Author:
chouta_angelTitle: Chasing Ghosts
Rating: darker than PG-13 but not quite an R
Characters: Fuji Yuuta, Mizuki Hajime, Kirihara Akaya, Niou Masaharu, Yukimura Seiichi
Warnings: Death, emotional manipulation, some violence
Disclaimer: The author claims no ownership of anything in this story.
Summary: When you've lived a long time, it's hard to not see ghosts everywhere.
Part One Three days. It had been three days since Yuuta had last left his apartment. Five since he'd gone to work and a week since he'd seen Kirihara. Yuuta still had no clue why he'd said that stupid thing. He wished he had a mental filter that would have kept him from saying that. At least Yuuta's phone had finally stopped ringing as Tachibana realized Yuuta was a lost cause. Going to that place and spending his nights working that boring job and dealing with Yanagisawa was just something Yuuta found he couldn't do. Not anymore. Not when he'd said that one stupid thing and screwed up everything.
Yuuta did his best to not look at his calendar. He kept careful track of the days he fed and when he needed to feed by. Ever since he'd started to get to know Kirihara, Yuuta had been more lax than he should have been on keeping fed. This time was by far the worst though. His calendar said it'd been almost two weeks since he'd fed. Yuuta should have definitely gone out and eaten a few days ago. And yet, when Yuuta had last tried to get a drunk, all he could imagine was Kirihara's face with a disappointed look.
Rolling over on his tiny bed, Yuuta stared at the small window across the small space. The thick chocolate brown curtain was drawn across it as it always was. If he could have gotten away with it, Yuuta would have nailed boards over the window long ago. He knew the dangers of sunlight. That was something Yuuta knew he would never forget. No matter how much he wished, that image would always be with him.
He knew he needed to get up. He needed to feed, to get something in his system. Going feral wasn't a reasonable option, not if Yuuta wanted to stay in Kanagawa. He did. For the most part it was a decent place. His particular neighborhood and the ones he tended to frequent weren't the best. It seemed like every week there were new posters up about missing people but other than that, the place was nice. More importantly, there was a large enough population to sustain him indefinitely. And there was Kirihara but Yuuta tried to squash that particular thought.
The worst part about life was the sheer cost of everything. It felt like forever ago that Onee-san would hand Aniki a little money and the Fuji boys would run off to the store to get whatever little item she'd asked for. They would spend whatever was left on themselves. Yuuta always treated himself to raspberries. They were even better than chocolate. Aniki would be weird and get something spicy like wasabi paste.
Yuuta made a face at the thought. Wasabi. So spicy and disgusting. And yet Aniki would devour the stuff like it was something delicious. And he'd put it on everything. Like apples. When that had happened, Yuuta had wanted to cry at the waste of a perfectly good apple.
Food. Getting up and finding a drunk was the only priority he really had. He hated to admit just how much an effort even getting out of bed was. It didn't help that all his clothes, the few he even had, were dirty. Not just dirty but hadn't been washed in a couple of wears dirty. They felt all grungy and gross. That was one part of eternal life Mizuki had skipped out on. Yuuta knew all about Mizuki's preferred method of doing things. When he could get away with it, Mizuki had wanted to live like a prince. Yuuta remembered all too well playing the servant role. Not fun.
Yuuta found a jacket and his phone. Even now, it was beyond weird for him to think about the little device tucked away in his pocket. It felt like magic, that there was something so little and simple that gave him the ability to contact anyone in the world. Sometimes it seemed like he was living on a foreign planet. So much about this world had changed. There were times when it was just so tempting to run away, to run back to his childhood when things had been simpler and the world had made sense.
He didn't know what his feet were doing. It was a surprise when he found himself back at the bar. This was the last place Yuuta wanted to be but he couldn't help himself. Almost immediately, he froze.
Kirihara was working. Saeki was here. Those two things alone were enough to make Yuuta run away but instead he watched. He wished he hadn't. They were talking, smiling, and laughing. The place was more crowded than normal so even Yuuta's superior sense of hearing had trouble making out what they were saying. He tried not to eavesdrop but he could make out every tenth or so word. The two were joking around. Since when had those two had been friends? Saeki reached over and rested his hand on Kirihara's. Yuuta could have sworn he heard one of him say his name and they both laughed. Kirihara didn't push the hand away.
Yuuta barely noticed leaving the bar. The only thing he could focus on was that hand on that arm. Those laughs. He needed to feed. Maybe if he did that, he could summon the courage to go back and see just what was going on. Maybe it was something innocent? His gut told him no but Yuuta wanted to ignore that. Maybe if he fed, he could get the scene out of his head. All those questions Kirihara had asked that night, those questions about Saeki, only made the feeling in Yuuta's gut grow.
There was something going on between those two. Why else would Saeki keep returning to a bar his ex frequented? It was obvious that Saeki's relationship hadn't ended well. Yuuta still remembered that first night when they'd met and just how drunk the human had been. Kirihara had pulled Yuuta aside and had asked about Yuuta's relationship with Saeki. There was something going on. That was the only explanation.
Why? Why now? The one time in years, so many years. More than Yuuta cared to think about. The one time that things started to turn around and then it just all falls apart like that. His own stupidity had screwed this up so bad. If only he hadn't said that one stupid little thing. It had been a joke. He should have known to not tell a joke. Teasing was not his forte.
Who knew? That was the only explanation could come up with. Maybe those two were in on it together. Whatever 'it' might be.
“Aww, what's got you so down, sweetie?” Yuuta jumped as he felt a warm arm hug his own. His jacket was gone. He hadn't even noticed taking it off or setting it anywhere.
He just wanted to be alone. “Find someone else,” he growled, trying to shrug the girl off. She clung.
“Honey, don't be like that,” she whined. It was an annoying high-pitched voice too. Yuuta was reminded of a little girl. That was bad. The pitch of her voice just pissed him off even more.
“Not having a good day,” he tried warning her. “You need to go before you get hurt.” He wasn't sure how much he could control himself, not when he was this upset and in need of something to eat. He could feel his canines. They were sharp. This situation was even worse than he thought. He needed to feed. He had no clue he'd let himself get this bad. Another day and he-
She, whoever she was, had leaned over. Her head was resting on his shoulder. Her neck was exposed and he could practically see the spot that would give him the life-giving blood he craved. All it would take would be a simple dip of his head and a simple bite. He didn't like to feed from the neck. The spot was too obvious and fragile but it was so close.
“Honey, let's go somewhere private.” She tugged on his arm. “All you have to do is pay for the room.”
