Chapter 10. Confession

Chapter 10. Confession CHAPTER 10 Confession

…What kind of reaction was that?

By the time the last crumb of cake was gone and the clock had already slipped past eight PM , Nonoa suggested that they play the werewolf game, which was met with unanimous enthusiasm. But as the others prepared for the game, Masachika found himself in the bathroom, lost in thought, replaying Alisa’s reaction from earlier.

I feel like she gave me the death stare for a second there… Did she not like the gift I got her? But she told me that she liked it… Hm…

Doubt lingered in his mind—was this really the right gift for her? With no clear answer in sight, he let out a quiet sigh and exited the bathroom, stepping into the hallway where a voice called out to him.

“Master Masachika.”

“Hmm? Oh.”

Standing in the dim hallway was Ayano.

Looks like she has to use the bathroom, too.

Masachika stepped aside to make room for her, but Ayano continued to stare at him without moving.

“It’s about time I head home.”

“Wait. Really? I don’t remember you having a curfew.”

While it was November and already pitch-black outside, she had someone picking her up, so Masachika couldn’t quite understand why she was leaving so soon. Ayano, however, averted her gaze, lost in thought for a moment, before finally muttering:

“Actually…I lied when I said that Lady Yuki had an emergency that she needed to take care of.”

Masachika could only stare, rendered speechless, as she met his gaze with unwavering determination.

“She actually got the flu and is extremely sick right now,” she announced.

“Huh?!”

“I didn’t want to worry anyone or ruin the party, so I lied…”

“…”

Masachika only half-listened to Ayano’s explanation, his mind racing with other thoughts. Yuki had the flu. Yuki—the one who hadn’t gotten sick since middle school and had perfect attendance—had the flu.

Why…?

Staring blankly into space, Masachika recalled the fake smile Yuki had plastered on her face at the clothing store.

Yeah…

He realized that deep down inside he knew Yuki must have been under a lot of stress with their mother being sick.

I noticed, and yet…

He pretended not to, and now Yuki was…

“Wh-what are her symptoms?” Masachika asked, unable to suppress his agitation.

“They called the doctor, so she’s being treated…but she still has a high fever. Plus, she has a sore throat and is coughing a lot,” Ayano replied, painfully furrowing her brow.

“She’s coughing…”

Memories of Yuki resurfaced from the back of his mind. His little sister, who had seemed perfectly fine just moments before, had begun coughing uncontrollably. She had collapsed onto the bed, clutching her throat, her lips pale as she gasped desperately for air, but all that escaped her throat were wheezes. All Masachika had been able to do was call for an adult to help.

As he had gently stroked her back, hoping to provide some comfort, he was startled by how fragile she felt—her flesh so thin that he could easily feel her bones.

“—chika. Master Masachika!”

“ … !”

Ayano’s calls brought Masachika back to his senses. As he awkwardly looked down at her, she frowned with discomfort.

“I understand that you don’t want to go back to the Suou household…but do you think you could be there for Lady Yuki, just this one time?”

“ … !”

“I believe she needs you right now, more than anyone else.”

It was essentially the same thing she had said to him on field day…but what reflexively slipped off Masachika’s tongue was—

“I…can’t.”

A grating, dismissive reply.

“Master Masachika … !”

Ayano, rarely one to show emotion, raised her voice slightly. The sharp, accusatory look from this childhood friend, who had always been like a sister to him, cut deep into Masachika’s heart. Yet, his mouth refused to move. Those simple words, “I’ll go with you,” were stuck in his throat. In Masachika’s mind, the Suou mansion had become a symbol of pain and regret. Yumi’s sorrowful expression and Gensei’s cold, piercing gaze haunted him, choking his words. Cowardly thoughts like What difference would it make if I went? and What will people think if we leave together now? swirled endlessly in his mind, trapping him in silence.

Ker-chk!

The door connecting to the living room opened as Chisaki poked her head inside.

“Uh … ? Everything okay? We’re about to start the game.”

Chisaki looked puzzled as she called out to the two standing in the hallway, but it was Ayano who reacted first.

