18+ Nightingale

June 8, 2015

Nightingale

TWO YEARS AGO

The rainy season was what everyone thought it was- wet and rainy. I stood beneath the bus stop beside the park to shield myself. And that was when the cheesy cliche of meeting someone in the rain happened. Huddled on one of the benches looking like a stray cat was a guy that looked my age. He wore my school's uniform, but I didn't recognize him.

"Hey, you alright?" I asked, nearing him.

He looked up at me, soaking wet and miserable. "Huh?"

I backed up, a little startled by his reaction. "Um… are you alright?"

He looked at me and gave a slight nod, almost as if he were just registering my existence.

"Do you need an umbrella or something?" I asked.

Another slight nod. "Yeah."

I sat down beside him. "Well I don't have one."

He sighed. "So why approach me?"

"You're wearing my school's uniform, but I don't know you," I answered, not making eye contact.

Maybe I had made a mistake when trying to talk to him?

"Dunno," he shrugged.

I sighed and took a cigarette and its lighter from out of my pocket. When I heard a sound of surprise come from him, I turned to him.

"You're smoking!" he exclaimed in a mixture of horror and awe.

"Um… yeah."

The guy sat up and smiled. "My name's Yuki."

"Akira," I replied.

"Do you live around here?" he asked me, inching a little closer.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Yeah. Do you?"

He shook his head. "No. Well, yeah."

"What the? Which is it?"

Yuki frowned. "Eh… I dunno."

I grumbled to myself. "Whatever. Look, the rain's let down. See you at school tomorrow."

And I thought I'd never see Yuki again. But I was so wrong. When I was at school the next day, Yuki found me. After lunch, I came back into the classroom.

One of my classmates told me, "Hey Akira, a guy named Toshiba-san -an upperclassman-is looking for you."

At first, I wondered what the heck an upperclassman wanted with me. But once I was pointed to the door, I quickly found out. Standing there, in our school uniform was Yuki. Yuki seemed playful and likeable with his bright green eyes that shone and wild strawberry blonde hair. He was quite handsome, if I had to say so.

"Akira," he said once I approached him.

I stopped a few feet away from him. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to say thank you for yesterday."

"Mm?" I asked. "I didn't do anything."

He just smiled. "Yeah, but you talked to me."

I stared at him like he was nuts. What? Did he not have friends or something?

"Anyways," he interrupted my thoughts. "Do you want to grab something to eat after school?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

After school, Yuki came by and picked me up. Since he was an upperclassman, he had to be either a second or third year.

"Hey," I asked, turning to him. "What year are you in?"

Yuki tussled his own blonde hair. "Second. So you're a first year? And you're smoking? That's no good."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, senpai."

He smiled. "That sounded nice! You should call me Yuki-senpai more."

"No," I spat. "Now where are we eating?"

Yuki pointed to a takoyaki place and smiled happily. He dragged me there and ordered both of us (without my consent) some food. I watched him in awe.

Yuki was… how should I have put it? He was eccentric. After we ate, we started walking idly to my place.

"Where do you live?" I asked. "I'll walk you home."

Yuki looked at me. "Nah… I'm fine."

I sighed. "Let me walk you home, man."

He pouted, his face turning red. "I don't have a home…"

I stopped. "What? Yuki have you been kicked? Did you… you know, run away?"

"I'm homeless… pretty much." Then he looked at the ground. "Didn't want to tell you…"

"I'm sorry… I just-"

"No." He smiled. "It's okay."

I bit my bottom lip and pulled him home. When he asked me where we were going, I ignored him and continued with my dragging.

My parents had lived in this same house for years, ever since they had their first child, Yumio, when mom was nineteen and dad was twenty three.

When I walked in, mom looked at me, then at Yuki.

"Akira has a friend over?" she teased. "How nice."

Yuki looked at me, then mom. "You two look so much alike!"

I shrugged. "Whatever. It's just our… I dunno. We don't look alike, okay?"

Both mom and Yuki smiled at me, trying to stifle their laughter, to no prevail.

Yuki looked at mom. "Hi, I'm Yuki. It's nice to meet you."

Mom directed her smiled at him. "I'm Yuri Sanada, Akira's mother."

"Yuri-san…?" Yuki asked.

Mom nodded. "Yes."

Yuki blushed and nudged my side. "Your mom is gorgeous!"

"Whatever," I respond, looking at my mom, then my reflection in the mirror.

Yeah, we did have the same red hair and green eyes, but that was about it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mom turned to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. "So Yuki-kun, where do you live? In this neighborhood maybe? Are your folks new here?"

Yuki bit his bottom lip and clenched his fist. He probably wasn't sure what to say and I don't think that he was going to say it.

So I spoke up. "…Yuki's homeless."

She stopped washing her hands, but she didn't turn away. "What?"

"Mom, he's homeless," I answer.

Mom quickly turned around and stared at Yuki. "You're…? Oh my God!"

Yuki chuckled nervously, giving me death glares. "I'm fine. There's not-"

I interrupted him. "Mom, can he have somebody's old room?"

Mom looked at Yuki. "Of course! Do you have clothes? Anything?"

Yuki shook his head.

Mom looked at the floor. "My goodness…"

We watched as she disappeared into the kitchen, then come back with a broom. She handed it to me and showed us to my oldest brother's old room.

Yuki looked around the house in awe. "You've got a huge house, Akira."

"Well yeah," I responded. "We needed a big house to hold my parents and their six kids."

"S-six kids?! Where the heck is everyone else?!" Yuki asked.

"Moved out, other than my brother, Ao. He's two years older than me, so he'll be leaving soon," I explained.

"How old is your oldest sibling?" Yuki asked, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Eh? Uh… well Fumio is thirty, I think."

Yuki froze. "H-how old is Yuri-san?"

"Dunno… probably forty-nine or something."

My senpai finally blinked. "She doesn't look it…"

Yeah… none of my teachers or classmates believed that she had a thirty year old daughter. To them, mom looked thirty five. To me, she was old.

Yuki looked around his new room. "So whose room was this?"

I shrugged. "Probably my oldest brother Kazuo's…"

"How old is he?"

"Mm… like twenty seven… I think."

Yuki inhaled and looked around the room. "And you guys don't mind me here?"

I shook my head. "No. You need a home, right?"

"Yeah…" he stopped exploring the room and turned to me. "But how can you trust me so easily? I could easily betray you and do something to your family."

I waved my hand up and down, almost as if I were ignoring the idea. "If you did, mom would easily subdue you."

Yuki stared at me, a little surprised, but his mouth curved into a smile. "Yeah, she does look tough."

"I wonder what dad and Ao are gonna say," I said as I helped Yuki make the bed.

He smiled. "Yuri-san is the boss, isn't she? They'll just listen to her. She's very influential. What does she work as?"

"Oh, mom? She's a lawyer. Pretty well known and respected. And the old man is just a regular businessman… he's pretty boring. I can't believe…" I stopped myself, knowing that I was going to far.

It wasn't like we disliked each other. I just… I don't know, I disliked him. And he didn't seem to care one way about me.

"Akira? Why'd you stop?" Yuki asked.

I looked at him. "Want to see my room?"

Yuki shrugged. "Sure."

I was glad that he didn't press the matter any further. We went into my room and Yuki immediately began exploring.

"Your room is so… you!" he said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked as I looked at my room.

It was plain and boring. Nothing exciting about it at all.

Yuki chuckled. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Mom called us down for dinner and we ate. While at the dinner table (without Ao or dad present) mom started questioning Yuki, asking him if, by chance, he had ran away, or if he had been kicked out. Yuki said no, and mom kept quiet about that topic.

After dinner, mom brought Yuki to his new room and I took my shower. Once I got out, I went back to my room to see Yuki at the desk.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

Yuki sighed. "Mind if I sleep in here?"

"What? You have your own room."

"Yeah… but I want to sleep in here. At least for tonight."

We stared at each other for a few moments, and finally, I gave in.

"Fine, you big baby. Pull out that futon from my closet and sleep on it," I said, throwing my towel on my desk and plopping down on my bed, face down.

After a while, Yuki turned off the lights.

"Good night, Akira," he said through the darkness.

"Night," I answered, shifting to my side.

"Thank you," he whispered.

It sounded like he was crying.

"I already told you… I didn't do anything," I spat.

He moved a little. "Yeah, whatever."

I closed my eyes, content, falling asleep.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 9, 2015

I felt so sad for Yuki but now he has a new home and a friend too (for now ). I love how you put matching images too!

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June 9, 2015

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Thank you! ^_^ I'm glad you liked it. Just a word of warning, in future chapters, you might feel differently about Yuki ^~^

June 9, 2015

He's some delinquent or you mean that he is gonna be seme?

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June 9, 2015

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Well yeah, he's going to be the seme, but later on in the story, he will be very cruel to Akira. ^^

June 9, 2015

Now you made me even more excited!!

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June 9, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Two

"Yuki, are you done packing?" Mom poked her head into Yuki's room where we sat.

Yuki finished tossing some clothes on his bed. "Not yet, Yuri-san."

Mom sighed. "Well hurry it up." She turned to me. "You will help him, right?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Yuki chuckled at my docile compliance. I shot him a glare, warning him to stop teasing me.

Yes, Yuki was packing for college. Though he was just going to the local university and not to one located three hours away (like some of my other siblings), mom worried about him like she was his own mother.

I think that she became attached to him over the two years that he spent with us. During those two years, Yuki and I were the closest of friends. Haha… well, not friends per say… We were dating, if I could put it bluntly. Our relationship was just a bit awkward at times. But that could be fixed.

Yuki cosied into our family and practically became a Sanada. The family liked him and welcomed him. The only one that seemed to have a slight problem with him was Aoi, my fifth oldest sibling.

Ao (we occasionally called Aoi by Ao) had gone to the same college as our older sister Minami. They were by some beach, a few hours from our hometown. I don't think mom or dad minded it much, because the house was relatively empty. Now with Yuki disappearing off to college, it would finally be just me.

As soon as mom left to go check on dinner, Yuki turned to me.

When he didn't say anything, I sighed. "What?"

"You'll visit me at my dorms sometimes, right?" he asked.

I chuckled. "Of course."

Though I was chuckling, I knew that Yuki was serious. He had a horrible past that messed him up. The poor guy had abandonment issues, and I could see why. After all, he was kidnapped, raped, then left homeless. I could never fathom what he had gone through.

