My readers, this is half of chapter 3…I've decided to publish chapter 3 into two chapters considering that chapter 3 had already reach 50 pages and I don't see anybody willingly reading such a long chapter in one sitting.
The second part of chapter three would be publish Saturday or Sunday….I just needed to write the fight scene and the dinner scene when all things unfold.
By the way, shout out to Yagami 85 and his Mahouka Fanfiction: Different Beginning. Excellent fic and highly advise all of you to read it….
That said, enjoy and review and chapter 3b would come out in two to three days time…..
A/N: Writing how to develop Friendship is hard as fuck...
The Prince of Yotsuba
Chapter 3a: Childhood Arc Finale Part 1
It was very unlikely for these two children to meet.
Shiba Miyuki and Tsuyoru Tatsuya were raised to be perfect, but in a different aspect of life.
Shiba Miyuki was born and bred under the doctrine of the Yotsuba Clan, one of the two leading super powers in Japan's Magic Community.
Daughter of the twin sister of the current head of the Yotsuba, Miyuki was raised to be an aristocrat, the perfect aristocrat. Perfect mannerisms, perfect etiquettes, and perfect social graces, everything that she needed to be an aristocrat was hammered into her by her own mother. This coupled with her unnatural beauty and unlimited talent in magic, as well as her presence and aura, turned her into princess that is only encountered in fairy tales. She was a girl raised in nobility and was crafted to be nobility every single way.
Perfection was expected from her, anything less was unacceptable.
Tsuyoru Tatsuya was born and bred in blood and darkness. He was born, raised, and conditioned to be a monster that can be unleashed anytime and anywhere.
Battle and killing instincts forged through countless battles, skills honed through endless and harsh practice, God-given intellect that is on par with the best intellectuals in the world which is sharpen by his natural curiosity of all things, transcendent magic strength and power beyond his age, and ruthlessly efficient in every aspect of combat, Tatsuya was a monster that grows stronger and scarier by the day.
This, and the fact that he was raised to be virtually unfeeling made him the perfect killing and fighting machine.
These two children were born and bred in different aspects of life. The fact that they met each other was a miracle in itself.
The fact that they could get along was also a miracle.
The fact that they became friends is something that defied the laws of the world itself.
For the two of them, friendship was very foreign.
Tatsuya was taught to read people and used people if the situation calls for it.
Miyuki was taught to always look for ulterior motives when dealing with other people.
This two have one thing in common, and that is they naturally distrust everyone around them. They distrust other people, even if they do not know them, out of instincts.
And yet, the two were drawn to each other the moment they laid eyes on each other.
Miyuki, though she would deny this, was curious about the boy who had called her beautiful with a voice that revealed nothing.
Tatsuya was naturally captivated by Miyuki. For the first time, somebody was able to catch his interest and he did not know why.
Miyuki wanted to know everything about Tatsuya.
Tatsuya wanted to know why he was so captivated by Miyuki.
And thus, to fulfill the desire that this two have for each other, the two formed a friendship.
Where this friendship would lead is anyone's guess.
(Break)
Miyuki did not know what to expect considering that she now has a friend. Miyuki have many acquaintances, a few in a school and a dozen in her etiquette class, but a friend, she never had one before, so she did not know what is expected from her and what she should expect from her new found friend.
Tatsuya did not know how to act friendly period. In his life, Tatsuya had either manipulated or tricked people to do what he wants, unknown to them of course, before slitting their throats. That being said, it was safe to assume that Tatsuya does not know how to act around Miyuki now that they are officially and technically friends.
Still, the fact that they are willing to try should count for something.
Miyuki was dropped off to school by her mother, like usual.
As usual, the trip from their house to her school was silent, only broken by small talks here and there that did not last that long.
As usual, Miyuki was exasperated because of another school day and did not expect much.
Unusually though, as the car that dropped her off speed away, she caught the sight of Tatsuya leaning near the gate of Seirin Elementary, book at hand, seemingly waiting for someone.
Curiously, Miyuki approached him slowly.
"Good Morning, Shiba-san." Tatsuya greeted, voice monotone and emotionless, face as expressionless as usual.
"Good Morning, Tsuyoru-san." Miyuki greeted back with a slightly unsure tone.
After they exchange greetings, awkwardly in a way, silence encompassed them as they merely looked at each other, which was an improvement in Miyuki's mind.
Miyuki knew that Tatsuya was acknowledging her considering that his eyes were not buried in his book but was instead gazing at her.
If those eyes have light or a semblance of emotion in them instead of looking so impassive, Miyuki would have considered the situation perfect.
Trying to break the ice between them, Miyuki inquired the first question that came into her mind. "Is Tsuyoru-san waiting for someone?"
Tatsuya nodded almost immediately. "I was waiting for you."
The surprised that Miyuki felt at that moment was evident on her face. "Me!?" It was barely noticeable but Miyuki's voice increase half an octave.
"We are friends, am I correct?" Miyuki could only nod robotically at that inquiry, still a little unsure. "Though I never had friends before, I am under the assumption that friends go to school together and they also leave the school together? Isn't that the proper etiquette between friends?"
Tatsuya's monotone voice was, as usual, emotionless.
But there was a hint, just a hint of confusion in his voice that Miyuki barely caught.
Miyuki stared at Tatsuya for a moment as she was still processing his latest statement before speaking. "Were you waiting for me?" Miyuki tried her best but she was unable to hide the joy in her voice.
Tatsuya nodded in an affirmative. "According to our conversation last Friday, we have agreed to be friends. From the materials that I have read about friendship – vague they might be – it is only proper for friends to wait for each other before they go class, or is my assumption is wrong?"
