The sun felt really nice this afternoon. Setting her green jacket aside, Kurumu flopped on her back upon the warm grass in the courtyard. Crossing her ankles, she stretched out her legs and fixed her skirt to avoid any additional attention from the boys casually admiring her existence. She let out a content sigh, resting her forearm across her brow to shade her closed eyes.
She felt the familiar, warm and sweet sense within her. She lazily opened her eyes, glancing over at two of the girls she had eaten lunch with. She doubted Shirayuki was the source of this feeling, seeing how the girl was seated cross legged while fanning herself with her notebook. The girl panted around the white stick in the crook of her mouth while tugging her collar open. Her blue and white striped panties were showing from Kurumu's angle.
She caught Nerume's gaze and smiled softly. The girl returned the smile, squashing the sensation. The small girl had unfastened three of her top buttons and had folded her jacket across her legs so she could sit how she pleased without worry. The kirin turned her attention back to her platter of entrees placed on her makeshift table, having grabbed more food than the rest of them. She lifted a huge load of noodles in her chopsticks and started slurping them down.
"You think Sendou will be settled down for that thing you want to do tonight with Moka?"
Satsuki was on her right, also cross legged though it hardly mattered with her wearing slacks. The girl was picking at her teeth, trying to get the flecks of green out that Nerume had called to her attention. Her jacket was folded up haphazardly at her side and she had rolled her sleeves up to her elbows.
They had gotten back to the dorms around eight thirty. Moka had frequently yawned on the trip, instigating an epidemic of yawns of exhaustion. After the vampire turned in, they had tried to study in Satsuki's room, perking themselves up with conversation, drinks and snacks. That had lasted a couple hours before Satsuki had kicked them out for the night. After walking Shirayuki home, Kurumu had slept in her room for the first time.
"It's time with her Moka. Only way she backs out is if Moka doesn't show up because of Tsukune."
"Ms. Akashiya didn't come to school today."
Kurumu frowned, glancing at Nerume whom was the only one still eating.
"Really?"
"Yea. It caused quite the problem for Ms. Arashimideru."
Shirayuki nodded in agreement as Kurumu mulled over this news. Arashimideru was their lab partner and they would have had their chemistry exam today.
"Did she have to join a different lab group?"
"No. She decided she would retake it with her partners when they were available and left school early."
Kurumu had never talked long with the quiet Arashimideru. The tall girl used to hang around Hiboshi simply because they were both in tennis. Tomisaki had mentioned the girl was not from their junior high, so it was not like Arashimideru had any history with Hiboshi. She wondered if she should thank the girl for being so patient with her friends.
"I hope Tsukune recovers soon."
"Yea, it would suck to be in the hospital on your birthday."
"I'm sorry about that."
Shirayuki clutched her notebook to her chest, bowing her head.
"It's not your fault."
"Yea, it is. If I had stayed away-"
"Don't. Just stop."
She sighed, feeling the subtle dip of temperature as Shirayuki sulked.
"The only person mad about what happened is Yukari and she'll get over it. She's not even mad at you. She's mad at us."
"You could tell she was agitated during lab yesterday."
Kurumu smiled, recalling how Yukari had randomly swore in the middle of the exam. Osakebi had snickered while Senyou had tried to help despite being shushed away repeatedly.
"She's constantly spying on Moka through her rosary so it troubles her when things happen and she can't do anything about it."
"How does she do that?"
Kurumu shrugged, glancing at Satsuki.
"She's a witch. It's a spell she cast several weeks ago back when Moka was with that Inui guy."
"So that's how she responded so quickly."
Kurumu smiled, aware that Mizore had never mentioned Yukari in her diary until the final entries. It was only a couple lines about misunderstanding the witch and not wanting to force Yukari to carry out her murderous threats.
"Do you want to come to Tsukune's party on Sunday?"
"I shouldn't."
"Would she be okay at a pool party? She's flush from having lunch in the sun."
"You should wear the school blouse. They have ones with short sleeves."
"I'm fine."
"Mizore said her outfit is a special fabric that breathes more than the stuff our blouses are made of."
"Bullshit."
Kurumu chuckled.
"It's true. My mother made these for me."
"There's no way that thing breathes more than my blouse."
"You should take it off."
Nerume was fiddling with another button on her blouse. Her beige bra was partially visible now that she had undone four.
"Eat your food, Nerume."
"Yea, only Kurumu can get away walking about topless at school."
"I've never been topless at school."
"A bra is not much different from a swimsuit. It's no big deal."
"You're assuming Shirayuki wears a bra."
Kurumu smirked.
"She's about your size, Satsuki. How often are you going without?"
"I could get away with it, if I was wearing baggy tops like she does."
"I'm wearing a bra."
"Then you can take your top off."
"My skin breaks out in hives within ten minutes of direct exposure to the sun."
"Well that explains the long socks. Most girls don't yank them up to their knees."
Kurumu sighed, pushing herself back up to a seated position. She leaned back on her hands.
"Do you have a swimsuit?"
"No."
"Could you button your shirt back up? Someone's going to notice."
"But it's hot."
Kurumu chuckled, shaking her head.
"Let her be, Satsuki. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"I have to make up my exams from yesterday."
Kurumu frowned, thinking that would be a whole day of exams without much free time. She recalled she had that dinner with Kagome at seven.
"When do you think you'll be free? Like four?"
"I'm taking my Japanese exam with Ms. Sunao after lunch. I should be going back to class soon."
Kurumu glanced at her wrist. It was twelve to one.
"Taking that at one or one thirty?"
"I don't know. She just asked if I would take it after lunch."
"Hmm. Well that means you would only have two exams tomorrow and should be done after lunch."
"Yea."
"You two want to take her swimsuit shopping? I have to pick up the one I ordered from the store. Assuming it's there."
"I'm cool with it, but it sounds pointless if she can't be in the sun."
"She could wear a light jacket over it."
"What's the point?"
"Moka can't swim because of vampires' aversion to water. I still got her to buy a swimsuit."
"Yea, but Moka can lay out in the sun if she wants. What can Shirayuki do?"
Nerume smiled, polishing off the last of her third noodle cup. Rubbing her mouth with the back of her wrist, she picked up a sandwich wrapped in cellophane.
"She might look sexy in a two piece and a light jacket."
"That would be sexy?"
"Well… yea. It's like how the whole wearing a man's dress shirt for pajamas works."
"Works for whom?"
"My dad likes it when my mom wears his shirts to bed."
Kurumu chuckled.
"I think that's different, but I'm sure we can find something for Mizore that will look cute."
"It'll have to be a jacket that she won't burn through. A dark color would work."
"Yea, but it would need to compliment the swimsuit."
"Yea, whatever. I should pick up a suit while we're at it. I didn't think to bring mine to school."
Kurumu smiled as Nerume gobbled down another large mouthful of her yakisoba sandwich.
"Do you have a suit?"
"Mhm. It's a one piece but very open in the back so that I can have my tail out."
"How does she eat so much?"
Satsuki chuckled at Shirayuki's astonishment.
"Hey, are you doing anything after your exam with Ms. Sunao?"
"You know she's not. What are you wanting?"
"Well… I was thinking since it's pretty obvious that Moka is going to skip out on my article that you guys might want to hang out with the cheerleaders."
