Chapter 430 - Last Scene
October 5
"Makoto! Wake up!"
I shake Makoto awake.
"Ah, work? Take care."
Makoto waves his hand weakly from inside the futon.
This guy is half-asleep.
I mercilessly rip the futon off him.
"Today is October 5th! Did you forget! Or do you plan on going to the ceremony without even styling your hair!?"
"Ah, that's right!"
Makoto got up.
Good grief...
"That day has finally come."
Makoto says.
"Yeah."
"I thought he'd be the first to get married, but in the end, he's the last of our year."
"He was stubborn, after all."
Though maybe that's what attracted her to him.
He always kept moving forward on his own path.
He pushed straight through the quagmire without hesitation.
Airi was the only one who could watch over him until the very end.
He's finally reached that goal.
I want to send him off in grand style.
After changing clothes, we head to the hair salon.
Once both of us get our hair styled, we hurry to the station.
He really chose a troublesome venue.
Even if he said there's a parking lot, we're going to drink.
In the first place, it's not like we don't know where the afterparty is.
How are we supposed to get there?
Apparently, they've arranged a shuttle bus, though.
When we arrive at the station, we run into the Kiritani couple.
It seems those two also stopped by a hair salon.
They were dressed to the nines.
"Well, we wouldn't make it in time if it weren't at this hour."
Ai says so and laughs.
"But it's great that you and Honoka's group managed to get time off."
"Of course, it's their wedding, so I'd even defy the Hannya a little."
"I was ETC too, so they let me take paid leave without any fuss."
Since it's Ishihara's company, they apparently understood the situation.
I also used my paid leave.
When the train arrives, we board it.
Arriving at the terminal station, we get off the train and take a bus.
After getting off the bus in about fifteen minutes and walking, we reach the venue.
A venue along the coast.
They say the ceremony starts at 14:00.
In the meantime, we were talking with the Kiritani couple.
"Mika! Not yet!?"
"Just a little more!"
Once I wait for Mika to finish getting ready, we leave the house.
Because the venue is in a slightly unusual location, we have no choice but to take a bus we aren't used to.
I had checked the bus schedule.
They say the ceremony starts at 14:00.
We head to the bus stop with quick paces.
"You don't have to rush so much. It's hard to walk!"
"That's because you're wearing such high heels!"
"Are you telling me to attend a wedding in sneakers, Masashi!?"
That's also something to think about.
The ones we ran into at the bus stop were the Kimoto couple.
"Are you guys heading to the venue now too?"
"Yes, but that Toya guy really is a handful."
"Well, he probably wanted to make Airi-san's wish come true."
Precisely because they are two people who have dreamed of this for so long, everyone wants to celebrate them.
Their wedding held a special meaning for the Watanabe group as well.
"Kimoto-senpai, was it really okay for you to take a day off even though it's a weekday?"
"Yeah, I've mostly explained things to Kamenashi-kun and the others. It seems those two also plan to attend the afterparty."
That being said, if any inconvenience arose in Kimoto-senpai and the others' work, it could apparently lead to a situation where the construction site itself would have to be shut down.
In fact, when three of them said they wanted to take the day off, it reportedly caused a huge uproar: "Stop the site! If a director is so incompetent that they draw up a schedule where stopping the site for a single day causes a panic, there are plenty of replacements for them!"
Apparently, Kamenashi-kun and Misawa-kun calmed things down by saying, "We aren't invited to the reception, so we'll handle the daytime work."
They say that, if things had gone poorly, it could have been a crisis resulting in the replacement of the site director.
The bus arrived.
We board the bus.
We arrive at the bus stop in about fifteen minutes.
After getting off the bus, we head to the venue on foot.
A chapel with a beautiful view facing the sea.
I see, no wonder Airi-san yearned for it.
When we arrive at the venue, the Tada couple and others are there.
We decided to kill time by chatting until the ceremony.
"Nozomi! What are you doing!?"
"E—Emi!?"
Emi, dressed in a party gown, barged into the meeting room shouting.
"J—Just a little more!"
"I told you to take today off from work!"
"A bureaucrat from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry happened to stop by locally today and said he wanted to talk..."
"He happened to?"
This is bad, this pattern is just like Sakai-kun's.
"Humoring some random, nobody small-fry's 'happened to', what on earth are you doing on such an important day like today!?"
"Emi... that person is right in front of us."
Emi glares at the bureaucrat.
"Listen here, my husband isn't free enough to humor an ill-mannered small-fry who shows up without an appointment!"
And then she scolds the executive directors.
"You all should handle dealing with this kind of minor figure yourselves!"
