2/21, Sun

Morning - Euno Art Museum

Akatsuki felt… lonely, and that in itself should've surprised him… but it didn't.

Currently, the boy was standing within the Ueno Art Museum, with him finding himself lost in the decently sized crowd of people all the while. His attire was a modest puffy green jacket and insulated pants, somewhat reminiscent of what his dad used to wear. Was he perhaps a little overdressed? Perhaps, especially when one considered how the winter season was coming to a slow close, but he still found some precedence in wearing it regardless.

The warm, stuffy feeling that came with wearing all this familiar attire almost made him forget how cold he felt without the presence of his friend.

'I wish Haru was here…' thought Akatsuki lightly as he clenched his fist inside his jacket pocket. As he did so, the boy lightly crushed one of the two tickets he had gotten to enter the Art Show early, with one of the two meant for Okumura. It would've been easier to use his familial connection to the Art show's host to get in, but that would've negated the whole purpose of surprising him in the first place!

That… and Haru would've probably had some fun in jumpscaring Shino with him. The whole debacle just felt… empty without her here to jump out at him from the shadows, and ultimately, Akatsuki had settled on greeting his uncle rather than do anything excessive to him before moving on to have a look around the art show.

Speaking of…

"Yo, Akatsuki! I hope you're enjoying yourself!"

The man of the hour abruptly made his presence known, with him laughing as he jumped at Akatsuki and slung an arm around his back in a jovially friendly manner. The boy himself grunted in mild discomfort at the gesture, though he didn't shrug the older man off as he huffed and glanced his way, almost smiling all the while.

"Shino-Ojisan," greeted Akatsuki warmly, eliciting a laugh from the older man as he patted the boy's shoulder. Shino was a tall guy, with quite a muscular build, especially for a painter, underneath his attire, which was a magenta trench coat with a dark red shirt and long black pants beneath. His trench coat collar had twin, cartoonish eyes sewn into them alongside some fangs, a weird trademark for him as the artist's 'Ryusei-Go' artstyle was very much a staple of his.

After his greeting, Shino got off Akatsuki and stared down at him a little sadly as he spoke on. Norba was known for many things, and subtlety was not one of them, as evident by his absurdist pieces of art, but still, the guy could soften up whenever he put his mind to it, and now was one of those times as he eyed his little nephew down with a worried look in his gaze.

"You seem kinda down, kid. Don't tell me you're already growing sick of my paintings!" bemoaned Shino, with him gesturing towards his curated pieces of artwork as he spoke. In response to this, the younger boy glanced over at Norba's many pieces of art. The guy didn't really have much of a unified style, with all of his works being varied in some way, but even so, Akatsuki couldn't deny that he had talent, with his artistic reach ranging from simple oil paintings to various complex pieces of art, all of which primarily used the colour pink.

Akatsuki never did understand why Shino was so fixated on that colour specifically, but he wasn't one to judge.

"Well, no. I could never. It's just that… I was supposed to come here with a friend," stated Akatsuki sadly, with his tone of voice noticeably quivering as he spoke. In response to this, Shino slouched his shoulders and nodded lightly, seemingly understanding the kid's grief.

"Ouch, I getcha, kid. Getting stood up by a friend kinda hurts," muttered Shino sympathetically. Akatsuki could only snort at that, though, prompting Norba to add on: "I'm serious! That shit hurts!"

"Aren't you standing your fans up by spending time with me, though?" quipped Akatsuki lightly as he motioned towards the small crowd behind Norba. Though by no means an internationally renowned painter on the level of Madarame, Shino still had quite a bit of fame behind his name, and the fans of both genders adored him immensely. That being said, however…

"Kid, I'd gladly stand up all of my fans just to make sure you're alright," smiled Shino as he held his fist up to Akatsuki, and as he processed his words, the boy blushed lightly at this before he raised his own up to fistbump his uncle, and not long after, he spoke up sheepishly.

"T-Thanks, Ojisan. But I'm fine, honest. Go talk to your fans before they come in and swarm us," stated Akatsuki, with him lightly swatting at Shino as he spoke. Norba didn't seem too convinced by his assurances, but still, out of respect for his nephew, he still nodded and offered his shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze before leaving, and in an instant, the poor guy was swarmed by his admirers, all of whom wanted a piece of his ass.

And from where he stood, Akatsuki couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at the sight before him.

…and not long thereafter, the boy paused briefly when he caught sight of a particularly foul individual stinking up the place with his presence alone. His stench might have been metaphorical in nature, but that high class cologne was making a strong statement to make it a literal one, and by all means, it took Akatsuki less than a second to recognise who this person was.

'Sugimura Takahashi…'

Haru was dressed in a rather nice piece of attire; a simple yet flattering, long sleeved cardigan with a skirt. It was an outfit that didn't seem too outlandish, but still stood out just enough to make one give the girl a second glance, something about looking good for the public, according to her father, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel out of place as she stood beside her fiance, with most of her face hidden beneath her custom tailored hat all the while.

Off by the waysides, Kunikazu was chatting with a few notable individuals that were present for the Art Show. Haru didn't recognise any of them, and considering how neither she nor any of the adults had made a move to even introduce themselves to one another, she supposed that would remain that way for now. In all honesty, she felt like just another face in the crowd at the moment, which was usually a good thing for her in such settings, but at the same time…

'I wish I could've come here with Akatsuki-Kun…' thought Haru sadly, though right as that thought came to mind, however, the girl suddenly felt the back of Sugimura's hand lightly brush against her sidebangs, and upon feeling it, she tensed up and widened her eyes in a panic, a sight that her fiance seemed to savour as he smiled slimily. Thereafter, an arm was wormed around the girl's back as he pulled her in for a side-hug, a gesture that brought no real comfort to her as she held back a whimper.

"Come now, dear, we shouldn't dally. I believe the host of this event intends on giving us a proper tour of the place," smiled Takahashi as he led Haru onwards, eliciting a frown from her. Still, she held true and nodded queasily at his words, and without much thought, she let him lead her on. "Hm, I'm still not sure why you decided to wear your hair in such an abysmal manner, though."

