I changed Megumi's ending from the manga since it left me feeling unsatisfied...

She deserves so much more, and so here, I would like to give her justice 'cause she earned it even if it might be a little too much.

Also, for the readers who followed through, I can't say thank you enough. Every follow, like, favorite, and most especially review that were posted or even sent in private, kept me afloat and have made me fully express my ship for this couple.

My extended thank you notes are at the end of the chapter.

For now, please enjoy the last chapter of Restraint.

Final Chapter: And Then...

Megumi found herself tucked in a comforter, her vision still hazy.

Where am I again?

She sluggishly sat up and rubbed her eyes. As the comforter unfolded, the soft crisped breeze from the window touched her bare upper body.

Her mind is now awakened being more oriented that she's actually at Kojirou's place in Paris. She would usually stay here whenever it's her turn to visit him, but this time, her main purpose was for an awarding ceremony she and Kojirou both attended last night.

Years after her graduation from the academy, Megumi's family ryokan in Tohoku is now considered top class out of the transformation on the in-house restaurant she developed with it. All the hard work paid off with last night's awards where she received her stars from the WGO, which is a nice touch after last year's Michelin stars. This makes her the first female Japanese chef to achieve stars for both, and no one expected it to come from someone who's situated outside Tokyo.

While there was a party after the awarding ceremony, she and Kojirou wanted to celebrate on their own, and at first, they had all the intention of doing so.

They went home. They opened a bottle of wine. They made a toast. They shared a kiss, but somehow, it never ended there.

Somehow they did more, beginning at the kitchen counter, making their way through the living room, until they finally moved to this bed. Megumi can now explain why she's wearing nothing under the covers. She notices the empty space beside her.

He's up earlier than me today...

Their clothes might still be all over those rooms, and so she unboarded one foot at a time off the bed, then gracefully donned on a satin robe to cover herself. Her muscles felt sore, and as she made the bed, the recent intimate moments she had with Kojirou cycled through her mind, and it caused her to run to the bathroom to wash up and cool off her heated cheeks. It still embarrasses her whenever it happens, especially last night.

She brushed her teeth out of habit, then stepped out of the bedroom. The smell of brewed coffee swirled around her. With this, her instincts naturally led her to the kitchen. The trail of clothes she was searching for weren't anywhere to be found, and when she emerged into the kitchen, she only saw Kojirou pouring coffee into a cup.

"Good morning..." she said, her voice still a little rough.

"Still tired? What happened to all that energy from last night?" Kojirou started picking on her.

It hit Megumi cementing her on the spot, pressing her legs together. Everything they did last night (or more like what she initiated) flashed in a split second. "S-stop saying such embarrassing things!"

Megumi losing her composure entertained Kojirou. "I'm only acknowledging your progress over the years. You did pass out on me the first time."

"P-p-please don't bring up something that happened a long time ago!" raised Megumi as she approached the kitchen counter.

Kojirou sniggered as he served a cup for her. "I've cleaned a bit and set the clothes aside before you can trip on them." Kojirou is trying to avoid another accident like last time where she sprained a finger after slipping on a skirt.

"Oh... Thank you." That was quite thoughtful of him, and so she glided towards him and tiptoed to reach for a kiss.

Kojirou willingly obliged as he took her into his arms, then their lips locked into a slow deep kiss. He loves how Megumi's long unbraided hair relaxes behind her, and how her robe tightens against those curves he could never get tired of putting his hands on.

Sometimes it makes him proud and guilty at the same time for robbing off her innocence, but as he caressed her back through her robe, it teased him too much since he couldn't trace a single lining that would indicate even a piece of clothing underneath it.

It tempted him without her knowing it, and he might have prolonged their kiss a little too much that the coffee turned cold when they returned to their cup.

"Breakfast kaiseki!" Megumi gleamed at their meal as it was served to her on the dining table. There was also a dessert box on the side, which is most likely the macarons he would usually make for her from time to time. "I really do feel like a winner being spoiled like this..."

