At the end of the night, Izuru returned home by his lonesome self, with two paper bag of leftover fried chicken, surprisingly. Turns out scamming KFC wasn't needed. And why was he alone? It seemed that Ibuki just disappeared from the party without telling anyone, and only texted Chika saying she got a cold and left.

"Honestly... That Ibuki had to go and catch a cold on a day like this... Maybe next time bring a jacket before following me to the cold." Izuru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I had to carry these bags by myself because of that..." He groaned.

As he finished walking up the stairs that'd take him to his apartment's floor, he noticed a girl sitting in front of the door, hugging her legs and burrying her face in her knees. Despite her hair being as white as the snow piled on top of it and of her shoulders, he could tell who she was.

"What the- What are you doing?!" Izuru asked, dropping his bags and rushing to her side. He crouched next to her and began wiping away the snow on top of her. "You can't be out in the snow if you got a cold!"

"Ahah... I lost my keyes..." Ibuki chuckled.

"Then you should have called me or something! How did you even get here in that condition?!" He asked, helping her get up.

"The trains aren't down for the count yet..."

"Not even on Christmas Eve?! Damn, those guys really like their job..." Izuru sweatdropped.

Inside the house, Ibuki sat in front of the couch, wrapped in a blanket, while Izuru stored the leftover fried chicken on the fridge and started making tea. 

"You sure you don't want me to turn on the lights?" Izuru asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah... My head hurts a bit." Ibuki nodded. "How... How did it go with Nijimura...?"

"Oh, that? It wasn't anything special. Turns out Junpei wants to start mending things, just that."

"So you still aren't together...?"

"Course not. What'd make you think that?"

"You're really pathetic..." Ibuki shrugged. "I'm... Leaving tomorrow morning, this stuck in one place lifestyle doesn't work for me."

"H-huh?! Are you kidding?! Please tell me you're joking, you can't just-"

"So I don't regret anything..."

Ibuki placed her hand under Izuru's chin and moved closer, slowly stealing a kiss from him.

"I... Like you. And I don't want to get between you or Nijimura... Nor do I want to stay and see it ha-"

In the middle of her explanation, Ibuki was stopped by Izuru kissing her.

"I lied about that Airi thing, I-i needed something to get you off my back, the thing is, I- I-"

With his brain frying in hyper drive, he did something stupid.

"I LOVE YOU!" He shouted, with a thick engurishu accent thick.

"Eh..." Ibuki just stared at him. She was shocked by his confession, but the feeling of confusion mixed with cringe was much bigger.

"W-what I mean is- Oh god I never did this before, my hands are sweaty,a re my hands supposed to be this-?!"

Ibuki shock her head and pushed him into the ground, losing the blanket around her in the meanwhile.

"Shut up, you blockheaded asakusan..." She whispered, leaning down for another kiss, and then another, and then one more, even going as far to exchange his lips for his neck.

"I-i should go see how that tea's doing..." Izuru muttered, slightly looking away. "I don't want to leave the stove on..."

"D-don't worry about it..." Ibuki muttered, slowly undoing the top button of Izuru's shirt.

"A-are you... Are you sure you want to do this...?"

"Y-yeah..." She nodded, tossing away her wool shirt.

It was a snowy night.

But in the morning that followed, the sun shined, and it was warm.

The first to wake up was Ibuki, but she didn't get off the futton. Instead, she just stared at Izuru and poked his cheek while he slept.

"How are you still asleep... Geez..." While poking him, Ibuki slowly curled her finger as her face turned red, and she ended up burrying it in her pillow. "I can't believe I actually let you do do that with my thighs, how will I ever recover from this...!!!" She whimpered. "But still... Last night really... Happened, didn't it..."

"Good morning..."

"Pffft, you sound just like your mom when you're sleepy..." Ibuki giggled, looking at Izuru.

Oh wait, Izuru was still sleeping.

"...eh...?"

Ibuki sat up, holding the blanket close to her chest, and finally noticed the two other people in the room.

What followed was a scream so loud that it it was shocking that no window was turned to bits by it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Don't be so loud..." Izuru grumbled, slowly waking up.

