Disclaimer: I do not own Saiounkoku Monogatari or any of its characters. They belong to their perspective owners.

Author's Note: Well, hello everyone! Welcome to my first Shuuei x Kouyuu fanfic!! I would like to dedicate it to everyone who read this story. This is my first Saiounkoku fanfiction, and I was left with no information at all about this gorgeous novel/anime, so if there is any mistake about the character's appearances please pay them no mind. Well then, please proceed with the fic!!

Oh, as I have said before, I don't have any information about these characters, so I make Kouyuu about thirteen years old and Shuuei about eighteen, nineteen years old. He was just promoted to be a General and he will be entitled as such few times in this fic

Timeline: This happened just before Reishin adopted Kouyuu.

When Shuuei Met Him

By Zielddhy

"Mister, will you buy one?" a small hand tugged on his cloak whiles its owner staring up at him. Someone harsher than Ran Shuuei may have a heart to say no to those big, innocent eyes. A child, no older than six years old held a meat bun on one hand and a basket full of them in the other.

Shuuei smiled at the child before reached down to his pockets. He pulled a silver coin and handed it to the little bun seller. One tiny hand reached out but no sooner than that, the child protested, "But Sir! I do not have any exchange! No one has bought my bun today!"

"Then, just give me how many meat buns I can get with this coin, it would make things much easier, don't you think?" countered Shuuei.

The said child nodded and quickly hand him a paper bag, complete with seven or eight meat buns in it.

"Thank you, Mister!" said the boy before he ran off.

"Now, what should I do with this?" the General wondered as he stared on that brown, puffing bag. It was winter now in Saiounkoku and the buns would make a most appealing snack, but Ran Shuuei was far from hungry. He had just eaten lunch and now on his way to Hanamachi, the infamous district.

He first thought of giving it to Kochou at Kouga House whom he would meet later but a slight movement caught his eyes. The longhaired General glanced up and saw a boy with indigo hair, laid a small, dirty blanket before setting some items on it. The threadbare clothes he wore were much too thin for winter, and it left nothing to imagination. Even from such distance, Shuuei was able to spot some ribs that were protruding from the boy's mid side.

After a few moments, the said boy sat down on his blanket, with various things around him, starting from plum branch, bowls, chopsticks, and even combs and brushes. Some neatly wrapped brown packages in different sizes were there as well.

Shuuei wasted no time as his legs moved along the street, before stood in front of the boy. He brought himself to his knees and found a most beautiful pair of azure eyes he had ever seen staring back to his own golden orbs. Able to observe the boy much closer, he could easily recognized a strong will in those azure eyes, a will to live on, a rare thing to find among street rift-raft these days.

"Are you here to buy some tokens?" a voice broke him out of his musings. The hard expression in front of him hardly discouraged Shuuei from placing a genuine smile on his face. He was already notorious for it; a smile that said can melt even the most unbreakable ice.

"Would it make any different if I say yes?" he countered.

"Of course it would. If yes, then I will offer you to take a token, if not, then kindly leave. You are disturbing my business."

At this, Ran Shuuei could not help but smirk. Any sane man would never challenge him in such ways, but this small, fragile thirteen-year-old boy certainly did no such things. He bravely stood up to his rights, even something as trivial as this street-business.

"Well then, will you take this?" Shuuei asked as he offered his paper bag.

This boy is no fool, Shuuei thought as he watched the boy eyed the bag suspiciously. Some steams still puffed from it, an inviting warmth beside the chilly air of winter.

"I desire no pity from you," spat the boy bitterly, angry at being pitied by some random passerby.

"Who says I will give you for free? I want to trade some tokens with this," explained Shuuei.

The boy had a decency to blush (something that Shuuei found extremely attractive) before handed out a box for the young man. The Ran heir put his hand inside it, pulled a small paper, and handed it to the teenager who still glared at him. He watched as the boy unruffled the paper and reached for a comb.

"Too bad, a consolation prize," said the boy as he handed Shuuei the comb.

"My luck has run out today, I guess," muttered Shuuei as he drew a long sigh. "Well, good luck for today! Hope you will make some money from this…good business." With that said, Ran Shuuei stood and calmly walked off.

Strangely, he had no desire to visit Hanamachi anymore. With nowhere else to wander, The Ran Heir decided to visit Kou Estate.

"Ran Shuuei, what business do you have to visit my estate in the most inappropriate time?" asked an irritable Kou Reishin few hours afterward.

"My dear Kou Reishin-sama, it is a common knowledge that tea time is the most perfect moment to visit. But I can perfectly understand if you desire no visitors these last few days. It is quite hard to maintain peace throughout the state with the second heir being exiled," replied Shuuei as he sipped calmly on his tea.

"And here I thought you are just an idiot who would experimentally spending Ran Family fortune without any second thought," Reishin said behind his fan.

"Unfortunately you are mistaken this time, Reishin-sama," Shuuei answered with an amused smile graced his face. Kou Reishin certainly was not someone who can easily flatter another, and he was already infamous as being a sharp-tongued.

Their conversation drew on few more hours before they decided to end it. Before he stepped out the door, however, Shuuei halted and glanced back at The Minister of Civil Affairs..

"Oh yeah, come to think of it, I met an interesting boy who sold tokens this afternoon, at the intersection to Hanamachi. Unique azure eyes and fascinatingly mature," not to mention he is cute as puppy too, added Shuuei silently.

"And you mention this to me because?" an eyebrow rose from Kou Reishin's young face.

"Nothing particular, I just think you would be interested, that's all," said Shuuei with a knowing smile before he went back to his own estate.

Later that month, a rumor had floated throughout the palace. Something like 'The Head of Kou Family had recently taken a street child under his wings, and the said child had the most brilliant azure eyes ever,' had become a main topic for the next few days.

Author's Note: Alright, I hope you like this story, guys! I take the title from an episode of Ouran Kokou Host Club anime, 'When Kyouya Met Him.' It is just absolutely perfect for my story so I use it.

Oh, and don't forget to push that review button below, for those who want to give me a flame, go ahead. But be kind and use positive and constructive words, therefore I can take it as criticism. Thank you, see you guys on my next Saiounkoku fic!! Bye!