Chapter 15: Cross Academy
Yoko stared at her reflection in the bathroom's full-length mirror, examining the sharp and narrow scars on her right leg and her left arm. The doctors had told her the scars would heal quicker if she rested more and kept out of the sun. What bothered her most was not the scars themselves, but what they proved. They told her that Kaname-senpai, her father, and the twins were all lying to her.
There was no way these scars were caused by a car crash. Pedestrians that suffered vehicular injuries displayed abrasions, not thin, sharp cuts like these.
Her suspicions had been confirmed by the awkward behavior of Zero and Ichiru. While Ichiru was skilled at lying and changing the topic, Zero was horrible at it and adopted the tactic he used whenever he hid something from her – avoiding her. Ever since she had been discharged from the hospital, whenever she bought up the topic of the alleged car accident, Zero always found some excuse to leave as fast as he could.
She sighed, finished drying herself, and put on her pajamas. Although she wanted to know the truth, it would take time to dig it out. For now, all she wanted to do was sleep. It was late night; she was tired after her guardian patrol and had two exams tomorrow. She left the bathroom and headed down the hall to her bedroom.
As she unlocked her door, she heard footsteps ascending the stairs. She turned and saw her father at the other end of the hall walking towards her.
"Yoko, mind if I have a quick chat with you? It'll only take a few minutes."
She nodded and they entered her room where she sat on the edge of her bed while he sat on her desk chair. Yoko wondered if something had happened. Her father was more subdued than usual and had a somewhat anxious edge.
After he arranged the chair to face her, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Yoko, there is something I have to tell you, something that may surprise you."
She nodded at him to continue.
He wrung his hands before announcing, "There will be two new students joining the Night Class, and one of them is a pureblood – more specifically Kaname's younger sister."
Yoko's eyes widened, briefly betraying her shock, but she waited for him to finish before asking questions. Kaname had told her he had no more family left when she asked a long time ago. There was no need for him to lie, and the sadness in his eyes had seemed genuine.
The headmaster rushed to explain. "Certain things happened in Kaname's family when he was young which caused him to be separated from his sister. He only reunited with her recently, and she wishes to join him in the Night Class with her friend, a level B vampire."
Kaien observed his daughter's response as she processed the information. She seemed a little surprised but appeared to be taking it in stride overall.
"They'll arrive tomorrow, and I would like you to show them around the school grounds."
Yoko affirmed she would do so after her chemistry lab ended tomorrow. Both she and her father had decided it would be her responsibility to show new or prospective Night Class students the school, since it would be an uncomfortable experience on both sides if it fell on either Zero or Ichiru to lead their vampire guests on a tour. Her father thanked her, bid her goodnight, and left.
As she laid in bed her head swarmed with questions despite her fatigue. She was curious about Kaname's sister and wondered how similar Kaname and she were. What was their relationship like if they had just reunited, and what had caused them to be split apart? She wondered if Kaname would tell her if she asked about his family's past, then pushed that thought out. It was not good to be nosy about other people's family affairs, even if you had known them all your life.
Clearing her mind, she finally fell asleep.
The next afternoon Yoko finished her classes and went to her father's office where they waited for the new students. Zero had gone to help the stableman groom the horses while Ichiru was off somewhere flirting with their classmates. Yoko and the headmaster discussed allocation of the school budget for the various student clubs as they waited. A few minutes after the clock chimed 3, there was a soft knock on the headmaster's door. The person knocking seemed hesitant at first, but the following knocks were louder.
"Please come in," the headmaster said.
The door opened, and two petite girls stepped in. One of them had long brown hair that she wore loose, and big, earnest brown eyes. This girl was most likely Kaname-sama's sister, given her coloring. She possessed a cute, girlish charm and radiated a lively warmth. The other girl had straight gray hair, with part of it arranged into a loose side bun. She had gray, doll-like eyes and was equally cute but gave off a fragile air which contrasted with her friend who teemed with vitality. Both of them were already wearing the white Night Class uniforms.
