The following day was silent. Kira didn't step out of her room at all, neither for meals nor to see what Gouenji was up to. She sat down at her desk and focused on finishing her book.

The day after that was also similar. Kira did eat but Gouenji didn't accompany her. He was nowhere to be seen. She assumed he was still sick from that night and that was the reason for his absence.

However, late evening, he finally appeared. Kira was reading as usual in her room when there was a knock on her open door. She turned to look and found Gouenji standing at the threshold. She approached the door and stood in front of him quietly.

"I...want to apologise for my behavior that night. May I come in?" He spoke hesitantly.

"Sure. " She approached him and answered in an unenthused manner and then made her way back in.

"I shouldn't have shouted at you. " He began.

" I am still trying to understand what happened that day. " Kira answered, staring at him with questioning eyes.

"The important thing is, I shouldn't have treated you that way and I regret that. " He reiterated.

"No, tell me. " Kira almost cut him off, " Explain to me. I want to know."

"What does it matter..." Gouenji tried to deflect it again but the next moment Kira came closer.

"Tell me, am I being presumptuous to think you were going to kiss me?" She asked softly as she put her hand on his cheek.

Once again, Gouenji was agitated.

"Kira, please step away. " He said again.

"Why? Why are you doing this again?" She asked.

"I can't...say. Just...stay back. " He warned.

"If you wanted me away from you then why did you pull me close? I won't go away until you tell me. " Kira was also irritated now as she remained close to him peering straight into his eyes.

The next moment she was thrown on the bed with Gouenji on top of her pinning her hands down on either side of her head. It all happened too fast to be humanly possible. She didn't even have time to scream or gasp let alone understand what had happened.

She immediately looked at him in shock but was met with even more of it. Gouenji's eyes were glowing like white embers. As he opened his mouth in a growl, he revealed his two sharp fangs as he glared at her.

Kira's eyes widened in horror. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had heard countless myths and stories about vampires from all corners of the country but she had been so sure that they were merely fables for entertainment and could never be real.

Gouenji bent his head down close to her face as she turned her head and looked away.

"I do want to kiss you," He whispered. His voice sounded breathless, as if he was under a great strain, " but every time you come close," He paused to attempt to compose himself, " all I can think about...is the scent of your blood. I can smell it in the blush of your cheeks. " He then ran his thumb across her wrist, "I can hear it dripping down your veins."

Kira faced him once again, staring straight at him. She was trying her best not to panic and appear calm even though she was even afraid to breathe and her lips quivered as she tried to speak.

" Are you going to kiss me or kill me? " She finally spoke.

A look of hurt shot across his face as she said so.

"How can you think that?" He exclaimed.

"You have me restrained, what else am I supposed to think?"

At this, he realised it and loosened his hold on her wrists. He then ran his fingers along her cheek ever-so-slightly, " I won't kill you but I just want a little taste."

"And then leave me to be like you?" She commented without missing a beat.

"Is that so bad?" He looked at her full of expectation again, "You can live here for eternity... with me."

"I like my life as it is." She answered with conviction.

A chuckle escaped his lips. He was surprised at her bravery.

"You refuse me even though you have no way of escaping?" He asked with an amused smile, "Are you not scared I'd go ahead anyway?"

"You would have done it by now if you had that intention."

"I still have time. You're still under my hold." He reasoned.

"Go ahead then, " She turned her head again and looked away, " have your way and make me like you. But I promise you, after that, you won't ever see me again. You'll have your eternal life and I'll have mine but our paths will never cross again."

"You say that so easily." His amused grin was wiped off at this, "Would it not hurt you to do so? Do you not love me?" He asked seriously.

Kira glared at him and spoke the same way, "Yes, it would hurt me because yes, I do love you; but understand I cannot succumb to this demand of yours. "

There was a pause as Gouenji marveled at her obstinateness. Kira pushed him off lightly and he slowly retreated and stood up. Once he stepped away from her, he slowly returned to his usual self.

Kira sat up and remained on her bed as she stared at him sternly, implying he should leave. He stood there unmoved, looking at her with disappointment and the same expression full of expectations as he had when he had asked her to stay but this time she remained unwavered. Finally, as if forcing himself to break the spell, he walked away at once with hasty steps.

Kira remained thinking for hours, going over every detail since she had first stepped foot in the mansion. Some things now began making sense to her in light of this new revelation but a lot was still shrouded in mystery. She realised only Gouenji could answer those questions for her and she would need to have a longer conversation with him later on.

She looked visibly tired the following morning. As she stepped out of her room and made her way to the breakfast table, she ran into Gouenji who looked at her with concern when he noticed her wilted face. She tried to walk past him but he didn't stay quiet.

"So...uhh...did you sleep last night?" He sheepishly began.

At this she stopped and turned back at him, "What do you think?" She answered dryly and began walking again. He hastily followed after. Realising this she halted again after a few steps.

"I'm going for breakfast. I suppose...it's not of your interest." She commented and after contemplating for a few moments she spoke again, "You're not really sick, are you? "

He promptly shook his head wordlessly.

"So it was all a ruse. I got concerned for you for no reason."

"Again, I apologize." He answered without missing a beat.

She turned around and walked up to the table and took her usual place. However, instead of sitting on the other end of the long table, Gouenji sat down on the chair next to her. The butler arrived and put her plate in front of her as usual. When he left, Kira continued,

"What about him?" She gestured in his general direction, "How is he surviving here?"

"He's not human either." Gouenji answered and grinned sheepishly.

Kira stared at him with horrified eyes.

"What if he tries to kill me?!" She exclaimed with worry.

"Do not worry about him," Gouenji gestured dismissively, "he will not dare hurt my guest or he knows that will be the end of him."

"How lovely!" Kira remarked with worried sarcasm.

She then remained silent for a while and continued eating. Gouenji looked at her quietly anticipating more questions. After a while, it seemed like that was all that she had to say and now she had stopped thinking about the matter but then she spoke again abruptly,

"I do wonder why you made me stay here? Is it for the blood?"

"Not at all!" He exclaimed, " I was honest about my reasons for wanting you to stay. I did not think such a thing would happen. " He then sighed, "Truth is, I was taken by surprise too. This has never happened before. " He took a pause to think, "But then again, I have never been so close to a human." He glanced at her to see if that last sentence softened her a little.

But Kira's mind was racing with questions and she was only stopping for answers.

"Then how do you... get by?"

" Mr. Watanabe makes all the arrangements for that for the both of us. I don't have to do anything." He spoke of the butler.

"He kills innocent people?!" Kira exclaimed loudly as she dropped her spoon onto the plate with a 'clink'.

"No, no!" Gouenji immediately defended, "Not innocent! I strictly forbade him to do that. Trust me, the ones that die have it coming."

Kira frowned with suspicion. She had been asking these questions but the answers gave her no satisfaction at all. She wondered if she should stop asking but at that point she had already gone too far into it so there was no use in stopping then.

"It's not frequent either. I only need it once in a fortnight." He added quietly.

She had finished breakfast and she slid the plate aside and took her head in her hands, overwhelmed.

"What do I do now? What have I gotten myself into?" She lamented in a low voice to herself as Gouenji sat there awkwardly playing with his fingers, unable to comfort her.

"We can still have conversations the way we used to. " He finally suggested.

At this, she looked up at him but her expression was not positive. She then stood up and walked away.