Chapter LXXVIII.

Time slipped by, and soon, it was the end of the summer vacation. And then, it was the turn of the second semester to come to an end. And after that, the third semester. And finally, came the month of March and the graduation ceremony.

The ceremony was very touching. Everyone wore their school uniform as per the tradition as a last, beautiful homage to that institution which has helped us to grow in all the senses of the term. 

Tsubasa-sama, Kenren Shoran and Katsura-san came to assist to the ceremony, and Saien-sensei sat with them to attend it as a representative of my parents. Natsui's mother, and Yūsei's brother, together with Naoyasu Hanabusa, were there too. The two males were now married. 

Everyone was reunited for this solemn moment.

It was with great feeling that we climbed onto the stage one by one at the call of our names. We bowed down to receive our certificates with both hands from the director and thanked him heartfully for it with another bow. 

The ceremony included a song. And the song that had been chosen was Tabidachi no hi. It moved everyone to tears. We could hear sniffles all around the room, and Shunsui, Gōjun and I held one another's hand as we listened to the song. 

We were living a very strong moment of our lives. 

And Gōjun and I were about to live a second, if not stronger moment of our lives on the morrow. Tomorrow was going to be our wedding day.

***

That evening...

Saien Natsume had been on his way home when he came across of a familiar face on the street.

'Saien!' the red-haired woman called out to him, waving at him cheerfully, and saying goodbye to her friends, she ran to close the distance with them.

'Ah, Kunieda! What a pleasant surprise to meet each other again on this day!' Saien told her, with a smile.

The red-haired woman was the new English Language teacher. She had joined Shigeizumi High School only some six months ago. The red-haired male and she had become pretty good friends.

They began to walk together.

'I have really loved the ceremony of today!' she declared, happily.

'Yes. Me too.'

'By the way, Saien, do you want us to go out somewhere tonight? I thought that we could doing something fun together.'

At this, the red-haired male looked at the woman, in surprise. They would never meet outside of school before.

'I'm sorry. I have a wedding to attend tomorrow,' he replied, scratching the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. 'But let's put it to another day. Why not next week? I could come with Tsubasa, and you-'

'Tsubasa-sama, huh?' she interjected. 'You talk about her very often. You seem very close to each other. Do you feel something for her?'

He was taken aback. It was such a personal question.

Scratching the back of his head again and pressing his eyes shut, he giggled, 'You're asking me a very personal question there!'

'You know,' she said, grabbing hold of his hand unexpectedly to play with his fingers, 'I don't mind.'

They had both came to a stop now.

'Huh?' His eyes widened at her in confusion. 'I- don't understand...'

She smiled crookedly. 'What I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind if you see both of us at the same time!'

Saien feared that he was starting to understand what the red-haired woman was trying to say. 

'Kunieda-'

'I know that I'm married, but how does it matter?! And we don't need to tell Tsubasa-sama anything! We can see each other in secret!'

The man saw red at that moment.

Clenching his teeth together and pulling his hand away violently, he hissed at her, 'You're absolutely disgusting!'

And on this, he flung around and flounced away, shaking his head furiously.

The red-haired woman waited for him to have gotten out of sight to smile to herself. Digging her hand into her purse then, she took out her cellphone to dial a number. A few minutes later, a car pulled up on the side of the street. In the backseat of the car was a certain reddish-brown-haired young man.

'He didn't want to,' the woman announced to him, cheerfully.

'I see,' he said, smiling to himself.

'I guess that my contract ends here. It was the longest contract of my life, but I have to say that I did like to teach! I'll be leaving the city tonight itself as agreed!'

'Alright, thanks. I have already transferred the money to your account.'

'Alright! Ja, sayonara! Shunsui Shigeizumi!'

'Sayonara!'

The woman gave him a small wave of the hand and walked away.

Saien Natsume… Shunsui said to himself, lowering his head to smile again, You have successfully passed all the tests! This was the last one! My congratulations to you!

***

The following day, at the reddish-brown-haired young man's house...

Gōjun Shoran looked at his father in the mirror.

The man was holding himself by his right side; Shunsui standing on the other.

'Gōjun, I wanted to tell you that… I'm very proud of you!' Kenren declared, his voice catching with emotion.

Turning to face the older male with a smile coming to his lips, Gōjun murmured, 'I've found my model in you!'

The dark-haired male smiled back at him, giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

'Are you ready?' Shunsui asked his friend.

Gōjun took a deep breath, feeling nervous.

'You don't have to feel nervous!' the reddish-brown-haired young man assured him, with a large grin. 'The woman of your life is waiting for you! Let's go!'

