When Ryou opens his eyes, the men stop their wild laughter and look at Ryou with wide open eyes.
At the same time, they couldn’t help but feel cold, and held their own body with their hands.
Why, did they feel cold. Was it from their own bodies trembling.
Why, were they trembling. Why, couldn’t they make a sound. They convinced themselves it must be cold.
Why, is their waist planted down. Though other reasons were looked for, none could be found.
With the exception that the man in front of their eyes is certainly going to kill them.
Ryou’s conscious mind is almost entirely hardened with the urge to kill, he puts out the maximum thirst for blood he personally can. Though the strong thirst for blood is only approaching, it’s enough to incite the image of them being killed.
The men feel cold from Ryou’s thirst for blood sweeping over them, there’s the sound of their teeth chattering, their pain is forgotten, it’s not possible to stand, they can only shrink away wit their eyes opened wide.
Ryou’s eyes are dark with little reason in them, looking to the men in front of him, he speak
“Oi.”
“Hi-hii.”
A man lets out a pitiful sound, moving his hands to be even a little more away from Ryou, trying to draw back, the man’s body doesn’t move because of his excessively shaking hands.
“What, will, be done, to me?”
The forcibly awaken killing intent, is about to s.n.a.t.c.h away Ryou’s last reasoning, he is trying with all his might that his little bit of reasoning isn’t squashed by his killing intent, and the words being emitted are little.
The man called by Ryou isn’t as hurt as the others, for the man in front of him who he spoke those words to, in his life, without a doubt felt the most regret.
“S-s-s-sorry!!”
The man called out to forcibly moves his trembling mouth, somehow making words of apology.
The eyes of Ryou who was apologized to doesn’t change, is puzzled.
“Why, apologize? Will you, retaliate, me, and those, three?”
“W-we won’t! A-absolutely! Y-you, and those three!!”
“Why, not? Ah, that’s right.”
When saying so, Ryou’s mouth widens slightly, the men hold their breath waiting for Ryou’s words.
“Now, you can, die, here.”
The six men themselves have no doubt they’ll be killed by this man, immediately after feeling that, Ryou strikes his own face with his right hand and a clear sound could be heard.
The men look at Ryou in wonder.
Ryou lowers his right hand, breathing out a little, and breathing in greatly, doing so once again, he then says to the men.
“If you don’t want to die, disappear from here at once. Don’t enter my field of vision again. Those three as well.”
Seeing his reasoning growing stronger, the six muster their strength and stood up.
Having not heard a response, Ryou glares at the six and said.
“Do you understand?”
The six jump up from surprise, while saying “Sorry” “Absolutely won’t approach” “Thank you”, they forcibly move their trembling legs to run away. Their saying “Thank you” is grat.i.tude in regards to their own life.
Thinking it was finished, Ryou closes his eyes and raises his face upwards to the sky.
The spontaneously boiling up urge to kill, if he moved his body to break his target it would mostly be relieved. However, he only threatened, since he didn’t move his body which was contrary to his forcibly awakened killing intent, it is difficult to suppress.
――――――Calm down, calm sown
Ryou is looking up to the sky with his eyes closed, repeatedly taking deep breaths in and out slowly, he is trying to circulate his killing intent back to his former nature.
When his killing intent had halved and he had circulated back to his former nature, the signs of three girls were felt from behind.
(Ah, didn’t return after all……, it’s finished with this.)
Since killing intent and anger remain, there was little sadness at present. While thinking off what is to come after this, without turning around, without opening his eyes, Ryou spoke.
“I’m sure, it was said to go, on home ahead.”
Due to putting his strength into subduing his killing intent even If it’s a little, his voice came out phrase by phrase.
With only their presence, Ryou understood that the three held their breaths for a moment.
“As the ones who asked, we can’t be the only ones to go home. You didn’t seem to have been injured, are you alright?”
