Important! Please read!

Hello guys, I know I'm late with the update but the explanation will go later. Anyway, I have quite bad news for you :/ From today on, I will be kinda busy so I don't think that updates will be as fast as before... I'm not certain in what interval I will be able to post but for now I guess it will be once in two/three days. But who knows? Maybe I will be able to make it in one day (or unfortunately four days...)? Don't worry! I will be doing my best to update ASAP.

In terms of the late chapter, I was having a trip so I didn't get home until yesterday 22:00 and I was so tired to do anything and this chapter was really so hard!... Gomenasai, minna-san! Watashi o yurushite kudasaii! *bows down* But I made this one longer so I hope you won't mind? :)

Chapter 12: A story about monster and angel

Izayoi's P.O.V.

A monster like me, to be treated with so much love and care, it was just a dream, right? Not only that woman wasn't scared of me, she even understood me, talked to me... Showed pity. It was way too beautiful for me.

It was impossible to believe it. So I didn't.

From that day, she took me to all places and played with me while smiling so happily. And I? I was thinking what kind of game was she playing with me or what was her objective. Dispose of me? Use me? Why else would someone talk to monster? Why else would someone as bright as her involved herself with a dark and hated devil like me? Why?

"From today on, you are my son!"

But when she said that, I was confused. Did she really like me or was it just a part of her game? Did she adopt me to be like mother and son or to own me like a dog? To make me her familiar and have control over me? I didn't know, but still felt so much happiness deep inside my heart. I was so delighted and glad that someone actually wanted me. But there still remained the suspicion.

That was reflected on how I was acting toward her many times. Even though I was avoiding to spend too much time with her, she always made me do so anyway.

"Let's go to a festival today" Aiharu suggested and looked at me with glowing eyes which made me avert mine.

"I don't want to" I refused with hesitation.

"Why? It will be fun!" She sat before me and tried to make an eye contact since I avoided it. "Let's gooo"

"No!" I remained adamant and shook my head. I could see how she put on that sulking face.

"Why not?" she started pulling my left cheek.

"Because I don't wanna"

"You have never been at festival, right? It's fun" she declared and smiled.

I couldn't say anything, I wanted to go, but was something was preventing from doing so.

Suddenly, she grabbed my chin and kissed me on a forehead. She k-k-k-kissed me! I could only stare in surprise and embarrassment and feel how the blood rushed to my face. It was hot, wasn't it?

"Let's go" she smiled and without listening to my complains tightened me there.

Gradually, her kindness and love curved into my heart. But that was also the reason I didn't understand and got confused even more. I wanted to believe her feelings but something in me had already lost its trust for people. It was scared to get close to people and be hurt.

"I-kun, why won't you let me in?" Aiharu said frustrated. "Is something wrong?"

"Let me be!" I screamed, barricaded behind the doors of my room and hiding in a dark corner.

"Izayoi-kun, what's the matter?" she gently asked and stopped knocking. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

"I don't know anymore" I whispered and begged for an answer. "Is this all... for real?"

I wanted to trust her, to like her, love her. But I was afraid of love. If it all turned to be a crappy game, it would hurt a lot. The more I would get attached to her the more it would hurt. However, what if she was serious? What if Aiharu really wanted us to be a family? Wouldn't it mean that I wasn't alone anymore? I... I didn't know! I didn't...

"Are you scared?" she asked out of blue. "Are you scared of people?"

I remained silent.

"I know that feeling, I-kun. You are completely right for hating and being afraid of them. Some humans are jealous, violent, they lie, some even kill..." Aiharu dryly chuckled. "They are selfish creatures with big ego. But all of them has a good side either. It's not like they are a pure evil"

I listened to her words. She was right, I hated people, I was scared of them. I was afraid of those mean and piercing eyes, of their actions...

"If that is a definition of human being, then you are an angel" I stated quietly, but loud enough that she would hear me.

A laugh was heard from the other side of the doors.

"No way!" she said while bursting out in laughter. "I-kun, even I have a bad side. Everyone has something bad and good in them." she stated.

"What is that bad thing of yours?" I wanted to know.

"For example, I'm quite possessive if it comes to people I love" Aiharu confessed.

"That's not bad" I said.

"It is" she argued. "Just you see when I will not let you go out with friends because I will want to have you for myself" she joked.

"I would be overjoyed if you would do that" I whispered and smiled a little. Because... there would be someone who would need me.

"What did you say?" she didn't hear me what was on purpose.

"Nothing at all"

And in the end, I was sure. Aiharu wasn't a bad person, she was the best one. I was convinced by watching her all those days. By those words 'I love you' she always told me before going sleep.

"Do you really love me?" I looked into her bright blue eyes. Aiharu smiled and laid me on a bed.

"More than there are stars in the sky" She whispered while patting my head and playing with my hair.

"Can I trust you? Are you telling truth?" I wanted to be assured.

"Do you want me to repeat it?" She chuckled and laid down next to me. "I-love-you" Aiharu said and kissed me on a cheek.

