CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW

I didn't even make it out the door before I heard her voice.

 "American-jin."

 The high-feline whine and the way it grated gave it away. Natsumi.

 I froze, sighing heavily as I turned around. Natsumi leaned casually against the wall, golden eyes glittering mischievously beneath those flicking cat ears.

 Her arms were crossed, exaggerating the curve of her waist beneath the thin tank top that ended far too high above her stomach. Her tails twitched playfully as she sized me up.

 "Natsumi's hungry." she said.

 "Oh no. Not this again. Natsumi, it's not my job to feed you."

 She strode forward, exaggerating the sway of her hips with every step.

 "You go to the konbini with Natsumi. Get Natsumi food. And then -"

 I felt one of her tails just brush against the back of my ear playfully.

 "Natsumi! Ryu's going to school! And you should be going to school too! Your mother's a teacher. She knows everything you're doing," Yuki blurted.

 But it did no good. Natsumi didn't even twitch or move her eyes to acknowledge that Yuki said anything.

 Instead, she grinned. At me. I could see the way her upper lip split just below her nose.

 "Natsumi likes to be lazy," she said flatly, golden eyes locked onto mine, never wavering. She yawned deliberately, stretching in a way that made my chest tight.

 "School's boring. Konbini has snacks. Natsumi likes snacks. Ryu likes snacks, doesn't he?" She raised an eyebrow.

 "Natsumi," I began, but I was already losing this battle.

 "Natsumi likes being late," she whispered with a grin. "Natsumi likes trouble." She paused, eyes half-lidded. "Come taste trouble with Natsumi."

 Yuki's voice sharpened. "Stop that, Natsumi. Hibana was looking for you yesterday. She'll be furious."

 "Natsumi likes that too," she purred. With one lingering glance and a teasing stretch, she sauntered lazily up to her room.

 Yuki watched her go, then huffed indignantly. "Hmph. Menace."

 I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Yeah, I got that impression."

 I tried to scrub the image from my fifteen-year-old mind, but it was nearly impossible. The way her thighs moved in those shorts was somehow erotically human and exotically alien and feline at once.

 Downstairs, I grabbed some rice, eggs, and miso soup for breakfast. The dining room was empty except for a few sleepy guests finishing their meals.

 "You're in a hurry this morning," Yuki said as I set my tray down.

 "Yeah, I'd really like to get to Crescent Moon. I want to see if Inego's okay."

 I could practically feel Yuki's cold stare.

 "You're supposed to talk to Hibana."

 I shoved a fork of eggs and rice into my mouth. "I don't want to train with Hibana, Yuki. Inego's a magician. There's gotta be something he can do."

 Yuki sighed, which bothered me. She didn't need to breathe.

 "You know the school's fights are one-on-one," she shot back.

 "If Inego can use magic, then maybe I won't even have to fight."

 My reasoning made sense to me, but Yuki looked out the dinning room window, across the onsen's decorative patio into the steaming waters outside. 

 "That's not what magic is for. That's what training is for," she said.

 And somehow, her logic sounded closer to the truth.

 "We've got company," Yuki whispered.

 I'd barely swallowed my last bite when a shadow fell across my table. I looked up.

 It was the tall, striking girl with the scar on her forehead. Her long dark hair, with pink and golden highlights, spilled gracefully around her shoulders, framing eyes that were warm, yet oddly distant.

 Without asking, she pulled out a chair, spun it around backwards, and sat down, folding her arms over the back of the chair as she leaned forwards.

 "Hi-ya," she smiled. "I don't think we've officially met. I'm Rinko."

 Her grin turned into a playful smirk. "Your boss."

 I tried to hard to keep my eyes from falling out of my head. This lady was my boss? Rinko was almost as tall as I was, and so buxom that I immediately thought of Dolly Parton, or a large hourglass.

 And I expected anyone who called themselves the boss of Shin'yume-sou to be at least three times older. Rinko looked like she was in hear early twenties. Tops.

 "Well, when I say boss, it's really more like manager." She rolled her eyes.

 "So, you're the manager?" I asked.

 She giggled. "Yeah. But never mind that, okay. Cause I've got what you're looking for, Ryu."

 "You do?" I asked. I had no idea what she meant.

 She nodded, and casually reached towards the center of her V-neck.

 "Here," she said as she laid out a pile of sweaty yen bills on the table. "It's your pay!"

 I looked at the money in front of me.

 No pay stub. No taxes. No forms or hours worked. Just a sweaty pile of boob cash.

 "Oh," I said. "Thanks."

 "Ryu, don't you dare touch that money," said Yuki.

 "I wanted to apologize for not introducing myself sooner," she continued, placing her hand calmly on the table. "I'm a bit busy around here, so I'm sorry if I seem distant. But if you're ever looking to earn some extra cash, come see me."

 She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering. "Room number three. First floor." Her eyes glittered with something I couldn't quite place—intrigue, perhaps, or danger. "In case you haven't noticed, this place could always use some extra help."

 She stood with a flirty bounce of her hair, leaving me sitting there holding my breath. I looked down at the remains of my breakfast, and the moist paper beside it.