Ryou hears the voice of the girl he likes, thinking of what will happen afterwards, his heart pained.
“Well, I didn’t seriously think you would return. Returning was just my wish…”
Ryou’s words have a sound of self-mockery.
“Sakuragi-kun, you haven’t turned this way. As it is, we can’t apologize or express our thanks.”
Ryou hears Azusa’s voice, he began to recall that on the way there was talk on why Erika is being avoided. It’s not necessary to conceal it any more, Ryou thinks so, in that case we should speak, he slowly opens his eyes and turns around.
When matching eyes with Ryou, Erika’s eyes open wide, Azusa’s upper body reflexively draws back and Saki absentmindedly falling on her backside was seen.
Each of three show their surprise differently, but what the three had in common was the fear in their eyes.
While Ryou calms his thirst for blood which hadn’t settled, he slowly shifts his attention to Azusa and opens his mouth to Azusa who stirs a little.
“What, now you’re avoiding me.”
When Ryou speaks, Erika looks at Azusa puzzled, Azusa, with a small jolt as if to reprimand her trembling throat, and nods slightly.
“E-eh”
With a self-mocking smile, Ryou spreads both hands while saying.
“It’s because I wanted to avoid this. Encountering such a situation, I will be seen like now, and like you now, I am seen with eyes of fear, from tomorrow I will be looked away from, it’s because I didn’t want to see you run away from me. Therefore I avoided this.”
Ryou lowers his hand at the same time his mouth is shut, looking at Azusa.
“T-that’s…”
As for what Ryou just said, Azusa tried to raise her voice in reb.u.t.tal, but thought whether she could really argue against Ryou’s words, thinking so, her voice became low and disappeared. The painful reason why Ryou avoided Erika is understood. Not wanting to be seen with eyes of fear from the person you like as it is now. Therefore, at the same time as Ryou came to like Erika, he avoided going home with Erika. Because he doesn’t want to encounter the situation he felt uneasy about, he avoided the time of being together as much as possible.
Ryou smile wryly at Azusa’s appearance, it can told she’s stumped. Though he has the same smiling face as always, the cold thirst for blood still blowing changes it into an icy image.
“I can’t blame you in particular. Being seen by such eyes, is because my control is bad. …But, I am still a kid. It does hurt a little. Especially…”
While saying so, Ryou looks at Erika. When their eyes meet, Erika looks straight Ryou.
Though Ryou didn’t continue what he was saying, Azusa and Saki both understood at once what Ryou wanted to say. He doesn’t want the girl he like to be frightened looking at him.
Shaking off that thought, Ryou takes his eyes off of Erika, matching eyes with Azusa, he shrugs his shoulders and said.
“Well, it ends half-baked like this. I guess the ending can’t be helped. From tomorrow, no more meeting or keeping in contact. Isn’t it mutually better that way? Well then, catch your breath and go home.”
Ryou turns his head while saying to the road he goes home on, and his legs move forward.
(It’s finished……, it was fairly enjoyable, the four of us eating on the rooftop… well, it’s fine. It’s only returning to how it was before. Not being able to control my own thirst for blood is bad).
As Ryou walks slowly while in self-derision, he realized that someone is running. That someone pa.s.ses Ryou’s side, and stands in front of him.
Erika is standing there a little out of breath.
Ryou is staring in amazement and surprise at Erika who appeared before his eyes.
When Erika looks in irritation at Ryou being like that, her right palm made a large motion.
“Stop joking around!”
A splendid slap from Erika hits Ryou’s left cheek. Ryou is surprised as he thought Erika wouldn’t be able to move due to his own bloodl.u.s.t, had run up in front of him, as for dodging the slap, he forgot to, and so Erika’s slap was received.
Ryou is dumbfounded by the sudden action of Erika, when looking at her, this time her left palm was moving. From her expression it’s obvious to see she’s angry.
“What’s with this mutual!!”