It took Miyuki a second to comprehend Tatsuya's words and after fully comprehending his statement, Miyuki could not help but give Tatsuya a small smile.
To be honest, that answer was not the answer that Miyuki wanted. It was very mechanical and robotic as if it came from an answering machine, and it was from a book no less. But, she was delighted nonetheless.
She reminded herself that Tatsuya's upbringing was far from proper and thus, he displaying awkward and robotic mannerisms and etiquettes towards her is to be expected.
She knew that Tatsuya would struggle with the new and still fragile friendship between them but that fact that he was trying his best is all that matters for Miyuki.
"Shall we go now, Shiba-san?"
"We should,"
With that, the two friends walked to their designated classroom, side-by-side, the atmosphere between them was awkward yet still pleasant.
It was a start.
(Break)
Miyuki was used to having lunch alone. She won't approach a group to eat with them and nobody would approach her to eat with her.
That being said, it does not mean that Miyuki did not desire company during breaks and lunches but she refused to join those who are uncomfortable around her due to the illusions that they seem to believe about her.
So, during lunch, she approached Tatsuya who was, as usual, under the only tree in Seirin Elementary playground, back leaning on the tree bark, nose buried deep on a new book while silently and slowly eating lunch.
Miyuki sat beside him, and she was delighted when Tatsuya, with visible effort, remove his gaze from his book in order to look at her. With a nod and by discarding his book to his side, Tatsuya showed that he was acknowledging her presence.
In return, Miyuki offered Tatsuya a small yet immaculately bright smile.
"Can I have lunch with you?" Miyuki asked politely.
"I see no reason why I should reject you." Tatsuya answered with an equally polite tone.
Miyuki once again smiled before opening her bento and proceeding to eat.
Tatsuya followed her example and ate his lunch in the same pace as Miyuki.
The two ate in silence, not speaking, not saying a word. They merely enjoyed the presence of each other.
(Break)
Tsuyoru Tatsuya was a genius, there was no point denying that irrevocable fact.
Elementary level material was far from interesting for him and the way their adviser delivers her lessons outright bores him.
That's the reason why Tatsuya was nose deep in one of his book, a book that was at least college level. He was not showing any interest in the lesson taking place in front of him.
This aggravated Hinata-sensei. Tatsuya, as a whole, aggravated her for some reason that the rest of the class could not understand.
Three days after his first appearance, their adviser was visibly aggravated and exasperated with him.
Normally, that would cause bullies to torment him seeing that the adviser could care less about him but after the first time Tatsuya was bullied, when he blatantly sent two of their schoolmates to the hospital with broken bones and a concussion for both, everyone now tends to avoid him as humanly possible.
Again, this merely irritated Hinata-sensei.
Showing the immaturity that a teacher of her caliber should not have, she tried to humiliate Tatsuya in front of the entire class in a daily basis.
That did not end well of course.
After all, Tatsuya was a genius.
Tatsuya was always excellent, regardless of the subject.
No matter what questions were thrown at him, regardless of the level, Tatsuya was able to answer.
Again, this proves to further aggravate their adviser.
Still, for some reason, regardless of the aggravation that Hinata-sensei felt towards Tatsuya, she wasn't, or couldn't, able to do anything harmful or lasting towards him. She wasn't even able to sabotage his assignments or any of his activities and quizzes.
The only thing she can do was show how immature she is, in front of her class no less.
For example.
"…The car was removed from the streets and delivered to the junkyard…"
"…The girl went home and collapsed on her bed…"
"…The dog chased the cat around the house and made a mess…"
"…The students are taking their examination and they are doing their best…"
"…The police went to the building to investigate the crime scene and to speak with the witnesses…"
Tatsuya read the set of English sentences displayed in the virtual board with perfect pronunciation as well as a fluent voice.
At the dawn and even as the 22nd century ends, English was still the universal language of the world and thus, it was still taught in every school and in every educational level.
Normally, countries that do not have English as their primary language struggle to learn the language. They struggle to read and write using the English language.
Tatsuya was different.
He speaks English as if it was his first language. He speaks the language perfectly, no stuttering and no awkward accent, and he can even write in English eligibly.
Any teacher would be ecstatic to have a student like him.
Hinata-sensei was different.
Without any fanfare and without telling Tatsuya to take his seat, she changed the set of sentences in the virtual board before continuing her lesson, completely ignoring Tatsuya.
Tatsuya uncaringly sat down and returned to his book, basically ignoring everyone in the room.
That was until Miyuki was called, which in turn caused him to at least pay attention to her.
"Shiba-san, why don't you read the next five sentences?" Hinata-Sensei requested with a sweet tone that was painfully fake.
Even though Tatsuya was in front of Miyuki, Tatsuya could still feel the frown that his friend fought back as she stood up and read the set of sentences inputted in the virtual board.
"…The libra….ry is a place for books and for reading…"
"…The butt….er…fly fl….ew up high and so….ar in the skies…"
"…Stars shined bri….ghtly under the ni….ght sk…..ies and the cold wind whi…s…pers through the sil…..ent nig…..ht…"
"…The ins…..truc…..tor con…sult…ed the student for their pro…ject and gave them nu…me…..rous ideas…"
"…The a….pple fell from the tree and des…..cen….ded to the ground…"
Compare to Tatsuya, Miyuki was unable to perfectly pronounce any of the English sentences and her accent was typical to that of a Japanese being force to speak a foreign language. Still, her performance was acceptable nonetheless considering that she was a full blooded Japanese that rarely needs to communicate using the English language and, at the very least, from her performance alone, she proves that she can at least read English written words.
