Spring arrived like a dream—warm sunlight, cherry blossoms blooming in whispers of pink, and the soft countdown to a wedding that seemed touched by fate. Ren and Sana, now officially engaged, were happier than ever. He smiled more. She laughed more. And beneath it all, a storm swirled, veiled in petals and lies.
Sakura Hoshino, still living as Sana Mizuki, had nearly everything she wanted. Ren's love. A wedding date. Their future felt inevitable.
But fate, as always, disliked perfection.
---
Preparations consumed their time. Ren handled the invitations. Sana insisted on planning the venue—an intimate garden ceremony on a private estate. She micromanaged every detail, from the imported cherry trees to the wine list, disguising obsession as perfectionism.
"You don't have to do everything alone," Ren teased.
She smiled. "I want everything to be... unforgettable."
But while she designed floral arches, her nightmares bloomed darker.
Mai.
The ex-girlfriend hadn't given up. Her call to the press hadn't yielded the attention she wanted, but her words had landed on the right ears—those of an investigative blogger obsessed with corporate mysteries.
One grainy photo surfaced.
Sakura Hoshino arriving in disguise at her own building's basement garage.
Another: Sana and Ren leaving the company together late at night.
The blog post was titled: "Who is Sana Mizuki? The Disappearing Heiress of Hoshino Group."
It hadn't gone viral—yet. But it had made it to someone in Legal. And to someone in IT. And eventually, to Ren.
---
He came home late one evening, face pale, phone in hand.
"Sana... I need to ask you something."
She froze in the kitchen, halfway through slicing strawberries for dessert.
"Who are you really?"
She didn't answer right away.
"I saw a photo of you. And Sakura Hoshino. And... they looked exactly alike."
She placed the knife down slowly. Her back remained to him.
"What if I told you," she said, her voice trembling, "that I did everything to be near you again? That I gave up my name, my face, my power—just to walk beside you."
He stared at her. The silence was heavy.
"So it's true?"
She turned, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm Sakura. I always was. But I didn't lie to you to hurt you. I just... I loved you before you even remembered who I was. I needed to earn you. I needed to know you'd love me back."
He said nothing.
Just turned away.
That night, he didn't sleep beside her.
Sakura sat alone in the dark, clinging to his pillow like a lifeline.
---
The next morning, Ren was gone. No goodbye. No note.
Sakura panicked. She called him. Texted. Nothing.
She went to the office—but he had taken leave.
The world tilted. Her empire trembled. She had climbed too high, wrapped herself in too many lies, and now—now he was slipping.
Three days passed.
Then, a message.
"Meet me where we first met."
Her heart thundered.
She rushed to the old countryside train station where they'd shared cherry blossoms and paper cranes as children.
He stood there, holding a single folded crane in his hand.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
She stepped closer. "Because I was afraid... you'd walk away."
"You manipulated your way into my life. Hid who you were."
"I loved you," she whispered, tears streaking her cheeks. "I still do. Everything I've ever done—every lie, every risk—it was for you."
He looked at her for a long moment. Then handed her the paper crane.
"Then let's start again. With no lies."
She collapsed into his arms, sobbing with joy. He held her tighter.
"You're crazy," he said gently. "But I'd rather be with a crazy woman who loves me like this... than a sane world without you."
---
In a shadowed café, Mai read the headline: "Wedding of Hoshino Group CEO Confirmed"
She laughed bitterly. Her plan had failed. Ren had chosen Sakura, madness and all.
"I should've never let you go," she whispered.
But it was too late.
The veil had lifted. The truth had burned.
And love had survived the flame.