Chapter 4 – "You're quite brave to so openly be a witch around here, you know."
The Newspaper Club meeting came and went, and the group split up to return to their respective dorms. Gin had an impression that something was off with Tsukune ever since Kuyou had dropped by to threaten them all, but shrugged it off, assuming his newfound kouhai would get over it. He had, after all. The two waved good bye to each other and departed.
Tsukune entered his dorm room, making sure he wasn't being watched. He locked the door, crawled into bed, brought a pillow to his face, and promptly started screaming and crying into it.
He lay in his panicked state for several hours, which he only knew after the fact when he noticed the sun had gone down and it had been night-time for a while. He crawled out of bed, face wet, went to his window, opened it, and looked upon the horizon. The stars and waning moon were out in full display. Few lights were on in the buildings he could see; many were going out. If he cared to observe closely, he could have watched the nocturnal youkai as they went about their lives.
He sighed. How much longer would he be able to live like this? To live with them? To live at all…?
His brooding was interrupted by Kurumu suddenly flying into view right in front of him. He fell over, startled, but managed not to scream by covering his mouth. She let herself in, landing softly on the floor, and approached him with a serious look on her face. She sat down beside him.
Tsukune began to breathe normally. He didn't know why, but even Kurumu could startle him now. …no, he could hazard a guess. His fear was starting to erode his faith on his fellow students, even the ones who had been standing beside him since the beginning.
They deserved better. She deserved better.
For once, he was the one who drew her into a hug. He was leaning against his bed, and she was now leaning into his front. Kurumu was surprised at first, but she became glad, and a smile and a blush warmed her face. She could feel her own heartbeat speeding, and knew the same was true for her Tsukune. She intentionally slowed her breath, and Tsukune soon joined her in unison.
"Tsukune-kun… may I… s-stay here with you, just for tonight?"
He didn't answer immediately. He knew that he was supposed to say 'no'. It was inappropriate for a girl to stay over in the boy's dorms. It was inappropriate for a human to be comforted by a youkai when both were under the wrathful gaze of the Public Safety Commission. It was surely inappropriate Kurumu to be with a useless deadweight man like him, specifically.
"I'd… like that. Thank you, Kurumu-chan."
He was weak.
He wanted to change that.
Luckily, Kurumu wasn't caught sneaking over to the boy's dorm that night, nor was she noticed sneaking out early in the morning just as the sun was starting to rise. Every instinct and urge inside her had been crying out for her to claim him as hers that night, but she managed to resist.
It wasn't the right time.
But she could feel the flames in his heart burning brighter and brighter with love for her. They were tinged with doubts and marked by hesitation, yet buttressed by friendship and hope.
A perfect match for her own.
She cheerfully laughed to herself as she skulked towards her dorm room.
As for Tsukune, he appreciated Kurumu's love and care, but knew it would not be enough. After classes and the club meeting ended for that day, he pulled Kurumu and Moka aside and asked the two of them for a big favor.
"…you want us to train you, Aono-kun?" asked a confused Moka.
Kurumu grumbled under her breath. "Tsukune-kun~!" she whined. "We can do the fighting!"
Even the other Moka had to chime in, her concerns being voiced by her pink-haired counterpart. The idea that Tsukune could defeat anyone in Kuyou's gang was ludicrous, especially since the trio had no idea what powers they had and Tsukune had no powers or special skills of his own.
"That's right! No offense, Tsukune-kun, but you should let us take care of these things," added Kurumu with firm certainty. The very idea of her dear Tsukune getting into a fight and getting hurt… or worse, dying… was making her blood boil. She had to forcefully resist the urge to be more demanding. "It isn't right for you to be fighting against youkai with the way you are!"
Tsukune went on the defensive. "I don't want to fight either," he countered. "But… they might not give me a choice. Wouldn't it be good if I at least knew a little bit about how to defend myself if that happened? Enough to make them reconsider or to get myself to safety."
He could tell that Moka was coming around but Kurumu still wasn't convinced. After what happened when he was last involved in fights against youkai, that wasn't surprising.
"Kurumu-chan… please? I'd really appreciate it…"
She turned away from him. "…Fine."
He blinked. Eh?
This didn't feel right. Why was…?
…oh! I see.