"I was planning to come. You think they'll let us try on their outfits?"
Kurumu chuckled, shaking her head.
"I suppose I could stick around, but what would we do for the next couple hours?"
"I was thinking we could hang out in the library so Mizore could find us easily."
Kurumu smiled at the somber look that crossed Shirayuki's face. The girl had been recently banished from the library due to her reputation. The library had been one of Shirayuki's havens and it was where she had interacted with Bikiyama several times due to Uchikawa being a bookworm.
"Would you be okay with that, Mizore? We could hang out a little in the library before we head out to the fields to do my article stuff."
"I don't know."
"You know the cheerleader squad is ran by Ms. Uchikawa's aunt. You might like her."
Shirayuki sighed, glancing aside.
"Kurumu. I don't know if they want me in the library."
"They won't make a fuss if you're with me."
"Assuming we haven't been kicked out before you arrive."
Kurumu smirked, aware that Ms. Bakudai was not particularly fond of her.
"True. We might end up hanging out in the cafeteria."
"That's somehow more boring than the library."
"Do you think they'll let us have a ball? We could play in the practice gym for a bit."
"The basketball team could be practicing in there."
"If they are, we could play with them."
Kurumu chuckled, recalling how tall Yougan and the rest of the team were.
"I doubt that. We're tiny compared to them."
"They might humor us. Or maybe they will let us have one of their balls and we can play with ourselves."
"We're about one sentence away from someone making a sexual joke. What do you think, Shirayuki?"
Shirayuki panted while airing out her blouse.
"About what?"
"About hanging out this afternoon?"
"I guess."
"Come on, Mizore. You can show a little enthusiasm."
"For what?"
Kurumu frowned.
"I don't know. Hanging out with friends?"
Shirayuki glanced aside.
"I should be going."
Kurumu got up before Shirayuki could. Quickly crossing the gap as Satsuki got to her feet, Kurumu pressed a hand on Shirayuki's head.
"You don't have to run off yet. What if she's not there until one thirty?"
"We can walk with her to class."
"At least let Nerume finish eating."
"I'm good."
Nerume set the platter aside so she could get her feet back under her. Slinging her jacket over her shoulder, she picked up the tray as she stood up. There were still two unopened bowls among the half dozen emptied ones.
"I just need to take this back."
"Fine, munchkin. Wait for us."
Kurumu nodded as Satsuki tied her jacket's sleeves about her waist. The girl grinned, keeping step with her short companion as they walked to the row of glass doors. The only other way out of the courtyard would be to walk past the monster tree through the doors near the main foyer. Kurumu absently let her hand rest at her side, allowing Shirayuki to get up.
"I don't get it."
"Hmm?"
"You know nothing has changed. What do you expect from me?"
Kurumu paused. She supposed nothing had changed for Shirayuki. She was still engaged and would become the next Snow Priestess. The only real difference was she was no longer relying on Kotsubo to help her find a way out of her predicament.
"You could smile."
"Why?"
"Because you're happy?"
Shirayuki sighed heavily. She stuffed her notebook and her hands in her center pocket.
"I don't feel happy."
"What do you think about Nerume and Satsuki?"
Shirayuki shrugged.
"They're nice."
"Do you think you'll be friends with them?"
"They're your friends, Kurumu."
"So? You can be friends with all of my friends if you want. Yukari might take longer than some of the others, but I would like you to be part of my group."
"Why?"
Kurumu smiled.
"Because you picked me."
"I don't think I did."
"You mention like three or four people regularly in your diary. If it's not Kotsubo, it's me. If it's not either of us, then it's Bikiyama or Sakamori. Everyone else barely gets mentioned at all."
"You were nice to me."
"You wrote a story about a girl based on me."
Shirayuki cocked her head. She touched the end of the stick in her mouth.
"I killed that girl."
Kurumu chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yea, but that was the first main girl character you've done. And you made her happy despite her terminal illness. Don't you feel like you should do that for yourself?"
Shirayuki shrugged, returning her hand to her pocket.
"Are you happy, Kurumu?"
"We're all going to die, Mizore. Does that mean we should be miserable all the way to the grave?"
Shirayuki glanced aside. For a moment, the corner of her lips turned up in a slight smile. Her sapphire eyes lazily turned back with a hint of amusement.
Kurumu grinned, stepping in to touch Shirayuki's cheek. Her skin was cold like an ice cube tray. The girl flinched as the smirk was quickly replaced with concern.
"That was pretty. You should smile more."
"That was a bad thought."
"What were you thinking?"
"That you would share Aono if you thought it would make me happy."
Kurumu frowned.
"Well… I don't mind if you're friends with him."
"You're too nice."
"You're too quiet. You need to laugh more."
"Why?"
"Because it makes people like you. People like being around girls that are always laughing and smiling."
"Hasn't worked out for Sakamori."
Kurumu grinned, aware that the shojo was not the most popular girl in home ec or gym.
"Sakamori is fine in small doses. We spent the night with her at Tokori's place and she behaved herself at Asuka's birthday party."
"I laughed when I was with Aono at the pond."
"That's good. Did he say a joke or something?"
"He doesn't know how to skip rocks. That was amusing."
Kurumu smirked.
"That sounds sad. He is a city boy."
Shirayuki smiled wistfully, her eyes distant.
"Yea."
"Did your cold act up because you laughed?"
Shirayuki snapped out of her reverie, frowning.
"My cold?"
"Did you cause the temperature to drop because you laughed?"
"No."
"Then you should laugh more."
"I… that might have been a fluke."
"Do you think your cold only triggers with sadness?"
"It's strong emotions, Kurumu."
Kurumu was aware what it was like to be challenged over how your powers worked, but it did seem odd that Mizore could laugh without issue.
"Were you faking laughter?"
"No. Well… I don't think."
"Are you sure it triggers from happiness?"
"I was very happy when my powers awakened."
Despite the certainty of her tone, the girl looked away when Kurumu met her gaze.
"It was my first kiss."
Kurumu nodded reflexively, though her mind protested. It was not like her first kiss with Takada had been anything special. And now that she knew about how dangerous her kiss was, most thoughts of kissing had an edge of fear to them.
"You know I'm a little scared to kiss anyone. Maybe you felt the same way."
"I was eight. Why would I be scared to kiss a boy?"
"Because you were eight."
The temperature took another slight dip which Kurumu promptly responded with touching Mizore's cheek and her hair. Her hair was silky smooth and much warmer, making it a better place for future caresses. Clutching firmly to prevent the girl's retreat, Kurumu smiled.
"Don't. It's okay. I'm thinking its fear and sadness that trigger your cold."
"No. If I get angry, it's much worse."
"Well that's another negative emotion. Maybe good things like laughing, happiness and love are safe."
"I don't know."
"Have you tried?"
"How?"
Fair question.
"I guess it's like your moaning sessions. You know, smile and laugh till you actually feel it's genuine?"
Shirayuki stared at her.
"I moaned once. Don't plural my embarrassment."
"You guys know that you have to come back through here, right?"
Satsuki was holding one of the glass doors open, her hand held up against her cheek as she shouted.
"You told us to wait for you."
"I didn't mean wait out there. It's almost ten after one, so get your butts inside."
