The next morning, Chiaki smoothed out the hem of her dress one last time, adjusting the light cardigan over her shoulders as she caught her reflection in the mirror. She was just about to reach for her bag when her phone buzzed. A message from Liam lit up her screen.
"I'm outside."
Her eyes widened. Outside? She rushed to the window, pulling back the curtain and there he was, leaning against his car in a crisp white shirt and navy slacks, casually scrolling his phone like he belonged there.
She hurried down the stairs and out the door, nearly bumping into him.
"You didn't have to pick me up," she said, catching her breath.
"I wanted to," Liam replied with an easy smile. "Come on. I'll drive."
Chiaki slid into the passenger seat. She reached for the seatbelt, but it snagged halfway. Before she could try again, Liam leaned across her, his hand brushing hers as he smoothly fastened the belt.
He didn't pull back right away.
Their faces were close and for a breathless second, all she could hear was the soft hum of the car engine and the pounding of her heart.
"Chiaki," he murmured, his voice hushed, "can I kiss you?"
She nodded, barely able to speak.
Liam leaned in, brushing his lips against hers with a tenderness that made her eyes flutter shut. The kiss deepened slowly, his hand cupping her cheek, thumb grazing her jaw. It was warm, sweet, and unhurried like he was savoring the moment as much as she was.
When he finally pulled back, his lips curved in a soft grin. "Your breakfast tastes yummy."
Chiaki turned bright red. "Liam!"
"What?" he said innocently, starting the engine. "Just being honest."
After a while, they pulled up to campus and it didn't take long for people to notice. Students turned as the two walked across the courtyard together, conversations pausing mid-sentence.
"Is that Liam Reynolds?"
"Wait—who's that girl with him?"
Chiaki tried to focus on her steps, but the whispers followed. Liam, however, walked beside her like nothing in the world mattered more. When they reached her classroom door, he turned and said, "I'll come by after your first class. Let's have lunch together."
She blinked. "You're really committing to this whole 'trying to know each other' role, huh?"
He winked. "I meant what I said."
Later, Liam took her to a charming little restaurant tucked away from the main street. The cozy interior smelled of fresh herbs and bread, and the lighting made everything feel calm, intimate. They sat across from each other in a booth, sipping iced teas and sharing warm appetizers while the clatter of plates and soft music filled the space.
Chiaki stirred her drink slowly, then asked, "Why did you say yes to trying this with me?"
Liam set his glass down and looked at her, serious now. "I could ask you the same."
"You're Liam Reynolds," she said quietly. "You have everything, the looks, family, status. You don't need an arrangement to get married."
He reached across the table, his fingers brushing hers. "I know. My parents also wanted me to find someone I love to get married. Not just any family or business ties."
She didn't know what to say, so she whispered, "so you don't have to pity me. After knowing my father's health condition. I am mentally prepared to marry anyone."
"Anyone except me" Liam murmured and his eyes turned sad.
She looked up, startled by the quiet pain in Liam's voice. Chiaki realised that he was right. His eyes, usually warm and teasing, now held something deeper, something raw.
"Liam…" she began softly, her voice almost lost beneath the gentle clatter of plates around them.
"You said you were prepared to marry anyone," he repeated, his thumb brushing slowly over the back of her hand, "except me."
"That's not what I meant," Clara said quickly, shaking her head. "It's not you, it was never about you."
"Then what was it?" he asked, searching her eyes. "Because from where I stood, it felt like you were always keeping your distance. Even now, part of you still is."
She looked away, her heart thudding. "I thought you were already in love with someone else. Back then… I overheard you rejecting a confession. You said you had someone you liked."
Liam's expression shifted with quiet surprise, then understanding.
"I said that to avoid hurting her feelings," he said gently. "There was no one else, Clara. Not then, not now."
Her eyes flicked back to his, wide and vulnerable. "Really?"
He nodded. "The only person I've ever truly wanted to know… is you."
Chiaki's heart was racing. She could hardly think past the rush of his words that there was no one else.
For so long, she'd convinced herself she was standing on the edge of something she could never have. Watching from a distance. Admiring in silence. And now, the very person she thought was out of reach was sitting in front of her, eyes sincere, voice steady, telling her that he had always seen her.
Her throat tightened as she whispered, "All this time… I thought you liked someone else. I thought I was just someone your family asked you to meet."
Liam exhaled slowly, never letting go of her hand. "But when I walked into that restaurant and saw you sitting there, I didn't see you just a lady I needed to meet. I saw you. The way you smiled politely, the way your eyes didn't try to charm or perform. You were just… real."
She couldn't stop the heat from rising in her cheeks. "You say things like that so easily."
"It's not easy," Liam murmured, gently turning her hand over and pressing his lips softly to her palm. "It's just the truth."
Chiaki's breath caught at the sensation of warm, tender, sending a soft jolt through her chest. His kiss lingered a moment longer than expected, and when he looked up at her again, his voice dropped just slightly.
"I want to get to know you, Clara. Not because of any arrangement. Not because of our families. But because you're the one I think about in the quiet moments. Because when I imagine a future, it's your voice I hear in the background."
The words struck something deep in her, her past fear and past doubt. She once scarified her true feelings and married someone who I was convenient. For the first time, she realized maybe she didn't have to give anything up in her previous life.
"Liam," she said softly, her fingers curling around his, "I never imagined you would say this to me…"
"Clara, I am serious and all my words are truth," he finished gently. Liam stood from his seat and came around the table. He held out a hand, and she took it.
Without a word, drew her into his arms. There, in the warm corner of the little restaurant, with the murmur of conversation around them and the afternoon light spilling through the windows, Liam held Clara close, his chin resting against her temple.
"Please don't run away from us," he whispered. "And no more what-ifs."
Chiaki nodded against his chest, her heart full. The walls she had built so carefully around herself began to soften because she finally believed it. That his feelings were real. That they were real.
And as she pulled back just enough to look at him, his eyes shimmering with something between laughter and tears. Liam leaned down once more.
"May I?" he asked, his voice low.
Chiaki smiled, cheeks pink. "Yes."
And when his lips met hers again. It was gentle, reassuring, and impossibly warm and she didn't hold back.
Because this time, she wasn't afraid to fall.