Kurumu slipped her arms into the sleeves of her silky blouse. Reaching down to her navel, she started to push the glossy, black buttons through their slots on the opposing hem. It had been so long since she had worn this outfit that she had to fetch it from her own suite's closet after doing laundry last night.

"Shouldn't you wear your school uniform?"

Kurumu shrugged as she made her way up to her bosom tucked in her lacy, black bra. Intent on matching her, Moka was putting on her school blouse over her black lingerie. While there was some variation in their bras, their panties were identical down to the bikini cut style.

"This is the outfit I wore the last time I saw my mother alive. I also wore it on the day she was cremated. It feels appropriate for a funeral."

"It's more like a viewing than a funeral."

Kokoa strolled over, already dressed in her school uniform with the sweater vest top.

"Why don't you wear that Chinese dress I bought you?"

Kurumu smirked with a slight shake of her head. Finished with the buttons, she flipped up the frilly collar and leaned over to grab the vermilion tie that went with this outfit. She had left the slip knot in place, pulling the loop over her head and pushing it down in place about her collar.

"I'm unsure if that had been appropriate for that funeral. Sure, we looked nice, but I felt out of place."

"It's not like we knew that girl so of course we felt out of place."

"You could change your clothes after the meeting."

Kurumu shook her head as she prettied up the satin tie with the bows touching the top of her bosom.

"There won't be time."

"Of course there will be time."

Kurumu stepped into the olive suspender skirt which came with this blouse. She tugged it up over her hips, pulling the decorative corset part up to rest at the bottom of her bosom. The garment stretched for a snug fit over her midsection and rump. The bottom of the pleated skirt hung below her knees.

"I want to go to Baratoge after the meeting and try out that quest Ms. Ishikure made for us."

Moka frowned, slipping on her school jacket.

"We don't have to do that today."

Kurumu fished her arms through the suspenders which crossed in the back. She fixed them up on her shoulders, drawing her thumbs down the front. She knew the outfit emphasized her bosom, but she truly felt this was her best ensemble for this occasion.

"I promised Suzume that would we go with her to Mononoke. We can't do everything tomorrow."

"I guess if it's okay with Yukari and Ms. Ishikure we can do it after the meeting. But there's no reason for you to attend the meeting if that's why you're coming along."

"I suppose I can wait outside until it's over."

There was a knock at the door. Grabbing the pair of black thigh highs Yukari had loaned her over a month ago, Kurumu prompted Kokoa to move before exiting the closet.

"I wonder whom that could be."

Kokoa bounded over to the entryway, turning the deadbolt and opening the door.

"Oh. It's that crazy snow girl."

Kurumu chuckled as she stopped at the couch, leaning down to grab her purse. Getting the loop up onto her shoulder, she pushed the table towards the bed. Once the table was stowed away, she stood up and turned about with a grin.

Mizore stood in the doorway, wearing that peach, long sleeved blouse with the crimped collar and cuffs that Moka had bought her in Okinawa. A pleated white skirt ended halfway down her thighs with two purple stripes marking the bottom hem. Her usual stockings were pulled up to her knees.

"Morning, Mizore. I forgot to check on you last night. I hope that you're okay."

Mizore nodded, touching the end of the white stick nestled in the corner of her mouth.

"My mother is here."

Kurumu perked up at the announcement, sharing a glance with Moka. Grinning, she strolled over to the entryway. Bending over, she wiggled on the black tights, rolling them up to her thighs.

"When are you meeting up with her?"

"She's around the corner."

Kurumu frowned as she tugged up her tights.

"She's here?"

"She's spending the weekend in my suite. She wants to meet you."

Already with her shoes on, Kokoa stepped out of the apartment.

"What is she doing?"

"She prefers the shade."

Kurumu slipped into her shiny black Mary Janes which had thick soles to give her an extra centimeter or two. She clipped the silver buckles on the sides, tightening the straps across the top which sported black bows. Letting her purse slip down to her elbow, Kurumu poked her head out the open door.

A woman with silvery, purple hair was peering around the side of the building. Her tresses were pulled back and twisted in a ball secured by a jade ribbon. Her jagged bangs were swept to the sides of her delicate face as she peered at them with intense, sapphire eyes similar to Mizore's. Like her daughter, a small white stick was nestled in the corner of her mouth.

Grinning, Kurumu stepped out three paces into the morning light to get a better view of the woman. The mother was dressed in a pristine white kimono with a jade sash tied about her midsection. The woman's eyes followed her intently while touching the building with a hand on each side of the building's corner.

"Is it okay if I introduce myself?"

Mizore nodded, stepping over to her mother's side to touch the woman on the shoulder. Mizore was not that much shorter than her mother.

"This is my mother, Tsurara."

Kurumu bowed slightly to the woman as Kokoa stepped over to join her.

"I am Kurono Kurumu. And this is Milady, Shuzen Kokoa."

Kurumu gestured to Moka as the vampire stepped out with her crimson purse in hand.

"And this is my friend, Akashiya Moka. These two are sisters."

The woman cocked her head slightly, letting go of the wall as Moka smiled at her. She bowed slightly.

"Pleased to meet you."

Kurumu shared a glance with Moka. The vampire smiled nervously, closing the door behind her and taking her keys out of her purse to lock up.

"We were about to go to Yukari's place. Would you like to come with us?"

The mother took a step away from the wall, pulling her daughter close. Mizore touched her mother's hand, leaning against her.

"Could I see Ageha's shrine?"

Kurumu managed a smile. She gestured towards the commissary.

"Sure. We can access my room through Yukari's room. Follow me."

Kurumu started off with Kokoa at her side. Moka hurried to catch up to them while the two snow women followed at a distance.

"I bet Mizore is glad that you're staying with her the whole weekend. She admitted to being homesick when we were in Okinawa."

"She didn't seem homesick. She's only written home three times."

"They don't need to know that."

"She was crying last night but it was over her friend leaving."

Kurumu smiled softly as they passed into the shadow of the commissary.

"Did she talk about Sakamori in her letters?"

"No. She has mostly talked about you, Mr. Aono and Mr. Morioka."

Kurumu frowned as they crossed the open space between the commissary and the apartment building.

"You didn't talk about Moka or Yukari?"

"Or me?"

"She mentioned that her friend had been enslaved by a pair of vampires."

Kokoa whirled about, wagging a finger as she backpedaled.

"We didn't enslave her. She swore her life to my service in exchange for my blood."

"Is this true?"

"Yes, Mother. Akashiya almost killed Tsukune and then demanded Kurumu's life to save him."

They came to a stop at the base of the building. Moka wrung her hands, shaking her head.

"No, I didn't!"

"Your blood was killing him."

"I had no choice!"

"No. You wanted him to be stuck with you."

"Are you wanting a fight?"

Kurumu draped her arms over Kokoa, tugging the angry vampire back.

"There will be none of that, Milady."

"This pest is lying about us."

Mizore calmly looked them over without a trace of malice.

"There may have been other ways to heal Tsukune but she picked the one most convenient to her."

"It wasn't like that. I truly believed there was no other way."

The mother rubbed Mizore's shoulder.

"I think you should stop antagonizing Ms. Akashiya. You can see her regret."

"And I spoil this servant. I bought her the clothes she has on."

Kurumu laughed, loosening her hold on the tense vampire.

"Yes. Milady is quite generous to me."

"Of course I am. I hang out with my friends several times a week so its not like she has to do all of the chores she's supposed to be doing for me. She tried to make me do my own laundry last night."

Kurumu chuckled, stalking away from the indignant vampire.

"I was trying to get you to be sociable."

Kokoa scowled, following after her as Kurumu started up the stairs.

"And I was trying to finish that manga series."

The mother nodded at Moka which prompted the vampire to move. Kurumu had reached the top of the stairs by the time the snow women took the first steps up.

"I'm relieved that you don't mind your situation, Ms. Kurono."

Kurumu paused at the remark as Kokoa joined her on the upper landing. Shrugging, Kurumu depressed the small button which caused the sound of a bird chirping inside Yukari's suite.

"I won't say I'm happy about everything that's happened. But being Kokoa's servant is the least of my troubles. It gives me something to do."

The door tugged open and Rubi favored them a bright smile. The witch was garbed in a long sleeved, black, fishnet shirt drawn over a black tank top. The straps of the tank top were hidden by glossy black suspenders attached to a glossy black skirt which was hiked up to the bottom of her bosom. A fat, silver zipper split the middle of the front of this heavy skirt which ended shy of her knees. Her bared legs were swathed in black, fishnet leggings.

"Morning, Ms. Kurono. Ms. Shuzen."

"Why does everyone acknowledge you first? I'm the vampire and you're the servant."

"Why did you bring that brat over here?"

"Who are you calling a brat, brat?!"

Kurumu laughed, stepping into the entryway ahead of Kokoa and causing Rubi to retreat. Her smile widened upon seeing Yukari's mother doing the dishes in the sink. Like Yukari, the mother had fine, black tresses which almost reached her shoulders. The woman had on a yellow blouse tucked into a black, pencil skirt which ended well below her knees.

