Lyra didn’t sleep much at all during the night. Once she was all cried out, she spent most of the night wondering what she was going to tell Sesshomaru. She feared that if she told him, he would do something drastic and she was scared her father would actually kill himself. And if she tried to tell Kanda the truth, he would call off the wedding and again, her father would kill himself. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her only option was to remain quiet and continue her act.
Halfway through the night, she tried to look on the bright side of things. If she married Kanda, she knew Sesshomaru would come looking for her. But she would come up with a lie and send him back to the feudal era. Then she would spend her life with Kanda. One day she might learn to truly love him instead of seeing him as just a friend. She would eventually forget about Sesshomaru and the world she fell in love with and pass it off as a vivid dream. She would simply have to move on.
‘This is your life now. Suck it up and get over it, Lyra.’
She didn’t know what time it was when she finally fell asleep but it felt as though she only blinked before the alarm woke her up again. Groaning, she turned onto her side and shut off the alarm. It was 8.30. Her eyes felt sore but she had to get up and get ready before Kanda came to pick her up. She forced herself up and rubbed her eyes.
After going into the bathroom and seeing herself in the mirror, she almost didn’t recognise herself. She looked like a complete mess with dark circles and bags under her eyes to go with it. She took a long shower, spending most of the time simply allowing the water to run down her entire body as she stood under the shower head. When her fingertips began looking like prunes, she switched off the water and dried herself off before getting dressed. She took her time getting ready, opting for some cropped jeans and a loose blouse. She put on some makeup to hide the tiredness in her face, leaving her hair out for it to dry naturally.
Just as she finished getting ready, she received a message from Kanda that he was on his way. She decided to stay inside her room until he arrived. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally run into her father. She still wasn’t in the mood to see or talk to him. Just ten minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. She grabbed her phone and quickly made her way down before opening her door.
“Hi,” she greeted Kanda with a smile.
“Hey,” he smiled back. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah. Just need to put my shoes on.” She quickly put on her boots before stepping out of the house. “At least the sun is out today.”
“It’s pretty warm too,” he added as they made their way to the car.
Lyra suddenly noticed what Kanda was wearing. Every time she saw him, he was always in a suit or he had his grey jacket on top. She had never seen him in casual clothing, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. It was only then she could see how built and muscular he was. She knew her friends were going to go nuts.
“I have to admit it’s odd seeing you without your suit,” she said as they got into the car.
He chuckled. “You’ll get used to it.”
Lyra smiled a little sadly. “Yeah. I guess I will.”
“I was thinking about getting the hospital out of the way first,” he told her as he drove in that direction. “Everyone’s excited to meet you.”
She rose a brow at him, smirking a little. “You told them about me?”
He laughed in embarrassment. “How could I not? You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
She smiled softly. “Careful. Your compliments are going to get to my head. I’m sure you don’t want a wife with a big ego.”
“You’re extremely modest so I know that will never happen. And besides,” he quickly glanced at her with a smile before looking back at the road. “I’ll love you no matter what happens.”
Lyra’s breath hitched in her throat and she couldn’t stop herself from staring at him in shock. After a few seconds, she blinked a couple of times before turning to look out of the window.
“Now you’re making me blush,” she said just loud enough for him to hear.
They soon arrived at the hospital. Kanda had introduced her to his colleagues, all of them treating her as if she was a celebrity. Everyone was so friendly and they were all super excited when they found out about the engagement. He even took her to see some of his patients and all of them told her how much of a wonderful man and doctor Kanda was. It was nice to hear all the compliments but it only made her feel more guilty. Kanda really deserved someone special as a life partner and some other woman would be lucky to be with him. Unfortunately, she was taking that place. She admired the man, but she was in love with someone else.
However, her act continued. She gladly accepted everyone’s well wishes and congratulatory words. She even held his arm as they conversed with his colleagues. It came to a point where she even began believing her own act. She actually enjoyed meeting everyone and talking about the engagement. Something was happening to her but she didn’t know what. It was as if she was giving up and forcing herself to move on already.
Once they had seen everyone and invited them to the party, they left the hospital to make their way into the town. After he parked up, they headed in the direction of the shop Lyra worked at. As they were walking towards the store, Lyra surprised Kanda and even herself as she suddenly held his hand, interlocking their fingers together. Kanda happily accepted it, gently squeezing her hand and lifting her hand up to his lips and kissing the back of it. She smiled up at him before looking away out of embarrassment.
As they walked into the store, they barely made it past the door before they were met by squeals and screams, surrounded by all of Lyra's colleagues.
“They’re holding hands!” one screamed.
“It's happening!” another one sang.
“Tell us everything!”
Lyra was suddenly grabbed and pulled further in, her hand slipping out of Kanda's. But he was being dragged in by someone else. Soon they were in the middle of the shop and they both became overwhelmed by all the questions being thrown at them. Kanda laughed while Lyra tried to calm them down, holding her hands up.
“Ladies, please! We can only speak if you let us!”
The manager suddenly held her fist up army style and everyone instantly shut up. “Go.”
Lyra took a deep breath and smiled as she felt Kanda place his arm around her waist. “Kanda and I are getting engaged.” Before any of them could make a sound, she held her hand up to silence them. “The party is tomorrow and you’re all invited.”
They all continued to stare at her, their heads looking as though they were about to explode.
Kanda smiled. “You can scream now.”
On that cue, they all resumed their squealing. Both Kanda and Lyra laughed at their reactions to the news although whatever they were saying was unintelligible. Lyra looked up at him and gave him an apologetic glance, but he simply smiled at her and shook his head. Once they finally calmed down, they were able to talk in more detail about the whole thing. They gave the details about the hotel and that it would take place in the evening. It wasn’t long before they noticed something else.
The manager spoke up. “Have you girls noticed that Kanda isn’t in his suit?”
“I know!” one girl squealed.
She then rushed to his other side and grabbed his arm causing Lyra to slap her hand over her face out of embarrassment. Then she began to rub his muscular bicep.
“Wow! You’re so strong!”
