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Suzue wanted to cry.
It wasn’t the bad kind of cry, though. It wasn’t like the heavy emptiness or the hollow melancholy she’d experienced after losing her parents, her uncle and aunt, her grandfather.
No, this was the good kind of cry. Because today, her cousin was going to marry the love of his life.
Suzue was definitely going to cry.
💴 💍 🌸
All things considered, Daisuke-sama’s and Haru-san’s relationship progressed very naturally. Although Suzue still had reservations about her cousin’s collaboration with the police, and the dangerous work that it entailed (the bomb scare was most certainly no laughing matter – goodness, his life had been on the line), she’d begrudgingly come to respect the Kambe scion’s choice. To her own surprise, she’d also made fast friends with the taupe-haired inspector, Katou Haru-san. Within no time of meeting Daisuke-sama’s partner-in-crime, Suzue warmed up to his easy grin, honest eyes, and gentle disposition.
Now, if anyone had asked Suzue what kind of person Haru-san was, she’d be the first to advocate him as an absolute sweetheart. After all, it was he who broke down the innumerable iron walls guarding her cousin’s heart. Truly, such a feat was nothing short of incredible. As someone who’d also been raised all her life to never show any weakness, she imagined how patient and headstrong Haru-san must’ve been. To stay civil with her relative despite their terrible first meeting. To work with the Kambe heir regardless of their differences in financial viewpoints and ethics. To make friends with Daisuke-sama in spite of his aloof nature. Friends.
Haru-san was the first real friend that she and her cousin had had in a long time. The dirty games, business, and politics of high society made it difficult for either Kambe to trust anyone apart from each other. And yet, here was Katou Haru-san, the man who’d held the unwavering loyalty and love of both cousins in the palm of his hand. He didn’t even realize how much power he wielded.
💴 💍 🌸
In all honesty, the number of firsts Suzue experienced with Haru-san was equal to that of her cousin’s. She recalled the fateful day he stormed out of the mansion because of a foolish mistake she’d made that morning, face dark with anger and irritation. (She still wasn’t sure what caused his displeasure that day, the natto, or the 2-centimeter difference in his upgraded insoles. She’d probably never find out.)
Suzue remembered being beside herself with worry when her relative ignored her desperate attempts to contact him through the neon signboard outside the convenience store. She’d felt awful when their grandmother suggested he might not return home that night. Without HEUSC, his phone, or his wallet, Daisuke-sama was effectively powerless. She was loath to wonder where he would spend the night. Having been on countless business trips with her cousin abroad, she knew all too well how uneasy he’d felt about sleeping outside of their mansion, and outside of his own deluxe bed. Feeling guilty, Suzue spent the night in front of the supercomputer, vigilantly watching the screens for a clue to where her relative might be. She prayed fervently that he wouldn’t die.
She’d been so anxious when he failed to return home the next morning. “Don’t worry, my dear,” laughed their grandmother. “He’s probably at work. You know how it is.” Suzue wanted to protest. She was distressed that her relative had gone a full day without sleep. It had been all her fault, too. She was devastated.
That evening, she waited for the Kambe scion at the steps of their grand mansion. Upon seeing his approaching figure, she jumped up excitedly, eager to welcome him home. “Daisuke-sama!” Suzue exclaimed. Her cousin didn’t immediately reply, but she understood. He had to greet their grandmother first. It was then that she saw the little bandage wrapped around his index finger. She gasped, then frowned. Where could he have gotten the injury? How?? Why???
Her relative’s voice broke her out of her dazed state. “Suzue, are you hungry?”
When Daisuke-sama set the steaming bowl of natto before her, lips pulled into a self-satisfied smirk, Suzue’s mind was still racing with a million thoughts. Wasn’t he tired? The successor of the Kambe Group was notoriously bad-tempered whenever he hadn’t gotten sufficient rest. The man seated before her appeared neither tired nor grumpy. In fact, he looked energetic. “Th-Thank you for the meal,” stuttered Suzue, baffled.
That evening was the first time she’d ever had a meal prepared by her cousin.
💴 💍 🌸
She’d later learn that the one who’d housed Daisuke-sama for the night (and taught him that delicious natto recipe) was none other than Haru-san. She’d also discovered that her cousin had indeed snoozed inside the detective’s humble abode. (To say she was shocked that her relative had slept in his partner’s tiny bathtub was an understatement.) Nonetheless, Suzue was grateful for the inspector’s kind hospitality. After minutes of trying to offer the policeman a gift as a show of thanks, she slipped her business card – the one with her personal number – into his hands. “Please feel free to call me if ever you find yourself in need of my help, Katou-san!” The business card really wasn’t her choice, but the inspector had vehemently refused money, a vintage watch, and two tickets to the opera. Her options were limited.
