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Hayato's older brother knew exactly how his younger brother was.
That boy wasn't the type to stay genuinely interested in something consistently.
Hayato often liked something because he thought it was interesting at first, only to quickly forget about it and throw it away the next day.
He got bored easily.
That's what Hayato's older brother thought when he heard from Hayato that he had met an interesting boy while playing in the park.
It was dinnertime, and 7-year-old Hayato told him about a boy with monochrome hair who helped him defeat some idiots who were trying to beat him up.
Hayato remained silent, knowing he would win without moving. But then the boy appeared, confronted the bullies, and even defeated them for Hayato, without knowing whether Hayato was capable of handling them.
It was actually a bit surprising to hear the story. Hayato's master and older brother knew Hayato's self-defense skills, and they were quite superior to those of his age. Hayato could have won that time, but he chose to let the strange little boy beat them and act like he was a weakling who didn't know anything.
"His name is Sakura Haruka, I think he lives nearby. I hope I can meet him tomorrow," Hayato said with a happy smile.
Hayato's Master and older brother exchanged glances.
They snorted, both certain that Hayato wouldn't be talking about the boy named Haruka for long.
That was at first.
But tomorrow, right when Hayato got home from school,
The boy declared without hesitation.
"I'm going to marry Haruka-kun. What do you guys think about that?"
Hayato's Master was stunned, his older brother thinking he'd heard something wrong that his younger brother had already decided to marry someone he'd only met yesterday.
And he was still convinced that Hayato would only be like this for a short while. So at that time, he responded with a smile and said, "You're still too young to get married, besides, what make you think that Haruka-kun wants to marry you either?"
"I think he wants to."
His words were unhesitating, as if it were the truth.
"What's really going on? You just met him yesterday and you already want to marry him?" Hayato's older brother knew it was a bit ridiculous, taking a seven-year-old's words so seriously. But how could he? It was quite funny, because Hayato had never been caught in such a trap before. Although it was also a bit condescending, since his younger brother seemed serious about what he said.
"I can't think of anything else when I see Haruka-kun smiling except that I'm going to marry Haruka-kun as soon as possible."
Hayato's older brother blinked.
"You want to marry him because he's smiling?" the older man asked, amused.
"Exactly. So what do you guys think?" Hayato replied.
Hayato's older brother couldn't help but smile, then looked at their Master.
"No, you're still too young," He said, rubbing his temples.
"Tch."
Hayato's older brother turned his head quickly, surprised.
Did this kid just tutted?!
To their Master?!
Him?!
The older man couldn't help but laugh at this.
This was truly amusing.
On the other hand, their Master seemed stressed about this, knowing full well that this was the beginning of something truly serious.
Hayato was the type who rarely had desires, but once he had, he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.
***
That was the second day Hayato had brought up Haruka in front of his Master and Brother.
The third time was less than three days later.
It was afternoon, as usual. Hayato's Master and Brother were in the living room, drinking tea when they saw Hayato return home with an annoyed expression.
Before either of them could ask, Hayato spoke first.
"Master, Brother, what would you think if I kidnapped Haruka-kun?"
Hayato's Master was flabbergasted by what his ever-patient student had said.
He was just about to say he was going to marry Haruka, and now he was planning to kidnap him? Where did this idea come from? Who did you learn from, young man?!
"You'll go to jail," Hayato's Brother replied casually.
"I won't if no one tells the police, right?"
"Haruka-kun's family will look for him."
"It's not a big problem, they won't know Haruka-kun is here anyway," Hayato replied.
His older brother stared at him in confusion, while their Master seemed still shocked by his disciple statement about wanting to kidnap someone.
"Criminal acts are prohibited here, and what exactly made you want to kidnap him?" Master Hayato asked, setting his teacup on the table.
Hayato snorted softly.
"He's too eye-catching."
"What is that? What do you mean too eye-catching?"
"Haruka-kun is so radiant. He's kind, he's cute and adorable, and he blushes easily, which makes anyone in their right mind want to be his friend, to tease him. Then today he found someone else to be his friend, so his focus is no longer entirely on me, but on the boy he saved from the bullies at the park." Hayato explained with an annoyed expression. "If I had kidnapped him and brought him here, he would have focused solely on me, right? That would have been a good idea."
"I don't remember teaching you to be a criminal," Master Hayato replied with a look of disbelief at his student. This made Hayato's older brother chuckle.
"Now, Sun Fei. If you want him to keep focused on you by kidnapping him, don't you think Haruka-kun will be sad? He can't play with other people, and because you kidnapped him, he'll be sad and end up hating you. What do you think?"
After his older brother's explanation, young Hayato thought, though reluctantly, he quite agreed with it and didn't want Haruka to hate him.
Well, it can't be helped; Hayato is still a child. Even though his words and intentions sometimes surprise his Master and older brother, he's still a child who still needs guidance.
