Disclaimer: I do not own Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai. Minatosoft does.

[Chapter 1] [The Kazama Family]

"Yamato. Do you know what a country is?"

He shook his head, his still-innocent mind preventing him from seeing what his father was trying to point out.

"When the people you love gather, they become a family. When families gather, they form a town. These towns grow in numbers and form what we call a country," he lectured. "In other words, a country is a gathering of people who love each other."

"A gathering of people who… love each other?" He questioned, trying to make sense of the prospect that his father was trying to give.

"Exactly. And yet, if I say that I love my sister, the people will call me a siscon. If I say that I love my mother, they will call me a mothercon. If I say I love my country, they will give me a look of contempt. Simply put, you can't even declare your love in this country," he explained with a bitter tone. "Ironically, you can scream what you hate at the very top of your lungs and nobody will care."

"I love you though, dad," he said what instantly came to his mind.

His father only smiled.

"Thank you. I love you too, Yamato. That, I can say with pride." He closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. "However Yamato, a country like this has no future."

Indeed. Yamato could only agree with his father. If such a country where no one is allowed to love freely became an absolute existence, then it would only make sense to abandon such a place.

"Yamato. Would you like to come with me?" His father asked, waiting for him to answer.

Of course he would love to. His father was the single man whom he respected the most. He would try his very best just to receive his approval. But…

"…I see," his father said regretfully, as if he could see the hesitation in his eyes. "You and the next generation will be the ones to guide this nation."

His friends. The precious people that he met and formed close bonds with. He couldn't find the heart to leave them. The mere thought pained his heart. Yet he also found his father precious and didn't want him to leave.

"B-But one day, if this country becomes a place where you can declare your love freely with pride, will you come to love it again?" He asked with a tinge of hopefulness.

"Yamato…"

"I will work hard and become the prime minister in the future! Then I'll make this a country where you can declare what you love!" He announced, determination flowing through his words.

Again, his father merely smiled. "When that time comes, I promise you that I will come back."

That was the day his father left.

Naoe Yamato opened his eyes at the sudden rush of sunlight through the curtains. Leaning his body forward, he rubbed his eyes and yawned lightly. Trying to recover from the slight feeling of drowsiness, he stared into the empty space of his room. Nothing unusual.

"That dream again, huh?" He muttered.

Scratching the back of his head, he abruptly stood up and walked to the restroom to wash his face. He had a school to look forward to after all.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Yamato marched downstairs to be greeted by a big middle-aged woman that appeared to be in her late thirties.

"Good morning, Reiko-san. You are as beautiful as you always had been," he greeted as the woman turned around to give him a hearty smile.

"Oh, Yamato! You're a good kid like always. I'll add in some extra sausage for you!" She said as he felt his hair being ruffled by her broad palm.

This woman was Shimazu Reiko, mother of one of his best friends and the head of the dorm he lived in. If there is one thing that everybody in this dorm knew, is that the dorm-head is easily susceptible to flattery. If you want something from her, then throwing praises might be the best solution.

That, and she almost always expect something in return whenever she does someone a favor.

Ever since his parents left, Yamato's mother, who was a good friend of Reiko-san, asked if he could live there as a temporary measure until any further notice. Though it was likely that he would live there permanently for the remainder of his school days, Yamato couldn't be anymore thankful to Reiko-san for her kindness. Thankfully, to recompense that, his mother often sent her souvenirs and a lot of things from abroad.

"Where are Gakuto and the others?" He asked as he tried to stretch some of the sleeping muscles in his body.

"That useless son of mine is still sleeping! Come on and eat, Yamato, or you'll be late for school!" Ushering his smaller body to the kitchen, the dorm-head began to stampede her way towards the upper floor and shouted, "Gakuto! Hurry up or you'll be late for school!"

Not wanting to witness what was about to happen, Yamato hurriedly ate his breakfast, changed to his school uniform, and departed.

(Scene Change)

Walking towards the school was a short but relaxing task. The gentle breeze and the flowing sound of the Tama River never failed to tempt him to just lie down by the grassy riverside all day long.

"Yo, Yamato. Don't make such a sloppy face in the morning!" A voice called out to him as he felt a pat on his shoulder. He turned around to see a familiar face.

A slightly tanned boy a few inches taller than him and his shorter accomplice. Shimazu Gakuto and Morooka Takuya.

"Good morning Gakuto, Moro. You look 'awesome' as always, Gakuto," he commented with a thin smile.

"Aren't I?! Looks like that book I bought online yesterday really works. It's called '1000 Ways to be a Handsome Fellow'," He declared with a proud look.

"Umm… Gakuto, I think that was sarcasm," Moro added, chuckling nervously at his friend's jubilant self-appreciation.

"What?! That's a lie right, Yamato?" He quickly asked with a comically desperate look.

"Actually, it was sarcasm," Yamato informed dryly.

Before Gakuto could react, Moro quickly added, "Yeah, Gakuto. All the girls that went pass by us were whispering and averted eye contact from us. Though I suppose it can't be helped. You reek of perfume."

"Shut up, stupid Moro! They ran away because you're too puny and small!"

"What does that have to do with anything?! They were avoiding us because you couldn't stop being such a dunderhead!"

Ah, the usual morning squabble. They didn't even realize that they were attracting a fair amount of attention from the people they passed by. Some laughed, while others are showing looks of amusement. Of course, the two are still too busy fighting like the best friends they were.

Shimazu Gakuto, tall, tanned, has a somewhat spiky hair, obsessed with the pretty girls in school, unpopular, and quite the muscle maniac. He's the son of the head of the dorm he lived in, Shimazu Reiko. He lacked in intelligence but his physical build and strength were quite impressive. He was the strongest boy in their year.

