The Dragonborn’s Fate in Love

Tatsuya woke up the next morning in a very bad mood. He had a mild headache, his legs felt sore, his lower back throbbed with every step, his eyes were heavy, his entire body was fatigued, and he wore a constant frown on his face. He skipped breakfast and headed right out into the courtyard. He sat alone on a bench and stared at the ground.

He wasn’t able to sleep a wink last night ever since that little evening display. Everything about it bugged him. This feeling of discontent with how it was handled and how it turned out ate away at him from the inside. His mind was in constant flux trying to mull over the billion other ways the matter could’ve resolved. And it was this feeling, that it could’ve turned out better had something about it was different, that kept him up all night.

It was regret. Tatsuya regretted how it happened and how he had let it to happen that way. Regret was eating him inside and he found it hard to let go. It stayed with him and prayed on his energy. There was no possibility of him escaping its clutches. He had made his bed, and now he must lie in it.

“So this is where you were,” came a voice to his left. Percy walked up to Tatsuya and stopped right in front of him. “You weren’t in the hall for breakfast.”

“I wasn’t feeling hungry,” Tatsuya told him lazily.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Percy with a smile. Tatsuya scooted over to make room for him. Percy sat down and closed his eyes and smiled. “Listen, I understand your reservations when it comes to admitting your own feelings,” began the Dragonborn in a friendly manner, “but there comes a time when we all have to grow up and bare ourselves to the world.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Tatsuya with an unpleasant frown.

Percy glanced over and almost broke into laughter from seeing Tatsuya’s face. “I mean,” he said in a giddy tone, “you don’t have to hold it in. You should be free to express yourself however you want.”

“I would if I understood my own feelings,” responded Tatsuya matter-of-factly.

“Well, they do say that guys and feelings don’t mix,” joked Percy. “But all jokes aside, you should sort out your feelings first before making a decision that could turn out for the worse.” Tatsuya simply nodded at the Dragonborn’s suggestion. With a satisfied smile, Percy patted Tatsuya on the knee and got up. “I hope you make the right choice,” he said. And then, in a quiet voice to himself, he added, “Her happiness depends on it too.” He then turned around and began to leave.

“I don’t think I can make her happy,” said Tatsuya out loud. His words immediately caused Percy to stop. “I think that I made the right decision. Aika would be a hell lot happier with someone who truly loves her. I don’t think that I can do the same.” Tatsuya then furrowed his brows and muttered, “My feelings for her aren’t as strong as his.”

“His feelings?” asked Percy in a disgusted tone, glancing at Tatsuya through the corner of his eyes.

Tatsuya looked up at him and said, “He may be a jackass, but he can actually make her happy. He’s got wealth and influence. She will be able to live a comfortable life with him. I have nothing to offer her.”

This line of reasoning made Percy well up in anger. His body shook and fury began to overtake him. Like a flash of lightning, he quickly turned and slugged Tatsuya right in the face, knocking him down to the ground. Tatsuya looked up at Percy in surprise and saw him shaking with his fists clenched tight. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that made Tatsuya wary. “Take back what you said,” Percy told him with a rumbling in his throat.

“W-What are you talking about?” asked Tatsuya, recovering from his shock.

“I will never forgive you for casting away the heart of an innocent maiden,” said Percy in a more aggressive manner. “She will never live a happy life in the hands of scum such as him. And you will be the reason for her loveless suffering.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s with the heavy lecture?” said Tatsuya with widened eyes. The attack was surprising enough, but to receive this lecture out of nowhere, Tatsuya didn’t know what the hell was going on anymore.

“I understand that you need time to sort out your feelings,” continued Percy relentlessly, “ but why must you cast away your own feelings before they come to fruition? Why lower yourself below the lowest of the low and believe that you have no chance?! That’s madness!”

Tatsuya was beginning to understand a bit now what the Dragonborn was talking about. He looked at his feet with a distraught expression on his face. “I’m not that happy with my decision either,” he revealed. “I know that I must’ve hurt her, but I can’t help it. I don’t even know my own feelings, so why must I take it away from someone else?”

“Do you really think that his feelings are true?!” asked Percy, aghast at such a reasoning.

