The morning of the trip began earlier than usual. For once, Eadlyn didn't wake to the alarm—his excitement pulled him from sleep before the sun had fully risen. He dressed quickly, checked his bag twice, then rushed downstairs.
Sakura and Reno were already up, the house full of their familiar morning warmth. Bento boxes, drinks, wipes, jackets—Sakura checked everything with the precision of someone who had raised a family through decades.
"You're early," Sakura teased lightly.
"Can't blame him," Reno said. "First big trip with us."
The three of them shared a simple but cheerful breakfast, full of gentle teasing and anticipation. This wasn't a tourist outing. It was something more intimate—an echo of the journeys Sakura and Reno had taken in their youth, now being extended to their grandson.
After cleaning up, they locked the door, stepping into the soft morning breeze. The air carried a promise of summer—warm, bright, and full of stories waiting to unfold.
The First Shrine
Their first stop was a shrine a few stations away. On the train, Eadlyn listened to Reno recount memories from decades before—when he and Sakura were young, they had visited this very shrine on a whim.
"It's where I proposed," Reno added quietly.
Sakura elbowed him, cheeks faintly pink. "That's too early in the morning to say."
Eadlyn laughed, touched by their easy affection. They weren't dramatic or overly sentimental. Their love was steady—a river that had shaped its own path over time.
When they stepped onto the shrine grounds, the air felt cooler. The cicadas hummed, the stone path stretched ahead, and wooden ema plaques swayed gently in the breeze.
His grandparents grew silent, nostalgia softening their expressions. Eadlyn, noticing it, pulled out his phone.
"Grandpa, Grandma… look here."
He snapped a picture—one he immediately saved in a folder named Family.
Then he offered his prayer.
Short, sincere.
He didn't pray for grades or popularity.
He prayed that one day, he could find a love as enduring as theirs.
The Second Shrine & A Park Break
The next shrine wasn't far. They walked through narrow streets lined with shops and old houses, the blend of modern and traditional Japan shaping the path ahead.
Here, Sakura told him stories—how Reno used to get lost in bookshops, how they once missed the last train home and walked miles back together. These weren't grand tales. They were soft, human memories.
At noon, they stopped at a nearby park. The pond shimmered under the sun, children played in the distance, and couples sat quietly under the shade.
Sakura unpacked the lunch she had lovingly prepared. Rice balls filled with salmon, tamagoyaki, pickled vegetables, fruit slices—simple but comforting.
Before eating, Eadlyn reached for a rice ball—only to be stopped by Sakura tapping his hand.
"Wash your hands first."
Reno nodded solemnly. "Even I wasn't spared from that rule."
The two men hurried to the washing area, returning quickly like guilty children. Sakura laughed, the sound bright and youthful.
They ate together under the trees, the light breeze rustling the leaves above.
Moments like these made Eadlyn realize something quietly profound:
Home wasn't a place—it was the people who waited at the table.
Looking Ahead
After lunch, they packed up and headed toward another shrine, then the next. They didn't rush. Every step, every story, every shared smile layered itself into Eadlyn's heart.
And yet, as they walked, he felt a small ache of curiosity.
His grandparents had shared many lessons over the years. But never the story of how they truly met. Never the details of their beginning.
He wondered why.
Reno noticed his lingering expression. "You'll hear that story one day. But not today."
Sakura added softly, "Some stories are meant to be heard at the right moment."
Eadlyn accepted this, though his curiosity grew. He sensed there was more to their past than simple romance—a depth that would matter later.
For now, he let the day unfold like a gentle chapter, unaware that this trip would shape several threads of his own destiny.