Chapter - 13
The entire night...
Sky didn't sleep.
He stood on the balcony, hands in his pockets, staring into the darkness.
"...Running away from this won't solve anything."
He turned around.
"Tee."
Within seconds, Tee appeared.
"Yes, Boss."
"Prepare the cars."
"And?"
Sky grabbed his black coat.
"We're bringing Nani back."
Tee blinked.
"...By asking politely?"
Sky looked at him.
"...Yes."
Tee nearly fainted.
"Our boss... politely?"
A nearby guard whispered,
"Write today's date down."
"It's a historical event."
Sky glared.
The two immediately straightened.
"Sorry, Boss."
The next morning...
The wedding hall sparkled with expensive decorations.
Crystal chandeliers.
Fresh white flowers.
A grand piano played softly.
Hundreds of guests filled the seats.
Everyone admired the groom.
Nani stood in elegant wedding clothes.
Looking...
Beautiful.
And extremely done with life.
One aunt smiled.
"The groom looks so handsome."
Nani sighed dramatically.
"I know."
"People keep reminding me."
"I'd appreciate compliments about my personality for once."
The aunt blinked.
"...You have confidence."
"I have survival instincts."
Dew, standing nearby, snorted.
The officiant stepped forward.
"Shall we begin-"
Suddenly...
"AHH!"
Someone screamed.
A child shouted,
"Ghost!"
Emergency lights flickered on.
The massive doors slowly opened.
A tall figure walked in wearing an all-black suit.
Sky.
His aura was so intimidating that half the guests instinctively moved aside.
One uncle whispered,
"...Either that's the groom's ex..."
"...or we're all about to witness a crime documentary."
Sky walked straight toward Nani.
Stopped in front of him.
Their eyes met.
Sky spoke first.
"Nani."
Nani folded his arms.
"What."
"Come with me."
"No."
"Come."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Nani."
"Sky."
"Nani."
"Sky."
"Nani."
"Sky!"
The entire wedding hall watched silently.
One grandma leaned toward another.
"This is more entertaining than television."
The other grandma nodded.
"I hope nobody turns the lights back off."
Sky sighed.
"I came to apologize."
Nani looked away dramatically.
"Too late."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"No."
"I was jealous."
"No."
"I was rude."
"No."
"I was an idiot."
"...Continue."
Sky blinked.
"You were listening."
"I never said I wasn't."
Nani tried very hard to keep a straight face.
It lasted exactly three seconds.
Then he huffed.
"I'm still angry."
"I know."
"I'm extremely angry."
"I know."
"I'm professionally angry."
Sky almost smiled.
"I know."
Nani pointed a finger at him.
"You made me cry."
"I know."
"You told me I talked too much."
"I know."
"You made me leave your mansion."
"I know."
Sky lowered his head.
"And I regret every word."
Silence settled between them.
Nani looked at him for a long moment.
Then...
He quietly walked toward Sky.
The guests collectively held their breath.
Niran frowned.
"...Nani?"
Nani stopped beside Sky.
Then leaned closer and whispered so only Sky could hear-
"...I'm still escaping with you."
Sky looked at him.
"But..."
Nani puffed out his cheeks.
"...You're buying me premium cotton bedsheets."
Sky stared.
"And?"
"My favorite desserts."
"...Done."
"And you have to apologize properly for at least one week."
"...Done."
"And no calling me trouble."
"...Done."
Nani nodded proudly.
"Good."
Then he turned toward the stunned wedding guests.
"I'm leaving."
A shocked silence filled the hall.
Dew covered his face.
"...I knew he'd negotiate."
One uncle whispered,
"The groom just negotiated compensation before eloping."
The grandma from earlier smiled proudly.
"That's my favorite part of the ceremony."
Nani looked at Sky and lifted his chin.
"Well?"
Sky opened the door for him.
"This way."
Nani walked out first with all the confidence in the world.
Halfway outside, he looked back.
"Oh."
"Manager Sky."
Sky sighed.
"...I'm not a hotel manager."
Nani grinned mischievously.
"I know."
"I just like seeing you suffer."
For the first time in days...
Sky actually laughed.
Very quietly.
And Tee, watching from the doorway, whispered to the guards,
"...Boss smiled."
The guards stared in horror.
"...Should we call a doctor?"
Tee shook his head.
"No."
"I think that's just Nani."
---------------
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
Niran's patience finally snapped.
"Nani."
His voice was sharp enough to silence the whispers.
"Do you think this is a joke?"
Nani turned around slowly.
"I wish it was."
"You agreed to this wedding."
"I agreed because everyone backed me into a corner."
Niran took a step forward.
"So now you're humiliating me in front of hundreds of guests?"
Nani folded his arms.
"You humiliated yourself the moment you ignored my first 'no.'"
A loud gasp echoed through the hall.
One aunt quietly fanned herself.
"Oh dear..."
Niran clenched his jaw.
