THE bell signaling lunch break rang. Azusa grabbed her lunch and took the stairs leading to the rooftop where Tsukiharu and Youta were waiting for her.
The day they decided to have a truce with Tsukiharu, he agreed on the condition Azusa would join him for lunch every day. Kouya was completely opposed to the idea, but Subaru intervened by adding the condition he couldn’t force Azusa to have lunch if she didn’t want to and that their time together would still be watched, allowing the truce to form with Tsukiharu’s condition in place. Since then, eating lunch with Tsukiharu and Youta became a daily ritual. If she were to be honest with herself, not an ounce of fear toward Tsukiharu was left in her.
Azusa arrived at the top of the stairs and called out to the familiar back on the other side of the open rooftop door.
“Sorry for the wait—oh? Where is Youta?”
“You didn’t hear? Youta’s coming of age ceremony is coming up soon, so he went home early to get ready for it. He was all pumped up because the Patriarch is going to be present for it.”
“I see. So it’s just you and me for lunch?”
“Ooh, what’s this? Are you finally aware of my charms?”
“Nah, I was just wondering if I should skip today to keep from dealing with an angry Kouya later.”
“…You can’t be swayed, huh?” Tsukiharu said with a nauseated expression.
Azusa sat beside him laughing as she opened her lunch box. Tsukiharu tilted his head in astonishment.
“Has anyone ever told you that you lack caution, Azusa?”
“Hm? Why? Do I need to be cautious?!”
“No. It’s weird for me to be the one saying this, but even you admitted it’s just the two of us today… Are you okay with that? I was prepared to eat lunch alone…”
While Azusa had been eating with Tsukiharu and Youta a lot lately, she had never eaten with just Tsukiharu before. He was aware of the fact he had frightened her more than once. Even Azusa had noticed his careful attempts to avoid ending up alone with her more than necessary. He was responsible for inviting Youta to lunch every day too.
“What? Oh no! Are you planning on doing something to me?” Azusa joked. She saw panic flash across Tsukiharu’s face and thought it was a fresh look on him.
“I won’t! I won’t! I don’t want to do anything to upset you either. Well, that might sound hollow from the guy who kidnapped and locked you up.”
“You realize what you did was wrong though, right? I know you won’t do anything bad to me again,” Azusa smiled. She looked a speechless Tsukiharu in the eye.
This was the first time she had ever seen him flustered. Coupled with his earlier panic, she felt like she was seeing a new side to him. It was rare for the always aloof Tsukiharu to have anything but a smile plastered on his face.
Tsukiharu’s behavior was enough evidence to show he regretted what he did to her. His soft demeanor grew kinder than before, and she didn’t see much of the sneer he used when he looked down on people. His aloof personality hadn’t changed, but he started following up his snarky statements with more considerate lines now. His attitude toward Kouya and Subaru was the same as always. At the very least, his attitude showed he wanted to make things up to Azusa.
“…Youta scolded me. He said, ‘I don’t know what you did, but considering how angry Kouya is, you’re probably the one at fault, yeah? Azusa will seriously hate your guts if you don’t show remorse for what you did.’ And then he added, ‘Men who can’t be kind to girls are the scum of this Earth!’ with a smile.”
“You’re surprisingly weak when it comes to Youta, huh?”
“…Apparently, we’re friends. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take his advice.” Tsukiharu bashfully turned his face away from her, exposing the back of his red ears. Azusa couldn’t hold back her laughter. He puffed out his cheeks. The next minute, his demeanor shifted to seriousness. “To be honest, I think that I did something bad to you now. But I believe the me at the time would have made the same choice no matter how many times I could redo it. I was desperate…”
“Your time limit is three years?” Azusa asked carefully.
Tsukiharu slowly shook his head. “Honestly, the reason I gave you before was a pretense. I admit I thought I could live a little longer if I regularly received your blood. But think about it? Drinking your blood isn’t going to make the blood my body naturally produces change from human to the Ancient’s. My body won’t turn human either. There’s no way I can accomplish the research necessary to convert my blood to the Ancient’s within three years with no sponsor or support, even if you let me study you. The only thing I had in mind was the possibility of keeping my sanity longer by drinking your blood.”
