensiveness when he says it. “I was young and immature,” 

A pause between them settles as she contemplates his words. Inside her head, she creates a picture of a little Yamato who was once too young and tender. She then reaches out for her phone, quickly typing something. Soon, music comes out of her phone—a song that's soulful and jazzy. She returns it to the table. 

Mimi decides not to comment further and moves on with the problem at hand.  

“They’re buddies with the security, too…” she laments, thinking about her male coworkers again. Yamato sighs and embraces her tighter. 

“I don’t want you to get into trouble, but,” she leans forward to kiss him on his chin. “worst case scenario, I may actually ring you in for you to go Yojimbo on them.” 

“Let’s hope it never gets to that point,” he says, tipping her head. Mimi looks at him, sharp yet gentle blue eyes deceivingly listless. “but do call me, if anything happens.”

“I will.” Mimi nuzzles into his neck as she slips a hand beneath the fabric. She starts kissing him on his neck and collarbones, a hand untying his robe. Yamato gently tilts her head up again. He leans and opens her mouth with his lips and tongue as he lays her down on the bed, hand undoing her robe.

“You taste nice,” he mutters into her lips, tasting strawberries on them. 

She giggles and pushes off his garment, her admiring hands on his chest and abdomen. “Hurry, Yamato-kun.” 

The next song plays. 

The rest of the world fades as they seize and make the most of their night in the sheets, the room filled with heat, ragged breaths, and endless pleasure as Mimi keeps calling out his name in tender whispers and ecstatic screams. Yamato and Mimi do it three more times before their spent bodies entangle for inevitable sleep.

Mimi is the first to wake up when dawn breaks, body delightfully sore. Still in her groggy state, she presses her back against his chest, Yamato’s arms secured around her frame as he anchors his hands on her breast and hip. She turns around to meet him, gently placing a soft kiss on his scowling lips. Then another. And another, and a few more,  until he stirs awake.

“Yamato-kuuuun… wake up, please,” she says in a sing-song tone, rubbing her nose against his. “I need to go to work in a few hours.”

Yamato opens one eye and shuts it again, furrowing his brows. He tucks her head in the crook of his neck, pulling her back to sleep. “Mimi. It’s fucking Saturday.”

Chapter Text

Kirari

04

Roppongi

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Yamato scowls as he peruses his emails through his glasses, putting every engineering job offer in the trash without a second thought. 

Seven months have passed, and things have begun looking up with Gen's studio as more artists and companies take interest in their services. That meant getting actual sound design and music arrangement projects. Most of the clients they've been getting are video and gacha game studios. He undoes the top button of his slate grey shirt. For Yamato, the job is more enriching than crunching algorithms and training machines. 

His view gets obscured by a pair of small hands that smell like peonies and cotton. "Hehe… guess who!" 

Yamato crosses his arms and doesn't answer. They remain quiet until Mimi gives in, releasing her hold on him. "You're no fun," she pouts, taking a seat next to him in the waiting lounge at the luxury cinema. The sky through the glass windows is already orange. 

He scoffs at her. She's wearing a mini wine-red bodycon with a black lace ribbon around her neck, covered by an oversized knitted cardigan in white. Her hair's grown again, tied in a semi-ponytail with wavy ends. Then, a satchel crosses her body. 

He reaches for her hand. "What time does it start?"

"In an hour," she replies, glancing at her wristwatch. "Should we get snacks? Hmm?"

"If we eat, we won't be enjoying dinner later," he counters, taking off his glasses and clipping them on his neckline. "you also want to go to the bar."

"Mhmm! Today's my entire treat!" Mimi affirms proudly. She planned the entire date today—an overdue celebration of her finally becoming a full-time junior associate at the consulting firm. Consequently, the company transferred her to a newly formed team that handles the logistics of socio-economic research and government partnerships. Most of her coworkers there are around her age and female—to both her and Yamato's relief. Albeit the structure implies an unspoken leadership role already assumed out of her. 

Mimi stands up and Yamato follows, fingers laced together as she leads him to the snack bar. He quietly scans the people around them, most are already in their mid-to-late twenties and early thirties with just enough time and yen to spare. There are quite many foreigners, too. For once, he doesn't feel like a walking display at the museum for his unconventional appearance.

The thing that feels most refreshing to him, though, is the different culture he's seeing here in Roppongi. Couples simply embracing or showing affection in tiny kisses or touches. He watches Mimi purchase varieties of candy and chocolate. Then popcorn. He laughs inwardly, stepping in beside her with a hand around her waist. 

"You better finish all of this, Tachikawa," he teases, helping her carry her things, grabbing a piece of popcorn and eating it. Mimi opens her mouth, asking to be fed as well. He does. Then, it becomes a silly game between them of who's put in the most popcorn until ten minutes before the movie.

Yamato smiles wryly at Mimi as he just visually processed the theater seats. He scans the area, sees other couples huddled up together before the movie even starts. 

"This is a cuddle nest," he points out with a dry smirk, sitting in the two-person lounge. They put all their things on the table. Yamato opens a bottle of water and drinks.

"Hehe," Mimi immediately scoots next to him, as close as she can get with zero respect for personal space. "It's comfier this way, though!" 

He loops an arm around her and rests his hand on her hip. Green Snake  starts—a xianxia film that both of them have heard of multiple times but never got to watch, until today. For some reason, Mimi has been very into martial arts movies lately since she began studying Chinese right after college. 

The movie's shorter than most films being produced nowadays. As the film progresses, Yamato decides this xianxia film is quite erotic than the ones he watched before, although he hasn't really watched plenty of them the way Mimi does.

He glances at Mimi, quiet and focused. He doesn't comment and lets his cheek rest on her head, silently decoding the entire plotline by himself. He ultimately files the movie as queer, and perhaps, likely, it stirred things somewhere in China in the nineties. A line from the Green Snake lands on them, to Yamato, especially:

“What is love? It’s really ridiculous that even humans don’t know. When you’ve worked it out, maybe I’ll return.”

The movie ends, leaving them with more ache and questions than contentment and answers. 

They clean up their table and dispose of the trash in a bin, hands still entwined. Mimi yawns. "That was… something."

"Yeah," he chuckles. "Something."

"Dinner?" Mimi wraps her arms around his middle and looks at him. 

The bolder display of affection disturbs his inner clockwork. He pulls her away gently and settles for her hand. "Yeah. You pick. It's your treat." 

"You always make me pick," she complains. "And yes, it's my treat, and it's precisely why you have to pick for us."

"Hmm." he grins as he remembers. "You said before you'd take us to a buffet."

She beams at him. "I did say that."

They leave the cinema and head toward a known seafood and beef buffet nearby, reaching an almost-booked buffet restaurant. And yet, as if Mimi had willed it, a table for two becomes available just for them. They take their seats there, opening the menu almost immediately to peruse it.

"You want me to help?" Yamato offers after noticing the menu prices. He's not surprised, although he thinks it's a little overwhelming for a single  entry-level member of the Japanese workforce. Yamato grumbles under his breath. He knows Mimi receives financial aid from her father sometimes, but still…

Mmi shakes her head and shoots him a glare. "I'll handle it, Yamato-kun!" 

"Okay." he quickly shuts his own offer down. "Are we still going to the bar after this?"

Mimi nods immediately. Yamato silently tries to calculate the total amount of yen she'll be spending for the entire night—including their drinks later and the opulent hotel room she booked for them. He's not really used to being the one being pampered and spoiled like this. None of his exes have. It's often the other way around.

"Yamato-kun, I'll be having the prime cut, scallops, and vegetables, please.”

"Okay." He mentally notes her order and then gives the waiter their complete one. He also gets the prime cut and vegetables, but with sashimi. 

They eat their dinner unceremoniously, with occasional comments on the food.

“I can cook this better,” he says matter-of-factly, looking at the chunk of meat before popping it into his mouth. “It's his favorite—my little brother, I mean. I couldn't perfect it before and he'd keep complaining about it. Now he can't get enough of it.”

She beams, infected by the fond look in Yamato's eyes as he talks. “Must be nice. I want to meet your brother, Yamato-kun.”

"Mhmm. I'll see when he's not busy," he nods and takes a forkful of meat again. "I can cook for you," it slips out without him noticing. "I make really good yakiniku."

Her heartbeat gallops at the offer, eyes searching for any sign of hesitation from him. Yamato doesn't notice it, so she doesn't point it out as well. "I would like that very much."

"Just let me know when," he says. She nods enthusiastically and returns to her food.

Their night deepens and becomes livelier as they go to the rooftop bar a few blocks away—an upscale lounge with a jazz band that performs both city pop and New York swing. There are more foreigners here than locals, another quiet blessing that Yamato didn't know he needed from rigorous social etiquette and tradition. 

It's from here where he realizes Mimi truly knows how to have fun while making the most out of her earned yen in the city.

The horizon's better than the one they saw in Carrot Tower. It's less stuffy and more spacious than what they experienced at Tokyo Tower and Skytree. He doesn't need to see the entirety of Tokyo. He leans further over the railing. The open sky, less chatter, and more music are things he actually would like to experience more. 

Mimi returns to his side with two glasses of whiskey sour in her hands. She gives him his. 

"Thanks," he says, staring at the ice. They clink their glasses together and drink at the same time.

"Aaaaahhhhh," Mimi makes a loud, melodic sigh, eyes also at the urban horizon. "I can't believe it's been seven months since I got out of uni."

He smirks and sips again. "It's surreal, isn't it?" 

"Exactly a year ago, I was already preparing for the festival," she adds. "You know, it's also strange that I haven't heard from my peers or my juniors."

"It bothers you?"

"Mhmm," she replies, pouting. "As if I disappeared from their lives, all of a sudden."

"I had people like that. It's normal." he replies. "Honestly, most of them still don't know what they want to do. Even now."

She looks at him. "You were one of those people."

"Yeah," he laughs defeatedly. He feels Mimi snuggle next to him, a drink in her hand. "But you're you, though… It's kind of enviable and amazing… what you could achieve in just seven months."

