Thank you for the reviews! I am thoroughly satisfied that my story has gotten positive feedback so far and I hoped this installment isn't going to be too disappointing! I intend to keep this a very short story, but I will crank this story into a slow or fast pace depending on what my readers want. Let me know!
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Only For Her
Chapter 2
By Broken Pencil
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Aram tried waiting patiently, but he found it slimming down with each minute passing by. He tried watching the television, but he often found himself being absorbed in his thoughts of Airi. He attempted to do other things around the house, but he found himself sitting around waiting for her to walk through the front door.
The door bell rang. He opened the door, doubting that it would be Airi apologizing because she had forgotten her keys. His doubt came true, but the person he saw was the last person he was expected.
His face hardened. "Raz…"
"Hey, Aram!" The cinnamon-colored skin man greeted, strolling through the door with his hands in his pockets, "I haven't seen you like for a while!"
Aram frowned. He instantly knew that Raz was referring to his seven year old form. It just had to backfire earlier when Airi kissed him.
Raz's blue eyes skimmed through the house cautiously, as if he were preparing for an invasion. He eagerly turned his head to Aram. "Where's Airi-chan?"
"It's Airi-sama," he corrected. Aram narrowed his eyes. "Why?" he asked.
"Nothing much," Raz replied with a shrug. "I wanted to check how you two are holding up on this marriage."
He didn't want to jump into conclusions, but Raz have always left him a bad impression whenever he brought up Airi. It was as if he knew everything bad that was happening at the moment. Aram wasn't sure if Raz have truly resolved his hatred of Airi's lineage, or if he's still plotting his revenge on her.
"If I tell you that it's not going so well," he said, reading Raz's physical response carefully. "What would you do?"
The man blinked, and then he smirked in amusement. "I suppose you can marry someone else," he reasoned then added. "Perhaps someone less bothersome."
There was bitter silence. Raz eventually caught on that something was bothering Aram.
"Is there something that happened between you two?" There was a hint of interest in his voice. "Did she refuse to consummate her marriage with you?"
Aram snapped his head when his patience finally blew up as he violently wrenched on Raz's shirt. "Are you happy now?" he bellowed. "Is this what you want to happen between us?"
It felt abnormal for a child to get violent on an older man, but Raz knew that it was the older looking Aram in there, emitting an enormous amount of fury. Raz was completely clueless at Aram's sudden indictment. "What are you talking about?"
Aram saw it, but he refused to release his anger. Raz's eyes told him that he was not behind the locket that took away Airi's memories. He took his time to let go of his hold on his cousin and explained the situation, knowing that his cousin will expect one.
After he finished, Raz only commented, "Married women are trouble."
He sighed, sitting down in his seat. "Why are you here?"
"I got a call from Nakaoji," Raz explained. "He told me to come here."
Aram's curiosity reached its peak. "Why?"
The doorbell rang, and Airi came in with the widest grin on her face.
"I'm back!" she said cheerily. "Hey Raz, it's been a while!"
Raz nodded back hesitantly, unsure if she still remembered what he had done to her and Aram before. She didn't indicate any dislike toward him, so he figured that the necklace must have altered her memories a bit instead of completely erasing it.
Aram didn't smile, or reply to her return. He was suspicious of her giddiness. It was usually him around that she would act so open.
What could have gotten her into such a good mood?
His answer followed Airi through the door, and it was none other than Nakaoji. Aram was flabbergasted.
"You!" he cried, pointing an irritated finger at Nakaoji. "What are you doing here with Airi?"
It took some time for the man to recall the familiar face; however, he was able to link the face with Airi's former boyfriend. So then it must be her little brother.
"Hoshina and I bumped into each other so we decided to catch up," he explained, patting Aram's head, and then frowned. "You haven't grown much after these years."
Aram protested. "Of course I have!" he retorted indignantly, crossing his arms.
He knew his reaction was completely childish and pathetic, but he couldn't control himself. The way that Nakaoji left his impact on him was unbearable and annoying. He still felt jealousy rise whenever Nakaoji is around Airi. His wife was still captivated by him!
