Chapter Text
Miu Iruma had always considered herself different from her peers. She was considered an oddball, and did everything her own unique way. She had discovered a love for inventing, and absolutely engrossed herself in it every day.
But she wasn’t different for just that reason.
Much to her dismay, Miu was born within a bloodline with a generational curse. Specifically, a bloodline that involved lycanthropy.
She had first experienced her werewolf self at 12 years old. It was the first time she had experienced heightened senses and a full transformation, and it had caught her off guard due to a lack of warning from her family. Nobody was expecting it to happen so early for her, she just appeared to be unlucky.
From that point forward, Miu had to adjust to her new life as a werewolf. She learned to manage her primal instincts to an extent, enough so she can handle her everyday life properly.
But that did not shake the inner feeling of guilt that resided within her. Miu had seen humans become increasingly paranoid of werewolves, considering them monsters that needed to be eradicated from society as a whole.
Miu, currently 19 years old, still struggled with that inner conflict.
She learned to live a life of her own, managing to work her way through both her inventions and school. She had even found a lover to call her own.
Unfortunately, there was a conflict regarding this lover.
Her girlfriend was Kaede Akamatsu, a werewolf hunter who had been trained from a young age. Her family was filled with skilled hunters, which society had relied on to protect them. People practically worshiped the Akamatsu family for their reputation of being the best hunters around.
And somehow Miu had found herself falling for Kaede. Kaede had no idea about Miu’s identity as werewolf, as Miu was insistent about keeping it hidden.
It was a gradual feeling of falling in love. They had met in high school, at Hope’s Peak Academy. The two had grown close, becoming an unexpected pair. Ever since, they had been inseparable. And then one day the two of them found themselves confessing feelings for one another while spending time together one day after school.
Kaede had meant so much to Miu, and the last thing she wanted was to lose her. She was the only person who had given Miu the time of day despite her nature, and seemed to appreciate her presence. That was something Miu appreciated more than anything.
But, she always had a lingering feeling of guilt. She knew if she had somehow slipped about being a werewolf to Kaede, their relationship could take a turn for the worse. Miu was willing to do whatever it takes to keep Kaede by her side, even if it meant hiding her biggest secret from her.
As the relationship grew stronger between the two, it became difficult to hide her secret from Kaede. One part of her desperately wanted to tell her girlfriend, to finally get her feelings out. But, the other part of her knew what the repercussions of telling her could be.
So, that’s how she found herself in the home of Tenko Chabashira, another werewolf who she had befriended during their time at Hope’s Peak. There was not a major amount of werewolves out and about in society, but they could easily point each other out in a crowd even in human form.
Tenko was the only person she could confide in at the moment, the only one who could understand her conflict.
So, she explained the situation to her while at her home as they sat on Tenko’s bed.
“So, you’re telling me you’re dating Kaede? The Kaede Akamatsu? The werewolf hunter?” Tenko inquired, crossing her legs.
Miu nodded. “Yeah, I fuckin’ am. Ironic as hell, right?”
“I just don’t understand why you would do that. Her whole family are heroes to society, they’re the most famed hunters out there.” Tenko’s eyebrow raised.
“I dunno. Kaede’s just really fuckin’ nice, you get me? And ‘ya didn’t hear it from me, but she’s real goddamn attractive as well. She just drew me in. And as our relationship grew, I-I just… hid it.” Miu explained, feeling her eyes water.
Tenko nodded, understanding. “I get you want to stay with her, and I get that you love her.” She paused. “But, there’s only two options here. Tell her the truth, and who knows what will happen. Or just bottle up your feelings until you die, or transform on accident, which seems like it’s continuously stressing you out. Do what’s right for yourself. You can’t live your life like this.”
Miu’s head hung low in shame, sniffling. “Y-You don’t fuckin’ get it. I love her. She’s the only goddamn person who’s been there with me through everythin’, I can’t lose her to shit I can’t control.”
Tenko grabbed Miu by the shoulders, causing Miu to lift her head up in surprise.
“W-What the hell?”
“Listen, Miu. She’s a hunter, you’re a werewolf. You can’t change that fact. But, there is something you can control. You can control what you do. You can decide your own fate. If she truly loves you, she won’t hurt you. Obviously, I can’t guarantee anything, and it can be risky. But, if you want to keep your relationship, you have to tell her.” Tenko explained, her expression serious.
Miu grabbed Tenko’s arms and pulled them off of her. “She’ll kill my ass, don’t you get it, bitch? You’re a werewolf too, you should understand that!”
Tenko slightly scoffed, yet remained patient. “Actually, I do get it. But, if you keep this to yourself, you’re only doing more damage to your relationship. You’re not helping yourself or Kaede by hiding it. You’re gonna get yourself hurt if you bottle it up. You’ll accidentally slip, and that’ll be worse than telling her yourself.”
Miu groaned, throwing herself back into the bed. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that Tenko was actually right.
Tenko spoke up again. “I know it’s hard. but you’re not getting anywhere by hiding it from her. You’re just doing more damage to yourself, which is gonna cause overall damage as a whole.”