Dressed for the school meeting, Yukari was seated by her table with her father. Yukari's father had sandy blond hair, glasses and a bushy mustache. His white dress shirt was tucked in a pair of black slacks with a brown belt encircling his waist.

"It's good to see you again, Ms. Kurono."

"And you, Mrs. Sendou."

Kurumu bent down to unbuckle her shoes as Kokoa entered the suite.

"And whom might this young lady be?"

"I'm Shuzen Kokoa. Daughter of the President of Fairy Tale."

Kurumu smirked, rarely hearing Kokoa introduce herself as such. Slipping out of her shoes, Kurumu stepped clear of the entryway to make room for the others.

"We were hoping that you could take us into my suite."

Yukari frowned, getting up from her spot.

"Why didn't you just go to your room?"

"Because I wanted Mizore's mother to meet you."

Yukari grimaced as Moka entered the room with Mizore lingering in the doorway.

"I guess I can deal with this. Mom. Dad. This is Akashiya Moka."

As Kokoa joined Kurumu, Moka bowed her head slightly to the woman at the counter while Yukari's father stood up.

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"So this is the young woman whom has caused my daughter so much trauma."

"Be pleasant, Dear."

The father crossed his arms defiantly as Moka lingered in the entryway, indecisive over what she should do. Mizore remained at the door, betraying no indication of wanting to enter.

"No. I need to make myself clear. You are to stay away from my daughter, Ms. Akashiya."

"Dad!"

"Why don't you tell your brat to stay away from us?"

Yukari hopped to her feet, wagging a finger at Kokoa.

"Stay out of this."

"I have told her but she refuses and Ms. Toujou is proving incompetent."

"I'm so sorry, Sir. But Yukari loves Ms. Akashiya. I'd feel wrong to keep them apart."

Kokoa laughed, holding her hands up in feigned dismay.

"I guess it can't be helped. If I have your permission, I'll gladly pummel this menace whenever she tries to come near my sister."

"Don't think I will hesitate to use magic on you."

"Oh yea?! Bring it!"

"Kokoa, please! Show some respect to the parents in the room."

"They want her to leave you alone and so do I."

"The ends may be the same but I would prefer means that don't bring harm to my daughter."

"Well I don't know how to make the brat go away. Even if we separate my sister from this stupid seal, I doubt she'll stop bothering us."

"Akashiya is physically intimate with her."

Mizore's announcement shocked the room. Kurumu regarded the snow girl with wide eyes as Moka and Yukari blushed and Kokoa snickered.

"That was a joke, right. Ms. uh…"

"Shirayuki Mizore."

Mizore gestured outside.

"My mother is Tsurara."

"What do you mean by she is physically intimate with my underage daughter?"

"She drank her blood."

The father's face reddened with fury as the mother hurried to intervene.

"How dare you!"

Moka flinched as Yukari rushed by Kurumu to cling to Moka's side.

"I asked her to."

"You are eleven!"

"I knew what I was doing!"

"You can't consent to that sort of thing!"

"I love Moka!"

Mr. Sendou shook a finger at Rubi as his wife stood before him, holding his shoulders.

"Where were you?! We let her return to this school under the premise that you would keep her safe!"

"I'm doing my best, Sir!"

"Your best?! Failing to report this makes me wonder if you have been lying to us about recent events."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Sendou. If it pleases you, you can spank me all you like for any trouble I have caused."

Mr. Sendou grimaced at the squirming witch.

"You'd enjoy it too much."

"Calm down, Dear. They both assured us that they were nowhere near the Fairy Tale office destroyed in Okinawa and had nothing to do with those bank robbers killing those girls here. The school papers support their claims."

"As if we can trust a paper they helped produce."

Kurumu clamped a hand on Kokoa's shoulder, squeezing firmly. The vampire glanced aside but thankfully remained quiet. The last thing they needed was for someone to reveal the truth.

"If you're going to be like this, than go back home. I don't need you here."

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady. I'm the one paying for your school."

"Fine. I'll have my Moka pay for my schooling. I'm sure she can afford it."

"You aren't old enough, Child! You have no say in this matter! A vampire blood claim has no grounds for guardianship in the laws of Fairy Tale!"

Kokoa snickered, leaning against Kurumu.

"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Sendou. Mother is the President. She could make it work if she wants it to."

"She's my child!"

"I'm not your property!"

"Could everyone please calm down?"

The father turned his ire upon Kurumu, shaking his head.

"This is your fault, Ms. Kurono. If you had not taken away her memory of the event, my girl would have been too scared to be near someone so dangerous to her health."

Kurumu staggered back at that conclusion.

"Tamanori. Stop it."

"Don't tell me-"

A slap caught the father by surprise. He peered down in disbelief at his wife.

"We did not come here to have a fight in front of complete strangers and belittle someone whom spared our precious girl from having the memory of the worst days of her life."

The man grit his teeth, backing off.

"I didn't want Yukari to go to that summer wedding. But that woman made me give her up. That's what her kind does. They make you do what they want."

Kurumu shivered at his fury. She had never thought to ask how Yukari got permission to attend the wedding. That's why Ms. Kiyoshi had picked Yukari up. It had her wonder if the parents of Kokoa's girls had also been manipulated into surrendering their children.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Akashiya. I did not mean for you to linger in the entryway or to keep the other guests outside for so long. Please. Everyone. Come inside."

Finally having permission, Moka slipped off her shoes and drifted away from the door. Mizore came further inside, gesturing for her mother to follow. The older woman timidly poked her head inside.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion."

"No, Mrs. Shirayuki. The fault is ours."

"I should press charges for child abuse."

"Oh, shush. Ms. Akashiya is only sixteen. Barely more than a child herself."

"There's a difference between sixteen and eleven."

"It's called five years, Dad."

Her father glowered at Yukari but offered no further comment.

"Mother. This is Toujou Rubi. She's their slave."

Kurumu had to laugh as Rubi trembled under the introduction.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Shirayuki."

"I wasn't aware witches were into slavery."

"We're not, Mrs. Shirayuki. We've heard much about how humorous your daughter is."

Mrs. Shirayuki smiled thinly, stepping out of her sandals. She clutched her daughter to her side.

"Strange. I've never heard my Mizore described as such."

"Yukari. You don't mind if we use the magic doorways to get to my suite, right?"

"I have no idea if Ms. Chouda is home."

Kurumu laughed, stalking over to the middle closet and tugging the door open.

"I'm sure she won't mind if you ask her. She loves you."

"Where are you going?"

Yukari huffed at her father as she followed Kurumu into the closet.

"It's none of your business."

"Yukari. Answer your father."

"We're going to see Kurumu's mother."

"That's no reason to be curt with your father."

"Fine. Come along. But I don't want you at the meeting after that outburst. You can stay here with Rubi until it's time for the parent orientation."

Yukari waved her hand over the wall inside the closet, causing the silver box to appear. She pressed the box, causing the air to hum as the molecules of the wall were forced apart by magic.

Kurumu darted through first, feeling the hum of energy course through her body as she passed through the portal. She heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. Grinning, Kurumu walked around Chouda's bed as the others followed her into the room.

"Sumire. It's Kurumu and Yukari. We're coming through."

The water cut off and in seconds the door swung out. The sylph had a plush, blue towel wrapped about her tiny torso and the handle of a green toothbrush in her mouth. Her long, mint green tresses were fluffy from being recently warmed with a hair drier. She waved while removing her toothbrush.

"Let me rinse my mouth."

The sylph darted back into her bathroom, gargling water. Kurumu smiled at Mizore and her mother, gesturing at the wall between Chouda's desk and bed. Yukari slipped ahead of them to wave her hand against the surface, causing another silver box to appear. With a simple touch, the wall parted in the same manner as the other one.

"Her butsudan is through there on the desk on your right. You can take all the time you want. Rubi knows how to close these walls."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Kurono, but did you say butsudan?"

Kurumu smiled at Mrs. Sendou as Mizore and her mother entered Kurumu's room.

"Yea. And her urn."

The look on Mr. Sendou's face was of profound regret. Then Chouda squeaked in alarm the moment she stepped out of the room, causing the man to stumble back through the portal into Yukari's closet.

"I'm so sorry, young miss! I saw nothing!"

Chouda panted, pressing her hand to her flat chest as Kurumu and Mrs. Sendou chuckled. The small senior pouted, retreating to her closet door.

"You could have warned me a man would be in my room."

"It's okay. It's just my dad."

"He's still a man."

The senior disappeared into her closet. Shaking her head, Kurumu wandered over to the closet door and leaned against the refrigerator.

"Sorry about that, Sumire."

"Come along, Tamanori. You need to pay respects to the woman whose daughter you just insulted."

Yukari's father followed his wife across the room. He paused by Yukari at the wall, looking at Kurumu.

"My condolences, Ms. Kurono. I was unaware of you losing your only parent."

Kurumu wanted to say something passive aggressive but let it go. She simply ignored him, turning her attention back to the door.

"I never asked, but how did that birthday party for Kamitsuku go? I know you guys had it last weekend."

