Persona Q: The Wedding Files
Scenario 3: Akihiko Sanada
"Your destined partner is… lo and behold…" The mechanical voice soon finishes, and two spotlights lit up. One was shining on the Leader from Gekkoukan, or P3 Heroine. And the other was Akihiko Sanada, a fellow SEES member.
"What's this spotlight about…?" Akihiko questioned, looking at the light shining around him. He pondered for a moment before gasping like he had an epiphany. "Oh! This means I've won, right!?" He said. Suddenly, the floor gave way beneath his feet.
"Whoa!"
Group Date Café, The Big Day
"Ngh… How dare they do this to the winner…" Akihiko grumbled, getting up along with the Leader. He looked at her. "…? What did I win?" He said as his eyes lowered, noticing something. He looked at their interlocked hands for quite a long moment before he finally reacted.
"…Huh!?" Akihiko took a step back. "Our hands…! They're stuck together!"
"It seems you have reached your destination."
Akihiko turned his attention to the voice that spoke out of nowhere. "That voice again…" he said.
"This seems to be a path where lovers who met their destined partners discuss their love for each other." The mechanical voice says. "What could be waiting up ahead? You are free to step forth hand-in-hand, curiosity and fear in your hearts, or you can refrain."
"Destined partners…?" Akihiko said, and realized what the voice meant. "You mean us!? Um…" He scratched his head. "A-At least he's giving us the choice whether or not to move forward." He said to the Leader. "Let's remain calm and decide what to…"
"You are free to step forth, or refrain from doing so." The mechanical voice 'clarifies'. "These are your apparent options. Now, step forth!"
Afterward, the mechanical voice went silent.
"…That's not a choice." Akihiko said after a while. He looked around their surroundings. It was like something that could be described as a fantasy land for love. The place is a garden of colourful flowers complete with a dirt path that was obviously meant to be stepped on. Heart-shaped arches extended all the way through the dirt path. He faced the Leader again. "We should do something about our hands, shouldn't we?" he asked.
"Let's try separating them."
"Why? We're destined partners."
"Good idea." Akihiko said. "Hnnngh!"
You and Akihiko gave valiant efforts to separate your hands from each other. But it's no use. Akihiko's and your hands remained interlocked.
Akihiko huffed. "They're really stuck to each other… Pulling them away isn't going to work… Looks like we'll be stuck like this for a while…" The silver-haired man sighs. "I would tell you to 'stay close to me'… but our hands are stuck to each other…" He looked around the surroundings again. "I don't think that there are any enemies around for now… but we'd probably have to face them in this state…"
"Let's try separating them."
"Why? We're destined partners."
""Destined partners" again…?" Akihiko said. His face became a bit red, most probably from embarrassment. "Well… the questions you answered earlier did reveal your destined partner… I didn't really think that it would be me in the end… And… err… well…"
…
For some reason, Akihiko is quite nervous to speak properly… You recall watching a recording of him once practicing talking to girls… Needless to say, it didn't go well…
"Alright, let's go..." Akihiko said. The Leader and Akihiko, with interlocked hands, followed the dirt path that apparently continued to expand as they took steps forward. Eventually, they reached an area where they could see a portrait resting on a stand, but they couldn't make out what it was from their location.
"Suddenly, all in attendance hear an announcement."
"Again…?" Akihiko muttered. "What is it this time?"
"Up ahead, they see a bride and groom's joyous commemorative photograph of love." The voice says. "They confer between them whether to look at it, or ignore it."
The voice falls silent once again.
"We probably don't get a choice anyway." Akihiko told the Leader. "I don't know what it is, but let's hurry up and look at it so we can be on our way." He headed to the portrait along with the Leader to take a clear look at the portrait. As he looked at the portrait, his calm and collected self apparently crumbled down in an instant.
"Wh…What is this…!?" Akihiko said. "Is this a wedding between you and me…?" The Leader looked at the portrait herself. It depicted a lacy pinkish background filled with pink roses, a "Happy Wedding" written at above the base of the image, and two formally dressed groom and bride. The groom was carrying the bride and one of their hands connected with each other to form a heart-shaped spacing. Although… the faces of the bride and groom… they were the Leader's face and Akihiko's face respectively. The faces looked like they were taken from another photo before it was torn off from that photo and is pasted on this portrait. Overall, it looked like a manipulated photo.
Akihiko continued to stare at the portrait, in disbelief most likely. "Um…" He turned to face the Leader. "Hey… do you think… this is… strange?"
"Kind of."
"You're charming."
