Ichiro had no success in trying to get (Y/n) out of her room. In fact, it seemed the more he tried to see what was wrong, it only ended in her becoming more distant. She had barred the door to her bathroom and room, proving it difficult for the bluenette to get in any contact with her. Even calling her new phone or texting her elicited no response from her. The amount of worry in the bluenette was drastically escalating every hour he didn't hear from her.

Kazuki was in shock over too many things that had happened. With the theory of Rei and (Y/n) that Ichiro had concocted and the younger girl speaking for the first time in their presence, he wasn't sure what to do about anything. He had taken the day off to cope with the newly revealed information. Well, he didn't go into the office building, but he was working nonstop on his computer, doing all the same exhausting work that was expected of him as usual. He didn't expect any slack from himself, and it only weighed on his guilt of everything that happened and was happening to the (h/c) haired girl. He was beside himself.

The male couldn't figure out what he could do in order to pry into the younger girl's mind. So the only logical conclusion he could come up with was that he needed to figure out her surroundings for the past few years and try to piece it together. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time for it, but he did have the resources for it. If money wasn't enough, he had connections to someone with the means to do it for him. The blonde picked up his phone and began to arrange a meeting.

In the meantime, Ichiro was collapsed on the floor in front of the younger girl's room, weeping uncontrollably. His emotions had gotten to him as was per usual, and he couldn't stop crying. The bluenette felt as if he had abandoned or insulted her, making her cry. He knew what it felt like to be trapped with nowhere to go, but he wanted her away from Rei. There was no telling what he would have done to her if she stayed.

The more he began to cry, the more tears poured out, and the more tears poured out, the more his heart broke. Not too long after he began, his heart began doing backflips, energy being expended at a vicious rate. Ichiro felt his vision getting blurry, and as he looked at the floor, the boards became waves, and he couldn't process anything. The male was shaking uncontrollably, crying out for help, but he knew Kazuki already left.

Still, overwhelming relief seeped into him as he felt warm arms around him. He gripped onto the fabric they were wearing and breathed in a scent. It was a fragrance he could only describe as paradise, and he couldn't help but breathe in as much as he could. He felt his hair being pet. It wasn't the same as it was with Kazuki. It was more gentle and hesitant, but kind nonetheless. He just wept slightly, desperately wanting the affection.

Of course, he knew it was (Y/n), her having been the only other person in the penthouse, but he found her in a new light. The moment he opened his eyes and wiped away his tears he took her features in differently. Her (h/c) locks were now soft and light, containing a comforting scent that eased his painfully beating heart. Her (e/c) pupils were gentle, telling him everything would be perfectly fine and that she would hold him in her loving arms as long as he wanted. He grabbed onto her soft hand and pressed it against his chest, against his heart to feel it slow, but it didn't slow. It only escalated.

"I want to talk," he whimpered, rolling over to hide his face in her stomach, "Can we talk? I'd like to talk. Please talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" the younger girl asked.

The bluenette felt his body shake from pleasure. The sound of her melodious voice rang through his head and made a soft and soothing song that eradicated any sign of hardship. He didn't feel any pain, the notes, and tune, and pitches sending him to paradise. Every single syllable she spoke was more beautiful than the last. It was like a hypnotizing trance from a siren, beautiful and luring, resembling a sea in its majestic beauty.

No, it wasn't a sea. It was different. Ichiro felt like he was back at home in the garden. It was like he was going swimming in the pond in the center of the private garden. The male felt as if when he heard her voice, he dipped his head into the water and swam deeper to get closer to the light at the bottom of the water. He didn't know what it was, but he felt as if he should have known; as if he should be there, but why, he didn't know. It was like (Y/n)'s voice had that answer.

"Do you want to talk about animals?" the younger girl asked, a saccharine voice entrancing the bluenette further, "You love animals, don't you?"

"I do," the male cried, clinging onto her shirt with eagerness, "I love animals!"

"I know," she chuckled somberly, running her fingers through his hair, making him close his eyes in relaxation, "You told me you didn't have a favorite, right? You love them all. Tell me why."

"I-I don't know," the boy murmured, nuzzling the younger girl, "They're gentle and loving. They don't judge you like people. A-Are you judging me?"

The (h/c) haired girl gave a silvery giggle that instantly put the male at ease. He knew she wasn't judging him, not in the way that others would. The girl understood him, he knew that from the adoring tone in her voice. The relief that seeped into him made him push into her further, his nuzzling becoming affectionate. He was calm, and he owed it to (Y/n) for calming him down.

"I'm not judging you, I promise," she assured him, brushing his hair up as she buried her fingers in his blue locks, the male leaning into her touch with closed eyes as if he was trying to navigate where her hand was by only feeling it.

"No, you wouldn't," he sighed, "You're like Zuki."

"What does that mean?"

"You're here, you're not ignoring me. You care about me, don't you?"

