AHHHHH I'M BACK WOW 80 YEARS LATER I CAN'T APOLOGIZE ENOUGH! I'm so sorry but life happens guys T_T I hope you remember where we left off lol

The day of Ikuto's and Aruto's farewell party alternated between dragging on and flying by every other hour. I sat quietly in my room as the evening sunlight spilled through my window, casting my room in a layer of orange gold. I was filled with equal parts anticipation and sadness, knowing that this time tomorrow, Ikuto would be on a plane off to pursue his dreams. And tonight would likely be the last opportunity I'd have to tell him about my feelings before he was gone.

"Amu-chan, are you almost ready to go?" My mom hollered from downstairs.

"Yeah," I called down to her, having been ready since this afternoon. She had offered to drive me over which I had foolishly agreed to without thinking. I had already made sure to warn Ikuto that my mom would likely be joining us for dinner.

"Are you ready to confess your feelings?" Ran asked with enthusiasm that I certainly wasn't feeling.

I glared at her. "Are you guys ready to stay here with Ami?" I countered. The four of them shouted over each other. Nothing they said was intelligible other than their vehement protest. "Fine, fine! But no funny business, otherwise I'll lock you in the car," I warned them, and they seemed satisfied with the threat.

I went downstairs and found my mom was dressed particularly nice. "I thought you were just dropping me off?" I questioned with an accusing stare.

She laughed sheepishly. "Well, I figured since I am going to be over there already I may as well pop in and say my hellos and goodbyes," she explained, just as I thought she would. "Do you think they'll mind?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "I already told them you were coming."

Her eyes lit up at that. "Oh, thank you Amu-chan!" She said, wrapping me in a hug.

Just then, the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. I hesitantly pulled away from my mother's grasp and peered at the kitchen. I saw my dad looming in a dark corner, muttering something incomprehensible. I imagined he was placing some sort of curse with the aura coming from him.

"Mama, I want to go see Utau-chan, too!" Ami cried, cutting through the thick atmosphere.

"I know, Ami-chan, but you should stay here and keep Papa company. You don't want him to be all alone, do you?" My mom asked, squatting down to give Ami a hug.

She aggressively shook her head. "I don't care! I wanna see Utau-chan and Ikuto-niisan!"

I saw my dad stagger at the mention of Ikuto again. "Ami-chan, we were going to play dragon and the princess tonight," he said dejectedly.

Ami frowned at him and then looked back to my mom with wide, pleading eyes but she was unphased by them. "I'm sorry, Ami. But not tonight."

Ami huffed and went to scowl in a corner opposite of my dad and the two of us left after giving them a poorly received goodbye.

We got to the Tsukiyomi household as the sun was edging towards the horizon. "You promise you'll behave yourself?" I asked my mom as we approached the front door, giving my charas a glance at the same time.

My mom smiled at me. "Don't I always?" She said with a wink that did nothing to reassure me. I could hear people talking and laughing loudly on the other side of the door before my mom knocked and disrupted them.

"Oh– that must be Amu," I heard Aruto say.

"I'll get it," Ikuto's voice carried over, along with a few soft spoken words I didn't quite catch that were answered with light laughter.

The door opened and Ikuto grinned at us. "Amu, Mrs. Hinamori," he welcomed.

My mom returned the greeting and walked in first, patting him on the shoulder as she passed. "Always so formal, Ikuto-kun. Please, just call me Midori," she said and then continued inside. I glared at her back. She was getting friendlier and friendlier with Ikuto and his family these days. That was dangerous, for me, anyways.

Ikuto peered around me. "What, you're dad didn't want to come, too?"

I almost smiled at how nightmarish that would be. "As if. You're on his watchlist as of yesterday, actually," I told him.

He arched an eyebrow at me. "How do you mean?"

I wasn't sure how to explain to him without putting myself in an uncomfortable position. "When you dropped me off, he overheard my mom make a comment about our, er…"

"Date," Miki and Ran whispered at the same time. That was one strike for them already and we hadn't even gone inside yet.

I cleared my throat. "And your name was mentioned, so," I tried to say as nonchalantly as I could.

Ikuto looked like he was holding back a comment about it, but I guess the mere mention of our date from me was worth more than a snarky remark, so he only smirked. "I'll have to be extra careful in the future then," he said, gesturing me to come inside so he could close the door.