“Of course not!” admitted Tatsuya. Even though he put every little ounce of conviction he had into the statement, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth. “But I can’t compete against him. He’s a noble with power and wealth and influence. I’m just a regular guy from Japan. I live by myself and the only money I get is the allowance my absentee father sends me every month. I can’t cook, I’m easily irritable, and I’m not interested in making my life any more complicated than it is right now.” He then smiled softly and added, “I’m very flattered that Aika chose me and I’ll forever treasure the times we spent together.”

“Why? Why are you running?” asked Percy. His left eye twitched in anger, “Why are you giving up without a fight?!”

“It’s already been decided,” said Tatsuya. “The king and the duke already agreed on it. Even if I may be the better candidate, the marriage has already been decided upon.”

“That’s just an excuse!” shouted Percy. “Even if it’s already been decided, you should fight against it! You’re just using that as an excuse for running away! If you need time to sort out your feelings then do it, but don’t surrender without a fight!” Tatsuya took the verbal beating without saying a word. Percy, with venom in his voice, then added, “This is no different than from before.”

Hearing that last statement made Tatsuya’s own body shake. Just when he thought he had finally resolved that inglorious part of the past, it was suddenly tore open once again. It made him angry that he had to relive the same torturous emotions as before. Unconsciously, or perhaps unwillingly motivated by his rage, Tatsuya threw a left punch at Percy’s jaw.

Percy took the blow like a real champion. It made him stumble back a little, but he was nevertheless fine and still on his feet. “I’ll show you the right way, even if I have to beat it into you,” declared Percy. And then, he jumped forward and tackled Tatsuya to the ground. He placed his right leg right on Tatsuya’s chest and began to unleash a flurry of punches to the face.

Tatsuya tried to use his hands to block, but the punches were quick and heavy, very different than from his fight with Shen. It was like wrestling against a weasel with leonine strength! Bruises were quick to form on his cheeks and blood had began to spill from the left corner of his lips. Percy continued his assault mercilessly, all the while sporting a demonic expression filled with anger and frustration.

“Do you give?!” shouted Percy.

“I…can’t…,” argued back Tatsuya in-between beatings. “It’s…done.”

Those words only fueled the rage behind Percy’s punches even more. “Bullshit!” he screamed. And his stronger punches quickly sown more bruises onto Tatsuya’s face until it became as dark as coal.

As their scuffle continued, they were not at all aware of a new presence standing before them. It wasn’t until they heard the words, “My, having fun are we?” that they both looked up to meet their new guest. Yong, with a giant swirly lollipop in his left hand, smiled amusingly at them with twinkling eyes. “I don’t mean to interrupt. Please, continue on with the show,” he told them happily.

“Y-Yong!” gasped Tatsuya.

“Why hello there,” said Yong with a tilt of his head.

“Who are you?” asked Percy with suspicious eyes.

“Just an acquaintance,” said Yong, smiling. He then put out his hand and said, “Please, don’t let me interrupt your conversation. Do continue.”

“My pleasure,” said Percy. And he quickly drew up his right fist into the air, aiming straight for Tatsuya’s nose.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!” protested Tatsuya.

Percy let his hand go and brought it down like an iron hammer. Tatsuya braced himself to receive a broken nose. A large CRACK echoed through the yard and a cloud of dust flew up around them. Tatsuya, having not felt the slightest bit of pain, opened his eyes. He saw Percy with his fist deep into the ground just inches away from his face. Despite how much he really wanted to let out a sigh of relief, Tatsuya held it in until a more appropriate time appeared.

Percy got up and turned around to leave. But before he took a single step, he spoke the following words: “Lying to yourself will only hurt you even more than you’re hurting her.” And then he left.

Yong let out a whistle once Percy was out of view. Tatsuya had been sitting up by now and his eyes were focused on the ground in front of him. “Well, that was anticlimactic,” said Yong. He casually licked his lollipop and turned towards Tatsuya. “Is this one of those friendship breakups?” he asked jokingly. Tatsuya simply answered with an unamused glare. Yong simply shrugged and continued licking his lollipop without a care in the world.

