Chapter 2

Two Worlds Meet! Elemental and Vampire?

Well, he couldn't say the place lacked energy or surprises. What began as a simple stroll down a dirt path had led him into the sight of an S class Yokai who, for all intense and purposes, may have had a decent reason for her action. Had they stolen something from her, he could understand her reasoning. Alas, for the time being she was being questioned by the Security Committee. As for him, he'd made it to first period without a problem; although, nearly fifteen of the twenty-five desks had already been claimed prior to his arrival. No problem, the back row wasn't so bad. At the very least it gave him some privacy without someone looming over his shoulder. In the meantime, he'd taken to listening to some music before class could start.

"I stopped an old man along the way, hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies. He turned as if to say, Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you. It's gonna take a lot to tear me away from you, there's nothing a hundred men or more could ever do. I blessed the rains down in Africa, gonna take some time to do the thing we never have…" He joyfully sang under his breath, keeping it down so as if not to disturb anyone else.

Music had always been a part of his life ever since childhood, there was no escaping it. Both mother and father had taken an interest in it throughout the years and when the time came, gave he and his siblings the gift of their joyful melodies. Although, some genres were more liked than others, so long as it maintained a good rhythmic balance and catchy lyrics, he'd tap his foot to it. Unfortunately, just as it was getting good the door at the front of the room opened, as their instructor for Human Algebra, Ms. Wylder, walked in, signaling the start of class.

"Good morning, class, I hope you've all had a wonderful start to your day." She uttered, as a bright, cheerful smile occupied her face. "I do hope we all get along this year and have some wonderful experiences."

Ms. Wylder, freshmen Algebra instructor for Yokai Academy and an overall positive person. That sweet smile of hers hardly ever left her face, especially in the presence of new students and faculty. Her overall all appearance, while a tad casual, gave her appearance its own personality. A white, button up top covered her torso, while a pair of blue jeans concealed her lower half, with a pair of white sneakers and red rimmed glasses to finish off her wardrobe. Meanwhile, her physical attractiveness, while lacking in one certain frontal area, it hadn't taken away from the rest of her. Even if it looked as if she'd used a bowl to cut her dark brown hair.

"First, we'll call roll, then we'll get to the good stuff. 'Kay?" She promised, winking to her students while pulling a clipboard from her workbag.

Roll call, a standard practice in every school, whether in the human or monster world. A repetitive procedure, for sure, but a necessary one. Name by name she read off, placing a check next to those who responded accordingly. But while taking placing his player back inside his pocket, one name caught his attention.

"Minami Aono? Is Minami Aono present?"

That name, the same name of the girl who'd chased after him. On one hand, the conclusion of their chase had left him nervous for any upcoming encounters, but in the other, he may have landed a somewhat innocent person in a heap of trouble. Discarding one's disguise was within direct violation of school rules, unless under extreme circumstances or direct authorization from the higher-ups. What were the consequences? They hadn't specified in the handbook sent to him. The tone of her voice, though, she sounded rather worried.

"Guess not. Oh well, let's get to work with our first project." She enthusiastically told everyone.

A project? On the first day? All they could do was groan at the concept. Weren't they supposed to go around and explain who they were and what they wanted to do in the future? That's what happened at his previous school. But, before they could begin, the front door slid open, as a familiar face entered the room. Same pink hair, green eyes, cute face, it was her alright, which caused a nervous sweat to run down his forehead.

"Sorry I'm late, got help up this morning." She said, bowing apologetically to their teacher.

"Ah, you must be Minami." Ms. Wylder said with a friendly smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good to have you, then. Take a seat wherever you like."

"Thank you." She said in return, before scanning the area for a good seat.

There weren't many left, maybe 4 in total and all in the back, too. Just his rotten luck. Of course, many of her male peers gawked over her well-shaped form. Meanwhile, poor Ryo tried hiding his head in his arms, head face down on the desk. Sadly, she'd taken the far-left isle, leading towards the desk right next to his own.

"Oh, there's still a window seat." She thought with some excitement.

"Don't sit over here, don't sit over here, don't sit over here…" He pleaded in desperation.

The louder the footsteps got, the more nervous he became. So much so, the rapid beating of his heart made it feel as if it were going to burst from his check. But perhaps she wouldn't notice. Not. Only an idiot would fall for something so lame and ineffective. A simple glance to her left and bingo, the hair from the back of his head had been left uncovered. And there was but one guy she'd ran into with such distinct, purple hair.

"So, our paths cross once again." She thought to herself, as a devious smirk appeared. Extending an arm, she gave his back a little pat, sending a shutter throughout his entire body. "Heh- heh -heh. Gotcha." She whispered to him in a soft yet creepy tone.

"I'm done for…" He whimpered on the inside upon feeling the gentle touch.

