Night Ten:
The next day, I felt surprisingly better. My ankle still hurt like all hell, but thanks to Head Master patching it up, and giving me crtuches, I was able to keep my weight off of it, and walk. Yuuki and Zero guided me outside when the time came for the parents to come back. My brother looked at me surprised, but I merely shook my head. He didn't ask any questions afterwards, but stuck pretty close to me as we walked towards the dinning area for breakfeast, as well as another, most likely, long winded speech from the Head Master himself.
"I'm so glad to see so many of you back! And I'm even more happy to know that you all took some time out of your busy scheduals to come and visit us. I'm sure your children enjoy this rare oppertuinty." He looked around the crowd, but most bearly nodded. He contuined."Well, I am happy to inform that we have queit a schedual today. After breakfeast, there will be a show put on by the Drama Club. After that is over, we will head out to the Courtyard where there will be some family games for those intrested to particapte in. Afterwards, we'll be having lunch. THere will be some time afterwards to which you may take your child off grounds for a family afternoon, but are expected to be back before five. We'll have an hour at which families A through L will be brought into my office, and we'll talk about your child's growth. At seven, we will have a late dinner, which will cooked up by our brilliant Night Class students."Several of the girls swooned at the idea. I had to admit that even I reacted. My back straightened out immedtaly, and a small smile overcame my face. My brother glanced at me, his face set in a hard frown. The Head Master had to wait several mintues before he contuined."Bed time will be kept at it's usual eight o clock at which you will be expected to go back to your regular places until tommrrow. As usual, please, enjoy your time~!" He stepped off the podium, and the chatter contuined.
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"What was with your reaction to Cross's words about the dinner." My brother whispered as we watched Mother compete with Nae's family at an egg toss game. I didn't think I'd ever seen my mother so happy as she seemed to be with Nae's father, his wife had died just three month prior due to illness. Mikami and I sat under a tree, my leg prompted up on a pillow he had gotten from Head Master.
"Nigt Class always cook such good meals. I'm just excited to eat what they cook up." I lied, but it's not like I was going to tell him the truth.
"I doubt Cross would let them inter-mingle that much."
"No. He only did it once, and that was the last time because of how the Day Class girls acted."
"So he'd just risk, and do it again. Don't these girls understand what those monsters are?"
"It's crazy, Mikami, you stopped being a Hunter because you didn't like how it was all ran, and that you'd rather have peace, but you just called them monsters."
"Isn't that what they are? Most of them think nothing of a human life. They think themselves superior."
"Well, in almost every aspect, they are surperior. They're better looking, stronger, faster, smatter, they're stronger, live longer...They're amazing...It's not hard to get big head when you got all that and so much more going for you."
"You sound like you have taken a real liking to them. You used to hate them just as much as Father hates them." I looked at my brother the same moment he looked at me with a harsh look. I scowled back at him.
"I've just opened my eyes to how most of them really are, is all. You don't understand."
"I understand that you really like them. A change like that just doens't happen over night."
"And it didn't, ok? I've just come to respect them."
"Respect? Are you crazy? Do you think that they'd hold you so dear if they decided you were food?" I rolled my eyes. I could feel my anger quickly raising in me, but I knew Mikami well enough to know that he wouldn't just let this drop so easily, and I was right."Sakika, just think." He voice dropped to an even lower whisper as he spoke next."Just...Tell me you aren't hot for one of them, and I'll let this entire thing drop." I stared at my broter in shock. Shocked that he would even suggest such a thing.
I wanted to deny it, but the more I sat there staring at him, and him at I in antipaction, I knew I couldn't deny it. I thought about everything I had been feeling, and everything that had happened since I had come to Cross Academy, and I knew I couldn't deny it without being caught in the act. Mikami was always very good at knowing when he was being lied to. I couldn't lie to my brother about my feelings. He'd just find out some time later anyways, like he always seemed to do. So there was really no point, but I still couldn't admit outloud how I felt about some of them.
