"Yuki, can I come to school with you and onee-chan?" Kaori asked, tugging on Yuki's sleeve.
Yuki smiled and patted her head. "No, you have to stay with Headmaster. You're not old enough to come to school yet." She said.
"But I wanna be with Yuki and onee-chan!" Kaori cried.
"What are you crying about now Kaori?" Kohaku asked as she walked into the kitchen while tying up her black hair into pony-tails.
"She wants to come to school with us." Yuki told Kohaku.
Kohaku grabbed a piece of toast and knelt down beside her sister. "Listen Kaori, Yuki and I need you to keep an eye on Headmaster Cross for us while we're on patrol. Can you do that for us?"
Kaori nodded.
"Good. Let's go Yuki."
The two girls met Zero outside the kitchen and the trio headed toward the Moon Dorm.
It had been about four years since Zero, Kaori, and Kohaku had come to live with Headmaster Cross. Zero's family had been attacked by an evil vampire and he was the only one who survived. Kohaku and Kaori were in their house when a rogue vampire attacked. Kohaku took Kaori, who was only two at the time, and hid in the wine cellar. They heard their parents scream and heard someone enter the cellar and just as the vampire was coming close to them, a shot rang out, and the vampire was killed. It was Headmaster Cross and a young man with black hair, named Kaname.
It was St. Xoctal's day, the day when girls gave chocolates to boys they liked. Kohaku pulled out a small box of chocolates she had made the night before with Yuki and Kaori. Hers had turned out better than Yuki's, but she knew that she couldn't give them to Kaname, because that was who Yuki liked.
I'll just give them to someone else… she told herself, glancing at Yuki.
Just as they reached the Moon dorm, Yuki and Zero made their way to the front while Kohaku stood behind all the other girls who were talking anxiously waiting for the Night class.
When the doors opened, the girls all screamed in excitement. Kohaku couldn't see anything over the crowd, but knew that it would take a while before the Night class passed by her because they would be accepting their chocolates.
Kohaku took a deep breath and began to push her way to the front of the crowd. A lot of the girls were already pushing their way to the front so it was very hard to move, and then, just as Kohaku reached the front, she tripped, her box of chocolates flying.
When Kohaku looked up, Kaname was standing there, holding the box of chocolates in his hand. Kohaku's face turned beat red. Kaname smiled down at Kohaku and held out his hand. Kohaku took it and Kaname helped her up.
"Ano… those chocolates…" Kohaku began nervously.
"May I have them?" Kaname asked sweetly.
"Eh? Oh… um, yes…"
"Thank you very much, Kohaku-chan." He said patting her on the head.
Kohaku smiled shyly as Kaname and the other students of the Night class walked off toward the school.
He accepted them! She smiled happily.
She skipped on her way to the Sun dorm as the sun began to set. She knew that Yuki and Zero would be patrolling around the Moon Dorm and the school, so she decided she would patrol around the Sun dorm. She knew that the Night class was made up of vampires, but she wasn't scared of any of them. She also knew that Kaname had feelings for Yuki because of the way he looked at her, but she still couldn't stop herself from loving him.
She heard girls giggling and stopped. She moved toward the sound and saw two girls from the Day class sneaking away from the dorm. Kohaku ran toward them and scolded them, ushering them back into the Sun dorm.
"You're no fun Kohaku-chan." One of them whined.
"Oh, Idol!" the other girl exclaimed.
Kohaku turned around to see Aido standing there on the dirt path. He was smiling at Kohaku, but she knew something was off. Everyone in the Night class knew better than to come to the Sun dorm. She pushed the girls into the dorm and closed the door.
"What are you doing Aido-senpai? You know the rules!" Kohaku said to him.
"I smelt blood… I just wanted to see…" he walked up to her and bent down, picking up her leg.
"Eh?" She gasped. Oh no! I totally forgot that I fell!
Aido licked the blood off of Kohaku's knee before standing up and cupping her face. "May I… partake from your neck?" he asked lustfully, bending in closer.
"A-Aido-senpai! St-Stop it! You can't!" Kohaku protested, struggling to get away, but Aido's grip was too strong.
"Stop right there Aido."
Kohaku turned to see Kaname. He had a furious look on his face as he glared at Aido. He pulled Aido away from Kohaku and slapped his face.
"You know better." He said. "Don't make me report you to the Headmaster."
"Kaname-sama…" Kohaku breathed.
"Kohaku, just go to your room, I'll take care of Aido." Kaname said.
Kohaku was too scared to ask questions and she ran to Headmaster Cross' house. She went into the bathroom and fell onto her knees, trembling.
Aido-senpai almost… she shut her eyes, trying to get rid of the thoughts in her head. Flickers of her parents' corpses resonated in her mind. Her sister's crying echoed in her ears. She alone had shed no tears after that night but now… tears swelled in her amber eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
"Onee-chan?" Kaori asked from the other side of the door.
Kohaku didn't reply, she just continued to weep silently into her knees until she fell asleep on the floor.
Kohaku opened her eyes to find herself lying in her bed. She sat up and saw Zero lying on the floor.
Did he bring me in here? Was he worried about me? Kohaku asked herself. She smiled and slowly and quietly got up. She bent down next to Zero and whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Zero," and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The instant her lips touched his flesh, Zero's eyes flashed open and glowed red and he grabbed Kohaku by the neck and pushed her onto the ground beneath him. Kohaku gasped for breath under Zero's strong hold on her neck and she choked out a plea for him to stop. Kaori had wandered into the room and she dropped her glass of milk.
