"You're going back this weekend?"

The green head gave a curt nod, the dark circles under his eyes highlighting his pale complexion as he brushed his bangs back.

"Yeah, I'm worried," he whispered.

Jun pursed his lips, part of him not wanting his friend to go back to France. Yet the tiredness in the green felt unbearable to him. "I understand," he sighed. A small encouraging smile on his face he comfortingly rested his hand on the green's shoulder. "Call me if you need to, yeah?"

The taller teen mutely nodded, his half-lidded eyes barely opened as he tried to keep himself awake. "Thanks, Juncchi," he whispered in a yawn. "Aunty, uncle," he acknowledged with a nod as his eyes fell on his friends' parents.

Miss Hirose gave a good-natured laugh, a poor attempt to lift the green's mood before taking him in a hug. "Don't sweat it, Mika, we wanted to see you off," she reassured.

Mister Hirose nodded his head in agreement. "That's right son, don't worry about us."

Ryota's smile turned a tad more genuine as he looked at the couple in front of him. Though he had parents in his life as Kise Ryota, Mikaël Lamarre only had his grandmother until recently. Even then, his 'father' wasn't much of a parental figure.

He was envious of his friend and grateful to the old couple for looking after him in Namimori. "Okay. Thank you."

"Mika, we have to go," Claude called out as he came back from registering their luggage. He pushed his blue-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose, sending a curt nod the Hirose couple's way before glancing Junichiro's way in acknowledgment.

The green perked up at his name, only noticing the blond's arrival now. He felt mildly defeated from his lack of vigilance yet he couldn't help but brush it off, his mind too preoccupied with his little brother figure's condition.

"Okay, thank you Claudecchi."

The blond simpered, casually ruffling the green's locks. "Of course, I promised your grandma I would look after you," he said before chuckling. "And if anything happened to you, I wouldn't see the end of it," he teased.

Ryota snorted. "Right."

::

"I have some matters I need to take care of," Claude said as they neared the hospital. Easily, he pulled the car to the side in the drop-off section of the parking lot. "I'll come back later, if there's anything call me yeah?"

Ryota gave an absentminded nod, his eyes focused on his phone's screen as he typed a message for his grandmother.

"Mika?"

Golden eyes blinked. "Mhm? Ah, yeah, no problem. I'll tell mamiecchi you're eating with us tonight," Ryota dismissed with a beam as he unfastened his belt. "I'll see you later Claudecchi!"

Blue eyes watched as the teen hurriedly exited the car before running in the hospital. He sighed, taking his spectacles off to rub the bridge of his nose in a circular motion.

He would need to report to his hierarchy about Mikaël's move and Francis' condition. Though Francis, unlike Mikaël, wasn't part of the Bratva, his involvement with the underworld was clear. The boy was part of the future Varia, keeping an eye on him as part of the бриз intelligence department was normal.

He sighed, perhaps Lord Makariy would give him some time off after that.

"How's Francchi, mamiecchi?" Ryota asked as soon as he saw his grandmother in the hall, disregarding his entourage entirely and the nurses ushering him to lower his voice.

Renée looked up at the familiar voice, her eyes watering at the sight of her eldest grandson as she took him in a hug. "Little Francis is alright, he fell asleep a few minutes ago," she breathed. "I was so worried."

Ryota's arms around his grandmother tightened. He didn't say a word, not knowing what to add to comfort the woman. Fran wasn't dead, yet the possibility didn't leave Ryota's mind, plaguing it until he turned mad he couldn't help but imagine the younger boy die.

DIE— in front oh his eyes like Junichiro before.

DIE— showing off how powerless he truly was.

DIE— a silent reminder that he was nothing in this world.

That he had nothing. He was alone.

Ryota's mind blanked as those thoughts swirled into it, sinking him deeper into an abyss of self-hate and doubt. He knew it was wrong. He knew he wasn't alone. But the loneliness— who was he supposed to confide in?

How could he trouble others with himself? Who could accept his former life, the way it so easily blended with his current one?

Six could, part of him whispered. He ignored it.

Ryota blinked his golden eyes, chasing his daze out before refocusing on the elder woman in his embrace. "Let's go see Francchi, mamiecchi," he coaxed, his voice slightly hoarse as he looked down on the woman.

Renée gave a careful nod, she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief before blowing her nose. She discarded the tissue in a nearby trashcan before silently leading the way down the corridor to her Little Francis' hospital room.

