Back to Japatrein

_Lavalee Flamelinne's Point of View_

I groaned and opened my eyes, I realized that I'm already on the plane, on my flight to Japatrein.

It was already dark outside the window.

"Are you hungry?"

I looked at the person who I was leaning unto while sleeping and my eyes widened when I saw Jace

"W-What are you doing here?" I stammered and distanced from him

He looked at me with a raised brow before smirking.

"I'm going to Japatrein." He answered nonchalantly

"Good evening, ma'am, sir, what would you like for dinner? Chicken or sandwich?" a flight attendant approached and asked us us

"Sandwich and a bottle of water," Jace answered

"I'm still full," I replied and she smiled before leaving

"And why are you going to Japatrein?" I asked him and he raised his brow at me

I was taken aback when placed his face near me until our noses were just several inches away from each other.

"Curious?" he asked teasingly then went back to leaning on his seat

"Dreice..." I called him then the flight attendant arrived with a tray and gave Jace his sandwich.

"Dreice..." I called him while he was eating and he looked at me with a raised brow

"Sorry," I apologized and I heard him sigh

"I'm fine, you were not yourself," he said and continued eating

"Still... I'm sorry. What did I do to you, anyway?" I asked and he glanced at me before finishing off his sandwich and drinking water from the water bottle.

"Don't ask about it, I guess it's the same thing you do when you... you remember bad memories," he said and he seem unsure about what he said in the last part.

I averted my gaze and looked outside.

I checked my wristwatch and computed the time in Japatrein, I still have an hour or so before we arrive at Japatrein.

We were both silent, I took the blanket and placed it on me again.

"You're cold?" he asked and I shook my head

He gave me his phone which made me look at him confusedly.

"Frost sent a message," I said and he took the phone from my hand again

He typed some sort of password which made me scoff.

Oh please, I can ask Chelsea to hack his phone open.

He gave it to me and I read the message from Nii-sama.

He's asking us to take care, he's probably the reason why Jace is here.

I gave Jace his phone back after reading Nii-sama's text.

"We still have an hour." He said and I nodded

"Aren't you exhausted?" Jace asked worriedly

"I'm fine, don't worry about me too much," I assured him

We stayed silent until the pilot announced that we have arrived at Hanazono International Airport in Nagasaki.

When I claimed my luggage, I was a little surprised when Jace took his after mine.

Did I space out so much that I became unaware of everything going around me?

I saw someone familiar so I blocked his way.

"Leo!" I greeted him and he smiled at me

"Lavalee," he greeted back then he looked confused while looking behind me

"Kto eto? Paren'?" I frowned at his question and he chuckled

"What do you think? Why are you here in Japatrein anyway?" I said with a raised brow then I felt Jace's presence from behind me

"Oh right, you don't have time. I just came here to check on the twins." He said and opened his bag

"From Alessa and Eleonore," Leo said and gave me two boxes

"They're here?" I asked him and started to look around for the Ines twins

"Net, zdes' tol'ko K'yara." He said which made me confused

"Which?" he chuckled and must've realized his mistake because of my question

"Alexa," he said and I nodded

"And the other one?" I asked because it's quite confusing that Alexa is the only one here

"The other Chiara is going to Seryphil." He said

"I'll go ahead. Zaraneye s dnem rozhdeniya, Lav." He said and walked past us

"Who's that?" Jace asked

"Leondiel Astral, a colleague from Delcruss," I said and pulled my luggage.

"Where will you be staying?" I asked him

"Cherry Bloom," He said and I stopped

That hotel sounds familiar.

Oh, wait!

That's the hotel that Bloom's parents named after her.

Cherry because her mom's name is Sakura which is a cherry tree, then all of their hotel and resorts are named after the two of them.

Cherry Bloom, Cherry Spring, Lyan Coast, Lyandy's Loft, those four names are the names of their hotels and the branches of their hotels.

We went out of the airport and hailed a cab.

Jace helped the driver mount our luggage in the compartment and he sat beside me.

"Where to, Ma'am, Sir?" the driver asked

"Cherīburūmuhoteru e," I said

"Are you sure you will stay in the hotel?" I asked Jace and he looked at me with narrow eyes

"I'm being kind here, just so you know," I said and crossed my arms before leaning onto the seat

"I have to," he said and my forehead knotted

"Have to?" I asked him and he nodded

"What are you going to do here in Japatrein, anyway?" I asked him

"That, I can't say," he said then his phone rang

"Dad," Jace said so I looked at the scenery outside, although I can still hear his replies

"I'm here."

"Yes,"

"Don't worry,"

"Soon, Dad," Jace said and hanged up

So, he's here because of their family business.

"Okusama, detodesu ka?" the driver asked while looking at us from the rearview mirror which made my eyes widen in embarrassment.

"Ie, deto wa shite imasen. Kare wa tamatama koko japatorein de ikutsu ka no yoji o jikko shite iru doryodesu."

