Alinea

The day was nice that last week of January. Feathery snow fell from the sky, painting the landscape white.

In the Homura House, the shoji, the sliding panel that was made of translucent paper in a wooden frame facing the zen garden was opened wide, exposing the elegant tatami room within.

Inside, a handsome, but solemn looking young man wearing a black kimono, sat by the kotatsu, a low table with an inbuilt electric heater covered by a heavy futon blanket, with his legs under the mantle for comfort. Behind him were elegant sliding panels called, fusuma, painted with golden dragons and clouds. For an outsider, this youth looked like a daimyo, a Japanese feudal lord, in this place that seemed to be frozen in time.

A servant had brought him tea, and some wagashi earlier to enjoy as he watched the snow-covered garden outside. This was his typical afternoon whenever he was at home.

TIP TAP TIP TAP

Soft footfalls landed on the old wooden floor along the length of the engawa, the outer corridor that wrapped around the traditional Japanese house, making the boards groan a little with the weight. Regardless of how much one took good care not to create noise, it was a fact that the house itself had aged.

The young man paused from drinking his tea, his ice blue gaze lifting from his snack towards the corner of the shoji where another young man with c.h.e.s.tnut hair popped his head.

"Yo!"

Kazehaya Gin in a checked suit and red tie, greeted as he waved his hand, and walked into the tatami room with his shoeless feet. With a carefree grin, he plopped himself on the other end of the kotatsu and helped himself with the wagashi uninvited.

"Tea please," he called out to the servants waiting outside before turning back to the other young man, popping a piece of mochi in his mouth as he did.

"You're blocking the view," Homura Ryuu told him blandly, without as much changing the solemn expression on his face.

Gin was five centimeters taller than Koutaishidenka, so it was normal for him to obstruct his vision. With a childish pout, he lifted his b.u.t.t and dragged his body to the side so he's now sitting on Ryuu's left than in front.

"For a man with a huge company to run, you seem to always have some free time," Ryuu commented just as the servant bearing tea came.

Gin smiled at the servant and gave his thanks. He waited for her to leave before turning back to his friend. "I'm just a very awesome worker, I finish my tasks fast."

"Should I add to your workload then?" Ryuu asked with a frown, and Gin automatically went into panic.

"You shouldn't, you evil prince," Kazehaya complained. "I will die if you add more to my work."

"Weren't you an awesome worker? I'm sure you can take it," Ryuu chided mildly as he picked up his cup of tea to drink, and Gin swore he could see a pair of small devil horns on the man's head.

"Stop," Gin retorted with another pout. "I already had enough bullying from your wife. Spare me," he continued, making Koutaishidenka pause and stare at him with one raven brow raised in question.

"I paid Ara-chan a visit the other day," Gin said sheepishly.

"So why did you only come here now if you went days ago?"

"Hey, who sent me to Europe on an emergency business trip?" Gin countered, and for the first time since he arrived, Ryuu's thin lips curved into a smile, his blue eyes glittered in amus.e.m.e.nt, and Kazehaya Gin's eyes widened as he realized something.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Ryuu-chan you meanie!" Gin pulled at his hair. "You did that on purpose! You sent me away because you were jealous I got to see your wife first!"

A low chuckle escaped Homura's lips, making the poor CEO stop and study his face. "Hey…"

"What?" Ryuu asked innocently as he continued sipping his tea, and Gin's suspicions grew.

"You're not angry."

It's the first time Gin ever mentioned Ara's name that Koutashidenka didn't get upset nor refuse to acknowledge her existence. In fact, he didn't get upset when he mentioned the word "wife" pertaining to the girl. He was wondering what happened when another thought hit him.

Wait a minute…

"Koutashidenkasama," Gin called, his eyes accusing the young man who continued to drink his tea nonchalantly. "You bugged me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Congratulations, you finally realized," Homura Ryuu put his teacup down to give his friend a round of applause. "But to clarify that, it's actually the room that's bugged and not your person."

"You bugged her room? How? When?" Gin was surprised.

"You actually sent it to her," the prince said, and an image of an elegant bouquet of camellias flashed in Gin's mind.

Seeing as he finally understood, Homura grinned. "I knew you would be up to something when you came here last, so I had someone watch you. When Fuji ordered the flowers, I had someone put the bug in it."

"You're so mean!" Kazehaya Gin was aghast.

"What do you mean? Didn't you do the same?" Koutaishidenka rebutted, his brow arched at his friend, who folded and sighed as he unhappily took out a mini recorder from his b.r.e.a.s.t pocket and placed it on the table.

It was true that he had recorded everything, the entire time he was at Ara's hospital suite. "That's why you weren't surprised when I said your wife bullied me," Gin grumbled, and Homura let out another laugh.

"But she's right, you look weird," Ryuu commented, noting Gin's colorful ensemble.

"I'm not weird! It's called fashion. FASHION. Stop commenting on my clothes when you only know how to dress up like an old man," Gin grumbled again as he eyed Koutashidenka's elegant black kimono.

To say that Homura Ryuu looked like an old man was a lie of course. But he wouldn't say that to him.

"So?" Gin prompted afterwards. If Koutaishidenka already listened in on their conversation and more, he'd want to know what he thought.

With this, Ryuu took his phone which was laid on the tatami on his side, slid his fingers on the smooth surface as he typed something, and then placed it on the table.

In an instant, a recording of conversations between people played in the room.

"This…"Gin frowned. He didn't recognize the voices but since the word 'seitokaicho' was mentioned, it was definitely people from Ara's school – and he was right.

It was a recording of the conversation between Ara and her schoolmates when they came to visit her. The two remained quiet as they listened, and their faces became more and more somber as it went on.

"Suzukisan, you said earlier that someone tampered with your car?"

"Yes. The brakes didn't work when I stepped on it, so I turned the wheel and hit the lamppost."

"So that thing about you committing suicide because you're depressed was not true?"

"Depressed? Me?"

"Well, you look so disinterested in the world and sad so we thought you were suffering from depression."

The last girl's voice sounded like she was trying to pressure people into believing that Ara was depressed, and Gin's frown turned into a scowl. But he didn't say anything until the recording finished.

"I wonder if the police already found the culprit who sabotaged my car."

"Well, your family has influence so it will not take time for them to catch that person."

"I already pity that person actually. My brother would destroy him completely."

"So you were not really trying to kill Ichihara-san and commit suicide?" The boy who first asked about the accident inquired again like someone trying to squeeze a prime meat for juicy gossip.

"Ha? Why would I do that?" Ara's voice sounded annoyed as if she thought the question was irrational.

"Well, because they said you're head over heels in love with Sonoda-san, and since Ichihara-san is his girlfriend, you wanted to harm her."

"Oh lord, what teen drama is this?" Gin muttered, and Ryuu waved his hand to shut him up as they continued to listen. By this time, Ara sounded really frustrated like she was dealing with stupid people and was exhausted. "Poor Ara-chan…"