Mimi blinks up at him, quite confused with the ambiguity of his words. "Huh? What is?"

"I meant… I meant you," clarifies Yamato, drinking from his whiskey sour again. "you really know what you want… know yourself. It also helps that you're very honest and stubbornly determined. A lot of people at our age would want to have that." 

Her heart skips a beat because of his words, the way Yamato packages them without a tone of pretension or pandering, yet still genuine. She takes a sip from her drink and looks at the view while nuzzling her head on his arm.

"Yamato-kun," she starts. "does it bother you that you're no longer using your degree for work?"

"Not really… not anymore, I mean."

"You don't regret it?"

"My only regret is getting the degree." he cracks a smile as he stares down. "But I can't really dwell on it anymore. It doesn't matter now."

She looks up at him again. "You're brave, Yamato-kun." 

"I wouldn't really call it that way," he says, ducking his head.

"Of course it is," she insists, smiling. "I always admire people who follow their heart. I knew you were meant for music even when you still wore your salaryman suit."

He chuckles heartily, a little embarrassed. "That sounds more like you, though, no? You never hesitate or doubt yourself. Even when you had your stupid male colleagues at work… or your failed projects at Waseda, heh."

Mimi swallows. The second time tonight he's moved her with words he usually doesn't say. She seeks more physical connection with him as she loops an arm around him. "How come we never truly met at uni…"

He cups her face with one hand, fingers squeezing her cheeks playfully. "Don't think about those. It's useless."

"Aaahh," she whines, tender and aching for more of his affection. She swats his hand off. "Don't tease me."

He laughs, puts one hand on the other side of the railing to enclose her in that space between his arms. He leans in a little. "Thanks for taking me here. And for the entire night."

"You're welcome," she turns around to face him, back now on the railing as she pats his chin. "It's not over yet, though."

He smirks, running his thumb on her waist. "I know."

Mimi scans the area briefly before she wraps her arms around his neck, head pressed onto his chest. He reciprocates it, pulling her closer.

"I want to ask you something." 

"Go on."

"You've been my boyfriend for a while now…" she swallows and looks up, fingers fiddling with the fabric of his dress shirt. "Where do you see us going?" 

Yamato's gaze shifts at her, then down further. "Do I make you feel happy?"

She tilts her head. "Huh? Where did that come from?"

"Just answer, please."

"Of course I am," she replies. "You make me very happy." 

"That's good." He looks down again, a small smile cracking. 

She tugs his collar playfully. "You still haven't answered my question, Ishida," 

"I'm not sure how to say it," he replies with a sigh. 

"Wha–?!" Mimi pouts her lips. "Why?!"

He looks away from her, gazing at the side. "Because it's real."

Mimi buries her head in his chest to defuse her emotions and to hide her blush. He simply holds her like that, both of their hands still with the whiskey sour, still half full. 

"What do you mean? What's real?" he hears her ask, muffled. 

He squeezes her and pulls her away so they see eye to eye. "What I feel for you."

"And what do you feel for me?"

The corner of his mouth twitches up, a faint blush on his cheeks. 

"Love."

Her teeth tremble upon his unflinching expression—shy, yet grounded and even a little teasing with his admission. Her hand grasps harder on his chest, soft fabric underneath her touch. "You… you still haven't answered my question."

Yamato smiles again as he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do," she answers, attempting to match his calmer demeanor. Her blush deepens. "Of course I love you."

Yamato gives her a boyish and mischievous grin, eyes sharper than ever. "You love me."

"You said it first, though," she counters, hiding from her drink as she sips the rest of her whiskey sour.

"Yeah, I did," he says. "It's actually harder to deny than admit it."

"Stooop," she whines, yet she can't stop touching him.

He bites his lip, enjoying her being flustered a little too much. "It's also easier to love you than not to." 

Mimi pouts at him, eyes pleading for mercy. "You can't keep flirting with me like this. You haven't even answered my question!"

"It's not flirting if it's true," he gives in to her and puts her head on his chest, allowing her to hide there. "I think my confession already reveals my intentions, Tachikawa." 

She looks up at him, tempted to kiss him, but doesn't, instead bites her lip and looks at her glass. His hand catches her cheek just before she takes a drink. Yamato steals kisses under the night and dim lights—had it been anywhere else, he wouldn't have done so. 

They break apart. Yamato is greeted by her flushed face and Cheshire grin. "You love me." 

Chapter Text

Kirari

05

Chiyoda

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Mimi quietly admires the man standing in front of her—his cool white, Edo-period style yukata framing him too well for her senses as she cools herself with a portable fan. She glances around from her seat, sees some women—both younger, older, and around her age—ogling at Yamato.

"You're very popular, Yamato-kun," she mutters to him. Yamato gazes down at her, fingers gripping on the handlebar. Mimi also wears a yukata that complements his own—ultra muted pink with subtle lilies and peonies embroidered on it.

 "We should've taken the cab," he says to her exasperatedly. "tell me. You wanted to parade me around like this, didn't you."

"I don't like sharing," she clarifies to him. "But seeing you get all this attention… you should've joined the university pageants, Yamato-kun," she says this with full mourning over the potential.

He rolls his eyes at her, silently praying for this train ride to be over.

They drop off at Kudanshita Station and walk their way to Yasukuni Shrine for the lantern display. It's already evening, with the crowd growing as they approach the shrine hand in hand. Supposedly, they should be meeting Yamato's brother, Takeru, at the entrance. 

Mimi instantly spots him—the undeniable blond hair and Yamato-esque stature—just increased by lumens. "There he is!" Mimi waves her hand at him. The boy waves back, his smile bright and blinding. He wore an evergreen yukata with pine and crane imagery on the fabric. 

"Hello, Mimi-san!" Takeru greets her with a bow, then turns to Yamato. "I haven't seen you worn one since forever, aniki," 

"Tch," he looks away. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, aniki."

Mimi almost wants to laugh, barely containing herself with Yamato's leaking affection for his brother. Takeru and Mimi had met last Christmas, along with their mother, Natsuko. Then, she had met his father, Hiroaki, last Hatsumode. That winter served as a defining moment for Mimi—how fascinated and tethered she is to Yamato's fragmented upbringing. Takeru's presence reveals much more about Yamato, too. Yamato seems not to notice that Mimi reads him this way.

"We should get inside," the eldest among them says. "are we still waiting for someone?"

"Nope," Takeru replies. "I'm very single and a voluntary third wheel on this date."

"Well, you're more than welcome to join us, Takeru-kun." Mimi chuckles. 

Yamato clicks his tongue. "Mimi, please. Do not encourage him."

They linger on the lantern walls to take photos and admire the installation. Takeru entertains Mimi with his wealth of historical trivia, ultimately leading to a fascinating story of how Yamato and Takeru got their names. Mimi loves the contrast—how their names carry legacy and culture, worn by identities that do not inhabit usual Japanese standards. 

Her attention is caught when two young women in their summer yukata  approach him. "Ishida-san, did you come here alone?" 

"Ahh, hi," Yamato looks at them, trying to place their faces in his memory. "Waseda engineering, I suppose?"

"Yeah," the other girl giggles. "How's the band, Ishida-san? We've been waiting for your comeback,"

"How's Misato-san? Akai-san?"

Takeru nudges Mimi, who was watching intently. "He's always had that since high school. The girls would flock to him. Or me, so they could ask me about aniki."

"I'm not surprised," smiles Mimi. "your brother, for all of his rough edges at first glance, is very cute."

"Cute, huh," the younger blond muses, as if associating the word with Yamato sounds unbelievable. 

Mimi turns away to look at the lanterns once more, quietly processing how very beloved Yamato is in ways he probably doesn't think much of. The way Takeru talks about him makes her heart tender.

"Hey," Yamato interrupts her thoughts with a hand on her waist. "Sorry, got caught with some peers."

Mimi looks at him and fondly pats his chin. "Very popular, Yamato-kun."

"Peers or fans, aniki?" Takeru jests.

"They're my peers. They're fans of the band," explains Yamato. He then turns to Mimi. "I forgot how near this place is to campus. We might see familiar faces just in case."

"Why do you sound like you're dreading it," Takeru points out, smiling mischievously. 

"Because I don't want to talk about the old stuff," Yamato tells them candidly, slightly annoyed. Takeru and Mimi look at each other. 

Mimi laughs. "Well, I'm all clear. I don't really have a fanclub like you do, Yamato-kun."

Yamato cocks his brow at her and crosses his arms. "You can't be that dense."

"Excuse me?" she raises her brow in retaliation.

Yamato rolls his eyes. "You really don't know?"

"What I don't know?"

"Kaichou."

"What is it!" 

Yamato gives up for now, taking her and Takeru by their arms as he leads them further inside the shrine grounds. "Let's just go. We might miss the float."

They find themselves in the area where a bronze statue of a famed military man oversees the shrine grounds. Takeru speaks of historical trivia again, to which both Mimi and Yamato listen. "Technically, and without bias, he's actually a war criminal." Takeru concludes.

For a while, Yamato feels a return of slight disdain for his own name again. They stand by next to the statue begrudgingly as they wait for the float. Before it starts, two familiar faces—a man around his age and his younger sister—from Waseda catch them.

"Mimi-chan!"

"Yamato! Mimi!" 

They both look up and catch Taichi and Hikari also dressed for the event as they walk toward them.

Yamato waves at him and asks Mimi. "You know Taichi?" 

"Of course I know him," she replies to him, waving as well. "I handle their club's funds, you know. And his sister's my treasurer." 

"Mhmm."

"Mimi-chan, it's been a while!" Hikari runs to her and holds her hands. "How have you been? You haven't visited Waseda at all."

"Hikari-chan… I missed you. Where's everyone?" Then, before Mimi could reply to her question, Hikari notices Yamato's presence. She smiles at him, knowing him very well based on Taichi’s stories and  Mimi's social media posts. 

"Nice to meet you, Ishida-san." 

"Hey," Yamato greets her. Then, he notices to his side that Takeru has been unusually quiet.