"Then how about killing the boy he helped?"
"Sun Fei!"
**
The following days were filled with Hayato constantly talking about Haruka every time he came home, to the point that Hayato's Master and his Brother both knew every little detail about the boy Hayato had a crush on.
He had a crush on Haruka? Oh, that was obvious. What would you think of someone who even knew another boy's shoe size, except that he liked him because he noticed every little detail.
Haruka was incredibly beautiful. He had heterochromia eyes that looked like the most beautiful jewels, sparkling, and every time those eyes met Hayato's, Hayato desperately wished they wouldn't look away.
He had striking monochrome hair, his hair silky, and he was often teased for it, and Hayato always got angry when others made fun of Haruka's hair. What idiot would find that strange? Haruka was the most beautiful creature Hayato had ever met. (Hayato said this during dinner, stunning his Master, who couldn't believe his disciple could be so infatuated with him, describing Haruka in such an impressive way for a boy his age.)
Then Haruka always liked to fight. He was easily provoked, but it wasn't a big deal because he always loved fighting. He liked to beat up anyone who was mean and often smiled because of a fight.
"I love it when he smiles. Do you think I should be willing to get hit to see his smile again?"
Hayato's older brother gave him a strange look. "You never let anyone touch you."
"Haruka-kun is an exception," He replied lightly.
Also, Haruka-kun loves to eat, always accepting any food offered, especially sweets. He especially loves omelets, and he absolutely hates vegetables.
Haruka-kun always wears a white t-shirt with a gray jacket, sometimes taking it off and almost always forgetting to put it on after they finish playing at the park, so Hayato has to remind him (he doesn't mind at all).
Haruka-kun's birthday falls very close to Hayato's.
Haruka-kun goes to a school not far from Hayato's house, so he actually passes by this house every time he comes home from school. (After telling this story, Hayato always sat on the porch after school to watch Haruka pass by, but rarely saw him because Hayato finished school later than Haruka.)
Haruka-kun didn't have many friends because those idiots thought he was weird.
Haruka-kun wasn't used to being praised, which was why he blushed easily.
Haruka-kun was the type who found it difficult to express his feelings.
Haruka-kun was insensitive when it came to himself.
Haruka-kun had several scars on his body from fights, one on his chest—
"WAIT! H-How do you know that?!" Hayato's older brother raised his hand, cutting off his younger brother's words in confusion and astonishment
In contrast, Hayato's reaction was relaxed.
"I saw it," the boy said with a smile.
"Tell me how you saw it?" His older brother asked again. It wasn't that he thought anything of his 7-year-old little brother, but no matter what... this was Hayato, Suo Hayato, Sun Fei, his little brother who was sometimes a bit... unexpected.
"I've seen Haruka-kun take off his clothes," Hayato replied casually.
Master Hayato stared at him for a long moment, then Hayato's older brother blinked.
"Sun Fei, you-"
"He got wet chasing an old woman's cat down the street and ended up soaked because the cat jumped into the river. The old woman he helped took him to her house to dry Haruka-kun's clothes."
After that explanation, Master Hayato and his older brother both sighed, which honestly made little Hayato a little offended.
"Sometimes I wonder what both of you think of me," Hayato muttered.
"We also sometimes wonder what's on your mind." Master Hayato sighed.
***
Hayato's older brother knew a lot about Haruka because Hayato never stopped mentioning the boy every time he came home. It felt like he had gotten to know him through Hayato's stories.
But all this time, he could only imagine, because Hayato never brought Haruka home and they attended different schools.
Until one day, Hayato's older brother had just returned from the market, carrying some groceries in his arms.
As he walked, he felt one of his shopping bags grow lighter. Just as he realized the bag containing the mandarin oranges had a hole in it, causing the fruit inside to fall out, a small child shouted at him.
"Hey, your shopping bag has a hole!"
The voice was accompanied by a small, monochrome-haired child who swiftly picked up some of the fruit that had rolled behind him, preventing him from moving any further.
After a while, the child jogged toward Hayato's older brother, holding the mandarin oranges.
"These are yours," he said. The dissimilar beads met Hayato's older brother's reddish-brown eyes.
Monochrome hair, heterochromia eyes, slightly short, and always visible scars with band-aids on her knees and elbows.
He was Sakura Haruka.
Hayato's older brother knew it with just one glance.
So this was the boy his brother was crazy about?
Hayato's older brother smiled. "Thanks, I just realized. Luckily you caught them so they didn't get too far." The older one knelt down, leveling with them.
As Hayato had said, he was shy, but after the compliment, Haruka immediately blushed and quickly looked away.
"I-I was just passing by!"
Hayato's older brother couldn't help but chuckle. He was cute.
He hummed softly before taking one of the mandarin oranges from his shopping bag and holding it out to Haruka.