"Come to think of it, Gakuto. What did Reiko-san do to you this morning?" Yamato couldn't help but be a bit curious. Knowing Reiko-san it couldn't be pretty.

Removing Moro from his headlock, Gakuto's face twisted in agony. "That old woman kicked me off my futon and twisted my body muscles with a suplex when I told her off… it hurts, Yamato!"

Ouch. Knowing how Shimazu Reiko handled her rebellious tenants, it must have been a painful experience. Although it was Gakuto's fault for always making trouble for his mother. If he was even a tiny bit wiser then maybe he could have avoided the beating she gave him this morning.

"Ne, Yamato… your mother is quite the hottie isn't she? Saki-san is always so pretty, unlike a certain mother of mine. Hey, hey, let's-"

"Rejected," not even letting him finish, Yamato shot him down. The agonized look on Gakuto's face was priceless.

Moro, who had been listening to the conversation, decided to join in, "Speaking of Saki-san, where is she now, Yamato?"

"Hmm, both her and my dad is still in Thailand. I think they're about to move somewhere else soon though."

Nodding, Moro gave an understanding reply.

Morooka Takuya. Shorter than average boys his age, his looks are a bit on the feminine side, timid when handling the people he's not familiar with, an otaku, and a true lover to technology, especially computers. Just like what it seemed, he and Gakuto are best friends. They can be eccentric at times, but Yamato didn't mind. They were fun to be with and there were never any awkward tension between them.

Yamato's train of thought was broken when he felt a small tug on the sleeve of his uniform. He turned around to see a pale, slender yet somewhat thin arm reaching to him, and spotted a girl with pale blue hair behind him.

"…Good morning, Yamato. I love you," she said in a monotone voice.

Used to these circumstances, Yamato only gave her a blank look and a friendly smile. "Good morning Miyako. Let's stay as friends."

"Che." As expected, even as she gave him a bitter look she did not let go.

"Yo/Morning, Miyako." Moro and Gakuto both greeted her with a grin.

"…Morning," she returned their greeting, and focused on walking while still grabbing a part of his uniform.

"Man, you're still gloomy as always. No wonder Yamato isn't falling for you," the tanned boy commented with a small smirk.

"…I'm still in my growing phase. Once the time is right I will seduce Yamato with my womanly charms," her cheeks turned red a bit, but otherwise her pace remained unchanged.

"I hope that day will never happen." And Yamato really meant that. Miyako is a nice girl, and she was still growing. However, her infatuation towards him was troubling. He didn't mind the baseless rumors that will spread in school (since it pretty much happened already) but her advances toward him were slowly getting more and more difficult to handle.

Shiina Miyako. Pale blue hair, somewhat on the thin side, cold to strangers, very clingy, but is very protective of her group of friends. Ever since Yamato saved her from a group of bullies with the help of his friends, she became VERY attached to him, making advances here and there. It unnerved him a bit, but at heart he believed that she is a nice girl.

Then a shout popped out from behind them.

"Everyone! Wait for meee!" A slightly petite girl in what Yamato recognize as their school PE uniform ran towards them.

"Oh, Wanko! You're late!"Gakuto made the first call to greet the running girl.

"Hmhm, I ran around the whole city today! Aren't I great?" She boasted with a puffed chest.

"Really? You wouldn't think she's the same crybaby that used to hide behind us right, Yamato?" Gakuto pointed out with a small chuckle.

"Of course! I need to be as strong as onee-sama after all!" She declared proudly with both her hands holding her waist.

"Yeah… but I think circling around the whole city is a bit too much…" Moro commented

Kawakami Kazuko. The shortest in their group, red-hair tied into a ponytail, used to be a crybaby, likes sports, always full of energy, but somewhat of a blockhead when it comes to school subjects. She was pretty much their group's mascot.

Her nickname 'Wanko' was because...

"Here, Wanko. Catch!" Yamato took out a tennis ball in his bag which he prepared just in case and threw it as he could.

A mere half a second later, the energetic girl went off chasing after said ball with a surprising burst of speed.

And after ten seconds had passed…

"I got it, I got it! Yamato, I caught the ball!" She promptly ran back to him as she handed over the tennis ball.

"Yeah. Good job, Wanko," He petted her head affectionately as he praised the smaller girl.

"Hmhm. Praise me more!"

The remainder of the group looked at the two with a mixed expression of pity, amusement, and affection.

Kazuko's nickname came from the fact that her obedience and trainable nature has a very close resemblance to that of a dog. Every time he made use of that fact, Yamato could even see her with imaginary dog ears and tail. He would bet everyone else in the group thought the same.

"A pretty girl falls from the sky!" A voice suddenly resonated out of nowhere. A second later, a blur appeared and touched the ground, revealing it to be a girl with a lean stature and long black hair.

Of course, knowing who she was, Yamato greeted her first. "Good morning, Nee-san."

"Oh, Yamato. Everyone else is here too. Good morning."

They replied with a smile.

"Hey listen, listen. That stupid grandfather of mine found me an opponent from a famous martial art school, and he turned out to be a disappointment. I defeated him in one hit and a few seconds after that he was begging me not to hit him anymore. What a big letdown..." She sighed.

"That's because you're too strong, Nee-san," Yamato pointed out dryly. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Hmhm. Onee-sama is the strongest, after all," Kazuko declared rather proudly.

"I guess… but I want to believe that there's someone out there that could give me a challenge," she crossed her arms as if in deep thought.

"That's pretty impossible though," the usually quiet Miyako remarked with a bland expression.

