—kobayashi & quiche (have returned ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ ))

[miss kobayashi]

gift? had taiyo really considered it a gift? all nao did was give the other an outfit that would look adequate for the occasion. he didn’t even gift it personally, he just left it in the other’s room with a note pinned to it saying ’wear this.’ questions ran through his mind. how could he possibly be so upset? other people had gotten far more extravagant gifts without batting an eye. he frowned at the boy’s insistance to wash the gifted item. he opened his mouth to simply tell him that it was just a shirt, but the other was on the brink of tears once more. how much can one person cry?

“ that’s not your problem. “ nao started. at this point, nao was ready to say about anything to stop the other’s tears. mainly because it was starting to annoy him—he hadn’t seen someone cry so much since he was a child. “ why did you do that? “ that question hit him harder than he expected. why did he do that? everything up to this point had made sense in his head, but now that he was away from the crowd of people his actions seemed a little off. him? choosing someone of the service industry over a wealthier, well-off person? he was supposed to be known for associating only with those of a high caliber. taiyo seemed to be more upset at what he had said than nao was. a small sigh escaped his mouth. “ disrespecting maruyada staff is disrespecting a maruyada. now please get up. “ this wasn’t entirely true, although his sister and brother had an exceptional treatment of staff, nao and his father were both more, disrespectful, to say the least. maybe it had changed? nao fet disrespected when that happened, so maybe...

it was taking far too long for taiyo to put on a shirt, and nao was feeling more and more awkward as the time went on, so he took the shirt from the other with a soft tug. after fastening a few of the shirt’s front buttons, he quickly slipped it over the other’s head, allowing taiyo time to adjust to the action with a pause. “ you should learn to stand up for yourself instead of causing a scene. “ nao leaned closer, bending slightly before continuing to button the rest of the taiyo’s shirt, keeping his gaze on the shirt. once the entire shirt had been buttoned, he took a short step back, now looking directly at taiyo for what felt like the first time in a while. “ don’t cry. “ he added after, the words sounding both like a plead and a demand.

[quiche cat!]

not his problem? well, nao wasn't... completely wrong... but he was still wrong! if taiyo hadn't caused a scene, the rich man wouldn't have had to intervene and nearly cost his hard-earned—or, maybe not earned, since he was born with it, but well-preserved?—reputation. fortunately enough, by the gentle, muffled drone of conversation and laughter coming from downstairs, the boy could tell that the partygoers had at least momentarily forgotten about the incident. that, he believed, was better than nothing.

...of course, he was still ashamed that he'd been so careless around a maruyada's guests. especially one that he'd been living with for a little while, because of a debt. he really shouldn't be causing this much trouble! it would be no surprise if he was kicked out and slapped with a small fine of a million dollars because working the money back was no longer an option.

actually, how much did he even owe? ten grand? fifty grand?! overexaggerating made him even more nervous about the actual price of the compass.

although he'd been told to get up, taiyo remained on the ground for a few more moments, sniffling aggressively in an attempt to clear his stuffed nostrils. recently he'd been an absolute crybaby, and with no apparent rhyme or reason other than feeling overwhelmed, he probably seemed like a child. as much as he wanted to promise the other man that he would pull himself together—not just for himself but for nao's sake, as well—that would be a promise doomed to be broken. as soon as he actually did obey and stood up, averting his gaze and continuing to sniffle, the shirt in his hands was taken from him. "wha--" taiyo began, but became at a loss for words as he allowed nao to pull the shirt over his head. it felt weird, considering who was dressing him, but oddly... comforting?

his breath hitched in his throat as nao leaned even closer, frozen in spot as he silently watched the last person he'd expected to button his shirt do exactly that. for some reason, this simple, unexpected gesture made another hot rush of tears stream down his cheeks, collecting at his chin and dripping onto the floor. maybe he had some hidden, pent-up stress? that was the only logical explanation he could think of for feeling this way after a snotty rich man acted kind to him, right after taking a chunk out of his reputation. taiyo knew he needed to stand up for himself, but it was just too difficult. after all, he'd been the one to tick off the witch! she'd just retaliated because taiyo had ruined her shirt. that was pretty understandable, though obnoxiously rude, in the housemaid's eyes. he deserved what he'd received, but nao... nao didn't deserve to get mixed up in it.

