Chapter 84: Question
*ring ring ring ring*
Hearing my alarm ring, I get up immediately and turn it off. I go towards one of the windows in my room and open the curtains. It's a little before six o'clock in the morning and the sky looks beautiful; the night sky and the morning sky are both present as one relieves its position and the other takes over. I decide to open the window and the morning breeze enters my room; the calm cool morning breeze feels good. It's slightly too cold but having the wind blow towards my face feels good and calming. The neighbourhood street is still empty and quiet; the only sound you can hear is the sound of the birds that are happily welcoming the morning sun. I think I can hear someone cooking in the kitchen; it might be Mama-san. I should prepare myself; it would be rude of me to be late for our appointed time to talk.
After staying by the window for a few more minutes, I enter the bathroom to do my morning rituals. When I washed my face, the water really woke me up; it was really cold. At least I'm wide awake now. After my morning rituals, I wore some thick clothing since it was cold and when I was all set and ready, I went to Kaori's room to check up on her.
*knock knock*
"I'm coming in."
I gently open the door and as I thought, she's still sleeping. I check her temperature and it has gone down; she's recovering fast. Maybe her fever will be gone by New Year's Day; I hope that that would be the case so that she can greet the New Year in good health and be with us to celebrate.
The towel on her forehead has become cold and so I decided to remove it. As I took the towel, I start to observe her. I've noticed over time that her sleeping position barely changes at all. She always sleeps on her right side and if ever she would change her position, she would sleep on her back. But the most interesting part that I've noticed about her is that when we sleep together, she would always be smiling as she sleeps. She's so cute; I'd just want to monopolize her all the time if I could. It's funny how the mind and the heart would not get along and create trouble in one's self.
I wonder...if ever I would ask you to marry me, would you say yes or would you say no. Would you be happy that I asked or would you have wished that I never had? Whether you would say yes or no, whether you'd be happy about it or not, I will still ask you.
"Because I really do love you." Those words quietly slipped out of my mouth.
A sudden urge to touch her grows inside of me and so I unconsciously and gently pat her head.
"Hnn...Ai?" Kaori opens her eyes.
"I'm sorry for waking you up; I came to check up on you. How are you feeling today?"
"I feel much better." She says happily.
"That's good. Your temperature has gone down and it's near back to normal but you should just continue to rest for a full recovery."
"That's good to know; I can't wait to recover. I want to get out of my room already; I've been kept here for two days now."
"You're getting bored?"
"Not really...Since you always come to check on me, I don't get bored or lonely."
"Do you want some water?"
"No, it's okay. I'm not thirsty."
Kaori looks at the clock beside her bed. "Ai, it's just a few minutes past six o'clock. What time did you wake up?"
"A little before six."
"Eh? Why so early?! Well...not that it's strange for you to be up early. Um, but you usually sleep longer when there's no work so today would be unusual..."
"No particular reason. I probably just wanted to see you."
She sits up on the bed. "Suspicious."
"Whatever." I poke her cheek.
I stayed and talked with Kaori for a while; I'm happy to see her being lively again. Her smile really is filled with warmth.
"It's already bright outside."
"Yes, you're right." I then look at the clock; it's almost seven o'clock. "Kaori, I'll go and see if Mama-san is already in the kitchen; I'll help her prepare breakfast."
"I want to help too."
"You're still sick. Even though you feel better already, you still have to rest."
"Sigh. Fine...I miss cooking..." she mumbles.
"Go back to sleep if you can; that would help you recover."
"Fine."
I plant a little kiss on her forehead before heading towards the kitchen where I find Mama-san cooking.
"Good morning, Mama-san. Is there anything I could help you with?"
"Oh! Good morning Ai! It's alright, there's nothing left to do since I just finished cooking everything."
"Then let me help you put the food on the table."
"No need, dear. It's still early for breakfast and Kuro and Kaori aren't up yet. Besides, don't you have something to discuss with me and Hiroyuki?" she smiles.
Mama-san picks up a tray that had 3 mugs of coffee and 3 sandwiches; she prepared them for us. "Shall we head to the living room? Hiroyuki is waiting."
I nod and follow her into the living room.
"Ah! Just on time! Good morning, Ai!"
"Good morning, Papa-san."
"Alright! So let's get straight to the point! I don't want our talk to get cut; I'd like to finish it in one go."
"I too wish to have it settled in one try and I don't want to be the reason for the two of you to be late for your appointment for the morning."
"So Ai, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Mama-san asks.
"Papa-san, Mama-san, I am really happy being with Kaori. Ever since I met her, she has showed me so many things I never knew before and up to this day she never fails to surprise me. She has been very kind towards me and has always supported me in many different ways. "
Mama-san's eyes sparkle.
"But most of all, I am thankful for having a person like Kaori by my side. Having someone to be there for me, to laugh with me, to smile with me, to stay by my side in the good times and the bad times of my life, to have someone love me for who I am, I couldn't ask for more and yet Kaori has given me much more than I could have ever imagined to receive. I have been thinking about this for some time now but I was just not one hundred percent sure until I came to this house. The first night that I slept here, that was the first time in a very long time that I laid in bed without her by my side. Though she was just nearby in another room, I felt uneasy and unable to sleep. As I tried to fall asleep, all I could ever think about was Kaori; the thought of not having her by my side was terribly unbearable. That was when it occurred to me that I don't want to be separated from her; I want to stay by her side just as much as I want her by my side."
