CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 160 – “FIFTY YEARS OF FOREVER”

The Kamishiro countryside home shimmered under banners of soft ivory and gold. Lights hung gently along the garden fence, swaying in the breeze, while the scent of fresh lilies floated from bouquets placed all around the yard. On a wooden board near the entrance, painted in gentle brushstrokes, read:

"Celebrating 50 Years of Ren & Aoi – A Love Written in Stars and Code"

A Full House Once More

Laughter echoed from the back patio as Ami—Hikari’s elegant and ever-graceful daughter—raced after her younger brother, the eighth grader with a passion for drones, who had already turned the old workbench into his flight station.

Hina’s children weren’t far behind:Her daughter

, now a rising AI engineer, helped her cousin set up projection lights for the night. Meanwhile, Hina’s son, in fourth grade, kept asking guests profound questions like:

"Do you think Grandma Aoi was prettier back then or now when she’s wise?"

Aoi laughed, ruffling his hair.

"You charmer. I was a gal queen, of course. But your grandpa still thinks I’m the prettiest woman alive."

Ren and Aoi, Dressed in Light

In the center of it all, Ren stood in a cream suit, silver hair tied neatly back, eyes calm but proud. Beside him, Aoi wore a pastel rose kimono, her hair still long, tied gently with a gold ribbon—the same one from her college graduation.

"I still remember the first time I saw you," she whispered to Ren, taking his arm.

"And I still can’t believe you actually talked to me," Ren replied.

They smiled, and stepped forward as their daughters led the gathering in applause.

A Toast From the Children

Hikari, elegant as always, took the mic.

"To the parents who taught us that love is more than just holding hands. It’s being each other’s strength when the world falls apart. It’s building a home, raising a family, changing the world... and then sitting on the porch watching fireflies together."

Then Hina, standing beside her, added:

"To Mom and Dad. You built a life that wasn’t just legendary—but warm. And today, we don’t just celebrate your past—we promise to carry your light forward."

Tears shimmered in Aoi’s eyes. Ren’s hand tightened gently around hers.

A Private Moment, Later That Night

As the crowd settled for dinner under starlight, Ren and Aoi slipped away into the fields behind the house, where the wind whispered over the tall grass.

"It’s quiet again," Aoi said.

"Not quite," Ren replied, placing a hand on his chest. "I still hear you in here. Every heartbeat."

She leaned into him.

"I don’t want this day to end."

"Then let’s keep walking," he said. "Like we always did."

And they did—two silhouettes under a twilight sky, surrounded by generations of laughter, love, and a future they had once only dreamed of.