A/n This work is dedicated to our dear friend Kristinochka, who always supports us and believes in us!
It's not beta-read yet, so we are sorry for the errors. We will correct them later. Please, enjoy reading! 3
Fate can be neither passed by, nor driven round.
Chapter 7
Sumi woke up in a wonderful mood. The memories of the previous evening were still fresh in her head and she couldn't hold back a happy smile. Yesterday Doppo had invited her to share a cup of coffee, he met her after work and they held hands all the way to the cozy café. No matter how curious she was to know the reason of his high spirits, he didn't say anything about it until they occupied a table and ordered their drinks.
He had been promoted at work, and he was shining with cheerfulness while he was telling her the great news. His success brought utter delight to her heart as if it was her own achievement. She remembered how she had jumped from her seat and captured him in a bear hug. The emotions had been running ahead of her that evening and she didn't even realize how bold her reaction to his words must have seemed. Doppo got perplexed by her sudden way of actions, but soon returned her hug with equal force. He also told her that it was all thanks to her his life had started to change for the better.
They had spent a wonderful evening in the café and returned home in great mood, while holding hands. The way their fingers entwined was so heartwarming, that the shyness just melted away and didn't bother them anymore.
And now Sumi was staring at her hand that had been held by his big and warm hand the day before. The golden ring was smiling at her with a shiny glow. Doppo had become very special to her heart, she admitted mentally. There was no reason to fight that thought anymore. She liked his presence, the sound of his unique voice, the warmth and carefulness of his touches and embraces. She found his character amusing and endearing. And the mere thought of the true reason of their marriage was poisoning her feelings.
They were still in the beginning of the path. In order to get a job in Todai she had been told to gain teaching experience. It had been only a month and a half since she started working at St. Rudolf, and the exact same period of time since she and Doppo officially registered their marriage. There were still many months ahead, but a mere thought about separating from this young man, who had found his shy and inept way to win her heart, brought true misery to her soul.
She missed him, when he wasn't around. Her mind was filled with the sound of his voice and the gentleness of his eyes, when they were apart. But the most intimidating thing was that she was longing to touch him, to sense him with her skin. He emitted the aura of stability, reminding her of an island, when she was used to go with the flow of life, comparing herself with a sea. They were two opposite elements – earth and water – but she started to believe that they could become a perfect combination.
Deep in her heart she desired it to be that way, and it was terrifying her.
Sumi covered her flushed face with her cool hands. She had never ever had deep feelings for any guy, but maybe this is how young girls felt when they were falling in love. At least, she had discovered that the only man she wanted to have this kind of emotions for was her arranged husband.
The girl let out a hopeless sigh and stood up from her bed. She looked at the clock on the wall and noted that Doppo must have already finished his morning shower according to their schedule. She needed to go and start preparing breakfast, even if it was still a little early for that.
The girl put a robe on her nightgown, took her bath-necessities, collected her long hair in a low ponytail and walked out of her bedroom into the living-room that Doppo was using as his own place of living and sleeping.
And she froze on her tracks, when her eyes unexpectedly spotted the red haired young man. He stood by the already folded sofa, that he used as a bed, with his back facing her and was in the middle of changing into his suit. Her unsophisticated eyes became the witnesses of him putting on his white shirt. She couldn't but stare at his broad back and strong arms lighted up with the morning light. For a brief moment she remembered that he was a man, not just a friend or her Uncle's teammate, but a man, who she had been married to. And he was perfectly shaped.
Sumi swallowed slowly and pressed a cosmetic bag and a towel tighter to her chest. She couldn't recall seeing Doppo shirtless before. They were always careful not to get into such heart-exploding situations. But look at her now! She was the one, who had broken the rule and walked out of her room earlier than it was scheduled.
The sight of his naked back, even if it lasted for a brief second, ignited some weird emotions in her. She suddenly felt a strong urge to come closer to him and touch his skin with her fingertips and maybe even press her lips to his bare shoulder. She was sure that she would feel his warmth and her favourite citrus scent on him if she did it. Her face heated up, as the imagination started to play unfamiliar scenes of her and Doppo sharing a special moment in a very detailed way.
"Oh, I didn't notice you coming in," his sudden voice brought her back to reality. She looked up and met his confused gaze. His shirt was already fully fastened and there was a green tie around his neck too. Maybe he didn't see her spying on him? That would be nice to believe.
Sumi blinked several times to put herself together. She needed to cool down and act as if nothing happened. She didn't see anything to feel this awkward. It was just Doppo and he was her …
…husband…
The last thought had an indescribable effect on her heart for some reason. Their eyes met in silence and she didn't know what to say or where to look. Her embarrassment was playing unfair tricks to her heart.
"The bathroom is vacant, you can use it now," he added, still a little puzzled by her strange and silent behavior.
"Ah, yes! Thanks!" she answered finally and dashed towards the bathroom door only to hide herself behind it the next instant. Doppo only blinked in confusion, putting the dark jacket on.
After finishing her shower, getting in agreement with her rapidly pounding heart and taming the wild and crazy butterflies in her stomach, Sumi was ready to face her husband again. Well, she hoped that she was ready. The image of his naked back was still fresh in her memories, but she was summoning all of her common sense not to recall the scene she had witnessed.
With a firm resolve the girl walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Doppo was sitting on the sofa in the living-room, looking through some documents he held in his hands. It made him look so professional and concentrated. She liked this side of him. There were times, when he had to take a part of his tasks home and work on them throughout the nights. She had found him fast asleep on a coffee-table right beside his laptop once. Sumi just hoped that after promotion he wouldn't need to have overtimes. He deserved a better rank and consideration in his job.
"Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes," she told him, passing by the living-room and catching a glimpse of his nod.
After sharing a meal and a little morning chat, they both stood up and were about to follow the rule of embracing each other after breakfast, when Sumi gestured him to stop and asked him to follow her in the living-room. She dashed to her bedroom and then returned with a present box in her hands.
Doppo showed her a modest yet earnest smile, when she came to him and offered him the box.
"Happy Birthday, Doppo! I am glad that today I am the first one to greet you with your special day! I sincerely wish you happiness! And may your dreams come true!"
Her voice was cheerful, her face was brightened up with a broad smile. Standing face to face and looking into her sparkling eyes, Doppo could swear that she got a way to spread magic everywhere she was. And he was slowly but surely getting drawn into her ocean of wonders.
"I am very touched, Sumi. Thank you very much for your attention. I highly appreciate it," he uttered wholeheartedly and took the box in his hands.
"This is my gift for you. I hope you will like it. Please, open it," she looked at him in anticipation with evident enthusiasm in her navy blue eyes.
"Really, you shouldn't have, but thank you very much," with those words he opened the present box and found an expensive tie and a tie clip inside. The brand was world famous and he couldn't even imagine the real price of this gift. "S-sumi,… I am speechless."
"May I assume that you like your present?" she walked closer to him with a hopeful smile. It was obvious that she enjoyed watching his reaction.
