Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 116: Mei’s Interference – “Why Haven’t You Set a Wedding Date?”

Chapter 116: Mei’s Interference – “Why Haven’t You Set a Wedding Date?”

The next morning, Ava woke up entangled in Ryan, her head tucked against his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist like he had no intention of letting go. The warmth of his skin, the steady rhythm of his breathing—it was dangerous, how much she loved waking up like this.

Tokyo’s skyline stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the golden morning light casting a soft glow over their suite. For a moment, Ava allowed herself to simply exist in the quiet.

That peace lasted exactly three minutes before her phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand.

Ryan groaned, pulling her closer. "Ignore it."

Ava sighed, reluctantly reaching over. The second she saw Mei’s name flashing across the screen, she knew.

"This can’t be good," she muttered.

Ryan grumbled, pressing his face into her shoulder. "Tell her we died."

Ava smirked, answering the call. "Good morning, Mei."

Mei’s voice came far too chipper for someone who had probably been scheming since dawn. "Ah, there you are, my favorite granddaughter."

Ava’s brows lifted. "I’m your only granddaughter."

Ryan chuckled against her skin. "She’s buttering you up."

Mei ignored them both. "Tell me, darling—why haven’t you and Ryan set a wedding date?"

Ava froze.

Ryan? His eyes popped open in mild panic.

"Uh," Ava said intelligently.

Mei sighed dramatically, as if she were personally burdened by their lack of progress. "You’re in the most romantic city in the world, you have a perfectly good engagement, and yet—no date?"

Ava rubbed her temples. "Mei—"

"You should just do it here!" Mei barreled on, completely ignoring her protests. "Think about it, Ava! A Tokyo wedding! Cherry blossoms! A traditional ceremony! Oh, and Harold already has invitations drafted, just in case."

Ryan sat up fully, looking utterly amused. "Harold what now?"

Ava let out a slow, pain-filled sigh. "Harold has wedding invitations drafted?"

From somewhere in the background, Harold’s voice floated over the line.

"They’re quite elegant, actually."

Ryan snorted.

Ava face-palmed.

Mei continued as if she hadn’t just dropped a nuclear bomb on their morning. "I mean, really, Ava. You’re not getting any younger."

Ryan coughed to cover a laugh.

Ava elbowed him. "Mei, I’m twenty-eight."

"Yes, yes," Mei said dismissively. "Practically ancient in matchmaking years. I don’t understand why you’re waiting."

Ava exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Mei, we haven’t even decided on what kind of wedding we want, let alone when or where."

"Well, let me help! I know plenty of venues! I could book you a shrine, or even a—"

Ryan took the phone from Ava’s hand. "Mei, we love you. But no."

Mei gasped. "Ryan Kim, did you just reject a wedding gift from your future grandmother-in-law?"

Ryan smirked. "Oh no, I’m just politely postponing it."

Ava snatched the phone back. "Mei, we are not getting married in Tokyo."

Mei sighed dramatically. "Fine. But at least consider it. You could even wear traditional wedding kimonos!"

Harold added, "I already designed the invitations in gold and red."

Ava let out a silent scream.

Ryan, meanwhile, looked far too entertained. He leaned over and kissed Ava’s shoulder, murmuring, "Admit it, it’d be kind of fun."

Ava threw him a glare that lacked any real heat.

Mei clapped her hands. "I’ll give you two days to think about it."

"Mei, that’s not—"

"Love you, bye!"

The call ended.

Ava collapsed face-first onto the bed. "I hate everything."

Ryan chuckled, rolling over her. "Come on, it’s a little funny."

Ava tilted her head, glaring at him. "She has invitations. Ready to go."

Ryan grinned, unbothered. "Well, at least we know she’s efficient."

Ava let out a slow breath. "You’re not actually considering this, are you?"

Ryan hummed thoughtfully, trailing his fingers over her bare back. "I mean... we are already here..."

Ava smacked his chest. "Ryan!"

Ryan laughed, catching her wrist and flipping them so she was pinned beneath him.

His gaze softened, all teasing gone. "I meant what I said, though."

Ava swallowed. "Which part?"

Ryan brushed his knuckles along her cheek. "I don’t care where it happens, or when. As long as it’s you."

Ava’s breath hitched.

For all his teasing and smug comments, Ryan Kim was the most sincere man she had ever met.

She bit her lip, searching his face. "You’re serious?"

Ryan smirked, pressing a slow kiss to her lips. "Deadly."

Ava let out a breath, pretending to be exasperated. "Fine. I’ll think about it."

Ryan grinned, flipping them back over. "Good. Now, where were we before your grandmother tried to schedule our wedding?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "I believe you were distracting me."

Ryan chuckled, flipping them so she was straddling him. "Then let me get back to it."

Ava smirked. "Kim, you always win."

Ryan grinned, gripping her hips. "And yet, you love me."

Ava leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. "Unfortunately, yes."

Tokyo could wait.

For now?

She had better things to do.

And Ryan Kim was at the top of the list.

---

The peaceful afterglow of the morning still lingered between them, the sheets tangled around their bodies, the warmth of Ryan’s skin against hers making it impossible to move just yet.

Ava stretched lazily, her body still humming with the aftereffects of last night—and this morning.

Ryan, propped up on one elbow, watched her with that smug, satisfied smirk she both loved and hated.

"You’re staring," she murmured, voice still thick with sleep.

Ryan grinned, reaching out to brush his fingers over her bare shoulder, tracing slow, idle circles against her skin. "Can you blame me?"

Ava sighed, rolling onto her side to face him. His hair was a mess, his eyes still a little heavy with sleep, but there was something soft in the way he looked at her—something she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to.

She poked his chest. "You encouraged Mei, you traitor."