"Zero, let Onee-chan go!" Kaori cried softly, tears in her eyes as she ran forward and began hitting Zero.
Zero's eyes returned to their normal color and he released Kohaku's neck. He staggered backwards and fell against the wall, shaking.
Kaori ran toward her sister and wrapped her arms around her. Kohaku rubbed her neck and looked at Zero terrified. He had never done anything like that before… what was wrong with him?
"Zero…" Kohaku breathed as she and Kaori walked over to Zero and bent down next to him. "…are you okay?"
She reached out to touch him but he slapped her hand away.
"Don't… come near me!" he said, his voice strained.
He got up and walked down to his room and slammed the door.
"What's with all the yelling?" Yuki asked coming into the hall from the kitchen. She saw the bruise on Kohaku's neck and gasped. "Kohaku, what—?"
"It's nothing," Kohaku said walking into her room and closing the door.
She quickly got dressed and then snuck out the window and made her way to the school.
During classes, Kohaku avoided talking to Yuki about what had happened and kept glancing up at Zero with concern mixed with fear in her eyes.
"Cross, Kohaku-san" the teacher said.
"Yes?" Kohaku answered.
"Would you mind coming up to the board and solving this problem for the class?"
"Yes, sir." Kohaku rose from her seat and approached the board. She was half-way through solving the problem when she began to feel dizzy. She dropped the chalk and staggered backwards, hitting the teacher's podium.
"Kohaku-san, are you alright?" the teacher asked worried.
"I'm… just fine." She lied, holding her head. Before she knew it, she fainted.
When Kohaku came to, she was lying in the clinic bed. Yuki was sitting next to the bed with a sad look on her face. Kohaku sat up and Yuki gave a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness you're alright. You had us all worried." Yuki said.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me all of a sudden." Kohaku said with a laugh.
Yuki looked away. "I thought we were best friends, Kohaku…"
"Huh? We are Yuki! We're closer than that, even, we're practically sisters!" Kohaku injected.
"But you won't tell me what happened to you this morning, even though I could see it caused you pain…" Yuki said sullenly. "Sisters are supposed to tell each other everything aren't they?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"Then tell me what's wrong!"
"Yuki… it's nothing, really, I… I don't want to see you get hurt… besides, it wasn't entirely his fault…"
"You mean… Zero did that to you?" Yuki asked.
Kohaku hesitated then nodded slowly.
"Please don't tell anyone! He didn't mean to do it!" Kohaku pleaded with Yuki.
"Alright, I won't say anything."
"Promise?" Kohaku held up her finger with her pinky sticking out.
Yuki smiled. "Promise." They crossed their pinky's and smiled at each other.
When night fell, Kohaku patrolled around the school. She walked around the perimeter of the building and then came across Kaname and Aido walking between classes.
"Oh, Kohaku-chan," Kaname said as he saw her. "Out on patrol, I presume?"
"Yes, Kaname-sama." Kohaku replied. She glanced nervously at Aido, her heart began beating very quickly, she bowed good-bye before taking off.
Why did my heart start beating so quickly? Is it cause I'm scared of Aido-senpai now because of what he almost did to me? Kohaku thought as she continued her patrol.
She ran into Yuki and Zero as they made their way back to the Moon Dorm. The day before Headmaster Cross had sent them into town to get some things and ever since then, they'd been acting strangely around the Moon Dorm.
Kohaku hid behind a tree and watched as her friends went into the Moon Dorm. She quietly followed them. She heard music and laughter and when she turned the corner, she saw all the Night class students having a good time at some kind of party.
A hand touched Kohaku's shoulder and she started to yelp when another hand covered her mouth.
"Shh, there's no need to scream, Kohaku-chan." Aido said turning her around to face him.
"Ai-Aido-senpai!" Kohaku was surprised to see him, but also not surprised that it was him. He always liked to play tricks on the Guardians. "What is it?"
"What are you whispering for?" Aido asked. "It's not like they're going to hear you, they're talking with Kaname-sama."
Aido ushered Kohaku back around the corner where it was quieter and pinned her against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Kohaku asked worried. Was he going to try and drink her blood again? Certainly not with what happened last time he tried… right?
"Don't worry, I won't try to drink your blood." He said to her.
"S-Stop playing games with me then!"
He lowered his head and looked at the ground. Kohaku cocked her head in confusion. He pulled the collar of her uniform down a bit and revealed the bruises on her neck from when Zero accidentally tried to strangle her. When Aido spoke, his voice was low and full of anger, "Those bruises on your neck… they're from that guardian, Kiryu… aren't they"
"Eh? Um… yes, but…"
"I knew it! That bastard has no control of himself!" Aido shouted angrily, clenching his fists.
"Aido-senpai, I don't understand…"
He looked up at her with concern in his eyes. "Don't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
He leaned in and placed his lips against hers.
Kohaku's eyes widened out of surprise. She didn't know what to do so she just stood there and closed her eyes.
When Aido pulled back, he smiled at her. "That…" he whispered.
Kohaku's heart began to beat very quickly and her face turned bright red. She smiled back at him and then shyly placed her lips against his, kissing him back. She didn't know what made her do it, but it made her feel good inside. Being with Aido, knowing that he cared so much for her… it felt as if nothing could go wrong.
But that feeling did not last long, for when she got back to her room, there was a note on her pillow. Scribbled on the note were words that tore Kohaku's heart in half.
If you want to see your baby sister alive again,
Meet me in town tomorrow at sunset