the change

I was unknown

Hana Takahashi, a 26-year-old woman
from a middle-class family, lived with
her parents in a small home. Her parents
worked at a grocery shop owned by
Hana's uncle, who resided abroad.
Despite their modest means, they were a
happy family. Unfortunately, Hana’s
father had taken a loan from the most
dangerous mafia to pay her university
fees, as she excelled in her studies.
However, they fell behind on the
payments, missing three months.
One afternoon, loan sharks arrived at
their home, demanding repayment or
threatening to confiscate valuable
possessions. Hana’s parents pleaded for
more time, but the sharks were
relentless. They searched the house but
found nothing of value. Unaware of the
chaos at home, Hana returned from
university, calling out, "Mama, Papa, I’m
home and hungry." She took off her
shoes and walked inside, surprised to
see so many men in their home. Her
terrified parents urged her to run, but before she could, a man grabbed her
and dragged her to the lead shark.
The lead shark, eyeing Hana, smirked
and said, “In this world, nothing is more
valuable than a beautiful girl.” He called
his boss to report the situation. The
boss, in a deep, harsh voice, asked what
was going on. The lead shark explained,
“Boss, I’m at the Takahashi family’s
home. They haven’t repaid the loan and
don’t have any valuables.” The boss,
growing impatient, demanded, “So,
should I go and get the money myself?”
The lead shark, nervous, replied, “No, sir.
I wouldn’t suggest that. They have a 26-
year-old daughter who studies at a
university.” The boss instructed, “Send
me her picture. I’ll consult with the King
and get back to you.” The lead shark,
eager to comply, said, “Sure, boss. I’ll
wait for your answer.”
After locking Hana in her room, the
sharks waited. Her parents, meanwhile,
were crying inconsolably. Fifteen minutes later, the lead shark received a
call from his boss. After hearing the
orders, he cleared his throat and
addressed Hana's father, “Consider
yourself lucky. The great Samuel
Nakamura has made a one-time offer.
He proposes marriage to your daughter
in exchange for clearing your debt and
offering you 5 million.”
Hana’s parents were stunned, their eyes
filled with tears. The lead shark called
Hana and informed her of the proposal.
Surprisingly, Hana agreed. The lead
shark then called his boss to confirm.
After the call, he informed them that the
marriage would take place that very
night, with all arrangements made by
Samuel’s side. He warned Hana that any
attempt to run would result in her and
her family being shot.
After the sharks left, Hana’s mother
hugged her, sobbing, “My little baby,
run away. Go wherever you want, but
please run. I can’t bear to see this
happen.” Hana, with tears streaming down her face, held her mother’s hands
and said, “We don’t have any other
option, Amma.” Her father, also in tears,
held her hands and said, “My baby, I’m
so sorry you have to go through this.
Your papa is helpless, just watching this
happen. I’m so sorry.”
Hana held her papa’s hands. “Please
don’t say that, Papa. You’re the best
papa in this world,” she said, hugging
him. She reminded him to get ready for
the wedding as it was almost evening.
She wore an old white dress she had.
Around 6 PM, a car arrived at their
home. A lady walked in and knocked on
the door, calling out, “Mr. Takahashi,
please open the door.”
Hana’s mom opened the door. The lady,
holding three boxes, stepped inside and
handed them to Mrs. Takahashi. “The
King has sent these for you, Hana
ma’am. It’s your wedding gown and
clothes for you and Mr. Takahashi. A car
has also been provided. Once you are all
ready, please let me know. I will be
waiting for you outside.” She bowed, and Mrs. Takahashi bowed in response.
Taking the boxes inside, she showed
Hana the dresses sent by the King, along
with the car. Hana looked at the dress
and said, “I didn’t know that an old man
would have such good taste in clothes.”
Her mom asked in confusion, “An old
man?”
Hana replied, “Yes, Amma, an old man.”
“But in movies, they show that mafia
kings are very handsome and strong,”
her mom noted.
“Movies and real life are different,
Mom,” Hana said with a small smile,
holding back tears. Her mom hugged
her, and after some time, they were all
ready and stepped outside. They saw
three luxury cars parked in front of their
house, causing quite a stir in their small
neighborhood where even a small car
would be big news. The Takahashi
family, especially Hana in her white ball
gown and simple white stone necklace, looked stunning, capturing everyone’s
attention.
The lady by the main door guided them
to the cars. Boys opened the doors for
them. Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi were
seated in one car, while Hana was asked
to sit in another car, which was in the
middle, and the lady took the first car.