Taking her seat to his left, she kept the same bright, angelic smile she had come in with. Nothing had happened. She certainly didn't purposely tease another student. With everyone present and accounted for, their teacher clapped her hands together in excitement.

"Now, don't worry, this won't be counted as an actual project." Wylder stated, before crossing her arms, taking a more serious tone with them. "I'll be breaking you up into groups of two, in which you will each learn and write down three different things you learn about one another. Think of it as a bonding experience, a chance to make a new friend. Hobbies, goals, it's all fair game. Now then, let's begin."

Okay, so it wasn't as bad as they had thought. A bit of one on one communication? Piece of cake. Plus, a new friend could come from it; someone to help them in times of need. For Ryo, that someone could be a lifesaver. If only the forces at work could have predicted what would happen next. It seemed she hadn't planned on assigning through alphabetical means, but instead, the position of each student in accordance with their partner. Two students were paired, then another, then another, then another, until only two were left; both sitting in the very back.

"Ryo Keno and Minami Aono, you'll be our last pair. Hope you come together in unity." She told them, before setting her clipboard down. "Alright, you may begin."

The turning of desks and chairs filled the room, however, he remained apprehensive. Not about the project, but of the person he'd been saddled with. Beautiful and frightening, any other day he would have been overjoyed, but know what happened prior, it only made it more nerve-racking. Turning to face each other, both sat in silence. What could they say? Their first meeting had been so weird, even she found it difficult to speak up. Five minutes passed, then ten, twenty, and not a single word was spoken.

"This really sucks…" Minami thought, while looking down at her desk.

"Awkward, this is so very awkward. Could this get anymore awkward?" He sang inside his mind, hoping to distract himself. But glancing across his desk revealed a rather familiar expression of discomfort. As if she too wasn't feeling it either. "Well, I guess if someone has to do it…"

Best to say something and hope it wouldn't backfire. And so, with a thumping heart and somewhat clear mind, his head raised to look at her as she looked back in response to the sudden movement.

"So…About this morning, I'm…really sorry for acting like that. I acted way too rashly and wasn't thinking straight." He said in a most apologetic tone, bowing his head in sincerity. "I'm sorry."

Silence returned, but for only a moment. What followed was a soft chuckle from his partner. Had he said something funny, or was he nothing but a joke to him? No. Instead, it would signify a change in atmosphere between the two.

"Come on, you don't have to bow for little stuff like that." She said in return, giggling at the rather silly gesture.

"But, didn't they punish you or something?" he asked out of confusion.

"Nope. Got off with a warning since it's the first day." She said, assuring him with a friendly smile.

"Oh, guess that's pretty good." He replied, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Oh yeah. I was expecting far worse, but I guess my reasoning was sound enough for them to turn the other cheek."

"Yeah, about that, what were you doing to them?"

"Tsk. A couple of troublemakers. They tried taking something really important to me, so I showed them a fun time." She said with another smile.

"Right…What'd they take?"

"It's something my mom gave me before coming here." she said, pulling the same rosary he'd seen before from her blazer pocket. Its silver finish and red jewel gave it a rather elegant appearance, like something a princess would wear, though one end appeared broken. "It belonged to my parents a long time ago and they wanted me to have it as a good luck charm. If those idiots had done something to it, I would have done more than what I did."

"So, they didn't break it?" He wondered.

"Oh no, that happened a long time ago with my parents." She explained, sliding it back in her pocket. "It's a long story."

"Huh. That's interesting."

"Mhm. How about you? Is that thing on your wrist important?" She questioned.

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you fiddling with something on your right wrist." She admitted, reaching over for the right sleeve. "Come on, let me see it."

"Hold it, I'll do it." He sternly proclaimed, pulling his arm away at the last second. As if it held a high purpose, he refrained from letting anyone but himself touch it. Rolling up his sleeve gave her a nice eyeful of the device. "See? Nothing special."

"…You've got a weird watch." She uttered, confused by its design.

"It's not a watch. See, the species of elemental I'm from aren't known for being the safest. As a precaution, I never take it off. Think of it as a limiter" He explained, before pointing to the blue jewel in its center. "This is what keeps them in check."

"And if it breaks?" She asks with interest.

"Who knows, I'd probably become just as scary as any S class monster out there. A force of nature that can't be stopped."

Imagine, someone so innocent becoming a legitimate threat. It seemed unreal, and it probably was. In typical freshmen fashion, those who hadn't proven themselves often tried talking a big game, and he was no different. Those at the top of the spectrum weren't just respected but often challenged by other students. The notion alone caused a few snickers and giggle to escape her lips.

"Figures." He sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, what am I supposed to think? You ran away like a scared chicken earlier. Remember?" She reminded him.

"Yeah, because you were chasing me." He reminded her with a slight smirk.

How would she respond? With another retort or smart-ass comment? No. Instead, a few giggles escaped her lips before evolving into a full-blown laugh. Thankfully, the surrounding conversations kept the attention away from them.

