A digital sign installed on a commercial building in Tokyo displayed an image of water splashing over roses. Long fingers delicately scooped up the droplets.
The background music was an upbeat pop song by a rising Swedish group. Passersby stopped in their tracks, drawn to the screen. And there was a good reason for it.
The world-renowned actor, Yanagi Ikuto, appeared on the screen.
The camera showed Ikuto lovingly bringing the water to his lips, letting it fall into his mouth. His gaze met the camera—no, it met the viewers directly. At that moment, colourful rose petals scattered.
Accompanied by CGI of the petals and honey pouring into a bottle, Ikuto’s deep, smooth voice narrated:
“Captivated by your rose and honey—Garden Water, Rose Honey, now on sale.”
“Oh my… how dreamy, Yanagi Ikuto,” sighed a woman as she watched the screen, placing her hand on her cheek.
“With him saying that, I have no choice but to buy it. Garden Water is already in short supply,” her friend commented, dropping her gaze from the screen to her smartphone.
As they walked away, one of them bumped shoulders with someone. She glared at the man who muttered a careless apology, “Sorry.”
“Watch where you’re going.”
The young man—Minagawa Tokio—internally scoffed.
You’re the one staring at your phone while walking!
The people mesmerized by Yanagi Ikuto’s commercial didn’t realise that his boyfriend, Tokio, was living his daily life just nearby.
Six months had passed since the media frenzy over the ordinary convenience store worker Tokio, a Beta, and the world-famous actor Yanagi Ikuto, an Alpha, becoming a couple.
At the time, the press went wild, and social media erupted in a storm of controversy. But the public’s interest faded surprisingly quickly.
Perhaps it was because Tokio’s “mob” appearance, coupled with the fact that he was a Beta, made him easy to forget.
Thanks to that, Tokio continued working peacefully at the convenience store, though his shifts had decreased. A different kind of job had come into his life.
And now, he was on his way to that job.
His destination was a photoshoot studio.
After showing his staff pass and entering, he stepped into a room labeled “Studio A.”
The sound of camera shutters and the flashing of strobes greeted him.
“Next, look over here.”
The voice of a commanding photographer echoed through the studio.
Peeking in, Tokio spotted his boyfriend, Yanagi Ikuto, seated in a chair wearing a black shirt.
Ikuto’s sleeves were rolled up, revealing a well-known luxury Swiss watch on his wrist. He adjusted his collar to draw attention to his face and looked down at the camera from above, highlighting his sharp expression, bony wrists, and elegant neck.
With every click of the camera, Ikuto slightly changed the angle of his face, his gaze, and his pose.
“Now, let’s try a shot where you look like you’re gazing at your lover.”
Without a word, Ikuto followed the instruction, giving the camera a soft, almost troubled smile.
I know that face… Tokio thought, rubbing his own face in embarrassment. Perhaps noticing Tokio’s presence, Ikuto’s expression suddenly brightened into a wide grin, as if he had just received a surprise gift.
“That’s great! Hold that expression a little longer!” the photographer exclaimed, excitedly clicking the shutter.
When the break was called, Ikuto rushed over to Tokio.
“Tokio, you’re late!”
“Sorry, the guy after my shift was late,” Tokio replied.
As Ikuto’s stylist helped him change, Ikuto leaned in and kissed Tokio’s forehead.
“Idiot! We’re at work!” Tokio scolded, playfully punching Ikuto’s head. The staff around them buzzed with whispers.
“Yanagi Ikuto just got punched.”
“And he’s grinning like an idiot.”
The hair and makeup artist quickly fixed Ikuto’s hair, which had been messed up by the punch.
“Aren’t you done yet? I want to go home,” Ikuto complained to his manager, his face relaxed.
The silver-framed glasses-wearing manager shook his head. “Not even close.”
As Ikuto sulked, Tokio chided him. “Do you know why I’m here? I’m getting paid to cheer you up. So go do your job properly. If you half-ass it in front of the camera, I’ll shove a daikon up your ass.”
