"Whatever, that's something for later. Anyway, that's all I wanted to talk about." Kaizer eventually decided to end the topic and laid back down.
Rina understood that was her cue to leave, but she suddenly found herself rooted to the spot, her mind coursing with unwillingness. She would never forget that feeling of despair when she died, that she had been too tied down by fears and worries to pursue what she wanted.
If Anir didn't exist and her power wasn't related to death, that moment would have truly been her final moment on this earth and nothing could have changed that. One could even say she was like those protagonists in the manhua she loved to read who had been given a second chance at life.
However, instead of seeking revenge, Rina was intent on pursuing her goals and desires. So situations where she would have backed away under the pressure of her own ego, hesitation, and insecurities were now very trivial to her.
As such, in a seemingly brazen manner, she advanced rather than retreated, fully climbing onto Kaizer's bed and glancing at him with an accusatory look.
"Well, that's not all I want to talk about. Since you brought it up, then what about our promise back then?" Rina demanded.
Kaizer was slightly alarmed by the sudden change and sat up once more, his eyes inadvertently falling on the hefty pair of chest muscles that Rina possessed, which was actually the biggest thing in his entire view at the moment.
This caused him to look away slightly and feel a bit defensive, especially since he couldn't read Rina's mind and steer the conversation his way due to Anir's meddling.
"What about it?" Kaizer responded weakly.
Rina was like a shark that smelled the scent of blood and crawled forward even more, causing Kaizer's eyes to see two small red peaks at the top of two bouncing mountains.
"Don't act like that! We promised to share everything with each other and be together forever, which even formed a covenant, right? It wouldn't have been able to come to pass if only one of us truly meant it. Since we both exchanged powers willingly, that means you also fully meant it!" Rina argued, her face close to Kaizer's.
Kaizer could smell her body wash and moisturizers, which had a pleasant strawberry-like scent. He finally managed to turn and glance into her intense green eyes, feeling them boring into him for an answer.
"It doesn't matter, we were kids who didn't know better. Now, we're adults and our choices can affect our lives, not to mention that we are family." Kaizer argued, his brows furrowing slightly.
Rina was dismissive. "Who cares about that? It's precisely because we are adults that we are free to make the decision to pursue what we want. Also, who cares about family, especially since we have not a drop of blood relation? The only thing tying us as family is the law of the state as well as our love for each other."
"And besides, our parents have been supportive of us getting together since we were young, so don't try and use family as an excuse. Whether it's our family or society, they cannot have any real complaints about us since we haven't done anything wrong!"
Rina's words made Kaizer waver. In fact, the young man himself didn't understand why he seemed to be against it, because for all intents and purposes, his cousin was his best choice for a partner.
They knew each other's quirks and flaws, having long adapted and gotten used to them. Not to mention he obviously found Rina very attractive and to his taste, so there was really very little reason for him to hesitate, but something just seemed to be wrong with it all.
Rina, seeing Kaizer was tongue-tied but still hesitant, became deeply disappointed. "Fine, you can keep throwing yourself at all those other women! I hope they can make you as happy as I know I can, without even needing to do anything sexual!"
Her tone was naturally bitter and hurt, because she had basically thrown herself at the one she loved and hadn't been accepted, which was hard for the hopeful young girl to swallow.
Even without the ability to read her mind, Kaizer could tell from her tone alone what she was feeling, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of shame, confusion, and slight panic. Kaizer seemed to feel that he and Rina would drift apart slowly after this moment and in the future, with her beauty, she would likely have endless suitors.
Many would be rejected based on her own standards, but there might be one fish that would slip through the net.
It was in picturing that faceless fellow in the future hugging Rina and doing obscene things to her that made him feel panic, jealousy, and great unwillingness. In a moment of impulse, Kaizer suddenly reached out and grabbed Rina, bringing her into his embrace.
Rina, who had all but given up on ever winning her brother's love, was shocked to suddenly be within his arms, feeling his beating heart against her chest and smelling his refreshing cologne. If Kaizer's heart was beating rapidly due to nervousness, then Rina's was like a speed car.
Her mind was quickly overwhelmed by nothing but her realization of the closeness between them, all her earlier sadness and worries gone like they had never been there. She couldn't even muster the courage to speak, fearing that she was dreaming and this moment would disappear if she burst the bubble.
"Rina, I'm… sorry. It's hard to explain, but I really did… no, I really do mean our promise back then. I also know that you are the best for me… but I'm just not sure…" Kaizer said slowly, speaking from the heart.
His mouth was directly next to her left ear, and his words seemed to pierce right into her brain. Feeling his hot breath on her ear, Rina was slightly dizzy and only managed to mutter 'o-okay' in a weak tone, completely devoid of any energy.
Kaizer paused and also honestly admitted. "Also, I haven't done anything sexual with any of my previous dates, nor did I form a relationship with them."
This knocked Rina out of her stupor, as she pushed Kaizer back while grabbing his shoulder, her expression one of disbelief.
"What? Really? So you're still a virgin?" she asked, almost shaking him back and forth.
Embarrassed by the way she said it, Kaizer nodded and pursed his lips. However, Rina did not care about that, as her heart was overwhelmed by feelings of catharsis, relief, and extreme joy beyond anything she had ever felt before.
This manifested externally, as tears fell from her eyes as she laughed stupidly, dumbfounding Kaizer who could not seem to follow the volatility of her thoughts and emotions at this moment.
"Don't cry, do you want me to buy you a chocolate cake?" Kaizer, who hadn't seen Rina cry since their childhood, helplessly reverted back into his old self and made the promise that always got his cousin to stop crying back then.
Contrary to his expectations, it only made her cry harder, and Kaizer was at a loss for what to do.