"don't cry." didn't he know that telling someone not to cry made them want to cry harder?! resisting the urge to sob as loud as he could, taiyo bit the insides of his cheeks and rubbed furiously at his puffy eyes, successfully stopping the tears in their tracks. well, now he felt horrible for making nao have to request a grown man to stop crying, and he vowed to try his best not to be such a baby in the future. no promises. just as taiyo was about to apologize for the hundredth time, the door swung open behind him, hitting him smack dab on the side of the head. as he recoiled with a yelp, a screech of a gasp came from the offender.

"oh, god! my number two, baby, what have I done?!" shouta slammed the door shut and practically leapt over to the boy who was wincing and pressing a hand to the tender skin, nearly knocking him over in the process. "oh--uah!" the taller man wrapped his arms around taiyo, pressing kisses to the wound in a futile attempt at easing the pain. "nao, I ran up here because I wanted to be the knight in shining armor who helped this boy change, but you beat me to it, you sly dog, you!!" shouta took a break from his insistent smooches, swatting a hand at nao with a soft growling noise. "next time it's my turn, okay~? <3" he winked at the rich boy, reaching over to bop him on the nose with his index finger. "oh~! I almost forgot what I came up for—other than to spend some quality time with my loves. there's someone downstairs who's here to see you! hurry down or I'll punish you~!" and with that, he kissed taiyo on the cheek, opened the door and retreated, leaving taiyo standing in a daze, his face burning where shouta's lips had made contact.

...???

[miss kobayashi]

nao let out a short sigh of relief as the other quickly ceased crying. he was still getting used to this sort of interaction, this... well... how to put it? people wouldn't usually express much of any emotion around him, let alone crying. not to mention this was, like, the third time this had happened. was it just a poor defense mechanism? he couldn't remember a time he cried since he was a baby, which, might he add, was out of his control. it just made the person so vulnerable, didn't it? practically admitting defeat was so unbecoming, or so he thought. this sort of weakness, no one had trusted him with it, especially his subordinates──who feared the reaction of nao above all else──no one, except... poor boy. and nao wasn't even punishing the other for it. had he gone soft? was this poor boy's secret power? or... was it the ever so growing guilt of the lie? the lie that had begun to loom over his head the more suffering the poor boy had gone through.

before he could do anything more, the door behind taiyo flew open, and despite not being caught off guard by the sudden action, he very slightly winced when taiyo collided with the door. like instinct, his hand stretched out to begin to help taiyo, but retreated rather awkwardly the second the obnoxious voice of shouta filled the room. of course. he watched the interaction between the two, not faltering, but fighting back the ever growing annoyance as shouta plastered kisses on poor boy's head. he waited, rather impatiently, until he was addressed. nao rolled his eyes. he wasn't a knight, he just didn't want taiyo to be the negative center of attention. who knows what would've happened if he hadn't of intervened? not to mention that is reputation was on the line for anything that taiyo did.

nao raised an eyebrow, unamused. what was it now? who could possibly be down there that needed to be acknowledged right at the moment? he wasn't even able to ask who it was or why it was so important before shouta left, just as annoying as when he came. at first, nao refused to even see who was downstairs for him, but knew that shouta was serious about a punishment. and the thought of shouta punishing him sent a chill down his spine. he took a quick moment to glance at taiyo, debating if it would be fine to leave the other in his room for the time being. there was no way he was going to let the other go back down, for the time being, at least. without speaking to taiyo, he walked out the door and made his way downstairs.

how was nao going to figure out who was looking for him? once he had made it to the main floor, it was like the scene that had happened before didn't actually happen. it was a relief, at first, but he knew that they still remembered. he had barely weaved through the party when he noticed a figure standing by the entrance. the figure stood out instantly, emanating an aura of confidence and superiority, her arms crossed as if coming here was a waste of her time. it took him a moment for nao to recognize the figure, but knew why once she came into view. god, why now? he approached the figure cautiously, trying to mimic the confidence set before him. he tried to size her up, had she not been taller than him. she would be shorter than nao if it were not for her five-inch heels. of course, someone who never visits him for years decides to come out of the blue and try to ruin everything for him once again. she didn't turn to face him, but rather only made contact with her eyes. a permanent frown was etched onto her face, although her beauty was outmatched.