Having said everything she wanted to say, Emi drags me out of the meeting room.
Fortunately, I was already wearing a proper suit. It was a mishap right before leaving.
Getting into the car, Emi tells Shinjo-san to hurry.
"Honestly, a wonderful celebration is almost ruined."
A wonderful business expansion might be ruined, you know?
Emi makes a phone call.
"Ah, Hanae. It's me... some small-fry suddenly showed up... Yes, that's right. Please."
Finishing the call, she smiles sweetly at me.
"I've properly cleaned up the aftermath."
"I—Is that so? Thank you."
Afterward, the bureaucrat who came today was apparently suddenly demoted.
The car drives along the coastal national highway and arrives at the venue.
Watanabe-kun and the others were at the venue.
It seems we made it well in time.
We talked until the time of the ceremony.
This is bad!
Looking at the clock, I hurriedly start changing.
"Ryuji-san, wake up! Look at the time!"
"Eh!? Ah!"
Ryuji-san also hurriedly starts changing.
There's no time to go to a hair salon!
Can't be helped!
I change my clothes, put on makeup, and quickly get ready.
Ryuji-san has finished preparing first.
It seems he is arranging a taxi.
It really is a place with terrible public transit.
There's no need to stick to the University anymore, so let's move before we have a child.
I was thinking about such things.
"They said it'll be here in five minutes."
We decided to wait outside until the taxi arrived.
"Those two are finally having their wedding."
"It's almost strange that we were faster."
That's certainly true.
The taxi arrived.
"To the seaside venue, please."
It'll be quite an expense, but it can't be helped.
Apparently, it's Airi's strong desire.
But...
"Why did they go out of their way to hold it on a weekday afternoon?"
Ryuji-san said.
They probably didn't choose a weekday afternoon.
October 5th just happened to be a weekday.
Katagiri-kun is always acting to make Airi's dreams come true.
This time must be the same.
And from now on, forever.
The taxi arrived at the venue.
Most of the people invited to the reception are already gathered.
Only the Mizushima couple and the Sakai couple are left.
We killed time by talking with Kanna and the others.
I change my clothes, head out to the city, go to the hair salon I reserved, and wait for Tasuku at the bus terminal.
Tasuku was already waiting.
"Yo."
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
We wait for the bus.
"Those guys are finally having their wedding, huh."
"It really is finally."
"Honestly, how do you feel?"
"Eh?"
"Do you feel regretful or anything after all?"
"Well..."
Maybe I let something precious go to waste.
"But it's fine. Because Katagiri-senpai gave me the present that is Tasuku."
And I was able to leave Katagiri-senpai with the present of a gold medal.
"My dream has been decided. I will make my dream come true through my own child."
"Starting with making a baby, huh. That's exhausting, though."
"Did you say something?"
"N—No, I didn't say anything."
"Then it's fine."
I laughed.
The bus arrived.
We board the bus, and in about fifteen minutes, we arrive at the bus stop.
After getting off the bus, we walk to the venue.
So this is the venue Airi-senpai dreamed of.
It's a bit inconvenient, but it seems like we can make good memories.
There's someone unfamiliar here.
Who could it be?
I tried calling out to them.
"Um, are you acquaintances of Katagiri-senpai?"
People slightly older than us and a middle-aged couple spoke.
"Ah, we're Toya's colleagues. And this is the president."
"Nice to meet you."
We bow.
"Ah, Tatsuhiko-senpai, you came?"
It's Katagiri-senpai. He is dressed in a white suit.
"Ah, Toya, congratulations. Natsumi couldn't make it because of childcare. I was entrusted with this, so could you read it with your wife later?"
Katagiri-senpai receives the letter.
"Thank you very much for going out of your way."
"No, it's fine. Well, see you later."
"Groom, the bride's preparations are complete."
"Ah, yes. Well, Tasuku and the others, see you later too."
"Yeah."
Katagiri-senpai was called away.
"Ah, isn't that Sakurako's group?"
Kanna-senpai and the others are there.
They say only the Sakai couple hasn't arrived yet.
We talked. And killed time.
"Zen-kun, where are you going?"
I was stopped by Akira-chan at the entrance.
"I—I was asked to just show my face at a meeting for the morning..."
The ceremony is from 14:00, so you'll make it in time, right?
"Dear... did you plan on going in your usual suit?"
"I thought it would be fine since it's not our wedding..."
"It's not just any wedding! It's the Katagiri couple's wedding! At least go to a hair salon!"
"But... apparently, the ruling party's local headquarters chief is coming or something."
"So what?"
"Huh?"
"Are you saying they called Zen-kun out for such a small-fry!?"