“So? What are you doing here?” asked Tatsuya. “Are you here to lecture me too?”

“Do I look like the god of love to you?” asked Yong rhetorically. “Actually, there is someone more qualified than me to give you a lecture in matters of the heart.” He began walking off deeper into the garden and gestured for Tatsuya to follow. Tatsuya reluctantly got up on his feet and followed.

As they made their way through the garden, Yong skipped merrily and licked his lollipop while humming to himself like a little child. He glanced over at Tatsuya and held out his lollipop to him. “Want a lick?” he offered innocently.

Tatsuya raised an eyebrow and said, “You really think I’m going to lick that?”

Yong shrugged his shoulders and placed the candy back in his mouth. “Maybe you’d change your tune if I was still a girl,” he mumbled to himself in an annoyed tone.

They finally reached their destination. It was a stone pavilion with a dome ceiling. In the middle of it was a marble table with matching benches on either side. Sitting on the right bench was a woman dressed in a smooth pink dress with short puffy sleeves. Atop her head was a pink sun hat with a ribbon wrapped around the middle. A pair of heart-shaped earring dangled from her ear. There was something about her that felt very familiar to Tatsuya.

“The idiot prince has arrived!” announced Yong rather giddily. He then turned to Tatsuya and gestured for him to take a seat at the bench. “Please,” he said politely with a nod.

Tatsuya felt a little uneasy about all of this but he still walked up and took a seat opposite the woman. Upon closer inspection, he knew exactly who this lady in pink really was. Her heart-shaped pupils focused on his eyes and Tatsuya could feel his heart doing a somersault in his chest. “Greetings, Dragonborn,” greeted Amora, the Celestial Dragon of love.

“You’re that woman from before,” realized Tatsuya. “You were the one who made the girls crazy.”

“I am Amora, the Celestial Dragon of love,” introduced the goddess. “I would say that it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but it appears that there will be no pleasure in our meeting today.”

“Pleasure?” asked Tatsuya.

“I didn’t have to be present that day to know what is going on,” said Amora. She held up her hands and applauded with a smile on her face. “Congratulations,” she said, “you finally did it, Dragonborn. You created your own fate!” At this point, Yong joined in too with his own applause. However, it was plain as day that it was all a sarcastic display.

“What are you playing at?” asked Tatsuya suspiciously.

“You finally took control over your own fate,” repeated Amora. “Whether or not it was the right choice, well, that’s up to you. But let me let you in on a little secret,” she gestured for Tatsuya to come in closer, “every choice has consequences.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Tatsuya.

“Every choice, big or small, will have consequences,” she told him. “The choice and the consequence are not always equal in value. Big choices can have small consequences and vice versa. But it doesn’t change the fact that consequences follow every single choice we make.” She took off her hat and set it on the table. With her finger, she traced a rectangle over the bow in the middle and a magical screen suddenly appeared. The screen shimmered a bit like a waterfall, but the image it projected was as clear as a mirror's reflection.

The image in question was of Aika sitting at her desk with her head buried in her elbows. Seeing her in that shape made Tatsuya’s heart jump a little. The familiar feeling of guilt tugged at his throat and he was unable to speak. Amora closed her eyes and shook her head dramatically while declaring, “Oh, who could be so heartless as to break the fragile heart of a maiden in love?”

Her words made Tatsuya want to throw up. His guilt was growing stronger by the minute and he really felt like everything was ready to pour out of him. However, one word echoed in his mind and he directed all of his focus onto it. ‘Love….’ His guilt quickly eroded away and he looked the goddess right in the eye, causing her to jump in her seat in surprise. “She may be in love with me, but I don’t know if I am in love with her,” he told the goddess. “Sure, I feel bad for what I did, but what can I do if I don’t feel the same way?”

“There you go, denying everything like always,” groaned the goddess, shaking her head disapprovingly. “Why are you running away?”

“That’s what I’m wondering too!” agreed Yong.

“You say that you don’t understand your feelings, but I can see that you already do,” said the goddess. Her words quickly put Tatsuya on edge again. “You had all the time in the world to figure it out and you had been doing it all this time,” stated the goddess.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Tatsuya defiantly.

