Guess who finished chapter 6 at 3am after 2 months of writer's block 8D
Sorry to keep you guys waiting! Here's chapter 6. Thank you for being patient with me sob. Unlike the other chapters this is a more different theme but I still honestly hope you enjoy it uvu

Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners.

"finally... Loreine..."

Daiki muttered as he gazed at the bustling town in front of his eyes, feeling extremely tired from all the walking he had done for the past few days. The path he passed wasn't very kind to him too. With all the obstacles— such as random heavy rains and sudden blocked paths —his energy supply easily reduced to 0% in just the few kilometres he walked. Sometimes he would have to activate the monkey side of his and climb trees just to get past a blocked path. Thankfully for his athletic build, it was a rather easy task to do. There were also those moments where random wild animals would come to attack him— the reason for one of the attacks was that he chose to camp for the night in a bear's cave and he just barely made it out safely.

Anyways, seeing that he had reached his main destination, Daiki decided that he shouldn't waste any time and go look for the 'main house' mentioned by the old lady he met on the way here. Problem is... where? Sure the lady said it was somewhere in the outskirts of Loreine but where exactly was it? Since it's where the members live with their master and also where they keep their... hostages, it should be somewhere that is quite hidden and hard to find, right?

"if so how the hell am I gonna find it..."

Daiki muttered and rubbed the back of his neck. He has to think of a way to pinpoint where the main house is as just blindly looking for it won't be smart and it would waste a lot of time. Valuable time that can be used to prevent any casualities to Tetsuna. The navy haired teen walked around the lively town, hoping for an idea to pop into his head any time soon. As he went around the place, his eyes looked around for any 'familiar' faces in the area. He was in the enemy's territory after all. It wouldn't be unusual to see at least one of them. Perhaps.

"tsk. It would be easier if they put a sign or something like 'here lies bad guy hideout' or some shit..."

Daiki kicked a pebble from the ground and kept on walking, hoping to see at least one of those rainbow kidnappers around the town (though he silently hoped he wouldn't be seeing the colour red anytime soon). What he hoped for the most was to see the shade of pink, as she's the only one he felt he could talk into letting his shadow go. Of course, that wasn't certain but it wasn't wrong to hope that way.

"could you please give me two kilos of this meat?"

A familiar tone of voice— filled with a certain sweetness that made his heart skip a beat —was heard at the side of his ear and instantly, he spun around to confirm whether it was truly her. Something in his gut told him that it really was her. It was a strong feeling so it had to be right. Blue orbs frantically glanced around until he heard the voice again, eyes unconsciously widening once he saw her.

"here ya go"

"thank you"

found her...

There, standing in front of the butcher as she placed the meat she bought inside her shopping bag, was Satsuki. Her hair was tied up into a low side ponytail and her clothes were different— it was a simple dress with the colour of blue-grey —than what she wore the last time he saw her but it was definitely her. There was no one else he knew that would have those silk pink locks. He found her. Now what?

He hadn't thought about it. Now that he had found one of the people he was looking for, what should he do? Follow her? Or should he call out to her? The latter seemed a little unsuitable for the current situation as calling out would definitely alert the others— especially the master mind —about his presence. It seemed like following was the only choice—

"Daiki-kun?"

crap.

"no way... Is that really you, Daiki-kun?"

Daiki instantly tried to hide his face but it was too late. She had spotted him. The expression on her face was that of one mixed with shock and horror. As if him being in the town would cost her her life. He hesitantly face her, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to use as an excuse. Satsuki bit her underlip before whispering out a question that saved Daiki from having to choose from the number of lame excuses he thought of.

"...did you come searching for Tetsu-chan?"

His eyes became serious once they met hers and he answered in a low voice,

"yeah" Her grip on the shopping bag tightened and she hid her eyes behind her bangs. This was troublesome. If he were to find out their base by following her around, Tsujirou would definitely... She has to prevent that from happening. No matter what. She has to get Daiki out of Loreine even if it would cost her a limb. Losing a limb was absolutely better than suffering the torture Tsujirou would give her— not only her but also the others —if Daiki were to take Tetsuna away from them. Absolutely...

"Daiki-kun," she offered one of her cheerful smiles which threw him a little off-guard. "would you like to stop by a cafe? I know one that serves a really good menu"

The boy blinked, a little surprised and sceptical of the offer. They were enemies. Why would one invite her enemy to go and eat at a cafe?

"No thanks. I'm just here for Tetsu, not a cafe date with you"

To be honest he would kill for a cafe date with Satsuki but the situation didn't allow that and Daiki knew better than to just give in to his wants. It was clear that Satsuki wasn't pleased with the answer he gave her as her smile faltered a little. She pushed a strand of her pink hair behind her ear and looked at Daiki, a somewhat unexplainable look in those eyes of hers. They were like silently telling him to just come along to the cafe without any objections. They were persuading, yes, but Daiki was still contemplating.

