Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 117. Love Matters

Even in this life, these feelings were still deep-rooted, having sunk into his bones, and sometimes they haunted his nights. Whenever secrets were involved, he would lose his calm and raise his voice, becoming somewhat irrational.

'I said I wasn't a brat, but I sure act like one,' Misha self-loathed before peeking at his sister, who gently smiled at him. Then, she stretched a hand and stroked his head, brushing strands of hair behind his ear.

"Don't worry, you have all the right in the world to be angry at us whenever you feel like it, whether you have a reason or not. Looking at what Gabriel and I put you through in your past life, I'm surprised you're not raising your voice and scolding us more often."

"Well, your past selves aren't really the "you" of right now," Misha pouted, rubbing his head against the palm of his sister's hand. "But you're sure you won't tell me anything? Not even a little?"

"Nope."

"Stingy."

"I know."

Pursing his lips, Misha tried hard not to laugh, but he couldn't contain his laughter and let out a chuckle in the end. With a smile lingering on his lips, he scurried closer to his sister and hugged her, deciding to let her off the hook—they could always talk about it another day.

It wouldn't do him any good to insist, knowing his sister was as stubborn as he was. If she didn't want to talk, then she wouldn't, regardless of how much he pestered her.

"By the way, does your foot hurt?"

"Now that you mention it...."

His foot did hurt, especially his toes. Hitting the table without wearing a shoe wasn't his brightest idea, and a slight pain now pulsated throughout his leg. Next time, he should vent his anger on the pillow or, at the very least, something soft, not something hard like wood.

"On another note, how did it go with Yuki?"

"Huh?" Masha's cheeks turned bright right in an instant, leaving Misha speechless. Wasn't that kind of reaction a bit too much... "Well, hum, I wouldn't say it went well, but you see...."

"Love at first sight?"

"It's weird, right? We only exchanged a few words at the hospital before, but I felt strangely drawn to her after seeing her again at the restaurant today. Frankly, I don't know how to explain what I felt back then. It was like being struck by lightning."

"'Cause you know what being struck by lightning feels like?"

"Don't be a smartass! You get the point," Masha replied, flicking her brother's forehead. "To be honest, I hope I'll meet her again soon, though I've to admit that such sudden yet strong feelings scare me a little. All that to say that, yes, I'm interested in her and we exchanged our contact information. But I don't know if I made a good impression. It's a little hard to tell with her poker face."

"Gabriel said that Yuki was the one who wooed you in your past timeline. So it's your turn to do it," Misha shrugged, massaging his painful forehead. "Take it easy. You have all the time in the world, and you're full of charms. I'm sure she's gonna fall for you one day or another, so be confident in yourself."

"What a smooth talker!" Masha sighed, side-glancing at her brother before smiling slyly. "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you fall in love with Gabriel yet?"

"Not this question again!" Misha whined, drilling his head underneath his pillow and covering his ears with it.

Whenever his sister had free time, she always made fun of his blunter, reminding him of his past self's words. He just wanted to forget and hid his head in the ground, just like an ostrich.

However, his sister wouldn't allow that. She snatched his pillow and said teasingly, "Come on! I'm telling you everything about my love life, so how about doing the same?"

"I don't wanna!"

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm curious!"

"That's not a good reason!"

"Yes, it is! And I'm also the big sister, meaning that you, as the little brother, should listen to me!"

"So what? I'm technically older than you, so don't try to use that privilege on me!"

"That's cheating!"

"No, it's not!"

The bickering continued until both were out of breath, staring at each other with narrowed eyes. Silence filled the room for a while, and only their heavy breathing could be heard.

Eventually, Misha pursed his lips, then said in a barely audible voice, "Anyway, wouldn't you find it weird if I were to fall in love with Gaby? Or if I already am, just like that stupid other me said?"

"No, not at all," Masha replied softly. "I think you would make a great couple, well-balanced and good-looking too! And you know, whenever Gabriel pops up in the conversation, you always become agitated, just like a lovestruck teenage girl."

"I know..."

"Oh?"

"But that's not the point. Even if Gaby is gay, it doesn't necessarily mean he's gonna fall in love with me. And I just don't want to think about love matters and such right now, especially considering how young this body is. So, please, stop bothering me about it. I've got enough on my mind already."

"All right," Masha smiled, ruffling her brother's hair. "But if you make up your mind one day, do tell Gabriel right away. You never know. His answer could surprise you."

"...Fine, I will."

Masha's smile deepened at those words, but she didn't pursue the matter any further. Instead, she got up and stretched her body.

"It's getting late, so I'll go back to my room. You're dozing off, anyway."

"Hm, good night."

"Good night."

Misha rolled over and watched his sister leave, thinking back on their conversation. Although he could be dense, he wasn't an idiot. These past few weeks, he had thought about his other self's words, and he knew he was probably right. He just didn't want to admit it.

Turning back and staring at the ceiling, Misha wondered where this timeline was heading to. And strangely enough, that was when he remembered this one particular conversation he had with Yuki, the words she had once told him at the cafeteria suddenly popping into his mind. They were a bit blurry, not very clear too, but the anger he had felt when he heard them the first time was very much present, stirring up his stomach.

What did she say again?

"Yeah, I remember now. She said something like it wasn't Gabriel's first coma...." Misha sucked in a breath before cursing at himself, sitting upright in his bed, "Fucking hell, how could I forget that?!"

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Chapter revised on 2022-06-05

Edited by Clozed! ♥

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