Author's Note: Here's the next chapter like I promised! Thank goodness I was able to escape from Kio and school's evil clutches! I hope you like it. :) My endnote is still as long as before so read it when you please.
Title: A Tale of Timeless Love
Disclaimer: *plays tape recorder* (crackly voice) I decided to just record this part so I can just repeat it when needed. So here it is (deep intake of breath) I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA!(Very loud) *recorder breaks* (Lostruth appears) Argh! You worthless piece of junk! *kicks it out the window* fine! I'll do it the manual way! *begins typing* I do NOT own Shugo Chara and if anybody says otherwise, they better be ready for the consequences. So there! :P
-OoO-
Chapter 8 A Single Star and A Single Wish
Amu leaned tiredly, against the wooden balustrade in front of her room and she pondered about it, it always did bother her – the sky, that is.
What was beyond that endless stretch of blue? Was it infinity? Would there ever be an end to it? And if there really was no end to it, what filled it? Emptiness? If so, did that mean that she was similar to that dull sky she never liked? In that same sense, would she be infinitely empty too?
Amu snorted. That would suit her just perfectly, wouldn't it? She thought as looked distastefully at the sky.
"What's with that face?" a voice said aloud out of nowhere.
Amu started and searched for the source of the voice. When she raised her eyes, she was slightly surprised to find a very familiar face there near the edge of the roof – but it was upside down.
"Good evening." Ikuto greeted pleasantly, still upside down. Amu looked at him and gave a wry smile.
"Good evening," she greeted back and seemed to ponder over something before she said, "You're… in an over the top mood." She said flatly.
"Was that an attempt at a pun? If so, it was less amusing coming from you." He said as he swung himself downward and landed noiselessly on the spot which Amu had been leaning against. Amu took a step backward calmly without taking her eyes off Ikuto. She was determined not be shaken in any way this time – she would not allow herself to be humiliated any longer.
"Putting aside my inability to tell a joke, what brings you here, Ikuto? Princess Utau would not be very thrilled if she found you here talking to me." Amu said pointedly.
"She won't be here. She's currently in the process of getting acquainted with her future husband." He said offhandedly, "As for why I'm here, I came over to play." He said mischievously. Amu understood the meaning behind his words and inwardly sighed.
"Is there a specific venue this time? Or shall we wander until we reach a place to suit your tastes?" she inquired idly, already getting quite used to dealing with him.
Ikuto only examined her for a few moments before he suddenly reached out and pulled her closer to him, pressing the back of his index finger and middle finger against her forehead.
"You seem tired. Are you alright?" he asked, his forehead slightly creased.
"Yes, I'm fine. There's no need for you to worry about me." Amu reassured dully, pulling away from his touch. She was tired, even she acknowledged that fact – but she wouldn't let it hinder what she had to do. And at that moment – it was to entertain the thoughtless Prince before her.
"Are you quite sure?" he asked again and Amu looked at him challengingly.
"If I told you that I was – would that stop you from wanting me to accommodate you?" she countered and Ikuto smiled in reply.
"Well, no. But it could help me decide where our game will be held." He said with a wicked glint in his eyes. He contemplated for a moment, closing his eyes. Then after a minute or so, his eyes snapped open. "I've got it." He said, his eyes sparkling like a child who just found something he wanted very much.
Without skipping a beat, he grabbed her forearm and slid open the door to her room. When he did this, she understood his intentions immediately and opened her mouth to protest – but she closed it in the next second, knowing full well how futile it was to object to his wishes either way.
He pulled her inside her quarters and slid the door shut behind him.
"Here should be acceptable. I need a change of scenery." He announced, letting go of Amu. He strode towards her window and threw it open. He leaned against the sill and took a deep intake of air. His eyes scanned over her room with interest and if it was any other female, they would have been embarrassed at letting a man see her room.
Amu on the other hand, being different from a normal female, let it pass. She supposed that her room was as fascinating as a barren wasteland to someone like Ikuto – and yet, when she glimpsed his expression, she could see genuine interest in his vivid blue eyes and it threw her back somewhat.
She propped herself by the small table in the center of the room, keeping an eye on Ikuto who began to pace around her room. When he looked back at her, he seemed to have spotted something that caught his attention for he moved towards the table. When he stood directly in front of her, he leaned down and picked up the book that Tadase had lent her.
