We had all spent an agreeable time last night. And finally, the big day was here.
I love marriages!
The exchange of nuptial cups, called san san ku do, where the bride and groom drink saké three times each from three different-sized cups called sakazuki; by their exchanging cups symbolically exchanging marriage vows. The offering of a branch of the sacred tree Sakaki. The folding of one thousand gold Origami cranes, which are known to mate for life. Together with the exchange of rings during the ceremony. Not to forget the Oironaoshi- the bride's recurrent change of outfits from kimono to dresses, changing up to four times. As well as, the cutting of the cake at the reception.
The wedding ceremony was heart-stirring and it brought tears to many a one's eyes; including Tsubasa-sama, Natsui and I. And just like Katsura-san had always dreamed, it took place at the local shrine. The reception was held at a hotel in the middle of the city, and this was where we revealed our surprise to the couple.
We had organized a dramatic performance enacting their love story!
Shunsui had put me in charge of writing the script. Natsui and Yūsei wore their school uniforms to play the part when Katsura-san and Kenren Shoran were in high school together. Tsubasa-sama and Saien-sensei played the part of their adult life. Gōjun and I incarnated our own roles in their love story, while Shunsui acted as the narrator.
When the performance was over, the brown-haired woman and dark-haired male had been moved to tears, and so were everyone. All the guests felicitated the couple for their love, and Katsura-san and Kenren Shoran gave each member of our small troupe an arm hug, thanking us from the bottom of the heart. It filled us with great joy that they had loved the homage to their love. And we all took a picture together, capturing this instant forever; another memorable moment to add to my collection.
After we had changed our clothes, we all got back to enjoying the reception with the newly-wedded couple.
'Say,' Gōjun declared, softly, as he approached me at one point; we had all gotten dispersed around the room.
Looking up at him, I met his eyes.
He had come to a stop in front of me and lifting his hand up, he fingered a lock of my hair, playing with it, while he gazed at me.
I blushed a little.
'Did I tell you that you're looking very beautiful?'
'Thank you,' I whispered, lowering my eyes and blushing even harder. 'You're looking very dashing too.'
Letting go of my hair, he brought his hand under my chin to tip it up, and I looked at him in the eyes again. We held each other's gaze for a minute, before he bowed down to press his lips softly over mine in a kiss.
Ever since I had woken up in hospital, we had not discussed about our declaration of love to each other back during the spider fright. I guess that we were both a little embarrassed, even if, this didn't change anything to our feelings for each other.
The kiss lasted for a few seconds, and when his lips left mine, we held each other's gaze again for a long moment, smiling tenderly at each other, my cheeks having gone completely red.
***
Shunsui Shigeizumi flung around instantly when he saw his friend kiss the dark-haired girl. He stared at the banquet table, his heart beating very fast.
What's happening to me?
While he had been watching the two of them, for a second, he had not wanted his friend to kiss the girl; he had not wanted him to touch her.
The reddish-brown-haired young man was utterly shocked with himself.
Why am I feeling jealous?
Reaching out for the bottle of champagne, he poured himself a glass of the sparkling liquid, only to swallow it down at one go.
What's wrong with me?
Unbeknownst to him, a certain blonde woman had been observing him while he was watching his friend and the dark-haired girl together. And she saw his reaction.
Oh Shunsui… Tsubasa Shigeizumi thought to herself, her heart squeezing. How could I not have noticed it before that you're in love with Hime…
Moving up to him, she put a hand down onto one of his shoulders, and he turned around to face her.
'Shunsui…' she whispered, feeling sad for him, 'If you liked Hime so much, why did you do everything to bring Gōjun and her together?!'
The young man's eyes went wide at her.
'Wha- What are you talking about? I'm not in love with Hime!'
Oh Shunsui…
It was absolutely clear to the blonde woman that he was deeply in love with the girl, whether he knew it or wanted to admit to himself or not.
'My poor boy!' she murmured, caressing his cheek with a pained look
She took a glance at Gōjun and the dark-haired girl, where they were standing in the distance talking to each other, before she lowered her eyes and turned around, leaving him to himself.
Shunsui stared after his mother; his heart beating even faster than before.
Is she right? Am I... in love with Hime?
He guessed that he already knew the answer. He had always known it.
Just at that moment, a sudden terrible headache hit him. It was a painful reminder.
