Type: Multi-chapter story.

Genre: Romance, family, friendship, angst, tragedy, historical.

Pairing: Naru/Mai, one-sided Gene/Mai

Universe: Alternate universe

A/N: Loosely based on Sengoku period (warring states period in Japan) for the environment setting (building, clothes, etc.), but also influenced by ancient Chinese lifestyle. There is no relation whatsoever to any historical events or characters.

All Ghost Hunt characters mentioned in the story belong to Fuyumi Ono and any other right holders.

Cherry Blossom Dream

- First Encounter -

He first saw her when she came out to greet her father and brothers.

The young teenage girl was nothing like what he had imagined. Her beautiful kimono was slightly disheveled from her running, and her hair wasn't in its best shape either. The pretty bun that must had been tidily made on her head before had loosened, the hairpin almost fell altogether from her lustrous, brunette tresses.

She was far from a dignified, pampered little princess of a noble family that he thought of before. He heard rumors about how much Taniyama-dono and his two sons loved and doted on this concubine-born daughter, yet his sensei had been skeptical about it.

"Do you think it is possible that a concubine-born daughter being valued that much, when the main wife has given birth to two outstanding sons? The girl is probably being brought up meticulously just to be married off for a political marriage later on," Lin-sensei had scoffed when he asked about the rumors.

He also thought that what his sensei said made sense. Was he not a victim of such treatment too because of his birth? Since young, he and his brother had been sent away from home to be raised by his maternal granduncle instead of their own parents. From early on, they had learned that no matter how outstanding a concubine-born child was, they would never be able to reach the same standing as a wife-born child. Especially if the wife had already given birth to a son, the first child of her husband, the true heir of the family.

And yet, what unfolded in front of his eyes was something he had never witnessed before. The fierce general, Taniyama Hidaka, who had been feared by enemies' troops in the battlefield, was smiling softly as he hold the young girl who had unabashedly ran into his embrace. Taniyama Hirotou, the prideful and aloof heir of the Taniyama family, was chuckling in amusement while gently patted the young girl's head. And Taniyama Saitou, the one who was nicknamed as a little demon due to his rebellious nature, was waiting impatiently on his father's side, wanting to embrace his little sister whom he had been missing for months.

He had been quietly watching this heart-warming yet foreign scene from the side, when the young girl suddenly turned toward him and exclaimed in surprise.

"Otou-sama! You didn't say that you bring home a guest!" she protested as she tried to pry herself off from her brother's embrace. She looked a little embarrassed at her carefree behavior before, yet curiosity made her unable to look away from the unknown young man.

Her father just chuckled and gestured for him to move closer.

"This is Shibuya Kazuya, a relative of Lord Mori. He would be living with us for a while since Lord Mori wishes for him to learn about military arts. Shibuya-dono, this is my daughter, Misaki," he introduced the two of them.

Kazuya bowed slightly to the girl, and when their eyes met, Misaki seemed to be flustered as she hastily bowed back to him. He raised his eyebrow a little condescendingly at her loss of composure and it earned him a glare from the said young girl.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," she said as she forced herself to smile at him.

"It is also my pleasure to be acquainted to an esteemed lady such as yourself," he answered with a fake smile he had mastered to show throughout the years.

"Huh. I wonder whether being acquainted with a humble person such as myself will truly bring pleasure to a noble scholar with outstanding appearance like Kazuya-dono," she snorted in disbelief at his answer.

"The lady must be jesting. I am still far from being a noble scholar. Though I do appreciate your thought that my appearance is out of ordinary, Misaki-dono," he replied humbly, yet he couldn't resist addressing the girl using her given name, as she had done the same to him earlier.

The girl blushed furiously as she realized that she had unconsciously let her thought known to its unintended recipient. Her face was so red he thought she might pass out from all the blood pressure.

'She has a good taste though,' he thought bemusedly to himself, feeling oddly pleased at her attention to his appearance.

She gritted her teeth as she hold herself back from stepping on his foot.

"Since all of you had a long journey and may need to rest, I would excuse myself. Otou-sama, I will check with Sayuri-sama if she needs any help with the welcome banquet. Hiro-niisama and Sai-niisama, you may refresh yourself in your room if you wish, Sayuri-sama had ordered the servants to tidy up your quarters. And I believe that Otou-sama had already made arrangement for Kazuya-dono, so I will ask the head steward to see Otou-sama for your further instruction," she said as she bowed to the men before turned around and walked toward the inner compound.

Kazuya stood silently as he watched the slender back of the girl steadily moved farther away until it disappear from his sight. He then quietly followed his host to the study, a little bit bothered by the mixed feelings he had at the first encounter with the young lady of the house.