MYSTERY I: Suffocating love And a black cat

After the class, Hikari had asked Kaname to meet her at 3 pm in front of the library. A time when most lectures are over and done with, and the professors are on a clock out. Kaname used the time he was free and leisure well, he met new people and made new friends. Surprisingly a lot of different majors like business and arts also took the same elective subjects as him, self interest? Kaname didn't know. It was a pleasant experience to meet such different people nonetheless.

After grabbing his lunch, the time to meet Hikari had arrived. Kaname headed towards the library after asking some students in passing for directions. From a distance he saw Hikari, standing with her hands crossed over her chest. A very visible frown on her forehead. Before Kaname could call out to her, Kaito had come behind her, holding out a canned coffee for her. “Relax, you'll grow wrinkles like that on your pretty face.” As much as Kaname would love to think Kaito was flirting with her again, he could see the sincerity and concern on his face. Kaito reached out and grabbed her wrist, setting the coffee on her palm. Hikari's features finally softened.

“He didn't run away, Kai. You have to believe me. They took him away! They–” Hikari's words were cut off by Kaito's loud sigh. He ran a hand through his silver hair. “I believe you, Hikie. I really do but what difference does it make?”

Kaname decided it wasn't the right time to interrupt them. Hiding behind the vending machine, Kaname waited for the conversation to end. Was he eavesdropping? Perhaps. Hikari's soft frown turned into a glare, burning with disbelief and anger. “What do you mean?! Someone is in possible life threatening danger and you care about the differences?!”

Kaito’s expression didn't change, still frustrated at the girl's stubbornness. “I don't care about the life of the likes of him. The way he treated you, it's better if he didn't exist in the first place. He is a horrible person and you know it, you're just blinded by your love.” Hikari's anger flared, she knew it wasn't right to argue with Kaito, she knew he was right, she knew that– she felt angry regardless of the facts and gave a light shove, a shove filled with anger nonetheless, earning herself a sarcastic scoff. “What do you know about him?! What do you know anything about us?! What would a guy like you know about love?!”

A beat. There was silence. Kaito’s eyes darkened with a sharp edge, so sharp that it could cut the air like a slab of butter with a heated knife. Hikari realized she crossed the line. She gulped, the look in Kaito’s eyes was something she had never seen before. So- indescribable. Anger would've been easier to recognize in his eyes. Hikari could hear his breathing, consistent and precise, unlike his eyes that forgot to blink and only stared at her with dead calmness that she didn't recall ever seeing before, despite his comforting honey-like scent invading her senses, Hikari felt… confined and frightened, even if a little. Kaito's hands reached out in motion, slow yet sharp. Hikari felt herself frozen to the ground, unable to move away yet her pulse anticipated the precision of his fingers curling in the air, as if he wished to-

“Hi guys, what are you up to?”

A cheered voice called out, Hikari felt her breath returning to her instantly the moment she heard Kaname's voice. He stood there with a smile and a waving his hand. Kaito sighed, retreating his hand back. “Catch you later, Hikie. Don't do anything reckless, I won't come to save your ass if you get stuck somewhere.” With that said, Kaito turned around and walked away without sparing Kaname a glance.

“I didn't ask for your help anyway…” Hikari grumbled, glaring at his fading back. “Sorry about that, I didn't want to interrupt you guys but it felt like it was escalating so I stepped in.” Hikari shook her head at Kaname's apology.

“You did good. I tend to get emotional around Kai. I needed that.” She smiled, a defeated edge to it.

Are they actually close? Just what kind of relationship do they have?

Kaname was curious but found it to be not his place to pry. Hikari took a deep breath, slapping her cheek to snap out of it. “Right! To Senpai we go!”

Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her to face him. “Um I don't think he'll be at the campus now. Most of the students have already left.” Hikari let out a small chortle, pleased to see the confusion on Kaname's face. “That's the thing about Manabe Senpai, he is always staying at the campus. Follow me, you'll see.”

Hikari led Kaname to the far corner of the campus building. The part of the campus that was surrounded by trees as it was closest to the mountains. Kaname's grandmother often told him to be respectful around the forest and mountains as to not be offensive towards the forest spirits and mountain deity. Kaname had always found the forest to be an unfamiliar territory, no matter how much he educated himself about it, it would always be unpredictable in his eyes. He hated going near it, his own personal experiences around forests and mountains weren't the happiest. Just the sight of nearing the slopes put a nauseating feeling at the bottom of his stomach.

The trees would always crowd together, not letting the sunlight reach the soil of the earth, his throat felt dry. The mere sight of the blocked sunlight tightened something around his chest, as if threads of flesh were being squeezed together to burst his heart. It was the same that day too… Kaname shook his head, distracting himself from the thoughts of the past. The nausea didn't fade but he had a grip on his thoughts better than a normal person. Iron will? Perhaps.

Hikari took out an old rusted key. This part of the campus almost seemed abandoned, Kaname could see why someone would want to stay here their entire day. It was as if it was cut off from the outside world. In a sense, it was a barrier between the outside world and whoever that was inside. Kaname followed in the footsteps of Hikari, to his pleasant surprise, though it looked like a horror movie set up from outside, the inside was dusted clean, no sign of moss or fungi on the walls, one could almost call it freshly painted. And yet, the peace it harbored seemed like a debt on one's soul, as if it has come at a price. the bright of the freshness felt like bleach on the skin to please the eye of the prejudice.

Scattered papers and textbooks- news articles on the floor, a small table that was crowded with about five unwashed coffee mugs and a pair of square-framed glasses. Kaname's nose scrunched up in judgement and dislike. The wall was webbed in red wool strings, connecting one pinned article to another. With how crowded it was, Kaname could hardly make out what it was.

“Meow!” The mewls of a feline caught his ears, his eyes following the direction of the sound. There it was, loafing itself on top of a– man? A sleeping man on the couch to be precise. A sleeping man with mint coloured hair. The man grumbled, he did not push the cat away but he did appear to be annoyed. Kaname couldn't help but feel himself be bewitched for a second. The man on the couch was someone Kaname had never met before but just by being in his presence, Kaname knew this man was someone of much wisdom and knowledge. A kind of edge in those dark eyes that contrasted the colours of his head. It was as if….

He's been through something that was unspeakable…

The black cat kneaded it's paws against grumpy man’s chest, the man finally sighed and sat up. “That's enough, Kuro. If you don't plan on sleeping, at least let me sleep–”

“Manabe Senpai!” Hikari called out, cheered up as if she wasn't frowning moments ago.

So this is Yukio Manabe…

Yukio’s eyes shined at the sound of his junior's voice but it vanished as soon as it appeared when he noticed the unfamiliar figure.

“Who allowed you to be here?”

Kaname could've sworn that for a split second he felt as if a cat was hissing at him. If only he knew that Yukio would take just the same amount of effort it takes to earn a cat’s trust.