Kanda sweat dropped as he pushed Lyra in front of him like a shield. “It’s nothing,” he laughed nervously.
Coming face to face with Lyra, her colleague also suddenly looked embarrassed and scuttled away. Lyra simply laughed though and brushed it off, holding onto Kanda's hand again. After giving their goodbyes, they left the store.
“I’m so sorry about them,” Lyra apologised as they made their way to the food district. “They would get excited whenever you used to visit before. Now that we’re together, they’re even more crazy.”
Kanda chuckled before placing his arm around her waist again. “There’s no need to apologise. It's always fun to have friends like yours. All of my friends are pretty boring compared to them.”
“Your friends are very sophisticated.”
“But still boring.”
Lyra laughed and looked up at him. “So, when is your sister meeting us?”
Kanda checked his watch. “She should be here soon.”
They stopped walking at the place he had told her to meet them. As they waited, he informed her that his sister wished to have lunch first before going shopping. That way she could get to know Lyra a bit first. Her name was Kimi and also the youngest of the two siblings.
“I’m kinda nervous,” Lyra admitted, glancing down slightly.
Kanda held her face and made her look up at him. “Don’t be. She’s really fun and talkative. She’s only a couple years younger than you as well so you’ll get along well,” he smiled. “You will love her and she’ll love you too. I promise.”
Lyra smiled as her nerves seemed to melt away before she heard someone calling Kanda's name. He let go of her as they both turned towards that direction to see a young woman jogging towards them.
“There she is.”
His sister looked very similar to their mother, only obviously a lot younger and her hair was styled as a long bob. She was also wearing a pretty floral summer dress, which only added to her youthful look. She was the same height as Lyra as well.
“Hey, bro,” Kimi greeted as she stopped in front of them. They shared a high five before she turned to Lyra. “I’m so excited to finally meet you!” she said, pulling her into a hug.
Lyra smiled brightly and hugged her back. “Me too, Kimi.”
They parted from the hug but Lyra was slightly surprised as Kimi linked her arm with hers, walking alongside her as they decided where to eat. Lyra didn’t mind though. She thought it was incredibly sweet that she had already been accepted. Kimi spoke to her as if they had known each other for years. She definitely was a bright character, reminding Lyra of her own friends.
Once they chose a rooftop café to have lunch, Kimi began spilling all of Kanda's secrets and stories from their childhood. Lyra had never laughed so hard at the stories and Kanda's embarrassed face. He loved seeing Lyra laugh and smile the way she did. And witnessing how well she and Kimi got on was a bonus. Lyra also enjoyed watching the bond between the siblings. They argued but it would end in laughter and she could tell how protective they were of each other. At least one good thing has come of this whole marriage fiasco; Lyra had met some wonderful people and she was lucky that she would be marrying into such a charming family.
But her heart still wrenched as she imagined Sesshomaru in her mind. Although she would be married to another man, her heart would always belong to him.
“So, Lyra, I know the perfect boutique to go to,” Kimi said, changing the topic of conversation to shut her brother up. “I’m sure you’ve seen it. It's called Diamond Boutique.”
Lyra almost spat out her coffee, choking slightly before staring at the young girl with wide eyes. “That boutique?! Everything there is so expensive. I feel like I’m committing a crime just walking past the place,” she said with worry. “I don’t think I’ve even breathed near such luxury dresses. Let's go somewhere else. Your parents are already doing so much. I just couldn’t.”
Kimi giggled at her reaction. “Mom did warn me you would do this. But don’t worry! It's a gift from mom and dad. Pick whatever you want.”
Lyra looked towards Kanda for help, but he simply shrugged with an amused smile. “Kanda, help me out here. Say something.”
“Lyra, listen to me.” He sat up slightly before reaching across the table and placing his hand over hers. “You should never refuse a gift. I know it would make my parents really happy if you accept it.”
Lyra sighed in defeat and smiled with a nod. Kanda smiled in return before they were both distracted by a quiet squeak. They turned to Kimi who was watching them with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“I shipped you guys before but I’m shipping you both so hard right now,” she giggled. “You two are literally the dream couple. Hashtag goals. Hashtag power couple.”
Kanda furrowed his brows slightly. “What the hell are you saying?”
Lyra laughed as Kimi rolled her eyes before waving him off. “Never mind. It's time for you to go now,” she said to him.
“What? I’m going with you both.”
Kimi shook her head. “No can do, bro. You're not allowed to see her in the dress until tomorrow.”
“But it's not the wedding.”
“I don’t care. You’ve got your own thing to do anyway.”
“But-"
“Kanda.” This time it was Lyra who spoke. “I’ll see you later.”
Now it was Kanda who sighed in defeat. “Very well. You win this time, Kimi.” He stood up and ruffled her hair. “I’ll take care of the bill and call me once you’re done. I’ll pick you both up.”
“Will do,” Kimi replied.
Kanda then bent down and quickly kissed Lyra's cheek, completely taking her surprise. Her cheeks instantly turned pink as she watched him pay for the food before waving at them and leaving.
“You’re blushing so hard right now,” Kimi laughed.
Lyra's cheek burned even more. “I am not! Come on, let's get going,” she said to divert the topic of conversation.
Kimi rolled her eyes with a giggle as they both left the café. The boutique wasn’t too far away so the walk was fairly short. Lyra had no idea what to expect but she was thankful Kimi was with her. Apparently she had shopped at Diamond Boutique plenty of times before.
Upon entering the store, Lyra instantly felt out of place. Literally nearly everything was diamonds and crystals. Even the cheapest dress there probably cost more than her annual salary. The women working there even looked at Lyra as though she didn’t belong. Kimi held Lyra's wrist and pulled her further into the store. Whilst passing some of the mannequins, Lyra caught a glance at one of the price tags.
‘500,000¥?!?!’
“Good afternoon, Miss Kimi,” a lady greeted. “Who have you brought with you?”
Kimi smiled. “Hello. This is my brother's fiancé Lyra.”
