Linda
➣__【𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐝】__

*Step- Step- Step- Step-*

 "Hmm... And if I turn this corner, I should be-"

 

*His eyes would narrow onto the white screen on his phone. A raised eyebrow accompanying his close up inspection.*

 "Ehhh...? Isn't this... The place...?"

 News flash, it was not. Enma who turned the corner had met face to face with a tall looming building accompanied by a narrow pathway leading to a dead end. In other words, the man had walked into an alleyway! And it hadn't been the first time this had happened either. The past 30 minutes had gone... Something along the lines like: Turning the wrong way and ending up in dark alleys, helping the elderly and forgetting where he came from, following his map and walking into a street lamp, walking into someone's house and mistaking it for a bathroom. With no idea where he came from and no idea where he was, the man found himself lost in the midst of the city, all while trying to reach the institution "Newton's Cradle."

*Sigh*

 "I'm so lost... KUSOOOOOO!!!!"

TN: "Kuso" Means "Dammit" Or "Shit" Or "Fuck" In japanese. 

 In a loud voice, the boy yelled in an unfamiliar language which sounded asian in origin. Enma found himself slumped forwards with a moping expression. Feeling his soul slowly departing from his body, the boy wandered around town square, lifelessly bumping into people with his tall yet lanky stature. Truth to be told, he wore a vastly different outfit than others. A gakuran uniform and hakama pants with a cape and a cap to finish his attire. Around his waist were dull blades that seemed to indicate a form of martial origin. His hair was predominantly black in color, so much so it seemed to swallow the prospect of light. All the while his eyes were a dull crimson due to his exhausted and depressed mental state.

*Bump-*

 "Oh, excuse me."

 He said in english, not his natural tone of voice nor

The language he was most familiar with. However, it was enough for him to be understood by most english speakers, with a relatively tamed accent that wasn't insulting towards the english speaking cultures of the world. A perk of being descended from a noble family came in the form of his higher education. Though with how things have played out, Enma was about to meet the most challenging form of education he would ever receive. The person who he bumped into stood just under 10 cm shorter than him. Looking to be asian as well, his hair was black, and he held a... Rather cold and somewhat irritated expression.

*Gulp*
Brian
_ _ 

```
Dear Haoran Wan,

There'll be a new student arriving today, and we would like to request you to come find him in Isakstad and fetch him. 

```

It was supposed to be a simple enough task. While he was a new student himself, he had gotten to know the city quite well through extensive-enough walks through the region, and with everyone else busy at the time Haoran was the most convenient student to delegate the task to, he supposed. Of course, things never went quite as smoothly as he hoped they would go. It would take him 10 minutes lokoing around the town square to realize that whoever he was supposed to guide to the school was nowhere to be seen - he couldn't tell if the student just hadn't arrived, or if they had gone elsewhere and was lost. With a frown, he squinted to try to find this person. 

``` Look out for anyone with a tall figure, black hair, and rather traditional Japanese clothing.```

...Tall, black hair and Japanese clothing? Was this going to be someone of Japanese origin, or another one of those crazed fans of the Japanese? If only they had described his features more, he wouldn't have this much trouble spotting him..- 

*Bump-* 

 "W-" 

**"Oh, excuse me."** 

``` You'll know once you see him. Thank you. ```

*Hm. So that's him. I see what they were talking about now. He must be Japanese.* 

. . . 

While he was relatively calm on the inside, his expression showed something else - something meaner. A sharp glare would be sent Enma's way on accident, boring straight into his skull. While the glare lasted, he'd be scanned up and down, before Haoran stopped at eye contact. While his face continued to hold his icy gaze upon the otherwise firey student and his voice blunt and brusque, his words seemed friendly enough. (Questionably. Very questionably.) 

"It's alright. You must be the new student - Newton's Cradle, am I right? I was sent to find you. I apologize for not finding you sooner, you seem exhausted." 

He responded, pulling out his phone - a seemingly expensive one - to check if he was the right person. Tall? Check. Black hair? Check. Japanese-looking? Certainly. This person was *Definitely* The student he was looking for. What they *Didn't* Tell him was that said student would have the most prominent crimson eyes, causing Haoran's matte black to widen. While he would quickly warn him regarding his unnatural-looking eyes, with the way he was dressed, it looked convincingly cosplay-like. Regardless, though, Haoran would speak up. 

