It is early spring on Astraea Hill. The graduation ceremony for the departing sixth year students had taken place a week ago.
Tamao is sitting by her favorite tree - her head nestled comfortably on Miyuki's shoulder. At this point, they hardly care about possible speculation. In any case, Miyuki's rumored cancellation of her long-standing engagement had only served to increase her belated popularity.
Tamao is reading her latest poem to Miyuki. She calls it Miyuki's off-the-job training, Miyuki having easily obtained offers from all three publishing companies Shizuma had gotten her interviews for. In a week's time, she would start work as an editor at the literary division of one of the three firms. She had accepted this particular company's offer because they were the most accommodating of her university exam preparation requirements - and they had also expressed a willingness to hire her after university if she maintained her exemplary academic record. As for her living arrangements, Shizuma had pointed out that since they had been roommates throughout high school anyway, it seemed pointless not to continue the arrangement throughout university.
On the family side, things were expectedly not as rosy. Miyuki's parents had threatened - and continued to threaten - to cut her off. It had greatly distressed Miyuki at first - far more than the prospect of being disowned, she had been dismayed by her parents' accusations of her being an ungrateful, undutiful child. As usual, Tamao had seen her through that crisis. The only upshot to the entire episode had been the fact that her former fiancé had been so impressed with her determination, that he had offered to marry her after university. Miyuki had gently made it clear to him at that point that were other reasons (just one blue-haired, gray-eyed reason, actually) that she wouldn't marry him ever, university or no university.
After they finish discussing Tamao's poem, the younger girl pauses a moment and retrieves a box from her pocket. With a hint of her old shyness, she extends the box to Miyuki and explains.
"It's my graduation present to you, Miyuki-sama...I'm sorry it's late, but it took a while for the shop to get me exactly what I wanted."
Miyuki opens the box...and retrieves a locket on a delicate silver chain. Tamao hastens to explain.
"For some reason, I just thought that you're the sort of person who would look really good with a necklace on."
Miyuki opens the locket and smiles at what she finds inside.
"I love it, Tamao-chan. It's a beautiful present. Here, you can help me put it on."
Tamao kneels in front of the older woman and fastens the chain around her neck. Loving brown eyes look into loving gray ones, then eyes close as lips touch in an exquisitely tender kiss.
Inside the locket are twin locks of blue hair.