"Really Minoru-sama, it would have been no trouble at all."
Again she blushed under his radiant smile.
"You've been so kind to me already. You ALL have! There was no way I'd have allowed you to have to work even harder for my sake."
Minami hoped her disappointment wasn't showing on her face.
"But….I would love to cook for you."
Of course, she didn't say that to him in such a direct manner.
"It wouldn't have been any trouble at all Minoru-sama. I enjoy meal preparation."
Minoru smiled brightly after her statement. When he turned back to look at his menu again, she took the opportunity to scan the environs of the restaurant.
"And if the wrong people see us together like this…"
Miyuki might have a lot of awkward questions to answer if Toushu-sama learned her Guardian had been detached from her side to guard a scion of another house instead. The last thing Minami wanted was to cause her mistress difficulties.
"I hope I'm not inconveniencing Tatsuya-san or Miyuki-san by dragging you out every night this week like this."
Minami had heard this similar concern from Minoru several times already this week. He was nothing if not a polite guest, though perhaps he should worry less about it now that they had settled into a routine. Then again, Minami was in no position to be over concerned that someone else was being over concerned.
"Not at all. Miyuki-sama specifically instructed me to accompany you. I am here on her express wishes."
To her surprise, Minoru's beautiful face took on a twinge of apparent sadness at her statement.
"I see….."
Sudden concern welled up inside Minami at his melancholy expression.
"I hope I am not inconveniencing Minami-san either by all this?"
The sadness in his perfect eyes pulled at Minami's soul. Every part of her screamed at her to bring relief to him.
"OH! NO! Not at all Minoru-sama! I didn't mean to imply THAT! Not at all!"
Despite her awkward seated bow, her empathic words brought a glimmer of hope to Minoru's face.
"REALLY?"
She forcefully nodded affirmation to him.
"OH! Well GOOD! That's a great relief."
He was very visibly relieved too. Not for the first time did Minami think about how amazingly expressive he was, especially for someone raised in one of Japan's great magic families. She couldn't begin to imagine Miyuki being this expressive…..well…..except when alone with Tatsuya of course.
It didn't occur to her that Minoru might feel the same way about her as Miyuki does about Tatsuya. That wonderful possibility didn't exist in Minami's world. She wouldn't allow herself to think of such hopelessly unrealistic fantasies. Not when she was so close to the source of those fantasies.
"I enjoy accompanying Minoru-sama."
It was the truth. Perhaps a bit too much of the truth really. She suddenly felt "naked" as his perfect eyes widened slightly after processing her words.
Had she said too much?
Would he rebuke this mere servant's way too forward and honest words?
She tried to pull it back in fear of offending a son of a great family.
"I mean…it's….um…"
She knew she had to be blushing profusely before his eyes now, much to her shame.
"I also enjoy Minami-san's company."
Then her world suddenly seemed to stop. Her eyes began to slowly drift upward towards his perfect face. To her surprise, he too was awkwardly blushing.
Then he locked eyes with her, and the world around her seemed to fall away.
"Does he….."
Looking directly into the deep pools of his gorgeous eyes, it felt as if a great hand had suddenly reached inside her chest and was squeezing her heart.
"No! That cannot…."
She could feel that same heart thundering inside her, threatening to burst forth from her body. Her breathing became somewhat frantic despite her training against such things.
"I am but a servant, and he is…."
She was lost in that perfect moment. The gorgeous face, the noble cheekbones, the curve of his eyebrows, the fullness of his lips; but most of all, those sad and pleading eyes that called at her heart like a Siren's song.
"….but….what if…"
She had promised herself she wouldn't allow her mind to think these unrealistic thoughts, yet here she was succumbing to temptation with ease.
Before that forlorn hope could formulate into a dangerously coherent thought within her mind, he suddenly turned away from her with intent and refocused on his menu.
"I appreciate Miyuki-san letting you accompany me to my treatment sessions too. Although it really wasn't necessary. I do hate to be such a burden."
The love spell she had been under, now at least temporarily broken, Minami reacted quickly to sooth her companion's concerns.
"Not at all Minoru-sama. Both Miyuki-sama and myself feel much better knowing that Minoru-sama is properly cared for while in the Capital. We'd both be unsettled if we were not certain you were well attended to. It brings us both great relief that you allowed me to accompany you."
He smiled back at her with that awkwardness still showing, but he was also clearly feeling better about the situation.
"Well….good. As long as you are certain."
Minami nodded to him with a slight smile.
"However, I insist on making sure you return home safely. I would feel terrible if anything happened to you on the way home."
"That is not…."
Her attempt to stop his generosity was met by surprisingly determined resistance.
"No, I insist Minami-san. I'd have no relief myself if anything untoward occurred. Please allow me this honor, I beg of you."
Under normal circumstances, Minoru would never be allowed near the Shiba Residence. Even though media attempts to learn of the former siblings' residence had been thoroughly squashed after the New Year's announcement of their true identities as Yotsuba, that didn't mean the Yotsuba were keen to have Miyuki hosting numerous guests there.
Ideally, when Miyuki hosted visitors it would be at the new Yotsuba Capital Residence.
Even more ideally, since the Capital Residence ownership wasn't public knowledge even now, Miyuki wouldn't host anyone outside the Family at all.
Yet Miyuki had made it clear to her that if Minoru insisted on being gentlemanly and escorting her home, she was not to refuse. Minami had attempted to resist this as forcefully as a servant could, but Tatsuya weighed in and said that Minoru knowing of the residence's location was acceptable since they are now known Ten Master Clans member. He pointed out that as a son of the Twenty-Eight Families, Minoru would naturally exercise extreme decorum about their personal lives.
Tatsuya drew the line though when Miyuki suggested that Minoru could come in for tea, pointing out a formal invite would be more appropriate for another evening.
Without saying so directly, Tatsuya indirectly informed Minami by his reaction to the topic that it was likely the Kodou already knew the Shiba's exact address.
"If that is Minoru-sama's wish?"
"It is indeed. It would be a great honor."
The smile he sent her melted away any further attempts by her to object.
She turned her head towards her menu and hoped Minoru couldn't see how happy she truly was.
Miyuki sat Tatsuya's post-dinner coffee before him on the living room coffee table as he read his terminal.
He looked up at her and smiled, then nodded his thanks to her.
She blushed and smiled as she diverted her glowing eyes from him.
Minami was good at making herself scarce after dinner so that the couple can have their alone time, but none of them ever forgot the others were still there. Kyouko being "busy" into the evenings provided Miyuki with the excuse to send Minami off with Minoru for his treatment sessions, which pleased both women even if Minoru himself felt odd about it. Plus with Minami completely out of the house all evening long Miyuki got to revert back to her pre-Minami self and do everything for Tatsuya once again as she naturally preferred, if only for this one week.
Her happiness at being alone with him in their home once again was infectious. Even he had to admit it had been very…..pleasant.
As she headed back to the kitchen he reached down and picked up his cup. The smell was pleasing and he took a languid sip of the hand-ground coffee. Once he had swallowed he looked down vacantly at the dark brown fluid as he thought to himself.
"To think there was a time that I didn't understand the truth behind her smile."
It had only been half a year before when he learned the truth that had gnawed away at Miyuki's heart all these years, yet now it seemed like a lifetime ago. He still couldn't entirely forgive himself for not realizing her secret and the pain that it had brought her.
The pain he had, unwittingly, brought upon her himself.
She came back in with her own tea and sat next to him on the couch. Tatsuya had noted the distance that Miyuki now put between them where before she would have availed herself fully of his physical presence.
In public, of course, this was to prevent awkwardness for everyone around them. The truth was Miyuki's clear affections for her "Onii-sama" had sometimes made things awkward for the siblings' friends and companions.
Not that that had bothered Tatsuya in the least. Miyuki's wishes came before any other concerns beyond her safety. As long as she wasn't damaging her reputation by her actions, he'd let her do as she pleased.
In the privacy of their home though, her distance from him had other purposes.
He understood that Miyuki was giving her "Onii-sama" the space he needed so that he could "learn" to treat her as a woman, and not his Imouto. Where before, for them both, the veneer of sibling bonds had freed them from the worry of things going too far with their physical affections, now…..
"…..now."
Even in his mind, the new relationship between them was loaded with ticking time-bombs of potentially awkward situations and potential….
He shook his head mildly to try to regain his clarity. Thinking about Miyuki as a woman, as a beautiful and graceful woman, as an object of desire, it was honestly more complicated for him to deal with than particle physics.
Not that it was hard for him to see her in that way. With her, it was surprisingly easy to lose one's self in….."errant thoughts". Dealing with the way those thoughts affected him though, that was the difficult part for him.
"Is everything with your coffee alright, Onii-sama?"
He turned to see the concern showing in her eyes.
"Damn, you did it again."
Realizing his head shake had been misinterpreted, he smiled to her as he spoke.
"It's delicious as always."
This response caused her to smile, which caused her to blush, which, or course, caused her to turn way from his gaze with mild embarrassment.
"Thank you for saying so, Onii-sama."
He was "Tatsuya-sama" at school, but here in the safety of their home she never refrained from her preferred form of addressing him.
At first, he thought that continuing to call him "Big Brother" was potentially a way for Miyuki to try to distance herself and reexamine her romantic emotions for him.
He quickly learned that this assumption was a fallacy.
"Onii-sama" was the name of the man Miyuki had fallen in love with. It was only natural for her to call the man she loved by his "name".
They went back to sipping their beverages with a respectable distance still between them.
After a few moments of silence, Tatsuya became keenly aware that Miyuki somehow seemed unsatisfied to him. Her normal "sparkle" of life, which had been on display only minutes before, wasn't there now. He was also aware that he too wasn't satisfied with the atmosphere in the room, and resolved to change it immediately. He laid his terminal down on a side table, and with his now freed-up left hand he slid his open palm up halfway between himself and Miyuki. At first, she looked down at it with surprise and trepidation, but then that "sparkle" of life returned to her glowing eyes as she smiled uncontrollably at that open hand. For his part, Tatsuya couldn't help smirking at her predictable instant happiness at his invite to share physical affection. She slowly slid her hand inside his and once they locked fingers she turned away from his eyes with a gleaming smile and perfectly pink cheeks.
