Little Fox - Part 2
“Why is my father looking for me, Jun Kun?” Nino asked.
After leaving Ebisawa, both of them walked together to the settlement where the Yellowfox clan resided. Nino waited until Ebisawa was no longer in their sight before he asked. He didn’t want Ebisawa to hear their conversation.
“Nothing in particular,” Jun gave him a vague answer. “He’s not looking for you, actually,”
Nino was confused at first before he stopped walking and opened his mouth widely, realizing what Jun had done. Jun had been lying about his father. But, why would he do that? Was he trying to save Nino from Ebisawa? He could get into trouble if Ebisawa knew about the lie. Ever since Ebisawa came to live with their clan, he had spent years building a good relationship with people in Yellowfox. He already had a group of people who worshipped him. If someone made him unhappy, the worshipper wouldn’t hesitate to punish that person.
Nino wasn’t that close with Jun for him to risk this. He was just… Nino didn't know how to describe his relationship with Jun. As Nino was the heir of the clan, he should have a second to help him leading the clan when he was appointed. Jun was one of the candidates for his second, along with Sho.
“Look…” Noticing that Nino had realized what he had done, Jun quickly explained. “It’s nothing, okay?”
“But…”
“It’s okay… I’m willing to take the risk. It’s my job to protect you,” Jun said, trying to put a stop on the conversation. Reluctantly, Nino decided to respect Jun’s decision. Jun had saved him from Ebisawa. If Ebisawa found out about the lie, he would protect Jun from Ebisawa then. But, he really hoped Ebisawa would not know.
“Let’s meet my father, then,” Nino said.
As they walked together, he noticed Jun looked uneasy and he couldn’t help but think that Jun was bothered by what happened earlier. Should he ask about it? Jun had said he was okay with it but the way he acted right now made Nino wonder if he was really telling the truth.
“Are you okay, Jun Kun?” He asked worriedly.
Jun only nodded his head, which made Nino think that something was certainly wrong with him.
“Are you worried about what happened just now?”
“No…” Jun quickly denied. “It’s just… I saw those two guys,”
“Who?” Nino tilted his head, wondering what Jun had meant by that. Who did he see?
Jun looked at him in disbelief before he answered. “The two strangers in the woods. The people you were talking to before Ebisawa arrived,”
Nino blinked his eyes, couldn’t believe that he almost forgot about meeting Samii in the woods today. Maybe because he was too preoccupied thinking about Jun and Ebisawa.
“Who are they?” Jun asked while Nino tried to recollect his thought. “They look different. Aren’t there from the Bluewolf clan?”
But, something else dawned on him causing him to be agitated. If Jun saw Samii and the cheerful idiot, that would mean Ebisawa saw them too. Ah, would Ebisawa tell Nino’s father about it?
“He didn’t see them,” Jun said as if he knew what was bothering Nino.
“How do you know?” Nino asked though he already had an idea how Jun knew. There’s only one explanation. Jun had been spying him too. But, why wasn’t he aware of Jun’s presence?
“Well, as you may have thought, I was watching you,” Jun confirmed what he had been thinking. And he wasn’t angry at Jun. if Jun wasn’t there, who knows what Ebisawa would do to him. “Both Sho and I take turns to watch over you when you go for practice in the woods,”
“But… I never sensed you or Sho before,” Nino’s magic may not manifest yet but his sense worked perfectly well. He should be able to sense Jun in the woods, just like he had sensed Ebisawa.
Jun rolled his eyes at Nino as if he had just asked a stupid question. “We use the wind to mask our scent. You told us to leave you alone when you’re in the woods. But we’re worried so we follow you,” Jun explained. Ah, Nino felt stupid for not thinking of the wind before. But, he wondered why Ebisawa never masked his scent before. Did he want Nino to know he’s watching him? Urgh, that’s creepy.
“Are they from Bluewolf?” Jun asked again.
Nino nodded his head.
“How did you know them?”
