Changeling

Chapter 3: Feelings of Emotion

"I scent blood. Someone's dead," I answered. Turning a corner, I saw two people down an alley covered in blood. One was dead, the other sobbing profusely in both fear and grief. My nose twitched, searching for the one who caused the two humans such pain. I didn't trust that the person was gone; this could actually even be a trap. No, this was definitely a trap, one that two innocent people were forced into.

"Got you!" a female ghoul yelled, grabbing hold of Hanbee and knocking him to the ground. I'd moved out of the way at the last second; it wasn't my fault Hanbee happened to be behind me. "Eh? Where'd she go?"

"Why does everyone seem to want to eat me? I'd like to know," I said softly in a dangerous tone, my breath in her ear and my ukaku kagune draped lazily over her shoulders. The woman stiffened and gritted her teeth. "It's really quite annoying, especially when you types always underestimate me like that."

"Why you...You'll wish you'd stayed still once I'm done with you," she snarled.

"Baka," I said. I stabbed a flurry of feathers from my kagune through her abdomen as I spoke. She didn't get the chance to respond as to protect herself and coughed up blood. I then kneed her in the back, breaking her spine. She screamed in agony and I flung her to the side, towards Juuzou. I'd let him handle the rest as I squatted in front of Hanbee with a smile now gracing my lips and extended a hand to him. "Are you okay, Hanbee?~"

"Y-yeah. J-just a little shaken," he replied. Hanbee took my hand and I helped him up. I then went over to the sobbing high-school girl, sitting next to her and giving her a comforting hug. My head rested on her shoulder.

"Hush awr, blant annwyl, nid oes angen i dagrau, Dream ymaith dy holl ofnau drwg.~ Cwsg yn awr, angel melys, peidiwch â crio, Mam yn addo i gyd i fod yn iawn~," I started singing softly in Welsh. I was trilingual, knowing English and Welsh as well as my native Japanese. I'd learned a little Welsh from my mother before being abandoned and had taught myself the rest by sneaking into libraries at night and reading the necessary books. Really, it was a way to pass the time, but it came in useful now since I felt it was the most soothing language to sing in, even though this girl had no idea what words I sang. She soon calmed, her sobs turning to sniffling.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm such a bother like this," she said in a whisper after I finished singing. She didn't seem to mind that I was a ghoul; perhaps because I'd just taken part in getting rid of the ghoul who'd killed the lifeless female next to her. "Thank you for saving me, e-even if that wasn't your intention."

"You're no bother. It's fine, isn't it? You just lost someone you really care about, so it's only natural to cry," I told her, my kagune twitching a bit. "I'm Reika. What's your name?"

"I-I'm Kiomi. Th-thank you for being so nice, Reika-san. It'd be nice if we could be friends," the girl, Kiomi, said. I tilted my head sideways.

"Friends?" I spoke, testing the word out.

"Y-yeah. If it's o-okay with you, I'd like to be your friend," she said, smiling a little. I started to understand a little what the word meant.

"Okay. We can be...friends~," I said. As I spoke those binding words, I felt a little as if that's how I felt towards Juuzou and Hanbee. I also started to realise something else as well. "Let's get you home safe now, Kio-chan.~"
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After dropping Kiomi off in front of her house, the three of us walked in a random direction. Juuzou had his hands clasped behind his head. If possible, Hanbee actually seemed a bit braver.

"You were really kind to that girl, dropping her off like that. Why'd you do it?" Juuzou asked.

"Hn? Well, she wanted to be my friend, and that made me realise something," I replied.

"Hm? And what's that?" he pried. I looked up at the starry sky with a complacent smile, putting my hands behind my head like Juuzou.

"She made me realise that.... I don't really want to be all alone like I've been for so long," I answered. "I think maybe a part of that realisation was also because of you and Hanbee-kun."

"Eh? Really?"Hanbee asked, surprised. I tilted my head back to look at him from an upside-down view, still walking.

"Yeah! I think I'm really starting to care about Hanbee-kun rather than just see him as an amusing person to play with~," I said unabashedly, wording it in such a way despite speaking directly to him. Hanbee's cheeks flushed a bright red.

"D-do you actually mean that?" he asked. I giggled.

"Of course!~ I wouldn't lie about my own feelings~," I chirped.

"Haha~ If you're saying that, then make sure not to become useless, 'kay~," Juuzou laughed. I looked at him, still smiling brightly.

"Who knows? Maybe this will make me stronger ~," I giggled.
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Normally, I slept during the day, but I couldn't. I decided on going to the nearest coffee shop and relaxing in the scent. Just as I'd closed my eyes and let the smell drift passed my nose, I felt a lot more calm than usual, less hyper.

"Reika-san!" a familiar female voice called. I opened my eyes and saw Kiomi walking towards me, waving.

"Kio-chan! Good morning~," I greeted, waving back. She hugged me once she reached where I was and I hugged her back. "How are you?~"

"I'm all right. Still a little sad about Takiode-senpai, but doing a lot better than I might've if not for you, Reika-san," Kiomi replied. "Oh, and her funeral's going to be in two days. Um...if you don't mind, I'd like you to come."

"Of course! I'll be there for Kio-chan, definitely~," I trilled. She smiled a little.

"Thanks, Reika-san. Want to get a coffee? My treat," Kiomi said.

"Okay~," I said, then we went inside the little coffee shop.
[A/N: If you can guess what's different about this chapter from the previous two, I'll give you Kaneki shaped cookies.~ Also, I'd like to dedicate the OC of Kiomi to iLiVe-san.~]