He looked down at her with so much fondness and gratitude in his crystal-blue eyes, that the girl suddenly felt week in the knees.
"Will you put it on me, please?" his sudden request took her off guard. She knew how to make tie knots, she even secretly learnt several lessons in the Internet to become a pro in this field, but she wasn't prepared for this situation. Well, maybe somewhere in the back of her mind she was fantasizing of putting the tie around Doppo's neck, when she had been choosing the right design and colour in the haberdashery, but it was her own little fantasy. And what he was asking of her now was true reality.
Sumi felt a whirlpool of butterflies slowly starting to wake up from their slumber in her stomach.
"Of course. You are a birthday boy today, how can I say 'no' to your wish?" she tried to look calm and confident, but deep inside her heart was getting more and more excited with the flow of the events.
Doppo thanked her with a smile of adoration and started loosening his casual green tie until it got unknotted. Sumi took her gift in her hands, enjoying the silky sensation of the expensive fabric, and walked closer to her husband till they were only some centimeters apart. She carefully threw the ribbon of the tie behind his neck and concentrated on the ends. Her hands were swiftly working their magic with the knot, while her heart started to beat faster every time her fingers contacted with his neck.
It took her some time to finish her task, but the result looked good. There was an elegant Eldredge knot before her eyes and she was proud of her work. The girl affectionately stroked the nice fabric of the knot and then shifted her fingers to smooth out creases on the front of the white shirt. Her fingertips sensed the warmth of Doppo's chest underneath the white cotton, and the next moment she felt his arm encircling around her waist and pressing her closer to him. His other hand caught her small one and held it in a gentle yet firm grip. She had no other choice but to look upwards and meet his serious and heated gaze. Doppo had always been very shy and got embarrassed really quickly, but the gaze he was showing her now was beyond mysterious. His arm around her waist was palpably putting more pressure, and as result, her petit body got almost glued to his own.
And it felt frighteningly nice.
In the depths of his expressive eyes she could see her own reflection. The moment reminded of being lost in space. There was no time, no surroundings right now. Doppo didn't say a word, but she could hear his voice in her head. It was a connection on absolutely another level.
All the emotions she had locked up in her heart this morning were bursting out and winning against her common sense .All she wanted to do now was feeling him more, sensing his proximity as much as she could. Her fingers unsurely curled around his, not breaking his grip, her other hand found his newly knotted tie and started to tug on it slowly yet demandingly, bringing his face closer to hers. She knew what she was doing but couldn't predict if he would ever forgive her for giving her heart a chance to express what she was holding inside. She stood on her tiptoes absentmindedly, and reached for his inviting mouth with her lips, closing her eyes.
When their lips were about to meet, a sudden ringtone of Doppo's phone broke the atmosphere and forced them to snap out of their trance. By reflex, Doppo turned his head sharply to the sound and Sumi's lips landed on his freshly shaven cheek. A moment later both newlyweds realized, what they were doing and released each other from an unusual embrace in terror.
The magic of the moment was broken.
They shared anxious stare before Doppo dashed to the source of the loud sound and answered the phone. It was his parents, who were calling to greet their son with his Birthday.
Sumi felt her knees losing balance and fell on the sofa. That situation that they had shared some seconds before was the most awkward in their married life together. But the most disappointing thing was that she got upset with the outcome. She was giving account of her actions. She indeed was willing to give her first kiss away.
She longed to kiss Doppo.
And he was responding to her desire.
Sumi watched as he put his phone on the coffee-table, grabbed his briefcase and a remote control for the TV, which he hid in the pocket of his trousers, and after bumping his knee against the sofa, headed hurriedly to the exit.
"I..I have to go or I'll miss my train," his voice sounded funny, and Sumi breathed out in relief. She wasn't the only one, who had tangled feelings after their little moment of awkwardness.
The next second his phone rang again. And the girl stared at the forgotten device on the coffee-table, before shifting her confused gaze to her even more confused husband, who was struggling with his pocket to take out the phone. The girl giggled sonorously noticing total astonishment on his face, when he pulled out a remote control instead of the mobile phone from his pocket.
There were more sounds of commotion in the corridor from his side, when Sumi decided to give him a helping hand and bring him the forgotten device. The ringtone ceased as the caller lost their enthusiasm to get connected.
"Here," she said casually, handing him the black device. "You've almost forgotten it again."
Their eyes met for a brief second, before he averted them quickly in a sense shame.
"Yes. That would have been very troublesome. Thank you," he reached his hand to take the phone and his fingers touched hers accidentally. The sensation hit him like a lightning bolt.
She felt it too – the electricity of their touch. Their relationship was turning into unfamiliar direction. It was scaring them both, it was too obvious. They didn't know, how to act around each other anymore, and what to do to the new feelings that were starting to bloom inside their hearts.
But they needed to do something, anything, to smooth out rough edges that appeared so malapropos.
Sumi noticed his strange behavior. Perhaps, he was still embarrassed after their almost-kiss moment. Well, her own face was getting hotter with a mere thought of her daring actions several minutes ago. But Doppo was afraid to look at her and it made her upset. She didn't want to let him go with such unstable feelings. Nor was it her wish to leave everything as it was now.
"Hey," she touched his shoulder, when he was about to open the front door. The guy turned his head a little to look down at her smiling face. "Didn't you forget anything?"
Doppo widened his eyes in puzzlement. He thought for a second about her question and then answered.
"I guess, no?"
"Incorrect."
"Huh?"
Sumi didn't let him a chance to react in his jumpy style. She just leaned in, stood on her tip toes and threw her arms around his neck, capturing him in a gentle embrace, while bringing him down to her height.
"We have a rule to follow, remember?" she uttered melodically, tightening her grip, to which he unsurely answered by taking her petit body in the circle of his arms out of a habit.
He didn't know how she was doing it, but she had a fantastic ability to soothe his nerves and wash his worries away like the waves of the ocean. She was an incredible creature with fairylike aura. And recently, every time she touched him there was this sweet sensation rushing all over him, that made him feel like losing his grip on the stirring wheel of his life, because she was slowly and surely taking the reins of his emotions in her delicate hands.
Her unique character, her sweet voice, her caring attitude towards him and her mesmerizing navy blue eyes were bringing him down to his knees. Up until yesterday evening he thought he had had solid ground under his feet, but the moment they decided to hold hands on their way to the café, he realized that he had lost the battle against his heart.
He had never believed in destiny, but now his world had gained so many colours and meaning and it was all because she had broken into his dull life like a tsunami. It must have been madness, he barely knew this girl, but she had found a secret and accurate path to his heart and took it carefully in her gentle hands. There was always a unique atmosphere, almost a symphony in the air, whenever she was near. His heart started singing the anthem of delight if he felt her feather like touch and sensed the gaze of her eyes, which reminded him of the mysterious depths of the ocean. And there was nothing in this world that could be compared with the touch of her soft skin.
