• Yuhina and Midnako had finished picking up the books. Yuhina stood up and held his hand out to Midnako. Midnako took it, and Yuhina pulled her up to her feet.
    “Thank you.” Midnako said.
    “You're welcome.” Yuhina let go of Midnako’s hand. “Well, gotta run. See you two at school.” Yuhina walked out of the room and went out of the door.
    “Midnako.” Takayuki said.
    “Yes?” Midnako looked over at Takayuki.
    “I need to talk to you about something. Let’s take a walk.” Takayuki opened the door and led Midnako off of the porch.
    “I understand you are having problems with girls at school.” Takayuki glanced at Midnako with a concerned look on his face.
    “That is true.” Midnako mumbled.
    “You know, you can fight back.” Takayuki told her.
    “I know that, but I just can’t. I don’t want to hurt them.” Midnako gazed in front of her as she walked.
    “Yuhina’s worried about you, you know.” Takayuki said. “He cares about you a lot. He loves you.”
    Midnako stopped suddenly and almost fell to the ground. He loves me? Midnako asked in her head.
    “He-he loves me?” Midnako was shocked.
    “Yes. Very much so.” Takayuki laughed.
    “That’s the first time anyone’s ever thought that about me.” Midnako’s voice was cheerful. “Takayuki?”
    “Yes?” Takayuki responded.
    “What do you want to do? Do you want to become a vampire slayer or not?” she asked.
    “I don’t want to kill vampires.” Takayuki said shortly.
    “Neither do I. Do you know that mom actually isn’t a slayer?” Midnako inquired.
    “Mom isn’t a slayer? I never knew that!” Takayuki exclaimed.
    “Yes. She didn’t want to kill vampires, so she started to design clothing, then she didn’t like that, and then started to breed dogs. After that, she got married and started a family. And do you know why she hasn’t changed that position?” Midnako said softly.
    “Why?” Takayuki was curious.
    “Because she doesn’t have to kill anyone.” Midnako said, smiling up at the sky.
    “Oh…”Takayuki whispered under his breath.
    Katuya walked down the street several feet away from Takayuki and Midnako. She looked as if she was in a hurry.
    “Katuya!” Takayuki shouted, running up to her.
    “Oh, hi, Takayuki.” Katuya said.
    “What are you doing out here?” Takayuki questioned.
    “You can’t tell anyone! Don’t hurt him okay?” Katuya stepped swiftly in front of Takayuki, a small distance away from his face.
    “What?” Takayuki was confused.
    “It’s a vampire. I’m going to help him! I have to! He’s hurt, badly! Please help me!” Katuya pleaded.
    “Alright, alright. I’ll help you.” Takayuki said.
    “Great! He’s over here!” Katuya grabbed Takayuki’s hand .
    “Midnako! Go home and set up a spot for an injured vampire to stay!” Takayuki yelled. Midnako rushed to the house.
    “Okay, he’s over here!” Katuya stopped in front of an old alleyway. Next to a trash can sat a young vampire who was about seventeen years of age. His face was red with blood, and his arms and legs were torn. Blood dripped from his forehead.
    “Where do we put him?” Katuya was worried.
    “Hmmm…we can’t take him to the hospital…” Takayuki said. Mom actually isn’t a slayer. Midnako’s words echoed through his mind. “My mom can take care of him.” Takayuki exclaimed, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.
    “Your mom? But isn’t she a slayer?” Katuya kneeled next to the vampire.
    “No. I’ll call her and have her meet us here.” Takayuki dialed in his mom’s number. The phone rang, but no one answered. Katuya turned anxiously. There, in the shadows, Chiyuru stood nobly. She was wearing a black suit with metal buckles on the shirt. On her hips was a sheath with an extravagant sword inside. Her Victorian cuffs on her sleeves blew in the wind. A black cloak that had red on the inside rested on her shoulders and went over her head, partly shrouding her face.
    “Mom?” Takayuki looked over his shoulder.
    “Takayuki? What are you doing here?” Chiyuru inquired.
    “Don’t kill him!” Katuya jumped up.
    “Relax, I have no intention of killing him.” Chiyuru said gently, reaching her hand out to the vampire. “It’s alright.” Chiyuru said, holding out her hand. The vampire lifted a torn hand but soon dropped it. “Hmm….It seems that he is to hurt to really move too much….come on you two, let’s pick him up.”
    “What?” Katuya was surprised.
    “Just do it.” Takayuki said, picking up the vampire’s legs.
    “Alright…” Katuya grabbed the vampire’s left side, while Chiyuru grabbed the right side.
    Before they knew it, Chiyuru, Katuya, and Takayuki had transported the vampire to a safe peaceful place. Chiyuru started cleaning up the vampire.
    “What’s your name?” Chiyuru asked.
    “Akira Ishiguro.” The vampire tilted his head up, then winced with pain.
    “Don’t move, you’re badly injured.” Chiyuru said.
    “Thank you.” Yasashi looked over at Katuya, Chiyuru and Takayuki. “What are your names?”
    “I’m Katuya.” Katuya smiled at Akira.
    “Call me Chiyuru!” Chiyuru said brightly.
    “My name’s Takayuki. Takayuki Toshi.” Takayuki looked down at the ground.
    “Come on then, lets get you to shelter, Akira.” Chiyuru exclaimed.
