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♔ | 𝐗𝐈𝐈

»»-----　♔　-----««

The sun had set a long while ago.

Jyushimatsu had made his own way home, calling Ozo to let him know. The car was much more silent on the way back to the Midorito Estate, most likely due to how tired the both of you were from the busy day.

Rolling up to the stone step entrance, Ozo left the keys in as he got out of the car, swiftly opening your door for you once more and offering a hand. You managed to get out without a stumble this time, although a share of smiles weren't passed up.

"So, did you enjoy your little tour around Akashika?" Ozo grinned, his hand still wrapped around yours. You squeezed your fingers as you laughed softly.

"I really did. Thank you for that.." you stared into each others eyes, the moon above casting a bluish glow on your faces, enticing and mystical, unable to tear your eyes away.

"I... I should get going," you reluctantly sighed. "Chorosuke and Dayoko are probably waiting for me, so..."

"Uh, yeah, okay.." Ozo mumbled, slowly retracting his hand from yours, his fingertips brushing against your palm before settling by his side. You began turning away, a foot resting on the first stone step, before you suddenly turned back around.

You walked back over to Ozo, who was watching your curiously until you stopped right in front of him, chests touching and faces close again. His cheeks darkened as you rested your hands against his chest, pushing yourself up by the slightest bit to reach his height. You could feel his heartbeat begin to race, matching your own pace.

He could feel your warm breath tickle across his skin as you placed a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. You pulled back the slightest bit, murmuring against his skin.

"Goodnight, Ozo."

Not giving him a chance to reply, you quickly took off for the stairway, steadily climbing up without looking back. Your hands came up to your own cheeks, the burning skin pulsing against your hands.

Ozo was left by his car, stunned. He blinked a couple times, raising a shaky hand up to his cheek, the feeling of your lips still lingering. A grin slowly broke onto his face, almost splitting his face in two.

As you reached the front door of the Estate, you could hear an echoing yell of celebration from behind you, the voice all to clear. You chuckled, heart fluttering faster in your chest.

'Maybe I should do it more often if it makes him that happy..'

Knocking against the doorway, the door eventually slid open to reveal Chorosuke, who, at first, looked over your shoulder with a look of disapproval.

"He didn't do anything weird to you, did he?" Was the first question. You hoped it was dark enough to hide your embarrassment.

"N-No, no! I had a lot of fun today, actually!" You smiled, prompting Chorosuke to return the look as he stepped aside, allowing you in. As you removed your shoes, you glanced around.

"Where's Dayoko?"

"Ah, she's been waiting for you in the sitting room all day! It seems she's really grown attached to you," he chuckled, leading you along. Your smile widened, a warmth settling in your chest as Dayoko came out into the hallway upon hearing your voice, practically running to you and almost knocking you over as she jumped into an embrace.

"Woah, are you okay, Dayoko? Did you miss me?" You laughed aloud, gently rubbing a hand up and down her back. She moved back, her smile in place and questions already falling through her lips. "Okay, wait! Slow down!" You held her shoulders. "Let's eat first. I'll tell you all about what happened today afterwards, okay?"

Not needing to be told twice, she then took hold of your hand, rushing you down to the main room to eat as quickly as possible. Chorosuke watched on happily, glad his sister was finally able to make a friend for herself in this small village.

"I haven't seen her this happy since before your passing..." he turned to the table beside him, his hand lightly tracing the single framed photo resting on the wooden surface. His father's eyes — much more similar to Dayoko's than his own — glinted back at him, the photo-taken smile never wavering.

┊   •° ੈ ⋆°  ┊

"Dayon?! Dayon??!!!!"

"Shh! Not so loud!"

Dayoko had whisked you to the washroom so you could wind down after such a long day out, and the moment you stepped out in a fresh set of nightwear, she was there this time to pull you back to your room. Your futon was already lain out, and she pushed you to sit down, begging for details.

You had only just told her about the small incident in the cafe, and she was already freaking out.

"Dayon?!"

'How does that happen on the first date?!'

