Chapter 45: The sap
"Okay, we're here."
Kuroo looked up. They were parked in the middle of the forest.
"Here?"
"The manor is just around the corner, It's a pain to drive up there. Plus, we're less likely to run right into Naruhito this way."
All four of them got out of the car.
"Dammit, my obi," Kenma grumbled.
As he tried to adjust it himself, Keiji came over to tie it for him. The scene was ordinary, but something about it caught Kuroo's eye.
Kenma wore a long cyan kimono, with sleeves that fell to his elbows. Around his waist was a wide white Fukuro obi embroidered with golden arabesques. His hair was pulled up into a loose bun, held in place by a tama kanzashi adorned with a simple golden pearl. He wore a cape the same color as his garment, which fell in his lower back, with a thick white faux fur collar around his shoulders. The look was giving him an ethereal, dreamlike aura.
Tetsurō let out a smirk. Before they left, he heard Kenma grumbling that he looked like his grandmother in this outfit. The cut of the garment was indeed quite feminine, but it suited him perfectly. Kōtarō wore the same outfit and had complained about feeling like he was trussed up. Indeed, the outfit on him was... borderline indecent, but Tetsurō certainly wasn't going to complain about that.
Keiji and Kuroo wore kimonos topped with long hakama and plain-colored haori. Keiji's was a vivid poppy red. Even though it wasn't a color he usually wore, it suited him wonderfully. Kuroo himself wore a similar outfit in deep purple. Unlike his boyfriends, the sleeves of his haori fell to his hands, making him feel like he'd borrowed Slender Man's clothes, but he'd manage.
"There," Keiji said once he'd finished tying the knot. "Not too tight?"
"It is, but otherwise I'll be naked in ten minutes, so whatever."
Keiji nodded before going back to the car. He opened the trunk to get his poppy-colored cape lined with brown fur, which he tied around his neck.
As he turned to ask Kōtarō something, Keiji fell silent:
"Are you seriously going to wear that?" he finally remarked.
Kuroo turned to look at Kōtarō and snickered when he saw that he had put on a canary-yellow puffer jacket over his traditional outfit.
"But I'm freezing!"
"He's going to tear you apart," Kenma pointed out.
Kōtarō pouted.
"But Tetsurō's wearing a coat too!" he argued, pointing at him.
Indeed, Kuroo had put on a black coat over everything. The garment was generously lined, but not enough to roam around without anything else in the dead of winter.
"But I don't have anything else!"
"Do you really think you'll be able to escape your father with that yellow thing?" Kenma observed.
"Isn't that why we parked here, so he wouldn't find us?"
"Your father's here, Kōtarō," Keiji informed him.
As they turned, they saw that Naruhito was indeed striding toward them. He wore the same cyan kimono as Kenma and Kōtarō, which didn't seem to be helping his pace. His arms were quite full, which wasn't helping either.
"Shit... Hey, 'tto-san, I..."
"What are you wearing Kōtarō?" Naruhito exclaimed.
Without waiting for more explanations, he unzipped the puffer jacket and hurriedly took it off him.
"But I'm cold!"
"Where's your cape? And..."
He trailed off, looking at his son from head to toe, wrapped up in his kimono with his chest half exposed.
"You should have told me; it's starting to get too small for you Kōtarō..."
"It's fine 'tto-san, it fits just fine."
"You could have worn something underneath... Where's your cape?"
His son sighed and went to get it from the car. He handed it over nonchalantly to his father, who ignored his mood and tied the cape around his neck.
"I don't want to see you wearing that eyesore, understand? Leave it in the car."
"Okay..."
Naruhito sighed and ran his hand through his son's hair to smooth it back. Without another comment, he moved on to Kenma, straightening the hem of his kimono and tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Kenma didn't even try to resist. Kuroo saw Nakayama nearly have a heart attack when he noticed Kenma's sneakers.
"I'll go change them..."
Naruhito nodded, his stress starting to show. He moved on to Keiji, who underwent the same inspection and passed much more easily than his mates. Finally, it was Kuroo's turn, and things started poorly as Nakayama sighed at the sight of him.
"Just as I feared..."
What? What did he mean?
Kuroo looked down at his outfit. He'd put everything on in the right order!
Without asking, Naruhito approached and took off his coat.
"But I don't have..."
"Here."
Kuroo fell silent. Nakayama-san had just handed him a cape, the same deep purple as the rest of his outfit, with a collar lined with black faux-fur.
"Oh... thank you."
Kuroo bowed to thank him and grabbed the cape, quickly draping it over his shoulders. As he went to tie it, Naruhito took over to make the knot.
"That's better..."
He looked them over once more, one by one.
"Relax, Dad, we're good."
He didn't pay attention to what he said.
"Good. Stand up straight."
"Are we really staying outside again this year? I'm already freezing!" complained Kōtarō.
"It's just for the presentation. Stop whining."
Kōtarō sighed but didn't say anything else.
"Remember how to enter: Keiji-kun always in front, Tetsurō-kun behind, and don't say a word unless you're spoken to. Keiji-kun, I trust you."
"It's fine, 'tto-san. Don't worry, we've got this."
That did nothing to reassure his parent, but he nodded anyway.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
He pulled out of his bag four spools of silk thread, each wrapped around a wooden cylinder. The color of each spool matched the color of their respective outfits. He handed them each one, still visibly tense.
"Alright, I'll meet you on the other side," Naruhito told them before heading back into the forest.
His three boyfriends all let out sighs of relief as they watched him leave.
"What's that?" Tetsurō finally asked, pointing at the spool of thread in his hand. "Don't tell me I'll have to do something with this; I suck at this sort of thing!"
Kōtarō snickered.
"No, no, you won't have to do anything. It's for my grandmother."
"Oh... okay."
A rather strange offering…
"Alright, let's go so we can get this over with," Kenma grumbled.
They set off. Just when Kuroo thought they would simply head deeper into the forest, he managed to catch sight of a large wooden gate among the tree trunks, tall enough that it nearly reached the top of the canopy. The path became more defined, and soon they found themselves on a trail of small white stones.
The closer they got, the more the manor revealed itself behind the wooden gate. As they entered the estate, Kuroo gasped at its vastness. What initially looked like a small traditional house began to take on gargantuan proportions. The main buildings rose several dozen meters above the ground, built in a traditional, elegant style. Numerous smaller annexes spread out around, sprawling and massive. Kuroo had to stop, breathless.
"Are you coming?" Kōtarō called out to him.
The other three were waiting for him in front of the door of an annex.
He hurried to catch up with them, and they entered. They walked along a hallway, the wooden floor creaking under their feet. Eventually, they found themselves on a wooden covered walkway, crossing a pond where carp swam, weaving through the water lilies.