"Oh well. I'll just tease my cute bro for today, then," she wrapped her arm around his neck and brought his face to her still-developing assets.

"…! Nee-san, it's hard to breath!" Yamato lightly struggled, albeit barely resisting given the soft sensation.

…But he knew that given enough time, she would put enough force to match an elephant's weight. He wasn't sure he could survive the walk to school if that happens.

Kawakami Momoyo. Heir of the Kawakami Temple and the elder sister of Kawakami Kazuko. A VERY strong martial artist, likes to fight, the one person you never want to mess with, and has a bad habit of borrowing money from the people she knows.

Yamato and Momoyo weren't real siblings, but they really got along with each other and Momoyo demanded him to treat her like his older sister and him as her little brother. They were really close.

"Kuh… I'm so jealous of you, Yamato…" Gakuto looked towards them with a turned down face.

"Umumumu…! Yamato never lets me do that to him," the blue-haired girl seethed with jealousy, releasing her hold from Yamato's sleeve.

"Of course. He's my precious bro, after all," she responded with a grin. A second later, she released her hold and said with a playful tone, "Now then, the fee for feeling my chest is 5000¥. You can pay by reducing the amount I owe you."

Naturally, Yamato expected her to say that. "Sorry, Nee-san. You'll have to pay what you owe just like you did to everyone else. I'm no exception."

"What?! You're still saying that even after I let you feel the assets of a pretty bishoujo like me? You're a real demon, bro," a small frown emerged from her pretty face, but was quickly replaced with a grin. "Well, whatever. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off the hook."

"Really? What happened?" He couldn't help but to ask.

"The Kawakami Temple brought me someone I could challenge. I believe he was called the strongest person in Egypt or something. Anyways, I'm looking forward to the fight," cracking her knuckles, her eyes were full of anticipation.

"Eh… I see."

His Nee-san was always quite the battle maniac. She was the strongest person he knew, only second to her grandfather in strength and technique. Apparently, the whole world even knew of Momoyo and her abnormal battle strength. By no means are normal fighters, or even the gifted ones are capable of defeating her or the Kawakami bloodline without a carefully planned strategy and tactics. Lately, he even heard that his Nee-san was about to be removed from the 'martial artist' category and put into the 'natural disaster' class.

Why, you ask? Apparently shooting laser beams to space and instantly recovering from any internal or external injury by the blink of an eye excludes a person from being considered a martial artist, no matter how terrifying her hand to hand combat abilities are.

Suddenly, Yamato felt sorry for whomever was about to fight his Nee-san by the end of the day.

"Anyways, has anyone seen Capt?" He tried to change the topic.

Just as the group was about to say anything, a sudden gust of wind blew. A bike quickly passed them before braking and created a screeching sound.

"The charging wind is here!" A boy, clad with their typical school uniform and an eye-catching bandana appeared. "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Capt. Wow, is that a new bike?" Yamato was the first to greet him.

"Listen to this, Yamato. I tried to help an old man cross the road but it turns out that he was trying to feel my butt and take my bandana. I couldn't beat up an old man so I ran as fast as I could before I was too drained to run anymore. Then I realized I ended up on the mountains and tried to escape, but a group of monkeys suddenly attacked me and I fell down a hole. Turns out there was a lottery ticket in the hole, and by the time I got out the wild monkeys were nowhere to be seen. I went back to the city and used the lottery ticket I found. Turns out I won a brand new bike and a free ticket to the theatre for a week. Pretty neat, huh?"

…

Everyone was silent at this point.

"What's up with that monstrous turn of events?!" Moro burst out in disbelief.

"I'll give that 10/10 for the nice reaction," Miyako commented with a sign written with the number 10 on it.

…Kazama Shouichi. The leader of the group, blessed with good fortune, a very carefree person, likes his bandana a lot, but unlike Gakuto and Moro, he was popular to girls due to his adventurous side and handsome look. Not that he even gave the girls even a small bit of interest.

These kinds of situations happen occasionally, so Yamato thought they shouldn't be surprised at the predicaments their leader was trapped in.

"We'll be late if we don't hurry. Let's go," he reminded the rest of the group.

"Ehhh? I'd rather sleep by the riverside. Don't tell me you never thought about it, Yamato," Capt mopped as he shifted his attention to the Tama River.

…Of course he did. He was tempted to do that before he met the whole group. But alas, he wouldn't be swayed.

"Capt's right, Yamato. I'd rather chase after cute girls and fight strong people rather than going to school. It's boring," his Nee-san said as she suddenly popped in the conversation.

"Capt, your attendance is too low. And Nee-san, if you don't step it up you might not graduate from middle school. Your grandfather would be angry and the temple might stop giving you challengers," he retorted.

His Nee-san made a defeated look. "Gueh… you got me there."

However, Capt didn't even look the slightest bit bothered. "An adventurer does not need to go to school! I go where the wind leads me!"

"…If you don't come I'm going to lecture you about the history of hermit crabs and why they are the loveliest creature in the whole planet for 4 hours straight with no rest. If you fell asleep I'll throw a bucket of water at you and make you listen to me all over again."

Again, the whole group went silent.

"...Y-Yamato, you're scaring me," Capt trembled with a dreadful look. Yamato only responded with a glare.

"All right, all right! I'll go! But please don't do that again…" he finally caved in. Yamato smiled victoriously.

"The sadist Yamato is good too…" He ignored the comment Miyako just made.

Together, they marched to school and went on with their everyday school life.

