Chapter 4: Aspirations

The grandfather clocked ticked as the 10-year-old girl nibbled her pencil and stared with frustration at the chapter she had to read and summarize. The book bored her with its antiquated language and themes, even though it was a famous piece of literature. Yuki would have preferred something with magic and princesses, instead of this story about the woes of a poor orphan.

As her eyes skimmed the words, her eyelids felt heavier and heavier. Perhaps a short five-minute nap was acceptable? She would be refreshed when she awoke and have energy to tackle her assignment. Having validated her sleepiness, she gave in to the drowsiness and drifted off. The next thing she knew, she was awakened by someone pinching her cheeks firmly.

"Eeep!" She yelped as her head sprang up from the book and she turned to see her mother. "Okaa-sama, it hurts!"

Shizuka finally let go, frowning as she regarded the girl. She had left her alone for an hour and came back to see her snoring away, wetting the pages of the book with saliva leaking from her partly opened mouth. The girl had probably been dreaming about dessert again.

"Pleasant dreams, Yuki?" Shizuka inquired in a tone indicating her obvious displeasure.

Yuki rubbed her still sore cheek and smiled meekly in response. A glance at the clock informed her that her five-minute nap had turned into a thirty-minute nap…time had a way of passing abnormally fast or slow when one is asleep.

"Okaa-sama, don't be mad, it was just a short nap. I'm refreshed and ready to do the assignment now." Yuki tried to mollify her.

Shizuka had settled into the chair next to her, arms folded as she stared hard at the girl. "Yuki, education is important so you won't be taken for a fool by others and so you can be independent in the future. "

"What I want doesn't require reading literature though," Yuki pouted.

"Is that so? And what exactly do you want to do in the future?"

Yuki glanced away before replying, "I just want to reunite with my siblings and not have to run from Uncle Rido anymore. No book can help that come true..."

Shizuka looked down pensively. The child was not wrong, no amount of education would solve the problem of Rido. He would chase them to the ends of the earth if need be, the only thing keeping him alive was his desire to wipe out everything associated with Haruka and Juri. She could not do anything but take Yuki and flee, evading him in a game of cat and mouse potentially lasting for eternity.

Yuki did not like thinking about her uncle, but she knew she had to confront the issue eventually. Her mother had only vaguely told her that he was dangerous, and that he had killed her real parents. Yuki could not make sense of it though, how could he kill her birth parents, his own siblings? They were family and family were supposed to look after one another. What drove him to do something so horrible?

"Okaa-sama…why did Rido oji-sama kill them?" Yuki asked. She thought she was old enough to know the answer now.

Shizuka glanced at Yuki, who was staring at her with hands clutching her skirt as she waited in suspense for an answer. The resolve in her large brown eyes was strong, and Shizuka knew she could no longer avoid answering her.

A minute passed silently, the only sounds the ticking of the clock and the hooting of an owl outside the cottage. Yuki was starting to wonder if her mother would just ignore her, when Shizuka started to speak.

"Rido thought he loved Juri, your real mother, and could not forgive your father, Haruka, for being chosen instead," Shizuka said quietly. "That bitterness ate away at him over the centuries like a poison, until the only thing remaining in him was hatred."

Yuki crinkled her nose as she turned her mother's words over in her head. No matter how hard she tried though, she still could not understand. If Uncle Rido had really loved her biological mother, he would never have done something to hurt her. After all, love was supposed to be selfless…

"I don't understand…" Yuki confessed sadly.

"It's better not to understand… it won't do you any favors."

Yuki looked at her mother who apparently understood why Uncle Rido had broken apart her family. Would she eventually understand too when she became an adult? Or was it something only her mother, who had been married to him all those years could comprehend?

"Why couldn't Rido oji-sama just love you instead?"

It made no sense to Yuki why her uncle couldn't just love the woman he married instead of pining after someone he couldn't have. Wasn't it painful to live that way? Why were adult relationships so complicated when everything could be so simple?

Hearing Yuki's question, Shizuka was mildly startled. It was truly curious how the minds of children operated. She partially regretted telling Yuki the answer, because somehow the child's mind had wandered to the topic of her marriage, something she was not keen to discuss with anyone, much less Yuki.

She stared without blinking for a few seconds before replying, "Feelings cannot be forced, Yuki. That man and I are fundamentally incompatible…we only ended up together because the marriage was arranged by others."

Shizuka contemplated her daughter, who was so innocent of the ways of the world. She could not coddle her forever; Yuki would inevitably grow up.

"Yuki…we are purebloods, and arranged marriages are the norm. Your birth parents were fortunate that they loved one another, but they were an exception. The rest of us can only hope to be with someone we can get along with."

Yuki frowned, "Isn't that so sad though? Having to marry someone you don't love?"

Shizuka smiled sadly and reached over to gently caress her warm cheek.