“Losing her is what’s gonna cause fuckin’ damage to me! It’s not easy to just say that crap to her!” Miu sobbed, tugging at strands of her hair.
“I know, I’m not saying it’s easy! But please, do what’s right for yourself. If you suddenly transform at the wrong moment, you’re going to increase your chances of getting hurt! You’re my friend, I don’t want to see you get killed!” Tenko pleaded.
Miu sighed exasperatedly, scratching the back of her neck. “Listen, I’m real fuckin’ tough! I’m a genius! I can handle myself!”
Tenko ran a hand through her own hair. “Listen, I know you’re stubborn. Can you at least promise that you’ll just consider talking to Kaede?”
Miu rolled her eyes. “Yeah, fuckin’ sure, or whatever.”
Tenko gave her a doubtful expression, but didn’t press her any further. Miu was stubborn, and Tenko knew that as much as anyone else did.
Afterwards, Miu found herself returning to her and Kaede’s apartment.
As she unlocked the door and entered, she realized she was alone. Miu knew she was out that day, busy at her piano practices. It was what she did full-time, when she wasn’t busy hunting down werewolves on the full moon.
Miu anxiously paced around the apartment, eyeing pictures of her and Kaede that were strung along the walls.
Looking at the two of them together made her heartache, knowing that Kaede would hate her if she ever told her the truth.
But, Miu knew she wasn’t totally slick. Kaede occasionally seemed to notice something was wrong, asking her if she was okay or if something was bothering her. And everytime she denied an issue. She loved her too much to tell her the truth.
She got snapped out of her thoughts as she heard keys jingling, signaling that Kaede was home.
“Miu! Are you home, sweetheart?” Kaede’s voice rang throughout the apartment.
Miu headed over to the living room, greeting Kaede at the door.
“Hey, Kaeidiot! What’s up?” Miu chuckled, trying to avoid the thoughts that she was previously having.
Kaede smiled at her, kissing her cheek. “I’m happy to see you! How are you?”
Miu hesitated.
“Heh, I’m alright! I was just chillin’.” Miu spoke, with a faux cheerfulness.
Kaede slightly narrowed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, sensing that something was off about Miu’s response to her. “You sure you’re okay, honey?” She took Miu’s hands. “You seem a bit anxious. You can talk to me.”
Miu forced a crooked smile, attempting to brush off Kaede’s words of concern. “Seriously, I’m fine, Kaeidiot. I’m just really goddamn tired.”
Kaede’s expression softened, with a loving look in her eyes. “I see. What about if we order some food tonight and watch a movie? You can relax and then you can get some sleep, okay?”
Miu nodded, grateful for the distraction from her own thoughts.
As the night went on, both Kaede and Miu found themselves snuggled up with each other after dinner to watch a movie.
They picked out a cartoon movie that Miu suggested, but she wasn’t necessarily focused on it. She was instead focused on Kaede, who was currently wrapping her arms around Miu tightly.
Miu couldn’t deny the relaxed feeling that she had felt in Kaede’s arms. That guilt still was rampant in the back of her mind, eating her alive. She just wanted to be happy with Kaede, why did it have to be this way?
“You know, honey, it’s nice spending time with you tonight. I’m glad I could get a nice night of rest before tomorrow.” Kaede spoke, nuzzling her head in Miu’s hair.
Oh, shit.
Tomorrow was the full moon, Miu knew that well enough. She had followed the moon phases each day to avoid herself from ever having a mishap with Kaede.
“O-O yeah. I forgot about that shit. Sucks that ‘ya have to do that shit.” Miu commented, curling more into Kaede’s arms.
She could feel Kaede nod against her head. “Yeah, it’s not fun. Sadly, this is a family thing. I have no reason to go out killing werewolves.”
Huh?
“W-Wait, you’re serious?” Miu’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. It’s all family stuff. If it was up to me, I would go around the world playing on my piano instead! But everyone’s relying on me, including my family. And I want to keep you safe as well.” Kaede explained, taking a strand of Miu’s hair and playing with it.
Oh, if it was that simple. Miu being a simple human, and Kaede protected her. But of course life wasn’t that simple. Of course Miu had to be cursed with the bloodline of werewolves. It was almost as if this was a curse on her happiness as well.
“Well, I don’t need to be protected, Kaeidiot! I’m a genius inventor! I don’t need to fuckin’ be protected!” Miu protested.
Kaede gave her a soft kiss on the head. “I’m sure you don’t need to be protected. But I just want to look out for you, just in case. Because I love you.”
Miu felt her face heat up, she really did feel an overwhelming love for her despite their differences. “I… I love you too, Kaeidiot.”
Kaede giggled in response. “I’m glad. Let’s head to bed now. It’s getting late.”
“Heh, going to bed for what?” Miu cackled.
She watched as Kaede’s face reddened. “You know what I meant! Come on!” She exclaimed, as she dragged Miu by the hand into their bedroom.
And as Miu fell asleep that night in Kaede’s arms, she fell asleep with the worries of the full moon the next night.
The next day, it started out as an average day in the life for both Miu and Kaede.
They woke up together and snuggled, then they ate breakfast, and got ready for the day together. Kaede headed off to her piano practice while Miu spent the day at home, working on inventions in her makeshift lab.
In Miu’s case, she was not getting much work done. Instead, she was combining scraps of metal together in hopes that she could make something new. She usually had her shit together, and could invent anything with ease and precision. But she was distracted, distracted with the thoughts of the full moon that would come later.
Miu typically could control herself. Her werewolf form could usually be kept inside, and at most only her tail, claws, or ears would pop out. But, Kaede would be out hunting, so Miu could avoid her secret getting exposed.
But, she was beginning to feel increasingly anxious and erratic. She couldn’t focus on her beloved inventions as much, and anything that she would make at the moment turned out to be a disaster.
This continued on for most of the day. Miu sitting at her workbench, frustrated. Being lost in her own thoughts was becoming her worst enemy, and it was difficult to handle.
She began to pace around the apartment, her anxiety levels raising. Hiding her werewolf-self from Kaede was taking a toll on her, but she’d never admit it. She loved Kaede too much to admit it.
A few hours later of nervously pacing and being lost in overwhelming thoughts, Kaede returned from her piano practice. By the time she returned, it was a few hours until dusk.
And as always, Miu was there to greet her at the door.
“Hey, Kaeidiot! Tonight’s the big goddamn night, huh?” Miu spoke, approaching Kaede and giving her a peck on her cheek.
Kaede nodded in response. “Yeah, it is. I have to go get my stuff ready. Can you help me get my gear ready? I would really appreciate it.”
“Y-Yeah! Sure, Kaeidiot. I’ll go get your shit from the closet.” Miu grinned as she walked to a closet in their room that consisted of all of Kaede’s gear.
This was the part Miu despised. She put the equipment Kaede had into her hunting backpack, such as traps, binoculars, night vision goggles, flashlights, and a pistol. And she couldn’t possibly forget about the silver bullets, which were packed neatly into a box. She was grateful enough that they were in the box, as the touch from the bullets themselves could lead her to her death.
As she brought the backpack to Kaede, she could see Kaede putting on her set of kevlar armor around her body. Even though she was putting it on to hunt down werewolves, Miu couldn’t help herself from finding her attractive in her armor.
“Thanks, sweetheart!” Kaede smiled, as she finished putting on her armor and grabbing the backpack from Miu.
“Hah, it’s no problem for a fuckin’ genius like me!” Miu laughed as she ran a hand through her hair.
Kaede’s eyes lit up at Miu’s words, then leaning in close. “Yeah, you really are a genius. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
And there was the pang of guilt again. The feeling of guilt knowing that Kaede doesn’t know about her lycanthropy.
Miu gave her a fake grin, attempting to push the feeling away. “Heh, fuck yea, I'm an absolute fuckin' genius!”
Kaede giggled, giving Miu a soft kiss on her lips.
“Alright, Miu. It’s pretty much time for me to go, I need to set everything up before it gets dark out. I’ll be back by tomorrow morning, alright?” Kaede explained, wrapping Miu up in a hug.
Miu wrapped her arms around Kaede tight, feeling her heart pound as she gripped onto her tighter. “Y-Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Kaede pulled away from the hug, still keeping her hands on Miu. “I’ll miss you. I love you.” She gave a warm smile, making Miu’s heart ache.
“I love you too, Kaeidiot. You’ll do fuckin’ amazing, you’ll kick ass.” Miu told her, trying to prevent her voice from shaking.
Kaede gave her a kiss on Miu’s forehead, Miu feeling the warmth of Kaede’s lips against her own skin.
And with that, Kaede put her backpack on, waved Miu goodbye, and headed out for the hunt.
Miu was now alone. She felt an impending sense of dread as she stood by herself in their apartment.
She walked over to the window, aimlessly staring outside.
“Maybe if I just fuckin’ get some air, I can clear my goddamn head.” Miu muttered to herself, opening the window up.
She heard the sounds of the night, such as the sounds of cars and people chattering. Most people were heading home, as it was getting dark. Dusk was arriving, and Miu’s thoughts began to arise.
She knew the more stressed she got, the less control she would have over her own body. But, she couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety that came from hiding her secret. It was an immense pressure, and Miu couldn’t avoid it anymore. Her hiding was catching up to her. Tenko was right, she should’ve told Kaede when she had the chance.
She felt the breeze against her face, her hair softly blowing. As the sun set, her anxiety rose. She could feel her body tremble, getting a bit unsteady on her feet.
She decided to back off from the window and head to her workbench. Nothing bad would happen if she was busy working, right?
Attempting to put heaps of metal together, she began to feel a wave of nausea. Not thinking much of it, she pushed it aside as anxiety and continued on with her work and attempted to put something together despite the circumstance.
A few minutes later, she began to feel a throbbing headache, causing her to dig her nails into her head in pain.
Suddenly, Miu felt the tips of her nails get sharper, causing her to hiss in pain.