"..." no comment from Haru, who simply frowned as she brought a hand up to her sidebangs and ran her fingers through them. Her usually curled up hair was instead brushed down, giving her a different hairstyle that made her harder to identify. Her hat only amplified her anonymity, and by all accounts, it was intentional. In truth, she didn't know for certain if Akatsuki was here or not, though the chances of him being present were rather high, and even if she really wanted to see her friend again… Okumura didn't wish to cause any issues for him, should they bump into one another in the museum.

Either way, Sugimura hadn't put too much thought into why she had styled her hair up so strangely as he led her on to view a few of Norba Shino's work. The guy had a style that was more of an… acquired taste, to say the least, though Haru herself could find a lot to like about his stuff. The excessive use of pink was rather… interesting, to say the least, but it did still have its charm.

For a time, Haru found her thoughts drifting more towards the Art Show and away from her fiance, if only for a while, as she marvelled in Norba's paintings. She barely remembered the guy, but if his eccentric use of colours was anything to go by, he seemed to be a fun person. Still though, she was quickly given a reality check when Sugimura abruptly planted a hand on the crook of her spine, a gesture that made her stiffen as she felt his fingers grazing the curve of her clothed back.

Her eyes shuddered as her lips quivered as she felt the vile man's hand snake its way down to her base of her spine, with Sugimura seemingly enoying her reaction to all this, before planting itself just above-

"Good afternoon, Sugimura-San. It is an honour to have you present for our Art Show."

Before Sugimura could continue his advancements on Okumura, a somewhat neutral voice spoke out to him, prompting him to turn and face the speaker with an annoyed look in his eyes, with Haru doing the same moments later. Said annoyance faded, if only by a little, however, as he turned and came face-to-face with an individual in a mostly white suit with a magenta innershirt. A single light blue eye surveyed Takahashi critically as the still unknown speaker kept his hands behind his back, with the other hidden behind a sizable bang of blonde hair.

Haru found herself finding this individual somewhat familiar, though she couldn't quite place her finger on why. Either way, Sugimura was quick to remove his hand from her as he stepped forwards and offered it to the speaker. Vice versa, the blonde stared down at his outstretched hand blankly before huffing and accepting his handshake.

"The honour is mine, er…" began Sugimura, with him putting up a faux air of politeness as he spoke. It was obvious that this blonde was someone of high standing, as evident by his professional attire, and Takahashi wished to butter him up. Unfortunately for him, however, the young man didn't buy into his act whatsoever, though he did play along with a neutral gaze and tone.

"Gilmerton. Gilmerton 'Norba' Yamagi," introduced the young man, with him bowing his head lightly as he spoke. Upon hearing this, Sugimura noticeably brightened up as Haru tilted her head a little; she had never heard of Yamagi prior to now, but apparently, her fiance had.

"Ah, husband to Norba Shino, yes? It really is an honour to meet you in person," responded Sugimura, with him grinning widely as he had all but forgotten about Haru and moved to speak to Yamagi directly. The blonde didn't react to this as he nodded firmly, though he did spare Okumura a quick, meaningful glance before glancing back at her fiance.

"Mhmm. C'mon, I'm sure Shino would love to meet you. He's speaking to Okumura-San right now, but I don't think he'd mind adding you into their conversation," stated Yamagi dryly, though Takahashi grinned at this as he allowed Gilmerton to lead him on. Once he was off, Haru was left by her lonesome, and although to some, it would've been somewhat disheartening, to the young Okumura, she found it rather liberating, to be away from her fiance for the time being.

'Thank goodness…' thought Haru, with her hugging herself lightly as she thanked her lucky stars, and moments later, she began walking in the opposite direction to Sugimura, with her moving towards some of the lesser known displays of the Art Show all the while. The art pieces with the most people crowded around them were Shino's more abstract pieces (read: he slathered the canvas with pink and worked from there), and though they were… good in their own unique ways, the ones that caught Okumura's attention were the simpler ones, namely, an art piece that depicted what appeared to be an angel falling from heaven.

Said angel, which was pink of course, seemed strangely mechanical in appearance, looking almost like a mecha. The sight of this made Okumura smile a little; it was nice to see artists putting some of their personal interests into their art. Haru's own memories regarding Shino were sparse, but even so, she knew that the guy was a fan of machines… pink/magenta ones, of course.

'Flauros' descent from heaven,' read Haru mentally, with her eyes scanning the plaque the art piece was hung above closely. Curious… Okumura wasn't familiar with the details in regards to demonology (why would she, though? It wasn't like the heiress to a food company would need to-), but if she wasn't wrong, the name Flauros belonged to a Duke of Hell. Ares Goetia, perhaps?

Wasn't there currently a mecha anime that featured a mech based on another Duke from Ares Goetia currently airing on television? Haru might need to look into that…

Either way, Okumura's minor daydream was abruptly broken when she heard a few footsteps approaching her side. At first, she tensed up a little, having expected the individual approaching her to be Sugimura, though when she didn't feel his slimy mitts grasping onto the flat of her back, the girl loosened up and let out a soft sigh of relief… something that ended up catching the attention of the person beside her, as he hummed and glanced in her general direction.

And, on instinct, Haru had done the same, and when she did… her eyes widened when they locked onto the light blue gaze of Akatsuki 'Mixta' Augus. They maintained direct eye contact with one another for about two seconds before Okumura's irises dilated when she realized who she was staring at, and not a second later, Akatsuki's did the same as he recoiled lightly and opened his mouth to speak, though right as he did so, Haru held onto the hat she was wearing and used it to shield most of her face from him.

"Haru-Chan…?" tried Akatsuki, with him keeping his voice low as he spoke. He didn't sound upset; more hopeful than anything, as he spoke, and to this, Haru shuddered as she gulped.