"D-Date?" You spluttered. "It wasn't a date, Dayoko! He was just being nice and, y'know, showed me around. That's all, it wasn't— it wasn't a date."

"Dayon." She stared at you blankly.

'Yeah, sure it wasn't.'

"I'm serious!" You whined. With a roll of her eyes, she gestured for you to continue.

'And then what happened?'

"Well..." You recounted the trip to the sunflower fields. You couldn't help the smile on your face as you remember the flowers, the sky, the vivid memory akin to a dream with the way you described it.

"And then, he said he wanted to get to know me, and.." you paused for a moment, tracing aimless circles on the fabric of the futon.

'And?' Dayoko raised a brow. 'What did you say?'

"I said... that I would think about it."

'...WHAT?!'

The volume of her voice startled you.

'Why would you say that?! He's clearly interested in you!'

"Yeah, but Dayoko," you furrowed your brows, unsure of yourself now, "We literally only just met yesterday... Wouldn't it be moving too fast?"

'Hm, I guess you're not wrong...' With a reluctant sigh, she moved on, keeping in mind that she would definitely come back to talk about this again at some point. 'Okay, well, did anything else happen on the way back?'

Your cheeks instantly began to heat up at the question, your gaze averting back to the floor.

"Yeah, a-actually.."

'What? What is it?' She leaned closer in anticipation.  

"So... So he dropped me off outside your house, by the stairs, and I was gonna go up... But then — and I don't know why I did this!! But I turned around, and I.. I-I kissed his cheek and—"

The squeal that emitted from Dayoko's throat pierced your ears harshly, the sheer volume and pitch creating the slightest crack in the vanity mirror.

Somewhere on the opposite end of the house, Chorosuke paused his task of sprucing up a few flowers in his room, straining his ears. He turned to look over his shoulder, waiting for a moment, and upon hearing nothing, he shrugged, returning back to his task.

'I can't believe you did that!!! You're so bold ohmygoshican't—!'

Your blush worsened as she clasped your hands, continuing to praise you.

'I mean, Ozo can be a scum-bag at times, but if it's you, then surely it's meant to be!!'

"Y-You're talking about this like this is fate, or something.." you chuckled wearily.

'That's exactly what I'm saying! Just think about everything that's happened between the two of you in less than twenty-four hours! What else could it be?'

Fate. Was it really fate? Did stuff like that really exist? Was she right?

'Listen, [Y/N].'

The girl's voice caught your attention, bringing you back to the present.

'All I'm going to say is this: You should just take a chance and go for it! Who knows? Maybe it will be better than you expected! But you'll never know until you try.'

With those final words, she bid you a cheerful goodnight, slipping out of the room, leaving you to your thoughts.

Slowly, you got up from where you sat, moving to switch off the lights before laying yourself under the covers of your futon, eyes finally resting onto the sight of the moon outside the window, a single glowing orb against the clear night sky.

You had heard words similar to those before. People encouraging you to take the leap, to not be afraid, just take the moment before it's too late. However, time and time again, you were always held back by something. Something more than fear. Thinking back, it was always like a hand, grasping firmly onto the back of your shirt, forcing you back and away from anything new.

Now, though, there was nothing here to stop you. Nothing, other than yourself.

As you closed your eyes, you wondered: did you really want to hold yourself back?

»»-----　♔　-----««

❀ | ②

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗ 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 ╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

You did everything you could to avoid meeting the prince when he arrived, but it seemed that your parents were expecting this, and had knights placed around every corner of the castle in order to escort you down to the main gates.

You kept your face a blank slate as you stood between your parents, hands folded neatly in front of you, just as you were always taught. Your eyes were trained on a carriage glinting in the distance, slowly approaching.

"I hope you remember your manners, [Y/N]," your father muttered, barely moving as he addressed you. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes, replying flatly;

"How could I, father? Especially after that little talk we had yesterday. I know my place."

"Just don't do anything out of order."

"You can trust me, father." You briefly turned to him, flashing a bright smile that didn't quiet reach your eyes — not that he had the chance to notice that. "I may act rash, but have I ever gone against my word?"

