One of the saddest things about HikaGo ending where it did, to me, is that Yashiro never gets to prove himself to his parents. Hikaru's situation is less tragic, I think, since even if they're not engaged they are at the very least not standing in his way, and at best they are providing all the support he needs (paying for his being an insei, letting him choose not to continue on to high school [which is a huge deal--something very near 95% of Japanese students continue to high school], letting him continue to live at home. Hikaru has his own forces driving him, so he doesn't need emotional validation of his parents' explicit support).

I loved the warm way you drew us into this story with all of the details, settling us in the story much as Yashiro is still settling into his new life. Him receiving the recipe book is a wonderful moment, and him finding his dad's recipe is an almost painful jolt to the feels. Every dad, even those who never cook, has his one signature dish, and this acknowledgement at last of his love and regard for Yashiro is so poignant and lovely. Thank you so much for sharing!