Chapter 14
"Akira-aniki...you're not hiding anything from me, are you?" the raven asked, staring at the scenery along the road, her blank expression contrasted to her thoughts that were swirling in her mind since they left the hotel. Her confusion earlier only worsened with the sudden outburst of Zack. Akira bit his lip then glared at her. She didn't seem to be thinking about anything but he knows well how good this girl is in hiding her emotions, in making a facade that covers her intents.
Like their first arrival at the university, mist covers the road and the willows are again, ghastly in appearance. But the raven paid no attention to the scenery that she seems to be watching.
"If I am, what is it to you?" he caught her attention as she jerked up and sharply turned to face him. "This is the first time you glared at me." despite the same tone in his voice, anger presented itself in the snarl that followed.
"That's because you seem to be guilty. You did not answer my question. Are you hiding anything?" he clenched his teeth together. "Don't lie."
"No, I'm not. None of us is hiding anything." he averted his gaze to the moistened glass window. "Why are you doubting us?"
"Because you're suspicions. I mean, your reactions. You looked horrified." Akira gulped but his throat was too parched. He bit his tougue, hoping Rinko would stop her interrogation soon. And she did as the infamous silence settled itself between them. With that and their thoughts intact, surprise overtook them when they arrived at the same place when their cars first halted. Realizing they've already arrived, they both got off. The car left with the other soon after the other pair got off too.
"We'll continue the investigation tomorrow." Rui said as Akira and he paced to the direction of their dorm building. After mere seconds, the other two pushed the double doors and hurried to their room, leaving the guards-in-charge to lock them.
"Rinko," Fuyumi tried to start a conversation as at first, she thought would fail when she glanced at Rinko's expressionless face, which she concluded is a the feeble facade she always puts up.
"Hn?" the raven replied without much interest.
"I-it's good that we arrived before the curfew...ne?" her eyebrows connected as she frowned when the other girl did not say any response. "You're still at it?" stone eyes met gem ones.
"How old is Rui-aniki?" she finally asked. "He can't be twenty like he seems to be, can he? Surely you know it...since you are siblings."
"H-he is...wait. What is this talk really for?" No response. Even if Fuyumi was having a second thought in shutting up, she clasped her lips tightly closed together and did not dare to say anything that would make the raven remember even a bit regarding their meeting with the European branch's slayers.
"If you don't want say anything," Fuyumi's forehead furrowed as she saw the shadows over Rinko's face. "It's fine by me." she said after they entered their room. Without any pause, she headed to the bathroom and closed its door behind her unhesitatingly and grabbed her phone from her shoulder bag then called to the president's line. The throbbing of her heart started as soon as she heard the dial tone from the phone. "This is Rinko." she said when it stopped before the person from the other line say a single word.
"Want do you want? It's almost quarter past ten." the voice said in a sleepy tone.
"You know want I want." from her tone, Kevin instantly knew what it's about and fully woke up. "What is that secret mission you're about to give me? Lawrence-san said you're not listening to the other branches' advice. But the fact that you have another mission to give means you're also doubting Rui-aniki."
"You don't need to be so interrogative. It's true I didn't listen to the other branches but it's different now." he paused when she heard someone talked to him in the background. It was a long pause. She can't hear what they're talking about since Kevin placed his fingers over the trasiver "Sorry, that was just an acquaintance of mine. I ordered Lawrence not to tell this to anyone since this might alert him, and if it will, it'll be harder to catch him. To make it more complicated, we can assume he'll use Akira and Fuyumi as hostages. But in our last meeting, I was convinced that he's suspicious."
"And you want me to confirm it?" her voice was like a knife which stabbed his ear that he almost bled. "If you really want me to keep this as a secret then send me someone else who can cope and investigate with me..." she hissed. "You know how dangerous this double mission can be."
"Yeah, I do. I'll send someone there as soon as possible."
"Just to remind you...I still don't believe that Rui-aniki is one of them. I'll take this investigation to prove to you that he's innocent." she hung up, not minding what the president might be thinking.
