Hello everyone! Hope everyone's having an amazing spring break. Thanks to that I had a LOT of time to write, so I went all out. I mean, seriously, I went all out. 7671 words. Though, I'm sorry to tell you there are no boys in this chapter, but it's a pretty important one. There's a new character being introduced, who will be important for the rest of the story. Hopefully you'll like the new character. I actually didn't want to introduce this person just yet, but yolo... Anyways, the part begins with Ayano and Richter talking, since I honestly hated the part I wrote in ch11. It was way too vague and even though this part right here is also pretty vague, it's still a lot more clarifying than the other one from ch11. I actually wanted to keep the conversation for a later chapter, but again lmfao why not.

Also, don't forget to vote for the poll on my profile, where you can vote which guy you'd like to see interact with Masami!

On the blog for Masami I also answered tons of question related to her (a lot of AU questions too, in the sense of "what if she lived with the Mukami's from the start"). Check it out if you have the chance, the link can be found on my profile!

Okay, now I'll stop talking, onto the story!

(PS: the events of this chapter takes place a month after Masami left the Mukami mansion)

CHAPTER 13

→ Walking tragedy

"Adelise, mind if I join you?"

"Richter," Ayano said upon seeing the familiar face yet again. "What an unpleasant surprise."

Richter ignored the remark and sat across of Ayano, anyway. "You look lovely today."

"I know. Can't say the same about you, though," Ayano said, not in the least affected by the compliment. "What do you want." It wasn't a question.

Richter thought carefully about what he had to say next, since he didn't want to bring her one edge any more than necessary. "You weren't quite honest with me the last time we talked."

"Ah, you did some research on your own. That's a first."

"So you admit that you lied to me?"

"You're making it sound like a bad thing to do."

Richter balled a fist. He had to stay calm, of course, but she was absolutely impossible to deal with. He tried to refrain himself from saying anything he'd regret, and continued on. "I was disappointed to find out. I thought we had a good relationship with one another."

Ayano laughed at that. "You honestly think that?" she said. "I'm really questioning how your thought process works now, there might be something wrong in there, Richter." Ayano tapped with a finger on her temple. "Have it checked by a doctor, will you?"

"You had no reason to lie to me."

"I didn't, that's true. But it's a fun thing to do, and you know I like fun things, right?" Ayano said joyfully. "It wasn't like it was all a lie. I just didn't tell you anything important and bullshitted my way through the conversation. That's it. You played along just fine."

Richter frowned, but then managed to regain his composure. "What was the truth, then?"

Ayano stared at a distance as if she was thinking about the conversation and whether or not it was worth answering his question. Richter obviously knew what she was after.

"Please," Richter said with all the effort in the world.

"Awh, if you're really that desperate…Then why not?" Ayano smiled. "I crave revenge. Revenge for the death of my family. That's the truth. Did I put Masami in that house to seek out her past so that she would end up confronting him? Lie, but only partly. She doesn't need to seek out her past to confront him. She's going to do so by living. Then I'll take care of the rest for my revenge." Ayano said. "There's only one thing that has to happen: she has to be cured. It's something she has to do on her own, but I'll lead the way with the tricks I have up my sleeve. The rest will sort itself out while she's there."

Richter slammed a fist onto the table in triumph, but then went quiet again. "Wait, you're…not going to tell her?"

"No." Ayano looked him dead in the eye. "Maybe I'll change my mind though, so we'll see. I act on impulse, not really on plan."

"That I've noticed." Richter shifted into a more comfortable position. Unconsciously, a bit further away from Ayano. "But how does that work with your revenge plan, then?"

Ayano's lips curved into a bitter smile. "Right…my revenge. I'm going to mess with his lifelong plans, big time. That's all I'll tell you."

"However you—"

"No." Ayano said, her impatience turning into brutality.

"Good then… Another question?" Richter wasn't careful anymore. Curiosity got the better of him. "How many times did you make her forget, if I may ask? The procedure is quite… dangerous itself… There's no guarantee that she wakes up again, certainly not without any side effects. Well, no wonder she's in such a state. Poor thing." Richter's voice wore sympathy like a mask. Unfortunately, that mask was unable to hide the mockery in his tone.

"I didn't give you any permission to attack me with questions, yet you did so anyway." Ayano pointed at his cheek, digging a manicured nail in the flesh. "And drop the act. Don't pretend to care about her wellbeing. Don't pretend to give a shit when you couldn't care less," she said. "You know I hate that."

Richter looked at her with wide eyes. He still managed to plaster an amused smile on his face, though it took great effort. "Why? Is the question hard for you to take on?"

Ayano's expression didn't budge. Her trademark smile and joyous eyes where nowhere to be found. Her lips a straight line, eyes cold and deadly. A small trail of blood seeped down Richter's cheek. "Repeat your question," Ayano said.

