Welcome to chapter eight!
Wow. Eight chapters and going strong! Usually I run out of ideas by chapter ten but, I already have my ending for this story figured out. I can't let the story drop off between now and then! Perhaps it is my plentiful amount of Yami dreams that have led to a continuing story.
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Speaking of plentiful Yami, my apartment was a yaoi fan's paradise today. I spent most of the day drawing pictures of the "Only the Moonlight Knows" characters. I'm putting them all on my deviantArt site, so please check them out! The address is in my profile or you can just go to sawatari. I'm going to be adding more throughout the week. I had a ton of reference material strewn about my apartment. FAKE, Gravitation manga and artbooks, Fruits Basket artbooks, Yami no Matsuei DVDs, manga, doujinshi, and art, Kizuna manga, Golden Cain manga, Passion manga, Only the Ring Finger Knows manga, Utena artbooks, Trigun artbooks and doujinshi… The list goes on… Wow, look at all those red underlines on Microsoft Word. Did you know that the spellchecker feels the closest word to "doujinshi" is "cousinship?" They look EXACTLY the same, huh?
Coincidently, when I needed all my reference material was right after I had packed it all up for when I move in three months. Isn't that always how it works?
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A lot happens in this chapter, and yet not a lot happens. I don't know if I like this chapter… Is it too long? I didn't want to draw anything out too much. Is Muraki going sick freak Muraki? It's hard to twist Muraki's back story into one that works with this story.
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Chapter Eight: The Red Moon in Your Eyes
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Hisoka slowly pulled back from Mitsuki. She dropped her arms down to her side and blushed. Hisoka's arms were still on her waist. Neither knew what to do or think. As they stared back at one another the door to the apartment opened.
"Kyaaaaa! What a great smell!" Tsuzuki turned towards the kitchen and froze at the sight.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka pushed Mitsuki back and started stirring the stew. "Aki-san is just here to help me study for the test so I was cooking us something to eat. You're home early; did you go out to eat?"
Tsuzuki frowned. Hisoka's eyes were turned down to the oden and Mitsuki had turned around. "I felt bad about leaving you alone so late. I didn't realize you had company."
"I think I should go…" Mitsuki dashed toward the door and grabbed her bag. "I'm sorry, Hisoka-kun. I hope you are able to study okay alone." She bowed and slipped on her shoes.
Tsuzuki kept his eyes locked on Hisoka. "See you in class, Mitsuki-chan." As the door closed, Tsuzuki walked towards Hisoka. "So, you didn't get to study? I'll help you."
"Why don't you say anything?" Hisoka mumbled.
"What? It's not like you were getting it on in my bed or anything." Tsuzuki smiled.
"What the hell's the matter with you?" Hisoka hissed.
Tsuzuki stared at Hisoka in surprise. "What? I know girls can be intense to be around. With your powers you probably just fell into it, right?"
"I'm not sure…" Hisoka whispered. Tsuzuki didn't seem to notice. He was flipping through Hisoka's book. Hisoka poured the stew into two bowls and walked into the den. He sat onto the floor next to Tsuzuki and handed him one bowl. "How can you be so understanding? You said you loved me but, you caught me kissing a girl."
"Sometimes you just have to be what you are. I'm a trusting person and I've worked around teenagers long enough to know that they experiment a lot." Tsuzuki tried to keep his jealous emotions from being sensed by Hisoka. He turned and kissed Hisoka's cheek.
"People like you piss me off… but something about you yourself…" Hisoka smiled. He leaned over and kissed Tsuzuki. Hisoka could taste the oden on Tsuzuki's lips. "I'll make up for it now."
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"I'm so stupid." Mitsuki was sitting outside the apartment door. She couldn't make her legs work after the door closed. She could hear Hisoka and Tsuzuki through the thin walls. She felt tears run down her cheeks.
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"Hisoka?" Tsuzuki nudged the sleeping boy next to him. He gradually nudged harder until finally Hisoka woke up.
"What?" Hisoka snarled.
