Chapter 45: Vows Beneath the Lantern Sky

The festival glow still lingered in the air the next morning. Miyazuma Town was quiet again, but a gentle aftertaste of celebration clung to every street. Ren walked toward Haru and Mina’s café with a lighter step than he’d felt in years. His heart wasn’t whole yet, but it was no longer empty.

Inside, the café buzzed more than usual. Haru was wiping down tables with unusual enthusiasm, and Mina stood behind the counter humming, which was suspicious because Mina never hummed unless something big was on her mind.

Ren pushed the door open.

The bell chimed softly.

“There he is,” Haru said, grinning. “Perfect timing.”

“For what?” Ren asked.

Mina exchanged a glance with Haru. Then she took a deep breath and walked over.

“We want to tell you something,” she said. “And—well—we want you to hear it first.”

Haru stepped beside her, already looking nervous. “We’re, uh… getting married.”

Ren blinked. Then blinked again.

Mina nudged Haru. “Say it properly.”

“We’re getting married!” Haru blurted out like he’d been holding in the words for hours.

Ren felt a burst of warmth rise in his chest. He smiled wide, genuine and bright. “About time.”

Mina covered her mouth, her eyes watering. Haru puffed up like a proud rooster.

Ren stepped forward and hugged them both. Mina squeaked. Haru pretended he wasn’t emotional, but his sniff gave him away.

“I’m happy for you,” Ren said. “Really.”

Mina wiped her eyes and laughed. “You better be. You’ve basically been our third wheel for years.”

Ren laughed too, the sound coming easily.

Then the café door opened again.

Yuki walked in, wearing a soft white cardigan and a calm smile. When she saw Ren, her steps slowed. He felt something open inside him again—the same gentle pull he’d felt at the festival when their memories crashed back like a tidal wave.

Haru wiped his nose quickly. “Great, everyone’s here.”

Mina clasped her hands. “We want you both to stay for lunch. Celebrate with us.”

Yuki smiled. “I’d like that.”

Ren nodded. “Me too.”

They settled together at a table by the window, where sunlight warmed their faces. Mina and Haru brought out too much food, argued over the seasoning, bickered about the plates, then laughed at themselves. The atmosphere was soft, familiar, home-like.

Halfway through the meal, Haru suddenly put down his fork.

“So,” he said slowly, “when are you two getting married?”

Ren choked on his tea. Yuki’s cheeks turned pink.

“H-Haru!” Mina smacked him with a dish towel. “You can’t just ask that!”

“What? It’s a normal question!” Haru protested. “Look at them—they look like a couple even when they’re not trying.”

Yuki looked down, twisting the edge of her sleeve. Ren stared at his hands. The question hung in the air, unexpectedly heavy.

Mina sighed. “Ignore him. He thinks everyone should get married just because he proposed.”

“I didn’t propose,” Haru muttered. “You proposed.”

“You forced me into it!”

“You said yes!”

Their bickering broke the tension. Yuki laughed quietly. Ren smiled.

But the question lingered.

After lunch, they all cleaned up together. Haru and Mina were still teasing each other nonstop. Ren enjoyed just being around them—the warmth, the noise, the life.

He stepped outside for air. The breeze carried the scent of early summer and the faint sound of wind chimes.

Yuki came out a moment later.

“Hey,” she said.

Ren turned. “Hey.”

She stood beside him on the sidewalk, hands lightly folded. “Haru’s question… don’t worry about it.”

Ren nodded slowly. “Still… I keep thinking about it.”

Yuki looked up. Her eyes held the same quiet emotion he remembered from the liminal space—the moment their souls recognized each other even when their minds didn’t.

“We lost everything,” she said softly. “Memories, the past, the future we once saw. But… somehow, we found each other again.”

Ren swallowed. “Yeah.”

“And I feel like… I don’t want to lose you twice.”

The words settled deep in him.

Ren stepped closer. “Yuki.”

She looked up again. Her eyes shimmered.

“Should we… try again?” he asked. “Not because of the past we forgot. But because of what we have now?”

Yuki blinked hard. Tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them. She covered her mouth and nodded.

Ren’s chest tightened. He reached out, gently cupping her cheeks with both hands. She leaned into his touch instinctively, as if it were something familiar her heart remembered.

“I don’t want a second chance to slip away,” he whispered.

Yuki let out a trembling breath. “Then don’t.”

Mina opened the café window at that moment.

“Are you two confessing? Should I bring a camera?”

“Mina!” Haru’s voice shouted from inside. “Stop spying!”

Ren and Yuki burst into laughter.

Mina slammed the window shut.

Yuki wiped her eyes and took Ren’s hand. “Let’s go tell them properly. Before they explode.”

Ren squeezed her hand. “Okay.”

They walked inside, their fingers intertwined.

Haru looked up, pretending he hadn’t been listening.

“So?” he asked.

Ren took a breath. Yuki took his other hand.

“We’re going to get married,” Ren said.

The café froze for a full two seconds.

Then:

“WHAT?!” Haru yelled loud enough to shake the lamp.

Mina threw her hands up. “You two move faster than we did!”

Haru grabbed Ren in a tight headlock hug. Mina wrapped Yuki up in an emotional, tearful squeeze.

Ren and Yuki laughed, surrounded by warmth, noise, and the two friends who had unknowingly stood with them across timelines.

For the first time since the world reset, Ren’s heart felt complete.

And somewhere far beyond the mortal world, the God of Time watched quietly.

Balance restored. Two hearts reunited. Two paths brought back together.

And this time, no destiny would pull them apart.