The lady rose her already super arched brows. “Oh! Well, aren’t you certainly lucky to have bagged yourself someone like Doctor Hideki,” she remarked whilst looking Lyra up and down with a clearly fake smile. “You don’t really look like his type.”
Lyra simply smiled, ignoring the woman's snare. “Well, clearly I am his type.”
Kimi herself was already annoyed by the woman's attitude. “Is Nikki in today?”
“She is. I’ll call her for you.” With that, the woman turned on her heel and left through the staff door.
“Ugh, she always thinks she’s better than everyone,” Kimi told her. “She’s had her eyes on my brother since forever.”
“It’s alright. My friends have had their eyes on him since forever as well.”
“Really? What about you?”
Lyra shrugged slightly. “I’ve always thought he was handsome and we would always talk about him and stuff,” Lyra admitted. “But I would never put my hopes up or anything. I was actually surprised when Kanda told me he visited my store just to see me.”
Kimi cooed at what she had just been told. “That is just the sweetest thing ever! I never knew he was such a romantic.”
Lyra might not be able to love Kanda in a romantic way but she truly was lucky to have someone like him in her life. She hoped that one day she would be able to return the love he deserved.
They were soon joined by the woman called Nikki. She was definitely a lot friendlier than the previous woman. The next two hours consisted of Lyra stripping down to her underwear in front of Nikki in the fitting room trying on a number of dresses and modelling them in front of Kimi. Most of the dresses looked as though they were made of nothing but diamonds yet they fit and felt so comfortable. The workmanship was incredible. Now she knew why these dresses were so extortionate. She fell in love with almost every dress but Kimi didn’t think any of them were good enough. Just as Lyra had given up hope, Kimi jumped up with a gasp as she walked out of the fitting room wearing another dress.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed. “That’s the dress! Oh, Lyra, that dress was simply made for you!”
Lyra breathed out a sigh before turning to the full length mirror. She was taken aback upon seeing herself and even she thought she looked amazing.
“Wow...” she whispered.
“I’ll say,” Kimi stood from her seat to join her at the mirror. “It fits you perfectly as well. Nikki, how much is this one?”
“550,000¥,” Nikki answered. “But obviously I’ll give it to you for 250,000¥.”
Kimi grinned. “Perfect! We’ll take it.”
Lyra's eyes widened as she turned to face Kimi. “Wait, no. Don’t you have anything...cheaper?” she asked Nikki shyly.
“No way, Lyra,” Kimi shook her head before holding her shoulders. “This is seriously the dress for you. I know everyone will love it. Kanda will love it.”
Lyra smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. “I can’t say no now, can I?”
Kimi cheered and fist bumped the air victoriously. “I knew that would work!”
After Lyra had changed back into her casual clothes and Kimi paid for the dress, they both left the store to meet up with Kanda again. Kimi ended up leaving the couple alone though, claiming she had other errands to run to prepare for the party. Since the invitations were given and the dress was bought, there was nothing more for Lyra to do.
“Did you have fun?” Kanda asked her as he drove out of the parking spot.
“It was certainly quite an experience,” she replied with a quiet laugh. “I never realised you had so many fan girls,” she teased.
“I take it you met the crazy boutique lady,” he chuckled.
Lyra laughed softly. “I did. Did you have fun doing whatever you were doing?”
“Not really. Mom sent me on a mission for tomorrow. I’m pretty sure mostly everything she told me to get is unnecessary. Buuut she wants things to be grand. Parties are her zone.”
“She’s excited. I think it's really sweet.”
Kanda shot her a quick smile. “I guess you’re right. Oh, I almost forgot. My mom has also booked rooms for you and your father at the hotel for after party. Since it’s in the evening, it might get quite late.”
She looked at him with surprise. “That’s so kind of her but she really didn’t need to do that.”
“You’re her future daughter-in-law. She’s going all out,” he laughed. “My family and I have rooms reserved as well. Dad's spoken to your dad. I’m going to pick you both up in the afternoon since mom wants us all to get ready at the hotel.”
Lyra couldn’t help but giggle to herself. “If this is our engagement, I wonder what our wedding will be like.”
“It could be at a swamp and it would still be the most special day of my life.”
She smiled at him softly but came to a loss for words. She was secretly glad that he had parked up outside her house so she didn’t need to say anything.
“Thank you, Kanda.”
“Anytime.”
Lyra leaned towards him to peck his cheek but Kanda hadn’t noticed. He suddenly turned to face her to say goodbye causing her lips to land on his own. Lyra gasped and jumped back, her cheeks instantly burning bright red as she placed her fingers over her lips. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of her life. Even Kanda was seriously blushing.
“Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry!” she apologised frantically.
Kanda quickly shook his head, trying to get rid of his blush. “D-Don’t be,” he reassured, mentally cursing himself for the stutter. “It was my fault. I’m sorry.”
“And I didn’t mean to jump away like that. It's not that I didn’t want to kiss you but I just didn’t want to not kiss you...yet...”
“I... Uh, what?”
“I don’t know...”
A couple of seconds passed by in complete silence before they both burst into laughter. After a few seconds, they both calmed down, their laughter’s dying down until they were both stupidly smiling. Lyra shook her head before grabbing her dress bag.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, still feeling embarrassed as she went to open the door.
“Lyra?” Kanda quickly called.
“Yes?” She turned back to him.
He took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of her fingers. “You look cute when you blush.”
His words only made her blush even more. He placed another kiss on her fingers before letting her go. He waited until making sure she got into the house okay before she waved at him as he drove off.
Closing the door, she heaved a sigh. It certainly had been a long day but the next day was going to be even longer. As she put her shoes away, Renji appeared in the hallway. Lyra frowned at the sight of him, making her way past him towards the stairs.
“We'll be going to the hotel early tomorrow,” Renji said quickly before she could disappear.
Lyra stopped just as she put her foot on the first step. “I know,” she replied coldly without turning to look at him.
He sighed softly. “I promise everything is going to be okay.”
Her eyes were lowered, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she whispered. “No, it won’t.”
