𝟹𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"You may now kiss the bride." the priest announced.

(A/N: Hah, you thought, 🙄😜.)

Shirogane carefully removed Shinomiya's veil and just stared at her natural beauty.

Shirogane blushed, staring deep into her red eyes that stared right back into his blue ones.

Shinomiya chuckled lightly at Shirogane's bashfulness, making him embarrassed.

"How cute." Shinomiya teased. He finally mustered up the courage to lean down and connect their lips.

The audience cheered as they clapped their hands. They were happy for the high school sweethearts.

Their wedding was a celebration of love, their love for each other. And those who came were there to watch their pure love. A wedding is a day of reaffirming their bonds.

Iino Miko clapped with a small smile, a small tear escaping her chocolate-colored eyes.

Fujiwara had turned into a waterfall as tears ran down her cheeks. It seems like it would never end.

And in my opinion, I'm sure her flood of tears will never end. Iino knows that very well as she sweatdropped at the crying girl next to her.

Kashiwagi Nagisa was also there with her boyfriend, Tsubame Tanuma. They were still together to this day.

Shijo Maki was also there, sulking as she stared at Kashiwagi and her boyfriend staring into each other's eyes lovingly.

Y/n held onto her camera and snapped a photo of Shinomiya and Shirogane sharing a kiss.

Ishigami clapped for the couple with a tiny smile. His eyes softened when he saw Y/n snapping a photo. He was happy for the two.

He had been Shirogane's friend for as long as he can remember. Even though Shirogane graduated, they still kept in touch.

He had helped Shinomiya and she had helped him back when finding ways to hang out with their respective beloved.

Shinomiya had requested Y/n to be the photographer of her wedding, which she delightfully agreed to.

All of Shinomiya and Shirogane's friends from high school were there to attend their wedding, as well as a few friends from Stanford.

With L/n Y/n, Fujiwara Chika, Iino Miko, Hayasaka Ai, Tsubame Koyasu Kashiwagi Nagisa, Shijo Maki, and Fujiwara Moeha as the bridesmaids.

Ishigami Yu, Tsubame Tanuma, Shinomiya's older brother, and others were there as well to serve as the groomsmen.

Marriage isn't a ring worn or a paper signed. It is not something endured but savored.

It is the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other's happiness and well-being.

Marriage is something so beautiful that in the natural world, it would be an opening rose, always with radiant petals left to unfurl to a warm sun.

Perhaps that is why we give roses to those we love and often have them at our sacred unions.

Marriage is the blessing we give to one another, an eternal bond of soul-mates.

Once all the events of the wedding were done, then came the throwing of the bouquet, or commonly known as the 'Wedding Bouquet Toss'.

All of the females, that had attended the wedding, clumped up together to get ready to catch the bouquet.

Fujiwara noticed Y/n just standing in the corner with her camera out, getting ready to take a picture of whoever grabs the bouquet.

Fujiwara shook her head disapprovingly and marched over to Y/n, with Iino following behind her, of course.

"You can't do this, Y/n-chan! For now, you're here as our best friend and not as the photographer. Join us!" Fujiwara exclaimed, grabbing Y/n's wrist.

Y/n's eyes widened as she was now being dragged by Fujiwara and Iino, who tagged along.

"B-But how about the photo?!" Y/n argued, struggling to escape the grip of Fujiwara and Iino.

"I don't mind taking the photo." someone offered. They all turned around and their eyes widened to see the famous, L/n Rei.

"R-Rei, what are you doing here?" Y/n's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her older sister.

"I'm here for business and I heard you were one of the bridesmaids, while also being a photographer." she explained.

"I may not be a great photographer like you, but I know the basics of taking a picture." Rei gave her a thumbs up.

"I mean, I am thankful, but are you sure?" Y/n raised a brow at her, making her nod excitedly.

Y/n handed the camera over to her older sister and caught a glimpse of Himari and Issey standing behind Rei.

Himari gave her a grin as she waved at her. Issey only glanced her way and gave her a small smile before pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

This made her suspicious of them. After all, there was no need for the two of them to be here.

She knew they were planning something and it was either going to be good or bad. She'll have to find out.

"Okay, get ready...1..." Himari counted into the microphone. She was in charge of being the host of the party. She is an idol, after all.

It's only natural for her to have the confidence to talk in front of a crowd. Singing and dancing was no problem, so talking wasn't difficult for her as well.

Issey sighed and began to play the music that suited the nervous people. The music matched the anticipation of the ladies ready to catch their bouquet of destiny.

Y/n grew less suspicious of them since they had important roles in the wedding, but she kept her guard up.

"2..." Himari counted. Shinomiya slightly teased the girls as she pretended to throw the flowers.

This managed to fool Fujiwara since she accidentally tripped on her foot while trying to run for the invisible bouquet.

