Goodbye

Friday night.

‘Prince! Faster!’ Shin shouted as he knocked on my door.

I sighed, ‘Give me a minute.’

‘You already told that for thousand times now!’ he laughed, ‘If you won’t open this -’

I opened the door, ‘What?’

He grinned, ‘Nothing! Let’s go!’ and pulled me downstairs.

‘Ugh, Shin…why such in a hurry? It’s still early,’ I complained.

‘Huh?’ he glanced at me, ‘Actually, we’re already 10 minutes late.’

I sighed and kept my hands inside my pockets, ‘Will you drive?’

He shrugged his head and smiled, ‘Laurence will. He’s waiting outside so let’s keep moving, ok?’

‘Yeah, whatever you say.’

‘Oh, Prince,’ he placed his arm over my shoulder, ‘Cheer up now, please?’

I didn’t respond.

‘Please?’ he repeated.

But still, I didn’t respond and instead, I just went inside the car.

‘Ok? I’m talking to myself again,’ he gibbered as he went inside too.

Great, I’m trap with Shin and Laurence’s sweet moments in the car. Anyway, Shin persuaded me to come to the open party in our university. I told him that I won’t go but he won’t stop nagging me so I was forcedly decided to come with him and VII in the party. As expected there were so many students and outsiders attended the party. The venue was almost filled with thrilled students with their dates. Damn it, I’m trap to this oblivion.

‘Prince?’ Shin woke my conscience, ‘You ok?’

I simply answered.

‘I didn’t picture that there were so many people that will attend this party,’ VII uttered.

‘Yeah me too,’ Shin added, ‘So, let’s find some friends?’

We walked, I mean they walked (I was just following them) towards the aisle, spotted some of our friends and hanged with them.

‘Hi Prince!’ Elise greeted me as she clanged on my shoulder, ‘I’ve haven’t heard from you from the last few days! How are you?’

‘Nothing special,’ I murmured.

‘Hm?’ she showed me a peace sign.

I wondered.

‘Ryuuka might get jealous, right?’ she chuckled.

‘Elise…’ Shin whispered.

‘Huh?’ Elise asked, ‘What’s with that whispering? Is something wrong?’

‘It’s okay, Shin. Don’t worry about it,’ I sighed.

Then Shin suddenly pulled Elise. I bet he’ll tell her what happened. She seems to be not aware of what’s going on.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ VII asked me.

‘Ugh… yeah, blue cosmo,’ I told him.

‘Alright,’ he told me as he left.

I sat on one of the vacant seat near me. As I was staring at the dance floor, I saw a familiar but unexpected sight. I examined who the person really was, I don’t want to jump on a conclusion but as I was sure, I stood up and tried to approach the center of the dance floor. When I was there already, the sight disappeared and so I went back to where I was sitting.

‘Where have you been?’ Shin asked who was already nibbling on some of the appetizer.

‘Was I hallucinating?’ I asked myself.

‘Huh?’ Shin uttered, ‘What hallucinating?’

I looked at him. I would want to tell him but he might get worried again and so I decided not to tell him anymore.

‘Prince?’ Shin smiled then he offered some appetizer to me.

‘No thanks. Ugh, Shin…I forgot something in the car. I’ll be back soon,’ I told him. I went to the parking area and rested my back at the car. I sighed.

‘I’ll go home,’ I whispered to myself as I was rubbing my hand to my arm. ‘Very chilly,’ I opened the door of the car.

Where are you going?’

I turned my head and stared at who was talking to.

‘Going home already?’

I nodded and closed the door again.

‘But the night is still young…’ he drew closer to me.

‘Ryuuka…’ I uttered, my heart was beating faster.

‘Hey,’ he smiled, ‘How is it going?’

I was speechless.

‘Is the party pretty much boring for you?’

I was looking side by side, trying to find the words to say.

‘That isn’t like you,’ he chuckled.

‘I’m just…not in the mood,’ my voice was jagged.

