Notes: Thank you again for the amazing support! I've finally gotten settled in my new job and new life, though it took about a month or so. But once I had that in better control, despite my really hectic schedule, the moment I felt inspired and had a bit of free time, I found myself working on this. So yay! I'm still keen to see this fic to the end.
Someone mentioned in the last chapter that it was confusing to have two Hirumas. I realise I should have changed it earlier, but I wanted to portray that Mamori had always seen Hiruma Youichi as just Hiruma, thus my narrative. But now she has no choice but to refer to him as Youichi towards the end of that chapter, thus the narrative will now call him Youichi, as this is mostly written in Mamori's perspective. I hope this makes sense!
And I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I know many of you have been waiting for it since it's been revealed, but let me just say it may not be what you expect.
With a short screech made by the burning rubber under his soles against the hot pavement, Sena let out a cry as he almost dropped the package he was holding. Thankfully, most of his clumsiness had been cured throughout the years and as he checked the contents of the package, he let out a sigh of relief. Turning to the house he'd made the hasty stop in front of, due to the fact that he had not been here in a while, he couldn't help but smile a little in nostalgia the quaint yet spacious house evoked.
It really had been a while.
He rang the doorbell once and almost instantly a familiar voice could be heard from the communicator located at the front of the house. "Yes? Oh, Sena!"
Sena smiled at the small camera located just above the communicator. "Hello, Anezaki-kaa-san."
But she had already turned off the communicator and was already opening the front door. Practically bursting through the door was Anezaki Mami, a woman Sena had been familiar with since he was a child. "Sena! Oh my, little Sena, you've grown up so much!" she cried as she gave him a big smile, wrinkles lightly visible at the corner of her eyes, brown hair tied up in a bun, bearing a striking resemblance to her daughter.
Sena gave a nervous smile. She always greeted him like that ever since his return from Notre Dame in America. "I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour, Anezaki-kaa-san."
Mami shook her head as she approached the gate and proceeded to unlatch it. "Don't worry about that, Sena! We're practically family after all! Come inside, how is your mother doing?"
"Ah, I can't stay long, I have to get going for more practice later with the Enma Fires," replied Sena. He lifted the package and passed it to Mami. "My mother's fine, she made some chiffon cake and decided to give one to you too. That's why I'm here."
"Oh, how lovely!" Mami took the package from him graciously. "I taught her how to bake this you know? She always bakes an extra one for me as a thank you!"
Sena laughed nervously. "Yes... I'm quite aware of that... seeing as she's been doing that since I was born."
"Why don't you come in for a while and have some tea together with the chiffon cake? It would only take a moment."
"Ah, I really can't, Anezaki-kaa-san. We barely have over a week left of the summer holidays and once the term starts, it's going to be a long fight towards the Rice Bowl so we need to train as much as we can before that."
"Oh, that's right! Mamori said the same thing too earlier this week." Mami's cheerful face slowly turned nervous. "She was quite worried when she told me about it too, cause it seems that her team is unable to train properly because their quarterback is missing."
Sena's eyebrows shot up. "Quarterback...? Are you saying Hiruma is missing?"
"Hmm..." Mami nodded. "Oh! But Mamori went to look for him, and according to the text message I received the night before, she's found him! She still needs to help him settle a few issues there, but the two of them will be back soon enough."
Sena bit back the urge to ask more questions. Something about this just didn't seem right, but he was sure that Mami would not be able to provide much answers because he could tell something else was bothering her. "Is something wrong, Anezaki-kaa-san?"
Mami had been looking down at the package in her hands but her head shot up at Sena's question. She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine, dear. You know how much I trust Mamori, and I know that she's making the right decision. But..."
She seemed to look beyond Sena, into an unknown distance. "Call it a mother's instinct, but I can't help but feel that she needs me right now."
oOo
Despite her best efforts to stay as calm as possible, Mamori found herself taking deep breaths, and holding them in as long as possible before slowly letting the air pass through her lips, her body swayed lightly with every breath, her arms stretched out, wide open.
Two old ladies, residents of Igaho, surrounded her. One before her, one behind her. Already wearing the white, heavy kimono, they were now wrapping another layer of kimono around her waist. She held her breath in once more as they worked together to get it wrapped around her properly, and at it was at this point that the old lady before her chuckled softly.
"You don't have to breathe in so much, relax! Relax!"