“Do you see them for the first time today?” Ignoring Jun’s question, Nino asked him another question instead. Jun shook his head. This was the second time he met Samii and the cheerful idiot. If Jun and Sho had been watching him practising in the woods, he should have seen them before. Unless…
“I met them in the woods three months ago. You didn’t see them?”
“No. It could be on the day Sho was watching over you. But, he didn’t tell me anything,”
“Please keep this a secret,” Nino pleaded. Jun looked troubled but he nodded his head, nevertheless. He needed to talk with Sho after this to ask him whether he had seen Samii. If he did, it had to remain a secret. He didn’t want anyone else to know about Samii.
The two of them resumed their journey back to the settlement in silence. It wasn’t long before Nino found his father in the communal area, watching over the members of the clan practising their magic. Upon seeing him, his father entrusted his second to take over watching the clan and walked towards him.
“Where have you been, Kazunari?” His father, Kaito, asked softly.
Despite Nino’s lack of magical gift, his father had been treating him well. He never scolded Nino because of it and sometimes, it made him wonder if his father knew the reason for his shortcomings. Sometimes, Kaito had been looking at him with guilt as if he was blaming himself for what happened. But, it could only be his wishful thinking.
“I was in the woods… practising,” Nino answered. He noticed the look from the other members of the clan. A look of contempt. But, he couldn't blame them. He was useless as their future leader if he didn't have magic.
"Any progress?" His father asked in a low voice so that the others would not hear him. Nino could only give him a slight shake. Kaito tried to hide his disappointment, which made Nino feel even more guilty than he already was.
"Get Sakurai and go home first..." His father ordered. "I'll be there after practice. I want to discuss something with you three,"
Nino didn’t object. He bowed towards his father before he walked away with Jun trailing behind him. It could be his imagination, but, from the tone and the look on his father’s face, it seemed something was troubling him. He wondered what it was and if it was because of him.
“Why did you drag me away, Aiba?” Ohno scolded the guard.
Aiba had dragged him away before he could ask Little Fox his real name. He had tried to break free from his guard but the guard was physically stronger than him. Ah, he was so stupid! Why didn’t he use his magic on Aiba? He was stronger in magic than Aiba. in fact, he was said to be the strongest in the clan.
“I’m sorry, young master,” Aiba quickly apologized. Ohno looked around, noticing they had already left the woods where he had met Little Fox. He sighed in frustration. He had been looking forward to seeing Little Fox today. It’s been three months since the first time they met and he missed Little Fox so much. There’s nothing else to blame. As the heir of Bluewolf clan, he had to attend the political meeting and that’s what he had been doing for the past three months. Not to forget, his mother had also arranged a few social gatherings so that he can meet his future wife. Useless! He already had his soulmate. There’s no need to meet those women. His Little Fox was prettier and better than them who only knew to bat their eyelashes.
But… well, Little Fox was from Yellowfox. He should do something so that his parents would accept Little Fox as his mate.
Ah, thinking about Little Fox made him miss his soulmate more than ever. His Little Fox looked so pretty today, even prettier than the first time they met.
“I hope we can go to the woods tomorrow,” He prayed. “I really want to see Little Fox again,”
“Hmm…” Aiba gave him a weird look. “I want to go there too. There’s something I want to find out. Do you sense something weird in the woods before Little Fox chased you away?”
Ohno shook his head. His focus was entirely on Little Fox so he didn’t notice anything weird. He simply thought that Little Fox didn’t want anyone else to know about him and that’s why he had asked him to run.
“What did you sense?” He asked curiously.
“Hmm… I don’t know how to describe the scent. But, it was unpleasant... Like something rotten. That’s why I want to go into the woods again. I want to investigate. I think something bad is going to happen,”
Ohno stayed silent. Truthfully, he wanted to point out that if Aiba wanted to investigate, he shouldn’t get out of the woods and wait for whatever it was that disturb them earlier. Aiba might be overthinking but he shouldn’t dismiss the thoughts. Maybe, something bad would truly happen.
