-SoKawaii


SWEET AFFLICTIONS


"Good night… thanks for dinner. I had a lot of fun tonight." Yori's sheepish smile grew bigger as she spoke through the pink phone with a little plush charm of a bat and a plastic rose. She clutched the phone tightly in her grasp, nodding her head as she swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah." She stuttered, clearing her throat softly. "I'd like that. See you tomorrow."

I glanced over at her, watching her flop backwards against the bed as she clutched her phone to her chest with a deepening blush consuming her face. "Junichi asked me to lunch tomorrow."

"I'm glad you told him you could come today." I smiled, happy and surprised to see Yori so giddy. "You know, Valentines Day is around the corner." I laughed seeing Yori flush deeply, silent and awestruck as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Valentines Day." She repeated, obviously relishing the feeling of her lips moving to form these delicate words.

I smiled, humored to see her reddening cheeks consume her face. "Is this your first Valentine's Day?" I smiled, slowly fading as she shook her head hesitantly.

"No, before Audio left…" Her hesitant smile faded to one of sweeter memories, "He took to me to the bakery not far from town. The little French one I showed you when you moved in, do you remember?" I nodded, thinking back to the quaint and authentic bakery. "It was fun," She laughed, shaking her head as memories came flooding back. "He and I split a valentine's day special."

I smiled, too laughing as she went on to explain his love for chocolate and strawberries, but I felt a pang of guilt. She missed him, it was obvious. "Where is he now?" I sheepishly questioned, gauging her reaction.

"I don't know." She smiled, surprising me as her smile had not faltered. "But I'm sure his sweet-tooth hasn't changed at all!" She giggled, waving her hand in the air. "Speaking of which, I'd like to go to that bakery and get something for Junichi." She delved into her purse, "For Valentine's Day."

"Let's go tomorrow!" I smiled, "Valentine's Day is the day after tomorrow, after all." I elbowed her in the ribs, surprised to see her pull out a brochure and menu from the small bakery. I looked a the cute pink and white unique French bakery, in awe of all of the cute bakery items pastries, cakes, cookies, etc. "They are really authentic!" I laughed, humored to see her nod giddily.

"I'll never forget the time he took me." She smiled, looking down into the brochure with the same reminiscent eyes. "I want to give someone else this same feeling I have." She clasped her heart with her hand, smiling earnestly.

'You're such a good person, Yori.' I mentally scolded myself. 'I could never be as selfless…' I felt a pang of disappointment as I had even felt jealousy towards Yori, my closest friend. 'I could never be as pure as you. I'm so lucky to have you in my life.' I smiled, bidding her goodnight before disappearing into the bathroom for my nightly shower.

I glanced into the mirror, surprised to see the girl who looked back at me with heavy and tired icy grey eyes. "Learn from her." I scolded myself, tearing at my clothes in frustration. "Put aside your selfishness… it's what got you here in the first place." I gently traced the two scares that marred my neck, two evident holes that had not yet faded. I was the cause of my own despair.


SWEET AFFLICTIONS


"Class is dismissed." Yagari flicked his hand toward the door, shooing the students from the classroom as he sat reclined with his feet extended across the old oak desk.

"About time. I'm so hungry and class took forever" I shuffled from my seat, following Yori out of the classroom, and yet I froze hearing Yagari call my name.

"I need to speak with you." He eyed Yori, as she took the hint, quickly waving to me as she disappeared with the mass of girls who matched in their delicate and black uniforms. I furrowed my brows, grimacing back at Yagari who didn't move – his composure still carefree and cocky as ever.

"Is it my grades?" I sighed, stepping forward as everyone had finally exited the room. "I know I was gone a lot this—"

"Close the door." He sat up, motioning that I hurry with a flick of his head toward the door.

"Why?" I stood, eyes narrowed.

"Would you like to meet me in my office?" He snapped back, knowing I didn't want this to take any more time than absolutely necessary. "Good." He scoffed as I obediently did as instructed.

"What is this about, Yagari?"