Now that he thought about it, it was obvious. He slapped his forehead in frustration. "Kurumu-chan, I didn't mean to imply that I don't think you can protect me. Sorry about that."
She looked relieved, and relaxed a bit. Looks like he got it right.
He took her hand, squeezed it, and smiled at her. "I'll still be relying on you. Thanks!"
She blushed. "O-of course you will! N-no problem!"
They started the training that day, focusing on gauging Tsukune's defenses, reactions, and speed. He was starting from a pretty low vantage point, but hoped he could improve a bit well before he needed to put his newfound skills to the test. And it was not long after these training sessions began that the next incident of note happened: they helped out a familiar little witch girl.
The first time happened not too long after their first major round of exams. Tsukune was firmly in the middle, as he wanted to be – not standing out. Kurumu was near the bottom (much to her chagrin) and Moka was near the top (much to her pleasure). He glanced at some of the other names and noticed some of the others he had met while searching for clubs to join.
"Isn't the one in 1st place for all of these that little witch girl?" he asked his two comrades.
"Ah, Sendo-san? Yes, I think you're right, Aono-kun…" commented Moka.
"You mean the one who knocked you out on accident?" grumbled Kurumu.
"Kurumu-chan, she said she was sorry…"
"I know, I know…" she conceded, "but still! She needs to be careful about that kind of thing! Not everyone at this academy is as forgiving as we are. I hope she's doing alright…"
Her hopes were immediately dashed when they finally noticed the commotion behind them.
"Hey, give me back my hat! You meanie! Give it!"
"Hmph. Such insolence. This is no way to talk to your class president. Learn some manners!"
The resounding sound of a slap rung out. A crowd had gathered around a spectacle.
Moka was already running towards the sound of violence before Tsukune or Kurumu could get a word in. Tsukune sighed. Kurumu chuckled. They followed the path her wrathful steps made in the barren earth, and forced their way through the crowd. She was starting down the so-called class president, standing between him and a Sendo Yukari who was nursing her bruised cheek.
"Hm? Akashiya Moka? Do you have some business here?" asked the red-haired man who assaulted Yukari, one Wanibuchi Tadashi. "I don't believe we're in the same class…"
"Leave the girl alone," she asserted.
"Oh? I don't believe you're in a position to be making demands of me." He then pointed at Yukari, who flinched and huddled behind Moka. "That girl you're defending is a nuisance and a disgrace despite her high marks. Then again, I don't know why I expected anything else from a lowly creature like a witch. So why would you, a so-called 'super-vampire', defend her?"
"We youkai should be working together, not be at each other's throats."
"Tactical unity, then? I suppose I can respect that. But I'll have no more to do with her." With that, he tossed Yukari's hat at a glaring Moka. "She's your responsibility, now, Moka-san… I hope you can handle her."
He laughed, and walked off, flanked by two of his allies. The crowd then dispersed in short order.
Moka breathed a sigh of relief, not really wanting to fight, and turned to Yukari with a smile on her face, as if to reassure. She handed the young black-haired girl her hat. Yukari, still seemingly in shock, managed to mumble out a thank you as she took it out of Moka's outstretched hand.
"Are you alright, Sendo-san?" the vampire asked.
"Y-yes… I… I…" Yukari mumbled, her face bright red and partially hidden beneath her giant hat. "ThankyouverymuchIgottogobye!" She then ran off, much to Moka's surprise.
Kurumu and Tsukune approached her, and they departed to take care of their own matters for the afternoon. But Moka couldn't help but wonder what the class president meant by what he said…
"Moka-san… is she still following you around?" asked Kurumu.
Moka looked behind her. Sure enough, the little witch girl was there, and waved to them. When Kurumu turned to look at her, the girl hid behind nearby cover – in this case, around a nearby corner. But the typical witch's hat the girl wore was still poking out from behind the wall.
"I wish she'd just come talk to us…" Tsukune sighed.
Several days had passed since the incident where Moka had saved Yukari from her bully of a class president. The little witch girl hadn't been harassed since; the man had kept to his word.
