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To Gero, it was almost like the day of the century. It wasn’t his day, but he felt as happy as if it were. His sister stood on a stage with her fiance, her bride, and soon-to-be her wife. Once the ceremony was completed, they would be locked together as a new family. She looked happy; elated; complete. Holding the hands of the woman she loved, Gero felt like even though the situation with their family was rough, that his sister was freed and spared from it. That was enough.
There were many people at the ceremony. Friends and family of both brides. Even some assassins had slipped in from when Akari had been affiliated with the family business. While some had disowned her in their own way for leaving the bloody lifestyle, some others were happy she chose herself over her cruel family—though they would never say such things directly to The Gero Kirara.
He didn’t know most of the people there. After all, he was mainly there for his baby sister. Watching her from afar, he felt as if he tried to talk to her, he’d be overwhelming her more than she probably already was. So, he took a leave. Gero slipped out of the crowd to get a fresh breath of air.
Outside felt a lot better. It was cooler and quieter. He could feel the evening air on his face. Since appearances no longer matter, Gero took off his long coat and draped it over his arm.
The wedding took place at a plaza. It was massive in height and width; it covered much ground with trimmed hedges, beautiful bushes, and swept pathways. The place was gorgeous. Gero wouldn’t mind if he got wedded there as well.
But still, he had no idea what his future was or would be. Not that anyone did, but he didn’t have sights on it at all. He knew he had to get married, but he was unsure who it would be to or who that faint outline in his vision belonged to.
There were footsteps behind him. While they were extremely quiet, Gero’s assassin-trained hearing allowed him to hear the tiny noise that came from the heels against the stone brick underneath the person’s feet. He leaned against the white railing of the balcony he had walked to and waited, because the presence was familiar and not a threat.
“Gero-kun.”
There was the voice. The gentle, light voice that always spoke to him in a soft way. He raised his body, leaning off the balcony’s railing, and turned to face the person.
Gero had seen him hours before when they arrived. The other dressed in a beautiful dress, with a white base and a floral pattern at the top half covering his shoulders. His hair was pinned up in a bun with braids of blonde decorated with pins of flowers and gold hair pieces. There was a light coverage of makeup, but the other’s natural beauty was enough even for such a big event.
“Kinosaki-san.”
Kinosaki smiled at him, pink lips tugging at the corners of his mouth. He walked over, approached, and took a stop beside Gero. Since Kinosaki had long white sleeves on his dress, he leaned only on his palms on the balcony’s railing for support. Then he looked up, glancing at the evening sky.
“Beautiful day for a wedding.”
“It is.”
“What’s wrong?” Kinosaki nudged Gero’s side and dropped his smile. “You look distracted.” Kinosaki looked over his shoulder at the plaza and said, “Is this the kind of place you want for your wedding?” as if he was inside of Gero’s mind.
“I’m not sure,” Gero answered truthfully. With Kinosaki, he strangely felt more open than he had ever been. He had always been a tight-lipped child, and the only person he ever really spoke to on a heart-to-heart was with Akari, who he was now passing off to another woman. While he trusted her, he knew he’d miss being Akari’s first choice as an ear to listen to. But Kinosaki—he helped fill a new void for Gero.
“Do you think getting married is right?”
Kinosaki paused. He did not answer right away. Whatever was going through his mind, whether it made his thoughts spin or not, was not readable on his face. He composed himself very well. Even in front of Gero. He turned his head back to the sky.
Gero was unsure if Kinosaki ever planned on answering him. The blonde merely looked up, silent and still, not taking a breath to start talking and never making a sign that he was going to.
Until one quick “Maybe.” finally came from him.
“My question to you, Gero-kun, is to ask: is getting married what you want?” Kinosaki turned his head sharply to Gero before he could speak and said, “And answer for yourself. Not for Akari. Not for your grandmother. Yourself. Do you want to get married?”
Kinosaki kept talking. He clamped his hands on the railing and looked out at the scenery. At the beautiful greens and gorgeous blooming flowers of the plaza’s yard. But as Kinosaki continued speaking, it was almost as if they took on a depressing shade of grey.
“You are on a track to get married for Akari, to save her from an unwanted marriage and life, and for your grandmother, to please her and your clan, but you hardly ever stop to think about what you want to do. I think you’re quite selfless, Gero-kun.
“What kind of life is yours to live if you aren’t making the choices for it?”
He drew a sad smile on his face and turned his head. His shoulders bounced slightly with a chuckle as he said, “Actually, I considered I wouldn’t help you anymore.”
“Huh?” Gero finally made a noise. Surprise. What?
“I figured I wasn’t actually helping you,” Kinosaki said. “I’m technically helping the Gero family but not you directly.” He looked sad as he whispered, “Actually, I feel like I’m helping the Gero family but personally putting you through torture, because getting married isn’t what you want or need.”
“What do I need?” Gero wasn’t mad with Kinosaki’s evaluation, nor did he say it was right or wrong. But he was simply glad he was getting a look into Kinosaki’s mind. “What do I want?”
“Friends. Family.” Kinosaki stood up straight and shrugged nonchalantly. He appeared gentle and calm as if he wasn’t prodding a heart with poison. “You want what everyone else wants, Gero-kun. You’re just like the rest of us.”
“Except I’m an assassin.”
Kinosaki laughed out loud and said, “Yes. Except you’re an assassin, but we all have our individual crosses to bear.”
“Isn’t my cross a little too serious?” Gero questioned. The morality of being an assassin—it was a bit harder to compare to someone who had something, like, say a weird kink. His cross was heavy, seeping with toxins and drenched in poison.
But Kinosaki shrugged. “Depends on who you ask,” he said. “We’ll find you a cute woman who’ll enjoy your toxins—poisonious or not,” he teased.
“Are there women out there?”
“There are women everywhere.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Gero deadpanned.
“I’m teasing you,” Kinosaki said. He placed a hand on Gero’s shoulder and pointed to the sky. “Look up, Gero-kun.”
So, Gero did. He followed Kinosaki’s finger. The horizon. The evening. The light blue that turned orange that was turning a deep shade of blue.
“The morning and the night are opposites, right? But look at how beautifully they blend together, finding a centerpiece with one another despite their differences.” Kinosaki smiled and said, “There is hope among the stars, you just have to find which one you want the most and seize it.”
“Okay, I understand,” Gero said. “I think.”
Kinosaki patted his back gently and smiled. “Good. Now come inside. They were cutting cake when I was leaving, so there should be plates ready by now up for grabs.”