"My King~" the man from the cage finally regained full consciousness and has been listening to the conversation in the room among the royal forces. He tried to sit up, but Ainosuke pressed him back down on the bed.
"for now, disregard the formalities. Outside of the palace, I'm not King. Remember that, Nakajima Kento" Ainosuke said with a gentle smile
"You know my name~"
"of course, i have my informants. I know everything about you. A loyal officer who refuse to give in to evil, and ended up in this mess. anyway, i admire your perseverance and bravery. Aoihoshi needs people like you. I hereby assign you to be the chief officer of this village from today.Yuto and Yuya will make the final announcement and arrangement"
"You trust me, sir?" Kento said in disbelief.
"Who else can I trust." Ainosuke smiled, while patting Kento's back.
"But I don't know if I can do it well. I~" Kento stammered, but only to be interrupted again by Ainosuke. "It's not like I'm expecting you to do great on your first day. I also learnt from scratch, and thankfully I have this group of wonderful comrades. For you, I'll get Ryutaro to coach you. He's a great help. And if there's anything you need, just get in touch with these guys, they'll assist you" Ainosuke brought Kento's attention to Yuto, Yuya, Chinen and Daiki who stood behind.
"Yeah! we'll be happy to help" they cheerfully responded which gave Kento a strong sense of motivation to undertake the King's task.
"arigatou minna-san....arigatou King Ainosuke...you're really a great King" Kento exclaimed and gave a smile to Mirai who was standing beside Ainosuke. "arigatou Queen Mirai~"
----
The group decides to set off next morning for the next village on the list where Ryutaro uncovered corruption. Yuto, Yuya, Chinen and Daiki took turns to guard the suite that now sits Ainosuke and Mirai.
Ainosuke sat on the lone desk with a dim light and focused on the report in front of him. However, Mirai knows it very clearly that Ainosuke is just waiting for her to fall asleep before going to bed, on the cold floor and not beside her. She did not want that to happen, she wants Ainosuke right by her side.
"Ainosuke~" she called. He turned back and asked, "You're not asleep yet? can't sleep?"
"yeah, I can't sleep if you're not beside me. Could you stop your work and come here" she signalled the spot beside her on the twin bed.
"of course. you're my husband." she reminded.
he was secretly feeling delighted that Mirai made the offer. he did hope that he didnt have to wait for her to sleep or even lay on the cold, hard floor. he just wanna cuddle beside her, just like the last time.
he gently pull himself onto the bed, positioning himself right beside her, with a gap in between as a sign of respect.
Mirai didn't want the existence of any distance between them so she wrap her arms around him, giving him quite a stun, but it only took him a few seconds before his limbs relaxed. he reciprocated by putting his arms over her shoulder and allowing her to lean on it.
"Ryosuke~ I know the next place on the list is your hometown . how are you feeling?"Mirai tilted her head to face him.
"surreal. I never dreamt that my life will take on such a drastic turn and I never thought that I'll return to my hometown in such circumstances. I hope I won't let them down"
"you won't. you'll do great. sleep early cause it'll be a long day ahead!" Mirai gave him a quick peck on his cheeks and bury her head on his chest.
"arigatou ~ oyasumi Mirai" he spoke softly as he wrapped her comfortably.
-------
next morning
The four royal guards were giving Kento their last piece of advice as they packed their horses and their masters'.
"Ryosuke. we can set off now" Yuto called out to their king Ainosuke's temporary name.
Ainosuke showed Mirai to her horse and hopped on to his own.
"Can I seat with you?" Mirai didn't board her horse, instead she quietly followed behind Ainosuke.
"heh?!" Ainosuke stunned for a moment, while the other guards giggled at Mirai's cute request.
"erm... of course" he pulled Mirai up and tugged her nicely in front of him and secure her safely in his arms before they set off.
Mirai enjoyed every moment in her husband's embrace. Ainosuke also unknowingly smiled at their current interaction.
They finally reached the next town, greeted by a huge protest in front of the town's only university.
the protestors were all about their age, and they were numerous placards held high that read "Save the school!" "DONT TAKE AWAY OUR SCHOOL!"
