Chitoge stood for a moment longer before answering, brushing the wind from her face with one hand.
"…I'll stay here. In America," she said, her voice calm. " I think… I'm not mature enough for relationship stuff yet."
Her fingers twisted together—
—like she was physically holding back the words.
*Her lips parted. For a second, Raku saw it: not breath, but a silent syllable—
"Wa—" (Was I? / Wait) or "Do—" (Don't go)
Then her jaw snapped shut. The moment died.
Her eyes didn't meet anyone's, but her smile held steady—even through the glimmer in her lashes.
"I'm going to chase my dream. I want to become a fashion model. For real this time."
No one interrupted.
Tsugumi's gaze stayed locked on Chitoge's retreating back. Her knuckles bleached white against her sleeve, fabric straining under her grip.
"…Just keep your promise, Ichijou." A beat. "To protect Ojou-sama."
Shuu, as always, had that naive grin on his face—like he couldn't quite process what just passed, or maybe he just didn't want to.
Ruri surged forward, thumping her forehead against Onodera's shoulder like an angry cat. "Ten years," she hissed, voice trembling between tears and triumph. "You ridiculous, beautiful idiot."
Onodera laughed into her hair: "Takes one to know one. Weren't you worse with Shu?"
Ruri's ears flushed crimson. "Shut up. This is your day, doormat."
She thumped Onodera's back one last time—a little too hard—before releasing her.
Onodera grinned, flour streaking Ruri's dress. "Says the girl who spent middle school hiding Shu's love letters."
Ruri's flush deepened. "I was curating his bad poetry!"
Behind them, Shu smiled—not his usual grin, but something softer. Knowing.
Raku looked down. His fists clenched at his sides.
This is what it is.I'm logical here. The most loyal… deserves.
Onodera was the one who waited.Onodera loves me.
The thought cut clean, but left edges that still bled
He raised his head sharply, voice breaking through the stillness:
"I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU, CHITOGE!!"
His voice echoed slightly through the open hill air.
She didn't turn back. Shoulders tight, she walked faster—
She swiped at her cheeks once, sharp and furious, before vanishing over the ridge.
No one followed.
And when she disappeared over the ridge, no one followed.
After the Bloom
Seasons passed. Time moved the way it always does—quietly, then all at once.
After graduation, under a sky with no clouds, Raku married Kosaki Onodera.
The ceremony was simple. Honest. Surrounded by people who had known everything from the start.
Onodera baked the wedding cake herself—soft, delicate, and a little uneven. She refused Raku's help, saying she wanted to make it with her own hands.
Ruri suddenly crushed her in a hug, whispering through her own tears: "Took you long enough, dummy."
Raku laughed. "It's perfect," he said—and this time, everyone agreed.
They smiled easily now. They cooked together. He kept his promise—there was a real ring this time.
And sometimes—once or twice a year—
They visited her.
Chitoge.
She never stayed in one city too long.But she always made time—between auditions, photoshoots, and flights.
Each time they saw her, she was a few more steps ahead—closer to the dream she once spoke of quietly on that hill.
They laughed when they met. Spoke like friends. Took photos with old memories behind their eyes.
And when the visit ended—
She always waved a little longer than she needed to.
The End