My Pleasure

by Ravenhale1

This is a slow paced AU rewrite from Kurumu's POV. This story covers the first month of Kurumu's life at Yokai Academy. Not strictly canon, considering the manga has Kurumu in a different class and she was not introduced to Tsukune until about a month after school started. In this condensed timeline the first month consists of CAPU1 Chapters 1-10 & 40.

14. Wanted: Good Friends

Kurumu pawed at the dirt with her faded black sneakers. The mass was over but Moka was still in the chapel talking with the priest. Kurumu hoped the vampire would hurry things up, since she wanted to get to the town before the lunch hour.

Yesterday had been less successful than Kurumu had hoped for when it came to finding friends. Instead of starting to meet guys from Tsukune's floor right away, Yamabato had snagged all three of them into his room for that movie he had tried offering them earlier. It was called Alive, though she had about as little opinion of it as its predecessor.

Yamabato seemed like a nice enough guy, but he simply did not feel right for Moka. He was ordinary, with a forgettable face. And she had seen his true form, so Kurumu could not picture her friend ending up with that. Nothing against his kind, as there certainly could be a real pretty girl out there from his species that would make him far happier.

Not very surprising, he had joined up with the film club. He reassured them it was more than watching movies. At least once a year the club would put together a film. And every member was encouraged to get out there and take pictures and record snippets of life. It sounded like something Morioka would be good at doing.

It had been after three when they finally started the tour. Working from the end of the hall, they had wasted five to ten minutes checking in with the occupant of each room. As most club activities had concluded by that point of the day, all but the guy in twenty two had been home for their brief visit.

Kurumu did not even remember any of the names of the guys they had first spoken with, but the guy across the hall from Tsukune's room was definitely a catch. Noroi was his name? Certainly he was someone worth giving a second look, though she could not recall if he had said anything interesting.

Tsukune's room shared a wall with the showers for their floor, so he only had one direct neighbor. This neighbor, Tanboshi, was a pig. Literally. His room was a complete sty and yet he had remarked something about it being a good thing he had cleaned up earlier that day. She could not imagine it possible for that room to be in worse shape.

Tsukune acted on good terms with the guy, admitting they were already acquainted. Tanboshi had laughed it off, mentioning he had not seen any other guy on the floor bring so little into a dorm room. Tsukune had quickly explained that his uniform and acceptance to Yokai had come so late that he had barely packed anything before his late Sunday arrival.

Laughing this off as flustering before the girls, Tanboshi talked big about his prowess in dating girls and judo. He had offered to demonstrate his skills, which she had quickly declined without suggesting Moka in her place. Kurumu cared too much to have thrown Moka to the wolves like that.

Changing subjects, they discovered Tanboshi was a student in Umatobi's class. Kurumu had not met the man, but she had heard some of the girls in home economics refer to him as the creepy history teacher. Apparently this was a girl thing since Tanboshi did not have any concerns about Umatobi's abilities to function as a teacher.

After spending quite some time with Tanboshi, they had continued the tour with a couple more nameless guys. Room sixteen belonged to a very, sexy young man, though his personality was curt and dismissive. Nothing could beat a conversation ending with a wooden stick brandished inches from her nose. He made the aloof Umizake seem a warm and kind hearted person by comparison.

Umizake had ended their outing with his familiar sarcasm. A couple well placed remarks about them stirring up trouble with something that could be misconstrued as bragging had successfully shamed Tsukune from continuing any further down the hall. It also had helped that it had nearly been the dinner hour, so abandoning the tour could be done without it being a direct result of the reprimand.

But something was wrong. At some point, Tsukune had started to act more preoccupied. Kurumu had really noticed it at dinner last night, though he could have been acting that way even earlier. It had been more obvious when she was the only person at the table interested in talking.

Moka's reticence was understandable. The vampire was still struggling with disappointment. Kurumu had to prompt him to speak multiple times during this pursuit of Moka boyfriend material. Frankly it had started to annoy her, since she ended up the object of affection more often than not.

Unlike last week, Moka had been in no mood to challenge Kurumu's attire. The denim had been tight but these khaki micro shorts may as well be painted on. She was thankful these were buttons, since she doubted she could zip up this without pinching something sensitive. Oddly, her tail had a lot more breathing room than her crotch.

She had to wear a bra with this black tank top, even though the white straps stuck out like a fish flopping on a beach. The shirt was too loose ever since she had cut out a wide swath in the back for her wings. Even though it was hemmed up nicely, a little jiggle could set her puppies free. She doubted Nazohashi would appreciate the exposure.

"Ms. Kurono."

Kurumu glanced up from the hole she had been digging with her sneaker. Nazohashi had been late to church this morning. Not that Kurumu cared, but she had wanted to ask about the details of their adventure and was already familiar how their class representative would not chat during prayer service.

This was the rich, spoiled girl's version of casual. Her crimson sweater was drawn over a short sleeved, white blouse. The simple shirt was tucked in at her tiny waist. A narrow, silver band fed through the small loops of her black dress pants and was cinched at the center with a large, circular buckle.

Nazohashi stepped down the broad stone stairs built up to the red brick chapel. A black, metal handrail was anchored into the side of the low wall flanking the stairs that preceded the wide landing where people could mingle before and after the service. Not that there had been much chatter exchanged. Most of the congregation had dispersed before Kurumu had even gotten to the bottom of the stairs to wait for the others.

"Nazohashi."

The girl nodded slightly, shifting her purple clutch to her left hand. Considering her pants had no pockets at all, the small bag was needed. Kurumu was thankful she only had to bring her keys and ID card, both of which technically could fit in her shorts. The back pockets had to suffice.

"What time is it?"

Kurumu glanced at her wrist.

"About half past nine."

Nazohashi nodded, glancing about with her lips pursed.

Tsukune slipped out of the left door of the massive, wooden set with thick glass panes built into the top panels. His one bag of things apparently had lacked semi-formal attire. His black tee and jeans matched her attire best.

As for the shirt, the white shield logo sprawled across the front was vaguely familiar to her. Having asked about it at breakfast, she found out it was a shirt for the band known as Dragon Ash. It bothered her that Moka actually knew enough about the band to comment that it was not her kind of music.

"Tsukune."

He glanced back to the door as Kurumu mildly waved at him. Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he started down the stairs.

"Tsukune?"

"Oh, hey."

Kurumu pouted.

"You've been like this all morning. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, the young man stopped between the two girls. Tsukune shrugged, scratching behind his ear.

"Sort of. After you guys left, Tanboshi was very interested in us and before I knew it I was helping him, Kinusawa and Yamabato with their homework."

"Kinusawa?"

"The guy between those two. In twenty three."

Kurumu only vaguely recalled the guy.

"It was a long night."

"I'm glad you are making friends."

Tsukune laughed nervously.

"I'm still not entirely comfortable with everyone, you know. But you are right. Being timid isn't getting me anywhere."

Kurumu smirked.

"So, did they say anything about us?"

Tsukune flushed, glancing away.

"Not really."

"Any of them upset like Umizake said?"

"They did want to know which one of you was my girlfriend."

"And you said?"

"Nothing. Yamabato said you were while Takoshine vouched for Moka."

"Takoshine?"

Tsukune frowned.

"You met him. He's friends with Yamabato and Kinusawa."

"I hope you cleared the matter up."

"I didn't see a reason to."

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

"Establishing which girl they can chase after is sort of important, Tsukune."

"Weren't we just making friends?"

Kurumu sighed.

"I suppose. What is that girl doing?"

Tsukune glanced over his shoulder.

"I think she was talking about her family. She's still very upset over that."

"What about Moka's family?"

"Oh, you're still here?"

"Where else would I be? What's this about Moka?"

"Her mother won't be able to visit her on her birthday."

Nazohashi scowled, shaking her head.

"That is another thing that I dislike about the school."

"Huh?"

"The limited visitation. I know they say it's to encourage our growth into independence, but I've never been away from my father for more than a day."

"Awwww. Getting homesick?"

"You're such a juvenile."

Kurumu smirked, redirecting her attention to Tsukune. He was acting distant again, which was really starting to bother her.

"What are you thinking about?"

Tsukune snapped out of his reverie. He smiled sheepishly.

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on. Did something happen last night?"

He shook his head and shrugged.

"I guess… I don't know. How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Nevermind."

"Now I'm too interested to let that go. What are we talking about?"

"For God's sake, woman. If he does not want to talk about it, just let it be."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"But you are talking around me. And it is very annoying."

"Then go somewhere else."

"I'm not going anywhere without Moka or our guide. Deal with it."

Kurumu was tempted to fight the issue, but the remark intrigued her.

"Who is our guide, anyways?"

"Senior."

"Morioka?"

"Of course. Who else would I get?"