The trip down the white sterilized alley wasn't long, two minutes later they arrived before a closed door.

Renée took a deep calming breath, closing her eyes and reopening them, a light almost unnoticeable flash of indigo coursed through her irises. Her wrinkled hand reached for the door, gently knocking on it.

Silence greeted her. She waited for a few more seconds before knocking once more, nothing changed. A small sigh escaped her lips as she took hold of the doorknob and twisted it open.

Stepping into the room right behind his grandma, Ryota greeted the sight of a semi-private room. Two beds, separated by a white curtain stood in the silent room. The first one was empty, but the bedsheets were undone, probably the latest patient was discharged earlier in the day.

As if confirming his words, a knock sounded, a few seconds later a nurse with clean bedsheets entered.

The blond woman smiled at them, politely greeting them before putting herself at work. Her hands deftly reached for the sheets, unfolding and spreading them over the bed with practiced ease, leaving no wrinkles behind.

Ryota stared at her for some time, unconsciously alert, guarding around her potential aggression before he felt a tug on his sleeve. He peeled his gaze off of her to look at his grandmother.

A ghost of a frown over his face, he walked up to Fran's bed, the peaceful snores of the boy reaching his ears at a steady pace. His hand brushed the younger's green locks back to better see his face before gently stroking his cheek, an affectionate light in his eyes.

"Heya Francchi," he lovingly whispered. "Big brother is back," he said before gently pecking the younger's forehead.

Fran's face slightly scrunched up from the feeling of Mikaël's lips against his skin, the crease between his brows on his usually blank face making for a fun display. Ryota chuckled, observing as the younger rolled in his bed to face the other side before his breathing went back to its previous pace.

Renée watched her youngest grandson with rapt attention, her heart warmed up at the sight of her oldest pampering the younger boy that peacefully laid on the bed. She was glad.

Glad, Mikaël was back.

Glad, both her grandsons were safe and sound.

Glad, despite the distance, Mikaël's affection for Francis hadn't withered.

They were together, at last.

Ryota stared for a few more seconds, relishing in the soothing silence of the hospital room before he lifted his gaze to look at his beloved grandmother who sat across the bed.

When he arrived he hadn't taken the time to take the old lady's figure, but now he could clearly see her wrinkled face. Oh so tired yet there was a type of vigor in her gaze as if she wasn't an old granny but a woman in the early years of her life.

Renée was old, there was no doubt about that. Ryota knew she probably was too old to shoulder his and Fran's life yet she did, she strived for them, never asking for anything in return and for that Ryota was immensely grateful.

He hesitated, wondering whether or not he should tell his grandmother about his— his progenitor. She had the right to know, Aleksey was in a way her son-in-law and although he doubted the man would ever recognize it, he knew Renée deeply regretted never knowing Alice's lover.

Perhaps she thought it was her fault the man left her daughter. After all, Renée was quite old-school, she didn't approve of her daughter's butterfly-like personality. The way his mother would wander from man to man, playing around yet never settling down.

Of course, Renée would have never approved of Aleksey. First, the man was a foreigner, she didn't want her little girl to fly far away from her. Second, the man, even if you didn't know him, breathed danger, his aura screamed careful. How could she let her daughter go out with such a specimen?

"Do you want to tell me something, Mikaël?"

Ryota blinked his golden eyes, noticing he was staring at his grandma he gave a shy laugh, his hand reaching to rub his earlobe in contemplation.

Renée smiled a very shallow yet bright smile. "You don't have to force yourself, Mikaël," she coaxed, reaching over the bed to stroke the boy's slightly cool cheek. She frowned, a helpless sigh slipping past her parted lips. "Cover yourself more, I don't want you to catch a cold."

Ryota dumbly nodded, zipping his vest up— something he usually didn't do as it "wasn't stylish at all."

Renée nodded as she hummed in approval, lightly tapping her oldest's cheek before she sat back next to Fran's bed.

Mikaël exhaled. "Mamiecchi," Renée gave a slight hum. "I met mother's— mother's lover," he breathed with much difficulty.

The older woman's eyes minutely widened, a surprised sound escaping her lips. "I see," she muttered in a slight daze. A few seconds passed in a religious silence before she recovered her composure. "Did you get along well with your father?" she inquired.

