Beauty With a Brat (The Suzuhara Family 1) ✅

Epilogue

December 24th, 2028

"You're spending Christmas Eve with Suzuhara?"

"Just a family dinner at his house." Natsumi checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. She had gotten a fresh dye job the weekend before, and her curls were still wavy. She was wearing a dark green holiday dress from her own seasonal collection. Her makeup complimented the dress. She had her cell phone on speakerphone. "Yuto and I usually do our own things on Christmas Eve anyways. We'll be together as a family tomorrow."

"Homare's taking me on a date tonight as well," Tami said on the other line. "I've been looking forward to giving him his Christmas present. Did you get Suzuhara a Christmas present?"

"Yeah," Natsumi said dully, running her finger through her bangs. "I knitted a scarf for him."

"Ooh, a scarf?"

"My clothing line caters mostly to women and not men so it might not be his style, but maybe he'll like it." Natsumi looked herself over one last time and nodded. "I think I'm ready."

"Natsumi," Tami said suddenly, her tone turning serious.

"What is it?"

"Are you happy?"

Natsumi looked towards her phone. Before she could stop herself she let out a laugh. "Of course I'm happy, Tami. Why?"

"I just...wanted to be sure," Tami said. "Homare is really happy that you're dating Suzuhara. The fact that the best friend of his girlfriend is dating his best friend. I know Suzuhara seems happy, but I want to make sure that YOU were happy too."

Natsumi smiled at her phone. She didn't feel any discomfort. She picked up her phone and took it off speaker. "We're over a month into our trial Tami, and Wataru has respected all of my boundaries. Outside of the first day he hasn't hugged me or tried to hold my hand. He doesn't force kisses on me and is respectful towards me. I really...feel like he's trying. The fact that he invited me to his house for dinner on Christmas Eve shows me that he's serious about his feelings and about our relationship."

"And there hasn't been...any ugliness?"

"Outside of drama with some of his cousins, no. We've acted more like friends in the last few months than boyfriend and girlfriend but, I...I like it, Tami. It feels easier easing into this. I haven't forgotten what he did to me," she added. "But he hasn't forgotten it either. That makes it better, somehow."

"I'm glad to hear that. What day is the deadline again?"

"February 13th, which was unintentional really. I'll give him an answer before the eve before Valentine's Day."

"Yeah, that would be cruel of you to break his heart instead of gifting him chocolate. Oh, Homare's here! Merry Christmas, Natsumi!"

"I'm about to leave, too. Merry Christmas, Tami."

It was...strange, how easy the last month had been. Despite agreeing to date him for a "trial period" Wataru hadn't come to Shirahime and respected the ban that had been placed upon him at the school. They had only had one real "date" together, and Wataru had taken her to Happy Lucky. To Natsumi's relief it appeared that Riiko had indeed spoken to her boss to clear the air about what had happened at the mixer, as the staff was respectful to them. Riiko thankfully had not been working that day, and neither Wataru nor Natsumi had exactly been eager to see her again.

But they were taking things very slow, and Wataru didn't demand more from her than what she wanted or had told him she would allow. She was still subconsciously guarded around him, but the more time they spent together the more relaxed she felt around him. She could see how much he was trying to convey that he had changed, and that he truly loved her. Natsumi herself was still trying to understand and cope with her own feelings, but he was making it easier and not harder for her.