Capítulo 7: Walk | 散步 | さんぽ
"Did you have fun, little brother? ♡"
"Sure did," I dived into the soft and fluffy futon with a poof. "Wah~ this feels amazing. The outside isn't as dangerous as I thought it would be."
Mochi led us to a luxurious suite that resembled similarly to a Ryokan — a traditional Japanese Inn. Inside our room, the flooring was tatami and the entrances were sliding doors. On the side, a balcony door seemed to lead down into a private garden.
"Tai is currently one of the safest capital in the world," Amae sat beside me. "The other regions are not as prosperous and well protected by its authority."
"So you're only showing me the good parts of the world?" I teased playfully, "That's not like you, big sister. I thought you were strong enough to protect me."
Amae placed her finger below my chin and pulled me into her gaze. In a swift motion, I was locked inside her loving embrace, with her black feathery wings sprouting magnificently. Inches away from my face was a beautiful, strong woman who looked as sweet as honey, her eyes glazed over me with the utmost passion.
"I will not allow the slightest possibility of danger to befall on my precious little brother."
It was a simple statement backed with an ironclad will. My heart fluttered as I felt captivated by her protective presence. It truly felt that nothing will be able to hurt me, especially with a mighty demon lord by my side.
Wah~ S-She's so cool...!
I guess dominant girls are my weaknesses.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I rose from the futon and tugged on Amae's hand, pulling her along with me.
"Can we go for a walk, big sister?"
♦ ♦ ♦
A vast field came into view as we walked down the wooden staircase. It was larger than I expected, extending across the horizon as far as the eye can see. Plants resembled tiny lightbulbs dotted across the pasture, emitting a soft warm glow which shined like fireflies. This must be the perfect romantic date spot.
"What are these?" I studied the pulsating flowers that seemed to be bustling with life.
"Photinus pyralis."
Amae tapped the top gently. Once her finger came into contact, the light inside twinkled. Soon enough, the other plants followed through, as if they were all magically interconnected and a beautiful light wave rippled across the field like a grand melodic performance.
"Woah, that was so beautiful!"
"Their meaning in floriography is romantic as well."
"Floriography?"
"Yes, it means I'll stay by your side forever."
I'll stay by your side forever...
I thought deeply about those words. Amae must have noticed my daydreaming because she pinched my nose as I yelped and stumbled back in surprise.
"Why did you do that?!"
"No reason."
In the midst of this enchanting garden were only the two of us. This was the pinnacle moment of our first date, possibly because we finally got to spend time alone. As we laid down on a steep hill to enjoy the view, a soft breeze blew on my face, carrying the scent of fresh grass and incoming moonlight.
"Hey big sister, I am so happy about today, thanks for bringing me outside."
"Ara~ I'm glad to hear that."
While we admired the fuchsia sky, two lunar crescent — one red and one blue— gradually emerged above the horizon.
Wow...
This world is more beautiful than I imagined.
"The legend behind the dual moon signifies the joining of two souls. Each day, the moons would switch in their rotation until on the eleventh day, both moons will shine together, marking a special day of festivity."
"Did you purposely pick today for our date?"
Amae whispered with an inscrutable expression, "That's a secret~"
I felt my heart beating rapidly as the purplish-white radiance danced across her body, which sparkled brilliantly in response. It was as though a goddess had descended from the heavens to grace the earth.
On Twitter, I remembered seeing a list of intimate questions that circulated around. Apparently, asking those questions could increase the likelihood of the person falling in love.
"What's a secret that you haven't shared with me?"
"Umu, you know how demons can live up to a few centuries?"
I nodded, remembering that Amae was two hundred thirty years old. But if I had to compare from a human perspective, she honestly acted around her early twenties.
"Although I can live up to multiple centuries, by performing the Love Contract, if one of us were to die then the linked partner will also die."
I never knew about this...
The air around us turned tense as she gazed at me in a solemn expression.
"Are you angry that I didn't tell you about the details? For example, if I were to die in combat, you would also perish with me."
Honestly, no.
If this was the tradeoff, then so be it.
But...
"Big sister, I'm not angry. But I would like for you to tell me these things from now on."
"What do you mean?"
"So that there's a consensus." I thought about the possibilities of a similar incident repeating in the future and ending badly. "What would happen if you find out I did not want the commitment?"
"The rebirth ritual searched for the perfect candidate that synergized to my ideal and desires," Amae replied softly. "I assumed you already wanted it too when you chose to arrive at my world."
"Still, don't you think there should be communication between the both of us?"
"I couldn't have possibly known since your vocal diaphragm was still inactive at the time and it would have been improper to perform mind-reading magic..."
As silence enveloped our conversation, Amae suddenly muttered, "I am sorry..."
This was the first time I heard her in this delicate tone. She sounded so emotionally vulnerable.
"This is the first time we argued..." She whispered to herself repeatedly.
My big sister was right. Over the past two months, our relationship had been a steady uphill. Thus, the repercussion of our first fight must have been drastic, especially for someone who was intimately isolated for the past centuries.
Don't fight to be right. Fight to reach peace.
I remember this quote online that talked about green flags to a healthy relationship.
I held her hand and gripped tightly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."
Amae shook her head as if she was reprimanding herself, "You were right, it was my fault in the first place. Now I am regretting about the ritual. At the same time, I am so happy you came to my life but what if you wanted to stay in your world? What if—"
"—I'm glad you summoned me."
This time, it was me who pulled her into my embrace. Inhaling a deep breath, I look off into the distance and exposed my vulnerability.
"I was unhappy. The life back in my world wasn't necessarily bad but it wasn't good either. People were shallow, faking themselves to be something they are not. And there seemed to be an ulterior motive behind it, whether it was status, money, recognition... I was so sick of it. Not sure if it's just me but I had trouble finding authentic friendships, let alone a partner. That's why I am so happy that you took me out of that fake hellhole and into your world."
There was no point diving into the bitter past because happiness was right in front of me.
"You meet thousands of people and none of them really touched you..." I smiled, admiring my partner who I swore to spend the rest of my life with. "Then you meet one person and your life is changed forever."
Amae stared at me with a pair of dewy eyes and muttered softly:
"Hug?"
"Hug."
Squeezing each other tightly, the embrace felt more precious than usual. Perhaps it was because we had an argument and how losing each other actually felt possible. Thus, we held on longer than usual. After a few minutes, we laid back down to admire the dual moons.
"Big sister, humans can only live up to their 80s... so if I were to die, wouldn't you die because of my old age...?"
Despite that heavy-hearted comment, Amae looked off into the distance. It was as if she had already thought about the repercussions long ago. The moonlight dazzled across her entire body as she said softly:
The moonlight dazzled across her entire body as she said softly:
"I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone."
She's the one.
"So little brother, I want to become the best partner for you. Although I may stumble and fall along the way, please continue to take care of me."
"I'll be in your care as well. No relationship is without storm but together, we will sail through." Nuzzling against her chest, I murmured lightly. "Am I your first?"
"So many questions today!" Her lips blossomed into a beaming smile. "Indeed you are. So please be gentle with me~ This is my first time learning about love."
I laughed at her adorable reply, "I'm no expert too, but I'll teach you what I know from my world."
Amae presented me with a glittering smile — the best possible gift on our first date. This was a smile I will always remember.
My heart smiled fondly at how easily we attained the peace that would have normally taken ages with others. We will get hurt, face forward again, time after time. After all, I have the rest of my life to spend with my beloved.
I don't know what my life will look like a year from now.
But there's one thing I know for certain — we will take as long as need to experience love.
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