Shinzen kekkon
Hiroioki, Kyūre, Izumi Prefecture
UTC 1600
February 02, 1944Just a few more meters. That was all Yuna needed to climb before she and her family would reach the top of this slope. Technology had already failed her today, so she wasn't in the mood to be late for her wedding because her own legs had failed her too. It wasn't a joke that her new family lived up on a mountain; the Hiroioki district was, after all, in the foothills of Mount Takimine, overlooking the city and its port. Even if it weren't for her being there for her wedding, she felt inspired to keep going, if only to see the view from the top. Still, it was a struggle even for her father, one he had likened to going across No Man's Land, albeit in a less than serious manner. Frankly, it was a miracle that they only reached the top feeling short of breath, given that they were carrying a good deal of luggage with them. Still, when they
finally reached the top, they were met by an older woman, around the same age as Haruto, give or take two years, who wore a warm smile on her face.
"I see the bus couldn't make it up the hill again?" The woman asked them, which received only a nod from Haruto as they came to a sudden stop. Unfortunately for Yuna, this meant bumping into her sister in a badly-timed moment of distraction as she watched a bird fly overhead.
"Ah, Fukazawa-san!" Machiko said weakly, surprised to see her this far away from their destination. Owing to the distance, she had been forced to use her daughter's umbrella as a walking stick. Why did she even have that umbrella? Well, it had looked like it was going to rain, so she figured it was better safe than sorry, not to mention it'd save the groom's family a bit of extra money.
"Hello, Fukazawa-san." Haruto said, removing his hat and offering a bow. "The weather is rather pleasant today, wouldn't you say?" He said, glancing back at Machiko for a second. As he said this, Yuna began to make her way to the front of the group, wishing to introduce herself.
"I suppose... Regardless, all that matters is that everyone is healthy—Happy and healthy, I mean." Said "Fukazawa-san" with a nod.
"While I may be lacking in my own ways, I am honored to join your family..." Yuna said with a bow as she reached the front of the group. What she didn't know at the time was, much to her embarrassment, she was not, in fact, her soon-to-be mother-in-law, but rather, someone else entirely.
"I'm Hiroyo Fukazawa, Iwao's aunt." The woman said, in pat correcting Yuna, but also introducing herself properly, since it was their first time meeting. "As it happens, my husband and I have been given the honor of serving as matchmakers during the ceremony." She says with a smile. She isn't in the least bit surprised that Yuna had thought
she was her mother-in-law. Such was a more common occurrence in these arranged marriages than she'd care to admit, and as a matter of fact, she had been in both positions before.
"You
do know your husband's name,
right?" Haruto asked Yuna as the group began to move along the road once more.
"She is certainly lacking in many ways." Said Machiko with a sigh, disappointed thus far.
The family, now accompanied by Hiroyo, continued along the path, climbing a far more gently inclined hill than before. It was also not much farther, which undoubtedly made things easier, but just far enough that Yuna could take a moment to enjoy the sights and sounds of the area. Green trees and grasses, steep terraces, the running water of the not-so-distant Oyao river, and buildings of many colors overlooking the Mutsu Sea, all bound together under the pale blue sky, dotted with clouds. Were she not so worried about what was to come, she would've actually enjoyed it, for it was truly a beautiful place. Still, she didn't have long to take it in, as in time, they reached a flight of stairs. At long last, they had made it.
"This way, please." Hiroyo said, pointing up the stairs to a house overlooking the area before she approached the house.
"Wow..." Ikuko stared out over the land below. "Look how far we've come." She said with much joy; when Yuna got the chance to look, she noted that it seemed, given where the station was, that they were out on the very edge of Kyūre. In a way, it reminded her, though only in passing, of where her grandparents lived, being out on the outer edge of Hatsukaichi, though that was a much greater distance than this. Once again, her train of thought was interrupted, this time by the matchmaker.
"Everyone, they're here!" Hiroyo shouted as she opened the door, allowing everyone to enter. Even if there
had been a chance to back out of this, even if she wanted to, now there was no going back. In a way, it lifted some of the trepidation which she felt during the trip over, though really she was mostly worried about making a mistake during the ceremony. Well, that and the fact that she was marrying someone she had only met once before. That certainly played a significant role in it.
