We know not everyone reads all parts of this series so we'll say it again here:

We're back!

Stay tuned for more to come! We have a lot more around the corner!


July 20, 2009


Rin Okumura had never been on a proper camping trip before, and on the bus ride over, it showed. Almost half of the windows had Rin's face imprinted on them as he pressed up against the glass to peer at the forests they were passing, constantly asking if they were there yet. Though a few people urged him to sit down in a moving vehicle, Rin ended up nearly breaking one of the benches as his leg bounced with such intensity that a metallic clatter alerted them that screws had become loose with the vibration. In the end, Shiro thought it best to let Rin bounce around to his heart's content.

The anticipation was palpable, especially as the bus turned off the main road into a smaller dirt road that led up to where the hiking trail began. Before the bus had come to a complete stop, Rin was already standing, holding some of the heavier bags, including his own. His face was flushed.

"We're here! We're here!" He bounced on the balls of his feet, grabbing on to the seat as the bus came to a halt. "We're here!"

Ryuuji let out a small chuckle at Rin's visible excitement.

"Seriously, tone it down a bit already, will ya?"

It was not the first time his words had fallen on deaf ears. Ryuuji had been trying his best to contain Rin's incredible surge of energy, a highly fruitless task. The twenty-minute bus ride had almost felt endless, but Rin's mood, although somewhat annoying, was equally as infectious as well.

"I've never seen Rin-kun this excited before," Konekomaru said with a quiet grin lingering on his lips. "Not even our last trip got him this hyped up."

"For real. Just what're ya so hyped up about anyway?" Renzou did not share the others' enthusiasm. "It's just campin', yanno. I'd much rather be goin' to some nice hotel, or have another sleepover at the dorms. I can't believe we hafta sleep out here in the middle of the forest. Ugh," Renzou said, wrinkling his nose.

"Aw, come on, Renzou! Where's your sense of adventure?!" Rin turned and pointed at the pink-haired teen. Next to him, Yukio smiled indulgently. "We're gonna go outside and breathe the fresh air and collect sticks and make a campfire and cook curry and-!"

"Alright, kids!" Shiro spoke up from the front of the bus, laughing under his words. "Make sure you've got all your things before you get off. Remember, if you leave anything behind, the bus is taking it with 'em!"

"I've got everything!" Rin looked as if he had a fire in his eyes, properly distracted once more. He grinned at Ryuuji. "I've never cooked on a campfire before! Do you think it'll be harder? I'm kinda looking forward to the challenge!" He clenched his fists, his cheeks sore from the smiling.

"Get off the bus or get out of the way already."

Rin turned his head to see Izumo standing there, looking a bit annoyed. Her injuries were mostly on the mend, having rested for the last week, but any close observer could tell she was walking a bit more slowly and breathing with just a bit more difficulty. Still, her stubborn attitude persisted despite it all.

"Oh, sorry!" Rin, however, was acting completely different around her. He smiled and knelt on the seat beside Ryuuji to let her pass and she did as soon as she was able.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes, but let the moment pass without a comment. He still didn't quite get what had caused Rin to change his tune about her. Personally, he still thought she had a terrible attitude, and it didn't seem likely that it would change anytime soon.

It irked him, but he'd learned his lesson well; he knew better now than to start a fight over petty words.

"Ah, Kamiki-san, wait for me!"

And there was the other person who was also eagerly trying to melt through Izumo's rough demeanour.

Shiemi had been very attentive towards the purple-haired girl ever since the incident at the mall. The girl had taken it upon herself to assist Izumo whenever the occasion presented itself, carrying her bags, leading her a steadying hand whenever she stumbled, and so on.

It left a sour taste in Ryuuji's mouth as he remembered the way the girls had initially interacted not so long ago. The only difference this time was that Shiemi was insistently pursuing Izumo, rather than being ordered around.

Rin watched the girls get off the bus, Izumo's cheeks reddening as she snapped quietly at Shiemi. Her words were losing their bite when it came to the blonde, little by little. Rin reached over and grabbed Ryuuji's sleeve, tugging as he stood back up. "Let's go!" He reached into the overhead compartment with his other hand, effortlessly lowering Konekomaru's and Ryuuji's bags for them as if it would make things move quicker. Then, he bolted out the bus.

