Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!


The second the car rolls to a stop in front of the very busy mall, Mai practically climbs on top of Yui to open the door. Unfortunately, Yui moves at the wrong moment, and they both tumble from the car. Yui lets out a loud, pain filled yelp when her body connects with the curb just below the car door. There's unfortunately enough space between the car and the sidewalk for Yui's body to fit into perfectly. Mai doesn't fair any better. She attempts to catch herself, but she ends up kneeing Yui in the chest, causing the girl to fall back and arch her back painfully over the curb. Mai isn't able to fully extend both arms, so one of her hands and the opposite elbow connect with the rough surface of the concrete. She lets out a cry of pain and rolls onto her back while cradling her limbs to her body. Tears spring up when her new wounds throb in time with the ones that Laito had already given her. To further her humiliation, she has created a spectacle out of not only herself, but her friend as well. In fact, she can already hear the whispers of the spectators while they wonder if the two girls were ok, along with a few laughs and muttered insults.

A cold hand touches her shoulder, and her eyes snap open. Large, soulless eyes peer down at her from behind semi-dark glasses. Without allowing her to jerk away, the familiar pulls her to her feet and proceeds to methodically clean any dirt from her clothes. Mai attempts to pull away, but the familiar simply follows her. Her concerned eyes glance toward Yui, who is standing near the car with a look of pain on her face. Thankfully, she doesn't appear to be too hurt. Mai's gaze snaps back when something soft touches her skin. To her complete surprise, she watches the familiar easily bandage her new wounds. In fact, it only takes a matter of seconds before he steps away, bows, and turns on his heel to return to the car. Unease settles into the pit of Mai's stomach. She has never been treated like that before, and she isn't sure she likes it. An arm wraps around her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts. Her gaze snaps to meet an amused green one. Despite the fact that she wants to pull away, she finds that she can't get her body to move. She knew it shouldn't let what happened disturb her so much, but she can't help feeling that this is somehow his doing. Finally, she manages to reach up and sweep his arm away from her. Frustration swells in the pit of her stomach when he responds with an amused smile. She turns her attention to Yui and hurries to her friend. She's vaguely aware that the car has already left.

"I'm so sorry, Yui! Are you ok? It's just that Laito was touching me, and I just couldn't stand it anymore!" Mai states in a barely intelligible rush. Yui gives her a smile and shakes her head before saying.

"I'm alright, Mai. Don't worry about it. Now, aren't we running late?" A smile spreads over Yui's face before she takes Mai's hand. A bone deep chill races up Mai's arm, and she numbly allows Yui to drag her along.

Oddly, it almost feels like she's holding hands with Laito. A glance over her shoulder reveals that said vampire is following them with a smug, almost knowing, look on his face. Mai grimaces and turns her gaze back to Yui. She tries to force her worries to the back of her mind, but they still refuse to be quiet.

After a short while of weaving between the crowds, they finally arrive in the center of the mall. Yui slows to a halt and begins to search the crowds for Shiro's familiar face. Mai stands behind Yui, but she finds herself staring intently at the side of her friend's instead of searching. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a mistake. She doesn't have time to react to the cry of "M-Neko-chan!" from behind her. In fact, she doesn't even have time to step aside or even look over her shoulder. A cold, solid body collides hard with Mai's back. Kou's arms wrap around Yui and jerks her backwards into Mai's body, forcing the air from their lungs in an awkward, strangled cough. Unfortunately, Kou leans his head over Mai's shoulder in order to nuzzle Yui's neck, and he lets out a giggle of excitement. Mai shudders when she feels the sound make his chest vibrate. She tries to move, but Kou acts like a constrictor. Every time Mai moves, he tightens his grip on the two girls. Yui protests loudly, and Mai swears she can hear her own bones groaning under the pressure. That isn't even the scariest part. The scary part is it feels like her body temperature is dropping.

Finally, a much welcomed voice finally intervenes. "Kou! Don't run off like that! Good god, let them go! Mai is turning blue!"

An incredibly warm hand grabs her wounded elbow, but she doesn't even have enough breath to hiss in pain. All she manages to do is open her mouth a little in a silent cry of pain. To her absolute relief, the pressure disappears, and her body is jerked away from the two cold bodies. Her face collides with a solid chest. She gasps in a deep greedy breath, and she wants nothing more than for it to be a sweet one. Unfortunately, it's not. It's not terrible, but she finds that she just doesn't care for the mixture of spices and light sweat. Still, her body feels too heavy to move, so she has no choice but to lean against the source and gasp soft breathes until her body finally decides that it can move. Once she has the energy, she pulls away and glance up to find Shiro glancing down at her. She opens her mouth to thank him, but he ruins the moment by releasing her only to reach out and ruffle her hair.

She growls at him, but a loud voice echos through the crowded building. "Food! Food! Food!"

She feels embarrassment welling up in the pit of her stomach. She glances around to find people giving them a variety of looks ranging from disappointment and irritation to amusement and genuine interest. Her attention lands on Kou. It looks like he's trying to use glasses and a hat to disguise himself, but Mai feels like he's doing a bad job of hiding from his fans by loudly chanting food. Finally, the embarrassment becomes too much, and she lunges at Kou. She firmly places her hand against his mouth, finally halting his cries for food. The moment his eyes narrow and flick to meet hers, she hisses in a barely audible voice. "Be quiet! We're going to get some food now."

To her surprise, he doesn't do anything to try to remove her hand from his mouth. Beneath her hand, she can feel his mouth twisting into a smile. A smug look settles over his face. Frustration fills her body for only a moment before amusement quickly smothers it. She has an idea to wipe the smug look off his face. She pulls her hand away and forces a look of fake affection onto her face. She reaches out to gently pat his shoulder and says in a slow, soft voice. "Ah, but to earn the right to get food, you have to be quiet."

She doesn't give him chance to respond, since she quickly spins on her heel and calls loudly. "Onward!"

Without a glance back to see if anyone is following, she dives straight into the crowd and makes her way toward the food court. Thankfully, it doesn't take long for them to arrive and decide what fast food restaurant they want to eat at. As an awkward group, they fall into line. An uncomfortable silence settles over them, and Mai finds herself observing the milling crowds around them. A sense of longing hits her hard while she watches a group of four girls around her age walking past with hands full of bags. Their faces were bright, and they were laughing about something. Families with kids of all ages are wondering around. Some look irritated; some look like they are having fun. The more she looks around at normal life, the more she realizes that she didn't just miss having a normal life. She misses the times she spent with her parents. She misses the random fights they get in. She misses the praises and the looks of pride.

There is so much she misses. A lump forms in her throat at just the thought, and she feels a tingling sensation at the back of her eyes. She swallows hard and tightens her hands into fists.

Without warning, a breath puffs against the small cuts on the back of her head. She flinches away, accidentally bumping into Laito. She hears a chuckle from him, but she doesn't bother looking in his direction. Her gaze snaps around to meet calm, grey eyes that are much closer than she expected them to be. He must have almost had his nose in her hair. Her body tenses, and a rush of emotions flood her body. She isn't sure if she's just curious as to when Azusa had moved closer to her or appalled that he's so close that he's practically touching her. Unconsciously, she presses her side against Laito's body. She hasn't interacted much with Azusa, so she isn't entirely sure how he behaves. Kou is loud, obnoxious, and hard to handle. The few times she has been around Yuma, she found him to be incredibly threatening and rough. Azusa doesn't fall in line with his two brothers. He always seemed so quiet that it's unnerving.

"Were….you…..hurt?" Azusa asks blankly. Chills race down Mai's spine. Of course he could smell her wounds. He is a vampire after all. She flinches when Laito seems to step away from her. She reluctantly tears her gaze away from the unnerving vampire to look at Laito, only to find the line had moved forward. Kou has drug Yui to the front of the group. Shiro and Laito has fallen into step behind them. To Mai's surprise, they look completely relaxed. While she watches, Shiro turns his attention to Laito and seems to start a conversation. Mai takes a couple quick steps after them. Her body stiffens when something brushes her arm. Her gaze turns to find Azusa is once again in her personal bubble. She clenches her hands into fists once more and takes a step away. Unfortunately, a cold hand wraps around her injured wrist. She lets out a small sound of pain and turns a furious look on Azusa. For a moment, she thinks she can see something flash through his usually blank eyes, but she isn't a hundred percent sure what it is. Without warning, Azusa's face seems to appear only inches from hers. She jerks back, but she stops when his eyes drop to the bandage she had clumsily wrapped. His voice is barely audible through the drone of the crowd. "You…..are…..like...me."

She's not sure what that means until she notices that the bandage the familiar had wrapped is on the same arm as his. She tries to think of something to say, but her mind goes blank. With mounting unease, she watches him unwrap the bandage around her wrist. She isn't sure when he had grabbed her hand in a gentle hold. She flinches a little when she sees the deep bruise on her skin from Laito's hand. Unease fills her stomach when his thumb brushes over it, and she rips her arm away from him. Her gaze lifts to glare at his face, but the words of warning die in her throat when she sees a slightly puzzled look on his face. Thankfully, she doesn't get time to dwell on the fact, since they had finally made it to the front of the line at this point. She turns her attention to the menu to decide what she wants to eat. She feels bad for the cashier when Laito, Shiro, and Kou all order at once. Finally, they get their orders down, and Mai ends up paying. Once she is done, she wanders toward the table that the others had chosen. Her gaze moves around the tables she passes before her gaze lands on her group.

