Kaito Hattori gazed contentedly at the unfamiliar man standing before him, clad in a sleek black tuxedo and meticulously styled hair. The man returned his pleased expression, mirroring his disbelief at the reflection before him - a transformed version of himself, complete with a tie and a half-coat.

But what truly astounded Kaito was the reason behind his dapper appearance: his mother's wedding. The thought alone was enough to leave him dumbfounded.

"Goodness me, who's this handsome young man?" Hanae Hattori's sudden voice jolted Kaito, nearly causing him to jump in surprise. She had been observing him from his doorway, her timing unknown to him.

"You..." he stammered, at a loss for words as he took in her lack of preparation for the occasion. "What are you doing here? Do you realize what time it is?!"

With a dismissive wave of her hand and a playful laugh, Hanae replied, "Relax, it won't take me long to slip into a dress and put on some makeup. I couldn't resist seeing my son in a suit. You look absolutely stunning, little man."

Kaito blushed at the compliment, his eagerness to shoo her away growing. "Just go and get dressed already. Don't you want to keep your soon-to-be husband waiting? I thought Auntie was keeping an eye on you."

Indeed, Reina Nakano had been assigned the task of watching over Hanae. But it seemed that the bride possessed a nimbleness that allowed her to evade the guards stationed outside her dressing room. Hanae's immaturity, it appeared, was deeply ingrained within her spirit, not just confined to her youthful appearance.

To outsiders witnessing Hanae walking alongside her son, one would assume she was his older sister. Kaito could never bring himself to compare her to the broken woman she once was.

Hanae Hattori's former husband had been the epitome of a despicable man. He had accumulated an astronomical amount of debt and, realizing he could never repay it, abandoned his family fifteen years ago. Since then, Hanae had shouldered the responsibility of raising her son and daughter alone. The early years had been arduous for the trio, and matters only worsened when Kaito turned fifteen and discovered his attraction to other boys.

Living in a small countryside town at the time, the narrow-mindedness of the townspeople became painfully evident. Once news of Kaito's sexual orientation spread, rumors began to circulate. Some blamed Hanae's misfortune, wagging their tongues in judgment, while others pitied the family for lacking a father figure.

Overall, the situation became unbearable for the little trio.

Although her husband's family had refused to acknowledge Kaito, Hanae refused to accept when her own parents treated their grandchild like a plague. That had been her breaking point.

In the end, after enduring the discrimination her son faced from both friends and family, Hanae waited until Kaito finished middle school before leaving that town with him and Fuyumi. The three of them relocated to the city, changed their family name, and embarked on a fresh start.

Living in the city presented the resilient woman with opportunities that their previous home could never provide. In due course, she became a renowned lawyer, securing financial stability for her family.

And for a while, it was just the three of them, shielded from the intrusion of outsiders.

Then, three years ago, she crossed paths with Hansuke Fujimori.

Initially, he had been nothing more than a client, and after winning his case against a hired scammer, Hanae assumed their paths would diverge. However, fate had other plans, intertwining their lives more times than they could count.

Ultimately, they became close friends, spending increasing amounts of time together.

Hansuke, a year younger than Hanae, had tragically lost his wife and five-year-old daughter in a horrific car accident that also cost him his left eye, nine years before his fateful encounter with Hanae.

Both of them had long since given up on love, but their meeting rekindled a flicker of hope within their hearts.

Fuyumi, only four years old when their father abandoned them, held few memories of him or the kind of person he was. But Kaito remembered all too well. At the tender age of eleven, he was already aware of his father's worthlessness. Yet, he had clung to the hope that his father would change for the better.

Alas, his father had only disappointed him.

Therefore, when his mother first introduced Hansuke to him and his sister, Kaito had remained guarded, skeptical of this seemingly humble man. But witnessing the happiness he brought to his mother's life, Kaito knew he had no choice but to surrender and accept defeat.

"You're not thinking of bailing out now, are you?" he squinted suspiciously at his mother, who was still admiring her 'creation'.

"Seriously, where would I even go?" Hanae dramatically puffed out her chest. "I've been waiting for this day for over a year!"

Kaito was relieved to hear that. Finally, his lingering doubts could be put to rest. He wanted his mother to be happy, and if Hansuke could bring her that joy, then Kaito wouldn't stand in their way.

"If you're so eager, then go get ready," Kaito responsibly guided his mother towards the door. But the woman saw through his tactics and skillfully evaded him.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave. But first, I need to confirm something," Hanae maintained a safe distance, assuring him she'd follow his instructions later. "Is Daichi still going to make it?"