The forest was humid and the air was decently warm, though the shade from the trees offered them shelter from the summer sun.

Shiro gave a sharp whistle and waved. "Let's gather up over here," he called out, gesturing to a space in front of him as Yukio took his place standing beside him.

The group of Exwires did as instructed, though the humidity made them avoid pressing close together too much. Renzou was still grumbling under his breath about the heat, though Ryuuji knew perfectly well that it was just a coverup for his real concern: the endless insects that were bound to be in the forest. Thankfully, with a gentle nudge from Konekomaru, Renzou fell into a sullen silence as they all turned their attention to their teacher.

Shiro did a quick headcount before grinning and giving a wave to the bus driver. The driver waved back before the bus started up and began to reverse and head back to the main road. Shiro braced his hands on his hips and looked over his students.

"Alright kids, first off, we're going to set up some ground rules. We're here a day early before the exam so you guys can have some fun. We're doing this out of the goodness of our hearts so make sure we don't regret it. We're going to hike up the trail and once we get to a clearing, that'll be our campsite." Shiro pointed behind him where the trail led into the trees. "You guys are allowed to explore the woods but don't wander off too far and as soon dusk starts to hit, you guys are to head right back to camp. No ifs, ands, or buts. This forest is dense with demons once it hits nighttime." He crossed his arms, smiling to the rest of the group. "But we'll worry about that tomorrow. Tonight, we're just going to have some good, clean, camping fun, okay? We'll assign jobs for setting up camp once we arrive."

Rin, beside Ryuuji, began bouncing again as he listened to Shiro. All of it sounded exciting, even the warning of the demons coming out at night. As Shiro finished his speech, he gave a beckoning wave before heading down the trail and Rin grabbed Ryuuji's sleeve as he walked, practically towing the larger teen along.

"What do you think we should do first?" Rin's excitement didn't seem like it would be dying down any time soon. He did observe, however, as the group got walking, that Yukio fell out of pace with Shiro, slowly fading back into the group to walk near Renzou. Yukio did attempt to keep looking professional, but it was fairly obvious to those who knew them that the two were walking together on purpose.

"Well, it might come in handy to do some recon of the area," Ryuuji pointed out, already thinking of the potential tasks they might be assigned come tomorrow. "It would be good to know the basics, like where the nearest source of water is."

Rin gave Ryuuji a pout. "Recon? Why not call it something more exciting like exploring?"

Ryuuji rolled his eyes. "I call it what it is. We should take advantage of the fact that we're here a day early. For all ya know, they're just tryin' to lower our guard, callin' this a field trip when they're already testin' us."

Renzou's ears perked up at that, and he gave a side glance towards Yukio.

"Tell me it ain't so, Yuki-chan," he complained.

Yukio sighed. "It's definitely not true. Honestly, if it were me, we'd just come here for the day of the exam and be done with it, but Fujimoto-sensei wants to make a field trip." He shrugged before giving Renzou a reassuring smile. "Today is definitely just for fun, Ren-kun."

"Seeeee?" Rin grinned triumphantly at Ryuuji. "Just for fun!"

"Alright, alright." Ryuuji could not resist the laugh that bubbled up. "We're explorin' then, explorin'," he acquiesced.

The trek towards the campground continued on like that. However, Rin's enthusiasm, while infectious, held no challenge against the weather. The long walk up the trail quickly began to take its toll. Every step was weighed down by their heavy bags and began to falter the higher they climbed.

"Ugh, aren't you hot in that, Yuki-chan?" Renzou said as he smacked a mosquito away from his skin.

Yukio, who was walking with his full uniform, shook his head. "I'm fine. It's insulated." Even though he said that, his cheeks were slightly flushed and his glasses were fogging up a bit from the sweat that was beginning to form.

Konekomaru wiped the sweat of his brow. "We must be getting close soon, right?" he said, his breath straining slightly.

Takara was the only one in the group who voiced no complaints, remaining quiet and aloof despite the circumstances. As always, Ryuuji wondered what was going through his head. If it wasn't for the faint sheen of sweat gleaming from his face, the blond would have looked entirely unaffected.