"Uh… erm… uuuuh… no, I have no idea who this Haru-Chan is, mister-" responded Haru after a few moments of shielding herself with her hat. She changed up her accent a few words in in the hopes of throwing Akatsuki off, though it evidently worked as well as trying to drain the ocean via a plastic straw as, just a few seconds after she had said that, Augus had hooked his index finger over the top of Haru's hat, which wasn't even on her head at that point, and pulled it down, allowing him a full view of her face all the while.

Thereafter, the duo only locked eyes with one another, with neither really speaking as they tired to comprehend the other's presence, though not long after, Akatsuki broke the silence with a gentle chuckle, something that surprised Haru as she had expected some form of anger from him, and moments later, he lightly placed her hat back onto her head and took a step away from her, giving the girl some breathing room, before speaking.

"Well, was this the family issue you were telling me about, Haru-Chan?" mused Akatsuki, sounding more amused than anything as he spoke. In response to this, Okumura reddened a little as she tried to hide her face behind her collar, which wasn't working all that well thanks to how nonexistent it was in the first place.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry for lying to you, Akatsuki-Kun," apologised Haru, with her bowing lightly as she spoke, though she didn't get far with it before Akatsuki stopped her. She tensed up when she felt his hand on her shoulder, though she quickly reminded herself of who she was speaking to as she stood herself back up to her maximum height, and when she did, she saw that Augus was staring at her with a neutral expression.

"Well, it's fine, but I am curious about the whole issue. I wanna talk to you about it, just not here though," mused Akatsuki, with him gesturing towards a quieter spot in the Art Show. said area was near the stairwell leading to the second floor of the Ueno Art Museum, and without much thought, Haru nodded and allowed him to lead the way.

She preferred to not think about how she had allowed him to hold her hand the whole way.

"So… first thing's first… your hair looks terrible. The Hell did you do to it?"

That was more or less how Akatsuki had started the conversation, with him standing with his back leaned against a wall whilst Haru sat on a small, cushioned seat beside him. As he said this, Okumura blushed, with her removing her hat from atop her head and shifting it in front of her face. Figures that he'd talk about that first.

"I… when my father had told me about this trip, I was… unsure on whether or not I should have mentioned you. I ultimately chose not to, but I had a feeling that you'd be here today, so… I had my hair straightened in the hopes of you not recognising me," admitted Haru sheepishly, with her playing with the edges of her hat as she spoke. "I… also thought this hat would help with my efforts."

Akatsuki's simple reply to this was a snort, and it was all he really needed to verbalise in regards to how well that went. He had recognised her almost immediately, curly hair or not, and if Haru wasn't as tense as she currently was, she would've found that somewhat comical.

"Alright then, second thing… your father made you come here?" asked Akatsuki, with him propping a foot up against the wall he was leaning against as he spoke, balancing his weight on the other all the while. In response to his inquiry, Haru gripped the edges of her hat tighter than she did before, a bad sign in any case.

"Yes… I apologise, but… father had told me about us being invited to the Art Show quite abruptly. Had I known earlier, I would have certainly told you," apologised Haru, with her shrinking in on herself as she spoke. Akatsuki's face scrunched up at this, with him grimacing mildly before responding.

"Sounds kinda dickish of him. He should've at least let you know a few days beforehand or something," muttered Akatsuki sourly as he crossed his arms and sighed. Haru noticeably loosened up at this, with her seemingly agreeing with Augus' comment all the while, though she said nothing of this as she just sat there in silence, prompting her friend to break it once more with him clearing his throat. "By the way, I saw Sugimura earlier…"

"He was the one that had invited my father and I here. I believe he had a few tickets booked in advance," commented Haru, with her frowning as she said this. Akatsuki felt his eyelid twitch a little at this new piece of info, though he didn't comment on it just yet as Haru continued. "He had expressly asked for my father and I to be in attendance over everyone else he knew."

"He's trying to dickwave to the crowd that he's buddy buddy with your dad, I reckon. No offense," mused Akatsuki, with him adding that last part rather hastily. No need to make Haru feel bad without reason, he supposed, and thankfully enough, she didn't take any real offense to his comment as she chuckled lightly.

"W-Well, I suppose he might be, but we might never know," hummed Haru. Akatsuki snorted at that; he never thought that the girl beside him would ever agree with anything even remotely vulgar, but he supposed that there was always a first for everything. "If I may, though… how did you even come to notice me? The crowd is quite large…"

"I noticed Sugimura and decided to check up on him to make sure that he wasn't trying anything slimy. Yamagi had it handled, though, so I kinda just… wandered and bumped into you," responded Akatsuki, with him scratching his cheek sheepishly as he spoke. "And… in truth, that painting you were looking at earlier, I really like it over the others."

"Oh?

"Yeah… I actually asked Shino to paint it a few weeks after we met all those years back."

"So it's one of his oldest pieces, I am to assume?"

"Yes, it is. It's not his most popular; if anything, he's received criticism over it for depicting the fall of an angel in such a… childish manner."

"Childish?"

"Yeah. Some people still associate giant robots with childishness."

"That's quite a narrow viewpoint…"

"Agreed."

"But suffice to say, I think it's a wonderful piece."

"I'm sure Shino would be positively beaming at that praise."

"Beaming the colour pink, perhaps?"

"It's magenta, not pink, Haru-Chan."

And for the briefest of moments, both Haru and Akatsuki glanced up at one another in silence, with the former feeling her lips twitch after hearing the latter's impersonation of his uncle whilst the latter simply grinned slyly, something that was a far cry from his usually neutral self, and moments later, the two broke out into a small fit of giggles, catching the eye of a few individuals all the while.

"Your impersonation is top notch, Akatsuki-Kun! Perhaps you should consider being a ventriloquist!" giggled Haru, to which Akatsuki grinned.

"I might, though you'd have to be there on opening day, Haru-Chan!" rebutted Akatsuki, earning himself a smile from Haru that melted his heart. God, he loved seeing that smile… something about it just made him feel warm on the inside, something that was somewhat difficult to come by these days, and by all means, he wished that this sensation would stay with him forever…

And yet, nothing good ever lasts forever, and in an instant, the small moment of happiness shared between Akatsuki and Haru was interrupted when a terrible, familiar voice became audible.