Strangely for a vampire, and a pureblood at that, the brunette did not seem any different from a human. It was peculiar how she lacked the vibes the other Night Class students gave off, even the delicate-looking grey-haired girl seemed more vampire-like than her.
Yoko wondered if it was just her imagination, but the brunette girl seemed to be staring at her with intense focus, as if expecting something. And although Yoko had never met her before, she felt a tinge of nostalgia as she looked back at her.
"Yoko, this is Yuki Kuran, Kaname's younger sister. The other young lady is her friend, Maria Kurenai."
Yoko faced them and smiled politely. "I am Yoko Cross, the headmaster's daughter and one of the prefects in this school. It is nice to meet you both."
Kaname's sister continued to stare at her, seemingly too lost in thought to respond before being bought out of her trance by Maria who subtly poked her in the side. Yuki looked flustered for a short moment before introducing herself.
"I am Yuki Kuran, pleased to meet you too."
Yoko noted she had a chirpy energetic voice, in contrast to Kaname who had a calm and relaxed voice.
The other girl introduced herself. "My name is Maria Kurenai, and I am accompanying Yuki-sama in her studies here. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
The headmaster observed the entire proceeding, focusing on Yoko and Yuki. He and Kaname had been hesitant to let them meet, fearing Yuki would be unable to control herself and accidentally let secrets slip. Even just now, she had been looking too intensely at Yoko, something his smart daughter would notice and find odd. He wondered if it was really a good idea to let the two girls interact, but was assured by the presence of Maria, who would be able to keep Yuki on task. A part of him also whispered that Juri would have wanted her daughters reunited, even if one of them was unaware of their actual relationship.
As the girls prepared to leave for their tour, Kaien couldn't resist adding a few words. "Yuki-chan."
Yuki turned back, wondering what he had to say.
"Please keep in mind what you and Kaname discussed." Kaien looked at her seriously for a few seconds, and seeing her nod, he resumed his cheerful demeanor. "Go enjoy your tour then."
Yoko led the girls towards the lecture halls. Although most students were still in class, some students with the period free were strolling around while others huddled in corners conversing with friends. Many of them cast curious glances at the two newcomers as they passed by. It was not often that they saw a Night Class student moving around campus during the daytime.
Yoko took them to one of the empty lecture halls with its long, oak tables and matching benches. After showing Yuki and Maria where the major lecture halls were, she led them to the school's main library, with its rows of bookshelves and tables tucked in cozy corners. Only a handful of students were in the library, some of them too busy poring over their books to notice the small tour passing by. The few that looked up waved cheerfully at Yoko.
Many of them were students attending the private school on scholarship money, so they were more focused on their studies and less focused on stalking Night Class students than some of their wealthy peers. Yoko was on good terms with the library crowd since they were the people she spent the most time with outside of the twins and Yori.
Some of them remained on campus during breaks instead of returning home. A few of them opted to stay given the high cost of traveling, whereas others had difficulties at home. Regardless of their reasons, it had become tradition during breaks for the students that stayed to eat dinner with the headmaster and his charges and to celebrate the holidays together.
Lowering her voice amidst the hushed atmosphere, Yoko explained to Yuki and Maria the purposes of the different libraries on campus. Although the Sun Dorm and the Moon Dorm each contained a small library, those housed more mainstream books and magazines. In contrast, the main library housed the scholarly collections and had professional librarians to aid students collecting material for research.
Yoko then led them away down several spacious hallways, continuing her detailed speech on the history of the academy and the credentials of its teachers. Yuki nodded politely but felt her attention start to drift as Yoko rambled on. She hung on long enough to catch something about the headmaster's vision of coexistence, how the Night Class was only established 4 years ago, how one of the professors used to work for the national institute of biomedical research and how another professor was a 2 time winner of some prestigious literary award, but zoned out for the rest. Maria had to keep poking Yuki to snap back to attention whenever Yoko turned around and asked if they had questions.
As they neared the dining hall, more portraits of generous donors to the academy lined the walls. Among them, Yuki recognized several prominent figures of vampire society. She only knew them because she frequently saw them gracing the front pages of the newspapers Aoi read.
