Milk Chocolate

Chappie 2: Half Cup (Part 2)

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It's dark, but Lantis didn't bother to turn on the lamp inside his room. With a little light from moonlight, he walked to his bed and rested. He sighed.

It's over…

He thought. He knew that someday she will know the truth, but he never thought it will come so soon. Right… Hikaru is not her sister. She was kidnapped a few days after she was born. The culprit was soon arrested but the baby remains unknown. Lantis and Eagle's parents, Emeraude and Zagato, found her and raise her like their own child.

Years passed before Hikaru's true parents found her whereabouts. Worrying about how Hikaru would react, both families promised to keep it a secret from her until she was old enough to accept the truth. That's the reason… isn't it?

Liar…

…who?

Me.

Before Hikaru was born, everyone always compared him with Eagle. Eagle was the cheerful one, talkative one, friendly one. Meanwhile Lantis was the gloomy one, silent-type, unsociable. Eagle could be compared to the light, meanwhile Lantis is the dark. It's getting worse since Hikaru enters his world. Everyone loves them, wonders why only Lantis is different.

But Lantis didn't mind… or it seems like he never mind about what happened. He didn't like to show his feelings. Because if he do, it will only make people worried about him. He didn't like that… so he kept all his thought inside. That's why people recognized him as a cold person.

Then… how does Lantis think about Hikaru? He doesn't hate her… he doesn't like her either. He always thought Hikaru as Eagle number two since their personality is almost the same. He never cared about her since there're a lot of people who already cared about her…

"H-Hikaru! What happened?" Emeraude asked worriedly. Her eyes widened in shock, seeing her only daughter bruised all over her body.

"I tripped… hehe…" Hikaru answered. Lantis saw her keep smiling just like an idiot would do.

"What a clumsy…" Lantis murmured before going somewhere else. His sister would get treatment from his mother anyway, why should he care?

That's just a beginning… before she started to become weirder and weirder. She often caught stealing food from kitchen… staring at something blankly… went out somewhere… coming home late… and lots more. A few days later, something weird happened too… when she came home soaked by the rain.

"Hikaru! Why did you get soaked? Didn't you bring umbrella with you?"

"I'm sorry, Kaa-sama… I lost my umbrella…"

"It's okay, dear. Now hurry up and take a bath or you'll catch a cold!"

"Okay!" She replied. Lantis stared at her confusedly. She was wet from top of head until feet. School is not far from their house. Unless she walked slowly, she wouldn't get that soaked.

"She must have gone somewhere else before she went home…" He thought before he ignored her… again.

Because of strange things that keep happening, Lantis began to show his attention towards her…

"Thanks for the food!" Hikaru said.

"What's wrong Hikaru, you didn't finish your meal again… is there something-"

"Nothing! I'm fine, Kaa-san! I'll clean my dish!" Hikaru cut. She got off the chair and took her own plate to the kitchen.

"I'm home…" Lantis said as he entered.

"Welcome home, Lantis. Do you want to eat now?"

"Later, I'll drink first…" When Lantis was about to enter the kitchen, he saw Hikaru was doing something so he hided behind the entrance wall. He saw her moving the remaining food on a plate to a box carefully.

"What the…" Lantis thought. She finished removing the food and went outside of kitchen cheerfully with the box. Lantis hided beside refrigerator and luckily Hikaru didn't see him.

"Kaa-sama, I'll go for a while!" Hikaru said.

"Don't forget to come back before dinner!"

"I will!" Hikaru promised as she went outside. Lantis was curious about what Hikaru will do with the food and decided to follow her.

"I'll go too!" He said.

"Lantis, what about your lunch?" Emeraude asked.

"Safe it for later!" Lantis followed Hikaru. He took steps carefully so she won't realize. It's not long until they reached destination. Lantis decided to observe the situation. He didn't see anyone around but he saw Hikaru was talking to… someone?

"What are you doing?" Lantis asked as he showed himself in front of her. Hikaru looked shocked. She quickly hides something at her back.