Instead, he took a different approach towards her – isolation. Yukari noticed that after that day her classmates had begun ignoring her rather than being actively hostile towards her. Whenever she would prank someone, she would no longer received annoyance, anger, or the rarest reaction of amusement. Instead, there was silence. She was being ignored, even by the few students who had dared to be on the side of a 'lowly' witch before. It got to the point where the teachers wouldn't even call on her, even though they knew that she would know the answers to their questions. She had spent all this time studying, been so eager to be with her fellow youkai after being homeschooled by her parents… and it was all for nothing. She was alone again. Sure, her idol Moka had helped her out, but she could tell that it was only out of pity and-
"Umm… excuse me, Sendo-san?"
Yukari blinked. She was sitting, huddled, crying. She wiped the tears from her eyes, looked over and up, and OH GODS ITS MOKA I'M NOT READY FOR THIS AAAAAAAA
"Errr… Sendo-san?"
DON'T JUST STARE AT HER GORGEOUS BODY, SAY SOMETHING!
"What!? I mean, yes!? I mean, hello!? I mean… ah!"
She then covered her heavily blushing face with her hat.
…great, just great! That couldn't have gone any worse!
Moka blinked, not sure how to react to what just happened.
She then frowned. "Sendo-san… I'm not troubling you, am I? Sorry if I am… I just wanted to talk to you…" She pauses and thinks for a moment before continuing. An idea comes to her, and she smiles and claps her hands. "I know! You should join us for lunch! Would you like that?"
It took all of Yukari's will not to immediately shout 'YES!' just to have a chance to be with Moka. Instead, she mumbled out some sort of acceptance and dashed away before her heart could leap out of her chest and into Moka's arms… or her mouth. Her blush intensified.
Why me…?
As for Moka, she returned to her two friends and told about what she had offered the little witch girl. Tskune seemed pleased by the idea of curing Yukari's isolation, but Kurumu just sighed.
"Moka-san, I don't think it'll be that easy…"
"Even if it isn't, I still want to try," countered Moka. "After all, I know what it's like to be so hated and isolated. Indulge me just this once, please~?" she asked with a wink.
Kurumu blushed. "Alright, alright… we'll help you out, right Tsukune-kun?"
"Yep!"
With that, the matter was settled and the group went back to the matter at hand – training Tsukune's observational skills – and continued walking along.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Adjust hat.
Stand up straight.
Alright, Yukari, you can do this. You're going to right up to Moka and her friends, but mostly Moka, and ask to sit with them. She already told you that she wants you there. So, go already!
…but her legs refused to move. In the end, Moka had to drag her over. She sat on the same side of the bench as Moka while the other two sat next to each other. Kurumu and Tsukune, right? She had met the three of them when they visited the Witchcraft Club and… thinking about that incident was just going to make her even more embarrassed to speak, so maybe something else…
Yukari, blushing and staring down at her food, remained silent in thought.
Moka, smiling happily, started chatting about classes as the remaining three of them ate. Tsukune had on a thoughtful expression as he discussed the exam results with her. As it turned out, people's whose scores dropped too low would be stuck in summer school rather than getting a break. Moka (and Gin, as it turned out) were in no danger, but Tsukune and Kurumu would be if things stayed as they are. He was improving a bit thanks to their study sessions though.
Kurumu, however, did not join in this conversation. She had a deeply set frown on her face, as she could easily sense the whirlwind of emotions in Yukari's soul. Love for another; hate for the self – a poisonous mixture if left unaddressed. It wasn't really her business, but…
…Moka wanted her to help. So, she could indulge her newfound best friend just a little bit.
Since they were talking about the loathsome exams, she had an excuse to get Yukari talking. "Yukari-san, didn't you get a top score in almost every first-year exam? How come you're here even though you're an eleven-year old? I thought they forced us all to stay in human schools until high school… and a genius student like you could go really far in the human world."
Having someone besides Moka address her directly allowed Yukari to break through her own self-consciousness and give a direct answer. "Eh? Oh, I was home-schooled. I learned a lot of this stuff already, so it's easy for me. My parents actually didn't want me to come here at all, but I managed to talk them into letting me enroll."
"Didn't want you to…? Oh, because you're a witch?" asked Kurumu.
Yukari nodded. "That's right. You know about us?"
"How could I not? All us youkai know about witches, the boundary beings. The ones bridging the gap between humans and us. Too much like humans to be close to youkai and too much like youkai to be close to humans. Hated by both groups. You're quite brave to so openly be a witch around here, you know." Kurumu punctuated that statement with a bright smile for the little girl.
