ordinary — nanami kento.
imagining that time in college when the up and coming economics major nanami kento realized that he wanted to marry you, his history major girlfriend as he soon as he landed from that spectacular block in that specific volleyball game in that specific season of his volleyball career.
everything was hot in the arena. his vision was a bit hazy as he got down on the wooden floors. if he was being honest, he doesn't remember much about the game anymore. he only remembers what happened in the end, because he thinks he blacked out in the midst of it. but he supposed that didn't matter. what matters is he remembers everything else after.
the championship point ended exactly the way everyone expected it would, as he expected. with nanami kento at the net. the opposing setter had committed to the outside hitter after noticing university of tokyo's backcourt shift toward the line. if one was being fair, it was a good read as much as it was a smart read.
unfortunately for them, they had forgotten one inconvenient fact and that was the university of tokyo's blond haired middle blocker had spent the entire season studying hitters the way other students studied textbooks.
kento's eyes drifted. three steps. then one glance at the attacker's shoulder. he had slightly shifted of the wrist. okay, good. he took a deep breath. that was all he needed. it wasn't long till kenro moved before the set even hit its apex. he couldn't be more proud. his jump was clean, his hands pressed over the tape with that same textbook precision he had been trying to mastee.
he could see the look on his opposition's face. he couldn't help but grin at him as he spike met his palms with a resounding crack before being driven straight back into the opponent's court. there was no touch, there was no recovery. it was just the loudest, thunderous tenor from the ball that droppedon the hardwood.
the whistle came a heartbeat later from the referee. "match, tokyo!"
for a second, the packed university arena stood frozen. but just half a heartbeat later, twenty thousand people erupted. blue and white confetti burst from the rafters while the university of tokyo pep band nearly drowned beneath the deafening cheers. almost all the students leapt over rows of seats.
the former senpais and the other alumni who came all this way to support their team all but embraced complete strangers, cheering with pride. somewhere in the stands, someone had already begun waving an enormous banner with all the team members's names plastered on dark black ink.
"NANAMI KENTO!"
"DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT? HE BLOCKED IT!"
"MVP! GOLDEN HAND!"
"NUMBER SEVEN!"
"YO YUUJI'S CRYING!"
"I CANT BELIEVE MEGUMI'S SMILING!"
"CAPTAIN SUKUNA, LETS GO!"
"YO IS GOJO CRYING?"
"GETO'S WIPING HIS FACE, WAH! SO HANDSOME!"
"HAHAHAHA HAIBARA NEARLY FELL!"
his teammates were on him before his feet had fully landed. he couldn't breathe in the force of masculine muscle and flesh, feeling their sweat, tears and joys all over him. rowdy voices piping back and forth, cheering shakily, sobbing joyously. he wanted to speak up and tell them that it was nothing special, to get off him. but even he knew how special, how momentous this moment was for them. so in the end, mind, heart and soul, he just took it. like any other one of them would.
"yo, kento!" yu haibara laughed as he practically yanked his head as he pats it. "you actually did it!"
"we actually did it, its a team match." nanami kento pipes up and corrects, steadying him despite nearly being knocked over. "it was just a block at the end."
"ah, what are you talking about, senpai?" yuuji pipes up, grinning ear to ear as he pats his senior's back. "your efforts are the ones that made us get this win! give yourself some credit!"
megumi nodded, sweat dripping sown his face. he looks like hes catching his breath as he taps kento on his shoulder. "your block saved the match, senpai. accept the praise, already."
vice captain gojo satoru laughs, as he annoyingly and playfully pats kento's back. "i doubt this scrooge will actually accept any praise! he didn't even react when he got an academic award from the economics faculty!"
"i don't appreciate you patting me that way, gojo-senpai." the blond could only grumble.
satoru all but laughs. "come on, have an exception! you did a great job today, so live a little!"
"i can try if you aren't being annoying."
"The reporters are already lining up!" haibara noted as he looked to his right. "i guess they're excited to talk to kento."
"no kidding there." suguru snorted. " but then again, half the people in suits down there aren't even pretending they're not scouts."
suguru wasn't lying. kento looked at where they sat. the men in suits were awfully bad at blending in. the tunnel leading beneath the arena had become crowded with executives from nearly every club in v.league. some of the team managers, their agents, their sponsors, photographers, broadcasters. they had all descended upon the court before the medal ceremony had even begun.
kento was certain that many of his friends were going to be plucked. satoru and sukuna especially. satoru might be tempted, though. he's been itching to play in the bigger leagues. sukuna's holding off till graduation. he says that his girlfriend's dad expects him to have a degree to stay with his daughter, so he'll probably delay his graduation for another year and say no. kento knew he would be asked too.
technically, though...they were a too late. he'd already said yes. he's one of them now. months before the championship, he'd quietly signed a professional contract with one of the strongest v.league clubs in the country. he was sure once the announcement comes out, it will cause weeks of headlines. after all, he's the first to make the decision to go pro. even before his senpais.
he still has to finish college, of course. he promised that to his parents when he talked to them about this. he only this one year left, anyway. and he'd talked with the varsity team and the university itself. they've given him an exception, so long as he doesn't forget his responsibilties to the team. and he readily agreed with that.
if he was being honest, he had no idea how any of it was supposed to work. he knew that the reporters would only keep asking about his professional debut as though it were the only thing waiting for him after each and every day.
they'll speak about contracts, preseason training, expectations, sponsorships, the future of japanese volleyball, as if his life could be divided neatly into the aftermath of this championship and the future that comes with becoming a pro.
