BLURRY EYES

Sendoh, Maki and Fujima stepped out of the shower area and the locker room. Outside, they found a blushing young maid waiting for them. They obliged at being led to individual guest suites for a rest since it's still a couple of hours before dinner.

The three Umeda brothers stayed in their separate suites, trying to calm their nerves after such a glorious basketball match and after-match activity.

~*~

Shinji stared blankly at the mirror on the ceiling above his bed as he laid down on his back. He felt a nagging exhaustion in his mind, Perhaps it was because of the fa�ade he had been working so hard to keep up since Riki ditched him. He had departed the times when he had been down and vengeful and led on a new life. He knew Riki left him because he didn't love him anymore. But why the sudden change of heart? Or did Riki never loved Shinji and had been with him for another reason? That was a new breakthrough for Shinji as he racked his brains for an answer.

Abruptly he recalled that although both his younger brothers had been upset about Riki's behavior, Shinobu was the one who appeared as deeply affected as he was in the same period of time. Why...?
Shinji waved away any assumptions and decided to let bygones be bygones, at least for now. After all, "I am still appreciated!" Shinji declared aloud.

~*~

Shinobu did not feel alright at all as he sought to rest his mind. Though the basketball match and shower antics earlier had managed to make him forget his worries for sometime, it was now back haunting him again.

He was overcame by confusion, anxiety and even what seemed to be guilt. But it was not his fault.
He wished Kaji was still around. At least he could confide in him. Not that his brothers were bad at listening, but since Shinji was somewhat involved, it was a sensitive topic.

He flipped angrily through a magazine. Catching a review on Black Moon, he ripped the page out and tore it to shreds without restrain. He was incensed, and he wanted revenge. Punch the guts out of Riki probably.

~*~

Back at his own sanctuary, Sakuya was another frustrated person. Throwing aside his mask of a hyperactive younger brother, he blamed himself for not being able to relieve the hurt he knew his brothers were undergoing. They didn't used to be this way. The cheery mood and constant smiles were gone, replaced with a tense and gloomy atmosphere.

Glumly, he wondered why he had even felt like going to Black Moon's concert. Perhaps to mutilate that bastard Riki with an pickaxe or something. Or did he think that it was time for his brothers to snap out of their fixed expressions and memories. But it was not going to be an easy task.

He smashed a fairly large mirror hanging on the wall with his bare fist but it was unheard in the gigantic mansion. Sakuya stared at the broken reflection. He stormed out of his suite and left the mess for the evening maid to clear, not caring about the maids' gossip about the eighth mirror he shattered this month.

~*~

Sendoh settled comfortably on a couch in on the guest lounges and stared out of the big window at the gushing rain. Maki was engrossed in a sports magazine while Fujima was switching through the thousands of channels available on television.

A short rap on the door was heard. All 3 looked up and patiently waited for someone to enter. To their surprise, there was no reaction. After a few more seconds, an idea struck Sendoh and he called, "Come in.".

The door opened at the cue and in entered an elderly woman whom all 3 took at once to be one of the senior housekeepers. "Sendoh-san, Fujima-san, Maki-san, dinner is ready. Please kindly make your way to the Silver dining hall." she bowed cordially.

As the trio trooped rather obediently behind the senior housekeeper, they stared in awe at the magnificent art pieces and murals exhibited on the hallway corridors. Sendoh was finding the long red carpet lining the middle of the already carpeted flooring amusing. Fujima resisted the urge to touch the blooming lilies in one of the exquisite porcelain vases while Maki studied the paneled walls and the gentle lighting of the okace, impressed.

In the dining hall, they found Sakuya standing at a corner of the dining hall, gazing intently at a painting by Picasso. He was his usual cheerful personality as he gracefully asked his guests to be seated.

"Now, we just gotta wait for my anikis." he grinned easily.

Chapter 12