"~If I ever want proof,

I find it in you,

Yeah I honestly do,

In you I find proof,

So I waited all day,

What wouldn't I say?

And are there things in your way?

Things happen that way~"

*Quick "Authors Note," Anything within the story that is BOTH Bold and Italic, means that it is something that was either said in the past by someone else, something that was recorded earlier on (either video or voice recording), or very rarely when normally a single word is supposed to be extra emphasized. And I'm talking BEYOND just Italics, lol.*


You'd ended up in a weird situation...

"C'mon now, there's no need to be shy. You'll be great!" Yukizome encouraged as she shoved you into a nearby changing tent.

"H-Hey, I understand already, so please stop pushing me." You replied.

It was then that the class representative practically forced you to change into an extravagant Eastern-type garb (which was amazingly well crafted, was this school made out of money?), leaving you unable to hear any of what was being said in the other room where the other three resided.

Of all the times to be torn away from a desperate situation.

What if you were missing something important?

Not to mention the fact that the Black Dog could practically cut down your king without so much as a second thought; especially if the man in question said something provoking... Or stupid.

The anxiety was already eating you alive.

"Excuse me, but, are we almost done...?"

Yukizome giggled softly, clearly amused.

"You sure are impatient. It won't be much longer."

Sighing to yourself, you couldn't help but stare outside through the sliver of light between the curtain's opening.

'This is bad...'

A few moments later, you were instructed to lift your arms, as yet, another piece of clothing slid over your head and rested on your shoulders... Just how many more layers were you going to have to wear?

It didn't help that they were also unexpectedly heavy.

Even when you were living inside of the Himmelreich with Adolf, the same man who practically wore a suit for everyday attire didn't require this much maintenance.

Then again, he was originally from Germany, so they had their own traditions.

You huffed.

'C'mon, c'mon.'

Another minute passed, and another, and then another.

Now your fingers started tapping.

"Aaand, done! You're all set."

'Finally!'

You gave her a curt nod and a thank you before quickly making your way outside to the opposite tent where your companions, and one not-so-friendly acquaintance were waiting.

Once you approached the entrance and heard the familiar voices of the loud trio, you made sure that you alerted them of your presence. "I'm here!"

Right before opening the flap, it suddenly crossed your mind.

Just in case, to avoid more Neko nudity, you shyly added,

"Are you three decent?"

It was then that you heard a mixture of a scoff, a giggle, and a stifled choke all thrown into one mass of hilarious sounds.

You'd take that as a yes.

"Then I'm coming in."

You flipped open the doorway and stepped inside, only to be greeted by pure silence and three gaping faces.

Confused and slightly alarmed, you hurriedly scanned the room for any trespassers.

It was about ten seconds before you realized that there was nothing of particular concern to worry about, so you tried to read their expressions again. But for some reason it seemed impossible as both Yashiro and Yatogami quickly turned their heads away before you could try.

You'd seen that reaction before.

Their mute response and aversion of eye contact was a dead give-away. They were trying to avoid looking directly at you.

You dashed towards the closest mirror on the opposite side of the room, before you stopped dead in your tracks at the sight in front of you.

Your lips tightened into a thin line, expression blank...

This specific attire...

It was one that you recognized.

Something you never wanted to wear ever again.

The famous striking red, white, and orange hues covering the regal kimono were blinding, setting off an alarm in your brain. A flash of a hidden memory buzzed at the back of your brain, a painful reminder of a largely similar scene from many years ago.

"Amaterasu right? Man, that's the perfect role for you!"

A silly, almost child-like voice echoed in your ears.

"Don't you think so too, King?"

Stop...

"C'mon, tell her!"

Please... STOP!

Your palms felt sweaty, and the next second your heart started beating so harshly that it vibrated your entire core. The feeling of shock overturned the remainder of your functions and short circuited your brain.

Seeing yourself right now, it was as if you were now coming face to face, staring back at a person you knew from a distant past... Someone unrecognizable.

Or rather, someone that you wanted to erase.

Another remembrance of words spoke to you; this time in a gruff manner.

"Doesn't suit you. You look more like a scared little fox trying to be a wolf."

Why didn't you notice it earlier?

A bit of life suddenly returned to your eyes, as you exhaled a sharp breath you hadn't even realized you'd been holding in.

In all honesty, you weren't sure as to whether or not you were exactly okay at the moment.

