The wind swept through the courtyard of Kaisei High School, scattering cherry blossom petals like confetti as students streamed past the gates. Clubs were recruiting. Seniors were stressing. Couples walked hand in hand like this was some drama. Haruki Tenma, meanwhile, sat quietly on the steps beside the vending machines, sipping canned milk tea and watching the world go by through the lens of his camera.
Click.
Another photo: a candid shot of a second-year laughing while dodging her friend's playful slap.
He liked capturing moments that didn't try so hard. Genuine things. Unstaged smiles. The seconds between emotions.
"Haruki!"
He froze.
There was only one person in this school who could shout his name like that and make it sound like both a challenge and a hug.
Miyako Hanabira.
He didn't even need to look up. The click of her heeled school shoes, the scent of strawberry shampoo, and the trail of whispers she left behind her told him everything.
"What's up?" he said calmly as she stopped in front of him, arms crossed.
"You" she jabbed a perfectly manicured finger at his chest, "posted that photo."
Haruki blinked. "...Which one?"
Miyako reached into her glittery pink phone case, scrolled furiously, then shoved the screen in his face.
The screen displayed the official results of the Kaisei Cultural Art Contest. His name. First place. And the photo?
It was Miyako. In full cosplay.
Sunlight dancing on her blonde wig. Her blue eyes wide in surprise. Wind catching her frilled black skirt and sheer sleeves like she was floating.
It wasn't supposed to be public.
"I told you that shoot was for personal use, Tenma!" she shouted.
"I didn't submit it," he replied, blinking slowly. "Tachibana-sensei asked for our portfolios and I... might've left the memory card in."
"You what?!"
"I didn't think they'd choose it," he said honestly. "You're too uh, recognizable."
She paused. "Too what?"
"Eye-catching," he said, and immediately regretted it.
Miyako's eyes narrowed, but then she smirked.
"Flattery will only get you halfway murdered, camera boy."
He sighed. "I'll talk to the teacher and pull it down."
"You better. My DMs have been flooded since this morning. People think we're... a thing."
Haruki stood, brushing off his pants. "Why would they think that?"
She looked at him like he was the dumbest genius on the planet.
"You took a photo that makes me look like I walked out of a dream. With the lighting of a K-drama and the mood of a confession scene. *While I was looking straight at you."
"Oh."
He scratched his cheek. "You were… standing in good light."
"You're impossible," she muttered, turning away.
They started walking toward the school building in awkward silence. Miyako adjusted the strap on her bag and glanced sideways at him.
"…But thanks," she said quietly.
"Hm?"
"For not making me look stupid."
Haruki's hand paused on the door. His voice was soft. "You've never looked stupid."
Miyako blinked at him, suddenly unsure of what to say.
But before anything else could be said, a breathless third-year sprinted up to them, waving a paper.
"Hey! You two! You're gonna love this. The contest winners get entered into the national Youth Couple Photography Campaign!"
Miyako and Haruki turned in unison. "What?"
"It's that government thing! Promoting teenage creativity and marriage awareness? They randomly select 'representative couples' from schools with artistic submissions. If you're chosen, you get a fancy certificate and everything!"
The girl handed them a glossy envelope.
Haruki opened it. Read it. Blinked again.
> Congratulations!
> You have been selected as a symbolic youth marriage pair under the Creative Bonds Initiative. As such, your application has been processed through the Local Youth Partnership Marriage Program, effective immediately.
>
> Status: Married.
Haruki stared at the paper for a long moment.
Then: "That… that can't be real."
Miyako snatched the document, read it twice, then shrieked. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE MARRIED?!"
Heads turned across the courtyard. A flock of pigeons took off from a tree.
"We didn't sign anything," Haruki reasoned.
"Wait wait, wait" Miyako's face went pale. "That prank form. The one the club made us fill out. The fake marriage application..."
"You said it was just for the cosplay shoot!" Haruki exclaimed.
"Yeah, but I wrote our real names and submitted it because it was funny!"
They both stared at each other in stunned silence.
Haruki felt his soul leave his body.
Miyako dropped onto the nearby bench like a collapsing house of cards.
"We're not seriously... married."
"We'll go to the city hall after school and clear this up," Haruki said, his voice distant. "It's probably just a weird paperwork error."
She nodded slowly, still pale.
"Right," she whispered. "This... this is just some stupid joke."
Hours later, they sat across from the clerk at Shirosaki City Hall.
The clerk adjusted her glasses, looked at her screen, and smiled politely.
"Yes, the marriage has been processed. You're officially registered as a symbolic youth couple under the Creative Bonds Initiative. It can be annulled after graduation, of course, but until then…"
She handed them a printed certificate.
> Certificate of Student Youth Marriage
> Names: Hanabira Miyako & Tenma Haruki
> Status: Recognized Partnership
> Valid Until: March 31st (Graduation Year)
Haruki stared blankly at the paper.
Miyako laughed. Not a real laugh a weird, choked, disbelieving one.
"We're... actually married."
"Technically," the clerk said. "It's symbolic, but legally binding in school records. You'll need to report this to your homeroom teacher. Congratulations!"
Haruki stood up slowly.
Miyako was still frozen.
He offered her a hand.
She took it without thinking.
As they stepped out into the hallway, still dazed, Haruki finally broke the silence.
"So... do we... tell people?"
Miyako paused.
Then, she turned to him with the most serious look she'd ever worn.
"Not. A. Soul."
He nodded quickly. "Right."
She tightened her grip on his hand. "And until graduation, we're just normal students. Nothing romantic. No couple stuff. No weird sleepovers. Got it?"
Haruki blinked. "You were the one who"
"Shut up. Husband."
Haruki looked away, heart doing something it definitely wasn't supposed to do.
This was going to be complicated.