Not Too Late for You ~ Ichiro Yamada
Summary: You grew up with the Yamada brothers and happened to have fallen in love with the oldest brother. However, your family moved away and you never saw him again. But fate has a funny way of working things out...
Pairing: Ichiro Yamada X Fem!Reader
Genre: Fluffy Oneshot
Word Count: 1298
Warning: N/A
Masterlist
“Thank you! Please come and visit again!” You bowed your head as the customers left. A small smile tugged at your lips as you grabbed a rag and wiped down the counter. It was days like this that made your life a little sweeter. Business was running smoothly and the sun was shining. It was shaping up to be a perfect day.
The peacefulness of the moment was disrupted as two siblings you'd recognize from anywhere burst into the store. You chuckled as they sat at the freshly cleaned counter before you and smiled. Before they could say a word, you already started making their usual ice cream order they asked for every time they came to see you.
“And what brings the two of you into my store today?” You asked.
“Jiro confessed to a girl today!” Saburo shouted with a laugh as his brother blushed.
You gave a small gasp. “Did he? How did it go?”
“He was stuttering the whole time and was as red as a tomato.” He continued, earning a shove from Jiro in the process.
“I was not!”
“Yes, you were!”
"I absolutely was not! Quit making things up!"
"It's not made up if it's the truth!"
“Alright, alright! No fighting! I just got this place cleaned up.” You scold them before handing them their ice cream.
"It really wasn't that bad." Jiro muttered under his breath before eating his ice cream.
"I'm sure it wasn't." You assured him. "Saburo just loves to annoy you, like any good little brother would."
"Thank you!"
You rolled your eyes before straightening up the bulk candy in the glass case you had up front. It was always the same with these two when school break came around. They spent every weekend in your sweets shop, gossiping about everything. But it made sense since your families were very good friends. The four of you grew up together. Until your family moved away for your mother's job, which meant you wouldn't be able to see them again.
"So what are you doing today, Y/n?" Saburo asked, having finished his ice cream. "I mean besides work."
You shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just work and then home."
"So you're not doing anything?" Jiro questioned, less subtle than his brother. "Like you don't have any plans for the rest of the day?"
You slowly shake your head. "No, I don't. Why?"
"Do you want to come to the beach with us later?" Saburo clasped his hands in front of him. "Please?"
"I don't know..."
"Oh c'mon!" Jiro whined. "It'll be fun! It'll be just like old times!"
You didn't want to say it wouldn't be like old times because one of you is missing. Instead, you smiled and said. "We'll see."
"Well I think you should." Saburo replied with a shrug. "You need to get out more and see old friends and remember the good old days."
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you think I'm talking about?"
"I don't-"
“There you are!” That voice. You knew that voice from anywhere.
Looking up, Ichiro stood in the doorway, his usual bright smile plastered on his face. A smile you haven’t seen in years. Despite the time that passed, he still looked the same. The same Ichiro you fell in love with when you were growing up together. You couldn’t believe he was in your store right now. It was as if fate had worked its magic today.
“Oh. Y/n.” If you didn’t know any better, you’d say he sounded awestruck. Which didn’t make any sense. It was just you.
You smiled. “Hi Ichiro.”
“Hey.”
“Nii-chan!” Jiro piped up. “Don't you have something else to say?”
“Something else?” He paused. “Um, how have you been?”
His siblings just groaned but you giggled. “I’ve been well. I own the store now since my parents retired. Oh! That reminds me. Still have a sweet tooth?”
He jolted at your question before smiling and nodding. “Yes, I still do.”
You nodded and grabbed a chocolate bar from the display shelf behind you. “Is this still your favorite?”
Ichiro's eyes sparkled as he took it, his fingertips brushing yours, making you shiver. “Thank you so much! I can’t believe you still remember after all this time!”
“Well, you’re one of the only people I know who likes this chocolate.” You admitted. “But what brings you down to Yokohama? I thought business in Ikebukuro kept you busy?”
“Oh, well, I thought since Jiro and Saburo are on school break, I thought we'd come down to the beach. You know, sort of as a treat for good work in school. And I could step away from work for a little bit."
You smiled as you nodded again. “That's good. I mean, Jiro and Saburo have been visiting my shop for a couple of days now, but it's nice to see you again. And if you need another chocolate bar to help you get through your day, you know where to find me.”
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. And thank you for taking care of these two during our vacation. I hope they haven’t been too much of a burden?”
"We've been delightful!" Saburo feigned innocence.
You laughed and shook your head, “They've been no more trouble than usual.”
“That’s good to hear.” He smiled and you felt your heart skip a beat. Even after all this time, he still made you feel like this. Maybe fate really did have a hand in this meeting.
"I think she's blushing." You heard Jiro whisper to Saburo.
You touched your cheek, feeling its warmth. It got even warmer as you heard the two of them snickered at your reaction.
“So is Ichi-nii!” Saburo whispered back.
“Hey!” Ichiro whined, hiding his own red cheeks with his hands which made you laugh. He was still so easily flustered it seemed.
Saburo grinned before elbowing his oldest brother in the side. “Are you two ever going to confess your feelings to each other?”
You gasped. "What are you talking about?"
Ichiro started sputtering, eyes wide and frantic. “AH! It's nothing! Nothing at all!”
Now, you could go on pretending Saburo was just talking nonsense, but you knew you couldn't do that. He was a smart kid, who always knew what he was talking about. But you also couldn't hide your feelings anymore. You never knew when you would get another moment to do so. Taking Ichiro's hands, you looked him deep in his eyes and asked, “Ichiro, do you like me too?”
“I, um,” He paused. “Wait? Did you say "too”?“
You nodded. "Yes! I like you too! I’ve been meaning to tell you since before my family moved down to Yokohama and I never saw you again. Though I suppose there is no time like the present...”
After a brief pause of bewilderment, his face softened into a gentle smile. Moving so that it was now his hands holding onto yours, he gave them a small squeeze and said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you for the longest time too. After you moved away, I realized how much I missed you and how much I loved you. I was just so nervous to tell you. Not only that, but I didn’t want to do it over the phone. I wanted to confess to you in person. I’m so glad I finally got to.”
“Me too.” You mused.
“Yeah! Right in front of us too!” Jiro groaned. “You two are so gross!”
Saburo shrugged. “It could have been worse. At least they’re not kissing!”
You glanced at Ichiro. “I mean, we could.”
“Wha-Y/N!”
Laughing, you gave him a hug instead. “I’m just kidding.”
When he relaxed in your arms, you whispered in his ear. “Well, I’m kind of kidding…”