"Alright," Kōtarō said as he stopped. "Let's get into position."
"Into... position?"
The other three didn't listen to him and took their places. Keiji was at the front, with Kenma and Kōtarō standing on either side behind him. Kōtarō turned around, grabbed Kuroo by the shoulders to move him, and he found himself behind them, facing Akaashi.
"Alright, babe, just stay behind us, lined up with Keiji, okay?"
"Okay…"
"Once we're inside, first bow, saikeirei of course, then three steps forward, then bow again. From there, without raising our heads, we sit. Just follow us, and you get up once we're standing... Try not to make eye contact with her."
Kuroo raised an eyebrow.
"Why, will I turn into a stone if I do?"
Kenma snickered, but Kōtarō didn't find the comment as amusing.
"Babe! I know it's weird, but just follow along, okay?"
"Okay, okay, I get it."
"Good."
They got into position, and Kuroo did his best to follow Kōtarō's instructions. They eventually arrived at another wooden door. They stood in front of it, staying still.
"What are we waiting for?" Kuroo whispered.
"To be instructed to come in."
Tetsurō simply nodded.
Finally, the door opened slightly, and two young women in simple gray kimonos appeared. They bowed and slid open the shōji doors to let them in. Kuroo could feel his blood pounding so hard that it drowned out the sounds around him. They entered a vast room with a floor covered in tatami mats. In front of them, an enormous window spanned the entire wall, with cherry trees, bare for winter, stretching out as far as the eye could see just beyond it. Kuroo almost missed the cue for the first bow but caught himself just in time.
He counted his steps, stopped after the third one, and bowed again. At this point, he wasn't even sure who he was bowing to. He glanced around the room. He was snapped back to reality when he felt a tug on the hem of his hakama. Kōtarō was giving him a stern look, signaling him to sit, which he quickly did. Keiji was the last to sit, and Kuroo could finally make out the silhouette of the person sitting in front of the window. Kōtarō motioned for him to bow again, which he did. He raised his eyes discreetly to catch a glimpse of the person in front of them. It was an elderly woman, dressed in a sumptuous white kimono trimmed with gold. Her expression was calm and wise, far from the terrifying monster Kuroo had imagined.
Keiji greeted her aloud. The old woman simply nodded. Finally, she turned and presented them with a large wicker basket, already overflowing with various spools of thread. Keiji bowed to her again,straighten up, and turned towards them. He extended his hands, and Kōtarō and Kenma placed their spools in them. Tetsurō hurried to do the same. Keiji turned back around and placed the spools in the basket. He bowed again, and without raising his eyes, stood up.
Kuroo waited for Kenma and Kōtarō to stand before he did the same. The women in gray kimonos appeared again and opened a panel to their right. Kuroo followed the others and found himself outside once more. Once the panel was closed, Keiji stopped. He turned around and let out a sigh of relief.
"You did well," Kōtarō reassured him before pulling him into a hug.
The alpha settled into the embrace and let out another sigh.
"She still terrifies me."
The comment made his mate laugh.
"That was so intense," remarked Tetsurō. "Fun times with Grandma, huh?"
Kōtarō rolled his eyes.
"It's only like this here. Otherwise, it's more chill... The hardest part is over."
"Speak for yourself," Kenma muttered. "It's what comes next that worries me the most."
"Nah, come on, let's go," Kōtarō said, taking the lead again.
Kuroo felt like he had been transported back to the Edo period, the historical leap was enough to be disorienting. He quickened his pace to catch up with them so he wouldn't be left behind. They crossed another covered walkway that stretched over the water. Kuroo approached the edge to watch the fish swimming below. The water had begun to freeze, creating frosty patterns on the surface that reflected the sunlight. He looked up when he heard fragments of voices reaching him. The closer they got, the louder the sounds became, the voices blending and buzzing together. They eventually arrived at another annex. This time, they stood before a large wooden door, its edges and handles carved with floral designs.
"Ready?" Kōtarō asked, placing his hands on the door.
"No," Kenma muttered.
"Here we go!"
The door swung open to reveal a vast room filled to capacity. Hundreds of people were gathered inside, with the shōjis on all sides opened wide, allowing the crowd to spill outside. The ceiling was adorned with intricately carved wood, painted in gold, turquoise, and red, creating a lavish contrast to the simplicity of the surrounding walls.
"Kōtarō!" they heard someone yell.
Turning their heads, they spotted a group of young adults waving enthusiastically in their direction. Kōtarō responded with excitement.
"I'm just going to say hello to my cousins; I'll be right back," he said before rushing in their direction.
Kenma and Keiji at his side didn't look too thrilled by the crowd.
"Well, I'm gonna hide outside," Kenma declared.
"We will join you; I am just going to get us something to drink," Keiji told him.
"Something to drink? It's barely 11 a.m.!"
"So?"
Kenma didn't wait any longer and headed toward the garden. Kuroo followed Keiji, who seemed determined to start drinking so early. Someone bumped into him, and they both apologized. When Kuroo looked back at Keiji, he had vanished into thin air. He stood in the middle of the room, trying to spot him. He soon noticed the sideways glances directed at him.
He didn't immediately understand why he was attracting so much attention. He caught the gaze of a woman in her forties, dressed in a red hakama, who looked him up and down before whispering something to the man standing next to her. He looked down at himself. There was nothing particularly remarkable about his outfit, except… when he looked up, he noticed the room was filled with cyan and red hues. He then realized that he was the only one dressed this way, the only beta, which probably explained all the stares. He caught the woman's eye again, and when she saw that he had noticed her, she stopped whispering. Since she wasn't polite, he decided to be polite for both of them and he greeted her.
The brunet tried to make his way to the back of the room, attracting more and more curious stares along the way. Where had his boyfriends disappeared to? Why did he have three of them if it was just to end up alone in this situation? He chuckled to himself and continued his search. As he scanned the room, he was bumped again. He almost fell face-first to the ground but was caught at the last moment.
"Whoa, calm down! I just wanted to say hi!"
Kuroo turned and smiled as he recognized the young woman beside him.
"Suki! What are you doing here?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"What am I doing here? It's my grandmother's house; what are you doing here?"
"To be honest, I have no idea..."
She chuckled and patted him on the back.
He smiled back. She was wearing a red hakama, and her hair was adorned with golden pearls and artificial flowers.
"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
"Nothing… I'm just happy to see you. I've been left all alone, as you can see."
"Yeah, I can see that," she said before bursting into laughter.
"You look very pretty like this," Kuroo complimented her.
"You don't look bad either."
