"Maybe I should get a new white bra."
Moka frowned while buttoning up her school blouse over her crimson lace bra which had a green satin bow at the center of the band. A pair of cherry red, cotton bikinis covered her nether regions.
"Don't you have enough lingerie?"
Kurumu shrugged as she hooked the front clasps of her own lacy, crimson bra. Bought at different stores, the floral pattern of hers was not the same as Moka's.
"I haven't worn my three old bras in the top drawer back in my suite in over a month."
Finished with her task, Kurumu grabbed a skirt from the pile and stepped into it. She tugged it up over her crimson lace panties which were more like Moka's bra.
"But you could still wear those."
"I'd rather get a pretty white lace one. Like what you have."
"But you had to special order your bras."
Kurumu slipped one of her school blouses off its hanger.
"I'm willing to wait a week or two to get one. Should I write to your mother?"
"You might want Kokoa to write to her on your behalf for that."
Kurumu nodded as she started to button up her blouse while Moka pulled on a pair of socks.
"I don't need much. Maybe just that one bra and a new sports bra or two. And I definitely need a spare set of gym clothes. The gym outfit I've been wearing was loaned to me by the school because I ruined mine back when we were hunting durian."
Moka frowned as she pulled on a school jacket.
"Those are plain tee shirts, Kurumu. You can't be that broke."
"I don't have a source of income, Moka. Most of the cash in my purse is change you guys let me keep."
Moka sighed as Kurumu bent over to snatch up a pair of socks. The vampire stalked out of the closet.
"You should make a list of all the things you need."
"That creepy snow girl is at the door."
Kokoa's announcement spurred Kurumu to hastily pull on her socks and grab one of her fitted jackets. She bounded out of the closet, not bothering to shut the door.
"Mizore? You're here a bit early."
Kokoa snorted while standing in the entryway. Wearing the school jacket for a change, the younger sister held her schoolbag by the handle over her shoulder. Her phone was in her other hand.
"It's not that early. We have less than a half hour before school starts."
Moka paused by her sister, offering a slight bow.
"Good morning, Mizore."
Aware that they were pushing the time limit, Kurumu slung her arms into the sleeves of the school jacket as she made her way over to the other girls.
"Did your mother already go home?"
Mizore stood outside the suite, wearing the thin school blouse which betrayed her dark lingerie beneath. The bump made by her locket was notable in the center of her shirt between the swell of her bosom. The snow girl cocked her head slightly while adjusting her schoolbag which hung by its strap against her side. Like many girls, she did not have the strap crossing her torso.
"She left on the last bus yesterday."
Kurumu leaned over to pull on her socks and grab her schoolbag resting against the wall. As Kokoa exited the suite, Moka stepped into the entryway to slip on her shoes and fetch her schoolbag.
"I'm glad you're here. We weren't sure if we should wake you or not."
"Sendou isn't here?"
"Who cares? We don't have time to check on everyone."
Kurumu slung the strap of her schoolbag over her head. Guiding the strap into the valley between her breasts, she moved to the entryway to step into her shoes.
"I doubt anyone will be that upset if we're a few minutes late."
Moka tugged her keys out of her schoolbag. She lingered outside by the door, waiting for Kurumu.
"It's more likely that Yukari left without us. The teachers promised that our scores would be posted on the boards this morning. She probably wanted to see them right away."
"I hope she isn't too broken up when she discovers that I'm also her superior in academics."
Kurumu snorted, shuffling out of the suite. Moka promptly closed the door and locked it up.
"Don't start bragging yet. You'll only be more disappointed later."
They started off in the direction of the trail leading away from the commissary with Kokoa in front. Kurumu took in a deep breath of the morning air, thinking how crazy this past weekend had been. She was looking forward to a few boring days of school, hoping it would not involve retaking any exams.
"So any particular reason why you were at our door today?"
"Because I thought you would come get me if I wasn't."
"Probably true. I did want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"We made a wager yesterday with Huang. If our team had more points than his, he would take us to China over winter break."
"Kurumu told us about your wedding plans."
Mizore faltered a step.
"Thanks, Akashiya."
Kurumu smiled, grabbing Mizore by the hand and giving it a squeeze.
"You can try using her name. It's what friends do."
Mizore offered no response as they continued on towards school in silence.
Last night had been uneventful. After spending the whole day in her gym shorts and sports bra, Kurumu had decided to wash everyone's gym clothes at the commissary. She had even convinced Kokoa to come along, whom ended up buying snacks to stuff her face with. That worked for Kurumu since she had not been interested in making dinner. Moka had been content with sharing Kokoa's snacks. Afterwards, she had taken a bath while listening to the entirety of her Utada CD. By the time she had finished, Moka had been asleep while Kokoa had been listening to some Matsutoya Yumi compilation CD called Neue Musik which she had picked up with the SMAP album. It was another album from Nagisa's collection.
"Tsukune!"
Moka's cheerful shout brought Kurumu's attention to the young man waiting for them at the intersection of the main trail. He grinned, waving at them while clutching the strap of his schoolbag.
"Good morning, Moka."
Moka bounded over to him with a bright smile. She lowered her head to peer up at him.
"How are you feeling today?"
"A little nervous. I think I did well on midterms but you never know."
"Why are you still here?"
Tsukune chuckled nervously at Kokoa's brusque tone. The young vampire stalked by him, continuing towards the school without breaking stride.
"I wanted to see our scores together."
"Why? Do you want to feel inadequate when your score is proven to be much lower than ours?"
"Tsukune might not be a top student, but he's not stupid."
"I hope our scores are close again."
Kurumu smirked, aware that Mizore's performance had been the closest to Tsukune's in the assessments and in the last two exams.
"I don't see Miyamoto around. Did you train with him this morning?"
"I did, but he didn't stick around."
"Thank goodness. I don't need to deal with that weird guy every morning."
Moka smiled, walking between her sister and Tsukune.
"I am happy that Mr. Miyamoto is helping Tsukune."
"That guy is annoying. Just because he didn't have family over for the weekend didn't mean he had to follow us around. Dealing with Hotaru is bad enough."
"I think Milady has a crush on the guy."
Kokoa blushed, shaking her head vehemently.
"Why would I have a crush on that guy?!"
"Because he defeated you."
"I did not lose!"
"And vampires are weird about liking guys stronger than them."
"Fine. I'll challenge him again after I take Ishiko's blood. I'll pound that boy so hard that he'll never dare say that I need his protection."
They walked along the stretch of trail which flanked the narrowest part of forest between them and the pond. There were students ahead and behind them, though Kurumu only took enough interest to know that they were not entirely alone on this walk. She sighed, regarding the bag that Kokoa held high.
"Did you remember to pack the Gravitation volumes? I'm sure Kana would like those back."
"Yes. Is that brat going to give me those vampire comics or am I starting that alchemist series?"
"I have no idea how far along Yukari is with that series. I know she read the first four volumes but I think she spent her whole weekend with her parents."
"What vampire comic is she reading?"
"Hellsing."
Tsukune nodded thoughtfully.
"I've heard of that. It was an anime back before I started junior high. It was okay."
Kurumu paused, thinking through his memories. She recalled the series, having seen it through his eyes. Tsukune had not cared much for it, though he had liked Seras, whom had become a vampire.
There was something that she had never explained to her friends. Kurumu had not just watched Tora's bullying and eventual murder of her antagonists. She had experienced it. She had not just witnessed Yukari's brutal rape. She had felt every painful second of it. These had become her memories with only her cognizance reaffirming her that it had not happened to her.
She had not watched Tsukune grow up for four years. She had been Tsukune.
"Kurumu. Are you okay?"
She smiled at Tsukune, noticing his concerned look. They were taking the right path at the intersection as the left trail would meet up with the main path between the school and Mononoke.
"Of course. Why?"
"I was just thinking. The guys on my floor said a few things last night."
"Like what?"
He had an indecisive moment, followed by a nervous laugh.
"For one thing, that kiss with Mr. Burumoto."