Aoihoshi East University is the only university in the town of 2000 people. it is no doubt why the students were so angered with the closure of the school.
Some violent protesters ended up being beaten up by the guards surrounding the school.
"Ryosuke, that 2 men standing right in front of the school's main gate is Principal Jun and the state officer Sato" Daiki explained.
Ainosuke remained seated and watched the 2 people silently. Mirai turned her body to look at her husband but was surprised to see him smirk.
"nani?" Mirai was concerned by his expression.
"they were smiling~ there's definitely something going on between them. how dare they trampled on these students' hopes and dreams. I'll make these 2 idiots pay the price!" Ainosuke vowed.
the 6 of them gathered together after assessing the situation and formulated a plan to wipeout the corrupt officers here.
Yuto, Yuya and Daiki were assigned as backups and controllers, since they looked alittle older than the student protestors. whereas, it was agreed unanimously that Ainosuke, Chinen and Mirai will blend well among the students, so they were assigned as student imposters.
the three imposters went into the crowd of protestors and blended well. Mirai stood in between Chinen and Ainosuke. Ainosuke was very paranoid with the safety of Mirai that he has constantly nagging at Chinen to keep a close eye on her at all times. He, on the other hand, held on to Mirai tightly, keeping her safe beside him.
"Ryosuke?" someone beside Ainosuke called out and he's surprised to see one of Yu's best pal in his underground band.
"Hyun-chan!" he called out to Yu's friend, playing along with his character since he doesn't know what happened to Yamada Ryosuke.
Mirai and Chinen turned to look at their King, concerned that their covers were blown.
"Where have you been?! I've not heard from you for so many years. Yu said you left Aoihoshi for studies." Hyun answered
"erm... yeah. I left for France." Ainosuke feels tickled by his own answer and his 2 companions almost burst out laughing since Ainosuke doesn't know much English.
"I see. and you have gotten yourself a pretty girlfriend?" Hyun noticed Mirai and waved to her.
Ainosuke placed his shoulder over Mirai and proudly acknowledged her.
"wow! I'm jealous! if there's any nice girls, please introduce to me. Riko is perfect too!" Ainosuke and Mirai's smile disappeared upon hearing the mention of Riko. Chinen tapped the 2 of them to remind them about the mission. Ainosuke quickly focused his glance at the scene after he politely ended his conversation with Hyun. at this point, Ainosuke feels even more determined to get to the bottom of this matter seeing his childhood friend, his brother's band mate involve in this protest.
"Chinen, Mirai, the two of you stay close and continue to monitor the situation. I'll try to attach the spy camera on them" Ainosuke said. though Chinen voiced his worries about having Ainosuke going alone, but they knew there's no other ways since Chinen himself is held liable for the Queen's safety. it's much safer for Mirai to stay in the crowd.
Ainosuke squeezed his way out the crowd and dodged the guards swiftly. everything was smooth for Ainosuke given his superb ninja skills. Ainosuke shadowed Principal Jun and Chief officer Sato in order to find the perfect opportunity to attach the spy camera to listen in their conversation.
unknown to him, his companions in the crowd have gotten themselves into a deep mess.
"Hey stop it!" Chinen dashed out towards the guards when he witnessed Hyun being dragged out into the open and brutally beaten for
punching one of the guards. Chinen felt that Hyun was someone Ainosuke treasured and as his guard, if he needed to sacrifice himself to safeguard Ainosuke's friends, he'll do it even if it means death.
Mirai tried to hold him back but Chinen was determined and there's nothing she could do to change his mind.
Chinen couldn't jeopardize the whole mission so instead of retaliating which with his skills, he could definitely wipeout all the guards, he instead took a more passive approach. he shielded Hyun with his own body, taking in all the punches and kicks from the guards who took turns to inflict heavy blows on his body.
"Chinen!!!!" Mirai ran out towards the already unconscious Hyun and Chinen who is enduring the pain.
"Mirai! stay away!" Chinen tried to shout while the pain on his back disabled his ability to project his voice. Mirai heard Chinen but the warning is meaningless cause the guards grabbed hold of her on both sides of the arms and forced her to watch Chinen being beaten up. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw not a royal guard, but her dear friend, her companion going through hell. in her capacity, she could definitely rescue him out of the agony but revealing her identity will end the whole mission and that's not gonna be any better for Chinen or her since Ainosuke will not be pleased.
