Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 6)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: Cye/Kento, Ryo/Luna. Rowen Hashiba, Sayoko Mouri.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Mentionings of canonical familial character death
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU

Luna worked nights, so she tried to sleep in as late as she could, even on school days. She wasn’t the type wander around Tokyo at five in the morning unless she had a good excuse. She didn’t know if her excuse today was good, but it piqued her curiosity. The time and location of the request (not to mention the requester) had caught her by surprise: Rowen, before sunrise, at a construction site. She glanced up at what would eventually be an office building and stifled a yawn. “Well, time to see what Rowen was so excited about.” She stiffened when she heard footfalls… but relaxed when she realized that it was only Kento. “Morning. You get a call in the middle of the night from Rowen as well?”

“Yeah.” Kento didn’t bother to stifle his yawn. “Mind you, he does that to me all the time if something’s interesting to him and he wants to share. This, however, is new.” He frowned at their surroundings. “He better hurry. The morning shift guys will be here soon.”

“Good morning!” Rowen smiled and waved as he dashed over to them. “Thanks for showing up. I know this is out of character for me.”

“Bro, this is ‘possessed by an alien’ for you,” Kento grumbled, glaring at Rowen blearily.

“For once, he has a point,” Luna agreed.

“Now and then even I do,” Kento said without missing a beat.

Luna gave Rowen a worried look. “You called me at midnight. Did you sleep at all?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I only sleep when I need, for as long as I need.”

“Which means he’s gonna snooze during class,” Kento informed her. “Speaking of, Rowen, I have judo practice before classes begin. Whatever you’re gonna show us, make it quick.”

“Okay.” Rowen took a deep breath and looked around to make sure no one else was there. This was about when Luna realized something was different about him, and not just that he was awake this early. He was standing a little taller. There was purpose in his movements she’d never seen before. It reminded her of Ryo, a little.

Rowen took out an indigo orb. “Armor of Strata,” he whispered.

--

Luna knew a little about the legend of the Ronin Warriors thanks to her job in the Mouri foundation. But actually seeing one of them in front of her? And that Warrior being introverted, bookish Rowen of all people?! It was a surreal experience.

Kento looked like he was about to faint from panic. “Rowen?! A-are you okay? Can you even move in all that?!”

“I’m fine,” Rowen assured him, now clad in samurai armor the same hue as the night sky. “As you have most likely realized, I learned what Strata was and have a better idea of why Cale was trying to kill us.”

“Dude!” Kento hit his helmet. “You exploded in a pile of cherry blossoms and lightning! Freaking Cale was the last thing on my mind!”

“I’m sorry.” Rowen’s sheepish expression made for an interesting contrast against the terrifying Armor he wore and bow in his hand. “In retrospect, that must have been disconcerting.”

Kento sagged against Rowen’s armored form. “I need friends who won’t give me heart attacks, man.”

“Rowen.” Luna placed a hand on his arm, noting that the Armor felt incredibly cold. Rowen didn’t seem to mind it, however. “I’m guessing that if you transformed in front of me and Kento, you have plans that involve us?”

He nodded. “I’m new to this and never was much of a fighter. However… I am not letting Cale or others like him come near Kento or any of you ever again.”

Others? She did not like the sound of that. “I’m guessing that the story of getting your Armor is a convoluted one.”

“Indeed. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much of it. The person I was fighting—Dais, I think?—anyways, he was different than Cale. He got into my head.” Rowen paused; expression clouded. But then he blinked and returned his attention to Luna. “In summation, I received another reminder that people are trying to kill my loved ones. And if I can stop that in any way, I shall.”

“Okay.” She was worried since he was such a gentle guy, but she had joined this fight to avenge her brother. She couldn’t dissuade Rowen because he wanted to protect his friends. “I recommend talking to Ms. Sayoko first.”

“I’m doing that as soon as I’m out of school.”

