Raku's Treasure

What was this feeling? This ominous feeling of apprehension. It started right before going to bed and it haunted her dreams. Even now, awakened by the morning sunlight, Marika still cannot find peace from this feeling. Suddenly, the source of the ominous feeling dawned on her as she put a hand over her chest.

"I think I understand now." Marika voiced her realization. Looking over at her sleeping lover, she moved closer to him and held him softly.

"Today… I'm…"

"Ngh…" Raku groaned slightly as he woke up. His body was slightly sore and still felt the effects of his previously drained emotions from last night. The thought of returning to sleep was more than tempting for Raku, but he noticed Marika was not in the room.

After standing up and getting dressed, Raku made his way into the kitchen and found Marika preparing breakfast.

"Morning, Marika. How did you sleep?" Raku greeted as he slowly walked over to her.

After slowly turning around, Marika beamed a bright warm smile "Good morning, Raku. I slept exceptionally well last night."

To anyone else, they would've thought that this girl was in high spirits, especially for it being so early in the morning; however, Raku couldn't help but feel a little worried. Raku only caught something like this once before.

"I'm going to be just fine, Raku. I have to be in good health if I want to be your bride, after all."

Thinking he was being paranoid, Raku decided to brush those feelings aside as he walked up to Marika and gave her a hug which she returned affectionately.

After the good morning hug, Marika returned to making breakfast which Raku lent a hand with. After the food was done, the two filled their plates and started eating. While breakfast wasn't too out of the ordinary, Raku noticed something "Hey, you're eating pretty slowly today. You okay?"

"Oh, don't mind me. It's just that I want to savor the food." Marika answered with her gaze intentionally focused away from Raku.

Raku, who had been living with Marika for about a month, could tell that something was off about her behavior. Before he could voice his concern, Marika spoke "I have a proposition. To save money on the water bill, I think it would be more efficient if we take our morning bath together."

Marika's proposition took Raku off guard as he blushed lightly and almost spat out his coffee. Remembering the events of last night, Raku realized that they already crossed that checkpoint as a couple so he agreed "Well, if it's to save money then I guess I have no choice."

"Are you saying that money is your only reason for doing this?" Marika asked with a sharp grin on her face.

As his blush intensified, Raku answered "N-No, that's not it! It's just that I don't want to state my other reason because I don't want to be labeled as a pervert."

"Raku." Marika said his name to get his attention and then went on unfaltering "I would very much like to see you wearing as few garments as possible. Preferably with none on."

This left Raku speechless as he jaw dropped. This earned Marika a laugh as she teased "You're reactions are so priceless, Rakkun! Oh come on, no need to be so shy. We are in the height of our youth so these feelings are common among couples."

With his embarrassment reaching its peak, Raku stormed off "I'm going to take that shower now."

"Wait for me." Marika smiled brightly as she stood from her chair to join him.

After another affectionate moment, the two came out of the shower and started drying off.

After the two finished drying off and getting dressed for the day, Marika said "Raku, I have a request." After getting Raku's attention, she pulled out her key.

"Can I try opening your locket?" Marika asked as she held her key to her heart.

Having forgotten about his childhood lover, Marika's proposition took Raku by surprise. Although the promise he made as a child is still important to him, Raku wouldn't let feelings from the past dissolve the feelings he currently has for Marika.

Pulling out his locket, Raku agreed "Sure, but I'm not going to let the outcome negatively affect our relationship. The person I'm in love with is you, despite what happens after opening this locket."

With a wide smirk, Marika stated "That's assuming that there's a possibility that the promised girl is not me. I can assure you, there's no doubt in my mind that the promise you made all those years ago was with me."

Smiling from Marika's determination, Raku started slowly moving his pendant towards Marika's key and said "Alright, let's do this."

"Right!" Marika answered back with fire in her eyes. The key and locket slowly inched towards each other; however, Raku noticed the closer the two objects got, the more Marika faltered as she became increasingly nervous. When the objects were just millimeters apart, Marika stopped moving her key forward and looked extremely hesitant. Sighing, Raku thrusted his locket forward which lightly clashed against the key and startled Marika.

"Don't be so nervous. Like I said, nothing's going to change between us if you're not the promised girl. I swear." Raku softly said to help soothe Marika's worries.

While Raku's words had some impact on Marika, uncertainty still lingered as she asked "Do you really mean that? If you say it one more time, I will believe you without a trace of doubt."

