[+][L-N+][P-UL] ~ SHOUNEN POP - 少年ＰＯＰ ~

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman - Ohayou Productions

The world has....changed

"Stress has a way of creeping into all of our lives lately. I hope the new year will bring better things." Hiroki sighed feeling a bit more than tipsy now.

"Yes, I don't think that he could live it down if he didn't show up at the event. I can imagine Shou-san is obligated to show as well. I wonder what he'll do with Ko-kun then. I hope he has a good babysitter besides you." he smiled having no idea of the situation behind the scenes.

"Mm....I hope so. But I have a feeling Smash's party will go late into the night. I think I'll have to wait for the next day. He likes to party...like you do." he glanced down not really wanting to think about what sort of things might happen at that party in the later hours.

For a moment, Hiroki just looked at the young Koyasu as he asked that question and his head buzzing with alcohol didn't know any other word to describe Katsu's world. "Hell." He went quiet for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know the location...but, his childhood made your few days at the hospital and maybe even Izzy's assault look like....heaven. He's a lot like you...a dark you....jaded and curious. And my meeting him the first time wasn't roses...It was....a....a...nightmare." he put his head in his hands. "That side he showed me those first few days.....he's so much like....his father. A...monster. But at some point he showed me someone else a more fragile side that just wants to be loved, warm...and see the real world. Not the horror he grew up in. That's the young man I fell in love with. "

He fell silent for moment feeling tears in his eyes, "I know I sound utterly like an idiot. I shouldn't have fallen for him. And you probably think I'm a liability now....I do want to do well by Ohayou. I don't want to fail Aki's dreams. Your grandfather meant more to me than you'll ever know. ButI...I don't want to lose Katsu. I hate what Izo did to him...what that monster in....that hell he grew up in did to him... I can't do anything for him. I can't fix it. I feel so impotent. If you want me to resign, I'll gladly do it..for Ohayou to keep everyone safe."

He sucked in air a bit dizzy and looked at his hands; just staring at his fingers, "I just wanted to be in love....for once in my life. When Aki gave me the choice of Ohayou or Nezumi-san....I....I...followed the Tiger....Just like I had always done. And seeing Nezumi-san's face when I rejected him....I...." his shoulders slumped, "Then, my sister's death....then....being taken from there.....I....I don't want to remember...what came after that. But...later, Katsu showed me time away from work....actually made me relax...and think about being...me... It was amazing to feel freed from responsibility and just love him...for awhile."

-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Hell

His childhood made your few days at the hospital and maybe even Izzy's assault look like...heaven.

My meeting him the first time wasn't roses...It was...a...a...nightmare.

He's so much like...his father. A...monster.

If you want me to resign, I'll gladly do it...for Ohayou to keep everyone safe.

The more he heard... the more Narcissus' blood boiled... the colder his gaze became... until it seemed as if he could easily freeze the very air Hiroki was breathing.
Rage flowed through the young tiger and he wanted to claw and bite to take out his frustrations. Katsumi wasn't blood but he was still Akihiko's little brother.
To think a child...
To think Hideo could have become just as wretchedly twisted one day...

Lithe fingers reached out and Narcissus drew Hiroki's gaze to his own eyes, the cold gleam in them clearly inherited from the old tiger who had passed on just the day before. For a few moments he didn't say anything... just sat there... staring at Hiroki, letting the man get it off his chest. The older man began to ramble slightly, to try and explain why he could find Azriel so appealing... and it was then that Akihiko did something completely unexpected.

He kissed Asato.

It wasn't a hard kiss nor a demanding passionate one. A simple soft kiss upon the lips that lingered for a few moments before Akihiko pulled back.

With Hiroki effectively silent now, the musician spoke. "I don't want you to resign." Narcissus said, his fingers never leaving the older man's chin and instead keeping Hiroki's eyes fixed on the young tiger's own. "You love Katsumi and if you really do love him then you will find a way to fix it or help him deal with it. I can't fix what's happened to Ruki... I can't take away his fear of water... but I sure as hell can stand there in the shower holding him tightly as little by little he learns that what he fears so much can't hurt him anymore. I don't know what Katsumi's life was like... but I can certainly imagine it was a damn lot like..." the musician caught himself, realizing he still couldn't say anything about Ko... about Hideo... especially to someone who was sleeping in the enemy's camp. "...like hell. I saw Ruki's broken body... I felt my own downward spiral into madness after what happened to me. There isn't a day that I don't wake up and remember the pain or the crawling need in my veins... and I'm sure that every morning Katsumi wakes... he remembers too. The important thing however... is that there is someone beside him to hold him... to distract his mind from the horror... to show him why he's alive."

