Two months passed after that incident and everything seemed back to normal, but not quite.

Now Mondo rarely showed up at school, and for the other students it was not a big change since he did it almost always, with the difference that when he was at school he behaved as usual, in fact he smiled and behaved as always, but that  it was just a mask he had created for himself.

In reality inside he was suffering a lot behind a fake smile, and when he stayed at home he would lock himself in his room ignoring any external contact.

And unfortunately Leon and Chihiro knew very well that theirs would never go back to the way it was before.

------------------------

Like every day, the two boys met behind the school to take their break together, and usually Mondo also came with them, but that was one of the days in which he did not come to school, so the two were alone.

Leon: "now it is no longer the same"

Chihiro: "I know, it looks like a mortorium without him"

Leon: "I just want to do something to help him, I hate to see him like this"

Chihiro: "Me too...." sighs sadly

Leon: "How is Taka?" He ask then even if he already knows the answer

Chihiro: "unfortunately not well, now he almost never leaves his room, and he has completely lost his smile....."

Leon: "just like Mondo..."

Chihiro: "yeah...."

Leon: "How could he do this to them?"  He says a bit angry "and then he too saw that scene and despite that he made them separate, how can it be so cruel!?"

Chihiro: "I know Leon, but we can't blame him either, he just wants to protect his son"

Leon: "And to do that you have to make him suffer like that? Wow father of the year really" he says sarcastically

Chihiro: looks away sad "if only I had prevented Mondo from making that pact....."

Leon: "hey it's not your fault, Chi"

Chihiro: "but I was there when they made that pact.... and I didn't say anything... if only.... I said something..." he starts to cry a little "maybe... the  things would have been different.... "

Leon: "h-hey Chihiro"

Chihiro: "It's my fault if they're not together anymore!" He says crying putting a hand to his face

Leon can't see his friend crying, especially if he blames himself for something he didn't do, so instinctively he take him in to a hig and he just hugs him back.

Leon: "Don't blame yourself for something you didn't do, ok Chi? It wasn't your fault"

Chihiro: ".....do you really think so?"

Leon: "of course I do, so stop crying ok?" He wipes his tears softly

Chihiro: he smiles a little "thank you Leon"

Leon: "no need to thank me, I just did what a friend would have done in these cases" he says ruffling his hair making the boy laugh a bit

Then they hears a bell and seeing students returning to school

Leon: "it's better to go back to class now"

Chihiro: "You're right, are you going to take your homework to Mondo this time?"

Leon: "of course, I'll take care of it"

The two return to the school and go to their next lesson

~ after school ~

After the lessons Leon goes to the Owada house to give his friend his homework.
When he arrives he rings the doorbell of the house and opens it to him and Daiya

Daiya: "Hi Leon"

Leon: "hey man, I came to bring the homework to Mondo"

Daiya: "great, come in"

The man lets the boy into the house as I can some notes on a table

Daiya: "I thought it was a thing Chihiro brings homework to my brother"

Leon: "well yes, but today he was busy so he asked me to bring them to him"

Daiya: "I guess it makes sense"

They hear wrong and notice Akemi who was sitting in front of a door who kept scraping the door with his paw.

Leon: "Even today Mondo didn't come out of his room, huh?"

Daiya: "Yeah, he's not the same anymore" he says with a worried look

Leon: "Can I try to talk to him?"

Daiya: "go ahead"

Leon goes to the room and knocks on the door

Leon: "hey man, it's me Leon"

Mondo: "......"

Leon: "listen Mondo I know how you feel now, but you can't go on like this"

Mondo: "......"

Leon: "I know that after what happened it's not easy to go on, but you can't even stay locked in your room for the rest of your life"

Mondo: "......."

Leon: 'sighs.. nothing... still no answer....' he notices the puppy who looks at him worried "I know Akemi, we too are worried about him" he says as he kneels to caress him

Daiya: "no answer, huh?"

Leon: "Yeah, but I can't even blame him" he says getting to his feet "I have to go now, but if you notice any changes please let us know"

Daiya: "sure you will be the first to know"

Having said that, the boy leaves the house leaving elder Daiya alone looking towards the door of his younger brother's room

Daiya: "maybe it won't be the best, but maybe it will help a little"

He goes to his room and opens it a bit so that the puppy can enter

Daiya: "go to him Akemi"

Without letting the cuciolo repeat it, he enters the room.

