Chapter 4
"What plan?" Tokiya asked: Whatever it is, I'm not interested. You and I went our separate ways a long time ago."
" Remember when I told you six years back that you were one of the strongest vampires that I had ever seen?" Gin asked
" Yeah, I do, and what about that?"
" Didn't you get tired? I think you did, if not, then I would not find you here, in the middle of the city, surrounded by some many people, or should I say a huge feed."
" Get to the point."
" I am at the point. I've decided that its high time that vampires start living in the shadows and be allowed to live in the open with human beings. Why should we hide ourselves in the dark, when we are so much stronger than the human beings."
" You know that that is impossible, that would be going against the old order."
" Not if we manage to overthrow them."
" Another reckless thought, you are no match for the old order."
" But you are. Think about it Tokiya. With the freedom to roam about the human world, we could enjoy life so much more! Other than having to skunk about in the back alleys like this like skiving beggars looking for food in the rubbish heaps."
" It doesn't matter which way it is." Tokiya replied with a shrug.
" So, what's your answer?" Gin asked
" I don't have an answer, and I never will. Find someone else Gin. I have no interest in this." Tokiya replied and turned around
" Think about that female interest of yours, you could live with her openly, not to wait for the night to come to see her?"
" What do you know about Fuko." Tokiya demanded as he turned around to face Gin
" Ah! Got your attention. I've seen her around before. She's a strong human being, which is why she got my attention. Trust you to go for such a girl."
" You leave Fuko out of this. If you lay a finger on her, I'll kill you."
" You know that I'll never do anything to jeopardize our relationship Tokiya, I love you too much, I made you remember?"
" Unfortunately. Whatever it is, your idea is stupid."
Tokiya turned around and walked away from Gin. He heard Gin chuckle and call out
" I'll give you a few days to think about it, sooner or later, you'll find that you want it too."
******************
" Tokiya, I'm terribly sorry, the hospital."
Fuko stopped short as she opened the door to the basement and found it empty. She then had a momentary fear that he had gotten tired of feeding and had went out to feed on his own. Putting the icebox on the table, she was about to head out of her apartment, when she saw Tokiya climbing through the window.
" Tokiya! Where have you been!" Fuko cried out as she ran towards him " I was so scared, I thought." she realized then that she couldn't say the words. She couldn't ask him whether he had just went to feed. Tokiya put his hands on her shoulders.
" It's all right, I didn't do anything. I just went out for a breather, that's all."
" Ok, I'm sorry, the um. blood. is in the icebox."
" Thanks, I'll take it later." Tokiya replied, looking straight at Fuko, trying hard to read her thoughts to gauge her reaction. Fuko tore away from his gaze and said, " Um, I'm going to take a bath, you can. do it. then. We'll talk later."
Tokiya nodded as he watched Fuko run into her bedroom and he heard her locking the door. He knew that she was scared, and he felt helpless to do anything about it.
One hour later, Fuko emerged from her room, freshly clad in black pants and a white shirt. Tokiya had already cleared all the evidence of him consuming the blood, and had even washed the icebox for her.
" You're going out?" Tokiya asked, when he saw her attire
" Yeah I've got midnight duty at the hospital tonight."
" I'll walk you." Tokiya offered.
" NO. no, it's fine really." Fuko protested. " It's only a short distance."
" I won't do anything, I promise. I walk you there, and come straight back to your apartment." Tokiya said quietly.
Fuko looked at him for a long time, and then finally she nodded.
As they walked to the hospital, Fuko was oblivious to the people around her. She was so self-conscious of Tokiya. She felt weird walking wit him and knowing that he was not a proper human being.
" I hope that it wasn't too hard, getting the blood." Tokiya spoke aloud suddenly. Fuko looked around her frantically when she heard that, hoping that no one had heard the strange statement that he had made.
" Err. it was fine. Wasn't too much of a trouble." Fuko answered hesitantly.
" I'm sure it was. You could have easily lost your job." Tokiya replied. For a moment, both of them looked at each other, and Fuko's mouth curved halfway into a smile
" Yeah, kind of." She replied.
After that, they didn't say anything to each other anymore, but Fuko's posture relaxed as she walked the rest of the way to the hospital.
When they had reached the entrance of the hospital, Tokiya nodded to Fuko and turned around. Fuko watched him go, and then suddenly, she ran after him and pulled his arm. Tokiya turned back to look at her, a look of surprise on his face.
" Is anything the matter?" he asked
" I don't know, I really don't know Tokiya, but right now, I really have to know this. If one day I couldn't bring blood back for you, would you. would you kill me to sustain yourself? I know it's a really stupid."
" No. I wouldn't. Even if there was no more blood to take in this world, I would not take yours. Even if my urge overcomes my will power, I would kill myself than kill you.