***
After the reception, Kenren Shoran and Katsura-san left for the cottage to spend two days there for their honeymoon, and we bid the newly-married couple goodbye in front of the hotel.
Everyone left to find their respective houses on a happy spirit, and Gōjun accompanied Shunsui and I back home.
'Hime,' Gōjun said, catching my hand from behind as I was about to enter my bedroom.
Pausing down, I turned around to look at him.
'Do you want us to go out tomorrow? I mean- as a couple?!'
My cheeks reddened.
'Natsui and Yūsei will be there too. They won't be working tomorrow. They're going out on a date, and they have asked me if we wanted to join them. Shunsui will be accompanying us as well. He has invited a few girls.'
I lowered my head very shyly to nod in answer.
Our first date with each other…
'Okay, then. See you tomorrow. Have a good night!' he told me, with a smile, and bowing down, he gave me a small kiss on the mouth, before he left.
***
Next day….
When I woke up in the morning, I had a strange sensation in my chest. It was something that I had never felt before. It was the nervousness of the first rendezvous.
Gōjun arrived sometimes after breakfast for us to head out together. I kept my eyes down as I presented myself to him in the clothes I had chosen to wear on this special day.
'You're wearing the same clothes as on the day when we had first been to the Karaoke together!' he noted, and lowering my head, I told him, very shyly, 'It's Shunsui who told me to wear this today.'
'It's very pretty. I should have complimented you that day itself.'
I blushed.
He, too, had worn the same clothes as he had worn on that day. I remembered perfectly well what he had worn. He looked dashing.
Taking a lock of my hair in his hand, he bowed down slightly to smell it, and this time, my whole face turned red.
'You smell so good.'
Bowing completely down then, he pressed his lips against mine in a kiss, before he took hold of my hand and started to lead me down the corridor for the living room, for us to find Shunsui.
The girls the reddish-brown-haired young man has invited had arrived by now. They were three, and we all set out together to find Natsui and Yūsei.
Our first place of rendezvous for the day was at the local public park, and we decided to do some boating. This reminded me of the day when Gōjun and I had come boating to admire the blooming Sakura. At that time, he and I were not close to each other. Things were so different today.
We took a boat for ourselves, and Natsui and Yūsei did the same on their side.
When we arrived in the middle of the lake, Gōjun stopped rowing, and we remained there, admiring the beauty of the place for a while until, at one point, Gōjun pushed himself slightly up from where he was sitting across of me, and taking support on the two side edges of boat, he leaned in towards me to seal our mouth in a long kiss.
I closed my eyes, my cheeks reddening.
When he broke the kiss, I lowered my head to smile shyly to myself.
I had prepared a picnic, and so had Natsui, and once we were back to shore, we laid a large piece of cloth down on the grass by the side of the lake to enjoy a meal all together. After we had filled in our stomach, we went for a stroll around the city to do some window-shopping, and during the whole while that we were walking, Gōjun didn't let go of my hand even once.
We went to the cinema on the plaza after that, and since none of us could agree on whether to watch a romantic movie or a horror one, we ended up watching both, starting with the horror movie. And Gōjun continued to hold my hand during both films.
By the time we came out of the cinema theater, the sun had already set, and we went to take dinner at a restaurant. And when Shunsui pointed out to Gōjun and I, teasingly, that we had both ordered the same thing, and that he found it very cute, I couldn't help but blush madly.
Once we were done with dinner, we all headed to the karaoke. Some times before the end of the evening, Gōjun stood up to tell me that he was going out onto the terrace of the building, and holding his hand out to me, he asked me if I wanted to accompany him.
I gave him a small nod in answer, and accepting the hand he was offering me, I got to my feet to tag along with him.
As we came out of the door to onto the roof, he released my hand and I ran to the hydrangea plant growing in the middle of the terrace to hold one of the bouquets of flowers gently in-between my two hands, to gaze at it for a second or two, before I looked at Gōjun again over my shoulder, to tell him, cheerily, 'I love these flowers, you know?!'
I came around of the plant with the intention to sit on that side of the structure which gave off onto the city, Gōjun following after me.
But I was a little too short to be able to climb onto the structure without some difficulty. I couldn't help but blush when Gōjun, unexpectedly, sent his arm around my waist from the front to help me to onto the bench.
'Thank you,' I whispered, giving him a shy smile.
He moved to sit himself by my side and, together, we admired the city for a long moment, before he looked at me again and cupping my chin with his hand, he leaned it to seal our mouth in a kiss.
