Slight relaxing winds blew throughout True Cross Academy and those who happened to be outside on this calm day were enjoying the good times just passing on through.
All those who were out there on this very fine day were either walking on by through the beautiful courtyard or even way more beyond what you could see past the view of a simple limited windowpane, the students of True Cross were having fun spending time with their peers on this weekend. All the students were calmly passing the time meanwhile keeping all of their smiles up making the sunny day seem even brighter.
The kind of atmosphere everyone was giving off could make just about anyone feel the need for a real big smile too... Yet besides all of that, inside a certain old boy's dorm a bit on the far off side of the school campus, otherwise abandoned, there was a single occupied room with three students of True Cross Academy as well who were in a very tense atmosphere contrasting drastically what lay outside on the other side of the window instead. It seemed that the sun's bright rays were promising to have no bad weather for anyone who was outside, the skies very clear and as blue like a new crayon, although for inside that very room was real stormy and the atmosphere was quite bad so it really looked like the sun's rays aren't reaching them at all. In there stayed twin brothers and one of their great friends who was visiting them at the time. This place right here is where the story starts.
- Misaki Kasumi POV -
"Rin!", the voice of Yukio interrupted the still silence, "Wake up and finish your homework, you haven't even got anything good done yet and it's all due next Tuesday."
Rin jumped up from his too short a nap in surprise from when his brother called his name. He rubbed his eyes and fully picked up his head from the desk and stretched his arms out while still seated. He let out a loud yawn and looked at the half finished work on his desk, lazily done so far by the way.
"Ah, geez Yukio... You've had me sit here wasting my time for like two hours already, I'm booorrreeed! I don't know how you keep this up, all this annoying paperwork..." Rin sighed.
I was sitting on the floor with a few piles of books surrounding myself right beside Yukio's bookshelf on the other side of the room from where the brothers currently were who were at their desks. I was here to find someplace quiet away from the noisy dorms and to study yet I found myself in a place not so quiet and shook my head at the displeasure of this realization.
Not feeling all too well, slightly off, even a bit dizzy, and certainly not in the best mood at the moment either, I was somehow able to hold back and not throw a book at the back of Rin's head for being really lazy on his work for Cram School again. He still hasn't got himself together the whole time he's been at this school.
It seems my bad mood covers over that slight dizzy feeling I've been feeling today lately?
I should be used to it, their arguments, having known them both for a while by now but it just isn't my day at the moment. This isn't the first afternoon in that I've came across the occasional 'Homework' conversation between the twins either but it certainly didn't help my foul mood any better to go through this for the hundredth time now.
"Quit complaining Rin, the work Mr. Tsubaki assigned the class is not that hard. You're wasting your own time. Including mine, with that useless complaining again." Yukio said.
In attempt to not react on my mood and explode in annoyance towards Rin, I turned the page in the book I was reading to stay somewhat distracted, to only to that single book in my hands and nowhere else. At least I was trying to do that to some degree but it was getting more difficult to with those two being like that, of all times and in my kind of bad mood too!
All day yesterday with a headache and a lack of decent sleep makes any person easily cranky in a moment such as this.
"Hey, it's not that it's hard but more that it's boring! I work way better on the field than behind a desk all day hanging around dusty old books for hours on end. When will I go on a mission already?! Ugh..." Said Rin while twirling his pencil with his right hand leaning back on his chair which only made Yukio sigh.
"Well, missions are for the teacher to decide and since I'm your teacher, I decide you aren't ready. You can't even spare five minutes to finish your homework, let alone classwork, so why should you be allowed to go along a mission with a group of people who DO complete their work? You'll only hold them all back. Just because we're siblings doesn't mean you'll get it any easier than the rest of the students working hard to earn their ranks." Yukio explained.
I stayed on the ground silent but I realized that pretty soon this argument is just going to really escalate unless they calm down now. I noticed that their tones in talking to each other was growing heated into an argument already as it had in the past before too.
The book in my hand went ignored into fully paying attention to what they are arguing on and it seems likely how they might try an attempt to fight when it gets that far. I'm annoyed even more in seeing how simple it can be fixed should Rin just do what he was asked to do in the first place, how everything will still end up as a waste of time if this continues at this rate.
"That's not fair bro! You can't judge how I fight demons based on paper and pencil work! Whatever... I don't need to waste five minutes on this, I can finish a demon in about three!"