He gave Gōjun a small pat on the shoulder too, and the latter nodded once, and on this, they set out together for the shrine, Saien Natsume, Yūsei Nishoji, Sōken Nishoji and Naoyasu Hanabusa accompanying them.

***

In the meanwhile, at the Shigeizumi's mansion...

'Oh my god, Hime! You're looking so beautiful!' Tsubasa-sama cooed, and I looked at her in the mirror where she was holding herself behind me. I was sitting at the dresser, and Katsura-san was there too, standing on the other side of me. 

The two women had worn the Tomesode, which is a formal, black kimono embroidered with colorful designs, worn by the mothers of the bride and groom

Gōjun and I had decided to dress separately. The boys had stayed together last night, and we, girls, have done the same on our side. Boys and the girls were to come to the shrine each one on our respective sides, such as to make the moment Gōjun and I would see each other in our ceremony clothes unique. It was Shunsui's idea.

'The Shiromuku kimono suits you so well!' Katsura-san cooed. 

Tears came to the eyes of both women, but they wiped them off very quickly, declaring, 'Oh no! We should not cry! It will ruin our beautiful make-up.' 

I chuckled.

Looking at me again then, Tsubasa-sama told me, with a sorry look, 'Hime, I'm sorry that your mother is not here with you on this day.'

I lowered my eyes, feeling a bit sad too. My mother has still not woken up from her coma. But I cheered up again almost immediately as I looked at the two wonderful women standing by my sides.

'It's alright. I have my two other mothers with me.'

'Oh, Hime!' they cooed together, putting their hands down onto my shoulders affectionately, tears returning to their eyes.

Reaching up, I put my hands down onto theirs, squeezing them a little, giving both women a tender smile.

I took a deep breath then. I was feeling so nervous. It was the same sensation as I had felt on my first date with Gōjun, but in more powerful.

'Are you ready?' Katsura-san asked me.

'Remember,' Tsubasa-sama told me, 'Just relax and breathe!'

'Yes,' I breathed.

***

The boys arrived in front of the shrine at the same time that Tsubasa-sama, Katsura-san, Natsui, Kesai-san, and I did. 

My breath was taken away when I took in Gōjun's appearance as we met up with each other at the foot of the staircase. 

He looked so handsome in his black kimono! 

He didn't seem to be breathing too. And Shunsui, who was holding himself by his side, didn't seem to be breathing either.

'Hime,' Gōjun gasped, 'You're beautiful!'

I lowered my head, blushing hard.

'You're looking very handsome too.'

'White is your color,' Shunsui told me, earnestly, and I thanked him, my voice a whisper.

Katsura-san had moved up to her husband now, and the two took hold of each other's hand, while Saien-sensei moved to place himself next to Tsubasa-sama behind me; Natsui and her mother holding themselves close-by, together with Yūsei and his family.

'Are you ready?' Shunsui asked Gōjun and I, with a cheery smile.

Strangely, at the sight of Gōjun, all my nervousness had vanished, without any doubt because I realized that there was no need for me to feel nervous, since I knew just how much we love each other, and that our love will be eternal; I knew that I had found the man of my life. 

Grabbing hold of each other's hand and exchanging a gentle smile, Gōjun and I nodded in answer. 

We had been about to ascend the staircase of the shrine together when I remembered something.

'Oh, wait!'

I paused down to turn to Natsui, and the latter handed to me the small box in her possession. Gōjun released my hand for me to open the lid of the box and take out the bracelet which was in it. It was a plain, round, silver-colored bracelet.

'Shunsui, this is for you! I've noticed that you often have fever and headaches! The metal which composes this bracelet is said to be efficacious against such ills!'

'Oh, Hime...' he whispered, holding my gaze, his eyes filling with tears. 

Lifting his right hand up with both on mine, I slipped the bracelet onto his wrist, before Gōjun and I grabbed each other's hand again, for me to tell the reddish-brown-haired young man, 'It's also a thank-you gift on our part for having accepted to be our best man!'

He gave both of us a smile.

Gojun and I gazed at each other again and we began to climb the staircase of the shrine to begin with the Shintō ceremony of our wedding. 

This, began with ritual purification, where the Kannushi purified the shrine and called the attention of the Kami. The man stood to the right of the altar, a miko on the left, while Gōjun and I stood in the middle of the room; our family and friends standing behind the tables that contained saké and small fruits. 

It was marvelous to be able to share this most beautiful moment of our lives with the people we loved the most in this world, when our two souls would be united to form a single one.

