𝟶𝟻𝟶: 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎. (𝙵𝙸𝙽.)

So, just an update with those two.

Kutabare moved, and Shinjimae is still here. Surprisingly, she transferred to Azusawa's school.

I don't even know how that works, but Azusawa hasn't been happy since then.

After Kutabare had been exposed for what he's done to me, he stopped attending our school and his art school altogether and outed Shinjimae for being a part of what happened that day.

Oh, by the way, Ena had been busier than she usually was because she applied to go there again. And she made it in!

But everyone is disappointed in Shinjimae. She just kept denying it all and avoided confrontation. I wonder where her cockiness went.

Ena managed to arrange a meeting with her again, as a way of showing her that she forgave her somewhat, but didn't and will never forget. Although Akiyama was there as well. I heard about what happened with Akito.

When he told me the whole story, I felt like throwing up. It probably had something to do with the motion sickness, too. How could a group of people be so cruel..?

I don't know what Ena said to her, but she came out of that shop like a completely different person.

Maybe Akiyama also threatened her..?

As for my family, my mother and father are only talking when necessary, and other than that, I think it was her pettiness that made his old room a room for smudge and spot.

She did get them collars while I was gone. I feel like they're acting more spoiled than usual...

I still call and talk to Tobia and Yasunori every now and then, updating them on how I've been.

Tobia actually came out to my father about his relationship.

Actually, Otori's brother proposed to him! He's going to get married during summer.

That makes Otori and I in-laws.

Rather than giving a negative reaction, my father simply just congratulated him and went on his way. I don't know if he's attending...

My mother and I definitely are. But we have time until then.

Speaking of my father, I haven't heard much about him, but he doesn't seem to have changed much.

We did make it in the newspaper, though, but he took it down immediately. It was how 'Classical musician, Harumichi Aoyagi is disappointed after his son Toya Aoyagi suddenly abandons his ceremony and runs off with a group of strangers,'

Or something along those lines.

I've only been back for a few days, and everyone is really happy. I am, too...

I heard Momoi had made amends and gotten together with that person she had a fight with, although I'd never met her.

Azusawa and An had a fight apparently but made up the day before my ceremony.

That's as much as I know about everyone.

I'll have to go back during final exams, though.

And guess what? Tsukasa, Kamishiro, Otori, and Asahina graduate this year. Isn't that exciting? I'm going to show up to both of their graduations, but mostly stay for Tsukasa. I can't believe I'm not going to see him at school after this year.

Not to mention, I, myself, will be a third year as well.

I leave my mother a note on the table that I'll be gone for a while and head out the door.

She must be sleeping with the cats again.

I really have a lot to make up for and catch up on.

But I'll let them tell me everything. I think stories are better that way.

-*-*-

"Toya! It's nice to be properly talk to you!" Kiritani shakes my hand, but I quickly retrieve it as I can feel Hanasato glaring at me.

"Hey, stop that!" Momoi pouts, scolding her. A girl in blue hair laughs, calming Momoi down.

Wait.. Hinomori?

Didn't she help direct the play that one time..?

"Oh! Hello, Toya, I'm Shizuku Hinomori! It's a pleasure to meet with you again!" She hugs me. What a motherly presence...

"You can't just... whatever." Airi sighs and hands me a box. Huh?

"That's.. for you. I heard what happened. Welcome back, Aoyagi!" Hanasato blushes, bashfully hiding behind Kiritani.

I'm so scared right now. I open it hesitantly, but see that there's a glass figure of a cat. This is cute..!

"It's from all of us!" Hinomori says, letting go of me.

"Welcome back, Toya." Momoi says.

"Tooo--!!" I hear a loud voice approaching and turn around.

"--yaaaaaa~!!!" Saki screams at the top of her lungs, launching herself at me. I open my arms, hugging her tightly as she cries.

"You were gone for so long! I wanted to go with them to America, but stupid Tsukasa said I couldn't!" She whines, nuzzling her face in my chest. Really?