"How many times did you make her forget?" A gulp. "If you don't mind answering…"

For a few more seconds Ayano's expression was stone cold. Finally she sighed and removed her hand, then wiped of the blood on a cloth as if she was about to catch a disease. "I'll tell you, if you really can't hold the excitement. It's not that big of a secret, really. I'm sure your brother already knows." Ayano thoughtfully tapped her finger on the table. "The first time was right after the whole incident itself, the day we met."

"Yes, of that one I know," Richter commented carefully, wiping the blood of his face.

"Right, that one I didn't think about. I shouldn't have listened to him. Maybe that's when the misery started, but I don't know. I did figure out quickly enough that I had made a big mistake," Ayano continued. She paused for a second, perhaps lost in her thoughts, but picked her story up again, not wanting to waste any time.

Richter nodded in understanding so that she could continue.

"Then everything was good and not much later, the symptoms started kicking in. In the end she asked me to make her forget, so I did."

"Was it that bad that she had to ask for it?" Richter asked, but immediately regretted commenting.

"Well, is that any of your business, though? No? Alright, let me continue," she said with a honey-coated tone. "Well actually, you caught me right at the end of my story."

"So, two times?" Richter said.

"Two times."

Richter couldn't help but grin. He had expected this answer. This lie. "Are you sure it's just two? And are you sure you told me the whole truth, Adelise?"

Ayano stared at Richter. "Two."

"I know very well how your family got killed. It took me a lot to get to that information, though. But you were messy and didn't cover up all the tracks." Richter pointed right at the scar on Ayano's freckled face. A thin line going over the bridge of her nose and across her cheek. "I indeed did my research."

Ayano didn't say anything, but at the mention of her family —her husband and her sweet, little girl— her stomach twisted into a knot. But it was unlike Ayano to showcase such emotions in front of anyone at all; so she made a smile appear on her face instead of showing the raw grief she felt in every inch of her body. It was the smile of a child watching a man burn. Ruthless, unnatural and with complete lack of any type of sanity.

"You figured out? Well, bravo. Good guy Richter, smart guy Richter. I'm so impressed. You finally made it. Could've warmed me beforehand though, I would've brought you a medal!"

Richter, obviously uncomfortable with her sudden mood change and behavior, shifted back again. He was well aware that he had hit a snare he shouldn't have touched in the first place. It didn't stop him from repeating his question, though. "How many times did you make her forget, Adelise?"

"Two times," repeated Ayano with the everlasting manic smile on her face.

Richter stood up, his lips pursed together. "Deceitful as always…" he commented. "Ah, did you know that your oh so loved little vampire ran away today? Does she not listen to you?"

Ayano seemed unimpressed with the new information, her complexion now utterly bored. "She doesn't listen to anyone," Ayano said. "Maybe he should think about letting her go to school again."

Richter laughed gleefully at the comment and moved his chair back under the table. "Thank you for having me in your company, but if you shall excuse me…" he said. "…I have to go catch your little vampire."

"What are you waiting for?" Ayano gestured with her hand, shooing him away. "Go and don't let it happen again."

It was eleven in the evening. Everything was quiet, only the echo of her steps filled the narrow streets with sound. A hood was pulled over Masami's head, small spikes of hair peeking out of it. A lollipop in her mouth. Hands in the pockets of her jacket. Masami was alert, but surprisingly enough not stressing. It might have been because Masami was still in a slight daze because of her medicine, only half aware of her surroundings. It didn't stop her, though. She kept moving.

Masami was walking down an alley, into a street, past small bed-and-breakfasts, local-owned stores and the neon signs that advertised all types of services. This part of town was often left undiscovered, even though it had more soul than the busy city center. This part of town had its own charm. The danger of the small, empty alleys, the broken street signs, the graffiti covering the walls, the shady stores which collected more dust than anything else, and the smell of home. Masami didn't know what home could possibly smell like, but if she did, then it would surely smell like old paint, cigarette smoke and rain.

She loved forgotten places like these. They were just like her: undiscovered, not worth a glance at first sight, but they had so much more to offer than you'd think. Places like these were worth remembering. They were hidden, they were a secret. Those who knew of them, kept quiet, to preserve their own little paradise. Masami was just like that, too. It was why she had chosen to go to this part of town. It felt like a place where she belonged.

Why Masami had left was a long story, though. It started with a dream.

It always started with a dream.

Masami had the dream two weeks into her stay with the Sakamaki's, after the new rule of "no leaving" was initiated. Her current guardian at the time had been Glasses.

What she had seen in that dream though, had kicked her right out of her shoes. It was something about her past. She didn't want to know, but apparently remembered anyway. The first few days Masami had gone into full denial mode. She didn't know anything of her own past, so the most logical explanation would have been that the dream was nothing more than a clutter of made up thoughts.

Masami remembered well enough that she had taken it upon her to start researching Ayano, and so, learning more about herself as well. However, two days after making the promise to herself, she chickened out.

The past is the past.