"Y-You look good."

The sudden sound of your king's shaky voice and the gentle touch of Neko's hand on your shoulder simultaneously broke you out of your trance.

"Sorry, what?"

You asked in a stupor.

"I said that you look good! But, I get this strange feeling that it doesn't quite suit you as well as it should." Yashiro added scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"No, you're right. She seems a little out of place, regardless of how exceptional the overall appeal is." Yatogami added crossing his arms.

"I don't really get it, but I think you look amaaaziiing Asaki! Like really-really super fantastic!" Neko cheered grabbing your hands and swaying them back and forth excitedly.

"T-Thank you..."

As if on cue, Yukizome's voice piped up at the perfect moment.

"Come on you guys! How long does it take you to change?"

Turning to look at her direction, the brunette quickly took note of everyone's appearance and smiled in approval. First, she commented on the accuracy of your king's tribute to Ebisu, minus the lack of fat on his body, and then on Neko's beauty... Despite her lack of a true character.

"And of course you look positively gorgeous! I helped get you dressed after all. Even so, I think you'll overshadow anyone on this entire campus today." She beamed.

Your body felt like lead the longer she continued on; until your final breaking point where you cut her off and snapped, "Is there any chance I can change into something else?"

"Eh?"

Crap. That was too much.

"Ah, sorry..."

Looking down apologetically, you asked once more, "Can I please change into something else?"

Everyone fell silent, before you raised your head and added, "I can't move that well and I really need to go to the ladies room. Not to mention that this outfit has way too many layers especially compared to everyone else, so its a little too warm."

"Oh... So that's it. Then I guess it's okay for you change. Judging by your tone, I thought that maybe it was something else. Would you prefer something similar to the one the other miss is wearing?" Yukizome smiled.

"Not particularly. Probably something more like that guy-" You replied pointing towards the Black Dog; whom seemed severely offended by your actions. "Hey! Don't point at other people, its rude! And you shouldn't refer to someone as 'that guy,' either!"

Ignoring the raven-haired clansman, you looked back over to the class representative as she closed her eyes in thought.

"Hmm, something like Kuro's...? I think we might have another plain yukata in the spare prop room, I can go get it for you, but unfortunately, I won't be able to help you change again since I'm pressed for time..."

"That's okay, I can do that myself."

'Anything to get me out of this thing.' You thought.

"Mm, if you say so."

Relief spread through you like a wild-fire.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Yashiro spoke up.

"Kukuri, if you have a second, Its about December 7th."

You quirked an eyebrow at the small hacking cough slipped passed the rep's lips.

Oh.

You could virtually feel the embarrassment radiating off of her in waves. In fact, it even managed to make you uncomfortable as a chain reaction.

That was the look of a girl who was either conflicted about a past regret, or one who was secretly in love. Perhaps, maybe even both? Whatever it was, it most certainly left an impact, and your cheeks burning from secondhand shame.

What Yashiro told your group next however...

Was far more embarrassing than you ever could have imagined.

Apparently the guy from earlier who had attempted to show your king the video of Tatara's murder (and you'd try to forget the fact that he tried showing him pornography too); as he had also apparently tried to confess his feelings to the poor unsuspecting girl in front of the entire school campus that same night.

Wow.

No wonder she was so flustered.

"And that's what happened." He finished.

You internally groaned. Adolf was honestly an idiot sometimes.

In fact, there were often more times than not that you questioned how your feelings ever reached the dense man back when you first got to know him. Especially after witnessing this side of him again for the first time in a while.

"Why did you have to bring that up?"

Before you could open your mouth to comfort Yukizome, the sound of Yatogami's recorder echoed throughout the room. "The feeling of love, A shower of fireworks, It bursts then fizzles."

The sparkling aura of the black dog made the accused whisper, "creepy," with disgust.

You couldn't help but grin a little as the clansman stared adoringly at the little black contraption. It was one of the few times where you admired how he was.

"Anyway, that was quite a show. It happened just before midnight, right? Around 11:45 p.m. to be more exact."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. But why is it so important?"

You shifted slightly.

It was a little unsettling talking about the precise time-frame in which your best friend was killed... Instead, you tried to avert your attention away from the conversation for a bit.

In that moment, you reflected on the strong emotional reaction you had not too long ago before this conversation started.

