Fiancée?!
Nibutani Shinka and Nishimiya Shoko's eyes widen in unison. Shinka is especially shocked, completely forgetting about Shoko "stealing her button." A fiancée out of nowhere? She's completely stunned, having never heard Ryosuke mention such a thing.
A thousand thoughts race through her mind. Shoko has a similar reaction.
Before Ryosuke can speak, Hiratsuka Shizuka cuts in. "Hey, I already said no to this! The Hiratsuka family isn't like the Yukinoshita family. I will never treat Ryosuke like an item to be traded, and I would never let him marry a girl he doesn't like."
Ryosuke nods in agreement. Although his father is still the head of the family, it's important to present a united front with his sister in times like this.
"Oh, what a shame. I thought you would definitely agree," Yukinoshita Haruno says with a hint of regret, like a deflated balloon. She quickly regains her cheerful smile, looking like a little devil who's gotten her way. With a playful tone, she adds, "But Yukino is probably already on a plane to study abroad."
Then, with a mischievous smile, she winks at Ryosuke and whispers in his ear, "My sister is gone, but the older sister is still here. What do you think of me, little Ryosuke?"
Ryosuke calmly steps back, distancing himself from her, and watches Haruno's performance. The smile on this woman's face seems gentle and innocent, but her heart is full of schemes. Every word she speaks is a test related to her sister Yukino, and that subtle hostility he feels is still there.
A lightbulb goes off in his head, and he understands where her hostility comes from. This is a sister who doesn't want to hand her sister over.
Ryosuke coldly retorts, "You've been spouting empty words and using an over-the-top performance to hide your inner turmoil. You refuse to admit that you care about your sister, and you don't even have the courage to face your own feelings. Your concern for your sister is nothing but a fake."
He even thinks to himself, If I had agreed to Yukino as a fiancée, Yukinoshita Haruno would have pretended to be surprised. Then, she would have lied to me, saying her sister didn't want to marry me and had run away to study abroad. This woman who appeared out of nowhere has a truly awful personality.
A mirror never shows a person's true self. Yukinoshita Haruno isn't just wearing a mask to hide her true face. She's also lying to herself and truly believes her own lies. From her words and attitude, it's clear she cares about her sister, but her twisted concern may have even hurt her sister, Yukino. When a mask is worn for too long, it slowly fuses with the skin and becomes impossible to remove. Over time, she herself can't tell which is the real her.
Yukinoshita Haruno is stunned by Ryosuke's rebuttal, and then she chuckles softly. "In a way, you're so much like her."
Suddenly, Haruno seems to notice something and stops talking. She immediately adopts the graceful demeanor of a proper lady, her smile still in place, but her movements are now noticeably more composed, with no trace of her previous flippancy.
Everyone present quickly understands the reason for her sudden change. A beautiful woman in a kimono is walking towards them. Time seems to have left her untouched, with not a single wrinkle on her face. She walks with a dignified and elegant presence.
"Mrs. Yukinoshita, it's a pleasure to see you," Hiratsuka Shizuka says, bowing respectfully. In Japan, the hierarchy between young and old is very clear. Strictly speaking, Mrs. Yukinoshita is her elder.
"Miss Hiratsuka, it's been a while," Mrs. Yukinoshita says, returning the greeting with the same elegance. "Since we invested in a new school building, the school invited me to visit as an alumna. What a coincidence."
Ryosuke now understands why Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly became so well-behaved. If Haruno is a fully-armed elite soldier with a variety of attack methods, Mrs. Yukinoshita is like a human-sized mecha. Her presence alone is much more powerful than Haruno's. The two are not in the same league.
"This must be young master Hiratsuka. You are truly a handsome young man," Mrs. Yukinoshita says, turning to Ryosuke. Her voice is gentle as she greets him with a smile.
"Hello, Mrs. Yukinoshita. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hiratsuka Ryosuke." He doesn't dare to be disrespectful to someone his sister respects.
"It's not our first meeting. You were just too young to remember." Mrs. Yukinoshita laughs softly, a charming and feminine sound. She turns to Shizuka. "Regarding the matter, what is the Hiratsuka family head's opinion?"
Shizuka smiles confidently and answers, "The engagement is out of the question, but as for anything else..." She glances around with a look of hesitation. "Ryosuke, you and Shinka should go home now. I have some things to discuss with Mrs. Yukinoshita, so I'll be back late."
The two Yukinoshitas and Shizuka walk away together. Haruno doesn't forget to wink at Ryosuke as she leaves. Nishimiya Shoko also goes home with her mother.
The graduation ceremony is over, but the weather has taken a turn for the worse. The clear blue sky from the morning is now covered with dark clouds. The rain falls in a heavy, dense curtain.
On the large bridge by the river, pedestrians hurry by. Occasionally, a car drives over a puddle, splashing passersby and eliciting curses. Right now, after school, Hiratsuka Ryosuke and Nibutani Shinka are taking shelter under the bridge.
"How unlucky. Why is it raining so hard all of a sudden? My umbrella even broke," Shinka complains, pouting.
"Let's wait for the rain to slow down before we go back," Ryosuke says calmly, but his mind is racing. On the way here, Shinka told him about the meaning of the second button. According to the legend, it's the button closest to the heart. So, if a girl gets the second button from a boy she likes at graduation, she gets his true heart.
Japanese people's way of expressing their feelings is always indirect, like saying "I want to drink your miso soup for the rest of my life" or "The moon is beautiful tonight."