The taupe-haired man’s smile was blinding. “Of course, Suzue-san! And please, call me Haru!”
💴 💍 🌸
From then on, Suzue started noticing little changes in the Kambe heir’s behavior. He would sometimes return late to the mansion, electing to skip dinner in favor of sleep. “I’m not hungry," he'd tell the kitchen staff. "I ate instant ramen.” (“With Haru-san” were the words left unsaid.) Though the staff had eventually made peace with their master’s decision, his initial declination to eat dinner caused quite the stir. “But, Kambe-sama,” cried the panic-stricken chef. “This is your favorite Jamón Ibérico de Bellota!”
On other nights, Daisuke-sama would not come home at all. “Good evening, Suzue,” he’d call. “I will be spending the night at inspector Katou’s. We have many cases to discuss. Send my regards to our grandmother. I wish you both a good night.” Suzue liked to think that she knew her cousin well enough to discern the tone he used when he was truly busy. Oddly enough, she’d only ever detected such a timbre on 30% of his calls.
She’d also begun to see more of Haru-san in their mansion. Occasionally, the pair would be working inside in Daisuke-sama’s study room, Haru-san poring over paperwork, the Kambe Group’s successor typing away at his laptop. But, more often than not, Suzue found herself bumping into the golden-eyed man as he walked out of her relative’s bedroom. She didn’t miss the way he averted his gaze each time, or the way his face would flush.
“Haru-san and I are together,” said Daisuke-sama at dinner one evening. Promptly, the detective choked on his rice. “I intend to marry him. We would like to receive your blessing.” Suzue beamed, thrilled that the Kambe scion had found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “Congratulations, Daisuke-sama, Haru-san!”
Kambe Kikuko, too, chuckled. “Oh my, Haru-san. This was not quite the coaching I imagined you would be giving to Daisuke-san.” Haru’s cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. “I do hope Daisuke-san hasn’t been causing you trouble.” The inspector cleared his throat. Thrice. He opened his mouth to reply, but his billionaire boyfriend beat him to the punch. “Please do not worry, grandmother. I would never do anything to inconvenience the man I love.”
Suzue’s eyes widened. She had never seen Daisuke-sama this earnest. Over the rim of her glasses, Kambe Kikuko assessed the pair. When she finally spoke, her voice was gentle, expression tender. “You have my blessing. I hope you treat each other well.” Relieved that they’d passed the test, the couple relaxed, soft smiles dancing on the edges of their lips. Valiantly, Suzue restrained herself from squealing with glee. (She’d barely succeeded.)
💴 💍 🌸
The young lady was ecstatic when the policeman had enlisted her help for his proposal. “Yes, Haru-san, yes, yes, yes! I would be honored to assist you!” She’d gotten to researching right away. For days she fixed herself at the supercomputer, determined to hunt down the perfect ring, the perfect restaurant, the perfect location. At long last, her game plan was formulated – all that was left was its execution. It was going to be perfect.
But as fate would have it, her efforts were for naught. As delighted as Suzue had been for the newly-engaged couple, their proposals – plural, yes – threw a wrench in her plans. Contrary to her vision, there had been no fancy restaurant or idyllic scenery. Instead, as she’d learned from HEUSC, the question had been popped in a dusty junkyard filled with scrap metal and debris, after the pair had faced off with some unruly mobsters, and after the police had brought them in for questioning. She had replayed their tête-à-tête a hundred times, eyes glued to the screens streaming feed from the surveillance camera that captured their exchange.
“Oi, Kambe,” started the detective. He dusted his palms off the front of his pants, then slipped them deep inside the pockets of his jacket.
The tycoon turned towards his partner. “What is it, Haru-san?”
Eyes never breaking contact with his boyfriend’s, the inspector got down on one knee. He took the little box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal the sleek silver band within. “Daisuke. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me?”
The mogul’s brows shot up at the sight of his lover genuflected before him, and at the rare use of his given name.
“No.”
Hurt flashed across golden irises.
“Wait, no. Yes. Wait. Please hold on,” responded the younger man ineloquently. A warm shade of pink streaked high across his pale cheekbones. He fished his own small box out from the recesses of his blazer. The policeman was bewildered.
