Hanamichi was walking fast like he was in a walkathon; battling for gold. He was wearing a black jacket with its hood covering his head. He looked to the right, he looked to the left and then proceeded forward.
"Fourty-two..." He continued walking in search for the house with a block number 42.
Three days ago, he was not as tensed as he was today. He was making the best out of his summer vacation with his friends, hanging out at Danny's Fastfood Chain, playing computer games and checking out pretty girls around. It was a moment of rejoice as the season of no-classes began.
Last week, he was cleaning his house to surprise his mother who would return from work. Hanamichi suddenly found his mother's favorite golden ring in the sofa, so he picked it. He was about to put it inside his mother's jewelry box in her room when Hanamichi had a call of nature.
It was an intense challenge for him to have it released and it took him almost half an hour inside the bathroom, perching in the toilet bowl. When finally, it went out, he exclaimed so hard that he didn't realize his mother's ring was thrown in the toilet bowl.
It was too late for him to rescue the ring for he had flashed the bowl already. No matter how he would wish it come back, it was far to happen.
Fortunately, his mother didn't look for it for the past days or he's doomed. There's only one solution he could think of. He tried searching in jewelry shops across Kanagawa and when he finally saw something similar to the ring, he couldn't buy it for it cost, $400.
He asked his gundam for money but no one dared to lend him for he had so many loans to them that he still haven't paid for. Then, he met Yuki, his highschool friend along the way. They talked about things until Hanamichi had mentioned his problem.
"I know a job where you can earn $400 in a month." Yuki said. "I wanted to take it, but I don't know how to drive."
"Is that a car racing or delivery boy or what?"
"You'll be the chauffeur of this Billionaire man, Mr. Shindou."
Finally, Hanamichi stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief as a gold-plated digits of 4 and 2 appeared at his right. Slowly, he moved his head in the surroundings. His eyes went wide with amazement as he gazed upon the white towering Venesian bricks.
He moved backwards to the black metal gates, double of his height. It was a magnificent mansion before him. It was like a Royal Palace, gleaming in ivory-white.
"Knock! Knock!" Hanamichi banged the gates and a security guard in uniform came to him. "Yuki gave me this address. See..." He showed the piece of paper in his hand that had an address written on it."
"Who's Yuki?" The guard queried smartly.
"He's my friend. I'm the new chauffeur of Mr. Shindou."
"Your name?" The guard asked him sternly.
"Hanamichi Sakuragi."
"All right." And the guard opened the gates for him. The guard had his name in his list of people to let inside the mansion.
"Wow..." Hanamichi's mouth dropped as his eyes saw the gigantic white house with marble-blue bay windows. He was unconsciously walking along the cemented road towards the house, where vehicles pass by.
When the redhead finally reached the foot of the short staircase towards the elegant oak-wood entrance double door, a man in a dark formal suit with a black ribbon-tie on his neck approached him.
"The guard told me, you are the new chauffeur of Mr. Rukawa." The man said. "I'm Mr. Zenki Yoshi, the mansion's butler."
Hanamichi was stunned in the mere mention of the name RUKAWA. "Eh?"
Receiving no rational answer from the redhead, the butler's eyebrow lifted in sheer annoyance.
"Never mind, just follow me." The butler ordered and Hanamichi followed with his mind travelling somewhere
Hanamichi's brows knitted. It's Shindou and not Rukawa. Or... is this butler has amnesia? Or insane?
They passed through the shining marbled floor with no single dust was seen. The white glass sala beds and chairs were fixed in the hill-inspired blue gigantic carpet on the floor.
It was a never before seen palace in Kanagawa for Hanamichi. There were enormous clear mirrors on the wall, adorned with Chinese vases and plates. Hie eyes never stopped roaming around the house.
Until the butler entered a mahogany door. There inside the room was a 24-seat amber-painted wooden dining table with a green marbled vase in the middle. Inside that held tulips and orchids in happy colors.
"Excuse me, sir." The butler went towards the man sitting at one edge of the dining table. The man was wearing a gray formal suit with a silk black necktie, in perfect fit to his broad shoulders and toned muscles. "The new chauffeur is here."
When the man glanced at Hanamichi, the latter gave him a pleasant smile and the smile was regarded.
"Hanamichi Sakuragi, this is Mr. Shindou Rukawa, the owner of this mansion." The butler introduced Hanamichi, who was now standing beside him. "Mr. Shindou, this is Hanamichi Sakuragi, your new-hired chauffeur."
Mr. Shindou wiped his mouth with the table handkerchief and greeted Hanamichi with an amiable smile. "And this is my only son, Kaede."
The moment Hanamichi laid eyes on the young man sitting on the right side of table chair nearest to Mr. Shindou, shock and embarrassment mixed his feelings. How... how could it be? Hanamichi uttered to himself.
"Do'aho." Kaede muttered, his lips partially opening in each syllable and his eyes narrowing.
"Kaede. Be nice." Mr. Shindou said to his son, keeping his patience... then he grinned when he turned towards Hanamichi's direction. "My apologies. How old are you?"
"Nineteen." Hanamichi murmured. He was thankful that inspite of being stupefied, he was still able to lie about his age. Yuki and him planned about it. They made Hanamichi two years older since Mr. Shindou was very considerate with age. But will it be forever a secret, when Kaede is there to reveal the truth?
"All right. Um, Hanamichi, my son and I are in the middle of our breakfast. Let's talk later. Wait for me in the living room." Mr. Shindou tapped Hanamichi's arm. "Zenki, please guide his way."
And the butler left the dining room with Hanamichi. When Mr. Shindou looked at his son, Kaede was as silent as always munching very little slice of buttered croissant.
"I told you, I won't let you ride your bike once more." Mr. Shindou began with no trace of joke in his face.
"How sure are you that I'll be safer with a chauffeur?" Kaede answered in a straight tone, without looking at his father.
"If that chauffeur would sleep while driving, then tell me immediately." Mr. Shindou continued eating his pancakes when Kaede spoke once more in a tone like he was talking to himself.
"Nineteen... huh?"
Mr. Shindou sighed. His son had always been stubborn. His close friends said it could be the effect of being raised without a mother. But, Mr. Shindou have had several girlfriends in his lifetime after his wife died ten years ago, and Kaede never liked anyone of them.
"Kaede... Kaede..." Mr. Shindou wiped his mouth of any crumbs of food, then tapped the table once and stood up. "I'll leave you here, I have a meeting to attend to."
"That's what takes all your time." Kaede suddenly pushed away his plate and it created a banging noise. While Mr. Shindou ignored his son and left the room. He's used of his tantrums. For seventeen years, he had been tolerating and spoiling his son. He gives him everything he needs, except giving up his work.
Mr. Shindou is a Film producer with a leading company nationwide. Focusing in his work set him aside from deep depression over his wife's death.
If he would stay in the house with his son, the memory of Rika Rukawa would only live to cause them pain and regrets. It's better that they become distant from each other or the thought of having an incomplete family would only ruin their lives.
TOBECONTINUED