Yukari giggled, her mood having brightened a bit. Moka sure has good friends. Maybe I'll have friends like that too… Yeah, that's what I want! She then thanked Kurumu for the kind words.
"Still, witches are youkai too right?" asked Tsukune.
"Yep!" confirmed Yukari.
"You know, this hatred of witches has never made any sense to me," said Moka. She turned to Yukari and took the witches hands in her own, apparently not noticing how red the little girl's face became when she did that. "Sendo-san, I want you to know that I'm on your side. If you're ever troubled by anything, don't hesitate to talk to me! I'd like to help you out!"
Kurumu sighed. Moka-san, that's not helping…
Even Tsukune noticed something was up, and butted in. "Err… I might not be much help, but you can talk to me too, Yukari-chan. And sorry to pry, but I was wondering… what was up with that guy who was messing with you that day? He said he was your class president?"
"Ah, right!" exclaimed Moka, who then released Yukari's hands. "Has he done anything since?"
Still blushing, Yukari turned to face Tsukune so that she didn't have to look directly into Moka's kind eyes anymore. She didn't trust herself not to break down and confess her feelings then and there if she didn't. "No… he's just ignoring me now. So is everyone else in my class, even the teachers…" She then paused, as if in thought, before continuing. "But you know what… it doesn't matter. I don't need any of them anyway, because I have you three. You're all I need."
Both Kurumu and Tsukune gave her an odd look when she said that, but she cared not because Moka came to her side. "Yes, please join us whenever you wish, Sendo-san. You're always welcome." She then patted Yukari on the head, and the witch girl giggled happily. Yukari leaned into Moka's side as the two of them returned to their meals.
Tsukune and Kurumu glanced at each other. He shrugged, not sure what to do. She nodded, and took the lead. "But Yukari-chan, wouldn't it be easier for you if they stopped ignoring you? You know you can't spend all your time with us, right? I don't think it's a good idea for you to-"
Yukari cut her off, now annoyed at Kurumu's 'help'. "It'll be fine~!" She then hugged Moka, who reciprocated. "As long I have Moka-san and you two, I don't need anyone else! They don't want me there anyway… actually, now that I think about it, they probably wouldn't even care if I switched to one of your classrooms instead. So I can be with Mo- you all more often!"
Only Moka didn't notice Yukari's sudden correction.
Kurumu glared at Yukari, but stopped herself from being too hostile. The whirlwind was only getting stronger. "I'm not saying you have to confront them yourself. We could help and-"
"This is all the help I need!" interjected Yukari, nuzzling her face into Moka's side. Moka blushed a little, but said nothing. "I don't want to be around them either! They're all terrible! They bully me for being a witch and when I try to defend myself, they just bully me harder! I'm not going back and that's that!" She then stuck her tongue out at Kurumu.
"Umm… Kurumu-chan, Yukari-chan, maybe this isn't the-"
But it was too late for an attempt to broker peace now. Kurumu slammed her fist on the table, enraged that her aid was being thrown away like yesterday's trash. "Look, I understand how you feel, but this isn't going to go how you think! If you let them chase you out of the class, what's to stop them from chasing you out of the school!? Then how will you be with Moka-san!? And besides, do you really think that her class won't have any bigots either!?"
"That doesn't matter, I'll have her there and that'll be enough! Just let me be!"
"You need to be able to stand up on your own! Moka-san can't be your everything!"
"Says who!? She doesn't mind, right, Moka-san?"
"Err, I…"
But she didn't get to answer, as Kurumu shouted over her. "Of course, she would mind! You can't just decide these things for her like that!"
"I'm not 'deciding' anything! She said she wanted to help and this would help me!"
"All it's going to do is make things worse!"
"How do you know that!?"
"Because I-!"
Moka coughed, and the two of them fell silent. They all turned to face her.
"If I may… Sendo-san, it wouldn't bother me much if you had no choice but to join my class, but… I also think it'd be best if you could have a better relationship with your own class. This might surprise you, but I also know what it's like to be isolated and ostracized by your peers. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I'd like to help you if I can and if you want. …oh! Ummm…" Moka fidgeted with her rosary before finding some resolve and taking it in her hand. "…the other me wants to say something as well… so prepare yourself, she can be pretty blunt."