Yuuta tried tugging his arm away again. If he wanted to, he knew he could easily get away. He was far stronger than the girl and she wasn't holding on very tight. He didn't want to hurt the girl. Besides, his sister would have had his head if he hurt a girl in anything other than a life or death situation.
“Honey...” she whined again. “Be a dear and take me somewhere we can be alone.”
He ran his tongue over his canines. “Fine,” he agreed.
-~-
Fire. His arm was burning. It was almost the worst pain he'd ever felt in his long life. The taste of blood was in his mouth. He wasn't in his bed. He wasn't in his apartment. Hell, Yuuta didn't even think he was in Kanagawa anymore. He pulled his arm close, out of the little sliver of sunlight that had made its way into whatever place he was in. Yuuta just laid there, wherever he was.
He could hear the ocean. If he kept his eyes closed, he could almost believe he was ten again, that he was back in Chiba. Onee-san would be outside their house, tending her garden or taking care of her chickens. Aniki would be down at the beach, painting the scenery. Again. Bane-kun and Ryou-kun would be playing by the school. Depending on the game, Atsushi-kun and Itsuki-kun might be there too. Yuuta would run over and they'd all greet him with open, happy arms.
That was all just a long lost dream.
Yuuta opened his eyes. He was in a house. That was a good sign. Surprising but good. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone nearby. No one. There were a few pieces of furniture but they were dusty. So was the floor Yuuta was laying on. Just looking around made him want to sneeze.
It was sunset. Soon he'd be free to see just where he was. The house must be abandoned. That was the only explanation Yuuta had for how he could be in a residence that wasn't his own. He had no clue how he'd gotten here, wherever that might be. The last thing he even remembered was being in his apartment. He'd left to feed but that was the last thing he remembered. The blood in his mouth indicated he'd done that but he had no memory of who he'd fed on.
Soon the sun set and Yuuta was free to leave. He stepped outside and knew. He was home. This was Chiba. He could tell by the taste and the smell of the air. It didn't exactly look like the Chiba of his memories but he knew it was the place of his birth.
It was the first time he'd been back since that very first night with Mizuki. The sand beneath Yuuta's feet made it hard to walk. He wasn't sure but this stretch of beach looked familiar. Maybe...no. It couldn't be.
But it was.
Yuuta was back in the very same neighborhood he'd spent his childhood in. There were more houses, electric lines everywhere, and all kinds of other signs that time had happened but it was still the same neighborhood. He had to look. His brother and sister were long gone at this point. Yuuta had no doubts about that. Someone else would be living in their house. He had to go check it out to be sure. The house was right were Yuuta had left it. The roof was a different color not but otherwise the property looked almost the same. There was a tree in the corner, near what had been Onee-san's room. It was an old tree from the look of it. Most importantly though was the name plate.
Fingers traced over the characters. Fuji. It still said Fuji. Someone he was related to still lived here. Not one of his siblings. If Aniki were alive, he would be 125 years old. Onee-san would be even older. One of them must have had children. A little niece or nephew could be here.
Even one of those would be old.
“Hey mister, whatcha doin'?” A young voice asked from above. She was in Onee-san's room. She couldn't be more than seven or eight years old and she didn't look familiar at all.
“You shouldn't talk to strangers,” he replied. She didn't look it but she was family. She had to be if her family name was Fuji.
The girl giggled. “But you don't seem like a bad stranger,” she called back.
“Kid, you don't know anything about me.” Yuuta debated jumping the gate. He couldn't enter the house but the yard was okay. He wondered if the shed was still out back. Onee-san had kept her chickens in it. From the smell, they were long gone but maybe their shed was still around. “Besides, isn't it past your bedtime?”
The girl's frown was obvious from even this far away. It was cute. Something about it reminded Yuuta of Onee-san. “Don't tell my mom,” she ordered. Yes, definitely reminded him of his sister.
“If you don't go to bed, I'll leave,” he replied. She was family. This little girl was some distant niece of his. He should be responsible even if she didn't know Yuuta was her uncle. And all of that was just the weirdest thing to think about.
“I don't wanna...” she whined. A light from downstairs turned on. Yuuta smiled.
“Now you have to, little Fuji,” he teased. “Someone's coming to put you to bed.”
The girl squeaked and disappeared. The window stayed open but he could hear a woman scolding the girl. Moving to the side so Yuuta couldn't be seen, he waited to see what would happen next. And maybe in a little bit go looking around the small yard. He could hear someone closing the window and a few minutes later the light from downstairs turned off.
Yuuta continued to wait for a few more minutes before he hopped the gate. He slowly crept towards the back of the house where Onee-san's shed had been. As he passed the tree, he noticed something on it's truck. If he needed to breathe, it would have been difficult at that moment. He reached over, resting his hand on the trunk.
Yuuta.
That's what it said. Someone had taken the time and carved his name into the trunk of this old tree. It hadn't been done recently either. The edges were old and warn. Somehow he just knew this had been Aniki's handiwork.
Honestly that was enough. They hadn't forgotten about him. They'd planted a tree and carved his name into it. Yuuta fell to his knees, resting his forehead against the cool, rough bark. It was comforting. They must have forgiven him if they'd done this. Why else would they have done all this if they hadn't?
The next night, barely after sunset, Yuuta found himself back at the house. The little girl was playing outside with a man who must have been her father. “Mister, you're back!” She gave a little cheer when she noticed Yuuta. Her father wasn't so inviting. He was painful to look at.
His brother was so evident in the man. This had to be his brother's grandson. The same face. The same eyes. How Yuuta could have ever thought Saeki had Aniki's hair color was a complete mystery. This man. This many looked just like how Aniki must have looked as an adult.
“Can I help you?” The man asked, his voice polite but distant. At least he didn't sound like Aniki. There was no way Yuuta could have handled that.
Instead, there was another way of handling this. “I...I think we might be related. My great-grandfather was from here.” He didn't mean the voice crack but then, Yuuta wasn't entirely sure what he was doing at the moment. And was Yuuta really that old? It didn't seem possible.
The man looked at Yuuta, suspicion in his eyes. “Oh? Why's that?”
“I...found some old letters with this address on it from him. His name was Yuuta.” It was harder than normal for Yuuta to lie. He felt like he was speaking to Aniki's ghosts. Those blue eyes were trying to force Yuuta to admit everything.
