“I declare you husband and wife!”
The officiant pronounced Slyvester and Ryan as husband and wife, prompting a round of enthusiastic applause from the wedding guests. However, Slyvester's gaze remained fixed on his stunning bride, oblivious to the commotion.
At that moment, Slyvester desired a lifetime of happiness with Ryan and possibly starting a family with her. While it is often said that men shed tears of joy during such occasions, Slyvester was too overjoyed to cry. Perhaps Ryan's parents cried enough for both of them, especially since Slyvester had once posed as a woman to deceive them. Nevertheless, Mr. and Mrs. Mcguffin had forgiven him and moved on from the past.
"So, we're a married couple now," Ryan said excitedly.
“Hmmm, we are,” Slyvester mumbled. He cupped her cheeks and leaned his forehead on hers.
"Kiss her! Kiss her!” The wedding guests scream.
This won't be their first kiss. Before and while they were dating, Slyvester had already kissed his girlfriend a lot. But oddly, while staring at Ryan in her wedding dress, he felt very anxious. He kind of wondered if it was all just a dream. If it was true, he didn't want to wake up.
"Can I kiss you?" Slyvester whispered.
"Even though I didn't allow you when we secretly dated, you kissed me," teased Ryan.
"Hmmmm," Slyvester just nodded his head with a retort.
The two laughed. Then they stared at each other again. Looking at their lips, the two began to cut the distance between them. Their lips were about to meet, but...
" Slyvester!"
A sudden loud cry echoed through the wedding hall, causing everyone, including the newlyweds, to turn their heads toward four specific guests. These guests were Chaylen, Terban, Vincent, and Kyle, each with a different expression. Chaylen seemed bitter and had a frown on her face. Kyle was clapping and smiling despite inwardly crying, Vincent was smirking at Slyvester threateningly, and Terban was smiling sincerely yet sadly at Ryan.
These four individuals were Slyvester's rivals for Ryan and had warned him that they wouldn't give up until he was married. Unfortunately, they had kept their promise by continuously interrupting Ryan and Slyvester's relationship. In reality, it was more like they were bullying Slyvester, much like ants rummaging for food under a table.
That's why when Slyvester finished his culinary studies and built a restaurant, he immediately proposed to his girlfriend.
After getting married, the four friends had given up hope of finding love. Before that time, all four of them were still single. It seemed like they were all waiting for the couple to finally tie the knot before moving on. Vincent, who had chosen the path of becoming an idol singer, might take a while to find a life partner.
During the wedding reception, the four friends interrupt the kiss between Ryan and Slyvester with their loud shout.
"Why are you kissing in front of us? Save that for your honeymoon!" Kyle joked though it was unclear if he was serious.
Chaylen chimed in, "Yes, let's show some respect for the guests!"
"Leave the stage so we can all eat," suggested Vincent.
“Don’t listen to these stupid guys. Go ahead, kiss now," Terban said sarcastically, implying that they should stop acting like children and go on.
The other guests laughed, but the four friends felt bitter. Would Slyvester listen to the bullies who had mistreated him for years? He thought, "Why should I be considerate?"
Without saying a word, he gestured to the group of four to pay attention as if saying: ‘Look at us!’ Then, after giving them a smirk, he pulled Ryan into a kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers for the newly married couple as they shared a sweet moment together.
Kyle took a bow, Chaylen covered his eyes, Vincent took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, while Terban simply watched without emotion.
As the kiss ended and the couple embraced, Terban turned to leave. Vincent noticed and asked, "Where are you headed?"
Terban suddenly stopped walking, causing Kyle and Chaylen to turn their attention toward him. They all knew that Terban was still struggling to move on from Ryan.
"I need to go to the restroom. I'm not feeling well," Terban explained, trying to hold back his emotions.
Vincent joked, "I thought you were going to run away."
Chaylen chuckled, adding, "Let him go so we can grab his food."
Terban grumbled, "Don't make it seem like you're starving."
Kyle then asked, "You're coming back, right?"
Terban muttered, "Of course," and walked away. As he left, he overheard the conversation of the three behind him.
Chaylen asked Kyle, "Is the kiss between them finished?"
“I don’t know. I am not looking. Vincent, can you check?" Kyle replied.
Vincent declined, saying, "No thanks."
Terban was feeling incredibly envious of the three individuals present. How could they be so lighthearted in front of Ryan and Slyvester? Terban knew they were also hurting, but his pain felt three times worse.
Being at Ryan and Slyvester's wedding felt like a harsh reality check for Terban. It was as if the universe was telling him it was time to face the truth, even though he had already come to terms with it a while ago.
However, Terban tried to see attending the wedding as a step towards moving forward. He focused on breathing as he walked, trying to calm himself down. The image of the kiss he had witnessed earlier made his chest ache, and it was difficult to take deep breaths. Although he hadn't eaten anything, he felt he couldn't digest anything.
Then he found one answer that might help him – crying.
Terban knew that everything would be fine once he let this all out. And so he decided to cry when he got inside the comfort room.
But on his way, he bumped into someone.
“Ahh!”
“Ahhh!”
As he glanced up, Terban noticed a female employee from his company who had previously left a negative impression on him.
"What are you doing here?" Terban asked, surprised to see her.
Terban held a grudge against her for a couple of reasons. First, she was clumsy, and second, she had once accused him of being gay.
"Sir Terban?" the woman responded in shock. "Hello."
Terban was not interested in pleasantries. "I don't need your hello. Why are you here?"
"I'm also invited to the party."
"Why? You know Ryan and Slyvester?"
The girl looked at Terban’s red eyes. It was obvious to her that he was about to cry. 'Sir must be really sad,' she guessed.
"I just found out that the groom is a distant relative of mine," she answered.
" Slyvester?"
"Yes. Your ex-boyfriend is my cousin."
“...”
"I understand how you're feeling, sir. Feel free to express yourself," the woman sympathized, refraining from patting Terban's shoulder before departing with a nod.
Terban was on the verge of breaking down again, but instead of sadness and sorrow, he was consumed by anger.
"Hey!" Terban shouted before he followed the woman who might... help him to move on in the future. It will be a long process.