The magnate pouted petulantly. “I was intending to ask for your hand in marriage this evening. I really wanted to be first.”
“You’ll still marry me, right?”
“Yes. There is no one I love more than you, Haru-san. You are the only one for me.”
As the couple walked out of camera range, they wore matching grins and rings. It might not have been the perfect proposal that Suzue had envisioned, but she wished she had been there to witness the momentous occasion with her own eyes all the same.
💴 💍 🌸
The role of wedding organizer fell naturally to Suzue afterward. She’d had relative ease with that, too. The lovebirds had definitively decided that their marriage ceremony would be an intimate affair, held inside the lush garden of the Kambe mansion, reserved only for close family and friends from the task force. Their tuxedoes were to be matching shades of pristine white, their boutonnieres the exact colors of their eyes, their bowties contrasted against them. Suzue was chosen as the maid-of-honor; Kamei made the best man.
Suzue’d interrupted the two before their discussion furthered. “Excuse me, Daisuke-sama, Haru-san.”
“Yes, Suzue-san?”
“This is a rather trivial matter, but would you allow me to wear a suit instead of a dress? I do not wish to steal the attention away from you on your special day.”
The two men shared a silent conversation with their eyes. When her cousin spoke, his response was warm. “If that is your desire, Suzue, we will permit it.” Suzue’s eyes sparkled.
💴 💍 🌸
The only wedding problem that the trio had run into was choosing whose family name the couple would take. (Suzue considered it a personal victory that Haru-san didn’t fight with them over the costs incurred for his nuptials, really.) It had been a tense 24 hours, but she was thankful that the issue of the surname had been resolved as quickly as it’d surfaced.
“Daisuke, I’m not taking your family name.”
“But –“
“I’m older than you!?”
“– Kambe Haru has a nice ring to it.”
“Yeah, but so does Katou Daisuke!”
Suzue had suggested they take a break for the evening and reconvene when they were ready. She’d been nonplussed when she found the Kambe Group's successor seated inside the study room the next morning, legs crossed languidly, mouth turned upwards in a wicked smirk, awaiting her arrival. “Suzue, Haru-san will be taking the Kambe name.”
“That was quicker than I expected, Daisuke-sama.” Naively, she asked, “Why did he relent?” Her relative didn’t deign that with a response. She’d regretted her question later, when the inspector made his way towards the Kambes at lunch, limping slightly. She’d tried to ignore the way he softly hissed as he sat down. She’d pretended not to notice the dark hickeys littered along on the sides of his neck.
The triumphant smirk on her cousin’s face didn’t falter. They never talked names again.
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Presently, Suzue adjusted her snow-white tie. She glanced at the mirror for the last time, nodding at how perfectly the beautiful blue-gray suit on her complemented her eyes. The corsage of gold and white flowers looped around her wrist completed the look. She was ready. Suzue might not have had any prior experience, but she was bent on being the best maid-of-honor in history. As she stepped out of the mansion and onto the stone pathway of the gardens where her cousin stood, back rigid, Suzue gave his hand a little squeeze. It had been years since the last time they’d held hands like this, grounding each other with physical touch. Her relative relaxed, breathing out a small sigh. “Thank you, Suzue.” Giggling, she hooked a slender arm into the crook of his elbow. “Come on, Daisuke-sama. Haru-san is waiting for you.”
Suzue’s eyes shone with unshed tears as she walked the older Kambe down the path towards where his husband-to-be was waiting. Finally, when he took his place at the altar, the waterworks began. Her heart ached with how happy she was for the couple standing before each other.
Haru-san said his vows first.
“This jerk let me fall off a bridge the first time we met.” The wedding party chortled. Daisuke-sama turned remorseful.
“Haru-san,” he huffed. “You agreed to remove this part. We talked about this last night.”
The taller man threw his head back in laughter, eyes crinkling. “You did let me fall off a bridge when we first met, though.” His expression grew fond. “But I wanted to tell you that I’d fall for you again, in this lifetime and the next.”
💴 💍 🌸
Try as she might, Suzue couldn’t stop crying even after the pair had completed their vows and exchanged their rings. She sniffled helplessly as they’d kissed, faces full of love and affection. She would surely deny its occurrence, but she’d even let out an embarrassing bawl when the newlyweds help up their freshly-signed marriage license to their wedding party.
Kambe Haru was family now. Suzue would remember this day forever.