Kurumu chuckled, withdrawing her hands from Shirayuki. With a slight nod, she started for the doors. Shirayuki followed quietly behind as they crossed the courtyard.
Nerume was lingering in the hall behind Satsuki. She had slipped her jacket back on, but had not bothered to button up her blouse. It was still tucked in her skirt which sort of held it together. The girl gestured at Shirayuki as the slipped through the open door.
"Hey, Ms. Shirayuki. What kind of candy is that?"
Shirayuki paused, touching the end of her stick.
"A lollipop."
Nerume giggled. They had all seen the girl put the large, red candy in her mouth after finishing the half liter of vanilla ice cream she had brought to school.
"I meant what kind?"
"Cherry."
That was another safe bet. Kurumu chuckled as they started down the hall towards the classrooms.
"Brand? That thing was huge."
Shirayuki shrugged. She pulled one out of her pocket and held it out to Nerume.
"You don't mind?"
"I have more."
"Is it like the berries?"
"Hmm?"
"You know. Something that helps regulate your powers."
Nerume tugged off the wrapper, stowing it in her jacket's pocket. She squeezed the large sphere into her mouth, her cheek having a slight budge as she closed her mouth.
"So this will make me cold resistant?"
"It's just candy from my village. I don't know if it does anything."
Kurumu frowned.
"Really? The school is fine with you having candy all the time?"
"I told them that it helps me control my powers."
"Does it?"
Shirayuki shrugged without further comment. They reached the adjacent hall, turning left towards the classrooms.
"This is hard to suck on."
"Your mouth is too small."
"I can't be much smaller than hers."
That was true. Kurumu rarely saw Shirayuki change out candy. It would not surprise her if it took several hours to whittle that thing down to a comfortable size.
"So what's this fiancé of yours like?"
"Satsuki."
"I'm curious. She seems to hate him, so I assume she's met him."
"I have."
Kurumu nodded, aware Shirayuki had mentioned a liar being nice to his bride.
"You mentioned him in your diary. I thought you didn't know him."
"I don't know his name."
"How did you know he was your fiancé?"
Shirayuki sighed as they approached the nearest stairway.
"During summer break almost four years ago I met a boy whom said nothing. He would hang out in the place I usually went to be alone but he wouldn't talk to me. After two weeks of this, I got curious and asked what he was listening to. He was always listening to music. He gave it to me."
"Gave it to you? His CD player?"
Shirayuki nodded.
"He told me I could keep it since he had another at home. It was loud, angry music. It was scary to listen to, because it resonated with the feelings I try to suppress."
They reached the stairs. Kurumu started up first with Satsuki on her left. The other two were a couple steps behind.
"I know it must have been uncomfortable to be around me. The water on the riverbank would freeze several times. He never said anything about it. When summer ended, he never came back."
Nerume cocked her head so that her ponytail hung over the railing.
"How did you know he was your fiancé?"
"My mother told me. Apparently they had known about him visiting me and had kept quiet about it until school resumed. They had hoped that I would get along with him."
Satsuki sighed.
"Guy spends a whole month not talking to you and gives you angry music. I guess that's cool you got a CD player out of it but the whole thing sounds pretty creepy."
Kurumu chuckled. She could see a younger Umizake doing something that socially awkward.
"So you don't think you would get along with that guy?"
"No. It's quite obvious."
"What do you mean obvious?"
Shirayuki glanced up at her with an emotionless expression.
"Obvious he hates me."
Kurumu laughed.
"No, it's not."
"The guy's weird. Who gives angry music to their future bride?"
"Maybe he wanted to share his musical tastes."
Satsuki chuckled.
"Naw, I'm with Shirayuki. Sounds like the guy was telling her to fuck off."
Kurumu grimaced. She really felt the urge to out Umizake as this fiancé but it would feel more polite to have Shirayuki talk with him first.
"Is there a type of guy you would be interested in, Ms. Shirayuki?"
Shirayuki shrugged as they reached the top of the stairs. They walked by Mr. Hakuru's chemistry lab.
"Like mating preferences? I'm a Night Mare, so I'm hoping to meet a nice Kirin boy."
Satsuki chuckled.
"There's always humans."
"As if they have any of those here."
Kurumu grinned.
"I think yuki'onna prefer human men but I don't know if they can be with other monsters."
"Strong water based spirits can handle our cold without the berries."
Kurumu's thoughts drifted to Kamitsuku, whom she would be seeing soon.
"So like kappas?"
"No. More pure. Like an Undine or a Mizuchi."
"Mizuchi?"
"A water dragon. A god of the ocean. My fiancé is one. That's why my cold never bothered that boy."
Kurumu smiled, wondering if Umizake truly was that impressive. He seemed so lazy and apathetic.
"We know a kappa in our class that went to school with some undines."
"We do?"
"Yamabato Kamitsuku. Though all the undines he mentioned were girls."
Satsuki smirked.
"That boy's a kappa? Heh. I wouldn't have guessed that."
As they shared a laugh, Kurumu noted Mizore had a slight smile. It truly was beautiful.
The drawback of being out in an open field like this was that there was nothing to lean against. Kurumu was not much in the mood for standing upright for hours but felt it would be impolite to park her butt on the ground in the midst of her article. She sighed, thankful that the last of her interviews was over.
It was fairly easy to tell the cheerleaders apart from the rest of them. The cheerleader outfit was mostly white with green trim that matched their school jackets. The girls had pleated skirts over silky shorts with lacy frills. The skirts were only about mid thigh length, so the green shorts were often flashed by jumps and cartwheels. The lace made it easy to mistake the shorts as panties, which Ms. Uchikawa admitted was intentional. The top, which zipped up in the back, bared the midriff and had a heart shaped window below the neck to expose cleavage. The fabric stretched to accommodate the bustier girls. Anagume complained it was worse for small girls like her whom needed padding to fill out the top.
The three boys had short sleeved, mesh tees with green sleeves and collars. Their loose track pants had a green waistband and a green stripe that stretched down the side of the leg to their ankles. Tomisaki was the most slender of the three.
The other two guys were about Tsukune's height but had impressive arms. They weren't stout but they had little issue working with the girls. Both had short hair, Yuuki having this creamy chocolate look while the other had darker brown locks with patches of white. Yuuki had held the older Kyubane sister upright by her feet in an incredible display of strength and balance.
It was clear why Shirenai Yuuki was preferred over his senior Geijutsu Ryoute. Yuuki was amicable and bold. He liked doing stunts and had mentioned he would have joined the gymnastics club had it not only being for girls. He goofed off much more, laughed more, did somersaults and moonsaults on a whim and was as flexible as any of the girls.
Geijutsu was the silent, strong and serious type. He was good but mostly kept his work with Hogomaru and Zoshaga, the tallest girls of the club. Kurumu had left the senior interviews to Tora, so she did not know much else about any of them beyond their looks. Zoshaga was the brunette with long bangs and shaven short hair. Hogomaru, whom she had seen in gym, had inky black short hair that was wild and unkempt. She had a braided rat tail that was tied off with a mint green ribbon at her butt.
Since everyone had arrived at about the same time, Ginei had suggested doing all the pictures before breaking the group up for interviews. Kurumu had not officially done any interviews all week, so it was going to be a long process and Ginei was hoping he could send the film club home. Amusingly none of the film club had left despite Ginei's thoughtfulness.