    “Where do we put him though?” Katuya asked worriedly.
    “We can put him in Midnako’s or my room.” Takayuki responded.
    “Good idea.” Chiyuru said.
    “Do you really think so?” Katuya was nervous.
    “Yeah. Midnako loves vampires. She wouldn’t hurt him.” Takayuki comforted her.
    “Alright…” Katuya said under her breath.
    Chiyuru, Katuya, and Takayuki carried the vampire up to the house. All the lights were off.
    “No one’s home. They went to the store. Midnako’s there though.”
    “Okay.” Katuya said.
    Takayuki opened the door. Midnako was sitting on a plush leather chair with a book. Obviously, she had been waiting for everyone’s return.
    “Do you have a place prepared?” Chiyuru asked.
    “Yes. Follow me.” Midnako went up the stairs and into her room. Everyone followed, carrying Yasashi. In Midnako’s room, a makeshift bed sat in her closet. Midnako pointed to her bed. “He can stay there. I like sleeping in my closet anyway.” Midnako smiled.
    “If you say so.” Takayuki said. Chiyuru, Katuya and Takayuki gently set Akira on the bed.
    “You really don’t have to do this for me.” Akira said shyly.
    “You’re hurt, you need a nice warm place to rest.” Midnako said.
    “I really don’t want to take too much from you guys though…” Akira sighed.
    “It’s alright. Just calm down and get some rest.” Chiyuru said.
    “If you insist. Thank you.” Akira put his head down on the pillow.
    “Alright, I think we should all go to bed.” Chiyuru said, walking to the doorway of Midnako’s room.
    “Right. Oh, I’ll walk Katuya home, okay Mom?” Takayuki said.
    “Right.” Chiyuru nodded.
    “Oh, and I should probably get home too. Is it okay for me to tag along with you and Katuya? Or would it get in the way of your roma—“ Yuhina was cut off by Takayuki
    “Yeah, yeah. ‘Course you can, come along! We need to get going now!” Takayuki was nervous and in a slight hurry.
    “Alright. Go on, you three.” Chiyuru said.
    Takayuki, Katuya, and Yuhina had gone down the stairs, and Takayuki reached for the door knob and turned it. He pushed and the door opened, and they all went through it.
    “Takayuki?” Katuya’s voice broke the silence.
    “Yeah?” Takayuki responded, looking behind him to see Katuya.
    “Why isn’t your Dad ever home?” she asked.
    “I don’t even know him, I know even less about where he is.” Takayuki replied solemnly, wishing that he had met his father.
    “He was murdered.” Midnako was behind everyone.
    “What?” Takayuki jumped backwards.
    “Really?” Yuhina looked down at his feet.
    “Why?” Katuya asked angrily. “Why would some one do that?”
    “He was a vampire. It was the work of a slayer.” Midnako said.
    “In our family?” Takayuki asked, beginning to hate his Toshi blood even more.
    “Sadly, yes.” Midnako looked at the sky. “ And that makes us part vampire.”
    “Why?!” Takayuki screamed. A light in a house turned on, and a little girl looked out the window to see what was the matter. “What’s the point?! What, are we just supposed to kill and kill until there’s nothing left? Why does our so called ‘destiny’ bond us so tightly? I don’t want to do it anymore!” This was Takayuki’s breaking point. He was finished. He was filled with hatred for his family. His breathing got louder.
    “No one said you have to follow…” Midnako said.
    “Oh, so now you’re following them?! You said you never wanted to become a slayer! What’s next? Are you going to become a slayer, Yuhina?”
    “No! I don’t want to be a slayer. I-I was just pointing out that no one, no one at all, has to do something just because it’s in their blood.” Midnako explained softly.
    “If you need me to, I can take Katuya home.” Yuhina offered.
    “No, it’s fine. Come on, Midnako.” Takayuki started walking again.
    They continued walking for a few minutes when they reached Katuya’s house. Katuya said goodbye and went in.
    “See you later.” Yuhina said, turning and going to his house, which was right across the street from Katuya’s house. Takayuki continued walking.
    “Takayuki. We should be going back now.” Midnako said.
    “I’m not going back.” Takayuki said.
    “You’re leaving?” Midnako asked.
    “Yeah.” Takayuki replied.
    “What about Akira?” Midnako said. Takayuki stopped suddenly.
    “You’re right…Let’s go back home.” Takayuki turned around and started walking back.
    “So, you’re not running away?” Midnako asked.
    “No. Not until Akira recovers. I don’t want to abandon him, especially when he’s so badly injured.” Takayuki replied.
    “I wonder, how did he get hurt I the first place?” Midnako said.
    “Probably escaped from a slayer. Well, you’re sharing a room with him, why don’t you ask him tonight?” Takayuki looked at Midnako.
    “I guess I will. If it’s a family member who hurt him, what will you do?” Midnako looked back at Takayuki.
    “I would definitely leave the Toshi household.” Takayuki replied stoically.
    “And naturally, I would go with you. And we’d take Akira with us too.”
    “Yeah, but he has to recover first.” Takayuki said.
    “Where would we go though?” Midnako asked.
    “Just, don’t think about it. It’ll turn out all right.” Takayuki reassured her.
    “Yeah. You’re right.” Midnako laughed.
    “Let’s go home. I’m tired.” Takayuki and Midnako began walking back to their house.