He gave a small bow, twirling his hakama around, a skillful ruse to hide his embarrassment.
Kuroo looked down and noticed that the sleeves of Suki's haori also reached the bottoms of her hands.
"Are you also in slender man mode?"
"Slender man?"
Kuroo waved his sleeves around.
"Well, I'm not mated, so..."
"Is that what it means?"
She nodded.
"But look!" she said, showing her hands full of rings, "My parents wouldn't have let me wear them if they noticed.
"I'm surprised Naruhito-san didn't catch that; you should have seen his face when he saw your brother in a yellow puffer jacket. "
She rolled her eyes.
"It's because he's not good at it. I know how to outsmart my dad."
Kuroo chuckled.
"You'll have to teach me then."
"I don't give away my secrets so easily, you know."
"Hmm... Speaking of secrets, did you know that your parents played good cop/bad cop with me to investigate you and Katsu?"
"Really?"
"Yes... and I couldn't hold my tongue and spilled everything. Sorry, but I was terrified."
Suki's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Your dads"
She sighed.
"They're being ridiculous; what did they ask you?"
"Not much... How old she is, what she's studying..."
Suki raised an eyebrow.
"They could have just asked me!"
"Honestly, I think they just wanted to torment me."
Suki chuckled and gave him a playful rub on the head.
"Oh, just to torment you, poor kid."
As he tried to free himself from her grip, something collided with them, nearly knocking them both to the ground. When they turned around, they discovered that it wasn't something, but someone: Nao, who was grinning at them, obviously pleased to have almost knocked them down. Suki turned to push him back, but that only made him laugh harder.
"Yo Tetsurō, don't let yourself be bullied like that!"
"I'm not bullying him! Tell him I'm not bullying you!"
"No, not at all," Kuroo replied, nodding affirmatively while his eyes suggested otherwise. He stopped when Suki elbowed him.
Just as Nao was about to speak again, he sighed and rolled his eyes
"Ugh, here we go again..."
Surprised, they followed Nao's gaze. Nobu was walking toward them, a young woman dressed in cyan at his side.
"Nao, where have you been?"
"I just wanted to say hi to our brother-in-law,"
Only then did Nobuyoshi seem to notice Kuroo. He gave him a sincere smile.
"Oh! Tetsurō! I didn't expect to see you here, that's great!"
He bowed to greet him, and the brunet did the same.
Kuroo's gaze met that of the young woman next to Nobu. They exchanged a polite bow.
"Ah, let me introduce you to Makoto, my mate. Mako, Tetsurō, my little brother's boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you," the young woman said, bowing again.
"Uh, same here…"
As Nobu was about to speak again, his brother interrupted:
"Oh, Auntie is calling you!"
Nobu frowned and turned to the crowd:
"Auntie who?"
"Auntie..."
Nao waved frantically in the air until someone responded.
"Auntie Himari, there she is."
"Oh!", Nobu greeted his aunt in turn, "I'll be right back; I'm just going to say hello."
Nobu and Makoto then left.
Nao let out a sigh of relief.
"Pfft, why did you do that?" Suki asked.
"Why? Be grateful, I just spared you a twenty-minute rambling about how great his mate is. Blah blah, youngest parachutist in the country, and she won who knows what, and she's beautiful and intelligent," Nao complained.
Suki chuckled.
"Don't be so jealous."
"I'm not jealous! It's just annoying!"
"Stop it, she's really nice! I like her!"
Nao crossed his arms.
"Yeah, okay, she's nice and all. But let's be real, Himawari was way more fun."
"That was ages ago; you need to let it go!"
"Himawari… like Himawari Akaashi?" Kuroo ventured to ask.
The siblings nodded.
Kuroo's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Nobu dated Himawari?"
"Hmm, didn't you know?"
" … No. So, it's like a family tradition to date the siblings of your little brother's boyfriends."
The others chuckled.
"Speaking of the devil, look who's here," Suki said.
Kuroo followed her gaze and saw Keiji approaching them with two glasses in hand.
He stopped next to his boyfriend. As Tetsurō was about to thank him for the drink he had brought, Keiji downed the first glass in one go, then the second. Tetsurō stared at him, stunned, but his lover did not seem to notice.
"What were you talking about?"
"Hello to you too, Keiji."
"Hello."
How many glasses had he already downed?
"They were telling me that Nobu dated your sister."
"Oh…"
Keiji frowned.
"That was ages ago! We weren't even together with Kōtarō back then."
Kuroo stopped Keiji from grabbing a glass from a passing tray. He had already lost three-quarters of his social skills; it would be wiser to leave it at that. This annoyed Keiji, who frowned like a sulking child.
"Stop drinking," Tetsurō simply replied.
"It's for Kenma! Keiji argued."
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced, but took a glass just in case Keiji wasn't lying.
"Yeah! Where are Kōtarō and Kenma?" Nao asked.
"Kōtarō hmm," Keiji answered with a shrug, "Kenma's outside."
"Nice, let's go outside then, I wanna mess with him for a bit," Suki declared.
"Same," Nao agreed.
The two older siblings headed toward the garden, followed by Keiji and Kuroo. It took them several minutes to find Kenma, but eventually, they were alerted by the jubilant screams of children and found him amidst a crowd of them. The blond was teary-eyed, exhausted, and exasperated.
"What are you doing here?" Kuroo asked.
"I got ambushed."
"Oh!"
As Kuroo was about to continue, he felt a weight against his leg. Looking down, he saw Shin clinging to him. The child was dressed in a navy-blue kimono and a long coat with a hood lined with white faux fur.
"Hey there!"
The child smiled at him with all his teeth.
"And me, not even a glance," Nao remarked, addressing his little brother.
The child pouted.
"I see you before!"
"Oh, okay then…"
Keiji navigated through the crowd of children to get Kenma. He lifted him under his arms like a big cat and carried him away while Suki and Nao followed. Shin stayed with Kuroo.
"Hey, I'm going to let you play, is that alright? I'm going with them."
"But… you're not staying?"
Clearly, Tetsurō didn't want to stay with a mob of hyperactive children.
"I'll come back later, okay?"
The arrangement didn't seem to please the youngest.
"Shin! Come play with us!"
His older sister, Megumi, also dressed in navy blue, had detached herself from the group of children to retrieve her younger sibling. Tetsurō 's gaze met the little girl's, who didn't seem to care much about his presence. She merely greeted him with a vague nod.
"There you go, Shin, go play with your big sister, alright?"
The little one pouted.
"I don't want to…"
"We're going to play tag," Megumi declared.
The argument seemed to win the younger one over. He extended his hand to his sister, which she took. Before letting go, Shin turned to Tetsurō.
