Searching for Senri Shiki (sequel to Senri Shiki - My Forbidden Vampire Knight)

~Bonus Chapter~

Bonus Chapter

“Mummy, won’t you come and see?”

I followed the little girl down the windy country path with overgrown bushes and shrubs. She stopped when she saw the camellia bush.

“Look, it’s you. The beautiful flower is you!” she exclaimed happily. I smiled and picked her up.

“And you’re over there, see?” The orange lilies were in full bloom. Sayori, the beautiful daughter of mine. Her burnt sienna hair flowed in the gentle breeze, salmon coloured lips opening and closing to the song she was singing as she ran to the plant. And there was Ryota, playing football in the meadow with Takeru. Takeru, hey?

~Eight years earlier~

“We’re so glad you could make it, Takeru and Tsubaki,” said our grandparents. I was dressed in a black and green cage dress. Takeru was dressed to match me. It was his dad’s birthday so we were having a ball at our grandparent’s mansion. Inside, the atmosphere was joyous and cheery laughter filled the air. I saw some waiters carrying silver plates full of canopies and let them offer me one. Takeru lifted up my arms as a gesture to dance, so I reluctantly agreed. We danced to the string quartet, and around an hour later, Takeru led me to a balcony.

“Everyone, the fireworks will begin now!” grandmother announced. Takeru obviously wanted to get a good view of them.

The display was full of colours, lights and loud noises, but I loved it because Takeru was next to me the whole time, hugging me from behind. Suddenly, he whispered something into my ears.

“Tsubaki. Forget about Senri Shiki, you’ve got me now.”

“I know, Takeru. I don’t like him anymore.”

“In that case, can I give you something?”

I hesitated. He said it in such a provocative way that I was slightly worried.

“Don’t worry, it’s not dirty at all.” And before I could answer, his lips touched mine, and shocks went through all my nerves. We stayed like that for a while, but he pulled away to give me a small jewellery box. “Tsubaki, would you let me become your husband?”

Husband... didn’t that mean marriage?! I gasped, and my hand immediately clasped my mouth.

“Takeru! You can’t, we’re cousins!” I said in a hushed voice.

“So? Nothing can stop love. You love me, don’t you?”

My face turned into a bright red tomato. “O-of course I do, but...”

He didn’t know, but I desperately wanted to be with him after the whole Senri Shiki incident. It had literally taken up my whole life and left no room for anyone else. If only I had met Takeru before Senri Shiki.

“Great. Dad! Tsubaki says she’ll marry me!” he hollered across the balcony to the garden. His dad smiled and waved at us. A whole uproar of applause filled my ears. Damn that Takeru, I bet he had all this planned for tonight. “Tsubaki, when we get back to Aunt Kyoko’s house, go straight to your room. That’s the main bedroom by the way.”

I cried buckets of happiness, hugging him as tightly as I used to hug my father. I could feel him and my mother watching from above, and when the party ended, Takeru made sweet love to me in my bedroom. He planted kisses all over, and gave me such a passionate evening that I could do nothing but be grateful. I loved Takeru. I always would.

~Eight years later~

“Mummy, I’m tired,” Sayori yawned. I stopped reading ‘The Little Vampire’ to her and closed the light. It had just gone seven and I was desperate to finished reading the newspaper. Takeru was taking care of Ryota, the little three-year-old. I hurried downstairs to make myself some jasmine tea and settled down in front of the fireplace. I had inherited Aunt Kyoko’s mansion on Antonia Close, and my family lived very happily there. The only flaw was that Senri Shiki and his family lived six houses away.