Chapter : 7 : Half Vampire!

The room was wrapped in silence. A silence so profound, so sacred, that even the night itself seemed to hold its breath. The only sound that filled the space was the soft, rhythmic breathing of the girl in his arms.

Kazuya held her close, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest against him. Minami had already fallen asleep, her warm body pressed into his as though she belonged there.

And perhaps—perhaps she did.

His arms never left her, not even for a second.

Her presence was a blessing. A gift that only he could understand.

Kazuya tightened his embrace, his hands resting protectively on her back, feeling the way her hourglass figure molded against him. She was so soft—so impossibly soft. The curves of her body fit against him perfectly, her warmth seeping into his very soul.

His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dark as he gazed down at her.

Minami.

His little sister. His everything.

And yet, as he looked at her now, the truth weighed heavy on his heart.

She wasn't just his little sister.

Not by blood.

And maybe—just maybe—that truth meant something far greater than he had ever let himself believe.

Kazuya inhaled deeply, his lips ghosting over her forehead before pressing the softest kiss against her skin.

She didn't stir.

Her breathing remained steady, her face peaceful, as if she knew—somewhere deep inside—that she was safe. That she was in the arms of the one person in this world who would never, ever betray her.

Kazuya's fingers trembled as he gently brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen over her face.

His breath hitched.

For a moment—just a moment—he saw it.

Her true face.

The face only he could see.

Minami wasn't hideous. She never had been.

She was breathtaking.

Unparalleled beauty.

A face that could steal the breath of gods.

But the curse—the wretched, cruel curse that had twisted her reflection—kept the world blind to her radiance.

Only he could see her like this.

Only he knew the truth.

His heart clenched.

This is my fault.

His hand trembled as he reached forward, his index finger brushing against her lips.

Soft. So soft.

He swallowed hard, his throat tight with guilt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room.

Minami didn't stir.

But he knew she could hear him—somewhere deep in her dreams.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, pressing his forehead against hers. "Because of me… your face is like this. Because of me, the world doesn't see how beautiful you really are."

His grip on her tightened.

"It's not fair," he murmured, his voice raw with pain. "You are the most beautiful, adorable, and perfect girl in the world. And yet, they…" His jaw clenched. "They don't see it. They mock you. They torment you."

His eyes darkened.

"I will fix this," he vowed.

"I swear… I will lift this curse. I will make the world see you as you really are."

His lips hovered over her forehead again.

His Minami.

The girl who had been by his side since childhood.

The girl who had never once turned away from him.

The girl who, even after all the cruelty she had faced, still found it in her heart to love.

And he—

He loved her.

Too much.

More than he should.

More than he ever thought he was capable of.

Kazuya exhaled shakily.

His lips trembled as he leaned in—closer, closer—until they brushed against hers.

A kiss.

A whisper of a touch.

And yet, it was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Minami didn't wake.

Because Kazuya made sure she wouldn't.

The kiss deepened.

He tilted his head, molding his lips against hers, drinking in her warmth.

She tasted… sweet.

A taste he could lose himself in forever.

He kissed her deeper, his lips pressing more firmly against hers, savoring the softness—the innocence.

His heart pounded against his ribs.

What am I doing?

But he couldn't stop.

His hands moved to cradle her cheeks, thumbs stroking the soft skin beneath her eyes.

She was perfect.

She was his.

And in that moment, Kazuya realized something.

Something terrifying.

Something exhilarating.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

His breath was shaky, uneven.

"I love you… Minami."

His forehead rested against hers, his hands still cupping her cheeks.

"I need you."

He swallowed hard.

"I want you."

His chest ached with the weight of his emotions.

"I want to be your one and only."

His hands trembled.

"Forever."

The words left him in a whisper—so quiet, yet so powerful that they felt like a binding vow.

He exhaled shakily, closing his eyes.

Then—

He kissed her again.

This time, he didn't hold back.

His lips parted against hers, his tongue slipping inside, deepening the kiss into something far more intimate.

His hands roamed her body, feeling every curve, every softness that made her her.

She was warm.

She was intoxicating.

And he was falling.

Falling deeper than he ever thought possible.

By the time he pulled away, his breathing was ragged.

His hands trembled.

His lips tingled from the intensity of the kiss.

He stared down at her, his mind spinning.

What have I done?

His fingers brushed over her lips again, swollen from his touch.

His heart pounded.

I love her.

Not as a brother.

Not as family.

But as a man loves a woman.

Kazuya's eyes darkened.

And maybe—maybe that truth had always been there, buried deep inside him, waiting to be realized.

But then—

Guilt.

It slammed into him like a wave, suffocating him.

His lips parted as a whisper escaped.

"I'm sorry…"

His grip on her tightened.

"I'm sorry… that I never told you the truth."

His breath hitched.

"I'm not your real older brother."

The words felt heavy.

But he had to say them. Even if she wasn't awake to hear them.

"I'm sorry that you have to live with this curse."

He clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry that no one sees how beautiful you are."

His body trembled.

"I swear, Minami… I will destroy those three girls."