Nino found Sho in the archive room, reading old records about their clan. Unlike Jun, Sho rather spent his time reading than practising.
“What are you reading, Sho Kun?” He asked. Sho was too engrossed in his reading and when he heard Nino, he jumped in surprise.
“Young master,” Sho stood up and bowed at him and Jun. “Are you done practising today?”
Nino nodded his head as something dawned on him when he looked at the books on Sho’s table. Why didn’t he think of this before? Maybe there’s someone like him… someone who couldn’t shift… someone whose magic hadn’t manifested yet when it was already the time for it…
If there was someone like him, maybe he could figure out something that can be done to get his magic and shift. Ah, he cannot believe how thick he was for not realizing it sooner. Maybe he could get Sho to help him. But there’s something else he had to do first.
"My father wants to see us in the house…" He informed Sho, who quickly tidied up the table. "And I have something to ask you,"
"You can ask me anything, young master," Sho said, staring at him with his eyebrow raised. "Are you worried about something?"
"Well…" Nino glanced slightly at Jun before he continued. "Jun told me that you have been watching over me when I went to practise in the woods,"
"Yes," Sho answered. "We're doing it because we're worried for you,"
"Did you see… hmm… someone else?"
Sho didn't quickly answer him. He took time to stare, perhaps wondering who he had meant.
"If you mean Ebisawa…"
Nino shook his head, causing Sho to look at him in alarm as he realized who he truly meant.
"Do you mean…" Sho took a pencil and wrote in his notebook. There's no one else in the room but it's better to be careful. "... the two fellows from Bluewolf?"
Nino nodded his head. Then, he whispered. "Please don't tell anyone else about them,"
"Sure, young master," Sho said. "But, I want to talk to you about them later,"
Nino hummed in agreement. He didn’t know why the Bluewolf suddenly appeared in their woods. The meeting could be accidental but when he thought of the possible relationship between him and Samii, something else might be behind it. He wondered how Sho and Jun would react if he told him about who Samii really was.
“We better go now,” Jun interjected, bringing him back to the current situation he was facing. “We don’t want Chief to wait for us,”
Sho had finished tidying his book. So, without wasting any second, Nino led the two of them to his house.
When he arrived home, his father wasn’t there yet. He hoped to rest while waiting for his father. But, he didn’t get a chance to do so when his father returned a mere minutes after him. He wasn’t alone, much to Nino’s dismay. Ebisawa was with him, casting another lewd look in his direction. If only he could tell his father the truth about Ebisawa… but, no one would believe him.
“Why do you want to see me, Ebisawa?” His father asked as he sat on one of the chairs. Ebisawa did the same, choosing the chair next to Nino. He wanted to stand up, however, Ebisawa gripped his hand, making it hard for him to move. Too tight… There would be a bruise where he was holding him, he was certain of that.
“Let him go,” Jun suddenly said. “You’re hurting him,”
It was baffling for Nino to see Jun being defiant. He wasn’t the only one who was surprised by what Jun did. Everyone knew Jun was one of the most polite members of the clan.
Ebisawa let go of his hand and approach Jun. Nino quickly took the chance to stand.
However, before he could do anything to Jun, Kaito stopped him.
“Sit down, Ebisawa,” Kaito ordered. His voice was firm. Nino never heard his father used this tone to speak to Ebisawa before.
“He’s rude, Chief,” Ebisawa countered, showing no sign he would obey the order.
“And I will handle him,” Kaito said. “Or have you lost respect to me as your chief, Ebisawa?”
Even though Ebisawa was dissatisfied, he only snorted at Jun before turning his attention back to where he was sitting. Seeing that Nino had changed his position, he only glared. Thankfully, he didn’t force Nino to sit next to him.
“I ask again… why do you want to see me, Ebisawa?” Kaito asked.
“I want to see you because of your son and the festival,” Ebisawa answered, glancing at Nino. Nino quickly looked away.
