Magi Modern!AU…so I hope you'll like it. Fem!AlixMei
Disclaimer: I own nothing in anime just my crazy imaginative brain.
Title: Pens and Papers
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Family
Characters: Alibaba Saluja, Ren Koumei
Summary:
He's lazy and the kind who likes to bury himself inside his work station room with all the books he got and the smartass she'd never imagine she would meet that one day she shared her umbrella to him.
(***)
Time and Date: Sunday 9:30 A.M.
Alibaba excitedly entered Koumei's unit – one Sunday morning…
"Koumei…!" She called out loud and slammed the door close to Koumei's room and immediately shook the freckled writer out of his sleep, "Koumei! Wake up! Wake up!" Alibaba grinned wide and started tickling the poor writer.
"Would you stop that…!" Koumei grumbled out and suddenly sat up from his bed and glared at the grinning golden haired lass kneeling in front of him. "For Pete's sake Alibaba…! It's only 9:30 in the morning…!"
"I know right…!" Alibaba chuckled, "And you know that it's time to wake up by this time…? Come on…! Get your heavy lazy butt out here and come with me in the annual Sun and Moon Festival!" She excitedly announced while trying to heave him up from the bed.
"Oh…" Koumei yawned and went back lying on his bed. "Later."
Alibaba pouted and gave him a dirty look, "Koumei…!" She whined out while bouncing the bed to prevent him from sleeping again. "Koumei!" She shook his arm again and repeated his name in a whine.
"Can't we just go there later…?!" Koumei glared. "It's not like the festival's going away…! It's going to last till midnight…" He sat up again and gave her a gentle slap on her leg before getting off the bed. "Get off…!"
"But they'll start throwing the Sunchiis by 10:15 and we only have 30 minutes to get there…!" Alibaba reasoned out. "Sunchiis is really good and chewy when it's still warm – and I wanna know what flavors they've put this year!"
"I thought it was only for kids…?" Koumei said while stretching his arms and legs.
"No it's not…!" Alibaba shouted and tackled him with a hug, "Come one…! Please…! Let's go there! Hurry up! Hurry up!" She squeezed her arms around his torso and dangled herself on him. "Koumei!"
"Fine! Fine!" Koumei tried to balance his body but Alibaba's weight is making it hard to do, "Just get off me and I can't breathe with you squeezing me like that!"
"Yay!" She got off him so fast that he needed to shift his weight on his legs and feet. "Hurry up!" She cried out and went out of his room while singing merrily in the living room.
It was already crowded in the Palace Park when Alibaba and Koumei got there – all of the people around are waiting for the throwing of Sunchiis – a chewy rice treat that resembles the sun with flavored paste inside that every child loves and adults too. It was an offering to the Sun that gives light and life to world but when the Moon comes out they'll be offering the Moonrose – it's a kind of flower that only blooms when the moon is shining on it and represents the light it gives when the dark night comes out - this is their way of celebrating the annual Sun and Moon Festival, to thank the Heavens for it shares the light and life to the world.
"We should pay respect in the Temple inside the Palace." Alibaba said while pulling Koumei's hand – both of them wearing traditional robes and accessories for the festival. "It's really convenient to have a car these days – we have plenty of time to look around before the Sunchiis Throw." Alibaba smiled and twirled around – indicating her white and blue flamed printed robe with white see-through overskirt and beige underskirt paired with blue and golden lined oriental doll shoes. Her hair donned with clips and blue pearl beaded head accessories with blue butterflies hanging at end.
"Why do we have to wear this anyway…?" Koumei grumbled and looked at his constellation printed red and black robes and white pants and black boots while his hair is donned in usual style. "Some of the people don't even bother…" True enough, some of them are looking at them in awe and fascination especially to Alibaba – she looked like the Moon princess with her traditional Regalia but the color of her hair just tells them that she could be the Sun priestess too.
