MIMI

"I know, I heard that too. It"s unbelievable. I remember meeting her once, she was really nice. Not to mention she was a beauty."

"Seriously? It"s really a shame someone so beautiful died." The high school student sitting at their desk chuckled with their head resting on their palm. "Hey…don"t we have a Hirogori in our cla.s.s?"

The other male student sitting across from his peer, lifted their eyes to stare at him in surprise.

"You"re right, we do! Alec is his name, right? No wonder I didn"t see him in cla.s.s today. He must be upset about his sister."

A complicated expression converts on the young man"s face, his eyes darted around the cla.s.sroom before he leaned in closer toward the other student.

"I wouldn"t be so sure. I hear he"s an adopted son of the Hirogori"s. I also heard he"s not highly favored and is always competing with his sister to get acknowledgment from his father."

"No way? Then do you think…"

Screech--!

The sound of a chair sc.r.a.ping against the floor sounded throughout the cla.s.sroom, interrupting both boys from talking.

From the beginning, seated a few desks away from the two male students near the end, sat another male student.

With his head lowered, the young man silently read the book in his hands. Compared to most high school students, the one seated quietly at his desk gave off a cold, almost invisible aura. Making him unnoticeable to the two male students speaking openly in the cla.s.sroom.

As the male students spoke, the young man was indifferent toward everything, a cold silent expression on his hard, lowered face. Even when the two began speaking in hushed voices, he overheard it all.

"Ah…"

Both boys turned in the direction of the abrupt noise, only to have the color drained from their faces and bodies to tense. Standing up from his seat, book in hand, the young man stared down at the two male students with distant, silent eyes.

Never in their lives had the two male students witnessed such an expression or more to say, one lacking an expression. The young male student"s jet-black eyes stared at them emotionless as if they were insignificant insects in his eyes.

"Noisy." The young man"s voice narrowed dangerously.

The male student merely took one step forward for both students to flinch in their seats, and having the sudden urge to beg for forgiveness.

The reason for that? The young man staring down at them was none other than the most dangerous student in the entire school - Tobias Itou.

Rumors of him went around the school. If one were to hear them, they"d think it was someone being dramatic, or making a joke. However, upon seeing the young man in the flesh, would they swallow their words and tremble in fear.

It was said that the young man acted in gangs and got into fights nearly every day – all that he had won so the rumors said. Sixteen-years-old and Tobias Itou was the definition of fear. If one were to provoke him, no one would be able to withstand it, no matter who they were.

Not only was his reputation violent, but he was moreover from a prominent and honorable family.

"W…We"re s...sorry." One of the male students stuttered nervously.

Narrowing his eyes, Tobias pa.s.ses by the two male students, whose bodies trembled the closer he got.

Just as they were expecting to be beaten mercilessly until they were unrecognizable, Tobias leisurely walked past them and toward the cla.s.sroom door.

In response to his indifferent reaction, the boys had realized they were holding their breaths the entire time. Unfortunately, before they could sigh in relief, Tobias"s steps paused. Glancing in the two"s direction, his previous emotionless eyes flamed with a menacing glow.

"Don"t speak so recklessly again, or I"ll change my mind about killing the both of you." Tobias"s voice now, compared to a few moments ago, was ten times more menacing.

Afraid to see his expression, the two"s backs trembled while their complexions blanched even further.

With that, Tobias left the room – the once cold and suffocating air disappeared like smoke dispersed into the wind.

…

At a tall metal bridge near the end of the city, was a flowing river streaming below. Standing on top of the bridge with a lit cigarette in between his lips and arms resting on the edge, was Tobias Itou. His cold, vacant jet-black eyes stared at the setting sun.

"Hey."

Not moving his gaze away from the view, Tobias grunted in response to the voice. The person behind him sighed, and their footsteps gradually walked to stand beside him.

A figure with blond, golden hair and dazzling blue eyes, stood alongside Tobias – watching the sunset with him.

"Want one?" Tobias pa.s.sed the blond boy his pack of cigarettes calmly, his eyes not once moving.

"Ah…no thanks." The blond boy chuckled rigidly. "You know you really shouldn"t smoke those things; it"s bad for your health."

"En. You"re right." Tobias blandly responded.

He knew that, yet he continued smoking them?

Not understanding his thoughts, he sighs helplessly while staring back at the sky. The clouds, delicate and shapely blushed against the warm sky. Silhouettes of birds flew across the sky and past the large city buildings.

