A/N Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I purchased most of the main entries of the Resident Evil franchise on the PlayStation Store, so I'm going to be pretty busy and won't be updating as often so I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Either way, I want to say thanks for liking and following the story since there's not a lot of kindness these days and every little bit helps keep me motivated, and even though it is a little bit of a letdown that no one reviewed the last two chapters, I'm not going to let that stop me from making more chapters for you all to enjoy.
So, sit back and enjoy.
The day after the second performance, everyone was still going on about the surprising turn of events and I had to deal with people staring at me and whispering to one another as I went through my classes, which was a pain in the ass to deal with since now I was suddenly suffering from headaches ever since those quick flashes of a memory hit me yesterday.
As for Legoshi, he was unsurprisingly hiding away from all the attention since the fight between him and Bill on-stage caused quite the spectacle, not to mention that I was still pissed at him for instigating it and I was sure Louis ripped him and Bill a new one after I went back to room 701.
What was worse was that I was now on the school paper after my display yesterday to break up the fight between Bill and Legoshi, so now I had to deal with all the attention that was on me as Jack and I had gotten our lunches and Legoshi's from the kiosk before going to meet up with him while we passed a newspaper stand until I rolled my eyes from hearing three female students talking about the events of the performance and blowing it out of proportions by saying how Legoshi took out a machine gun and Bill was set on fire.
"For god's sake, don't they have anything better to do than to gossip about things that didn't happen yesterday?" I grumbled while Jack sighed.
"It's high school, so it shouldn't be surprising that teenagers spread rumors," Jack told me, then I rubbed my eyes as another throbbing headache hit me and I grimaced.
"True, but now it's like I'm back to when I first arrived here because everyone just won't stop staring at me again," I complained irritably, just before Jack patted me on the shoulder with a look of reassurance.
"Don't worry, everyone will soon forget what happened once the next interesting thing occurs," Jack assured sympathetically as we continued walking to the pool where Legoshi was waiting.
"Doesn't mean that I'm happy with being stared at like I'm some kind of freak," I muttered as we left the main building, eventually arriving at the empty swimming pool and I saw Legoshi sitting at the bottom.
"We're back, now think fast!" Jack announced as he tossed a bag at Legoshi, who managed to catch it while we climbed down the ladder and met up with the wolf.
"Got your favorite, egg sandwiches and soy milk...the unsweetened kind," Jack added as we sat down next to Legoshi, who was taking out the box of sandwiches and the bottle of soy milk.
"Thanks," Legoshi said while I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Hey, it's a good idea that you didn't go to the cafeteria or the kiosk today," I stated shortly, causing Legoshi to grimace at my tone of irritation.
"I knew it, so how did it go?" Legoshi asked tentatively, then Jack looked at him dryly while taking a bite from his bread.
"Uh, let's just say your little improv and Eric's sudden appearance on-stage last night made the front page on the school paper, so everybody bought one," Jack explained, causing Legoshi to flinch and look alarmed.
"The front page?! You're serious?!" Legoshi exclaimed in disbelief, prompting Jack to show him the paper that had a picture of Legoshi, Bill, and Louis on the front page while I could see the wolf looking mighty uncomfortable and holding a nervous smile in the picture.
"Oh yeah, it's a great picture, huh? Bought me and Eric a copy as well~! It says 'Birth of the Dark Hero' so talk about a joke, am I right?" Jack commented before he started reading through the paper and I ate my lunch, then I noticed Legoshi looking guilty for his actions last night just before Jack laughed suddenly.
"Seriously, this shot is totally incredible! I mean, like, since when did you and Louis get to be so close?" Jack questioned curiously, causing Legoshi to look away.
"Well, it's not like that...a lot happened up there, which is why this article doesn't exactly show what..." Legoshi trailed off hesitantly.
"Huh?" Jack questioned.
"You know...Louis-senpai is just amazing," Legoshi said quietly, but I was being silent through it all and not even looking at the wolf until I saw his ears lowering and his expression looking solemn out of the corner of my eye while he appeared to be recalling something.
"Legoshi, did you let the rage die down?" Jack asked, causing the wolf to look at him with an expression of puzzlement.
"Rage?" Legoshi questioned in confusion.
"Yeah, of course, that brawl scene and Eric suddenly appearing on-stage last night wasn't an act, duh," Jack replied, making Legoshi look panicked as he dropped his sandwich.
"What?! How did you-" Legoshi sputtered frantically just as Jack went to pick up the sandwich.
"Hey, come on, don't waste it! What, did you think I didn't notice? Remind me again, how many years have we been friends? Here, five-second rule and you know you want it~" Jack sang wryly after he was done brushing off the sandwich and holding it up to Legoshi's face, then the wolf took the sandwich and started eating it.