He stared at me, ‘How come you’ve become so apathetic? I’m wondering,’ and he folded his arms.

‘Why are you here?’ I asked.

‘And why are you changing the topic?’ he questioned back.

‘Ugh,’ I scratched onto my head, looking so embarrassed.

He chuckled and patted my head, ‘What the hell’s happening to you? Anyway, didn’t I tell you that if you attend, I will too?’

I took a deep breath and then smiled a bit, ‘I remember. So, it was you…? I mean you were in the dance floor awhile ago?’

‘Yeah, thank god you saw me.’

‘Ah…’ I looked down while I was coiling my engagement ring on my finger.

‘How are you?’ he asked.

‘I…I’m… fine,’ I whispered and looked at him.

He smiled, ‘That’s great’.

I sighed, ‘Actually… I’m not okay.’

‘Oh?’ he wondered, ‘That’s too bad…’

‘Anyway… I thought that I was imagining things, I mean…I thought I was just imagining you to be there.’

‘And why is that?’

‘Just wondering why are you here?’ I answered, ‘You have no reason to be here perhaps.’

‘Well I do have a reason to go here…’

‘What is that?’

‘Isn’t this our university’s party and since I am also a student here, I bet I have to be here too.’

‘Right…’ I agreed, ‘Ryuuka?’

‘I’ll be leaving the country tomorrow’, he uttered.

‘What?’ I was shocked.

‘I said… I’ll be leaving the country tomorrow and my flight is in the late afternoon.’

‘How long?’

‘For good.’

‘Huh? But, but…where are you going?’ I was already panicking.

‘Not saying,’ he turned on his right side as he leaned himself on the car.

‘Why will you leave?’ my breathing started to be hard, ‘How… how about me? You’ll leave me?’

He chuckled, ‘You never fail to amaze me, Prince. After all that I did… after all that I told you, you’re still asking me the same question… how about me?’ and continued chuckling.

‘But, Ryuuka-’

He glared at me and smirked, ‘Just for once, would you stand up for yourself… have some balls, Prince.’

‘What?’ I frowned.

He looked into my eyes, ‘I’ll be leaving alone. I’m not taking anyone else…’

I was thinking that he was just kidding around or perhaps, to hear from him that he would take me with him but…

‘And I am not taking you with me, Prince. Absolutely not,’ he stressed out.

‘But, Ryuuka…’ I sighed, my voice was jagged again. ‘If this is about you cheating on me… or whatever, I don’t care about it anymore! I don’t give a shit if it is true or false!’ I was already breathing so hard yet, I held his hand tightly, ‘I’m willing to forget about everything and please let’s start over again… just don’t leave me, I love you…Ryuuka,’ and I stared at him deeply.

He was quiet for a moment and then suddenly laughed, ‘That’s a very nice line. From what movie is it from? Or is it from a novel?’

‘I’m serious.’

‘And I am too’, he removed my hand, his faced shift from being silly to a serious… a very serious one, ‘I have no reason to stay here anymore. I have nothing left here for myself… nothing.’

‘Am I already nothing for you? Huh?’

His voice turned sternly, ‘This is not just about you.’

‘What do you mean?’ I whispered, ‘Don’t you…love me anymore?’

He smiled, ‘I exceedingly love you, Prince...’

‘Then?’

‘But love isn’t enough.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘You see, Prince, in a relationship… love isn’t the only thing that matters. There should be friendship, faith, honesty and trust’, his last word was much emphasized and it cut deep in my heart, ‘In our relationship, none of those existed. When we became lovers, you stopped treating me as your bestfriend and became just as your lover… you don’t have that much faith on me, you always doubt me… you always think that I’ll cheat on you’, he sighed, ‘You don’t trust me. You never did, Prince.’

‘No! I do trust you, Ryuuka!’ I argued.

‘You never did,’ he repeated.

‘That never crossed my mind…’

‘Really? I wonder what then crossed your mind.’

