Chapter 10

'To think that she would avoid me after what happened.'

Takeshi heaves out a sigh as he walks through the school hallway, looking for his mark-bearer brunette. It's been a couple of days since he transferred and told her that he bears his mark and she's been ignoring him ever since.

"Well, it's like I was not expecting this. This was to be expected, after all, I did that without her consent at all. Instead of being thankful that she helped me, I made her my mark-bearer. Now I kind of feels bad." The ravenette whispers the last part, feeling guilty about marking her without her consent.

'This is actually a first for me. I don't get usually get drawn by blood that much and even if I do, I could keep it under control. But hers was kind of different. It was... sweet, very sweet.'

He thinks to himself, trying to ignore the thought of how sweet she smelled.

'I can just smell her still, the scent still lingers on me.'

"And it's tempting me a little to have that sweet blood again..." He shakes his head, dismissing the idea.

"I should probably go talk to her." Takeshi murmured as he resumes looking for her. But then he remembers, he doesn't know her that well to know where her favourite places were.

His face falls slightly in disappointment but he pushes forward with determination. He has to talk to her at least once, even if they won't end up being friends like he hoped they would be. And hoping that she would at least listen to him since they're bound by his mark.

After searching around for almost ten minutes, Takeshi gives up and goes back to his classroom, heading towards his seat so he could wait until lunch's over and see her, taking out his phone, and watching some videos to pass time, plugging his earphones.

But then he remembers something causing him to snicker before a wide smile made its way into his lips as he stands up from his seat and leaves the room.

I could've just tracked her, yet I still searched around the school for her. Ah, what an idiot." Takeshi chuckled to himself before his eyes turned red.

**********

"So that's all." Tomoko said, standing in front of Yoshito's table, a few sheets of paper in her grasp before putting it down on his table. Yoshito took the papers, opening them carefully before reading over what they contained.

"I see, mh-hm. Thank you, Tomo." He sent a smile at Tomoko who just nod her head in response.

"If there won't be anything else, I'll take my leave, excuse me." The brunette bow her head a little before turning around on her heels, walking toward the door and placing a hand on the doorknob when she heard him call her name causing her to halt in her track.

"Yes?" Turning her head around and meeting his orange eyes, she replied nonchalantly.

"Can I ask you something?" Yoshito asked softly while folding the paper and putting it back inside a folder with some other papers.

"Sure, I guess." Tomoko responds, not bothering to fully turn around to properly face him, hand still placed on the doorknob.

"You and Nishimoto... seems to be close with each other. Do you two know each other before?" Yoshito ask. Tomoko remained quiet for a moment, thinking about it deeply before finally answering the question he asked.

"Well... I guess you could say that, sort of." She shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. After a brief pause, before she speaks again.

"Why are you asking?" Tomoko doesn't know what came to her mind when she ask him that. But at the very back of her mind, a small part of her was hoping for something. Hoping that he might tell reciprocate her feelings. Hoping that he will confess his love for her instead of someone else.

But still, she knows it's impossible. But hey, it's not a bad thing to hope, well if you set aside the disappointment when it won't cam true, then it's not a bad thing at all.

Yoshito didn't answer her right away, choosing to let the silence fill up the air between them, making her uncomfortable and awkward. Eventually, though, he did respond to her question.

"It's... It's nothing, it's just that... you two, for me, look good together." A sound of something breaking reached the brunette's ears as she froze in her place. Her gaze never left Yoshito as the taller male continued to speak.

"You and Nishimoto seem to share a mutual bond. I'm sorry if I overstep any boundaries, but it's kinda hard not to since he would always stick to you and look for you when you're nowhere to be found." He explained, smiling warmly at her while Tomoko felt like she was going to cry. Her heart began to ache painfully at his words.

'What were you hoping for? For your feelings to be reciprocated? Hah, how unrealistic. That would never happen, now why'd you even try?'

There's that voice again, the bitter and ruthless voice that's torturing her for as long as she could remember. Tomoko knew that it would always be there, telling her to stay away from him. But she couldn't help it, she wanted to stay next to Yoshito no matter what happens.

No matter what he would do, or say. She just couldn't bring herself to stay away. Not when she was already in love with him. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the door behind her open and the sweet voice that is too familiar to her reaching her ears.

"Hello, president. I've already submitted the documents at the faculty office and they give another stack in return." Yuko forced a smile despite the exhaustion written all over her face.

"I see... They sent more." Yoshito chuckled before it was replaced with a sigh.

"Thank you, Yuko-san. You've worked hard." He smiles at the white hair.

"Not at all, I'm just doing my job as the secretary."

She smiled back, but there was still a hint of what seemed to be disdain in her eyes before it disappeared immediately. Tomoko watch their interaction in silence and couldn't help but feel envious of it.

Of course, she couldn't stand Yoshito being happy with someone else, especially Yuko. If she had a choice, she would rather have Yoshito happy than anybody, of course, together with her. But unfortunately, she has no such option.

Letting out a shaky breath, Tomoko tries her best to keep her tears at bay. Maybe, if she just ignores him, he'll forget that she even exists. And as much as she dislike the idea, she finally made up her mind.

To ignore him as much as possible. To keep her distance. That way, she might just be able to save herself from more pain by losing her love interest for him.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________