Kento, meanwhile, looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. “Okay, so you have mystical Armor and Luna can throw knives. I’m not sure how I can help here, aside from punching people.”

“Kento, that’s exactly what I need help with,” Rowen insisted, grabbing his shoulder. He closed his eyes, there was a flash of blue, and he was now ‘only’ in indigo and white sub-armor. “I can plan and shoot arrows, but I’m still a novice concerning melee combat. I was hoping you’d teach me what you know.”

“Yeah…” Kento said softly. “Yeah,” he said again, sounding more like himself this time. “Fighting’s what I’m best at, after all. I’m sure I can toughen you up.”

Rowen hugged him briefly. “Thank you.” There was another flash of blue, and he was now in his school uniform. “But for now, school beckons.”

--

“Date’s not here?” There were tears in Keiko’s eyes as she held the chocolates close to her heart.

Rowen nodded regretfully. “He apologizes, but is currently ill with a stomach virus and cannot accept any chocolate whatsoever.”

“I understand,” Keiko said with a heavy sigh. She cheered up a little as she offered Rowen the gift instead. “Well, Hashiba, I guess these are yours. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Same to you!” Rowen opened up the cheery red box and popped a chocolate into his mouth.

“Aha!” Cye burst out of his classroom, bento in hand. “I knew you two were perfect for each other!”

“Yeah, no,” Luna said as she lightly thwapped Cye on the head on her way out of the room. “I’ve only been at this school for a few weeks, and even I know that Keiko only likes bad boys.” She gave Keiko a look. “She won’t shut up about it.”

Keiko blushed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for that.” Luna gave Keiko a friendly smile. “The only person who needs to apologize is Cye for not realizing that even his perception is off sometimes.”

“I’ve tried telling him that,” Rowen said over Cye’s grumbling. “Excuse me.” And he was off to apologize/accept the chocolates from roughly a dozen girls who had been hoping Sage would attend school that day.

“Now what do we say, Cye?” Luna said pointedly.

Cye huffed grouchily. “I’m sorry, Keiko.” Despite his bad mood, his tone was sincere. “I’ll stop trying to set you up with Rowen.”

“Thanks! Oh, and I have some chocolates for you.” After Cye accepted her treats, she went off to have lunch with Emi.

Luna tugged on Cye’s arm, leading him to the roof. “You wanna know what your problem is?”

Cye gave her a wary look. “What?”

“You want everyone to be happy.”

“I did not realize that was a problem, but okay, whatever.”

“It’s not, but sometimes you get so caught up in trying to help everyone that you don’t consider what they really want. You want Keiko and Rowen to be happy. But sometimes people are happy just fantasizing about bad boys or happy playing Kirby all the time. Not everyone has to be in a relationship, I promise.”

Cye made a thoughtful sound as they headed up the stairs. “I will concede that point.” Then he grinned mischievously. “But what about you and Ryo, then? Are you two happy with just sparring and studying?”

All the blood in Luna’s body rushed to her face.

“Heh, sorry.” Cye poked her cheek. “I couldn’t resist.”

She cleared her throat as they finally made it to the roof. “Okay, your perception is spot on there. At least with me. I have no idea how Ryo feels.”

“Luna, he can barely get a line out before he’s blushing and stammering. The boy has it bad for you.”

“I know. That’s part of his charm.” Ryo was emotional and compassionate and understood parts of herself she’d kept hidden ever since Billy had died. She sighed as she found an old stool to sit on and got out her lunch. “But there are other things to consider.”

Cye grabbed another stool. “Is this about the stuff that happened in New York you can’t tell me about?”

“… Yeah.”

“Well, can you tell Ryo about it?”

“No,” Luna replied. She wasn’t doing anything terrible, but the Dynasty was not above putting civilians in harm’s way if needed.

