"Morning." Noa smiled sheepishly as Asuma followed her into the kitchen. He was supposed to have stayed in the guestroom while they spent their vacation at her parents' home. She kind of hoped they hadn't notice where Asuma had slept last night.

"Here ya go, son!" Mr. Izumi pushed a full bottle of sake into Asuma's hand. "Welcome to the famlee." A faint red blush covered his cheeks.

Mrs. Izumi sighed heavily. "He's been 'celebrating' all night."

Noa shook her head. This was what she feared would happen.

Mrs. Izumi set her coffee down. "Noa, Asuma is your partner, right? I thought it was against the rules for officers to have relationships like that."

Noa grimaced. "We're not supposed to, but most of our fellow officers knew we were a couple before we did. They've been encouraging it."

"But if he marries you, you won't be able to hide it from your superiors."

Noa sagged. "We'll have to resign from the police force."

Mr. Izumi grinned like a mad man and nodded feverishly. Finally, his daughter would be out of that dangerous line of work and married!

"What will you do after that?"

Noa looked over at Asuma, hoping for an answer.

"I guess I'll be taking over my father's business," Asuma grumbled.

Mrs. Izumi folded her arms. "What business is he in?"

Asuma blinked. "Noa, you didn't tell them?"

Noa shook her head. "I didn't think it was important and, well, they might've...."

"Tried to force us together?"

Noa nodded.

Mrs. Izumi scowled slightly. "What does his father do?"

Noa sighed. "He's the president and owner of Shinohara Heavy Industries."

Mr. Izumi dropped the bottle of sake he was holding and whistled. "Guess ya won't be taking her name then."

Asuma paused for a moment. That would piss off his father to unimaginable degree, but then he would be Izumi Asuma. Sounded horrible, but Shinohara Noa had a nice ring to it.

A rather good answer, but it's not the answer. Try again.

For those wonder if Asuma would take over his father's business: it is one of the plot lines of the later anime episodes that Asuma was growing more open to that idea and that in Patlabor 2, Noa and Asuma appear to be working for Shinohara Industries instead of being on the police force.