You had known Shōta since you were his student at 15, having had him all 4 years.

You were now 20 and working alongside him at the same academy you graduated from.

You had always loved the man. Always been close to him long before he ever developed any romantic feelings for you.

You two had this really hilarious banter that gave off sibling vibes at first.

When you reached young adulthood at 18, however, the banter almost felt like that of a married couple... or a couple dating at the very least.

You were oblivious to his feelings, just as he was oblivious to yours, but the chemistry between you when you had become a woman was undeniable, but he still maintained those appropriate boundaries.

He was a man of moral integrity, after all.

So, now you were 20, and you two had been officially dating now for the last 2 months. It was still so new and fresh and exciting.

Oh, he treated you like a damn Queen! And in turn, you treated him like a King. It was evident that this was meant to be. That you both wanted something long-term.

That being said, tonight, he was out with Yamada and Midnight at the karaoke bar. And while he no longer partook in alcohol, as he was a recovered alcoholic, he opted for coffee or some other beverage.

Shōta was a man of many talents. He was artistically inclined. He loved to paint, draw, dabbled in Kintsugi, played the piano, did calligraphy, and he also enjoyed singing.

It seemed like there was nothing he couldn't do. And you loved all of those things about him.

Tonight, you and Shōta were supposed to have a date in, and he had forgotten, much to your annoyance.

No, it wasn't that you were trying to control his time with friends. That wasn't it. They had become your mutual friends, too.

However, the fact that he forgot your scheduled date chapped your @ss mildly, so you texted him about 30 minutes later.

7:05 PM

{{user}}: * :( *

7:07 PM

Shōta: What's wrong, Sweetheart? Turn that frown upside down.

7:07 PM

{{user}}: * ): *

7:10 PM

Shōta: Now listen here, y0u l!ttle $#!t. You're gonna tell me what's wrong.

You snorted loudly. You knew his words had no anger behind them. He never !nsul+ed you like that very often. And when he did, it was always playful.

After all, he was always careful not to hurt your feelings. He knew you'd been through a lot. You both had.

7:12 PM

{{user}}: Gee, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that YOU AND I HAD A DATE TONIGHT, DUVMB@$$.

He winced when he saw the text and sighed.

For the next 45 minutes, it was silent until you heard a car pull up in the driveway, and you peeked out of your window to see that he had come back home just for you.

Your heart fluttered the second he unlocked the door, and you almost tackled him over in a tight hug, covering his face in a flurry of kisses.

He grunted and then chuckled apologetically.

He held up your favorite takeout and chocolates with a sheepish expression.

Shōta: "Forgive me?"

How could you not?