She then slowly made her way up to her way up to her room, locking the door behind her. She took her dress out of its bag before placing it on a hanger and hooking it onto her wardrobe door. Sitting down on the edge of the bed with a sigh, she stared at the dress. It was an absolutely stunning dress and tomorrow's party was going to be really extravagant. Kanda and his family were so excited and she was glad she got to meet them all. She could recall what all of Kanda's friends said at the hospital: ‘You two look perfect together.’ ‘You were both made for each other.’ Everything about it should have felt right, but it didn’t. Lyra felt as though she had no control over her actions, her body moving on its own will. Her mind was logical; this would be the safest future for her. But in her heart she knew she didn’t want safe. She wanted adventure, danger, love. All the things she got whenever she was with Sesshomaru.
Closing her eyes, she clutched onto the front of her blouse over her heart before falling back onto the bed. ‘Sesshomaru... I’m so sorry.’ She forced her tears back. She had had enough of crying. It was time to take action. To keep her father alive, she would have to give up everything she had fallen in love with. The open air, the stars, the adventure. She didn’t know how she was going to face little Rin. She would be devastated. Lyra knew she was going to miss Jaken as well. But she had no idea what she was going to say to Sesshomaru.
What was his reaction going to be? What would he say? Would he say anything at all? Would he be angry? Sad? What was she even going to say to him? Goodbye, Sesshomaru, but I’m never coming back and don’t come after me?
Suddenly, it hit her. What would the future of the feudal era be if she left? Her last vision concerning that thought showed a world full of destruction. Had that future changed at all now that she was marrying Kanda? Concentrating hard, she made her body relax to try an envision the future. She was soon taken over by the view of that world. Everything looked so serene and calm. There were no signs of destruction and no signs of Naraku.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. If she married Kanda, everything would be well. The world she loved would be safe and everyone here would be happy. It was a sacrifice well worth making. She sat up again. Her decision was made.
***
The next morning, Lyra had showered and packed everything she needed to take to the hotel. She received a call from Kanda that he was on his way to pick them up, so before he arrived, Lyra had something she needed to do. She went to Renji's room and knocked on the door. He opened it, clearly surprised to see her standing there.
“Lyra... Is everything okay?” he asked with concern.
“Everything’s fine,” she answered quietly. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Renji was taken aback by her action but hugged her back. “Lyra?”
“I’m sorry, dad,” she whispered. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore. I know what you’re doing is for my best so I don’t want to be angry.”
He smiled sadly at her words. “You have no reason to apologise. I know I’ve been harsh on you. What can I say? I’m selfish.”
She let go of him and shook her head. “It’s not selfish to see your daughter be safe. After the engagement I want to go back to the feudal era...to say my goodbyes.”
“I understand.”
Lyra breathed out softly and smiled. “Kanda is on his way. Are you ready to go?”
It wasn’t long before Kanda arrived. He helped them pack everything into his car before they set off. The hotel was quite a distance away but the journey there was filled with conversation. Lyra sat at the back so Renji and Kanda could talk properly with her joining in here and there. She would always catch Kanda stealing glances at her through the rear view mirror though but she would pretend she didn’t notice.
After arriving at the hotel, Lyra was in complete awe at the place. It was like stepping into a palace. The lobby area literally sparkled with it's golden marble floors and warm atmosphere. Looking up, she saw the biggest chandelier she had ever laid her eyes on. It wasn’t a traditional shaped chandelier but a more modern rectangular shape. It was still just as glamorous. As she became lost in the grandeur of the hotel, Kanda and Renji got everything checked in as the bellboy took all her things up to her room.
“Lyra!”
She jumped back into reality before turning to see Kimi running towards her. Before Lyra, and Kanda for that matter, could even protest, she was whisked away by the bouncing ball of energy. She tried to catch glimpses of as much of the hotel as possible as she got taken to the nearest elevator. The doors themselves looked as though they were made of gold, and as they stepped inside, it was just more gold. As beautiful as it all was, the gold only reminded of her Sesshomaru’s eyes. All the times she had lost herself in those pools of liquid gold.
“So, mom's booked you the deluxe imperial suite,” Kimi informed her, pulling Lyra out of her daydream. “You’re gonna love it. Just rest for now and order whatever room service you want to. You probably won’t get any rest tonight so make the most of it.”
“That sounds perfect,” she smiled. “Do you think you could help me get ready later?”
“Of course!” Kimi replied ecstatically.
When they arrived at the suite, Lyra's eyes almost popped out of her skull. The room was huge. She could probably fit her whole house in there. There was a king size bed with a large TV on the opposite wall and a luxury couch beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The golden tone plush carpeting felt like clouds under her feet as she took her shoes off to explore more of the room. All of her things were already in the room, her dress hanging in its own dedicated wardrobe space. The bathroom was a complete spa retreat with a walk in wet room which had a rainforest shower. It was so much more than she could ever imagine.
Lyra sighed out in amazement. “This is...”
“I know,” Kimi giggled.
After Kimi left, Lyra continued to explore the room checking out the TV and the wardrobes before going back into the bathroom. It had its own hair dryer, straightener and curler and there were fluffy towels and bath robes. There was even a special gold silky robe as well. Throughout the next couple of hours, she had random visits from people.
Kasai came to check on her, making sure she had everything she needed. Even telling her to order room service whenever she wanted. Renji came to check on her as well, becoming stunned by her room. His room was amazing itself but Lyra's room was obviously special. For the next hour, she was free from any visits so she spent the time laying on the huge bed. It was so soft and cosy, making her own bed to seem like a bed of rocks. Eventually Kimi had arrived to start getting her ready. However, just before they could begin, there was another knock at the door. Kimi breathed out in frustration before going to answer the door whilst Lyra tried to take a peak at who was there.
“What are you doing here? Lyra needs to start getting ready and you can’t see her yet. Shoo!”
“Come on, Kimi,” came Kanda's amused tone. “It’s not like it’s the wedding day. I’ll be quick, I promise.”
“Fine.” Kimi turned to Lyra. “I’ll be back soon.”
