Chapter Text
What's done cannot be undone.
-Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Reo's mother returned from her business trip the following week. Which I spent almost identically, lazing around and drinking too many lemonades for my bladder to handle. The only difference was that on August 12 we celebrated Reo's birthday together.
It was quite the 'modest party', in words of Reo's mother... only 50 (carefully selected guests) attended. Although none of them where even near our age range. For what I could tell they were mainly business partners of the Mikage Corporation.
Reo spent almost the entire party greeting and talking to these people, only they know how much a teenager and an executive could have in common. Although it didn't show on his face, I knew he wasn't having such a good time. At the end, he was simply doing his duty as heir.
I almost felt bad for him. Almost, because rich people can't be so pitiful.
My attention was focused on Mr. and Mrs. Mikage. They seemed happy together. As if they had known each other for so long that they were capable of knowing what the other was thinking. The way they spoke and moved among the guests, perfectly synchronized. They seemed like the ideal couple.
That's why I couldn't digest what happened the other night. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have a hard time believing that Mr. Mikage had an afair.
That had nothing to do with me, though. But I couldn't say the same about Reo.
Although I didn't notice anything strange in his behavior, I knew that what we saw must have affected him.
I wanted to talk to him about it, but I wouldn't be the one to bring it up.
“We're quite the performers, aren't we?” Reo said abruptly.
The party ended shortly after midnight, as it started quite early. We watched Reo's parents sent off the guests from his room’s balcony, while (finally) getting ready to go to sleep.
“Who exactly?” I asked with a yawn, not really getting the conversation.
“My parents and I.”
“What do you mean?” I saw the tiny lights of the cars disappear into the distant darkness.
“I bet you think we are the perfect family… but it’s all crap.” He forcefully removed his tie, throwing it to the floor.
“They have been separated for six months.” Ah?
“I know, they are good at pretending that everything is fine.” He added when he saw my clueless expression.
“But why?” Wait how did Reo knew. “Did they told you that?”
“…”
Reo looked at the sky with a sad expression. Oh.
“Apparently my mother also has a new partner. All those ‘business trips’ are nothing more than an excuse to go see him.” He continued with a reproachful tone.
“They probably want to keep up appearances for the sake of business, I honestly find it ridiculous. I was hoping they would say something about it at this point, but it looks like I'll have to be the one to put an end to this show.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” I didn't know what else to say.
“Don’t care, I just… I just don’t want them to lie to me.”
Reo's parents made their separation official shortly after his birthday. Mrs. Mikage left the country to move in with her new lover, who lived abroad. Leaving Reo with his father and new wife (they got married in a private and modest ceremony).
It was in the midst of all of these that the Reo I knew began to fall apart.
He was no longer the ‘perfect’ heir that I meet a few years ago. He began to rebel against his father, they fought constantly and every time he threatened Reo with sending him to boarding school if he didn't correct himself. He started skipping classes and has a consequence his grades dropped. He would mess around with many girls (sometimes older women) and hang out with God knows who.
Many of his old acquaintances stopped talking to him, the girls on the contrary found his new side, charming (some women have questionable preferences) making his fan club grow even more. Our teachers were not very pleased, especially because they could not expel or repress him because the Mikages were investors in the school.
But the more surprising thing he did was left the football club, the one thing I thought he truly loved. It was then that I realized how much his parents' lies affected him.
Despite everything, he never stopped talking to me.
He often came to my house, late at night, reeking of alcohol. I let him take a shower and sleep on my couch. “I'm sorry Sei...” he said incessantly. “You’re a mess” was the only thing I said back.
And just like that, the mask of the perfect heir was broken.
“Sei, I need you to help me with something.”
“Nothing fishy I hope.” He caught me off guard coming out of soccer training.
To everyone's surprise I continued in the club despite Reo's departure. Somehow I gained appreciation for the sport and I knew I was good at it, so I saw no reason to quit.
“No…My father's wife's son returns from boarding school in Germany and he wants me to go get him and show him around cuz they’re out of town. It's a pain but I can't get out of this. Come with me. You don't have anything better to do, do you?” He seemed like he was in a dilemma with how exasperated he sounded, but I knew he probably was upset about having to cancel one of his dates with a girl.
“What’s the point in having a personal driver if you are not going to use it?” I was too tired and disinterested to go all the way to the airport just to hang out with a complete stranger.
“Please, I'm begging you, I don't want to deal with him alone, I'm not in the mood. It will only be for a while. Please?” His face next to mine, grabbing me by the shoulders.
I let out a sigh. “Ahhh…fine, but you owe me a big one.”
“And what do you know about this guy?” We had been waiting for almost an hour because his flight got delayed, and I was beginning to regret having given in so easily.
“Not much.” He responded without taking his eyes off his cell pone, moving his fingers incessantly.
How many girls does he message? “Do you even know what he looks like?”
“Nop, but his mother gave me his phone number just in case.”
“Mmm… and what’s his name?”
“Isagi.”
“That’s his last name, right?” I took off my phone to start a game. “So in theory he is your stepbrother but he won't take your family’s name?”
“Better that way, I don't want people to think we're related or something.”
“Right… it would be a hassle to explain.”
After a while we finally met up with Isagi. The short, soft-looking and dark haired boy walked directly toward us, saving us the trouble of looking for him.
“You must be Mikage-kun, nice to meet you. I’m Isagi, Isagi Yoichi.” He said with a polite smile. "I recognized you right away."
“Ahhh, yeah… hello.” Reo replied slowly taking a whole minute to stare at the newly arrived boy. “This is my bud, Seishiro” He said clearing his throat and pointing his finger at me.
