Alinea

Earlier that day…

Kazehaya Gin woke up late that morning, feeling weak as a kitten. There was a bitter aftertaste in his parched mouth as if he'd eaten rubber, and he swallowed, feeling dehydrated.

"Oh, you're finally awake Young Master Kazehaya," a gentle voice said, and he turned his head to see Yayoi walking towards him with a basin in her hand.

She placed the thing on the tatami near his head and reached for a glass of water. "Drink this. You must be thirsty," she said as she helped him to sit down.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I feel better, now that I see you," Kazehaya answered teasingly, making Yayoi blush like a young maiden as always.

Growing up with Ryuu, Yayoi was like his own nanny as well, since he only had Fuji who took good care of him. He had always been fond of the woman who had treated him better than his own mother had treated him.

"Oh you sweet-tongued boy," Yayoi patted him playfully before she held the digital thermometer in front of his forehead to take his temperature. "That's good. You don't have any fever anymore."

"I told you,"Kazehaya said with a smile before he stretched. His eyes darted towards the open shoji where the halls were empty. "I guess I scared everyone again didn't I?" he asked with a bitter smile.

He had bits and pieces of recollection about what happened last night. Because he was stubborn, he had pushed himself to the limits when he was already so sick, and his naughty harpy came out again.

"Did Aello hurt anyone?" he asked softly.

"No. The Young Master and Mavara kept her calm," Yayoi assured him as she gave him another pat.

It was not a secret that Kazehaya Gin always felt mixed emotions whenever Aello materialized.

As a harpy's master, there was no doubt that he was strong. But, since he owned a harpy, it also meant that he was weak and cursed, as all harpy casters were doomed to go insane sooner or later.

One of the most intelligent elementals was the wind beast he possessed. But they were hard to tame as they didn't really form a pact with anyone else aside from their creator, the God of Wind Stribog.

Harpies only lend their strength to temporary masters. But, if that master had a momentary loss of will power, they immediately took over the host's body and materialize in the outside world without being called to cause havoc. They loved killing and destroying things like a hurricane or a tornado.

Aello was a curse. But to Kazehaya Gin, she was also a savior, so he couldn't hate her completely.

When he came to the world, Aello materialized, although at that time, just like what Mavara did to Ryuu, Aello only watched over him. She was neither aggressive nor filled with malice. She simply stayed by his side.

Because of the harpy, his mother rejected him. Normally, if the clan decided to abandon him as a baby, he wouldn't have survived. But Aello had always protected him, showing aggression only when he cried, but stopped whenever someone would come to take care of his needs, and even hid within him so the nannies wouldn't be scared. It was why the people had no choice but to care for him as well, as a cry from him would summon the harpy.

As a child, the years before Ryuu was born, were lonely. He had no one who really cared for him or played with him except Aello. His mother who hated him, never allowed him to play with his younger brother Aoi, her treasured child.

When Ryuu was born, the Kazehayas sent him to the Homura House, and Aello never materialized since. For years, although he could still feel the harpy within him, she never bothered to come out.

This made his mother think that the harpy had abandoned him, and took the chance to secretly summon the teenager Gin back into the main house. For the first time since his birth, his mother treated him warmly. Little did he know that she had poisoned the drink she had given him.

As he choked to his death, Aello materialized and went berserk, killing his mother and all the servants present in the house and destroying the property. As Gin's condition worsened, the wilder the harpy became. She only ceased when Ryuu came and Mavara stopped her rampage, and they were able to give first aid to Gin.

In the end, in spite of the chaos, Kazehaya was saved by Aello yet again. But it was only natural since it was also known that harpies would guard their hosts to continue existing.

"That's not true Young Master Kazehaya. They were just busy on the outer buildings as the students were having several activities today," Yayoi informed him, and Gin remembered the school trip.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that,"Gin said, and then clapped. "That crazy girl who hurt Ara-chan is here too, right?"

At the mention of Okada Koharu, Yayoi's smile vanished, replaced by an annoyed look.

"What's the matter?" Kazehaya was curious Yayoi barely got annoyed by anything.

"That girl's been pretending to get lost a lot in the house. It was as if she's looking for something – or someone," the last word was delivered with a glare.

"Someone?"Gin was thoughtful for a while. "Did the Sonoda guy come here too?"

Yayoi shook her head. "That awful wench had changed targets," she informed him, making Gin whistle.

"That target must be amazing to be able to dispel a three-year obsession just like that," he commented. Yanderes rarely changed targets.

"Of course the new target's amazing – it's the Young Master she's after now," Yayoi announced, looking totally troubled.

WHAAAAAAT?

"Er… how?"

Kazehaya was speechless.

"We have no idea. But it seemed based on her chitchat with the other girls, she met with the Young Master last Friday, and she's been crazy about him since. She calls him her prince – the blasphemy!"

Yayoi sounded like a disapproving mother in law, that Gin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, at least that Midori girl's somewhat safe now."

"But Ara-sama isn't! If that crazy wench found out that the Young Master is engaged with Ara-sama, then she will definitely hurt her again," Yayoi delivered, trembling with mixed worry and irritation for being unable to do something to the said crazy girl.

"Don't worry, we're here now to protect Ara-chan okay? Nothing will happen to her again," Kazehaya Gin promised – and he's good at giving them.

For a cursed being like him, his promises were the only good things he could offer someone else.