Chapter 52: Volume 1, - 52: Chosen Before He Was Finished
The morning rush at Akiyama Bakery always smelled like browned butter, yeast, and fresh coffee.
Suzune wiped down the stainless-steel prep counter with rhythmic, practised motions, checking the display case stock against the morning tally sheet. At the back of the kitchen, Hiroshi worked the deck ovens with steady concentration while Keiko handled the main till and checked the morning order slips.
During a brief lull at ten-fifteen, Suzune pulled out her phone and checked her group chat with Aya and Haruka.
Aya: Did he call you after Saturday? And don’t give me the short version.
Haruka: Are you seeing him today?
Suzune: We’re meeting after my shift.
Aya: He’s going to ask you.
Haruka: Probably.
Suzune locked the phone and slid it back into her apron pocket, a soft smile touching her lips. She didn’t need a group chat prediction to know what was coming. She had felt the shift in Ren on Saturday night. The raw tension beneath his quiet exterior, the way his voice had softened right before he kissed her, and the clear intensity in his eyes when they parted. He wasn’t the kind of man to leave things floating in vague uncertainty for long.
Standing by the counter, watching the morning sunlight filter through the bakery’s glass front, Suzune made her decision.
She wasn’t waiting for him to reach some arbitrary milestone. She didn’t care if his consulting business was small or expanding, nor did she care whether his personal finances were completely settled. She liked the man who had stood in her kitchen, admitted his faults without excuses, respected her family’s bakery rules without complaint, and looked at her like she was the only fixed point in a chaotic world.
If he asked today, her answer was already yes.
---
Ren spent the early afternoon at his desk, staring at a half-finished client reconciliation template for Kawashima Household Goods without absorbing a single row of numbers.
His mind was entirely elsewhere.
He had kissed her. The memory of Saturday night kept pulling his attention away from spreadsheets and email drafts. The chill of the river breeze, the scent of her hair, the soft warmth of her lips against his, and the way she had leaned into him on the embankment.
He wanted more than a memory. He wanted clarity. He wanted the label.
’My girlfriend.’
The thought hit him with a stupid, private surge of pride. He wanted to be able to say it and know she had chosen the same thing.
By five-thirty, Ren was waiting outside the small park two blocks from Akiyama Bakery. The spring air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of blossoming cherry trees from the neighbourhood avenues. He paced a narrow ten-metre stretch of pavement, his hands jammed deep into his coat pockets.
When Suzune walked around the corner, wearing her light beige trench coat and carrying her canvas shoulder bag, Ren’s heart did a sudden, violent drop.
"Ren," she said, stopping a few paces away. Her eyes held a subtle, amused shimmer.
"Suzune," Ren said, stepping forward.
They walked together toward a quiet bench under a tall zelkova tree, away from the main pedestrian stream. They sat side by side, close enough that the sleeves of their coats brushed.
Ren turned toward her on the wooden bench, looking straight into her eyes.
"I don’t want to beat around the bush," Ren said, his voice deep and direct, stripping away any defensive disclaimers. "I like you, Suzune. I want us to be together properly. I want you to be my girlfriend."
The word hung between them in the cool evening air.
Suzune studied him for a moment, her amber eyes thoughtful.
Ren’s stomach tightened into a hard knot. A sudden wave of cold fear washed over him. Had he misread Saturday night? Had he pushed too fast? Was she going to tell him that he was moving beyond where she was comfortable? The confidence he had felt at his apartment vanished, replaced by a desperate, silent hope.
"Yes," Suzune said softly, a bright, genuine smile breaking across her face. "Because I like you, Ren. And because when you mess up, you come back and fix it. You listen now, even when you don’t like the answer."
For a second, Ren simply stared at her. He had rehearsed half a dozen possible answers on the walk over, including several humiliating versions of rejection. Somehow, her simple yes left him with nothing prepared, his chest expanding with an almost dizzying surge of relief.
Ren reached for her hand, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "I’m trying."
"I know." Her expression turned slightly more serious, though her tone remained affectionate. "Just remember I’m still me after this. I have the bakery, and I have Aya and Haruka. My schedule doesn’t automatically clear whenever you’re free."
"I know," Ren said immediately, holding her warm fingers firmly in his.
"And if something big happens that affects me, tell me before it lands on my head."
Ren winced slightly. "Fair."
"Also, if we argue, don’t decide by yourself that I’ve left you."
"Agreed," Ren said, without a moment’s hesitation. "All of it."
Suzune laughed softly, a clear sound that filled the quiet park corner. "You didn’t even pretend to negotiate."
"Why would I?" Ren said. He pulled her closer by her hand. "I got what I wanted."
"Did you?" Suzune teased, her eyes sparkling. "And what did you get?"
"My girlfriend," Ren said, leaning down.
Suzune met him halfway. The kiss was warmer and bolder than the one on the embankment, unhurried and full of open sweetness. Ren wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her securely against his chest, feeling her sigh gently against his lips.
When they finally parted, her cheeks were flushed pink, and she stayed close, resting her forehead lightly against his shoulder while their fingers remained tightly laced together.
"You really like saying that word, don’t you?" she murmured against his coat.
"I’ve been thinking about it all day," Ren admitted honestly, wrapping his other arm around her.
They sat together on the park bench for nearly an hour, talking about simple, grounded things. The upcoming weekend bakery special, Nanami’s work at the office, and the changing weather before Ren walked her back to the concrete steps leading to her family’s living quarters above the bakery.
By eight-thirty, Ren was back in his own small apartment.
He took off his coat, set his briefcase by the desk, and sat on the edge of his bed. The room was dark except for the warm amber glow of the streetlamp outside his window.
His phone buzzed in his palm. He unlocked the screen and opened the messages from Suzune.
Suzune: Made it upstairs safely. Don’t stay up too late staring at spreadsheets, Ren.
Suzune: See you Wednesday after work.
Ren stared at the messages, a broad, helpless grin spreading across his face.
He closed his eyes, leaning back against his pillows with his phone resting over his chest, feeling happier than he had in years.