Read Voracity's End [Eng Novel] :: Longing pt 5

After a few seconds, Daiki walked to the couch in the living room and plopped down without much finesse. He sighed again.

"You're sighing too much."

"How observant," Daiki said as he looked up at the ceiling. Mitsuru sat down next to Daiki and followed his gaze to the ceiling.

"I was really surprised that you did the dishes in the end, I didn't think you would do it, especially not after you went out of your way to run away together with me" Mitsuru commented looking incredulous just remembering, for they had indeed made fools of themselves to gain nothing in return. Daiki was silent for a few seconds as he remembered his other brother teasing him.

"Neither did I."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I don't know."

"So you did it just because you wanted to?"

"No. I didn't want to."

"But you did, Daiki"

"Mitsuru, stop messing around already" Daiki said as he frowned. Mitsuru looked at him curiously, what was bothering him so much? The blond met his gaze with his.

"Daiki... Is it that you just wanted to please him?"

“Huh?"

"It seemed to me that you just wanted to see him happy," Mitsuru explained simply. Daiki was speechless at what Mitsuru said, this, until he kicked him without moving much from where he was.

"I don't know what you're talking about" The redhead frowned and looked away.

"You don't? Let's see... You were hell-bent on getting away from washing dishes but you suddenly changed your mind..." Mitsuru pondered this. "Is it the fact of Masaru looking for recipes to cook for us that moved you?"

"That's not true, it wasn't because of that!"

"Then why? I at least want to know what prompted your change of heart... That way I wouldn't feel so bad about knowing I wasted my time."

"No reason, I just changed my mind. We were being very childish."

"...Oh, really?" Mitsuru asked without much interest. He didn't believe him in the least.

"Yes, I have no reason to lie."

"Hmm..." Mitsuru muttered as he then cracked a small smile and looked away. "I guess this is a rare moment where I can see a different side than the one you always show."

Without any response, Daiki just threw one of the cushions at him as hard as he could. Was that day all about his brothers teasing him?

"Stop teasing! I'm not acting weird!"

"Daiki, it's funny that you're the extreme opposite of Daitaro in terms of expressing your affection, but don't you think you're overreacting? You worry and get angry easily whether it's for Daitaro or us, it's obvious that you love us... Is it that hard for you to admit that you decided to wash the dishes to see Masaru happy?"

"..."

"Even if you throw a tantrum and stay silent you do nothing but prove me right" Mitsuru looked wearily at his brother, who had indeed pulled his legs up and slightly turned around.

“Stop being annoying"

"What, can you even say I'm wrong?"

"I don't know what you want me to answer."

"Uh..." Mitsuru muttered unable to understand. "If you were more honest, people would pick on you less.”

"…"

"Come on, just admit it, say you love us and I'll stop bothering you" said Mitsuru “That way I’ll have a reason to justify wasting time earlier.”

"If you're so sure why do you want me to say that? I don't see the point in saying something like that.”

"You're right in that if you say it too much it can become meaningless, more so if you don't back it up with actions..., but since you've never said it, I think it would be worth listening to you say it”

"I didn't know you were the type who enjoys being told that.”

"No, it’s not like I’m Masaru" Mitsuru replied. Daiki arched an eyebrow at the comment. "What, haven't you noticed? He gets embarrassed very easily when he gets told that and tries his best to act like he dislikes it or doesn't care, but it makes him happy to be told that.”

"Don't lie..., why would that…?"

“Well, it's not like being told that is a bad thing, though Daitaro says it so much it just gives second hand embarrassment at this point" Mitsuru said as he now smiled in amusement. "But it would be novelty for you to say it.”

"I'm not going to say that just because you ask me to.”

"Okay..., whatever, it's not like you need to say it I guess" Mitsuru sighed. Daiki frowned, this time expressing suspicion.

"What's wrong with you?”

"Nothing, I just don't feel like doing the dishes was worth it now.”

"Oh? But you told Daitaro that he had no reason to do the dishes.”

