Bokutachi wa Akuma: Chapter Forty

After Christmas had come and gone, everyone had returned to their daily schedules outside of work. The snow that had fallen around the holidays had already melted due to the rising temperatures in the daytime. As requested by their manager, Hey! GO Hei had performed a concert on the New Years Eve to ring in the new year with a bang. Now, the entire group had been awaiting instruction from Mikiya whom had not received his instruction from the manager yet.

From this long process of waiting for people, most of the group had found new hobbies to keep themselves entertained and active. Most of the boys had been paying trainers to get them fit for their live performances again, as well as be in better shape. Daichi on the other hand had done none of the above; he would go outside to various parks around the city and sightsee. Today he went to the Imperial Park of Ueno; The Park in the center of the city surrounded around museums of the Imperial Palace.

The days had been warming up since the days around Christmas, yet it was still chilly enough to wear his crimson and black striped scarf and black wool coat. Daichi had a Canon camera around his neck, making him look more like a tourist rather than a celebrity. Taking pictures of carious thinks such as a shadow of a tree cast over a temple pillar, or a dog catching a Frisbee in mid-air. Due to his quiet, ‘keep to yourself’ personality when he was alone, no one really bothered him, or even recognized him for that matter.

No one recognized him, besides two mysterious men; since Daichi had gotten on the bus, these two men who had sniffed him out had followed him. Following his every move, the two men were slowly closing in on the poor boy who had been innocently taking pictures of the Temple museum he approached.

“Ne, Akira. Do you think it's a good idea to tell him about it?” The elegant, mysterious man crossed his legs, leaning his head over to look at Akira. They sat on a bench in the courtyard, drinking hot coffee. “What happened the last time we did something? Ruka attacked that poor boy.” Kyoukei put the cup to his thin, smooth lips, taking a sip of the steaming coffee easily.

glancing over from the corner of his eye, Akira chuckled lightly, remembering that day vividly from the summer before.

“We’re telling him Kyoukei.” He took a sip of his own coffee. “Do you know why?” obviously Akira had a plan in telling this lone, young vampire of his true nature.

Kyoukei shook his head hesitantly; not knowing of, but very curious of what Akira was thinking to do with the boy.

“Because that boy is emotional. With the feeling of betrayal, he will no longer have anyone to trust. No one but those who told him the truth.” Recruitment, that's what Akira’s plan was all along for the boy.

Looking up and around after hearing him plan, Kyoukei looked for the boy in question, not being in sight anywhere.

“Akira.” His narrow, dark eyes quickly looked over to Akira. “He's gone.” The elegant man spoke quietly and calmly. He was not afraid to lose him, they could always sniff him out again if need be.

Akira looked up and around, only seeing tourists and curious locals walking around the courtyard like a bunch of ants.

“Dammit Kyoukei.” He stood and threw his coffee in the garbage next to the bench. “You were supposed to be watching him.” He walked away, sniffing out their young prey.

Kyoukei sighed, standing as well. Taking a final sip of his own coffee before throwing it out as well.

“You're kidding.” Kyoukei mumbled under his breath, following his partner in crime. “It’s not just up to me you know.” He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

The two of them searched for Daichi, finding him in a part of the Temple museum that was off limits to the public. Watching the young boy take photos of the artwork on the wall, the two mysterious men stood in the doorway, watching him become more and more curious.

“Young master.” Akira called out, stepping into the large, empty room, while Kyoukei guarded the only exit. “What are you doing here all alone young master? Do you not have any group activity?” Akira took a calm approach to this boy; he was emotional and easily scared, he could be easily set off and frightened away.

Daichi quickly dropped his camera from his eye, shooting a scared doe gaze to the direction of a man with a deep voice. he held the camera tight and innocent, looking from one man to the other.

“Ah, Takuya Sempai. Koyama Sempai.” He cowered back, closing into a corner. “N-no. We don't have anything right now.” He looked to the tall, skinny man in the doorway, seeing no chance of slipping passed him.

Akira slipped closer to Daichi by a few, small steps. He was cautious with this boy, trying to take a professional approach to him from one entertainer to the other.

“That is unfortunate young master.” He placed a hand on his hip, chuckling lightly. “At least you have found a hobby to keep yourself entertained.” He took a couple of steps back seeing that Daichi cowered against the wall.

Daichi nodded quickly, not saying a word. This made a small smile appear in the corner of Akira’s lips

“How did you get in here anyways?” he let out an amused chuckle, moving his arms across his chest. “It was a bit of a struggle for up to get passed security to even come see you.” As celebrities, they had their difficulties getting access pass to parts of untouched territory.

Daichi stood silently, looking off into space as he thought. His dark chocolate eyes fell upon the old marble floor.

“I, I don't…” He thought harder, not remembering how he got in this room. “I don't remember.” His gaze rose to meet Akira’s again, Daichi felt that Akira knew something he did not, and he wanted to know what it was.

Akira took a few steps closer to the boy, reaching a hand out for him to grab.

“You have been able to do many things that you did not know how you did it, haven’t you?” Akira chuckled lightly, giving the boy a gentle smile. “Come, tell me.”

Daichi hesitantly looked from the man to the floor responding with one solid nod. Daichi had noticed something has been different when his reflexes were better than normal.

“Would you like to know why, young master?” Akira wanted this boy more for his own than anyone else, for he showed real promise. “I can tell you why if you are curious.”

Akira was playing the good guy with this boy, wanting him to trust him. Daichi looked to him curiously, curious as to if he actually knew anything about him or not.

“Sure. Tell me.” Daichi shrugged, he was getting defensive. “But I probably wont believe you.” Daichi narrowed his eyes to his sempai as his small fingers played with his crimson striped scarf.