Still, that did not lessen that disappointment that Miyuki felt.
Disappointment that turned into anger because of Hinata-sensei's next statement.
"Nicely done, Shiba-san." For someone of her age and education, it was truly and honestly a nice job.
But Miyuki had a different perspective.
Miyuki was a perfectionist, a habit that developed from being a Yotsuba.
Her performance was acceptable, barely acceptable in her eyes, and Miyuki did not like to hear any praise if her performance was nowhere near perfect.
The fact that Hinata-sensei complimented her was a slapped across the face in Miyuki's eyes.
The fact that Hinata-sensei ignored Tatsuya's excellent showing earlier ago was fuel that added in the fire that is Miyuki's anger.
The clapping of her classmates was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Miyuki's anger and her immaturity as a magician, showed when the room's temperature decrease significantly, but before it could be felt by everyone, Tatsuya turned his attention towards Miyuki.
Their eyes met.
Tatsuya's cerulean eyes that reminded Miyuki of the mysterious ocean bore down upon her, silently telling her to keep calm.
Miyuki's azure eyes that reminded Tatsuya of the blue skies were able to read his silent message, and she complied.
Miyuki took several deep breaths and the temperature in the room returned to normal.
Miyuki sat down and the terminal mounted on her desk was suddenly turned on, but the desktop that she was accustomed in seeing did not appear in front of her.
Instead, there was a message written in the screen of her terminal, and the message was also signed.
$You okay. 達也
Miyuki looked at the message but focused her attention on the kanji.
That kanji meant 'master/accomplished, to be'.
'So that is how his name is written.' Miyuki thought as she typed her reply while thinking that the kanji character of Tatsuya's name was peculiar and assumed that it was the preference of his parents
Miyuki replied while signing the message with the kanji of her given name.
$Sorry that you have to see something inelegant from me….深雪 (Deep Snow)
Ten seconds later, Tatsuya's reply appeared on the screen of the terminal
$It wasn't that inelegant. You were still incredibly beautiful. 達也
Miyuki blushed at this as she replied.
$Do you enjoy making me blush? 深雪
$I like seeing various with expressions on your face. You are so pretty that each expression brings out a different type of beauty. You beauty is something that I cannot get enough of… 達也
Miyuki's entire face was bright red as she read that reply. She had to bury her face in her arms as she tried her best to compose herself.
Not wanting to dance under the palm of her friend, she decided to change the subject matter to save face.
$Did you hack the computer system of the school? 深雪
This time, the reply was not immediate and Miyuki had to wait for a total of a minute before a new message appeared on her screen.
$Only a portion of the system. No worries, they would not be able to track me as the source even if they try. The computer security system of the school is horrendous that even a novice could hack it… 達也
Miyuki now looked at the message with interest as she replied.
$You know this, how? 深雪
$The education mother gave me is not limited to basic and conventional knowledge and magic. She also taught me other skills that can help me succeed in the missions that she tends to give me… 達也
Miyuki almost forgot that her friend was raise to be a soldier, but push that to the back of her mind as she replied.
$Would you answer me if I ask what are the skills that your mother deemed useful? 深雪
$...No…Mother would make me kill you… Depriving the world of your beauty would be a sin…Preventing your beauty to blossom at its fullest would also be a sin… I'll be limiting the things that I would convey to you so that mother would not ask me to erase you… 達也
That was a rather grim answer but Miyuki appreciated the honest.
$Moving on then….. 深雪
$Good Girl…No worries, there will come a time when I would be thoroughly honest with you… When that time comes, I will tell you many wonderful things… 達也
Miyuki smiled at this as she continued to chat with her friend, the lesson in front of her all but forgotten.
The only in her mind was her friend and their strange bonding activity.
(Break)
It was night and Tatsuya could not help but gazed at the moon in the middle of the sky.
Tatsuya knew what the moon is, a natural satellite that orbits around the earth, and yet, he could not help but find the moon to be beautiful.
Yet, strangely, the beauty of the moon pales in comparison to the beauty of his first and only friend.
Tatsuya tried to shake the thoughts of Miyuki out of his mind. It was neither the time nor place to think of her.
The sound of the door opening echoed in the house that he was currently in. That was his signal. It was time to do his chore.
Drawing and preparing his Gun-shape CAD, he eyed his target before silently approaching him from behind.
He was silent.
His breathing did not make any sound.
Each step of his footsteps did not echo.
He was silent, his body and movements, as well as his breathing was perfectly mending with the darkness the surrounded him.
He was at home in the dark.
His target suddenly stopped, just in time for Tatsuya to press the barrel of his CAD behind his target. This was unnecessary considering that he could kill anyone at any distance but for some reason, Tatsuya had an urge to speak with this specific person.
Tatsuya's current target was male, mid forties, decent looking, and the patriarch of a family of five.
Unfortunately, he was going to die tonight.
Tatsuya and his target know this.
"Are you here to kill me?" Resignation, a rarity.
"Yes," Tatsuya answered bluntly.
"Will you spare my wife and children?" Begging with sincerity and hope, again, a rarity.
Tatsuya contemplated for a moment before answering. "I am only here to kill you, nothing more, nothing less."
"Thank God," Tatsuya raised a brow from those relief words that escape the lips of the soon-to-be dead man.
"Why do you believe on a fictional man up in the sky?" Tatsuya inquired with a slight hint of puzzlement in his tone, an indication that he was still a child. "Gods do not exist. An omnipotent being do not exists. Nothing in this world can exist with the power to be all knowing."