"Heh-heh-heh. Alright, you've got me." She said, as her laughter died out. "What's your name?" she asked, having settled down.

"Ryo Keno." He answered.

"Minami Aono." She replied, offering both a hand and smile of kindness towards him.

Two people, both different, yet similar in some ways. Putting her unique personality aside, the fact such a high-class monster would even think of speaking to a jacked up Yokai such as himself had him both excited and nervous. On one hand, having someone with that much strength during hairy situations, but on the other, that tomboyish attitude could come back to bite him in the butt. But, if he had to choose between both options, he'd rather not be on the other side of that kick.

A quick 50 minutes passed before the bell rang for their departure. Of course, as instructed everyone handed in their assignment, making their instructor noticeably excited in the process. Next up, P.E, a personal favorite of his, and best of all she would be joining him. What were the chances they'd both have the same class in the same period? It must have been dumb luck. As for their uniform, it was the standard get-up: a white shirt with two red strips along the shoulders and sleeves, red gym shorts, and solid white sneakers; the girls had their own red bloomers in place of their pants. A much comfier wardrobe when compared to their uniforms.

"Alright. Much better." He sighed, after having slipped into his new change of clothes. Neither the top more bottoms were restrictive in any way, and even allowed for far more freedom of movement, while the soft padding inside their shoes made him miss the comfort of his old sneakers. "Kind of wish for longer pants, but take what you can get, right?"

The locker room was quite spacious, with 40 lockers in total attached to the walls via screws; the amount having been divided equally between both genders. Preying eyes were kept at bay by a large, thick, wooden door that separated both sides. If either side were to even attempt to sneak a peek, they'd have one tough time digging through 5 inches of solid wood. Or, not? While they hadn't caught his attention at first, four fellow students had gathered around a small, golf ball sized hole in the door, gawking at the goods just beyond the boundary.

"Brilliant move, no one will notice you like that." He sarcastically thought to himself, humored by their perverse antics while sealing his uniform behind the door of his own locker.

Perverts, the lot of them, but who was he to interrupt their fun? Sooner or later karma would rear its ugly head. In the meantime, why bother? Getting mixed up with guys like that would only land him in hot water, however, it seemed someone had noticed his wandering glance. The moment his eyes away though the arm of an unknown individual made its way around his shoulders, like an old friend come to greet him.

"I see you've taken interest in my little invention, hm?" the boy pressed.

"You mean a hole?" He asked in return while looking back at who had thought to grab him.

The boy looked the same age as himself, though had a few differences between their body types. While Ryo maintained a rather fit physic, this person had an average physical appearance. His skin was a shade of light brown, with short, dark brown hair resting atop his head, and similarly colored eyes. But, while he may not have had much muscle, he sure kept his hair well combed and body well washed; the guy much of used strawberry scented body wash.

"Not just a hole, a window into a world of wonderment. A world we cannot see with our own eyes because of this door." The boy emphasized. "Wouldn't you like a peek into the unknown?"

"No?" Ryo answered in a discouraged tone.

"Ah. I see, one of those pure of heart kind of guys. I get you. Can't take a bit of B&B action, huh?" he said, pulling his arm away. "Or maybe you swing the other way."

"No…If I wanted to see naked girls, I'd go online on buy a magazine."

"But this is the real deal, don't tell me you don't find that sexy as hell." He said in confusion.

"Not saying that, I just don't make a big deal about it. A naked woman is a naked woman, it's a part of their natural form."

"…You're a pretty weird guy, you know that?" The boy stated with a slight smirk.

"I've been told that."

An odd choice of words, but perhaps his upbringing had been different compared to most children. Their conversation, however, when a sudden sense of dread loomed overhead, reaching for the right shoulder of the devious brown boy. The grip tightened, as both froze in fear of who's found them, and it only got worse when they uttered a single name.

"Oshira…" the masculine voice growled, sending a slightly tremble down their spines.

Their warm breath passed between the two as they turned their heads with some reluctance. As it turned out, they'd been spotted by a familiar face dressed in the same clothes as them. Blue eyes, black hair, red headband, it could only be one person. A look of annoyance covered his face, brows lowered and teeth slightly gritted. As if he couldn't look any more serious.

"…What's up, Diashiro?" The boy asked, voice slightly shaken by his mere presence.

"Did I hear you correctly? That hole over there was created by you?" He asked in return.

"Absolutely not. I'd never spy on those ladies during their private time." He tried answering in a calm voice. "Nope. Not me."

"Bull crap." Ryo thought, unimpressed by the attempted lie as seen plastered across his face.

"Is that so?" said Diashiro, doubtful of the claim. In a flash his attention turned to young Ryo, while shoving his current prey up against the lockers behind them, leaving a visible dent. A clear demonstration of his strength and a good reason to follow along. "Keno, you wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?" He wondered in suspicious of his involvement.

