Chapter 5 – Their Little World

Yuji Sakamoto woke to the soft buzz of his phone. His schedule was packed with class, work, and more work, but today… today he had carved out a small window just for Aiko. Their first proper date in weeks.

He slid out of bed quietly so he wouldn’t wake his roommate and checked his messages.

Aiko:

Good morning… Can we still meet? I want to see you.

A smile tugged at his lips.

Yuji:

Of course.

For him, any time with her was worth losing sleep over.

Meanwhile, Aiko Hoshizora stood nervously in front of her mirror, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. She had worn expensive dresses her whole life, but today she chose a soft pastel sweater and simple jeans. Yuji liked her more when she looked like herself—she remembered that clearly.

Her father had assigned another chauffeur to follow her today. Aiko sighed, grabbed her small crossbody bag, and stepped outside the mansion gates before the car could even approach. She didn’t want her family involved in this.

She walked. For once, she wanted to step into the world on her own two feet.

And she wanted to meet Yuji as Aiko, not as a Hoshizora.

---

Yuji waited near the bus stop, hands buried in his pockets to keep them warm. When Aiko appeared, walking instead of arriving in a luxury car, surprise flickered across his face.

“You walked?” he asked, eyes wide.

Aiko nodded shyly. “I… didn’t want today to feel like I’m being dragged around. I want to be with you properly.”

His expression softened in a way that made her chest tighten.

“Then let’s make today yours.”

Aiko’s heart fluttered.

---

Their first stop was a small park near the river. It wasn’t special by any normal standard. A few kids played by the swings, some elderly people fed pigeons, and couples sat quietly on the benches.

But for Aiko, it felt like another universe.

Yuji bought warm taiyaki from a street stall even though he had counted the coins in his pocket twice. Aiko took the fish-shaped pastry, biting into the hot red bean filling.

She winced.

“It’s too hot—!”

Yuji quickly held out his hand. “Careful. Here, drink.”

He passed her a bottle of warm tea. Aiko sipped it, cheeks flushed, eyes downcast.

“You always notice things before I do,” she murmured.

“I grew up needing to,” he replied with a small laugh. “Survival instinct.”

She looked at him quietly. “I like that about you.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. Yuji nearly dropped his taiyaki.

“W-What? Why are you saying that so suddenly?”

Aiko felt her ears burn. “I’m just… being honest.”

He stared at her for a moment before laughing gently. “Then I’ll be honest too. I’m really happy you’re here.”

Aiko swallowed the warmth rising in her chest.

---

After the park, Yuji took her to a small thrift bookstore tucked away in an alley. Dusty shelves, soft lighting, the faint scent of old pages—it felt like stepping into a secret.

Aiko wandered between the shelves, fingertips brushing the spines of books she’d never noticed before. Yuji watched her from a distance, admiring how her expression softened when she read the back covers.

“What about this one?” he asked, holding up an old romance novel.

Aiko peeked at it. “The cover… is a little embarrassing.”

“Then it’s perfect for you.”

She puffed her cheeks. “Yuji!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry.”

But she still took the book from him. “I’ll read it. Because you picked it.”

Yuji blinked. “…Really?”

She nodded with small, shy determination.

Moments like these—quiet, ordinary, gentle—they stitched themselves into her heart without warning.

---

After leaving the bookstore, they walked side by side down the street. Their hands brushed once. Then twice.

Aiko felt her pulse skip.

Yuji swallowed.

Neither pulled away.

Finally, Yuji whispered, “Um… Aiko?”

She tilted her head. “Yes?”

“Can I… hold your hand?”

Her breath hitched.

“…Yes.”

He laced his fingers with hers carefully, as if afraid she might break. Aiko’s grip tightened on its own, warm and trembling.

Around them, people walked by, cars passed, the city buzzed—but in that moment, Yuji’s hand in hers created a small world only they belonged to.

---

Their last stop was Yuji’s favorite cheap café. It wasn’t fancy. The tables were scratched, the seats a bit worn. But Aiko loved the simplicity of it. She ordered the same thing Yuji always did—hot cocoa with too much whipped cream.

The moment she tasted it, her face lit up.

“It’s so good!”

Yuji leaned his cheek on his hand, watching her with quiet affection. “You’re cute when you like something.”

She froze. “Don’t say it so casually…”

“Why? It’s true.”

Aiko looked down. Her fingers played with the edge of the cup. When she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper.

“Yuji… thank you for today.”

“For what?”

“For letting me breathe. For letting me be myself. For… treating me like I’m not someone’s daughter, but just a girl you care about.”

Yuji smiled softly. “Aiko, I don’t care about your family name. I care about you.”

Her eyes glistened. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear those words.

Yuji reached across the table, brushing his thumb against her knuckles. “We’ll figure things out. Together.”

Aiko’s heart warmed, steady and full.

“Together,” she echoed.

---

As they stepped out of the café, the sky was painted in orange and pink. The sunset wrapped them in gentle light. Aiko leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked toward the bus stop.

“Yuji,” she whispered.

“Hm?”

“Today felt like… our own little world.”

Yuji squeezed her hand. “Then let’s make more days like that.”

Aiko smiled softly, her heart steady for the first time in a long time.

Even if the world outside was difficult, even if the future felt uncertain—

when she was beside Yuji Sakamoto, everything felt possible.

And neither of them knew it yet,

but this quiet, perfect date

was one of the last peaceful moments

before everything changed.