As a way of getting some time to himself to reflect on his fallen clan, Ignacio advised the four misfits to go sightseeing to kill some time. The sun had begun to set and the sky was painted with a bright shade of orange. The four of them heard that the old lighthouse provided a great view of the town and headed for the cliffs. They treaded on a rocky trail, admiring the view of the nearby island of Panay. Tobi took the lead in their little trek, singing old country songs as well as stepping in tempo to them. When they reached the top, they found themselves at an old run-down complex. After passing through an an antique Spanish archway, the four misfits took their time to have a look around the open hallways dating hundreds of years back. They then found their way to the old lighthouse; a tower covered in rust that both appeared to stand strong despite its age yet prone to collapse at any given moment. With great caution and at a snail’s pace they climbed the steps, but not without DoDo shouting “Woah!” and “Wah!” every few seconds to try to scare them into losing their balance. At the top, Temi, Coba, and DoDo took in the scenery. They took photos of the grand view as well as breathing in the fresh salty air. Tobi on the other hand was looking closely at the evidence Coba handed to him earlier. He was quite bothered, flipping page after page, scanning his eyes over every picture. His thoughts were like the guests of a house party that had just started; crowded and unwilling to leave his head.

The silver haired boy noticed him slumping over by the steps and came up to him. He patted him on the shoulder and stated “You know, our interview isn’t actually over yet. I’d like to know more about your time with the Ikehara. The patriarch’s daughter even told me a lot about you!”

“Ah…” Tobi responded. Among the thoughts stuck in his head was that of Minami. He was close to her in the short time he served the family, going as far as being her confidant. It pained him to leave as she tried to stop him, even offering to escape with him when met with his stubborn resolve.

“Alright everyone, gather round!” Tobi called “And I hope you don’t mind long stories, cause we’re gonna be here till midnight!”

He began to chronicle some of his experiences, the most notable one being the power station incident from two weeks back

***

April the 11th, about 15 days ago…

A great deal of rain left over from March showered the roofs of the Ikehara estate, signifying the coming of the dry season. This coupled with a cool breeze made a recipe for a great day to unwind, have a cup of tea, and even take a nap. Shun slept in a hut commonly used as a rest area, where members of the large family would hold midday to afternoon chats. The way it was built was a fusion between traditional Japanese and Filipino architecture; same goes for the other houses. Everyone seemed to be busy that day so he had the tea hut all to himself since morning. The percussive pattering of the rain on the thatched roof played an uneven yet soothing beat, guaranteed to lull most to sleep. But then came the clacking of wooden sandals followed the soft thumping of feet on the straw matted floor. A girl in a pink furisode squatted over the sleeping boy in a black tracksuit. She tilted her head to the left to have a better view of his face. It was smushed onto the mat and a clear stream of saliva flowed out of his mouth. She then tried to wake him up by poking him on the cheek, only for him to slap her hand away.

A tailorbird emerged from within her sleeve as it perched onto the boy’s shoulder and alarmed him with a mocking tune. A groggy Shun raised his head and lifted his eyelids open like old rusty hatches. He was met with a bubbly expression on the girl’s face, puffing up her cheeks and smiling like idiot.

“Oh… Hey, Minami.” He uttered. “You’re up early.” to which she replied “It’s 3pm!”

He sat up and scratched his head as the little tailorbird swayed side to side to keep its balance. He then scanned his gaze though her attire, after which he asked “You got another suitor?”

Minami responded with a pout along with a sideways glance, toppping it off with a dismayed “Mhmm…”. She reverted upon remembering something important.

“Dad was looking for you.” she stated. “He wanted you there too, I guess.”

“Why though?” The boy responded. “He usually just leads on whoever comes in and then sends them out.”

Minami shrugged. “Dunno.” she said. “Maybe today will be different.”

Shun got on his feet and muttered “Let’s go then. I don’t wanna get scolded again for being late by even just a second. I swear, I can’t even fuggin sleep an sheet…” Eventually his rant became unintelligible as he exited the hut.

Under the shade of Minami’s umbrella, the two walked past the other samurai-esque hacienda houses. The neighbors as well as passersby, mostly middle aged women, whispered to each other. Although faint, the pair were able to hear the encircling gossip.

“Why doesn’t she get married off already?”

