Chapter 9: Episode 9

Yuki woke up to the sound of a beastly snarl. She gasped and jerked, and then rolled to her side with her hand clutching at her chest where she could feel the pounding of her fast-beating heart.

"Finally awake from your beauty rest? Good timing too," she heard Kosaka sneer. "Get on your damn feet, Amano. If we're going to die tonight, then we might as well make you these mutts' first meal."

"Don't talk to her that way," Yuto snapped.

"Why not? She's the one who was peacefully sleeping while we were trying to save our asses!"

Her throat felt tight and her head was spinning. She coughed and shuddered, but managed to crawl onto her hands and knees. It was dark, but she could make a clear outline of Yuto and the others standing before her. Mao's form was hunched over, as though all she wanted to do was curl into a protective ball. There was a red trail dripping down on one of Kosaka's arms, his hand gripping onto his upper arm where the sleeve of his shirt was torn. Yuto, in a readied posture, was wielding a bloodied knife.

Surrounding them, she could also see a moving mass and immediately recognized them. The dogs from the park that had…killed Hinata.

Yuki clapped a hand over her mouth, overwhelmed with feelings of sorrow. Her friend—her first friend was dead. And, now, by the looks of things, they were going to be dead too. Yuto was strong, but he wouldn't be able to last long against this horde; Kosaka and Mao were merely civilians—they surely didn't possess the skills that Yuto had; and Yuki herself was weak, weaker than anyone here.

"Are you alright?" Surprised, she looked up and saw an offered hand that belonged to a familiar face.

She dazedly nodded. "Wh-who are you?" The words left her lips in a feeble stammer. She accepted his hand and felt his strength when he hoisted her onto her feet.

His face softened as he smiled. "I suppose introducing myself the second before you fell unconscious wasn't a good idea. My name is Akise Aru."

"Amano Yukiyori," she murmured in return. She threw a wary glance at the growling dogs that were inching closer. "What's going on?"

"When you were unconscious, we were chased down into the park's observatory. I was the one who carried you, by the way," he explained, smirking.

"O-oh, um, thank you…"

"Oi, don't stand so close to Yuki, Akise Aru," Yuto said, giving him a menacing glare over his shoulder. "I don't trust you with her."

"Oh? But wasn't it I who rescued her in the nick of time by sweeping her off her feet?"

The handle of the knife in Yuto's hand tightened. "Don't get cocky, bastard."

"There's no need to get jealous."

"What's there to be jealous of when I know that she's mi—"

Suddenly, a dog leapt at the group, causing mixed reactions from everyone. Mao screamed and ducked her head under the shelter that her arms provided her. Kosaka cursed aloud and was staring at the animal with eyes so large and so fearful. Yuto, who was distracted momentarily, didn't react fast enough to buffet the attacking dog, in the process of turning his head back around and raising his knife.

Akise, strangely enough, was still smirking. He pushed Yuki behind him and adopted a protective stance.

Yuki looked away, unable to see who would be killed next.

And then a whistle was blown.

There was a skittering sound of claws against the floor. When there was no expected screams or curses that filled the air, Yuki reluctantly opened her eyes and looked past Akise. There was no scene of horror of where the hounds were viciously tearing a fourteen-year-old child's flesh apart. Rather, they stood very still, so still that one might mistake them to be statues. Their pointed jaws were directed towards the door where Yuki suspected the whistle was blown.

"Alright, I can see that this had gone far enough."

Coming behind from the glass door was none other than Hinata.

"Wait outside," Hinata ordered before blowing into her whistle. The dogs turned and ran through the openings of broken windows. The girl ambled to the front, glass shards crunching under her feet. "Well, today turned out to be disappointing, but no matter."

"Y-you're alive?" exclaimed Kosaka. "But how?"

"Faked my own death. I only wanted to make my own confirmation, but seeing how nothing has occurred, I decided to step in."

Yuto took a step forward.

"Watch it," she warned, lifting a mobile for all to see. "I have the Breeder Diary; I may have called off the dogs now, but I can always order them to attack again. Though just for a safe measure—Mao?"

A hand grasped Yuki by the arm and roughly drew her back. Within a second, she could see a knife descending under her chin and close to her neck. She gulped, stifling a squeak.

"I need you to walk backwards to where Hinata is, okay, Amano-chan?" Mao breathed into her ear.

"Yuki!" Yuto whirled around and seethed. "You even dare, you conniving bitch?"

