IEGO: CS || Wavering Hearts

『 CHAPTER 19 』

Once Daisuke rounded up who shall go for the next Miximax Hunt, and informed that they shall leave the next day, everyone left the place to do their own things. Not without, of course, biding Yuukoku goodbye, and telling him to relay their well wishes for you.

However, it must be noted that one person remained in the Hiroyuki household:

"Oh, Fei, you're not following Matsukaze?" Yuukoku asked.

"Right after I want to tell you something." Fei glanced at Alpha. "But it's a private matter between you and me, Yuukoku-san."

"A private matter, huh?" Yuukoku nodded. "Alright then. Alpha, can you watch over [Name]? Fei and I will require some space to discuss whatever he wants to discuss."

"Affirmative," Alpha replied.

Once he was out of Fei's and Yuukoku's sight, Yuukoku had Fei take a seat on the couch. The older man told Fei to wait for a bit while he went to get them some drinks, but Fei turned down the offer.

Yuukoku nodded and took a seat beside Fei. "So, Fei, what do you want to tell me?"

"That ⸺ well ⸺" Fei inhaled and exhaled. "Yuukoku-san, do you remember when you asked what happened to [Surname] in all those other timelines?"

"Ah yes, I do." Yuukoku crossed his arms, frowning. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you such a hard question."

"I–it's okay!" Fei waved his hands. "I managed to think up of an answer, but it's ... more of a theory, actually."

♡ --- ♡ --- ♡

Had Yuukoku not checked the forecast, he would have been surprised by the pitter patters of the raindrops against the windows of the bus he was in.

He turned his head to the direction of the window, but it wasn't like he could see the droplets that rolled down against it. It wasn't like he could see the people on the streets ⸺ elderly and young alike ⸺ clamouring to seek shelter or to open up the umbrella. It wasn't like he could see the cars and motorcycles and vans and trucks that passed by him. It wasn't like he could see the birds and the dogs and the cats that ran for shelter.

All he could do was hear ⸺ hear the revving engine, hear the footsteps, hear the barks, hear the meows, hear the chirps. And all of which were drowned out by the drizzles and the thunders.

That was how things had been for him for as long as he could remember, ever since the day he brought you back to the living world. And for as long as he could remember, Yuukoku never liked that man that his sister chose to be her husband.

Back then, Yuukoku ⸺ so young, so naive, and a tad bit edgy one might say ⸺ could not put a finger as to why he never liked the man. But, Yuukoku couldn't stay young forever, nor could he stay naive and edgy either. Soon enough, Yuukoku opened his eyes to the abuse that man laid on his big sister. Yuukoku went from never liking that man to hating him with all that he had, so much so Yuukoku dared placed a curse on that man.

Looking back on it now, perhaps that wasn't such a great idea, for it all lead to the murder of his sister and his niece. But to say that Yuukoku blamed himself for all of that would be nothing but a lie. He would not blame himself for taking measures to protect his family. He would not blame himself for sending that man to prison.

All Yuukoku knew was that he would blame himself, in an alternative timeline, if that man ever gets his grimy hands on you and his sister; and laid the both of you to rest forever.

Fei guessed it best, after all:

"I think what happened to [Name]'s father was ⸺ well ⸺ it's possible in those other paradoxes, her father was either not sent to prison, or escaped it. And⸺" Fei gulped "⸺ I think, too, that maybe he may have known about the possibilities of [Name] still being alive in all those other paradoxes."