When the (h/c) haired girl came back to school a week later, she expected all the weird looks. People murmured about her, placing her as the subject of gossip yet again. This time, it was about the serial killer - "The Vampire of Keisetsu". They said she was the target; that she had pissed someone off enough to make them want to kill anyone that reminded her of them. And, that might have been the truth. She had no idea who it could have been or who could have possibly been inspired enough to take up those vicious acts.

Of course, the others were there to make her feel more comfortable. Yamato, in particular, had started waking up early - something he dreaded - just to arrive at school early. He wanted to protect her, even offering to drive her to school. Still, she refused. She didn't want him anywhere near her house. And though he wasn't at all satisfied with that, he decided to wait for her instead, leaning against the school's front gate before he saw her.

"You should have taken the day off," the brunette mumbled, studying her for any new wounds, "You were in the hospital, for crying out loud. Your grades won't slip or anything."

"I'll be fine."

"You always say that. Did you eat today?"

The younger girl glanced away in shame, making him grit his teeth. She made him so angry for reasons he could not comprehend. It shouldn't have been that hard to take care of someone, yet, there she was, resisting him at every turn. That being said, he'd thought that would be the case, so he had his kitchen make some pastries for her. He figured she'd prefer something sweet instead of savory. Offering them to her, he watched her ears turn red. He couldn't help but light up, too.

"I-I didn't have a choice, okay? This...it's not a favor."

"Right," she smiled, accepting the treats, "You just happened to have leftovers. Thank you."

Yamato felt something strange in his chest. He had been feeling that a lot recently, especially whenever she trusted him enough to lean on him. It was kind of a pleasant emotion though there were some little hiccups of discontent there, too. He wasn't sure why since he was only doing his job protecting a girl who couldn't care for herself. Still, he didn't really want the feeling to go away. The pride felt nice.

They barely got through the gates of the school before the (h/c) haired girl felt someone grab onto her arm. The brunette was quick to intervene, shoving the individual away and getting ready to fight them but it ended up being a police officer. No, to be more specific, it was the police chief. The man apologized for being so forward, not that Yamato forgave him. He continued standing protectively in front of the younger girl, cocking a brow at the man.

"I'd like a word with Ms. Shiratori," the chief mumbled, glancing over at her, "It's important."

Yamato didn't say anything, largely because he didn't think he had a say. That being said, when he saw the younger girl's body language getting more closed off, it became more evident that she didn't want anything to do with the man. He stepped in front of her once again, weighing whether she would get mad at him for intervening or not. Nonetheless, when she glanced up at him with a somber smile, she seemed to radiate gratitude. He must have been doing something right.

"You'll have to understand it's for your own good," the chief continued, "You must know - "

"I don't know who it is, okay? Whoever this is, I don't know them - "

"'The Vampire of Keisetsu'."

"...right," A pause as she brought her arms in, "Whoever has been killing girls that look like me; I don't know them."

"I'm just asking for ten minutes to ask some questions."

"And if I had answers, I wouldn't be terrified right now!"

"Alright," Yamato huffed, separating the two, "She said that's enough."

"With all due respect, Mr. Hisaki," the man snapped, "I can't let her go. I don't want to cause any distress to her but it's imperative we find out as much as we can. Even if it's just - "

"She said 'no' and I said 'no'. It's not a good look for a police officer to not know that word."

"There are other lives at stake! If even a noble can be killed, this serial killer might be more dangerous than we thought!"

In all seriousness, the man was right. Despite the intense argument between him and the brunette, the individual killing the girls was extremely dangerous. They had already been on the loose for years at that point. The number of their victims far surpassed any other mass murderer, and, yet, they still had no clue who it was. Their only hint was that they were active around Keisetsu the most and that, somehow, they were connected to (Y/n) Shiratori. What else could they have done but go to her for answers?

"You'll leave her alone," Yamato continued, clenching his fists, "Unless you want me to pull back my guys and let the Gensai Group run crazy. I'm betting you don't want that. You'd be dealing with more corpses then."

"You would really - "

"I would. Want to try me?"

"This - Ms. Shiratori, you must - "

The chief looked over at where the girl was, trying to beg her for her cooperation. And, yet, she was gone. She had fled the moment they started getting immersed in their argument. Even Yamato hadn't realized, far too distracted by defending her. He flinched when he saw her missing, looking left and right for any sign of her. Worried, he went off to look for her, sending a warning glare back at the police chief. In essence, he was reminding him of his threat, daring him to go and bother her again.

At the same time, the (h/c) haired girl had retreated into the school, making a beeline for the fence. It separated school grounds from the forest, and, perhaps, not so obviously, the latter would be safest for her. She slipped under the little hole in the fence, dragging herself through in order to pop out on the other side. She'd been there before, actually. At times when the glares got too much for her, she went and hid there, usually until Narahashi found her.

It became more quiet as she walked further into the forest. It was eerie, too, considering she should have heard - at the very least - some kind of small rodent scurrying about. But there was nothing, just the sound of her footsteps, uneven as they were. It gave her time to think, but, weirdly, that was the worst thing for her at the time, so, it was lucky that, all of a sudden, she started hearing something - hectic sounds of leaves rustling and branches creaking. And then, in a split-second, she saw Akari whiz by, the blonde in - what looked like - his natural habitat.

