In a world governed by the Soulmate System, everyone receives a faint countdown on their wrist at age 21.
These numbers track the exact distance between them and their soulmate, revealing just how near-or how far-they truly are.
Started: February 2...
The conversation about the wedding hung in the air, a sweet, tangible promise that made the towering bamboo stalks feel less like a forest and more like the walls of a cathedral.
For a while, they didn't speak.
They simply walked, the soft earth yielding under their feet, the light shifting as the sun climbed to its peak.
"I’m hungry," Yoongi admitted eventually, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.
He didn’t let go of her hand; instead, he tucked it into the pocket of his coat.
"I think my brain is finally switching from 'Survival Mode' to 'Gourmet Mode.'"
Aen laughed, the sound bright and genuine.
"Does Kyoto have that effect? I've never been to Japan, so I wouldn't know. Where are we going?"
Yoongi slowed his pace, looking at her with a soft, slightly surprised expression, as if he’d forgotten that this world was entirely new to her.
He squeezed her hand inside his pocket.
"It does. And since it's your first time, I have to make sure you only see the best parts," he said, leading her out of the grove and toward the riverside.
They found a quiet sanctuary at a riverside restaurant overlooking the Katsura River.
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In a private tatami room, the afternoon hours blurred together.
They moved through a slow, multi-course Yudofu lunch—the silken tofu shimmering in cedar pots—talking less about work and more about the small, mundane things they had missed during the busy months.
They talked about the house in Hannam, the books they wanted to read, and how they would eventually tell Carly about the wedding date.
After lunch, they didn't rush back.
They drifted through the Ogurayama area, wandering past hidden gardens where the hydrangeas were beginning to show their faces.
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