Once Again... I'm in love with you - Chapter 6
“Are you okay, Sa… Ohno Kun?”
Ohno had stayed silent after Nino told him they were soulmates. He didn’t know what to say about that. Maybe he should let it be for the time being as something else had caught his attention.
“What do you call me?” He asked. For a few times, Nino had almost called him something else. Something that started with Sa. Every time he heard Nino, he was curious to know what it actually meant. However, the circumstance wouldn't allow him to ask. This time, his curiosity got the better of him.
“Ohno Kun?” Nino answered, sounding uncertain.
“No…” Ohno shook his head. “You almost called me something else and then you switched to Ohno Kun. What do you want to call me actually?”
He wondered if Nino wanted to call him Samii or Satoshi. When Nino was his teacher, he had been calling him Satoshi. However, when Nino came to see him before he disappeared, he had called him Samii.
“Ah…” Nino nodded his head, realizing what he actually meant. “I want to call you Samii,”
Oh… Samii.
“Is that my nickname?” Ohno asked, remembering that the guy from earlier had called him Samejima.
Nino seemed to be surprised by his response. “How do you… ah…” His bang was covering his eyes so he brushed it off. It was just an innocent gesture but for Ohno, Nino looked sexy with the way he pushed aside his hair and he had to look away from Nino. “I forgot that he called you Samejima just now,”
“So, my real name is Samejima?” Ohno asked, trying to distract himself from watching Nino. It was more important for him to know what happened between them.
Nino had a sad smile on his face as he answered with a nod. “Un. Samejima Reiji. The prince of the Raitorian kingdom,"
The prince woke up late the next day. He didn’t know what time he went to sleep. Even though he retreated to the chamber provided for him by the Raitorian kingdom early the night before, he couldn’t sleep at all. Someone kept disturbing him. Not physically, though.
What was wrong with him? Why did he keep thinking of the Raitorian prince? And, each time he was thinking about the prince, his heart started to feel… he didn’t know how to describe the feeling. It was weird but it also made him feel good. Ah, something was definitely wrong with him!
“Prince Kazunari,” A soft knock on the door startled him. Nino frowned. He didn’t know who was at the door. The voice was unfamiliar. Hmm… maybe, it’s one of the servants. He took a robe and then opened the door of his chamber only to be surprised to see the Raitorian Prince.
“What do you want?” He growled at the prince. However, the prince didn’t seem to be affected by his hostile behaviour.
“I’m here to bring you for breakfast, Prince Kazunari,” The other prince explained, smiling. “Then, I will bring you for a stroll in our city,”
“I’m not hungry…”
However, his stomach chose to betray him at the moment as it made a sound to announce he was actually famished. The other prince didn’t say anything. He only gave him a teasing smile, which annoyed Nino. Why was he here? Shouldn’t Ebisawa be the one who called him for breakfast? Even if it’s not Ebisawa, one of the servants should be the one who called him. Why did this kingdom let its prince do a servant’s job?
“I will wait for you while you get dressed,” The other prince told him.
“I’ve told you…”
He trailed off when his father and Ebisawa suddenly appeared.
“Prince Reiji,” His father greeted the other prince. Oh, was that his name? Nino seriously didn’t remember.
“Good morning, your highness,” Reiji greeted the king, slightly bowed to him.
“What brings you here, Prince Reiji?” His father asked in the same monotone voice he used on everyone. There’s no expression on his face. It was always like that. His father was known as an emotionless person. And Nino was also taught to behave in the same way. However, he realized that since he came here, it was hard for him to keep his expression neutral. And he blamed Reiji for it.
“Prince Kazunari didn’t show up for breakfast. So, I’m worried about him. As you’re my guests, I have to make sure everything is alright,”
“He is just tired,” The king explained for him. “It’s the first time he went on a journey so he’s not used to it,” Then, his father shifted his attention to him as he continued. “Kazunari, go and get ready. Prince Reiji is here to accompany you. It’s rude of you to turn him down,”
Nino nodded his head, trying hard not to show his dissatisfaction because of the order. But, he had no choice. If his father wanted him to go with Reiji, that’s what he should do. Or else, he would have to face his father’s wrath.
