“Yo Recca, is Kurei there?” Raiha fumbled with his phone cord as he awaits Recca’s response from the other line.

“Nope, sorry Rai. Any message?”

“OK, I just want to ask him if he wants to go with one of our classmates for the University Snowball… He’s not good with getting’ dates y’know…” said Raiha.

“You mean you’ve never heard that he is going out with someone?” Recca said thinking how can Kurei’s best friend not know?

Raiha raised his brows, “What do you mean going out with someone?” as soon as what Recca said sunk in, his voice went up a few decibels, “Who? When and Where??! He never told me, man!! This sucks! I tell him all the chicks I go out with and look what he does! Come on Recca, who?”

“You never knew he was going out with Michiru? They are going out for exactly 2 weeks now or something… I’m not sure.. maybe 1 and a half weeks that’s why he’s usually not home y’know.” Recca explained.

Raiha thought for a moment… “as in Michiru Kaioh?”

“Yeh.”

“Oh my god!!!” Recca laughed at Raiha hearing how shock he was. “what you laughing at, kid? I mean man that was a big blow! I never thought that those two you know man… I don’t think they mesh!”

“Rai, oh so, what my brother says is true… for a guy you sure react weird about gossip… anyway, Rai-man I gotta jet… I’ll tell my bro ‘bout your offer… talk to ya later! Peaceout!”

Raiha placed his phone down and thought for awhile. ‘Kurei, you are hurting yourself again, man… I hope you know what you are doing… you killed her boyfriend two years ago… you’d also be hurting her…’

@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@

“What do you think would is better Kurei? This one or that white one?” Michiru asks as she decides for her dress to the Snowball.

“You are…” Kurei shakes his head out of his trance, “what were you saying?”

Michiru giggled and blushed. “Kurei, which one? Blue or White? Ooohh!!! Look at that lavender one!!.. “

Kurei shakes his head, “Come over here and let me see… hhmmmm… the white one, I think… but the blue one also looks good one you… so does the lavender one… wanna do an eenie-minnie-miny-moe on this?”

Michiru giggled again, “Kurei, honestly. Which one?”

“Really, they all look great on you… but I think the white one is the best. Ok, I go with the white one.” Said Kurei.

“Great! C’mon let’s go…” Michiru kissed Kurei’s cheek and took his hand as they walked over to the cashier.

*************

“Well, here we are!” Kurei stepped out of the car as he opened the passenger door for michiru.

They stood there for a while, gazing at each other as if every moment they have to say good night would be their last night. Kurei tilted Michiru’s face as he brings his lips down for a soft, gentle and sweet kiss. Michiru placed her arms around his neck as they deepen it. Kurei pulls Michiru closer as they ended their kiss. Michiru gazed back at him.

“Good night, Kurei.” She tilted her head again as Kurei brought his lips down for a good night kiss.

“I’ll see you, OK? Sweet Dreams.”

“Yeh, you, too OK? Sweet Dreams.” Michiru went in their house as Kurei went back to his car.

@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@

Kurei silently entered their house. He tiptoed to his room because he didn’t want to wake anyone up.

As soon as he reached his room, he quickly dialed Michiru’s phone number, hoping to hear her voice before he goes to sleep. ‘Man, I’m never this crazy over a girl before…’

“Hello?”

“Michiru… Sorry if I distur—“

“KUREI!!!! No, it is OK… I’m not sleeping yet… I’m not sleepy yet…” Kurei could hear her giggle in the background.

“Well, I want to hear your voice before I go to sleep… so yeh, are u sure it is OK?”

“Okay, I love talking to you, seeing you, holding you, kissing you, I dunno… everything with you?” she giggled again.

Kurei smiled, “Yeh, me too. I can’t wait for the Snowball. I can’t wait to see you in that dress.”

“Okay… Are you excited? Our first dance together… I know, I sound like a lil schoolgirl… I’m just happy.”

“Me too… I love you.”

Everything seemed to be on mute by now… Kurei’s heart was still beating like crazy…

“I love you, too, Kurei…”

“Well, I guess you have to go to sleep now… it’s pretty late.”

“Good Night Kurei. Sweet Dreams.”

“Well, I always have sweet dreams, now that I have you. Good Night, alright? Sweet Dreams.”

“Bye.”

Kurei placed the phone down on his night stand. He lied down on his bed just thinking. He reached for his table lamp and turned it off. ‘Oh well, there’s still tomorrow to wait for…’ He snuggled deeper under his blankets and slept peacefully.

@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@

The blue flame engulfed Mark Takameda. “Mark!! NO! Don’t die, don’t leave me. Please I love you so much.” A girl with green haired said. She held him in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

‘I’m sorry I have to do this… young lady… if I don’t…’ I walked away, with a look on my face… a look even I don’t know what means. Was it guilt? Or Pleasure? Pleasure of seeing someone die by me… seeing someone’s love die because of me… Just like what happened to Kurenai… Guilt? Why guilt? Because I did something that even I wouldn’t want to happen to me again..?