For a silent moment, Akihiko simply stared back at Hiroki. He didn't kiss the man again, but he did release the elephant of Ohayou's chin, this time his fingers gripping Hiroki's shoulder reassuringly.

"You followed a madman obsessed with his own lineage who had forgotten how to care for those most important to him. Don't make that mistake again, Hiroki. Don't follow me or Yuuji or Ohayou because it's what that b*****d would want. Follow your heart... what you think is right... because if you really do love my brother, despite his faults... despite the b*****d who sired him... then you've done all you can."

Again, the young Koyasu fell silent, then he asked a very simple question. "Is Katsumi happy?"

Despite the unmentioned hell his little brother had been through... Akihiko needed to know this. If Katsumi was happy... then what more could Hiroki do? What sort of life had his little brother led? What hell had he known?

Again he voiced another question.
"Does Katsumi love you in return?"

Because if the love wasn't there... if it were but one-sided love... Akihiko feared for Asato if such were the case.

 

[Kaikoloren]

"He didn't name his fish!? Awh... I need to think of names! Everyone should have a name right?" Ko thought this was very important. "What if you didn't have a name, wouldn't you want one?" he asked as he started to mutter all sorts of name to himself.

But then the boy got really distracted for a moment by the amount that Yuuji mentioned. "WOW! As much as Uncle Shou's car??? That's more money..." he reached in his pocket and pulled out a very small wallet. "than this?" He opened the wallet and pulled out 1500 yen. "It's my allowance for doing chores at home. Is it bigger than this??"

Then he glanced back at the water, "I'd be proud of having big fish like this too. They look happy. We don't have fish at home...so I hope I can come back here and feed my new friends, the Koi."

Ko grinned brightly and started explaining the shark information he was taught by You-san for a bit and then tried to figure out how he'd answer Yuuji's question, "Mm....I don't think I have enough allowance to feed a shark. Uncle Shou buys the food for my mouse. So...mm...maybe I'd want a small tank with sea horse and a puffer fish...and a Nemo!" The boy had 'Finding Nemo' on the brain when it came to fish. Because they were so cute and he had seen them at the Aquarium with Naoko.

He really looked happy as he sat down next to Yuuji by the fish. "I've had a lot of fun here today. I hope I get to come back and see Akihiko-niisan, and Lucky-san, and you."

Ninja or Hamu...You decide!
Dirty Little Secrets------------------------------------------------}:-

Yamada Haru
It's the Devil in the Details...

......What a tangled web we weave......

Haru looked at his messages when he got out of the car. What!? My brakes? he thought to himself then read the rest of the message. Oh crap! Even before he went into the house, he made a few calls to his people before sending a text to You.

I'll take my car back to the shop. And I'll have my people checking Shou's cars. The purple limo is currently at Smash's garage for new tires and the others are in the garage at home the only one that has been used recently is...the Prius. I'll have it checked out. He was driven by Kozaki-kun the other day in a limo. Maybe you should have that one checked too? I bet you're going to be out late tonight...ne?<3

------

The men that You dispatched started diligently on their orders. But it would be a day or two before the answers You asked for would be forth coming.

-:{------------------------------------------------Dirty Little Secrets
I'll keep my dirty little secrets.

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman - Ohayou Productions

The world has....changed

Hiroki eyes widened and he froze as Akihiko kissed him. It wasn't a passionate kiss and he truly was stunned into silence. Even after those lips pulled away, he didn't know what to think or do except blink and listen.

All he could do was stare into those eyes and nod just a little against the fingertips that held his chin. The part about Aki hurt but it was the truth in the end. No matter how many years back that Hiroki could go....there was always a hint that family was the end all be all in Aki's life. But it hadn't been so extreme until the end. But Akihiko was right even if it was hard to accept. He had to make his own choices...follow his own path rather than the path of the old tiger. Even Katsu had the same advice...tried to show him the same thing. He had to follow his own heart.