UTC 1633The living room was fairly quiet as everyone made what few remaining preparations for the ceremony. Mostly, that involved finding a seat, straightening their outfits, or otherwise getting a chance to talk. Most of the work was being handled by the priest, who had been diligently—and silently—performing a ritual to purify the family shrine, as well as laying out a paper which had some incantation written upon it. Everyone else had their places; Yuna and Iwao sat behind the priest, to their left and right were their matchmakers—Iwao's Aunt and Uncle—and behind them, the rest of their families. Everyone—with two exceptions—were in traditional garb, almost invariably consisting of a kimono, and in the cases of the men, a black, crested haori alongside a pair of skirt-like hakama pants. The fathers of both Yuna and Iwao, Haruto and Daisaku, were different. The two wore their dress uniforms, given that both were technically still within the armed forces, whether Army or Navy, even if they both worked to manage factories. Haruto notably wore his Order of the Golden Kite, its blue-green ribbon draped around his neck as the light glinted off the golden swords that rested upon its enameled face.
"Please, forgive me." Daisaku said in hushed tones, not wishing to interrupt the priest. "The ceremony is very modest and not very crowded." He admitted as the family waited. It was true, the ceremony lacked many of the bells and whistles that went into an average wedding in those days, devoid of music and guests, as well as lacking a Miko, a shrine maiden, to assist the Priest in his duties. It was too expensive, not to mention such Miko were often busy performing rituals for the wounded in military towns such as these.
"Don't worry about it. My daughter is quite shy, so I'd say this is for the best." Haruto admitted, looking over to him.
"Heh... My son is, as well."
In spite of Daisaku's best efforts, the room is rather abuzz with activity. In spite of that, Iwao was one of the few who actually remained quiet in the leadup to the ceremony. Yuna wondered if, perhaps, he had been feeling as nervous as she had on the way here. Obviously, she couldn't
really blame him, it was a major change for the both of them. Perhaps not so much for him as it was for her, since she was leaving her old home behind, but still. Nonetheless, the Priest raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet and to pay attention. First, he would lead them in a chant—the very same prayer which was written on the sheet of paper from before—which everyone
tried to follow. It wasn't easy, and they were all left trailing behind since, unlike the priest, they didn't have the paper in front of them. Then, called the attention of the spirits, the Kami, to bear witness to the marriage. After that came the
san-san-ku-do[1] ceremony, and then finally, the new couple approached the altar. There, Iwao read his vows while Yuna listened, during which time, his aunt and uncle would be thanked for serving as matchmakers during the ceremony. Finally, the priest, Iwao and Yuna, and then at last Daisaku and Haruto would make offerings of evergreen to the Kami, a sort of thanks for blessing the union. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.
UTC 1702It wasn't every day that people got to eat more than a basic meal. With rationing and food prices being as they were, it was simply not affordable, so anything more would be seen only on special occasions such as birthdays, festivals, and of course, as seen today, weddings. Though certainly, it was lacking some of the finer things—even before the war, certain dishes were simply out of the question for anyone who wasn't rich—it was, by the standards of the time, quite the feast. From what Yuna could see, here at the end of the table, the meal was made up of sake for the drink, which was no surprise, as well as vinegared oysters, soup, stewed vegetables, some maki sushi wrapped in seaweed, and even a red seabream, albeit one that was on the smaller side. It had to've cost a fair bit, certainly more than pocket change, but for such occasions as this, it was probably worth it. Yuna certainly wasn't going to complain, at the very least. In fact, she felt almost comfortable here, now that the ceremony had come to a close and everything was official. As it had turned out, much of her anxiety in the last few months had been over the ceremony itself, though that was still only part of the equation, and it had gone more or less without a hitch.
Even so, she looked around the room at everyone who had been there. Obviously, both families were present, but even so, as was painfully obvious given that a spot had been left for him, her brother was, unfortunately, absent. The tides of war had pulled him away from them not even a month prior, with his ship, the Agano, having completed its repairs. By now, He was probably off near Heyra, doing battle with local forces. Even if he wasn't, he certainly wasn't going to be able to be present here. She figured, therefore, that she could at least send him a letter, him and Uncle, since they wouldn't be back in port for a few months.