I stepped in, only marginally distracted by the word 'future'.

"Amu! I'm so pleased you were able to make it," Aruto said, wearing a smile that said he wasn't certain he would be seeing much of me anymore after our last interaction.

"Thank you for having me again, and my mom," I said. She had already veered towards Souka like a bee that had spotted it's favorite flower.

"Of course, you're always welcome in our home," he replied, and I nodded awkwardly in thanks.

"Hello, Amu-chan," Tadase waved to me from the couch where he was sitting with Utau and Kukai. My charas had already joined theirs in play, which would hopefully keep them out of trouble for the meantime. I walked over to where they sat and dropped down beside Tadase.

"How are you doing?" Tadase asked, his tone seeming to imply how I was holding up in light of recent events. It made me wonder just how long he had known about Ikuto's incoming departure. Ikuto had fallen back into conversation with his parents and my mom, I noted with concern. I decided it'd be safe enough to bring it up.

I shrugged at his question, not wanting to go down that hole. "So, how long have you been in the know about their going abroad?" I asked. I saw Utau glance over at my question, but she quickly returned to a soft-spoken exchange she was having with Kukai.

In all the years I had known Tadase, I had never seen him roll his eyes, until now. "I found out a few days ago. Utau texted me about it out of nowhere. I went to my dad and asked him if he knew what she was talking about, and he told me he had known for a few weeks already," he grumbled.

"Ah, jeez," I sighed. "Well, it's good to know I wasn't the only one who had been kept in the dark." I leaned forward and scowled at Utau, trying to get her attention. "So, how long did you know about it?" I investigated.

After a moment she met my gaze. "In my defense, I always knew they weren't going to stick around because that's just who they are," she started. "But like Yui-san, a few weeks," she said as sheepishly as Utau could.

Tadase and I groaned in unison which drew a few confused looks from the others around the room, but they quickly returned to their discussions.

"If it means anything to either of you, I just found out today," Kukai mentioned awkwardly, surely knowing that it wasn't the same situation for him but trying to lighten the mood nonetheless.

Tadase returned his attention to me. "How are you two? You're here, so I'm assuming all is well. But I imagine it wasn't so great when you found out," Tadase continued.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," I huffed. "Aruto let it slip to me because he had rightfully been under the impression that Ikuto would have told me long ago that he was leaving. We had a fight about it the night you helped me find my way to the street fair, but we managed to talk things over yesterday and now everything is as fine as it can be," I summarized.

Tadase pouted. "Except for that he's leaving," he said, looking almost as upset as I felt.

"Yeah," I mumbled and then let out a hearty sigh, trying to expel the negative energy from me. "But it is what it is, no use in trying to pretend otherwise."

"Well, I think you guys will be okay, if that means anything to you," he said with a comforting smile.

"Thank you," I replied, grateful for his words and his friendship.

"You'll be fine, Hinamori! You've faced worse battles than a long distance relationship," Kukai interjected with a grin.

I felt my face heat at his encouragement. I wanted to fervently deny his allegation of it being a long distance relationship, but it was hard when it fit in the mold of one. I crossed my arms in silent opposition and turned away from him. I glanced across the room at Ikuto and met his gaze. He was staring back at me with a raised eyebrow, clearly interested in what kind of conversation we were having. I straightened my shoulders and stuck my tongue out at him in response. That earned me a crooked smile that made my heart ache, knowing I wouldn't be seeing it as often after tomorrow.

Eventually individuals chatter died down and all eyes and ears fell to Aruto as he told more of his wild stories. It was tough to get a word in with him, partially due to the fact that he hardly ever took a breath, but also because the way he spoke was so captivating it made it difficult to want to stop him.

Eventually I found my moment and I seized it. "All this talk of of the places you have been, but I still have no idea where you two are actually going, come tomorrow," I asked.

Aruto looked equally as excited to talk about his future endeavours as his past ones. "Of course! I'm sorry, you missed our earlier conversation about it. Starting tomorrow, we will be leaving for Shanghai to meet with the rest of the ensemble and begin our tour. We'll be wandering around China for a week or so playing at various venues. After that we fly to Russia for nearly two weeks, then we head west for our journey through Europe. We'll be traveling by train a lot while we're there, so I'm not positive how long our stay will be exactly, but I know we have quite a few shows booked throughout. We usually add more appearances along the way, so even I don't know where we might be heading after that! A woman in the ensemble, her name is Vita, is usually the one who is in charge of bookings so she knows more than I do," he explained with enthusiasm that only a true adventurer would have.