“The shrine visit, the folk dance, the aquarium, the park, the palace, the coliseum, the play, yesterday’s rest before resuming your battle,” listed Amora. “I’ve been watching you this whole time and I know for a fact that your feelings had been settled. Sure it was intriguing to see you all jumbled up and such, but those feelings have settled by now. You may not believe it to be so, but I do.” Tatsuya was silent. “And if you don’t believe in my words,” continued the goddess, “then maybe you’ll have a change of heart when you see this.” She stood up and touched Tatsuya’s forehead with her index finger. A bright light flashed from the area of contact and Tatsuya quickly found his surroundings disappearing from view and his body being consumed by a bright light.

The light finally settled and Tatsuya can now see that he was back home in the human realm. He looked around at his surroundings and found the familiar bed and the familiar closet and the familiar bedroom furniture. ‘What is going on?’ he wondered confusedly. He walked out of his room and found himself in the hallway of his home. ‘Is this an illusion?’ he asked himself. In attempt to find out, he touched the walls and found that they were solid. Could this mean that he is currently back in his home right now? Did the goddess actually transport him back home? And if she really did, what was she planning? Tatsuya knew better than to get excited about being back home and didn’t dare to lower his guard even for a second.

He walked downstairs and into the living room. Sitting on the couch and watching TV was Mika. “Mika? Are you back already?” asked Tatsuya.

Mika turned to him and said, “Good morning, Oniichan.” She smiled and then turned back to her show.

‘Huh? What just happened?’ wondered Tatsuya with wide eyes. This response from her was something he had never expected to see. He didn’t know if he liked the change or felt a little uneasy about the drastic shift in personality. But one thing’s for sure, this wasn’t the sister he knew.

“Where are the other girls?” asked Tatsuya.

“Who else would be living here?” Mika asked him with a tilt of her head.

“Where’s Aika and the other dragon princesses?” he clarified for her.

“Don’t you remember?” she replied mater-of-factly.

“Remember what?” inquired Tatsuya.

Mika was now looking at her brother as if he was crazy. Tatsuya was taken aback by the look and sweat began to form on his temples. Anxiety welled up inside of him and his mind became a jumbled mess of confusion and nerves. Why was he the one getting the crazy look? Mika let out a heavy sigh and turned away from him, putting him back at ease. “They left our home thirteen months ago,” she told him.

“Thirteen months ago?! W-Wait, left? What do you mean by that?” asked Tatsuya in an almost hysterical tone.

“They’re still around town,” she told him. “You just ran into Sunaji yesterday, remember? You told me about it during dinner.”

Tatsuya, driven by some unconscious force within him, immediately ran out of the door of his home and out into the streets. He looked to his left and to his right in a frantic state. Nothing.

Mika showed up behind him and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Where did they go off to? Why did they leave?” he asked aloud.

“You’re kidding me right?” replied Mika. “You were the one who made them leave.”

“Me?” asked Tatsuya with a disillusioned tone.

“You said it yourself that you couldn’t accept their feelings and pushed them away,” said Mika.

Somehow, hearing those words sent a shock through Tatsuya’s body and his chest felt paralyzed. Mika walked up to him and touched his shoulder. Her touch slowly brought Tatsuya back and calmed his nerves. He turned to her with a smile only to receive a monstrous slap to the face. He fell to the ground and looked up at her with widened eyes. “What was that for?!” he shouted painfully.

“Stop whining already! It’s creepy!” she told him with her hands on her hips. “You made that choice, so you got to live with it! Why are you regretting your actions right now?” She then turned around to go back inside. She stopped at the doorway and said, “You had your chance thirteen months ago.”

His sister’s words echoed in his brain as he slowly walked through the city streets. His cheek was still in pain from the slap, but he paid it no mind. The streets were more-or-less bare, allowing Tatsuya a giant quiet field to process his thoughts more clearly. He was walking down a familiar sidewalk when he came across a ramen shop. It was the same shop that he and Shurai would always come to to eat ramen together. He reached for the door when another hand met his right when he touched the metal handle. “Oh, I’m sorry!” he quickly said, pulling his hand back.

