Chase peered at his reflection in the full-length mirror at Sonata Tailoring. He ran a hand through his strawberry blonde curls and grimaced at the sticky residue left on his fingers. His hair was doused with hairspray. Luna had insisted that he removed the clips as she went about styling it. The girl wasn't a hairdresser, but she did a decent job with his hair (although she did use a little too much hairspray to keep that slicked back look). He smoothed the wrinkles in his black tux and readjusted his tie. He felt as stiff as a cardboard cutout. At the last minute, he decided to attend Julius and Candace's wedding. Not by choice, mind you. Akari asked. Then she begged. Then she pleaded. And Chase finally agreed to shut her up. Luckily, Luna sorted through the racks and found a tuxedo that just so happened to be his size. He was going to be Akari's date to the wedding. And now she was taking entirely too long in the dressing room. Why did women have to spend hours getting ready ? He turned to Luna and frowned.

"What is she doing in there?" He said.

Luna looked just as irritated as he, if not more. She was already dressed for the occasion. Her pink hair was bone straight for a change, and she wore a long yellow dress-so long that she stepped on the hem each time she walked-with a belt made of white flowers.

"I don't know. But if she doesn't come out in the next five minutes, I'm closing the shop."

The two heard a rustling from the back. "You know I can hear every word you're saying!" Akari called out.

Chase decided to sit down and flip through a catalog he had absolutely no interest in. The past few days were something else. After Akari proclaimed her undying friendship for him in the middle of the night, the two were nearly inseparable, so much that the other villagers began to take notice. Not only were people amazed that the hermit chef showed his face in the light of day but they were taken aback by the fact that he had an actual friend. And admittedly, he was content with having her all to himself. She wasn't much of a socialite these days, either. Despite his efforts to get her and Kathy to reconcile, Akari was not having it. She had cut everyone out of her old life, even Selena (which didn't bother him in the slightest). But she wasn't making the effort to make friends with anyone else. Just him. He wasn't sure if what she was doing was entirely healthy. Experience taught him that it was never good to get attached to one person. And boy, did he resist getting attached to Akari. But when she finally told him that she wasn't going to put up with his crap anymore, he knew he had to make a decision. He couldn't continue his habit of keeping her at a distance. Even if her feelings were strictly platonic, he knew he wanted her in his life.

So he agreed to continue sharing duties with Akari at the farm, at least until the bar was up and running again. Luke, Dale, and Bo were hard at work with the renovations, and they seemed to be making steady progress. It wouldn't be long until he could be in the kitchen again. Thank goodness. His refrigerator was running out of room for his midnight cook-a-thons. Akari was elated that she could work on the farm again. Although she toiled in the fields with fervor, her workmanship was unremarkable. She did everything that he did-at a quicker pace, of course-so he didn't understand why her crops were average at best. Maybe he did have a pair of golden thumbs. A part of him felt a little downcast that their time together was coming to an end, although he'd never confess that out loud. Plus, the money was top-notch. Akari's most recent shipment was worth 25,000g this time, and she gave him 13,000g while she kept 12,000g. He was growing fond of the old horse and cow, too. Bella had stopped giving him death stares every time he went to milk her, and Scarlett let him brush her as she bathed in the sun. The baby chicks had matured into healthy adults who laid eggs quite regularly. Akari even expanded her repertoire of animals. She was getting a baby goat from Cain in a few days. Things were going well. Too well. He couldn't allow himself to fully relax and enjoy the time he spent with her. He knew he'd self-sabotage their friendship eventually, as he always did. It was just a matter of time. He couldn't let Akari know. She was just getting back on her feet, and she didn't deserve any more unhappiness. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

While she focused on improving the farm, Chase tried to continue his investigation efforts to no avail. He couldn't accept Gill's ridiculous proposition that some evil witch in the forest had something to do with Akari's injury. Sure, he had heard of the old folktale. And the notion of her existence wasn't too far-fetched considering that there was, in fact, a wizard who lived in town, although Chase had never seen him. But even if the witch did exist, she apparently didn't interact with humans. So why would she get involved with any of the islanders? Regardless, no one in Flute Fields claimed to know anything. Gill's anonymous source was tight-lipped. He must have bribed the hell out of someone. Chase considered it once again, but he didn't want to look stupid for bribing the wrong person. Anyone could lie for a couple of bucks.

