Eternal Melody

Sumire quickly ended the call when she heard a crash in the bathroom.

"Sorry, I have to go." Sumire apologized and ended the call before tossing her phone aside.

Recalling his state from the other day, Sumire frantically got up and walked towards the bathroom door. She knocked a few times and called his name, but there was no reply.

Taking a deep breath, Sumire opened the door.

She first sees the entire room covered in steam, meaning the water must be very warm. Taking a warm shower in the summer? Everybody has their preferences, and yet she already knew something was off. Sumire walked towards the shower.

"San?" Sumire called out.

No response. She yanked the shower curtain open to see him standing under the showerhead with a dazed expression. It did occur to her that he would be naked. But what stood out to her were the scars on his body. Not scars from being tortured but scars from fights.

Ah. Sumire bit her bottom lip, recalling the sight from earlier. So he was with a woman. But it wasn\'t like what she thought. How stupid.

Now that Sano has become a hanyou, of course, they aren\'t lenient with the jobs they give him.

Of course, they would use him, even for someone like her who has participated in many fights. She still has moments like this where she questions her life and herself. \'How did things become this way?\'

Seeing Sano now, she understood what he was going through. The pain and grief from all the lives he had to take. Their blood that will forever remain in his hands, no matter how many times he washes it away.

She has to admit that she is impressed that he managed to hold it in. He acted fine during their dinner.

Her thoughts break off when she felt him get closer to her. He is kissing her before she can even get words out. A kiss, this isn\'t the first time they have kissed.

"San--mmm...."

A fierce kiss, nothing like the gentle ones he gives her after drinking her blood. This kiss was very different.

"San--"

He slumped his face to her chest.

"Sumire, don\'t leave," Sano said weakly.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Let me finish getting you cleaned up, okay?" She looked him up and down. It only took her a few seconds to remember that he was completely naked.

Sano had her back against the shower. His lips were at her ear. "Sumire, you\'ve never joined me like this before."

"T-that is--" Sumire said nervously.

"Hey, tell me something," Sano whispered in her ear.

She really was struggling to maintain her composure. This was a bad idea. But he was taking far too long, and she had been right to be worried. Even as he spoke flirtatious words, Sumire could see how dim his gaze was. 

She takes a deep breath before extending her hand and picking up a bar of soap. She scrubbed his neck, shoulders, arms, and chest and hesitantly bent down to scrub his legs. 

Sumire averted her gaze from that part of his lower body as best as she could. But she froze when she felt Sano\'s hands on her head, tugging her forward. She bit her lip and dropped the bar of soap.

"We can\'t," Sumire said firmly.

They definitely cant. 

He frowned, clearly displeased. But Sumire felt relieved to see some type of emotion on his face. She stood up, picked up the soap again, and continued her work after she scrubbed his upper and lower body as much as she could. 

Sumire picked up the shampoo bottles and started to work on his hair. 

Sano didn\'t say anything, but Sumire felt his gaze on her the entire time. Felt his gaze on her now-soaked clothes. No doubt he was eyeing her figure through the damp clothes. She shakes her head, just focus.

After she finished washing him, she dried him off. As he stepped out, she wrapped a towel around his waist. 

"Let\'s go to bed."

His gaze lit up, and she bit her lip, realizing how wrong that sounded. But Sano became more alert and seemed to be the one leading her to the room. 

Sumire rummaged through his belongings and found a simple T-shirt and shorts. Clothes she recognized as the ones she bought for him before her disappearance act. He really is wearing them. She thought he wouldn\'t and that she had been overstepping her boundaries.

His feelings for her are so strong. When she finally has her closure and pushes him away, she wonders what will happen to him. Sumire shakes her head and helps him into his clothes before pulling him to bed.

Sano pulled her down and wrapped his arms firmly around her. 

She sighed, knowing that it would be futile to argue. She simply remained still until she heard the quiet sound of his breathing. Sumire sat up and took her phone out. 

Despite having three options, she rang the one person she knew would give her answers immediately. Indeed, no sooner had she said Sano\'s name. Eli already had a reply to her, like he was expecting her call.

"They are obviously doing it to spite him. He is a noble, a rich boy who hasn\'t seen any grievances until recently."

Sumire frowned, hearing those words. It\'s not like she doesn\'t understand. Before they started to get along with one another, she also had similar thoughts. How far could she mess with him before he broke down?

\'I cannot criticize others when I am doing the same thing. Perhaps my current kindness to San is because of the guilt of my original plan.\'

The same ugly and twisted emotions exist inside of her. Emotions that she will eventually be unable to deny.

Ever since she learned that Lucifer wanted her, Sumire has thought of countless reasons why. But recently, she is starting to understand. The two of them are the same. They both have such ugly and twisted emotions. No one can tame the darkness in their hearts.

_______

In an underground chamber, hidden in a forest on the outskirt of Tokyo, a man with long black hair glanced at the body now devoid of all life as he wiped his lips covered in blood. It wasn\'t enough. Of course, it wasn\'t. No matter how much blood he drinks from these people offering themselves to him. Lucifer understood it wouldn\'t be enough.

His \'subjects\' in the Black Alice organization work hard to find him willing offerings. Or sometimes, they simply subdue somebody with a strong aura. But non of these people will do. Their blood will never satisfy him.

What he needs is a special type of blood, the blood of a purebred - his other half.