Mama-san's smile has grown wider whereas Papa-san seems to be tense.
"Hiroyuki-san, Miwa-san, I was unsure before but now I am absolutely sure of my decision. I would to marry Kaori. Would you two grant me your permission and blessing to do so?"
Papa-san spits out the coffee he was drinking. He puts down whatever is left of his coffee on the table. "Ah, um...I see..."
He then loses his consciousness and slumps forward.
"Eh?! Hiroyuki! Hey! Hiroyuki! Snap out of it! I thought you were already prepared for this possibility?!" Mama-san shakes him vigorously.
"I thought I was prepared too! I always knew that someone would one day come and ask for my adorable daughter but but but after all this time of mental preparedness...I just can't handle the fact that my precious daughter is going to be taken! I never knew it was going to be this hard on my poor gentle aging heart!" Papa-san says in a dreaded tone with tears flowing from his eyes.
Mama-san starts slapping Papa-san while still shaking him. After a while of pain, Papa-san calms down and returns to his composed self while holding ice packs against his swollen cheeks.
"Now that you have returned to normal, let's get back to the matter at hand."
"Yes, dear." Papa-san nods.
Mama-san looks at me. "I have one question, are you still going to be by Kaori's side next year?"
"I intend to stay by her side next year, the year after, and the years to come after that. That I promise you; a promise I don't intend to break."
"I see...I will be completely honest with you Ai-kun."
I nod.
She suddenly smiles and with a delighted tone she says, "I don't mind at all if it's you! I think that you will definitely be a fine man for my daughter; I give you my approval and my blessing!"
"Thank you very much, Mama-san."
Mama-san and I then look at Papa-san. Will he grant me his permission or will he refuse to?
"Why are you both staring at me like that?! It's uncomfortable to be stared at like that, you know!"
He takes a deep breath before continuing.
"Ai, before I give you my answer, can I also ask you one question?"
"Yes, I don't mind at all."
"Who do you love more? Kaori or yourself?"
His question sounds simple but in truth, it is not; it's not a question that has a definitive answer. Who do I love more? Who indeed...
I think about it for a moment.
"I think that the obvious answer would be that I love Kaori more than myself however, my answer to your question is that I love myself more than Kaori."
"And your reason or reasons would be?"
"If I loved Kaori more than myself then that would mean that I'd do everything for her without thinking about my own well being. Such a way of thinking will upset her; she would get hurt and guilty if ever anything happens to me. She would want me to be healthy and well; she would tell me to take care of myself. So I think that I should love myself first before I could love Kaori because she's the type of person that would want her lover to be in good condition and to be happy as well. One must be able to love one's self first before they could love another, isn't that how the saying goes? She always says that whenever I forget about myself."
Papa-san starts crying when I look at him.
"Um...are you okay, Papa-san?"
"I-I'm totally alright. Don't mind m-me. I-It's just that your answer w-was..."
"Was?"
"I-It was correct! Waaaahhhh!" he starts crying even more.
Mama-san helps him calm down.
"Ai, I always tell Kaori that you cannot learn to love another person until you learn to love yourself first. No matter what kind of love it is, it can never be called love unless it comes from the heart and to know if the love they have comes from a person's heart is to see how they treat themselves. If the person doesn't take care of him or herself, then you can't expect that person to be able to take care of another person."
"I understand your point, Papa-san. After being an idol and being with Kaori, I really do."
"You're a good person, Ai. I have a request."
"What is it, Papa-san?"
"Please continue to take good care of my daughter." He smiles and lowers his head a little.
My eyes widen realizing what his words meant.
"Yay! Isn't that great, Ai-kun?! Even Hiroyuki has given you permission."
My expression doesn't change and the only reaction I had was placing a hand on my chest.
"Hm? Are you okay, Ai?"
"Yes, it's just that...I was afraid that one of you or both of you would not grant me their permission to ask for Kaori's hand in marriage. When Mama-san and Papa-san finally gave me their approval, I became too happy that I didn't know how to react; it's a strange feeling."
"Haha. How cute! I guess you're exploding with happiness deep inside, huh?" Papa-san says.
"So Ai, when are you going to propose to Kaori?" Mama-san asks enthusiastically.
"I was planning to propose some time next year."
"I see! I see! Good luck to you then! Feel free to ask her if you think she's ready for it."
"Um...if you need help or anything at all, you can ask us."
"It's not quite convincing if you say that with tears in your eyes, dear."
"I know. I know. I know. I just can't hold them in, okay?! I was born with a semi-maiden heart!"
Mama-san and I laugh.
"Don't worry, Papa-san. I promise that I'll treasure Kaori; I will take care of her and love her always."
"I believe you. I think that she'll be happy with you."
"Look at the time! Let's go on ahead and eat breakfast, shall we?"
"What about Kaori and Kuro?" I ask.
