The exam had reached its conclusion, and the student body had returned to the sanctuary of the school.
Ryunosuke invited Kushida to meet him at a secluded park bench. Even now, he refused to drop his chuunibyou persona; he was clad in a sharp black suit paired with a matching fedora, looking every bit like a high-ranking mafia don. In his hand, he clutched a bouquet of brilliant, fiery red flowers—a silent testament to the fact that he finally understood the girl's heart.
A gentle breeze caressed Kushida's cheeks, catching her golden-blonde hair. Her face flushed a deep crimson, and with a shy, hesitant tone, she whispered, "Thank you for saving me~"
It was all she could manage. Though she was a master at navigating the complexities of others, she was utterly lost when it came to her own feelings. The memory of Ryunosuke fighting so fiercely for her sake sent her heart into a frantic gallop.
(How does this man look so handsome when he's fighting? Why didn't I notice it sooner?)
Kushida had made up her mind. Even if she was destined to be just one of many women in Ryunosuke's life, she was willing. As a walking vault of information, she knew exactly how many women orbited him. But she couldn't help it; she had fallen head-first into the trap named Akasaka Ryunosuke.
Ryunosuke didn't waste time. With the gravity of a character straight out of Reborn!, he shifted his arm from the back of the bench and offered the bouquet with startling directness. "Be my woman, Kushida. I'll give you everything you desire—even the world itself."
Kushida felt her strength leave her. She knew he was deep in his delusions again. She wanted to tell him to be serious, but a part of her craved this exact kind of romantic fantasy. With a soft sigh, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace.
"Woman, I am going to kiss you now. If you move, it means you reject me. But if you don't... then no matter where you run, I will never let you go."
Kushida's heart hammered against her ribs, but she didn't turn away. Their lips met in a brief, yet profoundly meaningful kiss.
Ryunosuke tightened his grip around her waist. "I'm not letting go from now on. Brace yourself."
Kushida stroked his cheek and replied softly, "I'm in your hands... boyfriend."
Ryunosuke offered one final, honest reminder. "I have to be clear from the start—I'm a total scoundrel. Before you, there are thirteen others."
Kushida looked at him calmly and gave a genuine, radiant smile. "I'm willing to be betrayed by you, because I love you."
Under the fading light of the sunset, their shadows slowly merged, fingers interlaced.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
10 Years Later...
In a three-story apartment lived the Kushida family.
At the dining table, a small child who looked remarkably like her mother was eating greedily. This was their seven-year-old daughter, Kushida Tsubaki. However, the atmosphere between mother and daughter was bizarre; they glared at each other with a coldness that suggested they weren't even related.
Tsubaki toyed with her fork, twirling her spaghetti with a look of pure dissatisfaction. "Hey, old lady, can't you cook anything besides spaghetti? This tastes pathetic..."
*SLAM!*
Kushida stabbed her fork into the table, her gaze turning to ice. "If you don't want to eat, throw it away! Don't expect me to indulge your bratty attitude!"
Tsubaki snorted dismissively, but she clamped her mouth shut the second she heard the sound of Ryunosuke returning home.
"Welcome home, Papa!"
"Welcome home, Darling!"
Both of them sprinted toward the door. Being small, Tsubaki could only cling to her father's leg. However, Kushida ruthlessly kicked her own daughter aside to monopolize her husband's embrace. Tsubaki rolled like a ball for five meters across the floor.
Tsubaki scrambled up, fuming. "You damn old hag! That's too much! You're actually competing with me for Papa?!"
Kushida, snuggling into her husband's chest, stuck her tongue out provocatively. "Ha? A little brat like you thinks you can compete with me for my husband? Go away, shorty!"
Tsubaki let out an angry growl, her hands forming claws as she lunged like a hungry tiger to bite her mother. Unfortunately, Kushida simply held her back by the forehead with one hand. Since Tsubaki was so short—not even reaching her mother's waist—her arms just flailed uselessly in the air.
Ryunosuke sighed. With one arm, he pulled his wife close to stop her from teasing the child, and with the other, he scooped up Tsubaki to calm her down. "Alright, stop fighting, okay? Today, Papa is taking you both out for the whole day."
During their walk, Kushida and Tsubaki let Ryunosuke lead the way.
Behind his back, the war continued in silence. Kushida snatched Tsubaki up like a stray chick and delivered a series of swats to her bottom.
"Still think you can steal my man? Don't think that just because I gave birth to you, I'm afraid to hit you!"
Tsubaki burst into tears, causing Ryunosuke to spin around and immediately take his daughter into his arms to shield her.
From the safety of her father's embrace, Tsubaki poked her tongue out at her mother, her eyes saying: See? Papa loves me more than you!
A vein throbbed in Kushida's temple. She seriously wondered what kind of creature she had brought into this world.
The small family eventually reached a church that was rumored to have an incredibly accurate fortune teller. Tsubaki enthusiastically approached an old woman holding a crystal ball.
"Granny, when are my parents going to get a divorce?!" Tsubaki asked with sparkling eyes. "So that Papa's love can belong only to me!"
Ryunosuke took a deep breath, glancing at his wife with genuine fear. He thought to himself: Kid, when your Mom spanks you again later, Papa can't help you...
Kushida stood behind them, trembling with suppressed rage. "I should have just stuffed this kid back inside... I'm done with her..."