Mischievous Marriage

I DO (Her Point of View)

Saturday mornings were supposed to feel peaceful. The sunlight slipped gently through my bedroom window, warming the floor and the soft white curtains that fluttered in the quiet breeze. Outside, birds chirped happily, as if today was just another ordinary day.

But today wasn't ordinary.

Today was my sister's wedding.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up in bed. The clock beside my bed read 8:03 AM. I stretched my arms above my head and let out a soft yawn.

Downstairs, I could already hear footsteps, voices, and doors opening and closing. Everyone must already be busy preparing.

A small smile formed on my lips. Today was Hana-neechan's big day. The day she would finally marry the man she loved.

The day she would become someone's wife.

Someone's princess.

Someone's forever.

I stood up from my bed and walked toward the mirror. My messy hair framed my sleepy face as I looked at my reflection.

Plain.

That was the word people usually used for me.

Plain Honoka.

Nothing special.

Unlike my older sister.

Hana Miki was beautiful, graceful, and admired by everyone who met her. She was the kind of person people noticed the moment she entered a room.

Me?

I was the opposite.

Clumsy.

Awkward.

The girl who tripped over nothing.

But that was fine.

Because Hana was my sister.

And she loved me.

I still remembered when we were little girls, lying on the grass in our backyard and staring at the clouds.

Hana had turned to me and said with sparkling eyes,

"Someday I'm going to marry a prince."

I had laughed and told her,

"Then I'll be your royal ballet dancer."

She laughed so hard that day. Thinking about it now made my chest warm.

Today her dream was finally coming true.

And that meant something else too.

I grinned.

Soon...

I would have an onii-chan.

Excited, I quickly changed into comfortable clothes and headed downstairs.

But the moment my foot touched the last step.

Something felt wrong.

The atmosphere inside the house felt... heavy. Strange. The cheerful noise I expected was missing.

Instead, the living room was filled with tension.

My parents were standing in the middle of the room. Their backs were stiff. Their hands were shaking as they held their phones.

And their faces...

My heart skipped.

Their eyes were red and swollen. Like they had been crying.

A cold feeling slowly crept into my chest.

"W-what...?"

I slowly walked toward them.

"Mom? Dad?"

They both turned their heads toward me.

The moment my mother saw me, her face crumpled.

"Honoka!"

She rushed forward and grabbed my shoulders.

"Your sister left us!"

For a moment, the words didn't make sense.

Left?

"What do you mean... left?"

My mother started crying again.

"My Hana... my poor Hana..."

My father let out a long, exhausted sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"She ran away."

My entire body froze.

"W-what?"

My mother's voice trembled as she spoke again.

"She left a message this morning... saying she can't marry Yuki."

The room felt like it was spinning.

"She said she doesn't love him anymore."

My eyes widened.

"She... what?"

My mind was racing.

That didn't make sense.

Hana loved Yuki.

Right?

They were supposed to get married today.

Everything had already been planned.

The guests.

The church.

The ceremony.

Everything.

"She said she loves someone else now."

The words hit me like a slap.

Someone else?

My chest tightened.

"Then where is she now?"

"We don't know!" my mother cried.

My father checked his phone again before speaking quietly.

"The wedding starts in six hours."

Six hours.

The number echoed in my head.

Six hours before the ceremony.

Six hours before hundreds of guests arrive.

Six hours before everyone realizes the bride is gone.

A terrible thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"W-wait..."

I looked at my parents nervously.

"Did you already tell the Furukawa family?"

My father nodded slowly.

My stomach dropped.

"And... what did they say?"

My mother began crying again. "They refuse to cancel the wedding!"

My jaw dropped.

"What?!"

That made no sense.

"But the bride is gone!"

My father's voice was tired. "The wedding must continue."

My heartbeat started pounding loudly in my ears. "How can the wedding continue without Hana?"

Silence filled the room.

My parents looked at each other. Then my mother slowly reached for my hands.

Her grip was tight.