"Oh, that? It was fun. But we ran out of stuff to do after eating the cake. I thought it would be like a long party but everyone left before seven."

"Well… when did you guys start?"

"Four."

Kurumu nodded, supposing that was why Kamitsuku had not said anything about it. That was barely enough time to make, bake and eat the cake. It sounded like someone had not planned much else.

"Do you have family here for the weekend?"

"Mhm. My parents will be at the orientation."

Chouda emerged from the closet, sporting a short sleeved, pink polo and a denim skirt which bared half of her thighs and buttoned up in the front along her left leg.

"Are your parents graduates of Yokai Academy?"

"My father is."

"What year did he graduate?"

"My dad turns forty this year so that means he graduated in 1984."

"So… no chance of knowing my mother."

"I guess not. Why?"

"An agent of Fairy Tale is going to make an announcement at the parent orientation today about my mother. Since you are only fourteen, I thought there was a chance that he had gone to school with her."

"Oh. What sort of announcement?"

Kurumu smiled into Chouda's periwinkle eyes. She draped her arm over the confused sylph's shoulder. The girl was taller than her but not by much. Kurumu steered the girl towards the opening, feeling a tinge of sadness in her heart.

"Let me introduce you to my mother."

Kurumu had always thought parents were taller. Part of that was due to her being so short. Even after meeting almost all of the students in the school at this point, she probably knew less than a dozen girls that were shorter than her.

Moka was taller than half of the mothers present at the orientation. And while Tsukune was on the short side when it came to men, many fathers were not taller than Ginei. As she glanced down the stairs to her suite at the parents and students whom had followed her to this viewing, it simply amazed her how her fellow high school students were nearly as physically mature as they would be as adults.

"I'm going to be short forever."

Ms. Ohno giggled, placing a hand on her shoulder. The succubus was garbed in a stretchy black dress which hugged her neck and defined every curve of her body down to her thighs. The short sleeves were made of a black lace mesh which was more transparent than the black hose stretching down her legs. Her wedges helped elevate the short woman to be slightly taller than Juri. She had the same black purse from last night dangling from her elbow.

"It's not that bad."

Kurumu frowned, fishing her keys out of her purse.

"My suite isn't big enough for this many people."

"We understand, Ms. Kurono."

Ms. Nekonome stood on the top step, sporting a burnt orange, short sleeved, knee length, shirt dress which buttoned up the front from the waist to the collar. The teacher held a white, leather purse which matched her white Mary Janes.

"We should keep it to five or six guests at a time."

Coach Yaisoku held the railing on the next step down. The tennis coach had on a gray, hooded sweatshirt with crimson lettering. Her other hand rested absently on her protruding belly which threatened the ability of her garment to stretch. A matching pair of sweatpants covered her legs and gray sneakers with pink laces graced her feet.

"I also don't have anything resembling food or drink in my suite."

Ms. Ohno giggled, waving a hand dismissively.

"That would only make things take longer for those waiting to enter. Don't worry about it."

Kurumu frowned, feeling she should have done more for this viewing. While she could argue that there had been no real time to plan for this, it still felt like she was failing her duties as a hostess.

"Should we trouble everyone with removing their shoes when they come inside?"

"Don't you have a broom?"

Kurumu sheepishly shook her head at Coach Yaisoku's inquiry.

"I've never thought to buy one."

"I'm not bending down to remove my shoes for a short visit. I'll buy you a broom."

"Everyone. I only brought the butsudan and urn last night. Ms. Kurono lacks any treats or refreshments to serve you, but I reserved three rooms at the Sumeragi starting at six. They serve food and drink and we can share stories about Ageha at our leisure there."

After unlocking the door, Kurumu pushed it open and promptly removed her shoes. Leaving the door ajar, she wandered over to her desk to open up the panels of the butsudan.

"We will keep it to six guests at a time. Don't worry about removing your shoes if you don't wish to do so. To speed things along, please don't spend too much time socializing with each other while inside. We will have plenty of time for that at the bar."

"I will definitely be in the mood for a drink."

"That's not good for you baby."

"My baby will understand."

"I think Ageha would disagree.

As the first two teachers came over to the desk, Kurumu backed up to her bed to give them space. Two more teachers entered the room. The dark haired woman with the hime cut bangs and side curls was Mrs. Senda Shiki, a third year science teacher whom was the advisor for the broadcasting club. She had graduated the year before mommy but they both had been in the broadcasting club along with Mrs. Shirayuki. She had on a frilly cream blouse which hung over a pair of textured gray slacks.

The other teacher was bending down to remove her shiny black flats. That silvery haired woman whose lilac eyes were hidden beneath stringy bangs was Ms. Yumeito Megumi, a second year science teacher whom was the advisor for the acupuncture club. She had been the valedictorian of mommy's grade. She was wearing a spaghetti string, candy red dress with the pleated skirt portion reaching her ankles. To be school appropriate, a gossamer black shawl was draped over her shoulders.

"That's a nice picture."

Kurumu smiled at Ms. Nekonome's comment.

"Yea. I need to get a frame for it."

"We should light the incense."

Coach Yaisoku nodded as Mrs. Senda stepped forward to do the task. Kurumu had left a small booklet of matches near the incense holder which the teacher found immediately. She struck a match, lighting one of the senko with her right hand after placing it in the holder. Shaking out the flame, Ms. Senda rang the small gong and backed up a step, bowing her head and folding her hands together.

"That's a pretty urn."

Coach Yaisoku gestured at the sealed black ceramic urn patterned with white lilies. Ms. Nekonome nodded, clapping her hands and bowing slightly.

"Please watch over your daughter."

Ms. Yumeito held her hand to her ample bosom, sniffling. Her other hand held her flats.

"I can't believe she's really gone. We just talked to her in July."

Lingering in the entryway was Juri and her father. Like most of her fellow students, Juri was dressed for school because the parent orientation was considered a school function.

Juri's father had almost no resemblance to his daughter. Standing about as tall as Tsukune, the black, short haired man had a simple side part and firm brown eyes. A checkered soft blue and white shirt was tucked in a pair of khakis. Prompting his daughter to follow his example, they both removed their shoes.

"I remember this doll."

Ms. Nekonome picked up the cloth doll the Housemother had given to her a few weeks ago. It was a white doll with black yarn for hair and a crimson kimono wrapped about its frail torso. Little balls served as hands and feet, though the feet were painted black to imply shoes or sandals.

"Megumi. Look. It's Ageha's Love."

Ms. Yumeito whimpered, taking the doll from Ms. Nekonome. As sorrow tugged at her heart, Kurumu staggered from an unexpected slap to her shoulder. Coach Yaisoku's eyes wavered.

"I told her I wasn't going to mourn her a third time. You know that we're here for you if you need us."

As the tennis coach backed off, Ms. Nekonome stepped in to give Kurumu a hug. Kurumu closed her eyes as they both breathed in each other. She could smell the scent of the teacher's peach shampoo mixed in with the floral fragrance of the incense.

"I'll get you a proper frame for that picture."

Loosening the embrace, the teacher stepped back to arms' length.

"Thank you."

"I need some air."

Ms. Nekonome nodded, following Coach Yaisoku away from the desk. They passed by Juri and her father, slipping outside.

"Not exactly the way I hoped we would all get back together."

Kurumu smiled softly as Mrs. Senda stepped up to her.

"I'm glad that you came."

"It's a pity that she never got to meet my family in person. We all had it in our heads that we would do something big after Shizuka finally got married."

Kurumu took the woman's hands and squeezed them.

"I'm sure she would still want you to."

"Yea, well… we shall see how that goes now that someone decided to have a baby."

Irewata and her mother were lingering in the doorway. If not for her massive bosom, Irewata's mother could pass as her twin. She was about the same height with the same mousy, fluffy hair and pink eyes. The woman's bountiful assets were barely contained in that pink sundress. Her black purse dangled from her elbow as she placed her sandals next to her daughter's loafers on the half wall flanking the entryway.

"It's good to see that you are doing so well, all things considered."

Kurumu took in a deep breath and nodded.

"I felt her pass weeks ago. I still have my moments but I'm not going to break down when so many people are coming to honor her."

"Can I buy you a vase? I want to get you some pretty flowers."

Kurumu smiled as Ms. Yumeito stepped in closer, rubbing her eye with her free hand. The doll had been returned to its place beside the butsudan.

"I'm fine with that, but I don't spend much time in here. I'm usually with Ms. Akashiya and her sister."

"You don't have to keep the flowers in here."

Kurumu reached over to touch the sniffling woman on the shoulder.

"Thank you for coming."

The bell rang as Juri and her father bowed their heads in respect to her mother's picture.

"It's so sad that she died alone."

"I know. I still feel guilty for not being there."

"None of us were, Ms. Kurono."

According to Ms. Ohno, mommy had died in a car crash, leaving her body so mangled that they cremated her instead of bringing her remains to Kurumu right after the accident.

"I hope you find peace and happiness."

Kurumu smiled and nodded at the short teacher, feeling there was nothing more to say. The pair shuffled off towards the door which prompted Irewata and her mother to move over to the kitchen, allowing a clear path of escape. Moments after they left, the next pair stepped in.