Cye gazed at her intently, and Luna found herself wondering yet again just how much Cye knew about what was going on. Keiko’s preferences in men excluded, he sometimes knew what you were feeling before you even felt it. He’d been able to do that since they’d met. She’d convinced herself that it was just her childish imagination until they reconnected and he was even better at it now. “Well, it’s your choice, not mine. But Ryo is a pretty understanding guy. I, um, divulged some things to him recently that I haven’t even told Sayoko or Kento. He didn’t judge me. I know he’d act the same with you.”

She couldn’t tell Ryo, but that did make her feel better. “Thanks, Cye.” She paused. “So, speaking of Kento, how are things going with him?” Because if he was going to be nosy about Ryo, she was going to be nosy about Kento.

Cye began nibbling on some onigiri. “It’s—”

“Oh my God, if you say ‘it’s complicated,’ I will scream!”

“Well, it is! We’re together, but we’re not official.”

Luna glared at him. “Does Kento want it to be official?”

He glared back. “He says he’s fine with whatever.”

“… Do you want it to be official?”

His expression softened to something between guilt and resolve, pushing his bangs from his eyes with his free hand. “I just want some time to figure that out on my terms. That’s all.”

Luna decided to leave it at that. Partly because it was clear that Cye didn’t want to discuss things further, but also all of their friends made it to the roof at that point. Kento immediately knelt in front of his friend, begging Prince Cye for food for a poor, starving knight. Cye yelled about how he was not a spoiled aristocrat, but then began feeding him bits of onigiri by hand. It was weird, but they both seemed perfectly happy, so whatever.

Ryo sat on the ground next to Luna. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” She ignored Cye’s smirking. “So, how are things in your class?”

Ryo shrugged. “A little chaotic, but that’s about what you would expect for Valentine’s Day. Oh, Rowen’s going to be late because he had to let some more girls who were hoping to give chocolates to Sage down easily.” He grinned. “Although I don’t think he minds that.”

“No, he does not!” Rowen agreed heartily as he approached them, arms full of chocolate. He sat down next to Ryo carefully, somehow managed to get the candy in his bookbag save three boxes that he placed in his lap, then dug in. “This has been the best day of my life.”

“Man,” Kento said wistfully, “Maybe next year I should be the one who tells all the girls that Sage is totally sick.”

Cye glared down at him frostily. “You will eat nothing but my onigiri every year, and you will like it.”

“Whatever you command of me, my liege.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I have chocolates for everyone!” Luna rummaged in her bag. “I’m not much of a cook, so they’re all courtesy of the local drug store.”

“Drug store chocolates are the best kind!” Kento declared as she handed him his gift. “Thanks!”

“Thank you so much, Luna,” Cye said warmly as she pressed the chocolate box into his hands. “Just having you here with me again is present enough, but I’m still a teenager, so I’ll gladly accept free food.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Ryo blinked down at the chocolates Luna gave him.

“Oh, come on,” she teased him, sitting down next to him and feeling daring enough to ruffle his hair. “Don’t tell me a cute girl has never given you Valentine’s Day chocolates before.”

“I am,” Ryo informed her. “I didn’t have a ride to school until recently, so getting to class on time—or at all—wasn’t always a sure bet. When I did make it, I had to focus on catching up on work. I never really made friends until now.”

Luna rested her chin in her hand. “Well, I’m glad things have changed.”

“Me, too. I don’t want to be alone again.” Ryo laughed a little too loudly. “Sorry. Guess things got a little heavy there, hunh?”

Luna nudged his shoulder gently. “Don’t worry about it.” He’d been nothing but helpful when she was still dealing with the anger and grief of losing her brother. She didn’t mind being there for him if he was lonely. “I’ll be right back.” She stood up and approached Rowen, two boxes of chocolates in hand. “I guess both of these are for you since Sage isn’t here.”

“Thank you!” Rowen chirped, adding them to his ever-growing collection.

“Man,” Luna said as she eyed the mountain of treats in Rowen’s bag. “I would not want to be you in a month.”