"Oi, wake up!! Wake- HMPH! D-DON'T TOUCH ME THERE, DUMBASS!"

With a strong slap, Izuru sat up in a flash while rubbing his face.

"WHAT WAS THAT-"

Izuru looked ahead.

And then he screamed in a much higher pitch than Ibuki.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Good morning, lovebirds!" Yu exclaimed with the biggest of smiles.

"I want to go home..." Shouto muttered. He was not having a merry Christmas.

That's right, it was Yu and Shouto!

Yu was having the time of her life, looking at the two lovebirds and thinking about grandkids, while Shouto just stood in the corner, with his face turned to the wall. He didn't want any part of it, but his wife won this one.

So after ten minutes for a certain pair to get some clothes on, the happy family sat around the kotatsu... Only that Yu was the only happy one. Shouto's faced radiated with pure and utter despair, and Izuru and Ibuki were just blushing.

"Sooooooo! You guys are gonna give me grandkids now, right?" Yu asked.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Izuru and Ibuki yelled.

"Go ask your married son for that, you old hag! Oi, you old bastard, why did you let her do this?! How did you two even get in the house?!" Izuru asked.

"I tried to stop her but her german supplex is strong... So strong..." Shouto muttered.

"I got a spare key! My name is on the lease, remember? This is technicaly my apartment!" Yu laughed.

"Oh god... What did you hear... What did you see... I want to die so I'm going ho- WAIT THIS IS MY HOME!" Izuru cried.

"I may have... Committed a severe and continous... Lapse of judgement..." Ibuki said with empty eyes. She and Shouto shared the same mood.

"Give me your gun, old man... I need to end my suffering..."

"I... Left it at home." Shouto said.

"WHAT KINDA COPS LEAVES HIS GUN AT HOME?!" Izuru asked.

"THE KIND OF COP THAT HAS THE DAY OFF!"

"Eheh, tsunderes, always fun." Yu giggled, clapping her hands. "I'll be abusing my power over the lease to make you two come live at the house now!"

"D-d-d-don't you dare, you old hag!" Izuru barked.

"Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding!"

"Your laughs don't give us any sense of security!" Ibuki deadpanned.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to call Ryuuga and Homura-chan! Silly old me!" Yu laughed.

"C-call... Who...?" Izuru asked.

"Ryuuga and Homura are... Outside..." Shouto muttered.

That's when Ryuuga and Homura got Yu's text and walked into the house, waving some Christmas gifts.

"Merry christmas, Izuru, Ibuki-san." Homura said.

"MERRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS, LITTLE BROTHER! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Ryuuga yelled.

"Hey Ryuuga, guess guess!!" Yu exclaimed.

"Hm? What's up?"

Izuru found himself in the most profound of dilemmas. Never before had he ever come across such thing. On one hand, his gut and will told him to make fun of Ryuuga on the spot and completly end his career, but the other side told him to be smart and try to difuse the situation before this becomes a holiday for the Sawada family.

In the end, he took the correct approach.

"HAHA, YOU TOOK FIVE DATES TO GET TO NIRVANA, I GOT THERE ON THE NIGHT I CONFESSED, GET CUCKED!" Izuru laughed like the massive little gremlin he was.

And that's a hit and a miss!

It finally dawned on him.

Ryuuga and Homura looked confused.

Shouto wanted to be anywhere except there.

Ibuki was hiding her red face with her hands.

Yu was saving this moment in her mind.

Izuru fell to his knees, completly defeated.

"Nirvana? What does that mean?" Homura asked.

"Oh, in this case it means-" Ryuuga whispered the explanation to Homura.

"KYAH!" She yelped, smacking Ryuuga into the ground.

"WHY ARE YOU HITTING ME?!"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you...?" Shouto asked, looking at his beautiful wife.

"We raised such beautiful boys, Shou..." Yu mused, and then looked at her husband with a smile. "Let's have another."

"DENIED!"

"You all... GET OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Ibuki yelled.

With enough strength, and the massive desire to never repeat this situation again, Ibuki and Izuru managed to push the rest of the Sawadas out of the house.

"AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL THE NEW YEARS!" Izuru demanded.

