"Ikigai" He whispered while lowering himself. "Don't.." She whispered weakly as a last resort to push him away. He stopped midway and whispered back, "I know you want this too." She whimpered, not in denial, but in need to be closer to him. She closed her eyes and met him halfway with her neck stretched and his own bent down towards her. And then their lips collided, which had an impact of universes colliding.

It was not a kiss, it was awakening. Like the fire, discovered for the first time, like a first dream and as though they saw the moon for the first time. She was born again. They both were.

"Why was I born if not for you?" He mumbled between soft kisses. Molding her lips with his own. Living every feel of it, dry and wet. He grunted lightly with pleasure as he slid a hand under her head, to cushion it from the hard ground. "It feels like you were among the stars, I snatched you down for myself." After saying that he went to her neck, nibbling it lightly.

She realised they would not be able to stop at all, if she didn't stop right at that moment. "Tsuda... stop. The time... game." At which he replied, "Just a moment. Let's stay like this." He touched his forehead with her's and took a deep breath. For a few moments they stayed like this, then he huffed and slid away, after giving her a kiss on the forehead. "They're gone. Let's go." He helped her up and took her to the end like he was the one who made the maze.

"I grew up running and playing around here." He told her and she nodded. Her thoughts were pulled back to the past and what might have happened between Arata and him. This made her more determined to win the maze. She hugged the golden box and moved swiftly.

"Go out from here, you did it." He gave her a tap on the nose at which she scowled. He chuckled at her reaction and motion her to go, which she did. Soon she was out of the forest into their backyard. The cheering cousins engulfed her and congratulated her making her panic for a moment.

"Alright quiet down everyone!" Tsuda appeared after a while, in cream casuals. "Now now." He struggled a bit but gained their attention. The event seemed more like for them, than for Tsuda's welcome. They had so much energy.

"So what is in the box?" They all asked Avery and waited for her to open it. When she did, everyone gasped and started whispering. Tsuda took a deep breath and turned around with his hand covering his eyes. What was it? Why was he so tensed up by the jewel?

She stared at the thing in her hands and somehow it felt heavier than it was seconds earlier. Maybe because she knew it was something important now. She looked at the jewel and it took her breath away. It was rare thing, like a hybrid between a Blue Diamond and a Moss Agate. It had deep blue, green, purple and red smoke trapped in it. Like they had captured Aurora from the sky and had encased it in the clear diamond.

"Who was it?" He asked once he turned back to us. His tone made the whole den of beastlings turn quite like the still of the night. "I said who did this?" His roar made her flinch. His eyes turned to her that very instant and softened. That did something to her. And she knew she was done right then and there. He remained kind to her even when he was enraged to that extent.

He huffed and took her by the hand. At which she said, not a single word. "This event is over." He announced and went back inside the mansion. Between his quick strides he asked a maid about his parent's whereabouts and went into the main hall as informed. In there were his parent, having tea among each other's company.

He gently took the box from her hand and placed it near his father's feet. His mother gasped at seeing the box. He took few steps back and sat on his knees. Then leaned into deep prostration and said, "My deepest apologies."

His father took the box, opened it and examined the jewel while Tsuda remained still. She sat down too beside him. "Why are you apologising on their behalf?" At his question, she realized if not all of them, atleast more than one of them was involved in this.

"I am the eldest among them, I hold the responsibility of their actions." He said from the same position. The elders and kids went to sleep, so technically he was the eldest.

"Hold your head up. And make sure it doesn't happen again." He sat back up and replied. "It will never." He smiled then and his father smiled back. She had a difficulty understanding the relationship there. Where they formal and distant or were they buddies?

"You seem clueless to what this is." His mother said to her. She nodded in reply and which she explained, "This is out family crest, like a trade mark. The king himself gave it to our clan, generations ago." Her eyes widened, at the realisation of the offence the kids did. "It's late now, get some rest." At his father's word they started leaving.

