A Place to Start Over

For the following days, Akari's focus was on her keyboard and phone - reviewing songs and choreography for her final concert. 

As Akari sat at her keyboard, headphones in, Jun carefully approached her. He gently slipped one earphone from her ear, earning a small, startled glance.

"Hey." She said half amused, half in protest.

"Sorry." His gentle smile warmed his face. "I know you're busy, but you shouldn't spend all your time working. You'll burn out."

Akari hesitated, eyes focused on the keys. "I have less than a month until the concert though..."

He brushed the loose strands of her hair out of her face. "I know but humor me please. Give me some of your time."

She looked up at him, really looked at him, and felt the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. "Alright... Just for a bit."

Relief washed over Jun's face and that alone made it worth it to Akari.

Jun led Akari into the living room, a small stack of papers awaiting them on the table. Jun took a seat and guided Akari to sit beside him.

Akari eyed the papers. "What are these?"

Jun hesitantly handed her the papers. "You mentioned you wanted to find a new place when you had time. I know you're busy so I looked at a few I thought maybe would be to your liking." 

Akari skimmed through the detailed notes on the house listings in disbelief. "You didn't have to do this..."

"I know." His hand rested over hers. "But I wanted to." He continued carefully as if unsure if he was being reasonable. "I'm not kicking you out. I want you to keep living with me. But if this is what you want then let me help you."

"I want a place to start over." Akari's voice was quiet as she looked around the living room. "But this place is too small for the both of us..."

Jun blinked. "Both of us?"

She immediately hid her face in her hands, embarrassed. "This is why I wanted to look into it later... It's too soon to talk about living together, isn't it...?"

For a moment, Jun fell silent as the words finally clicked. Then a slow smile spread across his face. He took her hand, moving it away to reveal her flushed face. "We've technically been living together for the past few months already, what's there to be embarrassed about?"

Her eyes averted his gaze, unsure of where to look. "You're not uncomfortable...?"

Jun shook his head, thumb brushing over her hand. "Not even a little. If anything, it makes me happy to hear you feel the same as me."

Her eyes finally met his. "Do you want to look together then?"

Jun took the stack of papers. "I do." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I didn't know you wanted a place big enough for the both of us, so it narrows down the choices."

She fidgeted with her fingers; a slight guilt lined in her voice. "Sorry... I made you waste your time."

Jun took her hand and gave it a small kiss. "It's never a waste of time when it's for you."

"You always say things like that too easily..."

He smirked as he continued to rub his thumb over her hand. "That's because I mean them."

He paused before continuing. "And Akari. I won't move in right away. Not until you're sure."

Akari's breath caught, the sincerity in his voice settled over her. "You don't have to move-"

"I want to." He said gently, interrupting without intending to. "But only when you're ready."

"Thank you..." She whispered, not realizing how much his words meant to her.

-

Later that day, Jun and Akari traveled to the different house locations. Each place tucked away in a quiet countryside town. Each house was pleasant - clean streets, open skies, friendly neighbors. They all had its own charm, but none of them truly caught Akari's eye.

By the time they reached the final listing, the afternoon light had begun to soften.

It was a traditional Japanese style home with sliding doors and a wide engawa overlooking a generous yard that felt peaceful just to look at. From the outside, the house looked modest, but once inside the space opened. 

Right next to the main building, there was another structure attached with its own entrance and separate vibe - lighter, more open.

Jun noticed how Akari's face beamed more while looking through the house. "Do you like this one?" 

Akari nodded. "I do. It has such a cozy feeling." She paused to look at the other building.

Jun followed her line of sight. "Apparently, the previous owners built that extension to run a shop."

"A shop, huh?" Akari's eyes softened as a memory of her mother coming home with leftover pastries surfaced in her mind. She hadn't thought about that in a long time. 

Jun watched her carefully. "You're thinking about something."

She stayed silent for a while, then she turned to face him. "I'm going to get this place."

Jun was taken aback by the sudden declaration but then he smiled. "Yeah?"

"It seems like a nice place to start over. It's quiet and peaceful." Her eyes lingered outside. "The yard is better than I could've ever imagined. And it feels freeing just to be here."

"Sounds like you've found the right place then."

She let out a small soft laugh. "I couldn't have done it without you though. Thank you, Jun. You've given me more than I could ever repay."

Jun closed the space between them. He gently lifted her chin, so she'd meet his gaze. "Repay me by being happy."

Her breath caught and all she could manage was a small nod as a warmth bloomed through her chest.