"Oh…" Akihiko scratched his head. "Y-Yeah, it looks really strange, doesn't it?" He said. "Like this photo is trying to show us that we're going to be wed… Maybe… it might be right…"
…
Akihiko's face is red…
"Kind of."
"You're charming."
Akihiko blushed. "Th-That's not what I asked…" he said. "But… erm… thanks for saying that…"
…
Akihiko's face is red…
"Err… I think… we should go now…" Akihiko suggested.
…
Things feel a bit awkward right now…
They passed by the photo, noticing a large building far from where they were. They were quite surprised by its' sheer size, surprised that they didn't even notice it from where they landed. Halfway along the path, Akihiko stopped walking. "Leader… About that image…" Akihiko said. "Is it… okay… to carry someone like that…?" He looked down, appearing more embarrassed than ever. "I mean, does it look strange at all? I mean–"
"Get a hold of yourself!"
"It's not that serious."
Get onto Akihiko.
"Huh?" Akihiko gasped. "O-Oh, right. Sorry…" He breathed in a few times. "What was I thinking saying something like that…? It's really unlike me, right?" He groaned twice. "I think… I can leave those thoughts alone now…"
"Get a hold of yourself!"
"It's not that serious."
Get onto Akihiko.
"It's not serious?" Akihiko said. "…I really don't get it… This is so confusing… I don't even know what I want to say… Err… Erm…"
…
Akihiko is lost in thought… You should leave him be…
He blinked and sighed. "Erm… forget what I said…"
"Get a hold of yourself!"
"It's not that serious."
Get onto Akihiko.
The Leader, with swift movements, got herself on Akihiko's arms.
"Wha-!?" Akihiko was startled with the sudden movements. "Are you on my hands!?" His face becoming more red as seconds passed. "A-Aren't you embarrassed? Wait– Where am I touching you…!? G-Get off..! Now…!"
…
You decided to get off of Akihiko's arms…
"J-Just… keep this a secret… Please…" Akihiko said. His current expression would be similar to how he looked like when Mitsuru 'executed' him once for accidentally walking into her room whilst she wasn't wearing any clothing. He could still remember being in an ice block for hours until Mitsuru finally decided to thaw him out.
"Let's go… right now…" Akihiko said. They resumed walking on the path until they reached the doors of the large building. It looked like a church based on the designs.
"The long-awaited moment has come. The bride and groom are finally about to enter." The mechanical voice spoke suddenly. Akihiko was expecting that voice to talk at that moment. "The last moment of hesitation has arrived before you are to be wed."
"W-We're not getting married." Akihiko said.
"Through your own free will, you decide to vow eternal love to each other." The voice said.
Akihiko growled. "I knew it…! I knew we wouldn't get a choice!"
The voice continued to speak. "Now, open the door together!"
Akihiko stared at the door. If he steps in, he would be married to the Leader. He doesn't know whether he is ready to be married. There were many things in him that needed to be sorted out. The doors opened, however, and Akihiko was startled to see that the Leader is the one who opened the doors.
"Wha…!?" Akihiko looked stunned. "Do you really want to get married to me!? H-Hold on! I need to sort out my thoughts first!"
The Leader and Akihiko walked together into the church. Throughout the whole walk, Akihiko's head was in a complete blur with the whole atmosphere and how he has been saying things weirdly. He was so confused, why he was chosen as the 'destined partner', and why he's feeling so weird while he's directly beside the Leader. The doors behind them closes automatically, and the mechanical voice from the beginning speaks.
"You must vow your unwavering love for one another, in sickness and in health. Now, vow your love!" The voice declares.
"P-Please wait!" Fuuka's voice suddenly shouted. "You can't do this!"
The doors suddenly slammed open and Shinjiro is the first to enter before the rest of the group rushed into the church. "Hold it!" He shouted. At the same time, Ahikiko and the Leader's hands finally came unstuck.
"We're finally free…" Akihiko sighed.
"How can I say this so that you'll understand…" Shinjiro grumbled. "We're cancelling the marriage!"
…
It seems that the wedding has been called off…
For some reason, I don't feel some satisfaction after doing Akihiko's wedding… He is the first one I romanced in the P3P game before I romanced Ken… So… I'll be blunt on the order of the characters I am doing the wedding scenarios on: It begins on the Persona 3 characters, then the P3 Velvet Room attendants, the P4 group and finally P4 Velvet Room inhabitants. The order of each field is based on when they officially join throughout the game. So… Yu Narukami is at near the end, and you should be able to guess who will be next, right?