He had no chance to respond, either, as the carriage had pulled to a stop in front of you, it's white horses shaking their heads with a huff. The driver of the carriage stepped off his seat, swiftly moving to the door and pulling it open with a bow.

"May I present Prince Karamatsu, of Akatsuka Kingdom."

Out stepped a man with a pale, rounded face and thick brows resting above his large eyes, his dark hair slicked back with a few rare streaks of royal blue running through the sides. His attire also had flashes of azure, fitting nicely against the white fabric. Except for the cape which he had draped over his right shoulder; it was covered in glittering sequins, practically blinding you all as it reflected the sun's light in multiple directions.

You hid your grimace well, though your brow twitched every now and then at his atrocious display. The man, Karamatsu, brought a gloved hand to his chin, eyes sweeping over your small royal family. His lips stretched into a cat-like grin, eyes lidded as he hummed triumphantly.

"It seems that I have arrived at my destination!" He pointed his hand towards the sky, posing dramatically. "Fate has led me down my destined path, yet it still stretches onwards! Where to, next? Our mortal minds will never know!"

His monologue was met with confused silence. You hated how the deep rumble of his voice raised goosebumps across your skin. Your fingers were gripping your palms in a white-knuckled grip, resisting the urge to pull out your hair. You hoped that now, your parents could see what kind of hell they were attempting to put you through.

It didn't take long for his luggage to be taken into the palace, a surge of maids carrying uncountable amounts of cases to his new sleeping quarters. Your parents showed him through to the main hall, having a pleasantly one-sided conversation with the prince whilst you followed silently from behind. Your father cleared his throat after a moment, plastering a polite smile on his face.

"Well, Queen Koume and I must get back to our royal duties. I can assure you that our servants and knights around the palace are more than able to aid you should you need anything, Prince Karamatsu," he bowed his head lightly. Glancing at you, he added, "Our daughter is also quite the intelligent child. I'm sure she will be more than happy to assist her fiancé in any way she can." He pressed the last few words as he stared hard at you, lips thinning into a flat line as no response was given from you, not even a twitch of facial expression.

Your mother tugged gently on his arm, a warning look subtly sent his way as she smiled at her guest. "We shall see you at dinner later tonight, dear." With that, she led her husband away, disappearing round a corner and leaving the two of you alone. Instantly, the Prince was bowing low in front of you, almost comically so.

"I am truly blessed from the heavens above to be given such an opportunity to wed the most exquisite of flowers!" He took a gentle hold of your hand, bringing the back of your hand to his lips and placing a chaste kiss against your skin. You merely watched on with a slightly raised brow.

"Princess, I look forward to our future together!"

A moment of silence passed before you smiled softly.

"How sweet! I most certainly do not look forward to our time spent together, unfortunately!"

"Hm! As expected, my Princess is as kind as she appears! Soft and kind-hearted, you— ..I'm sorry, what was it that you said?" His tone fell from confident to unsure in a heartbeat. You slowly allowed you smile to fall away into a scornful glare, the man's lips now pulled into a timid smile, sweat beginning to accumulate on his temple.

"It seems that you can actually listen to something other than your own voice," you sneered, crossing your arms over your chest. He tilted his head, confused and slight hurt flashing through his eyes. "This whole set up for our marriage is one of the worst things my parents could ever do."

You took a few steps forward, standing chest to chest with him and pushing a finger against him.

"Let me make this clear, your highness," you spat, "I, just like many other princesses across the region, don't want anything to do with you and your kingdom. If you had any sense with you, then I would expect you to be gone by dinner today, and to call off this god forsaken wedding the minute you arrive back."

You turned on your heel, snapping your fingers as you walked away, a grin spreading across your lips. The look of disbelief on his face was enough to assure you that he would definitely be taking your kind token of advice.

Behind you, a servant you had summoned was busy trying to coax a frozen Karamatsu to his room, his eyes locked onto your back as you grew further and further away from him, eventually disappearing from his view.

