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ladyfeather, therefore a great THANK YOU to her. If you still will find any mistakes, they are all mine and this means I wasn't attentive to remedy them. Sorry.'Royal entertainment' epilogue: The future horizons Part 6
"Wha?" Akihito could only make a surprised sound. "I thought that Ryuichi your youngest child. He didn't say otherwise when I asked him."
"Hmm... Is it so? You see, when my wife became pregnant with Ryuichi, we learned that she was going to have twins." Akihito's mouth opened in shape 'O'. Asami Isamu smiled sadly. " As soon as it became possible to identify the sex of children the doctors told us that we will have a boy and a girl. We chose to give them names Ryuichi and Kaori. The birth was without complications and the babies were healthy.
Both children did everything together and were almost inseparable up to four years. At this age it was customary for the Asami children to begin preparations for their future place in society. Intense physical activities and study with tutors were added in their normal life. Both children showed exceptional potential in the following years. "
Akihito felt a wave of pride coming from a man although he tried to speak briefly and reticently without an open demonstration of his feelings.
"Ryuichi took an interest in mathematics, martial arts, and shooting. A bow or a gun, it didn't matter. The main goal was to hit the target. His favorite games were chess, go and shogi. At an early age, my son began to show an enviable stamina and self-control. I would say he looked like an ideal poker player. I had to work hard to beat him in chess by the time he was seventeen. All my observations showed that Ryuichi would be perfect for our business. I decided that his knowledge and abilities were advanced enough to make serious decisions on his own."
The man paused for a moment. "Kaori was very a bright child. She liked biology and chemistry. My daughter liked to read a lot; she could often be seen sitting in the garden with a book. Kaori grew beautiful like her mother. She was clever, affectionate and loving."
Akihito listened spellbound. The photographer doesn't want to miss the chance to learn about his lover's childhood. The young man realized he didn't know much about his mate. All attempts to find out about Asami Ryuichi as a person was in vain. Public information was not available and the man himself successfully steered their conversation to another subject or the photographer forgot all his questions under his mate's sexual molestation. His lover brought him to a state that had made him desire only one thing and it was the desire to find his release. So this conversation was a small step to learn about his mate.
"The kids were pretty close until nine years, but the older they become they more drifted apart. The resonance between them grew stronger each year. I started to coach Ryuichi personally when he became fifteen. The same year Kaori became an unwitting witness to my activities. She saw our 'punishment' of a traitor." The man paused and tapped his cigarette ashes into a crystal ashtray. "It was a shocking experience for her."
"I can understand it..." Akihito muttered. "It would be a shock for me too if I found myself in a similar situation. We want to believe that our fathers are perfect."
The photographer was looking at his hands and didn't notice the thoughtful look which the clan head sent in his direction after his remark.
"Maybe, but there are no ideal people. The feeling of disappointment is bigger when you find out skeletons of someone close to you unlike if it was stranger. At first, the shock caused stupor in Kaori, followed by her reaction of rejection of the family. My daughter reacted very hysterically when the initial effect of the shock has passed. As a result, her main purpose has become the desire that Ryuichi have nothing to do with that aspect of the family business. Kaori couldn't understand the clan's goals because of her youth, inexperience, and natural kindness. She had divided everything into black and white with no shades, like you." Asami Isamu stood up from his chair and walked to the window looking toward a quiet part of the garden. The man stood in a half-turn to Akihito and continued the story in a low voice.
"I repeatedly witnessed of heated disputes between the children which often occurred after this. The scenario was always the same: the criticism, persuasion, demand, and then a kind of blackmail. At first there was just talking in a raised voice, but through time they began to change to an outcry. All such outbreaks ended with tears. After some time Kaori began to press Ryuichi, to force him to make a choice between either her or the family and clan. This was the only acceptable option for her; there were no other alternatives. At the same time, my daughter almost ceased communications with me; considering me as the source of all the troubles."
Asami Isamu's look was sent to dozens of years ago during the story. Akihito even thought that possibly the man to some extent had forgotten his presence while remembering his past. The photographer clearly understood that the man in front of him wasn't somebody who has had a habit of sharing something personal with others. The voice of the man was filled with feelings of pain.
"But Ryuichi has an older brother... Didn't you prepare him to be your heir?" the young man asked gently. Isamu's eyes gained clarity, as if the voice of the boy helped him to return back.
