Chapter 45: wedding in the province

"Woah!!!" "Fuyumi don't put your head outside the window", said Kazumi while pulling Fuyumi when they are on a train way to his hometown. "It is so beautiful in here", she said as she sit beside him with full smile mark on her face. "I'm glad that you are enjoying the place" "But I am nervous", she said as she move closer to him. It feels awkward for Kazumi having Fuyumi's face so close to him. "W…why?!" Fuyumi fixed herself the way she sit and that is when Kazumi become relieved. "Of course, who wouldn't? I am the only outsider there, I will be out of place" "You will not be out of place, you have me, and… Kurumi. I'm sure that they will going to be glad to have you there" "Awww thank you" "Kurumi is waiting for us is in the train station"

"Fuyumiii, Fuyumiii", Kazumi is slightly shaking Fuyumi's body who fall asleep in the train. "Hmmm" She slowly opened her eyes and rub it as she stretched her arms. "We're already here" "We're here?" Kazumi nodded. He grabbed all their bags and stand. "Let's go" then he walked outside the train as Fuyumi follows.

"Sis Nagisa!!!", Kurumi runs to hug her. Fuyumi is a little bit shocked on Kazumi's sister's action for suddenly hugging her. She just smiled and hugged her back. "I miss you Nagisa!", then she hugged her tighter. Fuyumi stared at Kazumi for a while. "A…I miss you too" "Kurumi stopped it. She can't breathe", he said while removing her sister's hand around Fuyumi.

"I'm glad that you came with my brother. Nagisa tell me, are you my brother's date on the wedding?" "Huh?!" "Ahahahahaha my sister is a joker sometimes hahahaha" "Do you know that this is the first time that my brother brought a girl in our house and went on a family event. You must be really special Nagisa" "Ahahaha I don't think so, besides I am the only friend your brother has" "He was your only friend also right? So you are the same" "Ah…ah…" "Speaking of friend, where is Hitoshi? Why didn't he come with you?" "Ah… Hitoshi…he was busy right now so he can't come" "Busy?! What is he busy about?" "Ahmm…so many things (smiled) you know him. He has a lot of hobby" "Hmmm, I see" "Here we are", Kurumi said as they stand in front of their house.

"Oh welcome welcome, you must be Fuyumi" said a woman in her late fifties having a thin hair with lots of white and few black hair. Wearing a long black floral dress. She's old yet she looks young. She came to hug her and kissed her cheeks. "Ah hello", she bow. "Kurumi was right, you are beautiful. My Kazumi knows how to choose a girl" "Ah ma!! She's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend" "Ah…a friend. But it is where it starts, right?", and then she laughed with the other old women there. "I'm sorry, my family is crazy", Kazumi whispered. "It's okay. Most of the families are like that when their sons or daughters bring a visitor at their house" "Ah…Fuyumi, are you tired. Do you wanna rest? Or are you hungry? Do you want to eat?" "Ah no auntie, thank you. I am okay" "Ah mom, I want to take Fuyumi in a tour here in our place so that she can see the beautiful places in here" "I'm coming too" "No Kurumi, you will stay here. You will help me to prepare the ingredients to be cook in tomorrow's wedding" Kurumi pouted following her mother in the kitchen.

"Our place is just a small province, it is not like in the city that it has too much attractions. I don't where will we are going first. This place had a limited establishments and small houses. I just told them that we are going to have a tour so that they won't interrogate you" Fuyumi laughed. "Why don't we start on your old school" "My school?" "Hmmm", she nods. "I want to see your old school, what it looks like orrr if there is any other handsome guys hehehe" "There is no other handsome guys in this place than me" "Then what do you call Hitoshi? He came from here and also handsome, even more handsome than you" "Ugh… what?! More handsome than me? He is not even from this place. Do you like him that much?" "Who, Hitoshi? Are you jealous?" "Why would I?" "Yeah, of course, why would you"

They first take a look in the classrooms, the library, canteen, the school garden and the other places in the school. "Your school is not far different from ours, so why did you transfer?" "Hmmm…I'm just tired for having the same environment since I was a kid so I think of exploring for more and going out of my comfort zone" "Is that it?" "What do you think?" "I think you have a deeper reason?" "You are overthinking?", then they laughed together. "The canteen is opened, do you want to have a snack first?"