He gave me a longing gaze and sighed. Lately, he had been giving me nothing but distant stares. It made me feel uncomfortable. I tried to push away the awkwardness and discomfort by talking.

"Wow… your room is totally empty now," I said, trying to avert his gaze to his old bedroom.

Well yeah, it was very empty. Over the years, Yuki had made Kazuo's old room all his. Every time I walked in, it'd smell like Yuki.

But please, don't ask how Yuki's smell was. I couldn't describe it.

"Yeah," he answered. "Well, I am moving out."

I smiled. "Yeah, you sure are. I can't believe you're growing up."

Yuki stopping packing and turned to me. He reached towards me with both hands and finally, when he touched my cheeks, he pinched them and started pulling them.

I slapped his hands away. "So not cool! Stop it!"

He laughed and kissed my forehead. "You're so cute, Akira. That's why I love you."

I pouted, knowing that I could never fight back to those words. When he leaned a bit closer, going in for the kiss, I stopped him.

"W-wait Yuki!"

He looked at me, a little hurt. "What?"

"I… I don't think I'm ready!" I exclaimed.

"It's just a kiss," he said, frowning.

I knew that! But that didn't change anything!

Yuki's facial expression was practically begging me to return the kiss. I sighed and I was about to lean closer when the door opened and mom barged in.

She grinned mischievously when she saw us. Yuki instantly extracted himself from me, looking at the ground in shame.

"Go get a room, you two," mom teased.

"Well, mom, we were in a room by ourselves, but you busted in," I spat back.

"You have a point," she said. "Before you two go getting all lovey, hurry and bring his stuff to his new dorm. Please hurry it up."

I sighed. "Fine."

Mom knew about our relationship and she fully accepted it. She had no problems with it and she liked it when we were together.

We finished packing up, and finally, we were on our way to his new dorm. As we approached the building, we stared in awe.

"You sure this is the right place?" I asked.

Yuki looked at his cell phone, the back at me. "Pretty sure…"

The dorm building was pretty big. Not upscale "huge", but impressive, considering the suburbs that we lived in. In this area, nothing exceeded the size of the mall. That was just the norm. Yuki took the initiative and grabbed a box, then went inside. The inside was well furnished and pretty neat.

I wondered how much my parents put into buying this. College housing was pretty expensive. Yeah, Yuki could've stayed at home with us, but my parents wanted him to deal with his fellow students. And anyways, my parents weren't cheap or frugal. They didn't have a problem with using their hard earned cash on their many children.

We carried the boxes to the second floor where Yuki's room, 204, was located. We went inside to see a cramped, little room. It barely had living space. No wonder mom let Yuki go off! He'd be in a crappy dorm!

I started laughing. "Mom's evil!"

Yuki grumbled. "Oh shut up…"

I poked his side. "There's nobody here right now. Want to kiss me?"

That got his attention. He looked at me, then smiled. I rolled my eyes and waited for him to kiss me. As he moved closer, the dorm door opened and another guy stepped in.

Yuki and I stopped before we could make any contact. The intruder just stared awkwardly.

He was holding a guitar.

"Oh… I'm sorry," he muttered.

I sighed. "Well whatever. You're the roommate?"

The other guy nodded. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jun Inoue."

Yuki slightly bowed, a bit excited. "Nice to meet you! I'm Yuki Toshiba. And this is Akira Sanada."

Jun smiled. "Nice to meet you two. Which one of you will be my roommate?"

I pointed to Yuki. "This guy."

Yuki gave a small smile. "Yeah, he's still in high school."

Jun looked at me. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

Yuki's new roommate's face grew pale and he looked at Yuki. "Hey… this is none of my business, but…" He stopped when a girl walked into the dorm.

"Jun-chan," she said. "I need help~!"

Jun looked at her. "Sis… what now?"

His sister looked at us. "Oh! Nice meeting you two! I'm Makoto Inoue!"

Jun pointed to Makoto-san and smiled. "That's my twin sister."

"I'm Akira Sanada," I answered.

Yuki followed suit. "Oh, and I'm Yuki Toshiba."

Makoto grinned happily. "I hope we become great friends!"

Jun gave an exhausted smile and dragged his sister out. After they left, Yuki finished unpacking. Even after that, the room looked empty and desolate.

"Hey… that Jun guy…" I said.

"What about him?" Yuki asked, creeping up on me.

When he was close enough, he hugged me tightly. I touched his arm, trying to return the favor, though I was basically being restrained.

Yuki leaned over my shoulder and nibbled at my ear.

"Y-Yuki!" I exclaimed.

"Quiet," he commanded, wrapping his hands around my neck.

And it wasn't like he was lightly touching it to scare me. In fact, he was truly putting force on my throat. I quickly shut my mouth, holding back whatever resistance I felt that I needed to display.

Yuki finally removed his hands, slowly, making sure that I understood that he meant business. I gave him a small nod as an apology. As much as I hated to admit it, Yuki seemed like a whole different person at times. He was exceptionally violent at times and at those times, he'd have a mean streak.

At first, I saw it as trivial and I let it go by. But he would sometimes hit me. And by then, I was fed up. As time went by, Yuki's little tantrums, or whatever you'd call them, we're slowly calming down. They weren't as frequent as they used to be. And I took that as a good sign. But I was soon proved wrong.

After a few months of living in the dorm, Yuki invited me over one day on the weekend. I happily went, having not seen him for a while.

"Yuki~!" I said in a sing-song voice, opening his door.

He was sitting on his bed, looking through something. "Hey Akira."

"Where's your roommate?" I asked, peeking around the small room.

It was now much fuller and complete having both Yuki and Jun's belongings in it. I liked being in there because the atmosphere was so calming and relaxing.

Yuki pointed outside. "He's got class all day."

"On a weekend?" I asked, appalled.

"He works hard…" Yuki opened his arms to me. "Come here."

I walked into his arms, wrapping my own arms around him. Holding Yuki close always made me feel better. His body was warm, which always made me feel safe.

"Hey, Akira," he said, his voice being muffled by my shoulder.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"No," he said, slowly pushing me away. "I'm serious. I… I love you."

I gave an unsure smile. "Didn't I just say that I love you-"

He cut me off. "But Akira, this is different. You're a kid… you don't understand."

That's when I got angry. "And you're only a year older than me!"

Yuki grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. "Didn't I just…" He stopped after he got a good, long look at me.

"Yuki…" I muttered, reaching to him to see if there was anything I could do.

Yuki hit my hands away. "Get out."

I was extremely surprised. "…Yuki…?"

"Get out!"

I stood up to leave, retreating. It was best that I left him alone. It scared me a little that Yuki was acting so out of character. He was being surprisingly erratic and temperamental.

As I got to the door, he called out my name. I stopped and turned to him.

"Akira… don't leave me," he mumbled, looking so very pitiful.

"You were just telling me to…" I stopped and walked back to him, about to give him a hug.

But I stopped. The last time I touched him, he had shoved me away.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" I asked, crouching down beside him.

Yuki looked at me. "I never wanted to think about it, but…"

"But?"

"That guy… I just I can't stop thinking about him," he murmured.

"What?" I asked.

"The one… you know, who…"

He didn't need to say more. I understood that he was talking about the man that raped him long ago. Such a heinous act had traumatized poor Yuki. I felt horrible for Yuki. He had told me the gruesome details and had made sure that I understood who "Yuki" was versus who "Yuki" is.

But the "old Yuki", as he called his younger self, seemed not too different from the "current Yuki". Both versions of Yuki were traumatized and scarred. At first, I didn't recognize the toll his past had on him. I didn't even know what effect it would have on me, but I was soon to learn that his actions then were child's play compared to what was to come next.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 10, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Three

One evening, I had helped my father get ready to visit an important client of his. Mom was busy cooking in kitchen. After dad left, I went into the kitchen, bored that I had nothing to occupy my attention. As I walked in there, she was putting her cell phone down on the kitchen table, having just finished a conversation. I sat down in front of her at the table, watching her as she cooked.

"You look bored," she noted.

"I am," I simply replied.

Mom sighed. "Go visit Yuki then."

I shuddered at the thought of him. Lately, he had been my worst nightmare.

Looking like an impossible child, I shook my head. "No."

Mom's impatient look didn't help me either. "He needs help."

"Help?" I gained the color in my face. "Help with what?"

Let me guess, I thought bitterly, he needs help with hitting me!

Mom saw my pained and angry face. "Akira… what's wrong?"

I bit my bottom lip. "Nothing…"

She gave me a concerned smile and patted my shoulder. "Well, if you don't want to…"

"Nah… I'll go," I answered.

Something in me wanted to see Yuki. Maybe it was something crazy in me that had that desire, but there wasn't a lot I could do to fight it. A strong longing for Yuki grew in my chest. I had been trying to resist it, but it seemed that it was about time I gave up.

I made my way to his dorms on foot, trying to relieve the dread that was coursing through my mind. As much as I hated to admit it, I was afraid. I was afraid that I'd get hurt again or something. But then I had another fear in me that overrode the first fear.

It was shameful, but I was afraid that Yuki would find someone in college and he'd leave me. I hated that very thought… and I think that was why I continued to let him hurt me.

Shoving those thoughts to the side, I decided to go to a corner store and pick up something to drink for Yuki and I. The corner store had always been in the town for as long as I could remember. I walked in and went straight to the drinks aisle where those huge refrigerator thingies were.

As I was choosing a drink for Yuki, someone from beside me called me name. I turned around to see a familiar face.

"Daiki," I said, putting the can into my bag. "Long time no see."

Daiki smiled. "Yeah, you're so right. How's your older sister?"

Daiki was an old friend of my three year older sister, Minami (sometimes called Nami).

They went to high school together, but they went to different colleges.

"Oh, Nami? Mischievous as usual," I answered nonchalantly.

"What about Aoi-kun?"

"My brother? He's at the same college as-" Because I was paying way too much attention to Daiki, I tripped over something and fell to the ground.

He bent down next to me. "You alright?"

I grumbled. "Shit…"

Daiki grabbed my arm and pulled me upwards, then he picked up the things I had dropped. "You're still clumsy."

Frowning, I crossed my arms. "Whatever."

