Akaoni contract with a v.., p.23
Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, page 23
“You haven’t gone on a wild rampage, right? You went crazy the first time you drank Azusa’s blood, didn’t you? Does that mean you are taking it in moderation?” I asked.
Kou lightly shook his head. “I probably won’t go on a rampage with her blood now. It’s a completely different quality blood from the lab sample.”
“Completely different? You mean you drank someone else’s blood at the laboratory then?”
“No. I got a different feeling when I drank her blood during the fight with Tsukiharu too. The flavor doesn’t change, but it’s like the quality does.”
“So the quality and nature of her blood changes depending on the time and situation? We’ve just stumbled on a monumental discovery here. Guess we should expect as much from the Ancient’s blood.”
“Subaru, I’m sure you already know this, but—”
“I know. I won’t report back on this. The most likely candidate for our third enemy is the nobles in the higher positions of power in our coven right now. I won’t do anything thoughtless.”
The look of relief on Kou’s face probably came from concern for Azusa. I could tell he was trying to decrease the chance of her being put in harm’s way and decided to have a little fun with him.
“All right, shall we exchange love stories now, Kou?” I laughed.
He punched me through the wall, leaving me to moan in pain with a look of utmost disgust as he left the room.
Chapter 52: Love Talk
AZUSA finished breakfast and returned to her room to get ready for school. She still had an hour before she needed to leave. With nothing better to do, she decided to clarify something she had been curious about for a while, and stared intently at her dictionary.
“To have…a yen for something...let’s see…”
“Is something wrong, Azusa? Why are you looking at a dictionary? Are you going to start on your homework now?”
“No, I was trying to look up something that’s been on my mind—Ichi?”
“I knocked. You did not respond, but I sensed you were inside, so I took the liberty of coming in without permission. Should I not have?”
“No, you did nothing wrong. No problem there. Actually, you came at a good time.” Despite being surprised by Ichi’s sudden appearance, Azusa held the dictionary out to her.
“Could you help me look for the saying, ‘to have a yen for something’?”
“…I’m sorry. I do not understand what you mean.”
“You see, one of my classmates once asked me, ‘I heard from my parents that the Akaoni has a yen for someone. Is that true?’ I didn’t know what the saying meant at the time, and then it was kind of pushed aside with Tsukiharu’s sudden appearance, leaving me stuck wondering what my classmate meant…
“I thought I should use my spare time right now to look up the word, but I don’t know how to use a physical dictionary to look up phrases. I’m having a hard time finding it. Akaoni refers to Kouya, right? I’d hate for bad rumors to spread because I can’t refute them… Actually, it would be faster if I ask you. Do you know what it means for someone to have a yen for someone else? Yen is not related to money, right?”
“I’m sorry. I am not well-read, so I do not know what the phrase means. I can help you look it up in the dictionary though.”
“Thank you! That would be a big help!”
Azusa and Ichi began flipping through the dictionary. They surprisingly found it without much hassle.
Yen: A noun. To have a craving; to yearn. To secretly long for something or someone.
“This is probably the one we want if we are discounting the monetary definition.”
“If he is secretly longing for someone, does that mean he’s in love?”
“What? Who is in love?”
“Kouya is?”
“Kouya is in love with someone?”
“……”
“……”
“WHAAAT?!” both girls cried out, dropping the dictionary as if it were infested with bugs. The dictionary thudded against the hardwood floor.
“This is not plausible. How could that Kouya fall in love with anyone? That man is the most unsuited for love and anything related to love. He is the number one least likely person in the world to get attached to someone.”
“You rag pretty hard on Kouya, don’t you, Ichi? This is a what-if situation, you know? Like what if he is in love? Oh my gosh! You’re right! I can’t imagine it either! What kind of person would he even fall for?”
“Don’t you think he would be in a mature relationship? Like they would both keep a proper distance from each other and never lose their heads over their love!”
“Totally! I get what you mean! I didn’t think you would be into love talk and relationship stuff!”
“Now that is very rude of you, Azusa. I may not look like it, but I am a proper woman! My favorite magazine to read is Shoujo Beets!”
“Oh my gosh! No way! We might have the same interests! Let me see your copy sometime! I haven’t read any manga or light novels since coming to this town! I didn’t even know we could get magazines here!”
“Of course we can! I will bring my copy over later! Oh, but, are you okay?”
“Okay with what?”
“Azusa, you like Kouya, don’t you?”
“Pardon?”
“You like Kouya, right? You seem happy Kouya has affection for someone, but are you all right with that?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“I like Kouya?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Uh…” Azusa froze as if she were turned to stone.
He has countlessly helped me and saved my life on several occasions, but I never once thought of him in that way. I won’t deny I feel safe with him and find myself feeling giddy when he smiles. But the same applies to Ichi and Subaru.
“Wh-Why do you think so?”
“You seem to have the most fun when you are with Kouya.”
“I have fun with you and Subaru too!”
“Do you want to deny it, Azusa? Please try thinking about it this way then. Say Kouya truly is in love with someone else and comes to you one day saying he wants to annul his contract with you to contract with her instead. How would you feel about that?”