" nao. " a cool, soothing voice broke the tension between the two. nao scowled.

" hana. "

[quiche cat!]

flustered didn't even begin to explain how taiyo felt right now, and it worsened once he realized how undisturbed nao seemed to be—well, maybe more irritated than anything. judging by his reaction, was this a regular occurrence with that obnoxiously eccentric man?

...were they close?

ahhh! it didn't matter; nao's relationships had nothing to do with him whatsoever. he'd already barged in enough in the rich man's personal life, especially after he'd went and found—then lost—the ring. and, speaking of the ring, taiyo's gaze flitted over to the bed, half hoping that if he stared long enough he'd eventually spot the small metallic band. after a few moments of this, his worries got the best of him and he pried his gaze away, almost paranoid that nao would read his mind or, more realistically, inquire what he was so fixated on. that could never, ever happen! not if the poor boy could help it! he was definitely going to find it before nao realized it was missing. absolutely!

anyways, he was letting his mind roam wild. that random guy who he'd met twice before, first in a random closet and second just a bit ago at the party, was probably just a close aquaintence. a very... friendly aquaintence... but there was no need to get so worked up over it! taiyo reluctantly pulled himself from his thoughts, absentmindedly rubbing at his tender scalp as he glimpsed nao exiting the room. should he be following him? nao hadn't said anything while he was zoned out, right? he was dressed now, so it wouldn't hurt to go back downstairs... his only concern were the rich partygoers. were they going to get moody if he showed his face again? the thought of bringing even more shame to nao's name made him feel sick to his stomach.

but, then again, being a child at heart, curiosity won the poor boy over and soon he was scampering after the other. thankfully not many people seemed to notice his weak presence, although he did get a few scornful glares and a handful of haughty remarks (which he ignored), so he was able to reach nao without making much of a scene. that was, until a smug-looking man kicked his heel out just as taiyo was passing. rich people really enjoyed tripping poor people, didn't they? this one must've been a friend of the banished witch, because he hid his giggles with his hand as he and a few others watched taiyo smash head-first into nao's back. he hadn't made any loud noise so no attention was drawn to him, but a muffled "oof" escaped his lips once he made contact with the other.

the sheer force pushed them forwards a little, but taiyo wasn't heavy, so it probably wasn't enough to knock him off his feet... there was no saying he wouldn't be surprised, though. without thinking, primarily to keep himself from falling onto the floor again and making an even bigger fool out of himself, the boy wrapped his arms around nao's waist, clasping his hands together at the front. this sent the offender and his small gang into hysterics, though they kept it to themselves to avoid being targeted and thrown out like their earlier friends. once taiyo realized what he'd done, he froze, still locked around the rich man. oh, god. now he'd done it!! nao was going to drop-kick him all the way back to mukami's house!!!

[miss kobayashi]

the drum of the base echoed to the entrance, voices and cheers overlapping each other along with heavy footsteps. but it was if, in that moment, only nao and his sister remained. for good reason, as hana was the favorite in his family, and wouldn't hesitate to tattle to her father about nao's increasing insolence. knowing her, she would call him up the second she left, and nao would have to move back with his father and mother, the greatest punishment he could receive. but, also knowing his sister, he knew she would be willing to take a bribe──despite her outer grace and culture, hana was a manipulative beast who climbed her way to the top with intentional malice. and she would even defy her father to get what she wanted.

hana finally shifted her body to mirror nao, eyes gazing down at him soberly. " you don't look too pleased to see me. and here i was about to say that i missed you. " her slender fingers reached over to softly brush against nao's cheek, long acrylic fingernails brushing the surface of his skin like demon claws. he scowled, face darkening at her words. what a lie. she hadn't bothered to see him when she had time, and she wouldn't bother to see him now unless he had something she wanted. he knew the games she played, and he wasn't going to be tricked by her. " why the hell are you here? " nao spit back, unaffected by her words. and, just like her brother, she, too, wasn't shocked by his attitude. instead, she smirked, sucking her teeth and shaking her head, she again making it clear that she was acting more mature than him simply by not losing her temper. to add to the damage, she tilted her head, acting as if she hadn't a clue to why he would be so upset. but she knew. they both did.

