The make- assistant applied finishing touches to Elena's eyes.
"You look so beautiful. The classiest bride ever. Those earrings designed by Kikuchi-sama, the dress by Mary of MM fame, hair by my personal god, Toda Mike-sama, you're so lucky. I would give a million dollars to swap with you just for today."
'I'll take it,' thought Elena.' I feel like I am going to someone else's wedding as someone else, marrying someone else's groom. Rick is not Rick, no one I want is at the wedding and not a single thing I am wearing is what I chose.' She sighed
"I feel like I am going to someone else's wedding.," sighs Kyoko, rustling her white dress. "Which demon picked this deep neckline held up only by a prayer?"
"You know exactly who picked it out. Your thousands and thousands of fans.," her mother replies, fixing the wrinkles that Kyoko had caused. "Now, don't damage it. I am sure someone from the agency will want it afterwards to give as a prize to some contest or the other."
"Oh bother!" exclaimed Kyoko. "You are right. I totally forgot."
They were waiting at the entrance to the Japan Palace Hotel Wedding Hall. The venue, modeled after the Tokyo Imperial Palace was dubbed, "The Most Romantic Place to Get Married in Japan" and even money couldn't bypass the fully-booked-two-years-in-advance waiting line. For Kyoko's wedding, it was rumored that the Japanese Prime Minister had to intervene. He had done so in return for inviting a couple of foreign dignitaries and conducting a diplomatic negotiation under the guise of the wedding
"I was hoping to burn this after the ceremony to repent for the deepest sin of wearing it in public!" Kyoko continues.
"Stop being dramatic!" her mother counsels.
Inside the hall, there are all kinds of people. About a third of the guests had been chosen as part of a contest from KyoRen fans as they had started calling themselves, a third more were notable names in the entertainment industry picked as part of yet another online survey and the final third excluding the diplomatic group were Kyoko's and Ren's guests. The entire theme and decoration had been planned by President Takarada, of course.
Kyoko can see him having a royal time - having totally gone overboard on the "royal" theme and "palace" venue. The walls of the venue are covered with painted screens of flowers, birds and forests. Around a thousand lights hang from the ceiling in elaborate chandeliers. The fans had picked pink to be the color theme so excluding Kyoko's dress, all the chairs and tables are covered in a bright pink cloth, the same pink of Kyoko's Love Me dress. Kyoko secretly believes that the President had somehow cheated on this survey to pick his favorite color. She starts to sigh once more but at a look from her mother quietens.
"You don't look like a woman on her happiest day.," comes a voice. Kyoko looks and brightens to see Kotonami Kanae walk in.
"Moko-san! It can't be. You can't have possibly...," Kyoko gapes at Kanae. She is in her old bright pink LME uniform.
"The president manipulated me into wearing this. But not just me."
"What is this hideous dress? This bright cloth is hurting my eyes. I can't wear this!" comes a wail behind Kanae.
"Maria-chan. I can't believe you too!" cries Kyoko.
"At least," Kyoko's mother Saena eyes them critically. "You will blend in with the surroundings and no one will notice you."
"They will notice us.," Kanae grimaces. "We are the bridesmaids. Anyway Kyoko, we have no other choice but to do this. So, for putting us through this torture, the least thing you could do is.."
"Tell me, Moko-san. I will do anything."
"Mo.. do I need to tell you this? Smile and look happy! You are an actress. You have no excuse to let your emotions through. If you can't do this simple thing, I shall take away the top actress spot from you in no time."
"Ren-san," Shin whispers from behind Ren.
Ren has his beatific smile affixed on his face. No one but his wife would have been able to tell the molecule of irritation that is seeping through.
"What?" he whispers back and Shin is amazed to realize that Ren had spoken without moving his mouth. He shakes his head and gets back to what he had wanted to ask.
"I understand Yashiro being your best man and me being your groomsman. But why is Fuwa Sho also a groomsman?"
Yashiro who is also standing with Ren, Shin and Fuwa in the room near the altar sees them conversing and moves closer to them, leaving Fuwa near the door fretting.
"Shin-kun, you are asking about the rather thin elephant in the room, I assume?"
Shin nods.
"It turns out that it is all your fault."
"Mine?" Shin responds puzzled.
"Yes. You devised a contest for a bridesmaid to join Kyoko which means, including Kotonami Kanae and Takarada Maria, there are three bridesmaids. So to equal the count, we had to find a groomsman for the job. No one really wanted the job except Fuwa-kun who, having not been invited by any party, found this a chance to be at his childhood friend's wedding. Nothing really surprising about it.," Yashiro concludes, adjusting his glasses and stealing a surreptitious glance at Ren.
"There would have been many others who would have volunteered. Why does it have to be him?" Shin counters. Ren shoots him a glance that says, 'Exactly my point!'
"You would not say that if you saw the third bridesmaid."
"Kimiko-chan." Kyoko greets.
"If I had known I would have to wear this violent color, I wouldn't have pulled strings to become a bridesmaid."
"A violent color for a violent person. Suits you quite well.,"Kanae responds coldly, seeing Kyoko too stunned to respond.