'What was that?' You pondered, eyes narrowing.

No...

You already knew the answer.

It was something that he said from your past. Something that was all but a forgotten memory.

Except now it was obvious that it wasn't so forgotten.

"Heh, still pouting?"

The same gruff tone from earlier spoke again, as you clenched your fists in a state of frustration.

Damn it.

It was as if he was taunting you now. In fact, that smug smirk and bright red hair of his were practically smacking you straight in the face. The image was so real, that it hurt when it came into your vision.

"That was the LAST thing on my mind!"

Yukizome's distinctly upset tone brought you back to attention.

"Well then... Do you mind if we at least stop by the student council room then?" Yashiro asked apologetically.

At least he understood when to drop the subject.

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you don't try to skip out on contributing to the festival." She scolded. "And I'll go get that yukata for you. Although...are you sure you'll be okay putting it on by yourself? I'm pretty sure that its much impossible for a single person."

You shook your head. "I'll be fine. Thank you."

"Alright, then I'll be right back!"

Laughing to yourself you whispered, "She sure is energetic."

'And so clueless.'

Thinking about how blissfully unaware normal people like the class rep are almost made the sound of clinking metal behind you go unnoticed.

"So what's this about wanting to change clothes? Are you hiding something, or are you just pretentious?"

The Black Dog's terse tone could only mean that he was becoming suspicious.

Then again... He was almost always suspicious.

"I already said why. I can't move well and I have to use the bathroom. Its not rocket science."

"What did you say?!" He asked, malice oozing from his voice.

"C'mon you guys, that's enough. We don't have time for fighting." Yashiro intervened.

You sighed in slight annoyance.

"I'm not. He just makes it seem like everyone and everything has an ulterior motive. I get that you're skeptical and all, but there are times when you need to cut back on levels of hostility."

Sure, technically he had a right to be, since you actually were hiding something. But obviously you'd keep that little tidbit to yourself.

Yatogami's eyebrow twitched. Apparently, you touched a sensitive nerve.

"Haha, well you've got a point there." Yashiro added grinning.

"Yeah! Kuro is stupid!" Neko shouted.

At that remark, Yatogami's face was flushed red with fury, a clear sign of his breaking point.

"All of you, shut your mouths!"

~oOo~

An awkward cough left your lips.

Right now, by a complete twist of fate, the one and only colorless clansman was actually apologizing to you.

"Uh... Could you repeat that?"

Somehow, this scene didn't sit quite right...

It had been several minutes of pure silence, so the raven-haired boy's sudden comment nearly startled you.

However, the situation you two found yourselves in was definitely unexpected.

In the end, Yukizome managed to dig out the other yukata from the prop room, and she was glad to offer it to you.

So at first, you accepted it with glee. Anything was fine as long as you were able to escape the clutches of the previous getup.

But thinking back to your mentality in that moment, it hadn't really sunk in until now.

Once you took off that god forsaken outfit and began to put on the new one... Well, that's when you ran into a few minor issues.

First of all, when you told the class representative that you would be fine on your own changing into the new costume; it was only a bluff.

Of course you couldn't put it on all by yourself.

It was impossible. She said so herself.

Previously you'd brushed it off and ignored the small details, but now...you were paying the price.

That was, until the Black Dog miraculously came to the rescue.

The conversation you two had right before this happened popped into your mind.

"In the end, you don't even know how to put it on? You're unexpectedly as bad as Yashiro Isana..." He'd frowned.

"I never said I knew how to do this, I just said I'd be fine. There's a difference." You'd spat back, trying to tie the obi; but due to your fingers losing their grip, the retort fell flat.

Sighing, his blue irises narrowed, before he gripped your hand and gently moved it out of the way.

"Allow me do it. At the very least, you managed to pull together the under-coat, so that's a start."

"Yeah. And Its a good thing I did, because if I hadn't, you would of had a repeat of the 'naked-Neko' crisis from this morning."

His hand tightened around yours in mock disdain.

"Not another word. So shut up and let me finish."

Without flinching from the contact, you looked up at him with an appreciative expression.

"Then, I'm counting on you, Black Dog."

He groaned.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that?"

"Yeah, well... Its not really in my nature to listen to anyone unless I want to." You shrugged.

"You do seem like the playfully-cunning type."

"Hah. You have no idea. Don't expect me to take it easy on you just because you're threating my life."