that's why all he could think in his mind is that it couldn't.
it wouldn't be possible to do it without any sacrifices.
let alone be able to cope with while keeping his condition.
there was still a thesis sitting half-finished on his laptop that his adviser expected before graduation. there were seminars he couldn't afford to miss, meetings with his research group, paperwork that came with completing a degree, and the inevitable stack of administrative forms that every graduating student seemed destined to drown beneath.
and then there was volleyball.
training camps would begin almost immediately after the university season ended. team orientations. medical examinations. sponsor appearances. tactical meetings with coaches he'd only spoken to over video calls. learning an entirely new system, earning the trust of veterans who had spent years in the league, proving that he deserved the contract with every jump, every block, every swing.
the schedule in his head was already beginning to overlap until there hardly seemed to be enough hours left in a day. objectively, it sounded exhausting. objectively, it probably was.
for a brief moment, he wondered if people ever regretted reaching the dreams they had chased for so long. not because the dream itself disappointed them, but because no one ever mentioned how heavy it became once it finally rested in your hands. then, almost as quickly as the thought arrived, it disappeared.
because if there was one thing nanami kento had never been, it was someone who retreated simply because the path ahead looked difficult. he had spent years waking before sunrise for practice, dragging himself into lectures with sore shoulders and bruised knees, catching trains between away games and exams, memorizing offensive rotations one hour and academic citations the next.
every season had demanded something impossible until, somehow, it became ordinary. he had learned long ago that there was rarely a perfect balance. and ever since you had come into his life, you simply made one. and somehow...he always followed through with the harmony of that balance.
perhaps not gracefully. perhaps not without sacrificing sleep, free weekends, and whatever little remained of a normal college life. but he would make it work. he always found a way. especially now. especially because, for the first time in years, he wasn't carrying those ambitions alone.
every impossible schedule, every anxious night before examinations, every difficult decision about his future somehow felt...everything felt lighter whenever he thought about you. you had become the person he unconsciously searched for after every match.
the first person he wanted to tell whenever something good happened. the quiet place his thoughts wandered back to whenever the noise around him became too loud. you were the person who kept him ont he earth. you were his anchor in his tumulteous seas. the one constant that remained steady while everything else in his life seemed determined to move faster with each passing day.
the person he loved more than anyone else in the world.
without realizing it, kento's attention drifted away from the cameras still flashing in front of him. his warm caramel eyes wandered across the sea of faces filling the arena's upper stands, just above where he is. he finds himself skimming over rows of cheering students, waving school banners, parents embracing one another, teammates' families wiping tears from their eyes.
the blue and white confetti still floated lazily through the rafters, catching the arena lights like falling stars, making it almost impossible to distinguish one face from another. still, he searched. he was not one to give up just yet. not when it came to you. so patiently, following his instincts, in this room full of people, he'll look for you.
all the sudden, a microphone appeared in front of him. "nanami-senshu! is there a few words you can lend to our ears about that final block?"
"it was the right read." he says, still distracted as he's looking for you.
"how does it feel winning another collegiate championship?"
"we prepared well.....thanks to ryomen-senshu and everyone else, we were able to, uh....to pull through."
"were you expecting to be named tournament mvp?"
"if i am, then it's because the team played well enough to make my job easier and not the other way around." the reporter blinked.
"...could you elaborate?"
"no." he says as he leans to the side, eyes narrowing.
"...i....i see." the reporter tried to gather their composure. "uh, one final thing, nanami-senshu. is there anything you'd like to say to your supporters?"
he was about to say something, until his eyes landed on someone standing near the university section. his caramel colored eyes start to shine as the sight of you comes alive before him. you were so beautiful before him, almost like the star in the sky that brings one out of the darkness.
it wasn't long before he notices that he has been staring at you too long. the reporter seemed to be both flustered and intrigued. kento clears his throat, feeling heat echo through his cheeks. "uh, last word to our fans....yes...thank you for everyone supporting us. please continue to support us in all of our endeavours!"
after kento made that bow with his final word, he quickly thanked the reporter and left, trying to get close you, like a rock on the space wanting to get closer to your orbit. you were still wearing your history department cardigan over your clothes after rushing from an afternoon seminar.
you must have had a class before this, he thinks. your leather satchel hung over one shoulder, several books protruding from the top. he could only make out some of them. medieval legal systems, japanese historiography, and a notebook filled with lecture notes you'd been annotating before the match started.
the moment he saw you closer, something softened. most people wouldn't have noticed, of course. but you would. you would notice everything. from the way his exhaustion eased, to the way his eyes shone when he was close to you, to the way the corners of his mouth lifted just slightly.
it wasn't long before several cameras abruptly swung in his direction. someone inside the broadcasting booth most definitely laughed when they realized what had stolen the university famed blocker attention away from the reporters surrounding him.
the lenses followed his line of sight almost instinctively, panning away from the championship celebration to search the crowded bleachers for whoever had managed to distract nanami kento only moments after winning the biggest match of his collegiate career.
he didn't notice. or perhaps he did, and simply couldn't bring himself to care. the interviews could wait. the cameras could wait. every congratulatory handshake, every microphone, every question about his future in professional volleyball could wait. all of it could wait. but not you. never you.
his gaze remained fixed on the stands until it finally landed on you. you were halfway through congratulating one of your friends when they noticed where he was looking. they blinked, glanced toward the court, and immediately nudged your shoulder with a grin. confused, you turned to follow their gaze.
