"From this moment on, we will begin the wedding ceremony of groom K and bride Kyoko Kirigiri!"
As Nanami, serving as the emcee, announced the start of the ceremony in a bright, ringing voice, thunderous applause and cheers crashed through the hall.
"Today's officiant was originally supposed to be me, but... there has been a change of plans, so Mr. Kizakura will be taking over instead. Please give him a warm welcome!"
A moment later, Kizakura—who had been standing as Kirigiri's guardian until just a short while ago, but had somehow ended up at the officiant's podium—removed his hat and greeted the guests.
"Next, we will proceed with the candle-lighting ceremony. Would the representatives for the groom's side and the bride's side please come forward?"
At Nanami's declaration, the girl L, one of K's mandatory rescue targets, stepped forward for K's side. For Kirigiri's side, Yukizome came out—originally K's guardian, but reassigned to Kirigiri's side after the sudden change of plans, and once her homeroom teacher as well.
"...Seriously, candle-lighting is supposed to be done by the parents of both families, right? I can understand Yukizome, but I'm younger than Big Bro K... Don't tell me they're treating me like his mom?"
"The arrangement changed all of a sudden, but Kyoko was my precious student too... so there's no problem!"
Welcomed by a wave of warm applause, the two muttered to themselves for a moment before lighting the candles one by one.
"Hm? Komaru? You came too?"
"Ah, L! It's good to see you! Have you been well? How's Big Sis Fukawa doing?"
"...Well, you know how it is. She's still trailing after Mr. Togami's shadow like always."
While lighting the candles, L spotted Komaru, who had come along with her older brother. After exchanging greetings, she finished lighting the candles and stepped up onto the platform, where she and Yukizome bowed to the guests.
"Next, we have the groom's entrance. Groom, please come in!"
As soon as Nanami finished speaking, the wedding hall dimmed, and a spotlight began to shine on the door to the left.
"Phew... Yukizome-sensei... You said you'd come out with me..."
A moment later, K opened the door and appeared, looking visibly tense—and the instant he did, a roar of cheers exploded through the room.
"Waaaaaaah!!!"
"K! K! K!"
"Congratulations!!"
The students of Class 77 and Class 78 shouted K's name in unison, and the children from the orphanage joined in with jubilant cheers of their own.
"Huh, once he's all dressed up, Big Bro K actually looks pretty cool, doesn't he? If I'd known it'd be like this, maybe I should've married him myself..."
"Natsumi, what the hell are you saying?!"
"I'm joking, Sato. But wow, judging by how touchy you got, you..."
"Why you little—!"
As Kuzuryu Natsumi's mischievous streak kicked in and she teased Sato beside her, Mukuro Ikusaba, sitting nearby, simply stared blankly at K.
"...He looks amazing."
And so K, resisting the urge to scratch at his burning ears, squinted his eyes and made his way toward the platform while camera flashes poured obsessively over his face from every direction.
"I've taken plenty already..."
Meanwhile, Koizumi, who had been put in charge of the wedding photography, kept pressing the shutter in rapid succession as she muttered to herself.
"...Keeping a few for myself should be fine, right?"
"And now, the star of today—the bride's entrance. Bride, please come in!"
As Nanami finished speaking, the hall darkened once more, and a spotlight fell upon the door to the right. Everyone watched in silence.
Creeeak...
Then the door opened, and the moment Kirigiri appeared, the entire room was struck speechless.
"Wow... she's seriously beautiful..."
"I knew Kirigiri was pretty, but that's beyond pretty. That's goddess-level."
"Makoto, Kirigiri in a wedding dress... isn't she unbelievably beautiful?"
"Y-Yeah...! Haha... Then maybe we should start thinking about wedding dresses too..."
"Of course. I've already prepared one just as beautiful."
".....!"
Some were simply overwhelmed, left in awe by the beauty of Kirigiri in her wedding dress.
"That person is... who...?"
"W-Wait... isn't that Kirigiri's grandfather?!"
"I thought they said he was too ill to come?"
Others were astonished by the sight of the white-haired old man who had appeared holding Kirigiri's hand.
Meanwhile, when K first saw Kirigiri, his face turned rapturous—but the instant he noticed Fuhito standing beside her, staring at him expressionlessly, he froze solid.
"...I'll be watching you from now on."
