Work Text:
June 14th 2028, 0914 hours (9:14 am), Japan Standard Time (JST: UTC+9):
Kaede Takagaki stared at her reflection on the mirror in front of her as she carefully applies her lipstick. The room was deathly silent aside from the ticks from her fully-lumed left-hand-drive Laco Venedig and the slightly rattling of the 18mm Forstner Klip bracelet attached to it, but she was alone in her room for long enough that her perception of time felt warped/slowed down, making each ticking motion of the automatic Sellita SW200-1 (in Top grade form) housed inside the blasted 39mm case (the Venedig is also available with a bigger 42mm case) less like once per 125ms (8 ticks) and more like once per second (1 tick).
When she was done doing that, she took her time to appreciate the intricacy of the veil clinging onto and jutting out from her hair, the softness of the silk her dress is made out of, the lace and patterns on it, the princess skirt that conforms to her tall silhouette, and everything in between.
“Gosh, I’m so beautiful~” Kaede thought to herself; “I can’t really wait for her to see me like this.”
Her breaths were ragged yet consistent, her heterochormic iridis were sparkling with adoration and devotion while being somewhat filled with tears. It was all for somewhat she knew; it wasn’t Mr. Takeuchi, her former producer, it wasn’t Kanade Hayami, who’s now married to Mika Jougasaki, and it wasn’t some random man or woman she met on the streets or in the field. No, it was for one of her drinking buddies, the former newscaster and announcer who turned to the world of idols to became a real star, the one who says she’ll take care of her, and the one who said her name out loud ten times.
And it was none other than Mizuki Kawashima.
She had known her for many years now, both as a good friend and as a loving, loyal girlfriend. They have each other to lean on whenever life got rough for one of them (or both). Every time Mizuki does something sexy in front, she would blush as hard as when her equally-aged Producer Takeuchi ask her out for a romantic date, and it happened to her enough time that Kaede started to realize that she (and later Mizuki) actually like guys and girls equally (bisexuality in a nutshell, and that’s just scratching the surface). At first, they both didn’t know how to handle this, but they realize that love doesn’t care one bit about definitions, and soon, the romance between them were taken to a new level. They have their highs and lows, but nothing really threatened to break their bond together (aside from some overzealous stans of theirs, but that’s nothing a certain hacker group with the greyed-out Yugoslavia flag as their logo can’t handle).
And then, two years ago, it finally happened. On a starry, clear June night, a week before her 40th birthday, Kaede went on one knee in front of Mizuki and pop the question to her, and joking that she might consider taking the Kawashima family name and become “Kaede Kawashima” (she actually didn’t intend to do so, unlike the pink-haired Mika, who took Kanade’s family name of Hayami when they got hitched and became Mika Hayami).
And now here she is, anxiously ready to marry the woman she loved. Looking at herself in the mirror, now at 42 (the magical number in the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), she can’t help but see a bit of Carrie Bradshaw in her, in that she is still beautiful as a bride even into her early 40s, and she thought that it was the same for Mizuki as well, though she hadn’t seen her for the last 24 hours now for the sake of surprise.
Speaking of her and Mizuki, yes, they’re tying the knot while in their 40s, but no, it isn’t always too late for that, or hell, perhaps it’s better late than never.
Suddenly, her alone time was cut short by the knocks on the door. Kaede rushed towards the door and looked through the peephole on it. She can see a few standing at the door, and in an instant, she recognized who they are right away: the former “Superstar of Kirameki High” and famous singer Shiori Fujisaki, her equal hubby Naoto Fujisaki (nee Takami), and the “rock solid” Rahman Harper (or Rock Harper as he is known), the Hell’s Kitchen Season 3 winner that Gordon Ramsay described as such.
She had known Shiori at the start of her career, as she was involved as a consultant, helping her define her sound and identity. Shiori herself was part of the duo SFM2, consisting of her and her best friend Megumi Mikihara, which they formed after graduating high school in 1997, and they were signed to Konami’s music division and their music were published the record division (rather fitting since Konami started out as a jukebox rental and repair business), which they remained there until 2004 (the year Konami Corporation turned 35), after which they would go independent, and Shiori would also work with other artists, producers, and idols from other companies, including Bandai Namco; among those she worked with was the beautiful Chihaya Kisaragi, whom she helped define the voice of, and later became good friends with.
