Yes, yes... I do have great plans in mind for this story... With that being said, shall we continue with our progress? Here's chapter thirteen!


The next morning I started my new job alongside M-21. It was easy, following him around and getting an idea of what to watch for and where to watch. It was relatively silent until we came across an outside class as they played soccer. I watched even as I followed M-21.

"So you are the new security guard in the Special Guard Division. I heard about it; you caused an incident back at your old job." M-21 and I turned to see one of the faculty members cleaning the courtyard. "Not only were you recommended by Principal Lee, there is no trace of your name or background. The rumors will blow over eventually, so don't pay any attention." Without a single doubt, he was addressing M-21. My past was easy to find, with just a bit of determination. "Principal Lee must have had a good reason to recommend you."

Unexpectedly, M-21 responded. "You… trust him too much." The man didn't respond for a moment.

"Of course… he created a school like this, after all." With a nod, the man took his leave. I waved him off politely, nodding in return.

M-21 turned to the children and watched them halfheartedly.

"As he said, don't listen to the rumors. You'd be surprised of what you'd learn about yourself." I smiled up at him, my hands behind my back.

He glanced down at me, curious.

"When… my parents were murdered, many rumors spread around about me and my long-term absence. People said things like, 'I bet she killed them herself' and 'Isn't she taking too long to mourn over her loss?'" I paused and smiled lightly. "It was cruel and made me feel worse. But, in the end, I'd found that I enjoyed that pain over the pain of my losses." I glanced up at M-21, startled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not saying my rumors are as bad as yours…"

"What?" M-21 questioned. "Mirai, you lost your parents, and for them to say things like that…"

"I lost my parents… You lost everything…" My voice was gentle when I said this, not wanting him to fight against me.

The sound of another bell chimed, signaling lunch. With gratefulness, I changed the subject. "You don't take a break for lunch, do you?" I was about to create my own response, teasing M-21, when the sound of screeching tires startled me into full awareness.

Flying right into the courtyard, past M-21 and I, was a van. Several students shouted in warning as it flew past them. It screeched to a sudden stop. Now, I was no expert, but I was fairly certain cars were not permitted into this area…

A male's voice caught my attention. It sounded awful cocky, too. "Is this your school? Not bad at all."

Out stepped two people, a man and a girl around my age. I had no idea who the two were until someone shouted, though even then, I still didn't know who they were…

"It's Yim Suyi!"

"Is she done with her concert?"

"Isn't the guy next to her Jung Hansu? Why is he here?"

"He's even better looking in person." Honestly, I didn't see the attraction.

Ignoring all the students, Hansu turned to Suyi. "Sorry for taking you in a van. I should've brought my car."

"It can't be helped. You have a busy schedule." Suyi responded, with narrowed eyes.

"Thanks for understanding." Hansu grinned and instantly I knew he couldn't be trusted. He seemed far too cocky for my liking. Cocky men were never to be trusted.

Beside me, M-21 stepped forward. I followed behind him, falling back several feet.

"I need you to move the car." M-21's voice was smooth and calm as he spoke.

Hansu turned to M-21 and gave one of those cocky looks before glancing at the crowd behind him. "Who are you supposed to be?" With a narrow of his glasses, he demanded. Something about this man made me want to slap some respect into his pitiful existence. Suyi clarified that she thought he could be a guard. "What? Guard… security? And why can't I park my car here?"

"Vehicles can't pass through here." Unlike Hansu, M-21 kept a level head, remaining calm and with a single expression; disinterest.

"I won't be here long, so cut me some slack." Hansu turned from M-21, who narrowed his eyes to glare at him.

"Move it." M-21's voice grew harder.

"This is what I get for trying to be nice. I told you I won't be here long." Hansu stepped up to M-21. If this turned into a fight, I would definitely want to see it.

"Calm down. You were about to leave anyway." Suyi smiled nervously from behind Hansu, who grimaced.

"Let go. This guy is pissing me off."

Before I could catch myself, I found myself snickering and retorting. "You're pissing me off." The crowd behind me uttered gasps and quite words. I contained my own surprise when the words slipped and kept my own uninterested expression upon my face. Hansu glanced at me with a foul grimace before returning his attention to M-21.

If I could see the nervous expression in Hansu, so could M-21. The sound of a step beside me drew my attention. Somehow, the man came as no surprise. I looked up-and did I mean up- at a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks. Several of his teeth were gold. He wore a black wife-beater and a silver and gold necklace. His voice was deep, as I'd expected.

"Hansu. Is there a problem?"

"Hey, Charles, nothing for you to worry about. You don't have to step out." Hansu obviously feigned nervousness when he suddenly grinned and winked up at Charles.

"I'm your bodyguard. It's my job to be cautious." With a crack of his knuckles, which was completely unimpressive, as even I could do it-and look like a complete fool doing it...- Charles stepped toward M-21.

"Whew~ Guess it can't be helped." Hansu smirked as he stepped back. "Just don't hurt him too much."

"You guys are too chatty." I heard M-21 speak just as he slammed his foot into the van. Leaving his foot against the side of the van, M-21 turned his head and addressed the two with a glare. "Shut up… and move."

Hansu grit his teeth. "Bastard…"

Charles stepped forward, closing the distance between him and M-21. "Hey. Aren't you a bit too cocky? You wanna die?"

Involuntarily, I laughed. Quickly, I covered my mouth even as I continued to laugh. It was astounding to see that this man, no matter how tall, thought he could stand a chance against M-21. But, of course, he doesn't know anything about M-21. M-21 responded to Charles with a glare.

"What are you glaring at Charles for? You think someone like you can take down and ex-military soldier? He's been especially scouted by me. He can snap a guy like you in half."