"Hm? And I didn't lie when I said that, but that doesn't mean I want to do it instead" he explained "But hey, that has nothing to do with whether I felt that it wasn't worth washing the dishes.”

"Nothing would have made you think that was worth it.”

"If you had admitted that you love us then it would have been worth it.”

"What?" Daiki didn't think he understood why that would make it worth it. "Why do you care so much…?”

"It's not that I really care, but it's just that you're so dumb that you don't even know if you love us when it's obvious that you do" Mitsuru said looking at him pitifully. “You recognizing your own feelings would have made it worth it.”

"..." Daiki sighed. He wanted to hit him but he didn't even understand his reasoning. "Mitsuru, how could I be so dumb as to not know what I feel?”

"You didn’t even realize that Masaru was worried about you when he woke up, why should I assume you know how you feel? With you it's all 'I'm mad at this', 'I'm angry about that', I never hear you express yourself differently.”

"...And would that really have made up for washing the dishes?" Daiki asked with resignation. His brother was just talking nonsense.

"...Well, you're right. No, that wouldn’t have. I was just looking for a way to justify your betrayal, but it's true that it was unforgivable" Mitsuru smiled 'kindly', though in truth he was punching him in his mind.

"...You are insufferable."

"And to think you're incapable of being able to say something so simple" Mitsuru said. Daiki looked at him angrily.

"Easy?… So, if it's so easy then you say it.”

"Oh? Sure, I don't think it's difficult.”

“Say it.”

"...I…"

“Go on…"

"I…L-Lo…"

Daiki looked at him mockingly. His brother did indeed just look stupid for talking up about it.

"You should be more aware of what you say, don't bark if you are not gonna…"

"I love you, Daiki," Mitsuru said. Daiki narrowed his eyes as he heard it and soon felt a chill.

"Ugh..." The redhead froze; however, he soon noticed Mitsuru shivering in the same way.

"Ahhhh, geez, that felt super weird" said Mitsuru "My respects to Daitaro for being able to say something so embarrassing like it was nothing..., Ah... Isn't there a way to go back in time and pretend I didn't say it?”

"Sorry, I think you left me deaf after your corny sentence.”

"Uh..., well, at least I was able to say it..." Mitsuru averted his gaze before curling into a ball and looking dismayed. "I underestimated how weird and abnormal it is to say that out loud" he added as he felt as if ants were crawling all over him.

"Idiot.”

"Well, at least I know you can't imagine being separated from us.”

"I know you're dying for me to agree with you, but I won't, I don't care if one day I just wake up and you’re gone" Daiki said with a short laugh. "I even think that would give me some peace.”

"Says the one who didn't want to cook because our uncle might get angry and take us to an orphanage..., you're afraid that we'll be separated.”

"Did you say something?”

"What, are you playing deaf now...? Really, you don't have to pretend you'd be fine, we know you wouldn't. At least admit that.”

"Wow..., I kind of think I hear a fly, but…"

Mitsuru looked in disbelief for a moment before laughing briefly.

"At least I can say without shame that in the event we were separated, I wouldn't know what would become of me.”

"Liar, if you have a console on hand I'm sure you wouldn't mind if you didn't see us for months" Daiki replied mockingly. "Maybe if you run out of games you'll care to know where we are, but if you don't then that wouldn't be the case.”

"Uh..., well, I guess I wouldn’t miss you."

"Oh, yeah? Well I wouldn't miss every stupid thing that comes out of your mouth either.”

"Though maybe I'd miss Masaru cooking for me, I know he barely made us breakfast today...but I like not having to do it myself," Mitsuru explained.

"True...I wouldn't miss having to do the dishes," Daiki said. Mitsuru kept thinking about this.

"But even if we weren’t here... it would mean you'd have to wash them anyway, right? And cook for yourself since neither Masaru nor Daitaro would be around" said Mitsuru.

"Hm, that's true..."

