PROLOGUE

Gun and Rose

Kagami sighed for the umpteenth time, he stood in front of the mirror as he dusted off the imaginary dirt in his expensive black suite. His hair was neatly combed back and his suite…well they were very uncomfortable. Honestly, he had no interest in these matters; he'd rather be in the gym doing his regular basketball training with his team. He didn't wish to be born in this business. Not at all. He hated talking to people and looking at their fake smiles, their annoying formalities almost sickening. He wish he could tell his father he didn't like this at all, but he is the only heir. He turned around and walked to the hallway, he decided that he could just ignore every single one of them the whole night. He'd make this quick and tomorrow he could be the normal teenager that he is. He could feel the piercing—if not judging—glances the people gave him. He huffed—well sorry if I'm not a fucking good sight to see—he muttered to himself as he entered the hall. It was filled with people in business suite and formal dresses, the sickening smell of perfumes lingered, and a soft jazz music played in the background.

He searched for his father, he was supposed to be here. He walked briskly only to be stopped when he felt bumping into—

"Ah, sorry."

He blinked and found nothing before him, he shrugged and continued looking around to find his father. Unknown to his friends and teammates back in Seirin High School—a fairly normal high school, Kagami Taiga is the only son of Kagami Takeru, a business tycoon married to a half-American and half-Japanese woman, Kagami Sandra. Sandra wanted her son to have a fair share of life and sent him to schools where his son's status in society wouldn't be a bias, Kagami agrees with this and is actually happy about his mother's way of thinking. Takeru didn't oppose but he wanted Kagami to be mindful that he is still his son, and the heir of Tiger and Dragon Corporation. Years ago, back when Kagami was a tiny, bitsy little boy he was kidnapped, this pushed the couple to send their only heir to America, away from them. Alexandra Garcia, a family friend took care of the growing child in his stay. And when they deemed that it was fine that he live in Japan with them, they brought him back. Alex suggested to put the heir in a normal high school as a cover up, so that the kidnapping will not be repeated. After all who would ever think that a son of the owner of one of the biggest corporations in Japan is studying in a plain high school with no body guards whatsoever, no one of course.

"TAIGA!" Kagami spun hearing his mother's voice, he smiled at the woman, he rarely sees his family after all, they were usually busy with business and when they do call him it was to discuss formal matters that lulled him to sleep. His mother had a dark brown hair and amber eyes, she wore a simple black dress matched with a pearl necklace. She somehow reminded him of Alex in terms of energy and stamina. "I've been looking for you." She said as she hooked her arm on his and pulled him with her.

"I…was looking for you too." Kagami said looking around, where was his Dad?

"Never mind, your father is speaking with Mebuchi-san in his office perhaps discussing the plans for the new Mall downtown." She said, "While your Father is at it, I shall introduce you with our business partners."

"Mom, do I have to?" Kagami said, he knows he sounded like a whining five year old complaining about the color of his shirt but talking to people, formalities and all those classy things didn't suite his taste at all, it didn't sit well with him. It was tedious.

"Yes, Taiga." She said giving him the classic mother-look.

Kagami sighed and let his mother lead her in the sea of people. She stopped by a table filled with gray haired men and women chatting and drinking wine. Kagami recognizees one of them, he saw him in U.S. once, she was her mother's mentor, or so she said. They all laughed and chuckled at some trivial things before Sandra finally introduced her son to them. They all agreed at how young and tall their son was, one commented on his good looks, which somehow surprised Kagami. Knowing his manners, Kagami albeit embarrassed thanked the woman for his compliment. Most of the time people saw him as intimidating, especially at school due to his height. They continued to the next table where a lone man sat, he turned to Sandra when she tapped his shoulder and the man stood greeting her. She quickly introduced her son and Kagami bowed his head, the man smiled back and looked at him from head to toe, saying he was surprised that Kagami had grown so much though he had no idea if he had seen him before, or if he did where. Of course Kagami didn't say anything on that he just smiled. This was one of the things he hated about this kind of parties.

They were filled with liars.