Isagi raised his smiling face to look me in the eyes. "Ah, hello there".
I took the chance to take a good look at his face. At first glance there was nothing remarkable about his appearance, until his smile softened and he opened his eyes. They were a beautiful deep blue, the gleam in them almost overshadowed the rest of his features but on the contrary helped to give them definition. His spotless porcelain skin gave him the perfect touch of youthful innocence more common in an infant and not in someone in their full adolescence.
He was so cute. Completely adorable.
“Hi.” I said with a slight tremor in my voice avoiding his gaze. No way, I'm blushing?
Is he really our age? He’s so tiny! And pretty! And those are the most captivating blue eyes I've ever seen!!
“So…since we're already out, let's go grab some dinner. Not like there is someone waiting for us back home.”
“Sure.” Isagi said with yet another cordial smile.
We were in a burger place devouring our meals. I for once was rather hungry (the soccer training must have open up my appetite).
After eating for a while, the three of us began to talk more comfortably and we learn a lot about Isagi’s life.
Despite Reo's first bad assumptions about the boy, Isagi was a pretty charming guy. Quite normal, nice and friendly.
Apparenly his father passed away when he was only six. When he was ten his mom got a job offer in Germany, so they moved there. Isagi had difficulties adapting to the new culture but thanks to his love for football (yes, coincidentally he also played it) he managed to find his way there.
Isagi's mother worked for a German company that had a partnership with Mikage Corporation. His mom and Reo’s father met in a very movie-like way. Isagi’s mom was on his way out of the building while Reo’s father was just getting inside (he had a meeting with the company CEO). When she tripped and fell literally into the millionaire's arms. There were sparks as soon as they exchanged glances. They started dating shortly after, mostly long distance. Until the Mikage Corporation acquired the German company, transferring Mrs. Isagi back to Japan.
At first Isagi refused to leave his life in Germany. He was happy that his mom found a new love in her life but he didn't want to leave his friends and promising football career so suddenly. He begged his mother to let him stay a little longer. After talking about it for a while, they decided that Isagi would stay with the family of his Kaiser, who were more than happy to take care the boy.
He never thought that his mom's courtship would end in marriage. So as soon as he heard the good news (he couldn't attend the wedding) he decided to temporarily return to Japan to see his mom's new life.
“Surely all this seems too convenient to you Mikage-kun.” Isagi said getting serious.
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“That we, a poor fatherless family, ended up getting involved with a family of such renown.”
“Who cares about that?” Reo sighed impassively.
“But... I bet you hold a grudge against us... I mean, my mother could be the reason your parents broke up!”
“If our parents are okay with it that should be enough.” Isagi stared at his hands on his lap with a gloomy look.
I wonder if everything will be all right, such a nice guy as Reo’s brother…
“By the way, what do you even eat?” Reo suddenly grabbed Isagi's arm. “Don’t you think you’re too skinny and short? What’s with your arm? Is it a green onion?”
I couldn’t agree more with Reo. Isagi was so tiny. I felt like I could hold both of his wrists with one hand.
Isagi jerked his arm away from his grab. “How rude! Do you usually compare a stranger’s arm with a vegetable?”
“Ah? I shouldn’t need to be so formal with someone who’s going to be family. You don’t need to be formal, either… So stop the whole ‘Mikage-kun’ bullshit.”
He made a pause staring at the blue-eyed boy. “If you don’t like something just say it. That way, we’ll learn each other’s boundaries.”
Isagi took a second to process Reo’s words. “Then, as I am to become part of your family, how should I refer to you? Brother?”
“Gross… pick something else.”
“Then, Reo.” He said with a sly smile.
“That changed direction fast!” Reo jumped out of his seat.
“You’re claiming that you always refer to your elders formally?”
“You have a point. That’s fine.”
Isagi did not respond, looking at Reo with a surprised face. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, I was expecting you to get angry…”
“But what you said was true.”
Isagi was a loss for words. “You’re quite an odd person…”
“He said you were Seishiro-san, correct?” Isagi continued, directing his attention towards me. “I understand that you’re close, but wouldn’t declining the invitation here have been more appropriate?”
“But I was forced…”
“I brought him because he’s someone convenient you can rely on.” Reo intervened.
“Rely?” I asked dumbfounded.
Isagi frowned. ”Do I look like someone who’d rely on another?”
He said looking at me again. “Besides, why Seishiro-san?”
“He’s more wicked than I am, and he knows how to go with the flow.”
Ah? What the hell does that even means?
“Seishiro-san, why not get a little angry?”
“Well…” I really shouldn’t have come.
“He knows I’m right, so he can’t. He doesn’t care if you don’t address him informally, either. As long as he agrees with the reason.”
“I haven’t heard his first name yet.”
“We told you it’s Seishiro already…Nagi Seishiro.”
“Nagi? Seishiro is not your family’s name?” Isagi was mortified.
“People make that mistake all the time.”
“I’m terribly sorry! I kept referring to you informally, even at our first meeting.”
“Oh, it’s fine if you’re okay with it, Yoichi.” I replied without thinking twice.
“Yoichi?” He opened his eyes so much that for a second I thought their gleam would blind me.
Shit. “Oh, my bad… I was being informal too.”
Out of nowhere he burst out laughing. “Ah, no… don’t worry, I don't mind. I just recalled an old friend that also call me like that on our first meeting."
“You are both quite amusing people.” He finished with a fond smile on his face.
And just like that I knew it, and maybe Reo did as well. That this boy was about to change our lives forever.
That that was the day we both meet our Fate.