The Sweetness of Forever [IDOLiSH7 IoRiku]

6: Apologies

Friday, January 9

"Iori, what happened?"

Mitsuki rushes to the park nearest to the Nanase Residence after receiving a call from Iori. Despite being near the children's playground, a place filled with joy, the younger brother appears distressed.

Iori approaches his big brother, placing his forehead on his chest, longing for a sense of comfort. What just happened, happened so quickly that he can hardly process all of it. First, Riku looked as if he was about to have a full-blown attack. Second, without really knowing why, he made an enemy out of Kujo Tenn. And third...

...he failed to get his big brother the help he needed. Failed to carry out the one thing he thought he could do.

"Did you have a fight with Riku or something?" Mitsuki gently pats Iori's head. Seeing Iori like this reminds him of the day they talked over a cup of hot cocoa.

I need you, Nii-san.

Mitsuki gets around Iori's back and takes him to the bench. He sits down there, ready for a proper talk. "I'm here, Iori."

"I messed up." Iori takes a deep breath. His voice trembles the way he wants to shake his incompetent self. "I can't help you. Nanase-san is on the verge of having an attack. And now I can't even get home on my own." He pours out his anxiety all at once.

"Whoa, slow down." Mitsuki can't quite follow. "Attack? What are you talking about?"

It takes a while for Mitsuki to finally catch up on the twins' story. "I had no idea Riku was ill and that he was Kujo Tenn's little brother. That's why you asked Yamato-san about the rumour, huh?"

Iori nods guiltily. "I wanted to help you, Nii-san. I was confident I could handle the negotiation bit even if I couldn't do labour work. In the end, I ruined everything."

"You don't have to be so hard on yourself, Iori." Mitsuki understands that for his talented brother, failure must be hard for him to swallow. "You didn't ruin anything. We still have plenty of time to find someone to help. As for Riku, you can give him a call later, see if he's okay." He reaches into his pants pocket for a handkerchief and hands it over to Iori in case he needs it.

The younger brother clutches it, squeezing it in hope of letting out the heavy sense of being a disappointment.

"I know you're upset." Mitsuki squeezes his brother's shoulder. "But I'm actually kind of relieved."

"Nii-san?" Iori blinks, expecting further explanation.

"You have always been the strategist in our house. Remember how I used to get annoyed when you gave me a long list of suggestions on running the bakery business?"

"You'd tell me to stop meddling." A small smile is starting to show on Iori's face. "And you'd come back to me a few days later, asking to hear them again."

"Exactly." Mitsuki makes a pointing gesture. "But ever since the you-know-what happened, you've gone quiet. You wouldn't even say what you think anymore..." He ruffles Iori's hair with love and care.

"So I'm glad you're starting to find yourself again, Iori."

~~

Meanwhile, at the Nanase Residence...

"Why did you have to- *gasp* have to be so mean to him?"

In bed, lying on his side, Riku cries. At the same time, he is coughing and fighting for air. Every exhale hurts. It hurts more when he is sobbing, but he doesn't have the strength to stop. Iori is surely going to hate them now. The thought of losing a friend squeezes his heart harder than the illness taking over his lungs.