I'm positive that my cheeks are red and it's embarrassing that I'm sounding defensive because of Jace

"What was that?" Jace asked and I shook my head

"Kare wa anata no yona nihonjinde wa arimasen." The driver said while nodding

We dropped him off at Cherry Bloom and then I asked the driver to drive me to our ancestral house here in Japatrein.

I paid the fare since Jace had already paid earlier.

After that, he unmounted my luggage and when the butlers recognized me, the gates automatically opened.

They took my things while I strut to the front door.

The guards opened the door for me and maids were there in line.

"Ani wa doko?" I asked and removed my coat.

One of the maids stepped forward to receive it, along with my gloves.

"Kare no ofisude wa, wakai josei. Kare ni wa homon-sha ga imasu." One of the maids said while bowing her head

Visitors?

I raised my brow at that and decided to head to Nii-sama's office.

I knocked thrice before opening the door, I prepared shurikens in my hand from the table outside and when the door opened shurikens flew in my direction so I threw the shurikens I'm holding to deflect it.

"Icey! Freia! Fuego!"

I ran to them and hugged them I looked at them one by one and smiled apologetically when I realized it wasn't Freia.

"Gomen'nasai. Sugu ni kidzukimasendeshita, Arei." I said and kissed her cheek

I released her from the hug and went to Nii-sama.

He nodded at me so I sat on the couch but then I realized, how come Freia and Icey are here, not that I don't want them here, it's just that I thought they said they won't come back to Japatrein unless they've avenged Eomma and Appa's death.

"How about me?"

I looked at my little sister when she asked and her eyes had turned into bloody crimson.

"You hate hugs, Akuma," I told her and she snickered

"So touching, I didn't expect you'll remember that eonnie," she said and rolled her eyes

Her facial suddenly switched back to the expression she had before Akuma came out.

I still can't get used to my sister's condition, even though it's been years since she was diagnosed.

She smiled at me and her cheeks blushed.

"Nee-chan... can we... can we go out?" Array seem hesitant to ask me so I stood up and walked toward her

"Where? Of course, I'd love to come with you." I said and placed my arm around her shoulder.

Her eyes turned to gold, it made her happy enough to make our real sister appear.

"Icey-chan? Mall, please?"

She looked at Icey who was looking somewhere else but Nii-sama cleared his throat making Icey look at Freia, she sigh before nodding.

"Watashi wa kimasen," Fuego said and shrugged his shoulder

"Of course! It's a girl's date!" I exclaimed and I saw how Icey's shoulders fell

"We'll go baking at noon, okay?" I assured Icey and she nodded

"Then let's go playing consoles in the afternoon, Fuego," I said while looking at Fuego

"Nee-chan, we'll be going to the mall in the afternoon," Freia said so I looked at her

"Then, we'll play tomorrow morning, Fuego," I told him and he nodded

"What should I do with you, Nii-sama?" I said and stood up

I crossed my arms while looking at Nii-sama who's currently looking at us blankly

"Ah! I know, Nii-sama and I will be going shopping." I said and he shook his head

"I got an idea! Let's play fencing, Nii-sama!"

"Fencing?" he asked and I nodded

"You know you can't win against Nii-sama in Fencing." Fuego said with his arms crossed

"I know, but I want to spend time with Nii-sama on my birthday too," I said and smiled victoriously when Nii-sama sighed

"Okay,"

"We'll go ahead, Nii-sama." Icey and Freia said after he surrendered then they left the room

"Where's Jace?" I looked at him confusedly when he asked me that

How am I supposed to know where Jace is?

Nii-sama raised a brow at me and I shook my head.

Right.

He knew Jace and I was on the same flight, the same cab on our way here.

"Cherry Bloom," I answered and placed my elbows and arms on the table

"Go to sleep, it's late," Nii-sama said but I shook my head

I checked the time and it's already 9:30 PM here, an hour earlier than Seryphillian time.

I went to my room and laid, everything in this room reminds me of what it was like back then.

***

Translations:

Kto eto? Paren'? - Who's that? Boyfriend?

Net, zdes' tol'ko K'yara. - No, only Chiara is here.

Zaraneye s dnem rozhdeniya, Lav. - Advance happy birthday, Lav.

Cherīburūmuhoteru e, - To Cherry Bloom Hotel,

Okusama, detodesu ka? - Are you two dating, Ma'am?

Ie, deto wa shite imasen. Kare wa tamatama koko japatorein de ikutsu ka no yoji o jikko shite iru doryodesu. - No, we're not dating. He's just a colleague who happened to be running some errands here in Japatrein.

Kare wa anata no yona nihonjinde wa arimasen. - He's not Japanese like you.

Ani wa doko? - Where's older brother?

Kare no ofisude wa, wakai josei. - In his office, young lady.

Kare ni wa homon-sha ga imasu. - He has visitors.

Gomen'nasai. Sugu ni kidzukimasendeshita, Arei. - Sorry. I didn't recognize you immediately, Array.

Watashi wa kimasen, - I'm not going,