"What?"

"I said, do you want me to kill Suzuki for you?" Luna repeated, her cold eyes staring into mine.

The intimate moment we had a while ago seemed to disappear instantaneously.

"It wouldn't have to be quick for him, Ryo." She leaned next to my ear and goosebumps raised at the back of my neck. I felt her breathing onto me. "I could make him suffer. Like really suffer."

I glanced away, feeling uncomfortable. Somehow I wasn't as scared as I normally was. Perhaps I was even getting used to Luna's constant inability to follow social norms. The thought surprised and frightened me at the same time. Something clearly wasn't right when you start thinking of a psychopathic serial killer girl as normal.

"Look, Luna..." I began slowly. "You said you wouldn't kill anymore."

Luna twitched. "I-I know."

"Then why would you suggest that?" I sighed.

She went silent, and I waited patiently for a response.

"I-it's just..." Luna's voice broke and I felt her hand tightening its grip on my shirt.

"I-I love you so much, Ryo..." Luna bubbled, tears falling from her cheeks. "It reeally hurts me to hear what he did to you."

"H-hey Luna... it's okay..." It always surprised me when Luna cried, even though I should had been used to it by now. I tried to get up to comfort her but the cold blade pushed against my neck reminding me to not move.

"I wanted to find Suzuki straight after hearing the story from Eiji..." Luna continued sobbing by my side. "I wanted to hurt him reeally bad."

"Luna—"

"I don't understand why anyone would ever do that to you, Ryo. You're always so kind and quiet in class. It makes me really angry thinking about it."

"Your knife—"

"I wanted him to disappear. I wanted to kill him." Luna said. The blade pushed down hard against my throat and my breathing became jagged.

"L-Luna!"

She snapped out of her trance and instantly removed the blade from my neck. The weight of the blade leaving my neck made me exhale deeply in relief. She pulled herself off from me.

"R-Ryo..." Luna's face went red. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

"It's okay." I coughed, sitting up from the grass. "I'm fine."

"Stupid Luna. Stupid Luna." Luna banged her palm to her forehead repeatedly and I laughed awkwardly, rubbing my neck.

She stopped and looked at my neck.

"W-what is it, Luna?" I asked, feeling creeped out by her stare.

"Let me see it."

"Huh?"

"Your neck."

"What for?" I said confused.

She brushed my hand aside and leaned her face to my neck.

"W-what are you doing?—" I started.

She moved closer and I felt her soft lips pressing onto the skin of my neck, making my mind melt. Her hand went to the back of my head, grabbing a fistful of hair and she pushed me back down to the grass. The weight of her body came down on me as her lips tugged against my neck, gently caressing the surface.

My hands went on her petite figure without my realising, and for what seemed like a long time, we remained on that spot in the grass with her on top of me.

The sun was setting by the time we decided to head home. When we got to my apartment, we were surprised by a familiar face upon opening the door.

"M-Mayu?!" Luna closed the door behind us. "What are you doing here?!"

Mayu was lying by the kotatsu table, her legs up in the air behind her as she flicked through a page of the magazine she was reading. "I was beginning to think you guys wouldn't come back, jeez."

Mayu closed the magazine and lifted it up, smiling. "By the way, I really have to commend your tastes in magazines, Ryo."

I saw the cover page of a naked woman in what appears to be a provocative pose and I walked over quickly, snatching the magazine out of her hand. "Those were left behind from the last tenants!" I lied, my face flustered.

"Suure." Mayu laughed, clapping her hands together. "That makes perfect sense."

"This is Ryo's place, you can't just sneak in!" Luna walked next to Mayu, staring down at her annoyed. "Why can't you stop bothering Ryo?"

"Why can't I come in?" Mayu puffed her cheeks at Luna. "I have nowhere else to go now after helping you guys."

"We don't need your help!"

"H-hey! If it wasn't for me, Ryo would had died to Kaori and Daike on that day!"

The two continued arguing and I used the opportunity to secretly stash the magazines back under the kotatsu table.

"Listen, why don't you just go find a quiet place where no one can find you and kill yourself!" Luna breathed out. "You're ruining everything!"

Mayu's cheeks reddened. "Am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"H-hey Luna." I placed a hand on Luna's shoulder, trying to defuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Mayu's right. She's our ally now and we need all the help we can get against the Ashens."

Luna crossed her arms together and bit her lower lips, hesitating. "F-fine... as long as Ryo doesn't mind..."

Thank god. I thought to myself. I didn't know what I would have to do if Luna didn't listen to me.

"Thanks Ryo." Mayu smiled at me, tilting her head in a cute way. "You're the best."

A murderous aura emitted from Luna's direction, so I nodded nervously at Mayu without saying anything as a response.

