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It did not take long for him to realise he had been reincarnated somewhere … in the world that was not his first one. No, wrong, in fact, he was not even sure if the world he was in currently was a parallel world or his own dream world. For the sins he had committed, his current life was too much of a luxury.
“You caused trouble again: Father told me.”
There he was, in an unfamiliar big house that he should call his alternate home. He knew this place, and it was a place he had visited in his previous life too. As always, the house felt so spacious; he did not understand how his brother, the one in his current life, could actually manage to live there alone.
“Do you hear me, Aiki?”
He sighed. He only stared at the back of his brother. It was always like that: he visited the house—his home—and spent his time with his brother, but could only feel complicated about the time they spent together. Even the figure of his brother that stood calmly in his presence actually felt kind of … weird ….
“I heard you, Ryouken ….”
Ryouken. The name still felt unfamiliar on his tongue. Even so, Aiki preferred to go with that name … and he did not even hate that name coming out of his mouth.
The man sighed.
“How many times have I told you to call me ‘nii-san’ …? No, never mind.” The man, his brother, Kougami Ryouken, finally turned his body and walked towards Aiki with a plate of salad, two empty plates in his hand, and a cutlery box; he was putting them down on the dining table. “Father said you must eat more veggies. They actually taste better with dressings.”
Aiki stared at the glass condiment bottles with a long mouth on the table that had been there with him since earlier.
So, they’re salad dressings, huh?
“Really? I don’t think so, though.”
Ryouken laughed a little.
“Just try it.”
Ryouken, now sitting in front of Aiki, used a tong to serve the salad into one of those empty plates he brought and then placed them in front of Aiki. Aiki could only frown in disgust as he looked at the small mountain of veggies on the plate. Aiki folded his arms for some seconds before looking back at his brother.
“Are you serious?”
“Look at your own face. Am I even giving you poison?”
Aiki’s lips went forward for some centimetres and his eyes narrowed; he put on a fake seriousness on his face as if he was judging if his brother was saying things right.
The Kougami Ryouken in front of Aiki was definitely not noticing that Aiki felt amazed that the man did not let out sarcastic remarks on Aiki’s childish action.
Aiki sighed hard as he threw his face down. Aiki then brought his open palms above his head until his arms bent; his shoulders went as near as possible toward the sides of his face.
“Fine! I give up!”
Aiki poured one of the dressings randomly onto his salad serving and grabbed the chopsticks, then chomped a mouthful of the veggies. He shivered right when he crunched on them, but his jaw slowly moved again with blinking eyes.
Ryouken’s thin smile widened a little.
“How?”
“… Not bad, but they’re still veggies and taste like one ….”
Ryouken laughed again, and right at that moment, Aiki thought that the current Ryouken really laughed more than the one in his previous life.
“If you dislike the flavours that much, I can ask Taki-san to find a recipe to tone them down.”
“You won’t back down, huh?”
Ryouken’s smile turned into the confident one that he put up whenever he was making fun of Aiki.
“You said it before: I’m a stubborn one.”
Aiki grinned.
“Now, you’re right. So, are you eating with me?” Aiki asked as he pointed at the serving Ryouken took for himself.
Ryouken took his chopsticks.
“Well, then. Thank you for the food.”
Aiki’s eyes widened when Ryouken took a bite of the veggies without any dressing on them.
“You’re unbelievable, you know?”
Ryouken glanced at Aiki while chewing his veggies, then swallowed them and responded, “And you’re childish.”
Aiki pouted.
“Sure …. Talk all you want ….”
Ryouken smiled again before continuing his meal without commenting more. Aiki just looked at the elegant appearance of his brother who was taking his meal, then slowly started to take another bite of his salad and savoured it as his brother wanted him to. Between his bites, Aiki stole a glance at his brother, found the man to eat calmly without even looking at him. But once their gaze met, the man smiled so warmly towards him.
Aiki felt shy, but his chest also felt warm at the same time. Aiki did not really remember when, but one day, after all the interactions he had with his brother, Aiki realised that he was kind of longing for the attention he had not got enough of in his previous life from the man. From right when he got the word “love” in his name in his previous life, Aiki unconsciously started learning to love people … and gaining love from his “brother” might be one of the things he unconsciously wished for.
“… must be eliminated!”
Aiki felt empty for some seconds he reflected on his previous life. Now that he lived his life as Kougami Aiki, he felt like unable to go back to his previous life …. Every time he was reminded of the gaze full of hostility those clear, aquatic eyes had in his previous life, Aiki could not help but feel a sting in his chest, the one that rooted deep like it was growing where it hurt the most.
“O’ Dearest Big Brother, do you ever hate me?”
Ryouken, who was wiping his mouth after finishing his meal, blinked and stared at Aiki with surprise.
“What do you mean? Did someone in class bully you?”
Aiki held back his laugh with a snort, then smiled widely.
“No, just asking. So?”
Ryouken lost the calm he had on his face; he frowned deeply as if he was close to pouting.
“No way.”
“Even though we don’t have the same mother?”
“Stop saying weird things. Your salad is still there.”
Aiki waved his fork playfully.
“Yes, yes. I apologise, Dear Brother.”
Aiki crunched on his salad again: slowly, with disinterested blank eyes. Then, he glanced back at his brother. Ryouken was folding his arm, checking if his brother was eating his portion properly.
Aaah …. Seriously …. So, it’s a real thing, huh …. You’re the one at fault …, Revolver Sensei …. No …, Ryouken….
Kougami Aiki could not go back to being Ai the Ignis—the AI with free will he was in his previous life. No matter even if he could not be with his dearest partner, Fujiki Yuusaku, anymore …, even if he had to live through the hell of having nightmares where his brother had the same vision of his previous life, screaming all the hate Revolver the Network Terrorist threw at Ai the Ignis right to Aiki …, even if that …
… before he had to accept the fact that they were both man …, they were brothers ….
“Ryouken ….”
Ryouken’s warm smile widened as he heard his little brother calling him.
“What is it, Aiki?”
There, another sting in his chest.
Aiki knew; he dreamt of something ridiculous.
Seems like it’s another outrageous life I have, huh …? Uuunbelievableee ….