Whispers in the Winter Wind

A couple of months had passed since Furuya and Catherine's wedding, and the initial excitement had mellowed, allowing a comfortable sense of the familiar to settle back into their lives. However, this return to their daily lives was different; now they were united as a married couple, which brought an added layer of contentment to their days.

The couple had enjoyed a long, month-long honeymoon in Ireland and posted numerous pictures online, documenting their vacation for their loved ones. The pictures, saturated with joyous smiles and expressions of genuine happiness, clearly showed everyone how much the couple treasured their time together.

They had visited many historical sites, explored the beautiful Irish countryside, and savored the local foods, which they found to be exceptionally tasty.

Upon their return to Japan, they smoothly moved back into their lives, now connected as husband and wife, adding a new level of pleasure to their days. Yasushi and the others had all returned to their respective countries.

Yasushi, with his family, were back in the United Kingdom, continuing their work, and only last month, they announced various breakthroughs in AGI and quantum technologies, once again drawing global media attention.

A key aspect of their presentation was a pill designed to significantly extend lifespans, which gained immense attention. The technology to extend the human lifespan was a major step forward.

Yasushi sat in his office, pen tapping against his temple, his expression reflecting his growing frustration. He had advanced in the company these past few months, now spending more time with administrative duties. This promotion, while a step up for most, had become a source of irritation for him.

Though he still had his hands in the experimental work with quantum tech and AGI updates, a considerable part of his days were consumed by paperwork and other tiresome tasks. He was stuck, for the time being, in a cycle of tedium that even the substantial pay raise couldn't alleviate. He stared at the growing pile of documents, his frustration growing with each page.

What further added to his confusion was Jingliu, his fiancé. She had become rather unusual for the last couple of months, the change becoming more pronounced a month or so after the wedding. Her behavior had taken an unusual turn that he couldn't quite decipher.

This sudden change had Yasushi perplexed, and he couldn't quite place the reason behind it. It was as if she was operating on some different wavelength, and he couldn't figure out what had caused it. The wedding was an excellent time for everyone, so he couldn't understand why she would be acting so differently.

He paused, placing the documents back onto the desk, and reached for his phone. Yasushi idly scrolled through various apps, finding nothing of particular interest. He then navigated to his messages, browsing his older conversations until he located his chat with Furuya. He re-read their exchange, and his eyes stopped at a message from about a month prior. The message simply read, "Catherine is pregnant with my kid!"

Following that message, Furuya had forwarded it to their group chat, which was filled with their friends, causing a considerable commotion. This revelation, however, came as no surprise to Yasushi. This was the prediction he had received from Shiva months ago. It was a topic they had even talked about during the wedding reception.

With his generous gifts of a new house, the expenses for the wedding, honeymoon, reception, and the pre-paid education for their future children all taken care of, Furuya could now freely use the money he had saved up for his growing family. He was aware that Catherine also had her own savings that she could fall back on too.

Yasushi shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he muttered, "I'll learn the reason soon enough…and those two will finally experience the joys of parenthood." With that thought, he turned his attention back to his work, faced with the daunting pile of documents that still needed his attention.

Despite his frustration with his administrative tasks, the prospect of returning home to his family filled him with a sense of anticipation. However, alongside this excitement, a feeling of unease settled in, knowing that his two daughters and his little sister were getting older.

He considered that they would eventually become more independent, needing less of his guidance, and perhaps even beginning a phase of rebellion, which was something he wasn't looking forward to. He couldn't quite shake the feeling of a turning point approaching, and wondered how it would change their family dynamic.

+-+

As Yasushi exited his workplace, he made his way to the underground parking lot, where he noticed Jingliu standing next to his motorcycle. He approached her, giving her shoulder a gentle tap.

"Hey, were you waiting for me?" he asked, surprised to see her there. Usually, their work schedules had them leaving at slightly different times. Today, he knew, she had finished about an hour before him. Yet, there she was, waiting patiently.

Jingliu looked at him for a moment before giving a nod.

"Yeah... I wanted to go home with you... but could we take a slight detour? Maybe a little date?" she proposed, her voice devoid of any emotion.

Yasushi found himself readily agreeing to her request. "Of course, an after-work date it is," he responded, a grin spreading across his face. He then pulled an extra helmet out of his storage ring and handed it to her. After they both had secured their helmets, they climbed onto his motorcycle and drove out of the parking lot and into the busy city streets.

+-+

Yasushi wasn't certain where this impromptu date would lead, but after a brief ride, Jingliu gently tugged on his arm, directing him towards a nearby parking area. He pulled into the space, paid the fee, and they dismounted from the bike.

Jingliu took his hand, her fingers wrapping around his as she started to lead the way. There was a quietness between them, a lack of conversation that had become rather usual these past few weeks.

However, Yasushi remembered when they first started speaking and how it was similar at the time, so he didn't find it particularly odd.

She guided him towards a small food stand selling both kebabs and crepes, a somewhat unusual combination that made Yasushi raise an eyebrow. Still, they ordered one of each and were surprised by the flavors, both items proving to be quite tasty.

They finished their food and, before leaving the stand, they purchased two more of each item. After that, they started walking towards a bustling shopping district. The area was crowded with shoppers at this time of day, the sidewalks packed with people moving about.

"Are we buying ingredients for something?" he asked, taking a large bite from the kebab, some of the sauce smeared around his mouth.

