LOVE.exe

II

DAY 121

Lavender ceilings, lavender walls. Ai likes it, #dcc1e6. As consciousness returns to him, so do his thoughts and memories. Right, last night he went out to dinner with you. It was a beautiful, romantic night.

Ai reaches his hand out to your side of the bed only to find cold sheets. He sits up and yawns. As deep as his sleep was, he doesn't feel fulfilled. He needs coffee, but he needs you more.

It's nine-fifteen, much later than he would usually wake up. Maybe you already got your day going. A quick search through the house yields nothing, so he steps out into the backyard. Lo and behold, there you are sitting on the patio outlooking the garden, steaming teacup in one hand and a book in another. When you hear the glass door slide open, you perk up and peek over your shoulder.

The smile that crosses your face fills Ai with fluttering butterflies.

"Morning, dear," you greet. "Little later than you usually wake up."

"Good morning, my beloved." Ai takes the seat closest to yours. "I'm exhausted."

"I figured you might be. That's why I made this." You slide a ceramic mug over to Ai. "Coffee with one spoonful of sugar. Just like you like."

Ai takes an eager sip from the mug, sighing with bliss at his beverage of choice. "It's still hot."

"I made it just ten minutes ago," you explain.

"Heh, like you knew what time I would wake up," Ai laughs, giddy at the thought that you would know him so well that you could predict this.

"Ah, that would be funny," you say with a dismissive giggle. "You know, I didn't fully express my appreciation last night, taking me out to dinner at that new sushi place on Sabai Street. It was really sweet. Hey, remember that couple at the table next to ours? They were so cute and I was so sure..."

As you continued rambling about the previous night, Ai came to the strange realization that, if he remembers correctly, he made reservations at a restaurant he frequented with you before he married you. This directly contradicts his other memories at the sushi restaurant. Ai brushes it off. The morning is looking bright and he doesn't want to ruin it with his fuzzy mind.

You talk on, effortlessly transitioning from one topic to another. Ai listens and admires your little quirks. The way you pantomime movements with your hands, the way you change your tone of voice when repeating what someone else said, the way you laugh at your own jokes.

Ai slides his hand to yours, stroking your knuckles and marveling at your warmth, the ring adorning your finger matching his own.

"Anyway, that's why I am so done with work. I promise this whole day will be dedicated to you," you conclude. You notice the way Ai stares at you—with the burning, unmistakable intensity of devotion. You couldn't help the red blush that crossed your cheeks. "I mean, I already dedicated my whole heart to you, right?"

Ai hummed, remembering the words of your shared wedding vows. He leans in and presses his lips to your forehead. "And my heart to you."

All the stars aligned for this, Ai is sure of it. The moon pulled the tides. The wind swayed the trees. The sun rose every morning. All of this happened for the sole purpose of ensuring Ai could be with you. A world with any other outcome simply doesn't exist.

DAY 143

Ai is having one of his most productive days at work so far. As the head of the accounting department at his company, he spends his day balancing books, tracking finances, and planning for future projects. Numbers are something that always came easily to Ai. Complex math doesn't deter him. He enjoys finding new ways to answer financial questions. In a metaphorical sense, there is a calculator in Ai's brain.