"Hmm... We educated all the children equally. This way one child could always replace the other in case of necessity. Don't get me wrong, my eldest son is no less smart than Ryuichi. Taro entered a prestigious university in America after graduating from high school. We talked with him later, and he gave me a clear understanding of his intention to stay in America." Asami Isamu returned back to the table and sat in the chair. "Taro is less patient than Ryuichi. You have to have nerves of steel to conduct business with the old families in Japan. We already had business in America, so I saw no reason to discourage Taro from his decision. Both my sons were satisfied with this state of affairs. Later Taro thoroughly strengthened and significantly advanced our ties and interests outside of Japan. I have every reason to be proud of him."
"But you didn't train Kaori the way you did with others... since she was psychologically traumatized." The photographer muttered.
"Yes, after she receives that shock, we couldn't convince her continue studies in the same way as we did with the other children. The events that she experienced gave rise to her obsessive desire to not have anything to do with that. My daughter also wanted her older twin brother looked at the world like she did, like it was in their childhood when they were close." The elder man rubbed wearily his forehead with fingers. "Ryuichi asked my permission to move into separate apartments because of the frequent altercations with his sister. I allowed him to do so in order to restore peace in the family. Ryuichi did everything so Kaori couldn't find out where he lived. Any time my son appeared in our house the visit ended with another argument with Kaori." The man paused for a moment and weary exhaled.
"The situation had dramatically changed in their last year of high school. I don't know what caused the change. There were no more arguments and tears; my daughter became silent, explaining that she was concentrating on her preparation for a medical university." The Clan Head looked straight to Akihito's eyes. "The reasons for these changes, I found out a little prior to graduation. I didn't like them..."
Isamu interrupted the conversation and went to the small bar where he filled a quarter of glass with something looking like brandy. The elder man turned to Akihito's direction and raised his glass making a gesture of offering. Akihito refused negatively shaking his head. The man didn't insist and went back to the table.
"..." The boy fidgeted in his chair with impatience wanting to hear the rest of the story, but not daring to rush an elderly man.
"Two months before graduation Kaori came to my office. She asked if I have a time for a serious conversation with her." Isamu made a small sip from a glass and allowed a strong liquor to warm him from inside. "You can guess that I was rather surprised. She usually avoided me as much as possible. Kaori began to talk as soon as we were joined by my wife. The beginning of the conversation wasn't something new for me. She was talking about her point of view on life. It was a beautiful utopia and she saw the purpose in seeking this life. There was no place for people like our family, our clan in this world... and there was no more place for Ryuichi as well. She knew that her strength wasn't sufficient to change the world, but she was going to improve it as she could. Of course, I asked about her future plans."
"Did she have plans?" Akihito moved impatiently to the edge of the chair.
"You may say so." Isamu smiled sadly. "Kaori didn't see her future with us so she decided she doesn't want to be part of our clan. Asami Kaori should disappear. For example, she would die in a car crash. Exactly in this part of the plan she needed my help."
"Hah!" Akihito's eyes widened. "Die?"
"Of course, Kaori wasn't going to die physically. The idea was to break the link between her and the world where the Asami clan lives. Kaori wanted to start her life from scratch. She was sure she could enter Osaka University in the medical department without any problems. Hina was crying; I was outraged; Kaori was adamant." The elder man took another sip of brandy rather to distract himself than from necessity. "After a lot of wrangling I have no choice but to fulfill her wish. Kaori was a maximalist with a considerable share of stubbornness, very characteristic of the Asami Clan. One of her conditions was that Ryuichi wouldn't know about this venture before everything happened. So it was; I made her new documents that she would need in the future and organized the fake accident after graduation. The funeral was only for family members. Officially Asami Kaori was dead, and Morigava Kaori entered the medical department in Osaka, where she graduated with honors."
"Did you keep in touch with her?" Akihito asked cautiously.
"No, during her studies, I didn't contact her. My daughter was dead to everybody. Any attention on my part to some girl in Osaka the same age as my deceased daughter would attract attention. Of course, I kept her under surveillance. The private detective provided me with regular information about her life." Isamu paused.
"And Ryuichi? Did he learn about your agreement with Kaori? How did he react?" The photographer asked.