"Are you crazy? I...I don't view them that way. It's gross."
"And you're a liar." We both stared at each other hard before he looked away. I stared at him a moment longer before looking at the families as they began a three legged race. I couldn't help but feel somewhat amused at what the Head Master had come up with for "fun family bonding time."
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"Wow, Mother, you seemed very pleased today." I smiled over at my mother as we ate some sundae's that my brother had been kind enough to buy, despite his seemingly silent promise not to so much as look at my shadow much less talk to me.
"Yes. Today was rather fun. I'm most intrested in seeing how well you're truly doing. I expect you to be doing nothing but good. I need some good news to report back to Father, after all." I felt my face redden, and I nodded.
"I'm sure the report will be fine. Though, you'll have to wait until tommrow to find out."
"Yes, I know, Dearest." SHe gave a small, thinned smile. I looked over at Mikami, who glanced at me, and then away. I sighed, and looked down at my melting white ice cream as it mixed with the chocolate syrup. Was he going to be mad at me forever? Or maybe he was simply disgusted with me for liking someone who just happens to be a vampire? I guess I couldn't really blame him in that aspect."Is something wrong? You two have not spoken to each other all morning. That's not like you two at all." My brother sighed, and stood up. He looked at me.
"Mother, I need to borrow Sakika for a moment. Do you mind?" He looked at Mother, who shook her head, clearly confused. He looked back at me." Sakika?"
"Oh. Right. I'll be right back Mother." Mother nodded, and watched as I stood up, and followed my brother out of the diner.
The cold air nipped at my exposed skin, I had forgotten my jacket inside the diner, so I rubbed my arms impaitently while I waited for my brother to speak, though he seemed to be taking his time as he puffed on a cigarrette.
"When did you start smoking?" I asked, remembering how much he had always disliked the "cancer on a stick", as he used to call them. He looked at me, and shrugged.
"Just a few months actually." He answered."It helps to calm me down." I nodded, and shivered.
"Can we hurry up before I catch a damn cold?"
"C'mon, we both know you don't catch colds easily." We shared a small laugh. He then rubbed out the cherry of the cigarrette, and looked at me as he turned, and leaned on the building."Tell me, when did you notice...Well, how do I put this? When did you notice that you...Well, were hung up on one of those Night Class students? It's not my business who it could be, but I'm just curious. I mean, you used to hate them just as much as Father."
"I don't know when it happened, to be honest." I answered, and looked in on Mother, who was talking to one of the mother's of my classmate. I looked back at my brother." Look, I trust you, Mikami, I really do, but can we have this conversation and just forget we ever had it once it's done? I know how Father feels about this stuff, and them. Remember how he and Mizuki had that falling out once Mizuki didn't want to contuine being a Hunter? I don't want that to happen between Father and me. We already have a tough realtionship as it is, and I don't want this to be the reason he just flat out hates me."
"Father could never hate you, Sakika. He's just awkward, and swollen looking all the time, and he doesn't express his feelings so well, but he could never hate you. You're his daughter. He loves you, he just has a funny way of showing it. Besides, do you really think I would ever tell? It's not my place. You should know me better than that, Sakika."
"I know. I mean, I do, but I know how you get too. You might let something accidently slip out."
"You'll just have to trust me." I nodded with a sigh.
"I do trust you." He nodded, and smiled. I was automatically put at ease as well.
"So...What's he like? Or is it a girl? I mean I have wondered about you, and hey if it's a girl...More power to you, Sister!" I blushed, and sighed in annoyance."Oh come on! Don't look like that! You're young! It's ok to experment a little. I mean, everyone does it. I mean everyone but me, of course. Real shame I haven't either. I mean, there's nothing wrong with playing for another team, but I'll still have to try and scare her off-"
"Oh, Kami, just shut up! It's a boy! I'll tell you anything you want to know if you'll just shut up." Mikami chuckled playfully. I almost wanted to punch him at that moment.
