So hello, back with a new chapter! I had exams in December and January, so that's why I'm so late (sweats). Next chapter will be up within 3 weeks as a compensation for all the waiting :)

FIRST:

- I'm pretty hyped, because this is the last chapter in the current ""arc"". There will be a time skip starting next chapter, so things will go a bit faster from now on.

- I included something fun in this chapter (okay...maybe a lot of fun things), so I hope you'll enjoy.

Reviews: (I'm going to do this from now on, since I can't reply to everyone by message :( )

- Sals: Thank you so much! The show wasn't very good (to me at least), I would've loved to change up a few things haha (maybe more Yuma? More Laito? More eh...everyone? I have a thirst to clench y'all)

ALSO EXCITING NEWS (and kind of a gift for you guys):

I opened up a blog for Masami (like an, OC blog), where I can answer question as her, the boys etc... I might start posting drawings too, but I'm already late on writing, don't get me started on drawing (SWEATS). Check it out, I made the blog for you guys, also as a compensation for all the waiting. You can sent me prompts and scenarios in any form or way, even AU's or 'what if' situation are welcome (for example; what if Masami had lived with the Mukamis since the start, how would this/that go?") and I'll try to write something for you (and on rare occasions maybe draw?)

You can send me anything else too, like question etc. There's an anon option, so don't be afraid! Also, for anyone who draws themselves and if you have drawn anything in regards of this story, you can always send it to me through the blog as well (or through , I'd love to see your work!).

The blog's name is: satomasami on tumblr. Check it out!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: VOTE FOR YOUR FAVES ON MY NEW POLL! (you can find it on my profile, right on top)

I've made a poll on my profile asking the question which boys you'd like to see Masami interacting with next. You can pick up to 2 boys! The two with the most votes will, naturally, get more interactions with Masami in future chapters. Let me know though, what type of interactions you want. Romantic? Funny? Sexy? ;)))

NOW ONTO THE CHAPTER!

Chapter 12

→ Promise

There was a hint of regret that she hadn't been able to eat a cheeseburger before she decided to get herself in the biggest and deepest pile of absolute SHIT.

Masami was running through the woods next to the highway. Not as far from the highway, but certainly not close to it either. She kept herself fully concealed and tried to focus herself as much as she could on the act of running itself, rather than on when they were going to kill her. She knew they were following her and knew that there was nothing to be done about it, besides trying to make a decent effort at running away.

She maneuvered around trees, tried not to stumble and most importantly tried to look out for any surprises.

As she kept running she regretted everything she did, felt shame and fear all at the same time. It wasn't something she could just laugh off and forget about later.

Even though she was careful, because of the dark, Masami slid while still running at full speed. She tumbled down a deep slope. In reflex, she covered her face with her arms as she rolled over the rocky, with mud and leaves covered ground, down in a put of even more mud and leaves. As she landed, she hit her head on something incredibly hard.

Not a second later, she blacked-out.

EARLIER

Masami was back in bed after a surprisingly fun evening of shopping with Kou. She could hardly believe it herself that she had a good time with Sir Goldilocks, the very person she had thrown a shoe at earlier the month. Things were definitely changing after coming to this town and meeting all these vampires.

It was strange.

But there were still things Masami couldn't understand, things she needed answers for. Maybe she had to go to the library at the Sakamaki mansion. There had to be something about Ayano's past that could lead her to clues about herself. She had to do some research. Because to be frank, Masami was absolutely done being the clueless individual that she had been for as long as she could remember. She was done forgetting things and doing nothing about it.

Marvelous Masami is back on the path of destruction, fellas. Take your children and run!

But those were worries for tomorrow, when she would go back to the Sakamaki residence. Now, she just wanted to get some good old sleep.

There was a black ghost above Masami. Nothing like she had ever seen before. It didn't feel real, almost as if there was only smoke above her. But she knew. She knew that this was a person. There were red eyes looking down upon her. The person was tall, or she just happened to be tiny. The figure bent down on one knee, gently, and looked her right in the eyes. Masami couldn't see anything but the black silhouette along with the glowing red eyes. There was a faint hint of a shark-toothed smile.

