Plan and Proposal Suna Rintarou x Asano Kura
Day 3 of Yumenikah : Proposal/Engagement
—When Suna comes to her work, Kura never expects him to asks for a specific book, moreover to propose with a quote from it.
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Note: *Takes time before yesterday's fic—a flashback you may say
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Suna’s proposal wasn’t exactly a … common one.
That day, Kura was just working as usual. Going to the local library at 8 AM, preparing the logbook, checking in the returned books, and other mundane stuff. She usually goes there with Suna in days where he doesn't have a match like this, but said he has a meeting with his teammate at 10, so Kura shrugs him off and goes to her work by herself.
What she didn’t foresee is Suna preparing to propose to her today, and him coming to the library in the afternoon when the visitors are at the lull.
The tall man walks in and immediately locks eyes with Kura who's currently receptioning. Of course, Kura is shocked, but Suna, who's wearing a mask and his jersey jacket, just waves at her casually.
“I thought you had a meeting today?”
“It's done.” He leans over the desk. “Are you on your break yet?”
Kura looks back to her colleague, wanting to say she still has half an hour before she can go on break, but to her surprise, her colleague pauses sorting the returned books to give her a thumbs up.
“I can take it from here.”
“No, your shift hasn't started yet,” Kura whispers in surprise, “I can't let you take over.”
“Oh, shush. It's just half an hour, and it's not peak hour. I'll be fine.”
Kura was about to complain about how the last time she said 'it's not peak hour' and left Kura to go to the bathroom for a second, and suddenly there's a big family with around six childrens coming in, but she realizes something and narrows her eyes.
“It's not because you're an EJP Raijin's fan, right?”
Her colleague laughs and feigns ignorance. “I wonder~”
Kura sighs. She knows this one colleague is a fan of her fiance's team and often asks her about his matches or anything random about him. Kura always entertains her and answers as best as she can with her knowledge of volleyball. So if she's only doing this right now in an attempt to curry favor with Kura so she can ask about her and Suna's latest meeting with Komori … she wouldn't be surprised.
While the two are chatting, Suna makes sure to fill the logbook through the computer, not wanting Kura getting annoyed at him for skipping that step.
Finally, after her colleague reassures her that she'll be fine, Kura accepts her offer.
“Fine, I'll go.” The woman sighs. She walks out of the receptionist desk. “I'll cover part of your shift tomorrow then.”
“No, it's fine,” her colleague says, “I don't think you'll have the time to clock in anyway.”
“Hm?”
Before Kura can think much about her words, Suna tugs her arm and pulls her away with the force that almost makes her stumble.
“W-wait—Rintarou!”
Her colleague waves at them before they disappear behind the tall shelves of the fiction section. After that, Suna starts to walk at a normal pace again, pulling off his mask.
“I have a book I wanna ask you about.”
Kura raises an eyebrow.“Then it can wait until my shift is over, can it?”
“Can't I be selfish sometimes?” He chuckles. “Anyway, I wanna ask if you've read Pride and Prejudice?”
“It's a classic, of course I have,” she says, “are you … interested in reading it?”
Suna isn't the type who reads books for fun. He often asks her what she's reading and for excerpts of the 'fun parts', but he'd rather spend his time on social media. So this is quite a surprise.
He shrugs nonchalantly. “It seems interesting.”
Kura brushes off questions about his sudden interest in books and points at the nearby shelf. Fortunately the library section there is empty and located in a crook, so their chat doesn't bother anyone.
“Then it's over there,” she says, “I'll grab it for you.”
Suna chuckles, letting go of her arms and moves to hold her hand instead. “Thank you Ms. Asano~”
Kura shakes her head, but smiles at the nickname. “Yes, yes, Mr. Suna.”
Then Kura leads them to the correct shelf and starts browsing around before finding a Japanese version of the book, located just a bit taller than her arm's reach. She thought of asking Suna for help, but she's the one who offers to get it, so she refrains and starts taking it herself.
“It's right here—”
But as Kura starts to pull out the book spine, Suna takes a step towards her, standing just beside her, the afternoon sun behind him.
She glances at him for a second, about to voice a question.
“Will you marry me?”
The words leave his mouth without hesitation, without a moment where Kura can really think about what it really means. So she just stays silent for a few seconds as her arm freezes midair.
“What—?”
Kura pulls down the book she was reaching for and blinks a few times, her mind still trying to comprehend what those four words mean.
“I … huh?”
He takes a step closer towards Kura, putting his hand on hers. “'In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will no longer be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.'”
Kura now finally realizes what just happened—what Suna just said.
“R-rintarou ….”
“We'll choose a proper ring together for the wedding later.” He gives her the most sincere smile she ever sees coming from him. “But for now, you'll still say yes, right?”
Without Kura even realizing it, tears start falling from her eyes, down to her cheeks. She cowers a bit under the book in her hands before
“Yes. O-of course, yes—” Kura smiles, choking at her tears. “Rintarou … you … how long have you been planning this, huh?!” She lightly hits his chest with the book in her hands.
“I thought … I thought I'd propose first next week, but you beat me to it.” Kura laughs amidst her tears. Next week they will dine at a fine-dining establishment after waiting for a few months, so she thought she'll propose there. After all, it's been seven years since they've been together.
“Surprise, right?”
Kura covers her flushed face with the book, a thousand mixed feelings inside her heart as she gazes at the intricate hardcover—thinking back on how Suna casually quotes Mr. Darcy—and immediately crying harder.
“U-ughh, I'll get tears on the book ….”
Suna laughs. “I don't think you're still able to worry about the book at a moment like this.”
Kura tries to wipe her tears, but fails. “O-of course I do! It's the library's item after all!”
Seeing his now-wife's concern about the book, he quickly leans down and pulls the book down from covering her face before giving her a peck on the lips, clearing her mind in an instant.
“Mhm,” he muses, “you're taller than on our first date. I can kiss you easier now.”
Kura almost yells in frustration if she doesn't forget they're inside a library. So she just hits him again with the book, this time a bit harder, causing the man to stagger with an 'ouch' and a laugh.
“Once a Do-S, always a Do-S.”
Suna pinches her cheek lightly. “You still like me though, right?”
Kura just grumbles and complains, which only makes Suna laugh even more, thinking about how cute this side of Kura is.
“Shall we go back then, hm? Wouldn't want to keep your friend waiting on what answer you give, right?”
With his words, Kura finally realizes that her colleague must've been in on the proposal. So as soon as they get to the receptionist desk, she quickly reprimands and points at her colleague for not giving her enough heads up.
But all she answers with is a 'congratulations', so eventually Kura just shuts up and Suna finally can thank her for her help, which she answers with an 'anything to see my favorite middle blocker happy'.