"When you were in the infirmary, what happened?" Tsuzuki dropped an arm around Hisoka's waist.
"I don't remember… but a piece of my past came back to me, somewhat." Hisoka stared at the framed picture on his nightstand. "I remembered that there was a night long ago when I was in the hospital. I went outside and saw… something terrible. I don't remember what… Then…" Hisoka grabbed his head and curled up. "I don't know what happened but, it makes me feel sick… like I'm tainted with something evil."
Tsuzuki closed his eyes and sighed. "If it makes you sad, don't try and remember it. I don't want you going to that doctor alone again, either. I don't know why, but I don't like him." He nudged Hisoka, but the boy was already sleeping again. "Good night, Hisoka…" Tsuzuki smiled moved closer to Hisoka.
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Hisoka stared down at the test paper in front of him. After everything that happened, he never got to study. He gazed to the side. Mitsuki hadn't shown up for class yet. He wanted to apologize and so did Tsuzuki. He looked back at his paper and sighed.
Tsuzuki hated giving tests. He had to be quiet and sit behind his desk, which always annoyed him. He looked around the room at all the students swiftly scribbling answers on their test sheets. His eyes stopped on Hisoka who hadn't even picked up his pencil. "Students, you have ten minutes left. If you finish before that time, give me your papers and take an early lunch."
As Tsuzuki leaned back in his seat, Yui walked up and dropped her paper on his desk. "Sensei, can I talk to you outside real quick?"
"Gladly." Tsuzuki jumped up and walked out the door.
"Sensei." Yui shut the door behind her. "Aki-chan went to your apartment last night to study with Kurosaki-kun, right?"
"Yeah. But she left before they studied." Tsuzuki frowned. "Why?"
"Her father called me last night and said she wasn't home when he got back. That was at ten at night." Yui looked up at Tsuzuki.
"Really? I don't know what to say… She left my apartment when I got back at seven." Tsuzuki looked in the door window. "When Hisoka finishes, maybe you should talk to him."
"Okay…" Yui frowned.
"Screw it." Tsuzuki noticed that Hisoka still hadn't picked up his pencil. "He's failing this test anyways. I'll pull him out now." Tsuzuki walked back into the room and over to Hisoka's desk. More students dropped their papers on the desk and walked out of the room. "Hisoka, can you come with me for a minute?"
"Gladly." Hisoka huffed and jumped from his seat. He followed Tsuzuki out of the room and over to Yui.
"Yui-chan says that Mitsuki-chan didn't go home last night."
"What?" Hisoka felt sick. He must have screwed up for her to not even go home.
"We can't do anything while school is in session." Tsuzuki sighed and crossed his arms. "How about we all look for her together after school?"
"Thank you, sensei…" Yui looked at Hisoka. "Kurosaki-kun, will you come with me for lunch break?"
"Fine but, I haven't finished my test." Hisoka started back to the room but, Tsuzuki stopped him.
"We'll work something out. Just go now." Tsuzuki went back into the room and straightened the test papers on his desk.
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Yui and Hisoka sat on a bench in the school's garden. They silently ate their bento until Yui finally spoke up. "So what happened before Aki left?"
"We were going to study but, I started making dinner. She helped me and then…" Hisoka felt his face burn.
"I thought so…" Yui sighed. "I think she took what I told her the wrong way. I told her to be more aggressive when there's something she wants. When she told me how she felt about you, I thought, hey, that's great! Then I figured out your relationship with sensei. I should have told her that you had someone you loved but, I couldn't bear to see her upset. And now…" Hisoka was amazed to see Yui's eyes start to water. Whenever he saw her she seemed too calm and collected to cry over anything.
"We'll find her and I'll apologize." Hisoka sighed and looked up at the sky. "And I'll tell her the truth."
"Thank you…" Yui smiled.
