Oh hello again from Kriseis and Zaza. We know we haven't updated in oh let's see more then a year I guess but we did not forget about this fic that is so dear to us. In fact we talked about it almost every time we got the chance.

No matter what, we will finish this fic we promise. It's just that updates will come slower.

Anyway enough babbling. Here is chapter 8. We do hope you will enjoy redaing it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love - Jane Austen

Long after midnight the lights in Yuki's room were still turned on. Even though the events and eclectic mixture of emotions of the previous day had worn her out, she couldn't sleep. While the rest of the house was lost in dreams, she way lying on her pink canopy bed, looking at the kimono she had worn that evening.

Yuki was beyond confused, lost was more like it. She did not know what would have been better: to marry a stranger or to not have to agree with Soujiroh about being just friends. Strange as it may sound, her grandfather's plan actually sounded very appealing to her. It was after all a possibility just as good as any other of meeting someone new. The idea of having a new man in her life, one that was not Soujiroh, was oddly tantalizing. She needed that, someone to free her from this obsession. And Yuki had in fact believed that this time she had truly given up Soujiroh. But, as it happened every other time she had tried to distance herself from him, chance found a way to reunite them. She was beginning to wonder if there will ever be another man for her beside him.

Suddenly the room was filled with the sound of church bells. For a second Yuki thought she had gone bonkers. She had not got to the marriage part yet. Why was she hearing church bells? ...Oh, yes! Her phone! She had just received a text message. If she could only find her phone! Yuki got up and started searching: it was not under the bed or anywhere under the bathroom. She could check them off the list, she wasn't that messy. But it wasn't either on the nightstand or the desk. Where could it be? She remembered playing with it earlier so it had to be somewhere near her. Getting back in bed she started searching between the pillows, the covers, even between the sheets. Ah, success! One of her stuffed toys was hiding it from her, obviously, since the tiny object was under the puppy's paw.

The message was from Soujiroh and it read: This is not fair! You only have Makino to tell to and she already knows while I have to put up with three noisy friends. Plus one's fiancée. You better be here in the morning and help explain things to the guys. She was used to Soujiroh's strange habit of sending messages or calling in the middle of the night, but this seemed too much. After all, it was four o'clock in the morning! How come he wasn't tired or sleeping after the kind of day they had? Instead he appeared to be in a joking mood, so she decided to play along. Smiling, she wrote: You are mistaking Mr. Nishikado, it seems equitable to me. We both know that Tsukushi is worse than you three musketeers. Let's see you now, Soujiroh!

She had hardly finished sending the message when her mobile started making noise again. Soujiroh's reply was: Even so she knows because she saw us leaving your house. You better be here tomorrow or I'm coming to get you myself. She leaned her head against one of the stuffed toys, giggling while still looking at Soujiroh's message. Oh, Soujiroh, you poor thing, you're repeating yourself! You're starting to resemble Tsukasa. she thought, amused. Should she just tease him a little bit longer or send an affirmative answer and calm him down? Hmm…was she so wicked as to torment him at this ungodly hour? No, the little giddy devil inside her head was once again defeated by the goody-good caring angel. An in a minute or two Yuki was already sending him a message promising that she will be by his side the following day. There by his side…anyone who would have read this would have assumed it to be a love note. But then again it could be a friend's promise as well. What better than a friend in time of need? She will be a good friend, she will show everybody that her former feelings for Soujiroh were gone and that she was quite capable of regarding him as just one of the boys. Right after she would convince herself of that. And it occurred to her that for a girl who supposedly was over Soujiroh she was spending a large amount of time thinking about him and imagining how things would have been if they had actually been forced to marry.

Yuki got up from her bed, went to the mirror stand and took a good look at herself, putting on a brave face as if trying to summon the courage she was not sure she had. It was too late to try and sleep now and it was useless to go back in bed. She would toss and turn in vain. Going to her desk instead of her bed, she took her sketchbook and began working on her first project as an official interior designer. In her last year of college she had gotten in touch with the senior partner of a small, independent architecture firm. Miss Akiyama had been so impressed with Yuki's talent that she had offered the younger woman a job as an apprentice in the firm. And when said firm had been employed by an expending company to project and design their new office building Yuki had been put in charge of creating a set of sketches to present to the client.