She didn't want to remember anything. Forgetting was an easier way out. Masami didn't bother with digging up the past, she had problems enough. And this dream proved exactly why she didn't want to remember. Even if she denied it with every fiber of her being, Masami knew that there was a possibility that what she had seen was real. And that's what made it so haunting.

From there on Masami tried to forget about the dream, which wouldn't be hard for her, it was the only thing she was good at after all. But it kept dwelling. She couldn't forget about it.

So, the dream was the first reason for leaving. Or well, it was a beginning. It brought up a rare paranoia in Masami, which didn't help her at all, considering where she was staying. It was hard dealing with the brothers, certainly in such a state. It came to the point where she just couldn't do it anymore. They were obviously stronger than her and her big mouth or lack of reaction didn't help her at all. They saw her as a challenge.

How fast can we make this stoic girl break?

It wasn't that they had broken her, oh no, far from it. Masami could deal with them. She knew she could. She knew she was strong enough to handle a bunch of pricks like them. But that in combination with her sleeping problems and the ever so returning nightmares and dreams? It didn't work. Masami noticed how her health had gone downwards ever since Ayano had dropped her off. Masami felt her bones burn with sharp pains, which occasionally dug through her organs too, like a killer with a knife. The only thing that kept the pain under control was a medicine made by Glasses, who saw her as his new guinea pig. In any case, Masami didn't need the medicine.

What she needed was a break. Space to breathe. Time to think things through.

And that's why she ran.

Masami's current guardian, who was assigned to watch her during the fourth week of her stay, would take a while to find out. Perhaps Shoe would find out sooner, but he wasn't the type to care. Masami was sure that no action would take place, at least, not until the others returned.

Masami had time to find a place to stay, until then. She was already far away, but she couldn't keep moving. Yui had warned her once when jokingly bringing up the topic of escape. She had told Masami that the Sakamakis had familiars who'd skim the air for her presence. Masami had no idea how, but she had enough trust in Yui's judgement. There was a tugging feeling in Masami's stomach, when she thought about the girl. She wished she was able to take her with, but she couldn't.

Anyhow, the chance was small that they wouldn't find her. Masami knew that much. But she didn't want to be there. At least for today. She'd return if they caught her without fighting back, but she just wanted one day away from there.

Just one day.

Masami sat on the sidewalk, in the most eerie part of this neighborhood. It would be midnight in twenty minutes to be precise. Masami's phone was turned off, but she could check the time by looking through the windows of the night shop across her. A big clock hung on the wall, behind the counter.

A drunk man, just as shady-looking as Masami did herself, sat right beside her. The both of them stared at the shop. The street lights were broken, so the only light there was, came from the shop and its green neon signs.

"Tough times, kid…" said the man, though it wasn't quite a question. Masami didn't comment, so the man just shrugged and lit up a cigarette. "You want one?"

Masami shifted her hood better in place, not wanting to show her face. "I don't smoke," she said without looking away from the shop.

"A cigarette in the pocket brings luck, young one," the man said. The packet was still open in his hand, inviting Masami to take one. "They lead you to good places."

Masami turned, finally facing the man. The man had joined Masami ten minutes ago. Before that, Masami had been sitting on the sidewalk, just thinking where she should spend the rest of her day. In those ten minutes the man had finished a whole bottle of cheap wine without speaking a word. He had a suit on, with his tie loosened up. Everything about him looked average; from his hair to his face to his clothing. His eyes however, were everything but average-looking. They were pitch black and had an unexpected gentle gleam in them.

Masami hesitated for a second more, but then took the cigarette anyway. "I thought they led you to lung cancer," she said.

"Ah, that too." The man took a drag from his cigarette, and then exhaled a cloud of grey. "We shall see where it leads you to," he said.

Masami said nothing for a while. Her hands were pocketed inside her jacket, rolling the cigarette between her fingers.

Then the man stood up, stretched out with a groan and walked towards the store with big, goofy steps. He wasn't too drunk, but he seemed to be unable to walk without losing his balance. The man entered the shop, without looking back at Masami. Masami just sat and stared, like she'd done before.

Not much later, the man returned with a new bottle of wine. It didn't surprise Masami in the least. He curled up against the wall again and with much effort, popped the cork of the bottle with his teeth. He drank for a bit before turning his attention to Masami. He did so by throwing something at her.

Masami turned, her expression flat and annoyed. "What," she said, but then noticed the lollipop next to her on the ground.

"Treat yourself." The man heaved his bottle in the air with a grand gesture. "I'm not a child predator, so please don't get the wrong idea," he said, before pulling the bottle back to his mouth.

"Too late for that," Masami said breezily. "Why, though?"

The man sat straight and waved with his bottle. "Just look at yourself. A prime example of a walking tragedy."

Masami eyed the bottle. "Says the drunk who offers teenage girls cigarettes and lollipops. You're a pretty pathetic tearjerker yourself."

