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Hi yes its updated after 2 years someone slap me ha haHA haHA Ha
Enjoy!

The tempting aroma of curry spread throughout the mansion as the sound of a knife on a cutting board echoed from the kitchen, followed by quiet humming. Ingredients placed on the table were one by one reduced to small pieces before skilfully tossed into the pot. A number of stirs were given after the pot was left for a few minutes and the curry was poured onto a small spoon before it made its way into the cook's mouth for tasting. Deciding it was ready, the gas was turned off and the cook placed the lid on the pot to allow it to stay warm longer. As his fingers untied the apron he had wrapped around his body, he made his way through the hallway to a room just a few steps from the kitchen and yanked the door open, cupping a hand over his mouth right after that.

"Food's ready," he stated. "Go get it before it's all gone"

Five multi-coloured heads turned to face the bespectacled male at the door and instantly they discarded the cards they were playing with before rushing towards the kitchen.

The first who managed to grab a plate and filled it with food was Atsushi, his longer legs – much longer legs – allowing him to get a head start. Satisfied he got his portion, he waddled off like a happy child who had just gotten candy.

Ryouta was being nice, instead of serving himself first he served the two females, who cheerfully thanked him with smile, then he proceeded to take his time with his serving, irking the green haired man who stood in line behind him.

"Ryouta, stopped dilly dallying," he uttered in annoyance, his bandaged fingers pushing his glasses up as he did.

"Be patient, Shintarocchi. Good things come to those who wait"

The pure smile he offered did nothing to subside Shintarou's irritation, rather he was just pouring fuel onto the fire which earned him a conk on the head. Ignoring the whining the blond was giving him, Shintarou carefully poured his serving of curry onto his plate and instantly made some distance between him and Ryouta.

Junpei - who had left earlier to serve the food to Tsujirou - returned to the kitchen and joined the other five at the small dining table set for them. Unlike the second-string members who conduct their lifestyles in a separate tent, they had the privilege to stay in the mansion along with Tsujirou. Of course, the rooms they were given weren't as fancy as their master's – or even Seijuro's – but it was definitely better than living with twenty other people in a tent.

"By the way," Satsuki spoke up amidst of the mixed-up conversations occurring at the table, her next words particularly directed to Ryouta. "Where's Tetsu-chan? I thought she was supposed to be with you"

"Ahh yeah," Ryouta gave a wry laugh. "I... kind of lost sight of her a few moments back before you came home"

Seeing that Satsuki was about to say something, he quickly cut her off saying, "but! Seijurocchi's with her now so there's no need to worry!"

"Sei-kun?"

The pink haired female blinked in puzzlement – weren't they still in bad terms? – but just gave a nod. At least her whereabouts were known.

"Where are they right now anyway?" Riko asked. "Aren't those two going to eat?"

With a shrug, Ryouta answered, "who knows. But Seijurocchi skipping meals isn't an unusual thing, isn't it?"

"That damn brat."

It was Junpei who huffed as he took another spoonful of curry from his plate. Though only a look of annoyance could be seen from his expression, they all knew he was secretly concerned for the redhead. In a way, he did take over the 'father position' in their group. However, that was silently decided by the others and the person in question had no clue about it.

The sound of cutlery hitting the plates now took over, instead of silence, as their conversations died out. Soon after, Atsushi had stood up to place his dishes in the sink and he was the first to leave the table. The nonchalant voice of his saying 'Sei-chin...~' once he got to the hallway caught the attention of the others who were still eating as they turned their heads towards the entrance of the kitchen, where Seijuro greeted them as he walked in.

"Ah, today's lunch is curry," he said particularly to no one when the spice-filled aroma of curry made its way to his nostrils.

He noticed how every single one of his 'comrades' on the table were discreetly looking for the blunette who was supposedly with him. Slowly giving the curry in the pot a stir before pouring his portion onto a plate, he decided to answer their question which they were contemplating to ask.

"Tetsuna-san's in her room," He stated. "I will deliver her food myself so there is no need for you to go."

