影と風 | Kage to Kaze | Shinazugawa Sanemi x reader |

35 - Wedding

Warning: 🍋 NSFW will be at the end of this chapter. I have labeled it as such before it starts. It is very short, and you can skip it if you are not comfortable with reading lemons. The story works just fine without it. 

The morning sunlight spilled through the sliding doors, warm and golden against my skin. Today was the day. Our wedding day.

I stretched beneath the blankets, nerves fluttering in my stomach as the reality settled in. I was marrying Sanemi. My heart pounded at the thought, both with excitement and a gnawing fear at the unknown. I knew how much he loved me, he had never been shy about showing that, but marriage felt so permanent, so final in a world where permanence was a luxury we couldn't afford.

A loud knock snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Come on, no sleeping in." Shinobu's voice rang out, light but insistent. "You don't want to be late to your own wedding."

I groaned, sitting up as the door slid open to reveal Shinobu standing with Yuka and Haru right behind her. Mitsuri came bounding in a moment later, practically bouncing on her feet. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she clapped her hands together.

"I still can't believe it's finally happening." Mitsuri squealed, rushing over to hug me. "You're going to be Mrs. Shinazugawa soon."

Yuka and Haru grinned, their hands already full of brushes and hair ornaments. "We need to get you ready," Yuka said gently, ushering me to sit before a mirror.

I obeyed, watching as they all bustled around me. Shinobu was surprisingly gentle as she worked on my hair, pinning delicate ornaments in place with precision. Mitsuri fussed over my kimono, ensuring every fold and layer was perfect. Even Muichiro appeared quietly at the door, his usual blank expression softened by a hint of curiosity.

"Here," he said, offering a carefully folded white veil. "Sanemi asked me to make sure you had this."

I blinked in surprise but took it with a smile. "Thank you, Muichiro."

"He's more nervous than you," Muichiro added before slipping away as quietly as he had come.

By the time they finished, I barely recognized myself. My hair was swept elegantly into an updo, decorated with shimmering kanzashi pins that caught the light. The white uchikake kimono draped over my shoulders felt both heavy and comforting. I swallowed against the knot of nerves, smoothing my hands over the silk.

"You look beautiful," Grandma's velvety suddenly said softly.

"Absolutely radiant," Mitsuri agreed, bouncing on her heels. "Sanemi is going to lose his mind when he sees you."

I whipped around, seeing my grandmother standing by the door. I had invited her, but given the short notice, I hadn't expected her to actually show up.

"Grandma! Wha—how?" I rushed toward her smaller frame, my eyes welling with tears. Her soft face contorted into a smile filled with warmth.

"I was already made aware of this wedding a few months prior," she said, her voice gentle yet knowing. "I had a feeling this Shinazugawa fellow would be quite stubborn, and I was right. But I am also here because of this."

She reached into the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a scroll. Carefully, she unraveled it, revealing its contents. My breath caught in my throat. It was my contract.

Every girl born in the red-light district was born into debt, owing their very existence to the house that raised them. Freedom came at a price: a lifetime of work to buy it back, or someone wealthy enough to purchase it for you.