"Not far now!" Shiro had already rolled up the sleeves of his uniform as he led the group of students down the trail. It wasn't long before, finally, the trees broke into a wide and open clearing. The ground itself was flat and perfect for camping, and though the sun beat down on them, there was a refreshing breeze that rustled the trees and the grass. Shiro grinned and propped his hands on his waist.

"Alright! We're here. Now we just gotta set up camp before you kids can run off. Boys, I want you all to start helping me to set up the tents and equipment. Girls- Well…" He looked around. "Kirigakure-sensei should be arriving soon. Once she does, you're going to help her draw up the barriers for the edges of the clearing. Once all that is done, you guys have the rest of the day to yourselves." He paused. "Besides Okumura-kun who is on cooking duty."

Rin grinned, looking genuinely excited. "I'm gonna cook on a camping stove!"

The group collectively perked up at this announcement, as they always did when Rin was on cooking duty. Only one person voiced a different sentiment.

"Hehehe. Make sure not to burn down our campsite!"

Shura was resting on top of one of the tree's taller branches, overseeing the group from her perch as she chugged down a can of beer.

"Ya sure took long to get here!" she exclaimed with an inebriated flush on her cheeks.

"Aha." Shiro grinned up at her. "There you are."

"Hey, I'm not gonna burn anything!" Rin shouted up at Shura. Meanwhile, Yukio was beginning to remove his coat and draped it over his arm.
"Let's not waste any time in setting up camp," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "Come on, now." Yukio beckoned to the class.

"And Kirigakure-sensei, go ahead and get started on the barriers, will you?" Shiro gave her a small acknowledging wave.

"Ugh, so formal. Shura's just fine if it's you, yanno." The redhead waved her hand in front of her, the motion dismissive. She showed no inclination to move from her spot, and instead beckoned the girls over as she nursed her beer.

While she gave them instructions on how to set up the barriers, the boys made quick work of setting up the tents. Ryuuji paired up with Konekomaru, while Renzou and Yukio took care of the other tent. Takara, as always, as supportive as he was quiet, handed them all the appropriate tools from their backpacks without comment.

"These are much nicer than the ones we've used before," Konekomaru mentioned with a slight grin as he knelt on the ground and steadied the joints of the tent.

"Heh, you're right. Kinda missed doin' this actually. It was always nice, sleepin' away from the temple every once in awhile."

"Speak for yourself," Renzou said, wrinkling his nose. "Yer only sayin' that 'cause ya never had to share a tent with Kin-nii."

"Ah, Kinzou, right?" Yukio looked up from the stake he was securing in the dirt. "Didn't you tell me he snores?" He glanced over to where Rin is setting up the cooking equipment. "I can relate to that. I'm sort of glad we have our own rooms now."

Renzou nodded empathetically at that. "I second that! I sure was glad I got a decent roommate back at the dorms," he said.

"Me too. He's been nothing but polite and considerate." Yukio paused. "I should probably get him something as thanks."

"Eehhh, don't bother." Renzou waved away the thought with a sharp motion of his hand. "It's not like we bother him all that much anyway."

Ryuuji let out a small snort. "Maybe it's ya who should be gettin' him somethin'. He does gotta put up with ya after all."

"Oh please. Ren-kun is more than a considerate roommate." Yukio stood and gave the stake a testing kick. "Perhaps I should thank Konekomaru-kun as well," he said thoughtfully, loud enough for Ryuuji to hear. The tall teen took the bait, tilting his head in confusion.

"Huh? What for?"

Konekomaru finished tying up the last knot before rising up to his feet. "Well, actually…" he began, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

The teens continued their bickering and snide remarks as Rin finished setting up his "kitchen" and set a few prepped ingredients to marinate in the nearby cooler. He looked over to where Izumo and Shiemi were dragging a small contraption around the perimeter of the clearing before his attention switched to the now finished tents. He pranced over and patted one of the tents, snickering at the sound it made.

"Wow, you guys did it already!" He looked at the group with bright eyes. "You guys wanna come with me to find some nice wood for the fire later?"

Renzou held up his hand and quickly rejected the offer.