" do i need a reason? can't i just visit my faworite wittle bwother from time to time? " she cooed, resting a knuckle to her cheek while a charming smile spreads across her face. nao wasn't buying it. he wasn't buying any of her 'big sister' act. if she had really been a good sister, she wouldn't visit him once every couple years just to squeeze the life out of him again and again.

" don't give me that. you and i both know that you only come here to── "

nao was cut off by something being thrown directly at his back. at first, he thought someone had been reckless and thrown something, but a soft grunt of a voice he could easily recognize as poor boy from the second he heard it. the impact of the other wasn't heavy, but caught him off guard enough to make him stagger forward, eyes widening in shock. before he knew it, poor boy had quickly grabbed hold of his waist, a sensation that he hadn't expected──or disliked. he lifted his arms slightly in response, enough to move them out of the way when taiyo held on. he began to turn his head, enough to glance at the other in time to scold him. he finally caught a glimpse of the cowering male, confirming it was indeed taiyo who was clinging onto him. he was holding on tight, and he was... warm. he felt the warmth wrap around his waist like a blanket.

thump.

thump? what was that? was that him? he couldn't quite recognize the source of the feeling until he realized it was the loud patter of his own heart. nao was stunned. no... what? why in hell would his chest start to beat so quickly? it must've just been out of surprise... yes, that was it. he was just startled from the sudden touch around him and that was why his chest was going mad.

" friend of yours? " his sister's words interrupted his thoughts, and he snapped back towards her, the situation worsening the longer he did nothing. as quick as he could, he pulled the arms from off of his waist, brushing away any remaining warmth from taiyo. he was hit with a sudden coldness, that luckily eased the pounding of his chest. nao discreetly let out a sigh. at that point, however, hana's attention was all on the new boy that struck her interest. " oh, he's a real cutie. is he old enough to be here? he looks like he's still in high school. " she murmured to nao, although he was still too off to respond. hana didn't mind, or rather, didn't notice, and instead bent down a little so that she could be face to face to taiyo, offering him a warm smile. " hello. i'm hana. "

[quiche cat!]

luckily for nao, taiyo was an unobservant, clumsy young man, so even if the others whole body had suddenly gotten hot out of sheer embarrassment, he never would've noticed. alas, the poor boy didn't notice the man's quickened heartbeat—he was also wrapped too far away from his heart to even be thinking about such a thing. right now, among his racing thoughts, the ones that frequently resurfaced were 'nao maruyada', 'smells good', and 'maybe he won't notice me'. obviously he was going to be noticed; his frantic, naive mind was just hastily trying to reassure himself that he wasn't going to be thrown out of the mansion within the next five minutes. and it wasn't the fact that he was probably going to be thrown out that scared him—it had happened before, and was likely to happen again—oh, no. it was the fact that he wouldn't be able to fully repay his debt to nao, who he'd finally started to understand (for the most part), and the rich man would be left with a broken heart over his expensive—also broken—family heirloom.

if he could help it, that was never, never never never, going to happen. 'i'll pay back my debt if it's the last thing i do!'

with renewed determination to clear up the current misunderstanding and promise that he'd keep a low profile for the rest of the night, lest he cause even more trouble for nao, taiyo caught his balance, fully prepared to loosen his grip on the rich man, but something stopped him. call it fate, call it destiny, call it a woman's voice, but the vague familiarity of it caused the poor boy to freeze up once again.

"friend of yours?"

before he had any time to think, his arms were being pried from around nao, and a moment later he was standing beside him. for a second—just a second—he thought about how he wouldn't mind doing that again.

...of course, when he realized that he thought that, his cheeks flushed and he dropped his gaze to the floor. he was just fortunate enough that nao had been there to save him from a disastrous fall! exactly! and, he was thankful that the other man hadn't lashed out at him after he'd gone and done such a ludicrous thing. but, now that he mentioned it... the young maruyada really hadn't been scolding him as of late. taiyo braved a sideways peek at the taller man beside him, thoughtfully studying his aggravated expression. maybe he was scolding him, but because he was worried for the childish maid?