When you said that, you could've sworn that there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, but he'd turned his head downwards.

Afterwards, there was a complete lack of communication. About ten minutes had passed before he offered up a second apology. Although, for what exactly, you were uncertain.

Curiously, you made eye contact as he finished putting on the belt.

"Could you repeat that?"

Those translucent blue eyes of his refocused onto his handiwork; almost as if he were trying to avoid giving away a single hint of his emotions.

"For jumping to conclusions earlier. I shouldn't have pressed the issue." He replied.

Your brows furrowed, but he quickly took notice of your gaze softening at the same time. "Listen, I get it. You were only trying to keep up your guard because of the circumstances. Anyone would after seeing footage of a murder. I can at least understand something like that." In your mind, you shuddered. Even mentioning the traumatic event made you sick to your stomach.

"Heh."

Your head snapped upwards.

The deep resonate of chuckling made your eyes widen in shock.

The Black Dog was laughing...

At you?

"Sorry. Just now, I thought that you were really something else."

"Huh?"

"One moment you're insulting me, calling me out on my bouts of suspicion; and yet, afterwards, you'll say something oddly charming... It's fascinating." He explained, as a slight grin adorned his features.

"Is that a good thing?" You snickered softly.

With one last tug on the obi belt to make sure that it was secure, the outfit was completed.

Gazing into your eyes again, he whispered tauntingly,

"That's a secret~"

This time, you laughed out loud at the clever use of your previously stated comment.

~oOo~

And yet, somehow any bonding during that little conversation was reduced to nothing more than a brief truce.

What a shame.

Once again, you both stood on opposite sides from each other.

It was after your, "tender," moment that your king constantly ran into obstacles; ones that all happened to point at him being guilty of a crime he never committed. It didn't matter whom he went to talk to in order to gather information. In the end, none of them were able to recall the boy anywhere at the school festival. In fact, all of their excuses were along the lines of having more important matters that had to due with setting up and helping things go smoothly...

Which led up to now.

"He always forgets, no matter how many times I tell him." Yukizome sighed.

"Without his PDA, he could not get past the gate, correct?" Yatogami asked, his venomous words sent a cold sweat down Yashiro's spine.

"This guy just sneaks out anyway."

It was almost as if this girl was trying to kill him!

You noticed Yashiro throw a hand over his exasperated expression, only for him to shrink away in fear when the clansman rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Shit.

"I see... Kukuri, something is about to happen that I don't want you to have to witness. Please leave us now."

"W-Wait a minute! I-I'll search everywhere, I'll find other proof!"

"I've heard enough! Its become quite clear to me that you are insincere."

Without so much as a second thought, you quickly stepped in front of both your King and Neko, holding an arm out in front of them protectively.

You remained silent as Neko tried to reason with the stubborn boy, explaining how kind Yashiro truly was to her, and how her only wishes were to stay with him and live a peaceful life.

Unfortunately for all three of you, the Black Dog shook his head and disregarded anything she'd said, instead he gripped Kotowari harder, preparing his attack.

"And you... Do you still intend to protect him? If you flee now, I promise that no harm will come to you. I can guarantee your safety out of your respect for Master Ichigen and his teachings. However, you won't get a second chance... Move."

You grit your teeth.

This sucks.

Your chest was beating like a drum, the feeling of nausea returned, and stronger than before.

But, you didn't really have that much of a choice.

Even if the cost was high, you were going to protect your king with everything you had.

Because he's all I have left.

Gritting your teeth, you raised your arms and shifted your legs around in a smooth, graceful motion.

"I appreciate the offer. Really, I do. And honestly as cliche as it sounds, I'd prefer not to fight... But..."

Your fists clenched shakily. The words of someone important to you from a distant time shouted in your mind, "Stand your ground. Don't you dare buckle under pressure!"

The deafening beat of your heart pounded against your ears. It was clearly difficult for you to assume such a stance. After all, this wasn't exactly your forte.

Only one question kept repeating over in your head.

'Is this actually going to happen?'

"So that's your answer?"

'Well, looks like I can't stop now.'

You pivoted your feet pushing against the heels, ready to lunge as the colorless member prepared his counter attack by unveiling his katana blade halfway.

"Wait."