Today's little adventure with his Birthday gift just proved just how deeply he had fallen for her and also there was a demanding side inside of him – the side he didn't know existed.
He couldn't get enough of her. That was beyond his strength to just let her go after asking her to make that ill-fated knot. He didn't know what had gotten into him. His hands were acting on their own by pressing her soft body to his and capturing her small hand. His eyes were memorizing every inch of her perfect face and long eyelashes, and his nose was inhaling the fabulous aroma of her skin mixed with a mango shampoo. He did remember how she started to pull him by the tie towards her face, and he had no intention to object. His mind was so preoccupied with urging anticipation of something new and sacred, that he forgot to give account of his actions. The moment he came to his senses, thanks to the noisy ringtone, he discovered that they had almost shared their first kiss.
She kissed him on the cheek, though, but it went in no comparison to the desired yet failed kiss on the lips.
And the realization hit him so hard, that he paled.
Sumi was Sensei's niece. He promised to protect her from any harm and suspicions, but in the end he became the one she should be protected from.
He tried to look calm and concentrated, but his nervousness was too evident. He even grabbed the remote control for TV instead of his phone! He was losing his ground for sure. And he needed to escape before everything between them became even more awkward.
But she didn't let him to leave, taking him into her welcoming arms as if nothing had happened. The rule of embracing each other in the mornings couldn't be broken so easily. He returned the hug, unsurely at first, but then full heartedly, relaxing in her arms and bending closer to her height.
She was true miracle and now he had no idea how he was going to let go of her. A small smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes dreamily. They hadn't gotten separated for the day, and he was already missing her so much.
And as if she heard his thoughts, her lips uttered an answer.
"I'll see you in the evening. Have a nice day at work and come home as soon as you can. And…" with those words she gently loosened her grip on his shoulders and stood firmly on the floor to look into his crystal- blue eyes. A faint blush appeared on her pretty face as she pronounced the next words with a sincere smile. "Happy Birthday, Doppo!"
Doppo chuckled shyly and released her from his embrace, never letting go of her hands, which he kept holding in his affectionately.
"You always know how to make me feel happy. Thank you, Sumi. I really mean it."
She saw him off with a light heart and it was an incredible feeling of completeness. It was good, that she didn't let the awkwardness get the best of their embarrassing moment. Now Sumi knew that there were no bad and nagging emotions between her and Doppo. It was great. She left for work in high spirits.
But during the day neither Doppo nor Sumi could ignore the memories of the morning. The scene of their failed first kiss played in their minds again and again no matter how hard they tried to concentrate on work. There were so many ifs, popping up along with the memory.
What if they really had kissed?
What if they didn't like it?
Or what if they liked it too much?
What if this situation happened again?
What if…
Ah, please, somebody stop this nonsense!
Both Sumi and Doppo had really hard time to get in agreement with their rapidly beating hearts and wild imagination. No matter how that situation had influenced on their nervous system, there was one feeling that they had in common – they both didn't regret about sharing that moment of indescribable connection between their souls.
Maybe that was why Doppo decided to man up and get serious. There was no reason to deny his true feelings towards Sensei's lovely niece anymore. All the psychological articles about falling in love he had found in the Internet told the same thing – when you met your one and only love, you would know it right away. As for Doppo, he hadn't had feelings for Sumi when they first met at Sensei's cabinet, but she did caught his interest even in that depressive state of mind he had come to his leader with. And then there were lots of moments and situations that added some weight to his growing feelings. He tried his best to have them under control, but today's morning adventure had proved that he had no power to hold them back. His common sense would just shut down, offering the free highway to the exploding fireworks of emotions his heart held for Sumi.
After work he decided to take a short stroll down the street and just think again about his marriage. Sensei had told him that it was just for a year, and then they had to go through the procedure of divorcing.
"That's the plan, if nothing else happens along the way, of course."
Those Sensei's words sounded strange even now. That time, when he had given his agreement to this marriage, Doppo didn't pay much attention to that statement, but now those words gained some meaning. What did Sensei wanted him to understand back then? Did he predict that he, Doppo, would end up being in love with his niece just a month after the marriage registration? The respectful leader of Matenrou had entrusted his dear relative into his care. Doppo didn't know if he had a right to have those feelings for Sumi.
But one thing he knew for sure. He was a man, and she was a girl, for whom he held beautiful love in his heart. And she would be the one to decide his destiny and no one else.
It wasn't a game of pretending anymore.
And that was why he chose to follow the rules and do everything according to traditions. If something similar with their failed kiss would happen again (and he had a vague feeling that the possibility was higher than necessary, considering their morning reaction), he had to be sure that it would be happening on a mutual wish. That was his vision of the whole situation.
With a firm resolve Doppo stepped into a jewelry store.
An hour later the third member of Matenrou returned home. When he opened the door, he was met with total darkness. Usually Sumi was already at home by the time he returned, but now the lights were off and it was strange.
"Sumi? Tadaima," he reached for the switch and turned it on.
The moment the lights brightened up the corridor, he got deafened by the sound of "OKAERI, DOPPO! O-TANJOUBI OMEDETOU!" exclaimed by three familiar voices.
There were his dear friends – almost family – standing before his eyes with shiny smiles on their faces and celebration banners along with balloons in their hands.
"Yo, man, why did it take you so long? We were waiting for you for eternity!" Hifumi was the first one to break the silence. He came to his startled friend and hugged him brotherly. "Happy Birthday, Doppomin! Wish you to be happy all around the clock!"
Doppo needed several more second to comprehend the current situation before relaxing in his friend's hug and return it gratefully.
"Guys, I didn't know you were planning this celebration behind my back," the red haired rapper confessed with a sincere smile on his face. "Thank you so much for your consideration! I am so glad to see you!"
"It was Sumi's idea," Doctor Jinguji came closer to his teammate and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Happy Birthday, Doppo. I am happy to see you at home at this early hour. And as your doctor I must admit, I'm glad you started visiting me less often in the hospital. On your special day I want to wish you health and a feeling of completeness."
"Sensei…" the young man was so happy, he couldn't contain his emotions. He hadn't seen both his leader and his friend for quite a while, and now they were here, they came to greet him with his Birthday and wish him so many good things. Doppo was on the verge of joyful tears. And this celebration was happening only because of Sumi.
He shifted his glittery eyes to the side to look at the smiling girl, standing not far from them. With all the sincerity he was capable of, Doppo exclaimed, looking in her beautiful eyes.
"Sumi, you are an angel! Thank you so much for this gift!"
She got shy, it was evident by the way her face lit up with a blush, but she continued showing him a cheerful smile. And she looked beyond beautiful. Her modest long dress of rich bordeaux colour suited her perfectly and emphasized her chiseled figure magically.
"You deserve the best celebration, Doppo. I am glad you liked this surprise."