Mimi introduces him. "This is Yamato-kun's brother, Takeru-kun, by the way. He goes to Keio." 

Hikari and Takeru look at each other, then away. "Hi."

Mimi squints her eyes at them. "Have you two met before?"

"Yeah…" Hikari replies with an awkward laugh. "Ken, Miyako, and I met him during an extracurricular lecture last year."

"Ohh…" Mimi beams, marveling at how her and Yamato's lives have already been in close proximity with each other. What a small world… then, she suddenly clocks the weird air between the youngest. But why are they awkward with each other?!

Soon, Taichi catches up to them. "Yamato!" 

The blond greets nonchalantly. "Heya." 

"Hey, Mimi-kaichou," the brunet greets her teasingly.

"Hello, Taichi-san," she greets back with a salute.

Taichi looks at the two of them and cracks a grin. "I didn't know you had a thing for kaichou." 

"...shut it." Yamato grumbles. 

Before anything else could begin among them, the float finally arrives, with dancers and performers leading and tailing the display of gods, historical figures, creatures, and other imagery from myth and folklore. 

Taichi stands next to him, away from Mimi. 

"The guys have been talking about it," he mutters, audible only enough for Yamato to hear. "They're not mad, of course, just surprised."

"Didn't know that people still have time to gossip," sighs Yamato, eyes on the float. He's thankful that Mimi's at a certain distance, talking to Takeru and Taichi's sister. "don't they have jobs to do?"

Taichi laughs. "Hey, I think they're just curious, is all. Besides, it's Mimi we're talking about here."

"I'm aware." Too acutely aware that his peers have held torches for this woman. Yamato isn't really fond of recalling it.

"Technically, you're her second boyfriend." 

Yamato looks at him this time. "What do you mean?"

He's aware that Mimi had gone out with someone before, but he's only now realizing he really hasn't asked her about her romantic history. Nor has she asked him. They've already been dating for more than a year.

"What? You don't know? Jeez, you really didn't listen when I talk, no... this is technically public info..." Taichi scratches his cheek. Yamato sighs, not liking how 'public info' it is. He never really enjoyed personal talks about other people, even back at Waseda. "She went out with this one guy in her class and then they broke up after two years. Then she swore off dating for a while… until you, I guess," he chuckles. "Great job, by the way."

Yamato looks down at his slippers, a little perplexed.  "How do you know all of this?"

"Mimi and I are pretty close," he explains in disbelief. "sheesh. Where was your head whenever I told you these things…" 

He licks his lips. "I see..."

"Anyway, the guys are also curious. Is the band back again?"

Yamato sighs deeper. "Still on hiatus. You should be asking Misato for this." 

"I'm not that close to her, you know."

They continue to catch up on each other for the entirety of the performance. Mimi eventually walks toward him and laces her fingers with his. He doesn't need to turn around to know it's her. 

Taichi notices her and smiles. “You doing good,  kaichou?”

“You should probably stop calling me that,” laughs Mimi as she turns to Taichi. “But yeah! I’m good.”

Then, she realizes something. “Actually, Taichi-san, I’d like to ask a favor! Can you talk to your supervisor at the bureau for me…”

Yamato quietly watches the two of them interact as he stands between them. They are close indeed. And he realizes, perhaps Mimi used to like Taichi. He doesn’t feel envious, just a little out of the loop with timelines.

The show ends with Taichi and Hikari bidding them goodbye. Takeru seems to be walking with them.

“Takeru, where are you going?” Yamato calls him out. 

“Aahhh,” he turns around and laughs nervously. “Thought of hanging out with them. Hikari says the others are also here.” 

Yamato squints at him. “Others? What others?”

“I think he meant my former council members,” answers Mimi in a hushed tone.  “They’re mostly of the same age.” 

“I’ll be okay! I’ll message when I get home!” Takeru says as he waves at them and leaves. The eldest blond sighs defeatedly as he watches his brother turn smitten over Taichi's little sister. He'll have to park this very important thought for another time. 

Realizing they're now alone together, Yamato turns to look at Mimi. “Want to grab something to eat before the fireworks come up?” 

She nods. They roam around the food stalls, both of them getting skewers and dimsum. Mimi glances over at Yamato, who is unusually pensive and quiet. "Everything good?" she asks between bites. He shifts his eyes on her mid-chew and nods. 

They search for a spot around the shrine to get a good view of the fireworks. Eventually, they end up going out of the shrine to buy drinks at the konbini. They find and climb a slightly elevated pathway where an empty bench sits. It's a little dark in that area, as it's an entrance to a shrine forest.

Mimi slips out of her geta and crosses her legs. "I should've just worn a normal pair. They're unorthopedic." 

He sits next to her and hands her water. "Does it hurt?"

Mimi takes it. She lifts one of her ankles and feels out the tendon behind, then takes off her sock. "It's not that… bad. But I guess it's a little sore."

"Let's just take a cab later. I'll take you  home," he replies, staring at her foot. Mimi scoots closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder. There are still twenty minutes before the fireworks. 

"I think your brother likes Taichi's sister."

Yamato smirks at her. "I kind of got that too."

"She's very sensitive… Though she rarely speaks her mind unless you coax it out of her," she says. "Sounds like you, no?"

"I speak my mind all the time," he scoffs at her. 

"Yeah? What are you thinking now?"

"How silly you are."

Mimi laughs and shakes her head. Yamato glances at her again. "Taichi told me you quit dating for a while."

"Ahh, that," Mimi peers up at him, then, she nuzzles closer. "yeah, well… didn't seem like anyone was worth my time after my first boyfriend."

Yamato looks down to his lap. He licks his lips. "And I am?"

"Of course," she says. "It's not like I really wanted to quit dating, though! There just wasn't someone I liked enough to truly care for after."

Mimi doesn't even realize how her words are making his heart cartwheel. "What were you looking for, then?" he asks.

"Like you," she says teasingly. 

"Quit it."

"I mean…" Mimi yawns. "Someone who sees me."

"That's a very wide net to cast, don't you think?"

"I meant someone who really, really sees me," she clarifies, tugging his arm. "And won't pander, patronize, flinch, or find me too much… then walk away."

Yamato glances at her. "I guess being the president didn't help with that."

"No," she chuckles. "But of course, that's just one of the few things I look for in a partner."

He laughs along with her. "And how do I live up to your checklist?"

Mimi doesn't reply to him at first, instead she rubs her cheek on his arm. “You don’t belong to one, Yamato-kun. But you’re very mine.”

The fireworks start, and before Mimi could lift her head to watch, Yamato cups her face and kisses her, spreading her mouth open with his. More soft explosions are heard throughout the sky. Mimi latches onto the patch of bare chest—realizes Yamato’s a little moist from perspiration. She tangles her other hand through his hair as he deepens their kiss, tongues searching and meeting. He holds her by her waist and pulls her closer to him until he feels her chest on his. Mimi almost straddles his lap.

No one sees. 

They part after a minute, a string of saliva caught between them. He presses a chaste kiss into her to catch it. Mimi giggles and cups his face. “Mhmm. Like what you heard?”

“More like, I love what I have,” he says, peppering her face with kisses. “I want you to stay with me tonight, Mimi.” 

Her eyelashes flutter. She hiccups, overwhelmed. “I don’t have spare clothes with me,”

“You won’t need them,” he says, lips trailing up from her cheek to her throat. “You can wear mine. I’ll take care of you.”

She chuckles as a blush creeps into her face. “Okay Yamato-kun… but..?” she looks around his sides. "You didn't bring any bags, though."

"Well, we're not going to a hotel," He smirks against her skin, arms still encircling her frame. "but I want to bring you home with me and... and stay for the night. Would you… would you like that?”

Mimi smiles shyly and nods. She hasn’t slept over at Yamato’s before, only ever having eaten dinner with him there sometimes. “Okay. I’ll just give my parents a heads-up.” 

He embraces her from behind as he watches her type on her phone, unable to stop himself from scenting her neck and pecking her there. He helps her up, extra mindful of the time she almost slipped. He gets them a cab on the way to the place he calls home, where a soft summer night beckons them. Yukatas undone, Mimi underneath him, her smooth skin against his own. His sheets wrapped around her—something about her scent and sweat and their multiple joint releases now imprinted on his bed stirs inside him.

She’d wear nothing else but him and his clothes the next morning, and Yamato holds her as his most precious as she constantly kisses him silly and tells him those three words again and again. He responds in kind for each and every word of love, kisses her too with unbridled intensity—he’s never let himself be like this before. 

The last woman that apartment ever saw.

Chapter Text

Kirari

06

Ochanomizu

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Yamato looks at his wall clock. 

It's ten in the morning. Only an hour difference, and by now, Mimi should be in Harbin. He just finished cleaning up the living room and organizing some of Mimi's things. Coats, shoes, random articles of clothing like her bralettes and pajama slacks, and the disturbing amount of umbrellas with corporate branding from various organizations and banks that she keeps leaving in his apartment. He had to buy a new bin just for the said accessory. 

He collects his cords, picks up the transducer and microphone and stores them in his backpack. Lastly, he refills his stainless steel water container before picking up his hoodie to go to Shinjuku, where his office now is.

He locks his apartment and heads off to the station. By this time of the day, it should be spacious. Gen's studio actually does not have a strict nine-to-five schedule or grind like his salaryman days, nor is he truly required to report to the office, so long as deadlines and requests are met at prime quality and velocity. But Yamato does, not wanting to get too comfortable at home, where his professional life would begin bleeding into his personal affairs.

Gen's  studio is neither elegant nor rundown. It's a repurposed warehouse with better lighting, ventilation, and partitioning, each and all soundproofed. Gen's already there with a business partner in the meeting room. Gen has spent most of his time committed to this business, in which Yamato can't really expect the band to be back any time soon. It's already been three years since the band went on hiatus.

He fiddles with his keys and unlocks his room—dark, grey, with some low LED lights coming from the monitor and speakers. He checks his table and sees a folder and a USB drive on top. 

Another order from the same RPG maker, only this time, more Japanese music and ambient sounds. Due date this week, latest early next week Monday. He cocks an eyebrow. They didn't like the other batch? The client was asking for Chinese last time.