“I know, right? An alliance would at least help us get a leg up in this whole mess.”

“I heard the Ogaya family from Kabankalan is coming over. If the Ikehara can forge an alliance with them, they can probably take the whole island back with their help.”

The boy glanced over to his friend whose face was pale with unease.

Just then from seemingly out of nowhere, the little tailorbird swooped down and assaulted one of them with its wings. The chatty neighbor squirmed, swinging her arms here and there to try to swat it away. It wasn’t until Shun whistled that it flew back and perched on his finger. It then chirped and bobbed its head, as if to laugh. The little fledgeling’s victim tried to come over to confront her assailant, babbling “Hey! Keep that stupid bird in check or I’m gonna feed it to my cat-” but then Shun gave an electifying glare that not only silenced but also immobilized her in an instant.

They eventually reached the main meeting hall where the chief members of the Ikehara family awaited.

While Minami was getting ready, Shun headed to the sliding door leading to the patriach’s office and knelt before it. He knocked twice before sliding it open with grace.

“Did you need something, my lord?” he asked. In front of the groggy boy was Ikehara Mikinosuke. He was a man in his forties sporting a crew cut. He placed his teacup onto his desk and got up from his chair.

“Can you drop the lord thing, please? You can just call me uncle.” he answered. Shun replied with “I refuse to, my lord.” Mikinosuke chuckled, walking out the door and past the boy.

“I swear, you’re doing this to spite me.” he said.

The patriarch turned around then warned “Oh, and don’t forget to put your sword away. Even though it’s made of bamboo, it might put the Ogayas off.” Shun let out an “Oh- right!” as he unslinged it from his back. The boy propped it up against the wall and followed the patriarch to the tea room where chief members of the Ogaya family sat and waited.

Shun had been very close with the Ikehara family since he was little, with Mikinosuke being one of the first few people to hold him shortly after he was born. His grandfather, Bobb, had assisted with the family’s rise to power. This along with discovering that Shun was a strange child with an unnatural aura over him was the reason why the patriarch took an interest in him. When the boy turned three Bobb left the Ikehara and the realm altogether, taking his family as well as his grandson with him; only to return for infrequent visits. Soon after he was too old to go anywhere and no longer kept in touch with them, the Ikehara along with the Montemonte family was decimated by various gangs. This included the Tattlesnake faction who took hold of the island of Guimaras. Mikinosuke was disheartened by both his clan’s dwindling influence over their territories and the notion that he may never hear of his dear old friend and his grandson ever again. That was until one day, under the blistering May sun, Minami found Shun unconscious on a beach in the Bantayan district. Upon recognizing the boy’s face, he spat out chunks of the watermelon slice he was eating. Since the nation was ravaged by constant civil strife, teleporters were hardly available and thus Shun was unable to return home. Since then, the patriarch assigned the boy a special role as the family’s personal spy, preventing and resolving disturbances as well as gaining info on rival gangs. Despite his arrogant and abraisive behavior, the family grew fond of him. Many of the retainers on the other hand grew envious, so much so that they dubbed him “The Ikehara’s Golden Boy”. Shun took it well, much to their dismay.

***

Upon entering the meeting room, Mikinosuke greeted the Ogayas with a solemn bow before planting his knees on a velvet cushion with utmost care. He sat on his heels facing Jhon Consuelo Ogaya, a man who appeared a few years shy of thirty. He was even dressed for the occasion, donning a business suit fit for the leader of a fiefdom built on sago farms. Behind him were his parents who looked even more like stuck up hacienderos, and on his sides were bodyguards whose heads resembled cue balls with sunglasses on them. Shun stood by the sliding door, eyeing each one of them. He knew they, especially this Jhon Consuelo fellow, were like the usual bunch of suitors. Just then, a “Psst!” caught his attention which snapped him out of his contemptous gaze and thus turned his head to where it came from. To Mikinosuke’s left was his son, Mamoru. He was a cheeky boy who was about two years younger than Shun and Minami. His top half twisted to the right as he gestured the boy in the tracksuit to come over and sit down.

