"You don't look well today," Akira commented.
"Really?" Kitsune asked a palm on her forehead. "I've been having these headaches for a while."
"Have you seen a doctor?"
"Yes. Surprisingly they said I'm fine and only recommended painkillers for now."
"If it really gets bad you can always ask you know who for help," said Akira pulling her scarf over her nose.
"Totally," Kitsune replied mindlessly eyes on the floor.
A cold breeze swept through the class. Their palms rested warmly in there blazers, both glad they had dressed heavily.
"Could it be conception?" came Adam's voice startling the duo.
The girls glared with twisted expressions. Adam smiled nervously.
"That's disgusting blondey" Akira shot.
"Sorry could it be that time of the month then," he added ignoring Akira's remark.
"Dude!" Akira half shouted, with a jab on his belly.
"Okay... okay, I 'm sorry, don't be mad."
"What do you want Hermit?" Cut in Kitsune, "I thought I said we are strangers?"
"Well... you see I don't have plenty of friends..."
" Bullshit..." Kitsune cut in coldly, "You have plenty."
Adam fell silent, unable to form a reply. Kitsune's cold gaze lingered.
"Come on Aki let's get outer here."
Akira followed.
"Brutal," Akira remarked, "Now I feel sorry for him."
"Stob being too soft Aki."
"I get your point but whatever happened to forgive and forget? I mean it was months..."
"No. The jerk tried to kill you."
Kitsune turned to her. "If anything had gone wrong that night, you and I would be dead."
She paused nose flared and eyes narrowed.
"I don't want anything to do with that guy."
Akira's phone buzzed breaking the tension. She slipped a side all the while Kitsune watched the classroom window from below.
"It's not that I can't forgive him," she thought, "He just frightens me for some reason."
Her mind recalled his palms on her neck. He was so strong his grip felt like a metal clamp. She rubbed her throat a shudder running up her spine.
"Sorry Kitsune," Akira interrupted her thoughts,"seems Kosuke just arrived, my mom wants me home ASAP."
"No worries, I'll see you tomorrow." Replied Kitsune as they embraced, "Say Hi to Kosuke."
"Aye aye... Bye, see you tomorrow too."
Kitsune watched her dash the corner and exhaled deeply. She pulled her red scarf up above her nose and looked up at the falling snow. It raised a nostalgic feeling as her eyes moved from the sky to the neon-lit streets a head. For a while now she noted, she had begun taking notice of the intricate details of her daily life. An sense of awe also engulfed her.
But then, just as she was about to take another step, her vision blurred, filtered by a sudden dizziness. Her head started pounding. Unlike the past headaches, something felt off, like someone was pulling her brain apart from her head.
"I feel bad..." she thought eyes shut desperately.
The ground was pulling her. About to fall, someone's hand held her steady. Lazily a blurry image of Adam stared at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said pushing him quickly.
"Let me help," he tried to say.
"I told you am fine," she snapped forgetting her pain.
By then it was already fading away, as soon as it started. She sighed and started walking away when behind her, Adam's footsteps echoed in the snow.
Annoyed she sped up only to hear him match her pace.
Out of nowhere she broke into a run. A surprised Adam following suit instinctively. Not long she stopped, out of breath, panting heavily.
"I can't believe you followed me?" She said catching a breath, "I'll scream l'm warning you."
"Please don't," said Adams, his breath steady.
"What do you want then?" She snapped again.
"I was worried... you seem... sick,"
"I'm fine now... buzz off... Shoo!"
"I know you hate me... But your headaches are not normal," he hesitated, "let me help."
The corner of her mouth curled. Her hand gripping her bag hard, for a second her face darkened, she said no words.
"I am sorry," he continued," I know it's cliche right now, but I am... For what I did..."
His words were interrupted when a black Rolls Roy's pulled up beside them. Adam paused taking notes of the black vehicle just inches from them. To his surprise, one look at the car, and Kitsune's eyes widened and she instantly ducked behind him.
The door opened and a tall, good-looking young Japanese man stepped out.
He wore a custom made piece suit, and a golden wristwatch was dangling from his wrist. Dark shades and brown brogues and a sort of noticeable charisma. He walked over to them. What puzzled Adam was when he felt a tight grip on his blazer from Kitsune behind him.
"He looks familiar," thought Adam.
"How are you," the man spoke.
His English had the Japanese accent in it. He was addressing Adam directly.
"I'm fine, very nice to meet you" replied Adam in Japanese with a respectful bow.
The man marveled but remained poised.
"You speak good Japanese," complimented the man, "my name is Yatagawa Shinsuke, and I am Kitsune's big brother."
