*Chapter 03: Choosing You

Lunely's PoV

I was still embarrassed about what happened earlier when Leiro suddenly grabbed my hand. I'm a little tensed that time, as I even realized that I actually fell asleep beside him and I feel like it's going to make me faint...

I suddenly froze for a moment as our eyes met- it was as if there was a magnetic attraction between the two of us that could hardly be separated anymore... Heck, this is really tense!

Wait, wait... The way Leiro held my hand- Wait, is this it? Is this the part where I'll say "I do"?

"Um, Lunely?"

Leiro suddenly asked me, in his soft, low voice... The whole area turned pink and I could really only see is him alone. My heart pounded even more- I felt like I was about to fall from the sky. I tried to speak even though my whole face was as red as chili peppers...

"Y-Y-Yes? Leiro?"

This is it, this is it! This is what I've been waiting for! This is the day I will never forget- the day I will hear the words "Will you marry me-"

"Come on, let's go inside."

O-Ouch... And in a flash, all my thoughts disappeared like a bubble. My... You disappointed me, my dear crush. I just pouted as he pulled me gently toward the front door of his mansion. But holding his hand is already okay for me- I-It's not like I'll be flustered by just that, I have my preferences!

"So, we're just gonna leave you here Lei, Lou. We still have work so Leiro will take care of you. Is that okay with you, Lou Nylei?" Leiro's father suddenly asked me as he tried to open the windshield for the two of us. Well, judging from there work clothes they're currently wearing, I think they were office workers.

"It's okay sir. I won't mind. I promise to behave as well so don't worry." I smiled in front of them when I suddenly thought- so does that means, Leiro and I will be alone together? My! This is the best day of my life! I'm finally alone with my crush!

Seconds passed after Leiro's parents left, and I realized that their house was too big- it's a two-floored mansion painted with light beige background and dark blue sliding windows- this mansion is obviously air-conditioned, and there's a rooftop on top of it- that's pretty normal, of course.

I was surprised at their front door which was almost three times larger than mine, but I paid more attention to the hydrangeas blooming near the mansion door. I remember that Leiro loved blue hydrangeas... Yusarine told me about this so I thought that I could give Leiro as a gift even just a bouquet of hydrangeas if I'm getting my salary this month- hehe... Wait, it's the other way around! Shouldn't Leiro be the one who'll give me the flower and not me?! What am I even thinking?!

I thought Leiro was going to open the door when two maids opened the door for us- Ouch... I thought it was just the two of us, but having this mansion so huge, there must be maids that'll take care of everything while Leiro's parents were at work.

But I was even surprised when I saw that it was more luxurious inside the mansion. As soon as you enter, a large chandelier made of a golden holder and hanging diamonds will immediately startle you- are those even real diamonds?

Almost every part of the house is luminous, whether it's a wall or a ceiling. There's a long hallway painted beige and a shining tiled floor when you enter. It's just that, there are seven doors- three on the left and right and one in the middle and there are also portraits hanging on the wall of the hallway...

"Tell me, Lei... Are you and your parents the only ones living here?" I asked him, as I just continued to look at every corner of her house. Leiro just smiled at me as he continued to hold my hand.

"Well, my family had twenty maids working in this mansion, there were also five bodyguards and two drivers. Well, we considered them as our family so we're all thirty." Leiro gave me a sweet smile again as we went to the first door on the left side of the hallway.

I was surprised by their spacious living room which was almost three times the size of my dorm. It has a brown couch, a glass table with purple hydrangeas on a vase in the middle, a large brown carpet with an eagle print on the floor, a large 64-inch flat-screen television attached to a wall near the couch, and a circular staircase made of pure silver just a few meters away from the couch... My, I'm jealous.

"Here, have a seat Lunely." Leiro smiled at me as one of the maids took my baggage from me. I tried to sit down in a formal manner as one of the maids offered me some pineapple juice and some homemade croissants, while Leiro sat down on the other couch.

"I know you're already hungry Lunely, so eat as much as you want. If you wanted more, I can tell my maids-"

"N-no Leiro. It's okay with me. I have to eat less to keep myself physically fit. And please, will you stop calling me Lunely- i-it's not that I don't like it but it's embarrassing, you know?" I raised my voice at him. My face is all red, not because I'm angry but because the way Leiro called me made me more like a cute little sister rather than a woman- why am I that cute, by the way? What is this, a curse?

"What~ I just found your name cute-"

"Stop right there, Mr. Lei Roland De Guzman." He suddenly stopped speaking as I stopped him. I crossed my arms for a while as I surrendered my back on the couch. "Let me clarify this, did you just choose me because I'm cute?"

