nopain2                                         
by dolieskewpie 4.13.1999

     It was like a dream.  A pair of clear green eyes finally completely
opened after 2 weeks of lying on bed half-conscious, half-unconsciously.
Ino found himself lying on a soft silky bed that he was familiar with, he
realized he was back to his bedroom of his luxury mansion.

     “You finally awake? How are you feeling?”  A low deep voice spoke with
concern.
     Ino turned around and found the voice come from an unfamiliar tall
slim figure who sat beside the bed.   He had short blond hair and dressed
in all black priest clothes.

     “…?” Ino couldn't utter a word, as he had just recovered.
     “My name is J, I am a priest from the St. Luna Church.  You were
passing out in the park, so I brought you home. Oh I found your address in
your wallet by the way, hope you don’t mind.”
     “………..”  Ignoring the priest, Ino remembered the brutal death of his
newly wed wife, the horrid attack from a creature that’s beyond the
mortals, and the unforgettable chilling cold eyes that had been piercing
through his dream.  They were fierce and cold, yet beautiful and full of
unspeakable desire.
     “……”  Ino closed his eyes, he still couldn’t believe what had happen
to him.  Ino felt sorry for his wife. Although their marriage was arranged
by their family, she was a very nice and quiet girl.  They got along very
well for those sadly too short days.  He had commited himself to spend the
rest of his life with her..but she was brutally slaughter for no reason.
Their life had just begun and they were both looking forward to it
anxiously....but she was gone...just like that....  Ino just wished that he
could have spoken a few more words with her.
     “I am sorry about your bride…”  J said.
     Without giving any response, Ino tried to collect his thoughts
together, since he was still in shock about the whole incident. Ino then
noticed J was staring at his face as if he’s studying every detail of his
face features. Ino felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t dare to say anything
since there’re concerns and something tender about his gazes.

     “knock knock”, someone entered the room, it’s another face that’s
unfamiliar to Ino.
     “so he is the new target?”  the young man asked with a clear beautiful
voice, he had short black hair and a very delicate face.
     Realizing Ino’s confused gaze, the young man explained “oh, let me
introduce myself. My name is Ryu.  J is my mentor, I’m sort of like his
assistance and student”.
     “…….” Ino remained speechless and looked at the two strangers.
     “He is still in shock, “ J put his hand gently on Ino’s forehead, “don
’t worry, we are here to protect you.”
     “protect me….???”
     “You were attacked by immortal creatures which we called vampires.”  J
said.
     “Was he bitten?”  Ryu asked.
     “Yes, on the neck,”  J lifted Ino’s shirt and showed the wound to Ryu.
     “ooah…that looks hurt~~” Ryu gasped.
     “am….am I going to be a vampire too?”  Ino asked fearfully.
     “don’t worry, the answer is NO.  That little wound wouldn’t turn you
into a demon.  However you lost a great deal of blood, therefore your body
is very weak now.”
     “…..he killed…her?”  Ino asked weakly.
     “Yes, I am sorry about that…”
     “thank god J found you right before he tried to kill you too.”  Ryu
said.
     “…..how…did you know that I was….”  Ino asked.
     “I’ve been trying to hunt that vampire for awhile.” J answered.  “I
had been tracing him for the past 4 years.  And I knew I would be able to
find him if I found you.”
     “……..?????”  Ino stared at the priest.
     J took out a bible, he opened it and took out a piece of paper.  Ino
noticed it was a really old photo.  J showed Ino the picture, it was a
really old portraiture that had already turned yellow and brown.  The
portraiture showed a beautiful youth with long black hair sitting on a
chair, dressing in old style suit.
     “!!!!!  How come you have a picture of me?”  Ino was surprised to see
himself in a photo that he didn’t remember ever posing for.
     “This photo was taken two centuries ago” J said, “this person is your
look alike from the past.”
     “Really?  That’s interesting…how did you find it?”  Ino felt
embarassingly flattered somehow.
     “He was the vampire’s precious….”
     “Ah???”
     “Anyway, you need some rest. I’ll talk to you about that more later.”
J stood up.
     “wait….what’s the name of the vampire?  He got a name too right”  Ino
asked
     “Sugi….his name is Sugi.”  J said and left the room.