"I hope you cheer up soon since I know you tend to get easily depressed," Jack added, catching my attention as I looked at him and Legoshi while eating my red bean sandwich.
'Huh, I didn't know Legoshi was depressed,' I thought before I started feeling a little bad for being angry at him for last night as the wolf sighed.
"I didn't want that to change," Legoshi admitted quietly.
"How so?" Jack inquired curiously.
"I tried to get over the depression without anyone's help, living with this secret my whole life but yesterday...for the first time, I realized that it wasn't enough because there was so much rage within me and I let that rage take over.
My feelings are what they are, they belong to me...I can't explain it very well," Legoshi confessed as he stood up and took a few steps forward before standing in the middle of the empty pool.
At that moment, I saw him in a different light and understood that we were similar in a way because of our experiences with the world around us, then I felt a certain respect for him grow as I stared up at the large wolf who was ahead of me and Jack while the labrador smiled warmly.
"It's great to have moments like that so you don't like it, Legoshi?" Jack inquired and Legoshi hummed in contemplation before he looked back.
"To be honest, I'm not so sure," Legoshi admitted while scrunching his muzzle up until Jack laughed.
"Come on, don't whine about it like that but that was great because like it or not, you're full of life right now, Legoshi," Jack reassured, causing me to look at the wolf more closely and I noticed that he did seem lighter than before, so maybe he just had to let out all that anger and frustration somehow even though he should've done it less violently.
"Really?" Legoshi asked as Jack and I finished our lunch and stood up.
"You're going to be okay," Jack assured him as I sighed.
It didn't take long for the bell to ring, signaling us that it was time for class but we weren't in any hurry and merely walked through the hallways in the direction of our next class while I was lost in thought and started grimacing slightly when another headache hit me.
"Yeah, I have to admit, I've been worried about you since it seems like in recent days that you've been having a rough time, so is there any particular reason I should know about?" Jack asked in concern before Legoshi glanced at me slightly and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"A reason, huh? Hmm...I don't really know," Legoshi lied, but I knew that he was hiding something judging from his body language until a teasing smirk appeared on Jack's face.
"Could it be...you fell in love?" Jack questioned knowingly, making Legoshi stop suddenly and that got my attention as I paused and looked at him before Jack broke out into a little song.
"Oh my tail is swinging, maybe I'm in love~! Le-Le-Legoshi, Le-Le-Le-Le-Legoshi~!" Jack sang as he did a little dance, then he appeared to figure out that Legoshi wasn't moving and spun around with wide eyes before he started doing a shuffling run back to me and Legoshi before the wolf started quickly walking away with me and Jack right behind him.
"What?! A-Are you serious?! You, who's never had a girlfriend since the beginning of never?! Wow, you really have changed!" Jack exclaimed excitedly while Legoshi didn't look eager to be having this type of conversation and held a hand up to try and get the labrador to stop.
"Let's hurry to class, we're going to be late," Legoshi evaded uncomfortably, but it didn't stop Jack at all while I was surprised that Legoshi had fallen for someone since he didn't seem to be the type to be interested in romance.
"Hey, don't tell me, let me guess! Okay, if it's a female wolf in our class, t-there's four of them which narrows things down unless I'm, of course, completely off-track," Jack theorized, making me smile a little since the guy always did lighten the mood.
"Well, that part's true," Legoshi muttered, causing me to widen my eyes while Jack also looked surprised.
"Are you saying she's not a wolf?! Is she even a canine?!" Jack exclaimed while we were passing a hallway on our right with a few students looking at us to see what the commotion was, then Legoshi only sighs as we continued our way to class before chatting about other things.
As for me, I was disappointed that Legoshi had already fallen for somebody else but I knew kicking a fucking daisy over it wasn't going to make a difference, then I did a double-take at that and was wondering why I was disappointed that Legoshi fell in love with a girl before I shook it off and concluded that it was nothing as we headed to class.
Meanwhile, in a familiar Japanese government building, the german shepherd known as Miles had gotten the news that the asset Eric Miller had been spotted in Tokyo even though he was supposedly dead for nearly three weeks, which was why Miles had arrived at the building and got out of his car before the coyote known as Takashi approached him.
"He's in Tokyo now? Right now?" Miles questioned urgently and Takashi nodded as they started heading to the elevator.
"Yes, it just came in," Takashi confirmed.
"But they're sure it's him?" Miles asked.
"Yes, he went to the bank a few days ago and our source there called it in," Takashi replied as they entered the elevator, then Miles pressed the button that would take them to floor six.