"Your eyes are unnatural. It might arouse suspicion. Wear contacts next time." 

_ _
Anton
"A-Ah! I suppose you're the one who I'm supposed to meet up with?"

** I apologize for not finding you sooner, you seem exhausted." **

 "Oh- No please, I was the one who got lost. Do not worry about it. Apologies for the trouble!"

 An apparent polite tone with a courteous bow and smile, the man had felt a slightly bit sorry for causing his schoolmate trouble. Clasping his hands together to imply apologetic intentions, most others would find it odd due to the unfamiliar customs adopted by the foreign student. He was overly respectful, and the choice of words he used were carefully analyzed for an effective way to communicate his intentions. His crimson glance would look up to see another harsh glare put upon his body. This time the shivering of his spine was apparently as goosebumps arose, all hair on his body stood at once.

*Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

**"Your eyes are unnatural. It might arouse suspicion. Wear contacts next time." **

 "Oh- Ah- Yes, understood. I'll try to do that."

 Of course, he himself knew how odd his appearance may be. His eyes were a predominant reason for why he was often ostracized and bullied in school. The only person who had ever expressed true admiration for his crimson colored eyes was his mother. She was the first, and the last. To others, his eyes were an abnormality, the signs of a monster, a devil. His expression showed sorrow and guilt, understanding it was about time for him to hide his abnormalities if he wanted to be accepted.

 "Oh- I have not introduced myself. Onizaki Enma, Enma is my given name."
Brian
_ _ 

Haoran squinted. (To anyone else, this seemed like he had deepened his frown.) 

*Why does he act like Jones? So apologetic over something he isn't at fault for..* 

**"A-Ah! I suppose you're the one who I'm supposed to meet up with?"**

"You are correct. I will be guiding you to the institution." 

He responded almost robotically, eye-ing the man much taller than him carefully. With such a polite bow like that, he seemed to be more obviously Japanese than before. Haoran sighed as Enma apologized, in disbelief that he would be meeting yet another Craig so soon. It would be dangerous if he felt obligated to keep an eye on Enma as well - he didn't have that much space in his room of worries. Haoran would completely miss the signs that the boy felt intimidated by him though, and would dismiss his apology. 

"Don't apologize for something you aren't wrong for. This is your first time here. You are bound to get lost. You bring me no trouble other than what is expected." 

Haoran said, in a (very pathetic) attempt to reassure the new student, before he would glance to the side, watching the small crowd within the townsquare hurry over to their next destination. He raises a brow as Enma's face morphed into a seemingly guilty one - he's seen this expression before. It pushed Haoran strongly to get rid of it. 

** "Oh- Ah- Yes, understood. I'll try to do that."** 

"It is a shame that eyes like yours have to be hidden. They're quite fascinating, but your safety is much more important than that. If your -" He lowers his voice in a hushed tone, "Parahumanity is exposed, you could potentially risk any sort of chance at reintegrating back into society." 

"My roommate is just like you, just with his hair. Since you convincingly look as if you are dressing up, it should be alright." 

Haoran would instinctively adjust the cuffs of his coat, nearly gesturing to the direction of the institute before his action would be interrupted by the introduction of the stranger. While he wouldn't usually react this way towards such simple introductions, Enma's last name was.. 

. . . **?!** 

**"Onizaki Enma, Enma is my given name."**

Haoran *Freezes.* His eyes slowly glance back at Enma's crimson orbs. They're widened even more now, staring at him in visible shock.

_ _ 

"O-Onizaki? What?" 

Falling into silence momentarily, he coughs to clear his throat. 

"*Ahem*. Apologies for the sudden.. Interjection. *Onizaki*, was it?" 

He could hardly believe it. That last name - it rung clear in his mind, and something in his brain *Clicked*. Haoran would rub the bridge of his nose, making sure that he had heard that right. Onizaki. Onizaki. It wasn't Oneezaki or Onisaki; it was the crisp and clear Onizaki that he had heard of enough times in the past. How would have he not known? 