"What a wonderful feast." Entaro, Iwao's Uncle and one of the matchmakers, said with a sigh. Even if he'd seen dozens over the years as part of his job, this one was particularly special.
"It sure is." Haruto replied, looking over the table as he poured himself a cup. "I mean, just look at it all."
"Please, give my regards to your folks when you get the chance, Kimura-san." Natsumi, Iwao's mother and now Yuna's mother-in-law, said to Machiko. "It was so nice of them to get us all of the nori and vegetables we can eat."
"Y'know what?" Machiko replied. "I think I'll do it first thing when we get home."
"It's a shame O-niisan couldn't attend..." Ikuko said with a sigh as she looked over at his spot at the table. She too missed him, his warm smile and his friendly, if blunt, demeanor.
"Eh... It's so hard to get everyone together these days, especially if they're serving." Daisaku pointed out with a nod. "Even with Gripus on the run—mostly on the run—there's still work to be done."
It was good to see that everyone else was enjoying themselves, yet in spite of that, Yuna and Iwao merely looked on as they listened to these endless conversations. Neither of them had even touched their meals yet, and they had scarcely either spoken since before the ceremony had occurred. Indeed, though neither knew it of each other, they both felt as though they were outsiders in their own home, even on this most special of days and even with the feast being in their honor. Of course, for Yuna, it was also because she had become rather engrossed in one of the many conversations going around the room, but still, neither dared to speak up.
"Yuna-san, Iwao-san, please eat." Hiroyo said, turning to the both of them. "We've used up
all our rations for this meal and
then some, you see."
"O-okay..." Yuna said with some hesitation as she grabbed her chopsticks. She was about to grab something, but then she looked over at Iwao, who had seemingly not heard what his aunt had told him. Instead, he was staring at his chopsticks, still resting on their holder, with his fists clenched, or perhaps he was gripping something. She was worried if he was angry or perhaps feeling overwhelmed, though she didn't dare to ask. She didn't wish to interrupt anyone else, of course, but mostly it was because she didn't want to make things worse for her husband, since she didn't know
why he was feeling the way he did. Nonetheless, she did her best to enjoy the meal, and a few hours would pass before it was time for everyone else to go home.
UTC 1856As the hung low on the horizon, Yuna walked alongside her family towards the edge of the yard. Given that, barring any unexpected trips, this was going to be the last time she saw them for a little while at least, she figured it was best to see them off. She is, of course, saddened to see them leave, but even so, she does the best she can to hide how she feels about them leaving. In a way, it was like she was saying goodbye to her past, though of course, it wasn't
really that final farewell. They would see each other again, given time, but it was still a ways off. Before they left, however, Ikuko would whisper something to her, something about Iwao.
"Lucky for you, he seems like such a reserved guy." She said, leaning close to Yuna for a moment.
"Well, nobody would be noisy at a wedding, y'know." Yuna replied, which caught the attention of her parents for a moment.
"
Nobody, you say?" Machiko asked, glancing at her husband.
"That was only
one time..." Haruto said with a sigh.
"It was
our wedding, Haruto." Machiko replied in a most stern fashion as they descended the staircase. And so, four became three and passed out of sight. Yet though she said farewell to her old family, she was soon greeted by a member of her
new family. Iwao's sister, Azumi, as it happened. Though she was calm at the moment as she looked at Yuna, her glare seemed sharp enough that it could pierce iron, let alone her soul.
"Yuna-san." Azumi said in a rather direct manner.
"Ah. Yes, nēsan
[2]?" Yuna asked, turning around to look at her.
"I would've preferred for Iwao to have chosen his bride more carefully." Azumi said in response. Her voice carried an air of disdain for her sister-in-law, and of course she came off as rather abrasive too, certainly quite direct like her brother, but... worse. Regardless, this had left Yuna stunned into silence, unsure of how to react. "Anyway, take care of our mother, would you? I'll visit again soon."