She was proud of her first job, it showed that she was not a child anymore but an independent young woman. And also that she should quit behaving as a child and stop dreaming that Prince Charming will come and take her away on a white horse. Or, in her case, on a motorcycle.

Sketching the contours of what was to become a conference room, Yuki soon found relief from the day's problems. Drawing always had a soothing effect on her. What better than to immerse herself into a world of her own creation and escape the thoughts afflicting her? It should not be long till the Sandman will decide to pay her a visit. Ending up asleep at her desk had become a habit of hers. Many were the nights in which her mother would softly wake her up and guide her to the comfort of the bed. But, still, sleep kept avoiding her and concentrating on her project did not do the trick either, her mind kept slipping to the day's events. Instead of a conference room she found herself sketching the contours of a face which, with every pencil line revealed to her familiar features. Realizing what she was doing, she stopped and looked at her drawing for a few seconds:

"Oh, not you again!"

Irritated by her subconscious' betrayal she tore the page and threw the remains in the trash bin. Feeling slightly better, she returned to her desk.

"I'll just work a little more and then I'll go to sleep."

Tomorrow was a big day after all. Not only she had to face her friends and explain to them the whole arranged engagement affair but she also knew that a talk with her grandfather about his and Mr. Nishikado's plans for her and Soujiroh was imminent too. How was she to explain to her grandfather that she had changed her mind, that she did not want to get married anymore? And what were her reasons? She changed her mind because the man she was supposed to marry was not a total stranger but Soujiroh, the guy she had been in love with for at least four years?

And that's when it hit her, making her drop the pencil. Yuki remained suspended in awe. Had she been about to marry a stranger? Would she had been able to go through with this plan if things hadn't turned out the way they did? Now that she was able to see things clearly, all this situation had been a mad one. There she was, decided to marry somebody other than Soujiroh and it turned out that the mysterious fiancé was none other that him. Talk about fate playing sick games with people.

And Soujiroh seemed to share her opinion: "This is ridiculous! Who would have thought that this would happen to the two of us?" he had said while they were waiting for Hisoka to come and announce dinner was ready. And he was right. Not in their wildest dreams could they have foreseen such a turn of events. Partly it was her fault for never revealing that she was a part of the Takashimizu family. But would that have changed anything?

There was a time when she thought that the reason for which Soujiroh kept rejecting her was the fact that his parents would have never allowed him to marry a commoner. But of course that was just an illusion of hers. Soujiroh saw her as a friend and nothing more and that night's events proved exactly that. Even if she belonged to his class, even if their families had decided on their union, this marriage still could not take place. That's why when Soujiroh suggested to keep their friendship and find a way to delicately reject their grandparents' plan, Yuki accepted it serenely. She did not want to marry Soujiroh if he did not love her. She feared that if they would have ended up married this way, Soujiroh would come to hate her, destroying thus the frail bond that they renewed.

XXX

Breakfast time had come and gone and Shigure had yet to join his wife and guests. Lying in bed, still dressed in hi favorite silk pajamas, he could faintly hear their voices and laughter. Placed on the bed, beside him, was a tray with plates containing a lavish breakfast, enough food for at least two people, courtesy of his loving wife. But the food was untouched. He was holding on his legs the morning's paper and the stem of the pipe in his right hand was resting exactly on the last line of the article he had read before giving up. After going over the same line three times and still not understanding a single word of it, it became painfully clear that he was not really interested in the morning news. So that now the paper also, like the food and the pipe, lay forgotten while Shigure was lost in thoughts.

