Born as Gojo Satoru Cousin

The night had just begun, the two of them decided to have dinner before ending their date session for the day.

As Eiji stopped in front of a luxurious restaurant illuminated by crystal lights, Nino looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Eiji, are you serious about wanting to eat here?" She asked skeptically.

She crossed her arms, her eyes looking at the restaurant's name known for its expensive menu.

"We could eat at a family restaurant. I don't want you to spend too much money just for dinner."

Knowing his character, Nino didn't want her boyfriend to force himself to satisfy her ego. In the past, she had dreamed of a candlelit dinner in a fancy restaurant with her partner. Of course, she was more realistic than she had been in high school.

"Don't worry. I've prepared for this." Eiji said calmly.

"Prepared? What do you mean?" Nino still didn't believe it.

"I made a profit from the stock market. So you don't have to worry about my finances." Eiji said lightly as if explaining something simple.

With his IQ, it wasn't difficult to analyze stocks through the financial records available in the stock market. He could determine which stocks had the potential to rise in value.

"You... play the stock market? And you made enough money for this? Amazing... How much profit did you make..." Nino exclaimed, both surprised and impressed.

"The amount... Let's not talk about that. Anyway, I wouldn't bring you here if I wasn't sure."

"..."

Seeing his unreadable expression, Nino bit her lip, feeling both shocked and confused. Finally, she surrendered with a shrug.

"Alright, if you're sure. But if you go bankrupt because of this, I don't want to hear your complaints later."

Eiji just gave a small, almost invisible smile, then opened the restaurant door for her.

They then sat at the table that Eiji had reserved. In the center of the table, a small candle flickered, creating a simple yet beautiful romantic atmosphere. Nino felt awkward. Although she was used to being the center of attention and came from a wealthy family, formal settings like this were not something she often experienced.

Not long after, a waiter arrived with the appetizer. Pumpkin soup garnished with cream on top. Eiji nodded politely, while Nino stared at the dish with raised eyebrows.

"This looks beautiful, but I prefer candy apples." She said jokingly.

"If you want, we can have candy apples after this." Eiji responded to her words seriously.

"You're too serious, Eiji. I was joking. This looks delicious." Nino chuckled lightly.

They began to eat in silence, enjoying the peaceful night atmosphere. However, after a while, Nino started to speak.

"By the way, did you know Ichika is trying to come up with another crazy idea?" She asked, putting down her spoon.

Eiji raised his eyebrows slightly, showing that he was interested.

"What did she propose?"

Nakano Ichika, the oldest of the Nakano quintuplets. On the surface, she seemed to have a calm and composed demeanor, making her approachable. However, that was just a facade; she often wore a fake smile and liked to tease others.

In fact, Eiji had been teased by Ichika several times. Unfortunately, it didn't affect him.

"She wants the five of us to wear wedding dresses and dress exactly the same to test Uesugi, and he has to guess which one of us it is. Back in high school, we often played quintuplet games, but now we're adults."

"Not only that, Ichika also proposed that if Uesugi gets it wrong when identifying Yotsuba and chooses one of us instead, the chosen one must marry him in Yotsuba's place!"

Nino pouted, not liking Ichika's idea.

"..."

His hand movement stopped, his fork hanging in the air. Eiji looked at her with a sharper gaze than usual.

"And you agreed?"

"Of course not!" Nino replied immediately, her tone firm.

"Even if there is a one percent chance Uesugi would choose me, I don't want to. I've already forgotten about him. He is no longer someone in my heart. Now I wonder why I ever liked a weak, nerdy, antisocial guy who only knows how to study and is so indecisive."

Not wanting Eiji to think she had lingering feelings for Fuutarou, Nino didn't hesitate to point out Fuutarou's flaws.

Love is blind; it's not just a metaphor.

After Nino stopped liking Fuutarou, her common sense began to operate normally again.

