A cool breeze was blowing through the small garden outside the house.
Tiny lights were hanging all around, making the entire garden look peaceful and beautiful.
Ran and Yui were sitting on separate chairs, talking to each other.
A small table beside them held a few glasses of juice.
Yui seemed quite comfortable while talking to him.
“So…
you really came from the USA?” she asked with a light laugh.
Ran nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Wow…
then you must have seen a lot of things.”
Ran smiled faintly.
Then he asked,
“And what about you?
Are you from here?”
“Hmm…” Yui replied with a smile.
“I’m from a small village.
My father is a farmer, and my mother is a housewife.”
“Really?” Ran said in surprise.
“Yeah.” Yui chuckled softly.
“We’re not as fancy as you’re imagining.”
The two continued chatting in a friendly manner.
After a while, Ran looked at her carefully and then smiled.
“By the way…
can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“How is a kind, sweet, and beautiful woman like you living with a gangster?”
Yui burst into laughter.
“You really think you’re that dangerous?”
Ran smiled slightly as well.
The atmosphere in the garden had become much warmer and more comfortable.
After a brief silence, Yui smiled softly.
“So…
you’re not going to start talking first, are you?” she said jokingly.
“Fine, then I’ll start.”
Ran gave a small smile and looked at her.
Leaning back comfortably in her chair, Yui began speaking.
“My full name is Yui Aizawa.”
“I’m from a small village in Japan called Mizuhara Village.”
A faint sparkle appeared in her eyes.
“Our village is very peaceful and beautiful.
The people there are kind and caring as well.”
“Everyone treats each other like family.”
Then she laughed softly.
“I’ve received a lot of love and affection ever since I was a child.”
Ran listened quietly.
“There are five members in our family.”
“My father, Takeshi Aizawa, is a farmer.”
“My mother, Emi Aizawa, is a housewife.
She isn’t highly educated, but she’s the kindest woman in the world.”
As soon as she mentioned her family, a special softness appeared on Yui’s face.
“Then there’s my younger sister, Riko Aizawa.”
“She’s very mischievous and always does whatever she wants.”
Yui laughed at the thought.
“And my younger brother, Yuto Aizawa.”
“He’s adorable and used to follow me around everywhere.”
Ran carefully observed the happiness on her face.
“I love my parents very much…” Yui said softly.
“But I’m most attached to my younger brother and sister.”
Looking up at the night sky, she smiled gently.
“And honestly…
I love my village, Mizuhara, very much too, Ran.” ✨
“I completed my early education at Aozora School in Mizuhara Village…”
“After that, I decided to move to Tokyo for my higher studies.
At that time, I was only fifteen years old.”
She glanced at the garden lights.
“To be honest…
I didn’t want to leave my village at all.”
“I loved the peaceful atmosphere, the people, and my home.”
Then she laughed softly.
“But my parents—and even the people of the entire village—encouraged me a lot.”
“Everyone wanted me to move forward and achieve my dreams.”
Ran quietly listened to every word.
“So I came to Tokyo and started my higher studies at Kurogawa High School.”
As she said that, a nostalgic smile appeared on her face.
“And you know, Lina…
your dad and I met at that very school.”
Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Back then, he was really skinny and extremely shy.” Yui said with a laugh.
“He was one grade above me.”
“He would always find some excuse to come near my classroom, but he never had the courage to talk to me.”
Now even Ran was smiling.
“Whenever I looked in his direction, he’d get nervous and run away.”
Yui laughed at the memory.
“Then, after some time, one of our friends invited us all out for a meal.”
“That was the first time we had a proper conversation.”
She smiled and continued,
“Actually…
your dad was invited because he had helped her once.”
After a brief pause, Yui’s voice became softer.
“After that day…
we slowly became good friends…” ✨
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