Junpei - realizing he was talking to him - nodded then continued with his food, watching Seijuro leave the kitchen with two plates in hand at the corner of his eye. He shifted his gaze towards Riko, who sat in front of him, with the raise of an eyebrow and she just gave him a shrug, catching the question he was mentally asking her, before returning to her food. Junpei frowned at it, then he too continued to eat. He was curious, so far, he had only seen Tetsuna be wary of the male but now they were going to have their lunch together. Usually Seijuro would have joined them at the table as the girl wouldn't let him into her room but today he left to go to Tetsuna. What brought to this turn of events?

"..."

Ah well, it must be some plot to get Tetsuna to trust him for Tsujiro's sake.

She watched as he carefully placed the two plates on the small table located near her bed and handed her the cutleries for use. She could hear her stomach quietly grumble as the smell of curry beckoned for her. She might have been drooling a little, she thought, as Seijuro offered her to eat. Tetsuna nodded a thank you and silently placed a spoonful of curry and rice into her mouth. Seeing that she had started, Seijuro too did the same.

There were no conversations – unlike how it was with the others – just the silent chewing and the clinking of cutlery on plates. Tetsuna couldn't bring herself to start a conversation with him to rid of the awkward air around them. She didn't know what to say and she didn't want the redhead to get any false ideas that she was opening up to him. The only reason she even allowed him in her small prison was because she thought he could use the silence during his meal. Instead of listening to the chatters of his circus-mates at the dining table, she thought maybe she could let him get some of the tranquillity he couldn't get due to her prior interruption in the garden.

Tetsuna glanced at him at the corner of her eye as he ate silently, prim and proper. A small bite at a time. His tired eyes weren't making any effort in trying to look lively but his good posture didn't falter.

He's well-educated, she mused and looked away.

Yes, this silence was just fine.

It came to her as a surprise when the person who greeted her the next morning with breakfast was Atsushi instead of Seijuro, who was usually in charge of everything regarding her. The nonchalant giant handed her over the two sandwiches - one was egg while the other was chicken with mayonnaise - and placed himself on the floor to munch on his own sandwiches that he brought along. Curiousity took over Tetsuna as she made a decision to ask Atsushi where the redhead was.

"Ah... Sei-chin's sick," he answered with his mouth half-full, receiving a warning from the bluenette for it.

"Sick?"

It didn't cross her mind that Seijuro would actually fall sick – he looked as if he could get rid of any virus with his own bare hands – but once she considered how he had been overworking the past few days that she noticed, it was natural that his immune system would fail to do its job.

She hummed a response to Atsushi's confirmation and quietly nibbled on her sandwich, her mind wandering off with every passing second. She became curious now, how sick was he? Also, how would things turn out now that the second hand of Tsujiro's was not in the condition to do his work? There was a circus scheduled for them in two days; would they be able to manage things with Seijuro's absence? Of course, she had no intention of performing. However, she was worried of Tsujiro's wrath if things didn't go as planned.

"Atsushi-kun," Tetsuna spoke up. "Do you think... I could go see Seijuro-san for a while?"

Atsushi blinked with puzzlement at her question and cocked his head to the side innocently. "Why?"

"No reason," she uttered. "I just... want to see him"

The purple giant stared at her for a few before nodding and wrapping his arms around his legs, the action making him look more like a child that he actually was.

"Sure. But you have to promise"

"What, Atsushi-kun?"

Looking directly into her baby blue eyes, he continued. "Promise that you would perform with us in the circus"

Tetsuna's eyes widened and just as she was about to object – this boy was more cunning than she thought – Atsushi smiled up at her and said,

"Just joking. I won't force you, Tetsu-chin"

He uttered the affectionate nickname with a chuckled then stood up, proceeding to pat the girl's head with his large hands.

"Let's go?"

Tetsuna couldn't help but smile with gratitude.