"Rin, you've just been lucky so far, you even don't get the whole idea of what's out there and you're trying to tell me you can gank them so easily all the same? You don't even know what you're talking about, seriously?" Yukio questioned.
Rin faced his brother now with an expression of having been real insulted by that last comment. Yukio still checking over the last test the Cram School students took, grading them all carefully.
"You think you're all so cool or some big shot around here cause I'm just on a Page level so far or something?"
"That's not true! But you might as well be a Page the rest of your life if you can't finish simple work-" Said Yukio yet interrupted.
Rin slammed his fist on the corner of his desk making Yukio turn his way from the papers looking up and seemed highly annoyed as well all towards his older brother. It startled me too and I watched the two of them to see what's going to happen. The first to start standing up from his chair was Rin.
"Again with the homework Yukio? You really sound like that old fart all the time now talking like tha- Oof!"
At that time, without saying a word, I slammed my book to the floor and stood up to stand between Rin and Yukio who were about to get in a fight of fists from the looks of it with their hands curled up ready to punch. Before Rin had finished his sentence I had swung my left arm and slapped him strongly across the face so hard when he did stand up that he stumbled backwards against his chair and fell to the floor on his back a bit dazed on what just happened. Quickly Yukio stood up to hold me back with his hands holding my arms at my sides. Silence then filled the room for a long moment before Yukio broke the silence first.
"M- Misa?! What was that?"
"Heh, not much Yukio. What does it look like I did?" I said sarcastically.
"Well, it looks like you had just slapped my brother and it doesn't look like you even tried to hold back!"
He looked really shocked at what I just did with his mouth slightly agape.
"You know he had it coming. And what do you mean because not too long ago YOU were going to punch him into that said "Next Tuesday"! I was just faster to react."
"That might be true but-"
Stopping him there I interrupted him quick. I spoke on a low voice and in a tone to let him know I was serious. Rin starting to move awake from his daze.
"Once I heard him start to mention your father, that's when you two really fight so don't try to say you weren't, okay? I know you two." I said.
He looked away and sighed realizing that I was right. Yukio stood behind me still holding down my arms on my sides. We both now stood at some distance in that he took me a bit away from his older brother.
As Rin moved getting up, he held his palm against his burning right side of his face where I struck, he faced me still on the floor now sitting completely up criss crossed rubbing his cheek slightly.
"Geez Misaki! Why the left hook? What gives?!"
"If you don't want to feel the burn on the other side of your face then quit being so lazy and get to being serious with your assigned work!" I told him.
Rin moved to start getting up to clear the dust and dirt off his clothes and sit back on his chair with the usual bored expression he's reserved especially for sitting at any kind of desk with work waiting to never be completed, the one expression all of his classmates knew well. His mood changed from before now that I joined in, less angry not used to arguing with a girl.
"That's what that was for?! Well okay, I said I was going to do it eventually anyways... Eventually." He rolled his eyes as he said that and let out a big sigh.
Turning away to start laying his head down on his desk on a position to nap, if I wasn't being held back when I jumped forward a bit just now then I really would have been able to complete that last statement.
I sighed and calmed myself down a little, violence won't really help here. Looking behind me to let Yukio know it was okay to let me go now, I turned my head but he actually did the same. Just then we realized how close we were, his green eyes looking into my light brown. I felt my face get warm and felt my heart beat slightly faster in this sudden moment.
"Oh, uh... Are y-you okay now... Misa?" He asked, flustered at the sudden closeness.
"Sorta now... Um, y-yeah... Yes." I struggled to get out.
I cleared my throat a moment later and he let me go and jumped a bit back waving his arms in front of me and was apologizing to me.
"Sorry! Forgive me! Did I hurt you grabbing you like that so suddenly?"
He bowed slightly towards me to apologize.
"Nah, it's fine Yukio, really. If you didn't react how you did just now then I could've added another punch or two!... But um, stay close because I can't promise I'll not hit him again if I feel he still needs it."
I turned back around to face Rin who still had his head laid on his crossed arms on the desk, probably already in dream world asleep by now.
Yukio nodded and brushed some of my long elbow length straight dark brown hair out of the way to place his right hand on my left shoulder as we still were standing up in place but with Yukio still behind me just in case I got angry at Rin again.
"Listen Rin, you don't get it do you?" I asked.
