They waited until the checkout time.
Akira had bought all the clothes that Yuigahama Yui tried on.
Yuigahama Yui wanted to refuse, but she knew that refusing Akira was pointless.
She could only hold his arm helplessly as he paid for everything.
While, Akira was determined to spoiled her.
As he took her to a jewelry store and carefully picked out a necklace for her.
The necklace wasn't the most expensive one, but it still cost several hundred thousand yen.
Yui seeing the price, immediately wanted to say that their is no need buy something this expensive, but before she could say anything—
"Don't think about the money," Akira said as he fastened the necklace around her neck, his tone gentle but firm. "I know Yui likes me even without these things. I'm not buying them to earn your favor—it's just to make you happy, understand?"
"I know… but it still feels like a waste…" Yui lowered her head, her cheeks slightly red.
"Don't think of it as wasteful," Akira said, pulling her into his arms, his chin above her head, "If Aunt Asuna ever opposes us, you can tell her I spent a lot of money on you. That way, she might hesitate before scolding you."
"I… I just feel like I owe Akira-kun so much… and I can't pay it back." Yui's voice trembled softly as she leaned her head on his chest.
Akira chuckled and stroked her hair.
"Then keep staying by my side. That's more than enough repayment."
.....
Akira and Yuigahama Yui had lunch together at a small, ordinary restaurant.
This time, it was Yuigahama Yui who insisted on paying.
After she finished paying the bill, she turned to him with a triumphant smile.
"Little fool," Akira said, flicking her forehead lightly.
"Ouch! I feel bad always letting Akira-kun pay for everything. Can you let me treat you sometimes?" Yuigahama Yui said, pouting as she held her forehead.
"Is that your birthday wish?" Akira asked, smiling as he look at her.
"Mm-hmm~. That's my birthday wish." Yui laughed softly, holding his arm as they walked out of the restaurant together.
"Where do you want to go next?" Akira asked.
"I… I want to go to the beach. I want to play in the sand." Yui said after thinking for a moment.
"To the beach? You want to build sandcastles?" Akira blinked in mild surprise.
"Yeah. Last night, I dreamed I was building a sandcastle on the beach. But halfway through, it got washed away by the waves…" Yui said regretfully.
"Alright, let's go make that dream come true," Akira said, raising his hand to stopped a taxi.
"Thank you, Akira-kun," Yui said softly, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek before they got in.
.....
At the seaside.
The beach wasn't crowded; only a few people were playing across the sand.
Akira and Yui walked together until they reached a quiet spot near the water, with no one around.
There, a small sandcastle had already been left behind by someone else.
"Akira-kun, can you build a sandcastle?" Yui asked, squatting down and scooping up sand with her hands.
"No idea. You'll have to teach me, Yui sensei~." Akira smiled, crouching beside her.
"Since you asked so sincerely, I'll reluctantly teach you, Akira-kun." Yui giggled, her eyes shining.
Together, the two began building their castles.
Under Yui's "guidance," Akira managed to shape something resembling a small fortress.
Yui looked at his creation and tilted her head.
"My castle looks… very solid," Akira said diplomatically, earning a laugh from Yui.
"I knew Akira-kun could do everything." She puffed her cheeks proudly.
"Yui, you'll definitely be great at taking care of children one day," Akira said with a teasing smile.
"In the future, my kids will definitely make prettier castles," Yui murmured, her gaze soft as she looked at their creations.
"I'll teach our kid well," Akira replied gently.
Yui's cheeks flushed crimson. She quickly turned away and focused on building again.
Seeing her flustered face, Akira chuckled quietly and joined her, helping smooth the sand.
Yui glanced at him and suddenly remembered a scene from her childhood.
When she was little, she used to come to the beach alone — She'd build sandcastles by herself for hours, trying her best to make something beautiful. She even wrote about it in her diary when she went home.
But the next day, when she returned, the castle was gone—washed away by the tide.
She remembered crying for a long time that day.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Akira's voice broke through her thoughts.