Speaking of Chihaya, the reason why Rock is even here was because Kaede knew him and was introduced to him via Shiori and Chihaya (since the latter is close friends with Stanley Marsh, who she collaborated a lot with and an acquaintance of the Ramsays, and Shiori also knew many Hell’s Kitchen stars and winners through Chihaya and Stan, including the late great runner-up Louis Petrozza and the legendary Christina Wilson).
However, it wasn’t just the three of them that showed up for her (and Mizuki) today; through the peephole’s limited range, Kaede can see that they were accompanied by Chihaya, but also Stan’s friend Eric Cartman (who have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam since moving to there in 2013), Chihaya’s wife Yayoi Takatsuki (after tying the knot with her the year prior, she changed her family name from Kisaragi to Takatsuki, cause it was to her what the “Bobby” nickname was to Robert Hesse, the first Hell’s Kitchen two-timer), and their two friends, Yuu Takasaki and Kasumi Toyama of Perfect Dream Project and Poppin’Party fame respectively (Takasaki-san has the same given name as Shiori’s relative Yuu Satsuki, and more importantly, Chihaya’s late little brother Yuu Kisaragi (this, along with Gordon's own mistake of giving the aforementioned Robert the nickname of “Bobby” in Season 5 of Hell's Kitchen, is the reason why Gordon always refer to Chihaya by her given name, due to how her little brother’s death impacted her upbringing in a negative way, and pretty much everyone else also does the same, including the Takami-Fujisaki couple and the Ramsay bunch), while Toyama-san has the same given name as Kasumin of PDP, Yayoi’s younger sister and the second eldest child of the Takatsukis, and lastly, the former education apprentice of Hibikino High and wife of Rui Maita of S.E.M. fame, who is eight years her junior).
“Kaede-chan…” Shiori awkwardly asked on the other side, as if she wasn’t sure how the bride is going to react; “Can we all come in?”
“Sure, Shiori-san~” Kaede smiled as she replied; “Mizuki and I are about to wed today, for god’s sake!~” she chuckled a little.
“But hey, of course you and Naoto-san can come in, along with Rock, Chihaya, and everyone else next to you.” Kaede quipped. She opened the door and stepped aside to let everyone in. All their eyes then turned to the beautiful bride herself.
“Woah, Kaede-chan…you look gorgeous, don’t you?” asked Naoto, who’s rocking a snazzy suit.
“Yeah, Naoto-san, of course~” she smiled; “It’s all thanks to Miyu-senpai and Kanade-chan.” It was always a pretty sight for him and Shiori to see her cracking a smile, let along one as bright as that.
“And what about Mizuki?” asked Chihaya, who is donning the same blue dress that she wore to Stan and Wendy’s wedding.
“Oh, Chihaya-chan, I haven’t seen her since yesterday…we wanted to surprise ourselves, basically.” Kaede explained; “And as for who are her bridesmaids, it’s Sato-san and Sanae-san.” she answered Chihaya’s question.
“You haven’t aged one bit, have you?” Rock asked. He’s sporting a dapper suit for the occasion.
“I know, Rock. I kinda think that I’m like Carrie Bradshaw but Japanese~” Kaede joked.
“I get that comparison~” Rock chuckled with her; “Cause I’ve seen Gordon having one more wrinkles one his forehead with each passing year. Kinda.”
“Yeah, I guess having to deal with all the shit on each season of Hell’s Kitchen and whatnot have aged him an extra two decade or so.” Kaede joked.
“Well, you’re not wrong, Kaede, I mean, it’s been on Fox since 2005, after all.” Eric replied; “That’s as long as Chihaya have been an idol and singer. And I remember hearing from Stan and Wendy about each season.” He’s sporting the same black and red suit from when Stan and Wendy got married.
“Uh, thanks for the mention, Eric~” Chihaya smiled as she interjected. Cartman nodded back.
