It's been sometime since Ayato left that house. Pieces after pieces, roaming inside his head. Having no idea, his own mother, developed such hatred towards herself and her life. There was nothing he could do of course. His father, whom he dearly loved. Only known for 6 years since his birth. All the words he heard were too much for him to listen and understand to.
The father, who used to play with him, taught him some significant things and encouraged Ayato to talk. The one who Ayato admired so much. Even though knowing him for a short time, it was enough to understand how much of a magnanimous and generous person he was. Though, he doesn't remember his face, to be exact. Still the heart-warming memories which are purely vague, remains within him. Creating a bond and desire to be with his beloved father. Even if its for a short time.
The wind blew everywhere in the ground, where two individuals was sitting under the shade of the tree, making their hair flutter.
"Dad..."
He sighed.
"Dad!? Ayato! What happened?!" His childhood friend Ken shook his body. "Are you okay?! Ya never talked about your family!! What's wrong?"
Ken. A very supportive friend to Ayato. Met at the age of seven in elementary school and have been friends since then. A very loud guy. But is harmless. Has a pure state of mind. Childhood and past totally opposite and different to Ayato. Friendly around strangers.
Ayato. Best friend to Ken. Popular in school. Have a lot of Fangirls and Fanboys looking up to him, due to his 'cheerful' personality. Tends to keep his thoughts to himself. Doesn't seem to trust anyone. Has Trust Issues. Can make the other think that they know a lot about him, but actually it's purely opposite. Once you know him personally, you will get to know his dark past and state of mind.
"Huh? What, it's nothing, don't worry..." Ayato said non-chalantly.
"Shut up! Every time you go 'deep' into your thoughts you always have 'this' kind of attitude. So don't teach me okay?" Ken insisted.
"Attitude like what?"
"Like---Like, umm...yea! Like it looks you came straight from space to earth!" Ken's hand motioned from up to down.
Ayato's eyes widened at the silliness of his one friend.
"Pfft! Hahahahaha!!" Ayato started laughing.
"What- Why are you- laughing?"
Ken calmed himself.
"Hey! Don't mock me, dumbass!" He slightly kicked Ayato to shut him up.
"You are too funny. Bro. Thanks for worrying, idiot." Still laughing.
"Yea Yea, Whatever." He got up from the ground and brushed the dirt off his pants.
Looking at Ken, Ayato too got up and stretched his arms out.
"Damn...classes are tiring..." Ayato complained.
"Tch! Should we bunk?" Ken narrowed his eyes at him, and smirked.
"Well--"
Before Ayato could complete his sentence. He was cut off by someone.
"Excuse me!"
A shrill voice of a girl, coming from, behind them.
They both turned in unison to see the owner of the voice.
"Yea?" Ken answered.
"Um...Classes are starting. So the teacher wanted you both to come." She said.
"Eh!?? Really??" Ken asked as he crossed his arms behind his head. "What a bummer..."
"Yes, sure, we will come. Please inform that to the teacher." Ayato said with a pleasing smile.
The girl blushed as her eyes were left gaped slightly, seeing the figure in front of her. A young heart blossomed with cherry petals.
Ken glanced at the girl and then appeared before her and waved his hand.
"Hey! Girl! Ya okay there?" With a smirk on his face.
Seeing Ken, smirking, the girl blushed more and turned around, before leaving she said.
"F-Fine I will see you in- in the class!" And there she hurried off towards the school building. Leaving Ayato confused. I mean of course, many girls and boys come to talk with him. But no one ran after a conversation with him.
"Hey! Did I say something wrong?" Ayato asked.
Ken sighed and he patted his shoulders.
"You know, some things can only be noticed by Geniuses like ME. So for now forget about it." Ken emphasized on the word 'Me'.
"What?" Ayato said sarcastically.
Ken wrapped his arm over Ayato's shoulders and forced him to go to the classroom together.
*
Classes were typical boring situations for both of them. Not like Ken was too bad in Academics. He was average. He excelled in Basketball. Ayato excelled in Football, on the other side. Girls came to visit them during their Practice-hours. Usually held for 3 hours. Both were fond of those 3 hours after school.