"Only some…that's the key word, Koumei, but some of them are wearing their Regalia – and would you look at that…!" Alibaba squealed when her gaze landed to a boy wearing a black and white Regalia. "Aww…how adorable…!"
After paying respect and praying in the Palace Temple, the couple went to look around the stands and stores in the Plaza. When the Sunchiis Throw began – Alibaba went out to get as much as many Sunchiis to eat.
"Ouch…!" Alibaba whined when she bit an orange colored Sunchiis and looked at the offending treat. "What the heck…?"
"What happened?" Koumei asked and sat down beside her – they're in a bench to rest for a while after the event and Alibaba happily devoured the treats in the bag she has.
"There is something inside this Sunchiis – it's hard." She frowned and tore the treat open and was surprised when she saw a little diamond inside. "Koumei…!"
"Wow…" Even with a dull voice, Koumei is quite surprised himself, "It's an Evangeline Diamond." He took the diamond from Alibaba and inspected it. "This one is real. So…we have to inform the production of the event about this."
Alibaba grinned, "Then let's go…!"
That day was like Alibaba's luckiest day – when they've informed the organizer of the festival; they gave them a free treat inside the Palace Park and was treated like King and Queen. And what do you know when the Moonrose Ritual ended – the emcee announced them as King and Queen of the Festival this year because of their traditional Regalia.
The only downside is the men wanting to meet and greet the Queen.
And Koumei is not amused.
Although he has a number of women approaching him but Alibaba is his Queen this evening and those men is taking his Queen away from him.
"Excuse me." With his usual dull face on, Koumei swished pass the flirty men surrounding Alibaba and gave them an unimpressed look. "Alibaba, let's go. They're going to start the fireworks any minute now."
"Oh! Right!" Alibaba grinned and politely bid the men goodbye and hooked her arm on her King's arm. "Let's go!" She chirped while missing the dark smirk Koumei gave to the men they've left.
Instead of going to the riverside to see the fireworks with the others, Alibaba and Koumei went up in an elevated park not so far from the Palace Park. Since it's already crowded in the event place, the couple decided to go to a quiet place to see the end of the festival.
"What a great festival…!" Alibaba said and leaned on the bench while Koumei beside her just hummed in approval. "Thank you." She muttered out and looked at Koumei with a gentle smile.
Instead of answering her, Koumei placed his right arm over her shoulders and shifted closer to her, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Uh-huh…sure…" He simply replied. Chuckling quietly, Alibaba lifted her hand and caressed his cheek with a fond expression on her face but before she could say or do something, the sound of the fireworks made her to turn her attention to sky and smiled widely at the bright scenery in the night sky.
Koumei on the other hand is still looking at Alibaba with an unreadable expression on his face but suddenly without saying anything – he took a hold of Alibaba's jaw and surprisingly forced her to turn her face to him and kissed her passionately. Although surprised, Alibaba let the red head writer kissed her and kissed him back – not really caring if someone saw them there.
"Koumei…" Alibaba murmured after the kiss, her half-lidded eyes twinkling with illuminated lights from the fireworks while Koumei looked at her in question "Do you li…?" She stopped for a moment. "Did you enjoy this day?"
Koumei noticed the little slip-up but didn't press any further, "Yes. I did."
"Good." She smiled.
You know what Koumei…
I really like you…
(***)
Time and Date: Thursday 12:35 P.M.
Two months have passed after that day his brothers and cousins visited Koumei in his humble home unit and thankfully for the most part of the ordeal, they didn't show up to annoy the hell out of him. But Koumei can't be too sure and relax when it comes to his beloved family who by now is curious about his private life that he so never going to tell them…unless an accident happens.
Leaning on his comfy couch, Koumei looked at the illustrations Alibaba drew for any request his fans wanted to see and frowned at the perfect sketched of 'Gin's' character. "She really likes him…" If he guessed it right, this 'Gin' character is the perfect image of Alibaba's ideal man – not that he's complaining but it seems like the said character is based to someone Alibaba knew. Sighing through his nose, Koumei let his body fall down the couch and stretched his long legs up to the arm of the couch. He placed the A4 semi-thick paper on the coffee table beside the couch Koumei yawned and let the silence lull him to sleep.
