Eternal Melody

TOH

Rumors that paint Sumire in a negative light, that undermine all her hard work in the underworld. The one that stood out to him were the ones that say she has gotten weaker. 'Now is the time to attack her and get back at her.' Despite the strict security measures he has made. The security guards have alerted him on more than one occasion of half dead bodies near the hospital grounds. It didn't take him long to realize that Sumire had been sneaking out behind his back.

When he confronted her about it, Sumire didn't bother hiding it from him. 

'I don't want you to stain your hands for me Toh. But even more than that I want to protect you.'

If he didn't love her before, he did now, Nobody has ever treated him as well as Sumire. 

Sumire covers her mouth with her sleeve and laughs, "I just heard your thoughts."

Toh blinked and cursed. "Sorry, I projected it too strongly." Before he met Ibuki Sumire, he had absolute control of his abilities. 

"No, it's comforting hearing your thoughts. It means I don't have to guess." Sumire trailed off. "You don't think me wanting to protect you is weird?"

"What's weird about it?"

"I'm a girl after all."

Toh looked at her puzzled and Sumire sighed. "I suppose that's like you."

Perhaps because he didn't understand what she was saying, or he sensed the atmosphere was shifting in a dangerous way again but he changed the topic.

"I'll come with you. I can't let you meet with him alone."

"Okay." Sumire agreed.

Toh extended his hand out and placed his hand on her forehead. "You're still warm beautiful. Do you need more blood? It's the hanyou fever isn't it?"

"Mm, I'm okay now. Rather," Sumire's cheeks coloured. "-I don't think it would be wise of me to drink anymore blood."

Toh rolled his eyes at that comment. "You seemed really eager there."

"Prick."

Toh smirked and picked her up, placing her back on the bed. "Are you not sleepy beautiful?"

Sumire shakes her head. "I'm wide awake now, can I stay up for a bit?"

Toh nodded and pulled up the mini table as he placed her composition notebook in the center, and her laptop. He adjusted the headboard of the bed, and placed a pillow there.

Sumire giggled. "Is this the royal treatment?"

"No, the royal treatment consists of me being in between your legs and make you cry out like when the Lord bit you." Toh said honestly.

Others would call him out for being shameless. But, the past two months have been difficult for him. 'I hadn't realized how much it would hurt seeing Sumire as another man's wife, even if she wasn't truly conscious of it due to her memory loss.'

Sumire laughed nervously. "Uh right, so um did San say anything?"

At the mention of Nagawa, Toh recalled those disgusting words he said and it slipped.

"He thinks we have been fucking whenever we had the chance."

Sumire blinked and Toh cursed realizing his mistake. That's not what she was asking. She wants to know when she is getting discharged.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Also, he more or less said that whenever we met for his feeding sessions."

"He did?" Toh frowned. Exactly what did that man say to her? What disgusting words left his mouth in front of her?

"Mmm, he said it wasn't fair that I was letting you fuck me when all he could do was touch me a little."

Toh's gaze dimmed and Sumire laughed nervously. "Err, don't worry about it."

"I can't. He can't say things like that to you and get away with it."

"Don't worry, I didn't let him get away with it. I kicked him and then slapped him. Then I didn't meet with him for a while."

Toh sighed. "It's good that you did something, but I would rather you cut him off."

Sumire shook her head. "I won't, because he has suffered enough."

 Toh didn't agree with that logic but didn't say another word. She really is a kind girl. 

 ________________________

SIENA

A few days ago, Narasaki Hino came to her and said that 'the show will go on, make the remaining preparations on your own. Since, Sumire still needs to recover.' Siena, who had idly been waiting for any news regarding Sumire returning, suddenly received notice that their planned duo debut was resuming. Naturally, she assumed that Sumire was back and tried to visit her.

But the guards Mashima placed around Nagawa general hospital made it difficult for her to visit. She tried sneaking in, in more than one occasion, only to be thrown out.

"Don't you think we should try and see her?" Siena said, frustrated.

She was currently in the food court in the mall with Asuka who was on her lunch break.

Asuka shakes her head. "You know Mashima is being very careful with who visits her right now."

"But we are her friends! It's not fair that Hamano can go, and not us."

"You know he is different, he is Akagumi's second in command. With the state of the underworld the way it is. Akagumi has been pitching in to help, even though they aren't a group under the underworld treaty."

"But, don't you think Hamano bringing Sumire news regarding the underworld will only cause her to do something reckless?"

Actually, it's surprising that Sumire hasn't snuck off yet.

"You shouldn't underestimate Mashima. Rather even back then, it seems Mashima has a way of keeping Sumire under control. She listens to him when normally she would ignore others."

Siena paused. "Don't you think she still likes him?" 

"I do." Asuka admitted. "But her feelings for Mashima probably aren't as strong as the one she has for Yuhi."

Siena sighs deeply. "I can't say I envy her, she really does have a complicated love life."

'However if love makes her strong, I can't argue there.' Siena has seen first hand how extra determined Sumire is with her underworld work and song writing when it concerns the person she loves. It's not just Sumire, there are others in the industry that use love as a motivating factor.