"Pardon? What kind of question is that?" He suddenly asked me, as one of his maids offered him some sort of purple juice- but it wasn't actually grape juice, I think. Acai berry, I guess?

"Just answer me." I quickly responded as I took a sip of my pineapple juice- oh my, I thought it was powdered juice. But it tasted like a fresh and squeezed one! And it has more pineapple bits! Maybe I should start to be used to this kind of lifestyle...

"Well, for some reason, I didn't choose you because you're cute, nor that I want to destroy your position as assistant commander. I just felt that given your position right now, it's like you really need to experience life with an older brother. " Leiro said, as he gave me another smile.

"But why me?! Why me?! There are other girls to choose from rather than me, right? I'm not qualified to be your little sister!" I raised my voice once more as the maids suddenly looked at me out of curiosity. Oops...

"Um, everyone, can you leave us alone for a while first?" Leiro smiled at the maids and they slowly left the room. Leiro, on the other hand, just turned his head back to me and smiled, once again.

"Lunely, look... everyone deserves someone who will make them feel what love and care is, even if life forbids them to feel it. That is why I chose you, not to mention that Yusarine recommended me about you, but because of this." He smiled when he suddenly took something from his bag.

Wait a sec, Yusarine?! Argh! Curse that blonde girl! So she's the reason why I'm here now eh? You'll gonna face your fearsome nightmare when I get back-

"Here it is." Leiro suddenly placed a brown long folder on the table, with my name glued on the front cover. Wait a sec, this is my personal data. Why does Leiro have this, by the way? I remember giving this to Professor Seth...

"I asked Yusarine if I could get your personal information, and she gave me this. It seems like amongst all of the members of Mini-Lifesavers, you are the only member who was an orphan ever since you were a child."

My world suddenly froze. I remember those moments when I am alone inside my room, waiting for someone to adopt me but no one dared to since I don't have any talents or anything to make them proud. I never met my parents, nor saw their faces, not even knowing my relatives. I thought the world was harsh and cruel that I wanted to end myself...

...Until I met Professor Seth. He gave me hope, knowledge, and love, and even showed me the world I haven't seen during those ten years of my life trapped inside the orphanage. For me, he was my savior that I don't want to lose. Tears suddenly fell from his eyes as Leiro slowly hugged me. I tried to back away but his warmth made me immobile as I continued crying.

"Please, just let me do this for now, okay? You can hit me later if you wanted to. To be honest, I chose you to be my little sister because... I feel your pain Lunely. As an orphan, you're locked behind those walls where you felt no one cared for you. That's why I chose you because, I wanted you to feel what a real family is like."

"Why are saying those words Lei? You have your parents with you, so you'll never feel the way I felt when I was in the orphanage..." I mumbled, but I was surprised to hear one of Leiro's secrets.

"I know. My life inside an orphanage is different from yours. Like you, I was also an orphan. But I was adopted when I was still two years so I'll never feel what you feel during those times. But, it's not bad to let you feel what I feel inside this house, am I right?"

Wait, Leiro was an orphan as well? I can't even imagine that!

"Of course, Professor Seth maybe your father and your mother combined, and you have your sisters as well, but I wanted you to feel the way Liana felt while she was here beside me. I wanted to give you love and care the way I did to her... And most of all, I wanted to bring back those days when she is with me."

"Liana? Who's that?" I suddenly asked as I calmed myself down. I mean, as far as I know, Leiro is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. De Guzman.

"Well, she... is my little sister." He quickly wiped his tears so I wouldn't notice, but he thought that I'm too dumb enough not to notice it.

"She... died, two months ago due to a car accident. What broke my heart is that I was the one who was driving the car, so I will never forgive myself for losing her." Leiro's tears fall all of a sudden but he chose to smile, as I offered him a hug as well.

"I'm sorry, Lunely. I know you don't want me to be your brother, and I'm fine with that. I'm sorry if I made you a replacement for Liana. It's just that, I see Liana on you- your face, your appearance, and even your attitude. Don't worry, it's just a month. Just please, let me show you what a brother is for a month and I'm pretty sure that you'll be back to your work after everything else."

My, I never thought Leiro also has bad sides like mine. My, why did I feel something pierce my heart? Isn't it because I see myself on him? Or is it because the first time I saw him cry?

I felt so guilty about myself. Why am I being so selfish in the first place, anyway? I didn't even look at his background first. My, I pushed on my dreams so hard that didn't know how heavy the burden Leiro is carrying right now...

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