His target chuckled lightly after hearing his piece. "Sometimes, men looked and searched for something to believe in. Men sometimes need to put their faith into something that would urge him to continue living, to continue fighting. Whether that be a God, or a religion, or a symbol, or an ideology, or a king, it does not matter just as long as we can invest our faith into it."
"And yet, you had put your faith in the wrong people and thus, you are going to die tonight." Tatsuya pointed out. Whether this was him being cruel or just him being bluntly honest liked usual, even he does not know.
"Sometimes, dying for your faith is the ideal death."
Again, Tatsuya felt puzzlement but he did not say another word as he pulled the trigger of his CAD.
The man fell to the ground, dead.
The cause of his death, the sudden deprivation of oxygen to his brain.
Again, Tatsuya looked at the corpse of his latest kill and could not help but wonder why the man was smiling.
It baffled Tatsuya why some people smile when they die.
Pushing back the feeling to the back of his mind, he left the house without any fanfare. Unlike his usual kill, this was stage to be a death cause by bodily malfunction, so there was no reason to erase the house as well as five blocks from the map.
Tatsuya looked at the sky, to see the moon still shining before looking at his watch.
It was 10:30.
Time for dinner.
(Break)
After a stellar and enjoyable weekday, and yes, Miyuki would say and admit that she enjoyed school this past week; she cannot believe that she would enter the weekend in such a sour note.
For the first time, she had enjoyed going to school. Tatsuya, though having robotic social graces as well as a robotic personally, was an excellent friend.
Sure, there relationship was still a bit tense. Tatsuya was still overly formal and Miyuki was still having trouble conversing with him, but they were making progress.
In the past five days, Tatsuya always waited for her in the school gates so that they could go to class together and he was now a constant companion of hers during recess and lunch.
Unfortunately though, they barely converse as both of them struggle to verbally speak to or with each other, though communicating between their terminals was easy for them. Still, though they are still rather struggling to converse togethe, the fact remains that they enjoy each other's presence and that counts for something for them.
Thinking about her the past weekday and her friend, Miyuki resisted the urged to sigh dejectedly as she once again sat between her parents while they do business with another one of their clients.
Miyuki was really getting sick of being use as a negotiation piece for her parents. Just because people seemed to fold and concede quicker when there is a child present, does not mean that she enjoys being use as a pawn.
Don't get her wrong, she would like nothing more than to help her parents expand FLT, but she would rather learn how to operate the business than be a pawn to be display to soften the heart of the client.
Currently, Miyuki was seated between her parents, in a table of four, in a very fancy fine dining restaurant.
Across them was the client, an entrepreneur from Taiwan. The client was in his fifties and Miyuki did not like him at all.
The reason why she did not like the man was because he was not hiding the fact that he was undressing her mother with his eyes, something that disgusted Miyuki a lot.
What's even more disgusting than that was the fact that her father did not do anything to discourage the man from eyeing his wife like a piece of meat.
Sometimes, Miyuki question why her clan allowed a man like Shiba Tatsurou to marry one of its brightest magician.
"The parts that you are requesting can be produce according to your propose deadline and the quantity is agreeable." Miya said, rereading the contract presented to her by the client for the fifth time, and she was also ignoring the fact that the man in front of her was looking at her chest and not her face, and also the fact that the man was almost salivating in front of her.
Her current situation does not even bother her. Miya had dealt with perverts before and knows how to handle them.
"But the payment that you are proposing is a bit low considering the parts and embedded software that my team would have to develop." Miya said, focusing her gazed on the payment. "Considering the quantity and the guaranteed quality of the parts that you are asking, I would like an increase of 35% from the propose payment as well as 60% upfront payment." Miya exclaimed while sliding the contract back to their client.
"Shiba-san," The client began, still not alleviating his gaze from Miya's chest. "I think that the payment is rather enough to cover the rendered service as well as the parts requested." The man was not even hiding his leer from Miya.
Miyuki really wished that the man in front of her would disintegrate.
"With all due respect, Cheng-san, all the hardware that you are asking us to make as well as the software that you want to be embed on the hardware would be created and develop from scratch." Again, remaining stoic regardless of the harassment (A/N: I consider men leering at women shamelessly as a form of harassment) that she was suffering at the hands of the client, Miya stated calmly yet firmly, her composure not breaking, her defense not budging. "I have taken to account the planning and development stage, and all the tests that each hardware will undergo, as well as the shipment, and I have concluded that the amount that you are offering is simply too little. It would barely cover the development of the product."
"If I can guarantee you that my company would exclusives work with Four Leaves Technology from this moment forward as well as stock options, would you agree with the current contract?" Cheng-san offered with a toothy smile.
Finally, after being silent for a good half hour, Tatsurou spoke. "Miya, take the deal." Tatsurou whispered to his 'wife'.
"33% increase and 55% down payment. That is the lowest that I would go." Miya exclaimed passively before coldly gazing at her 'husband'. "There is no profit from this project." Miya replied coolly to her 'husband's' request.
"This deal would give us future proponents. OWVA. Inc is one of the most profitable CAD manufacturing companies in Taiwan. Losing a couple of yen from this deal is nothing compare to the future profit that FLT would received in the future." Tatsurou pointed out stubbornly.
"They are in the verge of bankruptcy. When the Rozen decided to build a branch in Taiwan, OWVA as well as a dozen CAD manufacturing company in that country has been losing customers by the day. Also, they could offer us the majority of their stocks, and we would still be losing a couple of million yen." Miya then narrowed her eyes at her 'husband'. "By the way, we will not lose a couple of yens in this project; we would be losing a couple hundred thousand yens."
