It's so obvious that the chocolate haired younger brother would probably bombard her with so many questions, after the event that took place. Before that happened, Cagalli had hurriedly returned to her own room, as soon as the Zala family left the house after they had generously brought them to dinner in a reserved restaurant.
The dinner was okay a little chaotic. It was noticeable that the head of Zala family, Patrick Zala was not used to have a conversation while eating, but in the contrary, Ulen Hibiki was fond of talking while his mouth full of food. Thus, it was no wonder that the situation was a little tense, as Cagalli could keep on seeing the annoyed look that was present on the elder Zala's facial.
On the other side, Cagalli believed that the mothers would get along quite nicely. Her mother was probably not the gentlest mother in the world like Athrun's mother was, but she was kind and loved her more than everything and it was all Cagalli could ask from a mother. Even though she could be stubborn and reckless most of time, but for as long as she knew, her mother was quite a gentle lady she was. From what Cagalli saw, Lenore Zala was smiling quite frequently when Via and she were talking.
Maybe the sudden unification of both families was not bad at all
But out of that all, the pastel haired girl and her cute younger brother were the ones that interested her the most. Cagalli had met Lacus before, that was when Athrun took her to a dinner in this holiday and he invited his younger sister along. Lacus Zala was a gracious girl Xit was obvious from the way she talked and put her foot in front of another, it was as if she was watching a girl who was born to be a real princess.
Lacus was a quiet and polite girl, and in her face, there was always this gentle smile in her face XCagalli concluded that the smile was something that she inherited from her mother. When the three had dinner together, Cagalli would be the one who asked the questions more than Lacus would. Even though so, Cagalli thought that every time they had conversation, it was always pleasing. But the look on her eyes was a bit cautious Xas if the eyes were inspecting every movement that she did, but her face still remained happy and pleasant.
However, tonight, she felt as if the carefulness disappeared from her eyes as she conversed with Kira. The blue eyes were shining, like it never was before. The way she would talk and laugh lightly was something Cagalli never saw before. It was as if something had been brought upon life, something that moved animatedly within those cerulean orbs.
And Kira was also wallowing with happiness, for as long as Cagalli could tell. Kira never talked that much before as long as she knew. His shyness was something she always worried about when she had to go to university, because the shyness sometimes made him anti social. But the Kira in front of her was different. It was as if he was not her brother, but someone else.
Cagalli sighed as she put her hands behind her head, leaning on her bed. She wondered if what she had chosen was really a right pick. It was alright, wasn't it?
The knock on her door somehow crushed her reverie. Annoyed, she opened the door only to reveal a slightly frowned Kira. As expected.
"We need to talk, onee-chan," he said, his expression was as serious as stone
"Oh, about time," She muttered softly, "Okay. Go inside. Quick,"
She closed the door with a slam as she sighed yet again. Turning the lamp on again, she plopped on the chair near her study desk as her younger brother sat on the bed, looked unsure himself.
"You see," his brows knitted even deeper, "It seems that you already know that I'm classmate with Lacus from the very first,"
"Yeah, I'll admit that I do," she shook her head, sending golden tresses swaying
He looked frustrated, "Then why don't you just tell me about it? You know, I made myself completely like an idiot in front of her!" he complained, arms flailing in the midair
Cagalli didn't know why, but the necessity to chuckle just too much to be bore so she did
"Aaaa? And what's that? Why does the thought of making yourself like an idiot in front of her bother you so much?" she teased him when she leaned forward, relishing the flushing face of Kira.
"No, i-it's not like w-what you think!" he stuttered with a flushed face, "She is my classmate, onee-chan! You should know that I don't want to look like an idiot in school!" he glared at the chuckling older sister
"Anyway, onee-chan, you never really tell me anything about Athrun, don't you?" she stiffened when he brought the topic up, "I'm surprised that you two are going to marry each other."
"Why do you like to keep me in the dark?"
Cagalli flinched inwardly. It's true that she never told Kira anything about it. But it was more like because she didn't like to talk something like that with Kira. He would probably keep on pestering her about what they did, what their relationship was like, and so many other things that would make her feel extremely embarrassed when it was discussed like it was a common thing.
