The Hosshi-Wedding

Cast:

Hosshiwa, Morioka Wako - age 25
Morioka Takayuki - Namakeldar's cousin - age 26
Namakeldar, Namase Kenta - age 24
Shirogane Hisako - Wako's friend - age 25
Cure Mint, Akimoto Komachi - age 26
Cure Lovely, Aino Megumi - age 17
Cure Princess, Shirayuki Hime - age 17
Cure Honey, Ohmori Yuuko - age 18
Cure Fortune, Hikawa Iona - age 17
Sasorina, Sadou Rina - age 30
Akimoto Almond - Komachi's son - age 4

June, 2017

"Who was it who complained when those girls got to be bridesmaids before?"

"That was years ago!" Wako insists. She tries to turn her head, but the combination of her dress and Hisako's hand prevents her from looking directly at the other woman.

"Eyes straight ahead, please. This part is delicate and you don't want me to mess it up."

"Ugh." Wako rolls her eyes, but does as she is told. "So now I have to stand here and take it while you call me out?"

"You make it sound like I set this up! You're the bride this time, Wako. You made all of the important decisions that got you into this position. Including this super-elaborate wedding dress, which you picked out, and which you can't put on by yourself because it requires someone to stand behind you and sew it shut. And since you chose me to be your maid of honor, that someone is me."

"Because you've been my best friend since high school, not so you could stand behind me and talk shit!"

Wako tries to turn again, but Hisako firmly stops her.

"Eyes forward, please. And I'm not talking shit. I just think it's odd that you were so jealous of those girls and now you've invited them to be bridesmaids for you."

Wako sighs.

"You'd better get those deep breaths out of your system too. If you do that after you're fully sewn into this monstrosity, you might blow a seam. Or break a rib."

"You might have mentioned that earlier."

"Not my wedding. Are you gonna spill it or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. You know I'm a jealous woman, Hisako. If I banned everyone from my wedding who I've ever envied, you wouldn't be here either. I'd be here alone with Takayuki and Namase... and we'd have to find another priest."

There is silence behind Wako for several moments, then Hisako starts giggling uncontrollably.

"Hey! Hey, girls!" She waves at the bridesmaids to come over. "I need the four of you to go find Cure Egret. She should be around here somewhere, and I'm cracking up too much to finish this sewing."

The bridesmaid dresses are light pink and not nearly as complex as Wako's wedding dress. The four girls quickly file out of the room, with Megumi turning back just before leaving to shout, "You can count on us!"

"You're not laughing that hard."

"No, but I am curious. They're gone now, so spill."

"Well, Yuuko got her sister to make me a bridesmaid for once, so I owe her. Megumi and Hime are on good terms with a couple of my friends, so I figured they'd be a good fit. And I couldn't leave Iona out after including those three. It would be like if you, me and Mai went to a hot spring or something and didn't invite Komachi."

"That's surprisingly generous of you."

"What's surprising? It's my wedding! I can be generous if I want!"

"Alright, alright. Let's get you sewn up."

When the ceremony actually begins, it goes off without issue. The bride may be the jealous type, (and certainly she is) but the maid of honor and Kenta, the best man, are able to carry out their ceremonial duties without being interrupted by their lovers, who are other people. Nor do the bridesmaids or their escorts end up in conflict with any boyfriends or girlfriends.

The groom enters. Like the best man, Morioka Takayuki is tall and has light green hair, but that is the full extent of their family resemblance. There are some guests who know him better as a member of Cure Beat's band, a few of whom aren't personally connected to the band. Indeed, the other band members are among the guests, but the groom will not be performing.

Wako enters and walks to the altar. Her dress is... it is certainly something. Elaborate. Unconventional. At any rate, it is white. It does not explode nor cause her to collapse, either of which seem to be laudable achievements under the circumstances.

The officiating priest is an older man who doesn't seem like the sort of person Wako ought to envy. Perhaps that was a joke, but then again Wako is that sort of person. He makes the traditional speech, then presents the traditional question to the groom.

He raises a trumpet to his lips. It seems that he doesn't intend to speak his answer.

He lowers it without playing.

"I do."

The priest presents the same question to the bride, and she answers.

"I do."

"I thought he was actually going to play for a moment there."

"I thought he was mute!"

There are those who express such opinions during the reception. By the time the bride and groom appear at the feast, she has changed out of her... that dress... and into something just as white but considerably more practical. They cut the cake. There is dancing. They perform the ritual of the bouquet, which is captured by Sasorina, a friend of the bride who works at the same elementary school. The ritual of the garter follows, but it ends up in the hands of Akimoto Almond, who is certainly too young to understand its significance.

By now, anyone who is connected to Cure Mint knows that she has a hobby of pranking weddings. Eyes have been on her from the moment that she arrived before the wedding, throughout the ceremony, and during the reception. There doesn't seem to have been any moment when she might have begun mischief, but it is also understood by now that she is always the mastermind. The only real questions are what will happen and when.

By the time the newlyweds announce their exit from the reception hall, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. There was that dress... but that simply cannot have been the prank, much as it did have quite an impact. Speaking for herself and her husband, Wako announces that they will step out of the large double doors that have remained closed throughout the reception, where there is a limousine waiting that will take them to the dock where they will depart for a honeymoon cruise.

It seems as if there is no moment left for an incident.

The groom's hand touches the doorknob, then suddenly withdraws. The bride makes the same motion.

"It's ice cold!" she announces.

This is peculiar already, considering that the day is fine and warm and near the end of June. Still, the surprise does not stop them from opening the door and walking through.

Outdoors is missing.

Certainly, there is a limousine waiting, but it is waiting on what appears to be a carpet of snow. Three unexpected walls surround it on all sides, made of thick, glistening ice and lit in bright colors that shine from within. The otherworldly light reflects off of the ceiling, which appears to be made of paper.

There is even frost on the windshield. It can only be deliberate, since it spells out the words "JUST MARRIED".

Wako spins, and easily finds Komachi, who is standing, smiling, with her family.

"How? Komachi, how?"

Komachi lifts a finger to her lips. "That is a secret."