"Mayu, if you're going to be our ally, you can't stay in Ryo's place." Luna rubbed her fingertips on her forehead, trying to calm herself down. "As much as I hate it, you'll have to stay with me at Akane's house."

"Why can't I stay here?" Mayu pouted.

"Who knows what kind of sleazy move you'll pull on Ryo!" Luna snapped. "Besides, I need to keep a close eye on you.

Mayu looked disappointed.

"Have you destroyed your navigator?" Luna asked.

"Yes..." Mayu said hesitantly.

"Good." Luna said. "We don't want anyone to track down where you are."

"Luna, you can't hurt Mayu okay?" I quickly added.

Now it was Luna's turn to look disappointed.

"A-anyways." Luna continued. "Since the Ashens are coming to this city, we have to be extra careful from now on."

"How do I tell who's an Ashen?" I asked, figuring it was an important question

Mayu pointed at her pale emerald eyes. "Their eyes, Ryo, it will be an unusual dull colour like ours when they're not synthesized."

"Ah..." I nodded, musing to myself. Now that I thought about it, Luna and Mayu's eyes did look quite different from normal people's.

"If you endanger Ryo.... or if I even think you will do something stupid..." Luna stared at Mayu tensely. "...I won't hesitate to kill you, Mayu."

"Don't worry, Luna." Mayu waved a hand, laughing nervously. "I would never do something like that."

"Good." Luna smiled, and the mood brightened. "Then I guess we're all clear on where we stand."

"Right..." Mayu gave Luna a distrusting look.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. It finally seemed like the two were somewhat co-operating together in their own unusual way. Despite Luna's strength, it was good to have Mayu on board. She was more open than Luna and was always willing to let me know about what was going on. It also helps that she seemed to be more stable mentally.

Mayu got up and walked to the kitchen, casually grabbing a packet of chips from the cupboard before returning to her sit.

"Hey, what are you doing? This isn't your house." Luna said annoyed.

"I'm so hungry." Mayu complained. "Besides, Ryo doesn't mind."

Luna looked at me for a response, and I laughed it off. "It's okay, I got plenty of food."

We watched silently as Mayu stared at the packet of chips, unmoving.

"Uh... Mayu, do you need help with that?" I asked, remembering that this was her first time away from Asahikawa.

"N-no, I know how to do this." She said hastily, then she squeezed the packet of chips from both sides with the palm of her hands. The air in the packet exploded, and crumbs of chips flew everywhere, much to Luna's irritation.

"You dirtied Ryo's apartment..." Luna said between clenched teeth.

Mayu looked distressed. "I'm sorry Ryo."

"It's fine." I tried to laugh it off but it was hard. Luna's murderous aura was overwhelming, it felt like she was going to strangle Mayu for her mistake.

After we cleaned up, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Coming." I called without thinking.

Both Luna and Mayu's face darkened, their hands already reaching for their weapons. They watched me cautiously and unease settled over me. I didn't stop to think for a second before announcing my presence to an unknown visitor knocking on the door. Now I couldn't ask for Luna and Mayu's advice because the person waiting outside could hear, but if I didn't open the door soon they would wonder why I was taking such a long time.

A sweat trickled down my forehead as I walked closer and closer to the door. It was unusual for me to get visitors, the only one that knew where I lived was Eiji and he would always call my home phone before coming over.

I grabbed the door handle and breathed heavily. Luna and Mayu were too far to save me if anything happened and they couldn't risk coming closer because the person behind the door would be able to hear them. Could it be another Ashen?

I swallowed and turned the handle slowly, opening the door.

It was Yumi.

"Haha, you look panicky..." Yumi said nervously.

"Y-Yumi?" I breathed out. It felt like a long time since I last saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I got your address from Eiji." She glanced behind me at my apartment, but Luna and Mayu were hidden. "I was worried about you because you haven't answered your phone in ages."

"Oh, right. Sorry." I laughed awkwardly. My phone stopped working after I jumped into the sewers with Mayu. "It fell in the water. Were you trying to call?"

"Y-yeah..."

Yumi stared at me anxiously and I stood up straight, regaining my composure. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" She asked timidly.

"No way." I answered but I still wasn't sure why she was here.

"D-do you think I'm annoying...?"

"Uh... No..."

"I-I actually came..." Yumi hesitated slightly. "To ask you out."

"What?"

"N-not in that kind of way." Yumi added quickly. "I-I just wanted to go to this t-t-...theme park with you."

I looked at Yumi confused.

"Cause my friend gave me some tickets." Yumi said, her face red. "And they're expiring today."

"Well..." I didn't know what to say.

"Theme park sounds good." Mayu's voice came from behind, and I spun around to find her standing next to me, smiling.

"M-Mayu!" Luna hit the palm of her hand into her face, following Mayu from behind. "What are you doing?!"