"Okay! I'm ready," Akari said. Chase looked up from his magazine. It fell from his lap to the floor.

She looked hypnotic. Her shiny brown hair fell in loose waves across her shoulders. She even had on a touch of makeup and red lipstick. Chase tried to keep his eyes fixed on her face, but his eyes betrayed him. She had on pencil thin high heels that made her a good three to four inches taller and elongated her toned legs. The dress she wore stopped just below her knees and hugged her body in all the right places. Who knew she had a figure like that hiding underneath the overalls and farm boots? He swallowed hard. Other not-so-innocent images surfaced to his head. Don't think like that, don't think like that, man...

Akari wobbled to the center of the store, holding her arms out for balance. "I feel like a total dweeb."

Chase nodded. "You look like a total dweeb. Don't make it so obvious that you haven't worn heels before."

"Ha, ha. You suck."

He smiled. She looked gorgeous. But she wouldn't hear it from him. Luna tapped her foot impatiently. "We only have fifteen minutes to get to the church! I refuse to be late for my own sister's wedding. So hurry up! Get, get!"

She shoved the two out of the shop and fumbled with her keys to find the right one to lock the door. The town was quiet as everyone was gathered at the church. Castanet treated weddings like festivals. It was a huge deal to be in attendance. And with Julius as the groomzilla, he was sure to ostracize anyone who refused to come. Normally Chase wouldn't be caught dead at a wedding. He'd rather attend a funeral. At least he knew he would meet the same fate as the deceased one day. But he could never picture himself getting married. Most guys he knew didn't grow up with fantasies of a fairy tale wedding to begin with, but they did want to settle down eventually, usually after spending several years sowing their wild oats. At twenty-six years old, Chase still never felt that desire. He always imagined he'd travel the world, open a restaurant, and spend the rest of his days as a bachelor on a beach somewhere. A lonely life, for sure, but he lived his life in solitude. Nothing would change.

"You clean up nice," Akari said, giving Chase a playful nudge on the arm. They walked side by side, trailing Luna as she scurried up the hill to the church.

"Stop beating around the bush. Just say you want me, Akari."

"Why would I do that? Your head is big enough as it is."

"You didn't deny it."

"Oh my God."

He laughed. He could bomb a thousand hints over her head, and she still wouldn't get it. Maybe that was for the best. "Thanks. But where did you get a dress like that? There's no way a homely girl like you could afford it."

The two of them hurled insults at each other all day long and neither were particularly phased by it. As long as the insults didn't involve Owen, Akari was happy to play along. Chase was glad to have someone who wasn't put off by his humor.

"FYI, jerk, Candace gave it to me," she said.

Chase frowned. "That was nice of her. What did she want?"

Akari rolled her eyes. "Sometimes people are just nice, Chase. You'll learn that someday."

He paused as Akari moved further ahead. She was walking better in her heels, although she would occasionally stumble forward and cry out for help. She was hurt so many times, but she was still trusting of others. She didn't question people's motives. She wasn't suspicious of people's kindness. In contrast, he believed that everyone had an agenda. In his world it was every man for himself. He wasn't entirely sure if Akari had the correct mindset. What if she was just naive? Surely that was the reason why Owen took advantage of her. If she could just see people for who they really were, not some idealized, hopeful version of them, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt.

Luna charged through the church doors, sending a burst of air through the trees nearby. The entrance was adorned with roses of all colors and a golden carpet was rolled out amongst the rows of bouquets. Some of the villagers congregated outside the building. The clouds that had been wispy and white at the beginning of the day were now darker and more dense. Bad omen for a wedding. The air was eerily still, not a trace of the breeze everyone had grown so accustomed to. Chase spotted Selena and Kathy in deep conversation by the overlook. He hadn't spoken to them since the night of the Firefly Festival. His loyalty was with Akari, but he was curious to see how Kathy was doing. She hadn't acknowledged him during their last encounter, too caught up in the drama between her ex-best friend and Owen. Akari smiled as she caught him looking in her direction. "I won't be mad if you talk to her, you know. I'll save you a seat."

She went inside and Chase headed over to speak with Kathy. Selena whistled as he approached. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her eyelids were coated with green glitter to match the color of her dress. "Damn, I thought you were a hot new guy. But no, it's just you."