"Yatagawa, that is Kitsune's middle name," thought Adam. "Strange. I thought her last was Ohashi."
"We are schoolmates, I am Adam Hermit."
"Well Adam, I hope I'm not being rude but, would you mind if I took her from here."
Before Adam could respond Kitsune's grip tighten. All the while she had stood behind not a single a word uttered.
"I can't allow that," said Adam directly.
"Are you her boyfriend then?"
"I'm not."
"Kitsune, come along," he spoke directly to her, "Father wants to see you."
Shinsuke stretched his hand but Adam caught it. It startled him.
"I thought you said you were not her boyfriend,"
"I'm not, it doesn't mean I can allow you to just... take her. I fell like she doesn't want to come with you." he said with a cold glare.
"Kitsune... you are disrespecting our family by clinging on to a foreigner like this,"
Adam released Shinsuke's hand and looked seriously into his eyes. The intense gaze sent shivers down his spine.
"I will leave, but Kitsune, you don't want to make Father angry, do you?"
They watched silently as he entered the rolls Roy's and drove off. It was at that moment that Kitsune released his blazer. Her hands trembled, not from the cold, but fear evident in her eyes, she was seen gritting her teeth hard.
"A... Are you ok?," asked Adam.
"Yeah— thanks" she said, "sorry about that."
"It's okay, would you allow me to walk you home... in case he tries to follow you," said Adam.
"It's fine," she said walking past him. Her tone still shaky.
***
Akira waved Kitsune and ran off. From side to side, she skipped, a blissful tune hummed in excitement.
Across the street a young man suddenly stopped, he sniffed through the air and turned to watch the young girl.
"She smells nice, even better than the fox girl," he said and turned to follow her.
Akira's family was good. Loving parents, a younger elementary sister, and her eldest brother in university.
Her father was an office worker, he earned enough to support the whole family, and always made time to get home. Her mother a housewife. A normal background.
They had a small family reunion for her brother who lived in Tokyo.
"Kosuke, come and help me clean these dishes," said Akira.
"No way, I'm just visiting,"
"I said get over here you lazy bum!" Akira snapped.
Alas! Kosuke had to help her stubborn little sister.
"By the way, Kitsune said hey,"
"For real? That's cool. What do you think are my chances with her, seeing as next year she'll be in uni with me?''
"Zero," said Akira flatly.
"You know how to break my heart,"
"You have no chance at all bro, aim a bit lower."
"Ouch... Is there another guy?"
"I guess so," said Akira.
"Don't leave me hanging then. Is he more handsome than your Big brother?"
"Leagues above you, big biceps... unlike your scrawny ass arms,"
"Aki!" shouted the mother from the living room, "no cursing in front of Minami."
"Sorry Mom," said Akira, she stopped washing the dishes for a moment, " he is also kind, and warm."
"Warm? Have you, you know."
"Shut up you pervert!" returned Akira shoving a scoop of water at him.
"It like, you like this guy too,"
"That's not it," said Akira defensively.
"What is?"
"Nothing," she said, and they continued washing the dishes.
"Anyways, don't let him come in between you and Kitsune."
Akira later went to her room, turned the PC on, and checked the player log. He wasn't there, lately, he was never online, she looked frantically at the call button and felt tempted to press. However, like a fleeting thought, she pushed it aside.
"Just riding along, that is what I've done my whole life," she thought out loud. "I wonder if I was Kitsune would he?..."
Her heart skipped a beat as the thought settled. Holding her pillow she pressed it on her face and screamed into it.
"Curse you Akira, how dare you entertain such thoughts," she said as she boxing the pillow, "you deserve to die... go to hell!!"
She lay on the bed and cuddled her feet. A breeze swept past her, and she noticed the window was open. She rose and went to close the window, as she was about to a shadow shocked her and she stumbled back falling on her ass.
At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but then, the shadow moved. It was shaped like a man, no, a boy. She then heard the sound of boots landing on the floor. The boy pulled the curtain open revealing himself.
He was about the height of a freshman high schooler, still taller than her. Black hair with some red bangs and patches. He had emerald, green eyes, and with the smile he pulled, she saw his extended incisors.
"Hello there..." his voice came. Slow and sinister.
Before she could move, or react, the boy moved and pinned her down all in the blink of an eye. The sound of stumbling on the board was heard throughout the house.
"Were you about to run? Don't, let's have some fun instead." said the boy.
Her eyes were full of terror, and she swallowed hard. She could feel the tip of his nose touching her neck, he took in the scent, but she was too scared to move her body, was paralyzed and her heart pounded.
"Aaah, you smell good, especially now," said the boy, "I can't hold back, mind if I have a bite?"