Her voice sounded like a melody to his ears, and he didn't even notice how his body moved on its own, leaving two other men behind, and headed towards the guiding star of his life. The moment he came to her close enough, he took her body in a tight yet gentle embrace, which was filled with gratitude and affection.
"You have no idea how happy I am right now," Doppo's voice was just like a whisper as he breathed out his words in content.
Sumi returned his embrace naturally and earnestly. She gave his shoulders a little squeeze and added in a light tone.
"This is all I have to know."
They lost track of time, standing like that, absorbed in their little world, until there was a loud sound of someone's clearing their throats and exclaiming in energetic voice.
"Hoooo~! Sensei, do you see what I see?"
"I assume, we're watching the same scene, Hifumi-kun."
"Let's get at the table, everyone!" it was Sumi, who interrupted the dialogue that was turning into some very embarrassing conversation.
"Yey! A Birthday cake! Doppo's gonna make a wish and blow out a candle!"
Hifumi was too loud, but he brought the mood of joy and fun to this celebration.
"I am a little too old for this, Hifumi," Doppo rolled his eyes, but followed everyone to the living-room, where Sumi had set a table with loads of delicious food. It was obvious that she had been preparing for this celebration very seriously. And he didn't even notice it. How did she do it? It was beyond his understanding.
"Boo! As skeptical as ever, Doppomin! Here is your punishment for the evening!" the blond guy pursed his lips theatrically and pulled out some funny glasses, which frame looked like two cakes with lit up candles on the top. He hurriedly put the glasses on his puzzled friend and even took a picture of him with his golden smartphone.
Doppo was getting fed up with Hifumi's jokes, and wanted to get rid of the nuisance on his face, but the host stopped him, by grabbing his hand midway forcefully.
"You are not allowed to take them off until you blow out candles on your Birthday cake. Any objections, guys?" he addressed to Sumi and her Uncle.
"No objections!" they said in sync and laughed, when Doppo dropped his shoulders in defeat.
The evening went by in a cheerful atmosphere, they ate delicious meals, drank juice and champagne (well, it was only Hifumi who drank it, he was the one who had brought it in the beginning), talked about life, laughed about it and wished Doppo many good things with every said toast.
Everyone was enjoying the celebration. Soon it was the time for the main dish of the day – the Birthday cake. With the lights turned off, Sumi walked in the living-room with a nicely decorated cake and a lit up candle in a form of "30" on the top.
"Now make a wish, take a deep breath and blow out this candle with the force of your rapper's lungs!" the host's cheerful voice could be heard in the darkness, when the girl put the cake on the table in front of the hero of the occasion. For a split second their eyes met in the dark room, illuminated only with the fire of this single candle. And it was enough for her to notice how serious and strong-willed his gaze looked, when it fixed on her. But then he closed his eyes and took a slow inhale only to release a mighty blowing the next moment and put out a tiny fire of the wax numeral of "30".
"That's my dude!" Hifumi's voice broke the silence and the next second the room was lit up with lamps again. A choir of applause cheered for the birthday guy.
"Happy Birthday and Anniversary!"
"Thank you, everyone. I am happy to have you here today. It makes me feel really special," Doppo confessed frankly, looking at the smiling faces of his friend, leader and wife.
"You are special to all of us, Doppo-kun," the doctor summed up the obvious and took a glass of orange juice in his hand to make a toast. "For your health and future progeny!"
"Yey! That's a totally cool toast, Sensei!" Hifumi gulped down the champagne he was holding and looked at his friend, who suddenly choked with his juice and started to cough uncontrollably. His face was all red, but no one knew that the reason was his total embarrassment after hearing Sensei's wishes.
Sumi jumped up from her seat and rushed to his side to hit him on the back and help him to gain the function to breathe again. Her face was, too, uncharacteristically reddened, and that fact didn't go unnoticed by Doctor Jakurai's observant eyes.
"Doppomin! Don't die on us, man! You are too young for that!"
Hifumi tried his best to help, adding himself to the rescue team. Only Jinguji-sensei watched this comic scene with amusing interest.
When Doppo felt like he was alive again and could breathe on his own, there was a ringing sound of a door bell.
"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Doctor Jakurai voiced out everyone's question, as they all looked in the direction of the front door.
"No, but maybe it's from a delivery service. Go ahead and continue celebrating, guys, I'll be right back," the girl straightened up and smoothed her dress before heading towards the corridor. When she opened the door, she wasn't prepared to see the Vice Principal standing at the doorframe. Judging by his surprised expression, he, too, didn't expect seeing her in a deep dark-red evening dress along with a high decorated hairstyle.
"Yanagi-sensei. What a surprise!" she forced her lips to smile.
"Good evening, Kannozaka-sensei." The man found his composure and showed her a professional smile. "Sorry for a sudden visit, but I brought some papers regarding upcoming tests. Since we live nearby, I volunteered to deliver them to you today."
"Well, it's very nice of you, but I could have gotten them tomorrow at work. I don't remember telling you, where I live," Sumi didn't like the feeling of alarm her intuition was whispering to her brain.
"It wasn't a big deal. I was glad to help. Besides, I know that we live in the same area, so I looked up your address in your profile data. Why not delivering some documents to your colleague if it comes to the times like this?" and he laughed lightly, taking out a pack of papers from his briefcase. Sumi took them in her hands, put them on the nearest shelf and thanked the man again, but she didn't understand the true reason, why he had showed up at her apartment in the late evening. It was almost eight p.m.
"Sorry for my curiosity, but are you heading out somewhere?" By the tensed look on her face, he assumed that she didn't hurry to tell him anything interesting. "Don't get me wrong. I mean, you look stunning in this dress, Kannonzaka-sensei. I just thought that you were ready to go on a date or somewhere of that kind."
Sumi was about to tell this man in a polite manner to leave her apartment, but then she heard footsteps and a familiar presence behind her.
"Sumi, what is taking you so long?" Doppo's velvet voice eased the tension in her body and washed away the ringing alarms out of her head. She swallowed in relief, even without realizing it. Doppo's presence gave her the feeling of standing firmly on solid ground again.
The Vice Principal's eyes widened a little in surprise. It was obvious, that he didn't expect to see anyone else here expect for the lovely Kannonzaka-sensei.
Doppo walked up to Sumi and stood next to her, when she didn't answer his question. He glanced at her face and noticed something unusual in her behavior. She was looking at the man, who stood at their door, and was fighting with her inner emotions.
"Is he from the delivery service?" Doppo asked her, making her turn her head to his question and finally look at him. "Are there any problems?"
Sumi breathed out unsurely and offered him a strained smile.
"Well, Yanagi-sensei did bring some documents for me, but he is not from the delivery service. He is the Vice Principal from the school I work at."
"Oh," the red haired guy nodded in a sign of recognition.
"I am sorry for not introducing myself properly," the VP collected himself and bowed politely. "I am Yanagi Kei, a teacher at St. Rudolf all-boys school and the Vice Principal there. It's nice to meet you."