The film club had a solid turnout. Never the best with names, Tamura Shigo had to be reintroduced to Kurumu. She had only remembered this gray haired boy was from class twelve and had spent a lot of time talking with Dakuhime. The guy was shorter than Tomisaki and was hanging around the russet haired boy whom had Nerume seated up on his shoulders with her knees on either side of his head. Anagume and the two short seniors from Sado stood around them, chatting amicably.
Kamitsuku was mostly talking with Satsuki and Tsubuyama. He regretfully did not know of any Undine males from his community that were at Yokai. They had joked about him only paying attention to girls which he did not deny.
It had been some time since she had seen Uchiyama Makoto from class eleven. The black haired boy with the short feathered locks was about the same height as their club president, Sangi Mitsuki. Aware that Uchiyama was an out of prefecture from Okayama, she had coyly asked him if he would be interested in meeting some of her Tengu friends. He seemed agreeable to the idea and was looking forward to Tsukune's birthday party. He was presently keeping the two juniors from his club company.
This was the first time Kurumu had met Kuroishi Genmai. The boy had thick glasses and was about the same height as the tallest of the cheerleader girls. His fine black hair was trimmed in a simple bowl cut. Oyanagi Neneki, the stout boy with the greenish afro, had helped his fellow junior set up the camera on a tripod which Kuroishi was using to film the whole process. Shortly after the pictures, Ms. Uchikawa had encouraged the girls do a quick performance, requesting Kuroishi to give her a copy of the video.
Sangi had asked Shirayuki to keep an eye on their mascot. The little mint haired senior, Chouda Sumire, was quietly wandering at the edge of the forest, taking pictures of whatever struck her fancy. Shirayuki kept her distance from the girl, occasionally opening her notebook to jot something down. It was hard to believe Chouda was taller than Shirayuki, since the senior was often slouched or bent over with her hair brushing the ground.
According to Sangi, this would be everyone from her club that would attend the field trip next week. The other upperclassmen were not interested. The tall brunette stood next to Kurumu, regarding her digital camera as she scrolled through dozens of pictures.
Ginei had promised to handle the juniors, but had lost interest. More accurately, he never stopped chatting with Kagayama, whom was the third girl he had spoken with. He had handled Garakuta and Kukioba first but could not stop flirting with Kagayama. The girl was probably shorter than Moka and had long, vibrant sandy blond hair. It fell down to her knees. Yuuki had mentioned it was difficult to work with her because her hair often got in the way. Despite her strong features which were similar to most of the Sekikawa girls, her cheery attitude gave her this attractive aura unlike the other girls. She was not on the same level as Okimune or Moka, but Kurumu could see why Ginei enjoyed talking with such an enthusiastic girl. It also helped that she had pretty hazel eyes with long lashes.
Two of the Sekikawa girls Kurumu had interviewed were hanging about Kagayama with mild interest in Ginei. Ikatsuki Shukujo was the girl from class five Tokori had told her about. The girl had black hair which was tapered in the back but still looked boyish due to it being short. She had a slight glint in her eyes and the color of her iris was very similar to the turquoise of Moka's.
Fuyutsuki Akemi was Kagayama's cousin. She had long, scarlet hair that she pulled back and looped in a fluffy ponytail. She was the shortest of the Sekikawa girls, about Satsuki's height. She was clinging to Kagayama's arm and had been greeted with a kiss on the cheek when she had first come over to her cousin. Aware that Kana was also from class seven and did not have many classroom friends, Kurumu had asked if Fuyutsuki would be kind to her. The girl had promised to try, saying Ms. Kubo, whom sat next to Kana, hated her. Curious why, Fuyutsuki admitted Kubo was also from Sekikawa but was a dirt blood, their term for monstrels, and that her parents made a big fuss over such things. The only reason why they were partners in home economics was because Kubo didn't know anybody else.
The other two freshmen girls whom Kurumu had interviewed were hanging about Yuuki. Juntaku Masami was as tall as the senior Sekikawa girls. She was a rare gyokuto as her hair was a dark vermilion which she had painstakingly crimped and pleated. She still had the usual pink eyes but was not nearly as endowed as any other gyokuto Kurumu had met. Despite her grins and upbeat chatter, she candidly expressed her distaste for the other gyokuto girls. She was only in the club because it frightened her to be around strangers.
Kyubane Mizuki was also from class nine. Like her older sister, Naho, she had platinum blond hair that was naturally wavy. She was slightly shorter than her sister, making her the shortest of the gyokuto girls in the club. As a prank, the two had tried swapping classes for a day last week to see if anyone could tell the difference between them. Unfortunately Mizuki was not smart enough to handle her sister's third year classes. Not that Naho was super smart or anything. Both girls were academically average. They did not get caught, but Naho had to redo an in class worksheet the next day.
Kurumu's last interview had been with Anagume Arukune, whom everyone called Aru. The girl was the same height as Kurumu and had black hair done up in braided pig tails. She was adorable and gave Kurumu the same feeling she had when around Dakuhime. She had the same dark, bottomless eyes. They weren't related but Anagume admitted they were both mujina, a mischievous badger spirit known to play tricks on humans. Aru had a little sister whom was too shy to be a cheerleader and had joined the Greetings club instead to boost her confidence.
"Should we tell everyone to leave?"
Kurumu smiled, reaching over to drape her arms about Tora. The black fabric of the PSC jacket was surprisingly smooth. Kurumu stepped in to press herself against Tora's back, sighing deeply as Tora reached up to squeeze Kurumu's wrist.
"You're being weird again."
"You know I love you."
Sangi chuckled.
"You're going to get rumors about you acting like that."
"I'm glad your club is shaping up. You were a lot of help today."
"I'm still miffed about our seniors. I don't really care if Kirameku drops us, but Hatsutori should have shown up."
Kurumu smirked.
"Good luck with that guy. He's probably courting young girls telling them he'll make them famous."
"Maybe. He stopped talking with me when I refused to cosplay for him. He still hits up the guys for help all the time, doing God knows what in that studio of his."
Kurumu nuzzled her cheek against the side of Tora's head. She was fine with never meeting the guy that owned the studio in which Nagare had assaulted her.
"Could you stop?"
"I know you like it."
"You sound like a dirty old man."
Kurumu relaxed, aware that she was getting no sensation from Tora. Some of the film club boys approved of the interaction.
"You think Moka will come tonight?"
"She can't spend the night at the hospital."
"Yea, but someone will have to go get her."
Tora sighed.
"I don't know what she's thinking. She can't do her article tomorrow."
"Huh?"
"Think about it. She blew off her exams today and missed one yesterday. There's no way she can make that appointment she made with the manga club in Mononoke tomorrow."
Kurumu paused, realizing she would have to abandon Shirayuki to cover for Moka. She would also have to cancel her swimsuit plans with Nerume and Satsuki. That was no good.
"I can't."
"You were thinking to help?"
"Yea…"
"I already made plans with Ginei so I can't cover for her either. Do you think Yukari would?"
Kurumu snorted.
"Maybe if it was with Moka. Yukari is upset about the whole throwing themselves in danger for Shirayuki's sake."
