When Miu was six

The first time Miu ever saw a candy ring, she thought it was perfect. A piece of jewelry you could eat anytime without getting sticky fingers—flawless logic for a child.

She was running across the playground with her new treasure, laughing, when a boy from another class snatched it from her hand and flung it to the dirt. He laughed; Miu's eyes filled with tears.

Lena, a head taller and already strangely steady for her age, saw everything from across the yard. She marched straight over, pushed the boy aside, and said coolly, "Say sorry."

He stuck out his tongue and ran. Lena sighed, bent down, and picked up the dusty candy ring, placing it back into Miu's trembling hands.

"Don't cry. I'll buy you a new one tomorrow."

Miu looked up at her the way kids look at superheroes. She nodded, cheeks flushed with embarrassment—but she still smiled.

The next day, Lena brought two candy rings. One for Miu. One for herself.

When Miu reached for hers, Lena hesitated and whispered, "If you put it on my hand... it's like getting married."

Miu didn't fully understand, only knew her face grew hot.
But she slid the ring onto Lena's finger anyway.
And Lena did the same for her.

"Now we promise to stay together forever."

"Forever," Miu echoed.

Neither of them knew how long that promise would follow them.

⸻

When Miu was sixteen

Miu learned an important lesson at sixteen: never get drunk in front of the person you're in love with.

It was a friend's birthday party—loud music, too many shots, and Miu's long hair a mess as she searched the room for one person: Lena.

The moment Lena saw her stumbling closer, she laughed softly. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

Miu didn't answer. She grabbed Lena's hand, pulled her into the bathroom, shut the door, and kissed her.

It was messy and breathless, tasting of cheap tequila and everything she'd kept quiet for years. Lena held her by the waist to keep her steady; Miu clung to her neck as if the world were tilting.

Then suddenly, Miu started to cry.

"I... I love you... I've loved you so long... and I'm scared—scared you'll leave me..."

Lena froze, then gathered her into her arms, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"No one is leaving you. Breathe, sweetheart."

Miu hiccupped. "If I do something stupid later... don't leave me, okay? Stay with me forever..."

Then she tried to kiss Lena again—right before shoving her head into the sink to throw up.

Lena rubbed her back, torn between worry and the urge to laugh.

The next morning, Miu woke in Lena's room with the scent of ginger tea lingering in the air. Lena sat beside her, handing her painkillers.

"You were adorable last night," she said, amused.

Miu panicked. "I didn't say anything embarrassing, right?"

Lena only patted her head.
"You said nothing except that tequila is your enemy."

Miu blushed, grateful—Lena had chosen to keep her confession safe.

⸻

When Miu was twenty

Distance became a real test.

Different campuses, mismatched schedules, missed calls, deadlines, exhaustion. Arguments grew more often than conversations.

One night, Miu said something sharp she didn't mean. Lena fell silent. The kind of silence that hurts more than shouting.

"Maybe... we should take a break."
Lena said it first.
Miu ended the call.

She cried for two nights. By the third, her tears were gone, replaced by a hollow ache.

Then, on a Thursday night, someone knocked frantically on her door.

When Miu opened it, Lena stood there, breathless from running, dragging a small suitcase behind her.

"I can't do it anymore, Miu..."

Before Miu could speak, Lena wrapped her up in an almost desperate embrace.

"I love you. I love you so much it scares me. Please let me fix this. Don't let us end like that."

Miu broke down instantly, burying her face in Lena's shoulder.

"I love you too... Don't go again..."

Their kiss tasted of tears and relief and the terror of almost losing each other.

That night they lay tangled together, whispering all the things they had been too afraid to say.
By morning, distance didn't feel like a threat anymore.

⸻

When Miu was twenty-four

They were watching a movie on the couch, Miu's head on Lena's chest, Lena's fingers combing slowly through her hair. Miu's mind drifted.

"If one day... we wanted to stay together forever... would you say it first or would I?"

Lena chuckled. "What are you even asking, little one?"

"I just... want to know if you want to stay with me forever."

Lena tilted her head to look at her, and her gaze was so soft it almost hurt.

"Of course I do. I want to grow old with you."

Heat rose to Miu's cheeks.

"Then... remember this. When I propose someday... don't laugh at me."

Lena kissed her gently, smiling into it.

"However you propose, I'll say yes."

⸻

The morning Lena said it first

One quiet weekend morning, Miu woke to soft kisses on her eyelids, her nose, her lips. Lena pulled her close from behind.

"Miu..."

"Mmm?"

"I want to marry you."

Miu shot upright like she'd been electrocuted. Lena burst out laughing and tugged her back into her arms.

"Don't look so shocked. I mean it."

"But... you said it first... I was going to—"

"I couldn't wait."

And then Lena reached into the drawer and took out a small silver ring. Light reflected across Miu's eyes as she stared, stunned.

"Will you marry me?"

Miu didn't speak. She threw her arms around Lena and kissed her hard enough that they tumbled back into the blankets, laughing breathlessly.

"Put it on me," she said.

Lena slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

Miu gazed at it, then lifted her eyes to the woman she had loved since she was six.

"Lena..." Her voice trembled.
"I say yes. I've been saying yes for years."

Their kiss deepened until the sheets twisted. Lena eased Miu back onto the pillows, mouth trailing down her neck, her hand smoothing over her waist.

"My future wife..." she murmured, voice warm and low against Miu's skin.

Miu was blushing so hard she could barely breathe. "Don't... don't call me that yet..."

"I'm calling you that forever."

Lena kissed her again—long, unhurried, overflowing.

A promise made by two six-year-olds had finally become real.