You spent the rest of the hours till evening reading in the library, making use of your secret corner hidden atop the bookshelves to catch up on the handful of novels you had picked up. Your mind had stopped thinking of the so-called guest that had entered your home while you were distracted, only to be reminded of his existence when your butler came to fetch you for dinner.

"Tanuki? Where is the Prince?" You asked innocently as you were led to the dining room. Your butler hummed thoughtfully.

"I am sorry, your highness. I haven't seen him since his arrival this morning. As far as I'm aware, he should be joining us for dinner this evening."

'Oh, I'm sure he won't be,' you thought giddily.

A set of tall doors were pushed open for you, the long table filled with food beckoning for you to take a seat. Only, you were stuck where you stood. Your eye twitched dangerously at the sight before you, your lips trembling as you struggled to keep them shut so as not to scream in frustration.

He was sat there, happily chatting away with your mother as your father laughed at something he had said. His eyes locked into yours, the air stilling for a moment before his smile widened, gesturing for you to come take a seat.

"Good evening, Princess! I'm sure that the food will taste ten times better now that we have been graced with your presence!"

He winked at you from across the table as your chair was pushed in. The grip on your utensils tightened considerably. A voice in the back of your mind was becoming louder and louder, drowning out the talk around you.

You had underestimated him, it seems.

'No matter.'

You pierced a morsel of food harshly with your fork.

'This just means I can resort to harsher methods.'

♔ | 𝐈𝐗

»»-----　♔　-----««

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Takashi sang, renetering the room. Thankfully, the few minutes the two had disappeared were enough for your deep red flush to subside and for you to calm your racing heartbeat.

"It's fine, don't worry about it! ... Uh, w-where's Ozo..?" The taxi driver was nowhere to be seen, which made you raise a brow. Takashi sat down in Ozo's seat, humming thoughtfully.

"I think he said he's going to the bathroom? I'm not sure though, I wasn't paying attention to him," he smiled casually. You laughed awkwardly, hoping deep down that he was joking. "So? How's the food?"

"Oh! It's delicious!" You gushed. "You're dad must be an amazing baker!" Takashi's smile faltered slightly, his eyes averting down to the table.

"Yeah.. He was..." his eyes clouded over with old memories, getting lost in them for a split moment before he straightened up. "But now it's my job to look after his cafe, so I have to make sure I'm always on his level, y'know? Even if this place barely has anyone coming down.." he grumbled, glaring at the doorway.

"I've noticed that even in Akatsuka Village, it's really quiet. There's hardly any people around," you mused.

"That's how it's always been. People here tend to keep to themselves a lot. They don't know how to let loose and have a little fun!" He complained. "It's like everybody knows everybody, but at the same time, we don't. Does that make sense?"

You thought about it before nodding slowly. In a way, it did.

"I just thought that it would be like a close knit community, seeing how small the village itself is," you shrugged. Takashi agreed, nodding along.

Just then, you both heard a shuffling from behind the back door before it swung open, revealing a slightly disheveled Ozo. He was breathing quite heavy for someone who just walked down a corridor. His shirt looked ruffled, with his tie undone and hanging around his neck.

Your eyes met briefly before snapping away, a heated flush painting itself back onto your cheeks. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Takashi grimace at his brother, scooting away from him as he moved to sit down across from you.

"So... What have I missed?" Ozo started casually, his grin wobbling at the corners.

"You didn't even bother to look half decent after that?" Takashi chastised, groaning as Ozo shrugged in response.

"Hey, at least I didn't take as long as Jyushimatsu!" Ozo crossed his arms over his chest, his rolled up sleeves pulling taught against his lightly defined arms.

"As if that makes things any better!" Takashi ran a hand down his face. "Now I'm gonna have to burn my bathroom because of you..."

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" You asked, feeling left out of the loop. Ozo's grin slipped back onto his lips, widening as he met your gaze confidently enough to hold it.

"We're just talkin' about how I—"

"NOTHING!!" Takashi screeched. You jumped at the sudden outburst, even more confused at the fact that Ozo burst out laughing. "It's absolutely nothing! Don't worry about it okay? In fact, just forget you heard anything!"