“How come?” Rowen said as he chomped down on a bonbon.

“Because White Day is March 14,” Kento reminded him. “You know, when guys have to give the girls who gave them treats something nice in return? Surely you know that.”

“No. I’ve never gotten anything before.” He closed his eyes, deep in thought. “Okay, Hashiba, you got this. Thirty girls gave me Sage’s chocolates this year.”

“Thirty?!” Ryo yelped. “Has Sage even spoken to some of these girls?!”

“They don’t care. They like a man of mystery,” Rowen said with a wave of his hand, eyes still shut. “Baking the chocolate by scratch would presumably be cheaper than buying it all. Okay, so if I buy the ingredients and start 48-hours in advance, I… I… Cye!” Now Rowen was kneeling before the prince, blue eyes wide with mortal terror. “You have to help me. I’ve never made homemade chocolate before, but I’m sure you have and that you’re amazing at it. Please, I beg you. I’ll do anything.”

“I don’t know,” Cye drawled. “March 14 is also my birthday, and I’m not fond of working on my birthday.” He tapped his chin. “Then again, I do like it when people say that they’ll do anything for me. Very well.”

Rowen sagged with relief. “Thank you.”

“Now, as for my request.” Cye took out a notebook from his side bag, writing hastily. “As I mentioned previously, my birthday is March 14. I plan on having a party and inviting all of you plus Sage. Rowen, you shall repay me by requesting your father to rent these videos. If money is a concern, I can give you the yen necessary beforehand.” He ripped out a page and give it to Rowen.

“Sure.” Rowen glanced down at the list and the blood drained from his face. “You want Mr. Machete Kills Teens parts four to six?”

Cye smiled sweetly. “We’ll have a movie marathon, Rowen. Isn’t that just lovely?”

“…Sure. Lovely.” Rowen said as he stuffed the paper in his pocket. “It’s worth it,” he swore to himself.

“Yay!” Cye clapped his hands in delight. “Kento, I think you and I will watch the first one and the third one for our date this evening. I want to re-acquaint myself with the lore. We can skip the second.”

“Right,” Kento nodded, standing up and dusting off his pants. “That’s the one that tried to be all artsy.”

“Yeah,” Cye began to gather his things. “It’s not bad, but you don’t even see one person killed with a machete. False advertising is the worst.”

“Exactly. Hey, Cye, I gotta head back to class. See you later?”

Cye kissed Kento’s cheek. “See you later.” They both bounded off to their respective classrooms.

“You know,” Luna said as she watched them leave, “Cye was all angsty earlier about how his relationship with Kento is complicated. It seems to me they have it figured out.”

“Agreed. Of course, I’m sure they have their private struggles like everyone else does.” Rowen hoisted his bookbag over his shoulder. “Whelp, I’m off as well. Oh, and I’m going home a different way after school. I have an errand to run.” He gave Luna a knowing look. Luna nodded.

As Rowen left, Ryo stood next to her. “Is it just me or does Rowen seem different today?”

“He’s probably on a sugar high,” she said as they started to head back to class.

“Oh, no doubt. But it’s something else. He seems… I don’t know. Like he’s figured out his place in the world.”

“Well, maybe he has,” Luna responded, making plans of her own. Okay, if Cye could work things out (somewhat) with Kento, then she could work things out with Ryo. Or at least see if he was interested. “By the way, I did sign up for art club.”

Ryo grinned at her as they entered the hallway. “Fantastic!”

“It is. But I need to do a portrait for this one project, and I need a model.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure Cye or even Sage would be happy to help.”

Luna stepped in front of him, holding up one hand. “I don’t want Cye or even Sage. I want you.”

Ryo blinked at her helplessly. “But… but I’m not model-level pretty like those guys.”

“First off, it’s not about being pretty. Second, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You’re beautiful.”

Ryo turned bright red. She could feel her own face heat up yet again.

