PERFECT

a hirunaka no ryuusei fanfiction

Everything was perfect.

Really.

From the white, satin drapes that hung across the large ballroom to the sweet-scented flower arrangement adorned from corner to corner, it was absolutely flawless. It was the day she had been dreaming of since the first day she took her first step off the bullet train into the bustling city of Tokyo.

It really was; this was the one she had been dreaming of since she was an innocent, doe-eyed teenager, and nothing had changed that.

Suzume sighed quietly as she looked up at the pretty blonde who had voluntarily assigned herself as her best friend's main stylist of this occasion, and was currently attempting to style her hair.

"Your hair won't curl." Yuyuka huffed, tugging onto another cluster of the bride-to-be's hair. "Did you leave your conditioner in for too long again?"

Suzume gave a small smile and looked back down to her feet again. Although they had a rough start, Yuyuka had grown to be one of her closest girlfriends, and always seemed to know when she was having a troubled time.

"I've been thinking again." Suzume replied quietly, pushing a silky strand of hair behind her ear. She always had a tendency of leaving her conditioner on while amidst her thoughts in the bath. It had grown to be a habit since her high school years.

Yuyuka chuckled knowingly, giving up on the curls and reached for a comb. "This is supposed to be your day, you know." She began to brush Suzume's long, brown locks.

"Stop worrying too much. It will be perfect."

Maybe she was worrying too much. The past few weeks for Suzume were full of stressful preparations such as the invitation list, choosing bridesmaids dresses, making sure that the catering service would arrive on time and other various tasks before the big day. She could say that her thoughts were overwhelming.

"Yeah." She agreed. In the end, everything had fallen in place quite nicely. The final problem was the fact of the wedding dress situation, which was in the process of being taken care of. The wedding dress had not been delivered from the boutique since Suzume had sent it back to be re-altered.

It was a pretty dress, a white A-line silhouette dress with a sweetheart neckline, and it matched Suzume quite perfectly for this perfect day. The fact of the matter, however, was when the dress will arrive.

Yuyuka glanced at the clock on the wall. "It should be here soon." She muttered, robotically still combing the bride-to-be's hair while muttering something along the lines of sticking to a straight style.

Suzume was glad Yuyuka was by her side on such a stressful, yet blissed day. This day was going to be perfect and stay perfect, just as she had imagined. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

A knock. "I'm here." A voice resonated through the other side of the door she was staring intently at. Suzume focused her eyes on the doorknob as it slowly turned, revealing an old friend.

Mamura stepped into the room flustered with his head down, her perfect wedding dress on hand. He was already wearing the tuxedo for the upcoming occasion, and was running his free hand through his hair in his failing attempt to fix it. It was alright, she mused; his hair seemed more natural messy.

He looked up and saw the bride-to-be, and she could see a sheer tint of pink growing across his cheeks.

The boutique, he quickly explained to regain composure, was short-staffed and was unable to deliver the dress to the venue, so he had to pick it up himself.

She chuckled. If Mamura had not been a guy, she would have chosen him as her maid of honor. Not once has he let her down, even with their rocky history together.

What happened? She mused to herself. It was because he wasn't her daytime shooting star. Their relationship began to wither in its attempt to bloom because of that fact.

Her heart had already promised to stay in love with her star. And here she was, on that perfect day, perfectly happy, with her perfect star ready to stand at the altar in about a couple of hours.

But it was alright, because Mamura was her closest friend, even closer than Yuyuka could even try to get, and he was always by her side. And it was fine.

It all worked perfectly.

"Thank you!" Suzume decided that it was already a great day, as she stood to grab the dress draped around the blond male's arm. Everything was set; her makeup had just been finished, and Yuyuka had styled her hair into a half up do that had matched the dress she had decided on. She smiled softly at the dress.

Yuyuka made a gesture at Mamura. "You're quite the handyman." She grinned. Mamura scoffed quietly.

Suzume grinned in response, reminiscing about the times she was call him to help her fix her sink, help fix the lock on her door, and even pick up medicine when she was too sick to move and Shishio was stuck at work. He always was there for her.