Here she goes.
Akira-chan makes a phone call.
"Sase! I should have told you! Zen-kun is off today! I don't care if he's a headquarters chief or a head of pickled kelp, to think you'd change Zen-kun's schedule for such a small-fry—you've certainly gotten quite big-headed! ...Yes, wipe it clean right now!"
Akira-chan's phone call doesn't end.
"Papa? Someone like the local ruling party's headquarters chief committed an insolence against my husband! ...Yes. ...Please. Well, I'm in a hurry, so."
Akira-chan's phone call ended.
"It's dangerous if Zen-kun is alone. I'm going with you, so we're going to the hair salon."
"T—Then, I'll change my clothes."
"There's no need! We'll buy them on the way! Give me Zen-kun's smartphone."
"...Yes."
Afterward, while I am getting my hair styled and choosing clothes, Akira-chan completely rejects every business negotiation call that comes in.
This is something I heard later... Katagiri-kun, apparently several small and medium-sized enterprises fell into management crises for the sake of your wedding.
It seems the reconstruction plan for the large factory also touched Akira-chan's wrath and almost got completely wiped out.
Your wedding is really something.
Once we buy a suit, we head straight to the venue.
It seems we made it in time.
Apparently, they only invited peers of their year to the ceremony and reception.
Everyone was gathered.
"Yoshiyuki, you're late."
Nakajima-kun says.
"A lot of things happened."
Though I think a lot of things are probably still happening even now.
"It's gotten troublesome to deal with small-fry one by one. It's wedding etiquette, after all..."
Akira-chan turns off the power of my smartphone.
"Akira, you have it tough too. My husband is also a troublesome person who wants to put work on the day of a long-awaited wedding. It's nice that he's diligent, though."
"We both have it tough, Emi. I didn't know managing a husband's schedule was this difficult."
When I look at Ishihara-kun, he is holding his head. I sympathize with him.
I wonder how much damage these two's moods will generate for the local economy in the future.
"Since everyone is finally gathered, why don't we take a commemorative photo?"
Kanna-san says.
"But wouldn't it be meaningless if the Katagiri couple isn't in it?"
Emi-san says.
"That's true too. Well, later is fine."
"Everyone, preparations are complete. Please head to the chapel."
Guided by the staff, we head inside.
The ceremony is finally about to begin.
The pure white dress of my dreams.
"Rie-chan, do I look strange?"
"You're beautiful~ It suits you, so don't worry~"
Rie-chan says so.
"Ah, that's right, wait a moment~ Papa-san~"
Papa-san came inside.
As soon as Papa-san sees me, he bursts into tears.
"Look, don't cry, Papa-san. Excuse me~ Could you take a photo of the three of us~?"
She asks the staff member to take a photo.
"...How much I have dreamed of this day coming."
That's the same for me too, Papa-san.
The dream that Toya-san finally made come true.
The thing I had been dreaming of ever since Toya-san was feeding the puppy.
Toya-san had branded himself as an underachiever.
He said I was an existence out of his reach.
But to me, Toya-san was also an existence out of reach.
But that's not true.
Superiority or inferiority isn't what connects people.
From the time I summoned my courage to give you milk.
From the time I summoned my courage to hand you chocolate.
From the time you summoned your courage to come to my house.
From the time you held me tight when I was broken and tried to leave you.
Just a little bit of courage changes a life.
The one who proved that to me was Toya-san.
Many things might still happen from now on.
Every time, I will give you courage.
So please, give me courage too.
Give me the strength to live together with you.
Give sustenance for living to me and the children who will be born from now on.
"Now, it's fine to call Toya-kun in already, right~?"
Rie-chan says.
The staff member calls Toya-san.
Toya-san looked at me and was surprised.
And then, a single word.
"You're beautiful."
"Thank you."
I smile.
"Well, take your time together until it's time."
Saying so, Rie-chan and the others went out.
Toya-san was looking at me.
Is he nervous?
I'm the same.
So Toya-san, say something to me.
Called by the staff member, I enter the room where Airi is waiting.
Airi, wrapped in a pure white dress.
Her hair is styled in a ponytail.
Looking at Airi sitting on the chair, I gasped.
"You're beautiful."
"Thank you."
Airi was smiling.
"Well, take your time together until it's time."
Airi's parents said so and went out.
Silence flows.
"...We finally made it."
"We did."
"We took a detour, but we finally arrived."
"Yes."
"But this isn't the end yet, right?"
"Yes, I look forward to being with you from now on."
"Me too, I look forward to being with you."
"Toya-san. Do you remember the movie we watched a long time ago?"