She left the room allowing Kanda to enter. He closed the door behind him before walking towards Lyra, his eyes roaming around the room. He would be getting ready later on since all he really had to do was put on a suit. He was also carrying a small bag but she didn’t question it.
“Wow. My room looks like a basement compared to this,” he joked.
Lyra laughed softly. “It’s really beautiful.”
He stopped in front of her and smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Never better. And you?”
“Couldn’t be happier. Your dad gave me the talk earlier," he told her.
She cringed slightly. "How was it?"
"The most frightening moment of my life,” he admitted as she laughed. He then took her hand, walking to the large windows. “Look. You can see the imperial palace from here.”
She looked out of the window before letting out a gasp. “Oh, wow! I can’t believe I missed that!” she said, her entire face lighting up with her smile.
Kanda viewed the palace before gazing at Lyra, his smile instantly growing upon seeing her own. After getting her fill of seeing the palace, she looked back up at him, feeling a bit embarrassed at the way he was looking at her.
He quickly let out an awkward cough. “I have something to give you. It's a gift from my family.”
“What is it?”
He took out a small box from the bag and gave it to her. She opened it up to see a set of diamond earrings. The diamonds shone and sparkled causing Lyra to almost let out a gasp. They were for her to wear for the party.
“Uh, I also got you a gift,” he told her, lifting up the small bag.
She tilted her head. “You really didn’t have to, Kanda.”
“I wanted to,” he shrugged. “Close your eyes.”
She laughed quietly and did just that. He lead her to the dressing table, making her face the mirror. He pulled out the other box and opened it. Lyra had no idea what to expect but soon felt something light on her neck. ‘A necklace...’ Kanda pushed his hands under her hair and closed the clasp to secure it.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Lyra opened her eyes to see the most beautiful necklace which now adorned her neck. Blinking a couple of times in awe, her lips parted slightly but no words came out. She lightly touched the pendant with the tips of her fingers.
“I love it,” she finally managed to say.
Kanda smiled with relief. “I thought of you the moment I saw it.”
Lyra smiled at his reflection. “Really?”
“Of course.”
He suddenly surprised her by wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. He looked at her in the mirror but she averted his gaze.
He continued, speaking in a softer tone. “Elegant. Stunning. Simple yet striking. Things you can only see if you take a closer look. Charming and sophisticated. A true beauty.”
Lyra couldn’t stop her cheeks from heating up at what he was saying. “You’re giving me too much credit,” she said in a more serious tone now meeting his gaze in the mirror.
“Not enough.”
“Thank you, Kanda.” She put on a smile, putting her arms over his. “I didn’t get you anything though.”
“You’ve already given me a gift.”
She furrowed her brows slightly in confusion. “I have?”
He let go of her before turning her around to face him. “You, Lyra.”
There was an odd and uncomfortable feeling in her heart and it was spreading throughout her entire body. Guilt. Guilt for hiding everything from Sesshomaru and guilt for not telling Kanda the truth. She wished she could love him the way he deserved because she knew she didn’t deserve his love for her. But she had to try.
She smiled, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his chest. Kanda's heart fluttered. It was so simple but it meant so much. He hugged her back, holding her body close to his and kissing the top of her head. Lyra closed her eyes, allowing her to relax in the comfort of his arms. She had to forget about Sesshomaru.
“I lied, Kanda,” Lyra suddenly spoke.
“About what?”
She pulled out of the hug and looked up into his eyes. “I have got a gift for you.”
A curious expression appeared on his face. “Really? What is it?”
“Close your eyes,” she said, repeating his own words from moments before.
“Okay.”
He smiled, closing his eyes wondering what she had got for him. He was quite confused because she said she hasn’t got him anything just before. Then he suddenly knew what it was. He felt her hands gently hold his jaw, bringing him down. His lips were soon captured by her own as she kissed him deeply. He was a little shocked but he was quick to regain his composure again. Moving his hands to hold her waist, he returned the kiss. The passion grew between them as they shared their first real kiss.
A knock at the door put an abrupt end to their moment and they both slowly parted. He pressed his forehead to hers, viewing the expression on her face as she kept her eyes closed.
“That gift...was perfect,” he whispered.
She smiled and looked up at him. “I’m glad.”
There was another knock at the door but this time it was more frantic. Kanda let go of her to open the door, only to find Kimi.
“Time’s up, bro!"
Kanda sighed and turned back to Lyra. “I’ll see you later.”
Before Lyra could respond, Kimi pulled her brother out of the room causing him to almost lose his balance. He didn’t have the chance to scold her as she shut the door in his face. Lyra laughed, shaking her head at the two. Kimi giggled and hit the play button on the stereo system, filling the room with music.
“Let’s get started.”
***
It took almost two hours but Lyra was finally ready and Kimi had just left to get ready herself. Lyra sat on the stool in front of the dressing table looking at herself in the mirror. She almost didn’t recognise herself. Honestly, she had to admit that she did look incredibly stunning, almost able to pass off as a model. But the woman staring back at her wasn’t Lyra.
Her hair was styled into Hollywood waves. She wore dark red lips to match her dress giving her a sultry pout. Her eyes were softly smoked out with subtle glitter and fluttery eyelashes that gave her a natural smoulder. Through the power of contour and highlight, her face seemed more chiselled than normal. She wouldn’t be surprised if Kanda thought she was an imposter.
‘It will look more natural in the photos. The flash washes out some of the makeup' Kimi had told her. If Lyra could, she would take everything off and do her makeup and hair her own way. A simple yet glamorous look. But if this made Kanda's family and her father happy, then so be it. That was all the justification she needed. She still loved the dress though. It hugged her figure perfectly and she felt so glamorous.
There was a knock at the door. “Lyra?” It was Kimi.
Lyra got up and went to open the door. “Wow! I love your dress, Kimi. You look great.”
“Aw, thank you, Lyra! Come on. It's time to go!”
