Chapter 41.1: Whispers and Watchful Eyes
It had been just a few days since Ren and Aoi's wedding invitations had gone out. Though they hadn't publicly declared every detail of their relationship in their respective offices, the signs were becoming impossible to ignore.
Ren's Office — Lunchtime Buzz
In a sunlit break room with modern furniture and coffee machines humming in the background, a few of Ren's colleagues gathered around the table, their voices low and intrigued.
"Did you see the woman Ren-san picked up the other day?" one whispered, eyes wide.
"Yeah. I thought she was some actress or something. She literally looked like she stepped off a runway."
"That was Aoi-san, right?" said another, adjusting his tie. "I heard someone say she's his fiancée."
The first man leaned back in his chair. "Seriously? So he's engaged? That explains the sudden glow-up and the M5 he's been discreetly driving."
"Man… Ren's always been quiet, but who knew he was dating someone that out of this world."
"Not just dating," someone muttered. "He's marrying her. That's the word floating around."
Silence hung for a moment.
And then, with a grin, the oldest among them chuckled. "You know what they say—quiet guys are dangerous. Watch out, he might be a full-on romantic killer underneath all that programming genius."
Aoi's Office — A Curious Mystery
Meanwhile, across the city in Aoi's office, her BMW 7 Series had already caused a stir. People snapped quiet photos of it in the parking lot, posting it in private group chats with captions like:
"Who drives this? It looks like a celebrity's car!"
"I thought Aoi-chan took the train like the rest of us…"
Inside the office, whispers and glances followed her wherever she went.
Aoi handled it all with grace, as always—but she could feel the curiosity burning just beneath the surface.
During a break, one of her close colleagues, Mai, finally dared to speak up.
"Aoi-chan… I have to ask," she said, peering around as if someone might overhear. "That car you came in today—was it yours?"
Aoi gave a small smile, sipping her iced coffee. "Technically… it was a gift."
"A gift?" Mai blinked. "From…?"
Aoi paused for a moment, then raised one hand and made a gesture as if showing off a ring.
"My fiancé."
The group of girls around her all gasped.
"Wait—you're engaged?!"
"To who? Do we know him?!"
Aoi's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You might know of him."
"But what does he do?"
"Is he rich?"
"Where did you meet?"
Aoi leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "He's quiet, smart, kind of a tech guy. And I've loved him since high school."
Mai's eyes widened. "You're kidding. It's a high school sweetheart thing?!"
"I'm not kidding at all," Aoi said, with a proud smile. "We're getting married this month."
The buzz exploded after that. The news ran through her department like wildfire. Everyone wanted to know the identity of this mysterious fiancé. It didn't take long before someone connected the dots.
"Wait… is it Ren from Meiyo University?"
"The robotics genius?!"
"He's working at a cloud infrastructure company now, right?"
"Are they the couple who bought those rings at Shinjuku last week?!"
Aoi laughed as the speculation spiraled into wild rumors.
That Night
Back at home, Aoi curled up beside Ren on their couch, scrolling through her phone and laughing.
"Apparently someone at my office thinks you're a startup CEO who used to be a child actor."
Ren looked up from his laptop with a raised brow. "Where did that come from?"
Aoi grinned. "People are just guessing now. It's kind of fun, actually."
He leaned over and kissed her temple. "Let them guess. Soon, they'll all know the truth."
"Mm. Soon," she said softly, looking at him with warmth.
But as the evening fell over Tokyo and the stars twinkled above, a pair of eyes watched them from a quiet alleyway across the street—hidden in a passing taxi.
Saki's voice was barely a whisper.
"…So it's true. You're really going to marry her."
She turned away, the cold window reflecting her trembling smile.
"But I'll see you soon, Ren. I promise."