The aura coming from this guy felt overwhelming when trying to look him in the eyes. He meant business and those caught lying would find themselves in the same position as Oshira, pinned to a wall with no escape. And so, with a nervous gulp he raised his right hand to point at the boy currently struggling against his grip.

"Him, he started talking about how there was a wonderland or something like that on the other side of the wall." He admitted straight out, while a bit of guilt welled up inside for selling out his devious classmate.

"Did you look?" He pressed.

"Not a chance. I'm not into that peeping stuff."

"Dude, the hell?" Oshira said with a look of shock and disappointment plastered across his face.

"Shush. I'll deal with you afterwards." Diashiro instructed, before turning his attention back to Ryo for another question. "Were their others involved?"

"Look behind you." He mentioned; having thought he would have seen the obvious gaggle of boys near the door.

"What have we here?" Diashiro questioned, turning his body ever so slightly. Of course, the moment he caught sight of the perverse act his hand left the torso of Oshira, turning his attention to new prey. "Excuse me for a moment."

If you were to look up "determination" in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of his stone-cold face right beside it. The guy must have taken his duties very seriously, as those on the security council often did. Having some room to breathe caused Oshira to exhale a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" asked Ryo.

"For the most part. What was up with that back there, though? Selling me out like that, I thought you'd enjoy it."

"Sorry, but I'd rather not end up like that." He explained, casting a nervous glance at the dented locker.

"Whatever." He scoffed, walking away back to his own locker in disgust.

Naked women were fine and all, but when it came to school, he'd rather stay on everyone's good book. Not to mention, the mere thought to being pressed by such a strong individual caused him to cringe. The pressure against his chest, the wind escaping his lungs, no way. Good boy, Ryo, was present and accounted for. Speaking of 'good boys' it seemed their hard-nosed friend had taken his advice and apprehended the pervs, having hoisted them up by nothing but the back collars of their tops.

"Not bad." He thought to himself, admiring the display of physical strength.

All conversations came to an end when the door at the very right corner of the room swung open, revealing a man who could only be described as your typical Gym instructor. With an emerald green track suit covering his well-toned form, his yellow eyes scanned everyone's face in the room, before falling on Diashiro and his catch of the day.

"Minawa, what is your purpose behind your handling of those two there?" he asked in a deep voice, stepping towards him.

"Mr. Taizen, I was alerted to their perverse actions, so I took appropriate action."

"Perverse as in?" He questioned.

Simple glancing at the hole was enough to give him an idea of what had gone on. However, his reaction took everyone by quite the surprise.

"Normally I'd send you lot to the headmaster for proper punishment but seeing as it's your first day I'll let you off with a warning." He stated with arms crossed, before switching to a more serious expression. "However, if this ever happens again, I will light a fire under your asses. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The two said shakenly, frightened by the sudden change in tone.

"Good. Release them." He demanded.

Letting them go, the devious monkeys scurried back to their lockers with their tails between their legs, while Diashiro remained. To Ryo, seeing them walk without punishment was quite strange, but at least it hadn't led to a conflict between student and teacher. Speaking of students, pervy Oshira had returned to his own locker. Now that everyone was set, time for their activities to begin.

"Let's get started." Their instructor said while walking up to the wooden barrier, giving it a firm knock. "Tanaka is everyone set?!" he exclaimed.

He'd get his answer when the door slid open, revealing his own co-instructor, a young woman with shoulder length, azure blue hair. Her body was decked out in the same outfit of her superior, of course. The expression on her face was far gentler and calm.

"No need to yell, sir." She replied outright, showing off her group of females.

From top to bottom everyone wore nearly the same exact outfit, excluding the bloomers for the guys. Of course, several of them were quite drawn to the lovely ladies, while Ryo looked on in indifference. Sure, they all looked sexy, he couldn't deny that, but it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before.

"Today, we'll be testing your physical abilities. No if, and, or buts allows. Understand?" He asked, drawing their attention back to himself.

"Yeah." most said, a tad frightened by his rough exterior.

"Excellent." He said, leading them out the back door and towards the track and field.

Who wouldn't want to bust their butts proving themselves to their new teacher on the first day? Overall, the day had gone about how he'd predicted, minus one of two hiccups. Stepping out, the sun's rays made themselves known, as did one of his newest associates. With a kickoff the ground Minami made her presence known by jumping onto his shoulders, squeezing his head between her thighs in the process.

"Heh-heh-heh. Gotcha." She deviously chuckled, while holding onto the bottom of his chin for support.

"…And you're doing this because…?"

"It's fun." She answered with glee, giving his head a tighter squeeze.

Of course, being between just lovely thighs meant his fellow males were all but jealous of his situation, their wicked glares sending a clear signal to them both. This year was sure off to an interesting start.