Soft morning light filtered through the thin shoji panels, painting golden lines across the tatami floor.
Hina stirred first. Her body ached in the sweetest and most unfamiliar ways. Muscles she'd never paid attention to hummed with remembered heat, and the press of Yuto's arm draped across her waist grounded her in the present.
She blinked up at the wooden ceiling.
So this is what it felt like.
To love. To give. To lose yourself in someone, only to find a deeper version of yourself waiting on the other side.
Beside her, Yuto shifted, eyes fluttering open. His hair was messier than usual, his voice still husky with sleep.
"Morning," he murmured.
She flushed immediately, remembering the sound he made the moment she gave in and the low, breathless way his voice broke when pleasure overtook him. The way his brows knit together, his grip on her tightened, the soft rasp of her name from his throat.
He had always been so calm, so composed.
But last night, she saw something else. The part of him he'd always held back and he held back for her. For so long.
"You're staring," he said, teasing.
"I'm thinking," she murmured, lips brushing his collarbone. "You looked so… intense."
He smirked. "Was that a compliment?"
She buried her face in his chest, blushing again. "I didn't know it would feel like that."
Yuto ran a hand down her back, slow and deliberate. "I've wanted you for a long time, Hina. But I waited because I wanted it to be more than just a moment."
She looked up, eyes soft. "We didn't stop at one moment."
"No," he said with a laugh, "we had two."
She covered her face with her hands. "Don't say it like that!"
"I'm just being honest." He leaned down, brushing a kiss to her flushed cheek. "And honestly… if you weren't so sore, we probably would've had a third."
"Yuto!"
He laughed softly, then gently pulled her hands from her face and kissed her, slow and warm.
"Don't worry," he whispered against her lips. "We have the rest of our lives to explore all of it. No need to rush."
Her heart fluttered.
Later, over breakfast, she blushed every time he reached for the tea pot or looked too long at her across the tray of grilled fish and miso.
And every time he caught her staring, he'd raise an eyebrow and say nothing, except smile, like he knew exactly what she was remembering. And she knew that he was remembering too.
The way his hands had gripped her hips in the dark. The way his breath had hitched when she whispered his name. The way he had looked at her undone before he kissed her again, slow and deep, like he was memorizing her.
"Stop that,"she muttered, stirring her rice a little too forcefully.
Yuto leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "Stop what?"
"Looking at me like... like—"
"Like I can't believe you're real?" His voice dropped, rough at the edges. "Like I spent all night inside you and it still wasn't enough?"
Hina's chopsticks clattered against the bowl.
Yuto laughed, low and warm, and reached for her hand. His thumb brushed over her wrist, right where her pulse fluttered. "We have time," he said again, softer now. "But I'm not going to pretend I don't want you. Not after last night."
She swallowed. Neither would she.
Because now she knew the weight of him, the taste of his skin, the way he shivered when she touched him just right. And she wanted to learn more. Every sigh, every gasp, every way she could make him lose control.
The thought sent a thrill through her.
Yuto's eyes darkened, as if he could read her mind. "Eat up," he murmured, squeezing her fingers. "The car is coming to bring us back."
The luxury car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the main gate of the Kazama estate. The ride back from the ryokan had been quiet, Hina's head resting on Yuto's shoulder, their fingers interlaced, hearts still steeped in the intimacy of the night before.
Waiting at the front steps were Emi and Great Grandma Chiyo, the older woman seated comfortably with a shawl around her shoulders and a subtle knowing smile that made Hina blush immediately.
"You're back early," Emi said lightly, her eyes flicking from her daughter to Yuto, clearly noting the faint glow in both of their faces.
"We finished what we needed to," Hina said too quickly.
Emi raised an amused brow.
Chiyo simply sipped her tea and said, "Young love leaves steam on the skin."
"Obaachan!" Hina turned bright red while Yuto tried and failed to suppress a grin.
"Why don't you go freshen up," Emi said to Hina, mercifully moving the conversation along. "Lunch will be ready soon. Your father is on a call with someone from Nagoya."
Hina gave Yuto a quick glance and headed down the hallway toward her room.
As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Yuto turned back to Emi. His posture was still relaxed, but there was a quiet seriousness in his eyes.
"May I speak to you for a moment?" he asked.
Emi paused, reading him instantly. "Of course."
She led him into the small sitting area just off the kitchen. Yuto sat down, his voice low but steady. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. And after everything… the years apart, the memories we've built, the life we've slowly grown into" He drew a slow breath. "I want to ask for your and Ren-san's permission to marry Hina. After graduation."
Emi didn't answer immediately.