the moment your eyes met his, the noise of the arena seemed to disappear. his tired smile softened into something quieter, something infinitely more genuine than anything he had offered the cameras all afternoon.
your own expression mirrored his before you could stop it. your face lit up with a smile so bright that it almost rivaled the championship lights hanging from the rafters.
without another thought, you hurried toward the railing separating the lower stands from the court, weaving through rows of cheering students until you were standing as close to him as security would allow.
back in the commentary booth, one of the broadcasters chuckled into his headset. "i don't think we've lost him to the media now, have we?"
his co-commentator laughed softly before shaking his head. "no, i don't think so. it's a different kind of loss." there was something almost fond in his voice as the cameras zoomed closer. "the better kind, if you ask me. because no amount of interviews or championships is ever going to compete with the person he loves most."
standing beneath the glaring arena lights, kento looked nothing like the polished promotional photos that would appear in tomorrow's newspapers. his sandy blond hair had long since escaped whatever order it had started the match with, damp strands sticking to his forehead from nearly three relentless hours on the court.
his large university jersey clung to him, darkened with sweat across his shoulders and back, while athletic tape wrapped securely around the fingers of his right hand after months of wear and tear that came with being one of japan's best middle blockers.
a faint scrape stained one knee where he'd thrown himself across the hardwood midway through the third set to keep an impossible ball alive with a desperate pancake save. intense exhaustion lingered in every part of him, from the slight rise and fall of his chest to the sheen of perspiration catching beneath the arena lights.
he looked like someone who desperately needed a shower. he looked like someone whose muscles would ache tomorrow. he looked utterly spent. and yet, to you, to the person who loved him more than anyone else ever could, he had never looked more beautiful.
this was the face of every early morning practice, every missed holiday, every lecture attended on aching legs, every bruise hidden beneath knee pads, every sacrifice that had quietly accumulated over years until they became this single moment.
he looked victorious.
he looked extraordinary.
he also looked like home.
you couldn't help the smile that spread across your face. "congratulations, dearest love of my life." you said softly, your voice carrying just enough for him to hear through the lingering cheers. "you did it!"
his own smile widened almost imperceptibly. "you came."
there was no surprise in the words, only quiet relief. "you asked me to. and i had the time window so, of course i'll come! who wouldn't come and support their lover, hm?"
"I know you would do anything to be here."
"of course i would." you whispered, loud enough for only him to hear. "i love you the most."
for a moment, neither of you said anything else. he simply looked at you, committing your face to memory amidst the confetti, the roaring crowd, and the flashing cameras. then, with the same quiet certainty he approached nearly everything in his life, he opened his arms.
you didn't care about the barriers separating you both and ran towards him, before stepped into his arms without the slightest hesitation. his embrace wrapped around you with familiar strength, warm despite the cool air-conditioning flooding the arena.
for a brief second the championship celebration disappeared entirely. it was just the two of you standing at the edge of the court while thousands of people celebrated around you. you couldn't help but laugh. your cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and his jersey was absolutely drenched.
"kento, dear."
"hm?"
"you're absolutely soaked."
his answer came without missing a beat. "i've been playing volleyball."
you pulled back just enough to look at him, amusement dancing in your eyes. "i had noticed."
his lips curved upward. "you don't seem to mind."
you smiled, tightening your arms around him anyway. "i'll survive."
a quiet laugh escaped him, low enough that it was almost lost beneath the arena's celebration. it wasn't the polite laugh he offered reporters or the restrained chuckle teammates occasionally earned after practice. this one was softer, gentler, the kind of laugh that belonged only to the moments he shared with you.
"i missed you."
you raised an eyebrow. "you've only been on the court for three hours."
"it was a long three hours."
"you saw me every time you rotated to the service line."
"I know."
"and yet?"
"and yet....."
you shook your head fondly before reaching up to brush several damp strands of blond hair away from his forehead. they immediately threatened to fall back into place. "you played beautifully, though. as expected of my dearest boyfriend."
he gave a small shake of his head. "i made mistakes."
"you also won."
"we won."
you smiled. "you blocked the final spike."
"my job was to block."
"you keep making your job sound terribly unremarkable."
"it usually is."
"it really isn't."
his eyes lingered on yours, quiet and unwavering, while the celebration continued around the two of you. somewhere behind him, his teammates had already begun gathering near the championship podium.
officials arranged medals in neat rows while arena staff hurried into position, and over the loudspeakers the announcer once again called for the university of tokyo's captain to report for the presentation ceremony.
but nanami kento didn't move. instead, he simply continued looking at you as though there wasn't another soul inside the arena. then, in the same calm, matter-of-fact tone he might have used to ask whether you wanted coffee after class or if you'd remembered to bring an umbrella, he asked,
"[name], would you marry me?"
you stared at him. your mind went completely blank in that moment. "...what?"
"i was wondering, my beloved human in this entire world, if you would have the honor of...." he stops himself before he continued, as though he were asking whether you wanted coffee after class instead of altering the course of both your lives, "being my one and only wife."
you could only blink at him. "........nanami kento."
"yes?"
"you've just won the biggest championship of your career thus far."
"that i have, yes."
"you're extremely dehydrated."
"possibly."
"you've been hit in the face with a volleyball twice today."
he frowned ever so slightly. "only once. i counted."
you stared. "that is the detail you decided to correct?"
"accuracy is important, sweetheart. that's what we need for economics. otherwise the numbers will be awful."
you let out a disbelieving laugh before gesturing helplessly toward him. "you're exhausted. and delirious."
"i've been more tired and delirious than this, sweetheart. i mean what i say."
