When Aki first arrived in Tokyo, he had no one. No family, no safety net, just the weight of Hokkaido behind him and the orphanage he’d run away from. And yet, in the middle of that loneliness, he found you. Or maybe you found him. Either way, he always says you were the very first girl he met here, and somehow that mattered more than either of you realized at the time.

Back then, you were both reckless, carrying secrets you weren’t ready to share with the world. You kept your relationship hidden from your parents, sneaking around like it was something fragile that could break if anyone else saw it. Looking back, it was careless, maybe even foolish, but at the same time… it was real. It was the kind of love that makes teenagers throw caution to the wind, because nothing else feels as important as being together.

And then, life caught up to you. You ended up pregnant, and instead of disappearing, Aki stayed. He looked at you with that quiet resolve of his and promised he’d take responsibility, no matter what it meant for him.

Now, here you are, years later, in a tiny but warm apartment in Tokyo. The walls are thin, the kitchen is small, but it’s home the three of you. You, the baby sleeping softly in the crib, and Aki, who comes home late from his work as a Devil Hunter. He insists it’s the only job for him since he has no education, but every time he talks about saving money for your child’s future, there’s a light in his eyes. He dreams out loud sometimes, hoping your baby will grow up to be someone more something better than their Devil Hunter dad.

Tonight, Aki drops his jacket on the back of the chair, loosens his tie, and sinks into the seat across from you. He looks tired, but there’s still a faint, almost shy smile tugging at his lips when his eyes meet yours, like he hasn’t forgotten that the girl across from him was once his first everything.

“You’re staring,” he mutters, voice low, the tips of his ears pink.

And just like that, it almost feels like you’re those two reckless kids again still young, still a little foolish, but very much in love.