Hi! Sorry to keep you waiting again. Summer classes, and laziness.
Soon, I'll introduce another spin on a fairytale~
"You want to journey with..?" Takahiro trails off as he glances between his younger brother and Haruhiko. Akihiko stood at his side with Manami on the other, Akihiko having run up to them urgently on their walk along the gardens. Soon after came Misaki and Haruhiko, telling him what Akihiko had already told him.
"Please!" Misaki pleads, staring back at him in determination. The older brother couldn't help but feel misty at the look, for the younger brunet seldom seemed so earnestly wanting something ever since their parents had died years ago.
"I'll make sure nothing happens to him," Haruhiko assures, a hand on Misaki's shoulder. He subtly pulled back when he took note of Akihiko's glaring, suspicion rearing up in his mind. Why did Akihiko seemed so opposed to whatever he was doing around Misaki?
"Takahiro," Akihiko speaks, tense as the other contemplated his decision. Surely, he wouldn't let Misaki go.
"I know Usagi, I know..." Takahiro tries to ease him; Misaki tilts his head at the sort of unspoken communication the two were having, about something he didn't know. Another aching twinge to his heart.
"He also knows who I am looking for very well," Haruhiko tries to help the younger, feeling as if they were losing to Akihiko. "To say I need him with me is an understatement."
"Ahh, yes big brother," Misaki addresses Takahiro, "He's looking for Sumiko."
"Oh? He is?" Takahiro says, recalling the person in question. He faces the other bespectacled man. "Why? Did she do something?"
"Yes!" Misaki answers, presenting the glass slipper. "She left this behind!"
"I wish to court her." Haruhiko states soon after, his face still as stoic as ever, but his eyes another story.
"Ah, I see..." Takahiro glances to Akihiko, "So..." Well, this was awkward, "You... you don't wish to court Misaki?"
"..." The two were left blinking as they stared back at the bespectacled merman.
"What do you mean, brother?" Misaki tilts his head, confused.
"I assure you, I regard Misaki as if he were my brother," Haruhiko deadpans, ignoring the looks from Akihiko. His suspicions were increasing.
"So, can I go with him?" the brunet asks. "Please?"
"Misaki..." Takahiro tries to find the words, unable to say no seeing that his little brother wanted this a lot. Exhaling, he sends his best friend and apologetic glance before deciding. "Yes, you can go..." Misaki beams. He turns his head to Akihiko as the younger went to converse excitedly with Haruhiko, Manami joining in to tell them to be careful. "Sorry Usagi," he says quietly, feeling guilty at the saddened look on the ash blond's face.
...
Just once more wouldn't hurt.
He slipped in quietly, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. His violet gaze swept across the room until it rested on the figure tucked in bed, breathing ever so serenely.
No longer could he try to shake his yearning. It's never so strong, this feeling; he embraced it with what felt like strings tugging painfully to pull apart his beating heart.
He had denied it when they came to live with them, and had denied it every time the younger communicated for him, knowing him more than anyone else. And he continued deny those growing feelings until it came to be that the older of the brothers was to be married. Those feelings he felt when he realized his true love spilled tears just for him, when their lips met for the first time.
And now, he was going to be taken away from him... He was too late...
If only he could go with them; however, one of them has to remain behind to help their father with the kingdom. Haruhiko has never expressed a desire for another person before, so of course their father encouraged him to chase after such a jewel.
The mattress sags at his end a little after he settled his weight on it, leaning over as he stares over at the sleeping face. Short lashes flutter absentmindedly, eye lids hiding eyes as green as the leaves are in the Summer. Those eyes along with everything else that he had grown to love. He gently trails his finger down the soft skin of his cheeks, eventually resting on parted thin lips.
Just once more wouldn't hurt.
Softly, he pressed his own lips against the others, savoring those few seconds. Then he pulls away, swallowing down the urge to kiss him more.
"I love you, Misaki," Akihiko whispers, knowing the other couldn't hear him. "I love you."
The day the little merman returns, is the day Akihiko will court and spoil the younger until his love is returned.
A train from the airport to the fields and forests of a world she didn't know. It seemed that the trains were second to planes, being able to transports masses of people. As she looks out the window of the train she was sitting in, she can see horsemen and a carriage.
'It's like a fairytale...' The light haired brunette smiles, thinking about her one-sided love that was waiting for her to arrive. 'Maybe... just maybe...' She can hope for love to finally bloom in place like this right? Right?
"Oh? Are you a princess?" She looks up towards the walkway, and is startled at the beautiful woman talking to her. Her eyes were a pretty blue, and her long dark hair was longer than hers.
"E-eh?" Someone like her thought she was a princess? She flushes, "No, I-"
"Ooh!" Understanding lit up her face. "You're from the other world!" Blue eyes regard her excitedly, and she goes to sit across the other. "I heard that your cities are filled with buildings that reach above the clouds!"
