A/N: Finally, I was able to update! I'm too mortified for updating this late. 😞 So please, accept this new chapter as an apology. 🙏

N/B: This chapter is like a sequel of previous chapter 'Moonlit Rose'.

Withered Rose

Shizuma's P.O.V:

I guess this was one of the most freaking moments of my life...

What the hell this tough guy is crying for?! [1]

Did I bite him that hard? But I'm sure that he was the one with who I was being the gentlest...since my intention was not to torture him, unlike Kanato, Laito and Azusa. And I did not hear any groan of pain either.

Subaru's face expressed shock, teary crimson eyes wide open. He was gazing at the dark sky. Probably he did not expect me to bite him. I did not know why I started to feel bad. I instantly got off from him...not knowing how to react.

"Sorry, Sakamaki." I finally said, "I did that for taking the key. I really need to talk to your mother. I have no plan to offend her. And I'll be returning your key the moment I'm done. So, there's no need to worry."

There was no answer, Subaru still did not look at me. I sighed and started to walk towards Christa Sakamaki's castle. After reaching, I unlocked the door. It was mostly dark inside with a few lanterns, but they just enhanced the darkness. I found staircase and began to go up. At the top floor, I finally found a big bedroom. I saw Christa Sakamaki lying on bed. I lightly knocked the door,

"Um Mrs. Sakamaki? It's Tsu- um Shizuma. May I come in, please?" She nodded before I entered and took a seat beside her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm feeling better. But did Subaru let you in?"

"Ehm...uh," I tried to find a proper answer, "It's not like that. I kinda sneaked in."

"I see..."

"So?" I arranged my words in my mind, "I thought I heard you earlier that...there is some confusion in my family name."

"Did I say something like that?" She asked.

"Yeah, I thought you knew me, or saw me in my childhood."

Mrs. Sakamaki paused for a while. "Yes, I saw you. You were arguing with Subaru...about the knife I had given him."

What the hell did I just hear?! I met Subaru in my childhood?! Why don't I remember?!

"Ar-are you sure that it was me?!" I tried to keep my surprising outburst in control.

"I couldn't be anymore sure..." She smiled, "After all, you're the reason...for him being gentle."

"Uh...can you please explain?" I finally said, "I don't have many of my childhood memories."

"Alright," Christa Sakamaki started, "The knife he always carries, was given to him by me. I gave him because...I wanted him to kill me."

"And why's that?"

"I...don't want to talk about it." She looked away.

I caught up myself from being too curious. Okay, let's not upset Christa Sakamaki. "Well then, what about the knife? How did I come in?"

"The knife is very precious to him. And one day, he had lost it and came to me crying. I was also not in so good temper, so I just ignored it and shoved him away from me. And then you showed up...with the knife in your hand."

"Me?!"

"Yes, you said that you had found it beside the garden and saw us. So, you came to ask us if it belonged to us. Then Subaru tried to take it from you...but you didn't give him. Because, he thought you took it somehow and blamed you. So, you went annoyed and said him that...he shouldn't be rude with a girl. You would only return him the knife if he asked you nicely. So, he did and you returned it. After that, we never saw you, but when he spoke nicely to you, I knew that my Subaru is a gentle son. That's why, I remembered you."

I was totally stunned. Well, Christa Sakamaki did seem to be insane, but the story she said, did not seem fake. Even though, I couldn't remember a single thing as she said, yet the bell that rang in my memory was at the school rooftop...where I accused the albino vampire guy that he did not know how to treat a girl. [2]

"Then..." I remembered another thing, "Why does he blame himself for some matter? And why did you behave to him like that out there? You shouldn't have hurt your son, you know."

"It's not his fault..." Christa murmured, I felt her sleepy. "It's all...that man's fault!"

That man...? Is she talking about their father?

I turned back to the mother vampire, only to see her sleeping. Well, I could not get much from her words, but encountering Subaru in my childhood meant that there was a chance to retrieve my memories here...if I knew the other brothers in my childhood too.

I left the castle after hanging the lock at the entrance and came back to the white rose garden. I could not find Subaru, so I decided to head back to the mansion as I was getting sleepy. Then suddenly I felt something under my feet. It was shining in the darkness. I crouched down to see the shiny object was a knife...in a second, I recognized...it was that albino's silver knife. Now I realized that it was indeed important to Subaru, that's why I caught him off guard when the knife slipped out from his hand by my up-kick. So, I picked it up.

