Chapter 25: Back To School

Hotsuma and Shusei were still in an embrace but they both had calmed down after nearly half an hour of crying. Shusei decided to come clean and told Hotsuma all of his feelings, including his jealousy about the girls in his class.

Hotsuma just listened, not interrupting him at all. After Shusei finished explaining, Hotsuma took a deep breath and yelled.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT? OF ALL THINGS YOU GOT JEALOUS AT THAT?" Hotsuma let out. He wasn't angry but rather appalled by Shusei's logic. Shusei covered his ears with his fingers.

"Sorry… I don't know why but I suppose you can say that I lost my cool and attacked you when you had a hangover."

"Geez….. please don't scare me like that anymore." Hotsuma breathed out. Shusei smiled at him.

"You really are a huge idiot. Now you know how I felt when you kissed that damn Pres of yours." Hotsuma said.

"Yeah. Now I know how it feels like. I'm sorry, Hotsuma." Shusei said and held one of his warm hands.

"It's alright. At least things are fine between us now. That's the most important thing." Hotsuma sighed in relief.

"Sorry for surprising you like that, but it's not like you disliked it right?" Shusei teased.

"Idiot. Quit asking shameless things like that." Hotsuma said in embarrassment.

"I'll take that as a yes, you enjoyed it." Shusei said with self-satisfaction.

"Tsk… whatever you idiot! Oh… and for God's sake you gave me a hickey last night!" Hotsuma growled and showed Shusei the red mark.

"Oh.. yea I know that!"

"WHAT? YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE YOU BASTARD?" Hotsuma said in a shocked voice.

Shusei just smiled his signature smile.

"Like I said, I couldn't hold back last night. Sorry." Shusei smiled

"Tsk… you don't sound sorry at all." Hotsuma said in disgust.

"Yeap. I am not sorry at all. ("WHAT?" Hotsuma retorted.) I have no regrets about what I did last night. Surprisingly my jealousy level is pretty high. I just lost it at the thought of someone else laying their hands on you."

"Baka….." Hotsuma said and lifted his chin and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss with full of passion.

"You know that I will only love you, Shusei. Nobody else matters." Hotsuma said after they broke apart from the kiss.

"Yeah. I know. Next time, I'll try to control and behave myself." Shusei smiled.

This time, Hotsuma smiled along with him. Both were so relieved that they had made up to each other. They were about to exchange another kiss again when Hotsuma's stomach growled. Shusei laughed and took the dinner plate that Tachibana had left and they both shared a romantic dinner by the window.

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Winter break was over. The first day of school came and everyone had to wake up early again. Hotsuma wasn't the least pleased when Shusei woke him up at 7.30 am.

"Hotsuma! Come on! You don't want to be late for school! You are after all considered a new transfer student."

"What transfer student? I was only absent." Hotsuma argued back and yawned. He pulled back the blankets on top of him.

"Hotsuma! Wake up!" Shusei said. When Hotsuma didn't budge Shusei went over and gently blow into his ears, which made Hotsuma shivered with goosebumps.

"Stop that! Alright, alright! I'm getting up!" Hotsuma said and got up, his hands on the ear that Shusei had blow into. Shusei just smiled.

"I'll wait for you for breakfast! Hurry up!" Shusei said and handed him his school uniform with his new red tie. Hotsuma yawned loudly, cursing under his breathe for having to wake up early and went into the bathroom. Hotsuma came out five minutes later and gave another yawn. He went to Shusei and gave him a morning kiss on the lips. Shusei could taste the icy cool mint toothpaste that Hotsuma had used.

They both walked down to the dining room, leaving their school bags on the sofas at the front door before entering into the dining room filled with the smell of bacon, sausages and eggs that were prepared by Toma, the Twilight Mansion chef. He had also prepared coleslaw as a side dish and there were slices of tomatoes garnished at the breakfast plate. Hotsuma looked at the tomato slices and passed his portion to Shusei's plate.

"How sissy of you to not eat tomatoes." Tachibana said.

"Shut up! Anything is fine with me except for tomatoes. It has a weird taste to it!" Hotsuma replied.

He then helped himself to bacon, sausages and eggs and at the same time, serving Shusei a portion of it as well before himself.

"Thank you, Hotsuma." Shusei smiled at his partner.

"No sweat."

After breakfast, the five of them walked to school together.

