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Two weeks before the wedding
They had spent quite a few minutes in that jewelry shop, though Yusuke had to admit it was mostly his fault.
The thing was, he didn’t want to simply choose a pair of wedding rings… He wanted them to be special, something that would make him think of Ryuji every time he looked at it. Unfortunately, however, it was quite difficult to convey his expectations to the clerk, who kept a smile on his face even after tens of rejected rings.
“We’ll just take a look around for a while,” said Ryuji. “We’ll let you know when we decide.”
The clerk simply agreed, seeming relieved—not that Yusuke blamed him, he knew he could be quite exigent when it came to those things. They spent a long time moving from display to display, trying to find something that felt right for Yusuke.
“What about those ones?” said Ryuji after a while.
Yusuke followed his gaze: white gold rings with a line of small colored stones in their center. They were quite elegant, and carried some personality without being too flashy.
“I quite like these,” said Yusuke.
“Yeah, they’re pretty. The blue one looks really good.”
“Oh, I was looking at the yellow one.” Yusuke smiled. “It made me think of you.”
“And the other one made me think of you.”
They looked at each other for a moment, as if sharing a thought.
“It may actually be perfect like this,” said Yusuke.
“You mean different ones?”
“Why not? They made us think of each other. Isn’t that better than matching rings?”
“Now that you said it…” Ryuji smiled. “Yeah, I like the idea. Are we gonna have them engraved too?”
“With our names, you mean?”
Ryuji thought for a moment. “Y’know… Since we’re getting yellow and blue rings, why don’t we stay on theme? I mean, Skull and Fox instead of our names.”
“Actually, I like the idea.” Yusuke smiled. “It’s how we met each other, after all.”
“Yeah!” Ryuji chuckled. “Though the person engraving it will probably be confused.”
“Most certainly.”
Still, the more Yusuke thought about the idea, the more he liked it. He wanted something special, and there it was… Almost too perfect to be true.
The sales clerk tried to explain that the colors were supposed to match, but Yusuke insisted on one yellow and one blue. The man clearly disagreed with his choices, but a sale was still a sale, so he didn’t insist—besides, after hearing the names they were supposed to engrave, he must have realized they were far from being a traditional couple.
Soon, they left the mall, going back to their car.
“Time sure is flying…” Ryuji commented as he started the car. “Seems like we just came back from Italy like, two days ago.”
“Indeed,” said Yusuke. “It has been almost three months now.”
Ryuji laughed, amused. “It’s kinda funny, ain’t it? We’ve been married for months, but we’re still excited about the party.”
“But of course. It’s a celebration, after all.” Yusuke reached for Ryuji’s face, lightly caressing his cheek. “Of the best choice I made in my entire life.”
Ryuji glanced at him with a sweet smile. “Corny…”
Yusuke returned the smile, then lowered his gaze to the small package on his lap. In all honesty, he couldn’t wait to wear those rings.
Ten days before the wedding
The former Phantom Thieves had gathered in Haru and Makoto’s living room to discuss their plans for the quickly approaching party.
“So, are you guys going to travel after this?” asked Haru.
Yusuke shook his head. “We already got legally married in Italy, so I suppose that counts as traveling.”
“Ah, I get it. Married in Italy…” Futaba chuckled, lightly poking Yusuke’s ribs. “You’re such a romantic, Inari!”
“I suppose so.”
She grinned, leaning in his direction. “Any juicy details to share?”
“I’d rather keep them between my husband and myself.”
Futaba puffed her cheeks. “Uhh… boring!”
Ann giggled, then looked at the others. “So, how are going to share the work?”
“Just leave the food to me,” said Haru.
“And the lights and pictures to me!” said Futaba.
“Oh, can I take care of the decorations?” asked Ann.
Shiho nodded. “I think I can help Ann with it.”
“And I’ll take care of the music,” said Yuuki.
Makoto thought for a moment. “I can help with setting up the place.”
Akira looked toward Goro, who responded with a scowl. “No.”
Akira seemed to deflate. “But you didn’t even hear me…”
Goro crossed his arms. “I don’t care, I’m not teaming up with you.”
