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-- The first time you met --

The first time you met Makoto you were a freshman in high school. Born and raised for most of your life overseas, you felt like a deer in headlights in your classroom after you were introduced. Although you were fluent and highly proficient in the Japanese language, bilingual in English and Japanese to be exact, everyone looked at you and treated you differently.

Recently, your parents brought up the bright idea of returning to their hometown of Iwatobi. You were adamantly against moving to another country and wanted to stay home. Unfortunately for you, you're now stuck in Japan.

You sat by yourself on the roof, worried you were going to get picked on or interrogated with so many questions by your classmates.

"Haru, what are you staring at?"

Haruka was looking in your direction while eating his saba (mackerel) bento. Makoto looked over Haruka's shoulder and saw that you're sitting by yourself. Noticing the concerned expression on Haruka's face, Makoto placed his bento down and got up.

You stared at your bento and picked away at the meat, having lost your appetite. You wanted to go back to America, where your friends all were. You didn't want to be here.

"Hey, [Last name]-san?"

"Huh?"

"Would you like to sit with us?"

You looked up and saw your olive-haired classmate--Makoto was it?--smiling gently at you. You nodded as you felt a twinge of anxiety filling you up. You walked over with Makoto and sat down besides him and Haruka.

"I'm Tachibana Makoto, by the way. I sit in the back of the classroom with Haru-chan over here," Makoto grinned, picking up his bento.

Haruka glared at Makoto. "Again with the -chan..."

"Sorry, sorry," Makoto laughed it off.

You looked at Haruka and saw how distant he was.

"Nanase Haruka," he simply stated.

You nodded. "My name's [Last name] [First name]. I... I'm grateful for this. It's my first day of school and it's the middle of the school year, so making friends is a bit harder than I thought."

"It's okay, you now have us, [Last name]-san," Makoto said while eating his lunch.

You nodded once more, relieved to have made your first friends in Japan.

-- The first time you wore a yukata --

The first time you wore a yukata was weeks after you first met Makoto and Haruka. You were wearing a green yukata with a yellow obi, hair fixed up and adorned with a simple butterfly hairpin. You were waiting for your two friends at the squid festival, hoping that you were at the correct meetup location.

"Ah, [First name]-chan! I hope you weren't waiting too long," Makoto smiled as he was followed by Haruka.

"N-No, not at all!" you walked forward, almost tripping on your geta as Makoto broke your fall.

"Easy there! Are you okay?" Makoto tilted his head as he steadied you.

"S-Sorry, I'm not used to wearing this," you blushed, standing up straight. "Wasn't Haru right behind you?"

Makoto circled around and noticed Haruka had disappeared. He rubbed his temple then sighed. "Well, it's just you and me now. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind. Besides, I'd like to get to know you better now that we're alone," you held onto his arm, not wanting to get lost in the crowd.

Makoto tried his best at hiding his blush, quickly realizing that Haruka intentionally left the two of you alone. After all, Makoto had a small crush on you.

-- The first time you visited --

The first time you visited Makoto's house, you were interrogated by his two younger siblings. This was towards the end of the freshman year as you both prepared for finals. You were invited for an opportunity to study together since Haruka opted out.

"You have really pretty hair!"

"Were you really not born in Japan?"

"Can you say 'hello' in English?"

"Uh... 'hello'," you laughed as you spoke in English. Both of Makoto's younger siblings were full of excitement as they heard you speak different words in English to them.

"How come we've never seen you before?"

"Yeah, how come onii-chan brought you over?" Ran tilted her head as she swung her legs while seated next to you.

"Raaan, she's the first girl onii-chan ever brought over!" Ren exclaimed. "Are you dating onii-chan!?"

Ren inched close to your face, curious as ever. Your face reddened as the questions got more personal. Your mind started to work at a quick pace as you were trying to plot out different ways to get out of this conversation.

"Ahh... Ran, Ren! We need to study," Makoto crossed his arms and shook his head.

Alarmed by the stern expression on their older brother's face, Ran and Ren hastily ran up the stairs and left you alone with Makoto. You stifled a laugh as Makoto took his place beside you.

