Chapter 16

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3 weeks later...
Obanai was waiting for his wife-to-be outside her parents' home, where she was preparing for the wedding. He was dressed in a traditional black kimono and a black haori on top, along with the correct type of lower-body attire. A few minutes passed, and the door was opened to reveal Mitsuri, dressed in a white bridal kimono and the traditional hood on her head. She was smiling brightly at him, her radiance seemingly making the surroundings shine. His eyes were now matching her happiness and energy, despite the absent smile. She walked over to him and put her hand in his.
"Shall we go?" she spoke.
"Of course, love," he said quietly.
...
The interior of the shrine where the wedding would take place was wide, a Shinto priest at the head, rows of chairs spread across the floor. Mitsuri's parents and siblings were sitting across the left side of the front row, while the other part was empty. The Hashira, along with Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao and Genya had sat down in the rows behind them. Soon enough, the grand doors opened to reveal the couple. They both walked to the priest, who was holding a gourd.
Once Mitsuri and Obanai had reached him, they both bowed, as the priest poured water on their hands and gave them some to drink, to cleanse their spirits. The priest proceeded to turn around and perform a set of prayers. He turned to face them again. It was time for the marriage vows.
Obanai pulled out a piece of paper to read from, where he had written his custom version of the vows.
He cleared his throat.
"I, Obanai Iguro, take Mitsuri Kanroji to be my wife, as I promise to remain her partner, in whatever circumstances. I swear to cherish, protect and love her in this life, and in the next."
In a way, the vows were conservative and sounded as though they were solely words to be repeated in every ceremony as a ritual, but it was obvious that Obanai had meant every word he had spoken. Mitsuri proceeded to read her own vows, with the same sincerity as the person who would soon become her husband.
"I, Mitsuri Kanroji, take Obanai Iguro to be my husband, no matter the obstacles that come our way. I swear to be loyal to him and to love him, in this life and in the next." She looked at him, smiling widely.
Even Sanemi managed to crack a soft smile looking at them.
The priest picked up a gourd filled with sake, as he poured it in six different-sized glasses. The couple proceeded to take three sips from each glass. It was time for the families to do the same. Mitsuri's parents stood up, but Obanai's, of course, were nowhere to be seen. Memories of his past suddenly flashed before his eyes, vividly. Noticing that he looked uncomfortable, Mitsuri squeezed his hand.
The past doesn't matter anymore.
The ritual was now over.
The Shinto priest began another prayer, and soon after declared them husband and wife.
Now that they were married, the new couple (mostly Mitsuri) led the guests outside, to celebrate.
...
Giyuu and Shinobu stood by a round table at the edge of the yard. Each had a half-finished glass of sake sitting on the table, drinking from time to time.
They had remained silent ever since the ceremony had begun, but it was a comfortable silence, not an awkward one. Ignoring the fact that everyone else was there, Giyuu had kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Now that they were outside, Mitsuri and Obanai started dancing together, signaling to the guests that they were welcome to do the same. The garden was full of people dancing, whether they were couples or simply friends, sometimes even strangers.
Giyuu's gaze was seemingly stuck on them, until he turned to Shinobu and asked:
"Wanna dance?"
He held out his hand.
"..."
"Don't worry, nobody's going to notice. Even if they do, everyone's dancing, not just couples," he whispered.
After a moment of thought, she smiled and put her hand in his. Giyuu guided her towards the middle of the yard, where the others were.
Shinobu put her right hand on Giyuu's shoulder, while Giyuu put his left hand on her waist. They connected their other hands, interlocking their fingers. They began to dance, as though they had years of experience. It seemed like they complemented each other perfectly, predicting each other's movements and dancing with no restraint. Shinobu decided to let the stress pour out of her mind for once and simply enjoy the moment. Giyuu had finally let himself free as well; he didn't blame himself about the people he had lost anymore. Of course, some wounds could never be healed, but he believed that now that Muzan Kibutsuji and the demons were gone, their future could be bright.
...
"Alright, before we go," Mitsuri shouted to the crowd, holding a bouquet of white roses, "I want to replicate a western tradition that I've learned about recently. Let me explain. I need all maidens to gather here, and I'm going to throw this bouquet. Whoever catches it is said to get married next," she finished enthusiastically.
Having not been paying attention, Shinobu found herself pushed forward by Giyuu, who had a smirk across his face.
"Tomioka!" she shouted, crossing her arms, as the bouquet fell in the crook between her arms and torso.
Too busy staring at Tomioka, angry, she failed to notice the bouquet, letting Mitsuri notice it first.
"KYAAAAA! SHINOBU!" she screamed enthusiastically. Having realized what had just happened, Shinobu flushed red and dropped the bouquet.
"I-" she spoke.
"So? Who's the lucky guy?" Tengen asked from behind them, smirking.
Shinobu remained silent, her expression blank. Giyuu wasn't sure if Shinobu wanted him to speak, so he let her decide whether to speak, on her own.
"Come on, Shinobu," Mitsuri pleaded.
"What makes you think I've found someone? This is a stupid tradition anyway," she said quietly.
"They have a theory," Kyojuro spoke, followed up by shushing sounds from both Mitsuri and Tengen.
Shinobu sighed in frustration.
"Fine...it's.....Tomioka," she admitted.
"I WAS RIGHT!" Mitsuri screamed.
"Wait, wait, we need confirmation," Tengen spoke, looking at Giyuu.
Giyuu looked st Shinobu, who nodded.
"Confirmation granted," he said quietly, putting her hand in his.
Shinobu calmed down, smiling a bit. Another wedding would be due soon.


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