"okasan, lets go home together alright?" Ryuu's smile quickly turned into a frown when his mother gave a disappointing response.

"no," she replied coldly.

"huh?"

"kidding... we are going home later, but first, we are going to your uncle's house for dinner!" Mirai surprised him with a huge smile that he hasn't received from his mother for a long long time.

"ah! awesome! lets go then!" Ryuu took the initiative to take his mother's hand and led her out of the unbalanced ground of the dark graveyard. Mirai found herself dazing into her son's backview, relieving herself in his tight grip just like as though Ryosuke was possessing him. She smiled and felt that she took an unnecessarily long route to reconcile with her son which would otherwise be sweet and memorable. time has been wasted and hearts have been hurt, from now, she sworn to Ryosuke she would wholeheartedly love their son and shower him with all the tender-loving care she could provide.

Without breaking off their handgrip, they became the center of everyone's awe, including the other guests at Daiki's house, Chinen and Umika. It was only when Ryuu volunteered to help Chinen with the desserts in the kitchen that their hands finally released from each other.

Daiki sneaked up at Mirai who was gazing at Ryuu from behind the kitchen doors, smiling at his playful interaction with Chinen.

"Ryuu doesn't just look a lot like his father, he also has inherited his father's personality which makes him so likable to anyone. Isn't it fate that led Chinen and Ryosuke to become good friends within a short period, with Chinen so fond of him. and now both Chinen and Ryuu are fond of each other. it's just so adorable to see Chinen childishly fooling around with the young boy" Daiki chuckled as he said softly to Mirai.

"yeah, exactly my sentiments too"

"well, I see that the 2 of you patched up, and you guys are better than ever"

"yes, thanks Niichan for shouting some sense into my slow brain"

"no problem, I'm your brother, remember that. I'm always here for you," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Niichan, I thought... maybe it's time to pass him the letter, but I'm afraid what is written in it would affect his mood... I really don't know if it's a good idea to ever give it to him"

"do you think Ryosuke would do anything to harm you, or has he done anything that would upset you?"

"of course not... he always make sure he accounts for anything that may upset me"

"then what are you scared of. I'm sure he won't write anything in the letter that would hurt the boy. Mirai, this is the only present that Ryosuke has prepared for his son, which he didn't even live to know he existed. you have to pass this to Ryuu no matter what."

"you're right. I shouldn't be wasting Ryosuke's efforts. at that point in time when he was drafting those piles of letters, each one of them should be physically draining, yet he wrote one for someone he never knew will exist."

"yes, Mirai. it's really thoughtful of him. anyway, you don't have to worry so much. look at Ryuu, he's a lot more matured in his thinking than any of us. he'll probably accept whatever he reads better than us"

"that's true. this boy has the maturity of his father too. even though I'm the one mistreating him, he was still willing to take it all in and regarded me as his honour mother" Mirai let a smile crept up on her face.

"Yamette ojisan~" Chinen rubbed some flour on Ryuu's face and they started chasing each other in the huge kitchen. By the time Mirai and Daiki interfered the two childish guys, they were both smudged with white flour in their hairs, face and everywhere else.

"boys, enough ne... how old are you Chinen, still playing like you're 16? bullying my poor boy" Mirai unconsciously found herself wrapping Ryuu in her arms and protested at Chinen. Ryuu was so immersed in his mother's protective arms that he just kept gazing at her until Daiki woke him from his trance.

*****
After Chinen and Umika drove Ryuu and Mirai home, Ryuu has been totally engrossed with observing his mother's silence. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but he heard his mother on her phone with the relatives from his father's side. He knew everytime they called her, she would always looked burdened, this time as well. Ryuu knew what they wanted, cause everytime they called, Mirai would find all sorts of excuses to decline meeting them, sending only him to their house alone. Ryuu guessed the reason why his mother avoided them - cause she wasn't prepared to face them, cause her heart still hurts when she has to face anything that reminds her of his father.

After he washed up, he laid on his bed, worried about his mother. He was almost sure she's not gonna be able to sleep well today. Worst, would she be crying? He recalled the promise he made to her earlier, the promise to protect her and walk through the pain with her. He nodded his head in determination and sprung out of his bed. 

His guess was right. When he peeked into the quiet masterbed room, he saw her crouching on one side of the twin bed, staring blankly into space. It's only when he climbed onto her bed beside her that she noticed he entered.

"Ryuu? Anything you need? sorry I didn't hear you coming..." She looked into her son's shimmering eyes as he settled down beside her, tugging his feet under the blanket, warming himself in the air-conditioned room.

"is it okay if I sleep in with you today, okasan?" his request along with such bright smile warm her heart and consoled her tensed nerves. 

"if you wanna talk through the night, I would love to~" he added. Mirai knew at once that Ryuu read her mind. Well, that's another similarity between Ryuu and Ryosuke, they are both good at reading minds, or perhaps her own mind was just too easily read.

"you don't have to do that for me Ryuu. it's a long day for you too, you need to rest"

"I'm fine, okasan~Frankly, I don't feel like sleeping. today is just like a dream, so once I sleep, I'm afraid when I wake up the next day, everything will go back to the way it was"

"it's not going to, Ryuu. I promise."

