Only yours

Forgive Me

I struggled to sit up, my arm burning like fire. Massaru was already by my side, tending to the wound. He was speaking to me, but his words were muffled. My eyes searched for Usagi, who had been standing next to me just moments before. Instead, they fell on Saphir, lying motionless on the ground.

Everything had happened so quickly. It wasn't until I was in the hospital that I regained my senses. I sat alone in the treatment room, waiting to be attended to. There was a knock on the door, and Massaru entered.

"Massaru, come in. Where is Usagi? Is she safe?" I asked, concerned. He closed the door behind him and took a seat across from me. "Yes, Haruka has taken her to her apartment and is waiting for the all-clear."

That was at least a relief. "And what about my brother?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer. I had seen him lying motionless on the ground. Massaru closed his eyes and shook his head. Saphir was dead.

"Was it you?" I asked flatly. I should have felt sad. After all, it was my brother who had died. But instead, I felt a strange mix of guilt and relief. Guilt for not feeling sorrow, and relief that he could no longer harm anyone.

Massaru sighed heavily. "Yes, I'm sorry, Boss, but it was the only way to stop him." I lifted my head and looked at Massaru. "Don't blame yourself... Does my father know yet?"

Before he could answer, the door was flung open, and the doctor, Dr. Chiba, entered the room. He asked Massaru to step outside and examined my wound. "You're lucky," he began. "It's just a graze. I'll need to put in a few stitches, but it should be manageable without anesthesia, especially since you've already had some pain relief in the ambulance."

It was indeed bearable. After he finished the stitches, he wrapped a firm bandage around my upper arm. He didn't seem to recognize me as he didn't mention Usagi or ask any uncomfortable questions. Massaru must have provided the necessary information at the reception.

"Come back tomorrow for a dressing change, and in 7-10 days the stitches can be removed. You can get the discharge papers at the front desk," he instructed and then left the room.

Massaru was already waiting by the exit, as usual having organized everything. "Your father is on his way here. Do you want to wait for him?" "Absolutely not. I need rest. Do you know where Usagi is?"

A small smile spread across Massaru's face. "I just spoke with Haruka. She's waiting for you at the apartment. Your cousin was here briefly as well, but I assured him everything was fine and he didn't need to wait. If you want anything from him, you'll let him know." I sighed with relief. "Then please, take me home."

It didn't take long before we finally reached the apartment. Exhausted from everything, I wanted nothing more than to sleep, but I knew Usagi was waiting upstairs, and we had something important to discuss. I punched in the security code and pushed the door open. There she was, standing in the hallway, her big blue eyes looking at me, already glistening with tears.

"Never do that again, do you hear me?" she scolded, her voice angry. But in the next second, she had her arms wrapped tightly around me, her head pressed against my chest, her tears soaking through the remnants of my shirt. Gently, I closed my arms around her and just held her. A strange but pleasant feeling washed over me, and I could forget the burden for a moment as her sweet scent filled my senses. But there was still much to clear up with her, and I had neither the desire nor the nerves to drag it out any longer.

I pushed her away slightly and looked deeply into her tearful eyes. "Prince Ironheart? Really?" I teased, hoping to make her smile. She actually began to blush shyly.

"That wasn't from me. Kaori started that," she muttered, embarrassed. "I should have known. So, you wanted to talk to me. Here I am," I said, breaking the embrace. Her expression was priceless in that moment, and I decided to keep the charade going a bit longer. I wanted to hear it from her directly, not just from a recording.