Hisao-Shizune Wedding Ten Years On. Reconciliation with Jigoro Too.

[StillHere3603]

Shizune Good Ending: Epilogue

Hisao stood in the doorway of Jigoro's study area, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't believe that he was about to have such a serious and important conversation with the man he had dreaded/hated for 10 years. The first time he was allowed to enter this room was a whole 1 year after meeting Jigoro. A portrait of Shizune's mother, Satomi Hakamichi, hung right above the clock as always.

Taking a deep breath, Hisao hesitated for a moment before knocking on the doorframe. Jigoro looked up from his book, his eyes narrowing as he saw Hisao standing there. He had a suit and tie on with some formal jeans. Apparently the Hawaiian shirt and plastic sword he wore for that final Yamaku year was an attempt at intimidation. Seriously.

"What do you want?" Jigoro asked gruffly, his tone making it clear that he wasn't exactly thrilled to see Hisao.

"I... I wanted to talk to you, sir. About Shizune and the wedding," Hisao stuttered, his heart racing even faster now. You're nearly 30 Hisao! Get it together!

Jigoro sighed, putting his now third autobiography down and gesturing for Hisao to sit across from him. "Very well. Speak." The choppiness of his delivery was eerily consistent.

As Hisao sat down, he thought back to the days when he first met Shizune at Yamaku Academy. She was a force to be reckoned with launching him out of the downward spiral he had been on ever since his heart attack in those woods. Over time, they grew closer, eventually becoming a couple. Although their way of thinking could conflict sometimes, Hisao knew that he loved Shizune deeply and couldn't imagine life without her. Understanding her was his thrill of the chase.

"I know that you and I haven't always gotten along," Hisao began, carefully choosing his words. "But I want you to know that I truly love your daughter, and I want to make her happy." An awkward pause permeated the air and made itself home.

Jigoro stared at him with the book in hand before responding dryly, "Is that it? You've stuck by her all this time so I have no doubt about that. You might be a glue-huffer, boy, but you're surely the most committed glue-huffer I've ever met. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man Nakai." Then suddenly, a slasher smile came across his face. "Don't tell me you grew a beard just for this", he laughed with a bellow.

Hisao swallowed his annoyance and shook his head. Not like this. Not like this again. No more mind games dammit, he thought.

"No, I wanted to find some common ground with you. I understand that we have different personalities and backgrounds, but I believe that we both want what's best for Shizune. I'd like to put our differences aside and work together to support her." Hisao made sure to keep an even tone, nothing which would seem either pathetic or aggressive.

Jigoro's expression softened perhaps realizing for once the bad timing of his "jokes". He put the book down and said seriously, "Look ... I had been meaning to have this conversation soon too. Say what you came here to say." He stretched his back and gave Hisao his undivided attention.

Hisao's expression softened in kind, relieved that Jigoro finally seemed to be taking his words to heart. "I've learned a lot from Shizune. She's taught me to be strong and to face challenges head-on. And ... I think that's something we can both appreciate. She's doing wonderfully in her career and as someone who gives back to the community. People said she couldn't do both but she did. My girlfriend and your daughter proved them wrong. And ... taking this next step could, no, will lead to many more moments and achievements we can all be even more proud of. I know it!" Hisao became a little out of breath, surprising himself at how quickly he lost his original composure.

Jigoro nodded, his face softening more. "Hmm you are not wrong. Shizune has become an impressive young lady. I was always concerned she was wasting her life on trivial things back in Yamaku. But she has been, how should I put it, honorable with her adult life. She has overcome much in her life, and has done it with determination and courage. It was not easy and mistakes were made. Hmm I suppose I can see why she chose you. You have been a stubborn mule from the beginning just like her. Every time I told you to drop the sweater vest, you would wear it in our next encounter."

Hisao felt a surge of pride at Jigoro's words. It was coated with his trademark roughness but he could tell instantly it was genuine. "Thank you, sir. I promise that I'll always do my best for her."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, the tension between them finally starting to dissipate. They had found common ground in their love for Shizune and their desire to see her happy. It was an invigorating feeling.