(Y/n) became amazed at him, gawking as he treated the trees like his own personal backyard. Before, she figured he must have been agile, enough to jump over fences and climb up on the roofs - of which she had been receiving disgruntled reports from the disciplinary committee about. They couldn't do anything about him treating the school's architecture like a playground, which was why they were complaining to Narahashi, and, in turn, her. Of course they couldn't do anything about it either - not when he was protected by Rei.

They locked eyes for a moment, Akari, predictably, losing focus and missing his footing. She held back a snicker as he crashed through the trees and ended up on the dirt. Weirdly enough, there were no sounds of pain from him, but, when she found him, he had a sour look on his face, laying uncomfortably in the bush he'd landed in. He was still very quick to pick himself up, trying to brush off all the dirt. That proved an impossible feat, however, and he gave up immediately, huffing.

"Sorry about that," the girl chuckled, watching him flush pink, "You're not too beat up, are you?"

"No!" he abruptly refuted, "I'm really tough!"

"Oh, I see. That's great," An awkward pause followed as the blonde stared at her in awe. "So, do you...swing in the trees often?"

"I'd like to. I don't really like being trapped in a classroom all day, so sometimes...okay, a lot of times, I ditch and hang out over here until Rei's done. Do...you do that, too?"

"No, but it is really pretty back here. I've never been. Actually, I'm kind of hiding from the police right now."

Akari didn't really need to hear anything more. He just insisted on her following him. It was a stupid thing to do, considering that he was incredibly suspicious and the forest was completely isolated. Yet, still, she did it, trailing after him and looking all around at the plants. She supposed the blonde must have scared off all the animals in the area, swinging around like a lunatic. That might have been for the best.

It wasn't long before she pushed past enough shrubbery to find the little area Akari was leading her to. A small but beautiful little waterfall poured down from a high peak, rushing from a little river into the basin below. Despite being winter, the flowers were all perked up, especially the lilies in the water, the fish swimming around lethargically. The water was cold, too, nipping at the girl's fingers when she dipped them in.

Akari was quick to jump up on a tree in order to capture the sight, positioning his camera delicately. He didn't actually collect the image until much later. The male had to be sure it was perfect. And, yet, he turned to glance at (Y/n), gathering the courage to speak. She let him take his time, content with just sitting there and feeling safe. Most Athainians were very detached from nature, far more in favor of emerging technologies. It was nice for someone else to have something in common with her. She just didn't know it would be coming from Akari.

"Haru," the blonde paused, giving a tiny smile, "His family has the prettiest estates. They know just what they're worth, too. That's why they're so wealthy."

"I imagine you've explored like this in them, too."

"Yeah. My family...No, my parents don't have any pretty land like this. Just concrete buildings. I'm not allowed to climb them."

"I thought your parents lived in Kougyou. In one of the biggest cities in Athain? So, they're probably skyscrapers. They just don't want you dying."

"I wouldn't fall. No one else can climb like me."

"Is that right? I guess you're special then."

Akari flushed, hiding behind his camera. Still, despite his attempts at hiding, just one look at him and her eyes were directed right to his red ears. Obviously, he wasn't used to compliments. She wondered if he was as transparent about his bashfulness when it came to other things. Though, when he looked down at her again from the trees, a complicated expression on his face, it must have been true. He wore his heart on his sleeve a little bit.

"You can't tell anyone about this place," he mumbled, swinging his legs playfully, "Otherwise, it won't be a secret hideaway anymore."

"Then why'd you show me?"

"Well, because you're special."

"Why?"

"Huh? Y-You...You just are. I don't know how to explain it. Just...I feel it deep in my heart and I know it's true. That's what everyone else said. That someone special would make me feel this way."

The way he talked, she could have been confused that he was in love with her. He was even touching his heart, trying to verify that it was, in fact, beating so hard because she was there. His cheeks were pink, he was burning up a bit, and every nerve in his body was lit aflame. And yet, when she tried to figure it out, she was only met with a look of utter sadness or guilt. So, she perked up a bit, giving a teasing grin.

"That makes it sound like you're confessing to me," she chuckled, immediately met with his heartless reply.

"I'm not. I wouldn't. I can't. I'm...sorry."

The reply was instantaneous and abrupt. He said nothing more, suddenly becoming distant. The male had even stopped looking in her direction, fiddling with his camera. She knew he didn't treat Rei like that. He actively seeked him out, and, from what she'd heard, it had been the same with the others. They all called him cheerful and energetic, but the only things she'd ever seen of him were ones of lethargy. But she also knew he didn't hate her, so what did he feel towards her? It was clearly strong enough to make him share the secret of his hiding place.

Thinking about it made her uncomfortable. The more she tried to figure it out, the more empty-handed she ended up. The most she could observe about him was that he wasn't wearing shoes. He'd been barefoot that entire time. It seemed very natural for him, too, as if he felt a bit more free without them. She wanted to feel what he did, following suit and taking her shoes and socks off, putting them aside.

