Accordance

30

"Tobu told me she tried to use him to set you up with her on the low." His eyes grew wide.

"What?" She twisted her lips.

"I know. That's what I said." He scratched his head.

"Are we sure we are talking about Aiko? She was like your best friend."

"So I thought."

"Where does this leave Rie? Shinju? Momo?" She shrugged.

"I don't know if they knew or not."

"Talk to them."

"I might not wanna talk to Aiko for a while. I might go to hittin." He chuckled.

"Aiko should know she never had a chance."

"Agreed. It's just...if she had feelings for you fine... but why pretend to be happy for me? Why pretend to like your best friend?" He shook his head.

"The people in this world cannot be trusted. I want to take you far away where we can create our own... where the people who reside within do not hurt us..."

"Someday we can create that place." He kissed her fingers.

"Yes. But for now...I'm hungry." She smiled at him and rubbed his stomach.

"What you want?"

"Kakiage."

"Okay."

***

"Hiroto," He looked up to find his mother standing in the door way. He sighed, his face growing sour.

"What?"

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"Your future." He groaned and started to stand.

"Please... don't get up. Listen... please hear me out." A deep frown on his face he sat down slowly. She cleared her throat.

"I am only stressing this because I love you Hiroto." Something he had heard time and time again.

"Mother, I have to go soon. Whatever it is, make it quick."

"Then I won't waste time. You need to come down from your fantasy horse." He blinked.

"It is time you seriously think about your future. You are about to be 19 years old. You need to think about your father's business. You need to think about marriage and securing for our family an heir. You need to think these things through. It is time over for being a child. You must start acting like an adult."

"How can I when you robbed me of my childhood? How can you sit here and demand these things of me?"

"Your father and I tried to give you the life we never had."

"Spare me Mother. We've talked about this before. I won't repeat myself." She glared.

"And neither will I. I have gone through such trouble over the years to try to find a girl who will be worthy of you Hiroto."

"You do not have to look any longer. I've found her." She laughed.

"You think that black creature is worthy of your name? Of this family? Poor thing, this family will chew her up and spit her out."

"She'll fit in wonderfully as my future wife. I won't allow you to disrespect her.."

"Get with reality Hiroto. You cannot and will not marry her. All of your children will be illegitimate." His expression grew dark.