Haikyuu Creature Collection

Sunlight 2 (Morisuke Yaku)

His friends are an interesting bunch. As far as I can remember, I've never had friends quite like them... Yaku... he's very lucky to have such good friends.

The minute they see me with him, they question it. Can't exactly blame them. They're all adults and here Yaku appears with a girl who looks like a high schooler... they'd be crazy to not question it.

After questions have been answered, everyone settled down and did... whatever it was they'd planned on doing. I wasn't really included in most of what they were doing... I was an outsider, so I kept to myself and tried to stay away from where the sunlight was coming in through the windows.

"Hey Lev, how are things going with that little girlfriend of yours? You know, the little werefox with the attitude?" I heard the one with messy black hair ask. I'm pretty sure Yaku said that one was Kuroo.

The silver-haired male, who had to be Lev, shrugged. "Same as always... still freaks out anytime I try to touch her..." He didn't seem too upset over it, so I could only assume that he was well aware of what caused that problem. That or he was just that crazy about her.

"You don't get over that kind of experience that easy." All eyes snap to the dark-haired werecat. Pretty sure this was the first time I'd heard him say anything. "They don't like when you fight back, so she probably had it worse than most."

Being an outsider, I have no idea what Fukunaga's talking about. Everyone else seems to understand though. They don't question him... instead they nod like they're all agreeing to some big secret that I'm unaware of.

It's then that Yaku glanced my way, as if suddenly remembering that I know absolutely nothing about their conversation. "You've heard of Collectors, right? Groups of humans who kidnap nonhumans?"

I gave a nod. It wasn't until after I'd become a vampire, but the topic had come up before. Not to mention the stories I'd come across on the internet of people who claimed to have been survivors.

"Fukunaga was with them for a little while. Lev's girlfriend, she goes by Silver, was with them for years... along with this one guy who hangs around Lev's sister." It's not much of an explanation, but it's enough. I don't need any gory details...

Kuroo shrugged. "Not that Collectors matter to you... they won't touch a vampire." The kitsune casts a look my way that makes me want to shudder. He's a bit suspicious of me... and I don't like that one bit.

Vampires were never very well-liked by other nonhumans, as I'd come to learn. Maybe it's because humans were more accepting of them... If these people knew that I was a turned vampire though, they'd surely hate me. Might even call in some vampire hunters.

Kuroo eyed me a bit longer. "Hey, hand me that water bottle over there, would you?" He pointed to a bottle on the counter near where I was standing. Without even thinking, I grabbed it and moved to hand it over. Not thinking was my big mistake.

As I handed it off to him, my hand passed into the sunlight that came from the open window. I can't even hold back the small cry of pain as I released the bottle and jerked my hand back out of reflex.

The kitsune's eyes narrowed. "I thought something was off... you're not a real nonhuman, are you?"

There's no answer that I can give to that. It's clear that he knows... and he's definitely not happy.

I looked down at my hand when the sunlight touched. The skin is a dark red like a really bad sunburn and starting to blister. It was only a few seconds of contact...

"The hell are you doing, Yaku?" While Kuroo turned his glare at my roommate and caretaker, I slipped away to tend to my injury.

It would heal itself in only a few minutes, but it still burned. I turned on some cold water and held my hand under it. The cold helped to numb the feeling and ease the burning sensation... but it did nothing to keep me from hearing. The words from the other room.

"Those things are dangerous and you're living with one?"

"What was I supposed to do? Leave her out there to die?"

"So you'd rather risk having it turn on you and tear you to pieces?"

"She wouldn't do that."

"Things like that aren't natural."

"They'll turn on you as easily as they can look at you."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Their words hurt, but the worst part is, they're true. It's not just Kuroo speaking... and it's not like they're being heartless... it's so far from that... These things... they're being said because they're all worried for Yaku.

By the time my hand has healed itself, they're still arguing over it. I know that Yaku's trying to stick up for me... and that hurts in a much deeper way than anything that the others have said.

I'm not eager to go back out there, so I slip into the guest room where Yaku and I were supposed to stay in. My eyes land on the window and then on some paper on the desk nearby.

(Yaku's POV)

Why do they keep talking about her like she's some kind of monster? An abomination? Can't they see it? She's still a person... doesn't she deserve to keep living?

I know that they're just worried for my safety, but do they really have to be that cruel?

She's not a monster... and if they could see even half of the thing that I see, they would know that.

Like how her face lights up brighter than the sun the minute I walk through the door... Or how she never fails to make meals for me, even though she can't eat normal food... Or the way that she sits with me when I study, never asking for attention or distracting me, just simply keeping me company... Then there's the way she's always trying to keep the apartment perfectly clean and how she makes sure I never forget important dates... She never even complains if I go out with friends or even when I go on dates with some girl... She doesn't even ask me for blood either... I always have to be the one to bring it up...

Kuroo didn't have to lure her out like that... if he would have asked, I'd have told him the truth. We're friends, right? Even if I hadn't said it outright, it wasn't like I was lying about her...

Eventually, the argument died down. It's clear that they're not changing my mind. There's nothing to change. She's not the monster they're thinking she is.

As I glance towards the hallway, I realize that she's been gone a really long time. The burn would have disappeared a while ago... and while I can't blame her for wanting to avoid the fighting, I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right.

When I go to check on her, she's not there. All I find is an open window... and a note.

I'm sorry.

Ever since we met, I've always been nothing but a burden to you, and that's not fair. You've been so kind to me... too kind, really. When everyone else would have left me to die, you never gave up on me.

Your friends? They're right, you know. As long I stay with you, you'll be in danger. I can feel that the bloodlust is getting stronger... I didn't want to tell you, because I know you'll just worry... but if I stay, it'll only be a matter of time before I lose control and end up hurting you.

I wish that we could have met when I wasn't a monster. Maybe in another life, things will be different.

I'm sorry for everything... I could never do enough to repay the kindness you've shown me. I hope that you can forgive me.

It's her handwriting. I clench my hand around it and return to the other guys. Some words leave my lips, but I don't even pay attention to what they are... instead, I shoved the note into Kuroo's hands.

There's no doubt that he feels guilty the minute he reads it. That's not what is on my mind right now though, as I move to the front door.

"Where are you going?"

I don't even look back at them as I slide my shoes. "Where do you think? I'm going out to find her."