Rays of sunlight lit the sky up as morning approached. They haven't said a word towards each other since that Monday. Zen headed to the dinning hall earlier than them and so, the awkward silence became more fatal.
For sure, the organization won't keep quiet about that. They'll make a step to see through him. Having Rinko with them only made it more complicated. The girl's got an obsession towards vampires. An obsession that made her kill every single one they've encountered. If the president Kevin didn't adopt her it wouldn't be that difficult for them to handle this kind of situation. If she didn't believe that Kevin, she wouldn't be a threat to them.
"Rui." Akira muttered under his caught breath. He didn't want to break the silence himself but if he'll keep it, there won't be anything solved. "Why don't you tell this to that Sayako?"
"No need." he replied as he clothed himself with his shirt. "I'll handle this myself." the only thing he next felt was a stinging pain in his gut after Akira thrust his first at him. With an irritated hiss, he grabbed his collar and stared at his gem-like eyes. He glares at him with the same glint he had before when he pointed his silver gun at him for the first and the last time.
"Why don't you punch be back, huh!? I hate that composure of yours! Even when I tried to kill you...that calm face never gave a real -!"
"What?" he absentmindedly asked as he stared back to the other's bright eyes with his clouded ones. "I can do this alone." he rolled his eyes to his side as he tried to avoid Akira's gaze. Seeing no changes in him, Akira decided to let him go. But even after he did, Rui did not look at him.
"Do I need to remind you myself of why are here?" Silence. No response. "You did all you can you to end up here and change both Sayako, your cousin, and Rinko, the girl who you saved and treated as a younger sister. Don't tell me you're giving up just because of their suspicions?"
"She doesn't trust me anymore." he looked down, frowning.
"If you'll be as weak as you are now, without second thought, you'll really die. This isn't like you, Rui." he tightly clutched his hands into fists that his nails are digging on his flesh as his knuckles become white. "Do you need to be beaten up before you go back to yourself?" Rui looked at him and walked pass him. Akira was about to thrust a punch again when Rui glanced at him over his shoulder with his bright purple orbs and his usual smile on his lips.
"I understand. I'll tell this to Akishi-dono myself. Let's go." in a split second, before Akira could even blink an eye, he's there by the door ready to leave. If his smile was genuine or a part of a carefully-made-facade, he doesn't know and he don't want to know. It'll be better to believe at Rui at times like this – times when trusted companions can be your worst enemy.
The gushing of the water from the faucet echoes in the bathroom as she leans on the sink, face blank with no emotion despite her clouded mind. Just this earlier, she was able to read that raven's mind. She knows why. Rinko was pretty confused last night – and still is – about the conflicts between her very own acquaintances and her brother – as she thinks about Rui. She knew her thoughts at once and without delay nor warning...or even permission from her own self, she got worried about her only trustworthy cousin. As they all know, Rui's a spider who can easily untangle complicated web-like situations but since Maria's ability isn't back on it's perfect condition, she can't be too confident with what the ex-human may be planning. But she also knows that she can't decide carefree decisions based on what the damphyr saw or will see since their future is always tentative depending on what results can come from the different thoughts of the people surrounding them.
She raised her head to face her reflection in the mirror before her and gasped when she realized her eyes looked almost crying. She never let herself tear up again. Or more specifically, she can't do it at all as her tears may have dried up after the long decades since the last time her eyes were filled with the subjected free-flowing liquid. "Crying isn't showing your weakness..." she remembered her mother's saying and although she thought that voice was lost with the passed time, it sounded as if it's real...that she guessed she's insane with having such delusion. "When you cry, be always sure you'll be stronger after it."
"Okaa-sama..." her lips tightened to a hard line as she lowed her head again after halfheartedly closing the faucet when she hesitated with the thought that it's better with a little piece of noise in the dead silence she plunged herself in. "When I cease existing," a low velvet voice of a male resurfaced in her mind. She was confused of whose it is at first but when she remembers more of the words, she instantly knew- "it doesn't mean I'll leave you. I'll be blown in the wind as ashes...I'll be the air you breathe to exist."-It's her father's. Sayako sighed and face the mirror again. She must analyze their situation first then think about it. There's no place for acting as a university student right now.