"Thank you"

Harsh coughs filled the bare room from time to time as Seijuro covered his mouth to suppress the coughing fits he kept getting. He was on his side, curled up in a blanket with hardly any energy in him. His eyes could barely keep themselves open and although the surrounding temperature was just at room temperature, he felt freezing cold. He had already worn a thick sweater with similarly thick sweatpants from his closet along with socks – the thickest one he could find – and yet he felt as if he was in a freezer. A warm summer breeze from the open window gently blew into the room - Satsuki had insisted that he needed the fresh air outside rather than the fan to get better - and for a moment he felt relieved.

The blissful moment ended soon after when he once again started coughing violently. His chest hurt tremendously and as a bonus, a splitting headache had decided to make its appearance from all the coughing he had been doing.

Holding his head as if to suppress the pain, Seijuro closed his eyes while releasing a small sigh, the energy he had remaining sapped out of him. He wasn't used to falling sick – he rarely even did – so this time when he did, it was a thousand times more exhausting than it should be. It was to the extent where even lifting his arms to pull the blanket closer to himself was a task.

"So, this is my punishment, huh..." he uttered in a whisper as he drifted off to sleep.

The sweet, familiar smell of peaches along with the stinging smell of medicine was the first thing he noticed once he had awoken just barely opening his eyes and tempted to rip off his throat that felt revolting like it was burning. Weakly, he lifted his head to look up, a hoarse whisper leaving his lips.

"Satsuki?"

"Ah, you woke up."

What he saw was the light shade of blue instead of pink.

Sitting beside the bed on a chair was none other than Tetsuna, a hint of worry painted on her face as she looked at him. Her presence had caught him off guard, as he was expecting Satsuki to be there, not her. It then came to him that the two girls were using the same shampoo, thus giving them the same sweet scent that he had grown up with.

Seijuro sat up – struggling a little from his lack of strength – and kept his eyes on Tetsuna, the other slightly unnerved with the stare he gave her. His sharp eyes traced her features, from her pursed lips to her eyes which shifted their gaze continuously with frequent blinking as they tried to avoid making contact with his own. It was when she decided to speak up to him that he removed his gaze and placed them on the dull sheets of his bed instead.

"Is... Is there something you'd like to say?"

After a seemingly moment of contemplation did the male choose to respond to her.

"No." He closed his eyes. "Where's Satsuki?"

"I asked to take care of you instead," a quiet answer. "I... wanted to see how you were doing"

"So, you came to laugh in my face?"

"That's not true...!"

The rise of her voice made him quirk an eyebrow as his eyes slowly opened by a few, his gaze directed towards the girl with hinted wonder painted in the red of his eyes. He studied her expression, a faint pink coloured her fair cheeks as she pressed her lips together, her small fists clenched tightly as they sat on her lap with a light tremble while her eyes looked directly into his. Her light blue hair had swayed softly when she moved to protest against his words, and his eyes followed each strand as they went back into place, framing her face once again like they did before.

"That's not true, Seijuro-san."

Her eyes were downcast as she repeated her words.

"I was.. worried about you."

Her voice was gentle, though hesitant. A soothing sound to his ears as he felt the hammering in his head slowly returning, his sight losing its focus.

"That's why..."

She didn't continue.

She couldn't continue.

The sudden added weight on the crook of her shoulder threw her off guard, a foreign warmth seeping in as his head rested itself comfortably on her bare skin. The extreme warmth somehow felt comfortable, an odd feeling. The ends of his hair felt ticklish as they brushed against her cheek as his body slumped weakly towards her frozen figure, just like the limp body of a sleeping cat.

Tetsuna stared at him, puzzled, but didn't push him away. Instead, she allowed herself to place a hand on his hair and gave small, tender strokes, taking note of how soft it felt between her fingers. There was no rejection to the action so she didn't stop. Under her touch, she could hear soft, content breathing coming from the man, his face showing an expression of bliss before contorting from time to time with every cough that forced itself out of his body. At this, Tetsuna would gently pat his back, an act she frequently witnessed mothers do to their child when they coughed. She had received her fair share of loving pats from her grandmother whenever she was down with a flu or whenever she choked on her beverage thus she knew how comforting it could be. She only hoped it would give the same effect to the male.

