Siopao: (6/4/2018) Really quick and brief update here. Thanks for the reviews TeewhyMP, imamerereader, Nadia Paramitha and guest! You guys said you want me to keep writing so, honestly, it's just going to be fluff from here on out, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gals!
Rainy Way Back Home
Chapter VII — Moments
-Aya-
I went into Ikebukuro the next morning to pick up a reference book for my anatomy class. There was a wonderful bookstore that I always loved going to and I was excited to stop by since it had been a while. I was alone today but was planning to meet up with Rei later on to catch lunch once he had finished some last-minute reports for his engineering firm.
Waking up next to him today had to be one of my happiest mornings to date. I was awakened by loving kisses to the nape of my neck and sweet words of him whispering that he couldn't wait to marry me. I was on cloud nine; honestly, it felt like a wonderful, too-good-to-be-true dream. I didn't want to leave our bed but knew I had to function like a normal human being and run my errands. I was glad we'd be able to see each other again soon. Jeez, when did I become so clingy? I wanted to be with him every moment of the day. Well, we were newly engaged so I was still soaring high, so can you blame me?
I stared at my left hand, adoring the petite ring that adorned my slim finger. Rei really asked me to marry him last night; it wasn't a dream, after all. I was overwhelmed with a euphoric feeling that caused me to smile from ear to ear, despite the fact that I was standing all by myself on the train. Things felt like they were really going right with me as of late. I was surrounded by my best friends, in a top-notch medical program, and was engaged to the love of my life... everything seemed so perfect. I felt like I could absolutely fly.
As I hopped off of the train platform, I couldn't help but notice a few stares directed towards me. Was I still smiling? No, I confirmed as I looked at my reflection on the train's windows. Was my outfit weird? I mean, I was wearing a pretty normal-looking lavender sweater with a pleated skirt and high boots; it was pretty much standard fall attire. As I continued to walk through the streets, I received more glances and even heard some scattered whispers. Was there something on my face that I didn't know about?
I got to the bookstore and swiftly picked up the anatomy book that I needed. I usually liked to stroll around the store to check out other new releases or to browse the sales but I just couldn't stick around what with all the buyers looking at me as if I had eight heads.
"What's wrong with everyone today?" I sighed as I briskly bought my book and stepped out into the brisk autumn air. The answer to my question became evident to me once I passed by a news stand and saw the front page of a magazine, which was published just this morning.
It was a shot of Rei and I hugging in the studio from last night, just after he had finished proposing to me. I felt my stomach drop; how did news spread so quickly!? Oh wait, duh, we were in a photography studio full of people who surely had connections to the media. Someone must have leaked the news as soon as it happened, allowing publishers to score themselves a nice little last-minute headliner. I cringed at the large, bolded text that accompanied our photo: "GL heartthrob and former playboy finally settles down with a beauty! Who is she and what's their story? Get the hot details from Japan's proposal of the year!"
"Ehh! That's her, that's her," I suddenly heard a girl whispering to her friend. Actually, I didn't know if you could call it whispering since she was quite a few meters away and I could hear every word. "The news is all over social media, did you see?"
"Ah, Otohata's fiancee!" her friend exclaimed. "She's so pretty. Is she a model, too?"
"No, I think they're high school sweet hearts that recently reconnected!"
"Ehh, that's so sweet!"
"I'm so jealous of her."
"Right? Otohata is so hot."
I suddenly felt extremely self conscious. Of course, this news also had to be online. Rei did a great job with keeping me out of the public's eyes throughout the year we'd been dating but there's no way that he could cover me up now. I think the whole town knew that I was engaged to Rei.
I arrived to our meeting place several minutes early, mainly due to the fact that I couldn't stand being on the streets while people all around me stared me down. I was glad that the cafe we chose was mostly empty, save for a few older people who were grabbing their Sunday morning coffee and pastry. Conveniently, it was run by a sweet elderly couple who likely did not keep up with celebrity news, so I felt relieved. I ordered hot jasmine tea and skimmed through my new reference book as I waited for Rei to arrive for our lunch date.
I heard the jingling of the bells a few moments later, indicating that someone new had just walked into the cafe. I looked up and saw Rei stroll in, a look of slight irritation plastered on his handsome face. I could probably give a good educated guess as to why he didn't look too pleased at the moment.
"You saw?" I asked as he took a seat across from me. We were seated at our usual booth.
"Yeah," he grunted as he closed his eyes and rubbed the inner corners with his fingers. "Those idiots at the studio last night must have leaked the news. Those damn gossips."
"It's pretty much expected that most of them have connections to magazine publishers and online bloggers, huh?" I tried to laugh it off.
"Ugh, yeah. I'm sorry, Aya," he apologized as he opened his eyes and took my hand in his.
"What for?"
