Eight Night

"I wonder if I should go back to class…" Yuuki thought to herself as she now stood on the campus near the Sun Dorm. Recapping earlier her reaction to Reitsu's appearance, and running out of the class so suddenly, must have come off as rude. Rude to Reitsu, anyway. Yuuki punished herself inside and felt dumb for doing such a thing.

"But…it was like my body reacted on it's own." She sighed at the complicated issue of the matter as it caressed wariness into her face. "And on top of that I went to the Moon Dorm…if I…if I was really able to speak with Zero…I wouldn't have even known what to say…"

In her mind she resoluted to just return to class, but as she turned on her way to do so, she was suddenly intruded by a person she most not rather see right now, Reitsu.

"Oh, Yuuki!" Reitsu exclaimed surprised upon seeing her.

"I-I was just heading back to class…" Yuuki stammered, her voice distantly trailing away.

"But it's over."

"A-Ah? Is it? I must have lost track of time…" She forced a small smile.

"You don't like me, do you?" Reitsu bluntly remarked with a blank expression; as if reading Yuuki's very thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" Yuuki answered in the best of polite tones. "I—"

"Because of Kiryuu…"

"Zero…?"

"You'd much rather have him being a prefect instead of me."

"T-That's—!" Yuuki objected in reply, but then abruptly stopped. The truth in Reitsu's words about the statement could no longer be denied, she knew. Her head tipped downwards at Reitsu's speculation, feeling somewhat ruder than before.

"But he's a vampire now." Reitsu spoke again.

Yuuki looked back up.

"A beast in human—"

"Don't say that about Zero!" Yuuki interrupted sharply, as she already knew what he was going to say, regardless that Yuuki let him finish his sentence or not. "You know nothing about Zero! At all! So…so…" Her voice wavered and faltered as she felt her lip quiver.

"I'm sorry." Reitsu empathically apologized, looking away from Yuuki. Yuuki's dark eyes narrowed at this person with such disdain; but she tried to conceal her emotions the best she could so as to not appear cold and unsentimental towards him.

"I'm going back to my dorm." Reitsu turned his back to her now. "I'll be at the gates at twilight…" He strode away as a bitter feeling of remorse welled up within Yuuki. She could not place it with exact precision, but she somehow got a strange chill from just being around the Headmaster's nephew…Reitsu. An icy chill resonating through her body with a strong intention of desiring to accomplish an unknown goal.

"Reitsu…" Yuuki said to herself with downcast shadowed eyes as she watched him depart from her. "I…get a bad feeling from him."

Yuuki had not spoken much with Zero ever since she admitted her true feelings for him. Therefore, while her and Reitsu stood near to the doors that the Night Class would be departing from soon—and while a good several dozen of excited girls crowded around them also—she could not help but feel slightly nervous. Anticipating Zero's arrival from that door with all of the other vampires…she kept wondering with timidly of what his reaction was that night when she told him.

"But…it's Zero." Yuuki sighed to herself with discontent. "He might just act like nothing happened at all, but…" The hidden realism that delved deeply into this statement was that of Yuuki wanting Zero to mention the sudden event. To sway forward their relationship…not leaving it at an unrequited standstill; the problematic solution being computed into a single sum. Yuuki glanced at Reitsu out of the corner of her eye as he stood there with a moderately tempered expression. Still…she could not help but feel nostalgic; wishing that it were Zero by her side right now. Just like old times. Her attention and thoughts drifted back to the present as the two large doors projected open slowly. Like some kind of usual, daily drill, the girls of the Day Class enthusiastically crowded around the preceding vampires with much joyment. Yuuki noticed that Reitsu was indeed quite helpful with helping of dissuading the girls floundering. He acted as if he had been doing this all his life; no worry or trouble ceased into his face and eyes. He performed the duties with a blatant expression, without displaying the difficulty of the task. Yuuki wondered if maybe her biased judgment on him already was a bit too precautious. Like maybe she was wrong about him seeing unreliable. In some aspects, he was even more reliable than Zero himself. Yuuki hesitantly noted and accepted this fact. But her insight on the controversy faded to the back of her mind, as she saw—like usual, every evening—Zero, the last vampire to leave the dormitory grounds. Most of the other vampires had already gone on their way towards the school building, as the Day Class girls began to decrease one by one, disappointed that their elite students had to depart for the night. Taking this small chance, Yuuki strode over to Zero, hoping to ignite a brief conversation before he left with the others. Zero saw her coming, as he stopped walking for a moment and waited for her to approach him. Yuuki felt strangely nervous as each step brought her closer and closer. She knitted her hands together in exasperation behind her back, twisting her fingers anxiously.