As he handed me the cans I dropped, I could smell a strong cologne coming from Daiki. It smelled great.

"You done?" Daiki asked, pushing me up to the counter. "Put your stuff up there. I'll pay."

I shook my head. "Nah… its-"

He cut me off. "Is there anything else you want?"

My eyes went to Daiki in slight embarrassment. "No…"

He smirked. "Okay, just wait a second."

I waited for him as he bought both of our things together. Once he came to me, we walked outside. I reached to grab my things out of my bag, but he pulled it over my reach.

"You jerk!" I exclaimed, reaching for the bag. "Give it back!"

Laughing at me, Daiki said, "You'll be fine. Where're you going?"

"The college…" I answered.

"You're visiting a college student? Who?"

Nosy much?

"Yuki," I answered.

Daiki poked my nose. "The one that Aoi-kun hated?"

I nodded, causing him to laugh even more.

"Well I was heading there, too. Mind if I walk with you?" The question got me thinking…

What if I brought Daiki in with me? Sure, Yuki would be extremely upset with him, but Yuki wouldn't hurt me, right?

When we got to Yuki's dorm, I was right in guessing that he was not very happy with Daiki's presence. He eyed Daiki at first, growling at the fact that I had another guy with me. There was nothing to be threatened by. Though Daiki was surely attractive, he was straight.

How did I know he was straight? Because he had unluckily hit on my older sister, Nami, who liked girls. From then on, he was just a family friend.

"Who are you?" Yuki growled, reminding me of a mother wolf protecting her cubs.

Daiki smiled. "I'm Daiki."

"And what're you doing with Akira?"

Yuki and his interrogatives… gosh.

Daiki's smile never faltered. "I walked him here. Problem?"

I could've sworn I saw Yuki's blood boil. He was easily provoked, to my chagrin. Gritting his teeth, Yuki stared at Daiki. I could tell that Daiki's nonchalance pissed him off to no end.

He looked at me, then back to Daiki. Finally, he said:

"Akira, can I talk to you right quick?"

Before I could answer, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the bathroom. Surprisingly, his dorm bathroom was nice… it seemed almost bigger than his own dorm.

"Yuki, what the-"

He covered my mouth and said in a hushed voice, "What the hell were you thinking?"

I pushed his hand away and lowered my voice. "What the hell're you talking about?"

"Inviting him over! You know that I wanted to see you," he hissed.

My lips quivered. "But Yuki… I was… I was scared."

His hard gaze softened for a bit. "Did he threaten you? Akira, I-"

He didn't get it, did he?! Clenching my fists in anger, I stood up to meet him.

"I was scared of you! I still am!" I exclaimed.

The softness and care flushed away and anger took over his face. Yuki grabbed my wrist and pushed me onto a wooden bench.

"Yuki-"

"Oh shut it," he said as he took a washcloth and shoved it into my mouth.

Without a second of hesitation, Yuki unbuckled my pants and pulled them down to my ankles. He jammed one of his fingers into me, causing a very intense sensation to run through me. I groaned, arching my back in response. The foreign object in me made my skin crawl and my heart beat at an intense speed. I hated this feeling, this uncomfortable thing.

As Yuki thrusted his finger, over and over, I felt something wet roll down my cheeks. When had I started crying? Was I crying out of embarrassment? Anger? Sadness, perhaps?

Yuki ignored my tears and continued to watch me in satisfaction and pleasure, muttering my name beneath his breath. He wouldn't look me in the eyes, and that fact hurt me even more. That meant that he knew what he was doing and he felt bad about it, yet he wouldn't stop.

That thought caused me to cry even more. Yuki's lips started roaming my body after he had totally stripped me. My sobbing must have made enough noise to grab one's attention, because in a few seconds, Daiki showed up in the doorway.

I wanted to call out to him, but I felt so ashamed and so dirty. Yuki looked his way once, then he turned back to me. He pinched one of my nipples and unmercilessly twisted it. I squirmed in pain, trying my best not to bite my tongue by accident.

When I saw Daiki's concerned face, any embarrassment or shame immediately flooded away and I wanted to call out to him, to plead for help. But as soon as that thought came to me, Daiki's face twisted in scorn and he turned his back on us.

More tears flowed out uncontrollably. I looked at Yuki through my tears. Just my luck… I was stuck with him. I turned back to Daiki, hoping with all my heart that he'd turn around… but all I could see was his legs, walking away.

As I watched him leave, my eyesight thinned, and finally, I could only see dark.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 12, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Four

I woke up in my bedroom, my head aching painfully.

"Akira." That voice sounded like mom's…

"Akira?"

I turned to my bedroom door to see mom. "Mom?"

She sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Mom…" I grabbed my forehead and groaned. "What happened?"

She walked over to my bed and sat down. "Yuki called me and told me that you became faint. And he wasn't sure what to do, so I came and got you."

"He didn't tell you why I fainted?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No… why?"

I averted my gaze. "Nothing…"

Mom rubbed my head and said, "You hungry? I've got udon in the kitchen."

I stuck out my tongue. "Ew… gross."

She grinned. "You'd better eat it!" Then she stood up. "Well I've got this case I'm working on. I'll be in my office if you need me."

I watched as mom walked out of my dimly lit room. Of course Yuki wouldn't tell her what he had done! She'd beat the crap out of him. What was I thinking? And why exactly didn't I tell her?

I got out of bed and cleaned up a few things, such as the random articles of clothing that laid around my room. After doing that, I trudged to the kitchen to see if there was anything else that I could eat. Mom knew as much as I did that I hated udon noodles with a passion.

She was just being mean like her usual self. As I was scavenging through the refrigerator, the doorbell rang. Mom got to the door before I could even get there, so I continued to look around. By the time I finally found an anpan, mom called me to the front door. When I neared her, I noticed that her eyes were widened in surprise. I looked around the threshold to see a police officer. He looked at me and gave me a small, polite smile.

"Hello," he said. "You are Akira Sanada, correct?"

I nodded. Yeah, I was, but what exactly did the police want with me?

"Well I am Officer Kenji Saito. Do you know who Daiki Nakahara is?"

I gave a small and short nod. "Why?"

Daiki looked at me, then mom. "Nakahara-san was found dead yesterday evening."

My eyes widened in shock. "He's what?!"

Officer Saito frowned. "Yes, sadly. May we take you to the station for questioning?"

Mom sighed. "He's a minor. I'm allowed to come with him."

Oh come on! I was almost a legal adult! In just about a year, I would be eighteen! But I couldn't help it when mom was like this. She wasn't asking, she was telling him. There she went, in lawyer mode.

Officer Saito made no argument, he just nodded and walked to his car. As mom wrote dad a note, she told me to tell everything I knew.

"But watch what you say," she warned. "They could just pin it all on you if it's convenient to them."

She was confusing me! What was I supposed to do? Tell them the truth while being crafty and deceitful? I wasn't like her and dad! And speaking of which…

"Is dad at the station?" I asked.

Mom shook her head. "He's on a case."

Yeah, dad was a police homicide detective. He and mom worked together at times to solve their cases. They were infamous for their steadfast tongues and their witty attitudes. Because of that, they were the perfect couple.

After we put on our shoes, we were in the car of officer Saito. The ride was dead silent, except for the occasional broadcast of different codes and such from the radio. Once we were in the station, Saito walked mom and I through the hallways to the interrogation rooms.

When I was younger, dad told me stories about the crooks he caught and how he would interrogate them in those rooms. A man holding a few files and a cup of coffee (and a donut was in his mouth… well more of, he was biting it to hold it) passed us. He looked incredibly lost. And a bit too easygoing and leisurely.

Officer Saito called out to him. "Um… detective…"

The man stopped and turned our way, dropping the donut to the ground. "Great! Saito, I was lost!"

I could hear mom chuckle from behind me. She must've found him very interesting. In truth, I had expected her to be very unhappy with his behavior.

Officer Saito sighed heavily and shook his head. "I told the chief not to put a rookie on this job…!"

The detective smiled. "These are the people I'm working with?" He extended his hand to me, but he must have forgotten that he held coffee, because it dropped right on my shirt.

And it wasn't even scalding! It was freaking lukewarm! Was he really going to drink this?!

His eyes grew wide and he dropped his folder. "I-I'm so sorry!"

I grumbled. "It's fine."

We were soon ushered into the interrogation room, which looked nothing like I had expected it to be.

It was dimly lit and overall, unpleasant. I felt like a real deal criminal in that setting. Mom gave me an encouraging nudge and I was soon seated in front of the goofy detective. He put a recorder down on the table between us.

"Okay," he said. "Let's begin."

Saito read me my rights from a sheet of paper. I listened halfheartedly… I'd heard it all plenty of times, since I was the son of the super-lawyer Yuri Sanada.

Once the rights were read, the detective nodded and finally said, "I'm detective Akio Yamamoto. We're not here because you're a suspect. We decided to have here you as a possible witness."

"A witness?" I asked. "I don't think I saw anything."

"When did you last see him?" Yamamoto asked.

"Well… around two o'clock, I think," I answered.

I wasn't sure, but he left Yuki's dorm around then. When did he die? What was the time?

What happened? How did he die? Those questions stormed through my head, but I didn't have the chance to ask them.

"What was going on?" someone asked.

I looked at the table, then back at them. I didn't want to talk too much about Yuki hitting me…

"Well, he and I met up at the corner store. He insisted on staying with me when I went to the university dorms to visit a friend. After about… maybe thirty minutes, he got up and left," I explained.

"Did Nakahara leave abruptly?"

Well yeah… but that was because he saw Yuki and I.

"Yeah… well…"

"Who was this friend?" he asked.

"Yuki Toshiba."

"What is his your relationship with you?"

I looked at Yamamoto and blushed. He must have caught on to the part that I had left out.

"He's… he's just… um…"

Yamamoto gave me a smile and nodded. "I understand. Nakahara felt awkward and he left."

I nodded. So he did understand… That was relieving and embarrassing at the same time.

But officer Saito raised an objection. "Detective Yamamoto, don't give him leeway. Make him answer!"

Apparently, Saito hadn't caught on…

Yamamoto shook his head. "He's fine. Let's continue… What is your relationship with Nakahara?"

"Oh? Daiki? Well, he's my older sister's classmate… otherwise, I don't think I'd talk to a guy three years older than me."

"Before yesterday, when was the last time you remember talking to him?"

