Chapter 28

My head was throbbing as I blinked sleepily. What had happened yesterday? It was 11 a.m., as the alarm clock showed. Minako's blonde hair wiggled slightly next to me. I sat up and held my head. Damn, how much had I drunk yesterday? My head was pounding, and my throat burned slightly. Painkillers, where did I have them? I pulled open the drawer of the nightstand – jackpot. I pressed out two tablets and swallowed them without water. A dumb idea, but somehow I managed to get them down. Mina turned around and looked up at me sleepily.

"Good morning," she murmured and extended her hand to me.

"One or two?" I asked.

"One should hopefully be enough."

We both started laughing – it hadn't been this extreme in a long time. I also pressed a painkiller out of the pack for Mina, which she swallowed without water. Then Mina sat up as well, and her expression changed slightly as her smile faded. She looked almost serious as she looked over at me.

"Usa, is it true, what you told me yesterday?"

What did she mean? What had I... shit. In my drunken state, I had actually told her about Diamond. No, how could I?

"What exactly do you mean?" I asked innocently, hugging my pillow.

"You know what I mean. Did you really date that billionaire's son while all the Seiya-Mamoru stuff was going on?"

I buried my face behind the pillow now. It was clear that she meant exactly that. After all, I had told her a lot yesterday – about Mamoru, that Rei, and also about Seiya – but Diamond was the one thing that stuck with her.

"Yes, although 'dating' doesn't quite describe it," I squeaked meekly.

Mina shook her head in disbelief. "How did you manage all that without anyone finding out? I mean, I didn't even suspect anything... Does anyone else know about him? Mamoru or Seiya?"

"No, but he knows about the others." I spared her the details of how I organized all the men for over six months. I wasn't ready for that conversation yet.

"Can we please change the subject? Otherwise, I'll continue where I left off yesterday." Although with these headaches, that probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Mina gave me a solemn smile. Several questions were still burning on her tongue, I could tell. But my threat seemed to have an effect. The only question now was how much time I had until she would continue the interrogation. Because my gut feeling told me that this topic was far from over for her.

Then, some snippets of their conversation with Yaten about me and Seiya came back to me. Seiya. He had sung our song yesterday, the song he had written for me. Or was that just a wishful thinking in my alcohol-induced haze?

"Usa? Are you okay? You suddenly look weird."

"Mina, Seiya sang the song he wrote for me yesterday, right?"

She looked deep into my eyes for a moment and nodded.

"Why?" My voice was no more than a whisper, and my grip on the pillow tightened so much that my knuckles turned white under the pressure.

"Probably because of your message... He listened to it multiple times... Until yesterday, he had crossed the song off the list. Yaten said he decided to play it at the last break without any rehearsal."

My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't imagined it. Instantly, I had the melody in my head, activating my tear ducts.

Mina reached under her pillow, pulled out my phone, and handed it to me. "He's waiting for your reaction. I told Yaten yesterday that you would contact him once you could think clearly again." She winked at me encouragingly.

I stared at my phone, and a nervous flutter went through my stomach. He was waiting for my reaction! I unlocked the screen. I had to call him. The song was a clear declaration of love! He loved me! However, 3% battery immediately dampened my urge to contact him immediately. Hastily, I reached for the charger. Mina nudged me from behind. "Do you want a coffee too?"

"Yes, please, with a lot of milk."

While Mina brewed coffee for us, I took a shower. It felt good. Slowly, I started to feel human again. Jogging pants and an oversized sweater were just right now since I didn't plan on leaving the house today. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Minako rushed past me, trying to put on her jacket while running. "Sorry, Usa, I completely forgot about an appointment. Will you be okay?"

Before I could even respond, she had swept out of my apartment like a whirlwind. My coffee was sitting on the table, ready and just the way I liked it. She was simply the best.

With my coffee in hand, I retreated back to my bed. The pills were slowly taking effect, thankfully. I picked up my phone. The battery was already well above half. A new message from last night was blinking. From Seiya. A tightness gripped my chest.

Watch the concert

So he wanted me to watch the concert. Hopefully, this was the sign I had been waiting for. He loved me, echoed repeatedly in my mind. With trembling fingers, I pressed "Call." An uncontrollable nervousness gnawed at me as it rang.

