Chapter 166 - Honesty

"Ryuu, what's wrong?"

Kazehaya Gin looked at his friend worriedly as the other suddenly tensed and sat up straight in the middle of their conversation.

"Nothing. I just suddenly felt a shiver running down my spine," the Koutaishidenka answered and it was Gin's turn to tense up.

"Is it the portal?"

Ryuu shook his head. "No."

"Are you sure?"

Lately, the portal seemed quiet, but it was an eerie kind of silence that still made the guardians uncomfortable and wary.

"I'm sure," Ryuu answered confidently before grinning. "It was a nice kind of shiver," he said making Gin look at him as if he'd gone insane.

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"Actually, I think, he's the one whose chastity's in danger…"

Suzuki Aki was speechless.

"Y-you…"He palmed his face in exasperation and sighed heavily.

It was as if he wanted to give her a scolding but realized it would be useless anyway. Ara was going to marry Ryuu. Even if she had evil plans on his purity, he doubted the Koutaishidenka would resist anyway.

"Anyway, I just have one piece of advice for you as your older brother before you get married."

Ara looked up expectantly at him, her silver-grey eyes as warm as her smile. This set up was actually very pretty nostalgic as it reminded her also of the days before Alistair ascended the throne and they still spent time together. It totally reminded her of the good old days that seemed too far, far away.

"No matter what happens, as your brother, I will still be here, supporting you and cheering you on whatever you want to accomplish in life. But you will have Ryuu by your side now. As your husband, he is your greatest ally. Never, ever lie to him or keep things from him. It will be a disservice to his feelings and trust towards you. Be open, be honest. Only when you are not keeping anything from him you will find true peace, and live happily."

With his words, Ara froze. What seemed to be a heartwarming moment turned out to be another face slap towards her, and she bowed her head, too ashamed to look at her brother right now. It was as if Aki had seen through her and told her this specifically making her realize again what a hypocrite she was.

"Actually," Aki paused, "This thing between Chiaki and I – maybe things would have been different if I had been honest to her from the start."

Ara turned her attention towards her brother again. It seemed Asou playing ignorant was not the whole story.

"We were classmates since pre-school, yes. But Chiaki didn't know who I really was until high school," he told her, making her confused.

"But she's been protecting you since pre-school since you were being bullied for being rich right? How come she didn't know?"

Aki laughed. "I was called a prince because of my looks okay? Not because I'm rich," he explained to her. "Have you forgotten the company was not that big before? It only started taking flight when you were born."

Ah. Yes.

"So when Chiaki and I met, I was just an average boy and not a young master," Aki continued. "Our parents were adamant we live like normal people and didn't transfer to Denenchofu until you were two years old."

"I see."

"Our parents didn't drop the old house though. It's still in our name, and it's where I lived until college," Aki continued and Ara did remember that.

She'd never realized Asou Chiaki wouldn't know though. She was his best friend after all.

Ara didn't realize her eyes were telling her brother her thoughts, and so he laughed again. "Exactly. I was a fool. Even when our status changed, I kept it hidden just because I didn't want things to change between us. It was a mistake."

Aki shifted on his feet and sighed again as he remembered moments he seemed to regret a lot. "In high school, when I first confessed for real, she actually told me she wanted time to think about it seriously. But then she found out accidentally right after that – and the way she looked – that expression of betrayal on her face was unforgettable." 

"But it's not your fault you are rich…"

"But I didn't have to keep it – at least to her who was supposed to be the closest to me. It was as if I intentionally hid it to make her look like a fool."

"But –"

"Ara, it was never a person's fault who he is, but being dishonest about it is. So Ara, be honest."

Honesty, huh?

She'd never been really honest enough. Come to think of it…

Homura Ryuu had disclosed to her everything about him even if some of it sounded ridiculous normally. Yet, he still told her even if she might think he's insane. It was because she made him promise to be honest with her – something that she didn't really return.

She was a hypocrite.

But she didn't want to be one anymore. Aki was right. If Ryuu found out her secret and realized she didn't tell him when she had a lot of chances to do so, wouldn't he hate her?

She didn't want that. Even if the time they had really known each other was brief, he was going to be her husband – someone who'd be with her for the rest of their lives.

I would tell him…

She would tell him that she was a demigod, someone with the Heaven's King's blood running within her veins – and she would even show him. She still didn't know how to do so without shocking him, but she would find a way somehow.

"Big Bro, thank you," Ara said as she stepped forward.

Aki, realizing her intent opened his arms and let his younger sister come into them, and they hugged each other for a while in silence.

"Big Bro?" she called softly.

"What?"

"What will you do if I tell you I'm not your sister?" she asked, this time with an even smaller voice, making Aki laugh.

"What are you talking about? You're my sister. I even gave you my blood twice," he countered in amusement. 

Well, she couldn't refute that. This body, after all, was Suzuki Ara's.

"I have to admit though that after your accident you seem more… complete ."

Ara looked up to her brother fast. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, before, you seemed so…programmed – like you were very predictable. It's like you cared so much, but at the same time you didn't."Aki ruffled the hair on her head. "But that's in the past. I like you better now. It's like the ' you ' before leveled up. You have many facets to your personality now and that's really good."

"Really?" Ara smiled awkwardly at her brother.

She didn't know why she had that weird feeling again, hearing about the real Suzuki Ara being referred to as an incomplete soul. After all, in the world where she came from, only those who had been cursed and were trying to be saved had their souls broken in pieces in an effort to stop it.

Was she a cursed being then?

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