Fuutarou had a big ego and high self-confidence. He was blunt, unwise, and rude. Normally, a man with such traits wouldn't be popular. However, because he often interacted with the quintuplets while teaching them, feelings began to grow between both parties.

"That's a strange idea. If Uesugi Fuutarou makes a mistake, it could ruin their marriage." Eiji said with a sigh of relief.

"That's why I said no." Nino continued.

"Besides, I already have someone in my heart."

She glanced at him, her smile meaningful.

Although his face remained calm, Eiji looked a little more relaxed.

"I'm glad you're not participating."

Nino smiled widely, enjoying the small expression that Eiji showed.

"Are you afraid he might choose me, huh?"

"I'm not joking." Eiji replied shortly, then continued eating.

When the main course was served, a beef steak with truffle mushroom sauce, Nino felt their mood becoming more comfortable. She started talking about other things, from childhood memories to plans after Yotsuba's wedding.

"So, after this, what are your plans?" She asked while cutting the meat on her plate.

Putting down his fork calmly, Eiji replied in a flat tone.

"To propose to you."

"Huh?"

Nino looked up, her eyes wide. She stared at him with an expression of disbelief.

"You heard me." Eiji said calmly, his gaze remaining gentle.

"You're joking, right?"

But inside her heart, Nino felt her heartbeat starting to race.

Instead of answering, Eiji reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small dark blue box. With a simple motion, he opened the box in front of Nino.

Inside was a beautiful ring, adorned with an aquamarine gem that sparkled like light at the bottom of the sea. Its shape was simple but radiated an undeniable elegance.

"..."

Nino fell silent. Her breath seemed to catch as she looked at the ring. The restaurant atmosphere, once filled with sounds, became quieter to her ears. Some guests at other tables began to glance in their direction, noticing what was happening.

Eiji looked at her with a serious expression, but there was no doubt in his eyes.

"I know this might seem sudden, but I've been thinking about it. Nino, you are the most important person in my life. And I want you to know, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Nino's eyes glistened with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her heart felt full of mixed emotions.

"I know I'm not perfect." Eiji continued, his voice remaining calm, though slightly softer.

"But I will always strive to support you, no matter what happens. This is our engagement ring. If you want, I would like you to accept this."

As if time stopped, Nino stared at him, then at the ring in the small box. Tears finally fell, but her smile blossomed warmly.

"You really are the least romantic person." She said in a hoarse voice, her eyes still shining.

"But... yes. I accept it. Of course, I accept it!"

*👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻*

The once quiet restaurant suddenly filled with cheers from other guests witnessing the moment. Some even clapped, celebrating their happiness.

Eiji remained calm as usual, but his eyes showed a glimmer of relief. He took the ring from the box and carefully placed it on Nino's ring finger.

As the ring fit perfectly, Nino looked at him with deep emotion.

"This ring is so beautiful... It's just like the color of our eyes."

"You're right. I want this ring to be a symbol of our bond." Eiji said with a faint smile.

Nino's cheeks flushed as she laughed softly while wiping her tears.

"You really... I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Eiji replied simply.

Nino looked at him, then enthusiastically hugged him, causing some guests to cheer even louder.

"I love you, Eiji." She whispered softly.

"I love you too." Eiji replied, his tone low but full of sincerity.

After that moment passed and the restaurant returned to calm, Nino looked at him with a mischievous smile. "You realize, you just proposed to a girl in a fancy restaurant? Are you sure you can handle all this attention?"

Eiji shrugged, his face remaining calm.

"I don't mind as long as it's for you."

Twisting the ring with her fingers, Nino chuckled.

"I really didn't expect you to propose. I didn't even know you could plan something like this."

"I've been thinking about it for quite a while." Eiji replied. "But I wanted to wait for the right moment."

Nino looked at him with gratitude.

"You know, I really feel lucky to have met you."

"I'm the lucky one." Eiji replied.

Nino laughed softly, but tears of joy flowed down her cheeks again. She knew that tonight was one of the most important moments of her life, and she would never forget it.