(Scene Change)

School was relatively normal. The lessons they give at the 5th grade weren't especially hard. For Yamato, who loves to read (especially on philosophy books), following the teacher's lecture was an easy thing to accomplish. He wasn't in the top ten of their year for nothing. Wanko almost fell asleep a few times, and he had to prevent that by kicking her chair or on rare occasions, pull her pony tail to keep her awake (even if it did cause her to lash out on him after the lesson was over). He couldn't make the others do it for him since Capt was beyond saving, and Miyako sat too far away from Wanko. Moro and Gakuto weren't in the same class as him, and his Nee-san was a year above them.

He had to save Wanko from falling to the hopeless side of the group after all.

But even if their school day went smoothly, Yamato couldn't get his mind off the dream last night. The memory when his father decided to abandon Japan. He could still remember it as clear as daylight.

And somehow, the event kept on resurfacing on his mind.

A country like this has no future.

He understood why his father left. It was perfectly clear why.

This country is corrupt. It is a place where politicians will do their very best to topple down the upper ranks and secure a position where they outrank and manipulate others for the sake of their financial wellbeing.

Yamato wasn't lying to his father when he said he wanted to become prime minister. He, above all else, wanted to create a country where everyone can prosper and live happily, free from the corrupted clutches of the current government.

"I'm home," he called out, turning open a door.

"Welcome home, Yamato. Would you like me to serve you some popcorn?" He was greeted by a moderately sized purple robot with glowing oval eyes. This is Cookie, a robot created by the Kuki corporation and given to Wanko as a present by one of the Kuki family members. His name was… Kuki Hideo if he was not mistaken.

Cookie was really useful. His cleaning skills were second to none, he could serve as a secondary power source, and he was kind. Even though Cookie had only joined the group a year ago, he quickly became attached to them.

"Maybe later. Cookie, where are the others?" He asked the robot.

"Moro came by moments ago. He said he was going to buy some new manga. Gakuto said he'll come by later. I don't know about the others though," the robot informed as subtle beeping sounds resonated.

On Fridays, the group will gather and hangout until the end of the day. Since Friday is a day that lies near weekends, it was a perfect day for them to hangout until late at night. The group called them 'Friday Gatherings'. It was recently named. They used to play by an abandon lot near their school, but since it was going to be used as a construction site, they were forced to evacuate. Fortunately, Gakuto's family owned a building near the industrial bay of Kawakami City and they were able to secure a new hideout. Although the building was unused, it wasn't taken down because it was still family property. The group promised to do security checks now and then and take care of the hideout, so they were practically the caretaker of the building. The room he was in right now is right below the top roof and was the group's hideout. When they moved in, they brought in furniture, game consoles, comics, and other personal items the group wanted to bring. That way, they could have fun anytime they wanted to.

"I see. Say Cookie, can you turn on the TV for a while?" He asked the purple robot.

"Sure, Yamato. Cookie 2 change form!" Cookie declared, as his body began to twist and convert into something else entirely.

The egg-shaped robot was now replaced with a humanoid-sized robot of adult size with visor-like groves and a light saber in one of his hands. Cookie 2 was a prototype that has yet to be released by the Kuki Corporation. Cookie's upgrade into Cookie 2 was done a few weeks ago and now he could change forms by will.

The humanoid robot then opened the chamber on his chest and connected several plugins to the nearby television. Because the hideout was in an abandoned building, electricity was not freely available. That's why Cookie's presence was a great relief for the group, as he could be relied on as a secondary power source. But since Cookie will cease to function without enough energy, he was constantly recharged by Capt in his room all night long.

"Here, Yamato. You can turn on the TV now," the robot informed as he stood unmoving.

He mouthed words of thanks before turning the television on and switching the channel to the news section.

"…!"

A few minutes later his stoic expression contorted into that of anger. The government did it again. Japan's pension plan? Social Insurance Agency? Bullshit. All of it were nothing but a ploy to raise the taxes and for the corrupt officials to drain more money from the civilians.

Maybe his dad was right. Maybe this country is beyond saving.

He turned off the television, not wanting to see the smug faces of the crooked politicians.

"…Yamato, are you alright?" Cookie 2 voiced his worry, but he did not response. "Those bastards… if I have the chance I'd cut them to pieces with my sword of light," Cookie understood why he was angry. He was after all, a member of their group. He was one of the few that he considered as a true friend, robot or not.

He slowly walked over to the nearby shelf, and reached out to a stack of tidily organized papers. On the stack of papers were full of writings, mind maps, and ideas. Yamato called it the 'Kawakami Revival Frontier Plan'. How to lessen the levels of unemployment, raise the monetary value of the country's currency, providing more help to the orphanage, it was full of his ideas on how to improve the country's current condition.

But right now, Yamato wanted to burn all of them. Perhaps it was because of hopelessness? After all, who would even consider a plan drafted by a mere 5th grader? Yamato was smart. He was smarter than most in his grade, but he never shows more than he lets on. Although it was a title given to him by the group, he was still their 'tactician'. He was always a prodigy when it comes to planning beforehand. His intellect always got him out of sticky situations. What he lacked in physical terms, he compensated with his head. It has always been that way. But now…

Even his intellect couldn't seem to help overcome the dread that wallowed over him.

Should he give up?

Suddenly, the door slammed open.

"We're home~!" His Nee-san, Capt, and the others came in. Yamato reflexively turned off the TV, and the plugins quickly got retracted into Cookie 2's body.

They all stopped at their tracks and focused their attention to him.

"Ah, welcome back," he welcomed them, hushing away the gloomy atmosphere that he seemed to radiate before.

"…? Yamato, why do you seem down?" Wanko trotted towards him and tilted her head in curiosity.

"Ah…" He couldn't seem to find the right response.

"…! Who is it?! Who would hurt my Yamato?!" Since when was he actually hers? Although he did appreciate the concern.