"You're right, I do have to do that. I can't follow Aki anymore. And...I do love...Katsu." Hiroki whispered wondering how to take a hold of his world as it was.

Another tough question, "I think he is happy. I mean, he smiles...he hates getting up in the morning. He wants to see the world. He and I were in Yodobashi Camera and he got to surprise a fan in the magazine aisle. It was cute. He seems happy when he's home...I've not been to work with him. I wouldn't know."

But he stopped when Akihiko asked him the next question, "I...think so..He has told me he does...he's said, Aishiteru...when he was scared. But sometimes, he is hard to read. Like you. He told me early on that he didn't know what love was like. He didn't know if he could love anyone. And knowing what his dark side is like...I don't know sometimes how he really feels. But at night, he curls up next to me and I feel like he might be telling me that he does love me. When he's vulnerable and doesn't have to be anything but...Katsu. I wish I could explain better...and I wish I could give a better answer."

His shoulders slumped a little because it sounded so awkward telling Akihiko about his world but his drunk mind reveal thoughts that he might not have done sober. "You and he kiss nothing a like...thankfully."

-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Akihiko smiled, then couldn't stop the soft laughter that escaped his lips. "You gave me a good enough answer." the musician replied, squeezing Hiroki's shoulder slightly. "With you... he's Katsu. Is it not the same with Ruki and I?" Narcissus asked, one lithe eyebrow raised in question. "With him... I am Akihiko. He is slowly breaking me from my shell... just as you are, no doubt, slowly breaking Katsumi from his shell. How could anyone not love someone who did them such a service?"
Releasing Hiroki's shoulder now, the musician sat back, though there was a slight wince in his movements that he hid well. Narcissus reached out, taking his glass in hand once more before sipping it's contents.
"And of course we kiss nothing alike. I don't love you, Asato. Not romantically and I'm only just starting to give a damn about you too." he teased with a wink. "If he doesn't know love... then you're the person who has to teach him. If he's scared, reassure him. If he's cold, hold him til he warms up. If he's sad, then put a smile on his face. Never make him worry about you if you can help it... and by the gods don't let your own insecurities keep you from him. And don't tell me you haven't got any. Every man has. Even me. And I know from experience that letting them get the best of you only frustrates things."
Of course he was talking about his reluctance to be with Izzy physically when in LA... when his own vain appearance had nearly broken something that should never be broken.
Half drunk himself, the musician finished off the glass then fell back against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. "It's too bad though... part of me is afraid of what Katsumi would think of me... of this family that he was never part of... but another part wants to meet him and see the truth for my own eyes. He doesn't know though... does he..." it wasn't really a question, more like a statement. Blue eyes focused in on Hiroki again. "Show him the world, Asato. Because in the long run... having Izo's b*****d child on your side really wouldn't be so bad now... would it? After all... the spider can't live forever."

Smiling, Yuuji tousled Ko's head, much as he had done before this disaster... when the boy had been Hideo and his little family had been happy.
"You can come back any time you'd like, Ko-kun. This house will probably belong to Hiroki-san soon and I know he wouldn't mind. I certainly wouldn't."
Damn how he wanted to hold the boy and tell him everything would be okay from then on... to hear Hideo call him 'otousan' again... to have his son back...
The smile remained in place and he pointed to the Koi which Ko had enjoyed feeding most. "He's probably worth hundreds of your allowances, kiddo. So I think a puffer fish and a sea horse and a nemo are perfect for your budget."
Of course Yuuji had no idea that clown fish could be violent little buggers that attacked anything that came too close to their anemone... or that sea horses were terribly difficult to keep alive in captivity... or that puffer fish didn't exactly puff like they did on tv even if you did try to scare them into it.
But to the question of a name...
"I don't think the fish know they have no names given by people. I mean, we don't speak fish... so I bet they have names with one another and we simply don't know them."

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman - Ohayou Productions

The world has....changed

"Mm....I guess you're right. He prefers me to call him that..." And of course his sweet little kitten nickname that Hiroki couldn't give up if he tried. Only at Katsu's home though. He had promised... But he smiled a little thinking about that soft fuzzy hair.

"After all these years. You finally started? Great...now I know where I stood all the years before." he moaned but it was obviously a little bit of a joke as he spoke. "You better never ever kiss like him. Never." he pointed out with a bit of a tilt of his head that came from the dizziness he felt.