"That was barely a kiss."
"You kissed Mr. Burumoto?"
"It's nothing serious, Moka."
"I hope nobody saw you on that fake date with her fiancé or you're going to have a nasty reputation."
Kurumu smirked at Kokoa's warning.
"Neither of these things will be difficult to explain."
"Maybe so, but the guys still look at me like I'm some sort of gatekeeper to you."
"Well I did have most of the school convinced that we were dating."
"True but it's not like I know you that well."
"Of course you know me."
He shook his head while toying with the strap of his schoolbag.
"No. I thought I did but that's not true at all. I think these three know you better than I do."
Kurumu hesitated to respond to that. She had no idea if she should deny or concede his claim. It was not like she felt anyone truly understood her. Moka probably had the most pieces to this puzzle but there were always things she had no reason to share.
"It's all about acceptance, Tsukune."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
Moka smiled softly at her sister.
"I meant that it's not about knowing each other entirely. I think that's impossible. There are times where I don't know if I fully understand the other Moka and I'm sure she feels the same about me. If we can't know each other sharing the same body, what hope could anyone have to understand someone else?"
Tsukune nodded thoughtfully.
"I guess that makes sense."
"So it's not about knowing everything. It's about accepting everything."
Kurumu noticed that they were nearing the spot where they would hand out papers.
"I still have to write my articles."
Tsukune groaned.
"Don't remind me."
"I haven't written mine either."
"Sounds like we'll be in the computer room late tonight."
"Aren't you getting the whip for training tonight?"
"I think so."
"Well if we are starting tonight, I'll stop by the computer lab after my fencing practice."
"Were you planning on having your girls join us?"
"I was, but we don't know if this is happening tonight. And with their club being held in the junior dorms, I'm not going to ask them to come back to school after practice not knowing if they should."
Kurumu nodded, noticing there was a gathering at the boards flanking the last stretch of path before the school gate. She grinned upon spying Yukari in the familiar crowd of girls by the board for the first years. Juri was chatting with Yukari and her blond friend Kisurusu.
"Yukari!"
Letting go of Mizore's hand, Kurumu skipped by the others to hurry to the throng.
"Ms. Kurono!"
Kurumu grinned at Kagami whom was with Ontoriki, Niwa and Nemoto. She came to a stop next to Juri, offering the girl a side hug.
"How did everyone do?"
"You're not on the list."
Kisurusu laughed at Yukari's curt dismissal.
"Neither am I, Ms. Kurono."
Juri sighed, backing out of the loose embrace.
"I got fifty eighth with a score of four hundred forty one."
"My score also dropped."
Kurumu glanced at the board, smirking upon seeing Yukari still listed as the number one student.
"You're nine points shy of a perfect score."
"I bet it's that dumb lab participation dragging me down."
"So did you finally lose to your superior?"
Yukari scowled as Kokoa arrived a couple of steps ahead of Moka and Tsukune. Mizore quietly hovered behind them. Further down the trail, Goto and Kakeru were walking with Kitamori.
"No. But you're in second now. Mr. Musousaki from class ten fell to seventh."
"Oh wow! And you have the third spot, Ms. Nemoto! The top three students of our grade all in one place at the same time!"
Nemoto waved her hand dismissively at Ontoriki.
"We should move along, girls. The first bell will ring soon."
"Hold up. How did you do, Kaede?"
"I took sixtieth with four hundred forty points. I'm three points and three ranks behind Ritsu."
"Ms. Niwa took twenty eighth with four hundred sixty four while Ms. Sawayaka claimed sixth with a score of four hundred seventy eight. The first year members of the Sadou club are quite impressive."
Nemoto paused to nod her head at Yukari.
"A pleasure as always, Ms. Sendou."
"See you in home ec, Ms. Kurono."
Kurumu waved as Kagami retreated with her friends. Sucking in a deep breath, she glanced at the board. Sure enough, Kokoa and Nemoto were the next two names on the list. Kokoa was eight points behind Yukari and two points ahead of Nemoto. The first guy on the list was Heniki whom had the same score as Ishikure. Both were two points ahead of Mikomi in sixth.
"Well that's just dumb. I'm going inside."
"Sore loser."
Kokoa huffed at Yukari, stalking off angrily. Tsukune chuckled, gesturing at the board.
"Where am I on the list?"
"You are in seventy eighth with four hundred twenty nine points."
Mizore gasped. As Kurumu glanced back, the snow girl fell to her knees.
"How could you? You let two women get between us."
Kurumu frowned in confusion as she glanced back at the board. She quickly found his name where Yukari had said it would be. Sure enough, Mizore's name was further down the list with only one less point. The two women she had mentioned were Hayate from Moka's homeroom and Yotsumure from home ec.
"Sheesh, Tsukune. You know Hayate is an engaged woman."
Juri giggled at Kurumu's comment. She jabbed Tsukune in the shoulder whom remained confused.
"Sounds like you have a thing for married women."
"And after my mother gave you permission to use me as you pleased."
Finally catching on, a flustered Tsukune shook his head.
"Please get up, Mizore. You're making a scene."
"Was the promise to run away to China together just another lie?"
Moka laughed at Tsukune's distress. Shaking her head, she stepped through them to have a better look at the board. She let out a heavy sigh.
"I dropped out of the top ten."
"It's probably your lab score bringing you down."
"Shall we go inside?"
Kurumu shrugged at Kisurusu's question. As Tsukune tried to get Mizore back on her feet, Kurumu perused the rest of the list. She was only interested in the top twenty.
Yokoana had tied Musousaki with four hundred seventy five points. Ninth was Akari whom had one less point and tenth was Umizake. Moka had a score of four hundred seventy two which was one point behind Umizake and one point ahead of Ganjou and Izumi.
Noboru, the guy Michiko had a crush on, had fourteenth with four hundred seventy points. Zenpyou was one point behind him and Akebara was two points behind him. The last four spots in the top twenty all had the same score of four hundred sixty seven points. They were arranged alphabetically with Anko listed first and Unsei last. Tora and Honemoto were the other two. She noticed that Ichida's name was next on the list before turning her attention away.
"Hey, Kokoa. Don't you want to know the scores of your girls?"
Kokoa was already halfway to the gate. Her stride faltered for a moment, but the first bell sounded. She waved a hand dismissively as she resumed her walk.
"They'll tell me later."
Kurumu sighed, walking away from the board which prompted the others to follow suit.
"Get up, Mizore. Please."
"My disappointment is too heavy. You must carry me."
"Hey Aono."
"Hey Ms. Goto."
Chuckling, Kurumu tousled Yukari's hair as they walked by the next board.
"Did you already memorize the rankings of the second and third years?"
"I did."
"Did your parents spend the night at your place?"
"No. I spent the night at their hotel. I got a ride to school this morning with Ms. Hanada."
Kurumu frowned as they neared the last of the boards.
"Do you know her?"
Coming to a stop, Kurumu glanced at the list posted on the board. This was the board of shame. It had three distinct lists, naming the bottom thirty students of each grade.
"No. But when those girls talked about her, I realized that she graduated the same year as my mother. I told my mother about it the night they got here and they met up with Ms. Hanada on Saturday after the orientation. I spent most of the weekend listening to their stories of school."
Kurumu nodded as she glanced over the names on the list. Kubo from Kana's homeroom was the first on the list with a score of three hundred fifty three points and was tied with Oyama and Utachi. She had no idea whom Oyama was.
Not caring to memorize all the names on the list, she glanced down to the bottom. She sighed, seeing Sakamori had scored dead last again with three hundred twenty two points. She was six points behind Kochimaru. Above them was Fujinuma and the mean Unabara twin. She noticed Kiba was only two names further up before resuming her walk.
"So did you finish the Hellsing comic Kana gave you?"
"I couldn't read comics while with my parents. That's just rude. The only thing resembling fun that I got to do this whole weekend was that roleplay session we had before orientation."
Kurumu chuckled as they passed through the school gate.