"Huh? Oh no, no... that's sort of exaggerating," the brunette laughs, beginning to feel at ease with the other woman. "But yes, there are buildings that do go up that high."
"That's so amazing," the woman gushes, before holding out a hand. "I'm Sumiko. I'm from the kingdrom underwater."
"Ah, I'm An, Kohinata An- huh..? Underwater?" An blinks in surprise. "Like, literally underwater?"
"Um, yeah?" Sumiko tilts her head. "I'm a mermaid," she says casually.
"...HUH?!" An exclaims before quieting, remembering she shouldn't be so loud in a train as quiet as this aside from the roaring of the engine and wheels across the track. "A-A-a real life m-mermaid? Fins and everything?" She didn't dare not take the woman's word for it.
"..? Yes?" The dark haired brunette furrows her brows a bit. "You've never met a mermaid before? Are there not any where you live?"
"Ah-aha, w-well, I don't live near the ocean so..." An didn't have the heart to tell her that mermaids didn't really exist in her world, at least, where she grew up in.
"Oh so, what are you coming here for?"
"I'm meeting up with a childhood friend of mine," An is happy to be finally able to talk about this to someone, "He's been living here for awhile now."
"Really? I hope he is liking it here! Where does he live?"
"Oh! Ah," An brings out a map she got from the airport and points to where he lives. "Here, I think."
"That's close to the ocean where I live!" Sumiko sees, smiling at the prospect of going there to visit her new friend. "The kingdom near there is the Usami Kingdom, and they're very nice."
"So, there are really princes, princesses, queens, and kings?"
"Yup!"
"That's so cool," An says, this world more of a fairytale than she thought. "There are balls too right?" 'Maybe Ricchan can take me to one... oh?' She notices Sumiko looking hard at her. "W-what is it?"
"You have that look, like you're happy and sad about something."
"I-I do? Ah, well," An fidgets a little, wondering if maybe the other woman noticed her feelings she still had for Ritsu. "I... I like my childhood friend. And I thought maybe, staying with him, he'll return my feelings... He did reject me already, but I... I really do love Ricchan."
"I see..." Sumiko trails off, staring at her carefully. "But... if he already said no..."
"I think he isn't ready, that's all," An nods to herself. "And when he realizes how much we belong together, he'll say yes. I'm sure of it."
"But... you said childhood friend right?" Sumiko brings up a hand to her chin, thinking, "I'm sure that he thought hard about it too."
"W...what do you mean?"
"What if he tells you he thinks of you as a sister?"
"..." An pouts at that, and Sumiko figured she hit the nail on the head.
"He has, hasn't he?"
"B-but! I think that there's still a chance! So-"
"When you think of someone as a sibling for so long, I don't think there's a chance you'll look at them a different way after that. Maybe he feels the same way."
"But-" An stops as her forehead was tapped by the mermaid, nudged affectionately as Sumiko smiles gently at her, blue eyes saddened a little at the maiden's stubbornness.
"I think he loves you so much he wants you to be happy. But not with him." They are pulled forward a little as the train stops, and Sumiko realizes that this was her stop; outside the Yukina Kingdom. She heard that this place was known for sparkling mountain tops. With one look at An she smiles before getting up. "I hope I can see you again, and your friend Ricchan!"
...
An couldn't stop thinking about what Sumiko said to her. It didn't help that Ritsu did say that he loved her, but as a sister. And that he wanted her to be happy, but with another. She sighs, hating this feeling of another heartbreak.
'At least, I'll get to spend time with him.' She looks up with some hope. 'And maybe at a ball, I'll meet a handsome prince!'
The truth was, she didn't call Ritsu yet to tell him that she was off of the train here. She wanted a little more time to herself, and was walking all the way over to where he lived. The sky had turned from blue to red before she knew it. She was sure she was on the road up to the small castle; a couple of nice people told her so.
But they also seemed hesitant to tell her something else. She glances around, wary as she eyed the darkening forest at her side.
It was another half hour or so until she spotted the castle. Her spirits are lifted at the sight, knowing Ritsu would be there. It was a good thing too, since the sky was now dark. She didn't want to be out here any longer.
The gate in sight, she continues walking until she spotted it; a huge dark blob coming out from the forest across the gate and heading for her. 'That... that's not Ricchan...'
She gasps when it gets close enough for her to see that it was a huge wolf. She freezes in place as it walked towards her, eying her with a steady gaze.
"R-r..." She was too scared to yell out for Ritsu. "..." It was quiet as they stared each other down, An's feet refusing to move.
"Masamune?" The wolf perks at the voice, turning away, and An lets out a relieved exhale. But, that voice... An looks up after it, eyes widening as she saw Ritsu at the gate, the area around him lit up as he held a lanturn. "Is someone there Masamune?"