M-21 did something unexpected in the next moment; he turned and walked away. I remember he used to be one to approach every situation head on, no matter how dangerous. I smiled lightly, realizing then just how far he had come.

"Hmph. What, you running away? Guess your bark is louder than your bite." Charles grinned at M-21's back.

Beside me approached the same faculty member from earlier. "You can't park your car here. Please take it out. There is a separate entrance for cars, and anyone who isn't a faculty or student needs to get approval to enter the school grounds." He appeared nervous and hesitant to approach Hansu.

"What the hell is wrong with these people? It's not like I'm going to leave it here. Can't you guys wait?" Hansu grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Hansu Oppa. Stop it." At long last, Suyi attempted to stop Hansu.

"What did I do?" Hansu asked, feigning innocence.

"There're people watching." Suyi clarified. Hansu cursed.

"You are causing a disturbance. Please leave." Though he asked politely, Charles suddenly hovered over the faculty member.

"This guy and that guy… I don't know what made everyone so cocky." With force, Charles grabbed at the faculty member's broom and snapped it in half with ease with his fist.

"H-hey, Charles, calm down." Hansu, possibly developing some sort of sense, stood before Charles, attempting to ease his anger.

"If you continue, I will call for more people." With unexpected force, Charles lashed out at the faculty member. He grabbed at the front of his shirt and pulled him off the ground.

Several voices shouted out in surprise, some questioning him and others asking for the Special Security, M-21's, assistance.

"Let's see you keep yapping now."

I turned behind me to call out for M-21, before recovering quickly. For one, no one knew M-21's name. And, if they didn't, they weren't supposed to. If M-21 wouldn't do something about this, or rather, couldn't, then I certainly could.

"Oppa. Do something." Suyi demanded of Hansu.

"Huh? Right… Charles, stop it. You're putting me in a difficult position here." Hansu approached Charles, who shoved him back with a shout.

"Hansu, don't interfere in my business." Charles glowered down at Hansu, who appeared shocked. Was this action common with him?

I shook my head and stepped forward. I cleared my throat and tapped on the upper portion of Charles's back, as he was significantly taller than me. Still holding the main in the air, he turned to me and grimaced. "If you would kindly put him down, it would be much appreciated. Going along with that, if you would kindly remove yourselves from this campus, I, personally, would feel great relief."

Expectedly, with his free hand, Charles lashed out at me. I ducked easily, much to his surprise. "Now, now, you wouldn't harm a girl, would you?" I glared fiercely up at Charles. "You see, I can't call myself an innocent girl, as I recently joined the Special Sec-" I was cut off with a hand on my shoulder, prying me back gently. I turned to see M-21 shaking his head lightly at me, before looking to Charles with a glare of his own. I nodded lightly and stepped back.

"Put him down." M-21 stood before Charles, still glaring.

"Huh? Nice. You're the guy who was pissing me off." Charles smirked.

"Why do you keep making me repeat myself?" M-21 muttered. He reached up and grabbed onto Charles's necklace before pulling down with enough force to noticeably pull Charles forward, but not down.

"What?" Charles managed.

"Put him down." M-21 pulled on the necklace again, forcing Charles onto his knees. Charles cried out surprised M-21 bore such strength. To me, however, it was obviously no surprise. If I could have taken him on, so could M-21. Again, Charles cursed.

Beside me, Shinwoo ran to the aid of the faculty member. I stepped over to them and aided them. M-21 wouldn't need me. He was more than capable of handling Charles.

"Mister, are you ok?" Shinwoo asked the man.

"Y-yes." He responded.

"Good. I'm glad to see he didn't harm you." I stepped beside the faculty member and extended my hand. Though Shinwoo was aiding in helping him stand by his arm, he still took my hand. I pulled up with extreme ease, careful not to exert too much force and… well, send the poor man flying. I had to hold down a smile at the image. It would be both funny and terrifying.

"Mirai-" Shinwoo started, but the faculty member beat him.

"Thank you, miss."

"Oh, not at all! It's my pleasure to aid in one's distress." I turned back to M-21. "However, he's more than enough to take on that Charles." I spoke, addressing M-21. "I won't need to intervene."

When I looked back to the two, M-21 stood steadfast and strong, glaring menacingly down at Charles, while Charles was noticeably trembling and sweating as he stared nervously at M-21. With graceful-at least to me- ease, M-21 launched Charles by his necklace into the van. An audible, and startling, bang filled the silence around us. In M-21's hand was Charles's broken necklace, completely torn in half. Where Charles's head hit the van was an impressive dent.

"Damn it… if only people weren't around…" Without a doubt, only M-21 and I could hear him, with our enhanced hearing. M-21 leaned down.

"If no one was here…" M-21 paused with a glare. "You'd be dead."

I had to admit, the way he sounded, so intense and deadly, was rather attractive. His voice was smooth and confident. He knew where his abilities lied. "Want to die?"

With a look of terror and anger, Charles lowered his gaze. M-21 stood and turned to Hansu. "Well?" His voice held that same tone.

"Yes?" Hansu's frame rocked in fright. I had to wonder how wonderful that feeling could be; being able to frighten someone into momentary paralysis.

"Move." M-21 demanded.

"Ah, Y-yes, sir!" Hansu responded immediately by practically jumping into his van. Honestly, it was rather amusing to watch him squirm.

With a glare down to Charles, who flinched and also returned to the van, M-21 walked off.

"If you two will excuse me. I have business to attend to. Shinwoo, Mister." I felt rather rude, calling the faculty member 'faculty member', so I opted to call him Mister, like Shinwoo did. I nodded at the two before following quickly after M-21 before he wandered off too far ahead of me.

