Hayashi Megumi and the wedding
“Yamamoto, stop yawning.”
A bolt from the blue.
On this perfect day for a wedding, we arrived at the church, waiting for the bride and groom to make their entrance.
At Ichi’s wedding, surrounded by familiar faces, Yamamoto, sitting next to me, let out a half-hearted yawn.
Well, considering Yamamoto’s connection to Ichi was pretty thin (compared to me, at least), it’s no surprise he’s not exactly brimming with excitement.
“Yamamoto-kun, why don’t you pop a mint or something?”
“…Yeah. Thanks.”
“Here you go.”
Still, if I had one complaint about Yamamoto right now, it’s that he’s sitting on the other side of Kasahara Akari, acting all flustered and way too aware of her presence.
…Okay, maybe “flustered” is the wrong word. He’s not fawning over her, but he’s definitely conscious of her, and it’s annoying.
Honestly, this guy doesn’t have a shred of restraint.
Yamamoto licked a mint tablet to shake off his drowsiness, his face twisting into a grimace.
Was it the sharp bite of the hard mint? Or was it because he was hyper-aware of the person sitting next to him? Probably didn’t need to guess which.
“You’ve got a flower on each arm, huh, Yamamoto-kun?”
Akari, glancing at me for a second, said this with a mischievous grin.
Why would Akari pick this moment to say something so provocative?
Yamamoto’s grimace deepened.
Bet his sleepiness was long gone by now.
Suddenly, I noticed several pairs of eyes staring at us.
When I turned to look, I saw some familiar faces from high school—guys and girls alike.
…Probably people who knew about me and Yamamoto back in high school.
“It’s not a show, you know.”
I shot a glare in their direction and spat the words out.
“…Whoa.”
The one letting out an impressed sound next to me was, of course, Yamamoto.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just remembered how you were, like, the queen bee back in high school.”
“Meg, that was so cool!”
“Ugh, stop it! It’s embarrassing!”
My face flushed red, and I turned away.
Even though I could still feel a few curious glances from the crowd, well… I guess I could let it slide this time.
Soon, the wedding ceremony began.
After the priest’s words, the groom entered to the sound of music.
And then…
Flash.
Gasps of awe.
Applause.
Ichi, draped in a stunning wedding dress, made her entrance.
For a moment, I stole a glance at Yamamoto’s face.
Toward the girl walking down the red carpet, our old classmate, Yamamoto’s expression was… unusually soft.
‘He’s the reason I am who I am today.’
Come to think of it, on the way back from trying on her wedding dress, Ichi had opened up to me about her feelings.
Inviting Yamamoto to the wedding was her way of thanking him for helping her become the person she is now.
It was probably a feeling similar to inviting her parents to the wedding.
She wanted the people who shaped her to witness her stepping into a new chapter, to see her on this radiant stage.
That must’ve been what she was feeling.
“Yamamoto?”
“Hm?”
“What do you think of Ichi’s wedding dress?”
“…Well.”
Yamamoto scratched his head, looking a little awkward.
“…It’s amazing. She looks beautiful.”
“Yeah, she does.”
Normally, I’d be burning with jealousy.
But for some reason, today, that feeling just wouldn’t come.
“Huh? Hayashi?”
“Don’t look at me, idiot!”
Instead, tears kept spilling out, and I couldn’t stop them.
Even though I know I’ll stay friends with Ichi forever.
Even though I know we’ll share countless more moments together.
The tears just wouldn’t stop.
As Akari and Yamamoto tried to comfort me, the scene around us got a little chaotic.
Up on the stage, Ichi, in her wedding dress, caught my eye and gave a soft, knowing smile.