After Yamato flips through the file, he boots the computer and works.

Gen knocks on his door after an hour's passed. He doesn't notice this until Gen sits beside him, watching him work. Yamato glances at him and takes off his headphones.

"Sorry," the man apologizes, rubbing the back of his head. His hair tied into a half-bun. "Just needed to ask you something."

"Go on." Yamato peruses the project file again.

"Why haven't you published anything officially?" he asks. "I know you're still making your own stuff." 

Yamato smirks at him. "I'm not really in a rush. Besides, the pay's not so bad here."

Gen scratches his head. "Yeah, but… you already know I think you're better off being your own artist."

"Do you want me to quit?" he asks plainly. 

"No, no," Gen replies instantly. "Actually... I kind of really need help."

"...for?"

"Running the business."

Yamato looks at him with a deadpan expression. Then, he swerves his seat away. "No."

"We will not be able to stay afloat if we cannot absorb and retain more clients."

"What does that have to do with me?" 

Gen squints at him. "Come on. We both know why the band even got popular in the first place."

Yamato rolls his eyes. "Again, what does this have to do with that?"

"You have charisma." 

Yamato wants to throw himself into the emergency window pronto. "Why not just ask Misato? Hell, ask Riku?"

"They're still not talking to me."

Yamato finally looks at him. "Is this why we stopped? The studio?"

"For the record, I didn't want us to stop or be on hiatus," he corrects him. "I wanted the band to sign in."

The blond makes a confused expression. "I'm at a loss. I thought this was just a production studio, not a label." 

"It's both," Gen groans, wiping his glasses with his shirt. "But we barely have anyone signed. The production stuff is... going. But the rest is a mess."

Yamato hums. He crosses his arms and legs. "...Misato and the others… they didn't want to sign with you? But why?"

"I think there was a misunderstanding," Gen explains, palm over his face as he rubs his temple. "She thought I was slowly trying to take over leadership from her."

"You wouldn't do that," he says to him. 

"Of course I won't… but anyway," the darker-haired man shakes his head. "Do you still talk to them?"

"Sometimes," shrugs Yamato. "Not a lot, though. I did tell them I work for you at the moment." 

Gen smiles at that. "At least they haven't cut you off." 

The younger blows heavy air, too aware of his bandmates' quirks and personalities. None of them are easy to deal with, including Yamato himself.  

"So… will you do it?" Gen asks.

"I have little  clue about running a business."

"That's why we're running it together," Gen encourages. "I'll even give you twenty percent shares."

"That's… too much."

"It won't be if you're going to run it along with me. We're basically building this from scratch."

Yamato shakes his head and sighs. "I'll help you, Gen… but I'm not committing to anything official."

Gen stands up and Yamato  briefly relaxes at the signal that he's leaving. The momentary peace is disrupted as Gen pats him in the back. "Great, you can help me right now."

"Excuse me?"

"Need to head down to Ochanomizu," Gen says, stretching his back. "Ahhh… gotta buy some equipment. You're pretty good at quality-checking secondhand."

Yamato scowls at him. "I'm working on something."

"You can do that later," Gen peeks over his shoulder to check. He scoffs. "This is too easy for you, you'd finish it before lunch. Let's go. We need more synthesizers and microphones."

Yamato begrudgingly stands up and turns off his monitor. He takes his important belongings. He checks his phone—Mimi had arrived at the hotel twenty minutes ago, as she sent him a photo of her hotel view of Harbin. He replies before he puts it back into his pocket. "We better be quick."

They head out to the parking lot for Gen's car. Yamato takes the passenger seat. For a while, the whole impromptu errand reminds him of his university days when he hung out more with people from Geidai, such as his bandmates, than Waseda.

They get stuck in traffic for thirty minutes, with Yamato slightly nagging him that they should've taken the train when going to such a crowded place. Gen doesn't argue with him and lets him rant—frankly, as someone three years older than him, he likes it when Yamato speaks up, even if he can get annoying. Gen finally reaches the nearest parking lot to where their destination should be. 

Yamato immediately leads the search as he steps out of the car. Gen follows him. The first thing Yamato notices is Ochanomizu's holding plenty of sales this week. The colorful banners and signs screaming with percentages off are almost on every window display of musical instrument and accessory shops. It's neither Christmas nor New Year's, so he finds it a little odd.

Yamato goes to the store he trusts the most first. 

"Have you tried one from here?" Gen asks, checking out the keyboard synth. He plays a few notes. 

"I replaced my old one and bought new," replies Yamato. "But there's probably something here. How many do you actually need?"

"Three," Gen's deft fingers play a melodic line. "Then I want to check out some deskware."

They don't buy from there yet and head off to another store. 

"You never brought your girl to the studio," The topic came out all of a sudden for Yamato.

"She's busier than me," he replies. "I'm not hiding anything. She's just truly busier."

"She's a little different from the last one," Gen comments, eyes roaming around every window display. "Where's she from?"

"Waseda. She's a year younger than me. She ran the school as council president." 

"Ahh, so that's her thing."

"She's at Harbin right now." Yamato pauses to examine a collection of guitars. Gen does, too.

"Mhmm. That looks cracking," Gen smirks at the Telecaster in the view. "Harbin, huh? For how long?"

"Two weeks." Yamato gazes at the standout vintage Momose. What an odd thing for you to be here.

"Both of you look good together," Gen says, his gaze shifting away as he now leads their walk. "Of course, knowing you, it's serious."

Yamato breaks from the Momose and follows him. "Of course it is. We're two years in now."

"So when am I meeting her?"

"When she's not busy."

"The hell? Is she a CEO or something?" Gen throws him a look. "And when is she not busy?"

"It'll happen." Yamato looks at his phone again. No message from Mimi. "What else do you need?"

Gen throws his head back and cracks his neck. "Microphones, headphones, a couple of desks and keyboards—"

"Wait up, we're not going to try to fit all of that in your car, right?"

The older of them scoffs. "Of course not." 

They continue looking for things in Gen's checklist, successfully purchasing at least half of the inventory by the afternoon. They only return to the studio  with the purchased synths for now. Yamato returns to his studio room, sighing at the leftover work he has. He doesn't like leaving things behind unfinished, so he takes the project back home.

The next day and the following two weeks, Yamato stays in. Just like every morning, Mimi would call him.

"Hello, hello, Yamato-kun," Mimi greets him in a sing-song voice. Based on her outfit, she's likely outside—probably at a restaurant or an office.

"Hey," he greets her, watching her from his phone screen  as he sips from his coffee. "How's your morning? Are you warm there?"

"Barely," she says, giggling as she hugs herself. Her nose is remarkably pink. "But I'm having fun here. My boss kind of pissed off the local bank manager and they're now trying to delay the entire project—"

Yamato smirks. "That's fun?"

"Uhuh," Mimi sips from a bowl of stew. Then, she bites from a candied fruit skewer. "It's kind of unpredictable what will happen at the meeting. Who knows, though? I might just save the day again."

Yamato leans closer to the screen, simply admiring her face. His expression remains unreadable and he doesn't say anything.

"Ahh, but I'd like to get home after all of this and relax at the bathhouse," she says, blushing. "We should go when I return, Yamato-kun."

"Okay. Anything you want," he affirms her. He clicks his tongue. "what do you want to eat when you get back?"

Mimi smiles as she ponders, eyes upward. "Something warm. Maybe spicy beef? And I'd really like some curry."

Yamato starts planning her breakfast, lunch, and dinner two days before she returns home to him.

Chapter Text

Kirari

07

Koenji

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The newly constructed apartment complex that names itself as Okamibara Square stands in Koenji the same way as it was promised by the flyer that they were perusing a year ago. The three-story complex looks contemporary and cleaner compared to the more retro and counterculture vibe surrounding it, but what matters is that it's theirs now. 

At least, Unit 09 is, once they pay the government-funded housing loan in full. Tachikawa Keisuke had helped aplenty with this move through financial advice, although, not without a barrage of questions about marriage. 'Papa, we will get there someday, but a house is more important! ' said Mimi to his father at least six months ago.

Yamato had already moved in last Monday. Today, it was Mimi's turn. Surprisingly to Mimi herself, she had only ever brought a few of her things—just a single minivan is all it takes for her stuff to fit—for she has other plans. New place, new things, essentially.

And so, all they need to do now is unpack her boxes and organize them. Organizers and shelves, except for their shared built-in closet, are nonexistent for now. Most basic furnishings and fixtures were from Yamato's old apartment—the stovetop, cookware, fridge, microwave, flatscreen, mattress, his sound system, and the dual-function kotatsu and coffee table. Mimi brought her coffee maker, food processor, tableware, toiletries, curtains, pillows, her own flatscreen, vinyl player, and her medical-grade air purifier. 

Mimi had her hair clamped and was wearing her workout clothes. Yamato had also prepared himself as he donned a black muscle shirt. He has half of his hair tied at the back, as he opted to grow it longer.

"I genuinely thought you were going to bring your entire room," teases Yamato as he looks at her boxes.

Mimi takes the box cutter and slices one open, where her appliances are. "I only brought with me things I really need and like to keep around with me." 

He kneels next to her and helps her take out her things. He lingers on the food processor. "This is quite the expensive one." He eventually stands up to place it in the kitchen.

"Yeah," she giggles. "Papa didn't want me to bring it, even though I'm the one who bought it." 

Mimi scans around their flat. Yamato had done quite a wonderful job of filling the space. It still doesn't feel as homely as she wants it to be, but that will come once she buys more interior decorations. 

She then spots the ghastly sound system at the corner, all black and bulky. She pouts but doesn’t comment on it, knowing how attached he is to it. She looks for a corner in the room to set up a small workstation she can use whenever she needs to work at home as Yamato works on the items that were easiest to organize.  

It doesn’t take long for her things to get assimilated into their new abode. Yamato crouches behind and embraces her as she organizes the remains of her vinyl collection, their tacky skin together intermingling. He kisses her cheek, then her neck, before settling his chin on her shoulder. 

