First thing that came to Akashi's mind was to take all the necessary precautionary measures. It is still late at night and not once has he batted an eye upon receiving the news that his work actually won a prize. He's supposed to be happy, but what he feels is utter dread and nothing else. It's twelve midnight and he was grateful that his father sleeps quite early and is also a deep sleeper. He was going in circles around their house, finding every laptop and computer and changing its settings so that it cannot view news articles for the following day, his father was not one to look up news over the internet but what if some pop-up window caught the older Akashi's eye and decided to check it out? At least this way, even if Akashi senior would open the pop-up window, he would not see the page it was directed to. He even went as far as to sneak inside Akashi senior's room and changed his personal computer and laptop's settings to that of the others. Even though it was protected with a password, Akashi is confident in his hacking skills and gained access right away, even though the password is one hell of a pin to crack.
Akashi hurriedly and carefully slid out the room with quiet footsteps and headed for his next destination. Whenever he passed by a maid or other people under them, he would use his intimidating look to them and would warn them about not telling any of his schemes to his father, well as if they know.
Once Akashi was done with the computers and laptops, he went straight to the phone. He dialled a publishing company's number, one that is responsible in giving them the daily papers and hoped that someone would answer even at midnight.
'Hello? This is Namikawa Publishing Company, how may I help you?'
He absolutely hated the sound of squeaky female receptionists but he needs to endure it, just for now.
"This is Akashi Sei—"
That won't do. If he told her his name and when his father found out that the papers would not coming to them tomorrow and it was because of Akashi's doing, he is more than doomed than he is now. So he started again.
"This is Akashi Shintaro. I am Akashi Seito's nephew and I would like to pass my uncle's message that he would not like to get tomorrow's paper at his house and the company too, so please don't deliver in any of those establishments."
He sounded believable, his voice never faltered and not one trace of lies was lining his speech. It was flawless and as expected, the receptionist obeyed and without another word, Akashi put the phone down.
He sighed. He mentally asked Midorima Shintaro forgiveness for using his given name that way. Akashi then looked around. There seems to not be anything to do his precautionary measures to anymore, that's when his mobile phone buzzed off. He fished it out from his pocket and stared at the message alert display. He then realized, what's better to hide the evidence of his success than to hide the reason behind it?
Akashi quickly dashed towards his room; he locked the door before looking at the entire room. His bedroom was spacious, but he was not really the type to hoard a lot of things that he does not need and pile them up in his bedroom until it's crowded. Once he got a good view of the room, he walked towards his closet, which was the only thing that's really taking up so much space, opened it and pulled out a small box. Akashi found himself smiling while looking at the box, it is tightly closed and would not open if the right key was not inserted, and it holds the memory of his late mother, the one who would usually encourage him to do the stuff he wants and would even support him with it, no matter how ridiculous.
He gripped the box in his hand while the other hand wiped the stray tear that somehow formed while he reminisced those nice memories. Akashi lets out a long breath before walking father from his closet and closer to his bed; he reached underneath the mattress and pulled out a small silver key with a red jewel attached to its tip. He then opened the small box with the key and inside is a necklace with a red tear shaped jewel at the middle. It was simple yet beautiful. He got the accessory and placed it carefully on his bed, he does not want to just carelessly throw the last memory of his mother around, considering that his father basically threw the others away, he was lucky he even got a hold of this jewelry, the box and its key.
He then fished out his phone again from his pocket and put it inside the box, it fits perfectly, and he was relieved to see that his phone can actually survive the possible disaster tomorrow. He closed the lid of the box and locked it again; he then put back the key from under his mattress and the box inside his closest at the farthest end. When he was done, he approached his bed and looked at the necklace; he pulled out a white handkerchief from his other pocket and carefully wrapped the necklace into it and then putting it inside his bedside dresser. He just hopes that his father would not find it. If there was something that he is more scared about than his father finding out about the 'extravagant' news that his work had won, it is the fact that his father would get the necklace away from him and probably throw it away. The only thing that is making Akashi remember the good times and then it being thrown away was certainly not a good thing to happen.