I forced myself to smile as he went on about it. As exciting a trip it sounded, it also seemed like they would be gone for a long, indefinite time. "Looks like it's going to be quite the journey," I replied, unable to be anymore enthusiastic than that. Thankfully, a timer from the kitchen interrupted any further discussion of the matter.

"Would you all mind moving this affair outside? The weather tonight is just lovely," Souka inquired to everyone. There were no disagreements, so after we gathered in the kitchen and filled our plates up with various veggies, rice, and baked fish, we filed outside onto the patio and took seats on scattered chairs and the decking.

"Wow, what a beautiful sunset," my mom commented as we settled down. "If only your father was here to take pictures," she said jokingly, but I was not amused.

"You should have brought your whole family! We are always happy to accommodate more guests," Souka offered.

I nearly choked on my drink. I think I would rather die than have my dad and Ami running around their house.

"Perhaps next time Amu will invite them along," my mom said, looking at me curiously.

I carefully sipped my drink. "Perhaps not," I replied, which made a few of them chuckle. The adults returned to their casual conversation and I turned my attention to the sun that was just setting beyond the horizon. This would be the last one I'd see with Ikuto for a long time.

"Oh, stop being so gloomy. It won't feel like that long at all," Utau remarked beside me.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "I'm not being gloomy," I protested unconvincingly.

Utau scoffed. "So you're just staring wistfully into the sunset for fun?"

I glared at her but ignored her comment, instead striking up another conversation with Tadase to avoid the topic she was trying to bring up. "Are you ready for the new school year, Tadase? It's coming up pretty soon."

"I don't know if I'm necessarily ready for it, but I'm certainly excited to see how different middle school will be," Tadase said.

Kukai waved off Tadase's words. "It's really not that much different from elementary school. Classes just get harder and everyone's taller than you," he complained a little too specifically.

"I'll take it you aren't the tallest in your grade anymore?" I inquired, deducing the answer based on his expression already.

Utau gave him a gentle pat on the back. "He's only the second tallest on his soccer team now, it's keeping him up at night."

Kukai straightened and shook out his hair. "I'll catch up to that string bean, Kaito! He only has four centimeters on me and all my brothers didn't get their second growth spurt until they were well into ninth grade," Kukai fumed, making the rest of us laugh at his superficial feud.

"I'm a little worried about not having classes with anyone I know," Tadase chimed in to steer Kukai away from that tangent.

"Oh you have nothing to worry about, little king. You're going to be just as popular with the ladies in middle school as you were at our school," Kukai said, ruffling Tadase's hair affectionately.

I saw Tadase's eye twitch at the mention of 'little king' before he struggled to get away from Kukai, doing his best to put his fine blonde hairs back into place. "I said I wanted friends, not fans," he clarified.

"I'm sure we'll have at least one class together, and with Rima and Nagihiko, too," I said. Their new school was bigger than Seiyo, but only by a few classes. "I think one of the weirdest changes is going to be not being a guardian," I pointed out. Kukai had been living that reality for the last year and I wondered how he had adjusted to it.

"Less responsibility for the population of the school and sometimes the city was actually a breath of fresh air, believe it or not," Kukai said, leaning back into his chair. "And I still got to be a part of the action while not hanging around for boring meetings after school, so definitely no complaints there. If you still want to be a part of the whole meetings business you could always join student council."

"I'm glad to know you were so enriched by our meetings," Tadase grumbled at Kukai, who in turn gave him an apologetic grin.

"Your after school guardian sessions could be a little dry," a new voice added from behind me. I looked to my left and saw Ikuto taking a seat on the deck next to our group.

Tadase scowled at him. "How would you know? You were never invited to any of them."

Ikuto chucked at that. "Just because you never offered me an invitation doesn't mean I never showed up."

Tadase narrowed his eyes at him. "I'll be able to rest easy knowing I won't have to worry about you prowling around our after school activities for a while," Tadase replied with friendly hostility.

Ikuto clutched his chest like he'd been stabbed. "You wound me, prince."

Tadase was gripping his fork like he was actually considering stabbing Ikuto this time. Kukai and I made eye contact and the two of us burst into laughter which broke the growing tension.