Kurumu groaned, wondering if the guy would even show up. She supposed she could not be angry with Nazohashi, clearly ignorant of the recent issues with their leader. Prior to that, Kurumu had even thought about using the lustful senior as a guide.

"So when was this arranged?"

"Yesterday."

"For real? That guy has balls."

Nazohashi frowned.

"I hardly consider that remark justified. He was hurt that we had not asked him for guidance earlier."

"He was hurt alright. How did he find you?"

"What?"

"Where were you at, yesterday? We stopped by, but you weren't home."

"Oh. The student council had a meeting and all the class representatives together were asked to attend. They wanted to make sure that everyone understood our responsibilities and introduced us to the head of the student police."

"Sounds boring."

"You would be. Though I was surprised. I wasn't aware that graduates could remain as active participants in our program."

"Graduate?"

"They made no pretense about it. They said the job was too important to be handled by even a senior student, so he is technically an adviser without actually being part of the faculty."

"Yea, yea, whatever. So… Morioka was involved with this meeting?"

"He was not. I decided to check in at the printing room after the meeting and he was there. He is more dedicated than I gave him credit for."

Kurumu sighed, glancing to Tsukune. Unfortunately he was off in his own world again, so if she was going to blow the horn on Morioka, she would have to do it alone. She wished Moka would hurry up.

"He was very receptive to most of my ideas. I was a little worried that many had not crossed his mind, though I guess he only had a year of experience and he was not the one in charge of things. It seems their former president resigned at the end of the second term, so they were sort of running without an official leader for the last few months."

Kurumu shrugged.

"That doesn't surprise me. He doesn't strike me as the leader type."

"Being a leader simply requires knowing how to use your resources. You honestly don't believe that the owner of any company works harder than everyone else he employs."

"He really has you fooled."

Nazohashi snorted with contempt.

"Clearly you don't understand the subtleties of leadership. The man put in a solid day's worth of effort into our club yesterday while you did nothing. We spent the whole afternoon working up on a poster and sales pitch for the local vendors."

That man was devious.

Moka finally emerged from the chapel with a slight smile on her face. The vampire was wearing the other expensive dress from her wardrobe, which actually was a two-piece. The frilly, lavender gown had white lace stitched into the hem that circled about her legs halfway up her thighs. Over this was a matching long sleeved jacket which had similar lace stitched about the top. Only one white button held the jacket together, the white trim lining the edges of the two parts. The way the jacket was designed made it so that the vampire's black collar and cross pendant were quite visible.

"I'm sorry, it took so long."

Kurumu smirked at the apologetic expression.

"Hey, Moka. I heard Morioka will be our guide today."

The vampire was genuinely distressed.

"One second."

The girl bowed before quickly slipping back inside the chapel.

"What was that about?"

Kurumu shrugged at Nazohashi's remark. She glanced at Tsukune, wondering if he had even noticed the exchange.

"So when is our valiant guide supposed to arrive?"

"I told him nine, knowing that would be a little early. I wonder if he saw mass was still in service so he left."

Kurumu smirked.

"Maybe he realized this was a bad idea."

"What is a bad idea?"

Kurumu grimaced, whirling on the speaker. Somehow he had appeared less than an arm's length away. Unlike Tsukune, whom still had a darkness about one of his eyes, Morioka did not appear injured in the slightest. The werewolf grinned mischievously, his hands thrust in the pockets of his olive cargo pants. As expected, one side of his black, silk shirt was not tucked and the top buttons were undone so that his collar flared out wide to bare his silver pendent.

"Senior? When did you get here?"

"As quickly as I could."

Kurumu scowled. Surely she should have felt him, since he was dripping with shameless desire. Crossing her arms below her bosom only made things worse.

"Are you going to behave yourself?"

"Ms. Kurono! That is hardly called for."

Morioka grinned. He reached for her hand, so she promptly turned away. Chuckling, he walked around her to confront Nazohashi.

"Sorry for the delay."

The girl blushed, averting her gaze. She gestured to the chapel.

"We're still waiting for Moka, so you're not late."

Morioka regarded the chapel with an amused grin.

"I never imagined a vampire to be the sort to frequent churches."

Kurumu smirked.

"I suppose some people are just full of surprises."

"Indeed. So what is it she is doing in there?"

"Probably praying for a miracle that involves you."

Nazohashi scowled.

"Don't be silly. She forgot her tote."

Kurumu pouted as her insult was derailed, though she supposed that was a valid possibility. Tucked against her side, Moka had been carrying around a crimson purse with her arm slipped through the black handles. Just as she thought about, Moka stepped out from the chapel with her bag in place.

"See."

Morioka grinned as he pounced up the stairs to take a bewildered Moka by her hand.

"Ah, Ms. Akashiya. Allow me the honor of addressing you by your first name."

With a wolfish grin, Morioka lifted her hand as he lowered his head. The vampire barely managed to get her hand out of his before his lips touched. Familiar with his speed, Kurumu imagined the near miss had been intentional.

Moka moved away from him, holding the hand that clutched at the straps of her bag. She smiled politely and looked to them for support.

"Shall we be going?"

Morioka laughed, hopping down the stairs slowly as he regarded them with unparalleled confidence.

"I suppose we shall. We'll have to stop at the school first to pick up our fliers, but it's on the way."

Kurumu had a feeling this was going to be a long day. She stepped closer to Tsukune, grabbing the absent minded boy's arm. Tsukune mildly glanced at his seized arm.

"Kurumu!"

"What?"

The vampire pouted, quickly moving over to Tsukune's other side. She promptly seized up his other arm, which finally shook him out of his thoughts.

"Hey? Guys? Wait, why is he here?"

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head. She really had to know what was on his mind that could keep him from noticing that.

---

Mononoke was the name of the small town located a good five or so kilometers down the paved path that ended on the school grounds on the west side. Or was that east? Coming to school from the dorms, it was on the left side.

The first building to poke up from the dense forest had been a large four or five story hospital that the path skirted by. Kurumu had questioned the purpose of such a service given that so many monsters had excellent regenerative properties, but Morioka had soundly countered with Tsukune's battered appearance along with references of knowing kids that were knocked unconscious for days. While functioning as a safe haven for incapacitated monsters, the hospital also provided services for numerous procedures unavailable in the human realm.

Other than the hospital and the academy, Mononoke had little else to offer permanent residents which kept it a fairly small town. Most would commute to the school on foot or via bicycles. Hearing this, Moka had inquired about bike repair shops and brightened up at the thought of fixing hers. It was one of those annoying moments where Tsukune and Moka were both on the same happy page.

At the hospital, Morioka had turned them down the right side of the path, stating the other would take them into the residential part of the town. After walking through some nondescript buildings for small businesses that every town needed, they finally arrived at the shopping district which was already bustling with activity.

It was a lot to take in all at once. The sights, smells and snippets of conversation all crowded in on her senses, though it was not like she had never been to a marketplace before. Not many students frequented the first couple blocks of the district, though that was because it was littered with vendors for groceries. The people here presumably had access to a stove and refrigerator.

Morioka had suggested stopping at all the places the students were likely to shop or frequent. These businesses were the most likely to benefit from running an ad in their school paper.

"We'll start here."

Morioka gestured to a charming cafe nestled between hawkers of fish and vegetables. The yellow sign suspended from the overhang had black characters that read "Mix It Up". Grabbing Nazohashi by the arm, the werewolf ducked through the open doors.

Seeing no reason to follow, Kurumu released Tsukune to approach the nearest vendor. She looked over his goods with mild interest, though it was not long before she felt him take interest in her. She tried not to feel too disgusted with the slippery creature that turned its beady black eyes upon her. Its voice rasped out, wet and nasal.

"Such a pretty one. A first year from the Academy."

"Why yes, I am."

"Always nice to see a new face these parts."

The vendor raised an appendage lined with suckers. It wagged at Moka and Tsukune, while trying to attract the attention of other onlookers.

"No need to be shy. Take a look. Best prices in town on calamari."

Kurumu regarded the iced boxes of wares, not particularly interested in this particular dish. She smiled at the vendor.

"I was wondering. Do any of these shops here accept our ID cards?"

The beast chortled, wagging its tentacles with dismissively.

"No, no, girl. We only accept actual coin here."

"The other vendors?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Kurumu sighed, having suspected that to be the case. There went all her lofty ideals of hitting this place up for groceries to cook meals for Tsukune. Even if she did get good at it, the dining hall would never allow her to buy enough for a decent sized meal and she was not about to rob the home economics stock on a regular basis.

"I guess I'll have to pass, then. My mother only loads my ID card."

"I understand, little lady. Very few first years buy my wares."

With that said, the vendor turned his attention to other passersby. He called out, wagging his arms excitedly to draw in interest. Smiling, Kurumu wandered back to her friends.