Time and Date: Thursday (Same day) 2:17 P.M.
Koumei scrunched his brows together feeling the sleepiness leaving his system but he remained his eyes closed and let his body wake up on its own. Seconds later, the air and temperature shifted around him making his lips to twitch in wonder – relaxing his body against the couch Koumei opened his eyes and was greeted by a smiling face of woman.
Startled, Koumei suddenly raised his head only to bump their heads together – hard enough to make a huge bump on their foreheads. On the other hand, the unfortunate woman in the name of Ren Kougyoku cried out in pain clutching her forehead in both hands.
"Gyoku…!" Kouha's voice shouted out in worry.
"Oh my god…!" Koumei clutched his aching forehead on his right palm as heard Hakuei gushed over the younger female in worry followed by Hakuren's annoying laughter.
"Brother En…!" Kougyoku cried to her brother who walked towards her and gave her a gentle massage.
"Are you alright, Mei…?" Hakuyuu finally asked the freckled writer and sweat-dropped when he received a glare from the said writer.
"I told you not to startle him out when he's sleeping." Kouen chided his sister while giving her a gentle pat on the head. "Are you alright, Mei…?" Kouen turned to his brother who just gave him hand gesture while still massaging his own head.
"But still…it really hurts…!" Kougyoku whined in pain. Kouen sighed exasperatedly and gently kissed her forehead to make the pain go away. Koumei on the other hand finally got his bearings working and went over his sister and gave her a kiss on her forehead as an apology.
"I'm sorry…you just startled me…" Koumei apologized.
"I'm sorry too…" Kougyoku whimpered.
On the background, Hakuren is still laughing while Hakuryuu kept chiding him to stop. "Can't you even manage to send a simple message that you're coming over…?" Koumei grumbled out, feeling the slight swollen form of the bump he received.
"And where's the fun if we do that…!" Hakuren finally let out his last chortle and went to the couch to slump his bottom on it. Koumei glare dully and sighed – letting them sit and familiarize themselves inside his house.
"What's this…?" Hakuei asked, fingering the papers on the coffee table. "Illustrations…?" The others looked also. "Is this the character design for your latest book?" She asked in awe as Koumei nodded in confirmation.
"As expected from a genius like you, Brother Mei…!" Kougyoku said while looking at the illustrations but when she flipped the next paper she suddenly screamed in excitement. "What the hell happened to you, Gyoku…?" Kouha winced as he massaged his right ear.
"Brother Mei…? This is 'Gin' right…?!" Kougyoku waved the illustration up as an indication while her eyes are twinkling in excitement. Koumei and Kouen raised their eyebrow in wonder and suspicion while Kougyoku continued to admire the good looking character that Alibaba drew. "He's perfect…!" All of the older Ren's twitched except for Hakuei and Hakuryuu who just looked at them in wonder.
"Gyoku…don't fantasize a person who doesn't even exist…" Kouen chided like the good older brother he is.
"But he looked so real…! How did you draw him like this, Brother Mei…?" The glittering eyes Kougyoku assaulted him is nothing than the accusing pointy glares he received from Kouen, Hakuyuu and unsurprisingly – Kouha.
Koumei sighed for the umpteenth time this day and went in the kitchen counter to prepare some oolong tea. "Fortunately, my Dear Sister… the one who drew that character is none other my colleague."
"Your co-writer 'Jasmine'…?" He nodded as he placed the tray of tea cups and pot of tea on the coffee table. "All of them are illustrations she made herself but some characters are still on process."
"Wow…she's really talented to make this…!" Hakuryuu looked again at the illustrations. "Yeah right…" Koumei deadpanned. He took the papers from his siblings and cousins to keep them out of sight.