"I pity any new hot guy who gets your attention," he said.

She winked and waved someone over from across the church grounds. "Hey, babe! You ready?"

Chase turned in the direction she was waving to. Luke and Bo were chatting under a cherry blossom tree. The former's ears perked up at the sound of her voice. He came trotting over like a loyal puppy. The poor guy must have been unaware that formal attire didn't include bandannas.

The chef smirked. "Babe?"

Selena slung an arm over Luke's shoulders. "That's right. Let's go, honey."

Luke kissed her cheek, pulled back, and kissed her again. "Okay, pumpkin."

Chase fought off the wave of nausea as the pair walked hand in hand toward the church. Whatever happened the night of the Firefly Festival must have been a success.

Kathy grinned. Her dress was similar to Akari's, just without the pizzazz. He wondered if they had meant to coordinate outfits before everything went down. She moved forward to hug Chase, but then paused, as if she wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. "Hi, Chase. You look great. How have you been?"

"Not bad. Still working at Akari's farm. Finally making decent money."

She averted her eyes and kicked a pebble out of the way. "That's good. How is she?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"You know that's not going to happen."

Chase shrugged. "If you mean what you say, she'll come around. Unless…"

She narrowed her eyes. "There's nothing going on between me and Owen. Nothing. I haven't talked to him since."

"So why'd you do it?"

Kathy sighed and turned her attention to the ocean below. The waves thrashed against the side of the hill coinciding with a low rumble of thunder in the distance. The hair tucked behind her ear fell and hid her face. "It's complicated. I loved Owen, but he loved Akari. And I care about her so much, I just wanted the both of them to be happy. So I pushed my feelings aside. But then that day when we talked at the inn, everything just came up again. I feel horrible."

Chase nodded. He figured it was something like that. Kathy was the type to always keep the peace.

"He wanted to get together, but I said no," she continued. "I couldn't do that to Akari. Plus, he was rebounding big time. I know I'm worth more than that."

Respect. He knew there was something he liked about her. The church bell rang just as fresh drops of rain began to spray from the sky. The last few stragglers scrambled inside.

"I'll talk to her after," Kathy said. "Thanks, Chase." She waved goodbye and followed the others.

He didn't know why she thanked him. If anything, he listened to understand her motives, not to offer any consolation. But he knew all along that Kathy was one of the good ones. She could be trusted. She was just flawed, like all of humanity. One day he hoped he could accept that. After all, who could be more flawed than an isolated, bitter, and sarcastic chef?

The church was packed. Some of the islanders stood alongside the walls, shoulders touching and bodies squirming from the uncomfortable closeness. Chase saw a few people he hadn't seen in several weeks: Anissa sat next to Jin, his arm outstretched to rest behind her on the bench. Craig, Ruth, and Taylor were seated just behind them, the latter bouncing in his seat as Craig repeatedly smacked him across the head. Phoebe. Toby. Renee. Even Calvin, whose excavation efforts made him MIA for weeks at a time. Chase's eyes landed on Maya. She was sandwiched in between Colleen and Jake on one wall. Her dress was a fire hydrant red, and she stood out like a traffic light. She nearly broke free to run toward him before Colleen grabbed her shoulder. Thank God.

Dozens of presents were stacked in a pile toward the back. Chase didn't know what to get, so he asked Akari to include his name on her gift. As a result, she refused to tell him what she bought. He hoped it wasn't anything too cringe-worthy.

"Chase." He turned and saw Akari waving him over. She had one leg stretched across the bench in an effort to save him a spot. Hayden was shooting daggers at her. Chase shot his boss an apologetic look as he made his way over. Akari wasn't ladylike in the least. If the dress was any shorter, she'd be airing out her hoo ha for the whole congregation to see.

When he took his seat, he told her as such. "Spare everyone from seeing those boxers of yours, will you."

She frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"Uhh…"

"Shhh!" Chase and Akari turned around and met Irene's stern face, her eyebrows drawn together and a finger pressed to her lips.

"Sorry," Akari said.

