Ronin Blood

Chapter 3 Had It:

Ryo decided against telling the others, feeling that he'd somehow ruin their lives if he told them. Even though Cye had said his life wasn't ruined just because his best friend wasn't human.

Although Cye accepted him, he couldn't see the others doing the same. They all had different personalities, so it was hard to distinguish what their reactions would be. Kento may want to fight, even kill him, without hearing him out first. Rowen was the high-IQ man of the group; Ryo was on the fence about whether he'd accept a vampire or not. And Sage? He was a laid-back kind of guy, but he had strong opinions and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

So, for now, until he feels braver and more confident in himself to spill the beans to his other three best friends, he was going to try and be more careful about where he hid the blood bags.

*****

It was around seven o'clock, dinner time. Ryo left the house ten minutes prior so he could drink from one of the blood bags he stole from a hospital's blood bank and avoid the served food.

Ryo always hid in the woods every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He wouldn't return to the house until everyone was done eating. Depending on what was served, it would take a half hour to almost an hour for them to finish.

*****

Back in the house, the four were taking their place at the dining table to eat.

Sage got to his spot at the table but didn't sit as distaste showed on his face, "I see Ryo is, for the millionth time, not eating with us. I'm going to go look for him. I had it with his disappearing acts all the time."

Cye acted quickly before Sage could even reach the door. "Wait!" He thought hastily about what to say next. "I don't really care that he's been missing out on all my cooking. It's alright. You don't have to go looking for him."

Sage always stood with his back straight, but it looked as if he straightened it even further, showing tense annoyance, "I am anyway. Ryo's been rude, missing every meal every day. And it's not making sense on why." His voice was as tense as his back, but it remained with its usual softness. He never yelled unless he felt truly angered or in a battle.

"Well, if you're going to go look for Ryo... I'll, I'll come with you."

"Do you know something?"

"Know something? No, of course not. I'm on the same page as you. I don't know what's up with Ryo."

Sage raised a brow, sure that Cye had to be hiding something. But he would wait to get it out of him later after he was to find Ryo and interrogate him first.

Sage looked at the other two. "What about you two? You guys coming along?"

"I'm staying out of this," Kento answered. "Since it's been a couple of years of us living together for easy assemblage to fight the baddies and getting to know all of you and your habits through that time, I just started ignoring the decisions you all make upon yourselves. When I realized Ryo didn't like eating with us, I sort of stopped paying attention to him disappearing. I ignore it now."

"Aren't you a bit curious about what Ryo's been doing?" Rowen asked.

"A little, I guess. I mean, I was annoyed at first. But I'm just going to stay here anyway."

"Well, alright," Sage said as they faced toward the direction of the front door. "Don't take any of our food."

"I won't, promise."

"We're going to hold you to that, Kento," Rowen yelled back as they walked out the door.