“But anyway, I’d like to draw you, if you’re willing.” She managed a smile. “No pressure.”

Ryo took a deep breath. “Sure. Why not? Is next weekend okay?”

“Next weekend is perfect.”

--

“Ms. Mouri?” One of the newer administrative assistants, a young lady named Aikawa, entered Sayoko’s office warily. “I know you requested not to be disturbed, but your younger brother says that he’s here to see you?”

“Okay, that’s weird.” Sayoko saved and quit her program quickly. She trusted Aikawa, but this was too sensitive for anyone else that wasn’t familiar with the Dynasty to see. “Cye’s never shown an interest in visiting me at work before. Did he say it was an emergency?”

Aikawa shook her head. “No, Ms. Mouri. He stated that he merely wished to visit you. But something seems off about him.”

Sayoko frowned, striding from her desk. “Please elaborate.”

“I’m not quite sure how to explain it, since I’ve only met Mr. Mouri twice, but I am fairly sure that Mr. Mouri isn’t quite that tall. And that he doesn’t wear baseball caps or hide his face with a scarf. He also seemed much more invested in our computers than Mr. Mouri ever has been when he visits.”

“Oh, boy,” Sayoko facepalmed. “Let him in, Aikawa. I know exactly who it is.”

A minute later, a boy too tall to be her brother, face almost completely hidden by a scarf and hat, stepped into the room. He glanced at Aikawa, then at Sayoko, then held his arms out for a hug. “Blimey! It’s my big sis!”

“Rowen, you’re never going to be a noir detective at this rate!” She grabbed his hat, then unraveled his scarf. “Did you truly think this would fool me?”

“No,” he admitted, smiling guiltily. “But I just needed to convince your employees that maybe I was your brother long enough to allow me to see you. Sorry, Ms. Sayoko. Sorry, Ms. Aikawa.”

Sayoko stared at him for a long time… and then grinned. “Well, in that case, job well done.”

“Ms. Mouri?” Understandably not thrilled with being deceived, Aikawa was glaring at Rowen. “Would you like for me to call security?”

“Nah,” Sayoko said, tossing the cap and scarf on a nearby chair. “We’re not related by DNA, but he’s my brother in every other sense of the word. Thanks for all your help.” Aikawa didn’t look happy, but she nodded and shut the office door behind her.

“Okay, Rowen,” Sayoko began as he perched herself on the desk. “Here’s the part where you explain to me why you decided to lie to my staff to see me instead of, you know, just talking to me at home when you’re hanging out with Cye.”

“That’s because I wanted to speak with you about your business, Ms. Sayoko.”

She frowned. “Since when do you care about home and business security?”

“I mean the other part of the business. The part where you’re protecting humanity from supernatural threats.”

“Oh,” she said a little too smoothly. “Ophelia did tell me about your adventure with Kento and her daughter. But rest assured, that was a one-time thing, and you will never have to worry about that ever again—”

“Ms. Sayoko, my parents and I were attacked by a man named Dais yesterday.”

Her first impulse was to accuse him of lying. But… Rowen wouldn’t lie to her. She could have dismissed the Cale incident as an accident. The Dynasty was not above attacking civilians. But to be attacked twice, by two different Warlords? Rowen was gentle. He didn’t deserve such an unkind fate. Yet the Dynasty was actively trying to kill him—

“Oh my God, are you okay?!” She jumped off her desk, grabbing Rowen by his arms. “D-did Dais hurt you, what about your dad, what about Tomoko—”

“We’re all fine, I promise. But I don’t think they’re going to leave me alone.”

“Already on it. I’ll talk to Ophelia and Mortimer,” Sayoko said briskly, picking up her phone. We’ll make sure you have a bodyguard. I should have done that from the very beginning.”

“I appreciate that, Ms. Sayoko.” Gently, he took the phone and placed it back on its receiver. “But I don’t think I’ll need that. In fact, I suspect that you’ll want me by your side for the battles ahead.”