None of them were handling the simple stroll down the grocer market very well. Moka clearly held tighter than necessary to a pale Tsukune. And Nazohashi had been hovering close to them ever since the hospital. Perhaps Morioka had been serious about her letting her wings out so that they would not stand out so much.

"I hope they don't take too long."

Moka glanced to the open door of the restaurant.

"Should we go in and help?"

"I don't see how more of us would make this go any faster unless we were going to different locations."

Kurumu smirked at the vampire.

"Are you wanting to split up?"

Moka frowned.

"We don't know where we should go. Or what Tora and Senior decided we would be saying to the businesses."

Kurumu smiled, not meaning for that to have been taken seriously. She glanced at Tsukune.

"You look troubled."

He forced a slight smile.

"I'm not used to it."

Kurumu giggled.

"You realize most of the students in our class look something like this when they aren't trying to look like humans."

"I've seen Tanboshi several times. This is… different."

Kurumu smiled, gesturing back to the vendor.

"Not really."

"Kurumu. That's a squid monster selling calamari."

Kurumu shrugged with a wry grin.

"Then I guess that means it should be fresh."

Tsukune snickered, shaking his head.

"That's just disgusting."

"What was disgusting was what that guy was thinking."

"Huh?"

"I'm guessing it involved wrapping those tentacles about me."

Kurumu smirked as Tsukune's thoughts firmly groped her body. She stepped closer to the flush boy, smacking his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Stop that."

Moka scowled.

"What was that for? Tsukune didn't do anything wrong."

"But he was thinking it, right?"

"Well, I… what do you think I was thinking?"

Kurumu smacked his shoulder again for playing dumb. Seeing how this only caused the vampire to become more distressed with her, Kurumu seized up his arm and yanked him towards her. The vampire staggered a slight step with Tsukune, but managed to keep her tight hold.

"Moka, trust me. You'd hit him too if you knew what he was thinking."

"No I wouldn't."

"You already did when he peeped up your skirt."

Moka blushed, turning her nose sharply away.

"That has nothing to do with this!"

Grinning, Kurumu nuzzled closer up against him, feeling his hungry thoughts along with a mixture of other attention directed upon her for making such a public spectacle. She pushed his arm aside, feeling him stiffen as she quickly wrapped her arms about his torso and hugged him tight.

"Hey! Stop that!"

As Kurumu took in a deep breath of his intoxicating scent, a heavy hand smacked the side of her head. Wincing, she relaxed her grip and turned so that Tsukune's body shielded her better.

"You stop it."

"I'm not doing anything wrong."

"You're too close to my boyfriend."

"Tsukune's not your boyfriend!"

"He's not yours."

Moka snatched her hand away, turning her back to them.

"Fine. I'm not buying you anything today."

Kurumu pouted. She had a passing temptation, and she really wanted to say it to see how Tsukune would react. But she held back her words about Tsukune being fine with her wearing nothing. Letting him go, she gripped her elbow and looked at the ground, uncertain what to say or do next.

Morioka emerged with a flush Nazohashi in tow. He had a wide grin as waved for them. Turning to his left, he progressed further down the block. They only walked by six or seven booths before he gestured to his right. Two posts guarded the dark doors with embedded, frosted glass panes. On each pole flapped a crimson pennant with gold lettering declaring "The Score".

"This place favors the male perspective, so I can't be bringing any of you ladies in there."

Tsukune sighed.

"I guess I'm ready for this."

Morioka glanced at them.

"Huh?"

With a sneer, the werewolf turned fully upon Tsukune.

"Oh, right. I'm not sure, kid. Looking up skirts does not quite make you man enough for this place."

"Kid? You're probably not even a year older than me."

"Being a man has nothing to do with age, Aono. You keep the girls entertained while I take care of this."

Smirking, Morioka turned on his heel and walked through the posts intent for the door. Scowling, Tsukune started after the young man.

"Wait, Tsukune."

Kurumu snagged him by his sleeve.

"You know he's just toying with you. Stay out here with us."

Tsukune scowled even darker. He yanked his arm away.

"You don't understand this. Just leave me alone."

"Tsukune?"

She pouted as he walked away without any further hesitation. While she understood this was likely a matter of pride, she also worried that Morioka was planning something devious. She took a step towards the doors, but her arm was seized in a tight grip.

"Kurumu, wait."

Kurumu frowned at the vampire. She tugged but could not easily escape that vice grip.

"You know we can't leave him alone with Morioka."

Nazohashi huffed.

"Have some respect for Senior, Ms. Kurono. He told us to stay out and that is what we should do. Mr. Aono should have listened better to Senior's advice."

Kurumu really wanted to strangle that girl. Instead, she forced a smile.

"So how did things go at the other place?"

Nazohashi smiled like a pleased feline.

"Senior was surprisingly aggressive. Even though they first declined my offer, his strong words convinced the manager to reconsider."

Kurumu nodded.

"So… how exactly does this work? We ask if they want an ad in the paper and they say yes?"

Nazohashi rolled her eyes and wagged a hand.

"Don't worry about it. Senior and I have all the details worked out."

"Oh, really. Has he told you anything about Friday night?"

"Kurumu, should we?"

"What about Friday night?"

Kurumu smirked.

"Morioka made a pass on Moka."

Nazohashi shook her head.

"He mentioned there may have been a misunderstanding."

Kurumu laughed.

"A misunderstanding? I'd love to hear what he told you."

"He heard the rumor that Moka was a vampire so he wanted to see how powerful she was."

"He attacked us. He said he was going to make Moka his woman by force."

Nazohashi blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"Clearly a misunderstanding. You must have misheard something."

Moka shook her head vehemently.

"He said nothing about taking me by force."

"He tore up your uniform!"

"I… know that. But all I remember was him trying to convince me that Tsukune was peeping on other girls. When I refused to listen to him, he tried to provoke me into a fight."

Kurumu wanted to challenge it further, but realized Moka might very well have no recollection of anything after Tsukune had removed the pendant.

"But you remember him attacking Tsukune and you. Right?"

"Yea."

Taking a deep breath, Moka turned and placed a hand on Nazohashi's shoulder.

"I'm sure he had a reason. Maybe it was just to test out the rumors."

"Moka? Really?"

Moka shrugged without much conviction.

"Maybe… maybe he lost control."

Kurumu scowled.

"The only thing he lost control of was his hormones."

Kurumu sighed with frustration. She gestured to Nazohashi.

"He's a werewolf."

"A werewolf?"

"Kurumu! We shouldn't talk about his true form."

"I felt like she should know before blindly siding with him on this."

Nazohashi huffed, pulling away from Moka.

"What sides are there to take?"

"Huh?"

"He said there was a misunderstanding and clearly that is true."

"There isn't much to misunderstand when someone attacks you."

Nazohashi shook her hands angrily.

"I know that! Okay! But he's a monster that wanted to test your strength. How else did you think he was going to do that?"

Kurumu opened her mouth, but not a thought came to mind. She pursed her lips, supposing that was a decent point.

"If we should be upset at one of the boys here, it would be Tsukune. Why was he even invited?"

Kurumu took a menacing step towards Nazohashi, causing the girl to cower.

"Oooo a cat fight!"

Kurumu threw a dirty look at Morioka but quickly lost her anger at the sight of Tsukune. The poor boy was battered worse than before and was leaning on Morioka for support. The werewolf grinned, yanking his arm away which caused Tsukune to stagger and fall to the ground.

"Tsukune!"

Moka dived in without hesitation. The vampire helped pick him up by his shoulders, his head resting against her chest while his hands lingered on the pavement. His body trembled in Moka's grasp.

Kurumu scowled at the vampire and gestured angrily at Morioka.

"What did you do to him?"

"Me? Nothing."

Nazohashi glanced away.

"Senior?"

Morioka's devilish grin faded. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he backed away a couple steps from the vampire and Tsukune. He shrugged apathetically.

"Honest. I told him not to come in but he didn't listen. The regulars here are not very friendly to strangers."

Kurumu scowled.

"And yet you came out unscathed."

Morioka smirked.

"The first time I went in there, it was a real beating. Of course, I could have avoided the whole thing if I simply adhered to the rules."

"Rules?"

"It's the owner's insistence that everyone must show their true colors. Says he doesn't like not knowing what's coming through his door."

Nazohashi glanced away.

"Oh. So Mr. Aono did not show his true form?"

Morioka chuckled.

"Pretty gutsy. I tried to reassure them that Aono was harmless and to listen to our proposal, but they just couldn't let it go. I ended up having to remind them about the last time they gave me trouble."

Kurumu snorted, still thinking this had been a plan to hurt Tsukune.

"Tsukune, is it true?"

Tsukune pushed Moka away, looking at the ground as he sat back on his haunches. Holding his hand up at Moka's attempts to touch him, he slowly picked himself up off the pavement and turned his back to Morioka.

"Tsukune."

"It's as he said."

