The Blue Tree’s Virtuous Order

(Excerpt from "The Blue Tree's Virtuous Order," The Lock on Heaven; an unfinished novel written by me.)

I can't deny it anymore.

I love Aoki.

But after what I did, would he love me still?

Would he look at me with those affectionate eyes and that cute smile again?

Why did I... Why did I say that to him?

He loves- He loved me so much. And I never noticed. And I ended up hurting him

Now I hold 5 of the Seven Deadly Keys. But they shouldn't belong to me. They should go to Aoki.

Yeah. I should find him... I should give them to him. He earned them rightfully. He's the one who was most determined to ascend. I know that because I know him.

I'm going to find him.

"A-Aoki!" Delun sprinted across Purgatory, skillfully jumping down from the bridges upon seeing Aoki. "Aoki! Wait!"

He stopped in his tracks, Delun slowly coming up behind him, the five Seven Deadly Keys clanging against each other on the satanic keychain.

"...Yes?" He didn't even turn around to look at Delun. His voice came out hoarse. He was... "Crying. You're crying. Don't cry-" "Don't act as if you care."

Silence fell.

"You know. At first, I blamed you for coming here on me. Because of my love for you, I forced you into this madness, with death following you everywhere you went." Aoki wiped his tears, turning around to face Delun, but not looking up. "I still do. I tried to push you away so that if I ever died, it would be a little less painful."

Delun gasped at Aoki's words but didn't interrupt him.

"I thought that by pushing you away, I could also get rid of these feelings that keep weighing me down and pushing a mountain onto your shoulders." Aoki stepped closer, resting his head on Delun's chest. "But it didn't. It didn't, 'cause even now, I still want you to hug me and tell me you love me. I want to hear those words so badly."

Delun didn't say anything. He didn't hug Aoki, he didn't comfort him. He just let him cry on his chest, looking up at the bridges above.

"...Aoki."

"No."

"Aoki."

"I said no. Be quiet."

"I love you."

He stepped back in surprise, looking up at Delun finally, who wore a shy, flustered expression on his face, which was so unbelievably unlike him.

...

...

...

"Fuck. Aoki, I have some weird dreams." "Yeah, me too."

Aoki turned to his left, coming face to face with the man of his dreams.

"Dede, why are you in my bed?"