It has been a trying week and for the first time since his father left him, Hanamichi allowed himself to relax for just a moment, alone with a cup of hot tea in hand. As he waited for his drink to cool down a little, the redhead switched on the tv and a programme on famous people came up.

The woman from the show was standing in front of a familiar-looking mansion, expressing her excitement to the viewers for being allowed to make a commentary on one of the popular houses in Japan.
"This beautiful European-styled mansion which lies in the heart of Tokyo is owned by the Kanagawa family, built by a famous European architect and have had renovations that have resulted in it's splendour that we see today."

Hanamichi scowled at the tv, imagining that some freak accident or an earthquake would come and destroy the building.

"Ah! We now have Kanagawa Kaede with us, the second son from the Kanagawa family," the woman said turning towards Kaede who was walking up to them with a relaxed manner.

"Ohayo, Kanagawa-san," the woman began, "I hear that you have just came out to the whole of Tokyo through one of most popular weekly magazine in Japan. How do you feel about that?"

The handsome brunette replied simply, "Free."

"I see," the woman nodded, "And who is this lucky guy? He must be a very special person to acquire your commitment."

"Yes, he is," Kaede affirmed, taking something out from his breastpocket.

"Would you like to see his picture? I carry it with me where ever I go. His name is Sakuragi Hanamichi and he's going to be 16 this year though he doesn't look like it."

When the redhead saw his own grinning face blown to a full screen, the tea in his mouth sprayed out to splatter against the tv screen.
"What the hell??!"


~~~~~

The next day, Hanamichi was walking towards the Haku shop with furious and determined strides, nearly forgetting about Haruko who was struggling to catch up with him.

"Sakuragi-kun! Wait up!" the girl panted.

"We've got not time, Haruko-san! We've got to get those jewellery sold! I can't stand being used! I want my life back!!"

Every since the programme came on, his phone has been ringing off the hook by calls from his relatives to either admonish or congratulate him and he has had enough of both. He wanted to be free, to be a normal student again and to date with a nice pretty girl since the only men he was attracted to seemed to bring him nothing but trouble.

"What if the store's empty like yesterday?" Haruko said worriedly as she followed the redhead into the store, "Then we've hurried all the way here for-"

Her words were cut short when she bumped into Hanamichi's back, the redhead having stopped abruptly without any warning. Inside the store a crowd has already gathered that Sakuragi and Haruko had trouble believing it was real.
"-nothing..." Haruko finished weakly.

Hanamichi kept quiet at the side of the store, trying not to draw attention to himself while listening to the visitors around him talk.

"You're sure about this?" a young woman asked her friend.

"Yes, it is," assured another young woman, "I saw it on tv last night. This Sakuragi Hanamichi guy is really having a relationship with one of the former eligible bachelors in Tokyo. I thought it was just a fraud when I saw their flyers yesterday."

At the counter where Haruko's mother was busy attending customers, Hanamichi could hear a teenage girl asking the middle-aged woman, "Ma'am, do you know when Haruko-san will drop in? I want her to look at my future too."

"Wow!" exclaimed Haruko who was still standing beside the redhead in wonder, "There are so many people!"

"The tv!" Hanamichi gasped, "I never knew the media has this much power!"

At that moment, Haruko's mother spotted the two highschool students and she immedietly called out to them, "Sakuragi-kun! Haru-chan! Come and help me with the customers!"

Suddenly all eyes turned towards them and the two nearly wanted to flee when all of the visitors ran over to them, intent on seeing the truth with their own eyes.

"That's Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

"He looks just like an average guy... well maybe except for the hair..."

"Maybe men like redheads?"

"Don't be silly! It must be the amulet and Haruko-san's fortune telling powers!"

"Yes! It must be!"

"Sakuragi Hanamichi! How did you manage to catch Kanagawa Kaede?! Tell me your secret!"

"I want my future read, Haruko-san!"

"Me too!"

"I want an amulet like yours, Sakuragi-san!!"

Haruko hid behind Hanamichi's taller form while the redhead gulped, vainly trying to keep himself from being grabbed too much. But in his mind he was already counting the profits and he didn't doubt that Haruko was doing the same beneath her timid exterior for he saw the shine in her eyes that matched his.


~~~~

"Only two million yen?" the brunette asked, slapping the notes in his palm, "You're supposed to pay me 4.5 million."

The redhead tried to keep the growl from coming out of his mouth as he explained, "Most of the money was to pay for the production of the jewellery and the deliveries. Even Haruko-san hasn't gotten her share yet."