"Oh yeah, speaking of that!" Yu grabbed Ibuki's arms and yoinked her out of the house. "I'm keeping her until the next year starts!"

"AH?!" Ibuki and Izuru said.

"Bye bye now!"

"WAIT WAIT WAIT, COME BACK HERE!"

Izuru tried to chase after his mom, but she was just too fast and stuffed Ibuki into the car before he could get a chance to get her back. Ryuuga and Homura also left.

"GIVE ME BACK MY GIRL- Wait... We never got to that part... GIVE ME BACK THE GIRL THAT I- WAIT I CAN'T SAY THAT, THAT'LL SUMMON YUKIKO'S HANDS OUT OF THIN AIR AND I'M NOT READY TO CATCH THEM!"

"Sounds rough. You should figure that out." Shouto said.

"Oi, what are you still doing here?!"

"Your mom took my car. And Ryuuga and Homura left before I could ask them for a ride."

"...dude."

So Izuru spent the literal rest of the year by himself. Any attempt to contact Ibuki would be immediately cut down by Yu, because dear god, she knew how to create a wall between the two.

And then one day, the final hour of the year arrived.

Dressed in red yukatas, Izuru and Shouto arrived at the Dark Zone temple, where Ryuuga, Mayuri and the priest where preparing everything for the ringing of the 108 bells. Homura was there, on the... Lookout, for potential deers.

"Oh, hey dad, hey little bro! Glad to see you guys came!" Ryuuga waved at them.

"Your mother didn't give us that much of a choice..." Shouto sweatdropped.

"I'll obtain my revenge one day... Just you wait for it, Sawada-Narukami Yu..." Izuru muttered with small chuckles.

"Is that what Hikaru calls being down bad?" Homura asked.

"I... Couldn't tell you to save my life." Mayuri deadpanned.

Soon, more people began arriving. Among them was the Heiwa crew, Sumireko, Endo, Risei, Airi and Ibuki, all wearing different coloured yukatas, except for the guys, who just wore normal winter clothes, while Endo and Risei wore suits under a puffer jacket.

"Yo, that yukata looks sick, Miyuki!" Tate laughed.

"Never thought I'd ever see you in one. Hell, I'm rich, I should be wearing one too." Ban chuckled.

"They didn't make anything in gorilla size." Rio shrugged.

"Oi!"

"Either way, I think Katsu-chan looks handsome the way he does." Yumi smiled. A bashful comment, but a new year was about to begin, and she promised herself to be the supporting girlfriend Ban would need as the King of Heiwa.

"You got this, Yumi-san." Aimi said, giving her a thumbs up. She was the number one BanYu shipper out there.

"Alright girls, line up!" Yukiko commanded.

"Yup, yup! Let him have it, ladies!" Yu nodded.

"Huh? I don't like where this is going..." Izuru said, slowly stepping back.

Chika, Rio, Kasumi and Minami lined up in front of it to do something wonderful.

To slap him.

First was Chika.

"I will use my money to hire my favourite suit actors to beat you in your own game, Miyuki-kun. I'm still a bit sad that I lost... But I'm glad for you and Ibuki-san!" Chika smiled.

"Eh? Oi, are you here to hit me for that?!"

"Yup!" Rio nodded.

And then Rio slapped him.

"I'll miss our little games, to say the least... But we'll always have the summer cave and the hot springs. Besides, I'm a terrible loser." She winked.

'I'm in massive danger...' Izuru thought.

Then it was Kasumi. She didn't slap him.

"I-i mean... We were kind of married for a few minutes, and I'm not interested in you in that way anymore...  Please take good care of Ibuki-san." Kasumi said, bowing.

"Kasumi-chan, you truly are the greatest...!" Yukiko cried.

And then she slapped Izuru.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"FORCE OF HABIT!" She yelled, pulling Kasumi into her arms and rubbing her face against hers. "Kasumi-chan...!"

"Y-yukiko-san, not in public...!"

And finally, Minami. She gave him a pat on the back.

"I should slap you, but... Nah, I'll forgive you if you keeo being such a greaaaaat friend for my father." She said with the massive smug.

"I don't like where this is going..." Endo sweatdropped.

"You got a reason for that, Maki-chan." Risei laughed, slapping his brother on the back.