"You're gonna have to find a new older student to harass you while Ikuto is out of commision," Kukai teased, making Tadase blush angrily.

"I'm sure I can maintain that position even while I'm away," Ikuto said with confidence, making everyone but Tadase laugh more.

We all sat outside until the sky was dark and freckled with stars, laughter and voices echoing around the backyard the entire while. Even though this was technically a going away party, the energy was surprisingly upbeat, and I was thankful for that. It was hard to feel sad when everyone around you was wearing a smile.

"I'm going to start taking in some of these dishes, I know I'll be too tired to bring them in later tonight," Souka eventually said, standing up to collect flatware and utensils. Both Ikuto and my mom rose to help her. After gathering everything, the three of them disappeared into the kitchen together, leaving the rest of us to our own devices. I attempted to rejoin the conversation going on around me, but the thought of my mom alone with Ikuto and his mom was making my imagination run wild.

"I'm going to step inside for a moment," I said softly to Tadase. He nodded in understanding while Utau stared skeptically at me. I decisively ignored her.

When I walked into the kitchen I found Ikuto and his mother working away at the large pile of dishes they'd brought inside. I was surprised but relieved to see no sign of my mom.

"Amu-chan, did you need something?" Souka asked.

I realized I had followed the three of them inside but never thought to come up with an excuse as to why. "Oh, I just… needed to use the restroom," I explained.

"Your mother actually just went, but we have one upstairs, as well. It's the door just past Ikuto's room," she explained.

My attention fixated on those two words. Ikuto's room? I've never actually seen it, come to think of it. The thought of seeing what Ikuto's living space looked like sent a thrill of excitement through me, but the risk of getting caught in the act would be too much to bear. But it would also be my last chance to catch a glimpse for some time. I was torn.

Souka must have taken my inner turmoil for confusion regarding the layout of the house. "I'm sorry, you haven't really seen the rest of the house have you? Ikuto, would you mind showing her where it is?" she requested with a smile, but something in here eyes had me thinking this was a plot to get Ikuto and I some alone time together. Apparently deceit and scheming ran in the family.

"Not at all," Ikuto said, drying his hands. "Follow me," he said as he hopped up the stairs.

I followed him up as quickly as I could. "I'm sure I could have found it myself," I protested.

Ikuto stopped once he reached the top. "I'm sure you could have, but I couldn't have you snooping around my room unsupervised," he said with a wink.

I crossed my arms at him. "I meant the bathroom."

Ikuto merely laughed. "It's down the hall right over there," he pointed to an ajar door on the left.

I rolled my eyes and started walking towards the bathroom but my eyes lingered on the first door to the left. I'd regret not asking more than I'd regret embarrassing myself, right? With that decision made I gradually came to a stop. "You know, you've been in my room on several occasions, generally uninvited I might add. It seems only fair that I should be able to see what yours looks like," I said matter of factly to cover up my burning curiosity.

He looked amused at my objective deductions. "Makes sense to me," he replied, walking towards the door to his left and pushing it open. I gazed at the threshold with brief hesitation before I sauntered over and peered inside. It looked just about how I expected it would. It was a simple room with a large bed and a matching wardrobe and desk along with it. There was a tall shelf filled with a surprising number of books and trinkets on the wall opposite the bed. The window was open and the curtains were swaying gently in the night breeze and I had to smother a smile as I pictured Ikuto climbing in and out of it to reach the roof. The item that caught my eye most was a large suitcase laid open at the foot of his bed. It was the only space in the room that wasn't in order. Half of the clothes in it were neatly folded and the other were strewn about the edges and surrounding floor. Next to it was a tall stack of papers and his violin case. Seeing it suddenly made this feel all too real and I had to swallow as my throat tightened.

"I see you haven't finished packing," I said in an attempt to cover up the sadness growing in my heart.

I was sure Ikuto could see right through me, but he played along. "I don't leave until the afternoon, I still have a bit of time," he remarked with the same melancholy coated humor.

"Are you excited?"

"Of course, my previous trip with my father was a great learning experience, and I know he still has plenty to teach me."

"You could probably teach him a thing or two as well," I replied, recalling how Aruto had raved about Ikuto's talent not long ago.