“What about him?” Kaito asked, going straight to the point.
“Well…” Ebisawa began. “Your son will be eighteen soon so I want to express my desire to make him my mate. For this year festival, I want him to be my partner so that everyone will know he is to be my mate,”
The way he said his desire… It was totally shown that he would not take ‘no’ as an answer. Just like what he told Nino in the woods, it wasn’t a request, it was an order. For him to order the Chief of their clan, it was evident he didn’t respect him, thinking that he was of the highest position in the clan.
“You have to know, Ebisawa… It isn’t for me to decide who’s going to be my son’s mate. He is a person. I would let him decide on his own,” Kaito answered diplomatically.
“Well…” Ebisawa smirked. He had expected the answer. “If you listen to the whispers behind your back, you will realize people are worried to let your son lead them. He has no magic. If his mate is someone with a good reputation… hmm… someone like me, perhaps… people will be at ease,”
Ebisawa was threatening his father. That’s outrageous!
However, his father remained composed as if he wasn’t affected at all by what Ebisawa had said. He only smiled politely.
“Thank you for your concern. Kazunari will decide. If you have nothing else, you may go now,”
Ebisawa seemed like he had more to say. But, he only shook his head and went out without objection. He seemed to be confident that Nino would accept him. Urgh, he rather let go of his position as the heir than to be Ebisawa’s mate.
“I don’t want to be his mate,” He quickly said once Ebisawa was gone.
His father didn’t say anything, only stared at his mother who appeared from her bedrooms along with her two servants.
“Did you do what I ask you to do?” Kaito asked.
His mother, Kazuko, only nodded her head. “Are you sure about this?”
Kaito looked troubled as he glanced at Nino. “It’s the only way to protect Kazunari,”
Nino gave his parents a questioning look. What did they mean by that? What were they going to do to him?
But, he didn’t have to wait for too long for his father to tell him.
And, he was surprised by what his father wanted him to do.
“Young master,” Sho called him softly. “Do you feel tired?”
Nino shook his head. He still had a hard time believing that his father had asked him to go beyond the woods to run from Ebisawa. Both his parents had thought that Ebisawa would do something drastic soon, perhaps even seizing control of the clan from Kaito. If it truly happened, they cannot protect Nino so it’s better if Nino ran from the clan now with both Sho and Jun.
Of course, he was against the plan. He didn’t want to be a coward. If he was gone, Ebisawa would certainly do something to his parents and that would be the last thing he wanted to happen. But, his parents had pleaded him to go and so with heavy heart, he agreed, deciding that he would find someone to help his parents. Ah, if only he had magic...
The three of them left the settlement at midnight when everyone else was sleeping. As he entered the woods, he realized how terrifying the woods really was at night. But, he tried to look brave.
“Do you want to rest, young master?” Sho asked once again. They had been walking for three hours or so but he didn’t think they had walked far from the settlement. Sho had suggested shifting into a fox so they could move faster. As Nino couldn’t shift, he could ride one of them. But, Nino didn’t want to trouble them even though he knew it was really stupid of him to reject the idea.
Nino was tired. But, he didn’t want to rest. He knew that was selfish of him. Looking at how exhausted Sho and Jun were, he nodded his head.
However, before any of them could lie down to rest, all of them started to look around the forest, sensing that someone else was in the woods with them. They heard a rustling sound in front of them and then…
Two big wolves stood majestically in front of them.
Nino almost screamed, terrified to see wolves for the first time in his life. However, much to his surprise, one of the wolves shifted into a familiar figure.
“Little Fox?”
A/N: I hope this isn't weird. Do any of you have any idea why Nino didn't have his magic yet? Hint: It had something to do with Ohno.
Anyway, hope you will enjoy reading this. Comments are very much appreciated. I'm sure all of you already know this but ARASHI has uploaded Untitled concert in their youtube channel. So, let's enjoy the concert, ne while we have to stay at home.