Kentaro Nomura's life took a sharp turn the year he crossed paths with Ryuji Nakamura for the very first time.
At just five years old, Ken's world was shaken to its very core by that elderly gentleman. The true impact of their meeting only became clear only after Mr. Nakamura and his team had left the Harada Estate. After the man had assured the little redhead that everything would be okay thereafter.
Everything was not okay.
In the aftermath of Mr. Nakamura's departure, Ginger was reluctantly embraced into the Harada family. It took the boy approximately seventy-two hours to decide that kind of honor wasn't worth it. In that time, he got introduced to his family only to learn that they despised him. He realized that he no longer liked the idea of having siblings. And finally, he learned that kidnappings could, in fact, happen in broad daylight.
But could they be classified as such if the act was done by your supposed family? He didn't know.
What he did know was that he apparently couldn't live with his mother anymore, and certainly couldn't do anything about it. The arrangement had been so sudden and fast, and he naturally didn't have a say in it. His mother and aunts didn't have a say in it either, seeing as how all three women were forbidden from seeing him outside of designated periods. But even those became rarer and rarer with time.
At just five years old, facing strangers he instinctively distrusted, with no familiar face to offer comfort, Kentaro found himself unable to even make a scene. The terrified young boy quickly learned to mask his emotions, navigating a world where caution became his shield. Unsure of what repercussions his actions might bring from these unfamiliar figures, he chose the safety of silence.
Kentaro paid attention to his surroundings, people included, which made him discover a few important things.
Firstly; the Haradas weren't as harmonious as they made it seem.
Right from the start, Kentaro noticed the discord among them. Their arguments often erupted, sometimes involving him due to their blatant disdain. It was rare to have a peaceful day at the mansion, and once these people got started, it didn't end well for even the non-involved parties.
The sole exception to this chaos was Satoshi Harada.
And Kentaro really didn't understand him. Despite being told he was his father, Satoshi remained indifferent, barely acknowledging Ken's presence. While the rest of the family either scorned him or shouted, at least they recognized him. Satoshi, however, treated him like a stranger, their interactions void of warmth or connection.
Kentaro's greetings to his father stemmed solely from a taught respect, nothing more.
Secondly, the Estate's staff maintained a noticeable distance from the main family.
Compared to the familiar warmth of Izumi and Misa, whom he regarded as aunts, the other workers seemed cold and detached. The maids rarely smiled, their demeanor formal and aloof, making it easier for Kentaro to withhold attachment. He hated the place, and wished he could go home.
The kid was allowed to see his mother a few times, and with each visit, he never failed notice how distraught she was. Yumiko Nomura never failed to reassure him that he was still her precious boy, and that if there were any way to change everything, she would.
But she had no power over anything, and he understood.
It was surprisingly one of the few things he did understand, resolving to appear strong for her, concealing his anguish behind a façade of composure. He had to look okay, at least in front of her. At least then, she wouldn't look too sad.
Kentaro hated the place, but he couldn't show weakness.
He endured a year of the family's animosity, the staff's indifference, and his siblings' cruelty, all while projecting an air of indifference. No one needed to know that he actually cared what people thought, or found the family's negative behavior towards him very hurtful.
But when it sometimes became too much too bear, Ken would retire to his room and not emerge for a long time. No one needed to know there were times the ginger-haired outcast could only hide away and privately cry.
**
"Young master?"
The corners of Little Ken's brows twitched at the sound of that familiar address.
"Young master, wake up. You can't crash here," a voice, strangely unidentifiable, nudged him, followed by a gentle hand on his shoulder, coaxing him back to consciousness.
Kentaro sat up groggily, his expression a mix of bewilderment and disorientation. Momentarily confused, he scanned his surroundings until recognition set in. With a stretch, the small sketch pad on his lap slipped off, landing softly on the grass below.