He had been unusually silent and pensative since the previous evening and contrary to popular beliefs, a night's sleep had not cleared his mind. After all he had heard the night before, slowly but certainly, doubts about this plan of theirs started to creep into his mind. He should have known better than to try and control the lives of others, he should have had learned from the mistakes of his parents. And perhaps all the obstacles they had encountered along the way in trying to unite their families, the overly complicated relationship between Yuki and Soujiroh being just the drop that filled the glass was fate's way of reminding him of a lesson long learned.

Shigure had, from the beginning, felt guilty about hiding the fact that Soujiroh and Yuki already knew each other from Takeshi, but in his defense he could only add that he had truly believed that the kids' friendship will only facilitate the accomplishment of their plan and that not even for a second had he suspected the true nature of their relationship.

Less than an hour of muffled words and hidden accusations between his grandson and Yuki last night had been enough to stir painful thoughts that Shigure could not ignore. He loved his family but for some time now he had begun to think that maybe he had failed in his duty as the patriarch to keep them together and assure their happiness. Shouichiroh, his oldest grandson, must have been truly miserable, discontented, feeling trapped and suffocated by their old ways and customs perhaps if he felt the need to run away from them and refuse their financial aid ever since and it pained Shigure to think not only that he had not done anything to prevent this tragedy, but also that he hadn't even suspected it.

And then there was Soujiroh…If he was unhappy or fed up with them all, he was not showing it. He had not ran away yet and certainly that must be a good sign. The only evidence of his rebellion against the family seemed to be his innumerable escapades but Shigure could not hold that against his grandson since he himself had not been very different in his youth. And it was from this idea that his main concerns about their plan derived.

Shigure knew very well and from his own experience that an imposed engagement or even marriage could not stop his grandson from seducing other women, from having affairs and Yuki-chan deserved much better than a cheating fiancé and then a cheating husband. Yuki-chan…Takeshi's precious granddaughter…Shigure had met her for the first time that previous day but he felt as if he had known her all her life. Takeshi would incessantly talk about her, even more so after Kazuo and Kagura's divorce when he got to see her less and Shigure knew all about her talent at drawing, the parrot pet that died when she was eleven and how she cried all night after it, about her adoration for her brother Shinichi, her excellent grades at school or the presents she would give to her grandfather or her visits to Nikko. Yesterday's meetings had only been opportunities for Shigure to convince himself that all those stories had been more than just Takeshi's boastings. Every word had been true and Yuki-chan was all that Shigure had imagined and more. And she did deserve better than a womanizer for a fiancé.

And then there was his and Takeshi's friendship to consider. Shigure loved Soujiroh but he was not willing to risk such an old friendship. If they pushed this marriage and his grandson would end up hurting Yuki-chan, Takeshi would not forgive him and Mr. Nishikado did not want to reach a point where he would have to choose between his love for his family and loyalty to his oldest and dearest friend.

The news Madoka had brought him after her conversation with the young Mimasaka had been encouraging – the possibility of Soujiroh actually being in love with Yuki thrilled him. But was it enough? And if it was true that they had not spoken for more than a year, what could assure him that Yuki still felt the same for his grandson? Her feelings could have easily changed if she had been hurt by Soujiroh as many times as Mimasaka had told Madoka.

With all these thoughts going on in his head, was it any surprise at all that he could not enjoy the morning paper or the breakfast?

XXX

Yuki had no idea when she had dozed off last night, all she knew was that she woke up still on the chair in front of her desk, a blanket around her shoulders that had been placed there either by Tsukushi or one of the maids. With a stiff neck and an aching back because of the uncomfortable position in which she had slept, she descended to the terrace where her grandfather and Tsukushi were having breakfast. It seemed that they had already planned out their afternoon: they were all going to pay a visit to the Nishikado family ant their guests. Tsukasa had called early in the morning, too early, Tsukushi informed, to invite both of them to a pool party. Her grandfather was to accompany them because there was some business to discuss with the elders of the house. All was settled, there was not nothing to comment upon, she was the late comer and she had no saying in their plans. After breakfast the girls went up to their respective rooms and got ready for another eventful day, Yuki more than Tsukushi for she had to be mentally prepared to meet and explain the whole state of affairs to her obviously curious, nosy friends: "Dearly beloved, we have gathered here to celebrate the friendship renewal between Soujiroh and me and to inform you that no engagement will ever happen between the two of us." Oh yes, she would have to come up with a good speech and strong reasons against a possible marriage to Soujiroh.