"Ah, there you are, Haru-Chan! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

In an instant, tension returned to Haru's body as she shot up like a rocket, rising to her feet in a matter of seconds. Widening her eyes at the sudden intrusion of her fiance, Okumura instinctively turned towards the man in question and watched as he slinked towards her in a professional manner. His gaze was locked onto her and her alone, something that should've felt comforting to her, but in truth, it only served to make her feel goosebumps of the bad kind as Takahashi drew closer, though before he could get within arm's reach of the girl…

"Back off."

… Akatsuki had moved to position himself between them. Blinking a little when he heard him, Sugimura's initially confident expression had come one of shock at first, and when he made eye contact with Akatsuki, and after he realized who he was, the young man flinched and took a preemptive step backwards, a sign to both teens that he was well aware of what the son of Atra and Kudelia was capable of doing to both him and his company.

"You again…" grumbled Sugimura, sounding exasperated as he glared at Akatsuki with a heated gaze, one that the boy mirrored with thrice the intensity. His glare alone was almost enough to make Takahashi back down, though he still held firm as he sighed and brushed at his clothes, trying to play it cool all the while. "Augus 'Mixta' Akatsuki, was it? I must say, meeting you here was quite the surprise."

The sly smile that accompanied Sugimura's words sat poorly with both Akatsuki and Haru, with the latter shifting a little more behind the former as he spoke. Akatsuki himself played it cool, with him remaining on edge as he knew that people like Takahashi were likely experts when it came to wordplay, and if he made even a single slip-up, he could very well leave this place worse for wear.

"I wish I could say the same for you, Sugimura-San," mused Akatsuki flatly as he shoved his hands into his pockets. His tone was neutral, though there was a guarded nature to it that was only really audible to Haru, who found it somewhat endearing as she peered out from behind his arm.

"Hmph, our previous interaction wasn't exactly the best, I'll admit, but let's let bygones be bygones, Mixta-Kun. I for one find it best to overlook a minor squabble between individuals in favour of looking towards the future," mused Sugimura, with him adjusting his tie as he spoke. Akatsuki raised a brow at this whilst Haru almost scowled; the girl knew enough about corporate talk to know where her fiance was headed with this. "I for one would very much hate to burn the bridge between Sugimura Enterprises and Hanatsu."

"Well, that makes one of us, Sugimura-San," responded Akatsuki almost immediately, with him not buying into the older man's words as he spoke. Takahashi's expression noticeably faltered at this, with him surprised that his smooth talking did next to nothing to sway the younger boy's stance, and even Haru seemed a little surprised as well, as she knew that turning down a potential business partnership with Sugimura Enterprises was quite a bold move.

And then she remembered… Hanatsu was a massive political powerhouse, one that shadowed practically all others in Japan, barring just one, and when compared to them, Sugimura Enterprises was literally a drop of water in the ocean. Hanatsu partnering with them would've been more work than they'd probably like!

"How uncouth of you, Mixta-Kun. I expected more from the son of Aina Bernstein-San," huffed Sugimura, with him raising his voice just a little as he spoke. His sudden change in volume did not go unnoticed by Akatsuki, who scowled as he listened to Takahashi more or less announce that he was the son, adopted or not, of Kudelia, though he didn't let that deter him as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Speak for yourself, di… Sugimura-San. You're clearly making Haru-Chan uncomfortable. If you're really her fiance, then you'd be doing your best to make her feel safe around you," groaned Akatsuki, with him having to stop himself before he called the older guy a vulgarity. That would've been too good for him, honestly.

Either way, Haru seemed flattered that Akatsuki would stick his neck out for her, though as for Takahashi, he scowled and took a step forwards, attempting to use his height advantage over the two as leverage in threatening them, though it didn't really work.

"I do not need a lesson in how to treat a lady, Mixta-San, especially not from a barbaric ape like yourself," scowled Sugimura, with him making a show of eyeing down Akatsuki's attire as he spoke. They always said that the clothes made a man, and purely from the aspect of attire, the pink haired boy was… lacking, to say the least, especially for someone of his position.

A suit and tie would've fitted his position as the son of Kudelia, but in truth… the boy preferred to be known as the son of Atra Mixta more so than Kudelia, and this scruffier look made such a mindset well known to all

Opening his mouth, Akatsuki found himself ready to defend himself, though before he could do so, he felt Haru tugging on his shirt as she moved to stand in front of him. The sudden act surprised Akatsuki quite a bit, and it had the same effect on Takahashi, who blinked just a bit at her sudden act of aggression, though before long…

"Sugimura Takahashi, please do not insult Mixta Akatsuki in such a manner! You may see him as beneath you, but know that he is my friend, and I do not like it when others insult my friends!" protested Haru, with her holding an arm in front of Akatsuki, for a change, as she spoke. The conviction in her voice was more than enough to stun Sugimura, who flinched at the sudden appearance of Okumura's more assertive side, but as for Akatsuki, he couldn't help but feel his cheeks reddening at all this.

It was one thing to have her defend him, but it was another to have her look so… so…

'H-Hot…'

… whilst doing so.

Thankfully enough, however, his thoughts towards this more assertive side to his friend was quickly cut short when a new voice cut into the fray, and by upon hearing it, Akatsuki turned towards its speaker, followed by Haru and then Takahashi, and they were quick to see that it was Shino, accompanied by Kunikazu, with the former looking mildly annoyed whilst the latter seemed more infuriated with how his daughter was apparently causing a scene.

"Oi oi! What's going on around here?" asked Shino, with him shoving his hands into his pockets as he spoke. In response to this, Haru felt her cheeks heating up as she realized what she had just done, prompting her to shrink down a little behind Akatsuki once more. Her father giving her a critical gaze did little to fix that, though as for Takahashi, he grinned a fair bit at this, having mistaken this as an opportunity rather than a possible hit to his reputation, as he took a confident step towards Norba and spoke up.

