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It hadn’t occurred to him at first.
The mere idea of ballroom-style dancing was as daunting as it was foreign to Asahi. He had managed to avoid it in his youth and for the entirety of his adult life. It was one of the perks of people believing he was a delinquent; girls never asked him to dance, and that was fine by him.
However, once he set foot into the wedding hall for Daichi and Yui’s rehearsal dinner, it hit him fast and hard that no one was going to get him off the hook this time. The vast dance floor might let him blend in, but he could never hide from Suga, Daichi’s hawk-eyed best man.
His brain spinning its wheels at a light speed, Asahi found himself elbowed three times by Ennoshita, who sat to his left, just to snap him back to attention when he was being addressed.
When the dinner let out, Asahi wanted desperately to bolt for the door, but a soft voice behind him held him back. “Azumane-san?”
Asahi turned around and almost missed Yachi Hitoka standing in front of him, steepling her fingers nervously with her eyes averted. Upon first meeting Hitoka, Asahi had been stricken at the thought of terrifying her just by existing while large, but he soon came to learn that she was that anxious about nearly everyone she didn’t know. It had only taken a month or so before he was able to get her to laugh.
“Oh!” Asahi gave her a wide smile. “Hello, Yacchan. Is there something I can do for you.” His nose wrinkled as he recalled the last time she had asked him for something and chortled at the memory. “Is your closet door stuck again?”
Hitoka shook her head. “Oh, no. I don’t need anything.” Her eyes strayed away from his again as she continued. “I just noticed that you were distracted during dinner. Are you nervous about something? I’m nervous about a lot of things, and it usually helps to talk about it.”
Asahi winced as her shot in the dark hit a big fat bullseye. He briefly mulled over the idea of denying any and all knowledge of dancing and everything ever associated with it. However, the specter of his friends cajoling him into a dance that would most certainly lead to smashed and maimed toes on anyone unfortunate enough to be his partner would not go away just because he wanted it to.
With a sigh, he gave her a wry smile. “I can’t dance, and the wedding is two days away.”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “I can see why you’re upset. If it were me, I probably would have popped a blood vessel in my brain by now.”
He ducked his shoulders and nodded solemnly. It felt liberating to have someone listen to his ridiculous little fear and make it sound like the most natural thing in the world. They may have both been terrified of their own shadows, but they managed to look out for each other for as long as they’d been acquainted.
“I could teach you,” she said suddenly, shaking Asahi out of his thoughts. When he blinked at her in surprise, Hitoka’s cheeks turned pink as she added, “I had to learn a long time ago because of my mom’s work things. I can teach you, if you want.”
Images of his monstrous feet crushing Hitoka’s tiny toes pummeled their way into Asahi’s brain, but he fought them back down and offered her a smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
The next day, she had set aside her entire schedule just to help him, and it filled Asahi’s heart with something he couldn’t quite describe. As he had feared, he did step on her toes a few times, but she had shaken it off quickly and continued guiding him through the basic steps he might find himself up against.
It was well past dinnertime when they finally called it quits, with Hitoka confident that Asahi’s newfound abilities would at least save him from complete humiliation. They had coursed over the empty ballroom floor over and over to the tune of a YouTube playlist she had found just for the occasion.
Tired and starving, Asahi said, “I definitely owe you one, Yacchan. How about I take you to dinner?”
Hitoka grinned at him and nodded. “That would be nice. I feel like I haven’t eaten in forever.”
They both decided on a Chinese place nearby, and they caught up with each other’s lives while they stuffed themselves with far too much food. Neither of them was particularly steady on their feet as they walked out of the restaurant.
Asahi automatically followed Hitoka to walk her home, as it was after dark and he didn’t like the idea of her alone on the streets. She didn’t object, which Asahi hoped was because she enjoyed his company. They had always got along, and it meant a lot to him that this tiny frightened bird of a woman looked at him and saw the marshmallow filling instead of the more rugged outside.
At the door leading up to her apartment, they stopped, and Hitoka gave him a sad smile. “I had fun today. I’m glad I could help you. Dancing isn’t bad when you know how to do it.”
Asahi grinned. “I think I kind of like it. I really do owe you one.”
“How about I cash in that favor at the wedding,” Hitoka said. “Save me the first dance.”
“It’s all yours.”
With a squeak, Hitoka’s arms belted around his waist with surprising force, and his own gently draped over her shoulders and held her close. He could smell her fruity shampoo and see the stray gray hairs blending into the usual gold.