But she knew that she had to tell him eventually. Athrun didn't do it too at first, but when he invited his sister along in that dinner, she knew that he had talked about it eye to eye with Lacus. Now it was her turn. She couldn't possibly let Athrun became a stranger forever in front of Kira.
"It's more like because you're a male and I'm a female," she sighed as she touched his forehead with her index finger, "And all females don't like to talk about it with a male, you know? It's a sensitive subject,"
"But I'm your younger brother! Isn't that a reason enough to be frank?"
"No, it's not," she told him sternly, "But if you are persistent enough, I will tell you about Athrun. And basically everything you want to know about him,"
And then she grinned mischievously, "And his younger sister too if you want," she really enjoyed watching his face slowly flushed a darker red
"You always know I'm persistent," he insisted, face still glowing red, "You don't want me to just know his name and that he is really polite and nice, do you?"
"Well, I actually don't really mind, when you meet him again, maybe you both can try to know each other instead of me just telling you?"
"Onee-chan!" he warned her dangerously, and it was all it took before a certain blonde sighed in defeat
"Fine, but don't blame me if you want to puke after this,"
She was lying on her fluffy bed, the pale cherry tresses sprawling everywhere as she shifted around, azure eyes etched on the ceiling. The dimmed surrounding helped her to relax and still. Then she fluttered her eyes close, and thinking.
The proposal night was tiring. At first, she had already been reluctant to go, but she didn't want to disappoint her big brother, and so, she got along. The simple outfit that she wore earlier was a proof of her apathy, yet no one seemed to notice. Her mother was not one who wore glamour dress to begin with, so it's just logical that everyone didn't seem to note something amiss.
She knew that eventually today would come, the day where her brother would officially tie the knot with a girl who he had claimed to love so much. But today was just a day that made her melancholy, and that was just a reason enough for everything. She felt dread when she realized that she was going to let her brother take one step higher, a path she never had been going through before and could never be backed down once done, as their parents bickered heatedly about a reception that they never held before either.
It was such a raw feeling, something she never felt before. Fear. Uncertainty. Feeling that was new, but she was Lacus Zala. A Zala never let trepidation showed on his face, and she was never the one who let such negative emotion easily in the first place. It was scary and in some way, within her deepest heart, she felt even more alone than she was now.
She never liked to be alone to begin with Xthe first year had been so quiet, but she knew it was better than filling it with unnecessary chaos. An accident happened in the past and turned things 180 degree over, that it was almost impossible to get out. But people said that calmness was gold, and soon, after she just kept silent and said nothing, even though the atmosphere changed drastically, the situation gradually getting better, but no one dared to go near her now, except for casual talking.
She was hoping and still hoping that soon, there would be someone that could be her savior, pulling her out of this desperate position.
Someone who would save her from the brink of madness that slowly, slowly gnawing on her day by day.
A flash of purple briefly visible on her mind, and she jerked her eyes open, bright blue eyes glowing in the darkness. Those eyes which looked at her with concern, mirth, and warmth Xit was just for a short moment, but it made her remember, the feeling of being taken care by someone. Someone who cared for her Xsomeone so kind and gentle, long, long time ago.
Her eyes softened a bit, as she remembered then a memory of the purple orbs' owner Xsomething that she had silently observed from afar when they were still in the first year. If there was something she could hold on for a while, she would want to remember that warm remembrance and wanted nothing more.
She slept, and nothing more clouded her mind for just a while.
His stomach really felt that uneasy the day after. It felt awkward somehow. She was even quieter in the class, but he could not miss the smile that still etched on her face the whole day. Somehow, nearing her, sitting only a few seats away, made him think how she stood out amongst his other female friends.
She always looked radiant and friendly, but no one had ever tried to make a contact with her except of that short haired brunette XMiriallia. The situation looked a little better than the last time he was in the same class with her Xbut still. There was a wall that blocked her with the other students. Were the students trying to desert her away?
Or she was the one who deserted them away, and made it seem like she was fine the way she was?
But, deep down, he had always known that in the depths of her heart, she didn't want to be alone. Somehow, when they talked, he could tell that she loved to converse with other people, her conversation skill was not bad to begin with. Then why? Why she was always alone?
Was there something he didn't know?
He was startled when he felt a tap on his shoulder but quickly recovered when it was just a certain Tolle who touched him just now
"Hey Kira," Tolle grinned, "Want to take a bite?"