Mirai watched helplessly as she saw Chinen's face turning pale, and blood dripping from his wounds. all she could do was to hope for Ainosuke to return.
on the other side, Ainosuke finally found the opportunity to slip the spy camera on Principal Jun's shirt when everyone around him was distracted. He made a swift run for it and before the blink of an eye, he managed to complete his task.
"no sweat" he smirked with pride that he completed the task singlehandedly. he spoke into the secret microphone which connected to Yuto, Yuya and Daiki, "guys, over to you". he signaled the rest to listen in to their conversation and act according to plan. They acknowledged and Ainosuke made his way quickly back to the stadium where the protestors and his companions were.
unfortunately , he was greeted by a scene that caused his heart to stop beating. he experienced an adrenaline rush as he witnessed Chinen already half-conscious with Hyun lying beneath him, and Mirai being captured by 2 guards. Anxiety quickly gave way to Anger as he stepped out into the open.
"Ai-~....Ryosuke!!!" Mirai was so overwhelmed by the relief to see her husband return that she almost shouted his name.
Ainosuke immediately did what Chinen did. He threw his body over Chinen and suffered the subsequent blows. In his semi-conscious state, Chinen weakly spoke, "why are you doing this~ it's only right that I protect whatever that matters to you. you shouldn't be shielding me instead"
While enduring the blows, Ainosuke responded, "I'm doing the same, protecting whatever that matters to me, whoever I treasure, Chinen. you're my best friend and I won't let anything happen to you"
again, this line touched Chinen's heart. Yuya and gang also heard the statement and felt a surge of emotions overwhelming them. Daiki was so emotional that he wanted to do likewise to protect Chinen and their King but was held back by Yuto and Yuya.
"Chill Daiki! Ainosuke won't want us to come out from our cover. no doubt we can step out, save them and punish those idiots, but the whole mission will fail. think of the big picture." Yuya said.
"Then are we gonna watch them suffer?!!!! at this rate, Ainosuke won't be able to hold on and if anything happens to him, we're as good as dead!" Daiki said agitatedly.
Yuya gave Yuto a hand signal like as if instructing Yuto something. Daiki didn't get their signal but Yuto seemed to comprehend it without any problem. Daiki stared at Yuto as he went into the crowd and started whispering to the protestors in the crowd. whatever he was telling the protestors eventually travelled to the guards, and the three of them watched as one of the guards reported to those who were preoccupied with torturing Ainosuke and Chinen. they retreated and dashed to the other side of the stadium, leaving Ainosuke and the rest alone. Ainosuke panted badly and held his abdomen as he felt the intense pain both on his back and his front. He crawled towards Chinen and Hyun and tried to shake them up but they were both unconscious. Mirai ran towards Ainosuke and cried while trying to check if everything was okay.
"Mirai~ can you help me up? we need to carry the both of them and sneak into the school clinic. there are first aid boxes inside, surely." Ainosuke silenced her tears with a stern instruction.
She quickly wiped her tears and abided. She held Ainosuke up, with his arm over her shoulder. Ainosuke painfully carried Chinen on his back, while holding on to Mirai for support. Mirai used her remaining strength to support Hyun on the other side of her body. it was difficult for her to endure the weight ofAinosuke and Hyun, but there's no other choice. they quickly sneaked past the guards into the school clinic.
When they finally placed them down, Chinen was awakened.
"arigatou~" there were alot that Chinen wanted to say to Ainosuke but when he finally got the chance to say it, all that escaped from his mouth was a simple thanks. but Ainosuke knew at once from Chinen's teary eyes that this thank you is equivalent to a thousand words from the deepest part of Chinen's heart.
He smiled and gave him a simple pat, as if to tell Chinen that he accepted this thank you and that there's no need to explain anymore cause he understood what he wanted to say.
Mirai stood behind them and was touched by the strong brotherhood between them, something that she couldn't find back in her country. She rummaged through the first aid kit and found the right medicine and bandages to apply to the bruises and bleeding wounds.
