Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 102: The Calm Before the Chaos

Chapter 102: The Calm Before the Chaos

Ava stood in the middle of her apartment, hands on her hips, surveying the absolute disaster that was Ryan’s packing process.

Her suitcase? Neatly organized. Clothes folded. Outfits categorized. Shoes packed in separate compartments. Toiletries in travel-sized containers. A backup of every essential, because you never know.

Ryan’s suitcase? A complete catastrophe.

Half-zipped. Clothes barely folded. A random single sock sticking out of the side. A pair of sneakers haphazardly stuffed on top of everything.

"Ryan," Ava sighed, rubbing her temples. "What in the fresh hell is this?"

Ryan, lying on her bed with zero sense of urgency, propped himself up on his elbows. "Packing. What’s it look like?"

"It looks like a crime scene," Ava deadpanned.

Ryan smirked. "It’s an efficient crime scene."

She gaped at him. "This is not efficient. This is chaos."

Ryan stretched lazily. "It’s organized in my head."

Ava threw up her hands. "That’s the problem!"

He grinned, sitting up and reaching for a shirt, tossing it into the suitcase without even looking.

Ava lunged forward, catching it mid-air. "No. Absolutely not." She neatly folded it and placed it inside.

Ryan watched, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You’re really gonna micromanage my suitcase?"

Ava glared. "I’m gonna micromanage your whole damn existence if you keep pulling this nonsense."

Ryan chuckled, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "So bossy," he murmured against her ear. "It’s kinda hot."

Ava stiffened, then smacked his arm. "Don’t try to distract me with flirting."

"Is it working?"

"Not even a little."

Ryan nuzzled her neck slightly, lips brushing her skin. "Liar."

Ava felt her stomach flip, but refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, she untangled herself from his hold, shoving a packing list into his hands.

"Follow the checklist," she ordered. "And fold your damn clothes."

Ryan took the paper dramatically, as if it were a legal summons. "You really think this little list is gonna change my methods?"

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Fold. Your. Clothes."

Ryan sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only because I love you."

Ava huffed, but her heart stuttered a little anyway.

---

The Window Seat War

Packing might have been finished, but the battle of the century was about to begin.

Ava was sitting on the couch, sipping tea, when Ryan casually walked over and dropped onto the seat beside her.

"So," he started, "I think I should get the window seat on the flight."

Ava paused mid-sip, then turned to him with pure disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

Ryan shrugged. "You had it last time."

Ava scoffed. "That was a two-hour flight. This is Tokyo."

Ryan leaned back. "Exactly. More reason for me to enjoy the view."

Ava crossed her arms. "I claimed it first."

"You can’t just claim things by default."

"Of course I can."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "That’s not how window seat law works."

Ava smirked. "Ryan, I don’t know if you realize this, but I am the law."

Ryan sighed dramatically. "Fine. I’ll let you have it."

Ava arched a brow. "Let me?"

Ryan grinned, leaning in. "Yeah. But only because I love you."

Ava rolled her eyes. "You’re such a manipulator."

Ryan smirked. "You like it."

Ava opened her mouth to argue—when Ryan suddenly grabbed a pen off the table and, with all the confidence in the world, scribbled "Ava’s Seat" on the back of his hand.

Ava stared. "What are you doing?"

Ryan lifted his hand. "Written contract. Can’t break it now."

Ava gaped, then laughed. "You’re an idiot."

Ryan winked. "Your idiot."

---

Final Tea Shop Moments: The Most Absurd Bon Voyage Party

If Ava thought Mei and Harold would let them leave quietly, she was deeply mistaken.

The tea shop had been completely transformed into what could only be described as an over-the-top farewell extravaganza.

A hand-painted banner that read "GOOD LUCK, LOVE BIRDS!" hung across the counter, complete with hand-drawn hearts and tiny airplane doodles.

An entire "survival kit" table had been set up, filled with the most random assortment of things.

Mei’s Contributions:

A travel-size matchmaking manual ("For emergencies.")

A set of red thread bracelets, which she claimed were "woven with good fortune."

A tiny vial of essential oils, labeled: "For when Julian inevitably stresses you out."

Harold’s Contributions:

A mystery snack bag, with a note: "For Ryan, because I don’t trust his food choices."

A farewell poem, written in full dramatic fashion, which he insisted on reading aloud.

Ryan, watching Harold dramatically clear his throat, whispered, "This is gonna be long, isn’t it?"

Ava, already pinching the bridge of her nose, sighed. "Oh, absolutely."

Harold launched into an absurd monologue, filled with lines about dragons, star-crossed lovers, and the sacred art of matchmaking.

Mei nodded along approvingly, sipping her tea.

Ryan leaned toward Ava. "Are we... going on a trip or preparing for battle?"

Ava muttered, "I honestly don’t know anymore."