Surprisingly, it felt very nice. Despite the cold weather and despite the fact that it left her in a vulnerable state, she felt somehow free. Taking in a deep breath, she laid down on the ground, playfully sticking her feet into the basin of water. Again, it was cold, making her shiver a bit, but it felt so refreshing. Maybe that was what Akari wanted to feel: freedom. That might've explained why he didn't wear the stuffy clothing the others did. He felt more comfortable in the simplest of things.

"Akari," she mumbled, catching the male flinching at his name being called, "Did you tell Rei about this place, too?"

"No. Just you."

"I see. Because I'm special."

"Mhm. Because you're special."

"I don't know what that means, but...am I special enough to ask you to smile for me?"

She could see the gears in the male's head turning ever so slowly. He didn't know why she wanted such a thing nor did he understand if he was allowed to give in to that request. Yet, uncontrollably, before he could even think about it, a smile appeared on his lips anyway. He was quick to hide it, his brows turning up in concern but she'd already snapped a picture on her phone. She took a moment to look at his smile in more detail, feeling a kind of funny feeling in her heart.

"It's a beautiful smile," she confessed, showing him the picture as well, "A special smile. So, why is it that I'm the only one that never gets to see it?"

"That's not - ," the male refuted with desperation, "I wasn't - You shouldn't like something like that. I'm not...not special. I'm the furthest thing from - "

"But I'm special, aren't I?" A nod. "Well, if a special person calls someone else special, doesn't that mean they are? At the very least, you're special to me, Akari. I've never met anyone like you."

The blonde opened his mouth to speak - possibly to refute her again - but nothing came out. His cheeks just turned red and his shoulders tensed, the cutest look on his face appearing. It'd been a long time since she'd thought of anyone as "cute" - just another reason Akari must have been special, too. He still had his reservations about that, but he wasn't smart enough to figure out how to tell her she was wrong. So, instead, he was forced to accept the compliment, a fuzzy feeling making him dizzy in the best way.

"You're all quiet again," she simpered, playfully kicking water up at him, "I hope you don't stay that way. I like you when you do whatever you want; running in the trees or jumping over fences."

"You...like me?"

"Yes. I think we have more in common than you think. So, it'd make me pretty upset if you keep avoiding me and staying quiet around me. And, more importantly, if I didn't get to see your smile, I might lose mine, too."

"You can't! I - "

"Then, please treat me like your friends, too. I'd like to be close. And, for some reason, whenever you're around - and I don't really know what I mean when I say this - I always feel like I'm 'at home'. Please, don't take that away from me."

Akari gave another strange expression, feeling an emotion that she didn't know the name to. Yet, despite that, he jumped down from the trees and sat next to her. It was a fair distance away, not really all that close to her, but he had started to smile now. It was shy, but it was a start. She was sure, sooner or later, if she kept showing him she liked him, he might start making that carefree smile he had in all the pictures Rei had shown her of him.

After a while, he'd started talking to her about all kinds of things - as long as she probed him, at least. His walls gradually fell, and, before long, he looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself. He even gathered the courage to ask her things, too. Many of them were related directly to Rei, which, she supposed, wasn't all that surprising. They'd been together since they were very little, after all. Though, it didn't look like Akari thought that at all when she'd accidentally let it slip that she thought he was a little crazy ever since he pulled out a knife on her. Still, when they parted, Yamato coming to find her in a panic, he kept his carefree smile on his face.

. . .

Rei had been waiting at the front of the school, passing time for (Y/n) and Takuya to finish up their student council work. The others were inside, but Rei had no desire whatsoever to see Narahashi, whether she was there or not. He felt himself gag at the thought of the bluenette. So, instead, he leaned against the wall, reading a book to make the waiting not so tedious. And when he caught a glimpse of Akari, suddenly, things became a whole lot more exciting, the blonde perking up.

"Where have you been? You ditched me the whole day."

"I was with (Y/n)," the younger male answered honestly, tilting his head as he continued, "We were talking about you."

"Were you putting in a good word for me? Ha, you know just what I want," Rei chuckled, affectionately rubbing his playmate's head, "So, what did she say about me? Is she in love? Is she waiting for me to ask her out? Or, maybe, something a bit more?"

"Not quite. But she did tell me about this."

At once, Rei found a knife beside his head. Akari had swung it to where it just barely grazed his hair, the tip of the blade sticking into the concrete wall. Confused, shocked, and a bit scared, Rei narrowed his eyes. That wasn't like Akari at all. Of course, the prince had full trust in his playmate. He would never hurt him, not even if his life was at stake, which was making his little outburst a bit odd.

"What is 'this' supposed to mean?"

"You threatened her with a knife."

"Well, sure. I was trying to scare her into telling me the truth. Now, get this stupid little thing away from me."

"Rei."

"Yes?"

"Rei."

"What?"

"Rei," A pause as the older male rolled his eyes. "I don't want you to die. But, if you point a weapon at her again, it will be the last time you ever hold one."