"but still, just let me accompany you, okasan. I promised both otousan to take care of you, didnt I" Mirai sighed as her son insisted, yet concurrently, her heart felt fuzzy.

"alright then... what do you wanna talk about?" Mirai questioned first while lowering her body beneath the blanket. soon they were both lying down, cuddling beside each other, while staring at each other as they spoke. 

"I always wanted to ask, if you don't mind, how did you come up with my name? Few years back, a teacher posed this question to the class, about the origins of our name, since then I'm so curious"

"your name... it's given by your otousan..."

"huh?! but I thought otousan didn't even know I existed."

"he didn't. but since I wanted to have you, I kinda initiated the question with the thought that I'll definitely have you," Mirai recounted that night after the passionate exchange.

~
"Ryosuke, I really don't want to lose you. I..." Mirai cried in his arms as they laid under the thick blanket. He silenced her cries with another kiss. By then, it has became a fact that Ryosuke's life is numbered. Not a single person could properly face him without tearing, so he excused himself to his own secret shelter to save everyone's agony and to reconcile his own mind. Conversation topics are no longer about hopes, instead there was really nothing anyone could say to make him feel better.

"lets talk about something else...alright, Mirai?" she saw tears in his eyes as well, and knew he didn't want to be reminded of his death as much as her, so she forced herself to move on to another topic.

"Ryosuke, do you want a girl or boy?" she blushed as she probed suddenly, especially when he looked like he was seriously thinking of an answer.

"either is fine, as long as it's ours. I hope they'll be as adorable as you..." he caressed her hair as he seemingly teased.

"as me?! I hope they'll get your charm instead. there's nothing good about me"

"hey hey, I told you that there's everything good about you, don't look down on yourself" Mirai nodded with an unconvinced look.

"Ryo, maybe you should give our kid a name..."

"that's fast... i've never seen you so efficient about something before... haha your serious face is really cute"

"oi Ryosuke" she pinched his cheeks, but realised it was a bad move cause it evoked more sorrows in her mind when she found his once characteristic chubby cheeks have disappeared. what's left, are the hardened cheek bones that are easily felt from the thin flesh cover. 

"hmm let me think...what about.... Ryuu for a boy, and Yuna for a girl..."

Mirai's eyes brightened up as she's absolutely adoring the given names already.

"Sounds great! Yamada Ryuu, Yamada Yuna!" she recited exhilaratingly.

"it's Nakajima Ryuu and Nakajima Yuna..." Ryosuke corrected with a gentle smile, entirely ignorant of Mirai's startled expression.

"they are your children, why name them after Yuto?"

"I don't want our children to be fatherless. besides, I am sure Yuto does a more brilliant job at parenting than me. in this lifetime, I won't have a shot at parenting, that's a fact"

She felt a lump in once again, she didn't want to look pathetically weak in front of her dying boyfriend who explicitly made it clear he just wanted to spend a peaceful night with her. Difficult as it seemed, she held back her tears. Serenading in each other's warmth embraces, enjoying frequent short and long kisses, fingers tangled, the night was well spent as though there's only two person breathing in this heartless world. 

****
"Okasan...." Ryuu saw his mother in tears and felt guilty for having asked her the question. He rolled over and leaned on his side, facing his mother and gently brushed her fallen tears.

"Yamada Ryuu or Nakajima Ryuu, I'm always yours and otousan's only beloved son right. I know otousan loves you really deeply, but I'll do my very best to replace the hole in your heart that he left behind, okay?"

Mirai was so touched beyond words that she nodded with tears of happiness b in her eyes. her son's maturity and tenderness were just too comfortable that she just relies on him without reservation.

"so... the gathering with otousan's family, I'll go with you... together... we'll face them together okay?"

"Ryuu?" she's surprised he knew what's troubling her.

"I know you are avoiding Chihiro and Misaki Obasan, and sohubo (grandparents), you didn't know how to face them after otousan passed away right? you think it'll be awkward and painful too right since everyone will be reminded of otousan. but now there's me, I'll share the burden with you, you're definitely not alone now. so there's no need to be afraid, ne okasan"

Mirai nodded in gratitude and at this instance, she made a solid decision. "Ryuu, there's something I have to give you... I should have given you long ago, but I think you're more prepared now to receive it" Ryuu returned a blank face which turned to confusion when Mirai stepped out from the bed and retrieved a sealed envelope from the box he saw her opening occasionally. Ryuu's eyes widened when she returned beside him with the front of the envelope written several words that made his heart waver.

"To my son, Ryuu"

"okasan? what's this?" still recovering from his confusion, he took the envelope from his mother and asked.

"it's from Ryosuke"

"HUH? But otousan doesn't even know I exist, how did he write a letter for me? when did he? why did you only give it now?" Ryuu felt very lost, unstable in his tone. He suppressed this feeling of betrayal having received this item given by his dad only 16 years later, after his mother heavily concealed from him.

"Your father wrote one for you, one for the girl if she is born. I don't know when he wrote this, but surely it's the last few days before he passed away. He past it to Chinen, along with all the other letters to us, and Chinen handed to me after his death. When I received it from Chinen, I was so shocked to see your name amongst it. I'm sorry Ryuu. I was really afraid the contents will affect you, so I hesitated for so long."

Ryuu's expression was f