“I'll go out for a bit to get some groceries.”

Mimi pats his chin and nuzzles him. “Let me come with you, hehe. I'll just finish this.” 

Yamato zips up a hoodie over his head and waits for her to finish. Then, he secures the electronic lock from the outside as they leave for the nearby grocery store, merely two blocks away. Mimi stretches herself as they walk. The neighborhood on this side of Tokyo, for the most part, is peaceful and quiet, if she's to ignore the creatively chaotic mess of shop stands, storefronts, banners, and marquees in various small retail shops. She glances at Yamato, blue eyes steadily looking ahead. Mimi clasps her hand around his. His gaze shifts and they smile at each other.

Yamato had disappeared to the produce section with their basket as Mimi hovers around the frozen goods for fish and meat. 

"Yamato-kun wanted to make salmon the other day…" she thinks aloud. Behind the thought are her calculations of the grocery expenses and estimated budget. She doesn't think they'd have issues over it, considering both of them have been significantly earning more now, especially Mimi. 

She clicks her tongue. "Ahh, but he will fuss about it…" 

"Oneesan, may I help you?" the butcher asks her, noticing that she's been lingering for too long.

Mimi beams. Hmm. I'll just have to pay for it.

The brunette  asks the butcher to give her four and a half pounds of local salmon fillet, a cheaper yet quality variant than the Norwegian stock. Once the butcher finishes cleaning up the fish, she takes the fish meat with her and looks for him. 

Yamato's still standing at the produce section, brows furrowed as if he's making the biggest decision of his life. His internal inspection of produce is nothing short of meticulous. 

"I got salmon!" she tells him brightly. He glances up at her before returning to the cauliflowers. 

"You got a lot," he tells her.

"It's your favorite," 

"Mhhmm…" he's still perusing the cauliflowers. He picks a package up and inspects it. "still a lot. I don't mind it, but we'd probably have to eat it soon and for the next few days while it's still fresh."

"Then we'll have salmon for the coming days," she chirps, her eyes following to where he's looking. "besides, we should celebrate with good food… umm… what are you looking for?"

Yamato heaves, gesturing at the produce. "I just can't shake this feeling that these have been around for a while now. For too long."

Mimi looks at them. "Just cut off the browning spots then?"

"...Ehh."

Mimi chuckles and pokes his cheek. "Tsk tsk. Good luck then. Meanwhile, I'll head off to get bath bombs! We should try the soaking tub later, okay?"

Yamato only murmurs something akin to a 'yeah, okay,' as he remains fixated on leafy greens. Then, after two seconds, he replies, "how are we both even going to fit in it? The tub's too small."

"By cuddling, of course."

"Mhmmm." he doesn't say anything else. Mimi disappears to one of the aisles. Eventually, Yamato moves on from the cauliflower and picks up the freshest-looking lettuce and broccoli. He moves to the bellpeppers.

It takes them an hour to finish their grocery shopping, having a little tussle at the cashier when they slightly argue over who's paying for the groceries. Both of them insisted on paying. 

"You two are new faces in this neighborhood… ahh, the new apartment. Just got married?" the cashier, a middle-aged man, teases them as he watches their bickering. They halt and look at each other, then at the man. 

Yamato swallows. "Ojisan, wait. We're not—"

 "It's kind of rare to see young couples nowadays," the man says as he punches their items into the register. Then, he flicks his eyes toward them and smirks. 

"A bijin you are," he says to Mimi. Her brow twitches at that, though she's too tired to argue.

Then, he turns to Yamato, eyes going up and down at him. Yamato senses that man's trying to register that he's mixed race or partially Japanese. "You did well, oniisan... Gotta contribute to the declining population, no?"

Mimi bites her lip. She looks at Yamato, who seems ready to disintegrate from where he stands. He doesn't reply to the man. The man gives them a ten percent discount. 

They leave the grocery store quietly, hand in hand with grocery bags.

"We should have clarified ourselves," Mimi starts, looking behind. "we're likely to return there when we need things."

She sees his jaw clenching as he replies, "Yeah." 

Halfway back at their place, Yamato speaks up again. "You know that’s not what I’m after with you, right?"

“Of course I know that, Yamato-kun,” she replies with a reassuring grip on his hand.

He clicks his tongue. Then, he laughs defeatedly over the other thing he mentioned. "I'm only a quarter Caucasian." 

Mimi doesn't respond. They reach the apartment shortly. When the door closes behind them, with their groceries on the floor, she brings him down to meet her lips. 

"Regardless of what the ojisan said," she says, kissing him. "It doesn’t change that I want to have it all with you anyway…. someday.” 

It’s the first time one of them actually spoke about the unspoken between them—not marriage, for they've talked about that before—but the thing that often comes after the ceremonies. 

Yamato never assumes, only hopes. He smiles delicately and forgets the man from earlier as he cups her face and presses his lips on her forehead. He’s not sure if he even deserves to hope, for even the scars of divorce remain there, despite having closed and healed years ago.

He wants to tell her, he’d rather they have her eyes and hair, but doesn’t. He lets himself hope anyway. "Do you really want it?” he asks after kissing her. "We don't have to, you know. I'm happy either way."

But Mimi’s smile widens, hands looping around his neck. “Hmm? Seeing you and Takeru-kun together, two sounds nice, no? So they won’t get lonely.”

Yamato’s breath hitches as he tries to calm his heart. The way she says it as if it's the easiest thing to give him. That she had thought of these things with him in mind. It so beautifully hurts him, especially knowing she’s an only child. Future hopes and desires are renewed and set aflame. “Someday.”

“Let’s wash up,” she says, smiling. She parts from him, kneeling down in front of the groceries to look for the bath bomb she just purchased.

He removes his hoodie, then his tank top, Mimi following him shortly. He helps her out of her clothes. Mimi cuddles him as they fill the tub, bath bomb already in.

The tub is cramped indeed, their limbs entangled together as he hugs her from behind, resting his forehead on her shoulder. Mimi attempts to blow bubbles out of the foam. 

Someday.

Chapter Text

Kirari

08

Asagayakita

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They haven't left the apartment yet, but he's already anticipating returning home. Mimi's been stubbornly insistent on having their first Hatsumode as a live-in couple together at the nearest shrine, just a fifteen-minute walk from the complex. Yamato had already prepared their midnight dinner to celebrate the New Year, but it seems it'll have to wait for a bit.

"Let's just make it quick," he says, tugging in his jacket as he waits for Mimi to dress up warmly. 

"Yes, yes," she replies in a sing-songy voice, pulling in the sleeves of her coat. "Prayer, fortune slip,  good luck charm, then home!" 

He sighs audibly. After a few minutes, they leave their apartment and walk toward Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine with their fingers entwined. It's already eleven in the evening when they did.

Yamato looks up at the sky. Next year—or in a few minutes, rather—he'll be turning 27 in terms of year estimate. Mimi will be 26 by then. A house, a partner, a fixed, above-average middle-class income in an industry he actually likes. He's not sure how he got lucky in his mid-twenties despite the rocky start. There's also that impending prospect that Gen's been pushing him toward since last year. Slowly, he's warming up to it as he and Mimi talk about their future more and more often. 

They pass by the park, finding plenty of teenagers hanging around there. Yamato briefly remembers his youth, a more turbulent side of him that he had fully managed once he entered university. 

The shrine for Amaterasu is crowded already as they enter the torii gate. It's not that bad, thankfully, since the queue moves fast. They had their hands cleansed.

With her hand latched on his arm, Mimi asks him suddenly, "Yamato-kun, what do you wish to happen for the new year?" 

"If I told you, then it might not come true," he jests. 

Yamato actually doesn't have a wish in mind.

"Hmm. Fair." she huffs, looking ahead of the queue. "This year has been wonderful… but I hope it gets better next year, too." 

Yamato can only speculate a few things behind this, and none of them are related to her career. Mimi's vertical growth was and is inevitable, earning more than the average Japanese person under 25 as creative operations director. Though, frankly speaking, that title seems like a mere formality, for she functions in too many role—being the founder's unspoken favorite, At least, that's what Yamato believes so. She'd frequently travel, at least every two months or so, either domestically or abroad. Mimi had enjoyed it at first, eventually becoming neutral or weary of it, for they weren't the same as actual vacations. 

Yamato will certainly not be surprised if she ever reaches C-suite one day, whether with her current company or not.

Which brings him back to her sentiment—her wish likely has nothing to do with her professional life. He swallows and touches the hand on his arm, thumb brushing through her knuckles as if he's trying to gauge the circumference of one of her fingers. Mimi isn't really subtle when she wants something from him. 

"Would you like some amazake?" Mimi asks him as she sees other shrine visitors sipping the drink that's being handed out inside.

"I'm good. I want to drink the sake we have at home." He shakes his head. "You want some?"

She nods, smiling sweetly. "Get me, please." 

Yamato sniffles from the cold as he adjusts his jacket. He looks at the queue, then back to Mimi. "Stay here."

It doesn't take Yamato that long for him to procure a small cup of the sweet sake. He only brings one cup of it and hands it to her. "It's very hot."

Mimi grins impishly and takes it, scenting the drink. 

"Thank you!" she chirps, looping her arm around his as he returns to the queue with her.

Fifteen minutes pass and they finally reach the bell. Mimi offers coins for both of them. They bow twice, clap twice, and then silently speak of their prayers and wishes. Yamato truly only wants one thing—to be able to keep what he now has.

They move on to get their fortune slips at one of the kiosks near the main hall. 

"'A tired child needs to slow down. Rethink what matters most. Health, relationships, family, friends.'" Mimi reads hers aloud. She scoffs. “I am well adjusted, thanks.” 

Yamato chuckles at her. He just finished reading his. 

“What did yours say?” she asks. He holds up his fortune. Mimi reads it.  

"'Happiness and success are guaranteed only with courage,'" Mimi frowns at the piece of paper. “This is some American fortune cookie type of shit,” 

Yamato shrugs, entertained. “You wanted to do this, though.”