Of course that, after this mess, she would be the only one seen as a hypocrite. Who would believe that her feelings for Soujiroh had changed from day to night and that now she only saw him as a dear friend? Even if they had been kind of avoiding each other. Nobody will buy it…She was getting cold feet. Did she really have to go to this pool party No, this was ridiculous. What had happened to last night's strong, independent woman? If she decided on something it was bound to happen and she will prove to her friends that she does indeed mean it.

XXX

When Shigure finally left the bedroom, everybody had already finished eating breakfast and they had scattered around the mansion. The young ones were now sitting by the pool, enjoying the beautiful summer sun and he knew that Madoka was probably supervising the preparation of the lunch or instructing the gardener about the flower arrangements or something of that sort. It wasn't necessary for her to do things like that, but she liked to, even more so since they were having guests and perfection was imperative. So Shigure did not join his grandson and his friends and left his wife to run the household without the burden of his presence. Instead he went to his favorite room of his newly acquired mansion or any of the houses they possessed: the music room.

What only members of the family and closest friends knew and the others did not even suspect, was that Nishikado Shigure was a very talented pianist. His mother had been an ardent admirer of music and had strongly insisted that her son studied a musical instrument. She chose the piano for him - the best suited instrument for an educated young man according to her opinion – and thus he started learning how to play under the guidance of the best teachers money could buy, from the tender age of seven.

At first he did not like it at all. In fact he hated it and he resented his mother for forcing him to sacrifice his few hours o freedom of the day. Why should he stay indoors, learning scales, notes and keys when the other boys, including Takeshi, were out, playing and having fun? He used to run out of the house or hide when it was time for the lesson to start, and more than once her mother herself went in search for him and had dragged him personally into the music room.

Gradually though he began to enjoy playing the piano, especially since it seemed that his mother's intuition about his hidden potential had been correct. Shigure was a young prodigy, blessed with a perfect pitch and a sense of music beyond average. He learnt to love the clear, resonant sounds he could produce, the image of his fingers flying over the keys, he learnt lo love music. And what he liked most was to see his mother's proud face and his father's small smile of satisfaction every time his teacher, their friends, their guest would hear him play and shower him with praises.

By the time his hormones kicked in, he had already discovered the other perks of being a virtuoso of the piano. It was enough to casually mention at some point in the conversation that he played the piano and the young ladies would swoon over him. They never asked to hear him play or even or even about his favorite piece. It was enough to give them this little piece of information and they would immediately conjure up the image of a tormented Byronic hero for him, which he never bothered to deny.

From all the girls he had known, Madoka was the only one genuinely interested in his passion for music. She would slowly creep into the room while he played, seat herself on a chair or even on the floor sometimes, close her eyes and listen to him play with a beatific look on her face. The first time he noticed her listening to him, everything changed.

She always kept in mind his love for music and made sure every one of the houses they ever lived in had a suitable music room. This was no different. It was a large, scarcely furnished room. In the centre there was a grand piano, perfectly tuned of course. All the other pieces of furniture consisted of chairs, armchairs and multicolored pillows scattered on the floor so that the sounds produced by the musical instrument could resonate better in the almost empty room. Usually light flooded in through the impressive windows, but today the yellow blinds had been drawn half down to keep out the sun and they threw down a strange, shadowy apricot light.

He seated himself at the piano, opened the lid and tried to play but his fingers felt stiff and shaky. At first he could manage nothing better than a few exercises but soon he started playing The Well Tempered Clavier. He was concentrated on the task at hand but no so completely immersed that he couldn't hear the door open and someone entering. And he knew, without looking, exactly who it was.

