Only with Your Heart

Watachito, Kekkon, Shitekdasai...

Before Chizuru's eyes, it instantly darkened, and I could see myself drawing a little blood from his face.

What's that one saying...? Marry? With who?

With Luklov?

His heart pulsed even harder, and his palpitations made his breath painful enough. Chizuru unconsciously tried to take a step back, but his leg snapped and stumbled on his heel, hitting something and making a Katan noise.

A woman called Lone, Ruklov, Nadal and Lady Exia turned in the direction of the Thousand Cranes simultaneously. Which eyes were showing surprise, especially Lady Exia, who is stunned and eye-opening as if frightened.

"Who are you? You're not polite enough to listen to people."

It was a tall voice and a quick talk that fit the flashy appearance.

Moreover, there is so much arrogance, such as suddenly visiting at such a late night and questioning his identity against the man of the castle who appeared. Thousands of cranes should have the right to ask who you are first.

Nevertheless - if she is already close to Ruklov and has visited this castle many times, it may be different. Chizuru, who noticed it, turned bright blue and turned his back on the Luklovs to try to leave the Great Hall.

"Chizuru!"

It was Lone who shouted his name.

But a few seconds later, when he looked back strongly, it was Ruklov standing there.

"Ya, let go... eh"

Thousand cranes managed to speak of resistance, but I knew they were no match for each other by force. Ruklov has a tough face and looks down at Chizuru, breathing roughly on his shoulders.

"Don't get me wrong. She's just a guest. There's no point in talking about it right now..."

Ruklov was trying to go on explaining further, but Chizuru was upset and unwilling to listen any further. A word he releases pierces his chest like a bow.

Guests.

Guests.

Same as Chizuru......

"Then she doesn't mean she's like me! Was Alde lying? Did she use my room?

The noise of rain echoing from the outside was heavy, and maybe Chizuru's suppressed cry would not have reached the others.

Though Thousand Cranes thought I could be asked.

Luklov's pitch-black eyes darken as darkened darkness even more, staring at Chizuru in frustration. His jaw was eaten up as hard as a beast trying to give him a roar of warning. The power to hold Chizuru's hand was even stronger, so painful.

Not a very good trend.

But even Chizuru has a heart.

Whatever you think it doesn't matter how much you're just a mistress of your body, or how much you know the blame for leaving Lucrov alone for fourteen years is on you, the painful things are painful. What hurts hurts. I don't like anything I don't like.

"Let go... because it hurts"

When Chizuru pleaded, Ruklov looked much more regrettable and loosened his hand. But his gaze remained stuck on Chizuru, and he didn't let it be slight.

"No other woman has ever used that room. Every other human being."

In a painfully low voice, Ruklov swore so.

That must have been a dialogue to calm down Chizuru. I don't even think that he, a knight of honor, would lie about this. But Chizuru got sad instead.

At no time does Ruklov deny the word that Chizuru is a 'guest'.

With attitude, with body...... that's what shows me love all over my body, but it doesn't make me a clear word. They made me recognise that, and I just regret it.

"If... there's not a lot of other places..."

Sufferingly, Chizuru had inadvertently argued so.

Ruklov's expression darkened even further, and Chizuru was quickly engulfed with regret, but there was no more escape route. Chizuru was not relieved until he heard something definitive. Conversely, if Luklov would have said 'it', Chizuru would have forgiven him all and believed all his words.

Maybe Luklov feels that from the eyes of a thousand cranes, too.

But Ruklov's dialogue, which followed, was symbolic again.

"If you could see how I've lived the last fourteen years, you wouldn't be able to say that..."

I know. I know. I believe it.

But Chizuru was just a woman, and there was a beautiful woman standing right there begging him to marry her, sad and hurt. I really needed a clear word.

If you love me, just that one word.

That's all I need... that's all I need!

Chizuru was running out shaking off Luklov's hand when he noticed. Thousands of cranes rushed through the corridor with so much momentum that they just didn't know they could run so fast that when they entered the dining room, they headed straight for the little door that led from there to the outside. I couldn't breathe and I wanted to get some air outside.

It has nothing to do with rain. I just wanted to get wet in the rain and wash away the tears that were going to overflow.

The thick wooden door was only covered from the inside, and when Chizuru pushed it up at will, it was easy to open it and get out.

The rain at night is stronger than I thought, with cold winds gushing hard at my skin.

The coat was feather-woven, but underneath it was too cold for a thousand cranes just for sleeping. Still, Chizuru proceeded through the wet darkness. The ground was dirt, which had already been softened by inhalation of rain, so he was immediately taken off his feet, and Chizuru fell to the front. I got my knees and hands in the mud, so the pain was less, but soon my remorse creeps up, and my tears overflow.

Why did you go back to Japan then?

Though I knew it was for my grandmother, Chizuru was swallowed up by a vortex of deep regret, which made her so bitter that she couldn't even breathe.