His chest ached with the sight.
She made no motion to let go, and neither did he. All he could think about was her kindness, her enthusiastic words of encouragement as he had lumbered his way into a decent skill set on the dance floor, the way she squeaked when she was surprised, and the way her eyes glittered with glee every time she passed the stationery section of the supermarket.
Asahi craned his head down and planted a kiss on the crown of her head, smiling against her hair until an older lady trying to get into the building hissed at them to get out of the way and shattered the moment.
As she headed into the building, Hitoka backed away until she couldn’t anymore, smiling to Asahi all the way.
On the way back to his own place, Asahi found himself humming one of the songs they had practiced with and hoped that their dance at the wedding wouldn’t be the last time he received the privilege of Hitoka Hitoka’s embrace.
That thought made him grin to himself and put just a little bit more spring in his step for the rest of the day.
The wedding was the beautiful affair it was painstakingly arranged to be. Yui was beautiful and Daichi was able to contain the emotions playing on his face enough to keep the pictures from being too ridiculous. Asahi looked forward to seeing the moment their wedding photographer would be able to capture.
Despite the grandeur of the spectacle, however, Asahi couldn’t keep his gaze from straying across the aisle to Hitoka, who was quietly sniffling into a handkerchief with a huge grin on her face.
Hitoka held her breath while they exchanged vows, heaving a sigh of relief when all parties answered in the affirmative, and Asahi couldn’t fight off a grin. Once the wedding ended and the crowd began to disperse and migrate to the reception hall, he gave her a quick little wave.
“It was so beautiful!” she cried as he pushed her way over to him. “Yui-chan was lovely and Dai-san was trying to be cool but wasn’t cool at all and I just —” She trembled with emotion, and Asahi’s throat tightened at the sight. “I love weddings so much.”
Since he was finally equipped with a cure for his lack of dance skills, Asahi couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “It’s nice to see my friends happy.”
She sighed in agreement. “When I was little, I kept a scrapbook of all the stuff I wanted to have at my wedding. I printed dresses and tuxedos from fashion articles so I could put them on paper dolls I made, and I’d have them dance and tell each other how happy they were.”
Hitoka dipped her head, her cheeks red through the veil of her hair. “That’s probably pretty stupid, though. I can’t believe I told you that.”
The vivid image of her childish joy melted as Asahi heard her self-reproach, dropping into his stomach like a lead weight. His hand darted out and snared hers, and with a wobbling voice, he declared, “It’s not stupid to want to be happy. Maybe you should cut little you some slack. Hitoka-chan was doing the best she could.”
Gaping at him with a slack jaw, Hitoka squeezed his hand and tugged them along with the crowd to the event center where her lessons would be put to the ultimate test.
Asahi frowned when he noticed the seating arrangements had been altered and he was no longer at the same table, but when he spotted his name card nearby and the one sitting at the space next to him, he grinned. He didn’t know whether this was Daichi’s or Yui’s doing, but their well-meaning interference was welcome in this case.
Hitoka sat beside him and bounced in her chair. “Ooh, it’s even more beautiful than in Yui-san’s book. She wouldn’t let us see the cake, though.” She folded her arms and gazed longingly at the swinging doors leading to the kitchen, where he supposed the cake was hiding.
Asahi patted Hitoka’s hand and chuckled. “I think you’ll enjoy the surprise.”
The reception carried on, the air between them filled with Hitoka’s running commentary on how well various aspects the wedding plans had come to fruition, and Asahi absorbed it all with a smile. He learned more about flowers, dressmaking, and catering in the drawling dinner hour than he could say.
It was only when he heard the shrill chime of chopstick on crystal that Asahi realized he had forgotten to spare the happy couple a glance. Suga stood at the dais next to Daichi, glass in hand, and his gaze bored into Asahi.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and whatever the rest of you are,” Suga called over the group, his voice audibly lubricated by the copious amount of drink that flowed freely at the reception. “Thank you for coming tonight, and I’d like to take a minute to publically embarrass my best friend because he’s in a good mood and Yui-chan can’t run away now.”
Everyone chortled at this, and Suga regaled the crowd with stories of Daichi’s less than stellar moments from the nearly two decades they’ve known each other. Asahi almost squirmed in sympathy as Daichi’s face got redder and redder, and a sideways glance told him that he wasn’t the only one.