As the two continue to quarrel, Miyuki could not help but shake her head while wondering if her parents even know that she was in between them, hearing everything that they were saying.
Her parents do not yell at each, they don't even degrade each other but the fact remains that they do not like each other at all; in fact, they could not stand each other.
This stems from the fact that Tatsurou was very jealous of Miya. Miyuki had noticed this a year ago and could not help but be disgusted with her father.
The only thing redeeming about Tatsurou was his genes, nothing more.
Tatsurou was nothing more than a man who had failed to be a magician while his career as a magic engineer is mundane when compared to the career of his 'wife'.
Miyuki sometimes wonder why her parents could not just file a divorce and be done with it.
Still, after the argument ended, Miya face the client while Tatsurou scowled in his seat.
"33% increase of payment and 55% down payment. That is my final offer." Miya finalized firmly.
For the first time since dinner began, Cheng remove his gaze from Miya's sizeable assets and frown. "Can we not compromise?"
"I'm afraid we cannot."
"I see," Cheng muttered with a sigh. "That is rather unfortunate."
*CLICK*
Miyuki tense when she heard the sound of a gun's safety being removed.
*BANG*
*BANG*
Two silent gunshots echoed in the restaurant. It was so silent that she had barely heard it.
*THUD*
*THUD*
Following the gunshots, there were two pistols that fell to the ground.
"Please tell me that this place has better security?" Miyuki's eyes widen at the sound of that familiar cold voice.
She turned around, together with her mother and father, only to see Tatsuya holding a pistol in one hand while applying a rather painful wrist hold on an adult that was roughly three times his size. The aforementioned adult had a look of agonizing pain on his face as he writhed on his knees.
Tatsuya then pointed the gun at their direction, though Miyuki did not worry knowing that her friend won't harm her or her family, though Miyuki was not against him hurting her father.
"Hey foreigner, drop the gun before I put a whole through your cranium." Blunt, emotionless, and cold, Tatsuya swore, no, promised as he pointed the gun at Cheng.
Miyuki looked at her parent's client, and truth be told, the man had his hand deep on his coat and Miyuki could see a glint of steel.
Sakurai appeared behind the man before shoving his head on the table and confiscating the gun that he was about to pull out.
Miyuki looked around and noticed that there were two men lying on the ground, unconscious, two pairs of guns beside them.
Miyuki knew that Tatsuya disarmed them and Sakurai knocked them out.
Miyuki also noticed that the eyes of everyone in the restaurant were directed at them and the look of panic in their eyes was evident.
Tatsuya, seemingly ignoring this, disassembled the gun with one hand, Miyuki was rather impress by that skill, before throwing it to the ground as well as knocking out the man that he was holding by the wrist with a karate chop to the throat.
The man collapsed to the ground and Tatsuya could not help but sighed. "There goes my dinner."
Fifteen minutes later, the restaurant was devoid of its customers as the police entered the establishment and arrested the four men, including Cheng, for possession of illegal fire arms and attempted murder. Considering that they were all foreigners and had the intention of harming a prominent entrepreneur and her family, they would be extremely scrutinized to the fullest extent of the law.
Also, considering that Miya was a Yotsuba, the twin of the current head no less, and that police that collected the foreigners were loyal servants of the Yotsuba, it is very likely that those men would never see the light of day ever again.
Still, to prevent suspicion, Miya and Tatsurou were currently being asked standard questions by an inspector, and Sakurai was standing beside her primary to protect her from further attacks if needed.
This allowed Miyuki to speak with her friend if only for a while.
Tatsuya was at the moment eating a meal that was served to him by the restaurant. He did have reservations and he was adamant in using the reservation, regardless of the situation that almost took place.
When he was told that it is not advisable for a child to eat in a place that almost became a crime scene, Tatsuya replied with this statement:
"I once ate in a place that was covered with human blood and organs, and I did not lose my appetite. I'm hungry and I have reservations. I am very keen in having a meal in this establishment, and even small portions would suffice."
The fact that Tatsuya would not back down, and considering that he prevented three people from being gunned down, the management relented and served Tatsuya a single course meal with a large serving of food.
As Tatsuya ate, Miyuki spoke with him.
"Thank you for the assists, Tsuyoru-san." Miyuki said with a small, grateful smile.
"No need to thank me, and I do hope that you would forgive me for not looking at you at the moment." Tatsuya replied while eating his meal, his eyes focused on the food. "And I do hope that you would forgive me for not looking at you at the moment. I am sure that your mother is not very keen in you being friendly with me."
At those words, Miyuki looked at her mother in the corner of her eyes, and truth be told, she was watching her interaction with Tatsuya.
Composing herself and adapting a neutral expression, Miyuki spoke. "Regardless, thank you for preventing a rather messy incident." The voice that she was using was the same voiced that she used in their first meeting.
"Again, no need to thank me. My assistance wasn't needed anyway." Tatsuya said while cutting a piece of chicken. "That girl with the purplish short hair was prepared and would have easily taken those assailants down; I merely stepped in out of a whim as well as to test my aim with a gun."
There was a hidden message in that statement that Miyuki was able to picked up.
"You're my friend. Protecting you was a pleasure."
Miyuki had to fight the urge to smile at that subtle message.
Before things could escalate, Miyuki felt a hand on her shoulders and she did not have to look up to see the person that gently pulled her away from Tatsuya.
"Tsuyoru Tatsuya-san, am I correct?" Miya inquired politely while holding her daughter by the shoulder, holding her in place.
