It All Started With Coffee

Joy filled the quiet hospital room like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
The cries of a newborn echoed gently, fragile yet full of life.
Every ounce of worry and exhaustion that had once weighed on them seemed to vanish in that sound.

Rin lay on the bed, her breathing unsteady but calm.
In her arms, wrapped in a soft white blanket, was the tiny bundle of warmth Hikari.

Beside her, Luca stood frozen. His eyes shimmered with tears, fixed on the two people who now meant everything to him.

He whispered beneath his breath.
 - Thank you, Rin.

Rin blinked through the haze of exhaustion.
 - What are you thanking me for, silly?

Luca reached out and held her hand firmly. His grip trembled, but his voice didn’t.
 - Thank you for coming into my life… and for having our child. Both of you are the greatest treasures I could ever ask for.

Rin’s lips trembled as her eyes filled with tears. She smiled faintly.
 - Thank you too, Luca.

The sound of Hikari’s breathing filled the room.
For the first time in months, peace returned quiet, delicate, and real.

Days turned to weeks.

Luca’s parents often visited. His mother’s tone was sharp as a drill sergeant, scolding them about every detail of childcare. His father and Grandpa Aoki preferred quieter mornings, sharing coffee while exchanging calm advice.

One afternoon, Luca walked in on his grandfather speaking about unfinished projects. The realization hit he was the one Aoki had been referring to.

Without hesitation, Luca bowed his head and apologized. He admitted to his anger, his poor work, and his harsh words.

Grandpa Aoki smiled and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
 - It’s quite alright, my boy. What matters is now. You’ll make something better work that reflects your heart. That’s the kind that lasts.

Later that day, Luca told Rin about Aoki’s hidden secret about the massive coffee chain he ran.

Rin’s eyes widened, her voice rising in disbelief.
 - Since when did you have a whole global chain?! You never told me anything! I thought we were just some small-town coffee shop!

Aoki laughed softly.
 - I guess we’re pretty big, huh? But I like the small one here in town. It’s where we started. That’s why I still work there myself.

The world around them grew warm again. Rin’s strength returned. Luca’s inspiration began to flow freely once more.

Six months passed.

On a bright Saturday morning, Rin jogged through the park.
The air was crisp, the sky impossibly blue.
Birds sang overhead as her shoes struck the path rhythmically.

She stopped for a moment, stretching by a tree, and smiled up at the sky.
Then she realized something.

She had forgotten her phone.

She frowned softly, wondering whether to go back or continue her jog.

At that same moment, Luca noticed the phone on the kitchen table.
With Miyabi watching over Hikari, he grabbed his jacket and headed out to find her.

When he arrived at the park, he spotted her from afar jogging, unaware, peaceful.
Then his chest tightened.

Someone in a torn hoodie was walking behind her. Slow. Unsteady.

 - Rin!

His voice cut through the air like a blade.

She turned, startled.
Luca sprinted forward and shoved the man away.

The hood fell.

Kisuke.

His body was thinner, trembling. His eyes hollow. His skin was pale.
He looked less like a man and more like something carved out of hatred and regret.

 - What are you doing here, creep? I thought after last time you’d learned to stay away!

Kisuke growled under his breath. His nails dug into his neck until they broke skin.
 - It’s because of you two… everything went to hell because of you!

He lunged.

The knife flashed. Luca pulled Rin behind him.
The first slash caught his shoulder. Another grazed his chest. The sting was sharp, but his focus never broke.

Kisuke headbutted him, dazing him for a second.
The blade turned toward Rin.

Luca pushed her aside.

Pain exploded through his stomach.
The knife was buried deep.

Rin screamed. Kisuke froze in shock as blood-soaked Luca’s shirt.

Luca clenched his fist and struck Kisuke hard across the face.
The man crumpled to the ground as police sirens echoed in the distance.

Luca staggered. The world tilted.

Rin caught him before he fell, lowering him carefully to the ground.
Her hands trembled as she pressed them against his wound.

 - Hey! Hey, can you hear me?! The police are here; the medics are coming! You’re gonna be fine, okay?! Just hold on, Luca!

Luca’s hand reached up, brushing her cheek. Her tears fell fast, warm against his palm.
His lips quivered.