Ikuto nodded, picking a pen up off his desk and spinning it in between his fingers. "But I'm sad, too," he continued a moment later. "It's not easy leaving all of this behind," he gestured around his room, and I knew he meant his whole life here. "Especially you," he added, and I felt my face warm despite the sadness in his tone.

I swallowed thickly. "Well, that part isn't fun for anyone," I replied.

Ikuto tossed the pen into the air. "And you're starting at a new school soon," he said, catching the pen with ease. "So many big changes," he launched it into the air and caught it with the opposite hand. "New teachers, new friends…" He twirled the pen in between his fingers before replacing it on the desk. "Wonder if you fall for someone else while I'm halfway around the world?" He said jokingly, but his eyes betrayed a more serious concern.

I flustered more at his words. He was really outright implying that I had fallen for him. Was he right? Absolutely. But I wasn't about to admit it. Well, I was trying to tell him that, actually, but I wanted it to be on my terms, not his.

I scoffed at him. "Please," I started, but then I didn't know where to go from there. There aren't going to be any guys there who are half as good as you? None of them would be able to keep my attention the way you do? You have nothing to worry about because I only have eyes for one person and they are standing five feet away from me? "Like you said, I'm starting a new school, I have more important things to worry about," I said feebly, wanting to bash my head against the wall for not telling him how I felt when he was setting me up for it. "Anyways, I could share the same concerns, what with you traveling all over the place and meeting all sorts of people," I stammered. My cheeks burned but I knew this would be the only opportunity I'd get to ask about this matter in person.

"Hm? You're worried I'll get whisked away by some foreigner?" He inquired, taking a few steps closer to me. I didn't know how to answer that exactly, but luckily I didn't have to. "You already know that I promised I'd always come back for you. It's a promise I intend to keep," he reminded me. He had made the vow shortly before Nikaido and Sanjo's wedding and even sealed the deal with a kiss on my nose. I absentmindedly scratched my nose at the memory, and I thought I saw him grin at that.

"Well, a lot can change, so I can't help but worry about that sort of thing," I mumbled.

"Did you want me to make you another promise? Although I'm running out of places on your face to kiss that aren't your–

"No!" I cut him off before he could utter that last part.

"Then you believe me?"

"Yes, yes," I believed him, it was just hard to convince my anxiety which seemed to be its own separate being. I folded my arms, feeling more exposed and vulnerable than ever. If I didn't tell Ikuto about my feelings now, my only other opportunity would be at the airport with everyone there to listen, which definitely wasn't an option. I wanted to close the door to deter meddling ears down stairs, but that would only make matters worse, and once I closed it there would be no backing out. And we had been gone for so long already, I was starting to get cold feet.

"What is it? You look like you have something to say," Ikuto commented after my prolonged silence.

I tapped my fingers against my arm. I wished we weren't just standing around, I felt like this would have been easier if we were sitting. I didn't trust my legs to carry me through this conversation without collapsing. I grumbled something intelligible even to myself as I tried to figure out where to start with something like this. "So…" I started, but the words died in my throat. Confessions were not my forté.

"Should I sit down? It seems like we may be here for a while," Ikuto asked, flipping his desk chair and taking a seat.

I frowned at him. "I'm just thinking!"

"About?"

I pursed my lips and decided to take his bait. "You," I said, almost impressed with how certain I sounded. Ikuto obviously was, too, because his expression softened. That look in his eyes made my legs feel unsteady and I carefully made my way over to his bed and sat on the edge, only briefly thinking about that fact that Ikuto had slept there. "Well, not just you, of course. Also me. And then you again. But primarily me, I think," I said, making myself dizzy as I talked in circles. To Ikuto's credit, he waited patiently for me while I attempted to sort out my thoughts. I ruffled my hair in frustration. In my mind I wanted to just spit the words out but it was like they were getting lost in translation between the time it took for them to travel from my head to my lips. It wasn't like I had to worry about being rejected or anything, so why was this so difficult?

"I've been doing a lot of thinking recently," I started again.

"I can see that."

I glared at him but he merely leaned into his chair. I cursed his ability appear so relaxed during a discussion like this. "A-as I am now, obviously I'm… I'm still working on figuring myself out, and who I want to be and what I want to do," I took a shaky breath to try and quell my racing heart. Ikuto still looked mildly entertained which both angered and flustered me all at once. If I could just wipe the smirk off of his face, this would be worth it.

