Temptation (1)

"Nii-sama.... please... nii-sama... onegai… nii-sama... just this... Little Aya wants to eat sugar coated candy... Onegai… nii-sama..." a child who had big and doe eyes kept begging on her brother.

"Aya-chan... No...Your oka-sama said no to sugar coated candies... She said not to eat those..." the older brother shook his head with so much force.

"But.... Little Aya wanted to eat... just one..." she tugged the corners of his shirt as she continued to look up to him with her large doe eyes.

"When I said no... then that's final..." the brother said sternly...

He could not spoil Aya more or else he will be the one getting a spunk from her mother.

Aya cried.

Hick... Hick...

Her shoulders trembled and bobbed her down while rubbing her eyes which filled with so much tears. She felt sad.

Her brother forced himself not to look down and stared at the sky...

"Look! Look! Aya-chan... There's a sugar coated candy shaped clouds..." he wanted to cheer up his little sister but instead, the child cried even harder.

Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

"Aya-chan... Aya-chan don't cry... Okay... Okay... I'll buy you one stick... but don't tell your oka-san okay..." just to stop her from crying, he promised something that he should not have.

"Really? I won't tell... Little Aya will keep this a secret... Promise... Let's pinky swear okay?" Aya smiled when she heard her brother that he will buy her a sugar coated candy.

"Alright..." the brother then raised his pinky finger to lock with hers.

"Little Aya loves nii-sama the most... When I grow I up, I'll be your bride..." the child smiled as she was saying this. As she looked up on to her brother like a god.

"Then I will wait for you..." the voice of the boy slowly faded.

___________________________________________

5 years ago...

"Aya! Wake up! How long do you plan on sleeping?! It's almost 7:30! You'll be late for the entrance exams!!! Aya!!!!!!!!" a voice coming downstairs woke Aya up from her dream.

It has been a long time since she dreamt about the boy she had to live with when she was a child. She never knew his name but promised that she will be his bride when they grew up.

How silly of her!

She slowly rose from her bed after yawning and stretching her arms upward.

She tidied up her bed before getting her towel and shut her bathroom door with a loud bang! She showered and changed into her school uniform. She did not mind the incessant nagging coming from her mother and treated her as her daily music.

"Aya!!!! Hurry or you'll be late! Xander is already here to pick you up!!!" this is her mother. Haruko Lin.

"Coming!! Mother... You're so noisy.. The neighbors are all still sleeping. You'll wake them up!" Aya walked down on the staircase.

Haruko shot her a glare and walked towards the kitchen with a spatula in hand. When she came back to the living room, she already brought Aya's lunch box and Xander's.

She handed them over to the boy.

"Thanks Auntie for the trouble..." the boy bowed down. Aya walked towards the kitchen and grabbed the toasted breads. She tossed it to Xander before she greeted him.

"Morning Xander?!" she greeted the boy who had the same uniform pattern as her.

"Morning..." the boy curtly said as he pocketed the toasted bread.

"Aya! Hurry up! Geez!" Haruko still urging the snail-like Aya to fasten her move. She grabbed her school bag and shoved it right to her stomach.

"Thanks mother. I love you." she kissed Haruko's cheeks before walking out from their own house with Xander.

"I love you too child. Look after her Xander." Haruko bid farewell to the two and did not forget to remind Xander.

"I will Auntie... We'll get going then..." Xander closed the gates and followed Aya out in the road.

"Goodluck!" Haruko wished.

Aya smiled back at her mother. She even waved her.

"Ayaaaa!!!!! Look out!!!" the voice of Xander rang before everything went black.

She did not notice the approaching sports car and she was ran over by it. The driver wanted to fled but then was caught by Xander and beat him up.

Haruko clearly saw everything. She was shaken and shocked and came running towards Aya's direction.

"Ayaaaaaa!!!!!" she screamed in panic. The asphalt road dyed into red and the lifeless body of Aya lay down. Her beautiful hazel brown hair was in a mess. A lot of blood oozed from her head.

"Aya? Aya? Can you hear me? Open your eyes! Aya! Open your eyes! Please somebody! Call an ambulance! Help! Somebody! Call an ambulance! My daughter! No! My daughter! Nooo!!! Heeeellp!!" Haruko's tears came running down like little rivers. She panicked. She tightly held Aya's body and continued to call her name.

"Xander? Xander? Help! Aya... she... she's not moving... She's not breathing either.. Xander!!!" Haruko called the boys attention but then, he blankly stood there, staring at the lifeless body of his childhood friend.

He wanted to walk towards her yet his legs seemed not to have any force to move..

"Aya... she...." he muttered. Tears flown out from the corners of his eyes.

He could not save her. It was all too fast and he had no time to react.

Then the sirens of ambulance and police cars echoed down the small road of their community.

Xander lost his soul.

He was standing there until the sun had setted down. He could not move his legs at all. It was like he was planted strongly on the ground and had no ounce of energy could be summoned to walk away from that spot.

That evening rained and washed the dried blood away but he still remained there for a long time before he felt his legs weaken and flopped down on the asphalt road.

His sister went to fetch him and it was only then he walked away from that spot.

"Let's go..."