Into a Dream Chapter 7: His Many Suitors and a Friend

The three days that have passed have been a hard one. Yuya can only endure so much of the constant questions aimed at him by two rather eccentric siblings.

And, of course, there was Yuto.

Yuto who, suprisingly, was the eldest sibling among the triplets.

The dark haired teen had gotten to class right after their Literature subject was over and was then prompted to take a seat behind the boy with red and green hair who looked strangely uncomfortable upon meeting his eyes. Of course he had said his introductions beforehand and apologized for his late arrival due to a head ache. It seemed the teacher acknowledged the situation and was quick to dismiss him to his seat.

Yuya could only steal a few glances at him, appearing very pale yet flushed at the same time. They were brothers. Why hadn't it been obvious before? He wondered.

Anyway, it had been three days. Three days of the 'how are you's?' and the 'wanna hang out's?'

Yuya can't think of anything other than avoiding those freaks ('freaks?' he thought, assessing the word. 'Do they act like freaks? Yeah. Pretty much with how much they come too close to my face or whatever. In short, they are creepy.') and their weird attemps of "eliminating distance". He gets it that they want to talk and get to know him and stuff but what got him really puzzled was why him? Why him of all people? He was nobody, a loser. He was just the son of a madman.

But no. Maybe it didn't occur to them that talking to him like they already know each other was a bad thing. It wasn't weird at all to them he supposed.

'It was just how people made friends.'

'Bullshit.'

Either way, there was no way they could've avoided those rumors about him. It was what they usually say to people around here.

'That Sakaki is a lame one. He's bound to cause you trouble.'

He didn't deserve any attention is what they'd say, not after all the mishap his father caused so long ago. Now, it seems like the people of Maiami city had forgotten to let go of the past.

But to be quite honest, who wouldn't forget about a suicide?

Much more by a well-known celebrity?

Who've managed to make thirty people dissapear all in one act.

He didn't like where this was going.

He's in the library at the moment hiding from, well, them.

'Oh god. Please just go somewhere else already.' Yuya pleaded, the sentence echoing like a mantra in his head. He'd managed to fit between two dusty old shelves a foot apart. They were threatening to collapse at any moment but he suppressed the fall with both his hands, arms and might as well his whole body. Given the heavy load he tried to be careful not to drop on the floor, Yuya was now anxiously waiting for his chance to escape. In no circumstances was he going to get caught by those freaks.

Besides all the silence in the room, he just knows they're out there again, looking for him.

'I bet they want to ask me to hang out or something. God, I wish Yuzu was here.' With that thought, a flash of blue passed one of the shelves in front of him, inches away from his face. Yuya was quick to hold his hand over his mouth to suppress a gasp as the youngest of the brothers moved on to the opposite area to look for him. Beads of sweat dropped at the sides of his face, the fear of getting caught very evident. He couldn't risk getting those sly touches or the lack of personal space once they get a hold of him. What was their problem anyway? What did they want from him?

The young Sakaki couldn't take it anymore and decided to sneak out of his hiding place. He thought about going to the music room instead while the blue haired boy was busy asking a couple of students if they've seen him in the room.

Seeing his chance, Yuya moved swiftly towards the exit, grabbing a book he brought with him to cover his face. When he was finally out, he dashed over the halls as he moved past students giving him irritated looks as they point and whispered. The boy noticed none of this and simply proceeded to the corridor towards the music room.

He only hopes that his friend was there so that at least he could have someone to talk to that clearly wasn't insane or trying to kill him.

Chopin.

He recognized it was Chopin.

Yuya was a few steps to the door when he heard the nocturne playing in the background. Yuzu often practiced this before so he pretty much knew he was hearing op 9 no 2. The sweet piano soothed him as he smiled to himself, reaching out a hand to open the door. He might rant to Yuzu about his current predicament but he's sure Yuzu wouldn't mind.

He's heard from her as well in the past (specifically that incident with Masumi winning the duel over who gets to help Marco sensei with the papers) and he didn't complain how petty the duel was, if Yuzu was fighting for something, he'd support her too as she did numerous times for him.

But upon stepping inside the room, things got different. Way too different.

The room had an unfamiliar presence to it.

But it wasn't particularly bad. It just felt— odd.

