Someone’s PoV
Kanato held Teddy in his arms as he walked through the hallways, humming ‘Scarborough Fair’ to himself. He was worried about Yokko right since she let go of a tear she wasn’t even aware of.
That single tear told them all her the suffering her unconsciousness kept. And it told them the fear and sadness she felt when her emotions are back whenever ‘he’ scares her too much.
When Yokko jumped down the tree and went back to where JaeMi and Belle was, she didn’t look back or anything.
She even felt colder and emptier.
She was more determined to be stronger, and was avoiding everyone. In fact, Shuu would sometimes spot her wandering around the hidden areas in the mansion, trying to find an escape.
And JaeMi and Belle were totally helping her with this idea of leaving the house.
This made Reiji stricter to them, and even told Yui to keep them locked in their rooms the moment they arrive from school. They will only be let out when it’s dinner.
Kanato stopped in front of a door and knocked thrice.
“Who is it?” a voice called out from inside.
“Yokko-chan~…” he said her name softly.
There was silence, then the door opened.
Yokko came into view, wearing her periwinkle nightgown, and her hair was windblown. Kanato’s eyes widened, as he spotted the barely visible handprints at the window glasses that were wide open, leading to the balcony. He entered the room, locked the door, and pinned Yokko under him on the bed. His eyes were sparking with sadness, rage, and more anxiousness.
Kanato softly placed his forehead against hers, and he began sobbing.
“You’re trying everything… just to get away from here…” he whispered, tears falling. “You’re leaving me… Did I do something wrong for you to hate me so badly?? TELL ME!!”
Yokko sighed. The feelings she was feeling at that moment… she couldn’t understand them. She felt her throat hurt, felt guilt, felt sadness, felt anger, felt nervous…
It was making her confused.
She lifted a hand and stroked his hair, hugging him tight. He felt his arms and legs tremble, one that never happened before in his vampire life, and carefully let himself fall on top of her, but still taking his weight so as not to crush her.
“Why…?? Why??” he kept on asking her that. “I’ve never felt love until I met you. And when I was able to learn you feel the same with me, I was so happy. But then, you try pushing me away. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! You’re just playing with my emotions!”
“If you see it like that, I’ll let you hold a grudge against me,” she spoke. “I am just your puppet to begin with. But this is for the best…”
“For the… best…?? No, it’s not! It’s breaking me, a vampire, into pieces!!”
He stared at her eyes that were once ever so cold.
Now, they were flickering with a faint light.
Yokko has already found the ink of her life. It’s none other than Kanato, but Yokko’s destiny can never be changed and it will endanger his life.
If she doesn’t push him away, if the others trigger it, then it’s the end.
It’s game over for them.
“Kanato-kun, you haven’t drank my blood for days,” she said. “And it’s full moon tonight…”
Kanato lifted himself up a little, and settled himself beside her. He hugged her close, her head resting against his chest, and he nuzzled her neck. Then he whispered something to her ear and bit down.
His bite was so gentle, she didn’t flinch. But even if he did bite hard, she still won’t feel the pain.
That man can only make her feel the most excruciating pain in her life.
Why isn't he aggressive when biting her?? It's full moon and vampires get stronger when the moon is like that. Why??
Well... I guess you can answer that by yourself...
‘I will never let go of something I declare mine…’
That was what he whispered to her, and that made Yokko’s heart beat fast. Her eyes went wide, and her throat hurt again.
She doesn’t want to push him away. Yokko wants to be with him as well, her feelings the same as Kanato’s.
But she was cursed along with Belle and JaeMi.
Kanato licked the blood off and smiled to himself.
‘I won’t let go of her… I will never let go of her…’ he thought. ‘She’s my sunshine… The only sunshine I can stand…’
He hugged her again, kissing her forehead then her lips, smiled at her, and went to sleep.
Yokko stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, stroking his hair now and then.
They woke up around 3 in the afternoon, and Reiji thought it would be best to eat lunch. But before he got to the kitchen, Belle complained out loud.
“I think it’s too late to eat lunch now, Reiji-san~!” she exclaimed.
Yokko’s PoV
“Well, what do you think we should do then?” Reiji scoffed.
JaeMi smiled. “Merienda!”
I whipped my head quickly to look at her. I felt… contentment, joy, pleasure…
Am I feeling… happy??
Belle beamed. “Yeah! Yeah! Merienda!!” she chanted. “I know you love this, Yo-chan~!”