The two sixteen-year-old boys stared quietly as if nothing could disturb them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tobias suddenly asked.

The blond boy remained silent, a shadow casting over his blue eyes.

"Not really. Like I told you before, Emily and I weren"t that close." He suddenly laughed bitterly. "To be honest, I"m not close with any of my family members. We all treat one another like strangers or rivals."

In response, Tobias simply stared at him – his black eyes unreadable. The young man beside him, his friend since the beginning of middle school, was Alec Hirogori. The adopted son of the Hirogori"s.

From their long-term friendship, the two have gotten to know one another like an open book. Tobias knew the struggles Alec went through living with the Hirogori"s, as did Alec toward Tobias"s violent, rebellious acts and family struggles.

"You know what"s even sadder? No one cares she"s gone. The funeral, it"s all for show. All my father cares about is his image." Alec spat mockingly.

"Mm." Tobias hummed deeply in response and glanced his eyes toward the setting sun.

After Alec finished speaking, the two became silent again, both relishing in their own thoughts. Their own fragmented worlds.

"I heard you"re also invited to the funeral. You and your family."

"I heard."

"Will you come? Or do you have more business you need to take care of?"

Chuckling deeply in response, Tobias extracts the cigarette from in between his crimson lips and casually flicks it into the flowing river beneath.

"I"ll go," Tobias said. "It"ll be entertaining to see your families act."

Alec snorted derisively. "I hardly think they"ll have to act. With their reputation, it"d seem ordinary for them to be cold."

Tobias hummed in response and stared back at the scenery.

…

The day of Emily Hirogori"s funeral, the scent of freshly planted roses drifted through the air. As said by Emily"s step-mother Lillian, Emily loved roses. Apparently, on her wedding day, she planned on using them.

Yet those future thoughts were soon ruined as the young girl, eighteen, presently lay lifelessly in a golden white coffin.

Tobias, standing off to the side with his family lowered his eyes to conceal his unsympathetic black eyes.

Lifting his gaze slightly, Tobias stares in the direction of the Hirogori members. Alec stood obediently beside his brother Seth, while his eldest, Kenji stood beside his step-mother and father.

Due to his keen eyes, Tobias could detect a pet.i.te figure standing behind Henry Hirogori. The little girl was dressed in a black sailor dress, and her long brunette hair was tied with one small bun on the top while the rest flowed down her small shoulders.

However, what stood out the most about the small girl was her violet eyes that stared emotionlessly at the coffin.

Tobias only stared at the little girl for a few seconds before glancing back at the coffin – listening as the priest spoke.

…

Inside the Hirogori"s home, Tobias quietly stood by Alec as many of the guests approached him and offered him their condolences.

At this point, Tobias was beyond bored as the people around him flashed everyone fake expressions of pity and tears.

He knew all of them were going to seize this moment to take advantage of getting closer to the Hirogori"s. That was just how the industry worked.

Threading a hand through his hair, Tobias sighs as he looks out the window behind him to stare at the garden.

He never met Emily Hirogori. Despite being an elite figure in the industry, he was merely a shadow of his father. Therefore, he hardly attended events. He merely knew of her from Alec who also wasn"t close to his older sister.

It seemed no one in the family was close to her. She was intelligent, kind to those below her, and knew how to handle the industry well. She was to be the next heir to the Hirogori company. But due to her death, it was no longer possible.

"Tobias."

While Tobias was lost in thought, Alec, standing beside him called out his name a few times only to be met with the silent young man staring out the window.

"Tobias," Alec repeated.

Turning in the direction of Alec"s voice, Tobias calmly waits for him to speak.

"My father called for me, I"ll be right back."

"En."

Alec bobs his head before turning away to walk toward the hall.

Tobias, feeling more irritated as young female cla.s.smates from Emily"s school stared at him with yearning and sparkling eyes, frowned. Sighing, Tobias begins heading out, experiencing the urge to smoke again.

As Tobias walked toward the exit, he pa.s.sed by the figure of a pet.i.te girl seated on a wooden chair, a dainty teacup in her delicate hands, yet from the beginning, his eyes did not once glance in her direction.

The little girl, not noticing the handsome young man pa.s.sing by her, continues drinking her tea until a shadow hovered over her. Shifting her violet eyes upward, her eyes are met with the irritated sight of her eldest brother, Seth.

A cold smile raises on the little girl"s lips.