The New Year turned out to be incredibly fulfilling for Ichin and Utaha.
They spent the holiday with relatives in the real world, and afterwards the two of them took their parents around to have fun and relax together.
When they returned, they went straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau without stopping, and completed their marriage registration.
After finishing the paperwork, taking their photo, and receiving their certificates, the two walked out of the bureau. Utaha looked at the red booklet in her hand, thoughtful.
"Mm… the whole process was a lot simpler than I imagined. It's just that the line took forever."
Ichin slipped an arm around her shoulders and said with a smile, "It was never supposed to be complicated in the first place. As long as you have all the documents, it's easy. And hey, our photo turned out pretty photogenic."
"Of course it did."
Utaha shot him a glance, looking very pleased with herself. "The lady who photographed us even whispered to me just now—among all the new couples they handled this morning, we were the best-looking pair."
"Yes yes yes, Utaha, you are obviously the most beautiful."
Ichin laughed, pinched her cheek, and said, "Alright then, my dear wife, let's go home and show the certificates to the elders. Let them be happy too."
Hearing him call her wife, Utaha happily nodded and followed him toward the car.
Once home, both sets of parents were already waiting for them. The moment they saw the two red booklets, they grabbed them immediately, flipping through them while taking excited photos.
Utaha's father looked at his daughter with a sigh of emotion. "Time really flies… in the blink of an eye even the biggest life milestone is settled. We can finally breathe easy."
"Not yet you can't," Utaha's mother immediately corrected him. "Don't forget the wedding hasn't been held yet! And afterwards there will be grandchildren. I'm already looking forward to Ichin and Utaha's baby. They'll definitely be adorable. Ichin, Utaha—when are you two planning to have the wedding?"
The two exchanged a look, and Ichin said, "As for the wedding, we're thinking of waiting until after we graduate. At the earliest, at least until we finish our thesis. That thing is draining enough on its own."
Utaha nodded. "Exactly. No need to rush. We want to take our time planning it."
Since the kids had decided, the parents didn't force it. It was only a year anyway—it would pass quickly.
Soon after, the whole family gathered in the living room, cheerfully discussing where to go for dinner tonight to celebrate.
During a free moment, Ichin and Utaha also took a photo together and posted it in the group chat—not the smaller one Yagami Kou had made before, but the big company-wide group.
As the boss of the company, something this major definitely needed to be shared with everyone.
As expected, once the photo was sent, the employees—who had been working—immediately dropped what they were doing and began chattering excitedly, sending waves of blessings and congratulations.
After thanking everyone, Ichin also typed in the chat:
"I think I've rested long enough these past few days. I'll be back the day after tomorrow, so be prepared. First thing I do when I return is check everyone's progress."
After sending the message, he turned to Utaha. "Tomorrow we should start packing. We can't fall behind on coursework."
Utaha nodded with a smile. "I've already taken several days off. It's definitely time to go back."
Fortunately, this New Year trip checked off everything they needed: having fun, relaxing, and even completing the major task of registering their marriage. Now it was time to return to normal life.
Two days later, on Saturday, they took a noon flight and arrived back in Tokyo at around 2 PM.
Coming back on Saturday meant they could rest on Sunday, and then on Monday both Ichin and Utaha—as well as Utaha's father—could smoothly return to work or college.
On the way back, Utaha glanced at her phone. "Ichin, everyone said they're coming over tonight. They're throwing us a celebration party."
"Sounds good."
Ichin, driving, said, "Tell them to bring food and drinks, and also ingredients for dinner. I'm not stopping to buy groceries on the way back."
"That's what I thought too."
Utaha laughed as she typed into the group.
Everyone naturally agreed. They assigned tasks, split responsibilities, and headed to the supermarket.
But hearing Utaha mention the messages from Umiko and Hazuki, Ichin already felt a bad premonition—there was no way he'd escape getting drunk tonight.
Utaha's smile sparkled. "Ichin, you'd better prepare yourself. Tonight won't be like the usual."
Ichin gave a helpless smile. "Yeah, I kinda figured this was coming."
Sure enough, not long after the two arrived home, everyone else started showing up.
Some brought snacks, some brought desserts, others came with piles of meat and vegetables—everything needed for a proper party was accounted for.
But when Umiko and Hazuki arrived, the sight of the huge variety of alcohol they were carrying instantly made Ichin's heart tremble.
Sake, wine, beer—everything was included, and all in generous quantities.
After setting everything down, Umiko laughed. "You and Utaha got married! Of course we have to celebrate properly. No dodging drinks tonight!"
Hazuki patted his shoulder. "It's Sunday tomorrow. Even if everyone gets drunk, we can sleep all day."
"What else can I say?"
Ichin spread his hands. It was just drinking—he could endure it.
Of course, it was still early. Dinner wasn't even prepped yet.
After everyone settled in, they urged Ichin and Utaha to bring out the marriage certificates.
Holding the booklet, Hazuki nodded. "Ahh, so this is what it looks like. Not bad at all. Honestly, compared to this, our side is kind of plain—we don't get anything like these little red booklets."
In Japan, although there's no marriage certificate like this, there is a marriage registration form. You can request two copies and take one home as a keepsake.
But compared to these bright red booklets, it did feel a bit too simple.
Yukino's sister Haruno picked it up, flipped it open, and smiled. "Mm, the photo looks great. Really nice. Maybe I should find myself a Chinese boyfriend too?"
"Then Haruno-nee, let my mom introduce you. She can arrange several—one of them has to suit you."
Haruno waved a hand. "That's fine, but I'm swamped during the first half of the year. Maybe in the summer. I'll ask then. Anyway, I've completely given up on the blind dates my mom sets up. Sometimes I wonder if she used up all her talent for choosing men when she picked my dad."
She didn't go into detail, but everyone could tell—Haruno's matchmaking experiences must've been brutal.
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