It had been a while since my friends gathered, and the reason was because of an invitation.
In fact, we had already received one a long time ago. I had respectfully kept that invitation at home. There wasn’t really any other way to store it. I had no reason to throw it away.
The invitation we received back then was like a “pre-announcement of the pre-announcement.” It seemed that Ms. Mori had shared it to further reassure herself.
It didn’t mention when or where the wedding would take place.
The invitation we received this time was different.
May 27th, Sunday.
Ms. Mori Miho and Mr. Yamashita Yohei will get married.
Looking back, it really took a long time.
The last time they confirmed their feelings for each other was when I was a first-year high school student, so almost three years had passed.
It was all a considerate choice for Yuuki.
Perhaps because he was aware of that fact, he didn’t strongly oppose it. In fact, during those three years, he had significantly mellowed. Although he still had a quiet personality, there was a different sharpness in that atmosphere.
It seems that still calling Ms. Mori “Mom” is a bit much for him.
I doubt he thinks, “I can’t let Dad be left alone…”
Well, it makes sense; Ms. Yamashita and Ms. Mori could honestly be called father and daughter given their ages. They don’t differ much from Yuuki either. If we’re talking about age gaps between sisters, it can be significant, but…
…What if Kagami were dating such a young guy? It would probably be enough to drive one insane.
Well, switching the roles of man and woman does change the atmosphere quite a bit.
“They’re getting married at a church.”
“Yeah. Because that’s normal.”
I responded to Yuuki, who answered me back.
Is it normal? I think they say it’s normal in Japan.
In Korea, it’s usual to have ceremonies in wedding halls, so it feels a bit strange, and in Japan… well, since I’ve never lived in Japan, I can’t say for sure, but due to the atmosphere of the house where Yuuki lives, it feels like Mr. Yamashita and Ms. Mori would have a traditional Japanese wedding.
“…We don’t plan to invite a lot of people. I think the seats will barely be half filled.”
Noticing that Yuuki was lost in thought, he continued the conversation without minding me.
“…”
After hearing Yuuki’s words, we contemplated for a moment.
Should we say congratulations?
The atmosphere had softened considerably, but Yuuki still had a strangely displeased vibe.
A childhood friend is becoming a mom.
Saying it aloud seems a bit too much. It feels completely different from saying they’re just a couple with a significant age difference.
“…It’s fine to congratulate them.”
After Yuuki spoke with a sigh, I managed to say, “C-Congratulations.”
“You two look good together.”
We awkwardly passed around those congratulations one by one.
For reference, the people present included me, Koko, Yuka, Mako, Harumi, and Yuuki.
I feel like they probably plan to share the invitation with other friends too, but for now, they gathered the closest ones first.
After the congratulatory remarks, we drank our beverages in silence for a while. The coffee-flavored drink was loaded with sugar, but somehow it tasted oddly bitter. Probably because of the atmosphere.
“Oh, really!”
While everyone had awkward expressions, Harumi suddenly shouted.
“It’s been a while since we met, and the atmosphere is so damp! Ah, it’s not because of the invitation.”
Harumi quickly added, glancing at Yuuki.
“I know.”
Yuuki sighed heavily and replied.
“Rather than sitting here, let’s just go somewhere fun and enjoy ourselves. We’re all college students, right? It wouldn’t be a problem if we go in tomorrow either, right?”
We exchanged glances for a moment, then nodded a little late.
Oh, is that the case? That seemed to be the atmosphere.
Of course, we are college students, and there’s no school on Saturdays, so we had plenty of time.
But it’s incredibly ambiguous; we’re college students, but we’re not adults yet. Staying at accommodations requires a consent form.
It sounds a bit awkward to say, but there’s nothing we can do since it’s the law.
However, Harumi’s comment about “going in tomorrow” didn’t seem to mean going to a hotel to have fun.
“Let’s go to my house.”
We were surprised once again by that statement.
I would have thought she would say to go to our house instead.
“Dad isn’t coming home today. He’s away on a short business trip.”
After Harumi flashed a smile and made a peace sign with her hand, we made yet another bewildered face.
In fact, given Fukuda’s personality, she probably wouldn’t let us stay if we went to have fun. It seemed she just didn’t want to invite us while Fukuda was there.
Now that I think about it, I’ve never been to Harumi’s house during high school.
I’ve heard it’s quite spacious, but it seemed there were more comfortable places to have fun than her house.
In the end, we followed Harumi’s suggestion that day.
We quickly finished our drinks, went to karaoke to sing happily, and then headed to Harumi’s house.
