A reconnection of bond

A red head twirled her pencil in a distracted manner, not paying too much attention to her class. She didn't need to anyway, she had already read the chapter ahead of the class.

The day has not been kind to the boy of her interest, despite the day being relatively normal for everyone. It was all normal, where students were doing what normal students do. It all changed the moment she felt a presence.

It was weak, but there was no doubt that it was divine in nature. The presence was similar to the one that had lingered on the boy she was interested in.

Did the boy gain the favor of a goddess? If so, what faction did the goddess belong to? Was she an enemy? What if she was here to take the boy in question for something she had planned?

So many questions and yet there were very little answers for her. She hoped she could consult the previous owner of Kuoh territory so she could help her. The experience would definitely fix the problem she is facing.

She internally sighs and pushes away that feeble wish. She can't rely too much on the adults, and the owner was gone already. The only choice left is to investigate the goddess. But how?

'Maybe… I can approach him?'

It could be a reasonable start. Despite the reputation the boy had, she honestly doesn't mind the antics of the boy. Though there was a small part of her that he could tone down a bit.

Maybe step by step was the right idea.

"Rias, could you answer this question?"

Rias blinked, breaking out of her musing. She quickly put on a practiced smile and nodded. "Yes sir."

*---------break---------*

Miki felt something was wrong the moment Lumine came home with a moody face. She wanted to ask her what was wrong, only interrupted by the girl going straight upstairs.

She followed the girl to see her lingering gaze at Issei's door with morbid curiosity and… fear?

Something clicked in Miki's mind, she realized what was wrong now. Lumine has found out about her son's degeneracy.

It was quite the miracle that the past few weeks Issei barely showed any sign of perversity. She doesn't know if that applied to him at the school but she had no control of him there.

But for now… she needed to help a girl.

"Hotaru?" Said girl turned to the mother in surprise before biting her lips.

"I have questions." She sounded sad and a bit of a horse, almost like the days when her depression hit her.

"You want to know more about Issei?" The girl nodded. Miki sighed and gestured to the girl to follow her. "We will talk in the living room. It's… a bit of a long story."

Lumine didn't say a word and followed Miki, feeling something gripping her heart as they walked.

She will find out the truth and judge the boy herself.

Even if it hurts like hell.

*---------break---------*

By the time Issei returned home, he barely felt like living anymore. It's exaggerated for many people, but to a teenager it meant the entire world.

And that was the thing, Issei was a teenager with teenager stress. He felt that friendship and living life to the fullest was his priority. But that kind of life does bring issues and drama.

That was what's happening to him. He was currently forced to confront an issue that he created. His perversity and antics had caused a wrench in his bond with Lumine.

He wanted to fix this problem. He wanted to salvage anything between him and Lumine… his first true friend since Irina left him.

He opened the front door and announced his return, which was acknowledged by his mother. Speaking of his mother, he has to return the lunchbox and apologize to her. Just as he entered the living room, he saw his mother was busy in the kitchen already.

He placed the lunchbox near the sink and walked up to her.

"She knows." Miki simply stated. Issei could only nod sadly.

"I screwed up." He could hear his voice crack slightly when he said that. He knew it affected him, but he was slightly surprised that he was affected this much.

Miki merely sighed and continued her work in the kitchen. "If I were you, I would do something about it. But this is you son," she stopped and turned to Issei. "You can choose to do what you want to do right now."

She held her tongue for one more thing she was about to say, but she knew if she said it, it could cause Issei to become reckless. Afterall, the boy was still somewhat guilty about breaking her husband's fishing rod.

Issei, on the other hand, strewn in his thoughts for a moment. His mother was right about making a choice now. He could leave things be, and let the dust settle before fixing things. But what would be the consequences? The scar that can be left behind?

He knew what kind of person he was. A pervert, otaku and many times an idiot. But he remembered the times he beat up himself for all the failures he did before.

And in those times, he always did one thing.

He took a deep breath before thanking his mother, opting to take a shower first to get rid of the grime and sweat on his body.

He got someone to apologize to.

*---------break---------*

Lumine stayed in her own room after dinner, which she did not join with the Hyoudou family. She didn't want to confront Issei just yet, still trying to digest the fact that the boy had an ambition.

Did he want to woo her the whole time? All his actions to help her and everything he said, was it a ploy to capture her heart?

Miki said that Issei, while a pervert, was not malicious in nature. The boy has a bleeding heart, sometimes two if his 'failures' are particularly worse. The boy was known to go above and beyond for anyone just so he could help them in their problems.

