In the sea
Of life
Cold and deep
Waves of despair
Family
Is the ship
That stays together
Going against the tide
Ride the storm out.
He had the essentials
A loving mother
A sweet sister
Even if
His own father
Quite scorned him
It was real
Perhaps
The closest object
To genuine
In an elusive world.
He was a cynic
A skeptic
Taking all
With a pinch of salt
And an eye
Of suspicion
Lessons learned
From a damage
Dealt to the heart
Mind
Soul.
Challenges make or break a man.
We can either be stronger
Or we can learn.
But in the end
Amidst all that
He too believed
If all else
Without family
Man has nothing
But death.
Life has no inherent meaning.
All definitions must be constructed.
Time
Perhaps
Flew a bit faster
In the moments
Of inner monologue
And idle trance
Where the body is dead
The mind comes alive.
Too soon
They were joined
By the fathers
And mothers
From both
Two families
And here he was
Once more
Locked in an intersection
Of attention.
"Hikigaya-san. You and Yukinoshita Haruno seem close."
He nods in response.
The woman
Whom had dwarfed the ice queen
In terms of coldness
Now
Strangely
He did not bother.
"I must say. This is a first."
"You are the only young man that has ever caught the attention of Haruno."
"Oh no. I must admit, she is interested in me. But only for mere entertainment."
"Ah, but by entertainment. You have certainly caught her fancy."
"This does not change anything, does it. Yukinoshita-san."
A stubbled, blonde man interjected.
"On the contrary. with Haruno being our eldest daughter, this may very well change everything."
"And what of Hayato?"
"The engagement continues."
He scowled.
"Do not tell me you will retain half the assets."
"We will see if your son is as capable. This young man here has shown more balls than your little prince."
"You greedy double-crosser. There was an agreement."
"And it is not yet official, is it? After all, this is just an engagement."
As the two men quarreled
The cynic was stunned
Dumbfounded
By the escalation
Of events.
Engagement?
Assets?
This was the pinnacle
Of corporate operations
Modus operandi
Capitalist business men
A testament
In the world of society
That there is no friendship
Only mutual interests.
Politics is warfare without the bloodshed.
A race to the top
And to climb the steps
Push one down
Step over their head
And take it all.
Fame, fortune and power.
One is enough
Two is lucky
To have all
Is greedy.
It was repulsive
And even a cynic
Must understand
Not everything
Is served
On a silver platter
Men get down and dirty
To find gold.
Yet he had nothing to do with it.
Did not need
Nor want
Anything
To do with it.
He came here
Expecting a storm
Now
A catastrophe
Hurricane of greed
Deceit
Cutthroats and liars
And he understood well
Aristocrats.
Creatures
Will stab you on the back
Moment you turn around.
"Gentlemen. I do not, want or need, absolutely anything to do with this."
They all looked at him in surprise.
"If we are talking money and business then clearly, I am not supposed to be here."
"But that is absurd. Are you not the love of Haruno?"
How bold of you to assume.
"What led you to that assumption?"
They stared at him
In silence
Cold gazes
Yet he merely
Looked back
With equanimity
He shook his cuffs
And sipped on wine
As if
He was
Some higher being.
Inwardly
He was cursing his luck
Fingers crossed
The blue-blood façade
Carries him
Through
And out
Of this hell.
Mimicry at its finest.