Morioka smirked in triumph.

"You know, you didn't even half to do a full transformation to avoid that."

The werewolf grinned, holding out a hand that quickly swelled up into a furry clawed fist. Morioka turned his feral expression upon Nazohashi. Flexing his fingers twice, he willed his hand to return to normal.

"What do you think about that?"

Nazohashi shrugged, still not meeting his gaze.

"I think we should move along to the next place."

Morioka snorted. He snapped his fingers and turned away.

"I'd suggest changing up soap, Aono. You have an unusual scent."

"There's nothing wrong with the way I smell."

Morioka laughed, walking away.

"Go back in there and tell them that."

Before Morioka got past the next vendor, Nazohashi hurried to join him. There was nothing really to say to Morioka. Kurumu had known for a long time that there was something different about Tsukune. But she did not know the truth to rub it in Morioka's face. Voicing her suspicions about him being a witch now would only make things worse.

Kurumu drifted over to Tsukune, holding her hand out to him. Tsukune looked at it and walked away without comment, prompting her to follow alongside Moka. She favored Moka with a concerned glance, but the vampire was similarly withdrawn. This whole atmosphere did not remotely resemble the way she had pictured this on Friday.

"Morioka!"

She grabbed a startled vampire by the arm and quickened her step. The werewolf slowed his step, though kept on walking. Thinking Tsukune would not be in the mood, Kurumu resisted the urge to grab his arm as she passed him.

"Morioka."

They were clearly moving out of the grocer market, as there were no more hawkers standing out at open storefronts. Some young people were milling about the next block, though there did not seem to be much draw here. All the stores were hemmed closely together, some no wider than the window and door in the front.

"Morioka!"

The werewolf gestured to his right at a small coffee shop called "Warm Brews". With a smirk, their leader grabbed Nazohashi by the hand and pulled the stumbling girl in after him.

Kurumu pouted, releasing Moka to gesture angrily at the door.

"What is wrong with him? This is going to take forever if we stop at every place that serves food and drink."

"Well… he is taking this seriously."

Rolling her eyes, Kurumu glanced at the sulking Tsukune. Sighing, she relaxed her back, letting her wings out. She flexed them while rolling her shoulders, feeling a little better.

The air about her silent friends was tense. Kurumu scowled as a solid couple minutes passed without comment.

"Tsukune? … … … … … … Tsukune?"

Tsukune sighed, shaking his head.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Was the place really only for guys?"

"I… I don't know. I couldn't tell."

Kurumu smiled, supposing that could be a problem with some monster races.

"Tsukune. How much do you know about other monsters?"

Tsukune shrugged, looking to Moka.

"What I've seen in movies mostly."

Kurumu could not hold back a sharp laugh.

"Movies? Humans make most of the movies out there and they don't know much about monsters. What about your parents?"

Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head.

"My parents? Kurumu. I don't really know anything about monsters."

Kurumu sighed, knowing that could be true. All her knowledge about other monsters came from her peers in junior high. She could hardly consider them reliable sources, but at least she knew the boys had been telling her what they believed to be true. It was not like her mother had told her anything important, even when it came to her own kind.

"It just frustrates me."

"Tsukune?"

"All I did was refuse a drink because I'm underage."

"They offered you a drink?"

"And then it became this whole ordeal over showing my true form and fighting like a man. What is wrong with those people? Why does everything have to end up in violence?"

Kurumu shrugged, looking to Moka for support. The vampire gnawed on her lip, bothered by his words.

"Tsukune, you know that's not always true of everyone."

"That's sort of how it is though, Moka."

Moka turned pleading eyes upon Kurumu. She sighed, not really able to offer anything contrary to Tsukune's claims.

"You guys might not have seen it much, being in human schools, but that's how I remember junior high. If someone was being a jerk to you, the only thing to do was beat them down or else they would make things harder for you."

"So what then? Does that mean if I lose a fight, they can keep bullying me all they want?"

Kurumu gestured to Moka.

"You beat Morioka in a fight. I don't think he's going to try to fight you again. Do you?"

"I… well, no."

"Because you established yourself stronger than him. He's not going to take a direct approach again. Even with the full moon tonight."

"Basically if I want someone to leave me alone, I have to beat them up."

Tsukune scowled, shaking his head with disgust.

"Why does it have to be like that?"

Kurumu shrugged, gesturing to Moka again.

"It's okay, Tsukune. Moka and I won't be upset if you have to reveal your true form if you get in a fight."

"What's wrong with staying the way I am?! Why does strength have to be the only thing of value in this society?!"

Kurumu sighed, having few ideas how to cheer him up that would not get her in trouble with the vampire or outright rejected by him.

"Moka, come here."

The vampire meekly regarded her, clearly distraught with this conversation. Moka was wringing her hands, reluctantly approaching Kurumu. Kurumu promptly snagged the vampire by the arm, gesturing at her friend.

"Clearly strength is not Moka's only assets."

Immediately she felt Tsukune's arousal, which annoyed her.

"I am not pointing at her tits, Tsukune, so you can stop thinking that."

"I'm not!"

"Kurumu! Quit saying things that aren't true!"

"What? Why would I lie about something like that?"

"You… you're… you're trying to embarrass me. That's why."

"Moka, I swear, that I'm not thinking anything like that!"

Kurumu scowled. Every instinct in her body told her that he had some sexual attraction towards Moka. There was no way he would put up with the girl drinking his blood if he did not fantasize a little about being with Moka. He was very much like some of those boys in junior high that had never had a girlfriend before. The moment any girl showed the slightest bit of interest in them would be made into something far more meaningful than it should be.

"Do you value her only because she is strong?"

"Of course not!"

"Kurumu! You're making a scene."

Kurumu smirked.

"Making a scene would be telling Tsukune how I gave you a sponge bath last night."

Moka was appalled, but the interest Tsukune poured into her was completely worth it.

"What?!"

Clearly preferring Tsukune aroused over depressed, Kurumu pulled Moka closer. She hugged the vampire, nuzzling her cheek on the top of Moka's breast. Tsukune's desire swelled up, causing her to feel a little weak in the knees.

"Kurumu? Tsukune, she's only joking."

"She can't handle water directly so I had to wipe down every last part of her body with a wet rag."

Kurumu whimpered, trembling as Tsukune hungered for the image she had painted for him. It was almost as good as that time Morioka had envisioned something similar, which actually was not a very pleasant memory and why the hell was she doing this again? She shivered at another surge of pleasure, forcing her to lean up against the vampire for support. Maybe it made some sense.

"Hey! Kurumu! Heavy."

Kurumu pulled on Moka to rock back on her heels. She took a deep, steadying breath before relaxing her hold. There was so much want directed upon her right now, and Tsukune was not the only source. Smiling she relinquished her hold and backed off a step.

"Sorry. But you two are feeling better now, right?"

Moka frowned.

"I was feeling fine."

"Please. Both of you have been so depressing. We should be happy. We're going shopping."

"Shopping? So that's the real reason."

Kurumu threw a glance over her shoulder, annoyed that Morioka was already done with the coffee shop. He was not even regarding her, his wry grin directed at the nervous girl beside him. It was obvious that Nazohashi was not used to such attention.

"So, how many more stops before we get to where all the fun things are?"

Morioka snorted, nodding down the street.

"Plenty of stops, though we might want to skip the novelty stores for now. Not everyone frequents bookstores and souvenir shops."

"Then lead on."

"We can do your shopping first. What are you girls looking for?"

Kurumu glanced to Moka. She caught the girl's eyes, trying her hardest to tell the vampire to say absolutely nothing about lingerie.

"Um… we'll know when we see it. No reason to go straight there. Right?"

Kurumu sighed at Nazohashi's remarks, knowing by Morioka's grin that he already had an inkling what was on their minds.

"Then I guess we will go to our next stop. Shall we?"

Morioka thrust his hands in his pockets and strutted down the street. They simply had to follow his lead. Kurumu had no clue what they were going to do when they finally did find a lingerie store. Even if they did see one, it was probably not a good idea to spend the rest of the day walking around with bags of unmentionables.

Morioka stopped in four more cafes before moving on to the next block. Lots of creatures were milling about and the music was blaring from the record store next to the arcade. As both were heavily trafficked, Morioka pulled the timid Nazohashi along to make whatever pitch he had been selling all morning. By her account, they were actually doing pretty well and would be back next weekend to discuss specifics regarding the ads.

Tsukune had drifted closer to them as the crowd had increased. It was understandable, since Kurumu was slightly grossed out by some of the denizens of the street. The less humanoid ones did not bother with clothing, so it was mildly disturbing to know some of these were fellow students essentially running about naked. That would certainly make for an odd conversation tomorrow if any decided to talk to her.

"Tsukune? How you holding up?"

Kurumu frowned at the odd question from Moka.

"What are you worried about now?"