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"And so paradise will always fall apart… The pieces will one by one fall from the sky and crash upon the inhabitants…" Tsuzuki mumbled to himself as he graded the test papers. "The perfect life is only perfect until it is discovered and then it becomes something prodded by society…"
Yui and Hisoka were the first students to enter the room from lunch break. They sat in their respective seats without a word. Yui was the first to speak up. "Sensei, how did you gain rights over Kurosaki-kun?"
"What do you mean?" Tsuzuki scribbled a grade on the last paper and looked up.
"I mean, how do you have a minor living with you?" Yui frowned.
"Oh, uh, er… I adopted Hisoka from his parents." Tsuzuki didn't realize Yui knew about their physical relationship.
"Then don't you find that a little… weird?" Yui looked over at Hisoka as he dropped his head onto his desk.
"Huh?" Tsuzuki had never thought about the connection an adoption makes between Hisoka and himself. Before he could ask Yui to explain, the class filed in from break.
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"I made a list of Aki's favorite places." Yui ripped the paper in three and handed Tsuzuki and Hisoka each a piece. "Let's split up."
"Sounds good." Tsuzuki skimmed down his paper. All the places were near his apartment. Hisoka was already heading east towards Tokyo. "We'll meet at my apartment in two hours." He nodded to Yui and walked off.
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Mitsuki huddled on the park bench sobbing. She felt so stupid. Her first kiss and it was one she stole. Not only that but, she had overheard Tsuzuki and Hisoka and was now painfully aware that they weren't just roommates.
"You seem in pain." A man sat next to her on the bench. "You know, a pretty young girl like yourself shouldn't be alone in the park so close to sunset."
Mitsuki looked over at him. He was dressed from head to toe in white. Even his hair was a silvery blond. "I don't care what happens to me…" She buried her head back in her lap. "Go ahead and kidnap me."
"I wouldn't do such a thing." The man smiled a creepy smile. "My name is Muraki. I am a doctor."
"Well, doctor, can you mend a broken heart?" Mitsuki dropped her legs to the ground and looked up at the darkening sky.
"Perhaps." Muraki looked the girl over. She was what he was looking for. She was the bait for his bait. He stood and held a hand out to her. "I can help you find what you need. Come with me."
Mitsuki looked up at him and felt her body tense. She felt as though she was moving without thinking as she took the man's hand and stood.
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Hisoka had been walking for an hour and a half and had hit all of the places on his list. Nobody had seen Mitsuki at any of the locations. He sighed and plopped down on a park bench. As he did a voice made him jump.
"You seem flustered. Perhaps I can help?" Muraki was sitting next to him on the bench.
Hisoka blinked and let the familiar face sink in. "Doctor?"
"I suppose you are looking for that young girl that was here a moment ago." Muraki smiled and laid his head back against the bench.
"Aki-chan? She was here?" Hisoka leaned towards Muraki. He couldn't sense any emotions from the man in white.
"I can take you to her, if you like." Muraki looked up at the sky as it slipped into the darkness of night. "The night sky looks beautiful tonight. The moon is already shining a beautiful shade of red. Night comes sooner this time of year."
"Can you just take me to her? I don't have time to chat." Hisoka was getting frustrated.
"Do you have any idea what a doctor searches their entire career for?" Muraki ignored Hisoka's anger. "The perfect body. One that can be put through any trauma and yet still come out in its perfection."
Hisoka sighed and sat back. If this was how Muraki played the game, Hisoka had to go along with it. "There's no such thing as perfection. Everything has a flaw. There's also no way a body could be perfect. Humans are incomplete and tarnished creations."
"Someone so young and yet you have such a vulgar mind. I have seen the perfect human and I want that body more than anything." Muraki looked over Hisoka's body. He hadn't changed since their fateful first meeting so many years ago. "I feel I must lure out this perfect creature. I had wondered how I would do so but, now I have found the bait to lure the beast."
"Do you know where she is, or not?" Hisoka snapped. He was sick of this man's games.
"Of course." Muraki stood and grabbed Hisoka's arm. Hisoka's body jolted in pain. Suddenly a flow of memories poured into his mind. Muraki pulled the boy into his arms as he went unconscious.
