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"Well, my brother worries that you might be mad at him. For leaving with no news."
Nahyuta didn't want to bring this... situation, up. Truly.
He knew Klavier from years ago, when he was seventeen and Klavier fifteen or so. From when he had visited Khura'in because Mystical Maya wanted to see Franziska von Karma, and she also wanted to meet her new protégé. Especially when she had learned that he wanted to be a prosecutor.
'You need friends outside of here. He's about to be a genius prosecutor, and you're going to be a genuis prosecutor. Not only that, you're so lonely, and he's also apparently lonely there, I found you the perfect match, and you're still complaining!!' she had claimed.
And, she wasn't wrong. Klavier was eccentric and maybe a bit annoying at times, sure, but he was exceptional. He was smart and charming, but he could be serious at times, especially when justice was involved. Most importantly, Klavier was someone Nahyuta could relate to, and Nahyuta was someone Klavier could relate to.
They had phone calls every so often, every two months or so. But, there had been times where Klavier didn't respond to his calls, or call him back. Two whole years, to be precise. But it wasn't back to back, the first year was when he first became a prosecutor—coincidentally, it was the second year of their friendship—and the second one was last year.
But, Nahyuta didn't find it himself to blame Klavier. Dealing with a nagging mentor, moving back to America, starting a globally loved band and becoming a teenage prosecutor had to be hard to deal with. Finding out your brother and your best friend was murderers was even worse.
He never told Apollo about the fact that he was friends with Klavier. He did know that he had a friend from Germany that also knew Mystic Maya, but he never mentioned Klavier by name. He didn't see any reason to say his name out loud.
Now that choice had come to bite him back.
Apollo had been mopping around for some time now, especially when the topic of the people he left back in America came up. Nahyuta didn't necessarily push on why, but he made sure to change the topic whenever Apollo's face got sour.
One day, just a normal, warm night illuminated by the shining moon, Nahyuta had found Apollo crying and absolutely, a hundered percent drunk. He was on the pavement, for some reason, incoherently sobbing about 'I have this-this coworker. Back h-home. And, like, ugh- he's so nice and he treats me so well—I mean he calls me 'Herr Forehead' because of my forehead but he's still so nice, you know. I think he's the nicest prosecutor I've ever met.'
It genuinely deeply confused Nahyuta at the time. His little brother was crying over a mystery coworker?
Also, 'back home'? Rude.
'But then I had to hmmph- go and ruin it by not telling him that I'm leaving!' He had continued his drunk blubbering, "The biggest problem is, he has the most like beautiful face and the shiniest and probably softest blonde hair—not saying that I like- touched it, but I really really wanted to—and his eyes look like blue marbles sometimes and it's so pretty! And also he's like really smart and really German too and I just left him there-"
That was when Nahyuta connected the dots, Prosecutor, German, blonde hair, blue eyes, and smart.
Holy mother, why do this to him?
His little brother was crying over Klavier Gavin.
After making sure that Apollo was safely returned to his room and that he had a day of tomorrow to deal with the hangover he definitely had, Nahyuta could finally call his friend.
So, back where we started.
"Hmm? Your brother is mad at me? Pray tell, have I ever met this brother before, or am I just blanking because of the uninterrupted 15 hour overnight shift I just had because apparently I'm the only competent prosecutor? Not my words, Herr Edgeworth's words." Nahyuta could hear the sarcasm in his voice, but chose to ignore it.
Which was weird considering that Klavier did infact have a 15 hour shift that day, why would he go and make a sarcastic joke about that?
"Apollo. My little brother."
There was silence on the other line.
"Yuta, who the fuck is Apollo?"
Holy Mother...
"Apollo Justice, Klavier. Or 'Herr Forehead' to you, apparently."
Nahyuta heard Klavier's humming stop. "Oh. Oh! Right, Apollo! You telling me he's your mystery brother? I mean I heard you talking about him before but you never mentioned his name I mean-"
"Klavier."
"Oh. Right, sorry." Nahyuta facepalmed. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"Look, Klavier. He has been... reflecting on his departure. He carries much regret regarding the lack of notice he gave you. He is worried that you might be mad or disappointed because he left America without any information beforehand."
"Ah look, Yuta-"
"He doesn't know that we're friends, and if he knew he would never want me to talk to you about this, but I know he's worried about your reaction and-"
"Nahyuta! Listen to me."
Right. Klavier was trying to say something while he was rambling.
Nahyuta heard Klavier sigh, like he was bracing for a war.
"I don't care. It doesn't matter to me that he left. That's his choice. I won't cry after someone who left me, Nahyuta. Hell, I haven't thought of Justice for the last few months, honestly. Except all the times someone tells me "Justice did this and that", I don't think about him. And even then I only feel a pang of happiness that he's out there somewhere doing something good." Klavier explained.
"If Herr Forehead wants to flee across the globe and live in a state of perpetual stress without my dazzling presence, that is a personal choice and a massive tactical error on his part. You know how I react to such things, Yuta. Not my Zirkus, not my Affen."
Right. Of course.
Nahyuta was thinking that Klavier was doing the same thing he did when they were teenagers.
Ignore the people who worry, overwork himself until he couldn't even think, and just ignore his feelings until he finally couldn't. That's what Klavier did whenever something affected him.
But, Nahyuta had forgotten that Klavier had done the exact opposite aswell.
He remembered the conversation they had after Klavier left Miss von Karma. Klavier was mourning the loss of a friendship and mentorship, sure, but he wasn't crying over her. She had pushed him too far, and they had too many fights. Staying away from her, although it seemed cruel to some, was better for Klavier overall. Better for both of them.
'If I mourn over my old relationships, how will I ever make new ones? If I was still stuck up on Fraülein von Karma, I wouldn't have met Frau Constance, would I? You have to einpflanzen flowers in the places you pull out weeds, mein Freund. Or they'll just grow back and be a pain in your arsch again, ja?' He had said. Guess he still wasn't wrong, after all this time.
"Yuta? You there?" Oh, yes.
"I am, I was thinking. I apologise." He groaned, this seemed to get worse every second that passed. "Sadly for both of us, your reaction doesn't change that he is still very disappointed in himself and regrets his actions."
Klavier didn't respond. It was like he already knew what Nahyuta was going to say next. He probably did.
"I'm not asking you to talk to him. But, you should expect either a drunk text or a sober one, preferably at the dawn of night. You don't have to forgive him or keep talking to him, but I personally hope and wish that he atleast apologizes for his actions. Because of that, I will be telling him about our friendship. He cares about you and thinks that you do too."
Nahyuta heard Klavier sigh again, this time it sounded like he was atleast a bit relaxed.
"Yeah, I'll talk to him. Or who knows, maybe he'll talk to me. You know I like men who make the first move." Klavier giggled like a child, like he always did after their conversations. "Thank you for calling, Nahyuta."
Nahyuta smiled, mostly to himself.
"Of course, my dear friend. Take care."