The name Yuuta gave must have been the magic word because the man's demeanor changed. He looked rattled. “Honey, could you please get Oji-san and tell him we have a guest?” The little girl nodded and disappeared into the house. The man turned back to Yuuta. “If what you say is true, my father's the one you need to be speaking to, not me. He's the one who knows all about that part of the family history.”
Aniki's ghost walked to the gate, letting Yuuta in. “Come on it. It'll take my father a few minutes to make his way out so I'll get some tea going.”
The moment Yuuta entered the house, he was hit by a case of deja vu. The layout hadn't changed but this house looked nothing like the home in his memories. The walls were a different color. That alone was jarring. There was a picture of a family on the wall. Yuuta recognized Aniki's ghost and his daughter but everyone else were complete strangers. The picture just looked so wrong in that spot. If Yuuta needed to breathe, it would have been hard to do again but for entirely different reasons this time. He felt the urge to run away again. Being in this house was overwhelming.
Yuuta squashed the urge which was how he ended up sitting across from a strange old man. But the man wasn't strange. There was something about him that felt so familiar. Yuuta knew he was older than this man. His nephew. In another life, Yuuta would have watched this boy grow up. He would have seen the man's life from the other end, to see the start of his life rather than the end.
Looking at this man, Yuuta finally realized what running away with Mizuki had cost him. A life of normalcy and sunshine, of family and children. He swallowed, the motion hurting his throat.
“I know who you are,” the old man started, skipping introductions. “You're from my uncle's family.”
Yuuta nodded. He was. He was this boy's uncle. “My name's Yuu...suke. Fuji Yuusuke.” Having the same name might seem a little suspicious. “I...found some old letters with this address,” he continued on. “I know my great-grandfather came from Chiba. I just thought...maybe it wouldn't be bad for the two parts of the family to reconnect.”
Once he said it, Yuuta realized just how true that sentiment really way.
His nephew smiled. “I was named after my uncle.”
The hard lump in Yuuta's throat was back and more painful than ever. “If...if you don't mind the question, what happened here after my great-grandfather left?” This would be the absolute hardest thing to hear. Yuuta had to know what had happened to his brother and sister after he'd left their lives.
His nephew, and namesake, didn't answer the question right away. “Yuki,” he instead started. Aniki's ghost, who had been sitting off to the side looked up. “Go and get my father's paintings.” While the young man did that, the older turned back to Yuuta. “My father was an artist. When I was young, he painted but he moved into photography as the years went on. There are a few I think you might be interested in.”
Aniki had been an artist. Yuuta wanted to be surprised about that but he wasn't. Art had always been Aniki's passion. His ghost, Yuki, returned with a small stack of papers and handed them over to his father. The man went through them for a moment before handing a few over to Yuuta.
The top one took his breath away. “Is...is that...?” Yuuta stared at the picture, fingers reaching out to touch the lines of the face. His face.
“My uncle,” Yuuta's nephew replied. “My father thought he would have looked something like that as an adult. I think he looks a bit like you.”
It was uncanny how right Aniki had been. Yuuta almost felt as if he were looking in a mirror. “I...” There were no words. Yuuta went to the next painting.
“My aunt, before she died,” the man explained. “I was a young boy when it happened.”
Onee-san looked so beautiful. Yuuta could feel his eyes burning as he tried to hold back tears. She was older than he remembered but she was still Onee-san. “What happened?”
His nephew gave a sad smile. “My father said she never stopped searching for my uncle, not until what would have been my uncle's twentieth birthday.”
Her cards. Somehow Yuuta knew that's what was how his sister had searched. That's how she'd known when he died. The timing fit. “Then how?”
“An illness. I don't know which one. My father,” the man had a sad look in his eyes. “He would always worry whenever my little sister and I fell ill. I think he was afraid we would end like my aunt.”
“You have a sister?” Yuuta had a niece. A little baby niece that was all grown up and then some at this point.
His nephew nodded. “My little sister, Haruha. She lives in Hawaii now with her daughter.”
Hawaii. So far away. But Aniki had lived on and had children who now had their own families. That was enough. Yuuta's nephew shuffled through some of the photographs his son had brought with the paintings. “This one,” his nephew said as he showed one in particular. “This is one of the first pictures of my family.”
Yuuta took the photograph and stared. Aniki. This was Aniki, all grown up. He looked beautiful. There was a woman that Yuuta assumed was Aniki's wife and two little children, a boy and a girl. They were standing in front of a house, this house. Yuuta felt something wet on his cheek.
The man smiled. “You should keep these,” he told Yuuta. “My son,” who crossed his arms and looked like a petulant child, “he and his family don't appreciate the history. You look like you do.”
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. “I...thank you. My...family will really appreciate them.”
His nephew nodded and leaned back. “There's just one thing. My father never stopped looking for my uncle, not even after my aunt said he was gone.”
Never? Yuuta couldn't help but hurt for Aniki. It had been a fruitless search. Mizuki had hidden them well both in and out of Japan. “My...he ran away,” Yuuta tried to explain. He couldn't tell the whole story but he'd tell it the best he could. “When he did that, he met an older boy and they ran away together. They traveled around and were happy.”
His nephew watched Yuuta, his expression hard to read. It was strange just how much his namesake didn't look like Aniki but did.
“They had a comfortable life,” Yuuta continued. “The older boy was from a wealthy background so they didn't have to work hard.” He closed his eyes, trying to keep his face as blank as possible. “...my father said that my great-grandfather was happy but that he never forgot his family, your aunt and father.”
“My father would have loved to hear that,” his nephew replied.
Yuuta nodded. “I'll be in town for a few more days,” he decided right there, “so if you wouldn't mind, would it be okay if I came back tomorrow evening?”
-~-
Mizuki was pacing around their apartment. It would have concerned Yuuta if it hadn't become a long time habit of Mizuki's. For the last couple of years, his companion had been acting restless. In the beginning, it had worried him but after a few years of it the pacing was just plain annoying.
Little did Yuuta know how different this particular night would be.
“Calm down,” Yuuta said, trying to get Mizuki to stop. Every night, starting around sunset and continuing until sunrise, Mizuki would do this. A few nights every so often it wouldn't happen but this appeared to be life now. “We'll go hunting soon.” That would help Mizuki. It usually did anyway.
“It won't be enough.” Mizuki's voice sounded odd. Yuuta looked up. This was the first time he'd actually looked at his companion tonight. And maybe really the first time he'd looked at Mizuki in a long while.
The clothes Mizuki wore were rumpled. They smelled like they had been worn for a few days now. His normally perfectly styled hair was messy. It probably hadn't been brushed in days. If Yuuta didn't know any better, he'd have thought Mizuki was someone who never took care of himself.
