From last time…
'This ribbon…'
He hastily examined the two ends of the ribbon, searching for something. He found it.
'Ah! Here!'
He raised the ribbon high above his head and made the light reflected on the textile. Under the light reflection, an emblem was visible. The boy widen his eyes, not believing what he saw.
'This ribbon is the…'
He couldn't believe it.
'This ribbon IS from the royal family!' he realized from the royal crest emblem on the ribbon. 'But how did she came in possession of this ribbon?'
(Next part of the flashback)
Ten years later…
A Benz car stopped in front of the Atobe mansion. The driver opened the door of the car and a tall and elegant young man around seventeen stepped out of the car.
"Souma-sama, welcome back. Oku-sama (1) is waiting for you," Enzou, Atobe's old butler, greeted him. "Please, follow me."
Enzou guide Yuu into a private living room, where a lady around her forty was waiting, reading a letter from England. She had silver hair with lilac tints and lilac eyes, exactly the same tribute to Yuu.
"Oku-sama, Souma-sama is here," Enzou announced.
"Thank you, Enzou," the lady said. "You can bring us the tea now. We will take it here."
"Kashikomarimashita (2), oku-sama," Enzou said. He bowed and left the room.
"Yuu-kun, welcome back to Japan," the woman said while coming to him, hugging him in her arms. "I have miss you very much. I hope you had enjoy your life in England."
"Arigatou, Himiko-neesan," Yuu greeted his aunt, hugging her back.
"You have become a very elegant young man, Yuu-kun," Himiko said. "I am sure Misao-neesan would feel so proud if she sees you today."
". . ." Yuu didn't replied.
Enzou brought the tea, saving him from having to say anything. Himiko sighed. It seemed to her that she really cannot changed his opinion about his mother.
Suzuki Misao was Himiko's elder sister. When Himiko was ten, Misao was married to Souma Suou from the royal family and gave birth to a boy, Souma Yuu. Because of their position, Yuu's parents often travelled around the world, leaving Yuu alone. To make him felt less lonely, Himiko often came to play with him. Yuu grew to see her as a big sister more than his aunt. Since then, he always caller her "Himiko-neesan". The two of them were very closed until Himiko was married to Atobe Keigo and left to live with her husband. The aunt and the nephew sometime visited each other, but less than before because Himiko also have to take care of her own children.
When Yuu was ten, his parents died in an airplane crash. It wasn't like Yuu was very touched by their dead because he didn't see them often. On the other hand, it wasn't like he was indifferent either. He just wondered why he was still alive because it seemed to him that no one needed him. During his parent's funeral, people came to cry over his parents' dead, saying how much it was a lost for Japan. However, no one looked at him or came to talk to him. Only Himiko's family talked to him. Yuu grew cold and indifferent to everything.
He really wondered if there was a meaning of his existence on this world. That was when he met her, the little girl with a chameleon stuck in a tree.
That day, she saved him.
"Here, Yuu-kun, sit down," Himiko offer him a seat.
Yuu sat on the chair across Himiko while Himiko poured him a cup of tea.
"So, what do you want me to talk about?" Himiko asked.
"Himiko-neesan, you know about the protocole of the royal family?"
Himiko nodded.
"Everything of the royal family must stay in the royal family. Every belonging of the royal family is marked by the royal crest. And only members of the royal family or the relatives of the royal family can possess an item with the royal emblem. For example, when you married Atobe Keigo, being the sister of a princess of the royal family, you were given gifts marked with the royal crest."
"Yes, I remember," Himiko said. "What about it?"
"Ten years ago, before I left for England, I meet a girl who possessed an item of the royal family, but she is not from the royal family and I doubt that she is a relative of the royal family too."
"Ah so?"
"I want to find her. She had in her possession a pair of ribbon marked by the royal crest," Yuu said.
He slided his hand in his pocket and pulled out his walet. In the walet, he took out a burgundy ribbon carefully wrapped in a with craft paper to protect it.
"It's this ribbon," Yuu said as he gave it to Himiko. "She gave me one of the ribbons which was tying her hair."
Himiko took the ribbon and examined it.
"I thought the ribbon looks similar to the one the royal gave you on the day of your wedding to Atobe Keigo and I had a little research to confirm my doubt. And it did. It is in the serie made for your wedding," Yuu said.
"Yes, indeed, it's the same Misao-neesan gave me for my wedding," Himiko said.