Gōjun and I gazed at each other tenderly during the whole while of the san san ku do ceremony, as we drank saké from the Sakazuki. At the first pouring, Gōjun drank first before he offered the cup to me. The second pouring went first to me, and then to Gōjun. And the third, final one, went to him first and then to me, as such repeating the first pour. This ritual was representative of our sharing joys and sorrows as a married couple. I found it extremely touching.

After that, Gōjun and I approached the altar, which held our wedding rings, and my heart swelled when Gōjun read his vows. We gazed at each other lovingly as we exchanged rings, a tender smile on our lips, tears coming to my eyes. 

Then, came the time for the offering of Tamagushi by the Kannushi. Gōjun and I would then proceed with our own offerings. And then, the offerings by Gōjun's father, and Saien-sensei, who acted as a representative from my family. The ceremony ended with a ritual sharing of saké by our family and friends, with a cheer of 'Kanpai!'

My heart was so much filled with joy that I could hold my tears back no more by that moment, and Tsubasa-sama, Katsura-san and Natsui wept as they hugged me.

Ojii-san, Obā-san, are you watching me? Today is the best day of my life! Okā-san, I love you! Kami-sama, thank you! 

After the ceremony, I changed into an Uchikake Kimono for us to head to our wedding reception.

'Are you sure you don't want to tell us where the reception is going to take place?' I asked Shunsui, as Gōjun and I arrived in front of the car which was about to take us to the venue. 

It was the reddish-brown-haired young man who has taken care of the organization of the reception.

'No. It's a surprise!' he informed us, with a playful smile, opening the rear door of the vehicle for us.

'Okay,' Gōjun and I decided, looking at each other's face again and smiling. We hopped into the vehicle. The reddish-brown-haired young closed the door after us, and he headed away to find Tsubasa-sama. They were going to follow us from behind in their own vehicle, while Natsui and her mother were going to come with Yūsei and his family. 

It was Gōjun's parents, who were now officially my parents too, who were to drive us to the venue of our wedding reception. Once we were seated in the backseat of the car and waiting for the dark-haired male and Katsura-san to arrive, Gōjun lifted his hand up to cup the side of my face to give me a kiss on the lips.

'The Uchikake suits you just as well as the Shiromuku,' he whispered to me, and I lowered my head, blushing hard once again.

We left Kokubunji for a destination that was still unknown to the two of us at that time. At noon, we made a stop at a traditional restaurant where a tatami room had been reserved by the dark-haired male and brown-haired woman. We all sat at the same table, Gōjun and I sitting at the head of it, looking over the party. It was very enjoyable to sit like this all together and eat. 

After the meal, we took the road again, and when we arrived at our destination, neither Gōjun nor I could believe our eyes.

'Shunsui...' I said, breathlessly, as we came down from the car. I had turned around to face the reddish-brown-haired young man now. 'We are at the Palace of Tōdō! Is it what I am thinking?'

I remembered the last time we had been here. We had thought that the building structure on the lake would make a wonderful place for a wedding reception!

'Yes!' he replied, cheerily. 'How do you like my surprise?!'

'Oh Shunsui...' I was in all my states. 'Ne, ne, don't we need an authorization for that?'

'Hm-hm! But we can't refuse anything to a Shigeizumi!'

Tears had come back to my eyes.

'Thank you infinitely!' I told him, from the bottom of my heart.

'Now! Come on, Princess! I have another surprise for Gōjun and you! You're both going to get changed!' he declared, and on this, Tsubasa-sama took hold of my shoulders from behind to usher me away with her, while the reddish-brown-haired young man did the same with Gōjun.

Tsubasa-sama had informed me that I was going to wear a Western-style wedding dress at the reception, but I would never have thought that the dress would be this magnificent! 

And when I saw Gōjun in his tuxedo, I could only stare at him breathlessly. 

Everyone had left in order to allow us to meet each other in our Western-style clothes in private.

He looked absolutely dashing in his tuxedo!

'My god, Hime!' he gasped, pulling me by my waist against him with one of his arms to place a kiss on the side of my head. 'No one should be allowed to look this beautiful!'

I blushed hard.

'I was going to say the same thing about you,' I whispered.

A few minutes later, we were being led to our reception by Shunsui and Tsubasa-sama. They held our hands.

The lake looked even more splendid at dusk, and I was utterly mesmerized at how beautifully the building had been decorated. There were flowers, white drapes, and lighting decorations everywhere, and a stage had been set for Gōjun and I to sit on. I could never thank Shunsui enough for this. It was like being in a dream.

All the guests had already arrived and were waiting for our entrance. 