"Come on," Miles muttered impatiently as he pushed the button a few more times while his tail was twitching to express his agitation.
"He's got to assume we're watching the bank, right?" Takashi wondered uneasily.
"I don't know," Miles said while fidgeting slightly.
"I mean, he cleaned out the box but he left the gun, so what the hell does that mean?" Takashi questioned before Miles shot him an annoyed glare.
"I said I don't fucking know so quit asking me that, and this is why I liked it better when I thought he was dead," Miles retorted irritably as the doors slid open, then the two men hurried to their intended destination and went inside to witness a flurry of activity as people worked on their computers to try and locate Eric Miller while also studying the footage of him inside and outside the bank to trace him before Miles met up with a tiger working on the footage.
"Alright, keep going...there," Miles said as he pointed at the image of Eric leaving the bank.
"No, it's got to be near the end," an analyst commented while Miles scowled slightly.
"Come on, folks, we caught a break here so let's go!" Miles urged as he snapped his fingers, then one analyst looked back at him.
"Okay, I'm up so we're getting grids on airline, train, hotels," the analyst notified the others while another one got the footage of Eric walking down a street with a hat covering his face.
"Is it him? Unreal..." an analyst trailed off in shock as everyone stared at the image of the asset that was supposed to be dead.
"Do we know where he is now?" Miles questioned before Takashi left his office.
"No, it's like he vanished into thin air, so we assume he's laying low for now since we received a report that the Tokyo police are searching for an American human who put two officers in the hospital a few days ago," Takashi informed Miles, who frowned and pointed at him.
"Keep monitoring the situation and when you find him, let me know immediately," Miles ordered before he went to stare at the image of Eric.
'What the hell are you doing, soldier?' Miles thought while everything about this felt off, but it didn't change the fact that there was a rogue operative out there and he needed to be taken care of before he exposes the program just by running around doing god knows what.
Time flies by and before I knew it, spring is approaching and all the excitement had thankfully died down so I enjoyed the peaceful days with the occasional worries being the butterflies in my stomach and the tests or exams, though Louis had approached me and lectured me about risking my life by breaking up the fight between Bill and Legoshi but thanked me in his own way for stepping in before someone got killed.
Slowly but surely after that, we were growing closer as acquaintances while occasionally laughing at funny stories or jokes we would share, even though I didn't have much to tell since I still didn't remember who I was or where I came from.
I had also carried out my threat since a couple of days after the performance, I snuck up on Legoshi and Bill during club hours and proceeded to lay into them about how stupid they were by trying to kill each other in front of the entire school and I didn't think that my voice could get that loud but I thought it was punishment enough since seeing Bill's black eye was amusing to look at and Legoshi's back was still healing.
Speaking of Legoshi, it had taken an entire week to get him to stop apologizing and I wasn't as angry as I was before after he confessed to me and Jack, so I hoped that it taught him and Bill not to pull shit like that again.
As for Haru, she and I had become great friends while I would help her in the gardening club and we would greet each other whenever we would pass one another in the halls, not to mention that I had grown closer to Jack and the other 701 canines with the cheerful labrador becoming like a brother to me by hanging out with me or having me confide to him if something was bothering me.
Because of all that, my stress levels had decreased significantly and I didn't do much except the occasional club meeting, classes, and talking to Legoshi but one thing that was bothering me was the constant headaches that I have been suffering from ever since the disastrous performance that happened, and I went to the nurse to see if she could give me some pain meds for me to take but she refused to let me have that many and basically told me to suck it up but I was given two tablets and she told me to come see her again if the problem persists.
I had taken the tablets and they helped slightly for a couple of hours, but the headaches came back with a vengeance and I was forced to deal with them during my classes with Legoshi and Jack, so it was a real struggle trying to listen to the teachers when it felt like someone was stabbing my brain with an ice pick.
Once the final bell rang, I was exhausted and more than irritated as I left the classroom and began to make my way back to my dorm, but I couldn't take the headaches anymore and had to lie down on a bench since the throbbing pain was intense while it comes and goes at times.
"Okay, I'm not leaving my bed for a few days, so fuck that shit," I groaned, closing my eyes for a few moments to rest while suppressing my groans and whimpers of pain since the sensation of being stabbed in the head more than once was driving me crazy and it felt like I was going to go insane at this rate while it was like any kind of light was making the problem worse.
Only when I felt like I was being watched did I open my eyes and saw Legoshi and Jack standing next to the bench, looking down at me before I sighed and sent them a weak smile.
"Hey, guys," I greeted tiredly.
"H-Hey, Eric...so, what are you doing?" Legoshi asked.