"In fact, just about everyone wanted to join, but it wasn't so easy for us," Kiritani comments, as to which Saki nods rapidly.

"Thank you for the welcome party, Kiritani." I slide my notebook to her, and she grins.

"It was Minori's idea."

Hanasato gets embarrassed, hiding her face.

"Come on, Haruka-chan..!" She whispers, flustered.

I guess Hanasato really isn't as bad as she depicts herself to be.

"Welcome back, Aoyagi-kun!" Honami says, joining in the hug only for a second. Shiho somehow successfully pulls Saki off of me, sighing.

"Sorry about that." Blushing, she looks away.

"We all bought something for you as well, Aoyagi." Ichika looks through her bag and pulls out a flower vase.

"We visited your mother a couple of times, and she seemed to have taken a liking to planting flowers."

Is that why there were more flowers outside than usual..? She's so odd whenever the season changes.

"Thank you." I mumble, and she giggles.

I walk around to find Tsukasa and Kamishiro, but someone hugs me from behind.

"Heya~!"

Akiyama!

Oh? And she's with Ena, Yoisaki, and Asahina.

"Hi, Toya! Have you been feeling better?" Ena asks, fixing my collar. I nod.

"That's good. Welcome back, Aoyagi." Asahina says, with a friendly smile.

"I was so worried about you.. I'm glad you're back." Yoisaki says, flustered, not know whether to hug me or give me a hand shake.

"Aww, Kanade, you're so cute!" Akiyama shouts, pulling the two of us in for a hug.

"Me, too!!" Clearly, Otori yells, jumping on my back. I can't-- carry..!

I fall back, letting go of Akiyama and Yoisaki.

"Ahh..." Otori groans, and I quickly get off of her. I'm so sorry..!

"Get up..." Tsukasa lightly kicks her head and looks down at me.

"Toya!" He says, pulling me up and hugging me. Tsukasa..!

"I'm sorry we didn't have much time to talk again after the plane flight. This amount of people is probably overwhelming, right..?" He asks, growing worried.

I shake my head, reassuring him that I'm fine. I know I was nervous back at the ceremony, but when I'm surrounded by these people... I've never felt better.

I look at Kusanagi behind Kamishiro, and she shyly approaches me, suddenly hugging me.

"You're back, stupid..." She mumbles in my shirt.

"She's just embarrassed. Believe me, she missed you." Kamishiro says, patting my shoulder. She kicks him, and he whimpers.

Otori finally gets up, all dizzy because she did it so suddenly.

"Wait, where's the gift?" Tsukasa asks Kusanagi, who shrugs and points to Otori.

"Oh, yeah! Here you go!" She says and hands me two tickets. Huh? These are.. tickets to their next show?

"Emu--! I told you to get a better present!" Kusanagi panics, shaking Otori back and forth.

"That's the last time you're in charge of the present idea." Tsukasa groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"N-No, I... I'm glad. Thank you."

They all look at me and sigh in relief.

"Told you he'd love it!" Otori grins widely.

"We're glad."

"Sorry, we're gonna borrow him for a second!" An pulls me back by my shirt and puts me in a headlock, ruffling my hair.

"Look at you, did you get taller?!" She laughs, and Azusawa helps me out.

"Welcome back, Aoyagi-kun! Are you having fun?" She asks, hugging me. I nod, patting her back.

"If you're ever going through anything again, please, don't hide it."

"Yeah! We wanna be there for you. I'm gonna get it out of you once I notice the slightest thing, anyway!" An shows me her fist, and I back up, nodding.

Azusawa gets a notification and smiles.

"You should get home now. We'll cover for you!" She hands me a bag with.. Pochacco on it, to put my stuff in.

"O-Oh, that's our present." She says, blushing. I thank her and put my gifts in them.

I wave, sneaking out of the door, and sprinting to my house. That's right. Akito and I had plans of our own today.