Her feet slow to a stop, and she finds herself watching them. There's an open chair between Azusa and Shiro that she assumes is her spot. Her heart skips a beat while she watches them converse. It looks like Shiro is laughing at something either Kou or Laito was saying. Mai isn't sure what Yui's doing since her friend is facing away. Azusa seems to be lightly picking at his own bandages. Mai's hand suddenly falls onto the bruise and begins to gently rub it. All at once her wounds give a painful throb, but it still doesn't stop her from thinking of her 'friends'.

They look almost normal. They look like friends; like the ones wandering the mall. Wasn't that what she wanted the most out of this trip? To feel normal once more? A warm feeling starts in the pit of her stomach and spreads through her chest. It feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Just this once, she feels like she can let go and relax.

A smile spreads over her face, and she quickly makes her way to join the group. To her relief, it seems like Laito and Shiro are trading jokes. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices that her bruise is now clearly visible. Without a second thought, she slips her arm into her lap. When their food arrives, she easily eats with the other one. It doesn't take long for the boys to grow louder as they talk, aside from Azusa. A soft call of her name interrupts her laughter at the boys' antics. Her gaze turns to look across the table at Yui. She has a frown on her face and lightly gestures toward Mai's other side. Mai's eyes drift over to observe Azusa, who seems to be staring blankly at his still untouched food. Despite herself, she can feel a small knot of worry bubble up. She glances across the table to see that Kou had eaten all of his food. In fact, he has been stealing pieces off Laito's plate when the red haired vampire becomes preoccupied with something Shiro says. Mai turns her gaze back to find Yui's red eyes full of concern. After a silent staring contest, Mai flinches. It feels like Yui is silently urging Mai to check on the dark haired vampire. With a breath to steady her sudden spike in nerves, she turns her attention back to Azusa. It takes her a moment, but she finally leans closer to the vampire in order to ask softly. "Are you alright?"

After a few seconds, he lifts his gaze to meet hers. His gaze is just as blank as before, which causes a sense of unease to well up in the pit of her stomach. She swallows hard, forces a smile on her face, and says the first thing she can think of. "Do you not like your food?"

"No," he states blankly and turns his gaze back to his food. Unnerved, Mai casts a worried glance in Yui's direction before turning back to the vampire beside her just as Laito, Kou, and Shiro laugh at something Kou said.

"Ehhhh….. Well, do you want to order something else?" Mai asks. Frustration starts to build when she watches him simply shake his head. His blank gaze lifts to meet hers once more, and she has to force herself to smile kindly.

"Don't worry about him," Kou suddenly states around a mouthful of food that Mai unfortunately notices is from her own plate. She casts him a dark look that's a mixture of disgust and frustration. She pulls her plate closer to her body and leans over it. Kou scoffs at her and rolls his eyes before reaching over to affectionately ruffle Azusa's hair, drawing a blank gaze from the dark haired vampire. Kou says playfully, "He's probably not very hungry. He really doesn't eat that much."

"Doesn't that concern you?" Mai asks while observing the two of them. She'll never admit it, but it's nice to see brothers behaving in what she assumes is a brotherly way.

"Nope!" Kou playfully states. "Besides that's Ruki's job."

Confusion fills her chest, and she glances at Yui, who gives her a small shrug of her shoulders. Kou's face seems to light up when he notices the exchange. He gives the two a playful look and clears his throat. The smile melts from his face, and he gives them both a long, serious look. In a dark voice, he says, "Ruki is the best. He's the oldest of us, and he keeps track of the petty stuff."

Mai can feel her eyes narrowing the more Kou talks. Irritation begins to build in the pit of her stomach, but it quickly becomes smothered in disgust at how little he seems to care for his own brother. Her hands fall to her lap and begin to shake in anger. How foolish can she get? Of course they aren't like normal brothers! There is nothing remotely normal about vampires. Her disgust changes from Kou to herself. She wanted to pretend everything's normal, but it isn't. She lets out a shuddering breath, but she quickly sucks it back in when pain races up her arm. Her eyes snap open, only to meet with concerned red ones. She jumps when noise crashes around her, and panic wells up into her throat. She had been so out of it that she blocked everything else out. Her gaze drops to find that she had linked her hands tightly together, with her nails digging painfully into the backs of her hands.

"Hey, Mai. How did you get hurt?" Shiro suddenly asks softly. Something about the way he says it sends shivers down Mai's spine. She lifts her gaze to look at him. He appears to be wearing a look of genuine concern. She swallows hard and quickly turns her gaze away from him. He had spoken so gently, but it feels like there is an underlying threat. Her body starts to shake until her eyes meet with another pair of concerned eyes, only these ones are red. Before Mai gives the idea much thought, she jumps up and slams her hands onto the table. She's completely aware that she got the attention of everyone around them, along with a soft gasp of surprise from Yui. Mai forces a smile onto her face.

"This is a mall! We should go shopping to our heart's content!" Mai punctuates by lightly punching the air over her head. Once again, she doesn't wait for them to answer her, instead she steps back. She bumps her chair, but she simply uses her leg to shove it out of the way and turns to hurry away from the table. She's determined to have a good day out even if it is spent with abnormal people. She hears her name being called from behind her, but she doesn't turn to look, though she does feels a hint of guilt at not cleaning up her mess. A good shake of her head helps to clear that thought from her mind. She dives into the first store she comes across. Thankfully, it's a clothing store, so she's able to hide behind the racks of clothing and catch her breath for a few moments. She also uses this time to try to clear her mind before being confronted by her group again. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long, since the vampires are able to easily find her. The first to do so is Laito, who seems to materialize beside her. She's faintly aware that she doesn't even flinch anymore. Her eyes simply lift to meet his amused, green gaze. Without warning, his face is only inches from hers.

Everything seems to happen in slow motion. She can feel his cold breath on her lips and lower face. His eyes remain locked with hers, and she finds that she can't breath anymore. Every muscle in her body starts to protest at how tense she is. A soft noise beside her head may as well have been an explosion. She flinches away and rips her gaze away from him to find that he had only pulled a hanger off the rack beside her, though she doesn't remember turning to face him. Her heart starts to race wildly, and her face floods a deep red color. The heat of embarrassment runs all the way to her stomach, making her feel hollow. Did she really expect him to kiss her? She turns her gaze to look at the clothes. Unfortunately, she can't find a single piece of women's clothing. It's just her luck that she'd run into a male clothing store.

"I didn't know you were so excited to help me find new clothes, sweetheart," Laito playfully coos at her. Her gaze snaps back to him, and she barely represses a snarl. He steps away and turns his gaze to the pair of pants he had chosen. A thoughtful look spreads over his face. After a moment of silence, his gaze slowly returns to hers. He gives her an almost innocent smile. His head tilts to the side and the smile melts away from his face. Panic sets in, and Mai feels like her tongue is made out of lead. Finally, after a few seconds of tense silence, he says, "Did you want to help me take off my clothes, too?"

The grin returns to his face, while Mai lets out a sound of disgust at the same time. Thankfully, Kou appears after only a few more seconds and gives the pair of pants that Laito is holding a disgusted look. Without missing a beat, Kou asks, "do your servants dress you? There is no way that you can with that hideous pair of pants you are holding onto."

Mai uses the ensuing argument to slip away from the two. Thankfully, she's able to quickly find Yui just as she is walking from the direction of their table. Guilt fills Mai once more, since she's sure that Yui's too nice to leave a mess behind. Mai forces a smile onto her face and says. "Shall we do a girl's day out and dodge the boys while we are at it?"

To her relief, Yui nods eagerly, and the two quickly slip into to the next female clothing store they come across. Much to Mai's relief, Yui doesn't mention Mai's odd behavior, so she returns the favor by not mentioning Yui's obvious changes. The day begins to pass by like Mai was hoping it would. The vampires and Shiro seem to have disappeared. Mai knew that she should feel guilty about ditching Shiro, but she finds it hard to even think about him. Before Mai realizes it, she's spent her entire allowance, but she doesn't mind. She's having fun.

The day seems to pass by even fast after she spends her money. Mai and Yui drop by to get drinks, which Yui pays for. Yui ends up not drinking hers, but Mai doesn't dwell on it much. They jump from silly topics like what their favorite class is to which boy in their grade they thought was attractive. Mai playfully threatened to beat Yui up if she stated a Sakamaki name. To Mai's relief, her friend willingly played along.

Just as they are exiting the food court once again, Mai hears her name being called. She stops and glances around until she finds Shiro making his way toward them with a serious look on his face. Thankfully, the look eases when he gets closer. He gives Yui a friendly look and says, "Hey, it seems we lost Azusa somewhere along the way. Do you mind running back to that table we were sitting at and seeing if he's wandered back there."

A look of concern flashes over the blonde's face, and she bolts away without another word. A hint of concern fills Mai's stomach, but the thought disappears when Shiro takes a step toward her. Her gaze snaps up from the direction the blonde bolted and meets the his serious gaze. A shudder runs down her spine. She's not sure why, but she can't help but feel afraid of Shiro for the moment. Something seems….off about him. The uncomfortable silence continues to stretch between them. She flinches when Shiro closes the distance until only a dozen or so inches separates them. She has to fight the urge to shrink away. Unfortunately, Shiro seems to notice her internal struggle, and a dark look passes over his face for a brief moment. His breath rushes from his mouth in the form of a sigh. One of his hands lift to delve into his hair, and he turns his sharp gaze away from her. She feels guilty, but her body starts to relax once she is no longer under scrutiny.

"You can trust me you know," Shiro mutters softly. He says something under his breath, but she isn't able to make sense of the words. In fact, the only one that she actually hears is the word 'vampires'.