"Just resting, but nothing other than that so how about you guys?" I questioned before Jack smiled.
"Oh, we're on our way back to the dorm," Jack answered as I nodded, only that caused another headache to flare up and I gripped my head with a grimace of pain before it caught the attention of the two canines.
"Eric, are you okay?" Legoshi asked, clear worry in his eyes and I waved it off.
"Yeah, I've been having these headaches for a while so that fucking sucks, not to mention that I went to the nurse to get pain killers for it but I could only take two tablets so that's just fan-fucking-tastic," I grumbled irritably before Jack chuckled.
"Wow, you're swearing like a sailor today," Jack remarked wryly, though I could tell that he was worried as well while Legoshi's ears lowered.
"Anything we can do to help?" Legoshi inquired, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine, and the good kind.
"No, I don't think s...wait, maybe there is so can you give me your hand, Legoshi?" I asked, an idea coming to me as I stood up with a wince while Legoshi looked flustered and I could see his tail wagging while he holds out his hand.
"S-Sure, go ahead," Legoshi said until I carefully prod the soft fingers while looking curious.
"Huh, your hands are really soft...and so big compared to mine," I muttered before I had an idea, a weird one nonetheless since some heating pads are known for easing headaches and Legoshi's hands were pretty warm.
"Okay, Legoshi, what I'm about to ask you is going to sound really weird but would you be alright with touching me?" I asked shyly, causing the wolf to bug his eyes out while sharply inhaling.
"H-Huh?! W-Wha- uh, s-sure!" Legoshi sputtered while I felt embarrassed for asking him to do something so awkward.
"Okay," I said, trying to sound casual as I guided his hand up to my head where the throbbing was centered and, almost immediately, the pain lessens a little before I exhale in relief but I noticed that Legoshi was sweating like crazy and his tail was whipping around while Jack was glancing between me and the wolf until a look of realization appeared on his face.
"E-Eric, what are you doing?!" Legoshi squeaks, not missing the way his voice was cracking and I was unable to conceal my own blush while I smiled softly at him.
"Sorry, Legoshi, I know this is probably too much for you but your hand is so warm and it helps with the pain, b-but if this is too awkward for you, I can let go of your hand," I said bashfully, then Legoshi rapidly shook his head and eases up a little.
"N-No, it's okay...as long as it helps," Legoshi assured quietly until Jack cleared his throat to get our attention.
"So...do you want to head back to the dorm with us then, Eric? I'm sure your bed is a much better thing to lie down on than that bench," Jack offered, then I nodded and agreed with a thankful smile.
It was definitely awkward to walk around campus with Legoshi's hand on the side of my head and basically leaning into it like a pillow, but I couldn't help it since he feels so warm and it really helped with the current headache I was experiencing until we finally arrived at our room and went inside, causing the other 701 canines to see us come in.
"Hey guys...damn, you look like hell so are you doing okay, Eric?" Collot asked in concern while Legoshi led me to my bunk and I slipped off my shoes before looking at the sheepdog.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured as I went to lie down, only I liked the warmth of Legoshi's hand so much that I didn't let go and pulled him with me onto my bed with the result that his hand was still on the side of my head.
I knew that it was selfish of me, but right now, I only cared about finding the most possible relief from the pain as I sighed contently while the comfy pillow on my bed grants me a few minutes without the awful throbbing in my head and I already feel the exhaustion starting to hit me hard.
I'm resting on my side in a relaxed position with Legoshi sitting up, the large wolf so positioned that he's basically sitting next to my stomach to keep his warm hand on my head and while he's being quiet like the others are, I could feel his tail wagging contently as it sometimes tickles my skin while the appendage brushes against it.
"Okay, um, why the hell are you guys sitting like that? Did we miss something?" Durham asked in confusion.
"No, Eric's just in pain and from what he told me, the warmth of my hand helps," Legoshi answered while I was feeling drowsy.
"Wait, is he hurt?" Voss inquired, his voice filled with worry as he spoke what was on everyone's minds.
"No, I'm not hurt, just experiencing headaches and light sensitivity for some reason," I said, though I knew that it made them more concerned for me.
"That sucks, so are they frequent?" Legoshi asked before I sighed.
"No, they happen once and a while but when they do crop up, it's really bad and I can barely focus in class or club duties because of it," I explained dryly, feeling irritated at the fact that the universe seems to hate me and these headaches are a way of punishing me for some reason.
"So, will we have to do this from now on?" Legoshi asked hopefully, and I couldn't help but be amused since he sounded almost excited at the prospect.