...nope. first of all, when did he ever think about things this hard? and second, how crazy was he going to have come to such an odd conclusion?! by the time taiyo had snapped out of it, a face was level with his, a beautiful smile plastered onto it. "hello. i'm hana." the beautiful lips spoke!! it took a moment, but soon the whole face came into view, and-- hana!!! "hana... maruyada...?" the maid's breath hitched in his throat as he murmured, and for a few moments all he could do was stare. she was... gorgeous! so gorgeous, it was almost intimidating! but, oh my god, was she actually talking to him? a poor boy, working for nao nontheless? this was insane! was he dreaming?!

"oh," taiyo spat out as he finally started to breathe again, suddenly realizing that he was being rude and thrusting his head down in a hasty bow. "i-i'm taiyo! pleased to make your acquaintance, miss maruyada! i'm so sorry for interrupting-- i uh, i was just leaving! i don't even know why i walked over here, ha ha ha!!" the poor boy's nervous, jumbled, and absolutely pathetic explanation eventually made its way out of his mouth, scratching the back of his head as he forced out a laugh. for some reason, he felt totally different from when he'd first spoken to nao... what was up with that? flashing a big, toothy grin at hana and unintentionally ignoring nao, taiyo spun on his heels, hell-bent on getting away before he sweat through this new shirt.

[miss kobayashi]

it was typical for people to be immediately taken by hana's beauty. along with her hourglass figure, pale skin, dark lips, long eyelashes paired with bright beautiful orbs──she was a vision for anyone to see. this was just her hidden skin, under, she was a bloodthirsty succubus, and she would seduce with only the intention to destroy. keeping in mind that nao did have a bit of a bias against any of his family, as he believed all of them had their faults, some more than others. he watched the two interact, keeping a close watch to make sure hana wasn’t doing anything suspicious. poor boy was awfully awkward around her, much different than any way he had acted around nao. was this how he acted when he was attracted to someone?

as poor boy stumbled with his words, hana took a step towards him, reaching out to pat his head. with one finger, she carefully twirled a strand of taiyo's hair around it. nao narrowed his eyes, feeling tempted to swat her hand out of the way, but remained still, balling his hand into a fist. what gave her the right to barge into his house and talk to his workers? she was more friendly with taiyo than she had even been with nao himself. it was like she was mocking him. she was mocking him.

hana let out a soft hum. " you're funny. no need to be so formal with me, call me hana. " what was this? was he suddenly an onlooker now? somehow, in the span of being unintentionally grabbed by taiyo and threatened by the presence of his sister, neither of them were so much as looking at him now. had taiyo not followed him? had hana not come here to see him? taiyo, who should’ve been waiting upstairs, follows him downstairs and the acts like it was an accident...? nao needed to end this interaction now.

" taiyo is actually working right now, so you need to leave him be. " he cut off hana from talking anyone rather quickly, asserting himself into the conversation with a small step forward. he had hoped that mentioning he was nothing more than a service worker would convince her to back off. " oh, a server? " her tone didn’t change, as she remained diligent by offering taiyo another sweet smile.

" that's perfect. could you be a dear, taiyo? i've been dying for a drink. " her eyes carefully made their way towards her brother, who at this point didn't even bother hiding his irritation. " i'm sure you could use one too, nao. " he wanted to attest, he didn't really want taiyo to serve any longer, but knew she would question why he wouldn't let a server serve. he would just let her do this, and hopefully, she would leave. eventually.

nao was barely able to pull hana to the side when he harshly whispered to her. " how long do you plan to drag this out? can't you just leave? i'm sure there are many other people who would gladly let you ruin their lives. " he began bitterly, a frown still etched on his face. " what do you mean? " hana hummed back, eyes flickering with amusement. "' i'm just here to see my baby brother. " her face darkened for a moment, her tone still cheerfully mature. " and get back what was rightfully mine until that little weasel stole it. " there it was. she couldn’t hold back her true intentions for long. " don't call him that. " nao hissed back.