“But…” Akira lowered his eyes, speaking in a low voice. “I already can’t team up with Ryuji because he’s the groom.”
“Not my problem.”
Akira moved closer to Ryuji, hugging his neck, burying his face in Ryuji’s shoulder. “Ryuji… He’s being mean to me.”
“Don’t be mean to him, Goro,” said Ryuji, patting Akira’s head.
Goro rolled his eyes. Everyone in the room knew that he would end up teaming up with Akira, but there was no way he would be honest about their friendship, even for a single moment.
“Alright, then!” said Ann with a wide smile. “Akira and Goro will be our errand boys!”
Shiho clapped her hands. “Sounds great!”
Akira and Goro frowned at them.
“Oh, I had an idea!” said Yuuki. “Morgana could carry the rings!”
Morgana hummed to himself, seeming pleased. “Of course I would be the one chosen for such an important task… You can count on me!”
Yuuki observed him attentively. “I’m assuming he said yes.”
“Looks like it,” said Shiho.
Morgana nodded in confirmation. Despite those two being unable to understand what he said, they still had formed a close bond with time.
“So,” said Haru, “everything has been decided!”
Ryuji and Yusuke exchanged a glance.
“Wait…” said Ryuji. “What about me and Yusu?”
Ann dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry… You two will be busy enough helping all of us.”
“That’s right!” Futaba grinned. “We’ll make sure you don’t have time for anything else!”
Somehow, that wasn’t very reassuring.
One week before the wedding
They were split into two groups to go buy their clothes that day. Ryuji was on the Ann, Shiho, Akira, Goro, and Yuuki team, while Yusuke was with Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Morgana. Ann was ecstatic, and almost dragged the others into the store that, according to her model knowledge, had the best suits.
“Before we start,” Ann looked at Ryuji, “are you going to wear black or white?”
Ryuji blinked. “I dunno.”
Her smile immediately faded into an incredulous stare. “What do you mean you don’t know? We can’t have both grooms wearing the same color!”
“Can’t we?” asked Yuuki.
“Of course not!” Ann sighed, shaking her head. “You’re unbelievable, Ryuji… I guess I’ll ask Yusuke myself.”
She reached for her phone, making that call.
“Ah, Yusuke. I had to call you since Ryuji didn’t know the answer.” She didn’t miss the chance to glare at him. “So, are you going to wear black or white at the ceremony?”
As Yusuke answered, Ann’s face went stiff.
“What do you mean navy blue?”
Ryuji looked toward the others, who were also holding their breaths, aware of the drama that was about to come.
Ann ended the call, seeming to be in shock. “This is a nightmare… Why is he wearing navy blue?”
“Ain’t that a good thing?” said Ryuji. “Means I can wear either black or white.”
“That’s not the problem!” Ann groaned. “I envisioned everything as black, white, and red already! But if he’s wearing navy blue, then…”
She started to mutter to herself, seeming already lost in thoughts.
“I thought our decorations were gonna be blue and yellow…?” murmured Ryuji.
“That was the idea…” said Shiho, leaning in his direction. “She’s been fighting Yusuke over this for days now.”
“I know more about weddings than Yusuke ever will!” Ann retorted.
“Have you ever planned one?” asked Goro.
Ann averted her gaze. “No… But I posed wearing wedding dresses a few times.”
Ryuji laughed. “Yeah, and that makes you the wedding master, right?”
Ann approached him, pinching his nose. “You stay there with your mouth shut, Ryuji! If you have time to talk, then you should be trying these.”
She reached for a nearby hanger, then pushed a number of formal shirts against Ryuji’s chest.
“Hey…” said Ryuji. “Why are you using this to punish me?”
“Because your husband is wearing navy blue at your wedding!”
Ryuji tried to protest, but it only made Ann find more shirts for him to try.
“This is really important to her, isn’t it?” whispered Akira.
Goro nodded. “It is.”
Shiho sighed, then opened a wide smile, placing a hand on Ann’s shoulder. “Hey, gorgeous… How about we eat some crepes after we’re finished here?”
That seemed to reset Ann’s brain, making her smile as well. “That sounds great!”