The younger girl gave a concerned expression but pressed her lips into a fine line and nodded, giving him a smile that told him she wasn't lying. He looked up at her before his eyes began tearing up again, burying himself in her stomach to hide his tears, but he was relieved. Kazuki wasn't the only one that cared about him anymore. Even if it was just pity and she had lied, he would have taken it. He would rather someone lie that they loved him than never have been told it at all.

"You don't like people either, do you, (Y/n)?" the bluenette asked, his tears calming down when he felt her playing with his hair, likely inspecting its rare silvery color, "You think they're cruel and that they'll hurt you."

"...A little," she mumbled, looking to the side, her hand trembling.

Ichiro held onto her hand and looked at it with concern, feeling as if he had once again caused her pain. He placed her smaller hand in both of his and held it close to his heart, curling up like a ball, placing his forehead to her hand, and stroking it gently. The bluenette didn't know how to convey he knew her pain. He understood her in a way that not many others would though he knew it was for drastically different reasons.

"I'm sorry," he sighed under his breath, "You're helping me and I'm making you feel sad. That's not fair."

"I don't mind," the girl smiled, petting him apologetically, "I'll stay here with you."

"I'm glad," he grinned, nuzzling her again, "I'm glad you're talking to me. Your voice...it's not Zuki's, but I still like it. I don't know how to explain it, but I want to hear more of it. Let's talk more. I want to talk about Rei."

"No, thank you."

The bluenette turned on his side, attempting to get the younger girl to talk by not talking himself. He hoped he would worry her enough to open up to him, but she didn't budge. In fact, she didn't give anything away and stopped caressing his hair. At first, he just wiggled uncomfortably, attempting to hold out as long as he could, but he quickly buried himself back in her stomach, whining incoherently as he took her hand and placed it on his head.

"Why not?" he huffed, grabbing impatiently at her shirt.

"I don't want to," the younger girl replied, looking to the side with a downcast expression.

"What did he do to you?" Ichiro frowned, his tone having an edge of guilt buried within it, "He did something bad, I know it, so you can't lie to me."

(Y/n) gave a sigh and stood up, making her way to the kitchen to cook a meal. However, the bluenette could only come up with theories he had about what happened. Of course, there was evidence towards and against bad things happening, but after she had just shown him the utmost of understanding, he didn't want to risk anything. He didn't want her to be hurt, and he definitely didn't want to turn a blind eye to her having been hurt beforehand. Whoever hurt her should be punished.

However, Ichiro knew it wasn't the time to bring it up, considering he wanted (Y/n)'s attention and touch more than the information. His situation was more pressing, and he figured that if he could spend just a little more time with her, she would trust him enough to open up to him. After all, she had just started speaking, and it was a little odd for her to attempt to connect with someone that popped into her life out of the blue without any warning whatsoever. He had to be patient, but it would prove difficult.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, curling up on the couch, "Can you hug me again? Just a bit until Zuki comes back."

The younger girl gave a nod, continuing to cook up some lunch for the two of them. The bluenette found the waiting irksome and lonely, but it wasn't long before she placed down the breakfast on the coffee table and sat next to him. He all but snuggled into her, ignoring the food. He'd rather have attention and starve than be fed without any, after all. Nonetheless, he didn't refuse when the (h/c) haired girl spoon-fed him. It was just another form of care, and he would gladly take it.

Although his memories of Rei were hardly ones of joy, he enjoyed the younger girl's cooking even if it was very similar to his style. It reminded him of home, but only the good parts when he played with his grandmother and big brother. He felt serene and at peace, not believing he needed anything. It was surely odd since, without Kazuki, he felt hopeless and too lonely to function, but (Y/n) proved more than an adequate substitution for him. To put it bluntly, Ichiro was finding himself bonding closely to her.

"Did I make you upset yesterday?" the bluenette whimpered, "Is that why you want to go back to Rei? Do you think we're worse than him?"

"I said I don't want to talk about this."

"Rei hurts a lot of people. I think he really likes it when they scream - " the older male immediately stopped talking as he felt the younger girl try to leave, "No, right, no Rei, I get it. Please stay."

The (h/c) haired girl let out a sigh but continued supplying the male with plenty of attention. She needed the affection his presence provided as well, especially after seeing Rei on the television the other day. It made her very confused, emotions swirling around inside of her, proving difficult for her to distinguish one from the other. The younger girl just pet the male's head, reassuring him that everything was alright. Still, it didn't sit well with him to just leave the issue with his brother untouched.

"(Y/n), please stay here with me and Zuki," Ichiro mumbled, "We really like you."

"I'm sorry, but I can't," the younger girl paused, looking to the side, "I want to go home."

"Where is home?"

The (h/c) haired girl paused. It wasn't that she didn't know where "home" was, it was that she didn't think it was necessary to tell Ichiro. However, the innocent and concerned expression he had on tugged at her heartstrings. She couldn't hide anything from him, knowing he would take it personally. He was an emotional person, especially due to his desperation to have attention. She couldn't hide it from him.

"With Rei," she said quietly, attempting not to cry.