"I wanted the proposal to be special. I thought about just asking you in private but also wanted our friends to be there. When the opportunity came last night for you to join the shoot, I just thought it was so perfect. I didn't think about the aftermath."
"Rei-kun, it was special. Don't apologize."
"Thanks," he said with that boyish half-smirk that I loved so much. "I'm really starting to reconsider this whole modeling business, though. I think it's about time for me to retire from it."
"You sound like an old man," I scoffed.
"I'm serious, Aya. It's been nothing but a huge headache."
"Well, if you say so. Give it some thought, though," I suggested calmly. I'd hate for him to waste his natural talents. Rei was a great model, no matter how you looked at it.
"Fine."
"Should we order?" I asked, opening up a menu. It didn't matter, though, since I ordered the strawberry creme crepes with a side of over-easy eggs every time we ate here.
"Yeah, I'm hungry. I've been craving waffles for some reason."
"Oh, not the usual spinach and feta omelet? You're full of surprises lately," I joked.
"I'm engaged, now. It's like I'm a whole new man," he bantered back, causing me to giggle.
It was moments like this one which allowed me to see that spending the rest of my days with Rei was something that felt so unbelievably natural— like it was something that was just meant to happen to me in life. Call it a fate or destiny or the will of a higher being... but this was definitely how my life was supposed to play out. Any other way would have just felt wrong. Sure, it wasn't a straightforward route. I definitely had to take some detours along the way but I finally made it here. I was where I belonged, at long last.
Being without him for several years, the way I saw it, was a way for us to grow on our own. We were bound by an invisible red thread and eventually found our way back into each other's lives, once it was the perfect moment for us to meet again. The Aya from high school was a mere memory, a whisper in the air; I had found my tailwind and it brought me back to the one who had pushed me to break free from my restricting shell. A bit of heartbreak, a few mistakes made on both sides, and definitely many lessons learned allowed us both to develop into who we were at this very moment. That's why, even though time apart from him hurt me so much, I still would not have changed a single thing.
Being with Rei allowed me to see that the perfect person meant absolutely nothing if it was the wrong time. Timing was everything in a relationship, especially when it came to us. We had finally blossomed into the best versions of ourselves, only to find each other again. It was the universe's way of saying, "you're both ready to try again."
There was nothing holding us back. We were going to go all the way, this time.
o0o0o0o
-Rei-
I wanted to be something better, to be someone more. In the past, Aya was always the one who was going above and beyond for me. She'd always have thoughtful and honest confessions prepared and would utter them to me with all her heart. She'd go out of her way to meet with me, even when I knew that she'd spent the whole day studying or getting dragged around Shibuya by Kotobuki. She'd get me thoughtful gifts and handmade sweets for holidays when I would show up empty-ended each and every time.
By proposing to her, I was beginning my promises. Starting with this wedding, I was going to pull my weight and more. I wanted it to be everything she deserved; I wanted her to feel like a queen on that day and I didn't want her to worry about any of the small, grueling details. That's why I made a promise to her, despite her attempts to go against me: that I'd take care of all the planning and all she'd have to worry about was finding her dress.
I hoped that I didn't bite off more than I could chew with that promise of mine.
I unlocked the door and entered my apartment to find my studious fiancee doing what she did best (it was studying, if you hadn't guessed). It was about 8 o'clock in the evening and she was still going strong, after being at school all day for her lectures. I approached her as she was flipping through the pages of her textbook and greeted her with a peck on the cheek, causing her to jump in surprise. I hadn't seen that she was listening to music through her ear buds, which she had now removed.
"Oh, Rei-kun, welcome home," she greeted happily with wide eyes.
"Thanks. Still studying?" I was gesturing to her studying.
"Actually, I could use a break. How was work?"
"Hn, it was alright. But, Aya, check these brochures out," I stated as I placed half a dozen glossy folded sheets on her desk. I saw that she was currently studying for one of her physiology exams in the in-home office we set up for her in our apartment.
"What are these?" she asked, turning away from her notes and glancing at the brochures.
"I went out after work to check out some venues since I finished things up a bit early at the firm."
"Venues?" she asked, a bit confused.
"You know, for the wedding."
"Oh, I see," she said, rummaging through the colorful brochures with a look of slight surprise on her face. "I didn't know you were going today. I would have gone with you."
"It's fine, I knew you were studying. These were the better ones so we can narrow it down from here. Ah, that one right there was where Yuuya and Mami had their reception a few months ago, remember?" I asked, pointing to one labeled Tuscan Garden Banquets. My best friend's early summer wedding was still fresh in my mind; I definitely wanted to place this hall on the list of contenders, since Aya seemed to have really admired its Italian-styled interior and deluxe outdoor garden.
"What? You went there?" she asked, an eyebrow raised as she skimmed through the shiny, elegant panels.