‘Stop putting me down slowly, if you don’t love me anymore… just freaking tell me now!’ I exclaimed.

‘You know that is a lie. I strongly believe that even if you don’t trust me that much, you do know in your heart and mind how much I love you…’

‘I love you…’

‘And I love you too... but like what I said, our love isn’t enough’.

‘Ryuuka…’

‘I’m so tired of hearing people telling us that our love story is the perfect love story. It’s like a fairytale, it’s like those romantic novel… the once upon a time… and they live happily ever after kind of fictional story’.

I sighed.

‘Fuck fairytales, fuck love stories… oh, fuck perfect love stories. Fuck people who always say that love will conquer everything. That is the most fucking lie because if love can really solve anything then…’ his voice sounded very pissed off.

‘Then what?’

‘Then why is this happening to us?’ he whispered softly, ‘goddamn it! We should be together right?’ he sighed and looked away from me, ‘So fuck love!’

‘But Ryuuka…’

‘How could you?’ he exclaimed. ‘How could you judge me without even knowing my side? Without asking me if it is true or not?’

‘Well-’

‘Because VII is a reliable source? Fine, I understand that. But what I cannot understand is how come you get mad at me without talking to me first?’ he smirked, ‘You know I envy VII because you trust him better than me. Do you know how much painful that is for me?’

‘That isn’t true!’ I exclaimed.

‘Then what is the truth?’ he asked.

I sighed, ‘I’m… I’m just afraid… so afraid to lose you Ryuuka’.

‘That’s shit, Prince. That is bullshit! You would never lose me because you do know that I cannot live without you… that I exist for you,’ he took a deep breath, ‘All I was asking from you is your trust but…you even failed to give it to your so called, ‘My Life’.

‘I’m sorry…’ I uttered.

‘But I guess I have to try to live without you from now on,’ he shrugged his head, ‘I’m tired Prince… so tired of always chasing you around and asking for your forgiveness. I have limitations too.’

I started to feel tears formulating around my eyes, ‘I am so sorry... I promise, I swear… I’ll change, I’ll be anything that you want me to be… please, just don’t leave me’

‘And I am sick of hearing those sorry, promises and changes. I’m already tired of being hurt. Sorry, Prince but it is too late now and besides, like what I told you, this isn’t just about you…’

‘Then what else?’

‘Lately, there are so many things that had happened in my life and you don’t know anything about it’.

‘What?’

‘You know nothing.’

‘Huh? What do you mean?’

‘Because you never asked… how am I? Am I doing okay? Nothing, no single care for me.’

‘I care for you, Ryuuka,’ I exclaimed, my tears started to fall down of my face, ‘Things were already complicated and I didn’t realize…I didn’t notice…’

He chuckled, ‘Excuses! Full of excuses! Perhaps, because of the mask I’m wearing’.

‘What…what happened?’

‘There’s no need for you to know, it’s useless anyway.’

‘I’m sorry… so sorry Ryuuka…’ I wiped my tears.

‘Damn it, Prince! Shut up! Stop saying sorry! It doesn’t matter; I can’t blame you that much because every time I’m with you, my problems magically drift away for a while. But right after the moment we separated, it comes to me like a flashflood in a heavy thunderstorm.’

I was speechless.

‘I am disappointed with my life, Prince… and you don’t know that. But like what I told you, I can’t blame you because when we’re together, all we think is love… love… love and making love, am I right?’

I nodded.

He sighed, ‘I can’t forgive myself… how come I’ve become so reckless?’

‘Ryuu-’

‘I’ve been thinking… perhaps it was wise if we were never been together.’

‘Please don’t say that.’

‘We should never been together,’ he repeated.

I closed my eyes, ‘Stop… please stop now. This is killing me’.

‘Do you wanna know why we should have never been together?’

I opened my eyes and looked at him.

‘Because you are too perfect for me… while I’m too worst for you,’ he looked down, ‘I ruined everything for you… I’m at blame,’

‘No!’ I shouted, ‘You were the best thing that ever happened in my life. So don’t you say that ever again in my face… you hear me?’