Miu took her hands off her head, and moved them into her view. And there were her nails, now turned into sharp claws.
“Shit, shit… God, fuck. No, no! This can’t be fuckin’ happening!” Miu cursed, trying to retract her claws, but to no avail. She could usually handle a bit of transformation, but she knew that she couldn’t control it under the current feeling of stress.
Standing up, she winced at the feeling of her body contorting. She could feel her bones in every area begin to change place, causing her to howl in pain.
Miu tried her best to hold back her screams of pain, biting at her arm. But, that was no use as she began to feel her sharp fangs dig into her, leaving a pool of blood on her.
She fell to her knees, doubling over in agony. She could feel fur begin to form on her, making her body a mess of blood and fur.
Scratching erratically at the floor in her suffering, she realized she had to get out of the apartment. She was in utter and complete pain, and staying in a claustrophobic apartment was making her worse.
Miu wobbled over to the window, hunched over in pain. Her and Kaede lived on the first floor, so luckily there was no drop. She rushed out of the window as she felt her ears elongate and sharpen, and she felt her body finish the transformation as she sauntered off into the nearby woods.
Her senses were now heightened, smelling and hearing multiple times better than she ever could in her human form.
Along with the heightened senses came a heightened feeling of energy. She needed to do something.
As she sprinted deeper into the woods, she felt her werewolf instincts begging to take over. She wanted to hunt, run, and to let loose for the time being. But she couldn’t hurt Kaede. Kaede was most definitely in the woods that she was in. It seems the most reasonable, as it’s the woods closest to the town that they resided in. It would make sense for this area of woods to be werewolf-infested.
Miu felt her instincts grow stronger and stronger, as she went as deep as she could into the woods. She needed to hide until her transformation subsided, or until she could think rationally again.
Sniffing around, she paced around the woods. She could smell the strong smells of other animals, including other werewolves. She hadn’t seen any around, assuming most of them were hiding from Kaede, or any other hunters that may be lingering around. But, the smell of fear indicated that her assumptions rang true.
She continued to wander, the increased smell of fear from other beings beginning to impact her judgment. She scanned the area, searching for a hiding place.
Her nose led her to a small cave. It was hidden beneath a thicket of leaves and brambles, but she found herself residing in it. The opening was not big, but enough that she could fit her werewolf-self inside. Miu curled herself up, shivering against the cold ground of the cave.
Her form was truly taking a toll on her, her body was shaking as she tried to resist her primal instincts. She desperately wanted to go back out there, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that if she let her instincts take over, it could lead to disaster. And that disaster could lead to her hurting Kaede, which was the absolute last thing that she wanted.
Lost in her thoughts, she contemplated how unfair it was. All Miu wanted was to be with the girl she loved, but she was born with a curse. And, of course the girl she loved had to be a hunter. None of it was fair, she just wanted to be happy. Her life felt too much to bear, the amount of pressure was weighing down on her. Her curse wasn’t only a curse on her physical state, but her mental state as well.
She anxiously scratched at her skin, causing more blood to drip. The fact she hadn’t fully transformed in a long time had added onto her anxiety. She had totally forgotten what being in a fully transformed body had felt like, and what the werewolf instincts felt like.
She felt her heart rate increase as the night went by. An occasional rustling of leaves or twig snapping would cause her ears to perk up, but realizing that it was simply a small animal that was making their way through the wooded area.
Eventually, she heard footsteps approach her. She stood up in the cave, in a defensive position with her fur standing up. The scent told her that it wasn’t another person though. It was the scent of someone familiar. Tenko.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Tenko’s head peek in from the shrubs.
And thank goodness for werewolf telepathy, because in their werewolf forms they were unable to actually speak to one another.
‘Miu? What are you doing out here?!’ Tenko’s head tilted.
Miu noted Tenko’s rattled expression, her fur standing straight up. Tenko was typically excited, full of life. But, seeing her so rattled made Miu realize that something was out there.
‘Ten-bitch? The fuck are ‘ya doing out here?’
‘I was looking for somewhere to hide, but then I recognized your scent! Why on earth are you out here, Miu?’
‘What do you think I’m doin’? I’m hiding for fucks sake! The last thing I want is my girlfriend seeing me out here! She’s gonna kill me!’
Tenko deadpanned. ‘You didn’t talk to her about you being a werewolf? Well, forget that for now, we’ll talk about that later! She’s on the prowl right now! I saw her earlier. Luckily she didn’t see me and only heard me, but you gotta go!’
Miu’s eyes widened. She knew that Kaede was out there, but hearing it from her friend who was clearly panicked unsettled her. It brought her back to reality, and the feeling felt like a stab to the gut.
Miu only nodded at Tenko, and then she ran off. She couldn’t risk running into Kaede. As much as she wanted to see her, she didn’t want Kaede to see her in this position. If she learns that she is a monster, she would never love her again. Kaede leaving her was her worst nightmare, and she would do anything to prevent that nightmare from becoming reality.
As she ran through the woods, her thoughts began to go through her head like a whirlwind. How long would it be before Kaede finds out? How stupid could she have been that she thought she could’ve hid this from her forever?
