A/N: I'm back!! Here's the long awaited chapter 8. On the plus side I finally got my new laptop so hopefully the updates come sooner this time around. I hope all of you like this chapter. Sorry if there's any grammar or spelling mistakes, I didn't feel like rereading it in order to check.


Chapter 8

It's now the next morning. After coming home from the hospital I went straight to my room and plopped myself onto my bed and just lay there for the rest of the night. I didn't sleep; I just lay there staring at the ceiling. I tossed and turned every couple of minutes, earning myself curious glances from Karupin, worried about its master. I kept looking at the clock as the hours passed by one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, that's when I got fed up, faced the other side and tried to go to sleep

It's now 6:30 in the morning, the sun is rising, my alarm goes off now, but I'm too lazy to turn around and shut it off. . Did I even fall asleep? Or Did I just stay up the whole night? I don't know anymore.

"Good Morning Everyone! It's 6:30 in the morning and today is going to be a beautiful day out today." I hear the dj announce on the radio. "All of you out there better go outside today and take advantage of this amazing weather we're having right now."

Beautiful day huh? How beautiful is it? Both of my parents are dead, my only family left is Nanako-san and I STILL haven't told my senpais the truth about my family. Yes, today is really beautiful. If it were any other day under any other circumstances I would be outside. I would be playing tennis and practicing with my teammates or playing my music. However, I can't bring myself to do it today. I don't have the strength to pick myself off of my bed, but apparently my stomach doesn't care as it starts growling. I guess I have no choice now do I, as I slide my feet off the bed and shuffle downstairs still in my pajamas.

"Ryoma-kun. Morning. I made your favourite breakfast, grilled fish." She said as she places the food on the table. Her voice seems sort of lifeless today, but I guess it can't be helped. We're still getting over last night's events. I see her try to smile, try to reassure me that everything's okay and everything's going to be all right, but I know it's not. I'm glad I still have her here. I don't know what I would do if it was really just me.

"Ryoma-kun, I've called the school and told them you wouldn't be in today. I've already called Takahiro as well, he'll be arriving here this afternoon to help us out with everything." So he'll be coming huh. I'm sorry Takahiro, for interrupting your time with your family. Matsumoto Takahiro, a servant of our family. He's the most trusted and loyal out of everyone. He was assigned to my mother when she was young, when he had just recently started serving the family, he's been with us ever since. When I was born, he served as a sort of bodyguard and to protect me from Oyaji's craziness when Okaa-san wasn't around to reel him in. He's part of the family now, but he has his own family; which is why he didn't come with us when we came back. He's been so loyal to us, Okaa-san decided to give him a vacation so he could spend time with his family, since I didn't really need a bodyguard 24/7, he's been away from them for so long. The rest of breakfast was spent in silence, both of us not having anything to say, lost in our inner thoughts, staring at the food in front of us.

"Echizen!" I hear my name being shouted from outside as I headed upstairs after finishing my breakfast. It's Momo-senpai. I'm about to head out and tell him I won't be in, when I hear the door open.

"Momoshiro-kun," Nanako shouts from the doorway as she approaches the front gate to probably tell Momo-senpai that I'm not going to school today.



I wake up after a good rest. It's now around lunchtime, 12:35 to be exact. I make my way down stairs to the kitchen since my stomach has seen fit to disturb me from my sleep, again, because it was hungry. As I quietly make my way down the stairs, I pause slightly at hearing voices in the living room.

"I'm worried about him." That's Nanako-san, but I wonder whom she's talking to.

"It's understandable though, his parents just died. He needs time to grieve." That voice, it sounds so familiar, but I can't seem to place it. I know that voice. Takahiro! That's it! I guess he's finally arrived in town to help us out.

"I know that. He should grieve, that's what troubles me the most. He hasn't shed a single tear. His parents just died and he hasn't cried once. Even when he saw them on their deathbed, he didn't cry. He needs to grieve; he needs to let his emotions out. I'm worried that he may revert to his old self. I know I'm worrying too much and it's only been a couple hours, but he's so young, and to lose his parents like this." I could hear her sobbing slightly and feet shuffling across the floor before a "Meow" erupt from the top of the stairs. Thanks Karupin. I glare at him slightly as I make my way downstairs, interrupting their conversation. I'm sorry for worrying you so much Nanako-san.