Lyra closed her room door and followed Kimi to the elevator before they went to the floor where the party was being held. When they arrived outside the hall, the doors were still closed. There was a huge sign written in fancy calligraphy reading ‘Kanda and Lyra's Engagement'. A doorman stood to the side, keeping professional to his post.
“You just have to go through these doors,” Kimi told her.
Lyra looked at her, confused. “Don’t I have to wait for Kanda? I thought we were meant to walk in together.”
Kimi suddenly laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “There’s been a slight change of plan. Just go in and trust me. Everything will make sense.”
Before Lyra could question her for more information, Kimi ran off leaving her standing there alone. She smiled, shaking her head and faced towards the doors. She did not have the faintest clue what to expect. She looked at the doorman hoping to get some sort of answer but he just shrugged in response. ‘Where is Kanda anyway? Oh well...’
The doorman opened one of the large doors, allowing her in. The room was pretty dark as she walked in, causing her to think there was some sort of mistake. She heard the door close behind her making her look back before she was suddenly startled by a bright light. She held her hand up to shield her eyes in surprise, realising it was a spotlight directly on her. There was still no other sound but she could smell roses.
Then, another spotlight came on and Lyra could see only one other person. Kanda. She smiled but still looked confused before she was surprised again. A walkway appeared before her, lights on the ground simultaneously lighting up as if leading the way to him. She could see the red rose petals also scattered on the path. That explained why she could smell the scent of roses. She looked at Kanda again who had the softest smile on his face. Following the lights, she walked towards him, her smile never faltering. Once she reached him, he took hold of both of her hands, squeezing them gently as his eyes stayed locked on hers.
“Wow..” he breathed out. “You look...beautiful. Even that isn't enough to describe how breathtaking you are.”
“Thank you.” Lyra blushed, smiling shyly but her smile was still bright. “Kanda, what-... You never told me about this.”
Kanda chuckled. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“You're always giving me the best surprises.”
“You deserve to be spoiled, Lyra. And I want to tell you something. A year ago, I was on my way to work one day and for some reason I accidentally took a wrong turn and I just so happened to walk by a jewellery store. Through the window I happened to see the most stunning thing of all. I was late for work but I still walked into that shop. For you, Lyra.”
Lyra was stunned to hear him admitting everything to her. She remembered the day he first entered her workplace but she didn’t know that fact at all. Their eyes were still focused on each other as she continued to listen to him intently.
“You took my breath away,” he said. “And all you were doing was talking to another customer. Yet you were the most beautiful thing in that store. And your smile... God, your smile. I remember you coming up to me and the first words you said were ‘is there anything I can help you with, sir?’. I’ve been asked that so many times before but when you spoke to me, I became a blubbering mess.”
Lyra laughed at the memory. “I remember.”
His smile grew wider. “It felt like just yesterday but it's been a year since then. Even your name was beautiful. And don’t worry, I read it on your name tag," he teased. Lyra blushed in embarrassment remembering how freaked out she got when he said her name. Kanda chuckled before continuing. “I was grateful for that wrong turn because it lead me to you. Since that day, I would always take that wrong turn hoping for just another glimpse of you. Since that day, I would purchase jewellery for my mom and sister just so I could be served by you. Since that day, I had been working up the courage to speak to you more. Then one day, you weren’t there. I still visited all the time though hoping you would return.”
Lyra kept her smile but inside she knew that was the time she had fallen into the well.
“It was during that time I had learned about this pact between our grandfathers. I felt like I won the lottery,” he admitted. “Now I had no choice but to speak to you more. The next day, you had returned. And then...”
Lyra reached her hand up and cupped his cheek. “And then that’s when you asked me out for lunch,” she completed for him.
He gave a single nod. “There’s a reason I’m telling you all of this right now. You stole my heart before I even knew about this two generations old agreement. And you agreed to it. It's an arranged marriage. Very traditional. But I want you to forget about the pact.”
“What?” Lyra whispered, her brows furrowing slightly.
“Lyra.”
He took hold of the hand which was upon his cheek before going down on one knee. Lyra's eyes widened a little as she looked at him in shock. He gazed up at her, letting go of her hand and pulling out a small black box from his pocket. He opened it up to reveal the largest diamond ring she had ever seen. But her eyes went straight back to Kanda's.
“I’m asking you for myself now. Lyra Akiyama, will you marry me?”
Lyra felt her heart beating hard and fast as she looked at Kanda's hopeful face. But all she could hear were the words Sesshomaru had spoken to her echoing in her mind.
‘I want to spend my life with you. My father asked me before his death if I had someone to protect. I told him I had no need to protect anyone. And now... Now I have someone I want to protect. My heart yearns for you when you are not with me. When I was searching for you, I was angry for failing you. I realise I took you for granted. Nothing is worth anything without you. Nothing is worth losing you.’
It felt as though a lifetime had passed by in the silence but in reality, it was only a second. A single tear fell from her eye, rolling down her cheek. Lyra slowly breathed in, forcing herself to shut all of that out. She looked at Kanda with resolve and smiled.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Kanda smiled brightly, his whole face lighting up as he pulled the ring from the box. Taking her hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger. As soon as he stood back up, he enveloped Lyra into a hug, lifting her up and spinning her around. She let out a surprised scream before he put her back down again.
Just then, the main lights in the room began turning on one by one and Lyra was met by another surprise. The entire room became filled with cheers and applause as everyone celebrated their engagement. Everyone had been standing in the darkness in complete silence for that entire time. She could see her father, Kanda's family, all their friends and a bunch of other people filling the space of the grand hall. Lyra looked at Kanda.
“That was a bold move,” she laughed. “What if had said no?”
“I was feeling lucky.”
He smiled, his arms still around her waist as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Her hands rested on his chest as she returned the kiss before they separated. Their families had swarmed them to give hugs and blessings. Then the party started.
There was a live orchestra in the corner of the room playing soft melodies whilst everyone mingled. There was also a bar on one end of the hall for drinks. Not only was there a food table but waiters and waitresses walked around the room serving canapés and champagne. It was a really sophisticated party. The hall was huge, the most beautiful chandelier hanging from the high ceiling and reflecting off the marble floor. A professional photographer came over to take pictures of the couple and Kasai wanted to publish their photo in the paper with an announcement of their engagement.