“Everything is fine.”

She then turned on her heel and whispered to Masachika.

“I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes to decide.”

The weight of having a time limit for his decision pressed heavily on Masachika’s stomach, triggering a sudden wave of nausea as his limbs turned into lead.

Decide what? I—

He was cold, in pain, and nauseous. Beyond the doorway was a bright, cheerful living room—a stark contrast he wanted to avoid. Yet Chisaki’s bewildered eyes left him no room to escape, so he followed Ayano back into the light, dragging his leaden limbs every step of the way.

Once inside, Ayano bowed respectfully toward Alisa first, then once more at Touya and the others.

“I am terribly sorry, but it’s about time I start heading home.”

Masachika couldn’t bear to look directly at her. His composure shattered, he took advantage of everyone’s attention being on Ayano to slip away to the wall while haunted by the illusion of her reproachful stare. Only when she left was he finally able to exhale, but all that was left after that was intense self-loathing for his own cowardice.

“What’s wrong, Kuze?”

Masachika had been standing quietly by the wall, hoping to stay out of sight, when a voice called his name—almost as if it had been waiting for him. He glanced up, and there she was. Nonoa, appeared out of nowhere with her trademark heavy-lidded eyes, so he instinctively forced a smile.

“Nothing…”

“For real? You look really gloomy.”

“I do? I was just thinking about something, that’s all.”

With no clever excuse coming to mind, Masachika settled for a flimsy lie. Nonoa’s gaze, however, remained fixed on Masachika…until her expression sharpened as if she were shedding her casual facade.

“For real?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing happened?”

Her uncharacteristically serious question caught him off guard, and what she said next only made him even more confused.

“Like, I know you don’t really trust me? But I pay back the people who help me.”

Perhaps it was because of her uniquely straightforward and unembellished way of speaking, pointing out that she knew how wary he was of her, but it made everything she said after that sound like she meant it.

“You totally listened to me when I wanted to talk, so now, I’ll listen to you. Like, I’m pretty sure I know a lot about you, like with Yuki and Yuushou, that nobody else does, so I think I could give you the least biased opinion here.”

“…”

He was honestly surprised how shaken he was—how uncertain he felt—and if no one else had been around, he might have poured his heart out to Nonoa. However…

“…”

Alisa listened closely as Sayaka and Maria outlined the rules of the werewolf game, while Touya, Chisaki, Takeshi, and Hikaru were already lost in laughter and playful banter. Masachika watched them, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Thanks… But I’m fine right now.”

“…You’ll survive?”

Masachika’s eyes widened at Nonoa’s direct question…but after a moment went by, he simply let out a weak laugh.

“Yeah, I can handle it. Thanks.”

“A’ight.”

She nodded, seemingly respecting his wishes, and immediately backed off. She then turned around, her tone shifting back to its usual lazy drawl as she called out to the other seven.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s get this started. There’s nine of us, so I guess we could have two wolves? How does that sound?”

“Sounds good. How about we also have a seer, a medium, and a hunter as well?”

“Oh, sorry. I still don’t completely understand the rules yet…”

“For real? A’ight, well, I still need to check out the app ‘cause I don’t know how to use it yet, so let’s do a practice round.”

While the group eagerly discussed the rules of the Werewolf game, Masachika seamlessly joined in, still smiling tightly as he caught up with the conversation.

Oh… This is a lot more painful than I thought it’d be.

The pessimistic thought instantly flashed through his mind. Just moments ago, he had promised Nonoa that he’d do his best, yet already, Masachika could feel his heart aching. The growing disconnect between his inner turmoil and outward composure deepened with each passing moment.

“What the heck?! We just started, and I’ve already been killed?!”

“All right, Take-C. You’re out.”

“Maaan.”

The overflowing smiles, the laughter—it all felt so distant. Amidst it all, he forced himself to join in while trying not to stand out, but he found himself utterly repulsive. His sister was suffering, and here he was, ignoring her, laughing along with everyone else. It made him feel like scum.

“Oh, I was killed. Come on. Which one of you guys are wolves? Seriously.”