"Mmm... I have a special meal planned for tonight, so make sure you leave some space for it," she replied, a touch of warmth returning to her voice, a sound which made him feel more at ease than he had in the last few weeks.

"Oh, is that so? Well, I'm definitely looking forward to it... Hey, how about we do some cooking together? I could prepare something for you, and you could cook something for me, or maybe we can just do one big dish together," he suggested, his attention on her head, wondering if she would agree to his proposal.

Jingliu responded by giving his hand a gentle squeeze and a nod, a sign which he understood to mean agreement, and he felt a rush of happiness at her simple action. They continued walking through the crowded streets, eventually arriving at a small shop packed with all sorts of items, most of which were edible.

They walked through the shop, their eyes darting from the shelves and baskets to the freezers and tables. Most of the items looked pretty fresh, although some were clearly not at their best anymore. Yasushi picked up a can, his curiosity getting the better of him as he checked the date. He was taken aback, discovering it wouldn't expire for another two decades.

To Yasushi's astonishment, Jingliu grabbed the can of corn beef and placed it directly into their shopping basket, which they had picked up at the store's entrance. He hadn't anticipated that she would use corn beef in the dish she had planned for tonight, but he quickly understood that he was completely mistaken in that regard.

They resumed walking through the store, Jingliu carefully choosing various new items and ingredients and placing them in their basket, watching it slowly become more full with each item. The diverse collection of items she had selected for their meal confused him greatly. He was unsure whether she was getting things specifically for the dinner she had in mind or if these were just general items she wanted to keep in the house for later use.

Still, he decided to refrain from questioning her choices and simply went along with her selections. Yasushi also began grabbing items that appealed to him, things he thought he might enjoy eating, drinking, or using in his own dish for the night.

He mostly carried the items himself, not wishing to add more to the basket. The shopping basket Jingliu was carrying was getting very full at this point, and he did not want it to overflow. He wondered just how big her planned meal was going to be, but he waited patiently.

They also made certain to include some snacks in their shopping for his daughters, knowing that they always requested them from him. Once they were satisfied with their purchases, they moved towards the checkout area and paid for their groceries.

They then exited the store with no issue and put all their items into their respective storage rings, ensuring they were unburdened while they moved about. Their after-work date continued as they strolled through the district, moving from one location to the next, and wandering into the many shops they came across.

The area was still full of people from all walks of life. Teenagers, college students, young adults, and the working class were all mixed in with one another.

Everyone present had their own specific reason for being there. However, eventually, they found themselves in a small area with an ice rink, where several people were skating around. Jingliu turned her attention towards Yasushi, holding his gaze for a couple of seconds.

"Do you want to try skating?" he asked, noticing that she was focused directly on him and he was curious as to what was on her mind. He did not know if she wanted to try it out for herself, or if she was interested in something else.

After a moment, she nodded her head in agreement. They approached the person in charge of the ice rink, paid the necessary fee, and were handed a pair of skates each. They sat down on a nearby bench and put on the skates.

Once they stepped onto the ice, Jingliu almost lost her footing, but Yasushi was quick enough to grab her arm before she could fall. He steadied her, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

"Before I was reborn here, I had a chance to try ice skating a couple of times. It wasn't something I did often but, I found out I was quite good at it. I think I can still do it now, so I'll assist you in learning," he said. Jingliu responded with a small smile of her own and a nod of her head.

Yasushi pushed off, gliding away from her and told her to just try and reach him. He made sure not to go too far, however, from Jingliu's position, the small distance felt quite significant. Still, she tried her best, and her legs wobbled on the ice, and she almost fell a few times.

Despite that, she slowly made her way to Yasushi, eventually landing in his arms. He chuckled softly at her effort. "Good job," he said, kissing her forehead gently, and causing her cheeks to turn a light shade of red.

Yasushi gently released her again and skated a bit further away this time. As Jingliu made her way towards him, albeit slowly, he gave her pointers and advice, which she tried to implement as she moved.

Gradually, she found herself gliding across the ice with more ease and less wobbling. She carefully skated towards him once again, ending up in his arms once more. They both shared a hearty laugh at her small accomplishment.

Both of them were happy at her fast learning and her quick improvement. They continued to repeat this process several times until Jingliu started to become more comfortable with skating at a beginner level.

Now that Jingliu had a basic understanding of skating, Yasushi wanted to test if he still had any skill at ice skating. He let go of her and began dashing around the ice rink, surprising Jingliu and the other people on the ice.

They were also impressed by his speed and the skill at which he moved around. He was cheered on by a few kids which made him chuckle and he kept going for another minute, displaying his abilities with sharp turns and quick movements before making a sudden rush back to Jingliu, stopping abruptly in front of her.

"Teach me, please," she said, her hands reaching out to grasp his.

Yasushi readily agreed, his hands taking hers as he started to guide her across the ice. He skated backwards while assisting her, helping her to grow accustomed to skating at slightly faster speeds than she had earlier.

He made certain not to push her too far, not to his earlier speed but just a bit faster so that she could get used to it. Slowly, she began to get the hang of it, and they chose to maintain this pace for the rest of their time on the ice.

After an hour of skating, their time was up, and they exited the rink, both of them feeling happy with the enjoyable time they just had.

They continued to walk around the shopping district for a little while longer, before deciding to return home, eager to cook their respective meals for one another. They were both excited and interested in what the other person was planning to do for dinner and they looked forward to it.