Kaede's expression remained stoic and his tone as cold, "A creditor normally doesn't care how you acquire the money, just as long as you get it all. There is no compromisation. A creditor is like the devil himself. Do not forget that, Hanamichi."

Hanamichi really did growl this time, "Yeah, and you're like the king of the devil, Kaede. Give me back the money then if you don't want it."

"No," Kaede said tonelessly, twisting away so that the redhead's hands could not get a hold of the money, "I'm taking this as a penalty for not paying your debt on the agreed time."

"What?!! You asshole!"

"And I'm going to lift the ban on Akira."

Hanamichi blinked, "Huh?"

The fox-eyed man walked up to his desk and from his laptop he showed the redhead an excell version of a file he has saved in his drive.
"This is the schedule for Akira for this month alone. Today, he's doing a shoot for that new action movie and I've already asked for a visitor's pass for you so that you can see him on the set."

"Why are you doing this?" Hanamichi asked suspiciously.

"Everyone needs to have a measure of freedom, Hanamichi," Kaede replied, not looking at him as he took a seat in front of the laptop.

The redhead stared at Kaede while the brunette put on a pair of dark glasses that dimmed the blues in his eyes.

"I don't really like him that much," the redhead mumbled.

"But you like him, right?"

Hanamichi kept silent but after a while he cleared his throat and asked, "Why would you have Akira's schedule on you?"

"It's just to help me monitor our family acitivities," Kaede replied, clicking on his mouse the show the redhead more files, "Like S is for you and I have all your data here for my own uses."

The redhead glared at the fox eyes hidden behind the greyish glasses, "That's an invasion of privacy."

"What privacy?" said the brunette condescendingly, "I own you for two years."

The redhead growled again, "Temme-!"
And he nearly lunged at the young man when he saw those blue eyes twinkle in amusement.

"I hate you," the redhead ground out, "And why are you using those damn glasses for? Afraid to look at me eye to eye?"

"This is to help protect my eyes from the computer's glare because I'm always using my computer," Kaede said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"It's also because of your hair, y'know," the redhead huffed, anger slowly receeding as he reached up, taking the glasses off and pushing back the dark bangs away from the young man's forehead, "If you keep letting your hair fall over your eyes like this, of course it'll trouble you..."

Suddenly he stopped and stared at the scar below the hairline a few inches away from his fingers. Quickly, he let his hands fall away as if he has just found something that he shouldn't find. A mixture of guilt and curiousity overcame him. Soon, the redhead found himself looking at the brunette and then at the floor, back to the brunette before staring at the floor again, torn between wanting to ask and wanting to mind his own business.

Seeing that Hanamichi was still fighting with his feelings, Kaede took pity on him and told him with an unaffected voice, "I got it from an accident when I was a child."

"I-I didn't ask!" Hanamichi blurted.

"No, but I can see that you wanted to know," Kaede told him, "It isn't so bad but I can see that it further marrs me in your eyes."

The redhead scowled, surprised at hearing the hurt in Kaede's cold tone but more surprised at himself for caring what the brunette thought of him.

"I didn't say that!" Hanamichi grumbled, "It's your attitude that I hate. Actually your face is quite hand- uh..."

When the redhead made no further attempt to correct himself, Kaede turned to look at him in curiosity, "Yes? Hand-?"

"Hands. Hands are very important. With ten fingers, too," the redhead babbled much to the exasperation of the young man sitting in front of him.

After mumbling some sort of excuse, the redhead quickly walked out of the room, thanking the powers above for saving him from embarassing himself. It just wouldn't do to have the cold-hearted kitsune to know that he was attracted to him. It would only serve to add more points for the brunette and Kaede was already arrogant as he was.
But Hanamichi couldn't deny feeling something other than physical attraction - and that was care. From that first moment that he saw the scar on Kaede's forehead, his first reaction was, of course, shock and then sadness. There was also that strong measure of protectiveness that he felt for the kitsune for he wanted so much to cover the old wound with kisses, emphatic of the hurt that Kaede must've felt when the brunette first had it. But the surprised look in the brunette's eyes when he foolishly touched Kaede's face earlier on stopped him.

"Stupid," Hanamichi cursed himself as he made his way out of the Kanagawa residence. But even that couldn't stop the pain he was feeling in his heart. It was as if knowing that Kaede has been hurt before, hurt him as well.


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