"I love you, I love you, I love you!" She repeated again and again and kissed me every time she told me those words.

"I LOOOVEEE YOOUU" She started hugging me... no, choking me.

"I get it!" I yelled while trying to catch a breath. "Fine, fine! Please let me go!" I started fighting back, but carefully so that I wouldn't accidentally smash her...

"I will let go," the woman holding me in her arms declared. "only if you will kiss me too" and her expression 'blossomed'.

"Wha-!" I yelped and turned red. It was way too embarrassing, but I actually... wanted to do it.

A quick kiss filled with love landed on her cheek and for a first time I got to see her surprised face. I knew she didn't expect me to do it without a series of complains or to even do it.

"I-kun" she inhaled and then smiled from ear to ear. "You kissed meee" She squeaked and started hugging me again. This time it was a gentle and comfortable embrace.

"I love you" her voice resonated in my head and I couldn't help myself from smiling. I love you too, mom.

She even made me go to school. That's when she found out about my supernatural memory and intelligence.

"Incredible!" Aiharu exclaimed and popped her eyes. "Everything is correct!"

"Yeah" I agreed a little joyed that she was praising me.

"Again! I still can't believe it!" She requested and wrote down random numbers.

"Here! Let's see if you can memorize fifty numbers" and she handled to me a paper sheet.

I looked at it and scanned the numbers one by one. I didn't really need to learn or try, just seeing it was enough since I remembered it as a picture.

"Done" I said and returned the paper to the woman with a shocked face.

"So quickly?!" she stuttered. "Anyway, you can start" and so she looked at the piece of paper.

I embarked on speaking without a problem. It wasn't really hard, it was like I had a photo in my head and I could zoom it. I continued for about another two minutes and then finished.

"So?" I asked with a dry throat.

"A-AMAZING!" She started pulling my cheeks. It hurt.

"Shtop it!" I demanded.

"You are so awesome, I-kun! And cuuute" that woman pulled my cheeks more than before. It was freaking painful.

"It huuts" I cried out and tried to break away. Finally, she stopped.

"You know what? Today I will make you a pie!" She declared and started messing with my hair, not that I didn't like it.

"Which flavour?" I asked a little interested.

"Which one do you want?" Aiharu looked at me.

"A-anything is fine" I said, I have never eaten a pie so I didn't know how it tasted nor what kind was she going to make. A pie... is it good? If it is from Aiharu, there is no doubt!

Aiharu was always so caring and kind. Every time I was troubled or had something in my mind, she would notice and comfort me

"I-kun? What's wrong?" The woman in front of me asked, looking at me with worried eyes.

"Nothing at all" I didn't want to burden her. Even the fact that she was taking care of me was already too much of trouble.

"Come on, you can tell mommy everything" She took my chin and made me lift my head.

"What happened?" She graciously repeated.

"It's nothing" I refused to speak and put on a stubborn face.

"Oh really? You don't want to speak? Well, we will see" and so she started tickling me.

"S-S-Stop it!" I screamed while wiggling like a worm.

"Not until you say what is wrong!" Aiharu carried on 'torturing' me. I was on edge of tears when I gave in.

"Fine, I will speak!" And she stopped.

"So?" she demanded an explanation.

"It's just... some people don't like me staying with you" I quietly said and averted eyes. If they were insulting only me, I would just ignore them and that would be it, but this time they involved Aiharu. They were talking dirty about her, the pure angel! How dared they?!

"Don't listen to them" She said and sat down next to me. "We don't live to meet everyone's expectations nor to do as they say"

"But the problem is they speak about you like-"

"I don't mind it. As long as I'm happy, their words are nothing" she patted my head. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah..." I nodded, amazed by her words. "I get it"

She treasured me more than anything and freaked out every time something happened to me. Like when she found out that I was anemic.

"I knew it! You eat too little!" Aiharu started making a fuss out of it.

"I'm completely fine" I tried to assure her, but nothing could calm her down anymore.

"Kyyaaah, it's my fault! I should have paid more attention to what you eat!" She started crying... Oh my god, she started crying!

"N-NO! It's not your fault! I was anemic even before meeting you so don't worry about it!" I started panicking. What should I do when an adult woman cries because of something so absurd? She was way too overprotective and sensitive!

"What? Even before?" Finally, she stopped whining...

"Yeah, when I was seven a doctor came to orphanage and examined us" I explained and looked how the woman's face turned a little... dark.

"Those jerks" she hissed... wait a minute, what the heck did she just say?!

"Ehm... excuse me?" I looked at her shocked. So even she knows how to use these kind of words.

"A-AAh, forget that word, okay? You are still so pure, I-kun, you can't be tainted yet!" She covered my ears and started saying something with a frowned face... I could clearly imagine her monologue.

I puffed my cheeks... really, I? And pure? Oh come on, the only one who is pure is you, Aiharu. I'm much more tainted than you think...

"Done?" I asked when I noticed that she stopped moving with her lips. Aiharu put down her hands and sighed.

"I'm gonna kill them" she declared.

"If I wanted them to be killed, I would already do it" I informed her and smirked.

