Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.
Chapter 3: The Night Class
I never heard the rumble, or the shrieking of dozens of girls. It struck me before I had any inclination what was coming. I was just opening my mouth to talk to Yuuki again, arm outstretched, eyes calm, when a horrible sound invaded my ears.
"KYYAAAAAA!"
I swivelled around, staring dumb-struck at the barrage not far behind me, my mouth gaping in a mixture of confusion and disgust.
What in hell are they doing...?
It didn't matter. What did matter was the fact that they were heading straight for me.
I did the only thing that made sense. I dove right into the flowerbed on the edge of the walkway, not caring when my foot stuck into a bush. I was just in time too. Even a second later, I would have been trampled by the hoard of screeching girls, all of whom sported the same black Day Class uniform I was wearing. I probably knew some of them from my classes, but in this light, they were an unrecognizable mass of bodies and voices.
"What's going on?" I squeaked at Yuuki, but she was too focused on forcing a group of girls away from the gates to listen. Those gates. They seemed to be the girls' destination, but why?
I wasn't in suspense for long. Suddenly the gate started to creak. The Day Class girls were screaming louder than ever. The gates swung open, and from the depths of the dark walkway that led to the Moon Dormitory, there came nine students. As soon as I saw them I understood.
They were nine of the most incredibly people I'd ever seen. I was always a big advocator for inner beauty, but there was no denying the intense desire to stare at these people. They weren't cute or attractive or handsome—they were beautiful, like nine roses in full-bloom. They were garbed in white Cross Academy uniforms that only highlighted the feeling of untouchability that surrounded them.
First came a boy whose blond hair was effortlessly windswept. With full cheeks and wide, blue eyes, he almost gave off the air of a child—the kind of child who had already been overindulged by life far too many times. His innocent face didn't fool me, not when I became aware of a hint of wickedness in his boisterous smile. He beamed at the Day Class girls, bowing to them over and over, greeting them in a voice that dripped with more sweetness than honey.
"Girls, how wonderful to see you all again! I hope you're all well this morning? You're looking lovely, as always!"
"I-Idol! Oh, Aidou!"
"KYAAA! He looked at me!"
"Over here, Idol!"
What did he mean by morning? It was nearly nightfall.
I could only watch so much of the girls falling at this "Aidou's" feet before I was overcome by embarrassment. I averted my gaze, and was quickly drawn to the second Night Class student. He was a lanky, orange-haired young man. He was tall and dashing, but not as approachable or friendly as his predecessor. He paid little notice to the Day Class students, sidestepping them as he kept up with the strawberry-blond female at his side. She was perfect—perfect hair, perfect figure, perfect skin, a living example of the ideal splashed on the cover of every magazine. She made me feel inferior, worthless. I couldn't even look at her.
Next came another boy. He was tall and narrow, but clearly well formed beneath his white blazer. His hair was a pale blond, with feathery bangs that framed his face. He smiled at the Day Class students, and there was a genuine quality to it. It wasn't just there for show. He was respectful, but reserved. His bright green eyes never met mine as he went by, and mine were quickly drawn elsewhere. Somehow, he did not strike me as the most remarkable of the group, though he might have been the most exquisite of them all, if not in appearance, then in disposition.
Then the next three Night Class students came into view, another boy and two girls. He had dark maroon hair and grey eyes, and he was collected, very calm. The girl beside him was the same, very small and with pixie-like features. The last girl was also small, with short bluish locks.
Pull it together... I had to tell myself. I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths, begging my heart slow its rhythmic beating. They were so stunning they frightened me—cloaked in mystery, in intrigue. They weren't just beautiful, they were mysterious. Some deep part of my instincts told me I had to stay away from them. But it seemed I was the only one with that sentiment, because the girls all around me were still screaming. They clamoured for their glances, called for their greetings and just about ripped each other apart for better access.
There was no other way to describe it. This was pure insanity.