"Oh yeah. Hmm...Then just join me and Hiroyuki for a snack before we leave and then just eat breakfast with Kaori and Kuro; don't forget Obi and Tabi too."
"Okay."
We all stand up and went on our way to the dining room.
"Ai, take care of the house while we're out." Papa-san says as he puts an arm around me.
"Yes, I will." I said happily.
"I might take Miwa out on a date today so if we're not back early, you guys go on ahead and eat lunch and dinner without us. If you guys want to go out, don't forget to lock up the house."
"Okay, enjoy yourselves today then. I hope the two of you would have a wonderful time."
"You're too polite, you know that?"
"Is that so? I'm sorry."
"There you go again! Don't be so polite and formal with me! C'mon, you're going to be my son in law right? Loosen up and be casual with me. Haha."
Papa-san laughs and messes up my hair. This family really is warm. If I would have a family with Kaori, I'd like it to be this warm and I'd like to become a father just like Hiroyuki-san...without the crying part.
The two of them left and Kuro comes down to the first floor just after I closed the front door.
"Oh, good morning! Did mom and dad go out?"
"Good morning. Yes, they're meeting a friend of theirs."
"Oh right. They did mention that to me. They're kind of late, huh? Well, if dad will drive a little faster than usual then I think they can make it just in time haha."
"Yes, they left the house quite late. Would you like to have breakfast? Mama-san prepared food before leaving."
"Nice! I'll go prepare the table." Kuro runs off to the dining room and I could hear the sounds of plates and utensils being taken from the cabinets.
I went over to the kitchen to transfer the food into the dining room. When I got into the dining room, I was surprised to see Kaori sitting at the table with Kuro.
"Kaori?"
She turns to look at me upon hearing her name. "Good morning, Ai." She smiles brightly.
I go over to the table to put the food down while avoiding Obi and Tabi who were playing by my feet as I walk; I don't want to accidentally step on them or to trip.
"Kaori, what are you doing out of bed? You should be resting in your room."
"It's okay Ai, I'm feeling all better now. I checked my temperature a while ago and it's back to normal; even some of my strength has recovered."
I touch her forehead and it feels normal, her face has recovered its color, and her smile has returned. It's quite surprising to see her all better; she was still a little sick when I checked up on her earlier.
"You do seem better but you should continue to drink your medicine until it's all gone and don't over exert yourself just yet."
"Yes, yes, I won't forget about my medicine."
*bark bark*
Obi is barking while grabbing on my leg. I decide to carry him in my arms.
*bark bark*
He seems delighted and licks the side of my face.
"Aww, it seems that Obi has come to really like you."
Obi shifts his position in my arms to face Kaori who was on front of us.
*bark bark*
Kaori takes his two front paws and holds them. "I miss playing with you and Tabi too. I'm feeling all better now but Ai says I have to rest a little more. Let's play a lot when I recover, okay?"
Tabi gets on Kaori's lap and reaches for her face; he licks the side of her cheek.
*bark*
"Haha. Of course I'll play with you too, Tabi. I'll play with both of you."
Obi then starts climbing onto my shoulder and rubs his face against mine.
"Ai, Obi wants you to play with us too."
"I will. I can't refuse a request from your little cute baby."
I hold Obi up in the air and put my nose against his nose. "I'll play with you and Tabi with Kaori, okay? So behave, be good, and let us eat breakfast now; everyone's getting hungry."
*bark bark bark bark*
Obi starts flailing his arms and legs around as I hold him up in the air.
"Haha. He seems really happy, Ai."
"He's a little happy baby indeed." I chuckle.
I put Obi down and Tabi gets off of Kaori's lap. The two of them get their bowls and brings them to me.
"You're both hungry too? Then let's get you some food."
I place their bowls at a side near the table and fill them up with food. They sit patiently while looking at their food filled bowls and start eating after Kaori tells them to eat.
"Obi is kind of getting fat...Maybe we should reduce his portion." Kaori says.
"Hahahahaha!"
Kaori looks at Kuro. "What are you laughing at, Kuro?" she asks.
"Nothing; don't mind me."
"Nobody laughs for nothing, bro."
"Haha. I just thought that this setting feels like a family, that's all."
Kaori and I look at each other; her face is slightly red.
"I-I'll go wash my hands since I held Tabi." She says.
"I'll have to wash as well because of Obi."
"Ai, you go on ahead and use the sink first."
"You can go use it first. I don't mind."
"Ah no, you—"
"ARGH! I can't take it anymore! Cut it out you two! You're both embarrassing to watch any further! I feel like I'm playing the role of an embarrassed son or something like that!"
Kuro stands up and starts pushing Kaori and I towards the kitchen.
"The kitchen sink is good enough for two people to use at the same time! So you both go on and wash your hands so we can start eating! I'll be waiting at the table!"
Kaori and I were washing our hands. It was quiet until she started laughing.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I found it funny that Kuro got embarrassed! He looked so cute being all flustered!"
"That's true. He definitely was acting like an embarrassed son."
"It was really cute and funny! His face turned a little red!"
I started laughing with her as she continued to talk about Kuro. It was funny but true when she compared him to a pure maiden.