"Oh – would you look at that…!" An imaginary vein popped in Koumei's head as Hakuren rummaged his fridge without permission while the said 'annoying prick' took out a plate of whole cream mango cake.
"Wow…!" Kougyoku immediately snatched the cake from Hakuren. Hakuryuu on the other hand took out some plates for them to use while ignoring Koumei who seemingly ready to kick them out of his unit.
Sighing again Koumei grumbled, "Do what you want." Pissed as he is now, he visibly ignored the 'innocent' smiles of his siblings and cousins as they devour the cake Alibaba made for dessert – (He would have to explain to her how the cake disappeared like bubbles in the air). "Just wait here for a moment…" He said as he arranged the A4 illustrations in his hands and went upstairs to his work station.
When Koumei got inside his room, Kouen got up from the couch and went to the kitchen counter to make his self a cup of black coffee to fight the sweetness of the cake that surprisingly good in his taste. "That Jasmine girl is really something don't you think so, Entei…?" Hakuyuu asked, savoring the taste of mango and cream inside his mouth.
"What Koumei does in his life is none of my business – as long as he knows what he's doing." Kouen replied dully walking back again to sit on the single seated couch. "And as we all noticed… Koumei is in good hands."
"Is this 'Jasmine' girl his girlfriend…?" Kougyoku asked.
"Doubt it." Kouen, Hakuyuu and Kouha said in unison.
"How so…?" Hakuren asked.
"Koumei would have said something in the first place if that is the case right…" Hakuryuu turned to his elder brother as Hakuyuu nodded.
"Just let Koumei be after all he's in the 'situation' and he's smart enough to know what's right or wrong." Hakuyuu seconded.
Hakuren was about to retort when they heard the front door of Koumei's unit opened – everyone in the living room quieted down waiting for something to happen. A shuffling sound echoed in the hallway followed by a thud of walking footsteps nearing the door to the living room.
"Koumei…! I got some creampuffs and muffins from the owner of my favorite bake shop –" The door to the living room opened revealing a golden haired woman wearing a casual maroon printed blouse and navy blue jeans. She stopped midway inside the living room when both parties looked at each in silence.
"…I think I barged in the wrong unit…!" She hastily said and immediately closed the door leaving the occupants of the living room in shock.
…
…
"KOUHA!" Hakuren suddenly shouted as he and Kouha both stood up from the couches and flung themselves out of the room to stop the 'unexpected' visitor. "WAIT UP~!" They both shouted startling the poor lass as they blocked her pathway out of the unit.
"HIEEE!" She shrieked when two 'devils-in-the-making' grinned slyly at her.
In the living room, Kouen almost groan in shame hearing the shriek of the poor girl that Kouha and Hakuren decided to bully while Hakuyuu sweat-dropped with Hakuryuu shaking his head. The door to Koumei's room opened as the freckled writer looked at them in question, "What's that…?!" He asked but the door to the living room opened again revealing a shaken golden haired girl and two grinning lads holding her shoulders preventing her from escaping.
"Now stay still~!" Hakuren said mischievously but both of them stopped harassing the girl when two flying hard covered books connected in their heads almost knocking them out.
"KOUMEI!" Kouha and Hakuren shouted angrily.
Everyone and cringed except for Kouen when they felt an uncharacteristic dark aura from Koumei, "What do you two think you're doing…?" The two pranksters flinched in fright when they saw Koumei's demon eyes.
Trembling in fear, Kouha and Hakuren looked at the golden haired guest when she suddenly pinched Koumei's nose and pulled him along near the glass-paned sliding to the balcony. "I should be the one asking that, Freckles. How many times do I have to tell you to get the laundry three days ago…?" She smiled sweetly at him. "Do you want me to wash you and hang you here for three days…?"
