The Mass ended. Those sincerity eyes were no more to be seen anymore. He avoids eye contact with her afterwards. He smiled like normal person but not to her. More like forced actions. Camellia followed his line of sight only to see several elders with traditional Kimonos started to leave and there were several other older ones than her husband went to stand aside and bowed to the elders as they passed. The male elder just waved them lightly as they continue exiting the church followed by the rest. Who were these people?
"Let's go. We have a party to attend." His deep voice whispering to her ear still not fully settled down. The whole things happened so fast and surreal that she was still unable to digest everything in one day. "I will explain everything. Soon."
"Where are you taking me?" Camellia reluctantly takes another step forward. But, his huge hand hold her hand tightly forced her to walk up to exit the church. There was another photoshoot outside the church as well only annoyed her further with the fake smiles and actions makes her want to puke. How she wished Erika was here. He will surely help her. Camellia trying to look for Wan Chu but it seemed she taking over Camellia's role as the assigned Wedding Planner and overlook all the works for the wedding to be running smoothly.
The wedding party took place at the wedding hall with the whole place were full of the groom's family and relatives. Even her wedding gown replaced with a tradition kimono embroidered with cherry blossom pattern. Soon, Camellia saw familiar faces arrived at the hall. They really well prepared for the wedding. Camellia felt the rage in silent. She tried to avoid any contact with them.
"Oh, my dear niece. I should congratulate you on this big wedding you're having," Her distant aunt came to her with a big smile on her face and gave her a bear hug. Camellia saw her husband turned away from them. "How dare you to hide this marriage from us. Luckily we have your husband's family contacted us and had us invited to your wedding party." Aunt hissing at her ear in irritation. She tensing up immediately. The complicated and yet stuffy kimono that took her three hours to put on now felt more suffocating. She looks around for the retarded cousin of her but he no way to be seen.
"Congratulate, cousin. I didn't know you have this kind of taste in marriage." Kim Ling Hee giggling in annoyance sound with insincerity. "My brother should be the groom. He throwing tantrum after he heard you getting married secretly. Poor brother." In just a second, Camellia already being surrounded with her distant relatives trying hard to get her open up what tricks she used to trap her husband into marrying her. 'What are they trying to say? That I slept with him to get him married her.' How she wants to slap their arrogance and disrespect off their faces. But, before she even opens up her mouth, a sudden push made her fall backwards. with the heavy kimono, she won't be able to save herself from the fall. No! I am going to fall down. Camellia about to let out a shriek of panic when her fall holds back by someone else body.
"Wow! Hold it." A pair of strong hands held her waist upright. "I hope I didn't come late to the rescue." Camellia knew it can't be her husband came for the rescue. The soft teasing whispered to her ear confirmed it. Camellia felt grateful to the man but at the same time distancing herself from him. Only to receive a soft chuckle from above. This man maybe one of her husband's friend as their similar heights. "I'm sorry, ladies. Do you mind if I steal the bride away?" All of a sudden they timidly silent up as the man took away Camellia. They were charmed by the man's aura which left them to whispering among themselves away about the man identity. The man has warmth smile and he slowly leads her away from her distant relatives. Later Camellia knew they're heading towards a group of men chatting in a foreign language. Among them standing there chatting along was her husband. Aware of their present, they stop chatting and make way for her rescuer and Camellia. "Now, since we never formally introduce by Shuu, let me introduce myself. I'm Kurono Yamato. You can call me Yamato."
"Nice to meet you Yamato Ssi." Ah, another Japanese guy. Camellia replied hesitantly shy as she steals a glance at her own husband. How did that happen? She didn't even know her own husband name yet and now his friends being friendly terms with her.
"Hi, there wifey. You are always welcome to come to me if Shuu unable to satisfy your carnal needs." Another man started to flirt with her interject into their conversation. The way he been staring at her with a dirty look from up to down from the start makes her nervous and discomfort. She can't provide any response to such comment. If she can smash his face with her wooden slipper kid, that man already on the ground groaning in pain. Instead, Camellia glare at him with her flustered face.
"Watch your mouth, Daisuke Baka!" her husband gave him a punch on the flirtatious man's stomach. So, her husband name was Shuu. Is it his real name or just a nickname? Daisuke pretends to be in pain to gain Camellia sympathy.