"Poor Yuuki..." I said suddenly, looking to the side of the path. Yuuki had fallen down, but someone was already helping her up. Another Night Class student, one I had not noticed. For a second I wondered how he had gotten past me, but his commanding presence made me want to step back. He towered over Yuuki, and I couldn't explain the image of predator and prey that flashed before my eyes. It was unsettling, but brief—he was just a young man, after all. He had deep brown hair that fell just to the nape of his long, graceful neck. The white uniform he wore was in perfect condition—not a wrinkle or stain, not even a thread out of place. His regard over Yuuki was strangely melancholy.
"Kaname..." I heard Yuuki say, her cheeks flushing bright red. She might as well have been on fire.
Someone has a crush...
"Oh, I'm fine, Kaname—Uppeclassman."
"It makes me sad when you're so formal with me, Yuuki."
"I-I'm sorry. It's only because you saved my life…"
I blinked, wondering if I'd heard properly. That boy had saved Yuuki's life? Honestly, that wasn't what surprised me. He definitely looked the heroic type. What surprised me was how gentle he was with her, like he was worried she would shatter if he touched her with too much force. It was almost creepy.
Speaking of creepy, I thought with a shiver. Zero was finally back. He wrenched the Night Class boy's hand from Yuuki's cheek, anger flooding his eyes.
After a very brief confrontation, the boy turned and strode away with the rest of his class, all nine of them. They disappeared into the school building.
Zero turned to the girls suddenly and growled so loudly they all jumped—I jumped too. "Listen up, brats! Get the hell back to your dorms! Why do I have to deal with you running around screaming, going "KYAA,' 'KYAA,' every damn day? WHY!?"
They scattered. He was seriously like a hungry wolf snarling at mice. They scurried off down the path to the Sun Dorms, the braver ones daring to glare at the young prefect.
"What?" I heard Zero's angry voice again, and turned around. I was shocked to find him mere inches from my face. "You think you're so special that you don't have to go back to the dorms too? Get moving, whatever your name is—
"Zero, don't be so mean," interjected Yuuki as she situated herself between Zero away and myself. "This is the new girl, Taura."
"Whatever. She's just going to end up like all the others: drooling over the Night Class every time they way by. Bring her back and then go to the Chairman's office. I've had just about enough of this crap…"
"EXCUSE ME!?" I didn't realize how loud I shouted, but it caused Zero to flinch. He actually flinched. "You don't even know me! You can't accuse me of something before even talking to me. You say you don't like these girls' attitudes, well I think your attitude is pretty crummy too. You're just as much a brat as those girls!"
Zero's eyes widened and for a moment I thought he would attack me. But then he calmed, and turned away again. "Just go away, both of you. I'm not going on duty tonight."
"Come on, Taura—"
"Let me go!" I pushed Yuuki aside and went straight up to Zero. He never saw me coming, which was probably a good thing, because if he had I probably would have ended up flat on the ground. I raised my hand and slapped him as hard as I could.
"You have no right to treat Yuuki like that. She's said nothing but good things about you, even when you skipped class, even when you pushed away the boy she..." I couldn't go there. I didn't know Yuuki that well. I recovered quickly from my momentary lapse. "Y-you don't get to run off and pretend like this never happened. God, I hate useless hypocrites like you!"
I slumped down on my bed, hands still shaking with fury. My eyes were cloudy and I was tired, but I remained awake anyway. It had been a long time since I'd felt such fury. Not even last night's confrontation had brought such menacing feelings to my heart.
"I've never seen anybody stand up to Zero like that..." Yuuki said quietly. She had followed me inside, and was standing in front of my bedroom window. "... He's probably so angry right now."
"Well it serves him right. He's a bully, Yuuki. He needs to learn some respect."
"No..." she said, and I looked at her. "Zero doesn't need to learn respect at all. He's really a nice person, but he acts so cold and harsh sometimes that it's difficult for people to see it. But I think you really surprised him tonight, Taura."
"Really?"
"I hope so," she laughed. "Otherwise I'm going to have a seriously moody guy to deal with tomorrow."
