Alone in a Crowd
Alone wasn't something that happened around the young king often.
In Japan his older brother always seemed to be lurking around, which was strange since he also always seemed to be secreted away in his room on the computer. And if that wasn't enough there was his ever-present mother. She could be everywhere at once and then some.
But being in Japan was like living in seclusion compared to his time in Shin Makoku. He couldn't even sleep alone there. The pushy, blond prince had taken over his bed, and things only got more crowded from there.
There were always people who needed his help or who were hoping to help him. There were inventors who wanted to show off their latest something-or-other-kun and tutors who wanted him to learn. There were wrinkled men pushing stacks of paperwork his way and smiling men ready for a game of catch. There were cagey, glasses-wearing friends who wanted to talk to him and strong-headed blonds who wanted to talk at him.
There was an entire world ready, willing, and eager to interact with him, teach him, and maybe even learn from him.
But every now and then, not terribly often at all, Yuuri would be in a room of people and he would walk toward the window to look out at the world below. He'd touch the blue pendant around his neck, and he would feel an odd sensation creeping up inside of him.
It was the feeling of being the only one. Singular. Unique.
He was the maou. He was the only maou. It wasn't the same with Cheri anymore. It wasn't the same with Shinou.
He was from another world with different rules and expectations where a slap meant you were angry and picking up a knife was just good manners. And even Murata who straddled the distance of the two worlds as he did, still retained the memories of his past lives. Yuuri didn't even know he had past lives until Conrad told him.
In this way Yuuri was isolated from the others. He was one of them and he was apart from them.
A hand on his shoulder would remind him to put that sparkle back into obsidian eyes. The last thing he needed as he spent his day immersed in people was for them to be worried about him—at least anymore so than they always were.
Besides, he was living an adventure most people could only dream about. He loved his life and he enjoyed his friends.
And that alone feeling only comes around…sometimes.