I N N O C E N C E (Shu Sakamaki)

Chapter 36

A deep chuckle is all it took for her to know his answer.

"That's a little blunt, Manami." He brushed his finger on his cheek, looking at her, as if to provocateur a reaction out of her. "Why would I want to do that?"

She looked him straight in the eye, as if trying to read his mind, but all that came up, were those moments she shared with him.

__________

"Stop it, Reo!" Manami roared, but it sounded more like a squeak. "You are going to ruin my braid..."

"Whatever, you'd still look ugly." The boy stuck his tongue out, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Now, now, there is no reason for you to fight, is there?" A woman with a gentle smile crouched down beside them. "Reo, what do we say?"

"..." Reo folded his arms with a pout. "Sorry."

"Mother, he doesn't mean it." Manami said with a sigh. "There is no reason to try and reason with an idiot like him."

"Mom!" Reo whined. "How come you let her get away with it even though I'm older?"

"Fine..." Manami exhaled in defeat. "Sorry."

"That's better." The woman got up, next to her a man with long white hair and amber eyes.

"Mr. Karl." Manami bowed, as Reo ran off somewhere without noticing the strange man.

"No need to be so formal." He said, a smile on his face. "You have grown into a fine young lady."

"Thank you." Manami replied politely, before listening in to the conversation between mother and the amber-eyed man.

He had unique looks. Intimidating, scary, but beautiful... Manami found him pleasing to look at, which is why he sometimes caught her staring at him for a long time. To a kid, he looked like a fairy.

However, despite how much he intrigued Manami, she still felt a sense of fear. It was unexplainable, but she couldn't imagine being left alone in a room with him.

But, she did like him very much, the same way her mother did.

"She is a worker of highest quality, my lady, so you shouldn't worry." The white haired man remarked, as Manami noticed her mother's worried face. "She was personally handpicked by me. There is no way she would attempt something so scandalous."

"If you say so, but Karl, I left everything behind to marry him." She sighed, burying her face into her hands. "This 'Yukijia'... She is beautiful, smart... What if he-"

"Wouldn't you say this is a little inconsiderate?" The amber-eyed man joked, however, his face held a cunning smirk that even Manami could see. "Are you trying to tell me that the man you've left me for, isn't what you wish for anymore?"

"No, of course not." Emiko buried her head in her hand. "There is no way I'd ever choose you over him. I know you. You don't wish to marry me for love. That's why I had to go, and find someone better. And I did..."

Silence enveloped them, as Manami began to pick on the grass in the garden, ripping them into pieces and throwing them around like confetti.