"Oh, Ryuichi was furious and demanded me to tell him where she was," the elderly man sighed. "I turned him down. My son found her on his own a couple of months later. I would have been surprised if he couldn't. Ryuichi went to Osaka, but returned in one day alone. He didn't say anything and we haven't discussed Kaori's anymore."
"What next? Kaori continued to live in Osaka? Did nobody ever learn that Asami Ryuichi her brother? They're still twins." Questions rained down from Akihito.
"Then Kaori graduated from university and started to work as a surgeon at the Osaka University Hospital. For others to define kinship between her and Ryuichi was actually possible only if they both stood side by side. Still, the female figure and facial features differ from men's. No one would have thought that she was part of our family while Kaori wasn't next to any of us." Isamu moved his shoulders trying to relax the tension in his body. "Kaori's life went on. My daughter met a man and fell in love. Tashima Shumpei was engaged in the development of new innovative medicines. He was known as a talented and promising researcher in medical circles. Kaori was so happy that she got in touch with Hina and invited us to her wedding."
"Did you go?" The boy asked.
"No. None of Asami family was present. We are usually under the supervision of certain people: Criminals, police reporters and so on. Everything that we would have done for Kaori would lose its meaning and would expose her to danger." Asami Isamu sighed. "She said that she understood."
"How sad... she wasn't able to share this joyous occasion with their family." The photographer said sadly.
"She got what she fought for. The price of her freedom was the renunciation from Asami family ties." The clan head's glance was heavy and the young man unwittingly shifted in his place in discomfort. "This is applied to you too. Ryuichi will cut all communication with you if in the end you decide not to sign the adoption papers. That would be done for your protection. He simply wouldn't have any other choice."
"I don't see the need for such categorical actions." Akihito frowned and tried to answer to the glance.
"... I think you'll understand when I finish my story." Asami Isamu took another small sip. "Kaori became pregnant after a year of marriage. Since the wedding, she started periodically call to Hina. My wife was so happy receiving these calls that I didn't have the courage to deprive her of this small pleasure. Kaori gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She invited me and Hina to get acquainted with the grandson. We didn't go for the same reason as before."
"..." Akihito sadly looked down. "Did your daughter has changed her opinion about you, about your family? She so avoided contact with you before."
"Kaori communicated mostly with her mother. Modern technology has allowed to make video calls. I caught a couple of these conversations. Although daughter's attitude to me personally softened opinion on the activities of our family remained the same." Asami Isamu drank the rest of cognac. "An appearance of a beloved husband and giving birth to a son transformed Kaori. She became a good wife and loving mother. This role fitted her well. Three years later she found out that she pregnant again. Her husband was offered a job at a research center in Canada when she was in her eighth month of pregnancy. It was a very good offer for her husband, and they decided to take it if this center was willing to wait for two months. Tashima Shumpei didn't want to leave Kaori alone. It was dangerous to fly by plane because of the late stage of pregnancy. They both decided she had to recover a little bit immediately after giving birth. The Canadian Center was willing to wait for them."
The clan head took out a pack of cigarettes, but he put a box on the table after taking a look at it. The men's long fingers began to twirl the box, placing it from one edge to another. Akihito felt tension come from the man.
"Six months ago, I had some problems with one of the new groups. People in that group were ambitious. They decided on a big bet from the start and not to exchange for smaller ones. The idea was simple one: to make Asami clan fall into their hands. In their mind that should make the rest of the clans respect and fear them." The elderly man sighed.
"I guess they didn't really know who we really are and their knowledge was limited only by the fact that Asami family is influential one. Silly young people, who would ever think to go on a lion hunt with only bare hands? Their attempts were like mosquito bites which began to annoy." Isamu continued to flip a cigarette's pack in his hands speeding up the pace, then slowing it down. "Their strategy was a small invasion, then a quick retreat and waiting in a safe place until the next raid. We were carefully collecting and studying information, planning and preparing for an operation to stop these attempts in one fell swoop."
The elderly man made a pause.
"What about Kaori?" Akihito asked carefully.