“Really? Then why did—”
“I’m not scared of becoming an F rank monster or of dying. I have every intention of ending my life should time continue to pass with no change in my fate of turning into a monster. I’m repelled by the notion of having the Akaoni dispose of me after all.”
“……”
“You see, Azusa, it’s you I wanted. I wanted you, the only person in the entire world who has the same circumstances as me. You are my only connection to the world; I have no other. I fully understand our connection is minuscule and weak. We were simply two people created in the same experiment. But I wanted to become family with you, even though we aren’t blood related.”
“Tsukiharu…”
“Hey, Azusa? I know what I did was wrong, but I don’t regret it. How could I when it allowed me to talk with you like this right now? I wonder if people who didn’t know us would think we look like siblings?” Tsukiharu smiled, looking truly happy.
Azusa felt like her heart was being crushed. He made her aware of just how good she had it. While they both came from the same circumstances of being created in a laboratory for some freak vampire experiment, Azusa had a father and a mother who raised her. She had a family who loved her.
But Tsukiharu had no one. No family to love him, no friends to laugh and cry with him, and no teacher to show him the way. Despite what little connection he had to Azusa—if it could even be called a connection—he grew attached and infatuated with her because of how deeply he wanted a connection with someone somewhere. He was lonely.
Azusa decided to stop thinking about it. She put down her lunch box and gently hugged Tsukiharu who sat beside her. She tightened her arms around his back as she breathed in the faint fragrance of his soap.
“Azusa?”
“Let’s become family, Tsukiharu. If you are okay with me, I’ll be your family.”
Tsukiharu stiffened in her embrace. She gently stroked the back of his head to ease his tension.
“Pity?”
“It might be. But I currently think I wouldn’t mind becoming your family.”
“Are you an idiot? I did such awful things to you. You seriously lack caution.”
“I get that a lot. What a flashy sibling fight we had.”
“Stupid.”
“I want you to properly apologize to Kouya and the others. I’m fine, because we’re siblings.”
“I don’t mind apologizing to you for what I did, but I don’t want to apologize to that guy. I still don’t think I did anything wrong to him.”
“Too bad. Please do it for me. We’re family, so listen to me.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Aren’t I?”
“Mm-hm,” Tsukiharu nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”
Azusa dropped her arms and let go of him.
“You can call me Big Sis Azusa now.”
“You’re the older one? You don’t look too dependable though.”
“What’s wrong with me being older? I always wanted a little brother!”
They laughed together. Suddenly, tears spilled from Tsukiharu’s eyes.
“How strange. I’m so happy and want to keep up appearances, and yet here I am crying…” He rubbed at his tears and smiled like he had gained something valuable. “I’m such a lucky guy to have friends and a sibling.”
“Yeah.”
“Then, as your sibling, this is the last time.”
“What is?”
Tsukiharu seemed happy, but his eyes slowly narrowed. “The last time I’ll invite you, Azusa. Leave this town with me. Let’s take your father with us and escape. There’s no need for you to become their guinea pig. If you’re worried about being pursued, I will take care of everyone for you. So…won’t you take my hand, Azusa?”
“Tsukiharu…” Azusa sadly shook her head and put a little distance between them. Staying in reach of him was her way of showing her trust.
“You see, I’m an idiot, so I’ve already gotten used to life here. I think it wouldn’t be half-bad for things to stay this way. Of course, I’d be horrified if the day they want to vivisect me comes, and I plan to run away as fast as I can. But I believe Ichi, Subaru, and Kouya would never do such an awful thing to me.”
“You really are an idiot…”
“I think so too. Also, we might find a way to save you if we stay here, right?”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“How can I not? My little brother is in serious trouble.”
“Idiot.”
“Hey! Calling me an idiot every chance you get is really mean! Besides, I’m Kouya’s contractor. Won’t it be bad if I suddenly disappear?” Azusa said with a smile.
Tsukiharu pat her on the head and smiled wryly, “Nothing but suffering awaits a little brother with an idiotic big sister.”
“Give up on escaping with me.”
“All right.”
A little while later, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang.