Princess Yurei

"The fun thing about being a ghost? No one's surprised when I have skeletons in my closet." Reiko Yanagi and Class 1B. Just what is going on over there? F/F romance, neurodivergent MC.

8-8

Chapter 37—Monsters like us

8-8


No matter how many times I enter the Shishida mansion, I can't help but feel like I'm exploring new parts of it. We enter the expansive ballroom, lit by an over-the-top chandelier hanging in the middle of it—looks to be an inverted Christmas tree made from crystals, if you ask me. Hundreds of elegantly draped tables are spread out, most occupied by the glitterati I have no patience for—fundraisers are funny like that. The main stage, couched between two curved staircases, houses only a lectern, draped in the same off-white of the tables.

Over to one side is another stage, smaller than the obvious centrepiece, housing a band of sorts, strumming their instruments to set a cosy mood. Not sure I recognize the song they play, but it doesn't drown out the thrum of conversations abound.

"Good of you to come." Shishida, dressed in the finest suit, bows to me, Jun, and Taeko as he welcomes us. His eyes trail my earrings, no doubt recognizing that Emily, Zia, the twins, and my charms are minimized on their perches. He quickly spies my bodyguards and Fiona behind us—not that he'd know I'm not skilled enough to minimize Fiona, but it's interesting he's keeping an eye on all that. Or am I projecting?

"Thank you for having us." I bow to him, hoping he can hear the sincerity in my voice. Honestly, any reason for Jun to get dolled up is a win in my books. Especially with Taeko and Jun wearing their gorgeous pink evening gowns.

"It is I who should thank you." Shishida rights his glasses, not hiding his smile. "Please." He motions for us to follow him, and leads us to an out of the way table, near the window, where Class A and B await—well, those who've already arrived, at least—and we're seated beside Eri and Eraser Head.

Tae tugs my hand, looking up with begging eyes and pouty lips. "Can I sit with Eri?"

"If she's okay with it?" I ask. Eri looks up from whichever hero she's colouring, smiles, nods, and gets right back to it. "Alright. Just remember that she's really shy. Please be patient with her."

One of the penguin-impersonating servants swoops in, setting a booster chair for Taeko. My little brat beams and thanks the man as he sets out crayons and some cutesy colouring books for her to choose from. Tae and Eri start chatting almost instantly, complaining about how Channa and Ruki aren't here; they'll be more than entertained, thankfully. Not sure who Ruki is, though—shit, I still haven't gotten to training Tae, like I promised; mental note.

"Do forgive me," Shishida bows, "but I must await our other classmates. To ensure there are no misgivings." Without another word, he heads right back over to the ballroom entrance. Not the best solution, but not my problem to fix.

Nami, Fiona, and the boys take their seats nearby; not sure why they're seated at another table, but they're at least given a much better overview of the room, and barely a stone's throw away to boot.

Hopefully this evening will end on a better note than the YCT incident.

8-8


"I blame you. Just saying." Iromi crosses her arms, doing her best to stifle a hot blush at all the attention her powder blue cocktail dress has been getting. Given Itsuka's all smiles, I'm guessing that was aimed at her.

"You're gorgeous." Setsuna nudges Romi with her elbow and flashes her trademark toothy grin. "No shame in showing that off."

It's a little weird, us all being together in such a stuffy setting, but it's for a good cause—not that I know what that cause is, but Shishida insists it's for a good cause and I trust him. Besides, Nezu and all the teachers are taking the lion's share of the attention—good fucking riddance.

"You can always wear pants suits," I say, scooping up another spoonful of this yummy ice cream. Dunno what brand it is, or flavour for that matter, but it's super creamy and goes well with the sponge cake it came with. Tastes almost minty, but with a hint of something i can't really place—pistachio? Chocolate would have been better, or mango. There just isn't enough love for mango-flavoured treats. "But I think this suits you better."

Some jittery ass keeps buzzing about, taking pictures of everyone. For some reason, he keeps well away from our table—not complaining, but curious all the same. Still. The ambience isn't half bad. Just wish this was in a more private setting.