"Let go!" Everyone looked at each other as they heard Koumei exclaimed uncharacteristically. "I was about to –"
"Yeah right…you said that to me the last time I told you to take a bath after five days of not bathing." She deadpanned. "Maybe I should –"
"HELL NO!" Koumei blushed. Hakuren on the other hand put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. It's been long since they saw Koumei this embarrassed and uncharacteristic – it was epic!
"Heh – what do you know ~ Baby Freckles is blushing…!" She teased.
"Do you want to die…?" Koumei threatened.
"Well just pray that one day I will trip down the stairs and get stabbed by an umbrella to my throat. Maybe you'll find me twitching in my own blood in the stairs…" The image in their heads made them cringe in gore.
"Alibaba…" Koumei tried not to think about the image that popped up in his mind. "Would you stop telling morbid things…?"
"I'm disturbed myself…" Obviously
"Then don't say it!"
"Aww…that's boring…" Thinking again she smiled, "Maybe an Elevator death would be fine!" She chirped but Koumei just gave her an audible whack on the head.
"Mei…" Finally, Hakuyuu found his voice to meddle in the unusual argument they have heard so far. Alibaba looked at them with her owlish golden eyes and gasped earning their attention to her, "I remember you…!" She looked at Hakuren. "You're the one who almost hit me!"
Koumei turned to glare at his cousin, "You did what?!" His voice raised in a few octaves, looking at Alibaba in shock. Hakuei and Kougyoku gave the poor dark haired lad their deathly pointy glares. "It was an accident –! I didn't mean it and…–"
"I was wondering if my blood is going to stain the car if I was flung hardly against it…it was frightening really…" Alibaba butted in a nonchalant way earning another whack on the head from Koumei.
"WOULD YOU STOP IT?!" All of them shouted except for Alibaba and Kouen.
Alibaba laughed good-naturedly as she went to the kitchen counter, "Easy…I'm just humoring you…" She smiled sweetly visibly ignoring Koumei glares. "Before I forgot…Nice to meet you all as you can see I'm a friend of Koumei, my name's Alibaba." She bowed slightly.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alibaba-san." Hakuyuu greeted back. "I'm Hakuyuu and these are my younger siblings – Hakuren, Hakuei and Hakuryuu." He pointed to his siblings then turned to Kouen. "And this young man here is Koumei's older brother, Kouen…" Alibaba bowed to Kouen in acknowledgement. "And these two are Koumei's younger siblings, Kougyoku and Kouha. We are cousins to them."
"Now we're done to introductions…" Koumei scowled a little, "I thought you have a project to finish…?" Alibaba stuck out her tongue cutely and scratched her head.
"I thought I should make you dinner for later since I'll be gone for a while. Especially that it's Friday tomorrow." She went over to the fridge and brought out some vegetables and other ingredients she needs. "I didn't know you have visitors and I didn't bother to call you up to remind you."
The others gave a sly grin looking at Koumei, "So…" Hakuren started. "What is your relationship with Koumei…?" The slyness in his words is too obvious. Upon placing the ingredients on the counter Alibaba looked at Hakuren with an unreadable face.
"I'm his friend." She said bluntly.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Hakuren looked at Hakuyuu and Kouen with a disappointed face while Hakuryuu mouthed the 'I-told-you-so' with an understanding face. "Nothing else…?" He turned to face her again to insist his theory.
"I'm like his nanny."
"Oi…! Don't make them misunderstand about us!" Koumei half-shouted at her.
"I supposed washing your – uhmp!" She didn't get to finish when Koumei forcibly shut her mouth with the muffin she got from the bakeshop. "What's that for, you Lazy Freckles?!" She coughed up.
"Just do your job." Koumei glared.
"See what I had deal with…" Alibaba teased again. Hakuyuu smiled fondly and thought that Koumei and Alibaba's relationship is just on the way there. He can see that both of them knew each other well to place themselves in every right situation – maybe this time they are friends but eventually they'll realize the importance they are to each other.
