𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄: 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢

(v) husband

this was a fairy tale.

that's what anyone sitting by the aisle you walked through at the wedding would say.

everything was elaborately planned right down to the intricate details. the large garden adjoined to your family vacation house had been converted with care into an altar while keeping the nature around it intact.

the chairs were comfortable and cushiony, rows upon rows of cream hues with white gold. lavenders and orchids and carnations decorated the venue, leaving a dreamy smell in the air. highly influential people came to admire and to judge.

a painter sat in the far end of the location, scenery painted... waiting in anticipation to fill the bride and groom into the canvas to solidify the idea that this was a fairy tale.

and then there was you. so ethereal with a delicate veil falling over your face, your dress and jewellery carefully fitted. no one could imagine the torment behind that veil as you walked towards your future.

kiyoomi was the picture of wealth, dressed in a classic three piece tuxedo that costed more than a luxury car, with his curls as messy as ever and his posture just as sharp.

he did not smile when he saw you but his lips parted in surprise. like he had seen something he hadn't anticipated to see. you think you saw him take a deep breath just after.

your hands began to inexplicably shake, clasping tight around the arm of your father who was walking with you. he had teared up when he saw you all dressed up as a bride. he said you were beautiful but he was so sad you were moving away from home.

his hand came to squeeze yours, not alarmed by your anxiety because he imagined you were feeling as emotional as he was. he had no idea of what had gone down the night before and he didn't know of your anguish and fear.

you mentally prepared yourself to let go of his arm and stop freaking out. you knew this day had been coming for a very long time. this was the worst time to freak out about it. it was too late.

kiyoomi's hands now held yours. you didn't meet his gaze even as the officiant began patiently saying the vows.

you heard him say 'i do'. but did he?

your hands began trembling again in his hold. your head dipped lower. you felt like you were drowning. dark walls were forming around you, closing in on you. you didn't even realise when the officiant had finished speaking and you had to say those words back to him.

silence engulfed the venue for a few seconds.

you imagined running away, holding your dress up and sprinting back down the flowery aisle and being branded a runaway bride for many years to come. the painter in the corner would have an incomplete canvas for years to come.

"hanabi", kiyoomi whispered. an uncharacteristically affectionate tone that felt like a sledgehammer to the walls closing in on you. light poured into your mind.

his hands held yours firmer, his thumb stroked over yours.

you finally looked at him, wondering just how rattled you looked. he nodded slowly, letting out a shaky breath. and then it hit you. he was anxious too. as anxious as you.

but he said 'i do' anyway.

he could've had that thought too. he must've. you imagined him saying nothing and walking away and becoming the man that humiliated you for years to come. but he wasn't. there was no hesitation in his voice like there was in yours.

so you said it back.

you swore you heard sighs of relief from kiyoomi's side of the family. you could feel your dad looking at you in your peripheral vision. was he concerned?