Accompanying song: New hope (Hey! Say! JUMP)

The night was cold as the snow fell. Yet, two figures of young ladies walked across the dim yard of the main building of Nakayama castle: Mirai and Umika. It had been a couple weeks after Mirai was told that her maid, Miru, was actually her distant cousin, Umika. Now, Mirai was confused why suddenly Umika brought her to a chamber in the main building.

“What are we doing here?” she asked while walking closely beside Umika, entering an unfamiliar chamber in the building.

“Just come in first,” Umika smiled knowingly and pushed her to walk deeper into the chamber from behind.

When she had got the view of the chamber clearly, she frowned in deep confusion. The chamber was vast, about the same size as Ryosuke’s chamber, but it was quite empty for inside the chamber there was only a four post bed, a nightstand, a fireplace, a vanity, and… a set of dinner on a table with a pair of chairs.

She turned around to face Umika, intended to demand an explanation, but what greeted her was Ryosuke’s face instead. When they were staring confusedly at each other, the door behind him was closed all of a sudden. Ryosuke spun around and grabbed the door handle. Yet, no matter hard he tried to open the door, it did not budge.

“Oi! It’s not funny!” He yelled out.

From outside, she could hear faint sound of laughter before a voice bellowed, “Just enjoy the night you guys!”

Her eyes widened, recognizing the voice was Yuto’s.

“Enjoy the dinner, too!” This time it was Yuri.

Ryosuke turned around to her direction and walked fast passed her. She followed where he headed to. It turned out he was checking the balcony door and then the windows, but the results were not different. The door and the windows were locked.

Ryosuke hissed in annoyance, “Damn!” It was the first time she heard him cursed.

“Wh-what’s happened?” she stuttered because of surprised and nervous.

With his hands on his waist, Ryosuke turned to face her. His face was obviously annoyed when answering, “They lock us here.”

Her eyes widened even more, “B-but…for what reason?”

Ryosuke casted his glances around the room and when his gazed landed on the dinner set, he strode immediately to its direction. He took a piece of paper on the table and read it. She did not know what the note said, but Ryosuke’s expression turned from annoyed to solemn. He kept silent after reading the note and she grew more curious.

“What does it say?” she eventually asked.

He looked at her for a moment, eyes reflecting a soft glint which she was unfamiliar with. He held out the paper to her without uttering a word then took a seat on the chair beside the table.

She could not even describe her feeling when reading the note for it said:

Dear Ryosuke and Mirai,

Today is your first wedding anniversary. Since both of you were so busy, we took the liberty to prepare a simple dinner to celebrate it. Oh, and to celebrate Mirai’s birthday, too. Sorry for being so late, Mirai. Now, just enjoy your time together. Be happy ^_^

Your supporters

**********

Never in his life had Yuma ever thought to do a prank. He was raised as an obedient son in the strict household of Nakayama. That was why he was surprised yet surprisingly excited when this morning Yuto asked him to participate in preparing Ryosuke’s and Mirai’s surprised dinner.

He and Yuto had just finished inspecting the training of Alliance’s troop. They were walking from the training ground toward the main building when suddenly Yuto spoke.

“Ne, Yuma, can I ask you a favor?” Yuto asked. They were just in first-name basis slightly after they started working together.

“What is it?”

Yuto explained to him about the plan he arranged with Yuri and Umika.

“And we need you to bring Ryosuke to the place,” Yuto said.

“Why it should be me? Aren’t you closer to him?” He could not help but wonder.

“That’s the problem,” Yuto exclaimed. “He will suspect us, but you’re still innocent in his eyes, so he will believe in you.”

He frowned when hearing the word ‘innocent’, but replied soon, “What should I do?”

Yuto grinned, “Easy. Just convince him to go with you to the master bedroom in the main building.”

“Will he not be mad?”

“Don’t worry.”

Eyeing the other three walked with him, he wondered why he agreed to be involved in the plan, moreover why he did feel guilty for playing with his master’s trust, even though it was just a little action.

“Yuma, what’s wrong?” Umika noticed his wary.

Looking away from her, he answered, “Nothing.”

“Are you still worried about what we did just now?” Yuto probed further.

He sighed, “Just… I feel like I’ve betrayed Prince Ryosuke.”

“Easy there,” Yuri interrupted, “We’re doing a good deed for him, not a treachery, you know.”

Yuto chuckled, “You’re so pure, Yuma.”

He frowned. Why should he be associated with the word innocent and now… pure? He was a warrior, mind you; not a kid.

“Don’t worry too much,” Yuto added. “We’re doing it not as his minions, but as his friends. Instead of mad, he should appreciate it.”

“…friend?” It was unusual for him to hear the word ‘friend’ used to refer the relationship between master and servant.

“Yes, friend,” Yuri chirped in. “Ryosuke, Yuto, I, Mirai, this Umika and you… friends, aren’t we?”

“Oi, what do you mean calling me ‘this Umika’?” Umika’s protest became the back sound of his thought.

He and them… friends?

The hesitation he had before of being unable to enter and blend in their circle vanished. He could feel his mouth curved up into a smile, “Yes, we’re friends.”

**********

Preparing the battle was exhausting, but dealing with his own feeling had drained Ryosuke more than he ever imagined. He was grateful that Mirai had been busying herself in the medical training for the past weeks. That way he could spare himself from getting more confused by her. He himself would shut his feeling once he faced his duties, but out of that time, his mind would always drift to it. His distracted mind might be the reason why he could fall into his friends’ trick this time.

Being mad at first because he had not short all his thought out to face her, he went silent after reading their note. He saw her eyes became a bit teary after reading the note and he remarked to himself how easy she shed tears. She sat on the chair across him in silent. Looking at her, he sighed and pushed his annoyance away.

Maybe it is time to talk to her.

“When was it?” he started with the first thing in his mind. “Your birthday,” he added when she sent him a confused look.

“Oh, it’s last week.”

He counted her age and said, “You should just tell the household to hold a proper ceremony.” She had just turned twenty, and as his wife, she should have a second coming-of-age just as he did.

“It’s not a big deal, really,” she waved her hand in front of her face to emphasize her meaning.

“It’s a big deal for the house,” he countered. “Forgetting your birthday means they have neglected their duty.”

She receded after hearing his words. “Actually,” her eyes down casted, “I told them not to hold any ceremony for my birthday, because it would only add the burden all of you have had now.”

Her explanation made sense.

“I don’t really remember about the wedding anniversary instead,” she added.

He did not remember either.

He recalled his memories.

It had been a year. Th