“How could I have… I can’t believe I trusted him. Rios Granary…”

“Look at where it got me now… three months of lies.” Hanami reflected as she headed towards steps that led to the mansion. “After everything I told him…” Hanami began recalling her final moments with the individual.

“It looks so depressing in there… when 2 arrives, we can go for a walk outside. The florias will be dazzling with the evening sun. We can take you outside soon, since the other guards are on break at the same time this week.”

“But won’t you get in trouble if we get caught?”

“If we get caught, yeah… but you deserve the air! Trapped here for 23 hours, no one deserves that. Especially you.”

“Rios, have you ever lost someone you care about?”

“I think we all have or eventually will. It’s more about the circumstances of how it happens… are you asking that because of your father, Hanami?”

“You know about him?” Hanami asked, worried.

“I’ve heard… things-”

“Everyone says he died, but I don’t believe that! My paps has to be alive! But how can I find him? If I’m stuck here, I’ll never find him this way. What good am I? Why do I continue living when I can’t even help my mother?! And everyone hates me…” She broke down as Rios opened the door to step in and hug her, even at the risk of execution for even doing so.

“That’s not true! I’m here, aren’t I? It won’t be too long until you’re able to roam freely again, so cry if you must… but I’ll have you feeling better real soon.”

She snuggled into him as he looked outside of the door. “They’re gone, you can come out now.”

Rios picked the door’s lock and allowed the girl out as she happily stepped outside and went to one of the vast windows to see red and golden vines in the clouds.

“They’re so beautiful! They’re… just like in that book you described. I wonder how they feel!”

“Are those swans flying this high?! RIOS, COME LOOK!”

Hanami turned around just as Rios approached her with a lance behind his back. He swung it over and aimed it for her face. It’d have gone through if it weren’t for a rotating sphere that formed around her, as red lines formed along her skin and face. She fell back with her crimson red hair flowing, and a second later, the sphere resembling the flower of life deactivated, to Rios’ delight.

He rushed in to pierce through and successfully drew blood, grazing the lance beside her ribcage, causing the girl to stumble aside and question in utter confusion, “RIOS!?”

“DIE, YOU WRETCHED CURSE!” he shouted at her, causing her to fall in shock.

Just as he brought it down towards her, something breezed through, deflecting the sphere out of his hand as the sphere crashed through the wall and another explosion spread debris everywhere. Hanami screamed, holding on as she was dangling outside the wall and watched as Rios was pinned. “KILL HER! SHE’S NOTHING BUT A CURSE! SHE’LL BE THE DEATH OF YOU MAD DOGS! UNHAND ME!” he shouted growling and snarling her way, only to have a sphere stabbed over his head. Her eyes widened as her grip loosened and she glanced down to the flowers in the clouds. She tried to let go, only to be caught by a knight who stated, “You cannot escape your fate now… Miss Hanami.”

“Judging by what’s presently happening worldwide… this is an unfortunate time to send her. It’d be best to keep her here…”

“From the reports we just received, the Gem tried escaping with a foot guard from the granary, only for him to attack her.”

“She’s still very reckless and naive.”

“The Gem cannot be allowed to remain in Hokkaido any longer. We must act quickly before another attempt is made on her life and begin a more thorough investigation.”

“It will only continue to stir a problem among the clans. I say she can either be sent to the Italian side of her family or to…”

“Who opts to send her to the Hachi? It’s early, but she is to be married to the next Sekiha, correct?”

“That one? Out of all those Rikuto…”

“I’ve heard rumors he’s taken the Alessandro Enigma at a very early age…”

“His father sent him to different battles, did he not? In fact, he took on Miss Angia once.”

“Word is, he’s the ruthless Stray Slayer of Osaka…”

“Is it really wise to send the Gem now? To such a beast…”

“It’d be the end of her, but at least she’d be out of our hairs.”

“She’s been kept in that cell long enough now… and the seal? If it is holding up well, we can send her tomorrow.”

“For that, an old friend will be assuring her safety.”