Ryou is dumbfounded again, and can’t move. A scorching pain ran through his right cheek, Ryou still remains dumbfounded.
Erika right hand again went into motion. Here at last Ryou noticed he was about to be hit again, but couldn’t move for some reason.
“You don’t know a person’s nature!!!”
An impact runs through his left cheek. Realizing he is being hit, Ryou’s head finally started to move, though a little painful, he is about to say something to Erika, Erika’s left hand is seen moving again, startled, he should dodge, though he thought so, he somehow wasn’t able to.
“Selfish…!”
A scorching pain ran through the right cheek again. When about to let out a small voice through the pain to pacify Erika’s anger, again, he’s startled.
Erika’s body beds a little, while lifting up her right leg. What is Erika going to do, Ryou who understands so calls out in a panic.
“Hey, wai…”
“Don’t speak!!!”
In the middle of Ryou opening his mouth, Erika’s front kick hits directly into Ryou’s abdomen with a *thud* noise, with breath leaking from his mouth, Ryou’s body is bend into a くcharacter. Though it was possible to avoid, avoiding her unskillful kick would make Erika fall down, Ryou received the kick while thinking so.
(What, that’s…, tights isn’t it!)
The skirt of Erika who raised her leg highly flutters magnificently, the contents were seen clearly, but disappointingly it wasn’t like the underwear from before. Ryou, who doesn’t want to be hit further, raises his voice in a hurry.”
“Wa-wait a minute!”
“What!”
Erika draws near, shouting with a look of anger.
Though Ryou is puzzled at Erika’s anger, he asks something he’s been wondering about just now.
“Y-you, aren’t scared of me!?”
“It was scary!”
To Ryou’s question, Erika shouts with a face as if to say that’s natural.
To Erika’s answer, Ryou felt a sense of incongruity.
“Was…? Then, now…?”
“It’s anger!!”
“Ah…, yea, that so.”
Being pressured by her force, Ryou holds up both hands to restrain Erika’s anger while nodding.
“But, there’s more than that!”
“And, while saying that with the same angry look as before, Erika starts to put her hand in her blazer pocket, Ryou looks at Erika’s left hand lured by her hand’s movements, blood is seen sticking to that hand, Ryou quickly grips Erika’s hand.
“Ah, you, that’s blood isn’t it. When were you hurt!? You alright!? Could it be, those guys…”
Ryou thinks that those six did something to Erika while running away, the anger seems to be boiling up again, Erika has a shocked appearance.
“You didn’t notice after all? This is your blood. Here.”
Ryou’s right cheek is pointed at while saying so. Tempted by that, Ryou touches his own cheek, and he understands afterwards that blood is coming from his mouth.
“Eh? …Ah…, that time.”
While looking at the blood on his hand, he thinks of the cause of the blood, when threatening the six people, he felt his own reasoning was about to disappear, to bring back the disappearing reasoning, he recalls. .h.i.tting his own cheek.
Erika frowns at Ryou who has that sort of appearance.
“Look up a bit, I’ll wipe it.”
“A-ah…”
When Ryou looks up as was told, a handkerchief is taken out of her pocket, and began to wipe from Ryou’s mouth to the scruff of his neck.
Because of Erika’s eyes which were upset before, Ryou behaves himself until Erika finishes wiping.
After Erika finishes wiping, a sigh is let out.
“There doesn’t seem to be any injuries, I was worried because there was blood when you turned around.”
“Worried…?”
The meaning of Erika’s word ‘worried’ isn’t understood well by Ryou, such a feeling, he murmurs the word he heard. Erika looks at Ryou inquisitively.
“Is it strange to worry?”
Though what Erika said isn’t strange, Ryou found it something hard to understand.
“N-no…? My mind was quite unexpectedly struck… no it’s nothing. Apart from that, were you scared of me just now…?”
Ryou was about to point that although she was worried he was very much unusually hit, being glared at with a strength like nothing before, he stopped talking.
