CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144 – “SEASONS OF HOME”

It was a warm spring morning in the countryside, the kind that made even the clouds lazy and the wind feel like it was humming a tune.

The fields were bright with sunflowers, the distant hilltops dusted with green, and Ren’s workshop nestled beside their home looked more like a peaceful retreat than the birthplace of some of the world’s most advanced technology.

Inside the house, it smelled of fresh bread and lavender oil—Aoi’s favorite mix. She was up early, hair tied loosely in a ribbon, adjusting the display window of her newly opened boutique studio in the converted guesthouse just down the slope from the main house.

"A little more to the left," Aoi said, stepping back with a basket of hand-dyed fabrics and hand-drawn scientific posters pinned with flair and subtle humor.

The boutique—"Canvas & Circuits"—was her quiet rebellion against the world’s expectations. A space that blended art, science, and soul. Some days she ran small workshops for local kids and teens on basic chemistry and textile printing. Other days, she painted while little Hina cooed in her lap.

Meanwhile, Ren was just outside, sitting on the soft grass under the sakura tree with Hikari on his left and Hina (still babbling nonsense) in a bouncer beside him.

"Okay, kiddo," he said, flipping open a wooden box filled with gears, lenses, and microboards. "Today we’re building something simple. A light compass that points to where you feel the happiest. You tell me where, and I’ll help you build the tech."

"The swing tree!" Hikari chirped. "That’s where I feel happiest."

"Then that’s where your compass will point," he smiled.

Hikari watched intently as Ren guided her tiny hands through connecting LED nodes and calibrating sensors. Ren didn’t believe in forcing brilliance—he believed in growing it with love.

By Afternoon

The family gathered outside on picnic mats as both sets of grandparents arrived—Aoi’s parents from the city and Ren’s from their quiet coastal hometown.

Laughter echoed across the yard as homemade dishes were passed around, and Aoi’s father tried to "sneak" sugar into Hina’s food—only to be playfully scolded by Aoi.

"She’s not even one yet, Dad!"

"A lick of honey never hurt anyone," he grinned, handing Hikari a pinwheel he made from bamboo.

Ren’s mother sat beside Hina, gently rocking her while whispering nursery rhymes.Aoi watched the scene unfold with a serene expression, sipping barley tea.She leaned into Ren and whispered,

"We really made a world of our own, didn’t we?"

Ren smiled.

"Yeah... A place where we can grow, not just survive."

Evening

Aoi tucked in Hina after a bath, humming a tune softly. In the other room, Ren was helping Hikari write her first journal entry in a little leather-bound book.

"What should I write, Papa?"

"Anything. What you felt today, what you saw, what you want to build tomorrow."

"Then I’ll write..." She dipped her pen. "Today, I built something with Papa. I laughed with Grandma. And tomorrow, I will make something that can talk to flowers."

Ren paused, stunned at the quiet brilliance in her dream.

"Then tomorrow," he said, smiling gently, "we’ll start with learning how flowers talk first."