Chapter 27

It was Friday evening, and Minako unexpectedly stood at my door. Three Lights were giving a concert in Tokyo tonight. I was torn about whether I should go or not. Even if I went, I wouldn't be able to get close to Seiya amidst the crowds of fans. Mina was armed with a wide selection of snacks, champagne, and wine. "Girls' night," she squealed as she entered, leaving me bewildered. Our last girls' night felt like ages ago.

"Why aren't you at the concert? Yaten would have surely taken you backstage," I asked her, slightly surprised, as she passed by me and grabbed glasses from the kitchen.

"To get your mind off things. If I want to hear him sing, I just have to listen at the door when he showers," Mina said, bursting into laughter. I joined in because I could imagine it all too well. They were definitely brothers; Seiya also mostly sang in the shower. Once again, my heart felt heavy. Seiya. His phone had been turned on for the first time yesterday, and I had left him a nearly 10-minute message, but without a response.

Before I could blink, Mina had already uncorked the champagne and held a glass under my nose.

"How was your conversation with Mamoru?" she asked, taking a seat on a chair. I sat down opposite her and calmly recounted my conversation with Mamoru, mentioning that Rei was now living with him and that we had made plans to have dinner on Monday evening. When I finished my account, Mina furrowed her brow.

"And you think it will work as friends?"

"I don't know, but we want to give it a try, at least..." I said, feeling burdened, and took a big sip of the champagne.

"Let's hope for the best. Do you still love him?"

"I don't know, so much has been broken, from both sides. But I do feel comfortable in his presence, at least. Time will tell the rest," I muttered and took another big sip.

"And Seiya?"

Another pang in my heart. I missed him, very much. I finished the rest of my glass and poured more wine.

"He's still ignoring me. I just can't reach him."

Mina rolled her eyes and refilled her glass as well. "I didn't ask if you talked, I asked if you still love him."

I nodded silently and sighed. "I think so... Yes..."

Gradually, the effects of the alcohol kicked in, and I felt slightly lighter and carefree. As we poured our hearts out to each other, we continued to empty the bottles cheerfully. Well, actually, I poured out my heart while she occasionally made comments on my stories. Finally, I could unload everything, and it surprisingly felt good.

But then came the point where I emotionally broke down. Unfortunately, alcohol not only lifted spirits but also lowered the threshold for tears, and mine had already been quite low lately.

"Mina, I'm a monster!" I sobbed and clutched my half-filled glass. Since the champagne was already finished, we had switched to wine. She lovingly patted my back and ensured that my glass was full again.

"No, don't say that. Just because you've fallen in love with two great men doesn't make you a monster..."

"Two and a half," I interrupted her, sobbing.

Horror appeared on her face. "How two and a half? Mamoru and Seiya. Those are only two, what do you mean by half? You can't love someone half-heartedly. That's not possible."

I swallowed; I had momentarily forgotten that no one else knew about him, not even her. I looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, Diamond," I mumbled softly, trying to wipe away the tears, but it was futile as new ones kept coming.

"Who is that? And why does he count as half?"

I wasn't drunk enough to tell her all of this. I downed my glass in one gulp and opened a new bottle of wine. Where should I start?

"Diamond Prince, billionaire's son," I muttered, repeatedly bringing the wine glass to my lips.

Mina stared at me with her mouth wide open, clearly recognizing the name. So, it was time for Mina to learn about Man Number Three as well. My stomach churned, whether due to the alcohol or because I was about to tell her about Diamond, I wasn't quite sure.

"I met him through work. It's not like with the other two. It's much more platonic with him. Well, actually, just physical... that's why it's only half. But since his brother tried to harm me, things have gotten much more complicated."

"Excuse me? Usagi, stop speaking in riddles! Why does his brother want to harm you? How long has this been going on with you two? Why haven't I heard anything about him until now?" she bombarded me with questions.

I tried to sort her questions in my head.

"For almost half a year... because it was irrelevant until now and... because his brother is disturbed," I answered her questions as succinctly as possible, but my answers didn't seem to satisfy her.

"Don't make me pull everything out of you, Usa. You started it, so you're going to tell it properly to the end."

A sigh escaped me. More wine will surely help me get through this conversation. "But I'll give you the short version. We've been having something like an affair for about half a year. The sex with him is just wow. It's indescribable. At the same time, he's also somehow very dominant and messed up. Oh well, he's just indescribable. Diamond is someone you have to experience..." I paused for a moment because my stomach suddenly made its presence known. I reached for my glass of water and took a sip. It helped, at least momentarily, to alleviate the uncomfortable burning sensation. "Where was I... oh yes, and the brother... he's equally messed up, but in a different way... darker... He now wants to kill me because he believes Diamond loves me. Diamond and feelings... they're two different worlds."