Ken doesn't look all 'happy' and 'cheerful' like he usually is, during those 3-hours. Rather, he becomes a totally different person, during Practice-Matches. Serious and Intimidating. Being the ace player, many Juniors looked up to him.
Ayato was the best striker among the Three Years. Always has been fond of Football. Heard from Yuna about his Father's favorite sport being Football; he was determined to learn it. No matter what. It felt for him as if, there was still a single strand of connection left between his father and him. Even though the words could not be reached. His feelings of determination can. That is what he thought.
"Oi! Lets go to Mc Donalds! I am super hungry!" Ken insisted.
"Yea! Sure sure! But are we--" Ayato got cut off.
"Yea we are bunking classes!!" Ken smirked and laughed.
They didn't waste time and went to their way to Mc Donalds.
*
They ordered their food and sat down.
"Damn...They really are giving out discounts today, huh?" Ken complimented.
"Yea. Looks like it though." Ayato said as he looked at the counter waiting for the signal.
"Listen. Bro I have been with you long enough, alright? So tell me if anything's bothering you, 'kay?" Ken looked at the figure in front of him.
There was a sudden silence between them.
"....Actually." Ayato ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I met HER."
"Your mom?" Ken said with one eyebrow tilted.
"Uh...Yea. So, like...um...she told me something about my Father, which is really troublesome....for me...to understand and believe...and it's really hard to keep up."
Ken frowned a little. "Keep up what?"
"The things which she said to me about my Father." Ayato said.
"Well, I think suddenly told a total different thing, from what you have been told and observed, is quite surprising." Ken said.
The bell from the counter rang. Notifying their order is available. Ken went and took the tray of their food. Mc Donald was their favorite from the start. Coming back from the counter while sitting he said, "Man up and talk with her again. And moreover, she is your mother right? She must have so much work since she is an Actress. So-" Ken got cut off.
"That doesn't mean, she won't treat me as her own son!" Ayato got excited.
"Bro calm down. There must have been a rea-" Ken got again cut off, but this time not by Jean but by another individual.
"Is that you Ayato?" A man looking like on his late 20s came to their table as he looked at Ayato. Wearing an expensive watch. Dressed in a black suit. White shirt beneath and had specs. Gel haired. Looking like a Fresh business man.
Ayato looked at the owner of the voice. "Subaru! Hey man! Wassup?"
Subaru. The descendant of the eldest son of the family of Yamaguchi. A cousin to him. The only one from his family who has a 'proper' relationship with Ayato. Is like a brother to him. One whom he looks up to.
"Just was on my way. Saw you, thought I would say 'Hi'. Are you busy?" Subaru asked. His eyes went towards Ken. "Oh hey! Ken. How are you?"
Ken gave a bright smile and said, "Great man! How ya doin'?"
"Usual." Subaru laughed a little.
*
"How have you been, Ayato?" The young businessman asked, with rather a serious demeanor.
"Yeah...good for now..." The boy replied with a sense of self-infliction. 'I don't even know anymore.' He added to his thought as the original answer.
The car, drove by the driver was waiting outside for their young master, Subaru. The weather was cool along with light breeze was blowing made it even more pleasant. Even though it was such a beautiful day, one's heart was more troubled than it already was; trying to move forward but still the past occurrences from his childhood days, haunt him to do so. He is struggling to be pious towards the life awaiting him.
"Are you sure about it?" The young man in his twenties, named Subaru, eyed him from the side as he wrapped his arms over Ayato's shoulder to give the younger male a sense of brotherhood. "You know how the times have been, I am not telling you to be strong but don't run away from what is facing you." The man pinched the cheeks of his only cousin, "Cause I know you are not the type to do so."
Ayato whined in pain, whereas, Subaru was having 'fun' pinching his other cheek and on the other hand, Ken was forcing himself not to burst out laughing.
The customers were in awe, seeing such handsome men being there together and having fun; admiring them from head to toe. Female students were fangirling over the two teenagers, whereas, the working women were drooling over the man in black suit, wondering whether he was married or not.
