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

Ryosuke contemplated about his act. He had kissed Mirai; on the lips nonetheless and driven by the emotion he never thought he could feel: jealousy. Hearing her story led his mind wandered to the night on the summer festival long time ago. The scene where he saw Ryunosuke kissing her replayed clearly and his anger erupted. It even worsened when he knew that it happened not just once, but twice. He was furious to Ryunosuke who had forced himself on her and more to himself that failed to protect her while she was within his reach. In the end, the kiss happened.

She was his wife. It was his right to touch her, but he could not help but feel a bit guilty. Thus he brought himself to her chamber early morning on the following day.

“Ryosuke?” she was surprised seeing him for he entered her chamber without announcing his arrival just like the night before.

“Did I scare you?” he straightly asked.

She did not catch up immediately, so he added, “What happen last night, did I scare you?”

Her eyes shone with understanding, and she answered, “… a little.”

He sighed in his mind. “It won’t happen again.”

“NO!” She blurted out suddenly.

He was surprised by her outburst.

“I mean,” she receded and he could see a shade of pink appear on her cheeks before she continued, “It’s alright… I mean… the kiss… erm… kissing is alright.” She bowed her head slightly, not quite able to meet his eyes.

“I never regret the kiss,” he found himself spoke. “I just don’t want to scare or hurt you.”

Her eyes widened slightly, “I… I understand.”

She stepped forward, “Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Last night,” she started hesitantly, “When you said that I am your closest person… was it… were you…”

She struggled with words but he knew what she wanted to ask.

“I mean every word I say. Do remember it.”

A light blush re her cheeks, “Oh… alright,” this time a smile followed after.

“And… you don’t need to bring me lunch today,” he remembered the other thing he should tell her.

She shot her head up, “Eh?”

A look of disappointment appeared, “Are you still mad at me?”

“No,” he answered while sighing in his mind. I have said I wasn’t mad at her, haven’t I?

“I’ll be in a meeting with my council. That’s why you don’t need to come.” After saying this he turned around and walked to the door.

He heard her jogged after him and called, “Ryosuke, wait!”

He halted and made a half-turn so that only his upper body faced her. Yet, she caught him off guard a second after. He did not see her action coming at all. For a moment he could only stare at her.

Still with her blushing cheeks, she smiled shyly, “Good morning.”

He turned his back on her immediately and answered, “…Good morning,” and exited the chamber. He strode to his study chamber on the other side of the mansion hurriedly. He could feel heat rising on his face.

Tsk! How come I blush again?!

He figured out what just happened in Mirai’s chamber. She had kissed him on the cheek.

**********

Yuto had been restless last night that he could not bring himself to sleep. He felt a growing worry, but he could not even explain why. With that feeling, he pushed himself to ascend the stair toward Ryosuke’s study chamber. They would have a meeting to discuss their preparation as the end of winter got nearer. They only had a month most before the ice melt and they should have started to move.

As he reached the last step of the stair, he saw Ryosuke coming from the opposite direction of his study chamber.

“Yo, Ryosuke!” he greeted with his smile, “Good morning.”

Ryosuke snapped up his head as though he just realized his presence. Weird, because Ryosuke seemed distracted.

“Good morning,” Ryosuke replied without any change of expression.

Shrugging, he walked beside Ryosuke to the study chamber. When they entered, Umika had been waiting inside.

“Where’s Chii?” Ryosuke asked.

“Oh, he has to recapitulate the report from Nakayama’s spies. Some of them arrived just before I came here. That’s why he asked me to report to you first and he will join us at lunch time,” Umika explained.

“Fine,” Ryosuke said. “Let’s start then.”

They stood around a table, a map of Hakumei lying opened on it. He could see some marks had been made on the map.

“I want to discuss it,” Ryosuke referred to the map. “As you see, I have drawn several routes on the map. I’m planning to deploy our troop based on these.”

He saw five red line and ten blue ones and some red dots. “What those marks stand for?”

“The red lines are the path to attack; the blue ones are the shadow troop to divert the enemy from the main troop; and the dots are where I want the scouting teams report, places to rest and replenish the logistics.”

“Five main battalions and ten shadow groups… do we have enough soldiers for those?” He asked.

“That’s what I want to discuss,” Ryosuke answered. “And that’s not the only problem. Look at this,” Ryosuke pointed to a red line lied through the south province.

He widened his eyes, realizing what the meaning, “These regions… are where the rebel concentrated, right?”

Ryosuke nodded, “It’s the most dangerous route, but possibly the most effective one. Okamoto will not expect us attacking from this side.”

“How is about the rebel?” Umika asked. “They will not let us walk through their territory.”

“That’s true, but I have sent Ryutaro to them. Is there any news from him?” Ryosuke asked him.

“Not yet.”

“The spies from the south?” this time Ryosuke asked Umika.