A clap of thunder rattled the church and the lights started to flicker. Rain pummeled against the roof and windows. What a horrible day for a wedding. Did Julius even check the weather before scheduling it? Gill, Perry, and Hamilton stood at the front, whispering to one another and repeatedly glancing toward the back of the church. Perry frowned and pressed his palms to his forehead. He stood behind the pulpit to address the villagers before Luna rushed out from the back. "Julius and Candace are missing!"

Nervous murmurs arose from the crowd. It wasn't like Julius to be late for his own wedding. He demanded perfection, even from himself. Knowing him, he would have arrived before Perry unlocked the doors. And there was no way he would allow Candace to be absent, even if she had cold feet and wanted to abandon him at the altar.

The church doors flew open. After a flash of lightning, the shadowy figure came into view. Julius? Not even close. Owen staggered in, holding a bottle of whiskey in the air. His brown tux was disheveled and stained. He took a swig of his drink and pumped his fist into the air. "I'm ready for the after party! Cheers, uh, Julian and Cadence!"

Akari gaped at her ex in horror. No one said a word. The only sound came from the pouring rain. Chase scanned the pews. He saw Ramsey sitting across the room, holding Chloe in his lap. The old man closed his eyes and hung his head.

Owen held the bottle in the air once again and titled his head back. Opening his mouth wide, he let the alcohol stream down with perfect precision. His wild eyes darted across the room and landed on Akari. He waved and hiccuped. "Hey, Akari!" He moved down the aisle, spreading his arms wide. "You're enjoying your new boyfriend, huh? Hey, guys! She left me for the loser chef!"

Akari's face contorted as Owen continued to address the bewildered crowd. "But that's okay. I have Kathy. The love of my life. Isn't that right, babe?" He pointed to her. She was seated next to Selena and Luke on the second pew. Her face was tinged pink with embarrassment.

Selena sprung from the bench. "Shut up! You're just starting drama as usual!"

Luke grabbed Selena's hand and coaxed her back down. He maneuvered his way to the aisle and placed a firm hand on Owen's shoulder.

"You're not feeling well, big guy. Let's go home."

Owen pulled away from him. The whiskey bottle slipped from his hand and shattered on impact. A pool of brown liquid stained the red carpet. Mayor Hamilton flinched as did Perry.

"Get this imbecile out of here!" Gill ordered. "We have a missing bride and groom, for goodness sake!"

He held Luna close to him. Among the dozen of things to be surprised about at that moment, Gill's affection toward her was another thing to add to the list. Bo left Dale's side to help Luke guide Owen out of the church. After some resisting, Owen surrendered and slung both arms over his friends' shoulders as they half dragged him outside. The silence was instantly drowned out by the sound of panicked speculation.

"My goodness, what is going on today?" Chase heard Yolanda say to Irene from behind.

"Is this a part of the wedding?" Toby asked Renee.

"What happened to Owen?" He couldn't identify the sound of that person's voice.

Paolo and Chloe were crying, from the thunderstorm raging outside or from the chaos within, he couldn't tell. Some of the islanders threw subtle glances toward him and Akari. Chase couldn't care less about what people thought of him, but Akari was a beloved, well-respected member of their little community. How was all this going to affect her reputation? When he turned to her, she had already left her seat and was speeding toward the exit. Kathy saw her and ran after her.

"Everyone please settle down!" Perry said. His soft spoken voice sounded strained and hoarse as he tried to shout above the noise. The voices began to taper off as he continued. "We must search for Julius and Candace. This is extremely out of character for both of them."

Shelly now stood up front with Luna and the others. She held her granddaughter's small hand in hers as they both gazed out the window in desperation. The wind thrashed against the sides of the church and another flash of lightning cut all of the lights out. Perry's attempts to calm everyone down was futile. Panic once again circulated the room. Chase took this chance to slip out of the church. Between Owen's outburst, Julius and Candace's disappearance, and the relentless thunderstorm, even Chase felt a bit rattled.

Now that was concerning.

A/N: Julius and Candace are missing, Owen has finally gone off the deep end (again), and rumors are circulating about Akari, Owen, Kathy, and Chase. Will these kids ever get a break? Probably not.

For those of you who have read this far, thank you so much! I started this story when I was seventeen (with edits made along the way), and I'm beyond grateful that a few people are still following along. I know it's taking me forever to finish, but I will try my best to.

I hope you all are staying safe.