"So what sort of lunch plans do you have today, Kurumu? As you can see, Ms. Sendou doesn't have her satchel of bentos."
Kurumu perked up at Juri's comment.
"What do you want to do for lunch, Yukari?"
"I'll probably go to the school store and have lunch with Moka and Tsukune."
Kurumu nodded thoughtfully. She glanced back and smiled at Moka. Tsukune was further back, chatting with Goto while Mizore was sulking beside him. Kitamori had his arm draped around Kakeru, making her seem smaller.
"I didn't talk with Akari and Nikki at all this weekend. Or Nozomi even though she was on our team."
"Akari's family was here over the weekend."
Kurumu rolled her eyes as Kisurusu held the door open for them.
"I knew that, Moka. She told me they were coming the last time I had lunch with them."
Moka smiled sheepishly as they split up into their different aisles of cubbies. Kurumu walked down to where her slippers were stored. Lifting up on her toes, she fetched them from her slot.
"So I guess you'll be eating with Ms. Uchikawa today."
Kurumu giggled, stepping out of her loafers.
"I promise to have lunch with you this week."
"I'll hold you to that."
Kurumu smiled, putting her slippers on and stowing her loafers into the cubby. She headed off two steps ahead of the others, noting that Kokoa was already up the main stairs.
"I'll see you at lunch, Moka."
Kurumu hastened her step to a slight jog. Her choice spurred Juri and Yukari to do the same. Giggling, the three of them darted up the stairs at a fast pace. Juri arrived at the top a whole four steps ahead of her while Yukari managed to keep up.
Grinning, the three of them hurried down the hall towards the freshmen wing. The doors were all still open as none of the teachers would close them before the second bell.
Upon entering their classroom, Kurumu noticed that Mrs. Sunao stood at the podium with a stack of exams. The teacher had a short sleeved, black sweater worn over her sleeveless, lavender dress shirt. A pair of khakis hugged her thin legs.
They were the last three to arrive. As they hurried to their seats, Kurumu tugged the strap of her schoolbag over her head. She draped it over her desk to let it hang on the hooks before sitting down.
"Morning, Ichida. I saw that you took twenty first."
"I blame two dud lab partners for that."
"I totally agree. I doubt I lost those nine points in other subjects."
"Hey now. I did awesome this time. I made the top fifty. I'm not a dud lab partner."
"How did you do?"
Kumiko huffed, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.
"I made the ninety percentile and was ranked forty second."
"You both outscored me."
Kumiko shrugged at Juri's deflated tone.
"And Ms. Deshiko. I saw that her grades slipped significantly."
Kurumu frowned, glancing at the back of the foreign girl dressed in the sleeveless black PSC jacket.
"Is that true?"
"Ms. Deshi was two points shy of the ninety percentile. She had the same score as Ms. Fukai."
Kurumu nodded slowly, thinking that was still good.
"How did Kokoa's other girls do?"
"Ms. Taniguchi had the same score as Mr. Ichida. It was a five way tie with Ms. Tsuchiyama, Ms. Naratoki and Ms. Masataka. Ms. Akegawa was three points over the ninety percentile in a three way tie with Ms. Arashimideru and Mr. Houseki. That's one point more than Ms. Hineri."
Kumiko sighed with an agitated shake of her head.
"You would point that out."
"Satsuki. How did you do?"
"I wasn't on the board."
Kurumu smiled sheepishly, glancing at the other girls. She honestly could care less how Endo had done and knew that Madosuki was a poor student.
"What about you, Hazumi?"
"I had four hundred twenty three points. I was near the bottom."
"You were ninetieth, Ms. Hazumi. The last three places all had four points less than you."
The bell sounded the start of the class. Mrs. Sunao nodded at the boys, prompting Wanibuchi and Nakai to close the two doors. She then pounded the exams on the podium.
"Please come forward when I call your name to receive your exams. You're first, Mr. Abe."
As Abe got up, the speakers squealed to life.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! It is I, Tashikana Ichigo, your Voice for Yokai Academy."
"Ms. Deshi."
"I hope everyone had a fun weekend. I know I certainly did though my performance in our tug of war event was clearly not my best moment."
"Ms. Endo."
"But while I may not have been the best, I did my best to hold my ground. I may have ended up on my ass and shared in the shame of being the second team eliminated, but we ended on a high note."
"Ms. Hazumi."
"Nobody will forget the relay race my classmates won quite definitively. We share our defeats. We share our victories. And we had fun while doing it."
"Ms. Hineri."
"Despite my usual morning stop at the teachers' lounge, I don't have any special announcements today. It's the week after exams and the focus is on retakes."
"Mr. Hisakata."
"The cultural festival is coming up soon. Our student council president, Mr. Kaneshiro, is putting together a list of candidates for his committee as we speak.
"Mr. Ichiboku."
"If you want to help, talk to your class managers or attend the next Saturday meeting. Volunteers have always been welcome. We are what makes Yokai Academy."
"Mr. Ichida."
"That is all I have for you today. This is your voice, signing off."
The speakers went dead as Ichida took his exams from Mrs. Sunao.
"Ms. Kurono."
Slipping out of her seat, Kurumu nodded at Ichida before heading to the podium. Kurumu looked at Mrs. Sunao as the teacher presented her a set of exams. Kurumu bowed slightly, taking the short stack. The teacher made a mark on another sheet on the podium, taking attendance as she passed out the exams.
Noting that her Japanese score was an eighty four, Kurumu started back towards her desk.
"Ms. Madosuki."
Kurumu took her seat as Madosuki made her way to the podium. She pushed the top paper aside. Her score in algebra was an eighty one. The next sheet revealed her chemistry lab had been awarded eighty eight points. She frowned at the ninety she had scored on her history exam, knowing she had done better with this subject in the past.
"Ms. Morisato."
As Juri walked by, Kurumu was hesitant to check her last score. She instantly grinned, seeing the sixty two she had acquired in English. No retakes this week. Technically anyone could retake a test if the teacher let them but it was only mandatory if the score was below fifty. Most saw no reason to since the first score was the only one that mattered for the rankings.
"I see someone looks happy."
Kurumu smirked at Ichida. She wagged her exams at him.
"No retakes for me."
"Mr. Nakai."
A tap on her desk drew her attention to Yukari as Juri walked by them.
"Total your scores up."
Kurumu nodded as she spread out the exams to look at the red numbers circled at the top of each. Three eighties and a sixty put her at three hundred with a ninety getting her ten shy of four hundred. She blinked, realizing she had an eight and a two from chemistry and English alone.
"I'm a B student."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Osakebi."
Kurumu turned about in her chair, favoring the giggling Juri a wide grin.
"Four hundred five. I'm actually a B average student."
"Nice. You're not that far behind Ms. Hazumi."
"How did you do, Madosuki?"
The horned girl grimaced.
"I'd rather not say."
"Don't be like that."
"Ms. Sendou."
Abe chuckled at them, pointedly turning his exams down on his desk.
"Some people prefer an air of mystery about them."
"Mr. Senyou."
Kurumu smirked as Yukari promptly sat back down at her desk. She relaxed back in her seat, curious what Satsuki had got but knowing the girl was further down the line of names.
"Mr. Shouhei."
With thoughts of Kagami and Ontoriki, Kurumu grinned at Ichida.
"I never did ask how your Saturday tennis meet went."
"Horrible. We lost all ten matches."
Kurumu flinched, wondering what she should say to that.
"Mr. Tandoku."
"Was Ontoriki at the meet?"
"Ms. Kurono. There was barely anybody at the event. Frankly if I was not part of the team, I wouldn't have wanted to be there either. It was not fun to watch."
"Ms. Unari."
"Where is your next meet?"
"Our next two meets are both away. We play Nakamune this week and Joukuu next."
"So you don't have another home game?"
"Mr. Wanibuchi."
Ichida chuckled softly. He regarded her with a warm smile.
"We have our final game against Ishou Academy at home but it's during the cultural festival. Coach won't require us to be there because we're not playing."
"Mr. Yakihara."