"I was just remembering my childhood…" Yui said softly and told him the whole story.
Akira was quiet for a moment after listening. Then he looked at her gently and said,
"You're really such a little dummy."
"I'm not a little dummy!" Yui protested, puffing her cheeks again.
At that moment, two children ran over to them.
"Big sister, what are you doing?" the little girl asked curiously.
"We're building our castle," Akira replied, instead of Yui.
"Big brother, you're so childish! Boys shouldn't play with sand, they should—"
"Yuta, let's build our own castle! I'll be the princess, and you'll be my knight!" the little girl interrupted him.
The little boy hesitated, blushing. "...Fine, fine. I really can't say no to you."
"I like you the most, Yuta!" the little girl beamed happily.
Akira glanced at the two kids, then looked back at Yui, who was smiling with the same innocent joy.
"There's really nothing I can do against you," Akira said softly.
"I like Akira-kun the most," Yui replied, her smile even brighter than the sunset behind them.
...
Evening.
The two sat together on the rocks near the shore, watching the sun dip into the horizon.
Yui scrolled through her phone, looking at the pictures they'd taken—sandcastles, the two of them laughing, even a shot of the two kids playing nearby.
Her childhood wish had come true.
Someone had finally built sandcastles with her.
Someone had finally stayed with her to watch the sunset.
They ate ice cream together, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Yui finished hers quickly and poked Akira's arm, glancing at his ice cream expectantly.
Akira sighed and smiled. "Alright, here." He offered her a spoonful.
After finishing it, Yui leaned her head against his shoulder.
"It would've been wonderful if I had met Akira-kun when I was little."
"From what I've heard, the odds of ending up with your childhood sweetheart are about the same as winning the lottery with an ice cream stick," Akira teased.
"That's not true! Lots of childhood friends stay together!" Yui pouted.
"Maybe. But when people grow up, they meet new faces, get tired of the old ones…" Akira said with a faint grin.
"If it were me, would Akira-kun get tired of me too?" Yui asked softly, innocently.
"No," Akira said, leaning close. "Because I want them all."
Yui puffed her cheeks again at his shamelessness.
Akira just laughed and put an arm around her slender waist, turning his gaze back to the sandcastle they had built.
"If possible, I want to buy an island and build a real castle there for us," he said.
"....What about when our kids need to go to school?" Yui asked after a pause.
"Helicopter?" Akira said after thinking for a second.
"I'm scared of heights," Yui admitted shyly.
"Then we'll take a boat," Akira said with a grin. "If we have a daughter, she'll love that."
"Do you want a boy or a girl?" Yui asked curiously.
"I like both. The boy should be brave, and the girl should be as cute as you."
"I think it should be a girl. Yukino's child will probably be a boy, so he can protect his little sister."
"Given Yukino's personality, her boy might have a tough time growing up," Akira chuckled. "You'll have to help take care of them both."
"I hope Yukino's child likes me," Yui said, smiling softly. "I'll take good care of them."
"Of course you will. You're too kind for your own good," Akira replied.
"Still, I'm worried that Mom might oppose us," Yui said after a moment. "But Dad will probably support me."
Akira leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I'll convince Aunt Asuna. Don't worry."
"Akira-kun… I really like you," Yui whispered and kissed him softly on the lips.
'I know', he reply inwarly, as he gently kiss her back.
.....
By the time the sunset faded into night, they took a taxi back to Sakurasou.
When they entered, everyone was already waiting inside.
Ebina Hina was the first to ask curiously where they'd been all afternoon.
Yui smiled happily and showed everyone the photos on her phone—the sandcastle, the sunset, the two kids, and the silly selfies with Akira.
As Hiratsuka-sensei listened, she quietly took a sip of her drink, feeling that it tasted unusually sour today.
Everyone except the two kids could hear the joy in Yui's voice.
That kind of simple, pure love… was the sweetest thing of all.
{T/N: Too bad akira is a greedy fellow}
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Word Count — 1,559