He stepped back slightly, arms crossing. "So? Shapeshifting?"
Kaen nodded reluctantly.
Seiya raised a brow, folding his arms. "...But why? What was the reason?"
"I—" Kaen began, but Seiya quickly raised a hand, cutting her off with offense.
"No, don't tell me yet," he said, stepping back dramatically. "Kaen, I can't believe this. You were like this the whole time?! And you never told me!" He turned to Ryoma, gesturing wildly. "All this while… this entire time."
Kaen opened her mouth, trying to control the situation. "Seiya, I can explain… it's because—"
"No! I still can't believe it!" he exclaimed, hands in his hair. "When did you even decide to become a woman?! Since when have you been pulling this off?"
Kaen's face contorted, caught between horror and disbelief. "What—?!"
"I didn't know you were like this," Seiya said with disbelief, shaking his head. "Truly. Hidden depths."
Ryoma choked beside her, covering his mouth to smother the sound.
Seiya, completely unfazed, began to circle Kaen slowly, his eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering between her and Ryoma. "You know… I had this feeling. More than a few times," he muttered, tapping his chin. "I always thought there was something off about you."
Kaen opened her mouth, stunned into silence. "Seiya—"
He cut her off, spinning on his heel. "All these years… so this is what you've been up to behind our backs? When no one could find you?"
"…But one thing I can't complain—you look beautiful though…" Seiya tilted his head with exaggerated curiosity. "So tell me… was it all just to distract Ryoma?"
Ryoma coughed violently, nearly falling sideways in the bed. Kaen clamped a hand over her face, her ears turning red.
"Seiya!" she hissed. "What are you even talking about?!"
Seiya backed off, hands raised in exaggerated innocence. "I'm just trying to understand your life choices! You have to admit—this explains a lot."
Kaen's glare could've reduced him to ash on the spot.
Ryoma, still recovering from nearly choking, rasped, "What the hell are you even thinking?!"
Seiya crossed his arms, smirking like he'd just solved a long-standing mystery. "I've had this suspicion for a few years now. You two always looked… suspicious."
He plopped down between them, eyes flicking from one to the other. "The way you acted—too close. Too many silent exchanges. No words, just glances. Think no one noticed? We did. All the time. We just didn't dare say it out loud."
Ryoma scowled. "What do you even mean by that?"
"I mean…" Seiya started, drawing out the pause with a look, "it's entirely possible that—"
"Shut up!" Kaen snapped, grabbing the nearest pillow and launching it straight at his face.
Seiya caught the pillow with a laugh. "Then what? This whole 'form' of yours… especially when you were with him? It explains so much."
A second pillow flew at him this time from Ryoma and landed squarely on his face with a solid thud.
Seiya winced, muffled behind the fabric. "Okay—ow. But then what does all this mean? That it's not true?" He pulled the pillow away and added with a sly grin, "We even had late-night talks about it."
Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "We? What do you mean we?"
"Me, Shion, and Astra," Seiya replied casually.
Both Kaen and Ryoma turned to stare at each other in alarm, eyes wide with dawning horror.
"Oh, and Seirou used to join in too," Seiya added with a shrug. "But he usually fell asleep halfway through. Said it was boring."
He glanced between them with growing suspicion. "Honestly, I never believed the rumors—even with all those silent glances and private conversations you two kept having. But now, after seeing this…" he gestured vaguely toward Kaen, "…I started thinking about all those years you've been close. And Kaen… he was always different when it came to you, Ryoma. There was a subtle shift in how Kaen treated you. Now I understand why they naturally assumed—wait, no, no, don't throw that vase!"
Kaen, halfway through grabbing the nearest ceramic decoration, paused with murder in her eyes.
Ryoma, however, didn't wait. He stood up sharply, his expression unreadable, shadows flaring behind his eyes. Without a word, he slid the door open with a harsh clatter and slammed it shut behind him.
Kaen lowered the vase with a scowl, clearly rattled. A beat of silence passed before she sighed sharply and rushed after him, worry flickering beneath her irritation.
Seiya stood alone in the echo of their exit, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"…Did I say too much?" he muttered. "Wasn't it like that, though?"
The full moon hung behind a veil of drifting clouds, its pale light barely touching the edges of the silent courtyard. Ryoma stood there, motionless beneath it, his back turned, arms at his sides, gaze lost somewhere in the horizon. His silhouette was still, but something about it felt frayed worn thin by thoughts he couldn't voice.
Kaen stood a few paces behind, her breath caught in her chest. She hadn't meant to chase after him so quickly, but the moment he walked out, something told her she couldn't leave him alone.
Neither of them spoke at first. The silence stretched long.
Finally, Kaen took a hesitant step forward. "…Ryoma, whatever Seiya said—" Kaen began, her voice careful.
Ryoma didn't move. His voice, when it came, was quiet. "Kaen… are you hiding something from me?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "Hide? Why would you ask that? Whatever Seiya said back there, it was just a misunderstanding. You know how he is… clearly an idiot."
Ryoma finally turned, his gaze steady beneath the silver wash of moonlight. "I'm not talking about that."
Kaen opened her mouth, then closed it again, brows furrowing, unsure. "…Then what are you talking about?"
He held her eyes for a moment longer before speaking. "Is something wrong? Ever since you met him again… you've been different. You're not your usual self. Like something's weighing on you."
The clouds above shifted, letting more of the moonlight pour through soft and cold over the stillness between them.
Kaen hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "Nothing… and there will never be anything I'll hide from you."
But her voice lacked its usual steadiness.
Ryoma didn't push. He didn't quite believe her, but he nodded anyway, eyes drifting up toward the cloud-swept full moon.
A quiet pause passed between them before he spoke again.
"She shouldn't be out too long tonight. It's the full moon," he said, his tone touched with concern. "Kaen… why haven't they returned yet? Does the purification ritual really take the whole day?"
Kaen's brow furrowed slightly. "They did mention it would take time… but the entire day?" She looked out into the darkness, thoughtful. "Should we go check?"
Ryoma nodded. "Even if Seirou is with her, it's not safe tonight. Not under this moon."