"The name is Kannonzaka Doppo and I am Sumi's husband. Thank you for looking after my wife at work."
Doppo bowed too, but he couldn't understand why the atmosphere in the corridor felt so tense. He straightened himself up and glanced at Sumi. She seemed more relaxed now, but he could sense her wariness with his skin. Could it be that she was afraid of this man?
"Kannonazaka-sensei is a very talented teacher. We are lucky to have her at our school," the dark haired young man praised Sumi as if she was the only one of a kind, but then he added a strange combination of words to his speech. "And I was telling her about how great she looks in this dress. If she wasn't married I would have thought that she could have been preparing for going out on a date or visiting some elite host club."
Doppo's jaw tensed visibly. Now he started to get the lead of that man's plan. And he didn't like how it was progressing.
"Well, keep calm. She is married," was his short and serious reply.
Sumi felt the familiar alarming premonition. She unconsciously touched Doppo's hand and gripped his fingers for mental support – his and hers.
"Yes, of course," Yanagi chuckled incongruously. "I didn't believe it myself, when someone told me that on Sunday evening they had seen Kannonazaka-sensei walking out of an elite host-club in Kabukicho with a handsome blond host and was accepting his courting."
"D-doppo, I…" Sumi noticed how tensed his posture became. His crystal-blue eyes narrowed and got brighter with the inner force of freezing blizzard. She wanted to tell him the true story of the situation, but he just raised his hand and gestured her to stay quite.
"Please, continue," he addressed to the late visitor and encouraged him to keep on telling his fairytales in a flat voice.
"No, I didn't mean to offend Kannonzaka-sensei. But it was just natural to think about that gossip the moment I saw her dressed like this. I still don't believe the rumor, but the person who told it was absolutely sure that it was her, whom he had seen that evening."
Doppo gritted his teeth. He had enough. He shut his eyes and lowered his head. Sumi released his fingers, when he balled his hands in tight fists.
"Unforgivable… Yurusanai…"
"Doppo, please, calm down. I can explain everything…" she pleaded, watching how her always kind husband was losing his temper. She didn't want him to feel this way because of her! Not on his Birthday! Why did it have to happen today of all days?
"Yurusanai… Yurusanai… Yurusanai… Yurusanai… Yurusanai…" was his chanting mumblings under his breath.
The Vice Principal was watching this scene with interest. If Kannonzaka-sensei had something to explain, it meant that he was about to find some weighty arguments against her. He even eased his posture and shifted his weight to one leg, preparing to watch the drama scene between the married couple that was happening before his eyes, but suddenly he got paralyzed by an icy glare of that Doppo-guy's eyes.
"You dare to come to my home and tell in my face your fruitless suspicions about my wife deceiving me?!" Doppo's voice was so low that his words sounded as a warning hiss.
"I am sorry if it somehow offended you!" Yanagi was starting to believe that he was indeed sorry for his words. The red haired guy emitted a dangerous, almost visible, negative aura of purple colour. His eyes were glassy from anger. And the VP was getting scared for real.
"You accused my wife of cheating on me with a host right in her presence."
"It was something I was told about!" the VP got really terrified, when Doppo made a step towards him.
"You, scumbag, apologize!" Doppo roared in pure fury, making the other guy jump in horror and bow to him in ninety degrees.
"I am very sorry!"
"Not to me! TO HER! You dared to insult her, don't even think you will be walking out of this door without begging her for forgiveness!"
The Vice Principal got so scared for his life that he turned to Sumi and started to bow to her as deeply as his back muscles could let him.
"I am very sorry, Kannonzaka-sensei! I sincerely apologize for all my words and suspicions. Please forgive me!"
By the time she was about to say something, both her Uncle and Hifumi ran into the corridor.
"What's going on? We heard Doppo-kun's angry voice!"
"And, man, I had never ever heard him using it in his best rapping!"
The moment Yanagi noticed the two newcomers, his jaw dropped to the floor literary. He wasn't that much of a Division Rap Battle fan, but even he knew who those guys were. Never straitening up from his bowing position, he looked up at the men behind Sumi's back.
"MCs ill-Doc – the doctor, GIGOLO – the number one host – and …" he shifted his eyes to the guy, who had the same last name as the girl. "…MC DOPPO – the salaryman." He felt as his vision got foggy with the realization. No wonder he had that nagging feeling that the red haired guy looked somehow familiar. Yanagi slowly raised his head and looked at his subordinate in astonishment. "Kannonzaka-sensei, it can't be true that you are married to a member of legendary Matenrou, can it? Who are you to these people?"
It was Doctor Jakurai's stern voice that answered the man's question.
"I must say that you ask too many personal questions for a man, who just broke into private territory and ruined a family celebration."
"I don't know who you are, but you dared to upset my friends, and that makes you my enemy, man." Hifumi's usually cheerful voice sounded cold and low, almost threatening. "And I don't envy you for making Doppo so angry."
Doppo was silent. He watched the Vice Principal's reaction with focused yet glaring icy eyes. Somewhere inside, he was grateful to his teammates for showing up, or else he couldn't predict what he could have done to the uninvited guest for the insults he had thrown at Sumi.
The Vice Principal tried to compose himself and offer an apologetic smile to all the present.
"I guess, my visit here is over. I'll be going then. Have a nice evening," with those words he bowed a little and was about to turn to the exit, when Doppo's warning voice made him freeze.
"Where do you think you are going? I'll remind you if you have already forgotten: you won't be walking out this door until Sumi forgives you for your insults."
The sound of that iron tone made Yanagi's hair stand on ends. When he was heading here, he didn't have the slightest idea that the situation would turn upside down, and the one who would feel ashamed would be him.
He slowly turned to his subordinate and pursed his lips in a thin line. Right now his future depended on her forgiveness. He didn't like it of course, but Matenrou was the last group of people he wanted to have collision with.
"Kannonzaka-sensei, I sincerely apologize to you for everything I've said and suspected you of. I take my words back. Please, forgive me," and he bowed to her deeply again.
Sumi, herself, was in tangled emotions. The celebration had turned into disaster thanks to this man's coming. He had told many dirty things about her to Doppo, tried to laugh at her marriage and acted like a real jerk. She had a bitter taste in her mouth from everything that happened, but tried to summon all her willpower to tell him the next words.
"I have always thought of you as a superior and a talented teacher, who I should be looking up to. I could never foresee that you would be one of those people, who play dirty tricks. If you want to know, whether I was in Kabukicho last Sunday or not, I will answer you." Sumi took a deep breath and glanced at Doppo's tensed face. Maybe he wasn't sharing her idea of opening up to this person, but she didn't want this situation to remain unsolved. "I was. And I went there to meet up with him," Sumi pointed at the blond guy, who nodded confidently in confirmation to Sumi's words, but who was still throwing daggers at the VP with his glare. "And since you have already recognized Matenrou members, I don't see any reason to tell you anything else. You are asking for my forgiveness, and I give it to. You suspected me, insulted me, but I forgive you for that, only because I want you to leave my apartment and never come back here again."