“……”
“Furthermore, he tells you he can no longer be your bodyguard because he wants to protect her forever instead. How does that feel?”
“……”
“If you are still fine, my prior statement was a misunderstanding on my half. Well, if the look on your face is anything to go by, it was not a misunderstanding.”
“…What look do I have?”
“You look sad and lonely.”
“I see…”
Even Azusa was conscious of the terrible state her face was in after imagining the scenario for real. She felt a little like crying after picturing Kouya and some pretty woman walking away intimately holding hands, leaving her behind.
“Do you think I like Kouya?”
“I believe so.”
Azusa became aware of her feelings after having them pointed out. Her body grew hot, as if all her blood was boiling, and her ears turned bright-red. Realizing her feelings for him gave her the nagging hunch all her actions until then were grounded in those feelings.
The heat cooled the instant she remembered the conversation she had with Ichi—the rumors about him being in love with someone.
If Kouya is in love with someone, the day I realized I love him will be the day I find myself with an unrequited love. I could fight off anyone who’s in love with him, but there’s no beating the woman he loves. The most I can do is work hard to get him to notice me more than her.
“…Do you think Kouya is in love with someone?”
“Are you referring to the rumor, ‘the infamous Akaoni has a yen for someone’? I believe it is nothing more than a rumor. He is a magnet for weird rumors. The rumor this time is a tad unique, but why don’t you ask him directly if it bothers you?”
“What exactly do I ask him?”
“Isn’t it fine to take the simple approach and ask, ‘do you love anyone right now?’”
“…I can’t ask that.”
“Please try to!” Ichi encouraged with her fists clenched.
Azusa felt bad for Ichi, who was cheering for her, but she didn’t have the guts to ask such a bold question. And, at any rate, she had only just become aware of her feelings. She had a hunch it was all a misunderstanding. True, she had feelings for him, but she still didn’t know whether those were feelings for a friend or for someone of the opposite sex.
There was a light knock on the door.
“Oh? I wonder who it is.”
“Isn’t it Kouya? Speak of the devil and he comes.”
“It can’t be him. It’s still thirty minutes earlier than our usual time to leave. It’s not Kouya—”
“Did you call for me?”
Azusa froze the moment she opened the door and her eyes met Kouya’s—the very man she couldn’t stop thinking about. Her body temperature skyrocketed when he looked at her, his expression no different from usual.
“K-K-Ko-Kou-Kouya! What do you need?!”
“…Are you okay?”
“Yes! I’m okay! A-okay! Okay-dokey! As well as a whistle!” Azusa exclaimed, raising both fists in a fighting pose. Something cold suddenly touched her forehead. Her body temperature was on the rocket and ready to explode by the time she realized it was his hand.
Paying no heed to her reaction, Kouya caressed her cheeks between his hands and cocked his head.
“You feel a bit warm. Do you have a fever? I would prefer if you did. Want to stay home today?”
“You would prefer if I did?”
“Yeah. I can get through the day without wasting time worrying about Tsukiharu. You can stay with me all day today.”
“I’m hearing thingsssss!” Azusa shouted.
“Huh?”
“Pay no attention to me. Ahem. I apologize for losing my cool. I am in perfect health! Are we going to school already? Early today, huh?!”
Oh gosh, I can’t believe I thought I heard him say something like, “you can stay with me all day today.” A girl in love is scary! A brain in love is scary! A brain deluded by love is scary!
“It’s a bit early, but I thought it’d be nice to slowly walk there. I doubt many people are out at this time and I want to talk to you about some things.”
“HAHAHA! Sounds kinda like a date!”
What the heck did I just SAY?! DID I JUST SAY THAT?!
Azusa frantically swung her arms around to distract from what she blurted out due to the heat rising to her head, but Kouya showed no signs of being bothered by it. His eyes did widen slightly, followed by a look of thoughtful contemplation.
“Good idea. Will you go on a date with me?”
Chapter 53: On the Way to School
AZUSA and Kouya took a detour from their normal school route to walk through a deserted park. They always left early for school because of how much Kouya hated to be in the public eye. Today they left thirty minutes earlier than their usual time, which led to the concern the school gates wouldn’t even be open yet if they headed straight there; hence the detour.
Kouya rambled on about something during their walk, but it went through one ear and out the other for Azusa who sighed upon looking at his face.
Upon closer inspection, Kouya is—actually without even needing to take a close look—very handsome and suave. I wonder why I never noticed until now…
“…That’s why you need to be cautious with people from the Red Coven as well as the Blue Coven. Are you even listening to me?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought we were having an important conversation. Was I mistaken?” Kouya sighed, learning Azusa had zoned him out. He wasn’t particularly angry, but his exasperation got a flustered apology out of her.
“I’m so sorry! It’s okay! I was somewhat listening! We were discussing how the Red Coven’s nobles are suspicious, right?”
“Yeah. That covers about all of it. Anyway, are you really okay? Are you sure you aren’t sick?”