"Hehe, they're fun," you grinned.

"Yeah, they are," Makoto sighed. "Sorry about that, though. I wasn't expecting them to ask so many questions."

"It's fine, really," you shrugged it off. "Anyway, what lesson did you need help on?"

"Well..."

-- The first time you swam --

The first time you swam with Makoto was in your sophomore year of high school. It was after the long revival of the Iwatobi Swim Club and the drama leading into regionals were long over. You were at Iwatobi's swimming pool with the club during summer break, wearing a sun dress over your swimsuit. You look over and see Gou hiding under the shade with Rin, who was visiting from Samezuka Academy.

Haruka was already taking advantage of floating on his back in the pool, and you were considering joining him.

You took off your dress down to your bikini, unaware of the eyes that bore on your form. You turned around and saw everyone staring at you.

"What?" you arched your eyebrow, placing your dress in your tote, jumping into the pool and swimming over to where Makoto was.

Rin's cheeks turned a bit rosy as he tried his best to look away, being teased by his younger sister. Nagisa was excited to see you swim as Rei stood in awe of your 'beauty'.

Makoto rose from the water, surprised to see that you finally caved in and got in the pool. Finally realizing you're wearing a two-piece and exposing much of your skin, Makoto tried his best to avert his gaze on you.

"Mako-chan, you okay? You've been staring at me," you waved your hand in front of Makoto, splashing him immediately afterwards.

"A-Ah! Heeeey!" Makoto laughed, splashing water back at you.

Nagisa was soon to jump into the pool and joined in. "Don't leave us out!"

-- The first time you had a crush --

The first time you had a crush on Makoto, you thought you were getting sick. Every time you were around him you felt as if your heart was about to burst out of your chest. A month earlier it was Valentine's Day and you made chocolate for all of your male friends. You even made Makoto's extra special and didn't think much of it. On the other hand, you embarrassed the tall swimmer, who thought of your gesture as an implication of your feelings for him. Now that it's White Day and almost the end of the second year of high school, Makoto decided to do something special for you.

You were sitting alone at your desk, doodling in your notebook as you glanced at your female classmates receiving gifts from secret admirers. You couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, but you weren't expecting anything, let alone from Makoto. You looked over your shoulder and took notice of Haruka peering down at Makoto's desk as whispers were exchanged. You tried not to overthink as you pulled out your textbook, hoping to distract yourself with notes for the upcoming finals.

Makoto nodded at Haruka, who took to his seat. He was staring at your form, hoping no other guy would sweep you away for the day. He wanted to make White Day special; even if he didn't have the confidence to confess to you, he wanted to at least show you how he felt.

As hours passed by, you found yourself walking home alone with Makoto.

"I'm surprised Haru left ahead of us," you said as you broke the silence.

"A-Ah. Yeah..." Makoto looked over as he saw disappointment on your face. "Did you get anything for White Day?"

"No. I really shouldn't expect anything, but I'm kinda jealous," you sighed.

"Well, umm..." Makoto reached in his bag and wrapped a scarf around you. You stopped walking and looked down, reaching to touch the fabric. You noticed it matched that of Makoto's orange scarf.

"Makoto...?" you questioned him. "What's this for?"

"I wanted to get you something for White Day. I'm sorry it's not much but--a-ah!" Makoto stumbled back as you threw your arms around him.

"Thank you. I really like it," you smiled as you let go of him and started walking ahead.

Makoto adjusted his own scarf and hid part of his face, hoping you wouldn't witness his embarrassment.

-- The first time you fell in love --

The first time you fell in love, you were at a loss with yourself. Now in your third year of high school, you were staring down at the form for your career development, sitting alone on the roof. While everyone else would be preparing for college entrance exams, you had two options: stay behind in Japan and attend university there or go to college back home. You were torn.

"Can't decide either?" Makoto said as he sat down beside you, holding onto the bento in his lap.

You shook your head. "Nope. Ama-sensei tried helping me out, but said the final decision was my own."

"Did you want to leave Japan?" Makoto softened his tone.

