Hana-chan smelled the breeze coming in his nostrils. The fresh air of the Kanagawa region, his birthplace, his home.
Disappointment existed in his being for boarding in a different flight with Rukawa Kaede... but surely... he would still meet the famous sportsman some time in his sojournment in Asia.
He arrived in the grounds of Japan eight hours ago and after taking a four-hour sleep in the hotel bed... Hana-chan was vivaciously energetic to face whatever has to come.
He glanced behind him... at a western-style oakwood chair where a dark formal suit was perched. A hotel employee came earlier to deliver the clothing.
It was a suit bought from Rukawa Kaede's money for the sole purpose of an evening celebration late that night. The hotel employee also informed him that Rukawa Kaede was staying in the same hotel but refused to tell the room number.
The employee informed Hana-chan... by 7pm of that day... a vehicle would fetch him at the hotel's entrance lobby and would bring him to the party's venue.
The plan moved as listed. Hana-chan came in another five-star hotel wearing the dark suit. Although nervousness occupied almost his entire body because he had no idea of the purpose for coming to the celebration, Hana-chan felt the urge to attend since there's nothing else for him to do in Kanagawa.
Hana-chan stepped his foot one by one... closer and closer... to the celebration hall. Through the guide of some hotel employees, he was able to reach his destination.
The magnificent vast twin doors of the hall was opened. The yellow lights shining from luxurious chandeliers welcomed his innocent mind.
Formal celebrations similar to that one were not aliens to Hana-chan. He had attended several gatherings in five-star hotels and posh restaurants not to feel comfortable at that moment.
However... it's not the mere reason why Hana-chan was like a frozen redheaded creature in the midst of the social crowd. It was mostly because of the Japanese-speaking guests surrounding the enormous hall. There were conversations he could successfully make an eavesdrop on... but it entered his ears like murmurs because of the alien language used.
Suddenly, at the buffet table... Hana-chan noticed sky blue eyes sparkling like an expensive gem. A young and fresh-looking girl was staring at him.
Hana-chan was dumbfounded in seeing an incredible Japanese beauty with medium-length wavy cappuccino hair and clear skin... similar to an animated angel playing in the clouds.
The moment seemed to be meant only for Hana-chan to entertain himself. The pretty girl suddenly vanished in the crowd and other subjects filled his attention.
"Sakuragi..."
Hana-chan gazed at the origin of the low handsome voice. There he saw a man in green long-sleeved polo and a little shorter than him.
"You-you know me?" Hana-chan couldn't believe that in the middle of foreign people... there's a single one who knows his name.
The man grinned and shook his head. "Jast wat I toht. Hana-chan." The man suddenly gave the boy a tight bear hug and felt his presence.
Hana-chan was flabbergasted. The man was a total stranger to him but it seemed like... the former had known him before.
When the man finally withdrew himself from the hug... he looked at the chocolate brown eyes of the child and offered a hand to shake.
"Mitsui Hisashi. YO faDe's fEnd in HAyS-kUl."
Hana-chan stared at the hand floating between him and the man who hugged him earlier... after trying to adjust from the man's Japanese accent... a beautiful grin flashed on his youthful face. He shook hands with the man.
"Hanamichi Sakuragi, at your service sir."
Hisashi eyed the young boy meticulously. The boy spoke in straight American English, with perfect diction and stood like a real gentleman... unlike his father many years ago.
"It lUks Rukawa nevA tOld yU Abawt Japan."
"Truth is..." Hana-chan tilted his head down, reluctant of continuing his sentence. "I just met him days ago."
Hisashi curved his lips slightly and patted the boy's head. "I dOn doubt thAt."
The brows of the younger boy knitted but his questioning mind was intercepted with the appearance of a fine bespectacled gentleman... beside Hisashi. The newcomer was holding one glass of red wine on each hand and gave the other to Hisashi.
"Hana-chan..." Hisashi gestured his free hand towards the man at his side. "Meet Kogure Kiminobu."
The youngest of them all, the redheaded child, smiled amicably and shook hands with Kiminobu.
"You truly look like your father... I might mistake you for him." The bespectabled gentleman said... that earned chuckles from Hisashi and a little smile from Hana-chan. Kogure Kiminobu was working in the Internatinal Affairs section of McDonald's company in Osaka for about five years in a row. His College Degree and Job experience enhanced his English communication skills that it seemed like he himself had lived in an English-speaking nation.
"Um... Hana... Kiminobu is mY hAs-bAnd." Hisashi added in his introduction to his seven years legal marriage partner. For the long time their relationship had been exposed to public, it was no longer deviant for them to tell the whole world about their intimacy.
At first, Hana-chan was surprised. He had been used of seeing homosexuality and lesbianism in America... but the topic still shocks him because he had been a straight-person for the fathest time he could remember.
"I bEt... You dOn' knOw" Hisashi was cut off when Kiminobu elbowed him on the waist.
Apparently, the stilled eyes of Hana-chan after hearing about Hisashi and Kiminobu's relationship... tell about the boy's innocence regarding his late father's love affairs with the most successful Basketball star in Japan, Rukawa Kaede.
After regaining his vivaciousness, Hana-chan grinned at the the two gentlemen in front of him... attempting to make their talk interesting and full of life. "I wonder what's this celebration for?"
The two gentlemen had their mouths dropped on the floor. If not only for his identical resemblance with their past friend Sakuragi Hanamichi and the news that Hana-chan returned to Japan for a visit, they would think that this child came inside a wrong hall.
Where the hell did he came from? Hisashi's thoughts spoke inside him in his native tongue. Did he grew up in a jungle far from civilization?
"Excuse me." Kiminobu's facial expression turned sullen from the boy's question and he left the conversation. Hana-chan do not deserve this kind of life, having so many questions he suppose to know. There was only one suspect for this... Kiminobu felt he was at the right place at the right time. Rukawa Kaede deprived Hana-chan of any knowledge about his origin and the boy grew up with the hands of strangers.
If Sakuragi is alive, he wouldn't like this.
Kiminobu's feet struggled through the crowd... searching for the legendary Ice-King of Kanagawa.... the man who only sees himself... his side... his own light.
Meanwhile, Hisashi wanted so much to tell Hana-chan everything there is for him to know... but he wasn't certain of being the right person. Suddenly, Hisashi spot someone who looked so familiar in his memory... someone he haven't seen for so long.
The ex-three-pointer of Shohoku Basketball Team, Hisashi Mitsui, blocked the way of that person and stared at his figure.
"Hello Mr. Sendoh Akira."
In the mere mention of the name 'Sendoh Akira', Hana-chan's mind and eyes were focused exclusively on the spiky-haired, six feet and seven-inch tall man. Cobalt blue eyes sparkled in the direction of Hisashi... and it brought hope to the innocent young Sakuragi.