I was more than surprised to wake up after everything I just went through…

Being cold and soaking wet on a hard ground is not very comfortable, to be honest. My clothes were sticking to me in an uncomfortable way while my bangs clung to my forehead. My vision was blurry; most likely from the water dripping from my eyelashes.

If I remember correctly, I was in the middle of running from some assholes trying to capture and sell me when a car hit me. I suspect they thought I was dead and decided to throw me into a lake. Idiots… I'll have to thank whoever dragged me out, cause there's no way I just floated to shore without drowning.

I coughed violently, turning my head to the side. Water dripped from my mouth, air finally flowing into my lungs. My cheek pressed against soft, damp grass. I could hear a faint frog croaking and a whole bunch of crickets chirping. I'm definitely near a lake. I lifted my hands and rubbed my eyes, propping myself up with my elbows. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt warm hands settle on my shoulder blades. "Not so fast. You almost drowned."

I tilted my head to the side, looking through my wet lavender bangs. A blurry figure was kneeling down next to me, obviously a male. His shoulders were tense and muscular, along with his arms. I blinked a couple of times, clearing most of the water from my eyes. From the looks of it, the male seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. His hair was damp, white bangs falling over his right eye. His eyes were a pure red color, narrowed and watching me carefully. He was quite handsome.

My body shuddered, shivering from the cool breeze hitting my cold self. I scooted back slightly, narrowing my own jade green eyes. "W-Who are y-you?"

He moved his hands just slightly off of my shoulders. "Sakamaki Subaru. You?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Nami… Kuromajo Nami… Where am I?"

The male known as Subaru finally pulled his hands away, running his fingers through his hair. His bangs were lifted just slightly. "You're in my territory. This lake belongs to my family."

My cheeks puffed out, looking to the side. "Sorry. Some idiots threw me in…"

"Tch," he stood up, his eyes flicking to the shore across from us, "you're lucky then. I heard a splash and saw some guys running away. I didn't really care but…" He sighed, pulling off his jacket. He kneeled back down and draped it around my shoulders, lifting me to my feet with little effort. A squeak escaped my lips, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "Do you have a home or something?"

I bit my lip, pulling his jacket closer. "No…"

He sighed, closing his eyes for a second before grabbing my wrist. "Come on." I stumbled after him, my eyes widening just slightly. I couldn't seem to find my voice as he dragged me away from the lake. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I have no place to go to. Plus, no one is going to be looking for me.

It didn't take long before we came along a mansion. It was nice; my style really. It wasn't too creepy nor too lonely-like. That came out weird… ugh, never mind.

"In here," he muttered, pushing open the front door. He dragged me along with him through the dark halls, keeping his eyes forward. My eyes flicked from left to right, examining everything around me. This seemed to be a normal home, but something was off. I could feel it.

"Subaru," I almost jumped out of my own skin at the deep voice right behind me, immediately jumping into Subaru. Said man sighed and turned around, pushing me back slightly. "What is that mortal doing here?"

"She was drowning in the lake," Subaru replied, voice low and dangerous. I turned my head, spotting the owner of the deep voice. It was a male in a butler-like outfit with dark purplish hair (or black, who knows) and pinkish-red eyes. Glasses sat on his face perfectly; a bit too perfectly in my opinion. "She doesn't have a home, Reiji."

Reiji looked down at me, his eyes narrowed. "What's your name?"

"Kuromajo Nami," I told him, voice steady.

"Why were you in our lake?"

"Some idiots threw me in."

Subaru set a hand on my head, moving me to the side. "Uh… Reiji, since she doesn't have a home, could she stay for a bit?"

Reiji furrowed his eyebrows. "Why are you even asking?"

Subaru shrugged, looking to the side. "I don't care, really…"

"Can I?" I asked carefully, looking at Reiji hopefully. I really wanted a home to stay in just for a bit. I could probably find a job soon and work my way up from there. "I'll leave as soon as I can pay for an apartment. Please?"

Reiji stared down at me, not a single emotion crossing his face. He sighed and then stared Subaru down. "You're responsible for her. I will not pay for anything she needs. Got it?"

Subaru grunted. "Whatever."

"Thank you!" I grinned, finally letting go of Subaru's arm. Reiji rolled his eyes and turned away, walking off without another word.