Raku was surprised his words still haven't sunk in, but then realized it wasn't surprising. Throughout high school, Raku treasured his pendant and was never good at hiding his relief whenever he found it after it went missing; however, it couldn't compare to how much he treasured Marika and so Raku stated "Marika, if you told me to throw my pendant out the window, stomp on it repeatedly, and then toss it into a volcano, I would do so without hesitation. I'm in love with you and I'm not in love with some stupid object that holds the past that I can't even remember."

Marika finally felt the weight of Raku's words and all doubt was erased from her mind. With her smile returning, Marika inserted her key into the keyhole and said "Thank you, Raku. Let's finish this."

Hearing the key fit made Raku's heart skip a beat yet again. It was just like the time with Chitoge's key and he was rendered speechless from the anticipation. Sure, Raku was not about the let this outcome bring harm to his relationship; however, the thought that Marika could be the promised girl excited him.

As she slowly twisted her key, Marika's thoughts kept her going "From our past to now. I want to know everything about my relationship with this man standing before me!"

Click

All of a sudden, Raku found himself in a seemingly endless and empty expanse. His surroundings were pure white including the floor which made moving disorienting.

"Hi there." Raku heard a voice say.

Turning around to find the source of the voice, Raku found a child with black and indigo hair. Honestly, it was the spitting image of a shorter Raku.

Before Raku could even barrage him with questions, the answers already came to his mind.

With a smile, the child said "Surprised? I can transfer my thoughts directly to you. We are the same person, after all."

Letting the answers sink in, Raku voiced them "You're the manifestation of all the memories I lost after I was attacked by that animal when I was a kid."

With a wide smile, younger Raku beamed "Yup! Today I'm giving you back your memories. Wait, that's not right. It'd be more appropriate to say that I'm becoming one with you, but not in the same sense as you becoming one with you-know-who."

The child's last comment earned a furious blush on Raku's face as the child laugh "Hahaha! Becoming embarrassed with yourself, huh? That's a new low."

Brushing the embarrassment aside, Raku went on "Whatever. Tell me, why did you wait so long to, uh, rejoin me? That sounds so weird. Just tell me why you didn't return my memories earlier."

"Cause' then you would've known the truth about the promise before choosing a girl. That would've totally ruined it!" The child scolded.

Scratching his head, Raku sighed "As much as I enjoy arguing with myself, this is getting ridiculous."

"Okay, you're the boss." The child exclaimed as his body started illuminating. Once his body disappeared, little balls of light that sparkled like snow were left and drifted towards Raku. One after another, the balls of light entered Raku's body. With each one, Raku remembered something about his past. Once the last ball of light entered Raku's body, the memories started flooding back of that one precious time.

In the scene, a child-like Raku was speaking to a younger Marika who was blushing madly and looked incredibly nervous.

"I-I don't think I can compete with them other girls. They're just so pretty and unique that I reckon I don't stand much of a chance." Marika confessed to the boy.

Shaking his head, younger Raku replied "What're you talking about? You're pretty and unique too, ya know."

This resulted in a huge blush on Marika's face as she stuttered "I-I don't know a-about that. I-I don't have that long hair that y-you like so much."

Raku looked bewildered by Marika's statement and went on with a touch of sadness "Are you saying you're not gonna compete?"

Raku's question catching her off guard, Marika tried making out an answer "W-What? I don't know. It's just… All I'm good for is layin in bed all day. I don't think I can become a great girl that you'd like."

Sighing, Raku took a step closer as he put a hand on Marika's shoulder and tried his best to encourage her "'If you don't take the first step, a path won't open for you.' You keep saying that you 'don't know'. Isn't that more of an excuse for you to try? You'll end up with regret if you never find out what you can and can't do."

Raku's words were more than encouraging to Marika as a huge smile blossomed on her face. If there was any one person who could motivate herself to do something, it would be Raku. Unknown to her, Raku still wasn't done.

"Plus… I kinda… want you to win, Mari." Raku answered honestly as a blush formed on his face.

"Huh?" Marika muttered in bewilderment who hadn't yet processed Raku's words.

Scratching his cheek, Raku finished "If… If you win… then that means… we'll be together, right?"

After Raku's point was finally understood by Marika, she exclaimed nervously with a mad blush "You… you mean… you want me?!"

Raku simply nodded who was far too embarrassed to say anything.