"You come back?"
"Hmm, sure, if you want."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise. But it's not fun with the grown-ups; it's better with the other kids, right?"
The child nodded, vaguely convinced. He released his grip on Kuroo and was guided by his sister towards the rest of the children.
Kuroo watched him go. Looking back towards the estate, he noticed several adults keeping an eye on the group of children, so he went to rejoin his boyfriends.
His small group hadn't gone far, gathered around an old stump at the back of the garden. Keiji seemed to have already plunged into the depths of alcohol; he stared blankly ahead and remained seated only because Kenma was keeping him upright. The others chatted cheerfully around him as if Keiji had become a mere garden ornament. Akaashi's attention refocused when Tetsurō approached them. He chuckled upon recognizing his night owl face.
"Gosh, you're in the stratosphere, is anybody home?"
Keiji said nothing, turning his head to blankly stare into the nothingness. Kenma glanced at his mate.
"Is he always doing that?"
"Yeah," Suki and Nao chorused in agreement.
"So we hide while we wait for him to come down. It's a tradition," Nao explained.
Tetsurō raised an eyebrow.
Keiji turned to him again and patted the grass beside him. Curious, Kuroo came closer, and Keiji pulled the edge of his hakama to make him sit next to him.
"Still no news from Kōtarō?"
Kenma unlocked his phone to check but shook his head. Nothing yet.
At that moment, the euphoric cries of the children grew louder, and they all turned to see Kōtarō in the middle of the kids, visibly delighted to be in their company. Kenma smiled fondly as he watched Kōtarō lean down to talk to his younger brother. Shin scanned the surroundings before pointing in their direction. Kōtarō's face lit up upon spotting them, and he made his way over.
"Oh, you're here!" he exclaimed when he reached them.
"Don't act like you missed us," his older brother retorted.
Kōtarō wrinkled his nose.
"Yeah no, I wasn't talking to you,"
The remark amused Nao.
"Oh, is he already gone?" Kōtarō asked, pointing at Keiji.
"Hmm…"
Kōtarō leaned over and waved his hand in front of Keiji's eyes.
"Hello? Keiji?"
The one addressed said nothing but turned his attention to him.
"You've reached Akaashi Keiji, I'm currently unavailable, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible," Suki scoffed.
"Please leave your message after the beep… beep!" Nao added.
Kōtarō pushed his brother's head back to silence him, which only made him laugh harder. He knelt in front of his mate and pulled out a tote bag from his back. He reached inside and pulled out… a meat bun.
Everyone let out a delighted cry upon seeing it.
"Nikuman!" Suki exclaimed, "I want one too!"
"Me too!" Nao chimed in.
"I know, I know, just wait."
Kōtarō stuffed the bun into Keiji's hand before reaching into the bag again, pulling out more nikuman, which he handed out to each of them. Kuroo watched the two older siblings bite into their buns, their eyes nearly filling with tears of bliss once they took the first bite. He took a bite of his own and understood the joy they were experiencing. They were delicious.
"There's food already?" Kenma asked.
"No, shh, I stole them from the kitchen."
"Cool, do you have more?" Nao asked.
At that moment, Tetsurō's phone vibrated. He looked down and saw that Kasumi had sent him a message. When he opened it, he found a photo of himself, likely taken just seconds ago. He had no doubt who had sent the photo to his sister.
"Are you with Suki?"
"Yes," Tetsurō simply replied.
"Send a photo! I asked her, and she sent me your face."
Feeling mischievous, Tetsurō took a photo of his meat bun and sent it to his sister. After all, she hadn't specified what he should send.
"You're a pain in the A, I wanted a photo of Suki!"
"What an impolite child you are, demanding things without giving anything in return. Not even a comment on my outfit!"
"Yes, yes, you look very pretty, now come on!"
Kuroo decided to comply, he raised his phone and took a quick photo. He smiled; he would keep this one for himself too. In the interest of speed, he hadn't really focused on his sister's girlfriend, so you could see Nao trying to dig into Kōtarō's bag while Kōtarō pushed him away as best he could, with Suki laughing. He sent it. He frowned when Kasumi replied with three dots.
"Well, what, I took the photo?!"
"Yes… it's just."
"Just?"
"She's stunning…"
Kuroo rolled his eyes.
"Gay."
"*Bi."
"By the way, you owe me 20 bucks for the photo."
"Too late, I already have it, you can stick your 20 bucks up your nose."
"My nose?"
"Babe?"
Kuroo looked up.
"We need to go, come on!"
"Where to?"
Kōtarō simply pointed to the other end of the garden. Over there, people started to gather. Everyone stood up to leave, except Keiji, who still seemed completely phased out of reality. Kuroo helped him to his feet and let him lean on him to move forward. They joined Kenma who was waiting a little further away.
"Damn it! I forgot my phone!" Tetsurō realized. "Take Keiji, I'll just go grab it, be right back!" he said to Kenma.
The blond nodded and took Keiji's arm. Tetsurō went back to the end of the garden where they had been earlier. It took him a few moments to locate his phone in the grass.
"There you are!" he exclaimed when he found it.
He tucked it into his obi and turned around. Oh... misery. No one was there... Where did everyone go?
He went to the annex and entered: empty.
"Damn it," he muttered.
He walked through the room, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Where was everyone? Turning around, he finally noticed a door on the opposite side of the room. He walked over to it and carefully slid the panel aside. Inside, there was nothing but a corridor, and still, no one in sight.
Suddenly, he was startled by the sound of a shōji opening behind him. He turned around to find Etsuko Ogawa, Kōtarō's mother, who looked as surprised to see him as he was to see her.
"Ogawa-san."
His gaze fell on what the woman was carrying: a bottle of sake, a couple of glasses, and a good dozen meat buns barely hidden in a tote bag. She burst out laughing.
"Well, I got caught red-handed! What are you doing here, mosquito?" she asked jovially.
"Uh… I'm lost."
Etsuko laughed again.
"Oh, well, come here, you're going to help me carry this!"
She handed him the bag, which Kuroo took on without protest.
"Here, you go, but shh" Etsuko said as she poured him a glass of the illicitly obtained sake.
The brunet hesitated to take it.
"Uh, I…"
"Come on, I'll join you," she poured herself a glass as well. "Kanpai!"
And she downed her glass. Though bewildered, Kuroo followed suit.
"Come on, let's go," Etsuko exclaimed, putting an arm around his shoulder to guide him forward.
Tetsurō followed her without trying to resist.