"It's a lot to take in. I've never seen so many monsters."

Kurumu snickered. She thumbed over her shoulder as Nazohashi and Morioka came out of the record store.

"You two are doing pretty well compared to her."

Morioka grinned.

"What are we talking about now?"

Moka looked away.

"Nothing."

Kurumu failed to see the reason to withhold this information.

"This is the first time these three have been in a monster town."

Morioka chuckled.

"Well that explains some things. Maybe I should have been bringing Moka with me inside the stores after all."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the best thing about bringing little lady here is that half the time she squeals over something and grabs me."

Nazohashi gasped in disbelief.

"I do not squeal! It's… it's unsettling."

Kurumu smirked at him, shaking her head.

"You're such a dog."

"Wolf, actually."

Kurumu held her hands out and gestured for the girl to come to her.

"Tora, come over here before he abuses you."

"I am not being abused. He's lying when he says I grabbed him."

"You did at first."

"Once or twice. Moka, you understand. It's startling and overwhelming."

Tsukune nodded enthusiastically.

"I understand that. I mean, at first I was like… wow. What am I going to do if these things decide to attack me? But now… it's more like what's next?"

Morioka grinned, waving a hand dismissively.

"Why would anyone attack you? Anyways, if you guys are comfortable with it, we could start splitting up to make things go faster. Tora-"

The girl blushed.

"Nazohashi."

"Tora has a good idea of what to say. I'll take Moka and the rest of you can keep Tora company."

"It's Nazohashi, Senior. Please."

Morioka waved a hand dismissively.

"This is the news, guys. We don't have time for formalities. You can all call me Ginei."

Kurumu smirked.

"Perhaps we should move along to the next location… Morioka."

Morioka chuckled, wagging two fingers at her.

"You know what I think. We should play."

Kurumu did not feel anything lecherous with the suggestion.

"What do you mean?"

"At Digital Dojo. You know how to play a game."

Kurumu regarded the arcade across the street from the record store with a bit of concern. She had an old gaming system at home, and all the games were from her mother's generation. She glanced to the others for any direction.

"We should keep going."

Morioka shook his head.

"It's too close to the lunch hour to even bother. We should hit the arcade now while all the diners are super busy. That way we can eat after the lunch rush."

"I guess that makes sense. Tsukune?"

"Sure. I can do this."

Moka laughed nervously, waving her hand dismissively.

"I've never played a game before in my life. I'll pass."

Tsukune brightened up.

"But that's all the more reason to give it a try, Moka."

"I don't really play games either."

Kurumu laughed at Nazohashi's remark.

"That doesn't really surprise me."

Morioka held his chin up as he regarded Tsukune.

"So how about it, Aono? Are you ready to be pulverized in Capcom Fighting Evolution?"

Tsukune grinned, holding up both his fists enthusiastically.

"I am very prepared for this."

Kurumu held up a hand to her mouth, covering her smile. She had a feeling this was going to be very amusing to watch.

Walking in, Kurumu first noted the assortment of crane machines on her right. Prizes of all sizes were scattered haphazardly behind the glass panes, though Kurumu did not really care for stuffed animals. There were games with smaller hooks for pocket sized prizes like key chains and bracelets. Despite how many of these machines they had, they were not seeing much action.

Beyond the cranes were the token dispensers. Morioka was already feeding bills into the slots, smirking as he regarded Tsukune doing the same. Tsukune's sudden confidence had Kurumu grinning.

There were dozens of other attractions like whatever that thing was called that involved rolling brown balls up an incline with the intent of getting the ball in a hole. There were a few hoop stations for scoring baskets and dartboards. And of course there were many different arcade games.

Most of the people here did not even notice them, too busy mashing buttons. Though it was never a sure thing with true forms, Kurumu suspected most of these guys were boys. It was odd to not get some attention, but the lighting was not the best. Other than the glow provided by the many screens which were flickering all sorts of colors, the place relied on the light drifting in from the street.

The many different songs and sound effects drowned out the melody she could hear playing from the overhead speakers. This jumbled symphony would occasionally be interrupted by a shout of satisfaction. After an obligatory fist pump, the button mashing would continue.

Hanging back with the other girls, Kurumu followed after Morioka as he guided Tsukune to the Capcom challenge. Both boys grinned at each other, confident in victory as they took their places in front of the screen.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"I'm ready if you are."

"Then how about we make a wager."

"What sort of wager?"

"Winner gets Moka."

Kurumu snickered as both the girls beside her made sounds of protest.

"Sure, why not."

"Tsukune!"

"Don't worry, Moka. This guy has no chance."

"I like the confidence, Tsukune. I'll feel bad taking it away."

Tsukune smirked, dropping in his tokens and selecting his character. Once Morioka had done the same, the screen whisked off to a location before revealing the two sprites, prepared for battle.

The screen flashed fight and the two stocky men came to blows. Tsukune rolled his stick and hit the buttons without hesitation, tearing into the opponent with perfectly timed breaks and attacks. Though Morioka clearly was making an effort, he failed to land even a single blow in the first round.

"Beginner's luck."

Tsukune smirked as the second round started. This time Morioka started out fairly well, taking Tsukune down a quarter of his life before the tables quickly turned to another one sided thrashing.

"Best of three."

"Sure."

Tsukune shrugged as Morioka popped in more tokens and selected another male character. Unlike the first selection, this sprite was clearly an American.

The round started. Morioka pulled out all the stops, throwing all sorts of special moves which Tsukune easily canceled and countered. This time it ended up with back to back perfect victories.

"Wait! Best of five and I'm playing Ryu this time."

Tsukune chuckled.

"I can beat Ryu."

"Not if you have to play as Zangief."

"I'm not going to lose six matches against Ryu with Zangief."

"We'll see about that."

They certainly did. Zangief might look human, but that beast of a man destroyed Morioka in ways that had Kurumu flinching with imagined pain. Morioka regarded the screen in dumbfounded shock while Tsukune allowed the game to forfeit the next match to the computer against some Chinese girl character. The victory dances for the girl and Zangief were both amusing.

Having recollected his thoughts, Morioka gestured to Moka.

"I have an idea. How about I beat you for a date."

Nazohashi pouted.

"Senior."

"Would you rather I challenge you?"

"Um… no."

"So how about it, Moka?"

Tsukune smirked.

"I think she could beat you."

"But I've never played a game before, Tsukune."

"I'll show you how."

Kurumu stepped in closer, simply to see the character select screen better. She noticed a small section labeled as Darkstalkers and gestured at it.

"So… what's that?"

"That? Oh, Darkstalkers. I wonder if they have the whole game here."

Morioka wagged his hand dismissively.

"That's an old game. Come on, pick a character already?"

"Let her at least have a practice game first."

"Practice game?"

"Just one. Here, I'll pay for it."

Tsukune dropped tokens into both player slots, picking Bison.

"Now, go ahead and pick Chun Li."

"Which one is… oh, okay."

"Now, I'm going to show you what she can do."

Slipping up behind Moka, Tsukune reached around the vampire to hold her hands on the stick. With a slight motion and the push of one of the yellow buttons, the girl on the screen did an upside down spin kick. Changing up the motion and hitting a button from the blue row caused the girl to throw a wadded white towel across the screen.

Noticing the flush cheeks of the vampire, Kurumu stepped in closer so that she could rest a hand on the small of his back. She noticed him turn his head, but watched her hand as she rubbed gently.

"Um… yea. And if you do this."

With a little button mashing the girl whipped into a flurry of kicks.

"That's cheap."

Tsukune shrugged, releasing Moka's hands so that the vampire could practice the moves without his help.

"She's a beginner."

"Have her pick someone else."

"Afraid you can't beat a beginner?"

They watched as Moka pummeled Bison rather soundly. It was clear that she had quickly picked up the basic moves.

"Eh… I'll play as Urien then. But remember. I win this and you owe me a date."

Moka swallowed nervously as Morioka made his selection to end the continue screen.

Grabbing a fistful of fabric, Kurumu pulled Tsukune back a step. She turned him, rubbing her palms across his chest while regarding his shirt's logo.

"A little too close."

"Oh… that. Well… I didn't think about it till you touched me."

"Really?"

A sharp curse assured them things were not going well for Morioka.

"That's it, Moka. Even I have a tough time against Chun Li."

"You even have a tough time with digital girls, eh? That doesn't surprise me."

Tsukune scowled, pulling away from Kurumu.

"I win!"

"That's great, Moka. Remember it's a best of three rounds, so you have to beat him one more time."

Morioka hung his head. Letting go of the controls, he turned about and thrust his hands in his pockets. He paid no attention as Moka easily defeated his character in the next round.

"You into shooters, Tsukune?"

"What do you mean?"

"They have Vampire Night. Basically it's a game of shooting enemies as you see them with a light gun. I'm sure I could beat you in a game of that."