"Thank you, Kannonzaka-sensei. I'll be taking my leave now," the black-haired guy said hurriedly and wanted to follow his intentions, but Sumi's next phrase stopped him on his tracks.
"I won't tell anyone at school about your intrusion in my private life, Yanagi-sensei. But just remember, that I will never forgive you for ruining my husband's Birthday. For this I despise you. Now you may leave."
And he really wanted to do it, because it was unbearable to stay any longer and feel all the reproaching stares on himself, but Doppo's sudden voice added even more concerns on his head.
"If you ever try to harm her, you will be regretting it for the rest of your life. I'll make sure if it, Yanagi Kei-san."
"It won't happen again," the VP answered earnestly. "And sorry for ruining your evening. Goodbye."
Only after the door clicked and the unwelcomed guest disappeared behind it, the four persons in the corridor let out heavy sighs in sync.
The silence felt suffocating and Sumi was thinking hard how to lighten up the spoiled mood, when Hifumi whined capriciously.
"What a jerk you have as a boss, Sumi-chan. It seems both you and Doppomin share the same karma when it comes to your superiors."
"Young people are so insolent nowadays. It's beyond any sense of shame just to barge into a married woman's home and start denigrating her name right in front of her husband. What a lost generation we live in," the doctor shook his head in disappointment. He had expected that St. Rudolf administration would think about checking up on the young female teachers, but he had never assumed that it would turn out like this. The situation he had witnessed just now was too much even for his judgment.
"I am very sorry, guys. I had no idea that everything would turn out like this. It's my fault he started to suspect me. I needed to be more careful, when I went to "Fragrance" host-club," Sumi felt awful. She was barely holding her tears.
"Where exactly are you guilty, Sumi-chan? You wanted to make this celebration the best and came to me so we could plan everything," Hifumi tried to cheer her up, throwing his hand on Doppo's shoulder with a smile and getting a jumpy reaction from his friend in response. It was obvious, that Doppo got too absorbed with his own depressive thoughts. They needed to do something about the situation, or else the celebration could really turn into a memorable disaster. "The one who is guilty for everything in this world, even for extinction of the dinosaurs, is this guy here," the blond clapped his friend on the shoulder, "so, it must be Doppomin's fault again."
Doppo's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he brushed the noisy host's hand off his shoulder and growled in reply.
"Why does it have to be my fault all of a sudden?!"
Both doctor Jinguji and Hifumi widened their eyes in surprise, when they heard their red haired teammate's negative response. He didn't start his traditional way of bowing and apologizing but spoke up for himself instead. There was no limit to their amazement with such uncharacteristic behavior from Doppo's side.
"You are not my Doppomin!" cried Hifumi dramatically, throwing himself on his friend and starting to strangle him in a bear hug. "Give me back my boy, monster!" he started to sob.
"Get off of me, moron!" Kannonzaka was tried to tear off his friend from himself, but it was impossible.
"But Doppo, it's really fascinating to see your self-esteem getting on a higher level," Sensei watched him carefully, rubbing his chin. He had known this guy for quite some time and tried to give him a psychological help to fight a harsh deprecation, but never did he get such positive results in such short period of time. The doctor's eyes shifted aside and fixed on his niece. "Do you have any idea what could be the cause, Sumi?"
"Huh?" the girl looked up at her tall Uncle in total confusion, when he suddenly addressed to her in a serious tone. Then she glanced at her husband and caught his penetrating gaze that was directed at her as if she was the only one in the room and the whole universe. It made her heart flutter in her chest. Sumi swallowed hard under the effect of his crystal-blue eyes and forced her tongue to form an answer. "I…I don't know, but what I know for sure is that we have a cake to eat and a celebration to continue. I'm going to serve the tea, please go and sit at the table. I will be back in five minutes."
With those words she headed to the kitchen to hide her sudden blush.
"I'll help her," the doctor told his teammates and followed his niece.
The two friends were left alone in the corridor, with one still clinging to the other. The moment Sumi and Sensei disappeared from their sight, Doppo let out a heavy sigh and looked down thoughtfully.
"Hey," the blond released him from the hug and put a hand on his shoulder brotherly. "Wanna talk?" he offered in a gentle tone.
The red haired rapper didn't hurry to answer, but nodded in a sign of agreement eventually. They went out onto the balcony, and looked up at the dark sky in silence.
After some time that felt like eternity the blond bespoke and glanced at his best friend, who remained silent.
"You love her, Doppo."
The sad gaze of crystal-blue eyes was still observing the darkening sky above.
"I do," Doppo uttered his response in the air finally, never changing his position.
There was a sigh from the blond's side.
"I know you better than anyone, maybe even better than you yourself," Hifumi turned to him, catching Doppo's full attention. "You are happy next to her, it's as clear as a day, man. I have never seen you so alive before. Not even during our best and merry times. Tell me just one thing, why do you look so sad right now?"
The married guy breathed out and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn't a type to open up his true feelings so easily as it did his friend, but at the same time, he understood that he needed to share his concerns and talk them out.
"I am scared."
Hifumi's eyebrows flew upwards in astonishment. He was expecting some interesting explanation, but got only that for an answer.
Then Doppo continued in a calm yet bitter voice.
"This happiness that I feel, maybe it's just an illusion. I do have feelings for her, but what if she doesn't need them? If I confess to her, our relations will never be the same again no matter what answer she gives. I promised to protect her from suspicions, but today – …"
Hifumi cut him off with a stern voice, never giving him a chance to continue falling into depression.
"You have proven today that you can protect her. You did right, Doppo. And I have seen how desperately she tried to protect you, too. Sumi treasures you no less than you treasure her. Doppo, she even came to me asking to help her in planning this celebration so that it would be a surprise. She cares for you so much that it even makes me envious a little. But what I want to say is that you will never know about her vision of things if you don't tell her about how you feel. Doppo, you won't be able to be next to her with so many concerns in your heart. If you don't clear up the things between you two soon, your life under the same roof will become a torture to you."
Doppo was stunned by the way his friend had explained the entire situation. Was it the famous impartial perspective? It made Doppo chuckled lightly to Hifumi's keen statements.
"I know you are right, but I can't understand why you are telling me this. Don't I betray our friendship by loving Sumi?"
Their eyes met. They stared at each other for some long seconds, before Hifumi rolled his eyes and put his hand on Doppo's shoulder in defeat.
"Well, I admit that I feel lonely without you around. We've been together since elementary school and, I must admit, the past month and a half was not easy for me. But," the blond griped his friend's shoulder tighter and added earnestly, "I am not that selfish, Doppo. I can see how much you have changed for the better after you married Sumi-chan. If she makes you happy, it makes me happy, too. And besides, she helps me as well. I can't say that I have completely healed from my phobia of women, but at least now I can communicate to her without my jacket on. Though, it applies only to her. And I still can't touch her or be closer than two meters, but I find it a good progress in my case, don't you think?"