Not a moment later he felt his head was pressed with something soft. "Who is it, bro? Just tell me and I'll take care of them," his Nee-san's eyes were filled with malicious intent for a moment, and she hugged him even tighter.

"Yeah! You can leave it to us, Yamato. We'll beat them up in no seconds flat. Right, Gakuto?" Capt piped up, doing his usual pose.

"Of course. I'll show them hell with my manly muscle strength," the tanned boy proudly said as he flexed his arms.

"I can't do much with fighting, but I'll do the best I can!" Moro happily added.

…Yamato felt like an idiot at this point. Here he was sulking when his friends tried to protect him. He felt pathetic.

"Thank you, everyone. But I'm fine, really," he tried to reassure them, though they didn't look convinced. "I need to go outside a bit. I'll come back later," he told them with a forced smile. They tried to stop him, but before they could he was already outside.

He needed time to think.

(Scene Change)

By the time he realized it, he was alone near the Tama River, lying down on the soft patches of grass. He could hear the rippling sound of the waters and his gaze remained on the undulating waves of the river.

"My dream… huh?" He muttered, a cold night breeze blew.

"It's dangerous for a young boy to go outside at night."

An elderly voice resonated to his ears. He leaned his body forward and turned to see a bald, elderly man with long beard standing beside him.

"Tesshin-san…?" He recognized this person. He was the head of the Kawakami Temple and grandfather of Momoyo, Kawakami Tesshin.

"What are you doing here alone, Yamato-kun? Shouldn't you be with Momoyo, Kazuko, and the rest of your friends?" The elderly man inquired, his white hakama fluttering from the light breeze.

"…I left them for a bit because I needed time to think alone," he honestly responded.

"My, my. Did you get into a fight with them?" Tesshin's brows furrowed, a playful smile formed on the old man's lip.

Yamato shook his head, "No."

"Then why are you sad?"

Was he? He didn't even know what he was feeling right now. It was bitter and painful at the same time. Perhaps he was frustrated, tormented by the fact that he was powerless.

"I'm not sad," he tried to deny it. But alas, the old man looked like he had seen right through him.

"When you had lived for a long time, you can tell what other people are feeling, Yamato-kun. Your eyes said it all."

"…" He remained silent.

"My, my. Young kids nowadays have too much needless worry. You should be happy, play with your friends, and have fun," Tesshin lightheartedly chuckled. "Although you were always different from the other kids, aren't you? Yamato-kun. Whereas Momoyo always looked for a battle, you tend to be very serious and very protective of your group. I would even say that you're more mature than you're supposed to be. Though…" he continued. "Looking at you like this made me think that you're still a kid at heart. Hohoho," he laughed again.

It was weird, somehow conversing to Momoyo's grandfather made him feel better. Perhaps consulting with someone who had more experience than him would be the key.

"Say, Tesshin-san," Yamato began.

"What?"

"Do you think this country is worth saving?"

…

Silence. For several seconds, Tesshin kept quiet. It was to be expected. He was probably surprised to be asked such a critical question by a mere kid.

"Why do you ask that question?" Tensshin's expression became focused and serious.

"My father… he decided to abandon Japan. But of course, you already knew that, huh?" He lightly chuckled. His father's departure was a sad topic for most people in Kawakami City who knew his father well. Momoyo's grandfather was no exception. Because his father was a business man who constantly expanded his connections. He was well-liked within the city.

"After seeing what the corrupted politicians had done, I completely understand why he did," Yamato sighed in defeat. The old martial artist merely listened.

"You know, Tesshin-san. My dream is to be the prime minister one day," he closed his eyes, past memories flooding back to him. "I promised my father. Once I became the prime minister and change this country for the better, he said he will come back. I was glad, and I started working hard," he lamented, trying to suppress the bitter tone in his voice.

"But now, I'm starting to think that it's all a pipe dream…" he finished. Another cold breeze blew, and Yamato felt cold. He hated this feeling; this feeling of helplessness.

"…You really are your father's son. I can see where you take from," Yamato felt a hand on his head. Tesshin's hand was rough –as expected from a master of martial arts- but comforting. It reminded him of his dad's for some reason.

"Yamato-kun. Do you know what makes a country?" Tesshin sagely asked as he sat down beside him.

"…!" He almost gasped in surprise. How did he…?

"When people love each other, they form a family. When families gather, a town is formed. They grow and become the country that we see today. Have you ever heard of this philosophy?" The old man stroked his beard, waiting for him to answer.

"How did you…?" He began, but was cut off.

"How did I know? That's because I was the one who taught this to your father, Yamato-kun," Tesshin informed. Yamato was too flabbergasted to say anything.

"Your father… he used to come by the Kawakami Temple a lot. We used to play shogi together to pass by time. But when he was young, he was quite the troublemaker. He used to consult his problems to me."

"Ah…"

His father, a troublemaker? He certainly couldn't imagine that.

"Now then, getting back to the matter at hand. Yamato-kun. Have you ever felt that you lost sight of your goal?"

"Lost sight of my… goal?" He repeated what the old man said.

"Exactly. You said you wanted to become the prime minister so that your father would come back, did you not? Is that really the only reason?"

Was it his only reason? He didn't know. Throughout his whole life, Yamato had admired his father. His wish was to be recognized by that man. However, is that the complete truth? Was his drive fueled by such a shallow reason? He tried to think. Think of another reason.

Images flowed in his mind. Images of His friends. Images of the Kazama Family.

Memories of the promise that he made with Momoyo.

"I…" he tried to form the words with his mouth. "My friends. The Kazama Family. I want to protect them," he firmly concluded.