Ryuji silently thanked Shiho, who winked in response. Soon, Yuuki appeared by his side, carrying a light gray suit in his arm.
“So,” he said, “how about this one, instead?”
Ann took the suit from him, inspecting it. Slowly, her skeptical expression gave place to an approving one.
“Good job, Yuuki,” she said. “Ryuji, try this one!”
“I don’t think I can carry anything else…”
“Just leave those shirts with Akira and Goro…” She gestured toward them. “They’re being useless, anyway.
Those two protested, but Ann ignored them. Ryuji did as she said, trying that suit. It looked pretty good on him, and his friends’ expressions when he walked out of the fitting room let him know that they agreed.
“It’s perfect!” said Ann with a spark in her eyes.
They let out a collective sigh of relief. The worst part was over now… and it had been much less painful than Ryuji feared.
Things went smoothly after that, and soon they were at the food court of the mall, stuffing their mouths with sweets.
“So, Ann,” said Yuuki after a while, “I was thinking… Did you already choose what you are going to wear?”
Ann didn’t answer, staring wide-eyed at him.
“Oh my God…” she muttered.
Ryuji had to fight the urge to sit on the floor and stay there: apparently, the nightmare was still far from over…
The Day Before the Wedding
Ryuji fell on the bed beside Yusuke, exhausted.
“Man, I’m beat…” he said.
“Me too,” said Yusuke. “Ann didn’t allow me to leave until she was satisfied with the decoration.”
“Oh, no…” Ryuji laughed. “At least I had fun baking with Haru… But those pastries seemed to never end.”
“Were they tasty, at least?”
Ryuji smiled. “Delicious.”
The response made Yusuke smile as well. Soon, however, his smile faded into a sigh.
“I’m already getting nervous…”
“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “I don’t think it all sunk in yet, y’know… I mean, I know that we’re having a wedding, but… It still doesn’t feel real.”
Yusuke turned his body to the side, facing Ryuji. “It is real.”
His words made Ryuji smile. “Yeah… It is.”
“And, as nervous as I might be, I can’t wait for it.”
Ryuji thought for a moment. “I’m curious to see you in a fancy suit. Haru said you looked gorgeous.”
“I’m curious as well. But I doubt Ann would allow me to see you in your suit before the ceremony.”
“Yeah… She even forbid me to take any pictures. Seems like you not seeing me dressed up before the party is very important to her, for some reason.”
“She called Makoto and said the same thing,” said Yusuke. “My suit is with her and Haru.”
“She’s taking her job seriously…” Ryuji giggled. “But I’m glad she’s having fun.”
“Me too. It has been a while since all of us gathered to do something this big. I missed it.”
“Yeah… Makes me miss the time when we were Phantom Thieves. But that’s fine… What matters is that we’re still close.”
“And I doubt that will ever change.”
They simply looked at each other for a moment, then Ryuji brought his hand to Yusuke’s face, caressing his cheek.
“I’m so glad I met you, Yusu.”
Yusuke smiled, bringing Ryuji’s hand to his lips, kissing it. “I should be the one saying this. You make my days so bright and full of joy… I wouldn’t be this happy with anyone else by my side.”
His words seemed to melt Ryuji’s heart. “Damn, I love you so much…”
Day of the Wedding - Haru and Makoto’s House
Makoto and Haru helped Yusuke wear his suit, while he seemed to be having a mental breakdown.
“I’ve seen this in movies before,” he muttered. “The bride changes her mind at the very last moment, and runs away from the wedding. What if those stories are true? It seems to be quite a common thing.”
“It’s only common in movies,” Makoto reassured him. “Besides, you two are already married. This is just the party.”
“But what if he realizes he made a bad choice and leaves?”
Haru shook her head. “Yusu, look at me.” She cupped his face with both hands. “Ryuji loves you. And, knowing him, I’m sure he is as nervous as you are.”
Makoto gently patted his back. “Everything will be fine. This is a happy day for everyone, so try to stay calm and enjoy it.”
Yusuke nodded a few times. “Right… I will.”
He didn’t seem calm.
“Do you want some water?” asked Makoto.
“Yes, please.”
Makoto filled a glass with water, but before she could give it to Yusuke, he quickly marched out of the bedroom.
