Nami

“Nami,” Souma exclaimed as he stepped into my chamber, scooping me into his arms and swirling me around with a massive smile splashed across his face. “I have missed you so much, Sis.” He put me back on the floor.

“Hi,” I greeted him, feeling a little dizzy due to his stunt. “My head…” I held my head in my hands.

“Hey, would you like to join me for afternoon tea?” he invited.

“Afternoon tea?” My eyes sparkled. “Does that mean I get to eat sweets?” 

Souma laughed. “Of course. In fact, I ordered the chefs to prepare various types of sweets especially for you.”

I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest, tears of happiness running down my cheeks. “Thank you, Souma. Thank you.”

My brother was surprised, as I had never taken the initiative to hug him or anyone else due to my reserved nature. Although such a gesture was not forbidden in the Kingdom of Angels, Mother, Father, and the older high-ranking nobles strongly discouraged it. They believed physical contact between angels was a sin, even if it was just a hug, a kiss on the cheek, or a simple touch. 

Needless to say, I found it extremely weird and scandalous when I moved to Tokyo and saw all those couples, groups of friends, and even families translating their inner feelings into actual displays of affection. At first, I did not understand the significance of those gestures.  However, after experiencing one of them first-hand when Demon Boy escorted me to the karaoke establishment the other night, I finally began to see that they do feel good and grant some sort of security, and even… love.

Love? I shook my head vehemently. What do I know about love? Nothing.

“Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow,” my Cat Guardian talked to me desperately before hissing at my brother, enraged. 

“Wow,” Souma shrieked, jumping back. “What is that?” He pointed at Yuki, who was flying toward me.

“Oh, he is my Cat Guardian—Yuki. He found me in the castle’s grounds this morning,” I explained vaguely, taking the furball, who was still hissing and whose blue eyes were locked onto Souma, into my arms. “There, there, Yuki. Souma is my big brother. He is not scary, see?” I stood on my tiptoes and reached for my brother’s head, patting it lightly.

“Meow, meow.” Yuki’s body trembled uncontrollably.

“Cat Guardian? One of the Guardians of the Kingdom of Angels?” Souma was stunned. “What do you mean he found you? How did that happen?”

I shrugged. “I do not know. All I can say for sure is that he appeared out of nowhere, and I am taking him with me when I return to Tokyo.”

“Does Sora know about him?” he asked, blinking rapidly a couple of times.

“Yes, he does.” 

“I see.” Souma motioned to pet Yuki’s back, but the Cat Guardian let out a guttural hiss and bared his pointed teeth. A ball of blue light emerged from his open mouth and hovered over my brother’s head for two seconds before dissolving into crystalline water, soaking him entirely.

“Is that… water magic?” I was dumbfounded by the discovery that my Cat Guardian was mischievous and could use magic so freely and carelessly.

“I am soaked,” Souma whined, pure disbelief splashed—yes, pun intended—across his wet face.

“Yuki… why did you attack him?” I mumbled to the Cat Guardian, all the while suppressing a pearl of laughter.

“Meow,” he responded casually, relaxing and purring in my arms. 

“Do you not… like him, by any chance?” 

“Meow.” He shook his round head.

“Ouch. I never thought a Cat Guardian’s rejection would hurt my feelings so badly,” my brother joked, laughing awkwardly. “Perhaps he’s jealous of me because you and I were hugging.”

“It is possible,” I mumbled thoughtfully.

Why did Yuki allow Sora to hold and pet him, but not Souma? 

Souma let out another embarrassed laugh before heading to the door. “I am going to change my robes now.  Can I meet you at the Rose Garden for the afternoon tea in fifteen minutes? Is that acceptable?”

I beamed. “Yes, it is.”

When my brother was out of the room, one of the attendants assisted me in changing into one of my favorite light-purple robes—it was adorned with golden drawings of small violets on the hem and sleeves. She also braided my long white hair into one intricate braid and decorated its end with a light-purple ribbon. 

Yuki meowed at me approvingly, rubbing its head against my legs. 

“Thank you.” I took him into my arms and made my way to the Rose Garden—my mother’s favorite in the castle, even though she rarely visited it.

* * *

Souma was already seated at the small marble table in the gazebo situated in the middle of the Rose Garden. As the name suggested, it was a vast garden filled with blue roses and small fountains with crystalline water for the birds.

The castle had three minor gardens and the main garden—the Rose Garden, the Violet Garden, the Tulip Garden, and the Daffodil Garden, respectively. My mother loved flowers and took pride in them despite never having dirtied her hands with soil or spent more than thirty minutes a week appreciating them. There was this one time when Souma confronted her for gushing over working hard to make sure the gardens were always perfect, and he accused her of being delusional because she had never raised a hand to help the attendants responsible for gardening. 

The Daffodil Garden was where the most significant tea parties were held, as its flowers symbolized the Royal Family—the crest, a circular shape adorned with golden borders, featured a white Daffodil flower with delicate light blue wings at its center. It also happened to be my brother Sora’s favorite spot, where he often spent his scarce free time reading books or simply basking in the sunlight.

“You’re wearing one of your favorite robes,” observed Souma, smiling broadly. “You should have told me you wanted to have tea at the Violet Garden.” 

I chuckled, sitting in the chair across from him, drooling at the sight of the various sweets on the table. “While it is accurate that my favorite garden is the Violet Garden, I do not mind enjoying the afternoon tea with you in this one.” I looked around, taking in the blue roses absorbing the sunlight and dancing whenever a soft breeze graced us with its presence. 

Souma inhaled deeply. “It’s a beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “Yes, it is. By the way, why were you absent from lunch with Father, Mother, and Sora?” I placed my Cat Guardian on the white wooden floor, where he promptly lay down on my bare feet and fell asleep.