She watched as he pulled it closer to his face and examined the cover. "The Siege of Right," he read aloud in fluent English as his eyes ran over it. He flipped it over and read the text at the back which, coincidentally was also in English which had also rendered Amu unable to read it, much to her frustration.
His gaze shifted towards her after half a minute, "Is it?" he said, giving her a questioning look. She easily understood what he was asking and answered promptly.
"It was recommended to me by the Second Prince," she explained briefly but added, "You are able to read English?"
She hoped to dissuade the topic from the Second Prince. She didn't know why, but Amu had a gut feeling that it wasn't a very wise idea talking about the Second Prince to Ikuto. There was no real basis but her intuition felt strangely correct, as much as she opted to not listen to it most of the time.
"It is part of being the Royal Heir to the throne." He replied dryly with a careless shrug before he seated himself across from her.
"What is English literature like?"
The question had escaped her lips before she realized it and she was about to take back but Ikuto answered it before she could speak.
"It is similar to our own, except ours focuses more on feeling, beauty, and depth. English literature is all about action and adventure, well, that's what I've concluded from the ones I've already read." He said the last sentence as an afterthought. He gave a brief glance at the book as he placed it back on the table quietly.
"Anyway, you say Tadase recommended it to you?" he inquired with an odd look which Amu couldn't understand. There was something off about the way Ikuto asked her to repeat her words again and Amu couldn't help but think that there was something Ikuto wished to reveal to her.
"Yes." She replied promptly and Ikuto gave a sardonic smile.
"Of course he would suggest something like this." He said more to himself than to Amu.
"Is there something you wish to imply with your words?"
He gave a lopsided sort of smile in reply, as if to say 'you do not understand?' and it irritated Amu to a degree. She never liked it when people treated her as someone inferior. She levelled her gaze at him and waited for him to break the silence.
"Thrones, ascension, missing heirs replaced, ordinary people becoming kings – do any of these concepts seem familiar to you?" he said meaningfully, meeting her gaze.
Suddenly, Tadase's monologue in the library echoed in her mind.
Is it really so wrong for me to want to be Emperor?
She remembered the earnest expression he wore back then and the honesty of his tone – it showed just how much he wanted to ascend to the throne and… just how miserable and desperate he was because of it.
"Ah," she said in recognition. Ikuto gave her a patronizing smile. Amu had a glimpse of his face and he was wearing that odd look once more – at last, Amu understood what it meant.
It was an expression of pity mixed with a bit of self-loathing. An expression she had never imagined Ikuto would ever wear.
"Do you –" she began to ask but Ikuto cut her off.
"Fate is such a fickle Lady isn't she?" he said rhetorically as he stared out the window. He had answered all of her questions with those eight words and Amu was silenced for a few seconds.
Instead, she decided to humor him to lighten the heavy atmosphere their conversation had created. "I would prefer you say that she has a very bad sense of humor."
Ikuto chuckled at her words, "That would suffice too." He said with a small smile.
Yes, Fate had such a horrible sense of humor – like say, giving the desire of wanting to become a king to one who was closest to it but giving the right to one who did not seem that interested in it and then making sure that both of them had a special bond tying them to each other. It was almost as bad as letting someone live even after taking almost everything from them, Amu thought bitterly.
"Have you ever thought about it?" she decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since the two of them had met in the Goddess Aerial Garden.
"Hmm?" he said, as he shifted his gaze back to her.
"Have you ever thought about running away from all of it?" she clarified and Ikuto closed his eyes slowly.
His face always seemed calm and relaxed but Amu realized that it was far from peaceful. Now that she looked at him closer, she noticed the hint of tension in the way he kept his face indifferent – or rather, she should say that he looked fatigued, not physically – but mentally. She had assumed being the Royal Heir was taxing but it was only now that she fully understood how heavy the burden really was.
"Of course I have," he said wistfully, "You cannot fathom what I would give to just drop everything into the dust and run away from all of this." He said, gesturing to everything around him.
Despite how breathtakingly beautiful everything was around him, Amu could sense that all of it aggravated him somehow and it took a bit of effort to stop herself from asking him about it.
"Then why haven't you? You could very well just disappear and follow after the previous Emperor's example." She chose to ask instead.
Ikuto gave her a cynical smile.
"If it were that simple, I would have left long before I met you. The reason why I cannot run away is mainly because it is against my principles. More than anything, I hate running away from anything." He said simply as if all his words made perfect sense.
But they didn't appeal to the skeptical side of Amu.