He nodded slowly and agreed as Narcissus' fingers left his shoulder. "I'll try...Oh I have plenty of insecurities. I'm so much older than him. He could almost be my...son. He says that doesn't bother him....but..." A slight shudder rippled through him. Some days he felt old but Katsu certainly made him feel younger and scolded him for thinking different. "I think. Right now, he thinks of you as a rival in looks and music. I've seen him look at you on tv." he smiled slightly and shook his head. "One day I want him to know the truth."

"You're right, the Spider can't live forever. But..is he really a b*****d child? He has Matsumoto's name...right?" He hadn't seen the birth certificate but he had to wonder.

-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Kaikoloren]

The boy tilted his head much like he used to when his hair was tousled, looking up at Yuuji with curious eyes. "Yay! Hiroki-san? So you don't live here? Will he take care of the fish himself?? I thought Akihiko-niisan's grandfather owned this home. Why isn't he getting this home??"

Then the boy started calculating the allowances. "Oh....that much. Mm...that's too much. I guess I will have to just come and visit the Koi. I will have to ask Uncle Shou about the fish and see if I can have some after the tour! And maybe You-san can help me pick out some good fish." The child didn't know exactly how these fish would be together either but the idea seemed like fun. Although Ishihara You probably would have a good idea how the fish would really interact. Sometimes little boy's dreams and little boy's realities were far different things.

"Oh! I see. You might be right! But what do I call him? I don't know Fish Speak. Maybe they talk like Bloop...Bloop?" The boy scratched his head and looked back over at the fish then up at Yuuji. "So when do you want to go to see a soccer game??"
 

[Kaikoloren]

OOC:

cheese_whine HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! cheese_whine

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Akihiko considered this for a moment. "Well I suppose to Izo he isn't a b*****d child... to the Koyasu family he would be obviously but... I suppose the certificate has Matsumoto as his family name... I haven't seen it honestly. Yuuji-kun showed it to me at an inopportune moment and I didn't react well..." he sighed, knowing that it would be for everyone's best interest if he really did stop beating his cousin senseless... "A rival? Hardly. He's nowhere near that caliber... though looks... well I can't argue with that because he looks almost exactly as I did when I was younger. Wait why should your age matter?" blue eyes blinked in confusion as the young tiger stared at the elephant strangely. "So you're like what? Twenty years older than him? So? It's hardly illegal, you know. Besides, maybe he's into older men?"
Of course Narcissus had no knowledge of just how into some older men... Katsu really was. Namely Izo himself.
"You're handsome and fit. Why shouldn't he be attracted to you? It isn't like part of your head was cut open and you've been wearing a hat for the last six months to try and protect your own delicate psyche in regards to your scared appearance with the thought that somehow such a physical alteration would make the man you love, love you any less." Akihiko joked... partly anyway. "Besides, if he likes older men than that's just better for you now, isn't it? You're a businessman, not a rockstar, and while appearance is still important... something tells me Katsumi doesn't give a damn what you look like or how old you are. Course that's just my opinion..." lithe fingers found his forehead and again Narcissus rubbed at his head, trying to ease away the headache if even just a bit. "Trust me, I'll never kiss you like that. Not because you're older than I or because I don't find you attractive. Like I said, I'm not in love with you nor do I ever plan to be. Just think of yourself as a beautiful young maiden in one of my PVs and you'll know what my lips are trying to convey." he teased with a wink.

"Well, Akihiko-kun already has a home. Hiroki-san... has a place but it isn't suited for someone who's likely to be taking over Ohayou. He needs something on a grander scale to keep up his image... and I'd rather not live in this big house by myself." Takagi replied honestly, looking up at the bricked building behind them. "The butler actually feeds the fish and he stays with whomever owns the house so they'll be in good hands. Maybe you could get a cheaper koi one day? I'm sure Ishihara-san wouldn't mind helping if he loves fish so much... or does he just like sharks?"
The next question however made Yuuji laugh. "So you want to call him 'Bloop'? Why am I not surprised... huh? Oh... well we should go see one as soon as the season starts in March. How's that sound?"




blaugh cheese_whine xd : HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! xd : cheese_whine blaugh  

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman - Ohayou Productions

The world has....changed

"I wonder if Katsu will inherit Smash?" Hiroki seemed thoughtful for a moment uncertain about that idea. "He doesn't like business as much. So many similarities to you at times. I am not sure he'd take the reigns. Maybe some time down the road. But Izo, isn't as old as Aki was so it might be awhile before we even know."

