Chapter 35
"The course of true love never did run smooth. ~William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream"
'This is super-uber-super-incredibly-super-delicious!'.
'Oh, that's one "super" more than the last piece' Haruhi notes, taking a bite herself and freezing, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.
Gin smirks knowingly at seeing the brunette fall silent 'This is the one, isn't it?'.
Haruhi swallows 'I think this is the best'.
'Yes!' Gin stands up 'Chef!' she calls, a girl walks over.
'What can I do for you?'.
'This is the cake I want for my wedding cake! Now, please take notes'.
The girl nods and takes a notebook, ready to make the notes.
'Instead of walnuts I'd like to replace them with hazelnuts and instead of strawberry jam, I want raspberry jam. There'll be about… twenty guests so I want one big cake of five big layers with white frosting and subtle decoration of eatable flowers, I prefer marzipan or sugar flowers, the flowers I'd like them to be Cherry Blossom flowers, since the Morinozuka's are all Japanese style…'.
'Wait, only twenty people?' Haruhi tilts her head.
Gin turns and nods 'Yeah, it's a family ceremony, besides, Honey-senpai will be there'.
Haruhi then nods understandingly. No surprise Gin wants five layers, otherwise no one else has a piece, knowing Gin she'd want some cake left so she could eat it even after the wedding.
The blonde smiles while talking about the cake, she felt nervous, just a few more weeks until the actual wedding. It's already the end of February, just five weeks, five weeks until they'll marry. Mori's parents wanted them to marry as soon as possible, since there're rumors about university, they thought it'd be safest and "cleanest" to marry just after graduation. Truth was, they did trust their son, but they didn't trust Gin enough. The blonde was beyond pissed about that, but whatever, if she was going to marry, than why not marry right now? As if it would make a difference.
It was scaring her though, five weeks until she'd be married, five weeks until she'd be child off and the wife to her husband. Five weeks until her first time, five weeks until wearing a wedding ring and never having the freedom of looking at other men even if it's just for fun. Five weeks until she'd have to share a bed, five weeks until she'd live together with one man. Five damn weeks.
Too soon.
But instead of getting depressed and worried like she'd done a thousand times before, she just put on her brave mask and continued taking care of everything she was supposed to take care of. The cake, the invitations (To the family), the wedding dress (It ended up having to be a kimono after all, because the dress she choose was "unfitting"), the menu, the packing of her stuff because she and Mori were really going to live together now.
In the small Morinozuka/Haninozuka village, in their own traditional Japanese style house. If there was one thing Gin was looking forward to, it was that traditional style house, since it had something… attractive.
Husband and wife.
They've been spending a lot of time lately, Gin had slept in the Morinozuka estate a few times for wedding rehearsals, to-do lists and lessons. They'd sleep in separate rooms but every morning Gin would have breakfast with him, every evening she'd have dinner with him, they'd go to school together, return from school together.
Was she going to be happy? Living like this? Maybe. Maybe not.
XxX
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: So you're really going to come?
Ladybug1.0: Yes! I went through a lot of trouble to get free from school and convince my parents, but I'm really going to come! Just for a week though, to fit the dress and stuff, after you've gone away with your "husband" (Sound SOOO weird) I'm going back home too.
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Well it's more than I hoped for! I'm so happy you're going to come! I went through a lot of trouble to get the Morinozuka's and the Haninozuka's accept my request to let you join the ceremony, since it's usually family-only.
Ladybug1.0: You're SO bending the rules
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Yeah, I know, but it's their own fault, if they had patience than they'd wait for me to finish High School, but NOOO they have to marry us now. What if I suddenly run off with another guy?! OHOHOH! Anyway, I should be glad they'd at least let me finish High School, I'm even allowed to go to Tokyo U.
Ladybug1.0: So there's a good side after all. But I'd be weird to tell people my best friend is already married, I mean… when I talk about you visiting I don't really say: "Oh yeah, my best friend and her husband are coming over for Christmas" or something like that, we're both still young. You're a few months older but damn… married at 17!
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-Cream: I know! Don't talk about it or it'll be bugging my mind for the next couple of hours and I'll fall asleep two hours before I have to wake up and look like a total living-death person
Ladybug1.0: Sorry, we don't want that, Miss zombie
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Shut up
Ladybug1.0: What's with your nickname anyway? Hot chocolate, cream and bananas?
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-Cream: Yup! Hot chocolate, whipped cream and dip your peeled banana into it! Pretty good!