‘I did… don’t argue with me.’

‘I will fucking argue with you as long as I want to!’

‘Drop it and listen to me first!’ he exclaimed, ‘for the last time, please?’

I was stoned of what he said.

‘If I didn’t ruin you then why are you like this? Why do you keep on holding your hopes for me? Why do you have that freaking disorder? It’s all because of me… before you met me, you were perfectly fine and you were perfectly happy’.

‘Wrong… I was never perfectly happy until I met you and became yours.’

‘Bullshit Prince, don’t be a spoiled brat and stop being childish. Being selfish. Open your eyes, its better if we’re not together. Love yourself more-’

‘No, Ryuuka…no, I won’t my life. Please-’

‘We could still revert everything back to normal because this would be the last time that you will ever see me again…’

‘Stop!’ I shouted, my tears were falling down again but he ignored me.

‘From this moment on, you can go on with your life without any intervention from me.’

‘I need you, Ryuuka! I love you!’ I was trying to hug him but he was pushing me away from me.

‘Don’t worry…’, his voice became calm, ‘for sure there are so many people that will help you to move on, Prince… you are very dazzling, charming, stunningly gorgeous… you can make anyone fall in love with you so you don’t have to be worried, okay?’

‘I don’t need anyone but you, Ryuuka! I love you!’

‘Do you love me because you need me? Or do you need me because you love me?’

I can’t find the right words to say to him but, ‘I love you! I love you!’

‘I love you too… and I want the best for you’.

‘You are the best for me…Ryuuka…please, don’t leave me…’ I fell down on my knees, I was crying terribly. ‘Please…don’t leave me…I love you, Ryuuka…’

‘No, I am the worst for you…’ he sighed. He knelt down and wiped my tears. We were very close to each other, ‘I don’t deserve your love and you don’t deserve someone like me, Prince. I am worthless…’ he said as he slowly touch my chin and kissed my forehead.

I breathe in his scent and hugged him tight.

He hugged me too and whispered, ‘Keep me in your memory’.

I looked at him and tried to kiss his lips but he halted me and started to walked away. I grabbed on his wrist, ‘I love you…’

He smiled and pulled away, ‘Be safe… I will miss you’

‘My Life!’ I screamed.

‘Goodbye…’ was the last word I heard from him.

Fuck, Bullshits, Asshole

‘Yes sweetheart, he’s here so you better go here immediately’, I told Laurence, ‘Right… right, okay. Bye’, and I hanged up the phone. I sighed.

‘Hey Shin’, someone greeted me.

I turned my back and saw in law, ‘Oh, hi in law!’

He didn’t smile, ‘How is it going?’

‘Ugh… nothing?’, I chuckled. Recently, I actually don’t know how to speak to in law anymore. It’s like his a whole new different person.

He nodded, ‘Okay then, bye…’

‘Oh! Wait! Won’t you stay for a little while?’, I asked.

‘For what?’

‘Ugh… well, hmm…’, Damn I didn’t know what to say, ‘Wanna hang out?’, I took my chances.

He chuckled but it’s obvious that it was a fake, ‘You’re screwed Shin’.

‘I guess?’, I sounded stupid, ‘So?’

He shrugged his head, ‘Not interested’, and started to go downstairs. I followed him and when he was to open the door, it opened by itself.

He stopped.

Cha-cha went in running and hugged in law.

‘Daddy! Daddy!’, she kept on shouting, ‘I miss you, I miss you!’

‘Ugh…Cha-cha?’ he was like pushing Cha-cha away from him.

‘Hey Leader’, Laurence greeted him, ‘Fancy meeting you here’.

‘Fancy?’, he smirked, 'This is bullshit.'

Then I saw Prince, uncle, aunt and Ash entered the scene too.

‘Hey Leader!’, IX and XV greeted.

‘Hello there’, XIII added.