"Probably not, I'll be getting pain meds the next time I'm in the city, which should be in the next two weeks or so but we're going to have to keep doing this until that time comes," I said, and once more, Legoshi's eyes lit up with a puppy-like joy and I stifled a chuckle since he looked adorable.
Possibly out of comfort or maybe just because I wanted to, I began to stroke the fur on Legoshi's hand with soft circles and didn't miss our roommates exchange knowing looks before Durham wolf-whistles at the scene, making me chuck a pillow at him with a laugh before the object hits the coyote in the face.
Basically, that's how it goes from now on where I survive all my classes and head back to the dorm with Legoshi before using his hand as a heating pad while I laid in my bed, sharing stories and laughing with the others as the pain becomes a background sensation to the butterflies in my stomach so I was happy in those moments, laying next to the introverted wolf.
Later on, the weather had become warmer so everyone changed into their summer uniforms that consisted of the same gray slacks and brown loafers, only we now wore blue short-sleeved polo-shirts with the academy's logo on one of the sleeves while the girls' uniforms were pretty much the same so now my classes had ended and I was currently at the drama club as usual.
I sat between Legoshi and Kibi with the rest of the stage crew members with my legs stretched out in front of me and my ankles crossed as we listened to whatever Sanu had to say since he gathered us all together for some reason.
"Just like last year, we were invited to participate in the Harbour's festival of the meteor!" Sanu announced while holding up a colorful poster, which I assume is for the festival he mentioned as the poster had a large fiery meteor on it with stars, planets, and a volcano surrounding it so I thought it was an interesting choice for a festival as members of the actors and dance teams cheered loudly.
"Of course, we plan to accept," Sanu continued to say before Sheila perked up with a beaming smile.
"That's awesome, we get to roam around town without an outing permit again this summer, so how cool!" Sheila exclaimed excitedly while Tao also agreed.
"Now, remember guys, this isn't for fun because we're going there to help out with the festival," Sanu reminded them and what followed was even more cheering, making me wince at the loud noise since I honestly didn't see the appeal behind the festival or the city.
From what I know so far, cities always mean a lot to a lot of people so that means a lot of crowds and a lot of social confrontation while the air is bad as hell with the high chance of encountering an unpleasant person, not to mention that I felt on edge when I arrived in the city and that is why I want to avoid the crowds as much as possible.
So, while I wasn't exactly fond of the idea, I had to go along with it all the while studying for the exams so that was going to make things more stressful for me and I had tried to avoid going through even more of that but it doesn't look like I'll be able to this time.
"Looks like the art department is going to be busy this year, so why don't we discuss it in the storage room?" Dom suggested, sounding just as unamused as the rest of us before we sighed with me sounding more unpleasant than the others.
The last time I had been in the storage room had been the day that I cut myself on a piece of metal, though the cut and my other injuries had healed up over the weeks and I had somehow managed to avoid getting injured again so the memory of the painful experience with the metal lingered in my mind as I passed through the smaller room with shelves and boxes before arriving into one as large as a warehouse.
It's brighter in here, thanks to the open ceiling windows that shine natural light onto the sculptures and I was curious, unable to remember if I had seen pictures of what dinosaurs supposedly looked like thanks to my amnesia so it was fascinating to see the large sculpture of a t-rex in front of me and the others.
"We can't use the same sculptures again this year," Dom complained in his usual flamboyant manner.
"Why the hell does it have to be a dinosaur anyway? Can't we pick something easier?" Kai asked, apparently annoyed that he had to be here but he thankfully asked the same question I had on my mind since I still didn't see the significance of why dinosaurs were so important.
"Dinosaurs are the ancestors of all animals, so their existence is very significant," Dom said, only I was more than puzzled by that and scratched the back of my head.
"I'm sorry, but I'm confused, so what do you mean by that?" I inquired, then Dom looked at me.
"That's right, you're not from this country so let me start by explaining that it all happened one summer when a large meteor hit the planet, which caused all the dinosaurs to go extinct," Dom began while Kibi perked up.
"They say it's a festival where we welcome the ghosts of extinct dinosaurs, but nobody cares about that because the real thing everyone's excited for is the lighting ceremony on the final day, where couples who put a lit candle on the meteor together will live happily ever after...so they say anyway," Kibi piped up, causing me to frown thoughtfully since that sounded like something out of a romance novel before we continued discussing plans for the festival.
Eventually, it was time to leave and I had separated from the others since I wanted to hang out with Haru for now so I made my way back to the main building as the sun was setting and engulfing the world in bright warm colors, reminding me that summer will soon come and I smiled as I approached the main building until I entered it, going down the hall and discovered a bunch of sunflowers looking wilted.