Mondo was sitting on his bed with his legs attached to his chest he did not have his usual hairstyles and has mascara that had dripped from his eyes from the times he had cried

Akemi dazzles slightly in order to get noticed by the boy

Mondo: "sorry Akemi but I'm not in the mood" he lies down on the bed with his back to the puppy

But the puppy doesn't want to leave him alone so he climbs onto his bed and slips under Mondo's arm

Mondo: "........ I miss ..... I miss him so much ...." he whispers sobbing a little

~ palace of the tritons ~

Kyiondo and Hiro were in front of the door of Taka's room trying in every way to get him out

Kyiondo: "come on bro, it's been months since you locked yourself in there, you can't stay there forever!"

Taka: "......."

Hiro: "nothing works, it's not the same anymore"

Kyiondo: "Do you think I don't know?"  He says a little upset

He does not want to show it but is worried about his brother, for months now he hasn't seen him smile anymore and partly feels that it is his fault that Taka is now in those conditions

Chihiro: "Is he still locked in his room?"  He asks arriving shortly after noticing the closed door

Hiro: "yeah, we tried in every way to get him out, but he doesn't even answer us"

Chihiro: "I see..." he says looking sadly at the door "can I try to talk to him?"  He asks looking towards Kyiondo

Kyiondo: "you can try, but don't expect an answer from him"

The little triton nods and goes to the door knocking lightly

Chihiro: "hey Taka it's me Chihiro"

Taka: "......"

Chihiro: "Can I come in?"

Taka: ".............. ok .."

The boy smiles slightly and enters the room leaving Kyiondo and Hiro with a stupid expression

Entering the room the merfolk sees the prince sitting on his bed (if you can call it that since it was made of algae and other stuff), sobbing slightly

Chihiro was very sorry to see him like this, now he doesn't even remember the last time he saw him he smiles

Chihiro: "you know... we all worried about you... especially your brother"

Taka: "if he doesn't want to see me so he could avoid doing this to me"

Chihiro remains silent, on the one hand because he wasn't all wrong and on the other because Kyiondo was right outside the door and could have heard him.

Chihiro: "You know he didn't do it badly, right?"

Taka: "....... I know..... but..." starts crying

Chihiro: "..........do you need a hug?"

Taka: nods as he looks at him with puppy eyes

Chihiro: "come here"

The triton hug the smallest starting to let off steam

Taka: "I miss him... I miss him so much..." he says between sobs

Chihiro: "I know Taka.... I know..." he gently strokes his hair

While the two were embracing Kyiondo and Hiro had seen the scene from a small window in the room

Hiro: "poor thing..... I'm so sorry for him...."

Kyiondo: "........."

Hiro: "Prince Kyondo?"

The triton notes that Kyiondo had a strange expression on his face, it seems he had a frustrated expression

Only now did he realize that his brother hated him for what he had done, and the fact that Taka let Chihiro hug him and not him proves it fully.

Kyiondo: 'I'm a bad brother ... it's my fault that Taka is like this now ..'

In frustration, the triton punches the wall that makes Hiro jump a bit, taking him by surprise

Hiro: "P-Prince Kyondo?" he asks worried

Kyiondo: "I was an idiot right?"

Hiro: "huh?"

Kyiondo: "it's also my fault if my brother is like this now"

Hiro: "well yes.... but it was your father who forced him to stay away from the world of humans, it wasn't entirely your fault"

Kyiondo: "but it was I who told him, otherwise he would never have known" he gives another punch to the wall

Hiro: "please calm down"

Kyiondo: "I can't calm down! In my attempt to protect him I made him suffer even more!"

It was a frustrating situation, he just wanted to protect his brother, he just wanted to take him safe, he didn't want to lose him like his mother had, but for what purpose? Now his brother hates him and doesn't want to talk to him anymore.

Some words that human had said while they were managing Taka's rescue came back to his mind

*Flashback*
_____________________________

Mondo: "when I found your son he was trapped in a net, he was hurt and scared, I could have left him there and mind my own business, but I knew that if someone else had been through with bad intentions he would not have gotten away with it"

Takaaki: "so that's why he is fond of you and the world of humans"

Mondo: "y-yes... I guess so"

Takaaki: "and why did you decide to help him?"

Mondo: "because I know what it means to be scared and helpless with no one to sing that you can help"

Takaaki: "....."

Mondo: "and I hate to see someone undivided suffering like that, that's why I'm here"

Takaaki: "....."