“I’ll use the restroom for a minute,” he said.
Makoto and Haru observed him disappear behind the bathroom door, then looked at each other, amused.
“Do you think we’ll be like this at our wedding too?” asked Haru.
Makoto couldn’t hold back a smile. “Are you proposing?”
Haru giggled. “Not yet.”
Makoto kissed her cheek, then thought for a moment. “I’ll probably be even worse than him.”
“I don’t even doubt it.”
Day of the Wedding - Ryuji and Yusuke’s House
Ryuji couldn’t stop trembling since he woke up that day, but as the hours went by, his nervousness only got worse.
“You think Yusu is nervous too?” he asked.
“Not as much as you,” said Akira. You’re the one who’s always overthinking.”
Ryuji furrowed his brow. “Can’t believe I heard it from you, Aki…”
“I don’t overthink.” Akira grinned, bringing a hand to his chin. “I just plan things meticulously, and have an option for every possible outcome.”
Goro raised his eyebrow. “Which means…?”
Akira’s smile soured. “Overthinking.”
“Incredible…”
“Shut up!”
Ryuji looked from one of them to the other. They were so ridiculous… He was unable to hold back his laugh. Akira and Goro looked at him, then at each other.
“Well, at least your comedy act served to calm him down,” said Goro.
Akira shook his head. “No… I think we just broke him.”
Ryuji wheezed, hugging his stomach. “I’m about to pass out.”
“No, you’re not.” Goro held him by the shoulders. “There’s no way I’m spending the day with you in the hospital, much less wearing a suit.”
“How cold…”
“I would do it for you!” Akira averted his gaze. “Still… Better if you don’t pass out.”
They sat with him for a moment, helping him stead his breath. After a minute or so, Ryuji felt a little better, and managed to properly wear his suit.
“Okay, I think I’m done.” Ryuji faced them with an anticipating smile. “How do I look?”
Akira smiled widely. “Holy shit, Ryuji… Even I want to marry you like this!”
“No, thanks…” said Ryuji. “Don’t really wanna deal with your bullshit every fucking day.”
Goro observed him from head to toe, then nodded. “Pretty handsome, for a punk.”
Ryuji narrowed his eyes at him. “You can’t be nice, can you?”
“Never.”
Goro moved closer to him, placing a hand on Ryuji’s shoulder, offering him a smile, which Ryuji returned. It didn’t take long, however, for the silence to seem strange to them. They looked at Akira, who was in the same place, staring quietly at Ryuji for a long while, with an unreadable expression.
“Aki?” said Ryuji.
Akira blinked, as if waking up from a trance. “You’re getting married.”
Goro raised his eyebrow. “Yes? I thought you had realized it by now.”
Akira stayed silent for a few seconds. His lips trembled, and he lowered his head, covering his eyes with a hand.
“Aki?” Ryuji approached him, looking at his face. “Are you crying?”
“No.” A loud sob left Akira’s lips. “Shit…”
“Why are you even surprised?” said Goro. “Crying and being annoying are the two things he does best.”
Akira punched his arm. “Shut up…”
He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down—without much success. Then, he looked at Ryuji, his reddened face covered with tears.
“I think it only came to me now, that you and Yusu are…” Akira’s words were cut by a sob. “Shit, Ryuji… I’m so happy for you.”
His words made Ryuji’s eyes sting a little. “C’mon, Aki… We didn’t even leave the house yet. It ain’t the time to cry.”
“I can’t stop it! Dammit, Ryuji!” Akira threw his arms around Ryuji’s neck, hugging him tightly. “You’re the best person I know, and you deserve this so much. No one deserves to be happy as much as you… And I’m so glad I can be here to see this.”
Ryuji hugged him back, closing his eyes. “You’re gonna make me cry too like this…”
“It’s your damn fault for making me emotional!”
They moved slightly away, looking at each other.
“I love you,” said Akira.
“I love you too, Aki.”
They looked toward Goro, who crossed his arms, averting his gaze. “There’s no way you’re making me say it.”
“C’mon,” said Ryuji, “we know you love us too.”
Akira gestured for him to join them, and Goro sighed.
