The café is so peaceful. The Little Treat Tearoom is a popular café despite how out of the way it is, seeing hundreds of costumes each and every day. Suzuka has come to love the café. She enjoys the peace and quiet the place offers, along with the relaxing view of the sea. Usually, Suzuka would be able to relax here, but today, as she looks across the table at her friend Suzuka, she feels her stomach tighten in a knot. Nervously fiddling with her hands, Suzuka tries to summon the courage to tell Maki why she asked her to join her at the Little Treat Tearoom.

Whenever Suzuka tries to speak, the words get stuck in her throat. Maki has been her friends for years. They served as the Origami families elite guard for years. They remained friends even after they retired from their duties as Toji. Looking down at her hands Suzuka knows she may be about to ruin those years of friendship in a matter of seconds. "But there is no one else I can ask for help," Suzuka sighs, trying to justify her actions. "I hope she doesn't come to hate me."

"Maki…" Weakly Suzuka speaks up, at last, looking back up to her friend.

Maki has grown her hair over the years, and now it may still be short, but the strands of orange hair now go past her shoulder. Suzuka could not stop herself from freeing up. The sight of her friend's hair blowing in the breeze as a new customer enters steals her breath. The why Maki's orange eyes stare back at her makes Suzuka's heart skip a beat. "No wonder she's so popular," Suzuka thinks as she struggles to continue to speak. Maki has had more requests for a date than Suzuka could count from both boys and girls, but her friend would turn every one of those offers down for some reason. But Maki's reason has always made Suzuka wonder who her friend likes as each time someone asks her out, Maki would always tell them she is in love with someone already.

"About why I called and asked you to meet me here today," Suzuka sucks in a deep breath trying to remain brave long enough to get the words out. "There is… a favour I want to ask of you…"

"Anything," Maki quickly replies, putting down her cup of coffee. "I'm always willing to help you, Suzuka, no matter what you require."

"I don't want to lose her," Suzuka bites her lip. Maki has always been there for her whenever she needed someone's help. Even when it was Suzuka's own fault, Maki just helped and never judged her. "Even when my family turned me away telling me that a Konohana must be able to figure things out on their own." Suzuka looks at her friend. Maki who has been by her side through the good times and the bad times. Maki, a friend she knows, may call her disgusting and never want to talk to her when she hears what Suzuka has to say.

"Well, my parents recently brought up the idea of marriage," Suzuka explains, and she swears she sees her friend's skin pale. But she brushes it off believe she is just imagining things. "They started showing me pictures of the friends and business partners sons last night."

Suzuka could remember last night well. She can remember being given a stack of pictures and asked to pick out a husband from them. Suzuka can remember wanting to scream and tell her parents she wants to pick her own partner. Still, being the good girl she is, Suzuka obeyed her parent's wishes, taking the pictures to her room. This morning they asked who they picked, but Suzuka told them she has not made up her mind yet. "But that excuse won't work forever," Suzuka wished she could keep giving that reason, but she knows her parents will pick a husband for her if she does not decide soon.

"They were nice enough to let me choose from the pile of pictures, but I don't want to marry any of them," Suzuka looks down, feeling embarrassed about what she wants to ask of her friend. "I started thinking about how to get out of this mess and… I have an idea, but I need your… help…"

"Anything," Suzuka is startled when Maki suddenly grabs her hands. "I'll do anything for you, Suzuka."

The warmth surrounding her hands does little to help Suzuka ask her friend this massive favour. Instead, it only makes Suzuka's checks redder and it harder to find the words she needs to speak. Maki stares at Suzuka, making it harder to maintain eye contact, but Suzuka wills herself to stay strong and not melt into her seat.

"I was thinking that if my parents thought I was already married… they would drop the idea of arranging my marriage," Suzuka's voice is barely a whisper as she struggles to find the right words. "I was wondering… if you could pretend… to… marry me…"

Suzuka could barely ask her friend that. The instant the words leave her mouth, she drops her head, unable to look at her friend. Suzuka can feel her cheeks burning and squeezes her eyes shut. Feeling Maki weaken her hold around her hands, Suzuka starts to prepare herself for the worse. "I knew she would hate me," Suzuka feels her eyes begin to water as tears threaten to fall. "I should never have said anything." She curses herself for being so foolish. "I should have just married one of those guys and kept Maki by my side." Suzuka waits for her friend to get up. She waits for her to yell and say she does not want to see her again. But nothing happens. For minutes silence passes by until finally, Maki clears her throat.

"Okay," Suzuka opens her eyes and looks up, hoping she did not just hear things. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Really?" Suzuka asks, still not believing what she is hearing. "But I thought you had someone you liked."

"It will be fine," Maki smiles, grabbing her friend's hands once again. "Don't worry about it. You are my friend Suzuka. If marrying you will help you get out of trouble, then I will be your bride."

"Thank you," Suzuka smiles, unable to stop a single tear from rolling down her cheek.