# Side Story (20)
The Hero Party consists of four members in total.
Hero, Thief, Mage, Saint.
They all set out on a journey to defeat the Demon King.
And after hardships and trials, they finally defeat the Demon King.
*After defeating the Demon King and achieving their goal, they'll naturally disband the party, right?*
Most people expect the Hero Party to disband.
Since they've accomplished the purpose that brought them together.
But contrary to expectations, they didn't disband.
*Once you achieve one goal...*
It's because a new goal emerged.
Having defeated the Demon King and saved the world, they live the rest of their lives searching for a new purpose.
Isn't that what truly human life is? That's what I think.
But...
"This seems like a pretty inhumane thing to do."
"What's wrong with it, Ahjussi! This is totally reasonable!"
Is it?
*No, absolutely not.*
I almost got swayed by Luna's words for a moment.
I shook my head and spoke to Luna, who was sitting next to me in a pure white dress.
"No, no matter how I think about it, this isn't right."
"Ahjussi, you're such a coward! Getting scared over something like this!"
"It's not 'something like this.'"
Who in Korea takes wedding photos with four people?
Click—
Despite my protest, the camera flashes without any intention of stopping.
Luna ignored the confused expression of the photographer and strongly appealed.
"Make me look as slim as possible! Got it!?"
"...Y-yes."
"It's absolutely not because I gained weight! Remember that!"
Still, she somehow managed to wear a slim and comfortable dress.
Luna was extremely concerned about the wedding photos that would remain only once in a lifetime.
*I have to take them four times, so I decided not to worry too much about it.*
If you start worrying about every single thing, you'll just get exhausted.
The same goes for the wedding photographer taking our pictures.
She was so absorbed in the fact that I was taking wedding photos with four people that her expression was troubled and confused.
Sweat was even dripping down her cheeks.
"Sh-should I really be doing this...? Isn't it normal to only photograph one person...?"
"Unnie, are my photos done?"
"J-just one more shot..."
The photographer pressed the camera shutter with trembling hands.
Luna moved freely and struck poses as she pleased.
Click—
With that sound, Luna's wedding shoot ended.
"Not bad, I'm satisfied with this!"
Luna flashed an OK sign with a satisfied smile.
Hare came forward wearing a pure white dress with a different design from Luna's.
Unlike Luna, she chose a dress with a slightly more revealing style.
"N-now it's my turn, Ahjussi. I-I've been waiting for this day..."
"Y-yeah. Thanks."
"Ahjussi... were you waiting for this day like I was...?"
Hare sat next to me and asked timidly.
But she sent me a look that urged me to answer immediately.
*Someone please save me...*
Just as I was about to cry out to Luna for help under Hare's strong pressure.
The photographer spoke in a trembling voice.
"E-excuse me, bride. Please look forward. Your profile shouldn't appear in the photo."
"...You got lucky, Ahjussi."
Hare made a remark like a serial killer and looked straight ahead.
*Is this why the internet is a problem?*
Is it because Hare frequently browses the internet?
She was getting spicier by the day.
That's why lately, I've been frequently feeling threats to my chastity.
*At least since we're outside, she's not asking me to get her pregnant.*
Hare, who had attempted pregnancy attacks to get married as quickly as possible.
Still, perhaps because there were watching eyes, things proceeded more cleanly than expected today.
Most of Hare's photos were profile shots of her looking at me.
"Next bride...! Please come in...!"
At her words, Saten quietly came forward.
"Looks like it ended well."
Saten wore a black dress for the wedding photos.
She approached Hare, who wasn't vacating her spot, and said.
"Move aside now, Hare. Your shooting time is over."
"...The camera flashed 15 times. If it flashes more than mine... that's breaking the promise. Got it?"
Grrr—
Hare threatened Saten and left her spot.
At that sight, the photographer looked at me with suspicious eyes.
*What kind of charm does that bastard have that women cling to him like this...*
She's definitely thinking that inside.
But even if she actually asked me, I wouldn't be able to answer.
Because even I don't really know why they like me so much.
"Saten."
"Yes, what is it, Ahjussi?"
"What exactly do you all like about me?"
Saten answered without hesitation.
"If I explain from beginning to end there'd be no end, but I'll tell you for now. First, Ahjussi's personality and wit, body, scent, actions, habits, everything—"
"...No, that's enough."
Because I'm getting embarrassed.