[quiche cat!]

when hana took a step closer to taiyo and began twirling a piece of his hair, suggesting that they cut the formalities, all he could do was stand there and crack a goofy smile. this was a mostly subconscious reaction, as he was lost in thought again. how could a brother and sister have such contrasting personalities? it seemed like one wanted to rip someone's head off, and the other wanted to frolick through a meadow—of course, that was an exaggeration, but it decently made the point. he was at least clever enough to realize there was something going on between the two, but luckily, before he could blurt out this realization, nao curtly spoke up.

"taiyo is actually working right now, so you need to leave him be." was that a bit of sass he detected? wasn't he younger than her? then again, this was nao he was talking about—and nao would do what nao wanted to do.

"oh, a server? that's perfect. could you be a dear, taiyo? i've been dying for a drink." taiyo blinked blankly in response, knowing quite well that nao had probably wanted to avoid the maid serving any more drinks. "i'm sure you could use one too, nao." what to do? this was his sister, a maruyada, after all... almost in unison with hana, the boy glanced over at nao, though he was looking for any sign of approval that his boss would care to give. he was pretty focused on his sister, looking beyond ticked off in the process, but he wasn't disapproving, so... maybe he was placing his trust in taiyo one last time for the night. he could do it! he could totally, definitely, positively do this without causing any trouble, and then he'd prove his worth again!

'just you wait, nao!'

with a nod of newly renewed determination, taiyo set off towards the kitchen, indecisively grabbing the nearest bottle of alcohol and tipping the contents into a glass. when he'd gotten part of the way back to nao and his sister, he remembered hana's remark about her brother also having a drink, so he turned around and filled another glass. with both glasses gripped tightly and securely in his hands, the boy paid extra attention to the floor and the bodies around him as he walked, hoping to dodge a shoulder or foot that might be shoved towards him.

and... hallelujah! the two siblings were in sight, and he hadn't a scratch or a bruise. this was definitely an accomplishment!! they were arguing about something when he finally appeared before them, but because he'd been paying more attention to his surroundings than his targets, it was too late to turn around and pretend he wasn't there when he eventually heard nao hissing at hana. "don't call him that." call who what? his mind immediately went the selfish route and he believed they were talking about him. but then, taiyo being taiyo, he thought about it and decided that, no, hana didn't even know him, so she surely wouldn't be badmouthing him already! she was so much nicer than that! ...at least, he was under the impression that she was a nice person.

"i'm back! i-- i have your drinks." he held out the glasses to the bickering siblings, a sheepish grin on his face. maybe they would set aside their differences to drink, for at least a few minutes?

[miss kobayashi]

hana returned the grin with a soft smile, taking the drinks from his hands with a short nod of thanks. " such a sweet boy. " she cooed, unknowing of the scowling nao behind her. he was relieved, despite not showing it, that the other had gotten through the crowd without another mishap, something he would've guessed would've happened again. what he wasn't happy about, however, was the fact that hana was clearly treating taiyo with such compassion was to mock him. that was the only reason, he then concluded, denying any possible thought that hana could possibly be attracted to the younger boy.

" how about this, nao──i'll cut you a deal. let's play a little drinking game. " a game, of course. leave it to hana to make everything into a game. and not just any game, but a game that she guaranteed herself that she would win. all it would consist of is seeing who would be able to take in more alcohol before giving up. it was stupid, but easy to win, at least when it came to most people. but hana was different. there was no doubt in nao's mind that hana wouldn't do something despicable to win. nao was ready to shake his head in dismissal, but hana continued before he had time to react. " if you win, i'll leave. lips sealed. " she started, her wrist slowly rocking to stir the concoction in her hand. " but... if i win, i get it back. " that... wasn't a bad deal. this would be the fastest way to get rid of her, and he could keep what she was wanting without the repercussions he was expecting. not to mention that he knew that hana underestimated his drinking ability. after a short pause, she stretched her arm forward and handed the beverage to nao, who took it with a bitter frown.

nao knew he was at a disadvantage. from the confidence of his sister to the fact that he knew she hardly got anywhere above tipsy. plus, he hadn't eaten. the whole day, from what he could remember. in fact, he knew he had hardly eaten yesterday too. his stomach was empty, and she wouldn't let him eat before they started. in any case, the only thing had to rely on now was tenacity and stubbornness, something he knew he could outrank hana in.

