I opened the front door and was greeted by Yasu. Not the person I wanted to see. His Amethyst coloured eyes glinted with something that loomed like concern at the sight of me, though I couldn’t be sure since he was also wearing his irritatingly arrogant expression, which usually makes me want to hurt him. Really hurt him.

“Ji-Hye!” Uta called from upstairs.

“Move it!” I snapped.

His gaze travelled up the flight of steps where Uta was, then back at me. “I leave for less than an hour and come back to see you two fighting.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Can’t I leave you two alone? What’s going on?”

“Nothing you don’t already know!”

“Yasu! Stop her from leaving, please,” Uta begged from upstairs.

Immediately, he blocked my path. Resting his hands on the door base, Yasu sighed. Because he was so tall, taller than Uta, I had to tilt my chin up to look up at him. His eyebrows furrowed together. His long, lean body—a towering six-foot-six or more—loomed over me. I really didn’t like how small he made me feel.

“Move it, twat!”

“You heard. Can’t let you leave. Sorry.”

I swear for a good sixty seconds we had a full-on death-stare match.

“Tell me, child." He laughed at his joke.

“Wow! That was funny, Yasu. There really are no limits to your wit.”

“What’s that thing you think I already know?”

I swallowed, taking breaths before answering. “You told Uta to bring Joe here.”

“Correction. I threw the idea out there; I never forced him to pick it up.”

“Right.” I hissed. “You knew he would listen to you.”

“You know what I hate? Anyone who blames someone for another person’s decision. Uta is free to make his own choice and should stand by them. Besides, what would you’ve him do? Leave Joe there?”

“It’s better than taking him here where you and Uta and Alfred can get infected.”

He shook his head with a wry grin. “You’re worried about me?”

I lowered my gaze. I did, and I refused to admit how much.

“I do.”

“You should. I’m staying here with your boyfriend and an infected vampire, so I’m risking my life.”

By this time, I was crying again.

“Come on now. Stop crying. I am not good with whiny girls.”

“And yet you likely hurt so many.”

Yasu’s bottom lip quivered. He pressed his mouth in a rigid line. “It’s actually the other way around.”

Somehow, I found it hard to believe a girl broke his heart. As I observed him, I noticed much misery and one last emotion I couldn’t place—filled his beautiful eyes, my breath caught in my throat.

Who are you Yasu? Why do I feel like I know you… like there’s a connection between us?

“If anything happens to Uta, I…” I shook my head.

“Nothing will happen to me,” Uta said from behind. “I will take it from here. Thanks.”

Yasu nodded and stepped inside, leaving Uta and me at the door.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I wiped my eyes. “I’m hurt it had come to this.”

“I don’t want to fight with you. It’s too painful.” He cupped my face and leaned down to kiss me. “I don’t know what I would do if I lose you.”

I didn’t want to think about it.

“What did you find out on your trip?” I asked.

He took hold of my hands. “More of us got infected.”

“What do we do now?”

“Keep on searching. There’s always a solution. We just have to dig deeper.”

“This is horrible.” Uta pulled me closer to him and I rested my forehead on his chest as he brushed my hair.

“It will be all right.” His voice was so quiet it made him sound bored.

“What if we never fix this?”

Uta pulled my face into his. He clenched his teeth and spoke through them. “That’ll never happen! Yasu and I’ll fix it.” His cold breath only added to the chill I’m feeling, and it made me shiver. “You’ve to believe me.”

I wanted to believe him. I turned away quickly and bent over, hands resting on my knees. My empty stomach contracted; nausea washed over me even though there wasn’t anything to force out of my churning stomach. Uta was very unhappy and had changed so much that it made me feel a little lightheaded… like I’m standing on the edge of a building much too high.

“About, Joe…”

“Yasu, Alfred, and I got it covered. We’ve protective clothing and you’re the only human who comes here. Stay away from the basement. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

I pulled myself up and looked back at him. “What’re you going to do? There’s no blood here.”

He traced the worry lines on my face. “Don’t worry so much. Alfred will figure something out.”

I closed my eyes and rested my head against Uta’s chest. “What think the cure is?” I gazed up at my gorgeous boyfriend. “Do you think it’s something like Theraflu? Well, I don’t care what it is. I just want to find it.”

“And we’ll. You’re shaking. Let me get you inside and out of the cold.”

“No!” I protested. “Just kiss me, please.” He smiled. It lit up the world around me when he did.

Uta pressed his sweet lips against mine and a warm, delicious feeling coursed through my body, erasing all thoughts of our vampire problem.

His kissed soothed removed my fears. For now, at least.

~*~_~*~

“Yasu?” I walked the path leading towards the fountain. He was leaning against it, smoking.

“You’re still here.”

I stopped partway. “Could you attempt not to sound disappointed?”

He inhaled and exhaled. Small white puffs of smoke formed before his face. “That’s more effort than you’re worth.”

I flinched. We didn’t get along, but did that give him the right to be callous with his words? And why did they cut me so strongly? My father was terrible to me and I was used to his mean words and yet, somehow, Yasu made his awful behaviour pale in comparison.

I only wanted to thank him for being there for Uta today. That was all I wish to let him know, and perhaps a part of me hoped for a lengthier conversation. I turned in the direction I was coming from. How was I going to learn about Yasu if I couldn’t get inside his head? Each time I heard his voice, it remembered me of the boy in my dream, only he wasn’t uncouth like arrogant Yasu.

“What are you sulking over?” asked a voice near my ear.

Startled, I leapt forward. Yasu’s small chuckle came from behind me. “Don’t creep up on me like that!” I glared.

“What did you want?” His eyes appeared black from where he stood, and his face was beautiful. The type of dark beauty anyone could easily lose themselves in.

“Nothing.”

“You came to me for nothing?” He sighed as if my reply exhausted him. “If you have something on your mind, express it. You’re not a child!”

“I know that!” I scoffed and turned my back on him.

“Let me guess. You want to “thank” me. Right?”

“How did you know?”

“You seem like one of those people who always have to “thank” someone for a good deed.”

“People should have gratitude shown to them,” I replied, facing him.

“Spoken like one of true virtue. But make no mistake. I did not help your boyfriend for his sake.”

His words were irritating me.

“If you care so little, Yasu, why are you here?”

“Eh? What’s that look in your eyes?” Yasu stepped toward me. “My words angry you? They should. Everyone has a hidden agenda. Do well to remember that next time you consider thanking me.”

“Sometimes you’re so unnecessary cold, it’s hard to believe your blood is flowing.”

“I don’t do unnecessary things. Moron.” He tugged the end of my hair purposefully before walking away.

I touched my hair, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.

“What’s your hidden agenda?”

He glanced over his shoulder, back at me. “Don’t ask a question you’re not prepared to hear an answer for. Go home. It’s getting late.”

“Excuse me? I go when I am ready!”

“Go now. The sight of you stresses me out.”

I sneered. “And the situation we are in don’t?”

Yasu paused but didn’t look back at me. “It’s very tiresome with you around. Go home.”

It was tiresome for me too; you know. I touched my chest where it pained badly. Why do your actions hurt me so?