"Seriously, what's he like then?" I blushed, trying to think of how to word it without sounding like one of those 'Kyaa, Kyaa," girls.
"Well...We haven't really spoken much but he seems nice enough."
"Of course you'd say that to me so I wouldn't worry." I rolled my eyes.
"He hasn't given me any reason to think he's anything but nice." Again Mikami nodded.
"Well, I'm happy for ya, Sis." I smiled, and looked back inside the cafe.
"We should go back in."
"Alright but if the guy you've a crush on is there tonight, I want you to subtly point him out." I rolled my eyes, and nodded.
"Yeah. Fine. Just don't embrass me."
"And when have I ever done that?" We looked at each other, and laughed as we went inside to reunite with Mother.
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That night, dinner was provided by a few of the Night Class memebers. There was two girls I didn't regcoinze that were serving the food, alongside them was Takuma and Shiki. Cooking the food itself was Akatsuki, Rima, and Ruka. Serving drinks was Kuran, Aidou, and another night class student, a girl, that I didn't recgoinze. I never thought the noise would ever die down from all the exictment the Day Time students were putting out. At least Aidou seemed more compused than usual. That's not saying he wasn't flirting with the Day Students, because he was flirting, much to the irrartion of Kuran.
My mother seemed to want to keep her distance, not that I could blame her, but Mikami seemed more than intrested in all of them. He contuinously watched me to see who I would stare at the longest, probably playing dective to figure out who I liked the most. It annoyed me, but I let him think whatever it is he wanted to think. I was sure as hell not going to tell him any diffrent.
That night, I was glad when the night was finally over. Between my mother's silence, and Mikami's constant looking to see if I looked at anyone were rather annoying. I knew they meant well, but I was starting to understand why Mizuki didn't hardly come home at all.
When I walked into my room that night, I sighed as I found another note on my dresser, but this time there was no rose. Some part of me was disappointed, but I was also relieved. I was starting to wonder what I'd do with all the roses.
I picked up the letter, but I noticed it was diffrent than the other letters. This time, it had some sort of seal, and it was in an envelope with a intercte rose design on the top left. The color of the envelope itself was a very light, dusty rose color with some sort of pattern lightly made in the background. It had no adress, but I knew it was for me. I turned it over, and opened the seal. I pulled out the note itself, which came out with a lavander type of smell, but the handwritting itself was not Yuuki's, the messy hand writting that she wrote with, but instead was neater. It had heavy markings, suggesting whoever wrote it wrote with a heavy hand, and the words were closley spaced together, and were rather small. I contuined on with the message.
I had decided not to bother with the roses this time. I can only imagine how much they're building up. Besides, it was Aidou's idea, which is where I got this paper and evelope from, and I'm not even sure how well they were as far as being effective. For all I know, you probably threw them out. I wouldn't blame you. I noticed you were hurt, which is the reason Kiryuu said you haven't been able to go on patrole lately. I hope it gets better. I know we don't talk much, but I do miss seeing you out. I hope you stop avoiding us, but I guess I can understand where you're coming from. Being what you are, and what we are.
I don't expect you to do anything while you're hurt. Though, I'm intrested to know how it happened. Kiryuu said you did something stupid, and you got hurt, but you don't seem like the stupid type. Then again, maybe I'm wrong, and you're the stupid impulsive type. Anyways, when you're feeling better, I'd like to talk with you. Just me and you. Alone. I have some questions about you, and I want to know if they can be answered by you. So, whenever you're feeling better, meet me between the Dorms, the gate, and we'll talk.
My heart thumped in my chest, and I re-read the note five times, analyzing everything about it, before tucking it under my pillow, and going to bed.
A/n: Well, seems like there's so much going on! The plot is thickening! So, what could be going on? Who penned the letter, and why would they not go through Yuuki to penn it? More importantly, why is Aidou giving out love advice? What could the person possibly want to know about Sakika? What will happen next? Tune in for more! Happy readings!