“The maid should bring breakfast to my chamber," Nino complained as he followed Reiji out of the dining hall. He had just finished eating and the meal was rather bland for a castle standard. But, he didn’t complain about it because he was too hungry.
"You look better when you smile,” That’s how the prince responded. And Nino scowled at the prince because he was annoyed. Reiji didn't respond to his complaint. Instead, he said something that wasn't even remotely related to what he was talking about. "So, please smile just like the way you smiled at me at the dining hall yesterday,”
Nino could feel his cheeks flushing upon hearing what Reiji had said. He had never smiled before, at least not in the way he smiled at Reiji. But, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling yesterday. And it’s all Reiji’s fault.
“What are we going to do now?” He asked, changing the subject.
“We’re going to walk around the city and...” Reiji answered. “... help people who need us,”
“What?” Nino rolled his eyes at the prince. Help people? Did they have to do that? He didn’t want to go if that’s what Reiji wanted to do. Helping people wasn’t something he enjoyed. Torturing people? Yes, that’s his hobby.
“Urgh, I don’t want to go, then,” He stopped walking. “If you want to do that, I would rather stay in the castle,”
“Why not?” Reiji asked with a frown, pulling him to move forward. “It’s going to be fine. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it,”
“Not a chance,” Nino pushed Reiji away, feeling uncomfortable to be touched by him. He didn't particularly hate that Reiji had touched him. He liked it and that's why it's scary. He couldn’t understand his feelings for Reiji. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he actually enjoyed the moment he spent with the other prince. “I’m not going with you. I will just rest in the castle,”
Reiji pouted in response to what he said. But, he ignored him and started to walk away when his father appeared. Much to his surprise, the king was alone this time. It was rare to see his father without Ebisawa who acted as his advisor.
“Where are you going, Kazunari?”
“My chamber, father,”
His father looked at him disapprovingly. There was no warmth in his eyes, not even for his own son. But, Nino didn't mind because he was used to it. They may be family but instead of treating him like a son, his father treated him like a slave. He had to do everything as ordered and he wasn't even allowed to protest. If anyone wanted to complain about his bad behaviour, blame his father for it.
"Prince Reiji," His father gave him one last look before he shifted his attention to Reiji. "Do you mind keeping my son company while we are here? He doesn't know how to make friends so I hope you could be his friend,"
"It's my pleasure, your highness" Reiji bowed at his father and gave him a polite smile. The king then looked at Nino, daring him to defy the order. And even though his heart begged him to protest, he knew it would be futile. His father's word was an order. Dare to defy, he would face dire consequences.
"It's a relief to know that my son will be under your care, Prince Reiji," His father continued. "... And I expect you to behave, Kazunari,"
That was his father's last word before he left the two of them alone with Reiji grinned widely at him. But, he ignored the prince. His attention was on his father. As he watched the king's retreating figure, a sudden thought crossed his mind. Why did the king bring him to the Raitorian kingdom? Why did his father insist for him to befriend Reiji? He never let Nino befriend anyone before. Was the reason he had to come here had anything to do with Reiji?
Ohno listened attentively to the story of how Nino met a prince named Samejima Reiji. Nino had claimed that the prince and Ohno were the same people. But, for Ohno, it was hard to believe. He didn't see any similarities between the two of them. Reiji seemed to have charisma and confidence, something that Ohno wished he had. The prince also seemed to be playful from the way he teased Nino. If anything, Ohno felt that he was Nino. He thought of how Ninomiya sensei teased him back then. Just like how Nino would scowl at the prince for teasing him, Ohno also did the same thing.