"well, if I tell you that I might just know the way for you to save Tetsu-chan…" she paused and narrowed her eyes by a few millimetres. "would you come along to the café?"

Daiki blinked, his lips parting in utter surprise to her words. He couldn't tell if those words were said to coax him into agreeing to stop by the café or those words were the truth, that she wanted to help him retrieve Tetsuna from Tsujirou. Deciding to trust her— he was convinced that she wasn't the type to be manipulative when it comes to these matters —the navy haired boy gave a nod and followed her to the café she recommended. Sure trusting her now at this point would be absurd in some ways but she's the only person from the inside that could possibly help him get to Tetsuna. He couldn't go to Seijuro and ask him to help, could he now.

The café they entered had a quaint feel to it— unlike the atmosphere outside —with the small potted plants set as decorations in corners of the place. There was a faint smell of coffee lingering around the place and it gave a calming effect once they entered. The two chose a table a little isolated from the other customers and order drinks for themselves— juice for Satsuki and soda for Daiki —with an additional strawberry shortcake for the pinkette.

"I haven't had any cake in a while", she said, smiling gleefully and earning a hum from the other as a response.

He was feeling puzzled. One second she was acting as if he was a danger to be in the town and the next, she's acting as if they were close friends, just like the first time they met. How she could switch her expressions so easily really amazed him. Though so, he wasn't about to forget the objective he had came here for in the first place.

"Satsuki—"

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is your juice, soda and cake."

The waiter interrupted before he could ask and he held back his words as the waiter served them, the seconds taken somewhat felt longer to him. The waiter bowed then left, leaving Daiki and Satsuki alone at the table once again. The pinkette grinned widely at the sight of the cake and uttered a 'thanks for the food' before taking a bite out of it, letting out a pleased moan as she chewed. The boy stared at her, tempted to just get between her and the cake and start bombarding her with questions but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to do so. She looked so.. happy. And he liked seeing her smile.

Satsuki caught him (unconsciously) staring at her and her grin widened as she raised her fork with a small piece of cake on it towards him. Daiki blinked, feeling a little confused, and he could feel his cheeks warming up a little in the cool aired cafe. Getting the message of confusion, the girl— with her grin not leaving her face —said,

"here. Have a bite"

His cheeks now felt really hot as he spluttered some questions to why he should accept the cake. Satsuki tilted her head to the side innocently and responded.

"I thought you wanted some. You were staring at it, weren't you?"

Ah. She misunderstood.

It was a good thing for Daiki though. If she were to know that the real focus of his stare was her, she would definitely label him as a pervert.

"yea but, no thanks" he said, shaking his head.

Satsuki uttered a 'is that so..' before returning to eating her cake. Daiki sighed inwardly and reminded himself not to lose focus. Again. With that mind set, he placed his left arm on the table and leaned a little closer towards the girl— not wanting anyone else to hear the conversation —with a serious look on his face.

"so, Satsuki." He started, gaining attention from the other. "about Tetsu.."

The girl stopped enjoying her cake at once and fell silent. Her grin slowly disappeared and she put her fork down beside the plate. As she did, she closed her eyes and let out a light chuckle before opening them again.

"right.. I did say I would tell you, didn't I"

Daiki frowned a little at this. It was like she was trying to stall the time to tell him. Satsuki let her hands rest on her lap and her expression turned into a serious one, her rosy hues gazing straight into the blue eyes of the male in front of her.

"before I help you with anything, I would like to make something clear." She stated. Satisfied with the nod she received from him, she continued. "Tetsu-chan now belongs to Tsujirou-sama. Rescuing her means that you would have to take the risk of being caught and being punished severely— or killed —for it. Are you fine with that?"

"Tetsu belongs to that fatso?" Daiki scoffed at her words then glared. "don't make me laugh. Tetsu doesn't belong to anyone, get that?" The tanned male placed a fist on the table and with extreme determination said, "I will save Tetsu even if it means I die, I swear on that."

Satsuki's eyes widened by a fraction before a smile slowly formed on her lips, a mixture of admiration and longing seen in her expression. "to want to sacrifice yourself for her to that extent, you must really care for Tetsu-chan, don't you?"

"well, duh" the male rolled his eyes. "she's my best friend!"

"..best friend, huh.."

It was a word that she would feel jealous of whenever someone would say it. It was a word that she longed to say proudly about someone. A word that she never could see herself saying. Even though she was close to the circus members, there was no one she could call a best friend. Though they were close, they were very distant. Especially him.