 - Ahh… I made you cry again. I promised I wouldn’t…

She shook her head violently.
 - Don’t apologize! Just stay awake! You need to stay awake! Hikari and I need you here! You can’t die; do you hear me?!

The world dimmed around him.
Voices faded into silence.

 - I’m… really glad, Rin. Glad I kept you safe. I really do love

The sentence never finished.

He didn’t know how long it had been.
There was no warmth. No sound.
Only darkness, cold and still.

Then an alarm clock rang.

He opened his eyes.

The room was… familiar. His old dorm. Messy. Dusty.
He rose slowly and walked to the bathroom mirror.

The reflection staring back looked like someone who had been crying for hours.

 - Where… was I?

He checked his phone.
A message blinked on the screen.

Good morning, Luca. When you come to class tomorrow, try to look decent. Be a man and take what the others said as a sign to improve yourself. I don’t need a boyfriend who can’t keep up. – Alice

The phone slipped from his fingers and hit the floor.

Fragments of memory pierced through the fog drinking with friends, laughter turning to insults, Alice’s cold voice.

He left the apartment wordlessly.

Outside, his neighbour was stepping out too.
 - Oh, good morning!
 - Uh… g-good morning.

He hurried off, unable to bear the normal tone of the world.

He wandered through the city until evening. His thoughts looped endlessly.
When he finally called Alice, she came, arms crossed.

 - What are you doing here at this hour?
 - I just… wanted to take a walk. Look, isn’t the park pretty at night? I thought maybe
 - You called me here to look at a park? Really, Luca? Whatever. I’m going home.

He reached out, but no sound came from his throat.

Later, he stood on a bridge.
The lights reflected off the water below.

 - Have I… been here before?

He tried to remember. Nothing came.
The ache in his chest deepened.

He ran aimlessly until a sign stopped him cold.

A coffee shop.
The same name.
The sign read: Closed until further notice.

He stood there until the night wind cut through him.
Then he walked away.

Time blurred again.
Alice’s smiles for others. Her cruelty in private.
Luca’s voice fading into silence.

One afternoon, Shinso confronted him at campus.

 - Can’t believe you’d show your face here again, creep.
 - What are you talking about?
 - Alice told us everything. You couldn’t take the shame, huh? Do everyone a favour and crawl into a hole somewhere.

Shinso shoved him back.

Luca stumbled, breath unsteady. Then he ran.

He found Alice laughing with friends in the courtyard.

 - Alice! What is this?! Why would you lie about me?!
 - Lie? You called me that night and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Don’t act innocent. Stay away from me, Luca.

He grabbed her hand in desperation.
 - Alice, wait! That’s not true! You know it isn’t!

Alice screamed.

The crowd reacted instantly.
Someone punched him. Another threw something.

Alice’s voice cut through the chaos.
 - He’s trying to hurt me again! Please, someone stop him!

He watched as they pushed him down.
Her smile lingered as she turned away.

When the crowd dispersed, he stood bruised, bleeding, alone.
He didn’t go home.
He just walked until the city lights gave way to silence.

The wind howled past him.

Each gust felt colder than the last, tearing at his clothes, biting through to the emptiness within.
He stood at the edge of the building, city lights shimmering far below, their glow trembling like distant stars.

His body swayed slightly forward.
Every breath he took sounded too loud, too fragile in the vast silence that surrounded him.

He whispered to himself, voice cracking beneath the weight of it all.
 - Where did I go wrong...
 - Why did it have to happen to me...
 - Why... why... why... why...

The word kept spilling out of him until it was no longer a question, just a sound lost to the wind.

Behind him, the air shifted.
The mist thickened and gathered, twisting upward into a faint human shape.

A pale version of himself stepped out from the haze, a wide, unsettling smile etched onto his face.
Its eyes gleamed with something hollow amusement, pity, maybe even longing.

Luca didn’t notice at first.
He was too busy staring down, the city blurring beneath a curtain of tears.

Pain welled up memories flooding his mind all at once.
Every insult. Every betrayal. Every moment he’d been told he wasn’t enough.
They clung to him like lead chains, dragging him further toward the edge.

Then a sound.
Soft.
Familiar.

A voice cutting through the fog.

It was distant, like an echo from a dream, but it made his heart ache with sudden, impossible warmth.

He froze.
His breathing quickened.

