Aiolus hung up the phone, and looked at Aiolia, who sat before him with Shura by his side.
Aiolia had told him that he and Lyfia were expecting and needed a place for their wedding. Aiolus called Saori, asking if they could use her mansion as a wedding venue. It was meant to be a short call, since all three of them knew that Saori would be too happy to do something for Aiolus. And yet, the call lasted longer than an hour.
Aiolus really shouldn't have started the conversation with the question, "How have you been lately?"
Saori ended up telling him about Tatsumi's return, her father's death, and her long lost brother, Hyoga.
"I don't even know if he is really my brother," Saori went on. "By blood, I mean. He claims to be my brother but I don't know if it's even true."
"Is there anything for him to gain by falsely claiming to be your brother?" Aiolus said. "Based on what you have told me, I doubt his claim is false. He just tries a little too hard to show you his affection. Now if I had lost Aiolia years ago and reunited with him today, I would've been plagued by guilt for not being there for him. When Aiolia and I were young, I didn't know how to be a big brother. There were times that I had been overprotective. Your brother simply doesn't know what to do with you. Does he know what you have been through?"
"Tatsumi might have told him something, like how Madame Guraad treated me."
"There you go," Aiolus laughed.
"Well, he wants me to go to Siberia with him."
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah, Hyoga wants me to go live with him and his foster father in Siberia."
"You didn't say yes, did you?"
"Blood is thicker than water, right? Wouldn't you move to Siberia to be with Aiolia?"
"First, Aiolia will never go to Siberia. Second–" Suddenly he remembered why he called her in the first place. "Oh, I almost forgot. I meant to call you to ask you if we can use your mansion as a venue for Aiolia's wedding."
"That's not a problem! Congratulations to your brother."
"In exchange, I'll pay for the house repair from the flood."
"I'd like that!"
"And tell you what, I can have a conversation with your brother at the wedding too," Aiolus offered. "As one older brother to another. I can understand that he likes to protect and care for you, but you are the last person who can be safe in Siberia."
The conversation continued for another fifteen minutes until Aiolia cleared his throat with annoyance. He shot Shura an "I-told-you-so" look and Shura rolled his eyes.
"Thanks bro," AIolia said after Aiolus ended his call.
Patting Aiolia on the shoulder, Shura rose and excused himself. It was late, and the rest of the conversation should be between the two brothers. Despite having promised Aiolia to not tell Aiolus about Lyfia and her pregnancy, Shura was able to convince Aiolia to be honest with Aiolus. Like a little boy who misbehaved, Aiolia came clean with Aiolus with Shura by his side. To their surprise, Aiolus was rather calm and accepting.
After Shura left, Aiolus spoke, "Little brother, if you even dare to ask us to sue the condom company–"
"I know condoms don't work 100% so we never used them."
"Wait, what?"
"We used a much better method! Lyfia keeps a track of her menstruation cycle. We know when to–"
"Then how did this happen?"
"We might have miscalculated," Aiolia blushed. ""I know it's hard for you to accept, but I am not that little boy who needs a big brother to watch over me anymore. I can be on my own feet, handling my case. Lyfia and I are happy to start a family. The only question I have for you, bro, is if you can be my best man at the wedding."
Nodding, Aiolus replied, "Not a problem."
"Lyfia and I also would like you to be our child's godfather."
"It'd be an honor."
"And if anything happens to me or Lyfia, will you take care of our child?"
"That's not even a question."
As Aiolus was helping Aiolia with his wedding, Hyoga took care of Alman Kido's resting. He was there with Saori when Alman Kido was laid to rest. Seiya and Tatsumi were there too, standing behind them.
Next to Alman Kido's resting place was Madame Guraad's. Saori had paid for her resting. In the past, she had every reason to dislike her stepmother. However, after learning how Alman Kido treated her, she became more sympathetic. She and Hyoga agreed that it'd be better for them to be laid side by side – for they have a lot to talk about.
"Tatsumi, I like to walk home," Saori said after the funeral. "Seiya can walk home with me."
"I'm coming too," Hyoga said nonchalantly.
He stood between Saori and Seiya and held Saori's hand protectively. It was a walk in an awkward and uncomfortable silence. The tension between Seiya and Hyoga was beyond obvious. With Hyoga between him and Saori, Seiya walked closely behind Saori instead.
Suddenly, Saori stopped. "Seiya, look who's over there," she said in a loud whisper.
Not too far from them was Cassius, Guraad's former right hand man who had assaulted Saori.
"He wouldn't dare to hurt you again," Seiya assured her. "I won't let him."
"I do have a restraining order against him," Saori remembered.
Hyoga released Saori's hand and walked right up to Cassius.
"You," he said to Cassius coldly. "You hurt my sister?"
Noticing Saori, Cassius guessed Hyoga's intention. "Yeah, so? "
"I will never forgive you."
"What are you going to do? Dance like a swan? You don't stand a chance against me!"
He threw a punch at Hyoga, to which Hyoga successfully dodged.
"Oh no," Saori wanted to stop them but Seiya held her back.
"You stay out of this," he said. "We are getting out of here!"
"No! I am not leaving Hyoga behind like this. He's my brother and I have to help him!"
"Does he even look like he needs your help?" Seiya pointed at Hyoga, who fought rather well against Cassius. Although Cassius was bigger and stronger, Hyoga was fast and very flexible.
Their fight attracted a lot of attention and some onlookers used their phone to record it; many were rooting for Hyoga.
"He is…good," Saori said, besotted by Hyoga's fighting style.
"You're saying that because you know nothing about fighting," Seiya wasn't impressed. "Growing up on the street, I have seen better."
"As much as he hated Dad, I see a lot of Dad in him," Saori said. "Well-spoken, a martial artist…now I'm curious to meet his foster father."
"Yeah, that rich man who taught him everything ," Seiya said. "He's only winning because Cassius doesn't know how to fight. If this is a real martial arts competition, he doesn't stand a chance against me."
"Okay, this is not some martial arts competition," Saori changed the topic. "We have to stop this before it gets out of hand."
But Seiya pulled her back and refused to release his grip.
"Let me go Seiya!" Saori struggled against him. "I know what I'm doing."
"Oh really? Are you going to Siberia with him or staying here with me?"
Saori turned her attention from Hyoga to Seiya. "So this is what you are really worrying about?"
Before Seiya could respond, Hyoga gave Cassius a nasty kick, which made him stumbling back and crashing into Saori. In turn, Saori fell forward and knocked into Seiya. The two ended up on the ground with their lips on each others'.
And that was how the cops found them.
Someone had called 911 and the police came. They found Cassius on the ground, as if he just fought off a cat; Saori on top of Seiya with her lips on his; and Hyoga looking at Seiya as if he wanted to murder him.