Bokutachi wa Akuma: Chapter Seventeen

It has been weeks since the official meeting of this Ruka kid. Mikiya was now sure that he was real and his stepbrother was not just making up for his brother’s sake. It was now exactly two weeks away from the official release date of their first single “Shy Girl”. After that day, it would be on the charts for everyone to see and everyone to vote if they like it or not. No one in the group could be anything but nervous.

The murders have slowed down since Ruka had found out about the killers nature, but they had not yet stopped. Ruka had remained silent from the majority of the group that Kazuki made him meet, but for reasons unknown, he could not stop thinking about them. He was normally immune to such connections to humans, but there was something different about this group that had him intrigued.

Back at home, Kazuki had been studying for a test in one of his weaker subjects, math. Ruka had not seemed to be going to school lately, and seemed lonelier then normal. The majority of his days were spent silently in his room, barely coming down for dinner or even a drink.

Kazuki snuck out of his own room, tiptoeing his way to Ruka's room across the narrow hall, his papers loosely in his fingers; the pen he was using, held between his teeth. He tiptoed to the door, knocking on it gently.

“Ruka nii?” he knocked again, turning the handle this time, slowly entering his room. “Can you help me study? I don't get it.” Kazuki spoke softly; he didn't want to disturb Ruka too much.

Laying flat on his back, hands folded across his chest, Ruka looked up to the white ceiling, his eyes blinking slowly. The slow rising and dropping could be seen on his hands from his slow, calm breathing. He shifted his head to the side, looking at Kazuki with lidded eyes.
“What is it Kazuki?” He spoke softly, much like people that had migraines did.

Kazuki cowered back slightly, hiding behind the doorframe cutely.

“Oh, its math.” He held up the papers for Ruka to see. “I don't understand the word problems.” He was in first year high school, the problems were much more difficult then those in junior high school. Ruka was in third year high school, but of a different school then that of Kazuki. He had not gone to school in almost two weeks now, yet somehow still did fairly well nonetheless in all classes.

Ruka sat up very zombie like, his back was stiff and his neck did not bend. He looked over at Kazuki, glancing down at the papers. Silently he beaconed the boy over to his bed as he sat up with his feet draped over the side of the bed.

“I will help you for a while.” Ruka was different then normal, normally he would not say a word to Kazuki, making him feel ashamed and leave the room quietly. “Which ones?” He asked in an emotionless yet warm tone as Kazuki sat next to him on the bed.

For the next hour or so, Ruka had been helping his so-called brother with the memorization of mathematical word problems. With a great deal of repetition of certain problems, Kazuki finally understood them. When he did, Kazuki pranced off out of the room, back to his own.

Since as long as he could remember, which was not long at all, Ruka had known of his existence and what he was destined to do, yet there was always a question in the back of his mind every time he thought about it. Why did he have to drink the blood of humans and why was human food not good enough for him? Ruka never had anything explained to him by the person who claimed he knew everything. Since the day he was dropped off at the Sakuragi residence, he had never seen that man again. To this day, he could not even see the man’s face anymore in his head it had completely disappeared. Being a teenage vampire could be no more difficult than being a teenage human, right? For the most part, the only difference would be; Ruka as a vampire would not tire so easily, nor could he experience the taste of food.

In a moment of boredom, Ruka placed his hands on the bed to push himself up, yet as he rose to his feet, he became light headed and dizzy, something he did not experience in this new life. The young boy placed a hand on his forehead, trying to regain a sense of balance. The moment he tried to stand straight, gravity took over. Ruka went crashing down onto the bed, his mind fully weak and unconscious.

Though never fully understanding it, Ruka knew prior to his vampire life from reading books, that vampires had to drain the life of human or other animals to survive. It was much like a human eating food for survival, there was a need of nutrition from another source. From his distance human mind, he could never bring himself to kill a human, just so a monster like him could survive another day.

Due to his age, only a teenager, and the time of day, Ruka had not been found in his room, unconscious from his weakened state. It was only the next morning that Kazuki had come into his room to wake him, as he did every morning.

“Ohayo Ruka nii chan!” The door had swung open and the childish Kazuki darted to Ruka's bed.

Ruka shot up, scared out of his mind. He had not known when he had fallen asleep, nor did he know how. His gaze darted back and forth from wall to wall, his body pivoting into each direction his wide eyes searched in. he was panicking, he almost had no idea where he was. When Ruka's gaze shot over and across Kazuki's face, he remembered everything.

Ruka's panicked expression caused dread and worry to wash over Kazuki's face. He had finally relaxed and took a short breath, looking down at his lap.

“Ohayo.” His grim, sheltered self had returned Ruka did not say anymore. His gaze fell to the dinghy looking, retro coloured carpet. He was going to ignore everything else that Kazuki was to say to him.

Luckily for him, Kazuki had gotten scared of his reaction and darted out of the door again, slamming it shut loudly behind him. Ruka sat up on his bed again, much like the night before. His legs were crossed, his arms propped up on his knees, holding up his chin. His mind was trying to remember the feeling of the night before, before he fell unconscious. He could remember nothing, other then feeling weak.

“What was that?” He questioned himself; no one would be able to answer if he had asked someone else. The only thing that came to mind was that he still had not fed, and it has been almost a year since he had come to this new life. He felt no desire, nor any instinct, this was all entirely new to him and nothing was ever explained.

Kazuki left off to school, Sakuragi san was off at her part time job and ojii chan was most likely sleeping in his study. Ruka was free to the openness of the city again; free to do what he wanted. Ruka always wore his heavy, black pants and draping hoody outside, he felt more secure that way. On his way out the door, Ruka took the bright red umbrella that he always took with him outside.