"Makes sense. No reason to force you to go to something when you have other things going on."
"The team is lucky we're home this year. They missed a whole day of the cultural festival last year."
Kurumu nodded, thinking that did suck. This would be her first cultural festival in years. She recalled them from her youth and Tsukune's memories, knowing that they were at least two days. Sometimes they also included the Friday before the weekend or the Monday after.
"Mr. Yano."
As the last student made his way to the podium, Kurumu turned her attention back to Satsuki.
"Hey, Satsuki. What score did you get?"
"Eleven more points than you."
Kurumu pouted, sinking in her seat.
"I thought I'd catch you this time."
Mrs. Sunao cleared her throat as she stepped away from her podium.
"Okay. That is enough chatter from everyone. It's time to go over the most common mistakes made on my exam. Once we are done with that, I will answer any further questions you may have."
Sighing, Kurumu reached over to fish a mechanical pencil out of her schoolbag.
"I believe it is close enough to the bell to let you go to lunch. Please be quiet and respectful in the halls."
Everyone scrambled to put away their course materials. Since nobody had bombed the history exam, Ms. Nekonome had gone over an outline of things to expect on the next term exam after finishing a short review of the most commonly missed questions on this exam. Sporting a beige sweater jacket over a pink blouse tucked in a fluffy, cream skirt, the teacher strolled out of the classroom ahead of the boys.
Kurumu groaned, stretching her arms overhead as her classmates started to leave for lunch. Relaxing in her seat, she exchanged farewells with Juri and Kumiko.
"Kurumu!"
She turned in her seat, smirking at Nozomi's snaggletooth grin as the okami walked by Hazumi and Juri. Aware that Mr. Hakuru had ended his exam review halfway through the period, she imagined the girl had been waiting out in the hall for quite some time.
"Hey Nozomi."
"Are you and Ms. Sendou eating with us or Ms. Shuzen today?"
Yukari huffed, getting up from her desk.
"I am not eating with that girl."
"Kokoa said she'll be with her fencing club today so Moka will be with us."
Kurumu stood up, feeling her phone and lunch card in her jacket pocket.
"We'll be heading down to the school store."
Nozomi grinned, thumbing over her shoulder.
"Guess I'll go back to the door then. Mr. Nagamushi will hold them to the bell."
"Yea. See you in a bit."
As Nozomi retreated to the back door, Kurumu followed Yukari to the front. Stepping out into the hall, Kurumu noted the doors to class twelve and Moka's homeroom were open.
"There's Moka."
Kurumu followed Yukari's gesture. The vampire was walking along the crossover to the back doors of class three where Kakeru and Satsuki were waiting. Yukari changed course immediately.
"I can do the cafeteria today."
Kurumu smirked as Nozomi greeted Moka. Moka noticed them immediately and waved, drawing Nozomi's attention. The girl grinned as they arrived.
"Thought you were heading to the school store."
Yukari stepped between them to give Moka a hug.
"Yukari had a change of heart."
"I can see that. So are you needing any retakes like Kakeru here?"
"Nope. What was your score, Kakeru?"
"Forty six in English."
"Is that you're only retake?"
Nozomi grinned at the blushing tall girl.
"She had a three sixty four overall."
"How did you do?"
"Four twenty seven. I was on the board but I don't remember the rank."
"You were listed as eighty third in a four way tie with Mr. Bujiyo, Ms. Dokiniji and Mr. Ikazuchi."
Satsuki snorted, shaking her head.
"I can't get over how she can do that."
"I can remember the scores Akari and Nikki got but not the whole list."
"How did Nikki do?"
"She was at the bottom with four twenty."
"Kiki told me that she and Suzume were in the nineties. And Michiko was fifty first."
Kurumu nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey, Satsuki. Did you see where Tokori placed?"
"Why would I know that?"
"Ms. Meirowasa was eighty ninth with four hundred twenty four points."
"You should have asked her."
"I thought you would know since you spend weekends with her."
"I didn't even look at the boards, Kurumu."
"Was Asuka on the list this time?"
"Naw. That brat got four sixteen."
Kurumu grinned at Nozomi, thumbing at Satsuki.
"That's the same score as Satsuki. And I was five points over four hundred."
"That's cool."
"Yea. I could join the PSC now if I wanted."
"Please don't."
All but Kakeru shared a laugh at Satsuki's remark.
"So Kakeru. How did that date with Kitamori go?"
"It was nice."
"Did he also have family over for Sports Day?"
The girl blushed, nodding.
"So your parents met each other. How did that go?"
Kakeru fidgeted with her hands, rocking back on her heels.
"Everyone likes each other."
Kurumu smirked at a random thought.
"Are you two engaged to marry?"
The girl looked up with wide, pink eyes. Biting her lip, she glanced away and shook her head furiously.
"How did Kitamori do on his exams?"
The blushing girl simply shook her head.
"That's probably a question for the brat."
"So rude."
"But accurate."
Yukari sighed dramatically.
"He was ranked forty sixth with a score of four hundred forty four."
"Oh. So he's not ninety percentile."
"No. Only thirty four of two hundred thirty seniors achieved that with Ms. Denshou and Ms. Kigaru both having exactly four hundred fifty points."
Kurumu smirked at Yukari's declaration.
"If you don't mind sharing, whom were the top twenty seniors?"
"They are mostly the same twenty as before. The only difference is Mr. Okumatsu, the student council treasurer, fell from nineteenth to twenty third while Ms. Hineri raised from twenty first to eighteenth."
"I don't remember whom the top twenty used to be."
"The valedictorian and salutatorian are still Ms. Horie and Ms. Kosai respectively. Mr. Doroishi kept third while Mr. Kaneshiro improved to fourth. Mr. Yokan is now fifth and Mr. Fumoutochi kept sixth. Ms. Kurukaze fell to seventh while Mr. Nagashima improved to eighth. Out student council vice president Mr. Utsutei dropped to ninth and Mr. Kawakuchi is the only new name in the top ten."
Yukari paused to take a breath.
"Ms. Shiruba improved to eleventh. Ms. Shikikawa improved to twelfth. Mr. Katahara fell to thirteenth and Ms. Herikuda jumped to fourteenth. Ms. Tadashiguchi whom had been ninth is next in fifteenth."
"The brat should do our grade. I don't care to know about a bunch of seniors."
Kurumu grinned, nodding.
"I'd also like to hear the second years top twenty."
"Fine. Back to the third years, Ms. Chouda fell to sixteenth and Mr. Kogane dropped to seventeenth. I already told you eighteenth so that leaves Ms. Yoseibi whom dropped to nineteenth and Mr. Odayakana whom kept twentieth."
Kurumu supposed she did know the entirety of that list, though she had only learned about the auto club seniors, Mr. Yokan and Mr. Odayakana in the past two weeks.
"I am curious how Ginei and Mika did."
Yukari perked up at Moka's request.
"Our president is fifty sixth while Ms. Hajihachi is fiftieth. Only forty two of the two hundred fifty three second years were in the ninety percentile. Ms. Fujino scored exactly four hundred fifty points."
"Is it pretty much the same twenty like we had with the seniors?"
"Almost. The last three places are new. Mr. Akegawa went from twenty third to eighteenth. Ms. Yaisoku improved from twenty first to nineteenth. And Mr. Machida had a big jump from thirtieth to twentieth. The three falling out were Mr. Kanri, Mr. Yoake and Mr. Kigaru. They were all high teens and remained in the top twenty five."
Kurumu nodded, knowing all of these names but had not ever known their rankings before.
"The top five second years are the same as they were last time. Mr. Hosokoun and Ms. Makenuki kept their respective valedictorian and salutatorian positions. Mr. Amesuki swapped spots with Mr. Jishin for third and fifth. Fourth remained Ms. Amatsu."
Yukari paused with a thoughtful expression.
"The top ten have three new names whom were in the top fifteen. Mr. Yokan and Mr. Todoro both improved one spot for sixth and seventh place respectively. Mr. Doroishi, Mr. Ishikure and Ms. Genzaimuta hold the next three spots in that order. Ms. Mizudake took eleventh, though she has the same score as Ms. Genzaimuta."