Your curiosity was begging you to ask more, but Takashi looked as if he was fit to burst, so you reluctantly nodded along with him.

"Aww, are you sure you don't wanna know?" Ozo leaned forward across the table. "I have a feeling you'd really like it if you knew what we're talking—"

"You know what?!" Takashi slammed his hands on the table top, standing up far too quickly than any human was able to. He grabbed Ozo by the scuff of his neck, dragging him without mercy to the cafe's entrance. You watched in shock as Ozo was flung out the door, tumbling onto the pavement outside with a yelp.

"I don't want to see your face here again, shitty eldest!" With a crude hand gesture, Takashi swivelled on his heel, taking a deep breath as he stood in front of you with a plain smile. "Now that he's gone, what are your other plans for today?"

You blinked, glancing at the doorway, then back to Takashi. You gulped.

"A-Actually... Ozo is supposed to be like my escort... I can't go anywhere without him driving me around..."

He stared at you, his large eyes blank. Eventually, he sighed heavily, shoulder sagging in disappointment.

"I guess if that's case, then I can't keep you here. But before you go, can we exchange numbers?" He asked hopefully, already clutching his phone in hand. "It's not everyday I get to make a new friend!"

"Oh, of course!" The prospect of making a new friend made you beam, eagerly handing over your phone so he could put in his contact details. After a few taps, he handed your phone back, smiling cutely.

"I can't wait to chat more with you, [Y/N]-chan!" He winked. You giggled, smiling wider at the name he had given himself.

[💖Takashi💖]

"Oh, and one more thing.." he stopped you as you stood up, ready to leave. He placed a hand on your shoulder, eyes firm. "If that asshole tries anything with you, just say the word and I'll kill him. I promise." With a final pat, he ushered you out with a wave, disappearing back inside to attend to his cafe.

"[Y/N]!" Ozo whined, leaning against his car on the ground. The grimace on his face made you rush over in worry.

"Are you okay? You're not badly hurt, are you?" You brushed his hair away from his eyes, looking for scratches or bumps. He had a little bit of dust on his face, and you quickly swiped it off with your hand.

"I'm fine.. My head hurts a little though.." his eyes were wide and pouting, staring up at you as he searched for sympathy. You huffed, a small smile creeping onto your face.

"Does this help?" You began gently rubbing at his scalp, massaging through his soft tresses to remove the 'pain.' Ozo hummed, eyes closing, looking very similar to a happy cat.

"Very much.." he purred, leaning into your hand. You laughed out loud, moving your hand away despite his hum of confusion.

"I think we should go before Takashi throws something at you," you whispered with a grin, standing up and walking over to your side of the car. Ozo sighed, standing up and dusting himself off before joining you. As you both settled in, you made the bold choice of addressing the elephant in the room.

"Uh.. About before..." you started awkwardly, twirling a strand of hair around your finger. "I-I'm really sorry... I don't know w-why I did that..."

"Hmm? Oh, that!" Ozo rubbed a finger under his nose, grinning with a small blush on his cheeks. "Don't worry about it! I enjoyed it a lot more than you think." He winked at you, inserting the keys and starting up the car again.

His words left you flustered, affecting you a lot more than you liked to admit. You began to wonder what would have happened if you hadn't been interrupted... What his lips would feel like... Where his hands would go... How he would say your name in that same, breathless and addicting way...

"Uh, [Y/N]?" A hand waved in front of your face, making you jump.

"Huh?" You whipped your head to him, biting your lip sheepishly. "Sorry, I-I wasn't paying attention.."

Ozo watched the way your lips caught itself between your teeth before smirking.

"You weren't paying attention to me? That's not polite of you to do.." he leaned closer to you, backing you up against the car door. "Do I have to make you pay attention?"

You stammered, unable to string together coherent words. His lidded eyes surveyed your glowing cheeks before he spoke.

"Where are we going now?"

"...W-What..?"

