Dream Star

Meanwhile, two people found themselves in an underground pa.s.sage after the building they were in had collapsed.

"Kiryu?!! Kiryu..."

"Ouch ouch...that hurt." Kiryu winced in pain.

Lila quickly scrambled off him. "Your bleeding. Oh wait a second," Lila quickly found her handkerchief and extended it towards him when she noticed the black aura around her hand. She draws her hand back only to have Kiryu grab hold of it.

"Lila, you"re here, right?"

She looked at him, confused, "Yes."

"We can talk in detail later, I"m sure. But for now," Kiryu pulls her into his arms.

"K-Kiry⁠—," and then it hit her. A wave of warmth, the warmth, the warmth she hasn"t felt in so long. Even though he held her that time and kissed her, it felt like he was holding something bad. But things are different now; he"s not holding anything back here. She felt all his love in this hug, "I can"t brea⁠—" her sentence fell short when she saw the look in his eyes.

"Lila, Lila."

He kept repeating her name over and over like some sort of spell. He"s hugging her so tightly; she can tell how much he"s missed her from this tight embrace. It really is a bit too tight though, "Geez listen to me for a second," she said, but Kiryu wouldn"t let go; instead, his hold on her only seemed to tighten. This isn"t romantic at all.

She jabbed him with her arms causing him to let go of her slightly, and he yelped, "Ouch, why did you hit me?" Kiryu said as he rubbed his stomach.

"I had to; I couldn"t breathe."

"Like that"s my problem."

"Are you trying to kill me?"

She felt his lips on hers; it was a brief kiss, "Nnmmmmmmgh... Kiryu?"

"Don"t go anywhere anymore, Lila. Please, please don"t go," his tone seemed so very lonely. So very weak. It reminded her of how he was that day.

Tears streamed down from her eyes, the ones she had been holding back since earlier since she saw him crossing that dangerous bridge for her sake even though she doesn"t deserve him. Even though that"s the case, right now she wants to, get close.

....

Lila wasn"t sure whether it was wise of her to separate with the others. Indeed, she can"t do this with everybody around, but maybe she ought to have at least brought Kasumi because Lila looked over at Kiryu, who was trying to get a signal on his phone. Who would have thought things ended up like this? Lila casually met him outside, and they explored the grounds. Things were going well, none of Rosalia"s men had spotted them. But she noticed the guards running around, so she knew Rosalia was aware they were missing. She must have been keeping tabs on Kiryu at the party and was immediately alerted when he vanished.

Earlier, he held her so tightly - her gaze softened, "Is that natural instinct for him?" When they meet again, he didn"t seem so desperate. However, now that they are truly alone together with no prying eyes. It looks like she has seen something she shouldn"t have.

"There ought to be a pathway back somewhere. These places were designed just recently despite what it looks like. Let"s see where"s that map," Kiryu had given up on the phone and pulled out something from his pocket instead.

The whole time, however, Lila was focused on him. He missed her so much, and he even saved her. Nothing has changed at all, even though the people around them keep saying how different things are, how things aren"t the same. Kiryu"s feelings for her haven"t changed at all.

"Kiryu?"

"Yeah?"

Lila hesitated but managed to get the words out, "Am ...I allowed to hold your hand?" is she allowed to close the distance between them? Even though she was the one who created it?

He seemed stunned but nodded, "Come here."

Lila walked over, and he pulled her into his arms. Unconsciously a content sigh escapes her lips, and Kiryu smiles gently at her, "You look so pale, and your freezing. I"ll have to warm you up a lot later. For now, make do with this."

He talks as though for sure that she will return to his side one day.

Lila didn"t know. Can she? She may have admitted to still needing him, but returning? If she returns. . to that place filled with suns.h.i.+ne, won"t she destroy it? By being there, won"t she cover the place in darkness again? Returning to that place, and surrounded by those people who care deeply about her. She"s afraid. She doesn"t want to hurt anyone anymore. "You don"t deserve him," Rosalichan"s words from back then and the look in the woman"s eyes flashed through her head.

It"s not like she let the girls" words get to her. Sure at the time, it surprised her, and she was agitated. But overtime Lila understood that Rosalia was only trying to provoke her. She doesn"t deserve him, and yet, for now, she wants to tell him.

He must have seen her looking, since he looked over too, " Lila?"

"I missed you," Lila murmured. Though she had been back for a while now, seen him several times. Lila did not say these words, despite having so many opportunities to do so.

"Yeah, I figured. Not having a human water bottle must have bothered you, so it was just about time."

Lila rolled her eyes, "Dummy," and Kiryu laughed. "It"s like usual," she thought to herself. Like usual, Kiryu and her. It"s like they"ve gone back to how things were before. She wants him. ..to hold her. But now really isn"t the time for that.

