the dara to my cl; the chan to my baek. the wow to my me 2. the 100 to my 80. the WHY THE FUCK YOU to my ALWAYS LYIN mMM! and most of all, the ghiblis, to my jaeiin. Dedicated to my lovely Lealea, I love you to no end.
— Chapter 11 —
Wedding Bells
My alarm clock rang seemingly louder than it ever has before. I flinched and pushed my hands to my ears with my comforter. Couldn't I just sleep in after a long week of hard work, studying and designing the host club's cosplay? Didn't seem like this was the case.
"Errrrr," I grumbled, wanting to smash that alarm clock more and more as it persisted. I couldn't stand how irritating the sound was, so I finally made every attempt to jam my eyes open and slam the off button on the alarm clock.
I wondered why on earth I'd set my alarm at such an early hour, but then remembered the fact that Fuyumi's wedding was taking place in what seemed to be only a few hours.
I yawned and stretched, and then rushed to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and do whatever it is that I usually do in the morning to get ready.
Fuyumi told me that she already had the dress prepared for me to wear, so I pulled on whatever was clean, grabbed my bag, and sat and waited on the steps. Kyouya had said he'd pick me up, as well as the other hosts. As I cupped my hands to my mouth to make them warmer, I could see my breath creating a small cloud and drifting away. Winter was pretty much here already; there just wasn't snow yet.
And then the limo pulled up. I hopped inside to see the host club sleeping. To my surprise, every one of them had their eyes closed. I half-expected beforehand that they would be as awake as they were when I met Fuyumi for the first time, but I couldn't blame them. I sighed and figured that I might as well have taken a nap, too. I shut the door, leaned my head against the window, and closed my eyes, picturing what the host club would look like in the suits. Well, suits and a dress, in my case. I drifted off to sleep.
"Welcome!" Fuyumi smiled, brimming with happiness as she opened up one of the huge pairs of double doors. You'd think she was a host club member for a second, with the way she had both of her hands held out.
She was in a white robe. A few maids where behind her, phoning stylists and making sure the wedding dress was not altered in any negative way. Haruhi and the rest of the host club where somewhere else in the Ootori estate getting dressed in their suits while I was the only one out of the group that was going to be a bridesmaid.
"Hiroshi-chan, are you ready to be fitted?" she asked excitedly. But it didn't really look like I had a choice since two maids had already grabbed me and dragged me into a dressing room!
"Gah!" I yelled in shock.
Without hesitation, when the doors closed, they pushed me into a cubicle and handed me the dress that the bridesmaids would be wearing.
"Miss Katou, please disrobe and try the dress on. We'd like to see how it fits on you," one of the maids said.
I looked down at the strapless dress in my arms, and I quickly slipped into it. The other maid had helped zip and button the back of it. "It looks great on you, Miss Katou," she smiled. I looked down. It fit me perfectly! Fuyumi really guessed the correct size surprisingly well.
"No adjustments needed!" she said with a sigh of relief. "Miss Katou, it's time to style your hair and do your makeup!"
Another lady walked into the dressing room; she wore some sort of black apron and had an entire cart of supplies. I assumed she was both the hair stylist and the makeup person since I spotted scissors, bottles of product and tons of supplies somewhere in that cart of hers.
Before I knew it I was spun around in a chair and staring myself straight in the mirror. The stylist was right there, smiling. "How are you doing today, Miss Katou?"
"I'm all right, and you could just call me Hiroshi, if you want,"
"So Miss Katou,"
I guessed she would be addressing me as a miss either way.
"Miss Ootori would like your hair to be styled this way," she continued and held up a picture of a model. Her hair was curled and parted in such an elegant way. She first used some sort of special curling wand to create the soft waves in my hair, and then straightening my side bangs yet giving just a tiny bit of volume. She then took two sections of my hair from the front and secured them in the back with a bobby pin. For the final touch, she added in a hair accessory very similar to the shape of a butterfly.
Before I even had a second to get a glance of how it looked, the lady seemed to have transformed from a hair stylist to a make-up person, applying eyeliner and just a bit of mascara. She applied the rest in small amounts. The thing I like about this lady was that she didn't put make-up on someone to the point where they looked like a clown or some goth person. But maybe it's because I don't really care too much for makeup.
They strapped a pair of shoes on me that had low heels, which I was extremely grateful for. I mean, me? Being able to walk in heels with ease? Not likely.
One maid took my hand and guided me towards a huge full-length mirror. I looked up.
"Gah!" I shouted in shock for the second time in the day as I looked at myself.
"You look amazing!" the other maid smiled.
"Uh," I gulped. "I-I guess this look is certainly different," I said. That was the best description I could come up with. It wasn't bad, but I didn't quite see it as a positive thing, either. I felt so odd, looking much more feminine than I usually did. That is, if I even looked feminine at all.
"Miss Katou, you can come out when you're ready. The other bridesmaids will be waiting," said the maids, and walked out of the dressing room. I took a deep breath and looked at myself again.
"Hiroshi-chan,"
I immediately recognized Fuyumi's voice and turned around to find her in her elegant, flowing white dress.
"Fuyumi! You look gorgeous!" I couldn't help but stare in amazement at her aura.
She completely disregarded my statement as a huge smile stretched across her face.
"Gah! You look so adorable! Kyaaaa!" she exclaimed, and giving both of my cheeks a pinch.
"Uhhr," I muttered. I couldn't talk clearly; I sounded like I had food stuffed in my cheeks or something.
We sat on the sofa in the dressing room.
"So where are the rest of the bridesmaids? Where did they get ready?" I asked.
"Each of them have their own dressing room."