"The same time, Kaori gave birth to a girl. I was glad that my daughter is going to leave the country soon." Asami Isamu continued to speak. "I didn't know how long it would take to solve my existing problem with that group. They were pretty mobile and that was their plus. The leader of this group started to become smarter and began to collect information about Asami Clan. He even tried to make a few attempts to attack Ryuichi. Of course, all of them failed. You see, I always consider the worst-case scenario among others, so as to prevent any chance of finding out about Kaori I asked Hina to stop communicating with our daughter before her departure to Canada. "
Akihito felt an unpleasant sensation like the calm before a storm.
"We have received new information that forced us to launch an operation to eliminate the group ahead of schedule. It went fairly well but their leader was able to hide. His capture was but a matter of time. It was five days before Kaori's departure." Asami Isamu squeezed his hand on the box, which mangled the box. "That day was very busy: new problems arose and there was the main unsolved one with this group. The leader with a couple of his men still hadn't been caught although we were almost breathing down the back of their necks."
Asami Isamu's speech rate slowed as if a man carefully picks up his words.
"That day I received a letter with a threat from that group leader. The content of the letter was that they wouldn't die without taking one of us with them. It was ridiculous threat until..." The elderly man hesitated. "...until Kaori with her husband and children appeared that evening at my house in Tokyo. Kaori's husband was sent to replace a colleague on the medical symposium in Tokyo before his departure to Canada and my daughter decided that she should introduce her family to her parents before leaving."
"Oh, no!" Akihito put his hand over his mouth. "What did you do?"
"What else could I do?" The man's face was as if he had eaten a lemon. "Of course I let her in."
"Did your daughter tell her husband about Asami family?" Akihito asked uncertainly.
"I suppose not. Most likely Kaori told him that she wasn't on good term with her father. That is why she avoided communicating with us. I assume that Tashima Shumpey thought that Kaori has had an ordinary family judging by his astonished reaction to me. Our wealth also was unexpected and caused uncertainty in him. Perhaps Shumpei also thought that we are yakuza." Asami Isamu smiled bitterly to memories. "The next morning, my daughter and her husband were going to go to the symposium. Their children had to remain at home with Hina. Kaori ignored my objection that it was dangerous with a smile. She said that nothing would happen because there would be a lot of people at the conference hall and they will return soon that we wouldn't even notice their absence. The next day she and her husband had gotten into a taxi and drove away. I send my men to watch and protect them, but at some moment bodyguards were pushed away from them in the middle of the crowd and have lost sight of my daughter and her husband. As you already guessed Kaori and her husband didn't come back that evening..."
"...Those people whom you didn't catch yet..." The photographer muttered in horror, but man in front of him didn't hear.
"...They didn't come back the next day either..." Asami Isamu continued to speak through the force. His facial muscles were tense, trying to hold back emotions. "The next morning we received a disk with a courier, there was a video. That video contained a record of Shumpei's murder right in front of my daughter. She lost all her willpower the moment her husband died. Her fire was extinguished with his death. All that were left was an empty shell. Substantially, my daughter died with her husband. Then there was a recording of Kaori's rape and murder..."
The man's voice broke, trying to hold back tears. Akihito pressed his hands to his mouth terrified, holding silent sobs.
"...The same evening we found them... My girl... there was nothing left resembling my daughter and her husband. That group leader turned out to be a crazy maniac, who imagined himself as Jack the Ripper. We were able to identify what were left from the body remains by DNA test." Asami Isamu's hands were trembling. "I don't think you want to know what happened to the bastard... Ryuichi and I caught that crazy maniac almost immediately, he wasn't hiding... But nothing will return Kaori. Nothing will return my girl back to me."
"Don't... you are not to blame..." The photographer muttered sobbing. The tears flowed down his cheeks. "...You couldn't have foreseen this..."
"Akihito-kun, don't try to comfort me. We both know that I was the cause of her death. There is a significant fraction of my guilt. I will always believe it. I will always know that I made a mistake somewhere. That bright and kind person died and I'm continuing to live." The clan head leaned on his hands on the table. "Now it is useless to talk about what could be done. I promised myself that I'll never allow a repeat. Akihito-kun, you need to decide if you are ready to connect your life with our clan or not. You must be willing to live the same life as we do. The closer you are to us, the more pain our enemies will want to cause you. To live with the wolves - you will have to howl like a wolf."
"...I ...I understand..." Akihito wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
"Self-defense, martial arts, weapons possession - this is the minimum necessary, which you will have to learn." The man raised his hand stopping objections. "You should be capable of defending yourself, to be able to protect your mate and family. I will look for the best teachers for you."
