The Only One

Chapter 2 : The yours Regret

"Riku has suffered too much, and I failed him," Tenn whispered, his voice barely audible, choked with guilt. "I wasn't there when he needed me most."

Kichiro tightened his grip on Tenn's shoulder, his gaze steady. "But you're here now, Tenn. Riku needs you now more than ever. And this time, you can be there for him."

Tenn nodded slowly, feeling the weight of Kichiro's words. He swore in that moment to protect Riku, to shield him from any further harm. He would do whatever it took to help Riku heal, even if it meant leaving behind everything he'd ever known.

As Kichiro spoke, Tenn noticed him hesitating again, as if he were holding back something even more painful. Tenn's eyes narrowed, bracing himself for what he feared would be another unbearable truth.

"His throat..." Kichiro's voice grew somber, and he exhaled a shaky breath. "It's as though his throat has been burned. The damage is extensive. Speaking alone could be a struggle for him, painful and exhausting. Even with the right care, he may never fully recover his voice. This scarring... it suggests he was forced to endure something almost unimaginable, something that burned him from within."

Tenn's hands began to tremble, and his heart felt as if it were being crushed. The thought of his brother's voice—his soft, gentle voice, the one that used to call out to him with warmth and innocence—now silenced by pain weighed on him like a lead weight.

"So... he can barely speak," Tenn whispered, his voice barely containing the anger and despair building inside him. "All this time... his silence wasn't by choice."

Kichiro nodded, his expression painful. "He's endured so much that his body is nearly broken, Tenn. But his mind—that's even more fragile. Any reminder of what happened might overwhelm him."

Tenn's mind spiraled through countless memories, each filled with Riku's smiles, his laughter, and his voice calling "Tenn-nii" with warmth and love. Now, every one of those memories felt hollow, like shadows of something lost, tainted by the reality of what Riku had endured alone.

"Kichiro-san..." Tenn's voice shook, his face dark with anguish and fury. "I should have protected him. I should have been there. He needed me, and I wasn't there."

Kichiro put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him firmly. "But you're here now, Tenn. He needs you to be his strength now more than ever. Riku's been forced to be silent for too long. He needs someone who will listen, someone who will protect him."

Tenn took a deep, shuddering breath, nodding slowly. "I'll be there for him. I'll stay by his side, no matter what. He's been through enough... and I'll make sure he never has to face anything like that again. Riku will never be alone. I promise."

-=-=-=-==-=-=

Tenn sat alone in the quiet room, Kichiro's words echoing in his mind like a haunting melody he couldn't escape.

"His throat... burned."

The reality was sinking in, clawing at him with every heartbeat. The voice he had cherished—Riku's voice that had once filled rooms with warmth, laughter, and gentle music—was now lost, trapped beneath layers of agony. The sheer cruelty of it twisted inside him like a knife.

"He may never recover."

Tenn's hands clenched at his sides, his nails biting into his palms. How could he face his own dream now, knowing that Riku's voice—his very ability to sing and speak without pain—had been stolen from him in such a brutal way? How could Tenn possibly stand on stage and sing for a crowd, pouring out his own heart, when his brother's heart was shattered beyond repair?

An unbearable heaviness filled his chest as he imagined performing with IDOLiSH7 again. Every lyric he would sing, every note he would hold, every cheer from the fans—it would only feel hollow, a reminder of the dream he could chase but Riku could no longer even reach for. And the fans—they would never know. They would cheer for Tenn and his beautiful voice, unaware of the silent, broken soul that had been left behind.