‘Wow, all of you are present huh?’, in law uttered in unfeeling and uninterested voice.

‘Yeah’, Laurence answered.

‘Daddy! Daddy, lift me… lift me, I wanna kiss you’, Cha-cha nagged in law.

‘That’s quite enough Cha-cha’, in law was like whispering but he also looked pissed.

‘But Daddy… daddy!’, Cha-cha kept on nagging him.

‘Stop!’, in law shouted at her daughter and pushed her away, ‘I said fucking quit it!’

Cha-cha ran to IX and cried.

In law was like indescribable? He was pretty mad. Then a fierce voice was also heard.

‘What the heck is that?’, Laurence exclaimed.

In law looked at him.

‘I asked, what the heck is that?’, he sighed, ‘That is your daughter!'

‘That’s the point, my daughter! Not yours or anyone else here’, he sternly answered, ‘So I could tell her anything I want’.

‘You shouldn’t be talking to your daughter like that!Would you cut the shit out?!’

‘Wow! Now you sound like a parent to me’, he chuckled, ‘Who are you my father, or my mother? For 17 years I didn’t had one so fuck off’.

‘What the heck is wrong with you?’

‘Nothing, there is nothing wrong with me… and why the fuck are you all here anyway? Is there a party?’

Laurence sounded very pissed, ‘Party? Bullshit, don’t play dumb with me XXVII. We’re all here because we want to see you and talk to you. To know what the hell is going on with you!’

‘What?’, he chuckled sarcastically, ‘What am I Hollywood star now?’

‘Would you drop the sarcasm? You know, I can’t understand you anymore. We cannot understand you anymore; it’s as if you have changed all of the sudden’.

‘You don’t know me? You guys don’t know me?’, he laughed, ‘Of course, nobody knows me’.

Laurence eyes widened but he didn’t speak and so I did.

‘In law?’

‘Stay out of this!’, he told me and faced Laurence again, ‘It’s as if I changed? Well… tell you what, I didn’t change. It’s just that no one knows me’, and smirked.

‘Even me?’, I turned around and it was Prince talking.

In law chuckled again, ‘What the fuck? Let’s not put a fucking drama here’.

‘So I’m only a drama… oh, a fucking drama huh?’

In law just laughed. It’s like he’s crazy.

‘You know Ryuuka, they all came here just to see you and know what’s going on with you so we could help you. We want to help you for whatever problem you have because we are concern about you’, Prince told him.

‘Fuck concern!’, in law shouted, ‘I don’t need all of your fucking concerns’, and started to walked but Laurence stopped him by pushing him to where he was standing.

‘So you’re just gonna walk away? We are your friends, we are your family, why don’t you let us help you!’, Laurence shouted too.

‘I don’t need anyone. Not even friends, or family!’

‘And me? How about me… your lover?’, Prince uttered.

‘Why will you think that you’re an exception?’, he laughed.

Prince didn’t talk anymore.

‘You shouldn’t be doing this to him asshole!’, Laurence exclaimed.

‘Why don’t you mind your own fucking goddamn business VII!’, in law put emphasis on the last three words.

All of us were shocked of what the hell is happening around us… or rather, the hell is going on with in law.

After saying that, in law started to walk and as he opened the door, Laurence called his attention again.

‘XXVII, just one last thing’, Laurence uttered

In law looked at him.

‘Fuck you’.

In law smiled, ‘Why thank you… I’m a fucking fuck and a narcissistic heartless shit, remember?’, he said and went off as he slam the door hard.

Then while we were all shocked of what happened, Prince just passed out. I didn’t know what came in to me but I ran outside our house and called in law.

‘In law!’, I called him and he looked at me.

‘What now?’, he sounded mad obviously.

‘Prince just lost his consciousnesses’

‘I don’t give a damn fucking shit about him’, he told me as he opened the door of his car went off.

Break Even

‘Good morning,’ VII greeted me as he went inside my room with Shin..

‘Good morning too VII’, I greeted him back.