“Wakaba, do you agree to send your granddaughter to the Hachis in Osaka? She may die there.”

“Well, it’s better than any of us dying; that’s for sure.” Laughter broke out among the elders.

“If she’s able to last 4 months there and show signs of control, then we may allow her to return for some time.”

“Send word of our decree to the girl.”

“Now I’ve been thrown away to live with some fiance for the sake of my ‘family.’ They should’ve just killed me.” The girl sighed heavily.

“Nana… she’s relying on me for this. I have to pull it together for her.”

Monday, 7:29 a.m.

“Hehe, umm… I was caught off guard, too.” The girl wiggled back and forth in place, uneasy of what she should say to this complete stranger. She had to put on a façade for him at the very least and pretend she was interested for the sake of satisfying her legal guardians back home. Hanami wasn’t exactly comfortable with the sudden plan that she practically learned of overnight.

Hanami recalled sitting comfortably, as a private flight attendant approached her and handed her a screen that had a pre-recorded message from her grandmother. She looked at the screen, utterly baffled.

“You’re to start high school in Osaka. Since you’ve never been to a private school, it should be a fresh experience for you. Especially since it’s one full of Setsu. Although the clans in Osaka have been told Hanami Hasegawa will be in the region, none know of how you look, so please keep your identity secure.” Her grandmother briefly paused and sighed. “It’s crucial that you make this work. The union between our two families will determine how the unseen hands make their move.”

“Unseen hands?” The girl questioned.

“But do not worry about anything else. You’ll be in great hands; just have fun! You’re being given this chance to accomplish your desires, deary.”

“I didn’t even have breakfast, nana…” Hanami whined.

She was hoping for a better introduction between them, but right off the bat, the tall, young fellow seemed menacing. He seemed as if he were from prison by the way he had a long sleeve, except it wasn’t black and white, but instead white and purple. His whole look screamed troublemaker, the complete opposite of the charming rich guy she thought she’d be meeting. “He has a collar around his neck… is that the style around here? Is he into K-Pop?” She stared down at the floor, thinking of what to say.

“Do I tell him a joke? No… think, Hanami,” she thought to herself, growing upset with each passing second until she forced the girliest smile she could make and waved her hand in front of him.

“I come in peace!” she said, earning her a continued silence.

“Okay, okay… we are to be married. I’m Hanami Hasegawa.”

“You should call me Haruna in public though, but yeah… I’m

y-your bride… ahhh, it’s so embarrassing…”

The girl stumbled over her words, nibbling on her lower lip and tightly gripping her kendo bag. She could feel the butterflies in her tummy. She hated the feeling of being forced, something she’d hoped would change after leaving her home.

“Why am I being forced to live with this guy anyway? A way to get rid of me, huh? Angie’s idea I bet…” she ranted inside of her head. “What if he’s a complete weirdo? Or a psychotic abuser? Nana…”

“At least he looks good,” she tried to see the positive in her predicament. It still didn’t help much, as she could tell from his silence that he wasn’t too happy about it. Without a single response, Takumi slammed the door in her face. Hanami froze.

“H-He… slammed the door in my face,” she whined.

“Not good…” Alto thought nervously

Alto recalled what the girl’s grandmother had told him about her. Much like many of the Imperial Setsus of the Hasegawa, Hanami had a strong sense of justice. She had no tolerance for rude acts or gestures. Alto looked down to her clenched fists. “If I don’t do something quickly…”

A sweat drop rolled down Alto’s forehead as he stepped in front of her and knocked on the door, using the tips of his knuckles quickly. He could feel a strong heat emanating from the girl behind him.

“Young master, open this door right now and listen!” He spoke up in a demanding tone. Takumi hesitantly opened the door just enough for the two to see the same nasty glare he directed at Hanami.

She looked up and glared back at him in return, angry at how coldly he shut the door right in her face when she was close to reciting what she had to memorize during her flight over. “All of that preparing for such a rude jerk! I could… ughhh!!!” She screamed in her head. Her hands formed into fists on and off until she grasped the bottom of her skirt in an attempt to hold the urge to bust through the door and clobber him.