After a short silence, Marika wrapped her arms tightly around Raku as she declared "I… I won't lose! I'm gonna beat those darned girls! That way, Rakkun and I can…" The embarrassment caught up to her as she found herself unable to continue.

As the scene disappeared, Raku found himself back in the apartment and a teenage Marika stood before him. He was back in the present.

"It… opened." Marika uttered who was almost speechless.

As the two peered inside the locket, what they found was a little piece of paper. After briefly hesitating, Marika pulled it out and started reading it aloud.

"Dear future Rakkun, this is Mari. You were supposed to find a letter in here written by the four girls with keys, but I thought it was stupid so I ripped it apart and put this one in here instead. I'm declaring that your feelings will change in my favor! I won't lose to some long haired girly girls! Until we meet again, Raku, know that I love you more than anything else. – Mari."

After clearing her throat, Marika looked away from Raku and said "That's all that's written here."

"I somehow doubt that. Let me see." Raku replied who was a little skeptical.

After a quiet tsk, Marika handed the letter to Raku who begun to read the rest out loud.

"Marika, this was supposed to be fair and square with no foul play! Anyways, everyone's about to part ways and it will be a long time until we see each other again, so we made a promise to play again someday. All the girls get a key that can open the locket we gave to Raku. – Yui."

"Marika… that wasn't very nice… We're all way too embarrassed to confess now, well, with the exception of Marika anyways. When we gave Raku the locket, we told him that it'll reunite him with a promised girl. None of us are the promised girl right now, but the girl who opens the locket will be. - Kosaki."

"That's was totally uncalled for, Marika! We never did get along and I see why now! Ahem, we did put a mistletoe in the locket, but Marika threw it away. It was supposed to be our plan to kiss you. Ugh, why am I the one who has to write this?! Anyways… I really hope I get to be with you, dummy beansprout. You are my best friend, after all. – Chitoge."

"We hope you're happy, Raku. Four different girls have been in love with you since the beginning! Written by: Chitoge, Kosaki, Yui."

Just in case, Raku checked the back of the paper and was surprised to see one more note.

"But I'm the person who loves you the most. – Mari."

Raku still couldn't believe it. Even though he remembered the competition after regaining his memories, unlocking the pendant and reading about the contest felt unreal. It was probably because the whole thing was not what he was expecting it to be. Still…

With a soft smile, Raku said "Aren't you happy, Marika? According to this, you're the promised girl."

Once it finally dawned on her that it was her key that opened his locket, tears started streaming uncontrollably down her cheek. Another wish of hers became a reality.

She was the promised girl that Raku sought after for so long.

Putting her hands over her eyes, Marika wept happily "I can't… believe it. I… I really did it… Rakkun… I'm your promised girl."

Pulling Marika into a gentle embrace, Raku smiled "You big dummy. It took you that long to figure that out? You were always my promised girl."

After a few minutes of Marika's unbridled laughter and tears, she finally settled down. Feeling exhausted and drained, Marika leaned into Raku for support.

"I think my body can finally rest now." Marika spoke in almost a whisper.

"Marika?" Raku called her name in confusion. The arms that Marika wrapped around him had slackened and she never did finish her sentence. Dread slowly crept up on Raku.

"Raku… I don't have much time left in this world." Marika whispered whose smile faltered.

The weight those words carried were stronger than Raku could withstand. With forced obliviousness, Raku replied "You… You already told me that."

Feeling Raku's arms wrapped even more tightly around her, Marika knew that the meaning of her words got across to him. Knowing she lost the ability to walk, Marika asked "Can you carry me to the bed? I can't…"

"…Sure." Raku answered back with a clear lack of emotion in his voice.

Marika was once again picked up by Raku bridal style. Taking a look at her face, it started looking slightly pale which agonized Raku "Why? Why?! She was perfectly fine five minutes ago! She can't… She can't be..!"

"Thank you, Raku." Marika's thanks cut Raku's thoughts off. It took everything Raku had not to cry once she said that. To anyone else, it seemed like three simple words, but Raku felt the true gravity that they held. Marika wasn't just thanking Raku for carrying her.

She was thanking him for everything he's done for her until now.

"Anything for you, Marika." Raku managed to answer her.

Once Raku carried Marika into the bedroom, he started gently setting her down on the bed when she asked "This past month, tell me, was I able to smile most of the time?"

This question most certainly caught Raku off guard as he finished setting Marika down on the bed.

