People have always said to him as the son of those two; he has nothing to worry regarding his strength. Indeed, ever since he was a child, n.o.body dared to pick on him. He lived a smooth childhood minus the situation with his father missing and all that.Yuhi-san treated him like his very own son, during the time they were apart from Mother he didn"t neglect him once. Even after returning, nothing changed. It wasn"t until that incidence with Haruka and the others did Huan realize, "Ah, this whole time he"s been lonely."
Though n.o.body neglected him, he"s always felt like something was missing. The missing part is his father. Even when his father returned, something still felt wrong. It felt like he didn"t have a place he truly belonged.
After the incidence, Huan learned the meaning of the world helplessness. For the first time in his whole life, he felt helpless. When he woke up after the incidence, he was in k.u.mi"s place - the woman he"s about to marry. For the first few days, or was it months. Huan simply remained still and unmoving; he didn"t know what to think.
Most of the adults almost gave up on him fully recovering, but that girl didn"t. k.u.mi gave him the hope he lost after the pain brought about what happened. After he recovered slowly, Huan started to think through the whole event in more detail.
Strength, power - if only he were stronger than he would have noticed it. The enemy movements, the plan they set up. Some may argue that it was because he invested too much on Haruka and the others that he failed. But Huan didn"t think in that manner, no matter what happened. He"s glad that he got to know Haruka and the others, he"s never once held a shred of regret.
Huan closed his eyes and, "Lend me your power," with those four words said he summons a large blade.
Huan will do anything he can to protect them, his precious people. Unlike in the past him, he will not fail.
....
The following day
August 2035- Downtown, Bar
A guy with maroon-colored hair leaned back on the bar counter, letting the notes a.s.sault his ears through his headphones. He was trying to distract himself from the events that happened yesterday. As he listened to the music with his large headphones, he waited until it stopped before he restarted the song. In the background, he could hear his friends talking to each other. He couldn"t make out the color of their voices, not within the midst of his musical cacophony.
Huan focused on his music, not even a single sound - the movement of chairs or people"s voices could disturb his trance. But when he catches blue hair peeing at him from the door, he paused. He observed her for a few minutes and realized she wouldn"t come out until he called out to her, "Morning my dear sister," Huan greeted.
The girl"s eyes lit up, and she walked over.
"Brother, brother. Do you know how to make this?" Lila asked, pointing to the recipe on her phone.
"Oh, ?"
Lila nodded.
"It just so happened to be a specialty of mine."
"Speciality he says. That"s one of the few things he can cook," his friend called out, "Master, lend them the kitchen."
"Huan, don"t destroy things this time."
"That was an accident caused by my powers," Huan quickly explained to Lila.
Soft laughter pa.s.sed his sister"s lips, "Un, I know. Brother is cool."
The others stopped to look, and he did the same. "Cool?" Though Huan used such words to flatter himself, this is the first time he"s heard it from other people. Not even k.u.mi, the woman who he is about to marry calls him that. Huan stared at her up and down, but Lila looked at him innocently with those honest eyes of hers.
His gaze softened, and he reached over and ruffled her hair, "Thank you, Lila."
"En!"
....
When Haruka wakes up, it"s well past lunchtime. Since Lilchan got the hang of it, Huan left her side and returned to his seat on the counter. The first few hours were more or less trial an hour, so maybe it"s good that Haruka wasn"t awake then. Huan shook his head; it is a bad habit waking up so late.
When he saw how casual Haruka was about this though, a sigh pa.s.sed Huan"s lips; this guy doesn"t change at all. When he gets tired, he can really sleep.
Haruka walked over to Lila and pulled her over towards him, "What are you doing?"
"Um, cooking."
"In a stranger"s place?"
This "stranger" isn"t a stranger though. Well, he supposes it does seem that way in Haruka"s eyes. Haruka must have had no choice last night when he invited them to stay over. Under those conditions, no sane person would refuse.
Haruka deeply sighed and gently kissed his sister"s lips, "All right, I get it," Haruka trailed off, his face suddenly turned into a frown, "Hey," he called out.
"Yeah?"
"Do you guys have medication for hanyou"s?"
Huan frowned realizing, he stood up and walked over to where Lila was, "Lilchan?"
"I"m okay," Lila insisted. But now that Huan got a closer look, the girl was anything but okay. She looked pale and could barely stand up without supporting herself on the side. So that"s why she was holding on to the railing earlier and leaning against it.
A deep sigh pa.s.sed his lips; these are one of the traits that don"t change when it comes to his sister. She"s unnecessarily stubborn at the strangest times.
Huan extended his hand out, and a bright light appeared, it was small, but it was enough. He tapped the girl"s forehead lightly, and she pa.s.sed out, Haruka catches her. It looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
....
After moving Lilchan to a quiet corner in the bar where there was a comfortable couch, Huan began his work.
For Tsueno Huan, the colors that surround the man named Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka have always been pale. In the beginning, there were signs of darker and darker colors like grey, and yet sometimes he was red, black and orange too. Actually, the more he thought about it - the more he realizes that Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka is somebody that is a rarity. Somebody covered in different colors.
Like today for example, when he saw Lilchan in this state. The surrounding colors turned red, unlike his Father he didn"t pay much attention to the colors. It"s only when he"s around certain people does Huan notice it in particular.
For the last few minutes his hands are wrapped in a natural glow, the whole time however Huan felt himself sweat uncontrollably. For some reason Haruka kept looking at him, "Hey, do I not know you from somewhere?"
Geh, there it comes. Then again, it"s not like Huan expected this disguise to be foolproof. Of course, Huan can"t change his actions/behavior pattern and act like a new person. That"s the flaw of disguises. No matter how much one acts like another person, there are distinct traits that will always stand out. For acquaintances of that person. It"s easy for them to spot such characteristics. Even after so long, Haruka still knows.
"Maybe you do, I"ve known Lilchan for long. Maybe you"ve seen me with her as a pa.s.sing," Huan said vaguely. Surely even Haruka can"t keep track with all the people he met in Universal S Town last year?
Haruka slowly nodded, "I see, so that"s it."
It surprised Huan that it stopped at that, usually doesn"t one try to inquire more?