"Yes, and you must be Shiba Miya-dono." Tatsuya replied while shifting his attention towards her. "Your research regarding Non-systematic and Outer-systematic magic is well thought out and extremely informative. I've enjoyed it very much." That was Tatsuya's true feelings as he enjoyed reading books with regards to magic development.
Both Miyuki and her mother raised a questionable brow from that statement.
"Did you understand all Twelve Volumes?"
"I have to look up some words but I did understand the context."
"That is pleasant to hear."
The little exchange was nothing more than the prologue of the true topic of the conversation.
"Tell me, where is your guardian? It is rather irresponsible for a child to wonder of alone at night, especially one your age." Miya inquired neutrally, expressionless as well as emotionless.
"The whereabouts of my mother is a secret. She is quite a secretive woman and I prefer to not disturb the dynamic of our relationship." Tatsuya replied honest yet vaguely, and like Miya, he was expressionless and emotionless.
Miyuki felt that her mother and her friend were looking at the mirror images of each other.
"I see," Miya mumbled gently. "Tell me, what reason does a child like you have for staying up so late at night?"
"My mother gave me a task. I merely completed that task." Tatsuya replied with such nonchalance that Miya raised a brow at Tatsuya, this time with suspicion and amusement.
"May you tell me what that task is?" Miya requested, her voice was low yet the demand was clear.
Miyuki looked at her mother, wondering what she was thinking.
Tatsuya momentarily stopped eating to look at her. He discarded his utensils to the side before looking at Miya right on the eyes. "Look into my eyes and use your imagination." That was a challenging statement from Tatsuya.
There was a silence between the two before Miya released a breath.
"I would like to politely request you to limit your interaction with my daughter. You are too dangerous."
Miyuki almost looked at her mother in outrage but fought the urge. If her mother saw the look of pain in her eyes, she would certainly forbid her from ever making contact with her friend and she would probably use extensive measures to make sure that she keeps her distance from him.
"Not dangerous enough. Right now, you can probably kill me."
"But there is a chance for me to die if I engage you in combat."
For the first time, Miyuki witness her mother having a banter with someone. Normally, people would either relent or remain quiet when her mother was speaking.
"But that would make Shiba-san sad, and I could not risk that."
Miyuki's heart fluttered in joy from that rather warm sentence from her friend. It was great to see that her friend cared for her.
"Are you fond of my daughter?" Miya asked with her tone of voice unchanging.
Miyuki did not show the anticipation and nervousness that she was feeling at moment as she waited for her friend's answer
"Yes, for some reason and it confuses me." Tatsuya replied with no hesitation, which brought great joy to Miyuki. "Aside from my mother, I have never felt attraction towards anyone before."
"May you tell me who your mother is then?"
"I cannot because I will have to kill you." That put a damper in the lighthearted mood that Miyuki was feeling. "And that would merely sadden your daughter, something that I cannot risk."
"Fair enough." From the sudden yet subtle change of her voice, Miyuki was surprised because of the fact that her mother acknowledges the fact that her friend was actually a threat. "What are your feelings for my daughter?"
"I do not know. Shiba is still an anomaly for me. I am attracted to her but I do not know why." This answer confused Miyuki but she wasn't able to fully process the statement as Tatsuya followed through. "But there is one thing I am sure of. All I know is that she is the closest thing to a perfect being that we mortals could ever hope to reach."
Miyuki's face became completely red after hearing that. To think that her friend would see her as something as great as that. Miyuki felt very flattered.
"That is debatable but perfection does vary per person."
"I agree to that, and your daughter is my version of perfect."
A moment of silence washed over the two as Miyuki felt relived at the fact that the tension between her friend and mother lessened slightly.
"I know that Miyuki-san have asked this question to you but I must reiterate, how many have fallen before you?"
"Enough to cover Tokyo Tower with blood. I have lost count of the number of people that I have killed but I know for a fact that I have already passed the thousandth mark just before my ninth birthday." There was no deceit in Tatsuya's voice and expression.
"Did you regret it?"
"Monsters do no regret."
"So you've abandon your humanity?"
"I was never born with such a thing as irrelevant as that."
"But you are fond of my daughter?"
"To such extent that I will never lay a hand on her." Tatsuya looked at Miyuki with his azure eyes, and Miyuki felt her heartbeat quickening. "She inspires me with emotions that I never thought I am capable of feeling. It is strange, it is confusing, but it is also pleasant."
"I see…"
Miya suddenly ushered her daughter to the exit before giving her final piece.
"It seems that for now, I will allow you to mingle with my daughter but do try to limit your interaction with her. I dislike ending lives of children."
Tatsuya replied with this.
"Clashing with you is counterproductive for both of us. Let us avoid meeting under unfavorable circumstances."
"Agreed,"
(Break)
"Miyuki-san,"
"Yes, Okaa-sama."
At the moment, mother and daughter entered a classroom decorated with many Victorian style decorations. This classroom is where Miyuki took her etiquette and piano lessons. Currently, the mother and daughter duo were the only people in the classroom considering that it was too early.
Classes start at 1:00PM, and it was currently 11:30AM.
"What is the degree of your relationship with Tsuyoru Tatsuya?" Miyuki had seen this coming. From the conversation that her mother had with Tatsuya last night, it was clear to Miyuki that her mother would want to discuss this topic with her.
Putting a brave face and clinging to the fact that Tatsuya all but confess how much he liked her last night with no hesitation and in front of her mother no less, Miyuki answered. "He is my first friend."
Miyuki expected a scolding but what she got was a small, silent sigh from her mother. "You are aware that Tsuyoru-san is dangerous. I'm pretty sure that you felt how powerful he is."