I used that as motivation to continue. "But even with all those uncertainties, if I am confident in one thing right now, it's, well," I trailed off again, the pressure of Ikuto's scrutiny making it feel impossible to get those final thoughts out. I glowered at my hands that were tightly interlocked in my lap.

"You don't have to force yourself to say anything, Amu," he assured me, rising from his seat and closing the distance between us in two long strides. He collapsed onto the bed a mere few inches away and I had to struggle to keep myself from topping over with the added weight. "But I do appreciate the effort you put into it," he said, resting a hand on the top of my head, his tone both amused and genuine. I pouted in irritation and shook his hand off. This wasn't the sort of send off I wanted at all. If I didn't say anything concrete, what would have changed?

"We can go back downstairs now, since I'm assuming you only came inside to check that your mother wasn't getting into any trouble," he said as he stood. I was too irked with myself to come up with a response. I rose and followed him to the door feeling defeated. My mother's and Souka's laughter drifted up the stairs and brought me back to reality, reminding me that this would likely be the last chance I had if I really wanted to get something off my chest. And if I said it, I'd have to keep my voice especially low. I wrung my hands so tightly it hurt.

"Ikuto…" I said so quietly I wasn't sure if he would hear me. He stopped in the hallway and turned back to me. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. "I'm not certain about what the future holds, or even what I want it to hold for me," I started, finally finding the words that felt right. "But I do know that I want you in mine," I said softly but with conviction. My heart was racing but I felt an incredible weight slide off my shoulders saying what I felt out loud. I willed myself to spare a glance at Ikuto knowing I'd soon be lacking for those come tomorrow. He looked a bit stunned by my confession of sorts, but more than that, he looked happy.

"I have every intention of being there," he said, his timbre matching the honest look on his face.

He went downstairs without me, but I didn't feel alone at all, and I was grateful for the time to collect myself. I brought a hand to my chest and took a few deep breaths to slow my heart. I had done it, I wasn't sure how, but I managed to find the words and summoned the courage to speak them aloud. I was beyond relieved. Ikuto's reassurance, though concise, had lifted my anxiety substantially. There was still so much uncertainty, but at the very least I knew I had him to rely on as a constant. And that meant more to me than anything else. No matter what happened, he would be there for me and I trusted his word on that.

I waited a few minutes before going downstairs, doing my best to conceal the emotional rollercoaster I had just been on from my face. It looked like everyone was slowly starting to make their way inside and the new additions to the kitchen saved me from any interrogation I would have otherwise gotten from my mother or Souka. Ikuto was talking with Tadase and his father, so I gravitated towards Utau who was currently sipping from a cup of tea. Kukai was talking to someone on the phone beside her.

"So, did you get out everything that you needed to say?" She said with a level gaze over the rim of her cup.

My face heated at her casual remark that Kukai had no doubt heard based on the look he shot at me. I did my best to ignore him because the last thing I wanted to do was make a scene in front of the whole party.

"I don't know if that's any of your business," I challenged. Her expression stayed the same but the look in her eyes had me worried she was going to make a scene out of me I didn't do it myself. "But yes, I did, thanks," I gruffed, folding my arms tightly.

"Ha! I knew you could do it," Kukai enthused with a thumbs up before returning to his private conversation, a luxury I could only ever dream about.

Utau gave me a knowing smirk. "It's about time you said it, you made him wait long enough to hear it."

I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly do you think I told him?" I asked, lowering my voice in hopes that she would match it.

Thankfully she did. "Three words that you've been dancing around for a while now."

My mind swirled at the thought. "I-I didn't say that!" I reddened in horror at the thought of how that would have gone. "Just, something along the lines of it. I'm not ready for that sort of confession," I told her, my heart hammering all over again.

Utau merely shrugged. "Even if it's true?"

I opened my mouth, not yet decided if I was going to shoot her down or agree with her. I pressed my lips together. "Like I said, it's none of your business," I said gruffly.

She gave me a curt eye roll. "Are you coming to the airport tomorrow to see them off?"

Hearing her say it out loud made my stomach flip. Time was suddenly moving far faster than I wanted. "Of course," I replied.

"That's good, he'd be sad if you didn't. Aruto was worried you might not even show up today after everything that happened," Utau explained.