"Your principles are quite foolhardy if that is the case."
Ikuto gave her a strange look. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. But nonetheless, I cannot easily disobey the principles I have followed my whole life. When you're born royalty, you lose your innocence and naivety at a much younger age than expected and the only thing left with you is indifference and cunningness." He said in a tone that was indifferent, but Amu could sense the hint of sadness expertly concealed.
"You make it sound as if being born into Royalty is similar to being born with a curse that eats away at your humanity." She mused aloud. She knew she was already touching the surface of her true personality and she stopped herself from saying anymore.
"That is a strange yet appropriate way of putting it." He said in reply, a flicker of amusement crossed his face.
"I will not pretend to agree with your ideals but I do applaud you for your stubbornness." Amu said steadfastly and Ikuto gave her a half-smile.
"Should I take that as a compliment?" he said inquisitively with a beguiling smile.
"Forgive me. Did it sound like an insult? I meant no offence." Amu said in a convincing mock-innocent tone that made Ikuto laugh out loud.
"As always, you never fail to amuse me." He said out of the blue and Amu shook her head in puzzlement.
"I am still baffled as to how I seem comical to you." She replied honestly.
Even now, she couldn't understand why Ikuto held such an interest with regards to everything about her. She thought about it day after day but the answer remained a mystery to her, hence she decided to just let it be and wait for the answer to reveal itself to her instead of her chasing after it all the time. It was a decision that required patience and Amu was not the type of person to wait for things she wanted.
"It's exactly that sort of reply that makes you so interesting." He replied as his eyes regained its usual sparkle. He leaned forward and rested his face against the back of his hand. He cast his eyes downward and something suddenly fixed his attention.
When Amu followed his gaze, she realized that he was scrutinizing her wounded hands and she was about to pull them away but Ikuto had grabbed one of them and stared at it with a small frown.
"Why is it that you fail to take more precaution with regards to your body?" he asked with a hint of displeasure in his tone.
Amu quickly pulled her hand away and said, "It's no matter." She said in a nonchalant tone but that seemed to irritate Ikuto and his frown deepened.
"My guess, is that you rushed though the thorny bushes when you were headed towards the Aerial Garden a while ago and pushed them aside using your bare hands, am I correct?" he said seriously, the playfulness disappearing from his face.
"It could not be helped. I needed to locate the Princess as soon as possible." She replied, matching his serious tone.
"So it didn't matter what the consequences were?"
"Of course, my duty always comes before my physical well-being." She replied without skipping a beat. Amu could imagine the electric charges building up between the two of them and she was apprehensive of when they would spark a fire.
Why couldn't others understand the importance of her duty? Ikuto seemed to be displeased whenever she wounded herself, but why should it matter? If her obligation was fulfilled, why should she be bothered by the after-effects?
"How reckless of you, but – I suppose I must thank that fidelity of yours." He said out of the blue, his voice losing half of its seriousness.
First he seems serious and then the next moment he's letting it go, Amu thought exasperatedly, she really could not understand the thought processes of the man named Tsukiyomi Ikuto. Whenever she thought she had a solid grasp on his character, he would show a new and unexpected side of him – leaving Amu mystified.
"I do not think there is any need for you to thank me." She replied, somewhat befuddled by his words.
"Ah, but I do. Let us just say that you saved my little sister from herself." He replied vaguely but it was enough for Amu to comprehend what he meant.
Amu could not help but notice the gentleness in his voice when he said little sister. So he too, still cared about the Princess, she thought to herself. It was no wonder, they were siblings after all and it was simply because of Utau's persistent feelings that he was forced to put distance between the two of them.
"Are you perchance referring to her choice of action this afternoon? I believe most of it was your doing, was it not?" she replied pointedly, knowing full well that he had told her something that had shaken her. It was plainly obvious in the agitated air Utau had about her when she had found her.
"But it was you who made her finally decide for herself." He finished confidently with a praising smile.
"I must return your praise. I did not do anything. Princess Utau has always been a strong person. It wouldn't have been long until she realized what she realized a little while ago. You simply decided to speed things up yourself am I correct?"
"Again, with that impeccable understanding of everything. Tell me, how do you do it?" he asked curiously, tilting his head to one side.
If only he knew, he wouldn't be able to say that so easily – because in the end, he was one person she could not understand without much interaction.