"Well, Norba-San, I was simply looking for my fiance, and this young brute took it upon himself to stop me from reuniting with her! Can you imagine the audacity of today's youth?" stated Sugimura as he planted a hand atop his forehead in a dramatic manner. Akatsuki had to begrudgingly admit to finding some half-assed respect towards the guy's acting skills; the guy was anything if not convincing, though unfortunately for him, Shino was more perceptive than Takahashi was at acting, and with a snort, he shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well yeah, I could imagine it, cos I doubt that my nephew would do something so scandalous, isn't that right, Akatsuki?" grumbled Shino, with him scowling heavily as he made his connection to Akatsuki known to everyone that was observing this whole debacle. In response to this, Sugimura and especially Kunikazu blinked in surprise as they gave Akatsuki a second take, though Shino didn't really give a shit about either as he moved towards them, elbowing his way past Takahashi all the while, and motioned for the kids to follow him. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I believe my nephew and his friend would like some time to catch up with one another. You don't mind, right, Okumura-San?"

Glancing back at Kunikazu as he spoke, Shino raised a brow at the older man, who rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he observed Akatsuki with a critical gaze. Augus met his glare with one of his own, with him glaring right back at him with a heated gaze, and after a few seconds of this, Okumura huffed, seemingly recognising something in Akatsuki, before shaking his head.

"No, I do not," assured Kunikazu, his tone stating that he wasn't cool with this, but he was willing to go along either way, and with that, Norba grinned and ushered the kids to a backroom within the museum, where he shut the door before turning to the kids with him with a frown. His usually carefree mask had been dropped by now as he bowed apologetically towards them, more so towards Haru, though, before speaking.

"I… should apologise for that, Okumura-Chan, Akatsuki. If I knew that that Sugimura cunt was like… well, that, then I wouldn't have invited him over in the first place," apologised Shino, with him scowling lightly all the while. His sudden apology to them had caught at least Haru off guard, though Akatsuki did wince a little as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's fine, Shino-Ojisan. You couldn't have known, especially after how you decided to go solo and split off from Hanatsu all those years ago," muttered Akatsuki, with there being some sadness in his voice as he recalled how Shino had broken off from his mother's company in order to pursue his own passions through his own strength. That was a bold move that turned out to be a good one, considering how popular he was as a small time artist, though it did mean that he was kept mostly out of the loop when it came to the world of politics

"Still though, I should've been stricter with that punk. I noticed how… patronising he was being to the other guests beforehand, and Yamagi reporting to me that he was harassing some of the lady staff members," stated Shino as he got up from his bowed state and sighed. "Maybe I should've pushed harder for Kudelia to accept that last slot rather than throw the towel in and inviting a Sugimura over…"

"I-It's quite alright, Norba-San! No harm was done, after all!" assured Haru with a smile, and at that, Norba could only scoff. Yeah, no harm was done… but some was almost inflicted upon Okumura herself, if Yamagi's words were to be believed. Sugimura's greasy mitts had almost made contact with the young girl's rear, and if that had happened under his watch… well, Shino wouldn't be able to live that down, even if he wanted to!

Still though, the earnest nature of Haru's words had stomped out the argument that Shino had built up in his throat, and with a sigh, he nodded, reluctantly agreeing with her statement, before rubbing his neck awkwardly, though not long after, he confused his gaze onto Okumura and looked between her and Akatsuki with a grin.

"Yeah, I guess so, but on a separate note… since when didja get a friend, Akatsuki?" asked Shino, with him observing Haru closely as he spoke. Removing her hat, he gave her a quick once-over before humming in approval, eliciting a blush from both of his juniors all the while. "A girl-friend, no less!"

"She isn't my girlfriend, Shino-Ojisan! She's just… she's Haru-Chan!" rebutted Akatsuki, with him waving his arms around frantically as he tried to explain himself to his uncle. In response to this, Norba hummed and repeated that name several times over, with him testing it on his tongue a few times before something in him clicked. Thereafter, he turned back towards Okumura and gave her a critical gaze, seeming confused all the while…

… only for his confusion to quickly come to an end when Akatsuki gave him a hand by lightly grabbing onto the edges of Haru's sidebangs and curling them up, giving her back her signature curled up hairstyle, and with that done, Shino widened his eyes, snapped his fingers and gasped.

"Shit, you mean… that girl that always stopped by whenever her dad visited Kudelia? That Haru-Chan?" asked Shino for clarity, and when Akatsuki nodded lightly to this, Norba found himself practically scooping Haru up into his arms via her underarms and spinning her around with great vigor. "Oh my GOD! Haru-Chan, I never thought I'd see you again! Fuck, it's been like, four years? You've changed! You're taller! You got more hair! And you're heavier too jeez-"

"Thank you for the compliments, Norba-San, but could we please stop spinning please?!" was all Haru could say at that point as she felt her world becoming all but a blur, and upon hearing her pleas, Shino gasped and did as he was told, with him lightly setting Haru down beside Akatsuki all the while. Shaking, the girl wobbled from side to side and stopped to lean against her friend, who reddened at the contact but said nothing about it as he used an arm to support her up.

"But seriously, it has been too long, kid! We have so much to catch up on!" laughed Shino as he observed the two individuals closely, grinning a little knowingly all the while. The duo were standing a lot closer to one another than one would expect, though they didn't seem to mind or notice this as the girl tried to stop the world around her from spinning whilst the boy eyed her worriedly. The genuine care that was reflected in the younger male's eyes had caught Norba off guard at first, but even so… he was quick to connect the dots and realize that maybe, just maybe… Akatsuki's crush over Haru was still present, even after so many years apart from her.

Either way, once Haru had recovered from her dizziness, Shino opened his mouth to ask about her wellbeing, though before he could do so, the door to the backroom swung open, allowing Yamagi to peer in with a mostly disinterested gaze. His neutral mask did drop, however, when he noticed his husband, Akatsuki and Haru standing by one another, though he did his best to hide his small smile as he marched in to greet them.