“Are you sure Reiji is me?” He asked Nino. “We are so different,”
To be honest, he was afraid that Nino might be wrong. What if Nino made a mistake by assuming Ohno was Reiji? If he wasn’t Reiji, would Nino leave him? He didn’t want that to happen. Not when he had unexplained feelings for Nino.
Nino reached out to squeeze his hand. Ohno watched their intertwined hands before he raised his head to look back at Nino, who smiled softly at him.
“It’s hard to believe but I know you are my Samii,” Nino assured him. “You look just like him and our bond helped me to recognize you,”
Another thought crossed his mind.
“Nino, I think I love you,” Ohno confessed. “But… I don’t understand. Is my feeling for you genuine or is it controlled by our bond as soulmates?”
The other guy gave him a small smile. “It’s weird,” Nino said. “Once upon a time, I asked the same question to you,”
“Eh? How did I answer, then?”
“Hmm…” Nino looked at him with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “I don’t want to tell you,”
Ohno pouted to hear the response. Why wouldn’t Nino tell him? If only he could have his memory as Reiji, he wouldn’t have to…
Eh?
A realization dawned on him. Nino had given back his childhood memory. The memory where Nino was a part of his life as his teacher. Then, instead of telling him about Reiji, why didn’t Nino simply give the memory of him as Reiji back?
“What’s wrong?” Nino asked when he stayed silent.
“My memory as Reiji… I cannot remember any of it. Why?” He quickly asked. “Can you give it back?”
Nino can do it, right?
However, to his dismay, Nino shook his head with a gloomy look on his face.
“I cannot,” The guy murmured. “Because I’m not the one who took it from you,”
He tilted his head, waiting for Nino to continue.
“Let me continue the story. I will tell you how you lose your memory and end up here,”
Nino returned from his trip with Reiji in the late evening. He felt worn out. As he expected, the trip was exhausting. He was asked to do all sorts of work by the people of the kingdom. Together with Reiji, he had helped the citizens with their works. Mostly, it was related to farming. However, in one instance, Reiji had forced him to climb a tree to get a kite for a small boy. Of course, Nino had protested, insisting on Reiji to be the one who climbed the tree. However, after bickering for a while, Nino finally gave up. The prince was too stubborn. He cannot win against him. So, with a glare directed at the prince, he climbed the tree and took the kite. Then, he gave it back to the kid who beamed in happiness to get his kite back. And, truthfully, it was pleasant to see him smile.
On their way back to the castle, Reiji had asked him whether he enjoyed the trip. Because of his ego, Nino lied to Reiji by telling him it was too strenuous and if possible, he didn’t want to do it again. But, to be honest, even though it was exhausting, seeing the smile of the citizen brought him joy. It felt like he was appreciated.
“You are finally home, Kazunari,”
Nino almost screamed when he pushed the door of his chamber open, surprised to see his father in there. What was the king doing here? Was he waiting for Nino to return?
“Father,” He greeted the king with a bow. “Are you waiting for me?”
The king didn’t answer him. He only stared at Nino with his blank expression. Even though it wasn’t the first time his father stared at him, he felt different this time. Each second passed without a word from his father, making him anxious. What did the king want? He had been acting weirdly since they came to the Raitorian kingdom.
“Did you spend the whole day with Prince Reiji?”
Nino could only nod his head under the intense stare of his father.
“Prince Reiji seems to have a soft spot for you,” commented the king. Nino held his breath as he waited for his father to continue. “Why don’t we take advantage of it?”
Nino tried to keep his expression neutral when he heard what his father said. Take advantage? What did the king mean by that?
“Kazunari, you are aware that you’re only a demi Fae, right?” The king asked.
Nino answered with a nod. Everyone in the Daku kingdom knew about his heritage. The king despised humans and demi-fae. However, ten years before Nino was born, he started to take human concubines for an unknown reason. The demi Fae he sired ended up as the servant in the castle. Only Nino remained as a prince. The reason? It seemed like Nino was the only demi Fae with magic and no one knew why.