Since Hyun is unconscious, she decided to treat Ainosuke and Chinen first.
"Guys, may I interrupt your conversation? I need to help you guys tend to the wounds, so remove your top please." she placed her hands on both their shoulders.
"HEH?!!!!" both of them blushed at her instructions and were reluctant. they immediately rejected and attempted to snatch the medicine from her hands.
"oh please~ this is not the time to be shy. There's no way you guys can apply this on your own back. there's nothing to be embarrassed about! especially you, Ainosuke!" Mirai reprimanded the boys frustratedly. While the boys continued their protest, she went up front and helped herself to Ainosuke's top. She placed her fingers on his shirt buttons, while trying to suppress her nervousness.
"nande Mirai!" Ainosuke struggled but to no avail since Mirai is stubbornly ignoring their pleas. Chinen initially laughed at Ainosuke, but later he also had to endure the embarrassment of showing his bare skin to his Queen and having her rubbed her delicate hands on his bare chest.
Both boys were so shy about the skinship that they constantly avoided her eyes and only stopped blushing when she helped them put on the clothes. the truth is, Mirai was so tense about touching their bare bodies that she thought she's gonna suffer from hyperventilation. she had to tell herself to concentrate on applying the medicine instead of imagining those dirty thoughts that's running wildly in her supposedly pure, innocent brain. "it's so difficult not to think about those stuff when their bodies are so amazingly shaped. they are so hot! especially Ainosuke! it's not everyday I see his abs. well, everytime i get to see his well-firmed abs was sadly - when he's injured..."she thought to herself. it's hilarious how all three of them gulped down blobs of saliva to ease their tension.
Mirai offered to help Hyun next, but Ainosuke stopped her. He volunteered instead, although he knew that Mirai is a much better nurse than he is, but he didnt want his wife to be touching other guys other than himself. Chinen was the only exception he allowed. Perhaps it was the possessiveness over Mirai that is leading Ainosuke to act his way, though Ainosuke's naive mind would not have realised this explanation. Mirai disappointedly obliged to her husband's order, thinking that she almost have her hands on Hyun's hot body as well if it wasn't for his interference.
Ainosuke ordered Daiki to take care of Hyun and not allow him to participate in the protest in the time being.
Ainosuke stood at a corner away from the open square where the protestors were still demostrating against the unreasonable closure of the school.
"I said over and over again that the closure saddens me as well. but it has become too expensive to sustain this school and the enrollment is too low to cover the cost. in the next town, there's a university, you students can still study there!" Principal Jun said to the crowd.
"We won't be able to afford the one in the next town and it's too far!!!!!" the students shouted.
"it's the price you need to pay if you wanna be scholars. the cream of the crop never have it easy isn't it!" The principal rebutted.
Ainosuke's eyes turned fury as he gave a deadly stare at the speakers. this is not the worst. after the speech, chief officer Sato ordered his guards to beat up the protestors if they refuse to disperse from the scene. Ainosuke clenched his fist, hoping to give the 2 of them his heaviest punch, but he controlled his anger. "it's time, Yuya. make the necessary preparation" he told his guard.
----
Principal Jun and Officer Sato sat down in their grand office discussing about the way forward.
"the casino developer is offering 100 million for this piece of land. it's the highest offer so far." Principal Jun's eyes lighted up upon hearing the value of the land which the university now sits.
"great! then lets close the deal. and we'll each receive 50:50 as agreed." Principal Jun impatiently said.
"hold on, my lords~ do you wanna hear my offer" 2 suited man walked in the office, escorted by a few guards.
"who are you guys?" both Jun and Sato were shocked at the well-dressed men who stood before them. they do look rich - jun and Sato thought in their minds.
"pardon us for not introducing earlier. I'm Nakajima Yuto and he's my colleague Takaki Yuya. We are from Malboro and the reason why we are here is that we want this piece of land for our factory we will pay 10 billion for it." both Jun and Sato knew at once this offer is real because large cigarette companies like Malboro can definitely afford to pay such high amount for land space. it's a lucrative business and they both wont wanna reject this awesome deal.