“Come on dude, over here.” he whispered, patting a vacant cushion between him and his father. Shun bowed to the Ogaya family before walking over to the velvet cushion adjacent to Mamoru’s. There he sat cross-legged, contrasting everybody else in the room who sat the same as Mikinosuke. There were a few weird looks aimed at him that were then averted when the door across the room slid open. Minami came in bearing a fruit basket. Even just a sideways glance at her was able to captivate the visiting family. Even one of the bodyguards lowered his sunglasses and gave a look of intrigue. She placed the basket in front of Jhon Consuello before bowing to both her father and her suitor.

“Excuse me, I have to fetch something from the other room.” she stated before heading through the door and coming back with a stool. The faces of the Ogayas shifted and made confused grimaces. As Minami plopped the little stool and sat with her arms crossed, Mikinosuke finally spoke up and addressed the situation.

“I take it you’re here to take my daughter’s hand in marriage.” he said with a face like an untouched cup of tea. The young haciendero smiled and replied “Yes, that is so.” Shun couldn’t help but notice the aura of pretense swirling around him. Although he kept quiet, he couldn’t mask the look of disgust on his face.

Jhon Consuelo continued, saying “I’ve actually seen her a while ago and she looks quite stunning in person. I’ve never seen such… immeasurable beauty.”

Mamoru leaned in close to Shun’s ear, covered his mouth with his hand, and whispered.

“More like an immeasurable rack.” The two boys struggled to contain their laughter. Even Minami giggled yet still retained her cold demeanor and rolled her eyes.

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Jhon Consuello’s parents looked over to the two with frustration and confusion.

Mamoru lowered his head to prostrate himself, saying “My apologies.” As he raised himelf from the floor, he continued with “He tripped on a rack.” This infuriated the older couple more as the mother hid the anger in her face with her hand fan.

Shun looked at Mikinosuke, wondering what his reaction may be. To his surprise, the man never batted an eye. He kept his head facing forward, eyes locked onto the suitor’s.

“You are aware of her other capabilities, correct?” he asked. “The petals are not the only thing a flower has going for. There is also its fragrance and the benefits it provides to its surroundings.” Jhon Consuello lifted his brow and replied “Your point being?” The patriach was eager in giving his answer.

“She’s well versed in various arts, even able to compose haiku in her sleep. Ever since she learned to walk, she’s been taught different fighting styles. And most of all, she’s a brilliant tactician with a kind heart. All of these qualities make her a strong and important member of this family. Wouldn’t you agree, Shun?”

He placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and shook him in a chummy manner. Shun’s eyes popped out and his mouth was sewn shut. It felt as if the Ogaya family were blasting him with beams out of their eyes. He glanced over to Minami who started to look nervous. With all eyes upon him, he took a deep breath and nodded as he let out a hum of agreement. He felt that Mikinosuke didn’t really get his point across, or rather the opposing family seemingly refused to heed the patriarch’s flowery words. And so he gave a sigh as well as his own explanation.

“She’s smart, able to think ahead and expect the unexpected to ensure the best results out of something. Yes she’s able to fight, but since she knows she’s not invincible she takes whatever advantage she can to win. She uses her skills with everyone’s best interests in mind. But no amount of beauty or fighting prowess can trump over her… how do I say is? Her inner fillings. After all, she’s a person. She’s meant to be recognized as one other than just some… alliance link.” The room was dead silent. Shun looked around, examining the stone cold faces of the participants. Minami’s face contrasted the rest. She was blushing. Shun’s eyes appeared to pop out of their sockets before he proceeded to look away.

Mikinosuke took a deep breath and broke the rejection down to the young man not so gently

“Alright, we all know where this is going. We… I refuse to-”

“But why!?” Jhon Consuello spoke up as he planted his foot and stood up “You’re already struggling to keep this whole province together! With my farms, you can at least gain an advantage in this war!” The patriarch tilted his head to the right and asked “And what can you do if you’re forced to fight for the territories you’ve established? I admit you have quite a head for business, but that’ll only get you so far in this messed up game of capture the flag.” The young haciendero fell silent as his gaze sank to the floor.

“There is also the issue of taking the reins.” Mikinosuke continued. “Eventually, I would have to pass on the leadership over the family, the province, and its future to you. Although Minami will lead alongside you, you will have to be strong enough to protect everything we stand for.”

