go with my father to Japan. He would go bi-annually to meet with his various investors and business partners, and with me being his little princess, he would take me with him.

Of course it helped that his main partners had children around my age that I could play with.

I wasn't a social person. I tended to stay at home and read or play with my toys. It was a habit that I formed after my mother was rendered bed-ridden and I would spend my days next to her, reading and playing.

I was more comfortable being by myself; it was easier that way.

Whenever I went with my father to parties, I would observe the machinations of people wanting to talk to him.

They were always looking after themselves.

They wanted to have the most money, to have the most prestige.

On the outside, they were beautiful. The elite.

But on the inside, they were as ugly as could be.

That's why I liked to stay on the outer edges of the room. Not only could I learn how they acted, and make sure to stay away from them, but I could be alone and not pretend to be someone I'm not.

At least, that's what I did before I met them: Morinozuka Takashi and Haninozuka Mitsukuni.

Honey and Mori.

It wasn't hard to be drawn in by them.

Honey was a natural exuberant child that wore his heart on his sleeve; even though he was the Haninozuka Heir to their martial arts empire, he was still carefree and unbridled by decisions. He was like a breath of fresh air in this stuffy room.

Mori was quiet and stuck to Honey like glue. Even back then the air around him was different from everyone else. It wasn't that he was unappealing, the opposite in fact considering even back then he still towered his peers and he was fit from his kendo practice, it was the fact that he didn't pressure you to be someone you're not. He wouldn't judge you at face value, rather he would observe and formulate his own opinions based on that.

Meeting them had been an accident.

I was 7 years old my dad had brought me to another gala in Japan. It was filled with the elites of Japanese society and filled to the brim with important people.

I was parched and was on my way to the refreshment table when I suddenly crashed into someone.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" I hurriedly apologized and bowed at the person I crashed into. "It was my fault for not watching where I was going."

"It's okay!" the childish voice said happily as he pats my head. "It was my fault too, I was playing with Usa-chan and I didn't see you!"

I straightened my back and looked at the boy in front of me. He was around my height and carrying a cute pink stuffed rabbit. He had blond hair and a cherubic face; it was tinted red with excitement and his blue eyes were shining at me. The suit he was wearing resembled a sailor's uniform but made out of expensive looking material.

"My name is Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but you can call me Honey," he said happily. "What's your name?"

"My name is Reynolds Kimiko, it's a pleasure to meet you," I say quietly as I bowed once again.

"Nice to meet you too! I really like your eyes! Are you a foreigner? Do you like cake? Can I call you Miko?" he said in excitement, arms flailing around everywhere.

My eyes widened. "Thank you Honey. Yes, I am a foreigner. I'm half English and Half Japanese and I got my eye color from my dad. His eyes are the prettiest eyes ever. I like cake and I guess you can call me Miko."

"Great~ Now let's go eat cake! I'll introduce you to my cousin as well!" he says as he grabs my wrist and drags me off.

He weaves through the crowd of adults quite agilely for his age before stopping at a table where a really tall kid sat in.

"Hey Mori, look! I made a new friend," Honey says as he gives a big grin. "Her name is Miko and she likes cake too. Can I have more for tonight? Pleaseeeee?"

"Just one," Mori says softly.

"Yay! Oh yeah, Miko this is my cousin Mori. He's quiet but nice, so keep him company while I get some cake okay?" With this, Honey rushes off without looking back in search of more cake for himself and his new friend.

I looked at Mori and he looked back at me, his body posture seemingly cold but his eyes held a certain warmth to it. He was bigger than Honey but no less warm.

"Hello Mori, it's nice to meet you." I say shyly.

"Hello," he replies back. He gets up out of his chair and pulls out the chair next to him. Eyes glance up to mine before I shock in realization that he wanted me to sit next to him.

"Oh, thank you Mori," I say as I sat down.

"Ah," he says back to me.

'Ah?' Was that meant to be reply?

Mori sits back down and watches the people around us. He says nothing as his eyes scan around the crowd.

The way his eyes were trained, as if looking for something in the distance, interested me. His eyes weren't full of greed like most people who kept their eyes peeled for something or someone, but more like they were filled with comfort and warmth and he was looking for someone to protect them.

His eyes said a lot more than his posture.

It wasn't until I saw a bouncing blond head that I made the connection that it might have been Honey who he had been waiting for.

Honey was carrying two cakes in his hands, as he had left Usa-chan with Mori, and he had a

Bright smile on his face. He was carrying what looked like a strawberry and chocolate cake.

"I'm baaack~" he sang as he laid the plates down in front of me. "I forgot to ask you what kind of cake you liked Miko so I brought two different ones. This one is a strawberry cream cake and this one is a chocolate fudge cake. Which one do you want?"

"I like chocolate a lot."

"Yay! I love strawberry so it's good that you like chocolate," he cheers happily before grabbing his cake and sitting down next to me.

The cake is demolished before I even had time to take a second bite of the chocolate cake.

"Mitsukuni. No more cake." Mori says seriously as he watches Honey take his last bite.

"Aww, okay Takashi," Honey pouts cutely.

"This is a very nice cake Honey, thank you for getting me one."

"It's no problem Miko! I love eating cake with people, especially with friends."

I looked at Honey in shock. "I've never had friends before," I say shyly as I looked down.

"Never?" he asks shocked before shaking it off. "Well now you have two! Mori and I will be your best friends forever and ever."

I look at Honey as he smiles happily and at Mori who looked like he agreed with him.

"Them I'm in your care."