"Pass," he said, a polite smile straining across his lips.

Ryuuji, knowing perfectly well why the other was avoiding going into the forest, held back a childish retort and nodded along instead.

"I'm game," he said.

"Me too!" Konekomaru agreed.

The three teens wasted no time and set off. Rin carefully jumped over the chalk lines the girls were working so hard on before bolting out between the trees. He instantly jumped and grabbed on to a branch he could see above his head and hung there, snickering as he waited for the other two to catch up.

"Careful, Rin-kun," Konekomaru said, ever the worrywart.

"I don't know where yer gettin' all that energy from," Ryuuji said, using the collar of his shirt to wipe off some of the sweat that had gathered up the base of his neck.

Rin flashed a grin to Konekomaru as he hung by one arm now. He remembered Ryuuji's fond nickname for him, calling him a monkey, and wondered if his tail was strong enough to support his weight. Probably not. But the image was funny enough to lift his spirits.

"I'm just excited!" Rin watched Ryuuji wipe his sweat and it made him aware of his own sweat dripping down his back. "And, besides, it'll be nice and shady ahead since we'll have the trees and stuff. Ooh, maybe we'll find a river with cool rocks!" Rin let go of the branch, his eyes once again shining with possibilities.

"It would be nice to take a short swim," Ryuuji said, almost thoughtlessly. He regretted it immediately as he remembered their need to keep Rin's tail hidden. He frowned, his eyes lingering on Rin briefly as he straightened up to his feet.

Last thing we need is another complication, he thought, his stomach twisting as memories of their last mission surfaced.

"Ah, though none of us packed bathin' suits, huh," he said, aiming for nonchalant. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah, you're right. But we should at least explore the area, like you said. I think we can spare a couple of hours before coming back. What were you plannin' on makin' for dinner?" Konekomaru asked.

Rin pouted, not thinking of his tail and only thinking about how next time, he should be more prepared for surprise swimming outings. He was, however, swiftly distracted by the question of dinner. "I'm making curry tonight! The old ma- Ah, Sensei bought a bunch of ingredients so it's gonna be real hardy." He blinked. "Oh, right. Sticks. We need to bring back wood!" Rin looked around. "How do we know what kinda wood's the best wood?"

"You want to look for dry wood," Konekomaru explained, glancing around them until he found a good example to show Rin. He bent over to pick up a few nearby branches.

"Try to grab pieces that are not thicker than the size of your wrist so they burn evenly. Oh, and don't—"

His warning came too late. Rin had already snapped off a nearby branch.

Ryuuji gave a light wince. "Ya wanna just grab what's already on the ground. Animals make nests even on dead trees, yanno," he told Rin with a lopsided smile.

"Oh." Rin looked at the branch he broke off and winced. He got up on his toes and carefully propped the stick back up on the branch. "Okay. Stuff that's already on the floor, dry, and not thicker than my wrist." He repeated the details and nodded confidently.

The three set out, looking for as much wood as they could conceivably carry, which was much more for Rin than for the other two. However, even as they amassed a decent amount of sticks and wood, the boys found their thirst for adventure unquenched. They headed out deeper into the forest without fear, remembering Shiro's comment about how the demons only woke up at night. To their delight, they found all sorts of things, including a hugely knotted tree. Konekomaru used that as an opportunity to teach Rin how to tell the age of such trees.

They even found a thin winding river with water tumbling over smooth river stones. Rin had bent down, excitedly grabbing one to feel it in his hand, before he noticed it wasn't as smooth as he'd first thought. The weight suddenly doubled and his hand jerked down as the riverstone began to wail. The tiny bariyon's cries caused the rest of the stones under the water to cry and sob and Rin was quick to put it back. It was only then that the noise had ceased.

"Sorry…!" Rin whispered loudly close to the water as the boys continued on their way.

The adventure lasted for a while longer before Konekomaru pointed out the time. The sky was beginning to gain a pink tinge which was their sign to return to the safety of the campsite. Navigating from their phones, it didn't take long for them to return and the wood to be piled up nice and properly. Rin immediately got to work cooking and, by the time the sun was down, everyone had a plate full of hot and freshly made rice and curry while they all gathered around a crackling fire.