Her cheeks puffed up as her throat started burning from the immense urge she felt. She wanted to yell at him and correct him, but continued to resist the temptation, hoping he’d step out and apologize. Hanami turned away and walked down the steps in order to give Alto some time to attempt to fix the situation. Alto took this cue, practically prancing to the door in a leap.

“The sacred jewel of the Hasegawa… of Japan itself, is right here! She’s here to unite with you, my boy! Although she was born 99% human, her Imperial Setsu blood has concentrated into 1%, making it the richest blood in existence. And she’s all yours to take care of.”

“That’s supposed to be a big deal?” Takumi shouted from behind the door.

“Of cour-”

“She can be a monkey juggler for all I care. Send her back to the jungle she came from,” Takumi muttered coldly.

“That can’t happen. Let me give you a more thorough explanation. I know you have a distaste for Hasegawas, but…” Alto’s blonde mustache wiggled as he continued on.

“Her family has close ties to the Hachi. Even though there was once a feud that brewed between the Hachi and Hasegawa, right now, there are bigger issues circulating. She isn’t only here for some marriage. Her blood’s very rare and thus, sought by many. Not all with positive intentions of course, even in Hokkaido. She’s been sent to remain under our care for now. If the wrong beings were to take her, it’d be catastrophic. In order to keep her safe and assist her in a personal problem, your parents agreed with her grandmother to have you both live together in the meantime…”

Takumi pushed his lips inward and nodded his head as if he finally agreed. Hanami caught a quick glimpse of this and assumed he was understanding the situation finally, though she couldn’t hear what Alto was whispering to Takumi. She sighed, relieved, letting the monkey comment pass, even if Takumi had said it loudly on purpose. “After this… I guess he’ll apologize and everything will be okay,” she thought to herself.

“That's their plan…” Takumi’s eyebrows twitched. The scent of the girl filled his nostrils. “They’re doing this to try and get me to drink blood, hmph.” He lifted the back of his hand to his nose in an attempt to keep the scent from imprinting itself into his head. She gave off a strong scent of cherries that only Setsus could pick up on.

Takumi pulled the door back some more, still having not moved an inch. Hanami released her clenched fist and stepped forward to go over and shake his hands for the apparent misunderstanding, but when she raised it up, Takumi didn’t take it. He stared down at her small hand, particularly her veins that he noticed along her pale forearm. The owl clock attached to the door frame seemed to tick slower, with each passing second as her heartbeats became more noticeable to him. “Tick, thump… tick, thump… tick, thump…” Takumi sunk deeper into thought on what it meant if he took her hand at that moment.

A life of doing his father's bidding, something he swore to never do again. It’d be going against the promise he made to himself. He could hear his parents laughing evilly from afar in the back of his head. He could just imagine how they must be laughing at him at that very moment somewhere in Egypt, treating their time there like some sort of twisted vacation. Takumi felt his collar tighten around his neck at these thoughts, forcing him to calm down a tad.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A gust of wind blew between the pair, carrying with it an ongoing awkward silence. The girl’s flower hat waved around a bit and then flew off of her head for a second time. Takumi slammed the door right in her face not once, but “TWICE!!!” She cried out.

The slamming of the door caused the three men that were setting the boxes to look over towards the door. “Draaamaaa…” one of the smaller men sneaked in and was quickly struck across the head by one of the other men.

“Shut it, you wanna be unemployed?” the short man mimicked the taller one and the three turned away to continue unpacking.

“Hehe… heh…” she stammered, dropping her head, as the positive demeanor she tried to force disappeared. Hanami threw her bag, shaking her fist. Her temper flared up along with her crimson hair.

“I’ve put a lot of his type in their place, and that’s not about to change now!” She smashed her fists twice together, turning away. Hanami then turned over and began to bang at the door furiously with the side of her fists, adding in kicks. “HEY, WHAT’S WITH YOU?!?! OPEN THIS DOOR, JERK! GET OUT HERE!!! I’M DONE BEING TREATED RUDELY BY EVERYONE!”