"I've never heard of that one. So… it's like Time Crisis?"

"They have Time Crisis Three here, if you'd rather play that. I just thought you might enjoy the story for Vampire Night more. Come on."

"Okay."

Sighing, Kurumu followed the boys over to their next conquest. Moka stayed behind to finish out her play with Nazohashi keeping her company. They turned about a row of machines, though she doubted the others would fail to find them if they tried looking.

Vampire Night looked like some cop or vigilante game, as there were plastic pistols holstered to the game. Dropping in the tokens, Morioka pulled out his weapon as the story began to unfold. Tsukune quickly joined in, though his face steadily grew more doubtful.

Kurumu smirked, crossing her arms about her chest. This game was about hunting vampires. Deciding this might not be something Moka would be happy seeing, Kurumu wandered back to the girls.

Moka had lost her match only seconds after Kurumu's arrival. The vampire sighed, looking about with mild confusion while the timer ran out.

"Where did they go?"

"Another game, though not something I'd care to watch. What do you want to do?"

"I… I guess we could get some tokens. Tora?"

Nazohashi shrugged.

"I've never been in an arcade before. We could try a few things."

After hitting up the machines for tokens, they wandered about aimlessly. None of them were any good at the crane and shooting hoops was more for laughs than skill. Moka fared the best, but it was nothing worth bragging about when Nazohashi could not even sink a single ball.

That rolling ball thing turned out to be quite addictive. For some reason after getting a certain amount of points a bunch of tear off tickets would spit out of a crevice below the token slot. They were all fairly good at it. Within twenty minutes, they had a noteworthy stack.

"So that's where the girls are."

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Morioka looked quite pleased with himself as he strolled over.

"Hey, Tsukune!"

Tsukune nodded at Moka's enthusiastic greeting.

"Always a pleasure seeing girls playing with balls."

Kurumu smirked.

"I take it that you won the shooter?"

"I most definitely did."

"It's a memory game. Anybody that plays it enough will remember where to be shooting, so it's not that impressive."

"I still won."

Moka frowned with concern.

"You didn't bet anything?"

Morioka laughed.

"Now that wouldn't be fair at all. Maybe with more practice I could feel better about challenging him."

"I'll pass."

"Nobody can beat the quickness of my gun."

Kurumu shrugged, figuring if Tsukune did not care there was no reason for her to be impressed.

"So you can squeeze off your load faster. Big deal."

Morioka smirked as he gave off a warm hunger for her. She could tell Tsukune was similarly aroused, though it felt weak and without much direction. She frowned at the boys.

"What?"

"She knows what she said?"

Slightly flush, Tsukune shook his head quickly.

"I don't know or care."

"What?"

"Hey. I have an idea for you girls. Come this way."

Mildly intrigued, Kurumu rolled off her last couple balls. Tearing off her tickets, she handed them over to Nazohashi since it had been her money that bought the tokens. Once Moka finished her game, they walked after the werewolf to a part of the arcade they had not seen before.

There were three large machines tucked away in the corner of the building next to the hallway for the restrooms. Each had a raised platform in front of a split screen. The platform had two sets of colored arrows pointing in four different directions. There was a red handle behind each station which helped separate the platform from the floor.

"Senior? What do we do with these?"

"Those? Eh, you can turn those in at the front desk and get something useless."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Trust me. It probably wasn't worth what you had to spend in tokens, though I suppose it would be a good excuse to speak to the manager about placing an ad in the paper."

"This is DDR."

"That's right, Tsukune. Wouldn't you like to see the girls play a couple games?"

The pleasant reaction from Tsukune assured her that he did. Intrigued, Kurumu grabbed the handle and stepped onto the platform. She looked at the screen, hearing an unfamiliar yet catchy song play while buttons flashed. Frowning, she glanced back to Morioka.

"It's a dance step game. You step on the button when it reaches the top row on the screen."

Kurumu nodded, noting the demo showing a row of arrows scrolling up to a set row that did not move.

"So… this is a game of timing?"

"Yea."

Morioka glanced at the other two girls, cupping his chin.

"How about you and Moka take the first round and Tora can get up there in place of the loser."

"It's… Nazohashi."

Morioka waved his hand dismissively.

"Lighten up. Go ahead, Moka. Unless you want to get up there, Tsukune."

"Me? I suppose I could."

Morioka scowled, grabbing the boy. Pulling Tsukune aside, he whispered something in Tsukune's ear that clearly stirred his arousal.

Kurumu smirked, thinking she had an idea what this was all about. Regardless of points, she was going to win this match.

"Yea, get up here, Moka. This will be fun."

Moka reluctantly stepped onto the platform.

"I don't know what to do."

"You'll figure it out. I'm assuming you are paying for this."

Morioka smirked as he handed over some tokens.

"I always pay for a dance. Make sure to pick a harder setting. These things are built for humans, so the easy stuff will be way too easy for you two. And make sure not to step on those arrows accidentally. You need to stand in the center."

Kurumu nodded, making sure her feet were right. She glanced at Tsukune and smiled. She dropped in the tokens for both their stations. She did not recognize anything on the menu as she scrolled down the options. Shrugging, she selected something with a hard difficulty.

The music started and for the first couple seconds it was easy enough to step on the right pad. But then there was a whole bunch of steps and she was hitting them late and stepping on the wrong ones. She worried for a moment but laughed at how poorly Moka was also doing. Giggling, she put a little more effort to stomping about. This was clearly a game of memorization.

When the end finally rolled up, she was mildly disappointed her score was the lesser. Not tired in the slightest, Kurumu giggled as she grabbed the rail and stepped down. With a sweeping gesture, she surrendered her spot to the timid Nazohashi.

Morioka smiled as he handed over some tokens to Nazohashi.

"Try a different song, else Moka will easily beat you."

Nazohashi frowned, stepping onto the platform.

"I don't really care if she beats me."

The girl dropped her tokens in, but started to scroll through the song list.

Grinning, Kurumu pushed Morioka on his shoulder.

"Not as good as you hoped?"

"I was watching Moka."

Kurumu pouted, supposing that could be true. She had not felt anything resembling a surge of lust for her, despite all her bouncing. Turning her frown on Tsukune, she pushed his shoulder.

"What about you?"

Tsukune smiled sheepishly.

"It looked difficult."

Kurumu sighed, pressing a hand to her chest.

"You should pay better attention next time I'm up there."

Morioka chuckled as the next game began. Nazohashi clearly did not have anything resembling coordination as she toe tapped everything as if she were playing a whack a mole game. Oddly, it looked like she was doing better than Moka despite the odd approach.

"Kurumu. If we paid attention to you, wouldn't that make your score way worse than what it had been?"

Kurumu giggled, supposing the werewolf was right about that. Drawing her hands behind her head, she jutted her chest out proudly. They even bounced slightly with the simple gesture, capturing their attention. She shivered at the simmering desire for her body.

"Tsukune. You don't mind if I ask something personal?"

"Huh?"

"Would you be willing to let me borrow her?"

"What?!"

"Hey!"

"At least tell me the size."

"Size?"

"Surely you know the size of your girlfriend's assets."

Tsukune flushed, looking away.

"I don't know that."

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

"You know you could have looked the other day."

Tsukune flushed an even darker shade of red.

A timid tap on her shoulder caught Kurumu's attention. Moka panted slightly, gesturing to the game.

"Your turn."

Morioka grinned.

"How about Moka's assets then? Know them?"

Kurumu scowled.

"He wouldn't know that."

"What are we talking about?"

Kurumu gripped her breasts, giving them a slight squeeze.

"These."

The vampire blushed, glancing away.

"That's stupid. Boys shouldn't talk about that stuff."

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

"I'm pretty sure lots of boys talk about that. Possibly yours in particular."

"Um… next game?"

Kurumu glanced up at Nazohashi and grinned.

"Take her for an example. Clearly she's an A."

"What?"

"Breasts."

Nazohashi's eyes widened. She reflexively crossed her arms over her chest.

"No! That's not right at all!"

Morioka chuckled.

"That's a bit rude. Though if we are guessing sizes, I'd say Moka is D."

The vampire blushed, turning her back to him.

"I'm not going to say if that is true or not."

"I'm a good judge of size."

Kurumu smirked. The guy clearly had no idea what he was talking about. They were talking cup sizes, which were not even close to being universal. Not all B cups were created equal, which had a lot to do with band size.

Kurumu had measured herself last night to make sure she came with the right numbers. It was two measurements below the bust and across the widest girth. Rounding the smaller size up to the nearest five centimeter increment was the band size. Rounding down was simply uncomfortable.

Cup size was then determined by the difference of the larger measurement and whichever band size decided upon. So technically depending on how snug she wanted her band size to be, Kurumu could be two entirely different cup sizes. This was quite important, since her exact size was rarely available even in store catalogs.