Going through with her question, Marika smiled "Will you remember me living happily?"

As the tears rolled down his face, Raku forced a smile "You kidding me? You were smiling every day. All I had to do was look at you and a huge smile would appear on your face. How could someone who smiles so genuinely be unhappy?"

Although Marika's smile faltered slightly from her new tears, her smile remained beaming on her face.

Still wanting to finish answering, Raku went on "When I remember you, I'm going to see a smiling girl who's always calling out my name. I'm going to remember the way you chased after me and held me. I'm going to remember a girl who was always bustling with energy and did the most ridiculous things on a daily basis. I'm going to see a girl who will keep encouraging me to move forward."

Marika still hung onto her smile; however, she is on the brink of uncontrollable sobbing.

"I'll… I'll remember you as the girl who I love and adore with all of my heart." Raku broke first who started sobbing but it only took a second for Marika to join him. Raku wrapped his arms gently around Marika who was too weak to return his embrace.

The two spent the rest of the day together. No more words were spoken during most of the afternoon, none were needed during that time.

It was only until the sun started touching the horizon when Marika broke the silence "Hey… Raku? Since it's Valentine's Day, I made you something." Marika's voice was fragile and lacked energy.

"Is it another chocolate sculpture of me?" Raku tried vainly to lighten the mood.

Marika, who didn't have the strength to laugh, smiled "No, it is not. It wouldn't be… creative if I went with that idea again. Look… in my purse. It's in a small box."

Raku rummaged through Marika's purse and found the small box she was talking about.

"Open it." Marika weakly instructed.

Opening the box, Raku found a brown shaped ring inside. "Is this made of..." Raku tried asking but stopped midsentence as he tried figuring it out.

Finishing his statement for him, Marika explained "Chocolate? Yes, but it is made out of a very special material. It cannot be melted… no matter how much time passes. I had it specially made for your left ring finger. Will you accept this?"

At the very end, Marika stood by her ridiculous ways. Raku couldn't even wrap his mind around non-melt chocolate and had no idea how Marika got his finger measurements. Raku also couldn't remember the last time he smiled so genuinely, however…

"This is a wonderful gift, Marika. I would love more than anything to wear this on my finger forever, but wouldn't it be strange? To have a ring around my finger and not be married?" Raku reasoned with his smile unwavering. Before Marika even had time to react to Raku's question, Raku thrust forward a box of his own and opened it in front of her.

"Will you marry me, Marika?" Raku asked with the same unwavering smile on his face.

As Marika looked at the ring, she was completely dumbfounded. It was a real diamond ring and its value looked immense. Still in complete shock, Marika asked "Raku… how?"

"Let's just say a certain gorilla's mother worked me to the bone once and rewarded me for it. That, and I sometimes work with Kosaki's mom. It's a good thing I'm not a heavy spender or else I might not have been able to afford this." Raku explained with unwavering determination.

Tears ran down Marika's face who was too weak to hold them back. With a shining smile, Marika answered Raku's proposal.

"Yes, I will marry you!" Marika passionately answered. Regaining her strength momentarily, Marika rose from her bed and flung her arms gently around Raku.

Despite all of the bad things that were happening, Raku will always remember this moment as the happiest moment of his life which was a life that wasn't bound to just one person now.

After their beautiful moment, Marika's arms slackened completely as she whispered "I can't feel my arms anymore."

"Marika?" Raku called her name as that horrible feeling started swirling in his gut once again. Feeling Marika lean completely against his body, Raku could tell that Marika had no strength left so he gently laid her back down in bed.

"I thought I was already satisfied… however; It seems like my body wouldn't rest… until I achieved my very last, outlandish wish." Marika reasoned in a quiet voice.

"Marika… don't tell me… you…" Raku panicked as dread crept up on him and he knew that these would be his very last few moments with Marika.

Taking a moment to breathe, Marika smiled as brightly as she could as she spoke "I lived a fulfilling life. I made friends; although, I also made enemies. I worked hard and achieved my dreams. I even cheated death. I also… have the perfect husband. I'm glad you're the person who sends me off in the end. I love you, Raku. No words are strong enough to fully communicate the strength of my love for you, so this will have to do."

Closing her eyes, Marika thrust her lips slightly forward as a signal to Raku which he answered without hesitation. Bending down, Raku's lips met with Marika's as the two shared a final parting kiss.