"A-ah..." Mamori replied, slowly breathing through her pursed lips. They weren't being rough with her, which she was grateful for, but her nerves continued to feel shaken.
She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way.
Her head felt heavy with the wig and the headdress on, intricate designs hidden within. She wondered if she looked ridiculous. The women were done with that last inner layer and began to tie her obi.
"This is Mayada's old kimono isn't it? It fits you so well," said the old lady behind her.
"Anezaki-san had to do some mending though," said the old lady before her. "And you did such a wonderful job too, and so quickly! Your soon-to-be-husband is so lucky to have someone as talented as you."
Mamori held back a laugh. For some reason, she thought that he had always had her talents to his disposal anyways.
She wondered how he was faring with the preparations.
They had barely seen each other since preparations began yesterday. Mamori was just as clueless as he was on how a traditional Shinto wedding was performed. While she had heard many stories about it, she had never truly witnessed it. And yet here she was, playing the lead role with little to no clue as to what she was doing.
"Stop worrying about it," Sugiyo had told her. "Normally we would have the both of you signing your marriage papers first, but Kaede insists that you two hold the ceremony first. A Sato family tradition or so she claims. Best to let her have her way if you ever want to retrieve Kirie's ashes. In the meantime, the people of Igaho are ecstatic, they haven't had a traditional wedding in years. They will gladly guide you along the way."
"Is the obi too tight?"
Mamori had sucked in her breath again, and she quickly let it out as the old lady before her gave her a worried glance. "No!" Mamori shook her head. "Not at all, I'm fine. See?"
"Leave her alone, Mayumi," the old lady behind her laughed. "Pre-wedding jitters."
The two ladies smiled as they began to tie the obi intricately. Unsure what to do, Mamori continued to keep her arms open and stare off into the wooden walls of the small room she was in. Her wandering mind now settled on the Sato family. She had heard from Sugiyo late last night that a few members of the Sato family would be here to witness the wedding.
"Does Youichi know?" she had asked her.
Sugiyo grinned. "Oh yes. Youichi knows."
She didn't think much about Sugiyo's grin at the time, but recalling it now made Mamori cringe in embarrassment. She should be extra careful when mentioning his name from now on.
The last kimono robe was placed over her arms, the weight settling in. With a few more adjustments, both ladies now stood before her, admiring their handiwork.
"I was worried Mayada's kimono may have looked out of fashion but..."
"It does look good, doesn't it?"
"I don't mind if it's old," said Mamori, smiling kindly to the women. "I'm just glad that there's someone out there who was willing to lend this to me, seeing as we don't have the time or money to buy one."
"Nonsense!" cried the lady named Mayumi. "Don't you worry about a thing, dear. We'll take good care of you. We'll even guide you during the ritual."
"Oh, it isn't necessary, I have it memorised," said Mamori, though her mind drew a blank on how the ceremony was supposed to go, even though she did try hard to memorise it the night before.
"Now there's still the issue of your makeup..."
"I'll handle it."
Mamori and the other two women looked to the door to find a portly, yet kindly looking woman standing there. "I'm here upon the request of Sato Kaede," she said, her smile widening at the sight of Mamori. "You must be the soon to be latest addition to the Sato family! It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Taneda Saori, also a branch of the Sato family."
Mamori's eyes widened, her mind becoming even more blank. They're here! "I-it's a pleasure to meet you!" Mamori tried to bow, but felt as if her headdress was about to fall.
"Oh, you silly girl, now's not the time for that!" Saori laughed. "It's your day today, I should be bowing to you!" Saori approached Mamori, gesturing towards a nearby chair. "Come, sit down. We have no time to waste getting you ready."
Mamori nodded, and with a little help, got herself seated on the small chair. Saori had brought her own makeup kit. "Please close your eyes," she instructed, her voice calming.
Mamori nodded. And soon she felt a brush sweeping over her face. They were silent for a while, Mamori keeping her eyes closed throughout the entire process. Saori's fingers were gentle and careful, and slowly the fear she had felt earlier slowly disappeared.
She felt exhausted.
"You must have gone through a lot these past few days," said Saori. Mamori slowly opened her eyes as Saori reached out for another brush. "Close your eyes please."
Mamori nodded and did as she was told. Saori was working on her eyes now. "Kaede didn't tell me everything that happened, but the whole Sato family is aware of the reason why you're getting married. I would like to warn you that the Sato family isn't the kind of family you can fool around with and get what you want. We are strict, we have high expectations, we expect only the best."