'Poor things, they're already looking mostly dead so whoever's in charge of them surely isn't taking care of these fellas pretty well,' I thought with a slight frown as I observed the yellow flowers, some of them already brown and about to die while I felt sorry for the fragile flowers.
"Hmm, I should take them to Haru so that she could help get them nice and healthy again," I muttered before I picked up the vase and carried the flowers as I walk through the orange-tinted hall, becoming lost in thought as I looked down at the flowers with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry, little fellas, Haru will make you better in no time," I reassured before I suddenly felt a sense of danger, making me quickly move out of the way of whatever it was but the sudden movement made me drop the vase by accident and it landed on the ground with a loud shattering noise that startled me.
I had sudden flashes of the same incomplete distorted memory that had the ship deck, two gunshots, and a sensation of agony as I broke out gasping in a panic while looking around frantically until high-pitched demeaning laughter ringing out from behind me snapped me out of it, then I started scowling and turned around to see that it was the harlequin rabbit and her two friends while they sent me nasty grins.
"Too bad, you would've looked so natural down in the dirt," the raccoon mocked while I was pissed that this happened.
"I guess that he only talks to flowers now, like that slut so how sad," the rabbit insulted.
"You freak!" the cat added before the rabbit stormed over and grabbed the collar of my shirt to yank me forward until her face was close to mine.
"It's been a while, human, we need to talk so did that slut talk to my boyfriend by any chance?" the rabbit interrogated, and I couldn't help but feel amused by how stern her voice is since she assumed that she had authority over me because she was a girl and that hitting her would give her the advantage over me so I chuckled and merely removed her hand from my shirt.
"Look, I don't know why you're coming after me since I'm not the one to get involved in whatever your issues are, but I'm guessing that you couldn't get back together with your boyfriend then?" I questioned with a smirk, causing the rabbit to look appalled that I touched her.
"W-What?" the rabbit sputtered in shock, then I went to kneel to reach for the flowers in the hopes of saving one of them.
"Well, I'm not sure why you even bother with him in the first place since he decided to cheat on you, though you should take your anger out on him instead of-" I lectured, and was cut off from finishing my sentence when the rabbit stomps on the flowers and nearly got my hand before I rolled my eyes and looked up to see the rabbit glaring down at me with fiery eyes.
"You listen here, all of this is Haru's fault! You see, the harlequin rabbits are one step closer to extinction because of sluts like her so I don't understand why you would be friends with a slut like her unless she's fucking you too!
That bitch is a slut and someone like her is the scum of the world, so she's worthless!" the rabbit spat out hatefully, only I didn't look affected by her rant and just stared at her dryly.
"Are you done?" I asked nonchalantly, making the rabbit look enraged at my attitude.
"Huh?! Who the fuck do you think you are?!" the rabbit shouted in outrage, then I just calmly stood up before brushing off my uniform.
I watched as I saw her looking less confident with my 5'9 size while I towered over her and her friends, her eyes widening in fear as I sighed and crossed my arms while I felt slightly irritated by this girl.
"Let me give you a piece of advice, never piss off someone you don't know and who's much taller than you are because you never know what they are capable of, which is why that attitude of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days.
Now, what's your name?" I asked calmly, taking the rabbit and her friends off guard.
"W-What?" the rabbit questioned nervously.
"Your name, what is it?" I repeated before the rabbit gulped.
"Mizuchi," Mizuchi answered, regaining her confidence and I chuckled since her glare wasn't intimidating me one bit.
"I'm Eric Miller, so let me say it outright that a partner who cheats rarely stops doing so and if it hadn't been for Haru, it would've been someone else so Haru was just available to your shitty boyfriend and you deserve a lot better than some cheating asshole who doesn't love you because if he did, he wouldn't have done it in the first place.
I know you two are the only harlequin rabbits in this school but if you ask me, you should break up with him since the prick really isn't worth your time and once school is done, you'll have the whole world open for you and plenty more harlequin males.
Also, school romances rarely last long anyway and even if you fall in love with someone other than a harlequin rabbit, I'm sure it would be a thousand times better than staying with that dumbass so your species doesn't define you and you shouldn't have to carry the burden to continue some kind of legacy.
If you want my opinion, he was probably shitty in bed if he decided to go after a dwarf rabbit of all people so it's not worth it taking it out on me or Haru when it's his fault for betraying you in such a manner, so think about what I said and take care of yourself," I said with a soft smile, causing Mizuchi to nod dumbly while she and her friends stared at me as if I told them aliens exist until they glanced behind me and started appearing terrified as they huddled together.
