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Ren had never liked driving.
The ease of public transportation, and the lack of a need to own a car, was something he always loved about being in the city. As long as he lived in Tokyo, he planned to relish the convenience of the extensive train system that got him everywhere he needed to go.
Although he had to admit that recently he’d begun to enjoy drives through his neighborhood. Ever since he’d gifted Makoto her new motorcycle, joyriding had become of their favorite pastimes as a couple. Though that had nothing to do with the bike itself, but the woman riding it.
Nevertheless, there were few situations in his life that required the use of a car. Even when the couple traveled to visit Ren’s parents, with Makoto more than willing to drive the two of them, they would take the train.
So it greatly baffled her during this latest trip, when he insisted they rent a car to make their way back to Tokyo after attending a large family reunion in his hometown. Especially since they’d taken the train into town.
“I just feel like taking a long drive,” he’d explained at the time with a half-hearted shrug. Although unconvinced, she didn’t press the issue. When she had offered to drive the whole way, he insisted that he take the first half.
Which was how they found themselves driving along the Izu Skyline with Ren at the wheel while Makoto relaxed in the passenger seat. They had lucked out with the weather for their trip home. The windows were rolled down to allow them to take advantage of the crisp yet sunny Fall day, the first in weeks. Makoto marveled at the sight of the fall foliage that surrounded them, framed beautifully by Mount Fuji on one side and Sagami Bay on the other.
“It’s a beautiful view,” she said, sighing as she took in the spring air flowing in through her open window.
Ren hummed his agreement. “Sure. But I have to admit that the view outside the car isn’t nearly as beautiful as the one inside it.”
Makoto rolled her eyes at the corny line, albeit with a noticeable smile. “Speaking of which, I finally learned this weekend where you got your dorky sense of humor. It seems to run strong on your mother’s side.”
“I think you mean to say where I got my amazing wit.” He teased her, playfully tapping her on the leg. She snorted at him. “Yeah, I saw you talking quite a bit with my family, and not just my parents. You seem to be getting along with a lot of them now that you’ve been to a few of these things. You’re not as shy as you used to be.”
That was true. Even though he was an only child, Ren had a large extended family that had intimidated her at first. The more family gatherings they attended, the less she felt like an outsider. “I think so too. Although the conversation always seems to devolve into when we’re getting married and having kids.”
“Same here,” he sighed. “It’s like they think if they divide and conquer they’ll crack one of us and finally get the answer. I just kept excusing myself to get a drink.”
“Well, that explains your behavior at the end of the night.” Neither of them was the type to drink to the point of inebriation, but she had noticed that he seemed more out of it than usual when the event had finally wrapped up. Drunk Ren wasn’t something that happened often, but when it did he got...overly friendly. It had made for a particularly memorable night.
He smirked in her periphery. “Well, I’m sorry my family was bothering you all night. They can be relentless.”
“It’s alright. I didn’t mind.” She turned to stare out the window, studying the shoreline in the distance. “I just told them that I’m happy with our relationship and where it’s at.”
Ren didn’t respond, his hand tightening a bit around the steering wheel. Keeping his eyes on the road, he reached out to squeeze her thigh reassuringly. Makoto probably thought that she was being subtle with her disappointment, but he understood her better after all these years than anyone else. Which meant he also knew that the best course of action in this situation was to not press the issue.
They continued their drive in silence until Ren began to pull into the parking lot of a small rest area. Makoto shot him a confused look. “Why are we stopping?”
He shrugged as he turned off the engine. “Wanted to stretch out my legs.”
She eyed him curiously as he got out of the car but followed him nonetheless. Without a word, he strode up to a nearby railing which served as a perimeter for the observatory, leaning against the metal bar as he looked out at the bay and the coastal city up ahead. Makoto joined him, leaning against him as they took in the view together.
Ren wrapped an arm around her, bringing her closer as he nuzzled the top of her head. “Look familiar?”
Makoto furrowed her brow as she considered his question. She couldn’t ever remember having visited this exact area with Ren before, although it was possible his family had brought the two of them out for an excursion during one of their many trips to the area. His mother, in particular, loved taking Makoto around to see the sights. Most likely because she was hoping to convince the young couple to leave Tokyo and move near them in Shizuoka. “Should it?”