The memories tangled, clashing violently one moment Alice’s cold eyes, the next Rin’s smile.
Which was real?
Which wasn’t?

His knees trembled.
He stumbled back, pressing a hand to his chest.

Something cold brushed his cheek.

The wind carried a faint metallic scent and the world shifted.

The rooftop vanished.
The night blurred into something softer: moonlight on water, the faint hum of a vending machine, and the smell of coffee drifting through cool air.

And then, she was there.

She stood a few feet away, posture relaxed but not careless.
Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, black as ink with faint green strands catching the lamplight like moss under moonlight.
Loose strands framed her face, brushing softly against her cheeks.

A long cardigan draped over her shoulders, fluttering slightly in the breeze.
Thin-rimmed glasses slid down her nose as she looked at him, eyes steady, unafraid.

In her hand, she held a small can of coffee, fresh from the vending machine.
Without saying a word, she extended it toward him.

He reached out instinctively, fingers brushing hers as he took it.
He gave a small nod.
A simple thank you.

She smiled faintly, her voice gentle, almost teasing.
 - Whenever I’m sad, coffee always seems to cheer me up.

Her gaze lifted toward the moon.
 - Coffee, the sight of the moon, and the cool night breeze...

She looked back at him then, her eyes warm and knowing.
 - Would be a waste to jump on a night like this, don’t you think?

The memory flickered at the edges, glowing faintly before fading into the mist.

The wind returned.
The rooftop came back into view.

Luca stood frozen, breath trembling in his throat.

He turned slowly and faced the pale version of himself standing in the fog.

 - It’s you...

His voice shook.
 - Where am I? What am I doing here... where’s Rin?

The pale one smirked.
 - Tch. Seems you’ve remembered. You’re the most annoying version of me I’ve ever known.

The cloaked one spoke softly.
 - Isn’t it time to rest? Luca has already moved past you.

Luca looked between them, bewildered.
 - Who are you? What’s going on?

The cloaked one stepped closer.
 - I am your potential future. He is your painful past. You’ve been fighting between life and death since the stabbing. But you’re still clinging on.

The pale one frowned.
 - Luca, you’ve suffered enough. It’s okay to rest.

Luca took a step toward him.
 - Maybe… but even if the future’s uncertain, I want to face it. I’m not alone anymore. I have people waiting for me. Rin… and Hikari.

He reached out his hand.

The pale figure hesitated, then smiled faintly before fading into light.
The cloaked one gestured toward a long, endless road stretching ahead.

Luca took a breath.
Then he walked forward.

Machines hummed softly.
Nurses moved quietly through the hospital corridors.

Rin sat at Luca’s bedside, her hand clasped tightly around his.
She hadn’t left for days. Hikari slept in a small carrier beside her.

Her head drooped in exhaustion until his fingers twitched.

Then she heard him inhale sharply.

Luca sat up suddenly.
 - Rin!

Rin froze, wide-eyed.
 - L-Luca?!

He spoke quickly, voice cracking with urgency.
 - Rin! I need to tell you something, no, ask you something!

Everyone turned as his voice echoed through the ward.

 - Rin! Please make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me! I know I’m not the best or the richest, but I’ll love you morning to night, every day, no breaks! Let me give my life to you, Rin!

Rin blushed furiously.
She tapped his shoulder and whispered.
 - You idiot… look behind you.

He turned.

Every nurse, doctor, friend, and family member stood in the doorway, jaws dropped.

 Nero: - Congrats in advance, my dude!
 Klaus: - What a way to propose!
 Makoto: - Can’t believe you’re getting married before me!

Laughter filled the room.

Rin’s lips quivered before she spoke softly.
 - Of course I’d say yes. I love him.

Then she raised her voice.
 - YES! I’LL MARRY YOU, LUCA!

Cheers and applause filled the air.
Tears, laughter, joy all at once.

The sound of applause still lingered in the hospital room.
Even after everyone left, the echo of laughter clung to the sterile white walls, as if refusing to fade.

Luca lay back against his pillow, still dizzy from adrenaline.
Rin sat beside him, holding his hand with both of hers.

Their fingers intertwined naturally.

She looked at him with tears still clinging to her lashes.
 - You scared me, you know that?

He smiled weakly.
 - I told you I’d keep my promise, didn’t I? I wasn’t going anywhere.