"I dunno. I kinda like the look." Red props his elbow up on Romi's shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. "Honestly, I'm a little jealous that you have the guts to wear it."

"Careful, bro." Romi gives him a defeated look. "Setsuna and Yui could take that as a make-over invitation." Both girls give Romi a winning grin, but Itsuka looks confused...for some reason.

"Uh. Which girl in our class hasn't played dress up with you?" Itsuka asks, honestly curious. I raise my hand. "Ah. Someone still stealing your thunder?" Jun wraps her arm around my elbow and presses a kiss to my cheek; she loves using Iromi as an excuse to drag us out for a day of shopping. I'm always on the receiving end of the make-over de jour, so I cannot claim to be the co-conspirator.

"Between Kajiyama and Okimasa…" Romi sighs, shaking her head. She's lucky Ai hasn't gotten to her yet, but with Romi's silver hair now curled and smelling fresh out of a salon, I'm not sure there's a whole lot left to 'get to her' about.

"To be fair," Monoma gives Romi an appraising once-over, "someone's sense of fashion is far more refined now. Almost tempts me to drag someone along one of these days."

"Hnn." Shinso rubs the back of his neck. He and Monoma are wearing matching suits—I honestly can't tell if that's a coincidence, Shinso borrowing one of Monoma's suits for the evening, or them planning it that way. I hope it was planned; they've been dancing around the issue for far too long, in my not so humble opinion.

"Speaking of." Jun smiles as I turn to her, questions in my eyes. "Spring break is coming up."

"And about time," I complain, shivering. "It's been such freaky weather. I mean, it started snowing in November and just refused to stop. What's the world coming to?"

Jun chuckles, not disagreeing. "Anyway. I was thinking. What if we hold a game day? I mean. Once our end-of-term exams are out of the way, I think we could all use some fun."

"Can't." Bakugo crosses his arms. "We've got training." Who invited him? And why are all forty-plus of us seated at the same damn table?

"Well, I'm in!" Kirishima pumps his fist, beaming and clearly looking forward to a little down time. Most everyone gets excited about it, already tossing suggestions back and forth about which games are great for competitive play. I don't know if Jun knows, but she glows when talking about this—and even more so as she organizes her fellow gamers. It looks good on her.

"What about you, Rei? What's your poison?" Jun asks. "You more for first person shooters? Real-time strat? RPGs?"

"Table tops."

"No way!" Jun's face is wreathed in a goofy-happiness I can't get enough of. "Spill."

"Hmm?" Where to even begin? Who cares; it's putting a smile on her face. "Used to play Dungeons and—"

"Good evening, one and all." Baroness Shishida's voice reverberates through the hall as the music comes to an abrupt stop. She stands on the main stage, to the lectern, yet she bows low to the crowd just the same. "As you no doubt know, Hero society works tirelessly to keep our great nation safe. While this has always been a source of honour and pride to my family, my son, Jurota, has taken his first steps on a long and arduous journey into professional heroics. It is therefore in my personal interests, both as a Japanese citizen and as the mother of an up-and-coming hero, to ensure that bills like hero for hire never pass into law.

"However. Our parliamentarians have betrayed us in this regard. They heard our voices, heard our pleas to vote against the bill, and ignored us wholesale. This is inexcusable." She's running for parliament? Not a bad idea, honestly. Someone has to do it.

"Like my son before me," the baroness looks to our table, no doubt locking gazes with Shishida, "I've decided I cannot and will not stand idly by and wait for a hero to come to me. As such, I will, and rightly must, run to represent Musutafu in the House of Representatives."

The room explodes into applause, especially from us UA students.

"The road…" The baroness holds up her hands, quieting the crowd. "The road ahead is long and arduous. But if I've learned anything from my Jurota since his time at UA Academy, it's that nothing worth doing is ever easy. It's time our politicians listened to the will of the people." She bows to a standing ovation, but it's Shishida himself that really gets to me—the pride in his eyes as he cheers him mom on.

8-8


The training room in YCT. It doesn't look like much, really. Bare, sunflower yellow walls. Plain tatami mats cover every inch of flooring. Windows all tinted grey to blot out the sun while letting in some natural lighting, though I have the maroon curtains drawn and the overhead lights dimmed to minimize the drain on my training students.