Even as I caught up with M-21, who was already pretty far off, I could feel the stares of the crowd behind us. It was almost an uncomfortable feeling, then I decided it felt pretty good, leaving those people in a state of shock. Of course, the only impressive thing I did was dodge on swing of an arm. M-21 did the impressive stunts.

I heard the sound of the van leaving far behind us and nodded lightly to myself.

"You could have gotten hurt, you know." M-21 spoke suddenly from beside me. He had stopped and was looking at me now. I stopped and turned to him.

"Nonsense. I'm faster than any human. And his attitude was predictable. I expected him to lash out." I explained in the terms of how my thoughts went.

"Why did you instigate?"

"Well, I thought if someone was going to get hurt, it should be me-which wouldn't happen- and not the faculty member. You walked away because you're afraid to make too much of a scene and get noticed, right? I figured I should do it, then. I am, after all, a Special Security member, too!" I smiled, attempting to ease M-21's mind. "So, relax. You have to remember that I'm not human. I can handle myself now. Not to the extent that you can… but I'll be fine against a human."

As I finished speaking, two females passed behind M-21 and I, thanking us -or probably just M-21- for our -his- work. I glanced behind me and nodded, before turning back around. M-21 didn't make a move to acknowledge the girls.

"M-21…" I trailed off, not willing to ask him the question that almost formed.

Beside us, though off by a distance, I could barely hear Shinwoo, Ikhan, Yuna, and Suyi talking. Expectedly, Suyi was asking about M-21.

I glanced at the ground, a brief flash of annoyance twisting in my stomach. Ah… that was an emotion I never thought I'd feel. Rather than annoyance in general, I never thought I'd feel the style of annoyance at a girl admitting attraction to the man I liked. I grimaced and stared in front of me, similar to how M-21 kept his unchanging expression.

My long hair blew before me. It was amazing that through the past few days, I still hadn't adjusted to my long hair.

What was even more surprising was my next reaction to Suyi's words. In one moment, she seemed fond of M-21, then she seemed fond of Raizel. I felt relief at this, and even sighed heavily, a small smile gracing my features.

"What are you so happy about?" M-21's voice spoke beside me.

Rather than reacting with anger, like I would usually do, I shook my head. "It's nothing. Nothing at all." My smile widened ever so slightly.

"Ah…" M-21 started. "You asked about lunch earlier."

"Oh. I did." I glanced around, noticing the students had all returned to classes. "But it appears that lunch is over now." I shrugged. "It's not like I'm all that hungry. It was more of a rhetorical question at the point in time." Much to my dismay, my stomach growled. "And here I thought I wouldn't need to eat anymore."

"Why don't you go off campus and get something to eat?"

"I don't think Frankenstein will appreciate that."

M-21 cast a strange glance at me, to which I returned with confusion. "Since when do you care what Frankenstein likes?"

"True enough." I smirked and with my own confidence, bounded out of the campus, mentally declaring I would also get M-21 something to eat. Seeing as, through the time I've spent with them, Raizel seems fond of only ramen, I would get something other than that.

In the end, and through much debate, I decided on something simple and cheap. Through another debate, I decided to get M-21 the same thing I did; a simple Italian sub, no tomatoes.

When I returned to the campus, not but half an hour later, M-21 was nowhere in sight. I searched the campus, using rooftops to attempt to find him faster. It took me a few, but upon seeing him nowhere on the outside campus, I decided to check with Frankenstein.

When I entered the office, I saw Frankenstein-wearing glasses, which was oddly suiting- sorting through papers and M-21 standing before him. Closing the door behind me, I walked up to M-21, standing beside him.

"How is your work?" Frankenstein questioned, addressing M-21.

"It's decent." M-21's expression seemed tense. Was he worried about what he did earlier?

"I heard about what happened during lunch break." Frankenstein stood and removed his glasses. With a smirk, he spoke. "Keep up the good work. Just don't end up killing them." When M-21 seemed shocked, Frankenstein continued. "Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing."

M-21 nodded, and showed one of his few smiles. "Sure." I couldn't help but stand, transfixed by his calm expression that bore a smile. He looked proud and at ease. It was nice to see him smile again. It hadn't been… since M-24 that he had last smiled.

Even as he walked out of the room to continue watching the campus grounds, I stood still.

When M-21 walked out, and shut the door behind him, Frankenstein spoke. "So you like M-21."

"What?! No I don't!" My face flushed as I stared wide-eyed at Frankenstein. For him to have so easily been able to decipher my emotions…

"Mirai, I have lived for years. Countless years. I know what a girl looks like when she has a crush." Frankenstein appeared to take pride in his making me cringe.

"So what if I have a crush?" I turned my head to the side and hid my blush. "It's not like M-21 is the type to like another person in such a manner. He's… to far reserved for such emotions." I startled at this. "I don't mean that he can't feel them, but rather that he won't let himself feel them!" I corrected myself quickly. "He's…" My eyes narrowed. How could I explain such a thing without upsetting myself?

"I understand." Frankenstein offered. One of my brows furrowed at this.

"You do?" I looked over to him, confused.

"Well, I understand the dilemma." I nodded at this.

"I suppose you would. You've probably had plenty of experience with females. You are, after all, especially handsome."

Frankenstein grinned at this, as though taking pride in the fact. Of course he was taking pride in my compliment. He started to chuckle darkly, and I took this as my notion to leave.

Before I left the room, I turned and, with an uncertain expression, addressed Frankenstein. "Don't tell M-21 of these… feelings. They're not for him to worry about. I feel they would only inconvenience him." Before I could allow him time to respond, I walked into the hall and shut the door behind me.

I started down the hall, ready to do my own rounds around campus.