"For clarity, of course," she retorts, her frown deepening. 

The blond squints at her. "You know this has always been how fortune slips work, hmm?"

Mimi side-eyes him. "I wouldn't know… this is my fifthtime in my entire life."

He smirks. Of course, the Tachikawas have always led a quite unconventional family life—Keisuke and Satoe are unlike most Japanese parents, with Mimi as the living proof of their legacy. She and her family are a little unorthodox when it came to Japanese customs, despite being born and raised here.

Yamato clears his throat and pulls her to where small wooden plaques hang  around a rack, just a little further inside the shrine. "Let's go write our wishes."

Mimi's still pouting from earlier as she reads her fortune slip. They each pick a piece of wood and write on them with markers. Mimi gets a moon-shaped one, while Yamato picks pine.

"Hmmm." Mimi glances at Yamato and peeks at what he's writing—the kanji for peace and growth. She sighs. Of course he's going to write something as vague as that…

Mimi reads her fortune again, then writes on her plaque. She writes the kanji for happiness and draws two small cranes. Yamato looks at her wish and chuckles. "Cute." 

They hang their ema on the rack.  Yamato feels like there's something missing. He looks at his fortune slip, then back to where the bell is.

Aaaahh, right! Omamori.

"We should get your charm. You said you wanted one," says Yamato, slipping his fortune slip into his pocket.

"Hmp."

"What?"

She's pouting with her arms crossed. "You were making fun of me."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were," she says, turning her head away with her nose up. Yamato steps closer to her and touches her face before he dips down to remove the pout from her lips. Mimi melts into it.

"Still want that charm?" he whispers.

She smiles as she kisses his chin. "No. You're my best one anyway."

He opens his eyes and sees her staring at him as if he's the remaining wonder left in the world. It catches his breath, unable to say anything, expression unreadable to everyone else. Mimi looks at him as if he makes the planets move for her. Yamato would tell her he'd actually die trying to do just that. 

"Or…" Mimi smiles mischievously. "maybe we should visit a fortune teller. Hmm?"

"What for?" He looks at her sternly, their noses still touching. 

"For our future."

"Why?"

"So we'd know where we're going."

His brows furrow. "Mimi. We don't need a fortune teller. We're going to be fine."

She sighs dramatically and teases him in a sing-songy voice. "I don't know…"

Yamato scowls—something about Mimi's suggestion makes him feel slightly anxious. This is all forgotten for the moment as someone from behind coughs at them, earning their attention. They break apart. "Umm, excuse me, but you two are being very rude. This shrine is holy ground." 

They look at each other. Yamato suppresses his smile while Mim attempts to sound sincere with her apology as they step away from the rack. They laugh when she's out of earshot, his arm around her shoulders, hers across his waist as they walk back home.

"Seriously, I thought moving here in Koenji would mean less of that, not more traditionalists," Mimi whispers to him, still laughing.

The corner of his mouth twitches up a little. "It's Japan, Mimi."

It’s already past midnight by the time they return. The dishes Yamato has prepared now run cold, so he heats them up in a pot and a pan. Some of the dishes are inside the microwave. Mimi takes her seat at the dining table, watching him work in the kitchen and waiting for their late dinner. 

'You look really sexy in an apron," she blurts out, chuckling. 

Yamato glances at her and looks away to hide his blush . Oh, she definitely still affects him. "I'm believing it less and less the more you keep saying that so often."

"Wrong," she interjects, standing up to hug him from the back. She quietly sniffs his shirt, catching the scent of mirin and lemongrass. "You actually believe me the more and more I say it."

"Like?" Yamato realizes almost immediately he shouldn't have asked. His poor heart can barely take it.

She giggles again, rubbing her cheek on his shoulder blade. "Like when I say I love you."

He turns to her, slowly getting out of her hold as he places the steak and stir-fried vegetables back on the table. He glances at her briefly and mutters, "I love you too," before he goes to the microwave to pick up the rest of their food. Mimi leans back on the table and continues to watch him the entire time with a certain longing and desire to freeze him— yes, Yamato, particularly—for herself.

The seat across from her is taken. They start eating their New Year dinner, finally. Yamato opens the sake and pours some of it into two narrow-rimmed glasses. Mimi drinks hers in one go before she turns to him. "So… what do you think about cranes, Yamato-kun?"

"Cranes?"

"Mhmm!"

He clears his throat and drinks his sake as well, then takes a slice of the steak he cooked perfectly and puts it on her plate.  "Why the sudden interest in cranes?"

Mimi bites onto the beef immediately. "Don't you think they're the perfect image of prosperity and longevity?"

His breath silently hitches and masks it by chewing the food. Mimi is absolutely not being subtle. "Sure." 

"The Three Friends of Winter surely are also very interesting," she says, smiling.

He blows on the spoonful of soup and points it near her mouth. "Eat, Mimi."

She sips from the spoon and thanks him with the most enthusiastic beam on her face. He sighs and returns the smile defeatedly, accepting that this may be the universe’s sign—the New Year already has plans set in motion for him.

Chapter Text

Kirari

09

Nagano

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Mimi's first real vacation since she entered the workforce happens on a domestic spring trip with Yamato to Nagano—a late celebration for his promotion as executive producer in Gen's studio. He got appraised two months ago, and Mimi only found out a week ago.

Yamato rarely talks about his work with her. She'd usually just catch the songs and sounds he's producing if he's working at home. Or simply catching him documenting random sounds with a microphone and recorder, like the high-pitched blow of the kettle or the ambient hum of the airconditioner. At one point, he requested  her to record the winter winds in Harbin. 

They've already gone to Suwa, where they visited harmonica makers there. Mimi learned two days ago that Yamato has actually played the harmonica since he was a child. He bought  himself a new one, albeit Mimi did, too, with the more expensive one that he kept looking at but didn't purchase. She hasn't given it to him yet. She plans to do so when they get back to Tokyo.

Right now, on their third day,  they're  to visit a small town and later buy a few things at the grocer for the rest of their  trip. They had decided to take in a few kimono rentals to match the mood. It was Yamato who picked their outfits at the rental. He’d prepare her clothes and help her wear them. Mimi wears a bright red one with wisteria and bamboo on the embroidery, while Yamato wears a simple black one. Both of their outfits have cranes stitched on them.

If the locals didn't know any better about tradition, they would seem to be wearing marital garments at first glance. One had actually thought so, giving them directions to the registry office.

"Oh, we're not getting married," Mimi corrects the teenager who was also working as an independent  local guide. She laughs nervously. "Yah, Yamato-kun, something about these outfits you picked… even though they're clearly not formal."

He looks at her, once again with an unreadable expression. 

"Just ignore it," Yamato tells her before clearing his throat. He turns to the local guide.  "Can you tell us how to get to Obuse instead?"

"Wah, ojisan, your Japanese is really good," the kid compliments. Yamato sighs internally. "Obuse? Just take the train at the station there."

Yamato asks further about their other destination for tomorrow, Karuizawa, which is also nearby Nagano city proper. Mimi watches him silently and attempts to decode him in real-time. Yamato, though quiet by nature, seems tense today, ever since they've set foot here. They walk away from the local guide eventually as they head toward the train station. The rest of their luggage is at the luxury ryokan he booked for them. Frankly, most of this trip is organized by him. 

She smiles and loops her hand around his arm. "Yamato-kun, what's in Obuse?"

"Chestnuts and the museum,” he replies. "There's a nice painting I want to see, hehe."

“Oohhh,” her eyes light up. “That's our breakfast itinerary then?" 

They board the train after a few moments, the morning still ripe as the quiet countryside scenery fills in the silence between them. They stop by a restaurant in Obuse first for brunch. The place just opened, and they happen to be the first customers for that day. Mimi marvels at the menu, particularly the chestnut-steamed rice that's highlighted in the menu. They both order the rice, along with the usual local dishes. 

"Bijin-san, welcome to Obuse. For you and your American boyfriend," the owner at the back places a small bowl of chestnuts cracked open and roasted on their table.

Yamato clicks his tongue and eats one chestnut to cope. Mimi chuckles nervously. "Ahh, thank you… but my boyfriend isn't American! He's Japanese."

"Ahh, my bad, oniisan," the owner bows to them. He doesn't make a further comment about his appearance, which would often be the natural next step for all the times this happened. "you can get more chestnuts if you want, just call the server there."

He returns to the back kitchen, leaving them alone in the restaurant. Yamato picks another chestnut and feeds it to her. Mimi makes a satisfactory sound as she chews it, looking at Yamato. They take turns feeding each other, giddily smiling over the sweetness and softness of both the moment and the confectionary. Their full meals arrive not for long. They eat in silence as well, with occasional side comments from Mimi as she compliments the novelty of the chestnut rice. Yamato pays for the meal and they head out to find the museum. 

"Ahh, Hokusai!" chirps Mimi as she stares at the surrounding decoration of woodblock prints at the front.

Yamato glances at her. "Surely you knew what was here?"

"Ehh… not really."

"Tachikawa… for a Japanese person—"

Mimi cuts him off. "I'm global culture, not just Japanese." 

Yamato closes his mouth as he grabs his wallet in his pocket. The cultural irony between the two of them always amuses him. 

He buys their tickets at the front desk. They thank the cashier and enter the museum, akin to a traditional Japanese house where the old master's oeuvre dwells. They walk quietly around the place, with Mimi sometimes making marvelled and awed noises, especially as she sees the Great Kanagawa Wave. 

"There's one more painting," he says, already having enough of his fill of the museum.

"Hmm?"

"It's a bit of a walk, but it's worth it.." he says, staring down at her geta-cladded feet  as she crouches. "Or we can wait for the bus."

Mimi stands up and dusts her vermillion red kimono off. "Hehe. We can walk, Yamato-kun, but you'll have to piggyback me all the way back to our ryokan,"

"Let's hope it doesn't get there," he diffuses her with a small chuckle and takes her hand. He ultimately chooses the bus ride.

