The next day

The school courtyard was a chaotic sea of color, noise, and the scent of fried dough. Banners for the annual Cultural Festival hung from every balcony, and the sound of a student band practicing in the gym echoed against the school’s concrete walls. For the first time in her life, Kei didn’t hate the noise.

“Come on, slowpoke! We’re going to miss the registration for the scavenger hunt!” Fay laughed, her hand firmly locked around Kei’s wrist.

They spent the morning darting between booths playing ring-toss, winning stuffed toys, and tumbling through a three-legged race. But the fun hit a sudden wall near the East Wing. Len and Angel were standing by a juice stall, the silence between them so heavy it practically vibrated.

“They need a push,” Kei narrowed her eyes.

“I was thinking the exact same thing,” Fay smirked.

In a blur of movement, Fay lunged for Len and Kei grabbed Angel. Despite Angel’s protests, they dragged the two childhood friends toward the Student Council Jail Booth.

“Two hours for the crime of… being total buzzkills!” Fay laughed, shoving the bewildered pair inside. “Don’t let them out early!”

The sun began to dip, turning the school building into a silhouette of deep orange and purple. The energy of the festival shifted from loud games to something more romantic. As they walked, they passed the “Marriage Booth.” It was an elaborate setup with a floral arch, a plastic “priest” in a tuxedo, and a line of giggling couples waiting to get a fake certificate.

Fay slowed down. Her hand, which had been pulling Kei all day, went still. She looked at the one who is getting married with envy alongin that she want to. As fay look at the one getting married kei was looking at her. Then A group of girls nearby whispered as they saw them. “Oh, look, Fay is actually going to do it.” One of the boys sighed, watching Fay with envious eyes. “Lucky. I’d give anything to be under that arch with her.”

Fay turned to Kei, her face flushed. "Kei! Let's do it! It's just for fun!"

Kei’s heart dropped. She looked at the booth, then down at her own hands. Five dollars, the sign read. It might as well have been five million. She thought about her mother’s empty purse and the bandage hidden under her hair. She thought about the fact that she didn’t even have a coin to buy Fay a real drink, let alone a life.

Fay, let's just go to the cafe instead……"

"Five dollars, please!" the "priest" chirped, sensing a customer.

Fay didn't hesitate. She pulled out a bill and handed it over before Kei could stop her. “Come on, Kei! Don’t be a spoilsport!”

Kei felt a wave of coldness wash over her. She felt like she was being led to a stage where everyone would see how little she had. But Fay’s eyes were so wide, so pleading the “yearner’s gaze” that Kei could never defeat.

Fay didn’t just walk to the booth; she grabbed a piece of white lace from the costume rack a makeshift veil She tucked it into her hair, letting the sheer fabric fall over her face, obscuring her features in a cloud of white. “Wait here,” she whispered to Kei.

Kei stood under the floral arch, her heart hammering against her ribs. The student priest signaled to the band nearby, and they began to play a clumsy but recognizable wedding march.

Then, Fay began to walk.

She moved slowly, her steps rhythmic and deliberate. In that moment, the noise of the festival the shouting, the music, the laughter began to fade into a dull hum. To Kei, it felt like time had physically slowed down, grinding to a halt. The only thing in focus was the white lace and the girl beneath it.

The sunset light caught the gold bracelet on Fay’s wrist as she held her hands together in front of her. Fay wasn’t joking anymore; her expression beneath the veil was soft, her eyes locked onto Kei’s with a “yearner’s gaze” so intense it felt like a physical pull.

Kei stood frozen. She was so in love it felt like she couldn’t breathe. She’s beautiful, Kei thought, her usual nonchalance shattering into a million pieces. She’s coming for me.

Fay reached the arch. She didn’t say anything, waiting for the “priest” to start.

“Do you, Fay, take this person, Kei, to be your lawfully wedded wife for the duration of this festival?”

“I do!” Fay’s voice was clear and steady from behind the lace.

The “priest” turned to Kei. The crowd grew quiet. The girls who liked Kei watched with bated breath; the boys who liked Fay glared with jealousy.

“And do you, Kei, take this person, Fay…”

The words died in Kei’s throat. She looked at Fay the girl who deserved a real ring and a real home. I have nothing to give you, Kei thought. I’m nothing

“Kei?” Fay whispered, her silhouette through the veil shifting. Her hand squeezed Kei’s a small, desperate reminder.

Kei felt forced by the weight of Fay’s hope. “I do,” she finally rasped, the words feeling like a beautiful, painful lie.

“Now,” the student priest grinned, “you may now kiss the bride".

Kei’s hands trembled as she reached out. She took the edge of the white lace and slowly lifted it, folding it back over Fay’s head. As the fabric cleared, Fay’s face was revealed flushed, radiant, and looking at Kei as if she were the only person in the universe.

Before Kei could think, Fay leaned in. It wasn’t a tentative peck. It was frantic and warm, tasting of strawberry juice and the cool evening air. Kei melted into it, holding on as if she were a drowning person and Fay was the only shore. For a split second, she let herself believe the lie.

When they finally pulled apart, Fay’s face was a deep, radiant crimson. “Now it’s official,” Fay whispered, resting her forehead against Kei’s.

The priest handed them a gaudy, glitter-covered certificate. Fay held it up, her smile blinding. Kei hold fay hand.

Even if it’s just a fake marriage, I’m so happy. This is real to me, Kei thought. Someday, Fay. Someday when I’m not a girl with nothing… I’ll marry you for real. I’ll earn the right to say ‘I do’ without feeling little.

In the distance, the jail booth was being unlocked. Len and Angel stepped out, looking shaken but finally present. Everything looked perfect on the outside, but as the sun set, Kei held onto the fake certificate as if it were the only real thing she owned.