“The last time Yuri told me, they only reported about the amount of Arioka and Nakajima’s troop in the south-east. Maybe Yuri will bring the newest report later.”

“Fine, then I’ll tell you about the details of my plan before he comes.”

Ryosuke then explained further about his plan and he could not even blink his eyes as he heard the crazy plan Ryosuke made: the dangerous level, the unpredictable moves and the expected results. He and Umika argued with Ryosuke at several points, but Ryosuke always managed to win them over with his optimistic explanations.

The meeting was interrupted by Yuri’s arrival, exactly at lunch time, because he came just seconds before the maids brought them lunch.  He noted the wary lines on Yuri’s face as they ate.

“Do you have news?” Ryosuke asked Yuri when they resumed the meeting.

“Yes,” Yuri said. “We have the exact number of our troop from every deployment,” Yuri gave Ryosuke a pile of paper. “And Ryutaro sent a word that he and Daiki currently on the way to the target.”

Yuri kept reporting without any difficulty, but once Ryosuke asked him about the capital, Yuri could not hide the grim on his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked worriedly.

“Okamoto has moved,” Yuri answered.

“Elaborate,” Ryosuke instructed.

He saw the hesitation in Yuri’s gesture when explaining, “They made public announcement addressed to you and whomever hasn’t pledge alliance with Okamoto,” Yuri paused.

“They will execute the prisoners,” Yuri ended.

The prisoners… his father was one of them…

“Did they specify the names?” Ryosuke probed further.

“Yes, they said they have Minister Morimoto Akagi, General Nakajima Hoshi, King Advisor Arioka Eichi, Queen Nami, and Princess Akari. They did not reveal the complete order of the execution, but…”

“But?” the three of them asked in sync.

“But they announced the first person who will be executed.”

His heart suddenly tightened, anticipating the name Yuri would spell.

“It will be…,” Yuri hesitated, “It will be General Nakajima.”

His father?

“When?” he found himself asked.

“The execution will be… in three days from now.”

“What?!” He and Ryosuke exclaimed.

“They made the announcement a week ago and our spy had traveled as fast as he could to deliver the news,” Yuri’s face pleaded for understanding.

His heart thumped violently. No way. How could he save his father in the remaining days? Even though he traveled days and nights nonstop, he would still need at least five days to reach the capital. It would be too late.

He felt all eyes focused on him.

“Yuto-kun, we’re going to find a way,” he heard Ryosuke said.

No. He knew there would be no way. Saving his father now was impossible.

“No,” he struggled to maintain his cool-head. “We all know there is no way. Three days is impossible.”

“There must be a way. We will save him… somehow,” Ryosuke insisted.

“I appreciate your optimism, Ryosuke. But...”

“I haven’t told you the entire news,” Yuri cut him off.

He shifted his gaze to Yuri.

“They said the only way to make them reconsider the punishment is… by Ryosuke turns himself in.”

The air around the room tensed.

“If I turn myself in, they will reconsider the punishment?” Ryosuke repeated.

“They also promised that if you submit to them, they will release all the lower ranks nobles and soldiers as an exchange,” Yuri explained further.

He clenched his fist. His anger to the Okamoto ignited.

“If I submit myself…” Ryosuke trailed.

“Don’t you dare think about it, Ryosuke,” he stated firmly. He was surprised by his own tone. He never used it to Ryosuke before.

“Yuto-kun…”

He braced himself to speak, “Every knight makes his oath to protect the royalty with his own life. Death is not unexpected. My father would die honorably by keeping his loyalty until his last breath. All of them would. They put their trust to their king and his blood. Submitting to Okamoto, not only it will be a suicide, but you will also betray our trust.”

“Let them die in honor, Ryosuke. Don’t let all the sacrifice has been made so far be in vain. Don’t betray our trust.”

No one spoke as though they dared not to ruin the false tranquility. He felt his heart started being too heavy. Time flowed so slowly before Ryosuke finally said.

“I understand, Yuto-kun.”

**********

Mirai was returning from her training in the evening. Just as she ascended the stairs toward the mansion door, Yuto emerged. He walked in hurried steps.

“Yuto-kun, good evening,” she greeted, but Yuto only bowed to her briefly without uttering a word and even avoided making eye contact then trotted down passed her.

Staring at Yuto’s back she wondered whether he had an urgent business that he ignored her. When she entered the mansion and looked up to the stair ahead, she got another surprise. She saw Ryosuke stood on the second floor just a distance beside the stair, his hand gripped the railing and his eyes stared at her direction while his face contorted with indescribable expression. When she walked closer to the stair, he did not take his eyes off from the initial direction. So she concluded he was not staring at her, but something on the door. That was when she remembered about Yuto’s unusual behavior.

Was something happened between them? She wondered.

She ascended the stairs immediately and in the mid way, she saw Yuri and Umika emer