"We can play it the easy way or the hard way," proposed Hinata, slightly deterred by the derisive comment that Yuto made. "But seeing that I have you at a disadvantage where I have both my dogs and Yuki's life, I suggest you hand over your diary. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about; isn't that right, Akise Aru?"

Yuki's eyes widened. Akise was a diary owner?

Wait—Hinata's fake death, Akise's appearance, the dogs, and the Breeder Diary… That could only mean…

"When you invited me to the park…" Yuki said in a wavering tone, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

"Akise had his suspicions about you for some time," Hinata said. "You were used only as bait to lure him out. Sorry."

"Then when you said that we were friends," Yuki choked out thickly.

Hinata smiled apologetically, wearily. "I'm sorry."

"I can't believe this… All this time…"

"I had to do what I had to do. I hope you understand. After all, this is a game of survival: to kill or be killed."

Betrayal. So this was like to be betrayed by someone who you cared about. Yuki often heard girls in the hallways and bathrooms talk about friends breaking their trusts. It usually involved with someone dating a guy who was supposedly off-limits, or a secret being exposed by that person who the girl believed to be reliable. However, Yuki was sure that it would never go to the extent of where life and death was on the line—and all this for a diary.

Akise sauntered out of the shadows. "Very well, I'll give you my diary," he said, "but only if you beat me in a gamble."

Akise was establishing the rules of his game, which was followed by more talk. But Yuki didn't listen; her ears were drowned by the cogitations over these current events.

So, the smiles, the cheer, the laughter—all a façade. Hinata wasn't her friend; she was just using her to get to Akise. If Hinata was that good of an actress, able to draw her in with sunny grins and warm welcomes and the alluring promise of friendship for the sake of catching Akise, then Yuki actually wasn't fun to be around with, right? Hinata must have tolerated catering to her pathetic self by the grit of her teeth. If that wasn't the case, then Hinata wouldn't be doing this, would she? She wouldn't be easily confessing that she had been using her.

Yuki was honestly glad that Hinata was alive; she was so freaking relieved. But it hurt. It hurt a lot.

Friendships—what the hell were they? Meaningless, at least to her. She couldn't even keep a real one. All she had was her sad broken family and a manic stalker who was only tied to her by a delusional promise. Though Yuto's adoration of her was misconstrued, it was genuine.

He was her protector and monster, but he loved her. He loved her.

Yuki coughed as hot tears ran down her cheeks. It was difficult shoving away depression when making a final decision. She looked up and stared at Yuto, who looked away from Hinata and to her. Yuki deliberately flickered her eyes at Mao's hand before returning his gaze. The boy frowned, but then nodded in agreement. It was to luck that neither Mao nor HInata had caught on with their cursory planning, distracted by Akise.

Yuki ripped her arm from Mao's hold and grappled for the wrist of the hand that held the knife.

"Yuto!" she yelled.

Yuto's weapon sailed through the air and embedded itself into Mao's arm; startled, she fell back away from Yuki, who quickly tumbled forward. The boy appeared by Mao's side and gave a decisive hard kick at her stomach, forcing her to crash onto her back. Her knife flew upwards, but Yuto caught it with an adroit snatch.

Hinata, stunned by Yuto's swiftness, didn't have time to respond when he pounced on her. He straddled her, now the one who held an advantage over someone.

"Hi-Hinata!" cried out Mao, clutching her bloodied arm.

"For what you did to Yuki, you deserve death," said Yuto.

"N-no!" gasped Hinata, writhing under his weight. "Please! This—this wasn't my idea, I swear!"

"Like I give a damn," he said, lifting the knife high before plunging it down.

"Yuto, stop!" Yuki commanded.

The sharp point froze within a breadth of Hinata's throat. Hinata, who was tensed in fear, sagged openly and breathed heavily. Yuto, on the other hand, didn't move a muscle. "Why, Yuki?" he inquired, his voice light. "This bitch doesn't deserve your clemency. I should just finish her right now."

"Please, Yuto," Yuki sobbed, fresh ears layering over the drying lines. "No more deaths. Don't do it anymore. Please."

Yuto sat there for a few seconds before sighing in dismay, as if he wasn't able to get seconds on dessert. He stood up and tucked the knife into his pocket, and then he delivered a kick at Hinata's abdomen, causing the girl to slide across the floor and hack violently.

