A/N: And this is the final chapter. Thank you for reading, following and making this story your favorite.

Natsume woke up to the sound of his alarm. He groaned as he switched it off and yawned. Today he and his co-workers were going to help out at the memorial event where Tsubaki had a major role in. Coincidentally his older brother Tsubaki. He had been very busy so he hardly saw Ayaka. It has been a while since the graduation party where he said he would not give up on her. It was because of that day when Natsume quit university and gave up on track and field to go job hunting. He was successful in getting the job he was in the present time. He made the right decision as he had a proper job and the means to provide for himself. Besides he could not devote himself to a dream like Tsubaki or being skilled at anything like Azusa. If he had to regret anything, it was the look of disappointment he made on Subaru who idolized him. He could never shake off the feeling of guilt for quitting halfway. This time he would not quit. He would not give up on her.

As he prepared breakfast for himself and his cats, Natsume recalled when he first Ayaka at his mother's wedding. He only learnt about Ayaka at that time since his brothers neglected to tell him that they would get a little sister. But he was happy to know that she was fan of his company's games. Ayaka was a high school student at that time. To him, she looked mature but her smile and playfulness was age appropriate. He thought that was cute. It was not so bad having a little sister at that time. Things started to change when he noticed that Subaru developed feelings for Ayaka. He realized he was wrong to ask her about it because she yelled at him. She eventually forgave him but it was a fact that Subaru loved Ayaka. He could also tell that Tsubaki and Azusa also fell in love with Ayaka. He found himself thinking what would happened if she accept either of their feelings but he dismissed those thoughts which were ridiculous. But things began to change overtime. Natsume drove to the site where the event was being held. He changed into the special edition T-shirt and was assigned to equipment management. He was busy carrying boxes and assisting with setup.

"Natsume-san!"

Natsume immediately recognized that voice and saw Ayaka waving at him.

"Ayaka?" He walked over to her "Did Tsubaki invite you to the event?"

"Yes. What are you doing here?"

"As you can see, I'm helping out behind the scenes."

"It's been a while since I've seen you so I'm glad you're doing okay."

"Yeah. How about you? How's university?"

"It's fine."

"Hey Asahina." Natsume's co-worker called him "Can you help me?"

"I've got to go."

"Okay. It was nice to see you again."

"Yeah." Natsume smiled "You too." He left feeling a little more energetic.

A few days later after the memorial event, Natsume was on his lunch break. He was due to get time off. He wondered what he sould do aside from relaxing in his apartment. He immediately thought of Ayaka and their time at the Yokohama Edens Park. She thoroughly enjoyed herself so maybe they should go back. Once he got home and fed his cats, he called Ayaka.

"Hello?"

"Hello, it's me."

"Natsume-san, what is it?"

"It's been a while since we visited Yokohama Edens Park. If you don't have any plans do you want to go?"

The line was silent for a moment. Natsume figured that Ayaka needed to think it over and if she had anything else to do. He knew that she was doing an internship through his mother's connections.

"Okay. What day should we go for Natsume-san?"

"Let me see." Natsume checked his calendar "How about this Friday?"

"Yes. I can make it."

Natsume smiled "Okay. I'll see you then. Have a good night."

"You too. Good night."

And so, Friday came and Natsume arrived at the park a few minutes earlier than expected. However, he was in for a surprise.

"Hey... why are you two here?"

Natsume was displeased; Tsubaki and Azusa came along with Ayaka.

"Sorry." Ayaka apologized "They insisted on coming."

"It's not everyday the four of us can hang out together."

"We just happened to be free." Azusa grabbed Natsume's shoulder "Ayaka can you wait for us for just a moment?"

"Okay."

Natsume found himself being dragged away much to his chagrin. Tsubaki and Azusa confronted him with calm but threatening smiles. He dreaded those expressions; it meant that they were up to no good.

"We've learned that you've been hanging out with Ayaka. Going to a cafe and the same game center we're going to. How dare you get a head start on us."

"That's really unfair Natsume. Did you really think we'll leave Ayaka alone with you?"

Natsume shuddered as his older brothers spoke in unison "Be prepared to receive your punishment."

"Is everything okay?" Ayaka asked

"It's fine." Tsubaki showed his usual smile

"Natsume said he will pay for everything." said Azusa smiling happily

"These bastards..." Natsume cursed them in his mind. The real reason Tsubaki and Azusa were here was just to harass him. But he was willing to put up with it for Ayaka's sake.

They spent the whole day playing games and having fun. Expect for Natsume who was being destroyed in video games and being bossed around by his older brothers. He was ordered to go pick up drinks to go with their lunch. Natsume let out a heavy sigh, this was not what he had hoped. But Ayaka was haviing fun and that what was important.

"Hey there Asahina" A tall man called Natsume. He had brown hair and eyes.

"Kazamatsuri, what are you doing?"

"Enjoying my day off just like you."

"I wonder about that..." Natsume was not exactly having fun

"You're here alone?"

