"Isley Rhys III"

On their way home, Haruna couldn't talk to her mother nor look at her. She pestered her halfway home on how she was able to find the money to bail her out, but Haruna could only respond with a quiet, "Don't worry about it." Her mother always hated it when Haruna said that; it made her worry more. Only when her mother accused her of stealing or doing something dirty to gain the money did she realize that maybe she should've just stayed quiet. "This is our new home," Haruna didn't sound too happy.

However, her mother's face instantly brightened at the new location; it was a much more luxurious home than before. "Ah! Was it my son Aido? Please tell me he came back!" Haruna ignored her mother, entering the new house to greet her siblings. Her mother turned sour when Haruna looked like she had been crushed with a boulder. "Maybe I said too much...?"

3 Weeks Later

"It's good to see you smiling again! The first few days when you came back, I thought perhaps someone took your soul," Uncle laughed. Haruna eventually was exposed to Aido's schemes and was re-employed back at the barber. This time, she didn't get a raise but she was able to cut hair, regardless of whose it was. The doorbell rang, "Ah, greetings custom- ah..!" Uncle's jaw dropped at the sight of a certain customer.

Everyone's gaze beamed at the man who held a beautiful smile. Haruna scolded herself, feeling quite stupid when she expected Aido. It wasn't him; why would it be? They had no reason to see each other anymore. The man's charming green eyes, long legs, shoulder-length locks, and pale skin were enough to captivate every heart in the room - except Haruna's. She'd been hanging around too much vampires that she was immune to beautiful people. "Y-yes sir... What can we do for you today?" Uncle spoke more sincerely than usual; intimidation always had such effects.

His eyes flickered across the room, almost as though he were searching for something... Or someone. "Just getting a haircut," he smiled. Women in the shop immediately started whispering comments about him, calling him 'stud, sexy foreigner, prince, beast, etc.' Of course, the widening of his curved lips only signified that he heard them all. His attention eventually landed on the uncaring Haruna. "I'd like to request a haircut from..." He read the nametag on her shirt, "Haruna-chan, if that's quite alright."

She sensed a dangerous threat coming from every woman; she wanted to refuse but she could see from his attire that he was rich, meaning if she turned him down, Uncle would have her head. "That's fine," she dusted the remaining hair off her chair, "sit down please." Perhaps it was his status that made her conscious the entire time, but for some reason... She felt frightened by his mere presence. "How would you like it?"

"Just a trim," he looked in the mirror the entire time; it felt like he was looking at her reflection only instead of her hands. It bothered her why he would come to a neighborhood barber when he could have his hair done by someone more professional... Plus the fact that he specifically requested her only made her more wary. "It's looking good." It was a pity to have such beautiful hair fall to the dusty ground.

Giving the final touches, she moved one strand behind his ear, "I'm done-"

"I see a flaw," he didn't hesitate to point out. Haruna held back her breath, looking to where he was pointing. She didn't see a mistake. "Closer, here," he quickly turned his head, nearly butting heads with her. Haruna's heart dropped when he grabbed her wrist, squeezing to the point where he could've broken her bone. Begging him to stop while trying to not cause a scene didn't help, "Do you really not remember me Haruna-chan? Even this close up, you can't recognize me?"

She winced in pain; he was insane. "You're hurting me," she could feel herself bruising from his grasp, "let go!" He released his hold with a smirk on his face. The scissors in her hand left a gash on his cheek and the next thing she knew, she was the enemy in the room. "I- I'm sorry!" She dropped the scissors, seeing his blood on them.

"Haruna!" Uncle shouted, instantly realizing the situation. In everyone's eyes, Haruna was the inexperienced haircutter who managed to wound an angel-like person - she was in huge trouble. No one seemed to notice the no-good look on the man's face.

Already knowing who Uncle would side with, she gave up on trying to explain herself and began to apologize as though her life were on the line. Who would believe this common citizen compared to this godsend man? Uncle inched closer like an enraged bull - she was screwed.