On the next table that Sandra led him, there were a two ladies, a woman who looked a bit around the age of his mother and a younger lady, but not young as he was. The older woman wore a dark red dress with laces covering her bare shoulders, while the younger wore a red kimono with white accents and patterns on it. What caught Kagami's eyes was the brooch on the older woman's dress, it was—

"Oh Sandra," the older woman said smiling, "thank you for this wonderful party."

"Its my pleasure Junko." She said before gesturing to Kagami. "Junko, Keiko, this is Takeru and my son, Taiga."

Kagami realized the brooch was a gold phoenix with studs of rubies as its eyes, he bowed his head politely, "My name is Kagami Taiga, a pleasure to meet you Madam."

"I heard your son grew up in America?"

"Ah yes, things got a bit rough here for dear Taiga so we decided to send him to America for safety."

"Oh, yes, I heard I am very sorry."

"It is all in the past now," Sandra said smiling.

"My, it is indeed very difficult, yes, having a single heir makes them a very usual target of those who want to destroy us."

"Oh, yes, your family has a young heir, yes?" Sandra said as she looked around as if searching for someone, "He has taken over the company already, if I am not mistaken, where is he?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid Seijuuro-sama isn't here, he seems to have left saying something akin about his class tomorrow."

Kagami looked at his mother who was conversing, she had been trained to handle talks, she could memorize thousands of names in a single room and point who is from what family by simply their faces, Kagami Taiga is still nowhere near that kind of skill.

"I understand, I mean it must have been hard for him, losing his parents at such young age then having such big responsibility at sixteen. Now that you think about it Taiga is around the same age as Seijuuro-san."

"Is that so?" The woman said catching Kagami's attention, her lips turned in a smile but Kagami's instinct kicked in, something was awfully wrong in the way she smiled, "I am sure Seijuuro-sama would be glad to meet Kagami-san sometime."

Kagami didn't say anything further. His inside felt like it was being spun inside a washing machine, he didn't like the air around those two. Junko laughed with his mother but something isn't right about when he speaks about this Seijuuro-sama and the girl Keiko who stood next to her even without uttering words, Kagami instantly disliked her. Luckily Sandra ended their conversation and excused themselves sparing Kagami from the deadly suffocating social formalities. As they turned away Kagami noted the way his mother looked, she seemed bothered.

"What's wrong?" he found himself asking her in a low voice. Sandra shook her head.

"Nothing. Its just…" she sighs and pulled Kagami in a corner. Sandra had invited the Akashi family many times in social gatherings like this, sometimes they would send a family representative, back in the days though it had been Seiichiro himself that went, on his tail was Tetsumi with that little boy with scarlet hair. She found out that Tetsumi wasn't very fond of parties, something she had with the conservative upbringing of her family. When Seiichiro died, Tetsumi had to replace her husband and inevitably the temporary head of the family. Since her husband's death she never went to any social gatherings and would send someone else, inevitably was it was Mizukage-Akashi Junko, she had a son whom she refused to allow using her husband's last name forcing him to use Junko's maiden last name. Sandra had been in this business for so long that she can smell malice and corrupt plans from miles and miles away. Junko had pressed the issue about Seiichiro and Tetsumi's son's legibility saying on Tetsumi's due the couple disappeared and came back from a villa the family owned with a son, the attending midwife the day after Tetsumi giving birth fled out of the country, and it was simply suspicious. She wanted the her son to be the next her instead of Seiichiro's son. But it was a stupid presumptions. "She's actually very kin on trying to get Seijuuro-san out of the picture."

"Who the hell is that anyway?"

"The one and only heir of the Akashi clan."

Kagami hated difficult stuffs, and that family screamed of it. "But wait, if they belong to a single household that means they are related right?"

"Yes, Junko is basically Seijuuro-san's aunt."

"So…why is she trying to get her own nephew?"

Sandra frowned, "Power is very tempting," she said quietly, "some people can risk everything for it, some people will bet their own blood and flesh to obtain it."