"Nozumo." He stood, fiercely pulling out a chair with a tightly clenched fist, expectant that I take a seat.

"What do I know about him?" I scoffed, clutching my economics book closer to my chest as my heartbeat began to rapidly increase. "I haven't seen him in weeks." I defended, silenced by Yagari's knowing eyes.

"Bullshit." I winced hearing the malice in his tone. "You think that I don't know?" He scoffed, "Pretty boy couldn't keep his mouth shut if he tried – I don't condone!"

"Yagari, what are you talking about?" I stuttered, my mouth agape seeing his eyes burning with irritation toward my reaction of disbelief and shock. "What is he saying?"

"What?" He barked, "Are you trying to tell me that you two aren't dating?"

"Dating!?" I flinched after having dropped my heavy economics book. "Yagari, what are you talking about?" I gasped for air, clawing at my chest as my heart thundered against my ribs, making no room for my still lungs. "I would never… date him!" I shouted, reaching for a chair as my legs began to buckle beneath the darkness that consumed me. "He said that?" I reeled, collapsing into the chair as Yagari held my shoulders, gently shaking me as I began to slip out of consciousness.

"Kiku," He shook me firmly, "Listen to me!" He firmly spoke, grasping my chin as my eyes rolled from left to right. "Calm down," He softly cooed, holding my cheeks between calloused yet tender palms. "Look at me," I looked up, slowly beginning to see his blurred outline develop. "Just breathe." I did as instructed, slowly coming to.

"Yagari, he's lying." I breathed, color returning to me as I could finally see the outline of a single icy-blue orb.

"Well then he's obviously taken a liking to you," He pulled away, realizing that I had returned to myself. "Be careful. He's dangerous." He warned.

I nodded, a wave of nauseous washing over me. I knew he was dangerous, and I knew he was interested in me, but I had never imagined in this way. He wanted my blood, not me… 'So why would he tell everyone we are together?' My eyes widened, 'Kiryuu.'

"What? What's wrong?" Yagari pulled his hand from his throbbing head seeing my sudden reaction, clutching my burning chest as my eyes burnt with tears. I realized my sudden outburst, quickly trying to hide the phantom but ever real pain within my chest.

"I'm fine." I smiled, chuckling at my stupidity. "I think I know why he'd say something like that." Yagari stood tall, spine stiffening as his furrowed brows softened slightly to reveal an expression of curiosity that I had yet to see from the generally callous and curt teacher.

"He wants to draw attention to me to take the attention off of himself," I paused, realizing how ridiculous I sounded. "He's under probation for that attack, right?"

"Hiding in plain sight." Yagari sighed, running his hand through charcoal tousled locks.

"Also… because of Kiryuu." I swallowed harshly, his name creeping up my dry throat like that of rose thorns, slowly entailing themselves around my trachea, choking me slowly.

Yagari's face twisted in confusion, "What do you mean?" His tone was surprisingly sharp, causing me to withdraw further, slinking back into my spine.

"If Nozumo is with a student of the Day Dorms it's because Kiryuu is not on duty. I… I just think that it seems like he's trying to draw attention to Kiryuu to try to make it seem as if he could be responsible for the accident. If he's not on duty to catch a Night student and Day student relationship… where is he?"

Yagari stared back at me with a look I never would have anticipated; he wore a smile. "I have reasonable doubt that you two haven't been together." Yagari chuckled to my dismay, ruffling my hair playfully as he walked past me. "It seems as if you know him well enough — seems just like him."

I blushed thickly, thinking back to his lovely emerald green eyes and their endless deepness that lead to a dark carnal desire. I knew nothing about Nozumo, nor did I want. Truth be told, I was afraid of him.

I snapped from my daydream, glancing around to see the class was empty. I picked up my ethics book and quickly made my way to the cafeteria. I had to make it beck before Yori started to worry about me and before lunch was over. I had missed to many meals already.

