Chapter 1:
Chapter 2 – Slow, Sweet, First Love
My Cold Wife
Yuji Sakamoto never expected the girl from the expensive wallet to show up again, but Aiko Hoshizora appeared the very next day.
This time, she didn’t come in by accident or wander around like a lost kitten. She walked straight to the counter while Yuji was restocking gum, her steps hesitant but deliberate.
“Um…” Aiko’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You said you could… help me find the literature building?”
Yuji blinked. “Oh. Right. Of course.”
He wiped his hands on his apron and smiled. Aiko looked relieved, though she tried to hide it by staring at her shoes.
He led her outside, pointing out shortcuts and student hangouts along the way. She listened carefully, nodding, occasionally stealing small glances at him. Every time their eyes met, she looked away as if caught doing something she shouldn’t.
When they reached campus, Yuji was about to leave, but she held the strap of her bag tightly.
“Do you… eat lunch?” she asked awkwardly.
Yuji laughed softly. “Most people do.”
She flushed. “I mean… do you want to eat together?”
It wasn’t a confession. It wasn’t even flirting. It was just a lonely girl trying to reach out. Yuji sensed it immediately.
“Sure,” he said. “I’d like that.”
-
Aiko always brought a neatly prepared bento made by her family chef. The kind of meal that didn’t match student life at all. Yuji always brought rice balls or whatever convenience-store leftovers he could afford.
On their second lunch together, Aiko frowned at his barely filled plastic container.
“You can’t live on that,” she murmured.
Yuji shrugged. “It’s cheap.”
Aiko hesitated, then slid half of her tamagoyaki into his lunchbox. “Eat.”
He stared at her, surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said quickly, then added, softer, “I don’t like eating alone.”
Yuji understood. So he accepted.
In exchange, he taught her how to stretch her weekly allowance. They sat on the campus lawn together as he explained how to compare prices, how to shop student coupons, how to survive without overspending.
Aiko listened seriously, writing notes in a tiny notebook she kept hidden in her bag.
“You’re really trying hard,” he said one day.
She looked down at her lap. “I don’t know how to handle money. My parents… never taught me.”
“It’s fine,” Yuji said. “You’re learning.”
Aiko’s shoulders relaxed, just a little.
--
Yuji was calm by nature. He spoke gently, listened patiently and smiled easily. Aiko wasn’t used to people like that. Her world was formal, strict and built on expectations. She always thought twice before speaking. She walked as if she was balancing on glass.
Around Yuji, she slowly began to loosen.
One afternoon, she followed him to the dormitory kitchen because she wanted to learn how normal students cooked. Yuji was chopping vegetables when she hovered behind him, watching every movement like it was a performance.
“You cook a lot?” she asked.
“Only because I’ll starve if I don’t.”
Aiko nodded. “Our chef taught me a little.” She lifted a small pot awkwardly. “I can make miso soup.”
“Show me,” Yuji said.
Her hands trembled at first. She poured too much water. Yuji helped her fix it, guiding her wrist gently. Aiko’s cheeks warmed at the closeness, but she didn’t shy away.
When the soup finished, she waited nervously as Yuji tasted it.
“It’s good,” he said.
Aiko exhaled in relief, a soft laugh slipping out.
Yuji froze at the sound. It was warm and bright, nothing like the guarded girl from the store.
She caught him staring and looked away quickly. “Don’t… look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you found something amusing.”
He smiled. “I did.”
Aiko turned red, muttering something he couldn’t hear.
---
Sometimes they walked around campus after class. Sometimes they sat by the river eating convenience-store ice cream. Sometimes they browsed secondhand bookstores, reading blurbs aloud to each other.
They never went anywhere fancy. Aiko didn’t complain once.
Yuji tried to pay whenever he could. Aiko protested the first few times, then gradually stopped. She liked the feeling of being treated normally. Not like a fragile heir. Not like a rich girl. Just… Aiko.
One evening, they sat under the old cherry tree behind the campus. The petals hadn’t started blooming yet, but the branches made a nice place to rest.
Aiko looked at Yuji with a quiet expression he couldn’t read.
“You’re different from everyone I know,” she said softly.
“How so?”
“You don’t want anything from me.”
Yuji leaned back, puzzled. “What should I want?”
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her hands. “Most people only talk to me because of my family name.”
Yuji thought about it. “Hoshizora is a nice name. But I like Aiko more.”
Her breath caught. She looked away, ears turning red.
Yuji didn’t push. He just smiled and let the moment settle gently between them.
---
They were walking past a small street stall near the station. The vendor sold cheap accessories—keychains, hair clips, little charms shaped like stars, animals and lucky symbols.
Aiko stopped suddenly.
Yuji turned. “Something catch your eye?”
She pointed at two tiny charms shaped like rabbits holding hands. “No reason. They’re cute.”
Yuji teased lightly. “Didn’t think you liked cute things.”
Aiko hesitated, then quietly picked up the pair and walked to the vendor.
Yuji blinked. “You’re buying them?”
She nodded. “For us.”
Us.
The word hit him harder than he expected.
Aiko paid, then handed him one of the charms. Her fingers trembled slightly.
“They match,” she said, voice softer than the evening wind.
Yuji held the charm carefully. “Do you… want us to put them on our phones?”
She nodded again, eyes shining with shy determination.
He attached his charm first. Aiko watched, then did the same, her blush deepening as the tiny rabbits dangled side by side.
“Now we match,” Yuji said.
Aiko looked at him, and for the first time, she didn’t look away. Her eyes were bright, full of something fragile and warm.
“I want to see you again tomorrow,” she said quietly.
Yuji smiled. “I will.”
She smiled back—small, shy, and real.
