Gate Guardian - Song Of The Frozen Soul

"R-Rikkun, that"s-"

"Yeah." He cut me. "The Fake G.o.d Core of Cthulhu. When I died, I was transported back to the realm of the Frozen Soul. I had a long talk with the Outsider, and he gave me this again. He said that this might be able to help us defeat Helena."

"B-But are you sure you can control it?" I pressed my face forward and looked at him eye-to-eye.

"I…" Rikkun bit his lip. "I don"t know. It may trigger my inner hatred. That"s why I wanted to ask you first. What do you think?"

"I"m sorry, I don"t know." I bowed. My fingers crawled unto his wrist and pulled it to my chest. "But I do know that I can trust you. Whatever your decision is, I"ll support you."

"Thanks, Tiara." Rikkun blushed.

There was this awkward wind again as silence engulfed us two.

"I… I have something to confess too." I bowed. "Helena will come back for me after a month. She will come back to kill me. That"s the deal we had in exchange for letting us go. I"m sorry if I had to do that… Honestly, I"m scared to die… But I"m more scared to lose you..."

As tears are about to slide on my cheeks, Rikkun immediately patted my head.

"You won"t lose me. I won"t lose you. I"ll make sure of that." The handsome man"s smile immediately filled a bucketful of hope in my heart. "Once she comes back, we"ll be ready to defeat her."

"R-Rikkun…"

"Hey, we"re going overly dramatic here." Rikkun looked away as he scratched his scalp. He made a soft sigh and then continued the Confession Game. "Well, it"s my turn now. What should I confess? Hmmm… Oh right! I had a of you dying!"

"W-What!?"

"Well, actually, that already happened. I saw Helena stabbing you with the but I fought with all my might to save you. You"re supposed to die that night but I used myself as a sacrifice instead! I won against fate once more! Hahaha! F*ck destiny!"

His bright smile is contradicting his dark story. It"s like he"s having fun telling such doomed fate at all. He"s even laughing.

"R-Rikkun, that"s not funny!" I scolded him. "And I told you already that you should tell everyone if you had a so that we can help you! Geez!" I sulked.

"Hahaha!" He rubbed his palms unto my head once again. "I"m sorry if I didn"t tell you. I don"t want you to worry."

"So… You had a new ?" I asked.

He just waved his index finger at my face. "I"ll tell you more about it, but it"s your turn to confess!"

"...Auuu…" I cried. "This is so unfair, Rikkun."

"Come on now! Don"t be shy! Confess!" He gave a steady smirk.

I...I have run out of confessions to make! I can"t confess my feelings to him! What should I do!? What should I do!? Think, Tiara, think!

Oh, I know!

"Did you know? The generation of Brightmore Witches never had a mole, birthmark, pimple, freckle, and pubic hair on their body!"

…

What…

What did I just saaaaaaaaaay!?

Steam gushed out from my ears as I bowed down. That"s so embarra.s.sing. Oh my gosh, I"m so awkward!

Meanwhile, Rikkun held his chin as if he was in deep thought. "I see. I see. So that"s why your skin is so flawless." He repeatedly muttered casually as if it"s not a perverted thing at all!

Rikkun gently hammered his palm as he began to talk. "Okay, I"ll surrender! You win! I"ve run out of confessions to make! Tiara, wait here while I buy you some ice cream."

"B-But Rikkun, you still have the ..."

"I"m just kidding about that one! That"s the last I had, so I think n.o.body will die in the next chapters!" He said as he rushed to the vendor.

<>

After a few minutes, he came back. He was holding two large ice cream cones that have strawberry whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a wafer stick. When he lent it to me, I stared at it for a while.

I looked at the kids who are pa.s.sing by who had the same flavor of ice cream, licking it casually as they walk together. They looked so happy.

"Why?" Rikkun asked. "You don"t like it?"

"N-No, I think this is amazing." I made a fake smile. "It"s just that… Miss Awane and my fellow Idol Club members said that cold sweets would ruin my voice so I should avoid it."

"Hey, you should at least try it," Rikkun said. "It"s bad to break the rules, but it"s okay to slightly bend it. Besides, I"ll use my to repair your sensitive vocal cords."

I stared at the ice cream again. It really looks so delicious.

So without resisting further, I grabbed a bite.

"I-It"s so good~" I felt that I was in heaven while my taste buds melt the icy sweet-and-sour strawberry flavor.

"Told ya." Rikkun smiled.

I was halfway eating my ice cream when suddenly, three pigeons landed in front of us. They looked at me as if they are waiting for me to toss my food.

I"m not a glutton (I am to some extent), so I pinched a little of the crunchy cone and gave it to the birds. They seem to enjoy it. Soon, the other pigeons flocked around me. They even landed on my shoulders and thighs, and they started to gently peck my skin and hair that made me ticklish.

Rikkun must"ve been envied me, so he did the same. But before he could divide his crunchy cone, the birds started to a.s.sault him!

"What the-!!!"

"R-Rikkun!" I cried. Even the birds who originally went at me are now attacking him! They"re pecking on his food and clawing his face! They hate him so much for some reason!

After three seconds, the pigeons overpowered Rikkun as about fifty of them came to kill him. It"s like he"s a poor victim in a zombie apocalypse right now…

"Rrrraaaaaagh!" His painful screams are full of anger. "I"ll kill you! I"ll kill you all, you G.o.ddarn birds!"

Suddenly, Rikkun held his chest, which glowed with a faint gray light!

"!!!"

"Rikkun, don"t!"

<>

After triggering Rikkun"s wrath, we sat on the other bench, away from those evil birds. His face is full of claw marks and b.u.mps, but don"t worry. I"m casting on his face. I covered my hand with a handkerchief so that the people pa.s.sing by won"t suspect us.

"Thanks, Tiara. I"m really in bad luck recently." He said.

"Ahahaha… Bad luck happens to me almost all the time." I forced a laugh. "Maybe sticking with me makes it contagious."

"Not as contagious as the smell of someone approaching," Rikkun said as he turned to his left.

It was a blue-haired teenager who has a slightly bulked body build than Rikkun. He"s wearing an unwashed fur jacket that has been the breeding ground of mosquitoes.  

"Mister Heushac," I muttered.

Heushac is about to cry when he saw Rikkun well, alive, and kicking.

"R-Ric… You"re alive."

"Yes. I"m surprised too, considering that I took a lot of beating from your crazy sister." Rikkun smirked. "It seems like you want to tell me something."

"Y...Yes." Heushac bowed.

The revived king looked at me. "Tiara, go home without me. This fool would like to have a heart-to-heart bro talk with me. Hashtag noh.o.m.o."

"Y-Yes." I bowed. Then I stood up and walked away, leaving the two best friends on the scene.

Oh, I waved goodbye at Rikkun, and he waved back. I"m really glad that I had a date with him~

Anyway, I"m sure Heushac has a lot of things to think about. I"ve also felt the same pain when my own twin brother killed three of my lover"s friends. At first, I don"t know what to do, but we figured out the best course of action after a while. I"m sure Heushac will find his answer too. He just needs some time and someone to talk to.

I also have to think about some other problem too. Because some kind of trouble awaits me at my home.

[Days before Helena"s Return: 28]