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Chapter 2: "My Ayanokoji Kiyotaka"
The golden glow of the chandelier flickers slightly, as if reacting to the tension in the air. Velvet chairs creak as the Suzunes shift, glancing at one another. None of them speak—until one does.
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🌸 Suzune #2 – The Gentle Wife
Wearing a soft red kimono, her expression warm but hesitant.
> "I suppose… I'll begin."
She folds her hands in her lap.
"My Kiyotaka isn't cold. He's quiet, yes. Sharp. But not distant. He… learned to smile. Slowly."
She looks down, a fond look in her eyes.
"He proposed to me under a cherry blossom tree. No ring. Just his hand, and that voice. He said, 'If you'll have me, I'd like to grow old beside you.'"
The others blink.
> Suzune #5 (lab coat): "He used emotional language?"
Suzune #3 (warrior): "He proposed? Without being forced by the council?"
Suzune #4 (sundress): "…That sounds like him in his softer days."
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⚔️ Suzune #3 – The Battle-Hardened Queen
Sharp, disciplined, proud.
> "My Kiyotaka rules the Eastern Empire. He took the throne by defeating the gods who once sat above man. He says very little… but to me, he is loyal beyond life."
"Once, I was struck by a traitor's blade. I nearly died."
She smirks.
"He burned the traitor's nation to the ground."
The room goes quiet.
> Suzune #1 (classic uniform): "...That doesn't surprise me. He's always had a monster inside him."
Suzune #6 (queen): "But was that love… or fury?"
Suzune #3: "To him, they are the same."
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🧠 Suzune #5 – The Analyst
Adjusting her glasses, voice calm and clinical.
> "My version… never confessed. We live together. We're not married. We simply agreed to stay close. He said, 'You're the only one who matches my mind. I don't require more.'"
She shrugs.
"There is no romance. But I don't need it. Knowing he chose to keep me close is enough."
> Suzune #2: "That's… kind of sad."
Suzune #5: "It's honest."
Suzune #4: "Did he ever touch your hand?"
Suzune #5: "Once. During a game of shogi. He won."
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👑 Suzune #6 – The Royal Wife
Elegant, every word laced with authority.
> "Mine built a kingdom for me."
"We were political enemies at first. Rivals. He defeated me on the battlefield of strategy, not war. And then he said, 'I have no desire to rule alone. Marry me, or fall behind.'"
She chuckles.
"Of course I accepted. I rule beside him now. As his queen."
> Suzune #1: "That sounds like something he'd say. Always two steps ahead."
Suzune #3: "Did he ever show weakness?"
Suzune #6: "Only once. When I cried. And only in silence."
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🌼 Suzune #4 – The Sweetheart
Quiet, emotional, sincere.
> "My Kiyotaka… is soft. For me. Not to others."
"He makes me breakfast. He lets me nap on his lap. He pretends to be asleep when I kiss him goodnight."
Her voice cracks slightly.
"He tells me I make him feel… human."
The room is silent.
> Suzune #5: "He must be very different in your world."
Suzune #2: "Or maybe… that part is in all of them. Just buried deep."
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🧍♀️ Suzune #1 – The One Who Hasn't Said Anything Yet
She leans back, eyes narrowed. Still in uniform. Still calculating.
> "…I'm not his wife. Yet."
The others look at her in surprise.
"But I think… he wants me to be. Even if he doesn't admit it. Even if he's scared."
She lowers her gaze.
"I see it. In the way he looks at me when he thinks I'm not watching. In the way he listens—truly listens—when I speak."
"He's not ready. But he's mine. I know it."
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Rei nods from their chair, folding their hands.
> Rei: "How fascinating. So many truths… for one soul.
But tell me—do you all still love him?
Even now, knowing what the others have shared?"
Silence. Then—
> Suzune #4: "…More than ever."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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