Hazumi was here with her father. Slightly taller than Juri's father, this man had his dark locks styled in a slick crew cut. He was also stockier with his mint, short sleeved polo stretching to accommodate his girth. The shirt was too short to be tucked into his black corduroys. The father and daughter bent down to remove their shoes.

She had three more unexpected first year students attending this viewing. Uboku Iko whom she had just talked about last night was here and so was Yamadachi, a baseball player from class seven. The last was Kagami whom was equally surprised that her mother knew Kurumu's mother. The other two were also here with mothers whom answered Ms. Ohno's summons at the conclusion of the orientation.

"Hey."

Kurumu smiled at Juri whom had stepped in to touch her shoulder. The girl gestured at her father.

"This is my father, Tonbo."

"My condolences for your loss, Ms. Kurono."

"Thank you for being here."

"My father graduated from Yokai Academy a year ahead of your mother. Today is the first time he's ever mentioned knowing her."

Juri's father smiled thinly.

"She wasn't a friend of mine. She was a friend of my cousin, your Aunt Tashoku whom lives in Genkoro."

"Oh? Well it's been a few years since I've seen her."

"Where's Genkoro?"

"That's the village where Joukuu High is."

Kurumu paused, taking a moment to recall that was the Nagano prefecture.

"Your cousin is Kaori?"

The father nodded, gesturing at Irewata's mother as the woman stepped up to the butsudan to pay her respects with her daughter.

"Yes. My cousin became friends with Mrs. Irewata whom she shared homeroom with in their first year at Yokai. They formed some nonsensical hobby club with Mrs. Irewata's best friend, Ms. Nekonome, and Ms. Sasayaki, my cousin's friend whom was a couple years older than her."

"I thought Kaori grew up with Mimi."

The father frowned at her, shaking his head.

"No. Mrs. Irewata grew up with Ms. Nekonome. They both attended the junior high in Aserutani. My cousin attended the school in Kabashita with Ms. Sasayaki."

Kurumu nodded slowly, thinking her mother might have mixed a few facts up.

"And they became friends through Ms. Nekonome."

"I honestly don't recall how your mother came into the picture. My cousin talked about your mother often during my final year at Yokai. Mostly about her chasing after a married man by the name of Kentou whom was in her homeroom that year."

"That would be my father."

"I suppose that we should save this conversation for later. Come along, Juri."

Juri draped an arm across Kurumu's shoulders, pressing against her side.

"I want to stay here."

"We have to make room for the others."

"She doesn't have any of her best friends here. I'm the closest one she's got."

Slipping her arm behind Juri, Kurumu gave the girl a side squeeze.

"I had a small viewing this morning. Moka, Kokoa, Yukari and Mizore were all there."

"Move aside, Juri. Mrs. Irewata and her daughter are waiting."

Kurumu patted Juri on the side.

"I'll see you downstairs in a bit."

The father and daughter had only managed two steps before Kurumu was wrapped up in a squishy hug. She laughed softly, returning Irewata's embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Kurono. This must be so hard."

"It's fine. I've known about this for a few weeks."

Irewata stepped back, leaving her arms on Kurumu's shoulders. The girl pouted at her.

"That's only worse. For you to carry this burden on your own for so long."

"Well it wasn't official. It was only a feeling I had."

"This is my mother, Mimi. I heard that man talking about her being good friends with Ms. Nekonome. They've known each other since before junior high."

"Let go of the poor thing, Haruhi. I want to give Ageha's girl a hug."

The moment Irewata backed off, Kurumu was folded into another warm and squishy embrace. Despite the serious environment, the only thing Kurumu could think about in this moment was how huge this woman's breasts were. They had to be bigger than mommy's. Breathing the woman in, Kurumu detected the familiar smell of jasmine which Tora often used.

"Ever since I heard from Shizuka about Ageha's little girl being at Yokai, I've hoped that I could meet you and see her again."

The woman sighed, stepping back and letting her hands slip down Kurumu's arms to her elbows.

"When she left Yokai so abruptly with Kentou, none of us had a chance to say goodbye."

"I think she worried that you would all talk her out of doing it."

"Of course we would. He was still married to Tsurara. I understand that her village had to pronounce him dead so that she could remarry."

Kurumu paused to digest that revelation. That seemed a rather important omission from what she had been told by her mother and Ms. Nekonome. It made more sense why the village had been reluctant to take her father back.

"I wish my mother could have had the chance to apologize to Mrs. Shirayuki for all the trouble she caused her."

"Oh, don't fret over that. Tsurara was always understanding about things with Ageha. She would have never offered to let Ageha live with them if she disliked her."

Lingering by her cabinets was Kagami. The young woman with the wavy, chestnut tresses gracing her ample bosom looked nothing like her slightly taller daughter. The harpy sported a sleeveless, beige halter top which bared her midriff. Her jeans hung dangerously low on her hips and were torn out at the knees.

Since the pair had left the entryway open, the Anagume sisters had drifted into the space with their mother lingering nearby. All three had black hair and dark eyes. The mother looked barely shorter than her older daughter whom was in the cheerleader squad. The older daughter had braided pigtails while the younger girl had a kokeshi like bowl cut similar to her mother's though her hair only covered her ears while her mother's fine tresses touched her shoulders. The mother was wearing a cream, knit cardigan over a dark green apron dress which swished about her ankles. A black purse hung upon her shoulder.

Kurumu imagined the father and the two younger brothers were out on the landing. She was mildly surprised she could not hear them since they had been chatting rather animatedly the whole time on the walk to the suites. They seemed to get along with the younger boy from the Unsei family.

"I take it that your husband is looking after the rest of your family."

Mrs. Irewata turned slightly, gesturing at Hazumi's father whom had turned away from the shrine.

"My husband and his wife are doing their best. We are family. Right, Tokurei?"

"I suppose. My condolences for your loss, Ms. Kurono."

"Thank you, Mr. Hazumi. Your daughter is in my homeroom."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Ms. Kurono. We had no idea-"

"It wasn't something I felt like talking about when I hadn't been officially told of her demise. It was a strong, intense feeling of loss a few weeks ago."

"That must have been terribly frightening."

"You never mentioned that you were related to Haruhi."

Hazumi glanced at Irewata and shrugged.

"Our fathers are cousins. I'm unsure if that makes us cousins or something else."

"So that's how you know my mother."

Mr. Hazumi shook his head, holding a palm out.

"Actually no. I graduated two years ahead of your mother. My science lab partner was the president of the broadcasting club and told me about a young woman with… much personality."

Kurumu smirked at his word choice but refrained from comment.

"As a young man looking for a mate, I took it upon myself to visit with your mother. After determining she was not of my race, I lost interest in her."

Mrs. Irewata giggled, patting his arm.

"More accurately he started pestering me. Your mother became friends with Shizuka which brought me into Tokurei's radar."

"I was young and determined not to graduate a virgin."

Hazumi sighed dramatically.

"My mother was a third year on the volleyball team for Sekisei High. Somehow my father charmed her out of her panties after they played a practice game here."

Her father chuckled, draping an arm over Hazumi's shoulder.

"Yes, well… that has nothing to do with Ms. Kurono's mother. Needless to say, I didn't know her well but she was always kind to me. And my cousin certainly indirectly benefited from this acquaintance."

"Indirectly?"

"My husband, Ryouki, graduated a year before Tokurei. I only met him because your mother talked me into going to Aranoiji to visit this young man during the summer break of our senior year."

"And by then I had a lovely wife. Mimi met my cousin that summer and within a year, she was pregnant before I could convince my Suzuki to have a child."

"I'm only three months younger than Haruhi."

"I became quite convincing."

Kurumu smiled, noting Kagami was still by the sink because there was no real room to approach the butsudan with so many gathered between the bed and the desk.

"I would love to hear more stories about my mother but I should encourage you to hold off till later."

"I don't have any real stories to tell, but I bet she does."

"Oh yes. We must certainly talk on the way to Mononoke."

Kurumu grinned as Mr. Hazumi steered his daughter towards the door first. Exchanging another set of bows, Mrs. Irewata retreated with her daughter after allowing Kagami and her mother access to the butsudan. The mother rang the bell and clapped her hands as the four gyokuto donned their footwear.

Once the gyokuto had departed, Unsei and his mother, Sachiko, slipped into the room. Like most tanuki, both son and mother had glossy black hair. His was plagued with a pair of cowlicks but his mother had styled hers into a chin length bob. The second year English instructor was wearing a pullover, long sleeved, white blouse with a frilly collar which she had tucked into a brown, pencil skirt. She had a black clutch tucked against her side. She placed her black flats on the half wall next to her son's loafers.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Kurumu turned and reflected the slight bow Kagami favored.

"Thank you for coming."

"My condolences. Will you be okay?"

Kurumu smiled at the mother, nodding.

"Yea. I've felt her loss for weeks now. This just makes it official."

"This is my mother, Himei. She never mentioned knowing your mother before today."

"She played a small role in my life though quite important. Kaede's father was in Ageha's homeroom."