Heh. My students. I have every GLQ user in my care here, training to harness their quirk, including Jun and Taeko. Himaru, of course, is my lieutenant—it only makes sense, with his extensive life experience, but given both his and my own...questionable upbringing, we've agreed that maybe kiddie gloves are for the best.

"Alright, Ruki," I say, smiling for the nervous-looking girl. She doesn't look much different from any of the other kids. Dandelion skin and hair, beady black eyes. Luckily, the younger generation all lack our iconic tattoos—not sure how I feel about that, but it isn't my decision to make. "Remember, it's about control. So only move as fast as you're comfortable with." Ruki swallows hard and nods.

"It's alright, sweetie." Himaru cups the girl's cheek and nudges her chin so she'll look up at him. "You're allowed to mess up. And daddy is already proud of you, even if you never get this right. I just want you do your best. Okay?"

Ruki nods, tears in her eyes and biting her lower lip from the nerves. No matter how he downplays it, her desperate need to not just do this, but to master it, is worn on her sleeve.

"Good. Just take a deep breath." Father and daughter breathe deep together, in and out, to the rhythm of Himaru's rising and falling hand. "That's my girl. Now. Just like we practiced."

Ruki nods and furrows her brow in concentration as her hands reach out, like a little bird spreading its wings. She runs at the padded 'wall' and slams right into it. Huh. Mom used to have me run at concrete walls—is it the lack of 'I'll die if I screw up' that's hampering her?

The little girl plops onto the mat, her whole face bright pink from the impact.

8-8


I flop onto my bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling. Just over a week left before exams. What will the practical be this time? Will I bring back up my average? Am I already too far behind?

Turning onto my side, I curl up into a little ball and wrap my arms around my middle. It's been such a crazy year. Breaking up with Yukie. Getting into UA. Dealing with almost non-stop insanity and ever-increasingly difficult trainings with Mr Kan and Thirteen and Cementoss. Meeting Uncle Shinya again.

Meeting Jun.

Jun. She's…she's not coping well. At all. It wouldn't surprise me if she 'wants to study' again tonight—my guess is that the nightmares keep waking her during the night. Not that sleep ever will be a ghost's ally.

My phone vibrates. As I fish it out, it vibrates again.

Jun: "Only a few days to exams. We need to study. Should I come over?"

Jun: "I mean. I'm sure you can handle it. Do you want me to?"

Me: "You're a lifesaver!"

I barely have time to press send before Jun pops her head through my dorm window. Because that's in no way textbook stalker behaviour. I beckon to her, and she's in my arms barely a second later, pushing me onto my back and snuggling up to me. Her ear finds its way between my boobs, against my sternum, while her hands guide mine around her.

"What'd she show you?" My words are innocent enough, but the suddenly tense ball of nerves in my arms doesn't seem to agree. "Kaminara. When she possessed you. What did you see that has you this messed up?"

My fingers comb through Jun's hair, fingernails scratching her scalp as they pass. My inner thighs hug her just a little tighter as my legs wrap around her, to show her she's as safe as she'll ever be, right here with me.

"I…" My chest dampens. Jun's quivering chin rattles against me, letting me know she likely would never bring this up without prodding. As much as it hurts, she needs to get this out, to sort through this tangled mess Kaminara left her in.

"You don't owe me an explanation. But if you don't get this off your chest, it will continue haunting you."

She sighs and takes two fistfuls of my nightie. "I saw…you, I guess. Not the…not the kind and caring you. The little girl under her mother's command. The cold…mask. Like there was no…no life in you."

"With how she was with her kids?"

Jun nods. "It's stupid…I know it's stupid…but it just…I…" She holds me even tighter. "Then when I…when you broke the possession…you…and I didn't even…"

Words keep coming, but they make less and less sense. I don't interrupt, just scratching her scalp and soothing her best I can, until at last her tongue falls still, and all she has to offer me are broken sobs and her desperate need to hold onto me.