     “………Sugi…” Ino remembered the viciousness and fatalness of the
vampire, yet, he also remembered how unbelievably charming and seductive he
was.
     “So, how did that vampire Sugi look like?”  Ryu asked curiously, he
was still remaining in the room and sat next to the bed.
     “Isn’t he supposed to leave me to rest?” Ino thought, but was
glad that Ryu offered his friendly companionship, he felt like he need to
talk to someone or
else he'll gone insane, “I thought you saw him before, cuz’ you sound like
you’re experience in
dealing with vampires…..”
     “No I haven’t!  Even Father J only confronted him several times only.
I never had the chance to see how he really looks like.  He is too powerful
and unapproachable!.”
     “I know I shouldn't say this in front of you religious people…but I
really think he is …..beautiful….beyond any human beauty….”  Ino said.
     “?!!” A spark of excitement shone through Ryu’s eyes.  “Yeah I heard a
lot about that, I heard that all his victims could not resist his charm and
gave themselves to him.  So it’s like a total fatal attraction.  And I
heard that all his victims were beautiful youth like you.”
     “…….so…..that..Father J has been hunting for him for quite awhile?”
Ino asked.
     “Yes, actually he has been trying to track down Sugi since he was
little, because I heard a rumor from the church that his whole family was
killed by a vampire.  He never talked about himself so I’m not sure.  I
decided to join him to hunt down Sugi about a year ago.”  Ryu said.
     “You guys met in the church?”
     “Yes, we both were orphans raised at the church.  J is a very
admirable mentor, he’s like a dear brother to me.  I decided to practice in
the ministry because of him too”  Ryu smiled.  “I like him because he is
so…unconventional.”

     After cycles of scenarios of the horrid death of his bride layered
with the fiercing cold eyes, Ino awaked suddenly when he could almost feel
the vivid feelings of the vampire’s teeth sinking into his neck…

     “Ah…I don’t want to sleep anymore..” Ino was afraid of going back to
sleep. He left the bedroom and went downstairs to the living room.  His
footsteps echoed in the big and empty mansion.
     “There’s light in the library room?”  Ino entered and found Priest J
inside.  Despite the fact that a Priest was supposed to have “good manners”
, J was sitting with both of his legs up hanging on the table.  He had a
pair of thick black frame glasses on when he was reading books under a
small lamp on the table.
     “You awake?”  J noticed Ino. “You look a lot better now.”
     “….Thank you very much for saving my life.”
     “Oh no problem, it’s my job.”  J took a sip of the drink.
     (“Isn’t that alcohol? Can a priest drink wine?” Ino thought)
     “BTW, I took care of the police and your bride’s family.’  J said
     “Ah??  Oh…that……thanks a lot.”  Ino almost forgot about the tragedy at
his wedding.
    “In this crime abundant era, there are just too much unsolved murders,
the police is just totally useless.  Your bride’s family actually bought my
story of a loose psycho killer responsible for your wife’s death.” J shaked
his head with a tricky smile on his face.
    (“Can a priest lie?” Ino wondered.)
    “Sit down!”  J invited Ino to sit next to him.  “You want a drink?
Oh..sorry..I took these bottles of wine from that cupboard without your
permission, I hope you don’t mind.”
    “Oh it’s no problem.” Ino smiled. (“This priest…think this is his house
already?”)  “so...what...are you reading?”
    “I’ve been looking through your photo album. Oh, hope you don’t
mind…again.”  J smiled.
    “I hope you were not disappointed, there isn’t much photos…” Ino said.
    “How did you meet your wife?”
    “Oh?…..hmmm..it was an arranged marriage. I didn’t know her that well.”
Ino said.