"Alibaba-chan!" Kougyoku chirped and neared the golden haired lass. "You're the one who drew Gin's illustration right…?" Alibaba blinked a couple of times then mouthed an 'oh' in realization.
"Gin…right…I did, why…?"
Blushing slightly, Kougyoku asked, "Did you base him to a real person…? You see…he looked so real so I assumed that he is, right…?" Kougyoku looked at Alibaba in anticipation while missing the dark aura emitting from her brothers and cousins.
"Right…" Alibaba sweat dropped and looked away from the demons in front of her. "Actually he is." Kougyoku squealed in excitement while Koumei's eyebrow twitched. "I based him from the image of my boss." She didn't miss the startled look they gave her especially Koumei.
"Your boss…?" Kougyoku asked cutely.
"Yup." She started washing and cutting the vegetables. "My boss is a popular guy with his good looks and every girl just admires him. I thought I could borrow his character since the role just fit him just fine – do you want to meet him…?" Apparently that question earned more dark glares from the older Ren's. "Or maybe not."
Kougyoku looked at her brothers and cousins with a scowl "Don't mind them!" She turned her attention back to her. "They're idiots." Alibaba shook her head in exasperation and stopped chopping the potato and washed her hands for a moment.
"Here." She took out her phone and opened the gallery app to open the image file of her friend and boss. Kougyoku on the other hand visibly blushed at the image of a hunk man in his late-twenties with slick and shiny purple hair and bright yellow eyes. "He's Sinbad, the owner of Sindria Music Bar."
"He looked like Gin except that…he's more gorgeous…" Kougyoku said dreamily.
"Let me see!" Kouha took the phone and looked at the image. "Yeah right, but he's nothing like Brother En!" He grumbled out.
"You're working in a bar, Alibaba-san?" Hakuei asked politely.
"I worked there as a cook and sometimes a singer. It depends in my schedule and the customers coming in." Alibaba gently snatched her phone back before Kouha could look on it further. "Sometimes I'm a waitress."
"Is he taken?" Kougyoku asked.
Kouha gaped at her while Kouen's face glowered, "N-no…" Alibaba can't help but be worried with Kougyoku's future boyfriend. "He's really popular with most women and he's a playboy, Kougyoku-san." Better make it clear than not. "He's maybe kind and friendly but he's not the kind to settle to one girl."
"How do you know? Did you fall for him too…?" Koumei looked at Alibaba's face but the blank look she gave made him sigh in relief.
"He's my friend since I was a kid and I know him more than the other girls out there." She looked so understanding, "If you fall in love with him you should know him before settling your feelings with him. Beside Sinbad is definitely not my type…" As if on cue, Alibaba's phone rang. "Oh – For the love of God…!" She grumbled out when she saw who is it and swiped the call button before placing it gently against her ear.
"Why?! Why did you think I'm not your type, Ali-chan!?" The others had to strain their ear to hear the unmanly whining on the other line of the phone.
"And here's the Drama King…" Alibaba muttered out annoyingly.
"Ali-chan~!" The caller cried again.
"Sin-chan…" She warned. The others could hear multiple crashes and whatnots then it became quiet again. "Ja'far-san…?"
"Sorry about that Alibaba-chan…the idiot just woke up so he's still in his hangover state self. Bye!" The line went off when Alibaba bid her goodbye while massaging her head.
"Back to the topic…!" She turned to the pink haired lass with a half-stern face. "I'll introduce Sinbad to you if only your brothers permitted you to do so. Other than that I can't promise you anything." The crestfallen look Kougyoku gave made Alibaba to turn away or else she'll give in to her request.
"That being said, Kougyoku…let her do what she needs to do." Kougyoku pouted when Kouen gave her that look. Alibaba smiled fondly at them and continued her cooking – it's been so long since Alibaba got to see a normal interaction of a real family and it's just as warm as she remembered.