"Don't do that with those ungodly massive hands, Reirei... My back isn't what it used to be. Putting that loser on the Civic in his place backfired more than I expected."

"At least they forgave us for crashing the car."

"It's called learn how to drive." Sumireko deadpanned.

"Wanna go slap him too, Sumi-chan?" Yu asked.

"Hm? Why'd I do that? Do you think I wa sin your son's harem?" She asked with a smirk.

"Oh god, that feeling his back..." Izuru said, his kneecaps quaking.

"Good." Aimi said.

"Now let's just..." Yu whispered, sneaking behind Ibuki and pushing her towards Izuru. "Put this where it belongs!"

"W-w-wait, I-i'm not ready for this!!" Ibuki exclaimed, hiding her face behind her hands.

'Holy crap... SHE TIED HER HAIR INTO BUNS WHILE ALSO KEEPING TONS OF IT LONG AND STRAIGHT, THAT HAIR ORNAMENT IS SO CUTE, MOM YOU'RE A GENIUS, I'M GONNA HAVE A SUZUI BEFORE I'M TWENTY!' Izuru thought. "Huh... Y-you... Look nice..."

"Y-you... Too..."

"Tsunderes, always fun~!" Ban and Yumi chimmed in.

"YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Izuru and Ibuki yelled.

"You might wanna speed that up, the year's about to end." Ryuuga said.

"Oh shit, that's true, huh... L-look... I have an ego way too big for my own good, and I like getting into stupid fights, and saying stupids, and overall being the stupiest guy out there, but... I love you. That much I can say for sure, and I'll never go back on it! S-so... W-would... WOULD YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND, IBUKI NINO?!"

"Y-you blockheaded asakusan..." Ibuki muttered and grabbed his hands. "I know I'm unbearable, and stuck up and stubborn, and alot of things... But I'm also... Someone who wants to be with you, so if it's fine with you... I-i... I-i-i-i..." She began trembling as she tried to say it, and even had a hiccup in the middle of it. "I... I'd like to be your girlfriend..."

"Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!" Tate and Ban cheered, beating their chests like drums.

The lovebirds got out their FiCas and hurled them their way. Izuru hit Tate right on and sent him to the ground, but Ibuki missed Ban by a longshot.

"Ahah, missed- PAIN!"

And he immediately got decked in the face by Yukiko, who was crying her eyeballs out.

"D-D-D-D-DON'T BE JERKS ABOUT IT!"

"Why are you like that...?" Rio asked.

"I LOVE LOVE!" Yukiko cried.

"There, there." Kasumi sweatdropped, pulling Yukiko closer and patting her on the head.

"But really. Kiss her." Airi said, making a finger gun at Izuru.

"I know your brother's driver is a literal gun but is that really needed..." Izuru deadpanned. "W-well then... I-i'm gonna-"

But Ibuki kissed him first.

And then they got back into being blushing and stuttering messes!

"You know, they say caring is sharing... Maybe you two would be interest in free healthcare, just saying." Sumireko teased.

"S-SHUT UP!" Aimi and Minami yelled.

"Hmm, yes. That pre-new year NTR." Endo nodded.

"THAT ISN'T AN OPTION, INSTANTLY DENIED REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Izuru and Ibuki shouted.

As the final seconds of the year approaching, Izuru and Ibuki grabbed onto the rope of a bell together.

"I don't know what the future holds, but... I'm really glad to have you by my side for it." Ibuki admitted, with a slight blush.

"If someone had told me that the first thing I'd hear the woman of my dreams say was 'What kind of girl is your type?', I'd probably slap them and then believe them." Izuru chuckled. "Happy new year, Ibuki."

"Happy new year, Izuru."

Smiling, the two rung the bell as the year of 2053 officially started.

Later into the night, Yu and Shouto dropped the two lovebirds near their house. They chose to stay near until they saw them go inside, but Yu had other plans.

As Izuru and Ibuki walked back home, Izuru got his phone out.

"It almost skipped my mind, I got someone I need to call."

"Hm? Who?" Ibuki asked.

"You'll see. Just wait for him to- There we go. Happy new year, Nakano-senpai!"