"Aww, it has stopped snowing already!" Tsukumo said.

"Yea. Spring is going to be here soon." Yuki said.

They reached school in about five minutes and everyone stared at the five good looking people together, many girls were blushing and nudging each other.

"Meet me for lunch? I'll go find you in your class" Hotsuma said to his best friend.

"I'll wait for you." Shusei smiled and they both walked in opposite directions to their classes. Hotsuma needed to go to the staff room first, to report to the homeroom teacher and Tsukumo and Yuki accompanied him. After seeing Hotsuma meeting up with the teacher, they made their way to their classroom.

The bell rang at 8.30am sharp and everyone took their seats. Hotsuma was re-introduced to the class, eventhough he knew most of them. Girls were checking him out and staring in sparkling eyes. Hotsuma's seat was the last row next to the window, the perfect seat for him, in his opinion. The view from the window showed the third year block, and Hotsuma scanned for Shusei's class. He saw it but it was too far to see who is who. He then turned to his seat, yawned and lay down on top of it.

(12.00 pm)

The lunch bell rang. Before Hotsuma could get himself up, Yoshino and her group of friends came up to his seat.

"Renjo-kun. Want to eat lunch together?" one of them asked.

"Sorry… I'm already eating lunch with my friend." Hotsuma said and got up.

"Eh? Then ask your friend to join us!" she said.

Hotsuma thought about it and decided not to. Shusei probably would not appreciate this. Hotsuma didn't even want to talk to them since he barely knew most of them. He actually found them a little annoying. He just shrugged it off and came up with an excuse.

"It's alright. You guys just go ahead." Hotsuma said and excused himself. He took big steps out of the class and then closed the classroom door. Then, he made his way to the third year block.

He went to class (III-I) and peeped in. Shusei was indeed waiting for him there and there was also a few girls talking to him. 'Those girls were former council committee members,' Hotsuma remembered. He called out to his best friend.

"Shusei!" he called out.

Everyone turned and the girls couldn't recognize him at first.

"Is that the Renjo-kun who helped us during summer break?" one of the girls asked Shusei.

"Yeah. Anyway, I'll see you guys later." Shusei said as he stood up and walked towards Hotsuma. They smiled at each other and then walk towards the canteen.

"You're just as popular as ever, you ladykiller." Hotsuma said.

"Ladykiller? Haha then what about you? You are also a ladykiller now." Shusei smiled.

"Yucks. You serious? Maybe I should bring back my scary aura so that they will leave me alone." Hotsuma suggested to himself.

"You got intervened by them again?"

"Yeah… it's getting annoying. Can't they leave me alone?"

Shusei just smiled at his best friend's irritated face. They had lunch and Hotsuma followed Shusei to the library.

"Why would you want to go to library for?" Hotsuma asked.

"There is this particular book that I reserved and I want to go and get it."

"I see…."

After that, they hanged out in Shusei's class. Hotsuma sat at the seat in front of him and they both just talked till the lunch break was over. Students then gather back into the class.

"Tsk! Why does lunch break end so quickly, but study hours take forever!" Hotsuma complained to his partner. He stood up from the seat and put back the chair to its original position.

"See you later, Hotsuma." Shusei waved.

"Yeah. See ya later." He answered and then walked back to his class.

After school ended, Hotsuma and Shusei walked back to the Twilight Mansion together. Yuki joined them since Toko and Tsukumo had another job by Takashiro.

"How was your first day in school, Hotsuma-kun?" Yuki asked.

"Its fine, I suppose." Hotsuma answered.

Reaching back the Twilight Mansion, Hotsuma went to his room and lay down in the bed. Shusei came in and joined him after changing our of his school uniform.

"Shusei….. when is the final battle approaching? No Duras appeared at all. It's giving me the creeps that there are suddenly no Duras movements."

Shusei stared at his partner.

"Reiga must be gathering up all his Duras together. He is probably saving every Duras to get us on this battle. This battle is going to be tough. I have a feeling that there will also be few General class Duras there."

"What about that Demon King? Is he going to be there as well?"

"Who knows? I don't think so though. The Demon King doesn't work with Reiga. Only a few of the General Class opasts."

"This sucks. They are Duras of Luka's level right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, whatever. Remember what I said before? I'll just kill whoever that stands on our paths" Hotsuma said and golden flames appeared on his clenched fists.