“I miss the sun, my Yuuta.” Mizuki had this look in his eyes that made Yuuta worried. It looked like Mizuki wasn't there, like he was an empty shell. “It was so warm, far warmer than these cold, dark nights.”
For the first time since he'd been turned, Yuuta started to feel fear. He crossed the room, grabbing his sire's arm. The snarl Yuuta received sent a cold chill down his spine.
“Unhand me, child.”
Actually afraid, Yuuta did as he was told. And then, just pain and darkness.
When he came to, Yuuta found himself alone in the apartment. Something about the place seemed strangely off. Something was different and that was even scarier then the way Mizuki had been acting. Speaking of him, there was no sign of Mizuki anywhere.
Yuuta left the apartment. He had to find his sire. He could admit it now but there was something seriously wrong with Mizuki. Whatever it was had been wrong for a long time. As Yuuta wandered the streets, he saw very few signs of life anywhere. The cats that wandered the night streets were gone. Even in the dead of night, there should be something. The bad feeling in Yuuta's stomach grew. The later it got, the worse the feeling grew and the more he worried. An uncomfortable itch told Yuuta he had to turn back. If he didn't turn back soon, the sun would destroy him. Yuuta had a little time, being a young vampire but not much. He sincerely hoped Mizuki was somewhere safe. The sun would destroy him after just a moment.
“My dear Yuuta,” a voice more familiar to Yuuta than his own cooed from the darkest corned of the apartment. Yuuta instantly felt relieved. Mizuki was home. Mizuki was safe. Whatever was wrong with Mizuki could be dealt with, starting tomorrow.
“Yes, Mizuki-san.” Yuuta moved cautiously towards the corner. It was the darkest corner of the apartment but it was also dangerously close to the one window in the room. At this point, the sun was almost completely up.
Mizuki seemed to realize that fact at the exact same moment. “My dear Yuuta,” Mizuki's voice sounded strangely joyous. Yuuta's fear came back. “I'm going to feel the sun.”
Before Yuuta could react, the curtain was thrown open. Mizuki faced Yuuta and stepped into the light. Mizuki had the most hauntingly joyous look on his face that Yuuta would ever see.
The sunlight was painful for Yuuta to even look at. Already his skin was starting to burn from the sunlight. As much as it was hurting Yuuta, the sun had to be even more excruciating for Mizuki. And then it happened.
In the blink of an eye, Yuuta was suddenly alone for the first time in his 97th year of existence.
-~-
“Man, you're the last person I expected to see here.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Yuuta looked up. The feeling was mutual. He never would have expected to see Saeki on the beach in Chiba in the middle of the night. “I could say the same.” Yuuta answered. He didn't move from his spot on the sand.
Saeki plopped down next to him. “I'm from here. My classes are done for a few weeks so I came back to visit.”
“And the surfboard?” Yuuta nodded towards where it lay on the other side of Saeki.
The guy grinned. “Night surfing. It's seriously the best. What about you? What's got you here?”
That was a hard question for Yuuta to answer. “I just needed to get away for a little bit. My family's originally from the area so I just came to reconnect with him.” Technically all true.
“Really? What family?” Saeki seemed genuinely interested. The honest, earnest look on his face gave Yuuta this feeling of guilt that he couldn't explain.
“The Fuji family,” Yuuta answered. There was no reason to lie or hide that. Yuuta wouldn't stay; he'd told his nephew is was only in town for a few days. After this he would try to stay in contact. Yuki, his nephew's son, didn't seem interested in Yuuta. The man's daughter, the cute little girl, did though. Yuuta could write her letters. Through her, he could keep in contact with his family that way. Letters were a decent place, a way to communicate without being around for them to see that Yuuta never changed.
Saeki's smile grew. “That's awesome. My family and them go way back to the time when my Grandpa Ryou was a kid. Apparently he grew up with Yuu-nii's grandpa.”
Ryou. Could it be? Yuuta found himself suddenly studying Saeki's face. It was hard to tell but...yes, the cheekbones. Saeki had the same cheekbones. Yuuta's childhood friend Ryou had had kids and one of them had had Saeki. Probably a daughter due to the different last names but that didn't change a thing.
Yuuta felt sick to his stomach. A child, or rather grandchild of his childhood friend. Yuuta had used this boy for his own personal gain. He'd gotten the boy drunk and used him as a walking snack. In all the 100 plus years of his life, this was undoubtedly the worst thing Yuuta had ever done.
“I never would have guessed,” Yuuta said as he realized he'd gone quiet for too long. “So, glad to be here?”
“Yeah. I mean, Kanagawa's nice but things were getting messed up so it's nice to get away.” There must have been some sort of confused look on Yuuta's face because Saeki continued on. “You didn't hear? Man, you're really out of the loop then. A few days ago, this girl went missing. It was right in the area of the bar too. And then the other day they found her body in a trash can. The freaky part? She had no blood.”
Yuuta's insides froze. A girl, no blood, Kanagawa. Had he lost control? He hadn't fed at all in all his time in Chiba. It had been a few days so he should have needed to have fed at this point by now, right? In all the everything, his meetings with his nephew and learning about his siblings, Yuuta hadn't even noticed. The fact that it was a girl who was found really disturbed Yuuta in some unknown familiar way.
“I...I should go,” Yuuta said, yawning. “Long day and all. Have fun out there surfing.” He stood up and waved.
“Hey.” Saeki grabbed Yuuta's arm. “Thanks. I'll be here every night if you want to chill, like, sans booze and all.”
-~-
The next night, Yuuta found himself back at his little apartment in Kanagawa. Nothing inside appeared to be out of place. It was strange how nice it felt to be back. After so many years of moving around and not having a home, it felt strange to think of this dark little apartment as just that. Meeting his nephew had been completely wonderful but that house was just not home anymore. That house belonged to those people now.
Yuuta set his bag down on the bed. It was full of the paintings and photographs that his nephew had shown him That was the one thing Yuuta knew he would always take with him. Most of his belongings Yuuta didn't care for but that...that little bag was a treasure that no one or thing could take away.
“Haven't seen you in a while,” Kirihara greeted as Yuuta took his normal spot at the bar. “I was starting to think my devilish good looks had scared you away.”
“Family stuff,” Yuuta added after ordering. “I ran into Saeki-kun.”
Kirihara grinned. “Over in Chiba, huh?”
Yuuta nodded. There was no point in denying it. “So I have to ask, what's the deal between you two? You guys seem really close for just friends.”
