You lazily opened your eyes at the sound of knocking on the wooden door of your room. The sun had yet to rise and illuminate the world in its warm glow. Who could be knocking at your door at such an ungodly hour?

Whoever it might be, you shouldn't be keeping them waiting. With that mindset, you dragged your body to stand up. Once you were out of the bed, you immediately started missing the warmth of your snug blanket. Now that the candles were out, the room was even colder at night.

Groggily, you walked towards the door and unlocked it before pulling it open.

"Good morning, my lady."

You certainly were not expecting to be greeted with such cheerfulness and brightness from a certain pinkett boy at such an hour. Rubbing your sleepy eyes, you looked properly at the boy standing in front of you. Before you could ask him any questions, he started speaking.

"I know it's still really early, my lady, and I kind of feel bad for disturbing your sleep....," Nagi trailed off.

It could have been something important so you shook off your sleep. "....Is something the matter?"

"Actually, there's something I want to show you."

"At this hour?" Your eyes sized up when something clicked inside you. Were you going to be killed now? But then why would he knock to get your attention?

As this thought went around your mind, the salmon pink haired boy shook his head. "I'm not trying to hurt you."

Did he just read your mind? It had been happening quite lately that people could peek inside your mind through your facial expressions.

"Where I want to take you is..." He scratched his cheek with a finger. "Geez, it would be easier for you to understand by going there!"

"E-Eh?" A soft squeak left your soft lips when your wrist was grabbed and you were pulled out of the room.

.  . .  . . .  .

"The clock tower?" You cocked your head to the side. Nagi, still holding your wrist, stopped you two in front of an open space from where you could see the outside.

"Um...." You were thoroughly confused. The garden was just behind the clock tower so why would the male bring you here? You had been strictly warned not to enter the garden at night. Technically speaking, it was still night since the sun had not risen yet. And, you feared the thought of another punishment for trying to trespass into the garden.

"What's wrong?" Nagi found you staring at him.

"Mika-kun, wh-" Realizing your mistake, you frantically corrected yourself. "A-Ah, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be calling you by that name. I-"

"It's okay. You're so used to calling me that, after all." He smiled slightly.

"Umm, Nagi-kun...why are we here?" You asked.

"You'll see very soon." With that, Nagi pulled you closer to him and the open space.

The chilly night wind entered the tower and you felt yourself shiver a tiny bit. All of a sudden, you felt something cover you in warmth. Looking clearly, you found a yellow cardigan draped around you.

"I-I don't want you to catch a cold just because I called you up here, okay?" He looked away.

"B-But, Nagi-kun, what about you? You will catch a cold!"

With a relatively forlorn look, Nagi muttered, "it's alright. I'm never going to catch colds either way."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing," he chimed. "Use it. It's freezing out here."

"But, it's yours. I don't want you to get sick."

A chuckle came out from his lips. "You never change, do you? Always putting others first before you....."

"Eh?"

"Ah, it's almost time!" The exclamation from the shorter boy puzzled you. Following the direction where his finger was pointing, you were left breathless. The scene of the red sun, rising from behind the mountains and enlightening the world was too beautiful for words. As you stood mesmerized, the boy beside you stated,

"I stumbled upon this place just yesterday. The sunset that I saw was really pretty. I know you like sceneries like this so I thought of inviting you too."

You turned your head around to find him smiling at you. "Sorry for calling you out so early."

You shook your head. "No." A genuine smile graced your lips, "Rather, thank you. Because of you, I managed to witness a beautiful site."

At this, his smile brightened up. "You finally smiled!"

"Eh?" 

"You've been looking so down since yesterday." He averted his grey eyes, "I mean, I know the reason why but still..."

At the subtle mention of prior events, the smile immediately vanished from your face. The short amount of joy in your heart was swapped with pain again.

".....I didn't know I was looking down," you looked away with a sad smile. After all, you had done your best to endure it all with a smile.

The atmosphere instantly shifted to a heavy one. You hadn't intended for it to turn out like this. While trying to figure out what to say in order to restore the mood, Nagi muttered.

". . . . . . . I'm sorry. I...I didn't want to do it."

"Huh?" That caught you off-guard.