Alto tried to reach out to stop her and at least pull her back, but instinctively stopped himself. The men hauling luggage stopped, stared at Takumi kneeling down for a second and then continued their work, pretending they were deaf. The girl pounded heavily on the door.

Hearing all the commotion, Miranda poked her head out

from the side of a statue near the living room where she’d been.

“Is that your bride?” the maid asked cheekily. Takumi didn’t respond. He furiously teared the golden letter right down the middle and brought the ends together, ripping them up into small confetti. He grabbed his bag in one hand and opened the door up once more with a fist full of ripped paper.

Hanami stepped back a bit when Takumi opened the door, expecting an apology. Her face was as red as a tomato. She huffed, puffing one of her cheeks up. Her right fist was held up, with her left hand on her right elbow, and her big doll-like oak eyes glued onto his face. “WELL?! APOLOGIZE NOW, DOOFUS!” she demanded, earning something else instead.

Takumi tossed the pieces of paper at her face and walked by her, purposely bumping against her shoulder. She stumbled back a bit and nearly fell, but Alto stepped forward and caught her. “L-Lady Hana!” Alto gasped, shocked that Takumi would brush her off, even after knowing how important this was.

“Young master!” Alto called out to Takumi. He was upset, and trying hard not to react. Alto turned his attention to the girl. “Please don’t pay mind to him, he’s like that with everyone! The good news is h-” Alto attempted to convince her.

Hanami didn’t answer. She remained in place for twenty seconds, setting her hands down on the cold white tiles below her. She tried using the cool sensation that brushed across her palm in order to calm herself down, but the way he treated her replayed in her head over and over, only making her increasingly upset. She couldn't believe she was being married to such an insolent person. Surely her grandmother was mistaken when she agreed to her granddaughter marrying someone like him. Hearing the sound of an engine revving up, she finally recomposed herself and stood back up just in time to see Takumi tossing his bag into the passenger seat of his hover car.

“HEYYY!!!” she called out to Takumi who slid in and got comfy on the driver’s seat. He shut the car door and rolled up the window in order to drown out the pesky yelling. When he looked into his rearview mirror to start backing up, he squinted his eyes. Hanami was approaching the car’s rear side. He ignored the reflection and looked away as the raging girl hopped around, throwing a fit. “Not my fault if the animal gets hit,” he told himself mischievously, taking a glance at the blind spot.

“YOU’LL REGRET TREATING ME LIKE THIS!!!” Hanami kicked her left foot down repeatedly as if attempting to stomp on a bug and swooped down the set of three steps. She landed and took a leap onto the driveway as Takumi now fully activated the hover car. Red lights blinked from the back, as it elevated three feet off of the ground, releasing a compression of heated air onto the driveway. This mix of fumes, brushed towards the girl as she took a quick step jumping up.

“L-LADY HANA! One moment!” Alto swung his finger around in an attempt to get her attention. Failing miserably, he followed behind, but wisely kept his distance as he urged her to calm down. “Take it easy! I’ll get him to apologize!”

“I’ll do that myself,” she yelled. “This won’t be easy,” Alto told himself.

Upon reaching the car, Hanami latched onto the back and started banging on its windows from the left end, over to the front until she was at the driver seat window. “GRAAHHH!!! OPENNN UP, COWARD!!!” Takumi turned his head and looked her square in the face. Getting recognition, she stopped the screaming. She waited for him to say something, but Takumi wouldn’t say anything. He just glared at her, then turned away, acting like she wasn’t there. This further ticked her off, who resumed the banging and demanding. “I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY YOU’RE SO RUDE TO ME!”

Not engaging her, Takumi reached down to pull his phone out. He dialed up Alto’s phone number. Alto maintained a distance of ten feet from Hanami, as she repeatedly slammed her elbows against the car window.