Then he surprised her.
He tugged gently at her hand. To her surprised delight he invited her into a full embrace. She slid gracefully into his left side as he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck.
Then he finally heard his reward.
"ahhhhhhhhh"
They cuddled together just like they would have before they had been engaged, and the world seemed perfectly simple for them once again. Then it was Miyuki's turn to surprise him, by laying her right hand on top of his left thigh. Actually, it was a little towards the inside of his left thigh.
That was something she wouldn't have dared to try before their engagement.
Despite the sudden "awkwardness" of her gesture, Tatsuya managed to absorb the "blow" and relaxed again after a moment.
"It's not….unpleasant."
In fact, it was very nice, but he also realized thinking that way too much would lead to those places where they both shouldn't go just yet. They sat there in each other's embrace in silence, enjoying their beverages and each other's reassuring company.
A few minutes later, Miyuki, as was her way, began to discuss the day's events with him. Or in this case, the day's one "big" event.
"Izumi-san seemed quite pleased this afternoon. She must have had a pleasant time with Minoru-kun at lunch."
Her tone, containing both amusement and irritation, reflected Miyuki's own conflicted feelings on the topic.
Izumi's ardor for all things Miyuki can be tiring for the woman in question. Even Tatsuya found it off-putting at times. Minoru's presence, while in general stirring up the entire school and thus taking everyone off their routines alongside Nine Schools Competition preparations, had been somewhat of a distraction too; in Izumi's particular case it had brought Miyuki a brief respite from Izumi's constant attention.
Miyuki had another "favorite" for Minoru's attentions though, and despite the potential benefits of getting Izumi off her hands, she didn't want it to affect her "candidate's" long-term chances for overall success.
Yet for her fiancé, Miyuki's pro-Minami machinations contained their own potential "time-bombs".
"Indeed, they would make a good pairing."
It was his honest assessment, though if Saegusa-dono knew the details of Minoru's origins, and considering the man, he probably did, even this pairing might be doomed to instant failure.
Tatsuya realized quickly that his fiancée wasn't looking for an "honest" assessment thought. Without leaving his embrace Miyuki sat upright and turned disbelieving eyes on him.
"Onii-sama! How could you say that, knowing Minami-chan's feelings for him?"
He had to work not to smirk at her near pouting expression.
"For one thing, you may have a clearer understanding of Minami's feelings than I, since I have never heard her express romantic interest in Minoru before."
Miyuki turned away from him pouting even more now.
"Onii-sama, I know you can be oblivious to these things, but Minami-chan's feelings about Minoru-kun are painfully plain to see."
Was that a hint of disappointment in her voice? While Tatsuya never wanted to let Miyuki down in any way, having her be more assertive with him was one of the things he learned would be advantageous if they do eventually marry each other. A wife shouldn't be entirely subservient to her husband.
"I will have to defer to Miyuki's judgment on that topic."
He tried to contain his amusement as Miyuki sent him a suspicious look. He was about to continue as she readjusted herself into his side, then he remembered an earlier conversation they had after her nation-wide broadcast.
"To explain myself further may sound like I am lecturing you, which is not my intent. If you would rather….."
She interrupted him with a smile of reassurance.
"Oh! Onii-sama! We also discussed how I find your input important to formulate sound reasoning on a topic. Please, do go on."
He sighed before responding.
"…..very well."
After they both took another sip of their drinks, he proceeded.
"The Kodou, or specifically Elder Kodou, is probably aware of exactly who Minami is since she is part of our household. The likelihood that even if they did fall in love that a Kodou would be allowed to marry a genetically engineered Yotsuba servant is very low."
"Lower than a natural born daughter of the Saegusa being allowed to marry a genetically engineered inbred Kodou?"
Tatsuya couldn't help his eyes widening at this surprisingly forceful retort from his normally demure fiancée. Seeing his surprise, Miyuki quickly explained herself.
"Please forgive my brashness Onii-sama, you know that I have no issue with inbreeding under the right conditions..."
She blushed a bit when she said this to him, naturally given their own circumstances. Honestly, he thought her comment might have just brought a sudden blush to his face as well. Clearly, her enthusiasm for her impending marriage with her genetic brother, no matter how altered her own genes were, spoke volumes on Miyuki's lack of concern over inbreeding.
"…and I certainly do not hold the circumstances of Minoru-kun's existence against him, since I too, like both of them, owe my own origins to genetic manipulation….."
She had a very valid point here. If not for her engagement with him, Miyuki would be the most eligible magic bachelorette in Japan. Would that change if they knew of her manipulated genes? Miyuki's perfection might be enough to overcome that stigma, maybe.
"…..but if the Elder is likely aware of Minami's origins, it is a safe conclusion that Saegusa-dono is probably aware of Minoru's-kun's as well."
A reasonable assumption, given what they knew about the leader of the Saegusa already.
"And if not, he certainly would investigate it thoroughly before a public announcement of an engagement between a suitor and one of his daughters."
Tatsuya now voiced the thoughts he had just formulated seconds before.
"A reasonable conclusion."
Miyuki did seem to be ignoring another important dynamic for Minami's suit though.
"However, she is still a Yotsuba Guardian and not someone our aunt would like the Kodou getting a closer look at. Even if you released her as your Guardian, she would just be reassigned."
Instead of flustering Miyuki's argument or forcing a reassessment, Miyuki plowed forward confidently after his statement.
"Once I am head of the Yotsuba all the Guardians will have their freedom."
Their eyes locked then.
"All of them."
She reached up and touched his cheek. He was no longer a Guardian himself, but he had suffered their existence beside of them and for the last four years until this past January he had also been consigned to their fate. That Miyuki would continue to espouse her desire to free the Guardians from their servitude even after the particular Guardian she was most concerned about had his own apparent freedom, spoke volumes about the good and noble character his fiancée possessed.
She was, at her core, a good person.
His obvious "admiration" of her in this moment must have been too much for her to bear. Again she turned a blushing smile away from him.
"Then Minami-chan can do as she pleases."
Tatsuya agreed with her intentions and in his heart pledged to assist her in achieving it. He had made the very same pledge on a hot August night a few years before, and he was even more determined to keep it now than ever. In a, way all magicians were still servants, servants of the state. He hoped that by expanding magician usefulness into non-combat fields with projects like ESCAPES, that eventually would lead to magicians standing as true equals with the rest of the human race.
"Self-determination is a noble goal that all humans should aspire to."
She smiled at his words, yet he had to reluctantly bring her back down to reality.
"But Oba-ue is healthy and likely to remain head of the family for decades to come. I can't see her willingly allowing a Yotsuba asset to pass into the hands of a rival house."
For a second that light he loved to see glowing in her eyes faded.
"I did that to her. Why must I be the cause of her pain?"
As much as he hated to ever dampen her spirit, he knew he had to help her keep her goals realistic for the sake of her own contentment.
Then an enigmatic smile crept over her face and she again relaxed into his embrace. The glow in her perfect eyes had returned on its own. Then her smile widened even more as she spoke.
"Anything is possible under the right conditions, Onii-sama."
Sudden concern struck his mind. Tatsuya was all for freeing Minami and the other Guardians from their servitude, but not by compromising Miyuki's position or safety. Before he could formulate a way to pry into the thoughts that lay behind that smile, she redirected them back to the main topic.
"She seems to be really happy though. Lunch was a little rough today, but I'm sure she'll come home with a smile tonight."
Tatsuya hoped so too.
"She has every night this week so far."
Unlike Miyuki, he knew already that the AI taxi that Minami and Minoru were in had been sitting out front of the residence for the last five minutes. That's all he knew though. He judged in this situation, it was not his place to pry further.
"I can't tell you how much it means to me that you agreed to come along this week, though I wish it wasn't necessary in the first place."
Minami hoped Minoru couldn't see her blushing from just the light of the street lamps. They sat together inside the AI taxi in front of the residence. She knew Tatsuya had to already be aware they were there, if not Miyuki as well.
Despite that certainty, she had no true desire to leave this vehicle.
"It was my honor to do so Minoru-sama."
She had no desire to part company with him.
He smiled back at her happily and shyly before they fell into another bit of silence. A few moments later Minoru spoke again.
"I really enjoyed dinner with you too, all week."
"As have I Minoru-sama, though I do wish you'd let me pay my own bill."
"What kind of host would I be if I invited you out and didn't pay?"
Minami did feel awkward that Minoru was paying for her dinners, even though the Kodou were an obviously wealthy family. Somehow it made her feel as if she were taking advantage of his generosity.
"We are your hosts this week, it is I who should have paid."
He shook his head sideways at her with a smile as he rebutted her point.
"I was the one who invited you to dinner. I wouldn't hear of you paying for it Minami-san."
Minami nodded her acceptance and the two again fell into another awkward silence, which didn't last long.
"Can I ask you something Minami-san?"
He asked this with such tension showing that Minami would have gladly said yes to any request of his to bring him solace.
"Yes, please."
"Why…."
He seemed to choke up on his words and looked like he was trying to phrase his next words appropriately.
"Why don't you call me Minoru-kun like I asked you too?"
Now it was Minami's turn to try to find a way to answer that question. It's not that she didn't want to call his name in that more friendly way, but she couldn't ignore years of etiquette training either.
After a few moments of thought, she found the path ahead.
"Minoru-sama must be aware that while Miyuki-sama treats me as an equal, I am in her home as her servant?"
"Yes…."
For some reason, he seemed even more nervous than before now.
"I….was aware."