Of course Miyuki felt how powerful her friend is. She won't be much of a Yotsuba if she could not feel the power of the magic that her friend constantly held on a tight leash.
His presence alone screams danger.
And yet, Miyuki could only feel solace when she is beside him.
"He won't hurt me, he said so last night and Tsuyoru-kun is very honest." Miyuki stated with confidence.
"Yes, his honesty is endearing. He is probably the type to bend truths and say half truths to manipulate people. Fortunately, he was nothing but truthful last night." Miya then knelt down so that she and her daughter were at eye level. "Against my better judgment, I am allowing you to remain friends with him but be careful around him. That child has only known death in his life. That much is clear in his eyes."
"I know," Empty and emotionless, those were the eyes of Tsuyoru Tatsuya and Miyuki was a bit proud to at least bring some light in those eyes in occasion. "Thank you for allowing me to continue my friendship with him, Okaa-sama."
"Just be careful."
(Break) (Miyuki POV)(A/N: I had trouble writing this part so I decided to write it in a single POV)
Tsuyoru Tatsuya is a genius, I am already sure of that fact.
And like most genius, he abhors physical activities.
It's not that his physically incapable. Contrary to that, he is quite physically fit and athletic, which is quite a surprise considering his built.
The reason why he despises physical activities was because, apparently, it does not match his definition of physical activity.
Not that I blame him.
"I don't get what's the point of this activity." Tsuyoru-kun muttered loudly while looking at our classmates that were running around the basketball court, playing with an orange ball.
It was currently P.E.
In the current era, the class P.E still exists, even in Elementary school. The only difference is that now, the subject P.E focuses on Sports development and awareness rather than Physical development.
Which is, to Tsuyoru-kun at least, illogical and wasteful.
I happen to agree with him because the performance of a person in a sport depends on his built; which something that is given to you from birth and not easily change.
Tsuyoru-kun and I sat together in the edge of the basketball court, watching our classmates playing with the orange ball with mediocre to no skills. I might not be fond of basketball or any sport in particular, but I think I could still identify what a good basketball player.
Currently, our classmates were just running around while pitifully bouncing the orange ball around the large court.
I could not help but shook my head at how utterly pathetic they all look.
"Do you not like sports, Tsuyoru-kun?" To avert myself of boredom, I engage my friend in a conversation. Talking to him is much more entertaining than watching our classmates making a fool out of themselves.
"I understand the concept of sports." It would be funny if he didn't. "But the prioritization of sports over physical development is a concept that confuses me. It is rather foolish for a school to proceed to teach sports without teaching their students anything about physical development."
"According to the syllabus, focusing on sports would not just develop us physical but also mentally." I pointed out, and even I could not hide the exasperation that I felt about that part of our curriculum.
"That is illogical and foolish." Tsuyoru-kun reiterated once again. "Each sport requires a different physique, and each person has a unique physique that that is appropriate for a specific sport. According to the syllabus, the sports that we are going to tackle this semester are basketball, volleyball, soccer, and tennis. From those sports alone, I can tell that from our class of 30, there are only 10 people that have the body of a basketball player, 3 people that is fit for volleyball, 5 for soccer, 3 for tennis, and 9 people that looks like they haven't even participated in any physical task in their life."
I didn't even bother hiding the unease in my eyes. "You can tell all that by just looking at their bodies?"
"I can tell a lot of things by just looking at their bodies." Tsuyoru-kun looked at me, and I instinctively cover my upper body with my arms. "You have experience in swimming, but you mostly practice figure skating and ballet. You also have some background in Chinese Kenpo. You play the piano." Tsuyoru-kun commented randomly.
I stared at him when I heard those words, unconsciously tightening my hold around my body and I felt my cheeks reddening. "That's creepy you know."
Tsuyoru-kun did not reply as Hinata-sensei instructed her class to assemble and to form a straight line.
"Now that all of you are now acquainted with the court and seeing that we have covered the basic rules and skills of basketball, it is time for the practical test." There was a chorus of cheers while Tsuyoru-kun and I merely rolled our eyes.
"There will be six teams of five, so please group yourselves together in a group of five." Hinata-sensei announced cheerfully.
Our classmates then began running and grabbing their friends and in no time, the class was plunge into chaos.
Tsuyoru-kun and I merely walked towards each other and waited for the group that would require additional members.
Five minutes passed, and the teams were formed and the first game was about to commence.
My team was composed of Tsuyoru-kun and three other people, two boys and one girl. I did not bother remembering their names considering that they are faceless people to me.
The opposing team was composed of five boys, two of them were slightly larger if compare to ordinary 2nd graders while the other three looked average.
"Tsuyoru-kun, have you ever played basketball before?" I asked while playing with the orange ball in a very uninterested manner.
"Never, but the rules that govern the game and the skills needed for the game are straight forward, and in addition." I passed the ball to Tsuyoru-kun when he motioned for it. Tsuyoru-kun looked at the ball with a deadpanned expression, I think it's deadpanned anyway, it might be disdained and irritation, I can't tell.
"The dimension of the court, the mass and shape of the ball, the height and size of the basket, I have already computed it." He announced before passing the ball back to me.
"Let's play then." I said with a chuckle and he agreed as we walked towards our 'team', and I use the word team very loosely.
And play we did.
The practical test was a basketball game played in half-court. There was a five minute time limit.
With one look, the opposing team looked to have the advantage, with them having five boys, all of them looking physically fit, with some having an imposing physique, while our team did not look that physically formidable.
I looked too slender for sports and the other girl in the team looked to be repulsed to even be in the court. The two boys were small for their age and my friend, like I said before, looked plain and average.