They wait for a few minutes at the stop before they take their ride. It takes them around fifteen minutes to arrive at their destination. Mimi looks out the window, sees a Buddhist temple outside. Before she could ask him, he takes her wrist as they hop off the bus.

"Yah, Yamato-kun, what's in here?" she looks at him curiously as they walk toward the structure.  She breaks out a grin. "Are we seeking divine intervention now to save our relationship?"

"You'll see," he says this , ignoring her joke. She bites her lip, the seriousness in his voice still there.

Mimi follows his lead as he takes off his footwear. They're greeted by a keeper, watching both of them.

"It's free for today," he says kindly. "Just please remain quiet so as not to disturb the monks," 

They both nod. Mimi remains clueless as to what's in this temple as they enter the wide, almost empty space. Nothing but benches in it. Then, she sees Yamato sit down on the tatami-covered floor and lie on it, his hands at the back of his head, one leg propped up. 

"Umm…" Mimi scans the room, then crouches next to him. "Hey, Yamato-kun!" 

He glances at her, calm and bluer. "Lie down next to me."

Mimii looks around again, sees some of the staff minding their own business by sweeping the floor or wiping the displayed relics. Mimi puts a careful hand over her hair bun and removes it, letting her hair cascade. Yamato reaches to tuck a lock of it behind her ear. "Come on, Mimi."

She finally does as he says and lies down next to him. Mimi almost exclaims as she sees the mural on the ceiling. "Yamato-kun! This is gorgeous!" she says it the softest as she can, grabbing the sleeve of his own kimono.

"It is, isn't it?" he says, smiling. "It's the accompaniment of the dragon painting we saw back at the museum. Though we couldn't really see it as clearly as this one,"

"Mhmm," Mimi hums. "That's too bad. Isn't the dragon and phoenix popular yin and yang imagery? The colors are also inverse together."

"Yeah," he licks his lips as he looks up at it again, overwhelmed by indigo and red.

"It's gorgeous… I feel… I feel powerful just by looking at it," she tells him, her heart beating fast as she looks at the bright red and clear brushwork. "What's it called?"

"'Phoenix glaring in all directions,'" answers Yamato. He turns his head to her, smiling further as he sees her enjoying herself. He sits up and watches her with the way her hair fans out, the loose parts of her  vermillion red kimono flaring out as well by the sleeves and hem. 

If he could hover over her, if etiquette didn't deem it impolite, Yamato swears he'd see the same artwork from the ceiling with her underneath him. "Its resemblance to you is uncanny," he says, smirking.

Mimi's gaze shifts to her side, where Yamato is. "Ehh? How?"

He carefully brushes a hair away from her face before teasing her. "When your feelings spill all over the place."

She silently turns crimson, unable to squeal or make her typical loud rebuttals, so she tugs his sleeve and pouts. "Ishida. You're very sneaky." 

He flicks her forehead and chuckles silently, doesn't tease her further about how her face burns just as red as the painting, for he cannot handle it himself as well.

They go back to their ryokan after this, taking the same train at the station to return to Nagano. The rest of the afternoon's filled with shopping and trying out food kiosks. They retire to their ryokan again, with Yamato fixated on his phone to account for expenses as Mimi processes online payments for their household bills back in Tokyo. The night ends with them seeing the dragon and phoenix one last time in each other, helping the other unrobe. They devour each other in the shower and then in bed, until sleep and fatigue finally embrace them both. 

The next morning, Mimi sees a white kimono Yamato had prepared for her, hanging on the closet handle. Next to it, a black one. She turns both of the fabrics around. No embroideries on the black one. Then, very faint, almost invisible embroidery of a phoenix, pine, bamboo, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums on the white one. 

Mimi squints at the bathroom door where Yamato is. She takes her phone to search for an image of an actual shiromuku and montsuki just to refresh her eyes for a bit. Or at least, trying to confirm she's not just seeing things. She glances to and fro at the images on her phone and then back to the two outfits. They're clearly not the same, but something about the colors, cut—and the fricking embroidery!!!, Mimi mentally exclaims—makes her feel on the edge.

Yamato comes out of the bathroom in his robe, hair wet with a towel over it. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mimi licks her lips as she glances back to the kimono. "You're wearing black again?"

"I always wear black," he replies warily as he picks the hanger. It's true, Mimi argues with herself. Yamato-kun always wears black… but—

"Why did you pick the white one?" she asks.

"I thought it looked nice," he replies almost too instantly, but nothing about his tone suggests anything else. He turns on the blow dryer and looks at her deadpan. "do you not like it?"

"N-no…" Mimi blinks a few times as she studies the kimono. "It's very pretty. I like the embroidery. Phoenix and the Three Friends of Winter, huh? Hahaha… for a trip to the kissaten?"

She catches him staring straight at her eyes as the hot air from the hair dryer grazes across his flaxen mane. It looks longer, like spun, golden silk. "Mhmm?"

"Never mind!" Mimi looks away,  taking her towel and robe as she heads to the bathroom.

Thirty minutes pass by fast. 

Yamato immediately goes to her once she steps out of the bathroom. “Hmm? What?” She asks him, towel-drying her hair. Mimi notices that he’s already wearing his black kimono.

He smiles at her and runs his fingers on her cheek. “Can I help you prepare and dress you?”

Mimilikes it when he offers. She holds the hand on her face. “Yes please.”

First her underwear, familiar soft white laced panties and a matching bralette that he’s seen plenty of times; he’s taken them off countless times already, too. He helps her put them on as he then wraps her in a thin shift dress. Then, her moisturizer and her usual skincare preparations—her toner, cream, and lip gloss—the latter of which would take extra reapplications for he keeps kissing and tasting her, with shared laughter in between them. He helps her dry her hair and style it in an effortlessly elegant braid. 

Yamato has done this with her before, but something about the way his hands linger longer on her skin when he’s dressing her in the white kimono and tying her sash leaves her extra breathless. 

Once he’s satisfied, Mimi turns to him and holds his hand. They smile at each other. 

“Is everything alright, Yamato-kun?” she asks him, attempting to probe one more time. 

The flaxen-haired man nods. He doesn’t smile and simply tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Blue eyes twinkle. “Mhm. Everything’s perfect.” 

They prepare for thirty minutes more before they head outside to a local jazz kissaten, both in white and black. Mimi feels like a display, as more people seem to be staring at them than yesterday. She looks at Yamato next to her, their hands clasped together. 

She doesn't understand. His kimono doesn't even have emblems nor is he even wearing a grey hakama. The embroidery on her white kimono is also very faint and subtle. She's not wearing outerwear for it either. Her mind briefly drifts to what an actual wedding outfit would look like for her. A white designer, lace- and applique-adorned gown with a sweetheart neckline. And if Yamato were to wear a suit—

Mimi side-eyes him again. Ahhh, he'd look better in white, too. 

"What are you smiling and purring about?" he asks her. 

"Nothing." she replies immediately, but her thoughts remain on the idea. Yes… White. All white!

Her daydreaming stops when they reach the storefront of the kissaten. Mimi has only ever visited the ones  in Tokyo. Yamato seems determined to at least experience music kissaten culture on every domestic trip. He stops in front of the vinyl player, where the kissaten's library of music records is on display. The song L'Anamour plays.

"You go ahead, I want to check something out," he tells her, pointing her to an empty table further inside. She heads over to the empty table next to another basket of records. She opens the menu as soon as she sits. They've been sleeping in more and having brunch, she realizes. She sighs, though they still have three days left, she's already dreading having to end this trip. Going back to Tokyo and to work will be an adjustment…

The  song changes mid-refrain as Yamato walks toward her. He takes his seat across from her as he looks at the menu. 

Just before Mimi could speak, she's caught off guard by the familiar old pop song. She grabs his sleeve, her eyes scanning the speakers as if they hold some kind of magic. "Yamato-kun!" she exclaims in a whisper. "That's Papa's song!"

He smiles at her before returning his attention to the menu. "Yeah. I saw Keisuke-san's record sleeve from the display the first time we passed by."

"Waahh," Mimi tries her very best to contain her excitement and awe, feeling teary. "Papa's music is here… he'd be so happy when I tell him this, Yamato-kun,"

Mimi hums along with Keisuke's voice until his next song plays. She briefly records the moment with her phone. They place their orders shortly and talk for a while as they wait.

"What are we actually planning for today?" she asks. 

"Mhmm, just here," he answers. "We can go to Karuizawa tomorrow if you want."

"Isn't it crowded there?" she asks, taking a sip from her water. "But I don't mind, sure. Can we probably wear something more relaxed tomorrow, though?"

"Okay," he agrees almost too abruptly..

"Mhmm… but then again.. You did pay for the rental…"

"It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he assures her firmly. "Today's enough."

Mimi smiles gratefully, unaware of what he truly means behind his words this time. They receive their brunch shortly. Mimi has ordered an English breakfast with oyakodon, while Yamato silently eats his steak with americano. Mimi stands up to go to where Yamato was earlier, checking out the vinyl collection. She finds a sleeve of Sade's Lovers Rock and immediately changes the record. By Your Side plays instantly.

She returns to her seat at the table, Yamato somehow already finished with his meal as he quietly sips from his cup while he scrolls through his phone. "Nice pick," he mutters to her.

She beams. "Hehe."

The fork and knife in her hands clink softly as they land on the breakfast plate. Mimi's supposed to resume her meal when she sees a cream velvet box lying next to her drink. 

"Yamato-kun?" She looks up at him, notices him avoiding her gaze as he strains his eyes on his phone, downcast. Mimi inhales and almost chokes her breath as she picks up the box, already knowing what's inside.

She flips it open, a white silver band with a thick, rose-gold lining in the middle. A couple of diamonds form three lilies in the center, the one in the middle being the largest. Her lower lip trembles as she places the box to the side.

Before she could say anything, he picks the box up and holds it. His other hand clasping on hers. He doesn't look nervous at first, as sharp blue eyes and the soft, subtle smile do not betray him. His hand, however, is trembling, cold, and a little sweaty. She holds on tighter.

"You're so silly!" she whispers to him, blushing. 

