Chapter 4: Will you be my Valentine?

Akane's POV

I went back to the dorms in the middle of the night. I don't know how long I was outside, but... I just needed some time to myself...

As I walked down the hall, I started to feel lightheaded. I tried to ignore it and keep on walking, but I was losing my balance. I leaned against the wall and slowly sunk down to the floor.

"Ignoring it and running away will not change what's happening." The headmaster spoke in a low, sad voice. "I don't know why you insist on pushing yourself to the limit like this..."

I used the wall to push myself back up, but ended up falling back down. "It's my problem, not yours..."

He stared down at me sympathetically as he held out his hand. "Take it. It might not taste the best to you, but... it'll ease the pain."

I looked up and saw a blood tablet in his hand. "I'm not taking it." I grunted.

He pulled his hand back with a heavy sigh. "You're behaving like a child."

I hung my head low as I tried to steady my breathing.

He sighed once more, "This seems to be happening a lot to you recently. I'm afraid things will only get harder at this rate. I'm sorry, but you do understand, don't you?"

Class had ended so I was putting away my books so I could go back to my dorm room.

Yuuki had fallen asleep, so her friend was trying to wake her up. When she finally woke Yuuki up, she asked if she had made any chocolates.

That's right... Today is Valentine's Day...

Yuuki sighed as she scratched the back of her neck. "Well, you see... I was trying to make chocolates last night, but I kinda messed it all up, and ended up having to buy these." She said, pulling out a box of chocolates from her pocket.

Zero smirked as he stood up from his desk. "I don't know what you were doing, but I could hear you all the way from my dorm last night."

Yuuki blushed as she furrowed her brows. "You did not! Shut up!"

Zero merely grunted and walked away.

What was wrong with him?

Yuuki just stared at him sympathetically while everyone else was leaving.

I took a deep breath as I tried to stand up. I hardly managed to even make it out of the classroom. I walked back to my dorm and quickly shut the door behind me. I focused on my breathing, and to my surprise, it worked. The urge to drink blood went away and a small smile spread across my face.

There's something I have to do. I just hope that Zero and Yuuki won't be mad because I skipped out on patrolling today...

Zero's POV

I hate Valentine's Day. I don't see how giving someone chocolate shows your appreciation for them. It's pointless and a waste of time.

I also don't understand why all the Day Class girls swoon over the Night Class. They're beasts in human form. If the Day Class knew their disgusting secret, surely they wouldn't feel the same way for them that they do now. They would be terrified to even look in the same direction as those monsters.

Right now, Yuuki and I are patrolling the switch-over. We're supposed to organize the exchanging of gifts between the Day Class and the Night Class, which is much more difficult than it sounds, and the only person who could actually help wasn't here.

"Where's Akane?!" Yuuki shouted over all of the of swarming girls.

"I don't know!" I shouted back. "But when I find out, she is going to regret skipping out today..." I mumbled quietly to myself.

Once everyone had finished exchanging their gifts, it was time to go back to their dorms.

Yuuki looked disappointed as Kaname walked away, because she couldn't give him her chocolates.

"Hey, Kaname!" I shouted, throwing the box of chocolates at him. "You forgot one!"

He easily caught it and smiled warmly at the brunette dunce beside me. "I'm glad to accept it. Thank you, Yuuki."

A rose pink blush spread across her face and she started hitting me. "Zero, you idiot! Why did you do that?! You seemed so mad about it earlier!"

"It was watching you that got me so irritated! Why didn't you hand it to him yourself?!" I huffed, furrowing my brows.

She looked away with pursed lips and a smug expression. "Because I thought it would be awkward if I handed it to him."

I rose a brow as I stared down at her. "Why?"

"Because..." She muttered as she turned back around. "He's so... different from me."

At that moment, her neck peeked through her hair, and I had the sudden urge to drink her blood.

Why am I having such thoughts? I sound like one of those beasts... I hate it.

I just need to forget about it. It's time to go back to our dorms anyways.

I tried to avoid Yuuki the entire way back to the dorms, because every time I get near her, I feel tempted to drink her blood, and I don't want to hurt her.

I can probably get to the dorms before she can, so I might just have enough time to see why Akane skipped patrol today.

I got the her room and knocked on the door, to which there was no response. "Akane?" I spoke, still knocking on the door, and there was still no response. I opened the door and looked around, but there was no one there.

I walked into the room and knocked on the bathroom door. "Akane, are you in there?" I slowly creaked open the door as I spoke. "Is there anyone in there?"

When there was still no response, I started to get worried. I opened the door entirely and looked around, only to see that there was no sign of Akane.

I heard someone walk into the room and I quickly turned around. "Akane, where were-" I froze. It wasn't Akane who came into the room, it was Yuuki.

"Zero, what are you doing in here?! We're supposed to be patrolling for the night classes right now, and I won't let you skip again!" She shouted as she walked to me.

I took a couple steps backwards, afraid that her scent would make me lose control. "Just leave me alone..." I huffed.

She continued to walk towards me as she narrowed her eyes. "That's something that will never change about you... You'll always keep yourself locked away when something's wrong..."

"I said to leave me alone!" I repeated, taking another step back. I bumped into the corner of the shower, and the box of blood tablets fell out of my pocket.

"Blood tablets?" She spoke in disbelief as she picked them up. "...Why do you have those?"

"Just stop!" I shouted, yanking the small box out of her hand.

Her eyes widened as an expression of hurt claimed her face. "W-Why?"

I was going to lose control at any moment, I just knew it.

I backed up into the wall and squeezed my eyes shut as I clenched fistfuls of my hair. "Yuuki, go away!"

She ignored my warning and continued to walk towards me like the dumb, ignorant girl she is. She started to reach for me, but she hit her hand hard on the sharp edge of the shower, and it began to bleed.

The scent of her blood quickly filled the room, and the beast inside of me begged for more.

It was too late now... This was it...

I lost control over my body for a minute. I grabbed her wrist and jerked her towards me, resulting in me sinking my fangs into her porcelain neck.

However, when I bit into her neck, it was not the taste I yearned for. In fact, I didn't even know why I was so tempted to drink her blood. It was nothing like when I drank Akane's blood...

Just goes to show how much of a monster I am...

At that very moment, Akane walked into the room. "Hey, Yuuki! Sorry I missed patrolling duties today, I was-" She stopped mid-sentence. She stared in awe at Yuuki and I, and dropped the small box she had in her hands.

A feeling of dread washed over me as I released Yuuki. "Akane-"

"Forget it!" She interrupted, "I'm sorry for intruding!" She spoke quickly as she shot her gaze to the ground. "...Sorry." She repeated before running out of the room.

Yuuki ran after her, and I remained frozen in place.

Why did her reaction make my chest hurt so much? I felt as if my heart was going to explode.

Finally able to move my numb legs, I walked over to the box she had dropped and picked it up. It appeared to be a box of chocolates. I read the note that was attached to it. The note said, "To: Zero, From: Akane."

I opened up the box, and it was a big heart-shaped chocolate that had, "Will you be my Valentine?" written across it.

When I read this, my heart skipped a beat and I felt a hundred times worse than before. There was no way that she would forgive me...

Why is it that Akane always makes me feel this way?