He sat up from his nap he was starting to doze off into and moved to face me after I asked him that. He moved a hand through his hair and groaned.
"What do you mean? Even you talking about the darn homework Misaki?" He asked me yet with less attitude compared to asking the same question to Yukio.
I paused for a second to get my words in order into a way that he can understand.
"Rin, it's not just the homework. I mean the classwork, to pay attention, taking good notes, to ask questions, to not fall asleep on your brothe- I mean your teacher for every class he works hard to prepare over time he could might as well use to sleep instead, for you to study when you aren't asked to study... It's not just the homework because I'm bringing in everything from all of your Cram School days that I've seen so far."
He took a second to answer back.
"Why bring up everything? I'm not the worst student this school has seen and I think school is going by just fine." Rin said slightly taken aback at what I said.
"Really? Well I mean of you ask me I say you could do better than that... Anyways, okay then, so how about then I start wording this all differently?" I said thinking aloud.
Taking a few seconds to look around in the room I finally laid my eyes on the half finished homework paper that was pretty much the source of everything on this moment.
The words started to come into an idea and I'll definitely start off with that: How Rin values the lives of the people around him. No matter who they are to him, he places the safety of their lives over his own when he fights against an enemy.
"Hmm, you see that piece of paper in front of you?" I started.
He glanced over to the sheet of paper confused with an eyebrow raised and looked back at me.
"Yes of course, where are you going with this?" He asked me.
"That isn't a piece of paper." I answered.
He looked at me as if I was crazy.
"Um Misaki? I think you might want to find Yukio's eye doctor and start to consider some glasses because the last time I checked, even you said not more than like ten seconds ago it was a simple sheet of paper and nothing else."
"The thing is Rin, no it isn't and you want to know what I mean by that?" I asked.
"Well, don't rush to get to the point or anything, but you aren't making any sense." Yukio said.
I turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Haha, very funny. Now don't rush me." I said.
I stuck out my tongue at him playfully and turned back to face Rin.
"Just saying Misa." Said Yukio and chuckled at my response.
"Anyways Rin... I'll get to my dang point here..."
Looking directly behind me as I said that, Yukio rolled his eyes then I faced Rin again.
"The thing is, the best way that I can put this for you to understand why I'm bringing all of this up is to put it all in this way: That piece of paper is not just a simple piece of paper. You see, it represents the "Life" of a "Person" whether it may be a stranger or friend or yourself even that if you don't attack the "Demon" on it which are the questions and fill the page with the correct answers, and right answers are the strikes you hit them with in order to defeat them, you let that "Demon" you know as the feared "Due Date" kill that "Person" right in front of you and you are allowing it every single time."
As I said that, Rin's eyes became big, that it was proof how those words where all starting to sink in while he listened to every word closely as I spoke. Actually, both of the brothers remained quiet and let me speak what the older of the twins needs to hear.
"How many more of these innocent "People" are going to have to "Die" and be forgotten because their lives weren't lived how it was meant to be, which was to take the time for the assignment and learn. You simply stash the page in that collection of other unfinished work, no not page but "People" I mean. Then you turned your head like a hundred times by now letting the "Demons" ambush and hurt them over and over again with your back still turned ignoring the crying "People", or your homework. So right now on your desk, there's someone waiting on you to save them because they are alone and are scared probably wounded by now unable to protect themselves. All of the victims of the demons so terrified, they wait for an EXORCIST of any level, Page or not, able to save their precious lives they are so very desperate to hold on to."
Rin gasped in his shock and opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him there.
"Wait right there, I'm not done and I think I'm on a roll today. I'll let you know when I'm finished so don't interrupt me in my train of thoughts until I say I'm finished with this." I told him.
Smiling as I said that, his mouth closed shut and I continued my big speech to him.
"And like I said of staying awake in classes... It's so you are able to take notes too because borrowing from other people gets confusing in the long run with the simple detail that not all of you have to same thought process. In the end it doesn't help to use their hand written work, then it just gets hard to catch up in classes at your own pace. It'll be your career and not theirs in the end... Wow, I need a second or two here."
I took a quick moment to take one of my two unopened water bottles on Yukio's desk close to where he and I stood to drink some needed water. Placing the now half empty plastic bottle down where it was, I then continued to where I was going with this motivational speech for Rin.
I stood by Yukio again but this time with everybody calmed down, he didn't need to worry about holding me back anymore.