"Ginei told me about that before coming here. Kana and I had no idea what was going on this morning. Moka would not answer the door and I didn't want to be late for exams."
"You should value your friends more."
"My friends should value what I value."
Kurumu smiled, moving the hand that was free of Tora's grasp. She absently picked at the braids about Tora's ear.
"So what plans do you have with Ginei tomorrow? Another romantic date?"
Sangi chuckled.
"Hardly romantic. She's tagging along to make sure Ginei doesn't botch the plans with Ms. Nekonome and Mr. Umatobi. I'll be there too."
"Sounds like you could cover for Moka if you wanted. I'm sure Sangi could manage things even if Ginei didn't show up."
"You're giving me far too much credit. Nazohashi here is pretty damn useful in our planning. I'm about as disorganized as Ginei with this sort of thing."
Kurumu sighed, tugging her arm back so Tora would release it. She stepped up beside Tora, tucking her arms below her breasts as she regarded Ginei. He was still chatting with that trio of girls with no signs of discontinuing. Only Kagayama seemed to be genuinely paying interest in him.
They probably should say something. Ms. Uchikawa had left a good fifteen or so minutes ago, not wanting to be late for something she had planned in Mononoke. Only three of the seniors had left.
"Should we stop Ginei's flirting with that girl?"
"I don't understand what he finds interesting about her."
Sangi chuckled.
"That's Kuki. Every boy loves Kuki."
Kurumu frowned. She gestured at the girl from her home ec class with the cinnamon curls.
"Isn't that Kuki?"
"That's Kukioba Tappuri. Most of her friends call her Puri. Kagayama's first name is Kuki."
"When I spoke with Ms. Tsubuyama, she mentioned several of the juniors went with nicknames. Instead of Kosuru, the others call her Kozi."
Kurumu nodded, already aware of Aru.
"So why does every boy love Kuki?"
Sangi smirked, glancing down at her camera to scroll through pictures.
"She's vocal about being a lesbian."
"Serious?"
"Lots of guys think it's some challenge, but she's dated three girls. Two seniors last year and she's currently with Michi Sanshiri from the softball team. She likes tall, slender girls with short hair."
Kurumu chuckled.
"I was beginning to think she was another one of your former classmates."
"She's not but Tsubuyama is."
"I knew that."
Kurumu glanced at Tora, noting the concerned expression.
"Are you worried Ginei wants to convince her to go straight?"
Tora rolled her eyes.
"No. That would require asking her out and he already said he won't ask any girls out."
"Oh? That's interesting. I thought he was single again."
"He is, but he has this notion in his head that he should be asked out."
"And an even worse notion that he should oblige any girl that asks him out."
Sangi laughed, letting go of her camera so it would dangle on the strap about her neck.
"That sounds stupid enough for him. I guess that's why he didn't want me announcing his freedom."
"Meaning he would get asked out?"
"Of course. Nakamoto would immediately try again if she knew he was available."
Kurumu paused, knowing two girls had tried to ask Ginei out last year when he was still in a long distance relationship with some human girl.
"Was Nakamoto from your class?"
"No, that was Mika."
Sangi pursed her lips.
"I wonder if she would try again. Maybe I should tell her."
"He requested your silence. I trust you to remain so."
Kurumu smirked, poking Tora's shoulder. The sphinx scowled, glancing away.
"Tora has been worried that Ginei would shirk his duties as club president if he picked up a girlfriend. She's not thrilled with the idea of having to run our club on her own while also fulfilling her duties as a member of the PSC."
"Mika is a good girl. Nakamoto is another matter."
"What's wrong with Nakamoto?"
Sangi shrugged.
"She's just creepy. She tried to slip Ginei a love potion last year and Kousuke drank it by mistake. Nothing like having your class after lunch interrupted by a lovestruck boy confessing his undying fealty to poor Tsuri. I felt so embarrassed for her."
Kurumu thought about questioning the love potion but she knew both Tsuri and Koike. An inugami with a nekomusume was an unusual pairing.
"That must have been awkward."
"It was cruel. Tsuri had never been asked out before so she accepted it. It lasted for hours. He convinced her to skip the rest of the school day and I believe he took her virginity. She was so devastated when Kousuke broke up with her that evening when the potion wore off."
"How did you know Nakamoto slipped Ginei a love potion?"
"Kousuke got her to confess to it the next day. He realized what had happened after Ginei explained Nakamoto's seductive behavior and disbelief when he did not reciprocate. I think his inability to punish her played a large part in why he joined the PSC."
Kurumu frowned.
"I wonder if Hidarimeki still has feelings for him."
"Maybe. Kousuke is a likable guy so I think we all had a little crush on our troublemakers. I'm sure her biggest concern was that it was a prank."
"I would hope Ginei would make an exception for this Nakamoto."
"You said Mika is a good one."
"She is and would probably join your club. It's not like her fashion club is demanding."
Kurumu smiled.
"I know a couple girls in the fashion club. Do you think we could meet this girl?"
"How would I know? I'm not her agent."
"You said you would tell her about Ginei being single."
"I see her in gym. She's in Atsumoto's homeroom with Mei, Myaku and Kousuke."
Kurumu shrugged, only knowing one of those names. She smiled at the agitated Tora.
"I could probably get a lunch with the fashion club if you want to meet this Mika."
"What makes you think this classmate of yours would be good for Ginei?"
"No reason. I guess with Mika being an okami, it makes sense for her to be with Ginei."
Tora paused, glancing aside.
"It does make sense. He is part okami and an okami girl would be best for him."
"Yea, but an okami with an inugami wouldn't be a bad pair."
Sangi chuckled.
"Not really. Mika never had any interest in a domesticated dog of justice. Sure, he's lovable, but Mika's only had eyes for Ginei. Although getting her to confess a second time would be like asking lightning to strike the same spot."
Tora huffed.
"If it will be that difficult, then I don't see the point in making her aware of the new circumstances."
"Do you plan to ask him out?"
"Is Nazohashi interested in Ginei?"
"No, and I'm not. As said earlier, it will be an inconvenience to me if he dates a woman that makes him lose interest in our club."
"You sound just like her. Mika was always complaining about how troublesome Ginei was and how it reflected poorly on our class. You would have thought she was our class rep with how personally she took all of his antics."
Tora sighed. She cast a sidelong glance at Sangi.
"You seem to talk a lot about him. Why don't you ask him out?"
"Go out with Ginei?"
Sangi laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm not compatible. I guess if I just want to have a fling or something, sure. But my parents would freak out if I wanted more than that. You understand that, right?"
Kurumu grimaced, aware that this was turning towards the whole pure blood garbage. She knew Ginei was not hung up on that. He flirted with any girl and would probably marry any girl willing to put up with him. He was that loyal of a guy.
"I don't understand it. If you like the guy, you should ask him out. Seriously, Tora, is your mother's approval the biggest reason why you have to keep your distance?"
"Yes."
Kurumu balked with disbelief.
"Tora."
"Your mother would approve of Tsukune."
Kurumu could not deny that. She felt certain Tsukune's parents would love her but would discourage marriage during high school. Most human parents would.
"Ginei's parents would approve of you."
"That's because they have remarkably low expectations for him."
"I'm sure your father would want you to be happy."
"My father will want what makes my mother happy."
