"Teddy bear? From J.H., wow. He's one of my oldest clients. Him and a certain someone," I smiled, looking at Aki who was still asleep.
I was so grateful to the art community and my loyal fans for being so understanding about the situation. I could feel the tension leave my shoulders at the idea of having some extra time to recover, deal with my family meeting, recoup from said family meeting, and catch up on commissions.
"Wow. I'm...rather speechless," I admitted.
The others exchanged glances and Haru smiled at me, placing a hand on my lap. "Crimson, let’s go on vacation. We can go see your friend and stay for three days before your family birthday thing," he urged.
"And when we come back, we’re having a huge birthday party. No excuses, buts, or no's," Malachi emphasized.
I looked at the others who all nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess if you guys don't mind. I wouldn't mind seeing Hakua. Will Aki and Yoshi be okay with it?" I asked.
"Of course. Your happiness is our happiness. They would love to go. Aki's been there plenty of times and loved it," Itsuki reassured me.
"Alright. I guess we're going on a trip tomorrow," I beamed at them.
The guys had wide smiles on their faces and Uru howled happily.
I can't wait to see Hakua.
"I leave you for more than a month and you not only broke up with that asshole James, now you’re dating SIX hot sexy beasts! What's wrong with you?"
I rolled my eyes and lifted the cup of tea to my lips. I took a few sips of the steamy herbal liquid before lowering the cup and setting it on the table. I stared at my best friend who sat opposite of me.
"Nothing is wrong with me. Things just...happened?" I shrugged. I stared at her confused expression and smiled. She hadn't changed one bit.
Her hair was still long with its unique teal color, and her eyes were a plum purple. She was the same height as me and wore a white robe similar to my pink one.
We'd arrived at the sword training temple right before ten. Hakua had freaked out when she saw me with my six men in tow. Her parents were just as delighted to see me and took over today’s classes to give Hakua the next three days off so she could spend it catching up with me.
I'd made quick introductions and the guys told me to have a girls’ day with Hakua. They mentioned they would check in at the hotel nearby, but Hakua wasn't having any of that and offered a part of their home they had for special guests.
After the guys settled in, they went and did their own thing, saying something along the lines of wanting to go snowboarding, and Malachi declaring he'd kick everyone's butts. That left Hakua and I to enjoy a spa day. I got a full massage, manicure and pedicure, and even got my hair done. I really enjoyed the two-toned hairstyle I had during my date with Yoshi so I decided to have the same color transition done this time too.
Now my hair was past my shoulders, I could actually tie it up into a short ponytail. With all these changes, Hakua thought I must have hit my head a little too hard. She glanced at the pocket watch on my neck.
"So everything you just told me is legit? You were minding your own damn business having to wait for that sleazebag of a dick at that stupid lamp post at two in the morning when a thief crashed into you, dropped THAT pocket watch belonging to Storm Yuna, and you were somehow able to open it?" Hakua summarized, shock written all over her face.
"Yup. I don't know why and the guys don't understand it either, but I opened it and her essence crashed into me and now I have her magic. For now, we’re just trying to figure out what the side effects will be," I explained.
"Well, six sexy hunks is a side effect I'd embrace with open arms." She wiggled her eyebrows and sipped more of her tea.
"Of course you would, and for your information, a certain bartender misses you dearly," I revealed. Her face flushed, and she almost coughed up her tea.
"You mean Jeff? He hasn't called me," she grumbled.
"I've been trying to text and call you all this time and nothing goes through," I complained.
She frowned, putting her tea down. "I know. This place sucks, Crim. I feel isolated and there's nothing here. We can't communicate with anyone outside the area and I feel it’s done on purpose. It’s as if your father doesn't want me near you for some reason."
She took a deep breath before her serious eyes met mine. "Your father's up to something isn't he? And please don't tell me you got sick again."
"I...well, the guys wanted me to come here for a few days ‘cause I've been having health issues, I guess. As for my father, I have a feeling he or someone close to him is trying to sweep Storm's death under the rug like it’s nothing," I confided.
"Health issues! Please don't tell me it was bad enough that you had a nosebleed and passed out? As for your father and the Council, it seems they are putting some major effort in trying to cover up her death," Hakua commented with a frown.
I sighed and repositioned myself, leaning back on my hands to glance at the decorative ceiling in Hakua's room. "Well, to make a long story short, I almost died with the whole taking Storm's powers by accident ordeal and then I was knocked out for another four days and during the most recent incident, I had a nosebleed and passed out, which was what prompted this vacation. The guys thought I needed a break. Oh, there was the time I got jumped by assassins and I ended up falling off a building—"
"Stop! You got attacked?" Hakua shrieked.
I shrugged. "Ya. There's a lot of crime being committed in Nokamato now, Hakua. It's getting worse. You can feel it in the air. It's not safe to walk alone even in daylight."
Hakua crossed her arms and looked deep in thought. "What if this is their way of trying to divert everyone's attention from Storm's murder? The Council hasn't made a public statement since announcing her death and funeral arrangements. And you said your father cast the guys away and told them to return to Homatomashi and to just move on. The crime rates have tripled and everyone’s afraid of revolting because they think they can’t succeed. Storm was an individual many people looked up to. If she was murdered because of whatever set up or plan was initiated, no one else would stand a chance. The Emperor is unwell and is still recovering and his son still hasn't shown back up."
"If they cover it up and leave the people in fear, they wouldn't dare try to oppose a change in government. But what if someone from the outside is influencing everything and wants the government to change? Once they took over and we discovered they were the real culprit, they would already be in power, leaving us in a stickier situation than we’re already in." I bit my lip in frustration.
"Do you know who would replace your father on the Council?" Hakua asked.
"My mom probably. It's been a long time since I've seen her use her magic, but I’m sure she’s still as strong as when she was younger. Her team was well known and loved across Nokamato. The guys said there's a high possibility they would choose her," I explained.
"But even if your mom takes over, that still doesn’t get rid of your dad," Hakua pointed out.
"Ah, about that," I mumbled.
"What?"
"Mom's getting a divorce," I announced.
"She's divorcing him! No way. How? There's no way he'd sign divorce papers and you know how hard it is for couples of higher hierarchy to get through the process. They would need a serious legitimate reason. Not 'I don't love him anymore' or anything sappy like that."