Several hours later, and a few run-ins with M-21, acknowledged only with small nods, and my giving him his lunch, much to his gratitude, class was released and the children were ready to return home. It took some time for every student to finally leave the campus, and when they did, M-21 and Frankenstein found me.

"We're headed home." Frankenstein spoke, to which I nodded and followed behind the two. Rather than walk home, like I had expected, we took to the rooftops and arrived in record time.

I was closing the door when I heard Frankenstein and M-21's footsteps stop beside me. I glanced up, then in front of them to see a crowd in the living room. I was surprised to see Shinwoo, Ikhan, Yuna, Suyi, and Raizel sitting in the living room.

"Ah~ Chairman~!" Shinwoo practically cooed. "You're back? Mister and Mirai are with you, too, I see."

I nodded at Shinwoo, acknowledging him. I could only imagine what Frankenstein's face look like, seeing the mess the students created. One thing he pressed into my mind when he repressed my memories was his disliking of messes. I chuckled lightly at this and smirked.

"Hello, chairman." Yuna nodded lightly, carrying a plate of… something in her hands.

"H-hello." Suyi stood and bowed, rigid.

As Frankenstein glanced from the table to Raizel, Raizel turned from Frankenstein, unable to defend his allowing the children inside.

I smiled at this. It was nice to have a lively atmosphere. I felt that each of us could use it at the moment.

"Hm… I see you brought Suyi today." Frankenstein forced a smile.

"Ah, yes…" Suyi trailed off, uncertain as to what to say.

"Ah. There's no cup. Chairman, can you bring us some cups, please?" Shinwoo asked.

Both M-21 and I turned to see Frankenstein's expression. He held up the smile as he walked to the kitchen. M-21 and I followed Frankenstein into the kitchen.

Grabbing several cups, Frankenstein filled each with water. He handed one to M-21, then one to me. We both drank in silence, before M-21 glanced at Frankenstein. "Do you need help?"

"No. I will take care of it." A dark aura formed around Frankenstein as he forced a smile. "I will protect Master and my house."

I laughed at this, and declared I would clean later. "You don't have to worry about it. You're allowing me to live here. The least I can do is help around the house." That was part of the reason, but another was an attempt to keep him silent about his earlier discoveries.

"I can help." M-21 offered.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I don't mind cleaning." I waved my hand at his offer and smiled. "Really, don't worry about it."

In the end, M-21 wound up doing dishes while I cleaned the living room.

"Mirai, can you bring me the dishes from the living room?" M-21 called from the kitchen.

"Oh. Yes, give me a moment!" I worked at gathering the messy dishes from the table when the luster of something caught my eye. Beside the plate I was reaching for was a small puddle of dark red juice.

For a moment, I just stared, appalled that the kids wouldn't have had the decency to clean it, but then my eyes widened. I groaned at the sudden images of my parents that invaded my mind.

"Mirai?" M-21's voice called and I heard footsteps approaching me.

Before I could consider my next action, my lips formed a sinister grin and I chuckled darkly. The sound of something shattering brought me back to rationality. Just as quickly as this action happened, it faded, and was replaced with horror.

Why would remembering such a painful experience bring out such a response?

"Mirai…" M-21 stood beside my crouched form. I looked up at him to see him staring at my left hand. I glanced at my left hand to see shards of what was once a glass cup in my grip.

"Oh…" I opened my fist only for blood to drip onto the table. "Oh." I closed my grip again and stood.

"Come here." M-21 placed his hands on my shoulders and maneuvered me over to the kitchen sink. I held my bleeding hand over my unharmed hand to catch any blood that should fall.

"Thank you." I muttered, still frightened by my dark response. We remained silent for several moments as I ran my hand under warm water.

"What happened?" M-21's voice was soft as he asked this.

"I…" I sighed heavily. "You know how I told you about my deceased parents?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they didn't just die." I started and took a long, deep breath to relax myself before continuing. "They were murdered. I don't remember much except the silhouette of a man. However… the sight of blood… or anything resembling blood… startles me at times. I discovered the scene myself, just as the murderer was attempting escape. I'd attempted… to see if they were alive. I'd… touched their dead, blood soaked corpses…" My eyes widened. "The violence… the blood…" I cut off, feeling my heartbeat quicken with panic.

"Mirai, that's enough. You don't have to say anymore." Even as M-21 ushered these words, I knew it was too late. I was already starting to hyperventilate. I brought one hand to my neck, the other to my mouth and gasped lightly.

I couldn't see what was around me. The only things I saw were images of my parents' torn, mangled, and bloodied corpses, the blood splattered along walls and furniture, and of my own two hands before me, drenched in their blood. Nausea swept over me, but my body wouldn't allow such a distraction. I wanted to scream, to make some sort of noise, but, again, my body would not allow a distraction.

With sudden clarity, I could see my surroundings. I could see M-21 beside me. I could see that Frankenstein and Raizel had joined him and were hovering around me. I could see that I now crouched on the ground, my bloodied hands keeping me upright.

I muttered an apology to Frankenstein before sweet darkness consumed me.

I woke with a gasp as my eyes flew open. I worked to catch my breath for a moment before I glanced around. One thing I especially noticed was warmth. I felt it especially on my upper back and the back of my head, as well as a portion on top of my head. Wherever I was laying felt especially warm and especially comfortable.

"You're awake." M-21's voice startled me. I looked toward the sound, which was somehow above me.

"Eh…" A noise escaped my voice before my face flushed. M-21's frame hovered over me, chest up. One of his hands was placed on top of my head, in what I assumed had been a stroking manner. M-21's face stared down at me, his hair falling down, around his face. He looked especially handsome right then. I knew now why I was so comfortable and warm.