Aoi was in the habit of reading both human newspapers and vampire newspapers, the latter which she had to purchase specially from vampire-owned businesses. To prevent the average human from stumbling across their existence, vampire law required these businesses to verify the customer's status as a member of their race before selling publications to them. Aoi read the human news to follow national and international affairs and the stock market. She read the vampire news to keep up with the new laws passed by the Senate and to learn which pureblood lord or lady had recently awakened and other useful tidbits.
Yuki nudged Maria and pointed to a portrait of a dignified lady with graying hair in a chic bob, sharp brown eyes, and a stern smile.
"Look Maria! It's the owner of Amaterasu Cosmetics!" she whispered excitedly.
She had been using their sunscreen ever since she could remember, and even now had a bottle with its familiar morning glory logo in her luggage. It was the top-selling brand in the country among their kind (human-owned brands were not as efficient at preventing sunburn) and its celebrity ambassador was the lead actress of the hit romance drama she and Maria had just finished last week.
"Two of Fukuhara-san's grandchildren are actually in the Night Class. Like the Aidous, they are firmly in the anti-Senate camp. In fact, most students here come from families that support Kaname-sama over the current Senate," Maria whispered back.
At the knowledge that her brother knew so many wealthy and powerful people, Yuki was once again reminded of how sheltered and free from responsibilities she was. She could not imagine having to face all those important adults and make weighty decisions. Being the leader of the Kuran clan was a heavy burden – even now when they were no longer the rulers.
Shizuku also carries a heavy burden as head of the Toma clan…Yuki wondered if she had not seen him over the past year because he was too busy dealing with important people and managing his territory. Even so, he should be able to spare a few hours for me, she thought with annoyance. It was especially irritating because she knew he found the time to send her mother a letter every month, keeping her updated on Uncle Rido. In contrast, his most recent reply to Yuki's last letter came three months late, and in petty retaliation, Yuki had completely stopped writing to him.
After the hall of portraits, they arrived at the dining hall with its high ceilings from which hung brass chandeliers and banners with the school logo. Yuki perked up at the aroma of food as Yoko led them past tables, each decorated with small vases of flowers, to the area where food was ordered. A crew of uniformed cooks could be seen preparing the night's dinner behind glass partitions. Yoko told the girls about the farm-to-table system before mentioning that the school employed two teams of cooks, one specializing in Western cuisine and the other in Japanese cuisine.
Nearby were buffet tables, where workers were starting to put out dinner offerings. Yuki's eyes lit up when she saw the dessert section and she wondered if she could take a cupcake or three to keep her company for the rest of the tour. As if reading her friend's mind, Maria stared at her reprovingly. Yuki had always eaten shockingly much for her size and had the bad habit of eating while walking. She would not let Yuki be seen in public displaying any breaches in etiquette if she could help it. Yuki felt Maria's disapproving eyes on her and abandoned her cupcake fantasies.
Yoko also noticed Yuki's enthusiastic reaction to the dessert table and informed them that should they desire traditional Japanese confections instead, there is a wagashi shop in town from which the tea ceremony club ordered their sweets. She then listed some of the other food shops in town, including a ramen restaurant that Zero frequented and a café famous for both their parfaits and the recurrent presence of the popular Aidou-senpai.
The girls left the dining hall and stepped out the main building, heading towards the school gardens. Yuki and Maria shared a parasol as they followed Yoko through the bright outdoors. Around them, the once verdant gardens were now preparing for winter dormancy.
"During warm weather, many students hang out in the gardens. The flowers are gone now, but the gardens are very pretty in the spring and summer."
"Yes, I know," Yuki said without thinking. She had seen the gardens when she spied on Yoko during the warmer seasons. Her sister liked to read on the bench near the large camphor tree.
Yoko turned back to stare at her curiously.
Maria quickly came to her rescue. "What Yuki meant is that we saw pictures of the blooming school gardens on the information pamphlet and they look very nice."
