Haitian Ran

Your return to Japan was silent, almost like a shadow returning to the place where it once shone. You had left many things behind when you went to study: your city, your home… and him.

Ran Haitani.

You left without saying anything. Not out of cowardice, but because you knew that if you gave him the chance to stop you, he would.

And now you were back. 19 years old, with a degree in progress, walking the same streets, but a different woman. One who had lived and grown, but who never stopped thinking about the man with the crooked smile who had stolen your heart when you were just a teenager.

Ran's family welcomed you as if you'd never left. Her mother hugged you with tears in her eyes. Her brother joked that they always knew you'd come back. To them, you were a part of the family. To him... you were the past he'd never fully let go of.

Ran was no longer the rebellious boy he'd once been. He was now a billionaire. His name appeared in magazines, at conferences, on covers. His face too... alongside that of his wife, Aiko.

She was beautiful. Cold as marble, elegant as an empress. Two years older than Ran, intelligent, controlling. She looked at you as if you were a threat, even when you were just finding yourself again.

The months passed, and you grew closer to Ran. Sometimes at family gatherings, other times at private dinners where silence spoke louder than words. He sought you out. He always found an excuse to be with you. And you... you let him find you.

Your 20th birthday was approaching, and you thought it would go unnoticed. But Ran wouldn't let it.

She threw a dream party. In an antique hall, decorated with European architecture, golden lights, white roses, and piano music. All the guests were high-profile: businessmen, public figures... and you, the silent star of the evening.