“Rowen, I remember being thirteen and thinking that I could change the world through sheer force of will.” She smiled bittersweetly. “To be honest, I still think that way sometimes. But I would need to see some proof before I’d even consider thinking about playing with the possibility of maybe letting you tag along.”

“Understandable,” he said evenly. “Would the fact that I’m a Ronin Warrior help?”

“… What.”

The orb was a darker shade of blue than the one her father had carried, but it was still recognizable. Rowen smiled, somewhere between pleased and nervous. “Rowen of the Strata at your service.”

“I guess that explains why you’ve had two Warlords after you,” she said, because what else could she say? She was proud of Rowen, of course. But this wasn’t going to be an easy path for him, even if he had chosen it. She knew that first hand. She turned her attention to Rowen. “Do your parents know that you’ve awakened the Strata Armor?”

He nodded. “They’re not thrilled about it, but they’ve accepted that this is something I must do. Mom suggested that I find allies, which is why I decided to seek you out.”

“Smart lad.” Sayoko stuffed her hands into her suit pockets. “Well, it’d be hypocritical of me to say you can’t help when Luna’s been working for me since January. However, you’re not going to be running head-first into danger, got it? I want you to get some experience before you fight the Dynasty regularly. The last thing we need is for you to get sent to outer space or kidnapped by a ghost.”

Rowen gulped at the last part. “Does that actually happen?”

“Oh yeah, all the time,” Sayoko promised him cheerfully. She walked to the bookcase behind her desk, pulled on a light blue book. The bookcase shifted to the left, revealing a secret staircase. “C’mon. Let’s get you ready for your first day of work.”

--

After Sayoko’s earlier comments, Rowen had expected something more sinister in nature. Instead, she led him to a well-lit, moderately-sized room filled with samurai armor. “Wow. We’re in Sage’s dream world.” Then he caught a glimpse of one of the most sophisticated computers he’d ever seen in his life eating up most of the back wall. “And now we’re in my dream world,” he added as he bounded to said computer.

“Thank you! Mortimer and Mum always call it a hunk of junk.” Sayoko hopped in her chair, typed in her password, and started the process of opening what seemed like countless files and images. “Well, this hunk of junk has the Foundation doing better than ever in both business and fighting demons, thank you very much.”

“The blessing and curse of being ahead of your time,” Rowen mused as she worked. “So, ‘Boss,’ what am I supposed to do first?”

“I’m going to have you provide Luna some support on her next mission.” Sayoko brought up an image of a man who looked every part the evil scientist archetype. “See this guy? The major media channels reported that he was being investigated for kidnapping, until his mysterious death. What they didn’t mention was that he kidnapped a psychic. One of my contacts was able to interview said psychic before she left Japan. She couldn’t remember much, but apparently, he drained some of her energy and put it in some enchanted stones. It’s a way to channel energy to get magically locked doors and whatnot to open for you.”

“Sheesh.” Rowen glanced over a news article about the event Sayoko had clicked on. “This is weird.”

“You’ll be saying that a lot if you continue in this line of work, Rowen. In fact, it’s not unusual at all for us to discover someone doing business with the Dynasty or some other supernatural threat, only for that person to wind up conveniently dead later. This one, however, had some sense and locked his work away before his bosses came to tie up loose ends.” She looked up at Rowen. “What I want you and Luna to do is find those stones before the Dynasty does. It should be a simple fetch quest. Call me for help if it turns out it’s not. So, Rowen,” she said as she stood up from her computer, “are you still wanting to tag along? I won’t think less of you if you refuse.”

“I still want to help. I dislike fighting, but I dislike the idea of standing by while my friends and loved ones are in danger even more.” He looked around at all the armor, tech, and artifacts in the room. “Also, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fascinated by, well, all of this.” Even after that trip to New York, even after fighting Dais, he still couldn’t quite believe that his friend’s sister was basically Batman.