Whispering that quietly as he passed by K, Fuhito then headed for the chair set beside the platform.
"K-K-Kyoko..."
"Come to think of it, it's been a while since you've seen Grandfather, hasn't it?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"...Are you nervous?"
"...H-Haha."
Nanami watched K with a fond smile as Kirigiri lightly teased him in his thoroughly flustered state, then spoke again.
"Then, before all the guests gathered here today, the two of them will now make their marriage vows, pledging themselves to one another."
As soon as Nanami finished, Kizakura cleared his throat and stepped forward. He glared at K like he still didn't quite trust him, then began to speak.
"Very well... First, I will ask the groom. K, do you swear to take Kyoko Kirigiri as your wife, to love and respect her always no matter what may happen, and to fulfill your duty as a true husband in building a happy family together?"
"I do."
"...And if necessary... would you be willing to give your life for her as well?"
"Of course."
Kizakura had abruptly thrown in a question that had never been part of the original script, but after hearing K's immediate answer, his expression finally softened. Then he turned to Kirigiri with a gentler look.
"Then... next, I will ask the bride. Kyoko Kirigiri, do you swear to take K as your husband, to love and respect him always no matter what may happen, and to fulfill your duty as a true wife in building a happy family together?"
"I do."
"Good. Then—"
"And if necessary, I can give my life as well."
"...What?"
"He's the kind of reckless fool who throws himself into danger alone every other day if you take your eyes off him."
"....."
Kizakura had been about to conclude the questions with a satisfied expression, but when Kirigiri added that, he faltered for a moment. Then his face twisted, and he solemnly addressed everyone present.
"...Before family, relatives, and dear friends, groom K and bride Kyoko Kirigiri have firmly sworn to become husband and wife, to share together all of life's joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness for the rest of their days. Therefore, as officiant, I now solemnly declare before you all that this marriage has been duly and properly concluded."
The moment those words ended, the loudest cheer yet erupted from every corner of the hall.
After the uproar continued for some time, Nanami picked up the microphone once more and began to speak.
"As of this moment, these two are officially husband and wife. Next, we will hear the officiant's address from Mr. Kizakura."
Kizakura looked for a moment at K, who was staring at him awkwardly, and at Kirigiri, who was gazing at K with unmistakable affection in her eyes. Then he let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
"Phew... On such an auspicious day, I'd like to give this address with nothing but a cheerful heart, but honestly, I can't help feeling uneasy."
Kizakura looked out toward the branch directors of the Future Foundation seated in the distance, along with Class 77 and Class 78.
"That's because every single one of the Future Foundation's key personnel—the people holding the entire world together—is gathered here without exception. At this point, I can barely tell whether this is a wedding or a high-level executive meeting. If a bomb were to drop on this place, it'd be one hell of a sight. So let's all pray, with all our hearts, that the Remnants of Despair don't know about this wedding."
Laughter broke out here and there at Kizakura's darkly playful joke.
"Well, I said that as a joke... but it is an undeniable fact that every single person gathered here today played a leading role in saving the world from despair. So..."
Kizakura turned his gaze toward K and Kirigiri.
"When so many people are here to celebrate them, I doubt the married life of these two will run into any trouble that someone like me needs to worry about. So let's set our anxieties aside and bless the brilliant future of these two as they walk toward 'hope.'"
Kizakura seemed ready to end his address there, but after staring hard at K, he added one final line.
"That said, if things do go wrong, it'll definitely be because of that damn punk over there, and when that happens, I'll beat him senseless myself."
.
.
.
.
.
After that, the wedding moved forward at breakneck speed.
"Now then, next we have the congratulatory song and a special performance!"
The duet performance by Sayaka Maizono and Mioda, which began after the officiant's address, fully showcased both of them at the height of their powers—thanks to Maizono staying up all night to whip Mioda into shape.
After that came a performance by a famous young pianist who had been invited to the wedding, a girl who would one day enroll in the newly established Saishu Academy.
"That was a performance by the rising piano prodigy Kaede Akamatsu, whose name has recently been spreading far and wide. Next, we will proceed to the exchange of gifts!"
After the performance ended, the couple exchanged gifts, placing necklaces and glittering rings on one another.
In truth, the rings and necklaces had a special function: when connected, they formed a collar. But the only people who knew that were K and Kirigiri.
