Chapter 9 Seele

(Seele's POV)

I continued to wander through the Sea of Quanta, observing Aron's past experiences within it.

First, he grew up in the slump but remained committed to helping others despite his small stature.

His mother worked tirelessly to provide for him, and Aron, aware of her sacrifices, showed great consideration for her.

He was incredibly endearing; even at a young age, he prioritized the well-being of others over himself.

I decided that I would be the one to take care of him if he couldn't take care of himself.

Mhmm... I had a feeling that Bronya-Onee-Chan would do the same, even though she was unaware of his past.

"Wait, isn't that a dangerous spot for him to sit?" I murmured as I watched the young Aron sat at the window on a rainy day.

Suddenly, his hands slipped, and he fell.

I immediately tried to catch him, but my body passed through him.

"What?" I couldn't help but be shocked when I saw a wounded Aron, blood flowing from his head, with a sharp stone embedded in it.

"Aron!" I exclaimed, shocked by the sight of the blood. I tried to remove the stone and carry him, but a woman with long, beautiful black hair rushed to him, wearing a worried expression. She quickly took him to the bathroom and washed the wound, but the blood continued to flow. So, his mother rushed to Aron's grandfather's house.

His grandmother looked at Aron with horror, and his grandpa swiftly started his motorbike, carrying Aron to the hospital.

A checkpoint happened to be there and stopped them, but upon seeing Aron covered in blood, the police provided them with a ride, which was much faster.

Fortunately, the hospital was nearby, and surprisingly, Aron appeared calm. Instead of crying due to his wounds, he seemed more troubled by the fact that he had caused trouble for everyone by getting injured and sending him to the hospital.

"He's an idiot," my other self remarked, but despite her sharp tongue, I could sense her worry too.

I let out a sigh of relief that he was all right. However, I don't think anyone noticed the glowing stigma on his back.

I see, he has a stigma. No wonder Mother-Cocolia allowed him to participate in an experiment.

Time passed, and it had been eight years. Aron still couldn't see me; it was just a glimpse into the past.

The more I watched over him, the more I found myself falling for him.

Despite the accident, Aron still didn't take care of himself. Instead, he was more focused on the well-being of others.

I both hated and loved that side of him. He ignored his pain to make others smile.

"Just as I told you, he's an idiot, just like you," my other self sneered at me. Despite the years that had passed, she was still a tsundere.

"Who are you calling a tsundere!?" She shouted with a huff and vanished once again, probably hiding in the checkered space.

I couldn't help but giggle and continue watching. I wanted to see his entire past.

As time passed once again, I saw him talking to a girl around the age of fifteen, similar to his age. By the way he looked at her, I knew he loved her, and by the way she looked at him, I knew she loved him too.

What was this pain I was experiencing in my chest? Ah, I see, I loved him too. I wondered if Bronya-Onee-Chan loved him as well.

Recalling how Bronya looked at Aron, I was certain she loved him more than a brother or sister.

Wait, I always felt that Aron looked at me with the same gaze. Hehehe, just as I thought, he loved me too.

Once I realized that Big Brother Aron loved me, I couldn't help but wiggle with excitement.

As I continued watching, Aron confessed his feelings at the same time as the girl did.

The two of them embraced and kissed each other.

I wondered how it felt to kiss Big Brother Aron.

"Seele! He was kissing another girl, and here you are, thinking about how it feels to kiss him?" My other self questioned.

I gave her my best smile. "I know I can't have him all to myself, so he can have me, and I know that Bronya, Sin Mal, Liliya, and Rozaliya loved him too."

"That's why it would be unfair for me to have him only for myself. Even Bronya-Onee-Chan would think the same."

My other self was taken aback by my answer and let out a deep sigh as she gazed at Aron's image.

When I returned my gaze to my other self, I saw her staring intently at his image while holding a fan with a picture of Aron on it.

"In the end, you are still me, and I'm still you," I couldn't help but mutter because she had fallen for him too.

"Did you enjoy the show?" I heard the familiar voice seated next to me. "I didn't know that you were a stalker, Seele," he said, flashing his smile at me.

That bright smile, his words, and the depth of emotion behind them – those were the things I had missed the most, and he was the person I had yearned for deeply.

Without a moment's hesitation, I leaped into his embrace, hugging him with all my strength and overflowing with emotion.

_ _ _

(Aron's POV)

Opening a Garganta to the Sea of Quanta, I immediately leaped inside and found Seele looking intently at a particular bubble. To my surprise, it displayed an image of me along with my ex-girlfriend.

"Sensei, what is that bubble within the Sea of Quanta?" I inquired.

[Report: That's a bubble where an alternative route happened, and some are complete copies.]

Seeing that image stirred some painful memories, but I reminded myself that the past was behind me, and the present was where my heart belonged. I already loved someone else, but now, it seemed I had unwittingly captured the affection of two people. Why not make it three?

An idea suddenly struck me, and I walked over to Seele. "Did you enjoy the show?" I asked, playfully teasing her with a smile.

To my surprise, she leaped into my embrace, hugging me tightly. Her recognition of me was heartwarming; I had half-expected her to react with fear or aggression.

"I miss you," she murmured, her head resting against my chest. "It seems I've come to know a lot about you, Aron-Nii."

She looked up at me, her smile warm and genuine. Then, she placed her lips on mine in a sudden, unexpected kiss.

"So this is what it feels like to kiss someone," she mused. "It may not have a taste, but it fills me with warmth and a fuzzy feeling. I want to cherish these feelings, and I want you to cherish your feelings too," she confessed, hugging me even tighter.

"Seele, does this mean...?" I began, wanting to hear it directly from her.

"Yes, it does," she affirmed, her gaze shifting to the floating bubble that displayed an image of me, tears in my eyes as I watched my ex-girlfriend embrace and passionately kiss another man.

"I see. So she cheated on you?" Seele muttered, her voice tinged with sympathy. With my enhanced senses, I could still hear her clearly. She gave me a knowing smile and then said, "Nii? Can I... kill her?"