“How do you think Mizuki would react when seeing you like this?” asked Shiori, who’s in a simple yet elegant red dress; “I mean, you look very stunning…and you reminded me on my wedding day with Naoto.”
“Well, I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed, cause we wanna make the surprise as memorable as possible. Like, you only live once, after all~” Kaede chuckled a little; “And yeah, I remember that day 15 years ago when Mizuki and I saw you walking down the aisle to wed Naoto, and the way you look…I think you are beautiful in your own way, cause we all aren’t perfect, are we?”
“Yeah, Kaede-chan…” Shiori blushed as she scratched her back; “I only realized it through Naoto’s devotion to me. Thank god he has that drive, cause I don’t really know shit about love back then. I really found it awkward at the time, and he’s the one that made me feel what it truly means; it isn’t a tick box of requirements for a perfect suitor, but a feeling that’s human at the core and is very messy yet powerful at the same time when properly harnessed. And this was before I came out as bisexual the week before my wedding, and Naoto still loves me all the same, cause we both have knew each other since childhood. I guess it was the same for you and Mizuki-chan.”
“Well, you’re not wrong, cause it was like that for both of us too.” Kaede replied; “And the fact that you and Naoto are still happily married 15 years later till now, as long as Niki Lauda and his first wife Marlene, that’s actually awesome, cause it means that the flames within both of you isn’t out yet.”
“Yep…” Naoto awkwardly replied; “If that gives you and Mizuki some hope of a happy marriage, then it’s all worth the effort I put into back in high school~” he joked.
“By the way, ain’t Niki and Marlene still kept in touch with each other after the divorce? Cause Stan told me that’s the case.” Eric asked.
“Well, I don’t know that, either~” Kaede chuckled somewhat.
“Uh, Kaede-senpai?” Yayoi asked with excitement; “Do you plan to take Mizuki’s family name or else?”
“Well, no, Yayoi-chan~” Kaede shrugged; “It’s not like I have the same struggles as Chihaya-chan over there.” Chihaya blushed when hearing that.
“Besides, I heard from Shiori-senpai that Toyama-san & Takasaki-san are keeping their family names cause their given names are the same as a few.” Kaede said.
“Yep, Kaede. It’s out of respect for Chihaya, cause her dead lil bro has the same given name, and it’s not because Shiori’s relative has the same name as mine.” Yuu chimed in; “I’m pretty damn sure Gordon always refer to Chihaya as Chihaya, cause also of that time on Hell’s Kitchen he gave Robert the nickname of ‘Bobby’ without knowing that his deadbeat father has that name.” She’s rocking a black suit with a blue tie today.
“Yeah, and as for me, Yuu also know this cute girl that she always refers to as ‘Kasumin’…and also because the Takatsukis’ second oldest child has the same given name as mine.” Kasumi added; “And Maita-senpai’s wife has the same given name as well…that’s a long web right there.” the Poppin’Party lead singer and guitarist chuckled, her knee-length orange red dress shaking slightly to the motion.
“Thanks for telling me that, even if Mizuki and I already knew it somewhat~” Kaede chuckled.
“Oh, and as for that Robert dude…” Shiori interjected; “He’s about two months older than both me and Naoto. And Chihaya told me that he has lost a lot of weight after his time on the show and that he’s doing better now.”
“And what’s he doing now?” asked Kaede.
“Well, he’s the executive chef at The Landon in Tampa, Florida.” Chihaya answered; “I read that it closed a few years ago due to a big fire that gutted the restaurant. And he turned 50 in March this year, about four days after Roselia’s Yukina and Nana tied the knot.”
“Yeah, like Shiori and I~” Naoto awkwardly interjected; “Oh, and the Ramsay bunch attended the wedding as well, including Tilly. And I’m gonna tell you that she’s rather nice and polite when we met her before she went on stage with the brides.”
“You two were there, right?” asked Kaede.
“Yes, they invited us, cause Yukina also gets along well with Chihaya-chan, and she’s friends with Ritsuko and Miki, both of whom were Nana’s bridesmaids on that day.” Shiori answered.