And with that, still remaining silent, Yuna watched as her sister-in-law walked away, taking much the same path as everyone else had. Perhaps she was just in a foul mood, or perhaps that was how she normally was. Regardless, though she wanted to believe there was more to it than her just being, simply put, unnecessarily judgmental, this was quite the bad first impression. Even so, until she got to know her better, she thought it would be best not to judge the book by its cover, so to speak, and so she elected to treat her with respect, even if it meant being more cautious around her. Once she too had left, Yuna would return to the family home, for there was still much work to be done, even with the day's celebrations fresh in her mind.
UTC 2100Daisaku and Natsumi, Yuna's parents-in-law, found themselves sitting in their bedroom, taking a few minutes to unwind from the many, many events of the past day. Well, really, it was just Natsumi who was resting, sitting under a blanket on her futon as Daisaku busied himself with putting away various parts of his uniform. Mostly his medals—the Ardian War Medal and the Miyako War Medal—but also an aiguillette, owing to his position as a supervisor for the arsenal over in Hikami, not too far from the town. Between the Kyūre and Hikami arsenals, he had pretty much spent his entire career behind the lines, even getting a degree in aeronautical engineering so he could work with aircraft, and on the government's sen too.
"Well, now that she's here, y'know you can rest, have her take over." Daisaku remarked as he placed one of his medals in its box before standing up.
"Yep." Natsumi nodded. "It'll be nice to get back to normal again, though."
As Daisaku walked over to a cabinet, intending to put his medals away, he caught a glimpse of Yuna, standing there in the doorway. She had been waiting for them to finish talking, not wishing to interrupt them, but with it being clear that they had finished, she walked into the room. Careful not to bump into a small brazier that was keeping the room warm, she would then take a seat on the floor.
"O-tōsan, O-kāsan
[3]." Yuna said with a bow. "It is an honor to be a part of your family." She continued, which prompted Daisaku and Natsumi to bow in turn. In part, it was merely tradition, something to be done on the night of a wedding. On the other hand, however, they genuinely were happy to welcome her into their family, even if things had been rushed ever-so-slightly.
"No, no. The honor is ours, Yuna-san." Daisaku said, looking up at her.
"I'm afraid I hurt my leg a month back and it's not all better just yet..." Natsumi said with a sigh as she too looked over at Yuna. "...as a result, I'll be counting on you a lot, Yuna-san, at least until I recover."
"Of course." Yuna said, more than happy to help. "Even if we weren't family, I'd be happy to help in any way I can." She said; from an early age, she had been taught to lend a helping hand wherever possible, just as one might expect of others when the time came. With that out of the way, she realized that there was some work which could yet be done, not to mention it would better to have it done sooner rather than later. As a result, it was off to the kitchen with her, off to clean up after the day's feasting.
UTC 2109First things first, Yuna needed some sort of light. It was, after all, rather dimly lit in the room, and a few candles simply weren't going to cut it. As a result, she would reach up to the overhead lamp and turn the knob, after which she would
try to get started, only to be interrupted by an arm reaching past her for the blinds.
"That's far too much light shinin outside, y'know." Iwao said before reaching for the day's paper. "Out there, in the dark, vile creatures lurk, searching for such illumination."
"What?" Yuna asked, confused by what he was saying. "What sort of creatures?"
"The worst of all, our neighbors." Iwao said with a laugh. "Seriously though, they're awfully fussy about that sorta thing."
"I'm sorry." Yuna said, looking down at the floor as he tore a sheet from the paper.
"Don't worry about it." He stated as he twisted the paper before sticking it in the brazier for but a moment. "Besides, it made fetching water for the bath easier, at the very least." He conceded as he stepped outside. Yuna followed, wanting to see the city below this late at night. It was, therefore, something of a surprise that it was pitch black, even in the city proper. As Iwao was quick to point out when pressed about it that, as a wartime measure, blackouts were being instituted in the city as an added precaution. It wasn't as though the Ardians would be reaching this far, so the practice was, at least at that point, mostly in place to protect ships in the harbor that may've been silhouetted against the city. Still, it was so strange, seeing a lively city gone dark and all but impossible to see. Yet another thing on the list that she would need to grow accustomed to, by the looks of things.