“I apologize,” came the owner of the hand’s voice.

Tatsuya turned to see a young long-faced boy with spiky yellow hair and shocking blue eyes. He was about the same height as Tatsuya and had a very pronounced canine protruding from his lower lip. Next to him was a girl. Just one glance at her and Tatsuya’s eyes grew wide. The girl met his eyes and blushed.

“S-Shurai!” cried Tatsuya.

Shurai smiled and nodded. “It’s great to see you again, Tatsu-kun.” Tatsuya was amazed at how much she changed. Her hair was longer and her body seemed more mature. But the most important difference was her nature. She wasn’t the same lethargic princess from before. She had more vigor to her speech and her emotions were more obvious and alive.

“Do you know him?” asked the boy.

“This is the Dragonborn of the human realm,” she told the boy.

“Ah, so you’re Owatatsumi Tatsuya! A pleasure to meet you!” said the boy cheerfully.

“Likewise,” said Tatsuya with an awkward smile.

“I’m Sauro—,” said the boy, but Shurai quickly elbowed him in the ribs. She flashed him a look and he immediately understood. “I’m sorry, I forgot,” he apologized to Tatsuya with a bowed head. “I’m Rakurai Satori,” introduced the boy with a laugh.

“Ah, are you a friend?” asked Tatsuya.

“I’m her boyfriend,” answered Satori.

Tatsuya felt like he had been struck by a speeding truck. He quickly glanced between the two of them and then turned his eyes to their hands. They were holding hands very naturally and intimately. This was all he needed to see to know that what the boy had said was true. “Uh…ah….” Tatsuya couldn’t get any words out. He sighed and simply put on a smile. “I see,” he said.

“We’re about to go in to eat,” said Satori. “Would you like to join us?”

Tatsuya noticed Shurai’s eyes brighten a bit upon hearing that suggestion. Could this mean that she wanted him to join them? He now knew what he needed to say. He smiled and then said, “It’s alright. I was actually thinking of going somewhere else. You two have fun!” ‘Wait, what?’ he quickly asked himself. What was he saying?! Why did these words come out?! Was this really what he wanted to say? His mind was in a panic and he immediately wished that he could redo it over. But the words had already escaped from his mouth and there was no going back. He saw Shurai’s eyes quickly dim and her expression turned a little blank, as if she was reverting back to her familiar self.

“Okay then, thank you,” said Satori.

“U-Um, yeah!” said Tatsuya. He wanted take back his answer, but now, after having said all that, he couldn’t do anything else except follow through. He raised up his hand in a farewell gesture and walked off.

Once Tatsuya was gone from view, Satori turned to Shurai and said, “He’s a very nice guy just like you said.” Shurai silently nodded back with a smile. And then they both went inside.

Tatsuya walked down the street with a depressive sigh and tucked his hands into his pockets. He didn’t know why he said what he said, but it all just came naturally out of him. It was as if he was speaking from the heart when in fact he really wasn’t. It was too confusing for him to make sense of and he shook it out of his head.

He came to a grocery store and glanced through the widows as he walked past it. As he looked at his own reflection through the glass, he couldn’t help but feel repulsed. It wasn’t a strong repulsion, but a slight yet evident one that one would have against themselves when they deeply regretted a decision they had made.

He turned around the corner and, with his eyes too focused on his own reflection in the glass to pay attention, crashed into someone and fell down. He had hit his head and his temples throbbed. “I’m sorry,” he apologized while getting rid of the daze that was slowly setting in as an aftereffect.

“I apologize too,” said a rather familiar voice.

Tatsuya quickly took a look at who he had bumped into and his suspicions were confirmed. Sitting on her butt as a result of the impact was Sunaji. She rubbed her head and slowly got up onto her feet. Once she recovered, she finally took notice of Tatsuya and her expression became hard. “It’s you,” she said in a cool tone.

“Um, yeah,” responded Tatsuya carefully. He got up onto his feet and threw his arm behind his head. “How you been?” he asked her with a smile.

Sunaji wore a frown that quickly transformed into a friendly smile. “I’ve been doing well. How about you?”

“Same,” said Tatsuya with a laugh.

