The morning after the whole incident, Kioshi was up and awake, but still definitely not good enough to go around by himself. Sakura didn't really expect him to be walking around that much either. The hacker was used to being shot due to her underground job, and so was Soryu, so they could be up and ready the day after.

But Kioshi was just a normal, everyday person. And it was Sakura's fault he was ragged into this.

"Morning, Kio." Sakura smiled gently at her boyfriend the moment he woke up. "How's your stomach?" she asked, helping him sit up as he clutched his head tightly.

"It's fine... Still stings a little though." he replies with a weak smile, looking down to his stomach, where his bandages were covered by the fabric of his shirt.

Sakura watches her boyfriend lay back down slightly, biting her lip as the events of the night before replay themselves in her mind. "Gomen, beibu..." she apologized, thinking it was her fault.

"Eh? Nani?" Kioshi, confused and taken aback, looks at her with curious, puzzled eyes. "What're you sorry for?"

"This..." she lifted his shirt slightly and ran her fingers over his bandaged stomach, making him flinch slightly. "This was my fault, ne? Gomen..."

Seeing the tears fill her eyes made the man ache, knowing she was fully taking all the blame for something she never did. He stopped her hand, grabbing it as she continued to run her fingers over his bandages.

He looked into her eyes deeply with determined eyes. "Listen," he said earnestly, "None of this was your fault, okay? Stop beating yourself over it."

After a moment of silence, Sakura managed to avoid the crack in her voice as she spoke. "Kio... Answer honestly, okay? Were you going to do anything to Soryu or the... boys?" she almost carelessly spat out the words 'bidders' before managing to catch herself quickly, not wanting to worsen the situation.

"...No." He took a moment to think about it before answering and Sakura furrowed her brow. "But I thought of it for a moment. Then I thought about how important they were to you."

Sakura lowered her head, thinking about the biggest sacrifice he just made for her happiness. "I..." she muttered, making him turn to her, "Are you giving up on everything for me right now? The boss of the Ice Dragons, the group that killed a loved one... You're passing up on the opportunity of taking him down for someone like me?"

"Why? Don't you want them to-" "It's not that... But if you don't take them down, I don't think you want to get anymore involved than you are right now. Because those men... Not only Soryu, all those other men have-"

"Have what, Sakura?" A familiar voice called to her form behind and the hacker turned around to find all the bidders there, standing stiffly. Eisuke had his arms crossed, a glare and snarl forming on his face.

"Nothing... What are you doing here and what do you want?" she asked, standing in front of her boyfriend's bed, fearing the worst.

Kioshi watched on, knowing full well Sakura'd be pissed if he did anything stupid. But who cared if she got mad? As long as she's safe...

Truth was, Kioshi didn't just come for a visit, he had special events planned for the two. He knew doing this confession wouldn't be special at Paris anymore, though, seeing as Sakura had seen the Eiffel Tower more than enough times to count.

Meaning he needed to find somewhere else.  He planned on grabbing her from Tres Spades and take her to another country, to Australia to be frank. Planning to take her to Hamilton Island, he wanted to tell her everything about the events leading up to the point now.

But that wasn't happening anytime soon, huh?

~*****~

Time passed and soon, Kioshi was back to normal, feeling as good as new. After the bidders' first visit, Sakura had moved Kioshi out of Luke's clinic and bought him home, wanting to make sure he wasn't around them.

Around him.

Ever since then, Sakura dropped all contacts with the men and Kioshi never heard about them from her either. Lately, the girl hasn't been working either, not going in for meetings she's supposed to lead. She's been ignoring calls from her work phone and turning down any new assignments directed to her.

They've both been living rather 'normal' lives. Except on how Kioshi got his job now. 

The man became a primary school teacher, seeing as he had always loved kids and this was his childhood dream job. Under her influence and after pulling a few strings, Sakura reported to Kioshi, telling him he got the job.

Everyday, the man would go to the primary school and work from 8:30 in the morning to 4:00, 5:30 at the latest. Meanwhile, after insisting for a while, Sakura stayed at home. They bought a small cottage/cabin a few ways out of town and were living peacefully.

Kioshi's job was only a 20 minute drive from their outskirts home. Sakura also had a part time job, working at a bakery. An old friend's shop to be exact.

After she was reunited with her childhood friends in Rihito's party, to which Kioshi invited her when they first went out, Sakura has been talking to them more.

Seeing as she was easily bored, and she didn't work at her hacking job as much anymore, Sakura asked one of her old friends, a popular baker, Ichigo Sato, for a favour.

"Are you off for a shift?" Kioshi asked, sharing a kiss with his girlfriend as he pulled on his jacket. She had her purse with her, and her jacket and phone. Keys in her pockets, she grinned.

"Hai." she answered with a smile, pulling her long hair back into a ponytail. To be honest, Kioshi was a little jealous of her old friends. Kioshi knew Rihito and some of the boys' first loves was Sakura. They always talked back in college.

"Okay, need a ride?" "Nani? It's fine... You're already kind of late anyway. Momoi will be coming to pick me up in a few minutes."

"Momoi? Who's that?" Kioshi asked, puzzled. He knew she worked with Ichigo occasionally and thought she ran it with a few other girls. He didn't hear about any male bakers.

"He's a new chef. Shuichiro Momoi and actually, his old high school mate... Aki Fujishima, I believe." Sakura shrugs, "Ichigo merged with their shop and now he transferred them here."

"Oh... I'm going to have to meet both of them some day." Kioshi mumbled before smiling, grabbing his bag. "I'm off, I have to manage the debate club practice this morning since Kiuzawa isn't here today."

"Okay, alright. I'll cook tonight since my shift is only 4 hours. I'll see you after work, let' each lunch tomorrow, ne?"

