Eternal Melody

Chapter 684 I knew

　　Without fail, he makes the impossible a reality. 

　　'What I want will always take priority, and what I want the most is for you to smile. Shall we make a bet? I bet that as long as you remain by my side, you will be the happiest person in this world.'

　　Recalling Yuhi's words from back then, Sumire paused and sighed. Truly, what is with that person? How did he predict? No, how did he say something like that without getting embarrassed? No, what bothered her then was how easily he said it and with so much confidence.

　　Back then, she responded and told him to stop being arrogant, and the conversation ended with her walking away. But, she clearly recalled how unsettled her heart felt. In the end, Yuhi's prediction came true. When she was not by his side, she was an emotional mess and caused so many problems. How many dangerous jobs did she accept just because she wanted to forget and ease the loneliness in her heart? 

　　How many stupid actions did she take when he wasn't around? Not even Ru could stop her. It's no wonder Ru tried so hard to convince her to meet with Yuhi.

　　After she was sure that Yuhi was gone, she took her phone out of her pocket.

　　From: Eli

　　(Attached photo)

　　Found him.

　　She hesitantly opened the attachment, it was only the back view, but she knew it was him immediately.

　　'Ru, you really are stupid.'

　　Right at that moment, Eli called, and Sumire immediately accepted it.

　　"You were right, Queen. Tsueno Mamoru is part of D entertainment."

　　Sumire sighed deeply, hearing those words. "For once, I wanted to be wrong."

　　But, when she first heard about the company. It was the first thought that came to mind. Ru's situation in the facility and how he hasn't contacted her. It's all because he infiltrated the enemy's side.

　　Right now, Ru is a member of the Black Alice organization. He even went through the brainwashing procedure. However, it seems they cannot fully control him. Regardless of his brainwashed state, he still recognizes who she is when he is in front of her.

　　"So, should I approach him?"

　　"You can, but only to give your greetings, and then you can decide when to speak to him properly."

　　It would be bad if Eli revealed his identity when Ru is in a brainwashed state.

　　"Very well, and now more importantly. You sound exhausted."

　　"Since I discovered what he was doing, I have been worrying every day," Sumire admitted. "Lucifer is not stupid; he must know that he cannot fully control Ru and that Ru has his own motives."

　　"I have seen the brainwashing procedure, and I have to admit that a normal person shouldn't be able to break free of it. After all, it involves getting hold of a person's weakness and making it worse. A person's deepest fears and scars."

　　"But, it's possible to break it?" Sumire interjected.

　　"You have to have an equally powerful emotion to overcome it."

　　An equally powerful emotion, huh?

　　'No matter what happens, I will stand by your side and protect you.'

　　'For me, it's enough as long as your smiling.'

　　'Ki, I love you.'

　　A flood of images appeared in her head, and she clenched her fist.

　　Sometimes she wishes she could throw it all away and run after Ru and tell him, 'let's run away together.' She almost did, back when she first found him. When she saw him, she felt so overwhelmed, but she didn't entertain the idea of escaping with him until she saw those people experimenting on him.

　　'I thought, why does he have to suffer like this?'

　　Ru who was always helping people and ensuring that they lived peaceful lives.

　　But, that reckless thought disappeared quickly when she thought of Yuhi. She knew it would be difficult for her to suppress her feelings again. After experiencing being his girlfriend, how could she possibly pretend nothing happened between them?

　　Eli interrupted her silence. "It is up to you what to do with Tsueno Mamoru. So far, it seems Aki-san hasn't noticed. But when he does, it will be trouble."

　　"I am aware."

　　Even if Aki is laid back and casual, she knows how 'seriously' he took betrayals. If he finds out Mamoru is with the Black Alice organization, she can imagine the worst-case scenario.

　　'I could talk to him about it, but that might backfire.' So far, he doesn't know, so before he finds out, she has to meet with Ru.

　　"While it's natural for you to worry, please do not overexert your health. Remember how powerful the human mind is."

　　Sumire sighed, hearing those words.

　　"Quite some time has passed since you last nagged at me."

　　"This is because you have been sending me on unreasonable jobs." Eli trailed off. "Are you trying to keep me occupied, so I do not mess with Nagawa Sano?"

　　"I told you before, the situation with Sano is complicated, so I will handle it myself."

　　"Then maybe I should turn to Hino-kun." 

　　At those words, Sumire frowned, and she said sharply. "Eli, what are you trying to do?"

　　"I am just wondering what the state of your heart is right now, Queen. You love Terashima Yuhi; there is no doubt about that. But, what will you do about the other men who clearly love you? Hino-kun especially, I believe he harbors stronger feelings for you than you may think."

　　"..."

　　Hino's feelings for her, huh? It's not like she hasn't noticed. Even though he said that Yuhi is more important, his actions sometimes say otherwise. However, now that she knows that she had a past with Hino too. She doesn't want to continue feigning ignorance because she has known him even longer than Mamoru. She at least wants to admit it in front of one person.

　　"How can I not know?" Sumire laughed weakly. "Hino is just as clumsy as Yuhi-san. I knew."

　　He practically gave it away that time he kissed her.

　　"The lower the chances are, the more you feel like its fate, right?"

　　Sumire blinked, hearing those words. "Fate, huh?"

　　"I'm sure Hino-kun understands your feelings too."

　　"There is no need; our current relationship is fine. Moreover, I cannot do anything until I have regained all my memories."

　　"The reason for your memory loss was Hino-kun. If you want to regain it, you must ask him yourself."

　　"I know."

　　But Hino is very stubborn, she has made several attempts to ask him before, and yet he has casually evaded every question. However, with the current situation, having missing memories will not help. She has to remember everything about her childhood, about these powers that made her an evolved human.