Red x Eyes

Chapter 3

Slowly, Yuuto unraveled the bandage off his arm. He grimaced when he saw that his wound had recovered without a trace. He still felt uneasy knowing the fact that his life, at some point, was still depended on that thick red liquid. To him, doctor's oath was something he needed to keep even when he was no longer a human.

No longer a human. His jaw tightened remembering how he wanted to hate those who put him in this "predicament" had he not found people who were also turned against their will. Although, he was still grateful that he could still live his somewhat normal life, he still hadn't met any Abstain who also happened to be a Daywalker.

Are consumers the only ones who could stay being Daywalkers?

He took a glance on the empty blood bags on the table, thinking how many hours had passed since he took those. Taking a deep breath, he decided to leave the room, bringing the empty bags along to ask where to dispose them.

"Excuse me, Aria...-san?" He called. "May I ask where to dispo—" he stopped when he saw Aria sleeping on the table. Judging from the pile of manuscript and the state of her laptop, she seemed to fall asleep in the middle of working, but there was something else that caught Yuuto's attention. He walked closer to the table as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake her up by accident, while keeping his eyes on the note next to her arm.

Strays...? Potential ambush locations? He thought. Just as he was getting suspicious, a voice echoed inside his head.

"I'll help you track those Strays and call it even."

He massaged his temple. It was something he happened to overhear this afternoon, and apparently, she was pretty damn serious. On one side he was glad he overheard it, but on another... he wasn't sure if he was supposed to know all these, or whether she was already aware of his capabilities.

He shifted his gaze at her, being at loss for words as he knew that what she'd done was beyond reckless. "You could've just left me alone, you know? I know you mean well, but even to this extent...," he gently rustled her hair. "Have you no sense of danger at all?"

He glanced at the only wall clock in Aria's apartment. "Can't believe it's already this late, and seeing all these scribbles... I'm willing to bet you even forgot dinner," he muttered as he stood back up. He then walked to the fridge, trying to check if there was something she could eat.

I wonder if she'll eat it, he thought to himself.

***

Aria blinked. Once. Then twice.

"Good sleep?" Yuuto asked before handing her a glass of water. She took a quick glance at him before taking the glass and slowly drank the water.

"Can't believe I dozed off," she said. "I haven't even started my own works yet...."

"Is it about tracking whatever you two were talking about this afternoon?" He cautiously asked.

"How—" Aria stopped in her track. "Right, you must've overheard it."

"Only partially," he said with guilt in his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, but...."

"No, it's alright," she replied. "Though, knowing how you'd react, I wish I could keep this from you."

"You're awfully honest, aren't you?" he said bluntly.

"I think I'm just a terrible liar," she said. "Not telling something, however, is a different matter. Not that I'll tell you, though."

"Well, whether you want me to know or not, if you're going to work on it...," he placed a plate of yaki udon on the table, "You'll need to fill up first."

"...Huh? Why?"

"You're seriously asking why you need to eat?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Not that, but... why all the trouble...?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing with the blood supplies," he replied. "You said that you quit being a hunter, yet you went through the trouble of asking some from them, for me. And don't you dare say it wasn't the same thing."

"...yet another argument I can't win...," she pulled the plate toward her. "Whatever. Itadakimasu."

His hand slightly twitched when he heard that phrase, while his mind started drifting away. Apparently his behavior was pretty obvious that even her took notice of it.

"Are you... alright?" She asked, setting her chopsticks down. "Wakaba-san?"

He snapped back when he heard her calling his name. "Yeah, sorry. It's just...," he sighed, "it's been a while since I heard anyone else saying that... itadakimasu."

"...homesick much?" she asked as she picked her chopsticks back up, about to have a mouthful of udon.

"Quite a bit, yeah," he gave a slightly sad smile. "Anyways, eat up. I also made curry for tomorrow, though you might already notice."

Just as he said it, her chopsticks stopped moving. Yuuto, whose emotions had just settled, was starting to worry again as he noticed her sudden lack of movement.

"Do you not like it? The udon?" he asked.

"Oh, no! That's not it. The udon is actually good. It's just...," she trailed off. "Should I start calling you Sensei instead?"

Her seemingly out-of-nowhere question made him chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't mind either way. Although, I guess being called Sensei feels a little out of place here...."

"Jordan might just start calling you Doc before we know it," she laughed.

"We'll see to it," he said, turning the stove off. "So, curry's done. Just needs some reheating tomorrow morning if you like, or maybe you can sneak a bite in the meantime. Fine with me," He shifted his gaze to Aria who was taking another mouthful of udon.

"I'll wash it later," she said, giving him a quick glance.

"You can just leave it at the sink. It's not like there's much for me to do," he said as he walked away from the counter. "You go focus on whatever that is, and I'll handle the rest."

"But...."

"No buts," he interjected. "It's the least I can do. Stop trying to tackle all things at once."

"Says the ER doctor who was rarely at home," she said jokingly.

Yuuto stiffened at her words, and some good moments passed before she noticed his reaction. She bit her lip, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have said that last sentence.

"Sorry, Wakaba-san," she said, unable to look at him. "I really shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry about it," He said, gently ruffling her hair. "Don't stay up too late, alright?"

"No promises, though."

"Oh, don't forget to wipe your glasses. You might've made some mistakes with glasses that dirty," He said jokingly.

"Hey! They're not that dirty!" She replied.

But Yuuto already disappeared into the bedroom. She exhaled a deep breath, before taking her glasses off to wipe them.

Isthis... really okay? She thought.