"okay! deal close! we're glad to be your partners!" Jun who is money-minded couldn't hold in his greed and agreed immediately.
deep down, Yuto and Yuya knew that Ainosuke's plan is working very well. they both laughed in their hearts and thought "it is their greed that's sending them to their graves"
Ainosuke and the rest sat in a room far away, listening in to the conversation. he smirked at the pathetic Jun and Sato who don't know that they have fallen into the trap.
---
the next morning came. it's the day where Yuya and Yuto brings the 10 billion contract. After yesterday's hysteria, many protestors didnt turn up, afraid to be punished. but 3 stood strongly in the middle of the field with a banner that reads "The future of the next generation lies in your hands!", "say no to Malboro!". well the mainstream protestors would not have known this shocking deal between the corruptors and Yuya Yuto, but the three protestors were clearly aware of everything beneath the treacherous plan.
"why are we doing this?" Chinen asked Ainosuke.
"as long as there's even 1 student protestor, they cannot choose to ignore us. if they turn a deaf ear to the voices of students, it serves as a clear indication that they have failed the people. I'm giving them the last chance. by the words on the banners, I wanna scream some sense into them. good if they wake up to their immorality and corrupted minds, if not..." he continued with just a smirk that sends chill down their spine.
...
"it's just 3 students. even the circumstances are working for us. I've warned every single household that if they dare turn up today, I'll arrest them." Sato tried to calm Jun down.
"what should we do to these three? how did they know about our deal?" Sato continued to panic.
"they may have seen the Malboro representatives yesterday I guess. but three people will not change the minds of the company. it'll be too small an opportunity cost to a big international company like Malboro. they may even pay to shut them up" Jun confidently said. only then did Sato nodded in relief.
"good morning my lords" Yuya and Yuto greeted as they entered the same room to hand Jun and Sato the contract. the latter smiled so widely that there's no denying they felt excited about the deal.
"we've brought the contract. all you need to sign this and the 10 billion will be yours" Yuya placed the contract on the table before them. Sato and Jun's eyes sparkle when they see the cheque beside the contract. Sato impatiently took up his pen and was about to give the signature when Yuya stopped him.
"hold on, sir... I saw protestors on the way out. you sure this won't be a stumbling block for us? this is their only university, isn't it?" Yuya was instructed by Ainosuke to give them the final reminder, after which there's no turning back for them.
"it's fine. most people are supportive. they can attend the one beside our town. it's not too far apart. those three you saw, they are obviously ignorant and stubborn. spoilt brats." Jun explained.'
Yuya and Yuto gave a light smile when they heard the response. they knew that these 2 guys are beyond hopeless.
Principal Jun could not hold his excitement. He took up his pen and signed his big name on the contract, after which he rudely grabbed the cheque that's lying on the table. He looked at the cheque merticulously to spot any error, but on the contrary he did not do likewise for the contract.
"Sirs, I think you have forgotten to stamp on the cheque. Could I have your stamp?" Jun showed the cheque. Sato began to look a little suspicious. For the royal guards who have undergone years of rigorous training, there is no way Yuto could have missed the handsigns that Sato is giving to the guards. Yuto clenched his fist as he saw the guards leaving the room and is mentally prepared that they'll soon be joined by unwanted company.
"Can't you see the stamp, my lord? we already did." Yuya surprised the 2 corrupters with his reply.
They looked closely and were still disappointed with the blank cheque. Of course, they flared up and Sato shouted, "ARE YOU TAKING US AS FOOLS. IF YOU ARE, THEN WE'LL REAP THE CONTRACT AND THERE"LL BE NO DEAL! THERE ARE MORE DEALERS OUT THERE WHO ARE INTERESTED WITH THIS!"
"Chill....How could you not see it, my lords? I thought we're all the same kind - seeing and knowing what is going on, but chose to turn the blind eye towards it. We could see the stamp right there, but you couldn't. It's the same logic..." there's a long pause, as if Yuya is giving time for the 2 corruptors to comprehend the situation.