She could feel her own tension building. She didn't want to point out their differing social backgrounds. Not to him. Even though they both knew they were from different worlds, saying it aloud put distance between them. Distance Minami wished were not there.
"Minoru-sama is from the same social class as Miyuki-sama. It is not only my personal respect for Minoru-sama, but as Miyuki-sama's true equal I also express my respect for her by addressing you in the proper manner."
Minoru looked as if she had told him his favorite pet had died.
"…..I see…"
She couldn't let him feel this sadness any further. She resolved to exit her own comfort zone for his sake.
"But if it pleases Minoru-sama, he should feel free to address me as Minami-chan."
He brightened up instantly. His radiant eyes glowing with excitement. Not for the first time was Minami glad she served a female master. Had Minoru been her lord, well…
"I will, if when we are alone….."
He turned his eyes towards the floor but his joy was still apparent.
"…..like now…"
She suddenly realized they were indeed very much alone, or at least Minoru thought they were.
"…..you'll agree to call me Minoru-kun."
She couldn't refuse him now.
"Is it a deal…Minami-chan?"
Not here. Not ALONE together here.
"I will do as…Minoru-kun…asks."
Again she had to hope he couldn't see her blushing.
"That…makes me very happy Minami-chan."
Suddenly he had her right hand in both of his.
"He's…..holding my hand!"
She felt a flushing of heat come over her and suddenly the world seemed to wobble about her as if she were drunk. She was finding it hard to refocus her mind. All she could experience was the warmth of his hands, the heating of her body, and the thudding of her heart inside her chest.
She truly felt as if she'd melt.
Then his face went from joy to mortification. He had apparently forgotten himself and was now reeling under the realization of his faux pas.
"Please, forgive me!"
He suddenly let go of her hand. After a few moments in which Minami began to regain her thoughts, she tried to reassure him.
"Please, think nothing of it."
All he could do was shyly nod to her. She wished she had had the courage to tell him she wanted him to hold her hand.
"So…about earlier today…."
"Earlier?"
She was confused by the sudden change in topic. Even more so because he again looked as if he were in pain.
"Um….yes. When I went to lunch with….Izumi-san."
In the excitement of spending time with Minoru, she had completely forgotten how painful watching him head off to eat alone with Izumi had been only several hours before.
"…..yes?"
The tightness in her chest intensified. She knew it was irrational, but she dreaded what he might tell her about his lunch "date" with Izumi.
"Well….I hope that you, um, everyone in the Student Council, wasn't…..put-off by…."
She could sense his own dread over this topic. She could also tell he was looking for reassurance from her.
"No, not at all. Everyone but our Freshman Representative was present when you made the arrangements with Saegusa-san. The circumstances were understandable. If anything, Saegusa-san was in error for forcing the issue."
Even she couldn't believe how critical her last statement had just been. For a servant to speak about someone of Miyuki and Minoru's same social standing in such a manner would have led to severe punishment had she uttered that statement within the confines of the Yotsuba main residence. She even expected to be rebuked by Minoru for it, but instead he smiled at her.
He still seemed tense to her though. He looked like someone desperately searching for safety in a raging storm.
"Because I…I didn't want anyone to….um….."
He swallowed hard and then mustered up the courage to look her in the eyes again.
"…get the wrong idea."
Seeing Minami's somewhat stunned expression, he quickly added a caveat to his statement.
"Not that they would!"
She felt as if he were pleading for forgiveness. It was not her place to grant such forgiveness, at least she didn't feel it was her place to do so, but she wanted to ease his mind.
"I believe everyone understood the situation. I don't feel that anyone was inconvenienced by it."
"No one?"
For some reason, he still seemed slightly disappointed, but he quickly recovered.
"Well…good. That's a relief."
He then turned those irresistible puppy dogs eyes back onto her.
"I'd never want to offend….anyone, at all!"
She awkwardly nodded her understanding to him and again a silence grew between them. Luckily for Minami, Minoru was always willing to break those silences after a few moments.
"May I ask another question Minami-chan? And if I am being impertinent then please tell me so. The last thing I'd ever want to do is offend you."
She smiled slightly at him as she replied.
"I'm sure you could never offend me Minoru…kun. Please, ask your question of me."
Awkwardness seemed to be the theme of the evening for both parties. Minoru seemed to be searching his mind again for the correct phrasing of his question.
"Well….and I want you to know I personally abhor those that discriminate against any magician. You have my word on this."
This statement put Minami on guard. What kind of question would require such a preface? Still, she nodded her consent for him to proceed.
"But I was curious….how Minami-chan came to be in the service of House Yotsuba."
A truly awkward question for Minami to try to answer. Apparently seeing her discomfort, Minoru asked his question in another way.
"Could Minami-chan's family perhaps have been….Extras?"
She instantly understood his confusion. Many of those that served the great families developed in the ten national magic institutes were also developed in those same institutions. The so-called "Extra" families. These families of engineered magicians were either a magic development "dead-end" not worth developing further, or had an ability that was considered "undesirable" for whatever reason.
Minoru clearly thought that given her magic talent level she had to be from an Extra family of the Fourth National Magic Institute.
"Oh."
Minoru interpreted her sudden realization for discomfort. Asking a magician about their lineage was a major faux pas in the Japanese magic community.
"If I am asking too much please…."
It was truly a bold move on his part. They had spent some time getting to know each other this week, but except for a few days that past autumn this week was all the time they had known each other.
Still, she shook her head at him to indicate he wasn't offending her by his curiosity.
"Not at all, Minoru-kun."
Then she answered his second question first since it was the easiest for her to answer.
"I am not from an Extra family."
He seemed mildly surprised to learn this.
"I see."
She then began to elaborate on the more difficult of his two questions to answer.
"While the conditions of my terms of service with House Yotsuba are confidential…."
He quickly nodded to indicate he understand to her.
"Naturally, I completely understand!"
"...I can tell you that both sides of my family were refugees from the devastation caused by the Third World War."
Minoru blinked in mild surprise as Minami continued.
"Both my mother, and my father's families came under the protection of the Yotsuba Family through an act of kindness and generosity by Miyuki-sama and Tatsuya-sama's most honored grandfather."
Understanding slowly seeped into Minoru's surprised expression as she continued.
"Since then my family have served the Yotsuba with pride."
Now he smiled at her with no apprehension left in his face.
"Sorry for being so forward."
"Not at all…Minoru-kun."
She nodded to him and he returned her gesture. Somehow telling him what she could of her background had made her tension dissipate and brought a sense of comfort to her that she hadn't felt before in his presence. The relaxing mood was pleasant for her. It was as if they had developed a mutual understanding between them.
"Since you answered my question…..perhaps I should let you know something about me."
Minami was surprised by his sudden words. She didn't feel this was a tit-for-tat kind of discussion, but clearly, he felt the need to reciprocate to her in a similar fashion.
"Minami-chan is aware of why I require treatment?"
His expression was awkward again. This was something she easily sensed bothered him greatly.
"Not the specifics, only what I overheard while you were talking with Tatsuya-sama in Nara."
"Well….the truth is….."
She could see his frustration building. She didn't want him to go too far, not for her sake.
"You do not have to tell me this Minoru-kun. I will…"
"No!"
It was surprisingly forceful. It wasn't too loud or too rough. It was the perfect amount of authority and determination. This was the first time with Minoru that Minami actually felt she was in the presence of a member of the Twenty-Eight Families.
For some reason she couldn't explain, was becoming flushed again.
Minoru though clearly felt he had overstepped himself with his outburst by his expression and subsequent return to awkwardness.
"I mean….it's just…it's something I never get to talk about."
She could sense his anger building within as he spoke.
"My family, most of them like to act as if there's nothing wrong with me."
He looked away from her to not show her the frustration he was feeling.
"And since it's a great big secret, I have no one else I can talk to about it."
Then he instantly relaxed and returned soft eyes to Minami.
"It's just….you're so kind to me, and thoughtful."
Again she was finding it hard to regulate her breathing and her heart was again threatening to leave her chest through the ribcage.
"I just feel that I can…..that I can talk to you about anything."
Where before she only hoped he couldn't see her blushing, now she was desperately praying he couldn't.
"You honor me, Minoru-kun."
They shared a smile that made Minami want to grab his hand and bring it up to her cheek.
Then he looked down before slowly closing his eyes.
"So…..then….I'll just say it."
He took a very deep breath, eyes still shut tight, and then forced out his statement with the exhalation of his lungs.
"I was genetically engineered."
Minami was stunned to learn this, but not really all that surprised. She had a basic inkling of this from the interactions they had back in Nara, and with his discussions with Tatsuya and Miyuki. As the children of two genetically engineered parents, Minami was familiar with the obvious signs of the side effects.
"My father…"
This time his deep breathing seemed to be to stave off anger.
"…..he wasn't satisfied with his own magical power, or my siblings power. It was really just a fit of jealousy on his part. He and my siblings are all very powerful magicians in their own right."
Eyes open again, Minami could see his frustration with his father etched onto his face.
"But….."
He closed his eyes again and shook his head lightly.
"….he had to be born the eldest son of the great Kodou Retsu."
He opened his eyes once more and seemed to focus on something outside of the taxi as he continued.
"He couldn't match his father's remarkably high abilities and because of that….."
She saw him clench his jaw before continuing.
"…..he had me…."
She could see his tongue pushing at the side of his cheek.
"…made."
She could hear the disgust in his voice as he said this one word.
Then he turned his eyes towards her again and his frustration was replaced by a matter-of-fact attitude.
"And on the surface, he got what he wanted. When I'm healthy, I can stand toe-to-toe with Ojii-sama. I was regularly outperforming Oji-san at ten. I know that probably sounds arrogant, to compare myself with the world renowned Kodou Retsu?"
She emphatically shook her head sideways to this question.
"Not at all. It is expected of someone with Minoru-kun's abilities."
He smirked a bit at her answer.
"You are too kind."