“I should also mention that Gordon is at Inoshima now, cause tomorrow is going to be the wedding of Roselia’s Sayo and Afterglow’s Tsugumi, and Makoto and Yukiho are also invited cause they’re good friends with Sayo.” Chihaya chimed in.
“Eh, they’re both friends with Umi, right?” Shiori asked, to which Chihaya nodded back; “I know Chihaya knew them both as fellow idols, but I brought that up cause Satsuki told me that she and Elisa are good buddies, cause Elisa knows quite a lot about Japanese culture, so she has a blog about it, and Umi find it helpful 99 out of 100 times, and so is her hubby Kirio…oh, and like Umi being into guitars, Elisa enjoy playing rFactor 2 a lot, streaming once a month and even making mods themed around Japanese lowriders, and by that, I meant the Japanese take on the lowrider style from West Coast America, cause she found herself somewhat relating to the stories of the people crafting those four-wheeled pieces of art, even if she’s different to them.”
“But does she actually races in those cars, though?” Kaede playfully asked; “And by the way, Umi got into playing guitar because of Poppin’Party’s Tae.” she clarified.
“Nah, I think she just goof off in style with those cause rFactor 2 is very realistic and I can’t see something that low-slung and flashy go racing…it’s either that or she host a virtual car meet after racing people online cause it and rFactor 1 are quite mod-friendly, but I won’t get into why it was developed like that, cause today isn’t appropriate to tell the full story behind rFactor 1’s conception, nor do I have the time to explain to you about all of that, Kaede-chan. Oh, and I forgot to say that Elisa also knew builders in the lowrider scene as well, both here at home and on the West Coast a Pacific away.” Shiori explained; “And yeah, I knew that already from Toyama-san. And she also informed me of their engagement a few years ago.”
“Okay…” Kaede drifted off; “How much time we have left?” she asked as she stared at her Laco.
When Kaede let that out of her mouth, everyone glances at their watches to check the time. Shiori herself is sporting the black antimag Damasko DC56 pilot chrono (the official watch of Eurofighter test pilots since 2007, the year before Chihaya make her debut - fitted with the unmodified automatic Valjoux 7750 in Top grade form and with an English week day wheel a la Ritsuko’s DC56, unlike the recent ones with the same Top grade 7750 but with a modified Swiss lever escapement setup featuring silicon parts) on the 20mm red Crown & Buckle standard NATO strap (the red of which is as bright as the red of her hair), while her hubby Naoto has a black Sinn 356 Flieger chrono with the front acrylic lens (like, but fitted with the same automatic Valjoux 7750 as Shiori’s DC56 (as opposed to the Sellita SW500 in Katrina Leskanich’s 356 Flieger with the same acrylic lens), also with an English week day wheel like Katrina’s 356) strapped to his wrist with the 20mm gray Maratac "Mil Series" RAF-style nylon strap. Meanwhile, Rock is sporting his black Squale 50 Atmos 1521 in polished stainless steel (with the automatic ETA 2824-2 like Shelley’s blasted matte 1521) on his wrist with the 20mm black Hirsch Accent textured natural rubber strap with a polished buckle. Eric is rocking his 42mm black Longines Spirit Zulu Time with the 22mm red Hirsch Tiger Performance strap (calfskin and leather) with a polished buckle. Chihaya is sporting the sunburst blue Sinn 104 I (with the Sellita SW220-1) with the 20mm blue and white Hirsch George Performance strap (calfskin and rubber) with a polished buckle, while her wifey Yayoi is rocking the bright orange Resco Hooper in stainless steel (with the automatic Sellita SW200-1, structurally similar to the day-date SW220-1 in Chihaya and Shiori’s 104s) with the 20mm orange Borealis “Boavista” tropic-style vulcanized rubber strap. Yuu is sporting a black Muehle Terrasport II (fitted with the modified Sellita SW200-1 featuring Muehle’s patented woodpecker neck regulator system) with the 20mm by 290mm black Phenome nylon G10 strap with brushed hardware, while her soon-to-be wife Kasumi is sporting an antimag white Damasko DK37 (as fully-lumed as Kaede’s Laco Venedig, but with their manufacture A26-3 caliber in Elabore grade form with bilingual week day wheel, inner anti-reflective coating, and with the original Swiss lever escapement system like the third-party Valjoux 7750 ticking in Shiori’s DC56, compare to the later escapement system with silicon parts) on the “100% Made in the USA” 20mm ADPT single-layer RAF-style nylon strap in orange-like “Rust”.