"I do... and I don't. To be honest, I don't have a reason to stay," you trailed off. "I've already been accepted to a few overseas universities to attend this Fall, so there's the possibility of only attending half a year here in Iwatobi."

"Don't go," Makoto said, eyes widening in realization at what came out of his mouth. "A-ah! I mean, it's your choice but... I'd like for you to stay."

"I'll think about it," you replied. "I feel much better now after talking to you. Thank you, Makoto."

"Yep!" he beamed at you, opening up his bento.

You sat close to Makoto and peered down at what he brought for lunch. "Ooh, that looks so good!"

"I made enough for the both of us."

"Really? I can't wait!"

After classes were over for the day, you immediately decided to walk home by yourself. Despite still having time to make a decision on your future career, you needed time to think things over. You were brought back to what Makoto said earlier during lunch. You were surprised he wanted you to stay. You stopped walking and shut your eyes tightly, reaching over for the collar to your blazer with one hand. You gripped the fabric tightly as you felt your heartbeat rapidly, a feeling you haven't felt since realizing your crush on Makoto.

"I was wondering where you went!" Makoto huffed while gasping for air.

You turned around, surprised that Makoto ran all the way to catch up with you. "Mako-chan...?"

"I didn't get to fully express why I wanted you to stay, so... here goes it!" Makoto took a deep breath and gripped your shoulders. "[First name], I like you! I like you a lot, so please don't go!"

You were in shock as Makoto confessed his feelings to you. You jumped forward and wrapped your arms around his torso, resting your head against his chest. "I like you, too. I think I have an idea of what to do now..."

He wrapped his arms around you, not wanting to let go. "So you'll stay?"

"Yeah, I'll submit some applications and take the college entrance exams here in Japan."

"I'm so relieved..."

-- The first time you kissed --

The first time you kissed Makoto was during your first date. You and Makoto were unable to hide the relationship from your friends, especially after swim practices. Now that it's the weekend and your day off from school, you were about to venture off onto your first date with him.

You spent an hour going through your own wardrobe, torn on what to wear until you opted for a dress with a cardigan. After applying makeup and accessorizing, you left for the rendezvous location.

Makoto was standing near a lamppost, hands in his pocket as he was nervous. He stood up straight upon catching sight of you.

"Sorry I'm late," you said, adjusting the shoulder strap to your purse.

"N-No, don't worry about it!" Makoto grinned. "I will admit though: I am a bit nervous."

You chuckled and confidently replied. "It's only me, Makoto. There's nothing to be nervous about. We already know that we like each other, it's not like we have any confessing to do."

"You sound so experienced," Makoto whined. "Are you sure I'm your first boyfriend?"

"You are... I'm honest!" you gasped, then elbowed his side. "Why, am I not your first girlfriend?"

"You're my first! Geez, [First name]..." he flustered, trying his best to hide his blush. You giggled a bit as you noticed he kept looking over while the both of you walked.

The date was well spent having lunch at a café to watching a romantic-comedy. You were excited once the movie was over.

"That movie was so good!" you exclaimed, holding onto Makoto's hand. "I knew they were going to get together, but not in the way that I expected!"

"It was a great movie choice," Makoto nodded in agreement, having a firm grip on your hand. You both were on your way to your home.

"I kinda wish this date isn't coming to an end," you sighed. "I really had a great time."

"Well we have to make sure our next date will exceed our expectations then, right?" Makoto stopped walking, aware your home is around the corner.

"Yeah! I'm already excited," you replied, about to let go of Makoto's hand until he held it tighter. "Umm... thanks for not dropping me at my door. I don't want my parents to know... not yet at least."

"I understand. I don't know how to bring it up to my own parents, or even my younger siblings," he softly said, leaning down.

Makoto saw this as the perfect moment to take a leap of fate and kiss you. He closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips against yours. You closed your eyes as well, reciprocating the kiss only seconds before you both pulled away.

"I'll see you at school on Monday?" he asked, gently placing a kiss on your eyelid.

"Yeah, see you then," you said as you let go of his hand. You waved as you walked over to your house.

Makoto watched your form and sighed, starting to walk in the direction of his home. He blushed madly at the realization you both just shared a kiss. He reached up to touch his lips, still feeling the warmth that emitted from you.