Planting a kiss on his lips, Sakura waved as she grabbed her jacket, hearing a horn from a car outside. Waving until she got into the car with Momoi, Kioshi sighed as they drove away before grabbing the car keys.

Heading off to work, he made a mental note to leave early.

~*****~

"Sorry I can't come..." Kioshi says regretfully, sighing as he watched her place her wallet away. Waving away his worries, she grinned. "Don't worry babe. I'll be back in a few minutes. Just wait, 'kay?"

Winking, the girl left and Kioshi released a sigh. He didn't have a lot of time. Sakura would be home soon.

Grabbing the lingerie and dress, he tossed on the bed and covered it momentarily with the blanket, too ashamed to look at the articles of clothing. He ran a hand through his hair and hurriedly changed out of his old clothes after a shower.

Reapplying some cologne, the man hurriedly finished the last few tasks before leaving their home, not wanting to face Sakura just yet.

He hurries into the store, wallet in hand. "I need the gift."

~*****~

In the fancy lingerie and dress from earlier, Sakura sighs as she reads the fourth note. This was so Kioshi, leaving notes for her, with gifts along the way.

So far, the notes told her to go to the bedroom (first note), then change into the clothes and such, along with a sweet compliment on it (second note), the next note lead her to the garden, where a bunch of roses were in bloom under the moon, reminding her of all their talks there together as a couple (third note) and the fourth read:

Remember the promise that came with this? Hope you know where to go.

Along with it was a ring. A promise ring.

Sakura remembered the day her boyfriend gave it to her, but she could barely remember the promise since it was such an early time in their relationship she took it as a small joke.

Biting her lip, she grinned before heading outside, where a limo waited. Smiling happily, she skipped into the vehicle, knowing exactly where this car was driving to.

Soon enough, as she expected, Sakura arrived at their spot under the sakura tree in the park. And there, Kioshi was leaning against the trunk of the tree, hands in the pockets of his tuxedo bottoms. He turned to her with slightly wide eyes.

"Oh jeez, you scared me," he chuckled, leaning own to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Didn't expect you to be so early. I wasn't ready yet."

"Gomen... I was excited, okay?" she said, blushing pink, turning away from him. Laughing, he leaned in to plant another kiss on her head before grinning. "You look beautiful. As always."

"Ever the charmer, hm? Thank you." she smiled after giving him a teasing remark. "So what's all this?"

She gestured to the rather lavish picnic set up under the tree, beside the bench where they had their first 'date'. "I just wanted to do something special today... I'm excited for an upcoming event as well." Sakura smiled at her boyfriend's attitude, knowing full well their anniversary was coming up.

In 4 hours.

It was pretty late, actually being 8:00 at night. 4 hours until midnight, their anniversary. "Haha, right. I can't greet you about that until midnight though, right?" "True." he pouted slightly, sitting down on the blanket, patting a spot beside him. "Sit down. Beside me."

"Not across? That's usually how couples have picnics. Isn't- Yah!" he tugged on her hand forcefully, making her fall onto his lap.

"Yeah, but that's why they argue more than us. Because they're not close enough." he said, his voice right beside her ear. Breath tickling her ear, Sakrua squirmed slightly before smiling gently at her boyfriend. "We're not like them, ne?"

"Hai." she answered softly, leaning back into his chest as she settled on his lap, finding him very warm. Just then, some soft, calming and familiar music began playing.

Sakura noticed a man all of a sudden, a bit in the distance. He was sat at a small keyboard, playing the song that filled the air. She felt Kioshi shift.

"May I have this dance?" he asked sweetly, whispering into her ear. 

Smiling, she grabbed his outstretched hand beside her and stood up. Letting him wrap his arms around her waist, Sakura reached up and hooked her arms around his neck.

The two slowly began swaying their bodies to the music, letting it guide their dance. Swaying about and around, they listened to each other's steady breaths and music.

Sakura felt Kioshi slow to a stop and she looked up, a bit confused when the music changed tempo and tune, into a completely different one despite it not having finished.

Kioshi turned her around, seeing as she turned to the fountain, assuming their dance was over. He suddenly noticed a few tears in her eyes.

"H-Hey! Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, spinning her around and gathering her into his arms, feeling her tears slightly wet his tux.

"H-Hai... Gomen for making you worry." she apologized, sniffling. "But... arigato."

"Huh? Where did that come from?" "You... You were the one who saved me, you know?" she chuckled in a meek voice. "...?" 

Seeing as he was still confused, she giggled slightly. "When I still lived with Beatrice, before I met you... The morning I met you... I was considering, ahem, leaving the world, you know?" she smiled softly, tears still in her eyes. "But then I met you. It wasn't all that bad after, you made em stop thinking about it that after our first time talking, I never even thought of anything else but the sweet boy I met over sweet coffee."

He listened to her every word, full well knowing she never talked this much about anything. "I guess you were like my miracle, huh?"

He felt tears sting his eyes as well and Kioshi harshly tugged her to his chest, burying his face in her hair, feeling his tears fall. Sakura widened her eyes, feeling her boyfriend's tears wet her hair, barely. She felt him shake.

Kioshi couldn't bear the thought, knowing he was this close to losing his angel only a few months ago. If he never called her out, if he never asked to drink with her, if he never talked to her at all... She'd be gone, and he never would've found the beautiful angel he had in his arms now.

That close, huh?

But then he smiled.

Turning to her, he opened his mouth. Asking the question he wanted to ask all along.

The question that guaranteed she'd be his and the question that, if she answered with a 'yes', would make sure he had every right and reason to protect her from everything and anything.

The question that would make her his, once and for all, no matter what.