They went outside again and found themselves on the other side of the estate. They approached the forest, and only at the last moment did Tetsurō see the Torii standing between the trees. Behind it, a stone staircase seemed to disappear between the pines. Ogawa-san passed under the gate without a greeting. Kuroo hesitated but finally bowed quickly and followed her. As they climbed the stairs, Kuroo finally spotted some people making their way up as well.
They reached the top of the hill. There, a large plateau overlooked the forest that stretched in all directions around them; even the nearest towns seemed swallowed by the treetops.
"Phew… I'll never get used to this climb," Etsuko said, catching her breath. "I'll tell you, it's not nice to get old."
Kuroo vaguely nodded, his attention fixed on scanning the crowd for a familiar face. Everyone seemed to be there, yet he couldn't spot his boyfriends.
"Ah, there you are!"
Kuroo turned his eyes to see Yūma Maeda, stunning in her cyan kimono, followed closely by Hiroshi Bokuto, dressed entirely in red. Yūma's eyes finally met his; she seemed surprised to see him at first, but then broke into a tender smile.
"Ah, there you are Tetsurō-kun!"
As he bent to greet her, Maeda-san approached to hug him.
"You look lovely like this," she commented.
"Thank you…"
Bokuto-san had just pushed his mate aside to face him.
"Bokuto-sa…"
He didn't get the chance to finish; Bokuto-san had already pulled him into a hug before he could react. Truly, he was dealing with the most tactile family in the Land of the Rising Sun. He knew it well, yet it never failed to catch him off guard.
"I already told you to call me Hiroshi!"
"Stop it! You're gonna suffocate the kid!" Etsuko intervened, taking her mate by the arm to pull him away. "Is Naru here?" she asked, scanning the surroundings.
"He's in the front with his siblings," Yūma replied.
"Perfect!"
Etsuko turned to Tetsurō and gestured for him to hand her the bag where she had hidden all her loot. Tetsurō handed it to her, and Etsuko discreetly revealed its contents to her mates. They initially looked up in astonishment before bursting into childlike giggles.
"No, 'Tsuko, it's wrong!" Yūma whispered, though she seemed pleased with her partner's mischief.
"You're amazing!" Hiroshi exclaimed, pulling Etsuko in for a kiss on the cheek before diving into the bag to pull out a meat bun that he devoured in one bite.
Kuroo raised an eyebrow, amused. Apparently, stealing food was a family trait. Unfortunately, since most of the guests belonged to the same family, Kuroo wasn't sure how much food would be left.
Yūma hid behind her mate to eat her share, and Hiroshi handed Kuroo a bun. Kuroo accepted, even though he was starting to lose his appetite.
He looked around again, trying to find a familiar face. Nothing. Then he remembered he had something particularly useful in this situation: his phone. Who knows why he hadn't used it earlier; it would have likely allowed him to avoid being abducted by this gang of thieves known as Kōtarō's parents. He opened the group chat he had with his boyfriends and asked where they were.
"Tetsurō, kiddo, come have a drink with us," Bokuto-san invited.
"Uh, I…"
He had no choice but to accept another glass of sake. Good grief, if someone had told him he'd be getting drunk with Kōtarō's parents, he never would have believed it.
His phone vibrated. Kenma had replied.
"Almost in front of the temple, on the right."
The temple? What temple?! He hadn't even noticed! He looked around and managed to spot a small wooden building on stilts at the edge of the cliff in the distance.
"Kenma says they're in front, I'm going to join them," Kuroo informed the adults accompanying him (Yeah, he knew he was an adult too, but those were premium adults).
"Alright," replied Etsuko.
As he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm.
"Hold on, not yet, it's starting."
Looking around, Tetsurō noticed that most of the guests had joined hands and bowed their heads in respect. He saw Nakayama-sama, in her splendid white kimono, walking onto the wooden promontory. Kuroo quickly fell back into line, imitating the rest of the guests.
Eventually, everyone raised their heads again.
Nakayama-sama slowly sat down in front of the temple, bowed, and turned to the crowd to greet them as well. She stood up and opened her mouth to address the crowd and... Kuroo couldn't hear a thing!
"Oh, great, we can't hear anything," commented Etsuko.
"For what it's worth…"
"Hiroshi!" Yūma scolded him.
Kuroo continued to stare straight ahead, having given up trying to understand anything. Then, to his great dismay, Nakayama-sama proudly presented them with... a rope? A beautiful rope, indeed, colorful and well made, but still a rope.
His confusion must have been obvious because he heard giggling to his left. Turning his eyes, he found Etsuko looking particularly amused.
"It's a kumihimo," she explained softly. "Each strand represents a member of the family."
Oh… So that's why he had to bow to hand over spools of thread earlier!
"The thicker the rope, the greater the clan's prosperity. This one was braided last year," Yūma continued, to his right.
He nodded.
Nakayama-sama delicately placed the braided rope in front of her. In a series of skilled movements, she began to tie the rope around itself.
"At the beginning of the year, the old kumihimo serves as mizuhuki; it is tied in such a way that it can no longer be untied," Etsuko explained.
"It means that the past year was good, but it must give way to an even more prosperous one. They are all carefully preserved to testify to the clan's prosperity," Yūma concluded.
Oh…
Tetsurō was starting to understand. All those bows and strict codes had seemed rather excessive and frankly old-fashioned to him. But he now understood.
In his world, it might seem outdated, but in their world, continuing to exist and prosper was worthy of celebration. He knew that only a handful of Yama-kita clans persisted in Japan. Most had diluted or completely disappeared.
He understood now.
So, when the rest of the guests joined their hands in reverence, he followed suit, not out of mimicry this time, but with a genuine desire to honor and align his thoughts with theirs.
Finally, Nakayama-sama stood up, presenting the new mizuhiki, and after yet another unintelligible speech left the stage. The crowd began to stir again.
"Finally! We can really start celebrating!" Etsuko said, rejoiced, "Hiro, sake?"
"Not yet, my love, I'll never be able to climb back down if I do."
"Come on! Don't be such a spoil-sport!"
Kuroo let out a smile.
"I'll try to catch up with the others," he warned.
Only Yūma heard him and nodded, while the other two were still debating on the effects of sake on their motor skills.
Without further ado, Tetsurō made his way through the crowd, scanning the area to find his boyfriends. He eventually locked eyes with Kenma.
"He's here," he heard him say to Kōtarō and Keiji behind him.
Kōtarō pushed through the crowd to throw himself at him.
"Babe! Where have you been?"
"With your parents."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"I ran into your mom stealing stuff from the kitchen and had to play the mule to get her loot back."
Kōtarō looked mortified to hear this, but the story had Kenma bursting into laughter. He finally caught Keiji's eye. The latter seemed to have fully regained his composure now.