Saori blew gently over Mamori's eyes. "You can open them now." She reached out for another brush as Mamori stared at the kindly woman before her. She was still smiling as she placed a thumb over Mamori's chin, gently pulling Mamori's face closer. She began to apply lipstick with gentle strokes. "I want to apologise beforehand if Kaede judges you and your mother for being... well... not so Japanese. In all honesty, it is not a matter that concerns us. But things haven't been going too well at the Sato family, and with Kaede especially. So I hope that if you do join us, Mamori, that you would at least do so with much respect to the Sato family... and to Kaede as well."
Mamori stared at Saori for a moment, questions forming. But now wasn't the time. "I promise, I have no ill-intention to the Sato family. I will do what is proper to retrieve what rightfully belongs to the Hiruma family. So... please look after me."
Saori rubbed Mamori's cheeks in approval. "Then you will do just fine. I'm sure you will. Now, would you like to take a good look at yourself?"
Saori got up as she headed to the door. "Fuyumi! Where are you? I need a mirror in here!"
Mamori rose slowly, the weight of everything on her slowly sinking in. She took another deep breath, but determination slowly filled her. There was something going on even within Sato family, and now she was keen to find out what it was.
A younger woman rushed in, holding a long mirror about her size. Mamori had a full view of herself now, and she couldn't help but stare in awe.
"Oh..." she breathed, as she looked down at her kimono, the little details on the outer robe, the makeup accentuating her features against the white paint over her skin. Who... is that?
Sugiyo's voice broke through her thoughts. "Seeing as you're ready, we better get going." Sugiyo approached her. "We need to walk to the temple. The men are waiting outside."
"Okay," Mamori nodded. Sugiyo had something in her hand, and as she reached out, Mamori felt something being placed on her head. It was her veil. At this, Sugiyo gave a sympathetic smile. "I know you would rather someone else do this."
Mamori caught her breath, her eyes stinging a little. No, now wasn't the time to think about that. She gave a pained smile. "It's all right."
Sugiyo held on to Mamori's hand and guided her outside the room where many of the other older women of Igaho stood waiting around the hallways. Gasps could be heard everywhere, and everyone seemed to say aloud, "How beautiful!" the moment Mamori walked past them.
As they proceeded to walk out of the building used for temple preparations, Sugiyo quietly spoke to her, "A Japanese bride wears white not only to become the symbol of purity, it is also to symbolise mourning. She is leaving her family to join a new one."
Mamori looked at her, mouth agape with surprise. Sugiyo grinned. "But I don't think you and Youichi would agree to such thinking. It's still an interesting thought, isn't it?"
Slowly calming down, Mamori nodded. "I guess traditional weddings really can be interesting."
"Oh, you're just starting, my dear." They had now reached the outer courts where the men stood waiting. The temple a yonder distance, the weather was clear and cool thanks to being on a hill. Mamori scanned the group of men, finding the priest who was talking to Hiruma Yuuya. And next to him was...
Youichi?
That must be him, though he had on the most uncomfortable expression she had ever seen him wear. Wearing the black and grey hakama...
His hair now dyed black. It looked like there had been an attempt to calm that spiky hair of his, but to no avail. He was also missing his usual pierced adornments, they had been such a part of him he now looked strangely bare.
Mamori resisted the urge to laugh. He seemed to have sensed her amusement as he was looking straight at her now. And somehow, that was enough to bring them both back to their usual selves.
He was grinning. She felt sure he had something witty to say about the way she looked, but she was glad that they were both putting in some effort to respect this tradition as much as they could, even though a part of them felt as if this entire thing was ridiculous.
Yuuya had seen her now, and excusing himself from the priest, he approached her. He gave her a quick bow. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," she replied.
He held her other free hand for a moment and drew her close with what she thought was a kiss on the cheek. But he instead whispered into her ear, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Mamori could see Youichi in the distance. She pulled away from Yuuya and smiled. "It's all right. I'm not alone after all."
The priest had taken his position and two mikos stood nearby. Sugiyo led her towards Youichi, and with a gentle nod, moved to take her place among the crowd forming behind them. She could see Saori waving excitedly somewhere within the crowd, Kaede next to her, dressed as regally as Mamori had expected she would. She seemed a little disinterested in the proceedings, but other than that Mamori was glad she didn't look annoyed or angry. The other women and men in Igaho also joined in the crowd. It wasn't much, but Mamori was content that there were people who wanted to celebrate with her.