Later

Haruna winced; her cheek throbbed with a burning sensation after Uncle slapped her twice. However, he didn't fire her due to her excellent behavior and qualified skills as a haircutter (plus he was still in fear that perhaps Aido was still lurking around). "I don't want to walk this earth anymore," she lost all faith in people including herself. Though, what bugged her more was what the man said... She didn't remember meeting someone (as cruel) like him. "He must've mistaken me for someone else..." Even though she said this, she kept second guessing herself due the confidence in his voice a while ago.

"Crybaby." Haruna stopped, dreaded to hear the voice of a demon. Lurking in the alleyway was none other than the troublemaker himself. What was with him calling her a crybaby? She dealt Uncle's hits like a man! She continued walking, though he followed close behind. "God you have a memory of a fish," he spoke to mostly himself.

She cursed the broad daylight; had it been dark, she would've sent him running with his tail between his legs. "You've got the wrong person sir. I suggest you stop stalking me otherwise I'll-"

"Scream? That's what they all say, but does it ever work? No-"

"I was going to say that I'll grab that brick over there and hammer you down." He only laughed at her threat. Her teeth grinded against each other and the muscles in her forehead narrowed into a glare. "What do you want from me-" the breath in her lungs were knocked right out of her when the man slammed her into the brick wall. With one hand, he pinned both of hers above her head while the other caressed her cheek. "Why are you so angry?" She managed to gasp before feeling nauseous.

His kind front became dark in a split second; his true colors didn't match up to his looks. She didn't even know the man and yet he was... "I waited eleven long years for you and you don't even take a second glance at me; why should I be calm?" Haruna shuddered in fear. Would he kill her? Would he-...She turned red, squirming against the wall as he rested his head against her bosoms, sighing in comfort. "This heartbeat... it's racing so fast; I bet your heart must be pumping a lot of blood."

Haruna's heart died a second time that day when she noticed his wound was gone and saw a glimpse of his fangs. He was a vampire. She stuck her neck in her shirt, hoping to feel some sort of safety. "I know what you're about to do, but I will warn you that there are hunters who will kill you. If you value your life-"

She felt sick to the stomach as he chuckled - he could care less about them. He snapped, punching a hole in the wall, "Why can't you see I'm not trying to hurt you?" Maybe he had the memory of a fish since she recalls getting slapped by Uncle because of him and having her wrist nearly broken by him. He took a handful of her hair, inhaling her scent with much desire, "I guess I can't blame you for forgetting... You've been pushed around a lot by those lowly humans; your memories must be jumbled up." He stroked her bruised cheek, "Did you see the fire burn up that house that night? I know you hated that house-"

"That was you who set it on fire?" He nodded innocently. "I almost got thrown in jail for arson! Next time, don't do something so stupid-"

"They were going to rape you!" He buried his face into her neck as though he were trying to get on her good side; he didn't want to be hated by her (even though it was much too late for that), "I protected Haruna-chan... Your nervous, I can tell," he looked up with luring eyes.

If she hadn't seen his appearance, she would've assumed he was a child. The man was so eager to please her and to have her sole attention... Just what kind of relation did she share with him? "Y-you can let me go now... I won't run," she promised. Being naive as a child, he hesitantly let go of her wrists, apologizing for hurting her. He smiled, this time, it was a true and sincere one. Like this, it almost seemed he was bipolar. "Your name... May I ask for your name and a little background on our supposed relationship?"

He was only willing to give his name, "Isley Rhys III. I'll let you figure the rest on your own. Until then, you can expect daily visits, my Haruna-chan."

Later

"Hey mom. Have I ever met anyone named Isley Rhys III?" Haruna asked. Originally, she wasn't going to pry into the matter, since she assumed the man was just straight up insane, however, she didn't like the idea of him showing up everyday to check on her to see if she remembered. Plus, when he asked that she figure the rest on her own, it was more of a demand than an opportunity for her.

"Ooh, Isley Rhys III?" Her mother tapped her chin with interested. Haruna listened intently, only for her mother to laugh, "Not a clue! But the name sure sounds fancy! Has an old love resurfaced?" Haruna turned gaunt; she hoped it wasn't some love they developed in the past... But with the way he was eyeing her and pressing his face against her chest... she wouldn't be surprised. "Maybe you should check your journal entries."

