Dream Star

"The drugs, they"ve modified it senpai?"

Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka nodded, "Yeah, the effects it has on you is awful."

"You"ve taken them?" Kasumi said suspiciously. Of course, he has. Dating Lila aside, it doesn"t change the fact that Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka is the enemy. Naturally, he would have come into contact with the problem, or perhaps he was part or ma.s.s producing them.

"Somebody forced him," Lila interjected.

"..."

Kasumi had to admit she was surprised that Lila just cut her off like that. Couldn"t Karas.h.i.+ma have explained that himself? While she shouldn"t have asked him suspiciously, Lila is making it sound like she is bullying him or something.

"The effects of that drug causes severe hallucination; it dulls your senses a lot. So even when you receive a severe injury, you won"t feel the pain. At this point, it still sounds like a normal drug, right?" Lila asked, and she and Mikami nodded, "But after a while, the user experiences numbness in their body, and cannot move. While that"s the only effect it has, the hallucinations cause people severe migraine and pain - and people start feeling like their whole body is burning and being ripped apart."

"Burning?" Kasumi muttered. Is that...a fire user? But other than Lila"s family, who still has that outdated ability? Most power users among the new generations are only a few, even then amongst them, hardly anybody could use fire. And if they infuse that into the drugs, then ...

"The man named Zane?"

The research from the adult"s side showed that the man named Zane was quite similar to Lila. They both had darkness that they considered their ally since they were younger, but at some point, it slowly started to tear away their bodies --- Kasumi"s eyes go wide, "It"s not infusing of abilities, he used his blood in the drugs."

"Right," Lila nodded, "As you know, normal people cannot drink hanyou"s blood. If somebody gets severely hurt, and that person is a hanyou, then, normal medics can"t handle them. Because coming in contact with a hanyou persons blood is dangerous, that"s why there is always a specialist team amongst the regular folks. However, there are cases where accidents happen, and people come in contact with blood. Just touching it causes somebody to get sick, let alone drinking it themselves."

Kasumi bit her lip, "This Zane person is crazy," to think she would hear of something like this happening. Still, Lila is acting a bit too composed. Even though she seemed shaken just now. Is it just her imagination?

"Then, Lilchan I"ll be blunt here. What do you want to do? Stop them is obvious, but even if we stop them this time, they will simply take it elsewhere. Besides, I"ve been thinking this for a while now. But do you have some sort of grudge against Miyazawa, you act so hostile towards her?"

"Yes, I do."

Kasumi always thought that Lila disliked Miyazawa Rosalia because of what happened with Kiryu. But it turns out there is something Lila hasn"t been telling her. The reason why Lila has such a hazard look in her eyes, she thinks she is starting to understand now. Still, "How frustrating," even though the two of them are supposed to be best friends. Once again she is left out, she doesn"t know anything.

Her thoughts broke off when she saw Lila look over at her, the girl smiled at her and let out a small laugh, "But you know to call it a grudge is sort of strange, I"ve never hated anybody before."

"But you admit it?"

"Yes, I hate her."

Kasumi sweat fell, "Way too blunt," but she supposes that"s like Lila.

"So you"ll get revenge?"

Lila shook her head, "Loads of people have been asking me that. Is it so strange if I do want revenge? While I may not be the type to hate on someone, even if they did something bad to me. I"m no saint; I have my limits. If people push it, then even I will snap. But even if I do take revenge and cut her down, what will I do next? My family can cover up the issue, and the Austin family can help make sure there are no traces. n.o.body will ever know it was me who hurt her; n.o.body has to know the truth. But then what?" Lila questioned, "I"ll hide away forever? I can never forgive what Rosalichan did, and as long as I"m alive, I won"t forgive her."

"Then," Mikami urged.

"I just love this town and the people here. I want to listen to my heart, this time around I want to protect those dear to me. I have power, and I should use it. I don"t want to hide behind anybody anymore, this is my real feelings and why I came back here," Lila said.

Now she understands it, why Lila came back. Kasumi thought it was just to dispell those rumors. But Lila didn"t have to come all the way here to explain that, she could have just held a separate press conference. Lila didn"t have to reveal her ident.i.ty and continue on as Kiku Ari, until the appropriate time. But Lila tossed that all away, before the time limit. For what reason? Her love for Kiryu? No, it"s not that. While Kiryu may have played a significant factor in her decisions, listening to her now, Kasumi understood.

For the person named Teras.h.i.+ma Lila everybody, she meets plays an essential part in her heart. While there may be people she prioritizes, she doesn"t neglect others. Lila is still the same as she once was. The one who has changed is her, Kasumi clenched her fist.

Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka hugged Lila tightly, "Don"t do something careless, okay?"

"Aha," Lila laughed, "En, I understand. So I"ll be going for a bit, okay?"

"Yeah."

Wait; what?

"Lilchan can dispell the effects of the drugs that have been handed out tonight, but she has to be alone," Mikami explained, "Normally it"s impossible to do something like that, but Lilchan is.."

That"s right, Lila is...

"Take Kiryu with you," Kasumi spoke up. She knew that request sounded somewhat unreasonable of her, especially when she just saw Lila"s display of affection with Karas.h.i.+ma. However, "Alone, and in your condition, it"s impossible."

If she recalled correctly, then Lila and Kiryu still have that connection, Lila smiled and nodded, "Yes, I told him to wait for me outside. I"ll get going now," she turned to Karas.h.i.+ma and bent over. Kasumi watched as Lila kissed him.

"Haruka, I"ll be going."

"I"ll wait," it was clear that the man didn"t want to let her leave. Who would? If Rosalia catches wind that Lila is by herself, who knows what that crazy woman would do. But, Kiryu is going with her so she should be fine right? As long as Kiryu is with her then... She saw Karas.h.i.+ma still sticking to Lila, "Hey, don"t just go."

"Ah-huh, um..." Lila looked towards them, and Mikami grabbed hold of her hand.

"Come with me," Mikami said. Kasumi immediately understood and left the room with Mikami. She didn"t bother looking back, knowing they would have started already.

When they left the room and returned to the hallway, Kasumi saw the troubled look on Mikami"s face, "What"s the matter?" Kasumi asked him.

"Do you mind if we stick with senpai?"

"Eh, but the plan," Kasumi protested. Rather, she had a bad feeling about having Karas.h.i.+ma with them. She didn"t want Mikami getting hurt because of him.

"We can just bring senpai with us; I"m worried what will happen if he"s left alone. It"s not confirmed yet, but apparently, Miyazawsan keeps summoning him these days," her eyes go wide at those words. Is he..? Mikami must have read her thoughts since he suddenly said, "He keeps showing up with bruises."

"Bruises?" Kasumi repeated.

Mikami nodded, "We don"t have any evidence just yet, but it seems to be too much of a coincidence for him to show up with new injuries after his meeting with her."

Is that why Lila has been looking troubled? It"s not because her relations.h.i.+p with Karas.h.i.+ma is terrible? But then again, who was it who said that Lila had a bad relations.h.i.+p with Karas.h.i.+ma in the first place? It was all rumors wasn"t it? In the end, she simply doesn"t understand the man named Karas.h.i.+ma Haruka. But if she were to get to know him? Would that opinion of change?

Lila would never date a bad person after all. If that"s the case, then it"s possible that this whole time she made a mistake.