Yukari hesitated again.
"The next three were in the former top ten. Mr. Berijisu, Mr. Sabaku and Ms. Shikichi took the next spots in that order. Ms. Akebara improved to fifteen and Mr. Shirogane improved to sixteenth. And since I did the last three already, the last name is Ms. Udetama, whom fell from fourteenth to seventeenth."
"Does anybody even know these names?"
Nozomi laughed at Satsuki's annoyed protest.
"Not really. But I bet Akari would know them."
"Many are class managers so I've met most of them at the recent meetings."
"Shall I do the first years now?"
Satsuki snorted, shaking her head.
"I was only joking about that."
Kurumu glanced at the door, absently pulling her phone out of her pocket. She checked the time, noting it would still be a couple of minutes before the bell sounded. Stuffing the phone back in her pocket, she smiled at Satsuki.
"Did you ever write to Nerume?"
"I told her not to drop out."
"Are you going to train with us if we get that whip tonight?"
"I know Lady Hineri and Lord Sabaku want us to. I'll check in with them after school."
"You guys training for something?"
Kurumu grinned at Nozomi, nodding.
"Yea. Since Moka and Tsukune seem to get into so many fights, the Headmaster has agreed to let them do some supervised training. I know that he persuaded Ms. Hitori to help us out."
"That sounds kind of serious."
"I'll try it out a day or two and see if it's something worth my time."
"I can't imagine the brat learning how to fight."
"I have no intentions of doing that, Ms. Unari. There might be something else the Headmaster can teach me. But if her sister is too troublesome, I won't bother."
Kurumu smiled softly as she thought about Kokoa and recent events.
"Yukari. Did you get the reference that Kokoa and Ms. Kosai made yesterday?"
"Reference? About what?"
"During the final showdown in the cavalry battle."
Yukari remained baffled, causing Kurumu to sigh.
"So you didn't see the latest Star Wars movie."
"I haven't seen any of the Star Wars movies."
Satsuki looked at Yukari incredulously.
"How is that possible?"
"My parents don't own a DVD player."
"Yea. But these movies were out when VHS was a thing. Don't you have one of those?"
"My father believes that watching television stunts brain development."
"Yet you watched porn at the high school your father worked at."
"It's not like I told him what I was doing."
"I think it's impossible that you haven't seen a Star Wars movie. It's like claiming that you've never heard of Michael Jackson."
"I didn't say that I haven't heard about it, Ms. Bikiyama. I'm saying I haven't seen any of the movies."
"It sucks that Yukari and Moka didn't get to see the movie before they pulled it from the theater."
Satsuki shrugged indifferently.
"They probably thought most people would watch it over the summer. No reason to keep it playing in the theater if nobody is coming to watch it."
"Mononoke was closed most of September. They should have extended the movie for another month."
"Why didn't you guys go watch it instead of that Nana flick you talked about?"
"Because it was pulled by then."
"I'm surprised that Kokoa watched it with her friends on her trip to Hawaii. I didn't think she was a fan."
Satsuki snorted at Moka.
"Your sister joined the fencing club. Anyone that likes to swing a sword around would find a movie with light sabers interesting."
"Did you see the movie over the summer? I know these two watched it with Nerume in Kaigan."
"Of course I did. They have a theater in Watasora. That's too big of a movie to miss."
"Kokoa said that Mother bought the old trilogy when it came out on DVD last year. Maybe we could buy them in Mononoke and have a marathon with Yukari."
Kurumu nodded thoughtfully.
"I wonder when the latest movie will come out on DVD."
"From a marketing standpoint, I'd guess around Christmas. They might even bundle the new trilogy together like they did the old."
The bell sounded the start of the lunch period. Turning to face the door, she only had to wait a few seconds for it to open. Ushio grinned at her, crossing the hall to place his large hand on her hand.
"So if I have a letter this Friday with parental consent, can we go on a date this weekend?"
"You sure are relentless."
"It's understandable, Ms. Bikiyama. Kurumu kissed him yesterday."
"That we did. So how about it?"
"Wait. You kissed him?"
"When did this happen?"
Kurumu sighed, glancing at Satsuki's perplexed expression. Nozomi had a smug grin.
"It was a little kiss for doing so well in our Tug of War event. I'm not going to date a guy that has to be on his knees all the time."
"If that's the case, can I have a kiss too?"
Kurumu frowned at Tamaishi whom had settled in behind Ushio.
"No. You didn't ask before the event."
Ushio laughed, tousling her hair while filling her with delicious desire.
"Go on a date with me, Kurumu. I have more firsts that I'd like to give you."
Kurumu shivered as her body welcomed that notion. She reached up and placed her hand on top of his.
"If you can get your mother to come to Yokai Academy for the cultural festival and ask me in person to date you, I will go on a date with you."
"That's a fairly tall order. Hokkaido is far away."
"Mizore's mother was here for Sports Day. Don't blame it on Hokkaido if she doesn't want to come."
Ushio chuckled, withdrawing his hand.
"Sounds like I need to alter that letter I started last night. I'll get my mother here. And once she sees you, I'm sure she'll see why I have to do this."
"Good luck with that, Ushio."
He laughed, stalking off with Tamaishi. Kurumu shook her head as Goto and Tora came out into the hall after his departure.
"Are you actually going to date that guy?"
Kurumu frowned at Nozomi.
"There's no way his mother will endorse this. He's not even thinking."
"I'm guessing all of his blood went to the wrong head."
Kurumu smirked at Satsuki, offering no response.
"I'll run in and get Tsukune and Mizore."
"So the rumor in class is that you kissed Mr. Burumoto."
"It's no rumor, Nazohashi."
"Any particular reason why?"
"I promised I'd kiss him if he got first in the Tug of War event."
"But we took second."
"He asked for a reward and I felt like it. It was not like I gave him tongue like he wanted."
Goto snickered, wagging a finger at her.
"Funny stuff. Before I run off, I should ask if you're planning on having lunch with the fashion club soon. I told Ms. Herikuda about your interest last Wednesday and she said she'd be delighted to have you. She might want an answer from me today."
Kurumu glanced at Tsukune as he came out of the classroom with Nozomi and Mizore. Mizore promptly took off in the direction of the school store.
"Sure. Tomorrow."
"Cool. See you at lunch tomorrow."
As Goto took off with Kakeru, Tsukune grinned at her.
"What was that?"
"Future lunch plans."
"I thought you were eating with Ms. Morisato tomorrow."
Kurumu shrugged as everyone started walking towards the cafeteria with Satsuki and Tora in the lead.
"I told Juri this week. I can still make that promise."
"Always the busybody."
"So have you been adding to the rumor about me and Ushio?"
"My feigned ignorance is the only thing keeping it a rumor in class. I don't know how many of them actually saw it besides Kamitsuku. And he's following my lead of playing dumb."
"You guys are only making it worse. Just say it was a reward."
"You shouldn't kiss boys so casually. It should be something special."
"It was barely a kiss, Moka. Sheesh."
"But you're giving Mr. Burumoto the wrong idea."
"He's doing that to himself. I'm like a harpy, Moka. I can only have baby girls of my race. I can't think of a reason why any mother would approve of me."
"That is an interesting perspective about harpies. Perhaps that is part of the reason why Ms. Hanetsume reacted so violently to Ms. Kagami's presence."
"Maybe her dad left her mom for a harpy. That would explain her issues with guys and harpies."
"If that is the case, I don't think Ms. Dangai was aware of it."
"Are you okay with your exam results? I saw your ranking dropped a lot."
Tora sighed as she veered onto the crossover between classes five and eight. She started down the steps.
"I am disappointed with my performance. My score was down so my rank went with it."
"You'll bounce back, Ms. Nazohashi."
"Thank you, Yukari. I imagine that you're pleased to remain on top."