She just looked at him and her eyes softened.
"You're serious," she said.
"Very," Yuto replied. "I love her. And I'll continue to wait for every step she takes at her own pace. But when the time is right, I want to give her a future that we build together. I want to take care of her—not because she needs me to, but because I want to."
Emi's lips curved into a small, deeply touched smile.
"Does she know?"
Yuto shook his head. "Not yet. I wanted to come to you and Ren San first."
Just then, quiet footsteps echoed from the hall. Ren appeared, phone now tucked into his suit pocket, his gaze drifting from Emi to Yuto, immediately sensing the shift in atmosphere.
Emi stood and said gently, "He'd like to speak with you."
Ren raised an eyebrow but stepped forward, arms folding lightly across his chest. "Speak."
Yuto stood as well, his hands respectfully at his sides. "Ren-san. I'd like to formally ask for your permission to marry Hina. Not now but after she graduates. But I want to be clear about my intentions."
Ren didn't respond right away.
He studied Yuto carefully like weighing every past action, every choice, every moment of restraint and devotion.
Then finally, he said:
"I've always known you loved her. But love alone isn't enough."
"I understand."
"What will you offer her?"
"Life time of love, care and partnership," Yuto replied calmly. "A future we shape together, one where she can rise on her own terms, and I'll be there, every step of the way, whether in shadows or in light."
Ren's expression didn't shift much.
But after a long pause, he gave a subtle nod.
"You have my permission. As long as her answer matches mine."
Yuto smiled then, a rare and quiet kind of relief blooming in his chest. "Thank you, sir."
"And one more thing," Ren added as he turned away. "Make it worth her choosing you. Every single day."
"I intend to."
From the hallway, Hina's soft voice called, "Mama? Papa? Yuto?"
All three looked toward the sound. Emi smiled knowingly. And Yuto, heart full, stepped out to meet her.
Hina stepped back into the room, freshly changed, cheeks glowing slightly from the warm rinse and the soft traces of memory still lingering from the night before.
She paused, glancing between her parents and Yuto. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No," Emi said with a smile. "Just lunch plans."
Hina tilted her head. Yuto gave her a small, affectionate look, the kind that made her heart skip but didn't elaborate.
Before Hina could ask more, the sound of heels clicked crisply against the wooden floors at the entrance. A staff member's voice followed.
"Ren-sama, apologies for the interruption. There's a visitor."
Ren's brows lifted faintly. "Now?"
The assistant gave a respectful bow. "Yes, sir. He came unannounced but insisted he was once an ally. Said his name is Riku Hoshino."
The name dropped into the room like a stone.
Emi's expression shifted subtly, but unmistakably. Yuto stood still, muscles coiled with awareness. Even Ren's usual stoicism paused for half a beat.
Hina looked between them. "Who is he?"
Ren turned toward her, his voice low. "A ghost from the past."
"He shouldn't be here," Emi added quietly, eyes narrowed. "Not without warning."
Ren straightened his cuffs, his face unreadable once again. "Show him in."
Hina stood still, unsure whether to step back or forward. Yuto instinctively moved a little closer to her, just behind her shoulder.
A moment later, the doors to the main hall opened.
And in walked a tall man in a charcoal coat, his expression polished, lips curled in a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His dark hair was combed neatly back, a thin scar trailing just beneath his right cheekbone.
Riku Hoshino.
He paused in the entryway, his eyes drifting first to Ren… then Emi… and finally, lingering on Hina and Yuto.
"Well," he said smoothly, voice deep and calm, "so this is the next generation."
Ren said nothing.
Emi's eyes remained sharp. "You said you came to pay respects. I suggest you start with the truth."
Riku's smile widened just a fraction. "Always direct, Emi-san."
Then his gaze turned once again to Hina.
"She looks just like you did when we first met. Fierce eyes. But still innocent, somehow."
Yuto stepped slightly forward. His voice was polite, but edged with steel. "You're addressing Kazama's heir. Choose your words carefully."
Riku turned his eyes on Yuto and smiled wider now, calculating.
"Ah. So you're the one Ren trusts enough to stay so close. Interesting."
He looked back to Ren. "May I sit? We have much to talk about."
Ren's voice was low. "That depends on what you're here for."
Rikui's gaze flicked again to Hina.
And this time, Hina didn't step back.
She lifted her chin, meeting his stare head-on.
"I think I'll stay," she said, voice clear. "If this concerns the Kazama family, then it concerns me."
For the briefest second, a flicker of surprise crossed Riku's eyes.
And in that moment, Yuto stood tall beside her, his hand lightly brushing hers, just enough to say "I'm here".