Ryosuke secretly watches Shinka's expression. He doesn't believe in these legends, but a girl's heart is a poem. Shinka must be really upset. Shinka hasn't said a word about Shoko getting the button, but if he puts himself in her shoes, he knows she must feel a deep sense of loss. Ryosuke is unsure of Shinka's feelings for him. Is it friendship or something more? After all, she's kind to everyone.
Ryosuke, who is usually so brave, feels a rare sense of cowardice. The "she likes me" illusion is a trap many people have fallen into. Not every neighbor of the opposite sex you grow up with is a childhood friend. True childhood friends are people whose presence in each other's lives is so essential that they can't be forgotten. The person you think of first when you remember your happy childhood. That pure person, with no ulterior motives, who you can lean on for warmth just by being together.
Ryosuke knows in his heart that this girl, Nibutani Shinka, is that person to him.
Shinka is also troubled. She wants to know what Ryosuke thinks of her. After all, Ryosuke is a very kind person. He was nice to her because they were neighbors. Nishimiya Shoko is one thing, but Yukinoshita Haruno's appearance today puts immense pressure on her. As a girl, she can see that Haruno's heart is full of schemes, but she can also feel her charm.
Lost in their own thoughts, they stand under the bridge, listening to the rain fall on the river. They stare silently at the colorful neon lights of the distant skyscrapers.
The rain continues, and the distant scenery becomes hazy in the downpour.
Nibutani Shinka breaks the silence. She tilts her head and asks the boy beside her, "Ryosuke, I heard a person's heart beats about 3 billion times in their life. Do you want to see whose heartbeat is faster?"
Without waiting for his answer, Shinka takes a step forward, grabs Ryosuke's hand, and places it over her heart. Then, she presses her ear to his chest.
Just as Ryosuke is about to speak, Shinka presses her index finger to his lips. "Don't speak," she whispers. "The loser gets a punishment. The timer starts now."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Hiratsuka Ryosuke's strong heartbeat becomes more and more rapid. Shinka's unique scent fills his nose, going straight to his head. His heart is beating so fast, even faster than when he faced death that night. He completely loses track of time.
One minute later.
"I didn't hear it very clearly. Let's do another minute." Shinka says with slight dissatisfaction. In reality, her face is flushed, and she's too embarrassed to look up.
Two minutes later.
"Breathe a little quieter."
Five minutes later.
"Um, just a little longer..."
Ten minutes later.
Nibutani Shinka reluctantly pulls away from Ryosuke's warm embrace. "Ryosuke, your heart is beating so fast," she says shyly. Then she clenches her fists as if she's made a decision and looks directly into his eyes. "I lost. I will accept the punishment!"
In reality, she didn't count at all. In that situation, she had no mind to. The rain is slowly letting up.
Nibutani Shinka opens her mouth to speak, but she forgets what she wants to say. She really wants to say "I love you," but every time she tries, the words get stuck in her throat. She's afraid he'll reject her and just say, "We're just friends."
Finally, she closes her eyes and takes the plunge. "I... I..."
It's no use! I can't say it! Oh, Shinka, you're such a dummy!
Nibutani Shinka blushes and lightly taps her head. Her eyes light up. She crosses her hands over her chest and looks at Ryosuke with a shy, moist gaze.
"I am the Forest Mage, the one who brings light to the world. My Guardian Knight, I ask you, will you... will you help me realize my dream and form a contract that will never be broken?"
Hearing Nibutani Shinka's words, Hiratsuka Ryosuke finally understands her feelings completely.
"Why are you acting so cool? I should be the one saying something like that."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then opens them, slowly exhaling. He stands straight, clenches his right hand into a fist, and places it over his heart. His left hand is poised at his waist, as if holding a non-existent sword.
"I am the Guardian Knight of the Forest Mage, and I exist to protect what is real. It has been this way for five hundred years."
"I have no dreams, but I can protect and realize Mori-sama's dreams."
"Whether in the past, now, or in the future, I wish to forever protect Mori-sama."
"Mori-sama, will you allow me... to forever protect you?"
Nibutani Shinka is completely stunned. She stands there like a statue, staring at the boy in front of her in disbelief. She never thought Ryosuke, who always hated chuunibyou, would say something like this. Through his words, she understands his feelings.
She comes to her senses, her face red, and takes a step closer to Ryosuke. Their faces get closer and closer, almost touching. They can even feel each other's breath. Shinka's eyes are misty and full of emotion.
Finally, Ryosuke leans down, and their foreheads touch. Time seems to stop, and the noisy world becomes silent. Nibutani Shinka closes her eyes and stands on her tiptoes. She gently touches Ryosuke's nose with her own.
A moment later, they pull apart, both blushing, and turn away from each other.
"That's... that's the contract, then." Nibutani Shinka whispers, her voice barely a whisper.
A moment later, Shinka shakes her head, turns around, and jumps onto Ryosuke's back. He easily catches her, his hands supporting her. The girl is light, and he barely uses any strength.
The heavy rain has stopped, and the clouds have cleared. The setting sun breaks through the clouds, and sunlight returns to the earth.
"Hey! Carry me home, and don't look back!" Shinka's long, thin legs kick slightly as she presses her fair, flushed face against Ryosuke's back, her voice sweet and soft.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke smiles slightly. He looks straight ahead and slowly walks home with the girl on his back. The gentle breeze from the river blows through her long hair. The girl's sincere contract tugs at his heartstrings. Along the riverbank, cherry blossoms fall from the trees. In the setting sun, the boy carries the girl, and their shadows stretch out, getting longer and longer.