"I doubt you even have a clue what you are talking about."

"Oh, I have a good feel for this."

Kurumu smirked, turning slightly from him.

"I'll give you one guess."

"You? Hmm. F?"

Kurumu was genuinely surprised. He was actually correct. Last year she could squeeze nicely into an F, so everything she owned was an F. But the only reason she was able to wear those things now was because they had stretched from use.

Grinning, she glanced at Tsukune. It was a good thing he had not checked out her lingerie, else she would have been forced to concede Morioka's accuracy.

"Nope. I'm a G75. As in the Goddess."

Morioka chuckled.

"Well, Goddess, get your tush up there before Tora runs off from embarrassment."

Nazohashi frowned.

"Senior."

"Oh yea. Here's more tokens."

The girl looked down at his hand, clearly wanting to say something. Sighing, she grabbed up a couple coins and turned about to face the machine. Dropping the tokens in, she started to scroll through the songs.

Kurumu chuckled, figuring she should get up there before the song started without her. Gripping the handle, she hopped onto the platform with an extra bounce. She could already tell this was going to be quite stimulating.

---

Kurumu scooted the blouses aside, scraping the plastic hanger across the shiny metal bar. Finally they were doing what they had set out this morning to do. For some reason she had pictured ending up in a dedicated lingerie store, though she realized now how uncomfortable that would have made Tsukune. Morioka would have enjoyed it.

Breathless, they had started out of the arcade only for Kurumu to stop them at a familiar title. She recalled Initial D being a cartoon so seeing it as an arcade game had been intriguing. That and she had always loved the old racing games.

After having all the controls explained, she raced against Morioka a couple times before getting a good feel for the game. After that, she figured out a couple tricks with the pedals and steering that allowed her to squeak out a victory against the werewolf. Officially out of the mood for gaming, Morioka had walked out, forcing them to follow.

On the way to the ticket exchange booth, Tsukune had spied the Darkstalkers game and explained a little about it. Kurumu had wanted to play it, since one of the characters was a succubus, but Tsukune had used the last of his tokens for DDR and Morioka refused. Morioka complained that the werewolf in Darkstalkers was terrible.

Nazohashi had claimed a whole set of key ring figures from Keroro Gunso. Kurumu had never heard of it, but the little frog creatures were really cute. Nazohashi had kept three while handing off what she said was Giroro to Moka. Kurumu had been handed the Kururu, which was not nearly as amusing as Nazohashi thought it had been.

After Morioka succeeded in selling another ad, they had gone further down the street to a delicatessen called "The Raw Deal". They all had been squeamish about ordering off the rare menu, so Morioka had ordered up something mild. When the food had been served, it had been hard not to laugh at her friends.

Morioka's meal had looked like it had just been killed in the backyard and slopped onto a plate. The carcass still had some fur on it when Morioka took a large, bloody bite. With a crimson grin, he had winked at them before turning his full attention on the meal.

It had been a long time since she had enjoyed a raw meal. Some human food was great, but nothing could beat bloody slices of venison stuffed between milky bread. She often had to wipe the red juices off her chin.

The other girls had been timid at first. After a couple bites, Moka clearly enjoyed the taste, though she had quickly added that Tsukune's blood was the best she had ever had. She had finished the rest of her meal without any more of the pleased mewls she had been making.

Nazohashi had to talk herself into doing it, which had also helped Tsukune commit to the meal. After a couple bites, the only real complaint Nazohashi had was that it was too messy. Tsukune, however, looked like he was going to be sick and had to order a couple drinks and a salad to ease his sensitive stomach.

With lunch finished, they had wandered the district for hours. As Morioka had suggested earlier, they had split up to cover more ground. It was good that they had as it was already after six and they still had not eaten dinner. They had just enough time to catch something to eat after they finished shopping.

But this place was kind of boring. All the clothes were very conservative for her tastes. And all the aisles were so close together that she had to draw her wings in to avoid knocking over things. She could see getting maybe one outfit here, but only if Tsukune really liked it. They should not have let Nazohashi pick the store.

"What do you think?"

Nazohashi held up a two piece outfit that consisted of a simple, white blouse beneath a dark green vest. The girl held it over her torso, smoothing it out as if that helped.

"I think you are in the wrong store."

Nazohashi frowned.

"It doesn't look nice? I was thinking I should get something since I had to throw away what I wore to church last week."

"Where's Moka?"

Nazohashi pointed off to the fitting rooms. Tsukune was lingering over there, his hands in his pockets as he shared nervous nods with any girl that walked by him. He clearly had that creepy guy feel about him as every girl gave him a wide berth. It was possible he was recognized from that incident Morioka had caused.

"I think these are good enough for church, right?"

Kurumu smirked.

"I am sure the priest will have no issue keeping a vow of celibacy if every woman in his audience wore something like that."

Nazohashi scowled.

"You should show some respect."

Kurumu glanced about. She spied the werewolf chatting it up with the lady behind the counter. He had already done his pitch for the paper, so she doubted he was saying anything worthwhile.

"Morioka! Your assistance, please!"

Morioka looked over with a frown. Saying something to the cashier with a grin, the werewolf stalked over to them.

"Yes?"

"What do you think of this outfit? Sexy?"

"I said this was for church."

"There's nothing sexy in here, but it looks nice enough."

"See. Senior likes it."

"She's about your size. If we were going for sexy, she'd have to wear something like what you have on."

"I wouldn't wear something like that to church."

"On a Saturday then? It's obvious you have a natural tan, and I've seen your legs. Something tight like this would really change a man's opinion of you."

Kurumu flinched as his hand slapped her ass. Scowling, she slugged his shoulder, causing him to wince and back off a couple steps.

"That hurt."

"You liked it."

"No I didn't."

But on further thought, she might not mind if Tsukune did it. It just bothered her that Morioka was treating her like an object. She had given him no rights to such treatment.

"Besides, they don't have anything like that here."

"She was telling me about this place called Bows and Strings. It probably has things more in line with what you girls should be wearing on casual days like this."

"Coming from you, I doubt it."

"Do you think I would look good in tight shorts like that?"

Morioka grinned, regarding the shy girl.

"Of course."

He turned and pointed at Kurumu's shorts.

"Though you'd have to get the right panties to go with it. You can clearly see her lines."

"What?!"

"Briefs, right?"

Kurumu blushed, holding her hands down at the sides of her shorts. While she was aware that the line was notable, she had never thought any guy would ever be so rude as to point it out.

"I'd suggest a thong, or at least a bikini cut."

"What sort of sick lech are you?"

"What?"

"Do you stalk the lingerie section often?"

"Ms. Kurono. Show him some respect."

"He's talking about panties, Nazohashi. What is there to respect?"

"It's just underwear."

Morioka laughed, wagging his hands at the girl.

"You should run along and try that on. We have to go somewhere else for the things I am thinking you should be wearing."

Nazohashi bit her lower lip. Nodding, she turned away and started for the fitting rooms.

Moka emerged from the rooms, dolled up in a black dress that hung off her shoulders. It clung tightly about her torso, billowing out at the thighs. The vampire caught Tsukune's attention, giving a smile and a curtsy.

"What is she doing?"

"Winning."

"Fuck off."

"Tsukune is too timid of a man for you."

"And you have no sense of decency. Can't you stick with one girl?"

"No point being loyal before I get the girl."

"Why would any girl want to be with you when you give her no reason to think you can be?"

"Why does it matter if I'm with a girl or not?"

Kurumu scowled.

"Then what are you doing with Nazohashi?"

"Flirting."

"Why? Can't you tell that she's confused about this?"

Morioka smirked.

"I can, but that only makes it more fun. Besides, it's nice to have someone on my side."

"Ugh… I knew you were doing this on purpose. But even so, I still think we could kick you out if you do something stupid again."

"Kick me out?"

"Of the club."

Morioka laughed.

"You can't kick me out. I'm the president."

"Tsukune can be president."

"No. He can't. Every club is required to have at least one senior member that acts as the club leader. I'm the leader and there's nothing you can really do about that."

Kurumu cupped her mouth, pondering the situation with this new information. She knew he could be lying, but that delivery had been very convincing.

"We could quit?"

"After all the effort we put into hunting down ads today? You think Tora will want to abandon all that work?"

"You bastard."

"Please. You are making this out to be far more serious than it has to be. Right now my only concern is Tsukune."

Kurumu frowned as she looked over at her friends. Moka was laughing as she eventually made her way back to the curtains. Tsukune was grinning.

"Tsukune? You mean with Moka?"

"No, just with him. There's something not right about him."

Kurumu shook her head.

"You're thinking too much about that. He's no different than Nazohashi or Moka."

Morioka snorted.

"Moka reeks of power which only makes her more beautiful. Tora has an unmistakable feral scent about her. Tsukune… it's almost like he's human."