"Of course. Her sister would be insufferable if she had somehow bested me because of Mr. Hakuru's ridiculous demands of making me responsible for my inept lab partners."
"We share in our victories and share in our defeats."
Yukari pouted at Nozomi.
"That's comforting for the ones not carrying the weight of the team."
"So how did your beloved Huang do on the exams?"
"He's not my beloved!"
Nozomi laughed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Ignoring the long line which was already stretched beyond the doors to the home ec room, they walked steadily towards the cafeteria.
"Back to cold, I see. I suppose that's how crushes work sometimes."
"Does Yukari have a thing for Mr. Huang?"
"I do not!"
Kurumu smirked, doubting they would ever tell Tsukune what had happened between Yukari and Huang.
"I'm curious if that boy is as smart as he claimed he was. Did he even make the top hundred?"
Yukari sighed heavily with a shake of her head.
"He was forty third with a score of four hundred fifty one."
"That is impressive. And Moka's sister proved that her last exam was no fluke. I thought I was prepared for these last exams but I clearly need to put in more effort."
Moka smiled softly.
"Kokoa had the best tutors money could buy. It bothers me that I'm behind her."
"After the cultural festival is over, we should study together. I'm sure that we can both get back into the top ten with a little extra effort."
"Ugh. I don't want to hear about more studying."
Kurumu chuckled at Nozomi's protest.
"I know. I'm content that I finally broke four hundred."
"I'm assuming Ms. Nazohashi will also be part of your training. Aren't you all taking on a bit much with more studying and training when you already have a newspaper to do?"
Tsukune laughed sheepishly.
"I suppose it does sound like a lot. But things might be different after the cultural festival."
"Tsukune is right. We might not have a reason to continue training after that."
"Don't say that, Tora. It's important that Tsukune keeps training with me."
"There won't be any major events after the cultural festival for the PSC to help with."
Nozomi snapped her fingers with a wide grin.
"Ah. That makes sense. Almost lost me there for a moment."
"Exactly. If Tsukune and Moka wish to continue training, I suppose they can. But as far as the PSC is concerned, our participation ends with the festival."
"That makes me more reluctant to back out if things get tough. If this is only going to be a couple weeks, I'd feel like a jerk to quit."
"I suppose Lady Hineri didn't say how long we would do it, but it only makes sense. She won't even be in charge of the club after the term is over."
They were at the end of the hall. Kurumu glanced at the line, spying Akari, Nikki and Kiba.
"We'll see you later."
Satsuki and Tora continued down the serving line as Kurumu made her way to the trio. She waved her hand but it was Nozomi's shout that caught their attention.
"Akari! Big news. Kurumu's got a new boyfriend!"
Cringing, Kurumu wondered if she should have pushed harder for getting lunch from the school store.
"Senior. You can't write this."
Ginei chuckled, placing his hand on Tora's shoulder as the sphinx frowned at the computer monitor.
"Why not?"
"What did he write?"
Kurumu stepped over from Hajihachi's side to peer at the screen. She glanced over the first line, noting that it was a mission statement.
"Nobody is going to vote for you."
Hajihachi touched Kurumu's shoulder, leaning in for a look. She sighed.
"Really, Ginei?"
"Think of it as a way to get free lingerie."
Tora snorted, leaning back in the seat.
"Does the school even have funds for that?"
"I'm sure if I asked the guys, we could get the money. Maybe host a competition with a buy in. I'll call it 'Race for Her Lace'."
Hajihachi swatted his shoulder.
"Don't be stupid."
"Thongs for your Dongs?"
"That makes it sound like the guys will wear them."
Ginei grinned at Hajihachi, bobbing his eyebrows.
"Would you like to see that?"
"Ignore that, Ms. Nazohashi. He'll make a more suitable campaign statement for our next paper."
"So you two are running for student council?"
Ginei chuckled, pulling Hajihachi into his arms. The girl pouted but let him hold her.
"You bet. After the cultural festival, all students wanting to run for the student council are required to register with the Headmaster. There's a two week window. After that, the candidates are announced by the broadcasting club and the newspaper club usually writes articles for each."
"Won't that be a conflict of interest? I wouldn't want you writing an article for my candidacy if I were running against you."
"Not that it matters. If he writes a campaign statement like that, no girl will vote for him."
"You're the only girl I need."
Hajihachi blushed, shaking her head.
"Let me write your statement. Anything will be better than thongs."
Kurumu smiled at her distress, sitting down on the chair beside Tora.
"I'm glad that you're back to your old self, Ginei."
He laughed, squeezing the girl in his arms.
"I had lots of loving care."
"Shut up."
Kurumu smiled, glancing about the computer lab. Standing in the aisle, Tsukune was chatting with Moka whom was seated in front of Yukari's monitor. The witch held Moka's arm while she participated in the conversation. Mizore lingered in the shadows nearby, staring intently at him without saying a word.
Kokoa and Rubi were standing by the back door. Kokoa had her arms crossed and was watching them with an angry and annoyed expression. Wearing a school uniform, Rubi fidgeted nervously, perhaps worried that Kokoa would punish her. Or maybe hoping she would. It was hard to tell with Rubi.
Rubi had stopped by almost a whole hour ago to let them know that the Headmaster wanted to see them. Ginei had sent her away with a message that they would come when they were ready. Rubi had returned after passing along the message, letting them know it was fine.
Not much had happened after a lunch full of teasing her over her decision to kiss Ushio. So much fuss over a tiny kiss that had meant nothing to her. If Tsukune had not been there, she would have admitted that she had been thinking of him when she did it.
Mr. Nagamushi's English exam review had been as nonsensical as everything else he did. She finally got to use a sewing machine. That was nowhere near as difficult as she had thought it would be. But it had felt sad being able to work without interruption. For all her trouble, Sakamori had been a fun, lovable girl to have around. The class felt so empty without her.
They were learning the rules of soccer in gym while the boys were doing basketball. In talking with some of the older girls after gym, she learned that they would only have one more sport this term which was going to be basketball while the boys did tennis. The order of the six sports was never set in stone, but they were always done. Next term would be whatever the coaches felt like doing.
"Minus my little campaign advertisement, do you think the paper is ready?"
Tora nodded, closing out of the program.
"You should be able to print a copy of this for the student council tomorrow."
"Okay. That's a wrap, guys. Time to go see what the Headmaster wants."
Kurumu slipped out of her chair as Tora powered down the computer.
Not a single one of them had their article written prior to showing up. Even Kana had been here, though she had finished her ikebana article within an hour. The illustrator had stuck around for Kokoa's arrival so that she could get her volumes of Gravitation back.
They were printing a whole extra set of eight pages this time around since Ginei had so many Sports Day pictures to pick from. He had a sizable article to go with it. While a good portion of it was feel good, generic nonsense, most of his article was about his gym group and how they overcame the odds to come out on top. Kurumu had teased him over how he would have written that article if his group had lost.
Hajihachi's complimentary article about Sports Day had been full of comments from the coaching staff, faculty, student council and the PSC and kendo club whom all came together to make the event happen. The articles were similar enough that they could share the same set of pictures.
Tora yanked the thumb drive out of the tower and handed it over to Ginei.
"Imagine how much easier this will be when I am the student council."
Kurumu chuckled, heading down the aisle ahead of them. Tsukune and the others had already made their way over to Rubi and Kokoa. She paused on her way to grab her school jacket and schoolbag.
"Would any of you vote for Ginei as student council president?"
Kokoa snorted, pushing off the doorway.
"Why would anyone vote for that dog?"
"I agree. While he might have been a popular vote, nobody in their right mind would give a position of responsibility to him."
Tsukune chuckled, fidgeting with the strap of his schoolbag.
"To be fair, he is our club president."
"He was the only member left of the club. He wasn't elected to it."
Kurumu glanced at Moka and smirked.
"Yea. For a short while, we talked about kicking him out and letting Tora take the club over."
Rubi shook her head, exiting the room.
"I hope the Headmaster isn't too upset with the delay."