"Oh? So my mother introduced you to him?"

Mrs. Kagami laughed, shaking her head.

"Not really. Your mother was shy and would only talk with her friends. She never did the announcements the entire time I was in the broadcasting club."

"You were in the broadcasting club? My mother never mentioned you."

"Well… she didn't pay much attention to the first years in the club."

Kurumu frowned, glancing at Kagami.

"But you're the same age as me, right?"

Mrs. Kagami cooed, hugging her daughter.

"I know! Can you believe this precious girl will be sixteen soon?"

"Get off me."

"So you had her during high school?"

Mrs. Kagami smiled warmly as her daughter pulled away.

"Mhm. Some girls gave chocolates for valentines but I gave her father my virginity."

"Ugh. Nobody needed to know that."

"I thought about dropping out of school but my mother took Kaede off my hands those first two years. I felt so cheated missing out on so much baby time with my girl. I've always wanted another."

"I wasn't stopping you."

"True. But the thought of getting pregnant from another man never felt right."

"She says this but she got all of her baby fixes from babysitting for other mothers in the community."

"Nothing beats caring for a baby that you can give back when she becomes too troublesome."

Kurumu had to chuckle at that sentiment.

"I'm glad that you came. I would love to hear more stories about my mother later."

Exchanging another set of bows, Mrs. Kagami followed after her flustered daughter. As Unsei and his mother drifted further into the room, Mrs. Sunao timidly stepped into the room with the Unsei's daughter. With her ashen gray hair swirled up in her usual twin buns, Mrs. Sunao had on a navy jacket over a pink dress shirt tucked in navy slacks. Despite her heels, she was still shorter than the young girl whom stood about Kurumu's height.

The twin tailed daughter had on a blouse with thick straps and a crimped lower section which fell over her snug fitting denim jeans. The white blouse had smears of light blue haphazardly spread over the garment. The top hem which skirted the swell of her modest bosom was lined with puffy lace. She held a pair of thong sandals in her hand.

"Ms. Kurono."

Kurumu smiled softly, nodding at the older Anagume sister. The younger daughter remained clinging to her sister's sleeve.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you for coming."

The younger daughter peered at her with wide eyes but offered no words. The mother stepped away from the shrine and bowed slightly to Kurumu.

"My condolences. I didn't know your mother well, but my brother often spoke about her."

"Thanks. My mother also mentioned him in her short list of high school friends. I interviewed your older daughter for my cheerleader article months ago, but don't remember anything but your surname. I've also never met your other daughter."

The mother smiled, placing a hand on her eldest daughter's shoulder.

"My name is Namiki and my first born is Arukune. Kosame is in your grade."

"Is your husband and sons coming inside?"

"My husband is two years older than me. He never met your mother and my sons are unruly. We saw no reason to trouble you with them."

Kurumu nodded, seeing no reason to continue that subject.

"You're from Aserutani, right?"

"We are."

"So your brother grew up with Ms. Nekonome?"

The mother laughed pleasantly, nodding.

"Yes. I've known Shizuka since our grade school days."

"Was he also part of her hobby club with Mimi and Kaori?"

"Actually he joined the broadcasting club. He had a fierce crush on your mother but they were both horridly shy their first year together. Not as bad as my Kosame, but it kept him from making friends."

"I will try harder to be friends with your younger daughter."

The mother grinned, shaking her head as Kosame shrank behind her other sister.

"That's what she should be offering. Maybe she'll crawl out of her shell like my brother eventually did. He had to become the president of the broadcasting club his final year because his three fellow seniors didn't want the role."

Kurumu smiled, noting that Unsei's father and younger brother were waiting in the entryway while Mrs. Sunao had moved to the kitchen counter with the daughter. Unsei's father had a simple business cut with his glossy black hair parted at the cowlick. His son had longer bangs which hid his eyes. The father had on yellow polo tucked in brown, chino pants held up by a black belt with a silver buckle. The son had a brown, blue and white striped tee and jeans. Both placed their shoes on the half wall. The son had a pair of gray sneakers with white laces while the father had shiny black dress shoes.

"I'm surprised so many came but also surprised that there are so few. The Housemother told me that when mommy was in school that the enrollment was so high that they were pairing first years in those tiny rooms at Baratoge. I feel like there should have been more."

The mother grinned with a slight shake of her head.

"I think my graduating class was about two hundred twenty and my brother's was about twenty more than mine. But bear in mind that students drop out and some are even killed. I think we had almost fifty students leave our grade for one reason or another in my three years at Yokai Academy. We had eight full homerooms with over thirty students in each. My first homeroom was maxed out at thirty five."

"But that makes me feel like there should be lots more people here."

"Ms. Kurono. Not every graduate has kids right out of high school. Many of your mother's peers probably don't have kids your age."

"Yea, Ms. Kurono. Most of the kids my age have parents three or four years older than Mama."

"And your mother was shy. She was not well known among my classmates."

That made some sense. Kana's mother, Aika, had graduated in 87, the same year as Mrs. Anagume. Even though the beautiful dryad had been at the orientation, she had not answered Ms. Ohno's summons. It had Kurumu wonder how much older the parents were for her other classmates.

Seeing that Mrs. Unsei was finished, Kurumu grinned and nodded at the short women.

"Thank you again for coming. I hope to talk more later."

"I hope you feel better soon."

Mrs. Anagume clucked her tongue at her older daughter.

"She's not sick, Arukune. Come along."

The trio retreated, giving room for the teacher and her son to approach.

"My condolences, Ms. Kurono."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you both for coming."

"I think you have met my son, Keiji."

"I have, Mrs. Unsei. He lives on the same floor as Tsukune."

"Is there a reason why he is not present?"

"I had a private viewing with my friends in the morning."

"Ah. I see. That explains why Ms. Akashiya and Ms. Sendou are also absent."

Kurumu felt no need to embellish her misleading statement. Mrs. Sunao and the daughter were slipping behind this pair to pay their respects. The husband and other son were drifting to the kitchen counter which allowed the next pair to enter.

Kurumu had not spoken with Yamadachi since Nikki's birthday party. The young boy with shoulder length tresses the color of wheat bore some resemblance to his shorter mother with ashen black twin tails. The mother's torso was wrapped up in an off shoulder, orange blouse which bared much of her tan skin. She had a pale strip of skin near her neck betraying the hints of a swimsuit tan. Snug denim shorts bared most of her tanned thighs. Giggling at something her son said, she added her black sneakers with pink laces to the other footwear lined up atop the half wall.

"I never thought to ask, but were you and your husband in the broadcasting club with my mother?"

"Oh, heaven's no. I was in band with my husband, Kai."

Kurumu nodded, thinking about the one thing mommy had said about Mrs. Unsei when they had met up for drinks that night mommy had visited Yokai.

"Then… how did you know my mother?"

"I knew her through Mrs. Senda. She and I both attended the junior high in Shizukana. Neither of us lived there, but it was the closest monster town for my family. I had been going to the schools there since the first grade. And because Shiki's father was a graduate of Yokai Academy, he wanted her to have some experience with monsters before she went to high school."

"Can we go now?"

Kurumu grinned as the daughter stepped in to hug her mother's side.

"In a moment. This is Ms. Kurono Kurumu, the daughter of the deceased."

The girl leaned her head on her mother's shoulder.

"She's very pretty."

"This is my daughter, Akane."

"I'll be fourteen in March."

Kurumu nodded, recalling the oldest had been born in May which meant Keiji was already sixteen. She gestured at the husband and other son.

"And your other son?"

"Etsuji."

"Is he older than your daughter?"

"He turns fifteen next month. We stopped once I had my girl."

Kurumu nodded, supposing she had nothing else to say.

"Thank you all for coming."

"Thank you for having us. I wish there was much I could say about your mother. But I knew her more through Shiki's stories than firsthand experience."

Kurumu reflected their bow and the mother started off with son and daughter in tow. As the husband and other son stepped forward to pay their respects, Mrs. Sunao offered her a timid embrace.

"My condolences, Ms. Kurono. I know this must be hard on you."

"Thank you for being here, Mrs. Sunao."

The woman stepped off to the side, wringing her hands.

"If there is anything I can do, just ask."

"Could you give me a perfect score on my English exam?"

"Anything that's allowed."

"I'm fine, Mrs. Sunao. Thanks for the offer."

"Be strong, Ms. Kurono."

As Mrs. Sunao scurried off, Kurumu saw another pair settle in the entryway. Uboku Iko and her mother both had ashen white hair. The daughter's locks were styled in a bob on the left side while the right side was trimmed short. The slightly taller mother had her hair pulled into a braided tail on her left side which ended with a red satin bow resting on her modest bosom. The hair on her right side seemed shorter and was held in place with a silver clip to bare her ear.

Like her daughter, the mother had ghostly pale skin which contrasted against the sleeveless, silken shirt hugging her torso. The black garment had a mandarin collar with toggles down the front. The hem of the shirt hung over a curve hugging pair of black spandex leggings which ended halfway down her calves. The woman placed her black flats on the half wall beside her daughter's loafers.

"My condolences for your loss, Ms. Kurono."