Dry kisses press to her brow, to her crown. My hands work their way down her back and up under her shirt, needing to feel her naked flesh under their touch. Smooth, scar-free skin greets my calloused hands as her warmth seeps into me, one gentle little squeeze at a time.

I don't know what the right thing to say is, and I'm scared what I think I should say will only hurt her more. It would comfort me, but…I'm not exactly 'normal'.

"Do you want me to make this better?"

"I…Rei, I…" She only holds on tighter.

"Shhhhht shhh shh shh. It's alright. I'm here." My hand presses against her ear, gently holding her against my chest so she can hear my heartbeat. "I'm sorry you got caught up in all this."

"No." She shakes her head. "It isn't your fault. She's insane, and…and you…" She tries, and clearly fails, to find the right words.

"I want to assign you a bodyguard. To make sure you're safe."

Jun shakes her head, as she pulls back. Even with her tearstained cheeks, there's…a look in her eyes. I can't place it. It's as if she's both at peace and at war with herself, and the heavy lids doesn't clear it up much either.

"You've been going to your appointments? With the therapist?"

"Unn." She sits up. I unwrap my legs from around her, spreading them to let her move about as she pleases. Instead of moving away, she pulls me up and pushes my hands further up, until they slip up under the back of her bra. "Please?"

I cock an eyebrow.

She leans in, presses her nose against mine. My brow furrows.

"Rei, please…let…please let me…?" Clearly convinced the message isn't coming across—not inaccurate, really—she pushes me back down and peals her shirt off, tossing it aside. "With all you do for me…please let me."

My familiars all grumble about Jun's more than obvious arousal. In fact, it's getting so much that even I smell it.

I grab her and trade places with her, pinning her to the bed with only my lips. By the time I pull back, her breathing is ragged; by the time I'm upright, her chest heaves to show her body craves release. Release from chasing her own mental tail, from the nightmares, just a moment to feel alive—I'm not sure which, but I fear it's all of the above.

She takes my hands, gliding them up her thighs to help me hike up her skirt, showing a clear damp mark in her knickers.

I'm not sure if I should feel nearly as proud about this as I do. But frankly, the thought of turning her on this much is…fuck, if that isn't a point of pride, I'm not sure what is.

"Hmm? It seems someone is having naughty thoughts." Even her chest reddens; she looks away, but brings my hands to the hips of her undergarment all the same.

She just lays there. Lacy magenta bra rising and falling, most of her tits flowing into her arm-pitties—something I've always hated about my breasts, and with hers easily dwarfing my own, the effect is only magnified. Her skirt rumples and only covers her navel. Her long-ruined black granny panties, mismatching her bra in colour and style. So flagrantly on display, just for me.

"Rei…" She begins losing her patience, hooking my fingers into the fabric to help me undress her. "Rei, please. You promised you'd…" If she isn't careful, her heels will turn pink at the rate she's going.

"Actually. I said I can be persuaded." My face is almost split with a cocky smirk, mischief dancing in my eyes.

She fixes me with a scathing glare, her nostrils flaring. "Hnn!" She turns up her nose. Her hands unravel from mine, and one slips into the front of her knickers. A little bump travels down, and down, until it reaches the damp patch she craves for me to explore.

Soft moans. Her breathing matches the slow, meticulous circling of her fingers. Her free hand trails up her abdomen, her touch light. She phases her bra off her, tossing it aside and exposing her large, smoky grey areolas—the same colour of her the pouty lip she bites on as she diddles herself into a puddle of goo. It takes her brain almost a minute to catch up with her actions—more than obvious when her heels almost do turn pink and she freezes in place.

"Rei, I'm…" Her hands fly to her face. "You must think I'm some sex-crazed maniac." She phases through the bed, too embarrassed to face me. I phase through it and tug her right back.

With both of us ghosted, I hover us up into the air and kiss her. "There's no shame in being a little slutty with your girlfriend behind closed doors." I kiss her again, hotter this time—my own arousal getting the better of me. "Or even a lot slutty."

She unghosts the pair of us, her telekinesis nudging us down to the bed. I can't tell if she's being exceedingly gentle, or if my powers dwarf hers—and I don't care. When her back touches the bed, her legs wrap around me and her crotch rubs against me with an almost feverish need.