“We just get along well, that's all. And apparently our sisters go to school together. We found out about that recently so we've been comparing notes on how to deal with them.” Kirihara glanced down the bar, noticing a young woman at the other end. His coworker didn't seem to notice so Kirihara headed over.
Yuuta felt like the universe was giving him a second chance. Mizuki was long gone but there had to be a reason why Yuuta had found someone who looked so much like him. There was just no way it was a simple coincidence.
“So, want to hang out after you get off?” Yuuta decided to test his luck. If the universe had decided to finally reward him, Kirihara would agree. It was as simple as that.
Kirihara, in the middle of pouring a drink, looked up. He had a surprised expression on his face. But then. With a shrug, he replied, “why not? I get off in an hour is you want to hang around.” Those words were golden.
The universe seemed to want things to go right for Yuuta for once.
“So, what do you want to do?” Kirihara asked when they met up outside the bar roughly an hour later. It had been one of the longest and quickest hours of Yuuta's long life.
“I have no clue,” Yuuta admitted. That must have been the right answer because his companion burst out laughing.
“You play tennis?” Kirihara asked. Yuuta shrugged. He'd learned to play long ago but it had never really interested him. He'd always played against Mizuki. The vampire had been faster, stronger, and more experienced so Yuuta always lost. Well, not always. The one time they had played after Yuuta had been turned, Yuuta had won and it'd made Mizuki angry.
“I know the basics,” Yuuta admitted. “But it's been years since I've played.”
Kirihara kept grinning. “I got my bag with me. I was playing with an old friend, that red haired guy from that one night, before my shift. You can use my spare racquet.” For the first time, Yuuta noticed his companion had a black bag slung over his shoulder.
“It's the middle of the night,” Yuuta pointed out as he followed Kirihara into the unknown. A parking garage as it turned out.
“We can take my bike. I know where there's a street court.” Those green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Besides, middle of the night means it'll be just you and me.”
Green eyes. Not violet. Green. This wasn't Mizuki reborn. This was just some mortal, some human, with an uncanny likeness to Yuuta's long gone sire.
“No room for me?” A strange voice asked from somewhere in the darkness. Yuuta went cold. The long-forgotten itchy, prickly feeling of someone trying to influence his mind was back. He hadn't felt that since before whatever had happened to make Mizuki lose his mind.
Vampire. That was the only reasonable explanation. Yuuta stared at the darkness, trying to make out just who had addressed them.
“Hey 'Mura! I didn't know you were back in town.” Kirihara seemed happy to hear the newcomer's voice. “How'd the surgery go?”
The newcomer chuckled and stepped into the still horrible lighting of the parking garage. He was male but looked rather effeminate. It was a different sort of effeminate from Aniki's though. Just looking at this new vampire had Yuuta completely on edge. There was something not right about this vampire. Yuuta didn't know what it was but there was something about him that reminded Yuuta of Mizuki at the end. It didn't seem completely connected to the other's vampire-ness either.
“It went fine, Akaya,” the newcomer answered as he continued to step closer towards just Kirihara. It didn't help that Kirihara practically bounded over to greet the new vampire. “Have you been practicing?”
“Yeah, me and Yuuta-kun here were going to go play just now.” Kirihara pointed over in Yuuta's direction. “Oh, yeah, this is Yuuta-kun. Yuuta-kun, this is a friend of mine, Yukimura.”
“An honor,” Yuuta answered. His eyes never broke contact with the other vampire's.
“The same,” Yukimura responded, doing the same. He reached out to grab Kirihara, guiding the human over to his side in a way that Yuuta immediately recognized. The look on Kirihara's face was heartbreakingly familiar. That look was the exact same as the one Yuuta wore for so many years of his life. Watching the two before him was hard on Yuuta. All he could see was himself with Mizuki. “How did you two meet?” Yukimura asked, addressing Kirihara.
“Yuuta-kun hangs out at the bar I work at.” It was torture to see and hear this.
“Does he now? I wonder why...” The tone of Yukimura's voice just made Yuuta sick to his stomach.
“I was just in the neighborhood and it seemed like an interesting place,” Yuuta answered. “Kirihara-kun, we had plans?” Maybe if he distracted Kirihara, it would help break some of Yukimura's control over the human's mind.
Yukimura's eyes gleamed. “An accident.” Old, Yuuta decided. This vampire was very old. Possibly even older than Mizuki had been.
Yuuta nodded. “I've been living in the area for a few years now.”
“I'm surprised we've never met.” The look in Yukimura's eyes sharpened. “I've lived here for a long, long time.”
Kirihara seemed oblivious to the tension between the two vampires. “Stop messing with him, 'Mura. You've been gone for the last two years.” He playfully jabbed the vampire in the side. The smile on Yukimura's face only made Yuuta's uneasiness grow.
“Only to recover,” Yukimura answered. “You know I'd never leave you, my precious Akaya, for long.”
Yuuta cleared his throat, hating just how Yukimura had addressed Kirihara. Watching the two of them was uncomfortable at best. “Then there shouldn't be any conflicts. I've been here for just over a year.” Meaning he'd found the area unoccupied. It belonged to Yuuta. It was his territory, not Yukimura's.
“So...tennis?” Kirihara asked, finally noticing something was up. He took a step away from Yukimura but didn't go far thanks to the vampire's hold on him.
Yukimura seemed to ignore the human. His gaze never left Yuuta. “Five years. I've been watching and waiting.” His free hand moved to Kirihara's shoulder, holding on to keep the human from going anywhere.
Yuuta shifted, moving his weight from one foot to the other. “Maybe you should let him go then.”
“I've spent too many years, too much effort to just, as you put it, 'let go.'” Yukimura stayed where he was.
Kirihara shrugged his shoulders, getting out of Yukimura's hold. “So, me and Yuuta-kun were going to go play.” He took a step away, heading back towards the safety of Yuuta. “If you want to meet us at that court near the hospital, that'd be cool, right Yuuta-kun? And then we can do something tomorrow if you don't have plans.”
Yuuta's eyes didn't leave Yukimura's but it was a relief to have the human leave the other vampire's side.
Yukimura's eyes narrowed. “Akaya...” he called, his tone a sickly sweet warning that made Yuuta feel physically ill.
“Sorry,” Kirihara answered, giving his friend an apologetic smile. “I kind of already promised Yuuta-kun tonight.”
Even for a vampire, Yukimura was unearthly fast. “My pet.” He had a hold of Kirihara. This one looked much tighter than the one before. The human looked notably spooked at the sudden movement.