“It’s been a while,” he said, staring off in the distance with a slight smile on his face. “But years ago we were standing in this same exact spot.”
“Tell me what’s bothering you.”
His voice was low, not wanting to draw the attention of the rest of the team who were off to the other side of the landing taking photos. It was almost amusing how the group had silently but unanimously decided to give Makoto and Ren some space so they could enjoy this rare moment alone. As much as they loved their friends, it was nice to get some time for just the two of them.
Makoto bit her lip, pointedly not looking in his direction as she instead gazed at the water ahead. “Nothing, I’m fine.”
Ren sighed. Although she’d been putting on a good front all morning, it had not gone unnoticed to him that she had been quiet and sullen since they’d departed Tokyo. Their friends had been too busy chatting and keeping each other entertained to notice her somber demeanor, but he hadn’t been able to get his mind off of it all day. Even though he’d known Makoto for less than a year, he liked to think that he already knew her better than he knew himself at times.
Which is why he knew if he continued to press her, she would just close up even more and he wouldn’t get to the bottom of her mood. So instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close and pressing his lips against her temple. “I love you,” he whispered against her ear.
Ren expected to hear the typical ‘I love you, too’ in return but was instead thrown off by the sound of sniffling. As he maneuvered himself to get a better look at her face, he was alarmed to see that tears that had begun to sting her eyes and cheeks. “Makoto…”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, wiping at her face with the sleeves of her coat as she avoided his gaze. “I think I just need a minute.”
But Ren refused to allow her to hide from him, wrapping her back in his arms as he drew her face into his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. This allowed him to provide her with a source of comfort but also to shield her from view from the rest of the group. “It’s okay, I’m here. Talk to me.”
She clung to him tightly as she continued to sniffle, her body shaking slightly as she fought off the beginnings of a deep cry. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I know, I’m going to miss you too.” The sight of the usually composed Makoto so downtrodden was starting to get to him, adding to the dread he had already been feeling at his impending separation from his friends and his beloved girlfriend. He chewed on his cheek to keep himself from tearing up and further upsetting her. “But we’ll be okay. Remember what I told you on Valentine’s Day? Nothing has to change between us.”
She began to shake her head against his chest. “I worry about the distance. That we’ll drift apart. And I don’t want to lose you. You’re too important to me.”
“That’s not going to happen,” he reassured her, squeezing her tighter to stress his point. “I promise. Even in different cities, we’ll talk every day. And I’ll be back as much as I can, as soon as I can.” He lifted one hand, resting it against her cheek to rub away the tears that were gathering on her chilled skin.
Another sniffle escaped her. “Just don’t forget about me, okay?”
He couldn’t help it. A chuckle escaped him. Makoto lifted her head to scowl at him, but he pressed on. “I’m sorry, it’s just the idea of me forgetting about you is ridiculous. No matter what happens to us, you’ll always be on my mind. If I had it my way, we’d never be apart again.”
That seemed to do it. A faint blush began to creep up on her face as she shook her head in embarrassment. “How do you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better?”
Ren smiled at her alleviated mood, reaching out to brush an errant lock of hair behind her ear, taking the time to stroke her cheek as he did so. He paused, running his thumb over her bottom lip as her blush intensified. “I guess it’s just a side effect of being hopelessly in love with you.”
“Yo, lovebirds! Time to go!” They broke apart at the sound of Ryuji’s hollering, looking over to see that most of the group had already climbed back into the van and were waiting for their leaders to return so they could continue their journey to Ren’s hometown.
Their moment alone appeared to have ended. The next time they came to a stop, it would be to drop him off at his parents’ house. Not long after that, they would be separated and their relationship would officially become a long-distance one.
Ren sighed, offering a hand to Makoto as he motioned to the vehicle. “Shall we?”
She took it readily, smiling even though he could still see traces of the tears she had just shed. “Let’s get you home.”
“I had forgotten about that,” Makoto said wistfully. “That was such a long day. All I remember about it is trying to hold it together in front of the others while I drove them home.”
