From betrotheds to lovers

(A/N Notes: The last few chapters were all about Sakurako so its only fair for Ichiro to get his own fair share of screentime)

It was evening, Ichiro and his mother had already closed and cleaned the cafe. And since today they had closed the cafe slightly earlier, they were both making dinner. While they did so, the front door was opened, allowing for Hirano Kazumi to enter

”Im back! ”

” ”Welcome back ” ”

Both Ichiro and His mother, Hirano Niko, welcome Kazumi back, without stopping from moving their hands as they made dinner

”Ichiro, can I talk about something with you? ”

”Sure what is it? ”

”… *Deeply breaths in* The head of the Kogane conglomerate asked for a marriage interview between you and his daughter, so do y- ”

”Sure, tell him Im fine with having a marriage interview with his daughter ”

Ichiro gave an immediate reply with a smile on his face

”I know you wouldn – wait a minute! Aren you taking this way too lightly!? ”

”Well, yes! Im only accepting because it sounds interesting ”

”Please don ! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to make a connection with the Kogane family! So take this seriously! ”

”Fine, fine. Anyways, I accept on going to that marriage interview ”

”Are you sure about that? ”

”Yes, its still mostly because it sounds interesting, but also to help you with your job, dad ”

”I see… Well, then Ill tell the head of the Kogane conglomerate that you accepted going to the marriage interview ”

”Okay… … … ”

Ichiro had noticed that Sakurako who had been visiting the cafe quite regularly, did have the same family name as the one his father mentioned, as he went back on helping his mother make the dinner. But he decided to ignore his realization to not spoil himself

–

The next day

–

It was early morning, and Ichiro was already at school, enjoying some morning tea in the clubroom by himself since he still had plenty of time until the start of classes

”… Today sure is cold ”

These were the last days of winter, but it was still quite cold, but today in particular was colder than the previous days. Then the door opened, revealing the figure of Haruto, an old friend of Ichiro

” ”… ” ”

They both stared at each other in silence, with Ichiro sipping his tea as he enjoyed the warmth of his drink, of the club room warmth because of the heater, and because of the kotatsu he had laid out earlier

”… So this is where you have been doing all this time you bastard! ”

And Haruto finally the silence as he shouted at Ichiro in anger, because during all of the winter, Ichiro would never meet him in the classroom every morning and lunches

”How is the weather today, Haruto? ”

”Don try to avoid the topic! Do you know how much Ive suffered in the cold all these mornings, while you left me alone in the classroom to… Enjoy this paradise! ”

”Your fault for not joining the tea ceremony club ”

”Damnit! ”

”And don even try to enter this sacred place, unless you want to receive a bonk ”

Ichiro held his ol reliable wooden stick in a threatening fashion with a smile on his face

”Do you expect me to just stay here in the cold until you come to the classroom for the lessons!? ”

”Yes, because staying here is way better than having to hear your complains about wanting a girlfriend, or having to hear you being a pervert ”

After finishing saying that Ichiro took another sip of his warm tea

”Damnit! ”

And Haruto couldn do anything but feel despair as he fell to his knees, and then someone walked towards him and… Completely ignored him, as the person just went around him and entered the clubroom, and sat down on the kotatsu, the persons face couldn be seen because he was covered from head to toe with winter clothes

”… ”

Ichiro just looked at the male student who just sat down in silence, then he rummaged through his bag and picked up a bento box, and put it on the table

”I tried making some new sweets yesterday, check them to see if they
e any good, Takkun ”

The person undid the scarf wrapping his head, and revealing it to be Ichiros cousin, Tanaka Takeru, who was in his last semester of Junior High School. Then without saying anything, Takeru simply picked up one of the sweets and began eating it, while Ichiro served him a cup of tea

”So how is it? ”

”Its good ”

”Thats good to hear, and are you still getting along with those three, did you make new friends? ”

”None of your business ”

Takeru then began using his phone while having an uninterested expression on his face as usual, while he still kept eating the sweets

”…I see ”

Ichiro was absolutely right, anyways, about Haruto who was still there…

”Oi! Why does he gets to enter and even receive snacks, while I don !? ”

