EPILOGUE

"Ai, it's good to see you.." The Professor awkwardly opened the door for Ai, letting him step inside.

Getting straight to the point as always, Ai spoke up. "Shining told me to come here, why?"

"I, well, need to tell you something important." The Professor walked Ai into the lab.

"What is it?" Ai tilted his head at the professor after taking a seat on the couch in the corner "I was planning to spend the day with Y/n but I had to cancel because of this."

Silence fell in the room, the Professor's heart tearing at him for what he was about to say. "...Y/n has received a death threat, from an unknown person."

"A death treat?!" Ai's eye's widened in shock as he jumped forward in his seat. "Does she know?"

"Yes, Shining told her about it a bit ago... but we haven't yet told her what I'm about to tell you." The Professor took in a deep breath, finally speaking the dreaded words. "We're, going to send Y/n home. Where she'll be safe."

"...Eh?" Ai stared at the professor in horror, the color from his face draining.

"It has to be done Ai... I know you love her but this is to protect her," The Professor released a shaky breath, with his hands awkwardly moving to pat Ai's back. "I know this will be hard bu--"

"No!" Ai abruptly stood up and turned to face the Professor. "I... I just learned how to love..! I don't want to lose her now!" His expression was something the professor had never seen before. It was a twister of emotions; anger, distress, confusion, and even guilt.

"We have to, or else she might get seriously hurt.. or worse." The Professor reached out to touch Ai's shoulder but he stepped to the side of him.

"Don't!" Ai shouted, "...I-" He was at a loss for words, searching every inch of his data to straighten out his conflicted feelings.

"Ai calm down for now, sit down..." The Professor pleaded, patting where Ai was previously sitting

"..." Ai slowly took a deep breath trying to calm himself before going back to his seat and staring into deep space. "I.. don't want to let her go."

"I know..." The Professor carefully sat down in the seat next to Ai. "But... if it will protect her, it won't really be losing her right? Maybe just see it as... helping her to be happy?"

"..." Ai didn't respond, only biting his lip as he stared at the floor.

"She gets to decide whether she'll go home or not if she does decide to go home... You have to let her, alright? For her."

"...." Ai carefully nodded, his breaths trembling. "...I'll try.."

"Good.. I'll need you to bring her here sometime today, alright?" The Professor stood up, walking towards the controls in the center of the lab.

"T-Today??" Ai's gaze snapped up at the professor once again, even more dread filling him.

"Yes... Today," The Professor awkwardly gave him a sympathetic smile, not sure if it would help or not.

".... I," Ai paused. "I'll do it... for her." He closed his eyes in despair before standing from the chair and leaving.

Time skip

"Ai! You're back!" I squealed anxiously, gripping Ai's jacket as if my life depended on it. "I... have something to tell you."

Ai shook his head as if to tell me to save my words. "I heard..."

"You did...? Then..." I trailed off, my grip losing ever so softly.

"Un..." He nodded, giving me a knowing look that.

Silence befell the room.

"It... Scares me... Heh.." I let my eyes fall to the floor, just the thought making my chest ache.

"I know, it scares me too." He moved past me and sat down on his bed. Despite his usually calm demeanor, I could tell he was anxious. His hands would tremble every few seconds, betraying his attempts to stay calm.

"... What am I going to do...? People are so cruel Ai... Why can't I love you in peace?" I whimpered.

"I'm sorry..." He said, taking my hands in his.

"Ah... This is going to give me a headache..." I moved to wrap my arms around him, tears threatening to fall. He carefully began petting my head while using one arm to hold me consolingly to himself.

"... It'll all be okay soon." He breathed sorrowfully.

"I hope so..."

Silence befell us once more as he simply rocked back and forth, keeping me as calm as he could. I could feel the tension in his body, he was as worried as I was.

"For today why... Why don't we forget about it. And just enjoy ourselves for a bit... Ne? Calm our nerves?" He asked, taking a moment to look into my eyes.