"Do I miss the lunch bell again?" he somehow asked. He felt that lately, when he knew her even further, he always drowned deep down in his mind that he barely could concentrate with his surrounding.
"I can't believe you always miss it Kira," he shook his head with sympathy, "Almost, I mean every student relies on lunch bell to shoo the teachers away Kira! I can't believe you can miss such important things like that! Do you really looooove the teachers that much?" he sneered sarcastically
Kira laughed, "The teachers aren't so bad, they can be nice sometimes," he nodded to himself
"Heck! They're terrible and annoying! I mean, this week is still our first week and they already plan to hold tests next week!"
"They do?" did it mean he was spacing out that long that he didn't hear that the teachers would hold a test next week?
"You don't know?" Tolle raised his brow quizzically, "And here I think you are the type who observes the teachers all time!"
Then, as though an idea struck him from heaven, he grinned impishly that it scared Kira quite a bit
"What are you thinking about all time huh Kira? You get yourself a girl, don't you?" he leered maliciously
"Why there are only girl stuffs in your brain huh Tolle?" Kira laughed out loud while feeling himself somehow felt a little nervous. Was that fine to tell Tolle about things he had been thinking about?
"I can't help it man, I'm a very manly male! You're an ass-wimp if you don't have any thought as marvelous as I do," Tolle heaved proudly
"Anyway, you gotta tell me! Is she cute like my Milly?" Tolle called Miriallia with her affectionate nickname that everyone had been using even though the said person didn't like it any bit when Tolle called her that way
"Well, it's not like what you think though," Tolle's facial dropped a bit but perked up when he heard the next part, "But yeah, I'm thinking about a girl,"
"Crush? You have a crush? Congratulation man, you finally have become a man!" Tolle was about to pat his friend's shoulder when Kira chuckled and shook his head a little
"Hmm, no I guess, she's not my crush! This girl is my soon to be sister-in-law X"
"What? Your sister's gonna marry someone?"
"Uh, yeah? Are you interested with my sister or what?" he was amused. Tolle was born with face that could tell one thousand words more than his mouth capable
"No thanks, I'm not interested with older girls, I prefer younger and cute girls," he shuddered, "So why is that? Is your soon-to-be sister-in-law so cute and sexy that you can't stop thinking about her all night X"
"She is actually one of our classmates Tolle," he cut him as quick as possible, somehow uncomfortable that Tolle said 'sexy and cute' to the certain pastel-haired girl
"What the hell?" Tolle widened his eyes, suddenly more interested than ever, "Who is that Kira, who? That can't be seriously happening, right?"
"I'm afraid that's a reality," he sighed, "I don't know what's happening, but it is. You know K.a girl in our class with pastel hair? She is my soon-to-be sister-in-law X"
"Wait a minute!" Tolle cut him, "Pastel-haired girl? The one who ate with Milly yesterday in the cafeteria? That one?"
Kira nodded before Tolle suddenly became more horrified than ever that Kira began to wonder what was wrong
"Kira, you know, uhh," Tolle began to fidget, "You are not kidding right? That Zala girl one? You don't really play with my mind do you?"
That confirmed Kira's suspicion. The way Tolle reacted was quite overboard than what he seriously thought at first. What was wrong with Lacus became his soon-to-be sister-in-law? That just didn't make sense.
"What's wrong actually? What's wrong with Lacus?" Kira raised his brow in suspicion. They had halted in the hallway that connected them to the cafeteria and it just indicated that the conversation just became more and more heated
Tolle's hand began to fiddle around as he fidgeted, "Uhh Kira, there's this quite unpleasant rumor about her. I don't want to tell you but believe me it's really nasty X"
"Tolle, just tell me. I don't care. Just do it," Kira insisted calmly, it now seemed as clear as crystal. The mystery of her quietness all time, the wall that built around her and the way the students would just talk and go away like strangers. He somehow believed that it would make sense if only Tolle told him the truth.
"Okay, but don't blame me if this turns out to be untrue," Tolle muttered under his breath, took a deep breath before he delivered the nasty rumor
"Lacus Zala's in love with her older brother. And all students think that she is insane to even have an idea like that, well I don't know about Milly though. That's why everyone doesn't want to interact with her because she's a weirdo X"
Just like that, and Kira felt like a side of his mind blackened out.