The soft rumble of Ren's BMW M5 echoed gently through the quiet mountain roads, the scent of spring thick in the countryside air. With the windows down and the breeze cool against his face, he felt a rare kind of peace.
It was early — before dawn — and Aoi was still asleep back in Tokyo, wrapped in her blankets, unaware that her fiancé had already slipped out.
Ren glanced at the brown folder lying in the passenger seat. It was thick, filled with blueprints, land rights documents, and — most importantly — the official foundation permit stamped and approved. After months of planning and secret weekend visits, he had finally secured everything.
"This is it," he whispered. "The real beginning."
The road curved gently through an expansive stretch of farmland until he reached the place.
Before him stretched a vast cornfield, swaying in the wind. There were no neighbors. No tall buildings. Just green, gold, and silence.
He parked near the temporary trailer the contractor team had set up a few weeks prior. The site was still raw — the land had been leveled, the topsoil marked — but soon, this would be their home.
Not just any house, but a dream: a two-story house with a warm wooden interior, a sun-filled kitchen, a shared office, a wide garden — and of course, a workshop and large garage for Ren's passion for building things.
He stepped out of the M5, folder in hand, and walked toward the contractor's desk where two men were already preparing equipment.
"Good morning, Takahashi-san," said the head contractor with a bow. "Everything is in order. All we need is your final signature, and we begin excavation this afternoon."
Ren opened the folder, took out the form, and signed his name in bold black ink.
As he clicked the pen shut, something stirred deep in his chest.
Excitement. Fear. Love.
This is where we'll live together after marriage. This is where we'll grow old.
A Few Hours Later – On His Way Back
Ren sat behind the wheel again, sipping coffee from a vending machine near a lone rest stop.
His phone buzzed.
Aoi 💕:
"Just woke up... where are you?"
He smiled.
Ren:
"Early errands. I'll be back before lunch."
A second later:
Aoi 💕:
"You better not be cheating on me 😤 I'll come find you."
He laughed quietly to himself and typed:
Ren:
"No one else could ever handle me, babe. Only you."
Then he looked out at the empty field one more time through the rearview mirror.
This was still his secret.
For now.
But not for long.