"I try." Mamura grunted back, moving to slump onto a loveseat nearby.

The blonde woman stuck her tongue out. "I hate to say this," she mused, "but I'm going to miss you when you're gone."

Hmm?

Suzume looked up from gazing at her dress.

Wait, what?

Mamura's face froze in a grimace.

Yuyuka glanced at her face, and his face, and grew the same expression as the male. "Ohhhhhhhh no." She murmured through her teeth. "I didn't kno-"

Mamura sighed and ran a hand through his now-even messier hair and began to speak.

He was moving to America, he explained. His younger brother Daichi had been accepted into an American college, and his father decided that it would be a nice change to move along with him, and wanted his older son to help him with the transition. He had already submitted and received an okay from the firm he was working in to work in their international branch abroad.

A couple of years, at the least. He was leaving in a month.

Suzume blinked.

He decided that he was going to let her in on the news to her after the wedding, since she had already been stressing for months with the details of the event.

...

She blinked again.

What?

Yuyuka cleared her throat loudly in attempt to clear the tension that was clearly beginning to rise. "I'll let you guys talk." She shuffled out the door.

A few moments passed, and neither spoke a word.

Suzume felt like she couldn't breathe. It was as if her chest was closing in.

He was moving?

He was going to America for a couple of years?

He might not be back?

She gulped, a clump growing in the back of her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to speak calmly.

"Mamura." His name rolled slowly out of her mouth.

He looked up and stared at her, an expressionless gaze reaching her.

"You're going?" She spoke quietly. He nodded in response.

"You don't want to stay?" Suzume clutched tightly at the perfectly folded dress she held in her hands. She wanted to ask if he could decline, tell his father no. She wanted to ask if he could retract his transfer with his firm.

Suzume knew she was being selfish, she knew this for a fact. She was in the wrong for having thoughts like these.

Because in a matter of less an hour she would be walking down the aisle staring at the man of her dreams.

Her perfect shooting star.

In her perfect wedding dress.

On her perfect wedding day.

She blinked.

But all she really wanted right now was ask if him if he could just stay.

But she couldn't, because was it her place to do so?

He looked up to meet her gaze; her own eyes brimmed with tears, and gave her a small smile. Walking up to her, he grabbed her hand and held it to his cheek.

She could see his cheeks flushing as he did so.

"You know that won't change anything."

He closed his eyes and let her hand rest onto his cheek for a while, the duo both sitting in a tensed silence. Suzume blinked back her tears and let him continue. She could feel his unkempt feelings just from his touch, and felt her heart sting.

She sniffled as realization was slowly hitting her.

Change.

Things were going to change.

Yuyuka paused and lowered her head as she stood behind the doors. She decided that she would let it be, and walked back out to the hallway and into the banquet room.

Everything was perfect.

Really.

She grabbed her uncle's hand as he looked at her in a proud, paternal manner. He was like a father figure to her, especially when her father had passed away a couple years before. Smiling brightly, he began to lead her down the aisle. She followed suit, a smile plastered onto her face.

This was her day, Yuyuka reminded her before she started her walk down the path to her future.

This was her day.

At least she thought.

She peered through the thinly-made veil that covered her face and took a look at her future.

And this was the guy who was her shooting star. The light of her life; he was the one that stole her breath away. They had been dating for quite a while now, and this moment was the moment she had been dreaming of since forever.

Shishio looked at her as if he himself had his breath taken away. He gave her a shy smile as he watched her slowly step her way down the aisle towards him.

Suzume had always thought that he had grown better-looking with age, and it was true. She could see the wrinkles of his eyes that signified some age in him grow larger with the smile that was plastered on his face.

He was beautiful.

She felt beautiful.

And this was their day.

She could feel the hot tears threatening to spill down her cheeks on her special day, and tried to blink it off.

Suzume had finally made it to the pew, and gave her already crying uncle a tearful beam. He let her go of her hand, and returned to his seat to watch his niece give herself away and start life anew.

She stood in front of Shishio, who had removed her veil and was staring deeply into her eyes.

"We're here now." He mentioned to her, with a laugh. She grinned cheekily in agreement, laughing with him.