… Wait, he realized as he fought off the queasiness from the revelation. Cye had told him about how his father had passed away mysteriously, and that Sayoko didn’t like talking about it. And judging from her earlier comments and everything else he’d seen, it seemed that Sayoko had thrown her entire being into this battle. As if she had some personal stake in it all. It was so obvious now. And heartbreaking.

And he had to say something. “Ms. Sayoko, I am so sorry about your father,” he blurted out, too upset to care if he sounded weird. “If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”

She blinked in surprise, but then did something that surprised him. She smiled. It was sad, but a real one. “You really are a smart lad, Rowen. So, are you okay with this also being a vengeance quest?”

“Yes, more than anything.” Sayoko had helped him at his lowest. He wanted to return the favor. “I’ll help you get revenge.”

“No,” Sayoko said firmly. “Vengeance can be cathartic, but it’s also self-destructive. I don’t want you dealing with that at all. This is also why I’ve never told Cye that our father was killed by the Dynasty. A Ronin Warrior is supposed to be a force for good. Never vengeance. That’s a burden I plan to carry alone.”

“Wow, you really are Batman.”

“Come again?”

“Oh, nothing. I understand your logic and respect your decision, Ms. Sayoko. I’ll still help you any way I can, of course. However…” Rowen rubbed the back of his neck. “You may not want to hear this, but I think you should tell Cye what happened to your father and what you’re doing.”

Now Sayoko was frowning. “You’re right. I didn’t want to hear that.”

The last thing Rowen wanted to do was make Sayoko mad, but he needed to address this. “I don’t claim to know everything. But between what Mrs. Watson told me and Cye’s uncanny perception coupled with his poor health, I have some suspicions that there are other reasons why you never told him as well. But Cye is strong. He’s also smart. I know he’d be furious if he found this out on his own without you providing context. Or you… fall in battle and he finds out that way.”

He regretted saying the last bit as Sayoko stalked over to him, eyes dark. He braced himself for being booted out of the building—and then yelped as Sayoko noogied him mercilessly. “Okay, Rowen! I get it! You’re smart! Sheesh!” She let go and he darted out of reach. “Sorry. I wanted to lighten the mood.”

“Maybe next time do something a little juvenile?” Rowen shot back. He wasn’t usually this informal with Sayoko, but he supposed he should get used to it if they were going to work together. “But that does mean you will tell him?”

“Yes. In time. Please understand,” she said with a heavy sigh. “There were reasons behind Dad’s death that Cye would… he would not understand that it wasn’t his fault. No matter what I said.” She rubbed at her eyes. “And he’s always been so sick. If he had to deal with that pain and grief on top of that—”

“You’re scared that you’d lose him, too,” Rowen realized. Now things were making sense. “I think that back then, you may have been right. But he is stronger now, I promise.”

“I noticed,” Sayoko sniffled. “Just give me some time. And him.”

“Why would Cye need time?”

“As you pointed out, my brother is perceptive. As in, so perceptive that characters like that dead scientist would want to use him in their schemes.” She gazed at him levelly. “Do you understand the magnitude of what I’m telling you?”

“I do.” And with his understanding came the unspoken agreement that he would keep this secret safe.

“Good. He inherited his abilities from our father. It used to ‘only’ be empathy, but as he’s gotten older, he’s becoming as strong as our father was. Mortimer is convinced that he’s in the process of awakening one more thing our father could do, even if he’s not fully aware of it. And a shock like this, while his spirit is doing something that requires this much psychic energy? With his health? Even if everything works out, he’s going to be even more of a target to every ghoul in the world, supernatural or not.”

“I understand,” Rowen said gently. “But there’s never going to be a perfect time for telling him this. And he can handle it. He’ll be mad, but he always forgives.”