“Young master? Please apologize to her, before this gets worse…” Alto spoke into the phone.

Takumi cut him short and ignored Alto’s warning. “Spare me… did you add the music playlist I requested?”

“Yes, I did and also updated the sonogastra for your trip… bu-” Alto responded, before being cut off.

“Good, I don’t want to deal with any of those Shikis either. I'm living an ordinary life from now on.” Takumi hung up and set his phone down in the cupboard behind the gear shift. He pushed the key in and turned it, causing the ignition to kick start. Hanami kicked up onto the roof of the car.

When Takumi pressed down on the petal, he was forced to quickly press on the breaks just as the car moved forward, due to Hanami sliding down from the roof of the car and landing right in front of it. “YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, STUPID PIG! LET ME IN!!!” she roared, with her hands extended to her side.

His limited patience withered away, being replaced with a spicy thought. Takumi struck the top of the steering wheel and turned the key backwards. He yanked the keys out, causing the car to slowly land back down on the driveway.

“Come out here, now!” Hanami shouted as she returned to kicking the hood of Takumi’s car. Takumi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her sandal striking the hood in his view.

“Tch.” He aimlessly honked but she wouldn’t budge, so he came out, swinging the door open. She slid her hands onto her hips, pushing out her chest as if sizing up to Takumi, who was much taller. Not that it stopped him at all, as he grabbed her by the back of her dress. In turn, she tried swinging her palm up towards his chin, but he slid past her forearm and pulled her off the driveway and over to the wet grass near the sidewalk of the estate.

“ACK, LET GO!” Hanami screamed as she attempted to pry Takumi's hand off of her. Upon reaching the grass, Takumi flung her over. She stumbled against the grass four times, causing grass to fling up around her until she stopped just in front of a sprinkler. Takumi pointed over at her and shouted “Do you like me that much already, you crazy b*tch?! I don’t intend to marry the likes of you.”

“Me, a… what?! How dare you?!” She clawed her fingers into the soil and chucked it over to Takumi, who dodged every toss until she stopped.

“I’m in the same boat as you, bat for brains! I don’t like you either! What kind of Rikuto are you?!” She recalled the report she read on Takumi, where it mentioned he was about 6’1, 15 years of age. “I’m not scared of a big oaf like you! You can give me that glare all you want, you lunatic!” She rallied up the courage to stand up to him, since they were already stuck together for the next four years.

“I’m the lunatic? You jumped in front of my car and attacked it!” Takumi argued.

“That’s only after what you did! Who do you think I am? I’m not going to take that from you! All I want is an enjoyable four years and I won’t let a rude maniac like you take that from me! Give me my apology!” Hanami stood up and smashed her elbows together twice.

Takumi watched her hop in place as she raised her elbows to her side. He raised a brow in confusion, only to see her unexpectedly dash right at him. Takumi found himself lopsided, as she hit him with a combo of three elbows, one across his left cheek, the other across his right cheek and the final, a clean uppercut that sent him falling back.

Alto watched in horror and hurried his steps over, but stopped as he saw Takumi lean up almost right away, with a frown. He expected Takumi to jump up and fight, but he didn’t. Takumi remained seated, rubbing his cheeks while processing what she did to him. He then brought his hands down between his thighs, feeling his palm brush up against wet grass and glared at the girl in silence.

“I won’t excuse that behavior from anybody, especially you! Be reasonable!” She pointed at Takumi, when a sprinkler suddenly activated and released cold water on her. Takumi and Alto awkwardly watched her gradually get drenched from head to toe.

Hanami gasped as the frigid water ran down her neck, sliding to her lower back. At the sight of her squirming around, Takumi couldn’t help but raise the back of his hand over his mouth to hide the emotion threatening to bubble out. “Great, you’re cooled down… maybe now you’ll buzz off,” Takumi quipped. Try as he did, it wasn’t easy for him to suppress the urge to laugh. He soon found Hanami chucked one of her sandals. It hit him across the head, causing him to stop laughing.

