Final Act: The Scene Once Dreamed Of
Under the clear sky—
Just moments ago, Yuzuhana had been happily chatting about school life and food, but as they arrived in front of the Kurose house, her father suddenly looked uneasy.
"Hey, Yuzuhana. Does your dad… look strange to you?"
"You don’t look strange, but…"
"I see…"
"…What? Are you nervous or something?"
"Even I’m human. Of course, I get nervous."
"That’s unexpected. You always seem so confident."
"That’s because I don’t want you to worry. If I looked nervous, you wouldn’t be able to feel at ease, would you?"
"Well, yeah… On trips and house viewings, I never felt anxious because you were with me. But if you're suddenly getting nervous now… Are you feeling unwell?"
He was about to meet the family of his daughter’s boyfriend. It would be stranger if he wasn’t nervous. But for Yuzuhana, this was an unusual sight.
He had always carried himself with unwavering confidence in front of her—so much so that she couldn’t help but worry now.
"I'm feeling perfectly fine. I just feel a little relieved. Now that I’ve entrusted Yuzuhana to Kohei, maybe I can finally let go of some tension."
"Did you hear that, Kohei? That’s a huge responsibility."
"Yeah. I'll take care of Yuzuhana in your place. And… my family is pretty friendly, so you don’t have to be nervous."
"That’s right! Even I fit in right away. So come on, let’s go in already!"
Yuzuhana pushed her father forward, urging him inside. As they stepped into the house, hurried footsteps echoed—
"Welcome!"
Sana greeted them cheerfully.
For some reason, she was wearing a basketball uniform. While Yuzuhana's father seemed caught off guard by her outfit, he gave a polite nod.
"Hello. Um…"
"I'm Sana, Kohei’s little sister! Thanks for always looking out for my brother!"
Well, not always—technically, this was their first meeting.
"Sana's also my friend," Yuzuhana added.
"I see. Sana, thank you for being good to Yuzuhana."
"You're welcome!"
She smiled brightly, then kept glancing at me expectantly. Ah, so that’s what this is about. She did ask me in her message to "introduce her properly."
"And, Sana is the captain of the basketball team."
"Oh? I bet the team gets a lot of energy from you."
"Did you hear that, bro?! He says I bring energy to everyone!"
"I heard, I heard. Anyway, where’s Mom and Dad?"
"They’re waiting in the tatami room! This way!"
Led by Sana, who practically bounced with excitement, we made our way to the dining room. From there, we stepped into the adjacent tatami room, where my parents greeted us with polite bows as if they had been waiting.
"Thank you for coming today. I’m Kohei’s mother."
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kohei’s father."
"No, thank you for having us."
"Let’s skip the formalities and sit down already!"
Sana’s social skills were insane. If it were me, I’d be holding my breath watching this first meeting between both families.
Thanks to her, the stiff atmosphere instantly softened.
My uncle also seemed to relax a bit, his face looking noticeably brighter.
"Please, have a seat," my mother invited.
"Then, if you’ll excuse me," my uncle said as he settled onto a cushion.
My parents sat across the low table from us, while Yuzuhana sat between me and my uncle. Sana, of course, took the seat at the head of the table. She had been at the center of the conversation from the start—she might as well be the main character here.
"Sorry for the sudden visit," old man said.
"Oh, not at all. We’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time," my father replied.
"Has Kohei been any trouble?"
"Oh, not at all! He’s truly a wonderful son."
That made me so happy!
I already knew I was accepted, but hearing my parents praise me in front of my uncle filled me with pride.
"Enough with the serious talk! Let’s bring it out already!"
Sana, what the hell? I was finally getting some well-deserved praise, and you just cut the conversation short? And that wasn’t even a serious talk!
"You’re right. Let’s bring it out," my mom agreed as she stood up and left the room.
Now I was getting curious. What was so important that she had to interrupt my moment in the spotlight?
As I sat there wondering, my mom returned carrying a whole cake loaded with strawberries.
The size was way too big for just three people. Sana must’ve convinced my mom to buy it while she was doing her makeup.
"I was the one who suggested it! I knew you’d love cake, Uncle!"
"Hmm. I do love it. Enough to make a career out of it."
"Wait… a career!?"
"My dad’s a pastry chef," Yuzuhana explained.
"That’s amazing!"
Sana’s eyes sparkled as she leaned forward from her seat at the head of the table.
"You have to make something for me next time!"
"H-Hey, Sana, don’t be rude."
"No, I don’t mind. I’ll make something for you the next time I visit."
"Yay! Thank you so much!"
"Hearing you that happy makes me want to make it for you even sooner."
Old man looked completely at ease now. His earlier nervousness was nowhere to be seen—he had blended in as if he’d always been part of the family.
"By the way, when do you eat the strawberry on a shortcake?" Sana asked eagerly.
"In the middle," old man replied.
"Wow! Brother, you finally found someone like you! Good for you!"
"Yeah, great."
It was a small thing, but knowing that old man and I had the same preference made me happy. More than that, seeing him laughing naturally with my family filled me with warmth.
In the first timeline, this meeting between the Kurose and Koikawa families never happened. But this time, it was a huge success. With the promise of another gathering for cake, it seemed that the bond between our families would continue to grow.
"Hey, let’s eat already!" Sana urged.
"Yes, let’s. Kohei and Koikawa-chan, why don’t you two cut the cake?" my mom suggested.
"A bit of an early cake-cutting ceremony, huh?"
"Oh, nice one," my uncle chuckled.
"Come on, brother, consider this a wedding rehearsal!" Sana teased.
With their premature celebration of our future, Yuzuhana blushed slightly but smiled happily. Seeing her like that made me feel warm inside, too.
"Shall we cut it together?" I asked.
"Yeah, let’s do it."
As I grasped the knife, Yuzuhana gently placed her hand over mine—
And with the people most important to us watching over, we created yet another cherished memory together.
Final Act END
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