She darted through the woodlands, feeling the air against her fur.
But, the sound of a gunshot in the near distance caused her to stop in her tracks. It was a loud shot, and wasn’t coming from far away. A hunter was nearby.
She sniffed the air, her nose twitching. That scent was familiar. All too familiar. Kaede.
She felt her heart race. The scent was getting closer, as if Kaede could sense her and was approaching.
Not to mention the sounds of footsteps. Miu’s ears perked up at the sound of soft footsteps against leaves in the woods, occasionally stopping. It seemed to follow a pattern. Walk a few steps, then pause for a few seconds.
She observed the area, but no person was in sight. Miu slowly took a few steps back, knowing that running away would cause more commotion and bring more attention to herself.
Miu could hear her heartbeat increase, her anxiety rising. She found herself near a tree covered with shrubs, residing in the area for the time being.
Her ears were fully perked up, eyes wide. She fearfully scanned the area from every direction through a small gap in the bushes, turning her head every few seconds.
And then she saw her.
Kaede was in view, yards away. She was clearly disheveled, and she was scratched up. She was covered in dirt and grime as well. That was no surprise, as she came home like that frequently. Due to werewolves being provoked, it would make sense for her to be in that state.
But none of that compared to the expression on Kaede’s face.
She was tense, her eyebrows furrowed. There was a certain anger to Kaede’s expression, yet a sadness at the same time.
But, what intimidated Miu the most was the pistol that Kaede was holding. The same pistol that Miu had given to her earlier. She had it raised up, awaiting a target.
Miu felt herself cower at the sight. Kaede was getting closer, and she would be screwed now if Kaede heard her move in the slightest. She was a skilled hunter, she knew she detected sounds well. Not as well as her, though.
Kaede was moving slowly, carefully checking her surroundings. She, as well as Miu, turned her head at any slight noise.
And that was proven when there was movement further away, Miu smelling a deer. But, Kaede thought quickly, and thus another gunshot rang out through the forest.
She softly whined as the sound rang through her ears.
But, that seemed to alert Kaede, as her head snapped in Miu’s direction.
Oh, fuck. Miu thought she had planned it out in a cunning manner, and would be able to escape without Kaede even suspecting a thing. Unfortunately, that has not been the development.
Miu began to panic, feeling her body tremble. She could see Kaede getting closer, and her pistol was facing right in Miu’s direction.
She wasn’t sure if Kaede had actually seen her, but she certainly knew that she was there.
As Kaede approached her, Miu’s fight or flight kicked in.
And then, she could do only one thing.
Run.
Making a break for it out of the plants, she could see that even Kaede was taken aback by the sudden movement. There was a barrage of gunfire, which Miu luckily managed to avoid due to her quick movements.
But, that wasn’t the end of it. Kaede followed after her, in surprisingly swift movements despite her initial shock.
Miu noticed that Kaede had to stop to reload, so she took that as an opportunity to run off into another hiding spot.
As she tried to catch her breath in a nearby burrow, she held back snarls of frustration. She was a monster, and due to it, her life has turned into this. She was feared by society, and she couldn’t be happy. She couldn’t even be with the only person that she had ever felt this amount of love for without repercussions.
During her contemplation, her head snapped up as the footsteps resumed. Kaede had reloaded her pistol, continuing her hunt.
But, a sniffle alerted her. Slightly peeking, she could see that Kaede was… crying? She wasn’t saying anything, but the tears running down her face as she held her pistol up was prominent.
She seemed persistent despite her crying, and began to search. Kaede viewed holes, gaps, anything that caught her eye. But, she couldn’t ignore the fact that her gun was pointed in each place she investigated.
As Kaede got closer to her spot, Miu shook like a leaf. Her thoughts raced, feeling like she couldn’t escape from this. But, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Kaede was turned around, and Miu took her chance to make a break for it.
Miu knew that Kaede would be alerted by her movements. So, she wasn’t shocked when Kaede went right after her.
She managed to dodge around the bullets that came flying her way, and kept sprinting deeper into the woods. She could feel the night air brush against her, and she panted as she continued to run.
Suddenly, her leg got caught.
Miu howled in pain, unable to move her leg. She looked down to see a trap, that her left hind leg had got caught on. She could feel the blood gushing out, and she winced as her leg got crushed by the trap.
She was unable to move, now cornered. Her thoughts began racing at a million miles per hour. She thought about Kaede, her secret, and how she hid it from her. And now she’ll never be able to tell her. She’ll die with the guilt forever. Maybe it was what she deserved. She had been terrible, and she felt as if she deserved this as her punishment.
As Kaede approached, Miu felt as if she couldn’t breathe. Her heart sped up at unimaginable rates, seeing the pistol being lifted in her direction.
Now, Kaede was close enough that she was standing over her. She had a powerful stance despite her previous tears.
They made eye contact, Miu getting a good look at Kaede’s eyes.
In her eyes, there was a mix of misery, anger, and fear. Miu could sense those emotions coming off of her as well.
