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Ever since that day on the stairs, Reo has always been on Nagi’s side almost 24/7, whether they're at the school or Nagi's house. The sociable heir of the Mikage Corp, Reo Mikage, has noticeably started pouring most of his time being with Nagi and just hanging out with him while the others being visibly uninterested about everything.
Despite their differences, that didn't stop them from getting closer to the point that one of them… inevitably fell from the other's charm saying, Reo's smile is his favorite thing in the world.
He started treasuring more of their memories together and making up reasons just so Reo can give him a piggyback ride and the likes. He would exclaim that he is so tired to the point that he can't walk, that it's hassle to chew, and that he needs Reo to spoil him and also lowkey feeling scared of what will happen if Reo suddenly finds a better person to be his “treasure” than Nagi.
Although he's so down bad for Reo, everyone thought that it was the other way around because of how expressive Reo and how uninterested Nagi looks outside. But deep down, Nagi knows that what Reo feels about him is not the same as how he feels about him.
Nagi can't help but feel inferior and insecure since Reo seems like he's the type of person who gets what he wants in an instant and gets bored easily a few months later. He's scared that, after a few months of spending time with him, Reo will gradually get bored of him as well. And he doesn't like that. He hates it. He doesn't wanna be replaced, be thrown away, be left by Reo. He just wanna be by his side, even if it means being a mere treasure of his and nothing more.
One day, Nagi got the courage to asked Reo,
Nagi: Reo, Reo, Reo.
Reo: What is, my treasure?
Nagi: What would you do if you ever found a treasure, someone so lovely, that you fell in love with them?
Reo: That's random, Nagi. You know I already have you as my treasure right?
Nagi: I know. But just answer it. I'm curious, Reo.
Reo: Alright. If I ever find someone so lovely that I ended up falling in love, I hope they find the love that they deserve. I hope that they'll finally have a family to belong to and a house to call home. I hope that they'll no longer be afraid of trusting people and that she'll be able to finally smile again. I hope that whatever happens, they'll always have someone to help and support them, treasuring them. And I hope they won't find those things in me. I hope they'll think of me as nothing but just a passerby in their life. That I'm nothing but someone they can easily forget.
Nagi: Huh? Why is that, Reo?
Reo: Nothing much
Nagi: Ehhhhhh
Reo laughs afterwards and just goes on and brushes Nagi's hair as if he didn't say anything wrong. Nagi, on the other hand, sensed that there was something wrong especially with Reo’s last sentence but can't think of anything wrong about it. He just knows it hurts him when he hears Reo say those words as if he's someone who doesn't deserve to be loved by others.
Nagi spent countless sleepless nights after that conversation, still thinking why Reo thinks that way. Why can he easily give such devotional love to someone, but too scared to accept it? Isn't he someone who is naturally loved by his surroundings? Especially since his family has lots of money, there should be countless people who would be willing to go lengths just for Reo. But it didn't take him long enough to realize why.
One day, Reo was nowhere to be found. He didn't go to their class, nor did he even pick him up with his limousine like usual. Nagi tried to brush things off as if it's not his business but ended up watching himself search for a place where Reo might be despite muttering how it is such a hassle.
After a few hours of searching, he found Reo at the place where they often ride the bike together. He was sitting on the grass, silently watching the water flow. Nagi silently sat beside Reo. Without glancing at him, Reo started talking.
Reo: You know, Nagi… Ever since I was young, it was drilled in my head that my only use is to be my father's successor. That no matter what I do, no matter what I'll ever want, I will always be just my father's replacement.
Nagi was dumbfounded when he heard Reo calls himself a “replacement”. He wanna say something to disagree with Reo but don't even know what or how to say it. Reo didn't mind and just continue talking,
Reo: At first, I was okay with it. I was actually even looking forward to it because all I ever wanted was for my parents to be proud of me. So, I did my best to learn everything there is for me to learn. Even those skills that I won't even need to run a company, I did my very best to excel just so I can be the perfect heir for my father. But then, I realized… Is that what I really want? Is that what I, just Reo, want?
Reo laughed at himself mockingly while still staring at the water while Nagi was looking at him with his wide eyes, speechless and shocked by what he heard. But Reo isn't finished yet, he continues talking without even giving Nagi time to think or process everything.
Reo: I realized that just being a successor and replacement of someone is not what I want. I want to be me. Not Reo Mikage, but just Reo. I wanna be someone who is free from the burden and heavy expectations of people. Someone who can freely dream and be anything he wants him to be. And someone whose worth is not only about how fit he is to be an heir of a big corporation or about how rich he is… Someone who can freely treasure and love someone without any shackles and fear.
Nagi: …. Do you love someone, Reo?
Out of everything that he said, it seems that only that part was what Nagi could take in at that moment.
Reo: … Would it even matter? Everyone loves me only because I'm rich. And of course, people are bound to love my background more than me. So, is it really important if I love someone when I will never stop doubting their intentions to me? That they might actually just love me because of my money? At the end of the day, what and who am I without my family? Right?
Reo smiled bitterly, finally looking at Nagi's eyes. Nagi noticed Reo's reddened eyes, and it made him feel like he was dying.
This is not his Reo. No, This IS Reo, but not THE Reo that he met and fell in love with. This is the real Reo, that for some reason, he can't help but love more. The insecure and humane side of the Reo Mikage. All this time, he thought that Reo had it all. That he cannot possibly relate to someone like him with tons of things to worry about because before Reo can even worry about anything, it's already solved by his family's money. But he was wrong.
Nagi finally realized that Reo had the same thought of him. Despite Reo not saying it directly, he can feel it. He knows that Reo feels insecure and scared as well, just like him, that Nagi might leave if it's not because of his family connection. But Reo hasn't realized yet that, even if he's not Reo Mikage, Nagi will inevitably fall for him countless times merely because he believed in him when no one ever did. That Reo made Nagi feel so loved just by existing in his life.
