Shingo accepted the gift graciously and returned Rie's gesture with a small bow of his own. He took a moment to appreciate the design on the fukusa, then proceeded to meticulously unwrap the gift and delicately open the box. A grin crossed Shingo's face once he saw the painting. "It is clear that you are a master of your craft," he said, admiring the elegant brushwork that radiated the Nakashima soul. "I shall have to find a place for this in my collection. Though, I hope this one does not make my Kose landscape jealous." Now that the greetings were finally done, Shigeru seemed eager to have their children get to know one another, and Shingo was happy to oblige. "Indeed, my son has been eager to meet her and I could hardly deny him the privilege."

Tetsuo's mind was abuzz with what he learned from the conversation. Apparently, Shigeru had given him more than just permission to court his daughter. Even Chiharu seemed to be caught off-guard, breaking decorum with what seemed to be the beginning of an objection. Clearly she was very nervous, and understandably so. From what he heard, she came from a modest artisan family with little notable wealth to their name. A visit to Ido Castle even simply as guests would have been intimidating for the likes of them, yet it was now clear that Chiharu was to be considered a potential wife. It was curious that his father would arrange such a meeting with a family of their status, and Aroi Shingo was not one to toy with a family's honor. Tetsuo could only assume that his father genuinely approved of the Nakashima family, perhaps for reasons that remained to be seen.

Chiharu, nervous as she was, struck Tetsuo as a kind and virtuous woman. By the sound of it, marrying into the Aroi family would increase their power and wealth manifold. He could easily overlook a small breach of decorum considering the kind of pressure that young woman must be under. "I would be honored if Nakashima-san would accompany me for the afternoon," he said, looking at Chiharu, and then stood up. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, we may talk more over some refreshments." With that, Tetsuo lead them down a hall that was decorated with numerous paintings. He decided that this would be an appropriate place to begin the conversation; as the daughter of a painter, she would likely have some knowledge of the topic. "I am sure that my father will greatly enjoy your family's gift," he said in a friendly tone that he hoped Chiharu would be comfortable with. "As you can see, my father has quite an extensive collection of paintings, and among them landscapes are his favorite. I'm sure the two of them will have plenty to talk about."

Of course, Tetsuo wanted to gear the conversation towards Chiharu and her interests, but at this point in time all he knew was her father's occupation. The last thing Tetsuo wanted to do was offend her with a presumptuous question, so he hoped that she would not be afraid to speak her opinion on the matter.