"Eh?"
"The movie we watched when we were middle school students."
Which one could it be?
While I was wondering, Airi said a single word.
"The one where it took eight years to get married."
"Ah, that one?"
"Ours wasn't quite that long, but it wasn't a flat road either."
"That's true."
"The Bride After 10 Years."
"Ah..."
Ever since I caught a single glimpse of Airi, I have done nothing but chase after her.
There were times when I occasionally forgot, but Airi kept looking at me.
When Airi was about to break, I was able to support her.
It will remain the same forever.
Ah, that's right.
"Earlier, I was entrusted with a letter from Tatsuhiko-senpai. It seems to be from Natsumi-san."
"Natsumi-san?"
"Yeah, he said he wants the two of us to read it."
I took out the letter, and the two of us read it.
The autumn sunlight filtering through the trees seems just like that day.
Even without you, Katagiri-kun, I am living in the present with Tatsuhiko-san.
Surely, Katagiri-kun, you must have run ahead in high spirits, saying 'let's go quickly,' and troubled Tosaka-san.
Without knowing about Tosaka-san, who was always just chasing after you, looking at Katagiri-san's back while hiding her tears.
Even so, Tosaka-san should surely be able to puff out her chest and say:
"I am happy."
Flustered by the voice that vanishes like the wind, Katagiri-kun will surely call out Tosaka-san's name.
Tosaka-san's smiling face as she looks back must surely be beautiful.
That gentle warmth of being by your side all this time remains in the palm of my hand.
To connect our feelings, we keep holding hands, and Katagiri-kun's voice is always trembling with sorrow.
Look, everything that couldn't be put into words is inside Katagiri-kun, living in the present.
"Why are you standing still with that kind of face?"
I wonder if Katagiri-kun thought of me that way?
You might have been hurt and broken, but from now on, Katagiri-kun, you must live with the person you love.
There were things that did not come true.
We overcame many unbearable regrets.
This town has also changed quite a lot.
So please, you change too.
On the road we walked together, please look up at the unchanging sky together even now.
In my mind, Katagiri-kun is always smiling. It's a little unfair, though.
But I have also grown stronger since that day.
Because Tatsuhiko-san is here, I am always smiling.
Katagiri-kun is no longer by my side.
Now, the person who cherishes me is by my side.
The days we spent together have become a distant light.
So, Katagiri-kun, please walk with Tosaka-san.
Please look toward tomorrow together.
I am glad I was able to tell Katagiri-kun that I loved him. There are no tears.
No matter how many times spring comes, do not forget.
Please live your own present, just the two of you.
The path to a new future that Katagiri-kun will walk from today.
I am glad I met Katagiri-kun, who is wrapped in so much love and making a big dream come true right here, right now.
The bells of happiness echoing in the sky.
This day has finally come.
The figure in a shining, pure white dress.
Even meeting eyes must be a little embarrassing.
But please say just one thing to her.
"Out of all the time we've spent together, you're the cutest. You're beautiful."
On happy days and anxious days alike, Tosaka-san is by Katagiri-kun's side.
There is nothing to worry about, no matter what happens.
I, who have watched you for a short time, guarantee it with pride.
The new surname will become natural, and you'll get better at unfamiliar cooking little by little.
Even within the changing days and time, Tosaka-san will never change.
Please protect Katagiri-kun on his smiling days and his tearful days.
With a single teardrop shining on your profile under the white veil, please match your steps one by one and walk toward a tomorrow just for the two of you.
The one who taught me that just having someone you love can make you this strong and gentle is Katagiri-kun. Thank you.
I pray for the happiness of the two of you, who vow a great love right here, right now.
The path to a new future that Katagiri-kun will walk from today.
I sincerely congratulate Katagiri-kun, who is wrapped in so much love and making a big dream come true in this place.
That smile makes me as happy as if it were my own.
May today be a day that you can never, ever forget.
Congratulations, truly. Be happy.
Airi and I didn't speak a single word until we finished reading to the end.
Even after we finished reading, it was dead silent.
"It's a letter overflowing with so much gentleness, isn't it?"
Airi evaluated it as such.
She is sincerely congratulating us. Airi said so.
"Airi."
"What is it?"
"I love you."
"...I love you too."
Knock, knock
"Preparations are complete."
The staff member says.
"Well, shall we go, Airi?"
Saying so, I put away the letter and stand up.
"Toya-san, please give me just a little time."
"What's wrong?"
Airi is looking down, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Actually, I went to the hospital the other day."
"Eh?"
"...It seems we have been safely blessed."
I squeeze Airi's hand tightly.
Our story still continues.
Fin.