It feels like a bucket of cold water has suddenly been poured over her. Her gaze snaps around, since she's positive that she'd see one of the women. She's not sure if she's more surprised or relieved to find that they don't appear. Something warm lightly touches her uninjured forearm, and she immediately jerks away. Her gaze snaps back around to meet a dark look that quickly changes to concern. She finds herself wrapping her arms around her stomach, since she feels like she's going to be sick. The longer she looks into his concerned eyes, the more she wants to believe that the dark look was just her imagination. She finally tears her gaze away and stares at the floor between her feet with great interest. She needed to tell someone what has been going on, or she's sure that she'll go insane. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. She slowly lifts her gaze and looks directly at Shiro with all the strength she can muster.

"We have to talk. Preferably alone."

He doesn't even hesitate. Instead, he simply gives her a nod and reaches out to grab her elbow. She finds that she no longer has the strength to argue. In fact, she can feel herself starting to zone out while he leads her away from the busy food court. Finally, they arrive at a small area that has couches. Thankfully, it's void of anyone, so they sit together on one of the couches. Unfortunately, Mai still hasn't figured out how to start, so they sit in silence for a few minutes while she scrambles for something to say. Shiro's the first to talk. His voice is gentle, encouraging almost. "Yui seems better."

Mai is incredibly thankful that he's the one who broke the silence. It'll be much easier for her to start talking now. At least, it feels like it will be. She lets out an affirmative noise. He grunts in response. It seems like he senses her silent plea that he keeps talking, since he asks. "Does she seem different to you?"

Mai's gaze remains locked onto her lap. She's starting to second guess her choice to tell him. What if he thought she was crazy? No sane person believed in vampires. Hell, she didn't even believe in them until that night that Laito had broken into her house and drank her blood on her stairs. With a deep breath, she decides to just jump into the story from the beginning and not leave anything out. She tells him of the time that Yui transferred in. It seems like years ago, but it was only months. Mai continues on to the pranks, and she tells him about Yui believing in vampires. She quickly moves on to tell him that she thought Yui was crazy at first. That thought changed when Laito had appeared that fateful day. The day he had bitten her for the first time. She stares hard at her hands which had formed painful fists on her knees. She's faintly aware of her vision swimming with tears. Her voice starts to come out faster as she tells him about her run ins with Kanato and Reiji. She tells him how terrified of those two she is. She explains how hurt she is that she had lost her friendship with Subaru, even if he was never really nice to her. She isn't sure why, but she valued it.

She pulls her legs up onto the couch and hugs them tight. She buries her face in her knees. For a moment, she wonders if he could even hear her, but she finds that she doesn't care anymore. She probably isn't making much sense anyway. Her voice is cracking and watery. The tears start to leave her eyes when she recounts all the times she argued with Ayato, though not much came from those. She can feel a small smile start to spread over her face. She tells Shiro that she's sure that she would have came out worse for wear if it hadn't been for Yui handling Ayato's temper. An empty feeling starts to spread through her stomach, and the tears start to come faster. She numbly states that she didn't realize how much she depends on the blonde and wonders aloud if the blonde felt the same way.

Shiro stays silent, and Mai's too afraid to look over at him, so she pushes on to tell him about all the awkward situations that seem to have turned into some sort of weird friendship with Shuu, though she's not sure if he feels the same way. In fact, she's not really sure of anything when it comes to the lazy blond vampire. She switches subjects once again to tell him about the women she has been seeing. She doesn't want to leave anything out, and it feels like she can't stop talking. In fact, she's not sure when she had switched to every time she had been with Laito, but she finds herself telling him everything. Embarrassment and numbness seem to be fighting deep in her heart when she gets to the part where she lost her virginity. She finally falls silent. She stares at the back of her knees in silence. It feels like a million pounds now rests on her chest. She had been hoping to relieve some of the stress, but it feels like she's just added even more. She closes her eyes tightly and lets the tears run down her face. She feels even more vulnerable than she ever did with Laito. Finally, a warm arm comes to rest over her shoulder. She feels a light tug and doesn't resist. Instead, she leans over into him.

He doesn't say a word to her. Instead, he simply lets her lean against him and cry. Instead of helping, it makes Mai feel even worse. She should have been there for Yui. She should have done this when Yui told her about her living situation. Instead, she had berated her. Guilt coats the back of her throat, making it feel like she is suffocating. Finally, Shiro breaks the silence. His voice is soft, gentle almost. "Do you need help?"

Mai slowly pulls away from him and lets her feet fall to the floor. She lifts her gaze to look up at him. He offers her a small smile before turning his gaze toward the crowd milling about around them, so Mai turns her gaze back to her lap. She mutters softly. "I don't know. Do you believe me though? I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

He lets out a soft snort and says, "You know, there are plenty of people that believe vampires are real. I'm not saying they aren't. After all, there are a lot of people who claim to be them, even going so far as to drink blood. Or at least, I think they do."

A warm hand lands on the top of her head. It ruffles her hair, and she feels a hint of annoyance at the action. She reaches up to swat his hand away and proceeds to fix her hair. He gives her a playful shoulder shove and says. "You aren't crazy. Weird maybe, but not crazy."

She doesn't fight the smile from tugging at her lips, and she rolls her eyes. She can't help but feel grateful that he's trying to make her smile. She glances back at him with silent contemplation. He's so easy to talk to that is seems almost surreal. This is just how she imagined having a sibling would be like. A serious look overtakes his face, and his eyes turn to catch hers. She's startled by the frown, and a feeling of dread fills her stomach. She has a feeling that he's going to say something heavy.

"Laito concerns me though. He pushes too far," he says in a cold voice. "He's…. Manipulative. It's obvious from what you've told me. He's a spoiled rich kid that takes what he wants. In fact, they all sound that way. Even the ones that you consider to be friends."

She jumps when he stands suddenly. He moves to stand directly in front of her and looks down at her. She has to crane her head back to look up at him. He gives her a serious look. His voice is barely audible. "You feel trapped by what his family has done to yours. They've given your family so much, but at what cost? He has taken everything you hold dear away from you, but when you stray too far, he's sweet to you. Don't you see what he's doing?"

Mai immediately tears her gaze away. Her mouth has gone dry, and she finds that she doesn't want to hear what else he has to say. She wraps her arms around herself, as if it'll protect her from what he plans to say next. Unfortunately, it doesn't. His hands wrap around her upper arms, and she finds herself being drug to her feet. Her startled gaze snaps back to him. His face is a mixture of concern and seriousness. "He's giving you something like Stockholm Syndrome. You feel like you can't escape, and maybe you can't. But, I have a question for you. Have you even tried?"

Mai's eyes drift away from him. She doesn't want to answer that.

No.

It's more like she can't answer it.

She stubbornly tells herself that he's wrong. She simply can't get away from Laito. He'll find her no matter how far she tried to run. His family's so influential that she isn't even sure that she would be able to even leave the country. There's also a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she even thinks of leaving. It makes her feel cold. She licks her lips lightly and says. "I can't just abandon Yui."

Shiro lets out something that sounds like a scoff and a snarl rolled into one. He gives her a light shake and says. "You can't be serious. She's just like them now."

Mai's gaze sharpens, and suspicion fills the pit of her stomach, but she tries to keep it off her face. She softly says. "Yui's a sweet girl."

Shiro's eyes narrow before he releases her and takes a step back. Mai's heart skips a beat, but she doesn't say anything. Thankfully, Shiro fills the silence. "You know that she's keeping you there. She's just as free to run away as you are, but she's in love with one of them now. She's trapping you just as much as they are. I care for the girl, but I think that she's too far gone. I don't think that you can save. I can't save her, but I can still save you."

Mai feels like his words are just a cover up, but she doesn't get a chance to ask him anything else. He just states in a rush. "Listen, Mai. You and Yui are like the little sisters I always wanted, but I didn't get. I just want to help the two of you out, but I think it's too late for her. I have to cut my losses. I can still save you though, so you just have to listen to me. I know my family can protect you and your parents. All you have to do is trust me."

Mai opens her mouth, but she doesn't get a chance to say anything. A hand wraps painfully around her upper arm, and she feels herself being pulled roughly away from Shiro. She stumbles, banging her leg on a chair that was closer than she realized. Just before her shoulder connects with a cold body, she spots what appears to be red hair and green eyes, but she didn't get a good look. Her heart skips a beat before she realizes that it's not Laito. The clothes were all wrong, and it isn't his cologne she's smelling.

Full blown panic sets in, and her gaze snaps up to meet what can only be described as furious, glowing green eyes. The hand tightens to the point that it feels like her arm might break. She lets out a hiss of pain. Unfortunately, this just seems to anger him even more. Before anyone can react, she finds herself being violently shaken. In fact, she still feels incredibly dizzy when he finally stops shaking her. She's faintly aware of Shiro snapping something at Ayato, but it's lost due to Ayato's voice being shouted directly into her ear. "Shut the fuck up, asshole! This is none of your concern!"

She takes this chance to look back up at him just as he looks back down at her. His cold, glowing eyes make it feel like her blood has turned to ice. She can only stare numbly at him while he questions harshly. "Where is she?"

She feels a warm hand grabbing her shoulder, but she's jerked away from it only moments later. The sound of something being smacked rings out. Mai glances around to see that plenty of people have now stopped to watch the spectacle. She wants to feel embarrassed, but she finds that she feels sick to her stomach. It's made even worse when Ayato spins her out of Shiro's reach when he touches her a second time. Ayato snaps coldly. "Don't fucking touch her, bastard! Yours Truly has questions, and she is going to damn well answer them!"