"Teenagers…" the man sighed. "They grab every chance they have to tear you into the ground with their brutality and their hormonal rage."

Masami's lips twisted in a smile. It felt strange, she hadn't smiled in a long time. She pocketed the lollipop together with her cigarette.

"You should go now, just follow the street, you'll find a place to stay," the man then said, staring at the shop again. "Quick or they'll catch you."

It took a while before Masami truly understood what the words meant. Masami's heart sank into her shoes. Unconsciously, she shot up, jumping back like a frightened frog. The man was drunk, he could be talking nonsense for all Masami knew. It was obvious she was a runaway, so he might just be trying to get on her nerves. But she wasn't going to take any risks. She didn't want to go back there, just not today.

Without any words of goodbye, Masami ran.

"Look, girl, this is a store, not a goddamn hotel. You can't stay here."

"I never said I wanted to stay here."

Masami sat on the floor of a dusty record shop, with a pile of records stacked up next to her. The whole store looked like the typical hangout place for the average grumpy, out of the world teenager. Masami sat next to a funky lamp, one that emitted a purple glow. All the lamps and fairy lights tinted the whole store in a wonderful purple and blue hue. Every corner of every wall was covered with various posters and collages of different types of artists. An old record player in the corner, covered with stickers of insects, played an obscure indie song. Everything about this place was strange. Masami had made a good decision to come here.

"And I'm the Queen of fucking England." The woman behind the counter rubbed her temples. "You've been here for two hours already! Closing time was an hour ago, you know." She threw her bright blue braids over her shoulders, walked up to Masami, and took the record Masami was holding out of her hands.

Masami looked at the entrance door. The windows were covered with checkered curtains. "You got me." Masami signed a pistol with her hands, pointing at her temple. "Pang."

The woman didn't laugh. She placed her hands on her hips with the record in one hand. "Kid, this isn't a joke anymore. You really need to leave."

"I can't." Masami looked up, her eyes gleaming with seriousness. It was very unlike her. "I can't go back there. Just not today. Any time, but not today."

The woman crouched down, putting the record back on the stack. Her dark eyes examined Masami's. "Pull your hood back."

Masami did as she was told.

The woman's eyes grew a little bigger, but the change was hardly noticeable. She kept her emotions well under control upon seeing the red marks and bruises that covered Masami's neck, up to where the hoody allowed the woman to see skin. Instead of staring at the bruises, she observed Masami's face, absorbing every detail.

Finally, the woman groaned. "Boyfriend?"

Masami scoffed. "Nah." A weak smile.

The woman thought for a while before letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm not a prison nor a hospital. I'm not some delinquent runaway foster parent, either." The woman then patted her pockets, and then again, let out a frustrated groan.

Masami reacted quickly and took out the cigarette that the drunken man had given her. "Here," Masami said, offering the cigarette to the Blue-haired lady.

The woman stared at Masami for a few seconds, took the cigarette out of her hands with a rather rough move and inspected it thoroughly before popping it between her lips.

"You're lucky that I'm in a very unstable emotional state right now. Otherwise I would have kicked your ass right out."

Masami grinned broadly. Apparently cigarettes did lead you to good places. Masami made a mental note to not take drunken strangers' advice for granted.

"Hey hey, delinquent. Stop the clown smile, okay? It's a onetime thing. Don't get your hopes up. I'm not keeping you." The woman stood back up, pointing at Masami in a warning. Then, much to Masami's surprise, she stretched out an arm. "Hope you like cold, left over fried chicken. Because I ain't cooking for you, crappy kid."

"Sounds just right." Masami took the hand gratefully. "Thank you."

"Now don't get sentimental, alright? I'm not keeping you."

Masami grinned. "We'll see about that, Blue."

The chain-smoking lady with the long blue braids was called Alexa, but Masami quickly made it a habit calling her Blue instead. She stood fierce and tall, with gleaming black eyes and a ton of nature-themed tattoos covering her dark skin. She smelled like herbs and Tabaco, and she wore long and flowy dresses in different shades of purples, blacks and blues. On every arm she had a dozen silver bangles, matching the silver hoops in her ears. By guess, Masami assumed her to be in her mid-thirties, though it wouldn't surprise her if she was a bit younger than that.

Luckily, Blue didn't ask any questions at all, besides a few basic ones like her age and whether or not Masami still went to school. Masami obviously lied about those things and Blue obviously saw through her.

The store and the two stories above the store, all belonged to Blue. The store, she had said, was just a hobby rather than a job. Just something to keep her busy when she had nothing to do. Blue had no real schedule either, hence the fact that the store had been open at two in the morning. In the store, through the back of the counter, stairs led to the living room, which looked a lot like the store itself. Curtains closed, pot plants dangling from the ceiling and fairy lights brightening up the small space. It wasn't much, but it was in many ways wonderful to Masami.