"Well there's more later. The staff volunteered and asked to close Shino's early tonight. They want to celebrate with you."

"T-that's too much... Won't it affect the restaurant? I mean, it's a weekend after all." she said worried.

"Don't think about it. We're doing quite well so we won't feel it. We're fully booked for a while and we have more private events to cater." he had to explain it clearly before her worries roll out.

"I see..." said Megumi a little relieved. When he says Shino's is fully booked for a while, that means there's no available slot until at least next year. "Sorry, I overreacted... I really don't want to cause any financial trouble for Shino's.."

"I know." Kojirou kissed her forehead. "You're much more considerate in more ways than one, that's why we did the numbers before we planned this."

With that Megumi felt more settled. She can now speak of his language. With her running the ryokan as a chef, and helping out at Kirinoya from time to time, she acquired a full learning on the business side of running a restaurant.

One can be the best culinary chef in the region, but if the financial aspects don't catch up, it will shut down sooner than later.

This gave her more reasons to admire Kojirou over the years they have been together. Seven years since she graduated and they've been through highs and lows. A couple of times they almost broke up, but somehow they would stubbornly stay for each other in the end.

It was hard in some days, but worth it. Megumi loves everything about him even more so now from his obsessive-compulsive quirks, down to his fondness of playing with her hair when they cuddle in bed.

Even without all that, they have come a long way to a point where regardless if they go through better days or not, Megumi would choose him, each and every single time. She wakes up each morning with the need to make him happy, and she sees herself doing so permanently throughout their lives.

Kojirou shot a glare at her. "I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the food, so why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing... I just feel really happy being with you again." she reasoned cheerfully then went back to poking through a side dish.

Kojirou would catch her doing that too many times, and she always says the same thing. Perhaps all this relationship started with the reason that they are each other's inspiration for cooking, then maybe later it was how she handles his selfishness and how she puts up with his intermittent mood.

Looking at her now, being in-love with her for almost a decade, he doesn't know the specific reason anymore.

He loves her for who she is as a whole, and nothing will ever make him feel or think otherwise. Cliche as it seems, he already knows what it means to see everything right infront of him, and funnily enough he sees it all through this woman he once called "dunce".

"Megumi, I think it's high time we plan our future together." he opened up.

Megumi perked up as she swallowed unto the last bite of her breakfast. "We're going to get a puppy?"

"No." said Kojirou. It was an unlikely guess, but then those terriers and poodles in the park love playing with her whenever they take a stroll. "Try again."

"We'll build a new restaurant together?" Megumi was now guessing hard. The idea hasn't been revived for a while now.

"Eventually... but not today." he replied, although they should be building on that idea soon.

"Are we going to live together permanently in one place?" Megumi somehow partly lives in Tokyo since he gave a key to his place, and it's the same for him at the ryokan. Her mom assigned a room for him at their ryokan's family residential area.

Even now, the set-up between Megumi and Kojirou is quite complicated, and it involves a lot of adjustments with one living at the other's place for a few weeks, alternately, several times a year. "Living in one place is a good idea... but we have to think it through..."

"Close enough..." said Kojirou. "A little ahead of what I have in mind."

"Then, what do you have in mind?" Megumi couldn't infer anymore, and so she reached for the dessert box, then uncovered the box, where a set of macarons were arrayed all together, but then, one of the macaron slots made her involuntarily hold her breath.

Instead of a macaron, there was a small cushion, and attached to it was...

"That's what I have in mind." Kojirou moved to her side then unhitched the ring carefully setting the box aside.

"I... There's... supposed to be a macaron there..." Megumi still a little shocked, was trying her best to catch up with what's happening. She moved to the side of her seat as Kojirou knelt before her on one knee.

"Would you have preferred a macaron then?" He now held up her hand.

Megumi shook her head, her eyes watered, her voice muted being more aware of what he's doing.