They all departed for the wedding,
arriving at a grand villa beautifully
decorated, with the garden set with
tables and a stage for the ceremony.
Looking at the decorations, Hana
thought, “The old man has spent a lot
on this wedding.”
The cars lined up along the garden
pathway. The lady came to Hana’s car
and opened the door for her. Hana and
her family walked along the rose-petalcovered pathway, encountering rows of
chairs adorned with flowers. The garden
was filled with colorful blooms, gently
swaying in the breeze. Soft candlelight
illuminated the area, creating a cozy
atmosphere. At the center of the garden, the main stage was decorated with
flowing fabric and beautiful roses. Fairy
lights twinkled, adding a touch of
enchantment to the scene. Hana and her
family felt like they had stepped into a
fairy tale as they celebrated amidst the
magical setting.
Seeing all the decorations, Hana’s mom
whispered to her, “It looks like a fairy
tale to me.”
Hana replied, gazing at the lights, “Yes,
Amma, it’s so beautiful.”
As they walked along the decorated
pathway, Hana and her family noticed an
old man standing below the stage with
several men behind him. Assuming him
to be King Samuel, Hana’s dad
approached the old man, bowed
respectfully, and stood opposite him
with hands joined.
“Good evening, sir,” Hana’s dad greeted.
“Good evening,” the old man replied.
The decoration is done very beautifully,
sir,” her dad complimented.
“Thank you. I’m glad to hear you all liked
it,” the old man responded. “This is yet
nothing; due to time constraints, our
team could only manage this much. We
had planned something much grander
to welcome our Queen.” Saying this with
a smile, he looked at Hana and bowed
to her, followed by the other men.
After the old man's statement, Hana’s
dad felt a mix of shock and worry. He
exchanged a concerned look with his
wife, realizing the situation might be
more serious than he thought. Even
though he knew his daughter was with
him, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy
about the old man’s words. With a tight
jaw and a worried expression, he
swallowed his anger and kept a fake
smile.
The old man then excused himself and
walked out of the garden. The lady
standing behind them stepped forward and asked if they would like to wait in
the guest room near the garden until
the king was ready. The family agreed,
and the lady led them to the guest
room.
In the room, Hana sat on the bed, with
her parents sitting beside her. Her dad
held Hana’s hand, tears in his eyes, and
said, “I’m sorry, princess. Your dad will
not be able to save you from this.”
Hana held her dad’s hand and reassured
him, “No, Papa, please don’t say that.
You have taken good care of me until
today. You never let me feel low. Please
don’t apologize.” She hugged him, and
her mom joined in.
After some time, they calmed down. A
knock came at the door. Hana’s mom
opened it to find two ladies holding a
silver suitcase. They introduced
themselves as makeup artists sent by the
king to give Hana her final makeup.
Hana’s mom nodded and the makeup
artists got to work. After some time, they completed their work and left the
room.
Seeing Hana, her mom’s eyes filled with
tears. “Oh my baby, you’re looking so
beautiful,” she said.
Her dad joined in, “Yes, my princess, you
look very beautiful.”
Hana smiled at them, but before she
could say anything else, there was
another knock at the door. It was the
same lady. “Ma’am, the king and all the
other guests are waiting for you. Please
come.”
Hana and her family nodded and walked
out. As they stepped onto the pathway,
a song began to play. The guests stood
up, turned their attention towards her,
and started clapping. Despite this, Hana
kept her gaze downcast while her family
wore fake smiles, walking with her
towards the main stage.
Upon reaching the stage, the priest
called for the groom. Hana kept looking
down until her mom subtly pinched her,
urging her to look up. When she did, she
was utterly shocked. The man she
thought was old was now a young,
handsome man, tall with a broad chest
and a chiseled face. He stood
confidently, resembling a prince in his
black wedding suit.
He stepped forward and bent down to
her height. She continued to stare at his
face, mesmerized. He smiled gently and
asked, “Have I surprised you?"
She blushed and shyly looked down,
nodding in response. With a warm smile,
he straightened up and returned to his
position.
As the priest asked them the ceremonial
questions, they both answered "yes" in
unison. When it came to the moment of
the kiss, Hana appeared uncomfortable.
Sensing her unease, Samuel gently held
the back of her head and pressed a
tender kiss to her forehead before stepping back. Hana felt a rush of
shyness but also a glimmer of
reassurance, realizing he might not be as
bad as she initially thought, though fear
still lingered in her heart.