"Trading Shoes"

Haruna found solace in the light of the full moon. Waking up in the middle of the night - since she couldn't sleep any longer because she slept in the afternoon earlier with Aido - she had made her way into the back garden of the Aido household.

She dipped her feet into the cold fountain water, instantly losing the warmth in her toes. She winced, feeling the carpet burns on her back. "Should've never done it on the carpet," she turned red from recalling earlier events. "How perverted I've become-... Snow in the middle of June?"

Snowflakes gently appeared out of the sky, caressing her skin. The beautiful innocence of it surrounded only her, as though it were trying to comfort her. The little flakes touched her, but they felt so warm. She reached out to them, mystified by its beauty.

"Why are you doing this for me, Aido?" She turned around, seeing him holding the hose while holding his hand over the water, turning them into snow. He sighed with a smile, putting down the hose.

"You're really a mood killer, aren't you?" He sat beside her, dusting the snow off her hair. "Do you not like the snow?" She shook her head no. Of course she loved it. She would've told him that if she had a choice, she would've chosen to be a penguin, though he'd probably laugh at her so she didn't say a word. "Be glad I didn't hose you instead," he laughed.

She smiled a little, "Thank you for showing me that. It was nice." He nodded, dipping his hand into the fountain's water.

"I would do anything for you, just ask me and I'll grant your wish." He turned the water in his hand into a sculpted ice of a rose. "For you, my Juliet," he grasped her hand, kissing it and giving her his gift.

She accepted it, "Thank you, my Romeo." Aido was surprised by her willingness, turning away to hide his barely visible blush. She pretended to not see it.

"So then... Would you grant me my wish if I asked for permission to go to Cross Academy?" Aido sharply looked back at her, seeing the pleading look in her eyes. Oh how he wish he hadn't said such tempting words earlier.

He stuttered, not wanting to say yes. "Why would you want to go to such a dangerous place? The world is a nasty place, you know," he wanted so desperately to shelter her away from such a place. "Stay here where you can be a princess!"

She grimaced, holding her breath for no reason. "I just want to live a normal life... But if Aido really thinks it's a bad idea, then I won't go." Aido wanted to stab himself in the eyeball. He knew she hated him. He was positive that she would never speak to him again.

Haruna slipped the rose back into his hands, "Don't make promises you can't guarantee, Romeo. Goodnight."

. . . "I really am an ass."

Next Day

Haruna looked through her wardrobe, only seeing outfits fit for a princess. "I'm tired of living behind these castle walls." Was asking for a normal life too much? Going to school and living in a small house was all she wanted.

"Haruna!" She jumped hearing the door swing open. "Today is a big day for you, isn't it? I've been thinking-"

"What are you doing, Aido?" She asked, wondering if he'd been sleep-deprived for too long. The man was barging into rooms and swinging his arms like a mad man! This wasn't like him at all. He looked around him, wondering if she was talking to him.

He shrugged, throwing her an outfit. "Get dressed, we're going to Cross Academy!" He dashed outside before she could utter a word. She looked in her arms to see a black uniform for the academy.

"Aido..."

Cross Academy

"And this is the science building," he concluded. "Why are you so dazed? Are you still hungry?" He observed her from head to toe.

Haruna slapped his hand away, "Stop that, people are staring," she turned around, pretending to not know him. Yes, she realized that hanging around Aido would never allow her to live normally, even in school. All the girls, including the boys, stared at Aido with adoration and envy. "Aido, how come you suddenly changed your mind?"

He stopped waving at his fans, "Hm? I said I'd grant my dear Haruna with anything she wanted. I keep my promises, dontcha know?" He returned to greeting his fellow classmates with much charm and charisma.

She felt guilty. Last night, she hadn't intended to make him feel bad - she was just upset and throwing a tantrum. "I know you really don't want me here, Aido."

He turned back to her, his eyes holding no feelings that told her she was being selfish. "I'm trusting my gut feelings that you will behave like an adult and that you will keep your eyes only on me. Should you not meet up to my expectations, there will be consequences-"

Everyone gasped in shock as she tackled the Idol-senpai with a hug, "Thank you! I won't mess this up!" Aido's breath halted; her embrace was the only thing that could could replace gravity to keep him down on earth. He didn't know how to react, so he gave a simple pat on her head.

"Th-... that's nice." He nearly collapsed to the floor as she jolted off for class.

Later

"And the cafeteria food is so dull that it's amazing!" Aido nodded, wondering why he was engaged to such a strange girl, but still, he was happy enough to see that she finally found something she liked. "So... Why'd you want to meet up on the school roof?"

Aido decided not to tell her that it was because she had now developed a list of girls who wanted her head, "It's quiet up here. So when do you want to leave?" Aido had finished his last classes an hour ago.

"Leave..?" She questioned, scratching her head. "I was... sort of hoping that I could sleep in the Day class dorms from here on," she held a cheeky smile.

She stopped grinning when she saw how serious Aido was. "If you intend to sleep here, we might as well be strangers. You understand that we won't be able to see each other as much, right?"