The reception started with our family and friends making speeches. Each one of the speeches were heart-touching, and they brought fresh tears to my eyes. We shall remember every single word that had been addressed to us on this day forever. Gōjun addressed his thanks to Kenren-sama and Katsura-san, as well as to Tsubasa-sama, with a toast, and even if my mother and grand-parents were not physically with me on this day, I addressed my thanks to them just as well. 

A banquet was served during the reception. The wedding menu included a colorful sushi presentation, together with red rice for good luck. And there was also the Kagami-biraki ceremony where the lid- its round shape representing harmony- of a saké barrel was broken open with a wooden mallet; the saké then served to everyone present. 

During the intermission, Gōjun and I left the building to go and change our clothes. He changed his tuxedo and I changed into an evening dress.

'I'm loving this tradition of changing clothes a lot! You're looking absolutely irresistible!' Gōjun whispered to me in my ears, and tightening his arm around my waist, he gave me another kiss on the side of my head. 

I lowered my eyes, blushing, and on this, we made our last entrance. 

Gōjun and I were enjoying every single minute of this day, and every dress that I had worn had a sentimental value to me. Katsura-san and Kenren-sama had gifted to me my Shiromuku, and on my side, I had offered Gōjun his kimono. The Uchikake was a gift of Tsubasa-sama. The Western-style bridal dress was a gift of Shunsui. And the evening dress I was wearing had been offered to me by Saien-sensei. By wearing them, I had the impression of doing honor to these people.

Sōken Nishoji and Naoyasu Hanabusa, approached us near the stage soon after our last entrance. After the opening of the Mizoroge Restaurant, Shunsui, Tsubasa-sama, Katsura-san, Kenren Shoran, Gōjun and I would often hang around there, and so would the two males. This has allowed us to become particularly close to them.

'Are you ready to become one legally?' the red-haired male asked us, and Gōjun and I looked at each other's face to exchange a smile and nod in answer. They had brought us the application papers, and it was with great emotions that we signed them. We had made Tsubasa-sama and Saien-sensei our witnesses. 

At the end of the reception, Gōjun and I toasted to all the guests who were present, among whom we could find Takara-san and his family, as well as the director of our now old school, after which we cut the cake. Gōjun and I held each other's gaze as we exchanged our first bite. 

After the reception was over, all our guests congratulated us once again for our marriage before they left. At that moment, Shunsui, Tsubasa-sama, Kenren-sama, Katsura-san, Natsui, Kesai-san, Yūsei Nishoji, Sōken Nishoji, Naoyasu Hanabusa, together with Gōjun and I took one last picture for the day, with all of us standing together. 

They all felicitated us for our marriage once more time, after which they were gone too. Shunsui was the last one to part with us, and hugging both of us at the same time, he wished us a very happy married life together and left with a smile on his lips.

'Where are we going now?' I asked Gōjun, very shyly, looking up at his face. 

He was holding me in one of his arms by my waist.

'We're going upstairs!' he answered, and my eyes widened at him a little, my heart skipping a beat. 

During the whole reception, access upstairs had been restricted with a golden rope.

'Shunsui had put me in the picture earlier,' he told me, and turning around, he removed the rope, before he, unexpectedly, picked me up in his two arms, causing me gasp out his name in surprise.

'I want to do this as it should be!' he declared, looking down at my face to give me a smile, and on these words, he carried me up the staircase. 

When we arrived at the head of it, my heart skipped another beat as my eyes traveled across of the roofed terrace. There were lit lanterns all-around of the hall, sitting on the floor, and in the middle was a mattress, with a trail of white petals leading up to it.

'It's better than a honeymoon suit, don't you think?'

I was too filled with emotions to be able to speak. I nodded fervently in answer.

Gōjun carried me to the mattress and he laid me gently down onto my back onto it, holding himself on top of me. 

I was feeling a bit nervous again, but as I looked into Gōjun's eyes, all of my nervousness disappeared.

'Hime, if you're too tired, we can wait for tomorrow,' he told me, playing with my lips with his thumb.

'No,' I whispered, holding his gaze. 'We have waited long enough.'

He gave me a smile, after which his mouth came over mine in a passionate kiss, while he intertwined his fingers with mine by the side of my head on the mattress. 

And as such, our wedding day came to an end, with our having united ourselves to each other in all the possible ways that existed.

Thank you for reading!

Glossary

Tabidachi no hi - The day of Departure

Miko - shrine maiden

Tamagushi - a Sasaki tree-branch, decorated with cotton thread

Kanpai - Cheers

Uchikake - highly formal kimono worn only by a bride 

Shiromuku - traditional Japanese wedding dress; pure white kimono

Sayonara - farewell