#if i may request author-san....... when can we see seijuro-nii i miss him hahaha

[clubakashi]

Chapter 19- Happy Holidays!

a cute story of Akashi and his mini-bokushi by @active-mind-15​

Link to: Ch.1 - Ch.2 - Ch.3 - Ch.4 - Ch.5 - Ch.6 - Ch.7 - Ch.8 - Ch.9 - Ch.10 - Ch.11 - Ch.12 - Ch.13 - Ch.14 - Ch.15 - Ch.16 - Ch.17 - Ch.18

Chapter 19

Bokushi and Miyoko were officially alone with Masaomi in the mansion. Bokushi had been trying to put off this predicament for the longest of time since Miyoko arrived in the house. But now that Midorima was gone, there was no one to save him. Now, he just had to accept the situation and hope for the best.

“I’m really glad that I’m staying over,” Miyoko said as soon as the door shut. “Akashi-san, your place is so cool.”

“Is that so?” Masaomi replied. “In that case, I give you my thanks.”

God this is weird, Bokushi thought to himself. I don’t even think I can look at father right now.

“Miyoko, is there anything you would like to do?” Bokushi asked her. If anyone was going to be taking charge of this sleepover, it would be Bokushi. He can’t handle watching his father interact with children for prolonged amounts of time without feeling the need to pull a face. Miyoko hummed as she considered his question.

“Well…” she paused, folding her arms as she thought. As she was thinking, her eyes fell on the area leading out of the foyer to the outside. She pointed to where she was looking.

“What’s over there?” she asked. Bokushi looked behind him to where she was pointing and saw the door to the back garden.

“That’s where the garden is,” he answered. Miyoko seemed interested.

“The garden?” she repeated, sounding hopeful. “What’s in it?”

“Well, for starters there’s flowers,” Bokushi replied. “And there are chairs for people to sit, it’s also where we have the stables and—”

“Wait, stables?” Miyoko gasped. “Do you have horses?!” It didn’t take a genius to be able to detect Miyoko’s excitement. Anyone who claims that they have horse stables at the back of their house is bound to get a response similar to this, whether they’re an adult or a child. Bokushi nodded affirmatively.

“Yes, we do,” he said. “Would you like to see them?”

“I wanna see them!” Miyoko shouted, jumping up and down. “Let’s go see them!” Bokushi was rather amused at her excitement and decided that now, he would finally take the time to humor her requests properly. He pulled a wry grin.

“In that case, allow me to show you the horses we keep there.”

“Awesome! Will Akashi-san be taking us there?”

“Eh?”

What? No, not him… The redheaded little boy turned to look at his father with anticipated dread, watching as the man processed her question. Was Miyoko being serious? Did she really have to bring his father into this? It was already so awkward just having him stand near them, and now suddenly he’s going to take them around the house. That just spelled a recipe for disjointed conversations and a poor attempt to make it look like they actually get along. Bokushi suddenly thought of the frequent occasions where something would come up at the office and his father would leave the house in a hurry for hours at a time, and wondered where that emergency phone call was when he needed it. Nevertheless, Masaomi seemed to take it all in stride.

“Very well,” he said. “If that is what you wish, then I shall take you to the stables. Come with me.” He began to walk towards the direction of the back of the house, Miyoko eagerly following him without another word, clearly energetic from the thought of being able to see horses. As for Bokushi, he stood around for a second, uncomfortable at the prospect of watching his father play host, especially when he has to involve himself in it. Miyoko turned around and saw Bokushi standing still and was confused.

“What are you standing around for?” she said to him. “Come on! Let’s go see the horses!”

With that, she reached out and grabbed Bokushi’s hand before he could say anything, the boy momentarily taken aback as he was dragged along behind his father. He saw his father glance behind once, very briefly, and then he went back to facing forward. As they made their way to the stable, Bokushi felt a horrible sensation creep up his body, dreading what exactly his father was going to do.

