Anime/Webtoon Oneshots

Carefree Facade (M21 x reader)

Webtoon: Noblesse
Requested by: @FairyTailGirlFan

(Y/n)'s POV

"Muzaka, you're such a slow poke!"
"Come on, your older brother's getting old," he replied jokingly.

I slowed to a stop as Muzaka casually walked up to my side with no regard for my impatience. Pushing the gates open, I headed inside the school that Frankenstein had established during the time he had spent searching for Rai.

Hooking my fingers around Muzaka's hand, I eagerly pulled him inside, ignoring all the students' hushed whispers and judging stares as we walked towards the building.

"Damn you for being so popular with the girls."
"Hey, don't blame my perfect genetics. Blame yourself for your inability to admit the fact that you're jealous of me," he replied with a smirk.
"Excuse me? Are you-"
"P-please give me an autograph!" a girl exclaimed as she held her book out to my brother.

A carefree smile graced his face as he politely declined her request. The girl nodded in understanding before letting us pass. We ducked inside. I raised an eyebrow at my brother but he just grinned in reply to my question.

"It'll be a hassle if word got out that the lord of the werewolves visited this school," he exclaimed.

I knocked on the door to the principal's office. Frankenstein immediately greeted us with a kind smile as he offered us a seat. Rai met Muzaka's smile with a slight nod, but not without leaving me acknowledged.

A sudden presence heightened my senses. A werewolf...no, something else. Something so artificially like ours yet, it harboured a strange difference. Two humans accompanied the unusual presence, followed by Regis and Seira.

I happily greeted the two as they entered Frankenstein's office. The three men standing behind them took one glance at my brother and I before rigidly looking away. Well, two of them did.

"Yo, I heard that you'd be coming. I'm Tao, boss's one and only skilled hacker."
"I'm Takeo."
"M21."
"Nice to meetcha. I'm (Y/n)."
"Are you a werewolf?" asked M21.
"Yeah, Muzaka here is my older brother and when I say old, I mean old."
"Oi!"
"What? You said before, didn't you? That you were getting older."

Everyone stifled a laugh, making me smile in triumph. He blinked once then twice before laughing himself. His hand ruffled my hair, which made me realise just how much I loved him.

Yet, I could feel a pair of eyes staring straight into my soul. I met M21's gaze before he looked away, much to my surprising disappointment. Muzaka suddenly gave me a big smack on the back, making me stumble forward into M21.

"You moron! What the hell was that for?!"
"Go make some friends. I need to have a talk with Rai," he replied while taking no notice of my irritation.
"Tch."
"Go on, I'm sure Tao and the others will take good care of you," said Frankenstein.

With a sigh, I opened the door and headed outside. The three trailed behind me, almost as if keeping watch for enemies that may harm me because of my lineage.

"You know, I'm not as serious as everyone else. Treat me like your friend, okay?"

I smiled when I looked behind, hoping they'd take the courage I held with my hand. With my easygoing personality, it wasn't difficult to make friends...but it seemed comparable to nothing when tasked with making true friends that valued me like a close family member.

"So Takeo, what do you do?"
"I'm a sniper," he replied.
"And M21?"
"Well, that's..."
"You seem like a werewolf to me but something about you is different, like you're somehow more human."
"We're all...modified humans...from the union," he replied hesitantly.
"Oh."

That was the only dumb answer I could provide. There was no consolidation I could give these men. The union deserved much worse than death and torture...they deserved to go through hell.

"(Y/n), are you okay?" Tao asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Your eyes give it away," M21 exclaimed.
"Oh? I can usually hide my emotions pretty well. I'm surprised you found me out."
"Can you give us a moment alone?"

Tao and Takeo flashed questioning looks his way but acquiesced to his request. They disappeared down the hallway, leaving us alone and as secluded as it could get.

M21's POV

The ferocious anger in her eyes, it was unmistakable. The darkness that had once consumed me was now taking over her seemingly innocent heart. Her carefree attitude seemed to only be a front, a mask to hide the pain underneath.

"What...happened?"
"No big deal. Nothing important."
"If it was nothing important then you wouldn't have shown such anger. You can tell me. I won't judge, you can trust me."
"...Muzaka and I swore not to let it get to us..."

Her frontier broke.

"My friends...our friends...all taken away to be experimented on. None of them survived. We tried so hard to save them...but failed so, so miserably. Their memories were tempered with...they despised the very sight of my brother and I..."

She quickly turned around but I caught the glint of a tear sliding down her cheek. Once she faced me again, the same casual facade overtook her sorrow and pain. She was...hiding behind a wall.

"(Y/n)..."
"Let's go. I'm sure the others are getting bored without us," she said.
"Wait."

She turned around, her innocent eyes searching mine for some kind of clue.

"...why are you trying to hold it in?"
"Because I'd break otherwise. Oh wouldn't that be a strange sight? Muzaka'd freak out," she replied with a laugh.
"Stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop pushing your feelings away! You're hurt! You're angry! So admit it! Don't try to force it away...it's more painful like that..."

The smile disappeared from her pretty face. She stared at me, with no regard for my uncomfortableness. I expected her to wave it off as nothing yet she didn't do that.

Tears brimmed her eyes before sliding down her cheeks. She made no attempt to wipe them away. Her face scrunched up before her soft crying filled the unbearable silence.

"I'm sorry," she exclaimed through tears.

I pulled her into a hug, feeling every shiver and tremble that ran through her body.

"I couldn't save them. I've blamed myself over and over again, never forgiving myself for it. It was so painful..."
"M21."

I looked up at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Thank you. I needed someone to help her...so thank you."

(Y/n) suddenly fell unconscious in my arms, making me realise he had knocked her out.

"She'll become unstable if she stays upset for too long. It's better this way," he whispered, sorrow laced in between his words, "Please look after her for me."
"I will, I swear."