-- The first time you slept over --

The first time you slept over at Makoto's house, you were both nervous.

"It's weird being over your house when no one else is around. Are you sure you don't want to invite Haru and the others?" you looked at Makoto's desk, noticing how neat it is.

"Ahh, well... I was hoping to spend some time alone with you," he gently scratched his cheek.

You giggled, guiding his hands to rest on your waist as you wrapped your arms around his neck. "What did you have in mind for us to do?"

Makoto blushed, nervous because of your alluring behavior. "Nothing, really. I'm just a bit excited to have you stay over for the night."

"Oh?" you tilted your head a bit, taking advantage of poking fun at your boyfriend. You let go of him as you make your way to the television. "I hope you're ready for me."

"What do you mean?" Makoto shyly asked, hoping you're not implying moving so quickly in the relationship.

You tossed over a controller as he catches it in his arms.

"I'm going to win. Two out of three?" you cheekily grinned, planting yourself on the floor as you cross your legs.

Makoto bobbed his head before situating himself on the bed right behind you. "Sounds fair! What's the prize?"

"Whoever wins gets to do one thing for the other person. Like make a meal or something!" you glanced back before returning your line of vision to the screen.

"Hmm, okay. Fair enough," Makoto said with determination. "I won't be easy on you."

"Neither will I."

-- The first time you saw him cry --

The first time you saw Makoto cry was after he fought with Haruka. It was towards the end of summer and he came to you looking very gloomy and downcast.

"What happened?" you asked, seeing that his shoulders were slumped.

He gave off a sigh and leaned forward, resting his head against your shoulder before he broke out a few sobs.

"[First name], am I selfish?" he whispered as you wrapped your arms around him, gently patting his back.

"No, but..." you paused for a moment, carefully choosing your choice of words. "It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

"Then is it selfish of me to ask that we never get into an argument?" Makoto pulled away, looking down at you with red, bloodshot eyes. "It's such a horrible feeling."

Assuming Makoto got into a fight with Haruka, you raised your hand and gently cupped his face.

"I cannot make any promises, but I'll try my best so long as you do as well. Arguments are usually inevitable in relationships but as long as we work things out, I'm sure we'll be alright."

-- The first time you fought (and made love) --

The first time you and Makoto fought was during your first year of college. You were waiting at your single bedroom apartment, and Makoto was planning on having dinner at your place. It was becoming more frequent that he was staying out late, usually staying out later at the library to focus on his studies or helping Haruka out with his training. As a result, Makoto has also become more forgetful whenever you and him made dinner plans, and you've often found yourself being stood up and left alone.

You put the leftovers in the fridge and washed the dishes. After placing the last plate on the dish rack, you're startled after hearing a few consecutive knocks on the front door to your apartment.

You open the door, frowning after seeing a very apologetic Makoto.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Makoto cried out, worried you're upset with him again.

And you are.

"Yeah, sure," you closed the door in his face, choking back a sob as tears welled up in your eyes.

"[First name]! Please, open up!" he knocked once more, worried that your relationship with him is going downhill.

You took a deep breath and opened the door, pulling him inside so that your neighbors wouldn't raise a concern due to the noise level.

"What, you're expecting me to easily forgive you, Makoto?" you frowned.

"You know I've been busy with schoolwork and our schedules are different!" he's shocked that you won't accept his apology. He places down his backpack and tries to reach for you.

You stepped back and crossed your arms while trying not to cry. "You see Haru more than me. Is this relationship really worth all the time and effort to invest in if we barely even see each other? You haven't, not even once, informed me if you were going to be late or won't make it. I've been stood up multiple times!"

Makoto's relieved to see that you've opened up to him. He wrapped his arms around you. "See? Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"What do you mean?" you looked up at him as tears slipped out from your eyes.

"You haven't been honest with me about your feelings. You've been holding back around me," he replied. "I'll try to be better at this--us."

"I-I guess I'm sorry as well," you mumbled as Makoto gently wiped your tears away with his thumbs. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, too."

