Thanks for the votes, guys :D

CREDITS TO: UTA NO PRINCE SAMA

CHAPTER 25

Tokiya continued to stare at the sliding door which reflected himself.

Himself, four years after he met Haruka and his friends.

Handsomely wearing a black tuxedo, Tokiya fidgeted out of nervousness and exhilaration. Well, of course he was. He was going to spend the rest of his life with Nanami Haruka, the first and last girl that he ever loved.

Haruka must be so beautiful today. Can't wait to see her in wedding dress! What did the late Tokiya feel at time like this? What did he do to overcome his nervousness?

"Tokiyaaaa, are you ready?" it seemed like Kami-sama helped him this time as Otoya, his not-so-beloved best friend suddenly showed up from behind. Apparently, the red head could help him overcoming his nervousness.

"How come you still have time to be spaced out, Tokiya? You are going to get married."

"I know," Tokiya rolled his eyes.

"Then, why were you spaced out just now? Something's wrong?"

"Nothing.. It's just that..." he turned to look at the red eyes. "Otoya.."

"Hm?"

"This is not a dream, right? Can I slap you?" without giving any single warning, his big hand already slapped Otoya a few times, much to his ex-roommate's annoyance and pain.

"What the heck was that!?" Otoya was about to cry while his hand rubbed his innocent yet victimized cheek. "Are you trying to kill me? That hurts!"

"Don't be silly, Otoya. If I really want to kill you, you will be already in cemetery, joining those corpses. I have countless chances to do that considering we used to room together for three years."

"That's not the point! I am hurting here!"

"I just want to make sure if this is a dream or not!" Tokiya shamelessly shouted back. He even forgot that he was insanely nervous just now.

"Normally, people will slap themselves you idiot!"

"I don't want to hurt my face! Not when I am going to marry Haruka."

"Then it's okay to slap my face!?" Otoy pointed his red cheek.

"Absolutely!"

"You are just the same with the late Tokiya! He also slapped me like this!"

"That's because we are the same person, you idiot!"

"You.." Otoya was about to strangle Tokiya when Masato came to Tokiya's so-called rescue.

"Ichinose, Ittoki, what the heck?" the image of a typical groom who is supposed to be all nervous and dramatic could not be applied to Tokiya as the blue head was teasing his best friend instead.

"Hijirikawa-san, glad you are here," Tokiya grinned as finally, someone with a rational head came and joined them.

"Glad I am here because if I am not here, Ittoki will strangle you and you will die sooner," Masato deadpanned as he stared at Otoya who already seized Tokiya's neck.

"But it's his fault! This groom slapped me out of moronic reason!" Otoya shouted in dissastisfation.

"Nah, Ittoki. Just let him do it. He is the groom so he needs to be the most good-looking guy in the church. Let's go, Ichinose. It's time already," with a face that did not show any heck of sympathy for the poor red head, he gave a gesture to Tokiya.

"What!?? That's not fair! I know you guys are twins but just because he also has a blue hair, it doesn't mean.." Otoya continued complaining as the said twins left him.

Meanwhile in the corridor...

"Ichinose.."

"Hm?"

"I know you are jittery and all that but that doesn't make you okay to slap your own best friend, you know.." Masato's poker face suddenly turned stern.

"Haha.. I know you are going to scold me too. As expected from a mother figure like you. You don't scold your child in front of others.."

"Oh, come on.. enough with those mother figure lame jokes already. I expect, you, Ichinose, out of all people will not play around with it," Masato remarked while rolling his eyes.

Tokiya just grinned stupidly but Masato knew more than enough about what was hidden behind the grin. Instead, the scion gave his teammate a concerned look before patting his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am okay. What kind of question is that?" Tokiya chuckled but seeing Masato just smiled bitterly at him, he gave up.

"Your mother is also here. Why are you doing here instead of meeting her?"

Gosh, Hijirikawa-san knew it, Tokiya mentally sighed. He deliberately hid here because he did not want anyone to push him to meet Megumi.

It was not like he despised her. It was just.. He never imagined that Megumi, the mother who dumped him would come to his wedding ceremony to the point of he did not know how to react to this situation.

"It's because I don't know what to feel and what to say to her. Plus, she's coming here with her husband so she most probably came here as.."

"Nope. She came here as your mother," Masato cut calmly, sending his teammate shocked. "She asked me about you just now. She even said to me that even her husband did not know about the fact that you are her son, she still wanted to see her son. That's why I am here. I want to tell you that."

"But what made her changed that sudden, though? It sounds suspicious.."

"To be honest, it's not that sudden. Do you forget that you have someone in your life that will make something impossible become possible, just for you, Ichinose?"

Seeing Masato's suggestive expression, Tokiya quickly got the picture.

"Are you talking about Haruka?"

"Hey, Hijirikawa. We expected you to tell him about his mother.." Syo, who suddenly approached those blue heads with other STARISH members gasped when he saw Tokiya up close. "You look soooo stunning in that outfit, Tokiya."

"Come on, Syo. I wear this kind of formal outfit for God-knows-how-many-times for so many occasions. We, all men wear the exact same thing with the exact same design. How does it make me sooo stunning? You should praise Hijirikawa-san as well. I bet he is hurt right now."