“Fine, but only because it’s a special occasion.” He moved closer to them, placing his arms around their shoulders. “You two are my closest friends, and I love you both.”
They stayed like that for a moment, holding each other tightly. Goro was the first to move away, without looking directly at them.
“Let’s go, then,” he said. “Your husband will be mad if you’re late because of us.”
The Ceremony
White, blue, and golden… Not the colors Ann would have chosen—she would die on the black, white, and red hill—but it was still beautiful. Besides, now that she thought better about it, they seemed to match her friends perfectly. Maybe that was the reason why Yusuke was such a famous artist: he always took everything into consideration.
Not that she hadn’t done her fair share of decorating magic, of course… She and Shiho did everything they could to make sure the place was as perfect as it could be. They got some help from Aoi Sakamoto as well, who—despite her flashy tastes, so similar to her son’s—was surprisingly good with manual work.
Ann sat beside Shiho, who looked stunning in her light-pink dress—which contrasted with Ann’s bright red one. How would she look in a wedding dress, though? It made Ann wonder how Shiho would react the day she finally gathered her courage to propose… The thought was enough to make her heart race.
As the party was about to begin, Akira and Goro joined them.
“Is Ryuji here, already?” asked Ann.
“Yes,” said Goro. “He’s with Aoi.”
Shiho leaned in their direction. “Akira… Are you crying?”
“No,” he sobbed.
“Of course you are,” Ann patted his back. “I’m surprised you only started now.”
Goro laughed. “He started before we even left the house.
“Stop making fun of me!”
“Oh,” Ann grinned. “That makes more sense.”
“Ah, Makoto!” Shiho waved at her. “Has Yusuke arrived as well?”
“Yes.” Makoto gestured toward the back door. “Haru is making sure he doesn’t have a breakdown.”
“Really?” Goro smiled, amused. “I thought Ryuji would be the one who got it worse.”
“It surprised us as well,” said Makoto.
Soon, Haru joined them, and the other guests started to arrive as well. It was a small party: other than them, there were a few friends Ryuji made at college and his job, and other artists that Yusuke had grown close to. Not many people, but everyone who was there truly cared about them.
Futaba and Yuuki started to work their magic with the lights and music, creating the right atmosphere. Futaba’s drones also flew around, taking pictures of the party.
And then, the time finally came.
The music changed, and the doors opened, revealing Ryuji with his mother by his side. Aoi looked beautiful in her emerald dress, and Ryuji… As Ann thought, that light-gray suit fit him perfectly. Yuuki had a great eye for clothes—she would never have imagined it, considering how eighty percent of his wardrobe seemed to be hoodies and video game t-shirts.
She could tell how nervous Ryuji was with a single glance. Not surprising… But Ann was happy for him. She had followed their relationship since high school, so being able to finally see them making it official was more than gratifying.
Once Ryuji was at the altar, in a small twist of events, Aoi made her way back to the aisle, to get her “other child”. If Ryuji looked nervous, Yusuke seemed about to collapse… As soon as his eyes met Ryuji’s, however, he relaxed, smiling. Only then could Ann truly appreciate how good he looked in that blue suit: really, those two made a quite handsome couple.
When they reached the altar, Aoi took Ryuji and Yusuke’s hands, gently bringing them together; she stepped aside, so the ceremony would continue. Ryuji and Yusuke simply looked at each other for a moment, their expressions illuminating.
They look so happy…
Morgana walked to the altar, carrying the rings on a ribbon around his neck, with a proud expression on his feline face. As those two made their votes and exchanged rings, Ann discreetly dried her tears with her hand—unlike Akira, who was still sobbing loudly, and didn’t seem about to stop anytime soon.
The Party
Somehow, Akira managed to control his sobs after a while—in no small part thanks to Aoi, who gave him a tight hug, and gently caressed his hair until he stopped crying… mostly.
Seriously, that woman was like a mother to him.
The hugs didn’t stop there, though: as soon as Akira got close enough to Ryuji and Yusuke, he grabbed both of them, and wouldn’t have let them go so soon if the others hadn’t started to complain about him monopolizing the grooms.