The pinkette continued, "You had to go through a lot that night because of us.... Honestly, I was really surprised when you told Shion and I to hide because Eiichi was acting weird. Yet, I tricked you and led you to get caught.."

He didn't let you interrupt you. "And when all of us finally caught you, you were still concerning yourself over Shion and I."

"Nagi-" You got cut off when your hands were grabbed.

"Yet, you don't seem mad at me at all!"

Mad? At Nagi? That thought had never crossed your mind. Sure, he had tricked you but that's because he was obligated to do so, wasn't he?

"I'm not mad at you, Nagi-kun," you claimed in all honesty. "Not in the least."

"Why?! I deceived you! Shouldn't you hate me for it?" He retorted, leaving no trace of his previous bright smile.

Instead of replying to his question, you asked him instead, "Do you want me to hate you,Nagi-kun?"

"W...What?" That made his eyes enlarge in pure surprise. That was a question the male did not expect in the slightest.

The pain and fear couldn't be hidden from your eyes as your hands slipped from his grasp. "....I thought that all of us were close friends, a family....Until I found out I was hated by you all-"

"Don't be silly! I've never hated you!" Nagi burst out, his brows furrowing.

"B-But, all I've done is remain to be a burden for you all."

"That's ridiculous! You're never a burden. You're more important to me than you realize. That's why, I don't want to be hated by you....Not now, nor ever...."

"!!" You both stared at each other. The words of the young boy sunk in and you broke into a smile.

"Nagi-kun, hearing you say that makes me incredibly happy."

Unlike you who was over the moon, Nagi was blushing a bright red. To think that he had just admitted how much you meant to him. To think that it was Nagi, of all people. The little tsundere was thoroughly embarrassed. What made him even more shy was your sudden hug.

"I can never hate you, Nagi-kun," you finally remarked. "I can never hate any of you. You're all so precious to me as well. Even if you hate me, I cannot hate any of you."

"O-Oi! I told you, didn't I? I don't hate you."

"...Even if you don't,others do," you whispered sadly. 

Nagi understood what you were going on about. He, as well as the others, were aware of your romantic feelings for a certain brunette. Nagi wanted to protest but not knowing what to say, decided to keep his mouth shut. Silently, he returned your hug and held you close.

The embrace lasted a while before you two pulled away. Somehow, talking to Nagi like this made you feel a lot better.

"Nagi-kun," you called out.

"Hmm?" The said boy looked at you.

"Thank you," you beamed.

"!!!" You wondered if it were the rays of the morning sun falling on his face that made his face seem so red.

"F-For what?"He stuttered. 

"For not hating me."

"You..." He looked away outside. You, too, returned your gaze to the world outside. The sun had risen now, making the atmosphere warm and bright.

Meanwhile, Nagi took a deep breath and cleared his resolve. He was already embarrassed so,perhaps, he wouldn't get any more embarrassed if he did what he wished to do at the moment. With this thought in mind, he tugged at your sleeve.

"My lady."

"Hmm?" You turned to him, your smile ever present.

"Can you bend down a bit?" He requested.

"Sure." Though puzzled at his sudden request, you bent to his height. Nagi took a step towards you and...

"!!!"

Nagi had planted a kiss on the tip of your nose. You jerked straight, hand flying to your nose.

Turning on his heels, Nagi chimed, "You know, I've had a crush on you, my lady."

"E....EEEH?!?!?" Your eyes widened in bewilderment as you screeched.

"But," he turned around with his usual cheery smile, "I think I can move on with it. As your friend, lady."

Warmth spreaded through your cheeks. Instead of standing there bewildered, you knew you had to tell him something. "Nagi-kun,I-"

"I know," he winked. "I'm aware of who you have inside your heart. The cutest and most intelligent boy knows it all."

"Y-You know...?" You stuttered.

"Of course. That's why I can move on. Besides..."

This time, he was the one to snugly embrace you. He circled his arms around you and rested his forehead on your shoulder.

"...I said I had a crush on you. It was in the past," he muttered. "From now on, I'll become your most reliable friend."

It was difficult to pinpoint his emotion. He seemed both happy and sad. While debating over what to tell him, he beat you to it.