Somehow, for some reason, my head was laying on M-21's lap. My eyes widened and I froze.

"I… Wh-what am I doing here?" I stammered, my voice soft and quiet, mostly out of embarrassment.

"When you fell unconscious, you grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go."

"O-oh." This caused my face to flush further, which M-21 was certain to notice. I turned my head to the side in an attempt to hide the fluster, momentarily forgetting where I was. The tip of my nose brushed lightly against M-21's shirt as I turned toward his stomach.

When I gasped, I also took in M-21's scent. I was rather surprised to see it suited him so well. It seemed to be a complimentary mix of musk and mandarin. It was somewhat sweet, but also held a trace of musk, which was somehow flattering.

With a startle, I threw myself upward. M-21 just barely managed to react in time to avoid hitting my head with his own.

"I'm sorry!" With my back to M-21, I slouched forward and covered my face entirely. "I'm so sorry. When I'm… when I'm scared, I latch out at the nearest source of warmth or comfort. I involuntarily chose you…" I apologized again, shaking my head.

"Mirai, it isn't a problem. You weren't an inconvenience."

"Eh?" Why would he phrase that like that? "How long was I… unconscious?"

"A few hours."

"A few hours…" I glanced over to the window. "That's more than a few hours, M-21! It's morning!" My voice was slightly higher than normal, mirroring my embarrassment. "You could have just pried me off… It's not like I would have taken it personal."

That being said, I would have taken it personal. If I'd found out I'd reached out to M-21 for comfort unconsciously and was rejected, I would have been upset. I would have thought of it as M-21 showing a personal disliking of me. I wanted to smile at the knowledge that he didn't reject me, but I was still too flustered.

"Thank you, though. For not pushing me away, that is. I…" I hesitated.

"You?" M-21 pried gently.

"I've never had someone around to… you know, comfort me. I was homeless after the loss of my parents, and you saw how my distant family treats me. I never had anyone to ease my mind or to calm me down when I had a panic attack. I generally don't have panic attacks but once every so many months, but when they come it's because something triggered it." The last time I'd had a panic attack was seven months ago. I'd saved up money to see a movie at the time, but I wasn't aware that the movie was a horror movie. The copious amounts of blood in the movie frightened me to the point of a massive panic attack. It was significantly worse than the one I had yesterday.

"There's no need to thank me."

"No, I have every reason to thank you." I turned to M-21 and positioned myself comfortably, facing him. "It's because of you that I didn't do anything rash. You…" I flustered at the thought of saying my next words, but forced myself to continue. "Openly comforted me. You not only allowed me to remain beside you, but you even… stroked my head. You calmed me. For that I am thanking you." I blinked. "Now accept the damned gesture."

M-21 seemed to chuckle. Perhaps he felt relieved to see my stubborn side again. I know I was.

"We should be getting ready." M-21 spoke, a small smile on his features.

"Eh? What for?"

"It's a new day, isn't it?" M-21 gave me a look of knowing.

"Ah! Our job!" I jumped from the couch and practically flew into my room, slamming my door shut accidentally. I shouted an apology before grabbing at an appropriate dress. This dress was pitch black and bore simple materialistic designs. It wasn't anything fashionable, but was certainly cute-if only to me.

I grabbed necessary undergarments, including shorts, and, again, practically flew out of my room and into the nearest bathroom to shower. "You should have reminded me the moment I woke, M-21!"

I heard a small laugh from M-21 as he performed his morning routine. I knew for certain he took a shower, because when I finished mine, he was already out, his hair wet.

"How the hell did you already finish your shower?! You got in after me!"

"It's because I'm a man."

"Oh, haha. How sexist." I stuck my tongue out at him. "For your information, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not like other females. I don't complain when I get a broken nail, I don't wear makeup, I don't wear the most stylish attire, and I sure as hell don't complain about every single problem that has nothing to do with me."

"Right." M-21 responded in a semi-sarcastic tone.

"Oh, hush. Now, come on. We have a school to defend!" I sat on the couch, forcing on black leggings and simple black dress-shoes. In terms of what M-21 wore, a black suit, my black attire would do just fine. When I finished, I stood and trailed after M-21, who was already working himself out of the door.

When we arrived at campus grounds, M-21 walked off, saying he would watch that side of the campus, while I stuck around this side.

A sudden, loud voice caught my attention.

"Hey! Han Shinwoo!" I recognized the voice immediately as Pedro. "You're just too cool aren't you? Arriving after class started. I think you're the last person to arrive. What do you think?"

"Ah… haha…" Shinwoo laughed lightly. I stepped around the corner of the building and into sight. I remained at a distance, but I watched the two. Shinwoo sat on his legs before a glowering Pedro. I laughed lightly at the scene.

"I heard you haven't been late recently, but you just happen to be late whenever I'm on duty. What do you think about that?" Pedro practically glared down at Shinwoo as he grit his teeth.

"Ah… That's…. um…. Hahaha…" Shinwoo, unable to form a legible sentence, resorted to laughing lightly again.

"Do you know how embarrassing this is for me in front of the other teachers? The other kids are never late when their teachers are on gate duty, so what's going on with you?" Pedro demanded, staring down at Shinwoo.

"Um… It's not that I'm doing it on purpose…" Shinwoo started. "I was thinking about life and decided I shouldn't live like this, so I ended up staying up all night to study and didn't even realize it was time to go to school." Shinwoo risked a glance up at Pedro to see him staring off toward the gates of the campus. Shinwoo turned behind him. "What's wrong?"

I followed their gaze to see two figures standing between the gates. I perked and stepped forward. They were wearing the correct uniform, but they weren't familiar. I don't recall Frankenstein telling M-21 or me about incoming students. Something about them seemed off.

