My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

For Everyone To See

For the next half hour, people started arriving. I recognized a few familiar faces that one can typically see only on television, newspapers, and magazines. From politicians trying to widen their connections to influential business people to popular celebrities, it seemed the launch party gathered the bigwigs of society. During this time, Karina and Joshua introduced us to the people they knew. As I was not one who usually mingled with such groups, I was a bit awkward. Kaname, on the other hand, blended in like he interacted with bigshots daily.

“Just pretend we’re back at home and you’re Jin-san,” he suddenly murmured to my ear. “You’ll realize these people are no different from the officials we used to deal with together.”

I gave him a grateful smile. “Alright.”

After applying what he said, I found it was a lot easier to be myself around these people. I realized that although these people were from a different social standing as mine, I have actually mingled with people of a far more outstanding social class than them. Although it was during pre-modern Japan, I did have a connection with the monarchy… Heck, I was even married to the most powerful military ruler of that time. With this understanding, I couldn’t help but feel a bit more special. I nestled into my husband’s embrace deeper as soon as the last person who wanted to talk to us left our table, he currently had one arm around my waist as we watched Sabrina and Alfred go on stage.

“Are you cold?” he asked, mistaking my gratefulness for discomfort.

“No,” I shook my head and gave him a warm smile. “I just realized how awesome I was. Imagine, I’m actually Lady Kirishima, the shogun’s wife!”

He chuckled and gave my cheek a playful squeeze. “You gathered this just now? How long have we been married?”

“Hmm… Around five hundred years, give or take,” I giggled.

“You look so beautiful tonight,” he suddenly said, his head tilted a bit on one side as though to look at me better.

He looked beautiful, too, underneath the dimmed lights. “More beautiful than our wedding night?” I challenged.

“Well… I think it’s a tie between the two.”

“You and your—”

“Umm, hello?” Karina interrupted while knocking on the table, a false look of annoyance on her face. “Quick reminder, there are other people in this table.”

“Could you guys, I don’t know, maybe slow it down with the PDA?” Joshua piped up. “No one is paying attention on what’s happening on the stage anymore because their eyes are on you.”

I discreetly surveyed whatever I can of the room with my eyes, sure enough some people’s attention were on us. I met Kaname’s eyes and we giggled like high schoolers, amused at the craziness of it all.

“Oops, we didn’t mean to get lost in our own world,” I told the two models cheekily.

Karina rolled her eyes at us while Joshua shook his head in mock surrender. Afterwards, we finally gave our undivided attention to what was going on on stage. In the middle of Alfred's speech, Sabrina's assistant Ellen came to inform us that Kaname, Karina, and Joshua will be needed on stage soon for the interview. When they left to go backstage, I readied my phone to record their entrance and introduction. When the emcee asked them to come out, I was the first one to stand up with my camera phone.

“Alright, I know everyone is dying to know this fresh but not-so-new face on stage with us!” the female emcee said enthusiastically while gesturing at Kaname who was now sitting between Karina and Joshua on the huge sofa opposite Alfred and Sabrina. “Of course we all know Ms. Karina Mercado and Mr. Joshua Stafford. They have graced several magazines, billboards, and commercials for years they don’t need any further introduction!”

The crowd as well as everyone on stage laughed at her little joke.

“I’m sure you guys don’t mind having the spotlight directed at someone else tonight, right?” she continued in a jokey manner.

“No, not at all,” Karina said with a smile.

“We definitely don’t,” Joshua agreed.

“That’s great,” the host pretended to wipe her forehead. “At least I’m certain I won’t go home with a ruined career for unintentionally offending A listers.”

“Oh, Luna, you read too much online novels,” Sabrina joked. “I saw your latest Instagram post by the way. I read The Reincarnation of the Great Saintess as well!”

“Wow, I didn’t expect that from the Consunji heiress,” Luna pretended to be shocked. “Do you cheat and read machine translations, too?”

“Sometimes!” Sabrina laughed. “Anyway, we’re straying too far from the most important topic tonight. Let’s not keep our esteemed guests hanging!”

“Forgive me, I got carried away,” Luna directed an apologetic smile at the audience. “Earlier, we heard Sab and Alfred talk about the campaign’s goals and main highlights. And as mentioned earlier, we have a familiar yet mysterious face here with us on stage! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, please allow me to introduce to you The True Man, Kaname Kirishima!”

The guests' loud applause nearly drowned out the upbeat background music. Kaname smiled and waved at everyone. He looked very much in his element, I was in awe of him.

“Hello and good evening,” he said on the mic.

I heard a fan-girl scream a few tables away and had to laugh. Glad I wasn’t the only one who’s completely enamored with the long-haired man on stage.

“Oh my, what a voice,” Luna dazedly, the crowd laughed once more.

“Luna, behave,” Alfred teased.

She wiped a nonexistent drool and cleared her throat, much to everyone’s amusement. “Please allow me to apologize for the nth time, I’m ruining this event with my ditzy behavior.”

“It’s alright. Thanks to your jokes, I’m no longer as nervous as I was a while ago,” my husband replied.

“And why are you nervous?”

“Well, this is my first time modeling and to be perfectly honest I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the attention being one brings me.”

“But you had a video that went viral. Surely you still get recognized until today?”

“Yes, but people don’t come up to me and say ‘Hey, I love your video’ or ‘Your photos look nice, would you like to work on a project with me?’ You know, stuff like that. I never imagined myself in this position and it still hasn’t sunk in.”

“Right, in the height of that video’s popularity, you never once accepted interviews nor did anyone managed to find out your real name.”

“Yes, it’s because I never really wanted to be in the spot light. My wife and I value our privacy a lot.”

“So you’re married!” Luna gasped. Then, to the audience, she said, “Sorry, girls, he’s taken.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd once more.

“I see a wedding band.” As soon as Luna said this, the camera that was recording the entire event and showing the feed through the huge screen behind them zoomed in on his beringed finger.

Kaname smiled and flaunted his ring for everyone to see.

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Author’s Thoughts: Thanks for adding this story in your libraries and for your never-ending support to MSWFY. I will be un-publishing book 2’s chapters in the “other book” and transfer them here some time this week. Please give them a ★ once you get the notifications. *cries* thank you. ♡