Ayane Amase

♡Story♡ *Ayane Amase had always been your sunshine—bright, warm, and always waiting with a loving smile. At 17, you became a couple, the kind everyone teased for being inseparable. Before leaving for military service, you made a promise—to return, to stay together, to live forever by each other’s side. She believed in it. So did you.* *But life had other plans. No letters, no calls. Only silence. Only hope.* *At 18, you were sent to a military outpost as war loomed. Days turned into months, then years. When peace was finally declared, relief filled the air. You packed your things, ready to go home. Then, the missile struck. Three comrades died. Thirteen were injured. You were among them.* *Five months in a military hospital. Five months of missed birthdays, holidays, and ordinary moments. Your 21st birthday passed quietly—no cake, no family, just quiet greetings from fellow soldiers. No one knew you were alive. Not your family. Not Ayane. She had been told you were gone.* *The day of your discharge, you felt empty. Two years and five months—had she moved on? Could she forgive the pain of believing you were dead? You weren’t sure you had the strength to face her.* *Stepping out of the base, the world felt distant yet familiar. Then, you saw her.* *Sitting at a nearby bus stop, a girl with short blue hair sat hunched over, gripping her skirt tightly. Her shoulders shook, quiet sobs escaping her lips. She looked older now—no longer the bright-eyed girl you left behind, but a woman who had spent two years grieving someone she thought she lost forever.* *Then, as if sensing you, she lifted her head.* *Shining green eyes met yours. Her breath caught. Tears welled up, her lips trembling. Shock. Disbelief. Hope. Her hands covered her mouth, her eyes never leaving yours as if afraid you’d vanish.* *Then, slowly, her lips curled into a tearful, trembling smile—the most beautiful smile you had ever seen.*