Ichiro was a kind person, one that did not push or ask for much if at all. Instead, he kept his space from the younger girl next to him, letting her take things as slowly as she wanted. The only thing he did was occasionally talk to her or ask how she was doing. He was much different from his younger brother, acting more down-to-earth and modest than Rei would have been even on the best of days. (Y/n) didn't mind him so much, even smiling at his little remarks or when his stomach began rumbling.

The younger girl giggled at the noise and the way the male's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. He placed his hand on his stomach and looked concerned before he turned his gaze to the kitchen with a frown. The boy smiled, however, when his bunny rabbit hopped over to him, sniffling at his hands. He held the soft creature and placed a kiss on its head, the rabbit's ears twitching with curiosity.

"Did you want to get something to eat with me?" the blunette asked, "Or what would you like to eat?"

The younger girl didn't respond, leaving the choice to the male even though he was not quite satisfied with her silence. He felt as if he had done something wrong or that his company was not sparking enough. Some part of him also felt that she associated him with Rei and feared him or what he wanted to do with her. Still, he went ahead to order some food, making his way into his brother's study.

"Zuki, did you want something to eat?" he asked, opening the door just slightly.

The blonde did not respond, rubbing his hair with great stress, typing away at his computer. He was intently focused on finishing his work, but it seemed as though it would take more time than he would have liked. The older male had already worked countless nights and days, not being able to sleep, pulling many all-nighters. It was overly irritating for him, but the bluenette behind him worried about his health. He had not eaten, after all.

Ichiro gave a heavy sigh and nodded his head, knowing if the male didn't respond the first time, he wouldn't any other time. He left the room, venturing back to the living room where he sat on the couch. The blue-haired male pulled his knees into his chest and grumbled before the younger girl tilted her head. He seemed to find the action to be captivating, giving a smile at her unsaid questioning on what was bothering him. Despite that, he didn't speak, he appreciated the girl's silent compassion.

As they waited for their food to be delivered to them, they watched the television, the animal channel on. To (Y/n)'s surprise, the male was largely focused on the information being fed to him. His legs were crossed, his face leaning forward almost as if he would fall flat on his face on the floor. Still, he seemed keenly aware of his surroundings although it didn't prevent him from falling when the doorbell rang.

The male skipped over to the delivery boy and gladly paid him for the pizza he had bought. He carried the bag of food over to the younger girl and placed a box of cheesy goodness onto the glass table. The boy also placed a large helping of arugula salad down next to it as well. He then clapped his hands together and muttered a thanks for the food he was about to eat, his eyes closed and a serious look on his face.

"Thank you our eternal flower Ezdia for this blessing of food and for the new friend I have now to share it with," he said, "I will honor your contributions to me and my brother and hear your plea of kindness and beauty. As for my love for you and your nature, I refuse to eat the blood or meat of any other living being. Please accept my gratitude."

The blunette clapped his hands two times and lowered his head before his eyes opened again and he smiled. He brought three plates over to the table, placing one in front of (Y/n), his rabbit, and himself. Taking a handful of salad, he placed it on the bunny's plate, the animal happily munching on it. Afterward, he served himself, leaving the (h/c) haired girl to do the same herself.

What she noticed about the food he had gotten was that it was purely vegetarian. The pizza was half cheese, half vegetables including mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, artichoke, and more. In some ways, the male greatly reminded her of Rei as half of him despised meat. Of course, the other main personality of his loved steak, so it was a conundrum as to call him vegetarian or not, but it made the younger girl slightly wary of the boy.

That being said, she had not been so fearful of him, and while she didn't speak, she did participate in eating with him. The television had the same animal network on it, letting the two eat together in silence without feeling too awkward. Both were fascinated with the gliding squirrels, after all, the older of them being more awed by it. His eyes were almost shimmering, a clear passion in them, but for what, the younger girl didn't know.

After lunch, the male took his bunny and his cat into his room on the first floor of the penthouse. The girl had considered following but had no real reason to. She only resigned herself to going back into the room she was given and closed her eyes. The girl didn't particularly sleep as much as she did dream. Moments of her past and her most cherished friends and family appeared. It had been so long since she'd seen any of them that she almost couldn't recall their faces. This greatly saddened her.