"Goodbye, Raku." Marika whispered to him as her eyes remained closed.

In mad desperation, Raku screamed as tears raced down his face "No, Marika! Please don't go yet! I'm… I'm not ready for this! Please-"

"Raku…" Marika partially opened her eyes as she whispered "I can't leave until you say… goodbye. It would be so rude of me to go… without giving you the chance to say it."

While Raku was initially relieved that Marika was still with him, she was very faint and it was clear to Raku that she was forcing herself through sheer willpower just to stay conscious. Right now, Raku felt like an anchor that prevented Marika from passing on and he couldn't bear that.

Summoning all of his strength, Raku grabbed Marika's hand softly and prepared himself for what was about to happen. As Raku looked at Marika, he saw that a smile still rested on her face as her eyes closed once again.

"Please… say it to me… Rakkun." Marika pleaded using the remainder of her strength.

Raku's crying only intensified as the tears blurred his vision, and yet he could still see the gentle smile on Marika's face. Raku knew what had to be done. He knew that this was their final goodbye. Wondering how it came to this, Raku thought back to the first time he ever met Marika.

"Hi there! My name's Raku. What's yours?" A younger Raku asked the orange haired girl who was in bed.

The girl was startled by his sudden appearance; however, a bright smile formed on her lips as she answered "M-My name? W-Well, my name's Marika, but you can call me Mari. It's nice to meet ya!"

Wanting to protect that warm smile Marika has, Raku made up his mind to let her go so she could escape from this world she's suffering in.

"Goodbye, Mari."

After hearing those two simple words, Marika's body finally gave out as her soul drifted into a deep slumber and when she woke up, she was in another place that was far from the world she knew and loved.

-Many years later-

On a cloudy day where rain seemed imminent, a man walked alone through a forest.

"You made it a real pain in the ass to come visit you, you know that?" The grown man complained to nobody; however, a soft smile rested on his face as he continued voicing his thoughts "Well, I understand why you chose this place. People can be a pain, so being all the way out here must be very peaceful."

After walking quite a bit, the man finally reached his destination: the grave of his beloved.

"It's been awhile, Marika." Raku smiled gently as he grew closer to the grave. Once Raku stood right in front of Marika's grave, he started talking about random things that happened in the last year whether they were major events or nonsensical things, just like he did every year. Raku visited America once a year to visit that same mountain side from his childhood. It was the same place he met Marika who chose this as her resting place because it felt like home to her after spending so much time here.

"I knew you'd be here." A voice called out to Raku from behind.

Already knowing who it was, Raku muttered under his breath "Tsk, can't a guy have some alone time with his wife, Shitoge?"

"What was that?" Chitoge asked in a demanding tone. Even though Chitoge didn't hear what Raku said, she could tell it was something foul.

Not wanting to fight with her right off the bat, Raku revised his previous statement "I asked 'how did you know I would be here'?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Chitoge answered "Hmpf, who said I was coming for you? Are you saying a friend of Marika's can't visit her on her birthday?"

After turning around, Raku took a few steps away from Marika's grave. After pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, Raku replied "Sorry. You're constantly pestering me about spending time together that I was worried I had a gorilla stalking me. Anyways, she's all yours if you want to talk to her." Raku proceeded to start smoking when he was a significant distant away from Marika's grave.

Still wanting to talk to the man before her, Chitoge focused her attention on Raku as she said "I wouldn't call asking you once a month to spend some time with me 'constantly pestering'. Honestly, you're going to die alone at this rate and fast. You… You should really quit smoking."

Raku's relationship with Chitoge will always be the same. Best friends who are always at each other's throats, but there were some moments that Raku cherished and this was one of them. Chitoge's concern was impactful on Raku who took the cigarette out of his mouth and had a proposition he wanted to share with Chitoge "Alright, I'll quit smoking, but only on one condition. You have to give up alcohol."

"Not happening." Chitoge answered bluntly.

Chitoge's lightning fast response took Raku by surprise as he replied "G-Geez, I'll take that as a sign of a true alcoholic."

Getting flustered from Raku's comment, Chitoge blushed furiously as she defended herself "W-What?! It's not that bad! It's not like I let it consume my life or anything! You're talking to the head of a giant corporation, but your case is different. You're setting a bad example by smoking, Doctor Ichijou."

Knowing the conversation wouldn't flow well in its current direction, Chitoge brought up another topic "So, I hear you finally did it. You cured what used to be considered an incurable illness."