Her hands over her eyes, Hitoka’s shoulders were hunched as she cringed, even though her fingers were parted so she didn’t miss a moment. Something warm tingled in his chest, and he was hard-pressed to turn back to Suga’s slanderous soliloquy.
Daichi’s and Yui’s speeches were far more on the romantically embarrassing side. Asahi found himself with his chin cradled in his palm, sighing every time his friends looked at each other like they were alone in the room.
After nearly a half hour of talking so full bellies had a chance to settle, Daichi led Yui to the dance floor. The moment Asahi had dreaded since the rehearsal dinner was finally there, but as soon as the thought started racing around in his head, a small hand covered his and gave it a surprisingly tight squeeze.
“You’ll do fine,” Hitoka said, linking her arm with his and draining her glass. “I think we’re supposed to go now. Suga-san is taking Mao-san to the dance floor. Everyone else will probably follow.”
Hitoka’s arm stayed firmly wrapped around his, for which Asahi was grateful as they made their way to the dance floor. Others followed suit, a few of their old school friends who had married off one by one and many Asahi didn’t know.
Maybe getting this over with in front of people he’d never see again wasn’t too bad, and Hitoka’s quiet support beside him cemented it.
After Daichi and Yui’s solo dance, a new song started, and Asahi’s head jerked to meet Hitoka’s gaze, eyes wide as he recognized one of the melodies he had practiced with.
“Told you,” Hitoka murmured, her grip tightening in Asahi’s as they started to move.
Utterly content to let her lead, Asahi was swept into Hitoka’s motions as she led them around in a neat little loop in concert with the other dancers around them. He spent most of the song glancing down to keep track of his feet, which felt overly clumsy and large in dress shoes, but he couldn’t help but spare more than a few lingering looks at Hitoka.
Her head was thrown back and her eyes closed while she drank in the music, a serene smile on her face. Asahi’s throat tightened at the sight, and he found himself willing his eyes down to make sure he didn’t break the spell by squashing her toes.
The song ended, and it took more effort than he cared to admit to let his hands fall to his sides and away from her. Oh, he was in trouble.
He knew exactly what was happening. He couldn’t afford to be naïve about it, but to act on his feelings was off limits, Asahi told himself. Hitoka was a very good friend and he enjoyed her companionship; pushing that envelope could ruin something he would rather protect.
They took their seats once again, and Hitoka let out a dreamy sigh and propped her cheek in her hand as she gazed out at the dance floor. “I kind of missed this.” She looked over at him and gave him a toothy grin and thumbs up. “Thank you for the lovely dance, Azumane-san. I never would’ve known you only learned a couple of days ago if I wasn’t there.”
“Ah, thanks!” His cheeks reddened and he ducked his head, not ready to telegraph the way her compliment made him blush with pleasure. “You were wonderful as always, Yacchan.”
Hitoka squeaked and covered her face. Asahi chortled at that, bumping his shoulder lightly into hers. “I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to maybe, uh, go for another round.”
Her hands curled into excited fists over her mouth as she squealed. “I would!” She latched her arm around his and dragged him to his feet with strength belying her tiny frame. “Let’s go. The song’s about to change.”
Asahi followed with a beatific smile on his face, and after a few more dances, he didn’t need to look at his feet anymore. That left his attention solely on Hitoka, on the way the ambient lighting gleamed in her wide eyes that were fixed on him, as well.
The night wore on, and while both of them doing a few rounds with other acquaintances of theirs, they spent a majority of their dances with one another. Toward the end of the gathering when most of the guests with kids began filtering out, Asahi found himself dancing with the bride.
“I didn’t know you could dance.” Yui gave him a pointed look. “Even Daichi noticed.”
With a shrug, he admitted, “I couldn’t.” He gave her a brief synopsis of his crash course with Hitoka.
Once he finished, Yui’s eyes narrowed. “I see.” She looked over her shoulder and called, “Hey, Suga, you owe me a thousand yen.”
Beside his best man, Daichi smirked and rubbed his fingers together. “Pay the lady, Suga. I told you this would happen.”
“What?” Asahi stilled mid-motion, his hands automatically lurching out to steady Yui as she stumbled. “What are you talking about?”
Yui giggled and dropped her forehead against Asahi’s chest. “Asahi, you’ve been my friend for almost twenty years and I love you, but please believe me when I say that this awkward pining of yours isn’t going to make her notice you.”