…

The back of the Akashi household was admittedly more interesting than the front. The beautiful gardens home to a large variety of different flowers, the grassy open landscape, the fountain under the sakura tree in the far corner, and, most importantly, the stables past a row of trees. The neighborhood was an extremely well-off area, and so homeowners usually owned an insane amount of property; so, a wealthy business tycoon such as Akashi Masaomi was no exception. Taking the two children on this pathway past the trees into a clearing finally revealed the stables where horses were kept.

Technically, the facility was open to any neighboring house in the vicinity who happened to own a horse, but because they were the only family who did, the only ones around the stables were them. It was different in the Kyoto estate, however. Since the house resided in the countryside, the stables and riding grounds they had there were all their own. Either way, public or private, riding grounds were riding grounds, and Bokushi enjoyed being outside with horses to get his mind off his usual hectic schedule. However, this would be the first time he would go feeling uncomfortable, as now his father was leading the way, and he could do nothing to stop it. Once finally getting into the clearing, Miyoko was in complete awe.

“Wow!” she exclaimed, looking at all the space there was to ride. “This is amazing! Bokushi-kun, you get to ride here all the time?”

“That I do,” said Bokushi. “It’s refreshing to take morning rides, so I can see the sunrise.”

“That sounds nice, I wish I could ride a horse during sunrise. Akashi-san, can you ride a horse?”

Masaomi looked behind him at the two just once before facing forward and continuing towards the stable entrance.

“I can,” said Masaomi. “I have been riding horses since I was a child.”

“Wow…”

Bokushi wished that for five seconds Miyoko would stop trying to engage his father in conversation so he wouldn’t have to brace himself for an awkward response. Just listening to the man speak more than necessary was torture, and they haven’t even gotten to the main event yet. While they were talking, the three of them entered the stables where all the horses were kept. Immediately, Bokushi cut in and decided that he would take over the conversation.

“These are the stables, Miyoko,” he said to her. “The horses we own live here.”

Miyoko looked around her in awe at the rows of horse stables on either side of the long walkway, hay is strewn about here and there and the sound of horses walking around and whinnying quietly. Just being in the stables was making her happy, and Bokushi could tell from the growing smile on her face.

“I can’t believe I get to see horses today. I’ve always wanted to see one up close.”

“You’ve never seen a horse before?” Bokushi asked her. She looked off to the side.

“I have,” she replied slowly. “But it was only once, during a parade. I didn’t get to touch it, though.”

“You can get a close look at the horses here, I assure you. They’re right over there.” Bokushi pointed just a few meters ahead of him and Miyoko was very excited to find one horse already poking their head out of their stall. Eager to get closer, she ran over to the entrance to their stalls, looking up at the giant beast that eyed the girl with curiosity. The horse who had happened to stick their head out was a certain white-furred stallion with the grey mane. Miyoko stared up at it and smiled.

“Hello,” she said to the horse. “What’s your name?”

“His name is Yukimaru. It’s my…it’s Seijuro-nii’s horse,” Bokushi corrected. He had to remember him and Akashi no longer shared a body, and Akashi did know the horse for longer than he did, so Yukimaru was Akashi’s horse.

“Really? It’s his horse? How old is it?”

“It’s the same age as him.” Bokushi appeared next to her and looked up at Yukimaru as well, the white horse snorting at the familiar face. “Both Seijuro-nii and Yukimaru were born on December 20th, over sixteen years ago.”

“He’s so lucky! He gets to share a birthday with his pet. Do they share birthday parties?”

“Well…” Bokushi’s eyes just barely flickered over to his father, just for a short moment, but then he looked back over to Miyoko. He realized explaining that they don’t really have birthday parties in their house would take far more effort than to just lie about it, so he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sure.”

Yukimaru’s attention was now turned towards the new face again, and Miyoko wanted nothing more than to get closer.

“I wanna pet him,” she suddenly decided. She turned to Masaomi, who had been standing there for quite some time, just watching the two. “Am I allowed to pet him, Akashi-san?” He nodded in silence.

“If that is what you would like,” he said. “Then yes, you may.”