Yuya tried to look for his friend in the room but as his eyes trailed off to the piano, he was surprised to see that the pianist wasn't a girl but a guy. Yuya squinted his eyes to look at the person more clearly but the opened window by the piano set gave way for the breeze to blow the curtains, covering the person who was too busy playing the piece.

The moment Yuya tried to step closer to him, the sounds he was making with the instrument fastened its pace. No longer was this person playing the soothing sounds of Chopin but was instead replaced by the intense beat of Mozart's Turkish March. Skilled hands grazed the keys as each finger tapped away with precision the nonexistent notes in his head.

The act was compelling, almost unreal like a dream as the boy trailed closer and closer until he was met with the grand piano between him and the unknown pianist. The transparent-like silk of the curtain, however, gave way for his eyes to notice pinkish-purple hair from the other, and as soon as the song came to an end, the breeze suddenly stopped, and Yuya was met with a smirking Yuri looking straight through his wide eyes.

"Hello, Yuya." He said with that smirk.

The sight looked intimidating and Yuya clearly wasn't happy to meet with a person he was avoiding so it took a few glances around the room to get him to answer. "Um...yeah, hey. Sorry if I got in the way of your practice."

A glint in those pink eyes appeared. "Oh, not at all. I quite enjoy your company actually and it's rather lonely playing by yourself here."

"You don't say."

"Yes. Well, everyone craves an audience afterall."

Yuya looked at those eyes again. They held a glimmer of something else hidden in those pink pools but he refused to aknowledge that they were the same as Yuto's.

Yuto's eyes didn't look as cruel like Yuri's.

"Yeah... but maybe not everyone." He said as a reply, turning for the door this time.

"Oh? Does that put you against my statement?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He was making his way towards the door now, mind at set to look for his friend. It was probably a mistake going here all along so Yuya made sure not to pay attention to the now standing teen.

"Where are you going?"

Silence was his reply as Yuya was out in an instant.

Yuri could only let out a faint smile, shaking his head. "Didn't expect him to be that scared." He muttered to himself, slightly amused but disappointed his new plaything had skittered off.

He sighs but smiles again, this time more cruel. "Guess I'll have to fix that."

And he too was off in an instant.

Walking in circles wasn't exactly what he had planned to do but Yugo was out of options. He needed to find the boy before Yuri did.

And god knows what he would do if he finds that cunning bastard with Yuya again.

"Have you seen Yuya? Sakaki, Yuya anywhere?" He asks a small group of girls by the hall.

"Who?" One of them asks bluntly, clearly unhappy with his presence.

Shit. He thinks, feeling his phone vibrate under his pocket, alerting him of a message."Never mind." He says to them as he picks it up to see it was from Yuto.

Double shit.

Well, he's going nowhere.

Except for the rooftop says my oh so bossy brother, so the rooftop it is then.

shitshitshitshit

He's safe.

He thinks.

'As safe as I can ever be.'

Yuya lets out a sigh as he slowly slid down the wall he leaned against. This whole morning was a mess and now he couldn't find Yuzu anywhere.

'Great.'

The halls were quiet in this part of the campus and he could eerily feel something crawl up from behind. Of course he paved no attention to it and instead just darts away to look out the windows in each room. At the back of his mind, he knew Yuzu wouldn't be lurking near the science labs if it weren't necessary but since he was out of options on where to look, he found himself here and strikingly alone.

"Why wouldn't you just answer your phone?" He mutters to himself as he tried, unsuccessfully, to open a locked door.

He hears a shift of movement from behind and turns, not surprised to see Yuri close by.

"Go away." He says passively, unimpressed by the sheer boldness of this triplet.

"You're not even sure I came here for you to begin with."

"With what you three do all day when I'm around, I'm very sure."

"It's harmless."

"It's annoying." He all but spats, tired of handling any of them by now. "And could you just please leave me alone?"

"Afraid not, Yuya-kun. You see I can't let you wonder off on your own unattended. It seems to me you like attracting trouble, no offense, but it stands to reason that I should be close by whenever you need help."

"It's funny, really. Everything you've just said is wrong. I can take care of myself, Yuri. I don't need your help, or anyone's, in fact. I'm fine. Completely fine."

"Yes, yes. If you say so, Yuya-kun." He says as he raises his hands in a small surrender. "But let me just accompany you. Simple as that." He darts next to the boy even before the other could manage a retort. "After all, I wouldn't want you feeling lonely in these desolate halls all by yourself. Let me at least make you comfortable"

Yuya manages to blink several times, his look completely tired and deprived of sleep.