"Ayato," Mai mutters. A lump is forming in her throat, making it hard to breathe. She wants him to let her go, but it's hard to think of anything other than the pain in her upper arms. "Please. You're hurting me."

"Let her go!" Shiro snarls in a voice that Mai doesn't recognize. In fact, she can't ever remember seeing him this angry. "You're hurting her! Look at her!"

"Who cares! She took something that belongs to Yours Truly, and she is going to pay the price!"

"Hey!" A third voice cuts in from somewhere in the crowd. It's enough to get Mai's attention, but the boys fail to even care. Shiro lunges at Ayato in an effort to free Mai. Unfortunately, that just makes Ayato jerk Mai out of his reach. In response, Ayato's grip gets tighter every single time he pulls her out of Shiro's reach. Mai groans in the back of her throat. Sadly, it goes unnoticed. By that time, the owner of the third voice has appeared. He is dressed in what appears to be a cop outfit. Upon second glance, Mai realizes that it's really a security guard outfit. She reaches out to grab the security guard, so she can ask for help. Somehow, he seems to know what she is thinking. A warm hand wraps around her bandaged one, and she is ripped away from Ayato. It seems like more security guards come out of nowhere. They put themselves between the two boys, and Mai's being lead numbly through the crowds with a firm hand on her shoulder. For a brief moment, she's grateful that she's been saved from being dragged into a fight, but then she notices the direction she is being lead. Her heart leaps into her throat, and her feet stop moving. A soft nudge from behind makes her take a couple of steps forward, but she quickly spins to look up at the security guard. In a rush, she says, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

The security guard regards her with a sharp gaze. After a few moments of silence, he releases a sigh and says in a slightly monotone voice. "I understand that; however, you and your friends were creating chaos. There are rules here you know. I don't care what the fight was about, but this place is crowded. You do understand what happens when panic is introduced to a large crowd, don't you?"

She grits her teeth and starts to say between clenched teeth. "I don't understand how we would incite pan-"

He gives her shoulder a slightly rougher shove this time and cuts her off. "I don't particularly care if you don't understand. You and your friends were creating a scene. If you'd like to meet up with them walk around the outside of the mall. They are being led to different exits. Just be lucky you three are getting off easy this time. We aren't in the mood to call the police and deal with a report on three rowdy teenagers."

Mai considers arguing, but the security guard's face had morphed into one with complete authority. Still, she can't help but roll her eyes, spin on her heel, and stomp out of the doors. She's aware that the guard follows her all the way to the door. Once she steps outside, she turns around, makes a rude gesture at the guard's back, and sticks her tongue out. Soft laughter from behind causes her to jump and spin around. She fully expects the culprit to be Laito, but she's surprised to lock eyes with Kou instead. Her body stiffens, and she can barely fight the blush from creeping onto her face. She doesn't really know Kou very well, so it feels like she just made a fool of herself in front of a stranger. She casts a quick glance around the parking lot. Thankfully, there are plenty of people heading to and from their cars, but she doesn't see Yui or the others. Fear coats the back of her mouth, and she quickly turns her gaze toward Kou. A shudder runs down her spine when she realizes that she's alone with him. Thankfully, he hasn't moved toward her. Instead, he seems to be content just staring at her.

After a couple of awkwardly silent minutes tick by, Mai finally decides to break it. "So, what are you doing out here?"

She slowly makes her way over to a nearby bench and lets herself collapse onto it. She leans back and glances down at the bruise on her wrist. The silence continues, but Mai finds that it's not nearly as awkward as before. She can hear teenagers laughing from not far away, but she can't make out any words. She lets her head fall back. For a moment, she realizes just how reckless she is being. She is so easily exposing the front of her throat to a vampire, but she finds that she doesn't really care that much. She releases a long, slow breath. All the muscles start to relax in her body. The sun warms her skin, and she faintly wonders when she had started to feel so cold all the time. For a brief moment, she wonders if this a dream like last time, though she quickly shoves the thought away.

This would classify as a nightmare. After all, she was just kicked out of a mall because of her 'friends'. She slowly opens her eyes to stare up at the sky. Clouds slowly drift by, and she can't help the smile from spreading over her face. If she thought really hard, she could see shapes in the clouds like she use to do as a child.

She spots movement out of the corner of her eye and turns her gaze in that direction. To her surprise, Kou has taken a seat at the opposite end of the bench and is mirroring her actions. She frowns for a moment, but she decides not to dwell on it. She just wants to enjoy this moment before one of the triplets, Shiro, or even Yui appears. She turns her gaze back up at the sky. The silence shows no end in sight, so Mai releases a yawn and relaxes further into the bench. The action seems to trigger something in her silent companion.

"Do you like the sky?"

She takes a moment to think over the question. Finally, she lifts one shoulder in a half shrug before saying. "I think I like the sun better."

He makes a grunting noise, but she doesn't dwell on it. She finds it incredibly easy to talk at the moment. In fact, it feels almost normal. "I spent days like this with my dad. We would lay in the grass at our house and see if we could come up with stories based on what shapes we saw in the clouds. It was stupid, but it was a lot of fun at the time. The thing I remember most about those days is the sounds of birds singing and how warm the sun felt on my skin."

She lifts her arms straight up and arches her back awkwardly in order to stretch some muscles. She shifts her body to stretch different ones. The comfortable silence settles once more. Just when she considers breaking it, Kou surprises her by doing it. "That's stupid."

Mai scoffs and rolls her eyes. She forces her body to sit up and turns her gaze to observe him. He's slouching so his head is resting on the back portion of the bench. A look of irritation, and a few other emotions, color his face. They disappear behind a smirk when he notices her stare. He rights himself back up and returns it. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to say anything further on the subject, since Kou asks. "What is Yui like?"

The question takes Mai by surprise, and she finds that she can only stare at him in silence for a few moments. Finally, she cautiously says, "Well…. I guess she's a generally nice person. Too nice if you ask me. She…. Well, she cares about people who don't give a crap about her."

Kou leans closer. An odd smirk spreads over his face, and he asks softly, "So, is she significantly attached to anyone?"

"Uh…" Mai flinches at how stupid that sounded. Her gaze turns away from him, and she pretends to give it some serious thought. It isn't a secret that she seems to love Ayato. For some reason, Mai's having a hard time telling Kou that. Finally, she simply nods. A soft sound of annoyance pulls her attention back to Kou. She flinches when she feels like something is off. In fact, it feels like he's looking straight through her. A snarl has taken over his handsome face, and her heart skips a beat. She swears that she saw something glowing between the strands of his hair. She quickly climbs to her feet, but Kou seems to appear directly in front of her. His hands find her upper arms, just below her shoulders. While the grip is tight, it isn't nearly as painful as Ayato or Laito's have been. Still, the feeling that he's looking directly into her soul keeps her from trying to get away or even talking.

"You're lying! You took too long to answer!"

Mai shudders, but she doesn't even try to speak. If it had been Kanato or one of the others, she may have stood a chance, but she doesn't know Kou enough to comfortably say something. Kou's face moves dangerously close to hers, and she can see his visible eye narrow. He practically snarls, "Are you even really her friend?"

Mai swallows hard. His change in behavior seems a lot like Kanato's, so perhaps she should just answer his questions like she would if confronted with the purple haired vampire. She says in a stronger voice than she thought she would. "I am her friend."

He grits his teeth together, causing her to shudder at the sound. Her teeth give a phantom tingle at the thought. His face contorts into one of anger, and he snarls in a soft voice. "No. You have to be lying. We didn't arrive too late."

"I do-"

"Shut up!" Kou shouts. He pulls away from her, but she doesn't get a chance to breath. His fist connects with her jaw before she has a chance to even think of blocking. Thankfully, it isn't a hard blow, but it's still enough to knock her off balance. Her legs bump into the bench when she stumbles, and she finds herself sitting on the bench once more. Her gaze doesn't leave his face. From this angle, she can see underneath the bangs covering his right eye. A shudder runs down her spine when she realizes that his right eye is indeed glowing a much different color than his other eye. Her breath catches in her throat. The feeling that he's peering into her soul intensifies, so she wraps her arms around herself and hunches over. She feels like she's going to be sick.

"Pl-" she starts to beg.

"Hey!" A voice calls out. A voice that she never thought she'd be grateful to hear. Thankfully, the feeling of her soul being searched lessens, and she's able to lift her head. The second her eyes meet furious green ones, she does something that she never thought she'd ever do. She leaps to her feet, shoves past Kou, and lunges at the furious Ayato. A startled look spreads over his face for a moment, but she doesn't dwell on it. She quickly makes her way around behind him and turns to press her face between his shoulder blades. Her body begins to shake so badly that it feels like she might not be standing much longer. She feels violated in a way that she didn't know was possible. Her hands bunch up in the back of Ayato's shirt, and she presses herself closer to him. She's faintly aware that he's saying something, but she can't make out the words. Her breathing and heart beat are so loud in her ears that it easily drowns out every other sound. She feels Ayato jerk away from her. Full blown panic sets in, and her gaze snaps up to meet still angry, green eyes. Suddenly, they start to swim behind a pool of tears. She lets her head drop, and she covers her face with shaking hands, squats down, and rocks back on her heels. A sob rips itself from her throat, and it assists in drowning out all other sounds.

Except one.

It's a soft voice, almost motherly. It's hard to make out the words being spoken, but it sounds like the voice is almost saying.