“Yay!”

She reached up and tried to extend her hand towards the horse’s face, but realized she was too short. Experimentally going on tiptoes didn’t help the matter either. Looking up at Yukimaru, down at the ground, then back to Masaomi, she gave a sheepish smile towards the man as she stood there.

“I can’t reach,” she said. “I think I need help.”

“Very well.”

Bokushi watched as his father walked over to Miyoko, bent down, and lifted her off the ground, holding her up just high enough for her to pet the horses. She smiled as she got closer to the horse, her legs dangling as she was lifted.

“Ah! Now I’m really close!” she exclaimed in satisfaction.

Standing there watching this whole scene unfold, Bokushi couldn’t help but feel baffled by his father’s willingness to do something such as this. He always thought this for the longest time, but his father and small children just didn’t seem to mix. Older children seemed to suit his father better, in Bokushi’s opinion. They were quieter, they were less hyperactive, they spoke less, and they were more likely to obey. Going by those ideals, Miyoko and her father were like oil and water together, maybe even worse. He just couldn’t see how his father could play along and humor a little girl like her when he knew him to be such a different person before. Just two weeks previous he almost didn’t want Bokushi to even live in the house, and the change between that Masaomi and the Masaomi that currently stood before him was astronomical.

“Bokushi-kun…Bokushi-kun!”

His eyes flickered up to Miyoko, who seemed to have been calling him. It was only then that he realized that he had spaced out. He blinked himself out of his trance before answering.

“What is it, Miyoko?”

“I was just asking if Yukimaru bites.” He shook his head.

“No,” he replied. “You can just hold your hand out and pet him. He won’t hurt you.” Miyoko nodded and did as she was told.

“Yukimaru, I’m holding my hand out for you.”

She watched in fascination as Yukimaru began sniffing her hand and then lowered his head slightly, allowing her to stroke his mane. Miyoko giggled.

“I think he likes me,” she said. “Don’t you think so, Akashi-san?” The man hummed in agreement.

“I should think so,” he said back.

As Miyoko continued to pet the horse, Bokushi couldn’t help but feel strange at these interactions his father was having with her. Masaomi lifting Miyoko up to pet Yukimaru reminded him of two weeks previous when Akashi had done the same for him. Looking over at the two, Bokushi couldn’t help but wonder if, at a point in time, Masaomi did this for Akashi as well. It’s nothing he could find out on his own accord and nothing that he would know about unless he asked. But he liked to think that in a happier time, back when their mother was still around, Masaomi would have treated Akashi more like the child he was supposed to be. He could only imagine.

Once Miyoko decided that she was done petting Yukimaru, she withdrew her hand, which was enough to notify Masaomi to set her back on the ground. Bokushi noted how his father’s face was still relatively neutral, as it always was, and there was not enough indication to see if anything was different about him. The only thing he could go by was how he acted which was, unfortunately, unpredictable. Somehow, Miyoko seemed to just not detect any awkward tension in the air, and she went about her business without noticing Bokushi’s uncomfortable expression.

“Yukimaru is such a nice horse, Bokushi-kun!” she said to her currently distraught friend. “Your brother raised him well.”

“Yes, of course,” said Bokushi. “I’ll be sure to tell him. Yukimaru is very gentle. He’s very easy to ride with because of that.”

“Really?” she looked up at the horse in question, green eyes curious. “Can we ride him?”

“Well…” Bokushi knew that he wasn’t in the position to grant her request, so he regretfully turned to his father, asking in a quiet voice, “Father, is it alright if we can take Yukimaru out to ride?”

His father seemed to consider this question for a moment, before slowly moving to open the stables.

“Alright, I will let him out,” he said. “Stand over there while I open the door.”

Bokushi ushered Miyoko away from the stall door as Masaomi unlocked it. As he entered the stall, Yukimaru watched the man with pointed ears, as he reached for the saddle hanging on the wall. Bokushi could tell that even Yukimaru was somewhat unnerved by his father. Around Akashi or himself, Yukimaru was always relaxed and playful. But around his father, Yukimaru seemed to tense ever so slightly, as if he were watching a predator. That was one of the many things that frightened Bokushi, the fact that even a horse can sense his father’s tremendous presence.