Kurumu smiled at Unsei's father, returning the slight bow.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Unsei."

She shivered slightly as the boy lustfully looked her over.

"My condolences for your loss."

"Thank you."

"I didn't know your mother well. She had a nasty reputation because of her behavior towards a married man but my few exchanges with her were always polite and pleasant."

"Did people not like my mother?"

The father paused.

"She was avoided by most. And from what I understood, she was shy and avoided others anyways. I wouldn't say that she was hated. People simply don't approve of women chasing after married men."

"Yea. I guess that should have been obvious."

"As I said earlier, she was pleasant to me. I think she was that way to any whom tried to know her. I am truly sorry for your loss, as I think she would have been an easy person to share a home with."

"She was. I wish I had appreciated that more."

"Come on, Etsuji."

The boy murmured a shy farewell as he followed after his father to the half wall to retrieve their shoes. Iko and her mother had drifted to the kitchen counter but nobody was at the entryway. Kurumu turned her attention to Yamadachi and his mother whom were both lifting their heads from a silent prayer. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath.

"My condolences for your loss, Ms. Kurumu."

"Yea. This is quite the downer."

Kurumu smiled at the pair, noting they both had olive eyes. The mother had such a lively voice.

"Thank you for coming, Yamadachi. So this is your mother."

The lady favored Kurumu a snaggletooth grin.

"I'm his big sister, Fukumi."

"You wish."

"I was in Ageha's homeroom during our second year. That was when she became notorious for her antics towards a married man."

"Did you approve of that?"

"It was none of my business. But since I sat next to her and was her science lab partner, I heard a lot about it. Your mother was a sweet, beautiful girl."

"Thank you. I wish I could say that she mentioned you, but she rarely talked about her past."

Mrs. Yamadachi chuckled, shaking her twin tails.

"Don't get me wrong. We weren't best friends. But seeing that shy girl chase so wholeheartedly after a guy inspired me to confess to this guy a year older than us. I moved to Morihochou immediately after graduating and had this young man the following February."

"Gee. Thanks Mom."

The mother laughed, smacking her taller son in the back. While the son was somewhere between Ginei and Tsukune's height, his mother was about Moka's height.

"I have loads of stories I could tell you about Ageha pertaining to that year. Like how she worried the poor Housemother that summer break by spending the whole month with Shizuka without warning her."

Kurumu nodded thoughtfully.

"Mother mentioned spending breaks with Ms. Nekonome because she lacked any male family members. But the Housemother said Mother spent her breaks here because she was an orphan."

"Maybe it was both. Ageha was not well known her first year. She was a gorgeous, shy girl that barely talked to anyone. It wasn't until her second year that people started to know her. And that was mostly because she was doing something taboo."

Kurumu smiled at the sound of the bell. Iko and her mother were paying their respects. Ms. Ohno had stepped inside the entryway which had Kurumu conclude that these were her last guests.

"When your mother up and vanished that last winter break, many thought nothing about it at first. It was not like her running off without telling people was unheard of."

"Were you friends with Ms. Nekonome?"

"I knew her but I never shared any homerooms with her."

"So you weren't in her club."

The mother smirked, placing a hand on her ample bosom.

"I was in the choir all three years."

"Which is why she can't cook."

The mother jostled her son's side, shaking her head.

"Such a troublesome brat."

Kurumu grinned, thinking she should wrap this up. She bowed slightly to them.

"I would like to hear more about my mother later."

"Of course. We'll be downstairs waiting for you."

Kurumu took in another deep breath as the mother and son headed for the entryway. She turned a smile as the final pair approached her.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Kurono."

"My condolences."

"Thank you both for coming."

"This is my mother, Kouri. She shared home economics with your mother during her second year."

"Were you ever in the same homeroom as her?"

"Oh. No, Ms. Kurono. I graduated a year ahead of your mother. I was in the same homeroom as Mr. Morisato twice."

"Oh. So you didn't know my mother that well."

"Unfortunately not. My little brother joined her broadcasting club during my last year. Most of what I know about your mother came from him. I never believed the nasty rumors about her since she seemed such good friends with Mrs. Shirayuki. My brother might have better stories to tell about her."

Kurumu smiled, imagining he would say the same thing as the others. It was crazy to imagine her mother as this shy girl whom kept to herself and only engaged with a small group of friends.

"I'm glad that you came."

"And I'm glad that things worked out well between your mother and Mrs. Shirayuki. You're here and she has a lovely daughter of her own."

Kurumu grinned as Ms. Ohno strolled over to the butsudan to ring the little bell.

"I wouldn't say it worked out well but I have no complaints about being here."

"You look so much like her."

"Thanks."

"Maybe you could become friends with my Iko. She spends too much time with her comics."

"Mom."

"But you don't talk about having any friends here."

Iko rolled her plum eyes which matched her mother's.

"I get along fine with my classmates."

"These two are the last. If you don't mind, I will put out the incense."

Kurumu nodded at Ms. Ohno whom turned back to the butsudan. The succubus snuffed the senko with her left hand.

"I suppose we should head outside."

"Yea. I'll lock up and I guess we're walking to Mononoke now."

Kurumu followed the mother and daughter to the entryway, fetching her keys from her purse dangling from her elbow. She let the two put on their shoes and exit before slipping on her Mary Janes.

She glanced back and smiled at Ms. Ohno as she retreated out onto the landing. Once the succubus stepped out of the suite, Kurumu shut the door and locked the deadbolt.

"Just to be clear, if anyone has other plans that you are welcome to leave now. It's not mandatory that you follow us around. We have some time to kill and you can always join us at the Sumeragi later. It's not like if you show up after six they will turn you away. Simply tell the host that you are with Ms. Kurono."

There was a murmured response. Kurumu followed the succubus down the stairs where the rest of the group had gathered. She saw Juri waiting at the bottom of the steps. Her father nodded at Iko and Iko's mother when they stepped down upon the ground.

Kurumu grimaced as her stomach growled. She slipped her keys into her purse as she descended the stairs, tugging her phone out to check the time. It was about twenty minutes to three. Sighing, she dropped her phone back in her purse.

"What's that look about?"

Kurumu favored Juri a weak grin as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"I regret skipping lunch today."

"Why did you do that?"

Kurumu sighed as she fell in step with Juri and Iko. The group was following the teachers in the direction of the commissary.

"Because we really wanted to finish the first part of our quest."

"Quest?"

Kurumu nodded, realizing Juri had arrived right after the explanation of DND to the others yesterday.

"Yea. Moka, Yukari and I made some characters for a DND game ran by Ms. Ishikure."

Iko giggled, shaking her head.

"Why would you torture yourselves like that?"

"This is a game, right?"

"A very niche game. I'm surprised Ms. Ishikure is into it."

"She's the DM for the other game she's running for her three auto club friends."

"She must be good at storytelling."

"She is. She has this whole quest worked up for our characters to get enough experience for level five. But it takes so long. We started playing the moment Moka got back from the morning meeting and we only got to level two. We haven't even picked out our new skills yet."

Iko shrugged as they passed by the commissary.

"DND is a time sensitive thing. My little brother is into it but he sucks at making interesting quests. He begged me into being his DM but it's not much fun to make a game for one person."

"I would have played with you two if you had let me."

"Mom. That's even worse."

"What's wrong with me having fun with my children?"

"Why would anyone want to go on an adventure with their mother?"

"You could think of it as a vacation."

"Anyways. Since my brother has no friends and I would never embarrass myself to ask anyone I knew to join our game, I only made three different quests for him. We only played one of them."

"It sounds like you have friends willing to play the game now."

"Mom. No."

"Maybe when Ten comes to Yokai, you could play a game with him."

"That's almost two years from now. I doubt a bunch of third year girls will want to play make believe with a first year boy."

"Maybe he'll develop a crush on one of them. Ms. Kurono is very pretty."

"I doubt it will be an issue of him wanting to play with them, Mom."

"You never know what the future will hold, Iko. Nobody would have ever believed a gorgeous young woman like her mother would fall in love with Mr. Shirayuki. He was quite ordinary looking."

"Well… there's a biological explanation for that. Each of my kind can only mate with special individuals. So when we stumble across such a person, our attraction to them is almost irresistible."

"Is that how it is with Mr. Aono?"

"Yea. That's why I tried to have the whole school convinced that we were dating. I really want him."

Juri sighed, draping an arm over Kurumu's shoulders.

"It sucks that he's head over heels for Ms. Akashiya."

"Don't give up, Ms. Kurono. Clearly even marriage can't stand in the face of true love."

Kurumu smiled softly, not wanting to explain things to Iko's mother. It sounded better blaming true love.

Confirming the time was almost eight, Kurumu slipped her phone back into her purse. She was seated at a long, mahogany table with her classmates from the viewing. They had divided the thirty guests evenly into three identical rooms.

The Anagume family and the Unsei family had one room, though the three attending Yokai were in this room with her. She had no idea which two parents or teachers had ended up in that room with those lecherous boys, but was thankful she was not dealing with that trio. Sure they were junior high boys and she had not shied away from getting such attention last year. But she was in high school now. It felt wrong to enjoy their sexual attention.

