Accompanying song: Together Forever (Hey! Say! JUMP)

Kota sauntered down the hallway toward Nami’s chamber. This morning his father had made the decision to follow Ryunosuke’s suggestion, executing the prisoners to force Ryosuke came out from his hideout. He did not really care about the other prisoners, but Nami and her daughter were different case. He had to find a way to spare them from the death punishment.

As his steps grew closer to his destination, he recalled the promise he had made back then.

He saw Keito threw away his sword.

“Let them go… and you’ll have me.” Keito submitted.

Flicking the blood on his sword, he sheathed it soon after that. Keito frowned deeply seeing his action.

“I expect no less from you, Keito,” he said. “If you choose to escape by yourself, I won’t hesitate to kill all of you.”

“What do you want, Kota-kun?”

“Leave the palace soon.”

“I can’t leave without them,” Keito insisted.

“Listen,” he strode closer to Keito. “My people have been spread all over the palace. Do you think Nami and your daughter can make it pass them? But you can manage.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t need to tell you,” he shrugged, “I promise I’ll keep them save here, but in exchange you should take care of my sister.”

“Suzuka?”

“She is waiting at the end of the west tunnel. You should leave soon before they barge in here.”

“But…”

Nami cut him off, “Leave, Keito-kun. We’ll be alright.”

“Nami…”

“Time is running out, Keito.” He warned.

Keito made up his mind, ran and embraced his family briefly. “Be safe. I’ll come for you, both of you.”

Nami smiled while her tears continued flowing down, “We’ll wait. Akari will wait for her father to pick her up.”

“Akari…”

Nami gave Keito a quick peck on the lips and pushed him away weakly, “Go, Keito-kun.”

Before Keito could run out, he instructed, “Give me your seal ring.”

Keito took a little time to think before handing him the ring. After he threw a last glance to his family, Keito ran and exited the chamber.

He dragged a dead body of a guard. After placing the ring on the dead finger, he brought Nami to get out from the chamber before burning the chamber down.

When he entered the chamber, Nami was tucking her daughter to bed and she did not react upon his presence.

“What do you want?” Came her indifferent voice after a time.

“Just checking,” he strolled closer. “Let me know if the guards don’t serve you kindly.”

She did not respond. He took the time to observe the baby. Akari was her name, wasn’t it? She looked peaceful in her sleep; such innocence that did not match with the circumstance.

 “Why did you save us?” Nami eventually spoke.

He shrugged, “I was merely fulfilling my promise.”

“We’re family, how did you and your father even have the heart to rebel against Keito?”

“Keito would be Okamoto’s doom if we let him ruled any longer,” he answered nonchalantly. “He is a sin that should never be born ever since the beginning.”

She was surprised and angry hearing that. “How dare you call my husband that way!”

“That’s the fact. Should you know, Keito is never considered as an Okamoto, because his blood is Nakajima’s.”

“What are you talking about?”

He turned and started to advance toward the door, “You’re smart enough to understand it.”

He stepped away but halted when she asked, “Then why did you let him go and even bring Suzuka?”

Looking back at her over his shoulder, he answered, “Because that’s the only way to make Suzuka happy.”

Grabbing the door handle, he exited the chamber.

**********

Hikaru was getting better by every passing day. His wounds healed well. It had been a week after he regained his consciousness and Mirai would visit him every morning. His sister could be such a mother hen sometimes and when that time came, he was wondering how he could even be her older brother because Mirai could lecture him even worse than their mother did.

“How about Ami-neechan?” Mirai asked him while he was resting against the headboard of the bed.

“The last time I met her, she was alright and guarding the ladies hideout,” he answered. “Anyway, I was surprised seeing that little devil here.”

She chuckled, and he noticed that she seemed a lot happier now, “Yuri-kun never left the palace, Niichan. He was Ryosuke’s shadow.”

He had ever heard about that. “The secret protector?”

She nodded, “Yes. He said he knew about your every move in the palace and told me to tell you,” she made an impersonation of Yuri, “If ever you make my sister cry, I will hunt you down.”

She chuckled again and he smiled. He did like to see her like this.

“Ne, Mi-chan, you seem so happy. Has anything good happened?” He missed to , too.

A shed of blush adored her cheeks and in an instant he knew that it should be related to her husband.

