Always The Spare [ Okkotsu Yuta ]

Chapter 7

Maki remembers the first time she saw Kuuji Kaede; Maki was on the ground.

Being born into one of the top three families of the jujutsu world yet being unable to see curses, she was pathetic. An outcast; and the members of her family made sure that was known, especially Zenin Naoya.

That day Naoya would call Maki over and say they would be training but she knew, he simply wanted to blow off steam; after several heavy blows which she could not defend, Maki stoops on the ground and then falls over and Naoya places his feet on her head.

It was then when she saw Kaede. A little girl with dark hair and eyes dressed in lavish kimono as she looks over, her back straight as if a rod had been stuck on her back, her head held high and she approached the pair. "Naoya-sama, I've come to meet you."

Maki knew the exact reason why Kaede was at the Zenin household. The Kuuji Clan's heir had recently been injured severely so the clan was making their best effort to restore some strength back to the clan using Kaede, in other words , talks of marriage was going on between Kaede and Naoya.

Naoya probably was simply dragging this meetings on, lingering a piece of meat to near the Kuuji Clan's hungry mouth. He didn't need them but the clan needed him. Naoya isn't attracted to Kaede who was yet to develop bosom or the curve of a butt he lusted for but saw 'potential' in his own words.

"The Kuuji will always use people around' or 'The Kuuji are simply rats scurrying to survive." or 'Never trust a Kuuji, once they find a better target, you'll be abandoned.' Those were common whispers that would flow around clans if they were to ever talk about the said clan.

"I'll fresh up, Kaede-Chan." Naoya flashes a smile as he finally lifted his feet from Maki's head. "You wait in the hall, the maids will guide you." He says as her elder brother walks away. He doesn't even have the courtesy to lead Kaede himself.

To Maki's surprise, the young girl walks over to her but her expression never changed. Maki thought she looked like a doll.

Kaede when she was near her, bends to her knees as she brings up Maki's glasses which flew off her face from Naoya's blows; and places on Maki. She also brings out a handkerchief which was in a beautiful chirimen bag and hands it over the Maki wordlessly.

After that she simply walks away; Maki thinks that maybe the Kuuji girl , who was probably her age, was not such a bad person.

The second meeting was probably about two years later when Maki was thirteen, she was sitting along the hallway of her home as she looks over to the spring's beautiful cherry blossoms.

"Nice to meet you, Maki-san."

Maki turns her head as she sees Kaede, this time in casual clothes, wearing a pink cardigan with long white skirt and most notably a smile on her face. She somehow looked friendlier than when Maki first saw her but her eyes were still dark; by that she didn't mean the color but it looked as if she was tired as in her eyes didn't have a glow to it.

"What are you doing here?" Maki curses internally as her words came out harsher than what she intended.

"Naoya-sama invited me over but he is no where to be found." Kaede takes it upon her self as she sits beside Maki as she looks over the view and she starts in a light voice. "I got stood up by a person I don't even like."

Maki frowns as she remembers him stumbling to his room with his arms around the waist of a maid simply an hour earlier. "The engagement is still not finalized?"

Kaede shakes her head giving a negative answer as she tilts her head, lightly resting it on her shoulder. "I don't mind it though... I hope he drags it out much longer."