S C A N D A L

Chapter Seven

The wedding day arrived but Naoki refused to even drop by, except for the last-minute message on the phone, Shiro never received any congratulatory from his father. His words were "Good luck and may you live your life plenty." The statement was filled with contempt and reproach. No doubt, he was still bitter about him leaving the house. It was unfair, given that he was aware that it was because of his new wife that he left. Sadly, his father thought that if Shiro would only stay meek and let Atsuko run the household, he could still be part of the family. But no, Shiro couldn't bear to live in that house and be controlled by a woman who was only a few years older than he was.

At first, the weather was all foggy but before the ceremony started, the sun started blazing forth. It went well, given the circumstances. Shiro stopped caring about Atsuko's presence and did his best to play his part. Though pale, he was delicately pretty and handsome depending on how people looked at his angle. He wore a pure white suit seeded with pearls and his mother was the one who glided down with him to meet his groom. It was a solemn, private affair, and even photographers weren't allowed inside. Takeo was smiling as usual. He was glad that at long last, Kurou would be married and he prayed that this should stop his wayward ways. Azumi was more than delighted. It couldn't be denied that she dearly adored Shiro, from the very first time she laid eyes on him as a newborn babe. She always told Kumiko that someday they would be family. That day had come today and she couldn't be any happier. Meanwhile, Kumiko was saddened but at the same time excited for her son's new life. She wanted Shiro to live his life as comfortably as he should. Her son deserved the world and more. He had suffered enough during the turmoils of her divorce from Naoki.

During the ceremony, Shiro's voice to promise to love and honor him had been soft but steady, and though his hand trembled when he slipped the ring in place, only Kurou could have noticed.

Kurou himself was just as nervous. He mumbled his responses at one point, called Shiro, 'little Shiro' at the next, and stared into space at the other. If he didn't think that they were in front of their families and guests, Shiro would've kicked the man in the groin.

The Western-style wedding was immediately followed by the traditional Shinto ceremony. Before the wedding, the couple orchestrated a dinner for their families so the parents had the chance to formally meet, though this was not at all needed since their mothers already knew one another. It was exhausting for both of them to go through a number of outfit changes from kimonos to suits to an article of more colorful clothing for different sections of the ceremony. More so to Shiro who had to wear an elaborate headpiece that he thought he had turned into a peacock.

A Shinto priest led the purification ceremony, then food and alcohol were offered to the gods. Prayers after prayer were uttered, asking the gods of the marriage for the couple's protection, and then another series of vows were exchanged. After that, they did the sansankudo or the nuptial cups, exchange of rings, and offering of a branch of a sacred tree, followed by more food and wine. Finally, the couple gave gifts of gratitude to their parents accompanied by a heartfelt letter of the momentous occasion.

By the time they finished both the Western and traditional wedding, both Kurou and Shiro were exhausted. For the first time, they both agreed that they wanted the whole ordeal to be over!

As Shiro took his place beside Kurou inside the limousine, the new addition to the Matsumoto household had his eyes downcast. Kurou ordered the driver to drive them to the property that he specifically bought for them. It had been a long day and they both knew it was far from over since they were just getting started. Shiro was limp with exhaustion and Kurou experienced the same lethargy for he leaned deeply into the plush upholstery and put his feet on the opposite seat.

Shiro waited to see if he intended to take a nap, but when his dark, doe-eyes remained open, he advanced his question, "Where are we going?"

Instead of answering him, Kurou had other things in mind. "Now that we are married, we should think of a name to address each other."