Kaede’s body was shaking, as if making eye contact with a target impacted her.
The pistol was shaking in her hand, and the tears began to fall down Kaede’s face quicker. It was almost as if Kaede couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Those thoughts were diminished when she heard Kaede cock the gun and raise it towards her. She was still visibly shaking, eyeing Miu up and down.
But, something seemed to change within Kaede as she scanned Miu’s werewolf-self. Her eyes widened, a knowing look in her eyes. Kaede began to hyperventilate, along with her body continuing to tremble.
She looked like she had figured out something. The look in her eyes told the whole story.
The anger left her eyes, and Kaede lowered the gun. Instead, she seemed overwhelmed with a sadness.
Then she spoke, the first time she heard her speak that night.
“I… I can’t.” Her voice was dripping with anguish. She had never heard Kaede speak like that throughout the years that she had known her.
Kaede stared at the ground, tears falling down faster.
And then, she dropped her gun.
A sign of surrender.
Then, Kaede got closer. But, this time it wasn’t in a tense or fearful manner. Kaede seemed more somber, full of sorrow and regret.
Kaede got to her knees, getting to Miu’s level.
Her hand reached out for Miu’s head, causing Miu to slightly back up.
“Shhh. I’m not gonna hurt you. I just need to check something. I need to see if I’m going crazy or not.” Kaede spoke, her voice concerned.
What the hell was she talking about? Going crazy? What the fuck was going through Kaede’s head?
And then Kaede felt her head, in a specific spot.
The top of her head, seeming like she was looking for something. And she stopped when she had reached it. The scar that she had from her brain surgery long ago, due to a life-or-death car accident.
Miu felt Kaede run her hand on the scar, with Kaede’s breath shaking.
Kaede’s voice shook with every word she spoke, looking her right in the eyes. “It’s… I-It’s really you, Miu. I… I don’t even know what to say.”
Miu whimpered in response, unable to speak. Kaede was about to leave, and Miu couldn’t do anything to prepare herself for what Kaede might say or do next. This was it, she was going to see her as a monster and leave her. Which Miu didn’t mind, she felt as if she deserved all of this to happen to her. But, at the same time she didn’t want to be alone. She especially didn’t want Kaede to leave her.
But, that’s not what Kaede did at all. Instead, she pulled Miu’s dirty and bloody body in her arms, whispering profuse words of apology. Her body shook against Miu, her breath unsteady. “I’m sorry, Miu. I’m so sorry.”
She continued. And it was not in an angry tone like Miu had initially expected. “Once I saw you in that trap, I had a feeling. Your blonde fur, and the look in your eyes.” She paused. “It seemed so familiar to me. I thought I was losing it. I thought it was just my guilty conscience. But, then I got a whiff of your smell. I don’t have a nose like you do, but I know what my girlfriend smells like. But I needed to make sure. There’s so much on my mind that I don’t know what to say.” Kaede explained, sitting next to her.
Kaede ran a hand through her own hair, shakily sighing. She then removed the trap from Miu’s leg, examining it.
Miu yipped at the touch, feeling her leg burn in pain.
Kaede’s eyebrows furrowed, as she began to sob.
“God, this… It broke your leg. This is all my fault. You need medicial attention. I can’t leave you like this, Miu.”
Miu attempted to paw at Kaede, trying to signal to her that she was apologetic as well.
“I can tell you have something you want to say. I know you can’t speak in your wolf form. I’m going to take you back to our apartment, and I think we need to have a serious talk about all of this. I don’t want to try to have a talk with you when you’re unable to respond.” Kaede explained.
Kaede then leaned in, mouth near her ear. “Listen, I’m going to bring you back to our apartment. I’m going to pick you up, is that okay?”
Miu licked at Kaede’s nose in response, and she could see a very slight smile on Kaede’s face. It was dull, but it was there.
With that, Kaede lifted her up, slung on her shoulders. Her wolf form was much bigger than Kaede was, but it seemed like she could handle it.
“Just play dead. Don’t make any movements, alright? If I come across any hunters, I’m just going to tell them I killed you.” Kaede muttered as she carried Miu through the woods.
As she passed through the woods, Miu did note some hunters. Some were family members, some were family friends that worked for the business. But Kaede was efficient in making sure they didn’t touch Miu, acting like she was dead.
Miu lost track of time, dozing off as she was slung over Kaede’s shoulder.
And by the time she woke up, she was in their apartment.
She was tucked nicely into bed, the room quiet. The only noises that could be heard was shuffling around the room, probably Kaede.
Miu tore the blanket off of her, and stared at her body when she finally adjusted to the lights in the room. She had been put into her most comfortable pair of pajamas, and her leg was bandaged up. In fact, most of her body was cleaned up, she wasn’t covered in dirt or blood anymore.
Her body surprisingly didn’t hurt, her werewolf form probably had done it’s job of releasing chemicals to help relieve her pain.
There were crutches leaned up against the nightstand, as well as a full glass of water on the nightstand.
