On the night of July 12th, Yukiko received a call from Souji.

"Hello, this is Yukiko. Is there something you wish to ask me Souji-kun?"

"Yes; tomorrow are you up for having lunch with me?"

"Sure! I'd love to!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you Yukiko, and there's something I want to tell you..." Souji's words drifted off; this was a first for him.

"Souji-kun, there's something I would like to tell you as well... but can we save that for tomorrow perhaps?"

"Yes. I'd prefer that instead."

"Thank you, Souji-kun, but after school may we visit the shrine again? I don't want to make my prayers alone, especially after what happened a few days ago."

"That's fine with me. Anyway, it's late and you need your beauty sleep. Good night Yukiko."

"Good night Souji-kun, sleep well."

On the morning of July 13th. By the Samegawa river.

"S-Sorry, it's an emergency!" A familiar voice shouted from behind the transfer student. It was Yukiko as she forced herself under his umbrella. "Thank you. I couldn't find my umbrella this morning. It's odd, because I always have one in my bag. Did I use it when I was with Chie...?" Yukiko thought to herself.

"Are you trying to find an excuse to be close to me?" Souji jested.

"W-What? I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Now I'm a little nervous, what if people start to talk?"

"That's fine with me. Feel free to use my umbrella." As he put more of the umbrella over her head.

"R-Really? Thank you Souji-kun; if it's all right with you, I guess it is fine with me too... I'm just kidding. Though I hope it stops raining by the time school ends and before lunchtime as well. I still want to go to the shrine with you."

"I agree. I believe it should stop before lunchtime. Anyway, let's go to class, we don't need to be late."

During Lunchtime. Souji brought Yukiko to the roof for lunch and shared the dessert he made last night.

"Wow, this is good! Anyway, what was it you wanted to tell me Souji-kun?"

"I'd rather not say it here. I don't want other people to hear it. People will start spreading rumors and..." Souji's words slipped away again. "...This is something I want to tell you; you and only you." Souji then gave Yukiko a gentle, yet serious stare. "What about you, didn't you wish to tell me something as well?

Yukiko's heart had an idea of what it might have been, though it was hard for her to tell. She had to, for now, set that aside and assume it might have to do with his feelings for her and answer his question. "I-I'd like for this to wait as well. There's something I've realized after what happened a few days ago and I want you to know. And... There's something I want to tell you as well. But only you can hear it, o-okay?" Yukiko hesitantly asked while trying to look into Souji's cold eyes, yet this time they weren't cold. She could feel warmth from him, something that you also don't see from him every day.

"I understand. Well, let's head back to class already." Souji began to walk towards the door before stopping while Yukiko was catching up. "I'm really looking forward to speaking to you after school." Souji then turned around with a smile. "I want to tell you something I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but we'll talk about it after class."

After school, Yukiko brought Souji at the shrine to make their prayers.

"Are you going to wish for something too?"

"I'm wishing for you." Souji boldly stated.

"M-Me...?" Thank you." Yukiko happily said despite the shock of hearing that. "I'm wishing for everyone's health; for Chie, you, the others... and everyone at the inn, too. And... I'm wishing to become a woman worthy of you." Yukiko's face began to glow.

"You already are Yukiko."

"You're too kind, Souji-kun... And finally, I wish for everyone to be able to smile together. Let's begin our prayer." Souji and Yukiko grasped their hands and prayed for their wishes to come true. The Fox would most certainly be happy to see this if he were around.

"I've decided not to leave Inaba. I never really objected to being the inn's manager per se... I just didn't like the fact that it wasn't up to me. I felt like my life was on rails. And I thought running away was the only choice for me. But no longer, I want to protect the family inn. After all, it's near to my heart." Yukiko said with a smile. "Thank you, Souji-kun. I believe that it was because of you I was able to realize this. It was because you were always by my side." Yukiko said with a gentle smile.

"But you realized that yourself. You should thank yourself as well for realizing it and choosing to not look away anymore."

"You're right, but still, thank you..."

"It's alright. I'm always here for you Yukiko." Souji smiled.

"U-Umm, I wanted to ask you this before..." Yukiko began hesitating, trying to come up with the right way to say it without giving herself away, but she had to be blunt just like The Fool she cared about. "Wh-Why... Why are you always with me...?" Yukiko's face began to turn pink. "Is it okay for me to ask?"

"This was what I wanted to tell you all along... I really like you Yukiko."

"Y... You like...? M-Me...?" Yukiko's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe the words that passed Souji's lips. They were what wanted she wanted to hear, but it was still very hard to believe. "Uh, umm... I-I feel the same way... so..."

"Yukiko, may I ask you a question?"

"F-Feel free too."