"Oh, I see," I began, shocked at the fact that the Ootori family had enough money to have such a wedding. I continued nonetheless. "I've never been to a wedding before. Any pointers?" I asked.
"Well, you should be confident for one thing. I don't think you should appear embarrassed or shy."
"I guess that's true,"
"And also, groomsmen usually accompany bridesmaids down the aisle in pairs."
I gulped, hoping that maybe Fuyumi hadn't picked a certain someone to accompany me.
"You'll be accompanied by Kyouya," she smiled.
"Really?" I asked. I pressed my hand to my forehead.
There was a pause, and then the smile on Fuyumi's face became a warm one.
"You know, Hiroshi," she began, reaching over and taking my hand. "Maybe it's just me, but ever since Kyouya met you, he seems to have changed a bit,"
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that, well, I see a smile on his face much more often now than I did before. I think it has to do with you, Hiroshi-chan,"
I quickly became embarrassed and attempted to pass it off as a slight joke, laughing half-heartedly. "Nah, it probably has to do with something else,"
She giggled. "I'm kind of nervous too. It was a marriage arranged by my father. You see, Mamoru comes from a very wealthy family as well."
"I didn't know this was an arranged marriage,"
She laughed. "I'm just lucky that I had the privilege to get married to a guy like Mamoru. He's been my best friend ever since I can remember," she blushed and smiled.
"Wow, so the two of you are childhood friends?"
"We sure are," she smiled sweetly. "I've always had a small crush on him, but didn't dare tell him that I'd fallen in love with him until much later,"
"Miss Ootori,"
She turned her head to the person standing in the door. "Yes?"
"It's time now,"
She smiled. "Well, Hiroshi, I'll see you out there!"
I wished her good luck, I walked out as soon as she did to find the rest of the host club; dressed in their suits. My jaw dropped. "Whoa, all of you look great," I smiled, jogging up to them as quickly as my heels would allow.
"So do you, Hiro-chan!" Hani-senpai giggled.
Mori smiled. "Hm,"
"You look really great, Hiroshi!" Haruhi stood in front of me, smiling. I blinked and started to laugh.
"Dang, Haruhi. You look so attractive as a boy that I just might have a crush on you," I joked.
"Hah! Well I'm flattered," she laughed.
"Oh, my little girl is so pretty!" Tamaki-senpai exclaimed, running up to me. He squeezed me to half to death, as Hikaru and Kaoru were doing.
"Hiroshi," started Kyouya as Tamaki and the twins finally allowed me to breathe. "I believe I am to escort you down the aisle."
"Oh, right. Fuyumi told me,"
Six additional bridesmaids walked out from their separate dressing rooms to greet us. They were assigned to each member of the host club.
Kyouya and I hooked arms, as did each of the other pairs. "Are you nervous?"
"I'm walking down an aisle for the first time in my life. Of course I'm nervous."
Instead of that horrid, cheesy 'here comes the bride' song playing on an organ, I heard soft and heart-warming music being played on the piano. It was so pretty that my heart practically felt like it was melting.
From the corner of my eye, I could make out Kyouya staring at me and smiling.
I sighed. "What is it?" I roughly whispered.
He only smirked and turned his head forward again. I blushed and turned my head away as well, wondering what a jerk face like him was thinking.
From the looks of it, Mamoru Shido seemed like a great guy for Fuyumi. I didn't get to know him that well at the rehearsal dinner, but anyone could see how much he loved her just by seeing the way he looked at her.
The ceremony wasn't too long, which I was grateful for since all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen needed to stand for the entire time.
The reception took place in yet another huge mansion-like building. It was larger than Kyouya's house and the building we went to for the rehearsal dinner combined (if that was even possible).
After eating, couples had gone onto the dance floor. The only word that could best describe the setting was fairytale-like. The music, the warm light, the big chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, everything.
I couldn't help but want to be part of it, but just decided to appreciate the scenery since I didn't really even have anyone to dance with. I couldn't go out there by myself and just stand there, now, could I?
"Hiroshi,"
I turned around to find Kyouya, bowing, his hand held out.
"What are you doing, Senpai?"
He looked up at me. "May I have this dance?" he asked.
I had horrible coordination, let alone being able to make an attempt at ballroom dancing. I hesitated, but thought about whether or not I'd be able to be a part of something like this again.
"Why not," I sighed, taking his hand.
We twirled in circles around the dance floor along with the other couples.
"Hey," he began.
I looked up. His face was right in front of mine. My face felt as if it were burning up. I furrowed my brow. "What now?"
He smiled. It was a sincere smile. No sign of a smirk, and no sign of flirtatiousness seemingly intended. My face temperature raised for yet a second time.
"You look beautiful tonight."
My eyes widened in shock. I looked down immediately. "Not really,"
"I mean it."
I gulped. "Oh, shut it,"
He tilted my chin up and stared into my eyes. "Hiroshi Katou, I believe I said that you look beautiful tonight,"
"Er, thanks," I replied awkwardly, continuing to dance with him as I pulled his hand down from my face.
I wondered for a split second if Kyouya was only doing this stuff to practice for the host club guests.
Couples began to look out the window.
"It's gorgeous!"
"Whoa!"
"Would you look at that!"
"What are they talking about?" I asked, looking to Kyouya-senpai with confusion.
"Why don't we find out?"
"Sure,"
Kyouya and I walked over to see everything outside covered in white.
"Oh, that's what it was," I smiled. "Snow,"
Snow was one of my favorite things about winter. Everything looked so pure when covered in it.
"How pretty," I said, gazing out of the window.
It was snowing; it was finally snowing.
Kyouya-senpai blankly stared, but he eventually exhaled and smiled in return. "It sure is,"