“I’m counting on that,” Sayoko said as they headed back up the stairs. “Don’t worry, Rowen. He’ll know everything soon. I was going to wait until summer, but things have been going more smoothly with my plans than I could have even hoped. So, I’m going to tell him at the end of March.”

“I see,” Rowen noted. He followed her back into her office. The bookcase slid back behind them. “Is there a reason for that?”

Sayoko gazed out her window, enjoying the beauty of a sun-filled afternoon. “I’ll be able to stop every ghoul in the world, supernatural or not.”

It wasn’t the ideal scenario in Rowen’s eyes. The ideal scenario would have involved the two of them confessing everything to Cye and then enduring his rightful wrath until he eventually forgave them. But Sayoko had respected his family drama, so it was only fair that he respected hers. And at least she was going to tell him. Rowen would hold her to that. “You won’t be alone.”

“Hm. I guess you’re right. And thanks for understanding, even if you don’t agree with me.” Sayoko snapped her fingers as an idea hit her. “But hey, I know one thing we can tell Cye right now.”

--

Cye picked up the phone on its second ring. “You’ve reached the Mouris.”

“Hey, little brother! I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Cye bristled. “Sayoko, you are not allowed to come home for dinner. We agreed that I was going to get the apartment to myself tonight so I can watch movies with Kento without you getting in the way. If you dare to darken my doorstep, I will kill you and everything you stand for.”

“First off, Kento’s so in love with you that he wouldn’t even notice if I was there. Second, don’t worry. I wanted to let you know that Rowen knows.”

He frowned. “What does he know?”

“He knows about what you can do.”

… Oh.

“Don’t worry. He understands and he’s sworn himself to secrecy”

Cye let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Is it okay that he knows?” Sayoko’s voice took on a concerned note.

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry; it’s just a relief that I don’t have to hide everything around at least one of my friends anymore.” Two if you counted Sage, but he wasn’t going to betray Sage’s trust. “But see, I told you that we could trust my friends.”

“Point taken, but please, let’s try to keep this between the three of us for now, okay?”

“Okay,” he once again agreed reluctantly. He understood, but he would give almost anything to not have to hide the truth from at least Kento anymore. “I want to know how Rowen figured it out.”

There was a conversation he couldn’t quite make out, and then he heard Rowen’s voice. “Well, you’ve always been scarily observant. I think I may have always known. I was talking to your sister today and I mentioned that and I sort of officially learned the truth.”

“You don’t say.” Then, despite his earlier words, he felt a twinge of anxiety. “Rowen—”

“Don’t worry. You’re still Cye to me. Gentle, eccentric, and way too into horror films for his own good. But if I can help, let me know.”

“Don’t let Sayoko come back home while I’m with Kento, that’s how you’re gonna help.”

“She’s waving a menu for the local sushi bar at me, so I think we’ll be out of your hair for a while,” Rowen assured him. “Tell Kento I said hi.”

Cye waited until he had hung up the phone until he permitted himself to say what he’d been thinking since Sayoko had told him what happened. “You two were just talking, and Sayoko, someone whose whole life is about keeping things safe, accidentally told you that I’m psychic. And hyper-logical Rowen accepted it with no questions whatsoever. Sure, you two.” Something had happened to Rowen that had made Sayoko trust him enough to share this knowledge with him. Between that and how Rowen felt so lively today—livelier than Cye had ever felt from him since he’d met him—he suspected it had something to do with that trip to his family shrine yesterday. It was frustrating that they just wouldn’t tell him, but… he trusted Rowen and his sister. If there was anything he desperately needed to know, they would have told him by now.

--

Final Notes:

Me: FINALLY, I can write all the Cye/Kento melodrama I've been wanting to write in this chapter, just as soon as Rowen is done talking to Sayoko.
Me: *writes a kajillion words about Rowen and Sayoko being bros*
Me: Heh heh... maybe next chapter. :,) (It will be the next chapter, promise. That one is being devoted 100% to Cye and Kento!)