"This has been on my mind for a long time now. I thought I'd wait maybe a few years after you graduate, but then you set off with that dream to earn a few stars yourself, so I waited a little longer." Kojirou shared.

A tear leaked out from Megumi's eye and she wiped it with her robe's sleeve. "I... wanted to prove that even someone from a small hometown, can do so much more... like how you did it..."

"And you've done well." Kojirou rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"But I wouldn't have been able to do it without you..." she said struggling to bind the growing happiness spreading through her veins.

"You've done more for me since we met at the academy's training camp." he said.

"I thought you didn't like talking about it." she muffled, bottling her tears but a pearl still made it out.

"We don't really have a choice. We started from there." He was a little nostalgic about it. "And I wouldn't have known that it will all come to this."

Kojirou traced her tears, and somehow it became uncharacteristic for his hand to tremble. The confidence of getting the answer he wants from her is fading, but that small chance of rejection suddenly seems bigger than he thought it would be. At that second, Megumi held up his face and smiled at him.

Kojirou couldn't suspend the uncertainty any longer. He entangled their fingers together placing their hands on her lap, and with that, all of his unexpressed longing for her disclosed. "Megumi, you've become the kind of person I want to come home to every single day, and you've made me happy every time. Let me do the same for you for the rest of our lives... Marry me."

Before Kojirou could say anything more, Megumi couldn't contain her feelings any longer, her arms clung unto him with all her might hoping it could pause the moment for her to absorb everything.

"Megumi, you still need to answer me..."

Kojirou and Megumi were welcomed by their loved ones, as well as the restaurant staff as they entered Shino's.

"Mom! Everyone!" Megumi couldn't believe all her loved ones were packed in the same room. Kojirou's mom and his friends were also present.

Mrs. Shinomiya's presence silenced the crowd. "So? Are we only celebrating Megumi's award, or do we have something else to celebrate?"

Everyone wanted to find out the same thing.

"You see..." Megumi reluctantly raised her hand to show the ring around her finger. "About that... We..."

"We're engaged." Shinomiya announced with a breezy tone, and with that everyone cheered.

Megumi flushed. She doesn't know where Kojirou gets all the strength after the hours they spent, and the bathroom wasn't spared this time. She was able to take a nap, and it aided for her to recouperate, but without it she might not have been able to make it here.

"Alright, you heard the man." Kojirou's Sous Chef raised a glass. "It's a double celebration!"

The two mothers hugged them overjoyed of the news.

"We want to see the ring!" All the women surrounded Megumi.

And so the place was flooded with congratulatory greetings for the couple's engagement, and of course, Megumi's recent achievement.

That's when Megumi found out that Kojirou planned it all with everyone's help, from coordinating their schedule ahead of time, to booking flights for both of their moms.

Some of Megumi's Polar Star Dorm and Elite 10 friends were there too. For those who couldn't make it, like the chefs from Shino's Tokyo, and some of the Polar Star Dorm kids like Shun, they held a quick video call. The Aldini twins were still on their way. Isshiki and Nene huddled up on a corner calling the others. The others watched Erina scold Soma for disappearing and reappearing whenever it's convenient for him.

Food and drinks were passed around. Both Megumi's and Kojirou's friends then mingled over a light table game Yuki initiated.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Shinomiya and Mrs. Tadokoro were on one corner excitingly catching up and dreaming on wedding details.

Everyone they love are all in one place. Megumi has been so busy that it never occurred to her that she hasn't seen some of them for years now.

A glass of wine was placed infront of her as Kojirou occupied the seat beside her.

"Kojirou, thank you for this... This is more than I can ask for." she said meekly referring to the whole party.

"What are you talking about? I won't do this without anything in exchange."

"Oh! What would you like to have in return?" Megumi was more than willing to do anything.

"Well..." Kojirou then brought his lips to her ear and softly spoke something in French, and Megumi's head boiled that she almost wanted to faint out of embarrassment if someone was close enough to hear it.

"K-kojirou, please!" Megumi pushed him back then looked away.