If only…
No…I'll just have to wait…
The Ren boys on the other hand decided not to inquire more since Koumei would only answer them vaguely if the girls are here especially now that they got to meet his 'little sweet secret' so they just talked about other things and save up the 'real talk' later with their dear writer.
…
After cooking Alibaba immediately grabbed her things and bid them goodbye, "I really want to chat more with you but I still have a project to finish. So…I'll see you again if we got the time!" Alibaba waved her hand to the Ren Family.
"Be careful!" Hakuei waved back with Kougyoku.
Alibaba smiled and went out the unit with Koumei, "I guess I'll see you after three days…?" Koumei asked after securing the front door.
"I don't know but I'll inform you just in case." She said while placing her bag on her shoulder. "You have a good family. Treasure it more, 'kay…?" The solemnness in her eyes caught Koumei off guard. "Bye." Before he could say anything Alibaba is already inside the elevator.
"Idiot…" He muttered out and went back inside only to find Kouha and Hakuren looking at him mischievously. "What are you doing here…?"
"Aww…why didn't you give her a goodbye-kiss…?" Hakuren whined.
"Don't worry Hakuren I'll personally give you a goodbye kiss since I can still remember that you almost hit my friend." Koumei smiled sweetly at his cousin who gulped in fright, remembering that indeed he almost hit Alibaba the last time they visited Koumei.
"I'm sorry…?" Hakuren apologized but he still earned a hard fist on the head. Koumei huffed while Kouha sniggered as the three of them went back inside the living room.
"Koumei, may I borrow your laptop…?" Hakuryuu asked suddenly.
"Why…?"
"I wanna show you something." Koumei quirked an eyebrow with the others but he complied since Kouen urged him too. "Here." After taking his laptop from his room Koumei gave the device to his youngest cousin.
"Unfair Brother Mei…!" Kouha whined when he saw that Koumei's desktop has a password and they could only open the administrator desktop.
"Yeah right." Koumei grunted out. His family is too nosy to leave without precautionary measure or else he'll never hear the end of it.
Hakuryuu on the other hand ignored his cousin and typed something on the URL bar and clicked the Enter button. "Facebook…? Is there something we need to know about the absurdity of the netizens this particular day, Ryuu-chan…?" Hakuren asked.
"Just let me do the job and shut up." Hakuryuu snapped while typing something on the Search bar of the website.
"Ei-chan~!" Hakuren pouted at her sister but she ignored him.
"Found it!" Hakuryuu exclaimed and moved over a little for them to see. "Watch this." He clicked the Play button. The older Ren's looked more closely and was shock when they heard an angelic voice singing – in the video is a familiar girl singing a song using her lovely voice stunning them in silence.
"I remember her." Hakuryuu started after the video. "She's Alibaba Saluja, daughter of Rashid Saluja – the owner of the Saluja Trading Company and Balbadd Mines." Everyone looked at him in surprise.
"So she's a typical princess…?" Kouha nodded in understanding.
"You think so…?" They looked at Hakuryuu in question. "She's rumored to be a mistress' child." Koumei's eyes widen in shock at the revelation. "Although everyone thought that she's a typical princess…Alibaba-san is a girl who struggled to gain her father's acceptance but she's a Nobody to their family but a person to use in negotiation for their company." His eyes soften in sadness while Kougyoku bit her lower lip.
"And that video…" Hakuryuu heaved a sigh. "She's in her third year in middle school when she joined that contest…I was there too." He closed the video and scrolled down the timeline. "She joined because her father promised to come that day…"
"And…" Kougyoku prompted but she knew the answer.
"He didn't come, of course. She was so sad that day but tried to smile for all of the audience and sang with all of her heart." He clicked an image of Alibaba when she's in her third year in middle school. "It was stunning and at the same time agonizing to watch – I can almost see her wanting to cry that day."
"Poor girl…" Hakuyuu murmured in pity.