From the hallway, Shizune watched the scene unfold, a smile spreading across her face. She couldn't hear the conversation or reliably see their lips, but the sight of Hisao and her father sitting together, apparently at peace, filled her with joy. Something compelled her to be content with spectating, not even bothering to call over Misha.

As the men continued their conversation, Shizune playfully signed to Misha, who had just entered the hallway with bits of a parfait strewn across her cheek, "Looks like they're finally bonding. I wonder what they're talking about? Maybe they're discussing who has the better beard? Oh don't tell me Misha!" (Both Hisao and Jigoro were rubbing their beards in unison.)

Misha laughed, signing back, "Or maybe they're comparing notes on their favorite ties! You never see this! WAHAHAHA!"

Shizune's audible laughter rang through the air as she signed back, "Either way, it's about time."

The slightly croaked laughter caught the attention of the two men. Jigoro sheepishly looked at this watch, pretending to be late for something in such a Jigoro-like way. Hisao seemed relieved. While Shizune was undeniably delighted at the turn of events, it wasn't just at the comedy of it all. Hisao and Jigoro's feuding personalities persisted through 10 long years so seeing such a thaw brought an enormous amount of relief. Finally, she thought. Just finally.


As the days passed, Hisao found himself spending more time with Jigoro, discovering that they had a shared interest in strategy games (Like father like daughter). They spent hours discussing tactics and exchanging stories from their past, now in a new light. Although Jigoro could still be harsh, critical, and often unreasonable; Hisao began to appreciate his future father-in-law's depth of experience and passion.

We're very different people, Hisao thought to himself later in the evening as he and Jigoro sat in the garden, watching the sunset. But both of us love Shizune and want the best for her. Maybe that's enough for us to get along. Honestly not getting along for 10 years must be the pinnacle of social failure. On that topic, Hisao briefly thought of Kenji which he found himself doing once a year. Seriously, what happened to that guy?

The day of the wedding dawned bright and warm, with sunlight streaming through the windows of the small, intimate venue. Friends and family from the Hakamichi and Satou side including Akira, Hideaki, and all the parents had gathered from near and far to celebrate the union of Hisao and Shizune.

Hideaki, in a suit and tie, sported a wild smile. One of uncontested pride along with Akira beaming proudly as well. Their height difference had dramatically fallen over the years, surely one of the reasons why Hideaki had become a more cheerful person. Lilly donned a heartfelt smile, sporting a regal but cute yellow blouse.

Lilly and Shizune's reconciliation came about 3 years after graduation through the intervention of Akira. Hisao was forever grateful for that, looking with pure gratitude at these three people who wholeheartedly accepted him as part of the family.

Shizune picked Misha to be her maid of honor a few months ago, a request which had her open a million different tabs to book a flight back to Japan only for the computer to die one second later. Never change Misha. Never change. The lack of Yuuko in the crowd was unfortunately expected. I hope she's taking care of herself, thought Hisao.

As Hisao stood nervously at the front of the room, his heart pounding in his chest, he glanced over at Jigoro seated in the front row. Jigoro caught his gaze and shot a look as if to say, "You better not screw this up, kid."

Hisao inaudibly chuckled as if to say "I'll do my best, sir." He could see the hint of a smile on Jigoro's face, and he knew that they had finally reached an understanding.

The doors at the back of the room swung open, revealing Shizune in her beautiful white wedding gown. Hisao's breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk towards him, her eyes shining with love and happiness.

She looks stunning, Hisao thought, his heart swelling with emotion. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to marry her.

As Shizune reached the front of the room and took Hisao's hand, she signed, "Ready?"

Hisao smiled, signing back, "More than ever."

The ceremony was a touching blend of tradition and personal touches, with Misha interpreting for Shizune and the couple exchanging heartfelt vows. As they were pronounced husband and wife, Hisao and Shizune shared a passionate kiss sealing their commitment to each other.

As they walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, Hisao caught Jigoro's eye once more. Now sporting some grey hairs, the older man gave him a slight nod and a rare, genuine smile – a sign that he had finally come to accept Hisao as part of the family. Not a hint of snark could be detected.

