Chapter 192 - Hand in Hand

"Congratulations Ara!"

Homura Ara was welcomed with good wishes by her friends, and the smile she wore on her face widened. She was very happy today, her face began to hurt with all the smiling she did, but she couldn't stop.

"Where did you ever disappear to by the way?"Sonoda asked out of the blue rendering Ara speechless as her face became totally crimson.

Well, what could she say? She snuck out with her new husband to have a small talk for a few minutes then spent the rest of those time making out before they were finally able to get their paws off each other and return to the party.

How could she tell them that?

She was at a loss when Rin, Midori, and Miharu all turned to Sonoda and simultaneously told him what they thought. "Shut up!"

"Ha?"Sonoda Hiroaki wanted to protest but saw that murderous look on the girls' faces and decided to be quiet.

Ara couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head at the boy. Whatever happened to his infamous EQ? He should have known what she and Ryuu had been doing without him asking questions. After all, wasn't he a guy?

"Don't mind him," Midori reassured her as they congratulated her again. "What are your plans later?" she added, indicating their honeymoon.

Ara shook her head as her smile dimmed. "No honeymoon for now. Ryuu will have to go back to settle things in Hakone. They had trouble there last night and it's still not finished."

Her friends shared their disappointment as well, their happy faces faltering except for Miharu who slapped them on their backs.

"What are you guys thinking? Isn't that better? We have an exam tomorrow so too bad, they can't travel for now. It's fortunate Kou had to be busy else it would be totally sad for him to not be able to do anything or go anywhere with you until our exams finished." Miharu squeezed Ara's hand as she said this.

"You're right," the others agreed, followed by a collective groan as they all remembered the dreaded exam the next day.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it," Ara told them followed with a shrug as the corner of her eye caught sight of something colorful that walked past her and her group.

Distracted, she turned to see Kazehaya Gin marching towards the other side of the room to where Emi stood next to the wall, and Ara's eyes glinted in curiosity as her lips twitched in amusement as she watched them. Deep inside her, however, she cheered them on.

===

"Homura Emi."

The pretty girl with the huge doe eyes and doll-like beauty lifted her head and she stared wide-eyed in surprise as Kazehaya Gin approached her, stopping just a few inches from her. It was totally something he had done before, and so she looked at him with wary eyes.

Wasn't it just last night that he said goodbye? Emi wondered what he's doing here now. Then, she tried to remember if she did something wrong – and realized she shouldn't have been here at the Young Master's wedding reception. She, after all, used to be the prince's concubine, and it was unheard of for the Makura to attend the Young Master's wedding.

Was this the reason why the Young Master Gin came to her? Was he going to scold her for being thoughtless?

Emi wanted nothing but to run away now. But it was too late. The door was on the other side of the room, and it would be weird if she sprinted across the hall to get out. If anything, she tried to make herself smaller – to be more part of the wall.

The cocktail of negative emotions and panic must have shown on her face as Kazehaya Gin sighed and shook his head at her. "Follow me," he commanded, and Emi had no choice but to follow.

She trudged across the room towards the door, following Kazehaya Gin who was probably really going to give a rebuke. It was her fault so she would accept it. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, her face solemn, though her chocolate orbs glanced at the Young Master Gin's back from time to time.

It was too bad of her, but she couldn't help but admire his broad back as she had done for almost a decade since she met him at the bridge.

As soon as they were out, Kazehaya Gin suddenly stopped, and Emi who was really not on earth bumped on his back.

Ooof!

The Young Master turned to her with amused eyes, but Emi was too embarrassed to look at him so she couldn't see. "I'm so sorry Young Master. I didn't mean to –"

"Come."

The simple command was followed by a hand that was suddenly extended towards her. Emi was at a loss as to what to do with it. So she just stared wide-eyed at it.

"I'm getting tired you know?" Gin told her, making Emi look up at him in wonder.

For the first time in almost ten years, Kazehaya Gin was once again looking at her with a smile. Emi wondered if she was dreaming.

"Take my hand Emi," he commanded, and like someone who was enchanted, Emi placed her small hands in his until she remembered how horrible her hands were and tried to retract it.

But it was too late.

Gin had grasped her hand firmly in his, unwilling to let go, and then gently, but resolutely pulled her to let her know they would be going, and she had no choice but to follow him once more.

Emi could feel people looking at them, walking hand in hand, and she felt so embarrassed. She really had no idea why this sudden turn of events happened when it was only last night she had resigned herself to never make contact with him again.

It was why she agreed to attend the wedding reception when Yayoi told her that she could. It was to see Kazehaya Gin one last time before she willed herself to forget him.

Soon, they reached the part of the estate where there were no people. Those who they encountered on the way surreptitiously went away as soon as they spotted the two of them walking together.

She didn't know how long they walked, but when they stepped out of the Cedar Palace Gates and still continued to move, she finally realized where they were headed.

The bridge where they first met…

As soon as they reached the spot where she nearly fell before, Gin stopped walking, and her breath hitched when he suddenly raised her hand so he could take a look at it before grabbing the other one and inspecting it too.

"You really should stop working and let these heal first," he said disapprovingly, and Emi was confused. 

That's it?