"Umu. That is a good answer," Tesshin nodded in approval, ruffling his hair. He didn't mind.

"But I lacked power," he added. It was a fact drilled into his mind ever since he became rooted to the Kazama Family.

Momoyo was the strongest person in school, and in the future she would very likely the strongest in the country. Wanko, who used to be the weakling of the group, had begun to train hard in the Kawakami Temple in order to someday reach her sister's level. Miyako was a true prodigy in archery, and he had no doubt that she would become stronger in the future as well. Gakuto has a monstrous determination in working out; Moro was very knowledgeable in terms of modern technologies. And Capt was his usual self, a 'hero' who was admired by others due to this bravery and illogical luck streaks.

Yamato had always abided the principle that 'intellect is power'. If he could not fight using his body, then he would use his head instead. He read a lot of books, studied hard tricks, and followed his father's past advice. He avoided needless conflicts, and formed connections with people. He planned things beforehand; that was the most important single aspect that his father had told him to do.

But Yamato felt that it wasn't enough.

"Then are you just going to sit there and watch the people around you while you are feeling helpless?"

"…!" He was right.

He couldn't accomplish anything by loafing around in frustration. He was better than that.

If you can't achieve something, then do everything you can to seize it and make it yours.

That was what his father told him.

He stood up.

"Thank you, Tesshin-san," he lightly tackled the much older man and gave him a small hug of gratitude.

The old martial artist only chuckled in response, "Don't mind it. It's the job of us adults to guide the younger ones."

And with that, Yamato ran off. He had something important to do… and announce to the rest of the Kazama Family.

"My, my. Even Yamato-kun could be a handful at times. Though I suppose he got that from his parents," Kawakami Tesshin caressed his old beard, savoring the atmosphere of the night.

He closed his eyes in silent contemplation.

"Naoe Yamato. He might be the only one that can change Momoyo for the better."

He stood in front of the hideout's door, bracing himself.

Calm down. He had to be prepared. He needed to tell them.

Taking several calm breaths, Yamato sighed in relief. Good, he was ready. He reached out for the door handle.

But surprisingly, the door opened by itself before he could, and before him was revealed to be a scowling black-haired girl. His Nee-san.

"How long are you going to stand there?" She asked in a scolding tone, taking him by his arm.

Losing all of his previously gathered mental preparedness, Yamato was taken by surprise, "W-Wait, Nee-san!"

Then he saw it. His friends. The rest of the Kazama Family. They were all looking at him with smiles plastered on their faces, and beneath their expression there was something that he couldn't identify. And for Yamato, their smiles brought a sense of warmth and comfort in his heart.

Because he belonged in the Kazama Family. It was an irrevocable fact.

"Here, Yamato! You can have this cake that I received from the owner of that nearby sweets shop. So cheer up, alright?" Capt said as he placed the cake on the table.

Gakuto steered near him and gave him a grin, "You can borrow the magazines that I have to get more popular with girls. You'll need to thank me later, Yamato."

"Y-You guys…" He stammered, happiness swelling in him.

His Nee-san turned to face him. On her face was not a scowl or a frown, but a caring smile.

"We heard, you know. Cookie told us."

Ah. He forgot that Cookie was with him when he showed his display of anger. It was no wonder that when he ran away, they would ask Cookie to tell them what had happened that made him upset.

Speaking of Cookie, he should be in his recharge session right about now.

"Ahahaha. Sometimes Yamato think too much. As expected of the Tactician," Moro laughed a bit.

"I love that part of you though, Yamato," holding her cheeks with both hands, Miyako faked a blush.

"Hey hey, Yamato…" Wanko leaned close to him, staring at him with a peculiar expression.

"What is it?" He asked as a response.

"Do you hate Japan?"

Somehow, that question didn't take him off-guard. He expected it. They all knew that his father abandoned this country, therefore they wanted to make sure if he felt the same way.

However, Yamato always knew the right answer.

"No. I don't," he confidently replied. "Because…"

"If I was born in any other country, I wouldn't be able to meet you guys."

Their faces told him that they weren't expecting such an answer, but nonetheless he could tell that they were happy hearing that.

"Oi oi. Don't go all mushy, Yamato. I'd rather have a girl do that with me instead," Gakuto said with a smug look, though it was obvious he was faking it.

Then his eyes spotted a blue blur coming directly at him.

"Yamato I love you too! Let's get married!" He narrowly evaded her assault by ducking to the left.

"Are you stupid?! That was not a declaration of love!" He loudly berated the blue-haired girl, preparing himself for another onslaught of her forcing herself on him.

"Che. I missed," she clicked her tongue in annoyance. He really couldn't let down his guard when she is near.

Then he heard his Nee-san loudly clearing her throat for everyone to hear.

"Anyways! Now you get our message, Yamato? We know how you felt that this country is corrupt and there are little things that we can do to change it," she closed her eyes, crossing her arms. "But isn't that fine? As long as you work hard, then I- no, we believe that you can change this country for the better. After all, you are the Tactician of the Kazama Family. You will always think of a way… right, bro?"

They trusted him. And he valued their trust. They were the few among many that he could really declare as 'friends' rather than acquaintances. He was fortunate to have them with him; to have his friends watching his back.

And he loved them because of it.

Because of that…

"You're right, Nee-san. But I can't do that. I can't just stand behind the frontlines anymore."

"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.

He wanted to protect them. Even though he was supposed to be their 'tactician', he felt that it wasn't enough.

Someday, there will be a time when his intellect won't be enough to help them.

And he was afraid of the time when it will come.