Camellia didn't bother to be his acquaintance at all. Before she even reacts, a hard pulling from the man beside her makes her bump closer to his manly body. Daisuke let out a hearty laugh and gave a flirt wink at her.
"Just ignore him."
Her face flustered even more as her heart pumping even faster. Camellia has never been this close to any man before, not even holding a hand like this moment. Just the masculine smell from his body making her more nervous that her hand begin to sweet hard. She gave a tug on her hand to retract her hand but Shuu only tightens it while chatting with his friends.
Yamato seemed more like a ladies man and his way of treating woman attracting more women walking passed them just to greet him in person. Some guests came to congratulate her and Shuu. Camellia expecting some explanation to the fraud marriage soon from Shuu but he didn't really seem to care if it was urgent or not. But from his constant distant interaction with his friends and drank more than he shouldn't in his own wedding day irritates Yamato to scold him to behave, Camellia can only guess that he too not really into this fraud marriage. There must be more to this than meets the eyes. For now, all she should do is wait until it properly settled down.
"Hey, there you are. Prince and princess of the day. I was looking all over for you guys." Another young woman came cheerfully with a hunk man beside her.
"You finally made it. Thanks for coming." Shuu exchanged hugs with the woman before the man beside her coughed out while the other guys let out a laugh. Camellia giggling at the scene. "Don't tell me you're already drunk at your own wedding party! Can't imagine how unlucky I am to have my own husband do that to me. This is unforgivable. Taka dear, please help him sober up. This is unacceptable to your own bride." The hunk guy behind her named Taka waved a waiter and whispered to get him a glass of lime juices. The rest of the guys looked concerns and sympathy at him. Not that she felt any jealousy only curious at how close they were. The woman continued to exchange a brotherly hug with Yamato. Only when the woman turned to Daisuke that the huge man blocks them apart in distaste. The woman let out a hearty laugh.
"Hey, it's not fair. Where's my hug?" Daisuke sulkily folds his arm away. They smiled at these two playful acts. She looks quite familiar but Camellia can't really figure it out. Camellia smiled at the woman and she smiled back. "Congratulation on your wedding day! Can I give you a hug too, please?"
"Sure. Why not?" Camellia smiled at her quip. The other woman immediately reach out and gave her a tight hug. "Welcome to the family. I really love to have another woman around." That is when Camellia realised the other woman is pregnant. Now she understands who that hunk man suppose to be.
"You pregnant!"
"Aye. Sort of happened." The other woman glanced at her husband shyly. "Will due in any time soon. That's why, I am not supposed to come here tonight but I can't ever miss any of Taka's friend's wedding, you know."
Camellia smiled at her friendly and chatty way.
"Right, so I'm Emily Tennou by the way. This is my husband, Takashi Tennou." Emily cheerful talks make Camellia felt the warmth inside. "Let hang out together someday. Or let Shuu takes you to the sports bar to hang out too." The guys continue chatting and stopped when there were relatives who came to congratulate the bride and groom. The other ceremony already has done smoothly. With Emily beside her, she felt at ease.
It was nearly midnight when the elders finally decided to retire back home. Camellia never felt that tired to attend so many relatives of her husband. Being a wedding planner herself, she seldom felt tired at all and only consider her works done when the bride and groom retired to their next destination... honeymoon.
The situation she had been having right now more to emotional stress and pressure from the onlookers of the guests and elders from her husband side. Amazingly, the elders seemed to anticipate the whole jilted thing from the real groom and for Shuu to take over the wedding predestinated doesn't sound right at all.
Camellia expected the elders will be enraged knowing that having them came from far from Japan only to witness such childplay plan but nothing really happened. Even the replacement groom beside her right now doesn't reject the idea of marrying a stranger such as her.
'What kind of sick joke is this?'
Mostly because they came from Japan and they even spoke to her in Japanese as if she understands them that she just nodded away. Emily stayed beside her the whole time with her husband patiently keep deliver her food and drinks, she helps a lot at translating the language to her. So much so Camellia had a blast of a wedding day to remember.
But, there were several times when Shuu disappeared whenever his phone was ringing. Camellia aware the atmosphere becomes tensed the moment Shuu saw the callers number before Shuu excused himself to take the call. The guys exchanged a knowing look with each other as they stare at the groom's back and act normal again.