A Little Twist

Forty-Eight

I'm sorry to cause so much trouble to your mother. Shu is in the garden with Daiki. He changed his diaper and left a note. But how do we go from here? Even if I came clean about it all, she won't just leave with me. 

Risa, who found the note, searches the garden for Shu and Daiki. 

'I'm sorry, I really messed up with your mother.' He kisses his little head. 

Hearing his voice, she heads in his direction. 'Shu?' She finds them in the portal and looks over her shoulder. 'Are we far enough to have a private conversation?' 

'We are,' he nods. I imagine she has questions. 

'Even if you want to leave, how are you planning on finding a job and a house to support us for a while? I don't want to leave Daiki alone for long. So I can't go looking for a job.' She sees Daiki asleep in his arms. 'And where would you take us? We don't have money, no house, and no job. Not to mention, you haven't graduated from school, which would increase the chance of you finding a job. I also like to point out that Reiji will try to apologize to make it up to me. He's bent on taking that DNA test to determine his father. We know better, but I'm in no hurry to tell them. After everything that happened...' 

'I understand, Risa.' He hands Daiki to her. 'I changed his diaper, but he might cry because he's hungry. With that, I can not help him. Unless he doesn't mind the bottle. We'll tell them eventually.' He hugs them both. 'Do you think you can forgive me, after some time?' 

'It will take some time, although, I have no idea how much time.' She looks down where Daiki lies comfortably in her arms. 'Alright, you mentioned you want to leave this place. In order to do so, you need to graduate. Do you intend to graduate this year or the next?' 

One of the few conditions, I can't blame her. 'If that's what it takes to leave this place with you and him, I'll do it. And most definitely this year.' He knows what it means. 'I have a trust fund, which I'll empty and deposit in a different bank. We can buy a house and still have money left.' 

She lifts her head. 'Where would you take us?' 

'As far away as possible,' he answers without hesitation. 'A different continent even, it's the only way to make sure they'll never come looking for us.' 

Her eyes widen. 'You mean like America?' 

'I don't see why not. How is your English?' He kneels in front of her. I guess it's time to take my responsibilities as his father. 'I want to get you and him away from this toxic place. Besides the Mukami brothers, there are also the Tsukinami brothers. They are the Founders, and I don't want anything to do with them. I will leave this life behind when we move out.' 

'It means you will also rely on me. As a vampire, you drink blood, Shu. Don't go biting anyone else but me. We can't risk anyone else finding out about you.' She feels his hand on hers. 

'If you only have three conditions for me, I'll do it. I will graduate this year, and, once we leave, I'll only bite you,' he assures her. 'When we arrive in America and found a place, I will find a job. I want you to stay home as long as you breastfeed him.' 

'Can we also agree on a house with a few bedrooms? Don't expect me to share a bedroom with you.' Am I seriously considering this? 'Hold on, before you answer it, you always seem rather passive that it looks like you have one foot in your grave. Why are you now willing to do this? Will I be alone with him someday, because you don't like the new life? That I will find you dead or something?' You have Daiki, don't tell me that you'll leave us soon. She doesn't know what to expect. 

He shakes his head. 'I will find a way to get three bedrooms. You want your privacy, and he deserves a room.' He laughs. 'I know it sounds weird because it's so out of character for me, but I only want to leave this place. Things will change when it's only about us three.' He takes her hand. 'I promise I won't leave you two.' He looks down at her hand. I need to do a few things and start making arrangements for our new life. 'In order to graduate, I need to go to school. Unlike you, I have no other circumstances to take online classes. Tolerate the others, please, you need protection if the Mukami idiots come back.'