Ladybug1.0: You're so weird
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Shut up! Kyoya already tells me that on a daily base so I know! And frankly, I don't care ;p
Ladybug1.0: Oh! How's he doing?
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-Cream: He's doing… fine. He's engaged you know. Their wedding is on Monday March 25th , one week before mine. Purely coincidently.
Ladybug1.0: Sure, coincidently…
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: It is! Don't believe me if you want to! It really is! But maybe the Morinozuka's plotted it or something, since they don't want the mastermind interfering…
Ladybug1.0: You speak so highly of your family-in-law
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream; I know I'm not being fair, but they keep bugging me with all kinds of things I need to know like performing as tea-ceremony or putting on my own yukata (A traditional Japanese dress), it all works on my nerves and while Mori's mom isn't too bad, his aunt is the worst! I hate that woman, if I ever get the chance to get her into jail for twenty years I'd do it!
Ladybug1.0: Just try to bear with it a little longer, Gin, it'll be alright. Besides, four weeks and I'll be helping you in any way I can! I bet Mori and Haruhi are a big help
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: They are, Haruhi's really helpful, she and Ranka have gone shopping with me and came with me when I picked out my wedding dress (I refused to let Miss I-Know-Everything-and-complicate-everything come with me). Mori's been very helpful, reminding me of stuff, bringing me there, we had a date yesterday, to this play of Shakespeare's Hamlet. It was really relaxing.
Ladybug1.0: So at least he's good for you, I'm sure you'll be happy
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Yeah, he is! I just… I'm just confused, is this love? Is this what I've read about so many times? You know, it's so… much less refining then I expected it to be, but maybe the media just took all the fun out of it and I imagined it to be sooo much more while it's actually not that fulfilling
Ladybug1.0: I can't say, I've never been in love before. But I don't think you love him just yet, maybe you just like him a lot
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-cream: Yawn, I've got to stop chatting now, it's getting late and I'm getting tired, speak you tomorrow? We'll continue from there
Ladybug1.0: You're just avoiding the subject, whatever, if that's what you want I don't care, it's not my problem if you marry the wrong guy, just think about it Gin, before you do marry the wrong guy. Night Gin
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-Cream: Night, Theresa
Hot-Chocolate-Banana-Cream is offline
Ladybug1.0 is offline
XxX
March 4th, three weeks until Kyoya and Catherine are going to get married, three weeks and six days until she and Mori are going to get married.
The host club was partially forgotten by the blonde due lack of time to be with them, but every moment she could spend with her friends was a blessing. The twins and Tamaki were offended about the not being allowed to attend the wedding thing of Mori and Gin while Honey was allowed. It took about forty-five minutes for Gin to explain that Honey was family and it was a family-only ceremony. In the end it took Kyoya to get explain it in "Tamaki-terms" to them (The twins had been offended about that too but nobody minded in the end).
Gin and Kyoya almost never spend time anymore, they were both busy, even though Catherine was the main organizer of the wedding, much like Mrs. Morinozuka and Mrs. Haninozuka at Gin's own wedding. It had been a privilege that she could chose her own wedding cake. Gin was busy with either the wedding or school, the last term was soon coming to an end and thus a lot of tests would determine if she could pass on to the next grade in another A-class. Gin needed to get into 3A to stay in contact with Kyoya and Tamaki, as well as to enter Tokyo-U after graduation next year.
Because of the wedding, the upcoming tests and the internal battle she was holding with herself for a long while now, she was tired and took every moment she could spare to sleep, fell asleep ten o'clock in the evening after finishing another design of a card to announce Takashi and she had been married to whoever were the family's friends and important to keep contact with. Of course, everyone knows they're going to get married, but it's "the thought that counts" as her grandmother says it. Since they can't invite all those people they have to send a card.
Normally they'd be designed by some kind of fancy card-designer, but Gin was put to the test yet again by her family-in-law, she had to design the cards so that they could later be printed, and really, Gin wasn't a bad designer, but no matter how many different things she made or designed, the Haninozuka woman just didn't find it "proper" or "good enough".
Kyoya too was busy and left early after club activities. Gin was sad about the loss of her best friend, She couldn't wear the ring necklace anymore because that's against the rules of the Morinozuka's –the one of never wearing a ring other than the wedding ring, that applied to rings worn with necklaces too-. But every evening before going to bed, she would look at the necklace lying on the table next to her mirror and touch it. Barely being able to keep back tears for some reason.
