Eternal Melody

Chapter 1121 He will always choose me

She goes to the next place she would call home. The Akagumi bar in Star town is different from the one in Tokyo, but the layout is the same. After a few visits, it didn\'t take long before she got used to the place.

"What do you think I should do Atushi?" Sumire asked as she slumped her head on the counter.

Atushi was wiping some glasses.

"Just when I thought you finally remembered poor old me."

Sumire pouted. "You know it\'s not my fault."

"I know. But this is rare, no? I know Narasaki is out of town. But normally you\'d go to Mashima."

"Toh is..." Sumire said nervously. She didn\'t know what to say. If she says Toh is with another woman. Toh\'s image would certainly crumble.

"Right behind you?" Atushi finished.

Sumire turned to see silver coloured hair standing behind her. 

Her heart beat increased seeing his condition. His entire body was covered in sweat and he was out of breath.

Thump. Why is he--

Toh orders something and Atushi quickly heads to the kitchen.

"Why did you run?" Toh said as he sat down beside her.

"Um because Akane-chan was there and I was interrupting."

"We only slept beside each other. We weren\'t having sex."

Sumire stared at him blankly.

"I\'m serious beautiful, I haven\'t touched Akane since that time in the cruise ship."

"How come?"

"After she lost the child. She realized that while she may have grown fond of me. The reality is the two of us barely know each other. When she said that I couldn\'t exactly deny her words."

Sumire immediately understood. "So, right now-"

"Friends. Once or twice a week we would meet up, and watch a movie at my place. That\'s all."

She stupidly feels relieved. Toh pulled her into his arms and she sighs in content. \'I really am selfish, I\'m so sorry Akane-chan. I really am. I wish I could let Toh go.\'

"Don\'t run from me, beautiful, I do not like it."

"I know, I\'m sorry. It was weird." Sumire quickly apologized.

"Should I punish you?" Toh said teasingly as he placed one hand on her thighs.

"Prick."

Toh chuckled.

Atushi returned with two plates of food and Toh raised his eyebrow.

"Did you know I\'d follow you?"

"Well, it was one of two possibilities." Sumire said. The other possibility was Toh choosing to stay with Akane-chan. If he actually did that, right about now she would be sulking.

Sumire explained how she just came back from meeting Lucifer.

"You saw Lucifer?!! Where?"

"The forest, the one that surrounds the Holy Knights headquarters."

"Did he look normal to you?"

"At first, I thought it was his beast. But then he spoke to me."

"Beautiful, are you sure it was really him?"

Sumire looked at him blankly.

"The boss has been losing to his beast side for a while now.

He has spent more time as his beast since your last concert in Tokyo."

"That--" Sumire started.

"So are you sure?" Toh asked.

Recalling the words he said, and the pain on his face. She knew it was Lucifer and not his beast. Sumire nodded.

"That\'s good. Did he drink from you?"

"Err, yes quite a bit."

"Then he should be normal for a while. I\'ll contact him on my end, and when it\'s safe. I\'ll arrange a proper meeting for you two."

"Thank you Toh. He-he was hurt so badly." Sumire noted his wounds when he was drinking from her viciously. The dark cloak and clothes are a great way to conceal injuries, but it\'s difficult to hide when they are that close.

"I think your grandfather did something."

"My grandfather huh?" Sumire mumbled.

That man has not appeared before her once since she discovered he was a member of the black alice organisation. It seems he did try to speak with her when she was staying with Lucifer, but Lucifer didn\'t let him meet her. 

\'Only wanting to see me when I have no memories? How badly would he have tried to manipulate me?\' Sumire shakes her head. There is no use thinking about it too deeply now. Ibuki Suigetsu, even if he gets close to her, won\'t even get a chance to lift a finger.

"I saw Lucifer sneak out of your concert to speak with Suigetsu-san, and he never returned right?"

"Yes.."

"I think something happened." Toh trailed off as his fingers brushed a strand of hair away from her neck. "Beautiful, you said he drank a lot."

"Ah-huh."

"Show me what he did to you."

At those words her sweat fell. Uh, oh. That would be a bad idea. If Toh saw that scene, there is no doubt he would be angry. Rather she can already feel his anger. Seeing the marks is enough for him to guess it wasn\'t like the usual times.

"Hamano, can we borrow a spare room?"

Atushi nodded. "If she doesn\'t tell you, I\'m afraid I\'ll have to get Yuhi here."

Sumire looked at Atushi in disbelief and Atushi sighs. "You know I don\'t like being a snitch, I didn\'t say anything when you came in here limping. But," Atushi points to the marks. "I didn\'t see those. Now will you tell Mashima or do you want Yuhi to come here? I\'ll tell you now, the King hasn\'t been in a good mood recently."

Sumire exhales deeply knowing she didn\'t have a choice. She nodded and led Toh upstairs to the spare room at the start of the corridor. The moment they were inside, Toh turned around. 

"You\'ll have to remove your clothes a bit."

Oh right, Sumire looked at her blouse. She was wearing an off shoulder long sleeved shirt. Even if she rolls the sleeves, it won\'t help much. She decides to just take off her blouse completely. After a few minutes, she tells Toh to turn around.

For a moment Sumire finds him just staring at her figure and her cheeks heated up and she coughed. "Ahem."

"Right." Toh mumbled as he placed his hand on the bite marks and looked her up and down. "Did he force himself on you?"

"We didn\'t do it, but-"

Toh extended his hand out. "Close your eyes, show me beautiful."

\'I trust him. I have always trusted this person, and he has proven even if he is on the enemy\'s side. He will always choose me.\'