“Eh, you’re blushing?” He pretended to be surprised. “Did the prince confess to you?”

To his surprise she nodded weakly and said, “Well, he didn’t say it directly, but…,”her blushed deepened.

He could not help but laugh and it caused him winched in pain. She scowled, “Can’t you be careful?”

“Sorry,” he said after the pain and the laughter receded. “What did he say then?”

The blush returned, but she stuck her tongue out, “I won’t tell you.”

Seeing her face right now was enough to make him happy. Finally she found her own happiness. But then he remembered the circumstance and his mood dropped a level. Her path with Ryosuke ahead would be so hard. He prayed for them to be able to endure it.

As though the fate hear him, the door slid opened, revealing Ryosuke’s form. Mirai’s face brightened and Ryosuke’s gaze lingered on her briefly before facing him.

“Can I talk to you alone?” Ryosuke asked him.

Hearing this, she stood up, “Then I’ll be off now. See you, Niichan.”

He waved his hand to shush her away.

She halted in front of Ryosuke and the prince shifted his attention fully to her.

“What do you want for lunch?” she asked while looking up to Ryosuke.

“Anything is fine.”

She smiled, “Alright. See you in your office then.” And she walked away with a happy face.

He chuckled seeing those two interacted. They looked like teenagers in love. He bet the prince did not know much about how to romance a woman, judging by his stiff gesture. Yet, he was grateful that Ryosuke was the way he was. It meant he would not hurt Mirai by playing with other women.

His chuckle turned to a smile when he noticed Ryosuke stared oddly at him.

“I don’t know Mirai can cook,” he spoke first.

Ryosuke stepped across the room, “She can’t. She only brings me lunch.”

Imagining them having lunch gave him another delightful feeling.

“I want to ask you something,” Ryosuke stood beside his bed.

“What?”

“How did you know about Keito’s escaping route?”

He noticed the way Ryosuke addressed Keito changed from ‘my brother’ to only his name. His father had told him about who they really were slightly after he brought the ladies escaping the capital. Thus he was not surprised.

“I was in my way to the hideout when a man named Kei came to me and told me about that.”

“Kei?” Ryosuke seemed recognizing the name.

“Yes. He brought Keito’s private insignia and letter.”

“He is Keito’s shadow,” Ryosuke said.

He replied, “I wasn’t wrong to believe in him then.”

“What the letter said?” Ryosuke probed further.

“He just wrote that he was alive and trying to get to the secret base. Here, Matsudera.”

Ryosuke went silent, so he initiated, “Have you sent people to retrieve him?”

“Yes. The squad has departed three days after you told us.”

“I know it’s your right to do anything,” he said, “But I hope you’ll be wise.”

Ryosuke gave him a confident gaze, “I know. Thank you for telling me.” After a time, Ryosuke added, “You rest well and get better. I’ll excuse myself.”

When Ryosuke started advancing toward the door, he called, “Wait!”

Ryosuke turned around and waited for him to continue.

“Thank you for taking care of Mirai,” he said sincerely.

“She’s my wife. It’s my duty.”

Mischievous was his middle name. Thus when he heard Ryosuke mentioned Mirai as his wife, he could not press the urge to , “I see the marriage works well. Then I can hope for a nephew or a niece, right? Little brother-in-law?”

Ryosuke’s surprised expression was priceless.

“Just think about your health,” Ryosuke replied as coldly as his composure let him.

After Ryosuke left, he could not help but laugh though winching in pain. He swore he saw a light blush appeared on Ryosuke’s cheeks before the prince turned around and left the chamber.

**********

Ryosuke shook his head to get rid of the bothering feeling arose since his conversation with Hikaru. What was with that question? Moreover, how come he got embarrassed just by hearing that? He was sure it was the first time he blushed since his meeting with Mirai long time ago when he was a child. How come he blushed? Running a hand on his face, he realized the reason.

Well, he knew what was expected from a marriage. It was a subject he had been forced to study in his education. But… knowing was way different from experiencing it.

Or imagine experiencing it.

He slapped his forehead. Since when he thought about that kind of things? He grimaced.

Since Hikaru asked me about a niece this morning.

“What are you doing Ryosuke?” A voice pulled him out from his thought.

He saw Yuto strode toward his direction.

Good. A distraction I need.

“Is it time to do a