86 Another Story: Abandoned Princes and Wolf Girls 08 (2/2)

The word.

Just one word of that.

That's all I could do, but I punched a wind hole in Algard's heart.

A surprising wave of emotion falls from the hole.

Was it joy, sadness or anger?

I don't even know myself. An indistinguishable emotion shook Algard's throat.

”... I am”

”Yeah.”

”... I could walk away with my sister, I wanted to be like that. I have no ideals or dreams. I don't have the power to make it happen.”

It was the best I could do to keep my voice from shaking. There are also thoughts that you will notice with your mouth.

Sister. Someone who is free everywhere, out of standard everywhere, and who doesn't understand himself at all.

I still remember things about your back. I saw that back again and again, even when the distance was away.

I know enough to say that I'm mediocre that I don't like it the most.

But still.

”The dream my sister showed me was glowing to me. So......! If you don't have the talent, you didn't have to use magic! If you can use magic to keep your sister away! You looked at me, if that gaze is about to go off......! I didn't need anything!

”... yeah”

”All I ever wanted was that... I've been admiring that guy's dreams”

So I was scared when my sister found out she might hate herself.

He wants to kill himself, actually, that's what he might think. That was a shock to my young self.

And my sister left. Disappear from the front stage to make yourself king.

The days after that guy's gone are just gray, in days when I can tie him to duty.

In living those days myself, that guy was just free. I flew everywhere by myself.

Was that what you hated? Or was it regrettable or sad?

Most importantly, the memories that were dear to me became fiercely expensive like burning bamboo.

But I don't really want to hate you. He just wanted to keep an eye on the dream.

”I... I just didn't want to be a king to hurt my sister.”

”Al wanted to be a supporter of your sister's dreams.”

”... right. Right. I wanted to support him in his dream.”

”I can do it now.”

Acrylic takes his seat softly. Stand next to Algard and overlap your own hands with Algard's.

”Perhaps that was unacceptable to you, Prince. Maybe it was difficult. But what's wrong with Al wanting to support your sister?

――――

”Backup, let's do it. If that's all, there's something I'm sure I can do without telling you directly. Because Al is so sorry and bitter that he thinks he can't do anything about his sister.”

”... I betrayed you.”

”Right. But it was your sister who betrayed you first. It was your sister who left Al.”

”That's... yes. That's what I had to do.”

”Yeah. I'm sure it is. But... can't your sister forgive Al now?

Algardo opens his eyes to acrylic pointers.... and smiled bitterly.

”No... that guy is sweet.”

”Yeah. Al backs you up, you don't like it?

”Trouble, maybe. Now they might say,”

”So you're even angry at me for supporting you?

”... no. Not like that.”

”Yeah. I hope so.”

Acrylic entangles his fingers in Algard and his overlapping hands. Bend over to gaze at Algard and peek into his face.

”Al, you can support your sister. You can be like that. Look, it's not empty anymore.”

”Acrylic”

”Because you are... just Al, right?

Acrylic's face, smiling like that, was warped. Algard's vision was distorted, to be precise.

One blink, the heat and Shizuku coming up from the back of my eyelid, made me realize that I had shed tears.

Acrylic, who was clearly visible again, was smiling gently.

”... I'm really stupid. He's the one who stops being human to rule the country, isn't he?

”Really?

”I could attract people, I asked for the help of vampires.”

”... oh, Al was”

”You know a vampire?

”Yeah. Well, I've been in Ricant, and I'm not the one you don't know. We weren't involved with each other.”

”After all, Raini's mother... no, is that story good now”

Algardo smiles bitterly when he reveals his secrets but is returned as if nothing had happened.

I want to pursue what Acrylic seems to know about vampires, but I'm not talking about them right now.

”You're gonna tell me I'm still pretty?

”Yeah. Al just couldn't form it. I just don't think I was allowed to. I don't know, but that's not what princes were allowed to do, is it? But right now, Al doesn't even have to be a prince, does he?

”... that's right”

”Then you can stay beautiful already. Al can take care of that thought.”

Algard's eyes intertwine acrylic eyes with his gaze. The heat of the gripping hands makes each other feel present.

Algard reaches out and holds the acrylic toward him, not holding it together.

Acrylic, embraced by Algardo as he fell in, blinked and looked up at Algardo's face at a closer distance.

”... acrylic”

”Al?”

”Me too, I think you're beautiful”

”... yeah. Thank you, I'm glad.”

”Ah. You are, truly beautiful. As much as my sister showed me the world.”

”Yeah.”

”... so I want you”

Acrylic shook his body at the sound of a pleading voice that he truly sought.

Algardo's hand hugging the acrylic holds the acrylic strong. Like saying you don't want to let them get away with it.

”That could be just one word. But you were the one who gave me that word.”

”Al said I should be someone Al wants to be?

”Ah.”

”... well”

”With you, I feel like I can breathe in this world. It's obvious, but I couldn't even do that.”

”That's... Al. Do you like me?

Acrylic asks Algard to look up at him in an up-and-coming manner.

Algard stuffs his breath for a moment, but exhales and tells, as he perceived.

”I don't know, not yet.... but I also want to like you and think you'll like me.”

”Oh well.... Hey, Al?

”What?

”Match, right?”

”... oh well. Really?”

Unwrapping the fingers of his tangled hands, Acrylic leans against Algardo to lean over.

Algardo regains the body of such an acrylic and delivers it into his arms.

”You made me, I want to love you. I want to be my only one.”

”Whatever anyone could do, it was you who did it to me. It must be the only one.”

”If this encounter is the only one for each other... if we think the same way”

”Yeah. Together, I think it's a good idea.”

”... will I like you”

”Al doesn't want the kid he likes to like himself?

Algardo frowns for a moment at the acrylic smiling like a prank. And close your face so you can bury it in the acrylic shoulder mouth.

”I feel like I'm going to be able to do something about it because I like acrylics more than you like me”

”... complacent, but isn't it too late?

”... maybe”

”Well, that too... I guess you're in line. I'm having a really bad heart right now.”

”Sounds like...”

Algardo laughs with his face buried in the acrylic shoulder mouth as he trembles his throat.

Acrylic closed his eyes as he turned his hand around Algard's back like that.

He said it was going to work out. The warm relationship must be over.

So much so that it's going to be more intense, hot, and painful.

”I like you, too. Al.”