" Really?" Fuko asked. " I don't know how to put this Tokiya, but I really want to help you, but I'm so afraid of your vampire status. Isn't there any other way to help you besides this? I feel like a stranger beside you. I've so afraid to ask anybody else about vampires, because I don't know whether I'll be talking to one."
Fuko was cut off, as Tokiya pulled her into his arms.
" I don't really know how to explain myself to you too Fuko, but I've regretted every minute of my life since I became a vampire. I'm too tired to fight against it now. I'm cannot promise you anything that a normal man can promise you, but I can only promise you that I'll protect you against anyone who tries to harm you. Man or vampire alike."
Before Fuko could form a reply to him, Tokiya was gone. He had disappeared from her as fast as he had embraced her then. Strangely enough, when she was in his arms, she had felt a certain warm feeling that gave one the sense of being safe and secure. How could she be feeling that when she was in the arms of a vampire?
*********************
" Professor Anderson, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've been looking forward to our meeting." Fuko spoke as she greeted the professor.
" No, no, the pleasure is all mine. Aki has told me about your recent interest in vampires. Is there anything that you might like to know specifically about them?
" Do you believe that they exist Professor?" Fuko asked, a serious look on her face.
Professor Anderson looked stunned for a moment, then he laughed and said, " Oh well, I would love to believe that they exist, having studied them for five years already."
" I am serious Professor, please tell me, do you believe that they exist?" Fuko spoke, leaning forward as she did so.
Professor Anderson looked at her searchingly, and he got up to draw the curtains across the windows in his study. As he did so, he said
" Vampires are such pitiful creatures. Do you know that, Miss Kirisawa. There were about only a handful of vampires when the world began, but soon, a group of vampires broke away as they wanted to increase their population, and that was when they started making man into vampires against their will. It was only because of a group of one of the earliest vampires who managed to curb the desires of these vampires that man still prevails in this world today. But they are still around, and they have taken on the form of man himself, Miss Kirisawa. If you're asking me whether I believe in the existence of vampires, my answer is yes. And I say yes with confidence and utter seriousness because I have seen them before. Form the way you asked me, may I assume that you too know of the existence of vampires?"
Fuko nodded in reply.
Professor Anderson continued, " And may I ask you, how do you view this vampire?"
" He is my friend. No, he's someone very important to me, and I want to help him. In view of this Professor, please answer my next question."
" Which is?"
" Is there anyway in which I can change a vampire to man again?"
"What plan?" Tokiya asked: Whatever it is, I'm not interested. You and I went our separate ways a long time ago."
" Remember when I told you six years back that you were one of the strongest vampires that I had ever seen?" Gin asked
" Yeah, I do, and what about that?"
" Didn't you get tired? I think you did, if not, then I would not find you here, in the middle of the city, surrounded by some many people, or should I say a huge feed."
" Get to the point."
" I am at the point. I've decided that its high time that vampires start living in the shadows and be allowed to live in the open with human beings. Why should we hide ourselves in the dark, when we are so much stronger than the human beings."
" You know that that is impossible, that would be going against the old order."
" Not if we manage to overthrow them."
" Another reckless thought, you are no match for the old order."
" But you are. Think about it Tokiya. With the freedom to roam about the human world, we could enjoy life so much more! Other than having to skunk about in the back alleys like this like skiving beggars looking for food in the rubbish heaps."
" It doesn't matter which way it is." Tokiya replied with a shrug.
" So, what's your answer?" Gin asked
" I don't have an answer, and I never will. Find someone else Gin. I have no interest in this." Tokiya replied and turned around
" Think about that female interest of yours, you could live with her openly, not to wait for the night to come to see her?"
" What do you know about Fuko." Tokiya demanded as he turned around to face Gin
" Ah! Got your attention. I've seen her around before. She's a strong human being, which is why she got my attention. Trust you to go for such a girl."
" You leave Fuko out of this. If you lay a finger on her, I'll kill you."
" You know that I'll never do anything to jeopardize our relationship Tokiya, I love you too much, I made you remember?"
" Unfortunately. Whatever it is, your idea is stupid."
Tokiya turned around and walked away from Gin. He heard Gin chuckle and call out
" I'll give you a few days to think about it, sooner or later, you'll find that you want it too."
******************
" Tokiya, I'm terribly sorry, the hospital."
Fuko stopped short as she opened the door to the basement and found it empty. She then had a momentary fear that he had gotten tired of feeding and had went out to feed on his own. Putting the icebox on the table, she was about to head out of her apartment, when she saw Tokiya climbing through the window.
" Tokiya! Where have you been!" Fuko cried out as she ran towards him " I was so scared, I thought." she realized then that she couldn't say the words. She couldn't ask him whether he had just went to feed. Tokiya put his hands on her shoulders.
" It's all right, I didn't do anything. I just went out for a breather, that's all."