Haruna gave a little shrug, "I was hoping you'd agree... I really prefer it here than at home."

Aido was definitely not ready to make such drastic changes. "I already allowed you to attend the academy... You're really breaking my heart here Haruna," he grimaced, sure of it that she was in the rebellious stages of life. Her eyes held hope, begging that he'd let her stay. "This is exactly what happens when you spoil people. Once you do, they keep asking for more," he muttered.

Spoiled? She clearly didn't agree that she was asking for too much. "The only times you have ever spoiled me are when you buy me diamonds and fancy clothes! To which I must say, I don't even like those things!"

A dying gasp left his lips; his little girl had learned how to talk back to him. "I've given you too much liberty; we're going home-"

"What are you so scared about, Aido?" She pulled away from his grasp, curious as to why he was so stubborn.

"Why do you want to stay so much?"

"I told you, I dislike being kept behind walls... The mansion is too big, your father looks at me with disdain, and it's just... Too much of a drastic change." Aido bursted out with an outrageous laugh - change? Did he get the entire picture wrong? He thought that she would want to change her life, to have a nice home and everything she could ever want. He'd blow his brains out if it were true that she wanted to live in rags and work as a servant.

"Are you nuts Haruna?"

She quickly shook her head, "That's not what I mean. What I'm saying is... You have to give me time to adjust to this new life as a 'princess.' One day I'm playing the role of a punching bag and then the next day I'm a girl laced in pearls- it's just too... Uncomfortable."

Her tilted his head, clicking his tongue while eyeing her with bewildered eyes. Looking at it that way, he slowly nodded, understanding her feelings. "Well... then to make it fair, I'll make a drastic change in my life too!" Haruna frowned, already sensing the danger in his strange idea. "I'll start dressing casually, living in a cheap apartment, and take up a part time job. How's that sound?"

As weird as it was... "I like it. When do we start?"

"Today."

Later

Beginning their new life wasn't such a bad idea... But it wasn't like Haruna expected it to be. She watched as Aido slipped into a hoodie and plain jeans, "I hate this... It really makes me look... Ordinary." Haruna didn't think so. Whatever he wore, even if it were to be a worn out rag, he'd still look abnormally handsome.

"It's your looks," she nodded, understanding that a normal life wouldn't be normal because of them. "Because you're a vampire, you look like a prince out of a book. You're cursed."

"How so?"

"You can't live a normal life. You instantly got a job, an apartment, and the clothes from the thrift store without any trouble because of your good looks." It was really unfair. Aido smirked, running his fingers through his gold locks.

She sighed, ready to hear him boast. "It's true, the entire Aido family is cursed with good looks," he shrugged with much pride. "However... I wish these looks could grow an apple tree... I'm starving."

They both stared into the empty kitchen of their new apartment. "Ahh, we're going to starve! I won't even get paid until the end of the week and... Can we-"

"No. You promised you wouldn't use the money given from your family." Aido sighed, already feeling the pressures of the changes. She sighed, pushing him into the bathroom. "Go take a bath or something, shake off the stress."

He looked at the bath tub, groaning. The tub had yellow stains and there were cracks in the walls. Aido feared that roaches would crawl out of the cracks or the whole entire place would fall any minute. "Haruna, this really is uncomfortable. And you're enjoying this?"

Haruna nodded, happy to live normally. "Don't take too long; the manager said that hot water usually runs out within seven minutes." She closed the door, hearing another loud groan from the other side of the door.

Later

"How did you do this?" Aido looked at the small meal in front of him. Haruna quietly ate without him, gesturing him to sit down and eat too. He was impressed with how she was able to make food magically appear.

Haruna smiled, glad to see that she'd made an impression. "Do you really want to know?" He nodded hesitantly. "I stole from a nearby shop." She immediately held her stomach in pain for laughing after seeing his jaw drop.

Aido was in disbelief - because he was unable to provide for her, she had to stain her innocence by stealing! "I'm kidding Aido," she told, afraid he was going to have a panic attack. "I went around collecting cans and when I gathered enough, I exchanged it for money and bought these. You won't have to starve tonight."

He blinked, regaining his breath. "S-so... wasn't that embarrassing having to pick up cans in the garbage?" Haruna paused, shrugging. She never thought too much of it.

"I guess I don't have enough pride to care. You're always taking care of me, so let me take care of you this time."

They ate silently, which scared Haruna a little because Aido was usually talkative. They both crawled under their sheets, laying on the stiff ground since they had no beds to sleep on yet. She flinched every time she heard him growling while tossing a turning.

She smiled to herself, not because she enjoyed seeing him so miserable, but because this new life had actually made them learn a little more about each other. Before it was just greeting and going to parties, but now it was surviving together. "You can't sleep because your sheets don't smell like lavender, right?"

She heard him go quiet. Yes, he was very spoiled. "... I'm sorry you have to go through all this. If you really can't stand it, we can go back home. I won't be mad-"

"I promised that I'd put myself into your position; I'm not stopping until I understand you inside out. Goodnight."