Onizaki would be the last name of a relative. This.. Enma Onizaki.. He was Haoran's **Cousin.** 

``"...My name is Wan Haoran. It is a pleasure, Onizaki-san." ``

_ _ 

"You can speak Japanese with me. I understand the language, if that's what you're worried about." 

Haoran would say as he adjusted his cuffs, nodding of course when Enma expressed it for formality's sake. The boy he would be guiding seemed highly distressed though, his expression questionably.. Questionable. He frowned (not in distaste but rather slight concern, though his face wouldn't allow him to properly show the Onizaki that). It was misunderstanding after misunderstanding, and that wouldn't be the last one because another one would arise just as quickly. 

...*?!* 
 *Why is he crying—?!* 

Freezing almost immediately as if he were ice, Haoran would watch as Enma would cry (seemingly out of fear? Stress? He didn't know, and he didn't want to know). The mean-looked boy would receive several glances from oncoming citizens, causing the Chinese to deadpan at the sight out of it. 

With a sigh, he'd grab Enma's shoulder and would give it a squeeze to show that he *Wasn't* Verbally harassing the poor boy. Last thing he wanted was for pictures to surface in the media about him making some boy cry. 

"...Please stop crying. People will think that I'm bullying you. I understand that my expression is rather cold, but I will assure you that I do not mean what I look at times. Er, most— All the time. People tend to say that." 

Haoran had misunderstood Enma's woes completely. While Enma was crying from guilt, Haoran thought that Enma was crying because he believed Haoran was being mean to him. 

**" "Yes... Thank you... For being so kind..."** 

.....*What?* 

Enma was truly an enigma. 



.....Then the crying boy started.. Blushing? He wasn't sure what about his words would garner such reaction - especially since many people had been creeped out instead when Haoran told them that he found their features fascinating, but he'd be the last to question Enma on what he was feeling. He didn't know if he *Wanted* To know. 

. . . 

** " 你- 你是。。。万家的长子！？"**

"对。" 

 

``"And, since you are Onizaki Enma.. You must be the heir that my father was talking about."``

What in the world were the odds?! The chances that he would meet the *Other* Heir of his family?! The two eldest stood there and stared at one another in shock, before Haoran would cough to clear his throat awkwardly. 

"W-Well.. Isn't this quite the surprise. I didn't... Think I would meet any Onizaki outside of business meetings. Er, why don't we begin our journey to the academy now? We can speak along the way if you have any questions."
Anton
**"You can speak Japanese with me. I understand the language, if that's what you're worried about."**

*GASP!*

 Yet another show of kindness... Enma almost couldn't handle it! The fact that he was imposing this much onto Haoran for him to show that much amount of care for the foreign boy. Despite the two males being in the same situation of foreigners in a western land! The kindness Enma felt had severely made him more guilty than one would think. His tears of regret that he couldn't properly ease the senior student's burdens caused Enma great amounts of grief. 

*Being the person that he was, he didn't even notice the fact that others had already taken a keen eye at the two. They may have stirred quite the scene. Well, by they I most definitely mean Enma and his overreactions. The man could never quite keep his emotions at bay sometimes.*

*Grab*

***GASP!***

 His eyes turned to the grab on the shoulder. S-Such firmness, what bold words! Enma seemed to have mistaken Haoran once more! At first Enma had thought Haoran was simply showing a form of kindness despite being thoroughly annoyed by the swordsman's tardiness. Now, he has shown even more concern that Enma didnt deserve! Going to lengths such as cheering Enma up with a firm gesture and his awkward words.

*Sniff sniff*

*What a wonderful man!*

 Of course, his kindness even warranted a compliment on Enma's eyes, which greatly caused him to feel proud yet embarrassed. Upon realizing the two boys were related, Enma's shock was further empowered as Haoran casually answered his question. And even proceed to talk about Enma's family situation!

 "Ah- Umm- Yes! I'm the heir to the family. Pleased to meet your acquaintances again."

 This time spoken in his mother tongue, he'd lower his head slightly to give a form of respect before listening to Haoran again. It certainly was a form of fate that the two cousins so close in age would unite in a foreign land with mystical powers. As Haoran propose to converse and walk at the same time, the boy would nod with a brimming smile. 