"I knew you would come. I was expecting you." He said slowly closing the lid and turning around on the little piano stool, facing the tired countenance of his dear friend.

Takeshi was already sitting on one of the lush chairs, legs crossed, his left palm resting on his knees, while the right one clutched the silver top of his cane. A bittersweet smile appeared on his face before replying:

"You know me too well, I'm afraid, my dear friend. Therefore, I think you also know the reason for my visit, what I wish to talk to you about."

Mr. Nishikado did not answer right away, he just nodded, carefully avoiding Takeshi's gaze. Silence began to increase between the two like water rises and none of them seemed willing or capable of uttering the next sentence. This was a sad day for them, one they had hoped would never come and now were both reluctant to say the words that would end it all, just in case there was still the faintest change that this situation could be avoided. Finally, after what it felt like decades of silence, Shigure was the first one to speak:

"I do and it has also troubled me ever since last night. I realize now that we would be making a mistake in trying to marry Yuki-chan to Soujiroh."

"You know I like your grandson Shigure, the boy has potential. But he has also been hurting my Yuki-chan and I can't expect her to marry such a man, for much as I treasure our friendship."

It was at that exact moment, after his friend finished speaking and tilted his head backwards a little, touching the upholstery of the chair and closing his eyes as if exhausted, at that precise moment Shigure realized that nothing could be done anymore, that the bond holding together

their families would end with them. After their death there would be nothing left to remind people of their great friendship. He inhaled deeply before replying:

"Nor do I expect you to. I am sorry, old friend, for not telling you in advance that our grandchildren were already acquainted with each other. In my defense I can only say that I honestly thought they were friends. It seem not even I knew the whole truth."

"It's quite alright, I'm sure you only meant well", replied Takeshi, eyes still closed.

But Shigure could not let the matter drop, not until he had confided to his friend everything that troubled him. He told Takeshi about his fears that if they tried to force upon their grandchildren they would only damage their friendship, about how Mimasaka-kun still firmly believed that Yuki-chan had changed Soujiroh, about how he himself had hoped the girl will perform some sort of miracle and that Soujiroh would fall head over heals for her.

Takeshi waited for his friend to finish, smiling bitterly from time to time before reminding Shigure that they had already agreed to let the kids decide. And Takeshi was certain, after the previous night's events, not only that Soujiroh would not wish to get married, but also that they, in the course of the day, will surely come and tell them so. And, as often happens when one speaks of the devil, said devil or devils, were already knocking softly at the door. They came in and expressed their wish to talk to Shigure and Takeshi who, turning towards their grandchildren, braced themselves, expecting the worst.

XXX

Until the girls' arrival, Soujiroh had been dozing off on a chaise-longue, dark glasses shading his eyes, while still pretending to listen to his friends' conversation. But as soon as he saw Yuki walking on the grass field toward them, he swiftly jumped up from his place, grabbed the girl's hand, dragging her into the house.

"Well, hello to you too…" she said, smile on her face, as soon as she had the chance to catch her breath.

"You are late. What took you so long to come?" inquired Soujiroh while opening the door to the study and gesturing to Yuki to get in.

"Oh my goodness, you really are starting to sound like Tsukasa, aren't you?" giggled Yuki.

There were few occasions in which one could see Soujiroh loose his cool, casual composure. But who wouldn't be driven out of his mind with four, no, five friends whispering behind his back, gesturing secret codes to one another, complotting God knew what. It was clear that Tsukushi had spilled the beans as soon as she had found out about this engagement business. It was imperative to clarify the situation to their friends as soon as possible, before things got really out of hand. And the same could be said about their grandparents.

"I will take that as a compliment. Who wouldn't like to be compared to our fearless leader?" he responded, winking mischievously.

"Yes, well just don't turn into Tsukasa. I don not think the world could take two Domyouji."

Putting the little jokes aside, they both agreed that is was time to give an answer to the elders. After a long planning on how to bring the news without hurting their feelings too much, they proceeded to the music room.

