Homecoming

Narita Airport, March, Present Year

Saki Homura stood outside the airport doors, stretching her arms up, smiling to herself. It's been six months since she left home for Mongolia last October as part of an archeological team and spent the most frigid winter she has ever experienced. Gladly, she welcomed Japan's relatively warmer spring climate.

She is an archeologist by profession, probably one of the youngest in the field, and working as an assistant to one of Asia's leading professors in their industry.

Last October, their team was sent to explore an uncharted region in the mountain range located north of Ulaanbaatar to investigate the rumors about an ancient civilization that once thrived there. The site was only accessible during winter, when the temperatures go down to subzero degrees.

Three months into their exploration, they came up with a few leads. Unfortunately, they needed to halt the investigation and go home before they were able to finish as the terrain becomes dangerous when climate temperatures begin to rise.

A black Rolls Royce stopped directly in front of her and out came a familiar woman in her early thirties. She was a picture of elegance and grace, wearing a yellow kimono with a floral motif with her hair tied up behind her head.

"Asami-neechan!" Saki called as she quickly ran towards her, throwing herself into the woman's arms. "I missed you!"

"Welcome home, Saki," Asami said as she hugged the young woman back. "How was Mongolia?" she asked her as they separated.

"Intriguing," Saki replied, handing over her luggage to the driver before getting inside the car. "We found possible evidence of an old civilization that was never documented before. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to halt the dig for six months to wait for winter again."

"Well, at least you don't have to go abroad for a while."

"En," Saki nodded. "Right now I just wanna go home and take a long, hot soak in my tub and go to sleep."

"Not just yet," Asami said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Saki asked, apprehensive.

"We have dinner tonight at the hotel restaurant."

"Can't I just pass?"

"Dad wants you to be there."

Saki groaned. "Did Uncle send you here to pick me up?"

Although Saki calls Asami her older sister, they are actually cousins. Saki's mother is the younger sister of Asami's father, who died when Saki was five years old.

Being born out of wedlock, Saki never knew who her father was. Her closest relative was her uncle Sadao Homura, who adopted her immediately and raised her with his own two children, Asami and her younger brother, Satoshi.

"Dad wants me to make sure that you will be able to come."

"And here I thought you came because you missed me."

Asami's laugh rang like a bell. "Of course, I did."

Saki sat back, crossing her arms in front of her. Her lower lip protruded into a pout. As the youngest among the three, her cousins doted on her, giving her everything she wanted within certain boundaries.

Growing up, she was a clever child with a cheerful, playful personality. Saki was not a spoiled kid, however. Her uncle trained her the same way he did to her cousins, and she turned into a kind and capable young woman.

Moments later, the car slowed down and entered a driveway, stopping at the front door of Saki's apartment lobby.

Her apartment building was situated in one of the upscale locations in the city owned by her family. It had 30 floors above ground and 5 floors below.

Saki got off and was bidding Asami goodbye when the driver handed over her luggage along with a white box. She gave Asami a look of inquiry.

"Dad told me to give it to you. I trust your size hasn't changed. Wear it to dinner tonight."

"Haaaaaai~" she said in a cheerful, high-pitched voice.

"I'll see you later." The car drove away.

Saki took the elevator and swiped her fingerprint on the panel to access the top floor where her unit was located. It was the only one on that floor, given to her by her uncle as part of her inheritance.

The elevator opened up to a small corridor leading to the front door on the opposite end which she also opened using her fingerprint.

Once inside her apartment, Saki went straight to her bathroom to fill the tub with warm water. She soaked in the tub for a long time, feeling relaxed as the warm water soothed her sore muscles, melting her exhaustion away.

After soaking for a long time, she dried herself up with a towel before putting on a robe. Sitting in front of the dresser, she began to dry her hair with a hairdryer.

The reflection that stared back at her in the mirror was an image of unique beauty. Saki's hair was mostly dyed a hot flamingo pink, interspersed with strands of her natural charcoal black hair. Her roots are also left undyed, leaving an image of a gothic princess. The pink hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft curls.

Saki has big, almond eyes, a roman nose, a small, pouty mouth and a small, proportionate oval face that gives her a youthful façade. Her facial features, along with her bright hair color, often gets her mistaken as a teenager instead of her real age of 24, especially when she wears her usual go-to outfit of t-shirt and ripped jeans.

Tonight, however, is a formal occasion, judging from the outfit Asami gave her; which was a classy white power suit with a red scoop neck blouse as innerwear. She needs to look the part of a mature and well-respected adult.

Smoky eyes and bright red lipstick should do the trick, she thought.

She swept all of her hair to the left side of her head, her pink curls flowing neatly on her left shoulder, leaving right side of her face and neck bare. Her right ear was also exposed, revealing eight piercings, each of which was decorated with a unique earring. She also placed rings of different thickness on the fingers of each hand. Lastly, a pair of red stiletto pumps completed her look.

She took one last look at the mirror, then got up to leave her apartment.

——

Saki arrives outside the hotel lobby, leaving her car with the valet attendant. She checked the time on her wristwatch. She's fifteen minutes early which, in Uncle's time, means she's late. Hurriedly, she enters the hotel.

As she passed the lobby, she saw her cousin Satoshi talking with two men. One was a old man, probably in his late forties or early fifties, while the other looked somewhere in his 20s. Judging by how similar they looked, she guessed that they were father and son.

Curious, she walked towards them.

"Ah, Saki, you're here," Satoshi called out as soon as he saw her.

"Hello, oniichan," she cheerfully greeted before giving the two strangers a polite bow. "Good evening."

The older man quickly took her hand, much to her surprise. "Ojousama, we finally meet," he said with what seemed like reverence.

Taken aback, Saki forced herself to smile politely as she pulled her hand back, glancing over her cousin with a confused look on her face.

At the same time, the young man placed his hand over the older man's shoulder, giving him a stern look. The old man's eyes suddenly widened in horror, as if realizing that he had made a grave mistake.

Suddenly, an image of a fire flashed in her mind followed by a pair of slanted red eyes.

"Please excuse my father," a voice snapped her senses back into reality. "He gets excited easily."

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Neesan/Oneesan - older sister

Niisan/Oniisan - older brother

Ojousama - young mistress/young lady