 Cash. I glanced back up, but she was already gone, leaving nothing but a faint trace of peach perfume.

 I wasn't about to just leave it there. I was kind enough to wait until Yuki pretended she wasn't looking before gathering it up though.

 I was so lost in thought I nearly collided with Hibana as she marched into the dining room, clearly agitated as usual.

 "Oh my god, would you watch where you're going," she hissed.

 I hesitated. For a split second, I considered asking her to help train me.

 But one look at her scowl and I reconsidered. I really wasn't in the mood to be shouted at this early in the morning.

 "You're making a mistake not asking her," said Yuki.

 "At least wait for me to talk to Inego first."

 Outside, Shion leaned against the railing, arms folded, impatiently tapping her foot. The morning sun cast soft shadows across her pale skin, and for a moment, I couldn't help but stare.

 "Morning, Blondie," she said flatly.

 "Shion, how do you even do that with the sun being up?" I asked carefully. "You mentioned something yesterday but never explained."

 She tilted her head, lips curling slowly into a playful smirk, showing just the tip of her fangs. "Aren't you just the curious kitten? Okay. I'd be happy to explain… for a price."

 I rolled my eyes. "You'd find some excuse to bite me anyway."

 She took a breath, just so she could laugh, low and rich. "Probably."

 "No!" yelled Yuki, floating between Shion and me. "Shion, you can't keep biting Ryu. Something's happening to him."

 At first, Shion was furious at being denied her breakfast. But then her eyes narrowed, curiosity glinting dangerously behind them. "Nonsense. Now, spill. What's really going on?"

 Shion turned her waterless gaze towards me.

 "My bite has never done a single thing to anyone, except make it easier for me to drink without needing a razor. If something is happening, I'm not the cause."

 I studied her face, and understood straight away that she was studying mine as well.

 She tilted her head in that strange, alien, mechanical way.

 "What's happening? Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

 I shook my head. "No," I said, feeling a tremendous weight suddenly leaving my shoulders. "I'm not okay. Something's wrong with me."

 Shion and I sat on the cub in front of the konbini. I took a few of the snacks I'd bought and stuffed them into my bookbag for Natsumi later.

 I knew she'd ask.

 "So, Yuki started as just a whisper. Then she was a voice. Now, you can actually full-on see her. Last night you touched her, and you can feel vibrations through the earth?" asked Shion.

 I nodded. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

 She watched the sun as it continued its rise over the ocean in the distance.

 "I wouldn't consider making a costume yet, because those are the lamest superpowers in existence," she chuckled.

 I rolled my eyes and sighed.

 "Fine," said Shion. "This is serious. The truth is I have no idea what's going on with you. I really don't. My bite has never changed anyone."

 I nodded. She sounded sincere. For once.

 "And exactly how many people have you bitten?" asked Yuki.

 Shion gave her a look. "…enough to know that this is strange."

 "I can see Yukie better. Am I becoming a vampire?"

 Shion took a sharp breath. "Ha! Fat chance!"

 "So that's not how people become a vampire?" asked Yuki.

 Shion smirked. "I'll give you a hint," she said leaning closer. "It's not like that."

 I watched Yuki narrow her eyes at Shion.

 "Fine. Be cryptic or whatever," I said.

 Shion just crossed her arms, too cool for the room as always. "Look, I don't know what's happening to you," she began. "But I have a suggestion."

 Finally.

 I nodded. "Okay, that's great. Let's hear it."

 She gave me a knowing look. "Ryu. I haven't had breakfast yet, and a girl's gotta eat."

 "No. You don't know what you're doing to him," said Yuki.

 Shion scoffed. "There's still the problem of a hungry vampire," she said darkly. "And, my body is expecting Ryu's blood… I'd rather not go back to Inego."

 She looked away as she mentioned our British friend.

 I sighed, feeling like the rope in a supernatural tug-of-war. But I rolled up my sleeve and held my arm out to Shion.

 Her dead eyes brightened immediately. "Oh? Are you sure? You'd better ask Mommy first."

 "Ryu," Yuki said softly, full of concern.

 "Yuki, look at it like this: I need to know what's going on and Shion needs to eat."

 Shion smiled. "Sounds like a win-win to me."

 Yuki floated closer to me, her gaze locked onto Shion. "You're just glad you get something out of this. You have no concern for Ryu's well-being whatsoever."

 Shion didn't even move. She continued to stare hungrily at my wrist. "Then offer me your wrist, Yuki. Oh. Wait. You can't."

 And with that, Shion locked her cold, dead fingers around my arm and bit down on my wrist. I saw the end of her fangs puncture through the skin and sink down into the artery. She pressed her dry, rough lips against my skin as I suppressed a shudder.

 I tried to ignore the sound of her sucking and slurping. Then I heard another sound.

 Something deeper, hammering like a drum.

 The sound of my own heartbeat, thudding against my chest like an axe splintering wood, slicing its way through.

 I saw Yuki saying something.

 And then everything went black.

 An abyss. Thick, tangible darkness in every direction.

 Was I underwater? Was I in the air?

I was trapped.

 Confined. AND I HATED IT.

 The dream of freedom only confirmed my captivity.

 Now that I knew, I wanted out.