His eyes glowed with a dark promise.

And as he held Minami closer, he knew—without a doubt—

That he would protect her.

No matter what.

Even if it meant destroying everything in his path.

Even if it meant losing himself.

Because Minami was his.

And he would never let anyone hurt her again.

---

The room was silent except for the faint sound of Minami's steady breathing. Kazuya lay beside her, his arms wrapped around her, as if afraid that even in sleep, she would slip away. Her warmth against him was soothing, her scent intoxicating, filling his every sense with something beyond mere affection—something deeper, something consuming.

She had fallen asleep nestled in his arms, completely vulnerable, trusting him with everything she had. And that trust made Kazuya feel like the worst kind of person.

Guilt.

It clawed at his chest, whispering cruel things into his mind.

She had come to him, believing in her older brother's protection, seeking comfort in the only arms that had ever made her feel safe. She trusted him blindly, unaware of the dark thoughts lurking in his mind.

Because the truth was, Kazuya wasn't just her brother. Not really. And he wasn't just protecting her.

He wanted her.

The realization twisted inside him, a conflict so deep it made him tremble.

Minami thought his love was that of a doting older brother, but he knew better. Every time he saw her, every time she smiled at him, every time she held onto him like he was her entire world—his heart ached in a way it never had before.

No other woman had ever made him feel this way. When he walked through campus, when girls flirted with him, when he saw beauty in its purest form—none of it compared. Nothing made his heart race the way Minami did.

Maybe it was because of the curse that hid her true face from the world. Maybe it was because, deep down, he knew no other man would ever come near her, that she would always belong to him and him alone.

And that thought…

That dark, possessive thought should have disgusted him.

But it didn't.

Kazuya swallowed hard, gripping the sheets beneath him as his crimson eyes flickered in the darkness. The white of his sclera turned pitch black, his vision sharpening, his instincts roaring to life. His body responded to the hunger rising within him, the part of himself he had denied for so long—the vampire within.

He was a half-vampire—an anomaly that defied the natural order. A being who had conquered both the brilliance of day and the shadows of night. Neither human nor monster, yet stronger than both. In the history of mankind and vampires alike, none had ever matched his power.

His fangs elongated, pressing against his lower lip, the urge nearly unbearable.

He had fought this for so long.

He had refused to drink from her, to take what he desperately craved.

And now, with her pressed so close, her warmth seeping into his very soul, Kazuya could no longer resist.

Slowly, carefully, he leaned in, his breath ghosting over her delicate skin. His lips hovered over her neck, the faint pulse beneath her skin calling to him like a siren's song.

I love you, Minami.

The words never left his lips, but they echoed in his mind as he finally, finally gave in.

His fangs pierced her skin effortlessly.

A sharp inhale. A shiver ran through her sleeping form.

Then, warmth.

The taste of her blood flooded his senses, richer, sweeter, more intoxicating than anything he had ever known. It was overwhelming, sending a rush of euphoria through his body, a pleasure so deep it nearly brought him to his knees.

He drank deeply, savoring the intoxicating warmth of her blood as it flowed over his tongue. Nothing else in the world compared to this—no other blood had ever tasted so rich, so perfect. It had been years since he had relied on others to sustain himself, his body rejecting anything that wasn't her.

Minami's blood filled the void within him, quenching a thirst that nothing else could. He was careful, measured, ensuring he took just enough without leaving her weak or drained. His hands instinctively roamed over her back, holding her close, grounding himself in her presence as his senses drowned in the overwhelming pleasure of her taste.

But even as the hunger urged him to take more, he forced himself to stop.

This was Minami.

His Minami.

And he would never hurt her.

His free hand ghosted over her back, feeling the soft rise and fall of her breath, the way her body instinctively pressed closer to him, even in sleep. She trusted him completely, even in this.

It was both beautiful and terrifying.

Minutes passed, the hunger subsiding, replaced by something far more profound. He pulled away, fangs retracting, his breath heavy as he gazed at her sleeping form. A thin trail of blood lingered on his lips, a reminder of what he had just done.

He raised his hand, wiping the crimson away, his fingers trembling.

His chest ached with conflicting emotions—relief, guilt, desire, devotion.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch lingering.

She looked peaceful, her face relaxed in sleep. And to him, she was beautiful.

Not the cursed visage the world saw.

Not the hideous mask that kept others away.

No—he saw her as she truly was.

An angel. A fairy. A goddess.

His.

Kazuya exhaled, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. A silent promise.

A vow.

He would lift this curse one day. He would destroy anyone who had ever hurt her. And he would never, ever let her go.

His fingers traced her cheek, and without thinking, he whispered, "I love you."

Not as a brother. Not as a protector.

But as a man.

A man who had found the one person in this world he could never live without.

Minami stirred slightly, murmuring something in her sleep before nestling even deeper into his arms.

Kazuya smiled bitterly.

She thought he had meant it in a sibling way.

She would never know how much deeper those words truly ran.

Or perhaps… one day, she would.

---

END OF CHAPTER : 7 : HALF VAMPIRE!