A few minutes later, we received a text message from Natsui. It was time to leave. And we began to head for the staircase to make our way downstairs to catch up with the party.
As we had almost reached the door of the terrace, suddenly, Gōjun tugged at my hand a little- the one which he was holding- asking me to wait. Pausing down, I turned around to look at him. He was holding a hydrangea flower in his hand, and he offered it to me, telling me, 'This is for you.'
I couldn't help but blush once again.
I accepted the flower with my two hands.
Grabbing hold of my shoulders then, he bowed down to seal our mouths in another long kiss, before he took my hand again and we began to descend the staircase together.
***
'Where are the girls who were with you?'
At the sound of Gōjun Shoran's voice, Shunsui Shigeizumi turned around to look at his friend and the dark-haired girl, who were coming out of the entrance door of the building.
The girl gave him a sweet smile, before she moved to Natsui Mizoroge to show the latter the flower she was holding in her hand.
'Oh, they're gone to spend the night elsewhere,' he answered, with a meek smile.
'It doesn't resemble you to let girls go away like this. I thought that you would want to spend the night with them.'
'That's true,' Shunsui said, lowering his eyes, still smiling. 'But, for a first, I didn't want to.'
He couldn't understand it himself. But then, he took a glance at Hime Kirigakure.
Is it because of her? Because I can't ignore my feelings for her anymore...?
'Let's go home now!' he declared to everyone, after that, clapping his hands once.
'I think we're going to say goodbye to you here itself if you don't mind,' Natsui told them, taking a glance at her boyfriend and smiling cheerfully. 'We would like to walk.'
'A romantic walk, eh?' the reddish-brown-haired young man giggled. 'Alright!'
And on this, they parted with the ginger-haired girl and the blond male.
As they were about to get on the car, suddenly, they came across of a familiar face. It was Rikishi, and the latter was accompanied by two young women, whom he was holding by the waist.
He approached them to speak to them, and Shunsui immediately noticed a change in the dark-haired girl's expression.
He wondered what it could be due to.
And when they got into the car, and they had dropped Gōjun at his house and were heading home themselves, the girl had still not emerged out of her thoughts.
Something seemed to be bothering her. And this worried Shunsui a lot.
***
When we reached home, I headed directly for my bedroom after having wished Shunsui a good night.
My feelings were agitated.
Picking the small, round, transparent bowl on my bed-side table, I took it to the bathroom to fill it with water and bringing it back to the bedroom, I placed the flower Gōjun had offered to me in it, before I disappeared in the bathroom again to take a shower and change into my sleeping clothes.
When I returned to my room, I sat myself down on the floor by the side of my bed, leaning against it to stare at the flower, my feelings still very much agitated.
I stayed like this for a moment until, my cellphone rang. It was Natsui. I picked up the call.
'Oh Hime, I've had an excellent day today!' she exclaimed, ecstatically. 'And you, how did you like your first date?'
'Well, I've had an excellent day too...' I murmured, lowering my eyes, my voice barely coming out.
The ginger-haired girl's tone changed.
'Hime? Is everything alright? You sound a bit low.'
'It's just that...'
I hesitated.
'Hime, what is it? Is there something bothering you? Tell me, and maybe I could advise you.'
'Well, I've had an excellent day but…'
Taking a deep breath, I sighed.
'You know, I love Gōjun from the bottom of my heart. And I know that he loves me too. But I was asking myself if... we're really made for each other. If I'm the right girl for him...'
'Why are you saying this?'
'I was thinking about the physical aspect of any romantic relationship. You know, I am a virgin, and I want to wait for marriage to do "it". I'm totally opposed against sex before marriage. While, on his side, Gōjun has a lot of experience. And I'm sure that he likes sex a lot. And therefore, I was wondering if he wouldn't better off with a girlfriend with whom he could… well, you know...'
I trailed off.
'I see.'
'Do you find me prudish?'
'No,' she chuckled. 'Rest assured. I'm exactly like you!'
I smiled.
'Have you talked about it with him?
I took another deep breath.
'No...'
***
So, this is what was bothering you, huh? Shunsui said to himself.
The reddish-brown-haired young man was listening at the door of the dark-haired girl's room.
I need to talk to Gōjun, he decided.
And on this, he headed for his own bedroom.
Thank you for reading!
Glossary
Origami - art of folding paper