Saturday afternoon.

Tsuchiya went to the Oedo house to pick Yankumi up for their date. When he got there, he was met by Tetsu and Minoru.

"Konnichiwa. I'm Tsuchiya Hikaru. Is Yankumi home?" he asked.

Tetsu remembered him since the young man once hid in the house along with his friends to protect Odagiri Ryu.

"Uh...who are you?" Minoru asked.

Tetsu hit him with his hand. "He just explained who he is!"

Then, Tetsu turned to Tsucchi. "Hai, Ojou (My lady) is at home."

Minoru looked at his elder brother in shock. "Aniki!"

Tetsu looked at Minoru and explained. "Daijoubu, he is Ojou's friend who had visited here once."

Minoru heaved a sigh. Then, the two henchmen invited Tsucchi to come inside.

*****

Tsuchiya sat on his legs, sitting in front of the Yakuzas. He was feeling like walking on eggshells since these guys could be notorious if angered. The old leader began talking ambiably with him, and the young assistant cameraman answered the questions carefully and politely. Later, Yankumi came out of her room still wearing the usual outfit that she wears everyday.

"Ikimashou ne (Let's go, shall we?)," she beamed happily.

Tsuchiya nodded hesitantly and stood up. Then, both of them went out. As the two stepped out of the door, Tetsu let out a silent sigh. The fact that Tsucchi came to get Yankumi means that they are going on a date, and he was feeling jealous.

"My granddaughter might have a lover soon, haha," Ojii-chan Ryuichiro said in amusement. "I am glad she will be having the normal life of a girl."

Tetsu hid his jealousy when the old patriarch said it. He was not prepared that his Ojou is gonna get married--to someone else.

*****

"Where are we going, Tsucchi?" Yankumi asked densely. She had no idea that this is a date-- a date where lovers and soon-to-be-lovers go.

"Uh, I will let you decide," Tsuchiya said, blushing. "Something fun or r---er--exciting!"

Tsuchiya sighed silently, as he was about to say the "romantic" word. Yankumi stopped in her tracks and thought. Fun or exciting.

"How about the amusement park?" Yankumi asked. "My treat."

Tsuchiya shook his head. "Iie (no), my treat. I asked you out, remember?"

"Oh, I forgot," Yankumi sheepishly said. "But I can treat you if you like. After all, I was your homeroom teacher."

Tsuchiya shook his head again. "Let's just say this is a thank-you gift for you."

He did not mention that he was taking her out on a date. He was scared she would kill him or walk away.

"Ah...wakatta (I understand)," she said to him in reply. 

They went to the park and ate sweets, sat on the swings, and rode on the ferris wheel. Next, Tsuchiya suggested that they catch some flicks, and she agreed.

The movie that they watched was a romantic comedy flm, and Yankumi was totally laughing her stomach out. Tsuchiya snickered a bit, then looked at her in satisfaction. He was really feeling good to make her laugh. Then, a scene in a movie features the lead girl jumping off from the bike, and Yankumi bent forward and mused.

"Whoah!!!! Did you see that! Sugoi (Amazing)!" she ed in great amusement.

She turned around to Tsuchiya to comment even more when her lips hit his lips, locking them both to a quick kiss. She was shocked that she had kissed her former student, and she backed out. She did not know Tsucchi also leaned forward in astonishment at the said scene.

"What was that?" Tsuchiya asked her about the kiss.

Yankumi felt heat climbing to her face, and she could feel her cheeks getting warmer and warmer. "Go..gomen nasai (Sorry)..."

"Dai..daijoubu (It's fine)..." Tsuchiya stammered.

They became conscious at each other that they laughed consciously. As they continued looking at the film, Yankumi touched her lips. The first kiss she received was from Shin, and they were about to consummate their relationship if Shin had not moved on to live a better life for himself. He promised her he will be back but later, he broke up with her.

And with that memory, she realized that Tsuchiya was actually asking her out on a date. She blushed at her realization. She remembered years before that Tsuchiya and his classmates were teasing each other, and they to that Miyazaki girl. He said he is not into younger girls and he preferred older women. To this, Yankumi came out of nowhere and asked if he meant her. The students, including Tsuchiya, were startled, and she told him not to be shy about it. Of course, she meant it as a joke, but she did not know that Tsucchi actually took on the joke. So maybe, did he really fall for her?

****

After the movie, they went to the park where they sat on the swings.

"Daijoubu?" Tsuchiya asked her.

She shook her head, and told her of her emptiness. She was happy being a teacher in an all-girls' school, but she felt sad that nobody in her class calls her Yankumi.

"Not even Mayumi herself," she pouted.

Tsuchiya smiled at her and held her hand. She looked at their intertwined hands, and she could feel the warmth that he radiated.

"Don't worry, I will call you by your nickname whenever you feel empty," he said. "Just call me."

Yankumi gaved a wan smile and thanked him.

*******

Finally, he accompanied her home.

"Thanks for the time," Yankumi said to him. "This is a date, is it not?"

Tsucchi blushed as he scratched his head. "Ee...ee..."

"You are the first guy who asked me out on a date," she confessed.

"Sou ka (Is that so)?" Tsuchiya asked. "It makes me feel special."

Yankumi pouted. "You could have told me. I could have dressed up."

Tsuchiya apologized. "I am not sure if you know of this stuff, 'coz you seem so dense."

"Nani (What)?????" Yankumi asked in irritation. "I would not have known of dates and romantic stuff if I had not grown up, and I would not have encouraged Takeda to fight for his love for Maki-chan if I do not know these things."

Tsuchiya apologized again. He and the guys were thinking she only knew how to teach and to fight since no guys had ever courted her.

"Oh, but I had a relationship with a student once," she admitted. "But we never got to be a couple."

Tsuchiya saw that she was disappointed with the fact that she never got to be the lover of that student, and the fact that he thought that she is dense about romance.  He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and pulled her close.

"Boku wa Yankumi ga daisuki (I like you very much, Yankumi)," he whispered.

Her heart fluttered when she heard those words. Shin was the first and last person to say that to her, and not even Kujo-sensei and Dr. Natsume said those precious words to her, though she had been crushing on them all along. She could not return Tsucchi's feelings as she is confused on what to feel.

Tsuchiya let go of his hug and looked at her. He took off her glasses, untied her ponytails, and handed her her things.

"I am looking at such a beautiful goddess, do you know?" Tsuchiya told her, making her blush.

"Tsuchiya..." she whispered. "I..."

But Tsuchiya did not allow her to finish speaking, because he slowly and gently gave her a kiss. She felt herself immersed in the kiss and found it delicious that she gave in and kissed him back. She was not sure on what to feel, but she liked his kiss, and she felt cool kissing a guy whom she thought was just one of her former students. It is not illegal, right? After all, Tsuchiya had also grown up. She finally found herself wanting him now that he confessed that he liked her.

When they broke from the kiss, Yankumi felt herself drowning in happy feelings. Could this be love?

"Hey, I gotta go," Tsuchiya told her.

"Thanks for the date," Yankumi said. Then, biting her lips, she smiled then said again. "And for the kiss."

She grabbed him by the collar and gave him another kiss, which Tsuchiya reciprocated.