A Wedding Planned
Chapter 1: The News
Summary: Yumi goes home after a typically stressful day to surprising news- her parents have arranged a marriage for her with the son of one of her mother's friends back in Japan! How will Ulrich take the news, and how will Yumi deal with the upcoming marriage to someone she barely knows? YxU, JxA, OxSam, SxW
Author's note: Okay, I was reading a story a few weeks ago when I first came up with this idea about a girl from China or Japan or something whose parents arranged a marriage for her. I got to thinking, what if that happened to Yumi? I mean, we already know that Yumi's parents hate Ulrich, so they might arrange a marriage to ensure that Yumi wouldn't marry him. So anyway, here this story is. I'm planning a sequel, and I might even make it a trilogy. This story will cover the span of about four to six months. I hope you like it, and please review if you want the next chapter this weekend, because my best friend will be here over the next two weeks starting tomorrow and I will want to spend all my time with her, but enough good reviews might inspire me to post. I have chapters 2-5 completed, and six is mostly done. This story will keep you guessing right up until the end, I guarantee it!
Oh, and since Yumi and her family are Japanese, I have taken the liberty of inserting a few Japanese phrases. They are written in Romanji, and they should mostly be self-translating, but I will place translations at the bottom of every chapter. There is an example in this chapter. Okay, now READ!
Yumi Ishiyama arrived home at 3:30 PM one bright afternoon in early spring after a typical long and stressful day at school involving a failing grade on a quiz that should have been easy for her. Now, at 18 years of age and with a new little sister that had been born slightly less than two years ago, Yumi's parents had placed more responsibilities on her than ever before. Yumi was required, not only to do her class work, but to do much of the cleaning and cooking as well.
As she set her backpack on the floor and took her jacket off, she overheard her mom talking and laughing in the kitchen and realized her mom must be talking on the phone, probably with some friends from back home in Japan. Her sister, Keiko, toddled up in front of her and put a finger to her lips.
"Shh… okaa-san (1) on phone!" she whispered, looking up at Yumi with solemn little eyes. Yumi giggled a little and picked Keiko up.
"Okay, Keiko, I'll shhh," Yumi replied, whispering as well. Keiko hugged her and planted a little kiss on her big sister's cheek. Yumi hugged her close. Being a big sister to such a sweet little girl was one of the few highlights of her busy life right now. Even Hiroki had grown up a little, having just entered the ninth grade, and had become a little less annoying, especially after getting a younger sibling of his own that annoyed him almost as much as he annoyed Yumi and, now being in love for the first time himself, rarely teased Yumi about Ulrich anymore. Instead, it was Yumi who now did the teasing.
Yumi took Keiko upstairs. "Come on, Kei, I'll play with you for a little while, but we have to clean up when we're done, and then I have homework, okay?"
"Okay!" Keiko agreed in a sing-song voice. Keiko got out one of her little dolls and the two sisters played house- according to Keiko, Yumi was the mommy and she and "Kaida", her doll, were her kids- for about thirty minutes before they put the doll away and Keiko went down for a brief pre-dinner nap. Yumi quietly made her way downstairs to go work on homework for a little while before starting dinner.
As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she heard her mother gasp and let out a surprised laugh. "Are you sure about this?" she was asking. "Oh, I can't wait to tell her! Hold on, I'm gonna let you go, I'll call you back! Bye!" She hung up the phone. "Yumi? Yumi, could you come here for a moment?" Yumi obediently walked into the kitchen where her mother, Akina, stood, holding the phone close to her.
"Yeah, Mom, what is it?" she inquired.
"Oh, Yumi, you're not going to believe what has happened! That person I was talking to on the phone was my friend Rinoka Kishiyoto from back home in Japan! She has a son, Hiroku, who is a year older than you, and they are looking to choose a bride for him. Anyway, Rinoka told him about you, and he's very interested, and has extended a proposal of marriage, wanting to be engaged to you! Your father and I have decided to accept the proposal! Yumi, sweetheart, you're getting married!" Akina squealed, delighted at the match she had landed for her oldest daughter. Yumi's eyes filled with tears and she started to cry. Akina looked shocked. Clearly, this was not the response she had been hoping for. "Yumi, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Are you really asking me that? I have done so much for you and then you go and arrange a marriage for me?" she shrieked, angry. She wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Mom, how can you do this to me? I'm already in love and you know it! So why are you doing this?"
"Yumi, we're doing this for you! We love you and want to make a good match for you! It's important to us that we arrange for you to marry someone good and kind and who will love you for the wonderful girl you are!"
"What about Ulrich?" Yumi inquired, dreading the answer. "He's good and kind and I know he likes the girl I am inside!" Akina's face scrunched up.
"Ulrich? He's not even Japanese, Yumi! How would we be doing you a favor if we let you marry him, a kid from Germany, and give up your Japanese heritage?" Akina exclaimed. "Yumi, be reasonable!"
"Mom, I should be saying that to you! What happened to you teaching me that everyone is equal, that everyone deserves to be treated in the same way and that my happiness is all that matters?" Yumi cried, feeling the tears begin to fall once more.
"Yumi, Ulrich's not good enough for you," Akina said gently.
"Shouldn't I be the judge of that, Mom? Especially since I'm the one getting married in the first place?" She took a deep breath. "Oh, forget it! You know what? If you're going to make me go through with this wedding, you can cook your own dinner tonight!" she exclaimed as she stormed off to grab her coat.
"Where do you think you're going?" Akina demanded, angry now that her daughter had dared to defy her so.
"I'm going out with my real friends so they can help me pick out a stupid wedding dress! If I'm getting married, I'm having a Western style wedding!" she yelled in a final act of defiance. Then she left the house, slamming the door behind her. The door slamming woke up Keiko and she started to cry.
'Oh, she is gonna be in for it when she gets back,' Akina thought as she rushed up the stairs to calm the crying two year old.
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She put her coat on as she ran towards Kadic, where she was planning to meet her group of friends which now also included Sam, Sissi, and William. Sissi and Sam had been added onto the Lyoko Gang out of desperation once William had become XANA, after proving they could keep it secret, changing their ways, and becoming friends with all five original members of the group. Sam had joined the group after she moved to Kadic and started going out with Odd, who absolutely adored her. The group accepted her, this being Odd's first girlfriend that he had kept for more than two weeks. Then after they defeated XANA, getting William back, Sissi started going out with him, and they all became the best of friends.
Before Yumi knew it, she had arrived at the school. Having already called her friends, she knew where to find them- at the bench where they always met. And that was where they were. They jumped up when they saw the look on her face as she approached.
"Yumi? What's wrong?" William inquired as she slowed to a stop in front of him. She choked back a sob as she replied.
"Guys, I'm going to have to go back to Japan after I've finished school," she said softly. The group of seven gasped.
"But Yumi, why?" Sissi inquired, clearly shocked and seemingly somewhat sad at her friend's sudden announcement. Yumi took a deep breath.
"It's because… my parents have arranged a marriage for me."
1- okaa-san: mother
Okay, review to find out how the group takes the news! 3 reviews if you want an update within the next week!