"At best, I would only consider Haruno as a friend. We are merely acquaintances."
A friend?
That would be
At best.
The blonde man
Was noticeably pleased
And he could spot
A small smirk.
On the other hand
The father of ice
Clearing his throat
Sighed.
"Very well then."
He stood up
Intending to take his leave
When the man
Came forward
And in his hand
Another golden card.
Whatever is with these
Strange custom
Of exchanging
Pieces of paper?
"The offer still stands."
What offer?
"Feel free to contact me if you decide to change your mind."
The nerves of this man.
Reluctantly
He took the card
And pocketed it
Nodding.
"If you'll excuse me. I need to catch some fresh air."
Yes, some fresh air will do.
A goddamn lot of it.
Thus
There he stood
Away from the crowd
Out in an open terrace
Cold wind
Dark sky
Only the stars
To keep him company.
It was bizarre.
If he had known
What would have
Transpired
In this
Sinister
Champagne and ties
He would barricade his room
And keep out
Any sly devils
That try to take him.
He was frustrated.
Not only was he played
He was also roped
Into more
Complex events.
Simplicity is key.
Only fools complicate
Wise men
Simplify.
Money.
He needed it
But did not want it
Enough is enough
And if it involves
Politics
Galvanized by
Marriage
Then being a corporate slave
Is not so bad.
A man who retains his will
Is always free.
But to marry
Is to commit
Something
Even the cynical philosopher
Fail to fathom
Prison
A cell
For two people.
It rocked him to the core.
He sensed light footsteps
From behind
But surprised
It was not a certain devil woman
But the elder
He had seen ago.
"All those talk are exhausting, isn't?"
"Very."
Both of them
Shared
A small chuckle.
"Such are men. Money and fame."
He nodded his head
To think
Indeed
Old people
Understand
With the life they lived
How could they not?
He was comfortable
Talking to an elder
The grandmother of a fire queen
No less.
"How is my little Yumi-chan doing?"
"She is in good health, Miura-sama."
"That is good. Is she a good girl?"
To this
He blushed a bit
Such a question
Can be easily
Misinterpreted.
"Well... She's not in big trouble I guess."
"I see."
"She does not talk about family much."
"It is understandable. Saito-kun is the only family she has."
"But what about you?"
She shook her head
As if in gloom.
"Sadly, ever since her mother left, relations fell out between me and her father."
He tensed up
Emotional moments
It was not his tempo
And politely
He would not want
To find out more.
From all his friend told him
Her mother did leave
And speaking of her
Grandmother
She was virtually
Non-existent?
"Apologies. I should not ask."
"It's all right. You seem like a nice young man. I hope you are good friends with Yumi-chan."
He presented a small bow
And the woman left
It was a coincidence
Of all the places
Here he met
The mysterious grandmother
Of the fire queen.
He knew for a fact
They were a wealthy family
Her house was thrice as big as his
And just as extravagant
Yet it was strange
Because if the elder of the family
Miura Miyako
Is present
Where is the son?
Questions to be answered
In another day.
It was certainly
None of his business
Yet it was quite intriguing
As if a framed portrait of a family
Covered
By a shattered glass.
A broken family
Next worst thing
To none.