Suddenly, a voice called out to Sunaji, catching both of their attentions. A young man with light tan skin and sharp amber eyes ran up to them. “I deeply apologize for my tardiness,” said the man. He was a little taller than Tatsuya and had a more muscular build. The young man turned to Tatsuya and asked, “Pardon my rudeness, but are you an acquaintance?”

“Yes,” answered Sunaji. “We just bumped into each other a few seconds ago.”

“Literally,” added Tatsuya lightheartedly.

“Are you alright?” asked the young man worriedly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” replied Tatsuya.

The young man then turned to Sunaji and asked the same question. When she replied the same way, he calmed down a bit. “Please,” he began, turning back to Tatsuya, “allow me to make this up to you.”

“That’s not necessary!” protested Tatsuya.

Sunaji placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The boy glanced back at her and relented. “Forgive my rudeness,” he apologized to Tatsuya.

“Sure thing,” replied Tatsuya. “A-Anyway, I got to get going.” He said farewell to them and left. As he walked away, he stole a glance back at them and saw the couple intertwining their hands together. ‘Figures,’ he told himself.

He glumly continued with his walk. The images of Shurai and Sunaji with their significant others gave birth to a strange feeling inside of him. It gnawed at him from the inside and he couldn’t help but sink into an emotional abyss. He felt extremely peeved! But why? Shouldn’t he be happy for them? Could it be that the time he spent together with them came to mean something more than he thought? Could this new distance between them manifested into some kind of envy that he didn’t know he was capable of?

As he was lost in thought, it took him a while to notice that a long black car had stopped next to him. The car’s back passenger window lowered and a voice call out to him. “Excuse me! But can you help us with directions?” Tatsuya immediately snapped out of it and turned to see a rather young, almost child-like, boy with bronze hair and matching eyes gesturing for him to come hither. Tatsuya walked to the boy and the boy repeated his question. “Are you familiar with the place?” he asked Tatsuya.

“Where are you trying to get to?” asked Tatsuya.

The boy brought a finger to his chin and turned back to speak with someone inside the car. After a short discussion, the boy moved back a bit so that his fellow passenger can talk to Tatsuya through the window. Once Tatsuya and the other passenger’s eyes met, the passenger immediately retreated back to their seat without a word.

‘W-Was that—?’ wondered Tatsuya. It was only for a moment, but Tatsuya could’ve swore he had just met Takara. She looked a little different than before, but he was certain that that was her.

“Let’s go,” said the other passenger. “There should be other people to ask for directions than this plebeian.”

‘That’s her alright,’ said Tatsuya.

“Darling, why not just ask him since we’re already here?” suggested the boy sweetly.

“No way!” argued back Takara. “I bet this plebeian doesn’t know anything at all! We shouldn’t rely on the directions of such a banal, uncultured individual!”

“Hadn’t your parents told you stop it with this baseless classism?” asked the boy.

“No means no!” declared Takara adamantly.

The boy turned to Tatsuya with a sheepish smile. “I apologize,” he said. He then told the driver to continue and rolled up his window. And just like that, the car was gone.

Now, Tatsuya was really starting to feel depressed. That last jab by Takara really hurt him and he sulked all the way to the neighborhood park. He didn’t know why he decided to come here, but he did. Maybe it was because this park was an important part of his past that his subconscious led him here.

He sat down on the bench and heaved out a heavy sigh. He felt like this was all he could do at this time. His entire world was being ruined entirely by this illusion or dream or whatever it was. He couldn’t accept it as reality. ‘This must all be that goddess’ fault,’ he told himself. ‘What’s the whole point of doing something like this anyway? Is this supposed to be some kind of Christmas Carol guilt-trip?’ This realization brought back some life into him and he decided to chalk this all up to smoke and mirrors. None of this was real and he shouldn’t take it at face-value!

“Mister, are you okay?” came a child’s voice. Tatsuya was surprised by the child’s sudden appearance in front of him and almost jumped out of his seat. The child looked at him with a tilted head and curious green eyes. His hair was a cool silver-green color and wavy like the wind. There was something about the child that felt familiar to Tatsuya but he wasn’t sure what it was.