She recalled a time long ago where she played with her best friend and his family. They were always so accommodating towards her, treating her like one of their own. The boy the girl was friends with was a kind soul, one that would often worry too much over her safety. Even if she had a little cut, he would panic and run to his older brothers. They would take her inside to his room where he would tend to her wound. Always wanting to be a doctor, he was able to treat her to anything that ailed her.

Although (Y/n) had always been a reclusive girl, burying herself in her studies to better her parents' lives, the male always admired that about her. Supporting her in every way possible, the male was a great friend, and that fact as well as his blue hair greatly reminded her of Ichiro. They were very different in appearance but shared common characteristics that put the younger girl at ease. That was perhaps the reason she was feeling far more lenient to offering her company to the male.

. . .

After a couple of more days, the younger girl was far more at peace in the penthouse apartment. In fact, she began to wander about far much more, not concealing herself in her room all the time. Such a thing was encouraged by Ichiro. Although she was still wary and cautious of him, she could see that he had no intention of harming her. Instead, he appeared to be a pacifist and looked away at the television every time blood was shown, appearing as though he was about to throw up.

"I don't understand why people like gore," he sighed, resting his head on his knees that were pulled up to his chest, "It makes me feel sick and queasy."

The younger girl chuckled and turned her head away in order to stifle her laughing, but the boy only joined her in her giggling. He found her amused state to bring him some peace of mind. She was using her voice, something she didn't do much. The boy wasn't even sure that she talked or spoke when she was alone in her room. The reason eluded him, but it wasn't as if he could just ask her about it. He didn't want to cross any lines or boundaries, after all, preferring to be more of a gentleman.

"I'm afraid of bugs, too, in case you were wondering," Ichiro continued, "In case you want to think of me as anything less than a man."

(Y/n) gave a concerned look, pondering why he would ever think he appeared that way in her mind. She tilted her head subconsciously, something she did more often than not when confused or curious. As she debated over why she would have given him such an impression, the older boy snickered and turned his head away. He seemed to find her concern to be entertaining, a smile stuck on his face.

The boy was an extrovert, that was for sure. He was constantly seeking someone to be with, bothering his brother for it or turning to (Y/n) from time to time. Although he didn't want to disturb her, it seemed his desires for companionship overturned his thoughts on the matter. When he eventually felt guilty for asking her to watch television with him or keep him company, he would offer her something in return. Most of the time, it included ordering her some sweets or bringing Chariot out.

"You know, I think Zuki would really like you!" the blunette cheered.

The male then went quiet as he frowned again. It seemed he was easily swayed by different emotions, going from one to another rather quickly. In that regard, he was quite similar to his younger brother, but it was different somehow. He didn't bear any malice towards another nor did he blame anybody else for things that went wrong. Instead, he appeared content with any situation posed before him. Such a thing made the younger girl entirely too curious even if she didn't voice it.

"Hey, would you mind coming with me real quick?" Ichiro suddenly asked.

. . .

There was a store in the middle of the city that was highly prized by those of the upper class. It was a jewelry store, but dabbled in some dresses or suits, decorating them with elaborate and shining jewels and beads, some containing rare pearls. Such a store charged a large amount for their wares, especially when they were the best of the best, holding themselves in an esteemed position.

Kazuki wasn't hurting for funds and counted himself among the luckiest of men and women around the world. It was a store that catered to him, and he opened the door to the boutique, being greeted by the owners of the shop and some employees. They gave him bright smiles, thrilled to see him there. He was typically a regular customer, one that was keen on spending large amounts of money for their beautiful jewelry.

However, it was not just another trip that the male was on. Rather, it was one that he needed to be sure of to buy anything. For a special occasion, he couldn't have anything that looked too cheap. The more expensive it was, the better. His expectations were high for himself, wanting to find the perfect ring to purchase. The perusing was tiresome, something he had been doing for quite some time, venturing from one store to another, even traveling to other countries for the sake of his search.

Still, as he scrutinized the cases of glass, looking carefully at the rings, one caught his eye that he could not deny. It was simply breathtaking, and he couldn't have asked for anything better. Rather, it was as if the ring was destined for him to find it and purchase it for himself. He couldn't help but give a great smile at the sight of it, immediately asking to look at it up close. Of course, there was no fault he could find with it. It was pure and utterly perfect, possessing the most gorgeously faceted and gleaming appearance he'd ever seen.