In that moment, Hisao knew that everything would be alright. With Shizune by his side, and the newfound support of her family, they were ready to face whatever challenges life had in store for them. As they celebrated their love with friends and family, the couple began a new chapter in their lives filled with hope and happiness.

On the way back to their shared apartment, Hisao remembered his thoughts during graduation about his short life expectancy and how he had to make the most of what time he had left. Those thoughts that settled when they posed for that stupid Three Musketeers photo.

Taking out a notepad in the taxi , Hisao wrote, "Title: Message to My Old Self
I'm proud of you. "

El Fin

[StillHere3603]

This is my first attempt at fanficton. How did I do? Open to any constructive criticism

I tried to characterize Jigoro in a less cartoony way while keeping some of his mean-spirited snarky streak. But I also wanted to have the passage of time break down those barriers a little bit so that a reconciliation could open him up in an organic way.

[Asoko_Desu]

'Tis the season for Jigoro to get some attention — I've seen more mentions of him lately.

Fair warning - I've never seen narcissistic parents change their spots, so I’m looking at this from the perspective of how convincingly you've executed this heel-face turn; it's a hard task you've set for yourself as a first attempt so I'll focus on the positives. Also - forgive my spelling errors - this is pretty much off the top of my head.

Firstly - congratulations on your first post! I hope you found the exercise rewarding! TL;DR - for a first fic I found it solid, and yet with plenty of room to grow as a story-teller.

I like how you've changed the narrative with respect to his sword - it help explain his cavalier attitude towards it. Anyone who's practiced Tameshigri or Iaido - or even handled a live katana - knows you treat those things with respect or someone will get hurt sooner rather than later.

I also like how you've provided a window into Hisao's inner dialog. Admittedly I’m biased - I use this a lot. Some might say that if your writing is good enough then you don't need to use this approach, but, as in life, expecting an audience to be mind-readers is somewhat unreasonable. Of course one doesn't want to spell everything out and take all the fun out of noodling on characters' motivations after the fact, so its a bit of a balancing act.

Hisao comes across as still having a lot of room to grow with respect to his self-confidence, which is to be expected spending time with the Hakamichis, yet he recognizes how much he has grown, which is smart — otherwise I'd expect him to be in deep depression. Has he been to therapy in the past ten years?

What I think you have is an opportunity to do some back story - the other characters (Shiina / Misha, Hideaki, the Satous) appear on the board / are mentioned, but they've got ten years of their own experiences / observations of Hisao's journey. Those stories could be very interesting to pursue. Heck, Shizune's had a ring-side seat to all of this, encouraging, possibly coaching, Hisao to develop his relationship with her father, his career, and life in general. One of the consistent elements of KS was that when you're in a partnership with someone, they influence you. Clearly that's the case here, but you could possibly have fun telling those stories - Jigoro certainly would have had his opinions on what was obviously going to be a future son-in-law.

Hope this helps.


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[StillHere3603]

'Tis the season for Jigoro to get some attention — I've seen more mentions of him lately.

Fair warning - I've never seen narcissistic parents change their spots, so I’m looking at this from the perspective of how convincingly you've executed this heel-face turn; it's a hard task you've set for yourself as a first attempt so I'll focus on the positives. Also - forgive my spelling errors - this is pretty much off the top of my head.

Firstly - congratulations on your first post! I hope you found the exercise rewarding! TL;DR - for a first fic I found it solid, and yet with plenty of room to grow as a story-teller.

I like how you've changed the narrative with respect to his sword - it help explain his cavalier attitude towards it. Anyone who's practiced Tameshigri or Iaido - or even handled a live katana - knows you treat those things with respect or someone will get hurt sooner rather than later.

I also like how you've provided a window into Hisao's inner dialog. Admittedly I’m biased - I use this a lot. Some might say that if your writing is good enough then you don't need to use this approach, but, as in life, expecting an audience to be mind-readers is somewhat unreasonable. Of course one doesn't want to spell everything out and take all the fun out of noodling on characters' motivations after the fact, so its a bit of a balancing act.