"Wow~ This ain't bad at all, kid!" Shura exclaimed as she finished her first spoonful. Her nostrils had been flaring in delight while Rin was preparing the food, and the wait had definitely been justified. Her eyes basically glowed and her cheeks were completely stuffed as she plopped herself down beside him. "I've been missin' out!"

"Ya see? Rin's cookin' puts all of us to shame." Ryuuji, remembering her earlier jab, could not resist but to brag about his best friend's talents.

"Heh. His wife will have no chance…" Renzou said with a sly smile, aiming a quick glance towards Ryuuji.

While the comment flew over his head, Shura snickered.

"Ah, it's not that good…!" As usual, Rin's response to compliments were of dubious words but his smile and flushed cheeks spoke clearly as to how touched he was by what they were saying.

"Nii-san, really. You should know by now that these compliments are not unfounded." Yukio sat next to Renzou, straight backed and taking modest and polite bites of his food.

"It really is good, Rin!" Shiemi was quick to pitch in with bulging cheeks.

"I've never had better curry," Konekomaru agreed. Izumo nodded silently beside him.

"Aaah, I think I'll have to sleep over more often if it's always like this," Shura said with a widening grin, leaning in almost uncomfortably close to Rin who leaned back in an almost clueless nature.

The comment deflated Ryuuji's mood immediately. As if yer not over enough as it is! he couldn't help but to think.

Ever since they had come back from Sendai, Shura had been a constant presence in Rin's dorm. It's not as she was doing anything in particular during her visits. She was often just lying around, playing one game or another on her portable game console. However, her presence was a nagging reminder of everything they didn't know yet; everything they had not managed to ask Shiro about yet.

The man had been as elusive as a ghost for the past week, and every time they tried to get answers out of Shura instead, the woman either dodged their questions expertely with a well-timed distraction, or worse—flat out refused to answer.

Meanwhile, Shiro who had been taking a deep drink from his beer can, paused to give Shura an almost scandalized look. "You've been over how many times and this is the first time you've tried Rin's food?" He scoffed and put down his beer in order to pick up his spoon. He, however, pointed it at Shura instead of digging in. "If I hear you've been skipping meals, I'll throttle you personally." The threat had no bite and it was a more affectionate concerned tone that the kids were all starting to learn very well.

Shura stuck out her tongue at him. "Yeah, yeah. Can it, will ya?" She took a few more enthusiastic bites, her face continuing to glow in delight. As she swallowed, she eyed the can in Shiro's hand and made a silent gesture for him to hand one over. "I've been a busy girl, yanno! This teachin' thing ain't easy!"

Again, Ryuuji wondered what in the world she was referencing. Unlike what he'd seen from both Yukio and Shiro, Shura appeared to have made no effort to prepare any class materials over the past week. Instead, the few classes they've had with her involved them reading their textbooks out loud during class.

"Not like you try very hard," Yukio muttered under his breath, the words quickly chased by a mouthful of curry. Shiro, meanwhile, reached into the bag at his side and tossed a can over to Shura, who caught it effortlessly.

"Ah, well your classes are pretty easy to follow," Rin said after searching for his words.

"Oh? Ya think so?" Shura popped open her beer and took a long swig, before letting out a loud satisfied sound. "Nyahaha, guess that means I oughta try a little harder if yer havin' that easy of a time!" she said, addressing Rin even as she flicked a few grains of rice towards Yukio.

Yukio flinched back as the grains of rice stuck to his cheek, one even sticking to his glasses. "Act your age!" he snapped suddenly, but in the very next second he was taking off his glasses and wiping his face, composing himself once more.

"What I mean is that your class is fine!" Rin tried to backpedal, not flinching at Yukio's temper.

At this point, the only ones who did were Konekomaru and Shiemi. Shura helpfully clued them in with a giddy little snicker. "And there it is! That childish temper of yers sure looks good on ya, Sensei~" Shura teased.

Ryuuji's eyes widened and he quickly stuffed another mouthful of curry in his mouth and looked away to avoid showing any sort of amusement. Although he was intimately familiar with Yukio's temper, he did feel a little bad that it was being exposed in this manner.