"You're too good," he chuckles nervously and kisses her knuckles. "You've been vibing me off since Suwa." 

Mimi sighs affectionately, doesn't say more. She tugs his hand forward.

He forces to swallow the lump in his throat. 

"Stay with me, please,"  his thumb flips the box open, revealing the ring again, the tiny diamonds twinkling at her. "forever." 

She beams, her full teeth showing as she nods. "Mhm. Forever."

He picks up the ring and puts it on her. Mimi tries not to cry, but her eyes appear glassy. Yamato instantly stands up and goes to sit next to her as she wraps her arms around him. He encloses her back. Lets her silently weep against his arm, into the crook of his neck. He leaves affectionate kisses on her hair and hands. Some customers silently watch them. The cream box gives Yamato and Mimi away. They don’t disturb them. 

Mimi returns to composure after a few minutes to finish her meal while Yamato's eyes remain glued to his phone again. Their hands remain entwined, the length of her body leaning against his sideways as the rest of Lovers Rock fades out of the speakers.

They still have three more days in Nagano.

###

The ride back to Tokyo feels so short. They're no longer wearing traditional attire nor eating special dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mimi looks up from her phone and sighs. Her gaze returns to the unfolding cityscape before her on the Shinkansen. She looks at her engagement ring and smiles tenderly. At the very least, she has something to look forward to as they return to their ordinary lives.

Suddenly, her smile falters and freezes. She turns to Yamato, who sits quietly next to her as he tunes in his headphones. He immediately senses that urgent look on her face.

He removes one ear cup to listen to her. "What's up?"

Mimi bites her lip, then smiles nervously. She holds his hands with both of hers. She kisses them and places one of his palms on her cheek. 

She swallows. "Want to go to the ward office today?"

Chapter Text

Kirari

10

Suginami Ward Office

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Yamato cannot believe they're at the ward office just before lunchtime, right after they went straight to Mimi's parents to sign as witnesses on their forms. Then, they rushed back home to Koenji to get his birth certificate and family registry, and to drop off their luggage and change their clothes. He merely rushed his preparation, opting for something lightweight and cool with his beige spring coat and white dress shirt that he'd usually wear if he were meeting Mimi's parents. 

He clicks his tongue and glances at Mimi, who's next to him, also in her spring coat with an oversized dress beneath, their cuts and colors complementing each other accidentally. She wears her hair down, the waves softer at each tip. 

"This is probably the smoothest, most non-stereotyping bureaucratic process I've experienced," Yamato exhales with a sense of relief.  "I can't forget Keisuke-san's face when you just dropped it on him."

"Hehe… it's not like it's unexpected," Mimi chuckles as she loops her arm around his. "also, that's not important right now, Yamato-kun… we're getting married!"

It hasn't been two hours since they returned to Tokyo.

The officer returns to them and hands them out a sheet of paper each. Yamato instantly clocks that this is the marriage form.

"I suppose you two also brought the family registers and birth certificates…" the officer looks at their IDs again. "...Ishida-san and Tachikawa-san?"

"We have," smiles Mimi. They give her the documents. The officer peruses each one in front of them.

"All right, thank you," the officer says, returning the forms to them. "If you both can just sign here, and here… and here… also, which surname are you both adopting?"

The couple look at each other in agreement. "Ishida," he replies. 

Yamato takes out his personal seal from his inside pocket, impressing it where his name is. He does the same to the other form, which Mimi has already stamped. She takes the documents away and walks back to her kiosk. For now, they wait.

"What do we do after this?" she asks, rubbing her cheek on his arm. "It's a Friday, too."

"Wear the rings," he says plainly, as if it's the most logical step. 

"Oooh… I like the way you think,” her smile falters when she realizes their missing accessory. “wait, we don't have rings yet,"

"I bought a pair of bands when I got that," he smirks to himself proudly, pointing at her engagement ring. Then, a pink blush erupts on his cheeks and ears. It's only then it dawns on Yamato what he just revealed, all the more confirmed with Mimi's toothy grin.

"Waahh…" Mimi cannot contain her giddiness. "Yamato-kun! You really think of these things very well!" she rubs her face on his arm some more. "I like the fact that you really believe I'd say yes, too." 

He blushes and looks away. "You're not subtle either, Tachikawa."

"Tsk, tsk, it's Ishida now, Ishida," she teases him. 

Yamato sighs and holds the hand on his arm. He finally looks at her.  "You're lucky you're you."

Mimi hums, eyes dancing around every pocket he has. "So,,, where is it?"

Yamato digs through his inner pocket and reveals a small box—a lot more unassuming than the engagement ring box he got. Mimi opens it. Two golden bands, one thicker, the other thinner. She puts the velveteen  box on top of the table for now, anticipating that in a few minutes, she'd be wearing one of them. Then, she slowly digs into her coat pocket, feeling the harmonica she bought for him in Suwa. 

A silent moment passes before Mimi beams at him with a request in mind. "I do have one request for today."

He smiles back at her, still in awe that they're together. Still.  "What is it?"

"I want to go back to Waseda and eat lunch there."

"Why there?"

'To eat under the cherry blossom trees that I planted at the zen garden years ago, of course!" 

His mouth goes ajar before a breathy chuckle escapes him. Unable to contain his affection any longer, he kisses her forehead, bystanders be damned. "Okay."

Mimi’s smile widens. “We could visit the bar, too, near campus.” 

Yamato groans. “I don’t feel like going there lately.” 

“But it’s where we first met! You were still Blondie-san then!”

He looks at her with a puzzled expression. “…Blondie-san?”

Mimi would have delighted him into revealing this nickname she had for him when their conversation was put to a halt. The officer returns and hands them their marriage certificate. She smiles at them genuinely with a bow. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ishida." 

The couple returns her gesture, grateful. His gaze instantly drops to the paper in his hand, feels a tightness in his chest when he sees their names together. Mimi leans closer to his side, her affection becoming more apparent. They wait for the officer to leave before putting on the rings on each other. They kiss each other's knuckles, where both bands embed themselves on their skin. Neither of them says anything.

They walk out of the government office hand in hand, securing their certificate in a plastic envelope, turning  to each other as they're greeted by the grey pavement and passersby. Real life doesn't change and the world keeps moving. For today and for the upcoming weekend, Yamato and Mimi choose to remain still. Reality takes a day off.

"Lunch?" she reminds him. He nods. They take a cab to Waseda.

Yamato and Mimi are a little displaced as they soak under the faint sun and spring breeze, the sakura tree hovering over them as they eat their expensive takeout bentos. She scans the environment and sees younger couples taking their lunch here. She looks up behind and finds the window to the student council's room, where she used to daydream about a romantic spring picnic under the sakura tree. Mimi thinks her old self from three years ago wouldn't have expected to be in a fulfilling, stable relationship—married and moved in!—in her mid-twenties. 

Waseda hasn't changed, nor has the garden that Mimi once spent blood, sweat, and tears for.

"Yamato-kun, we'd still need to hold an actual wedding," she tells him all of a sudden, mouth still full.

He looks at her as he chews. "That'll take us at least a year to pull off, if nothing goes wrong."

"Yeah," she replies, leaning into him as she pops a piece of her wagyu into her mouth. "That's why we need to plan it."

"You know I don't subscribe to any religion, right?" he sighs as he thinks about the ceremonials—whether he would prefer a montsuki or a full suit, for he likes the traditional visuals, but he also very much wants the practicality of suits. Likewise, he can’t really tell if Mimi would rather wear a backless gown than multiple layers of fabric in an uchikake, though neither of them are less grand, especially if they’ll be worn by her.  Either way, whatever she decides, he simply wants it to happen on a spring day that isn’t in June. "Also, I think the actual urgent matter here at hand is  our info and statuses in our tax registry. Banks too."

"That's easy," scoffs Mimi. "we can do all of that online!"

"Not all of it's available online," he says. "anyway. What do we do after this?" Yamato asks as he bites from his sashimi. 

She breaks into a grin. "Home. Bedroom. Or bathroom, if you like." 

Yamato smirks as he tilts closer to her. "We can do both… and everywhere else.” 

Mimi crosses her legs and nuzzles her head on his arm. Then, she looks up and sees the sunlight filtered through the pink of cherry blossoms.   "Have you ever thought of getting married in your mid-twenties?"

"Not really," he replies. "Frankly, I thought I'd be single for a while."

"What age did you actually expect to get married?" she asks him, amused.

"Thirty…. Or something."

Mimi wraps her hands around his forearm and bicep. Then, she takes out a silvery and golden instrument out of her pocket, and places it in his free hand. “Play something for me?” 

Yamato stares at it, hand frozen in place. He was eyeing this specific harmonica a few days ago, and now it’s in his palm just because Mimi had seen him at that store. He swallows as warm eyes melt his blue. She always does.

He puts down his bento, wipes his lips with a napkin before thanking her with a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, his mouth on her gift,  playing a song with her next to him. Mimi closes her eyes and lets herself drift. The young students who are also hanging around the garden watch him play. They watch Mimi fall in love again with the man next to her, her smile and her playful kicks in the air as they sit in that garden.

She stays still like this for at least two minutes even after he finishes the song. Yamato catches her immobile state. He glances at her as he resumes eating. "Your food will get cold, Mimi."

Mimi opens her eyes  and looks at him fondly. "Are you happy today, Yamato-kun?"

He leans his head on hers and rubs his cheek against her hair before popping a slice of wagyu into his mouth. A mere attempt to disguise and soothe his heart. "My happiest day so far." 

His phone vibrates inside his breast pocket. He only gets to check it once they return home—a missed call and a text message; the latter is where he learns that his band's finally reuniting after four years. 

"You know, I've actually never seen you play live with a band before… nor have I actually met any of them," she tells him.

“Gen has always wanted to meet you,” he kisses her hair. Yamato catches himself just now doing this a lot more often in public.  "there’s always a first for everything, right?"

"I'm sure I will love it," Mimi responds, leaning up to kiss his chin. 

Truly, it was one of their happiest days.

- End -

Some artworks I drew for Kirari. Hi-res on my blog!