"Shino, the crowd's looking for you, you know? It's uncouth to disappear so suddenly," hummed Yamagi with a smile, to which Shino snorted.

"Can you blame me? I had to save my nephew and his little friend over here!" defended Shino with a smile. As he spoke, he slung an arm around Akatsuki's back and pulled him in for a side-hug, and as he did so, the pink haired boy huffed and crossed his arms, with his cheeks growing somewhat red as he noticed how Haru was giggling lightly behind her hand at the sight before her.

For all it was worth, though, Yamagi did offer Shino a small smile. A small, practically unnoticeable smile, before the brunette jogged off to entertain his audience. Thereafter, the blonde remained behind, with him observing both Akatsuki and Haru closely before smiling lightly.

"I overheard what was said before entering. Okumura Haru, yes? It's been too long," smiled Yamagi, with him bowing towards Haru as he spoke. Surprise filled the girl as she blushed lightly at the gesture, though before long, the blonde man chuckled and turned to leave the room. "I would love to stay and catch up with the two of you, but I have duties elsewhere. Should you need me for whatever reason, please don't hesitate to seek me out."

Yamagi had said those words with an air of genuinity, and by all accounts, Akatsuki knew that he could count on the man for aid. Haru wasn't as confident as he was, but she still put her faith in him as she nodded lightly, and moments later, they followed him out the backroom with minimal hesitation.

Along the way, however, Yamagi took note of how close Akatsuki was hanging by Haru and the same applied vice-versa as well. The gap between them, both emotionally and physically was rather small, and that was enough to make him smile as he remembered how, back before their separation, the Augus and Okumura had a very noticeable crush on one another, a crush that was never really requited whatsoever.

Part of the blonde had a feeling that their mutual feelings for one another would be reignited any time soon, though he thought little of it. Best to let time run its natural course, he supposed…

Afternoon

The rest of the day was spent mostly in peace, with Sugimura having to take his leave early thanks to Norba essentially driving him off. The guy wasn't really happy about this, but he knew better than to piss off the pink artist, so he complied. Kunikazu, however, was allowed to stay, more so because his daughter was still lingering about to spend time with Akatsuki, who was pulling the young Okumura around to show her the various paintings littered about the place.

Not all of them were to her liking, of course, but Haru still found Shino's style to be both adorable and nostalgic at certain points, especially when one saw that painting of his husband in a pink lizard onesie.

"I keep telling Shino to not show that one…" groaned Yamagi as he buried his face into his hands before retreating away from that particular art piece, and at that, the duo snickered at his expense before they walked on to some other part of the gallery.

An indeterminate amount of time eventually passed, with Haru and Akatsuki just observing whatever cracked paintings Shino had on display, with the duo occasionally poking fun at them all the while. Norba did sometimes overhear them, though he never really minded being made fun of, it would seem, as his omni-present smirk only grew whenever he heard their lighthearted remarks on his artwork.

If anything, it sometimes felt as though he was encouraging it, especially when one took into consideration how one of his paintings was literally… well…

"Shino-Ojisan… you're taking the piss, aren't you…?"

"Nope!"

… just an entire canvas that was painted in pink… with a smiley face near the bottom left. Titled Just Pink :), the piece was very much an infamous one, one that Akatsuki had not seen in person until now. He had seen it pop up online on occasion, but he always thought it was a fake piece, not an actual legit one!

It seemed as though uncle Shino was a lot ballsier than he'd given him credit for…

"Well, I think it's lovely, Norba-San. Very… abstract," hummed Haru, to which Shino had to hold back his cackling whilst Akatsuki had to wonder if his friend was also taking the piss or being serious. Either way, it got a positive reaction from Shino, who insisted that she called him just that. No point in using formalities, especially when she used to call him Shino in the past, he reckoned!

Haru didn't accept those terms, not fully, anyways, as she settled with calling him Shino-San, which worked well enough, he supposed.

That aside, Okumura and Augus lingered around for just a few hours, with the crowd beginning to die down as those hours dragged on, which was to be expected, considering how Shino wasn't exactly the most popular individual to begin with. They didn't really mind it, as it let them check out some of the more popular paintings without fear of being crushed between bodies, though as they moved to do so, Haru felt a chill go down her spine, with Akatsuki feeling a similar one shortly thereafter.

They ignored it, of course, as they attributed it more to the waning season of winter, but as the seconds went by, they realized that it was too prominent to be blamed solely on the climate, and in near perfect sync, the duo turned…

"HOLD! I IMPLORE NEITHER OF YOU TO MOVE A MUSCLE!"

… only to be yelled at by a newly arrived individual, who was framing them within a rectangle formed from his index fingers and thumbs. Tensing up at the (potentially unintentional) rudeness on display, both Akatsuki and Haru flinched as they watched this boy frame them in landscape, and then in portrait, format with his fingers, and moments later, he lowered his hands and observed them unimpeded.

"Such passion… I must admit that I have never seen such a subtle display of love, not until now…!" whispered the newly arrived boy, sounding… well, beyond passionate as he lowered his arms to his side. Several others observed this exchange in confusion, though they were mostly ignored as Akatsuki cleared his throat and took a step forwards, with him speaking to this individual moments later.

"… if you don't mind me asking… who are you?" inquired Akatsuki, with him keeping his voice professional as he spoke, though there was a natural defensiveness towards it as he got straight to the point. Haru blinked as she too wished to know who this guy was, and at that, the teen hummed.

"Oh, I apologise. Where are my manners? I am Kitagawa Yusuke, a student of Madarame. I had heard of Norba Shino's art show and wished to visit it during my spare time," mused the boy, Kitagawa Yusuke, as he bowed his head in greeting. Yusuke, huh…? A student of Madarame Ichiryusai… Akatsuki only knew him by reputation and face alone, though the guy was definitely a prodigy; a humble artist that grew to fame with his maiden piece, the Sayuri. To be his apprentice must've been quite an honour.

