By Ran Mouri.
Prologue.
The main hall stood in silence as he made his way to the small meeting room besides it. Many patted his shoulder or offered empty words of comfort.
Of course he acknowledged nothing of it. To him, I was like a sea of faceless, nameless figurines, thriving for a chance to manage themselves into his good graces, taking advantage that the heir of the Kohsei empire, Satoshi, had to be devastated, for he had not only lost a brother that day… he had lost his twin.
'What a waste of time.' Thought Satoshi as e scanned the room with his bright green eyes. 'Most should know there is no lost love between us, brothers.'
On a dark corner he spotted his younger brother Hayato, shamelessly flirting with one of the maids. Both siblings locked their identical gazes on the other as a silent challenge issued between them, and slowly made their way to the meeting room where their old mother awaited them in with what her eldest supposed was her newest boy toy lover.
"Satoshi, Hayato, so good you could actually make it." The woman smiles warmly, motioning for her sons to sit on each side of herself. "As you already know, our beloved Satoru is no longer in this world." She let our a soft sob, but to Satoshi's utter surprise, the boy's silent figure did not move to assist her in any way.
That definitely drew his attention to this mysterious character.
He was young, more than Hayato anyway, maybe 16 or 17 years tops, with short honey brown hair and wide blue eyes. He looked very subdued, almost feminine. Always staring ahead like a pale Chinese doll. The eldest Kohsei heir wondered what could this boy be doing with his mother.
"… Satoshi… are you listening to me?" His mother snapped, a little irritated. Apparently, the old woman had been talking and did not take well to being ignored.
"I'm sorry mother, I was just thinking." He said firmly. The matriarch arched a brow but did not comment on her son's rudeness.
"As I was saying, Satoru is gone, and although this loss may never be healed from our hearts, we have to learn to be strong and keep living, therefore I believe the two of you must take charge of his possessions and make sure they are well taken care of, like he would have liked. Hayato offered already to take care of the temple, but since you are the eldest, tradition dictates you can choose first."
Hayato smirked.
"Of course, brother, but you'll agree with me that you are most qualified to take care of the hotels and other investments our brother had, a temple would consume most of your time, and I know you are a busy man." Satoshi thought he heard the silent blue eyed boy snort, but he couldn't be sure. "Also." Hayato continued. "Taking care of the temple means taking care of young Yukio-kun here, and since we're closer in age it would be best if I did it, don't you think?"
Those clear blue eyes widened in sudden fright and Satoshi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. It seemed the boy knew his brother and mother, and was completely against staying with the younger man, only powerless to stop it.
"That's a lovely idea, Hayato dearest!" Their mother beamed with false pride. "Satoru and yourself were so close. I'm sure Yukio will love to stay with you!" The boy's frame shook so softly it was almost unnoticeable, their mother's eyes full of macabre contempt, and Hayato's smirk of triumph didn't sit well at all for the oldest man.
'Hayato looks like he's finally going to taste forbidden fruit, but the only way for the boy to be out of his reach would be that he's either mother's or ours.' Bright green eyes scanned the faces of his family. 'He's definitely not mothers, that much is obvious, Satoru got married two years ago in USA, so he's not….' Satoshi's eyes widened.
"I believe, mother, that as the oldest I would be the best fit to take care of the boy, he's young and needs discipline I'm afraid Hayato wouldn't be able to provide for him." He said finally, challenging his mother's cold glare with one of his own. "Also, maybe I can squeeze some of my time for that temple, if I took Satoru's hotels I would grow bored soon and sell them to the first offer, and that would be dire, don't you two think?"
That was his winning card. His mother's unconditional love for Satoru would strike his victory. It seemed Hayato knew it too for his face got absolutely livid in rage.
"Are… are you sure, brother?" It was his sibling's last weapon, he knew it. "You are a very busy man, you might not be able to give Yukio-kun the attention he needs."
Satoshi smiled for the first time since he set foot on the mansion.
"Why don't we let Yukio-kun choose? After all, it's he who will have to live with one of us." Three pairs of intense green eyes turned to the quiet boy, who shivered at the intensity of their stares.
"I…" He began softly. "I appreciate your concern, Ogata-san. And f it was my own choice, I would rather continue by myself." The boy stated slowly, testing his ground. "However, tradition was something Satoru-sama rather valued, therefore, I will humbly thank your offering of shelter, both of you." He smiled slowly, much to the Kohsei's surprise, it seemed Yukio had a brain and actually knew how to use it, contrary to Satoru's most former partners.
"So, Yukio-kun?" Ogata, their mother, asked softly, hardly hiding her distaste she felt for the brat who had taken her dearest Satoru from her.
"Well, I don't want to make less of either of you, but I have to accept Satoshi-san's offer. I'm sure he'll take good care of me." He concluded with a low bow. Satoshi smirked, his younger brother's teeth seemed about to snap.
'You see, dear Satoru? You wanted to be as loved and worshiped as our father was.' He thought with malice, staring at his new acquisition. 'You took everything dear to me when we were younger… but in the end I take what you loved the most.'
His eyes filled with malice as he saw the boy get up and say his goodbyes to his mother and brother.
"Your pretty little widow is mine now." He whispered, feeling triumph over his dead brother for the first time in his life.
To be Continued.