Yuki nodded frantically. "Uh yes, that's exactly what I meant. I really look forward to seeing the flowers in person next year."
Yoko smiled and turned to face the front again, continuing with their tour. They walked past a small grove of bare magnolia trees and paused by a large, tiered, white stone fountain.
"According to some students, there is a superstition that if you and your lover throw a coin into this fountain, your relationship will be long and happy. That is why the bottom of the fountain is always filled with coins."
Yuki peered into the fountain and indeed it was littered with shiny coins. Although it was superstition, it sounded fun to toss in a coin. Maria tugged her away from the fountain as Yoko beckoned them to follow.
She took them to the lakefront where the boy's rowing team was currently practicing and informed them about the various clubs and sports teams the school offered. Halfway through a sentence, Yoko felt a touch to her arm. Turning around, she saw that Yuki had moved so close she could almost count her individual eyelashes. Yoko looked back at her with a patient but questioning gaze.
"Yuki!" Maria gasped, hoping she would not forget her promise to Kaname-sama.
Yuki reluctantly removed her hand.
"Ah! I'm sorry Cross-san…sometimes I get too caught up in the moment and forget myself."
"It is alright. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Um, it isn't anything important. I just…" she looked down shyly, before suddenly clasping Yoko's hand tightly with hers. "I don't have another friend my age besides Maria, and I would really like to become friends with you and get to know you better."
Her hands were soft and warm, and she was blushing slightly. Her brown eyes, large and beseeching stared into Yoko's blue ones. Even though Yoko was aware that looks could be deceiving and that this girl was technically a powerful pureblood, Yuki had a honest quality about her that made Yoko feel inclined to believe her. That and the odd feeling of familiarity with this girl that she had never met.
Yoko nodded. "I would like that too. And you can just call me Yoko from now on."
"Yuki! You mustn't forget your promise despite your desire to get closer to Yoko-sama," Maria chided.
Yuki hung her head with some shame. She knew she had almost slipped up and was glad her best friend had been there to stop her.
They had already finished the tour and Yoko had bid them goodbye before returning to the main building for her other duties. Yuki sighed and looked longingly across the dorm gates and the lake to where the rooftop of the main building was visible.
Even though she had spied on her sister before and had saved her during that incident with the level E, it was a very different experience being able to interact with Yoko for the first time. Her sister had actually looked back at her and conversed with her this time!
Yuki felt like she could stare at her sister all day and the fascination would remain. Although they were twins, they barely resembled one another. Their physiques were noticeably different. Yoko was taller than her by half a foot and was also more gifted in the chest area, Yuki had noted with some wonderment when she pressed against her in a tight hug earlier. Physical appearances aside, Yoko was so politely behaved and mature it was hard to believe she was the younger sister and not the other way around. Yuki liked being the big sister though, she had always wanted a younger sibling to dote on and play with.
It was riveting, being so close to her twin, and Yuki would have sniffed her to inhale her scent when she hugged Yoko goodbye, if it had not been for the judgmental look Maria shot her. Maria practically had to pry her off and drag her away from the slightly baffled prefect.
Maria sighed seeing Yuki pout and gave the brunette's arm a gentle squeeze.
"You'll see Yoko-sama often from now on, there's no need to rush. Let's return to the dorm for now, Yuki. It's about time the others wake up."
Right after Yuki and Maria returned, Seiren, a quiet girl who served as Kaname's personal assistant informed them that Kaname was waiting in the main gathering room. As they had arrived around early morning, the other students had already turned in to bed. Yuki and Maria had likewise gone to sleep in their already prepared beds as soon as they got to their rooms. Soon after they awoke, they had attended the tour of the school grounds. It was only now that they would be introduced to their classmates.
Quickly running her fingers through her hair and patting down her uniform, Yuki headed to the large room where everyone was gathered. At her entrance, the rest of the class bowed respectfully. With her back straight and gait even as her mother had taught, she walked over to her brother, with Maria following behind. Out of the corner of her eye, Yuki noticed the four males who had been with her brother the day Yoko got attacked. Along with two females, they stood closer to Kaname than the other students.