"I want to become stronger. But I'll never be as strong as you, Nee-san. So training my body won't prove to have much result. Still… I won't give up," he openly announced, his eyes not leaving its focus. "That is why I want to learn more. If I can't become stronger using my body, then I'll do it using my mind. And because of that…"

"I want to learn from my dad."

The revelation of his intention seemed to hit them like a truck.

"…Eh?" His Nee-san trailed off.

"You're… leaving? Yamato?" Moro asked; his eyes wide and unbelieving.

The atmosphere turned heavier, but he didn't mind. He needed to tell them. He needed to convince them.

"O-Oi. This isn't one of your little jokes is it? You're really going away?" Gakuto nervously questioned him, his usual boisterous disposition nowhere in sight.

"I'm serious about this, Gakuto. I can't just stand by and do nothing anymore. I already made up my mind," he retorted.

"Well, if that's what he really wants, then shouldn't we let him?" This time, Capt was the one who talked.

"…Capt?!" Moro gasped in surprise, not expecting Capt of all people to say that.

"Well… Yamato seemed to have put a lot of thought into it. He never does something without thinking, so he must have a really good reason. And…" He continued. "Man, I'm envious. You're going to other countries, Yamato. It's like you're having an adventure of your own. I'm really jealous."

Moro nodded, though a bit unconvinced. "I know. It's just that…" Moro shifted his attention towards Miyako.

The blue-haired girl looked scared. Terrified even.

"Y-Y-Yamato. It's not true is it? You're r-really leaving?" She stammered with her eyes at the brink of tears. Guilt suddenly stabbed away at his heart, but he was prepared for this as well.

His silence made her even more afraid than before.

"Don't go. Please don't go. I'll do anything, so please…!" Tears rushed down her face, as she ran to him, hugging his chest.

Miyako had always been bullied by other students in their class. But Yamato put a stop to it. He invited her to the Kazama Family, and the bullying eventually stopped. Perhaps, she was acting this way because she felt indebted towards him, who saved her from her loneliness and despair.

But Yamato felt that he didn't deserve her affection.

Because before he had saved her, he had turned a blind eye towards her.

He reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief, wiping away the tears from her white skin. Before long, he placed his hand on her hair and caressed it.

"You know I can't do that, Miyako." The only response he got was more sniffling from the girl.

"…Miyako, can you do me a favor?" He gently asked the shorter girl.

It took a couple of minutes before she started to calm down. She wiped her eyes and gave a questioning look at him, "W-What is it?"

"Will you look out for the Family in my place until I come back? Make sure that they don't get themselves in a big mess while I'm gone?"

Slowly and reluctantly, she nodded. And for that, he was glad. Miyako was smart, smarter than most in their group. She would probably be able to keep them away from trouble in his place.

Then the shortest of the group, Wanko, came to him. Like Miyako, there were tears welling on the edge of her eyes, but it seemed that she was trying her best to hold it in.

"Yamato… I don't want you to go…" she looked towards him with a depressed face. Truthfully, the way Wanko looked at him fulfilled the criteria of an excellent 'Puppy-dog eyes'. He instantaneously felt like he was about to abandon his beloved pet. And the feeling didn't sit well with him.

"But I won't cry! Because you're coming back… right, Yamato?" She was trying her best to look cheerful. For his sake.

"Of course. I'll definitely come back. This place is my home, after all," he said with a chuckle.

"Then it's fine! Because Yamato never broke his promises!" He could feel that she was forcing herself to be cheerful. She truly was a wonderful friend.

"That's right. You're a good girl, Wanko," he patted her head with praise. She seemed to take it well enough as she responded with a satisfied laugh.

Creak!

A sound of breaking wood resounded. He shifted his glance towards the source of the sound, finding out that one of the wooden tables split in half.

And the one who broke it was Nee-san, who had her fist pointed over it.

He knew it was not going to be easy. His Nee-san was the greatest obstacle that he had to pass for him to follow his goal.

"Yamato. Come with me to the rooftop," It was not a request but an order. Yamato recognized her tone of voice. She was angry.

The only thing Yamato could do now was to obey and follow, ignoring the worried look of their friends.

(Scene Change)

It was weird. They had always gotten along. They never fought, not even once. But as they say, there is always a first to everything. Even if he may loathe the situation he was in right now, there was no other choice but to face it head on.

Footsteps sounded as they made their way towards the top of the building. An uncomfortable silence hanged around in the air.

They reached the top, and were met with a huge breeze. His nee-san turned, her recently turned long hair fluttering beautifully.

"Yamato. I'll be blunt. I don't want you to leave. Or rather I won't let you leave."

As expected, she was straight to the point.

"You don't have to be stronger. Just leave all the fighting to me and do what you always do," her tone was somehow cold. He couldn't bear it. Somehow, seeing her like this saddened him. There were no tears in her eyes, but he could tell that somewhere within those deep, ruby colored eyes, she was afraid.

"Nee-san," he tried to call out to her, but she wouldn't listen.

"Yamato. You're my underling aren't you? You promised to me that you would always follow me didn't you?" Slowly, he began to detect weakness in her tone.

"Nee-san," he called out again once more, but to no avail.

"And you're just going to leave? Are you going to break our contract?" Her tone began to get louder after each word. But slowly, it became weaker. "…Are you going to leave me alone like my parents?"

Ah. So that was it. Kawakami Momoyo's parents were travelling martial arts. When Momoyo was just a mere four years old, they left her to her grandfather, Kawakami Tesshin. He heard that they came back once or twice a year, but it must have been lonely. Yamato knew of that feeling, because his parents were travelling as well. But he had his friends, so the loneliness was bearable.