"You know…I'm curious." I take her hand, and suck the fingers slick with her juices into my mouth. "Mm."

"Rei!" She swats me, hard.

"You taste good."

Her face reddens, like a ripe tomato, as she looks away. She keeps stealing glances, though—as if needing to see something, even while not daring to face me. "Then why are you licking it off my finger?" Embarrassed as she is, her arousal is winning out. Good.

"Tell me what you want. What you want me to do."

She tenses, no longer stealing peeks. So I lean in and kiss her neck, nibbling and sucking on her tender flesh to help push her so far over the edge she won't think about how embarrassing it is.

"Tell." I lick up to her ear, murmuring right into her. "Me." She phases my sweats off me, tosses it aside, and rubs her slick crotch against my now naked thigh. "Nope. No words and you get nothing."

"Meanie!"

"If you don't want it badly enough to tell me. And I mean in excruciating detail. Exactly what you want me to do. Then you aren't getting it."

"Rei." She rocks back and forth, her pace feverish, almost desperate. Her whole head glowing red. She's so close. "Rei, please. Please. Reiko." She tosses her head from one side to the next, her eyes glazed over with lust, but…there's something else there. Something deeper.

Jun tenses, her breathing halting. Her hands clutch any part of me they find purchase on.

A gasp. Laboured breathing follows, leeching the tension and leaving her in a boneless heap under me. All in all, a very polite climax—not something I can be proud of. Her eyes flutter open. The look is there again, stronger than before. A hunger, almost. A yearning for what she sees—she only has eyes for me just now.

"I hope you don't think we're done."

She struggles to control her breathing, but she shakes her head, no. "Please…take…take my clothes off. Slowly. No quirk."

Good girl. Focus on me, on what I can do—it's all I have to offer, so I can only pray it's enough.

8-8


"Pencils down." Sigh. Three whole days of written exams. Sigh. Three days. You'd think you get used to it after years of this abuse, but no. I get up and start collecting the test sheets from our row, bringing them to Mr Kan and setting them on his desk.

"You're not wearing your charms?" Mr Kan asks, his eyes on my earrings.

"In my room." Luckily, Fiona and the twins are each large enough to handle all my charms, so there's no issue as long as they remain in range. "Didn't want to risk suspicion." Mr Kan nods, approving of the precaution. Not sure why he brings it up now, since I haven't brought any of them into any of my exams, but I figure it's not for me to understand.

"Alright, everyone. Your practical is tomorrow. Bear in mind that you will need to pack for a three day trip. You will need to bring your own food, unless you plan on hunting or scavenging for it."

Oh boy. Sounds like this is going to be troublesome.

"Hey, Rei." Romi and Setsuna come over and we start talking about that English test, comparing notes to see how we did—honestly, them talking to Pony makes more sense, given it's her mother tongue. Still, we make our way out into the hall and down to the cafeteria. Jun and her classmates are already comparing notes—she gives me a thumbs up to let me know she did well on her chem exam, but she quickly gets swept up in their conversation.

By the time we get our trays piled up and claim our usual seats, things fall into the usual talks—the next practical.

"It's obviously a survival," Romi says, idly swirling her okonomiyaki in the sauce—doughy cabbage pancakes aren't my preferred meal, but that's why I took curry. "I mean, three days and we gotta pack our own food?"

I nod. It's the most logical reasoning for it. Not the only, but…

"That makes no sense. Why would heroes need…?" Chi stares at her plate, trying to figure out the reasons behind it. I'm not too sure, myself, but the signs all point in that direction.

"Maybe it's to teach us about surviving outside the city." Itsuka doesn't seem sure of that herself, but it's not impossible.

"Or perhaps this practical is geared more towards rescue in a non-urban setting." Shishida rights his glasses, his eyes out of focus. "Thirteen has been focusing a lot more on natural disasters."

Hmm. True. It's all possible, or mentioning that could also be a smokescreen? To see how well we can prepare for something like that? Time will tell.

8-8


It's going on midnight. I end the call with Yukie, already going over my to-do list and check off our last-minute meeting to ensure things are going as smoothly as possible; YC should be fine for a few days while I handle whatever the hell this exam will entail.