Mikaël blinked. "Ah," he hadn't expected his grandma to inquire about himself, he thought she would ask about Aleksey. And then it dawned on him. Of course, Renée would ask about Mikaël, she was his grandma, his only family if you excluded Fran.

Flashing her his most genuine plastic smile Ryota vigorously nodded. "Yeah, I was really surprised by how welcoming he was actually," he lied, his tone had never been as sincere before. "He asked some questions about mom and then we had dinner," he said, omitting a few unimportant details.

Renée nodded, a relieved smile adorning her features. "Good, good."

"He also introduced me to some of his friends, it was enriching," Ryota ended with a beam.

"That's great Mikaël, what does he do?"

Ryota's smile didn't falter at the inquiry. "He owns a Conglomerate I think, we didn't talk about his job much but from what I understood he is some kind of Big Boss," he joked with a laugh.

Renée laughed along. "Great, if you got along then it's okay. I'm glad you found your father, Mikaël," she paused. "Also, don't force yourself too much, you don't have to accept him too quickly."

The green head hummed. "Of course mamiecchi. We are more of close acquaintances than father and son at the moment."

Renée nodded in understanding.

::

Claude quietly walked down to his hotel, a suitcase in one hand and his phone in the other he read over his latest text message. A café they said? he silently mused as he went up the stairs.

Unlocking the door to his room he casually threw his case over the bed, not even bothering to unpack as he went out of the hotel to the coffee shop his text indicated.

It wasn't too far, but the blond man felt tired from his flight and hailed a taxi, in three minutes sharp he arrived. The place was far from fancy and compared to the bars the blond usually frequented it felt a bit shabby— out of class.

He ignored it, easily shrugging off the looks sent his way for his too formal attire and aura that clashed with the essence of the shop. His fingers reached to push the rim of his blue glasses up the bridge of his nose as he casually took in every nook and cranny of the shop.

Nothing escaped his eyes and he easily caught sight of his contact. He strode to the table in the far corner of the shop, ordering himself an espresso and a glass of water on the way before aloofly sitting down.

The woman whose face was stuffed in a French newspaper, "Libération," merely lifted her head to look at the male before she reached for her cup of tea and took a silent, elegant sip.

"Sir," she acknowledged, carefully folding her newspaper and setting it aside.

Claude gave her a curt nod, thanking the waiter for his drinks before refocusing his attention on the woman. "Claire."

The raven-haired woman pulled her purse up to her lap as she took her wallet out, her nimble fingers skimmed through a few bills before she pulled a five euro banknote out of it, gently settling it on the table.

Claude frowned. "That's too much," he corrected, bringing his hand to the bill and pushing it back to the woman, his fingers easily grabbing the USB hidden underneath. "I'll pay."

Claire took the banknote, a smile to her pink colored lips. "If you insist."

Claude pulled some coins from his pocket and settled them atop the table. He took a sip of his coffee, minutely frowning from the way the bitter taste invaded his mouth— he didn't like this coffee brand.

"Right, I brought you some souvenirs," Claire muttered as she pulled a tote bag from beside herself before handing it out to the blond. "I hope you'll like it."

Claude lifted his blue eyes, grabbing the bag and pulling two leather-covered books from it. "I love them," he said, flipping through the first one with ease before a frowned marred his face.

Claire observed with rapt attention, internally laughing at the blond man.

Fujimoto Akari, deceased. Claude frowned, the date of death was yesterday and from the report, it wasn't an accident but something deliberate.

He breathed, settling the book aside and grabbing the second one. There was nothing noteworthy, except perhaps the name 'Ella' Claude supposed. Then again, whether it was the Ella of the future or not he didn't have the jurisdiction to ask about it.

His eyes scanned the information before he pursed his lips. the link between this Song Hye and Fujimoto Akari was worrying. They both didn't know one another, obviously, yet the man was involved in her untimely death.

He sighed, finished his cup and put the books aside in the tote bag before standing up, the bag thrown over his shoulder. "I'll see you around," he bade.

Claire merely nodded, observing as the shadow of her superior went further away.

For those who don't remember (the unimportant) Fujimoto Akari, she was an up and coming idol who was supposed to be Mikaël's co-star in a shooting. Also, don't know if you remember but in chapter 35 there's a flashback about his life as Ryota, Akari is the one involved in the scandal.

About Song Hye, he'll be better introduced soon (if you were wondering) (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Thanks for reading, until next time^^

P.S.: I'm going to aim for three chapters a week starting today, until the end of the fiction.