"Heh... That sounds good." I let out a gentle chuckle, trying to distract my thoughts.

"Good..." He laid down with me in his arms, hugging me tightly to his chest. "later... I'll take you somewhere you'll love... Okay?"

"As long as I'm disguised well, that sounds great..." I was freighted by the thought of being in the open, but it had to be better than staying in a room alone and scared.

Time skip

The wind blew through my hair and kissed my cheeks wistfully as the two of us walked down the sidewalk. I hadn't a clue why Ai had chosen to take me to a secluded little park, but it was nice. The area was familiar, we'd been in the area before, but he'd never taken me to the park here. Much of the greenery was unkept, beginning to grow over benches and fences, but it was beautiful regardless. "I played here occasionally when I was a child." Ai spoke, "It's beautiful isn't it?"

I nodded in agreement as he sat us down on a bench, careful to move any greenery we might crush. "Doesn't anyone visit it?" Ai shook his head silently but had a small smile appear on his face.

"It's like my own little secret, one I get to share with you." He smiled happily, but that same smile slowly melted into something else. His eyes had a hint of distress, perhaps he was scared we'd be found, or maybe his mind was drifting to unnecessary thoughts, causing him to worry. He slowly moved closer, pressing his firm chest against my arm. I turned to look at him, smiling as his lips gently met with mine for a soft, sweet kiss. His hand slowly made its way up to the back of my head, cradling it carefully to deepen the kiss. After a few moments, he pulled back, a soft smile on his face. "I love you..."

"I love you too..." I squeaked before nuzzling myself into his arms and closing my eyes. I'm happy to be with him like this.

Ai's arms tightened around me as he placed a kiss on the top of my head. "Can... We stay like this For a while?" He asked, his voice trembling.

"Of course, we can..." The two of us held each other tight, watching the clouds roll by as the wind pleasantly blew through our hair.

Time passed quickly as the two of us enjoyed each other's warmth, nuzzling closer to one another when the wind would send chills down our backs. Eventually, Ai took my hand in his once more and helped me stand. "I have one more place to take you..." His smile was forced, something clearly weighing on him. "Okay?" 

"Sure," I responded kindly. "Just promise to bring me back here sometime." I laughed softly, but he did not respond, something in his eyes quivering at my words.

"I... Yeah, defiantly." His hand squeezed mine before he began leading the way once more.

Time Skip

"The... Professor's?" I questioned, looking at the familiar "Go away." mat outside the door.

"Yes, I... have to pick something up." He stated with a smile.

"Oh, you confused me." I laughed, watching as he let out a small chuckle.

...

His hand hovered over the nob before beginning to tremble ever so faintly. I turned my gaze up to his face, watching as his hair fell over his eyes and the once smiling face disappeared. "...I," he whispered in a shaky voice, "can't." His hand fell to his side as he leaned forward to rest his head on the door. "I can't go in, I don't want to lose you, Y/n." his voice broke as he spoke my name, as If he was about to cry.

"Lose me? why would you ever lose me Ai?" I promptly took his hand in mine, my expression speaking for me. I knew something was off.

"You want to go home right..? You can't live peacefully anymore, so you'll choose to go home won't you?" he slowly turned his head toward me, revealing his frustrated expression. His eyes stared into mine with uncertainty.

"Go home...? Where is this coming from Ai?" My grip tightened around his hand ever so softly.

"The Professor and Shining... are going to send you back. You're in danger here, they said it was your decision but why would you ever stay somewhere where you're in danger?" He released a heavy breath, his eyes closing tightly as if he was preparing for me to break him.

"...I don't plan on going anywhere." I declared, moving my hands from his and taking his soft face in them. "Why on earth would I leave you?" His eyes carefully opened, risking a peek at me. He took a moment to read my expression before opening his mouth to speak.

"You.. won't leave?" He asked, his voice filled with hesitation until I shook my head rapidly.