"Stop, stop, stop. Why would he want to kill you for that? Isn't it usually normal to be happy for your siblings?" Mina interrupted my monologue.

"I told you, they're all messed up... Diamond once slept with his brother's girlfriend, and she died in an accident afterward... It's an eye-for-an-eye thing. Only, in this case, I'm his eye."

My gaze wandered back and forth between the wine and the water. Even though I knew it was the wrong decision and that I would likely regret it soon, I chose wine again.

"Did he have anything to do with your accident?" Mina asked, now getting slightly panicked.

"Yup. The contestant gets 100 points," I slurred and raised my glass to toast her once more.

"Usa, you have to go to the police and tell them this! It was an attempted murder; he deserves to go to jail."

Slowly, an unpleasant burning sensation crawled up my esophagus once again.

"I... Diamond..." that's all I could manage. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. The alcohol was desperately seeking an exit. I retched until there was nothing left, and Mina held my hair back with concern. At least this uncomfortable conversation had come to an end.

Once my stomach finally settled, she guided me to the sofa and threw a blanket over me. I blinked briefly at her. She had made herself comfortable in the armchair and turned on the TV. Did I really drink so much more than she did? Dazed, I closed my eyes and listened. "Search for your love" - Minako had tuned into the live broadcast of the concert. I was on the verge of tears again as I heard Seiya singing, but this time I managed to control the sobbing, even though my heart felt heavy.

"We thank all of you for being here tonight. As a finale, we have a new song for you. We hope you like it," Yaten's voice echoed from the television.

But as the melody began to play, my blood froze. I recognized this melody instantly. The melody that Seiya had hummed to me, the one we swayed to together in my bedroom. The melody for the song he had written for me. I didn't even dare to breathe, tightly closing my eyes and allowing myself to be enveloped by the music.

Taiki started with the first verse:

"In a world so vast, our love will shine,

Endless and true, for all of time,

You're my everything, my guiding light,

Forever by your side, my love ignites.

So Seiya had rewritten the lyrics slightly. When Seiya then started the refrain, I got goosebumps.

"Endless love, forever and a day,

Our hearts entwined, in every way,

Darling, I'll be there through thick and thin,

I love you deeply, let the love begin."

There was so much emotion in his voice. That was our song. The song he had written for me. My stomach rumbled again, prompting me to sit up. Never again alcohol. I took a big sip of water, and Mina quickly turned down the volume of the TV when she noticed my reaction.

"Usa, are you okay? I thought you were already asleep."

I nodded apprehensively. "Please turn the sound back on. That's my song he's singing right now. I have to hear it. It's my song." Mina turned the sound back on, sat next to me, and put her arm around my shoulder.

"He wrote it for me, for me. That has to mean something," I whispered dazedly. That was my song, our song. The song of his feelings for me. He wrote it here in this apartment, on my bed. Mina said nothing, but comfortingly stroked my back. The song ended, and Seiya appeared on the screen. Delicate tears glistened in the corners of his eyes as he bowed.

"Where's my phone? Where is it? I have to call him."

Mina tightly grasped my hands. "No. You're drunk. Call him tomorrow. I definitely won't give you your phone now. That will surely backfire."

"You don't understand. That was my song he just sang. It means something. I have to talk to him finally."

Mina shook her head emphatically. "Usa, do it tomorrow. Now go to bed."

Her tone allowed no arguments. I gave up. I wasn't capable of searching for my phone now, and since she wouldn't help me, I gave up. Maintaining balance was a challenge, but somehow I managed to make it to my room. Mina said she would join me shortly. It took some acrobatics to get undressed, but I managed and then threw on a nightgown. Minako was on the phone in the hallway. I lay down in bed and closed my eyes. She was speaking loudly enough for me to hear clearly.

"...I'm staying at Usagi's tonight... Yes, she heard the song. Why did you play it though? I thought Seiya wanted to drop it... She was about to call him, but I managed to stop her... Because she's completely drunk... No, trust me, it's better for her to talk to him tomorrow in this state... Alright, we'll see you tomorrow."

She quietly entered the room and lay down in bed next to me. I contemplated whether I should ask her about the fragments of the conversation, but my mind couldn't function anymore. I was just glad that my stomach had settled. I curled up and drifted off to sleep.