The morning sunlight peeked through the thin curtains of their Tokyo apartment, painting soft golden streaks on the floor. Aoi was still curled up in bed, her cheek pressed against Ren's chest, her breath slow and peaceful.
Ren lay wide awake.
It had only been a few days since he'd shown her the land.
And ever since then, the world felt… lighter. Their future felt closer. But it also meant the real work was just beginning.
He glanced at the time. 5:47 AM.
He carefully untangled himself from Aoi's embrace and reached for his laptop. With one eye on her sleeping face, he silently opened up his construction software, pulling up the updated floor plan.
Workshop size: 30x30.
Main house: 2 floors.
Custom smart garage integration: in progress.
Rainwater harvest system: confirmed.
Underground power backup: design pending.
His eyes twinkled.
"We'll live slow, smart, and free."
Morning Routine and a Surprise
Aoi stirred awake as Ren entered the kitchen with freshly brewed coffee. She yawned, stretching lazily.
"You're up early again," she mumbled, voice hoarse from sleep.
"I had a few things to finish for work," Ren replied quickly, placing a mug beside her. "And… I was just checking the blueprint."
Her eyes narrowed playfully. "You're obsessed with it now."
"Guilty," he smirked.
Aoi took a sip, then leaned in to kiss his cheek. "So, can we start looking at furniture today?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
She grabbed her tablet and opened a folder labeled: "COUNTRYSIDE DREAM HOME — AOI'S PICKS 🌼."
"Already," she grinned.
Furniture Browsing and Flirty Debates
They spent the afternoon at a high-end showroom in Shinjuku.
Ren found a minimalist Scandinavian-style table he liked. Aoi vetoed it instantly.
"It's boring," she pouted. "It looks like a coding bootcamp desk."
"And your idea of a dining table shaped like a sakura flower is practical how?"
"It's beautiful!"
"It's pink."
"Exactly!"
They laughed like kids, drawing the attention of other customers. Ren eventually relented, suggesting a compromise — a natural wood design with floral carvings.
Aoi smiled brightly. "See? That's why we're getting married."
Back at Work
Their days in the office felt longer now — not because of stress, but because their minds were far away in that quiet stretch of land and blue skies.
Aoi had begun decorating her desk with sketches of their future home.
Some coworkers noticed.
One girl whispered, "Is Aoi getting married soon?"
Another replied, "I heard she's dating someone secretly…"
She didn't mind. Not anymore. Their love wasn't a secret she had to protect — it was a treasure they simply hadn't revealed yet.
Meanwhile, Ren's server startup had begun its first round of automated cloud deployments. The system was stable. His early client list included two tech companies and a small indie game studio.
Every day he received new inquiries.
Every night, he checked his emails beneath the covers, hidden from Aoi's view.
She still didn't know about the business.
Evening Reflections
That night, as they cuddled under a warm blanket watching TV, Aoi whispered, "Hey Ren…"
"Hm?"
"…Do you ever feel like things are going too well?"
He turned to her.
"Not too well," he said softly. "Just... finally right."
She smiled.
But in the back of her mind, something still tickled. A feeling that Ren was still hiding something. Not out of malice, but because he didn't want her to worry.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Just promise me… you won't go too far without me."
"I promise," he whispered, and meant every word.