Empire 《Mikayuu/YuuMika》

⥈ Chapter Three ⥈

Silence enveloped the two boys; the river, the waterfall, and the birds chirping in the trees were the only sounds that kept them company as Mikaela stared at the dark-haired boy who emerged from the woods and was now gazing at him with curious emerald eyes.

"Yes." Mikaela broke the silence with his quiet response.

"Why?" the other boy spoke up.

"He is the only one who would listen," Mikaela answered, lifting himself from the grass and onto his feet.

"Well, surely your parents would listen to you," Yuuichirou replied.

Mikaela closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Have you any brothers or sisters?"

The blond shook his head once again.

"Oh. So, you were talking to the flower?"

"Yes," Mikaela responded. "I know, it's strange for me to be talking to an inanimate object."

"No, not exactly," Yuuichirou told him. "Back at home, when I feel like no one would listen, I talk to the sun or the moon."

Mikaela looked at him in wonder.

"I call the sun Taiyou-san and I call the moon Tsuki-san."

Mikaela smiled at him and pointed a pale finger at the flower he was conversing with. "This is Kiiro-san."

Yuuichirou returned the blond's smile. "What were you talking to him about?"

Mikaela sighed. "My mother constantly scolds me for daydreaming during lessons. I do want to learn, it is only that I do not understand what she is telling me. I appreciate that she makes time for me, as she has plenty of other obligations on her daily schedule, but no matter how much I try, my imagination captivates my mind and I escape into fantasy."

"I do not have schooling, but I understand how it feels," Yuuichirou responded. "When I'm working out in the fields with my father, I tend to fantasize as well."

"Does your father scold you?"

"Not all the time. Sometimes, but usually, he calls my name and I return to the present."

Mikaela nodded. "I wish my mother would allow me to dream."

"Well, you can come here to dream," Yuuichirou offered. "Indulge in nature and dream all you like. That is what I do. Most the time, I find refuge from the fields in a shady spot, as I usually am not allowed in the woods."

"I am not supposed to wander here by myself," Mikaela informed him guiltily.

"I'm here, am I not?" Yuuichirou retorted.

The prince smiled. "I suppose that is true. Come over here."

Yuuichirou obeyed, removing his shoes and socks and treading through the cold water with his bare feet. The gently flowing river tickled his ankles slightly, but the cool temperature of it was refreshing in the hot weather. With wet feet, he stepped onto the grass of Mikaela's island and joined his newfound friend on the mossy stone that bathed in the shade of a small tree that stood adjacent to it.

"It is nice out here," Yuuichirou spoke, mostly to himself.

Mikaela hummed in agreement, staring at the waterfall, from which misty water came and occasionally splashed on his skin like raindrops. A comfortable silence embedded itself in between the two of them as they observed the landscape that surrounded them. Then, Mikaela's wonders got the best of him.

"What is your name?" The blond asked, shattering the silence.

"Amane Yuuichirou," the raven responded, turning his head to look at his new friend. "What's yours?"