"I... I don't want to kill... I don't want to learn how to kill..." The photographer whispered fervently.
"I'll be glad if you will never need these skills." Asami Isamu looked into boy's eyes. "But you'll have to learn them and be ready to apply these skills when it will be necessary. It is better to die doing something than helplessly watch a loved one be killed in front of you."
"I see your reasons." Akihito whimpered and nodded. "How... how long ago did this happen?" The boy asked in a low hesitant voice.
"Kaori died five months ago." the elderly man said. "The memories and the pain are still very fresh. We are still learning to live on with this knowledge."
"Five?" The photographer frowned and muttered, trying to remember. "Ryuu left for a couple of days around this time... didn't contact with me as he usually did. When he returned he was strange..."
"Strange?" Asami Isamu looked at the boy.
"Yeah... not the same as usual. He was moody as the rainy weather outside. He smelled of alcohol. I thought that his such behavior was due to the fact that he was drunk, but it seems the reason was these sad events." Akihito mused.
"...Drunk? It's hard to make Ryuichi drunk." The man thought a bit. "After we caught the Kaori's killer... I suggested Ryuichi to have a drink with me. We opened a fifty years old bottle of brandy and drank it in silence in my office. We didn't speak and just drank. It was early evening and it was raining that day. I thought that Ryuichi would spend the night at our home. You see, we didn't sleep for two days and both were tired. Ryuichi didn't stay. He stood up as soon as we drank the remnants of cognac and said that he needed something urgently to check, then he left. Perhaps it was then. Now, thinking about it maybe he just wanted to check on you. To check that you were home and you were safe..."
"Me?" Akihito stared at the man in surprise.
Akihito couldn't remember the date when it happened, but the events of that strange evening marked his memory forever. It was raining heavy on the street; a photo shoot started with delay. The apartment didn't have lights on when he came back and that meant that Asami didn't return yet. The man had been away for a couple of days and hadn't even called to notify him as he usually did. Akihito began to worry a little. The photographer warmed his body under a hot shower and then ate a sandwich in the kitchen. He thought about dialing the number of his lover, but changed his mind at the last moment; he didn't want to hear a sarcastic or cold response that day.
He went into the living room with a cup of hot tea, but didn't turn on the lights. The city lights gave enough light to see where to go. He drank tea after he climbed on the couch and hugged his knees; the young man watched the changing of colored lights which reflected in the raindrops falling on the window. The photographer dozed putting his head on the arm of the couch.
Akihito was awakened by the touch. Asami sat on his haunches in front of him and was stroking his cheek with the back of his hand. The bright lights from the hallway tried to overwhelm the twilight of the room, but they only reflected in the eyes of his lover, giving a man's eyes expression of a wild animal.
"Asami? You're back..." The boy said with sleepy voice. The older man just nodded. "Okaeri..."
The man said nothing, then he stood to his full height. In the next moment, Asami climbed onto the couch and sat down behind the photographer, pinning the boy's back to his chest. Then he surprised photographer putting his head on his shoulder, pressing their cheeks together. Akihito felt unusually strong odor of alcohol. It was not that Asami, in principle, didn't drink, but usually there was just a small amount of alcohol which just added a slight roasted flavor to the scent of his lover. That moment it was the smell of the drink and not just a slight flavor. That indicated that his lover has drunk enough to smell so.
Akihito was about to ask what happened, but his lover was ahead of him.
"Shh, don't say anything, just sit with me a little this way." Asami's voice was barely audible whisper. Akihito couldn't remember how long they sat and looked at the kaleidoscope of city colors. All the time Asami didn't loosen his grip on his lover. The photographer fell asleep in a warm embrace.
Akihito woke up the next morning in bed. He found Asami, drinking coffee in the kitchen and reading a fresh newspaper. The man was the same as always in the mornings before work. Asami pretended that nothing unusual happened the previous evening so Takaba decided not to ask any questions about his lover's behavior the night before.
Asami Isamu sat silently and watched as Akihito frowned, thinking about something else or rather remembering. The elderly man decided to use this moment to compose himself, as the previous conversation refreshed unwanted memories: the pain of the loss, the rage at the murderer and a bad aftertaste of a feeling of helplessness.
