“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 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 spear out of his hand, causing it to crash 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. A warrior from the Hasegawa stood before him. Silver shining armor pressed to the body. Red carvings made its shoulders glimmer in crimson, as did the marks and symbols embroidered on the armor.

 

“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 spear 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 four 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, unclear 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 overnight. 

She 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, it’s nice to meet you!” she said, earning her a continued silence.

“Okay, okay… He’s still not saying anything” She grew increasingly nervous. 

“I’m here because we’re, umm… supposed to marry... so somebody, some higher up thought it’d be a smart idea to have us live together for sometime starting now. 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? Angia’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. 

 “Oh no… what did I do wrong?” Hanami remained frozen, keeping her head down. 

“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 until she grasped the bottom of her skirt in an attempt to hold the urge to bust through the door and clobber him. 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, interrupting Alto.

“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 a feud that brewed between the Hachi and Hasegawa not too long ago, 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 sank 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. 

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 admonished 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 tore 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. 

“Okay, sorry for appearing all of a sudden. I’m sure I might not be welcome… but still, I have nowhere else to go and I’m stuck here for the time being. I apologize for raising my voice, can you apologize for slamming the door in my face?” She did her best to disregard the anger she felt as she forced out the best smile she could, earning something else instead. 

Takumi tossed the pieces of paper at her face and walked by her, leaving her with the smile she had formed as she remained frozen in complete shock. 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 everybody at first! 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 this whole time, only made 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. 

“YOU’LL REGRET TREATING ME LIKE THIS!!!” Hanami swooped down the set of three steps. She landed and took a leap into 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, making her flinch.  

“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.

 “GRAAHHH!!! OPENNN UP, COWARD!!! How could you throw paper at a girl’s face… especially someone who did nothing to you.” 

Takumi turned his head and looked her square in the face. “Your mere existence does something to me. It’s irritating.” 

“What…?” She frowned, waiting for him to say something else, since she now got his recognition. Takumi just glared at her, then turned away, acting like she wasn’t there.

“Wait a sec…” She couldn’t believe it. She shook her head, closing her eyes and drew in a breath that spread through her lungs. The rest of her body followed suit, calming down. She took a step back as she shook her head again. 

“Why am I getting worked up over someone like you? You were rude to me for no reason, so I’m not stressing myself anymore…”

She turned away only glancing back one last time at Takumi. “You've got problems.” Her words resounded in his mind though he kept his gaze fixed on the car’s wheel.

Hanami continued walking for the main estate as she stared down at the ground disappointed. “So much for that… I tried, nana. I’ll have to apologize when she calls to ask about this mess.” Just thinking about it made her feel uneasy. 

“I’m such a failure, I just got here and on the first day… my luck- maybe I should have done more… but some people are beyond understanding, too.” 

Inside the car, Takumi’s phone rang. It was Alto of course.

“Young master, you will be the death of us all…” Alto rubbed his forehead as his chubby nose shivered in terror.

“I’ll be going now, if that’s all you called for…” Takumi glanced out of the window to the butler. 

“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 in the rearview mirror 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.

“KKKRRASGG!” 

“What the… hell was that?”

“AHH, LADY HANAMI!” Takumi heard Alto’s cry over the phone, prompting him to hang up and look out the window. 

Outside the car, Alto rushed to Hanami’s side as she laid on the floor, fainted.

Alto brought his hands down to the side of her neck, checking her pulse. He tugged her up as she slowly opened her eyes. “Lady Hanami, are you alright?” 

“Nhm… huh? Did I fall? I feel light headed.” 

“We’ll take you inside, try not to think too much about earlie-” That’s when Alto noticed a faint red trickle down her knee, as the girl herself flinched slightly.

“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 purple handkerchief from his back pocket and gently wrapped it around the bright red scrape on her knee.

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 from the one you’ve been accustomed to. I know it hurts, but 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 waves 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 they 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.

Within the hover car, Takumi picked up on the same cherry scent that had pestered him; it clearly belonged to Hanami’s blood. The blood that Alto’s handkerchief covered didn’t do much to keep the scent from reaching Takumi as the Setsu began to space out. His eyes slowly glowed a dark purple in the hover car. Faint particles emitting as visions and unfamiliar memories filled his brain.

Takumi’s hearing heightened to the faint words Hanami softly said under her breath. “If only it were that easy. I have no say in what my legal guardians decide. I don’t have my parents right now.”

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.  Her image in his mind grew stronger each passing second making 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.

His hand reached for the car handle by itself. Takumi quickly grabbed his wrist to prevent himself from stepping out. He tightly gripped it as his fangs slightly grew, but he soon calmed himself, the etches of his curved lips returning to normal. 

“Please join Miranda, she’s the maid approaching us. She will take you to your room on the second floor. Your items have been brought in boxes for the maids to unpack for you while you take a trip to the private high school you’ll be attending. A change of clothes has already been laid out for your morning stroll.” 

“Thank you so much! I’ll get changed now then.” Her hair flipped aside as she turned away, heading over to the 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 after slowly opening his eyes. He then felt immense Retsu pressure bear down on him and sighed, deciding to roll down the windows when Alto peered into the hovercar. 

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

“I'm sorry. If I could have done something, I would have. We can only move forward now.” Takumi stayed quiet for a few seconds. “There could be more in common between you two than you realize…” 

Takumi thought about what Alto had said and the brief flashes he had just seen. “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.”

“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. It’d help to at least figure out what Alto meant by they had things in common. Takumi made a mental note to figure out what that memory was about later and shifted his attention back to something else. 

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 Rikuto 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.

“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 squirt 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. 

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.