"Darling," his slightly hoarse voice came through after a while.

"Seiya," I whispered. I couldn't describe the feeling that surged through me when I finally heard his voice.

"Did you watch the concert?"

Tears were already welling up in my eyes, and I nodded. Then I remembered that he couldn't see me. "Yes, the song was beautiful," my voice was barely more than a whisper. "What does that mean for us?" I needed to know if it meant what I suspected.

There followed a long, thoughtful silence before I heard Seiya take a deep breath.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time... about everything... Believe me, it wasn't easy... Actually, I would like to discuss it with you in person. This is not a topic for the phone. But I think my message was clear, wasn't it?"

The nervous flutter inside me grew stronger. If he still wanted to give me another chance, he could say so now. But... "Endless Love," yes, that was clear. Small butterflies tickled my stomach as I realized that. Its refrain echoed within me. It was a declaration of love.

But was it really what I wanted? A voice deep inside me screamed without a doubt: Yes! Yes, damn it, and don't mess it up again!

But then a conflict arose. I had to sort out everything with Mamoru and Diamond first. I had to clear up all the uncertainties before facing Seiya. And there was also Sapphire, whom Diamond was still searching for.

"Darling?"

"Um... yes? Did you say something? I was lost in thought," I shook myself out of my contemplations.

He chuckled briefly. "I asked if you have time."

I gathered my courage, or what little was left of it. "Seiya, I... I would like to wait a little longer."

Silence. I only heard a slight snort through the receiver.

"Let me explain... I still have some things to sort out if we're really going to start over. If you truly want to give me another chance, I want it to be without any baggage. Please give me the time I need."

"What kind of timeframe are we talking about?"

"I don't know. I'll try to resolve everything as quickly as possible. Just give me one, maybe two weeks. I promise... By the way, are you still living with Taiki?"

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Because you can go back home. I hadn't terminated my apartment lease and have settled back in here. It's your apartment. It didn't feel right for me to be in the big apartment without you."

"Hmm... Is there anything else I should know?" he grumbled somewhat impatiently.

Usagi, you're and will always be an idiot! I berated myself. He sang the most beautiful love song for me in front of the whole world, and instead of embracing him, I ask him for time. And to top it off, I confess that I kept my own apartment behind his back. I've really done a great job, truly outstanding. For a brief moment, the thought of telling him at least about Sapphire crossed my mind since we were already on the subject. But that would be too much for him. Besides, I would have to mention Diamond as well. No, if he found out about him too, it would be over for good. I couldn't risk that. Under no circumstances.

"No... Seiya, I love you, and I will fix everything. I promise."

As the words left my mouth, I knew it was the truth. Seiya simply owned my heart. I loved him, and it hurt that he wasn't with me. Now that I was finally sure he was the right one, I had to set everything right, and quickly.

"Alright, then let me know when you're ready." He tried to sound casual, but a deflated undertone was clearly present in his voice, one he couldn't hide from me. Then I heard a beep, he had hung up.

I collapsed exhausted onto my bed. The tears that I had held back until now flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. It hurt to hurt Seiya in this way, to not react as he had expected, as he deserved. It took a lot of effort on my part as well, but I knew it was the right step to build our relationship on a new foundation.

Mamoru, Diamond, and Seiya - the decision had been made. I loved him, and he still loved me. My heart was about to burst out of my chest, and yet my tears kept flowing. This meant a definitive break with Mamoru, although that had already happened... to remain friends. That sentence already said it all, didn't it?

With Diamond, it would be much more difficult, considering I had been trying to break up with him for a while now, unsuccessfully. Every damn time, we ended up back in bed. Why did he still have such an effect on me? Why did I keep getting tangled up with him? And how would I get rid of Sapphire?

So many questions raced through my mind, for which I needed to find answers.

Thoughtfully, I looked out the window and froze. There he was again, the man with sandy blonde hair who had caught my attention at the Crown. An unpleasant shiver ran through me as he looked up at my window. How did I know him? Why was he standing outside my house, staring directly up at my apartment? Could he be one of Sapphire's men? My palms grew sweaty as I pulled out my phone. What a coincidence, I was just thinking about how to break up with him, and now I was calling him because I needed his support. Why couldn't my life just go smoothly according to plan?

Call Diamond.