Mer and Kenji

"I don't like him", she pouted, clenching onto her little white dress.

"Why, Miss Rouge? Master is really kind."

"Don't call him that!"

They were just kids, then. And so they didn't need any reason to hate or like someone. All the more so in her case. She despised the tall young boy, that seemed far too perfect to everyone, even herself, though she wouldn't admit it.

She flitted her long golden hair across her shoulder and ran off into the garden. Mer watched her strode off, there was no stopping her.

"What am I going to do with her?", he muttered under his breath before going after her.

He spent most of his days running after her but today was especially important. The guests she seemed to hate were very important to her grandfather. It was just the two of them, the father and son who was some years older than Mer and Rouge. Mer had found him nice to speak to, although he was the silent type.

"What do you hate about him so much?"

He finally found her by the fish pond. She would wear a frown and sit watching the goldfish in the pond whenever she was mad.

"Don't talk to me about him!"

"But they are your grandfather's esteemed guests, Miss. You have to have dinner with them, you know. You can't be looking like this while-"

"Ah, shut up! Why do you speak like my father?!"

In fact, Mer himself didn't know. He was just doing his duty.

"Eh...", he was lost for words.

"What's so good about him, anyway?! He's good at everything, and he can deal with family business while I'm only just a child who throws a tantrum. Well, he's just acting like all adults! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"

Indeed, the young boy that looked perfect was good at everything. But while Mer thought it was the maturity in him that comes with age, Rouge was jealous of him. She wasn't near as good as him and she hated how her grandfather's eyes lit up when he talked to the young man. The young guest had tact and he could blend in well with the fancy rituals of rich people. But while Rouge was born into aristocracy as well, she wasn't nearly as well-refined.

"Aren't you complimenting him, Miss?", Mer chuckled a bit.

"Why are you taking his side, Mer?! He isn't half as good as you! Don't be so impressed by him!"

"Eh? How am I better than him?"

"You're better looking and you are fun to play with. He doesn't even talk! Who does he think he is? He seems like he's looking down on everyone. I hate him! Absolutely hate him!"

Mer blushed a bit. He was a fair haired, albino looking kid, and had a good head about him but even he knew he paled in comparison to the young guest.

"In any case, Miss Rouge, we should get going. Old Master would get really mad, you know that."

"Why are you so scared of my grandfather, Mer? Haven't I told you? You don't need to worry about anyone as long as you have me on your side."

Despite her saying so, he couldn't just rejoice in freedom. He had a duty to fulfill.

Rouge frowned on his lack of response and threw a pebble into the pond, getting up. She then started towards the thick forest.

"Miss Rouge, you shouldn't go there. Please! You'll get me in trouble!"

"I've had enough of you being so scared all the time!", she yelled before running off, albeit not in the direction of the forest.

She ran back home. Mer knew that she would never want to get him in any trouble, so he used this line as a last resort.

He followed after her, only to find her on the ground, with the young guest leaning over her.

"Are you alright?", he was offering her a hand to help.

She shook it away and stood up.

"Miss Rouge!", Mer caught up, "Are you alright?"

"Hey, you shouldn't be shoving people around, don't you know?", she ignored Mer and addressed the other young man, scornfully.

"Shoving people? Pardon me, but it seemed to me that you bumped into me", he replied politely.

"Huh?! Are you accusing me of lying? Who do you think you are? Abusing me in my own house!", she shot at him.

He was a little shocked, "I apologize if it came out wrong. I really didn't mean it to-"

"Apologize? And that you should! You should be groveling in front of me, begging me not to tell my grandfather to kick your two bit old man out of this house along with you."

Mer realized she had gone too far seeing as he wasn't one to put up a fight. But she was wrong.

"I would ask you to refrain from any more comments about my father. And I don't suppose your grandfather could ever surpass your foolishness by listening to what you have to say."

"What the hell did you say?!", she yelled, only to be stopped by Mer.

"Miss, that's enough! He apologized, so let it go!", Mer knew, of course, that she was up to no good.

She turned around to look at Mer. She looked like she would burst into tears or start screaming right that minute.

"This isn't over yet", she said, stomping her feet as she strode off towards the house.

"I am really sorry for this behavior, Mr. Blackwell. She really doesn't know any better. Please forgive her", Mer bowed his head, doing her apologies as usual.

"Its no matter. It doesn't bother me. And Mer, you don't need to be that formal with me. Call me Kenji."

Mer smiled, an admirer of his as he was.

"Alright then, Mister Kenji. Ah, and also, would you be so kind to refrain from saying anything to her father? It wouldn't spell good for her."

"Don't worry, I don't have any such intentions."

Mer's eyes were filled with a brand new admiration.

"Ah, your suit. It didn't get dirty, did it?"

"No, I'm alright, really. She is really small, after all. What use would my height be if I couldn't withstand one cranky kid?"

Mer chuckled. The two talked their way towards the house.

Kenji Blackwell was the youngest of the three Blackwell sons. His older brothers were twins. Kenji never dreamed he'd be the heir of the Blackwell family while his two brilliant brothers were around. He told Mer how both of them had succumbed to a chronic illness that ran in the family. They had died within hours of each other. Their mother had died of the same illness around a decade earlier. And it changed the Blackwell lineage for good.

"It seemed to me that I was burdened with a whole new world all too suddenly. I simply never imagined this could happen. It just makes me want to keep myself together and be as much as my brothers were. Though, to be fair, I'm nowhere near good enough", he said.

"You're really amazing, Mister Kenji! You're really doing so much, aren't you? I think the Blackwell name is safe in your hands, I really believe that."

The way Mer's eyes glittered as he said that, made Kenji smile.

"What about you, Mer? What do you plan to do?"

"Heh? Me? I...well, I...I haven't really got anything. My parents are poor, so I just serve the family here. I think I'll always just be doing the same."

"Ah, you underestimate yourself, Mer. It doesn't matter what you were born into. I think if you've got the aptitude to keep up with the cranky young miss every day, then there is no power in the world that can stop you from becoming great."

Mer chuckled. And even though he didn't believe much in dreams, a small hope was planted in his heart that day without him realizing.