"Shiemi, you're going to be late!"

Shiemi looked up and spotted her mother at the back entrance of the shop. The blonde girl glanced up at the sun and realized her mother was right.

"Okay! I'll be in in a sec!" she said.

Once her mother was back inside, Shiemi glanced back down at the flowers she was watering. Her eyes softened and a small smile crossed her lips. "I'll be back later," she told them quietly.

The blonde girl hurried inside and got ready for school.

"Ah, that's right!" she said to herself as she slipped on her shoes. "They're announcing the results of the test today."

Since it was Monday, Shiemi had Demonology class with Fujimoto-sensei, followed by Magic Circles and Seals, which was taught by a tall dark-haired man with an eyepatch that went by the name of Neuhaus. Shiemi's favorite class was Anti-Demon Pharmacology, but they only had that class twice a week. She looked forward to it the most, not only because Yukio's familiar presence was around during them, but also because it was the class she felt most confident in. She was still trying to adjust to her life as a cram school student.

"Speaking of which, Shiemi, have you made any friends yet?"

Shiemi looked up at her mother's question, taken aback by the inquiry. "Ah, Y…Yeah." She offered her mother a slight smile and hoped it didn't look as strained as it felt. But once she left her house, Shiemi let her expression falter.

Friends… she thought longinly as she let out a heavy sigh.

It wasn't as if she wasn't getting along with her classmates. She was. Rin had been treating her kindly ever since they had met, and since she had started going to cram school, she gotten to know his friends too. They had all welcomed her warmly and tried their best to make her feel included.

And yet… There was an undeniable wall between them that Shiemi wasn't able to breach.

When she'd learned that they had all known each other for years now, the blonde girl had originally felt awed by the fact. But as time went by, a small bout of envy began to worm itself into her chest as she quietly watched them interact. Rin and Suguro-kun in particular had a very close relationship, though Shiemi hadn't fully realized the extent of it until the taller teen had gotten injured, drawing the entirety of Rin's attention back to him. She didn't begrudge them for that, of course. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but to feel somewhat out of place when she hung out with them.

It was lonely.

But I can't let that get me down! Shiemi thought, reminding herself that it was too early to call it quits. She wanted to change herself, to grow stronger. Giving up wasn't an option. With a determined nod, Shiemi wiped away the tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes, and slipped the key that led her to cram school into the lock before her. Once she closed the door behind her, she turned toward the hallway and spotted a pair of familiar figures.

Kamiki-san… and Paku-san!

It was the girls that sat behind her during class. They were walking towards the classroom, talking to each other with hushed voices. Shiemi hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to them yet since they worked together during class most of the time. They, too, seemed close, and the probabily that they had known each other for as long as Rin and his friends had discouraged her, but…

I can do this, she thought resolutely. She didn't want to rely on Rin and Yukio forever, and this was the perfect chance for her to get to know other girls that were age too. I'll definitely become friends with them!

A sharp whistle at the front of the class cut through the soft chatter as Shiro entered the classroom. "Alright, kids. We have stuff to talk about." The man placed his bag on top of the teacher's desk and pulled out a small pack of papers.

"In about a month, you guys will be breaking for summer vacation. In regular school, that is. You still are gonna have a lot of work to do for cram school. Now before you start moaning and groaning, don't worry. It won't be your usual workload." Shiro smirked towards a couple boys, both of which were already getting scolding looks by their two more serious companions. "But before all that, you guys have to prepare for your exwire exam. That's where these come in."

Shiro began walking around the class, placing a piece of paper in front of each of them as he spoke. "You'll all need to fill out these forms and give them to me by Monday. Monday evening, I'll be hosting a one week training camp at the dorm where my sons and I live during which I'll school you guys on everything you need to know."

Rin looked down at the paper in front of him. Most of it was standard stuff but there were several words he didn't know how to make sense of. Meister? Aria? Dragoon? Things like Knight and Doctor seemed simple but in the end, he didn't really know what they meant.

"If you want to talk amongst yourselves for a while, feel free to do so. Class will start in twenty minutes. We don't have much to do today." Shiro grinned as he placed a paper on Yamada's desk last.

Rin immediately turned to Ryuuji. "What's all this stuff mean?" He held up the form and pointed to it.

"You mean the Meisters?" Ryuuji asked as he saw the spot Rin was pointing at.

"Ya don't know about them?" Shima joined in their conversation. He leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "Your brother's a Doctor and a Dragoon, ya know. I'm surprised your dad hasn't told ya about this stuff already."

Rin looked bashful. "I guess we never got 'round to it…" He shook his head and turned his chair. "So just tell me what they mean already?! What's a Meister?"

"It's a title that is given to those that are skilled enough in any of the categories on this list. Having a Meister is a necessary qualification for being an exorcist. You need to have at least one before you can be a certified one," Konekomaru explained.

"Yep. Konekomaru and Shima are studyin' to be Arias, which means they plan to fight by reciting Holy Scriptures. I plan to do the same, but I also want to get a Dragoon Meister."