".....So, let it be the last time that I hug you with whatever is left of that feeling."

You nodded and returned the hug of the shorter boy. The morning sun glowed upon you.

.  . .  . . .  .

". . . . I can . . .definitely . .do this...." You muttered through gritted teeth and started heading out of the room.

While going through the usual paper works, you realised that you needed some help from some certain books. Those very books were stored in the library of the manor. At the thought of the library, you were suddenly aware that there was a pile of books that you had taken from there but had forgotten to return.

Eiichi and Kira were the ones who would usually help you when you worked, especially the latter. However, the raven haired male was out on an errand. As for Eiichi, things weren't as good as before between you two.

It had been more than a week since that night. Since then, you weren't able to exchange any words with him. You were very well aware that he had been avoiding you. Plus, you might end up angering him again because he didn't seem to hold a high opinion of you.

The said brunette male would send someone else to you in his stead. Speaking of others, things were not any good with the others too. All of them, except Nagi, seemed closed off. At present, the only friend you had was Nagi. The warm place that you considered your safe haven had suddenly turned colder than a blizzard. At the thought that they would come to hate you even more, you shut yourself off as well. Your current situation was no different from your lonely past.

It shouldn't be hard to be in the punishment room all the time by yourself. Nor eating by yourself was hard. You were well acquainted with this more than anyone, after all. Yet, it wasn't easy at all. It was hurting you.

Back to reality, you didn't want to disturb anyone anymore. So, you took it upon yourself to return all those books at their right place. The pile in your arms was very tall, causing you difficulties in looking ahead.

"Please don't fall...." You prayed silently. As soon as you prayed that, you staggered. The tower of books began wobbling.

"No...No...Please,no." Thankfully, you were successful in balancing it. You couldn't let it topple over. It would end up making extra work on the others and you'd, once again, be a burden. After a sigh of relief, you continued walking till you reached the stairs.

"How should I....." You shook your head lightly. "I can...surely do it...if I try."

Just as you were about to start descending the stairs, you felt yourself getting lighter. The view ahead was also available, not being blocked by pages anymore.

"What do you think you're doing?"A smooth voice asked.

"?!" You turned around and found Yamato holding the books and staring at you.

"....Yamato-san?" You blinked twice. Unlike you, he was carrying the books with much ease. With his built, of course, he could easily carry those.

You then proceeded to answer his question. "Umm....I was going to return these books to the library....Ah! I'm sorry for leaving the room without permission!" You bowed your head at him.

"No, it's alright," he shrugged it off. The way you kept bowing in apology reminded him of a prisoner and he, most certainly, did NOT think of you as one. "More importantly, are you gonna take these back when they're taller than you?"

"....yes."

"...Your arms looked like they were gonna come off any moment."

"....I could have managed to pull it off, despite that."

"Why didn't you ask someone else to carry it?"

"I...don't want to bother anyone."

The muscular man sighed. "Now that I'm here, I'll help you get these back."

"N-No,"You waved your hands in front of you in an attempt to decline. "I cannot make Yamato-san do this much for me."

"It's nothing. My build is different from yours. This is, pretty much, weightless to me." Without letting you reject his offer, he descended down the stairs. You hurriedly followed behind.

"T-Thank you very much, Yamato-san."

"Mhmm."

.  . .  . . .  .

"Thank you for your help, Yamato-san." You bowed in gratitude.

"It's not a big deal."

You had thought the blonde would leave you alone in your room, the punishment room, since he had helped you bring the necessary books. Yet, he was standing there, eyes averted from yours.

". . .Is something the matter, Yamato-san?"

". . . ."

"?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Eh...? S-Sure, then please take a sea-"

"Did I hurt you?"

His question caused you to blink in wonder. Tilting your head, you looked at him, trying to figure out the meaning behind his ask. Though, that wasn't necessary as the man himself proceeded to explain further.

"That night.... When I pushed you to the ground. . . Did it hurt?"

Why were his eyes and tone so contrast to usual? They were surprisingly tender.

"That night...? Oh!" You recalled the moment when Yamato had grabbed you while you were trying to escape from them.

"A-Ah, no, I was fine." You tried smiling in assurance.

