Sunday had come and gone. Akane had pushed the unwelcome thoughts of Saturday night to the back of her mind to analyse another time, or not to revisit at all, she had yet to decide. Now, on Monday morning, after breakfast, she was surprised to find their room still vacant when she came to check for Miu and walk to school together.

Miu had come back to school late once or twice before, so Akane hadn't been concerned by this, and figured, her friend would appear in either their first or second class. She did have some ways to travel and traffic was always unpredictable. So, Akane shuffled tiredly about her room collecting her homework and getting ready for another frustrating week of school.

Lunchtime and Akane sat with Kimiko and Kohaku in the school cafeteria.
"You mean neither of you have seen her either?" The pair shook their heads. Kimiko swallowed her current mouthful to offer her thoughts on their friend being MIA.
"Don't concern yourself, Nakamura. Miu's family mingle within elite social circles. Her father may have organised a formal birthday celebration for her at one of their summer houses. He would have invited business partners and potential clients, using it as an opportunity to improve relations. It's happened before, and the headmaster would be fully aware of it, so Miu won't be in trouble for coming back a day or two late."

Akane nodded, finding Kimiko's theory plausible and probably the most probable explanation, but she thought it strange that Miu hadn't told any of them before she left. Maybe she didn't know, and her dad sprang it on her like she said he'd done with her big sister's engagement party?

Deciding not to dwell on baseless worries, Akane went on with her day as normal. She ignored the glares from those still fully endorsed in the 'hate Akane campaign'. She tolerated the awkward semi-conversations with the boys who were brave enough to talk to her after her social dilemma with the girls and spent some time talking with Kenshin and Nori.

She sat with them at their shared desk between classes, discussing their interests and getting to know them better, laughing at the jokes Nori cracked. The guilt she felt over rejecting them both was fully forgotten once their conversations fell into a comfortable rhythm. She was grateful to them both, because, despite their disappointment in her decision, they were both willing to still be friends with her.

Like the good friend she was, Akane diligently took extra notes in class for Miu, so she didn't fall behind upon her return. But that had been more tiring than she'd thought and by the time classes were finally over, Akane was exhausted with an aching mind and hand.
"My head feels like it's going to split open!" she complained while walking through the throng of Day Class girls rushing to drop their school bags at the dorm and touch up their appearance, ready for the changeover. She dragged her feet as part of the crowd, into The Sun Dorms and up the stairs and down the corridor to her dorm room, grateful to close and lock the door, partially drowning out the irritating babble in the hallway.

She fell onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow and groaning as the pounding at the continued pounding in her head. Akane turned to stare listlessly into the room and watched the light of the, soon to be, setting Sun shining in through the window, which was open. Confused, she sat up and watched the curtains lightly fluttering in the afternoon breeze. Akane was sure it had been closed since before Miu left.

Her first thought was that Aido had gotten into her room for some unfathomable reason. She irritably stood and bent down to check under the beds. Akane frowned at the space. Sitting up on her knees, she turned to the bathroom door and climbed to her feet wearing a purposeful expression. The door swung open at her sudden push, but again, there was nothing and it was the same with the shower and the closet. With nowhere left she thought the boy could hide, she decided, she must have just left the window open.

The temperature quickly dropped this time of year and the room was swiftly chilling with the icy air creeping into the room. Akane moved to close the window and draw the curtains. The gust that swept into the room as the window closed caused a piece of paper, Akane hadn't noticed until now, to fall off the dresser. Wondering what she'd left out now, she picked up the slip of paper and began to read, anger pulsing thick and fast through her veins as she did.

The paper was a note from Miu, but what she'd written had Akane promptly storming from her room and down the stairs to the entrance of The Sun Dorms in less than a minute. She took long strides, her face, the perfect picture of calm before a storm. She wore a relatively neutral expression, but the fire in her eyes had many of the students she passed giving her plenty of space.

There was no reaction to the smile that widened as she strode purposefully towards him, but now that she could see him, surrounded by his peers and fans, another scenario was playing in her mind, one far more terrifying than the one that brought her to the gates of The Moon Dorms during the changeover. Akane walked through the Night Class, her eyes locked on one individual, one pair of puzzled, topaz eyes, belonging to a face with a perfectly angelic smile.

Akane stopped before him and his tall cousin and thrust the piece of paper in his face. Blond and auburn brows quirked simultaneously as Aido looked wearily at the note.
"Explain this, and make it good!" Akane warned in a deadly, calm voice, which caused the Vampire's Adam's apple to bob anxiously. Hearing such a tone coupled with her steely, green stare, unnerved him. He'd never see her this pissed, and he'd irritated her lots of times. Whatever was on that scrap of paper, it was bad enough to have the Unfortunate put herself in a spot surrounded by Vampires, a position he knew terrified her.

He reached for the note, ignoring the noise from the Day Class girls and the stares from the other Night Class students, and opened it. The note read,

Akane,

I'm sorry I didn't stay to walk to school with you this morning, but something amazing happened! I was getting back to school when I found a note in my bag from Idol! He asked if I'd like to go for a walk this morning before class! I've written this as fast as I can for you, but I hope I haven't kept him waiting! I'll see you later,

Miu. XXXX

Aido frowned, not recalling this note he supposedly gave to Akane's friend. He couldn't remember seeing Miu at all since they left the group with Yuki on Saturday. He looked up perplexed but quickly realised Akane believed he'd hurt her friend. His eyes widened.
"It's not true. I haven't seen her, I swear!" he defended earnestly, waving his hands in surrender at the firm glare on the Unfortunate's face.

Akane stared hard at the Vampire, assessing him, finding nothing but sincerity in his eyes. Her features changed to an almost painful grimace as her shoulders sagged in defeat and her heart beat furiously in her chest. Time's up. She had hoped to have just a little longer, she was just starting to enjoy having friends again. This was always going to happen, a beaten sigh.

Snatching the note back from the bewildered Vampire, Akane turned to leave but Aido caught her arm, spinning the Human back to face him and demand an explanation. She'd just accused him of hurting her friend with a dumb note as her evidence, she was gonna have a piece of his mind. However, his offence was quashed when she refused to look him in the eye or even try to pull herself free of his grip. His eye squinted, trying to decipher her. He could hear her heart beating rapidly but something told him he was not the cause for this hint of fear in her blood.

He pulled her arm, drawing her a step closer, she didn't resist. Usually, Aido would be met with a frustrated, dark, emerald-eyed stare and get a good laugh out of her attempts to shake him off.
"Let go." Her voice had been thick as if something were lodged in her throat, but no less commanding. His grip loosened and the Human slipped from his fingers and walked away without a backwards glance.

Aido's hand fell to his side as a frown deepened his normally cheerful expression while around the Humans. He watched every step the girl took away from him and felt his frustration with her rise the further she got. So, that's it huh? Her scent had been right there, she'd been in his hands and now, she was going to be ripped away, never to be seen again.

Kain put a hand on his cousin's shoulder, urging him onward as the Day Class and Yuki were looking between the Noble and Unfortunate with curious glances that he thought best to quell as soon as possible. Aido stepped straight to his Vampire Lord, wearing a determined expression. Despite, the guilt he could already feel at picturing the outcome of his decision, his mind was set.

He scowled, scolding himself for feeling so conflicted. What has that Unfortunate done to me?
"Lord Kaname! Please, I need to speak with you and Headmaster Cross, immediately." He waited anxiously for the Pureblood's answer. Kaname stared him down, his expression, unreadable before he finally nodded and resumed his pace to the school, building with Aido in toe, heading directly for Kaien Cross's office.