Thanks to…Soul Raker for reviewing in the previous chapter! :3

DISCLAIMER: Kaname is lucky I don't own VK or else I'll totally claim him. LOL :3

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"Namida no Iro"
Color of Tears

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Chapter Three: A Rendezvous Night

Manami walked around the school grounds late at night. She had just started being a guardian a few days ago. Her classmates were a little shocked at the white patch on her left arm while some were envied and jealous. Some people even pitied her. And what the other people thought was unimportant to her.

She had no time to think about the Chairman's proposal anyway. She needed the blood tablets and she would do anything to get them. Besides, being a guardian isn't bad as she thought it would be. Only problem was she didn't know that being a guardian meant dining with the Chairman.

She couldn't complain with the food he always prepared for, it was just sometimes he just overdo his cooking. They were only two people eating and yet he cooked for 5 people. She wondered though if the Chairman's adoptive children were heavy eaters. Then again she worried about her figure and weight. She totally needed to work out and doing prefect duties were the solution.

She smiled and lightly skipped in the empty corridor. Then she patrolled outside and saw a couple Night Class students standing a few meters away from her.

She called them, "Night Class students over there, please return to your respective classrooms."

The two male students turned around and looked at Manami. "And who are you supposed to be?" One student asked.

"You aren't the boss of us girlie." The other one uttered. After a while he smirked at Manami and continued, "Oh I know, why don't we feed on her? I haven't drunk blood in a few days. I think my throat is a little dry." He chuckled at the thought of drinking from Manami.

Manami frowned and tried not to look shaken. She stared at the two violators and showed her prefect arm band. "Drinking blood in school perimeters is a violation. Don't you two read your school handbook?" She cocked at them.

The two violators smiled and walked towards her. They were only inches away when one of them said, "You're prettier up close and your scent is so sweet. Tell me have you ever seen a vamp—"

One student couldn't continue his sentence since Manami grabbed his hand which was near her face and twisted it. The student ached in pain and grabbed Manami's arm. Unfortunately, this was what she was waiting for. She positioned her legs apart and placed her weight in front. Then she grabbed the man and threw him in front of her.

She glared at the two students and hissed, "Now, please return to your class."

The two looked somehow irritated and angry at Manami. "You'll get our revenge bitch." They threatened her.

She ignored their dissent and gazed at them as they disappeared in the corridor. She softly sighed once they were gone. Then she decided to go on patrol and walked around outside.

She walked through the dark forest and looked around. There were no signs of other people around her. She stopped and rest for a while.

Then when she let her guard down and relax, two hands snaked around her body from the back. She tried to squirm and escape her oppressor but he was stronger than her. She tried to kick and stomp the person but that didn't work as well.

Then she felt her enemy's breath on her ear as he whispered, "That was careless."

She looked at her enemy and saw it was Kaname. She moped at him. She tried to escape but he didn't let her. She squinted and scowled at him, "Let me go, Kuran-sempai." It sounded as a half-order and statement to Kaname.

Kaname wasn't stilted and continued what he was doing. He stared at her and said, "A girl like you shouldn't be lurking in the dark all alone. What if those two violators come back and tried to do something to you?"

Manami somehow felt irritated at what Kaname said. Was he implying she was useless? She glared at him and tried to push him away, "I don't need you to remind me, plus I already dealt with them before. I could do it again if I wished." She said confidently.

Kaname smirked at Manami and uttered, "How arrogant." He looked down on her, still holding her in his arms. "Tell me how are you going to escape if you were in this position with one of them? How can you even fight them if you were held captive?" He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

This made Manami more infuriated. She turned around faced him, "I can protect myself so you don't need to bother." She said and struggled to flee Kaname's grasps. Not that it hurt or anything, she was just conscious of their position. It was too intimate for Manami. Plus, she hated the fact that a vampire was hugging her and somehow her body liked the warmth it's receiving from him. She clenched her teeth and resisted to getaway.

He narrowed his eyes on her and thought of giving her a lesson. "Then do try to defend yourself." He said in a husky deep tone that made Manami frisson. She was surprised at what he said but then before she could fully grasp what Kaname meant, he pushed her to the nearest tree.

Manami felt her back hit the solid tree and felt Kaname's hands on hers. He pinned her hands above her head as he looked at Manami. She stared angrily at Kaname and snarled at him. Kaname didn't feel affected at what she did and ignored her. He slowly leaned closer to Manami which made her writhe underneath him.

"This isn't funny anymore Kuran-sempai! Please let me go!" She grumbled at him with a firm voice.

Kaname lowered his head close to hers and muttered, "Who's playing? Didn't you say you could protect yourself?" His voice was cold and unchangeable. He seemed to be irritated at her statement earlier that she could protect herself.

"I can! But this isn't the way to prove that fact to you! Now, let me go Kuran-sempai!!" Manami screamed strongly and glared at Kaname.

Kaname didn't let her go and grabbed her both hands in one hand. Then he let the other touch her face. He caressed her beautiful face. She tried to look away but Kaname didn't allow it.

"From now on, you should learn to know what you're capable of. Don't be so arrogant just because you were lucky the first time. What if you met some other vampires who are a lot stronger than the ones you met? How can you escape from them?" He asked her in a grim deep low voice. As she heard his voice her heart unexpectedly skipped a beat and fastened her pounding.