Suddenly, Avery stopped, turning back to them and Tsuda followed. "It is the prettiest jewel I've ever seen in my life." At which his father smiled, then turned to his wife saying, "I've seen prettier." Before she could register his reply or be embarrassed, Tsuda pulled her outside saying, "We should leave them alone." He held a smile in his tone.

On their way they were separated by the maids and escorted to their own rooms, with a good night. She was soon bathed and settled into her futon. She realized they were nobles in their truest form, which makes Tsuda a true gentleman by blood and breed. She found that very cool.

She laid in the warm futon, silence deep into the night, warm yellow light coming from a traditional lamp attached to the wall outside her window. During that warm moment she thought about his parents.

How they had some wrinkles, even around their eyes, yet their hearts were as young as ever. Oh God, how he looked at his wife. How he talked about her. She realized it was a wisdom of it's own kind. Such peace.

And somehow she saw Tsuda in his father, totally and completely. Before she could even dream about seeing herself in his wife, she forced herself to sleep.

"Why are you always dragging me along every where you go?" She said huffing, with the sun shining directly on them. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be there. Bear with me please, I have to show you the rest of my family." He said while offering her a hand to pull her up the slope. She gave it a little thought before holding onto him, but she did eventually.

"There we go." He exclaimed letting go of her hand and letting her see what was infront of her. "Oh God.." She whispered at what her eyes were seeing. There was a field of alyssum, covering the earth like a white blanket. And in the middle of the field had huge cherry blossom tree. It was so big that it covered at least 8 meters of the ground. And under the shade of it were several light grey marble stones with golden writings on it.

"This is the resting place of the people who spoiled me the most." He walked towards a grave dusting it off with his bare hands. "Meet my grandmother, the loveliest savage you'll ever know." He went on and on about her and how much he loved her while putting a flower on her grave and poured water over the stone from a wooden tub.

He did the same to several other graves telling her all about them, never expecting a reply from her. "You love them." She stated. "Not enough." He smiled. "We value family and respect very much." She nodded at that. "Then why not Arata?" He stood frozen on his track at his name. "Arata?" She nodded and waited for him to say more.

"Is this the question you played the maze for?" At her nod he huffed and told her to sit. They set near the edge of the field shoulder to shoulder, only then did he start talking. "It's not that he hate me. He's just mad at me."He stated, at which she inquired, "Since High school?" He nodded, "Since High school."

"It was because of some fish" He had his elbows on his lower thighs and his hands gangling down between them. "Fish?!" She found that ridiculous. "You won't be that shocked if you knew how much he actually loved them." He started the story then.

"He got As in all his maths to get the permission from his parents to have the fish. That idiot don't know what english alphabets ever did in maths." He chuckled and shook his head at some memory of the days.

"He got them and loved them. Took care of them and everything. It was near the end of high school. When he needed to focus to get into a good university. So he was about to leave for a few days to live with a friend who would help him study. He fed the fish one last time and asked me to feed them for a few days." She nodded completely engrossed in the story.

"And when he returned, they were all dead." She gasped. "Yeah... so he fought me then and hated me till this day." She still felt something was missing. "Why did you not feed them?" She asked. "It would have been a waste." At his reply she was shocked even more. "What?" She exclaimed.

"They were dead already. He fed them the pepper next to the fish food, before leaving." She calmed down then, still a little sad for the fish. "So why does he hate you if it was his fault?" She asked. "Because I never told anyone but you, about what happened." Her silence made him continue. "He would have hated himself if I had told him that, I would rather have him hate me." She looked at him, gazing in his eyes and upon every feature.

"You're too kind." At her complement he smiled. "Is that a complement?" He asked teasing her. "No" "What is it then?" "My observation." He chuckled at that. They went down then and back home.

On the way he told her how he planned to tell Arata about the truth now that he was married and would have someone to tell him that he does not lack the ability to take care of something or someone. She was getting shocked every day since she came here, at how different Tsuda actually was from how she perceived him to be.

They were on their way home when she looked at the rear view and noticed how a black van was constantly on their tail. She looked at Tsuda but his eyes were on her already. Without saying a word to each other, both of them nodded and she buckled her seatbelt in. Because sh*t was about to go down.