"With that, we will now bring this wedding ceremony to a successful close! We would be grateful if all our guests would bless the bride and groom as they take their first steps toward a dazzling future!"
Afterward, K and Kirigiri offered their greetings to their stand-in guardians and the guests, then, amid everyone's blessings and cheers, walked down the center aisle and made their exit.
"...Kenichiro, I will claim that bouquet no matter what."
"Leon, if you catch that... you're marrying me on the spot, got it?"
"Outta my wayyyyyy!!! If I'm gonna convince Byakuya-sama, I absolutely have to catch that thiiiiing!!!"
"Hinata-kun, this is a kind of game too, right? If it's a game... I'm confident."
"I-If I catch that, then Sonia and I..."
"Souda, are you serious...?"
"Nidai, I'll show you the results of my 'special training.' Watch closely."
"F-Fuyuhiko, I-I'll definitely... catch it... and then we can too..."
"No particular interest. However, it does seem entertaining."
After the exit came the bouquet toss event, and because every Future Foundation couple joined the fray—including Gekkogahara, who had recently started something of a flirtation with Fujisaki—it turned into a spectacular melee...
"Oh my, it seems I've caught it?"
And against everyone's expectations, the bouquet landed in Maizono's hands.
After defeating a lineup of terrifyingly formidable rivals like Oogami, Genocide Jack, Owari, and Pekoyama to seize the bouquet, Maizono went on to earn the title of "the strongest woman in the Future Foundation."
Once the chaotic bouquet event finally ended, Class 78, Class 77, all the branch heads of the Future Foundation, the children from the orphanage, Kirigiri's fellow detectives, and various other people connected to the Future Foundation all gathered together for a commemorative photo. With that, the wedding itself came to a safe and peaceful end.
Relieved by the fact that no incident had occurred during the ceremony, K headed with Kirigiri toward the reception, feeling the tension finally begin to drain from his body, but—
"I've suddenly got a bad feeling... for some reason..."
"Hagakure, if you're gonna say creepy crap, then shut your mouth!! Today is not the day to jinx this!!!"
'...I've got a feeling somebody needs to stop Ikusaba.'
That relief had come far, far too early.
.
.
.
.
.
By the time the lavish reception was nearing its end, Kirigiri—who had been going around greeting people all over the place—was heading toward the waiting room to catch her breath for a moment.
"Big Sis Kirigiri! Have you seen Big Sis Ikusaba or Big Sis Koizumi, by any chance?"
"...Hm?"
"I've been trying to stop them for a while now, but they kept guzzling alcohol like it was nothing. Then they said they were going to the bathroom for a second and vanished. Ugh, seriously... how did my life end up like this...?"
"I've been making the rounds greeting everyone, but I didn't see either of them. They may have gone outside."
"Haaah... I swear, this is gonna kill me..."
Saionji let out a sigh so heavy it sounded like her soul was leaving her body, then passed by Kirigiri and disappeared.
Kirigiri watched her for a moment, then resumed walking toward the waiting room. But when she arrived and reached for the door, a sudden thought made her stop.
'Come to think of it... I've gone around and seen nearly everyone, but besides those two, I haven't seen K either.'
K had definitely said earlier that he was going to rest in the waiting room for a bit before coming back out. But if this much time had passed and he still wasn't anywhere to be seen... did that mean he was still in there?
"Haa... honestly, I really should put a collar on him... Ah, right. I already did."
Thinking she ought to give K a scare—since he had almost certainly dozed off in the waiting room—Kirigiri flung the door open wide and shouted,
"Puppy!! Time to wake—"
But the waiting room was empty.
For a moment, Kirigiri wore a puzzled expression. Then she noticed a single photograph pinned to the center of the desk in the distance with a military knife. Her face hardened instantly as she approached it.
"This is..."
As she checked the photograph, a sinister sensation crawled over her whole body—a dreadful feeling, as though she had experienced something like this once before. Then she froze, robbed of words.
Because in that photograph was K, unconscious and bound.
Kirigiri stared blankly at the shocking scene for a moment. Then she snapped back to herself and quickly began searching for clues, her eyes darting around—until she found words carved beside the photo with a knife, and started reading them.
- yur husband's sooo goood
- from Ikusaba, Koizumi
"....."
Kyoko Kirigiri lost her grip on reason for the second time in her life.