Kurumu sighed. There was no point holding onto fears now.

"I was thinking he might be a witch."

Morioka nodded with a thoughtful expression.

"Right. I had not thought about that."

"Besides… what would you know about humans?"

"Me? Quite a bit actually. It's other monsters that I don't have a nose for."

"What?"

Morioka smiled wistfully.

"You guys don't know it, but I was in human schools until I came to Yokai."

Kurumu laughed with disbelief.

"Really? You?"

"Yes, girl. I only have one more year of experience on those silly tourists. Though I did spend a lot of time hanging out here whenever I could."

"So what happened? Did you get kicked out of the human world because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself?"

"Yes and no. There was a teacher in my junior high that I was infatuated with. She had a very different air about her. Like an idiot, I tried confessing my love for her after my graduation, thinking I might have a chance with her since she was a young teacher."

Kurumu was surprised at how nonchalant he delivered something so personal.

"You're lying."

He shrugged.

"Not exactly. It's mostly true. Anyways, the teacher confronted my family and suggested to them that I attend Yokai to expand my horizons. Up to that point, I only knew about humans and werewolves. That teacher though… she had been something else. That was why my parents agreed it was good for me to come here."

"So… you don't need this whole coexist with humanity thing?"

Morioka snorted.

"Not at all. Humans are weaklings. I never lost a fight. I didn't even have to take a fight seriously. But here. Let's just say I was mad that my love was spurned and was looking to kick some ass."

"Ah. No longer the top dog on campus."

"There are some people in Yokai you do not cross. I learned that well."

Kurumu supposed most of what he said was grounded in truth. Still, his words did not make her feel any better about what he had done. She did not trust him and doubted that would change no matter what he said.

"You still owe Tsukune a jacket and you wrecked one of Moka's uniforms."

"What?"

"I expect you to pay for what you did."

Morioka laughed.

"Sure, I suppose that isn't asking much."

Kurumu frowned as a group of girls approached Tsukune. She recognized three from her floor and two from her class. That fox girl, Hiboshi, was poking a finger angrily at Tsukune.

"Now what is going on?"

Kurumu quickly walked around the carousels of clothing, aware that Morioka was following her. Tsukune was retreating from a scowling Hiboshi, whom had closed in and was now poking him in the chest. Nazohashi popped out of the fitting rooms in the outfit she had been trying on, clearly confused and concerned with what was going on.

Irewata was one of the two from the class, though she looked nervous about this confrontation. The other from their class was the girl that was taller than Tsukune. Her expression was impassive.

But the other two were clearly as outraged as Hiboshi. Both were shorter than the fox, but taller than her or Nazohashi. The plum haired one with the reddish brown eyes was about Moka's height while the darker one had a countless number of short braids twisted into her scalp.

"… here! We should tie you up in some back alley and leave you to the dogs!"

"Someone talking about me?"

Hiboshi lost her fire at their arrival, glancing at Morioka. Scowling she gestured at Tsukune.

"Are you a friend of this miscreant?"

Kurumu scowled.

"Tsukune is my boyfriend."

"No, he isn't!"

Moka popped out from behind the curtains, fixing up her clothes quickly. She frowned at Kurumu, walking over to join them.

"Well… you need to keep your boyfriend on a tighter leash! We caught him skulking behind the girl's locker room!"

Morioka sneered.

"Did you?"

The plum haired girl nodded emphatically.

"He was looking at us while we changed our clothes."

Morioka stroked his chin dramatically.

"That seems a very serious accusation. Something worthy of expulsion."

Tsukune's face drained of color as he looked to the floor. Scowling, Kurumu backhanded the werewolf.

"This is your fault, you jerk!"

Morioka laughed, startling the angry gaggle of girls.

"You misunderstand me. As for you… do you have any proof?"

Hiboshi huffed with disgust.

"Proof? We all saw him! Isn't that right?"

Every girl in the group but the tall one nodded. She simply shrugged. Irewata favored Morioka with a nervous smile.

"Well… you see… we heard something and when we came out… we saw Mr. Aono and so…"

"I was with Tsukune at the time."

Hiboshi burned scarlet.

"What?!"

"I was with him, and we were not peeping. We were looking for clues about the missing girls. Right, Tsukune?"

Tsukune swallowed. He looked up and nodded. He averted his eyes when Hiboshi thrust a finger hard into his shoulder.

"Liar! I know he was peeping. He tried to run away."

Morioka laughed, shaking his head.

"Of course he did. We heard you girls shout at us, so I bolted. I'm just a little faster than him."

"So you both were peeping!"

Morioka laughed again, rolling his eyes. He turned a feral grin on the girl, pushing Tsukune aside to face the angry girl. His sheer confidence caused Hiboshi to falter back a step.

"I certainly hope you turned him over to the faculty. This is a very serious matter."

"We… we told our coach about it."

"Did you now? Because I'm pretty sure I saw you… you… and you take a battered young man and lock him in your gym storage room."

The plum haired girl backed off a couple steps while the girl in braids hung her head. Irewata held a hand over her mouth. Hiboshi turned up her chin and regarded him with renewed resolve.

"So what if we did? He was peeping on us."

Morioka smirked.

"You heard a noise and ran out to investigate. You yell at him and chase him down. You then beat him up and throw him in the storage room."

The tall girl nodded. Her voice was low, yet rich and melodious.

"That sounds about right."

"And you were there too?"

"He should have explained himself better."

"Hard to do that when the verdict was already decided."

The tall girl shrugged, offering no further defense. Hiboshi snarled, thrusting a finger at Morioka.

"You both were peeping! That's the end of it!"

Morioka snickered.

"Prove it. Because I have plenty of pictures showing what you did."

Hiboshi's jaw trembled. Her yellow eyes filled with concern for a moment. When the plum haired girl grabbed her shoulder, Hiboshi slapped the hand away and pushed the girl aside.

"Netsuki? If he has pictures-"

"Shut up, Kumiko."

"He's lying. You're lying."

"I'd say in the least you would get a reprimand. Possibly expelled. Remember the rule of Yokai is that you can do anything if there is no evidence."

Hiboshi scowled, backing off a step.

"As far as I can tell, you attacked another student over a false assumption. Don't you agree, Nazohashi?"

Irewata gasped, finally noticing the class representative. Even Hiboshi winced, realizing the girl was present.

Nazohashi bit her lower lip, glancing at Morioka's smug grin and then at Irewata.

"I… um… if what Ms. Irewata says is correct… um… Ms. Arashimideru?"

The tall girl looked to Nazohashi.

"You agreed to his assessment?"

"More or less, though Mr. Aono did apologize for looking at us."

Morioka scowled.

"A confession beaten out of him. You still have no evidence that he looked through the window."

The tall girl nodded without comment.

Nazohashi frowned.

"Well… can we all just apologize and let this go."

"I will not!"

"But if he has pictures-"

"Oh, I have pictures. Isn't that right, Moka?"

The vampire paused only a moment before nodding.

Morioka laughed, clapping a hand down on the fox girl's shoulder with enough force to make her auburn curls bounce wildly.

"I suggest an apology then and we can all forget about this."

Hiboshi shrugged off his hand and turned sharply on her heel.

"Ami, Kumiko. We are leaving."

The two girls from her floor promptly joined the fox girl in her retreat. Arashimideru nodded politely to them before silently walking off. Irewata lingered, taking a step towards them.

"I'm really sorry."

She bowed deeply, obviously to Morioka's enjoyment as it was quite a view with that white tee barely containing her assets. With a slight smile, the girl cocked her head aside.

"Um… we wouldn't get expelled over something like that, really? I mean, I only sort of watched."

Morioka smirked.

"A cute little thing like you would never get in trouble. Now hop along."

"Thank you. Thank you."

With a couple more bows, the girl turned and nearly tripped over her ankle. With a little laugh, she hurried out to catch up with her friends.

Kurumu took a deep breath, glad that this had turned out well. It was surprising that Morioka had supported Tsukune like that.

"Okay, what gives?"

"Hmm?"

"You helped Tsukune. Why?"

Morioka favored her with a mischievous grin.

"A man can't help out a fellow club member without his motives being questioned? I'm hurt."

Tsukune cleared his throat. He stiffly bowed to Morioka.

"Thank you. Regardless of motives, I know you did not have to do that."

Moka nodded.

"Thank you… Ginei."

Nazohashi laughed lightly. She did a small turn in the outfit. It did look nice on her.

"So… what do you guys think? Nice, right?"

Kurumu smiled, recognizing the attempt to change subjects.

"Yes. It does look good."

Morioka chuckled.

"Now that we are all friends again, go ring that thing up. We still have some important shopping to do before this night is over."

Kurumu shook her head, having known it would eventually get to that. She supposed if Tsukune was going to forgive the guy, she could for now.