"you've played nearly three hours of volleyball."
he nodded. "that is correct, yes."
"your adrenaline is still through the roof, i'm pretty sure." you pointed out, narrow eyed. "incredibly full of adrenaline."
"more than likely. i mean, im no science major, but that's how the body works, yes."
you narrowed your eyes more. "yeah, i think you are definitely concussed."
"i've already completed the concussion protocol."
"you completed—"
"the medical staff cleared me, already sweetheart. don't be tense." he says, kissing the top of your head. "i'm alright."
"dearest, that really doesn't excuse the fact that you need rest."
he considered that for exactly half a second before nodding. "that can wait until we get home together."
your heart skipped. "home?"
"and married." he nodded back at you.
you opened your mouth, then closed it. you found yourself feeing it opened it again. "okay, i'm tryingto calm down. this is real...........you are proposing to me. this is real. oh fuck. you're proposing to me in your sweaty uniform and your sweaty hair and your possibly concussed head."
"i am." he nodded seriously.
"here, in this arena, full of dirty sweat on the floor that's making the confetti stick."
"yes."
"still covered in sweat."
"unfortunately."
"in front of several thousand people."
he glanced around for the first time since finding you in the crowd, as though only now remembering that the arena was still packed with spectators, cameras, teammates, reporters, and tournament officials. "...i hadn't intended for there to be quite this many witnesses."
you simply looked at him. he looked back with complete sincerity, not a trace of embarrassment crossing his face. "there isn't even a ring."
"i know. but that can be dealt with, it's in my bag."
"you didn't kneel."
his eyes drifted toward the hardwood court beneath his shoes. "you already pointed it out, sweetheart. the floor is rather dirty."
"nanami kento."
"yes?"
"this is possibly the least conventional proposal anyone has ever received."
he nodded thoughtfully. "i suspected as much. but i've decided. this was just the perfect moment. i thought about it when i landed the final block."
"you what?"
"that's the truth, that's how it clicked for me that i've gotta marry you today."
despite yourself, laughter escaped you. you pressed a hand against your forehead, shaking your head as tears of amusement began gathering in the corners of your eyes.
"when exactly did you decide this?"
"a few months ago."
your head snapped up. "...a few months?"
"i wanted to wait until after the season, but i could never find the right time when we weren't busy and again, i thought about it during the final block." he says to you, smiling. "i thought to myself, there's not a great day coming. it's only now."
"so this isn't because you won."
"no, not at all."
"if you'd lost today?"
there wasn't even a moment's hesitation when he replied. "i still would've asked."
your expression softened. "you would've?"
his answer was so matter-of-fact that it almost made you laugh again. "i've been carrying the paperwork in my satchel for the past two weeks. i got it when i came back from my night shift at work."
"...paperwork?" your eyes widened.
he took you to where the university of tokyo benches were. when you got there, you looked at him fiddling about for his satchel bag. before long, you watched him bend down toward the sports bag resting beside his feet.
after unzipping one of the inner compartments, he carefully withdrew a slim document folder, its edges perfectly aligned despite having traveled with him to practices, matches, and away games. he handed it to you.
inside was exactly what he had said. it was the printed requirements for a civil marriage application. there were photocopies of identification documents. the application forms. tucked neatly into the front sleeve, a handwritten checklist organized in his impossibly tidy handwriting. he goes to the side pocket and he pulls out a small box. he opens it, and smiles.
"i can't wear mine a lot, since i play a lot. but i'll wear it as a chain on my neck."
you slowly looked up at him. it wasn't a question._ "you made a checklist for this."
"i find them useful. you know how i am, sweetheart."
of course he did. on the list, there were boxes carefully labeled. the first was obtain required documents. then bring identification. below it was verify witnesses. then there was confirm office hours.
your lips twitched. "kento."
"yes?"
"......you made us a marriage checklist."
"yes." he nodded back at you. "i took care of everything, it's just the matter of going."
".......and who are our witnessses?"
he points to the document. "your dad and my mom. they'll be there, but they already signed the documents for us to submit."
you feel touched. "you asked my dad?"
"i did." he nodded, smiling softly. "he was so happy to know that i want to ask for his permission, even though i didn't have to. he wants me to take good care of you."
you felt tears forming on your eyes. "he didn't tell me."
"well, sweetheart, i was going to be a surprise."
you wiped the tears away. "that's stupid."
he laughs slightly. "not when its making you happy."
"how can you tell?"
"because the love in your eyes is real, just as its real on mine." he whispers to you. "i love you. and i wanna spend the rest of my life with you."
you sigh contently, looking at him and kissing his cheek. "you're a lot, aren't you?"
"i know i am."
"i love you." you whispered to him. "i love you so much."
he kisses your temple, his free hand patting your hair. "i love you so much too, sweetheart."
"......what time does the city hall close?"
"five p.m. sharp." almost on instinct, you glanced at your watch. it was 4:15 p.m. when you looked back up, he was already doing the math in his head. "don't worry too much."
"we have to catch a cab—"
"...there's enough time, sweetheart, don't worry." he said with complete confidence. "provided we leave within the next ten minutes. i have my car on campus too. no need for a cab."
"you....i can't believe this." you stared at him for another long moment. "you planned the route too, didn't you?"
"i accounted for traffic."
".........you accounted for traffic. every bit of it?"