Kitagawa himself did certainly look to be the apprentice of Japan's most noteworthy artist. With his neatly combed blue hair with bangs that covered some of his left eye, eyeliner that made him look rather cool and his current attire, a dark blue, casual trench coat, the guy did definitely have the air of an emperor around him, and based on his flamboyant speech pattern, the guy definitely spoke like one too.

"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you, Kitagawa-San. I'm Okumura Haru, and this is my friend, Au… aphem, Mixta Akatsuki," introduced Haru politely, with her bowing her head a little as she spoke. Yusuke nodded, memorising their names swiftly, as she continued. "We're delighted to meet an apprentice of the famous Madarame Ichiryusai, though I must ask… why… did you shout so loudly when we were turning…?"

Yusuke's answer was immediate… and it made Akatsuki flinch whilst Haru squeaked and jumped back lightly as he swung his arm out in a powerful display of passion… and it had almost gotten the pink haired boy to punch his lights out as he almost mistook it for an attack.

"That was because I had framed the two of you in a truly beautiful pose, and your movements had caused it to be lost forever to time! I had hoped to memorise your stances and put them unto a canvas, but alas, such a possibility seems impossible now…" bemoaned Yusuke, with him slouching sadly at this realization. Akatsuki and Haru could only stare at one another in surprise as they processed his words.

"You… wanted to paint us in that pose?" asked Haru, genuinely curious as she tilted her head. Yusuke's simple response to this was a firm nod.

"Indeed! As an Artist, I strive to, above all else, capture beauty in its most elegant of forms! And the two of you… the two of you possess something that I have not seen, not until I first laid my eyes on you a few weeks prior! The subtle affection that the two of you share is undeniable, and it is nothing short of breathtaking!" answered Yusuke with conviction, and at that, Akatsuki paused briefly, with his ears burning red at the bluenette's words, as did Haru's, though moments later…

"... wait… I always felt as though someone was staring at us from a distance these past few days… were you the one stalking us?" asked the Akatsuki, deadpanning his last few words as he eyed the blue haired boy cautiously. To this, Yusuke nodded, surprising the pink haired teen with his brazen nature as he did so.

"I apologise if it made you uncomfortable, Mixta-San, but I never had time to approach either of you directly whenever I came across you! My mind wanders frequently, though understand that I had made a few calculated efforts in seeking the two of you out!" stated Yusuke with immense conviction. The genuine nature of his words had caught Akatsuki off guard, and likewise, Haru seemed taken aback by his tone, albeit not in a bad way.

"I… I see? But… why do you wish to paint us specifically? There must be others that're more worthy of your time, no?" asked Haru curiously, and at that, Yusuke could only smile as he responded.

"I did so because I was suffering from an excruciatingly powerful Art Block, one that I had no way of escaping. However, when I laid eyes upon both yourself and Mixta-Kun, a flash of brilliance sparked within me, and I felt invigorated! I had to capitalize on this somehow, and I know of only one way to do so!" answered Yusuke, eliciting an eye twitch from Akatsuki.

"And that would be…?" tried Akatsuki, only to flinch when Yusuke abruptly pivoted the top half of his body downwards to a perfect 90 degrees, bowing stiffly to his acquaintances all the while.

"Mixta Akatsuki, Okumura Haru, I humbly request that the two of you model for my next art piece!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Eh?"

"I apologise if I am not making my words clear, but I would-"

"N-No, Kitagawa-San! Your words are clear to us, but… d-do you… do you really want us to model for you?" asked Haru, flustered as she cupped her cheeks in embarrassment, and to this, Yusuke smiled and nodded lightly.

"Quite! Once more, I apologise for the… stalking I have unintentionally done over the past week, but I meant no harm with it. I only wish to capitalize on the spark of passion the two of you have bestowed upon me, and in my eyes, having you model for my next piece would work wonders!" assured Yusuke, with him holding his balled up hands close to waist-level as he held back his excitement. The two seemed unsure on how to respond, and seemingly sensing their trepidation, Kitagawa relaxed his shoulders and cleared his throat. "Of course, it is quite a sudden request to make of someone, no less a pair of strangers through an individual that they have only just met, and in truth, I don't expect a response from either of you immediately, but I urge you to consider it, truly!"

"We… we'll consider it, Kitagawa-San. Please, give us some time beforehand," said Haru, sounding awkward as she bowed towards Yusuke's offer. Her response, which boiled down to a glorified maybe, still made the blue haired teen smile widely as he bowed in thanks, and moments later, he pulled out a small notepad and pen from seemingly nowhere and scribbled onto them hastily.

"Thank you, Mixta-San, Okumura-San! Please, take these. They have the location of Madarame-Sensei's Artlier and my personal contact details written on them!" urged Yusuke, with both his potential models accepting the papers with a pair of nods. "I urge you to please consider my offer! It will stand indefinitely!"

"Erm… alright. Thanks, Kitagawa-San," hummed Akatsuki, and with that, the blue haired boy bowed before he departed, with him racewalking out of the gallery whilst several individuals observed him at a distance. Once he was out of eyeshot, Haru glanced down at the contact details and address given to her curiously, and likewise, her friend did so with an awkward look in his eyes. "Well… that… was something, I guess?"

"Hm… I suppose it was, but Kitagawa-San seemed rather nice, did he not? Eccentric, but very passionate," mused Haru with a smile. Akatsuki shrugged at this, showing his indifference, as he held a hand out to Okumura, who was, somewhat rightfully, confused at the gesture. "Hm?"

"I'll help you throw that stuff away. C'mon, give it here," said Akatsuki, though much to his chagrin, Haru instead decided to pocket the slip of paper.

"Actually… I might consider taking Kitagawa-San up on his request. I… I've never been a model before, so this might be a fun new experience for me!" stated Haru with a smile, and to this, the pink haired boy could only flinch.

"I see…" muttered Akatsuki, and Haru, seemingly sensing his trepidation, spoke up.