A complex expression crossed the young man's face as he muttered, "I don't know. Last I heard, he wasn't sure."

That was two days ago.

Over a year had passed since Daichi went abroad, and during that time, he had only managed to visit twice, and only for short periods after his first four and seven months away. After that, he couldn't find the time...

"I know you want him here, and I do too," Hanae comfortingly patted his shoulder. "But if he can't make it, we'll have to accept it. I'll be perfectly content even if he sends a gift."

Of course, Kaito thought that would be alright... but still.

He smiled nonetheless. "Yeah, I'm sure he wanted to be here too."

"Too bad," Hanae gave her son a mischievous grin. "I wanted to see the expression on his face when he saw you like this."

Kaito felt his ears grow warm as he cleared his throat. "Well, he'll just have to settle for pictures."

He had wanted to surprise Daichi with this attire. The last time Kaito wore a complete formal set was during his college graduation. A few days ago, he had even refused to share pictures of himself in this suit when he, along with the other groomsmen, tried them on. As the best man, his tuxedo was the only black one among the sea of grays, making him stand out. Even the groom would be wearing a white tux.

He hadn't wanted to admit it earlier, but today, he was really feeling himself. It was nice to switch up his style every once in a while.

A gentle knock on the door suddenly interrupted the mother-son duo, followed by a familiar voice on the other side.

"Kaito, dear, are you in there? Are you done changing?"

Reina Nakano!

Hanae panicked, flapping her arms and searching for a hiding spot, but it was too late. Her treacherous son had already called for Reina to come in.

"Sorry to disturb you. It seems your mother has escaped again and..." Reina's voice trailed off as she came face to face with the escapee. In the next moment, she bellowed, "Hanae!"

"I was just using the restroom and accidentally ended up in this room..."

"Do you know what time it is? This child!" Reina mercilessly dragged her away after apologizing to Kaito and urging him to finish dressing.

Kaito understood his mother's behavior.

Originally, this was meant to be a simple backyard wedding with close friends and family. But Reina Nakano couldn't let it be that way, especially after learning about Hanae's difficult past. She insisted on turning it into a grand affair, inviting important people from all walks of life. She considered Kaito's family as her own.

Who wouldn't be nervous on such an occasion?

Speaking of which, Kaito was pretty sure he was already running late for his appointment with a hired makeup artist waiting somewhere...

Adjusting his tie for what felt like the hundredth time, he readied himself to leave the room, only to be intercepted once again by an unexpected visitor at the door.

Fuyumi Hattori stood before him, her arms crossed, staring up at her brother with an expression that could rival a stone cold sculpture.

Her usual high ponytail was replaced by cascading waves of brunnette hair, framing her face as she donned a long, shimmering blue dinner gown. And to her brother's astonishment, she had actually put on makeup!

"You look like a completely different person," Kaito couldn't hide his surprise, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. "Bright colors suit you."

She retorted, "And you look nothing like my brother."

Taking it as a compliment, Kaito couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Where's Daisuke nii-san? Isn't he coming?" Fuyumi asked bluntly.

A mischievous grin spread across Kaito's face. "Do you want him to come?"

"Of course! I've already finished my 'journey to success before thirty' journal, and he's supposed to review it," Fuyumi revealed a thick black notebook from seemingly thin air, thrusting it in Kaito's direction. "He can't miss this."

Kaito thought to himself: This little imp seems to have forgotten that today isn't all about her.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to review it online. Unless, of course, you didn't make a digital copy?" Kaito asked, already knowing the answer. As expected, Fuyumi froze, realizing her oversight. Patting her on the head, he reassured her, "You can always take pictures of each page and send them to him."

Those words hit Fuyumi like a challenge to her intelligence.

**

Despite a slight delay, the wedding ceremony began right on schedule.

Watching his mother find happiness, Kaito couldn't help but feel an unexpected swell of pride. It was as if he were a proud father giving his daughter away, an unfamiliar but pleasing sensation.

Yet, the absence of Daichi cast a shadow on the joyous occasion.

Scanning the VIP seats, Kaito searched for his lover at the start of the ceremony, but there was no sign of him. As the ceremony progressed, Daichi remained conspicuously absent.

Perhaps it was time for Kaito to face the reality that Daichi wouldn't make it to this momentous day. After all, he was a busy man...

... Wait, cross that. Who was that late-comer at the entrance?

No matter how discreetly he tried to blend in, there was no mistaking the figure of Daichi Nakano making his entrance.

Kaito's excitement bubbled up inside him: Thank god, he had made it.

Suppressing the urge to rush and greet him on the spot, Kaito patiently waited for the conclusion of the main ceremony.

~~~~~