"There is no trick to it as you presume. There is nothing at all." She said, despite her thought. She had no intention of giving him the pleasure of knowing he was one exception to his perception of her.
"Then am I right to think that you simply understand everything without exerting much effort at all?" he countered and it made Amu think a little bit. That wasn't true – she did put an effort in understanding people. How else would she be able to notice and remember every single facial expression and reaction without constant practice and diligence?
"I suggest you do not, if you were to believe me as such, that would be similar to assuming I am closer to a God than a human being. I am a normal person, nothing more and nothing less." Amu replied stiffly. It somehow disturbed her that Ikuto would perceive her as someone god-like. If she was a God, she would have been a goddess of calamity.
"I beg to differ. You are far from normal." He said unashamedly and Amu resisted the urge to raise her eyebrows at him. Was he honestly putting her on a new species of human? If so, that was quite offending.
"Then what level of normal do you suggest I am a part of?" she shot back without much thought and she realized a little too late how impertinent she sounded.
"On the contrary, it is impossible to place you in any category at all." He replied cleverly, not commenting on her tone.
"Are you implying that I am beyond the spectrum of what you perceive as normal?" she asked, a wry look crossing her face.
"That should be about right." He readily agreed.
She didn't really know what to say in reply to his bizarre words, anymore. She had no idea what feelings she should have felt at the moment. Most of the time, she had a grasp of the feelings people wished to evoke from her and she expertly played the part – but this time she did not have a morsel of knowledge of what expression she should wear.
"I am troubled by ambivalent feelings." Amu replied honestly and Ikuto gave a triumphant smile.
"I see that even someone as cunning as you can be stupefied at times." He said, highly amused and it irritated Amu that he was right.
Immediately, she rearranged her face into an austere mask and remained silent. He looked at her curiously before he said, "Ah, forgive me. I was out of line. I was having too much fun fooling around with you." He said without any real remorse in his voice, in fact, to Amu it sounded like he was mocking her even.
She gritted her teeth and looked away from him pointedly. She heard the rustle of his clothes and hoped he intended to leave at that moment – but to no such luck. Instead, he had chosen to situate himself behind her and cover her eyes with his hand, wrapping the other around her waist. She started and struggled against his hold.
"You don't realize how much that mask of yours frustrates me, do you?" he asked, his lips pressed against her left ear.
Amu felt the blood rush to her face. This was what she wanted to avoid the most, physical contact with him. She did not know why but whenever he was within a foot of her, she felt flustered and disoriented – that's why she had been cautious when he had appeared a while ago.
Ikuto rested his head on her shoulder and Amu could feel his breath against the defenceless nape of her neck and it made her shudder unconsciously.
"It's hard to imagine…" he murmured in a low voice.
"Pardon?" Amu managed to say despite the discomfort she was in. She wanted to pry his hand from her eyes but his hand remained unyielding and steady. The warmth from it was beginning to match the heat she felt in her cheeks.
"That this young and fragile body of yours could be so strong and unyielding." He elucidated, not moving in the least.
"I do not understand." she replied, not able to think of any other reply in her current situation. She was getting more and more agitated as she stayed in that position with Ikuto.
"Tell me, Amu." He whispered her name like a priest would have said a prayer. "What kind of burden are you carrying on these frail shoulders of yours?" he asked with a seriousness that troubled Amu deeply.
Not only was she in an unfavourable position, Ikuto had also chosen that moment to ask her questions she needed perfect calm to answer. She wasn't confident that she could give him answers that would not divulge too much information about her.
Instead she chose to say, "Forgive me, Ikuto. I am unable to answer that question honestly. It is a personal matter of mine which I cannot disclose so easily." she could not keep the pleading tone out of her voice.
Slowly, he uncoiled his arm from around her, pulled away and stood up quietly. Amu breathed a sigh of relief and avoided looking at him directly, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.
"I'm sorry. That was tactless of me. I should have known it was too personal of a question to ask." Amu could hear true sincerity in his voice. Still, she did not look at him – not only because she was embarrassed at having to use such a tone with him a second time… but also because she was frightened at what expression he was wearing right at this moment.
It same way she was also frightened at looking at Ami sometimes. Ami's eyes always held real emotion – there were no lies, no deceit, no trickery… just genuine feeling. And it was because her eyes were so pure that it made Amu realize all over again how twisted she was.
It was the worst kind of repetitive epiphany for Amu and it always disturbed her greatly.