Kurumu sighed, supposing that was true. Tora suspected her father was under her mother's control without any free will of his own.
"Don't you want to be with him?"
Tora glanced at Ginei. She turned her attention back to Sangi.
"Are you sure you don't want to date him simply to pass some time?"
Sangi chuckled.
"No way. Sure, I could sleep with him. I've thought about throwing my virginity away since the eighth grade. But I can't do a pretend girlfriend."
Kurumu sighed.
"Is having a monstrel child really that bad?"
"My best friend last year is a monstrel. Sukoyaka Myaku. She sat by me last year. Sweet thing from Mononoke. I wish I still had her in class. I only see her in gym. Mika's taking real good care of her."
"Is she in the fashion club?"
"She's a band girl. Plays the violin. It's a busy club so she doesn't have time for others."
"If you don't have a problem with monstrels, what's the issue?"
"Lots of issues. Several communities won't let your kid attend school. This can be a problem if your child can't retain a human form to attend human schools. Do you want more?"
"No, I get it. I don't like it. I think you're silly if you have a thing for Ginei and use this as a reason to avoid having a relationship with him."
Sangi laughed.
"I don't have a thing for Ginei. I miss my old class. I really do. Two months in and I still feel like a complete stranger."
"Maybe you need to introduce yourself."
"I didn't have to last year. Don't see why I should this time."
"I've met Yoshizawa and Tadayo from your class. You could try hanging out with them. Maybe form some ginger alliance of sorts."
Sangi snorted.
"Haven't heard that before. I guess my hair does have a reddish tint, but nobody's called me a ginger."
"It's a thought."
"None of us sit by each other."
"You can get up between classes."
"I suppose."
"If you haven't noticed, Kurumu is quite persistent."
"I'm surprised with her around that you haven't asked Ginei out yourself. I mean, if it is just to pass the time, I'm sure anybody would do, right?"
Tora sighed.
"I worry that he would be more serious if I asked him out."
"Tell him up front that it's pretend to keep other girls like Nakamoto away from him."
"He would take that as a challenge. Much like he seems to be doing to Ms. Kagayama."
Sangi chuckled.
"No chance there. She might be wagging her tongue but she'll only stick it in a girl."
Tora blushed, glancing at Kurumu. For a moment there was that sensation before Tora glanced away.
"Could you spare me such unpleasant thoughts?"
Kurumu smiled, reaching up to squeeze Tora's shoulder.
"I'm going to talk with Kamitsuku and Nerume. Go have some words with Ginei. Maybe shoo those girls home in the process."
"Nobody has anything better to do. Midterms are over and it's too late to run off to Mononoke."
Kurumu shrugged with a glance at Sangi.
"Kurai won't be serving dinner forever. It is nearly seven."
Tora smiled.
"I'll handle Ginei. Would you care to do the honors with the group idolizing Shirenai?"
"Sure."
The three of them walked off in different directions. Kurumu smiled as she approached Kamitsuku, noting that Tomisaki still had Nerume up on his shoulders, though she was now standing on him. The two seniors from Sado were hovering on each side of Tomisaki, helping him keep balance as Anagume appraised their form and Tamura took pictures. Kurumu gestured at the display as she closed the final steps to Satsuki.
"She does remember that she's in a normal skirt."
Satsuki smirked and shrugged. Tsubuyama grinned, leaning close with her hand cupped by her mouth.
"I wouldn't say anything. She might fall from embarrassment."
The girl on the right had coral pink curls that fell about her shoulders. She had a small, angelic face with a button nose and rosy cheeks. The other girl had her greenish blond hair pulled back in a ponytail that hung down her back like a wet towel.
"She is wearing panties, right?"
Kurumu shrugged at his inquiry. She poked his shoulder to draw his eyes from the spectacle.
"I need you to get your boys to breakdown their stuff."
"They're not my boys."
"They're your club guys and Sangi is busy trying to scatter Yuuki's fan club."
Tsubuyama snickered.
"I don't envy her. Ms. Uchikawa has such a hard time getting those girls to focus towards the end of practice. I think they get riled up by having his hands on them."
"What about you?"
"Me? Naw, I mostly work with Tomisaki and he's not someone to get worked up over. They have him on short girl duty so Nurasume is responsible for him."
"Which one is Nurasume?"
"She's the thinner one with the ponytail."
Kurumu frowned, but did realize the pink one was curvier than her partner in hips and bosom. Not by much but notable if wanting to compare body shapes.
"I take it most of the girls that work with Yuuki are gyokuto like him."
"Yea… those girls are going to rape him one of these days."
Kamitsuku laughed as the rest of them giggled.
"You mean he's not dating one of them?"
"He won't. He's trying to graduate before fathering any kids."
Kamitsuku sighed, shaking his head.
"If I were him, I would pick one. It would keep the others off him."
"It's not that easy. We all grew up together so it's hard to just pick one of your childhood friends."
"They don't seem to have a problem with it."
"It's different. Within an hour being away from him, they'll settle down. Like I said. It's being touched by a potential mate that gets them all mushy in the head."
"I'd pick the oldest. Then if you had an accident, she has the least amount of school to complete."
Tsubuyama smirked.
"That would be problematic. It's hard to tell Naho from Mizuki, and they do it on purpose. Those two would share him without thinking twice about it."
"Then I'd definitely pick the oldest."
Kurumu smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand.
"Go get your boys."
Kamitsuku chuckled, nodding as he headed off to the trio of boys chatting over the camcorder mounted on the tripod. As he walked by the other group, the two seniors were helping Nerume dismount Tomisaki's shoulders. When the girl was safely on the ground, Tomisaki gestured for Anagume to come over and he promptly lifted the tiny girl up to sit on his shoulder.
"I'll give Tomisaki credit for having endurance."
"He's a lucky boy."
Kurumu smirked.
"I suppose being surrounded by girls that let him touch them is lucky."
Tsubuyama giggled, poking Kurumu in the side.
"No, I meant a lucky boy. A spirit of good fortune. You don't see many of them. Most of the time they're girls. He's the first male one I've met."
Satsuki frowned.
"You mean like a Zashiki Warashi?"
"Yes. And when you have one of those, you don't let them go. We'll never have an accident with him around so we love having him here."
Kurumu frowned, recalling this guy could have been in their club but had turned the offer down. Being from Myoko, he had heard about the troublesome newspaper club from Hiboshi and had deliberately avoided getting mixed up in that. She wondered if things could have been different if he had joined.
"So they call you Kozi?"
"It's cute."
"Are there any other nekomusume girls from Tsunan?"
Tsubuyama placed a finger in the small dimple across her lips beneath her nose. She smiled at Satsuki.
"I saw Mao and Asami during the club rally. I have no idea what club they went with and I haven't seen either of them in gym. They know what club I'm in so if they wanted to hang out, they could find me."
"So these are first years."
"Mhm. Asami is a pretty tortoiseshell girl with heterochromia. You would know her if you saw her."
The only heterochromia girl Kurumu knew of was Sakamori. She smiled, shaking her head.
"Okay. Well Mao doesn't stand out as much. She's a blackie with the whole bad luck stigma going on. I bet she's clinging to Asami like a shadow since they've been that way forever."
"Do you ever hang out with Hidarimeki and Hiyoshi?"