I wasn't sure… "Um, maybe a month or something? I didn't even think he was in town."

After a few more questions, mom stood up and smiled.

"Great! I'll be leaving. I have a case to attend to," she said. "Akira, I texted your dad. He says he will pick you up here. He needs to get a few things for a case he has."

She waved to me, leaving before anyone could respond. I hated it when she just dashed off before letting anyone interject.

"Case?" Yamamoto asked.

"She's lawyer," I answered.

"Your lawyer?"

I grinned at that one. "My mom."

Yamamoto grinned back at me. "I see. Well that's all for this."

Saito took the cue and led us out of the interrogation room. Once we were out near the offices, Saito disappeared.

Yamamoto looked at my shirt. "I'm so sorry about that."

"It's fine," I responded. "I didn't even like this shirt."

"While you wait, mind coming to my office?"

I shrugged and followed him as he went further back into an office that was totally junky and confusing with the load of papers all over the desk. Yamamoto cleared a seat for me and sat down at his desk.

"You ever been involved in a murder case?" he asked.

I shook my head. "The closest I've gotten to one is peeking at my parents' files."

He chuckled. "You've gotta be the first kid who admits to that."

"It's the truth… but hey…" I leaned a tad bit closer to his desk. "What happened to Daiki?"

Yamamoto became a tad uneasy. "Well… he was found brutally murdered… it's horrible, like whoever did it hated his guts."

I gulped. "Who could've…?"

"It looks personal, so we're gonna need to check everyone." He eyed me. "Now, I don't want to get personal, but this Yuki guy of yours… is he possessive?"

"I guess he can be… but I don't think-"

"You never know. For precautions, we'll question him. He may be a suspect. Was Daiki a little… too comfortable with you?"

"No," I answered. "At least, I don't think so."

Yuki couldn't have killed Daiki, could he? I mean, yeah he did seem a little violent at times, but that was about it. He couldn't kill a man… he wouldn't, no matter how… I couldn't help but defend him, but there was a small part of me that wanted to think that there was a huge possibility that Yuki did in fact kill Daiki.

But the likeliness of it… it was pretty low.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 12, 2015

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I hope it wasn't Yuki who killed Daiki!! O___o

Tho I gotta mention that I loved the fingering scene

June 13, 2015

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Thank you! You really liked it? Wow, thanks! ^^

I was afraid people would think the scene was crap >~

June 13, 2015

wow

June 13, 2015

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Wow? Good wow or bad wow?

June 13, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Five

The detective Yamamoto gave me a reassuring smile. He could easily read my face.

"It's okay. If you adamantly think he's not guilty, then I think you're right. But it's protocol," he explained. "I don't want my first case to end in failure because I didn't interrogate just one college student."

"This is your first case?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm a natural, right?"

"I've seen better," I teased.

Well, that was slightly true. My dad, as lazy and absent he was at home, was a great detective.

"Oh really? I may be new, but I'm talented!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Yamamoto looked at me, clearly thinking something that I could not decipher. "You said that that Yuki Toshiba guy is in college?"

"Um… yeah."

"Then how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen," I answered. "But I'm a third year."

He studied me. "Oh. You two went to the same school?"

"Yeah." He didn't have to know everything, now did he?

He was trying to figure out why I was in a college student's dorm… no, not why, but more of, was it legal.

"He didn't do anything," I said, answering his unsaid thoughts.

Yamamoto looked at me, a little surprised. "I didn't say-"

"You didn't need to."

We both became silent after a while, so I looked at my phone. Yuki hadn't texted me at all… I looked up to get a peek at Yamamoto to only see him staring at me.

"Y-yes?" I asked, baffled by his impending stare.

Yamamoto blushed. "Ah…! I… how about we check for your father?"

I nodded and followed him out of the office and to the front. As we passed dad's office, I grabbed Yamamoto's shoulder. He froze in place.

"Um Yamamoto-san-"

He cut me off and spun around, exclaiming, "I'm sorry, boss! I didn't do anything to him! I contemplated it, but I just looked!"

In quick movements, he bowed a few times until our foreheads finally collided. He stood up straight and looked at me, shocked.

I touched my forehead. "Ouch!"

"I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, reaching for me, but he soon stopped.

He must've been thinking about what he just said. I wasn't an idiot, so I completely knew what he was talking about. I guess that he was attracted to me.

I grumbled, ignoring his apology. "That's my dad's office."

Yamamoto turned to the office and froze. "Daisuke Sanada? The demon detective?!"

I gave a slight nod. "Dad's got an interesting nickname."

As I said that, Yamamoto was having a small conniption.

"Argh! If the demon detective Sanada-san finds out I was ogling his son, he'll burn me! Shit, I'll just-"

"You know I can hear you?"

He turned to me, his face flushed. "J-just forget it! No, I'm on the good side of law… just tell on me!"

"You're all over the place, dude," I said.

Before I could even register what was going on, he grabbed my shoulders. "Just tell your father on me."

"You didn't do anything…"

Someone else spoke up. "You're looking pretty casual with my son."

"Hey dad," I said, seeing him behind Yamamoto.

Yamamoto froze to the sight of dad. He gave a nervous chuckle.

"Akira, were you causing trouble for the department's newest member?" dad chastised me.

I sighed. "He's a klutz, dad. He'll be causing trouble for himself instead."

Dad chuckled and patted Yamamoto's back. "Ha! Well thanks for taking care of this troublesome kid."

Yamamoto looked relieved when dad took me and dragged me away. But the relief soon faded away when dad stopped and called Yamamoto's name.

"Y-yes sir?!" the new detective exclaimed in sheer surprise.

Dad grinned. "How about you come home with me? The wife is cooking, so you can have dinner with us. And then you can continue ogling at my kid."

"S-Sanada-san…"

"How hilarious, Yamamoto! I might as well ship my kid with you! At least you're a talented guy, who's getting a steady income… much better than that good for nothing…!"

Wait, I totally disproved of this conversation. One, I wasn't something dad could just "ship away" to some guy. And secondly, Yuki isn't good for nothing! I mentally sighed. I really, really needed to stop defending Yuki.

And that was how I ended up in the backseat of dad's car. Dad was jolly… probably since he'd have a guest over that he could tease and get a reaction from. Yamamoto kept on looking at me through the mirror. Dad probably caught that, but he said nothing. I hoped he wasn't serious… Yeah, Yamamoto was a nice guy and he was pretty handsome, but…

Yuki would really kill someone… I'm afraid to say that "someone" may be me… if I cheated on him. Shoot, he'd kill me if I just broke up with him to go out with someone else.

As dad continued to tease Yamamoto, I finally spoke up:

"Dad, leave the guy alone."

"Can't help it," dad said. "He's such an adorable kid."

Yamamoto blushed. "I know you're not serious, sir, but it's unethical… I am much older than your son."

Dad laughed. "Oh, it's alright! You're only twenty-four."

We finally got home, where another car was parked.

"Who's car?" I asked.

Dad shrugged and walked to the door with Yamamoto and I on his trail. We entered the house to see Minami (Nami) talking to mom. When she saw me, she smiled happily and squeezed the living heck out of me.

"Akira!" she exclaimed, hugging me.

"Hey Nami," I said back.

Her smile never faltered. I got a good look at my three year older sister. Her hair was shorter than it used to be…

"Did you cut your hair?" I asked.

She nodded. "Looks nice, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Mom smiled at the both of us. "Nami came here with a friend for Daiki's funeral."

"It's already been scheduled?" I asked.

Nami and mom shook their heads.

"No," Nami answered. "Haruki-kun and I decided to come early."

Haruki?

Dad heard that name too. "So Minami, is that your boyfriend?"

He pointed to a guy that stood in the back, away from everyone. My eyes almost popped out when I saw him. That guy was freaking nose-bleed material! Excuse my weird terms… but damn! This Haruki made me forget all about Yuki!

Nami frowned at dad. "Dad…. remember? I like girls… Haru is Daiki's stepbrother."

Haruki nodded. "I'm here for him. Sorry for intruding."

Dad chuckled. "Oh, you're not intruding!"

Haruki gave a quick smile to dad, causing my heart to flutter. Shit…this was so not good.

"Thank you for letting me stay," Haruki said.

Dad shrugged. "No problem."

Then Haruki turned to me, extending his arm.

I just stared at him, blushing like an idiot.

He smiled a little. "Hey, I'm Haruki Ueda."

I opened my mouth, but I stuttered in nervousness. "A-A-A-Ak-"

"Akira!" Nami growled.

Haruki gave a cute smile, along with a chuckle.

My heart jumped when I saw his face.

"Nami," Haruki said, turning to my sister. "He's so cute."

No! I thought, You're the freakin' cute one!

Nami chuckled as her response. I, on the other hand, almost fainted again. This time, I was being reverted back into my younger teenage days as I fanboyed over my crushes.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 16, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Six

The next day, detective Yamamoto called back, informing me that he has gotten Yuki, but Yuki wouldn't talk unless I came. I had no ride, so I turned to Nami and Haruki. But to my luck, Nami and mom had gone shopping. Dad was out on a case, leaving Haruki my only choice.

"Um… h-hey," I said, my words literally stumbling.

He was reading a book, but he stopped when I called him.

"Yes?" he asked, turning to me.

"D-do you th-think that you could-" I took in a deep breath. It didn't want him thinking that I was a stutterer or that I could barely speak.

"Akira? What's wrong?" he asked.

I pouted. "I'm j-just kind of nervous…"

Haruki shifted to his side. "Is it because of me?"

I hadn't expected him to ask that at the very beginning! Despite my surprise, I gave him a nod.

Haruki smiled. "I think that's cute. But what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything…" I muttered. Then I looked at him, directly that time. "But I need a ride to the station… do you think that you could bring me?"

Haruki agreed, and we were soon on our way to the police station. Once we got there, a receptionist brought us to the interrogation room, where Yamamoto had Yuki in handcuffs. I could clearly see that Yuki looked pretty miserable.

"Akira…" Yuki muttered pitifully.

"Yuki, why are you handcuffed?" I asked.

Yamamoto answered for him, "He was trying to fight us."

"Yuki…"

Yuki scowled at Yamamoto. "You knocked on my damned door and you threatened me!"