Yukio's jaw tightened as he glared at Shura, the cold fire fully exposed with his glasses off. Before he could say anything, however, a few grains of rice were flung into Shura's face.

"Stop teasing him already, Shura." Shiro flicked another small wad of rice at her. "You're spoiling the food."

"Teehee. " Shura said, tilting her head with faux innocence. "My bad~"

The meal continued on like this until their mood was as warm as their bellies. The group was delighted to find out that there was dessert on the menu after they finished cleaning up; a traditional camping one at that.

"Nice!" Renzou cheered as the bag of marshmallows came out.

Rin very quickly put about seven marshmallows on his stick and held them out over the fire. They cooked unevenly but Rin didn't seem to mind as he mushed the melted mallows between chocolate and crackers. He seemed just as enthusiastic about making them as he was about eating them, and Ryuuji got into a bit of a competition with him on who could eat more faster without burning their mouths.

Yukio seemed to ignore the other ingredients completely, choosing instead to put the cooked marshmallow in his mouth on its own, though he did accept one of Renzou's personally made s'mores. The pink-haired teen's rare sweet tooth had come out at full force, and Konekomaru felt obliged to warn Yukio about the upcoming sugar rush.

Meanwhile, as Izumo began to try and hide her own desire to participate, Shiemi swiftly had a few made for her. It was her first time making any, so her eyes were sparkling with wonder as she put together the s'mores. They were messy and overly melted and Izumo complained and grumbled, but the two girls ended up eating what was made regardless, their cheeks flushed for different reasons.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day. As the night grew darker and the air chillier, the kids finally settled down after the long day, though it did take some coaxing.

"W-We'll be up bright and early tomorrow!" Shura reminded them with a hiccup. The flush on her face had steadily grown darker through the night, as had the number of beer cans around her. She looked quite comfortable though, lying across the floor, her head resting on Shiro's lap. The PSP had come out again, and she looked very focused on whatever game she was playing. Shiro, meanwhile, had his 3DS out and seemed just as distracted. Though he did manage to tear his eyes away just long enough to smile and wave to the kids.

"Sleep tight!"

They paired off two by two into the tents they had set up earlier. Ryuuji flickered on the small lamp that was inside and began to roll open the sleeping bags. When Rin slipped in beside him, Ryuuji let out a small huff of amusement.

"Ya still have chocolate on yer face, ya dork. Here." He reached over and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, the motion quick, almost careless. Just as quickly, he was back to straightening up their bedding and taking out his sleeping clothes from his bag.

Rin blinked, his hand immediately going up to where Ryuuji's thumb had touched and licked his lips. He grinned and laid on top of his sleeping bag, watching Ryuuji get ready properly. It was becoming a rare moment where they had quiet time to themselves and the ambience of the night was a good accompaniment. Crickets and the song of night birds filled the air where previously laughter and shouting did.

"You're such a mom sometimes." Rin shifted to his side and propped his head in his hand. He glanced to the opening of the tent and lowered his voice. "Do you think it's safe to take my tail out?"

Ryuuji glanced around just as cautiously, and although the shadows cast on the tent were unfocused, he shook his head. "Wait 'til lights out, I think," he told him. Then, his brain caught up with the rest of Rin's statement and he shot him a glare. "I am not!" he protested.

"You aaaaare~!" Rin snickered as he laid on his back again. His tail under his shirt wiggled and twitched and it was very obvious what with the way it moved. A little black tuft appeared out between the buttons of his shirt. He was yearning to pull out his tail and stretch it out, but he listened to Ryuuji's suggestion. "You're always taking really good care of me and stuff which is what a mom does, yeah?" He grinned. "And you're just a little naggy."

Ryuuji's glare deepened, but he couldn't fully deny the other's claims. "Someone's gotta keep ya in line," he said, and it was almost reflexive then, his next comment: "What're ya lookin' so relaxed about? Get changed!"

Rin whined like a teenager being asked to do chores. "I thought I couldn't take my tail out!" He puffed up his cheeks.