---

Romantic & Hilarious Highlights

As the chaos unfolded, Ryan quietly slipped away for a moment.

He pulled out a small box from his pocket, carefully tucking it into Ava’s carry-on bag while she was distracted by Harold’s poetry recital.

A little surprise for later.

Ava, completely unaware, was still fighting to escape Harold’s never-ending farewell speech.

When she finally managed to pull away, she turned to Ryan with exasperation.

"I swear to god, if Mei ropes me into matchmaking on this flight—"

Ryan smirked. "I’ll protect you."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Will you?"

Ryan tilted his head. "Depends. Do I get a kiss for my efforts?"

Ava rolled her eyes, but leaned in anyway, pressing a quick peck to his lips.

Ryan grinned, pleased with himself. "Totally worth it."

Ava shook her head, but smiled.

As they grabbed their luggage and said their final goodbyes, Mei called out one last time—

"Remember, Ava, Tokyo is the city of fate!"

Ryan smirked, looping an arm around Ava’s shoulders. "Sounds fitting."

Ava raised a brow. "Why?"

Ryan shrugged. "Because fate brought me to you, didn’t it?"

Ava froze for half a second, heat creeping up her neck.

Then she huffed, shoving him lightly. "You’re ridiculous."

Ryan just laughed. "And yet, you’re still marrying me."

Ava groaned, but she couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.

With Ryan by her side, Tokyo was about to be one hell of an adventure.

---

After the whirlwind of the farewell tea party, the goodbyes, and the final checklists, the world finally quieted down.

Ava and Ryan had just returned to her apartment, their luggage neatly stacked by the door.

For the first time in what felt like weeks, there was no chaos. No schedules. No Mei, Harold, or impending matchmaking battles. Just the two of them.

The apartment was dimly lit, the glow from the city filtering through the windows. The air felt different—anticipatory, charged with something softer, quieter.

Ava exhaled slowly, kicking off her shoes. "I swear, if I hear one more dramatic farewell speech, I might lose my mind."

Ryan, already loosening his tie, chuckled. "You handled it well."

Ava huffed, stretching her arms over her head. "You say that like I had a choice."

Ryan watched her for a moment, then took a slow step forward, reaching for her hand.

"You survived it," he murmured, pulling her closer. "That deserves a reward."

Ava raised a brow. "Oh? And what exactly is my prize?"

Ryan smirked, sliding his hands down her waist before wrapping his arms securely around her. "Me, obviously."

Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t resist as he guided her toward the large bay window that overlooked the city skyline.

She sighed, leaning against him. "It’s been a while since we just... did nothing."

Ryan hummed in agreement, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Then let’s do nothing."

They stood there, wrapped in each other, watching the city below.

Ryan slowly swayed them, like an invisible song played between them.

Ava sighed into him, resting her cheek against his chest. "You’re way too good at this whole boyfriend thing."

Ryan chuckled, tilting her chin up gently. "Fiancé."

Ava huffed. "Right. Forgot I’m stuck with you forever."

Ryan grinned, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her lips.

Ava melted against him, her hands gripping his shirt slightly as he deepened the kiss—slow, deliberate, unhurried.

When they finally pulled apart, Ryan smirked. "Still feel stuck?"

Ava, slightly breathless, pretended to think. "Hmm... maybe not so bad."

Ryan laughed, lifting her off the ground slightly in a playful hug.

The apartment felt warmer tonight, as if it had absorbed all the laughter and chaos from earlier. Now, it was just the two of them—no distractions, no interruptions, no impending deadlines.

Ryan still had his arms loosely wrapped around Ava as they stood near the bay window, watching the glow of the city stretch beneath them.

Ava sighed, feeling the steady rise and fall of Ryan’s chest behind her. His warmth, his presence—it grounded her in a way she hadn’t fully realized before.

He was her safe place.

Ryan tilted his head down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her bare shoulder, just beneath the strap of her top.

Ava shivered slightly, but not from the cold.

"You okay?" he murmured against her skin.

She nodded, her fingers lightly tracing over his hands where they rested against her waist.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Just... trying to hold onto this moment."

Ryan hummed in understanding, his hands tightening slightly.

"Then let’s stay in it a little longer," he said softly.

Ava turned in his arms, facing him fully now.

The way he looked at her—like she was the only thing in the world worth focusing on—made her heart stutter.

Ryan rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her lips.

"We should sleep," she murmured, though she didn’t move.

Ryan smirked, brushing another soft kiss against her jaw. "We should."

Neither of them did.

Instead, they stayed wrapped in each other, swaying slightly to an invisible rhythm, kissing between words that didn’t need to be said.

Because they both knew—after tomorrow, everything would speed up again.

Tokyo. The matchmaking summit. Julian’s inevitable revenge.

But for now, in the quiet of their little world, nothing else mattered.

And that was enough.