The next floor was where Blue's study, bedroom and bathroom were located. And then lastly, the attic. Of all the rooms it was the messiest and there wasn't a part of it that Masami didn't love. There was a wall covered with broken clocks, a small window that was yet again covered by a curtain and boxes and boxes filled with all types of shenanigans. The only furniture in the room, were a couple of huge beanbags, a small table full of pot plants and in the corner, and a red couch patched with different types of fabric. The bean bags were claimed by two black cats, so the couch was going to be Masami's bed for the time being. The couch wasn't particularly comfortable, but it wasn't like Masami was able to sleep much anyway. Masami napped a bit when she had the chance, but was careful enough not to fall asleep.

She didn't want to dream.

Day one

After waking up from a third short nap, Masami went downstairs to eat some of the herbal soup that Blue had made (it was awful) and helped organizing the records downstairs. Masami hauled boxes up from the attic, back downstairs, then back up. She didn't complain, though. Meanwhile Blue went shopping and returned with the strangest vegetables and ingredients Masami had ever seen, and of course, a toothbrush. "I don't want you spreading your stink breath in my shop, kid," Blue said.

However, at the end of day one, Masami didn't sleep at all, she couldn't even nap. Instead Masami played with the cats, and then stumbled across a picture under one of the boxes with records. It was someone that looked a lot like Blue, a boy of about the same physical age as Masami, give or take a year or two. Masami put the picture on top of one of the boxes and then turned her attention back to the cats. She played for a while until Blue came upstairs to check up on her. Blue asked whether Masami wanted to talk about something, but Masami said she was fine. There was nothing to talk about. Blue just shrugged and called her a shitty kid before leaving.

Much to Masami's surprise, Blue barged back into the attic half an hour later. She tossed Masami a bag of chips, before dropping herself onto one of the beanbags. To no end she complained about "the kids these days" and instead of talking about Masami's problems, she started talking about her own. Stories about the annoying mailman who had an obvious crush on her, the kid next door whose dog kept pooping by the shop's entrance door, and so on. Masami had never laughed this hard before. Blue even complained about this job offer she had gotten, saying it was a disgrace that someone would ever expect her to work with annoying people.

"You know, now when something goes wrong in my life, I can just look at yours and everything's put back into perspective," Masami said, her mouth full with chips.

"Ha! Laugh all you want, you know nothing about the world," Blue complained. "All these shitty children, these days...With your Snapchut and your touch phones."

Again, Masami hadn't been able to stop laughing.

Day two

On day two, Masami discovered the gum in her hair when she headed to the shower. It was nothing more than the work of Eyebags and his teddy of doom. Masami was sure of it. Since she hadn't noticed it before, the gum had smudged out and she was obliged to cut her hair. So much for trying to grow your hair out! But being lucky yet again, Blue happened to be a hairdresser in the past. Though she hadn't cut anyone's hair the past five years, she still wanted to give it a shot.

However, there was one condition: Blue was allowed to do whatever she wanted, with no complaints from Masami. Having no choice, Masami agreed to serve as Blue's guinea pig. Masami's hair was a wreck, with gum or without, so at this point she couldn't care less what Blue did with it.

Blue experimented with her hair like a mad scientist, and even took it upon her to color Masami's hair. Masami didn't know what color her hair was going to be until Blue was finished. When done (after lots of sweating and swearing), Blue proudly held a mirror in front of Masami, who finally got to see the result.

Blue had transformed her light brown, mid-length hair into a chin-length hairdo. Her bangs were neatly trimmed and oh boy, for once her hair wasn't looking like a bird's nest. The most surprising feature, though?

Her hair was black from root to tip. Masami's couldn't even recognize herself at first, it was not at all what she expected. It was strangely flattering, though.

She loved it.

"You have a small face," Blue said, lifting her hand up next to Masami's face for comparison. Masami really did have a small face. Or Blue just happened to have absurdly large hands. "Now you have big hair to compensate for it."

"Black, huh," Masami had said. Her hair looked good in contrast with her green eyes. "You just wanted to turn me into a third black cat, don't you fool me."

"Ha! Don't get your hopes up. The cats stay, but there's no way that I'm keeping you."

After the haircut, Masami wanted to head downstairs, but Blue forced her to take a shower, since she apparently smelled like a dog. Blue wasn't too fond of dogs. She also said not to use soap and to be gentle with the water. Pointing at a cabinet, Blue only said "After showering: Blue pot, apply a thick layer then bandage it up. For my grandmother's sake, do not get that shit in your eyes." Then she left without a word, but eyed her with a look that said she'd kill Masami on the spot if she didn't take care of her wounds.

Masami stood in front of the mirror above the sink. She was undressed, her clothes piled up somewhere on the floor. Masami carefully studied her complexion, as if she was looking at a stranger. She looked absurdly pale, except for the skin under her eyes. The lack of sleep was really taking a toll on her. The rest of her body, however, looked worse. And it wasn't her doing, though most of it she got because she couldn't control her bratty mouth.