Kanda and Lyra stayed together most of the time as the guests came over to talk to them. Lyra's friends continued their squealing, all talking over one another and admiring her ring. It pretty much took up the entire width of her finger and she could feel the weight of it. She had worked with jewellery long enough to know that it was a 7 carat diamond. It probably cost more than all the money she had earned in her life. Ever.
The party felt it had been going on forever. As it got later, the older guests began to leave to return home. Even Kanda's parents left and so did Renji. After a while, Kimi had left as well because she was feeling tired. The vibe of the party became less sophisticated and felt more like a club. The lights had dimmed slightly and the orchestra had packed up. The air was filled with more upbeat music and all the younger guests were treating it like it was senior prom night. A bunch of people were already drunk and others were dancing.
“Hey, doctor!” One of his friends who was clearly a little drunk approached them. “Can’t you leave her side for a second? Come on! Let's party!”
Lyra laughed whilst Kanda seemed embarrassed. But she could see his friends were waiting for him and her friends were waiting for her. They had been literally stuck together for the whole night.
“Go on, Kanda,” she told him. “I’m going to be with my friends anyway.”
“Okay. But if you feel tired at any point, let me know and I’ll escort you back to your room.”
She shook her head with a quiet laugh whilst playfully pushing him in the direction of his friends. “Just go.”
His friend had already grabbed his arm and dragged him away so Lyra found her way to her friends who were standing and drinking at the bar. One of them handed her a glass of champagne before raising her own to a toast.
“To the future Mrs Lyra Hideki. And to Lyra for also bringing Kanda into our lives so we can stare at him all we want,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.
Another friend elbowed her side. “You can’t say that. He’s taken!”
Lyra laughed, shaking her head. “It’s alright. I give you all permission.”
They all cheered in unison. They then spent some time simply talking, laughing and joking, which helped to kill some time. Kanda seemed to be having fun too with his friends at the other end of the hall. Almost an hour had passed by as Lyra and her friends caught up on the latest gossip. It was even more funny that all of her friends were slightly drunk as well with one of them calling the bartender to get a whole bunch of shots ready.
“Hey, Lyra. Join us on the shots,” one of them said. “You never come out to drink with us.”
Lyra smiled and shook her head. “No, you girls go ahead. I don’t like to drink that stuff.”
Just as she finished speaking, she heard someone scoff behind her. They all turned to the direction of where it came from to see a group of women staring at Lyra with disgust. They looked like a group of stuck up models, looking at Lyra as if she was a piece of gum they accidentally stepped on.
One of them smirked. “Yeah, she’s pretty. But that’s who Kanda settled for?”
“I know,” another one joined. “When I heard he was getting engaged, I just had to come and see who the girl was. Gotta say I’m disappointed.”
“She seems so...blah. She’s not even drinking. I never thought Kanda would choose someone so...boring.”
Lyra didn’t say anything but she couldn’t help but feel offended by what they were saying about her. Her friends instantly came to her defence, arguing back at the group of women but Lyra simply turned on her heel. She was now facing the bar and her eyes instantly found the shot glasses waiting to be drank. She suddenly pushed past her friends and grabbed one of the shot glasses before downing it. Her friends gasped in horror.
The liquid was pure and incredibly strong. It burned down her throat but she went for the next one. And the next. And the next. And the next until she downed 10 in a row. Each one caused her vision to distort more and more, already making her tipsy. Her friends tried to stop her but Lyra simply pushed them away. She had to prove that she wasn’t boring to those women. Holding onto the bar to keep her balance because it felt like the room was spinning sideways, she searched for more. Because she never drank so much usually, the vodka had affected her quickly.
Her friends watched in complete aghast as Lyra tried to reach over the bar to grab some of the bottles behind the counter. One of her friends grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Lyra, stop! You’ve had enough!”
Lyra looked at her, her eyes hazy as she frowned. “No! Nonono! Just leave me alone,” she said, her words sounding all slurred.
She shook her head trying to get out of her friend’s grip, but even her movements were sloppy. Once she was free, she turned to face the group of women. They were looking at her with both amusement and disgust. Lyra began laughing before almost toppling over but she quickly balanced herself.
“You- You think I’m boring, orcs?!”
She laughed again as they suddenly looked offended. Even though she was standing still, the room was spinning in all different directions. She slowly reached down to hold onto the ground to make sure it actually wasn’t moving but her ass was still in the air. The group of women giggled whilst her friends were all shocked.
“Holy shit I’m doing yoga,” she laughed before falling sideways onto the floor. “The floor is moving, guys! The floor is moving!”
She started to get up again, stopping every few seconds to balance herself because the floor was wobbling under her feet. Once she was back up, she made her way to the bar again and grabbed a bottle before taking a drink from it. However, it was empty. She growled in frustration and grabbed a different one, this time taking a few swigs from it as the alcohol dripped from the corners of her lips. She walked away from the bar but kept tripping up. Her friends were shocked she hadn’t broken the bottle.
“It's these friggin' heels.”
She pushed the bottle into one of her friend’s hands forcing her to hold onto it. Grabbing her arm for balance, Lyra took off her shoes and threw them aside somewhere. Snatching the bottle back, she began walking towards the group of women who were too curious to leave. Her feet kept getting caught under her dress causing her to fall to the ground. She fell on her knees, holding herself up with her free hand.
“I saved the bottle it’s okay, guys.”
After getting up, whilst stumbling a few times in the process, she somehow made it to the group of girls. They all let out gasps as Lyra went to the woman who called her boring and began forcing the bottle to her lips.
“Here drink up. Drink up.”
The woman frowned and tried to push Lyra away but was too disgusted to even touch her. The scene now made Lyra’s group of friends giggle in amusement. Lyra suddenly tipped the bottle upside down, causing all the alcohol to fall all over the woman’s face and down her dress. The woman let out a squeal and a cry, now forcibly pushing the bottle away from her. Lyra lost her grip and the bottle smashed to the ground.
