The rustling of leaves filled the brief silence that followed. Yasushi's eyes shifted upon Koba's in curiosity. "Koba, what happened to your other twin?"
"He was weak and didn't deserve the title of First Born... So my parents threw him off a cliff. They didn't even bother to name him," Koba voiced proudly, cutting through the air in a cold and matter-of-fact tone, casting a pall over the group.
Yasushi and Sachiko exchanged uncomfortable glances, the jovial atmosphere of moments ago completely evaporated. Taichi, sensing the discomfort, clarified, "It's common for members of the Takeshimego clan to eliminate the offspring who are deemed weak."
"How cruel," Yasushi retorted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Koba's eyes flashed. "Cruel? Don't be so high and mighty. Like I said before, weak leaders lead their people to suffrage. So to prevent that, we destroy them to preserve our people."
The tension between Yasushi and Koba rose. The weight of their conversation at odds with the serene garden setting. Sachiko stepped forward, awkwardly positioning himself between them, "Uhhh... Okay... Umm, this conversation is a tad bit too serious for my liking. Why don't we leave the palace's grounds and attend the festivities in the northern villages?"
Sachiko turns to face Yasushi, eyes bright blushing with a wide smirk. "Hehe... I'm sure there are a lot of lonely ladies in need of some Sachiko tonight."
"PERVERT!" Megumi, Koba, Taichi, and Yasushi exclaimed concurrently, their unified response momentarily lightening the mood.
The tension in the garden suddenly spiked as Taichi snared at Sachiko. "Besides, isn't the girl your parents arranged for you to marry here? It would be in bad taste to go parading around with other girls while she's here."
Sachiko, undeterred, moved uncomfortably close to Taichi, his breath hot on Taichi's face as he stared directly into his eyes, still smirking ear to ear. "Taichi... I'm 12. It would be selfish to not share myself with all the lovely ladies of this realm. I'm too young to commit, let alone settle down."
The other children shifted awkwardly, the air thick with discomfort at Sachiko's brazen declaration.
Koba's voice cut through the tension, dripping with disdain. "Pathetic. Arranged marriages are nothing but old-fashioned politics. My clan refuses to subject ourselves to such peasantry. We are only purebreds or spawns of the mightiest."
Taichi grumbled, pointedly looking away from Koba, "Well, that would explain all the incest, huh?"
The garden seemed to hold its breath as Koba's eyes flashed with anger. "Shut it, Fatty! We are just selective," he snarled.
Taichi, still avoiding eye contact, pressed on. "Is that what you call it when your aunt is also your mother?"
The peaceful atmosphere of the garden shattered as Koba lunged forward, grabbing Taichi's shirt. "Okay, that's it. YOU'RE DEAD!" he shouted.
Taichi slapped Koba's hand away, and within moments, the two boys were grappling with each other, their earlier camaraderie completely forgotten. The other children looked on in shock as the fight escalated, the sounds of their scuffle drowning out the distant festival music.
The sound of Taichi and Koba's scuffle faded into the background as Sachiko turned his attention to Yasushi, ignoring Taichi's pleas for backup. "What about you, Yasushi?" he asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "You're almost 11, no? Haven't your parents arranged your wife?"
Before Yasushi could respond, Megumi interrupted, her voice brimming with confidence and a touch of smugness. "Of course they have! I am the future wife to Yasushi and queen to the Chika clan. My mommy says I'm the only one in the living realm with a noryoku worthy of royalty!"
The garden seemed to hold its breath as Yasushi, looking somewhat uncomfortable, responded while pointing a finger to his chin, ignoring Megumi's earlier remarks. "Well, I sorta already have an arranged wife. She even lives with me, but I'm not allowed to talk about her."
The shocking confession was so enormous that it stopped Taichi and Koba mid-fight. The two boys froze, their earlier animosity forgotten in the face of this unexpected revelation. Koba pushed Taichi's face away with his hands and turned to Yasushi, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Did I just hear that correctly?" Koba interrogated with surprise and excitement.
"S'cuse me!?!" Taichi yelled from behind Koba, his earlier anger replaced by sheer amazement.