“I-I’m fine,” replied Tatsuya with an awkward smile.

“You were just sad a few minutes ago and then you became really happy,” said the child. “I was watching you the whole time.”

“I was just thinking about something,” Tatsuya told him.

“Are you perhaps crazy?” quickly asked the child with a curious smile.

‘What the hell is this kid’s deal?’ Tatsuya wondered.

“Tatsuo, let’s go!” called out the child’s mother.

“Okay!” replied the child. “It was fun meeting you, mister!” said the child with a smile. He waved goodbye and quickly ran back to join his parents, who were sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the park. Tatsuya watched as the child cheerfully relayed their meeting to his parents.

The mother quickly looked over at Tatsuya and his stomach sank. He couldn’t believe his eyes at all. She smiled and waved at him with a nostalgic look in her eyes. Tatsuya replied back in kind. Her husband then wrapped his arms around her and the family left the park together.

The abysmal feeling that he had successfully pushed away just seconds before returned back stronger. Once again, he sulked as he walked from the park and back into the city. He came to a bridge and walked up to the middle. He stood near the railing and leaned outwards. The water below sparkled brilliantly. It made him a bit sad to see something so beautiful while he himself was experiencing something opposite.

“Sir Owatatsumi?” came a voice from behind him. The familiar voice sent a jolt through Tatsuya and he quickly turned around to face its owner. Standing there facing him was Kanjomizu. She didn’t look at all like she does right now, but he nevertheless knew that it was her. Her hair was parted to reveal both her eyes and her face was more full of confidence that Tatsuya wouldn’t blame himself if he thought her to be someone else entirely. But there was no doubt about it.

“Mizu,” he breathed in surprise.

“I knew it was you, Sir Owatatsumi,” she said with a gentle smile.

‘Sir Owatatsumi?’ questioned Tatsuya. This new form of address felt weird coming from her and he couldn’t help but notice the distance it represented in their relationship. But despite how much it pained him to hear her address him so distantly, he brushed it off and the pair began to talk just like old times. Tatsuya was surprised to see Kanjomizu more open and assertive. It was like talking to a new person and an old friend at the same time.

Mizu looked over the bridge with sparkling eyes and asked, “Do you remember the first time we met? It was on this very bridge.”

“I remember,” replied Tatsuya. A flashback from their first meeting replayed in his mind and he began to feel sad. He glanced at Kanjomizu and noticed her gentle smile at the wind. He was about to comment on it when a voice called out to them from the other side of the bridge.

Tatsuya turned to see a handsome man with long sea-green hair and glasses waving to them from the side. Kanjomizu waved back. “I must get going,” she told him. As she turned to go, Tatsuya instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Will I ever see you again?” he asked her in a low voice.

She turned to him and reached into her pocket to pull something out. She then raised it up for Tatsuya to see. Tatsuya was surprised at the object in her hands. He had almost forgotten all about it! “You will always be my first love,” she told him with a smile. And then she left to go join her significant other.

Shurai, Sunaji, Takara, Kanjomizu…. Tatsuya couldn’t believe it. Seeing them with someone else somehow unearthed a strange feeling within him. He had never felt anything like this before. ‘Shouldn’t I be happy for them?’ he reasoned. ‘As long as they’re happy, I should be happy for them too, right? We’re just friends, that’s all!’ And then he stopped to process what he had just said. He repeated that word in his mind and found that it gradually began to sound foreign to him with each repetition. What did this mean?

Tired from this brain wracking journey full of dumbstruck surprises, Tatsuya began to make his way back home. He came upon a familiar street and lazily observed the shop windows to his left as he walked. One of the windows caught his attention and he stopped in front of it. Displayed in the window was a dress—the same dress that he saw on his date with Aika and Kanjomizu long ago. It was the one that Aika had expressed interest in. Seeing the dress brought back happy memories for him, memories that he shared with everyone up till now.

The shop to the door opened and someone exited out. Tatsuya glanced through the corner of his eyes and almost did a double take. Standing with a bag hung on her arm was none other than Ingrid. Her hair was a little longer and she wasn’t dressed in her maid attire, but Tatsuya remembered those glasses and knew that aloof expression anywhere. She was scanning the sidewalks and, upon setting her eyes upon his, almost jumped.