As Masaomi put the saddle on Yukimaru and made a few more adjustments, he then took the reins and began to lead him out of his stall. Once he was fully out of the stall, Masaomi turned to the two and beckoned them over.

“Come so I may help you onto the horse,” he said. Miyoko came over and Bokushi stared for a second or two before realizing his father was also talking to him as well, and he began to make his way over behind Miyoko. Of course, Masaomi was true to his word and helped Miyoko on first, ensuring she was settled, and Bokushi was left standing there wondering why he still had that strange unsettling feeling about all this. That was until he realized his father was approaching him, and before he knew it, hands had snaked under his arms and Bokushi was suddenly being lifted in the air.

Bokushi immediately tensed at this sensation. His mind went blank for a moment, and he just froze as he was being lifted before it clicked that his father was lifting him onto the horse. As he was set down onto the saddle on top of the horse, Miyoko was already on a rant about how exciting this experience would be.

“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” she said. “This is gonna be fun! Right, Bokushi-kun?”

“Um…yes…”

Bokushi had been sitting on the saddle for a good five seconds before he realized how stiff he was. His father had just lifted him onto the horse. As in grabbed him and lifted him onto the horse. The isolated situation in itself wasn’t something to be shocked over, but that was the first time that his father had touched him. Ever.

It just happened to be by coincidence. Had Miyoko not been here, Masaomi would not have needed to do that. But the fact that it happened, and the fact that it was without a doubt the most intimate contact that Bokushi has ever had with his father since he came into existence made him feel very strange.

It wasn’t like what he experienced with Akashi where their chemistry while being slightly awkward, was still natural. Any time Akashi put a hand on his shoulder, or ruffled his hair, or displayed any other signs of affection, it was natural. It wasn’t forced by either party and it just worked. But with his father, the sensation of being in contact with him for just those few short moments made him go stiff. Why was that? His father wasn’t being a cold-hearted tyrant like he always seemed to be. Wasn’t this what Bokushi wanted? If that was the case, why did he react so negatively?

“Can we go now, Akashi-san?”

Miyoko’s voice cut through Bokushi’s thoughts and brought him back to reality. His father was grabbing hold of the reins once again, seeming to have finished going through the final checks for everything.

“As you both are children, it would be wise to go slow. I will keep hold of the reins and make sure Yukimaru walks slowly for the both of you.” Miyoko nodded, not minding Masaomi’s decision at all.

“Okay.”

Without any more discussion about what they were doing, Masaomi led the horse out into the fields with Bokushi and Miyoko sitting on top. As Yukimaru walked along, Miyoko was taking in the view of the grassy riding grounds all around them.

“I can’t believe that you can do this whenever you want,” Miyoko said. “I’m jealous. When I grow up, I’m gonna get my own horse.”

“If you work hard enough in your studies, you could very well be in a position to do so,” Masaomi replied. “Owning a horse requires a lot of effort.”

“Oh~.”

Bokushi was not opting to partake in this conversation, he was lost in his own world as he was before. He still couldn’t stop thinking about what just happened. How did his father not find anything weird about that? Surely the awkwardness wasn’t one-sided, was it? His father must have felt something. Perhaps he was overthinking.

But why was he overthinking? Didn’t he want his father to be nice? If so, why did he keep acting so surprised every time his father made an attempt to be nice, like asking about his day, or sitting out with him in the garden, or allowing a friend to stay the weekend? While his father didn’t outright say it, didn’t that mean he was trying?

Seeing his father put in some effort into getting to know Bokushi or humoring his requests was something he liked, but at the same time, disliked. The change between Masaomi then and Masaomi now was too overwhelming for Bokushi to handle, and so at times, he would rather just prefer his father being cold and aloof like he used to be instead of Bokushi having to deal with the second-hand embarrassment of seeing his father trying to get along with a child like him. Emotions were something that neither of them was good with, after all.