"Ah, that's some good water! Good thing I bought these things just this morning. Okay, anyways... The unfortunate thing is that demons aren't gong to all sit back and have this crazy long tea party all waiting on us to improve while we learn in full detail what exactly their weaknesses are so that we may fight back against them in the most effectively way possible or to let us have the proper time to learn from other experienced exorcists before us. We need to know how to properly fight, we are the next generation of exorcists. The big bad demons existing around us wish to finish humankind, more specifically us exorcists, just in general get everybody threatening to them all killed off before that time we know how to effectively counterattack. We wanna win this fight and they wanna win just as bad but for the wrong reasons. They want to take over what is currently our world and we're always needing to be ready in this constant fight in this seemingly never ending battle. They fight hard so we must do so too but even better, always at two steps ahead."
I paused a moment to let the words sink in for Rin before continuing on.
"Yet in all of that, the fun part is that it's true how right now at these peaceful times you have plenty of time to study and catch up on what you need to know about many types of demons and know exactly how to take care of them in these protected grounds of True Cross Academy with many great exorcists within these powerful barriers placed by the strong exorcist Headmaster himself."
I waved my hands around to signal the entire campus around me as I spoke about the school. I stopped for a second to consider the important role the Headmaster has.
"Okay, the thing is that despite his appearance, the Headmaster, he's quite powerful and it's lucky he's on our side. Yes he might seem weird but it's better to be on his good side and learn from him too. You're allowed to ask questions while you're safe here and you have chances to continue to learn with those small missions given each time. Although small and boring now it seems, eventually the teachers will allow you to go to those big time dangerous type missions you want where you include experience you built up from those earlier missions to later on when you're ready to fight incredible battles and higher ranked missions. It's all for the kind of Exorcist you want to be but you always need to start from somewhere, right? By then you'll have made that epic name known for miles around for yourself in the exorcist world finally. You can't cheat a great reputation like that so you'll need to work harder than you ever have before."
I heard Yukio clear his throat and all the attention in the room moved to him.
"Yeah, the real strong demons who have probably never heard of the exorcist assigned to an area have no idea what type of class they are in contrary how that exorcist has been most likely trained their whole lives to fight that kind of demon they are looking for because they took their time to study what they could and train when they can beforehand. Those kinds of exorcists have been saving lives meanwhile risking their own every single time for the countless strangers who don't even know they're being saved every time those demons decide to go crazy and attack the innocent. Demons are random at first but we take time learning their patterns, and so with all that I mean that is how we exorcists learn." Yukio said.
Looking at Yukio I gave him a thumbs up at that.
"See?! He got what I'm saying here!... Dang, good point there, nice addition.
"Yeah well, it's true too." Said Rin.
Yukio and I both smiled at that comment finally seeing the start of a change in Rin he's been needing to get into.
"Okay, the last time I checked, I was the youngest in the room by about five months. And the person supposed to be the oldest one in this group of three is you Rin of course. You there should be telling me to do my work but not the other way around."
I pointed at him to be more specific as I said that and then I put my hand down by my side.
"So being the oldest, your job is to act like it more. Yukio has pretty much taken to that job in your place in order to get himself together in the fight against demons and on that path he became the youngest exorcist in history ever, you've already heard of that I'm sure. By now, you should know you need to get yourself together too... So even if he doesn't ask for it, Yukio might want a bigger brother figure to look up to when he needs one from time to time." I continued.
"Hey! Don't speak for me like that! T- That's..." Yukio started but stopped himself trailing off in his embarrassment.
"If you want to complain why he's acting like a salary man all the time so be it, but he was pretty much forced to since somebody had to take the role of the mature older twin and that clearly was an open position. It didn't matter if he wanted to or not but he had no choice whatsoever but to take that said role and grow up faster than he probably should've in his situation."
Yukio didn't say anything and blushed even more embarrassed at my words. The brothers looked at each other.
"Misa, am I that obvious to read or something?" He facepalmed himself after I nodded to him as I wore a big grin.
"...Yukio? Is that true bro?" Rin asked.
Rin looked at his brother in shock as Yukio tried to look away and think of some sort of an excuse to deny it yet he then looked straight towards Rin and simply gave a small slight nod.