However, he wasn't foolish to be ignorant of the man's good traits. That guy has grown fittingly, and he had probably refined his athletic and academic skills after these years. That Nakaoji always had the advantage. Aram can't even get into his big form unless Airi willingly kisses him, which is almost impossible at the moment. He was eager to show how much he's grown to correspond with Airi, but he cannot do so until he is able solve the current problem. And he really didn't care about impressing anyone else at the moment. He only cared for Airi.
"I will prepare dinner for my little brother," Airi announced, walking into the kitchen with her grocery. "You guys have fun bonding!"
She heard Raz scoff when she said "little brother", but carelessly dismissed it, thinking that it was probably over something else she said.
Aram knew Airi emphasized "bonding" at him. He cringed. How could he bond with a man that had interest in his wife? But if Airi was able to recall his dislike toward Nakaoji, that means she didn't completely forget him. She probably forgot his older form, but she didn't forget his younger counterpart. His eyes lit up with hope, immediately dismissing his dislike of Nakaoji. He'll play nice for now.
"Nakaoji," he began calmly, "how have you been?"
Nakaoji shrugged, but remained grinning, "I've been busy with college as well as being captain of the volleyball team."
Aram chose to be more direct. "Have you found your chosen one yet?"
The man turned his head at Aram, "What do you mean?"
Raz elbowed Nakaoji's arm and explained, "He meant a girlfriend."
"Oh," he replied. "I'll find one sooner or later."
Aram crossed him arms, staring sternly at the man. "You can't have Airi."
Nakaoji nodded. "I understand."
Aram relaxed in his seat. Maybe that guy wasn't so bad after all…
"Airi can make her own choice."
Aram's heart stopped. And he actually considered the possibility of viewing Nakaoji as a companion and not a rival. Pitiful! Nakaoji was downright despicable, but his words were utterly true. Airi doesn't remember being married to him, so it is logical that she is free to fall in love with anyone—including Nakaoji.
Suddenly breathing wasn't so easy anymore; unease consumed his mind and drowned him with worries. He clenched his hands. This was an indirect challenge from Nakaoji.
Aram nodded resolutely, remembering Nakaoji's challenge a few years ago. "I agree," he answered, swallowing the urge to reveal the truth of his relationship with Airi now.
If he acted recklessly there would be no way to understand how Airi would react after. There must be another way to meet Nakaoji's challenge and to keep Airi away from him.
He greeted Nakaoji's eyes with a determined gaze. Nakaoji knew who he was dealing with, yet he wasn't deterred. Aram gave him credit for showing such courage, but that is all the acknowledgment he would give him.
"Nakaoji, Raz!" Airi appeared from the kitchen, a white apron wrapped around her slender waist. "Will you be staying over for dinner?"
Nakaoji shook his head as he and Raz walked to the front door.
"I promised to take out my little sister today," he explained.
Raz chuckled, leaning onto Nakaoji's shoulder. "He wants to see what 'friends' she's going out with," he added with a smirk. "He's dragging me along to keep him company."
Airi chuckled at the thought of Nakaoji being an overprotective brother. "Have fun guys!"
They opened the door to leave. Nakaoji turned around to talk to Airi.
"Are you busy tomorrow?"
"Not really," Airi blushed at the motive of his question before asking, "Why?"
"I would like to take you out," he said, ignoring the glare Aram was casting at him.
She smiled, oblivious to the threatening atmosphere. "Okay!"
"Alright then," Nakaoji ended with a brief nod. "I will be here around noon tomorrow."
She waved. "Bye!"
Airi closed the door, still blushing at the possibility of a date with Nakaoji tomorrow. What had she been doing after all these years? She wondered.
"Aram!" she cried, spinning around to look for the boy, "Dinner is ready!"
It was eerily quiet. An unexplainable fear tugged her heart. Where did he go? She strolled forward next to the couch, he wasn't there.
"Aram?"
His voice came out in a husky whisper. "I'm right behind you."
She spun around immediately, nearly scared to death. Airi thought that it was a stranger for a second. His voice sounded much like a man, perhaps it was just her imagination. She exhaled in relief when she saw him sitting on the staircase.
"Don't worry me like that!" she scolded, placing both of her hands on her hip.