"You wouldn't even mind if Daitaro disappears?" asked Mitsuru. Daiki reacted to this immediately.

"Don't say stupid things!" exclaimed Daiki very upset. "Why wouldn't he be here? That's not going to happen."

"Uh...,okay, okay, it was silly to include Daitaro..., it's obvious you meant you wouldn't care if Masaru or I are no longer around. Your twin is a separate issue."

"Exactly" the redhead replied as he crossed his arms. Mitsuru looked at him as if he had something disgusting smeared on him.

"Says the one who changed his mind just because Masaru was looking for recipes..., what's more, you probably got over your anger after seeing him happy because we did the dishes. Simpleton,"

"It's not true! Maybe I can't deny that I would care if Daitaro disappears..., but you guys..."

"Go on, say it, say it if it's true" the blond grinned mischievously. The red-eyed one just smacked him.

"Do you enjoy hurting yourself...? Ew."

"Daiki... Do you really think you'd be okay without us?"

"Yes. A load off my shoulders wouldn’t be bad" said Daiki "I'd be happy without you guys, I wouldn't have to get mad over nonsense all the time"

"So you get mad over nonsense?"

"...Yeah, you guys are that nonsense."

Time passed without them noticing, the questions they asked each other took them a minute to answer, what to them was a flowing conversation...was definitely a slower one with a more contemplative air.

"Oh. And tell me... What would be the first thing you would do if we were gone?" asked Mitsuru as he looked at Daiki curiously. He had grown tired of trying to get his brother to say otherwise. It didn't matter what Daiki said, he knew that everything he said was like reverse speech and that was enough.

"You're taking this too seriously, why are you asking so many questions?" asked Daiki.

"I thought you were serious, was I wrong? I was just curious what you would do if it happened."

"No... you weren't wrong, I'm serious. Well... I honestly don't know, it has to happen for me to know, I know I would know what to do if that happened" Daiki explained.

"Haha, if that happened for sure Daiki would go crazy" Masaru replied suddenly. Daiki and Mitsuru turned to look at him lazily, were they back already?

"Crazy? Why would I go crazy without you guys?" the redhead asked.

"Simple, you'd have no one to boss around. Not that I'm complaining about that, haha” the black haired explained.

Daitaro just chuckled briefly as he heard his brother answer that.

"Masaru,make yourself useful and get cooking already" replied Daiki. The green-eyed one laughed in response.

"See, you sure would be bored if you had no one to give orders to" answered Masaru. "I'll cook, but not now because it hasn’t been long since we ate"

"Well, I guess you have a good point. It's no fun talking to yourself."

"So you like talking to us?" asked Mitsuru. Daiki just lightly hit him with one of the cushions he had within reach, he then looked at Masaru.

"By the way, Masaru, I was told you like hearing others tell you they love you, heh"

Masaru kept silence for a moment as he observed his brother's mocking expression. He closed his eyes and smiled confidently.

"What nonsense are you spouting, boss? Only Mitsuru likes being told that" the green eyed replied as he shrugged. The blond replied indignant.

"That's not true! You are the one who likes that!"

"Nah-uh, that's for corny and dumb people" the black haired said with certainty. Daiki smiled with amusement whereas Daitaro, who was beside him, looked at Masaru with discontent.

"Uh, it's not..." As he looked at Daitaro's expression, Masaru tried to fix what he said; however, Daiki interrupted.

"Good! I knew it couldn't be like that, for a moment I wasn't sure what to think about you" said Daiki. Masaru was surprised by the redhead's statement.

"Aha-ha-ha! Yes, boss, don't believe whatever you hear" Masaru replied as he laughed.

Daitaro and Mitsuru looked at Masaru pitifully for a moment. The redhead looked at Daiki, who was smiling pleased, and approached him to flick his forehead.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!"

“Watch your mouth, Daiki"

"What? What did I say?" he asked while having a hand covering his forehead. Daiki observed his twin take Masaru to the kitchen, whereas Mitsuru just shrugged.