The heart skips a beat and drops somewhere in the pit of the stomach. Eyes flashed, Tsukki jumps on the feet, making the plate fall down and break. Now everyone's eyes on them.

He doesn't care. He needs to get away as soon as possible.

He already feels his body preparing for the fight he's not ready. The fight he surely will lose. He feels the end drumming in his ears.

"I'm sorry, Tsukki," Kentaro says with the same voice, filled with regret.

"For what? That you'll have to kill me?" Tsukki hisses and turns away, his mind bustling with the options to get out, eyes rushing from one corners of the restaurant to another. Well, now there's no point to use kitchen, he's gonna be distracted by blood. And the toilet is located behind it. It's not that Tsukki can't control himself at all, but in situations like this  the body might decide the additional blood is a need for survival.

As for the main entrance... Kentaro surely got someone ready at the first notice. It's the usual practice for the hunters. If they go somewhere fishy, they ask the others to keep an eye.

Why didn't Tsukki ask Ran to do the same? Well, his sire isn't who gonna risk his life when the outcome is shaky. Ran likes the good fight, but he picks up only those he can win.

He should try to get away. He's faster than most of them. Maybe not Kentaro though. But he got to try.

Just before all his muscles tense, ready to fly, he feels a warm palm on the shoulder.

"Tsukki, please," he hears the pleading tone.

'Deceiving maneuver', he thinks and rips the hand away. The next second he's out of the restaurant, without looking back, rushing down the street, hearing the heart pounding in chest and ears. He mistakes it for the footsteps, but when he finally glances back, there's no one behind, no one's after him.

That scares him even more. If he's not being followed, that means Kentaro knows where he lives. He will head there for sure.

His home isn't safe anymore. Ran's place? He doesn't want to endanger him right now in case he had to lay down for a bit later.

If there's any "later" for him at all.

Fuck the moment Kentaro set his eyes on him! Fuck Ran and his stupid plan! Fuck his own naive hope the date with Kentaro won't have such consequences.

The phone vibrates in his pocket. He doesn't stop. It must be Ran. He told he's gonna check every half an hour or so.

Half an hour.

It took a bit more than half an hour for Tsukki to turn his life upside down. He might blame the accident, but even if it won't happen, Kentaro would...

Suddenly the look on Kentaro's face pops up in his eyes. He wasn't surprised like Tsukki's identity was the whole new discovery for him. It looked like he had suspicions and proved them right. Is it possible the whole scene with the accident was staged to check out Tsukki?

Fear filles his veins. All the horrific stories Ran told him come up his mind. The video with Kentaro killing a bunch of vampires pops up and Tsukki thinks he can feel the blade parting his guts. Every nook and corner is hiding a hunter behind. The whole world narrows down to the single thought: run away, stay alive.

But he has to think rationally, Tsukki suddenly halts himself.

If he will go on with panicking, he'll be an easy target. He needs to calm down. He has to find some place to think everything over. Somewhere crowded. Somewhere he won't be spotted in a second.

He's close to Shibuya. That might do it.

Tsukki gets into the nearest mall. Surrounded by multiple people, he feels more secure. At least, he won't be killed instantly. He jumps in the closest food corner and chooses the first drink just to gather the thoughts together. He checks in the cash, tries to remember how much money he's got on the card, goes to the flight company website. His fingers mistype a few times, trying to get address. Finally he manages to open the page and find himself spacing out, thinking hard where he can go.

Where will he get lost?

Asia? USA? Europe? He has a friend programmer in Russia, who lives in Siberian taiga and can hide him.
Tsukki lets himself dwell on the image of deep snowy forest with bears walking around. The situation with vampire treatment in Russia is worse than in Japan, they have more hunters. In the small village is gonna be hard to find food and stay unnoticed. And if there's gonna be even single hunter there, Tsukki's a goner. They're like bees - if you kill one and the others will know who's done it, no chance you gotta be left to your own devices.

But he can get some blood resources from hospitals. He can get at least a month or so of safety and than decide what to do next. That's rich in his situation.

He needs to decide it fast. He needs to get lost. He looks up the closest flights. Chooses his first destination. Gets out of the cafe and finds the information stall to look up ATMs.

He doesn't know what Kentaro's resources are. Maybe he should've think more about it before he agreed to this. But it's better not to leave any chance to follow his card trace. So he takes all the money from all of the cards and heads to the entrance to grab the taxi.

When he sits in and tells the driver go to the airport, he notices someone looking like Kentaro entering the mall.

***
There's registration goes on the flight to Kuala Lumpur. And there are still tickets available. Without any double thoughts Tsukki buys it.

It's still an hour and a half before departing.

It's enough to transfer money from his PayPal account and withdraw them. Tsukki has decided against touching his crypto accounts, they might come useful when he's gonna move further.

The anxiety makes him fidget around and he catches a few glances from the airport security.

'I need to calm myself,' Tsukki thinks and goes to the restroom, planning to stay there before the boarding will start. When he gets in the stall and takes the phone out, he sees at least a dozen messages.

19:02, Ran: How is it going?

19:05, Ran: When are you coming back?

19:06, Ran: Looks like everything is smooth, wouldn't be bothering, just want to make sure you're okay. Text me 'OK'

They agreed Tsukki will give him a message when he'll get the vibe of the date.

19:15, Ran: Tsukki, what is going on?

Would be easier if he did. At least they'd be clear of the outcome. Maybe Tsukki would be dead. But at least he wouldn't feel the burning feeling and sensation of being chased.

19:35 Ran: If you won't call me rn, I'm driving there.

Damn.

20:12 KK: Call me, we need to talk. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise.

Was Ran in danger? Well, Tsukki saw Kentaro entering the mall. But what if he was mistaken? What if it was just a lookalike?

He dialled the number.

"Tsukki? What the fuck?.."

"He knows, Ran. Kentaro knows I'm a vampire.'

The silence on the other side was loud enough.

"Where are you?" Tsukki hesitated. Probably it would be better if he will let Ran out of it.

"The flight number..."

"Are you in the airport? Where are you going?"

Fuck it!

"Listen, Tsukki, there's no need to do anything in rush. The situation is harsh, but not unexpected. We can meet in some place other than yours or mine and plan what we gotta do," There was a slight edge in Ran's voice Tsukki doesn't get.

Why was he talking him out of leaving Japan? When he knew who was after Tsukki? There's no adequate reasoning behind it. Unless...

Nah! Tsukki shakes the head. He would say. He must be just worried about him. Nevertheless...

"I need to go, Ran, I just can't stay, that's gotta endanger not just me but you as well." The boarding announcement was for his flight and Tsukki headed for the stall.

"Tsukki, he'll be able to find you. You don't know how stubborn and dedicated Kentaro becomes when he wants to get the vampire. He can find you anywhere. You know the saying the most safe place for the mouse is right under the cat's eyes?" Ran's voice came close to the verge of begging. But something in his words is nagging Tsukki's back mind. He can't put finger on it, it slips away the second he turns the gaze to the stewards and smiles, hoping it didn't look like a grimace.

"Ran, I'm gonna call you later. Let me manage it the way I want now and maybe later we can discuss my return to Tokyo." Tsukki finishes the call, takes the boarding ticket back and proceeds to the plain.