"Yuki needs to be different from me…if there ever comes a day when you are pressured to marry someone you don't want to…stand your ground or run away if necessary," she spoke softly.

She hated Rido, but she could not blame him for everything that had gone wrong in her life. From the first moment she had met him, all those centuries ago when she was still a child, she had known their marriage was ill-fated. She should have left, she should have run away before she ended up at the altar with him, exchanging the marital cups of sake and blood. However, she had been too used to the status quo, unsure where she would go and how she would live outside the cage that she had been locked in her whole life. Perhaps everything that had transpired between her and that man was simply fitting punishment for her weakness.

Yuki saw that familiar vacant look in her mother's eyes, the look she had when she stared out the window at something only she could see. Guilt gnawed at her, she should not have bought up her uncle, she had always been aware of how her mother avoided mentioning him and their marriage. She had to distract her mother, focus her attention elsewhere.

Yuki pulled her chair closer until it rubbed against the one her mother sat on, and touched her mother's arm.

"Okaa-sama, read this please? I understand better when you read to me," Yuki begged in her sweetest voice.

Shizuka vaguely heard Yuki's request and drew back from her thoughts, her pink eyes gradually becoming focused again. She took the book and started reading, her voice flowing smoothly like a stream. Yuki saw the empty look in her mother's eyes had disappeared, and relaxed, leaning against her mother's shoulder as she listened to the story about the orphan's travails.


The knocking was loud and frantic, indicating the great agitation of the person outside. Kaien calmly opened the door to see an anxious youth around the age of 14 or 15, who instantly asked him how Yoko was without pausing to take a breath.

Kaien smiled sheepishly, and Kaname knew he had been played, again.

"Stop calling me over by lying that Yoko got injured, headmaster. Why can't you just send me an invitation like a normal person?"

Kaien laughed. "Yet you fall for it every time? Besides, you would probably decline, citing your workload if I had notified you normally."

He gestured the boy inside the house, and Kaname reluctantly entered, still irritated by the headmaster's antics. He would not stay upset for long though, it always soothed him to see Yoko.

The girl was in the living room, seated in her armchair with her nose buried in a book. Upon seeing Kaname enter with the headmaster, she closed her book and rose to greet him, coming over to where he could pat her head as usual. Kaname noted that she had grown taller again and felt slightly wistful at how fast time flies by. The headmaster left them alone, retreating to his office to resume his paperwork. Kaname sat down on the couch while Yoko went off to get him a cup of tea.

He glanced at the book Yoko had placed on the coffee table. It was about the Warring States period of ancient China. Last time he had seen her, she had been reading about the ancient Roman empire. This was truly ancient history, even for him who had been alive for roughly ten thousand years. Somehow the humans managed to pass on such distant history even so long after the collapse of civilization. To this day, the works of Socrates and Sun Tzu are still be found in libraries and bookstores.

That boy had loved reading about ancient history too, and had often sat next to him, with a chair pulled up next to his desk as Kaname completed his own paperwork. Kaname felt himself sinking into the deepest depths of his memories and forced himself to re-emerge by clenching his fist tightly, feeling his nails against his palm. He was the "older brother" of Yoko right now, and he needed to remain in the present.

Yoko returned with a cup of green tea, which she handed to him. She then sat beside him on the couch and inquired how he had been doing since they last met four months ago. He looked more haggard than she remembered, and she worried about him, wondering what type of work he had to do despite not being an adult yet.

Previously when she asked about his duties, he had equivocally mentioned something about attending meetings with important figures in the vampire world. He held her hand as he sipped his tea with the other and gave her a vague answer before moving on to talking about the last place he had visited, and how he had seen a rare rose that only bloomed once every ten years. She cocked her head and frowned slightly as she pondered the flower's existence.

"That seems a poor reproductive strategy." She gave her assessment in complete seriousness.

Her deadpan response caused Kaname to laugh, almost spilling his tea as his hands shook. It was very much like Yoko to give such a logical response when most others would have simply appreciated the rose's poetic connotations.

Kaname's laughter subsided, and he put down the cup. He took her other hand, examining them both, feeling their warmth against his larger hands.

"Have you been practicing again?" He touched one of the calluses with his index finger and frowned. He had told her not to overdo it with the Artemis rod, but she had maintained her training. Her determination concerned him, but he was relived she would at least be able to protect herself – to some degree.

Yoko nodded. "You shouldn't worry Kaname-sama, it's only natural to have calluses," she said softly, hoping to assuage his concern. "Besides, the one who should worry is me. You look as if you haven't rested in a while."

Kaname smiled with a tinge of pensiveness at her comment, it was true he had been quite busy these past months. The Senate always had something lined up for him and the workflow had been almost unceasing. He would not be surprised if Asato purposely gave him all that work just to make his life hard. Kaname was thankful he had the aid of Takuma though. The blond had stood by him, helping him shoulder some of the burden. Even tonight, Takuma had helped him sneak away, fending off his handlers with some deception. It seemed Takuma possessed great skill in wiggling out of undesirable situations due to his experience dealing with his grandfather, who had pushed him to follow in his footsteps since he was a child.