"COULD YOU SEE IT NOW?!" Yuya threw a thick stack of blank cheque on their faces and the cheques danced in the air majestically, as if mocking at the pathetic 2 souls. Amid the confusion, Yuto grabbed the contract that Jun signed. "You won't be needing this. Thanks for signature"
Yuto and Yuya laughed at their blank expressions, and decided to spare them the agony of guessing. "Principal Jun, open your eyes and see what you've blindly signed." Jun took a closer look and realised that the words denote not a contract, but the document spelled out all their corruption misdeeds and his signature gave concrete acknowledgement that leaves no room for denial.
"JUN. YOU'RE REALLY STUPID! IT'S A PAIN WORKING WITH STUPID PEOPLE LIKE YOU.! YOU DRAG ME INTO THIS" Sato shouted as his comrade.
"Don't blame it on me. You told me everything is fine too. and mind you, there's no backing out for you either. the contract has your name on it too!" Jun pointed out. Sato gave a disgusted face and then gave a signal which made Yuya and Yuto a little shaken. Within seconds, the room was flooded with armed guards and they pointed their swords at Yuya and Yuto.
"There's really a low move" Yuto crticised. "The same goes to you two who cheated us with a fake contract. You may have outsmarted us but we are way more powerful than you. You two are nothing but some Malboro officials. We are the KINGS HERE. NO ONE CAN PUNISH US. Sadly, you'll just disappear into thin air." Sato proudly said as his guards surround Yuya and Yuto. Yuya and Yuto tightened their jaw as anger rushed up to their face.
"You guys are really despicable.!" Yuto remarked. There's no room for escape. Their clearly outnumbered.
Is it a miscalculation on the part of Ainosuke?
Suddenly when Sato and Jun thought they won the upperhand, multiple arrows shot through the window and accurately striked the hearts of a number of guards who stood closest to the 2 lords. It's definitely from the hands of a well-skilled bowman. Yuya and Yuto weren't surprised by the attack and the lords were began to fear that the 2 Malboro officials have more in plans.
"Look where is it from?!" Sato ordered his guards. 2 guards looked out of the window but saw nothing. However, before they knew it, 2 more arrows came at lightning speed and pierced through the 2 guards' necks.
"WHAT DO YOU HAVE UP YOUR SLEEVES!" Jun panicked. Yuya and Yuto spoke nothing but smirked.
"Shield us, we get out of here first. The rest of you get rid of these 2 and leave no evidence behind!" Sato hurried Jun out of the room with a handful of guards protecting them. Yuya and Yuto slammed the table in frustration as they watch the 2 lords escaping. "Yuto, this is a piece of cake for us. there's only about 20 of them." Yuya said to Yuto. The guards were surprised at their confidence. Royal guards are the top-notched fighters and warriors who alone can take down an army. They received harsh training to protect the King and can sacrifice for him. So indeed, 20 guards are no match for Yuya and Yuto.
"Let's see who take down more. Shall we, Yuya?" Yuto winked at Yuya and Yuya responded with a smirk. The 2 of them drew their swords and started taking down their attackers one after another, sometimes 2 or more at a time.
"Hey! how could you leave me out." Daiki, the bowman earlier, jumped in through the window and joined in the battle with Yuya and Yuto.
On the other side, Jun and Sato tried to make a quick escape, afraid of what Yuya and Yuto are planning. They were however stopped by the 3 student protestors who shove their banners in their faces.
"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!" Sato shouted at their offensive acts. "Guards! take them down and throw them into the jail." he ordered his guards.
Chinen and Ainosuke twisted the wrist of the guards who attempted to handcuff them, while Mirai was struggling with hers. "Get your filthy hands of her" Ainosuke gave a nasty kick on the stomach of the guard and the guard flew to the end of the corridor and laid motionless. No doubt, Ainosuke still lives up to the days where he still worked as a part time boxer when he was still an average boy in Aoihoshi, trying to make ends meet.
Jun and Sato were surprised at the skills of the 3 students, but before they could piece together everything unfortunate that befalls on them today, Ainosuke and Chinen each drew their swords hidden under their shirts and with a few wave of their swords, they rested their swords on the 2 lords' necks.
"W-Who are you?!" the 2 corruptors stammered as they realised they are defeated by 2 students and that any sudden move will send them to hell.
