Tokyo was blooming with early sumr warmth, the city dressed in soft pinks and golds as wedding season approached. For Aoi and Ren, the days grew sweeter but busier — filled with appointnts, floral catalogs, fabric swatches, and constant ssages from both families.
"I didn’t realize planning a wedding was this intense..." Ren mumbled as he skimd through a pamphlet filled with suit options.
Aoi, lying beside him on the living room floor surrounded by wedding magazines, looked up with a grin. "You thought it would be just pick a dress, invite so people, say ’I do’ and go ho?"
Ren scratched his cheek. "...Maybe."
She giggled, reaching out to tap his forehead. "You’re lucky I’m here to save our wedding from being plain and boring."
But even as they worked through planning details together — from reception food tasting to choosing which mutual friends to invite — sothing deeper brewed in Ren’s heart.
Every ti he saw her smile at a cake sample, or laugh at so cheesy invitation font, a warmth swelled in him.
"This is real. We’re doing this."
And yet... it still didn’t feel complete.
One night, after Aoi had fallen asleep first — curled up against him on their couch — Ren opened his laptop quietly, sliding out of her embrace.
He checked the blueprint files, construction photos, and a calendar marked with silent progress: "New Ho Project."
The walls were up now.
The garage had been frad.
And the tiny clearing in front of the house — which he had kept empty on purpose — was exactly where he would take her.
"That spot... That’s where I’ll propose. Not just with a ring. With a house. A future. Everything I am."
Days Later...
"Ren, do you want gold trim or silver for the invitation borders?" Aoi asked, waving two samples in front of him during lunch break.
"Silver," he answered quickly. Then hesitated. "Wait... which one do you like?"
She smiled, touched by his consideration. "Silver. But I wanted to see if we were still in sync."
"Always," he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
Still, in the corner of her heart, that whisper of curiosity lingered. Ren had been disappearing so weekends again. He always returned with tired eyes and gentle smiles... but no explanations.
He had always been open before. Why hide sothing now?
"Is he overworking himself? Is he in trouble?"
She didn’t ask yet. Part of her trusted he would tell her when the ti was right. But the Aoi from high school — the one with hints of yandere obsession hidden beneath her polished deanor — still stirred, watching him carefully.
Back at the Construction Site — A Few Days Later
Ren stood at the edge of the cornfield, staring at the fully built house glowing softly in the evening sun. The windows reflected the gold light. The garage now had a workspace with room for tools, smart-tech systems, and rustic wooden shelves. And in the clearing in front of the porch, he stepped carefully, imagining Aoi standing there in a dress.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box.
"It’s not a city rooftop or so luxury restaurant. But this... this is us. This is where I’ll ask her to build a forever with ."
He smiled.
And whispered softly into the breeze:
"Soon."
Reviews
All reviews (0)