"He doesn't have a bad voice. And he does look quite a bit like you. He's young and trying to make a claim in this world. So you're the appropriate one to aim for. Someone who's already on top. Mm...but Shou is certainly on top in Smash's stable. Although, I don't think that Katsu considers him a rival directly. Except..mm...in costumes and Teams." he looked up at Akihiko and guessed that one day, Katsu would probably look like him at this age except with dark eyes. Would that make him feel awkward in the future?

"Mm...I'm almost 40...so I'm about..well...mm...yes, close to 20 years. I know it's not illegal. And ok so he makes me feel like a teen sometimes." Little did he know that there was another reason for that feeling. And right now that sensation had been held at bay by drink and a drug that was slowly starting to wear off.

He laughed a little, "He says he doesn't so maybe you're right. And good. I don't think I'd want to make Katsu jealous...ever. Mm...at least you don't think I'm ugly. That's a bonus."

His lips pressed and his brow furrowed slightly because certain things were a bit of a distraction. His flesh tingled just a little with interest...his desire to go home to Katsu in the background of his mind. But even as he thought of that, his vision kept picking up something else that bothered him. "Time for you to be honest with me. Your headache, it's really bothering you isn't it. What's wrong...do you need medication? Or something else. Because even if I'm not sober right now...I'm not blind."

-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Kaikoloren]

"Oh...so he had a small home and needs a big home. Ok. So do you live in a big home? Or do you live in a small home? Or do you live here?" All sorts of questions spouted from the boy's mouth. He wanted to know everything it seemed.

"Soo! That's who takes care of the Koi! So the butler lives here with the fish. He's the fish's butler!" he laughed and peeked over to spied the butler waiting off to the side.

"Are there cheaper Koi? Mm...I think You-san likes sharks best but he knows a lot about fish." Ko answered with a nod before laughing at Yuuji's question. "Yes! His name is Bloop. Because that's as close as I can get to fish speak right now. See! Look he's blooping at the top of the water." Ko thrust a finger toward the fish pond excitedly.

"Oh...so the season starts in March? Ok. Then come play with me at Uncle Shou's house with my goal. I want to learn all I can before the season starts. Will you? Soon?" Ko asked as he popped off his seat and walked back over to look down into the Koi pond again.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"I'd keep an eye on Katsumi in that regard." Akihiko replied, thinking about just what this might mean. "If Izo is grooming him for succession, it should show eventually. You'd be the first person to notice at any rate... and if he is then perhaps that falls in our favor. If not... well, I'd rather not think of who took over the reigns... hell I don't think I could come up with anyone else fit for the job. So..." but his words trailed off.
The young tiger frowned, "I'm fine, Asato. My head hurts and it has been for a while now and while I'd love my medication, it's at home. Didn't exactly think I'd need it for a talk with ojisan. It's just the stress. Wouldn't you have a headache if your grandfather had died AND you'd almost been forced to marry someone you didn't love to save the life of the person you did love AND your lover got sick AND you've got a show to do day after tomorrow that hasn't even been practiced yet AND you just learned that the most hated man ever screwed your mother and now you'd got a little brother running around putting on horror shows? I mean honestly, Asato. I'm under a lot of overload right now if you hadn't noticed."
Annoyed, Akihiko sat up and ran his hands over his face with a sigh. "I'm fine. Really. No, you're not blind and neither of us are sober but I'll be fine with some sleep. Let's just leave it at that. I can't afford to worry Ruki any more than he's already worried. I just..." but the man shook his head, refusing to finish that sentence.
He really just wanted to be left alone... yet he was kind of afraid of being by himself at the same time.
"And why would I think you ugly? Honestly, Asato, I've seen some ugly faces and yours is certainly not one of them. I mean look at Izo. He rates a 3 on my sexy-o-meter. You'd easily make 8 at the least." Narcissus spoke, trying to shift the topic back to their earlier conversation. "Nothing wrong with feeling younger than you are anyway."

Should he push it?
Just a little bit?
Maybe?