"It is a pity that things have to end like this." The voice was smooth and deep. The voice of someone who's ought to be respected. Of someone who didn't go on the knees little girls.

The ghost handed Masami something. Masami looked at her hands. They were as red as the black figure's eyes. Her once white dress was covered in the same red. A shock of pain went through the whole of her chest, she felt the pain in her lungs, in her spine, in her heart. She still held the object that the ghost had given her, tightly in her palm. She wouldn't dare to drop it.

"You know what you need to do."

Masami nodded slowly. Of course she knew what to do. It felt like instinct. The voice only confirmed it.

She took the silver knife and pointed it right at her beating heart. Her breath went slow. The figure was still watching her, still on one knee. The red eyes slowly blinked in approval, even though there seemed to be something sorrowful about it.

And then in less than a flash of a second, Masami had planted the knife right in the red eye of the black ghost.

There was a loud scream. An inhumane sound.

The ghost dissolved and everything went black again. The silver knife fell onto the ground, next to the girl.

And in some way, everything felt peaceful again.

If not for long.

It was the most vivid dream that Masami has ever had. And oh boy, Masami really took lifelike to another level.

From what she could see, Masami was in the hall with her hands covered in blood. A knife beside her on the ground. Not a silver one though, a sleek black one, the very one she had stolen from Beret boy the day before.

Across her was the dark-haired vampire, Ruki, for whom she couldn't find a nickname for one reason or another. His name just happened to stick.

The vampire was leaning against the wall, with his hand pressed against his shoulder. It didn't take Masami long to connect the dots.

She had stabbed him.

Masami had stabbed him, thinking he was the black ghost.

And for the first time in a very long time, Masami felt scared. Masami bit the insides of her cheeks, trying to get her expression under control. She also balled her fists as tightly as she could, digging her nails into the flesh of her palms. And yet, her hands were still shaking like crazy.

There wasn't anything that she hated more than showing her fear.

Weakness.

Ruki groaned softly. He lifted his head and just looked at Masami, emotions nowhere to be found. He just stared.

Masami opened her mouth, searching for an explanation, searching for words that could justify her deed. Instead, she just closed her mouth and clenched her teeth.

Ruki limped back against the wall with his back and slid down. It had to be a large wound, it wasn't something from what he could recover directly.

He really was in pain.

Ruki tilted his head back, almost scornfully, but Masami knew that that wasn't what he really felt. Somehow, his demeanor gave off a heavyhearted feel. There was also… something about seeing Ruki in pain that made Masami nauseous. She felt like she couldn't handle it, as if she had seen something like it before. Tears started burning in her eyes, though they did not fall. She felt sick, afraid and most of all ashamed.

And that's when she ran.

And boy, did she run.

Masami slowly opened her eyes, but saw nothing as she opened them. Though, after her eyes got used to the dark, Masami realized that she recognized the room she was in. She could recognize her own mess from miles away.

Back in her room in the Sakamaki mansion.

How in seven hells did I end up here?! Back with these potato-brained apes.

"Look she's finally awake, fufu…" The suave sound of death. "You had a great time there, Whore-chan?"

Ape number one. JESUS.

Damn Fedora was lying next to her, since…since when? Anyhow, he was lying way too close to her liking. Fedora in particular had to stay three miles away. Three miles at LEAST.

"Oi, pervert, it's not even your turn to watch her!"

Potato ape number two has arrived. Or rather, the turnip ape. Just take my soul while you can, goddammit.

The light was turned on and what Masami saw, was the boob-watching triplet once her vision got accustomed to the light. More surprisingly she saw that Fedora next to her was, in fact, not wearing his fedora.

Something must be wrong…My god.

He sure as hell looks better without the goddamn thing on his scalp.

"Corpse, how did you even know we were coming for you? You were running away before we even had the chance to reach the damn house!" He seemed not to care about privacy at all and acted like he owned everything in this room, including Masami. Ayato lay on the bed as if it were his own, supporting his head with one arm, his other arm resting on his hip.

Draw me like one of your French girls...

So they were the ones chasing her after she had left the Mukami residence. The Mukamis weren't the ones chasing her. But why had she left again? She only remembered escaping the Mukami house, running and having the feeling she was being chased. She had been very, very afraid. That she did remember vividly. And the last memory she had was that she hit her head hard before blacking out completely.