As I drew closer to the group, I knew what it was. Not only were their entire appearance unique, due to their silver hair, but their crimson eyes told me all I needed to know. Without a doubt, they were like Raizel. The question now is; to what extent, and ally or foe?

"You two… don't tell me… You got here just now?" Pedro glowered.

"I guess I'm not the last one." Shinwoo perked at this, before cowering right back down.

"Shut up." Pedro glared momentarily at Shinwoo.

"Yes…"

"You guys aren't satisfied being late alone so you come as a couple? And look at your hair… I know the school supports student freedom, but silver hair is a bit too much." Pedro paused and brought a hand to his chin. "Now that I look at you, I haven't seen you guys around…"

"You, too?" Shinwoo stood then. "I feel like I've experienced this once before… It's like that time with Rai…"

"Ah! Rai! They're transfer students!" Pedro and Shinwoo shouted as one.

"Han Shinwoo, take them to the principal." Pedro demanded as he turned and walked away.

"Huh? Again?" Shinwoo started after Pedro.

"If you don't want to, then do laps around the field."

"Fine…" Shinwoo sighed, defeated. I approached him then.

"Shinwoo." I stepped beside Shinwoo and smiled. "I will come along with you."

"Oh, Mirai!" Shinwoo stared at me, startled. "About yesterday-"

"Now, now! Not in front of the transfers! I don't want to give them the wrong impression!" I waved my hand and laughed lightly, taking a glance back at the two. Both of them stared blatantly at me, to which I returned with a smile and a nod. "Now, come on. I'm sure Principal Lee would like to welcome the new students!" I grabbed onto Shinwoo's shoulder and pushed him forward, much to his surprise.

When we arrived at Frankenstein's office, Shinwoo knocked.

"Come in." Frankenstein's voice beckoned.

"Hello, Principal." Shinwoo trudged into the room, me following suit. I walked off to the side. Frankenstein followed me, asserting my expression, which was noticeably tense.

"Shinwoo? Shouldn't you be in class? Did something happen?"

"I was told to bring these transfer students to you."

"Transfer?" As I'd suspected. Frankenstein was unaware of this situation as well. "Thank you. You can return to class now." Frankenstein smiled and waved Shinwoo off.

"Yes, then." Shinwoo bowed then turned to leave. In walked the two silver-haired 'transfers'.

I watched as they stepped forward. Frankenstein removed his glasses as his eyes widened.

Just as I'd thought. I tensed up, prepared to take action, if absolutely necessary. Frankenstein quickly recovered himself.

"Are you the director of this school?" The male asked. His voice was smooth and seemed to hold authority. Or was that cockiness?

Frankenstein smiled and replied. "Yes. Pleasure to meet you."

The boy smiled suddenly. "Not bad. I can sense a good amount of elegance. The school isn't bad either. No wonder it's known as the best around here…"

"I'm glad you found it to your liking." Frankenstein smiled again.

"I like you more and more." The boy smirked and leaned forward. Frankenstein's eyes widened. In a voice to be heard only by those directly around him, the boy demanded. "We are here as transfer students. Prepare everything to make it happen."

Frankenstein sat frozen, his eyes wide, and expression blank. He then smiled. "Of course. I will prepare all the necessary paperwork."

"Good." The boy smiled and nodded.

While the two discussed where they would have class, I wandered around the room, pretending to ignore their conversation.

When the two walked out, I moved to Frankenstein.

"Who were they?" I demanded of him. "I didn't like the feeling of them."

"So even you could sense it."

"Um… no, I couldn't sense anything. It was their eyes." I pointed at my eyes to emphasize my point. "They were crimson, like Raizel's."

"Ah. They are of the same place as Raizel." Frankenstein explained. "We call them Nobles. Humans could call them vampires, but that is far too degrading. In short, they are beings with long lives and inhuman abilities."

"When they demanded that you make them students here, why did you comply?"

"Nobles have the ability to control another. Humans would call it mind control, but it's more of a… shock, than actually controlling a person." Frankenstein's brow twitched. "Of course those two aren't strong enough to control me, but if I were to deny them, they would have grown suspicious."

"I see…" I trailed off, thinking this through. "Are they enemies?"

"I don't think so. If they were, they would have come with the necessary knowledge. However, we cannot be certain. I want you to keep an eye on them. Just don't do anything foolish. They are significantly stronger than you."

I nodded. "You can count on me." I turned to leave the room and stopped short. "Do you want me to sit in class and watch them? Or watch from a distance?"

"Whichever suits you best." Frankenstein said as he sorted through paperwork.

"Excellent…" I grinned and left the room. Quickly, I ran after the two. I caught up easily.

"What do you want?" The boy asked me.

"I am escorting you to class. I will be joining the classroom today." I smiled politely at the two.

"You make it sound like you have a choice." The boy spoke.

"That's because I do. I'm not an ordinary student, after all." I smiled lightly and continued onward.

"Not an ordinary student? What do you mean?" Oho~, did I sense cockiness? I smirked, not facing the two.

"I'm something other than just a student…" I paused for dramatic effect, mostly for my amusement. "I also scout the campus grounds for any sights of bullying or suspicious activities…" I spoke in a low voice and laughed at the boy's open confusion. "I apologize. I tend to… be dramatic at times." I smiled sheepishly and gestured to the door at my side. "This would be it." I grabbed at the door, and before sliding it open, I gestured to the girl.

"Ladies first." I slid the door open and made a gesture, beckoning the girl inside. She stepped forward with a nod and the boy followed. I followed the two and slid the door shut behind me.