Doppo had no idea that Sumi had such great influence on both his and Hifumi's lives. This made her look like a true goddess in his eyes.
"Doppomin~~~" the host hummed enthusiastically, when he noticed his friend's expression that was telling just how deeply in thoughts he was absorbed. "If you want to be married to her for the rest of your life, I will support you. No hard feelings, no betrayal of our friendship. I'm serious. Though, maybe I might move to this area to be able to see you two more often. Who knows, maybe in the future you will let me babysit your kids," and he laughed like a kid himself to his own plans.
Doppo shook his head in disbelief to Hifumi's crazy perspectives and chuckled too.
"I had no idea that you are such a good advisor."
"Hey!"
"But, really, thanks for being my best friend, Hifumi," and Doppo smiled so kindly and sincerely, that the blond was on the verge of bursting out into happy tears.
They talked a little bit more, before returning to the living-room.
Meanwhile, the similar conversation was held between Uncle Jakurai and his niece. Sumi was acting busy, showing her relative that she wasn't interested in talking about the situation with the Vice Principal. When she was putting cups on a tray, the wise man just hummed to himself and said as a matter of fact.
"Maybe you should think about considering this marriage being real and not a pretending one."
The girl caught the cup just in time before it slipped from her hands. She threw her Uncle an inquiring gaze and met his tranquil yet serious eyes.
"You act as a wonderful wife, as I see. You like this role, and most of all you like this young man, don't you, Sumi?"
"Uncle, I…I don't know what you are talking about," she shook her head in embarrassment and put the ill-fated cup on the tray.
"Sumi," Doctor Jakurai made her look at him in full attention with his demanding tone. "I told you before that this entire situation with a pretending marriage could get out of control. Thanks to Doppo's protection, you came out dry from those suspicions that could have turned into a scandal."
"Yes. I owe him so much. He really saved me. You all saved me, Uncle. But I feel bad that he had to go through this mess on his special day. I wanted to give him a nice celebration among a circle of close friends, and in the end it was ruined because of me."
Jakurai-sensei found it amusing how she was referring to everything that had happened. She didn't think about the situation that was really dangerous for her, but she was suffering from the realization that she had spoiled Doppo's Birthday.
Fascinating indeed.
"Well, it wasn't your fault that the Vice Principal chose bad timing to show up. But, taking into consideration the current flow of things, maybe it wasn't that bad of timing after all. I've heard that Doppo got promotion and now he comes back home right after working hours. Moreover, today you've gathered all of us to celebrate his Birthday. We were all here for your rescue. But now imagine what could have happened if that man came to you on any other day, when Doppo was still at his previous place of work with innumerous overtimes, for example?"
"That could have ended up as a true disaster…" she uttered with paling lips and sat on a chair, as the realization of the danger knocked the ground out from under her feet.
"That's true," Jakurai-sensei nodded in agreement. "I assume, you can call yourself lucky with today's flow of events."
"I am. But what if he comes again?" she looked up with pure fear in her eyes.
"He won't. At least, I don't think that he is that stupid to pick a fight with someone close to Matenrou. I am not exaggerating, but people do think of us as national heroes. And you are officially married to one of them."
Sumi's lips curled into a little yet gentle smile.
"Yes, he is my hero, too."
But then her eyes widened anxiously as she realized what she had just said out loud.
"I mean…"
But her Uncle didn't let her finish her attempt to win her good name back.
"I'm not judging you for falling for him."
The girl stared at her relative's calm eyes in shock and then sighed in defeat.
"Is it that obvious?"
The Doctor didn't hurry to answer. He took the teapot and started to pour its content into the prepared cups in an elegant manner – just like only the Jingujis could perform it.
"This evening I was watching how you two act and look at each other and how well you communicate. I can say that you're sharing a strong bond, deep respect and mutual feelings."
"…m-mutual?" she uttered in disbelieve.
"Of course, these are just my observations, but one thing I can say for sure – he didn't pretend by getting angry and protecting your honour. Nor did you, when you said that you despise the VP for ruining Doppo's Birthday. Both your reactions were not an act playing."
"Those were my true feelings," Sumi admitted thoughtfully. She sat in silence for several seconds, before catching her Uncle's sleeve with her fingers and looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Uncle Jakurai, I think I really love him, and it's getting harder to be next to him every day and hold all these feelings under control. But the mere thought of being apart from him is scaring me."
"Sumi," the man squatted down in front of his niece and took her small hands in his. "No one will ever judge you if you decided to become Doppo-kun's wife for real. To everyone, even to your families, you are officially married. Now it's all up to you to take the right path. As your Uncle, and I am sure your father shares my feelings, I don't like the idea of you being married in such young age, but I've known this young man for quite a while. I better entrust your happiness to him than to any random and unfamiliar guy you could have brought home as your fiancé."
The last statement made her chuckle timidly.
"Besides, I can always give him a piece of my mind in case he ever dares to hurt your feelings," he added in a jocular tone, to which Sumi said that it would not be needed since it was Doppo they were talking about.
With a lighter heart the girl stood up, thanked her dear Uncle by hugging him and offered to serve tea.
The atmosphere of the celebration got heavier, but it was still pleasant. The cake was gladly eaten, gifts were gratefully taken and soon the two male guests left the married couple alone, bidding them their farewells and wishing great happiness to their family. Both Doppo and Sumi got bashful after that last statement before closing the door behind the guests.
When they finished cleaning up the room, it was already past ten p.m. They didn't talk much during the cleaning, each of them had been doing their piece of chores, but now they were sitting on the sofa in the living-room and just were relaxing after a busy day, filled with different events.
If to be honest, it was a little embarrassing just sitting in silence and feeling each other's presence, but Sumi tried to fight the nerves and enjoy her husband's company. They both had their heads laying on the headrest, while staring at the glossy ceiling of the room and listening to the sound of their smooth breathing.
After some time spent like that, the girl felt a hesitant touch to her hand and then recognized a familiar sensation of his fingers on her skin. Her cheeks flushed in response, but she answered his way of trying to build a connection by entwining her fingers with his. The warmth of his palm felt nice and relaxing, Sumi didn't even realize that she closed her eyes dreamily and let out a melodic sigh, to which Doppo started to caress the back of her hand with his thumb. That tender touch sent pleasant shivers down her spine. She wished this moment to never end, so good it felt.
But she was forced to open her eyes and turn her head to look at his blushing face, when he broke the silence by saying the words she wasn't prepared to hear so soon.
"Sumi, maybe it doesn't sound so cool, but I…" he made a pause to take a breath, before continuing in a shy tone, "…I have to be honest with you and tell you the truth. I am in love with you, Sumi."