So, with much effort, Akira let go. He retreated into a seat in the corner, lowered his head, and started to cry once again.
Ryuji had been with him from the very beginning, and Yusuke had trusted Akira enough to share his peculiar view of the world with him. They had given Akira strength during the most difficult moments of his life, and seeing them so happy… It meant the world to him. Really, those two deserved so much…
Goro approached him with two drinks in hand, then slightly furrowed his brow. “Are you crying again?”
Akira tried to dry his tears with a napkin. “They look so happy.”
“I know.” Goro sat by his side, placing the drinks in front of them. “So, stop crying already. Show them a nice smile, so they will know that you’re happy for them.”
Akira smiled, reaching for his drink. “You say the sweetest things…”
“Shut up.”
They laughed briefly, taking some sips from their glasses. Despite his previous work as an idol detective, Goro was quite reserved, and preferred to spend time with smaller groups of people. Even when he was hanging out with the Phantom Thieves, sometimes he would step away to have a moment by himself.
Maybe that was the reason why he got so close to Akira and Ryuji: whenever Goro distanced himself, Ryuji would be the first to go check on him, and make sure that he was fine; Akira, on the other hand, would quietly prepare him a cup of coffee, and wait for him to open up. At some point, the three of them became close—maybe even more than friends… Something closer to family.
Akira smiled, keeping those thoughts to himself, aware that they would only make Goro feel embarrassed. Soon, Yuuki and Futaba approached their table, sitting next to them.
“Ah, Yuuki,” said Goro. “Good job with the music.”
Yuuki beamed. “Thanks!”
Futaba narrowed her eyes at him. “What about me?”
“The lights were great, especially during their entrance,” said Goro, without missing a beat. “You two did great.”
“Good!” Futaba hummed, proud of herself. “I won’t add many unflattering pictures of you to their album.”
Goro raised his eyebrow. “What do you mean many?”
“Can’t say the same about Akira, though…” Futaba continued. “He cried the entire time. I don’t know if I can even find one where he isn’t bawling his eyes out.”
Akira averted his gaze. “I got a little emotional…”
“That’s not a problem.” Yuuki patted his shoulder. “I was holding back the tears, too.”
“Everyone keeps making fun of me, though.”
“Because it’s funny,” said Futaba.
“Exactly,” said Goro.
Akira pouted, looking away. Something soon called his attention, though: Haru was talking to Ryuji and Yusuke, whose expressions seemed to become more and more surprised by the minute. Then, they left with hasty steps, while Haru approached their table with a wide, pleased smile on her face.
“What happened?” asked Akira.
“Oh, nothing.” Haru briefly waved her hand. “I just gave them my gift.”
“And what was it?” asked Goro.
“A week-long trip to my favorite touristic spot in Okinawa. I knew they would refuse it if I didn’t make it a last-minute thing, so…”
Her smile widened, becoming almost devious. The others could simply stare at her for a while.
“Our Haru strikes again,” said Yuuki.
“Always scheming…” added Futaba with an amused grin.
Her words made Haru laugh. “If I must scheme to make my friends happy, I’ll gladly do so!”
At the Hotel
Ryuji and Yusuke fell over the soft mattress of their hotel bed, still in their wedding attires, exhausted after that unexpected flight.
“I’m so tired…” said Ryuji.
“Me too.”
Ryuji turned to the side, unable to contain a smile. “Man, Haru really is something else…”
“Indeed. We should have known she would do something like this.”
“To be fair… We had a bunch of stuff in our heads on the last few days.”
Yusuke nodded, then let out a long yawn. Ryuji moved closer to him, getting comfortable by his side, while Yusuke did the same.
“I know honeymoons are supposed to be a romantic night,” Yusuke murmured, “but… I don’t think I can move.”
“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “We can save the romance for after we have a good night of sleep.”
“Deal.”
They stopped talking, and Ryuji was almost falling asleep when he heard Yusuke’s voice again.
“Do you think things feel different now?”
Ryuji thought for a moment. “I don’t know… But I like it.”
“Me too.” A small pause. “I love you.”
“And I love you, Yusu…” Ryuji hugged him tightly. “More than anything in the world.”