I looked at Yamamoto, who just shrugged and explained, "Yeah, because I've heard rumors that have said that you're a violent guy."

Yuki's cold eyes went straight to me, but I quickly shook my head.

"It wasn't me," I explained.

Yuki's eyes were clearly accusing me. "How am I supposed to believe you?!"

"Because you love him." That was… Haruki…!

He should've just stayed quiet! But I couldn't help but blush at the fact that he was standing up for me.

"Who are you?" Yuki and Yamamoto asked simultaneously.

"I am Haruki Ueda. I'm Daiki Nakahara's step brother, as well as a family friend of Akira's," he answered, looking calm and collected.

Yuki gave him a glare full of suspicion, but detective Yamamoto calmed himself down.

"Oh," Yamamoto said. "It's good to see that someone here cares about Nakahara-san. I was worried that no one would come to inquire."

This seemed to have alarmed Haruki. "Did someone at least come and make sure the body was his?"

Yamamoto nodded. "Someone did, yes. But no one ever came back after the confirmation… it's kind of suspicious… I will look further into that later." He looked at Yuki. "But I'll have to interrogate Toshiba-san."

Yuki frowned, knowing that he needed to cooperate before the police were fixated on him.

"Hey… can you remove those handcuffs?" I asked.

I felt much safer when he was restrained and cuffed by the police, but I knew that nothing would get done with those handcuffs.

"I will, if he swears not to attack anyone," Yamamoto answered.

We all looked at Yuki, who grunted and gave a small, shameful nod. After the confirmation, Yamamoto and Yuki were soon in the interrogation room.

Haruki looked at me in concern. "You ready to go?"

I shook my head. "You can go home… I'll stay and wait."

"You sure? I'll…" He stopped when he saw that I wasn't budging.

"Nami is probably wondering where you are. You should go back," I said.

The concern never disappeared from Haruki's face, but he soon relented and left. I sat on the hallway floor, waiting for Yuki. Maybe after twenty minutes, a woman's voice called out to me.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up to see a female police officer looking at me, concern drenched over her face.

Why did people constantly show such concern for me? I wasn't some helpless kid…

"Yes, ma'am?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

She looked shocked when she heard me.

"What's… wrong?" I asked, a little taken aback.

Her lips curved into a smile. "Don't call me 'ma'am'! I'm not that old! Just call me Sergeant Kurosawa."

"Oh…" I responded. "I'm Akira Sanada."

"What're you doing back here?" she asked.

"Waiting for my friend and detective Yamamoto to get out."

She sat down beside me. "Oh… I see. Then how about I sit here and wait with you?"

As I watched her, I thought, But don't you have a job that you should be attending to?

Sergeant Kurosawa smiled. "You look upset."

I smiled back. "No, I don't."

Shaking her head, she said, "Smile all you want, but I can see it in your eyes. Is it because your friend is in the interrogation room?"

That wasn't it… I don't know why, but I told her almost everything about Yuki and my relationship. I didn't disclose Yuki's identity, but I still wanted to tell someone. I wanted to tell a third party that had nothing to do with us. And sergeant Kurosawa was the unlucky soul that I had just dropped that information on.

When I finished, she said, "As a police officer, I'm concerned… no, as a human being, I'm concerned. You haven't told me his name, but if I find out, I can arrest him. But it looks like you just wanted this off your chest."

I nodded and rested my forehead on my knees, trying to hide my face. But Kurosawa pulled me closer and gave me a hug.

She rubbed my hair and said, "A kid like you shouldn't be stressing over this. Leave this jerk. It's probably hard, I know, but it's best for you."

That was the thing… I couldn't… no I didn't want to leave Yuki. I felt that if I left him, we would both not fair at all. We'd both end up miserable. And I was so afraid of what would happen if I tried to break up.

After sergeant Kurosawa left, Yuki was almost immediately sent out. He was alone, without Yamamoto.

"Yuki…" I called his name so that he looked at me.

He looked my way, his face growing graver. "Oh…"

Oh? Oh?! Just oh?!

"Yuki… lets go to your dorm," I said.

He gave a gruff nod and helped me to my feet. Since we had no ride, we had to walk back.

"How was it?" I asked.

Yuki looked at me. "Annoying. He asked me about Daiki… like if I disliked him. I had an alibi, though."

"An alibi? What'd you say?" I asked.

He studied me, then looked at the pavement. "…nothing."

"Yuki…" I protested. "You can't just-"

When I looked at him, I saw his eyes filled with malice. So I shut up. Whatever this "alibi" was, he clearly didn't want to let me know… And I couldn't press any further either. Most of the walk was silent until we got to a park.

The sun was already setting. Who knew that waiting for an interrogation to end could be so time consuming? Yuki grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. I could smell that strong and familiar scent of his from being so freaking close.

"I don't like this," he said, pressing my face against his chest.

He wasn't smothering me. It was just a loving embrace. See? Times like those made me love Yuki all over again. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling ever so comfortable. Any fear that had resided in me instantaneously flooded away.

Yuki finally pried my face from his chest and he kissed me, gently. His sudden parade of affection made the atmosphere feel so nostalgic. I loved it.

"What don't you like?" I asked once we separated.

"This situation. They think I might have killed that Daiki guy," he said with a sigh.

"You have a solid alibi, right? So you're fine."

He frowned at me. "Yeah… but…"

"What?" I was starting to get paranoid and worried.

"My alibi…"

"Yuki… what about your alibi?" I was really getting scared.

"Promise you won't get angry," he said.

"I can't just-"

"Just promise, dammit!"

"F-fine…"

Yuki wouldn't look me in the eyes. "I was… I was with Makoto-chan…"

At first, I thought that he meant that he was hanging out with a classmate, but the realization hit me. It hit me with a pang. I looked at Yuki, my eyes burning. I wasn't crying, I was just afraid. And very, very angry and frustrated.

"You were where?!" I erupted.

"You said you wouldn't get mad!" His voice sounded so accusing.

"How could I not get angry?!" I exclaimed, my voice raising much higher.

"Akira! Calm the-"

I was steaming angry now. "Calm?! You're telling me to calm down?! You've gotta be crazy to think I'll be calm! I've been looking at Haruki all this time! But I've been…! Ugh! I hate this!"

I had been fighting and ignoring my attraction to Haruki for Yuki's sake, and he was out there, messing with a girl!

Yuki grabbed my wrist, and with fear engulfing me, I shut my mouth.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 18, 2015

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Did I get it right? Yuki slept with Makoto? O___o

June 19, 2015

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Yep! You guessed right!

June 20, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Seven

Yuki dragged me all the way to his dorm. I wanted to yell at him, to tell him off, but my impending fear took over. And to my chagrin, I was frozen with fear. When we got into his room, Jun was sitting at his desk. When the door opened, he turned our way and nodded his greeting.

Yuki gave him a smirk, causing Jun to study me then stand up and leave the dorm. I watched in horror as he left. He was my chance at…

Yuki sat me on his bed. "Akira, you said you'd stay calm!"

I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep myself from screaming profanes.

He frowned at me. "Akira! Say something! I'm begging!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I only let out a cry. Why was he being so heartless? I didn't get him! One moment, he'd be hugging me, the next, he'd be hurting me!

When I said nothing, Yuki let go of me and said, "Strip."

I stared at him in surprise. "What? But Yuki…"

"Oh? So you say something now? Tell, too bad. Strip. Now, Akira."

Trembling, I undressed myself with his eyes watching my every move. When I was finished, he pushed me on his bed and pressed his lips onto my neck. It wasn't sensual. In fact, it reminded me of a ravenous animal biting at its prey. What had happened to the Yuki before all this crap? His hands explored my naked body, causing me to twist and turn. With each stroke, I was sent deeper into oblivion, trying my best to ignore, no, to forget what Yuki was doing to me.

But I couldn't. Especially when he spread my legs apart. With all the vulgarity in his every fiber of being, Yuki violently thrusted his length into me. I groaned in pain…

"Yuki!" I yelled out in a mixture of pain, embarrassment, and anger.

He was going in dry without any preparation.

"Stop it!" I screeched, hoping that he'd give up.

But he wanted me to stop fighting and resisting. And his only way was through violence.

I was trying to yell again. "Stop! Yuki, sto-"

But my voice failed me when his heavy hand crossed my face. He had punched me…! I looked at him in disbelief. He looked back at me in disbelief and horror as well. Just as he had hit me, someone knocked on his door.

Yuki got up, leaving me cold and bare, and went to the door. He opened it just so that I could see who it was but the person couldn't see me. Peeking at Yuki was a college student unknown to me. He was holding a cat, probably having carried with him when he came to inquire about my yelling.

I was about to call out for help, but Yuki spoke up.

"Ah, sorry Hojo," he apologized.

The student, Hojo, nodded. "It's alright. Just checking."

And he left. Again, I had lost the chance to be saved. Yuki shut the door, locked it, and tumbled back to me.

Standing over me, he said, "See that? Shut the hell up!"

I gave a shaky nod and watched as Yuki got back in his bed. He got on top of me again, entering me dry. I hated this! With each thrust, I wanted to cry out, to scream, to beg… anything. Anything to make him stop. Once, by accident, I let out a scream.

Yuki looked at me with cruel eyes, but he didn't hit me again. I bit my finger to keep my voice at bay. Tears started forming again. I was afraid…

After he had finished, I got out of his bed, exhausted. I tugged on my clothes and ran out of the dorms as fast as I could. I wanted to end everything! As silly as I sounded, I couldn't believe that Yuki would… No, I did believe it. I was just in denial. I wasn't surprised that Yuki raped me… I just wondered how he could do it after he had been raped when he was younger?

When I got home, only Haruki was there. I walked past him without saying anything and locked myself in my room. After thirty minutes or so, I slipped out and took a shower. While I was in the shower, I contemplated hurting myself. There was no one to stop me… no one to keep me from taking a knife and hurting myself. I placed my hands on the tile of the shower and let the water run on my head and back.

The warm water relieved my pain. It was like some type of saving grace. My ass and back hurt like hell because of Yuki's actions… not only that, but I was extremely embarrassed. My pride, my heart… Yuki just trampled all over them. And the fact that I hated him yet wanted to forgive him, hurt me the most.

After I got out of the shower, I trudged back into my room. I got dressed, then I sat down at my desk. It hurt so, so much. As I was sulking, my cell phone rang. At first, I was going to ignore it, but I saw the caller ID. It was Yuki.

