Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. I wish I did though, Zero is so freaking awesome. Anyways! I own the OC Sukui Minami.
Chapter title is revised off of the episode title.
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21. Scarlet Gaze
"Oh my gosh! I call dancing with Shiki-kun!"
"Well I want Aido-kun!"
"RUKA IS ALL MINE!"
"ALL OF YOU SHUT YA DAYUM FACES!"
The raving crowd of Cross Academy Day Classes students had Sukui angry. She and Yuuki were dealing with the crowds hording around the Night Class doorways, and needless to say, it was taxing the temperamental girl's nerves. "I get it! You freaking love the Night Class! Hurray! Now BACK UP!"
Reluctantly and rather angrily, the Day Class pulled back a bit. "I am going to beat Zero upside his head if he does not hurry his stickin' . . ."
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"That's what you get!" the ornery silver haired teen muttered, the vein still puffed in his head as he starting helping with the mob. Sukui rubbed her injured head and grumbled to herself as she fended everyone off. Out of the corner of her eye, Sukui saw Aido grab Yuuki, and grumbles.
"Getting kidnapped aye? Not gonna happen!" so Sukui left her crowd of fan girls to mob Zero as she closed in on Yuuki and Aido. She couldn't help but smile a bit, "Revenge! Muahaha!"
The Day Class that was still keeping an eye on Yuuki all groaned and moaned in jealousy as the doors smacked shut in their faces. Sukui weaved through seamlessly into the mosh pit, though she could not get through the doors due to the crushing horde of fan girls, so Sukui just rested her head against the door, trying to listen in.
"Yuuki. . ."
Ugh. Kuran. Sukui's lip curled upward in disgust, but she listened closer all the same. "Do not push yourself."
That's it. I am getting smashed by desperate girls for Kuran to tell Yuuki not to push herself. Sukui snorted a bit angry, but then sighed. Sadly. He does have a point. Now, if I could get this huge crowd to back off so that I could get the talk with Kuran. . .
She hadn't forgotten that the pureblood had valuable information for her, she just hadn't found a window of time opportune enough to get all the time she needed to find out. If she could get in now, before he goes to Night Class, maybe it'd be enough time. Maybe. .
"ALRIGHT BACK UP!"
Crap. I forgot I left Zero with most of the fan girls. He's gonna kill me. The crowd parted instantly, and they all gave up and headed to their dorms, still happily talking about the Day/Night Class Ball. The Minami faced the obviously infuriated Zero and mentally barred herself just in case.
"Thanks for making sure Yuuki's alright."
Sukui blinked in confusion.
Aforementioned Cross girl came out of the building, Aido trailing after her. No Kuran. "Shit." Sukui complained, "So close."
Yuuki looked shyly at the two of them. "I'm sorry. I didn't help with crowd control.."
"It's fine Yuuki, just no getting kidnapped." Zero drawled.
Yuuki nodded, her cheeks a bit pink. "A-alright. Sorry."
Sukui analyzed the interactions with wonder. Was this. . . Did they like each other? Sukui's heart twisted painfully at the thought. She pushed back from that stubbornly, she didn't feel that way about Zero, she didn't care.
A Day Class student who had returned waited for the end of Zero's spiel and tentatively walked up to Yuuki. "Headmaster asked me to tell you he needs you in his office." Yuuki nodded, "Well alright, Sukui? Zero?"
"I'll come."
"I'll go to the shooting range."
Zero and Yuuki shared a look and turned to Sukui, "You can come you know." Sukui nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just feel like I need some practice today, is all." Truth was, her stomach was clinching and flipping and tightening. She felt like going was not a smart idea. Zero looked for a second with concern, that quickly seized up again.
"He said soon."
The quiet little Day Class girl was still there, waiting for Yuuki and Zero. "Well okay. See you later Sukui!" Yuuki followed after the girl, and Zero stayed put. "Aren't you going with?" Sukui pried, eyes questioning. Zero sighed, "I can't leave you alone to get lost on your way to the range, now can I?"