I sighed at that. The last few days have felt more like weeks with the emotional toll they've taken. "I doubt there's much he could do to keep me away for long," I confessed, careful to keep my voice low and my lips unreadable under Ikuto's curious stare from the far side of the kitchen.

Utau laughed at my comment. "That's good to hear, because I'm sure it won't be the last time his childish behavior tests your patience."

I shook my head. "He wouldn't be Ikuto if he didn't."

After another twenty minutes of idle chatter, people slowly began to say their goodbyes. Tadase's family parted ways with Ikuto's in a round of hugs and watering eyes.

"I wish we could see you off tomorrow," Tadase's father expressed sadly as he wrapped Aruto in an embrace.

"No need for regrets, I don't expect you to alter your plans for me all the time," Aruto said with a lighthearted grin that didn't match well the sorrow in his eyes. "Be sure to get my wife out of the house every now and then, will you? My dear Souka always has such trouble making plans when I'm not here to arrange them," he added, giving her a quick wink.

"We aren't all the socialite you are, my love," she said with equal wit, which made him laugh.

"I won't let her be lonely for too long," my mom chimed in, just as I feared she would. She gave Aruto a hug goodbye, and then wrapped Souka in a hug that would have one guess she was the one leaving instead of her husband.

"I appreciate that, Midori. You family has truly been a blessing on my own," he disclosed wholeheartedly, turning to face me. "Amu, I expect I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

I wanted to say something like 'I should be there' or 'If I can make it', but I knew they'd all see through that outright lie. I'd be at the airport even if I found out the world was ending. "I'll be there."

"Good," he said with a smile, and then returned to the rest of the group to wrap up their parting of ways.

"So you'll be there tomorrow? You won't get lost like last time?" Ikuto said, pulling me aside from the rest of the conversations.

"Of course I will be. As if I'd have anything more important to do," I replied.

Ikuto tilted his head. "I can't tell if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult," he teased.

"Perhaps I'll find something else to do if that's how you're going to be," I threatened.

The look that appeared in his eyes alerted me that I had just dug myself down some sort of hole. "Hm, well if you do that, then I'd have to say my goodbyes here," he explained, leaning in closer so that only I could hear. "In front of all these people. Did you want such a large audience for that?"

I felt my face go a deeper shade of red than it had all night. "I-I already said I would be there!" I stuttered out despite knowing he was riling me up, but the images that whirled through my mind made me too flustered to think straight. He cackled loudly at my response, drawing the attention of the remaining guests.

"Come on, Ikuto. Say goodbye to the people who won't see you tomorrow. Give poor Amu-chan a break," Souka chided, only furthering my embarrassment.

What was he going to do tomorrow?! I already knew I would have trouble sleeping tonight, but that really set it in stone.

"Come along, Amu-chan, it's getting late. I'm sure your father and Ami are waiting up for us," my mother said, saving me from any further harassment.

I said my farewells to those I wouldn't see tomorrow and we made our way home. Even though my thoughts were a mess of apprehension and heartache, every time I thought about how I managed to get my feelings across to Ikuto, I felt overjoyed. Then I remembered I wouldn't be seeing him again for who knows how long and it felt like my heart was being gutted. All this back and forth of emotion was no doubt taking a toll on my brain. If this was what real, true love felt like, I was starting to understand why people got so worked up over it.

"Are you going to be okay, Amu? You're being awfully quiet," my mom said as we approached the house.

I tried to shake all the thoughts boggling up my head so I could respond properly. "I'm as okay as I can be, given the situation." I said, and then quickly thought to add, "Thank you for being so understanding about all of this. It means a lot to me." I hoped that would encompass everything from driving me back and forth to listening to me ramble about my complicated relationship with a high schooler, and so on.

My mom glanced over at me and smiled. "Of course." Apparently she got enough that it didn't need any more saying.

When we got inside I was unsurprised to see my dad mindlessly watching whatever was on the TV. He spared us a fleeting look when we walked through the door. "How was your party?"

"Ikuto has a lovely family. I hope you and Ami will be able to join us next time they are all in town," she said.

He pouted in response. "So this is going to become a regular thing?"

My mom frowned and lightly slapped him on the top of the head. "Yes, but you're only invited if you promise you'll behave. Amu's growing up, you can't keep treating her like a baby."

He looked like he wanted to argue against that, but he kept his mouth shut other than letting out a mumbled "Okay."