At the mention of the daikon, Ikuto paled, hurriedly buttoning the white shirt handed to him. “I-I’ll do my best,” he stammered, receiving his final touch-ups.
Once Ikuto changed into a navy suit, the shoot resumed. The earlier silly Ikuto vanished, replaced by a top-class actor who looked every bit the part of someone modelling an expensive watch.
For this shot, Ikuto held a ring box with an engagement ring inside. The theme of the cut was “Proposal to a Lover.”
Thanks to Tokio’s threat, Ikuto’s seductive aura filled the room as he stared into the camera.
On his wrist was a watch that Tokio probably couldn’t afford, even if he worked for five years straight.
Ikuto adjusted his expression with every shutter click. He went from a playful grin as if asking, “What could this be?” to a bashful smile, followed by a deep sigh of happiness. Even the cameraman seemed awestruck by his charm.
Ikuto slowly lifted the engagement ring from the box and kissed the large diamond on it.
A few seconds later, while keeping the diamond pressed to his lips, he opened his eyes and gazed at the camera with an expression that seemed to say, I love you.
The stylist beside them whispered in awe to Ikuto’s manager and Tokio.
“That was incredible… It wasn’t in the plan, but I got goosebumps.”
The manager pushed his glasses up and gave a professional smile. “Thank you very much.”
Seeing him like this, it really feels like he’s from a different world. Tokio mused, feeling detached from the scene unfolding before him.
Tokio had been showing up at Ikuto’s jobs as a “support role” occasionally.
Despite Ikuto’s undeniable talent, he had mood swings when it came to his motivation. So Tokio, his boyfriend, had been unofficially promoted to assistant manager to help. Whenever Tokio was around, Ikuto worked twice as hard to impress him.
Near the end of the shoot, the manager smugly explained his strategy.
“For a magazine shoot, a more relaxed expression tends to appeal to women. But when it comes to a luxury watch brand, we need him to give his best face.”
Tokio, watching Ikuto work, replied absentmindedly, “I don’t know if I’m actually helping, but hey, as long as I’m getting paid, I’ll do anything.”
The manager once again tried to recruit Tokio to become a contract employee as his assistant. This was the nth time he’d asked. And, as always, Tokio shook his head.
It was a good offer, something most people would jump at. But Tokio had no interest in it.
If things ever ended between us, I’d lose my job at the same time. I’d lose everything.
Imagining such a bad ending, he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest.
By the time they returned to Ikuto’s apartment, it was already past 10 PM.
“Tokio, you’re staying the night, right?”
As soon as the door closed, Ikuto wrapped his arms around Tokio from behind.
“Yeah, but I’ll leave in the morning. I’ve got a shift at the convenience store in the afternoon.”
Ikuto let out a disappointed groan and gently pushed Tokio down onto the living room sofa.
“If you leave in the morning, we won’t have much time to relax tonight…”
Ikuto showered Tokio with kisses on his forehead and nose.
“Unlike you, I get paid by the hour. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid,” Tokio chuckled, returning a kiss on Ikuto’s nose.
“What about the assistant manager position? Why won’t you accept it? Do you hate being with me that much? Would you take it if it were a full-time offer?”
Ikuto had clearly noticed that Tokio had been rejecting the offer repeatedly.
“It’s not that I hate it, it’s just…”
Tokio mumbled, unsure how to explain his feelings.
How do I even put this?
Even Tokio, with his limited romantic experience, didn’t believe that love would last forever. Unlike an Alpha and Omega’s bond, they didn’t have the natural, unbreakable tie of mates.
Sure, they were in love now, but there was always the chance they’d break up after a fight, or that Ikuto would get tired of him. It wasn’t impossible—it was a realistic possibility.
While Tokio struggled to explain, Ikuto silenced him with a kiss.
“Should I guess what you’re thinking?”
“…Huh?”
Tokio’s heart skipped a beat. Had Ikuto noticed his insecurities?
“You’re probably thinking that being with me all the time would be too annoying.”