"i mean, yes. it does seemed prudent if i do."
this time, you couldn't stop yourself. laughter burst out of you so suddenly that you had to grip the railing for balance. your shoulders shook as you looked at the man standing in front of you. this man, the newly crowned collegiate champion, tournament mvp, future player in the v.league and somehow the most impressive thing he'd accomplished all day wasn't winning a national championship.
to you, in that moment, it was the fact that he loved you so much that he was planning a marriage application with military precision and planning it as a surprise for you. it was so unmistakably him.
there were no fireworks, there was no hidden violinists. there was no dramatic speeches about fate or destiny. there was no elaborate surprises. it was just the quiet, tenderness that comes with loving someone, with this careful preparation, practical considerations, color-coded documents......but also, with genuine love, full of absolute certainty.
he reached for your hand with the same quiet confidence he'd shown every time he stepped onto a volleyball court. his fingers slipped between yours naturally, as though they'd always belonged there. "i've already signed my contract to go pro soon."
you nodded. "i know. we talked about it."
"my salary is sufficient from my current job to keep us afloat."
"i know that."
"you'll finish your history degree soon."
"yes, that's coming too."
"i'll finish mine soon too."
"you will."
"we both already have employment."
another nod comes from you. "i know. you at a marketing place, me at a museum."
his thumb brushed gently across your knuckles. "our schedules will become more complicated."
"they will." you whisper back at him.
"there will be days when we hardly see each other."
"i know that. we talked about that too."
"i've thought about all of that with you. only you." there was no fear in his voice. only quiet conviction. "but none of it changed my answer. i want to be your husband. i want this to be forever."
your vision blurred all the sudden. he gave your hand the gentlest squeeze. "...so..." his voice softened just enough that only you could hear it over the cheering crowd. "if you would allow me the honor...would you like to get married before city office closes?"
a watery laugh escaped you before you could answer. tears threatened to spill over at the same time. "you are unbelievable."
he tilted his head slightly. "i've been told that a lot of times, yes."
"you won a championship..." your voice cracked into another laugh. "...and somehow this isn't the biggest thing you want to get done today."
a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "i was hoping it wouldn't be."
you looked at him. you looked at the man who had spent years balancing lectures with practices, sleepless nights with impossible expectations, and dreams with discipline. the man who still had time to cook you your breakfast and pack you lunch.
this gentle, loving man who had time to care for you when you were sick when he himself was tired. the man who had the time to listen to you speak when you were excited about the historical facts you find out about.
the same man who was a quiet middle blocker who studied opposing hitters with the same care he'd apparently devoted to researching civil marriage requirements. the man who had planned every practical detail, but whose voice still carried the smallest hint of uncertainty.
because, for all his preparation, there was one thing he could never organize into certainty. and that was your answer. so he waited, ever so patiently. he was simply holding your hand while the entire arena continued celebrating around the two of you.
you smiled through your tears. "yes. of course. of course i'll marry you."
his expression changed so subtly that anyone else might have missed it. the tension disappeared from his shoulders. the careful composure he'd maintained throughout the entire match finally cracked, giving way to one of those rare, brilliant smiles that only ever belonged to you.
".......so, that's a yes? we're getting married?"
"yes. that's a yes." you confirmed to him. "one hundred percent, yes."
he released the quietest breath, almost imperceptible. as though he'd been holding it for weeks. before either of you could say another word, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena once more. "nanami kento-senshu! the medal ceremony is about to begin!"
kento glanced toward center court, where his teammates were already assembling. then he looked back at you. "......would you mind waiting approximately seven minutes?"
you laughed through the tears still clinging to your lashes. "for what?"
"i should probably collect the my medal and carry the trophy first."
"probably, you should. they're waiting for you."
"and then we'll go there."
"where?"
he intertwined your fingers with his once more. "city hall, silly."
"and your interviews?"
"they can wait."
"the press?"
"they'll survive without me." he snickers. "im sure the rowdy boys can be rowdy without me."
"the celebration banquet?"
"we'll make the end of it." he whispers to you. "and happily married then."
you searched his face, half expecting him to be joking. he wasn't. "you really intend to disappear from your own championship celebration......to get married?"
he looked at you as though there had never been any other possibility. "i've waited long enough."
and somehow, standing beneath drifting gold confetti while thousands of people celebrated around you, you realized he was right. the trophy could wait seven minutes. the rest of your lives didn't have to.
the medal ceremony ultimately lasted closer to nine. not because the organizers had intended it to, but because every official involved seemed to sense that the university of tokyo's middle blocker mvp had somewhere infinitely more important to be.
sukuna accepted the his trophy with both hands, bowing respectfully to each presenter. he grins looking at his girlfriend, before turning and giving it to kento. he pats kento's back, telling him to go and lift it.
kento nodded and hyped up the moment before lifting it alongside his teammates for the obligatory photographs. that seemed to please his teammates enough, seeing him be the one to lead the celebration.
it was a bit later when he accepted the tournament mvp plaque with the same composed humility he had shown throughout the season, smiled politely through exactly three interview questions, and then excused himself with an apologetic bow.
"you aren't staying for the press conference?" one reporter called after him.
"i'm afraid not. i've already sent my apologies to the team and staff for that."
"may we ask why?"
kento paused only long enough to glance toward the tunnel, where you stood waiting with both of your bags slung over one shoulder, still smiling through eyes that hadn't quite stopped watering.
his own smile returned. "because my fiancée is waiting."
the single word spread through the arena faster than any spike he'd hit all season. "...fiancée?"
"what?"
"since when?"