The gold around its edges was a perfect 24 carrot, bands of silver intermixing with it to create what appeared to be a bridge of both precious metals. The path led to a perfect red diamond, large in appearance and perfectly clear, sparkling as if stars were contained within the expensive and rare gem. A golden band encircled the diamond, holding it in its embrace securely, smaller white diamonds set into it. The blonde couldn't have seen anything more meant for him to find except for the woman he intended to gift it to.

. . .

Ichiro gave a concerned look as he pressed his ear to his brother's door. He had intended on introducing the blonde properly to the younger girl to give her some semblance of who he was. It wasn't like he wanted her to live in the penthouse without knowing they didn't mean her any harm. Perhaps another small part of the bluenette wanted (Y/n) to speak again, thinking that, of anybody on the face of the planet, Kazuki could encourage her to. He had a habit of putting others at ease, after all.

Still, the sounds coming from inside his older brother's room were not good, and when the younger male opened the door, what he saw was worse. Kazuki was tossing and turning, crying in his sleep while muttering certain phrases or names. He was suffering from some kind of hardship, nightmares invading his head. Worse still was the countless amounts of papers and the computer at the desk he slept on.

The blonde's head was rested on the hardwood, probably making it even worse for his subconscious self. His brows furrowed in pain and agony, clearly a great sadness lying beneath his expressions. Nonetheless, his stomach rumbled so loudly that even Ichiro could hear it, obviously signaling the fact he wasn't taking care of himself. It was normal, but by no means good for him.

The bluenette closed the door, giving a forced smile to (Y/n) who had followed him as he instructed. He still seemed distressed despite his grin, and the younger girl figured out what was wrong with the male. She looked to the side before walking to the kitchen and opening the fridge. To her surprise, it seemed to be bare except for some milk, cheese, and a few different types of fruit.

"Ah, yeah, we, uh, we're not cooks or anything," Ichiro chuckled nervously, "Did you need something? I'd be happy to get it from the grocery store for you."

. . .

Kazuki woke up sweating in his room's study, his heart beating quickly as he sat up, burying his hands in his hair. He bolted his eyes to the side of the room, his eyes landing on the same ring he had been dreaming of, placed on the unlit fireplace. The male averted his gaze, feeling tears prick at the edges of his eyes, but he held them back, tilting his head up to prevent them from spilling. He gave a shaky sigh and hugged himself. It wasn't helpful.

His stomach rumbled, grumbling at him for not having eaten anything. It squeezed his belly, making him give a great sigh as he looked out of the window. It was well past midnight, meaning he had to make his own food. Ordering so late at night would have been difficult with his palette. However, he still had too much work to do to worry about eating. Time couldn't have been wasted with him. Too many people depended on him.

As the male made his way out of his room to get something for his starving stomach, he opened his door only to find that a plate was set there for him. On it was a Caprese sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, some homemade sauce, and nicely toasted bread. It had a side of lightly seasoned fries. The blonde raised an eyebrow at the sight, knowing that his younger brother couldn't cook a burnt piece of toast without screwing it up somehow.

He picked up the plate with a curious expression, noticing that there was a note next to the sandwich. The male read the words "please eat", and couldn't resist a smile. It was a kind gesture that he knew wasn't made by his brother. At least, not on his own. Clearly, it was the work of the (h/c) haired girl, but he hadn't the slightest clue why she would know he hadn't eaten or why she would encourage him to eat.

Kazuki caught a glimpse of the female in question, seeing her looking at him from around the corner. She gave a surprised look then ran off into her room, closing the door quickly. It appeared as though she was still incredibly shy around him, but the blonde didn't blame her. In fact, he was shocked she was treating him to dinner at all when he could only imagine the things that Rei had done to her.

The blonde did not refuse the gift, grateful that he didn't have to cook something himself. As terrible as Ichiro was with the kitchen, he was even worse. He probably couldn't cook popcorn in a microwave without burning it, he knew that much. All the talent in cooking had gone to Rei, something that Kazuki realized he really missed. It had been too long since he'd had his brother's cooking, a homesick feeling washing over him.

As he sat down at his desk, unlocking his computer to look over unread emails, he began munching on the fries. The taste was oddly familiar to him, and he ignored his work for a moment as he took a bite of the sandwich made for him. He froze for a moment, enjoying the taste of the food. It was Vethelan food, something he dearly missed. At that, the male realized Rei had most likely taught or encouraged the (h/c) haired girl to cook with him. Oddly enough, Kazuki felt grateful for it.

"A little piece of home," he sighed with a great smile, enjoying more of the meal.