If he weren't so clingy and obsessed, perhaps she might've liked him. "Of course you wouldn't remember," she sighed, "and checking my journal entries is hopeless because they got destroyed when..." Haruna didn't want to mention Aido's name. "Forget it. Remembering that creep isn't worth my time anyway." Of course, he must be bluffing about showing up everyday. No man is ever that relentless.

2 Weeks Later

"Have you remembered yet?" Isley poked his head through the window, resting his chin on the windowsill. Haruna sighed, closing the window and locking it. Unfortunately, he was quite the persistent guy. Everyday - how does he do it?

Everywhere she looked, she swore she saw his face. "Was that him again?" Reina asked. She was a co-worker and apparently another one of Isley's many fans. Haruna nodded grudgingly. She started regretting about not shaving his head bald, maybe that would have kept him out of her life forever. "He's so handsome~ Tell me; why is he so head over heels for you?"

"That's what I want to know." Haruna cleaned her area before her shift was over. For the past few days, she's been feeling nothing but his eyes on her; when she's sending her sisters to school, when she's working, when she's showering, even when she's sleeping. She grabbed the doorknob, ready to leave, "This is stupid... why should I be afraid just to walk home? I shouldn't let this idiot take control of me like this." Well, she wasn't exactly afraid - just annoyed.

Taking a moment to breathe, she finally gathered the broken pieces of her courage off the floor and pushed the door open- "Idiot? That's not very nice to say." She treaded home as he followed her like an overly attached puppy. "If you want me to stop following you everywhere, I'd advise you to hurry and-"

"Remember my past, yes, but tell me something! How do I remember something that never existed? You have the wrong girl so please, just leave me alone-"

He raised his hand, stopping himself before he tied her to the wall again like last time. He gave a forced smile to hide his grimace, "You're cute when you're mad, but don't press my buttons." Haruna wanted to lunge at him for saying something like that; he was pressing her buttons.

"Idiot," she kicked his shin and stomped off. "Really... Men are jerks-"

"Ha... runa." That nostalgic voice which she missed so dearly... Just calling her name out was enough to make her knees weak. "It really is you." Haruna laughed out of amusement and sorrow; the way he said it would make anyone think they haven't seen each other for years (even though the weeks they spent apart felt like an eternity). She never thought the day would come where he spoke to her as though they were just friends... Well, they are friends now, aren't they?

"Here with your wife?" She looked at the hospital in front of them. Aido nodded, looking away in guilt, "How's the baby?" He told her everything was going good. "You should be by her side to support her and your child. Besides, it'd be bad if we're caught talking like this."

She could see how reluctant he was, "We got into a fight on our way here, so I'm waiting for her out here..." It wasn't hard to tell that he was miserable. "We can talk a while longer, so stay... please."

She could only shake her head, "Stay strong; you'll learn to love her, like how I learned to love you." Aido grinned, blushing from her words. She clamped her mouth, feeling stupid for spilling out her emotions like that.

"That's the first time for you to say you love me. I'll hold onto your words to keep me strong. However, I can't ever see her the way I see you; in the end, I'll only love her as the mother of my child."

If ever there was a time machine, Haruna would go back in time and fix all the wrongs. She would've made it so that they met earlier and so that they would have a good ending. She could only wish for the impossible. "May this be our last meeting," she didn't want to meet him anymore. The more she saw him, the more she wanted to be with him.

"Haruna!" He grabbed her hand for one last time, "G-Goodluck... I hope you can find happiness-"

"Hm, what is this?" The two instantly let go of their hands, "So while I'm having a checkup with your child, you're mingling with this whore again?" Haruna couldn't back away as Misha approached them with furious eyes. "You have some nerve," she stabbed Haruna in the chest with her finger, "to try and hook up with a married man whose wife is pregnant."

"He doesn't love you," Haruna murmured, looking away.

"Doesn't love me?" Misha slapped her on the same side Uncle hit her, "Then why am I carrying his child while you're all alone?" She smirked at how powerless Haruna was. Again and again Haruna felt her hand hitting the side of her face without mercy. "If I see you talking to my husband again, you can expect a death sentence."