"Anyway, I will make sure you will eat properly!" She stated with determination.

"I have been always eating properly since you adopted me" I facepalmed.

"No! This time you will eat more than ever!" She announced. "You are way too thin anyway"

Facewall

Before I knew it, a year was gone and I was eleven. That's when I started to be cheeky and mess with Aiharu.

"You little monkeyyyy!" Aiharu shouted loudly and chased me.

I was just laughing out loud and enjoying teasing her. I knew I would get a pretty long lecture but that would go later. Right now I just wanted to have fun.

"Come back! I-kun!" She speeded up... Hell, she could run extremely fast when she was angry!

"No way! I don't want to die!" I continued on running for about another ten minutes.

But I was still defenseless to Aiharu's sad face.

Suddenly, I found out that she wasn't chasing after me anymore and stopped. I turned round and saw her standing with a head bend down...

"Ehm... Aiharu?" I called out a little reluctantly.

She didn't answer so I slowly approached her and spotted that she was sniffing... Don't tell me she was crying!

"Aiharu, hey! Why are you cry-" and even before I could finish it, I got smacked in head. It didn't hurt, it was just a little smack by fingers

"You stupid, stupid, stupid!" She started yelling at me and cried out like a child.

"Oi! I was just joking! Stop crying! I'm sorry!" I panicked and tried to calm her down.

"How can I stop when you wrote that you are leaving?!" She cried even more.

"It was just a joke! I would never abandon you!" I assured the weeping woman and felt pretty guilty.

"That wasn't funny at all!" and again, she smacked me in head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, mom" I apologized and swore to myself that there will be no more jokes like this one.

She was the only person I wanted to live for. Her smile and words were my motivation. The reason I was still attending school, not missing even one day and getting the best scores in tests was just to make her happy.

"I-kun! I'm so proud of you!" Aiharu hugged me so tightly that I almost couldn't breath.

"All of your teachers are praising you for your perfect attendance and scores!" she said with an apparent happiness in her voice.

"Could you please let breath?" I requested while being choked to death.

"Ah, sorry" she chuckled and loosened the hug a little. "But you are soooo intelligent!" She squeaked.

I just remained silent and smiled... I always wanted to see her like this, overjoyed that much that she would squeak, laugh and embrace me. It was one of the best feelings ever.

I just... loved her so much.

So much that when I lost her, my world was destroyed.

So much that when I realized that she was no longer here, I forgot how to live.

It was much more painful than being alone.

Because losing Aiharu,

was like losing

own life.

I told them about the woman I considered as mother and loved like no one ever before. I told them what she meant to me and what I meant to her. I confessed how much I loved her and how it hurt me when she died. However, I didn't tell them why or how she leaved this world nor what she said. I still couldn't talk about that.

"But there is something else chasing me from past" I stated with eyes fixed on a ground.

"Something else?" Black rabbit repeated and I nodded.

"The reason Aiharu passed away is... me. But before that, she told me her last words" I silenced and prepared myself for those words. "and those were" I took a deep breath in and said them out:

"I hate you"

No one dared to speak up, I knew they were way too shocked by those words to even say a word.

"T-that's too much" Ojou whispered with a shocked expression. "I was also a little rejected by people in my word but... that was just a little" she looked like she was on edge of tears. "I am aware of that people from our words are scared of those with Gift, but this... to be so cruel to a child"

"That's your word, mine is like that" I remarked.

"But I can't believe it" Kasukabe spoke up. "I can't believe Aiharu would say something like that to you"

"Yeah! She was a good person and treasured you so much! There is no way she would say that!" This time it was Black rabbit.

"But I heard it" a rather sharp tone escaped my mouth and everyone in room shut up.

I sighed and started again: "However... when I was at the festival... I met an old woman while thinking about Aiharu"

Those three looked at me curiously and I just continued: "She told me that Aiharu didn't say it. I don't get it though. How did she know about her or her words?" A smiled with an obvious confusion. "How does she know? And if she didn't say 'I hate you' what then?!"

"It might be a witch" Black rabbit said.

"What?"

"Some witches can read mind and even see into other dimensions" she informed with a serious face.

"Then does it mean she was telling truth?" Ojou joined.

"Yes, if she looked into Izayoi-san's word then there would be no doubt"

So... maybe Aiharu didn't really say it? But I heard it with my own ears! I heard her whispering it!

"Where is the guarantee that she didn't lie?" I demanded an answer.

"There is no guarantee" Kasukabe replied instead of Black rabbit. "But we can ask her about that, can't we?" and she looked at the blue-haired girl.

"Ah, yeah! If we will find her..." and the stupid rabbit smiled.

"Yosh, then I'm going" I stood up and headed to the door. I wanted to know... I had to know! What did she say to me? Did she blame me? Did she despise me?

"Wait! We are going too" Black rabbit declared and approached me.

"But before that," Ojou put on her serious and a little scary expression. "Your temperature"

"You are kidding me, right?"

Again, I'm sorry for the late update and hope you won't be so angry! Byebye! :)