"What is it? Don"t be silent on me. Otherwise, I"ll think I"m dreaming again... "

"I want. ..you too. .hold me. . "

"...."

"I"m sorry," Lila apologized. She frantically shook her head, "What an idiot," what is she asking of him now?"I know this isn"t the time for that. We ought to get going," Lila pulled away from his embrace and walked off, only to have him extend his hand out to grab her arm.

"After saying that, do you....think I"ll let you go, Lila? "

For the next few minutes, she laid in Kiryu"s arms. It was very comfortable for her, and at some point, she almost fell asleep. It felt like this whole time she has been running around endlessly without getting any proper sleep. But now that restless feeling in her heart is slowly fading away.

They were only hugging, and yet Lila felt very nervous, "Will Haruka get mad?" she wondered out loud.

"Na, he won"t. That guy, won"t mind a hug," Kiryu muttered.

A relieved sigh pa.s.sed her lips, even if she did ask for this out of natural instinct. It didn"t make things any better. She doesn"t want Haruka to misunderstand this. It"s just, for some reason when she looked at Kiryu she had this urge to be held tightly by him. "What urge, you have a boyfriend," Lila cursed in her head. She deeply sighed, really what on earth is she doing? Why is this happening to her?

"But really you, are quite careless, eh?"

"I—Im not that clumsy," Lila muttered.

Kiryu laughed, "I didn"t say you were clumsy."

"But you were implying it."

"Hmmm."

Lila"s cheeks puffed up into a pout, "Kiryu, you"re a bully just like Haruka," or rather what"s with the guys who like her? They always end up finding a way to tease her.

"Karas.h.i.+ma, huh?"

Lila quickly realized what she just did and shook her head, "What are you doing mentioning Haruka now of all times?" Lila muttered in her head. Is she that much of an idiot? She knew how sensitive the topic was to Kiryu. It"s like she"s rubbing it in his face.
....

"Here, hold my hand. Or do you want me to carry you?" Kiryu asked.

"D--dummy, what was that? "

"Hmm?"

It was different...or was it? It"s been so long already. Maybe it"s because it"s been so long now, perhaps she forgot. Has he possibly been sleeping around? Is that why it"s different? The warmth of his embrace. Lila doesn"t get a chance to debate about it since she felt a warm hand caress her cheek.

"Kiryu?"

He shook his head, "Nothing," he muttered, "But really hold my hand. You"ll trip."

"I"m not that clumsy anymore..."

"Yeah, I figured. But it"d been a while since you"ve walked so much. I"m sure you"re tired."

Hesitantly she took hold of his hand. His hand is so warm, so comfortable. She hasn"t felt it in such a long time. Her Kiryu. ... This back is so familiar to her and yet something"s different now.

"Why are you staring?"

"Ah, I"m just thinking. You"ve become more reliable," Lila trailed off. In contrast to before, there"s definitely something different about him.

"Hah, well I suppose I have in a sense. But it was only recently where that was the case. The others were so very patient with me. They all stayed beside me, and despite my dazed state since you left, even I could recognize the care they have for me. I had to snap out of it."

Only recently... So, in other words, he"s spent the few months agonizing about her. Kiryu is so silly, dummy. Really, he should have tried to forget about her. However, she"s relieved, it really did it end up like she thought it would. The others didn"t forsake him.

"There"s that and... well you could say music saved me from despair again."

"?"

"A girl named Kiku Ari debuted, her voice is impressive. It"s powerful and resonates into peoples hearts. "

Lila blushed at his words, "Because of her?"

Kiryu seems excited. Thank goodness, he didn"t completely abandon music. One of the things she worried about the most when she left was this. She didn"t want him to fall into darkness when she left. She wanted him to embrace the pain and see the light. Her thoughts broke, catching a faint scent.

Oh, this scent is. .....Sweet. There"s a sweet scent in the air. Ah, that"s right. He got injured. ...Kiryu"s blood. . .. Lila felt her heartbeat increase as she pictured it, his blood and her drinking it. Her eye color turned red as she looked at Kiryu with desire, his blood.

"What"s the matter?"

Lila quickly snapped out of it, "I"m sorry it"s nothing.."

"You seem sick. . oh...that"s right, Karas.h.i.+ma mentioned it. Shall we rest for a bit more? "

Such a sweet taste, she remembers it so clearly. Her now ruby red eyes went wide when Kiryu pierces his neck with his fingers, and bright red flowed from the wound he just made. "Take some.."

"But. . I- " Lila shook her head. It wouldn"t be right, Haruka doesn"t like it when she drinks anybody else blood.

"It"s okay, Lila...."