"No. Ayaka, Tsubaki and Azusa are with me."

"Then I'll go say hello. You got to introduce me to Ayaka-chan." Kazamatsuri walked past Natsume without asking for consent

Natsume was wondering if this was a good idea. Maybe he should not worry about it.

"Hey there!"

"Oh Kazamatsuri. It's been a while." Tsubaki shook his hand

"Who's this?" Ayaka asked Natsume who handed her drink

"He's Kazamatsuri. He works in the same company."

"Nice to you meet you. I heard about you from Natsume and Tsubaki talks about you a lot."

"Hello,"Ayaka greeted him "It's nice to meet you."

"Hey is it okay if we exchange numbers?"

"Is it okay?" Ayaka asked Natsume

"Oh yeah."

"It's okay." said Azusa and Tsubaki nodded giving his approval

Being reassured by the triplets, Ayaka and Kazamatsuri exchanged numbers. Kazamatsuri told Ayaka she can call him whenevr she needed advice. Natsume thought that it would be all right but he could not ignore this prickling in his heart.

The sun was setting so it was time for the group of four to head home. Ayaka invited Natsume over for dinner. He accepted the offer because he liked her cooking. He enjoyed the omelets she made for him. However, Tsubaki asked him to meet up in Azusa's room.

"You guys didn't mind Kazamatsuri exchanging numbers with Ayaka?"

"He's trustworthy. Plus he's interested in another woman."

Natsume recalled a memory during the spring season this year "Come to think of it, he did say he was talking with this lady he met during the flower viewing season." He was a little relieved that he did not have anything to worry about.

"It's time to get serious." Azusa looked to Tsubaki who nodded in reply.

"How do you feel about Ayaka?"

Natsume realized that there was one more reason why they invited themselves. They wanted to confirm Natsume's feelings towards Ayaka.

"Azusa and I are both serious about her. If your feelings are half-baked, we want you to back off."

"I love her." Natsume replied without hesitation "Not as a sister. I love Ayaka as a woman. Therefore I have intention of backing off." He had long made his resolve. He refused to lose to his older brothers.

"I see." Azusa broke the moment of silence "Then that's fine."

"We would have never forgiven you if you weren't at least prepared to do that."

Natsume noted that Tsubaki and Azusa had changed a lot. It was not just because of Azusa's hospitalization but it was due to Ayaka's influence. The same applied for the rest of their brothers. Ayaka is a precious person to all of them. Because she cherishes them, they want to do the same. The following week, Natsume was working on the next upcoming project for the fall season. He had noticed Kazamatsuri was always on his phone during his breaks, texting with the usual goofy smile. Was he talking to that woman he was interested in? Or maybe...

"Yeah, I've been texting Ayaka-chan." Kazamatsuri replied while they were having lunch

"I thought so. What have you been talking about with her?"

Kazamatsuri grinned in response to the question "What's this Asahina? Are you jealous?" he held in his laughter after seeing Natsume flinch "You've got a low tolerance."

Natsume resisted the urge to punch his annoying co-worker because that would be inappropriate behavior.

"How about you ask her? Ayaka-chan's a good girl so she'll be honest with you."

Natsume did not need to be told what he had already known. But, it was best to ask the person herself than worry and overthink things. When work was finished, he visited the supermarket to pick groceries for dinner and returned to his apartment. After dinner, he was having a smoke on his veranda. He reminisced about the time when Ayaka went missing because she found out that she was adopted. The moment he received the call from Tsubaki about it, he ran through the streets looking for Ayaka even when it started to rain. Natsume kept running until he tired himself; he berated himself for being so weak. He was faster when he was still doing track-and-field. But that was not the time to beat himself up. He calmed himself down and continued to look around. He heard the sound of a phone ringing and that was how he found Ayaka. When she refused to tell him what had happened and that she would not go home, he invited her to his apartment.

Once she confided in why she ran away and all her frustrations, Natsume realized that he misunderstood her. He always thought she was a strong and cheerful person but she too had her worries. He felt responsible for adding stress to her concerning him and Subaru. When Ayaka was about to leave, Natsume stopped her and then kissed her on impulse. He regarded himself as useless trash but he was done berating himself. That why he told Ayaka to rely on him, he was through giving up. As he laid on the floor, Natsume realized the reason he kissed Ayaka was because he too had fallen in love with her. If Subaru learnt about it, they would never rekindle their relationship. It seemed to be the case when Subaru punched him. By pure coincidence Natsume saw Subaru walking by. He immediately left the veranda and headed outside.

"Subaru!" Natsume shouted as he ran up to him

"Natsu-nii..."

"What's up? What are you doing around here?"

Subaru looked down on the ground "The thing is..." he looked at Natsume "I wanted to say I'm sorry for punching you. I took out my frustration on you. I could not get Ayaka's love like that. I invited her out to come see me play and then I asked her to go out with me and that she should come with me when I start traveling with the team. But I was rejected."

"Subaru..." Natsume felt sorry for his little brother who looked solemn.

