Bits of Love, Lines of Code
Chapter 25 - 22: "Blueprints of a Dream — The Secret Foundation of ’Our Home’"

Chapter 25 - 22: "Blueprints of a Dream — The Secret Foundation of 'Our Home'"

It was early autumn when Ren's secret began to take form — not in whispers or fantasies, but in footsteps pressed against damp, earthy soil.

The long holiday they had earned after finishing their internship project had brought a peaceful rhythm to their college life. Days with Aoi felt lighter now, sweetened with late breakfasts and the casual affection of a couple deep in love. But for Ren, something had started growing deep inside — a desire that went beyond campus life, beyond technology.

A life with Aoi... built with his own two hands.

A Quiet Plan in Motion

Every few days, Ren made excuses to take short solo trips — "I'm going to check out a robotics exhibition," or "A professor I admire is giving a guest talk." Aoi never doubted him; her trust in him was absolute. But Ren wasn't going to any exhibition.

He was heading out to a quiet countryside village, two hours outside of Tokyo — where a field of tall corn swayed under an endless blue sky, untouched by time and technology.

This was the place. The land he'd chosen.

Ren had found it after weeks of research. It wasn't on any real estate site. He discovered it through an elderly couple who ran a quiet general store in a nearby town. They mentioned that their neighbor's son had moved to the city and abandoned the fields.

The moment Ren set foot there, a strange peace settled in him.

"I can build here..." he whispered to himself the first time, eyes closed as wind brushed past his hair.

He'd already started taking notes — measuring the land, sketching layouts, and even making a rough draft of the house: a two-story wooden home with a covered porch, a large open kitchen, a cozy reading nook for Aoi, and of course — a garage, and a wide workshop where he could build smart tools that fused manual labor with machine assistance.

His dream wasn't about skyscrapers or AI cities anymore.

It was about a life — built with purpose and shared with someone he loved.

Aoi's Growing Curiosity

Back in Tokyo, Aoi had started to notice something strange.

Ren was... glowing. Happier, more energetic. He'd wake up early, return with muddy shoes, and sometimes disappear for hours on "errands." She wasn't suspicious — not yet — but her instincts told her something was going on.

That evening, curled up together on their small living room couch, she rested her head on his shoulder and murmured:

"You've been going out a lot lately... working on something secret?"

Ren froze for just a moment, then smiled gently.

"Maybe," he said. "But I promise you, it's something for us."

That made her blink. Her heart fluttered.

She didn't ask more. Instead, she softly kissed his cheek.

"Then I'll wait," she whispered, "but don't make me wait too long."

Nurturing the Vision

Each time Ren visited the field, he began marking progress on a private logbook — one Aoi hadn't seen.

Week 1: Purchased plot. Met local carpenter.

Week 2: Cleared dead brush. Measured foundation area.

Week 3: Ordered timber samples. Sketched garage space.

Week 4: Designed solar-energy layout + rainwater system.

He didn't want a house built by strangers. He wanted to work alongside the people in the village — to learn, to shape it himself.

There was something fulfilling about it — working until his hands ached, watching the sky darken over cornfields while imagining Aoi standing by the kitchen window one day, humming while making tea.

It wasn't just a house.

It was a future.

Signs of Change

One evening, Aoi noticed Ren staring at the distant city skyline from their small balcony.

She hugged him from behind and rested her head against his back.

"You've changed," she said softly. "It's not a bad thing... but something's different."

He turned and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I've realized something," he whispered into her hair. "Dreams change, Aoi. And I think mine... now, it's simply to build a life with you. One that's real. Not digital, not flashy. Just ours."

Her breath caught.