The days were long and tiring. But the real challenge came when one day Mori came into the classroom one day. Not only was everyone flabbergasted about the stoic male entering the classroom –since he's never done that before-, but they were shocked when he smiled reassuringly at her.
'Gin. You need to come to the stables after school. It's time'.
Meaning: "You have to learn how to ride a horse within one month".
So for a few days, Gin has been struggling with the horse called Pedro. It wasn't a surprise that the girl couldn't get along with the animal, and it wasn't a change that she entered once again complaining about the stank and the irritating flies.
One day –March 10th-, she was in the ring sitting on Pedro and staring angry at the animal who refused to move. Pedro is a beautiful horse, completely black with long black hair and beautiful big brown eyes. But the fact it's a horse made her angry and frustrated even annoyed with it, because if there's one animal Gin can't stand -since she had been bitten by the little devil pony called Tim at the fun fair- it's a horse.
'Move you… devil creature' She growls and then sighs when the beast doesn't react, still refusing to move. It's one of the many times Takashi was busy with a Kendo training or Kendo meeting and wasn't able to help her, so she had to do it alone.
She glares even more at the back of the head of the horse. She'd fallen off twice now and she was sure it was Pedro doing it on purpose. It seemed that somehow the horse had the same kind of feelings of hatred towards her as she held for him.
'You should talk more quietly and gentle to him. Maybe he'll listen to you then' says a very-much-missed monotone voice calmly.
Gin turned her head so fast she wouldn't have been surprise if it had fallen off her neck. Her eyes wide and mouth open. 'Kyoya… what're you doing here?' she asks, mouth still partly gaping. As if he had been gone for years and she'd been his lover waiting in miserable loneliness for his return.
'For certain unknown reasons, Catherine wants to arrive in a carriage at the wedding. I'm here to rent some horses, since the Ouran Horse-Riding Department has a couple of the most beautiful horses in all of the Tokyo region' he answers and walks towards her to stroke the horse over its nose 'But when I was walking past the indoor training arena I suddenly heard someone curse at a horse and decided to take a look, only to find you here, sitting on a beautiful horse, wearing riders clothes and even wearing a rider cap. I never imagined someone would ever be able to make you enter this part of the school, let alone even try to ride a horse'.
Gin frowns at the slightly offending explanation of her friend and decides to be the mature part of the two and not get pissed off.
'Well… I came to know about the Morinozuka rituals of marriage and now it's too late to turn back' she sighs 'I need to learn how to ride a horse. But the stupid animal hates me just as much as I hate him'.
'Well, there's the problem of your relationship' he jokes with a slight smirk. Gin frowns, tsk, Kyoya's way of joking is not funny at all!
'Very funny…' she rolls her eyes and sighs deeply, closing them for a moment and rubbing her temples.
'Everything alright?' he touches her hand and she looks down, both stare at each other for a moment, Gin could feel the heat rise to her cheeks for some reason or another and they both pull their arms back at the same time, deciding to ignore it. If Gin had dared to look at the black haired male, she'd have seen the slightest pink blush on his fair cheeks as well.
'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… kind of used to doing things last minute. And even though this marriage isn't all that big, I'm busy every week-end, and every day after school. It's getting to me. I need lessons to be a good wife, because right after our marriage, we'll live in our own house. It just all happens so… quickly, I even forget how many days of freedom are left for me and I can't even spend those days the way I want to. I don't even get a bachelor party in Las Vegas! I am allowed to have a sleep-over with Haruhi and Theresa though' she sighs 'I'm not even an adult yet… I haven't even finished school. Every time I make a plan of how I see my future it'll get destroyed, I'm running out of happy endings here and it's tiring me out. Plus I need to ride a fucking horse'.
'Language Gin' Kyoya warns.
'I don't care. I'm grumpy, angry, in a bad mood and everybody may know' she looks down 'Sometimes I really hate my life'.
'You shouldn't' he answers 'You're much too beautiful to be consumed by hatred'.
Gin feels heat rise up her cheeks and coughs to hide it 'Hey Kyoya. Do you remember the first time we met?'.
'Of course. You had threatened the cook to get the recipe of the chocolate pie for you' he replies casually. Gin sweat-drops.
'I didn't threaten him!' she snaps and then takes a deep breath, calming down 'Anyway. I thought you were a stiff, silent, cold-hearted, spoiled jerk. A real rich kid type. And I thought worse things when you called me heavy…' she stops and the lightest smile dances around her lips 'Yet somehow I'm glad we had to go through all that. Because it made me stronger, and more aware of my situation and the people I'm dealing with. So thank you, for just… being there' she doesn't look at him, she looks away, wondering if she's going to have a heart-stroke because of all the pressure she's under, since her heart is beating like Chuck Norris a punching bag.