Raku knew exactly what Chitoge was talking about and simply replied with "Yeah, I did."

Chitoge pushed the topic further and was curious about Raku's feelings about the matter "I'm sure she's really proud of you; however, I'd have to say I'm a little disappointed. After you found the cure, you were offered a huge amount of money which you proceeded to turn down just so you could rename the illness. Even now, you really are a stupid beansprout."

Getting a little embarrassed himself, Raku countered "W-What was I supposed to do with all that money?! Unlike somebody I know, it doesn't take a vast amount of wealth to make me happy. It's just… Marika complained about the name of her illness. I wanted to change its complicated name, so I renamed it after the 'Marigold' flower Marika always wore. I thought it was appropriate since 'Marigold' means 'health' in the language of flowers."

To be honest, Raku's dedication to Marika after all these years amazed Chitoge who couldn't help but feel happy and a bit jealous. Chitoge thought Raku was a perfect example of how a man should be: strong hearted and completely loyal. The jealous part came in when she knew Raku had something she herself lacked: a treasure that drove him.

"Talking to you is giving me a headache. I'm going to go talk to Marika now." Chitoge hissed as she started walking towards Marika's grave.

"Don't blame your hangover on me." Raku chuckled as he went back to smoking his cigarette.

After speaking to Marika for a while, Chitoge got up and voiced her thoughts to Raku "I've been taking care of my mom's corporation in her absence for a long time which grows under my supervision to this day. Still, what I've managed to accomplish can't even compare to what you've accomplished. It's because you have something truly inspiring that's pushing you forward. All I have is my business, a few close friends, and alcohol from time to time. Still…"

Turning around to face Raku, Chitoge pointed directly at him and with a smile, she vowed "I'm going to find my treasure, Raku, and when I do, you'll be sorry for not choosing me because I will become an incredible woman."

Chitoge's declaration startled Raku who didn't know how it came to this or what Chitoge was talking about entirely. Having a good gist of what Chitoge was trying to communicate, Raku answered "I'm not completely sure what you're talking about, but I do have two complaints. I will never regret marrying Marika and I will never choose another woman. Also, you were always incredible in your own way so you can mark that off of your to-do list."

Raku didn't mind saying that last part because of his close friendship with Chitoge; however, Raku's statement put a mad blush on her face as she replied "I-I mean, I'll become even more incredible!"

"So, what? You'll become 'super-incredible'? 'Ultra-incredible'? 'Maximum-over-incredible'?" Raku teased who couldn't help but laugh.

"Grr…" Chitoge growled as her blush intensified. Regret wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she felt at the moment and would do anything to retract her previous statement.

"Hey… want to grab a bite to eat?" Raku asked to change topics.

Surprised by Raku's sudden offer, Chitoge's embarrassment started to dissipate and she beamed "Sure, but you have to pay for my meal!"

"This might just me, but I somehow feel like the leader of a successful international business shouldn't get excited over a free meal." Raku laughed happily. After all these years, Chitoge was still Chitoge who started laughing herself. It was moments like these where Raku knew he wasn't alone. Although he once lost his entire world, Raku kept moving forward and came to a better place because of his persistence. It was something Raku picked up from Marika's lifestyle. It was during this moment, Raku remembered something he once said.

"A happy ending isn't something that's decided by circumstance; but rather, it's something you work for. All of the memories and the bonds I forged with you and Marika will give me my happy ending."

Raku felt a light blush form on his face when he remembered these words. Chitoge was right, it sounded really stupid and extremely cheesy. Even so…

"Even if it's embarrassing, I will always stand by those words." Raku thought with a smile.

-Raku's monologue-

"My name is Raku Ichijou and I became a husband at the age of seventeen. My story is a ridiculous one at best and I never knew the meaning of the word 'normal'. Born into a hopeless yakuza family and forced into a relationship to stop an all-out war between two factions, I didn't know what 'peace' meant either. I thought life couldn't get any more bizarre, but then 'she' reentered my life. Her name was Marika Tachibana and she is the love of my life. After I met her and after I fell in love with her, I finally found the treasure in my life that I had been desperately searching for; however, it was snatched away from me. On a Valentine's Day, I proposed to her and became a husband; however, just five minutes later, I became a widower. My heart broke into pieces, I lost my way, and I lost the ability to feel. When I was about to succumb to despair, I felt something touch my shoulder. Of course, nobody was there, so I thought I was just imagining things, but then I heard a distant yet familiar voice."