I walked and walked… where? I don’t know… I don’t care… I maybe on a beach of some kind… I see the once peaceful sea rage as I passed. As if mourning for someone’s loss… raging mad, the waves crash on the shore…

********

We dance slowly… I’m holding on to her because I know I am falling fast. Falling really fast. Her scent makes me go crazy as if it is some love potion… I don’t know. I felt her head on my shoulder. I want to tell her… but will she feel the same way? I don’t know… maybe she feels the same way… maybe not…“Michiru, I think I am falling in love with you… even though I only got to know you better today… I don’t know… I really think I am…” there I’ve said it… I’ve done it… I LOVE HER… ever since the day I killed a part of her soul… I probably didn’t know I was already in love with her before I met her just weeks ago… I don’t know… I wouldn’t know…

********

Where am I now? I looked around me. Men in their tuxedos, women in their dresses… ‘Probably a formal occasion of some kind, but what am I doing here?’ I saw my best friend Raiha carrying drinks to a table. “RAIHA!” I called. He didn’t look at me, I was sure my voice was loud enough for him to hear. ‘hmmm’

Behind me, I heard a familiar giggle. ‘Michiru…’ There she is standing with this guy who looks exactly like me… wearing the dress I bought for her this afternoon… ‘Wait a minute… ‘ I looked up and I saw little decoration snowflakes floating above me… I glanced at the stage to see “Welcome to Tokyo University’s SNOWBALL!”

‘SNOWBALL??! But…’

I looked around for my counterpart and michiru… I saw them walk out to the balcony of the hotel’s ballroom and I followed them, they didn’t stop there… they continued walking till they reached a secluded part in this garden. I didn’t go near them, I don’t really want to hear what they’re conversing about… after some time of waiting, I heard Michiru’s scream. I rushed to where they were and I saw my counterpart laying on top michiru probably covering her from something because I see his arm is bleeding. ‘Bullet…wounds… but I didn’t hear the gunshots…’ I saw the “other” Kurei wince as another bullet hit him on the same arm. He tried to stand up and raised his left arm… My eyes grew wide as I realized what’s going to happen. “NO!!!”

A blue flame shot out of his left arm, aimed at a person hiding in a tree. Michiru’s eyes grew wide in shock of the discovery… “NO!!! Not you!”

@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@

Kurei woke up with a start. He was breathing hard and sweating from a nightmare.

“Kurei, honey, are you okay?” Kurei looked up as Kagerou handed over to him a glass of water.

Kurei took the glass but immediately handed the glass back to kagerou. “I’m okay, Mom. Just a nightmare.” He shook his head. “Mom, does dreams tell you what will happen in the future?”

Kagerou thought for a while. “Sometimes they do. Why do you ask?”

Kurei shook his head. “Naw, just asking. Anyway, thanks, g’night.”

“Okay, sleep tight. Do you want me to put a pitcher of cold water over there for you?” Kagerou said as she stood up, getting ready to leave.

“um, Sure, thanks.”

Kurei stared at the ceiling as he thinks about his dream ‘She will find out one way or another… I won’t be able to do anything about it…’ His eyelids begins to close as he is soon lost in deep sleep.

************

‘Where am I? What am I doing here?’ I looked around the palatial house in front of me… Wherever this place is, this is far from where I live. I stared at the door in front of me… I walked over and knocked, but I can’t my hand went through those large wooden doors. ‘Am I dead? C’mon Michiru, you gotta be joking yourself… but MY HAND WENT THROUGH THOSE THICK DOORS LIKE THAT!!! Oohh boy…’ I tried it again, and again… the same. ‘Might as well sneak in.’

‘Wow’ I thought. I looked around the large room, looking at the exquisite paintings and the sculptures. I was going to walk up the staircase leading to the 2nd floor when I heard voices.

“Mokuren! Master Mori Kouran wants a word with you.”

“Yes, yes. I know. I’m coming.”

As soon as those voices are gone I went out of my hiding place, but I have to go back in again because now I heard footsteps.

“Where’s my father?!” a voice demanded.

“Master, your father is still having a word with Mokuren…”

“I DON’T CARE IF HE IS HAVING A WORD WITH THAT MOKUREN, I NEED TO TALK TO HIM NOW!”

“Master Kurei—“

“Did he keep his side of our agreement? Where’s my mother?”

“I have no idea, sir, I—“

“Of course, you’ll have no idea. That’s why I need to talk with my FATHER NOW!”

“Yes, Master.”

‘kurei???…’ I stayed in my hiding place for awhile until the coast was clear. I tiptoed up the stairs and followed the voices.

“Master Kurei, you might want to wait a little longer after they finish their conversation they—“

Kurei looked at the servant. “I’ll do what I want to do and I don’t care about you. I need to talk to my father now and that’s what I’ll be doing!”

I saw Kurei go in one of the giant oak doors. I peeked in and noticing that the people in there can’t see me, I walked in.

“Kurei! What are you doing here! What do you want?” a guy with ugly bug eyes said.

“I’ve kept my part of the deal. Where’s my mother. I’ve killed—“

************
 

Michiru woke up. ‘Weird dream.’ She stood up and tiptoed to the fridge downstairs. ‘hmmm… I wonder who those other people are and why Kurei is in that mask…… Oh my god! Nah… but Kurei said he did kill someone… Nah Kurei is so nice and sweet how can he kill someone? … Mark…’

Silence filled the room. Michiru shakes her head and silently scolds herself that how could she think Kurei would kill Mark.

‘Oh well tomorrow will be another day.’ Michiru got her glass of water and went back to sleep…