NOW I’ve done it…
Kouya felt a deep sense of self-hatred as he looked at an unconscious Azusa limp in his arms. No need to guess why she fainted—it was a sudden case of anemia. In short, he drank too much blood from her.
He had barely held onto his self-control until the point when Azusa declared Tsukiharu wasn’t her enemy. He had a vague idea she didn’t feel hostility toward him, and he was willing to let it pass because they had entered a truce with Tsukiharu. But he lost his cool at her family comment.
In his mind, a boy and girl of their age becoming family meant they were entering a relationship akin to marriage. They were going to be lovers or a relationship of that nature… It took less than a few seconds for his mind to reach that conclusion, and before he knew it, he had forcefully stolen Azusa’s lips. And then he buried his face in her neck with animalistic passion to greedily devour her blood.
I haven’t been holding myself back all this time to give her to that guy. I’ve been holding back to keep her from getting hurt by me.
I would have told her my feelings if I were a normal human man or even a normal vampire. If she accepted my feelings, I would have forever treasured her. But that’s a scenario that can never come true. I’m neither a human man nor a normal vampire. I can’t bring her happiness. I can only devote myself to watching over her to make sure she doesn’t become unhappy.
As painful as it will be, I will permit her to fall in love with the man of her choosing. But why did it have to be him of all people? The animal passion that had taken over him earlier vividly came to mind. He pushed through it this time though.
I feel sorry for you being loved by a man like me. After what happened, I can’t help thinking Tsukiharu is acting more with you in mind than I ever have. Only the worst kind of man forces himself on the girl he loves, making her pass out due to his own selfish desires. Another way to look at it is that she was correct in choosing Tsukiharu over me. Not that I was ever in the running for her heart in the first place…
Kouya sighed at his internal turmoil and carried Azusa. He couldn’t leave her like this.
“I’m sorry,” Kouya apologized to Azusa who couldn’t answer him. He spun around to the familiar presence behind him.
“Oh my gosh, this is worse than I thought. What the heck are you doing? Seriously, man,” Tsukiharu said, exasperation apparent in his voice and expression. He wasn’t angry, but still frowned unhappily.
What a casual response after seeing another man make his woman faint. Maybe he’s raging on the inside, Kouya thought and prepared himself for whatever Tsukiharu was going to say to him.
“The Nurse’s Office is this way. You need to let her rest for now. You did this to her, so you better carry her carefully, Akaoni.”
Kouya blinked in astonishment.
✦ ✦ ✦
“HUH? So basically you misconstrued the whole situation, putting Azusa through this traumatic experience for nothing? You’re the worst.”
“……”
“I agree Azusa phrased it badly and that her actions can’t be praiseworthy from your standpoint, but how could you drink so much blood you knocked her out? What’s with you? Are you an idiot?”
“……”
“And let’s face it, wouldn’t she have said she started dating me rather than say we’re family? Why couldn’t you at least use your brain a little? Ew, seriously disgusted here. This is why I hate people who lose their cool faster than it takes to actually think things through.”
“…I don’t want to hear that from you of all people.”
“Excuse me? Do you think you can get away with cocky comments? Maybe I should let Azusa know the person the Akaoni is rumored to have a yen for is actually her.”
“……”
Tsukiharu sneered as he looked down on a speechless Kouya—a triumphant expression from every angle.
Tsukiharu brought Kouya all the way to the Nurse’s Office door and then insisted he tell him what led to Azusa fainting. He wouldn’t let him inside the Nurse’s Office unless he told him and went as far as threatening to burn the whole building down. Kouya still refused and attempted to return home.
“What’s this? Your self-centered pride won’t even let you allow Azusa her well-deserved rest. You’re the worst kind of person. Oh, and if you’re ashamed to expose your feelings, don’t be. It’s a pointless worry—I know everything and picked up on the rest. On top of knowing all there is to know, I’ll give you this word of advice one last time: think of the woman you love’s safety above all else, Akaoni,” Tsukiharu warned in a dark tone. Kouya had no choice but to reluctantly assent. It wouldn’t hurt to let Azusa rest in a bed sooner rather than later.