He didn't bother to look up at her. "I'm sorry."
She glare softened when she saw his downcast face. "What's wrong?"
"Why are you going out with him tomorrow?" His voice sounded like a harsh accusation, yet his face revealed a world of hurt.
She patted his brown hair. "I'll take you out too!" she said without hesitation. "Don't be worried!"
He grabbed her wrist and gazed into her eyes. Her heart fluttered. Those evergreen eyes were so overly-familiar, like as if she's looked into it infinite times. How could that be possible?
She felt his other hand caressed the side of her face. Airi naturally tilted to head to one side, leaning into his touch. Her response was unintentional, but it felt for habitual for her to do so. His hand was smooth and comforting. He finally stopped when Airi's eyes snapped open in utter shock.
"W-what?" she asked, trying to pull away from his hold.
He didn't falter. "Do you like Nakaoji?"
She ceased to pull away when he asked his question. Airi avoided from looking into Aram's piercing eyes. She breathed in slowly. Her heart beats didn't decrease.
"I-I don't know," she answered in a distant whisper, remembering the enthralling green eyes.
Aram released his hold. "I see."
He wasn't completely disappointed; her reaction told him not all is lost. It meant that she still felt something for him, like that time when he had his memories erased but he still knew she was someone important. She just needed a push to get there.
With anticipating enthusiasm, he said, "Let's eat!"
She nodded, walking back with him to the kitchen.
He will retrieve her memories back, and he knew how to do it. But first he must get her kiss him in order to avoid any possible mishaps with his false form…
Aram swallowed uneasily. How will he get her to do that?
… … … … … … … …
Somehow they ended up at the Seaside school's beach… both Aram and Nakaoji claimed it was for the sake of reliving high school memories. Airi only agreed because she wanted to remember their statement. When did they go? What happened there? Why couldn't she recall the event? It was stressful trying to figure out a missing portion of one's life! Maybe this will open a pathway to her memories.
During the bus ride there, she could only stare at Nakaoji, who was sitting with Raz across from her and Aram. Aram had fallen asleep on her shoulder because he felt nauseous. She shook her head at the minor crisis. Aram was simply too cute. She ran her hands through his hair as means to soothe him; however, his reaction surprised her.
He nuzzled closer, whispering her name. Her heart ached at that moment. His voice was so full of… tenderness. Why did he make her heart stir so uneasily? Airi leaned her head on top of his and closed her eyes.
Raz smirk when he saw that warm scene. It was so revolting that it made his stomach churn. Those two were always caring for the other without even knowing it. He then turned to Nakaoji, who was busy staring at the two as well.
"She cares a lot about her little brother, doesn't she?" Nakaoji asked suddenly.
Raz shrugged absentmindedly, not bothering to say a word. After all, why quench the impending battle? It was getting interesting.
… … … … … … … …
They finally reached their destination before noon, checked in a nearby hotel, and headed to the shores.
Aram looked a lot better. He was less pale and was almost completely functional.
Nakaoji mentioned a friendly volleyball tournament, but Aram disdainfully rejected the idea so they ended up playing in the water instead.
Aram had already assured himself to cover the wedding vow's emblem over his heart with a bandage. Airi still haven't noticed hers. He guessed it was a good sign. Surely she would have been petrified at the idea of getting a "tattoo" without remembering the experience.
He had already decided to not go into the water when Airi asked. He was still feeling a bit nauseous, yet he didn't want to ruin her fun. He would have to tolerate at the fact that Nakaoji will providing Airi's enjoyment.
She giggled, shielding the water coming her way before striking back. Airi was amazing. All those years of her learning magic through physical movements proved effective. Airi's slender body was toned and well defined. She also moved very smoothly through the waters, retaliating gracefully.
"Hey," Raz greeted, sitting next to Aram who was under the umbrella.
He definitely didn't miss the resentment in Aram's eyes.
"What's your next plan of action?" he asked.
Aram sighed, "I need to retrieve the tailor's soul ring."
"That's right..." Raz recalled, remembering that the ring is the only way for Aram's clothes to adjust to fit any of his forms. "Where did you get those clothes?" He pointed to Aram's attire.
"I found those in a box at the house."
