8 years later
A lady from Jurai suddenly visited them to meet Azusa's mother. She was from one of the imperial family of Jurai, the house of Kamiki. Her name was Seto. Amame was a pupil of Seto and also her friend. This was the first time Azusa and Seto met together.
During this visit, Seto proposed to greet Azusa as the next leader of the house of Masaki. After Azusa's mother had left Jurai, several matters had happened and now their was no heir that existed for the leader of the house of Masaki and that was why she had come. For the return of Azusa to the imperial house, the other three houses have granted the permission, the houses which are the house of Kamiki (Seto's), the house of Amaki, and the house of Tatsuki.
However, Azusa himself refused to go to Jurai. It is hard for an 8 years old boy to separate from his parents, but for his parents it was true that they had the feelings that they owed the Masaki family and tried to persuade their son to go. Many times have they tried, but Azusa Refused. He was satisfied with his present life, but also there was another reason for him to refuse. A rule in Jurai stated that, Azusa's mother could not return to Jurai unless the her permission was also granted, which she was not able this time. Only for Azusa, the permission been given to him and not for his mother. For this, Azusa had repulsion toward the Jurai.
'I hate you! Get out of here!' glowering to Seto, Azusa cried out.
'Oh, you are so cheerful!' replied Seto showing a positive reaction to his curses.
'Shut up! I said get out of here!'
'He-he. Oh, how scary you are.'
Prying about both of them, Azusa's mother sighted and murmured,
'Now Azusa will not be able to escape from her'
'Only for this?' Azusa's father asked his wife. 'Anyway since it has been decided in the Jurai high council, he won't be able to get out of it, right?'
'no, Seto is not the type of person who makes one-sided decisions. I think everything depended on Azusa's will. But now'
'But now, what?' asked Azusa' father.
'But those which she is pleased in, Seto is surely to get it. I am afraid that she will lead Azusa to say he wants to go to Jurai by himself.'
'Make Azusa say so?' facing the two again, he asked her in surprise.' With that? Isn't she angry being shouted at like that?'
'She absolutely is enjoying it. Seto likes these things.'
As Azusa's mother said, since then, Seto came to their house whenever she had time. She never tried to persuade him to go, but only laughed watching Azusa puffing out his cheeks in anger when she came over, and her laughter made him puff out his cheeks even more. Anyway it seemed that Seto just tried to make him get angry on purpose. When there was a time for parents to attend class in school, she appeared saying that she was his mother and when he was sleeping she sat beside him and watched him sleep all night. She tried to bathe with him, took his sweets, tickled him, kissed him, and ran after him.
She was just only another teasing child to him now.
'Lady Seto, oh please don't take the joy of a Mother from me!' Azusa's mother once begged to Seto.
'Oh bothersome! can't you just have another child. Azusa is mine now.' Seto simply answered and ran after Azusa again.
Seto's love to Azusa got larger and larger while Azusa's cheeks puffed out more and more.
on the other hand he cared about her and the young boy did not notice that the space in his heart for Seto was turning out to be larger day by day.