Hidden away, the gardener silently watched this exchange. “When the rarest of flowers is close to being picked, who can stop a treacherous Copernicus? You are mine.” With that, Takko sunk into a bush wall.

Hanami’s eyes twitched as she squirmed in place. A crooked smile formed on her face until she snapped again. “RAAAAHHHHHH!!!” She rocked her head back and forth and attempted to jump up, but suddenly felt pain in her right knee. This caused her to flinch and plop back down on her flamboyant floral dress. She had scraped her knee against a twig and hadn’t noticed up until that moment.

Takumi rose to his feet, drawing a low sigh that was quickly silenced when he felt immense Retsu pressure bear down on him.

The familiar Retsu came from none other than Alto himself, who wasn’t being passive anymore. Alto passed by him urgently, looking to get the situation under control before things got worse. “I’ll be heading out now,” Takumi told Alto, turning away with the intention of heading to his car.

“No, you are not going yet, my boy,” Alto ordered, watching Takumi from the corner of his sight. His thick blonde mustache mimicked a frowning face. Gazing at the boy’s face brought back memories to when Takumi was a small child, particularly the day the family had attended a funeral.

Takumi was all alone near a grave marker while the rest of the family had already left. Alto walked up behind him with a chocolate brown umbrella to keep the rain from wetting the boy anymore than it already had. “Everyone’s gone. We must go too, young master.” Alto briefly looked at the surrounding grave stones. “It’s alright, Teisho is around those he adored here. Come, let’s go.” Gaining no response, Alto turned the boy around. Takumi stared at him with the same emotionless expression he had on at the present moment.

“What?”

The butler didn't respond, but kept in mind that there is a reason for Takumi’s actions. In this case, he knew Takumi was really upset at his parents forcing a marriage, but the girl wasn’t to blame either. “You wait right there,” he told Takumi, who obliged.

Leaning down at Hanami’s side, Alto lifted her up in order to move her away from the sprinklers. His rather tight pants made this difficult, but he sprinted twelve feet away and set her down, ignoring the fact that he got wet in the process. “Here, let me use this,” Alto said in a fatherly tone.

His gesture momentarily made the girl feel tingly inside. She trembled slightly, as a breeze passed by below the rolling clouds. Alto tapped his inner earpiece to request that one of the maids come out from the first floor to deliver a towel, and pulled out a blue handkerchief from his back pocket and gently wrapped it around the bright red scrape on her knee.

The pain was sharper than Hanami had expected. She shut her eyes and bit down on her small lower lip. “I-It stings really bad. I’ve had worse, but…” she winced.

“This atmosphere is different than the one you’ve been accustomed to. I know it hurts, m'lady. It'll only last a few seconds,” Alto assured her, and shifted his attention back to the handkerchief. Blood oozed from the wound, wetting the handkerchief. It absorbed some of the girl’s blood and released cells that fused with her cells and multiplied. Hanami’s once clenched eyes suddenly loosened. She opened her eyes, as her tears gleamed with the reflection of the now visible sun that shone over them.

“W-What did you do?” she asked the butler.

“I used a Woshu cloth. A Woshu is a fabric or object made out of small living spirits that have a range of properties tangible with vibes that pulse through your body. You do not know? Ah yes… your grandmother requested that I teach you during your stay. Much work. They should have taught you what should be common knowledge for a Setsu of your heritage.” Alto let out a jolly chuckle as a bewildered Hanami tilted her head slightly. She dropped her eyes down to the grass sorrowfully, remembering the fact that many never shared much of anything with her since she wasn’t fully Setsu.

“The handkerchief I’m using heals small wounds and purifies the absorbed blood. The more the spirits we call living cells absorb, the more they heal the exterior, but at the cost of the host’s blood that the sprites use as fuel. Many of the Woshu weapons possess the same principle in different ways, as they require blood. There’s your first lesson,” Alto offered a kind smile as he kept the handkerchief pressed firmly on her knee.

“A lesson? Um, thank you.” Hanami nodded appreciatively and then looked over at Takumi. At his sight, her anger returned to her.

