Wolf Spree is a tale of a young girl named Kaori who has a past that refuses to be suppressed. What does her past hold and how will that affect those around her? Explore how lies and deceit turn into a tale of love and lust after meeting a charming...
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I had no time to respond as I began to run toward my room. Takuma , to my surprise, had not wasted any time and remained by my side. I looked at him, confused as to why he was continuing on with me though he had no idea what I had deduced in my mind to cause such a reaction.
"Kaori, what's wrong?"
I could see him facing me though I continued to focus on what was in front of me.
"Kaori, it's too dangerous to run around like this at night! Please, slow down!"
The words 'slow down' echoed through my mind, dominating the sound of our hurried footsteps. Takuma reached out his hand in an effort to attain mine and pull me into submission of his request. The moment that his hand touched mine, I could feel my body slow down from a run to a trot and a full stop very soon after. We had both stopped running, which had probably calmed him more than it had me.
Takuma stood by my side and looked at me once more.
"Kaori?"
"You wouldn't understand," I replied. "Honestly, I don't even understand." I was looking down at the ground, ashamed for how I had presented myself to Kaname's dear friend. Had I not cried earlier, I would have surely cried now. Takuma made his way in front of me. His movement allowed me to remember that he was still holding my hand , and I had unwittingly been holding his. It was both comforting and anxiety inducing.
"Running off won't help if you don't have a plan."
He was right. Rushing wouldn't help me feel any better. And I could miss more information if i'm in a panic.
"Shall we continue to campus?" he asked. His smile mesmerized me. I was still a bit worried, so I couldn't force a smile back, but I took in as much of the moment as I was able. He waited patiently for me to continue walking so I did. I was eager to reach the room at this point, not to discover Yuki's location, but to lessen the burden that I had inevitably bestowed upon Takuma.
Successfully reaching the campus made my anxiety increase. The eeriness of the campus at night time frightened me. I felt drawn to the darkness, yet afraid of it at the same time. Darkness offered new hope of the unknown, but the unknown was also scary.
Reaching my room was the only thing that offered comfort from all of the emotions that I had felt throughout the night, some of which I had never felt before. I fumbled with my keys and ended up dropping them before finally making a successful attempt to enter the quiet room. Yuki was not inside as I had hoped. I turned around to immediately begin searching for her but bumped into Takuma instead. I had forgotten that he was standing so near me. He looked at me with a worried expression.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to find Yuki. Something doesn't feel right."
"Kaori, you still don't have a plan. And it is extremely dangerous to run off again this late at night. I promised Kaname I'd look after you and make sure that you are safe and I wouldn't be true to my word if I let you go out there again tonight."
I wondered if I should care about his situation. I didn't ask to be babysat, but I was glad that Kaname cared enough to have someone ensure my safety.
I sighed.
I made my way over to my bed instead. Takuma looked relieved though he was the only one to obtain such a feeling.
"Can I ask you something?"
I was surprised that he still insisted on speaking with me though I had proven to be awkward and mostly unresponsive. I wanted to say no.
"Sure."
"Are you really, okay? Kaname seems to be very worried about you."
I didn't want to be reminded of the thoughts that had taken me to such a sad place earlier in the night. I contemplated telling him the truth but refrained.
"I just needed a walk. I wasn't tired so I thought that the exercise would tire me out by nighttime."
He was not satisfied with my answer, and I could tell. What was I to tell him? That I had become a burden on everyone that I love after an accident that I had no control over and that I have been pushed away by my family ever since? That I was lonely to the point of telling a stranger everything about who I am just to feel like I have a friend? Or that I was so desperate for company that I let a stranger that I had only met moments ago into my room to talk about my day? All of my truthful options were pathetic, and I realized it. Saving him the trouble of getting caught up my mess was my gift to him for being so kind thus far.
"I realize that we have only just met, but I want you to know that you can trust me Kaori. If you'd like to talk, I'm here."
I didn't want it to come to this, but the truth was slithering up my throat like a fierce snake. I wanted to trust him, and I felt I could with Kaname's faith on his resume, so I allotted him a bit of my simple yet sad truth.
"I didn't plan on leaving really. And I have never been one to go off alone, but honestly, I guess that when I left, I was hoping to find....".
"Answers?" He asked.
"No." I hesitated but decided not to hold back. "Someone," I replied.
The room fell silent. This was the first time since our meeting that I felt that Takuma couldn't find a response to lighten the mood. I excused myself from the bed and stared out of the window. There was little to see beyond the darkness of night but I found that looking into it revealed a faint reflection into the room. Takuma seemed to be thinking. I rushed to think of something to change the subject so that I wouldn't have to reveal any more of myself to him this night. I noticed movement in the darkness and shifted my focus. It was Yuki. She was walking with Zero towards the dorm entrance.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
I assumed that my demeanor had changed upon discovering the duo in the distance. If he were to remain here much longer, I would soon be telling him all about myself. As much as I wanted someone to do that with, I wanted someone that I knew would remain a friend afterward more and I was still unsure about him.
There was little time for me to continue with my thoughts. I had to consider what I would say to Yuki and Zero once they arrived. Should I say anything at all? Maybe I should just accept all that is happening with peace. It is not as though I had been in control of my life prior to this situation anyway. I crawled into my bed while Takuma stood waiting. I offered him a seat on the side of the bed. He accepted and waited quietly. It felt odd to have him sitting there waiting for whatever reason, but I did feel very safe.
I began to wonder what my next move should be with him there besides me. Although I felt safe, I also felt a bit trapped. I wasn't sure if Takuma was someone that I would be seeing again or if this was our only time together. I needed to know that I could trust him.
He sat patiently on the bedside. There was a silence growing between us that felt natural and comfortable. It was more of a peacefulness than an awkwardness- the latter being what I most expected. I could feel myself becoming increasingly sleepy as the silence persisted, however, I did not want to miss this opportunity to create a connection with someone new. What should I do?