"Keep standing...S-Sayako..." she spoke to herself. She doesn't know why, but she thinks she's really going crazy as she winced upon uttering her own name. It has been a habit for her to talk to herself when there's a lot of problems she either encountered or will encounter.
Just then, she jolted up when she heard some knockings on the door. Before going out, – worrying she'll look sobbing – she checked herself from the mirror and fortunately, she regained her serous and calm self back after she twisted the faucet open, splashed a handful of water to her face and closed it afterwards as she wipes her face with a towel.
She then sighed and then relaxed as she opened the door. The lady damphyr of imperfect visions stands before her, forehead creased with their rare worried lines. Being able to read her mind, the vampire lord immediately knew what bothers her – they have the same dilemma. She, gifted with mind reading ability, and her, seeing imperfect tentative visions, both know what can happen – or already happening.
"You've seen it, haven't you?" the russet asked as she walked passes her with her eyes hidden in the shadows of her hair. In these kinds of situation, it's more favorable to have it down in its wavy nature. Without taking a pause, she grabbed her bag and slipped out of the room, not even bothering to look back at Maria, as she knows she'll follow.
And she did, with longer strides than usual to match Sayako's hastened up ones.
"Right. I saw it." Maria responded, pursing her lips for a pause as she hesitates whether she'll continue or not. She decided the latter. "I saw Honou-san in danger because of a particular slayer." Maria heard a muted groan from Sayako at that and halted pacing with that frown, which hasn't leave her forehead for even a second. "It wasn't clear who the slayer will be...but...most importantly, I saw you so affected by it." Sayako stopped in her tracks and glanced back at Maria, glowering with a combination of snarls and a pair of clenched fists. Although the damphyr did not voiced it more explicitly, she knew what she meant at her attempt to read her mind for the second time at that very moment – she saw her in that bathroom, questioning everything as she frets about the current situation they're both concerned. "It can't be helped. Unless that slayer would change his mind..."
No one from the vampire lord and the slayers uttered a word in the class to each other. Maria, Sylvon and Rina were all worried with them as they noticed their avoidance. What's weirder is Rinko's rather enthusiastic in writing the whole time. Her lids did not fall even for a minute of rest that Shira hasn't complained about her like she usually does. Unlike before, she didn't pick on Sayako; or Sayako with her. Fuyumi knows there's really something wrong and that's surely about what happened last night. Jole, who's also affected by them, got too quiet. But, if not for her, Rinko's not with them right now in the crowded canteen.
"Ri-chan," she said, as the first one in their table who spoke, to Rinko when the raven finished her feeble lunch in a nick of time. "Tell me what's wrong." her tone is unusually serious.
"There's nothing wrong~!" she grinned at her and turned her back to leave but Jole gripped her wrist.
"I don't need a fake smile." she blankly said. Rinko snatched her hand back as her she pursed her lips; the blank expression on her face went back again.
"Please, don't mind me." and she left, not caring what their reaction would be.
Jole hissed and stood up then left as well.
It wasn't long before Sayako and Maria did the same.
"What happened?" Rina inquired as she glares at Fuyumi. Sylvon opened his mouth to warn her but it's too late; her confusion mixed up with anger made her lose control and she involuntarily crashed the glass that she's gripping. Blood gushed out as the splinters rip through her flesh. Though the wounds healed up, she still winced from the stinging pain.
"They jerked." Fuyumi looked around then, at her. "That scent might cause a trouble. Besides, many could hear in this place."
"In classroom then." Sylvon said, breaking their eye contact. "They did not go there, I suppose."
She was so determined now. I can't read her again. The lady of valor thought as she walks slowly. If it won't be that risky, she'd try harder to infiltrate her mind. But as a human, it might be fatal for the slayer. If Maria's ability isn't being restraint...She glanced at her back and the damphyr's there, pondering on their situation as she walks slower than Sayako...it won't be like this. Kuso..."Tsk!" this must be the doings of oji-san! If I can only get some evidences...I can banish him from being one of the elders...
