Ren cried all night—not from sadness, but from the kind of happiness that tightens your chest And Pours Out Of Your Eyes.
"This is my chance. Thirteen failed relationships, a playboy phase, all those empty flings… they all end here. This—this is my reset. My responsibility. My only shot at peace."
He Whispered.
Wrapped in his blanket like a cocoon, Ren's mind ran wild, crafting rom-com-like scenes in his head like a teenager drunk on first love:
– Him and Serin sharing a milkshake with two straws and giggling like idiots.
– Accidentally brushing hands while reaching for the pizza slice—
"No, you take it!" "No, you!"—until he gives in and Serin softly smiles, hiding her blush.
– He trips while walking beside her and plays it off like a moonwalk—"Style over stability," he declares.
– And her laughing.
God, her laugh.
Scene after scene, his brain turned into an anime opening.
"Ren & Serin: The Love Reboot."
He even imagined an ending credits scene where both of them are in their 80s, still holding hands, arguing about pizza toppings.
Morning of Day Before the Date
Birds chirped outside Ren's window for the first time since... well, ever. They sounded more like a romantic orchestra than annoying tweets.
The alarm didn't sound like a dying cricket today.
"One more day…"
He leapt out of bed, landing gracefully on his toes like a ballerina in a musical."What the heck—am I light today or what?"
he muttered, surprised by his own energy.
A phone flip,
mid-air catch.
6:30 AM.
"Huh?! I've never woken up this early in decades. Is this divine intervention?!"
He pranced downstairs for his coffee, hugged his mom from behind.
"Holy—! REN?! I almost dropped my phone. Bro, what… how the hell are you up this early? Someone call NASA. This is historical!"
"Haha. Yeah, hilarious, mom."
She kissed his forehead, smiling like he was five again.
He grabbed his coffee, smiling, and walked back upstairs.
Meanwhile, at Serin's home...
Her routine? Obliterated.
She blinked at the clock.
7:00 AM.
"WHAT THE—!"
She bolted upright, tripped on her pajamas, rolled into her closet like a human burrito. And yet—her face had that adorable, innocent mochi smile.
She barely bathed.
Barely brushed.
Her hair? Chaos.
"I'm leaving! Bye Mom!"
She bolted out the door so fast, her mom was left holding the untouched lunchbox, blinking like she saw a ghost.
At the bus stop,
the bus waited For Hours.
The driver smirked.
"I'm so, so sorry guys! This won't happen again, I swear!"
"Maybe you should move your obese ass faster next time!"
Haito shouted.
Laughter erupted.
Serin slumped into her seat, not in the mood for jokes.
Airi leaned over. "Someone's in a bad mood."
Serin blinked.
"Well... I'm going on a date with Ren tomorrow."
Airi's mouth dropped.
"WHAT?! SERIN, YOU TEXTED HIM FIVE DAYS AGO AND NOW YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE?!"
Everyone in the bus stared.
Serin facepalmed.
"Please let me disappear... like right now…"
Meanwhile, Ren...
For the first time in history—he caught the bus on time.
"GUYS, WE HAVE A NEW STUDENT!" Kawasaki shouted.
Everyone turned and stared.
Some whispered. "Is that... Ren? He actually uses public transport?"
Kawasaki gawked.
" Did you guys see this guy walk in? Who let him board?"
"Shut up, Kawasaki. I can smell your breath from three seats away."
"Look who suddenly grew vocal cords."
Everyone was shocked.
But that wasn't all.
Ren… spoke in class.
He asked doubts.
He smiled at the teacher.
Some students even whispered:
"Yo… that guy talks?""Wait, is he… possessed?"
Teacher blinked.
Even the teacher paused mid-sentence.
"Wait—who are you, and what have you done to Ren?"
Ren smiled.
Meanwhile, Serin was the complete opposite.
She was a sleepy mochi the entire day—like a fluffy cat curled into your lap, dozing in the sun.
Her usual witty banter was replaced with yawns and head nods.
She could barely keep her eyes open.
"Yo, did she pull an all-nighter?"
"Nah, I bet she's finally joining the slacker club."
"Someone tell her she's not auditioning for Sleeping Beauty."
"Should we poke her to check if she's alive?"
"I swear I saw her blink slower than a sloth."
Haito Was First To Mock Her.
Evening bell rang.
Serin sprang up instantly.
Eyes wide.
Smile blooming.
"Tomorrow's the date..."
She walked through the city of Kurzawa.
The streets shimmered with golden rays of sunset.
Flower shops on corners.
Old couples holding hands.
The wind brushing her cheeks gently.
The streetlights flickered to life, casting soft golden halos on cobblestone roads. Kids played. Lovers laughed.
The world looked… lighter.
Kurzawa had never looked this romantic.
Ren, instead of taking the bus... walked.
Headphones on. Playlist playing soft lo-fi.
He walked—slow, smiley, lost in thoughts of her.
Streetlights shimmered like fairy dust on his path.He crossed a bridge over the river where city lights danced on the water like magic.
The city danced with twilight.
Neon signs flickered.
Pigeons flew past him.
The warmth of the evening sky painted his world.
Every bench, every shop corner... Reminded him of her.
He blushed.
He smiled.
He felt alive.
She twirled like a ballerina into her sanctuary.
Her room—small but sacred—welcomed her with warmth.
She yanked the curtains open
The soft orange hue of the evening spilled into her room.
It caught her eyes—round and deep, reflecting the sky.
Her cheeks? Soft mochi.
Her smile? Effortless, innocent.
Her lips—pink and curved into a smile only Ren could earn.
She was like a painting... alive.
she's the girl who makes the word beautiful feel like an understatement.
Back at Ren's Room
He jumped onto his bed, sweaty uniform and all, still dancing to his playlist.His phone slid perfectly to the bed corner like destiny.
He vibed hard to his playlist.
"DUDE WHERE DO WE GO FOR OUR DATE?!""I HAVE CLASSES TILL NOON!""WHAT IF IT SUCKS?!"
He kept spamming.
Serin:
"SHUT YOUR DRAMATIC MOUTH, DRAMA QUEEN."
Ren blinked.
Ren: "fair enough."
Serin:
"Chill. I've got classes till noon too. Let's go to Pizza Hut—they have a deal on tomorrow."
"She's so chill… so cool… why is she so perfect?"Ren blushed like a tomato under a blanket.
Ren:
"DUUUUUDE. I'M SO HYPED FOR THIS DATE."Serin:"Yeah… same."
blushes quietly
She gently touched her cheeks, whispering to herself:"Is this… love?"
Ren:
"What if I mess it up?"
Serin:
"Then we mess it up together."
Ren:
"I've never felt like this before…"
Serin:
"Me neither. But I think I like it."
Ren:
"Can we… just hold hands tomorrow? Even if it's awkward?"
Serin:
"Only if you won't be DRAMATIC."
Ren:
"Deal."
Serin:
"Ren…?"
Ren:
"Yeah?"
Serin:
"Let's make tomorrow a memory worth smiling about."
3:00 AM
Ren stood at his window.The moon stared back—silent, knowing.
"Why… why does this feel so right?"He touched his chest."Is this love…?"
Serin, across the city, stood by her window too.The moonlight spilled over her cheeks like silver silk.She looked up, eyes shimmering.
The same moon…The same night…Two hearts connected in silence.
And the moon simply smiled back.
They didn't know it yet—but tomorrow wasn't just a date… it was the beginning of everything.