So then, who was Issei? A pervert with a dream to obtain as many women as he wants? A teenager with too much heart to give? Or her saviour, who reached out his hands to her in the rain of despair?

Just then, a knock on her door caught her attention. With no reason to deny whoever was on the other side, she opened the door. She immediately regretted it.

Issei was on the other side with a forlorn look. She was not ready yet, but the boy made her want to speak to him. But she can't, not yet. So her solution was to close the door.

Issei stopped it with his hand and asked her to wait. "I… I just want to talk to you, please."

With how sad yet sincere his pleading sound, it became hard for Lumine to deny him. With a resigned sigh, she allowed the boy to enter her room.

She went and sat on her own bed before turning to the boy. She was immediately surprised by him kneeling down to her, with his face planted on the floor as if he was worshipping her.

But in the Japanese culture, it was a sign of humiliation.

"I'm sorry, Hotaru." She was shocked at this gesture. The boy had gone out of his way to show humility to apologize to her. "I guess… I should've told you everything about me than hiding, right?"

"Rise your head." She spoke with an authoritative tone and Issei did so. "That… was one of the things I am disappointed in."

'One of the things?' Issei became curious, but he remained silent. It would ruin everything he had done in his quest for forgiveness.

"The other thing is… You made me confused, why do you do this?"

Issei remained speechless, trying to come up with anything to speak. His mouth opened then immediately closed as he constantly changed his mind on how to respond to her.

"Are you trying to woo me, Issei Hyoudou?"

"No!" Issei quickly shut his mouth when he realized he shouted. He was not making everything better right now, and he needed to do better.

"I… okay, I was at first." He began explaining. "But as time goes, I just want to help you."

He recalled his initial agenda, to woo the girl by being nice and, if possible, cool to her. To capture her heart so that he could start his journey as a harem king.

But real life was not like this. The dream to capture the hearts of multiple women, court them, and eventually build a family with them was an impossible dream in this society. Polygamy was frown upon in this world afterall.

"I saw how depressed you were." The sobbing he could hear in the middle of the night, the screaming of fear when she woke up from her nightmares, and the state she became when she was consumed in her negative thoughts.

"And… I can't let that happen. I just know that this is not how you're supposed to be. You got sad moments, happy moments, stupid moments, and so much more. But being sad all the time… I just can't accept that!"

Lumine slowly understood the boy, and what his mother meant when he had more than one bleeding heart. He may be selfish for his dreams to become the Harem King, but he always has the genuine heart to help people in need.

"That's why I made that promise!" The promise to find her brother. "I want… I want to make your wish come true, Lumine." Issei Hyoudou declared with all of his heart and determination. He doesn't care whether their relationship was irreparable, as long as he can help her.

Silence filled the room and the only sound left was the wind produced by the ceiling fan. Neither spoke, but they knew they needed the silence to think.

Lumine has no words anymore. The boy had gotten her speechless at his explanation and determination. The boy really knew his way of the words.

Honestly, he would've achieved his dream if he had shown this side of him more. But what was stopping him, perhaps she would never know.

"If…" she started slowly, still trying to gather her thoughts. "If you really want to grant my wish… then be better, Issei. You have shown me your determination and touched my heart with your words just now."

Issei felt hope rising up inside him. Did he do it?

"Which is why… I'll allow you to help me." Lumine gave a small smile, feeling the pain in her heart slowly disappearing. "I'm so happy that you just want to help Issei, instead of trying to court me."

Issei immediately gave her a hopeful yet bashful smile. "If you're okay with it-"

"Absolutely not. You are not exactly out of trouble yet." The boy comically dropped on the floor and muttered "Damnit". She wanted to laugh, but she still had things to tell.

"I appreciate our friendship Issei. So I'm giving you this chance to prove to me that you can keep my promise. I don't want you to change into another person. I want you to be better."

Issei nodded in understanding. He knew what she wanted out of him in their friendship. He would offer her his aid while she asked him to become better. A fair trade honestly.

"Now I think about it, are you still performing degenerate acts in your room?" She raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Issei immediately denied that. "I've been trying out poetry lately." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I just… feel like writing down some of my feelings in it ever since I've seen you."

So he wasn't doing anything degenerate, but instead something more interesting. But now she was curious about it.

"Can I read those poems?" Issei contemplated for a moment before nodding and left for his room. When he returned with a notebook, he flipped through some pages and then handed it to Lumine.

That night, both of them spent time reading Issei's past poems. Unfortunately for Issei, tonight he couldn't make a new one.

Despite that, he felt happy that their relationship was fixed. That night, Lumine slept soundly without any dream.