"3!" Himari exclaimed.

Shinomiya turned around with a small smile as she approached Y/n's direction. This made the girl confused.

She handed Y/n the bouquet with a genuine smile, Y/n tilted her head to the side as she gently grabbed the flowers.

𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

I glanced up to look at Kaguya for an answer but she only placed a finger on top of her lips and gave me a wink.

It would be normal if Kaguya just handed the flowers to me, but she gave me a wink. How odd.

I turned around to possibly ask Chika or Miko for some advice, but I could only stare down.

"Yu..." I mumbled, staring at him as he had bent down on one knee, holding a dark blue box with a ring inside of it.

(A/N: Did I surprise you, 😆?)

There is something so sweet in that moment of proposal, the heart fully open and vulnerable, that the eternal bond of our relationship is made all the stronger.

The proposal is a moment each of us cast in gold into our memories. Time stood still as I held my breath.

The ring was the perfect blend of elegance and craftsmanship, a true beauty inside of a box.

I have seen this ring before. I remember staring at it when Yu and I went to the mall.

He must've seen me admiring it back then. I'm surprised he still remembers that after 3 years.

Mokume Gane Sakura-Ichirin 桜一輪

The design resembles that of a beautiful Japanese cherry tree, Sakura, enveloping a diamond that will sparkle beautifully on your finger.

The special cut is called the 'Sakura Diamond'. There is a beautiful Sakura inside of a diamond among fine brilliance.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"It's been quite a while since we visited this place, hasn't it?" Chika sighed, staring at the door of the Student Council room of Shuchiin Academy.

All of the members of the 68th Student Council has coincidentally found themselves standing in front of the room.

"It certainly has." Kaguya agreed, placing her hand on the wooden door to reminisce to herself.

The 68th Student Council Members had decided to pay a visit to where they all first met.

The President, or rather, Miyuki, firmly placed his fingers around the doorknob, giving all of us a glance.

We nodded, telling him that we were ready to enter the room that brought all of us together.

He stared back at the door and twisted the doorknob. We all held our breath as we stared into the room that had been opened.

Just before we fully entered, there was this vague sense of familiarity that washed over me as we walked into the room.

The feeling of nostalgia suddenly overcomes me as I stared at the couch that Yu and I used to sit on.

It was all coming back to me. The annoying, sad, fun, and happy memories were all coming back to me.

I could even hear Chika suggesting us to play different kinds of games that she and her friends had made up.

I could hear Miko screaming and scolding Yu. I could hear her ordering him to follow the school's policies.

I could hear the constant bickering of Kaguya and Miyuki as they try to make the other confess their feelings in the most 'subtle' ways.

"It's still here!" Chika exclaimed, holding up a hand-made fan that she made back then.

"Oh, I remember that one! When I said your big chest would get in the way, you slapped me with th-" he got cut off as Chika brutally began to smack him with it.

"You tell him, girl!" Miko cheered in the background, which made all of us sweatdrop. Some things never change, huh?

"Okay, I think we should all calm down. We're here to pay a visit, not to murder each other." I reminded, making Chika stop.

"Y/n, you really are a goddess!" Ishigami cried, crying into my chest as a large bump began to form on his head from being smacked a little too much.

"Oh, 'goddess'? That's a nickname I haven't heard of for a while." I chuckled, patting his head to calm him down.

"Aren't these the coins we used to play the 10 Yen Game?" Miyuki asked, holding up a few coins.

"I believe so. No wonder why they looked familiar." Kaguya chuckled. I could already recall the weird questions Chika asked us.

"Hmm, what are these?" Chika questioned, holding up some red balloon fragments.

"A game where you can pump it as many times as you want, but you have to pump it at least once and whoever reaches the limit loses!" Kaguya, Miko, and I exclaimed.

It seems like Miyuki and Yu's souls had decided to leave their bodies as they recalled the embarrassing things they thought about back then.

I turned around and stared at the bookshelves. For a moment, I just stared at the shelves and shelves of books before me.

From far away, the shelves are a collage of books, each memory taking the physical form of a book with its unique size and color.

The bookcase looked strong, I knew the wood was good before my fingers even made contact with it.

It was dark with the grain quite pronounced beneath the varnish; smooth but with chisel marks still at the edges to give it that rustic and homely feel.

I ran my fingers on the spine of each book. They smelled the same way I remembered; old, dry, and real.

My finger stopped as I stared at a specific book. It was titled, '67th to 68th Student Council, by L/n Y/n'.

I grabbed the book from the shelf, making sure to pull it out carefully to avoid destroying the whole thing.

Waddling over to the President's desk, where Miyuki used to stay, I placed the book on the table and flipped through some pages.

"Check this out, guys." I told them. They all gathered around me and we laughed at some of the fun memories we made.