"Not as much now that they moved to the suites. I used to sleep with them on occasion."
Kurumu smiled, glancing at Satsuki.
"You were that close?"
"The way it works with our kind is either we hate each other or love each other. Sometimes both. It feels like home sleeping with each other."
Satsuki shrugged.
"It was nice, but my family didn't do stuff like that."
"Tabi's folks are the same way."
Kurumu frowned.
"Tabi?"
"Dakiashi. You know, the senior girl that's also from Yonezawa where Tsuri and Itsuko are from."
"Oh. I don't think I was told her first name."
"I'm sorry. I'm so used to my friends that I forget to address them properly."
"I do it all the time too."
Tsubuyama smiled softly at Satsuki.
"I see why they like you. You have a fierce independent streak and a witty tongue."
"She's a tomboy."
"And you think we aren't? Sure, you saw them being girly because they were in their home and with each other, but we're all a bunch of rough and tumble girls. Maybe not Mao, but only because she's always relied on Asami."
Nerume had slipped free of the group before Tsubuyama's last remarks, arriving at the tail end of it.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Whether or not you enjoyed the experience of having a man between your thighs."
Nerume paused with a frown. Her eyes widened with realization.
"I wasn't doing that."
Satsuki smirked.
"You didn't think about having your cooch pushed against the back of his head."
"I was holding his head. It wasn't that close."
"Mhm. Reverse that position and you would have had a real good time."
Nerume frowned.
"No. Well… maybe. It's not like I know what that would feel like."
"Do you think you could date Tomisaki?"
"Hold up. Tomisaki belongs to our club. We can't have him dating an outsider."
"Nerume isn't an outsider. She's a sweetheart that wants a boyfriend."
Nerume grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"I'm not interested in Tomisaki. He's fun but I can't fall for a guy that touches other girls all the time."
"We weren't about to give him up to you anyways. Aru's been crushing on him since he joined and I'd hate to see her cry."
Kurumu smiled, noting Anagume was posturing with Tomisaki. Her hands were in his but one of her ankles was on his shoulder while the other was stretched far out in the other direction. She was somewhat upside down in front of him, his arms visibly shaking as she slowly brought her legs together above her.
"That looks hard. The only thing I could think of when I was standing on his shoulders was how badly I had to fart."
Kurumu coughed up a laugh as the other two started giggling uncontrollably.
"What? I was really worried about that."
Kurumu draped her arms over the girl and hugged up against her back.
"You are too much at times, carrot girl."
"My insides hurt now. I held it too long."
Kurumu smiled.
"You want to go fetch Shirayuki? You could let it out when you're far enough away from everyone."
Nerume sighed.
"No. Forcing is bad and I'm wearing white. Can we call it a night?"
"You guys can. I'm going to stick with Tora. We're having that sleepover at Yukari's tonight."
"Oh, yea. We're still meeting up here after lunch for Ms. Shirayuki, right?"
"Mhm."
"Hey, Kurumu!"
Kurumu glanced up at Kamitsuku. The boys had broken down the tripod and were starting off towards the school. Kamitsuku gestured to the woods.
"You have visitors."
Sure enough a pair of familiar figures were walking along the edge of the forest towards them. She smiled. Tsukune was out of the hospital.
Yukari had dinner waiting for them upon arrival at her apartment. She had gone all out, admitting she had visited Mononoke to pick up some items so that she could properly prepare the tonkatsu, rice and miso soup. With her link to Moka, Yukari had estimated the perfect time to have the food ready to serve despite their twelve after eight arrival.
Kana had been present as instructed by Tora. As promised she had brought four more volumes of the teacher manga to keep Yukari occupied over the weekend. The two had been hanging out for almost three hours with Kana doodling on her laptop while Yukari worked the kitchen.
As Yukari cleaned up the dishes, the rest of them had dressed down for bed. Kurumu had gone through the magic door to fetch her bedding, but had been told to leave it spread out in her room. After dumping her futon unceremoniously on the floor, Kurumu had changed into her blue, corduroy tank top, figuring the black boyshort panties with the scattered white hearts would be cute enough to pass for bottoms.
When she had returned to Yukari's suite, Moka and Kana had both changed into their pajamas. Kana was sporting a simple tee that hung loosely upon her torso with an equally loose black pant. She was putting her laptop away in the case on Yukari's bed. The shape of her dark nipples pushed notably against the white fabric.
Moka was hovering in the kitchen, wanting to help the stubborn witch with the dishes. Moka's body was swathed in a sleeveless, black nightgown that pooled about her feet. The silky fabric had two thin straps that graced the vampire's shoulders but the gown was tight enough about her bosom that it could have been strapless. The gown billowed out at the waist to avoid clinging to Moka's hips.
"Where's Tora?"
The sphinx promptly came out of Yukari's closet, holding a spray bottle. Her PSC outfit discarded, the girl was only in her lingerie. A cerulean blue bra with a floral lace pattern held her bosom in check while matching panties graced her hips. Her lacy boyshort panties were patterned with fluffy white clouds.
"Putting up your barrier?"
The girl paused, lingering at the door to Yukari's bathroom.
"Yes."
"You might want to do that after, Ms. Nazohashi. I don't know how your barrier interacts with Kurumu's dream world."
"I thought it worked fine while you were fighting Kuyo."
"I don't know how your barrier operates if your mind gets pulled inside her. It could drop your barrier."
Tora paused, shaking the spray bottle absently.
"I suppose I could do it after."
Kurumu smirked, gesturing at Tora.
"Are you wearing that to bed?"
"No. I've been wearing these all day."
Tora stalked off towards the front entry. Kurumu started after her, noting Yukari's gaze as the girl dried off her hands with a towel by the empty sink.
"You should probably strip, Kurumu."
"Why?"
"Because it might make a mess. I was thinking we would do this in your room with you lying down on your bedding."
Kurumu frowned, noting Tora had pulled a yellow garment from her schoolbag and was slipping it over her torso.
"Why not squeeze me into a shower instead?"
"I don't think we could fit all of us in a tiny bathroom."
Moka wrung her hands nervously.
"I don't think we all need to see her."
Yukari folded and put the towel neatly in a drawer. She regarded Moka sternly.
"If she lacks the trust to see one of us, then I don't know how she would have the trust to leave one of us behind. This will leave you vulnerable, Moka. We all have to come."
Kana giggled, zipping up the case. She turned about, placing both hands behind her head.
"So how does this work anyways?"
"We'll get to that soon enough. I need to get changed."
Yukari walked over to the dishwasher, punching a few buttons to start the cycle in motion. Absently fiddling with the top buttons of her blouse, Yukari walked off to her closet.
The zip of a plastic bag drew Kurumu's attention back to the entryway. Tora was stuffing blue fabric into a freezer bag. The girl hiked her chemise up and promptly tugged her panties down her knees, stepping out of them. She tossed them in with her bra, zipping the bag up and dropping it into her schoolbag. Her spray bottle remained perched on the low wall that divided the stove from the small foyer.
"Are you wearing panties, Moka?"
"Why would you ask me that?"
Kurumu shrugged.
"Just wondering."
There was a sweet sensation drifting from Moka as the vampire blushed.
"Is there something wrong if I am?"