"did he just—"
"wait...did nanami kento get engaged during the championship ceremony?"
by the time the reporters recovered enough to chase after him with microphones raised, he was already gone, disappearing beneath the stands with his hand firmly intertwined with yours, leaving behind a championship celebration that, somehow, had just become his second happiest memory of the day.
by the time the two of you arrived at the ward office, the afternoon had already begun settling into the gentle lull that came just before the office started to completely close. the championship arena felt impossibly distant now.
less than thirty minutes ago, confetti had been raining from the rafters while thousands of voices echoed through the stadium. reporters had been calling kento's name from every direction, teammates had been lifting him onto their shoulders, and cameras had captured every second of university of tokyo's historic victory.
now, the loudest sound was the quiet hum of the automatic doors sliding open for residents coming and going. the parking lot was nearly empty.
the evening sun cast long shadows across the concrete as kento eased the car into one of the vacant spaces nearest the entrance. he shifted the gear into park before glancing toward the digital clock mounted beside the building.
4:41 p.m.
you followed his gaze. "...you actually calculated the drive correctly."
he switched off the engine with the same calm expression he'd worn throughout the afternoon. "well what did i tell you, sweetheart? i'm prepared. i even accounted for post-match traffic."
"of course you did." your laughter came easily now. "did you also account for traffic lights?"
"yes." he answers you, almost too honestly.
"pedestrian crossings?"
"i did think of that too, yes."
"unexpected construction?"
"there wasn't any reported."
"there's no way." you couldn't believe this. "within the game?"
"there was breaks in between, i was on my phone checking."
you eyes widened. "that's why you were on your phone? i thought you were texting your mom! that's what you told me!"
"well, i mean....this was a surprise, so i wasn't keen about it leaking out." he smiles at you sheepishly. "forgive the white lie, sweetheart."
you covered your face with one hand. "i'm marrying someone impossible."
"presumably."
despite the answer, there was the faintest upward curve at the corner of his mouth. for a moment, neither of you moved. the silence wasn't awkward. it was simply....you don't know how to put it. but all youcould think about was the word full. this day, this moment, this want to have commitment to each other. it just felt full.
today was full of so many things to be grateful for. so many things to have smiles and happy tears for. kento's career taking off, his proposal, your love. everything about makes you feel so satisfied. it wasn't just your heart that was full, but your soul too.
the fact that, somehow, after years of quietly building a future together one ordinary day at a time, you had reached the point where the next step was waiting just beyond the windshield.
"...i still can't believe you planned this."
he rested one hand atop the steering wheel. "i planned the paperwork."
"you planned considerably more than the paperwork, dear. you're just underselling yourself just now."
he thought about correcting you. instead, he admitted. "...okay, perhaps i did do more than that."
you turned in your seat to face him fully. "you planned everything, my dearest. the roads, the traffic, the time, the documents, hell even our parents being our witnesses on the document. tell me, kento, dear....what didn't you plan?"
that finally made him pause. his warm caramel-tinted gaze drifted toward your intertwined reflections in the windshield before settling back on you. his answer came quietly.
"...,,,you." your smile faltered at his response."i couldn't plan your answer. so i was just hoping for the best. sweetheart, you could love me and still not be prepared to marry me. and that would be fine, sweetheart. but i was just hoping, that maybe, this would be the moment. and you would choose me, like i choose you."
everything inside your chest seemed to tighten all at once. because he was right. for all the meticulous preparation, all the schedules and checklists and carefully organized folders sitting in the back seat... there had always been one thing completely beyond his control. and it was whether you would choose him.
he had prepared for marriage with the same diligence he prepared for championship matches, but unlike volleyball, there had been no strategy capable of guaranteeing victory. there was only hope in him. there was only hopeful wishing that you would choose him the way he chooses you.
slowly, you reached across the center console until your fingers found his. he immediately turned his hand over so your fingers could intertwine naturally with his. the two of you look at each other's interwtined fingers, before looking at each other's eyes.
"...you know, dearest...." you murmured, tracing absent circles across the back of his hand with your thumb, "that might actually be the most romantic thing you've ever said."
he looked genuinely surprised. "...is it really?"
"by quite a lot." you nodded at him. "no men would be like that, no men would be like you. like this."
"......i've had practice."
"not nearly enough."
he considered that with complete seriousness. "...probably."
you laughed again. "don't sound so disappointed in yourself."
"i wasn't."
"then why do you sound like you're reviewing constructive criticism?"
"......because i am." he admits to you.
you shook your head affectionately "you're unbelievable, aren't you? you're fine the way you are."
"that's what you said ten minutes ago."
"and i'm saying it again." you tell him. "but focus on the last part. you're fine the way you are, kento. i love you, like you love me. i choose you, like you choose me. this is for forever, okay? you and you, you're my favorite prayer."
this time, he smiled without trying to hide it, warm and small. it was almost so boyishily sheepish. "and now who's acting romantic all the sudden?"
you laugh softly. "only with you."
it was astonishing how different that smile looked from the composed expression he'd worn while accepting a national championship trophy only an hour earlier. the cameras had captured the middle blocker. but this smile belonged only to you.
together, you stepped out of the car. his volleyball shoes clicked softly against the pavement as he walked around to your side, waiting without saying a word until you joined him. he still hadn't changed. he thinks there simply hadn't been time.
his university jersey remained damp from nearly three hours on the court, the fabric wrinkled where sweat had dried against it. athletic tape still wrapped around the fingers of his right hand, and the scrape across his knee had darkened slightly beneath the arena dust.
around his neck hung the championship medal. gold caught the late afternoon sunlight each time it shifted against his chest. you looked at it for a moment before looking at him.