"She said she would continue to support me. Knowing that, I can continue to give it my all in basketball." Subaru smiled. Even though he was hurt, he was glad that he confessed and had no more regrets "I truly loved her. that's why I want to become a man and basketball player she can be proud of."

Natsume was amazed; the little brother who always followed him around had grown up magnificently.

"The most important right now is that your hard work has paid off and you've become a pro. It's very admirable." Natsume smiled as he was very proud of Subaru "I've always cheered you on and I always will. Do your best."

Subaru smiled in return "Yes."

As he watched Subaru leave, Natsume understood that Subaru was courageous to confess to Ayaka and how willing he was to repay her for the support she has given him. He should do the same.

After another day of hard work, Natsume was driving when he saw Ayaka. He also saw her childhood fried Eri amongst the group of people. It looked like she was saying goodbye to them. He decided to call her out so when he got the chance he drove up to her

"Hey, want a lift?"

"Yes. Thank you." Ayaka opened the front door seat and sat down. She closed the door and fastened her seatbelt

"What were you doing?"

"Eri was introducing me to her friends from her internship. We just hung out, talking and eating."

"I see." Natsume got an idea "How about we take a detour? You don't have to head home immediately right?"

Ayaka thought it over "I guess not."

"It's decided. Besides you should give yourself a break sometimes."

"Okay. So where are we going?"

"Nowhere special. Just a casual drive."

When the light turned green, Natsume turned left at the intersection. Ayaka enjoyed the breeze blowing through the window. Natsume decided that he will tell her his feelings for her once more time. He continued driving until the sun had set. He parked the car and they got out. From a distance they could see the theme park starting to turn on its illuminations. While he enjoyed the view, Natsume had to get something off his chest first.

"You've been texting Kazamatsuri a lot. Why are you doing it so frequently?"

Ayaka hesitated "Well...it's nothing special."

Natsume cornered her from behind "Is it something you can't tell me?" he stared at her. He hated to admit it but he was feeling jealous.

Ayaka realized Natsume would not give up unti she told him. She relented and brought out her. "This is why."

Natsume froze on the spot "Pictures...of me?" Kazamatsuri had been taking secret photos of him without him knowing. Pictures of him eating, smoking, yawning and going through his documents sometimes dropping them.

"I don't get to see this side of you so Kazamatsuri-san sent them to me."

"I see..." Natsume was furious "That little shit...I'll get him for this."

"Sorry." Ayaka giggled as she looked at the pictures "They were too funny."

Natsume sighed, at least the mystery was solved. But he liked seeing Ayaka smile so it was not too bad. She eventually put away her phone.

"I'm glad that I could see you again."

"Why?"

"That's because..." Ayaka prepared herself. She thought about the first time they met. When he gave her his scarf and how he helped her when she ran away from home. All those memories she had with him were aligned with her feelings. There was no doubt about it "I love you Natsume-san."

Natsume smiled as he wrapped his arms around Ayaka and bent down to kiss her. It felt so good to kiss her once more. He was glad that she returned his feelings. They continued to make out for a minute until Natsume pulled away.

"I said that I would stay by your side. But I didn't mean it like that. I want to stay by your side. Not as an older brother but as a man." Natsume dug his hand into his pocket and brought out the spare key to his apartment "You can have this." he placed the key in her hand "You can come see whenever you want. Because you're the one I love the most."

Ayaka smiled as she held the key "Yes."

Two months later, Natsume attended a colleague's wedding and eventually slipped out because he had a date with Ayaka. They told everyone about their relationship. Tsubaki and Azusa gave their approval but they threatened to punish Natsume if he ever made Ayaka cry. He received the same threat from Eri when Ayaka told her but compared to Tsubaki and Azusa, Eri was very supportive and happy for them.

"Ayaka! Sorry I made you wait."

"It's fine. I just got here." Ayaka held his hand and they started walking "How was the wedding?"

"It was nice." Natsume replied "The ceremony at least." he admitted mentally because Kazamatsuri was picking on him for having to leave to go on his date with Ayaka. Kazamatsuri had been teasing him since he found out Natsume was dating Ayaka but he was genuinely happy for his friend.

"Come to think of it, the first time we met was at our parents' wedding."

"That's right. You didn't know about me back then."

"Maybe it was the work of fate." Natsume thought "Just kidding" His face turned red. He was not the type to act like a romantic.

"Natsume-san are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Natsume smirked as he felt an idea come into his mind. It was nice to walk around and go to restaurants but he wanted to alone with Ayaka in his apartment "Actually, I'm feeling a little dizzy. Will you take care of me?'

"Of course. Let's head to your apartment."

Natsume smiled as they changed their course to head to his apartment. Sometimes he had to be a little mischievous. He even thought that he should look for a bigger apartment so that Ayaka can live with him and she can cook for him alone. He had time to make plans for the future because Ayaka will be with him for a long time because he would never let her go. And he hoped that when they revisit the chapel where their parents held their wedding, it would be their turn to exchange their vows.