"Ya can still change! Can't ya keep that thing still?" Ryuuji threw the shirt he was wearing at the other as he changed into his pajamas. He took off all his earrings, mindful of the bandage that still covered the top of his right ear, and placed them all in a small plastic box he'd taken out of his bag. "Guess I can cover ya if ya really need me to."

After initially making a protesting noise, Rin took advantage of Ryuuji's large shirt and shuffled underneath it. "I got it!" He pulled off his shirt, his tail slipping out and into the sleeping bag, as he shoved his arms through the sleeves of Ryuuji's oversized shirt. Then he leaned over to pull his bag closer and grab a pair of pajama pants.

"That's not what I meant!" Ryuuji grumbled. Then, having a clue of what exactly Rin was up to, he leaned over and lightly knocked the top of Rin's head with a reprimanding fist. "Change properly, will ya? And give me that! I gotta put that away," he said as he turned back to finish folding his dirty laundry into a dedicated space in his bag.

Rin covered his head with a pout before quickly pulling on his pajama pants. He then dived into his sleeping bag, taking Ryuuji's shirt with him as his tail wiggled gleefully. "I'll give it back later!" It wasn't even buttoned at this point. It was simply hanging off his arms like shapeless fabric too large for his lean figure.

Ryuuji longed for a pillow to throw at Rin, though he supposed it was best there were none on hand, or else they would never settle down.

"Yer hopeless," he sighed, but it was a fond sound.

Ryuuji slipped underneath his sleeping bag, turning on his side so he could face Rin. His cheerful face eased something in his chest. They'd fallen asleep on the phone together the last few days, somewhat frustrated by the uncertainty they had been left with, but trying to move past it. Ryuuji had taken to studying out loud and letting Rin listen in, sometimes testing him on a recent verse they had been assigned to memorize.

It had been a breath of fresh air, having a camping day with everyone. Ryuuji couldn't help to feel somewhat grateful towards Shiro, though he still wanted nothing more than to be able to corner some more answers out of him with Rin, and preferably as far away from Shura as possible.

He didn't trust that woman. She was definitely up to something.

"Hey, Ryuuji?" Rin's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Clear blue eyes stared at him as he finally settled into the sleeping bag. His tail was halfway out, having stretched and now curled in a natural position that wasn't stifled under his shirt. "The test tomorrow… Do you think it'll be hard?"

"Hmm, hard to say," Ryuuji admitted. "I don't think it's anythin' we can't handle. Sensei wouldn't do that to us. But we might be in hot water if we mess around too much. He ain't the type to let us catch a break when it comes to these things."

"True." Rin stared up at the canvas of their tent, suddenly wishing he could see the stars, but he could still hear the crackling of the fire outside and the low conversation that belonged to his dad and Shura. Going outside and stargazing was less desirable knowing they wouldn't be alone. He sighed. "I guess I'm just nervous." His brow furrowed. "I want to pass. I-... We all need to pass."

Ryuuji felt the same anxiety boil up in his stomach; he'd felt it daily since that day in the dormitory, when Shiro had laid down the ground rules. But he pushed passed it with a confidence that was only slightly filled with bravado. "We will," he assured him. "Tomorrow's the first step, and we're all gonna do great. Don't ya start doubting yerself, okay?"

Rin turned his head to look at him and a grin effortlessly spread across his face. Something about Ryuuji's confidence never failed to stoke his own and Rin began to believe, wholeheartedly, that tomorrow, the test would be a breeze. "Yeah, okay. I promise." His words were as genuine as they were grateful.

"Good." Ryuuji mirrored the grin, just as warmly. They were close enough that he was also able to easily reach over and poke Rin's forehead. "Now try to settle down. Ya better get all the rest ya can if ya wanna do well tomorrow. Unless ya want me to test ya some more tonight?" he teased, knowing that was the last thing his best friend had in mind.

"Nooo," Rin whined predictably, his nose wrinkled with the poke to his forehead. He quickly reached over and clicked the light off before snuggling down into the sleeping bag as if it would protect him from Ryuuji's studying. "You're ingrudgable."

"It's incorrigible, ya dork." Ryuuji tucked his elbows in as he scooted back down on his sleeping bag. He held back a smile despite the darkness that now surrounded them.

"Night, Rin."

"Night, Ryuuji."