Yasushi, seemingly oblivious to the bombshell he'd just dropped. "Uhmm.. yeah. We have been together since she was a baby. We train together, eat together, bathe together, and sleep in the same bedroom. I even help her get dressed on days she is too sore from training."
Yasushi's revelation left his friends stunned. Megumi, having regained consciousness, listened with wide eyes as Yasushi described the mysterious girl.
"I'm surrounded by perverts," Koba murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
"LIKE YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!!!"Yasushi shouted as he looked defensively over to Koba, insulted by his words.
Taichi, his curiosity still piqued and unbothered by the current exchange, pressed further. "We've been friends since we were kids, Yasushi. I visit the palace regularly, and I've never seen her there or at any of the gatherings. Is she here now?"
Yasushi tensed, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
"What clan is she from?" Koba asked. "What does she look like?" Sachiko chimed in eagerly.
Unable to resist their inquiries, Yasushi gave in. "You see... she's here, but she isn't allowed to leave the palace. I don't know where she's from, but she's definitely not from our realm." He paused, reminiscing on the fond beauty of Kaname. "She has the softest skin, with grey hair. Her eyes are like a storming sea. She's cute and smells really good."
Megumi passed out again, unable to handle the likelihood of a possible competitor. The other children exchanged shocked glances, their minds racing with questions.
Taichi looked to Koba. Storming Eyes?...
Koba looked to Sachiko. Grey Hair?.....
Sachiko observed both Koba and Taichi. Smells really good?..
Taichi, Koba, and Sachiko continued to exchange glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and amusement. After an awkward silence, they erupted into laughter.
Sachiko shrieked, doubling over with his arms across his stomach. "Yasushi!! HAHAHAH! Your wife is an old hag HAHA! Shouldn't you be planning her funeral?!"
Taichi, wiping tears from his eyes. "A five-year-old with those features doesn't exist in any realm I've heard of."
"I think ya might be hallucinating or having some vision problems," Koba hollered, barely containing his mirth. "Don't worry! I got you! My father knows a guy HAHAHA!"
Yasushi's face reddening with frustration. "MY EYES ARE FINE, AND SHE'S NOT OLD!!"
Taichi wiped the remaining few tears of laughter from his eyes, patting Koba on the back. "Then you're making her up. You don't have to lie just to avoid acknowledging Megumi as your arranged wife."
Sachiko glanced from behind Yasushi. "Yeah, she still hasn't woken up." Koba followed Sachiko's gaze, observing the unconscious Megumi on the ground. "Must be low blood pressure," he whispered, gently scratching his cheek.
"I'M NOT LYING!! KANAME IS REAL!" Yasushi's outburst echoed through the garden, startling a few nearby birds into flight.
Taichi's eyes narrowed, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "So, her name is Kaname, huh? What's her last name then? If she exists and you two are as close as you say you are, then you should know it." Taichi stepped closer to Yasushi lowering his voice. "Or, has she already been given the Chika name?"
Yasushi's confidence faltered. "Err... Ummm ...Ugh... She... Umm... I dunno. Since I've known her, everyone has only called her Kaname. She doesn't have one."
The atmosphere grew tense once more. Yasushi's friends exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of doubt and concern. The story of the mysterious Kaname seemed to grow more implausible with each detail, yet Yasushi's earnestness was hard to dismiss entirely. Breaking his concentration from seemly sickly Megumi, Koba returned his attention to the conversation.
The already tense atmosphere burst as Koba's frustration boiled over. His eyes tinged with anger "You're so annoying! Are you done with this pathetic fantasy? It's just plain sad that you would even lie about something like this."
Yasushi, his patience finally snapping, lunged forward and grabbed Koba by the arm. "I'M NOT LYING!"
Koba, unfazed by Yasushi's outburst, sneered back, "Then prove it! Show us this grey-haired Kaname. I'm just itching to meet her."
Taichi and Sachiko watched nervously, unsure whether to intervene or let the situation play out. Amidst the commotion, Megumi stirred, gradually regaining consciousness. She sat up slowly, looking around in confusion.
"Hm...? Whadda miss?"