"You 2 are s!" Mirai came forward and stood in between Ainosuke and Chinen. What she did next really left Ainosuke and Chinen jaw-dropping. She kicked Jun and Sato on their private parts, leaving them with painful expressions that were hilarious in the eyes of Ainosuke and Chinen. That's really not the making of a Queen. It's the first time Mirai is acting so unfeminine. - Ainosuke laughed to himself as he watched her.
"King Ainosuke, we've wiped out the guards" Yuya, Yuto and Daiki joined from the back and surrounded the remaining guards.
"K-King Ai-nosuke?!" Jun and Sato immediately fell to the grounds and knelt in front of the people they realised were not students. Realising that they have totally lost to the wits of the King, they begged for forgiveness "My king, my magnimous King, please forgive us. we know our mistakes. we won't do it again." Both Jun and Sato grabbed Ainosuke's pants and cried.
"you completely disregarded the three lone protesting students, thinking we pose no threat.It's the last chance I gave you guys and you chose to turn a blind eye. You silenced the other protestors and withdrew their rights to study in their own hometown, forcing them to study elsewhere which requires higher fees. If it wasn't you fell into our trap, I think y'all go ahead with your crimes!" Ainosuke said.
"Oh, mind you. You wanted to KILL my royal guards. That alone will send your head rolling!" Ainosuke added. Yuya and gang felt at once that their King deserved their unconditional support.
"Arrest the guards and get Keito to give their due punishment. After which, see if they are willing to turn a new leaf." Ainosuke instructed.
"Hai! what about these 2?" Daiki asked.
Ainosuke turned to look at Mirai and surprised her with his next line, "I'll leave their fate to your calling, my Queen"
Mirai smiled to Ainosuke as he read her mind. She was dying to be the one who could pass the punishment because she has been thinking the possible way to punish them.
"Yuya, drag them out to the field and tie them up. Gather the students here and get the 2 of them to kneel in front of all the students!" Mirai instructed.
"remind them to bring rotten eggs, vegetables, tomatoes~" Mirai mischieviously whispered to Yuya, though the rest could all hear it. She's really cute. - Ainosuke giggled at her proposed punishment
"Do as she said. On top of that, i'll strip you two from your positions and confiscate all your riches and redistribute them to the poor. Make arrangements to have them do hard labour wherever Aoihoshi needs." Ainosuke further instructed Yuya.
He then bent down and faced the 2 pathetic faces of Jun and Sato. "Like you said to those students, the cream of the crop didn't never have it easy. Shameful~" he smirked.
-------------
It's a successful closure to another case. The royal guards celebrated the occasion with Mirai and Yu's bandmates who finally knew what have become of their playmate Ryosuke of the Yamada family.
Ainosuke instead retreated to the rooftop of the building they were in. He needed some peace and quiet as many thoughts bombarded his brain. He looked into the night starry skies and sighed.
What would my life have been if Yuya and Yuto didn't come to me that day,
what would my life have been if Riko didn't stab me with her knife that pained my heart.
What if I didn't know about my real identity?
What if I didn't come to the Yamada family in the very first place?
What if I never met those royal guards - Chinen, Daiki, Yuya, Yuto, Yabu, Hikaru, Inoo, Keito, Ryutaro
What if Mirai didn't marry me?
What if I didn't defeat Minoru?
What if my mum wasn't freed?
What would have been the alternative ending. Would everyone else would have been living better? Have I been a good King to the people? or have I become another Minoru? or will I become him in the near future? These corruptors acted because I was negligent, because I was inexperienced. It must be~
And Mirai... I never expected to fall for her... I never expect the both of us to fall for each other. Would it have hurt less if we remained the way we were at the time of marriage where we were not drawn to each other's presence.
Whatever will happen to Mirai and Riko....can I really protect their innocent hearts and minds?
I touched my eyes and felt that it was wet, very wet. I sighed as I got no answers to any of the questions.
I turned around as I felt someone rest his hand on my back. I saw Chinen; he smiled to me and I knew what he wanted to say, even thought there were no words actually spoken.
Don't worry, I'm here for you. We all are.
Comments