"Shhhh, little human. It's ok."

Something cold brushes her back over one of her shoulder blades. She feels a cold body press into her from behind. The only person she can think of it being is Laito. He probably appeared at some point and is trying to 'comfort' her. She'll have to pay for it later, but she doesn't care at the moment. She just wants to cry. The voice echos over itself before finally becoming suddenly crystal clear. The voice is hauntingly familiar. "This is your chance. You have so many paths before you, but some are becoming harder for you to choose. Do you want to stay with the vampires?"

Mai flinches, but she doesn't say a word. No. It's more like she can't say a word between the sobs, and she has a feeling that she's the only one who can hear the voice. It feels like time slows to a crawl.

"My dear, you'll never have a normal life. The things you've experienced up to this point will either have to be taken to your grave, or you will be classified as someone who has lost their mind. You can still possibly lead the closest thing to a normal life if you choose the path where you take everything to the grave. It is not too late to go that way, but I do want you to consider that you'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. You'll have to leave Yui behind to the mercy of the Sakamaki brothers without an outlet. It may not seem like it, but the King of Vampires did send his brother to follow you, and he does in fact show his face from time to time. Despite not getting along with his brother, Richter will still do as instructed. Laito will also not let go of his playtoy so easily."

It suddenly feels like cold fingers are running through her hair. An overwhelming stench threatens to make her throw up. She feels what appears to be a breath on her ear, sending chills down her spine. The voice continues. "You will see the demon world all around you, now that you have been exposed. That is one path. The other is to wiggle your way even further into the hearts of a chosen vampire, but that path holds it's own dangers as well. You will not led an easy life, and you will be playing into Karl Heinz plans. You'll be at the mercy of your chosen one."

A chorus of moans echo around her, and she lifts her hands to cover her ears. She leans so far forward that she doubles over. The sound of the voice changes to a different woman. "We have been trying to keep all paths open to you and the newest bride; however, she couldn't hear us, and you haven't tried hard enough to heed our warnings. This is the turning point. You can possibly end up like the rest of us."

Mai's body starts to feel heavy, but she somehow manages to look up. Surrounding her is a large quantity of women. Instead of being dressed in white, they are dressed in what appears to be casual clothing. No marks or wounds adorn them. They vary in age from around fourteen or fifteen to mid twenties. A feeling of coldness washes over her when she thinks she recognizes one. It was the girl in the bathroom that sent her to the hospital. The girl seems to notice Mai's gaze. Her eyes close, and she tilts her head to give Mai a sheepish smile.

"You're finally listening."

For some unknown reason, she turns her gaze to find a girl who looks to be in her later teens squatting beside her. The world behind the girl seems to be continuing on like normal, but she isn't overly interested in what is happening around her. The girl has piercing blue eyes and a light brown colored hair. She gives Mai a pleasant smile and reaches out to lay a cold hand on Mai's shoulder. The cold seeps into Mai and feels like it's reaching all the way into her bones, despite the clothing that Mai is wearing. She releases a shudder, but the girl begins to talk once more. "We tried to warn you that you were going too far. Perhaps it wasn't fair of us to scare you, but we couldn't reach Yui. She has blocked us out completely. We thought we could reach her through you, but we are too late for her. She's already in the midst of transforming and waking as the bride, but you…"

Her voice is suddenly overlapped with another. One that sends chills down her spine. Amused green eyes seem to appear behind the woman's head. Mai's breath halts in her throat, and her eyes widen. She's positive that she that she didn't blink, but the girls are already gone. All she finds is Laito. He's squatting beside her. His cold hand is touching her shoulder. The exact same shoulder the teenage girl had touched her. Mai flinches away from him and quickly brushes his hand away. That's when the world seems to come alive once more. She can hear laughter and the general buzz of conversation going on around her. The parking lot isn't as busy as the mall, but there are still stragglers hanging around. A loud voice echos in her ear, drawing her attention upward.

"Yo, bitch! I asked you a question!"

"Stop calling her that, asshole!"

Ayato release an almost animalistic growl in Shiro's direction. Yui's soft voice cuts through. "Ayato, please! It wasn't her fault! Laito is the one who got me."

"Ah, ah, Little Bitch. It was Sweetheart that asked me to get you," Laito coos at the petite blonde, who gives him a frustrated look before turning pleading eyes on Ayato. Mai can't help but roll her eyes when Ayato snaps at Yui to be silent. She hears movement behind her and glances back to find that Azusa is standing closer to her than she feels comfortable with. One arm is held close to his body while the other is lifted to his mouth. His eyes are intently locked onto Yui and Ayato. Yui's trying to sooth Ayato's anger, but he isn't allowing her too. It doesn't help that Shiro's making snide comments in Ayato's direction. Finally, Mai decides enough is enough. She slowly climbs to her feet and states loudly.

"Enough! I asked Laito to get Yui! I hoped it'd get him to leave me the hell alone! I wanted to go out with my friends and have a normal day, but… but…. But….."

She pauses to give each vampire a cold stare before continuing. "But you all ruin everything you touch. You have no sense of humanity left in any of you. I don't know if you ever did. Why can't you guys just let us be humans for once?! We aren't vampires like you!"

By the end, she is yelling. Her eyes move to look at all the vampires surrounding her. Laito, Kou, and Ayato all seem to be amused by her outburst, while Azusa isn't even looking at her. His gaze is now locked onto Shiro. Mai's gaze turns to find Shiro staring at her with a look that seems to be contemplating. Mai turns her attention to see a look of pity on Yui's face. Bile climbs up the back of her throat, and she swallows hard to keep from actually vomiting. She thought for sure that she is about to be punished for revealing their secret, but they don't even seem to care.

An arm comes to rest over her shoulder, startling her. She turns her gaze to find Laito's face so close that she can feel his breath fan over her face. She doesn't get a chance to recoil from him before he closes the distance and brushes his cold nose over her cheek in an almost loving manner. Mai's stomach twists, but she can't tell if it's disgust or some other emotion. She jerks as far away as she can. Laito simply chuckles before saying. "Well, it looks like Ayato's here to ruin our fun, so why don't we all part ways here and head home?"

It feels like he's talking directly into her ear. She silently wishes Laito would remove his arm from her shoulders. Thankfully, she gets her wishes only seconds later, only it's short lived. He didn't pull away from her. Instead, his arm slowly slides down her body to come to rest around her waist. His hand finds a place on her hip just, and she attempts to pull away. Unfortunately, her body is jerked into his, and he leans his head against the side of hers. Unease fills her stomach, and she doubles up her fist in preparation to elbow him just below the ribs. Unfortunately, he squeezes her hip, and she immediately knows it's a silent threat that she should behave. Still, she considers simply ignoring it, but Shiro pulls her attention in his direction.

"Hey, Mai? You live close by my house. What do you say we walk home together?" Shiro says and reaches out to take her wrist in a tight, but somehow gentle, grasp. Time seems to freeze as the two humans wait for Laito to make his move. To Mai's surprise, he releases his hold on her and gives her a slightly disturbing smile. He playfully waves to her, and she's not sure why, but she responds with a wave of her own before being pulled after Shiro. She calls out a 'see ya later' to Yui before falling into step beside Shiro, who finally releases her wrist. With every step, guilt starts to gnaw at her stomach, but she refuses to look back.

Finally, she can't stand it anymore and glances back to find only Yui and Ayato standing there. The comical part of the scene is that Yui has her hands on her hips. Mai can't stifle the giggle from erupting from her mouth the second she tries to imagine Yui with a stern look on her face. Shiro glances at her and then over his shoulder. He releases a chuckle and says, "She's such a pushover. I bet that attitude only lasts a few minutes."

Mai turns back around to focus on the sidewalk before her. She releases an awkward snort, but she tries to ignore it and states. "I don't know. Yui can be pretty fierce in her own little, quiet way. Especially when it comes to Ayato or Shuu."

She casts a smile at Shiro, only for it to melt moments later. A dark look had taken over Shiro's face, and she can't help the sense of unease from settling in the pit of her stomach. Silence settles between them, and it's not the usually comfortable one she has become accustomed to while in his company. Finally, she says in a soft voice. "I'm sorry about today."

"Hm?" Shiro says. Only seconds later, he seems to remember where he is and says in a playful voice. "Oh, it's fine. I got to see my two friends, even if one of them isn't normal anymore!"

His elbow lightly bumps into her upper arm, and she forces a grin onto her face before staring intently at the ground before her feet. "Listen, about what I told you today. I'm sorry. I've just… been stressed, and I don't know what to do anymore."

"Do you love him?"

That question takes her by surprise, and she finds herself abruptly stopping. Her gaze snaps up to look at Shiro, who's still walking. Finally, he slows to a stop and turns to face her. An overwhelming sense of deja vu spreads over her. How long ago did she ask that very same question to Yui?

"I….." She's not sure why she's hesitating. Finally, she finds her resolve buried deep underneath a sea of emotions and gives Shiro a stern look. "No, I don't love him. You are talking about Laito, right?"

Shiro gives her a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. She flinches and forces her legs to start moving. She walks past him with her head held high. After a few tense minutes, he catches up to walk beside her. He mutters something beneath his breath before saying softly. "I didn't mean to insult you, but he sounds like the worst."

Mai's fists slowly clench, but she refrains from saying anything. Shiro continues on to point out every single fault that he has noticed about Laito. Finally, Mai slows to a stop and releases a slow breath and turns to face him. She gives him her best, yet strained smile. "Shiro, I know that you are being a good friend, but you make it sound like I'm dating him. Let me be as clear as I possibly can. I'm not. I don't like him. I know all about his faults, so you don't have to list them off."