"Bon's tryin' to be an overachiever, like usual," Shima commented dryly.

Rin remembered that day back at the monastery when they were running from Astaroth and his demons. The Coal Tar. He remembered his father as well as Ryuuji chanting words. Was that what an Aria was? It seemed to make the most sense…

He looked up from the paper towards Ryuuji. "What's the Dragoon Meister?"

"Firearms." Ryuuji smirked, looking proud of his choice in Meister. He continued to explain the rest of the Meisters with that same haughty expression. "Knight's for close combat weapons, like your sword. You should probably sign up for that. Doctor's for healers, and Tamer's for summoning demons, like Kuro. Ya gotta have the affinity for doing that though."

"Most exorcists just have one or two Meisters, but as you go up in rank, it's recommended you learn more. You need to have all five of them to even be consired for the position Fujimoto-sensei has," Konekomaru said casually as he began circling his choice of Meister in the form in front of him.

Rin was already circling the Knight Meister when he paused and looked up at Konekomaru. "All five?!" He stared in shock before looking over towards where Shiro was standing behind the teacher's desk, looking through his bag. Rin quickly turned back to his friends. "Do all teachers hafta know all five?"

They all looked at Rin at the question.

"No." Ryuuji was the first to answer, brow furrowed. "I think most of them only have up to three, or less. Your dad's a special case though. He's the paladin."

"That's the highest position you can get as an exorcist," Konekomaru added helpfully, suspecting Rin didn't know what that was either.

Rin's eyes were wide and his mouth open. He knew his father was strong, but to be that important? He glanced back at his father once more before grinning proudly. As expected of his father, of course!

"That's so cool…!" He held the form tightly in excitement and looked back down at it. "Then I'll aim for that too! But I'll start by being a Knight. I can learn more as I go!"

Shima's eyebrows shot up at the declaration. "You're kiddin'!" he blurted out.

Ryuuji was nodding his head though. It was clear he had no doubt Rin would follow through with his words. "You should try out for Aria too!" he encouraged. "You're studyin' with us after all. Plus, you can handle it," he said. He stared at Rin expectantly.

"Seriously?" Rin looked up at his friend and seemed a bit dubious in the way he smiled. "I'm no good at all that reading and memorizing stuff."

"You can read just fine," Ryuuji protested. He didn't like it when Rin put himself down like this. "And ya still remember that sutra I taught you ages ago, don'tcha? That wasn't even Japanese, so if you can manage that, you can manage this," he declared, lifting his chin.

"Bon…" Konekomaru gave Ryuuji a reprimanding look before offering Rin an understanding smile. "Don't feel pressured to join us if you don't want to, Rin-kun."

"Seriously. Let Bon do what he wants. You don't gotta work so hard if you don't wanna!" Shima said.

Rin smiled at his two other friends before returning his gaze to Ryuuji. There was a part of him that was glad for their support but another part of him wasn't really satisfied. "Look, if… If you really think I can, and seriously! Don't say it just 'cause you want to make me feel better." He pointed at him sternly. "You really think about it and you give me an honest answer. You think I can do both?"

Ryuuji didn't take long to answer.

"'Course I do," he said, matching Rin's serious gaze with his own. "I know ya can do both. Even if we weren't all studyin' together, I'm sure ya could handle it," he insisted. "Memorizin' easy to do once ya get the hang of it. And you can practice it anywhere at any time. I don't know what the classes for the Knight Meister will be like, but I think you'd be able to juggle both just fine. It's best to train your mind along with your body anyway," he added firmly. That was a belief Ryuuji strongly stood by.

"Hmm…" Rin looked at his friend thoughtfully. Ryuuji looked sure and there wasn't an ounce of uncertainty behind his gaze. So the half-demon smiled and nodded. "Okay. You gotta take responsibility for this, though. You gotta help me out." He looked down at the form and circled Aria as well. Rin grinned. "I guess it'll be easier to do since you guys are taking those classes too, right?" He looked at Shima and Konekomaru.

The two boys nodded. In the end, they weren't at all surprised by Rin's choice.

"So the four of us are gonna be stuck in class together again, huh?" Shima let out a long sigh and began to drum his fingers on the table. The paper in front of him lay untouched. "Ya think any of the girls wanna join us?"

"Shima-san…" Konekomaru let out a long sigh of his own.

"What? It's a legitimate question!" Shima protested. The pink-haired teen glanced over to the row of seats next to them, where Izumo and Paku were quietly talking to each other as they looked over the forms Shiro had handed out. In front of them, Shiemi was hunched over her desk, apparently doing the same.

Rin turned to look at Shiemi as well and blinked, remembering she was there too. "Hey, Shiemi!" He grinned amiably. "So what're you choosing for your Meister?"

The blonde girl jumped upon hearing her name being called so suddenly. Shiemi straightened up and glanced at Rin, and then at the expectant faces of those accompanying him. She felt her cheeks begin to heat up.