"Ryoma-kun. Good Afternoon. Look who's here." She said as she quickly wiped away her tears. Takahiro stood up and bowed before me. Takahiro stood a little over six feet tall. He was of a slim muscular build, with jet-black hair; well it's kind of graying now and fair skin. He didn't really look like much, but he could knock you down in two seconds flat if he wanted to. He was trained in Karate, Judo, Kendo, and Aikido, not to mention he's an excellent marksman. He really isn't someone you want to mess with. However, he's not just all brawn; he's smart and knowledgeable and has a knack for business.

"Ryoma-sama. I'm glad to be back, but I'm sorry that it's under these circumstances. I'm incredibly sorry for your loss. Your parents were great people. I loved them both dearly. They'll both be missed."

"Thank you Takahiro. I'm glad you're back too." I say as I head towards the kitchen, holding back my emotion. I need to get this done. I'm the last one left. I'm the heir to the Takeuchi fortune. Everything my family has worked for is in my hands. I have to do this. I have to be strong. I can't act like a baby and start crying for my mommy. Not like I'd do that anyways, I have some pride as a man. I have to take the responsibility that was passed down on to me.

"Ryoma-kun, there's some lunch in the fridge; all you need to do is reheat it in the microwave."

"Hai. Arigatou Nanako-san."

The afternoon passed quickly, after lunch I went straight to my room again to drown myself in my music. For hours I played the violin, smoothly and gently running the bow over the strings, releasing all of my pent up depression. I played the drums, smashing the drums and the symbols in a perfect beat, taking out the anger within me. For hours I stood there, for hours I played releasing everything within me. All of my emotions, everything that I went through the past couple hours, all of it, I poured it into my music. I played until I could play no more, till there was no strength left in my arms no breath left in my voice.

I lay on the bed, completely spent as Karupin jumps on top of the bed and snuggles close to me. Everything's quiet. Everything is so peaceful. It's nice. All of sudden though, my tranquility is disturbed by the television down stairs, Nanako must be watching the news, and I can here it loud and clear from all the way up here.



"We have just received word, that both Echizen Nanjiroh and Echizen Rinko..." my ears perk up at the mention of my parent's names as I make my way downstairs to the television. "…Both died last night in a car accident. They leave behind a son, Echizen Ryoma." Said the news reporter

"It's a shame. I wonder how this news will affect us," Said one of the other reporters, mostly to his self.

"What do you mean?" said the first reporter

"Well, Echizen Nanjiroh as most of you know is Samurai Nanjiroh, he was a famous tennis player that took the world by storm and put Japan on the map over a decade ago. However, what many people don't know is that Echizen Rinko is – or should I say was the CEO of the Takeuchi Corporation…." Oh shit. Great the whole team's probably watching this as well. I know I was going to tell them all eventually, but I didn't want them to find out on the evening news.

"… Which is the most powerful and the richest family in Japan. They leave behind one son, the sole heir to one of the most powerful companies, the most powerful families in the world. They own, several companies in the world, including some of the media stations, ours being one of them, they own several hotel and spa chains found throughout the world, they're leading in research and development in medicine and biochemistry and one of the most innovative company's in technology, they produce the most secure, unbreakable security system and software, that till today has not been cracked by the best hackers. And that's not even everything. They employ millions if not billions of people all over the world. A lot of people rely on the company for their income, and all of it is in the hands of a fifteen-year-old boy. This is going to affect a lot of people." (A/N: okay maybe I'm going a little over board on how great their family is but wth, it's my fic and I just love ryoma! And I had to come up with something that would make them that rich and powerful.)

Damn it! Everything. In one fell swoop a single reporter just made my life even more miserable than it already it is. I can already picture it, all the media, all of oyaji's fans swarming to our house with their condolences or wanting to get interviews. If they start setting up one of those shrines outside our house, I don't know what I'm going to do. Why can't I just be left alone in peace? Not to mention the business end of everything. Now that the news is out, our stock is probably going to drop drastically. I mean the CEO passed away, how could it not drop. Then there's everyone else and all the media again that's going to want to know what's going to happen with the company with their jobs. Kami-sama, Why me? Is it so difficult to just want to be left alone?


A/N:

Okay I know I was kind of going a little overboard on the Takeuchi family. I'll admit that, but wth, it's my fanfic and so I can make them as great as I want to. Please Review!