With that, she took the rosary in hand and transformed into her silver-haired alter ago.
The other Moka gave Yukari a disdainful glare. "Sendo Yukari… release me at once."
The little witch girl did so almost immediately, getting up and backing away from her suddenly hostile idol. The vampire stood as well and casually followed her. Kurumu and Tsukune, sensing that something was wrong trailed behind them.
"A weakling like you has no place by my side. You're not like Kurumu-chan or Tsukune-kun… you don't have any fire within you… a blaze that could match my own. You're a moth drawn to my flames… but too easily overwhelmed by their might." She glared daggers right into Yukari's eyes. "You're pathetic. Get out of my sight."
Yukari, who was on the verge of tears during to the other Moka's verbal onslaught, broke down in loud tears and ran away.
This Moka turned to face her friends, and was promptly slapped by Kurumu. But to be honest, this Moka was so strong that the attack hurt Kurumu's hand more than it hurt Moka's face. The succubus knew that and did it anyway. "You went too far," was all Kurumu said.
"Perhaps… but, I will not apologize. You'll see… I have a plan," replied the vampire with a smirk on her face. "Now then… back to your lunch."
She relinquished control to the pink-haired Moka, who started profusely apologizing to her two friends. She offered to go immediately apologize to Yukari, but Kurumu warned her not to. She might just make things worse instead, Kurumu feared. Better to wait and observe for now…
Because the whirlwind had only intensified further still.
Yukari spent the rest of lunch hiding behind a building, coiled in on herself and crying once more.
So then, it was true.
Even the few people who didn't hate her didn't really want her around. She was nothing to them. She was… why was she even here? It had all been for nothing. She should have listened to her parents and kept on with her home-schooling… at least they loved her.
The bell rang. But she didn't hear it, having fallen asleep from her emotional rollercoaster.
She suddenly awoke much later, feeling a menacing presence nearby. She pulled out her wand, stood up, and started walking around, fueled by adrenaline. It didn't feel like the other Moka… there was… three of them, maybe? It was hard to tell. There was a small patch of woods nearby, and she walked in, feeling they were lurking around in there.
"Well, hello there."
She swiveled in place to see who it was.
"Oh, class pres! Good, it's just you."
She breathed a sigh of relief. He glared at her and growled.
"Just me? Honestly, where is your respect for your betters?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Did our teacher send you because I was late?"
His glare intensified. "You've missed the entire rest of the school day. And frankly, I don't care for your insolence, little witch girl. You've been a thorn in my side since Day 1…"
She glared back, wagging her wand at him. "What are you talking about? You're the one who started bullying me on the first day of school! You're the thorn here!"
She stuck her tongue out at him, only incensing him further. She thought to herself, maybe it's a bad idea to antagonize someone who's been harassing you as long as you've known him. But with the emotional rollercoaster she had been on the past few days, she was finding it hard to care much about him. Not when her precious Moka was now forever out of reach.
He responded to her taunt by partially transforming into a lizardman, revealing scaled skin and rows upon rows of sharp teeth. He roared aloud, beckoning his two friends closer.
"You know, I was going to stick to my agreement with Akashiya Moka and make her deal with your petulant attitude. But you know what? I'm sick of you! It's time you learned your place, you lowly witch!"
Yukari's confidence faded as they approached. What was she supposed to do against the three of them? She unknowingly backed herself into a tree, shivering with fright, putting her wand up in front of her as if it along could protect her.
She looked at her wand with tears in her eyes.
A weakling like you has no place by my side.
She…
You're pathetic. Get out of my sight.
…she was…
You're quite brave to so openly be a witch around here, you know.
…she was weak, but…
You need to be able to stand up on your own! Moka-san can't be your everything!
…could she…?
I also think it'd be best if you could have a better relationship with your own class.
…she needed to…
Sendo-san, I want you to know that I'm on your side.
…she had to change. But not for Moka. For herself.
With a small fire of determination lighting her path, she waved her wand and summoned a washtub that fell on to the class president's head, knocking him out. It did nothing to stop his allies from reaching, overpowering, and attacking her, but the point had been made.
She had won, just this once.
