Chapter 8 - Prince Ainosuke?
The Lost Prince
Ryo POV
Itai~ my wound started hurting.
I slowed down my pace and unknowingly I reached the playground that the three of us used to play.
I sat down on the swing and tried to comprehend what happened just now.
my heart hurts so bad, along with my wounds, that tears fall like an opened tap.
"Ryo~" Yu approached me.
"so... 20 years living as a Yamada and loving this family, thinking I'm so fortunate having you guys as siblings.... turned out, I don't belong here... that's a joke"
"look, I said this times again, you're always our sibling, regardless of whether we are blood related"
"Easy for you to say!!!! stop making things sound so simple! I'm the one who is not related, not you guys!"
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"Yamada Ryosuke! you listen to me! I have spent 20 years caring for you, looking out for you! and I'm not saying all these to make you feel better! our home is nothing without you! so I'm not letting you quit your role here! "
I am touched by his words and equally stunned.
he pulled me into an embrace.
"Niichan~ is it really okay that I'm not a yamada?"
"to me and Riko, you're always a yamada. so stop doubting yourself. we only have each other, 3 of us... no more, no less. I demand you as my little brother, you must continue to shower love in this family. I'm the hotheaded one and you're the angelic one, you need to be here to balance things up among us 3. Riko depends on you a lot, so how can you leave. and you've no other home."
"Niichan~"
"it doesn't matter who you are... you're forever a yamada!"
he pat my head.
"lets go back. Riko will worry."
his arms stretch over my shoulders and walk me back home.
"arigatou Niichan"
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he smiled, "I'm the one who should thank you.. thank you for being my brother"
but there's one more thing that's on my mind...
Riko~
...
Yuto POV
"it's gonna be hard~"
"who said so." Yuya replied.
"you saw it yourself... their kinship is so strong that even blood ties can't break them apart"
"we'll see about that" Yuya rebutted.
we both hid in a corner and see the pair of brothers walk down the narrow alley and eventually entering the house.
...
Riko POV
everything has changed between me and Ryo nii. I sat on the roof pondering over the past events that left me feeling a sense of loss and emptiness.
"Niichan, ohayou! lets go out for a walk! you haven't been exercising since you were hospitalized"
"Gomen I'm not feeling well, you go ahead"
"heh?! where" I ran to him and started inspecting his body.
he backed away and moved my hands away from him.
"don't worry. I'll care for myself." he smiled awkwardly and went into the bathroom shutting the door in my face.
he didnt really talk... he finished his food in a speed of light and left the table with minimal interaction.
there's once when Yu nii isn't home for dinner. and...
"I'm done. enjoy your meal"
"Niichan~ can't you just accompany me until I finish? it's lonely eating alone" I pouted.
he looked at me for a paused moment and he replied with a really cold answer, "I'm busy"
"what are you busy with?"
he just walked off and went into the bedroom.
"Niichan? where did you go every night? how come you always come home so late?"
"you don't have to wait for me. just sleep"
he laid on the bed and turned his back against me.
"hehhhh~" I dropped the pile of newspapers on the floor.
Ryo nii was in front of me.
we both reached out on the same piece and our palms met. I swear I felt my heart skipped a beat cause it has been long since we actually touched each other.
but the heartbreaking moment came when he pushed my hand away and grabbed the papers up swiftly and returned it to me.
"Baka" he said without even looking at me throughout the whole interaction.
...
why is Ryo nii being so cold to me?! all the things we do together, he no longer do it with me.
my eyes turned watery.
is it because of what he heard that day? he hates me?
no, it can't be. he still likes his sister, me. he must.
I ran back into the house.
I opened the door to the bathroom where I believe he just finished bathing.
"Niichan~ I'll help you apply medicine since Yu nii is not home"
"Riko?!! what the heck?!" he covered his upper body which is exposed, with another towel, and shouted.
"Niichan~ we do it all the time. let me just help you." I grabbed the medicine bottle on the table.
"I can do it myself! can you please knock when you come in?! this is so rude!"
"but I do it all the time... here." I tried to force a smile despite his very fierce look. I opened the medicine bottle and applied some on my hand.
when I touched my fingers on his bare skin...
"I said I don't need your help!" he pushed my hand away violently and the bottle of medicine fell across the toilet and shattered into pieces.
"Niichan~... why are you so mean to me" I cried.
he looked into my eyes with a helpless expression.
"Gomen~" he grabbed his clothes and dashed into the bedroom.
I was stunned and speechless. it has been the worst treatment he gave me since the past weeks. where is the Ryo nii who cares for me and plays with me and shares secret with each other? this Ryo nii is nothing like the one before... he ignores me, gives me a cold shoulder...
before I could move away from the toilet, he dashed out of the room fully dressed and left the house, knocking Yu nii who just returned from his nightclub performance.
"Ryo?"
he briefly stopped to look at Yu but left nonetheless.
I knelt on the floor, crying badly because this is the first time Ryo nii has ever scolded me... he was never once harsh to me... but why he keeps doing that, ever since he knows he is not a yamada!
"Riko~" Yu cupped my face and wiped my tears off.
he surveyed the mess created by the broken bottle of medicine and ask me nothing about what happened.