I lowered my head slightly in embarrassment.
The photographer taking our pictures also lowered her head, as if unable to show her face.
In that strangely embarrassing atmosphere, only Saten remained expressionless with her arm linked through mine.
"My photos came out nicely too, I'm satisfied."
"But are you okay with not wearing a white dress? Normally white dresses are the rule."
"I like black. I have no intention of being bound by rules."
Saten checked her wedding photos in the black dress.
She didn't seem to have any complaints.
Estia's turn.
Estia, with white hair and white skin, was wearing a white dress like the others.
The photographer exclaimed in admiration.
"Wow... We won't even need lighting, will we?"
"Then I'll look weird."
"Wouldn't it be okay to have one photo come out weird? There are four brides..."
"..."
I couldn't really argue with that.
Still, perhaps as a joke, she continued shooting with the lights on.
However, there was one small problem with the shooting.
"...Excuse me, bride."
"Yeah?"
"Could you please open your eyes? Just endure it once, please..."
"How can I look when it's so bright! My eyes hurt!"
Estia couldn't look directly at the camera.
All the photos came out with her eyes closed, and the photographer was getting exhausted from taking consecutive wedding photos.
*Is there a good solution...*
Hmm.
How can I make Estia not close her eyes?
*What would be a good method...*
After deep thought, I looked at Estia and said.
"Estia."
"What, Oppa?"
"Try putting strength in your eyes."
"Like this?"
Estia squinted her eyes.
No, that's not it.
"Not a confrontational expression. No, this time try smiling."
Grin—
Estia smiled foolishly and maintained the expression.
At the same time, her eyes were automatically closed.
"This is good. Ma'am, please take it like this."
"B-but the bride has her eyes closed..."
"Just do it like this please. This suits Estia better, doesn't it?"
"...It does."
Estia looks prettier when she's smiling.
So it's okay if her eyes are closed.
Her looks were at a level where it didn't matter whether her eyes were open or closed anyway.
"I'll take the last one now!"
Click—
And so, Estia took her wedding photos with her eyes closed.
After all the Hero Party members finished their wedding shoots.
I dragged my tired body to the dressing room and took off my suit.
"Ugh, I'm dying. My eyes feel like they're going to burst."
After taking wedding photos four times in a row.
Continuously looking at the flashing camera, I felt like my eyes were going to fall out.
I lay down on the sofa and closed my eyes until the Hero Party came out of the dressing room.
"Now I feel alive..."
If I go to an ophthalmologist and check my vision, it's definitely going to have dropped.
This catastrophic schedule wasn't something a human could handle.
*Still, at least we decided to get married on the same day...*
If we had held the wedding ceremonies on different days?
I would have to conduct a total of four wedding ceremonies and attend as the groom four times.
The wedding coordinator would definitely look at me like a crazy person, thinking 'What the hell is this guy?'
*I'm glad everything except the photos is being handled by different companies...*
Well, it'll work out somehow.
After all, you can have multiple wedding ceremonies.
*It's illegal to file marriage documents with multiple people...*
But having multiple wedding ceremonies.
That's not illegal, right?
It's just a moral issue.
But if I don't marry the Hero Party?
That's also a moral issue.
"In the end, I'm destined to get married..."
"What are you saying, Ahjussi! Did you lose your mind from the wedding?"
"Uh, yeah, I was busy and dizzy so I lost my mind for a moment."
I opened my eyes that had been closed, got up from the sofa, and looked at Luna.
Unlike before, she wasn't wearing a dress but casual clothes—a white tee and jeans.
"You've matured a lot compared to the past."
"Huh? How do you know what I looked like in the past, Ahjussi!"
"Good question."
Why do I know?
It feels like only warm memories keep coming back...
"I don't know. Let's just go home."
"I'm good with that! More importantly, we're going out first!"
Dash—
Luna grabbed my hand and ran out of the wedding photo studio.
It looked like she was planning to monopolize me before the other kids came out.
*Even so...*
Our destinations are all the same anyway.
She's going to get concentrated criticism from the three of them.
Still, Luna didn't seem to worry about such things.
"Hehe, hurry up, Ahjussi!"
She wore a very happy smile.
Now the schedule remaining for us was graduation.
And the wedding ceremony was left.
*Oh, right.*
There was also the meeting with the families, wasn't there?
A family meeting with four people.
Just thinking about it made me feel dizzy.