"Um… I'm not…" she began to say, but she stopped as her eyes darted to look at the girls sitting behind her. Paku noticed her gaze and smiled, but Izumo nudged her friend's side, prompting the brown-haired girl's attention back on her again.

Shiemi glanced back at Rin and shrugged slightly. Despite the smile on her lips, she looked very unsure.

Konekomaru quickly noticed her struggle.

"It's alright, Moriyama-san. You still have a whole week to decide," he reminded her with a kind smile.

"And if you're still unsure, you should join us! The more the merrier! Right, girls?" Shima chimed in loudly, addressing the two other girls sitting next to him.

"As if." Izumo didn't even bother to turn her head but the scowl was clear in her voice.

"Shima, quit being a bother," Ryuuji grumbled, giving Shima an exasperated glare, but the pink-haired teen was too busy sighing in disappointment to pay Ryuuji any mind.

Rin scratched his head and returned his attention to Shiemi. "Maybe you can talk to Yukio about it? I'm sure he knows a lot more about this kinda stuff and he can help you choose one, right?"

Shiemi was surprised by the suggestion, but she nodded at the words. A small smile began to form on her face, though she still looked somewhat troubled.

"That's a good idea. I'll think about it!" she promised.

Rin beamed, glad to be able to be of some assistance. It only took a few more moments before Shiro called the attention of the class and started the short lesson they had for that day. The rest of the class blew by rather smoothly. It was the second class, however, that seemed to be the most eventful. Both Izumo and Shiemi managed to summon a familiar, something no one else in the class seemed to be able to do.

"Nice goin', Moriyama-san!" Shima was the first one to compliment the young girl.

"Yeah! You sure are lucky… I wish I could summon one too." Konekomaru gave the slip of paper on his hand a longing look.

Shiemi blushed at the praise. She looked down at her new familiar and smiled happily. She couldn't help but to glance up at Izumo then. Catching the taller girl's eye gave her the courage to speak up.

"L-Look, Kamiki-san! I summoned one too!" Shiemi said as the Greenman spirit she had summoned climbed her hair. Her voice a mixture of nervousness and pride.

Izumo sniffed, her lip curling slightly in a small scowl. "Wow!" she replied in a scathing tone. "Good job! It's so tiny and cute!"

"C-Cute? Really?" Shiemi's face lit up at Izumo's words. "Thanks!"

The guys frowned at this exchange, but they didn't have the heart to tell Shiemi she was being mocked.

"It looks like we have plenty of Tamer candidates this year."

Neuhaus brought the class' attention back to him. He lectured them all on the precautions one should take when summoning a demon, emphasizing the importance behind having a confident, strong will, before finally dismissing the class.

"Well looks like you-" Rin turned to where his friend had been just a moment ago but found the blonde girl to be missing. "Shiemi?" He blinked a couple times and looked around the class. She wasn't there. He hurried out the classroom door and heard her unmistakable voice chasing down the only other girls in the class.

Rin remembered moments ago how Izumo had made fun of her. Why was Shiemi chasing her? But as he continued to watch the scene, the three girls talked and Shiemi ended up walking off with them. Had they made friends...?

"Moriyama-san's gone?"

Ryuuji stepped out of the classroom, with Shima and Konekomaru following behind. The rest of the boys soon spotted what Rin was staring at.

"Looks like they're gettin' along well," Shima commented as his eyes followed the girls in the distance. Beside him, Konekomaru frowned slightly.

"Hope so…" the shorter boy said as he too watched them. After a couple more second, Konekomaru let his gaze drop as he caught of the item Shiemi was holding in her hands. He turned to look at Ryuuji, and he was exasperated to notice that the bag that Rin had taken to carrying after Ryuuji had gotten injured was being loosely held in Ryuuji's right hand. Though the taller teen no longer had to wear bandages over his wound, he was still wearing his sling as per Fujimoto-sensei's instructions and he wasn't supposed to be carrying heavy things.

"Bon..." Konekomaru let out a groan as he reached over to take the bag away from him. "You're not supposed to be straining yourself!" he reminded the other in a tone that implied they'd had this conversation several times already.

Ryuuji's attention was immediately pulled away from the girls at the reminder. He scowled in displeasure, but he let his bag go without an argument, knowing it would be pointless to do otherwise.

"Yeah, alright," he grumbled. "C'mon, let's get going," he said, nudging Rin's side with his elbow. "We gotta lot of homework to work through today, and we might as well try an' start studyin' through some of the chants already."

"What?! Already?!" Rin whined, looking at his friend and seeming absolutely heartbroken. "C'mon, Ryuuji! Don't go too hard on me!"

What followed was the usual scoldings about taking studies seriously that, once again, Shima was somehow pulled into. No one tried to stop Ryuuji once he started. It was impossible anyway. But Rin's eyes wandered towards where he saw Shiemi leave with the girls and concern mixed with something foreboding didn't let him be happy for her. Rin sighed. Shiemi could take care of herself, right?