“Oh no!” Lyra gasped dramatically. “You psycho. Look what you made me do.”
The woman glared at Lyra before sobbing at her ruined dress. Because the music was still fairly loud, not many people heard the commotion. Including Kanda. Since the hall was so large and the bar was on the opposite side to where he was standing and talking, he didn’t hear anything. Plus, his back was turned to that direction. However, his friend standing beside him just happened to think about getting another drink and so looked in that direction, surprised by what he was seeing.
“Hey, Kanda,” he called, slapping Kanda's arm with the back of his hand. “You never told us the missus was a drinker.”
Kanda became confused. “Lyra’s not-" He looked at his friend before following his gaze. “Oh no...”
He could see Lyra toppling sideways and tripping on her way to the bar. He watched, completely dumbfounded at what was happening. Suddenly, he saw that her shoes had been thrown on the floor and there was broken glass everywhere.
Lyra finally made it to the bar again and tried to climb over it to try and reach another bottle, her legs dangling over the edge. Just as she got it, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her off the top of the bar. Lyra grinned brightly.
“Oh hi, Kanda baby,” she giggled. “Are you okay?”
He sighed deeply. “I’m fine, Lyra. Are you okay?”
She made a ‘pfft’ sound. “I’m a-okay,” she winked. “Are you okay?”
Kanda furrowed his brows at her with a frown. “It’s time to go. The party’s over,” he said sternly, gripping onto both of her arms to keep her standing.
Lyra whined and shook her head. “No no no I don’t want to go!” she whined trying to get him to let go of her.
“It’s time to go,” he repeated. His tone had become more stern but he was just worried about her.
She frowned up at him sadly with a pout. “Don’t be angry at me, baby. Here. Have a drink.”
She pressed the mouth of the bottle to his lips but Kanda tried to push it away whilst trying not to hurt her at the same time as trying to keep her upright. The room had become silent as the rest of the guests watched what was happening. Even the music had stopped. Lyra didn’t make it easy though as she continued to push the bottle onto his lips. Soon, Kanda had had enough.
“Lyra!” he shouted, his voice booming and echoing around the hall.
She jumped and gasped in fright at the anger in his voice. But Kanda wasn’t angry. He was worried. He knew what kind of people came to these parties. Gossipers. The news of Lyra's drunken state would spread with some people making their own renditions of the story. He yanked the bottle out of her hands and placed it on the bar. Lyra remained staring at Kanda's face, trying to see if he was still angry. However, he didn’t look at her. He knew that if he did, he would lose his composure. Lyra wasn’t that type of person and he knew someone had either spiked her drink or put her up to it. And he was going to find out exactly what happened.
But first he had to control the situation. Lyra let out a squeak as Kanda suddenly lifted her up bridal style. One of her friends brought over her shoes and put them in his hand before he turned to face the crowd.
“Uh... Thank you all for coming and making this day even more special,” he said awkwardly. “The party is over. Goodnight.”
As he walked towards the door, Lyra looked back at the group of women who had started all of it. She stuck her tongue out at them before giving them the middle finger, causing all of them to gasp in unison. Lyra laughed and kicked her legs about as Kanda carried her out of the room to the elevator. While waiting for the elevator, she rested her head on his shoulder resting both her hands in her lap. Kanda glanced down at her. Even in her drunken state, she still managed to make him smile.
Once they entered the elevator, Lyra gazed up at Kanda. He was looking straight ahead though, not noticing that she was staring at him. But it wasn’t Kanda who Lyra could see. ‘Sesshomaru...’ Kanda became surprised as he suddenly felt her lips kissing along his jaw. She cupped his cheek to turn his face towards her before she pressed her lips to his. Her kiss was passionate straight away but as much as Kanda wished to kiss her back, he didn’t want to take advantage of her. Yes, they had already shared their first kiss but Lyra was in control of her actions then. She wasn't in control now. He abruptly turned his head away before looking straight ahead again.
“Stop it, Lyra,” he told her as they reached their floor and he walked out.
Still, all Lyra could see and hear was Sesshomaru. She pouted with a tired sigh before dropping her head back onto his shoulder. But instead of Kanda's muscular shoulder, she could feel Sesshomaru’s mokomoko.
“So fluffy,” she mumbled.
Kanda had to hold back his chuckle so he didn’t disturb her. She seemed to be finally falling asleep. He made it to her room and with great difficulty, he managed to open the door. After closing the door behind him and taking off his shoes, he dropped her shoes somewhere on the floor before carrying her to the bed. He used his foot to open up the duvet and carefully lay her down. He covered her with the duvet and then turned off the main lights so the room was left with a subtle warm atmosphere.
Lyra had completely dozed off and Kanda breathed out heavily. He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, gently pushing her hair away from her face. Even in her sleep, he couldn’t believe how angelic she looked.
“I know it’s been a long couple of days, Lyra,” he spoke quietly. “You’re not used to this sort of lifestyle. I’m sorry. But I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He leaned down and placed a kiss to her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
He turned down the brightness of the lamp before getting up to leave. But he was stopped as Lyra grabbed hold of his wrist. She was still asleep but she began mumbling.
“Kanda... Please don’t leave me...”
He was surprised by her request but he soon smiled. He put her hand down before unclasping her hand from his wrist.
“I’ll stay,” he told her.
He didn’t know if she heard him but she seemed more at ease. He went to the wardrobe and found an extra pillow and duvet. He went over to the luxury style couch and placed them down. After taking off his blazer, tie, cufflinks and watch, he loosened the top few buttons of his shirt before making himself comfortable on the couch. Even though there was still so much space left on the king size bed, Kanda wasn’t going to do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable. At least he was still in the same room as her so he could make sure she was safe during the night. With a smile, thinking about the day, he closed his eyes.
“Goodnight, Lyra.”
(I feel so sorry for Kanda! TnT
And how did I write over 10,000 words in just a couple of days?! It takes me months to do 10,000 for an essay!)