The room was dimly lit by cherry wood lanterns hanging from the ceiling. As they were in one of the back rooms, there were no windows to be covered but it still had drapes like the rooms that did. Black paneling stretched halfway up the walls to the bottom of these cream drapes. Like the other rooms, the floor was elevated from the main bar area with tatami mats.

As she was seated at the end of the table facing the door to the room, she had pushed the new wicker hamper Ms. Ohno had bought her into the nearby corner. This baby blue hamper was stuffed with the many things the adults had bought for her. She hoped Yamadachi would continue carrying it for her.

As promised, Coach Yaisoku had bought her a straw broom with a baby blue shaft. Ms. Nekonome had picked her up a silver lined picture frame and Ms. Yumeito had given her a pretty white vase with bluebirds fluttering across the surface.

Then had come the unexpected gifts. As expected from the Sadou club advisor, Mrs. Unsei had bought her a white ceramic tea set with four cups, plates and spoons with a pink carnation pattern. Remarking how she lacked one, Mrs. Sunao had purchased a white desk lamp and some bulbs. And to keep things from breaking, Ms. Senda had insisted on getting her a set of four plush, pink bath towels with four matching hand towels. They had wrapped these about the fragile items.

A hand touched hers, drawing her attention to Juri whom was seated beside her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. Starting to feel tired is all."

Yamadachi chuckled on the other side of the table.

"Yea, and we still have to walk home."

Kagami grinned, clanking the small black glass in front of her on the table. She was seated in the center on that side of the table with Unsei on her left and the older Anagume sister on her right.

"Speak for yourself. I'm staying in the hotel with my mother."

"I'm not spending the night with my dad."

Hazumi huffed. She was seated on the other side of Iko whom was next to Juri.

"Neither am I."

"Are they bringing us another round of drinks?"

Kurumu shrugged at Iko's question. After they had finished a lovely sushi dinner, which had been almost an hour ago, the host had entered with a few black glasses to pour sake for some of them. After three rounds, Irewata was snoozing at the end of the table across from the quiet Kosame. Though a drink had been poured out for the shy girl, she had yet to touch it.

"You're lucky your mother is letting you drink. Mine is so stingy."

"She probably doesn't want you so drunk that you have to spend the night with her."

Yamadachi smirked at Unsei.

"And I see your parents didn't let you drink either."

"I don't intend to spend the night with them."

Kurumu's thoughts drifted to some of the other gifts. Most had been picked up in the small store in the Buddhist temple. Iko's mother had bought her a pretty, hard cover journal to use as a diary. Juri's father had given her a hard cover Tipitaka which she probably would never read. Mimi had picked up an omamori charm for good luck and Hazumi's father had given her an ornamental fan which would look good with the butsudan. Anagume's mother had picked out some prayer beads and a decorative bowl for offerings. She would have bought a ceremonial pillow if her husband had not spoken up, reminding her that she did have children of her own to spend his money on.

"Today was the first time I've been to the temple in Mononoke."

Juri giggled, shaking her head.

"That's what's on your mind?"

"I didn't know we had a temple."

Hazumi huffed at Yamadachi's remark.

"Of course they have a temple. This town is too big to not have one."

"I've actually been to the cemetery it is next to. I was following Moka around since she was thinking about dating this second year whom was pretending to be a vampire. I never noticed the temple even though I walked right by it."

"Kurumu. You're an airhead."

Several girls giggled at Juri's declaration.

"It makes sense for the town to have one. How could they not have a Buddhist temple but have a Christian church by the first year boys' dorm?"

Arukune nodded at Unsei's comment.

"Don't your parents live in this town?"

"They do but it's the first time I've been in the temple. We're not religious."

Kurumu paused at this revelation. She should have thought about this sooner.

"Wait. Your parents have a house in Mononoke."

"Yes. My mother couldn't deal with the whole living apart from us the way Mrs. Senda does. That first summer break after she was hired in 97, we moved into the apartment next to Ms. Yaisoku. We lived there until we found a house the following spring."

"Those were tiny apartments."

"Yea. I don't remember those months fondly."

"And you don't live with them now?"

"I had the option of living on campus. You have to understand that we live in a three bedroom house. My parents have one room and my sister has the other. I've been sharing a room with my brother my entire life. This way I got my own room, a choice over what I want for breakfast and a shorter walk to school."

"You don't have to explain that to me. I have twin siblings three years younger than me. You couldn't pay me to live with my parents even if they lived here."

Hazumi nodded at Yamadachi's remark.

"I also enjoy the freedom of living on my own. While it can feel lonely at times, it's much quieter and I don't have to deal with my mother."

"What's wrong with your mother?"

"She's clingy and unreliable."

Kagami snorted, toying with her glass.

"Sounds like you're talking about my mother."

"It's more understandable in your case. You're an only child."

"What does that have to do with being unreliable?"

"I meant the clingy part."

Kagami smirked, shaking her head.

"I can't believe she just randomly bought you a sundress. She knows we don't have that kind of money."

Kurumu smiled apologetically. Before they even made it to the temple, Kagami's mother had insisted on buying her a bright sundress since her daughter never let her buy pretty things for her anymore.

"I didn't know how to refuse."

"My Mom is just as bad. Every now and then she'll fight with Dad over him getting fixed after the twins. She always whines about not having a girl."

Since they were shopping clothes, Yamadachi's mother had joined in the fun. The okami had picked out this daring halter top which crossed at her sternum and came down in stretchy wraps of silky teal fabric which would contour to the shape of her bosom. Like her tube top, it bared her midriff.

The denim skirt the woman had bought with it fastened like a pair of shorts. It even had pockets in the front and back. Then about at crotch level a stitch wrapped all the way about which marked the start of a pleated portion which ended halfway down her thighs.

"Mothers want daughters and fathers want sons. My dad dotes so much on my dorky brother."

Unsei nodded at Iko's sentiment.

"It does seem that way. My mother adores my sister and my dad tries to whip us boys into copies of him. And being the eldest carries such high expectations. I doubt my brother gets half the pressure put on me. They want me to be the top of class and I simply don't care. As long as I'm in the ninety percentile, I'm doing good enough by my standards."

Arukune huffed, swiping her sister's glass to quaff the contents down in one go. Making a face, she exhaled sharply before placing the glass back down.

"I don't want to hear that from a top ten student. I'd be happy to get on the top hundred board."

"There's nothing stopping you, Ms. Anagume."

"Yea there is. It's called being stupid."

Kurumu chuckled, thinking they should avoid academic talk.

"Hey, Kosame. You're in the Greetings Club with the Hitsuji sisters, right?"

The little girl flinched, scooting closer to her sister. Instead of answering, she leaned her head against her sister's shoulder.

"What does a greetings club do?"

Kurumu shrugged at Yamadachi.

"I don't know. I remember that it was started by a friend of one of the seniors in the archery club."

"Yup. That's Ms. Hidaka's friend whom has the same birthday as her. I think her name is Ms. Okutomo. They're both in our gym class in the same locker aisle."

"But what do they do?"

"I guess they greet people."

"I told my sister to join them as a joke when she shied away from being a cheerleader with me. I don't think they do anything."

Noting how the girl continued to cling to her sister made Kurumu smile.

"Are you in any events for Sports Day, Kosame?"

Arukune glanced at her sister, giving her a moment to respond. Sighing, she drummed her fingers on the table beside her empty glass.

"She's in the limbo event."

Yamadachi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Either of us could have answered her question, Big Sis."

"Oh, that's right. Both of you boys have her in gym."

"And which gym period are you in, Big Sis? Sixth or seventh?"

"I'm in sixth."

"Are you going to compete with your sister in limbo?"

"No. I'm in the sack race."

Yamadachi snickered.

"We have this bouncy girl named Shinayaka whom will be your opponent."

"Yea. I don't care."

"So what event are you in, Yamadachi?"

He favored Kurumu a snaggletooth grin.

"I'm doing the hundred meter dash. What about you?"

"Well. Somehow three of our four cavalry battle team ended up here. We're only missing Yukari."

Kagami giggled, pointing at Irewata.

"If you can say she's here. This stuff isn't strong enough to put anyone down."

"What event are you in, Ms. Hazumi?"

"I'm doing the three leg race with Ms. Hibiki."

Yamadachi frowned.

"I can't say that I know whom that is."

"She's in class one and on the volleyball team."

"Does she have as much personality?"

Kurumu smirked, wagging a hand at him.

"Oh, stop. She's a pretty girl and doesn't need a dog like you measuring up her assets."

"What event are you the captain for, Mr. Unsei?"

The young man perked up at Juri's question.

"It was a tough decision, but I went with capture the flag. Mr. Heniki and Mr. Noboru don't seem the sort to enjoy such a physical competition."

"Isn't there supposed to be four guy captains?"

"Well since one of those events got reduced to a pair, we didn't worry about fielding a captain for that."

"That and there aren't a whole lot of guys in class six to have represent a team."

"What about Mr. Huang?"

"The new foreign exchange student? He's on my capture the flag team."