“Good…” drawled the king. “Despite your status as a demi Fae, your magic is stronger than the other. I wonder why…”
Nino kept his mouth shut. Not sure whether the king was praising him or mocking him.
“Anyway, let’s get straight to the point,” The king continued. “There is something I want from the Raitorian and I want you to get it for me. Before we return to Daku, make sure it is in my possession,”
A key.
His father wanted him to steal a key from the Raitorian. As for the reason, he didn’t tell Nino anything.
Why did his father want the key, though? What made it special? What can it do? He kept asking those questions since his father ordered him to do so. However, not even once, he considered the most important question. How is he going to steal the key?
Looking at the way the king tried to push his friendship with Reiji, it was obvious that he wanted Nino to trick Reiji into helping him. However, Nino felt guilty to do so. Admittedly, he was not a good person. But, to trick Reiji…
As Nino was deep in his thoughts, he didn’t realize a figure sneaked in behind him like a mouse. The figure observed Nino patiently, waiting for the prince to notice his presence. However, as there was no response from Nino, he decided to do something about it.
The figure leaned closer towards his target. Once he was close enough, he covered Nino’s eyes with his hands, causing the other guy to let out a cute squeak. Out of reflex, Nino pushed the hands away and turned around to see Reiji grinning at him.
“Stupid prince!” bellowed Nino, glaring at Reiji as he took a few steps away from him. “What do you want?”
Nino had spent the entire day with Reiji. Even during dinner, the other prince had dragged Nino to sit next to him. Now, Nino just wanted to spend some time to think under the star and the moon. So, why couldn’t the prince leave him alone?
"Little Prince, what is your element?" Reiji asked, out of blue. Nino rolled his eyes. He was annoyed at Reiji for changing the topic.
Nino chose not to answer the question. Each Fae had the ability to control an element. For Nino, his element was light and it's actually rare to find another light elemental like him. That's why he was valuable to his father.
What would be Reiji’s element, he wondered.
“What is yours?” Nino asked the prince.
“Hmm…” The prince pondered for a minute before he smiled teasingly at Nino. “Tell me your element first,”
He gave the prince another rolled eye. Without saying goodbye, Nino walked away from the prince. He was too tired and had a lot to think about. Rather than spending time with Reiji, it’s better for him to retreat to his chamber and sleep.
Nino had only taken a few steps from Reiji when the prince stopped him with a gentle pull. Reiji made Nino turn to face him before he did something drastic. The prince lifted Nino's chin. Then, he leaned forward and put his lips against Nino's.
Wow, Reiji kissed Nino. Even though Ohno knew that he was Reiji and technically, it was him who kissed Nino, he was still jealous.
Ohno couldn't wait to know what happened next. But, Nino was thirsty and asked for a five minutes break. However, before Nino could continue the story, a loud noise was heard from the outside.
N/A: Not really sure what to think of this part. Hopefully, it was okay. Just want to let you know, I changed a few details in part 1, 2 and 5. I didn't want to do that at first but I had to so that it will be easier for me to continue the story.
As I mentioned before, the plot for Little Fox actually comes from this story. That's why there are a few similarities with Ebisawa also appeared in this story. Having said that, I wonder which one do you prefer? Little Fox or this one?
Just a heads up, I might take a break from writing some stories at the moment. There is something I want to focus on. There is a story I wrote five years ago that I never get to finish. And when I know someone has been waiting for its continuation, I feel bad for making her wait. So, I decided to focus on the story first. It was called Cutie & the Beast and I actually removed it from my masterpost. If you're interested to read the story, you may read its prequel first (again, shameless self-promoting). The prequel are Watashi no Kaibutsu kun and My Little Kazunari. It was inspired by Monster inc.
Anyway, I hope you didn't mind with my decision. But, you know me. Sometimes, I have a random idea that I want to work on. So, maybe there will be new part for OhMiya Family and The New Neighbour as both are easier to write.
As always, comments are very much appreciated.