-*-*-

"Sorry for making you wait." Akito sneaks up behind me, handing me a water bottle. I take it, smiling as he sits on my bed.

We planned to hang out at my house today, and my mother is cleaning up like a madman.

Smudge and spot haven't left my side since I got back home.

I pet smudge on my lap, and Akito frowns, getting closer to me.

I can feel the tension between those two...

"My parent's actually weren't as mad at me as I thought they would be." He scoffs, wrapping his arm around me.

How could you skip a whole week..?!

"Don't look at me like that. It was for you!" Akito sighs, pusging my face away. I can't stay mad at him if that was the reason, then.

We stay silent for a while, enjoying each other's company, until he speaks and breaks the silence.

"Hey.. do you think we could get married one day?" He asks so bluntly. I blush, sitting up. How can he..?!

"I mean, we basically had a wedding photoshoot... You looked so beautiful in white. I think I want to marry you right now." He grins, putting his arms around me. I blush profusely, covering my face. Stupid..!

"Don't.. say stuff like that..." I mumble, pushing him away. He laughs and puts his head on my shoulder.

"Sorry."

".. I have something to tell you." I say, quieter than a whisper. But he manages to hear it and turns to me.

"While we weren't talking... Someone broke my keychain, so I've only been able to carry it around without the chain." I frown, looking down at it in my palm. I'm keeping Shinjimae's name anonymous, since no matter how much I hate her, I feel like she's been through enough.

"No problem. I'll just fix it since I know you're clumsy." He flicks my forehead, laughing as I scowl at him.

"And if you break it again, I'll fix it again. I'm prepared to do it for the rest of my life, if that's the case."

.. is that a metaphor?

I feel my cheeks burn up and turn my head away. How long have I been away to not get used to how he talks..?

I pull out the necklace from under my shirt, showing him.

"I still have it." I show him the picture inside, grinning.

"Burn it."

I pause and stare at him

"Huh?"

"Burn it. I'll get you a new one." He repeats, his face bright red and trying to grab it from me.

"No!"

"Come on, Toya!"

Humiliated, he gets on top of me in an attempt to snatch it away, scaring Smudge, so he jumps off of the bed. I shake my head, keeping it in my hand.

"No..!" I laugh and after a minute of that, open my eyes, looking up at him. His face is still red, but this time, it isn't embarrassment.

We're so close...

I let go of the necklace and wrap my arms around his neck, giving him a kiss.

I don't know why, but I just felt like doing it. Somehow, I catch him by surprise and he lowers his head.

"You really know how to drive me insane." He grins, planting another kiss on my lips, only this time, a longer one.

After staying like this for a while, he lies down next to me, pressing his face against my chest.

"I really love you, Toya."

"I love you, too, Akito."

After all we've been through, we somehow went through it together, even if we didn't know it.

Everyone was with me this whole time.

And now that I'm.. well, less in touch with my father, he finally listened to me and my wishes, even if he didn't approve of them.

It's not like we gave him a choice. I finally fought back.

I finally was able to break free from the chains that have held me back my whole life.. and I have everyone to thank.

It's thanks to everyone my voice was finally heard.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟻𝟶, '𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 (𝙵𝙸𝙽.)': 𝚎𝚗𝚍.

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍, '𝙰𝚗 𝚄𝚗𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 (𝙺𝚘𝚖𝚒 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚡 𝚙𝚓𝚜𝚔)': 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑.

-*-*-

Creator's note: ... woah. We actually made it to the end. I'll post an after note sometime, but I really want go say how this was going for more than a year. Damn- also, sorry for suddenly posting the finale like this!

I can actually finally rest, LMAO. I really wanna thank everyone who was with me and stayed along the way. I know this story was so long, but you stayed! I'm so happy for that.

Unfortunately, that does mean it's time for these two gay high schoolers to go away. But not completely!

I'll see you guys in the after note. Bye bye!