See You On The Other Side Of Forever | K. Rengoku

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𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻

"But Mother, this isn't going to work!" you shouted, your voice cutting through the air as your footsteps stomped furiously down the hallway. Each step echoed, bouncing off the walls like a warning of the storm brewing inside you.

"Y/n, dear, it's for the best," your mother’s voice followed you, steady but unyielding, trying to soothe the flames of your anger. You spun on your heel, glaring at her with fire in your eyes.

"The best?!" you spat, incredulous, face twitched. "You're just selling me off to the Rengoku family like I’m some possession to barter! To be one of their rooster-haired sons' wives? I’m not a damn trophy! You know I'm seeing somebody! You know I’m in love! Why can't you just accept it?!"

Your mother, ever calm, sighed deeply. "It was your father’s decision. You’ll learn to love Kyojuro, in time. He’s a good man, a noble one."

"Learn to love him?" you scoffed, shaking your head as you stormed into your bedroom. "You can't just LEARN to love someone, Mother. It doesn't work that way." You sat heavily on the edge of your bed, your back turned to her in silent protest, arms crossed tightly over your chest.

Before your mother could respond, your father’s stern voice cut through the doorway. "It’s either you marry him, or you leave this household for good." His words were final, like a verdict handed down from a judge with no mercy left to give.

You turned your head slightly, just enough to glare at him with a defiant spark. "Fine, I’ll start packing my things, that sounds good," you shot back, your voice thick with sarcasm. You stood, heading toward your closet as if you could already feel the weight of freedom on your shoulders.

"Pack all you like, but understand this, Y/n," your father’s voice grew harsher, rising like a wave ready to crash. "You have no future with that lowly man you’ve been seeing. He’s beneath you. We are nobles, and nobles marry noble families. You will wed Kyojuro, or you will have nothing."

Your hand froze on the handle of the closet door. His words sliced through the air, and for a moment, they stung. But the sting wasn’t from the insult toward the man you loved; it was from the coldness of the truth your father believed. You took a deep breath and turned to face him, venom lacing your voice.

"A loveless marriage? Is that what you want for me? Just like you and Mother? You think I haven't noticed how cold you are to each other? How you pretend to care when it suits you?" The anger surged through you like a tidal wave, washing over years of resentment.

The slap came faster than you expected. Your father’s palm struck your cheek with such force that you stumbled backward. The sharp sting radiated across your face, the metallic taste of blood filling your mouth as your lips split from the impact. But you refused to cry. You refused to give him that satisfaction. Instead, you glared up at him with unrelenting fury, your cheek throbbing but your spirit unbroken.

"Akihito!" your mother cried, rushing to your side, but your father was unmoved. His arms crossed over his chest, his expression set in stone.

"She will be sent to the Rengoku household today," he declared, his voice low and final. "Enough of this nonsense. If she cannot behave like a proper daughter, then she will be treated like one who must learn her place."

Your heart sank as his words became reality. "What? No! I’ll kill myself before I marry him!" you shouted, panic seizing your chest.

But your protests fell on deaf ears. Within hours, your wrists and ankles were bound, and a gag was forced into your mouth. They silenced your cries with ropes, and as you were hoisted into the carriage, your parents sat on either side of you, their faces devoid of emotion.