Shameless advertisement here. If you have time, please kindly take a look at my other book "COTE: Mysterious Siblings". I'm about to begin Volume 3 there. Also the Volume 7.5 chapters are gonna be a little shorter than normal (Except for the big date). Thank you for reading this text:)
Yasushi POV
(Ayanokouji and Arisu met up in the morning, and it is currently right after the movie malfunctions in Ayanokouji's end, so the timing doesn't contradict.)
December 23rd.
I was hanging out with Arisu today and tomorrow. She had agreed to helping me with plans for my date with Kikyou. I still thought it was pretty suspicious, but I welcomed her nonetheless.
We were at a cafe on a table together, hot cocoa on our respective sides of the table, and a chess board in the middle.
"I am quite curious as to why you agreed, Arisu." I said, moving my knight to take her pawn.
"Is it that strange for someone like me?" She said, moving to take my knight.
"Quite frankly, yes. You want something out of this, don't you?"
"Its a good thing you know me by now, after all that's happened."
After a few more moves, she finally brought me to checkmate with her queen and two rooks.
"Another fine match. However, you still can't seem to beat me."
"*Sigh*...Well, what do you want out of helping me with dating plans?"
"Nothing."
"Like I'd believe that."
We just stared at each other for around a few minutes, waiting for the other to react. Arisu was the first to give in, sighing.
"I just want to see you happy is all."
"...I'm still not buying it."
I always think that people would want favors. This is just want of those scenarios again. No matter what relationship I have with her, I'm not buying the fact that she wants nothing. Besides, this is Arisu we're talking about.
"What would you have me do so you would believe me?"
"Ask me for a favor maybe? I don't really know."
"Hm? Then how about this?"
She showed me a slip of paper.
Meet at noon / Movie of your choice at the theatre/ Lunch at a reservation / Shopping / Cafe before heading home
(Totally not almost the same exact plan Satou has for plot reasons. Nothing suspicious at all.)
"I'm obviously no expert on dates, but this looks decent. Have you perhaps thought this out for a while now?" I asked.
"I had Hashimoto-kun and Masumi-san make a draft, then I made my own with a combination of their ideas and an idea from me. So yes, you could say that."
"Those two? Huh. That's incredibly interesting."
"Enough about them. I'll leave the movie and restaurant reservations to you. Pick anything Kik...Kushida-san likes. As for the shopping, its in your best interest to go wild, maybe buy a gift for her in the process."
Actually I already had a gift for her, as thanks for the gift she gave me when she confessed. I suppose another one wouldn't hurt.
"That still doesn't undermine my question. What do you want out of this?"
"Haven't I already said it? I would like to see you happy."
I am still not buying it, but from here on out I feel like she'll just shoot down my suspicions over and over.
"*Sigh*...Fine, not like I can get the truth from you anyway."
At that, Arisu looked offended.
"Hmph, you give up too easily." She said.
"I'm way too far down from your league, so please accept that."
"I will not accept it."
She grabbed her cane then pointed its tip toward me, inches from my face.
"You are my brother, adopted or not. My brother should be every bit as amazing as me, if not better."
"Did you just compliment yourself while lecturing me. How very sly of you."
Arisu made a move as if to slice my neck with her cane, but I blocked it with mine.
"I have a cane too, you know?"
"Fufufu, it was just a test."
I looked at the paper once again as we both laid down our canes. It was a decent enough plan, though I'd have to pick out a movie, a restaurant and another gift that Kikyou would like.
"I'll gladly accept your plan, but I still really want you to make me owe a fa-"
I felt something getting shoved into my mouth. Something...sweet? Followed by something metallic? I looked up and saw that Arisu literally fed me a slice of the pastry she bought.
"Then my favor would be for you to have fun on this date. I will not have any complaints from you, you understand?" It sounded like she wasn't asking me to understand, but rather to understand at all costs.
I felt the fork getting pulled back as I swallowed the food.