While she watches, a soft pink color lights his cheeks for a moment, but it quickly disappears only moments later. He reaches up to run a hand through his hair. "You're right. You know him better than I do, since he torments you. Sorry about that. I'll just have to take your word on not liking him."

He gives her a sheepish grin and changes the subject. Thankfully, they lapse into a friendly conversation that lasts until they arrive at her house. She doesn't waste any time telling him goodbye before heading in. The second the door opens, an overwhelmingly mouthwatering scent hits her nose. Excitement floods her body, and she shuts the door and rushes toward the kitchen in hopes of finding her mother, both parents if she's lucky. The second she rounds the corner, her heart stops. Instead of her mother being there, Laito is standing over her stove. Her breath catches in her throat. His hair is wet, and he's only wearing what appears to be sweats that hang low on his hips. Mai's breath rushes out of her lungs like she just got punched in the stomach. Without a shred of hesitation, she spins on her heel and starts toward the door. She only gets a few steps before two arms wrap around her waist from behind. She leans forward in an effort to keep from being pulled back into his chest. Unfortunately, he pulls her back and steps forward at the same time. She releases a sigh of pure frustration and relaxes in his grip. Maybe if she just plays along, he'll get bored. She just has to try to be patient. She forces herself to not flinch when his lips brush the shell of her ear. His voice is low, almost seductive when he says. "I had a lot of fun today."

She considers telling him it wasn't a date, but she decides it's best to opt for silence. He releases a soft whine directly into her ear when she doesn't respond for a few minutes. His cold tongue begins to slowly traces the sensitive skin just behind her ear. Once again, she somehow manages to successfully not give him what he's looking for. He releases a soft puff of cold air against the spot he just licked, causing an involuntary shudder to work it's way throughout her body. He releases a deep chuckle in her ear. His voice is low when he asks, "Where are you going?"

Her resolve finally cracks, and she snaps in a cold voice. "What are you jealous?"

He lets out another chuckle, but this one sounds almost hollow and releases her. His voice sounds more confident that she would have liked. "Of a human? No. He can't compare to me. Besides, we both know that neither of you have any sort of attraction to the other. Your relationship with that boy is strictly one of innocent friendship."

Mai can't stop the smile from creeping onto her face. She steps away from him, but she doesn't bother turning around. Instead, she says as coldly as she can. "I didn't say I was going to see Shiro, did I?"

She feels him shift behind her, and she can't stop herself from saying. "I'm going to see someone else."

His hands reappear on her waist in a loose grip. His thumbs start to rub slow circles over her hidden skin. He doesn't say anything, and Mai finds that even more frightening than if he would have. Finally, he pulls away from her once more, but she finds that she isn't grateful for the loss of contact. She glances over her shoulder to see his back to her while he makes his way back into the kitchen. His voice drifts back with a playful tone. "Your mother left some food for you to cook then heat up for the next few days. Doesn't it smell simply mouthwatering?"

Mai's heart sinks, and she unconsciously finds herself following after him while silently wondering why her mother would make a dinner for her to cook and then heat up for a few days. Stubbornly, she reminds herself that this isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. She was simply reading too much into it. As if reading her mind, Laito says. "My father called them to a conference of some kind overseas. They'll be gone for a while. They left the information on the table, if you're curious."

He casts a flirtatious smirk over his shoulder. Mai returns it with a scowl before taking a seat at the table and reaching out for the note. She scans over it to find that it certainly is her mother's handwriting. With a sinking heart, she begins to read over it. It just tells her how sorry her parents are that they didn't get a chance to tell her in person. It was sprung on them last minute. It also has their hotel, room number, and hotel phone number in case their cell phones didn't work. With a sigh, Mai folds the paper up and slips it into her pocket before settling back into the chair to wait for Laito to finish cooking the food.

Time seems to drag by, and the room starts to fill with a mouth watering smell that leaves her stomach growling. Despite her best efforts, she finds herself glancing in Laito's direction more often than she'd like to admit. It seems that he can sense her gaze every time, since he meets her eyes and gives her a playful grin. Finally, the food is done. The silence continues to drag on, even after they begin to eat.

Mai is almost done with her meal when a thought occurs to her. Mid-bite, she wonders if he put anything in the food. After all, he had been left unattended for quite a while. Her eyes lift to meet Laito's only to find that his food is completely untouched. One of his elbows rests beside his plate, and his chin rests in his palm. A mischievous smirk has spread over his face, and he's watching her through a half lidded eyes. Her fork falls to the plate with a loud clank. Her stomach gives a painful twist, and she feels as if her body is heating up. Without meaning to, she snarls. "What did you do to the food?"

"Oh?" he playfully asks. "What do you think I did to the food?"

Mai's eyes close, and she tries to focus on her breathing, but it's getting increasingly hard to do so with how upset her stomach is feeling. A chuckle causes her to open her eyes and glare across the table at Laito. After a moment of silence, he says. "Is it finally taking full effect?"

"What is it?" Mai asks, only this time it isn't a snarl. She hates to admit it, but she has a pleading edge to her voice now.

Laito lets out a chuckle and lifts his gaze away from hers. A thoughtful look overtakes his face, and he releases a humming noise before saying. "There are so many things I could have used. After all, I just have to ask Reiji. He has things that could kill a human within hours or days. There's a couple that can make them violently sick for days, weeks, or months. There are ones to entice sexual frustration. Oh, the possibilities!"

He lets out another chuckle and returns his green gaze to Mai. His head tilts to the side a little, and he gives her an innocent look. "Most of which would require an antidote of sorts."

Mai's hands find the edges of the table, and she grips it so tightly that her knuckles turn white. Her stomach twists painfully once again, and she feels like all the food is sitting heavy in the bottom her stomach. She closes her eyes tightly and wraps an arm around her abdomen. Had he poisoned her? She clenches her eyes closed in pain. It suddenly feels like the room is a hundred degrees. She can feel sweat slowly working its way down her face and along her spine. Her stomach twists painfully once again, as if reminding her that it was there. Without thinking, she leaps to her feet. She hears the chair fall back and land with a cracking sound, but she doesn't care. She's already sprinting toward the bathroom that's attached to her room. She barely makes it in time to vomit all of the food she had just eaten. It feels and tastes horrible, since none of it even had a chance to digest. It feels like hours pass while she dry heaves and vomits into the toilet. Her abdominal muscles are practically screaming in pain when the whole ordeal is over. She pants heavily before slowly collapsing in front of the toilet. She wants to get up and wash her mouth out, but her body suddenly feels so weak that she can't move. In fact, it feels like an eternity passes before an infuriating voice cuts through her gasping breaths. "Have you figured it out yet?"

She reluctantly forces her body to sit up. She flinches when her muscles clench painfully. She closes the lid of the toilet and flushes it before using it to climb unsteadily to her feet. Once she is upright, she slowly moves her way to the sink and proceeds to clean her mouth out. She's determined to ignore Laito. Unfortunately, he doesn't allow her that luxury. She stoops over to spit out another mouthful of disgusting water when cold fingers gently rake through her hair. She flinches, and her head snaps up. Her eyes lock with green ones in the mirror. He gives her that infuriatingly playful smile of his, and she has to fight the urge to smack it off his face. She stoops once more to gather more water into her mouth, only she's careful to not let him out of her sight while she does so. Finally, her mouth starts to taste somewhat reasonable, though she ends up brushing them a couple of times. Finally, the silence starts to bother her, and Laito's blocking the only exit. She finally turns her undivided, completely furious attention on the red haired vampire. Just as her eyes meet his once more, his fingers suddenly brush her jaw, making her flinch away and retreat further into the bathroom. He simply follows and leans closer to her, but she instinctively recoils, which just causes his smirk to grow even wider. He finally straightens and says only one confusing word. "Ipecac."

"What?" She asks. The word sounds familiar, but she can't quite place it in her frustration. Unfortunately, it just to furthers his amusement. Once more, he repeats a single word.

"Ipecac."

She releases a frustrated sigh and settles for staring at him. Finally, he decides to give in and explains. "Ipecac is used to induce vomiting. In large doses, it can be fatal."

Her muscles tense, and a sense of unease spreads over her. She swallows hard, but she can't bring herself to ask him how much he used. Unfortunately, this seems to be part of his game, since he playfully says. "Oh, silly humans. You have so many poisons in arms reach at all times. In fact, there are so many poisons that you can buy from even a grocery store. It's no wonder your species doesn't live long!"

"How….much….did… you….use?" Mai hesitantly asks. Laito tilts his head once more and gives her an innocent look. After a few tense minutes, a look of mock understanding takes over his face. He even snaps his fingers, causing Mai to jump.

"Ah, you're asking how much ipecac I put in your food? Well." His finger lifts to lightly tap his chin. "I'd say just enough to make you throw up. Definitely not enough to kill you."

Despite the fact that she knew she should be angry with him, she feels like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. At least she won't die a horrible death. The relief is short lived, and a feeling of rage starts to warm her stomach. Her eyes narrow, and she slowly turns to fully face him. Her abdominal muscles cry out, and she flinches. She refuses to wrap an arm around her stomach, though. She slowly makes her way toward Laito, who's amused green eyes were locked onto hers. A sense of hesitation starts to well up in her stomach, but she doesn't let that deter her either. In fact, she doesn't stop until her body is inches from his. His infuriating smirk only seems to grow, and that serves to fuel her anger towards him. With a low, almost growl, she asks, "What is your problem?"

