NICO'S POV

F@#k! I got too excited in the moment, I did not notice what we just did.
Maki-chan quickly hid behind the doorway's sides, peeking out her head to reveal a super blushy, "please forgive me" face. Oh god.

All of three of us sat at that same spot, I told my siblings to get back in their rooms. Then we talked.

"Mom...ummm...it's not..."

"It's not a kiss? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! It's just...well...umm...it's just how our relationship works!"

"Nico-chan, kissing your friend who by the way is a girl is just not appropriate. I'm sorry, I understand that you two are really close but you never told me you two were that close!!"

God, I'm so speechless. All I could do was kneel down and bow my head in shame knowing what mom said was right.

"What's more, your siblings were watching! Aren't you ashamed they might copy what you did?"

I didn't know what to do...

"I know...I'm sorry...I just..."

I felt powerless, I felt too stunned to do anything.

"And Maki-san, I never thought that you'd do this to my daughter!!"

Yet...somehow...

"Ma'm, it was a goodbye kiss."

"Huh?!!"

She was...Maki-chan was...she was there to protect me...

"Ma'm, you see....I love Nico-chan. I really love her so much. To me, she was more than just a friend or a girl I can hang out with. To me, Nico-chan...she...(blush)...she's my princess..."

"Princess?"

"IT'S JUST!!...cough cough...Nico-chan and I would no longer be together...that's why...that kiss...this party....I...."

All I could only do was admire Maki-chan as she spoke to my mom...

"I WANTED IT ALL TO BE SOMETHING SHE WILL NEVER EVER FORGET, NO MATTER HOW UNUSUAL OR AWKWARD IT HAD TO BE!!"

Then, Maki-chan placed her hand over her chest.

"My heart...my heart told me to kiss your daughter's lips...to kiss it so hard that she'll never forget the taste of my love for her. I did it because I had to!"

After all that....

"Sigh......", said mom as she she stood up and turned her back from us. Deep thoughts entered her mind. I was so nervous on what she's thinking.

".....you wanted more, didn't you Maki-chan?"

Maki-chan nodded and whispered "....yes....". Then mom replied to me.

"...Nico-chan....tell me...tell me why you love her."

"(Gulp)...because....because she was someone I wanted to be like..."

I just said what I thought I really felt and tried to be as honest as I can.

"You could say I was jealous of her. Talented, beautiful, tall, calm, in other words she was very much like an idol. I wanted to be just like her, as if through her I could become the idol I've dreamed of! But....it ended differently..."

I looked at Maki-chan, my eyes staring at her with passion, because the next words that I uttered were for both my mom and my Maki-chan.

"...Maki-chan...she showed me how all those things had their own share of problems; being beautiful would get her attention she never wanted, being talented would've been useless when she couldn't even use it, being calm was all just to hide her pain...but most of all..."

I gave it my all.

"...she never had the strength to become an idol. Or even to be happy at all! She was alone, she had no one she could relate to, and she could not express her true self or feelings - the most important thing an idol should have that I realized I lacked!"

"In other words...she was just like you, Nico?"

"YES, MOM! I LOVED HER BECAUSE SHE WAS LIKE ME! AND IT WAS THOSE QUALITIES THAT GOT ME ALL OVER HER!!"

That was my reason. Maki-chan loved and accepted me for who I am and so did I. She taught me I should just be myself and accept it, and that I never needed a fake persona or even a Nico Nico Nii gimmick just to become a true idol.

There was a deep moment of silence around us. After some seconds passed...

".....alright....I'll be leaving for a while...take care of the house...don't worry about me....", Mom said all that with an unhappy look on her face.

"Mom!?", I tried but failed to prevent mom from leaving the house. We're so doomed.

"....sorry, Nico....cough cough cough..."

"...it ain't your fault, Maki-chan. It's my fault for not telling mom earlier. She has the right to be angry at us."

"What should we do now? Cough cough...should we continue the celebration?"

"What choice do we have, Maki-chan? It's only a few hours left before midnight, there's no time to waste!"

"But what about your mom - "

"I'll settle it with her tomorrow. I have to put you first, Maki-chan!"

After a long conversation, we resumed the party even as we felt a bit hesitant to do it. Maki texted her parents she'll stay here for the rest of the night. I gave Maki more medicine and we did lots of things - just the two of us.

"Hey Nico, is everything you said a while ago true?"

"Of course it is, Maki-chan!!"

"I see..."

We played cards, watched TV, gazed at stars in the night, did some makeovers, sang some songs, but most of all we just explored this new house. There were some stuffs she arranged, and we took out some of my stuff still left in the boxes. And lastly we spent time together babysitting my siblings before they fell asleep.

"Maki...Maki...maaa...", said Cotaro as he patted Maki's head with a toy hammer.

"Really, I still am surprised you had siblings that look like you. God, one Nico is enough for me."

"Hehe...just wait when they grow up Maki-chan and let's see if there's gonna be a difference between us!!"

"Heck, I don't even want to think about it, Nico...yaaawwwn..."

"You're sleepy aren't you?"

"Not yet...I need to...ugghh that medicine..."

"(Smile) Go to sleep, Maki-chan. You've had a rough day already."

"Nico....", as Maki started to get dozy I carried her to my bed. I watched as she faded her eyes to sleep. While looking at her beautiful face.

"Hehe...happy birthday, Maki-chan."

But then...

"No...Ahhhh!!"

"What!? Hey, Maki-chan?!!", I replied with surprise when Maki suddenly woke up and hugged me tight after sleeping for about 13 seconds.

"Nico...I don't want to sleep...I don't want..."

"But why Maki-chan!!?"

"Nico...I dreamed again...a horrible dream...I don't want to see it again!"

"Huh? What dream, Maki-chan?!"

"It's a dream where blood - ", Maki hasn't even explained anything when...

NICO PURI! NICO NICO!

Maki's phone rang. Someone's calling?! It's already like 11:17 PM already!!

"...Nico, Kotori's calling."

"Oh!? Kotori again? Gosh, maybe it was what I just said...", I said as Maki answered the call.

"Hello? Kotori, it's me, Maki. I'm okay!"

"Maki-chan?! Ah, I'm glad. I thought it was Nico!"

"Hmm? What do you need Nico for? She's here beside me."

"Well...umm...it's about....her mom..."

"What?!"

I could only guess at Maki's expression on what she just heard or what she was thinking. It's like she was shocked for some reason...

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A/N: Last chapter is coming, stay tuned, and thank you for reading this far! <3