wanted certainty. She had met people who avoided definitions because they wanted freedom without responsibility.
Kenji was offering neither pressure nor evasion.
He was asking her to think.
That night, Yuki returned to her hotel with a strange mixture of happiness and fear.
The next morning, she made a decision that would astonish everyone who knew her.
She would marry Kenji.
Not because she believed love eliminated every difficulty, but because she wanted to explore the possibility of a life with him honestly, with her eyes open.
And, after a series of long conversations, Kenji agreed.
Ten days after they first met, they were married.
Chapter Four: Ten Days, One Wedding, and a Thousand Questions
The wedding was small.
There was no extravagant venue, no elaborate ceremony, and no enormous guest list. The celebration reflected what Yuki and Kenji wanted: something personal, quiet, and meaningful.
But outside that small circle,