Elsewhere, Tsukune, Kurumu, and Moka were walking through a patch of woods, heading towards their training spot. Moka was still concerned about Yukari, but Tsukune and Kurumu managed to convince her to relax for now and promised to check up on her later.
"She's probably just moping around somewhere, you know?" pointed out Kurumu. "The other you really did a number on her, even if she did have a point."
"You… do you think she… that I did the right thing? Kurono-san, Aono-kun?" Moka asked.
Kurumu shrugged. "Who knows? The girl can't worship you forever. This would have happened eventually, I think."
Tsukune agreed. "Right, it's better if she can stand on her own."
Kurumu gave him a pointed glance at that statement but had to admit that he had a point. It was just the same with him. As much as she believed she could keep him safe from other youkai, there was only so much she could do. Didn't mean it made her happy to admit that though. She pouted at him and latched onto his arm, giggling as he sighed wearily in response.
"Still, I wonder where… umm, Moka-san? You're drooling…"
Sure enough, she was. She pulled out a napkin and wiped her face on it.
"Sorry, I don't know what's come over me!" She was constantly sniffing the air and looking around, almost like she was playing the role of a bloodhound and searching for something.
Kurumu was just chuckling at her friend's antics, but Tsukune felt that something was up. Maybe there was…
A hint of black and a patch of red-dyed grass happened to catch his eye.
"Hey, someone's over there!"
With no concern for his own safety or the fact that Kurumu was still latched onto him, he rushed over to what he assumed was an injured person. She was just about to chide him for rushing into what could be something dangerous before looking down and seeing who it was.
"Ah! Yukari-san! What happened to you!?"
The girl was a bloody and bruised mess. One of her arms was very clearly broken, her wand was shattered, and her hat was torn apart. Thankfully though, she was just unconscious.
Moka rushed over when she heard Kurumu's shouting.
"Sendo-san! Can you hear me? Sendo-san!"
She caressed Yukari's cut open face, and forced herself not to react to all the delicious-smelling blood. The girl reacted to her touch, squirming in pain.
Moka picked the girl up, not caring about the blood now staining her own uniform, while Kurumu and Tsukune gathered up the pieces of Yukari's broken wand and torn hat.
"Urgh… ugh…"
"Sendo-san, it'll be okay! We'll get you to the infirmary soon!"
The sudden movement stirred Yukari, and she briefly arose from her forced slumber. With vision blurry and confused mind, she blurted out the first thing on her mind.
"Moka-san… you're an… angel… thanks…"
She then nuzzled into Moka's chest and relaxed, going to sleep in comfort.
The vampire blushed a bit at that. But she couldn't agree with the little witch girl. After all, she blamed herself for Yukari's predicament. This must have been the work of Yukari's bullies. Even if her other self was right, she had chased Yukari away and made her vulnerable to their assault. If only she hadn't… but… would this have happened anyway?
It was so hard to say.
"!"
Yukari jolted awake, having tried to move her broken right arm in her sleep.
"AAAAAGH!"
In a pained panic, she clutched it with her left hand, trying to soothe herself. Without a wand in hand, she could only use magic on herself, but thankfully her parents had forced her to learn healing magic. She'd still be sore, but at least she wouldn't be in such pain…!
A voice rang out from behind the curtain.
"Ah, Sendo-san, you're awake."
The nurse, Tsumugi-sensei. She looked around. She was on a hospital bed. There was blood running into her from a bag, so she must have lost quite a bit after those bullies got to her. After they broke her wand and then her arm, they roughed her up a bit and she was knocked out during that whole thing. She had a weird dream and then woke up here.
Nearby on a chair were the remains of her wand and her hat. Someone must have found her and brought her here. But who…?
She looked up and the nurse had arrived to her bedside, looking clinically at her.
"Witches can heal themselves even without their wands, yes? So, you should be fine soon. You may spend the night though if you wish. Would you like me to call your friends and tell them you've awoken? …Why do you look so confused? Akashiya-san, Aono-san, and Kurono-san referred to you as their friend when they dropped you off here. Do you think they are wrong?"
…
Tears started welling up in the young witch's eyes.
She forced herself to answer the nurse, telling her that she would handle things with the others and that she was good to leave. Tsumugi-sensei, having no issue with this, unhooked her from the blood bag and helped her out of bed.
Yukari, with her broken body and belongings, left knowing that she was no longer alone.