I immediately answered, stupidly thinking that he was calling to apologize. "Yuki?"

"Akira, I'm waiting," he said.

"Waiting? Waiting for what?" I asked.

"Your apology," he said.

"M…my apology?" My voice croaked a little.

I wasn't going to apologize! In anger, I immediately hung up and threw my phone across the room. I was stupid! Why the heck had I expected him to try to reconcile with me? Crying, I laid my head on my desk and shut my eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. Suddenly, someone touched my head. My eyes flickered open, a little surprised.

"Akira…" That was Haruki's voice…

I touched his hand. "Haruki…?"

He took a firm grip of my hand. "Be strong, Akira."

I started crying again. Haruki leaned over me and hugged me. I couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Akira, do you want to talk?" he asked.

I wanted to talk, but then again, I didn't. When I didn't respond, he squeezed me a little tighter. It wasn't violent, in fact, it was calming.

"Haruki," I sobbed, breaking down again. "It hurts…"

"I know… I know it does," he said, lightly nudging his face against my back.

I knew that he had no clue what was wrong with me. But it warmed my heart to know that he cared.

Haruki went over to where my cell phone was and typed something in it. "Akira, if you need to talk, just call me."

I took my phone from him to see his number on the screen: Haru ♥️

Tears blurred my vision and I smiled goofily.

He bent over me and gave me a quick peck on my forehead.

"Haru…" I said. "W-why are you being so nice?"

He stroked my head. "Because you're too cute."

I blushed and looked at my phone screen. Though I couldn't see him, I heard him shift and walk to my door.

"Sleep tight, Akira," he said, opening the door.

I quickly turned around. "W-wait!"

Haruki stopped. "Yes?"

"C-could you sl… never mind…" There I went stuttering again!

He smiled, knowing what I was talking about. "Sure. Let me take a shower first."

As I waited for him, I went out to the kitchen. When I looked through the refrigerator, Nami and mom came home.

"We're home!" Nami cheered, throwing her shopping bags on the ground.

I looked at the wall clock. "Nami, it's nine o'clock! You're late."

My sister just grinned. "Oh, be quiet. I know you had fun with Haruki!"

I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm off to bed."

When I got back to my room, I found Haruki in there. He smiled at me, beckoning me closer. I followed his finger.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

I nodded. Haruki opened his arms to me and I happily went into them. He was so warm and welcoming. After our warm embrace, Haruki invited me into bed. It felt weird to sleep with him, but I didn't mind.

After about five minutes, I fell asleep knowing that such a calming resource was so close.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Nightingale

June 20, 2015

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Poor Akira!! T_________T I dislike Yuki so much!!!! I wonder if Akira will pair up with Haruki!~~ cheetah16

June 22, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Eight

Haruki touched my shoulder, slightly pressing it. His smile made my heart melt. I knew that this guy had to be a heartbreaker! Hopefully, he wouldn't break my heart.

"Akira, you're the cutest kid in the world," he said, stroking my chin.

As I watched him, he moved his finger from my chin to my lips.

"I'm not a kid!" I exclaimed.

Haruki grinned. "You're still so cute, Akira. I want to kiss you."

I didn't say any more, I just leaned closer to give Haruki the kiss that I had wanted to give. Our lips moved closer until…

"Sanada! Sanada!"

My eyes flicked open and I saw my teacher, Nanase-sensei. He was young and everything shouted "youthful!" about him, from his dyed blonde hair, his quirky attitude, and his stylish persona.

I frowned, a little upset that Nanase-sensei woke me up right before I was about to kiss Haruki in my dream.

"Yes, sensei?" I barked.

Nanase-sensei shook his head and tapped my desk. "Stay awake."

I grinned at him. "Sure will."

"Sanada, come to the teacher's lounge after school ends," and Nanase-sensei went back up to the board. "Okay, students, open up your literature textbooks to page 263. Let's see… who'll read?"

I could see a girl in front of me shivering. I didn't know her well, but her name was Mikoto Nakahara. We never spoke, but I had known her as a super quiet and shy girl. But why was she shaking? My concern for her wasn't that strong, evident when I went back into la-la land. It was so great to sleep with Haruki… We hadn't done anything, but just hearing his soft breathing made me feel so excited.

Everything about him made me forget Yuki…

I could finally be free of him. Well, not all the way, but it was better than nothing. As the day went by, I just daydreamed.

Throughout the day, Haruki texted me. It made me happy when I got his first text.

Hey cutie.

His first text made me squeal in the middle of class. Everyone turned to me, making me blush.

I hurriedly typed my response: Hi Haru!

A few minutes later, his response came: You feeling okay?

I blushed, squealing in my head. Oh shit, this guy was the best!

As fast as possible, I typed: Yes, I'm fine! Thank you for staying with me last night!

Haruki's text: Of course It's the least I could do.

By the end of the day, Haruki and I had had a full conversation. I learned that he was from town, but had moved away when he was a kid. He was a med student and he liked to read. And most of all, he had admitted that he was attracted to me. But he said that he wouldn't pursue me any further until I was eighteen… and until after I resolved my issues with Yuki.

I, on the other hand, told Haruki about Yuki and the things he's done. Haruki didn't like it one bit. But I was glad to have gotten it off of my chest. Like the time I talked to Sergeant Kurosawa, talking to Haruki made me feel light again. Yesterday… well, the bad parts… felt like they never happened.

After school, just like Nanase-sensei had instructed, I went into the teacher's lounge, to only have him scold and chastise me. I went back to the classroom to get my bags. By accident, I dropped some of my papers. As I kneeled down to clean up the papers, the classroom door opened. A girl walked in. She stood at the front of the classroom, her back turned to me.

I was about to greet her, but she started speaking aloud.

"Y-yes sensei! I w-will read page 263 of the l-literature book!" she said, her voice quivering.

I watched in confusion and curiosity. Looking closer, the girl was clearly Mikoto-san. Why was the normally shy girl talking to herself in an empty classroom? Oh shit… what if she's a nutcase?

"F-feeling the will of the…"

I sighed. If i waited for her to finish, who knew how long I'd be in that crouching position? I stood up and said:

"Mikoto-san."

She jumped in surprise and turned to me. Her face went up in panic.

"Relax," I said. "It's just me."

Hearing my reassurance, Mikoto calmed.

"You are right… there's no one else. I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet, but less shaky.

"No need to apologize," I said.

Then I wondered if I should bring up her weird reading aloud. I decided against it. My phone rang, and to my happiness, it was Haruki.

"Hello?" I answered.

Haruki sounded elated on the other line. "Hey Akira. I'm nearby your school. Need me to pick you up?"

"Y-yes!" I answered, stuttering in nervousness again.

Mikoto smiled quietly to herself.

When I hung up, she said, "It was good seeing you…"

"Wait!" I called out.

She froze. "Yes?"

"Um… do you need a ride home? I don't want you to walk home alone," I explained.

Mikoto seemed unsure. "Um…"

And that was how we ended up getting into Haruki's car together. I introduced them to each other: Haruki friendly as ever, but Mikoto froze. She barely spoke when we were in the car.

"So, Mikoto-chan," Haruki was saying, trying to involve her in our conversation. "What do you think?"

Haruki and I were talking about ghosts (don't ask me how we got there) and he decided to hear her opinion. I nudged her side.

Mikoto sighed. "Well, I think that…" She stopped when Haruki stared through the rear view mirror at her.

"Mikoto…kun?" he asked.

Kun? I thought. She's a girl, so she at least deserves the "chan".

Mikoto shook her head. "I… I don't know you!"

That was clearly lie… even I could tell that.

Haruki chuckled. "Well then, stranger. Here's your house."

And just as he said that, we pulled into a driveway of a house I did not recognize. Blushing, Mikoto got out and stumbled to the door. I climbed to the front seat and watched as Haruki sighed.

"You know her?" I asked.

Haruki seemed genuinely surprised. "Her?"

"Um… yeah. Her…"

He nodded. "Well, firstly, Mikoto is my stepbrother."

"Stepbrother? She's clearly a-"

"No. Mikoto is a guy," he said.

"A guy?"

"A guy."

"B-but…"

Haruki smirked. "What? Disappointed? Happy?"

"N-neither!" I exclaimed.

Haruki smiled. "Just kidding~ Hey, Akira. Do you want to meet my family?"

I gave a small nod. He wasn't staying with them, so there must have been a reason that he only just brought them up. We got out of the car and approached the house. As we got nearer, I finally realized that it was a traditional Japanese style house.

Haruki didn't even bother knocking, he just sauntered in through the gates, dragging me like a rag doll. We passed a huge flower garden and a couple of unlit lanterns. The place was beautiful.

Haruki pulled me past a pond and we were finally near the actual house.

He entered the house, as well, without knocking. We finally stopped when we came across a beautiful woman. She looked a few years older than Haruki, maybe around the same age as one of my older brothers, Yoichi. Her hair was long and she wore a neat kimono.

"Haru-chan, welcome back," she said, smiling.

"Kaede-nee-chan," Haruki greeted, sitting down in front of her.

I wasn't surprised. They seemed somewhat similar.

She turned to me and smiled. "I am Kaede Ueda. And you are?"

Ueda? That meant that she was Haruki's blood sibling.

"Oh," I began, "I'm Akira Sanada."

Kaede smiled. "That's great." She looked behind her shoulder. "Mikoto! We've got guests!"

After a few moments, Mikoto came into the room, this time, looking totally different. Standing in front of me was a guy.

"Mikoto-san…?" I mumbled.

Mikoto nodded, looking pretty much ashamed. "I'm a guy."

"Well… you sure had me fooled…"

He looked at me, then at Haruki. "But if someone hadn't had a big mouth, I'd be in the clear."

I felt a little bad for him… He clearly crossdressed for a reason unbeknownst to me. If I were in his place, and if one of my classmates found out I was gay, I'd feel uncomfortable.

Haruki gave a nervous chuckle. "Well I was confused as well. Who wouldn't be surprised when they see their stepbrother after three years as a girl?"

Kaede intervened. "Well then, Haru-chan, do you want to see Kohaku?"

"Sure," Haruki responded.

"Kohaku!" Kaede yelled. "Get your arse here, now!"

