"Don't look so nervous. As soon as you see Ai walking down the aisle, all those thoughts will melt away." Mark said, patting him on the shoulder. His expression was filled with warmth and pride.
"Thanks Grandpa."
"Alright, let's get into position." Yama gathered everyone's attention. Soon, the guests made their way to the allocated seats and looked towards the altar.
Ken was placed towards the center while Daichi and Steve clambered to stand next to him. Just as Ken was about to lash out, Hiroki swooped in and pushed the other two back.
"Sorry boys, my girlfriend is maid of honor, so I'll be standing here." He said, sending Ken a wink.
However, Ken barely managed to send him a nervous smile. He could feel his heartbeat pounding against his ribcage.
'This is worse than bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and loaded bases…' Ken thought in his heart.
If Ai were to hear this, she would probably giggle. Even now, Ken's mind was not far from baseball.
As the music played over the speakers, those in the seats grew quiet, turning their attention to the back of the hall. Ken's eyes were glued onto the opposite door, waiting nervously for what was to come.
The door opened and a cute little girl in a deep red dress walked out, holding a cane basket filled with flower petals. She would have been around 5 or 6 years old.
The girl carefully threw white petals either side of the aisle as she made her way towards the altar. Upon looking up, she ignored Ken and looked at Hiroki who waved at her with a brilliant smile.
Seeing this, she blushed and quickly ran to her mom in the front row.
"Who was that?" Daichi whispered to Hiroki.
"That's Rie's younger sister, she always gets embarrassed like that." He replied in a low voice.
The next person through the door was Rie. She was dressed in the same red colored dress as her younger sister. Her shapely figure was on full display, and the 3 inch heels she wore made her legs look even longer.
Steve blinked a few times, unable to take his eyes off her. It was then that he felt a pair of eyes drilling into the side of his head. He turned, only to see Tara glaring at him from the audience.
He cleared his throat, quickly finding something of interest on the ceiling.
Behind Rie was another familiar face, Kaori. While she wasn't as jaw dropping as Rie, she still looked beautiful in the red bridal party dress. She sent Shiro a wink before standing beside Rie at the altar.
Miho followed soon after. This was one of the first times Ken had seen her in a dress, and judging by Daichi's stunned reaction, it was also the same for him.
Seeing this made Ken laugh a little inside, easing his nerves slightly.
However, the next person that came into view was Naomi, Ai's mother. While the others in the bridal party were young and vibrant in their red dresses, Naomi looked far more elegant.
She sent Ken a brilliant smile on her way past.
The music got a little louder and soon the star of the show arrived through the double doors. Ken felt his breath hitch as he stared at the scene.
Tetsu appeared with his arm interlocked with Ai's.
She was stunning.
Her beautiful white dress wrapped snugly around her figure, accentuating her curves. Her jade-like skin and long slender neck could be seen, painting a graceful contrast.
As soon as she appeared, Ken felt his emotions bubble to the surface. His nerves disappeared, replaced by raw emotion. This beautiful woman was making her way to the altar for him alone.
All of his worries melted away, leaving this woman, his woman… And soon to be his wife. His eyes did not leave her once throughout the long walk. Yet Ai refused to raise her gaze and meet his.
Only when she got closer did Ken notice Tetsu's face which was covered in snot and tears. He stopped in front of Ken and grabbed Ai's hand, passing it to him.
"Y—You look after her okay Ken? That's my baby girl…" He said between sobs. The usually gruff and intimidating man was reduced to a blubbering mess thanks to giving his daughter away to another man.
"I will protect her with my life." Ken said sincerely, taking Ai's hand.
"Mmm."
As Tetsu walked away, Naomi moved forward and handed him a tissue before getting back into line.
Ken took both of Ai's hands and looked at her, struggling to control his emotions. The woman still had not lifted her head for some reason, and Ken was growing a little concerned.
Yet in the next moment she looked up at him and his whole world imploded.
Breathtaking.
That was the only way he could explain it. Ai did not have much makeup on, but it accentuated her already striking features, adding depth to her expression.
He was speechless. Whatever was going through his mind had been obliterated, never to be found again.
"You're staring…" She whispered.
"Am I not allowed to?"
Ai giggled softly, "You can stare all you want after the ceremony. We can't keep these good people waiting."
Ken turned and saw that everyone in the crowd was looking at them.
He looked back at Ai and smiled, "I've waited far longer for this day than they have. They can wait a little longer." He said.
At this, Ai laughed, her infectious giggle ringing out within the hall.
In that moment, Ken truly felt blessed. Out of everything that he had achieved so far in this life, this was by far his most precious. The woman whom he loved was standing in front of him, ready to be his wife.
There was nothing that could beat this, not even a World Series trophy.
"Ahem. Thank you all for joining us here today on this very special occasion, for the marriage of Ken Takagi and Ai Koyama."