Then he sighed again as he continued on in mild frustration.
"But there was a price to pay for all this power of mine."
"Your weakened physical state?"
He turned a genuine smile onto her then. Again she could feel heat walking across her face and ears.
"Yes, and thus my need for these treatments."
Then his eyes became sad as he looked away from her.
"I'll understand if you think less of me after hearing…."
"Not at all Minoru-kun!"
Even to her own ears, such a forceful reply was unlike her. She then began to mollify her statement with elaboration.
"I…understand. All of our ancestors were genetically manipulated in some form. So even if you yourself were done this way, that shouldn't be a stigma of any kind."
Minami was in no position to tell him that this was something they shared in common.
Genetic Modification.
All Modern Magicians descended from those who had been both artificially modified on a genetic level and selectively bred. Only Ancient Magicians could be called "natural" magicians now, though they too practiced a form of selective breeding through their arranged marriages.
Yet like Minoru, Minami's on mother and her "sisters" had been directly modified on a genetic level in the womb. She was so close to being what Minoru is, that she wanted him to know that she truly understood his pain, but a servant of the Yotsuba's life is not her own.
"If it is a stigma, then we dishonor the sacrifices of our elders by thinking it so."
He was so close to her now that a simple hand motion would let her touch him, let her comfort him with more than just words.
"I can't tell you how you have eased my mind by saying this."
Then his hand suddenly was on top of her hand again.
"Thank you so much, Minami-chan."
The look in his eyes told her that this time he had done this consciously.
"Rest assured Minoru-kun, I will speak of this to no one. Your trust in me honors me….."
She turned her hand upright and they locked fingers together.
"…deeply."
His perfect eyes again bore into her very soul.
"Thank you for listening to my story. I hope you don't think I'm trying to elicit your pity. I know that I have it a lot better than many in this world."
She was smiling so much it felt as if her mouth was threatening to split her cheeks open at the corners.
"Not at all! Thank you for trusting me with your story."
He leaned in towards her as he spoke to her softly.
"Will you accompany me again tomorrow evening?"
Despite herself, she leaned in towards him as well.
"Yes."
She could feel the heat from his breath on her cheek.
"I would accompany Minoru-kun…anywhere."
Using Elemental sight in a semi-passive form, Tatsuya knew that Minoru had opened Minami's car door for her and walked her to the residence gate. At this point, he quit watching them at all. Goodbyes were by their very nature private affairs.
He was somewhat surprised that it took an additional three and a half minutes for the front gate opening chime to indicate someone with the correct bio-scanner reading had opened the gate.
"Is that our Minami-chan coming home?"
It couldn't realistically be anyone else. Though their father and Sayuri both could also pass through the bio-scanner gate, neither of them would come here unannounced or at this late hour.
"It is."
She was so excited she didn't even spare him a second glance. She flew from his arms towards the front door with him smirking knowingly at her back the whole time.
"Welcome home!"
If Minami was surprised by the sudden role-reversal between herself and her "boss", or by the fact the door flung open without her even activating the bio-scanner, it didn't show on her fa, e.
In fact she looked somewhat as if she were in a stupor. She showed no recognition on her face at all that Miyuki had even addressed her.
"So, did you have a good…"
Miyuki's words trailed off as she too noticed Minami's drunken-like state.
Tatsuya decided he should give Minami a once-over in Element Sight.
"Elevated heart rate and breathing. Endocrine levels higher than normal. Endorphin levels elevated. No unusual chemical substances detected. No magic applications detected."
"…oh, right."
With sudden understanding, Tatsuya quit examining Minami's person immediately.
"Minami-chan, are you alright? Did something happen?"
Miyuki didn't have the benefit of Tatsuya's ability to discern why Minami seemed so "off".
Finally realizing she was in Miyuki's presence, Minami was able to force through a zombie-like response with a bow.
"Yes….Miyuki-sama. I am fine. Perfectly fine, thank you very much."
Miyuki's eyes grew slightly as she too realized that Minami was "fine", better than fine actually. Then that knowing smile of Miyuki's was aimed squarely at the unsuspecting Minami. As she spoke to her again she turned that feral smile back towards Tatsuya.
"Are you indeed?"
Her delight was painfully evident. Tatsuya could only smirk knowingly back to his fiancée and lightly shake his head at her. It was his role in this "drama" to be the audience, even though he knew Miyuki would ignore his unspoken advice to not pry further into Minami's personal affairs.
"Well then…..why don't you go upstairs and run us a bath?"
True to form, Miyuki did not disappoint him. He turned back to his terminal with a smirk on his face as poor Minami suddenly realized the precariousness of her current situation.
"…..us?"
"In the big tub. Bath Time Rules in full effect."
Miyuki's voice held the delight of a person who was about to hear juicy details of someone else's love story, mixed with the self-satisfaction that something she wanted and helped to cultivate seemed to be finally bearing fruit.
"Yes, Miyuki-sama."
Minami's voice held all the fear of a deer crossing the road suddenly seeing car headlights fast approaching.
Tatsuya could only smirk at this performance and drink the last of his now lukewarm coffee.
It wasn't particularly late when Mikihiko came home, only later than his normal.
He had informed his parents he had dinner plans after Nine Schools Competition prep and his normal Disciplinary Committee duties were done.
Since he was already on light temple duties in the evenings because of these school-related activities, a diversion for dinner out afterward didn't raise any unusual questions from his parents.
That he had dinner with a classmate's family shouldn't raise too many questions had his parents asked where he was going to eat, which they conveniently hadn't asked of him.
Mikihiko considered that serendipity.
He didn't volunteer that info to them either, mainly because it could have led to the next natural question.
Who?
That that particular classmate is a female shouldn't matter to his parents, he reasoned. It obviously would matter to them though, and it would lead to a lot of other questions Mikihiko didn't want to answer just yet. He still had a few days before the need to introduce Mizuki to his parents became critical. Having hidden her, and her special eyes, from his family for two and some years now had made him naturally paranoid on this issue. He was determined to find the right way to handle this so that no unforeseen issues occurred.
Protecting Mizuki was his only goal, and he still had a few days to think things over.
The temple grounds stretched from the base of Mount Tanzawa up the slopes for a few hundred meters. While the temple proper was at the top of the slope with attendant outbuildings that supported it, most of the compound was near the base, including their training facilities, acolyte quarters, support facilities, and the Yoshida Main Residence. The gates to the temple grounds were never locked. The temple was available to anyone that needed it day or night. The Yoshida never turned away those who came to seek answers from the spirits.
Yet every foot that crossed the threshold of this place was known. The residence, like the entire grounds, possessed no locking doors or electro-mechanical security systems. Such things went against the principles of the Yoshida family Shinto beliefs. Yet only a fool with a death wish would come to this place with malice and hostility in mind.
Mikihiko could feel the spirits, the shikigami, greet him even before he had crossed the open gate. That meant that those that the shikigami's obeyed knew he was home as well. At this hour though, none of the shikigami should be from his father. His father was required for the morning rituals, so his parents usually went to sleep early with the sun, except in winter of course, when going to bed in the late afternoon would make such a thing seem slothful.
On the outside and inside his home looked like any traditional Japanese home. While it's true they didn't possess much in the way of technology, that technology they did have was well hidden so as not to disturb the traditional serenity of a Shinto Temple. After taking off his shoes at the back entrance Mikihiko walked across the wooden floors in his socks so as not to disturb those already asleep. As he approached his room though, he was mildly surprised to see the light had been left on. Knowing that he hadn't left it on before leaving for school earlier that same morning, he suspected his mother had turned it on for him, knowing he'd be in well after dark.
When he slid back the door though, he was surprised to see he had a guest in his room.
"Good evening Mikihiko-kun. I trust you had a pleasant evening?"
Grace and elegance were the difining words for the woman seated beside his futon on the tatami mats. Her seating and posture were perfection. Her well-practiced bowing motion the envy of any Geisha. Her jet black hair perfectly tied behind her head with two perfectly placed hair pins to hold it back so that her beautiful face could be seen by all the world. Her lavender kimono accented with pink cheery blossom inlays was impeccable.
In Mikihiko's world the woman before him was the perfect wife to a temple priest, and the very definition of the word "Ojou-san".
She was also his perfect definition of the word "Haha".
"Haha-sama!"
Mikihiko was on the floor and crossed legged instantly. Then his head touched the floor in front of him.
They both rose together from their mutual bows.
"I hope you didn't wait up for my sake? I did inform you I'd be late tonight."
She smiled gracefully as she returned to setting up his bedding for him.
"It is only natural for a mother to concern herself with her children, even when they no long think her concern is needed. It is precisely at such a time, at such an age, that a mother must redouble her efforts."
Now Mikihiko felt awkward that he had inconvenienced his mother.
"It's just that I do not wish to be a burden to you."
She smiled indulgently at her concerned looking son as she finished up making his bed for him.
"We did not have you my son for you not to be a burden for us. You are a burden of love. Caring for you is as natural for us as breathing the air. I can imagine no worse of a day than the day I think that you will no longer need me to look out for you."
Now Mikihiko was truly embarrassed.
"Kaa-san…"
His awkward expression made his understanding mother smile to him.
"No matter how high my Mikihiko-kun reaches towards the stars, let him never forget that his feet are firmly planted in the hands of his father and mother."
He bowed dutifully to her then.
"I will never forget Haha-sama, I promise!"
Finished with his bedding preparations she sat upright and indicated with her right fingers for him to raise up as well. How facing each other again, Mikihiko thought he saw a mischievous look in his mother's otherwise placid expression.
"So…"
A slight smile crept across her face as she continued to speak.
"…..who is she?"
Mikihiko drew in a sudden breath at the unexpected question. Then he furiously tried to wipe the guilty look off his face. Seeing her son's reaction his mother covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled. Now Mikihiko could feel his cheeks blushing with embarrassment.
