COMING OF AGE | Nishimura Riki

037 | taking her home

sato mai 
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I did not expect this reaction from Ni-ki. I thought he would chase me away or call the police. He is still full of surprises. He slowly removed his arms from my torso and returned to hold my hands. We walked over to the bench he was sitting on earlier.

Despite having a lot I want to say to him, it feels like words aren't needed right now. The silence is our conversation. A conversation where you don't need words to communicate. Body language is it's own sort of communication.

"Your father was wonderful. I don't remember much from childhood, but I remember your father. He was everything that my own father was not. Honestly, he was more of a father to me than my own father was" Ni-ki said while he choked on his tears.

"My father has never been my father. He never treated me like his son, only as the Crown Prince. It was leading me to naturally treat him as the king and not as my father. All that mattered for him was me presenting a perfect image as a Crown Prince and future king. He never cared if I wasn't feeling well, your father did" He added.

"I don't remember a lot from my childhood either. But I do remember you were the reason why my Dad kept working for your family. He was always exhausted whenever he came home because of the nagging from your parents and his co-workers. It didn't matter to him if everyone hated him, your love was stronger than their hate" I said.

As a child, I didn't really understand why Dad kept working for them when he always came home exhausted. It must have been because I hadn't properly met Ni-ki at that time. After meeting him, I know exactly what my Dad meant.

Ni-ki handed me a photograph featuring two children.

"Is this us?" I asked out of surprise.

"It is us" Ni-ki answered with a smile.

Ni-ki was my childhood friend all along. Of course, he was. I wonder when and how I forgot him. According to my Dad, it seemed like Ni-ki and I were close when we were younger, yet I have no memories of him during that age.

I wonder if my memories of him disappeared when Dad got arrested. It would make sense. Underneath the hatred I have had for the royal family these past years have a secret liking been hiding. Everything that reminded me of the king and the queen was a reason to dislike and hate them. That's why I hated Ni-ki too, because he reminded me of his parents.

"I know your father didn't kill the king" Ni-ki suddenly said.

"It doesn't matter if he did it or not. No one is gonna believe it. My Dad has been attacked by false rumors for a decade now. He is dead but he is still getting attacked by false rumors. I would love to give my Dad the justice he deserves but I don't see a reason why anyone would believe he is innocent" I replied.

"I also want to give your father the justice he deserves. I don't think it's fair that my father is getting praised while your father is suffering when they are both dead. I know your father is innocent, I know my father was the one who killed yours, media is lying" Ni-ki responded.

"Media is always lying" I commented with a chuckle.

I looked at Ni-ki and noticed his red watery eyes were gone. And the blue aura has switched into a yellow-pink-colored one instead. I thought I did a selfish act but I turned on to be something we both needed.

"I'm also sorry" I said.

"I shouldn't have screamed at you the other day. Blaming you for something you haven't done or had anything to do with. My emotions took over me. I have been keeping them to myself for too long, so when the last drop fell, I had to let them out. I'm sorry that you had to be the victim of that" I added.

"You didn't know. I understand why you acted the way you did, and you had all the right to do so. I didn't take anything personally because I knew your anger wasn't addressed to me even if you took it out on me" Ni-ki replied.

"So, are we cool?" I asked.

"We are cool" Ni-ki answered with a smile.

I know Ni-ki technically never left, but it still feels good to have him back.

"It's getting late. Do you want me to accompany you on the way home?" Ni-ki asked.

"Sure. It's not really on the way home though. I'm staying at the warehouse" I answered as we got up and started to walk.

"You are staying at the warehouse? Why?" Ni-ki responded.

"The police found where Dad and I lived. I had a little action movie moment and ran away from them. Since then I have been too scared to go back" I said.

"But still. You cannot stay there forever. During summer it's fine but once it winters you are gonna freeze to death" Ni-ki replied.

He slowed down his steps to hold my hands again. Ni-ki looked at me in the eyes. First with a worried facial expression, but then changed to a smile.

"Let's have our first sleepover. I'm taking you home, to my home, our home" Ni-ki said.