Hello! Note: this story is based on the manga, not the anime. I haven't watched the anime but I've heard it's very different from the manga.

The idea for this fanfic came from the special "Airmail" volume that contained extra stories related to the series. There was a short 1-page piece that showed that Karin sometimes gets sad during Halloween because she sees the spooky decorations everywhere and they remind her of something, but she can't recall what. That one page was so interesting and bittersweet that I couldn't forget about it.

As always, thank you for reading.

Near Halloween

Kenta Usui restrained a gasp when he padded into his kitchen and found a silvery figure standing near the window.

"Oh, you're here," a soft voice floated from the shadowed presence. "Good timing. I was about to send a bat to wake you up, but you've come here yourself. Saved me a bit of trouble."

Slowly, Kenta released the breath he'd been holding. He was glad he'd managed not to shout. It was late at night and he wouldn't want to wake his wife, Karin, whom he had left sleeping peacefully in their room.

The moon shone only faintly tonight, leaving the kitchen mostly in darkness. His eyes could not make out the visitor's face or the intricate details of her dress, but he'd recognized her voice. Plus, he could hardly forget or fail to notice her striking silvery hair, which practically glowed in the night. The mass of curls had grown even longer than when he'd last seen her, reaching almost to her ankles.

"Don't," Anju Maaka warned quickly. Kenta paused, and then realized his hand had instinctively reached for the light switch. "Sorry," he muttered, and lowered his arm. It had been a long time since he'd had to interact with light-sensitive vampires.

He looked toward the shimmering silver strands that marked where she stood. "So, Karin's sister, what brings you to visit? It's been some years since we last met." His heart thrummed with nerves. Please, don't let him have done anything to upset the vampire family. He thought he'd been doing a good job as Karin's caring husband.

"It's about my sister, of course. She's always the reason I speak to you."

"Karin is all right, isn't she? I try my best every day to make her happy. If you're worried about her, then that worries me too."

"It might be nothing. But I still decided that I'd talk to you."

"About wh –?" A cough escaped him. "Um, please excuse me. The reason I came into the kitchen was to get a drink of water."

The room was familiar enough that he could move around in the dark without trouble. As he poured himself a glass, she stood by silently. He glanced at her, feeling an urge toward politeness. "Would you, uh, like one?"

He expected her to decline, but she murmured, "Thank you." So he took out another glass, filled it with water, and held it out to her. She accepted the glass and raised it daintily to her lips.

"We do need fluids other than blood from time to time," Anju said after a moment, noticing Kenta's surprise. "Big brother Ren used to ask Karin to make tea for him sometimes. He'd always demand that she make it well, even though he couldn't actually taste it. I guess he believed it's the thought that counts."

Kenta said, "I guess so," unsure of how else to reply. Certainly, Karin's younger sister had not dropped in simply to reminisce. In the past few years, since they'd left Karin with him, he had not seen a trace of any member of her family. He wondered what had drawn Anju out now, and he was waiting to hear it.

"Do you frequently get up in the middle of the night?" Anju asked.

"No, I usually sleep a lot better than this. Off-days happen once in a while."

"I hope you are not getting nightmares from all the scary decorations in town. People here seem to be very enthusiastic about Halloween. The holiday is still a week and a half away, but the buildings are all dressed up."

He chuckled awkwardly. "No offense, but the paper vampires that people stick to their windows are nowhere as scary as the real ones I've seen. I won't get nightmares from the decorations of the season."

"And Karin?"

"Huh?" Kenta wasn't sure exactly what Anju was asking.

She clarified, "Does Karin dream about Halloween decorations?"

The question seemed so bizarre, Kenta couldn't find his voice for a moment. But Anju had asked it in a serious tone, so he tried to give a fair answer. "She certainly hasn't mentioned any dreams, so I don't think so."

"Hmm . . ." Anju fell into silence. Moments slowly passed, one after another. She drained her glass of water and set it down on the counter.

"Would you like another?" he asked.

"No, thank you." And then, her soft voice laid out the sentences in quick succession: "Listen. The other day, I saw Karin stare at some Halloween decorations with a strange look on her face. This has happened more than once. In fact, it happens every year. But this specific time, you were with her, and the two of you were talking. Karin said the decorations felt very familiar, especially the paper bats, but she couldn't figure out why . . . And you looked like you wanted to tell her."

Kenta grunted. It shouldn't come as such a surprise to him, to find out that his wife's relatives had spied on the couple. The vampires did warn him, long ago, that they would continue checking from the shadows, looking after the happiness of their beloved daughter and sister.

"Yes, I was tempted," he confessed. "Your family was right when you said that it would hurt me to remember. When I saw the look on Karin's face, I wanted to answer all her questions. But still, I held it back. I know why her family worked so hard to carefully erase her memories. I know it will only pain her more if she remembers what she lost."

Just then, a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute. You don't think she's in danger of regaining her memories on her own, do you?"

"No," Anju said bluntly. "Our family's memory erasure was flawless. She may feel these tugs of familiarity, but she will never fully remember. We couldn't restore her memories even if we tried." She leveled her sharp gaze at him. "The only way trouble could occur . . . is if you're the one to tell her."

"I won't. You have my word that I will never say a thing."

There was no change in Anju's expression. Her eyes kept staring straight at him, appraising him, challenging him. He could feel her silent request, goading him to defy her. Well then, he would step up to the plate. He took a deep breath.

"You know that I cherish her," Kenta declared. "That's why your family entrusted her with me. It's difficult to make up for the loss of her family, but I've been trying my hardest. Whenever Karin feels sad, or gets that wistful look in her eye, I start a conversation about all the great gifts we have in our life. I remind her of how much I love her. And I remind her of how much her friends like Maki Tokitou love her. You know, we just had Karin's birthday party a few days ago, where she got to spend time with friends, and enjoy a birthday cake, and – and –".

Emotion choked him for a second. But he regained himself swiftly. "And it was fun. Our life together is made up of happy moments like that. And when we talk about all this happiness . . . it cheers her up. It makes all the sadness seem distant, or even just an illusion on the wind."

His nerves were causing his heart to beat fast. But after a few paralyzing moments, Anju spoke, and the smile was obvious in her voice. "Thank you, Kenta Usui. In the end, I think what I truly wanted to hear was your reassurances. I'm glad that you feel so strongly about my sister, and that she feels the same for you. I'm sure that any child born to you, once you two decide to have children, will also be happy."

His mouth fell open – but again, why be surprised? Anju had been watching them, so surely she would've overheard the couple discussing their future plans for adding to the family . . . He tried to come up with a response, but it was already too late. She was turning away from him, facing toward the dim moon and sky outside . . .

He blinked, and in an instant, she had disappeared into the night's darkness.

END