He lets out a soft scoff, though it sounds more playful than frustrated. His breath cools her face when he says just above a whisper. "You are mine. I don't remember giving you permission to play with others, and you didn't invite me in on the fun."

Mai recoils a little, but her eyes narrow. She can't stop herself from snapping. "Look, I made plans with Shiro, not Kou and Azusa. I didn't even know they were going to be there!"

The smile slowly melts off Laito's face, and Mai's heart starts to sink. It isn't often that she saw him without some sort of playful expression. In fact, she finds herself starting to shake as fear builds. All the amusement is gone from his voice when he darkly says, "I don't care about some human or third rate vampires. They are not any competition."

She tries to stop herself from shaking, but she's unsuccessful. Without much thought, she says, "That doesn't give you much right to poison me."

A hand appears in the back of her hair, and her head is jerked backwards. She lets out a hiss of pain. Tears gather at the edges of her vision, and she arches her back a little to relieve some of the pain in her already abused scalp. Her chest brushes Laito's body, causing her to tense. She attempts to look down, but all she can see is his red hair as he lowers his face to her neck. She grits her teeth, and her heart skips a beat, and a cold sweat begins to form along her spine. Her eyes lift to stare at the ceiling, but they close shortly after Laito's body presses snuggly against hers. She tilts awkwardly, but Laito wraps an arm around her waist, effectively keeping her in place. A cool breath brushes her neck, and Laito's dark voice reaches her ears. "You. Are. Mine."

He punctuates every word with a light kiss to the skin of her neck. She bites back a choked sound when the last word is punctuated with him scraping his teeth over her skin. Instinctively, she reaches up to put her hands on his shoulders and pushes. Unfortunately, it just earns her a sharp tug. She releases another hiss, but refuses to give him much more than that. He releases a sigh against her skin. His voice is once again playful when he lightly presses his lips to her neck. "You just have to ask me if you want one of the others to join us. I don't mind sharing, but it isn't any fun if you run to them behind my back. You don't want to be a cheater do you?"

"We….aren't in a relationship, Laito," Mai breathlessly says. He releases what sounds like a sigh, but she isn't sure. The hand falls from her hair to join his other one around her waist. His face presses tightly against her neck, and her body tenses. She isn't sure what she should do at this point. She wants to push him away, but it feels almost like he is clinging to her. Her head lowers till her eyes are staring blankly at the wall over his shoulder. A sudden shudder wracks his body, and she tenses. He shudders again, and a soft sound reaches her ears. Unease fills her stomach, and she awkwardly lifts a hand to pat his back. "Are…you…..? You're not….? Laito, are you crying?"

She flinches lightly at how ridiculous she sounds. She feels him shudder once more and feels a guilty feeling starting to settle in the pit of her stomach. His voice is so soft and muffled that she has to strain to hear him. "I just want you to know how much I love you."

"I….I know," she awkwardly says and pats him once more. "I didn't mean to upset you."

His body stops shuddering, and relief feels her entire body. She relaxes into his hug and releases a breath of relief. She feels him shift, and his red hair tickles her cheek, causing her to close her eye on that side. His cold cheek rests against her shoulder. She releases a soft sigh and reaches up to pat his back once more. "Look, I'm sorry."

His voice is once again almost too quiet for her to hear. "I've been having nightmares lately. It's your fault."

She opens her eye and glances down at the back of his head in confusion. "Uhh…"

He releases a sigh. Without warning, a spinning feeling takes over, and she's suddenly off balance. She releases a squeak just as she tips over backwards. Thankfully, she lands on something soft. To her growing horror, the overwhelming scent of Laito floods her nose, and she finds herself staring at an oddly familiar ceiling. It feels like she's being crushed below Laito's dead weight. His body had somehow shifted without her noticing the movement. His head is now situated between her breasts almost over the top of her heart. His arms are wrapped beneath her, causing discomfort there as well. She shifts uncomfortably, feeling awkward. The movement seems to draw his attention, since his arms wrap tighter around her body. He says softly, "I can see why human babies enjoy this sound. It's soothing."

She could feel the heat creeping over her cheeks and clears her throat. "I, um….."

She stops talking since she isn't sure what she is trying to say. She feels him readjust. The seconds turn into minutes, which turns into hours. Finally, Mai decides to ask. "What did you mean earlier?"

Laito lets out a yawn and finally lifts his head to give her a playfully lazy look that reminds her of someone, but she can't put her finger on who. Finally, it dawns on her who he reminded her of. She shudders when she slowly begins to piece it together. She opens her mouth to ask if she's right, but she stops herself. A playfully flirtatious smirk spreads over his face. Without warning, he rolls to lay beside her. She uses this opportunity to scoot away from him a little. Once it becomes apparent he isn't going to stop her, she slowly sits up and glances back at him. To her surprise, she finds that he's drifted off to sleep. She waits for a few more tense seconds before carefully getting off the bed. She catches him muttering something and glances back just in time to see his face twist in pain for a moment before he rolls away from her. His body stills once more. She carefully creeps to the window and pulls the curtains back to look outside. The sun had set long ago, which she found odd that Laito is now sleeping. She glances back at him with a frown. Though, she supposed that it did make sense. He'd been up most of the day, so it's obvious that he'd be tired. She glances back outside and releases a soft sigh. She pulls away from the window, allowing the curtain to fall back into place.

She suddenly realizes that she's incredibly thirsty, so she quietly makes her way out of Laito's bedroom. Just as she expects, the hallway is empty. The only sound is her breathing and muffled footsteps. That changes when she gets close to Yui's room, causing her to almost sprint past with a deep blush. She arrives at the kitchen in record time before setting out to find herself something to drink. She knows that she should have water, since it'll be sure to quench her thirst, but she finds that she's craving something sweeter. She pauses to stare inside the fridge for what feels like an eternity. She would have stayed like that longer if a voice hadn't' interrupted her thoughts, causing her to jump. "Are you just going to stare into the fridge all night like an airhead?"

She shuts the door rougher than she means to and spins to face her newest challenge. Wide brown eyes meet cold lavender colored ones. She watches his nose wrinkle in obvious disgust. "You stink."

She frowns at him but decides it's in her best interest to not chide him for being rude. Thankfully, this seems to be the right choice, since he lifts his teddy bear and says softly. "Doesn't she smell terrible, Teddy? Just like that pervert. It's thick enough to make me gag."

He nuzzles the inanimate object for a moment before returning his full attention to Mai once more. She offers him a weak smile, but she quickly wipes it away when Kanato's eyes narrow. She clears her throat and says politely. "Good morning, Kanato. Good morning, Mr. Teddy."

She dips her head in their direction. Her heart skips a beat when she watches a frown overtake his face. Panic starts to set in. She thought it'd be a bad idea to not address the teddy bear, but maybe it was a mistake to say anything at all to it. Just as she opens her mouth to apologize, Kanato says, "I suppose I could forgive you for making my night horrible with such an atrocious scent."

He moves to sit at the small table situated in the kitchen and gives her a serious look. "I'm hungry."

She flinches at the demanding tone, but she decides to not argue with him in a room that is fully equipt with sharp objects. She quickly sets about making something that is easy and quick, but sweet at the same time. She finally settles on chocolate chip pancakes. In order to keep him from becoming impatient, she tries to start a conversation with him. "So, I haven't seen you much lately. How have you been?"

His voice is cold when he states. "I have no interest in you pathetic attempts at friendship, human. This conversation is bothersome. Please keep your ugly mouth shut."

Mai has to grit her teeth painfully together to keep from returning his rude comment with a rude one of her own. Thankfully, pancakes cook quickly, so she has them on his plate with some syrup in no time. To her relief, he seems to be delighted with her choice and quickly puts the finishing touches on the pancake before starting to eat. She turns to clean up her mess only to bump into a solid body. She steps back and glances up to meet furious red eyes. Her heart skips a beat, but she forces a smile onto her face. "Hi, Subaru."

He grunts at her. She can't help but roll her eyes when he steps around her and sits at the table. She glances back to find him staring expectantly at her. She barely contains her frustration, but she does what he is silently asking. She tells herself that maybe it will help to mend their damaged friendship. Just as she finishes up, a voice beside her ear causes her to jump. "What are you doing?"

Keeping Subaru's plate close to her body, she awkwardly turns and looks up at yet another set of red eyes, only these ones are cold. Reiji frowns down at her before turning his gaze to the plate she is holding. A look of disgust spreads over his face, and he releases a sigh. "I see. You're making a mess."

"I…" Mai tries to argue, but she's interrupted by a loud voice.

"Hey! Back off, four eyes!" The plate is snatched out of her hands before she even has a chance to see Subaru.

"Ah, Suba-" Mai tries once again to say, but he has already disappeared behind Reiji. The dark haired vampire releases a sigh and pushes up his glasses.

"Subaru, your manners need work. Neither you nor Kanato have thanked this human for making the two of you food," Reiji coldly states. Despite it sounding like he's defending her, Mai feels like it's actually the opposite. In fact, she's sure by the cold way he's now regarding her that he's silently insulting her willingness to cook pancakes for a couple of hungry vampires.

"Go to hell," Subaru mutters.

"Thank you, Mai," Kanato says around a mouthful of food, though it sounds almost like an afterthought. Still, it's more than Mai thought she'd ever get from the purple haired vampire. Mai mutters a 'you're welcome' under her breath and turns to turn the stove off.