There was a large cut on her thigh, bruises on her hips, her arms, her hands, her legs. Her neck was a nice collection of blue, purple and green spots with every here and then a few bite marks that reached down to her collarbone. Blue had seen the state of her neck, but had not commented or judged Masami in the least. She helped Masami in a way that kept a certain distance, which Masami was more than thankful for.

Masami hated looking at the bite marks. They weren't clean marks, like Yui's. Masami's weren't made to feed, they were made to break and destruct; the scars were ragged up, with skin tearing around the wound, the result from fighting back. Masami had fought yes, but the scars still felt like proof of failing to protect herself. It brought back the sensation of being bitten too, a feeling she despised with every fiber of her being.

Masami grabbed onto the sink as hard as she could, her knuckles turning white. Barely healed cuts on her hand tore at the strength of her grip, but Masami couldn't care less. She stared at herself and took a deep breath.

There were lots of things Masami had to do and figure out. She didn't have anyone to count on, hence Yui, but that girl had her own problems to deal with. Masami refused to put her into more trouble than necessary. And Ayano…Well, Masami didn't know anymore. She just couldn't count on her.

For this, Masami stood on her own.

It was obvious that Masami her life had gone from an average mess to a mess of blatant proportions. She knew that she had to start learning about herself, but she was scared.

The last dream she had only made things worse. Masami didn't know anything about her past, hell, she didn't even remember what she'd been doing half a year ago. Everyday her memory faded and she remembered less and less.

The thought of remembering scared her, but so did the thought of forgetting. Masami was afraid of remembering things that could potentially break her, but also didn't want to live a life forgetting everything. She had lived being nothing for as long as she could remember.

She desperately wanted to be someone. Someone strong and fierce like Ayano or Blue. Someone worth remembering.

Masami wanted to punch the reflection of herself. She hated what she'd become, she hated what she'd always been. She hated the sight of the coward staring back at her. She didn't want to be a coward.

Masami tightened her grip on the sink, but then made herself relax again. She took a deep, shaky breath, let go of the sink and stretched her fingers, a little bit of blood seeping through the cracks of skin. Her eyes finally broke the eye contact with her reflection, and instead, she gazed at her new hair. With her hands she ruffled through the black hair until she was satisfied with the look.

"New hair, new me," Masami said. There was a rare determination in her voice. It felt odd, but at the same time refreshing. If she was going to change things, she had to do so now. There was no backing away anymore, there was nothing to lose. She had to say this promise out loud too, or it wouldn't have any meaning. She had to deal with her problems, starting with the biggest one.

Herself.

Masami took a deep breath and exhaled as slowly as she could.

"From today on, I want to stop being a coward."

Day three

Since there hadn't been any sleep this day either, Masami went downstairs, sorting records like she had done before. Meanwhile, Blue was sleeping in the living room, in front of the TV. Not wanting to disturb her, Masami decided to keep herself occupied like this. She even drank more of the herbal soup (which was still disgusting) to start her day with a kick.

It was already day three. Even though a lot of threats were made, Masami was still here as an unwanted guest. Blue hadn't kicked her out.

Yet.

In all honesty, Masami hadn't planned on staying here for so long either, yet she couldn't bring herself to leave. Blue was good to her and this place was something different.

This is bad…I can't get attached to this place. God, Masami. Get a hold of yourself!

Yesterday, Masami had made a promise to herself she didn't want to break. And she knew that she had to go back there, in order to remember. The thought alone sent a chill down her spine, but there wasn't another option. Staying with Blue was the best thing decision Masami had ever made, but she couldn't get answers if she was hiding in a dead record shop.

Masami went back downstairs when she was done with hauling the boxes, and sat down in the corner of the shop, on a big armchair. She curled up and shifted until she was comfortable, tucking at the bandages around her neck and shoulders, and took her phone out of her pocket. She turned the device on.

More than 40 unread messages from one particular person, and a dozen unanswered calls too. All from Goldilocks. He'd even entered his name as "your precious Kou3" and changed her background into a shot of himself. Masami's face went to lemons. She quickly skimmed through all the messages, which were mostly pictures of himself and what he was doing through the day. A lot of peace signs and every picture had a matching comment that contained at least two different types of emojis. A few messages Blondie complained that she wasn't answering. The ten following messages only contained exclamation marks and sad emojis. Masami scrolled further up, and found the first few messages.

I gave your phone to M neko-chan so she could give it back to you (in secret! (≧▽≦) )

You can make it up to me later~~ see you soon 3333 (´∀｀)

Then above that a picture. It was that black-haired thug guy, Rocky or whatever his name was. Masami didn't really care. He was reading a book, unaware that a picture was being taken. The comment read:

Ruki is alright don't worry! Come back soon! ( *'ω'* ) shopping with you was lots of fun (I'll send you the clothes don't worry~~)

Masami didn't get why she needed an update on Rocky, and reading about the clothes only pissed her off more than it did before. Because of Goldilocks, Masami had gotten into a lot of trouble with those Sakamaki brothers. Not wanting to spend another second thinking about any of those vampires, Masami deleted every message there was, including every picture.