Raz stretched his arms. "How will you get her to kiss you?" he asked curiously.
Aram turned his head away Airi to face Raz. "I don't know when she will do it," he answered softly.
"Why not?"
"Hoshina!" they heard Nakaoji exclaimed loudly. "Catch!"
She missed the volleyball, stumbling face first into the water. Airi sputtered madly when she finally recovered, "You did that on purpose!"
She then got up and chased after him.
Aram closed his eyes when they disappeared out of his sight, and pondered on his next action. "She seems so happy at the moment."
… … … … … … … …
Airi stopped to regain her breath. Nakaoji is too athletic!
"Nakaoji!" she called, seeing that he was still running ahead. He didn't stop.
She breathed in again to call his name once more only to have a roaring wave haul her off her feet.
Airi didn't have enough time to shriek when it pulled her underwater. Luckily she knew how to swim. Unfortunately swimming was not her main concern; a thick piece of sea weed had wrapped itself tightly around her ankle.
She held her breath, trying not the panic. Airi felt her lungs were about her collapse. She haven't been able to regain her energy or breath after the chase, and now she was nearly at the brink of being void to do anything altogether.
Airi closed her eyes, praying desperately before succumbing to her waning body.
Nakaoji stopped shortly after the first crashing wave, immediately feeling dread at the pit of his stomach. He turned around to see that Airi was nowhere to be seen. He lifted his head to scan the surroundings, hoping that his suspicion wasn't true. His eyes scanned the waters a little more carefully. He finally noticed an alarming stream of bubbles floating onto the surface. It must be her.
Without any words, he dived into the water.
Nakaoji dived and far as he could until he could barely see her body. Airi's body was severely pale, and she wasn't indicating any movement. He tried not to jump to assumptions.
He held onto her body and swam up only to discover her body yanked back down. He stared around the area, immediately seeing the sea weed around her ankle. Gathering all his strength, he swam further down and torn it off with one forceful tug. She was finally released.
Nakaoji gathered her into his arms and swam upwards as swiftly as possible. He gasped desperately for air once he reached the surface.
He shifted her into a more comfortable position to analyze her condition. He crouched down and shifted her body until her head was against his chest. Was she breathing? He couldn't tell. Her skin felt icy cold, and her body felt so stiff-- almost lifeless.
He strengthened up, not willing to lose her. There was only one thing to do.
"Forgive me…" he whispered quickly. He began to lean over her face, bringing his lips closer to hers.
The girl started to mumble when his face was only centimeters away from her. He stopped immediately.
Airi stirred a bit in his arms. "Aram…" she moaned before going resuming in silence once more.
"Hoshina?" he asked once more, but there was no response from her. His hand went to her neck, feeling the pulse. His hand then moved upward and stroked the side of her face tenderly. Airi was fine. He exhaled in relief.
His heart began to beat steadily. He tucked her more securely in his arms and placed his chin on top of her head.
"Aram, huh?" he repeated with slight bitterness. How could she still be thinking about him in that state?
He closed his eyes, walking back to the group at the shore.
… … … … … … … …
The nurse said that Airi will be fine and that she needed rest. Aram was irritated because he couldn't see her.
That wasn't the only reason why he was irritated. That Nakaoji might have rescued Airi from drowning, but he was the reason why the situation happened in the first place! Had Nakaoji held any sense of responsibility, he would have kept a good eye on her knowing that she was prone to fatal accidents.
Nakaoji had explained to what had happened earlier and Aram nearly exploded in rage. And he certainly would have exploded physically if Raz's large hands weren't on his shoulders to hold him down.
However, Nakaoji brought up interesting information that momentarily reduced his anger. She had said Aram's name. Nakaoji, of course, conveniently excluded the action he was about to perform on her during his explanation. Aram was able to rest a bit.
The guys have decided to wait outside her room until Airi wakes up. Aram paced back and forth around the room. He clenched and unclenched his hands anxiously while Nakaoji and Raz sat on the couch, drained from the wait.
Finally, Raz's eyes caught onto a small, rectangular box on the table.
"Anyone up for a card game?" he asked, grinning suggestively.
