Three days later…
A quiet Sunday morning welcomed the city with clear blue skies.
Unlike the grand wedding halls that hosted extravagant ceremonies, Sky and Nani stood in front of a small district marriage registration office.
There were no reporters.
No luxurious decorations.
No hundreds of guests.
Only six people stood together.
Sky Wongravee.
Nani Hirunkit.
Tay Tawan.
New Thitipoom.
Little Ching Ching.
And Noah, peacefully sleeping in Nani’s arms.
Nani stared at the entrance, his fingers tightening around Noah’s soft fur.
He had never imagined that at twenty years old, he would be standing here.
Marrying someone he barely knew.
Even if it was only a contract.
Sky noticed his nervousness.
“If you’ve changed your mind…”
“We can leave.”
Nani looked up.
The sincerity in Sky’s eyes surprised him.
He wasn’t forcing him.
He was giving him one last chance to walk away.
Nani smiled gently.
“No.”
“I made my decision.”
“I’m staying.”
Sky nodded.
“Thank you.”
Inside the registration office…
The process was surprisingly simple.
The officer looked at the two young men before smiling warmly.
“You both look nervous.”
Nani laughed awkwardly.
“A little.”
“That’s normal.”
The officer handed them the documents.
“Please read everything carefully before signing.”
Sky glanced over the papers one final time before picking up the pen.
He signed his name.
Sky Wongravee.
He quietly slid the documents toward Nani.
Nani stared at the empty signature line.
His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears.
This wasn’t a love story.
Not yet.
It was a promise to protect someone’s freedom.
Taking a deep breath, he wrote his name.
Nani Hirunkit.
The officer smiled.
“Congratulations.”
“You are now legally married.”
For a brief moment…
Neither Sky nor Nani knew how to react.
Tay let out a relieved sigh.
New smiled warmly.
Ching Ching clapped her tiny hands.
“Yay! Brother got married!”
Everyone laughed.
Even Sky couldn’t hide the small smile that appeared on his face.
After leaving the office, they went to a nearby café to discuss the next step.
Tay placed a folder on the table.
“This contains the marriage certificate.”
Sky carefully took it.
“The difficult part begins now.”
New nodded.
“Wongravee won’t believe this easily.”
“He’ll investigate everything.”
Nani looked at Sky.
“So…”
“What should we do?”
Sky answered honestly.
“If we’re going to convince my father…”
“We’ll have to live together.”
Silence.
Nani blinked.
Sky immediately explained.
“I don’t mean…”
He paused awkwardly before clearing his throat.
“I mean… under the same roof.”
“We’ll have separate rooms if possible.”
“I’ll respect your privacy.”
“I promise.”
Nani couldn’t help but smile.
“I know.”
“I trust you.”
Those three words caught Sky off guard.
Trust.
It had been a long time since someone had said that to him.
As everyone prepared to leave, Ching Ching suddenly tugged on Sky’s sleeve.
“Brother Sky?”
Sky looked down.
“Yes?”
She held out a colorful friendship bracelet she had made herself.
“This is for you.”
Sky carefully accepted it.
“For me?”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“Family should have matching bracelets!”
Sky stared at the handmade bracelet for several seconds before tying it around his wrist.
“…Thank you.”
Ching Ching beamed.
Nani watched the scene quietly.
For someone who looked so cold…
Sky was surprisingly gentle with children.
He didn’t know that behind Sky’s gentle smile lay a painful childhood memory—one that had made him believe he could never be a good father.
That secret would remain buried…
for now.
As the sun began to set, Sky and Nani stood side by side outside the café.
The marriage certificate rested safely inside Sky’s bag.
On paper…
They were now husbands.
In reality…
They were still two strangers connected by nothing more than a promise.
Neither of them realized that pretending to be in love…
Would eventually teach them what love truly meant.