After a month, our costumes were finally complete. Aki put his blood, sweat, and tears into making them. We met at his house to try them. Aki already has his costume on when we got there. He wore dark navy blue pants that had a tint of grey to it with a beige button up shirt that had its sleeves rolled up. He had a vest on that was colored a dark plum color with thin light grey-blue horizontal lines. He wore a black tie and had on knee high black boots with gold laces. His hair piece was the one I designed. It consisted of three magnolia flowers. One was dark blue and the other was white. In the middle was a flower that had our individual colors. For Aki, his color was purple. There was a blue piece of fabric with two gold lines on the bottom attached to the flowers. We all stared in awe.
"They're all done. This is by far my best collection I've ever made. Kei, your outfit is in the spare room on the second floor. Sayo and Ayumu's outfits are in the spare room on the first floor. Yukine and Yona's outfits are in my room. Once you have it on, come back here and wait." Everyone went their own way. Yukine and I followed Kei to his room.
Inside, there were two manikins with outfits. One had a skirt and the other had shorts with a skirt. "I went out of my way and even made you custom tights and shoes, Yona." Aki said.
"Really?" He went to his bed and picked them up. He then explained how my costumed worked.
"I'll let you two get changed. I still need to do finishing touches on yours, Yona."
"Got it."
When he left, I turned to my outfit. It was beautiful. The shorts and sleeveless shirt were the same dark blue. The sides of shorts were dark plum colored. I stripped and put the shorts on. The went all the say to my waist. The bottoms had plum colored ruffles at the bottom. I put the cream shirt on. It hung a little over the shorts. There was a jacket the same length as my shirt that mimicked the design of the shorts. The black sheer sleeves went to my elbows. The cuffs were a solid black material with a gold insignia of a magnolia and at the end, there were purple ruffles that had a gold line. I put on the white tights and noticed the gold magnolia on the side of my left leg. Even my red heels were an upgrade from the usual red shoes I wore. The ones Aki made me had a bigger heal with a magnolia symbol on the back. I then put the skirt on. It was attacked to a thick black belt. There was a stripe of the plum in the middle. There were gold flowers and leaves on the black part of the belt. The skirt itself was asymmetrical and layered. The outside layer was the only symmetrical part. The right side almost touched the floor, matching the rest of the material underneath, while the left side could touch my hand if I let my arm hang.
The first layer that touched my leg dark blue on the inside and the plum on the outside. Again, gold embroidery was stitched in on the bottom. On top of that was a sheer beige color. A black material with the same purple boundary sat on top of that. It was shorter than the bottom two layers. The top layer was a sheer, dark blue material that had sparkles throughout. The bottom had golden flowers and leaves on the bottom. I then took my hair piece. It was the same as everyone else with the exception of my color.
"Let me help." Yukine said. She took the hair piece and pinned a few pieces my hair back with the flowers on the right side of my head. "Perfect." She said brightly. She had a similar outfit on. She only had a skirt with black tights. "Let's go see how everyone looks." I nodded and we walked back out to the main room. Everyone was waiting for us. Sayo saw us and froze with her mouth wide open. Aki turned and smiled, nodding to himself. The Nakamura siblings turned and were shocked. Sayo had the same outfit as me, but her shorts were puffy and her skirt was short. Kei had a similar outfit as Aki. Only he had longer sleeves and a plum jacket that hung off his shoulders. Ayumu wore pants with the same shoes as Kei and Aki. She had a small shoulder cape with gold accessories. All in all, we matched and had the same vibe.
Sayo wore the yellow flower, Yukine had the teal, Kei had the white, and Ayumu had the pink color. "You said you had finishing touches for mine?" I asked Aki.
"She needs more?! She's absolutely perfect!" Sayo exclaimed.
"Yeah. There are some accessories I couldn't get on in time." Aki said as he walked over. He then proceeded to put more gold onto my costume. He then handed me and Yukine black gloves with ruffles. I noticed Sayo and Ayumu had them on. So, I put mine on. "There. Now, you're perfect." I saw Aki's dad walk into the room. He looked at all of us with surprise.
"Is this what you've been working on for the last month?" He asked Aki.
"It is. What do you think?" He looked at all of us and then his son.
"Good work. This is the best you've ever done."
"Thank you." Aki said happily. I've never seen him this eccentric before.