The room became quiet and nobody said anything for a bit and then after that pause that Yukio moved to stand in front of me, and not looking directly at his brother anymore yet eyes closed facing slightly downwards and he said what was on his mind with a reddened face.
"Uh, Rin? It's kinda weird to admit, to actually say it out loud you know... But in a way she's right and it's true though." Yukio looked up at his brother before continuing.
"Dad has passed on before us and he was really the only one I looked up to other than you, but now in his absence I only have you to help me out when I need it and who I could depend on. Thankfully half the time you do but then there's still an empty space there I feel when you don't pull yourself together at times. I take up all of my time to focus on my work as an exorcist to mask that feeling of loss our father left us with but sometimes I want to focus on my family too, or what's left of it I guess you can say." Yukio finished.
Rin had no words to say at that and took a few seconds as he slowly stood up and immediately hugged Yukio who was taken by surprise at this action all of a sudden and Yukio too slowly brought his hands up to hug Rin back.
I gasped slightly at that, realizing that this is what they needed rather than punching each other's lights out unnecessarily. It was better to talk out what was needed than mistaking their real feelings under anger and stress.
They backed away from each other a bit and Rin smiled to his little brother.
"Yukio, I understand it now. I need to do my part to make a win-win for everybody. Promise I'll do my best from now on, man to man alright?"
Taking notice to what he just said I coughed loudly to Rin know that I was here too. They both looked my way at that sound.
"Uh, I mean... A man to man... To girl promise? Did that sound right Misaki?" Rin smiled while scratching the back if his head when facing me.
Rin was grinning and Yukio tried to hide it but he was so obviously holding back his laugh at that under his hand when I faked a gasp loudly.
Yukio's good mood along with Rin's now good mood have changed everything into a more positive atmosphere and feeling that changed my mood too for the better.
"Why am I a "Girl" and you are the "Man" in the promise? I'm no kid you grandpa!" I exclaimed playing around.
Rin looked at me playfully insulted meanwhile it was getting harder for Yukio to hold back his laughter.
"What then? Do you want me to say "Woman"? And who are you calling Grandpa?! Like if anyone has gray grandpa hairs, it's Yukio! You can spot them all from a mile away!" Rin said.
I looked at Yukio after that for a second and lost it, that one was real funny to me. Yukio's face really got me laughing.
"H- Hey! That was only ONE time Rin that I found a single gray strand! That's not fair!"
"You don't deny it?" Said Rin.
Then Rin joined in on the laughter. Yukio facepalmed again and let out a sigh, he was smiling though.
"Hahaha! That was funny Rin! Sorry, Yukio because it was... Ah, that feels great to actually come to have such a good change of atmosphere around here. Yup, my work here is finally done here Rin." I smiled and the two nodded.
"And by the way Rin... "Woman" sounds too old to me and it doesn't sound right. Hmm, try "Lady" instead cause I think that word sounds fancy."
"Ah, got it Misaki." Said Rin with a small chuckle.
Then Rin faced me with a completely serious expression on his face.
"By the way I mean it, what I said though: That I will do what I can and more to get this show going on the road. You'll see, I will be a real awesome exorcist one of these days! One day for sure, all of you guys will be lining up for my autographs. Can't wait for that time to come. And I don't make a lot of promises but in every one so far, I have followed them word for word. Yukio knows that promises are when I really mean it. Haven't broken one to this day!"
Rin took out his hand and Yukio shook it.
"That's true big brother. Although you're just gonna keep waiting for that day I'll ever ask you for any autographs."
"But you didn't say the day would never come! Ah, that'll be a good day." Rin added.
"You'll never have me asking you for such a thing like an autograph, telling you this right now." I told Rin while waving my hands in front of me to say no.
After that, Rin turned to completely face me and took out his hand to me and I took it.
"Don't think I could've done it without you Misaki. You really know how to say the very thing we both needed to hear and I really thank you for it."
"It's no problem... Oh and by the way Rin, Tuesday isn't coming by any slower so it's time to start to prove yourself and improve now." I said as if a challenge.
"So if I ever find out that you start to slack off in your classes again, I'll have you know right now that dead men don't tell tales, and they especially can't complain about hard homework anymore." I said while still gripping his hand which he gulped a bit scared feeling that she wasn't all just joking about that which made Yukio laugh seeing how quick Rin was put in his place.
Rin nodded and understood.
"Challenge readily accepted. Just wait and see, I'll get to it now!"