Um so...
What exactly am I supposed to do here???
"You both are seriously crazy!!!"
"Sensei at least try!"
"Try what you brat!!! He has a medical problem, I'm not a shaman!!"
These kids are getting on my nerves I swear.
"You really can't?"
He asked me with a desperate look in his eyes.
Ugh...even if you want me to, I don't really know what I'm supposed to do...
"Natsuro kun, sorry for bothering you" Mari said, she probably knows it's a dumb idea...I think she understands, then why?
Why are you acting like that...?
"I think talking to him would be better, he can certainly hear you out, he'd be able to fight better if you were to call out to him" I said to Ian who looked like he'd lost all the newly found hope he had.
I looked at Mari's face, she shared the same expression as him.
It's not like you didn't already know, are you disappointed because I can't do anything..or because he looks dull..
Do you really like him that much?
"Here, move, I'll at least do something so that you don't feel like I'm not even trying" I said and moved forward to Lian Strauss' bed.
The child looked so pale and miserable, it was almost a pity to watch him...if I were him...I wouldn't want to ever wake up either...
"I'm sorry...." Were the words that automatically slipped off my tongue as soon as I was able to hold the child's fragile hand.
"If only I'd not been such a fool..."
"Sensei" Ian Strauss moved forward to place a hand on my shoulder.
"I really am...it's basically torture...to ask you to wake up...especially after what you had to witness...you're barely able to start reading right now..and something like that....no child deserves to see something like that...we adults, have failed you..."
I went on, without much thinking, the words simply rolled off.
"I'm sorry too" Ian Strauss ended up speaking "I've been a horrible brother! I couldn't even protect you...I promised to and yet still I'm so weak...I let you come into this, he wouldn't have cared for hurting you like this if I wouldn't have become a part of your life, you're suffering because you were born as my brother...I'm the reason...."
"Ian.." I had to stop him, this wasn't his fault either, he'd been doing things as a child himself...that he shouldn't have been..
"But!" He cut me off "I still, selfishly, I still want you to wake up....give me strength to go through things....I would have long put an end to myself if it wasn't for you...you're the reason...I'm alive, you're the reason I'm fighting...so brother..."
the boy was on edge of tears, you could tell from the lumpy tone of his voice.
So selfish....
Ah, why'd you decide to move at a time like this?
I placed my hand onto my stomach.
Do you want him to wake up too?
I don't understand the bond you share with someone you haven't even seen yet....
But I guess that's what makes it fate...
"He'll wake up, don't worry" I ended up consoling Ian Strauss.
"This whole environment is too stressful, how about you both go out and get some fresh air?"
"But...what if he wakes up and I'm not here??" He asked in a rather hopeful manner.
"I'll sit by him and contact you if he does" I reassured him.
He didn't seem too convinced.
"We won't go too far" Mari san clinged to her arm. She looked convinced enough that he really needed to get some fresh air.
"Go" I told the kid and Mari san just somewhat dragged him away.
This is stressful....
Recently you've been very active haven't you, you keep moving so much...
I ended up sitting next to Lian Strauss with a strange feeling....
Is it perhaps that you want me to stay by his side?
I feel so tired...
"Natsu, what are you doing?"
"Ah Aoi" I turned to look at her but she had her nose covered by her hand.
"What?"
"Pheromones" She replied.
"Eh me? I don't feel it is it bad?" I asked her, since she had a displeased expression.
"Not it's faint, which is why I don't like it, it's affecting people without them noticing it" She replied
"Affecting people?" I couldn't comprehend but she responded to those words by looking a bit surprised.
"Natsuro, you gotta leave"
"Huh?"
What the-
"No I mean, I think it's the pheromones"
What does she mean
"I think you are preventing Lian Strauss from waking up"
Say what?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"You okay?"
"Yeah"
Mari handed a can to Ian and sat next to her on the bench.
"Sorry" Ian said.
"For what?" Mari asked.
"Basically for everything, I mean not only I come with a hundred issues but also am putting you through a lot, we even had the sh-ttiest marriage signing ever and now I'm always spreading depression, am I too much of a burden?" Ian went on.