"Never, I couldn't leave you behind, no matter what threats I receive." I'd never seen his eyes light up as much as they did when those words escaped me. It was if all his broken hope returned to him at once.

"But I..- I thought for sure you'd want to escape, even the professor said you would likely choose to leave."

"Well I'm not, maybe a normal person would. But I won't give up so easy." I smiled at him warmly while simultaneously moving to hug him tightly.

"...Thank god," He breathed, wrapping his arms around me just as tightly. "I didn't want to let go of you." We hugged in silence, and I could tell he felt as if a weight had fallen off of him. But something was still bothering him. "What should we do about... that though?" He asked dejectedly as he nuzzled his head into my shoulder.

"Ah, about that." I paused, biting my lip in thought. "I think I have an idea..."

****

We dashed down the hall before finally slamming the door to Shining's office wide open, and rushing into the room hand in hand. Now standing before Shining, I determinedly gripped Ai's hand and he gripped mine in return. "I-... I won't let go of her!" Ai affirmed, his expression stern.

Shining stared at the two of us with a knowing expression, before sighing "We'll need a plan, I can't allow you both to stay together in this condition." He spoke roughly, the glare from his glasses blinding me for a moment.

"I have a plan, will you hear me out?" I asked, my gaze resolved.

"...." I witnessed as he silently weighed his options, before finally opening his mouth to speak. "Tell me."

Time skip

I could hear the thundering roar of fans as they chanted Ai's name, expectantly waiting for him to come on stage. My hands shuttered as I listened to them, thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong, but I was determined. I shook my anxious thoughts from my mind and looked to the friends in front of me. Starish, Quartet Night, people I once thought of as fictional characters. All my life I'd strived to meet people who care for me the way they do, and now that I had that I wouldn't give it up so easily. I could only pray our plan would work, even if it were a long shot, I wouldn't let what I have escape from me. Ai moved close to me, his eyes gentle and loving.

"It's almost time.." He whispered to me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders as he brushed his lips over my cheek, like a feather blowing in the wind. I shifted my eyes between Ai and the rest of the boys who were smiling encouragingly at us before finding myself smiling as well.

"You'll both do great, I'm sure of it," Reiji excitedly pat both of us on the back, giving us a small push towards the stage. Ai and I exchanged reassuring glances before he confidently strode on stage. The lights went dim and the music began to play eerily throughout the concert hall before the auditorium exploded in purple light from the fan's light-up bombs. Ai's angelic voice was soon heard echoing across the hall, his very soul putting it's all in song.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

***

"Thank you for coming to my solo concert mina!" Ai smiled widely, waving out at the crowd as he did so. "I hope you enjoyed my song, I wrote it a while back but I feel as if.. it has a whole new meaning now. When I sing, it always brings to mind my most special person, especially this song." He let out a soft laugh, one that sent my heart a flutter, and I'm sure everyone in that crowd felt the same. "She means a lot to me, she makes me feel things I thought I never would, and I couldn't thank her enough for that." His eyes slowly traveled over to where I stood behind the wall of the stage, his eyes speaking before him. "I'm in love with her." He took a deep breath before looking back at the crowd of people "Most of you already saw the images of me with her, ne? Some of you have been so kind, and I'd like to say thank you for that. But there are those haven't supported us, and that makes me feel upset. I wish that you all could see her how I do, with all her beauty, both on the surface and not, she's beautiful... But I won't say anymore, instead, I'll let her speak on her own behalf." He moved his mic from his lips, slowly turning his attention back onto me as I stepped into the light of the stage.

