A Love Stronger Than Whispers

Dreams (Do) Come True

The Unexpected Engagement

While Ruka and Kiri navigate the treacherous waters of young love in Seoul, news ripples through the college community like a tidal wave. Mini Yaemori, the ever-confident senior from the same university, announces her engagement to none other than Sasamoto, the laid-back gamer known as Azuki-chan.

The twist throws everyone into a loop. Mini and Sasamoto? The fiery queen and the chill gamer? But the truth is sweeter than the skepticism suggests. Their engagement, initially a sham to appease Mini's family, blossomed into genuine love. Through accepting each other's strengths and quirks, they found a rhythm, a harmony neither expected.

This unexpected union impacts Ruka and Kiri in profound ways. Mini, Kiri's cousin, becomes a constant presence in their lives, her vibrant energy both encouraging and intimidating. Her relationship with Sasamoto, built on acceptance and growth, subtly challenges Ruka and Kiri's own dynamic. Kiri, prone to bouts of self-doubt, sees how even unlikely pairings can find strength in unexpected places. Ruka, ever ambitious, finds inspiration in Mini's relentless pursuit of her dreams, reminding her of her own aspirations for K-Pop stardom.

Family Ties

A cozy cafe tucked away in a quiet corner of Seoul, bathed in the warm glow of fairy lights. Ruka and Kiri sit face-to-face, a stack of Korean history books and genealogy charts sprawled across the table between them.

Ruka: (Chewing her lip) I can't believe it. This research... it explains so much.

Kiri: (Furrowing his brow) Tell me, then. What secrets have our ancestors unearthed this time?

Ruka: It's not about secrets, exactly. More like... patterns. My low blood pressure, your high one... turns out, they're not just random quirks.

Kiri: You're saying it's in our genes? Like some weird ancestral blood pressure curse?

Ruka: (Chuckles) Not a curse, exactly. More like a legacy. Your family, on your mother's side, they were Zainichi Koreans, right?

Kiri: Yeah, some of them. Came to Japan after the war. Why?

Ruka: Well, according to this research, a lot of Zainichi Koreans have a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure. It's linked to stress, lifestyle changes, and...

Kiri: And? Don't leave me hanging, Ruka.

Ruka: Okay, okay. This is the interesting part. My family, on my grandmother's side, they were also Korean immigrants. And guess what?

Kiri: They had... low blood pressure?

Ruka: Bingo! Apparently, it's quite common among certain Korean populations. And guess what else?

Kiri: Don't tell me, let me guess. Your low blood pressure and my high blood pressure... they're like... opposites that attract?

Ruka: (Grinning) You could say that! It's almost like our families, separated by generations and borders, found a way to balance each other out in us.

Kiri: Wow. That's... kind of poetic, actually. A love story written in DNA.

Ruka: That's not all. Remember how your grandma used to make that seaweed soup for you whenever your pressure went up?

Kiri: Yeah, the one that tasted like the ocean and calmed me down every time.

Ruka: Guess what? Seaweed is packed with potassium, which is great for lowering blood pressure. And my family? We have this secret recipe for ginger tea that's a natural stimulant for low blood pressure.