Kouya greatly regretted his decision now.
“I thought you were more cool-headed than this, Akaoni, but it looks like I was wrong. I wonder if you fall under that saying. You know, the one where they say love changes people? Yuck, someone’s hit puberty.”
“…Brat.”
“And who is it that’s madly in love with a woman the same age as this brat? Hm, geezer?”
“……”
Kouya had a feeling the day would never come that he could win in a war of words against Tsukiharu. It was great and all that he got Azusa into bed, but now he had to deal with a brat shooting sarcastic digs at him with a triumphant sneer.
As one would expect, Kouya didn’t tell Tsukiharu about the kiss he forced on Azusa, but aside from that he tried to tell him everything as frankly as possible, to which Tsukiharu responded with exasperation and the truth behind what really happened between him and Azusa. In short, Kouya learned it was all a misunderstanding.
Kouya’s thoughts were a chaotic mess of relief over it being a misunderstanding and a guilty conscience for stealing her lips and making her pass out for a mere misunderstanding. He heaved a loud sigh.
Forcing himself on the woman he loved over a misunderstanding brought about enough mental anguish on its own and yet when it came to Tsukiharu, he just had to dig the knife in deeper with his caustic comments, inflicting serious grief on Kouya.
“Well, setting that stuff aside, Akaoni, can you stop doing this kind of thing? For now, I want to act like a younger brother and follow my older sister’s wishes. I’ll quit trying to pry her away from you guys. But, just so you know, I’ll do my own thing if you keep up this behavior. Should this continue, I plan on tying her up and forcefully dragging her away from you.”
“Okay.”
The only reason Tsukiharu, who Kouya held in great contempt, got an obedient response out of him was because he genuinely felt he was in the wrong this time. Tsukiharu considered taking a crack at him while he was down, but sighed instead. A hint of nervousness could be seen in his countenance.
“Sorry.”
Tsukiharu apologized.
Kouya’s eyes widened. Tsukiharu continued, a sense of desperation in his tone, “For nearly killing you. And just let me say, I don’t mean any of this! Azusa told me to apologize, so I’m apologizing. I don’t think I did anything wrong and I think I would do the same thing should the same scenario occur. But Azusa asked me to, so I’m apologizing for her sake! Sorry!”
“……”
Kouya was too stunned for words. Tsukiharu looked away, his ears turning tomato-red. After a pause, Kouya regained his cool and slowly found the words he wanted to say, “Don’t apologize. If you do, I’ll be stuck having to apologize to you too. We were both at fault back then.”
“Apologize to me then. I have to apologize because Azusa told me to.”
“Sorry.”
“…! Do you not have any pride as a man?”
“Also, thanks for showing me the way here. The whole building is new compared to when I attended. I wouldn’t have been able to find it on my own.”
“Gah, don’t turn serious on me! This sucks! I have no intention of being friendly with you!”
“Same here.”
They both glared at each other, but the icy air there before was gone. If anything, they were both confused about how to cope with the friendlier mood between them.
Suddenly, Kouya’s head jerked up. “…Youta?”
“What? Something happen to Youta?” Tsukiharu understood what it meant when Kouya quickly raised his hand to cover his right eye and fell silent. He was connecting his consciousness over to one of his familiars.
If I’m not mistaken…his job in this town is… Tsukiharu stopped thinking and smacked a mirror positioned over a nearby sink.
“Hey, Akaoni! Show me too! What happened to Youta?” Tsukiharu shouted. Kouya touched the mirror at his insistence.
The mirror reflected Youta walking through the center of town. But it took a good hard look to tell. Why? Because his hair had grown long enough to drag across the ground behind him and his eyes were vacant. Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth and he walked unsteady on his feet.
Tsukiharu’s voice trembled at the sight, “…You…ta?”
Kouya’s expression twisted with anguish, “Youta has fallen to F rank.”