"if you have already made up your mind, then there's no stopping you" she smiled. "I won't help in saving Tetsu-chan but I will tell you how to. Whether it would go smoothly or not, it's all up to you, Daiki-kun"

"…got it"

He gave a nod and Satsuki started to explain to him a way that he could use to release Tetsuna from her captive.

A sigh escaped the lips of the redhead as he ran his fingers through his hair, putting down the pen he held on his desk, his eyes gazing tiredly at the light grey wall of his room with his back leaning against the chair he was sitting on. His shirt was messy— his tie and blazer set aside on his bed —with its unbuttoned collar and he had taken off his gloves, revealing his fair but faintly scarred hands. Seijuro seldom did this outside the safety of his room, as he wouldn't want anyone else to see him in the state he was, though he rarely was like that.

He was at a dead end.

After the incident a few days back, Tetsuna didn't want to look at him in the eye or even talk to him. Every time he would start up a conversation, she would stay silent and ignore it. He was okay with that, given the kidnapper-hostage position they were in but that wasn't why he was troubled. A mere unwillingness to talk to him wouldn't affect him at all, if he were to be honest, but that unwillingness actually led to his dilemma.

"get her to perform" —were Tsujirou's orders. The man still hadn't given up on trying to make the girl his puppet so in order to persuade her to follow his orders, he decided to ask the one person he knew she trusted, which was Seijuro. Though he explained that Tetsuna no longer held that trust, Tsujirou didn't want to listen. For him, the only thing that was important was for Seijuro to talk Tetsuna into performing and becoming his toy. How he would do it, it was none of his business.

This was a part of Tsujirou that Seijuro absolutely couldn't tolerate. But he still went along with it anyway. He couldn't defy him after all. From there, the days were spent by the redhead trying to get the bluenette to at least hear what he wanted to say. Honestly, Seijuro found himself to be very persuasive but when it came to Tetsuna, he just couldn't do anything. Though that was what made it quite interesting for him. He liked prey who don't break easily, unlike Tsujirou, who preferred the prey to submit to his every whim without any rebelling. But although the redhead enjoys the resistance, he had his limits. Going through the same thing everyday— plus the all the training and organizing shows in other towns —drained a lot of energy from the male. Tetsuna was a tough one.

Deciding to let it rest for a day, Seijuro retreated to his room— where he currently was —and decided on doing some simple paperwork concerning the circus to distract himself from all the shit that was happening around the place. But alas, the paperwork didn't succeed in distracting him. All he could think about was of ways he could get Tetsuna to do as told. It was problem. If he doesn't hurry, Tsujirou would really not be pleased. And that, would be a major problem for the young male. Another sigh escaped his lips and he got up from his seat, walking out the door from his room— not forgetting to once again put on his gloves and blazer —in order to find a little peace somewhere else.

Tetsuna was absolutely thankful for the low presence she has as it had helped her escape the surveillance of Ryouta— who was given the task to watch her for the day —and give her some time to herself. Ever since they returned, the girl was granted the privilege to walk around the vicinity of the mansion as long as there was someone from the first string watching over her. Though she was glad she didn't have to stay cooped up in the dark room she has been living in, it was really uncomfortable having someone watch over you 24/7. So the moment she found a chance to get away, she took it. Of course, she couldn't escape from the mansion— with the fact that it was in a secluded place she wasn't familiar with, meaning she could get lost while escaping, and that they had people who can track her down in an instant without breaking a sweat. The tall walls surrounding the mansion also prevented an easy escape. Until her chances of getting away permanently were confirmed, she couldn't do it just yet.

For now, she would just enjoy her alone time. Being in the garden— the only calming and beautiful place in this whole nightmare —seemed like the best choice. Tetsuna took her time walking around the large garden, admiring the flowers and plants that seemed to have been taken care well and embracing the warm rays of the sun. The roses showed a stunning colour of red and the daffodils had a vibrant colour of yellow. Chrysanthemums were arranged beautifully, mixing yellow and white together, and the ericas gave a soft colour of purple to the garden along with light pink peonies. There were countless of numbers of other flowers that gracefully decorated the garden, making it seem like a paradise. Among all the one that stood out the most was a sakura tree standing in solitude near the walls. Instead of its well known pink, its leaves were a shade of green as the flowering season for it was over.

Tetsuna walked towards it, tempted by the shade that it was providing with its leaves, her fingers lightly running against the leaves of the other plants that were at each sides of the grassy path that led towards the tree. The bluenette had never seen a sakura tree face to face. She had only known them from books and she had only seen the gorgeous sakura flowers in those books. With slight disappointment that she wasn't able to witness the tree during its flowering period, she made a silent wish to whoever was listening to let her— at least just once —see it when it's flowering. Perhaps with Daiki. He has never seen it too after all. They could make some snacks and sit under the tree admiring the fallen flowers like the pictures in the books showed. It wasn't a bad idea. Perhaps, once all of this is over, they could do that. In a different place maybe, where they can enjoy themselves to their heart's content.