It was not quite seven but the school was deserted. Kurumu glanced back as Ginei closed the door behind them, trotting to catch up with Tora and Hajihachi.
"Maybe if he became the student council president, he would run things like he does with the club."
"What's that mean?"
Kurumu grinned, looking forward.
"That he'll have Mika do everything."
"Oh? Is Ms. Hajihachi running with him?"
Ginei chuckled at Moka's inquiry.
"Of course she is. I couldn't think of anyone better to be working hard beneath me."
"Deliberate innuendo."
Kurumu giggled at Tora's observation. They passed by the nurse's office and the disciplinary room. Rubi was walking briskly in the lead, forcing them to match her pace. Kurumu smiled, feeling her phone and lunch card in her pocket while she fidgeted with her strap at her shoulder.
"So this is a serious thing?"
"Of course, Tsukune. We need to make some changes around here."
"I doubt thongs are the answer."
Tsukune laughed at Tora's response. He shook his head as they walked by the business classrooms.
"So when do you guys do your school trip?"
"Like what Yukari suggested?"
"Yea. Though I doubt any school would go to China. Where did you go for your school trip, Moka?"
"You need a parent to sign a permission slip. I couldn't go."
Kokoa whirled about, walking backwards as they reached the end of this hallway.
"Nobody better badmouth Mother over that. This doll might have not told her about it."
"I didn't want to trouble her."
Kurumu grimaced, thinking the intimidation alone would discourage Moka from even trying.
"I wouldn't fret over it, Moka. My school only went to Kyoto."
"So did mine. Makes sense though with it being close."
Kurumu smiled, mildly curious how far away Kyoto was from these two. Tora's mother lived in Izumi while Ginei's parents were somewhere in Kobe.
"Did you go on a school trip, Tsukune?"
"We went to Sendai for a weekend. We wanted to do Tokyo but we couldn't raise the funds for our whole grade. It was okay, but I've been to Sendai so many times that it wasn't anything special."
"So this was last summer?"
Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head as they walked into the main foyer area.
"No. School trips are usually done by second years after summer break. Some schools let third years do it but that's for like April or May trips. I'm guessing your monster junior high did things different."
"I hate to break it to you, Tsukune, but monster schools don't go on school trips."
That stopped Tsukune and Tora in their tracks.
"No school trip?"
Ginei laughed, halting with them. The entire group stopped, causing Rubi to frown and Kokoa to scowl.
"Nope. When I asked about it, I was told there was too much liability."
"I always wanted to go on that school trip."
Yukari nodded emphatically at Moka's side.
"I agree. We should have one."
"And we will be second years soon. I want a school trip."
Kurumu grinned, nodding in agreement with Tora.
"I do too. We could do Tokyo like Tsukune wanted."
Tsukune smiled, shrugging.
"Or Kyoto. A lot of high schools go there."
"That's fine by me. Where would you want to go, Moka?"
"I don't know if I want to go to Kyoto if Tora has been there."
"Don't worry about me, Moka. It's not like I mind going to a place I visit every summer. I could show you around the place."
Ginei chuckled, wagging his hands.
"Guys. I asked around. None of the high schools do it. It's not just Yokai."
"Maybe you could work that into your campaign."
Ginei paused at Tsukune's suggestion. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Maybe I could. A school trip and thongs."
"Could you drop the thongs?"
"I'll drop them around your ankles."
Hajihachi blushed, swatting him with the back of her hand.
"We shouldn't keep the Headmaster waiting."
"I will definitely vote for you if you can make the school trip happen."
Ginei laughed, gesturing for them to resume walking.
"I'll look into it. I'm guessing school trips cost money and there might not be a way for me to make that happen for my fellow second years."
"Maybe so, but you could be paving the way for future students."
Kurumu grinned at Tora's remark, falling in step with the girl as they made their way to the stairway which would bring them up to the Headmaster's office.
"Do you think Mikomi still plans to run for student council?"
"I recall Ms. Sawayaka mentioning that."
"Does this thong loving idiot stand a chance against her?"
Tora shrugged as they neared the stairs with Rubi and Kokoa in the lead.
"That highly depends on what she promises. If this fool starts spouting nonsense about thongs, he might lose that race without her saying a thing."
"Okay. I get it. I'll keep my campaign focused on the school trip."
"Won't that be an issue though with votes? Our third years don't benefit from that at all."
Ginei shrugged as he draped an arm over Hajihachi's shoulder.
"That's true, but it's not like the third years benefit from anything any candidate promises. And if I'm pushing the school trip, I'm stealing votes from those that know Ms. Sawayaka best. It's not often that a first year wins these things. If I was up against Moka and Kurumu, I would worry more."
"It's about time you people arrived."
Kurumu glanced up the flight of steps, noting Lady Hineri stood at the top with her arms crossed. The senior nodded at Rubi as the witch passed by her.
"I thought the PSC wouldn't be with us today."
"It's just me today. Everyone else will be here tomorrow."
Kurumu nodded as she stepped up into the decorative hallway. Rubi was bowing to an elegant woman with fine, jet black tresses which pooled about her knees. This lady was garbed in a long sleeved, deep blue blouse which buttoned up to an ample bosom. Her collar parted wide enough to betray a small hint of her pale cleavage.
"What is Ms. Kiyomizu doing here?"
In response to Ginei's inquiry, Lady Hineri gestured to the woman whom was sporting a pair of black slacks which flared out at the calves.
"Ms. Kiyomizu is one of our three trainers and has agreed to become the new advisor for the PSC."
"I'm glad that you solved your advisor issue."
"More like the Headmaster gave us one. She declined the first time I asked."
The teacher stood about Tsukune's height and had deep, dark blue eyes.
"I had my reasons. But if Mr. Mikogami feels this is for the best, I won't question his judgment."
Kokoa sniffed the air before pointing at the teacher.
"You're strong. And your scent is like Nagisa's. An undine?"
"We don't talk about true forms, Ms. Shuzen. The Headmaster is waiting."
The woman stalked away at a brisk pace with her heels striking loudly against the floor. They hurried in her wake, arriving at the door as she held it open. Prompted by her gesture, they filtered inside.
The drapes usually held back from the windows were unbound and drawn across the view of the courtyard. The Headmaster was reclined in his chair behind his desk, addressing two figures seated in the chairs facing him. One was Ms. Hitori whom had on a short sleeved, scarlet blouse tucked in black slacks. The other was a huge brute of a man with faded black hair streaked with silver. His periwinkle polo looked like it would burst if he flexed. Massive gray slacks adorned his lower half.
"And the infamous Newspaper Club has finally arrived."
Kokoa huffed at the Headmaster's amusement.
"I'm not part of their stupid club."
"My apologies, Ms. Shuzen. Allow me to introduce your instructors. Hitori Miko will be your fire and wind trainer. Kiyomizu Hori shall be your water and ice instructor. And Maruyama Kobushi has some prowess in geomancy."
The giant Maruyama stood up and nodded, holding the whip in one hand.
"He is the best I can provide. All of our pureblood teachers with that element are not skilled in fighting or using their powers. Mr. Maruyama also knows several fighting techniques. He is quite formidable."
Maruyama wheezed, shaking his head.
"Thirty years ago. I don't move nearly as fast as I did in my prime."
"Give Belmont to Ms. Akashiya."
Mr. Maruyama nodded, approaching Moka while holding out the whip. The moment she took it from him, the color drained from her tresses, becoming silver. The two vampire sisters exchanged feral grins.
"So when does our training start?"
"Immediately, Ms. Akashiya. Though you shall be training in paradise."
"You mean we're going to train in that world you had Tsukune trapped in?"
"Precisely, Ms. Kurono. Time is of the essence here. You do not have much of it. And since time flows differently inside that dimension, you will get much more training done."
"If we start training now and make sure to be back before school starts tomorrow morning, it would be the same as if we had trained you for two days."
"Can't we just train somewhere else?"
The Headmaster chuckled at Kurumu with his face hidden in the shadows of his hood.