For a moment, silence filled the space between them but it wasn’t empty.
It was warm. Alive.

Months passed.

Luca recovered slowly, but the scar on his abdomen remained a small, curved mark that he never tried to hide.
Sometimes, when Rin caught him tracing it absentmindedly, she’d scold him softly.
 - Stop staring at that thing. You look like you’re trying to read your own belly.

 - It’s a cool scar though, isn’t it?

 - No! It’s a stupid one. You’re lucky you even survived!

Her voice always cracked near the end, and she’d turn away quickly to wipe her eyes.

They chose to hold the wedding a year later, in spring.

Cherry blossoms blanketed the sky.
The soft petals drifted through the air like falling memories, collecting on the edges of the white carpet leading up to the altar.

Rin wore a simple ivory dress, elegant, unpretentious, luminous under the sun.
Luca stood waiting, dressed in a light-gray suit that Miyabi had bullied him into wearing.

When their eyes met, time seemed to halt.

He forgot the guests. The music. The breeze.

All that remained was the woman walking toward him, the one who had stayed, cried, fought, and laughed beside him.

She stopped before him, smiling nervously.
 - You’re not allowed to faint this time.

He grinned.
 - No promises.

The ceremony was small, held in the garden behind the coffee shop.
Grandpa Aoki insisted on brewing fresh coffee for every guest himself.

 - If you’re going to celebrate love, you’d better do it with good beans, not that machine stuff!

Everyone laughed.

Miyabi cried the loudest during the vows.
Nero shouted, “I called it!” halfway through the exchange of rings.
Klaus recorded everything, muttering something about “camera roll perfection.”

But for Luca and Rin, the world had gone quiet again.

When he lifted her veil and kissed her, he didn’t see the past anymore.
Just her eyes clear, alive, unwavering.

Later that evening, they sat under a tree as the guests drifted home.

Rin rested her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest.
The rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her.

 - Hey, Luca.

 - Yeah?

 - Remember when you said you wanted to build something that lasts forever?

 - Yeah.

 - You already have.

He looked down at her, puzzled for a moment, before realizing what she meant.

Her.
Hikari.
All of it.

He laughed softly.
 - Guess I did, huh?

The wind picked up, scattering petals through the air.
For a moment, they looked like starlight.

Ten years later.

The morning sun spilled gently through the café windows.
The smell of roasted beans and caramel filled the air.

Luca stood behind the counter, his apron dusted with flour.
Hikari is now ten, her golden hair with green highlights tied up like Rin’s was scribbling something on a napkin.

 - What are you doing there, Hikari?

 - Designing a new drink menu! Look, it’s called the “Super Mega Hikari Latte!”

Rin leaned over from the next table, laughing.
 - That sounds like a sugar bomb.

 - It’s supposed to be! Dad said coffee should make people smile, right?

Luca chuckled.
 - That’s right. Guess you’ve got the spirit of a barista already.

Rin placed a cup beside him and whispered teasingly.
 - You do realize she’s better at marketing than you were at her age, right?

 - Don’t remind me.

They laughed together.

Outside, the cherry trees were blooming again.
The petals drifted past the window, scattering across the tables.

Hikari pressed her hands to the glass, watching them fall.
 - They look like snow!

Luca stepped beside her.
 - They do. But these ones don’t melt. They just come back every spring.

She turned toward him, smiling.
 - Like you and Mom?

Rin looked over, startled.
 - What do you mean, sweetie?

 - You two always come back, even after fighting or crying. You always come back together.

Luca knelt beside her, his voice soft.
 - Yeah. Always.

Later that night, after closing, Rin and Luca stood outside beneath the streetlight.
The town was quiet, bathed in the soft hum of cicadas.

Rin reached for his hand.
Her ring glinted faintly in the light.

 - You ever think about what would’ve happened if things went differently?

He smiled gently.
 - I used to. But not anymore.

 - Why not?

 - Because I got to live this version. The one with you. That’s enough.

She leaned her head against his shoulder.
They stood there for a long time, just listening to the wind, the faint rustle of trees, the quiet breath of their town.

When they finally went inside, the café was dark except for the soft glow of the counter lamp.
Luca turned the sign to Closed.

Rin whispered.
 - Let’s open again tomorrow.

He nodded.
 - Yeah. Tomorrow. Always tomorrow.

The End.