"You talk alot" Mari replied, annoying him a little.
"Well sorry for that, I'm talkative unlike a certain someone" Ian spoke in somewhat of a sulking manner.
"That's not what I mean" Mari picked up a broken jasmine from under the small tree next to the bench
"I like it"
Ian's expression changed a bit, she moved her hand towards Ian and put the little flower in his hair.
"Again.." Ian lowered his head with his hair covering his eyes "you're saying things that make no sense"
"I like the me that feels what you feel" Mari replied
Ian didn't lift his head though his ears were visibly red.
He protruded his hand out towards Mari while looking away in hope that Mari would put her hand on his and they'll get to hold hands.
Though Mari didn't get the gesture. She stared at his hand, tilted her head a bit in confusion and then moved forward and rested her chin on Ian's hand.
For a moment there Ian was dumb founded as he turned to look at her and eventually he went into a total panic.
"WH-WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING??"
He asked while stuttering, his blood rush had reached it's limit and his overly fair skin did him no good, his face was too visibly red.
"Wait, is it not this?" Mari was pretty confused herself as Ian removed his hand in a rush.
"Lord give me patience" Ian mumbled to himself tightly clenching his chest and taking deep breaths.
"Are you okay?" Mari asked leaning closer.
"Where did you learn that?" Ian asked still trying to calm himself down.
"I don't know what you mean" Mari replied with a dumbfounded expression.
"You are doing this on purpose I swear!" Ian got up escaping first, he really needed to go to the toilet.
Mari relaxed back on the bench and took a sip of the soda while hiding a little smirk behind the can.
"Didn't think you were the kind to enjoy things like these" Alex said.
Mari immediately straightened her face to her normal expressionless state.
Alex came and sat next to Mari.
"Honestly I'm not much fond of you and you know why" Alex said, Mari didn't really reply, she just took another sip.
"Do you believe in second chances?"
Mari looked at Alex from the corner of her eyes as he asked that question.
He didn't look like he wanted an answer to that question.
"I didn't until I met my brothers, now I just want to be given a second chance just so I can make it up to them" Alex answered himself.
"You both like to talk" Mari responded to which Alex smiled.
"You don't hate people that talk a lot do you?" Alex replied.
"I don't hate them" Mari replied.
"My brother, I didn't get to spend much time with him, his childhood, his milestones, I was a part of none of them...but this, it's his first milestone that I'm a part of-" Alex paused.
Mari finished the tin and picked another jasmine from the ground while throwing the can in trash bin.
Alex was about to get up too but then suddenly Mari sat down on her knees infront of him and offered the little jasmine, holding it in both her hands infront of herself.
Alex was surprised.
"Your brother, please, tell me take care of him!"
She spoke somewhat loudly, making Alex somewhat conscious about his surroundings.
"I...fell in love..with you brother...at first sight"
Mari went on with a lightly tinted expression on her emotionless face.
"Please bless us"
At this point Alex's widened eyes relaxed.
He leaned in and enclosed the little Jasmine in Mari's hands
"Please take good care of my brother"
-----------------------------------------------------------
"What do you know"
"Everything"
Zhuang's eyes widened.
"I saw what happened that day" Akio spoke looking a bit furious yet he lowered his voice.
"I'm asking what do you know?" Zhuang asked in response by clenching Akio's shoulders.
"I saw how Natsuro chased Aiba, I saw him hunt down a woman twice his size, I saw him slamming her head repeatedly in the ground, I saw him do it till her head split open, I saw him hurt Aoi when she tried to stop him-I saw-" Akio almost had a vertigo as he went whispering breathlessly.
"Hey don't stress yourself" Zhuang held him but Akio pushed him away.
"What did you both do with the body?" Akio whispered glaring at Zhuang who literally lowered his head.
"I'm sorry.." Zhuang couldn't really reply anything else.
"Don't give me that, what else is there that I don't know about??!" Akio looked really mad.
"This isn't Natsuro's fault, it was an accident both times" Zhuang whispered.