Listening to his father talk with Miyoko seemed to bother him as well, for some reason. If he ever saw his father trying to be friendly, it was so he can be able to network amongst colleagues and other business owners. But here, it seemed like he was actually trying to be genuine, and Bokushi couldn’t tell whether he wanted his father to stop, or to keep going.

As much as Bokushi wanted to slide off Yukimaru and go crawl into a corner, he couldn’t help but think of what life would be like if his father was as nice as other fathers he sees everywhere. Those ones that take their children to the park, or buy them sweets, or make jokes, or tell their children how proud they are of them. Even growing up around wealthy families, you still see fathers who enjoy being involved in their children’s lives and just enjoy being a father in general. But as for Bokushi, while he still remembers all the things his father told him that one afternoon in the garden, he wasn’t sure where their relationship stood. Something inside him always told him to just ask, but then Bokushi always silenced that thought in the fear of how his father might react.

He timidly peered over at his father who was still holding the reins and leading the horse around, surveying the grassy field with his mysterious golden eyes. Then suddenly, almost as if his father knew he was watching, he turned to glance at Bokushi, who flinched and averted eye contact, hiding his face behind Miyoko.

Why? Why do I keep doing this, he thought, mentally kicking himself for startling so easily. Father is only being a good host, as he should, yet every time he tries to interact with me I push him away. What do I really want from him?

He shook it off. It doesn’t matter, he convinced himself. He was sick and tired of feeling all these mixed emotions. From now until the end of this sleepover weekend, he would just have to deal with whatever behavior his father displays. It didn’t matter if it made him cringe, it didn’t matter if it made him uncomfortable. Whatever it was, he could handle it.

As Masaomi turned Yukimaru back in the direction of the stables after another five minutes and Miyoko continued to talk to Masaomi about whatever trivial thing popped into her mind, he tried to shut off his brain—anything to keep him from overanalyzing everything his father does. As long as he didn’t think too hard about it, he wouldn’t feel anything.

Once they were finally back in the stables, Miyoko was clapping with joy.

“That was so fun!” she exclaimed. “I loved riding around on Yukimaru, Akashi-san.” Masaomi let go of the reins once Yukimaru came to a stop.

“I am glad that you enjoyed yourself,” he said. “If you would like to ride again while you stay here this weekend, you may come and find me or one of the staff, and they will take you to the stables.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Now that the horse ride was finished, Masaomi began helping the two of the horse. First was Miyoko, and she had no problems allowing Masaomi to lift her off and then set her down on the ground. Bokushi watched as she brushed off her skirt and walked over to his father’s side, waiting for Bokushi to join her. It was then that Bokushi realized that he was next. An overwhelming sense of dread passed over him as he saw his father approaching. He bit his lip and inhaled deeply.

Just suck it up, he told himself. You are being overdramatic.

He tried to force himself to look his father in the eye, but as he came closer, Bokushi’s eyes began to waver. By the time Masaomi had reached him, he had already surrendered himself to staring down at the ground as he was carried off the horse. He couldn’t do it. No matter how hard he convinced himself that this meant nothing, there was still this weird emotion he couldn’t yet place when his father had any type of physical interaction with him. The second he was set back on the ground, he took one look at his father, then turned away. He realized this was going to take a while to get over.

“Yukimaru is a good horse,” said Miyoko. “I want a horse like him one day. Wouldn’t you, Bokushi-kun?”

“Yes, I suppose,” said Bokushi, turning his attention back to Miyoko for a change to force his brain to think about something else. “If you’re willing to put in the effort to own a horse, it’s worth it.”

“Mark my words, I’m getting a horse when I grow up.” Suddenly a rustling sound in one of the stalls caught Miyoko’s attention. It was the stall next to Yukimaru’s, and something was moving around in there. She cocked her head to the side.

