＊S H I R O＊

It's so dark, I couldn't see anything but darkness alone. Something is covering my eyes in preventing me to see the light. However, there is also something else that is pressed against me with great warmth. It's very much pleasing in my comfort.

"Hey Shiro...do you still remember, our promise?"

Promise...? What promise? More importantly, who is this speaking...?

There stood in front of me a little girl with long brown hair that reached her back, she was smiling at me, happily. Unable to speak, I kept quiet, not knowing what she's talking about.

"It seems like you don't, well, it's not so surprising though...nobody remembers me after all."

I tried to open my mouth to speak but words wouldn't come out of my throat,  it seems like my ability to speak has been erased. I couldn't speak.

A lone tear streamed down her cheek as her eyes were still unable to see because of the hair that was covering it. Then she says...

"Please remember...our promise."

My eyes shot open as cold sweat trickled down my forehead, something was wrapped against me as I looked down to see a black cloak around me.

I snuggled in the clock around me as it was warm and I found it pleasing, until I heard someone's voice echoed across the room.

"Are you really going to leave Guren behind?!" that voice...it's Yuu's.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It can't be helped! The vampires are way out of our league...Even Shiro-chan can't beat them!" Another voice yelled as I looked up and saw Shinya-san.

I stood up from the ground I was seem to be sleeping earlier as my back left the wall, the cloak was still on my shoulder, resting.

"What's wrong...?" I asked as all of them looked at me while I rubbed my eye. "Did something happened?"

They seemed to be shocked and somewhat restless, but most of all saddened by something.

"Shiro-chan...you're finally awake!" Shinoa-chan exclaimed as she hurriedly walked up to me.

"Thank goodness." she says while sighing in relief before smiling.

"Huh? Did something happen..?" I asked as I titled my head to the side.

"Shiro...don't you remember anything?" Mitsuba-chan asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

They kept quite as I was in complete confusion, then I looked down and saw both of my gloved hands that was stained by blood.

"W-Why are my hands...stained with blood?!" I asked as I was terrified.

My knees began to tremble as I felt cold, who could have I killed when I was out? What just happened?

"W-Whose blood does this belong?"

I felt an hand tapped my shoulder as I looked up an saw Shinya-san looking so banged up and wounded.

"Don't worry, it's from a vampire." he says as I sighed in relief. Scared of thinking that I killed a fellow human.

If Shinya-san is here...then...

"Where is Guren-san?" I asked.

All of them became quiet without saying another word as I was confused of not knowing anything at all.

"Guren is...taken by the vampires." I turned around and saw Yuu slumped against the wall, broken.

My eyes widened as my heart's beating decelerated while I find it so suddenly difficult to breathe.

"N-No way...Guren-san was taken away by the vampires? Why didn't you told me earlier about it?!"

"How about you, why don't you know anything about it? You were with us during that time." Shinya-san asked.

'I was with them? I-I don't recall anything like that at all...' I thought.

"I-I'm sorry, I couldn't recall anything like that...but if I really was with you, I would surely do my best with my ability to save Guren-san."

Shinya-san patted my head as he smiled at me while shaking his head rather lonesomely.

"You did your best to protect Guren, it isn't your fault...the vampires are just too strong." he says.

'Too strong? That isn't an excuse to give up and retreat...that's cowardly itself.' I thought.

Goshi-san and the others came as they've discussed out next mission while I walked up to Yuu who was still slumped on the ground.

I took off the black cloak around me as I extended my arm and handed his clothe back. "Here, thanks for handing me your cloak."

He didn't replied as he looked down on the ground, lifelessly. He must've been cold by now for wearing only a white polo without an cloak, this abandoned building is pretty chilly.

"Hey Shiro..." he spoke.

"Yes?" I asked softly.

"I'm sorry for being weak, unable to save Guren...all I did was to depend on you to beat those bloodsuckers."

"I-I didn't really do anything at all! I can't even remember what happened, but...it's not your fault, you did your best didn't you? Plus, you're not weak." I said as I put his cloak around him with a smile.

"You're actually strong," I smiled.

He looked at me as his eyes sparkled in great sadness before pulling me by my arm and embraced me in his warm arms as my face rested on his chest.

"You got me..." he muttered as I heard him chuckle.

Blush crept up on my face as my heart was being noisy from being in his embrace, oh...I wonder why my heart is beating so fast when he does this little things such as hugging me?

"If I couldn't save Guren the next 5 hours, I want you to beat me up..."

My eyes widened as I gasped from his conditions, tears began filling my eyes while I shook my head. I can't beat him up. I can't do that.

"If I could save Guren the next 5 hours...give me a kiss on the cheek."

His grip around me tightened as I saw his face heat up from that, I blushed furiously as I dig my face on his chest.

"Got it?" He muttered as I nodded while snuggled in his chest.

Then he stood up as I did the same, I immediately missed his warmth. Why did he had to break the hug so suddenly?

"I just can't work with this team play, sorry. But I'm going back for Guren." he says as he grabbed his pills.

"N-No, please don't do this! Yuu!" I yelled as I began to grab his pill box away from him but he grabbed my wrist and plopped a pill in his mouth.

"Yuu-san! You've taken two pills already!" Shinoa-chan yelled as she ran up to us.

"S-Spit it out, idiot Yuu! You'll die!" Mitsuba-chan yelled as she shook his collar abruptly.

"Shinoa-chan and Mitsuba-chan are right, Yuu! Spit it out!" I yelled.

"What's happening there?!" Shinya-san yelled as Yuu pushed both of the girls away.

"Don't make a big deal out of it. I think I'm actually O—"

A pool of blood stained the ground from his mouth while there also some few droplets of blood streamed down his eyes, it was all red.

"S-Someone...help Yuu!" I screamed as the others turned to us.

"Idiot. Go ahead and join Akaru's squad, we'll join you guys later." Shinya-san said to Goshi-san.

Shinya-san walked up to us while the other squad began to join Akaru-kun's squad. "Make him spit it out!"

Shinya-san, Kimizuki-kun, and Yoichi-kun began gouging Yuu to make him spit out the pill as they were sent back by something black flowing out of him then he screamed in pain before falling on the ground.

I ran up to him as I pressed my ear near his chest to hear his heartbeat, however...I couldn't hear anything.

My eyes widened when I realised I can't hear the thumping in his chest, I began to tremble as I sat up.

"This can't be real..." I muttered as a cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

I began to shake him, hoping he would awoken. "Hey...wake up, Yuu."

No reaction. He just lifelessly lay on the ground as I began to panicked and started to shake him more violently.

Tears began to stream down my eyes as I desperately shook him, wanting to see him awake right now.

"Wake up! Yuu! Don't die on us!"

I continued shaking him as I felt a hand on my shoulder as I looked up and saw Shinya-san shook his head. My eyes widened from his response.

"Stop it, Shiro-chan...don't make things more difficult than it is." he said as if he wanted me to accept that Yuu is now dead.

...As if I could accept such cruelty.

"Yuu is still alive! He's just tired and went to sleep...he'll wake up shortly, I'll wake him up!" I screamed.

"Shiro-chan!" his voice raised as I flinched from this.

"Please...stop this, you're making things further worser." he says.

I turned back to Yuu as I grabbed his hand and gave it an comforting squeeze as tears escaped my eyes.

"Don't leave me alone again..."

To be Continued...