divela

When Emma, a young journalist from New York, moves to Japan for a year-long assignment, she expects culture shock, adventure, and a few challenges. What she doesn’t expect is Ren—a quiet yet captivating photographer with a past he keeps locked away. As they navigate love, language barriers, and their own personal fears, Emma must decide if she’s willing to rewrite her future for a love that transcends borders.

Love across Oceans

Emma lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling of her tiny Tokyo apartment. The air felt too thick, her thoughts too loud.

The name replayed in her mind, twisting itself into questions she wasn't sure she wanted answers to.

By morning, she decided she wasn't going to wait for him to call. If Ren had something to say, he would say it. Until then, she had a job to do.

That afternoon, she found herself in a café, laptop open, forcing herself to focus on work. But no matter how many times she reread her draft, her thoughts kept drifting back to Ren.

His presence alone sent a rush of emotions through her—relief, frustration, something dangerously close to longing.

He sat across from her, his usual calm demeanor in place, but there was something in his eyes that wasn't there before. A hesitation. A weight.

"I should have called," he admitted.

Emma closed her laptop. "Who is she?"

Ren exhaled. "Aiko and I… we were together. A long time ago."

Emma swallowed. Four years wasn't just a past relationship—it was a history, a piece of his life she hadn't been part of.

Ren's jaw tensed. "She left. Without a word. And now, after all this time, she's back."

Emma studied him. "Do you still love her?"

Ren didn't answer right away. That hesitation—it cut through her like glass.

"I don't know," he admitted finally. "I don't know what she wants."

Emma felt like the ground beneath her had shifted.

She had been falling for him. She knew that now. But how could she compete with four years? With a love that had already existed before her?

She forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Then I think you need to figure that out."

Ren's gaze snapped to hers. "Emma—"

She shook her head, standing. "I won't be someone's second choice, Ren."

He didn't stop her as she walked away.

And maybe that was the part that hurt the most.

Crossroad