Ryan laughed, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

"To be fair, I think Mei already had the wedding planned before we even got engaged."

Ava groaned, dropping her head onto his chest. "She’s relentless."

Ryan’s fingers threaded into her hair, massaging her scalp gently. "Would it be so bad?"

Ava froze.

Ryan felt it immediately, his hand stilling as he looked down at her.

"I mean, we’re already engaged," he said, voice soft but certain. "Whether it’s Tokyo, New York, or some tiny chapel in the middle of nowhere... doesn’t really matter to me."

Ava slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. There was no teasing in his expression now—just sincerity.

Her chest tightened.

Ryan never pushed. He let her take her time, let her come to things on her own.

And she loved him for it.

She exhaled, shifting up just enough to press a gentle kiss to his jaw.

"Not today, Kim," she murmured.

Ryan chuckled, tilting his head so his lips brushed the corner of her mouth. "I can wait."

Ava smiled, letting herself melt into him for a little longer before her stomach betrayed her.

Ryan laughed at the sound of her grumbling stomach. "Alright, time to feed you before you get cranky."

Ava sighed dramatically, rolling onto her back. "I don’t get cranky."

Ryan arched a brow, already climbing out of bed. "Mmm. Sure. Tell that to the time we had to wait an hour for a reservation, and you threatened to fight a waiter."

Ava huffed. "That was one time."

Ryan, now stretching—gloriously shirtless, Ava noted—grinned. "Once was enough."

Ava threw a pillow at him, but he caught it effortlessly. "Come on, Matchmaker. Let’s get breakfast."

---

The streets of Tokyo were bustling but calm, the morning air still cool before the midday heat settled in. Ava and Ryan walked side by side, their hands casually brushing against each other’s every so often.

Ryan, ever the opportunist, finally just reached over and laced their fingers together.

"You know," Ava said, glancing up at him. "We have a whole luxurious suite with room service, and yet, here we are, wandering the streets looking for breakfast."

Ryan smirked. "Where’s the fun in that?"

Ava sighed. "Let me guess. You want some kind of authentic, hole-in-the-wall breakfast place that only locals know about?"

Ryan grinned, leading her down a side street. "You know me so well."

They ended up in a small, cozy café tucked away from the main roads, the kind of place with wooden tables, hand-written menus, and the comforting smell of fresh coffee and fluffy Japanese pancakes filling the air.

Ava’s mouth practically watered as she watched a plate of the thick, soufflé-like pancakes being carried past them.

Ryan noticed immediately and smirked. "I take it you approve?"

Ava didn’t even bother playing it cool. "If you don’t order that, I’m breaking off the engagement."

Ryan laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Pancakes it is, my love."

They settled into a quiet corner by the window, the soft murmur of conversation around them, the smell of coffee and butter in the air.

Ryan watched as Ava sipped her perfectly brewed matcha latte, her expression soft, content.

"See?" he murmured, nudging her foot under the table. "Worth leaving the hotel for."

Ava rolled her eyes but smiled. "I’ll give you this one, Kim."

Ryan smirked. "Keep talking like that, and I might have to reward you."

Ava arched a brow. "Oh? And what exactly does a reward from you entail?"

Ryan leaned forward, his voice dropping to that infuriatingly deep, teasing tone.

"I was thinking... dessert back at the suite."

Ava nearly choked on her drink.

Ryan just sat back, smug as hell.

---

After breakfast, they didn’t rush back.

Instead, they wandered through Ueno Park, the cherry blossoms still in bloom, the petals drifting lazily in the breeze.

Ava sighed in contentment, letting her head rest lightly against Ryan’s shoulder as they strolled.

"You’re suspiciously quiet," Ryan murmured.

Ava hummed. "Just... enjoying the moment."

Ryan smiled, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I like you like this," he said.

Ava glanced up. "Like what?"

Ryan smirked. "Relaxed. Not plotting world domination."

Ava laughed, elbowing him lightly. "I do not plot world domination."

Ryan arched a brow. "Oh? So what do you call the way you took down Julian in Paris?"

Ava smirked. "That was strategy, Kim."

Ryan chuckled, stopping by a small food stall selling taiyaki, the warm, fish-shaped pastries filled with custard or red bean paste.

"You want one?" he asked.

Ava tilted her head, considering. "You getting one?"

Ryan nodded, handing the vendor some yen before turning back to her. "We’re sharing."

Ava arched a brow. "Are we?"

Ryan just smirked, handing her the warm taiyaki.

"Feed me."

Ava snorted. "Excuse me?"

Ryan leaned in, lips already brushing over hers, his breath warm. "You heard me."

Ava rolled her eyes but broke off a piece of the pastry and held it up to his lips.

Ryan took it—slowly, deliberately, his gaze locked onto hers as he chewed.

Ava swallowed, suddenly feeling a little too warm despite the cool breeze.

Ryan smirked. "Delicious."

Ava huffed, tearing off another piece. "You’re ridiculous."

Ryan leaned in, his voice lower.

"And yet, you love me."

Ava popped a piece of taiyaki into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

After a beat, she finally sighed.

"Unfortunately... yes."

Ryan laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her close.

"Come on, Matchmaker," he murmured against her temple. "Let’s go back before Mei hunts us down."

Ava groaned. "I don’t know why you sound excited about that."

Ryan just grinned.

"Oh, I’m not excited about Mei," he whispered, voice dropping dangerously low.

Ava’s stomach flipped.

She knew that tone.

She narrowed her eyes. "Ryan—"

Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her quickly toward the suite.

"Time to claim that dessert I promised you."

Ava laughed, letting herself be led.

Tokyo?

Could wait.

Right now?

Ryan had plans.