"My Mikihiko-kun must work harder at covering his true feelings and thoughts. It will serve him well in the future to master that skill."
Defeated, Mikihiko pouted a bit. His mother still had a mischievous smile though.
"Is it perhaps…"
Mikihiko's eyes returned to her in surprise, but they fully widened as she finished her question.
"….your former classmate, Shibata Mizuki-san?"
Mikihiko was stunned beyond belief. He had worked so hard to hide Mizuki from his family that he couldn't fathom having failed so miserably at it. Then his mother rubbed salt into this fresh wound to his ego.
"She's the one with the Crystal Eyes, is she not?"
Stunned faced and staring slightly downward at his mother, Mikihiko suddenly bolted up onto his feet. Surprised by his uncharacteristic actions his mother now looked up in concern at him.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS? HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HER EYES?"
At his stunningly mortified response, his mother covered her open mouth with her own mortified expression.
"Calm down. Do you want to wake everyone?"
Realizing his mistake, Mikihiko sat back down again quickly. If only his mother had known beforehand, he may very well have himself to blame should other's now know of Mizuki's special gift. Across from him, his mother visibly centered her thoughts with her eyes closed. Mikihiko instantly realized she was consulting the local spirits to see if her son's outburst had disturbed the others sleeping around them. After a few moments, she released a slight sigh and opened her eyes.
"You didn't wake anyone with that….display."
Mikihiko felt relief at her words, and embarrassment.
"Somehow."
His mother tacked on that last part to emphasize his foolishness. Then her eyes turned towards him. He winced a bit at the sight of her intense and angry glare. He had rarely ever seen anger in his mother's eyes, but when he did it had always been the harbinger of bad things.
"And why should your mother not know of this girl?"
He turned his eyes from her in embarrassment.
"Why has my own son kept his interest in this girl from us?"
Seeing he wouldn't answer her, she turned her angry eyes from him. Catching a brief look, he was stunned to see tears forming around those angry eyes.
"Kaa-chan…"
"I didn't want to believe it but now it is painfully clear."
She turned her head towards him and stared him down. Tears now freely running down her cheeks in anger and pain.
"To think our own child would think we'd hurt him in such a way. Have we not loved you well?"
Mikihiko's head hit the tatami mat as he bowed.
"Kaa-chan, please….."
"Don't "Kaa-chan" me! And sit upright."
Mikihiko meekly obeyed his nearly "boiling" mad mother.
She then looked at him again, still angry, still crying.
Still hurt.
"To think….."
She turned away again, sadness beginning to clearly overcome her anger.
"...that you thought we would take this girl from you…"
"Oka-san, I….."
She looked back at him again, now the hurtfulness of his actions shown deeply in her reddened eyes.
"For two years you have hidden this girl from us."
Again he was stunned by her level of knowledge.
"I see. You thought you could hide such a thing from me?"
A little anger returned as she looked away again.
"My little birds may think they are now great soaring eagles who can fly from my nest as they please."
She then whipped her angry eyes back at him.
"But this mother scans the horizon near and far looking for predators and other threats to her little birds!"
A very serious expression came across her face as she finished up.
"Even the youngest of predators are STILL predators."
"Mizuki-chan is not…."
Instead of finishing his defense of the woman he loved he sullenly backed down. As such he didn't see the suddenly curious look his mother was directing at him. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again.
"When you were accepted for First High. I looked over your school roster."
Now Mikihiko directed an incredulous look at her, but she wasn't bothered by it in the least.
"A mother has a right to protect her children."
She then turned away before continuing.
"A young magician with glasses on in her school photo would naturally draw an Ancient Magic practitioner's eye."
Mikihiko couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Especially once it is learned she has no connection to any other Ancient Magic family."
"…..you…..investigated her?"
His mother turned an incredulous look upon him again.
"Of course we did."
"I can't….how?"
When she turned away from him slightly, he realized the answer.
"….you had me watched…by the acolytes?"
She looked perturbed he had figured her out, but continued on as if he had not just spoken to her.
"At the time there was no indication of unusual activity between you two, outside of being in the same class. So we stopped looking at her so intently. Spirit sensitivity itself is not rare enough to investigate her over."
She then looked at him with a serious expression again.
"We also didn't know she had Crystal Eyes then, just suspicions."
Turning away again and still perturbed, she continued.
"Then we learned that she was part of your little group of friends along with Shiba-san, Saijou-san, and Erika-chan."
She closed her eyes as she explained further.
"We learned last autumn that you were escorting her home. Naturally, our attentions grew again with interest at this turn of events."
She then seemed to have an errant thought and gave it voice a second later.
"Not more than a few of the acolytes we had following you became quite depressed on learning of this turn of events. Surely their hopes of becoming your love interest took a serious blow then."
Then she shook her head lightly to dispel these errant thoughts, never apparently noticing her son's mortified express at these revelations she continued to pour out.
"And I certainly won't apologize for looking out for your interests at all times. I am your mother, it is my duty and my right."
Now she again turned her serious expression on to him.
"Did you really think we'd take this girl from you and marry her to Motohiko without your consent? That is why you have hidden her from us all this time, is it not? Do you think your father and I to be that cruel?"
Mikihiko hung his head in shame before her clearly hurt expression.
"No Kaa-san…I know you….you love me…."
She closed her eyes in clear pain at his lack of trust in her, but then she opened her eyes again with curiosity.
"It's just….."
He forcefully stopped himself from continuing, but from long study of her son's face, his mother knew something very troubling was just behind his closed-off and contrite expression.
"It's just what?"
He looked up at her with surprise, having not expected the warmth and concern she had just directed at him. He then closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths, before releasing his next words.
"I couldn't take that chance."
It was barely a whisper, but it contained such intent and determination that his mother strained to hear him speak again.
"When I first met her, I was at my lowest point."
She could see the same look in his eyes he had that spring of his freshman year. That look wounded her heart now as it did then.
"Even though I quickly recovered. I knew…"
She could feel his pain, her beloved son was in turmoil as he spoke to her.
"I knew that we…..the Yoshida…..if you learned of her eyes…"
She was starting to understand. His sincerity as he spoke let her know his words were true.
"That we couldn't…let her go…no matter how irrational it was to think it…the thought of her and Motohiko…..I…..I couldn't have….I'd…"
In concern, she reached out for him and touched his sleeve. He was closing his eyes against the pain of his own thoughts. Then a singular tear dropped from his left eye.
"And worse….to force her into our family? No….I could never…..I could never hurt her like that…I…I would rather…"
"Oh my!"
Now she was crying again in front of his eyes, but only sadness was there now. There was no anger left in her, just great concern for her little boy.
"You really are in love with this girl."
He hadn't expected this proclamation from her. But it was…..
"Yes….yes Kaa-chan…I…."
…the undeniable truth.
"…..I love her."
His mother covered her mouth with her left hand while still holding his left forearm with her right.
"I see…."
Mikihiko realized she was crying again but he could detect no anger or sadness now. She even seemed to be smiling. Suddenly realizing he was letting his own mother cry before him, he quickly removed his handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it from him with a smile and dapped at her cheeks and eyes. After a few moments, she smiled at him again and spoke once more.
"You are right about one thing."
Her expression turned a little darker then.
"A girl with her special sight could not have been allowed to simply pass us by."
This had been the basic truth of his situation that had led Mikihiko down this path from the very beginning. He nodded his reluctant understanding.
"And though it pains me that you didn't feel you could discuss her with us before your brother's engagement, I can see you had valid concerns."
It caused Mikihiko pain too. He didn't wish for his parents to think he didn't hold them in the highest esteem.
"Obviously it would be for the best if she were to come into our family willingly and with a glad heart. Unburdened by the fact that we could not let her do otherwise."
This is something Mikihiko himself had to reluctantly agree with. Her special eyes were too valuable to allow their rivals to take from them.
"Your father and I would have only turned to Motohiko as an alternative though, even during your earlier difficulties with the Hoshi Oroshi no Gi. If you showed interest in the girl, we'd have been happy for you to marry her into our family. We'd have only asked you to introduce her to your brother if you had absolutely no interest in her at all. I hope the fact that we have not interfered until now despite your closeness with her and our knowledge of her abilities makes you realize how wrong you were to think we'd ever take her from you."
Mizuki wouldn't be able to hide her secret ability forever. He had known that from the day he first stared deeply into her perfect eyes. Some Ancient Magic user other than him would have figured it out eventually. The possibility that they would use, or even abuse Mizuki was something he would never be able to tolerate. It could have even led to open war between the Ancient Magic factions. In the long run, even if with Motohiko instead of himself, the Yoshida family would have been the best option to ensure Mizuki's safety. Here, even if she hadn't been in his arms, she would have been safe from the other more ruthless members of the Ancient Magic community.
"I realize my egregious error Oka-san, and humbly beg your forgiveness."
Again his head touched the floor before him, but this time his mother stroked his hair instead. When he looked back up she was smiling radiantly at him once more.
"How could I not forgive you? You are my precious little one."
Then see turned as if to bawl again into his handkerchief.
"My little one whose heart has been stolen from me by some hussy."
"Kaa-chan…."
Then she looked at him with a very serious expression.
"I will scrutinize her furiously! She must be perfection to be worthy of my Miki-kun."
He winced at much-hated nickname.
"Mom, please…"
Erika liked to pretend she had come up with the nickname "Miki" on her own, but Mikihiko would never forget the day she heard his mother call him that in front of her. Even now he felt the dread he felt that day upon seeing Erika's eyes sparkle with sudden teasing malice in her heart.
It was also the day he first met Erika, and since then…
He sighed remembering all the times that person had irritatingly called him "Miki" since that day.
But this woman before him now...
His loving mother.
Would never hear him complain about that nickname beyond what he had just said to her.
Then he realized that like his mother, it didn't bother him at all when Mizuki called him "Miki" either.
"So…..what evening?"