"How about a picture in the garden? The flowers will go with the outfits." Aki's dad suggested.
"I already have a friend coming over for a photoshoot tomorrow."
"Very well. I'll be sure to have accommodations ready." He left the room.
"You didn't tell us about that." Kei said.
"I was about to. We're having a photoshoot tomorrow. Come early and bring your instruments if you can. I hope none of you have anything planned."
The next day, I took my bass and went downstairs. Iemitsu was still home which wasn't a plus. "Where are you going so early?" Mama asked.
"We're having a photoshoot at Aki's."
"For what?" Iemitsu questioned.
"For the band. He finished our costumes."
"And what are you going to do with those photos?" He asked.
"They're for promotion. We're planning on what songs to perform for our mini concert." Iemitsu only shook his head with disapproval. I ate a small breakfast before leaving. At Aki's house, there were many people running around. I walked in and saw Aki giving orders. He was in uniform. He saw me.
"I'm glad you made it, Yona. Your costume is in my room. Go get dressed. While we're waiting, we can get started on your photoshoot."
"Huh?"
"Go." I ran upstairs and saw my completed outfit. I quickly changed and walked down with my bass still in its case. I got everyone's attention. People were gossiping about me. Aki walked me out to the garden. I gasped with shock. It looked like it came from a castle. "Do you like it?" He asked.
"It's beautiful."
"Who is that?!" I heard someone ask with shock. Everyone in and outside surrounded the two of us.
"Guys, this is Yona Kurosawa. She's Magnolia's bassist and an incoming middle school freshman to our school."
"She got Kei's approval?" A girl asked.
"She did with flying colors. It helps his intimidating aura doesn't affect her."
"She's really cute. Like, I'd want a doll of her. How has Sayo not kidnap you?" Another girl asked.
"She resists temptation." I responded quietly.
"Well, let's get you started. My name is Hina. I'm one of Aki's friends from school. I'm an almost professional photographer. Don't be intimidated. Everyone's first time is nerve wrecking." We walked further into the garden. There was a table with an old looking pot and cup. "Sit there and pretend as if you're drinking tea. Keep your back straight." I sat down and picked up the cup and saucer. I put the cup towards my lips. "Freeze." Hina said. I heard the clicking of the camera. "Perfect!" For the next two hours, Hina directed me to be in many poses in the garden and in Aki's house. We even disrupted his dad's work in the study so Hina could take my picture. He didn't seem to mind and watched.
"You really look even more beautiful than your mother ever did at your age, Yona."
"Dad."
"I'm just complimenting her, Aki."
Hina had me in various positions. As long as the books were the background, she didn't care what I was doing. Finally, she told me to get my bass out. We were in the entrance area of the house. People were working to put up drapes. Even the lighting was different.
"Now, I want you to jump up and then end in this pose with your bass." She crouched down, one knee on the floor. It seemed easy enough.
However, nothing is ever easy. Hina made me jump multiple times so she could get the perfect picture. I saw the rest of the band entering. Where have they been?
"Good! Yes! I got the perfect picture! I'm going to develop this right away!" Hina said before running away. I landed on my knees and let out a groan.
"Are you alright?" Ayumu asked me.
"I'm so exhausted. I've never had to jump so much in my life." I said between pants.
"Hina is pretty intense. You're probably done until group photos. You did well, Yona." Aki said, petting my head.
"Thank you. Is there any food? I'm hungry."
"There's food in the kitchen. Dad ordered a lot, so don't hesitate to dig in."
"Thank god." I put my bass back in its case before going to get food. Weirdly, Kei and Ayumu's dad was in there with Aki's dad. They looked at me.
"Did you come to eat, Yona?" Aki's dad asked.
"I did." He handed me a plate. I put on two sandwiches and a little bit of everything. There was even soup.
"Can you eat that much?" Ayumu's dad asked.
"Yes."
"I don't doubt it. Nana used to eat any amount of food."
"You knew her mother?"
"I did. We were friends. It's a shame I didn't date her. Aki could have had a cute sister."
"She'd never touch you in a million years. You're not her type."
"And Iemitsu is?" He asked me.
"Unfortunately. She's never had good taste in men."
"You really don't like Iemitsu." Ayumu's dad said.
"I have very good reasons to hate that man. He's a horrible husband and an even worse father."