"I was asking, where are we going now?" He moved away, face casual as if nothing had happened. "Unless you want me to take you somewhere instead, since I don't think you know any places around here, right?"

"Uhh..."

"Oh, I got it! Let's go pay someone a visit!" He snapped his fingers, putting the car into gear and driving back onto the road, heading back towards Akatsuka Village.

You sat in silence once more, breaths slightly jagged and face as red as it could go. Your mind was full of fuzzy static, slowly clearing away as you straightened up in your seat, locking your gaze pointedly out the window as your hands clenched to your dress.

'He's such a tease..!'

»»-----　♔　-----««

The prince!matsu x Princess fic... makes me so happy 😌😘

hhh im glad ur enjoying it! ☺️♥️♥️

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

◦𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮《𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘹》↴

|◁ II ▷|

»»-----　♔　-----««

○𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐎𝐳𝐨 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐚

❝𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕?

○𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮 𝐀𝐨𝐠𝐨

𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒆,

○𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨

𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚,

○𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐇𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚

𝑼𝒑 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑, 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒆

○𝘑𝘺𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐓𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨 𝐎𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢

𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚

○𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐞

𝑩𝒐𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚❞

○[𝐘/𝐍] [𝐋/𝐍]

✐❝𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚.❞

❛𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈_𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔❜ 月

♔ | 𝐗

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The car rumbled over a gravel pathway, entering though opened steel gates and down a road lined with tall pine trees. You craned your neck upwards, hand blocking out the sun in an attempt to see just how high they reached.

"Where are we?" You asked for the hundredth time, still hoping Ozo would give you even the slightest hint of where he had planned to take you. The whole time, he had avoided the question, and he did just the same now, grinning cheekily as he gave you same answer.

"You'll see when we get there!" He laughed at your exasperated sigh.

"You can't even give me just one hint?" You tried.

"[Y/N], you're smart. If I give you a hint, you'll know the answer straight away! Then there'd be no surprise!" He tutted, not giving in to your pouting, no matter how cute you looked. If he could get past Takashi, he could get past you. Albeit, with a lot more struggle.

And so, you waited, leg bouncing in anticipation as the road finally widened out, the trees dispersing to reveal a modern mansion, with large windows almost completely covering the entire front of it. It was pale in colour, it's tiled roof a matte black.

Ozo manoeuvred the car around the fountain in the front drive way, steadily coming to a halt.

"Where... Who's house is this??" You stated in bewilderment. How many mansions did this place have? Ozo only continued to remove his seatbelt, prompting you to do the same until he stopped you.

"Stay in the car for a sec. This isn't the final destination," with that, he jumped out of the car, walking up a small platform of stairs and knocking loudly on the large dark oak doors. You watched him as he leaned his weight on one foot, resting a hand in his pocket as the other fanned his face.

As you both waited for someone to arrive at the door, you began to think about who this person could be. If Ozo thought you would guess who it was easily, then that meant you had to have met this person before, right? You cupped your chin, brows furrowed as you thought further. You knew Chorosuke and Dayoko definitely didn't live here, Takashi lives in Iriabi, so it's not him... If Ozo lived here, then he wouldn't have to knock on the door... Then the only other person it could be was...

"Osomatsu-niisan!"

The doors swung open violently, a yellow blur tackling the driver, close to knocking him over. Ozo yelped in surprise, quickly melting into a laugh.

"Jyushimatsu!" Ozo patted his brother's back affectionately. "See, this is why you're my favourite!"

Ah, now the mansion made sense. Jyushimatsu was the son of the mayor here, so of course they would live in luxury.

As you observed the scene with a fond smile, you noticed that Jyushimatsu was actually wearing the paper bag he had with him the night before, his large eyes peering through the two holes haphazardly cut into the front of the brown paper. You wondered why he wore it; was he self-conscious?

'No,' you thought. 'If he was, he would've kept it on when we first met.'

"What are you doing here, niisan?" Jyushimatsu asked, leaning away.

"I'm taking [Y/N] around Akashika, to show her the sights and stuff," he glanced back at you. "Wanna come with us?"