Having dozed off beneath his favorite leafy sanctuary near the mansion, the same tree where he had first crossed paths with Mr. Nakamura, Ken found solace in this secluded spot whenever he sought solitude. It was an understandable distance from the mansion and strategically placed, thus no one would be able to see or bother him unless specifically trying to find him had been their goal.
He'd rather be at the cottage, his real home, but he wasn't gifted in running and didn't want to test just how strong the security in this area was.
In any case, who'd come to bother him now?
He hadn't expected to see a completely unfamiliar face staring down at him when he finally gave the intruder his attention, thus Ken became understandably confused.
Had he gotten lost again? No, the mansion was right there.
"Young master, are you fully awake yet? Do you wish to return to mansion?" inquired the boy, slightly older than Ginger.
The young redhead's skepticism surfaced. "Who are you?"
"I'm young master's bodyguard."
Kentaro gave him an even stranger look, "Which young master?"
Now it was the boy's turn to look as confused as him, "Aren't you Young Master Harada?"
"Are you talking about pig brother?" Kentaro asked.
The boy seemed even more troubled, "I was told that from today my assignment would be to look after Master Kentaro Harada."
Me? Ken's gaze flitted around in search of no one in particular, still baffled. He then stared at the boy again and asked, "Why me?"
"Oh, so you're the Young Master after all?"
Kentaro despised that title. So he interrogated instead. "How old are you?"
"Eleven, almost twelve."
Kentaro's shock remained concealed, although his eyes betrayed his surprise. He'd been informed about being designated a body guard soon, but... wasn't this one a little too young?
"Are you really a bodyguard, or just a junior caretaker?" Ken asked bluntly. He was only six, it wouldn't be a surprise if the family decided he couldn't even properly take care of himself.
The boy looked a little insulted, hesitated, then grumbled a, "I'll be an official bodyguard when I turn fourteen."
"I see," Ken nodded as if he understood but truly didn't care. "Anyway, you can leave now. I'm fine."
"Eh?"
"My body doesn't need taking care of right now. You're free to leave," Kentaro dismissed casually, reclining against the tree and gesturing nonchalantly at the visitor.
"I can't do that though," the boy murmured.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm your appointed protector."
"Junior caretaker," Kentaro corrected automatically, picking up his sketchbook and pencil. "And I'd like to be alone, thanks."
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave." And the older kid really wasn't going.
Kentaro reeled in the urge to say something mean and settled on wearing his usual indifferent mask. He had no intentions of entertaining this stranger. If only the other kid would take the hint and leave him alone, like everyone else.
But the guy closed the distance, leaning casually against the tree with arms crossed, peering curiously into Ginger's sketchbook. Nosy.
"What are you sketching?" the older asked.
"This is the part where you mind your own," Ginger didn't even feel guilty saying those words.
The older kid simply huffed, though it lacked any real heat. "Rude."
Kentaro was ready to fire back with more sarcasm when a familiar, annoying voice suddenly cut in, causing the ginger-haired child to cringe in annoyance.
"There you are, little bro," Izuki approached the pair under the tree, looking unusually pleased for some reason. His hands were clasped behind his back, hiding something that Kentaro suspected wouldn't be good. A mischievous grin adorned Izuki's face. "I've been looking for you."
"Why?" Ken didn't hide his displeasure.
"Let's play the guessing game."
"No."
"You know that's not how it works, little bro. You guess and I show," Izuki stated as a matter of fact.
Him insisting on calling Kentaro 'little brother' gave the latter goose bumps.
"So, guess what Mother bought me today," Izuki asked once more.
Izuki and his mother; bad combination.
Kentaro gave an exaggerated sigh of defeat. "I give up, brother."
The stranger beside him puffed a snort. Did you even try?
"What is it that you are so eager to show me?" Ken asked.
"My new toy," Izuki revealed a long think whip curled around his right hand.
The little junior caretaker's smile slowly vanished, all humor gone, replaced by an expression more severe. Ken remained oblivious to the older's reaction, seeing as his own instincts against his half-brother were suddenly kicking into high gear.
