Chapter 173 - The Price to Pay

"Rich, poor, what's the difference? If your heart hurts then it hurts…"

Suzuki Ara propped her chin on the table with her hands, her silver eyes not leaving Homura Emi's face.

"If we're going to follow your logic, then does that mean rich people have no right to feel pain? For instance, me – I grew up getting everything I want too. Does that mean I cannot suffer?"

Emi shook her head as expected, her eyes wide. "Of course not! Miss Ara that's not what this servant meant," she apologized.

Ara waved a hand to calm her down. "I know. But I don't want you to keep suffering in silence just because you think you were already blessed enough. Look at what happened to you; you've just been taking things that are being handed down without complaining. As soon as you had enough you broke down."

The former Makura bowed her head in embarrassment.

"What happened to you anyway? Did Big Bro Kaze bully you again?"Ara asked as she cracked her knuckles. She knew that he was terminally ill, but it didn't give him the right to be an asshole to everyone he didn't like. "Do you want me to beat him up for you?"

Emi panicked at the serious look on Ara's face. "Oh no, no, no, Miss Ara! The Young Master Gin didn't do anything to me."

"Then why did you cry?"

The question made Emi bow her head again and bite her lower lip before speaking. "The Young Master Gin returned something very important to me tonight," she said and she fished her pocket for the hairclip that Gin returned to her earlier that evening.

Ara looked at the exquisite hair ornament, noting the beautiful sakura flowers with diamond clusters in the middle. Although it looked a bit damaged in the middle, it was still very pretty.

"This was given to me by my real family. I thought I had lost it years ago, but the Young Master Gin gave it to me today," Emi explained, a nostalgic look crossing her face as she spoke, her fingers caressing the intricate surface of the clip.

Ara sighed. She was sure the clip would be more than special not just because of the reason Emi just told her, but because it was now connected to the chipmunk.

"Is that all?"

Ara was sure there must be something else that happened. She was not sure if Emi would tell her, but she was curious.

As expected the girl hesitated, but surprised Ara by answering. "The Young Master Gin… He apologized."

Ooooh…

Good job chipmunk!

Ara wanted to applaud but didn't in case Emi got scared by her. She was very happy about this progress. Hearing how much Kazehaya Gin loathed the Makuras, this development was totally unexpected but very much welcomed.

"Then shouldn't you be happy then?"

If the chipmunk apologized then she should be smiling and probably feel glad since that meant there's a chance for their relationship to improve.

Right?

Emi's chocolate pair of eyes then dimmed, as if the lights were killed within them. The sudden depression made Ara alert. Would she need to beat up Kazehaya after all?

"The Young Master Gin said goodbye..."

Ha?

Ara was dumbfounded.

Why?

Kazehaya Gin already knew that Ryuu and Emi were never lovers. There shouldn't be any reason why he wouldn't try to be with Emi now. If he already apologized and even returned something very important, shouldn't he have taken advantage of the situation to make things better between them? It was a great opportunity too to be closer to Emi. So why?

Wait…

Was it because his illness had gotten worse?

"Emi?"

The girl looked up at her, and Ara's heart sank seeing the shy, smiling girl so broken like this. Her chocolate orbs glistened with unshed tears again. This told Ara that Emi must have preferred Gin to hate her than be nice to her only to say goodbye.

"Miss Ara?"

"Do you like the chipmunk?"

"Huh?"

Emi was taken aback. "Ch-chipmunk?"

Ara almost palmed her face. She forgot.

"I mean Big Bro Kaze," she corrected herself but she already knew it was too late. Emi now knew her private nickname for Gin. "Do you like Kazehaya Gin?

Emi however froze. Speechless. But if even if Ara didn't believe that this girl liked Kazehaya Gin before, she would be totally convinced now. As soon as she asked that question Emi's complexion turned crimson.

Ara sighed. "Do you know, I heard from one of the classmates that some guys can be stubborn and prideful? Some guys even if they like someone would pretend they hate them instead because they're thinking they didn't have a chance with them. They're called tsundere."

"This servant's aware of that Miss Ara," Emi answered with a sad smile, surprising Ara instead.

"You are?"Ara's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in her shock. She placed her hands on the table as she leaned forward closer to Emi's face making the girl bend backwards.

Eh? Emi knew the chipmunk liked her?

"You know that Kazehaya Gin likes you?" Ara asked, then she realized she was too close to Emi for the girl's comfort so she returned to her seat properly.

"Well…"Emi hesitated before answering. "It-it was not difficult to discover…"

Emi's voice became smaller as she became more and more bashful. Still, she tried her best to explain. "Nine years ago, I met the Young Master Gin by the bridge before the ceremony announcing me as the new Makura. I felt a connection with him then."

Oh…

Ara was surprised about this backstory.

"After that day, I heard he had been asking around about me, but I couldn't come and tell him." Emi's smile only saddened further as she reminisced. "When I was presented as the Makura, I saw how hurt he was when he saw me. I couldn't forget his face of betrayal then."

"It wasn't your fault okay? It's the system's fault."Ara wouldn't let Emi blame herself for being someone she didn't choose to be.

"But I had an opportunity to tell him that day, Miss Ara. I chose not to be honest and tell him. It was only natural he hated me because I lied."

Hearing Emi's words and about honesty, a guilty feeling blossomed in Ara's chest again, thinking about the secret she was not able to tell Kou. Knowing both Aki's and Emi's experiences, she now realized the price she had to pay for being a hypocrite.

Years of pain. Wasted time.

But it was not too late wasn't it?