 "Of course Wan-san! Truth to be told, I didn't expect to meet you too! My mother... She's told me many things about her family."
Brian
_ _ 

....

*Are you kidding me? He's just like Craig..* 

He wasn't sure what fate had bestowed upon him so that'd the first few people he would be interacting with phyiscally had similar character — Enma's agreeability, adamantness on not burdening others.. It was worryingly like his roommate's. What surprised him more was that someone like him would be the heir of such a legacy; the Onizakis were known to be fierce and aggressive with their fighting style after all, so such a personality seemed far too contrasting. Of course, he was no martial artist, and he had no right to judge Enma for however he acted. 

** "Ah- Umm- Yes! I'm the heir to the family. Pleased to meet your acquaintances again."**

"I didn't expect that. I believe I've only met your grandfather regarding finances of the clan long ago, and of course.. Your mother." 

His tone would audibly soften at the mentioning of his aunt - she had passed away a long time ago (5 years to be exact), and since she spent so much time with her Onizaki side of the family instead of her Wan side, Haoran was only able to meet her a few times in his entire life. Even while she was gone, his *Own* Mother often reminded him to not be like Enma's and to not fail as the next heir of the Wan business. It never sat right with him, but it was never debated by him either. Now meeting her son in the flesh.. A tinge of guilt gnawed at him, a cold feeling climbing up his spine. 

**"My mother... She's told me many things about her family."**

"Good things, I hope. She was an inspiration for many. She was the first to break the cycle of the Wan family, and hopefully not the last. I would take it upon myself to do the same, but I've delegated the task to my siblings. I have no choice but to continue the company — I'm sure you understand." 

Haoran spoke as the two walked side by side, finding slight comfort in the fact that Enma would understand the pressure and expectations that came with being assigned the 'heir', as if it were their lifes' purpose to continue what they had no part in beginning. With the flick of his wrist, he would turn on his phone to check the time. It was currently 5:15 P.M, and they had approximately 45 more minutes to get to the academy before they'd get into trouble. 

*Long enough.* 

"Onizaki-san, you wouldn't mind if we were to stop by a coffee shop for a while, would you? I will buy you a drink, and you can consider it as a welcoming gift of sorts. Both their teas and coffees are to be praised." 

The coffee shop in question was just in view as they walked, and it didn't look very cheap either. Since Isakstad was known for its business-prominent and no tourism factor, and so many of the hotels and restaurants were fancy enough for wealthy businessmen to dine in. He knew exactly what Enma's response would be to his offer to buy him a drink, and before the swordsman could even protest, Haoran would cut in as he'd walk into the coffee shop.

"I *Insist.*" 

 "If you could choose a drink, please - and not the cheapest options."

_ _ 

... 

 

With his hand reaching upwards to support his head, Haoran would tilt his head forward in a facepalm. He'd sigh, before turning back to the (very much) confused barista. 

"I'll just have a cold brew.. And he'll have —" 

 He glances at the menu above, before pointing at a random one. 

"That. Your bestseller, right? Yes, one of those please." 

. . . 

'That' was revealed to be some form of iced coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Haoran had no idea Enma liked ice cream, and he had just picked out something that - well, if everyone liked - he probably had a good chance of liking too. Approaching the already sheepish-once-more Enma, he'd gesture to the taller cup of coffee and hand it to Enma. 

** "Sorry Wan-san! I got ahead of myself..."**

"...It's alright. Here, this is yours. Take it, I need to make a phone call." 

While he appreciated Enma's sense of heroicness, hitting a thief with a sword *While* Having red eyes in public probably wasn't the best first impression you could have on the city. Gracefully taking out his phone and swiping away to find the right contact, he'd lift the phone to his ear as he'd motion to Enma to keep walking with him. He'd speak in Chinese, a language that Enma would know very well, but the citizens around them not so much.

"Good morning. Yes, I'd like to request your assistance in removing any sort of article or video regarding a certain male swordsman being spotted in Isakstad's townsquare — especially if the medium mentions that he had red eyes or any supernaturality to him. Yes. Please, feel free to use the funds I provided. Contact me if there is a need for more. I appreciate the help, thank you." 

