She's the Real Challenge

62: At Last

For a bride, seeing your groom waiting at the end of the aisle should be an ecstatic moment that makes your heart want to leap out of your chest. That wasn't the case for Ken. Especially since she just walked past the person she was in love with.

Sage looked at her with pain in his eyes that pierced through her breaking heart. Ken tried to focus ahead but the groom wasn't even looking at her. Ryuji seemed to be in deep thought and was staring into space.

Napakabagal ng paglalakad niya papunta sa altar pero alam niyang darating at darating din siya do'n. She would've chosen to walk on broken glass if she could end up beside the one she loved over walking on petals and being apart from him forever. But she wasn't in the position to choose.

The groom snapped out of his daze when she reached him and he took her arm in his with an emotionless expression.

"We are gathered here today..." The priest started to talk but Ken tuned him out. This marriage was agonizingly breaking her heart. Ayaw niyang bigla na lang maiyak sa harap ng maraming tao.

The priest spoke for quite some time and the ceremony went on but she didn't notice. Her mind wandered as she tried to distract herself from her current situation. Think of happy thoughts, Ken. Like that time Sage kissed you under the stars—fuck 'wag 'yon! 'Yong time na lang na dinalhan ka niya ng napkin at chocolates—punyeta, mali na naman iniisip ko. Or the first time he said he loved you after—no, no, no, no, this is not the time to be thinking about that! It's no use. Siya at siya lang ang maiisip ko dahil mahal ko siya...

"Yumi?" The priest his throat.

"Huh?" Shit—nahuli pa akong 'di nakikinig!

"We were waiting for your answer. Let me repeat the question for you," the priest replied sternly while slightly shaking his head. "Do you, Yumi, take this man, Ryuji, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or for poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

There was a long pause before she finally spoke into the microphone in a shaky voice that exposed her reluctance. "I do." That's it, Sage. Narinig mo na.

Hindi napigilan ni Ken ang sarili niyang lumingon nang mabilis sa mga bisita matapos niyang sumang-ayon sa pari. Natanaw ng mga mata niya ang likod ni Sage. Naglalakad ito palapit sa pintuan sa gilid. A single tear escaped her right eye. I hope you find someone who deserves your love.

The priest then proceeded to ask the groom. "Do you, Ryuji, take this woman, Yumi, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or for poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do not," the groom answered immediately.

The priest's eyebrows furrowed in confusion while the bride's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open in shock. Gasps were heard throughout the cathedral.

Ryuji turned off the microphone and began speaking in Japanese to Ken. "Yumi, you should go," he said. "You love him, don't you?"

"W-what are you talking about?" she asked.

"I saw how you looked at him when you introduced us, how you turned to him after saying 'I do' and do you think I haven't noticed how you aren't paying attention to your own wedding? You didn't even notice that the priest asked you first if you wanted to marry me. Traditionally, the groom goes first."

"He did ask me first..." she said, stunned at the realization.

"I told him to ask you first." Ryuji took a deep breath. "I wanted to see how far you're going with your foolishness and it was quite disappointing. I gave you the chance to get it right, to refuse when asked if you'd take me as your lawfully wedded husband but you wasted that opportunity."