Sukui was getting mixed signals.
Once again, she banished the thought. She was overanalyzing things, she was making something out of nothing.
The girl twitched indignantly at Zero's words, "Hey! . . . Yeah ok." she sighed in defeat, as Zero walked ahead of her and lead her in the right direction. She couldn't help but smile to herself, like really smile, this was something he used to do definitely. "You know, if you were worried you should have said so."
Zero scoffed, "Worried? Why would I be worried."
"Well maybe. . ." Sukui almost clammed up, but she pushed forward. "You could feel my worry."
She and he hadn't spoken of that day at all since it happened. The mere mention of it was enough to make Zero cringe in self-loathing before he replied. "Yes. Yes I did."
Silence ensued until they actually made it to the range, slipping down the stairs. "Why do you think the Headmaster wanted us?"
Zero shrugged as he went to prepare a target within the range. "I'm not sure, something about new students?"
Sukui froze, remembering the call from yesterday. The freezing she had felt at the strange name. Maria Kurenai.
"Zero. . ."
"Yeah?"
He'd gotten out of the range and stood in front of her, she almost blushed at how close he was, even though there was two feet between them. Why on Earth was she feeling that way? Someone really must have laced her tablets, and good too. Must have been the strong American stuff they talked about over the airways. "The new students. . . I don't have that good of a feeling. . ."
"You too huh?"
Zero's voice was soft at admitting his fear, and Sukui was shocked. "Umm, well, yes." she responded. "Why so . . . Open all of the sudden?"
"Can't I be open in front of my best friend?"
Sukui's heart jolted, he still considered them best friend after all the time they'd been apart? Moron. she mentally scolded herself, All the time he thought you were dead for one thing, and for another, you've been back for almost 3 weeks now.
"Can't I?"
Zero asked the question again, his arms crossed. Sukui scratched the back of her head. "You can. . Its just been awhile." Zero actually rolled his eyes at her, rolled his eyes! Sukui blinked in alarm, as Zero let out a short snort. "Oh Sukui, clueless as always."
The vein in Sukui's forehead puffed up, "Hey!"
Zero smiled then, and Sukui's heart seemed to stop beating entirely. Had his smile always been that charming? Dashing? Handsome? She tried to shake herself out of these thoughts, but she hadn't seen him smile in a long time.
He was SMILING.
Who wouldn't stare in awe?
Even people who couldn't see would stare in awe!
Sukui turned abruptly and went to her test dummy, her face heating up substantially, her cheeks a dusty rose pink to a ruby red in ten seconds flat.
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"Hey! Sukui!"
Sukui had been sitting on one of the scattered benches in the courtyard, flipping through her physics book when Yuuki called out to her. Who knew, amongst constant turmoil, she could sit down and do her homework. She certainly didn't. "Hey Yuuki." she mumbled, not looking up as the girl's footsteps, and some others trotted in front of her, "How're you?"
"I'm just taking the new student on a tour! The other one wasn't there, but I've got one of them!"
Sukui froze entirely, "Oh?" she forced out, "Is that what Headmaster wanted you for?"
"Yeah! Care to meet her?"
"Hello! Sukui is it?"
Sukui's blood ran cold, as she gingerly set the book down as if she was thawing, and she looked Maria Kurenai in the eyes with her single eye. "You must be Maria." she uttered monotonously, "Welcome to Cross Academy."
The girl smiled, "Thank you!" and bowed, silver hair bobbing. She was about an inch taller than Sukui, making her as tall as Yuuki. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were a cutting and cold lavender eyes.
Though she knew, without a doubt that this girl was no "Maria Kurenai"
She was Shizuka Hio.
How dare you mock them! she thought bitterly, staring into the "girl's" eyes. How dare you!
Maria smiled, almost as if she had heard.
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Yes, I split it in two here. Please don't kill me!