Movies at Home
The credits in the last of the animated films they had agreed on watching.
“I’m glad we spent the weekend like this.”
Kiko was resting her head on Hidetake’s lap and he smiled down at her.
“I am too. Hey... I-I’m sorry about Friday, I wasn’t thinking.”
Kiko waved her hand.
“It’s fine, I also had a bit too much to drink. Just...”
She stopped herself from finishing the sentence.
“What is it?”
Kiko blushed and looked away from him embarrassed.
“It’ll sound stupid.”
“No it won’t.”
She sat up next to him.
“It’s just. You were talking about looks, and they didn’t match with me. Then you said Yuki was attractive. She’s slimmer and younger than me, and you two were getting along so well. Then you have all your 2D girls and figurines with their perfect looks. It’s like I’m competing for your attention with women you find more attractive than me. I’m not getting any younger so at a point it feels like I can’t even try.”
She was looking at the wall behind the couch fighting off the tears that were getting the better of her.
“I know, it sounds stu-“
There was a small rush of breeze as Hidetake rushed to hold her tight.
“Don’t say that. It’s not stupid.”
Kiko continued to try to fight back tears.
“You’re going to say, Yuki is Rika’s girlfriend and she has zero interest in you anyway.”
“I would also say she is very cute, and Rika is too. But, I say that only as a compliment.”
“You’ll also say that 2D isn’t real so it doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, but what does matter is that it matters to you.”
Kiko began sniffling, losing the bout with her tears.
“You think they’re all pretty, so what about me?”
“You’re cute and pretty, and you’re the one I love. So, if it’s a contest you win.”
“You’re just saying that.”
He wiped away some of her then fading tears.
“No I’m not, It’s true.”
Kiko nodded and began smiling again.
“I know.”
She let him hold her for a bit longer.
“Thanks.”
Hidetake kissed her on the forehead, she was slightly shocked by this as he didn’t openly show emotion too often.
“Any time.”
Kiko smiled.
“Maybe you should just say I look good on a regular basis.”
“I can do that.”
Suddenly a beep sounded from Kiko’s smartphone. She picked it up and opened the LINE app. It was a selfie of Yuki and Rika standing together under fireworks.
“That’s too cute.”
She turned the phone and showed it to Hidetake.
“I think my heart is going to stop. They’re adorable.”
“It looks like Rika took my suggestion.”
“What was your suggestion, you’re not meddling too much are you?”
“Not at all, I told her to go somewhere romantic and let her feelings be known.”
“Wait. Did she propose to her? I didn’t see the ring.”
“No. Not yet at least. “
Hidetake raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“She asked me last week when you should say ‘I love you’ for the first time. I used you as an example, told her she should sincerely tell her how she felt.”
Hidetake blushed, I don’t think mine was as romantic as theirs though.
“It was, it just didn’t look the same.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“At the office though...”
She smiled as she remembered the scene.
“A complete surprise in front of all our coworkers, who clapped and cheered?”
He relaxed his shoulders a little and stopped rubbing his neck.
“Yeah...”
Kiko held up her hand showing off her wedding band.
“Happiest moment of my life, I couldn’t have hoped for it to be any more perfect.”
Hidetake smiled remembering the scene with her.
“It was mine too.”
They kissed, and he added.
“It was pretty great though wasn’t it.”
She shoved him kiddingly.
“Don’t get too full of yourself. But, yes it was.”
She looked at the picture on her phone again.
“The string of fate that brought us together, is tied around their fingers too.”
She pushed the palm of her left hand against his. Both of their rings glinted in the warm light of the lamp next to the couch.
“They want me to be the one to marry them.”
Hidetake lowered his eyes a little, he realized the what she had earlier.
“Actually, I am going to be the one to marry them.”
Hidetake smiled and looked at her again.
“That’s going to be quite the wedding.”
Kiko nodded.
“It’ll be as perfect as ours. It’s my mission.”
“Do you have any details?”
“Rika had a dream.”
“She told you?”
“Yes. It’s pretty cute.”
“And she’s such a good story teller. Let me hear it.”
“First let’s get more beverages.”
They both sat down on the couch again with big cans of beer.
“Hold on.”
Kiko picked up her smartphone and selected to take a picture in the chat with Rika.
“Let’s take a selfie for them.”
The both held up the beers in cheers and Kiko snapped the picture of them.
Rika received a message from Kiko. A selfie of her and Hidetake, with text attached.
|Sorry about leaving you with the bar tab!|
Rika’s eyes widened and horror spread across her face.
Yuki looked away from the fireworks and saw Rika’s expression.
“What is it?”
Rika looked at her, her face was red from embarrassment.
“The bar tab.”
Yuki’s face turned bright red.
“Oh no.”
Rika suddenly smiled.
“I guess we’re going for drinks tomorrow after work.”
Yuki nodded.
“I guess so.”
Kiko suddenly got a message back. She gasped and began giggling.
“What is it?”
Kiko turned to him hiding her laughter behind her hand.
“They forgot to pay the tab on Friday.”
Hidetake inhaled sharply.
“I guess we’ll go to get drinks tomorrow?”
Kiko nodded.
“Probably.”
They put their cans together.
“To love! Cheers!”
She sent the short audio message to Rika.
In response she got a message of Rika and Yuki yelling with the roar of fireworks in the background.
“Pay your tab tomorrow!”
Kiko sent a flirty heart sticker back.
She turned to Hidetake.
“Wedding details now, and I also have proposal ideas.”
Hidetake took a sip of his beer.
“I’m all ears.”
She readjusted the way she sat to better suit storytelling.
“So, it will take place in a botanical garden...”