“Um, 'Mura...”
“It would be a shame to lose someone I've put so much time into.” Yukimura traced a finger along the side of Kirihara's neck. The human shivered. Yuuta's eyes went wide as he recognized the spot. It wasn't one Yuuta liked to feed on, too noticeable for one, but it was a prime location for just that. “But I'd rather lose him than let someone take him away.”
Kirihara's eyes went as wide as any human eye could go as Yukimura bent his head down and bit the human's neck. Even from a short distance away, it was clear to Yuuta that the bite was sloppy. It was meant to harm, to destroy. Not to feed. Struggling was fruitless. Instead, it only made the situation worse.
Frozen in place thanks to a mixture of shock and horror, Yuuta could only watch.
As the human fell to the ground, the spell broke. “A shame to lose someone who tasted so sweet,” Yukimura said with a sad sigh. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Yukimura finally looked over at Yuuta. He smirked at the horrified reaction. “I'm feeling kind. Three days to get out and to never return. If I'm willing to do this,” the older vampire motioned towards the body on the ground, “just imagine what I would do to you.”
Poking Kirihara's body with his foot, Yukimura added, “get rid of this. I've been taking care of your messes, really it's been so sloppy of you to leave your food alive, so you can do this for me.” Still unable to say anything, Yuuta could only watch as Yukimura seemed to vanish into the shadows once more. The itchy sensation vanished with him, letting Yuuta know he was truly alone. Well, almost. There was still Kirihara.
Yuuta knelt next to the body, placing a hand on the boy's neck to see if there was any sign of life. It was doubtful. A wound like that would have killed in just minutes. Yukimura had fed for what felt like an eternity. Fully expecting to feel a warm, dead body, the faint throbbing of an artery took Yuuta by surprise.
Not dead. He was very close to death but Kirihara wasn't dead.
“I hate to do this,” Yuuta murmured to himself. There was only one option. “But better a choice of a living death than no choice at all.”
Biting down as hard as he could on his wrist, Yuuta held the bloody appendage up to Kirihara's mouth. He forced the blood into the human's mouth. It felt like another eternity had passed before Yuuta felt lips moving, before he felt blood being taken from him.
This was the absolute worst. Yuuta winced as he felt Kirihara bite down. He needed somewhere safe for Kirihara, somewhere that wasn't a random parking garage. This process was going to take longer than just a few minutes and they were both far too vulnerable for Yuuta's liking here. What Yuuta-okay did Kirihara already have unnaturally sharp teeth? Forcing himself to concentrate, Yuuta realized that what he really needed right now was time and that was something he definitely did not have.
It was a relief when Kirihara let go. Yuuta's wrist was bleeding badly and Kirihara was a bloody mess. Yuuta knew his apartment would be safe. Hopefully. Yukimura said three nights and there was a large possibility that this night was the first of those three. There was quite a bit to do but absolutely not enough time.
Yuuta pulled his wrist back to himself. Priorities. Kirihara in a safe place and leaving Kanagawa. The second could possibly wait until tomorrow night but the first couldn't. Yuuta's apartment was safe and while it was in the neighborhood, it wasn't exactly close. He wasn't worried about not being strong enough to carry Kirihara. It was just, well, Yuuta knew he wouldn't be able to go fast enough to avoid detection. And his head felt odd and lightheaded. Feeding soon was an absolute must.
Seeing a potential solution, Yuuta ripped a strip off the bottom of his shirt. He tied it as a scarf around Kirihara's neck. A wrist was easier to hide or explain. If anyone asked, they'd drank. A fight had happened and Yuuta was taking his friend home.
-~-
Yuuta gazed up at the moon as he sat outside. It looked so cold and uninviting but beautiful at the same time. Kanagawa felt like forever ago. A rustling came from behind him. Yuuta turned around and looked at the door. Really, at this point, just hearing his companion moving around was a good sign. The creak from the door as it opened echoed loudly.
His companion yawned, looking around confused. “W...where am I?” He asked. Yuuta wasn't sure if he had been noticed yet. At the moment, his companion didn't exactly seem the most aware.
“Not Kanagawa,” Yuuta answered. They were far, far away from the place. He'd managed to find a little secluded place near Chitose, Hokkaido. Telling Kirihara this right away would no doubt be a terrible idea. Everything had changed. About the only way Yuuta could help keep the situation from getting any worse was to introduce everything slowly to Kirihara.
“Yuuta-kun?” The other looked more than a little confused. “The fuck's going on here? Did we drink a ton or something?”
Drink, yes. Alcohol, no. Yuuta wasn't sure how he was going to break that particular piece of news. How was he going to tell Kirihara that the guy was now a vampire?
“It's going to take a while,” Yuuta said, motioning Kirihara to sit on the steps with him.
Looking around, Kirihara was still confused but did as he was told. “Where are we?”
Yuuta didn't answer right away. “This is Hokkaido,” he finally answered. A long whistle was his only response for several moments.
Well, up until, “geez, how much did we drink?”
At least it was a normal, reasonable question. There was one topic that Yuuta really needed to talk about. “What do you know about the supernatural?”
Skeptical was the only word for the expression on Kirihara's face. “What, like gods and spirits and that kind of stuff?”
“More like vampires.” Yuuta watched the other's face carefully, trying to gauge the reaction.
Kirihara chuckled. “You're just playing around right? Everyone knows those are made up stories for movies and crap. Keep talking like that and you're going to start sounding like 'Mura.”
Yuuta stayed quiet. What Kirihara said wasn't true and sadly he was going to find that out all too soon. “You can answer at any point, you know,” Kirihara continued, poking Yuuta in the side. “I mean, I know I was the kid who believed in Santa Claus until I was fifteen but even I'm not gullible enough to believe that vampires are real.”
The continued silence was obviously getting to Kirihara. “You do realize just how crazy you sound right now, right?”
Yuuta nodded. This was all so entirely different from his own experience. Yuuta had known what Mizuki was long before getting turned. The subject had been an open secret between the two of them for years. “There's one more thing...”
“Next you're going to tell me it's some crazy amount of time in the future. Like, it's been ten years or something.” There was a nervous chuckle from Kirihara as he tried to play it off as a joke.
“Just a year,” Yuuta clarified. “Well, almost. It's been about ten months now.”
The only reaction Yuuta received was a skeptical look and another nervous chuckle. Yuuta just sat there, waiting for it to sink in. Finally, Yuuta heard it. “Are you on drugs?” Kirihara asked as he stood. He didn't move far. Yuuta watched as the newly turned vampire paced up and down the little walkway in front of the house.
