The Red String Between Us Part II: Frayed Threads

第11章 Kenji's Race

      Kenji leaned back in his leather seat at New Chitose Airport, the muted hum of the terminal surrounding him. His mind was miles away, on Hokkaido, on Eden, and on the gala in just two days. That was all the time left before the Employee Appreciation Gala. 

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through messages he hadn't yet sent, thinking of ways to make it up to her for the distance these past weeks. Every moment apart had felt like a small weight pressing against him. Then his eyes flicked up at the departure board. Flight delayed. 

Kenji immediately contacted the airline, scanning every possible option, every conceivable connection. He refused to let Hokkaido slip further from his grasp, refused to miss what mattered most. His mind raced through schedules, taxis, and layovers, calculating the narrow margin between him and Eden's presence at the gala.Time ticked in slow, merciless increments, but eventually, he found it: the very next flight out which had a connecting flight to Hokkaido. It would take hours to get home— but he would make it on time still. 

The plane lifted into the air, engines humming, and Kenji let himself close his eyes for a moment, imagining Eden. I'll make it, he promised silently, gripping the armrest.

14 Hours later, the wheels of the plane touched down on Hokkaido soil, the crisp spring air rushing  through the airport as he stepped onto familiar ground. He moved quickly, deliberately, ensuring every delay, every potential obstacle, had been accounted for.

I wanted her to know how much I cared, how much I wanted to be with her, even with our demanding careers and the complications of past relationships lingering in the early days. At the same time, I couldn't ignore her request for space. I had to respect her boundaries, even though every part of me ached to fight for her, to show her I wasn't giving up.