"Has he laid his hands on you?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
"No." He has indirectly because he's the one sending his men after me.
"I'm guessing he has." I looked up at him with confusion. Huh? How did he come to that conclusion?
"I can tell he's hurt you."
"He hasn't hurt me."
"Angelo has a knack for knowing what people are really thinking." Aki's dad said.
"Is that so? Thank you for telling me."
"Why are you thanking me?" Aki's dad asked.
"No reason." I walked out and ate my lunch in the garden. Hina was barking orders at Ayumu. I found it entertaining to watch her struggle. She saw me and glared.
"What did you do to her?" Kei asked me.
"She's a natural tsundere."
"That she is."
After solo photoshoots were done, we had to do group photos. Some photos were of us lying down on a bed of petals with our heads touching. After another hour of this, we were done.
"Yona, someone is here for you." A student called out for me.
I walked inside from the garden and saw mama, Tsuna, and unfortunately Tsuna's sperm donor. I was thankful to have changed out of my costume and be in my regular clothing. Iemitsu would likely have my head for the costume.
"What are you doing here, mama?" I asked. Tsuna was looking around, anxious of all the people.
"We came to pick you up since it was getting late. We were going out for dinner."
"Oh." I got to Tsuna's level. "Do you want to go see the flowers?" He nodded and held my hand. "Let's go, Tsuna. You can even meet my friends." I walked to the garden. Ayumu was the first I saw. She looked at Tsuna.
"Is that your brother?"
"It is. He's really timid, so be careful." She looked at him and smiled.
"I'm not really good with kids, but he's really cute." I walked deeper into the garden. Mama and Iemitsu followed behind the three of us. Yukine, Kei, Aki, and Sayo were sitting at the table with snacks. We walked to them. They looked and saw my parents behind me. Tsuna was hidden behind my legs.
"Did you bring your parents here for us to meet?" Yukine asked.
"No. I wanted you guys to meet someone else. I pulled Tsuna out from behind me. They all saw him. Sayo's eyes immediately had stars in her eyes and Yukine gave a small gasp. The guys just stared at him. "Aki, you might want to keep Sayo still." I said. He took a hold of her hair.
"Got her leash."
"Why don't you introduce yourself?" I asked Tsuna. He looked at me nervously and then at my friends. He was getting himself worked up.
"I-I'm Tsunayoshi." He stuttered out. Sayo slammed her head against the table multiple times. Tsuna looked up at me with worry.
"Don't worry. She's always like that around cute things." He relaxed but held my leg for support.
"Your brother really is cute. You two have the same eyes." Kei said.
"We have our mama's eyes." Yukine stood up and ran inside. "Where's she going?" I asked.
"Hina." The guys responded.
"Oh no." I picked Tsuna up and threw him onto my back. "Let's go home before it's too late, Tsuna!" I started running. Tsuna only laughed with glee since he thought I was playing with him.
"Yona!" Hina started to run after me. "Get back here!" She ran after me throughout the entire garden.
The four bandmates watched as poor Yona was running away from Hina. She never gave up when there was something she wanted to take a picture of. "Poor Yona."
"I know. Hina has great stamina." Yukine said happily.
"Why did you even tell Hina?" Kei asked.
"Tsuna's too cute to not take a picture. Plus, the whole family is together. They might as well get photos done. Hina is a professional after all."
"In that case, go get her." Aki said, releasing Sayo's hair. She sped off.
"And there goes the school's track star. I'd be surprised if Yona could outrun her." Yukine said with a giggle. They heard screaming and knew Sayo succeeded. The track star walked back carrying. She was holding Yona's legs over her shoulders and everyone was thankful she wore shorts. Hina walked back holding Tsuna's hand. He seemed to have warmed up to her. Yona was dropped on the ground. Nana giggled. She was more than happy to see Yona and her friends interacting with each other. It almost brought her to tears.
"Alright! Let's get the photoshoot going! You're lucky I have space on my camera, Yona." Hina said brightly. Yona groaned with feign excitement.
For the next twenty minutes, Hina took pictures of Yona and her family. She was floored to know Iemitsu and Yona didn't have blood relation. She could definitely pass for his daughter. They were a good-looking family. Though, everyone could see how strained the relationship between Yona and her step-dad. When they made eye contact, they'd glare at each other. Hina was taught by her dad how to delegate families like this and successfully got through it quickly without a single fight. Though, there were cute photos taken of them and that's all that really mattered to Hina. Yona's parents left shortly after.