"Ah, you're back! I thought I'd never see you again!" joked Tetsurō.
Keiji rolled his eyes.
"I am sorry, but I do not plan to stay in this state of consciousness for long."
Kuroo chuckled.
"I would prefer you to stay with us a little longer."
"Do not count on it.
"Come on now! Let's eat, I'm starving!" Kōtarō exclaimed.
"Still hungry after everything you've eaten?" Kenma asked.
"More than ever, let's go!"
He grabbed Tetsurō by the arm and rushed ahead. Turning his head, Kuroo saw Naruhito-san talking with his family. He stopped.
"Babe, wait, I just want to say something to your father."
"My father?"
Tetsurō detached himself from Kōtarō and walked over to his parent.
"Nakayama-san," he called out as he reached him.
Five heads turned in his direction, some less than thrilled to see him. Oops, yes, too many Nakayama-san around to be so vague. Naruhito finally turned around, surprised to see him standing there.
"Tetsurō-kun?"
Now that he had so many pairs of eyes on him, he wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Did you want to talk to me?"
His gaze refocused on Naruhito.
"Hmm… yes. I… I wanted to thank you for allowing me to be here today."
He bowed deeply. When he looked up, he saw that Naruhito was smiling at him. A discreet smile, but definitely there. He nodded but said nothing more. He then turned around to continue the conversation he had interrupted, and Kuroo rejoined his boyfriends.
-/-
It turns out Grandma Nakayama knew how to throw a party! After the formalities were over, everyone could finally enjoy the real celebrations. While there weren't any disco party lights on the dancefloor, the drinks flowed freely, and there was an almost unreasonable amount of food. Kuroo had been wrong to worry about that.
The weather had warmed up; the cold outside was no longer so biting. Or maybe Kuroo had just gotten used to it, thanks to the alcohol. They had quickly found Nao and Suki, who were soon joined by Nobuyoshi and his mate and the countless other cousins. There were so many that Kuroo had given up trying to remember their names. They all seemed charming though, but Kuroo spent most of his time talking with Nao and Suki, the three of them having their little party on the side.
Suki was recounting one of her disastrous dates before she met Katsu, but Kuroo was struggling to focus. His bladder had been threatening to burst for a good ten minutes, yet he couldn't bring himself to interrupt her story.
Finally, he had to give in:
"Wait, sorry to interrupt, but I need to go."
Suki fell silent and raised an eyebrow.
"Go where?"
"To pee."
"Well, there are plenty of trees around," Nao pointed out.
"I'm not going to pee in your grandmother's garden!" Kuroo retorted.
Nao shrugged, unconvinced by his argument.
"Well, there are some bathrooms in there." He said pointing at the main building. "If you go to the east wing, there's one on the right. You'll see it's a bit more modern than the other part of the manor."
"Okay, thanks! Be right back!" said Kuroo, leaving his cape with them.
And he hurried inside.
Unfortunately for Kuroo, and as you know very well, he was terrible with directions. He did find the west wing, but the rest was an adventure. After wandering through corridors for a good ten minutes, he ended up in an inner courtyard, with four new directions to choose from. Damn it! At this rate, he was going to have to resign to relieve himself in the koi pond. He looked around. Which side seemed more modern? He decided to head towards a new wooden door. Opening it, he found himself in a corridor.
"Is this modern?" he wondered.
He had to try; the wood seemed a bit more recent here, and the floorboards appeared to have been laid this century. As he moved down the corridor, trying to find any sign that he was on the right track, he stopped. His gaze had landed on a display case in the middle of the corridor.
Inside were dozens of porcelain bowls, vases, and teapots. They were decorated with delicate hand-painted floral patterns.
Some were chipped, others seemed to have lost a few pieces, but all bore golden veins that Kuroo recognized immediately.
"Kintsugi..."
"Correct."
Tetsurō jumped and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the voice right next to him. He almost had a heart attack when he realized who it was.
"Nakayama-sama."
He bowed as politely as he could. The fact that she had found him wandering the halls was not in his favor.
"I wasn't snooping, I just got lost, I was looking for…"
"I don't doubt it, young man," the old lady replied calmly.
She gave him a calming smile, which helped Kuroo relax. Nakayama-sama stepped close. The only sound was the soft rustle of the fabric against the wooden floor as her movements were so graceful. She paused in front of the display case.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Kuroo nodded. He suddenly felt very small in her presence. Nakayama-sama opened the display case.
"Did you know, young man, that our clan first prospered thanks to the manufacture of china?
He shook his head.
"I didn't."
Nakayama-sama carefully picked up one of the bowls, as delicately as if it were a sacred relic. She turned it around, allowing Tetsurō to read the inscription.
"House Nakayama, 9th year of the Bunka Era"
Kuroo wasn't an expert in calendar conversion, but it must have dated back to the early 19th century.
"Although the clan has persisted, this knowledge has unfortunately been lost over time. Nevertheless, the art of restoring and enhancing these objects has survived."
She traced the golden veins on the bowl with her fingertips, then finally returned it to its place.
"It is a delicate art that requires patience and highly precise chemistry. To properly join the pieces together, one must use the sap of a tree with unique properties. Do you have any idea which one?"
"Urushi?"
Nakayama-san seemed genuinely pleased with his answer. She offered him a polite smile.
"Impressive. That is indeed correct."
She then closed the display case.
"You must understand then the importance of the sap. Not just any sap will do."
Kuroo felt his blood run cold. He forced himself not to react.
He had the impression that the discussion had gone beyond porcelain bowls or even trees or anything else.
"On the surface, the result might be satisfactory... However, it will never quite seal the cracks."
Kuroo turned to face her. Nakayama-sama held his gaze.
No, she was actually talking about him, his presence here, his legitimacy to be here. His legitimacy to stand by her descendant's side.
The eye contact ended when she squinted and smiled at him.
"You seem like an intelligent young man; I'm sure you understand."
Tetsurō felt his heart sink in his chest.
But he wasn't about to give in. Maybe he wasn't the right kind of sap, or whatever, but he knew he didn't need to seal anything, that he had nothing to repair.
He bowed politely to the old woman.
"I understand."
"Good."
"But if I may… There's no need to repair something that was never broken in the first place."
Take that! He wasn't usually good at double talk, but this time, he felt he had outdone himself. With a final bow, he turned and started to leave.
"Oh, wait, young man."
He turned around.
Nakayama-san approached and extended her closed palm.
"Don't leave empty-handed."
Intrigued, Kuroo opened his hand. Nakayama-sama placed something in it and closed his hand before he could even tell what it was.