But to Yuri, the pout he was wearing was simply adorable.

Yuya all but sighs as he sees there was no escape with this guy.

"Whatever." He says, walking through the halls, the ever persistent Yojigen sibling trailing by.

There are times where Yugo is met with odd occurrences.

This, however, might me an understatement because right now, he doesn't understand a damn thing.

"Waitwaitwaitwait."

"Yugo rela—

"Wait. Just. A. Damn moment there, aniki. Are you telling me you've just spotted a mask in the campus? How?! We've secured the area just last week. How are they even breaking in?"

"Relax, Yugo. This one's just stubborn."

"Stubborn? Oh so you're calling those things 'stubborn' now? That's great. In fact, why don't you call yourself that 'cause we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if you just goddamned gave me the mission anyway!"

"Shut up and kill the target already. Look, I'm sorry I had to call you so suddenly. Something came up and I need to check up on that too."

"FINE! But we're not finished with this, aniki. You've got some explaining to do when we get home."

"Oh, believe me Yugo when I say I'm just counting on it."

"Fuck you!"

Their conversation ends when he slams the door. It's sound was the only thing reverberating over the rooftop and as much as he hoped for his older brother to flinch from it, he didn't even get as much as a blink.

'Stupid Yuto. Why must you always make my life a living hell?'

He inwardly groans, remembering the smug look he got when he told him that Yuri was the one probably with Yuya right now.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ugh, I'm such a fucking moron!'

He was almost to the targeted area, still with thoughts about he's in a shitload right now when he felt the need to piss. Of course it took Yugo as much self control that he could muster to not be a screw-up this time, but as much as he wants to show Yuto how competent and self-reliant he is in all this, Yugo just had to go.

And so go he went.

'Shit.' He took a fast turn for the bathroom, practically holding it in when he saw the doors. 'god, how long have I been holding it it?'

He's just a few paces, he could just feel the relief. 'It'll just be a quickie then. No big deal.'

Until he hears a scream.

And Yugo just stops.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Okay. She did not see this coming.

Not. At. All.

Nope. Just straight, all out nope.

Yuzu was a calm, modest girl with a very sensible mind. She knew right from wrong and acted upon herself to keep things safe and justifiable.

And very much sane.

But this, in all its glory, has taken everything she believed and lived by down to a deep, dark, sinister package of holy shit.

"Somebody help! PLEASE I—

Before she could mutter the rest of her pleas, a hand so forcefully shoved her aside so she fell on her butt to the floor and she was met with a person's back against her.

In front of them both, however, was the monster.

A very familiar monster whom a red and green haired teen had just spoken to her about.

The huge, dark creature chasing her all of the sudden was indeed wearing what awful white mask.

And holy, fucking shit. What'd you know.

"W-what is that thing?!"

"None of your business!" Screams back another familiar voice. "And stay down!"

Wait.

She knows that voice.

"Yugo-kun?!"

"Oh and shut up, Hiragi! If it didn't occur to you, I'm trying to save your life!"

"What are you—

A blade, the new kid was holding, what? A sword? Okay, she could handle that but where the hell did he get that thing? Where was he keeping it even?

All these thoughts circled through Yuzu's mind in a daze she couldn't keep up with.

"Yugo-kun. Wha—

"I said shut up!"

The creature was letting out a roar now. It was almost earsplitting like someone scratching the chalkboard but Yuzu suppressed the sound as she tightly covered her ears. Out of fear she sat frozen on the floor, watching as the boy in front of her sprang in to slice through the thing with his silver sword.

Yuzu didn't want to be shouted at again so she kept quiet, eyes wide as she uselessly tried to trail her classmate defeating the monster.

'He's quick'. She could give him that.

Her sapphire eyes could hardly keep in track with blow after blow of his sword. And from the way it had all happened, Yuzu felt it was all just a dream. In reality, she was just lounging off in the faculty room, dreaming about their really cool Marco-sensei praising her for being a good student.

'Yes, all just a dream.'

She would forget the part after the last bell rang, where she went off to find Yuya.

A creature didn't follow her into the classrooms, into the music room that morning.

It didn't chase her after she met eyes with it.

Yes. She could forget those red eyes that just burn. How its blood just flows like ink as black as the abyss.

All of it, even this, is just a dream.