“What’s in there, Akashi-san?” Miyoko asked, pointing to the stall in question. Masaomi followed her finger to the stall she was pointing at.

“Ah,” he said. “That would be my horse. It appears he has finished resting.” At the thought of another horse, Miyoko instantly perked.

“You have a horse too, Akashi-san? May I see it?”

Bokushi went a bit stiff. He knew the exact horse his father was talking about. It wasn’t that he was afraid of the horse, he could never be afraid of horses. But there was something about his father’s horse that put him on edge. His father was already bringing his horse out after Miyoko had asked, and he instinctively took a few steps back as the ginormous beast walked out of its stall.

There in all its glory, was Masaomi’s horse. Its mane and its fur were jet black, and its tail was long and flowing. You could see how well-taken care of it was from the splendid sheen of its fur, everything about this creature was perfect. The horse’s eyes were dark brown and shifty, looking at his owner holding his reins, then down to the two children standing at the side. The horse began to try and approach them, but Masaomi tugged lightly at the reins, making the horse stop its advances and stay put.

“My apologies, he is a curious one,” he explained. Miyoko was rather shocked at the appearance of this horse, and she stood in place as she stared at it with wide eyes.

“Wow,” she finally said at last. “I’ve never seen a horse like this before. Is this really yours?” Masaomi nodded.

“What’s its name?”

“Its name is Kuroshinpi,” said Bokushi. “We’ve had him for a long time as well. Unfortunately, since this horse is a bit more aggressive, for a beginner, it would be hard to ride.” Miyoko seemed a bit disappointed.

“Oh.” She thought for a moment before looking at Masaomi. “Then if it’s your horse, Akashi-san, can I see you ride it?” Masaomi furrowed his eyebrows at Miyoko’s request.

“You would like to see me ride my horse?” he asked.

“Yes, please!” Miyoko said earnestly. “Bokushi-kun, don’t you want to see him ride his horse?” Bokushi glanced off to the side.

“Well…” He had actually not seen his father ride his horse for a while. He was always too busy with work to do anything else. If his father was busy enough, there were times where Bokushi wouldn’t even see him at the dinner table, and this was not an uncommon occurrence. Bokushi couldn’t even recall the last time he had seen his father on a horse, it had to have been years. It piqued his curiosity. Coming to a decision in his head, he nodded slightly.

“Yes,” he said. “I would like to see father ride.” He too then looked up at his father, watching his face. His father most definitely thought it over for a moment before going over to get the saddle for his horse.

“It has been a while since I have ridden,” he had said more to himself. “But if you want to see, then I will show you.”

With that, once Masaomi had put the saddle on and adjusted it, he hoisted himself onto his horse with ease. His feet naturally found the stirrups and his hands took hold of the reins, leading his horse as if it were second nature. Miyoko instinctively walked behind the horse, Bokushi walking beside her, putting an arm out in front of her so she didn’t get too close to the horse’s hind legs. Once they were fully outside the stable, Bokushi guided Miyoko to one side, while Masaomi walked the horse further on for a little bit. After he was around ten or so meters away from the two, he stopped.

“What is it you would like to see me do on this horse, exactly?” Masaomi asked. Bokushi looked over to Miyoko, who just shrugged and smiled.

“Anything!” she said. “Show me how what you can do on Kuroshinpi.” When she said that, Masaomi’s golden eyes flashed with an emotion that Bokushi couldn’t decipher and the man gripped the reins a bit tighter.

“Very well.”

From there, no more words were exchanged as in the few seconds that Masaomi took to reply the girl, he had already decided what to do. Rocking the saddle forward, his horse began to walk. The horse was only walking for a few seconds until Bokushi saw his father dig his legs into the horse’s side a little and the pace increased, the horse going from a walk to a canter. Soon enough the horse is full-on galloping before their eyes and Miyoko is entranced.