"Sayako-sama." Maria's voice cut her thoughts off. She blinked and focused. Rui's right beside her, as serious as all of them are. She paced towards him and without any thoughts, embraced him tightly that he and Maria gasped; this is rare of her.(KYAAAAAHHHH!!!! RUYAKO MOMENT!!!! XDDDDDD)
"Can I hold you like this?" she asked as she tightened her arms of prison around him. He put his hand on her head and muffled it. She chuckled. "Don't treat me like a child."
"Is this a farewell?" she gulped at his question as his heart thumped. She clutched at his shirt and glanced up at him.
"Rui..." she took as step back and let him go. But she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers together in a swift motion. "Don't say that...! You and I are-"
"I might still die." he muttered so low that no human would be able to hear him. His eyebrows pulled together as he stole a glimpse from Maria. Although he was careful, as a half vampire, she caught his gaze.
"I don't deserve that kind of expectations from the both of you." she said. "My visions aren't perfect." they both look at her and nodded once, hesitantly.
"Our blood tastes like water and smells like wind." Sylvon said as he licked Rina's fingers. "It would just taste different with the one you like." he stood still after they're already blood-free. "Like for an example, Rina's is bland."
"Really?" the brunette crossed her arms together. "So...I was mistaken there in the canteen. But, aren't you lovers?"
"What?" Rina's perfect eyebrows pulled together in an abruptly angered look but instantly softened. "We're best friends. We aren't anything like that." she rolled her eyes to Sylvon and they both sighed.
They're just the ones present in their rooms, as Sylvon said, since the others who left before them didn't go there even for a second. Now they understand why. It's awkwardly quiet in contrary to their rocking classroom without their usual noise. It's harder to breathe in there with the heavy, tensed, cold atmosphere that almost kills them – not by suffocation but by depression. Anyways, the two mythic beings won't die as easily as Fuyumi would without air to breathe; it's not even required for them to live.
"But I saw you bitting each other from some screen shots taken with our surveillance cameras."
"You said what!" she scowled at her and was about to slash her with the wind but was just stopped by Sylvon's hand that he tapped on her shoulder. She completely ignored the fact that about their bites. "You putted some hidden cameras here?" she continued in a calmer tone.
"Yeah. We've been here for almost a month that our organization sent another squad. We can't help but to cooperate."
"So, you're being squeezed in the middle? How about that Rui?" the guy coughed as he sat on the nearest chair to him. "What did he say?"
"Nothing much but as we – except from Rinko – planned, we'll do our best so that no one from the newly-arrived-squad will know that the majority of the students in here are vampires." With a cold scowl, she focused her attention in a corner and tried hard not to look at their eyes, which now resemble couples of red roses. "He's...c-currently..." and bit her tongue as she remembers the scenes last night. "Being suspected as a vampire..." by that, she half-irritatedly, half-worriedly glanced at them and noticed a pair of cringes from the two as their eyes grew redder. "Rinko was confused last night. She's probably seeking for some sneaky methods where she'll know the truth by herself. And...I guess, in however way Sayako did it, she knew it that's why they weren't talking to each other..." Rina shut her eyes and breathed out.
"I heard she can read minds." she informed her, and like a bulb with its switch being turned on, Fuyumi jolted and brightly looked at her.
"You mean...we could know what Rinko's thinking about at this moment with her-"
"Stop." Sylvon interrupted with a grimace. "Don't expect too much. Sayako-sama said it doesn't always work."
Silence.
"Unless...she'll get stronger with...a human's blood." they cringed at their last resolve.
Just then, Rina and Sylvon jerked when they realized there's another one who heard them; but, before they could react, the familiar human spoke,
"Can I be that human?"
Jole entered; they gasped with wide eyes. Sylvon and Rina poised themselves in defensive positions as she paced, nearing them with each dumbfounding steps.
[doubts~stumbling stones]