“How’s it coming back there?” Ranko craned her neck around the little gazebo.

“Look, you try wiring a mixing panel in a tux!” Shinji grumbled, laying on his back underneath a folding table covered in wires.

Ranko smirked. “Sure thing, Shin. And while I’m doing that, you can sing lead in a formal dress and heels.”

Shinji laughed, bumping his head on the bottom of the table as he slid out. “Alright, you win this round, Tendo.”

He plucked gently at each of the instruments, the volume as low as possible on the mixing gear so as not to disturb the partygoers with their testing until they were ready to play. “I think we’re all set here.”

“Okay,” Ranko said, offering Shinji a hand off of the marble floor of the gazebo. “I’ll let Izumi know.”

Ranko walked around the party for a few minutes, searching for her sister. Fortunately, the white formal dress was a dead giveaway. Still, it took a few moments to reach her. Despite having a martial artist’s balance, navigating a patch of grass in stiletto heels was still an arduous task.

“Uh, excuse me? Mrs. Sando? I just wanted to let you know the band is just about ready whenever you are.” Ranko giggled.

Izumi blushed. She didn’t know how long it would take to get used to being called that, even after all these months of dreaming about it. “Sounds great, Ran-chan. I can’t thank you and the guys enough for doing this.”

With a smile, Ranko nodded. “Well, my sister deserves better than a battery-operated boom box at her wedding.” She put her arm around the bride’s shoulders, hugging as best the pair could in their restrictive formal dresses.

Izumi grabbed her new husband’s wrist, turning it so she could read his watch. “Okay. We’ve got one or two more things to do, and then we’re ready for you.”

Kaito turned. “Hey, I was using that hand!”

With a kiss, Izumi grinned devilishly. “Well, it’s half-mine now.”

Kaito squeezed her tight. “It’s all yours, my love.”

While Izumi and Kaito prepared for one of the other various and sundry wedding rituals Ranko barely understood, Crash waved her back over to the gazebo. Plodding carefully back to her bandmates in her towering heels, she looked over the situation from the safety of a small brick path a meter in front of the cramped structure. “What’s going on?”

“It’s this damned wind. It’s gonna pick up on the mics.” Crash grumbled as another gust whipped past him. “Outdoor gigs are a real pain sometimes.”

Ranko thought for a moment. “Hey, see those plastic cups they’ve got over at the bar? Get a couple of those and poke holes in the bottom. Stick the mics through them, and it’ll make a wind shield. Won’t be perfect, but…”

Crash laughed. “Beautiful, talented and smart. What would we do without you?”

The bridesmaid blushed. “Cry, probably.”

As she spoke, a strong gust blustered from behind her, and her martial artist’s senses detected something coming toward her. With lightning speed, she flung her arm backward to block whatever was about to hit her, and her hand made contact with a crinkly bundle wrapped in plastic. “What the…?”

She turned to the sound of cheering from the assembled partygoers clumped eight meters or so in front of her. She hadn’t even started singing yet! Blinking, she looked down at her hands. She was holding Izumi’s bouquet.

She thought she would black out from the blood flow to her face. She knew very little about the traditional ceremonies involved in Western-style weddings, but this one she was quite familiar with. “Aw, hell!”

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Various playful catcalls rose from the crowd as she walked back to the group, handing the bouquet back to the bride. “You did that on purpose.”

Izumi laughed. “Clearly, you overestimate my skills. I couldn’t have done that on purpose if my life depended on it! But I’m glad it was you anyway.”

With a blush, Ranko giggled. “Yeah, well, Akane ain’t gonna let me hear the end of it.”

“There are worse fates, little sister.”

Ranko waved her off with a grin. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Go do some wife stuff.”

Again, she trod back to the gazebo, where Crash had rigged up her suggested fix for the microphones. “Is it working?”

The guitarist nodded. “It’s not perfect, but it’s way better than nothing.”

She moved toward the steps, and Crash stepped down, offering her a hand. “My lady?”

Blushing, Ranko took his wrist in her hand. He really was a sweet guy, and she really hoped he’d meet somebody soon who had even a remote interest in having a boyfriend. He deserved it. She ascended the four uneven steps up to the gazebo platform, teetering slightly on her heels. She was about ready to ditch them and do the show barefoot.

Shinji shrugged as she took in the state of the space. “Sorry, there’s not an awful lot of room for dancing in this gazebo. We did the best we could.”

With a giggle, Ranko smiled up at him. “Well, there’s not a lot of room for dancing in this dress, either, so we’ll call that a wash.”

Ken laughed, tossing her a microphone. “Catch!”

It sailed high, and she snatched it out of the air, but couldn’t get a good grip on it and fumbled it to the marble floor. “Crap! I can’t move in this thing.”

Crash bent down, picking up the device with the plastic cup rigged around it and handing it to her. “Our fair maiden can only catch flowers today.”

Ranko rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smirk. “Bite me, Matsuyama.”

Chortling, Crash picked up his guitar. “Ready?”

Ken, Kaz and Shinji all sounded off, “Ready!”

Ranko nodded, turning to face out to the assembled reception guests as she switched on the microphone. “Hey, everybody. Thank you all so much for being here with us today. I know it means the world to Izzi and Kaito that you came out to celebrate with us.”

As the party conversations wound down and more of the gathering turned to give her attention, she took a step forward.

“I, um… I think it’s supposed to be the best man who gives a speech. I’m not really up on this whole wedding thing. But, well, I’ve got a microphone, and he doesn’t, so here goes nothing.”

A smattering of laughter arose from the group.

“Kaito, you’re a great dude. You’re loyal, you’re kind. You build one hell of a stage.” More laughter sprung up from the assembled revelers as Izumi leaned into her husband, both of his arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

“Seriously, though. You’re amazing to Izzi, to Hoshi, and to all of us. I know you’ve been here longer than me, and so it feels weird for me to be the one saying this to you, but, we’re so happy to finally welcome you into our strange little family. We love ya, man.”

A chorus of whoops came in response.

“Izumi… gods, what do I even say about you? When I first met you all, I was a hot mess. I had no idea how to do anything, and you never once mocked me or made me feel… less for it, ya know? You’ve taught me, protected me, and been there for me more than I could ever say. People talk all the time about how much I’ve changed since I’ve been here, and a lot of that is entirely because of you. You will never understand how much I mean it when I say that you made me the woman I am today, and I can’t thank you enough for it.” She blushed. “Even when you make me wear these stupid heels.”

As the guests laughed, she continued. “But seriously, though. A girl couldn’t ask for a better big sister to set an example for her to follow. I love you, Izumi.”

A few “awwwws” sprung up from the people standing around the gazebo, and Izumi wiped a tear from her eye. She silently mouthed “thank you” up to her youngest sister.

“Now,” Ranko said, wiping her own eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup for fear of the bride ascending the stage and clobbering her with something. “Whaddya say we make them dance?”

A cheer sounded from the wedding guests, and Crash and Shinji began plucking a rhythm on their instruments. Kaito took his wife by the hand, leading her to the little brick area in front of the gazebo and putting his arms around her.

Ranko lifted the microphone, leaning on one of the columns supporting the gondola’s roof.

“Watching every moment in my foolish lover’s game, on this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame. Turning and returning to some secret place inside, watching in slow motion as you turn around and say…”

Izumi rested her head on her husband’s shoulder as they slowly swayed. It had been a perfect day.

“Take my breath away…”