Chapter 3 - ch.

The game commenced, and one by one, the students were asked to choose between truth or dare. Eventually, it was Kajiwara's turn to make her decision. She contemplated for a moment before opting for the truth.

Their classmates seized the opportunity and asked, "What is your body count?" Instantly, Kajiwara's face grew red with embarrassment. She replied, "Hey, what kind of question is that?"

As their classmates eagerly awaited her response, Kajiwara gathered her courage and mustered a quiet, " I'm still a virgin." The room burst into laughter, but Kajiwara felt a mix of shame and frustration. She protested, "Hey, knock it off. It's not funny, guys."

After Kajiwara's turn, it was finally Akane's chance to choose. Opting for truth with a nonchalant expression, her classmates grew curious. They asked if she already had a boyfriend.

Akane coolly replied, "Well, I'm still single. Why do you ask?" As she casually bit the stick of her lollipop, the boys in the class were astonished to hear that Akane was unattached. Thoughts of becoming Akane's boyfriend darted through their minds.

Suddenly, Akane turned and shouted, "Hey, you! Truth Or Dare?" as she faced Na-ze, who sat calmly in the back of the classroom, gazing out of the window. Her classmates were taken aback by the audacity of her question to Na-ze, who was typically quiet and reserved.

Na-ze let out a sigh and replied with complete indifference, "Truth." His response lacked any trace of care or emotion. Akane took a moment to compose herself before daringly inquired if he was single. The entire class was left in shock by her question.

Na-ze calmly responded, "Why do you care?" His voice was serene, and his face remained expressionless. Akane's face turned red with embarrassment, realizing that her question may have been too direct. She muttered, "Whatever," and turned away, feeling flustered.

As she turned her back, Na-ze nonchalantly answered, "Yes..." His gaze remained fixed on the window, displaying complete indifference. Akane was taken aback by his response, which seemed to lack any care or concern. To brush off the awkwardness, she swiftly changed the subject, saying, "Anyway, who's next for truth or dare?" The game continued, and the classmates moved forward, almost forgetting about the strange question Akane had asked.

After the game concluded, everyone returned to their original seats. As Kajiwara and Akane settled back into their seats, Kajiwara curiously asked, "Hey, why did you ask that question earlier?" She wanted to understand the reason behind Akane's curiosity.

Akane's voice trembled as she muttered, "What do you mean..." She struggled to find the right words, feeling flustered. Kajiwara wore an innocent and curious expression as she said, "I mean when you asked Na-ze if he was single..." Akane quickly interjected, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red, "Oh, that... um, it's nothing, really. Just a random thought that popped into my mind. It doesn't mean anything..."

Kajiwara gave Akane a knowing look, her face expressing understanding. She asked gently, "Do you have feelings for Na-ze?" The question caught Akane off guard, causing her to stammer defensively, "What? No way! I never said anything like that!" Kajiwara's playful smirk appeared as she said, "Come on, Akane, we're practically friends now." Her teasing tone hinted at a deeper understanding.

Akane hesitated, her blush deepening. Eventually, she relented with a shy smile and whispered, "Alright, fine... But this stays between us, alright?" Her voice barely audible, she admitted, "I think... I might have developed a crush on him."

"Huh, so you're into the silent types like Na-ze, huh?" Kajiwara said, wearing a mischievous smile.

Akane quickly shushed her, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "Hey, keep it down," she whispered.

Kajiwara couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "So, how did he become your crush?" Her face showed genuine interest.

Akane took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. "Well, remember yesterday during recess? Na-ze and I exchanged food when everyone else was in the cafeteria. I decided to ask him why he always seemed so nonchalant," she explained.

Kajiwara leaned in, keenly listening. Akane continued, "He simply replied that it's just who he is, nothing more. Out of curiosity, I decided to test him by using my charms to try and win him over. But instead, something unexpected happened... As I looked into his eyes, I felt this strange, unfamiliar sensation - as if I was... in love."

Kajiwara's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised. "So, does that mean you two are close now?" she asked Akane.

Akane shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "No, not really. In all honesty, we've only had a brief conversation. It's far from being close."

The POV shifted to Matilda, who found herself in Na-ze's apartment. Sitting comfortably on the sofa, she was enjoying the company of the two cats while watching TV. Lost in the moment, Matilda's attention was suddenly drawn to a mysterious figure appearing in the window next to her.

Matilda remained unfazed by the mysterious figure's presence. Without turning her gaze away from the television, she coolly asked, "What do you want, Katrin?"

The hooded figure was none other than Katrin, a former associate of Matilda. With a mischievous smile, Katrin commented, "Well, well, well. Didn't expect to find the Queen of all vampires here." She leaned back against the wall and casually pulled her hood down, revealing her face. Chewing gum nonchalantly, she continued, "It's been 6000 years since you last slept in your coffin. Anyways, I'm here to inform you about the identity of the two guys who almost killed you."

Matilda interrupted her, dismissing the information. "I'm not interested," she declared without a hint of concern. This response shocked Katrin, who questioned her with a furrowed brow, "Why? It's important."

However, Matilda remained resolute and simply replied, "It's none of your business." Katrin began to wander around the room, casting her eyes over each decor piece and taking in their scents.

