-1Remember? Five years ago. The moon full overhead, not a cloud in the sky. There was no real reason for me to be in that place at that time. I was bored, utterly bored. Tired of being cooped up in my underground hideout, I ventured out for a midnight stroll.

Dogging my steps was a pervasive feeling of something important about to happen - but what? Was it good or bad? A funny, inexplicable feeling rose in my gut, up through my chest, before finally settling in my brain.

THUD.

Oh, my heart, my black little heart… You beat harder as this sensation creeps over me. WHY?

Then I saw him. His tiny silhouette slinking off behind a building. For no motive I can discern, I followed him. He was moving rather quickly. I could have gone faster and passed him by, but I did not want to make myself known. At least not at first.

I tracked him down to a park bench, where he laid down, placing a newspaper over himself.

Is he homeless? He must be.

I kept myself hidden behind a tree. I don’t know how long I stayed there for. Could’ve been minutes or hours. I’m not sure which. His deep breathing was so serene. Whatever dream he was lost in, I hoped it was a pleasant one.

What are you thinking, Kyorei? Why are you stalking this homeless guy? You haven’t even seen his face, just his backside.

And what a glorious backside it was.

Immersed in mental conversation with myself, I did not notice the flashlight shining on the sleeping bum until it was too late. The policeman yelled at him to get up.

Opening his eyes to the burden of a flashlight, the bum adjusted his gaze to see the officer bearing down upon him.

“Filth! Get up! Leave this park,” the cop said with a disgusted scowl. “Vagabonds have no place here, dirtying this beautiful park. Now get lost before I take you in!”

The bum did not seem to comprehend what the cop had said. He rose slowly to his feet, a blank stare encompassing the most precious face I’d ever beheld.

He could have been no more than fifteen. He was at least my height and much skinnier than myself. There was a slight hunch in his back when he stood up. It was nothing extraordinary, yet this was no ordinary boy.

“Sumimasen. Sumimasen.” The boy’s voice cracked as though it had gone unused for quite some time.

His apologies made no never-mind to the cop. He advanced toward the boy, putting his flashlight back into the holster and withdrawing the gun that was on the holster’s other side.

Seeing the flicker in the cop’s eyes, I knew he was no cop at all. I had seem the same flames burning in the eyes of those I called my enemies for years. This man had that drive within him to kill, and his target was going to be this innocent boy who probably couldn’t fend off such an attack.

I had to take initiative. As the bullet was fired from the gun, I traced it with my eyes. I ran at lightning speed and took the bullet in my heart. The impact of the bullet was barely noticeable.

“Wha - … Who the hell are you?” the attacker screamed at me.

I smirked. A crimson waterfall poured from my chest. I felt nothing but hatred toward this man.

“That bullet… You should be dead.”

“Death? Already been there, thanks. This bullet of yours is nothing,” I laughed. “Believe me, I’ve had worse.”

“What are you?!?!”

“Me? I’m your worst nightmare. Cliché but true. Now, how about we cut the chitter-chatter and skip to the part where I kill you?”

The man had no chance to flee. I was not in the mood for cat-and-mouse and wasted no time in snapping his neck from behind. As the body crumpled to the ground, the boy stared in shock - first at the new corpse, then at me. His eyes on me burnt through my flesh like sunlight. The pain was the same. This boy, so gorgeous and mild, feared me even more than his would-be murderer.

“Please, don’t run,” I pled. “I can explain everything.”

To my utmost surprise, the fright at once evaporated from his face and was replaced by a smile. The boy ran into my arms, thanking me repeatedly.

“You saved my life. How can I repay you? Are you hurt? The bullet must’ve penetrated your heart!” His long hair entwined with my own, and with my blood.

“It is nothing serious,” I reassured him. “I only need you to extract the bullet for me when we get back to my place. That is, if you want to come with me. No pressure intended.”

“You mean… I can live with you?” His eyes became round like saucers and filled with hope.

“Of course. If you have no place else to go, you may stay with me. Though I must warn you, I am not a man.”

“You’re a vampire or something, aren’t you?”

“How did you guess?”

“Well. Your incredibly pale complexion gave it away. When I saw you bleeding to death without collapsing, I knew you could not be human. No mere man could take a bullet like that without at least being knocked back a little. Yet you did not falter in your step. Amazing!”

“Yeah. Amazing.”

No, you are the amazing one, Tsukumi.