"Oh, I nearly forgot, stay away from my friend because even though I'm not the type of person to hit girls, even I have my limits so try not to keep pushing me because it wouldn't be a good idea, okay?" I warned stoically, catching their attention and they nodded frantically before looking behind me again and took off running a second later.
"Run, Eric!" Mizuchi shouted in alarm before she and her friends were out of sight and earshot, but I knew someone had approached from behind a few minutes ago and I turned around to see Legoshi just standing there while looking shy as usual.
"Hey Legoshi, you need something?" I asked curiously, only he didn't respond and looked lost in thought so I checked on the flowers before I sighed.
"Damn...sorry little guys, instead of keeping you alive and helping you get better, I only made you die quicker so I'm sorry," I muttered solemnly as I started gathering the dead flowers together when a large hand reached down and took one of the flowers before handing it to me, causing me to look at Legoshi to see that he had bent down to help.
"Um...are you okay?" Legoshi asked, his tail softly wagging until I smiled.
"Yeah, I'm fine so thanks for helping and don't take this the wrong way, but I had the situation handled," I reassured warmly.
"Y-Yeah, I could tell," Legoshi mumbled while looking away bashfully.
"So...how long were you standing behind me?" I asked before Legoshi blushed.
"Uh, long enough," Legoshi answered with a look of embarrassment, just before I stood up with the dead flowers and nodded.
"Oh...well, I should go," I said sheepishly and went to walk past him, only the large wolf slams his hand onto the wall beside me to block my way as the noise echoes throughout the empty hallway and made me flinch while a small gasp escapes my mouth.
"Well, um, I really liked what you said about how your species shouldn't define you and that you're free to do what you wish...it's inspiring," Legoshi told me quietly, then I was stunned by that but I started blushing and my eyes lit up with appreciation until Legoshi seemed to realize that blocking the way was a bit insensitive so he quickly moved his hand away.
"Oh, um, sorry," Legoshi stuttered as he fumbled a little, then I smiled since I didn't think he was being rude.
"You know, I'm kinda hungry so what do you say we head to the cafeteria and get some dinner," I suggested, then Legoshi quickly nodded before we started walking together.
Not long after, I find myself sitting across from Legoshi in the cafeteria and while it was a strange sight to everyone else around us, I ignored them and happily ate my dinner while I had gotten the herbivore meal again because of the donuts as Legoshi sits stiffly in his chair, taking the occasional sip of his drink.
"Thanks for having dinner with me, it's nice hanging out with a friend," I said, then Legoshi blinked at that.
"G-Good to hear," Legoshi stuttered, just as a single drop of sweat rolls down his face while his eye twitched and I was confused by what had him agitated, but I decided not to ask since it probably wasn't my business as I took another bite of my dinner.
"This is pretty good, so I wonder what they put in this," I commented, only Legoshi didn't respond and I noticed that he barely touched his food.
"Hey, I don't know where your mind is right now but cheer up, okay? You've barely touched your food and I'm a little worried," I said in concern, snapping Legoshi out of it and he started looking bashful.
"Oh, I forgot about the food," Legoshi said in embarrassment, quickly looking until he took a fork and stabbed his food.
He eats and my leg twitched, urging me to run away but not from the wolf since I could just tell how awkward this was between us because I didn't know how to start a conversation and I started feeling a little uncomfortable because of it.
'Dammit, what the hell do I even talk to him about? The weather? School? I've only been here for a month and I still barely know anything about him, so do I ask him about his favorite color or hobbies? Shit, what am I supposed to do here?!' I thought frantically as I sweated slightly until I decided on one topic that should ease me into it.
"You know, I'm really not all that excited for mid-terms since the stress alone could drive me nuts," I admitted softly before I take another bite, only to quickly discover that it was a little too big for me and I was forced to chew furiously so that I wouldn't choke just as Legoshi also chewed awkwardly and I felt embarrassed as I finished swallowing.
"Hey, sorry if I'm being awkward right now because with the stress of school and the whole amnesia thing, it's made me a little anti-social around other people so...I'm trying not to appear rude or anything like that and I'm sorry if it's making you uncomfortable," I said shyly, avoiding eye contact with the wolf in front of me.
"Um..." Legoshi trailed off in uncertainty and there was nothing but an awkward silence between us.
'Sorry Legoshi, about what I'm feeling right now because I can't help it, I'm sweating like crazy and my stomach can't handle any more food since I'm so anxious right now! I just...don't know how to handle this kind of situation but every time he opens his mouth and shows his fangs, I...I...oh god, I just want to touch them!' I thought nervously.