"You deaf or something? How the hell did you know?"

"I only remember hitting my head. I don't remember what happened at all."

She wasn't going to tell him about Bandage man and his knives, about Ponytail and the apple and Kou and their shopping trip. It wasn't any of his goddamn business.

"Yeah, I saw that. It was pretty hilarious." Turnip tilted his head back, letting out a short, mocking laugh. His demeanor had something of that of a 12-year-old child. A very, very dangerous one, though. "You really should be thankful that Ore-sama dragged you away. You could've died if I had left you there, you know?"

He was waiting for something.

Masami had to push all her jokes and sarcasm aside. When you have to eat shit: bite, chew and swallow. Make it quick.

"Yes, thank you very much."

"Very, much what?"

A sigh was being suppressed. "Thank you very much, Ore-sama."

He smiled pleasingly, it was the mischievous smile of a child that just got what it wanted.

Better to keep that Turnip happy…For my sake.

"You don't remember a single thing that happened in that house?" Laito, suddenly interested, was the one who asked the question, with his face only a few inches from Masami's.

"No."

Fedora chuckled softly. "What did they do to you that made you run away hmmm…" His voice went into a whisper, with his breath quite literally in Masami's ear. She could even feel his hair falling on her neck.

Masami stayed calm, but couldn't help but think that what he said made sense. What was the reason for her to run away in such a hurry? Why had she been so scared?

"Oi, get the hell away. You're being disgusting."

"Hmmp, fine, fine. She's no fun at all." Laito turned, with puffed cheeks, not quite satisfied with the reaction he got from the female vampire, but still maintained a position close to Masami. "That'll change soon though, there's no nut that can't be cracked."

Me, a nut? More like a rock. Good luck, fella.

Ayato clicked his tongue in irritation and stood back up with both hands in his pockets. "Just know that it's not even your turn to watch her."

Watch me?!

Laito smiled amusingly. "Wouldn't even dare to ~" he said as moved over Masami, who was lying on the far right of the bed. He swiftly rolled over and stood right beside the bed, right beside her.

Ayato left the room, seemingly annoyed. Laito, who stood beside Masami, bowed down a little. The gesture seemed to be almost charming.

But then again, the devil always had its tricks.

"I wonder how long it would take me to crack you…" He said, looking down at her with soft green eyes, while placing his hand on her shoulder. His voice went softer, his face came closer. He moved his hand down her shoulder, over her arm, stroking her with his fingers. He sighed. "It doesn't matter how long, though. Since I'm sure that you'll open for me first."

He smiled again, that Casanova smile, and gave her a peck on the lips before making his way out. But just before actually leaving out the door, he stopped and turned. "Oh, almost forgot! You have to come downstairs, Reiji wants to speak to you. See you soon~"

The door closed behind him.

Masami was finally alone and finally able to let her shield of self-control down. She took the satin pillow next to her and planted her face in it. She screamed for a good minute.

After getting up, refraining herself from screaming in the pillow again, Masami walked downstairs. Someone had changed her clothing and she hoped with her whole heart that it had been a maid. As usual, Masami went barefoot, her hair in a loose bun.

On her way down, she actually met the person she had been looking for. Glasses. He seemed reasonable enough to give her an explanation.

"There you are. Before I will say anything else, I will not be kept waiting again, is that understood?" There were a few words to describe his attitude.

Diplomatic.

Neat.

Stuck-up.

Slightly to very assholish.

"Sorry, won't happen again." Masami had learned that fighting back here made things only a hundred times worse. "I have a few questions regarding my…eh…stay here."

"Since you kept me waiting, I will not answer your questions. I will tell you what I have to tell you and make my way. You have wasted already enough of my time."

"That's fine, again sorry. Please continue."

Glasses, who did seem to be in a hurry to get the hell away from her, seemed satisfied with her answer. "Very well, you seemed to have stopped our property from being stolen, so we got you back in return, as requested by her. However, certain agreements we had made, changed. You are being kept here, and are going to be watched as well. You will not return to school until further notice."

"Wait, what? Did Ayano ask you to do this?"