'My pleasure. But now that we're being honest, you taught me a lot of things too. About being less stiff, and forgetting I'm a rich child. A jerk. I'm glad to tell you you've reached your goal. You've warmth me up'.
'And you're admitting it?!' exclaims Gin with a big grin before smirking smugly 'Wow, you've really become a softie'.
I'm not that soft… so keep your mouth shut' he glares at her and readjusts his glasses, looking away.
Gin chuckles and then sighs deeply. 'Here we are. Together. Going to be married to two different people. Being dragged into marriage by society and business'.
'Come here' Kyoya takes her hand and helps her off the horse. Once down, he pulls her into a tight hug and she releases a shaky breath. She closes her eyes and hugs him back. She buries her nose into his shoulder and smells his cologne, his hair, his body soap, his deodorant, his wash powder and that little bit of something else which no one –not even Gin- could describe. A smell that's just… Kyoya. The embrace makes her feel safe and whole. Like there's nothing that can hurt her or break this moment. Like there's no care. But there is, they're going to marry and both to another person.
Why am I thinking as if we're lovers and it's us that's supposed to marry? She opens her eyes to glance up at him, he looks back and for a moment, she forgets everything.
'Ne, Kyoya'.
'Hm?'.
'We'll be fine, right?'.
When was the birth of humans?
Can no one remember the true memories?
I'm sure it is in one of the cells of my body
It's supposed to be engraved, isn't it?
But there's no margin for the search,
if the time for us to receive God's judgment arrives
The planet rotates
With the never-ending speed,
while accelerating the speed of destruction
When this world announces its end
The bell filled with happiness will reverberate
Ah, it's almost like it became a lullaby
So that someone will definitely able to
commit to the wish in their hands,
Ah, it's for the sake of the arriving future
Even though the prophet had once said it,
No one believed in the truth
The end of the world had always been unavoidable
You thought so too, right?
But you will realize that it was a mistake,
If the time for us to receive God's judgment arrives
The light of the stars will always
have an unchangeable brilliance,
if they can hear the singing voice of salvation
If this world announces its end now
The bell filled with happiness will reverberate
Ah, it's almost like it's a praise for pure love
if someone's definitely able to love deeply,
They will surely be happy, but,
Ah, if only the future does exist
For example, if we can fly in that scarlet sky
This suffering of mine will feel a little bit better
When this world announces its end
The bell filled with happiness will reverberate
Ah, it's almost like it became a lullaby
So that someone will definitely be able to
Commit to the wish in their hands,
Ah, it's for the sake of the arriving future
Ah, if only the arriving future does exist.
'…right?'.
'Yeah, Gin' he inhales the scent of her hair mixed with the horse-smell 'We'll be fine'.
TBC
A/N: Naaah! I didn't know what to write this Chapter! But it's all going to happen quickly from here. The wedding will be soon, and Theresa will come over to Japan (Remember her from the Netherlands? Gin's old-best-friend? If not:
Theresa: Blonde hair, blue eyes, 5.6 feet, little less curved than Gin herself.
- She's terrible at English but good at German (Wanted to first put that Chat-conversation in Dutch and then translate it to English, but I was too lazy and I don't think you guys would like to read all that so… I made it easier for the both of us)
- She loves children
- She doesn't like meat
- She's like a sister to Gin and has the older-sister-type personality to match with it
- Birthday: March 26th (Ahem, coincidence with marriage and stuff)
- She's afraid of dogs
- She's optimistic, energetic, smart, independent, impulsive and impatient
- Has a lot of siblings, three younger brothers (Jef 14, Sem 11, Sebastian 6) and one younger sister (Nina: 9)
- Is now in her last year of High School (USA & Europe have a different school-calendar, starts in early September and ends in early July)
Hope you enjoyed this Chapter! It was a filler so please don't blame me if it's not very good.
Also, the sequel (Don't know if I make a sequel or just glue it to the end of this story. Since this story's going to be about 40 Chapters long, it may become kind of VERY long if I put the other part behind it, but we'll see)
The song is: The end of the world (It's actually Japanese but I used the translation), I found it while going from vid to vid on Youtube so I don't know who the artist is, Tamura Yukari is I'm right but don't blame me if it's wrong.