A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE: Okay, I know I don't normally say this but PLEASE review. When people read a story and like it, they should always tell the writer because that makes the writer want to write more of the story for the reader to enjoy. And because I'm taking the time to tell you this, it means I'm serious and this is IMPORTANT.
So please review.
If you review, I will stop bugging you about it and I guarantee I will update faster.
"I'm so excited Master!" Tsurara gushed.
"Mmhm," Rikuo nodded, smiling timidly. "I can't believe everyone is cool with this!" he thought. "What if something goes wrong and people find out they're really yokai?"
"So am I!" exclaimed Kejoro.
Kubinashi looked at her and added, "Today is the only day of the year we get to accompany the master to school without wearing our disguises."
"You're one to talk Kubinashi, you still have to wear that scarf to hide your floating head," Kejoro pointed. Kubinashi's brows knit. He folded his arms and growled while Kejoro giggled. "Kaya, are you almost ready?" she called.
"Yes, ah!" Wakana pulled the obi tight around my waist. The beautiful silk kimono flowed over my skin like creamy, soft, white petals. It was one of Tsurara's. She insisted I wear it when I told her I wanted a kimono for the cultural festival.
I was so excited, the battle with the onmyoji seemed like a distant memory. Hopefully this outing wouldn't bring me crashing back to reality. We left the house, and when we arrived at the festival, the Kyojuji Paranormal Patrol was setting up their booth on yokai legends and sightings. Kyotsugu took advantage showing off his new line of yokai-themed games. "Ooo" Natsumi tried to scare Shima, dressed in her green yokai costume. Saori hunched over laughing.
"NURA!" yelled Kiyotsugu.
"Crap, he spotted me!" thought Rikuo.
"You just have to stay with us!" He grabbed Rikuo's arm. "And oh my, your family's costumes are amazing!" he exclaimed and pulled Aotabo's cheeks.
"Hey, watch it!" growled Aotabo and he took Kiyotsugu by the shoulders and ripped him off.
Kiyotsugu seemed unfazed as he continued to examine Aotabo thoroughly. "Wow, where did you get those fake sculls? They're so lifelike! And that costume-"
"Uh, umm…" he stepped back.
Rikuo jumped in, "Oh, this old thing?! Haha. We just had it in our basement. You know, my dad liked to dress up and everything when he was a kid. Yeah, that's it. These are all costumes!" he gestured to all of us in the Nura clan.
"Wow Oikawa, you look beautiful," said Shima bashfully.
"Aw, thanks!" Tsurara giggled. She turned around and took my hand. "Come on, let's go!" she whispered and pulled me along.
Kuro ducked behind Aotabo to avoid being spotted by Natsumi.
Rikuo stayed with the Paranormal Patrol, not that he had a choice. Kiyotsugu all but handcuffed him to the table. After that little encounter, Ao, Kuro, and Kubinashi spread out to visit the other stands while Tsurara and Kejoro dragged me behind a tree.
"Hey! What's going on? Why did you bring me here?"
They smiled slyly and I felt my blood run cold. "Why do you think we asked you to come here?" Tsurara probed.
"You didn't ask me, you dragged me."
"Eh, potato potawto."
"Anyway," declared Kejoro, "I think you know the answer." She poked my forehead.
"Ow! Let's say for a second that I don't know-"
"Well then," they sang and Tsurara leaned forward until our noses were almost touching.
"Ku-ro."
"What?"
"I think you know what."
My eye twitched. I really wanted to punch something.
"If you're implying that I like him, you're wrong," I said firmly.
"HA!" burst Tsurara, "I haven't heard a bigger LIE since Rikuo told his friends yokai didn't exist!"
Kejoro noticed the worried look on my face and added, "You should go for him."
I met her gaze which was full of selflessness and sincerity, making me feel guilty. "But I don't..."
"Come one," followed Kejoro, "We all see the way you two act around each other. You really care about him, don't you?"
"That doesn't mean I like him... like that..." I whined but inside I was unsure. "Maybe… maybe getting closer to them wouldn't be so bad...If I'm going to live as a yokai, I might as well get used to it."
"Where is Tsurara?" Kana asked Rikuo. She had been relatively quiet until now as she helped Saori and Natsumi pass out flyers for their club.
"Hm, I don't know," pondered Rikuo. "She's probably out with Kaya and Kejoro."
Kana held her breath, "Di-did you say... Kaya?"
"Umm-No! I didn't say anything like that! I said-"
"-He said Kejoro's out running an errand for us. Isn't that right?" uttered Junichi.
Rikuo froze.
"Yes, big brother," Hotaru blushed as she clung to Junichi's arm.
"There could be no truth better told," breathed a strangely familiar voice in front of them. The woman who spoke had long blonde hair, flawless porcelain skin, and electric green eyes. She wore a long pink kimono with large sakura petal embroidering.
Be it a moment of coincidence or fate, the rest of us returned at that moment to witness the arrival of the dolls. Though thankfully, their masters, the onmyoji were not present.
"What are you doing here?" Rikuo asked calmly. Behind him, the rest of the paranormal patrol, save Kana, was fangirling at the sight of Junichi once again.
"Now now, we're students here too. We have just as much a right to be here as you."
"Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that she is a student," Kubinashi motioned to the busty blonde woman.
Kejoro added, "Yeah, what kind of old woman like you tries to pass herself off as a high school student?"
"I never said I was a student, and your old yokai bones have nothing on my youth and grace," she retorted.
Kejoro was about to rip her a new one when I tapped my fist in my other palm in recognition, "You, you're the waitress from Bakenekoya!"
She huffed and turned her nose up at us, "Yokai like you have no right to speak to us."
"Grr. Who do you think you are?!" yelled Tsurara in the middle of the festival. People were starting to turn and stare at us.
"More skilled than you?" Hotaru teased.
Tsurara looked like she would lose it.
"Calm down everyone! This is no place to cause a scene," reminded Kurotabo.
Junichi almost chuckled, "And what are you supposed to be? A monk or a yok-"
"Watch it," ordered Rikuo. "You all should leave. The people here are-"
"Relax! We were just on our way out."
Rikuo didn't appear to believe him but allowed them to walk away with a suspicious farewell glance from Junichi. It was almost like he was trying to tell us something. They strode into the growing crowd. Only when Kuro rested his hand on my shoulder did I finally relax.
"Damnit," whispered Rikuo. "Everyone be careful tonight. Stick together and don't go anywhere alone." All of us in the clan looked at him dutifully.
How I hoped that night had gone differently... If only we had followed his orders...
Kuro let his hand slip from my shoulder. "Come on, lets go enjoy the rest of the festival." I smiled warmly at him. His eyes were as kind as ever.
The others began to disperse and we were left alone together. We walked through the rivers of students, crowded around game booths and pavilions where lots of good, hot food was grilled and prepared. Balloons were tied to many a wrist and couples walked with stuffed animals and cotton candy in hand. I slowed and sat on a lonely bench. Kuro sat down next to me. "Is something wrong?" He inquired.
"You know, I'm jealous of them."
"What do you mean?" he wondered.
I hesitated, not wanting to put more of a burden on him than I already had, but that didn't stop me from telling him. "Even if I wanted to... I couldn't go to any of the stands here."
"But that can't-" he thought for a moment.
I was invisible to humans. How in the world could any of the venders service a customer they couldn't even see? "No matter what I do-" I felt helpless. Kuro roughly grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "Hey!" I began.
"Come on, I bet I can get you to enjoy the festival." He didn't release my hand but his was warm and I could feel a pulsing inside me at his touch. There was something there. I knew it. Kejoro had been right, but what was I to do? I could feel my cheeks heating up. We passed many shops. Some of them sold food, others jewelry, some put on performances. All of them gave out information on whatever club or activity they represented. The soccer team hosted a sign up scrimmage where anyone who wanted to could play.
Kuro suddenly stopped in front of a rather large game booth. Mounds of stuffed animals were stacked behind the vendor. "Would yo, Sir, or you Ma'am, like to participate in our game?"
"Yes, I would." Kuro grinned. It seemed oddly out of character for him to be so outgoing. But then, he and competition certainly did go hand in hand. The vendor stacked bottles on top of one another and handed Kuro a BB gun. He positioned the barrel on the edge of the wooden tabletop and relaxed his shoulders. He looked experienced. He released a slow, steady breath and shot each of the bottles in succession.
He handed the rifle back to the vendor with a coy smile. "Where did you learn to do that?" I studied him.
"I've been around a long time. That one-" he pointed.
The vendor handed him a stuffed panda bear and smiled, "Come again!"
Kuro gave the bear to me, "Here."
"What? But, is this..?"
"For you."
I closed my mouth and hugged the panda bear. It was so sweet! And so adorable! Kuro smiled slyly and we leaned on each other as we walked.
The way home was peaceful as we chatted in the serene darkness, passing the yamabuki roses in bloom. Their alarmingly yellow petals and sickly sweet sent wafted through the air, making me tense in the quiet of the night. Clouds were rolling in overhead. We were all alone together. My hands were shaking and I clasped them together to calm down. I could feel my heart speeding up, bringing heat to my cheeks. He stopped on the stone path before the Nura mansion when he recalled, "Oh, I almost forgot." Reaching into his robes, he took something out. "Here."
Kuro passed me my phone, still broken. The screen was black, dead. "I guess I should thank you for holding onto this for me." I looked up at him gratefully, my hand resting on top.
"Think nothing of it. I should have given it back earlier. I sort of forgot though." He closed his eyes.
I smiled. He opened his eyes again and I suddenly realized how close we were standing. Finding that my hand was still on his, I squeaked as I pulled it away too quickly. He looked at me with his mouth slightly open and grabbed my hand as I was about to fall back. "Kaya..." he whispered. My heart pounded and heat rushed through me. As I looked into those eyes, I could feel my resolve slipping. "You like him, don't you," in my mind I could hear Kejoro berating me for being so foolish. My wait shifted forward and I closed my eyes, grasping his sleeve, we moved towards one another.
If it rained in that moment, Kuro's hat would have shielded us both.
A strange sound erupted between us and he pulled away suddenly. A strike of cold fear slithered up my spine. I felt warmth on my chest. It almost felt... wet. I looked down and there was blood all over my shirt, the point of a sword at my neck. That sword had impaled Kuro!