"Hey, this place isn't yours. How did you even get here?" Katrin questioned Matilda, her eyes scanning the room. She caught a whiff of a human scent lingering on Matilda's clothes. Curiosity piqued, she asked, "Did you offer your body just to gain access to this apartment?"

Matilda reclined on the sofa, her head resting against the cushions, and responded in a nonchalant tone, "Far from it, really." She met Katrin's gaze steadily.

Katrin made an assumption, "Oh, then you must have killed the person." Matilda quickly countered with a simple, "Nope."

Intrigued by the mysterious circumstances, Katrin continued to probe, "So, how did you get here? Did you sneak in or something?"

Matilda revealed, "Someone brought me here. And it wasn't just any ordinary individual because he fully knew I was a vampire." She looked at Katrin, a tinge of amusement crossing her features, and sarcastically added, "Basically, long story short, I fell in love with him." As she said this, she playfully raised her middle finger towards Katrin.

"Hmm, interesting. I never thought those kind of words would come out of your mouth," Katrin remarked, a slight giggle escaping her lips. "So, basically, he took you in and you fell in love with this guy," she summarized.

Matilda responded with a nonchalant smile, acknowledging Katrin's observation. She then asked, "So, if that's the reason for your visit, did you come here just to tell me about the whereabouts of the guys who attacked me?"

Katrin sighed, realizing that Matilda didn't seem to care much about the information she had. "Well, well, well, yes, I did," she replied. "But since you don't really care, there's not much to do here. I'll just cut you some slack and hang out for now."

While casually chewing on her gum, Katrin's curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "So, while I'm here, who is this guy that you fell in love with?"

Matilda hesitated for a moment before answering, "His name is Na-ze. And, well, for starters, he's very attractive and he's the one who turned me back into a human."

Katrin's confusion was evident as she responded with a baffled "Pffft, huh?"

Matilda found herself captivated by Na-ze's wonderful personality, longing to embrace him forever. She hugged a pillow tightly as if it were him, lost in her own imagination. However, her moment of bliss was abruptly interrupted when Katrin, still bewildered, blurted out in confusion.

"Wait, hold on a second... Did you just say that he turned you back into a human? How is that even possible?" Katrin questioned, a puzzled expression etched on her face.

Matilda responded to Katrin's query with a cool nonchalance, unsure of how to explain the extraordinary occurrence. "Honestly, I don't know either," she admitted.

Katrin stared back at her, perplexed. "You mean to say that you didn't even bother to find out? That's really surprising!" Katrin exclaimed with a slightly incredulous expression.

POV shifted back to Na-ze, who found himself alone in the classroom as the bell rang, signaling recess. The rest of the students excitedly left the room, heading towards the cafeteria. Na-ze, however, had brought his own packed lunch and decided to stay behind.

Akane and Kajiwara noticed that Na-ze remained in the room and saw this as a perfect opportunity to try and get closer to him. Encouraging Akane, Kajiwara advised her to sit next to Na-ze and strike up a conversation. With a sigh, Akane gathered her courage and approached Na-ze, asking, "Hey, can I sit here?"

Na-ze simply nodded his head lightly, not bothering to look up. Taking the offered seat, Akane decided to break the ice by inquiring about Na-ze's lunch. "So, what's your lunch today?" she asked curiously.

Na-ze, seemingly nonchalant, responded, "Nothing special, just an omelet." Akane couldn't help but feel surprised since she, too, had packed an omelet for her lunch. This unexpected similarity brought a smile to her face, igniting a glimmer of hope within her that they might have more in common than she initially thought.

Akane nervously looked at her lunch box, her face turning red as she spoke. "Um, do you still mind if we share each other's food?" she asked Na-ze.

Na-ze, with a neutral expression, replied, "I don't mind."

Just as they were about to start sharing their meals, Kajiwara approached Akane with a friendly smile. "Hey, I'm going to the cafeteria to get some food. I'll see you later," she said, subtly suggesting that this was an opportunity for Akane to get closer to Na-ze.

Akane, slightly flustered, responded, "Sure, see you later," as Kajiwara left the classroom.

Now alone in the classroom, Na-ze slid his lunch box towards Akane and said, "Here, where's yours?"

Akane's face brightened as she handed him her lunch box and they began exchanging their food, eager to try each other's dishes.

Once they finished sharing their meal, Akane mustered up the courage to address their earlier conversation. "Um, about earlier... I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable," she said, her cheeks still flushed.

Na-ze's face remained expressionless as he simply responded with a confused "Hm?" to Akane's previous statement. Sensing the awkwardness, Akane quickly changed the subject. With a friendly smile, she suggested, "We better eat our lunch."

As they began eating, Akane couldn't help but ponder whether she should confess her desire to go on a date with Na-ze. Blushing, she thought to herself, "What if I tell him? It's so awkward."

Meanwhile, Na-ze gazed out of the window in silence, his emotions hidden. Finally gathering her courage, Akane turned towards Na-ze and uttered the words she had been contemplating. "Can we go on a date?" she asked.

Na-ze continued to look out of the window, unfazed by her request. He let out a sigh and replied with a lack of emotion or concern, "Sure."

Surprised by his quick response, Akane's face reflected her astonishment. "That was quick," she said, her expression one of disbelief.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Students began returning to their classrooms after finishing their meals in the cafeteria. The timing of the bell interrupted any further conversation between Akane and Na-ze, leaving them with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty for what would come next.