"It's fine if you don't want to, though. I'm sure Kitagawa-San would understand," assured Haru with a smile. She meant what she said; Yusuke, in spite of his eccentricities, seemed to at least understand that he was asking a lot out of them. Okumura's words made Augus pause briefly to think about his options, though ultimately…

"I'll go if you go…"

"You don't have to…!"

"But I want to."

"But you seemed-"

"I changed my mind."

He chose to go the route that he believed would keep his best friend safe, and though she was flattered, the girl didn't wish to drag him into something he didn't wish to be a part of as she hugged herself awkwardly. A brief pause ensued as they stood in place for a brief few moments, and thereafter, Haru shifted awkwardly before speaking.

"Can… we discuss this some other time? I'd like to see more paintings before the day ends," insisted Haru, and to this, the pink haired boy nodded lightly. This whole situation was a somewhat… awkward one for the both of them, and by all means, he wished to give her some time to think about it before jumping in to offer any help.

"Sure. I think there was another over there…"

Hours later

Before long, the two friends had to separate, with Haru being led to the car by Sasha, who was admittedly saddened to separate her from her good friend, whilst Akatsuki hung by Shino, who smiled as he lightly patted his shoulder, assuring him that he'd see her again.

They didn't exactly account for something… unexpected to happen, though…

"Boy, if I may, I would like to have a word with you."

"... alright, Okumura-San."

Okumura Kunikazu had requested a private audience with Akatsuki, and seeing no reason to decline, the boy nodded and allowed himself to be metaphorically dragged to a corner for interrogation. Kunikazu scrutinized the boy closely, observing him as though he were fresh meat, and in all fairness, he appeared genuinely impressed when Akatsuki didn't even flinch under his hard gaze. Greater men had done so through weaker glares from him.

"Something about you is familiar to me, boy. Let me ask you; does your mother happen to be Mixta Atra, current wife to Aina Bernstein Kudelia?" inquired Kunikazu, with his words reminding Akatsuki that the man before him was a lot sharper than he expected. Then again, he oughta be, considering his position as a CEO.

"... yes. She's my mum. There's no problem, is there, Okumura-San?" asked Akatsuki cautiously, to which Kunikazu shook his head. His expression did not falter, but the pink haired boy could see a glimmer in his eyes. He was seeing a possible opportunity in the younger male and wished to seize it with both hands.

"Of course not, my boy. I was just surprised to see her son in Tokyo, especially after how Hanatsu had made Shizuoka its primary base of operations. I had expected both herself and Aina Bernstein-San to keep you close, especially what happened with her wife's husband," assured Kunikazu, with his usual frown turning into a smile as he spoke. Said smile made Akatsuki shudder; it reminded him of all the grins that were thrown at him during those parties his mother would throw. Disingenuous, predatory and conniving… and yet… there was a small, practically insignificant hint of genuine happiness buried beneath all of that.

In some small way, Kunikazu seemed genuinely happy to see the once short(er) boy once more, though that aside…

"I would have kept my ties to your mother closer, but you understand how work goes, don't you, my boy?" mused Kunikazu, with him smiling lightly as he spoke. Akatsuki flinched at this, though he nodded regardless.

"It's fine. She still talks about you from time to time, I think," muttered Akatsuki. That was not particularly a lie, Kudelia had indeed spoken of Kunikazu on occasion, but he never bothered to actually focus enough to remember that it was Kunikazu Okumura that she was referring to… and Hell, she could've been talking about some other guy called Kunikazu regardless.

She had a lot of business partners, after all.

"I see. That's good to hear," muttered Kunikazu, with him lightly tapping Akatsuki's shoulder before he moved on. "Do you need a ride home? I'm sure we could take a short detour on our way back."

"Oh, no. I'm fine, Okumura-San. Please, Haru-Chan must be tired. You should get her home first to let her rest," suggested Akatsuki, with him holding his hands up as he felt taken aback by Kunikazu's sudden offer. In his flustered state, however, he failed to notice how Okumura's brows raised higher up onto his face at how he had called his Haru Haru-Chan.

"Your care for my daughter is commendable, but please remember how she's engaged," stated Kunikazu, and at that, the man turned and retreated out to his car, ignoring the indignant look on Akatsuki's face all the while. "Farewell, Mixta-Kun."

"Yeah… engaged…" parroted Akatsuki, with him tightening his hand into a fist as he spoke. "...to someone that doesn't deserve her kindness…"

"Your friend… he seems like a nice young man."

Those words had taken Haru by surprise, and when she heard him speak of her friend, she stiffened, having grown anxious at the mention of her Akatsuki, though she was quick to grow surprised when she heard the rest of what he had to say, and moments later, she relaxed a little before responding.

"Oh… uh… y-yes. Akatsuki-Kun is indeed a nice person, father," smiled Haru. Kunikazu took note her use of the boy's first name, though he said nothing of it as he nodded, ignoring how Sasha was sweatdropping from from his spot on the driver's seat.

"He seems to be a... pleasant individual, I must admit," stated Okumura with an unreadable expression. His tone made it apparent how he was clearly quite interested in Akatsuki, though it was also made apparent that his intrigue was strictly business-related, but still, his words still made his daughter straighten up with delight as she smiled at the apparent approval.

"Is that so? I'm sure Akatsuki-Kun would be thrilled to hear that, father," said Haru, with her smiling all the while. Still though, her smile was quickly erased as Kunikazu went silent once more, seeming somewhat contemplative as their chauffeur drove them onwards.

The silence was very much awkward for all of them present, with Sasha clearing his throat several times throughout as he drove on, though moments later, Haru recalled another question for her old man, prompting her to ask him it after a few moments of psyching herself up.

"Uh… father, may I ask you about something?"

And to say that Sasha had nearly swerved the vehicle into another one on the road when Haru announced her intention to model for a pupil of Madarame (alongside Akatsuki)... would've been an understatement, and the younger Okumura had to fight tooth and nail to stop her father from firing him after that.