His reminiscing smile suddenly fell from his face in temporary confusion.
"Evening…for?"
She giggled slightly.
"Oh, my little one! What evening shall she dine with us?"
Seeing his sudden concern again she laughed even more with her hand again covering her smile.
"You had planned to introduce her to us before your brother's engagement party. It's the proper way to do it."
Hearing his mother repeat Erika's earlier words made him twist the corner of his mouth up in a smirk.
Once again his tension increased, but for an entirely different reason than before.
When she heard the bio-scanner ping, indicating someone with authorization was about to enter her flat, her already growing concern tripled instantly.
In point of contrast, her current companion, who had been nearly a nervous wreck of anticipation since she arrived unannounced little more than an hour before, bolted upright and nearly rushed towards the door before stopping herself with apparently great effort.
Her companion and she bore more than a striking similarity to each other. In fact had they been the same ages, they would have been mistaken for sisters if not twins.
"I'm back!"
A young and cheerful male voice called out from the hallway right before turning the corner into the room. She replied to him while sitting up from her previously somewhat undignified lounging position on the couch.
"Welcome home."
When he turned the corner while also aiming a smile at her, he suddenly realized they were not alone. Seeing her companion, his eyes widened in delighted surprise.
"OBA-CHAN!"
Her mother's expression, on the other hand, was one of pure unadulterated joy.
"Minoru-kun!"
Kyouko could clearly see the intense pain behind her mother's apparent joy. The tears forming near the corners of her mother's eyes as she beheld her nephew for the first time in months weren't all tears of joy.
"Why do you do this to yourself Oka-san?"
She had asked her mother that same question when she had first shown up on her doorstep little more than an hour before. Since she had learned the truth of her young cousin's existence herself, she had felt as if she had asked her mother that same question a million times.
"You don't understand yet, but you will."
This was her mother's standard reply to this question.
"But will I ever get to that place from where I can understand?"
As the years passed Kyouko wondered more and more if the sand in her particular hourglass of life would eventually run to the bottom unopposed. The image of two young men flashed past her mind. One had been gone for nearly half a decade now, the other left just months before. Still the pain of losing both felt to her like fresh wounds still bleeding profusely.
"I can't believe you're here! I haven't seen you in months."
When aunt and nephew embraced each other for the first time literally in months, Kyouko could feel all her mother's pain being instantly released. She knew it would return to haunt her mother again, soon enough.
"…..Oka-san."
She covered her own sadness and concerns behind a smiling false mask.
"Perhaps not understanding my mother's true pain is actually a gift."
A mask she had perfected by watching her mother hide her own pain in a similar fashion. The look on her mother's face now was anything but a mask. Her joy at holding her nephew again was heartbreaking for her daughter to look upon.
"Oka-san showed up here about an hour ago. Apparently, she was concerned about me. You being here is a bonus though, right mom?"
Clearly reluctant to let her nephew go, she finally pulled back enough to look at his smiling face. As their cheeks passed each other she planted a kiss on him. Now holding his forearms as he held her elbows, she practically glowed with happiness as she lovingly inspected him.
"Indeed it is! You look so good! Really good! You must be feeling so much better?"
She reached up and gently stroked the cheek she had just kissed. He blushed a little and swiveled his head a bit in a self-deprecating manner.
"I am feeling much better Oba-chan, really!"
Her mom's hands had drifted downward to hold Minoru's hands as she stared at him with pure joy.
"And you've grown so much! I have to tilt my head back just to see your handsome face now!"
She closed her eyes again. For a second Kyouko was afraid the tears that had been threatening to escape her mother's eyes for the last hour might roll unchecked down her cheeks.
"Please forgive me for having not come to see you these last few months."
Minoru looked at his aunt with mild concern.
"I know you have been very busy Oba-chan. Ojii-sama told me about your business activities. I know you were so busy, please think nothing of it."
She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Good."
Then she slid her right arm into the crease of his left one and guided him to the nearest sofa.
"Now I want to hear all about your trip and about the events you'll be competing in at the Nine Schools Competition."
They took a few steps towards the couch, but right when Minoru was about to speak again he suddenly became wobbly on his feet.
"MINORU-KUN!"
Both women called out together as they rushed to support him.
"I'm….."
He reached down to the arm of the sofa to support himself.
"I'm fine…..just a little light-headed…that's all."
With their help, he stood back upright but it was clear he was still shaky.
"I'll be fine…..let's sit and talk."
"I don't think so!"
With these words, Kyouko slid under his right arm and stretched her left arm across his back.
"Nee-chan….really I'm….."
"Listen to Kyouko Minoru-chan."
Her mother slid under his left arm to brace him from the other side.
"Really Oba-chan, I am fine…..this is just a side effect of the treatments."
"Yeah, it's called exhaustion!"
Kyouko's tone was scolding in nature as she guided them towards the guest room.
"Nee-chan…."
"No arguing Minoru-chan. Let's get you down so we can take proper care of you."
He looked like he was about to argue the point with them as they crossed into the guest room. Then he paused as he looked into his aunt's concerned eyes.
"Alright Oba-chan, if you think it's for the best."
"I DO!"
Kyouko and her mother guided Minoru down onto the bed and both began to fuse over him profusely, and much to his embarrassment.
About two hours later Kyouko was again rather indignantly sprawled out on her couch and only half watching some ridiculous game show.
Three straight days of interrogation had left her mentally exhausted, but physically agitated. She could use a sleep inducer, but she didn't have to go in tomorrow so she thought "why force the issue". The reason she had tomorrow off was because, as she'd be trying to find something to fill her day with to distract her mind, a bunch of old men in suits and ribbon bedecked dress uniforms would be deciding the fate of her career.
"Well what did I expect to happen?"
She had violated the National Emergency Broadcast System for what at the end of the day could only be called high school antics. Worse, she hadn't even bothered to cover up she had done it.
"What was I thinking?"
She understood her motivation for doing it well enough though.
"That guy."
She didn't understand why she felt someone as powerful at Tatsuya needed her to play "Onee-san" for him. Not like he didn't already have Miyuki looking out for him. Still, since the day she had met him, she felt like he was…..
"…..broken."
Every time she looked at that vacant expression on his face after a mission all she could feel was intense sadness for him, and her sisterly instincts had kicked in that very first day. Since that time, as non-intrusively as she could, she has tried to "watch out" for him. She realized that she shared something in common with Miyuki in this desire to push him to be something more than a just weapon. So when the chance came to help Miyuki "humanize" him, she took it without even questioning if it was wise to do so.
She had no regrets about it.
"But to not cover my tracks?"
Every time she performed an operation the very first thing she thought about was the post-operation "clean-up", but this time…
"It's like I wanted them to catch me?"
Even now she had no idea why she didn't bother to cover up behind herself. She had been forced to the conclusion that subconsciously she wanted to get caught.
"But why?"
When she thought about this, those two lost young men's faces drifted across her mind again.
"It makes no sense."
She then heard the sound of someone moving behind her. Turning to look she shot him an incredulous expression.
"Speaking of little boys I feel the need to play 'Onee-san' for."
"Why are you up?"
Minoru shot her back a raised eyebrow in return.
"I could ask you the same question. Don't you have another round to go through early tomorrow?"
As he moved to come around the sofa to join her, she turned away from him with a sour look as she also made space for him to sit beside her.
"Actually I'm off tomorrow."
As he sat beside her he sent her a questioning look.
"Deposition is over with. Now is the deliberation phase."
He turned away with an awkward expression.
"…oh."
She smiled back at him but she clearly wasn't happy.
"My fate in the Self-Defense Forces will be decided, and then they will call me in for the verdict."
"But, this is only an inquest to decide whether to formally charge you for a Court Martial."
She smiled back at him again with that same less-than-thrilled look after she took a sip from her beverage.
"Right, and it probably won't come to that. Today both General Saeki and Ojii-sama spoke on my behalf."
"Well then it's as good as settled!"
Minoru's confidence was plain to see on his face.
"If those two can both agree on something, no one in the nation could possibly refuse their recommendation."
She didn't have the heart to point out that their Grandfather still had enemies in the Self-Defense Forces Command that would love to publically disgrace his granddaughter, or that despite being considered one of the Ten Master Clans biggest critics, General Saeki also had more than her fair share of those that would love to use Kyouko's public court martial to tarnish her reputation and that of the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.
"What was I thinking?"
She had been brooding about this since she had left her mother to care for the previously sleeping Minoru some time ago. She was ready for a distraction, so she held her tongue and agreed with him.
"I'm sure you're right."
His smile and nod indicated to her that he thought her absolution was a done deal.
"This one definitely still needs me to 'Onee-san' him."
That thought made her glad though. So glad her smile made Minoru think he had washed away her concerns.
"You want something?"
Kyouko held up her cup to indicate to him if he too wanted a beverage.
"Oh, yeah…cola on ice."
The center of Kyouko's coffee table descended.
"Cola, and this late too?"
At her mildly rebuking tone, he sent her back a contrite expression.
"I feel like I have wool in my mouth. Cola does a good job of cutting through gunk."
Kyouko gave him a sour expression at his mention of mouth "gunk" as the center of the coffee table reappeared with a slender and tall glass with a dark, bubbling beverage and some ice cubes floating in it. Minoru reached over for it and brought it to his lips. Gulping down nearly half of it before removing it from his mouth, he seemed relieved.
"Are you alright now?"
Seeing his cousin's concern for him, he plastered on a casual expression.
"I told you I was fine before. I haven't had an episode from my condition for months now."
Seeing her skeptical expression, he added further reassurance.
"I'm up and moving about only a couple hours later, am I not?"
He was right. Times before when he had previously succumbed to his condition, having him up again within two days had been considered a victory. Even if it was his condition and not treatment related exhaustion as he claimed, two hours was a considerable improvement.
Kyouko was satisfied he was well now.
"Well…good. You have school tomorrow."
He smiled back to her with a conspiratorial look.