My brother snorted, “I had lunch with some commoner friends at the market. Unlike our family, I do not mind spending time with those who are not a part of the nobility.” He clenched his hands into fists. “I despise how hypocritical everyone in the castle is with their almighty air around them while dozens of Angel Commoners are falling due to the attacks.”

I poured tea from the teapot into two teacups, inhaling the delicate smell of roses emanating from the liquid. “Can you take me to the Royal Capital someday? I would like to visit the downtown market and other places you always talk about.”

“Of course, Nami. It would be my pleasure to show you the Royal Capital.” He sipped from one of the teacups and closed his eyes. “Hmm… It tastes delicious,” he commented, visibly satisfied. “The attendants surely know how to prepare nice tea.”

I did the same, savoring the sweet taste of the flowery tea as it hit the right spots on my tongue. “It tastes really good,” I remarked. 

“So, how are things at school?” he asked while offering me a purple macaron, which I accepted and shoved into my mouth unceremoniously. 

After swallowing the sweet, I responded, “It is okay. I have made some friends, although I still eat lunch by myself in the garden every day.” 

It was true. Even though I had found it easier to interact with Shiokawa-san and Watanabe-san recently, I still refused to eat lunch with them at school, thanks to Ishii-san and Demon Boy. Speaking of the latter, I had not spoken to him at all since the night at the karaoke, but I did catch him gazing at me whenever we met by chance. 

“Why do you eat lunch by yourself?” Souma frowned. “You should spend as much time as possible with your friends because it will all be over in the blink of an eye.”

“What do you mean?” I munched on another purple macaron.

“It’s your final year in school, just like it is for your friends, who will likely move on to universities and start new chapters in their lives. The separation is inevitable, and your bonds will be tested or broken for various reasons.” 

“But I will not mind if it comes to that,” I mumbled, furrowing my eyebrows. “It is not like I care about them.”

Souma stared at me as though trying to read my face. “You have changed a lot, but at the same time, you haven’t,” he said, his tone almost scolding.

I admitted, “I can see why you are saying that, but I am the same angel as when I first left the kingdom and went to Tokyo, and I do not intend to change that. Besides, what is the point in reforming my emotions and actions to suit humans better when I will be back here once the attacks stop?”

Souma poured more tea into our teacups. “That’s not the point, Nami. You are missing a whole lot of experiences that will benefit you in the long run. Don’t you want to love someone? Laugh with your friends? Be happy?” 

The mention of love automatically sparked a memory of Demon Boy holding my hand; before I knew it, I found myself mumbling shyly,  “Hey, Souma. Do you know what love is? Have you ever fallen in love with someone?” 

He was visibly surprised as he replied, “Yes, I have. As a matter of fact, I’m still in love with them.”

“And how do you know when you are in love? What are the signs?” My voice came out low.

“The signs? Well, I guess you can’t stop thinking about a specific person; you feel your stomach fluttering, and your heartbeat increases like crazy. You also get all flushed and shy. You may stammer when you are talking to them, and you may also feel like your thoughts are hazy.” He chuckled. “I’m not an expert in the subject, but at least that’s what happens to me.”

Wait a minute. Cannot stop thinking about a specific person? Check. My stomach flutters when I think about him? Check. My heartbeat increases like crazy? Check. I get all flushed and shy when he is nearby? Check. Does that mean…? Demon Boy… Could it be? 

I covered my mouth with my hands and gasped, “No. No way. No, no, no. I cannot.” I shook my head.

“You cannot what? Are you in love with someone?” Souma pried, one eyebrow shooting up with curiosity. 

I bit my lips, refusing to respond.

“My little sister is finally in love. It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? It makes you feel alive and at the top of the world,” he cheered, rising to his feet and throwing his hands up in the air as though celebrating something. “I’m so happy for and proud of you, Nami.”

Unable to contain the mixed feelings of irritation and embarrassment, I snapped, “I am not in love with anyone, and I would like you to stop teasing me about it because it annoys me to no end. If you continue pushing me to become a human, I will never speak with you ever again.”

I knew that I might have gone too far, but I blamed it on those alien emotions swirling in my chest like a vortex.

Souma winced. “Ouch. Your words hurt me. I’m not pushing you to become a human; rather, I’m urging you to enjoy your experience as one before it’s too late. But fine, I’ll stop talking about it until you understand what I mean.” He flopped down onto the chair, his shoulders slumped. “You’ve become mean, Sis. You never snapped at me like this before.”

I suppose I have changed in more ways than I initially thought. 

“Let us resume our afternoon tea and have a pleasant conversation that does not offend and annoy either of us, shall we?” I softened my voice, an invisible white flag of peace offering waving over my head.

My brother smiled. “So, has your Cat Guardian met Father and Mother yet? If he has, how did he react?”

“Yuki met them during lunch, but he basically ignored them, and they did not try to touch him either. So far, you are the only angel he does not like.” I laughed.

He huffed, “Perhaps his values match with theirs, and he doesn’t like me because I’m not like them. By the way, how do you know Yuki is a he?” He glanced at the furball sleeping peacefully on my feet.

“Sora told me.”

“Hmph. Of course, the king did. But it’s great that Yuki can use magic, don’t you think? Even if it’s to play pranks on me.” He bit a vanilla cupcake—I had devoured five of them by then.

“Yes, it is,” I replied, finishing my sixth one. 

Souma and I spent the next hour eating sweets, drinking tea, and discussing matters regarding the human realm and the Kingdom of Angels. All the while, we were surrounded by beautiful roses, the sound of water in the fountains, and birds chirping happily. Despite the ongoing attacks outside, I felt that nothing would ever change inside the castle as long as I had my brothers and they had me.

* * *