And this was how they ended up staring into each other's eyes and not pronouncing any other sound. His face got redder after such sincere confession, but his eyes were glowing, no, they were shimmering as stardust sprawled on the surface of pure sea with hundreds of colourful emotions that were splashing in the depths of his mirrors of soul.
If only anyone could know, what his confession had made to her. The whirlpool of crazy butterflies flew up in her stomach and started to tickle her inside, her heart lost its steady rhythm and decided to give a free concert to the public of its loud beating, her face felt so hot that she was sure you could fry eggs on it. And her eyes…she didn't know what they were showing to him, but her own reflection in his crystal-blue mazes looked shocked and stupidly happy.
She straightened her posture and he followed her example. Her hand was squeezing his tightly, as her excitement was getting the best of her. She didn't pronounce a word since his confession, and was trying hard to find the right way to tell him about her own feelings, when he suddenly brought their joined hands to his face and pressed his lips affectionately to the back of her hand, closing his eyes. Sumi held her breath in response to his brave actions.
And he forgot about everything in the world, when his lips touched her skin for the first time. Her hand was soft and silky, just like a flower petal. He knew that maybe he needed to say something more, to tell her how lovely and kind she was, how he couldn't imagine a life without her anymore, but all he could do now was kissing her hand and praying that she would understand and hear his unspoken words of affection. He had been always a little slow in everything he did, and it seemed, that he couldn't even do a love confession right. Maybe she would forgive him for that someday…
"You are the first man I hear a love confession from," she uttered finally, and her voice was light and beautiful.
Doppo opened his eyes and gazed at her face, still kissing her left hand. She was gorgeous to his eyes, when she smiled so timidly and looked so bashfully.
"And you are the only man I wish to be my first and last one."
Sumi said it in a bright yet trembling voice, she tried to hold back her tears of joy, but they were getting in the way and blurring her vision. She noticed how his expression changed from disbelief to utter glee, as he stared at her with his wide expressive eyes.
"I feel the same, Doppo. It doesn't sound as cool as in movies, but I'm in love with you, too," she had said finally and wiped a little tear away quickly.
Doppo let out a deep laugh of pure joy.
"I have never though this day would ever come and I hear it from you! What have I done in my life to deserve you, to be blessed to have you in my life, Sumi?"
She watched him standing from the sofa and falling on his knees before her sitting figure. He looked solemn and serious in his actions. Her intuition was telling her to get prepared for something unexpected but pleasant at the same time. She couldn't remember having such contradictory premonitions before, and it made her feel really excited.
Meanwhile, Doppo took a little velvet box out of the pocket of his trousers and opened it slowly. On a silky pillow there was a golden ring, decorated with an ocean wave made of pure diamonds. Sumi lost her gift of speech by looking at this jewelry masterpiece.
But what did it all mean? Was he proposing to her? Now?
"D-doppo, I don't know what to say… It's gorgeous."
She really had no idea what to do. How did brides usually react to the proposals – squealing and jumping in joy on their grooms? It wasn't in her character, nor was it in his.
"I p-pray that you say 'y-yes'."
There he was, her shy and nervous Doppo. Of course he was getting the wrong idea about her slow and dumbfounded reaction.
"I know that we started everything from the end to the beginning, and we don't know each other too well, and I'm not the best person for you, and we need more time to think about our relations, but I do love you sincerely and I want to be with you and make you happy. If only you let me to, of course. That's why I am asking you to be my wife for real."
At first he was stuttering, then he started rapping his words out, and after that he filled his last phrases with so much love and tenderness, that Sumi couldn't hold back any longer.
"It should have been your special day today, Doppo, but you turned it into mine," the girl laughed at her own statement, summoning all of her willpower to stay calm.
"I hope it will become our special day after you tell me your answer," he tried to smile back at her, but he was too nervous to act naturally.
"After everything you said, after putting my happiness before your own and giving me this beautiful ring, do you still doubt my positive answer?"
She was stalling for time, she knew it, but she couldn't fight the temptation to see more of his sides, to hear more of his voice, to feel more of his love. She was getting dizzy from happiness.
"You know what an unconfident person I am, I need to be deadly sure about such important things as your answer to my proposal."
Their eyes met again in a mute conversation between their souls. They stayed like that for several long seconds, which felt like eternity in space. And then he heard the melody of her voice and sensed the symphony of her feelings.
"My answer is 'yes'. I shall be your wife and I am asking you to be my faithful husband and friend, and stay the same wonderful person I fell so completely in love with forever," she confessed her true feelings earnestly, and offered him her left hand.
Doppo let out a sigh of relief mixed up with sense of content and finally showed her a broad smile of adoration.
"Thank you, Sumi. I promise, I will," with those words he took her fragile hand and put the ring on her delicate wedding finger, just above the tiny golden band that she used to wear as the symbol of her married status.
Sumi watched as the diamond wave shined in the light of the lamp with milliards of sparkles. That ring must have been the most expensive thing she had had in her life. And the fact that it was Doppo, who had given it to her, added priceless weight to its value.
"Thank you, it's very beautiful," she uttered dreamily, and got caught in the trap of his gleaming eyes, when he told her that the ring was nothing comparing to her unique beauty.
Such sweet words, told in a serious tone of his velvet voice made her feel emotionally dizzy. Doppo was still standing on his knees before her and holding her left hand, when she unconsciously shifted further to the edge of the sofa, never breaking the fabulous contact between their eyes. They were leaning in to each other slowly, Sumi's right hand found the knot of his tie – the very same tie she had given him as a gift in the morning – and started to pull it towards her, decreasing the distance between their faces with every passing second. They sensed their breathing mixing, their heartbeats getting in perfect duo and their warmth touching each other as they closed their eyes in sync and let their lips meet in their first kiss, that was so chaste and gentle that it felt almost like a fairytale.
Doppo had never thought that by the age of thirty he would be already married, promoted and completely in love.
Sumi had never expected that her escapade with the pretending marriage would end up being real and desirable, with the best young man in her life.
Hifumi had never wanted to be a part of that game, but found it fun and interesting along the way. And besides, he had always liked the idea of changing place of living.
Doctor Jakurai had had his own thoughts about the whole situation with their marriage and the happy ending they had reached in the end, but as a wise man as he was, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself and just go along with a famous proverb.
Fate can be neither passed by, nor driven round.
25/12/2020
A/N Thank you very much for reading this story! It was written as a Christmas gift for our dear friend Kristinochka! We wish you the best season wishes! Merry Christmas!
Also, we need to say a few words about the songs that helped us to get in the mood for this story and describe Sumi and Doppo as you could see them in the text.
We haven't listened to Savage Garden and Darren Hayes's songs for quite a while, but they found their reflection in our story.
The tracks that were most wonderful for the plot were: Darren Hayes's "Taken by the Sea", "Can't Get Enough of You", "Miss You", "Insatiable" and Savage Garden's "Chained to You", "This Side of Me". As you can see all the songs have the same vocals ^_^
Once again. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Merry Christmas and Happy upcoming New Year!