Letting go of her hands, Kaname decided to change the topic in case she asked about his duties again. He did not want her to know more about the vampire world than the basics, remembering how Juri had sacrificed herself so Yoko could live a normal human life. Unfortunately, he suspected the future was probably not going to play out the way Juri and Haruka had hoped.

"Yoko, why do you read so much about history and law?"

She bit her lip shyly before responding, "History is interesting because it tells how people lived in the past, and law is what unites society and allows it to function. No matter how rich or powerful someone is, they are subject to the same laws as those that are poor."

Despite how mature Yoko was for her age, she was still naïve in some ways. Kaname's heart felt heavy when he reflected on how her idealism would one day come to an end. The law had always been twisted to serve those at the top and oppress those at the bottom. Corruption afflicted both human society and vampire society. Although he wanted to keep her away from the filth and rot in society, he knew she would encounter it one day, unless he kept her safe by locking her away. She was too independent to ever accept that though…. In some ways, Yoko was a lot like her… For a second, the distant memory of long, wheat blonde hair and strong but kind amber eyes crossed his mind.

"Do you want to be a judge when you grow up, Yoko?" He had no doubt she would make an excellent judge, upholding the law fairly unlike some people he unfortunately knew...

Her eyes shifted to the side, resting briefly on the wall. She knew he would not like her answer, but she would not lie to him.

"Yes… I want to study law and become a judge. Eventually, I want to enter politics so I can be Kaname-sama's ally in the human government and help vampires and humans coexist."

For a moment, Kaname felt his heart stop. Those resolute, clear blue eyes that looked directly at him, he had seen them ages ago on someone else. Although he supported the idea behind Cross Academy, it was more to fulfill Juri's wish than because he actually believed in coexistence. Experience had taught him time and time again that humans were weak, and thus they hated the stronger vampires. The best choice was to continue keeping the existence of vampires a secret from the general public, as they had done these past ten thousand years.

Why couldn't Yoko just settle for something safe and easy? Why did she have to get involved in the very things he wanted her to stay away from? Both Haruka and Juri had wanted something simple, for their children to live unhindered by the rules that shackle purebloods, able to laugh and cry freely, and even that had not been granted. His heart ached at the knowledge that she would only be disappointed in the end, and he feared that she would be like others before her, throwing her life away for a lost cause.

Blinking, he looked away from her. He did not want to discourage her and struggled to find the right words to respond. Seeing his reaction, Yoko knew he did not approve of her aspirations. She had expected this, since he had always strived to keep her away from the affairs of the vampire world, and she had basically told him she wanted to dive right in.

"I know you don't want me getting involved with vampires, but I want to be of help to you." She smiled to hearten him, "It's just a dream for now though, so don't worry too much Kaname-sama."

Even the way she tried to reassure him was like that boy. His face was becoming clearer in Kaname's mind, those calm blue eyes and that smile allaying his concerns, as though Kaname was the child instead. Kaname shook his head a little, it was becoming harder to distinguish between past and present. He swallowed, concentrating on the girl before him. She watched him, somewhat concerned over his ruffled composure. With effort, he returned her smile and squeezed her hand.

"If that's what Yoko wants, then I can only wish for your success." His words felt hollow and rung untrue in his head, but that was all he could say.

That innocence with which children viewed the world was something he felt ambivalent about. On one hand he wanted to protect that innocence, but on the other hand, that innocence troubled him. The years would hopefully change her mind, perhaps she would discover another path she wanted to pursue. She would eventually have to learn that somethings will not change no matter how hard one tries. He hoped she would not learn the lesson the hard way as he had and fall into despair.

Yoko nodded and they moved away from the topic that they both wanted to avoid. For the remainder of his visit, they talked about banal matters that he preferred, such as her classes and how she was getting along with her peers. When his car arrived, he gave her a final pat on the head and headed into the night, his heart feeling like it weighed a ton.


A/N: Hino never really explained the setting of VK, which oddly has elements both modern and old. For example, we see modern cars (when Senri and Rima's agent dropped them off in a car that looked like a Honda Accord lol) but also horse carriages (when Maria arrives at Cross Academy). The architecture looks to be older and European-inspired even though everyone is Japanese. I've seen several different theories, but I'm gonna roll with the following theory for this story.

My interpretation from the bit of info Hino gave us is that in modern times like the 21st century, humans caused a global nuclear war that radically altered the earth's climate (e.g., nuclear winter), nearly killed off all humanity if not directly from the bombing, than indirectly from radiation, famine due to crop failures, and disease due to collapse of medical infrastructure. During that period, the first vampires like Kaname arose from normal human parents, given the radiation which induced mutations. Anyway, my take is that VK takes place ten thousand years after that nuclear apocalypse.