Clan head's mobile phone rang. He glanced at the screen and picked it up to answer.
"I need to take this call." The man turned in Akihito's direction to point then pressed the button and held the phone to his ear. "Asami..."
Akihito didn't try to hear the conversation; there were so many furiously galloping thoughts in his head. A story about Kaori's fate took him to the core. He could imagine the horror and pain experienced by Asami family. The main tantalizing question arose in his mind. Whether was he ready to face with such consequences? Was he ready to sacrifice his life or kill defending Asami Ryuichi. Akihito shook his head slightly, tossing this thought to a side for a while. He'll think of it later, when he would be alone. Now he had a great desire to ensure that his lover was alright. That he doesn't possess a sorrow in his eyes which he had seen there when they were at his parent's garden. Now the photographer believed he knew what caused that kind of expression.
Asami Isamu finished his conversation fast. It was short and mostly one-sided. The clan head put the phone to the side as soon as he ended the conversation. The elderly man looked at the boy sitting in front of him; he hunched and his eyes were swollen with tears.
"I'll call Ryuichi and he will show you the room where you'll stay. Please, use this opportunity to think about all this. You have a couple of minutes to freshen up. The door on the right is a bathroom; you can use it if there is a need." The man got up from the chair and headed for the door.
* * *
Ryuichi immediately rose from his chair as soon as his father entered the room. Asami Isamu was on the phone, but the conversation was coming to an end and it was difficult to say about its content.
"...Well, I'm glad that you'll join." The man finished the conversation by clicking on the button.
Ryuichi worried Akihito's absence. His lover wasn't with his father when he walked into the room and it didn't seem that the photographer was in the hallway. Anxiety grew inside the man.
"Ryuichi, we will leave in an hour as soon as my friend joins us. It looks like a meeting is scheduled at the docks for around two o'clock in the morning. We need to find out of the current situation sooner." Asami Isamu saw the tension in his son's body, but decided to start immediately with the current business aspect. He realized that although Ryuu heard him he may not fully perceive the situation because his main priority was in the other room. His son was a very possessive man, but it was characteristic to all born in Asami family. "Akihito is fine, as I promised. He is still in my study. Be so kind to show him the room where he will be staying."
Ryuichi nodded and made resolute steps to the door direction, pausing before exit. "Kirishima is already looking into the situation."
The younger Asami didn't know what to expect. He couldn't foretell what awaited him in his father's study. Will his lover be the same as before or will something have broken inside his boy. The man immediately pushed such thoughts aside; Akihito showed his spirit more than once. And yet, Asami needed to soothe his own beast by seeing with his own eyes that his mate didn't lose his fire.
Asami Isamu went next to his wife and gracefully sat down beside her. Hina looked questioningly at her husband, and the man replied arching one eyebrow questioningly. She frowned and then made a more demanding interrogative expression. Her husband just tried to make the most innocent expression he could master and shrugged pretending not understanding what she meant. Hina questioningly arched eyebrows in turn.
"Isamu-san, did you do anything to Akihito-kun?" The woman couldn't stand their silent exchanging. "It really is too late to interfere in their relationship. Everything has gone too far for both of them."
"Why would I?" The man asked with a considerable fraction of amusement in his voice. "We just talked."
"..." The woman sighed. "He... Will everything be alright?"
"..." Asami Isamu thought, but then decided not to tease his wife any more. "It all depends on Akihito-kun. I had to make sure that he is fully aware of the rabbit hole where he is going to put his head. That he is ready to jump knowing that this hole may not have a bottom. If he is a true 'light' for our son, then difficulties will only make him shine brighter."
"..." Hina chewed her lower lip. "I would like to believe that Ryuichi will be in a state to properly evaluate your actions, if he doesn't like what he finds in your study."
___________________________
Info:
Go is a board game involving two players that originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago. It was considered one of the four essential arts of a cultured Chinese scholar in antiquity. The two players alternately place black and white playing pieces, called "stones", on the vacant intersections ("points") of a board with a 19x19 grid of lines. The objective of the game s to have surrounded a larger total area of the board with one's stones than the opponent by the end of the game.
Shogi (将棋 shōgi), also known as Japanese chess or the Generals' Game, is a two-player strategy board game in the same family as Western (international) chess, chaturanga, makruk, shatranj and xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan. Shōgi means general's (shō 将) board game (gi 棋).
