October, 1982.

It was curfew time at Gold Valley orphanage. The institution relied largely on donations from the Togami Group, and it was one of its main fishing wells to get talent worthy of serving at their many manors. All the young prospective servants were asleep, minds and hearts as closed as their eyelids.

Katsu Kobayama had lived there all his life. For ten years, those walls had been his only world, his only place to be. He had grown without parents, but little did he care. He wasn't raised to mourn: he had to use all the time he could get to prepare, in that peaceful environment, to grow and succeed.

However, based on other kids' experience, that peace couldn't last long.

As soon as he was shaken awake by the dorm monitor, the boy knew the time for him to repay those ten years of shelter had come. He rubbed his eyes to full awareness, stepped into his day shoes and walked behind the monitor. In spite of it being mid-autumn, he only wore a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep.

Despite the patronship, the orphanage was almost military in its discipline and frugally Spartan with clothes. Few commodities were allowed, the rooms were not conditioned and the place itself was more like a boarding school than a home. Kids were expected to be roused at any time, in any moment, and be at the ready.

Ready he was. Yet, in spite of himself, he was trembling.

Just a few days before, he had been acquainted face-to-face to the scary Kojiro Togami, his icy eyes tearing him apart like scalpels. As he obtained a prize coveted by all the kids in the dorm – he had been found worthy of the title of Room Organizer, which was a stepping stone in the way to serving in the main manor – the honor, and terror, was double.

Kojiro had handed him a small box, looking over him with that air of utter superiority he always sported. He was a young, white-blond man, in his late teens or early twenties, with milk- white skin and merciless blue-green eyes. He might have been deemed worthy of his name, but his way of being handsome was to display the cloak of arrogance he wrapped around himself at all times. Kobayama was looked upon as a cockroach stared at by an eagle.

The box contained a wallet. It contained some pocket money, smelled of fresh leather, and he was expected to be grateful at it. Yet Kobayama, having been raised in an emotional void, was unaware of how to look grateful. He just bowed his head, hoping to look respectful at least.

Now, in his less than flattering nighttime attire, he was ushered to the director's office.

"Here comes the lucky one" – the director was beaming at him – "Katsu, my boy, you have been chosen for a trial period in the main house. A chance like no other… one that most of your fellows will never get"

Katsu Kobayama stood unmoved. He answered as everyone expected. "I'm glad and honored, director". His young heart, however, was trembling in terror. The Togami household was renowned for its strict and unforgiving style: screwing up while at their service would mean you would never find a proper employment again.

Make it or break it… that was the idea. He had overheard terrible tales of what happened with servants that were discharged from the house, and was wondering if he would be spared their fate.

"You're up to greatness, that much is sure, you have been picked among the top of the crop. Well then, go and get yourself dressed. The suit is in your room already. You only have ten minutes, they will be taking you to the manor so mind you pack your stuff as well."

He didn't expect a warm goodbye. The orphanage made sure to fuel competition and provide an aseptic, safe space for kids, not designed for affection or to create bonds. The kids were aware, since infancy, that they only had two options: success or disgrace. Meaning they were cruel and spiteful towards each other, while striving to look perfect at all times.

He raced to the bathroom, washed himself and dressed in a hurry. Luckily, he had few belongings besides his school books and a bunch of clothes. The suit wasn't like anything he had used before. It was soft and silky, and looked like no one had used it before.

"I hope you are ready"

Kobayama turned slowly, staring at the business-like woman who had spoken. He paled, trying to muster some serenity. There were no women in the boys-only orphanage, so he was terrified of them.

"Y-y-yes" he stammered.

"Good. The Togamis don't have much patience. Your presence is required as soon as possible, so you should better trot".

Young Kobayama, unused to these signs of interest, moved as told, trying to put order in his confused mind. He stepped into a mid-trot behind the woman, relieved her stare was away from him finally.

"Never thought you were such a shorty."

"I beg your pardon?" he inquired, keeping his steady trot behind her.

"That as for now, you'll be one of the tiniest, so I hope you have been trained to take care of yourself. Shorties are picked a lot by the other servants, and also by many other people. So be careful from now on: some are your equals, and you can retaliate, but some are your masters, and you have to know already that you musn't"

Katsu's eyes were void of emotion as she said "equals", and the woman understood he was not very different from his future masters. He didn't feel equal to others, in fact, he held a distinct air of superiority. His way of avoiding being hit or mocked was staring back with a blank, cold expression.

He could see why young master Kojiro had requested him to be appointed. Though his choices, not being yet the Heir, were not final. One of the ways of being thrown out was somewhat sheer. The new heir had to analyze how many servants were necessary to keep the manor working efficiently, and dismiss those who weren't. This was work done along with his right-hand man, the Planner. An efficient man, part butler, part valet and part administrator, who was at his master's side at all times. Each Togami kid had one, and most of them were men older than themselves.

Just Kojiro, the second eldest, had refused to get a Planner. The whitish-blonde haired boy, despite being only the second eldest in that family, was deemed as a main candidate for the helm already. He always did things by himself. It was considered to be a quirk of his talented self, but it was about time he, too, got a Planner. Having selected a handful of prospects, he had agreed to waste time in the picking. He was also known to be extremely picky about his servants.