And in that moment, Aiko Hoshizora didn’t look like the rich girl from a cold home.
She looked like a girl falling in love.
This time, she didn’t come in by accident or wander around like a lost kitten. She walked straight to the counter while Yuji was restocking gum, her steps hesitant but deliberate.
“Um…” Aiko’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You said you could… help me find the literature building?”
Yuji blinked. “Oh. Right. Of course.”
He wiped his hands on his apron and smiled. Aiko looked relieved, though she tried to hide it by staring at her shoes.
He led her outside, pointing out shortcuts and student hangouts along the way. She listened carefully, nodding, occasionally stealing small glances at him. Every time their eyes met, she looked away as if caught doing something she shouldn’t.
When they reached campus, Yuji was about to leave, but she held the strap of her bag tightly.
“Do you… eat lunch?” she asked awkwardly.
Yuji laughed softly. “Most people do.”
She flushed. “I mean… do you want to eat together?”
It wasn’t a confession. It wasn’t even flirting. It was just a lonely girl trying to reach out. Yuji sensed it immediately.
“Sure,” he said. “I’d like that.”
-
Aiko always brought a neatly prepared bento made by her family chef. The kind of meal that didn’t match student life at all. Yuji always brought rice balls or whatever convenience-store leftovers he could afford.
On their second lunch together, Aiko frowned at his barely filled plastic container.
“You can’t live on that,” she murmured.
Yuji shrugged. “It’s cheap.”
Aiko hesitated, then slid half of her tamagoyaki into his lunchbox. “Eat.”
He stared at her, surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said quickly, then added, softer, “I don’t like eating alone.”
Yuji understood. So he accepted.
In exchange, he taught her how to stretch her weekly allowance. They sat on the campus lawn together as he explained how to compare prices, how to shop student coupons, how to survive without overspending.
Aiko listened seriously, writing notes in a tiny notebook she kept hidden in her bag.
“You’re really trying hard,” he said one day.
She looked down at her lap. “I don’t know how to handle money. My parents… never taught me.”
“It’s fine,” Yuji said. “You’re learning.”
Aiko’s shoulders relaxed, just a little.
--
Yuji was calm by nature. He spoke gently, listened patiently and smiled easily. Aiko wasn’t used to people like that. Her world was formal, strict and built on expectations. She always thought twice before speaking. She walked as if she was balancing on glass.
Around Yuji, she slowly began to loosen.
One afternoon, she followed him to the dormitory kitchen because she wanted to learn how normal students cooked. Yuji was chopping vegetables when she hovered behind him, watching every movement like it was a performance.
“You cook a lot?” she asked.
“Only because I’ll starve if I don’t.”
Aiko nodded. “Our chef taught me a little.” She lifted a small pot awkwardly. “I can make miso soup.”
“Show me,” Yuji said.
Her hands trembled at first. She poured too much water. Yuji helped her fix it, guiding her wrist gently. Aiko’s cheeks warmed at the closeness, but she didn’t shy away.
When the soup finished, she waited nervously as Yuji tasted it.
“It’s good,” he said.
Aiko exhaled in relief, a soft laugh slipping out.
Yuji froze at the sound. It was warm and bright, nothing like the guarded girl from the store.
She caught him staring and looked away quickly. “Don’t… look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you found something amusing.”
He smiled. “I did.”
Aiko turned red, muttering something he couldn’t hear.
---
Sometimes they walked around campus after class. Sometimes they sat by the river eating convenience-store ice cream. Sometimes they browsed secondhand bookstores, reading blurbs aloud to each other.
They never went anywhere fancy. Aiko didn’t complain once.
Yuji tried to pay whenever he could. Aiko protested the first few times, then gradually stopped. She liked the feeling of being treated normally. Not like a fragile heir. Not like a rich girl. Just… Aiko.
One evening, they sat under the old cherry tree behind the campus. The petals hadn’t started blooming yet, but the branches made a nice place to rest.
Aiko looked at Yuji with a quiet expression he couldn’t read.
“You’re different from everyone I know,” she said softly.
“How so?”
“You don’t want anything from me.”
Yuji leaned back, puzzled. “What should I want?”
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her hands. “Most people only talk to me because of my family name.”
Yuji thought about it. “Hoshizora is a nice name. But I like Aiko more.”
Her breath caught. She looked away, ears turning red.
Yuji didn’t push. He just smiled and let the moment settle gently between them.
---
They were walking past a small street stall near the station. The vendor sold cheap accessories—keychains, hair clips, little charms shaped like stars, animals and lucky symbols.
Aiko stopped suddenly.
Yuji turned. “Something catch your eye?”
She pointed at two tiny charms shaped like rabbits holding hands. “No reason. They’re cute.”
Yuji teased lightly. “Didn’t think you liked cute things.”
Aiko hesitated, then quietly picked up the pair and walked to the vendor.
Yuji blinked. “You’re buying them?”
She nodded. “For us.”
Us.
The word hit him harder than he expected.
Aiko paid, then handed him one of the charms. Her fingers trembled slightly.
“They match,” she said, voice softer than the evening wind.
Yuji held the charm carefully. “Do you… want us to put them on our phones?”
She nodded again, eyes shining with shy determination.
He attached his charm first. Aiko watched, then did the same, her blush deepening as the tiny rabbits dangled side by side.
“Now we match,” Yuji said.
Aiko looked at him, and for the first time, she didn’t look away. Her eyes were bright, full of something fragile and warm.
“I want to see you again tomorrow,” she said quietly.
Yuji smiled. “I will.”
She smiled back—small, shy, and real.
And in that moment, Aiko Hoshizora didn’t look like the rich girl from a cold home.
She looked like a girl falling in love.
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