I was thinking to return the key and the knife next morning, but that would make others suspicious. So, I changed my mind and headed to Subaru's room instead. I softly knocked, but there was no response. I twisted the doorknob to find it unlocked. So, I stepped inside. My eyes widened, I thought I was the one in the whole world, who was fully okay with living in a messy room, but looked like I was not alone. Well, I might be wrong if I said the room was messy...because everything was practically broken! There was no bed, so I thought he must had broken it. The biggest damages were on the walls. I found myself tempted to call Reiji because I wanted to savor the deliciously annoyed look on the face of that Fusspot Glass when he saw these damages. But, then I shook it off because of the room owner. I guess I hurt him both physically and mentally, so I decided to stay away from him for a while. I left the knife and the key on the table before I noticed something weird.

A coffin...?!

I had to make a face...what was a coffin doing in Subaru's room? And it was the only unharmed thing among all the furniture. It was dark in color. Then suddenly I had a bad feeling. What if...Subaru was the killer of Misaki and the other girls? Considering his temper, there was a possibility that he might let his anger out by draining humans and kept them in this coffin before burying or dumping. I sauntered towards the coffin. The lid was tightly stuck so I had to struggle a bit to open it. Finally, it budged, but as soon as I opened it...my hand was pulled,

And it was all darkness.

...

I had no idea what just happened but in a while my brain started to comprehend. It was so hot and felt like I was confined into something. And then I whiffed the sweet rose fragrance which I smelt not long ago. Finally, I realized that I was trapped inside the coffin...with him.

Did he just pulled me in...?!

"Is that you...Sakamaki?!" I finally growled.

"Shut up!"

"Ngh! Let go!" I shoved him hard to get out, but his arms wrapped around me harder,...before I found myself on bottom.

"Ugh! What do you think you're doing, man?!"

"You don't get to speak that way after what you have done to me!" I felt his breath below my chin. "You always have your way on others, don't you Shizuma?" He whispered, while breathing on my neck.

Hell no! Yes...I sucked his blood but, I am not gonna let anyone have my blood. Even if it is selfish of me, so be it. Some random bloodsucker drinking my blood is NOT MY THING. He has to be extra special to earn my blood.

So, I had to prevent Subaru Sakamaki from sucking my blood...no matter how...

General P.O.V:

Few minutes later:

Previous day, Reiji was knocked out by his own potion which he prepared for Shizuma [3]. So, his works and studies were pending and he had passed the whole day for completing them. He was tired and slept early. But suddenly his beauty sleep was interrupted by,

"Hahahaha...haha...no...!"

A loud laughter from afar made Reiji stir. He was going to sleep again, before the laughter went louder.

"Hah...hahaha...let go..! Hahahaha...!"

He sat up and irritably rubbed his temple. In the middle of the night, who would laugh so loudly to ruin his peaceful sleep? Of course, it had to be one of his idiot brothers. He anyway grabbed his glasses before getting up. At the hallway, he found Ayato and Yui talking.

"Ayato! How many times I told you to take your activities in your own room?!"

"Geez, Sichisan Megane needs to upgrade his glasses...!" The redhead scoffed, "Do I look like I'm laughing?! I'm pissed as hell because some idiot woke up Yours Truly by this horrible snicker! I was just asking Pancake about that!"

"So, you're not that stupid who was laughing. Then it must be Laito who has habit to watch obnoxious programs on his devices at this late night." Reiji said. Then again,

"Heheh...hahaha...I'll kill you..haha...for this...hahaha!" The voice was now pretty clear from the hallway.

"How can you think to kill someone while laughing like that? Kuchi kuchi kuchi..."

"Ehh?! Isn't that Shizuma-chan?!" Yui recognized the female voice that spoke up later.

Now Reiji facepalmed, "Why didn't I think that earlier?!"

Ayato rolled his eyes, "And why am I not surprised to know that Melon is involved here?!"

Then suddenly they saw the shortest vampire coming with his teddy bear in his arms and a pissed look on his face.

"See with your own eyes at living room." The purple-haired boy bitterly said before passing his brothers and going to his own room.