"That's the reason why I was a little bit bothered," Yuu said. "How come the ribbons made for you end in the hands of that little girl."
"What is that little girl's name?"
"Rin. That's her given name. Rin. I looked in the the register of the members of the royal family and their relatives. There were some people named Rin, but it wasn't them. Or they were man or they were too old to be that little girl or they already die. The only option remained is to search outside of the royal family circle."
"Hmmm… With only the given name, it's a little hard, Yuu-kun," Himiko said. "There are a lot of people named Rin thorough out Japan."
"That's why I want your help," Yuu said. "Since the burgundy ribbons were given to you for your wedding and that she possesses one, I thought that she might somehow be connected to you. Don't you know a little girl named Rin in your relationships? Today, she must be around 14 or 15 of age now."
"Rin?" Himiko tilted her head. "Yes, there is someone around 14 I know, who is called Rin. But…"
"She has dark brown hair and slightly golden eyes. When I first met her, I found her stuck in a tree because she wanted to save her pet."
"A pet?"
"Yes, a chameleon."
"A CHAMELEON!!!!" Himiko jumped on her seat, surprising Yuu. "A little girl with brown hair and golden eyes and a chameleon? Are you absolutely sure, Yuu-kun?"
"Y-yes…" Yuu said, a little bit shock by her outburst.
Himiko searched in her memory.
"How did she…?" she muttered.
Yuu looked at the expression on Himiko's face.
"Himiko-neesan, do you have someone in your mind?"
"Ah! I remember now!" Himiko suddenly said, hitting her palms. "That's right! It was me!"
It seemed that she had forgot about the young man with her.
"Hi-himiko-neesan…?" Yuu called.
Himiko snapped back to tthe reality.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Yuu-kun!" Himiko excused. "I was trying to remember how did she had the ribbons. I remember now. It was me who gave her the ribbons."
"So, you know who is she?"
"Yes, it's Rin-chan!"
Flashback
Rin had been playing with her brothers and Atobe's children, Daiichi, Kaori and Aori, all day. They have been running everywhere in the garden. When they finally stopped, they were tired. And Rin was a mess.
"Rin-chan, you'are all messy," Himiko said. "If your mother sees you like this, she would be displeased."
"Ahhhh! Rin forgot!"
Ryoma had specifically told her not to run outside today because they would received special guesses. Rin must be cleaned.
"Buweeeeeeeee! Rin will be scolded again!"
"There there, don't cry, Rin-chan," Himiko told her. "Come here, obaa-san will fix it for you."
Himiko bend down and arranged Rin's two ponytails. But because Rin ran around, she lose the yellow ribbons Ryoma used to bind her hair. Himiko took out two other ribbons. But they weren't yellow. They were burgundy.
"Obaa-san, these ribbons aren't yellow."
"Huhuhu! I know. But we don't have enough time to find your ribbons before your mother arrive. These ribbons will replace your ribbons."
"Oh!"
"Do you know, Rin-chan, these ribbons are special. They are magical ribbons!"
"Magical?! How come?" Rin excitedly asked, her interest picked.
"These ribbons are unique. You cannot found them anywhere. They have special power. They can never be part away. If somehow they were separated, they would always be back together some day."
End flashback
"I told her the ribbons were magical," Himiko recalled. She giggled, amused by the souvenir.
"Come to think about it, the little girl also told me that her ribbons were magical," Yuu said. "Even if they were separated, some day, they will be back together again," he quoted.
"Then it must be her, Rin," Himiko said. "She was the only person to whom I gave the ribbons and told that story."
"Hmm… Rin huh?… What is her family name?"
"Fuji. Fuji Rin," Himiko said. "She attended to Seiyou Academy too, like Daiichi, Kaori and Aori. This year, she will graduated. She is appointed to be the secretary of Student Council body."
"Seiyou Academy huh? So, she will be my secretary," Yuu said, a finger tapping his right cheek.
Then, he smiled.
"This year seems to be interesting."
End flashback
'And it was a very interesting school year this year,' Yuu thought.
He smiled again as he swirled the girl in his arms.
1) oku-sama: a polite way to refer to someone's wife. If pronounced like people in Tokyo, you say "Ok", skip the "u" at the ending.
2) kashikomarimashita: extremely polite way to say "I understand". Usually used toward one's superior ot to someone with a very high social position.