She was sure the wedding would go smoothly.
As they both looked forward, Hiruma softly cackled. "And the bitch said you don't look Japanese."
"Don't say that! She's around after all!" But Mamori couldn't help the genuine smile forming on her lips. "But really, you should try looking Japanese more often yourself. It suits you."
"Considering the amount of hell I went through, it's obviously not my style, Fucking Manager."
The nickname calmed her down considerably, something she didn't expect. And with what felt like the last time where they were just Quarterback and Manager, focusing only on their desires to win, the procession began and they all began to walk towards the temple.
The sounds of the traditional flute and drums could be heard, accompanying them down the pathways towards the temple. There was not a cloud in sight, the air felt still and the kimono she wore made her feel hot despite the cool air. There was barely anything to look at, just the gray pavement, the green trees and the wooden gates surrounding them.
Despite the many people surrounding her, Mamori felt a sort of emptiness inside her.
Youichi moved closer to her, brushing her fingers with his, slowly tangling them. Mamori glanced at him, and though his face remained calm, she could feel a form of tension within his hands. She squeezed back.
It's going to be okay. We'll get through this.
They slowly let each other go and proceeded to follow the priest before them.
When they finally reached the temple, only a select few entered. Yuuya and Sugiyo took their place at Hiruma's side of the temple, while to Mamori's surprise, Saori, Kaede and a few other women who Mamori suspected was the rest of the Sato family, had taken her side. She wondered if there was some significance towards this.
She decided she didn't want to worry about it now. The wedding ceremony began, and her mind was still drawing a blank.
It wasn't until the mikos completed the cleansing ritual did her memory slowly return, and she knew what was coming up next once the priest was done reciting the words.
Drinking sake. Mamori could handle her alcohol, she supposed, and it was a small amount. But it was still quite fascinating to her that it took drinking sake to seal their marriage.
What was it that one of the old ladies told her about this moment? Ah yes, that there will be hardships in a marriage that need to be overcome, and the spirits will guide them through this ritual.
Youichi seemed calm as the miko poured the sake into his small red cup, then he gulped it down three times. When it was Mamori's turn, the drink was incredibly strong that it seemed to sear her throat, but she finished it as she was told.
They had to repeat this a number of times until Mamori's throat was burning. Though for some reason, it made her remember all the times she screamed and cheered for her respective teams, the Devil Bats and the Saikyoudai Wizards.
She glanced at Youichi, and despite this being a happy moment, they were both aware that they were coming into this marriage filled with many things to worry about. He gave her a determined look.
Mamori took a quick, deep breath once more. That's right.
Mamori thought she had reached the end of the ceremony, her mind scrambled to remember what needed to be done at this point. Then Yuuya approached them both, holding a small box in his palm. He opened it to reveal two silver rings within.
"I insisted I buy these for you both," Yuuya explained as she looked at him and Youichi curiously. "As my present to the two of you and a symbol of my support."
Mamori nodded in understanding. Youichi picked up the ring for Mamori first. She wondered if he had helped pick the rings as the size looked right for her. He seemed to hesitate as he lifted her left hand towards him. She looked up to see him give a pensive look.
He had noticed her looking at him, and with a quick breath, he whispered, "We're going to get through this fucking mess. Together."
He slid the ring onto her finger. Mamori stared at it for a moment, before reaching out for his ring and lifting his left hand. She looked at him and whispered, "Together."
Sliding the ring onto his finger, the ceremony was completed. Mamori turned towards the entrance of the temple with Hiruma beside her as the traditional sounds of flutes and drums escalated, and in the corner of her eye she could see Saori, who looked rather excited, and Kaede, looking rather smug.
This was only the first obstacle. There were more to come.
Just outside the temple, the people of Igaho were already beginning their celebrations with alcohol and music. Sugiyo had to calm some of them down, demanding for the marriage papers to be brought. A few witnesses, music still swelling in the background, signatures and stamps. That was all it took for Youichi and Mamori to be officially married.
It still felt too surreal to be true.
While the celebrations continued in the Kitae Ryokan, Mamori's exhaustion finally came over her. She requested Sugiyo to help her get out of her ceremonial robes as she needed to lie down. The undressing process took a while, and with the help of all the other old ladies, who were sad that Mamori couldn't join the celebrations but understood, she was finally dressed in her own pajamas.
She knew Hiruma would be in the room. Their room.