“It was a hard day for me too,” he agreed, rubbing a hand up and down her shoulder as they continued to look out at the water. “Watching you drive away that day was one of the hardest moments of my life. Harder than shooting a god in the face.”
Makoto snorted. “Over six years together and you still always have a line up your sleeve.”
“It’s not a line if it’s true,” he told her, letting go of her arm and maneuvering himself so they were facing each other. He couldn’t help the smile that instantly appeared as he took in the sight of her cheeks and nose, rosy due to the crisp fall weather. Even after all their years together, he was regularly taken off guard by how effortlessly beautiful she was without even realizing it. “I love you more than anything...and I never want to imagine my life without you.”
She raised an eyebrow at him, tilting her head to the side at his sudden declaration. There was something odd about his behavior. Not that Ren wasn’t the type to openly declare his affection to her in the spur of the moment. He often did so to her great embarrassment. But there was something different about the way he was acting at this moment. While on the surface, he appeared aloof, she knew him well enough to pick up on the undercurrent of nervousness in the way he held himself. “I feel the same way, Ren.”
He flashed her a cocky grin, one that she was all too familiar with. “Well, I’m glad you say that because…”
Without missing a beat, he dropped to one knee, fluidly reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out the small velvet box that he had been hiding all weekend. “Marry me?”
Makoto stood frozen, her right hand lifting reflexively to cover her half-open mouth. Ren suppressed a chuckle at how flustered she’d become; he had successfully managed to catch her off guard. A favorite sight of his that he’d never tire of.
But as the silence dragged on without a response, he fidgeted while still hovering in his half-kneeling stance. The hard concrete was digging into his knees uncomfortably. “Uh, Mako? Can you say something?”
“What?” she asked, sounding surprised as if she’d forgotten somehow that he was still there.
“I still need an answer.”
“O-oh, right,” she stuttered but didn’t elaborate.
“Is that a yes?” He asked nervously, suddenly aware of how long they still had to drive until they reached Tokyo. Could he survive the ride home if she turned him down? That was something he should have thought through before planning this in the first place.
The panic must have been evident in his voice, as she seemed to snap back to attention with a smile. A smile that was so genuine he felt his heart constrict in response. “Of course, Ren. Of course it is.”
Ren exhaled in relief, grinning widely as he stood up and pulled her towards him. It took all of his focus to keeps his hands steady as he placed the ring on her finger, practically giddy as he embraced her, drawing her in for a kiss which she readily reciprocated.
“I can’t believe you hid this from me!” She exclaimed, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. The wide smile on her face matched his own.
“I told you I’d take you by surprise when the time came, didn’t I?”
“I never suspected a thing,” she admitted, shaking her head as if disappointed in herself. Ren pulled her in for another kiss, holding her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen their embrace.
Thankfully they were still alone in the rest area, which allowed them to exchange a few more tender kisses before finally heading back to the car. Ren felt lighter than he’d had in weeks as they resumed their journey home, Makoto visibly more awake in the passenger seat than she’d been on the first half of their drive.
Makoto was already listing off the planning that needed to be done, all the while admiring her new ring. Although it wasn’t the most extravagant piece of jewelry (after all, that wasn’t her style), the sunlight flowing in through the passenger side window was causing it to glint and shine as if it was the most impressive ring she’d ever seen. Appropriate considering how much it symbolized in the current moment - the start of a life together. A lasting commitment to a promise that he’d made long ago.
Ren reached over and grabbed her hand, kissing their clasped fingers. “I can’t wait to announce to the world that I’m engaged to the most amazing woman.”
Makoto shook her head, laughing softly as she turned to stare out the window. “Did you tell anyone what you were planning?”
“No, I wanted us to let everyone know together.”
She pursed her lips. “Everyone? Even Sis?”
Ren blanched. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that he should probably give Sae a heads up regarding his plans to propose to her sister. Not that he believed he needed her blessing, that was too old-fashioned for his taste, but he knew how much both Niijima sisters hated being taken by surprise. And for Sae, that was especially the case when it came to anything involving Makoto. “Do you think...that will be a problem?”
She brought a hand to her chin. “Maybe...we should consider getting a few drinks in her first...”