He sat on his bed after a long while of trying to cover things up for the mean time. He looked at his clock and he was not surprised to find out that it's already 2:15 in the morning. He spent two and a quarter of an hour to cover it up; hopefully his methods will be enough for now. He needs his rest too, tomorrow he will find other ways to patch things up and hide them, but for now, he just needs a shut eye. It is a school day tomorrow.
If there is one word to describe Akashi Seito, it would have to be 'Perfect'.
For someone his age, he still managed to look past good looking, he's probably the richest man in Japan for his countless success in his business, and he has all the ladies flocking around him, not caring that he already has a son. He has the best of the best employees in all aspects working for him, and all of them respects and obeys him. He has more than five vast properties of land, including his very own island, and owns more than ten types of vehicles of different foreign labels. For a person who is not him, they would tell that he has the perfect life and has definitely nothing to complain about. But to him, his supposedly perfect life is ruined by one complex complaint.
He has a less than perfect son.
There is definitely nothing wrong with Akashi Seijuuro as far as academics go, and if it was the knowledge of the business, the child has no problem at all. One could even say that the younger Akashi is a carbon copy of the current head of the Akashi Corp. In both looks and brains. So what is there to complain about?
The only reason why Akashi senior is complaining about his son is because he's jealous.
The kid has a dream, a dream of being a successful writer one day and as a child, his mother gave him permission to go on and do what he wants. The kid actually has freedom. Akashi Seijuuro felt the love that parents are supposed to experience from their parents. He felt the support that a mother was to give her child.
Akashi Seito never felt any of that.
As a child, Akashi Seito also had a dream, to be a famous basketball player, but every time he tried, his father would shot him down and his mother would glare at him. He has no freedom. He never once felt the love a parent is supposed to give to their child and the support was never there. He was raised like any other scion; he is an obligation rather than a blessing to his parents. He needs to be perfect, and he is the perfect man that he is now.
And so he wants his son to be like him.
But no.
The woman he married was a kind one, though their marriage was arranged, he has no complaints. She was kind, she was sweet, and she was beautiful on top of that, an ideal woman. He learned to love her and that results to a child. At first he looked at that little angel with love and so did his wife but then one day, he saw how happy the child was. He was never that happy as a child, he's never been happy as a child. Then, at that time, love left his heart and is now replaced with jealousy and the desire to raise the child, exactly how he was raised. As an obligation, not a blessing.
So when the kid announced that he has a dream to be an author, he had to outright shot him down and tell him to focus only at widening his knowledge of the business and his academics. He wants the child to also have a miserable life just like he.
And so he did.
It was a nice morning; Akashi Seito had to agree on that. He had a nice sleep last night, the breakfast was freshly cooked, and when he woke, he didn't have to deal with a damn brat that is his son, for he left earlier than his father for school. Though there is one thing that bothered him,
"Where are today's papers?"
He asked the maid that was pouring tea for him. She then looked horrified upon hearing her master's voice. She was quaking as she replied.
"I d-do not know Sir... N-none has come y-yet."
Akashi Seito was used to his house pawns behaviour towards him but what he's not used is that there are no papers to read this morning. He sighed then he drank his tea.
"Nevermind then, I'll read it at the office later today."
He then stood, grabbing his things along with him.
"Clean the table and watch the house. So as long as there's nothing, not even one rice grain is missing, all of your heads are safe for the day."
The maid and the other nearby personals flinched as they watched their master's retreating back.
"Good morning, Akashi-sama"
He didn't greet back. He got that from his father and he will sure make his son do that too, if he's not such of a brat and listen to him well. Just as he passed, the employees began to work on what they were doing and at the same time gossiping.
Akashi Seito was not one to listen to gossips but sometimes he would hear a glimpse of what his employees were talking about. This day was not an exemption.
"He's so awesome!"
"I know! He was all over the news!"
"His popularity skyrocketed didn't it?"
