My name is Hyui Shinobu.

"Eh? Shin-chan?"

I blink a few times, before turning to look at my dear friend, Emi.

"Yes, Emi-chan?" My voice seems to be dipped in a dream-like haze.

"Did you even hear anything I just said?"

To tell the truth, I have no idea what Emi was going on about. Instead of replying, I blink and try to rack up an excuse for being so spacey.

"Of course you didn't."

I smile sheepishly, trying to hide my shame. I really love my Emi, but sometimes I fail at showing it.

"It's just, with the ball around the corner and—"

"You weren't dreaming about Kiryuu-kun again, were you?"

I gape at her incredibly mean, unbelievably accurate accusation.

"Hah? Kir….yuu…san??" I would object, but I knew she could tell when I was lying. So, instead, I just glare at her.

"Face it, Shin-chan. You got it bad for Kiryuu." She smirks, making me blush. It was totally obvious to Emi that I liked Kiryuu Zero. Everyone else, including Kiryuu-san, was completely oblivious, though. In fact, Kiryuu-san was oblivious to anyone except for Yuuki-chan, Chairman, and the Night Class. At the thought of this gloomy fact, my face falls. Not that it was up, anyways. But Emi can tell that this has crossed my mind.

"Don't worry about it, ShiShi! He'll either acknowledge you by the end off the year, or I'll kick his butt," she says, flipping her long, midnight hair over her shoulder. She winks at me, and I can't help but laugh.

Even though it would really make me sad it Kiryuu-san got hurt.

I don't know why Kiryuu-san would ever notice me. Compared to Yuuki, I must be a crab to an angel fish. I mean, I have shocking red hair, a face sprinkled with peppermint freckles, and eyes that scream jade, but I've never attracted a boy. My body is ok, and Emi says I should be a model. Well, I say she should be a model.

I try to focus more on my studies, but it is actually very hard with Kiryuu-san in the room. Even though he is older and should've been a second year, he is a freshman. Everyone knows why. It's Yuuki. He's like her guardian. Sometimes it makes me swoon, but at other times I get so angry, I—

Oops, I'll do it again. When I get angry, I clench my fists real hard, and my fingernails, which are long and well kept, dig into my hand. Once, I even drew blood.

It hurts like heck.

Anyways, so he's here, in my class. He's in all my classes. We eat lunch at the same time. He's like this shadow that follows me everywhere.

Plus, the way he acts is so discomforting, it's actually really hot. He's so, I don't know, mysterious. And standoffish. Girls are afraid to talk to him. Guys resent him too much to talk to him. The only things I've heard him say are impolite responses to girls' small talk or questions. One might think this something would turn most girls off, and for most girls, it does. But I'm not most girls. So, you can see my dilemma, me being in love with him.

My mom say's it's just a crush. Emi says it's infatuation. I say it's love, straight out. I didn't expect them to understand. Emi hasn't given a romantic thought about anyone. My mom is happily married to her plants. How could they ever get it?

How could they understand the way Kiryuu-san's eyes make me melt into an ocean surrounding nothing but him? How could they understand that I can hear his rough yet gentle voice from miles away? How could they understand that when I catch the smooth sound of his footsteps my heart beats about as fast as light? If I ever talk to him, I know I would die on the spot, because even when he's not speaking to me, even when he's not even speaking, just being there, I feel like my whole body will collapse with exhaustion because his aura is so compelling. It's like, I walked into class, and then DOKU. I was in love. I was never one for love at first sight, but Kiryuu-san definitely redefined my whole universe, let alone my views on things.

I really do love him.

However, EMI says it's nothing. I'll get over it in a matter of months. I tell her, EMI, I'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH HIM FOR 3 MONTHS NOW. But she laughs and redirects the conversation. I swear. She doesn't get it.

No one really does. Not even Kiryuu-san himself. He's too infatuated with Yuuki to care about anyone else.

Even though they're actually brother and sister. Technically. Well, not really.

I could say I hate her. I could say I want her dead. But I don't. Yuuki is an impeccable person. I won't confuse hate with jealousy. And I most certainly will not wish her death. What would that do to Him, I wonder? It would kill Him. I never want to see him so crushed. I'd rather he were happy with her, than miserably without her, and not taking offers.