My phone rings. Jun's picture pops up on screen.

"Jun?"

"Reiko. I know you have a thing to handle, so I just wanted you to know that I'll be in YCT keeping Taeko busy." Breathing comes easier. "I'll keep my phone handy. Any time you want to talk, even if you can't say anything. Call me. I don't care what time it is. Okay?"

I sigh, contented for a change. "Thank you."

"Hnn?"

My phone vibrates against my cheek. I pull it back, finding an unfamiliar number. "One minute. Got another call." I put Jun on hold and switch the call. "You get ten seconds."

"Yanagi." Mr Kan? "Your exam starts in precisely one hour. Be ready."

He ends the call, and the phone automatically switches back to Jun. "Uh…" What the hell do I even say? "I gotta go. Will call when I get a chance, okay?"

"Stay safe, Rei. For me?"

"Will do." I hang up. Fuck, it's a good thing I already did my shopping.

8-8


We line up outside the school gates, all forty of us already in our hero costumes—at one in the fucking morning. Mr Kan and Eraser order us into two UA busses and we drive off without a word. Mr Kan stands to the front, facing us, his face more serious than I've ever seen him.

"The situation is this." There wasn't a whole lot of chatter to begin with, but the bus grows graveyard-quiet, save the thrum of the engine. "Yavinu, a small town outside of Musutafu, is engrossed in a gang war. Two small time villain organizations are involved, the Itsumazu gang and No-Go syndicate. This is a live hot zone, as such, Principal Nezu has authorized this as a suitable test, with stringent constraints. Your exam is this:

"You will work in teams of four to evacuate the civilians to a safety zone, which is being guarded by third-year students. There you will help tend to the injured, and organize the critically injured to be airlifted out."

"Mr Kan?" Chiguchi raises her hand. "Am I even allowed to take part? I mean, I only barely got my provisional licence." Huh. Didn't know she already took it—I mean, it has been some time, but…whatever.

"You have your provisional licence and, as such, you are bound by the same code as your classmates." Mr Kan gives us all a proud mother hen grin. "And that's beside the fact, if I didn't think you were ready, you wouldn't be on this bus."

Chi fidgets, but nods just the same. Itsuka nudges our clearly unnerved classmate, no doubt trying to subtly encourage her.

"Now. The pro heroes already on duty. They will run the show. All UA staff is to be considered absent. If you're in over your heads, we'll step in. However…" Mr Kan fixes Monoma and me with an annoyed glare. "I'll be grading you myself. You know exactly what that means."

Sigh. He'll be docking points for every little fucking thing, that's what. Especially with me, given I'm the only one of his students to ever be injured, let alone that badly.

I nod.

"Good. Team assignments. Two Class B students, two Class A students. Team A: Shishida, Tetsutetsu. You'll be paired with Bakugo and Sato." He keeps calling off teams, until at last, my name is called. "Team E: Monoma, Yanagi. You'll be with Kaminari and Kirishima."

Monoma and I exchange worried glances. Red Riot is decent, from what I can tell—and Romi vouched for him. But taser-boy? The fuck can he contribute?

"Bear in mind. You must work swiftly. Lives are on the line. Do not let me down, class."

"Yes, sir!"

8-8

End Chapter 37

8-8


A/N: Just an FYI. I altered two things from the last chapter. One is the current month (I wrote November, but it would be closer to March), the other is, obviously, the season. No point in dancing around it, I screwed up. I assumed Japan's scholastic year matched my expectations (January to December, with 4 'terms' per year), when it's 3 terms starting in April and ending in March.

So. To correct this, and to stay in step with the aesthetic, I only had to change those two details, and everything falls back into place. (honestly, I've been agonizing over how to correct this, and that simply took longer than anticipated. This is the easier solution I've come up with.)

Last note. This is the final practical exam of the school year. I don't much like the idea of plodding through year 2 and year 3. So, we're hitting a time-skip after this last bit (which could be one or two chapters long, depending). There's a chance I'll start a 'new story' starting at graduation, or I'll just keep it attached here. Time will tell.