After that, they went on the park. There are some kids playing there. "This is the place where we used to play, Kurumi, Yumi and I" "So Hitoshi is really out of the picture", she whispered "What?" "Nothing" "When I was a kid—" "Brooo!!!" Kurumi's voice can really break an eardrum. She's chasing her breath when she reached them. "Mom…mom is calling you…", she said between her breath. Kazumi excused himself to go home for a while. Kurumi left with Fuyumi. "What do you think of our place?", she asked as she sit beside her. "Hmm…it really look like a province" Kurumi laughed. "It looks like a province because it is really a province", then she laughed again. "I mean, it looks a lot different" "Is this your first time in a province" "Hmmm" while nodding. "My brother and I grow up in a noisy environment, the horns in the cars, street lights, tall buildings, and loud music" "The life here is simple, you can't go out the streets when the sky gets dark, it is quiet here at night and no lots of cars or lights from the buildings. When we were kids, this is the only place where we play. Do you see that slide?", while pointing the slide where there are some kids playing. "I like playing in that slide when I am alone, sometimes my brother won't let me play with them because they are all guys and I am the only girl in the group, so when I am alone I play here until Hitoshi came. He is the first friend I ever have that I always count in" "So Hitoshi is really from here also" "They just transferred here for a while because of a family issue then left after. He is a shy guy when I first saw him in front of their house. Brother is so angry at me when I introduced him to him, let's say… he has a trust issue but in the end they became good friends. They look good to be together, the three of them until they went away one by one" "I wish I had that kind of friendship, I grow up alone. My brother is the only person I can rely on. How I wish to be here, to be part of your gang, maybe if that happen, I can treasure a memory when I was a kid"

Fuyumi was in her room getting ready for this big day with Kurumi. "You are really beautiful Nagisa, no wonder why guys go crazy about you. No wonder why my brother likes you", she said standing at her back staring their reflection in the mirror. "Did he like me? Your brother said that?" "Hmm… he is a quiet guy, he don't tell to others what he feels but I know that he likes you" Then suddenly they heard noises outside of the room. "What was that?" "Let me check", says Kurumi as she went out of the room. Fuyumi go back from fixing herself in front of the mirror. After a few minutes, Kurumi entered the room. "What happened" "The bride" "Why, what happened to the bride" "She's missing" "Huh?! How'd that happened" "I don't know. They are all already panicking. The program will start in a few minutes yet she's nowhere to be found" "Kazumi, where is Kazumi" "He's in the cemetery at the back of the school. He always visit his best friend and girlfriend's grave"

Fuyumi immediately saw him when she arrived in the place. He's putting a single flower on one of the graves that are in there. She slowly walk going near him. "Why are you here", she asked standing at his back staring at the name written where the flower is. Kazumi startled a bit. "You…you're here" "Kurumi said that you always go here", she said as she sat beside him. "Is she your girlfriend?" Kazumi nod. "Is she beautiful?" "She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" "Who is much beautiful, her or me?" Kazumi looked Fuyumi in the eyes. When she feel that Kazumi is not answering, she changed the question. "What about Saki, who is prettier in the two" Kazumi looked away. "Saki is beautiful in her own way" "You didn't answer the question" "They are both beautiful in my sight" "Why do you answer so fast when Saki is in the question" Kazumi stands. "Let's get going, the wedding might be starting" "You changed the topic again", as she stands also. "I don't know if they will still continue the wedding. From what I heard earlier, the bride is gone missing", as she removed the grasses stocked on her dress. "What?! What happened" "I…I don't know. I was in the room when it happened" Kazumi holds her hand then they ran together going back to the venue. Fuyumi stared their hands attached for a while before Kazumi pulls her to run.

"What happened", Kazumi asked between his breath to one of his relative standing in front of the wedding hall. "It's okay, everything is okay now, and we found her" Kazumi feel relieved when he heard that. "Ah…Ahmmm…my hands" That is when he realized that he is still holding Fuyumi's hand. "Ah…sorry", as he let go. Fuyumi hide her smile as she smell her hand.

All eyes and cameras are on the most beautiful angel walking in the aisle. "Where did you find her?" Fuyumi asked in whisper to Kurumi who is just by her side. "She's in the garage, her ex-boyfriend is forcing her to come with him. He can't accept that she's marrying a different guy" Fuyumi sighed. "He must still love her", she whispered to herself. "That is why I don't want to be in love, it is complicated and it will only hurt you to the end", Kazumi says staring at the altar standing beside Kurumi. Fuyumi turned to the bride and groom in front of the altar from Kazumi.

