Dare: Love at 30 days notice

mashiho, family, war

Haruto and Asahi had insisted to accompany Mashiho home despite the strong refusal of the shortest japanese in the group. Haruto had stubbornly refused to get out of the car even when Mashiho had assured him that everything would be fine. 

Left with no choice, Mashiho had allowed Asahi and Haruto to accompany him on the ride home. Or to be precise, on that big empty mansion where he lives. There was a heavy silence during the ride home and no one had tried to break the tension. 

As soon as the car parked near the entrance of the mansion, Haruto heightened his senses. Eyes narrowed and alert, and demeanor void of his usual lazy mien. Asahi remained silent like he usually is but the air around him carried a heavy presence of savageness, he slowly exited the vehicle making sure that Mashiho is secured. 

"No need to be tense, he won't act out in the house" Mashiho darkly reminded as he lighted off the car. He calmly made his way to the entrance of his abode with Haruto and Asahi trailing closely behind him. 

"Welcome back, Mashi" came a chuckling voice from their unwanted guest earlier. Takata Musashi was Mashiho's half-brother. Or so, the clan had decided. In truth, Mashiho's father had persistently denied that Musashi was his son and had sworn that he had never cheated against Mashiho's mother in his entire life. 

Musashi was introduced to their family when Mashiho was five. One of the elders of the clan had claimed that Musashi was the first son of Mashiho's father, Hiroto, out of wedlock. Despite the vehement protest of Mashiho's father, Musashi has a striking resemblance with Hiroto and blood test returned positive and was then announced as the son of Hiroto. 

The news broke the happy Takata household, Mashiho's mother felt betrayed and grew weak in her depression. She was already a delicate woman with a chronic illness. The thought that her husband had cheated against her broke her instantly and she passed away when Mashiho was only six. 

During this time, Mashiho had already been showing signs of his excellence. The star birthmark at his nape became clearer and his ability to learn and remember were out of the ordinary. Some of the elders of the clan were not happy about these happenings and had tried to kill the young boy with poison. 

Mashiho who was observant since a child noticed the plot and had calmly pointed it out. His cousin, his previous playmate, became the scapegoat for the assassination attempt and was silenced by the mastermind. 

In an attempt to protect his son, Hiroto had thrown Mashiho in South Korea under the tutelage of an old friend. He had begged his friend, Ha Hyunsang, to take his son and train him strictly so that his son could survive. 

The Institute was then built under the cover of nurturing kids with special talents. Asahi and Haruto, who came from a family that had served the Takata household, followed him in Korea. They were trained to be the best guards for the next clan head of the Takata clan. Trained to be the best retainers. 

Mashiho raised his head and stared straight to the brother he would never acknowledge, "What do you want?"

Musashi smiled, hostility lurking behind the warm smile he was flashing. "I came to visit my brother. Isn't that enough?"

"Last time you visit, you almost killed your brother" 

"That was truthfully an accident, Mashi" Haruto and Asahi frowned as they recall how the older Takata tried to kill his younger brother by cutting the lines of the brakes of the car Mashiho was riding. 

"Is it really?" Mashiho chuckled as he tilted. He challenged his older brother with a cocky smile, something that he had not done before. 

Musashi dropped his smile and stared at Mashiho with a poker face, eyes filled with nothing but maliciousness, "You changed, Mashi."