"I'm…sorry." She said without really knowing why but she heard a low chuckle from behind her.
"Idiot." He said before she heard him slide open the door and exit the room.
Amu did not understand why, but with that one word – she felt like he had comforted her. To Amu, it was almost as if she had been forgiven for being such a despicable person and without her realizing, she uttered his parting word.
"Idiot." Slowly, a small smile formed on her lips.
The sun disappeared from the sky – and a lone star revealed itself in that vast emptiness.
-OoO-
When Utau had entered the Temple, she was surprised to find the candles already lit and burning brightly. She scanned the room, hoping to find Kukai but after looking over everything twice, she felt her forehead crease in confusion.
Something was out of place. He had to be here.
Suddenly, a low chuckle resounded inside the room and Utau jumped. She swivelled her head to the source of the voice and watched as Kukai skillfully stepped out from within the shadows in one corner of the room.
"Good evening, Royal Princess of Seiyo, Hoshina Utau." He greeted ceremonially with a graceful bow.
Utau saw that he was in his black hakama once more but his hair was in its usual disarray. She wondered briefly where Daichi was but there were more important things on her mind.
"You never told me you were connected to the Minister's successor." She accused in reply to his greeting and Kukai cocked a brow at her with a skeptical smile.
"I do not recall you telling me you were the Royal Princess of Seiyo either." He replied cleverly, "I should have known though. The rumors of your unparalleled beauty go far and wide." He added thoughtfully with a flourish of his hand.
He ran a hand through his messy hair and propped himself on the polished wooden floor. "Who would have predicted that you would end up as Reiji's fiancé?" he mused aloud as Utau sat herself gracefully across him.
"I too, did not expect the strange child I met to turn out to be the bodyguard of my soon-to-be fiancé." She retorted with a good natured smile.
"I'm not a child." He replied curtly with a small frown which puzzled Utau.
"Does it bother you to be considered a child?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to once side. Kukai closed his eyes and gave a long suffering sigh.
"Of course it does. I'm fifteen, but people keep treating me like I'm ten – Reiji most especially." He said tersely, clearly annoyed by this fact.
So he was fifteen, Utau noted, she could easily tell that he was younger than her but she was not sure of his exact age. Now that she looked at him closely, she could see that though he still had boyish features, there were some parts of him that were already growing into manhood territory. There was a sort of endearing quality to his looks that caught Utau's attention.
"Maybe it is because Reiji-sama still sees you as his baby brother no matter how old you are." She said reasonably, still scrutinizing him closely. Kukai's expression softened slightly at her words. He gave another sigh and rested his cheek against the palm of one of his hands.
"I know," was all he said in reply.
"You must really like him, don't you?" Utau said matter-of-factly.
"Yep! Kukai likes him as much as a pet dog loves his master." Daichi's enthusiastic voice replied as his head popped out from within Kukai's hakama. Kukai flushed a bright red as Daichi swiftly flew out of his reach and approached Utau.
"Nice to see you again Princess." He greeted with an adorable smile, putting both of his hands behind his head casually.
"Daichi, you are friends with Reiji too?"
"Uh-huh. He's a really great guy, isn't he? Kukai used to despise him though." He added with a laugh that sounded like tinkling bells. Utau shifted her gaze back to Kukai and was surprised to see that he had a guilty expression on his face.
"Is that true?" she asked, though she could tell it was.
He took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, yes." He admitted sheepishly.
"Why?"
Kukai opened his mouth to say something but there was a sudden change in his eyes and he closed his mouth again shaking his head and replying. "It's… a long story." He said vaguely, touching his earring lightly with the tips of his fingers. There was something in his tone that bothered Utau – it was the same tone he and Reiji had used when she had asked Kukai's whole name.
"I have time." She pointed out – hoping to hear it but Kukai shook his head once more.
"Maybe it is best if you ask Reiji about it. I'm not sure I can tell the story as well as he can." He replied slowly and Utau could sense that he was hiding something.
There were just too many things about Kukai that did not add up and it frustrated Utau greatly. She did not know who Kukai really was – or even if he was a real person. She did not really know but she felt that everything Kukai kept from her was related to the strange powers he had manifested when they had first met – and Daichi.
She gazed back at Kukai and there was Daichi, floating leisurely above him with an extremely bored look on his face. There was definitely something between the two of them and the Souma family – and it intrigued Utau deeply.
"Alright. In exchange, will you answer a question for me?" she said instead, hoping to shine a little more light on the character of Kukai.
