"Oh! Hoshimiya, my boy, you're here too!"
Just as Yuu and the girls were about to head in to see the bride, Juzo Megure approached them. He had swapped his eternal tan trench coat and hat for a sharp black suit and matching fedora.
Yuu looked him over with a look of genuine surprise. "Inspector Megure, I almost didn't recognize you in that getup."
Megure's round face split into a wide grin. "Well, my boss's daughter is getting married today. I had to scrub up at least a little bit!"
"Hello, Inspector," Ran and Serena chimed in. Megure's face bloomed like a flower as he nodded back at them.
"By the way, have you girls seen Sayuri-chan yet? There's still time if you want to head in and see the bride before the ceremony starts."
"We were just on our way," Yuu replied.
Megure nodded. "I won't keep you then. Get going!"
Following Megure's directions, the trio headed deep into the church. The building was massive, and Ran and Serena hurried ahead, chatting excitedly.
"I bet Ms. Matsumoto looks stunning!"
"Totally! I heard her wedding dress was custom-made. It's probably gorgeous!"
As she spoke, Serena pulled a high-end camcorder out of her bag. "I brought this specifically to record her in the dress. I want to capture every second."
It was a fancy piece of tech, but even the best gadgets fail if they aren't charged. Yuu glanced at the screen and noticed the battery icon was blinking red. Despite maturing from a girl into a woman under his tutelage, Serena was still as airheaded and careless as ever.
Ran, knowing nothing about electronics, was just happy Serena had been thoughtful enough to bring a camera. "Make sure you get good footage, Serena. We can give a copy to Ms. Matsumoto later; she'll love it."
Serena patted her increasingly well-endowed chest. "Leave it to me!"
They soon reached the preparation room. The door wasn't fully closed, so Serena pushed it open without knocking.
Inside, several assistants were busy adjusting the bride's train. Sayuri Matsumoto sat in the center of the room, looking like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. Her dress was a cascading masterpiece of white silk, layered with intricate lace and shimmering beads that rippled with every slight movement.
Her makeup was flawless. Her thick lashes fluttered over eyes that sparkled with excitement, and her pale pink lip gloss highlighted a radiant smile. In the soft light of the room, she looked effortlessly elegant—a far cry from the strict, sometimes terrifying music teacher they knew from school.
Ran and Serena stood there, mesmerized by the transformation. Serena instinctively raised her camera to record the breathtaking scene.
"Oh, Serena and Ran? You're here!"
Sayuri noticed them. She had seen many students today, but this group always stood out. She especially remembered the legendary tone-deaf Shinichi Kudo, who, despite being a genius at everything else, sounded like a dying cat whenever he tried to sing in her class.
"Ms. Matsumoto, you look... incredible," Ran breathed, her eyes full of admiration.
"Seriously, you're like a goddess!" Serena added.
"Aren't I?" Sayuri beamed, clearly enjoying the praise.
Then, her eyes landed on Yuu. Her expression shifted to one of surprise and sudden, intense interest. She was surprised that the man accompanying the girls wasn't Shinichi, and she was captivated by how incredibly handsome Yuu was. Compared to the man she was supposed to marry, Toshihiko Takasugi, Yuu was in an entirely different league.
Actually, Toshihiko wasn't bad-looking, but his personality was a major turn-off. Sayuri had to force herself to look away from Yuu before she did something impulsive—like calling off the wedding to elope with the school nurse.
"Ran, Serena... who is this?"
"Forgive me, Ms. Matsumoto," Yuu introduced himself with a charming smile. "I'm Yuu Hoshimiya. I'm the new health and physical education teacher at the high school."
Sayuri was the middle school music teacher. Although they were part of the same academy system, the campuses were far apart, so this was their first meeting.
"And Ms. Matsumoto, Yuu is also like a big brother to Ran and me!" Serena added. Since Yuu was their teacher, they had concocted the "older brother" story to explain why they were always seen clinging to him. Whether anyone actually believed it was a different story.
"Yuu, please. Just call me Sayuri, like the girls do," she insisted. Despite knowing she should maintain professional boundaries, she couldn't help but want to close the distance between them. She was a woman of passion, and the gentle, demure bride persona she was wearing today was mostly for show.
"Then I shall," Yuu chuckled. He was more than happy to get on the good side of the beautiful bride—who also happened to be the daughter of a high-ranking police official.
Looking at Yuu's handsome face made Sayuri's heart race. She turned her head, trying to find a distraction to calm her nerves.
"So, Kudo didn't come with you?" She snapped her fingers—a sharp, cool sound even through her white lace gloves. "I was looking forward to showing off my dress to that arrogant little brat!"
Ran and Serena shared a look. Their teacher hadn't changed at all. Underneath the lace and silk, she was still as spirited as ever.
Yuu's eyes lit up. While a demure bride was fine, he much preferred a woman with an independent, fiery spirit like Sayuri's.
"Congratulations, Sayuri," Yuu said, his gaze lingering on her. It was said that a woman was at her most beautiful on her wedding day, and looking at her, he couldn't disagree.
"Thank you, Yuu." Sayuri felt a flush creep up her neck, and she shyly lowered her gaze.
"Hey, you two! Look at the camera!" Serena shouted.
Yuu and Sayuri instinctively turned toward the lens. In the frame, they looked incredibly harmonious. Sayuri was a vision in white, tall and stunning, while Yuu looked like a classic gentleman in his tailored black suit. Unlike the girls in their school uniforms, Yuu had dressed for the occasion. His suit highlighted his broad shoulders and lean physique, making him look more like a movie star than a teacher.
"Damn... you guys look so good together," Serena muttered, still filming. "I wish I could swap places with Ms. Matsumoto right now."
Ran nudged her sharply, telling her to watch her mouth, even though she secretly agreed. Sayuri, used to Serena's bluntness, didn't think much of the hidden meaning behind the words.