”Because hes a member, and you
e not, simple as that. And I can have you staining this place with your presence ”

”Am I some kind of mold to you?! ”

”… *Sips tea* ”

Ichiro simply sipped his tea in silence towards Harutos question

”Say something, dangit! ”

Eventually, Haruto retreated to the classroom as he didn want to keep feeling the warm air of the club room while he had to keep standing in the cold corridor, which only made him feel colder and more depressed. As time passed, more members of the club entered to enjoy the warmth of the room, before they left to attend their lessons

–

Some time later

–

It was lunchtime, and Ichiro was eating in the classroom with Haruto and Kazuo

”I want a girlfriend ”

” ”… ” ”

Both Ichiro and Kazuo stayed silent to the words that Haruto always said during lunch

”Oi, aren you two going to say anything? ”

”My esteemed companion, we are already aware of the carnal matters that curse thee feeble mind ”

”… Ichiro, what the hell did he just say? ”

”My dude, we already know that ”

”Right on the spot, my loyal retainer ”

Kazuo usually spoke in a chunni fashion whenever he was with those two or with Takeru and his other two chunni friends

”Anyways, I want to go out with a beautiful girl, she has to be shy and gentle, be good with housework, and have some big badonkers ”

” ”… ” ”

”Haruto, my friend… Its because of things like that that you never get a girl ”

”You don have a girlfriend to defy me! ”

”I don , but he does. Heh ”

Ichiro pointed at Kazuo with a cocky smile on his face

”… … … What? You
e telling me that Kazuo has a girlfriend ”

”Yeah, thats what Im sayin mate, though shes his fiancée, and looking at him I can see that they already had their first kiss recently ”

”*Twitches* !!! ”

When Kazuo heard that he hastily looked at Ichiro as heavily sweating

”Yup, you had your first kiss with your fiancée ”

Ichiro calmly drank his juice after he laid out the seeds of discourse between Kazuo and Haruto

”OI! What the hell dude, you tellin me you got a fiancée all this time!? At least introduce me to her ”

”Over my dead body, Ill never let you anywhere near her ”

”Am I some kind of disease to you!? ”

”Yes, I won allow your filthy approach Kohaku ”

”Hey! Didn we make a deal that none of us would get in a relationship behind each others back!? ”

”I do not remember making such a deal with a lowly pleb, like you ”

”Who did you call pleb?! ”

”… ”

Ichiro looked at the two arguing, and then picked up a piece of paper from his bag, then he picked up a pen and wrote something on the paper

Kazuo and Haruto continued arguing for a few more minutes before they finally got fed up with that, so instead, they tried to pay back Ichiro for causing that

”So what kind of boyfriend, do you think Ichiro would be? ”

”What kind of boyfriend? I can easily imagine him being that one thats always making fun of his girlfriend and playing pranks on her ”

”Sounds fitting, I can also easily see him bringing her to the exact places she would hate to go ”

”… Im sad, thats what you two think of me? Boohoohooo… ” *Monotone*

Ichiro did half-assed acting of being sad, that it was very obvious that he didn care one bit of what the two had said

”Heh, and what are you gonna do? ”

”This… Ahem… All the girls hate you because you
e a pervert, and youll never get a girlfriend especially after you got rejected by all the girls in the school ”

”Guhah! ”

”You hide your chunni side from your fiancée because you find it too embarrassing, and instead act like a super reliable guy, when half of the time you come to either me or Takkun asking for advice on how to even some of the most basic house chores ”

”Gah! ”

Kazuo and Haruto both took damage as Ichiro told them the truth that both of them didn want to hear. Some minutes later, lunchtime ended, so the three went back to their seats as the lessons resumed

–

That evening

–

Ichiro and his family were having dinner together, this time it was mostly leftovers from some of the food in the cafe, but it was still good for them

”Ah yeah, Ichiro your marriage interview with Kogane Sakurako will be on March 29th, so make sure to not forget it ”

”Okay ”

That was all that Ichiro thought of the matter since he didn see much use in thinking too much about it

–

(A/N Notes: … … … Try fingers but hole)