To her fright, the wolf barks rather loudly and turns back to her, and Ritsu recognizes her as he gets to where they are. "An-chan?"
"R-ricchan..." An shakily says back, happy to see him. "I... I decided to walk so..."
"Ahh, all the way here?! You must be tired..."
"No, no, I'm okay, really..." She averts her gaze from the wolf's staring.
"Well, come on inside. I made dinner," Ritsu turns, before noticing that An wasn't following. "What's wrong? Oh! Ah, sorry," he laughs nervously, knowing she was probably terrified of Masamune. "Don't be scared. He wouldn't hurt anyone, honest." He uses a free hand to pet Masamune's head, and An calms a little seeing that the wolf leans to his touch.
However, as she took a step forward she squeaks as the wolf stares immediately at her. "..."
"It's okay, keep going!" Ritsu encourages her. "He won't hurt you."
Ritsu's place was very nice and pretty inside. An glances around the hall as she stepped out of the guest bedroom she was staying in, already bathed and dressed for the night.
She never got to ask how Ritsu got that huge wolf yet. Carefully she went down the stairs, and she can hear a faucet on; Ritsu was probably washing dishes. He was still eating when An excused herself- of course, they ate after he showed her around a little.
Reaching the door to the kitchen, she peeks in, hesitant as she spotted the wolf. After taking a deep breath she went in, swallowing as it turned its head to hear along with Ritsu. "Ricchan..."
"Oh, you don't have to wait for me. I'm almost done, ah," she stiffens as he turns to the wolf, "Masamune, can you stay with her in the living room?"
"I-it's okay!" An gestures, scared. "I'll just-"
Before she knew it she was nudged by a wet nose, and she made a beeline to the couches in the living room, sitting still as the wolf followed her. "..."
'It's so scary...' An averts her eyes, knowing that it was watching her. 'I don't think it even likes me at all, only Ricchan.'
Hearing it move, she looks to see it going to lay on the couches across from her, taking up half the room as it lay and turned its head to look at her, watching. "..."
"Okay, I'm done!" Ritsu comes, much to her relief. She scoots a little so he can sit beside her, but to her disappointment, he went to sit across with the wolf. She couldn't help but feel a stab of envy. "What do you think so far An, coming here?"
"I-It's very pretty here," she gives it her all to smile, before starting up their chat. "You won't believe it, but I met a mermaid on the train!"
"Really? A mermaid?" Ritsu seemed mystified, and to her confusion, he looks down at the wolf, "Did you know about mermaids?" It nods with a grunt. "Really," Ritsu trails off, "Mermaids..."
"It can understand you?" An questions, looking at the wolf now, swallowing when it stares back at her.
"Ah yes, Masamune can understand. And he is a he you know," Ritsu adds, a hand on the wolf's furry head, petting him. "He lived here before me and was kicked out by the man who took it from his family, so I brought him back."
"I, I see," An nods in understanding, her chest aching at Ritsu's kindness. "You're so nice, Ricchan."
"Eh? I don't really think so..." Ritsu laughs a little, before smiling down at Masamune, who wags his tail as he was smiled at. "I just thought it was so wrong that he was forced out of his home." He looks back at her. "Is the room okay for you?"
"Yes, it is... the bed's really comfortable too."
"Ah, that's great! So, is there anything you want to do tomorrow?"
"Oh uh," An wonders for a moment, "Can you show me around tomorrow? I want to see what kind of clothes they sell here."
"Oh, down there..." Ritsu trails, looking worried for some reason.
"..? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, just..." he runs his hand over Masamune's head, and scratches his ears. "They don't really like Masamune down there."
"E-eh? But, he can just stay home right-" She stops abruptly at the glare she was given by the wolf. "N-n-nevermind..." At this point, she was beginning to think they were inseparable.
"The barber's granddaughter is okay with him at least, maybe she can come with us. She's lived here probably all her life so she knows more." Sheepishly, Ritsu adds, "I haven't really looked around all that much either, other than the grocers and the butchers."
"Oh, the butchers?"
"Yeah, I go down a lot to get meat for Masamune. He eats at least two-three huge things of meat everyday."
'T-that's a lot..!' An thought, gulping at the thought of the wolf all ravenous as it ate.
"I always make sure it's cooked, but not too much. I add vegetables too so he can get some vitamins."
"O-oh, you do all that?" It was easy to see that Ritsu cared for the wolf a lot, despite only being here a few months.
Despite trying not to, An couldn't help but feel envious, threatened by the wolf that was absorbing all of Ritsu's attention.
I... I feel so satisfied when I got to Akihiko's part of this chapter. Yup, Romantica isn't gonna get together just yet.
Yes, Yukina Kingdom is known for their sparkly mountain tops B) They're also known for making such extravagant mirrors B)))