"I am not, you party pooper," it is weird when Masato himself called Tokiya a party pooper.

"You are a party pooper as always, Tokiya," Syo clicked his tongue in irritation. "What I meant, as a groom, you have this kind of aura that makes you so good-looking today."

"Thanks to my late father for giving me this stunning look," even Tokiya tried hard to look happy, but his friends knew him long enough to know that deep inside of his heart, he really wished that his father would be here as well.

"Come on, Tokiya. Enough with the fake smile. Please cheer up yourself, okay? Today is your special day," Syo was about to pat Tokiya's shoulder but soon he was rueful because Tokiya stood on tiptoes to make himself taller, much to others' amusement. They laughed in unison.

"I am trying to pat your shoulder so please stop making yourself taller, you jerk! Hey, don't laugh at me, omaetachi! Hijirikawa, not you too!"

"Sorry.. I can't help it," Masato tried to maintain a straight face but giving up sooner. He laughed again, much to Syo's irritation.

"Nice try, Ochibi-chan. Way too nice," Tokiya stroked Syo's much shorter head while imitating Ren's way of talking. "I guess puberty doesn't favor you that much, unlike the rest of us."

"Shut up! You don't even reach 180 cm and also way shorter than Natsuki so don't be so full of yourself."

"But I am still 19 cm taller than you. Way, way, way taller than you."

"I said shut up!"

"Ah, we almost forgot about Megumi-san!" Cecil's gasp sent the other going, "Ahhhh, you are right!"

"Your mother wants to see you, Icchi," Ren turned serious.

Tokiya avoided the others' gazes which seemingly said, 'are you not going to see her? She is still your mother, you know?'

"I am just not ready and I feel awkward," his answer was enough to make them giving up.

Maybe Tokiya needed more time.

Every single soul in the church remained silent, allowing Tokiya to relish his time to see Haruka in a wedding dress, right in front of him.

Words could not describe how beautiful Haruka was. Her light make-up suited her the most, highlighting her modesty and natural beauty.

This sight of her would certainly be the most precious sight for him.

As for Haruka..

What a memory. Who had thought that she would experience marrying Tokiya for a second time?

Tokiya, who looked so handsome as always, would recite his vow, just like any other grooms.

"I love you Nanami Haruka as I love no other. All that I am I share with you. I take you to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part: according to God's holy ordinance, and there to I pledge you my love and faithfulness."

Haruka and his friends were shocked upon learning about Tokiya's wedding vow.

It is the same vow! In their 'first' marriage, the late Tokiya recited the exact same vow.

She could feel her tears started to stream down her cheeks but she did not bother to wipe it, much to the others' shock. Yes, happiness is clearly an understatement but hearing the line 'till death do us part' from Tokiya hit her hard.

In a few years, Tokiya would leave her.

He would leave her first and again.

It was her turn now.

" I take you to be my husband through health and sickness, through plenty and want, through joy and sorrow, now and forever.I will always love you when we are together and when we are apart; when our lives are at peace and when they are in turmoil; when I am proud of you and when I am disappointed in you; in times of rest and in times of work. I will honor your goals and dreams and help you to fulfill them. From the depth of my being, I will seek to be open and honest with you. I say these things believing that God is in the midst of them all."

Her eyes could not stop staring at the mesmerizing blue eyes, especially when Tokiya was smiling sweetly, just for her. To think that those eyes would shut forever already torn her apart.

The protocol in their wedding ceremony just went fast in pace as her eyes relished him from head to toe. It was like she would miss him anytime if he was no longer in her sight even just for one second until...

It was the time for the exchange of rings. Haruka was overwhelmed by her mixed feelings to totally pay attention. She snapped to reality as she felt Tokiya's rough hand squeezed her hand, sliding the ring through her finger before she did the same to him.

And again, she was crying.

Marrying to Tokiya again is like a dream coming true. At a glance, she could see that Tokiya just stared calmly at her. For some reasons, unlike before, she could not guess what was Tokiya thinking right now.

While Tokiya.... Words could not describe how broken-hearted he was, upon seeing this crybaby in front of him. Yet, this was not the right time for him to be emotional like her. Instead, he should be the one who comforted her.

"Bride?" the priest raised his eyebrow.

"I.. I am sorry. It is just that Tokiya-kun.. you look so handsome today."

No, that was not in her mind right now. It just that..

"You.. you may proceed, sir."

"Okay," the mid-aged priest continued, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you as husband and wife."

She, Nanami Haruka, was officially being the wife of her first and last love, Ichinose Tokiya.

"You may kiss the bride."

Tokiya's muscular arms suddenly wrapped her petite body close to him. He stared lovingly at her for a few seconds before kissing her.

Haruka would never forget this for the rest of her life.

"Ahhh, my eyes.." Otoya wiped his watery eyes. He was confused with his feeling. He was happy for the marriage but..

He was worried about how fast the time left them. It was already four years since they returned to their past to meet Tokiya.

They had six years left to be together.

"Otoya, if you want to use 'this church is dusty' excuse for your crying, there is no use," Otoya turned as Syo, with his cracked voice, giving him a pointless warning. "This church is way too clean. We, the crybabies cannot use that freaking excuse!"

"What a bad way of coaxing," Cecil muttered.

"Shut up!"