"L-Lantis-niisama!"

"What did you hide?" Lantis asked again, trying to peek at her back.

"N-n-nothing! It's nothing!" She said nervously. Lantis obviously believe she's hiding something. He came closer as Hikaru kept moving backwards. Suddenly a barking sound could be heard from her back.

"A… dog?" Lantis asked.

"No, it's a puppy…" Hikaru moved the puppy to her arms. "A week ago… I found him… when he was bullied by other dogs…"

"A week ago?" Lantis thought as he remembered something.

"I… I thought that he lost his way… and couldn't find his parents… so I took him here… Please don't tell anyone about this!" Hikaru begged.

"Why should I?"

"Eh? Right… Lantis-niisama is not that kind of person…"

"Say, Hikaru…"

"Yes?"

"A week ago, when you came home with bruises… is that because you protect him from other dogs?"

"Eh…?"

"Days later, you came home soaked… You told Kaa-san you lost your umbrella… the truth is you gave it to this dog, didn't you?"

"Well…"

"Why didn't you tell the truth?"

"Well… because… if I told them what happened, they will be worried… that's why…" Lantis eyes widened in shocked to her statement.

"So you're just the same." He murmured.

"Eh?"

"Nothing… Let's go home now… Kaa-san would be worried."

"But Hikari… I can't leave him alone…"

"You already named him?"

"Yes… it's Hikari!" Lantis sweat dropped. Hikari is not really a dog's name… and it was written in the same kanji as Hikaru…

"Well then…" Lantis said as he took Hikari from her arms.

"Where do you want to take him?"

"You already named him, right? So it is yours."

"Eh?"

"I mean, why not take him to home and raise it?"

"Eh?"

"I don't think Kaa-san or Tou-san would against it…"

"R-Really? So I really could owned him!"

"Maybe…"

"Thank you, Lantis-niisama!"

"You don't need to thank me." He said. Both of them returned home. They walked silently before Hikaru finally spoke.

"Hey, Lantis-niisama…"

"What?"

"Almost everyone told me… Lantis-niisama is a cold person, because you rarely talk… but I'm glad that I didn't believe in them! Lantis-niisama is a really nice person after all!" She smiled. A smile that could make him blushed. He even wondered why.

After that day, slowly but surely, their relation grew better. He liked to protect her as she liked to be protected by him. She always thought that Lantis and Eagle are the best brothers in this world. She loves them. But it's not the same love Lantis have for her. Lantis didn't want to admit it before. Since a brother-sister love could only bring misery. Until he accidentally overhear his parent conversation about Hikaru.

"We have to tell her about her real parent soon." Zagato said.

"I'll try to talk to Hikaru today…" Emeraude suggested as she got of from the chair. Lantis shocked. He dragged in to the room without second thought.

"Don't… don't tell her…" Lantis begged.

"Lantis!" Emeraude cried in shock.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear our conversation?" Zagato asked.

"Please don't tell her! We… we don't know how she will react, do we? We should wait until she grew up… otherwise… she… she…"

Lantis opened his eyes. He woke up and put a hand on his face. He could feel sweats all over his body. His breath is not stable too.

"I never thought I would see that dream again…" He said.

He looked at photo on the table beside his bed. There're young Eagle, Hikaru, Hikari and him. Hikaru was sitting at the center, hugging Hikari. She smiled widely as a proof of her happiness. Eagle was sitting at Hikaru's left, hugging her with one hand, meanwhile the other hand posing a 'V'. He was grinning. Eagle sure is a photogenic person. Lantis was kneeling at Hikaru's right. His left hand was patting Hikaru's head. He did smile, but so barely seen.

Lantis eyes fall on the redheaded one. She was so happy back then. He was happy too. With her by his side, he never thought anything else were necessary. He remembered his dream… no, it would rather call his past. It was when he tried to stop his parent from informing Hikaru about her real parent.

"I'm… a liar, aren't I?" Lantis whispered. He is scolding himself in his heart.