Both of the guys looked quite reluctant, but eventually took opposite sides of the table and waited for Raz to deal.
"Why don't we make this interesting?" Raz asked, shuffling the deck. "Winner gets a kiss from Airi."
Aram glared at Raz. It was definitely a good idea to get him back to his normal form, but not at the risk of having her kiss Nakaoji. Raz was openly enjoying this moment of torturing him.
"I accept," Nakaoji declared, taking his pile of cards into his hand.
Aram followed, unable to turn away the challenge Nakaoji just made. "I also accept."
A loud, angry voice bellowed into the room. "What did you guys accept?" Airi screamed, storming in front of them.
Her voice told everyone that she heard everything. Aram winced at the pitch of her voice.
Her body faltered to the side, but Nakaoji moved fast enough to steady her. Aram bit back the desire to shove Nakaoji away and to take her into her arms. He only turned his head away from the two.
"How are you feeling?" Nakaoji asked worriedly.
Airi held her hands up, shaking her head. "I'm f-fine!"
He whispered in her ear, "I was afraid you were gone."
She opened her eyes to meet with Nakaoji's stare. "I'm okay, really!" she chided, blushing furiously under his gentle gaze. That was right… she vividly remembered Nakaoji jumping in to save her. "Thank you."
Nakaoji slowly removed his hands on her.
"Great!" Raz interrupted eagerly. "Let's begin!"
Airi didn't have the time to protest when the atmosphere in the room suddenly took a sharp turn. It was so serious that she could literally hear her heart beating and mentally prayed that no one heard it. However, the room was so intense that she doubted they would care about her loud heart beats.
Both Nakaoji and Aram looked determined to win the game, she decided. But who does she want to win? If Nakaoji won then…will their relationship shift to perhaps a little more than friends? If Aram won…then what will happen to her relationship with Nakaoji? Nakaoji's always been great with Aram, but what if this incident is enough to make him lose his control?
She placed a hand over her heart and watched with anticipation.
Aram felt compelled to win this game. Other than for the sake of getting Airi to kiss him, he also wanted to show Nakaoji that he is not to be taken lightly.
He pondered at his cards carefully and made his move. If Nakaoji skipped this turn, then victory will go to him.
Airi gawked openly when Aram tossed in one of his highest card. Why would he do that?
Nakaoji scanned his cards and made a move.
Aram smirked of triumph diminished. He was prepared to whip out his ultimate combination until he saw the card. It dampened his fiery will to storm into victory. And it hurt too much to see Airi's troubled face.
Half of the time during the game, he was busy watching Airi's reaction. If Nakaoji's card beat his, Airi wouldn't show any emotion. If Aram tossed in a higher card, she would clutch her shirt tightly. If Nakaoji was able to overcome Aram's card, Airi would breathe in relief. All this time, he was trying to intercept Airi's growing feelings for Nakaoji. He didn't want to lose her to anyone else, but if she made a choice to remain with someone she liked then…
An unsettling emotion settled in his mind. He instantly felt awful.
Doing something that selfish will only hurt their near non-existent relationship. He wouldn't have regretted it if she were to cheer him on, but he saw the answer in her eyes. He saw who she really wanted to win the game, and it wasn't him.
He growled, slamming his cards face down on the table. "I give up," he stated in an angry bellow before stomping out of the room.
"Aram!" Airi shouted as she made her way around Nakaoji and Raz.
She was about to chase after him until she felt Raz's hand grip her arm. He spun her around so that she could meet him face to face.
"It looks like we have a winner…" he declared, directing to Nakaoji with his free hand.
Airi stopped struggling. She blinked. She had momentarily forgotten that the winner will get a kiss from her.
Her head slowly turned with anxiety building in her body. She took a few steps and approached his side. Who created this stupid reward anyway? Aram was only a child…his pride must have been severely injured when he announced his withdrawal.
She crouched down to restack the cards, ignoring Raz's impatient complaints. Actually she only wanted to stall the kiss for a little while. She needed some time to compose herself but ended up eerily silent when she stumbled on something interesting.
Nakaoji was looking at her. However, she was busy staring at Aram's abandoned cards on the table.
Something was wrong.
… … … … … … … …
To Be Continued