"Fine fine. Anyway, was there any other business you wanted to do today aside plan this date?"
"I wanted to ask you a few questions, things about us humans and all that."
So she wanted to pick my brain with some deep questions, huh?
"What did you want to ask me about?" I asked, taking a sip of my hot cocoa.
"In your opinion, what do you think would make a person...truly remarkable?"
"Remarkability is too wide of a topic. People can be remarkable in their own right, like in sports, academics, games and etc. Could you please rephrase that question?"
"My apologies, but it seems I couldn't put my finger on the word. How about, what do you think makes a person a perfect existence?"
"...Did Kouenji's provocations get to you or something?"
"I am curious as to your view on what perfection is, that's all."
"Perfection huh?"
Well perfection in and of itself is impossible. If it were to be a product, it would be something priceless. However, like humans are, we always try to put a price on the priceless, just because some have pots and pots of money.
"There is no such thing as a perfect existence among humans." I said flatly.
Arisu's smile disappeared.
"Would you please care to elaborate?"
"We humans live, die, steal, kill, lie. Those actions are because of our own selfish interests, which leads me to believe that there are no heroes or villains, good or evil. Take Ryuuen for example. He may be a tyrant, but his actions are because he wants his class to reach Class A, and being a dictator is his way of doing it. He may look like a villain to other classes, but to his class, he's just doing them a favor."
"Because all classes wish to reach Class A, yes I understand that."
"Now let's take my class, your class, and Ichinose's class into account. We are doing what we think is best for our individual classes. For my class, its trying to unite everyone under more than one leader and holding our ground as best as we can. For your class, its attacking while simultaneously defending from other classes. For Ichinose, its making some sort of wonderland with smiles and cheers so they can do it together."
"And how does this connect with the question?"
"That not a single one of our methods are perfect. Greats example would be Kouenji and you. Kouenji has a narcissistic attitude backed by his incredible abilities. You on the other hand, are pretty sly, using underhanded tactics here and there like Ryuuen, just to keep your dominance in your own class."
I stopped for a little to take another sip of hot cocoa. I then grabbed my black king, which was under checkmate from our chess match.
"Every ruler has their very own way to command a kingdom. Like today's society, where we are separated into different types of hierarchies. Democracy, Communism, Monarchy, etcetera etcetera. The fact that countries exist in and of themselves means one. Single. Thing.
I placed my black king in front of the white king, then knocked it down.
"We're humans, that don't acknowledge each other as humans. Which means perfect existences have no way of being real in the first place."
I looked up, seeing that Arisu went pale. It seems my answer was a bit too dark.
"How incredibly...realistic. And perhaps a bit of self criticism." She said.
"Before we continue on your questions, I'm going to the restroom."
I took my cane then slowly got up from my seat. I walked out of the cafe and went to the nearest restrooms.
Ayanokouji POV
After seeing him leave the cafe, I went inside. Sakayanagi-san looked rather deep in thought when I arrived.
"Are you satisfied, Ayanokouji-kun? That seems like what he really thinks." She said, her back turned against me.
"Yes I am. Though it sounded like he held back a few words near the end."
"I noticed it too. His mouth hung open as if he wanted to say something else, but quickly stopped himself."
Sakayanagi Yasushi had an interesting view on things like this. After my coincidental meeting with his adopted sister, I asked a favor to see what he thought. They wanted to hang out together, and since I had free time after the movie I watched and the confrontation with Ibuki, I had her text me where they were meeting.
Luckily for me, I arrived just in time for the good part.
"Anyhow, this just solidifies our agreement about him." I said, trying to stir the conversation away.
"Yes, please do not use him for our match."
"Actually I had something else in mind. I won't use him any longer."
Sakayanagi-san's head suddenly sprang upward, then turned to look at me.
"Define 'won't use him any longer'." She said.
"Don't get me wrong, I'll let him help out in making my strategies, but I won't make him do any more on-field work. That is if it wasn't under his request."