She knew this was supposed to be her special day, but at that moment, something felt off. She took a quick glance around the chapel, looking for a familiar blonde.

And there he was, standing in between Yuyuka and Tsuru in the second row closest to the front.

There he was, she thought to herself.

He was going to be gone. He, the guy who would stop by her house every weekend to play board games with her in high school, the guy who stood next to her at their graduation ceremony, the guy who motivated her to apply for her dream university, the guy who groaned but would always arrive in a timely matter at her door every single time she drunk-dialed him with a sloppy story about her troubles in life.

This was the guy who was always by her side.

She had then caught his gaze, she grinned.

"Do I look okay?" She mouthed towards him.

"Dunno." He mouthed, his usual stoic expression plastered on his face. He stuck his tongue out. "Congrats." Mamura gave her a thumbs up.

She grinned in return. Yes, this was her day. "Thanks," she mouthed back, returning her gaze to Shishio.

The wedding had begun. A surprisingly Westernized wedding, the pastor read the vows to the soon-to-be married couple. Shishio had already started repeating his vows, and Suzume's turn was almost next.

- to be your true and wedded wife; and do you solemnly promise-

Ah.

She felt her heart skip a beat, but in a pained way.

Something still didn't feel right. Why didn't it feel right?

She took another glance at the crowd watching her.

Mamura?

His head was turned down and his blond hair covered his face, but she could see his fists clenching tightly.

Yuyuka moved to face him, an upset look growing. She brought her hand to his back and gave him a pat on his back and sighed. Suzume could see her mouth, "Still, huh."

Suzume felt her heart sting.

She remembered the day she had first gotten back with Shishio. It had been a bit over a year after her and Mamura had separated, and although they had stopped speaking as often as they did, they were still just as close enough that she happily skipped to his house to share the good news.

Good news, as she reviewed in her mind, was probably not so great for him. However, she did remember his grin congratulating her and once again she realized that he was there for her. He was always there for her, and he had always loved her.

Oh god, she was an idiot.

As she was in thought, the pastor interrupted and coughed. Suzume blinked and faced forward. It was her turn to repeat her vows.

The pastor spoke again. "Oh, I've forgotten. Does anyone object?" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, turning to the soon-to-be wedded couple and whispering, "Protocol, I'm sorry!"

Would he...?

Not one moment of hesitation was made as Suzume turned to face Mamura.

At least, where Mamura was.

He was gone.

"You know that won't change anything." His previous words echoing through her mind.

Suzume took a deep breath.

Maybe things can change.

Everything was perfect.

It was really. Or at least it was for Suzume, Mamura thought.

He stepped outside the chapel halls, a lot of emotions began to rush through his body. After that hour, he needed a breath of fresh air.

That was it, he thought to himself, the one he loved was going to be gone.

At least she was happy, he tried to reassure. At least she was.

He rubbed the area below his eyes, and took a deep breath. Maybe it was all for the best; he could transfer to America and get things out of his mind while he stayed there.

Things would change.

He gave a small smile to himself, and began to start down the steps. Maybe he would skip the reception and order himself a gratin to wallow in. Not that he would publicly admit to.

"Wait!"

Another step.

"Wait wait wait!"

One more step.

"MAMURA, WAIT!"

He paused and turned, only to see a petite woman in a rather fancy wedding dress trotting towards him, heels in hand. She gasped for breath as she caught up to him.

"Are you going now? Wait, I'm coming with you!"

He gave her a look. "You do know this is your wedding, right?" He reminded casually, his eyes staring at the pretty girl in front of him.

Suzume, still gasping for air from her jog down the stairs, gave him an exasperated smile.

"Remember when you said things couldn't change?" She grinned tiredly, reaching for his hand.

He smiled back.

END.

Author's Note: Hallo! I haven't posted in just about 5 years (WOW), so I hope you guys enjoy this! I haven't done creative writing in ages, since I'm graduating college soon and I've been busy (isn't that crazy? Last time I posted I was a junior in high school), so this is probably rough. Whoops!

Comment and let me know how it is!

Tsukiaa