Time went by, and it had been months since I became his girlfriend. Today was another special day for us. The building was finally complete, my dream of opening the school had come true, and through it all, he had been right by my side.
"Aria, are you ready?" his voice came from behind the door.
I was inside my room, still getting ready for the big day. Opening the door, I met his eyes. "I'm ready," I said softly. He didn't speak for a moment, just kept looking at me, his gaze warm and unwavering.
"You look stunning in that dress," he finally said, taking my hand gently.
"Thank you," I smiled.
"Well then, let's get going, my queen," he said playfully, and led me to the car, his fingers never leaving mine.
When we arrived in front of the fully furnished school, I couldn't stop smiling. It looked exactly how I had imagined it all those years ago. Together, we cut the ribbon, marking the official opening of our dream.
Later, we went up to the rooftop. The wind was soft, the view breathtaking. "How do you feel?" he asked quietly.
"I feel like… I've finally achieved something," I said, my eyes fixed on the horizon. For the first time in years, I felt complete, happy, proud, and content.
"So, are you ready for tonight?" he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
Tonight, I was going to his house for the first time. His mother had invited me for dinner. I had seen her once before, but we had never spoken much. Nervousness was creeping up my chest.
"I'm… quite nervous," I admitted.
"Don't be," he said, brushing my hair back softly. "I'll handle everything."
After that, we went shopping, I couldn't go empty-handed, after all. I picked out a few thoughtful gifts for his family, hoping they'd like them.
When we reached his house, my heart started racing. The moment I stepped inside, my nerves hit harder until he tightened his grip on my hand.
"Don't worry," he said, smiling reassuringly, before ringing the doorbell.
The door opened, and his mother greeted us with a warm smile. Ren was still holding my hand when she gently took mine in hers and said, "Welcome, dear. Please come in."
She guided me to the couch. I smiled and handed her the gift I had brought.
"You didn't have to buy anything," she said kindly, sitting beside me.
Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Oh! Sister Aria, hi!" It was his younger sister, Rui, waving from the stairs before running down. She had been friendly and sweet ever since the day we met at the office. I waved back, laughing softly.
"Make yourself comfortable, dear. I'll get some water," his mother said and walked toward the kitchen.
Soon after, Mr. Wane came out of his study, his smile bright as always. I had known him since the day he agreed to invest in our school project.
"Congratulations, Aria," he said warmly. "You've done a wonderful job."
"Thank you, Mr. Wane. It was all possible because of your support," I replied, truly grateful.
"Well, your success is our success too," he said. And he was right — The Edge had already started receiving wonderful feedback since the grand opening.
Then Mrs. Hana returned, setting the tray of drinks on the table. We all sat together, talking and laughing. For the first time in a long while, I felt something deeper than joy — I felt like I finally had a family.
It was already late at night, and since we'd both had a few drinks, driving back to our apartment wasn't an option. So, we decided to stay at Ren's family house for the night. Everyone had already gone to bed, and Ren led me to his room.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze. His room was warm, cozy, and neatly arranged—typical Ren—but there was one tiny problem. There was only one bed.
My mind immediately started running wild. Wait... are we sleeping together?! My heart was beating faster than ever.
Ren must have noticed my expression because he leaned close to my ear and whispered with a teasing tone, "Don't worry, I won't do anything." Then, he chuckled softly and headed into the bathroom for a shower.
The moment he left, I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing thoughts. To distract myself, I wandered around his room, looking at the photo frames on his desk. He looked so young and confident in them—it made me smile.
When he finally came out of the shower, I turned around and nearly stopped breathing. He was shirtless, his hair still wet, droplets of water sliding down his neck. "Is this you?" I asked, pointing quickly at his photo, trying to avoid looking directly at him.
He grinned. "Yeah, that's me," he said, rubbing his hair with a towel.
My face was burning. I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut. But before I knew it, he caught my hand gently and pulled me onto his lap.
"Are you nervous I might do something?" he teased, his voice low and playful.
I shook my head quickly, pretending to be calm, though my heart was pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
"Good," he murmured. "Then let me help you sleep."
He guided me onto the bed, one hand on my wrist, the other behind my head. His face leaned closer, his breath brushing my skin. The world seemed to stop as I felt his hair drip lightly against my cheek. Our lips were just inches apart—
"Sister Aria!"
The door swung open. Rui stood there, eyes wide, frozen like a statue.
I turned toward her in shock, still tangled awkwardly on the bed.
Rui blinked once. "Oh… wow. I'll just… um, good night!" she squeaked and ran off, closing the door in a hurry.
I covered my face with my hands. "I want to disappear…"
Ren burst into laughter, his voice warm and gentle. "Well, at least now she knows we're serious."
I glared at him through my fingers.
He chuckled softly, leaning closer. "Now that she's gone," he murmured, "can I continue?"
Before I could reply, he gently pulled my hands away from my face, his touch warm and careful. My heart was still racing from what just happened, but now his eyes weren't teasing, they were soft.
He reached for the blanket beside us, got up from over me, and tucked it gently around me. "Sleep tight, my shy queen," he said with a playful smile.
Then, leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
The simple touch made my whole face warm.
He straightened up, turned off the lights, and before leaving the room, glanced back at me one last time with that gentle smile of his.
"Good night, Aria."
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me in the quiet glow of the moonlight, heart still fluttering, lips curved into an uncontrollable smile.
That night, I fell asleep with his scent still on me, feeling like his presence was the safest place in the world.