Manami glowered at Kaname. But soon her face started to relax and soften. She softly sighed and accepted defeat. She looked away and whispered, "I know I'm not strong but I'm trying to be. I can't just depend on everyone around me. I'm not the kind of person that would ask help from someone if I know I could do it myself. But… if I can't do it by myself, I won't push my way through it and seek help from others." Then she shot him her gaze, "I understand that now so can you please let go of me?" She said in a somewhat fractious tone. Her arms were getting numb now at her position.

Kaname smiled at what she said and admitted but then he still didn't let her go. "I'm glad you learned your lesson. Don't try to push yourself when doing these prefect duties." He said in a cheerless low voice. His hand left her face and let it cascade down to his side.

Manami looked at Kaname as he said that. Somehow she felt a bit of gloom in his tone. She couldn't help but be curious why he was like that. It was so unlike of the Kaname she knew. Even if she only met him once, she heard that he was always calm and gentle towards other people.

Her classmates told her a lot of things about Kaname to her. She couldn't help but listen to them since she had nothing to do. She heard that Kaname liked the prefect before. The same girl the Chairman was always looking at in his desk. If Manami remembered it right the girl's name was Yuuki.

She looked away from Kaname's face and slightly blushed. "Are you worried that something might happen to me? Or are you recalling her in me?" She warily asked him.

Kaname looked at Manami and sighed. He let go of her hands but then he didn't distance himself from her. He fell silent and looked at his hand which was still above Manami's head. He closed his eyes and breathed softly.

Manami didn't go away and was still looking away from Kaname's face. She closed her eyes and thought that she was right. He did that to her because she reminded him of Yuuki. Somehow she was a little saddened that she was only a substitute for someone he missed.

She breathed deeply and opened her eyes. The silence was killing her. She looked at Kaname and tried to smile, "Don't answer that. Thank you for the concern Kuran-sempai. I'll be careful from now." She icily uttered to him.

Kaname looked at Manami and slightly nodded. He took a few steps back and distanced himself from her. Manami leaned away from the tree and stood straight in front of him. She fixed herself and looked at Kaname.

She bowed at him and bid goodbye, "Thank you once again, Kuran-sempai. I'll return to my patrol now. I'll be careful this time so please don't worry and go back to your class sempai. Sorry for bothering you." She stood straight at Kaname and saw him turn around.

"I'm sorry for my brash behaviour as well. Take care of yourself Aki-san. Good night." Kaname uttered and walked back to the building.

"Good night, Kuran-sempai." She spoke and saw him off. When he was gone, she turned around and continued her round. She tried to concentrate on her duties and finished her patrol.

When she finished her prefect duties, she returned to her room and laid her heavy body on the soft mattress. Luckily, she was alone in her room so she didn't bother anyone. She closed her eyes and listened to her own breathing.

She was tired and yet sleep didn't come to her. She opened her eyes once again and remembered the scene with Kaname earlier. Her breathing was different then, it was a little faster. She was awkward in the situation she was in. She hated the way he approached and lectured her and yet, she couldn't help but be happy he was worried about her. But… she knew it wasn't the real reason he warned her. She clenched her teeth and put a hand in her head. She couldn't believe she became bashful and weak in front of him. She tried to imagine herself earlier. Her skin flushed as she asked him a question he couldn't even answer. She sighed and frowned.

Why was she even bothering herself with him? She was a human and he was a vampire. Plus, he only cared about her because she reminded him of Yuuki, the Chairman's daughter. Funny, she almost felt a little offended at that thought.

She closed her eyes and turned in her bed. She lay in her side. She curled herself in a ball and tried to null herself from her restless thoughts. The moment she closed herself from her surroundings and her thoughts, sleep took over her.

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That night, Manami dreamed of being in a small room. She was in her bed, peacefully sleeping when suddenly a loud banging of doors awakened her senses. She opened her eyes and fear shot through her. She looked at the door and saw a man covering the door frame. Light passed through her dark room. She couldn't see his face but she knew to whom the face belonged to. She cradled herself and pushed herself to the end of her bed.

Her face looked at him with terror as he approached her bed where she sat. Soon tears escaped her eyes and soft whimpers left her lips. The man extended his hand to her face and smirked. She squirmed away but he easily caught her.

Manami screamed but then her screams were useless. No one could hear her. She kicked him but she was powerless. He was much powerful. He pushed her to the bed and towered over her. She cried and whinged in mixed fear and pain. He raped her and no one came to save her.

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Manami jolted from her sleep and sat straight from her bed with eyes opened wide. She touched her face and chest. She was panting heavily, tears were falling on her eyes and drops of sweat were in her forehead. She cuddled her knees near her chest and pressed her head on them. She closed her eyes as she remembered her nightmare. She let the tears fall and tried to calm herself. Unfortunately, the tears were not stopping as well as the notions of her lurid dream. The nightmares of her past still haunted her. She muffled her cries and that night she sobbed in silence.

....to be continued.

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A/N: Weeeh... hope you liked it. Please review minna!!~ :3

Xoxo, Tsuki-chan :3