I smiled and sat up.
"I guess you understand why the girls go so crazy all the time. I mean, you saw them right?"
"Yeah," I replied, hoping my voice sounded both indifferent and composed. I really didn't want Yuuki to know how much the Night Class had surprised me. "I get why they do that, but it's still freaky."
"Freaky? I guess so."
Yuuki looked sad all of a sudden, and I knew she was thinking about the Night Class boy who'd helped her up. Her cheeks even flushed a bit. She was falling hard for him, no doubt. I couldn't avoid blushing myself at the thought of it. This was not my area of expertise.
"W-what did you think of the Night Class, Miss Harugichi—I mean, Taura?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "They were really beautiful, but something about them seemed sort of fake too, like they were using their looks to cover up something else. I can't really describe it. I'm not sure if you know what I'm saying. I'm probably making no sense..."
"No, you're making perfect sense," she assured me. "Really."
I was quiet for a moment before eyeing her again. "I heard what you said to that brown-haired guy—the one who helped you up after you were knocked over. You said he saved you, right?"
Yuuki froze. Though her expression didn't change, she made her way to the door more quickly than she should have, her face wrought with sudden fear that I couldn't miss. "Yeah, he saved me," was all she said before she left. She shut the door behind her with a click, and then I was alone.
Yuuki was a strange girl. She was completely smitten with that boy, but she didn't even want to talk about him. He'd saved her life, yet she seemed embarrassed? It was just odd, especially considering the fact that that guy had appeared equally taken with her.
And Zero. I shook my head when I thought about him. I really wanted nothing more to do with him after tonight, but I would have to see him in school tomorrow. He reminded me of a guy I used to go to school with in America. He was always angry—all the time, and never bothered to calm down enough to make friends or forge relationships. I supposed I felt sorry for Zero, because I knew how horribly everything had turned out for that other boy. He was still alone, as far as I knew.
Oh brother, I thought as I turned over in bed. I couldn't think about other people at a time like this. I'd just finished my first day here, after all. I didn't know any of them enough to judge them like this.
I woke in the morning to the sound of running water. It took me a moment to realize that it was the shower down the hall. I pressed the back of my head to my pillow and stared up at the ceiling of my bedroom.
My roommate had returned later than me yesterday, and she was gone now, so I couldn't even introduce myself. I assumed she was probably in the showers. Well, I probably should head there myself. I went to the chest of drawers by my bed. I found a towel eventually, and lugged my basket of toiletries to the co-ed showers through the door opposite my bedroom.
The shower was hot and perfect, just as I'd expected. This wasn't the type of place to allow their students to freeze or become uncomfortable in any way. Ever amenity had been provided to me (shampoo, conditioner, soap, even moisturizer and shaving cream). I used everything, and was happy to find it all to be of very high quality. Again, not a surprise.
Wrapping a towel around my body, I tiptoed back into my room. I changed into my uniform in the small bathroom connected to my room. Looking in the mirror just as I had done yesterday, I applied make-up to my eyes and cheeks. I seemed much less ragged today, I thought with a nod. My hair was even agreeing to abide by me for once.
As I shut the door to the bathroom, I noticed that a small note had been left for me on my desk.
Please remember to visit my stunning cafeteria for breakfast, Miss Harugichi. There's a buffet breakfast menu every Friday, so don't hesitate to run down there and pig-out.
Sincerely, Chairman Cross.
Wow… he put it strangely. I left the note where it was and collected my belongings for school. I was hungry, so I did find myself in the cafeteria. There was no buffet today, as it was Tuesday, but I still ordered a lovely meal of eggs, toast, sausages and rice. I sat down, fumbling with my chopsticks again. Every time I tried to pick something up it would slip from my grasp. I was seriously starting to hate these silly things.
"Need help, Taura?" I didn't need to turn around to know Yuuki was standing behind me. She took a seat next to me. "May I?" She took the chopsticks from my hand and showed me how to hold them properly. "Even though you're father was Japanese, I suppose you never ate with chopsticks as a kid."
