The sky over Osaka was draped in a heavy blanket of grey, and a silent snowfall had begun to dust the city. It was Christmas Eve. For Shin, the crushing weight of the past few days had finally begun to lift; the suffocating guilt that had lived in his chest for three years hadn't vanished, but the air felt a little lighter now.
In her own apartment, Ai was busy in the kitchen, the sweet aroma of baking cookies filling the air. "I wonder if Shin will like these?" she mused. "Of course he will. After all, I'm the one who made them!" Her confidence was bright, but her thoughts soon turned soft. "Will he really be okay? Carrying such a heavy trauma at his age... I'll make sure to look after him, no matter how long it takes."
Meanwhile, Shin was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sharing his pain had lightened his soul, but he knew the shadows of the past wouldn't disappear in a single night.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Ai; they had planned to watch a movie together. As soon as Shin opened the door, Ai didn't even say hello—she shoved a cookie directly into his mouth.
"Shinnnn! I made these! Well? How are they?" she chirped.
"Mmph—hey!" Shin sputtered. "Who feeds people like that? You could have at least come inside first, you dummy!" But as he chewed, his expression changed. "Wait... wow. These are actually amazing. Where did you get them?"
"What do you mean 'where'? I told you, I made them myself! Of course they're delicious because I'm the one who baked them."
"Yeah, yeah, you're a genius. Now come inside already, or are you planning to stand in the cold all night?"
They sat down to choose a film. After debating between horror and romance, Ai suggested an anime. "Let's watch my favorite—I Want to Eat Your Pancreas."
"What kind of title is that?" Shin asked. "Is it a horror movie?"
"No, silly! It's a beautiful story. It'll totally refresh your mood," Ai promised.
Two hours later, the room was silent, the previous cheerful atmosphere replaced by a heavy shroud of sadness. Both of them were sitting on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You... you liar!" Shin choked out through his tears. "You said this would refresh my mood! Why is it so heartbreaking?"
"I-I didn't know!" Ai wailed, wiping her eyes. "Saki told me to watch it... she said it was a feel-good movie!"
"Saki? No way. I bet Itsuki told her to suggest it," Shin growled, his sadness turning into a thirst for vengeance. "Those two are dead. We're taking them out for ramen tomorrow—the spiciest one they have. We'll tell them it's mild and watch them suffer."
"Yes!" Ai agreed. "And I'll give them the cookies I made... but I'll give them the extra spicy batch first!"
"Speaking of ramen," Ai said, suddenly remembered something. "There's a shop near the mall, and I need to buy a new dress from there too."
"Cool, have fun then," Shin replied.
Ai puffed out her cheeks. "What do you mean 'have fun'? You're coming with me! Who's going to carry all my bags? I'll get exhausted if I do it myself."
"What?! No way. My hands are still sore, Ai. I am not being your pack mule."
"Stop acting! Come with me or I'll literally carry you there myself!"
Shin smirked. "Oh? If you're strong enough to carry me, then those bags should be light as a feather for you."
Ai's face fell, and she looked genuinely hurt. "Fine... don't come then."
"Alright, alright! Don't start crying again," Shin groaned, standing up. "We've done enough crying for one day. I'm coming."
"Good boy! Fulfill your duty," Ai teased.
"Fine, but what about my salary?"
Ai flipped her hair playfully. "Staying by the side of such a beautiful girl... isn't that payment enough?"
"You're not that beautiful," Shin countered. "How about this? You have to cook for me every single day."
Ai gasped. "Whaaat?! I'm not your maid, you know!"
Shin's smile turned mischievous. "Who said anything about being a maid? You could become... something else."
Ai froze, her mind racing. Something else? Like... a w-wife?! "You idiot! Stop teasing me! A husband like you? Never in a million years!"
Shin burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Calm down, it was a joke. Don't take it so seriously. Now come on, let's go shopping."
Once they reached the mall, Shin's energy drained instantly. He was buried under shopping bags. How can one girl shop this much? It's a marathon, he thought.
"Shin! Come here! How does this dress look?" Ai shouted.
"It's great. Everything looks great. Can we please stop now? You've bought enough."
"I'm just getting started!"
"Started?! You've bought enough clothes to last a lifetime!"
Ai turned back to him, putting on her sad act again. "You won't even let me shop? And here you were calling me your wife a minute ago... you got tired of me so fast?"
Shin panicked. "I never called you that! It was a joke, don't take it serious! Besides... you're not even my type."
Ai stopped. She walked over to him, her eyes narrowing. "Come here for a second, Shin."
"What?" Shin leaned in.
BAM!
Ai landed a sharp punch right to his stomach.
"What do you mean I'm not your type?! Now I'm going to shop until you drop, you idiot!"
Shin doubled over, clutching his stomach as he sank to the floor. "Gah... she looks like a flower, but she hits like a rock... and why is she so mad about that? Girls are impossible to understand."
To be continued... 🌸❄️