"Aka Hasami is my hero!"
'Aka Hasami? Where have I heard that name before?'
Akashi Seito thought, but decides to dismiss it after a few moments of thinking, deeming that it wasn't worth his time. He continued walking, rode the elevator and got to his floor. He opened the extravagant double doors that lead to his office. He was greeted by his secretary, coffee in hand. He then sat down on the leather chair and started working on his papers, but not before asking something.
"Where are today's papers?"
The secretary looked confused. He then put down the coffee that he was holding on to and slid it to his boss.
"There are no papers today Sir. I don't know why."
Akashi Seito looked at his secretary in disbelief. How could they not have papers? The publishing company is just a few blocks away, delivering it won't be a problem.
"Did they suddenly stop printing out news? Do we need to subscribe to a new publishing company?"
His secretary shook his head as he handed his boss today's schedule and meetings.
"My house received the newspaper and so does the other employees."
Akashi Seito found himself rubbing his temples in frustration. He cannot start his day without knowing the day's events.
"Call Namikawa Publishing and tell them to explain."
"Yes Sir"
He saw his secretary flip his phone open and dialled the familiar number. How come Namikawa Publishing suddenly stops delivering them their daily newspaper? Grabbing his cup of coffee, he furiously drank it in one gulp, not minding the stinging pain it caused his tongue. He then sets it aside and opened his laptop, he better find a good new Publishing company that would ensure him his daily papers. A he was surfing the internet, something bugged him. How can he not access web pages dedicated to the news? Usually, whenever Akashi Seito opens his browser, tons of pop-ups from different news publishing websites were smacked right at his face. He tried to open another site and another and another, until he opened all of the news websites and nothing was functioning well. He tried to get to non news websites and they work just fine. So how?
He heard his secretary's phone flipped closed. He raised his head to meet his boss's expectant eyes.
"They said that you ordered your nephew to not deliver today's paper."
Nephew? Since when did he talk to a nephew of his? Let alone, does he even have a nephew?
"And who is this, nephew that they speak of?"
"Someone named, Akashi Shintaro."
Seito resisted the urge to punch a wall. Who is this Akashi Shintaro? Hell, he does not know someone who has the same surname as him but with the given name Shintaro existed.
"Sir, if you're in need to read today's paper that bad, I brought along my copy—"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?!"
Almost immediately, the secretary hurried to his things and pulled out the day's newspaper, with his boss grabbing it hastily when he was within a feet's distance. Akashi Seito rummaged through the news, he just flipped pages through until he happen to pass by an article that was hard to miss, for the header was nothing but bold letters and bright colors.
'A RISING NEW PRODIGY'
This time, Akashi Seito took the time to actually read the article. There he saw the words 'Aka Hasami', 'Cellphone Novels', 'From Beyond The Stars', 'Success', and 'Award'. Then it suddenly hit him.
Boiling anger quickly rose to his tip and rage was written all over his face. He gripped the newspaper tightly until his knuckles become white and he is gritting his teeth fighting back the urge to scream. His secretary noticed his rage, for he scurried back to one corner farther from his boss as he raised both his shaky hands as if protecting himself.
"Boss...A-are you...alright?"
His boss had not heard him it seems, for he was still glaring at the newspaper laid out in front of him. Akashi Seito muttered in gritted teeth,
"That damn brat...!"
A/N Uh-oh~~~~ Ohhhh~~~ What happens in the next chapter I wonder? XD Anyways, sorry for the lack of Kuroko here and only a bit of Akashi but I need to do this so that, Akashi Seito will have a somewhat legit reason to forbid Akashi into writing... I hope I didn't disappoint you... oh and that necklace will appear again...sometimes... hehehe. Thank you for the support! Oh I almost forgot, I am holding a poll in my profile, since this series is nearing its end and I am not really planning on changing the rating *cough*M*cough* but I am planning a epilogue and I'm giving you the freedom to choose if the sequel would also be T or something more~ Thanks again!