Isshiki Iroha wants me to take responsibility?
For most loners: a sincere, unconditional relationship is an impossibility. A crack dream only the delusional will chase and chase they will til they crash and burn in a depressive onslaught of tears.
Waking up alone in a small apartment, by myself, on the couch...
I briefly wonder about the impossibility of loners having happy lifes. Human's were conventional beings. By nature, they saught companionship and acceptance with others. Without that, what can you do? Without others, cities and civilization wouldn't be constructed. Laws wouldn't have been made and procreation wouldn't be possible.
Hazily waking up, I had a question in my mind. Why did I sleep on the couch?
This is worth investigating for my own sake.
Walking down the narrow corridor, I open the closed door to the bed room.
I gaze at the majestic site of a girl laying in bed in her pink bra under the sheets.
Sooo?
I guess I'm one of the lucky few?
Grabbing a nearby pillow as a weapon, I smack her lightly on her head. Take that!
"Mhmmmm"
Eh? Still not awake yet? She's pretty damn stubborn!
Smacking her with a little added force, she moans.
"Senpaiiii noooot soooo haarrrd!"
"It's like 10 in the morning Isshiki. Serves you right for making me sleep on the couch this time."
She sits up, 3 light horizontal scars sewn on her cheek. Her blonde hair puffed out and everywhere, it looks all over the place. She looked like a stray kid tiger or something...
"Uwaahhhh, why do I share a flat with such an evil boyfriend?"
Two can play that game.
"Why do I have such a selfish girlfriend? Anyway, you did choose me first."
"...Touche..."
Content now that she's fully awake, I decide to do what I'm naturally better at.
"I'll make us breakfast for today so you can get dressed."
"Yup. I demand some miso soup!"
"OK and?"
Fingers on lips, she thinks.
"Ummmm?"
"OK, how bout some nori?"
"Yeah that'll be good."
Leaving her to her business, I set up to cook breakfast. It's our day off from college and also luckily enough, a day off from my small part-time job. As for her, her parents help her pay her tuition and some living wages. So in other words, Pops spit out some more damn money for me...
Speaking of dads...
Her's was pretty pissed off his baby girl was moving in with a complete stranger. Thank god her mom vouched for me otherwise I think I would've been mincemeat!
Sorry but as the saying goes. You snooze, you loose Mr Iroha heh!
Settled down on the ground level table, we get straight to eating. She wore a light beige sweater quite reminiscent of the time I first met her mom and shorts. Quite the off combination.
"Yup, good as usual senpai."
"Ahh gee thanks!"
"And lots of room for improvement as usual senpai!"
"Ahh gee thanks..."
Please don't get my hopes up like that! My heart won't be able to take it.
Much less my pride...
Speaking of my pride.
Placing the chopsticks down, I see Isshiki eating like a starving animal. Where does all that food go?
"Hey Isshiki? Why the hell did I sleep on the couch again last night?"
"Ahh bit interesting that senpai."
Placing her chopsticks down in a declaration of war, she points accusingly at me.
"You can only make passes at me and me only! You hanging out with Yukino-senpai activates my boyfriend is cheating on me alarm! So stop it K?
Or I'll have to hunt you down~..."
Girls...
Just how are they so scary?
I didn't even know they had such things as boyfriend alarms. Geez, I should've been more prepared for this...
"Woah, no we're just fri-well hell not even friends. Just acquaintances."
"Ahh ok."
Looking down at her food in silence, I find a weakness in her defenses.
"Heh, jealous girls are pretty cute."
"Wahh? You're so mean. I'll make you sleep on the couch today again yaknow."
"Woah! Sorry, I was only kidding! Just kidding!"
She smiles at her victory. She just keeps outsmarting me...
"Well, it's the Yui-senpai I'm sorta worried about. Yaknow...
Since school."
Yeah, when she and I became boyfriend and girlfriend...
Yui got the worst end of the stick. I realized to late about her feelings.
