LOST MEMORIES OF PLUM BLOSSOM
By Yuna Isabella Seitta
It was as usual Shuuei would go into the outskirts of the city under His Majesty Shi Ryuuki orders to survey the kingdom safety. Nether less, Shuuei would always begged (or more like dragged) his best friend Ri Kouyuu to follow him. Kou Reishin, Kouyuus' adoptive father has always sending death glare to him whenever he dragged his son out of the Imperial Palace walls without his permission, leaving him with all the large pile of desk work on Kouyuu and his in the Civil Affairs Department office. Reishin will not touch the mountain pile of scrolls until his son come back and continues his work.
"I saw Kouyuu in the stables with that Ran boy. Is he going into the outskirts again?" Kou Kijin, the Senior Secretary of Finance Department said when he saw Reishin sitting near their usual tea table near the blooming cheery blossoms, staring out into the blue with his favorite flipping fan in his hand.
Reishin didn't realize that Kijin was staring at him with the weirdest expression behind that eccentric mask of his.
"What took you so long?" Reishin asked sarcastically when he sensed that someone was standing behind him, non other than Kijin. His 'best friend' took his seat opposite him as a he poured a cup of tea.
After a long awkward pause of silence, Reishin finally broke the pause with a very irritating expression with his heart cursing General Ran Shuuei for dragging his son away from the work.
"I heard that the Civil Affair Department was slumped into six feet under of works without your son in the office recently" Kijin said as he drank the tea slowly.
He knows very well that Reishin will never put anything to work as more than half of his responsibilities Kouyuu proudly took over under some unknown reason. No one would dare to question the Almighty Kou Reishin from The Civil Affairs Department; one would prefer to think before thinking of questioning him without the proper words.
That little idiot………..Reishin thought.
"He has a lot of man for him to dragged around and of all people he dragged Kouyuu" Reishin said as he flipped open the fan.
"You've been keeping Kouyuu in that office far too long, probably he wants to get some fresh air" Kijin suggested as Reishin narrowed his eyes.
"Fresh…air?" Reishin thought.
"…or he wants to get out of his unstable mental father…" Kijin sneered as Reishin veins pooped out. Although that does not him from grumbling as he walked out of the office, nor does it prevent Reishin from slamming the door behind him.
"I'm a Civil Affair official not your damn soldier!" Kouyuu said angrily as they forcing the horse to run over all the thick bushes as he kept grumbling all the way from Kiyou to the Ran Province which took them more than 4 months to get their by horse. It s a long way down, as Shuuei was busy trying to make up which was the best way to reached their safely without huddling into unwanted guests along the way. It would be troublesome for the two of them.
Shuuei just quietly laughed when he heard all sorts of grumbling and curses from Kouyuu mouth. He must have learned that from his father attitude.
Like father like son…Shuuei thought as they continue their restless and uncomfortable journey to his beloved hometown.
"Are you still alive back there?" Shuuei asked Kouyuu who seems to be trying not to let himself fall asleep or else, the consequences would be unavoidable being a no sense of direction official.
Shuuei never forget when Kou Reishin threw him endless death glares to him before when Kouyuu got lost in the forest after they came back from the Sa Province after paying and checking on the safety issues with Shurei and Eigeitsu.
Kouyuu was only found the next four days in the jungle but it was a horrible experience for someone who only works in the office. Reishin dispatched his spies to looked for Kouyuu and only to found him all wet, without food nor water, moreover he was terrible fallen ill for dehydration and a very bad fever for the next few weeks lying in bed. Shuuei had never forgiven himself for that.
The night was cold in the forest. Both Shuuei and Kouyuu decided to camp for they night to wait for the sun to rose from its slumber.
"He really is a lousy sleeper" Shuuei mumbled sarcastically when Kouyuu suddenly punched directly into his face as he mumbled something in his sleep. Kouyuu then fell onto the ground as he snores.
Shuuei just let out a sigh that Kouyuu never wanted to hear. As he looked at Kouyuu who seems to be in a deep sleep was dumbfounded for having his guard down.
"He has no chances of surviving in the forest if he's going to let his guard down" Shuuei chuckled as he looked up into the silvery moon that surrounded by the stars.
"I was wondering when we're going to arrived here" Kouyuu grumbled when they finally arrived at the Ran Province checkpoint.