Kagami felt sorry whoever that Seijuuro-san is. His own aunt is out for him. His very own blood. He was very lucky his father was an only child and his mother, well…his mother's sisters were happy with their normal lives in L.A. indulging in with their own children who at seventeen were getting laid. Alex never liked business, she said anything that has math in it, she's definitely out. He didn't know the difficult that guy was facing, but his life must have been a hell hole. Another reason why Kagami hated being born in this kind of world, the struggle of power always tests if truly blood is thicker than water. You face your own brothers and sister coldly at the other side, it was a ruthless battle of will and influence that can break even the strongest bond.

Honestly he didn't understand what power has that made everyone craved it. It was intangible, a single word, with five letters. Even as a son and heir of a company of their own, Kagami had known better. When he was younger, his father had always told him a very important lesson.

"There are things that even with great POWER couldn't save."

It was a usual day, Akashi Seijuuro finished school earlier than usual and he went through the business related papers, as Seiichiro's son to his lawfully wedded wife Tetsumi, he automatically inherited the business. It may sound ridiculous to hear that a sixteen years old teenager is holding up a multi-million company, but Seijuuro isn't new to this kind of things, ever since he was a child his father had taught him of everything about the business, and Seijuuro wasn't just any kid—he is an Akashi after all. He buries his nose on the paper works ignoring everything else that doesn't matter to him. Ever since his mother died, Seijuuro had forgotten about his life outside school and the company. He believed that his mother was his last string connecting him to the real world. He hated everything else. He wasn't an idiot, surely his father didn't just fell ill. Someone did it, and he knew someone from their family did this to earn the title of the head of the family. His own cousins, own uncles and aunts plotted this for a mere title. Seijuuro had stopped trusting anyone from that, if he couldn't even trust his own blood and flesh related how he could to other people?

After class he barely ahd time to change when his Aunt dragged him out to come to a party arranged by a potential business rival, she instead that he would come but as soon as the hall was filled with people he had the sudden urge to leave and he did. And now the scarlet haired boy sat on his desk scanning the papers, checking on the progress of the newly launched project. The printed words were much interesting that dealing with old ladies in smelly perfumes.

Suddenly Seijuuro's ears perked as he heard something shuffling from behind him, he ignored it and continued on his work until—

BLAG

"AAAAH!"

Seijuuro quickly stood from his seat as he heard the unfamiliar voice coming from behind him, he turned and found a man dressed in black holding his severed arm crying in pain. Blood never bothered the young heir, no, never, it had something that had come with being born in a family of ruthless men, death and bloodshed had been a part of their lives. There was aa gun on the floor and the man's arm lying in the pool of blood. Seijuuro backed away as he realized, someone had done this to the other, and it wasn't surely him. He looked around, it was dark with only his small lampshade illuminating his desk and the open window shedding barely enough light to the room. The man suddenly knelt down and scurried towards the gun on the floor but before he could made another move Seijuuro found something glinting behind the man. As the scarlet haired heir's eyes slowly adjusted to the light he realized the glinting object was actually a tip of something metallic an inch away from the back of the man's neck, he traced the outline until he finally made the whole image of the object—it was a Japanese blade, a katana.

"I wouldn't advise you'd do that." A cold voice said, somehow the voice sounded familiar but Akashi was sure as well he hadn't heard of it before. It was a strange feeling in his gut that he knew him yet he hasn't met him before. "Forgive me for this unsightly creature, my lord."

Akashi didn't know what to say to be honest, what is this person saying, and who is he? For some reason Akashi couldn't feel him inside the room, don't get him wrong he doesn't have some supernatural voodoo but it was of course a sense when someone is actually with you like the feeling you have when you're in a room and even if you cant see you know someone is with you, but in this case Akashi could only sense the presence of the man on the floor and nothing else. No, Seijuuro isn't a fan of ghost stories or anything related, not that he was scared, it just was too surreal for him. And this other person surely isn't a ghost. But who on earth is he? And why was there a guy with a dismembered arm in his study, who let them in? Could one of them be a hired killer, or perhaps both were?

The man on the floor muttered something incoherent before Akashi saw him lift the gun—

Splat

A head rolled on the floor, Seijuuro could only watch it. Then from the darkness slowly the figure emerged. He found himself staring at a pair of beautiful familiar cerulean eyes.

"My Lord."