Rather than stand in the front with the two, as I wasn't a new student, I walked into the back and leaned against the wall. There were only two chairs open, each one to be occupied by the new students.

"We have two new friends joining us today." Pedro, under the guise of a teacher now, informed.

At once, several students shouted in amazement. I startled at their suddenness. "Wow~!"

"Look at their hair. It's silver, man, silver!"

"Did they dye it?"

"Hair dye doesn't look that natural."

"It's cool."

"So this is why they told us to bring new desks and chairs…" Shinwoo stated. His was the only voice I recognized.

"As you guys can already see, they are not from this country. It is their first time living in Korea, so help them out the best that you can." Pedro spoke.

Several students reassured Pedro.

"Too noisy." The boy spoke. Ah, there was that cockiness again. "I can't feel even a shred of elegance from you people." Even through the insult, the students were still in awe.

"So cool~"

"He's different."

"Is it because a foreigner said it?"

"They're like nobles from movies."

"It is not like. We are nobles." I startled at the boy's words. He openly admitted to what he was. Of course, these humans were not familiar with what he actually meant, but… still, he admitted to it. I had to wonder what Raizel was thinking. Even now, he did nothing but stare outside of the window.

I sighed, already expecting the students' next reactions.

"WHOA~"

"What did he just say?"

"Real nobles!"

"Like a count and countess?"

"Everyone, quiet!" Pedro suddenly shouted, gaining the attention of the students. He looked over to the new students. "You two briefly introduce yourselves to the class."

The two remained silent. "Why must I do something like that?" The boy questioned.

Pedro twitched in obvious annoyance. He was always one meant to be respected… He grit his teeth before exhaling slowly. "You should fix how you talk, first. What kind of manner is that that to be using to your teacher? If you have nothing to say, at least tell them your names."

The boy appeared to consider this before closing his eyes and speaking. "Regis K. Landegre."

At long last, the girl spoke, too. "Seira J. Roiard."

"Our class gets a lot of foreigners. Maybe because the chairman is one… Huh?" Shinwoo's voice grabbed my attention, drawing my focus on the strange names to him. Unable to see Shinwoo's gaze from my angle, I assumed he was staring at Ikhan, who blatantly stared at the foreigners, with, what was that, admiration? Oho~ The boy found himself a lady of interest? I had to admit, the two foreigners were quite attractive. "What's wrong with him? This guy's totally fallen for her, huh?" Shinwoo noticed the same thing I did.

The area around Ikhan almost seemed to illuminate.

"What's that, that kind of extravagant eyes…?" Regis questioned, seeming confused. His gaze trailed around the room until it landed upon, what appeared to be either Shinwoo or Raizel. When his eyes widened, I confirmed it was Raizel that he noticed. He must have noticed he, too, was a Noble. I clenched my fists behind me and prepared to attack.

Raizel turned to face the two. Seira's eyes widened and a small blush formed. When the two simply stared at Raizel and didn't make any move to attack, I relaxed. However, because I had no idea what they were thinking, I decided I would keep a close eye on them.

Later that day, Regis, Seira, Frankenstein, and I stood in Frankenstein's office. Rather, I stood off to the side while Regis and Seira sat around a table, discussing someone who held elegance. Frankenstein sat at his desk, perhaps pondering what these two were doing here.

"That person was truly incredible. That much elegance…" Regis spoke, his hands drawn together before his lips.

Seira nodded in response, keeping her eyes on the table.

"I can't get his elegance out of my head." Regis muttered, and Seira nodded. "There is another thing I need from you." Regis turned to Frankenstein, who, were he able, would likely be glaring fiercer than he was at Regis for demanding something from him.

"We are in need of a home. We will be staying with you." Regis stated.

"Of course!" Frankenstein forced a smile after a moment. "Mirai, we will be going."

I nodded and followed after the three on our trek home.

When we arrived, much to my enjoyment, Shinwoo and friends were there. I smiled at them and waved.

Frankenstein stared warily at the mess on his table.

"How did you guys get here? Principal, what's going on?" Shinwoo asked, questioning Regis and Seira's appearance.

"Ah. Um… These two are the children of a friend of mine. They will be staying here for a while." Frankenstein lied easily.

"So that's it~ So they're someone that the Principal knew." Shinwoo sighed and smiled, returning to his usual, carefree self. "So they're going to be living with Rai? That sounds fun."

I watched Regis as he stared openly at Raizel. Was he talking about Raizel earlier? About his elegance? As I watched Raizel, I noticed he did hold extreme elegance. I moaned lightly in agreement.

"Looks like it's going to get even more fun from now on!" Shinwoo stood and shouted, throwing a fist in the air.

"We should come more often!" Ikhan also stood and shouted. "Ah. Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves properly yet." Ikhan turned to us, addressing Regis and Seira. "I'm Woo Ikhan. Nice to meet you." He smiled lightly and waved. He gestured to Shinwoo, who say with a boy expression. "This is Han Shinwoo."

"Hey~" He lifted two fingers in a motion. He smirked.

"Seo Yuna and Im Suyi." Ikhan continued, gesturing to the related person.

"Hello." Yuna nodded.

"Nice to meet you." Suyi smiled.

"And lastly…" Ikhan turned to Raizel. Oh, this would be interesting. Could the kids actually remember his entire name? "Rai came from abroad like you guys. It's his first time living here. We call him Rai, but he has a full name. It's…" Ikhan trailed off, uncertain.

"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel." Was it just me, or was Raizel's intense look judging the response of Regis and Seira?

Both Regis and Seira appeared nervous for a moment. I was right! They knew!

"That…" Regis started, as his frame shook. The two simply stared, in what I would now define as admiration. What was with these two? I sighed in defeat.