Kojirou let out a satisfying laugh then had another sip from his glass.

"...but on that note, yes..." Megumi touched the rim of her glass before she continued. "I do want to have a family with you... and... I don't mind if we have kids soon... and..."

Kojirou silenced her with quick peck on the lips. "I want to do it all with you..."

They have both envisioned having children a few times before, and they're not hoping for this plan to happen anytime soon, but as they toasted, they couldn't have seen that kind of life without each other.

"I heard kids! Are you pregnant, Megumi?" Megumi's mom said all excited.

They didn't notice their mothers have taken the empty seats by their table. Both moms have become quite close as if they're sisters, and they may have approved of the relationship between their Kojirou and Megumi too much that the mothers tend to step out of bounds, from scheming a plan for the couple to reconcile from a big fight, to planning major holidays together.

"Is this a triple celebration?" Kojirou's mom plowed on the subject. "Are we expecting a grandchild soon?"

"We can already start those DIY projects then. I found a good pattern for a few beanies." suggested Megumi's mom as she browsed through a few knitting patterns with her phone.

"We should make them together! I also have one for a sweater with an animal hoodie on it!" the other mom compounded on the idea.

Megumi tugged on Kojirou's sleeve. "Kojirou, please do something... It's getting a little scary..."

A new vein grows on Kojirou's head for each and every line of how both mothers would spoil a child who is yet to be made.

"Both of you, please get a hold of yourselves!" He raised his voice.

"Don't give me that tone!" his mother answered back.

"B-but... Please... We haven't even gone through the wedding plans yet..." Megumi couldn't find a way to argue.

She and Kojirou couldn't set off the rave of both mothers, insinuating the wrong idea to the crowd about a possible pregnancy. The entire night became more chaotic, with an exchange for the next steps of the couple's nearby future.

"Megumi, you don't have to hurry up." Kojirou did a final loop on his tie. "You can't do any sudden movement given your condition."

"I'm just so excited to meet everyone again." Megumi stepped into the living room where her husband was waiting. "How do I look?"

Kojirou turned around, and the sight of her all dolled up for the day made him blush. "Tch. Why do you even ask? You look perfect."

Megumi pouted a bit. "You don't have to lie to me..." She rubbed on the round bump that was bulging through her flowing light pink dress, her hair tied into a loose side bun with a thin headband across the top of her head.

"Yeah, well I wish I could. You could easily drive everyone's attention from the bride." said Kojirou who gushed at his wife as she approached him.

He has heard of so many stories about women becoming hideous when they get pregnant, so how is it possible for his wife to be more radiant when she's a couple of months away from giving birth?

He placed his hands on her arms and drew close for a kiss.

"Mommy, Daddy, let's gooooo!" a small voice was calling out to them.

They looked over at the corner and a little boy wearing a kid-sized tux was running up to them. Pouting with all his cheeks all puffed, and his dark hair flared a bit as he pulled Shinomiya and Megumi by their hands. "Let's goooooo..."

"We're going now, Shuichi." Megumi smiled at her son as she pinched out a lint on his shoulder.

"Okay, Mommy..." Shuichi replied sweetly then tugged to her chiffon dress. "...but we have to make it fast or we'll be late."

"How bossy can you be?" Kojirou lifted his son up to his arms.

"I'm not bossy!" Shuichi said headstrongly to his Dad.

Megumi giggled at the two who were both looking at a version of each other. She was warned by her mother-in-law of how stubborn and strong-willed Kojirou was as a child, and that Shuichi could turn out the same way, but the warning wasn't necessary at all.

It was so easy to love Shuichi from the moment they heard his heartbeat in her womb. He became the main source of inspiration for them. Once she and Kojirou thought that a having a family of their own will slow them down, but they achieved so much more together. They're looking forward to new experiences with another one on the way.

"Why don't you get the car started while I check on everything else." Megumi suggested.

Kojirou agreed then walked out of the house bringing Shuichi with him.