"No. If I cut these vampires loose in this world, they're likely to destroy everything in their path. Your little romp in Mononoke was quite costly to the school."
"We would prefer to keep the damage to a place where the inhabitants won't demand compensation."
Kurumu winced at Ms. Hitori's reprimand.
"Quick question. If we're training right now, should we go get our gym clothes? Because the last time I was in there, it was not the least bit comfortable being in my school uniform."
Kurumu perked up at Tsukune's comment, nodding emphatically.
"Yea. I spent all of yesterday in my gym shorts. I can tell you right now, that's not fun. Nobody is going to be thrilled about wearing the same clothes for two days."
Ms. Hitori bent down to pick up a box. She set it down upon the Headmaster's desk.
"I bought several training outfits for everyone enrolled in the Newspaper Club and the PSC. I have two outfits for each of you, which you can change while we are in there if you so desire."
Kurumu glanced at Tora. She turned back to the teacher with a dubious look.
"What about underwear?"
Ms. Hitori smirked, pulling out one of the garments from the box. It looked like black spandex. She shook out the fabric, revealing it was a pair of leggings.
"If you want to put on underwear with this, be my guest. I'm personally going without."
Ginei grinned wide.
"That sounds like my kind of training."
"Absolutely not!"
"It's for training."
"Which you don't need."
"It's my club, Mika. I have to be ready to protect it."
"Whom will you train with? We're not element users and we probably can run circles around Mr. Maruyama. No offense."
The big man smiled at Hajihachi, offering no protest.
"I could train with Moka."
"While she's wearing tights with no undies?"
"Hey. I didn't say I was taking them off."
Ginei nodded stoically, clasping a fist to his chest.
"I know. It's going to be a harsh training environment, but I will endure it."
"No, Ginei. You need to be focused on other things. Like academics."
"My grades are the same as yours."
"No, Ginei. You can be with me or you can play with other girls. Take your pick."
Kurumu glanced at Tora and shrugged.
"I'm fine training without Ginei."
"I don't care to be here myself."
"He always leaves me unsatisfied when he trains with me."
"Yea. You'd just get in the way of my training with Big Sis."
"Oh? Think you can handle me all by yourself?"
Ginei staggered as nearly every girl in the room shot down his enthusiasm to participate. He turned pleading eyes upon Yukari. The witch huffed, glancing aside.
"Don't look at me."
Ginei sighed dramatically.
"I see how it is. Fine. You better have sex with me, Mika."
"What?!"
"I'm feeling down because of this universal rejection here. It's your job to make me feel better."
Blushing, Hajihachi smacked him in the back of the head.
"Don't say stuff like that in front of others!"
The Headmaster chuckled, relaxing back in his chair.
"If the two of you are not participating, you are free to go."
"Did you inform Haiji about this? Recently he's been training Tsukune in the mornings."
"Assuming he is about the same size as you, I see no harm in having him take your place. We already bought the outfits."
Kurumu smirked, glancing at the box.
"Are you sure have sizes to fit me?"
"You had physicals exams last week. We know your sizes. The only thing we lack is a full list of the girls Ms. Shuzen plans to invite. If you would write down their names for us."
Kokoa took the cue to pounce over to the desk. She snatched a pen from a nearby holder and started scrawling on the box of clothes.
"This is going to be awesome. I can't wait to see my friends get stronger."
"Don't have high expectations, Ms. Shuzen. Most students don't train their powers unless they have to. It will take time for any of them to be useful in a fight against Alucard."
Ms. Hitori's serious statement caught Kurumu off guard.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to using teenagers to fight such a threat."
"But that can't always be helped, Ms. Kiyomizu. You are intimately aware of that."
Ginei let out another dramatic sigh in the heavy silence.
"I'll be taking off with Mika. I need to practice my massage techniques. There's a certain spot on her back that makes her beg for puppies."
Hajihachi blushed furiously, twirling about and stalking off angrily.
"We're not having sex!"
Kurumu smiled, thankful for him lightening the dark mood. He trotted off after his girl, catching up to her before they left. Hajihachi begrudgingly linked arms with him as they exited.
"Come here and get your outfits."
Kurumu headed over to Ms. Hitori with Tora at her side as Kokoa withdrew with black fabric in her arms. The pixie haired phoenix pulled out a stack of fabric which had a piece of tape stuck to the top. Tora's surname had been scrawled on it. The teacher promptly surrendered the stack to Tora before pulling another stack out for Kurumu.
"When will we have time to do laundry?"
Ms. Hitori snorted as she waved Kurumu to stand aside. She handed the next stack over to Lady Hineri.
"The Headmaster has a washer and dryer in his personal bathroom."
"Another reason not to wear lingerie unless you want this old man handling your unmentionables."
Kurumu smirked at Ms. Kiyomizu. She had noticed the machines before since they had to walk through his bathroom to get to the closet which had the doorway to another world. She would have never suspected he would do their laundry for them.
"Don't deny this old man some joy in the last days of his long life."
Tsukune chuckled as he took a stack of black fabric from Ms. Hitori. He shook out a shirt, revealing it had long sleeves and a high collar.
"This fabric doesn't seem supportive. Won't this be hard on Kurumu and Moka?"
Ms. Hitori snickered as she handed a stack over to Moka.
"As long as you don't get hard, I think we'll manage."
Moka grinned fiercely at the floundering boy.
"What's the matter, Aono? Will bouncing breasts be too much for you?"
"Settle down. I have outfits for Ms. Shirayuki, Ms. Toujou and Ms. Sendou."
Yukari frowned at Ms. Hitori.
"What do I need a skin tight outfit for?"
"Both you and Ms. Toujou will be providing healing for the group. I'm aware that training can get rough so we will need you to patch them up."
Yukari grimaced, walking over to Ms. Hitori as the teacher handed off a stack to Rubi.
"I still don't know why I need a bodysuit for healing."
"It's a hot environment. This fabric is durable yet breathable."
Yukari took the stack with a dubious look as Mizore drifted over to receive hers.
"It's also a dangerous environment. These outfits are easier to replace than school uniforms if one of the denizens get angry with our trespass."
"I will lay down my life for Mr. Aono."
Tsukune chuckled nervously at Rubi.
"I hope it won't come to that."
"One last thing before you go, Mr. Aono."
The Headmaster leaned forward in his seat to place his elbows on the desk, pressing his fingers together.
"I have made the recommendation that you be allowed onto the school festival committee."
"Why would you have him do that? We need everyone focused on the task at hand."
"The cultural festival is a major event, Ms. Akashiya. As class managers, half of you will be heavily involved regardless of this request."
"Maybe so, but the enemy is coming."
"Which is precisely why I want Mr. Aono on the committee. I need someone of your group involved with the inner workings of the cultural festival. We need to make sure that there are no attempts made by the enemy to sabotage this event."
"Do you think they want to ruin the cultural festival?"
"There are many people at the cultural festival. At least twice the attendance of Sports Day. I think they may want to cause chaos to make it easier to abduct Ms. Akashiya. And for that reason, I believed that placing her or her sister in the committee would be counterproductive."
"You say it's counterproductive to have me or my sister, but it's no secret that Kurumu and Aono are tied to my family. Wouldn't it be better to suggest someone less tied to us? Like Shirayuki."
"The festival committee is usually comprised of third years. The only younger students ever picked for the committee have been class managers. Ms. Shirayuki makes no sense as a recommendation."
"I have no issue doing it, Moka. I rather enjoy Mr. Kaneshiro's company."
The Headmaster chuckled darkly.
"It hardly matters at this point. I've already made the recommendation. There's no turning back now."
"I will do it, Headmaster. I will do all I can to ensure that nobody tries to ruin the cultural festival."
"Excellent, Mr. Aono. I suppose you all want to get started on your training."
"No way. I'm going home first to change."
"Are you serious?"
Kurumu wagged a finger at Moka.
"I'm not leaving any lingerie, clean or dirty, in that man's closet. And I'm not going to carry it around with me either. We'll be right back."
Kurumu was not alone when she walked off for the door to the hallway.