Desperate.

"You will replace her."

For a moment, I thought I misheard her.

"What?"

"You'll marry Yuki instead."

My brain stopped working.

"What?! NO!"

I pulled my hands away immediately. "I can't do that!"

"Please, Hononon!" my mother begged. Her eyes were filled with tears. "You're our only hope!"

I shook my head quickly.

"This is crazy! I don't even know him!"

My father stepped forward. "Yuki's parents threatened us."

My heart skipped.

"If the wedding is cancelled, they will destroy our company."

My breathing became uneven.

"They said they will ruin our name... our business... everything."

The pressure in the room suddenly felt suffocating.

"So please," my mother whispered. "Just marry him for now."

My eyes widened.

"For now?"

"When we find Hana, you can divorce him."

Divorce.

Marriage.

The words felt unreal.

"I don't even love him," I whispered. "He doesn't love me either."

"I know," my mother said quickly. "But this is only temporary!" Her hands grabbed mine again. "You're the only one who can save our family."

I stared at them silently.

My heart was beating so fast it hurt.

All my life...

I had always been the extra daughter.

The unnecessary one.

The mistake.

Mom loved Hana.

Dad trusted Hana.

Everyone praised Hana.

But now...

For the first time ever...

They needed me.

If this was the only way they would finally see me...

Then maybe...

Maybe I should do it.

I took a deep breath. "Okay." The word left my mouth quietly.

"I'll marry him."

My parents looked shocked for a moment. Then relief flooded their faces.

My mother hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Hononon!"

My father looked like he might cry again.

For the first time in my life...

They were holding me like I mattered.

And strangely...

That made the decision feel worth it.

Everything happened quickly after that. My father called the Furukawa family. They agreed without hesitation.

The wedding would continue. Only the bride would change.

The makeup artist arrived shortly after.

My mother personally helped prepare me. She brushed my hair carefully.

Adjusted the wedding gown.

Fixed the veil.

I had never received this much attention from her before.

It felt... strange.

But also nice.

The wedding dress fit perfectly. Luckily, Hana and I had almost the same body size. I stared at myself in the mirror.

The girl in the reflection looked like a bride. But she didn't feel like one.

My hands trembled.

My stomach twisted.

I was about to marry a man I barely knew.

A man who was supposed to marry my sister.

Was this really happening?

The church was already filled with guests when we arrived.

Soft music echoed through the hall.

Flowers decorated every corner.

Everything was beautiful.

Perfect.

Just like the wedding Hana had dreamed about.

Except...

The bride was me.

My parents walked beside me down the aisle. Every step felt heavy.

When we reached the altar, my father gently placed my hand into Yuki Furukawa's.

His hand was warm.

Strong.

But his face...

Was completely emotionless.

I leaned slightly closer to him.

"Are you sure about this, Furukawa-kun?" My voice was barely a whisper.

He didn't even hesitate. "I have no problem with it."

My chest tightened.

The ceremony began.

The priest spoke about love.

About marriage.

About promises and forever.

But the words felt distant.

Unreal.

Then came the vows.

"Yuki, will you take Honoka to be your wife?"

"I do." His voice was calm.

Cold.

The priest turned to me. "Honoka, will you take Yuki to be your husband?"

My heart pounded. "I... I do."

The rings were exchanged.

The candles were lit.

And just like that...

It was over.

The priest smiled warmly. "You may now kiss the bride."

Yuki leaned forward. His lips brushed mine quickly.

A short, emotionless peck.

My eyes widened in shock.

He leaned closer and murmured quietly, "Don't look so surprised."

Then the priest raised his voice.

"It is my honor to present to you for the first time.."

"Mr. and Mrs. Furukawa."

Applause filled the church.

Everyone was smiling.

Celebrating.

But inside my chest...

My heart felt painfully tight.

Because the truth was.

I had just married my sister's fiancé. And I had no idea what kind of life was waiting for me.

But one thing was certain.

This marriage...

Was going to change everything.