Then, only a few minutes later, a new message came in.

WHERE ARE YOU? THE PERVERT SAID YOU DIED?!

Masami snorted. For a second she was tempted to send a message back, saying she had indeed died, but she didn't want to risk it. Masami deleted the message and turned off her phone.

That second, Blue came downstairs. Masami could hear the clinking sound of her bangles as she approached Masami. Blue said nothing, she just leaned against a rack with records. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. It seemed like Blue was lost in her thoughts, just as much as Masami was. The silence wasn't unpleasant, though Masami felt that there was something Blue wanted to discuss. Something rather unpleasant.

"Someone is coming to pick you up," Blue said. "I feel that they'll come in half an hour."

Masami's eyes grew, her phone clutched tightly in a bruised fist. "How do you know?" Masami asked, her voice clear as dusk.

Blue inspected Masami with her dark eyes. It was as if Blue didn't believe her, as if she wasn't sure what or who she was looking at. "I'm a witch," she said. "I know lots of things. First thing being that you're a vampire."

Masami's jaw dropped.

Blue, however, ignored Masami's reaction completely and kept looking at Masami as if she were an abstract painting. "Second thing being that you're not a real vampire."

If Masami's jaw was able to detach itself from her skull, then it would have already fallen on the ground, through the floor and then through the core of the earth. A moment passed by where the two just stared at each other. One in disbelief and the other in observation.

"What does that even mean?" Masami managed to say after partly getting out of her shock.

Blue nodded, as if she had been waiting for that question. "Vampires can't find this shop. And they sure as hell can't enter it, either. Not without being invited in," Blue said. "And the last thing on earth a vampire would do, is sleep under the same roof with a witch. Natural enemies, you see. They're bad energy to us, just as much as we are to them."

Masami choked. She had found the shop on her own and had entered it without even thinking twice. Whatever this was couldn't be real. Blue was a strange person, but nothing about her screamed magic or hellfire witch.

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to," Blue commented calmly. "But they're coming to get you soon and you and I don't have that much time to waste. Make up your mind now, or just leave already. It's an easy decision if you ask me."

Masami tried not to overreact, but it was hard when her heart was pounding at a madman's pace in her chest. Stress was definitely catching up with her.

"Okay, let's say I believe you, why am I here then? I had no issue whatsoever entering or finding the shop."

"You were led here. You gave me the cigarette, remember, kiddo? The man who gave you the cigarette is also a witch, though I would rather not talk about him at all."

"The drunk guy? Seriously!?"

"Yeah, let's just not talk about him," Blue said, rubbing her temples in annoyance. "Right, let me just get to the core of this conversation. I don't know what you are. You don't smell like a vampire, you smell like death. And you chucked down my herbal potion without dying. I make the best soup in the country, let me tell you that, kid. I know for sure that there wasn't anything wrong with the soup."

"Wait, what? Death? A potion? The soup was a POTION?" Masami gaped at Blue, suddenly reminded of the disgusting herbal soup she had eaten the past few days. "You tried to kill me!"

"But did you die, though?" Blue pointed a finger at her in accusation. "Trust me, if I wanted to kill you, I'd have done that long ago. It wouldn't take me much. I bet even a dedicated duck would be able to throw you down on the floor."

"I'm not that weak, you know," Masami bit back. "But why did you let me stay, then?"

Blue frowned. "Kid, you're asking me as if I know the answer to that question."

"So…You got attached to me."

"I'll throw you right out the window if you accuse me of such blasphemy again," Blue said. "I'm guessing you don't plan on leaving just yet?"

Masami wasn't quite sure what she had to say to that. Did she want to leave? No, she didn't. Did she have to leave? Yes, unfortunately, she had.

"I don't have much of a choice. I need to regain my memories and they'll catch me anyway, doesn't matter if I run or not."

Blue's eyebrow perked up. "Regain memories..." Blue sighed heavily. "You kidding me, kid?"

Masami shrugged. "I wouldn't dare to."

Blue clacked her tongue and stared at the wall across her as if it held all the answers. "I guess I'm going to take that job offer anyway, then. See at what lengths I go for a total stranger? For a shitty, good-for-nothing kid like you?"

Masami looked at Blue in confusion as Blue took out her phone; a prehistoric brick that could possibly be used to smash someone's skull like a grape. Blue dialed a number and waited for a few seconds. "Ah, Good afternoon," she said, not quite enthusiastically. "It's Alexa Williams here, yes, yes… about the job offer, yes. I'm going to take it. –Oh that's, wonderful, right. Tomorrow? Fantastic. Thank you very much, good day to you too."