"I'm sorry, Hina." Yona apologized. She had Tsuna on her shoulders.
"Don't sweat it. I'll give you the photos when school starts in a few weeks. I'll have the band pictures ready by next week."
"That sounds great. Thank you. I can't wait to see the pictures." Yona left. Hina went to where the rest of Magnolia were. Angelo and Aki's dad were there with them. They all had serious expressions plastered on their faces. "What's going on?" Hina asked.
"Nothing too important. Dad is freaking us out with future tests and colleges."
Tsuna was having a blast riding my back. Mama brought my bass back home for me. He held his arms wide like a bird. I was having too much fun jumping around and making him bubble with laughter. I stopped when I smelt something strange. It made my insides squirm. Was it one of the seven babies? I could immediately cross off Fon. His scent wasn't this suffocating. It was lighter and more fragrant like the tops of mountains. I looked all around and saw nothing.
"Yona?" Tsuna questioned.
"I'm getting a little tired. You're getting too big for this." He got down from my back and held my left hand. My right hand was shaking from the overwhelming stench.
"What's wrong, Yona?" Tsuna asked.
"I'm not feeling too good. I had too much sweets."
"That's not good. Let's get home. Mama can make you tea. You'll feel better after that."
He started to tug on my arm. I heard a gunshot nearby behind us. Tsuna's eyes widened and his face blanked out. This had to be Iemitsu's doing. I picked Tsuna up and started to run. The stench didn't go away. They had to be in a vehicle. I smelt something else and held in the urge to puke. Tsuna felt like a doll in my arms. Men started running towards us.
"Why now?"
"This way." I trusted the voice and turned the corner. They were still after me, but at least there was some distance between us. "Turn right."
Again, I trusted the voice. I was getting closer to the stench, but I didn't care. I had to trust my intuition. If it's one of the babies, I'd be safe. "Follow the bird." What bird? I looked up and saw a hawk. Nevertheless, I followed it and soon, I was in the clear. The bird landed next to me. I panted heavily and sat on my knees. I kept Tsuna in my arms.
"It's okay now, Yona. You're safe." I looked and saw Fon in front of me. I let Tsuna on the ground and ran to a tree to puke. When I was done, I went back to Tsuna and saw him sleeping. "You did well. It seems Kazuma's training has done you well." I let out a groan. "Do I stink?" He asked.
"Is there someone else with you?" I asked.
"Yes. Could you smell them?"
"Yes. I couldn't tell how many there were and I couldn't smell you until you came over to me. It's just a small sensory overload. Who was after us?"
"Bad people."
"No shit." Fon smiled.
"You really did change."
"Hey, Fon, do you know how to fix Tsuna?" I asked.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Iemitsu did something to him. Tsuna isn't the same as he used to be. It's almost as if he has no balance and he can't socialize with anyone other than mama and I."
Fon held a very intense expression for an infant. "And Iemitsu did this?"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure if I can help. I might do more harm."
"Do you know anyone who can help?"
"Unfortunately, I do not. I'm sorry." I let out a sigh.
"Since you're a baby, I thought you'd know."
"Yona?"
"Ah, don't listen to me. I'm just rambling. I'll find a solution myself." I picked Tsuna up and secured him on my back using my navy cardigan I always wore. "Thank you for saving us, Fon."
"Kazuma would get mad at me if I didn't."
"You're scared of him?" I asked with surprise.
"There's nothing I fear."
"Everyone who says that are liars, Fon." He looked at me with a neutral expression.
"What are you afraid of?" Fon asked me.
"I haven't given much thought. You can say I'm afraid of losing the people I love. I know if Tsuna ever got hurt, I'd have to report them to Kazuma right away."
"You won't gouge the eyes?" Fon asked, teasing me about my answer from when I was a kid.
"I'd do that behind closed doors. Kazuma wouldn't like it if I publicly gouged someone's eyes out."
"I see my nephew has influenced you."
"What?! Kazuma's your nephew?!" Fon chuckled.
"Surprising, huh? He is my nephew."
"Well, he hasn't influenced me. He's the one in control. If I'm on his side and follow his rules, no one can say or do anything about me without getting in trouble."
"You're a smart girl. You should get home before it gets too late."