But now, one of the figure that kept her from that feeling was about to go far, far away. And that figure was someone whom she considered as her precious little brother.

Therefore, he understood what she was feeling. If he was placed in her position, he was most likely to become angry as well.

He hugged her. She gasped in puzzlement.

"Nee-san. Do you remember our promise?" He murmured slowly to her ears.

"…Huh?"

"The day I promised that I would become your underling… I said that someday, I would break free from that position and stand as your equal. I promised that I would stand beside you as the prime minister of Japan," he recalled that particular moment of the past. Back then, his Nee-san had shorter hair and he was too overconfident of his intellect. However, it was a precious memory that he retained deeply in his heart.

"…!"

"I'm not going to go away forever, you know. Once senior high-school starts, I'll come back and rejoin the Kazama Family," he smiled, shifting his head towards the night sky.

"I'm doing thing because I want to be approved by my dad… and you."

Suddenly, she tightened their hug. It was somehow suffocating, but he could only feel comfort at her embrace.

"…I'm sorry, Yamato. I let my selfishness get ahead of me," she said in an apologetic voice.

She understood. He was happy because of that.

"You'll definitely come back, right?" She asked him once more. He nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'll kill you if you break your promise," she added, though there was no hostility in her tone.

"Yeah."

"You'll always be my bro… right?"

"…Yeah."

"…What's up with that delayed response?" She gave him an even more intense crushing hug.

"O-Ouch, ouch. Nee-san, s-stop it!" He yelped in pain. A few moments after he was relieved that she had released the pressure.

Another moment of silence. But this time, there was no heavy atmosphere around them. Only solace.

"Be safe… okay, Yamato?" She asked with a gentle tone.

"Alright, Nee-san," he gave her an assuring response.

"If I found you in trouble, I'll run over and safe you from danger," she whispered softly to his ears.

He chuckled heartily, "That sounds like what you would do."

"Of course. I'll beat down anybody who would dare hurt my cute little brother. You'll have to treat me after that though."

Typical of his Nee-san. But it was fine.

He had gotten her acceptance.

Now, all that matters was to give his best.

He would learn and train hard.

For his goal. For the Kazama Family.

And to fulfill the promise he made with his Nee-san.

…

He would not fail her expectations.

No matter what.

(Scene Change)

Today was the day. His dad would come over and pick him up.

He checked all of his belongings, and confirmed that he already had everything that he needed to bring.

It was time.

"Yamato, are you ready?" An older voice, his dad's, was heard. His dad had entered his room. The pale, long white hair and short beard was exceptionally familiar. His name was Naoe Kagekiyo, the business man whom was said to be capable of shaking the economy of the world.

He nodded, answering his dad's question.

"Are you sure about this? I had to admit that I was surprised when you called me last night. It was fortunate that we were just about to go home from Thailand," his dad informed with a look of wonder on his face.

He nodded once more, "Yeah. I'm sure, dad."

"Tell me, what changed your mind? Two years ago, you didn't want to go because of your friends. Did you get into a fight with them?"

"No. It's the exact opposite; I'm doing this for them," Yamato confidently answered.

His dad merely laughed in response, "I see…"

"Have you said your goodbyes to them?" He questioned once more.

Yamato nodded again, "Yeah."

After that moment with his Nee-san, he properly bid his farewell to the Kazama Family. It was more of a 'see you later' rather than a 'good bye'. He promised them he would visit them during the summer and winter holidays.

He never broke a promise he made, especially with them. He wasn't planning to start doing it now, or anytime in the future.

"Good," his dad nodded his head in approval. "Then we're off. Your mother's waiting at the airport."

His mother, huh. It had been a long time since he had seen her (other than the constant e-mails), so he was quite excited.

"Where to, dad?" He couldn't help but ask.

"…Germany."

END OF CHAPTER

Author's notes: So, yeah. Hello, everyone. Verdalt1 here, and as you can see, I am not dead (As repeatedly mentioned in my profile and the author's note of my other story. Reason of my inactivity is because the big exams are coming, and soon.)

Truthfully, writing this took a toll in my studying schedule, but I just couldn't get it out of my head so I just had to write this.

Let's see. Before you readers have any say in it, I want to say that Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! is NOT a bad series. I cannot blame those who did, because the anime has a VERY bad pace. There was little to no back story about the Kazama Family, or how Chris and Mayuzumi joined the Family. The only appeal it has for me is that I could see more interactions between Yamato and the girls (though even that part is flawed) and a little flash back of Yamato's past.

And I just HAD to add the fact that Margit has VERY little (almost non-existent if you ask me) screen time compared to other characters. Tsubame had a very short appearance but I didn't mind it since she wasn't in the original series of Majikoi VN anyways.

All I had to say is, the Visual Novel version of this series is a LOT (I don't know how many times I have to emphasize on this) better than the anime or the manga, even with the age restriction.

I'm especially hooked on this series because I'm a sucker for sweet, vanilla-themed action/romance genre. The art amazes me as well. I'm surprised there's so little fanfiction regarding this series. I guess it's because the lack of story materials since the Majikoi A-series took care of the story that many fans wanted,

Sorry, got a bit off track there.

This is a side project that I'm working on, next to A New Hero in a New Land. This story is an AU that revolves around a 'what if?' situation, where Yamato decided to follow and learn directly from his father, whom was famous throughout the world.

Some characters may seem unfamiliar to those who did not read the VN, so I suggest looking over the Majikoi! wiki for further clarification.

If you readers have questions, then feel free to PM me and I'll answer to the best that I can (unless you're asking for spoilers).

Well then,

reviews are very much appreciated, flames will be ignored, and have a good day.

I'll see you guys after my exams are over.