"Do your best, Rakkun."

"While I know the logical explanation would be that I imagined it, that there was no way Marika could say those things to me now. You don't understand the lengths Marika would go to for somebody she loves. It does sound ridiculous, I know, but Marika's very nature is ridiculousness, so it's not at all surprising for her to cheer me on from the afterlife. After hearing her words, I cried for the first time in a long time. I will never again experience despair, Marika would scold me for it. The pain of losing something precious is indescribable, but moving past the agony makes today even more precious. The time I spent with her, the time I fell into despair, the tomorrow that I will struggle towards, all of it is my treasure."

"Thank you for being the sparkle of my life, Marika."

Raku found himself in an unfamiliar place and it was incredibly hard to describe his surroundings using words from a different plane of existence. If he had to describe his current environment in one word, it would be "surreal". Knowing how he reached this place, Raku wanted to call this place "heaven"; however, was it the real thing? Raku still did not know.

"It's been far too long, Raku." A familiar voice spoke.

Raku didn't have to turn around to know who was speaking. With tears involuntarily running down his face, Raku answered "Sorry I took so long to get here. It's just that a certain person told me not to waste my life. I… I did everything I set out to do. When I died, I left behind no regrets. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Mari?" Raku finally turned around to face his wife who was just as beautiful as he remembered. Tears raced down her cheeks as well, but Raku still found that smile he desired to see.

"Welcome home, my beloved Rakkun."

"If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane. I would walk right up to Heaven and bring you back again." – Unknown

Author's Notes: Well, this fanfiction is finally done. It's been quite a journey for me and it's a little sad to be done, but I'm satisfied with how this fanfiction turned out. I would even say it trumps my Zawsze In Love with a Stupid Beansprout fanfiction! This is definitely the most emotional piece I've ever written as well. Also, happy Mother's Day if you're reading this on the day it's released.

Time to talk references! The main reference, the one thing that inspired me to write this, was the Linkin Park song called "Valentine's Day" which I listened to while writing Zawzse In-. Listening to the lyrics, it can definitely be interpreted as a funeral and I couldn't stop thinking about that and Marika and I kinda mixed the two together. So, yeah, the title of this fanfiction is from a part of the song when Chester keeps repeating "On a Valentine's Day". If you're interested, try reading this fanfiction while listening to the song.

Speaking on my other Nisekoi fanfiction, I also went with the same locket explanation. I tried coming up with something different, but I really do like the contest explanation and I really do think it's what the locket's all about. I'm just not a big fan of the past deciding the future. I mean, what if Raku likes Chitoge and the locket says the promised girl is actually Kosaki? Then the locket would lose meaning because Raku wouldn't abandon his feelings for Chitoge just because of an old promise. I forget which chapter, but Raku did say that he will follow his heart instead of the locket when it comes to choosing a girl.

Any Erased fans? I put a quote in here just for you guys that you're sure to pick up on. I'm talking about you, Moosashi! It's an excellent quote that we can all learn from.

Any Dragon Ball Abridged fans? There was one scene where Tien mocked Vegeta and you may find something very similar to that in here.

While I doubt a lot of you have seen Kanon, there was a scene where the male protagonist was talking to a girl suffering from a fatal illness. At one point, the girl asks "Was I able to smile most of the time?" Then the OST "Trace of a dream" started playing and my heart started to feel. I really did cry and the whole thing was really impactful for me.

That's about it when it comes to references. I also drew a lot of inspiration from other animes when it came to making this chapter. I rewatched certain scenes from shows like Anohana, Your Lie in April, Undertale (not an anime), and some others. I felt a lot of sadness, but it also inspired me to write what I did so I'm also really happy. It was such a beautiful sadness, after all.

Well, I believe that wraps up everything. I hope you all enjoyed this story and thanks for sticking with it until the end. See you later!

5/13/16 UPDATE: This is an update about the title of this fanfiction which used to be "On a Valentine's Day". Since I created this fanfiction, I was really satisfied with the title; however, something nagged away at me and it finally hit me while I was reading my "Zawzse In Love..." fanfiction. "On a Valentine's Day" didn't imply that it was about Marika at all and had none of her essence. So, that's why I changed it to"Marika's Route: On a Valentine's Day". If you were thrown off about this change, I apologize. I will also be posting this update on the first chapter.