"Ahah, happy new year to you too, Izuru-san. And you too, Ibuki. Congratulations on finally getting someone into taking care of a gremlin like you."

"Ah?! Oi Ren, what gives?!"

"He's right though." Izuru snickered.

"AH?! THAT'S IT, YOU'RE STAYING THE COUCH TONIGHT!"

"Our first fight as a couple.. It makes me kinda ha-"

"There's someone in our house." Ibuki said.

"Ah?"

They looked at their apartment, and the lights were turned on. They rushed there, and arrived to see a completly empty apartment, except for one great man in a white and green stripped hat inside.

"Happy new year, you dirty lovebirds! Blessings from grunkle Ryuzaki!" Ryuzaki exclaimed.

"Oi, what are you doing here?! Where's our stuff?!" Izuru asked.

"Yeah! And why didn't I get a special driver?!" Ibuki added.

"We're still making yours, sorry about it, the demanded ended up being bigger than we thought..." The capitalist sweatdropped. "As for Izuru-kun's questions... They're back at your old place!"

(Media - Daddy ! Daddy ! Do !)

"Ah?" Izuru tilted his head.

"Your mom ended the rental lease earlier!"

"Eh?" Ibuki tilted her head too.

"You guys are getting invicted! Hooray, happy new year!" Ryuzaki celebrated, even blowing some confetti.

"Hooray, now you guys have to come live with us!" Yu applauded too. She sneaked her way there when they weren't looking.

"Hooray..." Shouto weakly raised his fist.

"H-hooray..." Izuru and Ibuki weakly cheered, sharing on single thought. 'I want to die so I'm going home... Wait... WE GOT INVICTED?!'

Mega shipper Yu one, Izuru and Ibuki zero.

The happy Sawada family returned home, and after changing out of their yukatas into some more comfy clothes, Ibuki and Izuru looked at the boxes piled on his old room.

"We're screwed..." Ibuki shivered.

"I can't believe she actually barricaded Ryuuga and Joe's old rooms to force us to stay in the same..." Izuru sweatdropped. "Like they say... New year... N-new us...? No, that isn't right."

"Yup, we're screwed." The white haired sighed. "Sex ed was right, your life goes down the drain after doing it."

"At least you went to those, my brother's wife thought you made babies by kissing when she was our age."

"Wait? Homura? For real?!"

"Boy do I have the story for you." Izuru chuckled. "I told my brother to go to hell and called him a dumbass on that day."

"Save it for later, let's go get some food first! New years or not, I'm starving!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go cook you up something."

"Wait..."

Ibuki grabbed Izuru's sleeve as he was about to leave. A slight blush appeared on her face.

"Let's... Do it first..."

"...eh? It...?"

"Y-yeah... It. Let's do it."

As if she had a sixth sense for this kind of stuff, Yu charged out of her bedroom and bulldozed her way into Izuru and Ibuki's room.

"ARE YOU GUYS GIVING ME- Oi, what are you doing?" She asked with a blank look in her eyes.

They were playing Vanguard using the boxes as a table.

"We're doing it. Isn't this what you wanted, Yu-san?" Ibuki asked with a smug.

"Two can play this game, mother." Izuru said with a gremlin grin.

"You win this... But I'll have my revenge!"

With Yu finally out of their room, Izuru and Ibuki laughed together and began heading for the kitchen.

"Sucks to admit it, but I guess this is our new life... I'll miss our old place." Izuru sighed.

"Me too. But don't worry, I'll still insult you here like I insulted you back there." Ibuki smiled. "Puppy in the sheets, and fucking dumbass in the streets!"

"Ibuki, please stop, you're making me fall inlove with you all over again..." The asakusan weeped, putting his arm around her. "What can I even cook at this hour of the night... Want some egg fried rice? I finally got Suzui to give me the Uncle Izuru plate."

"Hell yeah!"

The results for this volume are... Eh, the usual. Tsunderes, hand throwing, card game plays made in enough copium to make a horse fly, enough innuendos to get us cancelled and enough NTR to make Endo never sleep well at night.

But even so, this ragtag group of dumbasses rages on, and on, and ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND-

Yeah, you get the idea.