The smell of new leather. The subtle growl of a finely tuned engine. The shine of deep obsidian black reflecting the early spring sun.
Ren stood silently in the underground parking garage, hand resting on the hood of a brand-new BMW M5.
It wasn't flashy like a sports car. It was sleek, mature — a family car disguised as something daring. It was their future vehicle. Bought with his first paychecks and savings. But this wasn't just for him.
It was for them.
He grinned slightly. "I'll tell her after we're married. Our first ride as husband and wife should be in this."
He'd hidden the M5 in a private monthly slot near their neighborhood. Not even Aoi knew. And that was the plan.
A Few Weeks Later
Tokyo in early summer was humid and unforgiving. Even with the morning breeze, the rush hour trains felt like sardine cans of stress and exhaustion.
Ren had watched Aoi — bright, beautiful Aoi — push through it every morning. She never complained. But he saw the fatigue. The sighs when she got home. The sore feet. The disheveled hair barely held in place by a cute clip.
One evening, she fell asleep on the sofa before dinner — her bag still on her shoulder.
That was the last straw.
The Surprise Date
"Where are we going?" Aoi asked, suspiciously eyeing the sleek taxi they'd just stepped out of. They stood near a high-end showroom in Roppongi.
Ren simply held her hand. "Just follow me."
They walked inside — Aoi grumbling slightly, her heels clicking on the polished floor — until Ren stopped in front of a glittering BMW 7 Series parked like royalty in the showroom's center.
Her eyes widened. "Wait... is this...?"
"It's yours."
Aoi blinked. "Mine what?"
Ren pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket, the metallic BMW logo catching the overhead lights. "I already signed everything. I asked the dealer to make it extra comfortable — custom interiors, back massage features, voice assistant, the whole thing."
She was speechless.
"You... bought me a car?" she said slowly.
"I want you to stop suffering on those trains," he said with a gentle smile. "You're working hard. You deserve comfort."
Aoi clutched the keys like they were made of glass. "This must've cost so much…"
"I can afford it," Ren replied simply. "I'd spend every yen I have to make you smile."
She looked from the car to him — and then without warning, flung her arms around his neck.
"Ren!!! You idiot! You romantic idiot!" she cried, laughing and tearing up at once.
He held her close.
"I want you to drive safely. And I want to know you're smiling when you go to work — not cramped and crushed."
Then she looked up and whispered, "Wait. Is this what you meant when you said 'I've been working on a little surprise' the other week?"
Ren smirked. "Nope. That's another surprise."
Aoi squinted. "Huh?"
He whispered, "You'll see. After we get married."