I quickly peeled out of the classroom, stuffing my book into my bag as I shuffled through my backpack feeling for my wallet at the bottom knowing Yori and I were going to town shortly after classes in the afternoon. "Where is it…"

"Sorry!" I gasped, my hands pressed against a flat and firm chest after having turned a corner too quickly, bumping into "Kiryuu," I stared up into lavender eyes, seeing myself in them, my jaw agape, my cheeks alit with a thick blush as I clutched his chest tightly with my body pressed firmly against his.

"Kiryuu," his voice slipped past my lips, my heart slamming against my ribcage as I gripped his shirt tighter, unwilling to let go of him despite the horror that sat at the pit of my stomach. His beautiful lavender eyes unmoving, locked on mine with an intensity I couldn't bare to break. His irises beautifully lavender with subtle veins of grey, encircled by a dark ring around the beautiful orbs. Pupils constricted, nearing pinholes while the white of his eyes slowly changed as the veins in his eyes slowly engorged with blood, becoming thick veins shooting from the whites pooling around his twitching irises.

"Kiryuu," I clenched my teeth, my small voice barely audible as I placed my hand over his bone shattering vice from my bicep. "You're hurting me." I winced, choking on air as he jerked me closer, eye contact never breaking. I stared back up into lifeless eyes, my face so close to his I could feel his shallow and erratic breath on my lips, my nose near touching his as I had lost the ability to breath. My mind went blank as my heart rocketed into my throat. His beautiful lavender orbs had morphed into those of a demon.

I threw my weight into his body as his back connected with the wall behind him, ripping myself from his vice grip. "I know you don't want this!" I pleaded shakily, my breathing sparse and labored as I instinctively took a step back. His eyes fixed on mine, unchanging as the demon inside of him twitched.

"Stay away from me."

I stared in disbelief, his eyes soft and mellow lavender once more within the blink of an eye. My head filled with disbelief, uncertainty, and a cocktail of fear seeing his normal demeanor after being trapped beneath his clutch, and then told to distance myself from him. 'Was this a test?' I felt my heart sink deeper into my spine. I turned, horrified to see him stare back at me with a normality that was not at all human. I said nothing, instead running down the hall and as far as I could from the nightmare that just played in front of my eyes.


SWEET AFFLICTIONS


"Are you sure you're okay?" Yori nudged my ribs, "Hey, which cookies do you think I should buy?" She smiled, holding up a cute bag of chocolate cookies with a blue ribbon in her left hand, and in the right a bag of sugar cookies with a red ribbon.

"I like the sugar cookies." I snapped from my trance, my stomach churning as every time I closed my eyes I saw lavender eyes morph slowly into those of a bloodthirsty demon.

"You seem really out of it," She paused, "Did something happen?"

"No," I bit my tongue seeing her eye me after my sudden bold reply. "I was just thinking about homework." She sensed my lie, but she smiled and nodded as if she understood.

"This one's cute." I quickly evaded her eyes, picking up a small heart shaped box filled with artisan decorated chocolates.

"That is really cute!" Yori clasped her hands together, giddily smiling as she reached for the small heart box.

"Do you think it's too much?"

"They're not that expensive, considering the…" She eyed the box in her hands, chewing her lip as she thought deliberately. "Oh," I smiled. "You mean for Junichi?" Her honey hazel eyes met mine with a look of uncertainty.

I too bit my lip in deep thought, scanning the cute and authentic French bakery and pastry shop. The place was quaint, a small glass counter with a good selection of little cakes and traditional French butter pastries. There were small shelves lining the cafe-style bakery with bags of cookies and other small baked goods that seemed fitting for the upcoming season. They even had a small selection of bagged candies, adorably decorated with ribbons and tags of ever color and assortment.

"No," I smiled, "I think it's perfect. It's not too much, but it's not too little either. It's Valentine's day, so, it's traditional to get boys chocolate." I thought aloud, humored to see Yori pick up the box and a bag of small decorated cookies and rush over the register.

I scanned the cute pastry shop, eyeing a small bag of chocolate, strawberry, and sugar cookies in the shape of hearts with matching Neapolitan icing decorations. 'Giri-choco.' I confirmed mentally, glancing back at Yori who was busy purchasing her cookies.

