Shizuku had thought about marriage before.
She wasn't naive. Not the type of girl who floated through life without a clue. She just... had her moments. Times when she drifted off, spaced out, let her thoughts run away from her.
In those quiet moments, she sometimes imagined marrying Germain.
It wasn't frequent, and it wasn't dramatic. Just fleeting thoughts.
While reading.
While eating.
While soaking in the bath.
Even in dreams.
But the dreams were always distant, surreal. She never lived them — she watched them, like a stranger peering into someone else's life.
From somewhere outside herself, she'd see Germain kneeling down, holding a ring out to someone who looked just like her.
And every time she tried to step forward, to take her place in that scene, something stopped her.
An invisible wall.
It was like the air had turned solid, barring her path.
She couldn't reach them.
Couldn't move closer.
She could only watch.
And even if she could get there — it wouldn't matter.
Because that's where it always ended.
The moment Germain said, "Will you marry me?"
The dream would shatter like broken glass.
She'd never experienced a proposal in real life, and no amount of romance novels or movies could teach her how to imagine what came next.
But now…
Now that invisible wall was gone.
And the story hadn't stopped.
It was still unfolding, breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat.
Shizuku stood frozen, unsure what to do with her hands, her thoughts, her emotions.
She instinctively raised her conjured "Blinky," holding it like a lifeline as she stared at the open box Germain held before her.
Inside, nestled in black velvet, were two shimmering rings — Greedy Dragon Crystal Rings.
They were stunning.
She had always thought the Dragon Crystals were pretty.
But only now did she understand what Bisky had meant when she raved about them.
Now, those rings were more than jewelry.
They were symbols.
They carried meaning. A value that went beyond their material worth — one that resonated with something deep inside her.
"Blinky" slipped from her fingers and faded into particles of Nen before it could touch the ground.
Her wide eyes blinked once.
Then, in a voice smaller than usual, she asked, "Th-this... is this for me?"
Germain stayed in place, one knee on the ground, gaze steady and unwavering.
"Yes," he said.
"If you're willing."
After a long silence, Shizuku slowly let out a warm breath, which turned to mist in the cold air.
She reached out her dominant left hand, letting it pass through the fog—then suddenly pulled it back.
Germain looked at her in surprise, unsure of what she meant by the gesture.
"This hand?" she asked, giving her left hand a little shake. "Or this one?" She shook her right hand.
Germain couldn't help but laugh.
He stood up, walked to Shizuku's side, and gently took her left hand.
He slipped one of the Greedy Dragon Crystal rings onto her ring finger.
Which finger it went on didn't really matter.
Traditionally, people propose with the ring on the left ring finger—mostly because many are right-handed.
But Shizuku was different. Her dominant hand was her left, so in that sense, the right hand might've made more sense.
Still, like he thought—it didn't matter. The hand, the finger… it was just a symbol. A quiet understanding between the two.
Proposals were never really surprise attacks.
They happened when both people had already said yes in their hearts. It was just a matter of timing.
A surprise… a surprise should bring joy after the shock. Not leave the person awkward and unsure, forcing a painful rejection that hurt both sides.
By all accounts, Germain's proposal should've been a sure thing.
Even if he'd used a soda tab as a ring, it still would've worked.
And yet—this same Germain who had faced the Chimera Ant King, disasters, legends, and demigods without flinching—now found himself nervous and uneasy.
Because no matter what, there was always a chance.
Shizuku might say no.
Even if that chance was incredibly small.
He fought hard to resist the urge to listen in on her "inner voice."
So when Germain finally placed the Greedy Dragon Crystal ring on her finger—and then slid the other one onto his own—it felt like everything finally fell into place.
Like it was meant to be.
"I'm willing."
Shizuku rubbed the ring for a while before quietly adding.
"I know."
Germain smiled, then took Shizuku's left hand gently and pulled it to his own left side, letting the two Greedy Dragon Crystals on the rings touch each other.
The flames inside the two Greedy Dragon Crystals flickered, and surprisingly began to flow and burn.
The red glow instantly made the entire dining hall look stunningly beautiful.
Shizuku's eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses widened in surprise.
Germain explained softly, "These two rings are made with 'Greedy Dragon Crystal' and 'Promise Ruby.'"
Shizuku knew the first material well, but the second was a little unfamiliar.
She seemed to have heard about it somewhere, but couldn't remember the details.
Germain noticed the confusion in her eyes and said, "'Promise Ruby' is a pair of gems that glow red when they are close together."
"Ah!" Shizuku finally remembered, "That's the gem Bisky stole from you."
"She bought it from the black market. The one who stole the gem was me."
"Oh, I see now."
Suddenly, from the dim red glow came a female voice with a hint of crying, "What do you know!"
Germain and Shizuku's rings separated, and the glow vanished.
The dining hall lights came back on, and a group of people flowed in from the entrance.
Leading them was Bisky, holding her princess dress in one hand and wiping tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
She hurried over, sobbing a little, then grabbed Shizuku's hand and gently shook it.
"Bisky? You, you're all here?"
"Of course we're here! Do you know? We were so worried about being found by your 'En' that we had to squeeze into the monitoring room and watch from the cameras."
"You didn't speak the whole time, so I thought the microphone was broken. And you were holding the 'Blinky' like you wanted to hit Germain on the head with it. I was about to jump up in panic."
"Fortunately, fortunately, everyone is happy... Congratulations, Shizuku. Pretty, isn't it? This ring is made from the 'Greedy Dragon Crystal,' the most beautiful piece I carefully selected."
Behind Bisky came other members of the Hunter Association, all acquaintances of both Germain and Shizuku, who came to congratulate the couple.
In no time, the once quiet and cold dining hall became lively and bustling.
Killua, Gon, and Leorio, who loved to mess around, even set off handheld fireworks, making several popping sounds.
Ging truly lived up to expectations. Not even a week had passed before he left Gon behind, claiming it was to help Gon grow better.
However, this did benefit Gon, allowing him to be freer and happier with peers, just like now.
As for Killua, he met Illumi every day, but their relationship remained lukewarm.
Still, the strange Illumi unilaterally believed that the brothers' bond was very good, leaving many speechless.
In short, the arrival of young people like Gon, Killua, and Leorio indeed injected cheerful youthful energy into the coastal fortress.
They handed another firework to Kurapika.
Kurapika didn't want to play with the fireworks at first, but overwhelmed by their chatter—and because it was a big event for their teacher—he fired one at the ceiling and then smiled.
At that moment, Chairman Netero pulled Germain aside and quietly asked, "So, since the proposal went smoothly as expected, when do you plan to get married?"
"I'll discuss it with Shizuku first. No rush."
"I know, I know... but you must have some initial idea, right?"
Germain looked at Shizuku's flushed cheeks and said, "There is an idea, but it's a bit far off... August 6, 2000."
"Oh ho ho... a little over three months from now? That's not too long. You should prepare for the wedding arrangements and get mentally ready."
"Mm."
"But I want to ask, why this date? Does it have any special meaning?"
"I checked the calendar. In the country that created Journey to the West on the Six Continents, this day is called the 'Qixi Festival.'"
Hearing this, Chairman Netero understood. His knowledge was wide enough not to be unaware of the meaning of Qixi Festival.
He laughed heartily and said, "Alright, this day sounds good. If both sides agree, then let's choose this date."
*******
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