GOODBYE, LOUIS

-Haruka POV-

"Louis will be going to the States tonight." I told Hanabi, and she clearly looked shocked.

"Then, are you going to meet him?" She asked me with a serious face.

"Actually, I'm thinking about going." I said in a slow voice.

"Seriously, onii-chan? Did you forget what he did to you? To me? Are you seriously going to go to meet him now after everything he did to you? Do you still like him? Onii-chan, please. Just please forget about it. You're not going to see him. I don't want to see you get hurt again. Not again." Hanabi said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Hana-chan, calm down. I want to meet him, but not because I still like him. It's just that Levi's words keep ringing in my ears, making me keep thinking." I explained to her.

"What did Levi Ackerman tell you?" She looks at me with a serious face.

I then explained to her what Levi had told me earlier in the day.

"That's what Levi Ackerman told you. Then, what about you, onii-chan? What do you want to do?" She looks at me.

"I think I should go and let everything out." I replied to her with a smile, and she just smiled back.

"Then I'll go with you." She said it softly.

//SKIP//

-Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport-

We just arrived at the airport. 10:38 pm. Luckily, there's not much car on the road, so we can get here a bit faster. I look around to see where Louis is.

"Good evening to all passengers. This is the second boarding announcement for Ackerman Airlines flight 89B to New York that will depart at 11 pm." 

There it is. It must be Louis' flight. Again, I look around to find him. Where is he? Did he already board the flight? I kept looking, and finally...

"Louis!" I shouted, and he turned around. Shocked. Of course he's shocked. Who would think I'll be coming here after what he did? I make my way towards him. Hanabi followed me from behind.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to say goodbye to me? Or are you perhaps hoping to hear a word sorry from me? Even you, Charlotte? I thought you said you wouldn't want to see me anymore." Louis said it in a sarcastic tone, but I know, deep down, he didn't mean it.

"You bastard, my brother even made his way here just to see you, and that's all you have to say? You didn't even deserve forgiveness from my brother. Didn't you lear…"

"Hana-chan, mou ii (no more). You're right, I'm here to say my goodbye, but it's not because I hate you. Right, I don't like you anymore, but I don't hate you. I mean it. You know what? I'm sorry, but I have to say this. Unlike Levi, you're a coward, or should I say I am too? Maybe. The reason why I'm here right now is because of what Levi said to me. So here I am, in front of you right now. Not as Haruka Charles Auclair who likes Louis Ackerman, but as Haruka Charles Auclair who no longer has any feelings towards you. Maybe I'm an idiot for falling in love with you just because of the time we spent together and how nice you treat me. Even so, I'm grateful for our time together. Thanks to that, I could enjoy my time at Harvard in peace, right? I'm not sure what the future holds for me, but one thing is for sure is I'm not going to look back. I'm going to put the past behind me and find something better in the future. Well, you can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one, right? So, what I'm trying to say is I'm going to move on and have a better life ahead. So you too. Have a wonderful life there. Goodbye, Louis Ackerman." Finally, I said everything I wanted to say, and I have no regrets. Not at all. I look at Louis. I can tell he didn't expect me to tell him all that.

"Tch. You're right. Unlike Levi, I'm a coward. To be honest, I always envy Levi for who he is. He's been a very good brother since I was a kid, and even now, he still is. He even lectured me before I left. But it's just that I didn't see that in a good way. I've been jealous of him ever since he returned here. He's a perfect man, right? Even though my father favours me the most, of course he's going to keep Levi by his side because he's excellent at everything. I did so many things to take him down, including involving you, an innocent person. But then again, I didn't expect Levi to fall so hard for you. But you know, senpai, if the future you were talking about has something to do with Levi, you should know better. Levi is certain to be the Ackerman Group's next heir. And of course, he needs to keep the cycle going. I'm sure you know what I mean." Louis' words hit me hard. Yeah, I know what he meant, but why do I feel like this? Levi Ackerman has nothing to do with me.

"This is the final call for the passengers who booked for Ackerman Airlines flight 89B to New York that will depart at 11 pm. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately." There it is. The final call.

"Young master, we have to go now." A man standing behind Louis spoke. I guess he's Louis' personal butler.

"It looks like it's time for me to go. Well, Charlotte is right. I didn't deserve your forgiveness, but maybe for the first time in my life, I ask this from both of you. You don't have to forgive me, but I apologise for what I have done. Thank you for coming here and telling me that. I'll try my best to have a good life there." He doesn't look like it, but I know those words coming from his mouth just now are sincere. With that, he left to board the plane.

"So, how are you feeling? Much better?" Hanabi asked me as soon as Louis left.

"Yeah, much better. Thanks to you." I lied. It feels like another rock hit me hard, and I don't even know why.

"Well, that's good then. I think he's starting to realize what he did was wrong, too. But well, he still needs to be punished, right?" Hanabi said, looking for my opinion.

"I guess you're right. It's late. How about you just stay the night at my place tonight?" I suggested.

"Sure! You have to make me breakfast tomorrow." She grinned.

"Hai, hai. I will. Let's go back." Then we leave the airport and go back home.

//SKIP//

I just finished showering and getting ready to go to bed. It's a bit late today. I guess Hanabi already went to bed, as it's quiet already. I lay on my bed and looked at my phone. I look at Levi's contact name.

'I feel a bit lighter now, thanks to you.' Sent.

I don't know what comes into me right now, so I send a message to Levi. Maybe it's not too late to delete it, right? Damn it. He's typing already. He sure is fast.

-Levi's Home-

-Levi POV-

I'm getting ready to sleep and just playing around with my phone, but then a message from Haruka popped up. OMG, he's texting me first this time.

'I feel a bit lighter now, thanks to you.' That's what the message said. I type a reply with a smile on my lips.

'I assume you did meet Louis then." I replied, and a moment later I got a reply.

"Yeah. I feel a lot better now. Well, that's all. I'm going to sleep now. Bye." He replied. I can imagine what face he's making right now.

"Alright. Have a good night's sleep, Haru-chan. See you at work." With that, I turned off my phone and went to bed with a smile.

-The Next Day-

Today, the board meeting will be held as my grandfather requested. Well, it should be tomorrow, actually, but my grandfather needs to follow my request instead. Now, Haruka and I are on our way to the meeting room.

"Mr. Auclair, it's been a while since I met you." Out of nowhere, my grandfather appeared.

"Yeah, it's good to see you, Chairman. I'm sorry for the sudden change of meeting schedule, sir." Haruka bowed. He doesn't need to apologise seriously.

"Don't worry about that. After all, Levi has something more important to do. He's preparing for y…"

"Grandfather, you're earlier than expected." I cut off my grandfather's words. He almost leaked the secret. I glared at my grandfather, and he just gave me an apologetic smile. 

"What are you talking about? I must be punctual, even if I'm the chairman. This is going to be my second last meeting, btw. I won't attend any meetings again later on, hahaha." My grandfather laughed, and I didn't find that funny at all.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Haruka asked.

"I'm getting older, Mr. Auclair. It's about time I leave the company to Levi's father, and Levi will be the next heir too."

TO BE CONTINUED!!!