We stepped out of the bus, its engine humming before it shot off down the street like it had better places to be.
The city was very much awake—of course it was. Maglev cars zipped past like streaks of light. People drifted by with phones hovering above their palms, holo-goggles glowing on their faces. Service robots glided along the sidewalks, sweeping, sanitizing, polishing—silent witnesses to my impending doom.
Ayase-san walked beside me, clutching her purse like a lifeline… and her own sleeves like she was trying to hold herself together. Her steps were tiny—soft, hesitant taps on the pavement—each one somehow making my heart lurch harder than the last.
I'm not surviving this night.
The local administration office wasn't anything impressive. Just a modest two-story building with wide glass windows and soft blue lights trimming the frame.
Simple. Minimalist. Harmless.
Except it wasn't.
Because at that moment, it felt like the single most intimidating, life-altering structure I had ever laid eyes on. Like a courthouse. Or a final boss room. Or a place where people sentence themselves to lifelong commitments.
I thought I was ready,
I thought I was prepared,
But right here, right now,
I realize that it was but an illusion.
Right now, faced with the sheer magnitude of the situation—
My legs locked.
Ayase-san stopped too, turning to me, wearing a gentle expression—but just as terrified.
"…Should we… go in?" she whispered.
My throat tightened. My lungs collapsed. My brain short-circuited.
"Y-Yeah…" I nodded stiffly. "Before I pass out…"
We took a single synchronized step forward.
The automatic doors hissed open, bright light spilled out.
No turning back now.
***
Marriage Certificate
"Alright. Sign here and here, please." The admin slid out his hand and tapped the paper.
A person.
…Seriously?
We have hospitals with auto-diagnosis nanoscanners,
AI judges handling 70% of court cases,
And orbital data rings circling the planet—
Yet for Civil Administration we still use manual labor?
I guess after the Cyber Cascade, humanity collectively decided,
'Yeah, no more letting neural networks handle the population.'
Full circle.
Back to humans.
I signed. My name looked barely legible—my hand was shaking so much. Ayase-san signed after me, neat and precise, even though she was trembling too.
The admin slid out an ink pad. "And can I have your fingerprints? Just your thumbs on your signatures."
We inked our thumbs.
And stamped.
"Alright," The admin picked up the sheet, "This will only take a moment." He scanned it under a holo-beam and his eyes started to blitz across his interface, reviewing all of our registered data.
It's happening.
It's actually happening.
My stomach folded into itself, then folded again.
I glanced at Ayase-san. She looked troubled—who wouldn't?—but her eyes… Her eyes were soft. Almost relieved. Almost… happy.
"Ayase-san…" I couldn't stop myself. "Are you... sure about this?"
She blinked, turning to me in surprise. Then small exhale escaped her, curving her lips into a smile. "I had a lot of time to turn back." she whispered.
Her fingers reached up, brushing her hair behind her ear—though she was really just hiding her face.
"But I didn't, right?"
My heart nearly evacuated my body.
"Thank you for waiting." The admin cut me clean in half, sliding our certificate—printed on an acrylic sheet—toward us. "We'll send the digital copy to your Citizen Accounts."
He clasped his hands together with a bright, customer-service smile,
"Congratulations on your marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Meguriya."
Just like that.
Just disposable paper, a pen, and a tired admin in a cheap swivel chair.
And us.
Married.
I never imagined it would feel like this—
So sudden, so quiet, so... unreal.
No choirs.
No photogenic sunsets.
No glitchy holographic fireworks bursting overhead in the shape of a heart.
No wedding dress...
Wait—
No wedding dress??
***
We stepped into the bus shelter. The world, which had been buzzing with cars and voices and neon and noise, suddenly… quieted. Like someone muted the universe.
Just us.
Just me and her.
A newly married couple.
Oh God.
"Meguriya… Risa..." She muttered under her breath, like she didn't mean for it to escape.
Her voice was tiny. Her eyes—soft, glowing, almost angelic under the streetlight—looked like she was tasting the words for the first time.
Trying them on.
This is illegal. Or at least it should be.
She shouldn't be allowed to say something that cute,
In a voice that soft,
With a face that bright,
While we're standing alone in a half-lit bus stop,
Right after signing a marital document.
I gulped, looking anywhere but her. The schedule board. The rail. The floor. The sky. Anything.
"Y-You don't have to call yourself that yet…" I croaked, voice embarrassingly high in pitch.
She blinked. Then her lips curved slowly—shy, glowing, gentle.
"…But I am," she whispered. "As of today."
I glanced away, scrunching my scorching face.
She's too cute.
She's impossibly cute.
I'm gonna pass out.
"Rion?"
I jolted, not daring to turn even the slightest.
She tugged on my sleeve.
"Are you okay?"
No.
You just made it worse!
"Ayase-san—" I squeaked.
Then I felt her fingers twitch. Like I had just offended her.
"No." Her voice sounded upset.
I turned by instinct. Her eyes instantly locked on to mine. She's pouting...
"I'm not... Ayase-san anymore." Her voice folded in on itself as she lowered her head, her hair falling like a curtain to shield her face.
I went still. Breath, thought, heartbeat—everything halted.
"So…" A soft, trembling whisper. "Please use my given name… the way I use yours."
Something sharp and warm shot through my chest.
"B-But… you only did that because me and Mom are both Meguriyas—"
"I'm… a Meguriya too now." She raised her eyes just enough for me to see them—wide, nervous, shimmering in the light.
Hopeful.
Beautiful.
God, I am a coward.
Hiding behind excuses.
Pretending not to understand.
She is a Meguriya now.
And she's asking—quietly, gently, bravely.
Alright.
"R—…"
My lips trembled.
Her breath hitched.
Say it.
Say her name.
"…Risa."
Everything in her face lit up. Her eyes softened, brightened, glowed—as if my voice had touched something deep inside her.
Her lips parted, trembling before they curved into that warm, melting smile that always left me defenseless.
"Yes, Rion?"
A long inhale.
That's it.
I'm going on offense.
I raised my hand toward her—steady, open, an unmistakable invitation. "Can I hold your hand?"
"Huh—" She twitched. "What are you—All of a sudden—"
But I didn't pull back.
Didn't flinch.
At least… I tried not to.
Her fingers trembled. "...Why?"
Why?
Because I refuse to suffer alone.
I let a smile soften my voice. "Do I really need a reason to hold my newly-wed-wife's hand?"
Her entire face ignited instantly. She ducked her head, hiding behind her hair like it might shield her from spontaneous combustion.
"You don't... want to…?"
A tiny jolt ran through her shoulders.
Then slowly—hesitantly—her hand reached out and settled into mine. I curled my fingers around hers, gently, like she might vanish if I squeezed too hard. I gave her a light press, letting her feel the warmth spreading from my palm into hers.
"R-Rion—" she stammered, voice cracking. "You're giving me a heart attack—"
"No," I countered without missing a beat. "You're giving me a heart attack."
She snapped her gaze up, startled.
"Saying all those cute things," I continued, heat returning to my face. "with a face that cute."
Her blush deepened—if that was even possible.
"If I'm going to get a heart attack," I said softly, "I should do it near you, right?"
"...Mm." She nodded, tiny and shy.
"Then I don't want to suffer a cardiac arrest alone." I squeezed her hand a little tighter.
"So... let's have a heart attack together."
I, Meguriya Rion, have successfully launched an attack on my wife.
Although, I might actually die of a heart attack when I get home.