The brief thought of her grandmother brought a solemn shadow upon Tetsuna's features. She wondered what she was doing, if she was doing okay, if she missed her. She hoped that Daiki – or at least someone – was taking care of her in her place. She didn't want to think of the possibilities that would result from leaving her sick grandmother alone.

She missed her. She wanted to go home.

After days of being in captive, a wave of home sickness finally came upon her. It was a wonder why she didn't feel it sooner. Truth be told, there wasn't any time for her to experience the said home sickness with all the occurrences around her.

She wondered, if she could actually escape from her. If she would succumb to Tsujirou and obediently become one of his puppets. The future seemed bleak.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Seijuro move, discomfort shown on his face possibly due to his headache. Carefully, Tetsuna removed his head from her shoulder and placed it on the soft fabric of the pillow, deciding that her shoulder needed a break. She covered the male's body with the thick blanket before proceeding to leave her seat and head out the door.

The room was empty when he opened his eyes again and he couldn't lie that he felt a tinge of disappointment at the absence of the bluenette. When he closed his eyes, he had hoped to wake up to the sight of her, beside his bed with the tender gaze she possessed, perhaps with the same 'you woke up' she had uttered previously. Although, he realized it was just wishful thinking. Why would she stay around for him? He was, to her, a despicable person after all.

"I was worried about you."

Her words rang in his head as he picked himself up from the bed. He wondered if there was any truth hidden in those words, or if she just uttered them to get him to trust her thus allowing her to escape.

He shook his head. Either way it didn't matter. She was a mere prisoner of theirs and nothing more. They – he – didn't deserve more.

He slid off the side if his bed and headed towards the bathroom opposite his room to wash up, tossing aside the sweater soaked with sweat to put on a fresh shirt. It was then he noticed a mug on the side table near his bed. Placed under it was a small piece of paper with a note written on it. Intrigued, Seijuro picked up the paper into his hands and read off the neat handwriting that the note presented.

'It's warm milk with honey. My grandmother said honey is good for sore throats and the warm milk can help you calm down. I'm not sure if mixing the two will give the same effects but I hope it does. Please take care of yourself.

Tetsuna.'

It was confusing, how she decided to provide care for him amidst the hate she undoubtedly held against him. He couldn't comprehend how she could still bother to mingle with him and the other first-string members when all they have brought to her life was only misfortune. It was puzzling, and illogical.

However, he found himself gazing at the note with fondness – a look he usually reserved for Satsuki whom he thought of as family. He reached out for the mug, putting the note aside and carefully sipped the beverage the female had provided for him.

It tasted sweet, tender, and kind. As the liquid flowed down his throat, the irritation that lingered around in it slowly disappeared, the honey soothing the annoyance. The warmth from the milk did help give a calming effect, rendering the tension he hadn't realized he had from the sudden deterioration of health insignificant.

A pleased sigh escaped his lips, his eyes shutting at the relaxed state he was in. The fuzzy feeling that tickled his chest was foreign, however it was welcomed. It had been a while, since he felt this way. Although it was only temporary, he was grateful for the moment of bliss. Grateful, that she decided to give him the opportunity to experience it once again.

Tsujirou twirled the key in his hands as he made his way down the hallway, a tune hummed, accompanied by the scheming smile that revealed his gleaming teeth under the lights. His proud tummy jiggled with every step he took and once he reached a wooden door - a name plate written in red hung beside the door frame, the key was inserted into its designated hole and was twisted, unlocking the shut door before letting himself in. He had thought of it a few times before, to serve as a catalyst to get the gears turning, however decided against it, considering to give his right hand a chance. Unfortunately, he was getting impatient. Things were moving slow. Too slow, that he reached the conclusion that maybe, they have forgotten about the fact that his words were absolute and that what they felt personally had no significance when it came to his decisions.

Which was why, he decided to speed things up. Remind them of their purpose in his circus organization. Remind them of who was the authority in his organization.

Remind them of why they were let to live.

Thanks for reading! (and forgive me for the 2 years hiatus crai)