‘Ugh… here, this is for you’, he told me as he handed me a basket of strawberries.

I smiled a bit, ‘Thanks a lot’.

‘Sure no problem’, he answered.

Shin pouted his lips, ‘How come you brought something for Prince and nothing for me?’

VII smiled, ‘Oh I forgot to bring something for you’, and chuckled.

Shin sniffed, ‘You’re making your baby sad Laurence…’

‘Oh sweetheart, I can’t think of anything to bring here for you but my heart’, VII smiled as he pinched Shin’s cheek.

I coughed.

They both looked at me and chuckled.

‘Sorry about that my little Prince’, Shin told me as he sat beside me, ‘Shall we eat this now?’, he pointed at the strawberry basket.

‘Sure’, I looked at VII, ‘Sit down too VII’.

‘Thanks’, he uttered.

We were in the living room, chatting with each and eating the strawberries VII bought for me. After quite some time, my father came to check if I was doing well.

‘Oh hi there uncle!’, Shin greeted dad.

‘Good morning Dr. Caelum’, VII greeted him too.

‘Hello Shin and hello VII’, he looked at them and turned to me, ‘How are you doing now son?’

‘I’m fine I think?’, I told him.

‘What are you feeling?’, dad continued asking.

‘Well nothing much but my shoulders is kinda tensed’.

He massaged my shoulders, ‘Your muscles are still stress son’.

I nodded.

‘Stress?’, VII asked.

‘Yeah he has some anxiety attacks and depressions caused by too much stress’, dad explained.

I looked at VII, ‘But nothing really serious’, I uttered as my mom came in the scene too.

She kissed me on my cheek, ‘How are you doing my handsome son?’, she smiled.

‘Recuperating’

She nodded and looked at VII.

‘Hello Mrs. Caelum’, VII greeted her.

‘Hi there’, she greeted him back. My mom’s faced moved from left to right, then right to left. It’s as if she was looking for something.

‘Something matter aunt?’, Shin asked.

‘Where’s… Ryuuka?’, she asked.

‘Ugh…’, Shin looked at me, ‘Aunt?’

‘Hmm?’, she mumbled, ‘Where is my son-in-law?’

VII finally spoke, ‘Before I went here, I saw XXVII in his room playing with his daughter’.

Mom wondered, ‘Oh? Wouldn’t he visit his fiancé?’, and looked at me, ‘He hasn’t visited you since you got sick, am I right?’

I looked at my father, escaping to answer my mom’s question, ‘Dad, when can I be able to go back to university?’

‘Next week’, he smiled, ‘Don’t worry; I have excused you already in all of your subjects’.

‘Really? Did you release an excuse letter for me?’

My mom chuckled and sat beside me, ‘There’s no need for that my baby, mom and dad took care of everything’.

‘Huh?’, I was confused.

‘Some power of connections’, she winked.

‘Ah I see’, I sighed.

‘Hmm?’, mom continued.

I shrugged my head, ‘Nothing’.

‘So, what shall we do now?’, Shin interrupted.

Then suddenly, one of our maids approached us.

‘Your visitor sir is already waiting outside’, she told dad.

‘Visitor honey?’, mom asked.

Dad nodded, ‘I’m expecting someone, please excuse me’, and he left.

‘Who would that be?’, I asked.

‘It’s probably some patient?’, Shin answered.

Mom nodded.

‘Dr. Caelum receives patients even here at your house?’, VII asked.

‘Special cases only, ones that are very dreadful’, mom answered.

VII nodded while Shin smiled at him.

The door opened and I saw father with a very familiar but unexpected apparition.

Shin and VII looked at the door when they saw my eyes flickered.

‘In law!’, Shin exclaimed.

‘Hey’, he said.

Mom stood up and approached him, ‘I know you would come for my son’, she said as she kissed him on his left cheek.

‘No’, dad interrupted, ‘He came here because I ask him to, so if you excuse us’.