"Not really," I revealed, blowing my bangs out of my face. "I packed a knife and fork for emergencies, but I left them both in the dormitory. I just wish they weren't so complicated."
I gave up with the chopsticks and stabbed a sausage on the end of it, blinking in Yuuki's direction. She giggled.
Yuuki and I spent the day together again. She was happy and loud, while I remained quiet most of the time. She introduced me to a few of her friends, including a friendly grey-haired girl named Yori. She reminded me a lot of myself somehow.
"You lived in America, right? Was it cold there?"
"No, Saya, that's Canada. You were from the United States, right Taura?"
I nodded in agreement. "It's still got pretty cold, though. In the winter I would have to wade through feet of snow to walk to school. I never minded much. I really love snow."
"So do I," expressed Yori. "Yuuki likes it too. I always hear her talking in her sleep about a magical, snowy forest."
"Yori! Don't listen to my dreams!" Yuuki whined, stomping her feet against the ground. The other girls all laughed at her, but I only smiled a bit. Girls could be cruel, but this was nothing of the sort.
"I can't help it. You're quite loud."
"Am not…"
I sat back in my seat and looked out my window. There he was again. Damn idiot. I would have been willing to bet money he was flunking all of his classes.
"Hey Yuuki, what's Zero doing out there?" Saya wondered.
Yuuki pressed her nose to the glass, glaring. "He's so stupid! I can't believe he's skipping again. It's not fair."
"Maybe you should go check on him," I suggested with a shrug. "He looks like he could use the company right now. Come on, you could just go out there before class ends. The teacher's too busy. He won't even notice you leave."
"Hmm… I don't know if I should."
"Go on," Yori said. "Talk to him. You too are going to have to stay after class for detention anyway, right? So what's the problem?"
Yuuki grumbled as she crept out the classroom door with her things. I'd been correct in thinking that the teacher wouldn't notice. We watched through the window as she sat down next to Zero. The two talked for a while, and then I lost interest and looked away. I hoped Yuuki would be able to comfort him. As much as I didn't like him, I could see how incredibly alone he was.
I completed five classes before the day was up. Math, gymnastics, home economics, history again and finally literature. It was long and tedious—especially the gym—but I made it through in one piece. Striding back to the Sun Dorms early, I didn't have to deal with the fan girls again, nor did I have to look at the Night Class.
The Night Class.
I shivered as I looked at the wrought iron gates that separated the Moon Dormitory from the main school building. They were intricate and beautiful, but also strong. I crossed my arms, staring longer than I'd wanted at the mysterious dorm down the right forked path. It looked so untouchable, like a completely separate entity from the Sun Dorms and school...
It had taken me all day to realize something I should have focused on earlier, but all the trouble with Yuuki, Zero, school and the fan girls had driven it from my mind. The Night Class. The boy. He'd said he was a member of the Night Class, which meant he was most definitely one of the five boys I'd seen yesterday—cross that, four boys. There was absolutely no way it was Yuuki's brown-haired saviour. I'd already heard his voice, and it had sounded nothing like the boy's from the pier. Besides that, he was hung-up on Yuuki, and didn't look like the straying type.
Well, I'd narrowed it down to four boys in under a day. He was making this easier than I'd originally thought he would, but that didn't mean I knew who he was yet. My sights were set on the boy with dark blond hair... Aidou, right? He'd sounded exuberant enough, even if he was a bit of a playboy. I still felt like such a fool for being interested in the boy's ridiculous game, but it made this school seem much more interesting. I knew it wouldn't take me much longer to figure it out, but once I did, I wondered what would happen. Would I become friends with this boy? Would I spend more time with him down by the docks at my aunt's house...? I knew one thing. There was no way I was going to become some kind of fan girl, even if he was one of the beautiful Night Class boys. Regardless of his appearance, he was just another guy. That had been made obvious to me on the docks when he'd started talking about comic books and childish games.
Indeed, he was just a boy like any other. He had to be.
