A/N: This chapter may not be up to the mark for it needs some editing and it was prepared in quite a short period of time.

***

Sitting beside Megumi alongside the slanted, grassy platform that descended towards the rocky riverbank, Nik looked to his side, gazing at Megumi's form while her hair moved along the wind, making her form quite enchanting.

"We really didn't talk much after that, right?"

Looking towards Nik, Megumi slightly moved her fingers to lock her hair behind her ear and matched Nik's gaze.

"Why are you speaking as we did the deed quite a long time ago... you do recall that we met yesterday, correct?"

"Right."

Nik nodded and then rested his hand while placing his bodyweight on his shoulders.

"Sorry about that..."

"For what?"

Megumi suddenly snapped. Looking at Nik's profile, she pursed her lips before going all out.

"Yesterday, you clearly said that you weren't sorry about what you did, neither how you did it. Then, what were you sorry about? Why are you even apologising for?"

Her hand unconsciously clenched over her bokken as she expressed started growing more agitated.

"What am I sorry about?"

Hearing her queries, Nik thought for a while. It was true that he didn't feel guilty about taking Megumi in a manner he did. In fact, if given a chance that he could get a girl like Megumi to partner-up with him, he would commit the same action once again.

But somehow, there was one aspect he felt guilty about. Now that Megumi raised the question about the reason for his apologies, Nik was forced to find that very aspect he felt guilty about.

And soon, he understood... what he felt sorry about was...

"Everything..."

His whisper evoked confusion from Megumi as she raised her left eyebrow while gritting her teeth.

"Everything?"

Nodding, Nik still looked at the gently flowing river and explained his own thoughts.

"At first, I thought that if I can gain your affection in any manner, it will be worth it. After all, you already accepted the partnership. But now, as I think more carefully... I feel that I have to apologise for everything."

Gazing sideways, at her right hand, Nik placed his own left hand while Megumi immediately tried to shake him off, but soon found, that she couldn't.

"The fact that I was apologising from only keeping my point of view intact is extremely selfish, and even for that, I apologise."

Frowning, Megumi growled.

"What do you mean? And let go of me!"

Shaking his head, Nik smiled brightly.

"I won't. All I mean is that you lost something precious yesterday due to my selfish action. If given a chance, I would actually want a better environment, a better circumstance where we two could meet.

But that didn't happen and for that, I apologise.

I am sorry that I couldn't make your first time a bit more special. I am sorry that I forced myself on you and I feel extremely sorry that you had to go through such troubles because of me."

His words struck her to the core as she grew even more agitated.

"Let go of me! Now!"

"No."

Using a bit of his strength, Nik immediately pulled Megumi into a tight embrace as she immediately started struggling using her left hand to strike her bokken on his back, only to find him sitting unflinchingly.

"Till now, I thought that leaving you alone yesterday was a correct choice. I thought that you needed a bit of space... but now, I feel that what you needed wasn't space... but comfort.

Even now, 'I' am thinking about what is best for you. For that, I do not feel guilty for this is who I am."

"Let go!"

Her muffled screams echoed as Nik suddenly felt his chest sting.

Megumi bit him.

She really dug her teeth into his skin!

But there was no denying the fact that his shirt was getting wet and moist from another source. As Megumi's struggle grew weak and the strength behind her jaws waned, all that left in Nik's embrace was a shivering body and a shaking head covered in luxurious black hair.

Her bokken fell out of her hand while Megumi found her hands gripping on the back of his shirt while she felt a need to dig her face further into Nik's chest. Sniveling, she controlled her voice, but even she knew that her current state was already exposed to Nik.

Her current, vulnerable self.

She hated this about herself. Even now, she is trying to find comfort in the man's embrace who caused her to feel so bad and emotional but his word suddenly echoed deep within her soul.

When she thought that she has turned into a meat slave, to be satisfied and covered in filth. When she felt that her entire existence was worthless...

'You are beautiful...'

Nik's words echoed deep within her soul.

"It's *sniff* *hic* all your fault! Damnit! I was happy looking at Maa-kun every day!!"

The sudden declaration surprised Nik, who looked turned his attention from the river and looked down towards Megumi.

'She needs this...'

"Yeah. But I won't let you go. No matter what."

As his words sunk into Megumi's consciousness, her grip around his back tightened unconsciously as she started nuzzling her head deeply before suddenly snapping her face up.

Nik's eyes immediately fell on Megumi's teary eyes and blushing face as she suddenly sniveled cutely before taking her hands back and rubbing her face, and yet, to her surprise relief, Nik still hadn't let go of her.

"But... why is Kurumi's mother on that strange list?"

She suddenly asked the question that bothered her the most. To which, Nik smiled and lowered his head, placing his forehead on her's.

"My little darling... your thoughts are too flexible. Weren't you just talking about Manabu? Why suddenly asking about Mitsuko?"

To his words, Megumi immediately struggled inside his embrace, and once again failed before hissing.

"I'm against it! If you have me, then you shouldn't have others! Not the ones like Kurumi or her mother! 

Not at all!"

Frowning at her words, Nik couldn't help but ask.

"Do you..."

"Yes, I know everything about her! She told me. So, that's why, you shouldn't associate yourself with them! Nik. Instead—"

Suddenly, she failed to form her words as Nik's lips descended and immediately covered her small, pink lips that actually disrespected his own women. Something, he didn't really like.

"Megumi... sex isn't a bad thing. They decided to do what they did on their own accord. 

Let me ask you, if Kurumi shared her past, then that means you must have shared something, too.

But, did Kurumi judge you? Did her gaze change when you finished your story?"

As Megumi felt stunned at Nik's words, she immediately felt his hands moving from her back towards her skirt as he immediately placed his hands on her firm, toned buttocks as he immediately pursued her lips once again.

"Instead of judging the women around me, you should only judge me. A man-whore who only know how to please women. Alright?"

As Megumi's cheeks grew redder by the second while her breathing grew rougher due to his roguish hands massaging her illicitly, his words deeply impacted her.

She committed a mistake that was completely against her ideals.

No matter what she was taught by society, Megumi is the kind of person who would believe the things she saw through her own eyes. She saw how Kurumi defended Nik when she spoke badly about him while she once again witnessed how Nik grew protective of Kurumi after she unintentionally disrespected her.

But her thoughts came to an end when Nik's words sounded once again.

"So... can you tell me about that golden-haired boy with piercings? Did something happen?"

Soon, Nik found everything needed to be known while Nik softly kissed her forehead, much to Megumi's embarrassment, before she immediately jumped up and picked her bokken and ran off while saying that she will get even with him tomorrow.

***

With a lively gait, Nik passed the streets with a happy expression. After taking half-an-hour to suppress his anger against the impudence committed by the boy named Gunta, Nik found himself relieved by Megumi's last words.

Since she was willing to settle scores, he was more than willing to bring her in and create more scores.

Of course, now, he made his way towards Okusan's place once again.