"Here, a token of thanks for helping me."
Haruka looked awkward, her hands wavering between wanting to take it and refusing it. Hayato's older brother came to his senses and reached for the smaller one's hand to place the orange directly in his.
"This is delicious, you know."
Haruka stared at the orange for a moment, before looking away with a faint blush on his tiny cheeks. "Thank you," he said softly.
"You're welcome." Hayato's older brother tried not to laugh at this cute child's reaction. Oh, he did have a younger brother, but he was far from cute; perhaps 'scary' was a more fitting term for Hayato. Don't missunderstood, Hayato was indeed cute back then, but that was before the little boy began to develop a cunning streak he'd inherited from who knows where.
Hayato's older brother rose from his squatting position and briefly looked Haruka up and down. The boy was wearing the uniform of an elementary school that was located not far from where they were standing. Nothing seemed out of place until Hayato's older brother noticed a still-red, seemingly fresh, abrasion on Haruka's right knee.
Hayato's older brother, who had already stood up, returned to his kneeling position and stared at the wound. Haruka gasped in surprise, taking a step back before he heard Hayato's older brother ask in a worried tone, "What's wrong with your knee?"
Haruka blinked, then looked down at his knee.
"I-it's nothing!" Haruka said, looking away, trying to appear fine. Well, anyone would know that a wound like that would still sting for a seven-year-old.
"Did you fall?"
Haruka glanced at him hesitantly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment before nodding his head.
Hayato's older brother snorted at the reaction, smiling slightly before extending his hand.
"My house isn't far from here, let's treat your wound first, okay?"
Haruka frowned, looking wary.
A chuckle escaped the older man's lips. "Haruka-kun knows Sun Fei- I mean Hayato, right?"
Those narrowed eyes immediately widened, sparkling with curiosity like a cat that had just been presented with a new toy.
"How do you know Hayato?"
"I'm Hayato's older brother. He's always been talking about you. Well, you're Hayato's friend, right? So it's no problem to stop by your own friend's house, right? It looks like Hayato will be home from school any minute now."
This time, Haruka looked excited, his face lit up as if he'd just gotten a fun new toy.
He nodded.
Hayato's older brother held out his hand, and Haruka shyly accepted it this time, ending up holding the older one's hand.
Hayato's older brother just smiled, smiling as usual, but you know what? His heart fluttered because he somehow felt like he'd just tamed a little kitten that was always scratching and wouldn't let anyone pet it.
He knew it wasn't a good idea to compare people to animals. But this was really similar...
Anyway, Hayato's older brother was currently holding the hand of the boy his little brother had a crush on.
He hummed a little, wondering how interesting his little brother's reaction would be when he found out Haruka was in their house.
***
Hayato had just pushed open the living room door when he saw Haruka sitting with his knee being treated by his older brother.
The boy's single eye widened, stunned, and he even rubbed it to make sure he was really seeing Haruka.
"Oh—Hayato!" Haruka exclaimed, almost moving to approach the boy.
"Be careful, Haruka-kun, and... Welcome back, Sun Fei." Hayato's older brother smiled at his younger brother.
"Haruka? What is Haruka-kun doing here?" Hayato immediately walked into the living room, carelessly throwing down his school bag to sit closer to Haruka.
"I met Haruka-kun on my way home from the market. He was injured, so I decided to bring him here to get his knee treated."
Hayato immediately turned his gaze to Haruka's knee, which was already in a cast.
"This man said he was your older brother, and he knew my name, so I came along!"
Hearing that from Haruka made little Hayato frown. Then Hayato's gaze shifted to his older brother before returning to Haruka, touching his shoulder with a serious expression.
"Haruka-kun, you're indeed sweet and kind, but please be more careful next time. Even though he knows me, don't you have the slightest suspicion about this guy's face?"
"Hey—" Hayato's older brother's smile twitched at that. See? His little brother was far from sweet.
After some light conversation, Hayato pulled Haruka around the grounds, inviting him to play with whatever he could around their rather large yard. And Haruka seemed perfectly happy to follow Hayato's lead everywhere.
Hayato's older brother watched them as they sat by the koi pond, talking while observing the fish. Haruka studied the fish with interest, while Hayato, in turn, observed Haruka with interest.
"That kid is really infatuated with his friend," Hayato's older brother snorted in amusement. He sat on the porch, sipping his tea, enjoying the tranquility of the early afternoon.
Stepping footsteps approached, and when Hayato turned around, he saw their Master walking over, his gaze fixed on the two boys by the fish pond.
"Who's the boy next to Sun Fei?" he asked in surprise, especially when he saw Hayato staring at the boy without blinking.
Hayato's older brother chuckled. "He's Haruka-kun, Sakura Haruka."
Their Master averted his gaze, as if asking what Hayato's crush was doing in their residence.