Surprisingly, the house was quite tidy. It was a two-story house, as I expected.
Maybe because it was the first time I was seeing the place, it felt surprisingly fresh, and we had a blast until the next day before falling asleep.
At some point, it seemed we had drunk some alcohol because when I woke up, I realized it was faint in my memory.
I think Harumi started drinking from the alcohol that was on the shelf without permission.
…If I were to remember in detail, I could recall quickly, but I didn’t want to think about it, so I decided to bury that memory for now.
However, I’ll mention this: when Fukuda returned home the next day around 1 PM and saw us in that state, I could hear him rolling on the ground laughing.
*
And so, at the end of May.
The weather was beginning to get humid, and it wouldn’t be wrong to think it had already transitioned into summer.
Koko and I went to a church in Tokyo.
It looked like it had been built quite a while ago.
Unlike the incredibly flashy modern buildings that can often be seen in downtown Seoul, it had the vibe of an old cathedral.
“The atmosphere is nice.”
“Right? Buildings like this have their own charm.”
I muttered while looking up inside the building, and Yuka chimed in beside me.
“Is it okay for a shrine maiden to say that?”
“How long has it been since I stopped being a shrine maiden?”
No, just because I stopped being one doesn’t mean I don’t believe in the gods.
To be honest, I’m not quite sure what a “god” means in this world.
There are Yōkai, and given the circumstances, the deities worshipped at shrines must be real gods as well. This is a light novel, after all.
So, do the major religions also have genuine deities?
…
Well, I guess I won’t dig too much into it. I’ve had enough encounters with churches and everything.
“By the way, Koto Ne, your dress is pretty.”
“My mom picked it out.”
“Elegant!”
Naturally, the dresses worn by Koko and me were chosen by Kagami.
For guys, they can just wear a suit, but since women’s fashion has an unexpectedly wide variety, I didn’t quite know what to wear, so I had no choice but to ask Kagami for help.
In the end, I ended up in a somewhat airy but not overly extravagant white blouse with a deep blue skirt.
Koko and I were wearing the same outfit, but as always, the kids could easily recognize me just by the atmosphere.
“Where’s your mom?”
“She went to Ms. Mori’s.”
It seemed the adults had something to discuss. It probably wasn’t anything too serious. Maybe just exchanging greetings?
Mr. Yamashita was already outside greeting the guests.
As he had said, he didn’t plan to invite many people, but everyone arriving seemed quite large in stature. It’s not good to judge people based on appearances, but still, I can’t help but think of some profession.
Upon listening closely, there seemed to be police among them as well.
…Perhaps I’ll just refrain from digging deeper into that.
“Koto Ne, Koko!”
Just as I was contemplating whether to move to another spot, I heard Kagami’s voice and saw her waving at us from in front of a door.
“Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll stay with the others.”
I waved back at Yuka, who answered like that, took Koko’s hand, and went over to Kagami.
“Ms. Mori wants to talk to you.”
“Ms. Mori?”
I tilted my head in confusion as I followed her.
Kagami led us to the bridal waiting room.
In front of it were several women who seemed to be Ms. Mori’s friends. Were they planning to send me out to chat for a little?
I hesitantly entered, but it turned out that Ms. Mori was the only one inside.
“Ms. Mori.”
“Koto Ne-chan.”
Ms. Mori smiled and greeted me.
Her white wedding dress suited her exceptionally well. It was somewhat retro and didn’t expose too much skin, which matched Ms. Mori’s vibe perfectly.
“Um… you called for me.”
“Yes, I wanted to say something.”
As I awkwardly approached, Ms. Mori spoke with a smile.
“Thank you.”
“Excuse me?”
“That day, the one who protected Yuuki was you, Koto Ne-chan. Because of you, we can be a family like this.”
“…”
That…
To be honest, I hadn’t thought about it that much.
Well, I can’t guarantee what would have happened to Yuuki if he hadn’t come to our house that day. In the main story, Yuuki was not even mentioned.
“Above all, it seems like Yuuki has opened his heart a lot while getting to know you, Koto Ne-chan.”
“…Ah, well, that, it’s not a big deal. I became friends because I enjoyed it too.”
As I scratched my head and replied, Ms. Mori smiled.
Today, the happiest person in the world was right there.
“Still, you know, I just suddenly thought of it and wanted to convey it to you. Especially since you’ve embraced me too.”
“…”
Ms. Mori’s words brought about a sense of pride and a tingling feeling that made me press the corners of my lips downward.
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