I just sat there, waiting, praying, hoping that I'd see Shunsuke's face any moment now. I tried counting to myself to one hundred, thinking that by the time I reach a hundred, he'd appear at the opening. However, it took several hundred seconds before I heard the boys near me.
Suddenly, I saw Shunsuke come through the exit, blood covering his arm and there was dried blood on his forehead and cheeks. I let out a small cry when I saw him as happiness overcame my body upon seeing him standing before me and not Chance. He smiled when he caught sight of me, running up to me and embracing me in a hug, kissing me.
I kissed him back, "How badly does it hurt?" I asked, pulling back. It was a dumb question to ask if he was ok when it was clear he wasn't. I ran my hands gently over his face, down his neck, over his shoulders, and across his arms. There didn't seem to be any deep gases, but he'd need some bandages.
"Shunsuke is the winner!" my father announced from the box up in the stands. I turned and looked up at him, smiling. My father gave me a knowing nod. It would seem he wasn't as opposed to the two of us anymore.
~.~
"What do you mean this was all a test?" I cried in astonishment.
It was several hours later, right before the Champion's ball where my father would officially announce that Shunsuke was mine, and I his. Shunsuke, now bandaged and cleaned up, was sitting on the sofa in the living room. I was pacing the room in front of him.
"We had to see if he was really serious about you," my father replied.
"So, from the moment we got here, everything was set up?" Shunsuke asked from his perch on the sofa.
Chance, who was standing at my father's side, nodded. "Your father went a little off script when he found out about you being human, but other than that, yes. Your letter had us slightly worried, Kay, but we had no doubt that you loved him, but we wanted to make sure he wouldn't betray you."
"Only a man with courage and true bravery and honor could have stayed in the competition as you did. It's certainly honorary. I would be happy to call you my son," my mother said with a knowing smile.
Shunsuke and I exchanged looks. Neither one of us had seen this coming at all, and we didn't know how to respond to it all. I sat down next to Shunsuke, leaning on him, resting my head on his shoulder. He held me close to him, leaning his head atop of mine.
"So, it's settled. I'll announce your engagement at the party tonight," my father said, turning to head out of the room.
I frowned. "No," I shook my head, I sat up straighter. I heard everyone gasp at my answer.
"No? I thought this was what you wanted," my father said, confusion lining his face as he exchanged a look with my mother.
I stood up. "It's true that I love Shunsuke, but I don't want to marry him because you want us to. I don't want you to announce an engagement when he himself hasn't asked me yet." I didn't know if I was ready for marriage yet, and I certainly didn't know how Shunsuke felt about the matter, but I wanted us to get to that level together on our own terms.
My father raised an eyebrow to this. "If that is how you want it, than I will not argue with it. But, how should I introduce him at the ball?" my father asked.
I shrugged, looking down at shunsuke with a smile. "Just say that he's my boyfriend."