The girl paused her silent musing once she got closer to the tree, her blue eyes widening at the unexpected sight she was witnessing at the moment. She would never have thought to be able to see the usually intimidating redhead in such a state. He looked.. so peaceful. He was seated on the grass with his back leaned on the trunk of the tree in a relaxed way, his hands resting comfortably on his abdomen. His head was tilted a little to the side and his eyes were closed as if he was in a deep sleep. A gentle gust of wind blew past the two, the leaves swaying lightly at it. Tetsuna unconsciously continued to stare at him. The way his chest would slowly rise and fall at every breath he took. The way his lips were slightly parted. The way his bangs that dropped onto his face were tenderly caressed by the wind.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

In amidst of all the anger she had felt towards him for the past few days, she could feel a growing affection toward the redhead. Deny all she would but she knew she couldn't hide it from herself.

Slowly, she crouched down closer to him, her hand reaching out carefully as she let her fingers lightly sweep his bangs aside. She noticed the slight bags under his eyes, showing that he hasn't been having much sleep. She wondered why. Was it because of all the work he was entrusted by Tsujirou with as the secondary leader of the circus? It seemed so. That was the only thing he had always been concerned with. He would never have time to be with the other members, she realized. He would always be away somewhere, either with Tsujirou or alone, completing his tasks.

Tetsuna's eyes narrowed sadly. She knew he was loyal to Tsujirou but the man should at least let him have some decent rest, not pushing all these responsibilities over to him. Even the task of taking the boy from the previous show's life was left for him to do.

"such a pitiful person.." she said in a whisper.

The bluenette instinctively stood up the moment she saw his eye twitched, thinking that he was waking up. He was. Seijuro slowly opened his eyes and the moment his crimson orbs landed on the figure of the girl, they lightly widened in surprise. He wasn't expecting anyone to come to the garden during the time period so he had let his guard down. The redhead straightened his posture and looked up to the standing bluenette, who was trying to act as natural as possible.

"…what are you doing here" was the first thing he asked.

Tetsuna stared at him confusingly, not understanding the nature of the question.

"I asked, what are you doing here" he repeated, a little more sternly. "where is Ryouta? I thought he was suppose to be with you for today"

The female uneasily adverted her eyes from the piercing gaze of the male, thinking of a way to explain her escape from Ryouta. Where did that peaceful looking man go, geez.

"I.. I came here to be alone." She finally answered. "I don't like having someone watching me all the time so I came here when Ryouta-kun wasn't looking."

Seijuro mumbled an "I see.." and stood up himself, walking a few steps forward before turning around to face Tetsuna. "come. We are going back inside"

An obedient nod was given and Tetsuna trailed behind Seijuro. It was silent as they treaded on the grassy path, both of them not sparing a glance at each other. Tetsuna was fine with that. Actually it was better that way. She honestly didn't feel like talking to him. She wasn't that forgiving when it comes to taking others' life. She thought the silence would last until they part ways once inside the mansion but of course, it wasn't going to.

"which of them do you like?"

A casual question from the male, earning another confused look from Tetsuna. As if knowing that she couldn't comprehend, he repeated his question, adding a little to it.

"the flowers. Which of them do you like the most?"

Tetsuna mentally muttered an 'oh..' in realization and glanced at the peony they just passed. "the peonies." She paused for a moment before continuing. "they're really pretty"

"peonies.. meaning bravery, huh." It suits her.. Seijuro let out a chuckle. "Satsuki would be pleased if you were to tell her that"

"Satsuki-san planted them?"

"no." a light shake of the head. "but she tends to them. Along with Riko-san"

"is that so.."

There was a slight glint of fondness in his eyes which piped interest from the bluenette but she decided to not say anything about it. Instead she decided to ask, "what about Seijuro-san?"

"me? Well.."

The redhead stopped walking and turned a little to look for the flower he had in mind. Spotting it, he let a subtle smile cross his features and he gestured towards it, letting Tetsuna know which it was.

"Camellia, I suppose"

He said elegantly as his eyes stayed on the light yellow flower that grew beside the roses. The bluenette blinked at his words and glanced at him, as if searching for an answer to his statement. Seijuro, disregarding the look she was giving, shifted his body to look forward and continued to walk.

"let's go" he simply uttered.

Tetsuna said nothing and just followed him back into the mansion.

Some say what you find to your liking reflects either who you are or what your deepest desires are. Some also say it reflects how you feel deep inside at times. Perhaps it was true. Perhaps it was not. But if it was in fact true, then…

"Akashi-san…"

He really is such a pitiful person.

.

.

.

Yellow Camellia. Meaning, longing.

Thanks for reading!