" 'Love is War'?" Kaguya and Miyuki both said at the same time, staring at the page that had a photo of the two of them fighting over a piece of cake.

"Isn't that what your love was like? I thought it would be quite amusing to add it in." I chuckled.

(A/N: All pictures used are not mine. Credits to the owners!)

"I was trying to picture the view outside and you guys just had to come in and look at the camera." I sighed.

"Sorry, I got curious!" Chika defended herself, giggling a little.

"We looked so young back then." Kaguya pointed out.

It's quite nostalgic to see Kaguya with her hair up. Ever since Kaguya and Miyuki got together, she always leaves her hair down.

Miyuki looks better than before. His eyes don't look tired, they still do but not as much as before.

Back then, he used to push himself to achieve greater things. It made him feel better about himself, even though he knew it was unhealthy.

But it seems like he had stopped that bad habit of his ever since he got together with Kaguya.

"Eh?! Why'd you have to add that photo?" Miko exclaimed, an embarrassed blush searing through her cheeks.

"I wanted you to see this photo when we get older." I told her. Miko has really matured.

"I-I mean, I don't mind it, but it's still embarrassing to look at." Miko mumbled.

"Don't be embarrassed, Miko-chan! You look so cute in the photo. Cheer up!" Chika encouraged.

"Why are you carrying a roll of toilet paper?" Miko stared at the toilet paper in Yu's hand in the picture.

"I used toilet paper for those who humble brag about their love life in front of me." Yu stared at the toilet paper intensely, as if he was having some flashbacks.

"That's creepy, Ishigami." Chika looked at him in disbelief, making me chuckle.

Kaguya turned the next page of the book to reveal a picture of me. My h/c glowed brightly under the sun as my e/c shone.

(A/N: Pretend that's you but with your own hair and eye color. You're also supposed to be wearing the uniform.)

Ah...I remember this.

"Wait...if you're holding the camera, then who took a picture of you?" Chika gasped, thinking that some random person took this and handed it to me.

"Yu took this photo of me when we went out to take pictures of some random things." I explained.

I flipped to the next page and my eyes widened in surprise when I saw a picture of all of us together.

This was taken on the school rooftop when we decided to take the picture once more since Kaguya's phone broke.

"I can't believe it's been 7 years." Miko sighed, staring at the photo in silence.

"I miss this..." Miyuki admitted as he stared at the picture in awe.

"I couldn't agree more. It certainly has been a long time." Kaguya nodded her head lightly.

"We had so many fun memories together, huh?" Yu chuckled, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Even though some memories were stupid, at least my high school life was enjoyable." I giggled, remembering all the dumb stuff they all did.

"I miss this...a lot, actually." Chika sniffled, tears began to swell in her eyes as she couldn't hold in the pain anymore.

"Fujiwara..."

"Chika-san..."

"Chika?" I turned around and saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

That's right. The people I met from the student council changed me. We made so many memories even though our time at Shuchiin Academy was short.

If I wasn't scouted by Miyuki...if I continued to look down and avoid eye contact with anyone...if I hadn't met these people...then I wouldn't be the person I am today.

When I cry it's never a trickle and it never starts in my eyes. It begins as a feeling in my chest and a hint of sadness in my brain.

The leaking water is only a blessed release, it's one way my body chooses to cope and I guess it's a way to communicate too, whether I want to or not.

A single tear slid down from my warm, e/c eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down my cheeks, releasing the bittersweet feeling that has been held inside of me all this time.

"Gosh. Don't you guys start..." Kaguya pulled both of us in for a warm hug.

"Seriously, couldn't you just hold in your tears for a little while? Why'd you have to..." Miko wiped away a few tears as Chika pulled her in the hug as well.

I met people. Real people. Those who gave me warmth instead of leaving me behind. Those who accepted me for who I am and not for my riches.

I met people who gave me the reason to hold my head high and be confident. With them, I have bloomed.

"You have my thanks, everyone. From the bottom of my heart." Miyuki told us, staring at us with soft eyes.

It's time to bid our farewells; to the room that held so many memories that I shall cherish forever, even after highschool.

I have already placed the book on one of the shelves of the student council room. The book was filled with pleasant memories and fun times we had.

We bowed to the room, the student council room, to pay our respect.

I wish...I wish we could go back in time and repeat high school. Not for the grades, but for the fun times we had.

Letting all of this go was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

𝟹𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"I forgot my purse inside the room!" Y/n exclaimed, remembering the purse that Ishigami bought for her.

"Eh?! You have to get that back! I have the keys so I'll keep watch. Kaguya, Miyuki, you can go ahead. Miko-chan, you can stay if you want." Fujiwara instructed.

"I'll go with Y/n since I haven't been assigned a role." Ishigami offered.

The two went inside the Student Council room and began their search for Y/n's missing purse.

Y/n could easily buy another one, with all the money she has, but that purse contained a picture book