KHR: The Inheritance Project - Prelude

The First Love Project

Time skip again, Twelve years old.

It's the last week of winter and my last winter as an elementary school student. That's right! Starting in April I will be free of that damn elementary school and its horrid teachers! Both Kai and I will be attending Namimori Middle School, which is another plus. If Masamune can get into that fancy boarding school Katerina was talking about, everything will be perfect!

It's the weekend tomorrow and today I'm walking home with Kai and Tsubaki. Tsubaki walks between us, so she can be next to both of us. She started school last year and the three of us have been going home together almost every day; even though it means I have to take the long way home.

"Winters finally ending, huh." I yawn out as I stretch my arms over my head. When I let them fall back to my sides, Tsubaki pounces on my right arm and snuggles into me. "Cold?" She nods and buries her face in my coat, her nose and ears are red from the cold.

My lovely warm Italian coat was a Christmas present from Padre two years ago (What? I wanted a new coat). It has my name embroidered on it so Masamune can't steal it from me, and I'll still be able to wear it for a couple more winters. My orange scarf and gloves are a gift from Kai, Tsubaki and their mother.

Kai is walking just a few paces ahead of us, wrapped up in about five layers. He absolutely despises the cold weather. Actually it's quite funny when I think about it. Kai will endure the heat and humidity out of sheer stubbornness, but is defeated so easily by the cold.

He spends most of winter indoors where it's warm, so we don't have lunch together on the roof that much. It was too cold for me anyways; I just ate with Sawa-chan throughout most of the winters. His family tends to go overseas during the winter holidays, so I don't see much of him at all in winter.

It was quite lonely, except when Padre would come home. Sure, he usually brings work home with him and tends to shut himself in his study because of it, but at least he's there. Last year he'd stayed for a whole week, it was the best Christmas and New Year's ever!

Masamune and Katerina couldn't treat me like trash while he was there. As usual, Katerina would have this plastic smile on her face and pretend she cared about us both, whenever he came home. But one time, when I was ten, Masamune started to gloat and call me 'dame' and Padre had scolded him while giving Katerina the 'you're in big trouble' look.

Then the two of them had a long talk outside and when they came back in she apologised to me (Masamune too, reluctantly), her face red with anger and voice strained. It was probably the first time someone had stood up for me, aside from every now and then when Kai would save me from getting beat up. (But then he'd pulverise me for letting them beat me up...)

Of course, soon after he had left I got beat up by Masamune and his gang for 'turning Padre against him' and Katerina went back to ignoring my existence. I wonder what Padre had said to her to make her apologise? I guess it doesn't really matter. They'll only ever treat me nicely when he's there.

"Stop spacing out, we're here." Aigís hovers right in front of my face pulling me from my thoughts. I look up to see we are indeed at the front door of the Hibari residence.

Aw crap… I can't feel my hand. "Ummm, Tsubaki-chan? Could you please let go of my arm now?" She sluggishly looks up at me then at my arm, before slowly detaching herself from me. "Thank you." Wow, it's really numb… Aaah! Pins and needles!

"Small animal… Sister… Hurry up." Kai shivers in the doorway, clearly eager to get inside out of the cold.

"Hai, hai. We're coming." We hurry after him into the cosy warm house. "Ojyamashimasu!" I call as I take off my boots and coat.