‘Excuse me Mrs. Caelum’, he told her as they left and went to the office room of my dad.

‘Peculiar? Ryuuka called me Mrs. Caelum?’, she wondered.

My breathing started to be poles apart; it’s as if something is blocking my air passage.

Shin sat beside me, ‘Are you okay Prince?’, his voice was disturbed.

‘I think he can’t breathe?’, VII told Shin.

‘Son?’, mom readily approached me, ‘What’s the matter?’

But I can’t speak.

Shin stood up and went to get dad for me.

‘Oh my god, what shall I do?’, mom panic.

‘Calm down Mrs. Caelum’, VII calmly said, ‘I think he’s anxiety is attacking’, and looked at me.

Finally someone understood what was happening to me that time.

Then my dad with Shin approached me.

‘Son?’, he called for me, ‘Can you hear me?’

I nodded but I can’t still talk.

Dad held on my forehead, ‘Anxiety is attacking him again’, he told them.

My breathing became much harder this time.

‘You need to relax son’, dad told me.

But I cannot, I closed my eyes and my head started to crack like hell. I am having chest pains too, like my heart’s palpitating.

‘Oh gosh, what’s going on with our son honey?’, mom flustered.

‘Prince relax!’, dad exclaimed.

Then suddenly, a warm hand pressed on my forehead and caressed my cheek, ‘Relax… I’m here’.

I opened my eyes and saw Ryuuka in front of me.

He didn’t smile, ‘Get a grip’, and his eyes were empty.

‘Ryuuka…’, the only word I can utter.

He lifted me, ‘We should lay him in his bed’, he told them.

We went to my room and there he carefully laid me in my bed, ‘Prince…-’

Mom interrupted, ‘Are you okay now son?’

As I was staring at him, my breathing started to be normal and my head slowly stopped aching.

Dad put on his stethoscope and heard my heart beat, ‘You’re okay now’.

I nodded.

When I looked back at where Ryuuka was standing, he wasn’t there anymore. I searched for him and saw him going out of my room. I tried to call for him but my mom halted me, ‘You take a rest now son, we’ll leave you’.

‘But - ’

And they left me. Soon after, I fell asleep. After couple of hours, I was woken up by Shin.

‘Wake up Prince’, he nagged me, ‘You have to eat your lunch now’.

‘Where is…’, I couldn’t continue.

‘In law?’, he smiled, ‘His downstairs. He was here with you a while ago, I saw him staring at you while you were sleeping’.

I smiled, ‘Really?’

He nodded, ‘Shall we go now?’

I nodded and we went downstairs.

In our dining area, my mom insisted to sit beside me so she can take care of me.

‘I cooked your favorite dish’, mom told me.

‘Thanks’, I told her and looked at Ryuuka. This time when I was looking at him, he wasn’t looking at me and I noticed that his eyes were unstable yet again empty.

‘So boys, do you like the food I cooked?’, mom asked us.

Shin nodded, ‘Yeah aunt! It’s so delicious!’

‘It is very appetizing Mrs. Caelum’, VII added.

‘Ryuuka?’, mom called out.

‘Nothing changed Mrs. Caelum, you’re still a very good cook’, he complimented her.

Mrs. Caelum again, I asked myself.

‘Oh? Thank you Ryuuka’, mom told him.

‘Mrs. Caelum…-’, Ryuuka spoke.

‘Mrs. Caelum?’, I interrupted him. My voice was a little soft but I think he can hear me.

He looked at me.

‘Mrs. Caelum?’, I repeated.

Shin stopped eating, as well as VII and looked at me.

‘Yes’, he finally answered rigidly, ‘It’s the rightful way to address my friend’s mom, right?’

I was shocked and became speechless of what he just said.

Shin and VII looked at each other, there eyes were like questioning and so am I.

‘Friend…?’ I whispered but he already talked to my dad.

‘Anyway, Dr. Caelum, I have finished reviewing the papers you gave me’, Ryuuka told dad.