Masami curiously glanced at Blue as she put her phone away. "What job?"

Blue accusingly pointed at Masami. "And I told myself, at least a hundred times, that I would never, ever work in a place that is infected with vampires. Yet here I am, taking a job as music teacher at your shitty school."

"Wait –you're going to work there? I thought you said witches and vampires don't mix. Bad energy, right?" With a lot of self-control, Masami refrained herself from laughing.

"They don't, you brat, that's why I said no at first. But now, look what I got myself into."

"I thought you said you weren't going to get attached to me."

"Two more words about it and I'll send you flying, remember that," she said, waving a hand in a warning gesture. "I've decided to help you," Blue began, saying it like she was confessing a murder.

"Really?!"

"Tone the clown smile down, or I'll change my mind." Blue's typical wave of her hand finished of the threat like a cherry on a cake. "But I hope that you know that you have to go back living with them."

"Yes, I know that. It's fine though."

"See that being around me helped you grow a spine of your own." Blue proudly pounded with a fist on her chest. "Now it's almost time. Go get your stuff, put my number in your phone –emergencies only, don't you dare spam me with those "emojus" and whatever you kids do these days –and go back to the night shop. You remember where it is, right? There will be an ugly man for you waiting there, you can't miss him."

Masami nodded as she stood up, but then stopped on her way to the living room. "Blue, I'm not allowed to go to school," Masami yelled from the top of the stairs.

"You've got a spine now, so you tell them you're going! You're a runaway at heart, so you'll threaten them and tell them you want to go to school. If you're too scared, then please tell me, I'll happily whoop your ass, you goddamn chicken!"

Masami didn't know why she was laughing. She was about to go back to that hellscape of a house, but for some reason, she was okay for the very first time since ever.

She was completely and utterly okay.

Masami had finally taken the first and most difficult step, a step she avoided taking for so long. She was finally ready to remember. Masami was a step closer to unraveling her own identity, and even though she was scared, even though she didn't know what to expect next, she felt excitement boiling up in her.

And she couldn't thank Blue enough for helping her with this, even though Blue hadn't done anything significant at all. Her hospitality had meant the world to Masami. It was in this shop, in this house that Masami found the courage to go on.

It was here that she had decided to stop being a coward.

Alexa dropped herself in the armchair when the girl had left. She leaned back and let out a heavy sigh. "I hate kids," she said as she took a piece of paper out of the pocket of her purple dress. A picture was crumpled up in her hand, one of a boy the same age as the girl that had just left. The boy had an easy smile, along with glittering eyes that could outshine any star at any given day.

Alexa stared at the picture for what seemed to be an eternity. "Now that explains a lot… She reminds me too much of you, my boy." Alexa brought the picture to her lips, planting a soft kiss on the forehead of the boy in the picture, and then placed the picture on her chest, right on her heart. "Oh, what did I get myself into."

YOOO

Hopefully you still enjoyed this long ass chapter even though the boys didn't make an entrance here. Trust me, they'll be there in the next chapter and OH BOY did they miss her. Shit is bound to go down, and Blue's presence will only make things worse for everyone. She's 100% mom and wingman material, so keep an eye out for that.

Also a few things to clarify:

- Trouble because of Kou? You'll see in the next chapter, but I'll give you a little heads up. Kou keeps bothering a certain brother on school about Masami and if that isn't the worst thing, Kou also sends her clothes and gifts to the house. The Sakamaki's did not like this at all.

- Gum? Yeah, Kanato... Let's just say he doesn't like Masami very much.

- New hair? ANGST Masami? I wanted this chapter to signify change. I wanted Masami to take up a different direction and finally make her take control of her own life, instead of having her to pretend everything to be okay and bullshit her way through. I think this chapter is really important for her own development. And like she said herself:

New hair, new me.

- A WITCH?! In a world with vampires and men named 'Karl Heinz'... Well, it's not the strangest thing out there, right? You'll learn more about them in the next chapter!

- "You don't smell like a vampire, you smell like death." remember how Masami's told multiple times that she doesn't have any kind of distinct smell? Well, Alexa/Blue thinks differently.

- "Emojus" "snapchut" ...Technology isn't Blue's thing as you might have guessed.

- Ugly man? It's Richter.

- Boy in the picture? That's Blue's son. He's dead.

- Whether Ayano's motives or Blue's motives are good or bad... Well, I can't tell you that yet. You'll find out soon, though.

SO THAT WAS ALL I HOPE. If there's anything you want to ask, don't hesitate!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS:

- What did you think of this chapter? Was it hard/easy to follow, was it confusing? Please tell me if you had any issues.

- Most importantly: what did you guys think of Blue? I hope her description was okay enough to visualize her (and where she lives).

- What did you think of Masami in this chapter?

Last but not least, don't forget to vote on the poll on my profile (on top), and don't forget to:

FOLLOW/FAVORITE/REVIEW

Until next time and stay sexy! ;)