"Kouyuu, if you have some sense of direction in your head, we might be able to reached here earlier than we supposed to be" Shuuei said in a mocking way as Kouyuu blushed madly upon hearing the sentence. Shuuei just laughed when he saw the faint pink blush on Kouyuus' cheek.
"Shut the hell up!" Kouyuu said angrily as he entered the Province main door. Shuuei just shrugged.
He never changes…Shuuei thought.
After a while, they arrived at the Ran manor that located near the capital. They were welcomed by Shuuei maids and butler.
It's big…Kouyuu thought as he watched Shuuei walked into the manor.
"Kouyuu, what are you standing there for? Come in" Shuuei said when he noticed that his best friend was still rooted to his stand outside the manor while he was already at the doorway of the manor.
A slight blush on his face making Shuuei sneered at his best friend dumbfounded behavior; especially it's a rare scene.
"This is your room for the day. If you need anything just let the maids know." Shuuei said as Kouyuu entered the guestroom located in the east wing of the manor. It has beautiful scene outside the room with Kouyuu favorite flowers blossoming beautifully.
"I'll leave you to yourself then" Shuuei said as he closes the door slowly.
Kouyuu then slumped into the soft bed near the window. He immediately falls asleep after yawning a few times. Only then he realized that he over slept when Shuuei knock softly on the wooden door. The sun has let the moon to take over its duty to shine the earth with its beautiful light.
His aquamarine hair that was tied properly before was now completely in a mess, making him hurriedly find the comb on the desk.
"Aha…someone over slept" Shuuei said when he saw Kouyuu busy tidy up his hair and there were some dark circles under the young official in front of him. More over the bed was a bit messy.
"Just shut up!" Kouyuu said angrily after he finishes tiding up the messy hair as he let his thick bangs fell over covering slightly his silvery orbs of his eyes.
"You let the window open?" Shuuei asked with concern after he feel cold breezes entered the room. He closes the window immediately.
"I felled asleep right after you left the room." Kouyuu said as Shuuei just frowned as he stared at Kouyuu who just slightly to find another excuses.
"You could catch cold like this" Shuuei said. Kouyuu realized that Shuuei was worried about him.
"Come, its time for dinner. It has been a long day" Shuuei said as he exited the room followed by Kouyuu.
"Where were you this afternoon?" Kouyuu asked him while Shuuei busy enjoying his meal.
"I went to pay a visit to my father in his manor and check on some things" Shuuei answered after a while. Actually he did not go to his father manor but to check on the rumors that he had been heard when he was in Kiyou.
He need to investigate it before the head of the Kou Clan knows about it. He never liked anything that has to do with Kouyuu safety.
Then, Kouyuu looked at him strangely.
"Oh, you missed me, didn't you?" Asked Shuuei as he put out a little smile that Kouyuu has always hated, he has billions of way to put some blush on Kouyuu fair skin.
"There's a limit to every joke!" Kouyuu mumbled as he continues his meal.
After a while, Kouyuu retreated to bed and so Shuuei had his light reading in the archive.
It was at stroke somewhere in the night, Shuuei sensed something was amiss. Up he goes out to the hallway of the manor with his sword held tightly in his hands.
Nothing… Shuuei mumbled but there was a little weird feeling that someone has penetrated the manor. Although the guards outside did not hassle but something tells him that something is going to happen.
He walked cautiously as his eyes looked around, seeking for the intruder who dares to intrude the Ran Manor.
Little does he know that someone has been waiting for the perfect moment to kill him.
"I must have forgotten to close the window" Kouyuu mumbled in his sleep when he felt the cold breezes of the night brushing through his skin. He sighed as he gets up lazily and walked slowly to the window.
Then, he stooped when he remembered that Shuuei had already closes the window before they went for dinner. He did not open it or did he?
"Who cares anyway. Just close the damn window" Kouyuu mumbled as he continued his 'journey' to the window.
Out of the dark, a big, black figure loomed in front him as he gasped as he was too surprised to see the figure holding something sharp that looked like a thin blade pointing its head to Kouyuu neck.
I have to make some noise… Kouyuu thought as he tried to free himself from the figure that grasping tightly his waist.
He quickly kicked the table near him and the black figure.
"Quiet, if you want to stay alive" The figure said as he put the blade nearer as blood started to make its way out. Kouyuu winced in pain.
Kouyuu immediately stood still. Hoping that Shuuei would hear the table feel down, his hands was trembling.
Only time could save him. His heart shout as loud as he could as traces of blood made its mark on his night robes.
Shuuei….!!