Akira stepped closer to Daichi, who now cornered himself next to a vintage table. Akira held out a hand as if he were holding a ball.

“It is quite simple young master.” Locking eyes with the young boy, he smiled and closed him hand tightly into a fist. The light bulb in the elegant lamp had turned out as if someone had turned it off with a switch. “You are one of us.” Akira dropped his hand to his side, the light bulb turning back on.

“One of…” he stared at the bulb still, questioning if it was just a trick or not. “One of what?” he pressed himself to the wall hard. Daichi did not know if what he was saying was true. If what he was saying was even logical. He thought of what could be logical as to what his sempai had just dome, only one thing came to mind.

“A magician?” he looked curiously up to his senior, hoping his answer was correct.

Akira chuckled warmly at the naïve boy’s answer, giving him one more him before he would tell him straight out about his new nature. Giving the boy a wide grin, he revealed a long, pearling fang, allowing it to glisten in the light of the lamp on the table.

Daichi looked closely, his dark chocolate eyes narrowing as he leaned forward to see if what he was seeing was proper. Closing his smooth lips into a cunning smile again, Akira looked to the boy.

Do you understand yet?” Akira tilted his head innocently, looking at the young boy.

A few smartass answers came to mind for Daichi; like having a good dentist, but as a fictional reader of various genres, Daichi knew what a razor sharp fang meant.

“Vampire?” he cowered back further, gripping his camera hard. He did not take his eyes off of his sempai at all. “Vampires don't exist.” He, as everyone else, had not believed what Akira, his pop idol sempai was telling him. Akira held his arms out to the side, showing him that he was standing there, and that he was real.

Akira looked to his partner by the doorway, giving him a nod.

“Do you know what it’s like to feel alone, even if you are with someone? To do something that you enjoyed and feel no joy out of it anymore?” Akira stepped closer to the smaller boy, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Do you know what it feels like to no longer fear anything that could potentially put your life in danger?” Akira leaned into Daichi's ear, whispering softly to him.

“Your friends have been hiding something very important from you.”

Kyoukei completely disagreed with this and his method of telling Daichi the truth, but given the look in his eye, he believed everything that Akira was telling him.

“What do you mean hiding something from me?” he was slowly starting to believe Akira, but nothing was adding up.

He looked over Akira’s shoulder, not moving his position. “Am I really a vampire?” nothing had changed in his daily life, only that he felt more emotional towards things.

Akira had no idea what this boy was capable of, everyone was different after they had changed. Giving the boy a positive nod, he had almost convinced the boy without any struggle. There was only a few more things to tell him before he would no longer trust his friends.

“You know your friend Kaore kun?” Daichi nodded to him silently. “He is one of us as well. He is probably the one that changed you now that I think about it.”

Maruki, was a vampire? Daichi, was a vampire? Vampires existed? From where was all this strange information coming? Daichi dropped to the floor, curling in a ball in corner of the wall and the table. None of this was making sense and none of it had to be true because things like this never existed outside of the books and the imagination of directors.

“It’s not possible. They don't exist.” He gripped his head tightly, grabbing fistfuls of hair. “IT’s not true!” he screamed loudly, his terrified voice echoed through the large empty room. The louder he screamed, the dimmer the lights had flickered.

“Oh.” Akira let our and amused ‘oh’, surprised to see what this boy could do. He leaned in, placing a hand over one of Daichi's, gripping it gently. “They cannot be trusted young master. They call you friend, but what else have they been hiding from you?” Akira spoke softly, trying to get Daichi to calm down.

“You come with us, we will never lie to you. We will never hide anything from you. We will allow you to embrace what they had done to you.”

Kyoukei couldn’t believe his eyes, Akira had convinced Daichi without any struggle, nor a fight as to who he should believe.

“Akira…” He mumbled under his breath, wondering how he did it.

Maruki had changed Daichi into a vampire? If this was true, who was the one that changed him? If Maruki had changed him, when did he do it? How did he do it? Why did he do it? So many questions were rolling through Daichi's brain that he could no longer concentrate. If Maruki did it, who else knew about it? Did anyone in the group know about Maruki, if so, why did they keep it a secret? As hard as he tried, Daichi could not remember when he was possibly changed into this fictional creature.

“I, I can’t remember.” He took long, deep breaths, trying to calm himself. “I can’t remember anything about it.” He was getting frustrated that he could no longer remember how or when it happened, or remember at all for that matter. His voice was getting aggravated now as he was getting angry, at his group mates.

Akira saw that anger in his eyes, he stood up and took a few steps back from him as he further explained things to him.

“No, you wouldn’t remember young master. It is something only a handful of up come to regretfully remember day in and day out.” The young boy looked up to his sempai slowly as he rose to his feet. He got him. Daichi looked to him slowly, nodding his head, slightly yet surely.

Akira smiled to the boy warmly, reaching a hand out for him to shake. Daichi took it in his small hand, gripping it tightly.
“You don't need those guys anymore. They have lied to you too often young master.” Akira shook Daichi's hand firmly. “You need someone who can let you embrace yourself, not hide it from you.”

Daichi's dark chocolate eyes rose to meet Akira’s, they were dark and filled with fury. The young, sweet boy had been easily manipulated against his own friends; little did he know he was choosing the wrong side. A shadow cast over his brow as they furrowed angrily, he would not forgive his friends so easily for this.

“I need to talk to someone now.” He pushed his sempai out of his way roughly, making his way to the doorway. Seeing how easily he pushed Akira out of the way, Kyoukei stepped aside, letting Daichi pass easily. “I need to know if he knew.” He, Daichi, spoke of his best friend and roommate, Ryota. With his eyes filled with anger, Daichi made his way home in haste, needing to know as much about him as he could.