Chapter 6 – The Promise They Made

The sun had already set by the time Yuji and Aiko reached the bus stop. The day had been warm and sweet, a rare pocket of peace in the chaos of their young lives. But as the streetlights flickered on one by one, a quiet heaviness settled between them.

Aiko didn’t let go of his hand, not even for a second.

Yuji noticed. “Are you tired?”

She shook her head. “No… I just want to stay like this a little longer.”

Yuji’s heart softened, and he shifted his grip so their fingers locked tighter. The bus wasn’t coming yet. They had a few minutes. Just enough time for words they hadn’t dared to say before.

Aiko leaned against his shoulder. “Yuji… Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

She hesitated. Her voice was soft, almost afraid. “If… if things get harder… will you still choose me?”

Yuji froze.

He knew her family was only getting stricter. He knew they were watching her. Judging her. Controlling her. And he knew this wasn’t just a casual question.

Aiko was asking for reassurance she never got at home.

She was asking if she was worth fighting for.

Yuji turned and gently cupped her cheek. “Aiko… I’m already choosing you. Every day.”

Her breath caught. She looked up, eyes trembling.

“But what if… everything falls apart?” she whispered. “What if my family keeps pushing? What if I can’t do everything they want? What if…” She swallowed hard. “What if I’m not strong enough?”

Yuji brushed away a small tear that escaped down her cheek.

“Then I’ll be strong enough for both of us,” he said quietly.

Aiko’s lips parted in silent surprise. No one had ever said something like that to her. No one had ever told her she didn’t have to be perfect. That she didn’t have to stand alone.

She exhaled shakily. “Yuji… I’m really scared.”

He pulled her closer, resting her head against his chest. “You can be scared. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

For a moment she stayed there, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His warmth steadied her. His arms dissolving the tight knot in her chest. She clung to his shirt like she was afraid the night might tear them apart.

She whispered, “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” he said again, firmer this time. “But we have to be honest with each other. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts.”

Aiko nodded slowly.

Then Yuji took a quiet breath, gathering courage of his own. “Aiko, I want to make a promise.”

She lifted her head. “A promise?”

He held both of her hands in his. “Yeah. A real one. Not something people say lightly.”

The street was quiet, the only sound the distant hum of traffic and the soft glow from the lamps above them. The world felt smaller, softer, like time had paused just for them.

Yuji’s voice was steady. “No matter what happens… no matter how much pressure your parents put on you… I won’t walk away. I’ll wait for you. I’ll fight for us.”

Aiko’s breath trembled, her eyes shining.

“And I promise,” Yuji continued, tightening his hold, “that I won’t let anyone, not even your family, decide how we feel about each other.”

Aiko felt her throat tighten. A promise… to stay. To not give up. To face everything together. It was more than she ever thought she deserved.

Slowly, she nodded. “Then… I want to make one too.”

Yuji blinked. “You do?”

She took a small step closer, until they were only inches apart. Her voice wavered, but her eyes were clear.

“I promise I won’t run away from us,” she whispered. “Even if I’m scared. Even if everything feels impossible. I’ll choose you too… every single day.”

Yuji felt something warm rush through his chest. Relief, hope, love—too many emotions tangled together. He didn’t know what their future looked like. He didn’t know how they’d survive the storm heading their way. But right now, with Aiko’s trembling hands in his, he believed they could.

The promise didn’t fix everything.

But it anchored them.

Aiko leaned in, slipping her arms around his waist. Yuji held her in return, burying his face in her hair. She smelled faintly of the vanilla shampoo she always used. It was comforting, familiar.

“Yuji?” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Can we… stay like this for a little while?”

“As long as you want.”

They stood in the glow of the streetlight, wrapped in each other’s warmth. The world continued moving around them—cars passing, people walking, the city breathing—but in that moment, they had their own small universe.

Aiko pulled back slightly and looked up at him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes soft. “Yuji… today was perfect. Thank you.”

He smiled. “It was perfect because you were there.”

Her face reddened instantly. “D-Don’t say it like that…”

He laughed quietly, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “It’s true.”

Aiko bit her lip, her heart fluttering. “Then… let’s make another promise.”

Yuji raised a brow. “Another one?”

“One more.” She took a slow breath. “Let’s promise to keep making memories like today. Even if we can’t see each other often. Even if it’s hard.”

Yuji nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Their foreheads touched, breath mingling, the night wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

Two young hearts.

Two uncertain futures.

One shared promise.

The bus finally arrived, but neither moved.

Aiko whispered the words against his chest, barely audible.

“Let’s be each other’s home. No matter what happens.”

Yuji closed his eyes and held her tighter.

“Always.”

And that night, without rings or ceremonies, without witnesses or approval, Yuji Sakamoto and Aiko Hoshizora made their first promise—

A promise their future would test in every possible way.