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"Did Kurosaki-kun not know when to meet?" Yui looked at the clock. She and Tsuzuki had been sitting in the den of his apartment for an hour.
"His list was in Tokyo, right?" Tsuzuki grabbed his keys and walked to the door. "Let's take my car and go into the city. Maybe he just went too far out and got lost."
"He shouldn't have gone too far… Aki doesn't go anywhere past the tower." Yui pulled on her shoes and followed Tsuzuki out the door.
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Mitsuki looked around the dark room. It was covered in antique porcelain dolls. They all stared back at her with cold, painted eyes from behind blond curls of hair. The doctor had said he was going out to pick up the medicine for her broken heart. She didn't understand why but, she felt at ease around this strange man. As she reached out a hand to pick up one of the dolls, the door opened. She spun around to see Muraki walking in with Hisoka in his arms.
"Doctor! What happened to Hisoka-kun?" Mitsuki ran over as Muraki laid Hisoka on the floor. She grabbed the unconscious boy's hand.
"He exhausted himself looking for you." Muraki ran a hand through Hisoka's hair.
"Really? Hisoka-kun… was looking for me?" Mitsuki blushed and smiled down at him.
Muraki lifted one of Hisoka's hands to his own face. "He is almost like one of my dolls, isn't he? A beautiful poppet…"
"Doctor?" Mitsuki watched Muraki's eyes move across Hisoka's body. "Doctor… I think Hisoka-kun and I should leave now."
"I'm afraid… that cannot happen." Muraki picked up Hisoka and walked into another room. Mitsuki watched him leave in horror.
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"The park?" Tsuzuki smiled to the woman leaning on his car.
"Yeah, I seen the boy sittin' in the park." The woman pointed in the direction of the park. "There was some pretty fella sittin' with him when my client and I was walkin' back through."
"Pretty fella?" Tsuzuki noticed Yui trying to ignore the other prostitutes complimenting her hair.
"Yeah, some fella dressed all in white with silver hair." The woman ran a hand down the side of Tsuzuki's car. "If you ain't in a hurry, we could… discuss your thanks of my helpin' you."
"Uh… that's okay. I should go before he leaves anyways." Tsuzuki started his car. "Thank you, ladies." He waved and quickly pulled away.
"That was just disturbing." Yui pulled her hair back and shuddered.
"Well, at least we have a lead on Hisoka. Maybe he found Mitsuki-chan." Tsuzuki sped down the empty back alley in the direction of the park. "But if Muraki was there…"
"Muraki?" Yui tried to keep her hair down as the breeze shot through Tsuzuki's car.
"He's the substitute while the nurse is on maternity leave."
"Maternity leave? Nurse Nanami isn't pregnant or married." Yui gave up trying to control her hair.
"What?" Tsuzuki's eyes went off the road and he turned to Yui.
"Sensei!" Yui pushed his face back to face the road. "My god, I can't believe you're still alive if you drive like this."
"If she isn't on maternity leave…" Tsuzuki slammed on the gas and sped down the road.
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"Doctor! Doctor!" Mitsuki banged her fists on the door of the room he had gone in. She couldn't hear anything and the door was locked. She looked around the room for something to hit the door with but, the dolls were the only thing small enough for her to pick up. "I have to get help…" She looked at the entrance. Muraki had left the door open when he came in with Hisoka. She ran outside without putting on her shoes.
Muraki knew she was escaping but, he didn't care. He had what he needed. "I played with your memories last time. Today, you'll get them all back." Muraki placed a hand over Hisoka's face and smiled as the curse he laid on the boy began to burn on his pale skin.
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Tsuzuki parked in the empty lot of a parking garage and ran to the park. Yui stayed as close as she could but, his long legged stride kept leaving her behind. When he finally stopped she caught up and looked into the sky.
"It's already dark. Don't run so fast, I don't want to get kidnapped by some pervert." Yui gasped and caught her breath. "Oh, wow… Sensei, look at the moon."