Osaka University (大阪大学 Ōsaka daigaku), or Handai (阪大 Handai), is a national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and one of Japan's National Seven Universities. Numerous prominent scientists have worked at Osaka University such as the Nobel Laureate in Physics Hideki Yukawa.
Okaeri (full spelling - Okaerinasai - jp. お帰りなさい) - Welcome back
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
24/12/14 02:12 (UTC)(no subject)
28/12/14 21:30 (UTC)(no subject)
24/12/14 14:24 (UTC)Merry Christmas.
PS. Nice representation of a long lived loving relationship by showing that with Hina and Isamu.
Cat
(no subject)
28/12/14 21:44 (UTC)I think Akihito is still young to understand the depth of Asami's feelings. This understanding will come eventually. Love from the first sight is good, bright and astonishing, but feelings developed with time is much stronger. It's good that there are examples of loving couples around: Akihito's and Asami's parents.
Enigma
24/12/14 16:01 (UTC)Great, great, great, chapter!
Just one thing, when you write : ("Five?" The photographer frowned and muttered, trying to remember. "Ryuu left for a couple of days around this time... didn't contact with me as he usually did. When he returned he was a strange...") you should delete the "a" of ("he was a strange") because no need for, him. update soon!
What happened to the two children? Who took them? Are you going to make them be the childs of Ryuichi and Akihito or let them stay, where they are? It is really difficult to survive in the underworld. I love your description: it is necessary to know how to roar as a wolf with wolves!
Re: Enigma
28/12/14 21:50 (UTC)Children are alive and healthy. They are at the same place as before. ^_~
(no subject)
24/12/14 19:20 (UTC)Omg I was so looking forward to it ><
Merry Xmas !!
(no subject)
28/12/14 21:52 (UTC)I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas day.
(no subject)
26/12/14 11:57 (UTC)(no subject)
28/12/14 21:58 (UTC)(no subject)
27/12/14 01:22 (UTC)I am glad Akihito has been given a choice, whether he wants to stay with Asami and face whatever it comes, or if the rather steps away.
I am wondering what Asami is going to find in his father's study.
I hope you can update soon. I love your story =)
(no subject)
28/12/14 22:23 (UTC)Yes, Akihito is given choice, but is it really simple to make it? Sometime we all have a moment when each of us asks ourselves: what would I choose at that exact time if I had known what I know now. As for me I start to draw possible alternatives, but then I stop. My thoughts float and I think that maybe I would have chosen the same path as I did back then. If I would have made a different choice, I would be another person.
I will try to update sooner.
(no subject)
8/2/15 07:42 (UTC)You started with light opening, like how cliche the fairy tales are, but as it went on the plot became not as light as it was previously, intense, and unpredictable (for my dumb head hahaha). You sure gave it lots of thoughts, didn't you? Because some parts were so mature in positive way.
Is this the final? Or will you give your readers more than this?
I'll definitely look forward to it! :D
(no subject)
8/2/15 17:26 (UTC)I agree the beginning of this story is light and simple, but in later chapters it became more heavy one. From the start it was just an oneshot, which I decided to transfer into a multi-chapter story. Sorry, if It's hard to read. I wanted to show that Akihito's character can grow mentally. Such growth isn't always easy. Although I tried to add some lighter parts into text, apparently I was not very successful.
Every chapter I posted has changed during writing. So they are somehow different from an original idea I had from the start. Thoughts come during writing, but they won't come if you don't have an idea where your whole plot goes.
You can point on mistakes you found and I'll do my best to correct them. English isn't my native language. Sorry, if they interfere with the reading.
I didn't finish this story yet. I can't say how many chapters will come one or more, but I don't have intention to make it endless. Currently I'm pretty busy with work so can't say when I'll update. I will try harder to make it sooner.
Well, thanks again for reading and commenting.
(no subject)
19/2/15 23:30 (UTC)(no subject)
22/2/15 18:19 (UTC)(no subject)
18/3/15 16:02 (UTC)I would like to know if the next chapter is for soon please ? I do miss to read your story so I am really looking forward to xD sorry for upsetting you with my question !
(no subject)
22/3/15 13:05 (UTC)