"...you're really getting married in your volleyball uniform, hm?"
he glanced down at himself. "...i suppose i am. you're still wearing your university department jacket."
"it's certainly memorable for the two of us to stare at in the future." you grinned at him. "we're both fine the way we are though."
"i hadn't packed a suit."
"well, i hadn't packed a dress." you tell him, kissing his cheek to calm him. "it's okay. we look amazing."
"......we'll do a big wedding in the future, okay?"
you shake your head at him. you reached over and brushed invisible lint from the shoulder of his jersey anyway. "we don't need to. i like this. this is our wedding. it's you and me. this is best. and besides, i happen to think you're very handsome this way."
a faint flush appeared across the bridge of his nose. "...thank you., sweetheart."
"you're welcome, husband."
his ears turned slightly pink. "...not quite yet."
"give it five minutes. you'll soak into it."
the automatic doors parted with a soft mechanical chime as the two of you entered. inside, the ward office was exactly what every ward office in japan always seemed to be. it was exuberantly bright and immaculately clean. it was completely, comfortably ordinary.
fluorescent lights reflected softly against polished floors while electronic queue numbers chimed quietly overhead. residents sat patiently in orderly rows of chairs, waiting to renew residence records, submit family registry documents, register births, or collect certificates before closing time.
an elderly man carefully folded today's newspaper. there was a university student on the side hurriedly filled out paperwork while checking answers on her phone. a young couple stood near one counter with a sleeping baby nestled against the father's shoulder.
life continued at its own gentle rhythm. there were no flowers. no music. no decorated aisle waiting for the two of you. it was only the quiet heartbeat of everyday japan that lingered. and somehow... it felt exactly right.
because marriage, your father had once told you, wasn't the wedding. it was everything that came after. and this is why, this is why everything else doesn't matter. as long as you live a happily fulfilled life with kento, then that's what's going to make a marriage.
when your number was called, the two of you approached the family registry counter together. the clerk greeted you with a practiced smile and a polite bow. "good afternoon. how may i help you today?"
kento returned the bow before carefully placing the document folder onto the counter with both hands. "we'd like to submit our marriage registration."
the clerk accepted it with the same professionalism she'd shown hundreds of applicants before you. then she opened it. her eyebrows lifted almost immediately. it was extremely prestine and neatly tucked.
every required document was present. the marriage registration form had been completed without a single correction mark. identification documents had already been photocopied. all the family registry records were current.
on the corner, the witness signatures had been neatly completed weeks earlier by two close friends who had simply trusted kento when he'd asked them for a favor. every page rested inside its own transparent sleeve. small adhesive tabs labeled each section. there was even an extra set of photocopies.
the clerk looked up. "...you've prepared everything, it would seem, sir."
kento inclined his head slightly. "i wanted to avoid causing unnecessary inconvenience."
she smiled. "well, i can see that, sir. well done."
"thank you, i pride myself in what i did."
the woman nodded. "yes, i'm sure you do."
as she carefully reviewed the documents, another employee happened to pass behind the counter. her eyes drifted toward the gold medal resting against kento's chest. her movements slowed. she looked again. "...excuse me, sir."
kento turned politely. "yes?"
"...are you nanami kento?"
"i am."
"from the university of tokyo? the ones who just won the varsity league championships?"
"yes, uh, the very same one."
the employee looked from the medal then the marriage registration and then back again. she looks even more perplexed. "...didn't you just win?"
"this afternoon." kento nodded. "well, a few minutes ago, but yeah. we just won."
"...and you came straight here?"
kento answered without hesitation. "yes. my fiancee and i just wanted to get married as soon as possible. so here we are."
the employee laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "...i don't think i've ever seen someone come directly from a national championship to submit a marriage registration."
kento considered that. "...neither have i. but there's always going to be someone who does it first, don't you think?"
the employee smiled. "...well. i suppose that's true." she bowed her head. "congratulations."
there was no distinction made between the medal around his neck and the documents resting on the counter. somehow, both achievements seemed equally worthy of celebration. a few minutes later, the clerk carefully aligned the paperwork one final time before reaching for the official seal. the room fell strangely quiet. then, the sound hits. thunk.
the sound was almost disappointingly ordinary. it was just ink meeting paper. it was just one deliberate stamp, like all the others. nothing more. the clerk looked up with a gentle smile. you and kento looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear.
"your marriage registration has been accepted." she says to you both. "congratulations on your marriage."
the word accepted, it was always such a small administrative word. it was thrown around in all the offices here and there. and yet, with it, your family register changed forever. so did your future.
the two of you bowed instinctively to the clerk. "thank you very much."
when you stepped back outside, the evening breeze carried away the lingering warmth of the day. for several moments neither of you spoke. there was no need.
your hands found each other naturally. your footsteps fell into the same rhythm they always had. except now, there were rings on your left hand's fourth finger. and the person walking beside you wasn't simply nanami kento. he was more than that. he was everything. he was your husband.
after a while, he glanced sideways."...so, mrs. nanami."
you looked up at him, unable to hide the smile already forming on your lips. "...you're trying it already?"
"i wanted to know how it sounded."
"and?" you asked, your fingers tightening ever so slightly around his. "how does it make you feel?"
he didn't answer immediately. instead, he looked ahead at the road stretching before the two of you, the city drifting by outside the windows in familiar scenes that somehow looked entirely different now. pedestrians waited patiently at crosswalks.
the abdundance of office workers hurried toward the station before the evening trains filled. somewhere in the distance, the golden glow of sunset reflected off rows of glass buildings. it was so ordinary. everything around you remained wonderfully, beautifully ordinary. and yet neither of you would ever be quite the same again.