Masaomi skillfully controlled the horse to the best of his abilities, making it gallop at full speed and executing skillful turns with a level of finesse that only an Akashi could obtain. Bokushi and Miyoko watched as the horse raced around with great agility, even Bokushi was speechless as he watched his father, even though he has seen him ride a horse before. Then, while it was still galloping, Masaomi guided the horse to a jump standard that was set up nearer towards Bokushi and Miyoko. The horse slowed its pace a little as it galloped towards the raised bars, and then at the right time, the horse jumped, soaring over the jumping standard as if it had wings. Miyoko’s eyes went as wide as humanly possible, mouth opening in a wide smile.

“Wow!” she squealed. “Akashi-san is so cool when he rides his horse! Don’t you think, Bokushi-kun?”

Bokushi nodded absentmindedly, his eyes also wide. Even though he’s seen his father ride a horse before, he’s never let loose on his horse like he had done today. The movements of the black horse as it turned and jumped were so precise and controlled, yet something about the horse made it seem chaotic, mischievous, and wild. Looking up at his father controlling the large creature with nothing but his reins and the movement of his legs, his eyes that usually looked so cold looked like they were sparking up with a fire that Bokushi had never seen before. Just like the horse, his father looked wild, unlike his typical stoic appearance. Masaomi suddenly pulled back on the reins, making the horse stand up on its hind legs and let out a loud neigh. That exact moment was the moment Bokushi wanted to ingrain in his mind for a long time. The image of his father sitting on a horse on its hind legs, the pose that made his father look exactly like a dark prince.

No, not a dark prince, Bokushi thought. A dark king.

Completely engrossed in his father’s little display of his horse-riding skills, Bokushi didn’t even notice when he stopped restraining himself and started smiling along with Miyoko. Standing there, watching Masaomi look so free and uncontrolled, Bokushi’s inhibitions disappeared, along with all the reluctance towards his father.

Once Masaomi had decided he had shown enough and signaled for his horse to slow down to a stop near the stable, he dismounted and then continued to lead the horse back by the reins. Miyoko and Bokushi approached him as he was walking back.

“Was that satisfying enough for you?” he asked the young girl.

“Satisfying?!” Miyoko parroted in disbelief. “That was beyond satisfying! Akashi-san, you looked so amazing riding Kuroshinpi! I’ve never seen someone ride a horse like that before. What did you think, Bokushi-kun?” All eyes were on Bokushi as Miyoko whipped her head around to look at her companion standing next to her. Bokushi didn’t even realize he was still smiling as he looked up at his father without hesitation for the very first time, his eyes glistening with admiration.

“I think it was beautiful,” he said to his father with childish awe. At that reply, Masaomi raised a brow slightly, making Bokushi falter before realizing what he just said. His face began to redden as he opened his mouth to attempt to stammer an apology (did he do anything wrong? no, but he was gonna apologize anyway), but before he could even say anything, he heard a noise from his father. It was only after a few seconds of processing that Bokushi realized his father had just chuckled.

Wait…he chuckled?

Bokushi didn’t even have enough time to look up at his father before he turned around again, attention on his horse as he took the saddle off.

“Thank you,” is the response Bokushi got from him. A light gasp unconsciously escaped Bokushi’s mouth as his father guided his horse back to the stall and Miyoko continued to rant about horses. That was the first time his father had ever said thank you to him.

Sure, Masaomi had been becoming nicer and nicer as the weeks have gone on (as nice as his personality would allow, anyway), but for his father to say thank you after Bokushi complimented him, Bokushi felt as light as a feather knowing that his father was making an effort. This whole time that Miyoko has been with them, Bokushi had been loathing his father tagging along, wishing that he would just leave the two of them in peace to do whatever. Even when Masaomi would actually try to interact with Bokushi, he still pushed the man away. But after, this, now that Bokushi saw him genuinely happy, he no longer cared about the awkwardness or the second-hand embarrassment. At long last, he realized that yes, this is what he wanted. This is what he wanted to see in his father. A change for the better.

Bokushi didn’t try to hide the small smile that slipped on his face after his father turned around as he looked down to the ground, a light pink dusted across his cheeks.

“You’re welcome.”