"Since you're off and I barely have seen you this week, I could skip tomorrow and we could go do something together."
Tempted by the idea of finally spending time with him, and also having a distraction for her career related issues, Kyouko almost agreed.
"That's probably not a good idea."
He looked slightly disappointed, so she explained her decision.
"Since you are just visiting First High it wouldn't look good if you skipped for a non-medical reason, especially after Ojii-sama made all the arrangements for it."
He nodded his understanding.
"Alright, I'll head back to bed in a few."
Then her teasing nature showed forth.
"Plus I wouldn't have all those First High girls cursing my name for taking you from them. They only get five precious days."
He twisted up the side of his mouth as if he tasted something sour.
"Really Nee-chan?"
Kyouko smirked at him with satisfaction, then stuck a "dagger" into him.
"Speaking of girls that would be angry with me, how did lunch go?"
Now he sent her a crossed expression. Turning his eyes away he sighed heavily.
"That bad?"
"No…it wasn't bad. Not at all. Izumi-san is quite nice."
Kyouko raised her eyebrow to this statement.
"And…..so?"
"She's very nice and smart. There's nothing wrong with her at all."
His frustration told her there was something behind Minoru's awkwardness.
"It would be a good match. I'm sure Saegusa-dono and Oji-san would be very pleased."
Minoru smirked at her words.
"I'm sure they would."
The sarcasm dripping from his tone of voice was nearly humorous to her. She had to fight not to giggle.
"She doesn't know me."
Then he turned serious and Kyouko matched his mood instantly.
"She's interested in me for the same reason almost every girl is interested in me."
Now she smiled again.
"Ah! The pain of being beautiful!"
Her own sarcastic remark drew another sour look from him.
"Laugh it up, but when she or her family learn about my condition, my looks won't save the relationship, now will it?"
She had unwittingly touched a nerve. Minoru's Bishonen looks made nearly every girl, and now that he was near adulthood full grown women too,for lack of a better term…want him.
At the Ten Master Clans level though, physical beauty and magic power alone were not enough. The circumstances of his condition were a well-hidden secret, but that there was something wrong with Kodou-dono's youngest child has been known amongst the clans for years. Even if Izumi could overlook his condition, her father wouldn't.
And that would be the end of that.
Minoru understood this better than anyone, and thus wasn't willing to attach himself emotionally to someone he knew he could never have.
"I'm sorry."
She reached over and stroked his head, which always made him smile.
"Anyway….."
After a long sigh, he continued.
"…things might be different after that Nine Schools Competition."
He was right about that. A surprising amount of adult interest in the Japanese Magic Community revolved around a high school competition. When healthy, even Tatsuya would have to stay on his toes to beat Minoru in that type of competition format. If Minoru could show the whole magic world he was fit as well as powerful now, then more than a few young lady magicians' fathers would ask much fewer questions about him when courting their daughters. Plus no one thought the Kodou wouldn't be back on the Clans Conference after the next election cycle. A daughter of a Ten Master Clans house might not be in Minoru's future, but a girl from one of the Assistant houses, or a top level Hundred Families house could very well be in his future.
"Speaking of girls…."
Minoru suddenly became tense from just these words.
"…Minami-san wasn't the cause of your post-treatment exhaustion, was she?"
Now Minoru stared back at her in pure mortification.
"Nee-chan, I was a perfect gentleman! I swear!"
When she threw this particular "line" into the "water" she didn't think the "bait" would bring up a "whopper". Now seeing she had apparently caught a "whale" by his intense reaction, she was determined to "pull this one in".
Seeing her smile turn downright predatory, Minoru winced at his obvious mistake.
"So you really didn't want to be a gentleman with Minami-chan though, huh?"
"Nee-chan I would never….."
She smirked mercilessly at him.
"Poor Minami-chan, does she know she's swimming with a shark?"
"NEE-CHAN!"
She couldn't contain it anymore and laughed heartily. Seeing this Minoru began to pout.
"Must you tease me so?"
Still laughing, she reassuringly rubbed his right shoulder. Then her expression became serious again, with a twinge of sadness to it.
"Did you read that document I gave you?"
Minoru's tension took on an agitated flare.
"…yes."
Then he took a few deep breaths and turned a determined look at her.
"What do I care if she is a clone?"
Kyouko looked away slightly embarrassed by the intensity of his response.
"Actually, there's no evidence she herself is a clone."
Then she turned serious eyes back at him.
"But her resemblance to the lady in that dossier is plain just from looking at them."
"You and Oba-chan look alike too because you're mother and daughter. Maybe this woman is Minami's mother, or her aunt, or cousin."
Kyouko could see she had irritated him by reminding him of the file she had let him view on Miyuki's mother's deceased servant Sakura Honami. The fact that Sakura Minami was related to the late Honami was plain on many levels, even to him. Of course, the highly redacted file on Honami she let him see didn't include how, when, and where she died. That was a national secret. Even though she highly suspected their grandfather knew more about it even than she, she wouldn't even discuss isuch a thing with him either. National secrets have a way of getting those that reveal them dead.
The file also didn't say Sakurai Honami was an engineered magician either because the government was never able to collect physical evidence from her remains. Tatsuya himself had overseen her cremation before anyone had thought to ask questions about the recently deceased shield magic user. Tatsuya's own exploits that day had been blinding enough to distract Kazuma and Saeki from other magician's present own unique abilities.
"To make a thirteen-year-old boy cremate his friend..."
Not for the first time did Kyouko feel a shiver run down her spine thinking about how harsh a mother Shiba Miya must have been to give such a task to her young son. Even after reading about the events years after the fact brought a lot of troubling thoughts up about her younger colleague's early life.
"With such a hard mother...no wonder..."
As for the two Sakurai women, the remarkable resemblance between them, compounded by the rumors of Yotsuba genetic activities, made cloning, and thus genetic modification, nearly a foregone conclusion in this case.
"It's not like I have the right to judge someone's genetic heritage."
His odd statement pulled Kyouko's train of thought back to the conversation at hand rather violently. Sudden concern struck at her mind with Minoru's seemingly simple statement.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?"
She turned to look him in the eyes. Seeing the sudden flash of concern from him, and noting how his pupils widened, her levels of concern increased immediately.
"Surely he doesn't..."
"It's just…well…..no one went through more genetic modifications than Ojii-sama."
His stuttering answer did nothing to ease her concern over his previous statement. While completely plausible for an elaboration of that statement, his guilty attitude betrayed his apparent attempt to cover deeper meaning behind his words. Kyouko had learned things about her cousin's past that only a rare few of the previous generations of the Kodou family knew, and had worked very hard to cover-up. With his sudden and awkward words, her suspicions that he might know more about his own unique origins had tripled.
"So…who are we to judge those that have been modified? We are just two generation past that stage in Modern Magician development."
While Minoru tried to dig himself out of the hole he could only suspect he had dug himself into, the wheels of Kyouko's mind continued to turn. Even as her mind questioned exactly what Minoru knew that he shouldn't know, she resolved to find out only when she could do so without alerting him of it.
"When did that even become some type of stigma?"
"I don't know…"
She worked to calm her troubled mind as she spoke.
"…but you're right. It's as stupid as so-called "Extra" families and people treating Course Two students differently. Even more so since we are ALL descended from genetically modified magicians."
She truly believed this as much as him. Magicians had too many enemies outside of themselves to be dividing amongst themselves too. Even when she thought about humanity at large, she couldn't understand the apparent need for people to divide the magician minority from non-magician majority either. She understood the origins of these divisions, she just couldn't justify their existence, especially among magicians of one cohesive nation. To her, Japanese magicians, modern and ancient, should have no divisions among themselves. They needed each other too much for such silliness to taint their relations with one another.
"So tell me….."
She smiled indulgently at her cousin.
"…what makes Minami-san so special to you?"
"I…..well I…."
He wasn't expecting this question and began to stutter over his word, but suddenly he seemed to calm before her eyes.
"When she looks at me…"
The look in his eyes had a softness and kindness to them that made Kyouko begin to smile back in sympathetic reaction.
"….well I know I'm attractive to her like everyone else….."
Then he looked straight ahead as if he alone could see something no one else could.
"….but…..she doesn't WANT anything from me. Not like most people do."
He then turned those perfect features and longing eyes on one of the few women in the world who also didn't want anything from him.
"…..and unlike others that know about my condition, she doesn't pity me either."
On a woman who also would never pity him.
"She's so calm, and easy to be around. Even though I am a little nervous around her, it's not like normal. I….."
Kyouko could see the happiness Sakurai Minami had brought into her cousin's life shining through his glowing eyes.
"…I don't have to prove myself to her. It's like she sees who I really am."
Kyouko had also seen who her cousin really was. Even before she knew the hidden truth, she had felt the natural connection there between them.
"I see."
She truly did see it. In the past half year this young man, whom before that Kyouko had begun to brace her heart for the dreaded news about, had made a miraculous recovery. It was more than his physical body though that had made a miraculous recovery. He had always been a remarkably happy person, in spite of his condition, but now he was finding true joy around every corner.
Miyuki, Tatsuya, and especially Minami had been a huge part of that aspect of his turnaround too.
The gratitude in Kyouko's heart for this service to her family and more had made the sacrifice of her career for the sake of Tatsuya's human enrichment seem downright reasonable to her, even now.
"What's a career against getting to keep my...cousin?"
For a woman preparing for her beloved cousin's inevitable demise just months before, his miraculous recovery would have been something she would have sacrificed her own life for. Losing her career was child's play in comparison.
"It's almost like being around you. I mean…..obviously different too!"
Again her cousin's words took her back to the conversation at hand.
"…obviously."
Minoru chose again to ignore his cousin's teasing tone.
"But she's…well…."
Seeing he was tired, and having a hard time finding the right words again, Kyouko rescued him from the awkward situation.
"I get it."
She tussled his hair again with a smile on her face.
