The wind blew the dried leaves on the ground away. A young man tried to sweep it neatly into the pile of other dried leaves. With the chirping birds and the sound of the wind, the weather will be good today.

The young man saw a figure approaching slowly, as the figure ascends the stairs, it gets clearer and clearer. A woman with shoulder length hair, with a sunglass and a modern clothing.

She stopped and took her sunglasses off. The young man looked as she marveled the sight in front of her.

Yayoi tried to crunch in as many view as she can, hoping that any of it can ignite her past memories.

A young man with a broom in one hand jogged towards her. They both bowed in greeting.

"Are you a visitor?", he asked excitedly.
"Excuse me?"
"Are you a visitor?"
"Well... I guess I am?"
"Yes! We never really had visitors. I'm Minoru, I'll show you around! Oh wait, I'll leave this broom first."

Yayoi looked as Minoru jogged and left his broom on a random tree.

"Are you busy?", Yayoi asked.
"No no! I'm never busy, that's why I'm always looking for work to do.."
"Ohh..."

Yayoi follows Minoru to a grand entrance gate.

"First things first, I welcome you to the Nakatomi Clan's palace."
"I'll leave myself in your care."

They both entered the gate to a more vast view of an imperial palace.

"The Nakatomi Clan was one of the most influential clan. They are mostly important in the spiritual and ritual field. One important ritual that the head of the clan always oversaw is the Oharai purification rite."
"What's it for?"
"Well, the High Priest of the Clan asked the kami to cleanse the spirits of all of the people of their impurities."

Yayoi nodded in understanding.

Just like every other palace. It was vast and wide. Each building similar in some ways.

"The Nakatomi Clan, despite being overshadowed by other clans in terms of pure material wealth. But one of the head of the clan was once the most powerful in Japan."

Minoru lead Yayoi to another building. Yayoi stepped in to look at the interior.

"Most of the places here are still similar to their original condition. We can't salvage all of them but at least some are still here."

A scroll encased in glass attracted Yayoi's attention.

"If it's not for Kokujyoji-sama making this place a historical site, I don't know what'll happen to it now. With the modern world and everything electronic, a palace seems out of the group.", Minoru said.

Minoru looked at Yayoi, who are carefully reading the scroll.

"It's the Nakatomi Clan's family tree.", explained Minoru.

Yayoi quietly scans for her name. Her eyes widened as she found it on the bottom row. She was the last. Next to her was another name... A male... She had a brother!

"It ends here?", asked Yayoi as she points to the last row.
"Kamatari-sama was awarded the name Fujiwara and that was the founding of the Fujiwara family."
"Ohhh..."
"And I am here."

Minoru points at a space outside the glass case. Yayoi looked at confusion.

"I am a Fujiwara, Kamatari-sama was my great-great-great grandfather."

Yayoi froze at the knowledge. She was in the presence of her family member. A blood relative.

"That's why you stay here?", asked Yayoi.
"Not exactly, my brothers and sisters all went and had ambitious goals for themselves. This place was nothing for them. But I sort of had a connection with this place since I was a little. So I stayed behind. At first I was clueless on how to keep a place this big. But then Kokujyoji-sama made it a historical site, so it was easier. But still the upkeep is quite something. I rent the place to the priesthood and sometimes people do photo-shoots here. But we never really had a visitor. You are one after a long long time."

Yayoi smiled at Minoru. Minoru himself felt some burden was lifted off. It was weird for him to tell all this stories to a visitor.

"Minoru-san! Minoru-san!"

A voice called out from a distance and then a man with priest wardrobe emerged.

"The head priest was looking for you, Minoru-san."
"Oh right. Wait here, Miss. I'll come back for you."
"Sure, take your time.", said Yayoi.

After Minoru left, Yayoi took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Yayoi?"
"Adolf! Guess where I am?"
"The Nakatomi Clan's palace?", said Shiro.
"How did you know?!"
"Kusanagi-san told me. How was it?"
"I couldn't remember anything.", answered Yayoi.
"That's too bad."
"But I met a family member. Turns out the man taking care of the place was generations and generations below me."
"Oh, how was he?"
"He's cute."
"What? No! That's not what I meant! Is your now family doing alright!", yelled Shiro.
"I think they are fine, the place is struggling with upkeep, but I'm going to help somehow."
"Ah you and your immense wealth.", teased Shiro.
"It's not my fault that Daikaku left his inheritance in my name."
"And does this boy knows who you are?", asked Shiro.
"Speaking of it, I haven't told him my name."
"Well, Nakatomi Yayoi would be great."

Shiro and Yayoi both shares a giggle.

"So you left the café and traveled to the outskirts of town for an identity search."
"I asked Anna, Yata-chan and Kamamoto-kun to help out today. If they don't pick up a fight or scare customers, I think they'll be fine."
"Oh, I got class. I'll call you back later.", said Shiro.
"Okay, Sensei!"

Moments later, Minoru came back running. He always looked in a hurry.

"Come to think of it, I haven't asked your name. That's very rude."
"It's Yayoi."
"Oh, Yayoi-san. What do you do?"
"Well, I own a café. Here's the card."

Yayoi took a card out and gave it to Minoru.

"Flower café...", Minoru read it out.
"It's a flower shop and a café also."

Minoru then proceeds to smell the card.

"It has a very flowery scent. It's very nice."
"Come and visit me sometimes. The real place is even nicer.", said Yayoi.
"Of course! What's it called..."

Minoru checked the card again.

"Circle of Friends?"

"Someone inspired me."

END

(okay, this is the real end)

((I am deeply SORRY for the update that took forever! Starting classes again. Well, so I dumped the rest of the story and close this story off. I actually had lots lots lots of story to write in my mind. But so little time! Or no time at all actually. I don't know, I've always wanted to write a Kuroshitsuji fanfic or idk some lovey-dovey TataraxYayoi story? IDK! So with this, I bid my farewell into an indefinite hiatus. Don't know when I'll start again. But thank you for everyone that read all my stories so far. Thank youuu!))