Fuyumi released a deep breath as she lie on the bed. "Are you tired? This day is very long", said Kurumi hanging her clothes. Fuyumi faced her still lying on the bed. "Do you think someone will also love me like that? I also want a love story like them" "Someone will come, just wait. Or maybe he's already right in front of you but you are just too blind to see" Fuyumi sighed then stared at the ceiling when they heard a knocked in the door. Kurumi went to open it. "Are you two okay in here?", asked Kazumi. "We're fine", Kurumi answered. "Ah…", Fuyumi woke. "Good night", as she smiled to him. "Good night", Kazumi said and smiled back. Kurumi closed the door when he leaves. "What was that?", Kurumi said foolishly smiling at her. "What?" "You want to say something to each other but you are stopping yourselves" "What do you think he wants to say to me" "The same thing you want to tell him. You are always together, you can talk about that anytime", she said as she lie on the bed beside her.

"Did you finished what I told you to do?", Fuyumi asked as soon as she arrived home. "I already did and cleaned the place" "Very good" as she tap his shoulder. "You should start going, you have a class, right?", as she walked passed by him. "I…I'll go", he said as he get his backpack. Fuyumi just raised her hand as an answer for she's drinking.

Kazumi almost got a heart attack when he received a text message from an unknown number while he is getting ready for school. He almost throw his cellphone upon seeing the pictures send to him. He crawl going to the door when someone rings the doorbell. "What happened, you seems like you saw a ghost" Kazumi still can't hardly breathe as he point his phone on the floor. Fuyumi get his phone and just like Kazumi's reaction, she was also shocked. "What…what was that. Who… send that" "I don't know" They are both shaking looking at the photo on the phone in the floor. "Do you think we should report it?" "Noooo!! I mean, who would believe in us and we don't know if it is true. The first thing we should do is to find the person who send that to you" "Anyway, I came here because Kurumi send the pictures in the wedding" Kazumi sit beside her and they scan the photos together that they forgot about the other photos send on his phone.

"Did you send it?" "Huh?!" "Did you send it?!!" "Did what?!" "Send the photos, you send the photos to Kazumi!" "What photos?" "These" Fuyumi showed the photos to her brother. His eyes widened upon seeing the photos. "I…I didn't send that" "You didn't?" "Why would I?" "So who did? Someone else know what we are doing", she said staring on a blank air. Suddenly her phone rings. From an unknown number sends her photos. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" Her brother picked her phone that she throw on the floor. "Who…who send this!", anger is shown on his face looking at the pictures.

"Wahahahahahahahaha they might be going crazy right now. Just wait, I will show you all your dirt wahahahahahaha"

"Ugh… I hate exams", as he put the tray of food on the table. "I almost forgot, the exams are coming" "I can't even remember the lessons" "You always say that but you still end up being the top student" "And you are the second highest" "I was the top student before you enter in the picture" "Are you mad at me because I steal the crown from you?" "I'm not mad, and you didn't steal anything, you deserve it" "You deserve also your position"

"Where is that coming from" "Nothing", as he take a spoon of food. "Hmmmm, I think something is fishy" "What do you mean?", he said with still food on his mouth. "Nooothing", she smiled. Kazumi make face and take another spoon.

Fuyumi lean on her chair as she sigh. "I can't believe that the exam is difficult", she said. "Where? Which part is difficult?", asked Kazumi standing in front of her. "Haiiish, I wish I can also perfect the exam without studying" "I just have a high IQ, and so also are you", while sitting in front of him. "But not high as yours" "If you have a higher IQ than mine, you might go crazy" then they laughed together.

Kazumi ends up as the top students as always but something had changed, Fuyumi is down to top three. An unknown student from a different section ends up getting the second top spot. Everyone was shocked from what happened including the fact that the currently top two student is not on the honor roles ever since, he's not as smart as them nor as popular as them.

"What happened?", asked Kazumi as he put a tray of food on the table and sit in front of Fuyumi. "I didn't see this coming. I thought that I already did my best but it is not enough" "Who is the second honor?" "Haru?" "Haruuu…" "I don't know, I just know his first name" "Do you want to see him?" "Why?" "Hmmm… just to see who steal the crown from you" "No thanks, I don't want to look pathetic" "If you said so"

"Haru, congratulations. I heard you are the second highest in your year" "I just got lucky" "Hmmm you're humble as always. That is why I like you" as the girl hang her arms into the guy's arms.