With a final nod, she turned and left the room. Tetsurō watched her walk away, feeling disarmed. Once he was alone, he opened his palm to reveal the purple spool of thread, the very one he had given her upon his arrival. The message was clear and painfully obvious: she did not accept him and would never welcome him into her family.
His initial reaction was anger. He refused to let an old woman who believed herself to be a powerful guru get the best of him! What could she possibly know about his relationship with Kōtarō?
He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.
He didn't care anymore; if he had to piss on her magnolias, he would do it without hesitation! The scene replayed in his head, imagining all the ways he could have reacted, or rather the one that would best allowed him to process his anger.
He returned to the annex, ready to tell his boyfriends about the incident. Once again, he attracted numerous stares, sideways glances, inquisitive looks, disapproving glares, indifferent, hostile. He clenched the spool in his hand and continued scanning the room. Her words echoed in in his mind in endless loops.
He eventually spotted Kōtarō, Keiji, and Kenma, chatting at the back of the room.
As he moved to join them, he paused.
What if she was right?
Suddenly, alone amid this sea of sideways glances, and malicious whispers, he felt so distant from them.
She was right.
There was no point in lying to himself. Maybe he had nothing to fix, yes. But he knew it. He knew that he would never be enough, that he could never give them what they really needed.
He could be as angry as he wanted; it didn't change the fact.
She was right.
He just had to stop lying to himself.
"Hang in there, Tetsu, be quiet, keep it to yourself, it will be okay."
He took a step forward, but his courage quickly faded. Turning on his heel, he rushed outside. He crossed the covered walkway and, without thinking, made his way to the back of the manor.
Why was it suddenly so cold?
His face was red, and his legs were numb. He went into the garden, where only the pines retained their foliage. The other trees stood around, bare and sorrowful.
He wandered until he reached a small wooden bridge arching over a pond. Below, large orange and black koi swam through the water.
If the family wasn't in the porcelain business anymore, they had apparently turned to koi breeding.
Perfect, he wanted to piss on these koi earlier; he finally had the chance! He stood over the water, his reflection staring back at him. He was alone. He was alone, and he was cold, and his bladder was still threatening to explode.
And he wanted to cry.
He opened his hand, still looking at his reflection, and watched the image of the spool appear on the water's surface.
He burst into tears.
Well, at least the water could drain away from somewhere now...
He let out a bitter, breathless laugh. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore.
He sat on the bridge, letting his legs dangle over the water.
"Tetsurō?"
He flinched when he heard his name. He turned around.
Keiji was there.
"Oh, Keiji," he quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve, "what are you doing here?"
"I was worried."
His boyfriend approached and handed him his cape, which Kuroo hurriedly put on.
"Thanks... but don't worry, I'm just with my fish friends, everything's fine."
Keiji saw right through his outrageous lie. He sat down next to him.
"Are you sure?"
"Of what?"
Keiji held his gaze.
"That everything is okay?"
"Hmm," Kuroo replied vaguely.
Keiji made it clear that he wasn't fooled. Tetsurō felt his face twist with tears again.
"Oh Tetsu…"
The warmth in his lover's voice shattered the last of his defense. Tetsurō broke down, and he broke into tears once more. Keiji embraced him, and he allowed himself to be held.
He let out a tearful laugh: damn, he was pathetic.
"What is going on?" Keiji asked tenderly.
"Don't worry, I… I think I'm just tired, I…"
Tetsurō pulled away from the embrace to wipe his face again.
"Damn it, I shouldn't let myself get into this state over the words of an old, bitter hag. I… pfft…"
Keiji frowned.
"Nakayama-sama?"
He nodded.
"What did she say to you?"
Kuroo looked away.
"Nothing surprising. That I didn't belong here… Something about the wrong tree's sap… And then…"
He opened his hand. He saw Keiji's eyes widen as he realized what it was.
"I hope you are not taking her words seriously…"
"But she's right…"
Keiji was completely caught off guard by this statement; he looked at him, deeply surprised. Kuroo pulled his knees to him and rested his head on them. He felt his lips stretch into a sad smile.
"She's right…"
"Tetsu,"
"But she is! I can try to deny it as much as I want, it's a fact! I could never have what you three have… Or give the… same thing."
The remark only deepened Keiji's confusion.
"What we have?"
"Yes, you and Kenma, and Kōtarō…"
Keiji blinked several times, incredulous.
"Of course."
Kuroo was momentarily taken aback by the lightness of the response, which, quite frankly, was enough to break his heart. He let out a strained "ah."
Keiji panicked when he saw his reaction.
"No, you misunderstood, of course, yes… I… Well… I do not have the same relationship with Kōtarō that I have with you, or with Kenma… It is..."
"Yes, yes, no, not that… I… Sorry, it's stupid," Tetsurō quickly cut him off.
He felt stupid.
He should have just kept quiet.
He turned his head back to the pond, averting his eyes.
Keiji took his hand and leaned in to catch his gaze.
"Tetsurō, please. Talk to me…"
Kuroo got caught in his gaze, tender and calm.
He struggled to catch his breath.
"I… I'm happy as it is, I… think… Well, it's just… the idea that I could never…"
He sighed.
"I will always be just a boyfriend."
Keiji frowned.
"Just a boyfriend?"
Kuroo waved his hands as if to brush away his words
"I know it's stupid! And… I don't want to complain… It's normal… I mean, we've been together for what? Six, seven months? It's really nothing… You've been together for several years and… But it's the thought that it will never go any further, it…" he felt tears welling up again, "Sorry, It's selfish, I feel so dumb."
"Tetsurō, first of all, you do not have to apologize for what you are feeling; it does not make you selfish at all, and… why do you think that?"
"You told me yourself… I can't be… bound… And even if you do, it will only hurt you... I don't want that!"
"Oh…"
Kuroo felt so shaky, disarmed… The last sentence had slipped out of him despite himself. He had wanted to keep all of this to himself.
"Yes… oh…"
Keiji looked off into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. Then he turned his gaze back to him.
"Is that… why you have been like this lately? Because of what I told you?"
Kuroo nodded.
"Tetsurō… Um…"
"You don't need to say anything. It's not your fault!", he hurried to reply.
"No."
The words were spoken so firmly that Kuroo was shaken. He looked at him, surprised.
Keiji winced, sighed, and then continued:
"I...Sorry… I was not thinking when I said that... I was just repeating things have been told and I should have... Sorry."
"Don't be. It's just how it is."
"No… I should not have... I was stupid and…"
"Keiji… it's okay."
He took his lover's face in his hands to catch his gaze.
"It's okay...you can't help it...I can't help it either. I understand."
"Tetsu..."