“Ugh… The fuck happened?” Miu grumbled to herself. She did know what happened in her werewolf form, but she had no recollection of what happened after she fell asleep.
Kaede appeared to hear her, and appeared in the doorway.
“I don’t know how much you remember, but a lot happened.” Kaede spoke, sitting next to Miu on the bed.
Miu huffed, running her hands through her own hair. “I-I remember most of it. I don’t know what happened after you fuckin’ carried me out.”
“Oh, you were asleep the whole time. I dropped you off here to rest, then headed to the emergency office for the hunters and picked up some things for you. Which includes those crutches over there. And when I came back, you were back as a human. Probably because you were so tired and overwhelmed. So, I put comfortable clothes on you, because the werewolf form, well… it rips your clothes off. But yeah, I bandaged you up and made sure you were cleaned up. You must have been exhausted, because you didn’t stir or wake up at all. And now we’re here.” Kaede explained, her voice slightly trembling.
Miu’s eyes widened. She seriously did all of that for her? “Y-Ya did that all for me? But… Don’t ‘ya think I’m a monster?”
“Of course I did that all for you. And speaking of monsters, I think it’s time that we talk about this whole thing.”
“Whaddya mean, Kaeidiot?” Miu’s head tilted.
Kaede stared Miu right in the eyes. “What I mean is… Why you didn’t tell me? Because I’m not afraid of you, but I certainly feel a bit upset that you didn’t feel comfortable to tell me.”
“Kaede, you’re a hunter. A-And I’m a fuckin’ werewolf. Don’t you think there’s a fuckin’ reason why I didn’t tell ya?” Miu grumbled, fidgeting with her fingers.
Kaede put a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it that way for a moment. But I really wish I had known sooner.”
Miu averted her eyes from Kaede, looking anywhere but her face. “I-I’m so fuckin’ sorry I didn’t tell you. I ruined everythin’, I should’ve known better than to lie to you like an asshole.”
Kaede took Miu’s hands, slowly caressing them. “I understand your whole werewolf thing is a big deal to you, Miu. I understand why you didn’t tell me it, I can totally see why you were scared. And I don’t blame you at all. I can tell that this means a lot to you, and I can also tell that it’s been hurting you to hide such a thing.”
Miu sniffled, feeling her eyes well up with tears. “K-Kaede… I hid all of this shit from ‘ya because I didn’t want to lose ‘ya. But I came off as a piece of shit in the process. And I dunno what to do. I’m so fucking sorry.”
Kaede pulled Miu into a soft hug, rubbing circles on Miu’s back. “Hey, it’s okay. I would never, ever leave you. Nothing would change my mind on that. I understand that you were trying your best to protect both of us. But from now on, no more secrets, okay? Can you promise me that? I’m not gonna hurt you over anything you are.”
Miu nodded, hoping Kaede could see the sincerity in her promise as she pulled apart from the hug. “I-I can promise ‘ya that. I can’t fuckin’ lose you.”
“You won’t lose me. But, I owe you an apology as well.” Kaede spoke.
Miu’s eyebrow raised. “The hell do ‘ya owe me an apology for? I caused all this fuckin’ bullshit.”
Kaede’s eyes watered, and she slightly rubbed at them. “I almost killed you, Miu! How could I not be sorry about that? You should be angry at me!”
“Hell no! I deserved to have my ass hunted down. I kept something so important from ‘ya. I don’t understand your thought process. Like, I’m a fuckin’ genius, but even I don’t get what the hell ‘ya were thinking. You can be a real Kaeidiot sometimes” Miu expressed, feeling a pool of tears run down her face.
Now, Kaede was sobbing. “Absolutely not! I wasn’t going to leave you out there to die! I can’t do that to you, I’d choose you over anything else. We’ve been through everything together, I’m not going to give you up that easily.”
Miu began to cry harder, leaning her head on Kaede’s shoulder. “I-I’ll never understand what goes on in that fuckin’ head of yours.”
Kaede took Miu into her arms, pulling her closer. “You don’t have to understand. I just want you to know. Which is why I’m doing something else.”
“What the fuck are ‘ya up to?” Miu’s head went up.
“I was throwing out my werewolf hunting gear. I don’t need it anymore. I told my family that I was leaving the business and that I don’t want to do it anymore.” Kaede wiped her eyes and explained.
What?
“What the hell? Doesn’t that shit mean a lot to you?” Miu asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Kaede took Miu’s hands and stared at them. “It did. But it doesn’t mean anything important to me anymore. I now realize what’s important to me. It’s not some family legacy where we thrived off killing innocent werewolves. It’s you, your safety. And the safety of everyone else. That’s what means most to me. I feel terrible for only doing something about it now.”
Miu couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was throwing all of this away? She had such a reputation as a hero, and was loved by all. How the hell was she so willing to do this?
“W-What? Isn’t your family gonna be pissed?”
Kaede nodded her head. “They are. But again, I don’t care what they think. I don’t want to be part of that anymore. I’ve done too much, and I can’t live with myself if I keep doing it.”