" taiyo can be our mediator. " a red flag went off in nao's head, and he frowned, shaking his head in an instant. taiyo should've stayed upstairs in the first place, and he wasn't going to get in on this game. poor boy had already thought so negatively of him, making it apparent from the shirt spill. " po── " nao caught himself before the nickname slipped out, silently cursing himself for almost spewing it out carelessly. " taiyo should be working. " he glanced at poor boy, gesturing him to leave with a small head tilt. hana was getting fairly touchy with him despite just meeting him, and knew it would only get worse from here. on response, hana shrugged. " please, this late into a party it doesn't even matter who's serving drinks. " she turned her attention back to taiyo, a hopeful look gleaming in her eyes. " what do you say, taiyo? " nao also moved to look at taiyo for a moment, disapproval clear on his face in case the other had any ideas.

[quiche cat!]

well, taiyo was lost. lost, and conflicted. first of all, at the mention of a 'drinking game,' his breath hitched in his throat, wide eyes trained on nao. nothing good came out of drinking! taiyo knew that especially well—and that incident aside, drunk, bickering rich people sounded the opposite of appealing. knowing his place in this mansion, taiyo predicted that he'd be the one that would have to deal with them... unless shouta came to the rescue, but who knows where he was causing trouble right now?

second, the game revolved around "it", and whatever "it" was, was important to the both of them. that was also a recipe for disaster: what if they were talking about the ring?! maybe taiyo was being a little bit paranoid... but it was definitely a possibility!! if hana won and they went upstairs to retrieve the ring, only to find out that it was missing, hana would blame nao and nao would... well, who else could he blame but his maid, whom he'd found under his bed some time ago? even if the man was sort of softening up, in his own strange way, that didn't mean he wouldn't revert to his initial behavior and release hell on taiyo if he found out that "it" was nowhere to be found. what if he believed taiyo did it because he was poor, and simply stole the ring because it could fetch a poor boy a pretty penny? did he still think that way about taiyo? his little heart ached, thinking about the possibility of such a horrible outcome. it was an accident, and he felt disgusted with himself for letting his curiosity roam free.

god, he needed to find that ring before he got so stressed that he voluntarily admitted his mistake to nao!!

"taiyo can be our mediator." at the woman's words, he nearly choked on his own spit. the what now...? no! no way! nao would bite his head off—and looking at nao, frowning and shaking his head, only added to taiyo's determination to decline.

"po— taiyo should be working." coupled with shame for following nao down here and forcing him into this situation, taiyo felt a small fluttering in his chest. he'd called him by name again! it was silly, getting all excited over something so miniscule, but all else considered, it was a special occurrence to be called something other than "poor boy". even though nao had just called him that to calm him down a little bit ago... but that was beside the point! the small moment of happiness was shattered as nao gestured for the maid to leave, and with a dejected nod of his head, taiyo bowed his head and prepared to hurry back upstairs.

of course, hana piped up again before he had a chance to get even a step away: "please, this late into a party it doesn't even matter who's serving drinks. what do you say, taiyo?" ack! that hopeful look in her eye, plus the fact that she had automatically called him by name, made the boy hesitate as he lifted his head. should he? should he not? he almost gave in, but with a jolt remembered that nao was right there, and that he was already displeased.

"no... no thank you." hana was beautiful, kind, and seemed a lot more socially adept than nao—she didn't seem like the type to lead on others, or let them hang on her at parties just because their parents would give a boost to her career—but taiyo knew better than to act on thoughts like that. nao had just been rasied like that; it wasn't his fault. right...? "last time, mukami got me drunk and i broke nao's--" ahhh!! nooo! too much, he said too much! stupid, stupid mouth! hana's seemingly pure intentions had made him let his guard down, and he almost spilled the beans and said something he'd regret! not only that, but he'd called mr. maruyada by name. he had to do something, and quick, to distract hana from his slip. without thinking—honestly, when did he ever think?—taiyo snatched the glass from the woman's hand, and without a pause downed the drink in an instant. when he pulled the cup from his lips he grimaced with disgust, not having enjoyed that in the slightest.