“About 45 minutes or so…” Shiori told her.
“That’s how old Mizuki will be on her birthday this year~” Kaede punned when she heard that from Shiori.
“Yeah, Kaede-chan, Shiori and I got it~” Naoto and his wifey chuckled with the bride.
“Oh, and Eric?” Kaede called him out.
“Yes, Kaede?” Eric replied, causing everyone to left them alone for some talk.
“How is life in Hanoi in the 15 years you lived there?” asked Kaede.
“Actually quite good~” Eric chuckled a little; “I do travel between that, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, and a few other places, and I do say that it’s rather vibrant, for sure.”
“And what about the food?” Kaede asked.
“I’d say it’s like what Gordon described. I mean, he talks highly about his time in Vietnam for a reason, cause hot damn, it’s delicious!” Eric exclaimed.
“Thanks~” Kaede chuckled; “I kind of remember hearing that Vietnamese don’t held any grudges towards Japanese over World War 2 atrocities and stuff like that.”
“Oh, it’s the same with Americans too. It’s basically ‘forgive but never forget’ on a national level.” Eric explained; “I kind of remembered seeing classic Ford Mustangs and late 2000s Chevy Corvette ZR1s rolling around Hanoi, probably imported from America, and my daughter actually reads Doraemon quite frequently and enthusiastically, like she actually loves it. And that’s not to mention the presence of Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin in a few malls then and there, or Sega’s Maimai and Chunithm as well; and I found out the latter two officially came to Vietnam around 2019 to the early 2020s. And there’s also crossover of culture on the streets as well, especially during daytime but also all the time.”
“There’s a few bumps and issues in living long-term in Vietnam, but I actually like it more than I expected, even if the fact that it borders China to the north.” Eric pointed out.
“Thank you for telling me about all of that~” Kaede smiled.
“Yeah, and we still have a lot of time before you and Mizuki get hitched, right?” asked Cartman as he glanced at his black Longines, the GMT hour hand set to Hanoi time (UTC+7), while the 24-hour bezel is set to Denver daylight time (UTC-6) with some multiplication math, made much easier by the Western Arabic numerals (which actually originates from India) on the dial.
“I know, Eric, I just love her too much~” Kaede joked, then chuckled. Everyone else followed suit, chuckling with her.
Later…
Kaede held the bouquet of white lilies firmly in her hands, the palm tightly gripping it as if she’s holding onto the handlebar of a Suzuki GSX-R1000 (which Chihaya has the 2013 model of which and rode daily) as she stood in front of the chapel doors. Next to her was Producer Takeuchi.
“You’re alright, Kaede-san?” he asked.
“I’m fine…” Kaede shrugged, but her nervousness was clear for him to see.
“You seemed to be kind of anxious today…” Producer Takeuchi replied; “You’re worried about Mizuki?”
“Kind of…” Kaede replied back, a bit shaky in her tone; “I’m just excited because today’s my big day with her, Producer-san…”
“Look, Kaede-san, don’t fret too much over that, alright?…” he tried to assure her; “I mean, you can always fall back on me if it didn’t go as planned, or I can set you up with another idol…but I’m doubt that she would bail on you.”
“Are you sure about that?” questioned Kaede.
“Well, yes…like, the bond between you and Mizuki is on a different level, and you’re clearly devoted to her as much as she is devoted to you.” he explained; “Look, I’m a bit of a girls’ love fanboy, and I knew you two way too much that I doubted that things would went south today, cause it probably won’t. Just keep your cool when you’re with Mizuki on the altar and it’ll be fine~”
“Thanks, Producer-san~” Kaede gently replied with a soft smile; “I’m ready now.” he nodded back at her and opened the church doors, prompting Kei Tsuzuki to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D (something he gladly accepts without question when Kaede offered him that job partially due to his half-German background).