Yuuji smiled softly, "Of course I'll come to play with you at Shou-san's. As soon as I can, Ko-kun. Then we'll go to a soccer game as soon as the season starts. A season opener." the smile faded a bit, his dark eyes focused on the fish who seemed to content to swim even though it was a bit chilly out.
"I live in a small home. But it's comfortable and not too small. Actually... I used to have my wife and son with me but they're both gone now. My boy really liked soccer too. But now it's just me in our two bedroom home. I wouldn't want to live in something as big as this again anyway. When I was young I lived in Akihiko's house actually, well a part of it that you probably didn't see. It was the family home for a long time. But things happened and I moved away and Aki bought this place and kept the family home for when Akihiko grew up."

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman - Ohayou Productions

The world has....changed

"Ugh...that was thoughtless of me" replied Hiroki with a noticible frown. "Your day has been worse than mine and I surely didn't help the matter by telling you all this. " he stood up and tried to take his glass to the counter of the bar but stumbled and ended up holding on to the couch. " i think I did drink a little too much. That bar looks a bit far right now."

For several moment he didn't move then finally pushed off and made it barely to the edge. "I should've stayed in the chair. But seriously I should have thought about your problems. I'm sorry." Hiroki couldn't help but apologize a lot for all this. "So much is going on that I just would like to get off the rollercoaster ride in one piece".

He put the glass in the bar sink realizing he wasn't going to be able to wash the glass. "I am certain that even if he is sick, Lucky will want to help you. You should just talk to him. He would listen. He might worry but that's just how he is."

Then he glanced at the bar as Akihiko talked about his appearance. An 8? I would never had placed myself that high. But it makes me feel good to hear it. Oh you won't understand how age makes you feel until you are almost my age. I sometimes feel old around all the young stars. And I know I'm not that old but I don't have your looks." His confidence in his appearance was never too high or vain. Maybe an ego boost was needed sometimes.

-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Kaikoloren]

"You will?! We can!? YAY! Season opener! Wow!" Ko bounced as if there were nothing better in the whole world. "I can't wait!" The child spun happily by the Koi pond then stopped before he got too dizzy listening to what Yuuji had to say.

"Gone?" The boy looked back at Yuuji noticing the fading smile as the man watched the Koi. His own smile fell a little and he scratched his head trying to understand. "Did they just go away? Umm...It's scary being alone." His brow furrowed a little but then he quickly pointed out, "But you've got friends and me. So you're not really alone. Right?"

He turned around looking up and down at the big home sizing it up in his mind. "It's big but...it's been loved a lot. Small homes can be cozy. Uncle Shou's home is big too. Not big like this though. I like my room there. But I think I had a nice little room before in a small house...Mmnn...I remember...." he looked up trying to think while rubbing his head a little as if it would help him. "I think I had....posters on the ceiling. And...a...blue mickey blanket. Sometimes, I think that I see a place like that. But I don't think I had a piano there..."

"Before the bad things I think I had a different life. Bits...sometimes come back. I...think I had..mm a family then. But...I'm not sure they wanted me. When bad people....came they told me that they didn't. But Uncle Shou doesn't think that's true. What do you think?" asked Ko as he peered back into the water to watch the flick of a fin as a Koi came to the top hoping for food.



 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"No... I suppose I'm not really alone." Yuuji replied, his dark gaze turning to watch Ko as the boy spoke.
Takagi didn't move... didn't say anything until the child had finished. Silence stretched between the two for a time... and then...
"I bet they were soccer posters." Yuuji spoke softly, knowing every detail of Hideo's room was clearly imprinted on the man's mind. "A small home is just that, Ko-kun... a small home. There is no room for pianos. But... I think your family loved you dearly, Ko-kun." standing, Takagi moved to the boy's side, putting a gentle arm around the child's shoulders. "I think they never wanted to lose you... You are far too precious a boy in their eyes... I think. Bad people will tell you think to make you sad, Ko-kun. They will lie to you again and again. How could someone not want your smile in their lives, hmm?"
















"Looks are fleeting." Akihiko replied, watching as Hiroki attempted to walk back to the bar. "It's hardly your fault and it isn't as if anything you've told me has added to my stress because to be honest, you've actually alleviated a bit of it." he sighed, blue eyes closing as the young tiger tried to relax. "Ruki would want to help... but he needs to rest. After he's well he can worry. Until then I'm not telling him anything to upset or worry him further."