"I've searched for you for weeks."
"I know."
"I arranged everything."
"I know."
"I've spent a fortune."
Nani tilted his head innocently.
"...Do you want a refund?"
Several guests choked on their drinks.
Dew immediately turned around, pretending he wasn't laughing.
Sky lowered his head for a second, hiding the corner of his mouth that almost twitched.
Niran looked ready to explode.
"Nani!"
"What?"
"You always have an answer!"
"I've had months to prepare."
Niran pointed toward Sky.
"So you're choosing him?"
Nani blinked.
"No."
Sky froze.
Nani continued calmly,
"I'm choosing the exit."
The hall went completely silent.
Nani looked at Sky.
"I'm still angry at you."
"I know."
"I'm escaping this wedding because I want to."
"I know."
"I'm not forgiving you yet."
"I know."
"And if you mess up again..."
Nani narrowed his eyes.
"I'll disappear so well that even your scary guards won't find me."
Sky gave a small nod without hesitation.
"...Then I'll deserve it."
That answer caught Nani off guard.
He huffed, trying not to smile.
"...You're becoming less annoying."
Sky quietly replied,
"I'll take that as progress."
Dew sighed dramatically.
"Our family gatherings are officially banned from normal society."
One uncle whispered,
"I came for free food..."
"...and witnessed emotional warfare."
The grandma from the front row nodded wisely.
"Worth every minute."
For exactly five seconds...
Nobody inside moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then-
"DID THE GROOM JUST LEAVE?!"
The entire hall erupted.
Guests started talking all at once.
One uncle looked at his untouched dessert.
"So..."
"Are we still eating?"
Another uncle nodded confidently.
"I came for the buffet."
"The romance is a bonus."
---
Back inside...
Dew slapped both hands onto his head.
"OH MY GOD!"
"NANI RAN AWAY WITH SKY!"
"...AGAIN!"
He looked at his father.
"Dad?"
"...Dad?"
Their father had gone completely pale.
He wobbled dramatically.
"I..."
"My blood pressure..."
He nearly collapsed into the nearest chair.
Several relatives rushed over.
"Water!"
"No, juice!"
"No, call the doctor!"
---
Nani's mother covered her mouth.
"Oh, Jesus..."
"My son..."
She looked toward the empty doorway.
"...At least he chose for himself this time."
The room fell silent for a second.
---
Across the hall...
Niran stood perfectly still.
Too still.
His jaw tightened.
The muscles in his face twitched.
He slowly loosened his tie.
Then tightened it again.
He began pacing.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
A guest whispered,
"I think he's rebooting."
Another nodded solemnly.
"System error."
"Humiliation detected."
---
Outside...
Rain tapped softly against the windshield as Sky drove away.
For the first ten minutes...
Neither of them spoke.
Nani stared out the window.
Sky focused on the road.
Finally...
Nani coughed into his fist.
"Ahem."
Sky glanced sideways.
"...Yes?"
Nani suddenly sat up very straight.
His expression became overly serious.
"Mr. Sky."
Sky's eyebrows lifted.
"...Mr. Sky?"
"We're strangers now."
Sky sighed.
"...Right."
"So..."
Nani pulled out his phone.
"Please drop me at this address."
Sky glanced at it for half a second.
"...No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Nani folded his arms.
"Mr. Sky."
"No."
"I'm asking politely."
"No."
"I said please."
"No."
Nani gasped dramatically.
"Wow."
"So this is customer service?"
Sky didn't even blink.
"No."
---
Nani leaned back with an exaggerated sigh.
"If you don't drop me off..."
"I'll yell that you're being very, very annoying."
Sky looked completely unfazed.
"You already do."
"I mean it!"
"I know."
"I'm serious, Mr. Sky!"
Sky kept his eyes on the road.
"So am I, Nani."
Nani narrowed his eyes.
"You stubborn refrigerator."
Silence.
"You overgrown lamp post."
Sky's fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
"You emotionally constipated ice sculpture."
The steering wheel twitched.
"You deluxe edition traffic cone."
Sky blinked.
"...What?"
Nani wasn't finished.
"You limited-edition buffalo."
Sky almost missed the next turn.
"And don't even get me started on your personality!"
Sky stared ahead in disbelief.
"...Buffalo?"
"Yes."
"Why buffalo?"
"You have buffalo energy."
There was a long pause.
Then-
Sky let out the smallest, most helpless laugh.
It escaped before he could stop it.
Nani immediately pointed at him.
"You laughed!"
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I breathed differently."
"You laughed."
"I object."
Nani grinned to himself.
"Progress."
Sky shook his head.
"You make absolutely no sense."
"I've been told that."
"And yet..."
Nani looked out the rain-speckled window with a tiny smile tugging at his lips.
"...You still came."
The car grew quiet again.
This time...
The silence wasn't as heavy as before.
It felt like the beginning of something neither of them knew how to name.