After explaining the situation, their Master simply snorted softly as he returned his gaze to the two young men, who had now moved from the edge of the fish pond to under a shady tree, sitting there chatting happily.
"I didn't expect that boy to have found love at such a young age," their Master muttered with a chuckle.
Hayato's older brother just laughed along.
"It would be interesting if little Sun Fei's feelings for Haruka-kun lasted longer into adulthood."
At that, their Master shook his head slowly, sighing once more, this time a little depressed.
"He's already thinking about kidnapping him at such a young age, what do you think he'll do when he's older? He won't just think about it, he'll actually do it."
"Huh... I guess that's true."
"I still wonder who taught that kid to have the mindset of a criminal."
He didn't answer, only laughing in response to their Master's heavy complaints, who had painstakingly raised Hayato to be a model figure, pure in body and soul.
"Please keep an eye on them, I'll be out for a while. Make sure Sun Fei doesn't try to sneak a kiss with Haruka," Their Master joked to Hayato's older brother, who responded with a soft laugh and a nod.
Fortunately, the time passed uneventfully. They played in the yard, then briefly went indoors to draw and read, before going back outside, returning to the large tree with the book they were both reading.
It was half past six in the evening when Big Brother Hayato looked at the clock on the wall, two hours after their Master had left.
This worried him, not about their Master, but about Haruka.
'At this rate... Sun Fei might not let Haruka go home,' Hayato's brother thought.
Just as he was about to start formulating a plan to persuade Hayato to let Haruka come home, the gate to their house opened.
It was their Master, with a man with curly black hair behind him, wearing a black sweater and long jeans. Hayato's older brother could glimpse several tattoos on the tall man's neck and arms.
As the door opened and the gazes of the two children in the courtyard shifted, Haruka was the first to exclaim.
"Brother Yamato!"
Brother?
Haruka immediately ran to the tall man, who immediately smiled in relief as he looked up at him and held out his arms.
At the same time, Hayato's older brother approached his younger sibling.
"Good afternoon. You are..."
"Hm? Oh, good afternoon. I'm Endo Yamato, Haruka's cousin, uh... consider me his older brother."
At that, Hayato's older brother bowed politely before returning the greeting. "I'm Hayato's brother, Haruka's friend."
"I met him on the street, and he asked about a little boy who looked like Haruka," their Master snorted.
"That's right. Me, also Takiishi—Haruka's older brother, looking for him because our little brother hasn't returned home for several hours," Endo said with an unfriendly expression, as if the people before him were kidnappers who had kidnapped his little brother.
Hayato's older brother flashed a nervous smile, apologized, and explained the situation. Although Endo accepted the answer, he still glared at them sharply.
Wow... Who Haruka actually is, really? The son of a Yakuza member?
Even though Hayato's family isn't exactly normal, they've always tried to live peacefully and avoid causing trouble. Now, a tattooed man with a murderous expression is staring at them for carrying their little brother? It's not an easy thing.
"Haruka-kun..." Hayato opened his mouth, staring at Haruka, who was cradled in Endo's arms.
Before Haruka could answer, Endo glared at Hayato.
"Oh—you again, the eyepatch boy."
Hayato's expression immediately turned cold.
Master Hayato and his brother stared at the situation in confusion, as did Haruka. They exchanged glances as they watched the two man glare at each other.
"I knew you had something to do with this." Endo snorted, "Listen, brat, Haruka will never marry you!"
"The decision is Haruka's! Right, Haruka-kun?"
Haruka blinked in confusion, "W-what-"
"You stubborn brat! Remember this, even when you're an adult, you'll have to step over my and Takiishi's corpses to reach Haruka, and that will never happen!" Endo grinned disdainfully, and Hayato glared at the man, clenching his fists.
Master Hayato swore he could see his disciple muttering some damned phrase he clearly never taught him.
Again, where did you learn that, young man?
The heated argument ended when Endo glanced at his watch and excused himself to take Haruka, turning his back on them after a brief glare from Hayato.
Haruka, who wasn't given a chance to speak, simply waved his hand as Endo carried him. The boy smiled, causing Hayato to lose his cold expression as he waved back.
Hayato's older brother touched his chin, analyzing the situation.
Okay, that's easy.
He knelt down next to his younger brother, patted the younger one's shoulder twice, and then said, "Your struggle will be long, stay strong."
Hayato wasn't offended; instead, he replied determinedly, "Haruka-kun is worth fighting for. I'll prove to that damn man carrying him that I can have Haruka-kun."
"I'll support you." Hayato's older brother nodded, encouraging him.
On the other hand, their Master looked at his two disciple with a tired expression.
He sighed, massaging his temples.
"Anything, as long as you don't do anything that breaks the rules," he muttered.
Oh well, let's hope that never happens.