"I didn't show you that dossier to make things difficult for you. I just wanted you to have all the facts up front before getting too attached. If you do pursue a relationship with her there will be difficulties from both sides. You know I'm the type that prefers to have all the facts straight before formulating an attack plan. I just don't want you to step into something you were unprepared for."
Minoru nodded his understanding before replying.
"It's just…well, we really don't know each other like that…..not yet anyway."
His words were reasonable sounding but Kyouko could see that his heart was already a prisoner to the ancient condition all hearts must face eventually.
"But assuming I get to come back here for treatments, she's definitely someone I would like to get to know better."
Again she remembered the faces of two young men now dead. One who she had been destined to be the wife for, and the mother of his children. The other was barely more than an acquaintance, yet still, her heart inexplicably ached just a bad for him as for the other. Still not willing to face her own pain, she resorted to her teasing ways again to cover her inner thoughts.
"My goodness! A few hundred hearts back at Second High have just been shattered!"
"…Nee-chan!"
She smirked back at him again.
"Not to mention a few hundred at First High too!"
Then, as if she were his real Onee-san giving out sisterly advice, she rubbed his shoulder while imparting words to him.
"If she makes you happy, and can make you even happier in the future, then I could care less if she was a clone or a fish."
She then lovingly patted him on his cheek.
"The only thing that matter's to me is your happiness!"
Turning way she shrugged in a nonchalant manner.
"That she's an attractive girl I'm sure is a bonus for you."
"Nee-chan."
His embarrassed smile made her heart truly happy. It made her forget that her life might change forever tomorrow depending on the judgment of people she didn't even know. It made her forget the fear she had lived with for years that her cousin would die before tasting life. It even made her forget about her dead fiancé and a certain police detective that had to also gone and get himself killed.
It reminded her of better times.
"Come here."
A time when these two cousins had comforted each other as if they were brother and sister.
"What? No, we're too old for that."
Minoru, as a young man would, tried to shrug off his cousin's attempt to pull his head onto her lap.
"Well you may be a big grown up man now mister but I am never too old for this, and I always get my way."
Seeing her determination, Minoru relented rather easily.
"Fine, but only because you've had a rough week."
As she laid back and he laid his head on her stomach, she replied in a teasing tone again.
"Oh! Thank you so much for this rare honor Lord Minoru!"
He chose to mildly shake his head on her stomach in reply. Kyouko stroked his head as she looked up towards the ceiling and he looked to the side towards the monitor screen. After they stopped giggling, Kyouko spoke again.
"When you're ready, I'll go wake mom up and drive her to her hotel. Not like I'm going to sleep anytime soon."
To her surprise, he gently shook his head side-to-side again.
"No….that's not necessary."
He was kind, to a fault sometimes.
"You going to sleep here on the couch or you expect me to give up my own bed, Lord Minoru?"
He didn't shake his head this time, and his reply was nearly a whisper.
"….no."
Kyouko played with his hair as he elaborated.
"Even if you woke her up, she wouldn't want to leave."
He was right, and she knew it even before making the suggestion.
"Probably not."
Laying his body between the sofa back and her legs, he tucked himself into the gap formed just as he had as a little boy.
"I'll just crawl back in beside her."
Indeed, he was too kind.
"Won't that feel awkward, sleeping with your aunt?"
Then his level of kindness really did surprise her along with his next words.
"No, she was so happy to see me I think it would be cruel to act that way with her."
Kyouko began to feel tears well up in the corners of her eyes. She was glad Minoru couldn't see her face now.
"Plus, she'd panic if she woke and I wasn't there."
"Yes, you're probably right again. You are her favorite person in the whole world."
She hoped her words contained the joy she wasn't feeling just now in her heart. She hoped Minoru couldn't sense the sorrow she felt for her mother's secret pain.
"I really love her too, and I miss her."
Kyouko took a deep breath when she heard him say this. She knew aunt and nephew had always felt their special bond, just as these two cousins had. Still, words have a certain power. Saying these things out loud to another made them seem more real, more intense.
"And I love you as well Nee-chan."
Kyouko had to take a few deep breaths before formulating an attempted response.
"Oh my! Lord Minoru is so sappy tonight. Kyouko-san may cry with joy at any moment."
She hoped her teasing tone was accurate, that she hadn't betrayed her own secret pain in this moment of weakness. If he were to raise his head now, the tears that had just slid down towards her ears would betrayer her inner turmoil without a doubt.
"…whatever!"
His sarcastic sounding response reassured her that she had not revealed too much of her heart to him.
"Anyway, I'm sure I won't see her again for a while."
He was right, he probably wouldn't. The Fujibayashi and Kodou homes were only kilometers apart but for her mother, it might as well be the distance to the sun and back between her childhood home and the home of her husband. Still, a tiny inkling inside her said that something about Minoru's words wasn't something he should be saying. She indulged this suspicion by asking her next question.
"What makes you say that?"
His response would pour freezing water on her mind.
"I know our mothers don't get along Nee-chan."
"...HE KNOWS."
This is the one thought that could muster itself in her mind when he mentioned his knowledge of the strained relations between the sister-in-laws. It could lead to too many other questions she had hoped he'd never ask. She had to try to deflect him off this track somehow.
"Now what makes you think a thing like that?"
She hoped again her voice did not betray her inner feelings. She had tried to effect sarcasm with disinterest with her words just now.
"I heard Oka-san screaming at Oji-san about it right after the last time I saw Oba-chan at the main residence."
The floor dropped out from under Kyouko's feet with this proclamation.
"How careless could they be?"
To openly argue while Minoru was within earshot was the height of folly in Kyouko's estimation.
"…..you did?"
It was the only response she could give him under the circumstances.
"She said it was either her or Oba-chan, but one of them wasn't coming back inside the main residence again."
Suddenly caught off guard, she had nowhere left to retreat to now.
"You weren't supposed to know about that."
It was the truth, yet saying so entailed letting him know she too was a party to the deception.
"I knew before then. You could feel the tension between them for years now."
She had known for most of her life that her mother and her aunt could barely tolerate each other. Even when she didn't know the reason behind it, she couldn't help but feel their dislike for each other, which had only grown with added animosity over time. He had become a perceptive and thoughtful young man. She could not deny his intelligence and reasoning skills now. It's no wonder that he too eventually perceived their mutual hostility.
"I guess we all have to grow up sometime."
All she could do is stroke his head in her lap and hope he didn't turn his eyes upwards to see her misery on her face.
"Well…some of us."
His light-hearted response even made her giggle a bit even through her sadness. She found his resilience remarkable, but she then realized that she shouldn't be surprised by this at all. Minoru had been overcoming the odds since the day he was conceived.
She couldn't let the current discussion go though, not without knowing how far his knowledge went on that dreaded topic.
"Minoru-kun, what else have you overheard?"
Bracing for the expected answer, his response stunned her for a few moments.
"Nothing much….nothing at all."
She assumed her reactions had given her superior knowledge away to him. She couldn't believe he didn't intend to press forward for more when she clearly thought he had her in his cross-hairs.
She had to know why. She had to know if he knew or even suspected the truth.
"Do you know why our mothers can't get along?"
Again, she braced herself for the dark truth of their lives to be spoken out loud by him.
"That's not important."
Again, his deflecting response stunned her into temporary silence.
When she found her tongue again after a few deep breaths, she again had to hope he couldn't hear the pain she clearly heard in her own voice.
"It's not?"
He extended his left arm around her hips and pulled her into him as he slowly repositioned his head, still resting on her lap. Then, as she lightly ran her fingers through his hair again, she heard him sigh lightly before giving her his answer.
"No."
So quiet yet so forceful was his response that it seemed to Kyouko he had found her personal "pressure valve" and turned the knob, releasing all the tension she had felt over this family's darkest secret. So sure of his answer that her concerns were truly melted away by his confidence.
"What's important is that we do like each other. At the end of the day, that's all that matters to me Nee-chan."
Despite her tears, tears she hoped he still hadn't seen, she smiled freely and closed her eyes.
"Yes...you're right."
He shifted his head lightly on her lap again as she took a few reassuring breaths.
"I love you Nee-chan."
With these words it was all Kyouko could do to not scream out that she loved her secret brother too. The hidden truth of their lives, whether he knew or just suspected, he was apparently not ready to confront head-on yet. Honestly, neither was she.
She held her beloved little brother's head in her lap and stroked his head as she cursed her aunt and uncle, her grandfather, and even her mother. They had all been guilty of weaving this tapestry of lies around her secret Otouto. She had thought she had forgiven them a long time ago, but tonight had dredged up all her anger again and made it fresh.
To watch her mother suffer to not be able to be the mother of her own son. She again questioned what her mother had been thinking when she agreed to provide the egg for Uncle's experiment.
Kyouko knew exactly what her mother had been thinking though. Her mother had loved and admired her Onii-san since she was a little girl. She had watched his disappointment, watched his pain at not living up to their father's abilities. She loved her brother so much that she agreed to give a part of herself to bring him solace in his despair.
She clearly had underestimated just how much she would love the piece of herself she had sacrificed for her brother's happiness, and for almost two decades now she has had to live with the pain of being separated from her child and made to wear the false mask of "aunt" instead.
A pain that his secret Onee-san now shared with their mother.
There was only one thing left for the secret sister to say to her little brother.
"I love you too Minoru-kun."
Sometime shortly after, sleep finally found Kyouko and Minoru both as they slept on the couch like the family they truly were. When they woke the next day they had discovered that a woman that desperately loved them both had covered them with a blanket in the middle of the night, and was even now making both of her children a hand-made breakfast in Kyouko's kitchen.
Hearing their mother hum happily as she busied herself for their sakes, and seeing the tea cup on the table beside the nearby chair, indicating that their mother had watched them sleep for some time beforehand, it was all Kyouko could do to not cry again when she saw how happy their mother was this morning.