“Whoa. I actually thought you were a wolf…”

“Why?!”

It was unbearable. He felt a wave of nausea rising in his throat as his heart filled with self-loathing. He just wanted to die.

Yeah, I can’t do this anymore.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the werewolf game app chimed, signaling the end of the round as Chisaki and Maria immediately began to celebrate.

“Yay! We won! Good job, Masha!”

“Ah! We won! Hurraaay!”

But as he watched the two of them high-five, Masachika rose to his feet, forcing a smile that was as apologetic as he could manage, and bowed.

“Sorry. I need to start heading home now…”

“What? Really?”

“We were just getting started…”

“Oh, my. That’s too bad.”

“Then let me walk you—”

“No, it’s fine.”

Masachika quickly collected his belongings, putting his hand up as Alisa was about to get out of her chair. Sensing Nonoa’s intense gaze, he deliberately avoided eye contact with her while walking over to Alisa with a smile.

“Anyway, happy birthday, Alya. Have a wonderful rest of the night.”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t forget to lock the door after I leave. Sorry for making you get out of your seat.”

After leaving Alisa with a few parting words, Masachika bid farewell to Akemi and Mikhail, who were tidying up in the kitchen, and swiftly made his way to the entrance. A chilly November breeze swept in as he opened the door and stepped outside, heading toward the elevator while checking the time on his phone.

“I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes to decide.”

Fifteen minutes had passed since Ayano left. Normally, she would have already left, but if she stayed just a little longer for his sake, then maybe…

Uncertain about whether he hoped she would be waiting or had already left, Masachika stepped into the elevator, his heart racing with a mixture of nervousness and fear. Trying to push his emotions down, he hopped off the elevator, stepped outside—and was relieved to see that Ayano was already gone.

“…You pathetic coward!”

Masachika cursed himself for the way he felt before aimlessly drifting down the empty street, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

I ran away again.

The voice in the back of his mind was filled with scorn, but without even the energy to argue, he simply wandered aimlessly until he noticed a small park nearby. With heavy steps, he made his way over and plopped down on a bench.

“…”

He had run away again. He couldn’t deny that, but he could still turn things around. He knew their address. He could hail a taxi and go after Ayano right now if he wanted to. And if he didn’t want to do that, Kyoutarou was home, so if he hurried back and explained the situation, then they could go to the Suou residence together, and that would be the end of it. He knew that, yet…he was sitting on a park bench all alone like this.

I could still make it if I go now. Do I really want to become an even bigger scumbag than I already am? I’m going to regret it if I don’t go see her!

What could I even do if I went now? I already wasted the chance that Ayano gave me. It would be arrogant of me to go now.

It doesn’t matter what I can do! Yuki is in pain! I don’t need a better reason to be there for her!

Stop being so dramatic. The doctor’s already there taking care of her. They have good flu medicine nowadays. She’ll be better in no time.

That’s not what’s important right now! A brother has to be there for his little sister when she’s hurt, no matter what! Plus, people with asthma can apparently develop severe complications from the flu!

Two conflicting voices clashed violently within his head, but he knew which one he should listen to. He knew, yet his body remained frozen, unresponsive, and as time dragged on, every passing second made it harder to act. Despite his awareness, he continued to waste time, letting the cold bench and the biting wind drain the warmth from his body.

I’m doing it again…

He was back to drowning in regret and self-loathing, finding a twisted satisfaction in sinking deeper into it. He knew he was at fault, and because of that, he convinced himself it was okay. He felt that he had punished himself, so that should be good enough. He chose to escape by using self-punishment as a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Masachika understood that he had to confront the mistake from his past someday and that he couldn’t keep running from it forever. His gut was telling him that he wasn’t going to be able to avoid it much longer, either. He’d even promised Maria that he would face his regret, yet when that time came, he simply tried to escape again…

“Mmmnnng!”

He dug his fingers into his scalp, scratching furiously as if he could claw his way out of his problems. The sharp pain bloomed where his nails sank into his skin, and heat radiated from the pressure. Still, he didn’t stop, biting his lip as he fought against the urge to break. He knew it was pointless, but it was the only thing he could think to do. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—maybe he should just stay here all night, let the cold do its bidding. Maybe if he got gravely sick, then that would make up for all this. But just as this destructive thought crossed his mind…

“Masachika … ?”