“I’m okay! A-okay!” Azusa blushed and evaded Kouya as he leaned in to get a better look at her face. She rapidly fanned her face with her hand to bring down the heat. Her behavior perplexed Kouya, but he continued on in his usual tone.
“From now on, even if you show any new changes, I don’t plan on reporting more than the bare necessity to get by without suspicion. I intend to continue doing so until we learn who the third party Tsukiharu mentioned is.”
“What? You won’t report more to Mr. Akashi either then?”
“Yeah. I have no intentions of reporting more to the Patriarch than what is necessary to avoid arousing his suspicion.”
Surprised, Azusa turned to look at Kouya. She knew full-well that Kouya reported back about her status on a weekly basis. But she was at a loss for words when she learned he felt even Akashi—his own father—wasn’t trustworthy.
“For now, only put your trust in us and doubt everyone else. The Patriarch included.”
“Is it okay to be doing this? Won’t they say something or punish you guys for it later?”
“This is only until we learn who the third enemy is. Once we know, I’ll gather all the information I held back into one report and submit it. From the start, the only reason we thought the Blue Coven attacked you was because of firm orders from the top declaring it was them. Plus, the information about your kidnapping came from the top-ranked nobles as well. They had no information on you before, yet they suddenly knew about your kidnapping. Isn’t it only natural to doubt them?”
“But you don’t have to go as far as doubting your father! Aren’t the Patriarch’s opinions and orders basically the law in this town? Will you be okay? What about your position?”
“I’m not saying the Patriarch is behind it. I’m simply keeping a tight lock on the information because we don’t know where it will leak from. As for the last part, I’m no longer in a position I need to worry about. I’m merely the Patriarch’s son and someone with enough ability to be forced with the job of disposing Fs. There won’t be much issue if I’m gone,” Kouya stated with his usual indifference.
Azusa was speechless. She clenched her fists at the way he seemed to feel nothing about it.
“Forgive me, Kouya!” Azusa said, following up the comment with a slap to his cheek. A dull smack resounded through the quiet park.
“…!”
“I’ve thought this for a long time now, but you bad talk yourself way too much, Kouya! I said before that I don’t want you to die, didn’t I? I don’t want you to disappear either. I also don’t want you to feel sad or be pained by anything! And yet you never care about yourself! Please think a little about the people who care about you!” Azusa shouted. She breathed heavily from saying it all with one breath.
A few seconds passed before she returned to reality and the color drained from her face. She timidly looked up to find Kouya’s eyes as wide as saucers with sheer amazement.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaah! I am so sorry! Did it hurt?!”
“No, I’m fine. I’m the one at fault here.”
“But! But still! I hit you!”
“Subaru often tells me not to say this kind of stuff too. It’s my fault for not being more careful with my words. Must have been uncomfortable for you,” Kouya said, forcing a smile. Azusa grabbed a fist full of his shirt and yanked him toward her.
“That is not the issue here! You have got the wrong idea! Neither of us are saying we don’t want to hear you say that because it makes us uncomfortable! We don’t want you to think like that! We want you to think more about yourself! So…um…you see…”
Kouya looked down at her as she struggled to find what to say next, and smiled. His large hand plopped onto her head.
“Thank you.”
Azusa looked up. Her eyes met Kouya’s. Her vision filled with his troubled yet happy expression—her face instantly turned bright-red. She released her grip on his shirt and tried to take a step back from him, but his hand shifted from patting her head to wrapping behind it to stop her from leaving.
“Azu—”
“Azusa!” Someone called out from behind them, cutting off whatever Kouya was about to say. He let go of Azusa and took a step back to put a little distance between them. They looked in the direction of the voice to find two female students. The girls were running toward them in their school uniforms.
“Oh, I knew it was you, Azusa! Why are you so early?”
“Yuu! Kii! Are you on class duty today?” Azusa asked.
“Yup! You got that right! To make matters worse, we have an experiment to do in first period today of all days, you know? So I thought I should get the equipment ready.”
“I’m just tagging along with Yuu. Our houses are absurdly close after all. Couldn’t let her go alone.”
“You two have it rough today.”
Kouya slowly turned his back on the three girls.
“Kou—”
“Go the rest of the way with your classmates. You should be safe this close to the school. Don’t worry, I’ll come running to your side again if anything happens,” Kouya said, placing his index finger to his lips to stop her from saying his name.
He patted her on the head several times with his other hand. The girls hadn’t figured out the man beside her was the Akaoni. Azusa could easily see his apprehension over the unnecessary fuss if they recognized him.
But, Azusa thought, why is he the only one who has to constantly endure everything? Why must he live out of sight? No one ever told Kouya he had to live that way. He chose this path. But his circumstances forced him to pick this road. I agree it’s a bad idea to frighten them for no reason. I understand what he’s trying to do, but it’s a different story to ask me to just let it slip.
Azusa practically lunged at Kouya’s arm to grab hold of it before he could leave, and turned to face her classmates who were talking nearby.
“Um, let me introduce you. This is Kouya, the person who contracted with me!”
“Hey!”
“What?” the girls said in unison.