Tsuzuki looked up. A huge, red moon was sitting in the sky above them. "That's a moon of death…" Tsuzuki frowned. He looked around the park until he saw a bench with a white piece of paper laying on it.
Yui and Tsuzuki walked over to the bench. Yui picked up the paper and gasped. "This is the list of places that I gave Kurosaki-kun."
Tsuzuki bent down and examined the bench. Caught in the jagged, aged wood was a few strands of silver hair. "Muraki was here, too."
They both stood looking around the bench for other clues when a small body ran into Yui. She fell to the ground with a squeak. Tsuzuki looked down to see Mitsuki and Yui lying on the ground. "Please! Please help me!" Mitsuki screamed. She took a moment and realized who she was laying on. "Yui-chan?"
"Aki!" Yui squeaked and hugged her friend. "Where have you been?"
Mitsuki looked up at Tsuzuki. "Sensei! The doctor has Hisoka-kun… It's all my fault…"
"Doctor? Muraki?" Tsuzuki knelt down next to the girls. "Mitsuki-chan… Please, do you remember where he is?"
Mitsuki nodded and pulled herself and Yui off the ground. She grabbed both Yui and Tsuzuki's hands and ran in the direction she had just come from. She led them to a small building just outside the park. It was an old, unkempt building. The front door was wide open and Mitsuki's shoes were still in the entrance. "He took Hisoka-kun into the room back there." She pointed straight ahead to a closed door.
As Tsuzuki walked towards the door, it opened. Muraki stepped out of the room and smiled. "Prone to fainting, that boy is. However, he got me what I wanted." He walked up to Tsuzuki. "I did not harm him. I merely used him to bring my beloved to me. You are the epitome of perfection, my dear Tsuzuki-san. Please, come with me."
"Sensei…" Yui reached out and grabbed his overcoat.
"Its okay, Yui-chan. Stay here and keep Mitsuki-chan safe." Tsuzuki followed Muraki into the room. He looked over his shoulder at the girls as the door closed. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw Hisoka lying on the large bed that was the only furniture in the room. "Hisoka!" He ran to the boy but, stopped when he saw the red marks. "What did you do?"
Muraki moved next to Tsuzuki. "That is my mark from over two years ago. Right now he is reliving a beautiful night we shared."
"What are you talking about?" Tsuzuki hissed.
"He saw a cold blooded murderer in the act of stopping a human's breath. I saw this beautiful creature and could not resist. I did not kill him but, rather captured him. Together we shared a sensual night and then I laid a curse on him to steal those memories away." Muraki seemed almost proud of his work. Tsuzuki felt rage bubbling up inside him. "I thought he would be dead by now… Perhaps I did not cause him enough pain for that."
"You… sick monster…" Tsuzuki stared down at Hisoka. He looked pathetic and cold. He almost looked like a corpse, lying in the pale moonlight.
"I have my reasons for what I do." Muraki looked over Tsuzuki again. His gaze stopped on his eyes. "You're eyes are a color no other human has. They are the color of the precious amethyst."
"I'm taking Hisoka now." Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka's cold body.
"Just seeing your perfection is all I needed for tonight. However, next time we meet, I will not be letting you simply leave." Muraki moved away from Tsuzuki.
"There won't be a next time. I know that Nanami-san isn't pregnant. I'm going to go to the school board about you." Tsuzuki picked up Hisoka and glared at Muraki.
"By the time you talk to anybody about me, I will already be gone." Muraki smirked. "I'm not such an amateur that I would allow myself to be caught so simply."
"And I'm not so easily defeated that I'll let you harm Hisoka and not be punished." Tsuzuki walked towards the door.
"Tsuzuki-san." Muraki smiled. Tsuzuki turned to face him. "I shall see you again when the moon shines its' beautiful blood red." The red moonlight streamed through the window and fell across Muraki, bathing him in a soft, red light.
Tsuzuki turned back to the door and walked out. He quickly walked out the front door, followed closely by Yui and Mitsuki.