And nothing more.

He thinks it's the creature's blood that woke her up this time.

He kept shouting at her to get out of the way but she wouldn't even budge.

Not until it's inky blood splashed all across her face as it fell, lifeless on the ground.

'Well, that's a start.' He guesses.

Panic and complete mortification flooded her looks just after she registered the thought that a monster's blood is now all over her.

"What was that thing?! Tell me now!"

Okay, so she's not completely in shock then. Maybe it wasn't only the creature here that was 'stubborn', Yugo figured.

"Like I said, none of your goddamn business. Now stay put, Imma erase your memory now."

"Waitwaitwaitwait. Wait!"

Okay, so that was weird. Coming form her. So he does wait and pauses for her to breathe in and just close her eyes for a minute.

"That thing's been around Yuya." She states, control coming back to her senses. "I need you to tell me why."

He almost shout at her again when she stops him.

"Please, Yugo! You can't hide this form me. I'm his friend. I gotta know what's trying to hurt my best friend."

"Look, just stop okay? I-I've got this. It's all under control, yeah? Just don't worry abou—

"You're not listening to me!"

He says nothing this time, confusion wrapping around his face. "You don't get it do you?"

There was something along those lines that cracked but she paid no mind to it. "That thing..." she points to the the bloodied corpse evaporating now as they spoke in hushed tones, her eyes never leaving his gaze as she continued to bite in the growing tears.

"That thing is what's causing everything. Every, single fucking problem around my frined." Yugo swallowed at that, unaware of the pacing footsteps heading their way. He almost felt intimidated by this girl but could not, would not, show it otherwise.

"And I want you to tell me exactly what's going on or I'll swear..." she leans ever so slightly to him, her once glazed blue irises turning to a cold deep indigo.

"I'll swear I'll make you pay for ever causing Yuya so much pain."

Then and there. He was close from slipping but a shout was directed at them before he could say it, say everything.

"What the hell happened here?!"

He came too late. Wait, no. He noticed too late. Yugo was terrible keeping tabs by the way.

But right now, he was standing in front of them, expression clearly pissed but still holding back.

A civilian was among them, after all.

"Yuto I—

"Not now. Take care of her first." He eyed the girl suspiciously, clearly taking note how shaken up Yuya's friend was. But there was something in her that just felt off all of the sudden. "We'll talk after everything's taken cared of."

He turns around but something stops him.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Yuya's friend, no. Hiragi, Yuzu caught up his arm.

Grey eyes met blue then. Well, more like he was met with a raging ember gaze that kind of stung if ever it was directed at somebody else. But since it was Yuto, he brushed it off like nothing was remotely wrong.

"So not only one Yojigen is up to this but two. But given how Yuri is, I guess that makes all of you accountable for this!"

"Hiragi-san. If you would please—

"Oh, just quit the crap, Yuto! I know something's up and there's no need for other proof. I know Yuya's not crazy so might as well just let me know what the actual fuck is happening right now because it seems to me you guys are having such a terrible time handling it!"

"I believe it would be better if you'd let us handle everything here, Hiragi-san. It is strictly not of your concern and I assure you no harm will be upon Sakai, Yuya. We've been trained to handle these kinds of situations and as much as you find fault in our system, we cannot let a civilian know of our cause."

"What about Yuya, then? What? Are you guys just gonna, let him suffer all the dreams— the nightmares he's having?"

Taken aback, Yuto just simply held her gaze again. There was surely something about this girl that he should at least give credit for.

After a second of that, he looked to Yugo who held the same expression he was having. But to put it all simply, this conversation just took a toll on everyone and they just needed to breathe in for a bit.

"No, Hiragi-san." Yuto simply states, locking eyes with her again.

It's funny really.

She didn't know a pair could look so cold yet so warm at the same time.

"For I trust you won't be the one letting us down."

A simple glace at his brother and all Yuzu could remember were those damned eyes, staring through her like they were telling her something.

That she was oh so right.

'Such strange eyes.' She thought before a blanket of darkness surrounds her as she sleeps.

End of Chapter 7

a/n I'm back! Sorry for disappearing. Tbh, I was sooo sad how Arc V ended that I kinda gave up on this fic... but worry not...I'll uh...figure something out (I think).

Also, I'm not sure if this chapter was alright. I dunno anymore... I kinda don't know where I'm going hehe...

But anyway, toodles~