Okay, I'm sorry the update took so long… things have been crazy lately, but here is the next chapter of A Wedding Planned, Confrontations. I will continue working on this story, as it is one of the most interesting plotlines I've ever created. Next update should be within a month! Anyway, I'll let you continue reading! Enjoy!
Upon hearing that, time seemed to stop for Ulrich. His jaw hit the floor and he began to have trouble breathing. "W-What did you say, Yumi?" he choked out.
"I'm getting married to the son of some friend of my mother's from back in Japan," she replied, looking down slightly. "I don't want to go, but I don't have much of a choice, Ulrich. If I complain more than I already have, it'll only make them more determined, and it's already going to be hard for me. I insisted on a Western style wedding like the ones here in France. If I'm going to get married, I'm the one who's going to plan the wedding."
"What are you going to do now?" Aelita inquired, now over the initial shock and determined to help her friend in any way possible. Now Yumi smiled.
"Well, if I'm getting married, I'm going to have to have a wedding dress, right?" The group nodded. "Well, we have a couple of hours before curfew, so I thought I'd come by and see if you guys wanna go with me and help me start looking for a dress!"
"Sounds like fun!" Sissi agreed. "I'd love to help you pick out a dress!"
"I'd be happy to have your fashion advice, Sissi," Yumi said sincerely. "I want a really nice, in-style dress. Think you can help me there?"
"Definitely!" Sissi squealed.
"Well, what about the rest of you?"
"I'll go!" William agreed.
"We'd be happy to," Aelita and Sam said in unison.
"And anywhere our girls go, we go, right Einstein?" Odd inquired. Jeremy smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, Yumi, I'll go!"
"Not me," said the remaining voice of the group. The whole group turned around and looked at Ulrich in surprise.
"Hey, Ulrich," William exclaimed in surprise, "why not? I thought for sure you'd say yes!"
"Well then, I guess you don't know me as well as you think you do!" he snapped. "As it happens, I have a big test tomorrow that I need to study for. I'm not doing well in there and this is my last chance to pull it up before this term ends and we're off for winter break." He turned around, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry, guys, but you can count me out for now!" Yumi sighed sadly as she watched him shuffle away. Then she groaned in frustration.
"What is with him? Why can't he ever support me when I do things? He never supports me when I need it!"
"Yumi, cut it out! Do you remember when your parents were having problems and he went to your house and comforted you? And how he did everything he could to try to get your parents back together? And what about all the times he's fought for you against XANA? Don't you dare say he never supports you! We all know better!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Look, Yumi, you know he loves you very much. I promise he'll come around soon. He's just upset, probably because he just found out that he's about to lose the girl he loves, and in more ways than one," Odd added. He hugged Yumi. She sighed.
"Odd, that's not the only reason I'm upset! I'm actually kind of just taking it out on him. My mom said something about him this afternoon. She said she just wanted to make me a good match with someone who is good and kind and will love me for me, and I asked her, 'What about Ulrich?' She…" Yumi sobbed as she spoke, but took in a deep breath to settle her limbs that were trembling with her terrible rage. "She said she wouldn't be doing me any favors by letting me give up my Japanese heritage for some kid from Germany and that Ulrich isn't good enough for me." She wiped away tears. "I told her I should be able to decide my husband if I'm the one who's going to be living with him for the rest of my life… but of course, she wouldn't listen."
"Well, it's behind you now," Sam said, putting an arm across Yumi's shoulders. "And you know what? I'm ready to go shopping!"
"YEAH!" the others yelled in agreement.
"I tell you what," Odd interjected, "I'll buy us dinner at whatever restaurant you choose, Yumi!" He pulled out his phone. "Okay, it's 4:30 now; we'll get dinner at 7:00 so we can be back by 8:00. I'll call Ulrich and invite him!" He got on the phone. "Hey, Ulrich, it's Odd! Listen, we're going to meet for dinner at 7:00, you wanna come?" He listened for a moment. "Okay, give me a sec to find out from them, we haven't decided!" He looked toward the others. "All right, guys, where are we eating?"
"Let's go to… I dunno, where do you guys wanna go, McDonald's or what?"
"Why don't we just go to the mall's food court and everyone can get what they want?" Aelita suggested. Everyone quickly agreed with this idea and Odd reported it to Ulrich.
"All right, Ulrich, we'll see you there!" He closed the call and put his phone away. "He says he'll be there!"
"All right; then let's go, everyone!" The group ran off in the direction of the mall as they discussed what they thought would look best on Yumi when it came to her wedding dress.
Later that night, at 8:30 pm, Yumi arrived back at home. She entered the house. Her parents stood up from where they were eating at the table and Keiko ran to her, throwing her arms around her.
"Nii-san, where you go?!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears as she tightened her grip on Yumi's legs. Yumi laughed a little as she picked her up.
"Don't worry, little one, I'm not leaving you… well, not yet, anyway," she added, casting a look tinted with a slight glare at her parents. She looked back at Keiko and hugged her close and brushed her nose against Keiko's. Then she put her lips against Keiko's cheek and blew, giving her a raspberry kiss, and making her squeal in delight. As Yumi looked down at her sweet little sister, she began to wonder if she'd ever be able to leave Keiko behind, even to get married. Keiko needed her more than anything right now. Keiko's birth had been very hard on their mother and they had almost lost her. She had been warned after the birth never to get pregnant again, that she wouldn't be able to survive giving birth to another child. And even though she had survived her birth, she would get sick often, and she was typically down for at least a week. And the frequent illness showed no signs of letting up any time soon.
She carried Keiko back to the table and put her down in her seat. "Eat your food, Keiko," she gently admonished her baby sister.
"Yumi, we should be saying the same to you! Where were you?" her father demanded. Yumi scowled, folding her arms.
"I went out with my friends to look for a wedding dress. If you're making me go through with this, I'm planning it. Everything will be the way I want it to be. I'm still a grown woman, Dad. I'm a big girl and I am capable of making all the decisions and preparations on my own. It should have been my choice of whom to marry, but if you won't let me make that choice, at least let me make these choices." Tears were rolling down her eyes. "And I'm not hungry either. One of my friends bought dinner for the rest of us at a food court at the mall when we were finished looking for the day. Tomorrow's Saturday; I planned to go with them to the mall after lunch to keep looking." She turned and fled up the stairs to her room. Hiroki looked at his parents and then shoved his half-eaten bowl of noodles away.
"Mom, Dad, Yumi's right. This should have been her choice, the same way I would expect it to be for me," he said. He stood up and went to the stairs and slowly climbed them. Takeo and Akina then watched as Keiko looked at the open kitchen door, then back at her food, and then took one more bite of her food before getting out of her chair and running as fast as she could out the door. Akina looked at Takeo, who sighed.
"That girl is just absolutely intent on creating chaos and dissent in our family!" he growled, balling his hands up into fists. Akina shook her head.
"No, Takeo. She's right. We shouldn't have agreed to the marriage without consulting her first. It's not fair to her." She started to cry. "It's just that… I really wanted to make sure she was happy before…"
Takeo's face grew sad then and he pulled his wife into a hug. "Shh, Akina. It will all turn out okay, you'll see." He sighed, thinking about what was to come.
Uh-oh… something bigger is happening, something greater than what Yumi can see. Review to find out what's going on! 7 reviews if you want the next chapter within two weeks! See you then!