Jhon Consuello’s father immediately retorted, saying “A woman isn’t suited for war, most especially the daughter of a leader.” Shun rolled his eyes and let out a “Tch!”. This enraged the older man who asked “And what does a retainer like you have to say about this. Although your little speech may have been sort of profound, I’m sure you know you have no place in these matters.”

The boy clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He stared Jhon Consuello’s father down from under his brow and growled “I may not have anything to say… but my fist does!” before pouncing on him.

The matchmaking devolved into a bloody rumble between Shun and the men of the Ogaya family. Minami got up and tried to intervene, but to her surprise her father prevented her from stepping in. As the boy pummeled the old man’s face in, one of the cue ball headed bodyguards came charging at him with a baton. In the nick of time, Minami tossed him her stool, yelling “Shun, look out!” The boy snatched the stool just in time to catch the baton and lock it between its legs. Right when the other guard tried to attack him from behind, he flipped the stool and planted it onto the matted floor, causing the first bodyguard to lose his balance. From this quadrapedal position, Shun then dished out a back kick to the second bodyguard’s solar plexus. He then rechambered his leg and leaned backwards as he then sent the first bodyguard flying with a front kick to the head. Minami was frustrated by her father’s inaction, as well as her brother eating roasted peanuts while watching the mayhem unfold. She swiped Mikinosuke’s arm away and rushed to Siun to intervene. Just then, the old haciendero charged with a sword in both hands. The Ikehara patriach let out a faint gasp as he called “Minami!”

Shun turned around and saw his assailant behind her. Not wanting her to be caught in the crossfire(or in this case a cross-slash), he gave her a strong push with one hand; sending her tumbling down the straw matted floor. Right when Jhon Consuello’s father swung his blade, the boy leaned to the right and dodged the attack with only a few strands of his hair flying off. He then grabbed the old man on the shoulder and elbowed him on the head so hard he dislocated his jaw. Shun pulled the sword away and threw the old haciendero down to the floor. He flipped the blade upside down and raised it above his head. A strange aura then enveloped him as he prepared to thrust downwards. However, Minami held him back.

“Wha- I was gonna stab the floor not him! Just a big scare, that’s all!” Shun yelled. She then retorted with “I know, but the flooring’s expensive!”

“Oh, look who’s talking! Weren’t you using a stool a while ago? That’s not good for the mats either!”

“Sh- shut up!”

“Well how am I supposed to scare him shitless?!”

“Here, give me that!” Minami shouted as she snatched the sword and pointed it close to the old man’s neck. In a calm voice, Minami threatened the old man, saying

“I advise you to take back what you have said, otherwise I would have to confiscate your family jewels.” Jhon Consuello’s father let out a terrified mumble as he crawled backwards. He stood up right by the door but stumbled on a doormat and ate dirt, literally.

“See?” said Minami. “That way you won’t make a mess of the mats.” Shun looked back at the other side of the room. He replied with “Um… about that.” as he pointed to the frightened Jhon Consuello who had turtled up in the corner. There was a yellow puddle below him.

“Minami…” called Shun. “Can you hand me that thing for a bit?” She passed the sword to him without question. The blade had a bright blue tint with its hilt modeled after a blue marlin. The boy pointed the sword to the young haciendero and said

“Hey, farmboy!”, prompting Jhon Consuello to point to his chest.

“How old are you?” he asked, to which the haciendero answered “T- t- twenty seven!” With his other hand, Shun pointed to Minami and continued with “You see, she’s fifteen. Mmmmm, doesn’t sound good does it?” While Mamoru proceeded to burst out laughing, Mikinosuke came up to him and said “Tell your men to lay their weapons down and stop spying on the estate. We have no intention of raising our arms against you.”

Shun stood in shock. He did notice some strange vans around the estate ealier this morning.

They were spying on us? He thought

The patriach then continued with “And now with no further ado, kindly fuck off please?”

***

After the Ogaya family left, disappointed and feeling betrayed that Mikinosuke refused to marry off his daughter to their leader, Minami found herself relieved of the pressure yet confused by her father’s way of handling the situation.

“I don’t get you, dad.” she complained. “First you let the Ogayas pay a visit, knowing they intend to arrange a marriage, then not only did you refuse but you also told them to fuck off! Are you trying to get the whole island against you?!” Mikinosuke raised a smile on his cheek and replied “Even if it gets to that, I’d still want the family to stand tall and proud. It’s a big risk but I’d rather it be this way than to compromise. Besides, I’ve got other plans.” He turned his head to Shun who was feeding fifty dogs out in the yard. The boy in the tracksuit cradled his favorite among them, Noodles.