*Beep.* 

He'd turn to face Enma as he'd quicken his pace. 

"Your sense of heroism is.. Impressive. But let's not go *Too* Far with it next time. If you were to be exposed to be supernatural, Onizaki-san, your freedom could be stripped away from you permanently. The last thing I want is to be sat down for another meeting — you're just like my roommate, I'll let you know. This way."

Nevermind i havent responded to mochi

The time is not now

_ _ 

"...Indeed." 

He didn't book a trip to any planetorium, at least he thought that was the case when Enma's eyes immediately lit up like a supernova, the cold drink immediately taken out of his hands as his cousin would enjoy it fervently. It seemed that he had hit jackpot, (or perhaps bullseye would be more appropriate judging from how excited Enma seemed to see ice cream) and he had ordered the exactly right thing off the menu to get him. Haoran would take mental note of this, remembering for future reference that his cousin had a strong liking for a certain dessert. 

*I wonder if there's a nice ice cream parlor nearby..* 

Haoran thought absent-mindedly, taking a sip out of his cold brew as he called. He didn't forget that Enma was able to perfectly understand Chinese, but he couldn't afford leaving the swordsman on his own for the remainder of the trip. He couldn't trust him anyways, so long as there was a chance another purse-grabber might be in town to get whacked by his sword once more. He stopped abruptly to face the now bowing Japanese. 

. . .

** "I AM TERRIBLY SORRY!" **

"Your apology has been accepted." 

Haoran told him bluntly, now recognizing that Enma *Was* Apologizing for a good reason this time. It did cost him (probably quite literally) the stress to ensure that he wouldn't have anyone from his extended family locked away forever, so he appreciated the very sincere bow. 

...He could hardly handle his expression though. Something in him lit up at the sight of his clearly terrified face, something urging him to reassure him it was quite alright and to do whatever he could to stop having *That* Face. The same face his younger siblings always had whenever he gave them one of his rare lengthy lectures was the same face that his cousin was having now and he felt the itch to wipe that poor expression as fast as he could. 

To try his best to ignore it, he'd turn around to face the other way. It was approaching 6 P.M now, and they had to make it to the school as soon as they could. 

"It's good that you understand. Let's go now, then. We can't stay out longer than 6, so it would be best if we headed straight to the building now." 

. . . 

It wasn't too far away though, as they would arrive at the institution just a few minutes after. It stood tall, and was obviously quite the large compound. His phone would buzz again at this time and Haoran would pick it up with a curious glance, eyes slightly widening at the notification. 

"Apologies, Onizaki-san.. I forgot I promised to accompany Jones today. The dormitories are just to your right. I suppose you'll be alright without my presence, yes?" 

He starts, before sending a 'test' message to Enma's number he found through the Intranet. 

"You can text me if there's anything you need. I will be seeing you soon."
Shaun
**"Your apology has been accepted." **

*Eh?*

*That fast?*

 Wandering up by its own volition, his eyes gazed towards the blunt Haoran with hints of uncertainty and confusion. The man's eyes would start to tear up, his quivering lips were accompanied by sounds of his restrained sobbing! How goddamn nice was Haoran! After so many mishaps that had happened today, his cousin found the will to forgive him once more! What a magnanimous man Haoran was!

*I will remember this debt I owe... Forever...*

**We can't stay out longer than 6, so it would be best if we headed straight to the building now." **

 "Ah- Yes! Let us make haste!"

 Sipping his coffee chirpily, the man would skip his way along with Haoran towards the school. Eyes darting around, he was enamored by the difference in culture Sweden had compared to Japan. Learning as he went along, it was soon before he'd arrive at the place he'd call his school. 

*Newton's Cradle*

**"You can text me if there's anything you need. I will be seeing you soon."**

 "Right! Thank you for showing me the way Wan-san! Please take care, and I hope I can count on you again!"

 With a quaint bow, he'd finally walk towards the dorms with his luggage supposedly shipped towards his dorm room already. With an empty plastic cup wrapped around his fingers, he'd find the nearest recycling bin and dispose of it. Now, it was finally time for a new chapter in his life.