"What do you mean...both!?!" Akio's eyes widened and so did Zhuang's, he'd accidentally said that and regretted it right afterwards.
"Spill!!" Akio clenched his teeth.
"Akio calm down first" Zhuang tried to calm him but Akio wasn't having it.
"Zhuang just stop okay, stop making me look bad every time, everyone here literally acts like I'm some sort of drama queen, you guys hide things from me I'm pretty sure Alex knows most of it but for you all I'm too sensitive to be told anything, I'm done being treated like that!" Akio went on pushing Zhuang back.
"Alright, I'll tell you, but can you just not act like this? It's not like we don't trust you, its because it's a burden to know something like this, that we didn't want to share this" Zhuang justified himself.
"Then let me carry the burden too, that's my son too" Akio argued back, Zhuang had no comeback, he sighed.
"You saw what happened" Zhuang replied
"What about the first time" Akio asked.
"It was a few years back, the first time, he was protecting Alex and accidentally-" Zhuang told him.
"What about the body" Akio asked.
"Aoi, took care of both, I just helped her bring them where she wanted"
Zhuang told him.
"How much does Natsuro know" Akio asked.
"He doesn't know, Aoi told her that the first guy was only injured, when in reality he died on spot, as for Aiba, it seems that Natsuro doesn't remember, we were worried about what we'll do when he wakes up , Aoi said she'll handle it..but good that he doesn't remember" Zhuang told him.
"What if he does remember, what are you guys gonna do?" Akio asked.
"I don't know, but I trust Aoi will handle it" Zhuang replied.
"You trust her too much don't you" Akio responded.
"For me...I somewhat watched that girl grow out from her cold hearted exterior into a warm and caring person, I can't explain it but I really do trust her and I'm proud of how strong she is" Zhuang responded to Akio's surprise.
"I see, it's like that" Akio decided to turn away since he finally thought it was too cold to be up there.
"Are you mad at us?" Zhuang asked.
"Yes" Akio said to which Zhuang somewhat lowered his head "but it's your daughter's fault mostly"
"Daughter ?" Zhuang didn't get it.
"Trusting her, being proud of her achievements, watching her grow and supporting her selflessly, the bond you can't explain, it's just like that" Akio replied and Zhuang blinked in confusion at first but then he somewhat gave a soft smile.
"You're right" he had a gentle expression on his face "She's the one who changed me into who I am today and I'm proud of who I am today, she's the first child I welcomed into my heart, probably even earlier than my own sons, she's my daughter"
"Your daughter is so troublesome"
"She's so cool"
"A doting dad huh"
"I have every reason to be"
-----------------------------------------------------------
"What do you mean?"
"We tried to stop them but they came in like they already knew what they were looking for"
Mr. Strauss clenched onto the arm of the chair.
"What about our old cottage?" He asked.
"Burnt down, along with all of the drug supplies that were hidden there, they also found a burnt body, the cops are investigating a possible arsonist case and you already know about the police raid in our warehouse" The lawyer informed Mr. Strauss.
"Nicolas, do me a favor, get rid of the real owner of the warehouse before the cops get to him, make it appear like a suicide" Mr. Strauss told him.
"Already on it, but sir, someone's really onto us, they weren't bluffing when they sent us those maps of our trade networks, they've already exposed one nest..it'll be better to not take this lightly" The lawyer argued.
"But we don't know their demands yet, it would have been easier if it was Himari Aoi, then we'd atleast have understood what she wants and we could have used her weaknesses against her..but this person, who are they, what is their weakness and who is backing them...???" Mr. Strauss lit up a cigarette and took a huge whiff.
"For now, making a backup plan is more important than this person's identity, moreover I feel Himari Aoi doesn't know who this person is either since she confused me to be that person, so she can't be the one backing them" The lawyer responded.
"But why'd she suspect you in the first place?" Mr. Strauss looked at Nicolas.
"It was this bracelet"
He raised his hand to show the dragon bracelet he wore on his wrist.
"The bracelet that once belonged to Raina Strauss"