Eternal Melody

Toh felt a mixture of different emotions, mainly regrets. 'Why wasn't I there? I should have returned sooner.' He would have returned much sooner if it weren't for that dammed incident. But, had he done so, Terashima Yuhi would have been here. No matter how confident he is about getting Sumire back, Terashima is still unpredictable.

He doesn't know him well enough to understand what will happen if he properly confronts him regarding Sumire.

Terashima's absence benefits him more than anyone knows.

"You really did need a roommate." Toh ended up saying.

Sumire laughed. "But, did it have to be you?"

"Who else would it have been?"

Surely there are no other candidates around her.

"Hino." Sumire trailed off and laughed again. "But he is far too safe. He would never have agreed to it. He is already very disturbed with the rumors going on around about us."

Of course, she says Narasaki.

"But, he hasn't done anything to stop it?"

"Hino said that even if he stops the rumors. The media will just find somebody else to pair me up with. While Yuhi won't believe the media no matter what, he will still get jealous. 'If I'm the other guy, there is no chance of that happening, and Yuhi will understand.'"

Toh frowned. He doesn't understand that logic at all. What's with those two? In normal circumstances, one would think they'd be at each other's throats by now.

"Hino also said, 'Do you want them paring you with Sano again? Trust me. I'm the better shield.'"

Right, Nagawa Sano is back in her life now. He has yet to see the guy since he returned. But Lucifer's instructions were very clear. The reason he was called back was this.

'My little pet has been growing fangs recently. Regardless of his newfound power, however, he cannot do anything. Just in case, however, I want you to take over his role.'

Toh didn't understand Lucifer's intentions. He knew Lucifer didn't trust him to be around Sumire either. While he broke up with her and went abroad, surely Lucifer knew about the time he came back after he heard about Mamoru. Surely Lucifer knew he only went along with his whims to protect her.

Even after knowing him for so long, there are parts of Lucifer he doesn't understand. Making them break up after she grew to love him, however, was definitely what he intended to do all along. Lucifer knew from the start that the girl he was getting to know, the one he was falling for, was Sumire. From the very beginning, he knew everything.

He was also at the bar that night because of Lucifer's orders. From the very beginning, that man had planned everything.

"Toh?"

"Yes, love?" Toh turned his attention back to her.

"I wanted to thank you for all those messages you sent me during..the accident."

"You're welcome. I couldn't go to you right away, so it was the only way I could make sure you were fine."

She did answer his calls after a few failed attempts. All he heard, however, was her sobbing. Hearing that was enough for him to drop everything and go to her.

"How did you get in?" Sumire asked.

"Tsueno told me about the back door lock being faulty. Thankfully none of the reporters discovered that."

Sumire laughed. "I told him so many times to fix that lock. But he spent most of his money on buying things for me."

"I would have compromised my own safety to buy you gifts too. You deserve nothing but the best."

Her gaze softened. "That's right. You often said that."

"I mean it even now."

"I know you do." Sumire squeezed his hand. "Contrary to my little outburst this morning. I am sure your aware that I am thankful that your around?"

"You haven't exactly made it clear. But yes, I know."

If she truly felt disgusted with this arrangement, she would have left a long time ago.

"I'm thankful, and I have missed you. More than I care to admit."

"That's not like you. What happened to honesty being your number one policy?"

Another laugh, but it was weak. "I guess I have become more stubborn." She trailed off. "On New Year, I had a talk with Yuhi. I told him about San, about you, about Ren. I told him everything because I felt that it wasn't right that he didn't know the story. He has only heard bits and pieces from everyone else."

"How did he take it?"

"Surprisingly, very well. I could tell he was jealous, but he stayed and listened the entire time. He has always been very patient with me. Yuhi understands that I have regrets and that I may need some closure."

It took him a moment to understand what she was trying to say.

So this is why she agreed to live with him. It's not just for the kids' safety but for her to get her closure. Toh felt sick. He didn't think she would be so blunt about wanting to get over him. He understood that they would have eventually had this talk. But he assumed that it would not be happening anytime soon.

His thoughts broke off when Sumire weakly sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry for being so cruel. It's not like, I never thought about us getting back together. Because I did, you know? I even spoke a lot about it when I was with Ru. We had many conversations about what to do if you came back, and Ru told me that he would let me go back to you. That the decision will be mine."

Of course, that idiot would say that. Tsueno Mamoru truly likes to sacrifice himself. They have become better friends now, but he still doesn't understand that logic and self-sacrificing attitude.

"But you changed your mind?"

"Well, Yuhi-san can be convincing." Sumire pulled away slightly, her cheeks flushed red, and Toh frowned.

"Were you always the type to get seduced?"

"That depends on who does the seducing. Yuhi-san is very good at seducing people."

"The rumors are true then," Toh said bitterly. 𝙗𝙚𝙙𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝒎

Sumire frowned but then laughed. "You sound so jealous. It's so unlike you."

"Since meeting you, I have discovered a range of different emotions that I didn't even know I had." Toh sighed and pushed her back down onto the bed. "Stay here. I'll get the food."

Sumire nodded, and he took one last glance at her before exiting the room. On his way down the stairs, he replays the words she just said. So, she didn't move on right away. Mamoru did say that even though Sumire dated Kanagawa Ren right after he left, it was more one-sided.

'When we started dating, she was still in a huge slump.'

So, it wasn't until she started dating Terashima where she started to move forward. That thought pleased him more than he thought. Her direct words about wanting to get the remaining closure upset him. But it's not a direct rejection. During her time with him, to gain closure, he will make her see that it's better to be with him.