"So is Noboru in Kickball or Tug of War? Because his friend, Ichida, is doing Tug of War."

Yamadachi grinned wide at Kurumu.

"Sounds like they'll have a bit of rivalry going then. He also took the Tug of War event."

"I'm guessing that Ms. Morisato is doing the archery event like Ms. Kisurusu said she would."

"Yea. Miho said she picked it to go against me. But we're going to get killed by our seniors."

"That's not a guarantee, Ms. Morisato. Both Ms. Shikikawa and Ms. Hidaka are class managers. There's a decent chance that they are captains of different events."

Juri smiled softly, shaking her head.

"Even if they're not, I know U will do it. Not that I can't beat her, but it's not guaranteed."

"I guess that leaves you, whitey. What are you in?"

Iko frowned at Yamadachi.

"I'm in the Dress Up relay."

"Now that's an event I'm interested in seeing. I'll get to see Ms. Kiba strip."

Kurumu arched an eyebrow at his mention of the inugami girl from Akari's lunch group.

"Kiba is doing the dress up relay? Whom is she running with?"

"That's Ms. Sawayaka's event. She wanted to do it with Ms. Naratoki and they found two more girls roughly the same size as them."

"Yea. They're fourth is this butch girl, Ikatsuki."

"If this is Ikatsuki from my cheerleader squad, you don't know the meaning of butch."

"If she didn't have tits, she could pass as a boy."

"If I didn't have tits, I could pass as a boy."

Yamadachi's eyes lit up with amusement.

"You have tits?"

As Kagami did her best to calm the angry second year down, Kurumu smiled over how interesting this day had been. She had heard several stories about her mother from the adults. The Ageha they knew was different from the one she knew. But all agreed that she was a kind, loving and foolish soul.

Mommy had been in the same homeroom as Nyuuwa Taka whom was Ms. Anagume's brother, Ms. Nekonome, Mrs. Shirayuki and her fiancé during her first year. Most of the stories from Mrs. Irewata and Ms. Nekonome had been fairly mild with some harmless additions from Iko's mother about their home economics class. Mr. Shirayuki had been enrolled in the new business program with Coach Yaisoku.

Coach Yaisoku had been their class manager their first year. She had regarded mommy as a delinquent whom was frequently late to class, flirted with an engaged man and had horrible grades. Her tardiness had nothing to do with the Housemother not kicking her out the front door. Mommy would simply not come to school, though her attendance had been more regular after the first summer break. But after the winter break marriage, the fickle woman had not bothered coming to school at all for two months.

Ms. Nekonome confirmed all of this, adding that it had ultimately taken Mr. Shirayuki's insistence to get mommy to come back to school the month before the end of that year. In her opinion, things were better during the second year since mommy was put in a different homeroom than everyone else. With mommy's only contact with Mr. Shirayuki being their broadcasting club, Ms. Nekonome had hoped that mommy would find herself a new love.

Mrs. Yamadachi was the only one present whom had been in mommy's homeroom her second year. It was also the year mommy had taken choir, which meant the two had shared their entire day. As Mrs. Shirayuki had also taken choir that year, Mrs. Yamadachi did have some first hand observations of how mommy interacted with the married woman.

Almost all of Ms. Senda's stories about mommy's time in the broadcasting club were from this year. Ms. Senda had been the president that year, making her more attentive to the other club members. She had regarded the dynamic between mommy and the couple as amusing. And since Mrs. Shirayuki had never seemed too upset about it, she had not felt it her place to intervene.

It was also during the second year that mommy had spent both summer and winter breaks with Ms. Nekonome's family in Aserutani. The request had shocked Ms. Nekonome since she had barely interacted with mommy since that March. Ms. Nekonome had shared homeroom with Mrs. Irewata and Ms. Yumeito that year. Thinking it would be good for mommy, Ms. Nekonome had agreed to the trip and had also introduced mommy to Mrs. Irewata and Mr. Nyuuwa's families. Mrs. Anagume admitted to mommy crashing her Christmas Day wedding that year which had been an amusing story.

Ms. Nekonome admitted how shocked she had been when mommy had declined her invitation to stay with her over spring break at the end of the school year. Mrs. Shirayuki had given mommy permission to move in with them into an apartment they had acquired in Mononoke. She had tried to talk mommy out of such an unusual arrangement, but mommy had refused to live with the Housemother another year.

Mommy's third year homeroom had included Mr. Nyuuwa, Mrs. Irewata, Ms. Yumeito and Ms. Yaisoku. Once again, Coach Yaisoku had been her class manager. Mommy had taken the art elective that year with Mrs. Shirayuki but nobody had any stories about that.

Coach Yaisoku had shared her second year homeroom with the married couple and Juri's aunt. She admitted to admiring Mr. Shirayuki because he was a top student like herself. She had written off his attraction to mommy as him being enamored with a beautiful girl with a troubled past that he needed to save. After his wedding, she had hoped his fascination with mommy would end but he often talked about mommy without concern for his wife's feelings. She had tried to keep her friend committed to his marriage but it all fell apart when they let mommy move in.

Most of her unpleasant stories about mommy happened during their third year. In one particular case, the coach had walked in on mommy having sex with Mr. Shirayuki during the last week of summer break. Mrs. Shirayuki had gone home for the summer and Yaisoku had returned a week early after a disturbing learning experience about her own mating process.

Coach Yaisoku admitted that Mrs. Shirayuki had moved in with her a few days after the incident. She had tried everything she could think of to make Mrs. Shirayuki happy since the woman was alone at Yokai Academy. She had even begged mommy to charm Mr. Shirayuki into loving his wife again. And in tears, mommy had refused because he was the best thing to happen to her.

While it painted mommy in a selfish light, everyone agreed that mommy was in love with him while Mrs. Shirayuki's marriage was only her fulfilling obligations to her community.

There had been another shocking revelation unrelated to mommy. Curious about her daughter's father, Mrs. Kagami had asked Coach Yaisoku if she remembered an out of prefecture tengu guy by the name of Yuji from her homeroom her senior year.

The only tengu Coach Yaisoku recalled having in their senior homeroom was Dangai Yuji whom had been planning to marry a girl from his village right after his graduation. Short of there being another tengu named Yuji attending Yokai at that time, Kaede was most likely Michiko's half-sister. Kaede wanted to drag her mother to the flying fun tomorrow to talk with Michiko about that possibility.

"Knock knock, ladies and gents."

Ms. Ohno crawled into the room with a pitcher. Kurumu offered a wave as the succubus slipped between Kagami and the older sister.

"Who wants refills?"

"Definitely!"

"Me too."

As Ms. Ohno filled the glasses for the two girls, Iko scooted her glass across the table.

"I would like more too."

"Of course. And I shall conveniently forget this pitcher of sake in here when I take off."

"Are you leaving Mononoke now?"

Ms. Ohno nodded as she poured out sake into Iko's glass.

"Yes. It's an eight hour drive to Kuminagawa from here. I have to be there first thing in the morning."

"Which prefecture is that?"

"That's Ishikawa. Kuminagawa is on Noto Island and home to Ishou Academy. They want me present at their Sports Day in case a certain someone causes more trouble."

"Is this someone we know?"

Ms. Ohno snorted at Kurumu, setting the pitcher down in the center.

"There are so many troublemakers you don't know or need to know. This particular booger is a teacher that's on thin ice. He needs to learn to keep his hands off his students."

"Oh. One of those."

Ms. Ohno grinned as the girls about her drank from their sake glasses.

"Mhm. Some of your parents are discovering that my line of credit here is bigger than their alcohol tolerance. You might have to help your folks home soon."

"She says as she leaves booze out for us minors."

"You all be safe and take care of one another."

Kurumu got to her feet and quickly walked around the table. Sensing her intention, Ms. Ohno opened her arms to accept the hug. Kurumu breathed in deeply, feeling the warmth.

"Thank you for being here."

"No problem. I'd offer to drive you home but I that parking lot by your dining hall is nowhere near your suites. You'd still have to carry your things a long way."

Yamadachi chuckled as Kurumu leaned back from the embrace.

"Well if it will save me an hour of walking with all of her acquisitions, I'll gladly take a drive home."

"There's no way I'm leaving you alone with Kurumu."

"There's no need to worry about that, Ms. Morisato. If this boy is willing to help out, we can charm him to behave appropriately."

"You don't trust me?"

"Why leave your fate in trust when you don't have to?"

"Being charmed seems a small price to pay for such lovely company. I'll tell my mother I'm taking off."

He chuckled, getting up and heading for the door. Juri pouted as he exited the room.

"Well I don't want to walk all the way home in the dark with just Hazumi."

"Don't worry, Ms. Morisato. I can have my dad drive the three of us back to the dining hall."

"Assuming he isn't drunk."

"That's more likely to be my mother. Is everyone else spending the night here with their parents?"

The rest of the conscious girls nodded at Unsei's inquiry. With a grin, Ms. Ohno clapped her hands.

"Well then it sounds like that's decided. Get your things, Ms. Kurono."

Not needing to be told twice, Kurumu hurried to the task.