Mondo: "yes, it's my fault if I didn't mind my own business, and my fault if Taka is fond of me and it's my fault that we fell in love, I accept all the blame he wants to give me. But my only goal now  is to save Taka at any cost "

------------------------------

Chihiro: "Why did you accept his terms? You will never see Taka like this again!"

Mondo: "because he's right, after all it's my fault that Taka is now in this situation"

Chihiro: "but Mondo- '

Mondo: "that's okay Who" interrupts him and looks at him with a sad smile "I promised that I would protect him at any cost and if I have to accept these conditions, that's fine for me. I just want him to be well"

Chihiro: "Mondo ....."

---------------------------------

Kyiondo: "Not that I care that much, but I have to know, why did you stop me when I tried to come here alone?"

Mondo: "I already told you, didn't I? I don't want you to go and die killed as if you were a jerk"

Kyiondo: "but you could have done it, if you had been out of the game you could have done everything you wanted to my brother"

Mondo: "ugh.... still with this story? I have no intention of hurting Taka, how many more times do I have to tell you?"

Kyiondo: "thz"

Mondo: "sigh... feel how you said I could do it it's true, but I didn't do it because I know your brother cares about you, or at least from how he talked about you, so if he comes to find out that you have been killed  to try to save him he would not have been happy "

Kyiondo: "....... and he would have felt guilty for what happened to me ...."

Mondo: "Exactly, and I know you behave like this because of what happened to your mother but-"

Kyiondo: "and how do you know?"

Mondo: "before you say anything no, I haven't spied on you or anything like that, it was Taka who told me, now he'll shut his mouth and let me finish"

Kyiondo: "thz ...."

Mondo: "As I said, I know you behave this way because of that accident and that you are just trying to protect your brother, but you can't judge all humans just because of those assholes. Not everyone is evil"

Kyiondo: "as if you knew what it means you lose someone in front of your eyes and you can't do anything to prevent it"

Mondo: "........."

Kyiondo: "Nothing to say? Obviously not, your race has fun torturing our species and therefore obviously you shut up"

Mondo: ".......... do you really believe that humans are not cruel or that they do harm even with their own species?"

Kyiondo: "huh?"

Mondo: "you and Taka at least had two parents who love you" he says seriously as he goes to another area of ​​the shed

Kyiondo: "what do you mean by this?"  He says following him while continuing to keep his distance

Mondo: ".......... my brother is the only family I have, and he is the only one who has ever loved me"

Kyiondo: "what?"

Mondo: "I don't know what it means to be loved by their parents, ok !? .... and I never did it, just because I was the youngest fucking son!"

Kyiondo: 'parents who hate their own child? ....'

Mondo: "the only one who ever did it was Daiya and if it wasn't for him now I wouldn't be here"

Kyiondo: "......."

Mondo: "thz ... I don't even know why I'm telling you, you probably don't give a shit about what happened to me"

------------------------------

"Why do you care so much about that newt, he's just a fish like everyone else"

Mondo: "and this is where you are wrong, even if they are sea creatures they are like us, and perhaps even much more human than us"

* End of flashback *
___________________________

And he cannot forget that if in those months they were no longer disturbed by that organization it is because that human destroyed what they had to find them, he could not do it and not care, but he didn't.

Kyiondo: 'I was wrong about him, and now it's Taka who pays the consequences....'

After a few minutes Chihiro leaves Taka's room closing the door behind him

Hiro: "how is he?"

Chihiro: "he fell asleep, but he's still crying, and from how he was unlucky just before, I don't think you'll ever be like before"

Hiro: "poor thing...."

Kyiondo: "......."

Chihiro: "we have to do something, I can't see it like this anymore!"

Kyiondo: "and what should I do? It was my father who ordered him that thing, not me"

Chihiro: "But you are the prince, can't you make him change his mind?"

Kyiondo: "I will also be the prince, but my father is the king, and what he says is law, and without a good reason I can't go against him"

Chihiro: "and Taka's happiness isn't a good reason!?" He yells angry

For the first time Chihiro had raised his voice and was visibly angry with him

Hiro: "h-hey come on guys don't fight"

Chihiro: "You know what? Since you don't have the balls and you're afraid to go talk to you're on father, I'll go there directly!"

He was about to leave but was taken by the arm by Hiro

Hiro: "You are crazy? You can't argue with the king, he could put you in the dungeon or worse!"

Chihiro: he frees himself from the grip "I don't care! He can banish me from the kingdom as far as I know, but I have no intention of standing still and seeing my friends suffer like this!"

Having said that, he goes to the throne room to look for King Takaaki

To be continued.......