A sudden weight on your shoulder stopped you dead in your tracks. You turned and came face to face with none other than Yashiro as you looked down and noticed that it was his hand holding you back. You shot him a questioning look, one obviously filled with concern as he smiled and shook his head.

"You don't have to do that... Having a girl like you care so much about my well being; well I think that gives me the strength to endure just about anything that comes my way. Besides, we've only just met and you've already risked so much all for the sake of your king's ideals. How would he react if anything were to happen to you?"

You blinked in disbelief.

"What?"

For some reason, the way he'd said that made you feel both blissful...

And highly irritated.

If only this guy knew he was talking about himself. Then maybe then he would've realized just how stupid that sounded. Not a second after you'd managed to collect your thoughts, did your king step in front of you and Neko, putting up a defensive arm just as you did moments before.

"What do you think you're-"

"Its alright. Trust me."

"Trust me?"

Was he serious?!

"Don't be stupid. Are you trying to get murdered?" You whispered harshly before pushing your shoulder against his own in order to get back to the front.

"I said its fine." He replied curtly pressing back harder.

"And I said its not." You spat putting in more strength.

"Its. Fine."

"Its. Not."

"It IS."

"It ISN'T."

At this point, the two of you were practically trying to kill each other.

And noticing that neither of you were going to back down, the boy sighed.

Catching you off guard, Yashiro laced his left hand fingers through yours before gripping your palm tightly and nudging you behind him. He didn't even flinch from the intimate contact as he continued to bring your arm around the front his waist, pulling your form snug against his warm back. And suddenly, your heart was pounding for a different reason. Where his sudden boost of confidence come from you'd never know. But seeing him right now sent butterflies fluttering from the pit of your stomach and expanding throughout your chest... It was almost as if, for just a split second, you could envision your precious Adolf rescuing you all over again...

Now, there was only one important detail on your mind.

What was he planning to do?

As you contemplated the situation you were in, you noticed that Neko was also holding onto the both of you with a death grip. And unless you were mistaken, you could see that the Black Dog now had a skeptical look on his face.

Was it possible that he doubted his resolve?

Either way, you heard Yashiro apologize to him, clearly flustered from all the events taking place at once. "I promise I'll take this more seriously from now on. A lot more happened on that day."

He gave him a pleading look, practically begging for a moment to explain himself.

Your king then listed off various other things that transpired throughout that day, until one particular incident seemed to spark Yukizome's memory. Something about a roof caving in at the school gym?

"Hold on... I think I remember seeing you there Shiro."

Immense relief washed over you three in waves, and for once...

Something finally seemed to go your way.

~oOo~

Not long afterwards, the class representative showed Yatogami the image of Yashiro saved on her phone at the time of 12:30 A.M., the date that Totsuka was killed.

And without any other way to prove his dishonesty, he cleared the accused of being the murderer.

You sighed, thankful that one huge obstacle was finally out of the way.

Although, the second part about his memories being all screwed up still bugged you, for now, you'd leave it alone until the right moment arised.

"Well my dear friend Kukuri, I owe you my life, that's what's going on!"

You smiled, nearly laughing at the confused look on the poor brunette's face.

"Don't worry about Miss Yukizome. He's just talking nonsense."

A little snicker did leave your lips at her response though.

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure."

"Now that that is finished. Should we get back to the festival preparations?" Yatogami asked relaxing his grip.

"Hold it. After all that trouble, don't you think you need to at least apologize? You did try to kill me more than once, remember?"

The raven-haired boy stared at him with a deadpan expression before averting his gaze dismissively. "No way in hell."

"HEY!"


HEY GUYS!

Finally, after agonizing over corrections on this friggin chapter, I finalized it!

It's a little longer than previous chapters too, so instead of leaving it on an intense note like always, I decided a light-hearted cliff hanger would be nice for once.

I don't have much to say except that I hope everyone will be patient with me as I try to better myself so that I can regain my drive to do the things I love to do. So if chapters take this long to publish, I hope everyone will understand my circumstances and stick with me.

Also, I re-wrote some of this because I realized that I didn't like how hard I was trying to make it sound so sophisticated. It isn't my style, so I simplified a few things and now I'm much happier with it!

Ta-Ta then, lovelies~

*UPDATE*

I re-wrote a lot of this chapter, and even though this show has gone down in popularity, I intend to see this through to the end simply because I love it and it means a lot to me.

Look forward to it peeps.