It was sweet, Ruklov.

Luklov, who was passionate, protected and loved Thousand Cranes whenever and whenever.

I don't care how much you open your mind now, maybe you can't go back to the two of those days. Lucrov had fourteen years without his knowledge of a thousand cranes, and with deep heartbreaks, he began to turn away the thousand cranes...

The words of love that came out so naturally with Luklov's mouth back then are now so far away, so heavy...

"Phew... Phew..."

Maybe he's just having high emotions with his period. But Chizuru cried as he snorted up like a child.

I wanted to stay wet in the rain, melt, muddy and disappear.

I think of Lucrov going up to the altar with that Lady Exia and kissing her vows. Chizuru has to see it alone from the last seat of the shadow...

"Chizuru, stand up! If you're in a place like this, you'll catch a cold!

Suddenly, I heard Ruklov screaming in my ear, and I noticed him hugging me all over my back. Ruklov immediately made Chizuru stand as he lifted her off the ground and turned around, wrapping her face with both hands.

"Ya... luklov..."

Chizuru snapped with a frightened voice, but Ruklov shook his head.

"It's just you to me. Chizuru, you're always the only one. I can't imagine how much I've looked for you for fourteen years. And,"

Ruklov cut the words here once and put his face closer to Chizuru.

His face, wet by the rain, appeared to be dyed blue and white with pain and anxiety, even in the dark.

"And you have no idea how afraid I am to lose sight of you again... I don't understand."

Chizuru drank his breath and shook his head sideways small.

Lay your own hands gently over the hands of Lucrov wrapping your cheeks. Cold, hard, wet skin.

"You want my word? You want to hear what I mean? Then promise me only one thing. That way, everything about me is yours. Just one thing. Swear to me, keep it."

Both Ruklov and Chizuru were trembling in small pieces. It's not just because of the cold.

Now the thick wall that stood between them is making noises and about to collapse. Hope is not the only thing that lies ahead. It's not just dreams. It's not just love, it's a long, long road with pain and anxiety at times.

But.

Chizuru couldn't stop the tears, and snorted once to Luklov's plea.

Luklov smiled and whispered with a faint voice as he matched his forehead (hita) perfectly to the forehead (hita) of the thousand cranes.

"Never again, don't disappear from before me. Never leave me again. Swear you'll be next to me for the rest of my life, until my breath stops."

When Chizuru nodded again, he whispered back small. "Yeah."

"Absolutely. Never again."

"Yeah. Never, ever again, because I won't leave..."

"Promise me. Swear to me. And keep that vow. Otherwise, I can't move."

"Yeah......"

"Promise me..."

Chizuru repeated everything and everything. Luklov's plea, repeated as persistently, must tell the story of his anxiety and the depth of his wounds. So Chizuru nodded back gently each time Luklov repeated the same words again.

Then Ruklov gave a fierce mouthful to Chizuru's lips.

Despite being such a rough, murky kiss that he couldn't breathe, Ruklov gave Chizuru courage at the same time. After a mouthful that lasted forever under the cold rain, they let go of their faces and stared in a rough breath.

"I love you. Ever since the moment we first met, this thought has never changed. I love you."

The pouring night rain is wetting Lucrov's lips. A breeze blew the two coats away.

Chizuru nodded and continued to stare at Ruklov, blinking so many eyes that it was difficult to open because of the strong rain.

"Me too..."

"You said I wasn't going to get married or anything, right? The thought remains the same. I'm not even willing to marry that woman. You know why?

The next time Chizuru shook his head to the side.

Then Ruklov shrugs the wet hair on Chizuru's face with one hand, on her ear. It was such a gentle motion that my spine trembled to joy. Makes it harder to stand.

Luklov grabbed both arms of such a thousand cranes tightly and gazed at them all the time.

"In me, because you're already my wife. Ten years I kept looking for you, four years I was going to give you up, and this past month I kept lying that I didn't love you or anything else... to me, you were already my partner. And whatever you think, this fact won't change until I'm dead."

Chizuru lost his words and was stunned not knowing how to answer them.

This...... I've never heard a confession so intense and so straightforward as primitive. So I didn't even know how to answer that.

"Luklov......"

That was all I could whisper.

Luklov hugs Thousand Cranes tightly, with a rough voice, but gentle, continue. "Come on, let's go back to your room. From the arrow tip I promised I would never leave again, I have trouble getting caught with a cold..."

"But that one..."

"Now you just have to let it go. The loan will take care of him. I'll go back to my room and warm you up, and then I'll explain the situation."

Despite the fact that his coat was supposed to be wet and of considerable weight, Ruklov gently lifted a thousand cranes and held them in his arms. Each other's exhaling breath raises white vapor. They looked at each other physically.

The rain kept falling, but its sound and cold didn't bother Chizuru anymore.