Without second words, Nagi quietly hugged Reo which shocked the other person. It was something that is not part of Nagi's personality at all, but he still did it. For Reo. For his treasure.
They spent a few more hours just being by each other's side. Just feeling the moment and the presence of another, before they decided to just go home and stay at Nagi's house for the night since Nagi just can't sit still thinking of leaving Reo alone for now after all of what he heard.
Few weeks passed, and Nagi felt like Reo was feeling better. He was acting like his usual self again around him. But when Reo went missing once again, Nagi received a message. It was a message where it says he needs to go to the hospital because Reo…
Without thinking twice, he just went and took a random bicycle at the school park and rushed to the hospital where Reo is. After a few minutes, he finally arrived at the hospital and rushed to where Reo was since it was already stated in the text message that he received which room he was in.
There he saw him, lying beautifully, but with his eyes closed and full of blood. He can't even recall how it happened and what happened, he just knows that his treasure is gone. For eternity.
Nagi didn't even notice that it was already the day of Reo's funeral because of the pain and emptiness he's been feeling ever since. He can't even remember when was the last time he ate or showered. He just knows that at this point, he's nothing without his Reo. It's like, Reo took everything from Nagi, even his very core and reason of living, when he left and Nagi's suffering from the consequences right now.
Nagi finally stood up in front of Reo's grave and walked to the place where he had a talk with Reo. He sat there and finally had the courage to open Reo's phone that was handed to him by Baya during the funeral. He opened the fact and was surprised it didn't even have any sort of security lock.
He opened Reo's gallery first thing first and he found tons of stolen photos of him inside. There are few where Reo can be seen with him, but the rest was just him. Reo's Treasure. But what took his attention wasn't those, but a single video on the top. It was a video of Reo, in his school uniform. Nagi checked the date and noticed it was the same date when died. He was hesitant at first, but still decided to play it.
“Is it recording now? Oh, finally! Sorry. It took me countless times trying out how to record myself properly since I can't just have you, Nagi, catching me looking like a mess, right? I know you're curious since I called out your name. I told Baya to give you my phone if something ever happens to me.”
Reo was smiling throughout the first few minutes of the video. He just went on and on about how lucky he was to be able to meet and be with someone like Nagi in his life. Reciting every single thing they did, and could've done together. Nagi slowly started silently sobbing, but never bothered to wipe the tears away for fear that he might miss a change of Reo's expressions.
“Nagi, did you know? I've always been scared that you might actually leave me. Hahahaha, I know it's ridiculous and that you won't leave me. But, what if I'm just being so full of myself and you ended up leaving me? I've never had anything for myself, nor did I even wish for that to happen. I may not be happy, but I was content with just being a puppet of my family. Not until I saw you that day. You've become something more important than my parents’ validation. You've become the treasure that I finally got after years of unknowingly searching for one. But, can I even call you my treasure? Are you even mine? And that thought scared me.”
Nagi: I'm yours, Reo. Always. Please don't cry
Nagi did his best to comfort the Reo inside the phone when he started crying, despite ugly crying himself. He was in pain. No, he IS in pain knowing that he caused Reo to feel this way. He didn't know. He didn't notice despite being with him all these time.
“But then, I thought, it doesn't matter. Whether you're mine or not, I wouldn't care anymore as long as I'm by your side. But, I don't even know how long I can still hold on. Nagi… No, Seishiro… please tell me… what should I do? Everything feels so heavy. My parents have been forcing and pressuring me to leave you and just continue being the perfect heir of the corp. They told me that ever since you appeared, I've become someone with weakness, someone flawed and unnecessary for the company. But what should I do? You might be my weakness and flaw in their eyes but for you, you're nothing by my dearest and most treasured person. And I can't just give you up. But at the same time, I can't also give up my family because despite everything, I know they love me. They just don't know how to show it like how a normal parent would since they have tons of people, their employees, behind their back who's relying on them, not just me. It feels like nothing's ever going to free me from this and I'm such a coward for not being able to do anything.”
Nagi: THAT'S NOT TRUE! YOU'RE STRONG AND GREAT, REO. YOU'RE NO—
“I know you're probably mad at me right now and telling me it's not true, but what can I do if that's what this world keeps making me feel like, Nagi?”
Reo went silent at that time while silently wiping the tears on his pretty face while Nagi slowly sobbed louder and louder. He can't even say anything at this point, he's just crying. Crying for not even knowing how to comfort Reo at the very end.
“I'm fine, Nagi. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me anymore, okay? I don't know what will happen after I end this video but, thank you. For being with me. For being my treasure. For being you. I'm glad. Really glad.”
Reo said more about how glad he is for having Nagi but Nagi couldn't even process anything anymore once again. He just wants to be with him again. Be with Reo, once again.
“I guess I've been talking for so long that it's already been 3 hours. I guess I'll have to end this video here now.”
Nagi:No! I still wanna hear you talk, Reo!!
“I'll be waiting for you wherever and whenever, my treasure.”
After saying his farewell, Reo ended the video and Nagi finally saw his face on the phone screen. He looks like a mess. An absolute mess. He stared at his reflection for a few more minutes while looking so lifeless and walking mindlessly, not knowing where to go.
If… if there really is a God out there… or at least if having multiple lifetimes and universe is real… he can only hope that he can find and be with him on every single one of them there… But then again, how can he even bother to wish for that when all he ever wanted was to be with him in THIS lifetime, in this universe?
Collapsing, Nagi slowly closed his eyes and whispered, “Wait for me, Reo…”