Like a child discovering something new, I wanted to touch and feel it beneath my fingers and that damn curiosity of mine was rushing through my veins as if my blood was mixed with coffee so I wanted to touch him, whether it be his fangs, his ears, or tail while I felt ashamed for thinking such creepy thoughts.
'Oh god, I never thought having dinner with my roommate would be this nerve-wracking! This guy, he's a good person so I don't want to scare him away for being some kind of creep and I sure as hell don't know what'll happen if I have another unexpected reaction and I'm afraid of hurting him without realizing it, so I'll need to keep my distance until I figure out what's going on,' I thought anxiously as I continued eating until I finished.
"By the way-" Legoshi started to say, only I cut him off.
"That was good, and thanks for having dinner with me since that was quite a treat, so we should head back to the dorm," I said suddenly as I stood up, leaving Legoshi dumbfounded at first until he nodded.
"Yeah, sure," Legoshi replied as he also stood up before we went to dump our trays in the trash and left the cafeteria.
The sun had already set, leaving the campus grounds in darkness as we walked in silence with my hands holding the straps of my backpack as I quietly thanked the wolf next to me for slowing down enough to stay beside me.
His long legs would make it easy for him to run, something I've seen him do two times already but at least had had grown comfortable enough to walk beside me after being friends with me for about a month as the moon shined down on us as the light combined with the warm glow of the street lanterns until I sighed.
"You know, I enjoy how calming the moonlight is," I said suddenly, then Legoshi looked at me after it took him a second to register my words.
"Oh...uh, yeah, it's nice," Legoshi stuttered while I looked up at the night sky and stared at the moon.
"I don't know why, but it soothes me for some reason and it's like all my worries just melt away, so you could say it calms me," I explained with a soft smile.
"R-Really?" Legoshi asked curiously.
"Yeah, it's a little strange but I'm not complaining since I see it as a haven in this chaotic world we live in," I replied calmly while Legoshi looked interested.
"Wow, I didn't know that so it must be nice to feel something like that," Legoshi said and we continued walking in silence for a while until I noticed that the laces on my left shoe had become untied.
"Hold on, my laces have come undone so give me a minute," I stated as we stopped walking, then I knelt down to tie my laces but I kept failing because of my shaky hands.
"Sorry, I'm almost done," I added to reassure the wolf, only I struggled for a while and Legoshi leans down.
"Can I help?" Legoshi offered as he walked over and knelt down in front of me.
"Uh, sure," I said while feeling my face heat up as the wolf still towered over me with his large frame, easily tieing my laces and I felt more than embarrassed at the knowledge of him tieing my shoe when I should be perfectly capable of doing it myself.
"There," Legoshi said as I looked up, then he did the same and it seemed like everything faded away around us.
His eyes met mine, small dark gray orbs gazing into my blue ones while it was like the world around us didn't exist anymore as I saw him and only him, nothing else as a soft gasp escapes me and my eyes continue to stare into his.
"Human eyes are so bright, huh?" Legoshi mumbled, making me blush as I started chuckling.
"What the hell was that about?" I questioned wryly, causing Legoshi to lean back quickly as he looked flustered.
"Oh, uh, I've just...never seen your eyes up close before," Legoshi said in embarrassment, causing me to laugh slightly until I stared at him softly.
"Hey, thanks for helping...I appreciate it," I stated quietly with a warm smile.
"It's no trouble," Legoshi replied while my heart raced and a pleasant warmth spread throughout my body.
'Legoshi, I don't want this feeling to end...this peace, I don't want to lose it again so what the hell are you doing to me and why do I feel this way around you? I-I don't want to let you go, I'm afraid you'll disappear if I do...I'm afraid I'll disappear so I want to stay by your side,' I thought blissfully as I could hear Legoshi's tail sweeping the ground as it wagged to express how happy he was.
After that, we stood up and continued our way back to the dorm until we arrived and made it to our room, quietly heading inside to avoid waking the others before I went to bed after stripping down to my tank-top and boxers until I fell asleep with a peaceful smile on my face.
A/N Well guys, looks like Eric's feelings for Legoshi is becoming more and more noticeable and he's much happier than he was before, though that won't last long if any of you are familiar with the Bourne movies and the Beastars anime/manga so Eric shouldn't let his guard down for too long since there's still an unknown threat out there that searching for him and it's only a matter of time until they find him.
As for the headaches and light sensitivity, that's something that was mentioned more than once in the Bourne franchise as side effects of the psychological conditioning that Treadstone operatives went through as a part of their training, so I'm going to implement it in this story and you can see how much has changed since Mizuchi went after Eric this time instead of Haru.
Well, let me know what you think about this chapter and stay tuned.