In a matter of seconds, a guy tumbled out from the garden and into the house. He was holding a couple of flowers.

"Kohaku," Kaede said, "greet Haru-chan and Akira-kun."

Kohaku, the guy, bowed to us. "Nice meeting you! I am Kohaku Nakahara."

Nakahara? So that meant that he was Haruki's stepbrother.

Kohaku grimaced at Haruki. "Oh, Haruki…" But when he turned to me, he smiled. "And who is this lovely kid?"

"I'm Akira Sanada," I answered.

Though I wanted to say "I'm not a kid!".

Kohaku's smile turned up a notch and he handed me the flowers. "Flowers for the lovely Akira, then."

Haruki grabbed them before I could even take them. His smile was clearly forced, which made him seem a bit scary.

"Don't give him flowers!" he hissed, pushing them back in Kohaku's arms.

Kohaku grinned back. "Oh… I see. You're very protective of this cutie."

Haruki looked at me, then back to Kohaku. "You're being a nuisance."

As the two argued, I looked over to see Mikoto, shivering. Kaede was comforting him, but he didn't seem to be comfortable at all.

"Miko-chan," Kaede urged. "Tell them you'll be going to bed."

Mikoto looked at me, then he completely froze. His hands twitched, and his face flushed. He looked worse than I did when Haruki talked to me. Kaede sighed and ushered Haruki, Kohaku, and I to another room.

"Mikoto's glossophobia is acting up," she said.

"Glossophobia?" I asked.

Haruki spoke up. "The fear of public speaking."

"But he wasn't talking…" I mumbled.

Haruki patted my head like he expected me to pur.

"He still feels anxious when he's around people socializing. I think he gets afraid that someone will ask him to talk," Kohaku added.

I hadn't known that… I just thought that he was quiet and shy. Thinking that, I felt incredibly stupid.

TO BE CONTINUED…

June 25, 2015

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This is nice! I like the direction it's heading in! ^^

I totally dislike Yuki now. At first, I felt bad for him… but yeah.. No, not anymore. I like Haruki a lot though!

June 30, 2015

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I totally agree with you! cheetah6

July 2, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Nine

After explaining Mikoto's phobia, Kaede brought us to a back room, under the pretense of seeing someone. She led us shown a dark corridor and into a totally spotless hospital room. I was surprised to see a room like that in a traditional Japanese house.

And laying on the hospital bed was a sickly pale woman.

When we walked in, her cold, beady eyes followed us. She didn't speak, but she smiled at Haruki.

Haruki didn't smile back. In fact, he was frowning, looking angry. And he looked angry at the woman.

"Mom," he said.

Mom? That sickly woman was his mother?!

Kaede sighed and sat down. I feel like she knew what was about to happen. Taking a peek at Kohaku, I noticed that he was as surprised as I was.

"Mom," Haruki repeated. "You own this house now. What happened to Daiki? And why haven't you sent someone to plan a funeral for Daiki?"

He sounded very angry, very hurt. But his mother didn't respond. She just sighed.

Kaede intervened. "I know it's a disgrace to our joint family, but-"

"Be quiet," Haruki interrupted, turning back to his mother. "Tell me."

His mother sat up and she looked at me. "Sorry for surprising you, young one. My name is Himiko Ueda-Nakahara. I am the head of this-"

Haruki set his hand on a chair. "Mom! Tell me!"

Himiko sighed, showing her impatience. "Kaede is correct. But the reason that we want nothing to do with Daiki's death is very just."

"Just?" Haruki sounded angrier. "Just?! Mom, how is it just if he doesn't have a funeral?! What're we going to do with the body?! I came here to go to a funeral to find out that there is no funeral!"

"I know," Himiko said. "But Daiki's death was because he was a part of this family. And we cannot hold a funeral because he was a part of this family."

"What?" Haruki simmered a little.

Kaede spoke up. "Someone is out to kill our family… Well, not everyone. Kohaku, go get that paper."

Without a word, Kohaku disappeared and came back with a crumpled sheet of paper. Kaede handed it to Haruki, who showed it to me as well.

The paper was unkempt and it smelled horrible, like it was wet. The handwriting was ugly, causing me to wonder who could have written it.

It said:

To the Ueda-Nakahara Family,

I like you. Do you like me? Well I hope so, because I decorated your son's body in Crimson. Don't think that I'll give up. I'm after all of you that were involved two years ago…

~Kiko

Haruki looked at his family. "Two years ago? Mom, what happened?"

His mother averted her gaze. "Just know that you and Mikoto are safe."

Haruki scowled and grabbed my arm, then pulled me back to the car. Before he pulled off, he put his head on the steering wheel and breathed heavily.

He turned to me. "I'm sorry, Akira."

"There's no need to apologize," I answered.

He gave me a small smile. "I'm glad you were there… I'm glad you're here."

I blushed when he said that. He reached over and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back, knowing that it was my turn to comfort him.

"It's okay, Haru," I said.

He nudged his face against my neck and sat there, hugging me. After a while, he sat up and rubbed my hair.

"I don't like this," he whispered. "They're keeping crap from me again… and it's not because they want to protect me. It's because they're saving face. Whoever this Kiko is, or what happened two years ago, they won't tell me."

"But what will you do? They clearly won't tell you."

Haruki finally started the car. "I'll find out. Someone will talk. Kaede might."

"What about Mikoto-san?" I asked.

"Didn't you hear my mom?" Haruki asked as he drove the car home. "She said that he and I are not included."

"That doesn't mean he hasn't found out. From what I see, he's a ghost to your family. Maybe they mentioned it around him?"

Once we were home, I suggested that I'd ask Mikoto-san about it the next day. Haruki looked at me, his eyes wide. He looked so relieved after I said that.

Without a word of warning, he said, "See? I'm glad I fell in love with you!" and he kissed me.

I don't think I could ever forget those words or that action. My heart just felt so freaking heavy and it beat like crazy.

The next day, I found Mikoto at school, as silent as usual. I felt bad for sugar-coating his glossophobia. I hadn't even tried to get to know him better. Thinking those thoughts, it occurred to me that it'd be rude to just suddenly ask him about his familial business. As I sat down at my desk behind him, I watched him.

The day went by without him saying a word to me. I felt a little awkward generating a conversation in my head.

Like what would I say? Something like "So you look great as both a guy and girl"? Oh heck no! That'd offend him on so many levels! As I was arguing with myself, my phone vibrated in the middle of class. In surprise, I jumped a little, causing my pencil to fall and unfortunately roll to Mikoto.

Oh shit… I thought. Just my damn luck.

"Um… Mikoto-san…" I whispered.

He didn't look my way, but he froze in complete shock… or maybe it was something I was very accustomed to: fear. I opened my mouth to tell him never mind, but before I could speak, he collapsed.

"Mikoto-san!" the girl beside him yelled in shock.

And the entire class erupted in chaos. Mikoto was pulled to the nurse's office. I followed along, to maybe apologize. But what if he woke up to see me and passed out again? I hoped not… but I needed to see him. As he lay in the bed it became apparent to me that he was totally unaware of the attention that he had gotten.

How ironic. The guy that hated to be seen, to speak in front of others… yet he dressed as a girl and passed out in front of the entire class. That was sure to do the opposite of his intentions.

After what seemed like forever, Mikoto finally woke up. When he saw me, the dread appeared on his already pale face.

"Relax, Mikoto-san," I said.

He looked at me, his face telling me that he wasn't going to relax. "I hate you."

I wasn't too shocked. "Hate me?"

"You found out…"

Well yeah, I completely understood his feelings. I sighed, deciding that I'd let him know that I was gay. I kept that fact hidden at school because most people had the perfect image of our family. If they found out that about all of the Sanada offspring was gay, the townsfolk would not shut the heck up. And I hated that.

"So what if you're a guy?" I asked. "I'm gay, and I'm fine with it."

He looked at me, his eyes wide. "What?"

I frowned. "You already heard me…"

"I-is your mom okay with it?" he asked, his face clearing up a bit.

"Yeah, somewhat."

Mikoto sat up and looked at me. "And why'd you tell me this?"

My frown twisted into a grin. "Well, because I found out your secret. Think of it like exchanging secrets!"

He smiled the first smile I'd seen on his usually pale face. "Really…?"

"Really, Mikoto-san."

His smile never faltered as I watched him. He was dazzling, just like Haruki. After the nurse told Mikoto that he could leave, we were on our way out. By the time that he had gotten out, it was time to go home. Or in that case, wait for our rides. We waited near the drive-thru until Kohaku came first.

I remembered him as Haruki's step sibling, and pretty much the fuel to his fire.

When Kohaku saw us, he smiled charmingly.

"Good afternoon, you two," he said, directing his gaze towards me.

He said two… but he was looking at just me and I'm only one person.

"Good afternoon," I responded.

He stopped when he was close enough to touch me. "Thank you for keeping Miko-chan company."

I shrugged. "Mikoto-san's a nice person. I might as well."

"You're so adorable…" Kohaku took a firm hold of my hand and brought it to his lips.

But before he could do anything, another hand interjected, keeping him from touching me any further. I looked to the source of the hand to see… Yuki! His blonde hair looked no different from two days ago. I hadn't expected it to change, but it was still mesmerizing to me. I hated this. I really, really hated these emotions that dwelled inside of me.

He looked at Kohaku. "Who are you?"

Before he could do his same spiel, I grabbed Yuki's arm and dragged him off of the school grounds.

"Akira, let go of me!" he exclaimed.

I didn't budge. I just kept him from running off. Yuki tugged at my arm, but I stopped him. Before we could go any further, he pressed me against an outer wall. I looked at him, frozen with fear. I hated being so intimidated… but I needed to stop being afraid and start showing that hate. But before I could bare my "fangs", Yuki closed his eyes shut and pounded the wall beside me.

"Akira," he said after he finally opened his tired looking eyes.

Had he lost sleep? Probably because he was spending time with Makoto… Thinking those thoughts, I turned to Yuki with anger.

He looked at me, weak. "Akira, I… can I talk to you?"

The last time we had "talked" I ended up being raped. So…

"No," I answered.

Frustration took him over. "Akira, I'm serious!"

I shuddered when his voice rose. Yuki saw this, and he went back to normal.

"Akira… please listen."

I sighed, finally relenting. "What?"

His eyes finally looked my way. "Akira, I love you with my everything!"