"Thank you for watching Ami-chan while we went out," I threw in as I took my shoes off, hoping the appreciation would lighten his mood a bit.

He nodded and skulked farther into the couch, which earned him another glance across the head, and with that I took my leave upstairs.

The night had been so hectic that I wouldn't have even noticed if Ran, Miki, Suu, and Dia had been left behind. Thankfully they had found their way back with me even with the chaos.

"So how did it go?" Suu asked with excitement once we were safely in my room.

"It was fine," I said. I was reluctant to elaborate, but the four of them had been nowhere to be seen when I was talking to Ikuto, so I was feeling gracious. "I told him that even with all the confusion I feel towards my future, I wanted him in it. He seemed happy to hear that, so I think it went well–

"Aw, Amu-chan!" My mom burst through the door and I jumped back in shock.

"M-mom, you were listening?" I asked, concerned that she heard what I had been talking about and that she might question who I was talking to alone in my room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your phone call, I just happened to be walking by and couldn't help but listen in," she said, looking falsely abashed. "I'm so proud of you for being able to be honest with Ikuto-kun," she said, wrapping me in a tight hug. "I'm sure he appreciated it more than you know."

"Mom!" I struggled against her weight, my face feeling far too warm against her chest. "You can't just eavesdrop on my conversations," I huffed, finally managing to put some distance between us.

"I was going to ask you about it myself anyways, but since you were already telling someone else I figured I'd save you the hassle of repeating yourself," she explained with an innocent expression that I wasn't buying.

"Hmph," I crossed my arms and turned away from her. "Well, now you know how it went. Can I please be alone now?" I requested.

"Yes, yes, of course. I'll try not to do it again," she said, which wasn't comforting at all. "Sleep well, my dear. You're going to have a long day tomorrow," she said with a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you, thank you, good night!" I replied, practically shoving her out of my room. I made certain to lock my door this time.

"That was a close one," Miki pointed out.

"It's a good thing she assumed you were on the phone and not talking to yourself," Dia added. In some respects, my mom was very attentive. Other times, not so much.

I dropped onto my bed with a sigh. "Yeah, that would have been just what I needed," I complained, rolling over and staring at the wall. Without the bustle of people to keep me distracted, the weight of tomorrow was beginning to close in tighter than ever before. I felt empty enough just thinking about Ikuto leaving, I couldn't imagine how much worse it was going to feel once he was actually gone.

"Amu-chan," Ran peaked over my shoulder with a worried look in her eyes.

I reached over and patted her gently on the head. "I'll be okay, I just want to try and get some sleep before tomorrow. Can you turn off the light?"

Ran was still frowning but flew off and a moment later the room was dark. I shifted myself underneath the covers and laid there with my eyes open. I wonder what Ikuto's doing right now. Did he finish packing? What was he thinking about? Was he going to be up half the night worrying like I was? I shook my head. If I started going down that rabbit hole, I definitely wouldn't be getting any sleep. I rolled around and grabbed my music player and my headphones from my nightstand and shoved the buds in my ears. I couldn't shut my thoughts out on my own, but maybe if I drowned them out with music, I might actually have a chance at falling asleep at a reasonable time.

I shut my eyes tight and did my best to lose myself in the songs. I tossed and turned for a long while but eventually drifted off, my last thought wondering if Ikuto would ever have his music recorded so that I could listen to it while I fell asleep.

YAYYY I wanna say the next chapter will be out sooner than this one but I also don't want to lie to you all T_T the next chapter is wrapping up this arc though so maybe I'll get it done sooner than I expect! I hope you guys enjoyed this one c: I love watching Amu grow up hehe

I know I used the same words over and over again I like these characters to smile and look at each other a lot pls forgive me being too lazy to thesaurus all of them.

Also, big news and possibly sad news on that note. So while I have plenty of plot left for this story… It's kind of like a part two, so to say. I could have the next chapter be the last one buuuut it wouldn't feel right, but it would be an ending of sorts. I'm just so worried that I won't have time to ever finish this story how I want to :( So I might post a separate document with the basic outline of how the rest of the story was to go, just so I don't leave you hanging. If you'd rather be a patient bunch and wait for me to publish it over time though, let me know! I'm here to please you guys :) Maybe I'll create a deadline for myself and if I don't stick to it I'll post the outline of what would have happened. Thanks see you again soon!