Ren spoke that night with trembling calm.
"I think… I was him."
Airi's breath caught.
"But I died."
The word landed gently.
"Long ago," he continued. "Before you were born."
Her throat tightened.
"The sakura remembers promises made beneath it. Strong ones… sometimes linger."
"You became a memory," she whispered.
"Yes."
"Waiting for her."
Ren nodded.
"For you."
The world tilted.
"Me?"
He looked at her with aching certainty.
"Your soul feels the same."
Airi's chest flooded with impossible recognition.
The warmth.
The familiarity.
The home.
"…I promised you," she breathed.
Ren's eyes shone.
"Yes."