“Owatatsumi-sama,” she said. She walked on over and stopped right in front of him.

“Ingrid, is that really you?” asked Tatsuya.

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other,” she told him with a half-smile. “I hope you are doing well.”

“Thanks, you too,” said Tatsuya.

Ingrid lost her smile and her face saddened a bit. It seemed as if his words really hit her in a sore spot. But she nevertheless recovered and shook her head. She then looked up at him with the same half-smile as before. “I am well, thank you,” she told him

“How’s Aika doing?” he asked her anxiously. “Is she with you?”

Ingrid’s expression turned sour and she turned away from him. “I believe that she is doing well,” she told him.

“Believe? What do you mean by believe?” asked Tatsuya. “Aren’t you her maid?”

“Ever since she married into the Khyber family, the prince fired all of the princess’ servants and replaced them with his own,” she told him.

“You mean you were fired by Ralus?”

“Yes,” answered Ingrid with a nod. “It has been sixteen months since I last seen the princess.” The maid then turned back to Tatsuya and said, “The princess told me to give you a message whenever I see you again.”

“What is it?” asked Tatsuya.

“You will always be her Darling,” said the maid. She then bowed her head and said farewell and departed.

Those words weighed heavily on Tatsuya’s heart. It brough up a mixture of combustive emotions that left him confused and irritated. And the fact that Ingrid’s employment was heavily affected by Aika’s marriage didn’t help to ease his mind either. The guilt that built up inside of him from seeing the connection between the choice he made and the consequences it had on others began to eat away at him from the inside like a growing wildfire. And it wasn’t just Ingrid’s life either. His choice had affected those of the other girls too. But most importantly, it affected his own life. It affected it in a way that didn’t bring him any joy or peace of mind at all. Can he really be happy if this was the course of action things will take as a result of that fateful decision he made?

He dropped to his knees and tears began to well up in his eyes. ‘Just what the hell is wrong with this messed up world?!’ he screamed internally. As he let his emotions take over, a realization began to reveal itself to him. ‘Does this mean that…I love them after all?’ he wondered. The annoyance and unease he felt upon learning of their new relationships surely explains it. But why and when did he begin to fall in love? And with all of them too? Is it even possible to love all of them? And he now knew inside of himself that it wasn’t just a familial love or love between companions either.

“Now, do you understand?” came Amora’s voice.

Tatsuya looked up and realized that he was back in the pavilion. “W-What just happened?” he asked her.

“I just showed you a glimpse of your fate in love if you choose to continue this course,” said the goddess.

“So it hasn’t happened yet,” he realized.

“And you now know the only way to prevent this future from happening, right?” said the goddess expectantly.

Tatsuya answered back with a nod. “But, there’s just one thing I still can’t figure out,” he said. “I don’t think that I’ve ever felt like I really fell in love with Aika or the others. So how do I know that this is really love and not something else?”

“Men are so dense when it comes to love,” bemoaned Amora in an overly dramatic fashion. “Love isn’t as hard as it sounds. Close your eyes and picture in your mind what I am about to tell you.” Tatsuya obeyed the goddess and closed his eyes. “Picture the person whom you want to protect. The person whom you want to share your life with. The person whom you can count on and who makes your heart beat fast. The person who comes to mind when I say ‘love’.”

Immediately, without thinking, the picture clearly appeared in Tatsuya’s mind and it kind of frightened him a little. He nevertheless accepted it for what it was. As clear as day, Aika’s smiling face appeared and his heart began to pound. But it wasn’t just her face alone—the smiling faces of the other girls appeared alongside hers. His heart began to pound even harder than before. ‘Ah, so this is love,’ he realized, opening his eyes. ‘I love Aika,’ he told himself, and a fluttery new feeling filled his stomach. It tickled his heart and made him feel embarrassed at the same time. ‘I love Aika.’ The regret from this morning immediately disappeared. The crippling guilt that had followed him the entire day dissipated into nothingness. He felt liberated after having said those words. He now knew what he needed to do.