"You have a good family. Treasure it more, 'kay?" Alibaba's voice echoed inside Koumei's head as the freckled writer thought of his dear friend. His eyes turned to the image of the younger version of Alibaba with her smiling with some of her classmate.
"I heard that she moved away from his father's house to fend for herself. Some of my classmates said that she's trying to disown his father's name." Hakuryuu continued.
"Wait…is that over the top…? Disowning your father's name is just too much you know…" Hakuren reasoned.
"I think I understand her intention…" Hakuei intervened as the others looked at her in question. "If she disowns his name then his father can no longer use her as bridal money for his company." Kouen nodded at the reasoning but there's still a loophole in the plan.
"To disown the name is not easy and the law won't give in on her demand that easily." Kouen explained to Hakuei. "But if she decided to marry someone then the name of her father won't matter anymore since she'll have her husband's name instead."
"But if that happens…she needs a man with a high standing." Hakuyuu butted in. "Her family is a powerful and influential one in Trading Industry. She needs someone who could stand against the power of her father's influence but that is more like obeying his father to marry someone for the benefit of their company." Hakuyuu continued. "She doesn't have much any choice. If she marries someone without power – her father will surely doom her husband but if she marries someone with power it's like agreeing with her father's wishes."
"Can you do something, Brother Mei…?" Kougyoku turned to her freckled brother.
"It's still just a rumor, Kougyoku…" Hakuryuu reminded. "There's still a possibility that it's not true. We can't just assume something so personal…"
"But still…" Kougyoku whined. "What if it's true…? What will you do then…?" Kougyoku's words rang in their heads as they looked at her. "You can't hide from your family, Brother Mei. We know you better than you think…" Kougyoku added. "Alibaba…she's important to you, right? You've change in every good way because of her and now that she's within your reach – would you just let her slip away like that…?"
Koumei looked taken aback for a second, "What makes you think she's more than that…?" He asked in denial – with his perfect dull face on.
"You're in denial, Mei…you're being obvious here." Hakuren teased but received a dark glare in return. "Eeep…! But it's true…! The way you looked at her tells everything else…!" He scrambled out of Koumei's reach and hid behind Hakuei. "Besides, it looks like you already have mutual understanding."
"It doesn't mean that I have serious feelings for her…" Koumei retorted. "Maybe I like her now but it's just that but how about tomorrow…or the next week or the next month…? Feelings are too weak to handle that it's easy to disregard if I think of it closely." He explained dully as he added. "And she knows it as well… we may have a close kind of relationship with each other but as times goes by we both will think that we don't have anything but friendship for each other."
Kougyoku looked ready to burst a blood vessel while the others looked understanding in every right way… Koumei's right… if you think of your feelings closely… it is much easier to forget those emotions in just a snap of a finger. Koumei and Alibaba are not stupid to know that, they could cross boundaries… yes but there are still limits in what they could do with each other. Sometimes 'liking' and 'loving' is just not enough reason to prove that a couple is meant to be.
"Then what will you do if she confessed to you…?" Kougyoku looked at him, still insisting her assumptions. "What if she was to marry someone she doesn't even love…? Would let you her go just like that…? What if she told you the truth and seeks your help…? Will you just look at her and do nothing…?"
"Gyoku…" Kouha looked torn in between of who's side should he take…since there's a possibility in her words that is maybe true yet Koumei's decision is final and his explanation earlier just proves how he cares his relationship with Alibaba…even though their feelings for each other is not as deep as Kougyoku wanted it to be.
"You're taking your assumptions over the top, Gyoku." Koumei finally said. "If we take it seriously what do you think would happen…?" Kougyoku grimaced as realization finally seemed to sip in. "You realized that it's likely to fall right…and everything going in between us will be awkward and eventually we'll split apart."
"I…"
"Just leave it like it should be…" Koumei cut in. "I'm not in a hurry and so is she."
Even though I'm starting to fall for her…
(***)
About the festival it's just a made-up festival...so...yah...