"You're lucky Yuki is kind enough to have me spare you. If it was just me, I wouldn't hesitate killing you," Yuto remarked nonchalantly, stepping closer. The phone that Hinata dropped now lied before his feet. "But I suppose that other than blood, I could destroy your diary."

"No, please!" whimpered Hinata, hand uselessly extended towards the device. "You can't!"

"Yuto," Yuki pleaded. "No more!"

"Alright, Yuki, no more deaths. For now, that is." He bent down and picked up the diary. "But I'll be keeping this just for a safe measure," he mocked, throwing back the words that Hinata had used before. "If you come anywhere near Yuki, I'll snap it in half. I'm sure you're aware what will happen if I do so."

Hinata looked back with trepidation apparent in her eyes before nodding.

"Good." He then walked over to Mao's prone figure, ignoring Hinata's "Don't hurt her!" shriek. Mao glanced up at him, donning a baleful scowl on her face. Yuto smiled patronizingly and grabbed onto the hilt of the knife, twisted it, and jerked it out, eliciting a painful hiss from her. Copious amounts of blood splattered on the floor. The metallic smell was strong, making Yuki dizzy.

"Since you know what I'm capable of and that I'm in possession of your diary, I suggest that you scram," Yuto said. "And you better hurry, or your little friend will die of blood loss."

Yuto tucked the other knife away, spun on his heel, and went towards Yuki, not bothering to watch as Hinata frantically scrambled over to Mao.

Yuto filled her vision as he knelt down before her. His fingertips gently probed her cheek, but Yuki flinched away. "Yuki," he whispered, his expression contorting into something so terribly saddening. "Look, what happened with Kasugano Tsubaki… You have to know that I only did it to protect you. I love you, Yuki, and you know that I would die for you. But if killing scares you, them I won't do it unless I ultimately have to. Do you understand?"

He held her in his beseeching gaze. Some part of her melted; she was an adolescent girl, after all, and she would get spacey in those dreamy eyes of his, and it was especially hard to not fall into his comforting pledge of devout protection. Yet another part of her, the more logical, cowardly side, told her that it would just be like being prey to Hinata's schemes again. Yuki knew what Yuto was capable of, and that's destruction. Promising not to kill? That'd be like promising to find immortality. Well, they did have a shot to living eternally, but that would result with either one of their deaths.

Someday, her logical and cowardly self cautioned, that when it came to the two of them, Yuto would bring her demise. She saw the brutality that he wasn't afraid of demonstrating: he killed Tsubaki and her followers, he struck down her mother, he had the intent on bashing Reisuke's head in, and…and those people in her house… Did he kill them too?

Why would he, beyond everything, forsake the opportunity to become a god?

Then why would he go through all this effort in proving that all he wanted was to be her knight in shining armor?

Yuki gave a quaking sigh. He loved her, but he was absolutely insane. She was afraid of him—or, at least, of what he would become. In the end, she wouldn't have the same influence over him as she did tonight. In the end, he might kill her.

Yuki didn't know what to do about that.

"Yuki?" Yuto said, his lower lip wobbling.

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I-I'm sorry, Yuto," she said, her voice a tad hoarse from the crying that she did. To emphasize her point, she caressed a hand onto his cheek. "I know that all you wanted was to protect me."

The smile on Yuto's face was so incredibly blinding—it was beautiful and radiant, and Yuki almost wanted to cry from witnessing such a thing. It was confusing. "Yuki," he whispered, covering her hand with his. "I don't deserve your kindness, but thank you so much."

With that said, he engulfed her in a hug. Yuki rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling the pangs of exhaustion. Across the observatory, she could see Hinata supporting Mao. When Hinata looked up, their eyes met.

"Yuki, for what's it worth, I really am sorry," Hinata said, grimacing. "But I'll never understand what you see in a freak like him."

And, so, both girls disappeared that night.

"And here I was planning on impressing Yukiyori-san by making it to her rescue. Oh well," said Akise, shrugging.

Kosaka looked on blankly. "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

A/N: It was my intention making this chapter to be like episode 9, with the "guess which hand has the penny" game, but then I thought, "Girls typically are complex when it comes to friendships," and then I had to mess up the episode by doing my own thing. Unlike guys, girls change friends like changing clothes, and I admit that I can be the same way. For Yuki, who is a delicate flower, finding out what Hinata's real intentions are is a serious stab to the heart.

On a further note, I once again made Yuki perceptive. A little too perceptive. Or introspective. Think I should dumb her down, guys?