Lets take a moment of silence for those girls. #sEDLYF #singleLYF
Back to my narration. Ahem!
The time went by chit-chatting. Even though Subaru acted oblivious to what happened to Ayato; just like he had given his complete support to his only cousin, he had also given his full support to his only aunt, Ayato's mother, Aira. Subaru is quite older than Ayato, thus it would make sense to say he had experienced his times with his only uncle, Ayato's father, the previous one of the young masters of the Yamaguchi household, Haruto.
Subaru was all-total familiar to the situations going around the household. He had to, because no matter what other says, it was still related to his uncle, whom he dearly loved more than his own father. Both Subaru and Ayato looked up to this particular man. The most inevitable truth to face that, no matter how hard they try, that man will never come and support them like he used to do before.
"If uncle was there, what do you think would've happened to the household?" Subaru abruptly asked the young male out of nowhere.
Ayato's eyes were left wide open. He, of course didn't expect that question related to his father, after all, it was asked by the cousin older brother of his who has stopped talking about his own uncle, after his sudden DEATH.
Since, Subaru was already at an age to mourn about things which would not stay at his grasp, he still clearly remembers the miserable feeling of his due to the sudden news of his uncle's death, and the celebration distributed by his own father, who enjoyed every bit of succession to their family company and money without any lamentation for the loss of his own blood related younger brother. He felt utter anguish and anger towards his father.
Ayato, on the other hand, was so grief-stricken; he would not dare to utter any words. Rather, no words escaped his mouth. The loss of his father at a young age of barely six to seven was hard to digest. Even more so, the reason he was still sane in that crazy household was because of his father, the one who treated him like a human and gave him company emotionally. All his piled up anger on his mother came in like a storm when he saw her not shedding even one drop of tears, upon losing her husband. The husband, who cared so much for his wife. The love which she deliberately tried to decline.
"…I don't know… maybe I would have convinced him to take me somewhere far so that I won't have to see neither that woman's face nor that fucking household people." Ayato said with a grieved expression.
Upon seeing such expression, Subaru and Ken both understood what kind of loss he went through emotionally. Practically speaking, he was a teenager, who has no one to look after him. A mother who didn't care about her own late husband or son, previously, and a household where a family member celebrates the death of another family member for having no competition to the succession of the company.
"My father who wasn't even interested in the succession; tell me the reason why he had to face such brutal words even after his death? " His eyes were emotional. "Do you even think this family is normal?! Subaru?!" He eyed his older brother, who was still on his side.
Seeing his own father being such an inhumane character, he swore to take upon his succession as to avenge his uncle. Nothing beats it more than to see one's own child snatch the place of them. Especially, when one of the parents is such an inhumane bastard!
Thus, working day and night, even allowing his father to have his own share of luxury, after studying and bringing out results, being the son that bastard, who was clearly incompetent for such a place, everyone soon acknowledged Subaru's efforts and was soon became the 'Face' of the Yamaguchi Company, one of the leading companies in the country. On top of that, in such a young age!
"If it was normal, then do you think they would discard you and your mother off from the main house in spite being the wife and son of the late young master of the house?" Subaru said as he focused his eyes on the table, his hands clenched hard.
Ken was shocked to see an expression on his best friend's face, as if he never saw that before.
"Ayato?" He mumbled. Ken knew everything, from A-Z delivered to Ayato. But upon hearing what the older man said, the words felt unfamiliar to Ken.
Subaru looked at Ayato. He had a face of bewilderment.
"What did you just say?"
Subaru repeated what he had said, even giving the answer to his own question of being born into a crazy household.
"But…what's up, you look like you didn't know-"Subaru further continued only to get interrupted by Ayato.
"She lied…" Ayato's eyes filled with tears as his eyes were left gaped and his teeth grinded with anger. "My mother lied to me!"
Seeing such emotion from him Ken felt sorry for his friend and Subaru was totally not shocked upon hearing that statement from his younger brother.
'This is getting really complicated.' Subaru thought. "Should I say everything to him? He has rights to know afterall.'