Hana-chan stared closely at the man who claims to be his real father.
"It's been so long, my son." A twinkle in the strange man's copper brown eyes caressed the boy's heart. "Last time I saw you, you were just a baby."
Hana-chan had never seen his father even in pictures. He dreams of him, but it's not enough to recognize the first Hanamichi Sakuragi in person.
"My dad is dead." He murmured.
As soon as those words came out of the boy's mouth, the man automatically grabbed his arms and gripped it hard yet gentle in the manner.
"Look into my eyes, son and tell me I'm a fraud."
Those eyes gave him the key to see through the truth without reason. Hana-chan wasn't able to control himself. He leaned towards the stranger and hugged him tight.
The two men embraced each other under the moonlight.
"How come people believe you're dead?" Hana-chan queried... without taking his arms around his father.
"I survived the car accident. The truck hit the side where your mum was and it took her life." Hanamichi squeezed his eyes... regretting it ever happened. "No one knows I survive but your mother's parents and my mum. I told them to tell everybody that I'm already dead."
"But why, dad?"
"I blame myself for the death of your mother. I left Japan a month after when I could walk already. I almost broke my left leg from the accident. Then I flew to Singapore where I spent the next twelve years of my life."
"And leave me alone?" Hana-chan finally retrieved himself from the hug and looked straight at his father with a building fury.
"I didn't leave you. Kaede Rukawa adopted you. He has all the money in the world to raise you. I'm not a rich man, what can I give you?"
Hana-chan's tears fell on his cheeks. His anger boiled inside and he pushed his father's shoulders away from him.
"Then why didn't you just bury me with my mum?"
Hanamichi was stunned. He never thought his son could speak like that. Hana-chan seemed to have all the rage in the world as his burden.
"Aren't you happy in America? Aren't you happy living in luxury?"
"What's so happy about people befriending you so you can treat them for snacks? And your girlfriend loving your money? Huh?"
Hanamichi felt sorry about his son's life in America.
"What did Kaede do?"
"The hell! He never see me. I never knew he's the one financing my needs if not for my nanny's persistent research about him."
Hanamichi tried to pull his son closer to him again and feel his warmth... but Hana-chan shove him away.
"I bet you had a great life in Singapore... without a single worry about your son growing up away from you."
"Look, son, I... I trust Kaede so much that he'll take care of you."
"Damn! That fucking trust!"
And Hana-chan ran away... ignoring the yells of his father. He wanted to be alone. He didn't know where to go... and all he wanted was to run and run and run. He badly wants to run away from his problem.
Exhaustion was unnoticeable. Hana-chan stepped on the marbled floors of the Kanagawa Front Hotel with numbed senses. The warm greetings of the employees, the beauty of the magnificent lobby and the people around were nothing to call his attention.
Except when he noticed a security guard talking at someone in one of the european couches.
There was a brown-haired girl sleeping in the couch with her eyes blinking so cute.
Rakeru...
Hana-chan inched quickly towards the location of the girl and the security guard.
"What's happening here?" The boy asked and when Rakeru saw him, she instantly hugged him.
"Da-gErl-a-frEnd-of-yOrs, sir?"
"Yes." Hana-chan caressed Rakeru's hair gently. He was deaf to hear what the security guard was saying. All he cared about was the little girl in his arms... sobbing.
The security guard left them.
"Are you all right?" Hana-chan mumbled while brushing outwards the soft brown strands of Rakeru's hair.
"Where hAv yA been, Hana-chan? Yo dad tOld mee yO not in ya rUm. WEr u bEEn?"
Hana-chan thought about his meeting with his real father. When Rakeru mentioned 'dad', he thought if she's talking about Kaede or Hanamichi.
"Why are you looking for me?"
Rakeru looked at his eyes and grinned lovely.
"It's my birthday two days from now. I'm having a party at our house. Can you come?"
There was no certainty until when he'll be in Japan. Hana-chan wanted to say 'yes of course', but with his current situation, he wanted to fly to America as soon as possible.
"Please... say yes." The girl plead.
"You waited for me here just to ask me that?"
"Please..."
Their arms were still wrapped around each other. Hana-chan didn't know what to respond... until he noticed a pair of serious sapphire blue eyes directed to him.
"Dad..."
Rakeru heard his mumbling so she followed the location where Hana-chan's eyes were looking.
Kaede inched towards them.
"Go to your room. I'll take care of her." Kaede insisted and Hana-chan followed. The boy was about to enter the elevator when he changed his mind and returned to Kaede and Rakeru. "So stubborn."
"No, dad. I don't trust her to you."
Kaede was shocked and he didn't let that shock to rule over him. He spoke to Rakeru. "Leave this hotel now or I'll call the security."
"She's not going anywhere." Hana-chan pulled Rakeru nearer to him and held her wrist protectively.
"Don't test my temper." Kaede warned.
"I'm not like my father who leaves people behind." Hana-chan said with toughness.
"Don't talk like that about your father."
"You're the same, dad. You care nothing about but yourselves."
Suddenly, a hotel employee approached them. "I'm sorry, sir but if you have a little misunderstanding, you can talk about it on your room."
Kaede and Hana-chan looked nowhere. They didn't pay heed on the various eyes staring at them, but Rakeru was and she insisted the two men to stop.
"No, Rakeru. You will not leave alone." Hana-chan said with toughness. "I'll accompany you to your home."
Hana-chan was about to leave Kaede, when he stopped beside him and looked straight at Kaede's darkening sapphire blue eyes.
"I know something you don't about my father." The boy mumbled with threatening eyes.
Kaede was alarmed. He watched as Hana-chan left with the little brown-haired girl. Could it be possible that Hana-chan knew something so big that it affected him so much, in two days?
Kaede had no idea how it could be possible, but what he's certain of, is that his adopted child knows something he suppose to know.
-to-be-continued-