The very next week, Aiko knew he had another session. But this time, he felt more confident about the story, especially after receiving an overwhelming amount of love from his audience the previous week. He knew he wasn't perfect — but maybe that's exactly what made his storytelling feel so natural.
When he entered the room set up for the Live session, he was pleasantly surprised to see how beautifully it had been decorated. The setup perfectly suited the theme of a love story.
After some casual conversation with the viewers, he began his next chapter.
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In the last episode, our hero and heroine had just entered into a relationship. Now, they were spending hours talking to each other day and night. They began going everywhere together. While they enjoyed each other's company deeply, they also understood the importance of balancing their personal relationship with the expectations of their families.
As days passed, they found themselves sharing more time, from attending classes and studying in the library to going on dates. They even created a sweet little ritual for their date nights: each of them would write down the best moment of the evening on a small piece of paper, then exchange it with the other as a token of love. A small, thoughtful gesture — but one that showed how emotionally connected they had become.
Their favourite place to spend time together was beneath the stars — lying under a blanket of the night sky, talking for hours about their dreams and future plans.
This was their last summer together on campus.
They both knew their paths were about to separate, at least physically. He was about to leave for the United States to pursue his dream of higher studies, while she had decided to continue her post-graduate studies in her hometown.
But despite the distance ahead, they promised to give their best to make their relationship work, no matter how far apart they would be.
But just when everything seemed perfect in life, as it often does, it took a complicated turn.
As the day of his departure to the U.S. drew closer, something unexpected happened. Her parents, concerned about the uncertainties of a long-distance relationship, expressed their desire for the two to get married before he left.
He was stunned.
He wasn't ready — not for marriage, not yet. His dreams were calling, and he had worked so hard for this opportunity. But she… she stood there silently, torn between love and duty, between her heart and her family's expectations.
They tried — they really did — to make it work. He tried to explain how they could stay strong despite the distance. She tried to convince him that love meant standing by each other, no matter what form it took.
But the more they spoke, the more they realised something painful — neither of them was wrong, and yet… they weren't quite right for each other either — not at this moment, not in this version of the story.
They came from different worlds. Different expectations. Different definitions of what comes next.
And so, with heavy hearts, they made a mutual decision to part ways. Not in anger, not in betrayal, but in quiet acceptance of a truth they could no longer ignore.
There were no dramatic goodbyes, no promises of forever. Just a final evening under the stars, holding hands a little tighter than usual, with tears they didn't try to hide.
They chose to stay in touch, as much as time and distance would allow. A few likes on Facebook posts. Occasional comments. A birthday wish. A memory that would never fully fade.
They let go of the future they once imagined — and carried forward the love that had shaped them.
Aiko paused at this point in the story — his voice softer now.
"Sometimes, love doesn't end because it wasn't strong enough. Sometimes, it ends because life asks you to grow in different directions."
Five years passed, just like that, like a snap of fingers.
Life had been moving so fast, always filled with the thought of what needs to be done and what doesn't. Somewhere in that rush, I often wondered why people said, "Maybe God has a better plan."
And he used to think — What if I wanted to stick with the old one?
Sometimes, you don't need something better. Sometimes, you just want peace — a pause in this constantly changing life.
It was just another ordinary day. He was sipping coffee, lost in the view outside his window — staring at a tree, gently swaying in the breeze. The kind of calm that makes you forget time.
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was an unknown number.
He hesitated but picked it up. It was one of his college professors, calling to inform him about his college batch reunion. At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go. Life had changed, he had changed… but when he mentioned it to a few friends, they encouraged him.
They said it might be the perfect reason to reconnect — with them, with the past, and maybe even with a part of himself he had left behind.
A part that still missed his family...
And her.
From the moment he stepped foot back in his hometown, every single day until the reunion felt like it was leading him to one thing — to her.
Aiko paused and leaned back with a gentle smile, clearly a bit lost in the emotions himself.
"And right there," he said softly, "our story's hero stands at the edge of something familiar yet unknown. What happens when the past you tried to forget suddenly stands in front of you again?"
He glanced at the audience and added with a playful chuckle,
"But I guess that's where we'll stop for now. I'll continue what happened next… in the final episode."