There was no way they could escape sleeping in the same room. Not on the day of their supposed wedding. But Mamori was too tired to care, and she knew they would both be too exhausted for anymore shenanigans.
He had laid out the giant futon that was available, but was careful to put the pillows at a distance. "You don't have to worry about that," she said as she entered the room, pointing at the pillows.
"What, you don't think I may try to fuck you? You're a woman and I'm a man after all," Youichi joked, finally glad to be himself again though his hair was still black. "I could be a snorer, you know. Maybe you're one too. Maybe I'd kick you off the damn futon, though you're more likely to do that to me."
Mamori finally laughed. She needed that. "Stop it, I'm sure we'll both be fine. Though it says something that we're both the youngest here and we're both going to bed so early."
"Fuck that, I haven't slept for close to 36 hours."
"Neither have I."
They both lay down on the futon, the sound of celebrations still echoing down the hallways. "I didn't think I'd ever see you with black hair," said Mamori, turning to face him.
Youichi lay on his side too, looking at Mamori. "Well take a good look cause by morning, it's back to being blonde for me."
Mamori giggled. "I do miss your blonde looks though."
"Good. You ain't getting anymore of this traditional manly Hiruma Youichi shit anymore. And I thought I knew hell seeing as I put the team through it," Youichi cackled, though he looked serious. "Speaking of which, we really need to get back to Saikyoudai and kick the team back into shape."
She nodded. "I can't wait to go back. Everyone must be so worried about us. I don't know what to tell them about why we took so long here."
"How about telling them the truth?" Youichi grinned. "You actually eloped and got yourself hitched."
"It's sad when you realise that it is the truth."
"Yeah... it is sad." Despite all his teasing, Youichi remained serious. He was quiet for a moment, which made Mamori curious. Then he said, "... You didn't deserve this."
Mamori frowned. "Stop that, we agreed that we were in this together."
"But you definitely deserve something better than this fucking mess."
Mamori was about to protest, but it hit her that this was what had Youichi worried the entire day. She couldn't stop the sadness from building within her upon realising this. She buried her head deeper into the pillow, breathing slowly. "I don't mind... I realise that I may really be able to help what's going on with the Sato family. We'll finally be meeting them tomorrow and finally get this going. So if this marriage is what it takes to help solve this, then it really doesn't bother me. Besides... I know we're in this together. But..."
She smiled at him assuringly, but he only gave her a look of concern. "Can I be honest with you?" she asked.
"If you can't be honest with me, I'd have to fucking shoot myself."
She laughed, though her sadness was filling every inch of her. "Don't say that. I don't mind... getting married. I'm really alright, because I know you, I trust you. But..."
Hot tears were spilling out of her eyes. Had they always been there? "I just... I just wish I could have been with my family. I wish my mother was with me, telling me what to do, telling me that I was doing fine. I felt so lost without her today. All the ladies here were really nice, but I seriously needed a familiar face, and all I could think about was my mother."
Mamori began to sob. Youichi shifted his body closer, then reached out and pulled her closer to him in a sort of embrace. "I'm sorry," she cried, clenching on to his shirt. "I must sound so silly... wanting my mother. I'm an adult now, I don't need her."
"Stop that," he replied. "Of course you need your mother. I told you, you didn't deserve this. You deserve a much better wedding, with a much better man, with all the people you care about. Not having fucking vultures like the Sato family or even strangers who don't know you well enough."
Mamori continued to sob into his chest, her hand clamped over her mouth in an attempt to control herself. "You'll get a better wedding ceremony someday, Fucking Manager," he told her. "Until then, we both have to keep fighting. So if anything, this wedding shows that we will support each other until we finally get what we want. And do you know what that is?"
"... Kirie's ashes?" replied Mamori, her sobs softening as she pulled away from him just a little to look at him.
Youichi looked at her, his grin returned. "No. Victory. We're not going to stop until we kill them all."
Extra Notes: Japanese weddings are actually pretty short, and there's still a lot about it I may not know but I hope that my writing portrays it well enough. Feel free to let me know if you find anything weird or need clarification, and I'll explain as best as I can.
I apologise for any OOC moments, espcially with Hiruma. He has always been a challenge for me to write.
And now that they're officially married, the game is about to begin. Do be patient with me once more as I will be participating in NaNoWriMo with an original story of mine. Hopefully I'll be able to write a chapter during the hecticness of next month! Thank you once again for the amazing support you have all shown me!