Darkness fell, absolute dark, the night of a new moon.
From a window in the tall building a figure stood, watching the courtyard below.
Watching Haise Sasaki as he crossed, holding a stack of books. Probably coming back from being a guest instructor.
He was alone, for once.
His new partner was sitting under a nearby tree as he walked faster, trying to avoid her strange gaze.
He sped up, walking under the old oak tree.
The figure watching smiled at the branch began to crack—then descended on the half-ghoul investigator!
For one exquisite moment the figure celebrated; believing Haise Sasaki was dead.
Haise didn't even have time to scream. Suddenly in a flash his partner knocked him out of the way.
The figure snarled and closed the drapes, foiled.
Xxx
Haise was deep in thought. He noticed his partner, then sped up to avoid her. He wasn't ready to face the strange woman yet.
He heard the sickening crack. Something in him froze; an intense sensation of deja vu; and then he was tackled hard to the ground.
He looked up, dazed, into the moonstone eyes of Sadako.
"I-I am sorry. I saw it fall; I thought—" She babbled.
Haise dusted himself off. "You saved me?" Confusion blurred his thoughts.
"I-I did not think I'd make it in time." She admitted shakily.
Haise looked at her objectively, seeing a young awkward woman who felt anxiety and self consciousness like anyone else. Was it really her fault that she made him feel so strange?
Maybe this was a problem with him and his fractured memories—that she was innocent, and just resembled someone he knew?"
Some of the anxiety, the terrible unease that he'd felt since the first moment he'd seen her, began to fade away.
"Well, I'm glad you did make it in time." Haise kept his own voice calm—his emotions under control, just as Christy had said. The last thing he needed was for her to come charging up. "And you can put your hands down. I'm not gonna bite you or anything like that."
Sadako lowered her hands and shoved them into her jacket pockets. "I did not mean to knock you down. I did not mean to hurt you," she said."
"That limb would have done a lot worse. Plus, it was a good tackle. Hide would approve." He said the words and then clamped my mouth shut. Who the hell was Hide?
Sadako just looked confused.
Haise sighed. "What I mean is, thank you for saving me."
She blinked. "You are welcome."
Haise started to get up and she held out a hand to help he. He looked at it. It was a perfectly normal hand. It held no threat. He slid his hand in hers. Their palms pressed together and he knew he hadn't imagined it. Her touch did radiate heat deep in his chest.
As soon as he was on his feet Haise pulled my hand from hers.
"Thanks," he said. "Again."
"You are welcome." Sadako paused and almost smiled. "Again."