“Mm… Let’s do that,” I agreed as well.
“What’s merienda?” Yui asked.
“It’s a mid-afternoon light meal or snack usually drank with tea in the Philippines. But if the weather is too hot, we drink something cold. We eat it with bread or anything that is light.”
“Then let’s do that!” Yui said to Reiji.
But JaeMi stopped Reiji.
“Let us handle this!” JaeMi told him with a smile.
Reiji stiffened. “Us?? You mean, with those two??”
“De!”
“No.”
“I insist! We won’t ruin your kitchen! I mean, we three love to cook and bake. But the only one who sometimes is disastrous when it comes to cooking food for meals is…”
“Belle?” asked Laito.
“No. Yo-chan.”
“Yo-chan??”
“Keep her away from my kitchen then,” Reiji commanded.
“I do not ruin someone’s kitchen when I’m baking or when I’m brewing coffee or making drinks.”
“Yo-chan loves brewing coffees, especially with those drawings of cats or leaves using milk,” JaeMi said. “She bakes also. She specializes in desserts.”
Reiji deliberated for it a moment, then sighed in defeat. “Just don’t break any of the tableware, you understand??”
“You are such a tableware otaku, Reiji,” Ayato sighed, rolling his eyes. “Even in your room, you have plates in your cabinet.”
“HAVE YOU BEEN EATING SECRETLY??! HOW COME YOU DON’T GET FAT??” Belle gasped dramatically.
Reiji snapped, and he tried smacking Belle’s head, which she dodged. He began chasing her around as she continued to tease him.
All was smiling at the scene, except for me.
But I was staring at the scene as well, trying to figure out what’s that feeling bubbling up in my throat, trying to get out.
I giggle left my lips.
I stopped, eyes wide in shock. Everyone else also looked at me with the same expression I guess I was giving off as well.
“Did you just…” Shuu-nii-san trailed off.
“Giggle??” Laito finished.
I looked at them, hands near my lips, and nodded slowly. And when JaeMi and Belle hugged me so suddenly, I felt my lips pull up.
I’m smiling…
I can smile again!
But…
The three of us went to the kitchen and began baking and making desserts. I handled the coffee making, but made sure the coffee is cold.
No… I haven’t gained my emotions fully yet… I’m still under his control… I gained the ABILITY to smile, to cry, to feel… But it’s not permanent yet. I can smile when I want, but I am still empty like before…
What should I do then…?
We set the food on the small table at the living room and just hung out, talking mostly about Belle’s, JaeMi’s, and my past.
But then Reiji asked me this…
“Does this mean you got your emotions back now?”
I shook my head. “No…”
“Eh?? But you just laughed earlier!” Laito said.
“Yo-chan? Get her emotions that easily?? She sacrificed it! She lost it! And he has—!” Belle exclaimed, but we quickly shut her mouth.
“Who is this ‘he’ you three always speak about??” Reiji asked, curiosity taking over him.
“None of your business,” I said emitting a cold aura as they tried opening that subject.
But Laito dared to dig deeper. “Sacrificed it?? Lost it?? I don’t get it!”
“I cannot allow you to grab this kind of information,” I said in a cold tone.
“Yokko, just tell them…” Shuu-nii-san whispered.
“No…” I muttered.
JaeMi was trembling beside me, and Belle shut up completely. Just thinking of that man made us feel so cold because of fear again.
This is why I sacrificed my emotions… So that I’d be stronger for these two… To obtain that, I sacrificed it. But I wanted to find it again to be the strongest. I thought I could fool him…
But it seems that emotions really do get in the way.
“Does Shuu know?” Subaru demanded, looking at Belle. “How come he knows while we don’t??”
“Don’t you trust us?” Yui asked.
“We do trust you,” JaeMi said, worry in her voice for me and Belle. “But…”
“But…?”
“You are vampires,” Belle continued on.
“And we are not allowed to entrust our lives to you…” I said.
I pulled Belle and JaeMi along with me, to keep them away from feeling fear again.
“Heed my call,” I told them.
Stopping in my tracks, I looked back and stared at them.
“Once you get on the bad side of the doll…” I whispered. “Once you do something wrong to make the doll change…”
“Doll??”
“What doll??”
“The doll that holds the fate of vampires…” I answered. “I tell you, once you get on its bad side…”
“You all die…”