"You ready to go back?" Yori smiled confidently, obviously happy with her purchases.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna head to the bathroom before we go." I smiled, heading down the narrow hallway past the small cafe section, noting that Yori had headed outside.

I turned from the small hallway, grabbing the small bag of cookies, hurriedly paying for them and stuffing them into my bag. "Thank you." I smiled at the cashier who too smiled, wishing me a good night.

"Kiku," Yori gasped as she stared down at her phone, eyes wide with concern. "It's 10 minutes till curfew! We're not going to make it back in time." Yori panicked, concern written all over her face.

I scanned the multitude of shops around us, noting that we were at the far end of town. "It'll take way more then 10 minutes to get home if we walk back this way." I pursed my lip, thinking.

"Kiku, I don't want to be written up for being out past curfew!" Yori gasped. "They can expel you — you'll be suspended!"

"I can't be suspended," I gasped. 'I'll fail economics since I've been absent so manny days.' "Here, let's just cut through town and we should be to the left of campus if we go this way!" I grabbed Yori's hand, dragging her across the street at the first sign of an opening across the two lane highway. She shouted in protest, following behind myself as I dragged her into the woods, "I don't think it's far from here!" I assured, disappearing deeper into the darkness of the foliage around us.

"Kiku," Yori winced, "Slow down." She whined, wearily running behind myself through the dense foliage of the dark forest around us. "I can't see anything!" She protested, pulling her wrist from my clutch.

"Give me your phone," I paused, both of our breathing ragged from running. "I'll use it as a light so you can see." I tried to still my racing heart, breathing deeply.

"You're running so fast," Yori held her chest trying to catch her breath, rummaging through her bag.

"I used to run a lot." I admitted, swallowing harshly. "We need to keep moving. We're really near the school grounds."

We both glanced behind ourselves. My eyes scanned the darkness behind us, blinded by the sudden light emitted by Yori's cellphone.

"What was that?" Yori grasped for my hand, clinging close to my side. She heard it too.

I still my heart listening intently as I scanned the forest around us. "Must've been an animal." I slowly turned to her, surprised to see her dazing into the forrest, clutching her phone in her shaking hand.

"We've got to keep going." I assured, swallowing harshly, turning back to the direction of where campus should've been. "Like I said, we're really close."

She nodded, running behind myself with the phone guiding our way. We dodged trees, broken logs, and large boulders in the dark of night, both out of breath as we continued on. We were close, so close I could see the outline of the lights of the campus grounds.

"Kiku!"

I whipped behind myself, face to face to face with the ominous glowing red eyes I had seen in my endless nightmares and the putrid stench of decaying flesh as it exhaled, inhaling with a constricted squeal. I saw the gleam of two slender protruding fangs. It's face leathery, rotting flesh peeling from bone.

"Yori, run!" I screamed, dragging the girl behind myself as I ran with all of my might. We lost all light as Yori could no longer clutch the pink phone, dropping it into the soft ground beneath ourselves. "Yori!" I screamed, "Keep up!"

"I can't!" She shouted back, tripping on a stump, falling.

"Yori, hurry!" I screamed, trying to peel the girl from the forest floor. "Yori!" I cried, I could hear it. It was hot on our pursuit. I grabbed her, throwing her arm around my shoulder as I ran with the girl who ran with an obvious limp, crying my name repeatedly as I tried to run, but her additional weight and the sound of broken brush behind us sent the rush of adrenaline through my veins, pushing me much harder then I could've imagined, running with the weight of the girl on my shoulder.

"Behind us!" Yori screeched, eyeing the monster behind us that chased after us clumsily It was apparent that this being was vacant from it's body as its body following our trail despite the obstacles in its path, tripping, and clambering to its feet as it followed our path through the dense forest.

I heard the demon screech behind ourselves, mortified to hear Yori's bloodcurdling screams.

"Yori!" I screamed, running after the girl who was being dragged across the forest floor with desperate cries for help, screaming for me.