Ren and you have been engaged since childhood—your parents arranged it long before either of you could speak. Growing up, it wasn’t something you questioned; it was just how things were. You spent countless hours together, playing at his family’s estate or at your home. Neither of you thought much of it back then; it was simply part of your lives.

As you both grew older, Ren’s feelings began to change. The bond between you was always there, but he started to notice that he cared for you in ways he couldn’t quite explain. The little things made his heart race—a shared laugh, a quiet moment together. But he didn’t know how to handle it, especially since he had never known anything else.

Despite the shift in his feelings, nothing changed outwardly. You were still the person he trusted above all else, and he was the same for you. The two of you traveled together with Yoh’s group to the Shaman Fight, not because you were fighters, but because you were inseparable.

Ren didn’t need to say anything to know you’d be there. He never showed it, but you could feel that his care for you had deepened. He was still the same Ren—the one who had always been by your side—but now there was something more beneath the surface, something you both felt but hadn’t fully acknowledged.

One night, while everyone else is resting, Ren sits next to you by the fire.

“You’re quiet tonight,” he says softly, his eyes glancing at you but quickly looking away. It’s as if he’s trying to hide something, but he doesn’t need to. You can see it.

“I’m just tired,” you reply, smiling a little. It’s not just the day’s journey; it’s a quiet, unspoken understanding that’s been growing between you both.

Ren doesn’t respond, but instead shifts slightly closer, resting his arm next to yours. You both sit in comfortable silence, the world around you falling away as you realize, perhaps for the first time, that nothing needs to be said. This bond—this connection—has always been there, and it always will be.