" Ok, I'm sorry, the um. blood. is in the icebox."
" Thanks, I'll take it later." Tokiya replied, looking straight at Fuko, trying hard to read her thoughts to gauge her reaction. Fuko tore away from his gaze and said, " Um, I'm going to take a bath, you can. do it. then. We'll talk later."
Tokiya nodded as he watched Fuko run into her bedroom and he heard her locking the door. He knew that she was scared, and he felt helpless to do anything about it.
One hour later, Fuko emerged from her room, freshly clad in black pants and a white shirt. Tokiya had already cleared all the evidence of him consuming the blood, and had even washed the icebox for her.
" You're going out?" Tokiya asked, when he saw her attire
" Yeah I've got midnight duty at the hospital tonight."
" I'll walk you." Tokiya offered.
" NO. no, it's fine really." Fuko protested. " It's only a short distance."
" I won't do anything, I promise. I walk you there, and come straight back to your apartment." Tokiya said quietly.
Fuko looked at him for a long time, and then finally she nodded.
As they walked to the hospital, Fuko was oblivious to the people around her. She was so self-conscious of Tokiya. She felt weird walking wit him and knowing that he was not a proper human being.
" I hope that it wasn't too hard, getting the blood." Tokiya spoke aloud suddenly. Fuko looked around her frantically when she heard that, hoping that no one had heard the strange statement that he had made.
" Err. it was fine. Wasn't too much of a trouble." Fuko answered hesitantly.
" I'm sure it was. You could have easily lost your job." Tokiya replied. For a moment, both of them looked at each other, and Fuko's mouth curved halfway into a smile
" Yeah, kind of." She replied.
After that, they didn't say anything to each other anymore, but Fuko's posture relaxed as she walked the rest of the way to the hospital.
When they had reached the entrance of the hospital, Tokiya nodded to Fuko and turned around. Fuko watched him go, and then suddenly, she ran after him and pulled his arm. Tokiya turned back to look at her, a look of surprise on his face.
" Is anything the matter?" he asked
" I don't know, I really don't know Tokiya, but right now, I really have to know this. If one day I couldn't bring blood back for you, would you. would you kill me to sustain yourself? I know it's a really stupid."
" No. I wouldn't. Even if there was no more blood to take in this world, I would not take yours. Even if my urge overcomes my will power, I would kill myself than kill you.
" Really?" Fuko asked. " I don't know how to put this Tokiya, but I really want to help you, but I'm so afraid of your vampire status. Isn't there any other way to help you besides this? I feel like a stranger beside you. I've so afraid to ask anybody else about vampires, because I don't know whether I'll be talking to one."
Fuko was cut off, as Tokiya pulled her into his arms.
" I don't really know how to explain myself to you too Fuko, but I've regretted every minute of my life since I became a vampire. I'm too tired to fight against it now. I'm cannot promise you anything that a normal man can promise you, but I can only promise you that I'll protect you against anyone who tries to harm you. Man or vampire alike."
Before Fuko could form a reply to him, Tokiya was gone. He had disappeared from her as fast as he had embraced her then. Strangely enough, when she was in his arms, she had felt a certain warm feeling that gave one the sense of being safe and secure. How could she be feeling that when she was in the arms of a vampire?
*********************
" Professor Anderson, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've been looking forward to our meeting." Fuko spoke as she greeted the professor.
" No, no, the pleasure is all mine. Aki has told me about your recent interest in vampires. Is there anything that you might like to know specifically about them?
" Do you believe that they exist Professor?" Fuko asked, a serious look on her face.
Professor Anderson looked stunned for a moment, then he laughed and said, " Oh well, I would love to believe that they exist, having studied them for five years already."
" I am serious Professor, please tell me, do you believe that they exist?" Fuko spoke, leaning forward as she did so.
Professor Anderson looked at her searchingly, and he got up to draw the curtains across the windows in his study. As he did so, he said
" Vampires are such pitiful creatures. Do you know that, Miss Kirisawa. There were about only a handful of vampires when the world began, but soon, a group of vampires broke away as they wanted to increase their population, and that was when they started making man into vampires against their will. It was only because of a group of one of the earliest vampires who managed to curb the desires of these vampires that man still prevails in this world today. But they are still around, and they have taken on the form of man himself, Miss Kirisawa. If you're asking me whether I believe in the existence of vampires, my answer is yes. And I say yes with confidence and utter seriousness because I have seen them before. Form the way you asked me, may I assume that you too know of the existence of vampires?"
Fuko nodded in reply.
Professor Anderson continued, " And may I ask you, how do you view this vampire?"
" He is my friend. No, he's someone very important to me, and I want to help him. In view of this Professor, please answer my next question."
" Which is?"
" Is there anyway in which I can change a vampire to man again?"