"Z-Zero!" She called out in a raspy voice, convicting a demure smile. She came to a half a few feet away from him. Zero looked at her with eyes that are the keeper of secret afflictions; a shadow seemed to pass his face, but then vanished quickly.

"I-I know you have to go, but…" Yuuki stuttered, for Zero still had not opened his mouth once to speak. "B-But I…"

"Don't tell me you're worried about last night." Zero sighed with a weary, but kind, smile.

"E-Eh?!" Jolted Yuuki as she felt her face flush floridly just as fast as the jolt.

"I know what you…what you meant." Zero's gaze looked away, his silver hair flowing over his mysterious eyes. "I know that you love me, Yuuki. But I know…" He looked back at her now as Yuuki was slightly amazed at how easily and plainly he was able to resort those words, those tedious words, into simple speech. Tedious words that Yuuki had trouble saying herself. She almost envied his simplicity.

"But I know that it is love of only a family-like affection."

Yuuki stared back at him with a blank expression, as her face fell. Those words produced from Zero's lips…were not the words she was yearning to hear. She was stricken sorely as she could not conjure up anything to say in reply.

"Because I know that you love Kaname-sama."

"Don't call him Kaname-sama!" Yuuki yelled as if in agony upon disbelieving horrid news. Zero was quite taken aback at her sudden exclamation. A hint of a harsh tone entered into his voice as he whispered ominously,

"Is it because you love him? And are jealous of me calling him Kana—"

"No! That's not it!" She puffed in small breaths from the sudden shouting as a creeping despair crept into her pallid face. She looked at Zero with such firm eyes displaying honorable courage as she said in a strong voice,

"It's because it doesn't sound like Zero anymore. Not the Zero I love." The words this time proved easier for her to muster; and Yuuki did not feel the slightest bit hesitant or nervous to exploit them. The key of the caged affection now unlocking so easily…so freely, without bearing any shame on it's wings.

"Y-Yuuki…" Zero said slowly in a quiet voice; feeling almost foolish for jumping to such a conclusion. He unnoticeably moved his hand forward towards Yuuki in a small gesture, but then pulled it back sullenly as his face now became more serious. He narrowed his eyes behind Yuuki at the most unexpected—or perhaps unwanted—person to impose upon the two. Yuuki noticed that Zero was dimly staring behind her as she turned her back to inquire who or what it may be. Her face became like Zero's in reaction, but only a much lighter, softer expression obscured her's.

"Reitsu…" She said, not slightly fazed by his sudden appearance.

"Night Class students should be going on their away to class…" Reitsu said coolly, his quick eyes drifted to Zero in a flash like a rushing, winding breeze. "Isn't that right, vampire?" His eyes seemed to scan Zero with disdained malice, as Zero only stood there, tying to fight back the urge to flare up at Reitsu's uncanny comment.

"Kiryuu Zero…"

"A-All right!" Broke in Yuuki between the two. She felt the atmosphere suddenly resort into that of a stifling one with daggers being thrust against the two involved. As if becoming a new person with a calmer caliber in a mere second, Reitsu's tenacity lessened as he smiled brightly and exclaimed,

"Ah, I'm sorry. I guess that was pretty rude of me to address him by such a name."

Zero only looked away saying absolutely nothing. But Yuuki could tell that this was only his typical behavior when he admitted an agreement or standstill amidst an argument or feud.

"Well, then." Zero trekked past the two with his hands in his pockets collectively; acting as if nothing happened. "I'm going. Yuuki…" His speech broke off with an unfinished sentence as Yuuki anticipated on what he might say. However, he did not say any more, as she bluntly suspected, as he went on his way; leaving behind the two prefects and an embery gold twilight sky.