“I wish I was,” Yuuta sighed. “If you try them, they won't affect you at all.”
Yuuta wished he just had a manual to give Kirihara. Yuuta felt like he was doing this all wrong. Maybe he should have written a list.
“What's wrong with you? Is this some kind of sick joke? You seemed like a cool guy but you're just messed up.” Kirihara looked ready to bolt. Yuuta didn't move to stop him.
“I wouldn't joke about this,” Yuuta answered, speaking honestly. “If you want to go, I won't stop you either. Just...remember these few things: Chitose's three days that way,” Yuuta pointed in the direction to the left of Kirihara, “stay away from sunlight because it'll kill you, be careful if you go to Kanagawa. There's another one of us there that's made the area highly dangerous. When you feed, stop when you start to see memories. If you go much further, you'll kill the person. And...just take care of yourself. You have eternal life but you're not immortal.”
“Okay, something is seriously messed up in your head if you think any of that stuff's true.” Kirihara looked at Yuuta and shook his head. It wasn't a surprise to see Kirihara run off into the trees.
-~-
Two months. That's how long it had taken Yuuta to get away from Yukimura. On his second night, Yuuta had left the apartment in Kanagawa. It was strange how the place had felt like home one night and didn't the next. When Yuuta left, he'd only taken what he could fit in the little car he'd managed to rent. Kirihara and a few clothes and the collection of pictures from his nephew were all Yuuta had fit into the thing. The first place Yuuta had gone hadn't been safe. After just three days there, Yuuta found a bloodless body outside the door.
Messages didn't get much more clear than that. It happened again at the next place Yuuta found. And again. It was only now, after a week and a half of peace, that Yuuta started to let his guard down a little. Not completely but it was a sign that things were turning around.
Yuuta couldn't completely relax. He made his way from room to room. Each window was locked and even more importantly, each only held an effective vampire deterrent. Yuuta knew they all worked because they worked on Yuuta himself. All to try and keep this little place in the middle of nowhere in Hokkaido safe. He'd managed to find a mostly decent old house surrounded by trees. Chitose was nearby so Yuuta had a source of food thanks to the beat up old car he'd picked up along the way. This place was about as secluded as Yuuta could find and so far it seemed to be safe. Which was good because all the running and moving had started to severely deplete the trust Mizuki had left in Yuuta's name.
The last room on Yuuta's nightly security check was the one that held Kirihara. During all the chaos and moving around, the unconscious vampire had never stirred. Yuuta was worried about the guy. When Yuuta had been turned, he'd woken up after roughly a month. Kirihara had been out for more than twice that.
A pillow was set on the floor next to the futon. Sitting down, he stared at the body. “I'm sorry, you know. This isn't the kind of life I would force on anyone unless the alternative was your death.” This way, at least, Kirihara could have a choice on if he wanted to live or die.
Looking at Kirihara, it was hard to believe this wasn't Mizuki. Kirihara looked so peaceful in his sleep. The illusion was shattered the moment he rolled over. Every night when Yuuta checked in, Kirihara would mumble something completely incoherent and roll around, never staying still for more than a few moments. He was such a restless sleeper, like all his energy needed some sort of physical outlet.
There was one thing Yuuta missed most of all. He missed being close to someone else. Twenty-seven years of being on his own. It'd been wonderful to reconnect with his family but even that wasn't quite the same. Speaking of, next time he went to Chitose to feed, Yuuta would have to mail his little niece a letter. Even that mess months ago with Saeki was just a little fling. There really hadn't been a connection there whatsoever. That was why learning who Saeki's grandfather was had hurt so bad.
No one else was around. There were no witnesses. Yuuta took a chance. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on Kirihara's lips.
Yuuta could have stayed next to Kirihara forever. He could hear something going on outside. Yuuta knew he needed to check it out. It was probably just some animal again. Last time, the dog that had been wandering around the edges of the property had been nice. Petting him had been a nice break from the normal. However, it had only been two months since the last time Yukimura had found them.
Stepping onto the steps, Yuuta knew tonight was different. The animals were gone. They had left when Yuuta first appeared but over the last month, they had started to come back. He closed the door behind him. It wouldn't physically do much but maybe Yuuta would get lucky and it would keep Yukimura out.
Because that's who was waiting outside. He was on the edge of the tree line.
“I told you to leave,” Yukimura called, his voice cold and eerie in the dark night.
“I did leave. And I took Kirihara-kun with me,” Yuuta replied, leaning against the door. “Just as you ordered.”
Yukimura's chuckle echoed. “Indeed. I meant this place entirely.”
Yuuta shrugged. “You should have said so at the time. Besides, Hokkaido's far enough away from Kanagawa that I'm not taking away from your food supply.” Not to mention the fact that Kanagawa could have easily supported the two of them anyway.
Yukimura didn't move any closer. Yuuta smiled, realizing why. “Afraid to come any closer?” He called out.
“You've only trapped yourself in here,” Yukimura answered. His annoyance was clear alone from his tone.
“Maybe. Or maybe I haven't.” Yuuta kept his tone as nonchalant as possible. “I've had no problems leaving or entering the property.” Yukimura didn't take a step forward. Yuuta kept smiling. “It's the true belief thing, isn't it?” Yuuta continued.
The other vampire didn't say anything. He was watching Yuuta. Even from the distance, Yuuta knew that Yukimura was watching for any signs of weakness, searching for some hole in the younger vampire's defenses.
Yuuta decided he might as well explain. “I've never been one for religion. Mizuki was Catholic and he tried to teach me but it always just didn't make sense.” At the mention of Mizuki, Yuuta could have sworn he saw Yukimura's expression change. “But I've always believed in my sister and her cards.”
Yuuta watched, waiting to see if Yukimura would say anything. He'd recently gotten a small package from his nephew and Onee-san's cards had been inside. A quick trip into town had let Yuuta wrap them into protective coverings and then, on a whim, Yuuta had hidden them around the perimeter. He really had had no clue at the time if it would work. The fact that it did was a great sign. True belief was more powerful a weapon than Yuuta had thought. And he wasn't lying. He really didn't have any problems entering or leaving the property. It being his own belief must have canceled the effect out.
“I admit, you have caught me in a good mood.” Yukimura tried to act like he wasn't annoyed. Yuuta smiled. It was obvious the measures he'd taken had worked. “I am going to let you stay for now but this is not the last you will see of me.”