"...it sounds right, sweetheart." he finally said. "finally, my beautiful, intelligent girlfriend, no more. only my beautiful, intelligent wife."
his voice was quiet and certain. everything in its tenor held the same certainty that had carried him through championship matches, difficult examinations, and every decision that had led him here. and perhaps even more certain. because there was nothing more certain in his life than you.
"...if anything, it feels..." he searched for the word with unusual care before a small smile settled onto his lips. "...great. no, no, magnificent."
you couldn't help laughing softly. "that's a very kento way of describing one of the happiest moments of your life."
"...is it?" he smiles softly.
"it is." you nodded.
he accepted the observation with a small nod before continuing. "i know you'll continue using your family name professionally."
"i will."
your degree. your circle of historical research. the papers you hoped to publish one day. your name had become part of that future long before today, and neither of you had ever seen a reason to change it. he had never asked. you had never needed to explain.
he understood, he always has. and he would never ask for you to change anything. you earned it on your own. your achievements maybe shared in happiness, but they will always be yours. he had no right to them. and you were grateful for that.
"but..." he continued, his thumb absentmindedly brushing over your knuckles. "i know that for everything else..." his smile softened into something almost impossibly tender. "mrs. kento that rings quite lovely..."
"does it really?" you question him, bright eyed.
he shook his head almost imperceptibly, as though the words themselves still felt too precious to say too loudly. "yes, sweetheart .it sounds beautiful. as beautiful as you."
your heart swelled until it almost hurt. you turned toward him fully, studying the quiet happiness resting so naturally on his face. "...i love you so much."
"i love you too, wife."
"ah, the way you call me that." your voice barely rose above a whisper. "it sounds so tender....." you laughed softly, wiping at the tears threatening the corners of your eyes once again with your free hand. "...it sounds gorgeous coming from you."
"then i'll keep saying it." he says to you, smiling wide. "forever and ever."
"then keep your promise, okay?" your gaze drifted down to where your hands rested together between the two seats. "i'll keep mine too. i'll continue being with you too...." you intertwined your fingers more firmly against his arm. "being with my husband forever."
the word lingered on your tongue. husband. you'd said it only moments ago. it still felt wonderfully unreal. kento could feel his heart swell from those words. "you really make me feel happy, wife."
"i hope you know you do the same thing, husband."
he smiled. when you both were crossing the street, you pulled at him with the hand wrapped on his arm. he couldn't help but look down as he stared at his wedding finger, then at your own. his caramel eyes couldn't help be glued to them.
there was that shining, shimmering silver ring you had slipped on, the one he had so eagerly bought. it was so simple and yet they were the most beautiful thing you both owned. kento gently turned his hand, watching the silver catch the fading sunlight filtering through.
his thumb brushed across it almost absentmindedly. "...this is beautiful."
not the ring. at least not really. you knew exactly what he meant. this moment. this eagerness to get back into the car and drive home. to a house you will share together. the silence between conversations. the warmth of your hand resting in his. the knowledge that there was no longer any distance between the future he'd imagined and the life he was now living.
you smiled, unable to stop yourself. "...we're married, so happily so, dearest kento."
he looked at you again. this time, there was no hesitation. "...we're married and happily so too, sweetheart."
you laughed quietly. "i keep expecting someone to tell us we forgot another form."
"we didn't. don't worry, i made sure of it."
"i know, i know, my husband is thorough."
he snickers. "of course i am. i'm not letting anyone ruin this for us."
you smiled wider. "did you check twice?"
".....of course i did."
"i know you checked twice." you giggled. "i know who you are."
"...three times." his brows furrowed. "actually, i think even more than that."
that earned him another laugh from you. "of course you did."
his shoulders rose in the smallest shrug. "it seemed responsible. i wanted to start out our marriage like that. i didn't want to fail my wife."
"it was." you leaned your head gently against his shoulder. "you'll never fail me, husband. i know you won't."
he sighed happily, content as you said those words. he leans down slightly and kisses the top of your head. "i love you so much."
"i love you too." you tell him as you stopped by where your car is. "and really, thank you."
he blinked. "for what, sweetheart?"
"for choosing me, silly." you whispered to him. "for all our lives."
he looked genuinely puzzled. he sighs and shakes his head, smiling. "there was never anyone else. and there will be no one else. only you. you and you only."
your breath caught. he said it so simply, without spectacle, without trying too hard to be romantic. he said it as though it were the most obvious fact in the world. but you knew that to him, it simply was. loving you was the most truthful fact in the world to him.
you smiled to yourself. "...i'm very lucky."
his fingers intertwined with yours, as he frees his arms from your touch. he lifts your hand, where the ring lays and smiles. "no, sweetheart. i'm the lucky one."
outside, tokyo continued toward another ordinary evening.
inside the quiet car, two university students drove home as husband and wife for the very first time. they were both skipping the victory banquet. they were heading to enjoy the bliss, enjoy the quiet happiness of being married.
but neither of them realized it then. years later, when people inevitably asked about their wedding, neither of them would begin with the championship. they would begin with the drive home.
because that was the first time they had truly understood that there would be countless more drives like this one. there would be more drives after long days at work, after grocery shopping, after holidays, after arguments, after celebrations, after children had fallen asleep in the back seat.
ordinary drives.
ordinary evenings.
an ordinary life.
and an ordinary future.
right by each other's side.