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Souji said with a smile plastered on his face.

"O-Of course. I'd love too." A jubilant Yukiko replied.

There is was no turning back for either of them now; Souji's relationship with Yukiko has intensified and has now become intimate.

"I thought my heart was going to stop. Umm... Stay here with me... just a little longer..."

"Of course; I'll do anything for you, Yukiko."

"I'm... so happy to hear you tell me that. I've liked you for a while now actually... Ever since you rescued me from my shadow and came to visit me. I've always had these feelings for you. H-How about you? Is it alright for me to ask?" Yukiko hesitated as her face began to turn into a scarlet hue.

"Well, I'll answer that, but I want you to go with me somewhere first. Are you up for a little walk?" Souji asked.

"Of course, l-let's go Souji-kun." Yukiko said as children who usually hang around at the shrine began to pour in.

"My, it's getting crowded in here..." Souji remarked. "Why don't you and I go somewhere else?" He teased as he held her soft hand.

"T-That's mean! Don't tease with me like that..." Yukiko pouted as she looked at the floor. "But... let's go, Souji-kun." She exclaimed as she held onto his hand rather tight and began their walk together.

Souji walked Yukiko to one of the places where they first spoke to one another: The Samegawa Flood Plain. It was where he first saw Yukiko in her beautiful floral pink kimono after he helped Yosuke face himself in the TV world. He held her hand the whole way through, ignoring any glares from other students that they passed by and are now sitting down at the picnic table next to each other.

"S-Souji-kun... People might talk about this."

"Let them. And if any of them try anything, I shall deal with them myself."

"Souji-kun, we're together now. I should be helping you now. So it should be 'we shall deal with them.' Don't you agree, Souji-kun?" She finally began to settle in and get more comfortable with talking about their newly established relationship.

"Yeah. You're right. We'll overcome everything together. From the murder case to how we'll explain this to our families, we'll do it all together."

Souji and Yukiko couldn't help but break out into a small laugh after that. What Souji said sounded like something you hear in a cliché romance movie. But they didn't care, the meaning behind it was true though and that's all that mattered.

"Souji-kun, now that we're all settled in, would you like to answer my question?" Yukiko embarrassingly asked.

"Five more minutes, Yukiko. I just want to stare at your gorgeous self just a little longer." Souji jokingly pleaded while starting into her eyes. "I can't help myself. You're eyes are so beautiful." He was finally saying all the compliments he wanted to say in the past, but couldn't due to that constant fear of embarrassing her and himself, but now it was fine to say all those things he had bottled up inside.

"Alright, to answer your question... I always like how you were a complete mystery to me at first. When I first met you, you had an aura that caught my attention. And when I learned about what your shadow said, it made sympathize with you in a way."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. As I lived with my parents, I felt I always had to follow them around, going from city to city and at one point, to another country. I didn't like that and my mother noticed and asked if I wanted to come here. If she never noticed and suggested Inaba to me, I probably would have been in another country again. I might've always thought I had to go wherever I had to with no say-so about it. But... I'm glad I agreed. After all it's where I met Uncle Dojima and Nanako, my friends, and especially... A woman I can now hold dear to myself; you." Souji said as he held Yukiko's hand firmly. For the first time, Souji admitted something about his past. Not even the Dojimas knew of this. Yukiko was the first to know about this.

"And as I grew to talk to you, I eventually grew to develop an interest in you and said I wanted to see you again. And then you started to open up to both the Investigation Team and myself. I couldn't help but fall for you. And Yukiko... about that laughing fit of yours..."

"Y-Yes!? W-What about it? Do you not..."

"I find it to be adorable."

Yukiko's heart skipped yet another beat, not even Chie liked her laughing fit sometimes, yet Souji did. "T-Thank you. I'm so happy to hear you say like it..." Yukiko's face turned as red as the blouse she wore atop her uniform.

"U-Um... Souji-kun, there's something I want to give to you. It's something special just for you."

"Alright. What is it?" Souji said as his mood perked up with a small grin across his face.

"You have to close your eyes! And no peeking!" Yukiko playfully said.

"Alright, I'll play along." Souji said as his smile softened and closed his eyes to see what the Priestess had in mind.

Yukiko then slowly inched ever closer to his face, using her gentle ivory hands to hold his head in place, she moved closer until her lips locked his. They had become each other's first kiss. Souji didn't react in shock or surprise, nor raised an objection; in fact, it seemed he anticipated and welcomed it as he held Yukiko in response to her 'gift.' It felt like time had stopped in that moment; it was truly one of the happiest moments for them. But their lips soon separated, Yukiko then whispered to him with a calm, yet overjoyed glance,

"Happy Birthday, Souji Seta."