The one that did most of the talking had been Soujiroh, but contrary to their expectations, both Takeshi and Shigure had accepted their grandchildren's decision without any protests. The disappointment was clear on their faces though, and Yuki felt the need to add that she and Soujiroh would carry on the friendship that has united their families for such a long time.

All that was left now for the two was to confront their friends. Laughter was heard from the other side of the doors. This was it: the moment for which Yuki had prepared all morning was finally here. Standing in front of the glass door that separated the living room from the garden where lunch was supposed to be served, Yuki's head was filled with worries. How will they react? Will they believe her? Does she believe herself when she says she is not in love with Soujiroh anymore? Will they think her a hypocrite? All her fears came flooding back. And what about having kept from them the fact that she is a Takashimizu?

Truth was she had never given this so much attention because she was used to the life her mother had created for her. She had never thought about herself as one of the Takashimizu heirs, not even now did she feel like one. So nobody could accuse her of deliberately keeping this a secret from her friends, right? Soujiroh didn't seem bothered by this revelation either.

Maybe Soujiroh had the gift of reading her mind or maybe it was the fact that she remained frozen in front of the door, because the next thing she knew was that he took her hand in his and gave her one of his most charming smiles, as if saying Come, there's nothing to be afraid of.

On returning to the pool area, Yuki and Soujiroh found their friends getting ready for lunch. The butler, along with three maids were busy making the last preparations around the table which had been set in the shade of an old oak tree.

"So, the lively pigeons finally decided to honor us with their presence" mocked Akira coming towards the two of them and passing each of them a cocktail.

"Thanks Akira. And what are we celebrating? asked Yuki trying to ignore Akira's comments.

"Being together…again" giggled Shigeru.

"We thought you were going to miss lunch. Domyouji was about to send the butler for you."

"Well, we couldn't start lunch without our host, could we Makino?" Tsukasa retorted.

Rui, the only member absent from the picture until that moment, came from inside the house and while putting his right arm around Shigeru's waist and taking his glass of wine with the left one, uttered another few words of wisdom:

"Good, now that we're finally all here, we might as well make a toast. To friendship!"

"To friendship!" answered the others lifting their glasses.

As they were heading for the table, the word friendship still echoed in Yuki's mind. Soujiroh must have sensed something, for he took her hand once more and gave her an encouraging smile:

"Actually, since we're all here, this is a good opportunity for Yuki and I to talk to you about something" Soujiroh said, letting go of her hand, pulling a chair for her and taking a seat at the table as well.

Upon hearing this, Tsukushi raised her eyes from the napkin she was placing on her lap, and focused her attention on the couple in front of her. The others, as intrigued as she was, had perked up also.

"Yes" agreed Yuki, lifting her eyes to Soujiroh and then turning to the others: "You must all know by now about the arranged engagement between Soujiroh and me. But it will be better if you hear the facts of the story directly from us."

"It will be best in order to clear things out…Because you must also know what is our position in this" continued Soujiroh, putting an arm around Yuki's shoulders.

The others were all eyes and ears, waiting for this long introduction to be over and for them to get to the main point. They had already found out from Tsukushi that the couple in front of them had decided to reject their grandparents' plan and to remain just friends. But what they were witnessing at the moment did not really fit in with what Yuki and Soujiroh were saying. Tender gestures, warm smiles, the glances they gave each other or the way in which Soujiroh wrapped his arm protectively around Yuki's shoulders and not to mention the fact that they appeared holding hands, all those were the gestures of a loving couple.

Could it be that maybe they changed their minds and are about to give us the shock of our lives? mused Akira, watching his friends.

Thus, when the "loving couple" stated "We decided to just be friends", their words dropped like bombs on their friends' heads. All were left speechless, mouths slightly open.

Are they blind? Akira was thinking while, by now even Tsukushi could not ignore the incongruities between their decision and their public display of affection.

"It is the best…" explained Yuki casually pouring Soujiroh some lemonade.

