Chapter 63

The next morning, the large bed was empty. I tiptoed through the apartment. Where could he be at this time? Of course, his office door was slightly ajar, emitting a faint light. A soft sigh escaped my lips before I gently pushed the door open and peered over at him.

He was sitting at his desk, head resting in his hands, deep dark circles clearly visible.

"Did you even sleep?" I asked softly as I approached.

He lifted his gaze, and his weary eyes met mine. "Two or three hours. But I need to go through the initial press releases to mitigate the damage."

I could sense how much pressure he was putting on himself to get everything done perfectly, his sense of duty not allowing him to rest. I sat on his lap, took his arms, and wrapped them around me.

"Usagi, I don't have time for this right now. This needs to be completed. And then I also have several external appointments," he said in his usual distant manner.

There he was again, Prince Charming, often hiding his feelings behind an impenetrable facade. I leaned my head against his shoulder and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Take it easy. You look terrible. I'll meet up with Minako later and stop by Motoki's, but if something comes up or you need me, just call."

"Usagi, I..." he started, but I placed my index finger on his lips.

"No. You told me yesterday to learn about the world of perfection, but then you also need to learn to deal with emotions and open up. If something's wrong, call me."

He nodded, probably just because he didn't want to continue the discussion. I ran my fingers through his hair once more and began to get ready.

Haruka was already waiting to drive me. "So, where to?" she asked with her usual laid-back demeanor as I slid into the car.

"Could you please take me to the cemetery first?" I asked softly, lowering my gaze to the ground.

The drive to the cemetery was silent, and my thoughts accompanied me on the way there. As I entered the cemetery, my feet led me almost automatically to his gravestone, on which his name was engraved. A white stone, so cold and lifeless, mirroring the reality that he was no longer here. With gentle fingertips, I traced the letters as if I could establish a connection to him through them.

Then I lowered myself to the ground, leaning my back against the cool stone. The silence of the place surrounded me, and I began to tell him everything that had happened in the past few days. It provided me with a sense of grounding, and so I continued to feel that he was still by my side. Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and turned around in a panic. Yaten's green eyes sparkled at me. I didn't know why, but tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. Yaten squatted in front of me and pulled me into his arms. His soft sobbing reached me. I didn't know how long we sat here, just holding each other and crying together.

"You do realize that Seiya would kick our asses if he saw us like this here," Yaten said after a while, bringing a smile to my face, even though my tears still flowed.

"He would tease you even more if he saw you crying like a little girl," I retorted, and he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh either.

He gently released his embrace and sat down beside me on the ground, resting his head against the stone and gazing into the bright blue sky.

"It was a lot for you yesterday... hmm?" Yaten asked empathetically, and his voice sounded gentle and understanding.

"Yes, it all came back suddenly. Even during the trial, but when I heard the gunshots..." I trailed off, a choked sob escaping my throat. The memory of the terrible events yesterday was still so fresh, as if it had just happened.

There was a strange vibration in the air, somehow.

"Not many would have done that... I think Seiya would be glad to know you're in good hands." His words somehow comforted me, and I felt some of my tension easing.

My fingers instinctively closed around the ring I still wore, a symbol of my love and memory of Seiya. I was unable to respond to Yaten, but I felt that he understood my feelings.

"Even though he bears that name... it seems you're right about him... Did he get hurt badly?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It was just a graze, he was lucky," I answered softly, grateful that Diamond was still with me.

I turned my head towards Yaten, who had closed his eyes and seemed lost in thought. It was hard to describe what lay between us in that moment. A mixture of sorrow, concern, and connection.

"And... are you two...?" he asked eventually, his gaze now directed to the ground.

"Yes. We talked yesterday afternoon. We want to give it a try together." With a sweeping motion, Yaten stood up. "Then I wish you good luck. I have to go now. By the way, Mina is already waiting for you at the Crown. I dropped her off there a while ago."

He was already turning to leave, but I didn't want him to simply disappear like that. "Yaten!" I called after him, and he looked over his shoulder down at me.

"Thank you." That was all I could say in that moment.

I stayed seated for a moment, letting his words sink in, before having Haruka drive me to the Crown to meet my friends.

"Hey, Haruka. Who actually fired the second shot? The one that hit Saphir...?" I asked, curious about the details.

She glanced at me in the rearview mirror, her expression serious. "Massaru."

"Does he have anything to worry about now? Does he have to go to court too?" I asked with concern, as I liked this quiet man and feared that he might face consequences.