“Why someone like him?” She sighed in agony, still drowning in “whys”. Takumi stood in place like Alto had ordered. She couldn’t tell if he was in any way remorseful, as she couldn’t read his expression.

“Takumi, I want you to wait while Lady Hanami heads inside to change,” said Alto. “You’re taking her to the school entrance ceremony before you head off to Gumi Café.” Alto’s yellow eyes were fixed on Takumi.

“Tch. Can’t you have Voltaire do so?” Takumi asked him. “You’re making my life harder than it has to be, gramps.”

Alto maintained his stature. “I know best. Voltaire will be taking both of you there first. A ride will do you both some good. Both of your parents will be thrilled to hear that you’ve gotten along. I’m merely doing my job, young master.”

Takumi ignored Alto’s explanation, slipping into his hazy thoughts. “I don’t want to get to know some outlandish b*tch from Hokkaido.”

“Hey! I don’t want to get to know you either! And watch your mouth! Want me to beat you again?!”

“Shut your mouth, squirt,” Takumi mouthed over to her as Alto cut in.

“It’s not a matter of whether you want to or not. You have to.”

“Old man, I can’t believe that you knew about this and you couldn’t stop my parents. You know my goals…” Takumi shot at Alto. Then he turned and locked eyes with Hanami. “And yet you still allowed someone like her to mess with the ordinary life that I’m after. On an important day, no less.”

Staring her way, each passing second made the urge stronger. The urge to walk over and sink his fangs into her and taste her blood, but it wasn’t as strong as his resolve. Takumi had never drank blood in his life and he was not about to start. Once he did, it’d be like him relinquishing his dreams. “Their plan won’t work, I won’t be like them,” he said. Takumi repeated in his head and bit his fangs into the sides of his cheek.

“I'm sorry. If I could have done something, I would have. We can only move forward now,” Alto said, as he looked away and helped the girl up.

Takumi stayed quiet for a few seconds.

“No point in cryin’ over spilled milk, I guess…”

Alto had a point, and it wasn’t his fault. Squinting his eyes, Takumi waved his hand back and forth in front of his face, fanning himself. “We’ll just have to bring our parents together and call this thing off when the time comes.”

Hanami fiddled with her thumbs and mumbled. “If only it were that easy. I have no say in what my legal guardians decide. I don’t have my parents right now.”

Takumi’s ears twitched. He nibbled on the interior of his lower lip. His Setsu eyes glowed brighter. A sudden flash of a creaking floorboard and shackles being slung back against the wall flashed through his eyes when he looked at her.

“A memory?” Takumi huffed under his breath and brought his palm up to his forehead, digging his fingers into his soft hair, as a sharp pain clamped against his temples. With the brief headache, came a vision in his head. Hanami glanced over to him and Alto ran over to him at the sight of Takumi dropping to his knees.

“Young master, what's wrong?!” Alto shook Takumi’s shoulder, attempting to get an answer from him.

Takumi waved his hand and lifted himself back up. “Nothing. The sun’s pretty strong today.” Takumi stared into Hanami’s deep oak eyes and reassuringly said, “We’ll figure something out. For now, hurry up and get changed, squirt.”

“What’s with him? He changed up that fast?!” she thought to herself.

She puffed up her cheeks and swung her finger in his direction. “Stupid oaf, I’ll take my time! Hmph.” Her hair flipped aside as she turned away, heading over to a maid who held out a towel for her. Handing the girl the towel, the maid led her to the mansion to get ready.

“What a nuisance,” Takumi commented to himself before bringing his attention to Alto.

“Say gramps…” Takumi flicked the tip of his tongue along his palm, then grazed it along the front of Alto’s shiny head.

“Hm?” The butler’s single strand of hair flew back and forth in the wind. Takumi stopped rubbing Alto’s forehead, as the butler chuckled at the boy’s actions.

“Voltaire’s hover car is up to date, right?”

“It is.”