Too out of line to say a word, Aido could only pity her. Haruna tried hard to not call out his name for help; she didn't want to burden him. Tears were the only things that managed to break free as she was helpless - he was no longer on her side. "I'm so sorry," was all he could say before they left her.

Haruna wiped the blood off her cheeks; she felt worse than dirt. "Wow that was quite a show." Haruna lifted her face off the ground to see a pair of expensive looking shoes. She placed her face back on the ground, "What's the matter? You don't want to see me?"

"Not one bit. But I must say, we must have been real good friends back then for you to just sit there and watch me get humiliated."

He laughed, "You deserved it." Unbelievable! Haruna wanted to hit the guy right there. "While I'm torn in two because you forgot about me, you're talking to some other vampire who's already married. You're real classy."

"Yeah, well I'm not here to impress you."

"And I'm not here to be your Superman. Unless you call for my help or we're in a relationship where I'm obliged to help you, I'm just going to sit back and watch you suffer. If I were you, I would've pulled a sucker punch to her stomach!"

Haruna couldn't believe what she was hearing. The guy was clearly heartless and would only protect things he loved. "Did you not listen to the conversation? She's pregnant!" No matter how much she emphasized it, he would never understand.

"So?" He shrugged, "The world turns because I want it to. Everything exists solely for me. If I want to punch her and her baby, so be it." Haruna understood - he was a narcissistic sadist. "You could've at least attacked her verbally - y'know, call her a bitch or something."

"What are you?" Haruna didn't get why he was so... Able to speak his mind without a care. "I would never-"

"You were thinking it. I know you were," he nodded confidently.

She threw up her hands in surrender, "I give up. I don't know you-"

"Does it hurt?" He knelt down, holding her face in his palms with care. "Honestly, I would have helped you, but sometimes my jealousy gets the best of me. I didn't want to see you hurt, really." Haruna winced, feeling his finger run across the wound on her face. "Such pretty blood," he licked it off his finger, not leaving a bit behind. Really, he was crazy.

"Your apology is unnecessary; it's not like I was expecting you to save me anyway," she lied. "Really though, you should give up on me trying to remember you. I'm sorry I can't recall a thing, but maybe you're just not worth remembering-"

"Maybe you're just too dense!" He lost his temper yet again. Haruna laughed in frustration, repeatedly calling him an idiot and flinging her arms, "Stop that!" He growled, irritated that she was playing him like a fool. His ears rang as her tantrums got louder, "Can't you see that I love you?" He finally managed to grab a hold of her attention. "Surely, you must know what it is like to be tossed aside?" Haruna hated being abandoned the most; she nodded in regret, "Then take me seriously."

The determination in his voice... She felt embarrassed being confessed to like this, "Back then, I had a severe concussion from... falling off the roof." Isley could see that that was a lie; he knew she was too ashamed to tell him that she got it from being hit too hard by those filthy men. "After that incident, I could only remember a few things. Perhaps I forgot about you, so if you want me to take you seriously, you'll have to tell me what happened..." She blushed; speaking like this as if they were couples didn't make her feel comfortable at all.

His eyes soften a bit; his hand touched her forehead. "I won't tell you, I'll just 'help' you." Slowly, pieces of forgotten memories were being mended at the touch of his finger. A stirring pain swelled in her brain, pulsing almost. "Vampires can erase memories, however, I'm helping you regain yours."

Haruna flinched at the migraine, seeing blurry images that she'd lost long ago. "It hurts," she could feel the concussion again; it felt so real. He pulled her into his chest, holding onto her tightly, hoping that it'd somehow ease the burning in her head. Seconds pass, and eventually the pain died away. He was a bit regretful, wishing that it'd last longer so that he could hold her for just a little more. "I think I..." She froze, panicking at how close he was to her. He stared into her, as though he were searching for the old her. "Sorry, I don't remember a thing!"

Isley grabbed his face in pain after she smacked him away and made a run for it. "With that reaction... She definitely remembers me." He smiled devilishly in success.

A/N: And there goes my new OC - Isley! So, what did you think about him? Write your opinion in the reviews! ^^