Kaede kept her head high and her eyes forward towards the altar as she walked down the aisle, the grip on her bouquet of lilies tightened as she tried her best to not break down in front of the other bride on the altar (which was rather easy).
“She’s beautiful~…” Kaede muttered quietly as her eyes were locked onto Mizuki, the first time she seen her since yesterday. Her heartbeat kept pounding harder as she walked down the aisle and get closer and closer to her soon-to-be wife, who is clutching a bouquet of blue roses harder than Rock’s rage when he had to sort out trash with the Blue Team as part of a punishment after the team lost a challenge from Season 3 (he lost it so much that, in his temporary rage, his mouth was as dirty as Gordon himself, with Television Without Pity giving him his own ‘bleep-o-fucking’ meter).
That is, until she passed by Shiori, sitting at the front pew next to her hubby Naoto, along with Chihaya, Rock, and her adopted twin children Yukari and Kai (who are soon to be adults); she spares the former a quick glance, to which the former “Superstar of Kirameki High” and half of SFM2 returned with a gentle smile, causing Kaede’s heart to slow down to a calm pace, cause Shiori and everyone else has her back.
She stepped onto the altar, standing on the right side and facing Mizuki, who is just as anxious as her. While Kaede kept her hair normally, Mizuki styled it into a short ponytail, and it make Kaede’s heart run fast once more (she actually was torn at first between a low bun and the short ponytail, but eventually went with the latter cause Kaede said she like it); also, while Kaede’s dress is of the princess/ballgown style due to her taller stature, Mizuki’s dress has a drop waist skirt, which accentuate her silhouette and makes her look higher (of course, there’s a 12cm height difference between them, but that’s beside the point).
“Wow…I-I can’t put into words how beautiful you are now, Kaede…” Mizuki quietly whispered with a bit of awe.
“I know, Mizuki, and you’re just as stunning, you know~” Kaede smiled softly.
In front of them was Miharu Tatebayashi, a Kirameki High alum and a friend of Naoto and Shiori, whom the latter contacted when Kaede and Mizuki needed an officiant for their wedding (which she agreed to).
“Dearly beloved,” Miharu started; “We are here today to celebrate the matrimony of Mizuki Kawashima and Kaede Takagaki…and before anyone ask, no, I don’t think any jealous bombs are gonna go off here today~” she joked. Everyone in the chapel, including the otherwise rock-solid serious Rock Harper, laugh their asses off when Miharu uttered those words; even Chihaya, whose sense of humor is otherwise semi-odd, laugh with everyone.
“Okay…” Miharu said, before delving into the things laid out in the book she held by her hands. As she did so, Kaede and Mizuki handed their bouquets to Miyu and Sanae respectively, before holding each other’s palms together and get lost in each other’s eyes; Kaede was so lost in Mizuki that the blue Muehle Panova (with the same modified Sellita SW200-1 with that woodpecker neck regulator as Yuu’s black Terrasport and Stan’s own blue Panova) with the 20mm by 110mm and 70mm Hirsch James Performance hybrid strap in black natural rubber and chocolate-like brown calfskin with a brushed buckle strapped to Mizuki’s wrist starts to tick slower at half the normal beat rate as if her feelings somehow managed to warp the way she sees time itself, while at the same time, Mizuki was lost in Kaede that the fully lumed left-hand-drive 39mm Laco Venedig with the Forstner Klip bracelet on Kaede’s right wrist starts to tick slower at the same time, as if somehow her feelings are capable of doing just that like her bride, and through all of this, the words Miharu spoke didn’t register in both of their minds, and they didn’t even paid attention when she asked if anyone wants to object (which no one did).
“Now the two brides want share their vows for each other.” said Miharu, which broke through Kaede and Mizuki’s trances hard enough that they realized that, turns out, the Laco and Muehle on their wrists weren’t running at half the normal rate at all, they’re just that lost in each other and that their minds were playing tricks on them.