I'll let him do so whenever he asks to. After all, if I decline his requests, he'll get suspicious of both of us, leading him to suspect an agreement between his sister and I.
"What brought you to this decision, masterpiece with no emotion?" Sakayanagi-san asked.
"Just from his voice while explaining his thoughts, he sounded tired, tired of humans, tired of living. He wants to feel useful, but there's one large loophole to that term, which is being useful behind the scenes or doing grunt work."
"Are you saying that you want to void the agreement we first had then make an entirely new one?"
"Yes, I am. Instead of just in our match, I won't use him to do any on-field work at all unless he really wants to. He's pretty sharp if you ask me, so we need to be extra careful."
"Very well then, and thank you. Perhaps even you could change, Ayanokouji-kun."
She was indeed correct. I really have changed over the course of my stay in this school.
I quickly left the cafe, just in time for Sakayanagi-kun to appear out of the restroom nearby. Since I no longer had any business with them, I left the area entirely, continuing my return to the dorms.
3rd Person POV
Sakayanagi Arisu ate the last bit of her pastry as Sakayanagi Yasushi returned to their table.
"Right, what other questions did you want to ask?" He said, taking his seat.
"I only had ne more question, but after thinking it over, it turned into three separate questions."
Arisu played around with her fork, trying to figure out how to word her questions properly.
"Lets make it a challenge shall we? You've always answered my questions in the past with lengthy explanations, so this time around...Answer them with one single word."
"Well, that would depend on the question, wouldn't it?"
"Of course, which is why I've simplified my questions for you. First one..."
Arisu looked at her adopted brother, eager to listen to his answers.
"In one word, describe today's society."
Since he was being challenged, Yasushi stayed silent for a few seconds before answering.
"Chaotic." He said.
"Mn, next one. In one word, describe yourself."
It was an obvious trap. Yasushi had no choice but tell the truth or else Arisu would tell him off again, just like every other time she asked him about what he thought of himself.
"I think I'm-"
"One word only, Yasushi-kun." Arisu re-implied.
"*Sigh*...Incompetent."
Yasushi's self criticizing side has resurfaced. A bad trait to have, but it was built up from all his grief accumulated in the past.
"Hmm, you're underestimating yourself once again. Last question. In one word, describe all humans, no matter the religion, nationality, social standing, and intellect. That includes both you and me of course."
This was the one question, ever since his father died, that Yasushi knew he could answer with confidence. Under all the sugarcoating, what really are humans? Yasushi laughed at his own dark jokes, then answered in a very low voice.
"Savages."
There was not another word from them for a few minutes. All that could be heard was the constant chatter in the cafe and the area outside. Sakayanagi Arisu took one last sip of her hot cocoa, then got up from her seat, cane in hand. She slowly made her way to the other side of the table, eyeing her adopted brother, who was now filled with dread.
Arisu put a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you understand now Yasushi-kun? This is exactly why I would like to help, free of charge. What you need are memories, good ones. If Kushida-san is willing to be your light, then I will gladly support the both of you."
Yasushi slowly turned his head to look at her, eyes filled with nothingness, it was all foggy to him.
"Wouldn't your real father want you to be happy as well?"
"...How did you-"
Arisu put a finger to Yasushi's mouth before he could say anything else.
"I have my ways. Your father told you to live, but he also meant for you to be happy. You haven't been doing a good job of being happy, and yet an opportunity is right before you."
She moved her finger toward Yasushi's forehead.
"Remember this. That little head of yours is unique, just as is every human being. There are idiots, so called normies, loners, and geniuses. You do not get to decide which of those you are in, because your actions define where you are without you knowing it."
Then, she moved her finger towards his chest.
"And this little heart, which you have frozen, is slowly thawing out. Have you not noticed that, otouto?"
"I needed to stop feeling so that I can survive. It was hard being alone."
"Then let me remind you, one more time."
Arisu slowly motioned herself, then hugged Yasushi.
"You're no longer alone, nor will you ever be alone again." She said in a much softer tone than usual.