Most of our classmates expected us to lose.
Unfortunately though, losing was not in my vocabulary. The word losing was beaten out of me in an early age.
And looking at my friend, it seems that he and I are similar.
The game began and the first possession was given to our team, for some reason.
The ball appeared in Tsuyoru-kun's hands and he did not even bother to look at his teammates, although he did spare me a single and quick look that I almost missed, before casually tossing the ball in the air.
Tsuyoru-kun did not assume a shooting stance and merely toss the ball to the basket. The way he threw the ball reminisced that of a person throwing a piece of trash to the trash bin.
Everyone expected the shot to miss but…
*SWISH*
The basketball went into the basket without a hassle.
Everyone stared at Tsuyoru-kun, who remained uncaring and expressionless, not caring about the stares being directed at him.
The game continued and the possession went to the opposing team.
The ball went into the hands to the largest boy in the team and he dribbled towards the basket with speed that was impressive for an eight year old.
Unfortunately for him, his speed, for me, is comparable to that of a snail. Even without magic, I can still follow moderately-fast moving objects with ease.
*PAK*
The boy was concentrating so much in his dribbling, which is horrendous by the way, that he was not able to notice me until I slapped the ball from his hand.
The ball flew towards Tsuyoru-kun. He was standing behind the three point line but that did not stop him from tossing the ball again.
*SWISH*
Again, the ball went into the basket without trouble.
The basketball court descended into silence as all eyes was directed at the two of us.
We, per usual, ignore everything and merely approach each other.
We looked at each other for a moment before the two of us raised our arms and exchange high-fives.
"You're good at this." I complimented as we waited for the next inbound.
"As long as all elements are computed, I can play any sports." Tsuyoru-kun answered before running his hand across my hair. "Let's just finish this mundane game. I'm only doing this for the grade."
I could only smile in agreement.
So, the next five minutes, we played this mundane game against five people that we really could care less about.
We did not bother passing the ball to our other teammates and those three stayed clear of us.
I played defense. I stole the orange ball from the opposing team, disrupting their pass patterns to prevent them from actually scoring a point.
Tsuyoru-kun was the one, the only one scoring. The moment Tsuyoru-kun got his hands on the ball, he would always toss it to the basket, and the ball always goes in. No matter what his position, no matter where he is, no matter how many was guarding him, and regardless of how far he is from the basket, the moment Tsuyoru-kun got the ball, he would throw it and the ball would always go into the basket.
Though I would never like basketball, and after this day, I would never play this game ever again, I enjoy playing with my friend.
Whenever I catch the ball or even deflect it, I did not bother paying attention to the direction of the ball because I know for a fact that Tsuyoru-kun would be there to catch the ball.
And he was, all the time.
Five minutes went by, and the game ended with the score 57-0, in our team's favor.
After the game, Tsuyoru-kun and I walked to the edge of the court, ignoring everyone around us. The two of us then ended sitting next to each other, with him reading a book and me just enjoying his presence.
(Break)
"Good morning, Tatsuya-san!"
"Why is your maid calling me by my name?"
"That's just the way Sakurai-san is."
After the event last Friday, Sakurai prompted to always park the sedan near Tatsuya so that he could collect Miyuki without making the effort of walking towards her and so that Miya could see them of, much to Miyuki's discomfort.
Yes, Miya allowed them to remain friends but still, every time her friend and mother looked at each other, Miyuki had a feeling that the two were exchanging silent threats with their eyes.
Today was no exception.
Her mother and her friend had their eyes locked each other and the tension alone created from their eyes making contact was enough to cause Miyuki to sweat slightly.
Fortunately for her nerves though, the two merely held each other's gaze for a couple of seconds before they averted their eyes.
The brief stare down between Miya and Tatsuya was the signal for Sakurai to drive away. Still, Sakurai could not help herself but comment herself.
"Have fun you two. Take care of Miyuki-chan, Tatsuya-kun." Sakurai winked at Tatsuya before driving off to FLT.
"Sakurai-san!" Miyuki shriek loudly at the retreating car.
"What a peculiar maid." Tatsuya commented with a raise brow.
Composing herself, Miyuki faced her friend. "Sorry for that, Tsuyoru-kun."
"No need, Shiba-san." Tatsuya said dismissively. "Still, how come you have such a capable magician as a maid? No offence, but Sakurai-san could have had a lucrative career in the military or in any private company or organization. I wonder why she settled for a maid and a bodyguard."
Miyuki almost flinched from those words but she remained composed as she carefully spoke. "I'm really surprise that you can see all that with just one look."
"Nothing can escape my eyes." Tatsuya stated nonchalantly.
"Well, as for Sakurai-san, Okaa-sama because of her fame and stature has always been a target of envy by many and sometimes, those people tend to be rather aggressive and could not help but act upon their envy." Miyuki did not even hide her distaste. The incident last Friday was not the first nor will it be the last time her mother's life would be endanger because of some petty individuals.
"That's understandable, I guess." Tatsuya nodded, seeing the logic of Sakurai being a mere maid and bodyguard. "She seems quite taken in her job."
"We treat her well. Three meals per day, a roof over her head, and a big paycheck every week." Miyuki added robotically.
"She reminds me of the personal butler my mother has. He is old, over seventy years old, but his ability cannot be denied. He's a perfect butler and a great magician, all things considered." Tatsuya said, changing the topic knowing that Miyuki wanted to stir clear of the current topic that they were discussing.
Miyuki smiled and was very grateful for her friend for changing the topic.
"So, you have a butler?"
"Mother has a butlers and servants. I rely on Ghosts for my needs."