“Ahem…” Mizuki cleared her throat before she started; “Kaede, when I first met you, I was insecure over the fact that I didn’t have a boyfriend or even a husband as I get closer to my 30s, but every time I go out with you and our friends, I can’t help but feel closer to you…like, in the sense that you were like my lil sister. But that’s when we were friends, cause truthfully, I was having a crush on you because of the beauty you have, the singing voice when you’re on the stage, and how playful you are to me; I can go on forever about all the things you have, but you get the point now. By that point, I kinda realized that I love girls as much as I like guys cause of my feelings for you. And so I confess to you, and you reciprocated it. Producer Takeuchi was with us about this, but we got backlash over that when we revealed it, at least until some group whipped that into oblivion and clean up the mess afterwards. We’ve been together for 15 years now, and even though we’re now in our 40s, I still love you plenty as much as when I first confess to you. I’m glad that I can be with you, the woman that I love, and I’ll be your loyal partner and wife to you for the rest of our lives together. I love you, Kaede Takagaki-chan~”
Kaede teared up from how touched she was by the vows Mizuki dedicated for her, which the brunette wiped away from her heterochormic eyes gently with her thumb.
“Thanks…” Kaede muttered; “Mizuki, remember that time when a drunken Sanae convince you to say my name out loud 10 times? I found myself amused by that as much as you were embarrassed because of it, yet you and I look back on it more fondly because of our love for each other. I’m not gonna sugarcoat this, but for as much as I was a chill and beautiful top idol, I was kind of a womanchild, for lack of a better term, and also mischievous as well; emphasize on ‘kind of’ because it was more like I didn’t have a plan for anything at all and that all I did was teasing Producer-san and other idols, including you sometimes, and also, I kind of don’t give a shit about my actions, honestly. That’s why I saw you like a pillar I can lean on, cause you are the bigger figure to me, taking care and looking out for me, even if I was taller than you by a dozen centimeters. And every time I saw you being sexy, I always blushed as hard as when Takeuchi-san ask me out for a date, but it’s because I have a crush on you, and I came to the same realization as you that I love both guys and girls. We’ve been through everything fate thrown in our way, and yet we came out without a scratch, unlike Shiori and Naoto over there~” Kaede joked as she and Mizuki look out towards the childhood sweethearts and Kirameki High legends sitting next to the beautiful Chihaya and the rock-solid Rock; “But seriously, even if we don’t have much time left on earth, I’ll be the best wife and soulmate you ever have in your life. I love you, Mizuki Kawashima-senpai~”
Kaede gazed at the sight of her beautiful Mizuki tearing up with joy cause of her vows for her, and she smiled softly as she wiped those tears off of her face with her thumb.
“Okay, now that’s done…” Miharu said.
“Mizuki Kawashima, will you take Kaede Takagaki as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, for the rest of your lives and always?”
“I do.” Mizuki smiled as she softly answered. Yes, Kaede is her woman; no, she didn’t regret tying the knot with her this late, cause it’s better than never at all.
“Kaede Takagaki, will you take Mizuki Kawashima as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, for the rest of your lives and always?”
“I do~” Kaede playfully answered out loud. She had already consider Mizuki as the woman she wants to spend the rest of her life even before popping that question.
“And now, you two can exchange the rings.” Miharu said.
Kaede took out the silver ring with a small amber jasper on top and quietly slid it into Mizuki’s ring finger; Mizuki then did the same and pull out the rose gold-inlaid Grade 5 titanium ring with a small teal sapphire on top, sliding it into Kaede’s ring finger without letting a word out of her mouth.
Miharu clasped the book in her hands as she took a breath before saying those words the two brides have been waiting for; “Now, I pronounce you two as wife and wife! Mizuki, you may now kiss your bride, cause you and Kaede don’t have much time left, do you?” she teased.
Mizuki went ahead and pulled Kaede into her embrace, hugging at the waist while letting Kaede lean into her slightly as the heterochormic bride clung onto her neck. They then planted their soft lips onto each other’s as they closed their eyes and lost themselves once more, this time in a soft and passionate kiss. For that split-second from when their eyes to when their lips touch each other, there was blissful silence, after that, they head the loud sound of thunderous cheers and applause from the guests and their friends that’s deeper than the high-pitch 12000+ rpm scream of the street-legal Kawasaki Ninja H2’s supercharged 1000cc inline-four (which Chihaya’s fellow idol Miki Hoshii has one).