“I-I know you said it the other day, but you’ve felt like this the whole goddamn time? Wow…” Miu breathed out. She still was in disbelief about what her girlfriend had told her two days prior.
Kaede played with Miu’s fingers as she spoke. “Yeah. I always thought about how ruthless it was. There was always a guilt in me each time I would go out to hunt. But, it made my family happy. It made the town happy. And before I realized you were a werewolf, I thought it made you happy. So I thought I was just imagining things. But I’ve realized that I wasn’t.”
Kaede paused, taking a breath before she continued again.
“When I saw you in the trap, that’s the first time I ever made eye contact with a werewolf. And it made me realize, all of these werewolves are people with their own lives, and people they love. Seeing that look in your eyes, before I knew it was you… it made me realize how messed up it is to hunt down werewolves. All of you did nothing wrong, yet everyone is so scared of you guys. So I have realized how wrong it is. That’s the decision I’ve made, and I stand by it.” By the time Kaede finished talking, her body was slumped.
But, her words were immensely powerful. She sounded so powerful and genuine, and Miu couldn’t deny that at all.
This time, Miu was the one to pull Kaede in for a hug. The first time she had ever done that in a while, she never was the type to initiate affection.
“I-I’m so glad you don’t think I’m a monster.” Miu muttered, leaning in close.
Kaede was caught off guard by Miu’s touch, but leaned in and accepted it. “Even when I realized that it was you, I never did. That thought never crossed my mind. Not in the slightest. You’re you, and that’s what I appreciate the most.”
“N-Not even when I kept something so goddamn important from you?”
“Yeah. I still love you, I understand that it was hard for you to tell me. You were doing what you thought was right. You tried to do something that’s good for the two of us. You tried. But again, no more secrets. We handle these things together, okay?” Kaede reassured, kissing the top of Miu’s head.
“Y-Yeah. I promise.” Miu wrapped her arms around Kaede tighter.
They stood there for a few minutes, rocking slightly as they held each other and cried. It was a somber moment between the two, yet one full of comfort.
After some time passed, they both pulled away from each other’s embrace.
Kaede went to wipe Miu’s tears with her thumb. “And you know what I’m going to do instead of the whole werewolf hunting thing? I’m going to go play my piano all the time, and I’ll go everywhere around the world playing it. It’s always something I’ve dreamed of. But now I can do that, thanks to you. And you can come along with me!”
“Hell yeah. You’ll be the best damn pianist there’ll be. You already fuckin’ are.” Miu spoke, feeling a smile come onto her face.
“I’m glad you think so, honey. Can I kiss you?”
Miu nodded, and Kaede leaned in, their lips touching. It was a moment of true bliss, and Miu couldn’t be happier.
Later that day, Kaede was fast asleep. She had been up all day during the previous day, so Miu had told her to get some rest. She was currently curled up against Miu’s side as she slept.
And as for Miu, she was on the phone talking with Tenko.
“Ten-crotch, you won’t believe what fuckin’ happened!” Miu exclaimed, careful not to wake Kaede up.
She could practically hear Tenko’s excitement from the other end of the line. “What’s up, Miu? Are you doing okay? What happened last night?”
“Well, I did fuckin’ run into Kaede during the hunt. That shit was scary as hell. But, she found out it was me and here we are! I don’t really know what kind of shit she is thinking about, but she said she’s leavin’ the business. Like for real, leaving the entire business.” Miu explained, running her hand through Kaede’s hair as she spoke, with Kaede softly stirring next to her.
Tenko gasped. “Seriously?! She left the business? That’s crazy! Was it because of you that she left it?”
“I think so? Pretty much all about how she realized we are people with feelings, good shit like that. I’m glad she’s finally doing the crap that makes her happy, though.”
“Woah! I’m glad everything worked out! That’s actually amazing. I’m happy for both of you guys.”
“Heh, I obviously worked my way through it! As expected of me!” Miu cackled.
She could hear Tenko’s laugh on the other end. “Yeah, of course. But thanks for letting me know it worked out!”
After a few minutes of brief chit-chatting with Tenko about the situation and what had gone down, they exchanged their goodbyes.
Once they hung up, Miu slowly curled up to Kaede.
“Hey, Kaeidiot.” Miu whispered, settling into her girlfriend’s arms.
“Mmm… yeah?” Kaede stirred, her eyes slowly fluttering open.
“I just wanted to tell ‘ya somethin’ important.” Miu flashed a smile at her.
Kaede’s eyes widened. “Did something happen?”
“No, no. No bad shit happened. I just wanted to say to ‘ya that I love you. And thank you for bein’... you. I-If that makes sense.” Miu felt her face heat up, she wasn’t used to saying words of affection. But she was feeling it, and she really wanted to tell Kaede.
And she could see Kaede’s face redden as well, but a sleepy smile appeared on her face. “I love you as well, Miu.”
Miu sighed in relief at Kaede’s words, snuggling up to her.
She was finally happy. Kaede knew about her secret, yet she accepted her. She loved her regardless, and Miu loved her regardless. She knew that she’d absolutely love her forever, and nothing would ever change that.