The Groom Chooses The Maid Of Honour

Sakura and Kei didn't even need to turn around. They already knew who it was.

Mia.

There you are. I was looking for—"

Mia's words died the moment she saw Kei.

Her stomach twisted with unease. Kei knew almost everything about her.

What if he told Sakura what happened at the mixer? Mia thought.

She wanted to ask why Sakura was talking to him. Why she was smiling at him. But she bit her tongue.

Instead, she went straight to the reason she had come.

"So, Sakura, I have something to tell you."

Sakura barely glanced at her. "What is it?" she said flatly.

Mia inhaled. "I have a crush on Haru."

Kei exhaled sharply and looked away.

Mia wasn't bothered by Kei overhearing. In fact, she was looking forward to seeing his reaction—because she already knew how this conversation would go.

Sakura would back off.

Just like she always did.

Mia continued, "And I was wondering if you could—"

"That's what you came here to say to me?"

Sakura's voice snapped.

Mia blinked.

Sakura didn't place all the blame on Mia for what had happened at the mixer—after all, she had agreed to go. But what unsettled her most was the way Mia had acted the entire night.

Sakura had known Mia for twelve years.

And twelve years was long enough to know when Mia was deliberately pushing her buttons.

"So, Sakura, you've been pretty quiet tonight. What's going on? You're usually so talkative."

The words grated against her nerves. Disguised as friendly teasing. Laced with something cruel.

Then, in the bathroom—Mia's fake concern. Not even glancing at her after she had been crying. Ignoring her completely.

And then, to make things even worse, she had gone three full days without texting. Without calling. Without so much as an apology. Only to show up now, acting like nothing had happened. And for what? To tell her she had a crush?

"You don't call or text for three days to apologise. Then you act like nothing happened, ignore me, and now you show up just to tell me that you have a crush?" Sakura spat.

Mia took a step back. She had never seen Sakura this angry. She had to be careful. She had to fix this before it got worse.

"What do you want me to apologise for? What happened at the mixer was an accident."

Kei scowled at her lie but stayed silent.

"I'm not even angry about that." Sakura waved a hand. "I'm angry about the way you treated me."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked, genuinely confused.

Sakura's fists clenched.

"Do you think I don't know what you were doing, Mia? You knew I felt uncomfortable, and instead of helping me, you were deliberately trying to piss me off."

"Sakura, I think you need to calm down—"

"No."

Sakura stepped forward and directed a finger towards Mia.

"You knew that I was crying the bathroom, and instead of consoling me like a normal friend would. You spewed fake bullshit to my face, pretending to see if I was alright. When you knew very well that I wasn't! And then, when I finally came out, you ignored me. Like I didn't even exist!"

Mia's lips parted.

Kei and Mia both froze.

Sakura never swore.

And yet, here she was, standing in front of them, furious.

"If you came here just to tell me that you have a crush, then get lost."

Kei watched Mia's stunned silence. He wouldn't say anything about the mixer. But he could at least tell Haru about this.