Izuki was cruel, but he wasn't that unhinged, was he?
"But you see, I don't have anything to use it on," the oldest Harada son scratched his head as if he was truly in a dire situation, though the cruel curl of his lips seemed to suggest otherwise.
"A shame," Ken tried to sound nonchalant, but he could already feel his insides churning, grip subconsciously tightening on his little notebook. He could act indifferent to most things, but physical pain was not one of them. And he was already a hundred percent certain of the direction in which this particular conversation would go.
"It's fine if I use it on you, right?" and there it was. The twisted suggestion. Sure enough, Izuki just wanted to bully him again. But this was a new low.
Despite how much they loathed one another, both Harada sons had never resorted to anything truly physical. Maybe a few shoves and cruel pranks (Izuki's forte), but they mostly settled on verbal jabs.
Kentaro's gaze discreetly shifted to the side, calculating his chances of escaping. He couldn't outrun Izuki, of course he knew. His older brother was bigger and faster runner, Ken wouldn't be able to get far. But if he could get someone's, anyone's attention to break up the impending conflict, then maybe—
His thought process suddenly trailed, as he suddenly remembered the existence of a third person beside him. That junior bodyguard, whatever his name was, hadn't said a word following Izuki Harada's arrival. Did they know each other? Was this all a ploy to corner the outcast?
Kentaro was used to seeing the worst in people nowadays, so when he directed a glare at the oldest among them, he half-expected a smirk in return. Except… the bodyguard's eyes weren't even on him. The older kid was regarding Izuki like he was something disgusting stuck under his boot, and before Ken could speak up, the stranger beat him to it.
"The hell is this punk?"
Kentaro's lips shut instantly, grey eyes widened. It was the most reaction he'd had the entire afternoon. Everyone at the Estate knew exactly who Izuki Harada was, and knew to treat him with respect so as to not get on his bad side. Lots of people had been punished for even looking at the boy wrong, and that had been when Izuki was feeling generous. The eldest Harada son had even addressed Kentaro with the term 'little brother', so who else could he be? Was this caretaker openly looking for a beating??
Izuki had been thrown off by the stranger's initial insult, that it took him a solid two minutes to finally ground himself. No one dared speak to him so carelessly. Instantly, his expression morphed into a scowl, clearly already calculating the other's demise as he shot back. "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?"
"No, that's why I asked," the little caretaker shrugged uncaringly.
Izuki looked like he'd develop an aneurysm at such a young age as he practically gritted out, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"I asked the question first," the stranger stated easily, thought better of it, then nudged Ken for answers. "Is he your servant, Young master?"
Kentaro caught the unexpected snicker that threatened to spill from his lips, hand flying up to cover his mouth while eyes widened even more in horror. No, no, I don't want this guy to get me into even more trouble. He'd learnt that no one would truly pick his word over his older brother's at the end of the day, even if it were obvious who was clearly in the wrong.
Izuki's fists clenched in fury, "You…Don't you dare insult me!"
"No, really. Are you not the Young Master's caretaker?" the stranger innocently asked. "I heard he might be getting one."
Kentaro keeled over just then, face downwards and shoulders shaking. He didn't dare look at Izuki's expression anymore. This was such a serious matter but here he was, struggling to hold back uncontrollable giggles.
"I'm the first son of this family's head, you understand!" Izuki growled, "How dare you—"
The stranger's casual demeanor was disarming. "Oh, that's you? You look different from the picture in Master Harada's office. I apologize for not being able to recognize you," the boy said with a smile, shocking the brothers.
Master Harada's office? As in Satoshi's study? The place no one's allowed to enter without valid reason?
Even Ken knew this and he was practically an outsider. But how come this little caretaker boy knew about that specific office's interior?
And suddenly, Ginger didn't feel like laughing anymore.
~~~~~~