The dots began to connect, and Asahi let his shoulders sag in surrender. “How did you know?”
“How could I not?” Yui looked up at him with a quirked brow. “Suga thought you’d implode after I switched Hitoka-chan’s seat to be next to yours. I told him he was wrong.”
Asahi blinked in surprise. “You bet on me?”
“Always have.” Yui gave him a gentle punch in the shoulder. “That, and Suga thinks he knows everything when he’s halfway through a bottle of booze, so thank you for that, but I just want you to be happy.”
She turned him until he was facing where he and Hitoka were sitting, to the sight of her flagging into her folded arms while everyone else at their table was either off dancing, hunting down drinks, or were already gone. Almost on cue, she heaved a sigh.
“She misses you already.” Yui put her hand in the small of Asahi’s back and gave him a shove in Hitoka’s direction. “Now, go tell her you like her before she thinks you’re not interested.”
Every nerve in Asahi’s whole skin rattled exponentially as his feet propelled him toward Hitoka of their own accord. Yui’s words echoed in his ears, and those lingering unlabeled feelings from the past few days started to come into focus.
There was no denying it; he liked Hitoka and wanted her to know it.
Far before he was ready to put those sentiments into words, he stood before Hitoka. When she looked up at him and smiled, the lingering anxiety that had stalked him his entire life fell silent for one golden moment.
Asahi held out an arm, which Hitoka stood and took. “Oh, do you want to dance again?” she asked.
“Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk in the courtyard gardens. It’s a nice night.”
She gave his arms a light squeeze. “That sounds wonderful.”
They strolled through paths of flowers Hitoka could name off in rapid succession, their fragrance sweet and peaceful in the warm May evening. Few of the wedding guests had meandered outside, leaving them almost entirely alone with the warm halo of moonlight caressing the outline of the trees.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at that last thought.
“What’s so funny?” Hitoka asked, looking up at him wide-eyed and a budding smile.
Asahi shook his head and huffed. “Sometimes, you’re afraid to say or do something, and the universe just tells you to stop being stupid and just do it.”
“Oh?” She bobbed her head in encouragement. “What is it telling you to do, then?” Her attention migrated down to her shoes, her shoulders sagging. “I probably shouldn’t be so nosy. You don’t have to tell me.”
“Yes, I do.” Asahi reached up with his free hand and cupped Hitoka’s soft cheek, shifting her gaze upward until he could see their bright brown eyes looking up at him and glistening in the moonlight.
He had never been so certain of anything in his life as he leaned down to press his lips to hers.
An old instinct in him screamed inside of him to brace himself for rejection, to prepare for the fallout of her disgust or dislike. However, something calm and warm soothed over it and he relaxed into the kiss, delving his hands into the soft hair at his fingertips.
Asahi’s eyes flew open in surprise when Hitoka’s arms clamped around his waist and pushed them together, sending him reeling backward until his legs bumped into a nearby stone bench. Dropping gracelessly to his seat, Asahi sat enthralled while Hitoka knotted her fingers into the lapels of his jacket and groaned.
They were both breathless when Hitoka wrenched her mouth away. Her cheeks were flaming and her eyes screwed shut, but the telltale drag of her tongue along her bottom lip belied her retreating demeanor.
In a flash, her eyes bored into his and she grinned. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long, you don’t even know.”
Her smile infectious, Asahi took her smaller hands in his and hummed in pleasure. “Apparently, that makes both of us.”
“Well, that’s one problem we solved.” She swung their joined hands between them while deeply inhaling the fragrant breeze. “I can’t imagine anything more perfect, can you?”
Asahi couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as he murmured, “Nothing at all.”
Still very red, Hitoka sat next to him on the bench and curled into his side when he draped his arm around her shoulder. “So what now?”
“We’ll figure it out,” he replied, nuzzling the crown of her head.
Suddenly, he sat bolt upright and yelped, “Oh no. I need to get Yui a better wedding gift now.”
“What?” Hitoka mimicked his panicked posture and squeaked, “Now? Do you need help? What did you get? Do we need to take the other one back?”
Asahi shook his head. “Everything is closed right now. It will have to wait until tomorrow.” He squeezed her to his side and kissed her forehead. “But yes, I would love some help with it.”
He didn’t know if there were any wedding gifts adequate enough to show Yui his appreciation for the kick in the pants she gave him, which directly led to the current idyllic situation, but he looked forward to trying with Hitoka willingly and happily at his side.