May 3, 2026. Golden Week had just begun, but the campus felt anything but golden. Students scattered for short trips or stayed in dorms to catch up on sleep. Sora and Akira had planned a quiet day—study session in the library, then ramen at the stand near the west gate.
They were halfway through a shared plate of tonkotsu when Akira's phone buzzed on the table.
He glanced at the screen. Mother.
Sora noticed the way his shoulders tensed.
"Answer it," she said softly.
Akira exhaled. Swiped to accept.
Speakerphone off. He held it to his ear.
"Yes, Mother."
A pause—her voice faint but sharp through the receiver.
Akira's expression hardened. "I'm with Sora right now."
Another pause—longer.
Akira's jaw clenched. "No. We're not breaking up."
Sora's chopsticks stilled.
Akira continued. "Tuition. Dorm fees. Living allowance. You're really doing this?"
Sora's stomach dropped.
Akira's voice dropped lower. "I understand. But I'm not changing my mind."
He ended the call. Set the phone face-down.
Silence hung between them.
Sora spoke first. "They're cutting support?"
Akira nodded once. "Full stop. No more money after this semester. They said if I continue the relationship, I'm on my own."
Sora stared at her ramen—noodles cooling, broth congealing.
Akira reached across the table—took her hand.
She looked up. "This is because of me."
"No." Akira's voice was firm. "This is because of them. Their expectations. Their control."
Sora's eyes filled. "But you need that money. Tokyo U isn't cheap. Dorms, books, food—"
"We'll figure it out."
"How?" Sora's voice cracked. "Part-time jobs? Scholarships? We're first-years. We barely know how to adult yet."
Akira squeezed her hand. "We'll work. We'll apply for aid. We'll share everything. We'll make it work."
Sora laughed—shaky. "You sound so sure."
"Because I am sure about us."
She searched his face—steady eyes, set jaw, the faint tremor in his fingers that only she would notice.
Sora exhaled. "Okay. We make it work. Together."
Akira nodded. "Together."
They finished their ramen in quiet—hands still linked across the table.
Later, they walked back to campus—slow, unhurried.
Sora spoke softly. "I feel guilty. Like I'm the reason you're losing everything."
Akira stopped. Turned to her.
"You're not the reason I'm losing anything." He cupped her face. "You're the reason I'm gaining something."
Sora's eyes shimmered.
Akira leaned down—kissed her gently.
She kissed him back—deeper, clinging.
When they pulled apart, Sora whispered, "We're really doing this. Broke college kids in love."
Akira smiled—rare, full. "Sounds romantic."
Sora laughed. "Sounds terrifying."
Akira pulled her close—arms around her.
"Terrifying. But ours."
They walked the rest of the way—hand in hand, steps slow.
The future had just gotten harder.
But it was still theirs.