I climbed the stairs─── step by step, and opened the door leading to the snow-covered field. The weather today was really cold.
A normal day in Russia, I hated this weather. Instead of standing, I chose to sit in the corner and warm myself up, using my school mat as a handkerchief.
If I were in the royal world, this small action would probably be considered the act of a commoner. I laughed, amusing myself. Soon after, I was startled to find the woman standing beside me.
What did she want this time?
I threw the mat and started to leave, before she grabbed the collar of my hoodie.
"Don't go."
This time she wore a mask with a terrifying smile. She pulled my hoodie collar tightly, rendering my body helpless.
"I knew you weren't an ordinary human, even though I erased yesterday's memory."
I tried to break free, but it was useless, because a human cannot defeat a Monster.
"What do you want? I have nothing, you perverted monster."
"Monster? Our kind will be offended if you call us that. It might kill you."
He released the collar of my hoodie and let me go. I quickly ran toward the nearest staircase. There were four staircases in one area. I chose the one in the far right corner, even though it was rusty, because it was close and convenient.
I was in such a hurry that I didn't realize the staircase door I was heading for was an emergency exit. Sure enough, there were no stairs behind the door. Was I going to die? No, if I died, I would have experienced the same memory or replica as during those two incidents.
Still, I fell onto the floor far above the laboratory roof, where there was a large crowd below.
I couldn't feel any pain, until a few minutes later when I felt an excruciatingly hot pain in my left knee.
I... couldn't feel my legs. The laboratory roof was round, and I felt my body slipping as if the roof were slippery from rainwater.
It seemed like I was going to fall again. Before that happened, she caught me in her arms. Still wearing that terrifying mask, I felt embarrassed and wanted to leave.
However, my left leg told me that things weren't going the way I wanted them to. This time, I regretted acting without thinking first.
Moreover, she held me too long, as if she wanted to take me to her destination.
"Wow! That girl is like a prince carrying a princess."
"They would be perfect for a school play!"
One of the girls in the lab shouted as she held her cell phone and took a picture of me and this woman.
"Hey! Look at this, our student council president is carrying a man."
"Isn't it adorable?"
—Click
The sound of video recordings and photos continued. I hoped she would leave soon, or at least let me go. But I couldn't walk.
Resignedly, I covered my face in her embrace, feeling embarrassed.
"So cute!"
Be quiet, this is no joke. I really broke my bones.
Suddenly, the woman stepped quickly, carrying me by my shoulders and knees, which were probably broken. She moved towards the health room, it seemed.
The teachers were in a meeting there, leaving us alone in an awkward position. It seemed like I was alone; a monster like her had no feelings.
She stared at me.
I quickly looked away and didn't want to say a word. Even though she saved me, she was the one who caused this situation in the first place.
What was she thinking, really? Making me paralyzed so I would want to talk to her, or maybe every monster makes their prey paralyzed so it tastes better when eaten? Scary.
She took off the mask and placed it on the table, next to his bed. I'm not the type of person who is good at socializing, so even if I want to stay silent for hours, I still don't care.
Well, even though I wanted to know his reason. She immediately got up to leave,
"Wait!"
I pulled her school jacket, maybe too hard....
I pretended to cough and covered my mouth with the hoodie collar before speaking.
"Why? You saved me."
"...."
She didn't answer,
"I said answer me, why didn't you kill me? If you want to terrorize my life, you might as well just kill me."
I was breathing heavily, even though I hadn't been doing anything strenuous. My body was really weak.
"I don't want to kill you, besides, it's troublesome... if I haven't drunk blood, I don't have any strength."
I remember that night when his dark black eyes turned red. At that moment, she also revealed long teeth, or fangs.
I let go of my grip and stared blankly. I clearly remember a creature that sucked human blood, but I forgot what kind it was.
"A vampire."
She answered as if she could read my mind. I replied,
"Why are you targeting me? Just because of my blood?"
I asked the question, even though I actually wanted to ask a thousand questions because one was not enough.
"It's complicated."
"Don't just say it's complicated, you're the one who caused my leg to be like this. At least take responsibility!"
"...."
"Okay, I'm sorry."
I sighed, 'sorry?'. The word sorry wasn't enough to make up for my crippled leg because of him.
"What kind of responsibility do you want? Money, or insurance."
"...."
"However, if it's like this, it means you can't run away. Is that right, orange hair?"
said the woman with short, jet-black hair.
I don't know what kind of question she was asking because it was obvious that I couldn't run away. As for financial matters, I myself was confused, even though there were still many things I wanted to achieve.
However, with my leg broken or possibly fractured, I might not be able to walk for the rest of my life. Without realizing it, I shed tears, drop by drop.
Even though I'm a man, I want to cry. At this moment,
"I'm sorry for scaring you that dark night, Alfrein."
However, her expression didn't show any remorse. Do Japanese people have a habit of calling people by their last names?
"I take full responsibility for today's accident. Do you need me to take you home?"
She stepped forward and placed both hands around my shoulders and lower back. I pushed him away and turned my waist to look at my face in the mirror.
Damn it, my face had turned red.
I did feel my heart racing, but she was the same person who had traumatized me that day. I wouldn't forgive him.
She nodded slowly and with a gesture─── understood.
"I will take financial responsibility for the victim. Is there a parent's number I can contact?"
I remained silent and didn't answer the woman's question.