-present-
The Lilac House (The Murasaki House)
The gardens in our house are stunning inside and out. But this side, the right side of the house, is unique because it's only herb plants. Different types of herbs have their own color, shape, and appearance. It's a weirdly beautiful garden.
I am watering them after breakfast with Kaiza. I mostly spend my time in the garden and Kaiza's office with him. I love watching him doing the paperwork on his desk. I don't know why I find that very sexy with his look and the boring paper on his desk.
"Zephyra."
Jodai calls me from behind.
"Yes?"
"We have guests."
I turn to him.
"Kento and Furan."
"Furan sensei?"
"Yes, Zephyra."
"Okay..."
I'm about to get inside, and Jodai covers me with another coat on my body.
"I don't want you to get a cold. You've been out here since the morning."
"Thank you."
I smile at him.
I get inside and see Kaiza already sitting on the couch. After he notices me, he gets up, and two of the guests sitting across from him turn their heads to see me.
"Hi."
Kento.
"Hi."
I greet back.
"..."
Furan looks at me surprisingly, and I do the same since I haven't seen him in a long time.
I bow to him.
"Sensei."
"Hello, Zephyra."
I walk past them, and Kaiza holds my hand. We sit together across from them. I see the two cups of tea for our guests on the table.
"You're looking great..."
Kento speaks up while looking at me.
"..."
"Mr. Kaiza."
And his eyes change to be on Kaiza.
"..."
I smile a little.
"You feel better?"
He asks Kaiza.
"Yes."
"I'm glad...and you Jodai?"
"Yes."
Jodai.
"..."
"And you, Zephyra?"
"Hehe, yes."
He's trying to kill the awkwardness, but he is the one who is acting awkwardly.
"Your hair is growing, Kento senior."
I ask him.
"Oh, yes...it's been almost a month...so."
"So you're Furan..."
Kaiza ignores us and stares at sensei.
"Yes."
Furan sensei answers him.
"My grandfather told me about you."
"A lot?"
"Not a lot, one time to be exact...but only one time that I have been intentionally waiting to meet you in person."
"!!"
I'm surprised.
"Why is that?"
Furan sensei.
"You're my true enemy."
"What!?"
Kento and I.
"..."
Then, Kaiza holds my waist and pulls me in while staring at Furan sensei.
"Heh, I see."
Furan sensei.
I tilt my head.
"Kento senior, please change the subject."
I tell him.
"Y-Yes. We came here to tell you about the favor you asked me for, Zephyra."
"Ahh, yes."
Kaiza's hand is still holding my waist.
"Everything is done."
Kento continues.
"!"
"How?"
I ask.
"With Furan sensei's help."
"Really? But how did you know about this?"
I turn my face to him.
"Mr. Saya asked me to help you."
"He's very...and you're so kind... I thought you hated this kind of..."
"Yes, I don't like it, but I know your reasons, and for Mr. Saya's sake..."
"So for his sake...not my wife's sake?"
Kaiza.
"Also...for her sake, Zephyra is one of my students."
"Hmpt."
"So, Kento senior, can you tell me the details...please?"
"Y-Yes...we found the hidden gangs in JJ black market. Their dent was under there. Furan sensei came to help get rid of them while I was with the group at North Wister. My dad found the secret group under the Academy."
"They secretly had a group there?"
I ask.
"I just know that, too. All this time, it was right under our feet."
"..."
"And how did you...you didn't...right?"
I ask an unfinished question.
"No, my dad came with me and brought out all the men, including Mr. Saya's men...First, they didn't want to back down. So we gave the deal that we won't report the authority. But they..."
"Don't care."
Kaiza.
"Yes. Then I pulled out my secret weapon."
"Hm?"
I make a sound.
"You."
"..."
"I talked about you and Mr. Kaiza's cool story..."
"What..."
I'm very confused.