The sound of a door opening and closing behind me drew my attention.

"Ah! You're back!" I bounded over to M-21 and smiled. "We have guests!"

"Ah, hello." M-21 addressed the growing crowd in our living room.

"You've come just now, Mister?" Shinwoo questioned.

I noticed a stare down between Seira and Regis and M-21. This continued for several moments before M-21 walked off. Was he able to sense what these two were? I would have to explain things to him later.

I followed after him as he grabbed a glass of water. He hovered over the counter. I noticed then his hand was trembling slightly. Just as I noticed, he set the glass on the counter with a bit of force. M-21 glared at the wall and grit his teeth.

Frankenstein approached us, much to my surprise. I didn't feel or hear him approach.

"I guess you must want to know." Frankenstein leaned against a wall behind M-21, his arms crossed over his chest.

"And if I do, are you going to tell me?" M-21 questioned over his shoulder.

"Of course. If you're curious about anything, feel free to ask anytime. Though I can't tell you everything, if you ask I am willing to tell you at least a part of it."

M-21 stared at Frankenstein. No doubt he was still adjusting to the fact that Frankenstein was an ally and was willing to share information if M-21 would just ask. "R-right."

"Frankenstein, if you would like, I could explain it to him later. You have your hands full with dealing with those two… and then the children." I smiled at their excitement. It was nice to see they could live cheerful lives. Their lives weren't being threatened by some strange men anymore.

"Mm. Thank you, Mirai. Just be careful of what you say and how much you say. If those two overhear…" I cut Frankenstein off.

"They won't. I'll be careful." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I wouldn't risk allowing them to overhear." I don't trust them. Not in the slightest. I stared at the two as they sat amongst the group.

The kids had to leave eventually, and when they did, Regis and Seira took a chance to leave, too. Us four, Frankenstein, M-21, Raizel, and I followed after the two by rooftop.

"Why are we following them? Aren't they your comrades?" M-21 stood behind Frankenstein and Raizel, and beside me.

"Comrades… What gave you that idea?" Frankenstein asked.

"You were the one who brought them."

"Yes. Hm… There was a reason for that… I felt there was a need to watch them closely."

"That's not the only reason I thought you guys were comrades." M-21 paused, glancing at Raizel. "If my eyes aren't deceiving me, they are Noblesse."

Noblesse? Was that a fancy way of saying Nobles? Well, to each their own…

"Noblesse?" Ah, even Frankenstein was confused by the term.

"A species that calls themselves Nobles and name themselves as Noblesse. Vampires." Ah, I see. M-21 had the human interpretation of their race.

"I see… so they call themselves Noblesse now." Frankenstein glanced at Raizel.

"I would guess that you two are Noblesse as well." M-21 added.

"I'd like to say that what you said is wrong, but what you're saying isn't too far from the truth." Frankenstein turned to M-21 and grinned. "I apologize for not being able to tell you everything, but I will tell you this… As you've guessed, those two are indeed what you would call Noblesse."

"So I was right." M-21 sounded almost disappointed. I wondered why.

"But we can't call them our comrades since we don't know their intentions yet. And the beings you call Noblesse are different from vampires."

"Different?" M-21 turned to Frankenstein.

"Yes. The vampires that are known to humans are mutants."

"What?"

"The ones you call Noblesse do not feed on human blood. Well, they could if they wanted to. Blood has a lot of nutrients, after all." Frankenstein raised an arm out to his side.

"That's… What the hell is that. Are you saying that if you want to, you do, and if you don't want to, you don't…?"

"Humans also feed on the blood of animals. You can consider it the same thing. They would rather avoid drinking human blood. There are several reasons, but one of them is because by taking blood from someone, they can make the other species become subjected to them. Most of them try to avoid drinking the blood from humans and other races, but there's always some who act however they want. And the ones who do that appear from time to time, and those who become subjected to them could get power instead." M-21's eyes widened at this. "The problem is that those that are subjected start feeding on the blood of others as well. And those victims would feast on another, and another. These incidents began to repeat… and from these abnormal relationships, beings who couldn't be controlled and starved for blood started to appear."

"And those are…" M-21 trailed off.

"Yes. They are what humans refer to as vampires. Those vampires were labeled as mutants and creating them became forbidden."

"I… thought that Noblesse were vampires. That was the information I got from the organization, and that Noblesse are those who stood at the top of all vampires." M-21 explained his confusion.

"It's not as if there is no connection, so that's not completely wrong." Frankenstein admitted.

"Is that so… I should've known that the organization wouldn't have given proper information to a low rank like me."

"And lastly… It seems that the meaning has changed over the years."

"What has…"

"Noblesse was not a name for the race as a whole."

I was right! I knew it sounded strange! I knew Noblesse was not the same as Nobles!

"What do you mean?" M-21 questioned.

"Noblesse is… a meaning that has been bestowed on only a single being." Frankenstein glanced at Raizel. Was Raizel this Noblesse? Or did Raizel know of the Noblesse?

I pondered this, even as we started on our trek home. It would be wise to beat Regis and Seira there, and not arrive after they did. Though they didn't know we weren't human, it could still be seen as suspicious.

I sighed heavily. Things were going to get a lot more complicated in the coming days. Just when I thought things were finally starting to look up…


Ah, finally! We have Regis and Seira! Oh, and a cute moment between M-21 and Mirai... Again, it was hard not to add in even more 'cutesy' moments, but I managed to refrain. Ah, one aspect of this story that you should all know is I will not be adding in sexual tension. If any of you are here in hopes of that, leave now. This story is rated M for violence and language.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but I find it hard to imagine any of the characters in this series to be sexually active, thus I will not be adding it in. Thank you for your understanding.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!