“I was, dealing with six people alone then getting angry with what was said…, when I saw your eyes, for a moment, I thought you were seriously going to kill them.”
Erika, when falling silent, said so looking at Ryou’s eyes.
“Th-then, why…, is I’m seen as scary…, wouldn’t you want to avoid and not see me?”
While Ryou says so he has a pain in his chest and his voice almost trembled. However, Eriko who is shocked at Ryou’s words said.
“What are you saying? Even if I say I’m scared, isn’t that just one aspect of you?”
“…One aspect?”
“Yes, anyone can become scary when they’re angry.”
“Th-that’s certainly true…”
Compared to the amount if bloodthirst another person puts out when angry, it’s entirely different. To say it’s just one aspect, Ryou doesn’t believe the girl before him.
“The scary Sakuragi-kun from just now isn’t everything. The Sakuragi-kun I know is interesting and somewhat strange, and as for your number one essence, when you saw the blood and thought that I was injured you were worried immediately, aren’t you gentle like that?”
“……”
Thinking himself to not be so gentle, Ryou stays silent.
“You certainly were scary earlier. But, leaving that aside, when I saw you were bleeding, I was worried.”
Erika shakes her head while saying she was worried. Ryou felt that he finally began to understand what Erika said.
“Scared… but… was worried…?”
Ryou cautiously examines Erika while asking so.
“Yes. And I am angry now. …Then, what!? Do you not want to meet anymore!?”
Erika nods from Ryou’s words, suddenly, with the same anger as just now, she says so drawing near to Ryou.
Erika’s words turn around inside Ryou’s head, they are heard numerous times again.
Rather that hearing it again, he asks again.
“Well…eh? …Scared… but also worried…?”
“That’s how it is, I’ve said so since a while ago! So what’s with the not meeting anymore!?”
Erika answers Ryou’s question while agitated, feeling he can be let off depending on his answer, she presses Ryou.
But Ryou isn’t fl.u.s.tered from Erika’s appearance, while looking steadily at Erika, he carefully thinks about the meaning of the words Erika said.
Scared, but worried.
Scared, worried.
That is, fear was felt from Ryou’s thirst for blood, Ryou’s blood was seen, that fear was painted over with worry.
Putting aside the thought of possibly being killed, she was worried that the man in front of her was bleeding.
When such a thing has come to be understood, Ryou puts his hand on his forehead, closes his eyes and looks up to the sky.
(Amazing, this girl……, an amiable child)
The thing which Ryou was most afraid of, he thought it might have pa.s.sed. The girl before him, when she sees him tomorrow, she probably won’t look away because of fright, and won’t avoid him. His own thirst for blood is regarded as merely one aspect of him to the girl in front of him. The girl before him has the kindness to ignore his own thirst for blood. Anger was displayed regarding not meeting up with him. Tomorrow, in the same way as up to now, she will look for him. That that’s how it is, Ryou finally understood.
“Hey! Why’re you silent!? Answer my question!!”
(Again resembling a mother……, come to think of it that that threatening att.i.tude is similar to the times when my mother was angry)
From Erika’s tone, the day when the two were together was recalled.
With Ryou being silent and not saying anything, Erika is about to shout when she sees Ryou being silent with a stern look, Ryou starts to tremble slightly.
Erika looks puzzled at Ryou, letting out a sound, Ryou then starts to laugh with a face showing he can’t endure it. Erika looks at Ryou in astonishment which turned into anger at once.
“Hey, now you’re laughing!!”
Ryou laughter doesn’t stop even if Erika is shouting. As if his body is hurting, he began to laugh while bending down.
Erika is at a loss for words.
“Love, it’s amazing……”
Being dumbfounded in silence looking at Ryou and Erika, Azusa shakes her head while muttering so to Saki who’s on the ground next to her.
“Yea……”
Though Saki says so in small voice, it’s filled with strong emotions.