"Since you are so willing to cook, I'll take two; however, I do not want the added sugar. I'll take mine plain, please," Reiji coldly states. Mai finds herself gritting her teeth. There is no way she is just going to bow down and serve them all food. Just as she decides to tell Reiji so, his chest brushes her back. She feels every muscle in her body go rigid. That's right. Reiji scared the crap out of her. His almost silky voice is spoken directly into her ear. "I've cooked for you. Isn't it time to return the favor? If you do as I ask, I will not have to punish you for using our things without permission."

She tries to say she'll do it. She really does. To her horror, she opens her mouth to let out a terrified squeak. She hears a strange sound from Reiji, and it takes a moment for her to realize that he is chuckling softly. Thankfully, he pulls away from her before disappearing. She chances a glance over her shoulder to find that Subaru's place is now empty, as is his plate. Disappointment fills her stomach, since she was hoping that she could have at least talked to him. Movement out of the corner of her eye has her glancing in that direction. She finds that Reiji has elegantly seated himself as far away from Kanato and Subaru's plate as he possibly could. She turns and quickly starts to make Reiji's food.

How did she end up making them food again? Her stomach twists at the thought of food, but she quickly shoves her thoughts away. Thankfully, it doesn't take long to get Reiji's food ready. Just as she sets the second pancake on the plate in a carefully neat pile, a weight leans against her back. Her body pitches forward, and the edge the counter digs painfully into her lower abdomen. She releases a grunt and tries to elbow the body behind her. Arms drape over her shoulders, and she has to put her hands on either side of Reiji's plate to keep her upper body from crushing the food. She turns her head just enough to find a head full of blonde hair. Without meaning to, she hisses softly. "Get off me, Shuu. God, you weigh a ton! How do you weigh so much when I never see you eat."

All she gets is an unidentifiable sound from the blonde. Reiji releases a sigh, drawing Mai's attention. She tries to look in the dark haired vampire's direction, but Shuu's arm blocks her view. It does nothing to stop Reiji's cold voice from reaching her. "Good-for-nothing, please refrain from stopping her from her duties. I requested her service before you arrived. Remove yourself from this room before I lose my appetite."

She feels rather than hears Shuu chuckle. Before she can stop him, his arms move once more. The plate on the counter disappears along with Shuu's weight. Mai breaths a sigh of relief before glancing over her shoulder at the blonde who, to her surprise, has sat down and started to eat the pancakes. Despite herself, she feels amusement bubble up when she steals a peek at Reiji. The dark haired vampire is clearly staring at Shuu without any attempt to hide his hatred. Mai barely stifles her laughter. Reiji's cold gaze snaps back to her, and she quickly turns to start some more. Still, she has a smile on her face before biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. It takes a bit, since Kanato had started to demand seconds for him and Teddy part way through Reiji's plate, but she finally finishes making them food. She releases a sigh, only to jump when hands land on her hips. Cold lips brush her jaw, and she jerks away.

"Laito!"

"Laito," Reiji states at the same time as Mai. Her mouth snaps shut, and she turns her attention to the vampire. His eyes are closed, though she thinks that's due to the fact Shuu had chosen to sit directly across from him. "That behavior is inappropriate in a place the rest of us are eating."

Laito let out a soft whine, but he doesn't press the issue. Mai barely represses a soft sigh of relief when Laito pulls away. Unfortunately, she tenses all over again when he mutters suggestively in her ear. "Can I get a special?"

His hand brushes along her lower back, much too close to her butt for comfort. She glances over her shoulder and into his playful green eyes. Before she can react, he presses his lips to hers before releasing a chuckle and strolling to the table. Mai's eyes narrow at him. Unfortunately, she isn't able to focus on him long since she is almost toppled over when a body suddenly collides with hers. She stumbles and reaches back to steady herself only to feel pain racing up her arm. She unintentionally releases a cry of pain and jerks her hand away. Concerned red eyes appear in front of her, but her gaze immediately drops to her hand. It's already turning red and blistering. She finds herself staring down at the burn on her palm numbly. She jumps when a cold hand wraps around her wrist. She's vaguely aware of Yui saying she's sorry over and over. Mai's gaze lifts to meet Yui's worried one. The petite girl latches onto Mai just as the person holding her thrusts her hand under the water. She turns and looks up at him. Shock runs through her body when she finds herself staring at the back of Reiji's head.

"I didn't mean to, Mai! I was just so excited to see you again, and I was thinking that it'd be great if we cooked together!" Yui's voice becomes choked with tears. Mai turns her gaze from Reiji's head to look at her friend once more. She barely manages to twitch her lips.

"I know you didn't mean to do it, Yui. It's ok." Mai says as gently as she possibly can. To her surprise, Reiji seems to back up her claim.

"It's a superficial burn. It won't last long, though it'll be tender for a couple of days."

Mai releases a sigh and focuses on her friend with a forced smile. "See?"

With a jolt, she realizes that Yui's crying. Mai awkwardly pats her friend on the top of her head with her opposite hand. She feels Reiji finally release her wrist and turns her attention to him to mutter a soft 'thank you'. He responds stiffly before returning to the table. She watches him only to find out that Shuu had left his food half eaten, though it doesn't really surprise Mai. She didn't think he'd even eat any of it. After some awkward movement, she finally manages to get free of Yui, who wipes her face free of tears. Somehow, Mai ends up sitting where Shuu had been with a plate of french toast sitting in front of her. Mai numbly stares at the food. She really didn't feel like eating, but Yui had insisted on making her food as an apology for causing her to burn her hand. She even said that it was her speciality and her father really liked it. After some mental struggle, Mai manages to eat all of it. Thankfully, the atmosphere seems to dissolve into a more pleasant one.

Or as pleasant as it could get since all three triplets were now in the room. To her surprise, Reiji sticks around, though she can't figure out why at first. It's not until she sees him saving a couple of dishes that would've gotte broke in the midst of one of Kanato's tantrums that she realize what he's doing. It seems like he's trying to contain the mess. Still, Kanato's tantrum are only growing worse by the second, so she uses this opportunity to slip out of the kitchen. She hears footsteps fall into step beside her and glances in that direction. Yui gives her a sheepish look and turns her gaze away. Her voice is barely audible. "I'm sorry that your day out with Shiro was ruined."

Mai rolls her eyes. "It was our day away from this….place…."

She lets her voice trail off and glances around herself with a wrinkled nose. Yui lets out a giggle then releases a soft sigh. "Do you hate it here?"

Mai slows to a stop and turns her gaze on Yui. Instead of answering the question, she counters with a simple statement. "You used to hate it here."

Yui doesn't turn to face Mai, but she does stop a few steps ahead of her. Her voice is barely audible. "I know. I was wrong not to give it a chance. I found that I do like it here. I wish you could give it a chance."

Mai's eyes narrow a little, and she shifts uncomfortably. A vibrating sound causes them to both jump. After a few seconds, Yui fishes out her cell phone. She stares at it in confusion before opening it. Curiosity gets the better of Mai, and she takes a step closer to read over Yui's shoulder.

I know what you are. You are beyond saving. You're father is deeply hurt by what has happened to you. I'm deeply sorry that I didn't arrive in time to save you, but I do need your help. Together we ca-

Yui's phone turns dark, and she shoves it into her pocket with shaking hands. Frustration and concern fill Mai's stomach, but she pushes them away when she sees that Yui's face had become pale, and her body begins to shake. Yui suddenly spins on Mai and says. "We need to talk."

"Ah. I suppose, but who sent you that?"

Mai doesn't get an answer. Instead, her petite friend grabs Mai's wrist with a surprisingly strong grip and proceeds to drag her down hallway after hallway until they arrive in the gaming room. Every question of Mai's along the way is simply ignored. After a couple of minutes of silence, Yui turns away from Mai and says softly. "I… I feel different, Mai. I think there is something wrong with me."

Mai barely resists the urge to press her for details, since she has a feeling doing so will stop anything else Yui might say. While she watches, Yui's arms wrap around her stomach, and she blurts out. "See, I have this heart condition. It hurts. It only started when I got here, so I thought it must be something to do with this place. I… I wanted to leave so badly. I missed my father so much. I just wanted to hear his voice again, but it wasn't meant to be. Even when I went to the church to pray every day after we cleaned it."

Her voice is getting weaker by the second, which causes a lump to form in Mai's throat, but she still doesn't plan to interrupt.

"I hated every second I spent here or at school. I leaned on you so heavily at first. You were the only person I could talk to. I just… I didn't know what to do. I finally gave in to Ayato. I did as he asked, and I found that it isn't as terrible as I first thought. I know what you're about to say, but I think you feel the same way. You don't go against Kanato or Reiji."

Mai can't help but flinch and states under her breath. "I value my well being."

Yui lets out a choked chuckle, making it apparent she's crying. "Something changed in me recently. My heart is acting different. It's painful more often. Not even being around you eases it. I feel like I'm dying."

She slowly makes her way over to the couch, where she sinks down into it. Her eyes slide closed, and her voice becomes stronger. "I started hearing a voice. Like an echo down the hallway. I wasn't sure what it was at first."

Chills race up and down Mai's spine. It feels like she's suddenly suffocating. While she watches, Yui's body falls eerily still. After a few moments of prolonged silence, Yui suddenly starts talking, only her voice is more sultry. "It hurts being so cramped up in such an ugly body."

Her friend's eyes slowly open, only they aren't red anymore. They are a hauntingly familiar, bright, vivid green color. They drop from the ceiling and seem to pierce deep into Mai's soul. She feels her breath hitch, and an overwhelming sense of danger threatens to smother her.

"Hello, my dear. You must be her friend."