He noticed the middle aged patriach smiling at him and he waved. Mikinosuke grinned and chuckled as he waved in return. Minami sighed as she stomped towards the boy.

“And I’d like to have a word with you, mister!” she yelled.

“What is it?” Shun asked in response as he dropped the dog. The princess gripped him on the chest and squeezed hard. He let out an “Aaa! What was that for?!” while trying to pull her hand away to no avail.

“You pushed me on the chest, dude!” she shouted. “That freaking hurt!”

Like a crayon on paper, Shun’s face was colored in a bright red tone. He didn’t realize what he did when he tried to protect her from the old haciendero’s blade… until now.

“On the…” he murmured before turning his head away. “A- ahhh, I’m really sorry about that!”

Minami took a deep breath to compose her thoughts, then blowing it out before continuing on her sermon.

“And it’s not just that.” she said “You started a fight with the Ogayas too! You even broke the old man’s jaw! That’s no way of treating a guest!”

The boy turned his head back to face his friend. With a stern look on his face, he replied “He was talking shit about you. I couldn’t let that slide.” Although Minami appreciated his concern, she told him “Even so, granted he’s never gonna do it again, it doesn’t make it any better to just respond to every insult with violence.”

Minami was no stranger giving sermons, no matter how big or small the mistake may be. Shun however was her most frequent target as well as the one she yells the loudest at. She was like a doting wife to him. She might as well had been.

Mikinosuke looked on from the veranda of the meeting hall as he sat on a cushion and sipped his tea. He couldn’t help but smile at the pair’s bickering. Mamoru, having come back from running an errand, joined his father in watching them.

“Seesh. They’re still arguing, even till now.” he commented “Anyone not from here would think they’re a married couple or something.”

Mikinosuke let out a giggle as he responded with “They do remind me of your grandparents from when I was a child.”

The boy then asked “Wait, why did you let every suitor come here only to turn them down?” to which the patriach answered with a lie, saying “I just like to piss them off.”

Deep down he wanted the hairy boy in front of him, arguing with his daughter, to become the next leader of the family.

When Shun had finished feeding, Minami tugged his sleeve and demanded “C’mon, let’s head out! I’m getting sick of this shit!” He raised a brow, asking “Still dressed in that?” as he pointed to her pink furisode.

“One more word and I’m gonna punch you on the nuts!” she said with a raised fist.

Shun went along with her demand, but knowing she meant him no harm, he raised his head and laughed.

“Hehaha Okay okay, let’s head to the spot.”

As Minami walked by him, he brought up her threat.

“Wait, you said you’d punch me on the nuts if I said one more word.” The girl turned around with a threatening smile on her face as she cracked her knuckles. He whistled and replied “Alright, I getcha.”

Shun rode on a bike with Minami at the rear end. They reached the spillway of the Banica river, their usual hangout spot. As the two stood on a concrete wall, the girl took a deep breath and went down to the waters edge. She took off her wooden sandals and her socks as well as rolling up her furisode before stepping into the stream. She decided to practice her forms, especially because she was stressed. She took out two hand fans and held them in each hand before opening them up and raising them up in the air. There on the river bead, with herons flying over her and with the audience of onlookers on the nearby houses, Minami performed a martial dance. She incorporated elements from different styles like Tai Chi, Bajiquan, and Taido. With every sway and step, the water diverted from its natural flow and followed hers; splashing, swirling, and sprouting. A clear mist enveloped her, decorating the area with a myriad of colors. And as droplets fell onto the ground, beds of flowers rose and bloomed from within.

Shun looked in awe. He thought to himself

I gotta get her to teach me that!

Message from Siunobi:

Hiya, it's been a while! I've actually struggled to write this chapter down, especially the scene with the matchmaking, which is why it took me this long. I'm sorry to any of you who have gotten invested in this brainrot riddled story of mine for essentially blueballing you. Although another year of college has started for me, I'll do what I can to pump out as much chapters as I can as well as maintaining some level of quality to them.

Luv U jk u succ >:)