Masachika froze at the unexpected voice, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him. But when he began to lift his chin, the sight of a boot’s toe in his peripheral vision confirmed his doubt. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, his heart skipping a beat as he met Alisa’s wide, surprised eyes as she stood there while holding his jacket.

“When I went to lock the door, I noticed you forgot your jacket…and you were acting weird, so…”

“…Oh.”

“Did something happen?”

But Masachika hung his head in silence. There was nothing he could say. After all, Alisa didn’t know the truth about his relationship with Yuki, and even if he revealed everything, what would it change? It would only add to the humiliation.

“…Could you just pretend you didn’t see me?” Masachika muttered under his breath.

“What?”

He covered his eyes with both hands and continued with a harsh, stiff tone:

“I don’t want to ruin your birthday…so please, could you just pretend you didn’t see me?”

“Wh-what?! There’s no way I can do that!”

Without warning, she seized him by both shoulders, jerking him upright so he was forced to face her. Then, with a firm grip on his collar, Alisa held his head steady, glaring at him from point-blank range.

“Tell me what happened!”

“…”

Masachika felt a touch of astonishment as he gazed into Alisa’s fiery blue eyes. Clearly frustrated, she clenched her teeth at his dull reaction, then briefly dropped her gaze with a sigh.

“…Do you remember the bet we made before finals last semester?” she asked in a forcibly suppressed voice.

“ … ?”

“We made a bet before finals on whether you’d make it into the top thirty.”

Masachika suddenly remembered what she was talking about. During the first semester’s final exams, they had made a bet on whether Masachika could score within the top thirty in his grade. The loser would then be forced to do whatever the winner asked.

“…Oh, right. We did make a bet like that,” he muttered, as if it wasn’t important. Alisa, however, raised her lowered gaze and glared sharply back at him.

“Well, I’m going to use my right as the winner right now. Tell me what happened.”

Masachika was at a loss for words, since there was no way that he could have predicted that she would bring up a promise they made months ago out of the blue like this. Yet, as he met Alisa’s sincere gaze…he found himself confessing it all.

“Yuki got the flu…and she’s really sick right now.” Once he started talking, he couldn’t stop as he continued to pour out everything. “She didn’t want to ruin the party…so she made Ayano tell everyone that she had an urgent matter come up…but she’s actually sick. She’s in pain right now, but I—! I just—! I’m not there for her when she needs me … !”

As he spoke, waves of pity and self-doubt surged within him. Masachika bit his lip once more and lowered his gaze. Alisa’s hands slid softly from his shoulders as she stood, moving away from him as her quiet voice brushed against his ear.

“…That’s why?”

Her voice quivered, prompting Masachika to look up at her and notice the tears in her eyes as his own opened wide.

“It’s strange… I wanted to know, and yet, I wish I didn’t ask.” She smiled weakly.

“ < It hurts… > ” she murmured softly in Russian, her voice trembling.

It instantly became clear to him why she was on the verge of tears.

Oh… That’s why…

It would have been easy to say “This is all just a misunderstanding. I’m not neglecting you or prioritizing Yuki over you,” but that probably wouldn’t have been good enough for Alisa. Masachika did love Yuki…but as his sister. Yet, he had to keep that a secret which meant…

Actually…why don’t I tell her?

That was when it hit him. What was the value of his promise to Gensei if it meant seeing the girl in front of him on the brink of tears? What mattered more: Alisa’s feelings or his commitment to Gensei? The answer was clear.

“…Alya, I told you that my parents were divorced, right?”

“Huh? Yeah…”

Alisa tilted her head in confusion as Masachika changed the conversation abruptly, a bittersweet smile on his lips as he met her gaze and continued.

“My mother’s name…is Yumi Suou. My name used to be Masachika Suou.”

“ … !”

He looked up at his speechless partner and confessed:

“Yuki…is my little sister.”