They could keep on doing this forever, and they don’t want to stop; but their lungs have limits, so after a minute, they break the seal and broke away, letting their foreheads touching each other as they chuckled, smiles brighter than Maglites or the fully-lumed dials of Kaede’s Laco Venedig 39 or Kasumi’s Damasko DK37.
“So, Mizuki, about my surname…” Kaede whispered.
“Oh, right…what you’re gonna do about it?” Mizuki asked.
“I think I might add yours to mine.” Kaede answered; “As in I’m now ‘Kaede Takagaki-Mizushima’, that kind of deal.” she smiled softly.
“Okay~” Mizuki smiled with her newlywed wife.
“I love you, Mizuki Kawashima~”
“I love you too, Kaede Takagaki-Mizushima~”
Later…
Matilda Ramsay was hanging out with her family in Los Angeles, while her father is far away in Japan, attending Sayo and Tsugumi’s wedding at the island of Inoshima. She just had her fun antics with Jack, Megan and Holly again, when her phone vibrates in her pocket.
“Oh, what is that?” she pondered as she pulled it out. It was Chihaya Kisaragi posting a picture on her Tumblr; Tilly knew that Chihaya rarely does that when it's not something watch-related, so she checked to see what is it.
“Oh, what are those four?” she wondered. The picture she just saw was her long-distance buddy Chihaya with the red-haired half of SFM2 and former ‘Superstar of Kirameki High’ Shiori Fujisaki, who have just turned 50 a few weeks ago; alongside them was the newlywed lovebirds Kaede Takagaki and Mizuki Kawashima.
Tilly can instantly recognize the two women as being Chihaya and Shiori (since she knew them both), but it took her to identify the other two, though since the post, when machine translated, celebrates Kaede’s 42nd birthday and her marriage to Mizuki, it wasn’t hard to for her to figure out.
“Uh, Tilly?” Tana asked, before noticing the picture; “Oh, it’s Chihaya and Shiori again…but what about those two?” she asked.
“Well, mom, today is Kaede Takagaki’s 42nd birthday and her wedding with Mizuki Kawashima.” Tilly explained; “Chihaya told me that Shiori also help to get her idol career launching off after she helped her with that as well.”
“And is that the Damasko ‘Eurofighter’ chronograph on Shiori's wrist, Tilly?” asked Tana as she noticed Shiori’s DC56 in the picture.
“Well, yeah, I can see it, cause I've seen Ritsuko rock one.” Tilly replied; “And I’m wearing my own Damasko too, mom~” she smiled as she flashed her no-date black Damasko DK30/2 (with the manufacture caliber A26-1 in Top grade form and inner side anti-reflective coating) on her wrist, paired with the 20mm mustard yellow CWC single-layer pass-through canvas G10 strap with matte steel hardware (buckle and keepers).
“Okay, and it’s Kaede and Mizuki’s wedding.” Tana said; “Send her your regards, cause today’s her birthday too.” she explained.
Tilly then typed out her response; “Chihaya, if you’re reading this, it’s me, Tilly! Seems like you and Shiori have quite the good time today. I want to wish Kaede a happy birthday and wedding, and also, I wish her and Mizuki good luck and a happy marriage~” she pressed the send button and looked at her mom once more, before Chihaya response to her comment within minutes.
“Oh, Tilly, I didn’t expect to see you commenting on this one. Yeah, today is Kaede’s birthday and also her wedding day with Mizuki as well. Actually, they told me that planned this for the past two years after Kaede pop the question the week before she turned 40 (yes, she’s 15 years your senior). As for why Shiori shows up for this occasion, well, she actually was in touch Kaede as a consultant or something like that before her debut, just like me; she’s like 23 years your senior, and also, she and Megumi used to be signed to Konami until 2004 or so, after which, she worked with many other companies and artists, including ones affiliated with Namco and later Bandai Namco. Anyways, thank you for taking a short time to comment on this post, Tilly.”
Tilly cracked a smile to her mother and her siblings after reading out that response from Chihaya.