"That depends on the question." Kukai replied vaguely and Utau took it as an affirmative.
There was only one question that had really been on her mind and it was triggered by Reiji's words a while ago. She really needed to know…
"How exactly are you and Reiji-sama related?" she said promptly with an expectant smile.
At her question Kukai's face blanked and he blinked before saying, "Honestly. Why did you have to choose the one question I cannot answer truthfully?" he said with a vexed smile on his lips. Indeed, he seemed deeply troubled and Utau couldn't help feeling perturbed by his blatant honesty.
"Is it a secret?" she inquired – knowing full well it was, after all, everything about Kukai was practically a secret.
"Somewhat." He replied in that purposely vague tone of his. She looked at Kukai's awkward posture and she suddenly spotted something she had not seen before – an almost transparent tattoo in the shape of a heart was on the back of his hand.
Kukai followed her gaze to his hand and he immediately covered up the tattoo with the sleeve of his hakama. His eyes almost pleaded her not to ask about it and she could not help obliging to his plea. Daichi opened his mouth to say something but Kukai motioned for him to be silent.
"You cannot tell it to me." Utau stated it like a fact, seeing his reaction clearly.
Honestly, Utau did not know what to think anymore about the boy named Kukai. He showed his emotions clearly on his face – but he was forced to keep so many secrets. She could imagine how taxing that would be on someone his age… and Utau wasn't even sure when he started doing so.
"If it only involved me, I could compromise but it isn't my secret to disclose so easily." He replied, meeting her gaze directly.
This time, he did not avert them and once again Utau did not fail to realize how beautiful his eyes were. Though he hid so many things, his eyes were still so honest and pure. Utau assumed that he hated lying more than anything – or maybe he simply could not hide his feelings as well as others.
"If I asked Reiji-sama, would he tell me?"
"That's more than one question." Kukai pointed out with a smile and said, "I cannot say anymore on this topic." He added steadfastly.
"How unfair." Utau said with a small pout, crossing her arms simultaneously. She wasn't used to being denied so easily but she had understood his point.
There was just so much about him that was concealed. It was much more interesting than any mystery novel and she could not help wanting to dig up every single detail about him.
"Nobody said life was fair." Kukai retorted in an odd tone, his face flickering into a look of desolation before changing back into a forced neutral expression.
"Is that a hint of bitterness I hear?" she voiced out inquisitively, still watching his every expression raptly and Kukai gave a lopsided grin.
"Maybe, maybe not." He said in a sing song voice that sounded like a riddle and Utau felt her forehead crease in exasperation.
"I suppose you must enjoy keeping me in the dark." She said sulkily, feeling at tad bothered at how easily she was playing along to his tune – she disliked being manipulated by anyone. At her words, Kukai gave a disarming grin similar to that of Reiji's.
"Not particularly. I'm being as open as I possibly can to the woman who could make Reiji happy." He said cheerfully, looking somewhat relieved.
She could not understand him at all – that was the undeniable truth of their situation.
"Is that how you see me? The woman who could make him happy?" she questioned seriously. If that was how he saw her then she might be tempted to disappoint him.
"Reiji is far too nice for his own good so I think someone like you would suit him just perfectly." He said thoughtfully with confident smile.
"What if I do not fall in love with him?" she asked just for the sake of hearing what he would say in reply.
"You will. You'll definitely fall in love with him." He retorted in a perfectly convinced tone.
"How can you be so sure?" she countered, shooting him a challenging look.
"It's not that hard to love someone like him. Plus, I'm praying that you do fall in love with him." He said easily, gesturing for Daiichi to come to him. Slowly, Daiichi flew towards him and landed on his palm with a puzzled expression to which Kukai only replied with a smile.
"Why…are you so devoted to him?" she asked without really meaning to and Kukai shifted his gaze to her.
"Because he's greatly indebted to Reiji." Daichi piped up at last, in a high-pitched voice. She had almost forgotten that he was watching them intently. Kukai seemed to have given permission for him to speak while she wasn't looking – but he did not look like he was pleased with the first words he said.
"Daichi." Kukai called his attention in a chiding voice.
"It's the truth anyway." Daichi replied defensively and Kukai gave a sigh before flicking his nose to which Daichi shot him an irritated look.
"More than anything else," Kukai began in a wistful tone, "I want Reiji to be happy." He said honestly and Utau could tell that he was truly earnest when he said it.