The two caught eyes, an understanding glimmer flashing between them as Jyushimatsu nodded eagerly, already running towards the car. He jumped into the back seats — literally — and greeted you loudly.

"[Y/N]-chan!" He exclaimed happily, leaning through the gap between your front seats.

"Hello, Jyushimatsu!" His enthusiasm was infectious, your own smile widening greatly.

"You look really pretty today!" He added. "I can tell Osomatsu-niisan thinks so, too!" He pointed to said person as they sat themselves into the car, freezing at the sudden call-out. You giggled, cheeks flushing.

"I'm sure he does," your mind went back to the first car ride, unable to stop the butterflies fluttering in your stomach as you watched Ozo's face darken to red. He glared at Jyushimatsu from the rear view mirror as he started up the car, driving away from the mansion.

"So you live here, Jyushimatsu?" You did Ozo a favour, diverting the subject easily.

"Yup! This is the Ogami Family Estate!" He pointed back to his home as it slowly disappeared from view. "My dad and I live here! You can visit anytime you like!"

You smiled, keeping the offer in mind. Ozo stayed silent, squinting at the road as he drove back the way he came, taking a left towards the mountain peaks in the distance.

"Boobs!" The sudden call from Jyushimatsu made you jump. You glanced back at him with a raised brow to see him pointing straight ahead towards the two twin peaks.

"He thinks they look like tits." Ozo's blunt explanation didn't help the burn of your skin.

"O-Oh..." you mumbled, shrinking slightly in your seat.

'That's one way to look at it, I guess...'

The rest of the car ride was mostly uneventful, the only noise coming from Jyushimatsu as he hummed a tune you hadn't heard before. It sounded like a nursery rhyme.

At one point, the stretch of road ahead of you was devoid of any trees or shade, allowing the sun to shine down on you with no mercy.

"Man, it's hot today...!" Ozo sighed, rolling down his window. You nodded, doing the same.

"Hey, Osomatsu nii-san..." Jyushimatsu called from the back, tired as he fanned himself. "Can't you put the AC on?"

"Ah, well..." Ozo laughed nervously. "I still haven't gotten it fixed yet..."

"What?!" Jyushimatsu cried. "I'm gonna die..!"

"How can you survive this summer heat when you're driving around all day?" You asked incredulously, peering over to the driver who was busy unbuttoning a third button from his shirt, tousling his hair to provide some kind of cool breeze for his head. His sleeves were sticking to his biceps, clinging onto his skin and defining his slightly toned arms.

"I don't." Ozo replied, not noticing your blatant stares, unlike a certain someone behind you. You heard Jyushimatsu giggle, making you avert your eyes with a silent huff in turn.

Soldiering through the dizzying heat, the car eventually pulled to a stop in front of the beginnings of a mountain trail. Clambering out, you squinted your eyes at the path as it trailed upwards.

"Are we climbing all the way up to the top?" Wearily, you took a subtle step back. Jyushimatsu laughed loudly, readjusting the paper bag on his head.

"Nope! Just a little further up this way!" He headed off, waving a hand back towards you and Ozo. "Let's go!"

The heavy slam of the trunk of the car caused you to turn around, watching as Ozo adjusted his grip on the handle of a blue and white box before following behind you.

"What's that?" Ozo glanced at you then down to the box, grinning.

"I always carry a few extra drinks with me on the job. Don't tell my boss, though!" He mockingly held a finger up to his lips, winking at you.

"Don't tell me there's only beer cans in there.." you raised a brow. As nice as the thought was, you weren't planning to get drunk during the day, especially on a mountain trail.

"Nah, 'course not!" Ozo waved a hand. "As much as I love my alcohol, a soda or too aren't so bad every now and then, too!"

You felt something slip around your wrist, your steps faltering. Recognising that warmth, your eyes widened slightly as Ozo's hand wrapped themselves around you again, gently tugging you forward along with him.

"Wouldn't want you to trip or anything, right?" His dark lidded eyes moved over to you from over his shoulder. His stare made you want to bury your face into your hands.

"Not when you're looking that gorgeous."

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