Megumi returned to their bedroom trying to remember where their gift envelopes were, then went for the drawer full of recipe cards. The envelope was mixed with the pile.

"We should really find the time to fix this..." She took out a card, and another, then stopped herself from crying.

They've made so many memories already that a box or two could no longer contain them. They were still trying to figure out a way to organize everything.

She inserted their gift in her bag then ticked on imaginary boxes making sure that they didn't forget anything.

"Mommy?" Shuichi's tiny voice echoed in the bedroom.

Megumi glowed at the sight of him running to her side. It wasn't too long ago when he was only crawling on the same spot, struggling for a first step.

Why do children grow up fast?

He took her by the hand. "Daddy said I should walk you to the car."

"Oh... Thank you..." Megumi picked up her bag using her free hand then hung the strap unto her shoulder.

Shuichi noticed the recipe cards that were kept before he ran to his mother. He recalled one card he liked by title. He's only five, but everyone would always say he could read well above and beyond his age.

"Mommy, what's a Rainbow Terrine?" His Dad taught him how to pronounce it properly when they were once browsing through the cards. "Daddy said it's one of his favorite recipes."

Megumi was caught off-guard. She and Kojirou already made countless of recipes together at this point. She has read the Rainbow Terrine recipe again, and she herself can now pin-point all the mistakes that prevented her from winning the shokugeki against Kojirou that time, and yet... "Daddy said that..?"

Shuichi was looking up at her nodding. "Does it really look like a rainbow? Can we make one next time?"

Megumi observed how Shuichi's interest in the kitchen has been growing by the day. He has been requesting for them to guide him in making all of his favorite meals, and he asks so many questions about them too, asking the reason behind every step of a recipe or why choose this ingredient and not that. Megumi and Kojirou sometimes struggle to explain it in simple terms, because some of them are techniques that require basic Science concepts that Shuichi has yet to learn in school.

"Mommy? You'll teach me, right?" Shuichi tugged on her.

"Yes, of course." She said affectionately.

Shuichi flashed a smile full of pure excitement. "I can't wait!"

With that, Megumi's heart was filled again for the day, as it would on other days spent at home with her family. She held unto Shuichi's small hand tighter as they walked out of the bedroom.

Fin

Sorry. I condensed 3 chapters worth of writing into one. It might have felt rushed, but I didn't want to overstretch either... Plus some details were left out... I might have rated this as an M to be safe if I didn't...

I'm leaving it up to you as to whose wedding it is they attended.

I plotted Shinomiya's and Megumi's whole lives together. They're very raw, but half of them deserve to be posted as a separate fic... for another time. They're still connected to Restraint though.

Considering a Sorina fanfic too, but a one-shot at best. My ship for them is not as deep as ShinoMegu.

Author's Extended Thanks To The Readers:

Hey, so thank you so much for those who have been consistently reading through this fic and for those who are leaving reviews as well. You know who you are... I've already replied to your private messages both through the web and mobile app.

I just don't know how to send all the love and good vibes to all of you for seeing this through the end. There could have been much more, but I felt that 50 chapters may be too much, and I might not have enough inspiration if it lasted longer.

Life has been hard -- health, relationships, finances... but this story has been my outlet, and your messages and reviews greatly console me. I wasn't even expecting any feedback at all. One follower could have made me happy since it's a rare ship but I'm surprised there are a bunch of you who are into it like me. I'm not alone! Yay! Haha!

Thank you for the kind messages. Thank you for supporting me, and thank you for opening your mind that this ship is possible.

For ShinoMegu shippers out there throughout the world... France, US, Philippines, Mexico... wherever you may be, we all have this ship in common, and this story is for you. :)

I hope your love for Shinomiya and Megumi will remain. We were in this journey together, so if by any chance you read it again in the future, keep in mind that you were a part of it. I truly mean it. Hope to see you guys on the next fic. For now, I say...

Restraint is Now Marked as Complete. #KeepTheShip #ShinoMegu