Ayato and Reiji gave each other a look before they walked to their living room with Yui following them. And when they reached their living room, all of their jaws dropped by,

An albino boy was on his stomach on the ground, constantly giggling and laughing...as a silver-haired girl sat straddling over his waist and was tickling him on his sides! And few feet away from them, a redhead guy was amusedly watching them.

Shizuma's P.O.V:

I don't know why any other ides didn't came into my mind.

Just when, Subaru was about to bite me, I tried to shove him but I might have touched his sides, as suddenly he began to laugh.

"Hahaha...what the hell?!"

"Ehh?!" I was choked before I did that again.

"Oi! don't touch there!"

"So...you're ticklish here, huh?" I smirked. "In that case...punishment time!"

And then I started to tickle him hard. He got off me and opened the coffin lid. But I was not gonna let him go, because I got kinda mad. Subaru did not run, probably thought that I would not attack him. Oh, how wrong he was! I followed him until I found a suitable situation. He went down to the living room, and the place was perfect. I tripped and shoved him so he fell on his face. I wasted no time and straddled on his back, trapping him. And then, I started attacking with my efficient fingers...

"Kuchi kuchi kuchi kuchi kuchi..."

"Hahahaha...haha...no...! Hah...hahaha...let go..! Hahahaha...!"

While tickling Subaru, I felt two presences. I expected Reiji, but,

"What do you think you're doing?" The young male voice of that purple shota was calm...surprisingly.

"Don't mind us, kid. Go to sleep." I snapped while tickling his albino brother.

"Kid...?" I heard his tone slightly angry, "Looks like you forgot something." [4]

When I turned to him, Kanato was gone already, and he was replaced by that Asshat.

"My my...Touch-chan never stops surprising me...!"

"I saw your Hulk of a brother smile for only once..." I said, "So, I was worried for his health since laughing is healthy." With that, I resumed tickling Subaru, who was taking a breath when I stopped for a while.

"Right. I saw Subaru-kun bursting out in laugh only after you came here, Tough-chan."

Laito's comment just made me tickle his youngest brother even harder.

"Heheh...hahaha...I'll kill you..haha...for this...hahaha!"

"How can you think to kill someone while laughing like that? Kuchi kuchi kuchi..." Then after a while, I heard,

"Could you please pause and tell when you would stop your pointless stupid activities for good?!"

Finally the Great Glasses and the Grand idiot with my Gofer.

"Oh hi !" I sheepishly laughed.

Everyone unamused. 😑

I finally got off the albino, who was panting hard.

"What were you doing, Shizuma-chan?" Yui asked.

"Oh, didn't you understand? I was making him laugh."

"But why were you tickling him?"

"Because, that angry bird never laughs, so I just thought to make him smile." I winked.

"Melon..." I heard Ayato's infuriated tone, "You two again woke up Yours Truly from his sleep! I swear, I will-..."

"I made your brother upset." I finally said seriously. "So, I had to cheer him up as well as..." I scratched my head, "...to save my skin from his fangs."

"...Is that how you cheered me up?!" Subaru growled from ground.

"At least, I made you laugh!" I snickered.

"Shizuma Tsubaki..." The irky glasses said annoyedly, "I suppose, we're sitting for a talk soon."

"Sure. Soon but not now." I yawned, "I thought, you were sleeping, so you should get back." I walked towards my room. When I was far away from them, I yelled, "But at least, I got to see the pissed looks on two of your faces! So, I'll definitely sleep well!" With that, I ran to my room while laughing.

Before going to sleep, I picked my phone to check stuffs. After a while, I got a notification of a breaking news. My happy mood flew away before my phone falling from my hands, as it said,

"Breaking news: An hour ago, bodies of a couple have been found under the bridge of a lake in Kamina town. Their identities are not yet found. But, the initial reports said, both of the bodies had pinprick marks like insect bites on their necks. This case is very similar to another case few days ago, of which, the victim was a high school student, Misaki Shimera,..."

Oh right...it was full moon today!

Hope, it made it up. Let me know through reviews.

Reference chapter:

1. Moonlit Rose

2. Perception (Rooftop scene)

3. Rowdy Night (Last scene)

4. Increasing Lust (Last scene)