Hisao comes across as still having a lot of room to grow with respect to his self-confidence, which is to be expected spending time with the Hakamichis, yet he recognizes how much he has grown, which is smart — otherwise I'd expect him to be in deep depression. Has he been to therapy in the past ten years?

What I think you have is an opportunity to do some back story - the other characters (Shiina / Misha, Hideaki, the Satous) appear on the board / are mentioned, but they've got ten years of their own experiences / observations of Hisao's journey. Those stories could be very interesting to pursue. Heck, Shizune's had a ring-side seat to all of this, encouraging, possibly coaching, Hisao to develop his relationship with her father, his career, and life in general. One of the consistent elements of KS was that when you're in a partnership with someone, they influence you. Clearly that's the case here, but you could possibly have fun telling those stories - Jigoro certainly would have had his opinions on what was obviously going to be a future son-in-law.



Hope this helps.


--

I really appreciate your feedback! I'll try to address each of your points and give an outline of what I'm gonna try to do in the future.

Regarding narcissistic parents not changing, I know that's a tough task which requires very organic characterization and progression. That's one of the reasons why I had this set to 10 years in the future since I think any less time than that would not present an accurate progression of a thawing relationship. I tried to capture the original voice of Jigoro in the game (snarky harsh comments and a sort of old-timer condescension) while adding a softened side. I think that softened side was hinted once in the original game (Jigoro coming all the way to Yamaku to ask Shizune to go on a trip with him and Hideaki when he could have just called or sent an email. Also, he graciously accepts her rejection of the offer. That was a great sign of humility from an exceptionally arrogant person). So then for this writeup, those flashes of humility are expanded upon due to the timeskip as his fears of Shizune wasting her time on trivial things is allayed and Hisao's sustained commitment to Shizune is recognized as genuine. I know a lot more can be done on this front but for my first writeup, I felt this was a decent start.

Regarding the internal dialogue, I'll admit I've never heard of it being considered a crutch for bad writing lol. I wanted to incorporate it here since I felt it was effectively used in the original game to make Hisao feel like a well developed character. I wanted to preserve his "nervous but bold when he has to be" personality while adding some subtle hints of personal development. I don't think I showed that much of the latter in this writeup so it's definitely something I want to expand on in future writings.

That's a good point about Hisao's mental health. It definitely weighed on him in the original game and this is ten whole years. I don't really know how to write good therapy moments (my personal moments regarding therapy wouldn't really translate well to writing I don't think) so that's something I'll want to improve on. Probably by listening to other people's experiences.

Also I also tried to include hints of Shizune's development which I feel were hinted at in the end of her route. One of the problems in her route was her bullheaded micromanaging nature which helps in Student council activities but hurt her relationship with other students. So I had her not bothering to call over Misha to translate but instead just take the time to appreciate Hisao and Jigoro looking like they're at peace with each other. And then when Misha does come over, Shizune audibly laughs in the conversation which the game made a point of audible laughter never happening until the very last line of the game. So I tried to include these two elements to show her growth without being unsubtle about it.

Yeah I included those side characters and little summaries of their post- Yamaku life to enliven this write-up. I definitely plan on expanding those side stories in separate writings and then maybe trying to combine the write-ups for a much longer complete story that weaves many lives together. I think that will take quite a bit of time and I am definitely starting slow. This was less than 2000 words after all.

I think some of these backstories will be tougher to write than others. I chose the Hisao-Shizune wedding + Jigoro reconciliation first because I think the original game did a lot in fleshing out the characterization through implicit details where all I had to do was create a new setting, make those implicit details a little more explicit, and then add some standard details of my own. There's not nearly as much information on, for example, Akira and Hideaki's relationship so I'll have to put in a lot more work.

Thanks again for the feedback Asoko_Desu. Very much appreciated

[Asoko_Desu]

You're welcome!

I could ramble on, but I won't - I do want to say though that you've certainly put a lot of thought in and that shows a deep appreciation for the original material, which is great!

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[StillHere3603]

You're welcome!

I could ramble on, but I won't - I do want to say though that you've certainly put a lot of thought in and that shows a deep appreciation for the original material, which is great!

--

Thanks for the kind words!