"I'll talk to Ryo. stay here... I'll clean up when I get back. don't think too much"
Yu dashed out after Ryo.
...
Ryosuke POV
someone grabbed me from behind. I turned around and it's Yu.
"we've to talk" Yu said.
"Gomenasai! I tried my best! I really tried"
"I know you did~"
"it's not easy... the more she clings to me, the more effort I need to push her away. we've lived like this for her whole life and I never once thought I need to do that to her."
"Ryo~"
"I heard you. I heard your concerns. Whatever Riko feels for me, it's my fault. I have to put things right... "
"Gomen Ryo~ I know it hurts alot having to be mean to her after spending 19 years of her life doing the total opposite... I understand."
"no you don't... my heart feels like it's ripped into pieces everytime I ignore her, treat her like a stranger or even scold her. i feel like I stabbed a knife into her heart everytime I do that!" I collapsed on the floor, kneeling and clutching my heart.
"Gomen, for making you go through this . I'll do my best to fill in the gap in her heart that you left. I'll do my best to heal the wounds you inflict on her... I'll fill in the love that you have given her all this while. you've done great all this while, even now... I'm the one who hasn't done enough. I promise I'll do doubly hard from now"
he patted my head. I lifted my head and saw tears rolling from his eyes.
"arigatou Niichan"
...
we walked back home in silence. until...
"Chotto. why is the door opened?" Yu asked.
"oh no! Riko!" I ran towards the house before Yu reacts.
I was stunned when I saw the 2 familiar faces in our house, sitting on our coach with Riko beside.
"you are so fast, Ryo~" Yu finally reached the house and he noticed the 2 unknown persons "who are you?!"
"we meet again, Yamada Ryosuke" Yuya said
"Ryo?" Yu asked. both Yu and Riko's face are in surprise.
"they are the guards who saved me that day... nakajima Yuto and Takaki Yuya"
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"ah... arigatou gozaimasu for saving my brother" Yu gave a 90 degree bow.
"that's hilarious" Yuya laughed loudly.
"what's so funny?" me, Yu and Riko are confused with his incomprehensible behaviour.
"you actually thank us for saving the guy who caused both your parents to die and your sister to suffer mental depression?" he laughed again.
"what are you talking about?" Yu reacted.
"Ryo couldn't have caused that~Get out of our house if you wanna utter rubbish to break our kinship" Yu walked forward and grabbed Yuya by the sleeves.
I was shaking in fear at what I've just heard.
my mind echoed the thought - I caused the death of Riko and Yu's parents?!
"don't you wanna know the truth about who Yamada Ryosuke really is?" Yuya said to everyone in the room.
"Ryosuke-kun?" he asked me.
"you are the cause of the Yamada family's tragedy. their parents died because they have sworn their lives to protect you! they have no choice but to give up their lives to keep you alive"
"what~are~you~talking~about" I couldn't even make out my words properly. everything sounds absurd and foreign. I feel so confused that I began to feel nausea.
"your life is so priceless and you bear the hope and dreams of everyone in Aoihoshi. that is why both Yamada are not willing to divulge your identity, and are killed while protecting your life. because if you die, Aoihoshi will never see light again"
"this is hilarious. you are kidding me" I forced a laughter.
"is it? Yamada Ryosuke-kun... it should I say Tanaka Ainosuke"
"nande?!" Yu shouted.
"Yu?" I looked at him in confusion as it seemed like he knows who this Tanaka Ainosuke denotes.
"Tanaka Ainosuke, the only son of King Akiyoshi and Queen Umi... but it's impossible... he's dead!" Yu said in confusion.
"haven't you been following what I've said.... your parents were entrusted to protect his life with their lives. this secret, they brought it into their tombs."
"no~ no no no no it can't be!!!!!! they were killed brutally because of me???!!!! noooo! it's not like that Yu nii... Riko~"
they both looked at me with a heavy expression. Yu looked at me so intensely that he seemed like he'll kill me.
"Gomen Gomen I~ I really dunno what to say! I didn't know my damn life has caused your lovely family to break apart. I didn't know I caused Riko's painful memories~ I'm sorry that you guys become orphans because of me" I knelt down and seek for forgiveness
"WHO ARE YOU FOR OUR WHOLE FAMILY TO PAY A PAINFUL PRICE!" Yu held me sleeves.
Riko stood there motionless and stared at me with tears.
"why must it be you~ you murdered our parents and I love you so much and treat you like my favorite Niichan. it's disgusting! you irked me! I HATE YOU, YOU MURDERER!!!!" she dashed forward towards me and leaned her body on me.
"AH!!!!! WHY? Itai~" I shouted in intense pain. blood gushed out from my chest.
"Riko?!!!" Yu is in shock as well.
Riko stabbed a knife right at my chest. I held her hand which stayed on the knife handle and both our hands turned cold. she's dumbfounded.
my blood stained her hands.
"Itai~"
she backed off and I collapsed on the floor.
"Prince Ainosuke!" Yuya and Yuto shouted. they carried me in their arms.
"you better pray that he'll be alright or You have killed the hopes of all Aoihoshi citizens!"
"Riko~Gomenasai... Yu nii~ Gomenasai" I called out weakly.
she mouthed something that seemed like "sorry" but my vision got so blur and my body eventually gave in.
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