Change my Heart, Change my World, Change me

Chapter 8 : Arren & Akai Interlude ~Little Brother~

Arren Pov

My little brother is weird. Was he always like this? Maybe he was, I would never know. We have never been close before. Since that day when he told us that he doesn't want to be a king, our relationship has changed. It seems that he took my agreement to his plan as a permission to get close to us. These days if he doesn't have kii-chan beside him, he will start bothering me. I never can tell how he can have that much energy.

When he knew I have free time, he will turn up to ask if I would like to go with him and doesn't take no for an answer. It bothers me in the past but now it's already been a normal occurrence in my daily life. I even put it in my schedule to spend time with him. He is not what I think he would be. For one, he doesn't hate me. He never is. He doesn't hate mother either. I couldn't fathom his feelings for father. He doesn't seem to hate him but doesn't seem to want to get close too. I used to think that he hates me because I have a mother and he was not. Or because of the fact that my existence put a danger on his life. I was born before him but from a concubine. He was a Queen's son. By any means, he has every right to inherit the Crown. Still, because he was younger and I was older who has more experience than him, even by only 2 years, some nobles don't want to put their faith in him. He was all alone in this cruel environment. There were too many attempts to assassinate him that made him wary of people. He doesn't have close aides either. Something that I have but he doesn't. So I thought his heart will full of resentment over me.

Yet, he looks happy when he sees us or if I agree to go with him. Whether it was just lunch together, hunting or even walking around the garden. Soon we also start to have a study class and train together as well. Later joined by kii-chan and Aoi-kun.

Speaking of kii-chan, I thought he was exaggerating when he said that he loves her more than anything. I was wrong again. He does seem to hold her dear to his heart. He always lit up every time kii-chan around. I'm glad to say that I think his feeling is reciprocated. Kii-chan is a nice Lady. She went with every single fling he has with a curious expression. I was worry that she only did that because she feels obligated but it seems it was not the case. She truly likes to spend time with him. To discover new things together. To listen to every story he told. What's more, kii-chan doesn't lie. She tells the thing as it is even if the truth is not in her favor. I can see why Arzen is, what was the words again, head over heels for her?

She is easy to love. I love her as well, not romantically but just love her as an individual. Like a little sister. She is my little sister in a sense. She is precious. She is strong enough by herself, doesn't need us to protect her or help her with every hard thing she found. We always want to help her anyway.

That's why I can understand Aoi-kun protectiveness over her. Though, why he hates Arzen is something that I already give up to understand. I know he knows that Arzen loves her so much and so does she. Who knows them will say the same thing. It's maybe because of his instincts as her twin brother? He might be had a feeling that Arzen is going to take her sister away? I heard that sometimes a father or a brother will act hostile to their daughter or sister lover because they treasure her so much. Maybe that's where Aoi-Kun's hostileness come from. I can't think of other reasons. It's hard to hate my little brother. He was just so bright. Especially when kii-chan is with him. He smiles more.

Well, he always smiles more around us that close to him but he is always wary of outsiders. He will have this close up expression when he faces them. I once think that he is a very good actor. He is not. He is a terrible liar. Proof?

We were eating our dinner at that time. He was saying that I was eating too little. We were growing up boys. We need to eat more. I make a comment that the amount I serve myself is acceptable for my body and it's enough. Then he said distractedly that "Luffy and Sabo will disagree. We used to hunt those big bears but it was not enough for the three of us. Especially for Luffy"