Reiji sighed. "She did not, someone else did. Who that is, is none of your concerns. You should be thankful that such measures were taken to ensure your safety."

My safety…Oh please. Like you really care at all.

"…Alright. Is there any way to contact Ayano? I think I lost my phone."

"No, and you're prohibited from doing so. If you break this rule, you'll face severe punishment."

"And why is that?"

"There is no 'why' to this. This is how things are, and if I may remind you, you agreed not to ask any questions—"

"But—"

Reiji surely did not like to be cut off. "I'm sure you would prefer sleeping in a bed, rather than the cellars?"

And I thought this guy was reasonable!

Glasses…I'm disappointed.

"Alright," Masami said, feeling helpless.

"You are ought to keep yourself busy, following the rules of the house and the rules mentioned earlier. As I said, severe punishment will follow if you don't abide to these rules."

Masami couldn't help but sigh. "Understood."

"Subaru will be the first watching you, he should be downstairs." Reiji chuckled. "Don't bother me and just so that you won't forget: follow the rules."

After having one of his usual nightmares, Ruki decided to go to the bathroom to calm down. It had been an intense dream, more so than usual. Could it be because of…? It had to be. Ever since he had seen her face, he remembered every little thing that he desperately wanted to forget.

It was indeed all because of her.

But she had brought up good memories too, of the minuscule amount he possessed. Memories he had forgotten long ago. Of her singing, laughing and well…being her.

Ruki wondered, had he missed her? Or was it just his possessiveness? He wanted her near him, not in the hands of the Sakamakis. There was no doubt about the fact that he wanted her, he knew that. She had grown to be more beautiful than he remembered her to be. It aggravated him that the Sakamakis had their hands on her. Time alone would make out how long it would take before they would cross the line with her.

He had to do something about that, by all means necessary.

Ruki dried his hands with a towel, after getting his thoughts back on track. As Ruki was about to go back to his room, he saw a shadow down the hallway. A female silhouette.

Ruki stepped closer, hands in his pockets, his demeanor relaxed as always. What he saw, however, made him lose his cool.

Masami was standing in the middle of the hallway with a knife pointed at her chest. No, Ruki thought. The knife was pointed at her heart.

"Masami," he called out.

She didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the wall across her, almost as if she didn't see him.

Ruki decided to come closer and grabbed her by the shoulder and shook gently. "Masami," he called out again.

Then she reacted. It was a subtle gesture, but she was nodding. Ruki, however, wasn't sure if it was because of him.

But just when he was about to take the knife out of her hands, she turned the knife with a swift move away from herself, pointing it right at him. Then she bore the knife right in him, pulled it up and then took it right out. Surprised, Ruki fell back. He saw her eyes close after dropping her knife, leaving it clattering on the floor.

Ruki tried to stand back up, leaning on the wall to keep his balance. He pushed with his hand on his wound, groaning loudly as he did.

Then he heard a gasp. Masami's expression had changed completely. She looked shocked, disoriented and most of all…

…scared.

She stared at him with this expression, completely bewildered. It was as if she didn't even know what had happened. Ruki wasn't sure, but it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Right upon noticing this expression of hers, she turned and ran.

Kou, Azusa and Yuma were all three out in the dark, still looking for Masami after she had run away. It had been two hours since.

Ruki lay in his bed with a bandage wrapped tightly around his wound. She had hit several arteries below his collar bone, which would take up to a day to heal fully. He didn't have any livestock around either, so there was no way of speeding up the process.

But the pain didn't bother him. It was the face that he kept seeing as he closed his eyes that bothered him.

Scared, teary green eyes, a sight he had seen before. A sight from memories he wanted to forget. Green eyes of a person he had failed to save.

Yet the image in his head only confirmed his thought.

She was here, alive. There was…hope.

And Ruki promised to her, but most of all to himself, that he wouldn't fail her again.

SO did you like this chapter! Please let me know in the comments what your thoughts were!

Also, dont forget to check out the blog (satomasami on tumblr) and the MORE IMPORTANTLY THE POLL on my profile here on FF !

FOLLOW/FAVORITE/ AND MOST IMPORTANTLY REVIEWWWWW

See you sexy readers later!