With my heart pounding and my hands trembling I brought the mic to my lips. "Hello, most of you might already know me but.. I'm Y/n. And I want to thank you for being here and listening to me..." I let out a deep breath away from the mic, then finally... I began what I needed to say. "for those of you who haven't supported us, honestly? You can threaten me, you can call me out, you can say all the horrible things you want about me, the insults, the lies, and the hate speech is all fine. It's fine by me, because I love him, I love him with every bit of my heart and its okay if I'm hated for that, I'm happy beside him and he's happy beside me, if that's not okay by you, I'm sorry but I can't stop loving him because you want me to. Trust me, I know how you all feel. Because I was once just like you, I watched from a far and longed for a day I could meet him, and on the inside sometimes you hope that he won't find someone to love.. But there's something we can't forget... he's a person too, we have to let him love who he wants. and I'm... the luckiest girl in the world to be chosen by him." I bat my eyes, tears slowly slide down the sides of my cheeks as I spoke. "I wanted to meet him more than anything, and when I did my love for him only grew, and now I...I." I paused, my voice breaking as I tried to speak. Finally, I took in a deep breath, letting out the loudest yell I could into the crowd without the mic. " I can't let him go,ごめんなさい !!" I fell into a deep bow, my eyes shutting tightly as my hair fell around me. I could feel my chest tightening with the silence of the crowd, I understood their disappointment, but I... wanted to be selfish, just this once. I felt someone's fingers slowly intwine with mine before I was met with Ai bowing beside me. His expression was the same as mine, he wanted them to accept us as much I did, as much as we all did. Behind stage I knew Starish and Quartet night were both praying for the outcome to be what we wished. I closed my eyes once again, letting all my tears flow before finally I raised myself alongside Ai, screaming out more time. "Forgive us!"

******

A few weeks later

Not everything went as planned, But. I knew that was okay. With the person who made threats on my life soon behind bars, I felt safe once again. Even if I still had nasty comments made about me from time to time, I wouldn't let that affect me. I love Ai, and I believe that he loves me in return. So, I won't give up, even if more threats like this come, I will keep pushing until I can live beside him peacefully, and Ai will be there right beside me when they do.

I felt a soft pair of lips brush over the skin of my neck as I played the piano, quickly forcing my attention onto my amazing boyfriend. "Yes, Ai?"

His lips curled into a huge smile as he presented me with a ring. "It isn't an engagement ring, but it is something I'll be making a promise on." My eyes flickered from him to the ring, shock projected across my face. "Y/n M/n L/n, I promise to love you for the rest of my life. Even when death may part us, I will still forever hold you dear to me. Your name will always remain the one thing that falls from my lips in the same loving way. Your face will be the only thing I think of as I go through my day, until I can return to you and kiss you like there will be no tomorrow. Your hands will be the only ones I hold close to my chest for you to feel the replicated beat of a heart inside me. And most certainly your lips will be the only ones I will kiss.. and until the day comes where I can offer you a ring to seal our life as husband and wife, please take this promise ring to prove my love for you."

I sat speechless, tears falling from my eyes as I slowly reached out to him. I nearly completely forgot about the ring as I threw myself onto him for an embrace. His hands gently held me close to him until I could whisk away my tears to look at him properly. "Of course I will Ai!" I cried.

"Ending theme music"

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Eventually, you and Ai would get married. You'd choose whether or not to have children, and if you did, we all know Ai was an outstanding father and you an amazing mother. Ai would pamper his children to no end, but when they misbehaved, he would most defiantly come up with some sort of elaborate punishment that somehow end up as a game. You didn't mind though, you loved them both too much. Ai wasn't lying when he said he'd kiss you like there would be no tomorrow daily, every time he could he'd make sure to kiss you for as long as possible. You'd share in the warmth of one another for hours if your children would let you, but alas, there simply wasn't enough time for that everyday. Ai would do anything for you, and you would do the same for him. Sometimes, you'd think back to the days when he was just a face on your screen and smile. You were lucky, you knew that, and you appreciated it more and more as time went on.

Author

I'm not crying you're crying.

This took way too long I'm sorry. But hey, it's finished, and to all those of you who read it after it finished, you're incredibly lucky you didn't have to suffer like the rest of my readers. TwT I am so sorry. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. This book means a lot to me, it proves that I can finish what I started. Thank you all for encouraging me to finish, Love y'all. See you again someday! <3

Stay tuned for a short little recommendation☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