"An arranged marriage between us would have endangered our friendship which has already suffered some damage last year."

"Neither Yuki nor I wish to let that situation happen again."

No kidding…Tsukasa was about to reply to Soujiroh's statement, but he just nodded in comprehension and then gave Tsukushi a are they some kind of crazy people look.

"Our friendship is more important than anything right now" finished Yuki, giving Soujiroh another tender smile.

After a small period of silence in which everybody returned to the matter at hand, that is eating, because they had gathered for lunch after all, Tsukasa broke the ice and asked the question that had been bothering him for some time now:

"So Yuki why is it that your family name is Matsuoka and not Takashimizu?"

"Huh?" interjected Yuki with innocent eyes. She had been taken by surprise.

Tsukushi, irritated by her fiancé's impertinence, resumed to kick him in the left shin under the table. It became clear that this was not going to be a normal lunch no matter how much they tried. Things could never enter the sphere of normality when they were all together.

"Ouch, Makino why'd you did that for?"

"For sticking your nose in other people's business" was Tsukushi´s swift reply.

"Aren't we all doing that?" mused Rui. It was in their nature to interfere in each other's lives. Tsukasa's curiosity was just the tip of the iceberg in what concerned the whole Takashimizu/Nishikado affair.

"No, it's alright, I think I owe you all an explanation" answered Yuki. It was time to come clean about everything regarding her family. So she proceeded to tell them basically all she could remember about her childhood and her parents' divorce. Which was not much, since she had been very young at that time, but she could still recall her mother taking her away from the family mansion in one cold winter morning, saying good-bye to her brother with tears running down her cheeks. Her mother never explained why she gave her maiden name only to her daughter while Shinichi kept the name of Takashimizu. All Yuki knew was that a few days after they had moved out of the mansion, her mother told her that when she would be asked what her name was she should reply Matsuoka Yuki. And it was with than name that a year later she had been enrolled in school.

It was not long after Yuki finished explaining that the topic changed to childhood memories and the whole group joined in sharing at least one funny story, just to lighten the mood a little bit. By the time desert was served, the atmosphere was light and pleasant and Yuki thanked the heavens that things had gone so well. She could really enjoy this party after all.

XXX

Unknown to the young people enjoying the wonderful summer weather and a happy lunch with friends, was the fact that they were being observed by far by three pairs of very curious eyes.

After Yuki and Soujiroh had left the music room, Shigure started playing the piano again. Neither him nor Takeshi felt like talking. Even if they were expecting the answer, it only made it more real that their plain was not going to succeed. Understandably, they were both quite upset. After some time, they were joined by Madoka, who waited for the song to be finished before telling them:

"Come with me to the living room. I think you need to see this."

Both men complied and that it was why they were spying once again on their grandchildren and their friends through the glass door of the second floor living room.

"You are a pair of old fools… giving up so easily…when life gives you lemons, what do you do?" scolded Madoka with eyes glued to the young people in the garden.

"You put them in a place with much sunlight and hope they will become oranges?" replied Takeshi with a straight face

Madoka eyed him for a few seconds "No, you make lemonade, obviously."

"But I do not like lemonade." complained Shigure

"Could you two be serious for a few seconds. Look at them! Just look! So they said they want to be friends. Big deal! Why did you believe them so quickly? Because you had doubts that your plan was nothing more than delusion? Well, take a good look. Five more people believe the same thing and are willing to help you make it happen. Is that still a delusion?"

"More like a conspiracy" muttered Shigure.

"Say what you will, all I know is that Yuki has been and maybe still is in love with my grandson. And for better or for worse, she stuck by him in a way or another for all this time. I will not give up not when we're so close."

Shigure looked at his wife. She had a determined face and he had seen that look of certainty on her face before. So he made up his mind in a second: he was going to trust his wife, forget everything Soujiroh and Yuki had told them, and hope for the best.

One swift glance at his best friend and he knew he was not the only one thinking that and it made him feel better.

Now all they needed was a really good plan.