‘That’s great’, dad sipped on his wine, ‘Let’s talk about it after we eat’.

I was still shock of what he said. I stood up, ‘I’m done. Thanks for the delicious meal,’ I looked at Ryuuka and waited for him to look at me too. But he didn’t and so I left. I stayed in my room and took a pillow on my hand. I hugged it tightly as I wriggled my toes on the couch.

‘Prince?’ Shin sneaked on my door and went inside with VII.

I didn’t respond.

Shin sighed as he sat on the floor, ‘What does in law mean by that? Friend? Huh?’

I shrugged my shoulders, ‘I can’t understand him anymore.’

‘He seems to be in bad mood or something?’ Shin added.

‘Is it because of me?’ I asked.

Shin shrugged his head, ‘I don’t know but like what I told you a while ago. When you were asleep, he was with you all the time. He was just sitting on the floor and staring at you while you were sleeping. He even fondled your hair and kissed your lips’.

‘He kissed me?’ I asked.

Shin nodded, ‘Laurence? You look serious’.

‘I’m always,’ VII finally spoke.

‘I mean… oh Laurence!’, he exclaimed.

VII chuckled, ‘Kidding, anyhow, well I was just analyzing Leader. It seems to be something is wrong with him. He’s acting strange’ and lit a cigar.

‘Hmm…’, Shin mumbled.

‘What do you mean VII?’

‘Well…’, he paused and looked at me, ‘Base on my observations, he looks like he’s thinking about something, or he’s like confused about something. But he doesn’t want that to be very obvious and so he’s masking himself by emptying his face’.

Shin nodded, ‘I see, I see…’

‘And why is he doing that?’, I asked.

‘That… I don’t know’, VII answered and he continued smoking.

I sighed as Shin approached me and tapped my shoulders, ‘Oh Prince…’

At night, the same thing happened. Ryuuka didn’t talk to me; no single word was address to me. He’s cold… very cold to me, and I don’t know what should I do. I wanted to talk him but someone is always interrupting us.

After dinner, I went to the garden to breathe some fresh air. I sat on one of the benches and looked at the starless sky.

‘No stars huh?’, I know it his voice but I want to make sure and so I looked at him.

He was looking at me, or rather staring at me.

‘Since when did you have that anxiety attack?’, he asked as he stood beside me and rested his back at the Cherry Blossom tree.

‘Ugh…’, I looked away and felt that my cheeks were burning, ‘Weekends I think?’

‘I see, I learned about it just today’, he told me.

‘Huh?’, I looked at him, ‘Didn’t VII told you?’

He was still staring at me with the same stunning face, ‘No. I wasn’t asking anything about you’, and he looked away.

When I heard him say that, I felt that something cut deep in my heart. I was speechless.

‘Anyway, there would be a party… an open house party in the university next week. You should come, parties are good stress reliever’.

I nodded; I was still shocked of what he previously said.

‘Will you come?’, he asked.

‘I’ll see if dad will let me’, I whispered.

I wasn’t looking at him but I felt that he moved somewhere from where he was standing.

‘If you come, I’ll come in the party too’.

That made my heart jump a little, ‘Really?’, I looked at him, ‘You’ll come with me?’

He looked at me too and smirked, ‘I never said that’.

‘But…’ I sighed.

He approached me and patted my head, ‘Go to sleep. You need to rest now spoiled brat’, and he started to walk away from me.

‘Ryuuka,’ I grabbed onto his wrist, ‘I…I-‘

‘What?’ he was staring at me fiercely, his voice was very stern, ‘I told you to go to sleep and rest, right? Don’t be such a nuisance, Prince,’ and he removed my hand on his wrist.

‘I am sorry…’ I murmured.

He turned his back on me and walked away.

Just like that? What’s wrong with him? And what’s with the spoiled brat? Nuisance? Am I that annoying now, huh? Damn it. I really hate this kind of scenarios. Honestly, my heart’s bleeding with the way he talked an acted in front of me.