"The power couple of the sovereign who can take down Slaven in his own dent and save all the victims from the crucial event. Even the Yamazaki family is on her side...his son and even his father..."
"..."
"So you are the one who started a rumor."
Kaiza.
"It's not a rumor, Mr. Kaiza. It's a fact. You guys are the dangerous ones now...for them, of course."
Kento senior.
"And that was it?"
I ask.
"They don't want to be your next prey, so they agreed not to be involved with anything about this kind of business, and they agreed not to mess with anything that connected with you guys...family, people, places."
"..."
I turn my face to look at Kaiza. He holds my hands together in his right palm. And his left hand is still on my waist.
Then, He holds my hands up to kiss.
"It's almost there..."
He tells me.
After the conversation we had with Kento senior and Furan sensei, I was in my room clearing my head by lying down on the bed and looking at the ceiling above me until it passed noon.
"..."
And I feel tickled on my feet. I open my eyes. I raise my body and look at the man who is on the floor, touching my legs and feet, putting his lips all over.
"Kaiza."
"You're awake?"
"What are you doing?"
"Admiring you...and waking you up."
"Hehe. You can just call my name."
Then, I slide myself down to his lap on the floor.
"How are you feeling?"
He asks.
"I don't know."
I answer him and hold him.
"You missed lunch."
"I'm not that hungry."
"Tell me, what are you thinking, Zephyra?"
He pats my head and plays with my hair.
"I don't know. I'm trying to think, but it's nothing there."
"..."
"Perhaps because you haven't had lunch."
"Heh."
"You want me to feed you?"
"I'm not a kid."
"Or...you want to feed me?"
"Hm?"
I look at him.
"..."
He kisses me gently and slowly opens his mouth to give his tongue to me.
"I'm eating you now."
He tells me.
"....hehe."
I kiss him back and chuckle softly.
"Ah!"
And he carries me up. And takes me out of the room while we kiss.
"Where are you taking me?"
I pull my lips out and ask.
He says nothing and kisses me again. I let him lead me where he wants. He stops by putting me down on the chair and kneeling on the floor.
"Arrive...turn around."
He pulls his lips out and tells me. I turn around like he says.
"!!!"
I am shocked. I sit on the chair, which is a set of the grand piano in front of me. The keys are under my eyes. I lay down my fingers on them.
"Kaiza..."
"It's a gift...for you."
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
"...Thank you."
He holds my body from behind while kneeling on the floor. He put his face on my back.
"Do you like it?"
"I love it, Kaiza."
"I'm glad."
He gets up and bends his body down over me. I tilt my face up. He bows down to kiss my lips while holding my face.
"Will you play for me?"
He asks while his lips touch my lips.
"Um."
He smiles and changes his position to sit next to me.
I start to let my fingers dance on the white and black. I haven't played for so long, but it seems my fingers know every well.
"..."
Kaiza is sitting, puts his face on my shoulder, and listens to my melody.
And in two minutes, the melody is done.
"That's beautiful, Zephyra."
He kisses my cheek.
"Kaiza...I think he knows we're coming."
"...You mean Gerardo?"
"Um."
"Yes."
"And he's probably preparing for us."
"Yes."
"I don't want to lose anyone...for me anymore."
"..."
"Especially you, Kaiza. I don't want to lose you."
I tell him while touching the necklace that I gave him.
"You're not going to lose me."
"How can you be sure? Anything can happen."
I turn my eyes to see his directly.
"I promise."
"Don't promise the thing that you don't know."
"Because I know, that's why I can promise you, Zephyra. I don't want to lose you, too. And I want to be alive to be with you in the present and in the future. So don't worry about that part. I will make sure that I will be with you every step that you take and every breath that you breathe, together with me."
He tells me while holding my hands.
"..."
"I will make sure that you're not going to shred any blood or mine, only them."
"You promise?"
"I promise. I will not let your hands go, Zephyra."
He raises our hands and kisses my fingers.
And he kisses me.