The bluenette's eyes went wide and he began to let a few tears slip from his eyes down his cheeks. Of course he was responsible, how could he not be? The blonde was a cruel and sadistic person. Ichiro couldn't imagine what she had to go through in his arms. There were scars on her thighs, multiple, enough to cause more than her fair share of pain. The bluenette couldn't help but be thrown back into his childhood.

. . .

There were four boys outside in the private section garden reserved for the royal family. They were gleeful, running around under the bright sun that shone above them. It was a hot summer, one that contained more than enough fun. In fact, the boys were having more fun in the garden than any other summer, their grandmother joining them, sitting beneath the willow next to the pond. Orion was seated next to her, unable to run with the others due to his frail constitution, but he was enjoying the sight of two swans resting on the water's edge.

Ichiro, around the age of 7, was sitting in his grandmother's lap, the woman lovingly combing his hair, complimenting his beautiful silvery hair akin to hers. The two were more than close, the bluenette being her favorite of her grandsons though she would never tell anyone. Ichiro took joy in the way his grandmother pampered him, moving his feet from side to side playfully as she played with his hair, making small braids here and there with a large smile on his face.

"Are you bored, precious boy?" his grandmother asked, wondering if he would better like to play with his brothers.

"Nu-uh," the boy hummed, shaking his head, "Rei always pushes me."

Without a word, his grandmother gave a heavy sigh and hugged the blue-haired boy, making him giggle and hug her back. She was thrilled to show him the affection he desperately lacked, finding him utterly pure. In the meantime, she watched with a careful eye over at Kazuki and Rei playing a game of tag. The older of the two was the one running while the other was chasing, an enthusiastic grin on his face as he tried to catch his brother.

Kazuki wasn't running as fast as he could, letting Rei catch up and feel like he was faster than anyone else. She was more than aware of his sadistic tendencies, wondering when Kazuki was going to fill in the blanks. The older boy seemed more along the lines of a caring elder brother, not wanting to see his youngest brother as a twisted soul. Nonetheless, as Rei jumped on his brother, catching him, they could both see the predatory look in his eyes.

The two boys rolled around with one another, Kazuki tickling his younger brother until he conceded. They then made their way to their grandmother, out of breath and tired, being presented a tray of summer treats and drinks to refresh themselves from a servant. The older of the two took a small angel food cake with a white chocolate drizzle and sat down next to Ichiro. It was Rei that glared and scoffed at the servant when they made eye contact with him, despising his proximity and appearance.

"Grandmother," Kazuki smiled, "We weren't being too loud, were we?"

"Not at all, dear child. You were simply having fun. Enjoy your treats all you want. I'll be sure to tell your mother we were just eating strawberries, so you can have your dessert later. It's our little secret," the woman chuckled, pressing her finger to her lips playfully in a quiet gesture.

"You mean it?" Orion gasped, munching on a watermelon popsicle.

"Of course, but you need to watch your sugar, okay?"

The orange-haired boy enthusiastically nodded his head while he continued licking the fruit treat. Ichiro just giggled when his grandmother pet his head, not hungry for any sweets, just attention. However, Rei was the only one standing, his hands behind his back. There was a cold and empty look behind his stunning violet eyes that prompted uncertainty in his grandmother. She never knew when he would snap and hurt someone with that sickeningly innocent smile on his chuberic face.

"Grammy," he called in a sing-song voice, tilting his head ever so slightly, "Will you play with me? I think I could catch you...ea-si-ly."

The question was what he would do. The implication of the seemingly innocent statement led much to be desired. It was almost like he was saying "I could catch you and then kill you without breaking a sweat". She wouldn't be surprised if he turned out as a serial killer, but it wasn't like his mother would have ever admitted such a thing. He was the prospective child, after all; her entire future and way to the crown.

"Nana's doing my hair," Ichiro grinned, "She says it's so pretty."

Rei's eyebrow twitched, but he maintained his innocent appearance, smiling wide and moving on his tiptoes. He leaned back and forward, giving a little giggle or hum here or there when he was deep in thought. Then he pressed a finger to his cheek and tilted his head just a bit to a way that it would seem incredibly cute and childish. That being said, his grandmother looked at him with disdain, wondering what he was going to do.

"I didn't ask you," Rei huffed, his eyes and tone of voice becoming immediately dark, "Why do you always have to get in the way? Are you that desperate? You remind me of a baby, you know. Oh, whoops. Actually, Ichi...let's go play...you know...beneath the castle."

. . .

Kazuki was on his way to meet an old friend at an esteemed restaurant. It was one of his favorites, but the drive there was a bit nervous. He was going there to ask for a favor, after all. There wasn't much chance of him turning it away, but he had come all the way to the other side of the country to meet him away from his very busy workload. As he had his car put away with the chalet, he straightened his tie and walked into the restaurant. Walking into the building, he was escorted to his reserved table with the utmost of respect. It was then that he saw his old friend lacking any manners as usual.

"Hey there, ya old bastard!"