Kaname indicated to her while addressing the students. "Class, this is my younger sister. We were raised separately after the deaths of our parents, but she will join us at Cross Academy now."
At his words, more than a few glances were exchanged, but the aristocrat students were aware they needed to respect the privacy of the purebloods. They kept their curiosity to themselves, not wanting to cross a line and earn the wrath of Kaname.
Turning to her, Kaname asked her to introduce herself.
Gulping, Yuki turned to face the students. It was her first time engaging in public speaking, and she was nervous. However, both her mother and brother had warned her about letting emotions slip in front of lesser vampires, for fear they would use it against her. That was just the way vampire society worked, with the weaker masses constantly looking for potential weaknesses in their pureblood superiors – a precarious balance that required one to be always vigilant.
She forced herself to smile and speak calmly. "My name is Yuki Kuran, it is a pleasure to be attending school with you all. I look forward to meeting all of you and getting to know you better."
"Yuki-sama," the students murmured, their eyes on her.
That went better than she had expected, and she was relieved when her brother started talking again, drawing the attention back to him. He asked Maria to introduce herself, which the noble did quickly and politely.
"Despite my sister joining us, we will carry on as before. There is no need to let our presences distract you from your school life."
After that, Kaname turned to Takuma, the vice president, indicating at him to finish the meeting. The rest of the meeting was a routine announcement of upcoming school events and discussion of mundane dorm issues. After some minutes, the students were dismissed, and Yuki was free to return to her room and rest before classes started in an hour.
Her suite was on the top floor like her brother's and it was the third largest room. Takuma had offered to move out of his room, the second largest one, but Yuki had declined his kind gesture, not wanting to trouble him and Senri, who was apparently his roommate. In fact, she preferred a smaller room, it felt cozier and less lonely.
One of the dorm maids, a cheerful and bespectacled girl who went by the name Miki had already unpacked most of her belongings. Miki was the maid who had greeted them with a wide smile upon their arrival and helped them move in. When Yuki first saw Miki, she had been vaguely reminded of Aoi and instinctively knew this was someone not to mess with. There was definitely a steely strength lurking beneath that smiling exterior and petite build.
Returning to her room, Yuki saw her textbooks stacked in size order on the bookshelves and her hair accessories and cosmetics placed methodically on the vanity. Opening her walk-in closet, she examined her neatly arranged clothes and shoes. Smiling, she touched the sleeve of a new dress. Many of the clothes were new, purchased when she went shopping with Aoi a week ago. Kaname had told her to prepare for school life and had given Aoi an undisclosed sum of money to fund her shopping spree.
Yuki had never been in such high-end boutiques and had felt out of place as the staff bustled around her recommending this dress or that coat. While the clothes from the fancy shops were impeccable and consistent with the image of a pureblood princess, she was most excited about the clothes she had begged Aoi to let her buy. As they passed by the more mainstream stores, she had convinced the tired Aoi to purchase some of the casual fashion she had seen in Maria's magazines. Finally, she owned some shorts and cute T-shirts!
She was also excited to venture into town on the weekends with Maria and try out the local cafes and confectionary shops when she was not busy trying to catch glimpses of Yoko. She wondered if Yoko also enjoyed sweets and if Kaname onii-sama would be okay with her casually inviting Yoko out to a café. Life at school was going to be splendid!
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or followed the story!
cmonsta117, I'm glad you enjoy the story and the liberties I've taken 😊
Anyway, some notes on this chapter:
The fan book says the Day Class at Cross Academy consists of grade school, junior high, high school and college. I don't recall ever seeing a single elementary schooler there in either the manga or anime, everyone looked like a high schooler. The idea that it contains grade school through college is ridiculous in terms of logistics, and the headmaster doesn't seem capable of managing such a complex school system. Thus, in this story Cross Academy is a private boarding school only for high schoolers. Also, Miki is based off the maid in canon who carried a giant stack of books to Takuma with just one arm.