She's his only—

"Hyui-san."

Wow. That's sounds like Him. It's the same…I look up.

And there He is.

He faces me, on my right, one desk up. He's leaning, whispering in my direction. His eyes, the loveliest shade of violet, His features, perfect in every way loom over and taunt my heart. Speaking of which, it's pumping blood so fast I feel I might burst.

"…by your foot."

I hardly catch this. He's pointing to my foot. Panic rushes through me.

Oh, no! I've stepped in dog poop, and—

Except it's not dog poop. Right beside my toe on my right foot, there is a pen.

It looks to me as something holy.

"Please, my pen."

I glance back up. He's frantic now, as Sensei is looking this way suspiciously.

But I cannot function.

Thank God for Emi.

She swoops down from the desk in front of me and hands the pen to him. I hear her say something but my blood is pounding my ears too hard. She smiles apologetically, and he returns the gesture with a cold stare, but instead of freezing my heart, it melts me into a billion droplets.

The rest of class is a blur.

I get up mechanically at the end, and I'm moving slowly. The rest have left. Emi is waiting. But I find tears obstructing my vision, and my blood is still pounding. I want to cry, as if talking to him was both beautiful and horrible.

Because it was.

Emi doesn't notice. No one does. I drag my feet to my next class, both dreading and yearning to see Him again.

I'm at the door. Emi is irritated. But I cannot go in. He stands there, staring out the window. Yuuki is talking to him, but he doesn't seem to be listening.

Suddenly, a pain grasps me. Not all of me, but I can't pinpoint where it did. It's as if a cold hand grabs my insides, twisting them all around.

I break into sobs. Dropping my stuff on the floor, I kneel, gasping for breath. My oxygen as suddenly disappeared. I can't breath.

Emi is the first to notice. She throws her stuff down and kneels beside me, calling frantically for someone. Nurse? Doctor?

By now they all notice. Yuuki, as the prefect, rushes over to help, her eyes fierce as fire. He is there, too, watching with wide-eyes.

Someone runs out, calling for the nurse.

I don't get it. What is happening?

I stare up at Him with pleading eyes. I don't know why. This is the boldest I've been. Suddenly, I realize that my prophecy is coming true. I'm dying.

I look down and sob more. But the more I sob, the less I am able to breathe.

I want to say something to him. My last words, I want them to be to him. I want to say, 'I love you.' He must know before I go. Yet, I can't get hold of enough air.

And then He stoops to me. He looks at me, his lavender eyes smoldering.

"She's having an attack!"

While everyone else's voice was dull and lack of sound, His voice was as clear as midnight.

He grasps me and abruptly puts me on my back. I do not know what he's doing.

That doesn't matter, though. The next thing I know, His lips are on mine, feeding my body with all it needs.

My body calms down, though my heart is still racing. My brain is flipping, and my stomach is lurching. I cling to Him as if He's my life force. He is.

The CPR is over, but I still hold him, crying into his chest. I will never let go.

And he doesn't push me away. Instead, he pulls me up and carries me to the nurse's office. I've stopped crying.

He lays me on a bed. He pries my fingers from his uniform, and as soon as I'm safely on the bed, he sweeps out of the room.

I do not notice Emi or Yuuki.

Instead, I gape at my fingers, still tingling from his touch. All of me is tingling.

What just happened? I wonder. I was going to die… and He saved me.

An aching void fills me because of his quick leave, gloomy absence.

I sob some more.

Emi isn't shocked. She gets it now. She understands, I can see it in the way she looks at me, such a sad love story in her eyes. Yuuki is baffled.

"Yuuki-chan. You can leave now," Emi says. It echoes around the room, which is too void of Him to hold her shaky voice.

Yuuki shakes her head vigorously, and she watches me defiantly as I am sent to the ER. Emi isn't excused, so I ride away with the nurse.

Orika-san, the nurse, is nice. She whispers to me how it will be all right. I wonder how this is possible.

"He is not here," I whisper back to her, over and over, the only words I can manage.

Orika-san is not stupid. She knows I'm talking about Him.

She stares sadly at me, her eyes displaying pity.

Later, when I am back in my own room, I weep some more. I detest not being with Him. By Him. Near Him.

I want Him.