CHAPTER 19

HOLY NIGHT SEBASTIAN

Rhyme was given the microphone when it was time for him to give his vows. The priest instructed him to repeat what he would say, but Rhyme did not follow and instead crafted his own vows. He cleared his throat before speaking, as we stood facing each other. "I, Rhyme Dizon, take you, Holy Night Sebastian, to be my unexpected wife," he began. "I promise to be faithful and honest in our competitions. I vow to respect you even though you're such a loser. I hope you'll accept me as the one you cannot surpass. I promise to always pretend your cooking is better than mine... at least in front of you."

In what he said, I felt the urge to strangle him. He's so arrogant, even in giving vows. He better be prepared for when it's my turn to speak. "Since you're a crybaby, maybe sometimes, I'll let you beat me, so you can at least have your victory moment. I'll be the husband you can't outsmart, and you'll be the wife whom I won't tire of defeating every day." I could feel the heat rising in my face. I felt like tearing off the wedding veil and shredding it in frustration. I need to calm myself as Aunt Penny said. I have to follow her advice in situations like this.

However, it seemed like I couldn't control myself. I felt like I was about to explode as I looked at Rhyme, relaxed and smirking. In my annoyance, I snatched the mic from him and took a deep breath before speaking. "I, Holy Night Sebastian, take you, Rhyme Dizon, to be my stupid husband because I have no choice," I said irritably, but he just chuckled. "I swear, one day I will surpass you. I warn you, don't get too cocky 'cause I'm planning my next epic comeback. I promise to understand you even if you're difficult to deal with. So don't you dare say that my cooking is bad since you haven't even tasted it yet." I noticed that he was trying to hold back his laughter.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the priest said after we exchanged rings. Everyone inside the room, including the priest, burst into laughter and cheers when it was time for Rhyme to kiss me. Isn't this wedding just for fun anyway? Does "kiss the bride" really have to be included? I felt a shiver down my spine as Rhyme lifted my wedding veil for a moment. Wait! What is he going to do? His facial expression turned serious as we locked eyes with each other.

I shook my head slightly to signal him to stop, but I could hardly move due to extreme nervousness when the idiot closed his eyes and slowly brought his face closer to mine. The screams and laughter of the people were deafening, and they couldn't sit still in their seats. I took a step back before our lips could touch. I could also smell his breath. I was about to step back again, but he quickly held both my waist.

I winced when Rhyme was just about to kiss me. Until I couldn't control myself anymore. I suddenly punched him, causing him to release me and quickly run away. Everyone laughed even more at what I did. I managed to escape the wedding booth while still in a gown. The students who saw me, running in the corridor were shocked, and I could tell they recognized me. It was really strange for them to see me in this situation, especially in an off-shoulder gown.

I struggled to run because the gown I was wearing was too long. There were times I stepped on it and almost tripped. As I kept running, I glanced back at my rear to make sure that someone wasn't following me. When I returned my gaze to my path, I accidentally bumped into a person, causing me to fall near the fountain. Fortunately, I didn't fall into the water. "Oh my! I'm so sorry, darling. Are you okay?" The woman I bumped into helped me stand up.

Her expression showed concern. Thank goodness it wasn't Ms. Juliet. I looked at the woman who appeared to be around 40 years old. She's wearing a long, pleated dress in a golden-brown color with short sleeves and a cinched waist, giving it a tailored look. "Are you okay?" she repeated. I don't know why, but she looked familiar to me. It's like I've seen her before, but I can't remember where.

We sat by the fountain, and I still couldn't speak as she kept asking if I got hurt from the fall. All I could do was nod in response.

I don't know, but I feel a lightness in her presence. "I'm okay," I replied. "That's good to hear." She smiled, quickly dispelling her concern. "It seems like you're not interested in your groom," she joked. It seems like she might have guessed something. "A wedding is the most special day in a woman's life, so it should be with someone she loves," she added. I chuckled slightly at her words. I hope she doesn't take it seriously because I only got married in a wedding booth.

"Yeah, you're right," I responded. "You look so beautiful in that wedding gown. Maybe if my daughter were here, I think you'd be equally stunning." I thanked her. There seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes when she mentioned her daughter. "Anyways, I have to go now," she said as she stood up, and I followed suit. "The concert is about to start. You know, I've been really into this P-pop group for the past few days," she said, laughing to herself.

"I may be old now, but I can't help myself from stanning those talented boys," she added before bidding farewell. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. It's like I didn't want her to leave. I was left alone and shrugged my shoulders. What now? My clothes are in the wedding booth, and I can't go home dressed like this. People might mistake me for being crazy if they see me. I wanted to call Moryn, but even my phone was left there.

In the end, I returned to the wedding booth. When I arrived, Moryn and the others were no longer there. I quickly approached the woman who helped me earlier. She said that Moryn had already taken my things. I felt even more stressed by what she said. I had no choice but to find them. I went to the office of the student council still in my wedding gown. They weren't there either. The secretary of Leah, Ms. Samantha, said they were in the greenhouse with other members of the student council. Ms. Samantha was also heading there, so we went together.

It's a good thing that almost everyone is at the school quadrangle watching the concert, otherwise, I would've been the center of attention here by now. I want to change clothes. I'm not comfortable with this gown, so how much more uncomfortable would it be if I were to wear women's uniforms every day. I was just forced to wear this gown in case Charbelle changes her mind, like I wouldn't have to follow the rules of wearing the proper uniform. When we arrived there, Ms. Samantha was indeed right, they were there, while the other members of the student council were at the quadrangle watching the concert. They were delighted when I arrived. They immediately pulled me and placed me beside Rhyme. "Toast to the newlyweds!" Charbelle shouted as she raised her plastic cup, which I think only contained juice. "Cheers!" everyone echoed with her.

I forced a laugh. What is this? They haven't finished their antics yet. I'm still in a gown, and Rhyme is still wearing his tuxedo. It's so refreshing inside this large green house. Different kinds of plants and trees are here, with a long table with white tablecloth and chairs where we are seated. They also have a lot of food prepared and a wedding cake. It seems like they have been planning to marry me off to this idiot for a long time. It's annoying! Out of frustration, I kept eating and ignored all of them because I deliberately focused only on the food.

Leah commented, "You must be so hungry," while looking at me. I ignored her. "It's a good thing we arranged their marriage, otherwise Leah and I wouldn't have thought of ordering foods for us tonight." Charbelle jokingly said, causing everyone to laugh. I paused in my eating, my mouth full. I knew it, my assumption was correct, they really planned this. I can't believe they only planned this today. I glanced at Rhyme, and he looked back at me, shrugging his shoulders as if he was implying that he also didn't know what was happening. "Don't fill your mouth. You look disgusting," Rhyme said. I didn't respond. I stood up and moved to a chair next to Moryn.

Rhyme scowled at me as he fixed his gaze upon me. Fortunately, the others were preoccupied discussing their biases towards the Ppop kings, now that they had seen them in person. They were too engrossed to notice our argument. "Hey, just slow down," Moryn suddenly said with a smile. I smiled back, even though my mouth was full. "You know what? Whatever you do, you're still adorable to me." Moryn's words made me pause, and I averted my gaze. I could feel my cheeks warming, indicating that I was blushing. Moryn was part of the plan to arrange our marriage with Rhyme in the wedding booth, but she's the only one I'll forgive tonight because she's special to me.