His Possession - Yuriko's Story: Dark

Dark 01

Two weeks had passed, and Yuriko had somewhat adapted to her new life in Ryoutei Academy. Heaviness still lingered in her muscles and sometimes she struggled to keep her eyelids open during classes but night by night it became easier to stay up.

What wasn't that easy though was getting along with other students. Some of her classmates were rather odd, and she wasn't sure what to think about them. She had also noticed that there seemed to be one who outsmarted everyone.

Mukami Ruki.

Yuriko now knew his name. He seemed to always read books between classes if he didn't leave the classroom and he knew all the right answers too. By now Yuriko was sure there wasn't a subject that was his weakness... which was the polar opposite of her. She had so much catch-up to do. And yet here she was, in the library at lunch break, looking for something to read for fun when she should have been studying and not thinking about anything fun at all.

Yuriko let her fingertips travel along the edge of the shelf while she read the titles from the backs of the books. She didn't know what she wanted to read now, only that she needed an escape from everything that was still spiraling in her life. Somehow, she had thought that everything would have changed for the better now. She had believed that her father would be at home more but that wasn't the case; more like he was around even less, absorbing in his work instead of trying to reach out to Yuriko's mother.

Mom... Why did she leave us? She told me to be a good girl and take care of everything... but I tried that earlier too and it didn't work. She left anyway. I did all I could, but she left us. Why? And why Dad doesn't try to get her back? Where did she go? Why can't she even call me?

Yuriko's eyes stopped at Brontë. She had read Wuthering Heights earlier but maybe that was something she needed again right now. That story was so intense on every level; it didn't let you focus on anything else when you were absorbed between pages. Yuriko reached her hand to grab the book but at the same time, another hand tried to catch it too. It touched hers only briefly, but the coolness made her almost jump.

Yuriko turned around only to meet the familiar steel-blue gaze she had avoided with all her might. Her hand shook as she lowered it. There was no way she wanted to get in the star student's way, drawing the wrong kind of attention to herself.

"I... I'm sorry... You can... take the book, Mukami-san," Yuriko said. Her voice was a mere whisper, and she dared not to look at him again. Her gaze wandered downwards while she was wondering if she should back down completely.

Sure, Yuriko wanted to make friends in her new school, but... Ruki was... one of the cool guys. There was no way she could talk to him or be his friend even though he was the most interesting one. It was curious how nobody made fun of him even though he was always reading those books with heavy topics. But maybe it was because everybody saw him as cool as she did.

When Ruki was this close Yuriko could smell the masculine and captivating scent of his cologne... at least she thought it was cologne, but she had a feeling there was a bit more in that. There was something in the air she couldn't quite explain, a scent she hadn't smelled before, and for some reason, it was intriguing her.

Forbidden thoughts! The worst kind of trouble! I don't need this now!

"Hmm, you do not seem the type of girl who would be interested in gothic romance novels. This book is too dark and depressing for someone so innocent, is it not?" The cold fingers left the book. "But by all means, take the book if that is what you are here for. I have already read it."

Ruki leaned forward, looking Yuriko directly in the eyes, turning her world upside down in mere seconds. The ice pierced her, sending shivers through her body. Star student or not, this young man meant trouble.