chapter twenty-eight

be my baby

It was as if the entirety of Oyakou had gathered in that too-small auditorium. I almost didn't recognize the place as the group of us from the kitchen had flooded inside. The lights were off, curtains drawn to focus on the fairy lights strung over the discarded furniture and heaps of trash that nobody had moved. The full 11-minute version of "I Would Do Anything For Love" by Meat Loaf was playing from a Bluetooth speaker in the background as Murayama got on one knee, the three Nakas standing behind him with signs that read "Will You Marry Me?"

The group of us settled in next to Yasushi and Kiyoshi, and I linked my arm through Tsukasa's before resting my head on his shoulder, the warmth of his skin palpable even through the fabric of his shirt.

"Midori, my life has changed so much since you walked into this school. You taught me how to be a better man, and you turned me into a great one. I still remember the day I met you." Murayama laughed. "You kicked my ass then, and you can still kick my ass now. Life is full of challenges, I think we've both seen that. But I know that I can face them if I have you at my side, honey. I don't ever want to spend another minute away from you if I don't have to. Midori Yamada, will you make me the happiest man on the planet and be my wife?"

"Yes!" Midori cried, a lone mascara tear slipping down her porcelain skin as Murayama got to his feet and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Of course, I'll marry you, you big idiot. I love you." She said softly, pulling him in for a kiss as the entire auditorium cheered.

"Is that going to be you guys one day?" Junji laughed, nudging Tsukasa in the leg. "god knows you're happily loved up with each other."

"Not just yet, tough guy." I joked right back, pulling away from Tsukasa. "Shibaman and Shizuka have gotta go first."

As quickly as we had all ended up in the auditorium, we filed out, intent on giving the happy couple some space. We were cutting it close to the end of our lunch break, and Madoka was going to have to break the speed limit to get us back to Seiho in time for our afternoon classes.

The bright sunlight of the outdoors was a shock to the system compared to the darkness of the proposal as we walked towards Doka's car, my hand still interlocked with Tsukasa's as we trailed behind Madoka and Yui.

"I'm proud of you, Sakura." Tsukasa remarked, gently swinging out hands back and forth. "I know how important this is to you."

My heart swelled at his praise, butterflies running rampant in my stomach. How was it that Tsukasa Takajo still managed to make me feel like a twelve-year-old experiencing her first crush, even after all these months together?

"Thanks, baby. I noticed that you were looking at applying to the Tokyo Met. Don't change your future just because of me, yeah? You have a life here still."

Tsukasa stopped walking, shaking his head before kissing me on the forehead. "It was just an idea. I don't even think I could afford it if I tried. But I want to be with you, Sakura. And if that means coming to Tokyo, then I'll buy a train ticket faster than you can say my name."

"I love you." I smiled, pressing up on my toes to kiss him gently, a car horn sounding in the background as Yui shouted at us from the car. We broke apart laughing, soft smiles on our faces as he held me close, his touch reassuring as he cradled my waist in his calloused hands.

"Listen, I have the apartment to myself this weekend. My brother and his wife are going to the city for the weekend, hitting up a Street Beats concert and my mom has some late shifts at the office. I thought maybe you'd want to come over? We don't have to, you know, in case that's where your mind was going. I just want to spend a nice romantic evening with my girlfriend."

My cheeks flushed pink as I took his hand in mine. For once, the idea of sleeping with him didn't immediately cause panic to shoot through my bones. If I could get into the Royal Tokyo, something as big as giving up my v-card to the boy that I loved didn't seem so scary.

"I'd love to, babe. Maybe we can get a recipe from Midori, cook something together and watch a movie." I suggested, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "I'm ready, Tsukasa. I want to have sex with you."

I swear I felt him suck in a breath as he moved to cup the side of my face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, baby." I laughed, pressing my forehead against his. "I'm sure."

"Wow, okay. That's exciting." Tsukasa laughed. "Sounds like I have a lot to prepare for."

Madoka pounded the horn again, and we both jumped before we burst out laughing again. "Sakura, let's go!" She shouted, leaning out of the driver's side window. "You can canoodle later! If you don't go to class, you can't go to Tokyo!"

__

Tsukasa slipped back inside the kitchen, the other graduating students long gone. Some days it seemed like their will to graduate was about as present as their attention spans. The coursebooks were still open, the recruitment page still loaded on his laptop.

Midori was standing in front of the stove, the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing playing off her phone as she hummed to herself, messing with something on the stove. She had intended to create a romantic lunch for her and her fiancé, because they had a lot they needed to talk about. Starting with the fact that if he wanted the wedding to go forward, Murayama would need to finally get his GED.

Her hair had gotten longer, her black roots beginning to show through at the top, fading into the chestnut color that she had chosen when she came back from Okinawa. She'd come a long way since she came back home, become a whole other person.

She couldn't stop staring at the ring on her finger, marvelling at how Murayama would have even been able to afford it.

"Congratulations, Midori-chan." Tsukasa said, making his presence known.

Midori smiled, looking back towards the island. "Thanks, kiddo. I hesitate to ask, but have any of you made decisions on college yet?"

Tsukasa laughed, shaking his head. While he had narrowed down exactly what he wanted to do, he knew that the other kids weren't as disciplined. Jamuo had also made his choice, taking biomedical engineering in Ebara. As the only one who was ever in position to graduate, Jamuo had applied back in October for early admissions.

"What do you think? Although, I think I know what I want. I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart and I'm good with animals. I've been looking into police academies, and I was hoping you still had a few contacts in the K9 unit."

Midori gave him a knowing look as she plated the stir-fry. "You want to train drug dogs?"

"It was Sakura who gave me the idea." Tsukasa said sheepishly, flipping from the Sannoh homepage to the Tokyo homepage.

He didn't even think about applying in Oya because everybody knew that Oya cops were the worst of the worst. The ones from other parts of the district that got sent to the town as a disciplinary action. The Hope Hills Security department were more respected than the Oya Township Police.

Midori turned off the stove, moving to sit at the island. She loved each of these kids like they were her own, and she wanted to make sure they were on the right path. In some cases, she was the closest thing to a mother that some of these kids had.

"Where is Sakura going to school? Did she get into the Royal Tokyo?"

Tsukasa nodded. "And I know you're going to tell me I'm being stupid, because I doubt I could even afford it and I've been working at the fucking mini mart by the river since I was sixteen in preparation for this moment, but I love her so much, Midori. I want to be wherever she is, and more than that, I don't want her to feel alone in the big city."

He knew it sounded foolish when he said it out loud, words echoing in the wide-open space, spoken and unable to be retracted. But it was true. He was in love with Sakura Kobayashi. She was it for him. He was ruined for any other woman, because she would always take up all the space in his heart.

"You really love her, don't you." Midori said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, I know someone who might be able to help. His family is loaded and he's trying to get them back on the straight and narrow. His ex-fiancée is a friend of mine, so I'll talk to her. I'll also send an email to my old handler from Osaka, see if she has any sway in Tokyo. But I was enrolled as a civilian. You know that if you want to actually work in the K9 unit, you need to become a cop first, right?"

Tsukasa groaned, shutting his laptop. "Don't I know it. It's going to be eight months of hell, but if I can reap the rewards at the end of it, and get the girl, I can die a happy man."

"You're eighteen, Takajo. Don't talk about death like that." Midori laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "You're a good man. The world could use more lovers like you."

Midori got up, returning to what she was cooking on the stove. She barely caught the question when Tsukasa asked it the first time, and when she asked him to repeat it, she could hardly stop herself from laughing.

"Midori-sama, do you have any sex tips?"