He gently kissed your forehead and held you even closer, not wanting to let go. "Let me make it up to you."

"How?" you asked him, nuzzling your head against his chest.

"It's your choice. I'll do anything," Makoto replied, pulling back a bit so that he could see your face.

You bit your lip for a moment before shakily responding. "I want to 'do it'. I finally want to 'sleep' with you."

"You mean... a-ah," Makoto suddenly blushed and turns his head away. "A-are you sure? I mean I'm ready but--"

"Then that should be more than enough reason, because I'm ready too."

-- The first time you got engaged --

The first time you got engaged to Makoto was after college. You both decided to remain in Tokyo following your graduation after Makoto found a full-time position as a swimming instructor at a recreational center while you ended up being able to work from home as an editor.

After being caught up with work for the last few weeks, you both decided to take a weekend trip to Iwatobi and visit your respective families.

You were nervous as it was the first time you were visiting home in a while.

The night before you were both going to travel to Iwatobi, Makoto decided to take you out for the evening. You're appreciative of how he was treating you, though you noticed he was acting a bit 'different'.

"Makoto, are you okay?" you asked, seeing that he kept looking off in the distance.

"Yes, I am! Not to worry," he forced on a laugh, trying to avoid the subject.

You held onto his arm as you both walked in the park, enjoying the cherry blossoms while immersed in a romantic setting. You sighed happily, grateful to have moments like these when given the opportunity.

"Sometimes this feels so surreal," you broke the silence. "We've lasted so many years since high school, and here we are--still together."

Makoto smiled and looked down at you as you observed the cherry blossom petals fall into the nearby pond. You both walked over to a bench and relaxed, continuing to take in the scenery that's unfolding.

"It's all thanks to you for being so patient with me," said Makoto.

"And you as well! I can't take all the credit. We've learned to work out our problems whenever they arose," you chuckled. "We're not a perfect couple, but in my eyes, I'd like to think that we are. Don't you agree?"

"Mhm, I do," he replied. "That's why I need to ask you something."

"Huh? Oh, go ahead," you looked at him as he got up. You raised your eyebrow as he suddenly reached in his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?" Makoto nervously asked.

You placed a hand on your chest and repeatedly nodded, trying not to cry in elation.

"Yes! Yes, I will marry you Makoto!" you sobbed as he placed the ring on your finger. He pulled you up and into his arms before suddenly sharing a passionate kiss with you.

-- The first (and only) time you got married --

The first (and only) time you got married, you felt sick.

You were putting on a brave face throughout the ceremony, and now you were at the reception, trying to gain an appetite. You were often assisted by your bridesmaids whenever you had to run to the restroom, and others were starting to worry.

You already knew why you weren't feeling well.

You went to the doctor earlier in the week.

Your speculations were confirmed.

You're pregnant, and you didn't know how to tell your new husband.

Wiping your mouth and using mouthwash, you were relieved to have changed out of your wedding gown into something more comfortable during the latter half of the reception. You're both nervous and excited with telling Makoto, and you knew that you should inform him of your pregnancy before the night's end.

You walked back to your table, greeted by guests as you passed by. You saw that Makoto had gotten up to help you at your seat.

"You took a while. Is everything okay?" he asked, trying not too raise his voice too loudly as the music played in the background.

"Yeah, uh... yeah! Everything's fine," you nodded. "I just have something to tell you. Can we step outside into the hallway for a moment?"

"Sure?" he looked at you in confusion, but helped you right back up. He took your hand and walked outside, concerned.

"Makoto, I don't want you to freak out..."

"Uh, making that statement is going to make me freak out," his voice broke a bit, becoming slightly higher pitched. "B-but go on!"

"Well," you paused. "I'm pregnant."

He suddenly yelled out in excitement. "Really!?"

You beamed up at him, throwing your arms around his shoulders. "Uh-huh, two months along in fact!"

Makoto placed a hand on top of your abdomen, trying not to sob as he's overwhelmed with excitement. He leaned down and showered you with kisses while laughter filled the hall.

"We're married and expecting a child. This... this isn't a dream, is it [First name]?"

"No, it isn't. It's real; it's all very real."

FIN.