"It's just like I said, don't worry, really, I'm just being an idiot. It's okay! Well, no, but it will be. I just have to deal with it... I mean, my parents aren't mated, and they're still married, like all the betas really. I... I know I shouldn't compare myself to you guys, but... I don't know what to do with these feelings. I guess, I just have to acknowledge them and move on... That's why I didn't want to talk about it... It's just that... And if it means making you suffer, then I'll give it up without regret. I don't want that. I don't want to make you suffer..."
Keiji's eyes were wide open, following every movement of his pupils.
Keiji took a deep breath. Tetsurō let his hands fall, sensing his emotional state. Despite his words, Kuroo could see that Keiji felt guilty. He didn't want that. That was why he didn't want to talk about it! He was the one who had to deal with it!
"You don't have to feel guilty for anything Keiji, it's not your fault."
"You should have told me sooner…"
"Sorry."
His lover clasped his hands together. Kuroo frowned when he noticed that he was shaking.
"Keiji?" he asked, worried to see him like this.
"Tetsurō… I was not entirely honest either, I…"
Panic began to rise within Tetsurō.
"What do you mean?"
Keiji sighed.
"I did not see it coming either," Keiji began without looking at him, "Well… yes… but not like this… At least, maybe not so quickly… even though it never really took me long, to be honest…"
Kuroo frowned.
"Keiji, what are you talking about?"
He caught his gaze again and was struck by its intensity.
"In light of this conversation... I... do not know if I should talk about it now or... I do not want to alarm you. But you need to know."
"Know what?"
Keiji was now on the verge of tears. He smiled at him.
The wind whistles around them.
"Tetsurō, I am not suffering."
His words took him completely by surprise.
His lover seized the moment to continue:
"I could not say precisely when it started... But... I remember when it first really hit me…"
Tetsurō held his breath.
"When… I came out of my torpor… I remember seeing you. Your eyes were the first thing I saw. And in them… I saw everything. How much you had worried about me. How much you cared. How deeply you understood what I was going through…"
He trailed off, his voice unsteady.
A breeze passed, sweeping their hair before slipping away to stir the pine branches.
"I remember feeling… from every fiber of my being, that you were one of mine… one of ours."
Tetsurō was at a loss for words. A myriad of messy emotions surged within him, indistinct, bubbling, volcanic.
"You mean that…"
Keiji smiled. A tender and timid smile.
He nodded.
"It is already happening; I am already bonding with you. I was wrong. It is not 'one-sided' at all, far from it. I feel you. And yes, it is different… almost like a new language. But you know how much I love learning new languages."
Kuroo was left speechless.
"And no, Love, I am not suffering."
Tetsurō was still in disbelief. Tears welled up in his eyes again, this time devoid pain, only a deep, visceral emotion that engulfed him entirely. He pulled Keiji into a tight embrace. Keiji chuckled but joined in the hug.
They remained silent for a long time.
"I don't know what to say…" Kuroo confessed.
"Neither do I."
Their heart rhythm fell into resonance.
"I love you," murmured Tetsurō.
The embrace tightened.
"I love you too."
Silence settled, harmonious, and symphonic.
"Keiji…"
"Hmm?"
"We… should talk about this more, but… I don't mean to ruin the mood, but I'm gonna pee myself if I don't move."
His lover was caught off guard and chuckled.
"Yes, we should go then."
He didn't move though.
"Keiji?"
The brunet reluctantly agreed to separate. They smiled blissfully when their gazes met again.
"Can you come with me? I keep getting lost, and I don't really want to have another bad encounter."
Keiji nodded. He stood up first and offered his hand to Tetsurō to help him up.
They walked away, hand in hand.
-/-
Tetsurō and Keiji eventually returned to their boyfriends.
Kuroo felt lighter. The turmoil in his heart had subsided.
The sidelong glances still followed him around, but they now slid off him. He almost forgot his unfortunate encounter with Nakayama-sama.
Dusk was starting to fall when they got ready to leave. Keiji, Kenma, and he were now standing in front of the gates, waiting for Kōtarō, who was saying goodbye to his cousins. Tetsurō's gaze eventually fell on Nakayama-sama's, standing in front of the manor, bidding farewell to her family.
He sighed.
He shoved his hands into his cloak's pocket and pulled out the spool of purple thread. He smiled to himself. He hadn't yet earned his place in the matriarch's eyes, but he didn't mind. Not anymore.
"What are you doing with that?!"
Kuroo looked up, surprised to see Kōtarō staring at the spool in his hands.
"Uh…"
In the end, Tetsurō hadn't told his boyfriend about his misadventure, not wanting to ruin the rest of his day or turn him against his family. That did not account for his lack of discretion.
"Babe?"
"Uh, it's just that…"
"Nakayama-sama gave it back to him," Keiji clarified.
Kōtarō looked between them, stunned.
"Why didn't you tell me babe?"
"I… didn't want to ruin your day with your family, it's nothing. "
"Nothing? No, it's not nothing!" his lover protested.
"Kō, I don't want any trouble, it's fine."
Kōtarō took the spool back into his hand.
"Babe!"
"Don't worry."
Before he could stop him, Kōtarō walked away with the spool towards his parents. Kuroo saw him talking to his father. Naruhito took the spool, and their gazes met when he looked up. He saw his expression harden. He said something to his son before detaching from the group and walking toward the matriarch. His steps were so solemn that they drew the attention of the remaining guests.
Naruhito stood before his mother, standing tall, proud, and unshakable. In a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone, he said:
"I think you have forgotten this one, Mother."
He opened his hand to show the spool of thread. The matriarch did not comment, but her mask began to fall.
"It's a color I like," Naruhito concluded.
Feeling all eyes on her, Nakayama-sama eventually extended her hand. Her son placed the spool on it, gave her a polite nod, and turned, walking purposefully toward the estate's exit. As he passed by Kuroo, he patted his shoulder, gave him a nod, and without saying anything more, continued, soon followed by his mates.
Kuroo couldn't believe it. He looked at Nakayama-sama. She met his gaze and scrutinized him harshly.
Kuroo smiled.
She no longer intimidated him.
He greeted her politely, but his gesture was undeniably insolent. He turned and headed toward the gate. His boyfriends quickly joined him.
He had finally remembered something crucial.
He was loved.
-end of the chapter-
Next chapter: "Grieving hearts"
"How did you do that?"
"I'm not sure... I just tried to recreate the feeling I had when I was with Kenma and we tried this thing with the pa..."
He couldn't finish the sentence, a pillow hitting him right in the face.
He turned toward Kenma, who had thrown it, glaring at him.
Crap, he wasn't supposed to talk about that!