Ikuto’s wild guess made Tokio laugh. Ikuto might have been a celebrity Alpha admired by all, but when it came to their relationship, he tended to get pessimistic, especially recently.
“You probably find me irritating, don’t you?”
Tears welled up in Ikuto’s eyes. His pessimism wasn’t entirely unwarranted. In the beginning, Tokio had indeed found him annoying.
“Oh, no, no, that’s not it at all. You’re not annoying anymore.”
Tokio wiped away Ikuto’s tears with his fingers, though his wording left something to be desired.
“Not anymore!”
It was amusing to tease him a little. Pouting, Ikuto pulled away and sat on a separate sofa, mumbling curses under his breath.
“We’ve been dating for six months, and we’re still not living together. You never initiate intimacy, you rarely even kiss me, and sometimes you leave me on read. I feel like you don’t even see me as your boyfriend…”
Tokio hurried over to Ikuto, trying to make things right.
“That’s not true! I leave you on read because I’m working, and I have kissed you and made the first move before…”
“Only a handful of times. And you hardly ever accept my gifts.”
Ikuto’s dark expression and his continued complaints made Tokio feel like he had to explain.
“It’s because I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“It’s not a burden. It stresses me out when you reject them. Do you know what stress does? It makes your hair fall out. Look at this, do you think my hair’s lost its volume? Here…”
Ikuto pointed at his hairline, and Tokio finally gave in.
“Alright, alright, I’ll start accepting them!”
“Really!?”
Ikuto’s face instantly brightened, as if his earlier zombie-like expression had been a lie.
“Yeah, I’ll accept them from now on.”
“Okay, good.”
Ikuto quickly headed to the bedroom and returned with something in his hands.
He sat down next to Tokio with a thud, presenting a small wooden box.
“You’ll take this, right?”
When the box opened, it revealed two platinum rings shining inside. They were simple men’s rings, with a twist resembling a ribbon on the top.
“…Th-these are…”
Tokio was so surprised he could barely speak. Ikuto beamed at him with an angelic smile.
“Sorry it’s so sudden. I measured your finger size while you were sleeping.”
“Why would you…?”
“Because I wanted proof that we’ll be together forever. I’m scared that one day you’ll get fed up with me.”
The same vague fear that had been gnawing at Tokio seemed to haunt Ikuto too.
Tokio’s eyes began to sting, and before he knew it, tears were falling. He decided to stop being stubborn and accept the gift wholeheartedly.
“Thank you… I’m really happy. This is the first time I’ve gotten a pair rin—”
“It’s not.”
Tokio’s words of thanks were cut off. He blinked in confusion.
“What do you mean, ‘it’s not’?”
Ikuto took the smaller ring from the case, kissed it, and gently grabbed Tokio’s left hand. His glass-like eyes gazed directly into Tokio’s.
(Déjà vu…)
Tokio was suddenly reminded of the scene during the watch ad photoshoot earlier that day. The theme of that gesture had been “A Proposal to a Lover.”
Tokio’s face turned bright red.
“Wh-what do you mean it’s not a pair ring? Don’t tell me… this is…”
Ikuto slid the ring onto Tokio’s finger with a smile.
“Yep, it’s a wedding ring.”
Tokio couldn’t help but wonder if Ikuto’s earlier complaints and tears had been an act just to get him to accept the ring.
When Tokio looked up at Ikuto, hoping for some kind of explanation, Ikuto simply smiled and said:
“So, when should we formally greet your parents?”
Not only had Ikuto brushed aside all worries, social conventions, and formalities, he had set the stage for the final goal: marriage.
“You’re unbelievable…” Tokio muttered, though he moved closer and kissed Ikuto. As he pulled away, he took the second ring and slid it onto Ikuto’s finger.
“I love that about you, though.”
The advertisement featuring Ikuto and the luxury watch captured the moment of a proposal. Shortly after the ad’s release, news spread of Ikuto’s marriage to a Beta male, causing the watch to become a symbol of good fortune, selling out everywhere.
(End)
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