I'm thankful Yukino was there for her though to take some of her tears for her.
"She's the type of girl to respect my wishes. Soo as much as I hate to say this..."
"It's alright senpai. Anyway I got better news."
Eh? Well this is good, a change of subject will brighten up this day?
"Oh? What is it?"
"When was you gonna ask that question?"
What question? I don't have a clue what she's talking about. No doubt she's being sly again.
"What are you talking about?"
She brings up a small black box fitted to her palm with a tied red bow on it.
Wait!? How did she find that?!
"I didn't know about this. Soooo mind telling me when you were gonna pop that question?"
Feeling a blazing hotness behind my cheeks, I look to the very interesting floor in embarrassment.
"Well, ummmm...
When it felt right? I suppose... Yeah..."
She snaps her small fingers demanding some eye contact.
"You're not good at hiding things senpai sooo..."
Noticing her blushing, she quickly looks at anything not me. Hey, sorry but if you don't find me attractive then why go out with me for this long?
"Sooo now that the surprise is ruined... I guess you gotta confess."
Seriously? But I'm not ready for that yet...
"Well, I was saving it for a perfect time...
You know, ain't exactly memorable if we tell people that you just found it in my coat pocket..."
"Ooooh! You're pretty confident I'll say yes right?"
Did this mean what I thought it meant? Was she going to say no? If so, I don't think I could take that.
No way. It's her choice but it was better if I never tried if that was the case.
"Well...
If you don't mind..."
Marriage was a long term choice after all. The thought of being tied together with one person for the rest of your life sickened some people. Say goodbye to your freedom and nights out since you have to take care of the kids. Eventually, they end in the cesspit where most marriages go.
Which is divorce.
"I'll give my answer on one condition!"
Don't keep me in suspense! That's pure evil Isshiki.
"What is it? Name it!"
She stutters out an answer.
"Pr-p-propose."
Outrageous. She's got a flair for the dramatic. Whoever states it's the guy who has to proposed needs to go and die.
"R-really? Here? Now?"
"I'm a girl Hachi so I'm gonna want a girl's dream proposal!"
"I think we're past that..."
"I won't settle for anything less!"
Guh! How embarrassing...
Taking and undoing the bow on the handsized box, I get up and stand in front of Isshiki who also stood up towering over her small frame.
I bend my knees to be in the proposal position and clumsily open the box showing a shimmering diamond silver ring laid onto the velvet.
"I-Isshiki Iroha. Will yo-you marry me?"
Please say yes! Please say yes! Please say yes!
"I'm sorry senpai..."
No...
"But that wasn't good enough! Say it louder!"
This bitch is playing around with me now. Helpless, I can only play along...
"Will you pl-please marry me!"
"Louder!"
"Will you please marry me!"
"Yes!"
"Will you please marry-"
"YES! YOU DUMMY!"
Shock stunned me, leaving my thought process shoddy.
She said yes? She did. She really did.
Tears of happiness clouded her eyes, staining her favorite sweater.
"Why-why do you girls cry when good things happen to you."
"I don't think that's important right now."
She held out her hand wanting something.
Oh right! The ring!
Sliding it onto her finger, I find out it's a bit too big of her.
"Ahh it doesn't fit, useless senpai..."
"I'm so sorry. I'll get it refitted right away."
"You should let me come with you then."
"If you really want to I guess..."
"Yeah, I have my own questions on how you saved up for that!"
And walking outside, I welcome the future. As cliche as it sounds, I feel I'm living happily. I have nothing left to abide by other then to make this last as long as I can. From an unlikely duo to a mutual partnership to just now signing on as lifelong partners, I can determine that Isshiki Iroha has a funny taste in men and I'm pretty damn lucky because of that.
Alright, that is it! Finally done! Gonna take a small break to relax then I'll eventually get to work on a Kawasaki fic. Thanks for reading this fic and have a nice weekend.