    Ino was still overwhelmed by the shocking encounter of the supernatural
being and the near-death experience.  The fear was too occupied his mind
and body that his grief for his wife's death was not as strong as it
supposed to be.  Afterall he hardly knows her.  His parent arranged the
marriage.  He had only met her in a couple of formal occasions before.  It
was the fate of being the only son of his family, he had to marry someone
with equally status who could match the family’s fortune and reputation.
    He also felt sorrow that, he thought he finally could have a companion
beside his unloving and cold family.  He was never close with his parents,
they give any attention to him.  He always felt lonely and empty, he
thought the marriage might change that for him.
     “Where were your family members?  I couldn’t find them at the wedding
party.”  J asked.
     “oh…they…left halfway during the wedding.  They lived at different
place…somewhere very far.”  Ino said
     “I see…..”  J took another sip of drink. “It’s better to separate you
from your other family members anyway, in order not to get innocent people
to become Sugi’s victims.  I know he would do anything to get you.”
      “…….” Ino remained silent.
     “That’s why I sent away all the servants in this house, hope you don’t
mind…again.”  J said.
     “There’s no problem, they treated me as transparent anyway……”
     “…….”  J put down his drink and removed his feet from the table and
leaned his upper body toward Ino. He looked right into Ino’s eyes, “Don’t
worry, you will be very safe with me.  I would not let the vampire harm
you.”
     “….hmmm….thanks….” Ino murmured.
     “Don’t be afraid of the power of darkness.  They will never win.”
     “……so……Why am I his target? What has that old picture got to do with
this?”  Ino asked.

      J took out the old photo, he stared at it for awhile and looked at
Ino,
     “I’ve been studying this photo for a long time, it’s a little weird
that I actually see someone look so much alike right in front of me.”  J
gave an embarassed smile.
     “……that person sure looked a lot like me…”
     “hmm, yes.  I believe he was your former life.”
     “huh? You mean I’m his reincarnation?  But wait, don’t you Christian
people disbelieve such thing?”
     “wahaha~~” J laughed very loud suddenly, “Nevermind that.  There are
too many unexplainable mysteries in our world that we just have to apply
our human’s logic to explain them.  Oh well, this young man was killed by
Sugi long time ago.  What I didn’t understand was…he was Sugi’s lover.”
     “??”  Ino was surprised.
     “Yes, at least from what I’ve researched.  I found his journals when I
got a hold of this photo, from the relationship with Sugi he had described,
they sounded very intimate and sure a LOT of love and pain going on.  They
sure read like a romance novel.”
     “It was later that I found Sugi having migrated to this area.
Traces of his presence can be found around this town.  Before that he had
been hanging around in different spots, he never stayed in each place
longer than 3 months.  However he has stayed here for almost 2 years.”
     “Our town is his favorite?”  Ino asked.
     “Maybe, one thing for sure was that his behavior also changed around
these 2 years.  It’s too long to tell you right now.  Anyway, I’ve also
settled down in this town for the past 2 years.  One day I saw your photo
in the press, at that moment everything make sense to me.”
     “You mean, he came to this town and stayed….because of me?  That I’m
possibly the reincarnation of his former lover?”
     “I’m afraid….yes.  I’m not too sure, but after the attack 2 weeks ago,
I’m pretty sure you’re related.”

     Both men were silent.  Ino felt a sudden chill run through his body.
     “but…I’m not HIM.  I’m….a different person, what does he want from
me?”
     “That I don’t know,” J closed his eyes and said, “I’ve been trying
to find out as much as possible about him, understand everything about him
and what could be on his mind. But still, he’s a mystery to me.”
     Ino looked at J who dropped his back on the chair heavily.  Ryu’s
words appeared on his mind suddenly.  Could it be true that J was a
surviving victim of Sugi’s brutal massacre of his family?

    “Have you ever killed other vampires??  I mean, are there any other
vampires beside Sugi?” Ino asked.
    “I don’t know!” J lifted and dropped his shoulder.
    (Ino thought “This priest is really unlike the formal ones I’ve met out
there, he seems so….casual and humble.....)”
     J noticed Ino’s seemingly disappointed face, he said “oh well, what I
meant was, Sugi is the only vampire I know of, and he is the only
vampire that I want to hunt and destroy.”

*************************************************************

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