"Don't lie," The male growled. "You were hurt. It was clear as day to see that you got injured." Biting his lower lip, he looked away. "I'm sorry for wounding you like that."

"It's alright. You were doing what you were supposed to-" Right as he interrupted you, he stepped towards you, until his large self was looming above you.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Pardon?" When he took another step closer, you unconsciously took a step back.

"So...so indifferent about this whole thing. Like it doesn't matter if you survive or not."

"I'm...not." You realized that your back hit the wall softly. Yamato was standing in front of you. Your sideways got blocked when he slammed his hands on both sides of you.

"!!!"

"Then...." The frustration and vexation that were present in his expression vanished, only to be replaced with anguish.

You felt a weight at the top of your head. Your eyes sized up as you stood there, stunned. Yamato had leaned down towards you until his forehead rested on the crown of your head.

"Y-Yamato....san?" Your voice was in the form of a whisper because of the proximity. Quietly, you lifted your sight to look at the man.

Yamato stood there with his eyes closed. The room was strangely silent, except for the sound of you two breathing. Not knowing what to do with this unforeseen situation, you quietly remained in your position.

Finally, he decided to inquire, ". . . . Then, why are you giving up?"

His usual booming and smooth voice wasn't there. Instead, he sounded so.... weak. Never had you heard him so vulnerable before.

". . . I-I don't want you to die...."

"Yamato-san..." You felt your heart being compressed in affliction. Were you the reason behind the pain in his voice?

"...At first, I thought you were simply a woman brought here to be sacrificed. I viewed you as weak. But.... you have a strength that is more powerful than any brute force."

"What..."

Yamato pulled away from you and held you by your shoulders. You could sense that his hands were very gentle from the soft yet firm grasp over your pink blouse.

"Your kindness. It's stronger than everything there is."

Your kindness? He had meant everything that he told. You could see it in his eyes.

"Your kindness can change people's hearts, like it changed mine. You changed me, lady."

His orange eyes never broke contact with yours. "It was you who taught me how to love."

"?!!?!-"

"That's why, I don't want to lose you!"

Before you knew it, you were engulfed in a hug. Yamato tightly wrapped his arms around your petite self, trapping you in the circle of his arms.

"I love you."

These words left his mouth. Yamato would be true to himself. That was what he had mentally promised to himself. No more running away.

Meanwhile, a loud gasp escaped from your lips at his confession. Your brain froze, as well as your body. To think you would receive your first confession after you knew that you couldn't survive for long. And, it was Yamato, whom you considered your friend, who had confessed! Well, Nagi did confess his feelings but it wasn't as straightforward as the one from Yamato.

You weren't sure what to do and say at a moment like that. All of a sudden, the picture of a certain brunette man came to pass through your mind. You instantly understood what you had to do.

Picking that certain moment, Yamato pulled away from you. "Ya-Yamato-san, I... I'm so-"

"You don't have to say it." With a weak smile, the blonde cut you off. "You love Eiichi, don't you?"

Your cheeks turned pink. "H-How did you...?"

"It's pretty obvious. I knew the odds of confessing to you. I'll be a man and face everything honestly." The slightest grin was present on his face.

"Yamato-san...." You cracked a small smile. "You say I am kind when you are the one who is extremely kind. You look out for everyone and are always willing to stand for them. I really admire that about you."

"Y-You..." He looked away from your genuine smile, his cheeks red.

"Similarly, I want to protect everyone," you suddenly proclaimed. "I love this land and its people. I do not wish to see them suffer because of me. So," your features mellowed, "I cannot change my decision."

He wanted to protest, you could see it in his eyes. However, seeing the determined look on your face, he sighed loudly before smiling a bittersweet smile.

"See? Your kindness can save so many people just as it saved me."

"That's not true..."

"If that's what you want then I guess I need to drop it here too. But remember, I'll always wait for you to change your decision and......."

"....And?"

Without saying anything, Yamato brought his face down and softly pressed his lips on the crown of your head.

"!!!" You stood there stunned once again.

Pulling away, he spoke, "I hope you find your happiness soon."

To be continued...

I think I made Yamato out of character. Though, it's because of how Yamato looked in the original game. He looked so sad and that's why I decided to make it like this.