Out of the Ordinary by Eruanna17

Chapter 17: Surprises and Specific Questions

Chapter Seventeen

Welcome back for more ShinKumi goodness!

Enjoy!

"Why?"

Shin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're asking for my blessing. Why should I give it to you?" Kuroda-san raised his eyebrow.

"Umm..." Shin was confused. This wasn't how he planned it going at all.

"You love her, don't you?"

"Yes." After a thought, he added, "Sir."

"Why?" Kuroda-san repeated, and his brows furrowed even more.

Shin's mind raced. C'mon, you do love her. It should be easy to come up with reasons, His inner voice commented unhelpfully.

But for the life of him, he couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound like an insult.

She's unbelievably gullible.

She believes in the good in people to the point of stupidity.

She's ridiculously simple-minded.

She lives in her own weird version of reality.

She has an enthusiastically clueless one-track way of thinking.

She latches on to causes she knows nothing about.

She sticks her nose into everyone's business.

She cares too much about everything.

And yet... as insulting as they sounded, those were the reasons he loved her. If she wasn't clueless and gullible and nosy and enthusiastic and caring... she wouldn't be Yankumi.

As he thought of these things, his expression slowly turned from panic to a slow, soft smile. When Kuroda-san saw that unconscious, oddly tender smile, he grinned and decided to stop giving Shin a hard time.

"Alright. I suppose that answers my question."

Shin looked up in confusion. "But sir, I haven't - just give me a moment and-"

"I've made my decision." He announced in a firm voice, just to watch Shin's face combine both fear and challenge. His voice gentled as he finished, "You have my blessing, Sawada Shin. Now go."

With an expression of hope that became ecstatic, Shin bowed deeply, then headed for the door.

"Shin."

The young man looked back.

"You treat her right."

He grinned. "All my life, sir. All my life."

.

.

.

"Where are we going?"