That was one thing he did not bother to keep a secret – his devotion to the man named Souma Reiji. And seeing such loyalty, it only made her more curious as to what relation the two of them have.
"To pay back your debt?" she asked.
"To thank him for everything he's done for me, the debt I'll pay back by myself but for his happiness I count on you to do fulfil my wish." he replied swiftly, looking at her with his unwavering gaze.
"He must be a really great person." She concluded audibly, tucking a lose strand of her hair and avoiding his gaze.
She wasn't sure if she could live up to his expectations – she could not love someone so easily, it was a fact about her that she had long accepted. Now, here was a boy giving her a job she was not sure she would succeed in doing and it made her uncomfortable.
But…
What made it the most troubling was the fact that she did not want to disappoint him.
"He is." Kukai readily agreed.
"But I still do not love him – a little respect maybe." She added thoughtfully, voicing out exactly what was on her mind then.
"Don't worry, you will love him soon enough." He said in that confident tone once more and this time, it was beginning to get on Utau's nerves.
"Do you want to put it to a test? Whether or not I will fall in love with him?" she dared him and Kukai's eyes widened a fraction. He blinked a few times before he smiled mischievously.
"Who would have thought that the Royal Princess herself would suggest a bet?" he voiced out with an amused smile.
"Royalty aren't as noble as you presume." She shot back tartly.
"I am well aware." He retorted with a knowing smile and Utau once again resisted the urge to broach his words.
"Then do you accept or not?" he challenged him head-on.
"What are the stakes?" he said and Utau realized that he was knowledgeable on the rules of gambling. It was a small fact that messed up Utau's perception of Kukai as a tortured innocent young boy.
"If I do not fall in love with him, you have to tell me everything about you." She said assertively but Kukai did not bat an eyelash. He waited for her to continue with an expectant smile.
"And if you win, I will grant your wish. I will make Souma Reiji happy." She finished at last and Kukai had a pleased air about him that she did not understand.
"You know, I had opted to negotiate with you for my wish – but this is much better. It saves me a lot of trouble." He said wickedly and Utau realized that he was completely confident that he would win – and she had built up her resolve then to prove him wrong.
"Ahh, but I believe it must be said that you are not allowed to resist your feelings, Princess." He said out of the blue, a knowing smile on his lips that infuriated her.
"I had no intention of doing such." She huffed in reply and Kukai gave a bemused smile as he stood up.
"Then, I must cut our conversation here, Princess." He announced decisively and bowed gracefully and Utau was about to protest when something completely different escaped her lips.
"Don't call me Princess. Just Utau would be fine when I'm with you. The person I'm showing you is not the Royal Princess of Seiyo – rather, it is Tsukiyomi Utau." She said firmly.
"Tsukiyomi –? Ahh, that's right. I had almost forgotten that you were Emperor Tsukiyomi's daughter." He said in comprehension. "Alright then, this shall be goodbye for tonight. We shall meet again soon." He said politely before he grabbed Daiichi and dashed out of the temple.
She was about to run after him before she realized the meaning of his words. Instead, she settled with watching his small back disappear into the night.
What had she learned about the mysterious boy Kukai tonight? Only two things.
He was devoted to Souma Reiji – and he had only one wish.
A wish that only she could fulfil.
She wondered how she had come to play the role of a genie as she stood up and one by one, blew out the candles, muttering his wish with each one and praying for nothing in particular – just a little peace of mind for the two of them.
-OoO-
Endnote: Hurray! I succeeded in fulfilling my promise! I'm lucky since I practically had no classes for three days this week and I had ample time to finish this chapter. So please review again okay? I'd love to know what you thought of the chapter. :D
This chapter is dedicated to Kiyonora whose review made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks so much! ^.^ *grins broadly*
I offer special thank to QueenyLeAcH, kittyallstars, Foxgrl18, candyapplelovers1998 and TsukiyoTenshi for reviewing the last chapter. *gives a great big hug* as always, you are such wonderful people I cannot help adoring. :D
I realize now that I have one last couple to feature, hmmm. I wonder how I'm going to put them in. *forehead creases in concentration* Please Look forward to it! *grins after all* Anyway, tell me what you thought of the chapter in a review pretty please? So I'll be motivated to update faster. 6.6
It seems I don't have much to say in my endnote anymore. *gasps* O.O
So – see you soon! (hopefully next week again) :3