Haruka let out a slight sigh. "No, it was self-defense. The Boss's father is already handling it. Don't worry, Moon Face, that old man has damn good connections and the best lawyers. Alright, we're here. I'll wait here until you're done."

I nodded at Haruka and entered the Crown. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I spotted Mina sitting at the counter, excitedly talking to Motoki. She was probably giving him a detailed account of what had happened yesterday.

When they noticed me, Mina jumped up and ran over to me. She looked at me with wide eyes. "And? Tell me! How did the conversation go? Did you break him down?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I did..." Then I paused briefly and took a seat. "It's even so important to him that I was introduced to his father last night. Toki, could you please make me a large latte macchiato?"

Motoki also became attentive now, leaning in to listen while he prepared my order.

"Now spill the beans, I want to know everything!" Mina pressed, her curiosity almost uncontrollable.

So, I began to tell them about what had happened yesterday.

"And are you really sure he's the right one?" Motoki asked skeptically as he polished his glasses.

"Heaven, yes! Why does everyone keep asking me that? I know he always seems cool and peculiar on the outside, maybe even a bit intimidating at times, but believe me. There's so much more when you look closer. He's attentive, considerate, and always concerned about me. No matter when I needed him, he was always there. He never blamed me, no matter how big of a mess I made. He still stood by my side. He even saved my life twice, and for the past few days, he's been stirring up feelings in me that I thought I had buried with Seiya."

I paused and took a deep breath, trying to regain control over my stirred emotions. Motoki and Mina stared at me with open mouths. Apparently, none of them had expected such an emotional outburst, but I needed to defend Diamond against all doubts and accusations. After all, they were my two best friends. Why couldn't they just be happy for me?

Motoki was the first to compose himself. He pushed a chocolate muffin towards me in a conciliatory manner and smiled encouragingly. "Usa, we didn't mean any harm. We're just concerned about you... You've been through so much lately, and we don't want you to make impulsive decisions that you'll regret later. I mean, how long have you known him?"

Minako choked on her drink when Motoki asked that question, and I froze in my movement. Damn, Toki didn't know anything about Diamond. Only about Mamoru and Seiya, and when he found out about that, he was already quite shocked.

"Well, actually for more than a year," I mumbled softly, with a sense of unease in my stomach.

"I don't mean professionally, but personally. That's still a different story," Motoki persisted.

"Somewhat over a year," I repeated my answer quietly.

Now it was Motoki who paused, and I could see him mentally calculating.

"Stop calculating. Yes, they overlapped, and Usa knows it was a damn stupid idea," Minako came to my rescue when she saw that I was visibly concerned. I slumped down in my seat a bit, trying to avoid Motoki's gaze.

"Well, I think you deserve some luck now after the drama of the past months. I just really hope for you that he's serious," Mina tried to lighten the mood a bit and boost my confidence.

"Yeah. He is," Diamond's voice suddenly sounded behind me.

I turned around, confused and surprised at the same time. Had he gotten lost? I blinked a few times, but he was definitely there. He walked towards me with slow steps, wrapped his arm around my waist, and gave me a fleeting kiss on the forehead.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, bewildered.

"I came to pick you up. Kaori invited us for dinner," he said calmly. However, his dark circles were still evident, and I knew he hadn't slept yet. There was a certain tension in the air, but he was trying to hide it from me.

"That's nice. But I'd like to introduce you to Minako and Motoki first. These are my two best friends. Toki, Mina, this is Diamond," I made an effort to push my worries aside.

Minako didn't wait any longer and, in her usual warm manner, immediately hugged him. Diamond was quite overwhelmed by this sudden embrace, which made me smile a little. She was just so impulsive and carefree.

Motoki eyed him skeptically from head to toe. The look he gave me clearly indicated that he wanted to talk with me privately. But then he extended his hand to Diamond as proper etiquette dictated. "Just take good care of her."

"Don't worry. I will. Can we go now?" Diamond asked impatiently.

I hopped off my stool, waved to Motoki across the counter, gave Mina a quick squeeze, and then Diamond took my hand and led me outside.

"Wait a moment. I need to let Haruka know. She was waiting for me," I said, but Diamond had already thought ahead.

"I've already taken care of it. She's off for the rest of the day. Relax."

"That's rich coming from you. Have you seen yourself? You should sleep rather than driving around," I replied, worried.

He grinned down at me and shook his head as he held the car door open for me.