"Using an excuse… telling my parent how young Hikaru was to know the truth…

But it's not that… it's not because of that…

Deep… far deep in my heart…

…the only thing I feared most…

…is that her little hand…

"Lantis-niisama!" He remembered her smiling… calling him.

…will never reach out to me again…"

---

Lantis sighed. He could not go back to sleep so he decided to take a glass of water before go back to bed. He went downstairs and found her no-longer-little-sister was sitting, watching the moon.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" He asked, startled her.

"Lantis-niisama! N-nothing, just thinking…"

"Thinking? About what…?"

"Well… our childhood… maybe…"

"…"

"I thought… I always thought that you're my family… I mean, Kaa-sama, Tou-sama, Lantis-niisama and Eagle-niisama are my family, my precious family. All of you were always there in my everyday life… But now… when I was told that… I was not a part of this family… that my childhood is not something that should be happened… I… I…"

"You are a part of this family…" Lantis cut. Hikaru looked at him, waiting for explanation.

"No matter what people say… You're still my little sister… it will never change…" He patted her on head. Somehow, it makes her feel secure.

"Lantis-niisama…"

"…thank you." She said, wondering why just a few sentences from him could erase all of her worries.

As both of them enjoyed themselves, they didn't realize the figures of two are watching over them behind the wall. They were Eagle and Nova, who have been listening from the start.

"Do you understand now?" Eagle asked her who remained silent.

"He is the only one who knows anything about her… Do you really want to separate her 'loyal black dog' from her?" Eagle asked, half joking.

"…"

"You may be her half soul… Living with only half soul is difficult… but… One cannot live without a soulmate… Or at least, that's what I thought…"

"Soulmate…" Nova whispered.

"And of course, it will be much more fun to live with both of them"

"Is that so?" She smiled. Eagle's eyes widened.

"Good, you finally smiled!" He patted her on head, which makes her blushed. "A girl should smile often, you know?"

"Why?"

"Because you're a girl"

"…it doesn't make sense…"

"What are you two doing here?" Lantis asked. Eagle and Nova didn't realize that him already standing behind them.

"Well, do you mind if I ask your question back to you? What are you two doing here?" Eagle asked back.

"Mind your own business…"

"Then mind your own business too (heart)" Eagle teased. Lantis seemed pissed.

"Nova! Eagle-niisama! What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked.

"Don't ask us, ask him, Hikaru." Eagle said, pointing his finger to Lantis.

"Huh…?"

"Just go back to sleep!" Lantis kicked Eagle before pushed him to walk, leaving the two girls behind.

"Shall we?" Nova asked, followed by Hikaru's nod. Both of them went back to their rooms.

---

"Hey, Lantis, coud I ask something?" Eagle asked on their way to their rooms.

"No!"

"Oww… Are you upset? Your face said that you have said something very terrible regrettable…" Eagle said, teasing him.

"…shut up."

"How cold… Is that how you treat a nice brother who wanted to tell you something important?"

"…what?"

"A year!"

"Huh?"

"Hikaru will stay with us for another year… If in that time you still not been able to show your feelings to her… you won't be permitted to meet her again."

"What!"

"This is Nova's condition. Actually their parents will go to America next year. They will bring their children of course… There's NO reason for Hikaru to stay with us since we're not her real family… except if she had a boyfriend…" Eagle grinned, "If you want Hikaru to stay with us, why not you hurry up and confess?"

"S-Shut up!" He said as he left with red cheeks. Eagle grinned.

"Still interesting as usual…"

---

"Nova is my twins… Lantis-niisama and Eagle-niisama are still my brothers… but why do I feel that something is wrong…?" She whispered as she watched the moon outside the windows, hoping it could give her an answer…

---To Be Continued---

FreeTalk: Sorry for the delay… Please forgive me for being a slow writer… And… thankie for the reviews… You make my heart dancing in happiness… Hope you guys and girls like this chappie too… :D If you do, please review and tell me how you feel... See ya then…