I was struck in silence. What was I going to respond with? I love you, too? Did I love him? I think I did. So why was I hesitant to reply back?

My silence urged him to continue:

"And because I love you… Akira, are you listening?" he asked.

I nodded.

He casted his eyes to the wall. "Because I love you, I think that I'm not safe for you… and I think we should break up."

Those last two words gained most of my attention. I stared at him in surprise.

"Yu…Yuki?" I asked, afraid to move.

"Akira, please don't get angry…" he muttered, his eyes downcast to the floor.

I wasn't going to get angry… I was upset, sad.

"Akira… I'm so sorry…" he said, clenching his fists.

"Yuki," I began. "Are you breaking up with me because of Makoto?"

Yuki shook his head fervently. "Please Akira! Don't think that! Please!"

I quickly apologized. "Then why?"

"Because… I don't deserve to see a person I love with everything… if I can't control myself," he explained.

"Yuki…" I wasn't even sure what to say.

"But Akira, could we remain friends? I know it'll be hard to be as close as before… but you're too important to me to just totally cut off all ties."

Hearing him, I hugged him, knowing that he was the same Yuki from way before all this crap happened.

"Can we?" he asked, awkwardly hugging me back.

"Yes, I'd love that."

After an awkward goodbye, we were soon on our own ways. I still didn't feel the closure I wanted. Instead, I still felt crappy, just slightly lighter. I enjoyed Yuki. I don't think that I'd be able to ignore him. Or even cut all ties. Though we'd only known each other for two to three years, our bond was nothing like others.

Even after all of those wrongs, I could still ultimately forgive Yuki. Maybe not for the things he's done. But maybe for him being an idiot.

As I was heading home, a car drove up beside me. I was a little startled, but I soon cooled down when I noticed Haruki. Next to him was Nami.

"You look dead tired, cutie," Haruki said, unlocking the car for me.

Before I got in, I noticed that he looked even more tired. "You look even worse."

He smiled. "I know, I know. But I've got a worthy cause."

Nami turned to me. "Wanna help?"

"What am I helping with?" I asked.

Haruki started driving as he explained, "Well, we're the unlucky broke college students that are planning, paying for, and coordinating Daiki's funeral."

TO BE CONTINUED…

July 15, 2015

Nightingale

Nightingale Ten

I looked at Haruki, who had fallen asleep beside me. He looked so peaceful. He had told me that it had been quite some time since he got to sleep on a bed, so I tried my best to stay silent. Haruki and Nami were working their butts off for Daiki's funeral. I guess they felt that that was right.

Haruki mumbled something and shifted to his side. I looked at him and felt so happy to be able to have him so near. It was around 11 in the morning, so I got up. As soon as my feet hit the ground, my phone vibrated, causing Haruki to shift again in response. I reached over to see that I had a text from Yuki. It had been three days since he had broken up with me.

In my opinion, it was way too soon, but I didn't think I could decline his offer to go out and eat lunch. I didn't have it in me to tell him "No". I just… it was impossible.

I quickly replied to his text:

Sure, I'll go. Where to?

A few moments later, as I started getting dressed, my phone vibrated again. I looked at it to read:

Your favorite ice cream place… my treat.

I don't know why he was being so suffocatingly generous. It worried me a little. Not too much, but I still didn't know what to say or do. So that's why I was going… I had no better reason not to go.

As I was getting up and dressed, Haruki called out to me.

"Yeah?" I answered, startled by his suddenness.

He sat up to look at me. "Where're you going, cutie?"

I didn't want to tell him, but I decided not to lie to him. As it seemed, Haruki didn't take lightly to lying. He looked at me, waiting.

"To see Yuki," I answered.

His face welted in concern. "Akira…"

"I know," I said. "We broke up a few days ago. If you… you know… don't like that…

W-want to come?"

Haruki's concern was soon masked by his tired grin. "Sure, why not? Let me get up and get dressed."

He stood up and walked over to me. Without a word of warning, he leaned closer and kissed me on my forehead.

It was a tired kiss, but I appreciated the effort. With a small hug, he disappeared into the bathroom.

I waited for what seemed like forever. Well, I'm over exaggerating a bit, but it was a little while. As I waited, I decided to answer Yuki:

Thanks![/]

His answer: No problem… if you don't feel comfortable, just tell me. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you.

Well… what a great way to throw the awkward bomb!

I quickly answered: Its fine, Yuki. If you don't mind, though, can I bring someone with me?

He answered pretty quickly. Yeah, sure.

Surprising enough, he didn't ask who or why. He just let it go unasked. I was proud, though I knew that he was probably dying inside to know who I would be bringing along. It wasn't a date with Yuki, so it was acceptable, right?

Haruki soon came out, fully dressed. He walked up to me and held my hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"What Haru?" I asked. "There's nothing wrong, right?"

He shrugged and laid his head against my shoulder. "You ready to go?"

I nodded in response, making sure that he didn't seem upset or anything.

"Then come on to the car…" He stood up and grabbed my arm, lightly tugging me out to the car.

We encountered plenty of my family members (who had most likely realized Haruki and my closeness). In the car, Haruki looked at me carefully.

"I'm glad you're coming," I said, constantly glancing from my phone and then out the window of the car.

Haruki sighed. "I am too…"

But while we were at a long stoplight, he snatched my phone from me and placed it on his door… which was sadly, out of my reach.

Haruki got a good grip of my chin and forced me to look at him. "Cutie, I'm going to get jealous if you get hung up on that jerk."

I immediately blushed. "Y-you will?! J-jealous?"

Haruki nodded. "Yes, so stop worrying. Look at me and give me a real smile."

I mustered an awkward smile, to which he gave a disapproving frown.

"Akira… you weirdo. Need me to kiss you and make you smile?" he asked, teasing me.

"N-no!" I stammered. "Th-that's…!"

"I was kidding. Relax."

When we finally got to the ice cream place, Yuki was already inside, looking at his phone.

"Yuki," I called.

He looked up when he heard me. "Akira!"

When his eyes shifted to Haruki, he frowned a little bit. I could see the vexation on his face. When I looked at Haruki, he was smiling a little bit. Did he find Yuki's reaction entertaining?

"Hey," I said to Yuki. "Mind if I get a sundae?"

Yuki nodded. "I told you it's my treat."

Haruki smiled, adding his two cents. "If that's the case, can you buy me one too?"

"Hell no," Yuki spat back. "You can buy something yourself."

"I'll buy one for you," I offered, knowing that Haruki had basically spent most of his money on Daiki's funeral.

Yuki scowled at Haruki. "Fine… I'll buy you one."

I went up to the cash register to order the sundaes when I noticed that Mikoto was in line in front of me.

"Mikoto-san?" I asked, tapping his shoulder.

He was dressed like a guy that day, so I wondered how he felt randomly talking to me. When he turned around, he looked relieved when he saw me.

"Akira-san…" he muttered back.

"You here alone? Want to sit with us or something?" I jerked my thumb in the direction that Haruki awkwardly sat.

Mikoto looked at it. "Um… things look t-tense."

I shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. But it'll be fine."

He didn't seem to be convinced, but it was clear that he relented and followed me to where Haruki and Yuki were. Before we got over to the table, Mikoto tugged on my shirt sleeve.

"Yeah?" I turned to him.

He looked overly nervous and distressed.

"Mikoto-san… you okay?"

He nodded, clearly uncertain. "I need to go to th-the bathroom…"

I looked at him to see him lightly tugging on his bookbag. There was clearly something that he needed from inside of it. I wasn't entirely sure what…

I pointed to the unisex restroom in the back of the ice cream shop. He looked to where my finger was pointing and hurried off in that direction. I just sat back with Yuki and Haruki. They seemed surprising calmer than when I had left them.

"The ice cream'll be done soon," I said as I sat down.

Haruki looked at me. "Did I just see Mikoto?"

I nodded. "Went to the bathroom."

Yuki looked up at me. "Who?"

"A classmate," I answered.

Yuki rolled his eyes, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Another one of your love interests?"

I frowned at him. "You don't have to be so spiteful…"

Yuki sighed and said a quick apology. At least he could do that. Haruki watched us. I think he was evaluating Yuki and my interaction… If he didn't like it, I knew he was going to lecture me. That, or guilt trip me. But I don't think I could be entirely rude to Yuki. Yeah, we'd exchange a few choice words, but I couldn't act like I didn't know the guy.

After about ten minutes or so, Mikoto walked out of the bathroom. When I turned around to see what had taken him so long, I was surprised to see him dressed as a girl. Mikoto sat down next to me so that I was in between he and Haruki.

He looked at Yuki and gave him a timid greeting. Yuki just stared in awe. He said nothing and just gave Mikoto a nod. Mikoto, in turn, seemed relieved to not have to talk.

Throughout the silence, a waitress came up to our table.

"Hey there, lovelies!" she said. "My name is Kiko and I'll be serving you all today!"

I looked at her in shock. …Kiko? Haruki and Mikoto stared at her in a mixture of surprise and pain. Seeing this, I knew that Mikoto knew something about that Daiki case… The waitress looked at us awkwardly.

"Um…" she mumbled, looking at me, then back to Yuki.

Yuki was the only person who wasn't fazed. He looked at us, a little confused, but he finally answered:

"We already ordered, lady. Thanks anyways."

The waitress gave a shaky nod and scurried off. The deathly silence took us back over. I finally broke the silence and looked at Mikoto.

"You know about Kiko?" I asked.

He looked at me and gave a shaky nod. "I do… but why do you know that name?"

Before I could answer, Haruki spoke up. "Mikoto, tell me all you know!"

Mikoto looked at his step brother in shock. "B-but…"

Haruki frowned. "Tell me, Mikoto-kun! I need to know!"

Mikoto looked at me, then at Haruki. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." Haruki sounded so tired and so stressed.

"Well…" Mikoto began, lowering his voice, "You heard that this Kiko person killed Daiki, right?"

Haruki nodded, ever so silent.

Mikoto took his glasses off and looked at his glass of water. "Himiko-okaa-san… she used Kaede-nii-san and Kohaku-nee-san so that she could get rid of someone that got in her way…"

"She used them?" Haruki asked.

"Yes… apparently, Kiko wants revenge… but that's all I know."

TO BE CONTINUED…

18+ Nightingale

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