Yuuta just nodded. Whatever he'd done to draw Yukimura's attention, well, it meant that some day there was going to have to be some sort of definite ending. At some point, the running and hiding would have to end but that day was still far off in the future. He stayed where he was, watching as the older vampire disappeared into the darkness. That was the one drawback to living away from others. No electricity meant no artificial lighting so the darkness was absolute.
A cricket chirping was Yuuta's sign that the coast was clear and that he could go back inside.
-~-
Yuuta sat on the steps of the little house. It was the next night. The first time in almost a year without Kirihara. The steps had become Yuuta's place to go each night after making his nightly rounds. He enjoyed coming here and regrouping. Just watching the moon was relaxing and it helped Yuuta forget about his worries. There was just one thing different about tonight. Yuuta wasn't alone.
“Okay, so maybe you aren't completely nuts,” Kirihara started. He was sitting in a tree, watching the steps Yuuta was sitting on.
“What happened?” Yuuta asked. There had to be some sort of catalyst to have brought Kirihara back, especially so soon. Well, that or the guy had gotten completely lost.
Kirihara stayed in the tree. “I might have seen the date. And all the messages people sent the last few months.”
“There was something else, wasn't there?”
Kirihara gave Yuuta a look. He jumped down from the tree. “Are you psychic?” He didn't leave the tree's side.
Back on the step, Yuuta shook his head. “Well, not really,” he tried to explain. “We all are. I'm not good at it thought.” That was the main reason Yuuta liked to pick up drunks when he needed to fee. It was much easier to tweak their memories. Even when he didn't, they usually just assumed it was a drunken mistake and were more than willing to just go away on their own.
“I really can't tell if you're serious or not.” Kirihara leaned back against the tree. “Daylight.” He held out his arm.
Yuuta couldn't see what he was being show but he could take a guess. “How bad did it burn you?”
“Fifteen minutes gave me the worst burn I've ever had,” Kirihara admitted. “Bright red and blistering but it seems to have started healing decently already. I was near a temple and tried ducking in but I couldn't even step on the grounds.”
Yuuta nodded. “True belief. Any holy grounds or objects will repel you. It's part of the curse.” Well, the objects only worked when wielded by a true believer but that was it.
Crossing his arms, Kirihara started to look interested in what Yuuta was saying. “You actually know what you're talking about.”
“I've been involved with this whole world since I was ten.” Even now, Yuuta could hardly believe just how long that time had been.
“So, this has been your life the past, what, ten or so years? You said you were twenty-something, right?” Kirihara took a few steps away from the tree.
“Yes and no,” Yuuta answered, still staying honest. It was the only way he could handle this. Making up lies would only make things worse for Kirihara. Even if this was a hard topic to talk about. “We're not like normal people, Kirihara-kun. You might have realized a little of that already.”
“Keep talking.” The look on Kirihara's face showed just how interested he was in Yuuta's words.
Yuuta nodded. The only thing he had now were his words and the truth which sucked because Yuuta always thought that he was horrible at explaining himself. “I was changed into one of these-”
“Vampire. I mean, that's what I am now, right?” Kirihara interrupted.
Again, Yuuta nodded. “It was my twentieth birthday present.” That felt like forever ago. It was a completely different lifetime. “I stopped aging at twenty.”
Kirihara gave Yuuta a curious look. “What year was that?” He asked, words coming out slowly.
“1909.” Yuuta just let that sit there. It was hard for him to believe his age at times. He could only imagine how someone else would take that piece of news.
“My grandfather wasn't even born then.” Kirihara's look changed. Now he was just looking at Yuuta like the older vampire had grown a second head.
“I have a nephew who has a granddaughter.” That simple fact was still hard to get his head around at times.
Kirihara's response was a long whistle. “So, you keep in touch?”
“No, I just met them recently.” Yuuta's face went hard and serious as he looked Kirihara directly in the eyes. “Don't go looking for your family now. Wait until they're gone.” As much as it pained Yuuta, knowing his siblings were gone had helped. If hey were still around, they would have just served as constant sources of guilt.
Kirihara didn't respond immediately. Instead, he made his way towards where Yuuta was sitting. He stopped, leaning against the side of Yuuta's house. It was practically falling apart but it was safe. Yuuta had been working on repairing the place and it had slowly gotten better.
“So...” Kirihara was looking at the little house with it's boarded up windows. “If I was asleep for so long, how'd I end up here?”
Taking a chance, Yuuta motioned for Kirihara to take a seat. “I brought you here. Kanagawa wasn't safe.”
Kirihara didn't move. “Why's that?”
There was no getting around this. “You...you almost died. That's why I did this. If I hadn't, you would have died.” Yuuta gave a little smile. “I wanted to give you a chance. I really do mean this when I say that I wouldn't force this life on anyone unless the alternative was death.”
It took Kirihara an eternity to speak. At least, that's what it felt like. “So, basically it's on me now.”
Yuuta hadn't thought about it that way. He realized it was true. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I guess you're right. Sorry.” How could he have been so stupid? Yuuta hadn't saved Kirihara. He'd cursed the guy even more. Not only was this lovely life thrust upon the younger man but the only choices Yuuta had left him were to live cursed or suicide.
Kirihara sat on the steps. “Hey look, for what it's worth, thanks. I guess. I mean, this is going to take some adjusting but at least I'm not dead.” He gave Yuuta a smile. “I don't think most people could have save me from death. And I mean, you did kind of take care of me while I was...doing whatever that was.”
Yuuta didn't answer.
“No, seriously,” Kirihara said as he poked Yuuta in the side. “I guess if it's okay with you, I think I'd like to stick around for a little while. I mean. You do seem to know what you're doing.”
“Not really,” Yuuta warned. “I still screw up and make mistakes all the time.”
Kirihara rolled his eyes, not believing that for a minute. “Yeah. Just...can you do me one favor?”
Yuuta nodded.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Kirihara ordered. “It's really kind of creepy, like you're expecting me to save you or something.” The serious expression on his face told Yuuta this wasn't a joke.
Yuuta gave a single nod. “It's not on purpose. You just, you remind me a lot of someone I used to know, that's all. You look so much like him that it's uncanny.”
“Well, I'm not that person whoever he? Was it a guy?” Yuuta nodded and Kirihara continued. “Yeah, I'm not him. And I probably never will be because that's super creepy, dude.”
Yuuta could try. He could do that much. “I think...you're right. It's time I stop chasing ghosts anyway.”
-fin-
Story Two - Always