The car stopped, and Kobayama was left staring blankly at the woman. A big gate, with steel bars wider than his arm and silver-tinged plates between the bars, was facing them.

"Let me tell you this much, Kobayama-kun. Kojiro-sama himself took an interest on you. Be careful. Your future is at stake, so mind yourself to be useful to his ends. I'm sure you understand. And fix that stammer of yours, the young master is going to lash at you."

"I will. Thanks for the advice" he muttered softly.

This guy won't last long, she thought.

In the dim, cold light of dawn, a tall young man, icy blonde hair brushing against his gold-rimmed spectacles, was waiting. Katsu opened the door, stepped down and bowed his head at his new master.

"It did take you long. To think I was kept waiting for this measly shrimp…"

Kobayama had the sense to keep his mouth shut, and just bowed lower.

"I apologize, Kojiro-sama. It was the traffic. He was right on spot in time"

The haughty youngster didn't reply. Instead, he took a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapped his hand in it, and pulled Kobayama's face forcefully upwards by the chin. He did so until the child was forced to tiptoe. The blunt stare delved in his eyes, daring him to protest or cry.

Harsh fingers poked his ribs, pushed his shoulders, grabbed his wrists.

Kobayama kept his eyes blank, fixed on a point behind Kojiro, never reacting, holding his grunts , biting his tongue. He understood what the stunt meant. Testing his resistance.

Finally Kojiro let him go, dropping the handkerchief to the floor. A servant behind him picked the handkerchief and hurried away with it.

"Give him the room in the corner of the Blue Hall. Make him report for duty tomorrow at midday, he looks like he hasn't slept a wink, and I don't need him drooling himself asleep over his work. Also, put something on him… after shave, anything… he reeks of barnyard"

"Sure thing, master Kojiro"

"Kobayama Katsu. I'm sure you understand why I took the pain to come check on you. Be worthy of the time I wasted with your petty figure"

"Yes indeed, Kojiro-sama"

The white-blond second eldest turned around and left, without a sign of having heard his reply.

The small room was comfortable for a boy used to cramp together with others. His eyes wandered around before Rinko, the woman that had picked him, came back with some folded pajamas and instructed him to change into them. That was good. He hated sleeping in shorts and sweatshirt, as he felt it gave off the image of the orphanage boy he was.

Rinko left him a clipper board and notes on the night table. He decided to read them before going to sleep. It was a briefing of the family whose service he had just entered.

The family hailed back to the 16th century, in Meiki Restoration Japan they were one of the thriving groups trading stock in and out the Japanese peninsula. They started to associate with Dutch, French and Portuguese traders, marry their business partners into the family, and thus gradually change their looks from mainland Japanese to European standards.

Dirty blond, orange, pale red, light brown, auburn, soft gold, whitish blond hair… the Togami family began to be nicknamed Taito dai kazoku (Big Sun Family) due to their foreign appearance. They preserved the Asian shaped eyes, but the pupil color blend started to play a difference. Violet, almond, grey, murky brown, golden, ice blue, bluegreen eyes, all cold and untrusting, calloused by the difficulties and misunderstandings of foreign trade.

Their Japanese sense of honor was untouched, yet their skills in the dirty waters of business earned them a reputation of being "tough and blunt". With each generation, the trade expanded, until, in the shabby, tattered Japan of post-war, the Group was one of the few to remain on its feet.

Now it was a conglomerate which had interests everywhere you could think about. Expanding, never contracting. "Profectus enim unica viae", success is indeed the only road, was their motto.

And then, there were the kids. The 'young masters', so to speak.

The kids in the household were called the Togami Group Constellations, as they were twelve, distant yet unavoidable, and cold as starlight.

Kojiro was the second eldest, graduated from the Tokyo Center for Economic Research. He was invited to Hope's Peak academy as the Super High School Negotiator, but didn't have time for high school as he was busy planning the Group's expansion towards continental America. Within the Constellations, he was dubbed the North Star, thus Myōken Bosatsu, the one with power over the gods. People in the family associated the Chosen with that divinity, and few doubted that Kojiro was, hands down, the following Heir.

"Myoken" meant "heavenly eyes", and sure you felt like ogled by a god with that emotionless, piercing stare of his, barely shielded behind his oblong, gold-rimmed glasses. Bōsatstu mean divinity, and sure the Togamis were just that: gods with the power of altering others' lives for the sake of expanding their empire. Myōken was associated to Kichijōten, the Goddess of Beauty, Fertility, Prosperity, and Merit, and that was especially true, as Togami heirs only had children with chosen women. At the age of twenty, the second eldest already had two children on the way.

All in all, Kojiro was the incarnation of the star that reigned over the coldest sky.

On the last page, Katsu fished the clue for his call to trial. Kojiro was currently assessing the prospects to enter his service in a maximum of two months. The Planner was his main concern, as he had to pick wisely: once the headship exam was on, he was expected to act on his own, yet his Planner would also be assessed. If another Planner beat the Chosen's Planner, he would be forced to dismiss his own and work with the victor. And that was considered a failure on the Heir's part.

So that was what it was all about…

Katsu Kobayama was beginning to feel a mix of thrill and dread, as he curled into his baggy pajamas.

Make it or break it. With the Togamis, there was no other way around.