"Er, yeah, since you seemed to have really enjoyed yourself there. You were really complimenting the food and the ballroom, right?" I asked. Did I misinterpret something? Perhaps she really didn't like the experience there, after all.
"Well, yes, it was absolutely lovely but... Rei-kun, that place must have cost them a small fortune to rent out for the day," she said, frowning. "Actually, Rei-kun, these venues all look pretty... extravagant." Was that was she was worried about?
"Don't mind the cost of anything. Trust me, I've got plenty saved up between the engineering firm and the modeling. I want to shoulder most of the work so you can just focus on studying, remember? I want to make our wedding next summer to be the least bit stressful for you."
"Rei-kun, if it's with you, the simplest wedding will be just fine," she said lovingly as she stood up and held my hand. I couldn't help but smile a bit at her reassuring words.
"But you deserve the world." I wanted to give it all to her.
"I have it right here," she spoke as she raised her hand to softly caress my face. Her sweet chestnut eyes were warm and her expression was tender. God, I loved her so, so much. I really didn't do anything in my damned life to deserve an angel like Aya.
"I just want everything to be perfect for you, since you're the perfect girl," I said as I took her other hand and softly kissed her knuckles, allowing my lips to linger on her skin.
"Rei-kun," she whispered, "I know we planned for all of this to happen next summer but... how about this? We have our wedding during my next academic break. Then we have a quaint wedding reception at that Italian restaurant in Shibuya that we both love so much."
"Your next academic break? That's in December, isn't it? That's only two months away, Aya," I said incredulously. Was she out of her mind?
"That's the point. We let only our closest family and friends know. Minimalist planning and no extra fluff. Just the important stuff with the most important people," she said with a smirk. "Doesn't that sound kind of nice?"
"You're okay with that?" I asked, tucking a dark strand of her hair behind her ear. She blushed lightly at my touch and I took a second to admire it. "I thought you'd want a grandiose ceremony with a world-class string quartet and the finest food that Japan has to offer," I said, mainly sarcastically. If she asked for it though, I wouldn't hesitate to give it all to her, even if it did cost me an arm and a leg.
"If you really thought that, then I'd say you didn't know me at all," she joked, rolling her eyes. "I'm a simple person, you know me. Yes, Mami and Yuuya's wedding was elegant and probably fit for royalty but I don't care about any of that stuff. I'd marry you under a rock, Otohata Rei," she giggled cutely.
"What did I do to deserve you?" I said, kissing her forehead. She sighed as she leaned into it.
"So you're on board with the plan, then?" she asked as she lifted her head and looked me in the eyes.
"Absolutely. I'll call Shino-san and reserve the entire restaurant for that day. You let the others know what's going on. Deal?"
"Deal," she agreed.
"I'm actually much happier with this option. Looking for venues was kind of a pain."
"Sorry you had to go through that," she said as she held me. She was so warm despite her tiny frame.
"It wasn't too bad. Any luck on dress hunting?" I asked.
"It's a surprise," she said teasingly as she gave me a cheeky grin.
"Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway. You'll look great in anything. You could wear pajamas for all I care."
"I will do no such thing," she said, rolling her eyes once again. I laughed, in spite of me. She was so damn adorable.
"Anyway, have you eaten? You didn't cook, right?" I asked.
"Nope, I was waiting for you. I actually was wondering if you'd be alright with ordering delivery."
"Sure, what'd you have in mind?"
"I was thinking... pizza!" she said as she tilted her head and smiled cutely at me.
"Pizza sounds great," I said as we both curled up on the living room sofa to try and decide on the toppings to order. She always tried to passionately convince me that pineapple was a real topping but I never gave into her ridiculous demands. We ended up settling for her half to have pineapple, jalapeno peppers, and pepperoni (she always had weird cravings), while my half was black olives and spinach.
It was simple sentiments and moments like this one that allowed me to see that Aya was absolutely the woman of my dreams, and it had taken me years to finally see it. These moments may have seemed ordinary or relatively bland to any other person but, to me, they showed me that love was not all about passion and dates and gifts and all that material stuff. Love was compromise, love was patience, love was doing the most mundane, every day thing but still feeling that it was special because it was spent with the person that absolutely held your heart.
I looked at the girl beside me and smiled. I kissed her temple, causing her to go into a fit of giggles as she snuggled closer to me.
Love was Hoshino Aya; her love was always in the air wherever she went. It was that same love that allowed me to see that she was the only person I could ever spend the rest of my life with. It was that same love that made me do things that I never could imagine myself doing before. It was that same love that melted my heart over and over again.
Rainy Way Back Home
Chapter VII — Moments
End.
Siopao: I know it was short but it was sweet! I actually have never written a story of Rei and Aya's wedding so I'm excited to keep writing. Please let me know if you have any ideas/suggestions, I'm definitely open for your requests!