Knowing that the sonograsta was operating well made Takumi feel a tad more secure. He’d be able to ask her questions regarding a bit of her past. He felt inclined to do so, even if he didn’t fully understand why he was all that interested. Takumi made a mental note to figure out what that memory was about later and shifted his attention back to something else.

He’d now be able to indulge in a somewhat ordinary life. Although it wouldn’t be too ordinary, since he’d be attending a prestigious school his family ran; still, he planned to make sure no one got in his way. Unbeknownst to Takumi, the entire region of Osaka was alerted that he’d begin school at Hirazawa Private High.

The Bonsai magazine company had the internal scoop on this information. It had been leaked to the controlled media and became accessible to dozens of high school girls now clamoring to get through the gates of Hirazawa for a chance to interact with the boy.

To girls, he was the complete package in terms of his looks, brains and his status. If a girl were able to conquer him, she’d be set for life. At least that’s how most of the females at the school saw it. Even if they couldn’t get with him, they’d have a shot at one of the other four nobles he called his best friends.

Takumi wasn’t the only one in this magazine. There were also three other individuals aside from Yoshigawa, who came from prestigious families as well, and were supposed to be in Hirazawa. These other three families were the La Crofts, Belclaires and Reigns, which were all part of the Tensei Order, whose families safeguard different regions in Japan and other countries.

“Young master, you are aware that the school is crowded right now correct?” Alto asked standing in place, remembering he had seen a mob of females and other random individuals over live television on the gigantic flat screen in the laundry room.

“That's why I decided to take the night class instead. I’ll be able to enjoy school at night at least and ball during the day.” Takumi made it to his car and patted the pad. A cool breeze blew out of the ridge of the car seat, refreshing him. “He doesn’t know the night class is cancelled…” Alto thought, keeping that fact to himself. Alto asked, “Will you be attending the ceremony? You know how your sister is…”

“She’s gonna want to see me, huh?” Takumi sighed. “There’s a court between the large park, and the ceremony is going to be held nearby, so I guess I’ll have to go,” Takumi explained. “I'll drop off the brat and tend to some business with Shima first though.” Takumi found himself seated in the car. Fifteen minutes had gone by. Takumi had gotten comfortable in the car and dozed off, but was awoken by repeated knocks that came from the passenger door near him. Takumi rubbed his left eye and yawned, stretching his back sideways. Voltaire rolled the window down slightly, allowing the door to unlock. This opened the passenger door, releasing a tight compression of cold air that brushed past the girl’s new dress, a more formal outfit for the ceremony that wouldn’t scream that she was from a foreign region.

Hanami now wore a school dress. Takumi’s eyes narrowed over to the left side of her chest where she had her school pin, causing her to quickly bring her hands over it. Takumi squinted, and opened his mouth to say something, but he thought it better to keep his mouth shut. She got into the car and Voltaire instantly started driving as Hanami noticed the fellow.

He quickly drove through the front gates of the estate and once they were on the road, Takumi couldn’t help but ask her. “Is there any meaning behind the two numbers you chose for that pin?”

He wanted to know whether she put thought into her school pin and if it was related to the faint memory he had seen before. The girl shook her hand, waving him off with a forced smile. “N-no, totally not. I randomly got this today!” She avoided the topic and turned to look out to the fields and mountainous terrains they passed.

The peaks were snow white and the rest different shades of blue. Just around it all, the sun shone beautifully, reflecting against the rear view mirrors. “It’s already this sunny.” Takumi mumbled to himself. The word “sunny” ironically reminded Hanami of the nighttime. It made her rather sleepy with the old country music Takumi had on. She found herself slowly sinking into a trance-like state as the car shook back and forth every now and then with Voltaire avoiding the cattle that had been on the side of the road.“Tnnnntnkk tnnk.” The familiar sound of bags shaking back and forth in the back trunk of the car kept her from falling asleep momentarily, but she soon found herself dozing off into a dreadful dream. Takumi’s eyes glowed a dark purple as he peered into her memories.