"I wouldn't bother if I was wearing something like that. Tora seems to agree."
Tora crossed her arms about her chest with a slight frown.
"What do I have to do with your interest in her underwear?"
Kana giggled, sitting back on the bed. She scooted her laptop case off to set it carefully on the floor. She pushed it under the bed with her ankles as she regarded them without further comment.
"I meant that you decided not to wear any because of the length of your sleep wear."
"It's a matter of comfort and preparation. If I had brought an extra pair of panties strictly for sleeping, I would have worn some."
"But you didn't bring that pair because you knew you wouldn't need them. That's what I'm getting at."
Tora rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She reached up and started unbraiding her raven locks.
"Are you sure about doing that article on your own, Kana?"
Kana waved her hand dismissively.
"Yea, it's no big deal. Kurumu has friends help her out on her articles all the time. I'll see if Ran and Fuyuki want to come with."
Kurumu smiled, recalling the energetic tanuki from class one whom had been her most vocal neighbor. Touzoku Ran still greeted her whenever they crossed paths, though they never spoke long. She was close friends with Yochimaru and was the one responsible for reporting the disappearance of the two girls. Fuyuki was probably the first name of Itazura, the other Fukui girl whom lived next to Touzoku.
"I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to forget about that."
"Akashiya, stop. It's nothing. I'm the one that suggested doing the whole club."
Kurumu chuckled, as this was the fourth apology Moka had given since realizing her error. Apparently Moka's other half did not consider the newspaper club important enough to mention the oversight or was too proud to admit she also forgot.
"Even if they don't help, you still have Yochimaru. It should be fine."
Kana smiled, clasping her hands behind her back as she rocked up and down on her heels.
"Well… I was hoping Riku could keep my stalker occupied. I guess that would be help enough."
"Stalker?"
Kana shrugged.
"Some silly guy we knew from junior high came to school with us. He conveniently bumped into us before the welcoming ceremony, trying to play it off as some cosmic coincidence. Really sucks, because I thought for sure I wouldn't see him again when I came to Yokai."
"Will he be a problem?"
"Just a nuisance. He must have overheard our plans to join the manga club because he was part of it when Riku joined. I had no idea how big a bullet I was dodging when I joined your club."
Kurumu frowned.
"But Kuyo nearly killed you because you joined our club."
"It was worth it."
"Has this guy been harassing you that much?"
Kana smiled.
"I'm exaggerating. Our schedules don't mix so he doesn't have many opportunities to make himself a bother. It's a little creepy that he watches us during lunch, but Riku's been dragging his ass off to club so I don't have to deal with him after school."
Yukari came out of the closet wearing a sheer white nightie which she lacked the figure for. The garment hung so low by the straps that Yukari's dark nipples were bared. Pink lace was stitched along the hem, but would have looked more appealing with some curve behind it. The loose fabric stretched down past her thighs, though it was obvious that the witch was without panties.
"Should we report this to a teacher?"
Kurumu nodded at Tora's remark.
"For looking at us? I appreciate the concern, Nazohashi, but it's no big deal."
"Big enough for you to mention it as a potential problem. At least inform Ms. Sano about it."
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Some guy giving Kana trouble."
Tora paused, regarding Yukari. The sphinx glanced aside as she absently tried to work loose the braids on the other side of her head.
"Ms. Sendou, that outfit is too big for you."
"It will fit in about fifteen minutes."
Kurumu smirked.
"In about fifteen minutes, you could wear anything you want. Go put something on that you can actually sleep in."
Yukari huffed, crossing her arms about her chest.
"Oh please. As if any of you should be bothered by my appearance. This is my room and I shall wear what I please."
"What's his name?"
Kana chuckled, shaking her head.
"I can't do that. Sendou might incinerate him for breathing the same air as me."
"Don't flatter yourself. I don't think us that close of friends."
Kana frowned, clutching her hands to her chest.
"Really? Guess I shouldn't be lending you my comics all the time."
"I didn't say we were strangers. Do you want me to leave this guy alone or not?"
"I'm just having fun. I got this."
Kurumu smiled as Kana flashed a victory sign.
"If we are done with this, shall we move to Kurumu's room and get started?"
Yukari did not mean this as a suggestion. The witch started towards the magical opening between the suites with an air of authority. Sharing glances they all started to follow before the girl left the room.
"Hey, Kana. Did you have a conversation about this guy with Ms. Ishigami?"
The blonde chuckled.
"We did. What made you ask that?"
"Just something we were talking about in class earlier this week about how the missing girls were selected. It sounded like all of you were having boy problems."
They crossed into Kurumu's suite ahead of the others. Tora was lagging behind because she was trying to get her braids out. Yukari dragged the mattress away from the center of the room but kept it a good arm's reach from the wall when she dropped it. The witch got on her hands and knees, smoothing the bedding out.
"I suppose you could say that. I was joking about getting a boyfriend to discourage this guy and Riku said she would get one too so I wouldn't feel awkward. We were sort of serious about it, but it's not like we knew any guys to ask out."
Yukari got up and gestured for Kurumu.
"You need to wash that futon. They have commercial grade washers in the commissary."
"They do? I didn't notice any."
"There's two and you will also wash my sheets. I've slept with the scent of your sex long enough."
"I'm sorry. I offered to wash them earlier."
"As if you have had any time. You haven't even written your archery article. Now take off your clothes."
Kurumu sighed.
"I suppose you did get me dinner first."
Kana snorted as Kurumu tugged her tank top over her head. She wadded up the fabric in a ball and handed it over to Kana.
"Should we be playing some steamy music for this?"
Kurumu smirked.
"Do I really need to take off the panties?"
"I have no idea how much mess you will make. That's up to you."
Kurumu really liked these panties. She sighed, tugging them down her hips. She felt that sweet sensation of desire creeping in from Kana, Yukari and from one of the two behind her. Stepping free of her panties, she folded them once before handing them over to Kana.
"I didn't think fat nipples like that could be inverted. I thought that only happened with small girls."
Kurumu shrugged, glancing back. Tora was still lingering in Yukari's room, so the other source had been Moka. She smiled at the vampire.
"Mine have minds of their own. Sometimes they're in, sometimes they're out."
"Then they are not truly inverted. An inverted nipple doesn't pop out with arousal or cold, since it is held back by tissue inside the breast."
"I didn't say I had inverted nipples. She's the one that said it."
"To answer her question, yes. Though I don't know exact numbers, my father said it was probably as common as a person having blue eyes."
"Why would your father tell you about nipples?"
"Because his are inverted."
Kana shrugged.
"Maybe it's common for guys."
Tora stepped through the door, fluffing her raven locks out which were finally free of her braids.
"What's common for guys?"
"Inverted nipples."
"How did we… oh, nevermind."
Kurumu chuckled as Tora glanced away with a slight blush.
"Moka has cute, pink erasers too."
"Could we quickly proceed with this?"
"Do we have to form a circle around her, chant some gibberish and sacrifice a chicken?"
Yukari shook her head with a heavy sigh. She gestured at the wall with the doors to Kurumu's closet and bathroom.
"Everyone line up over there and watch her. I'm sure all we have to do is watch her when she slips it in."
Tora's eyes widened.
"Slips what in?"
"Her tail."
Tora's expression said more than her brain could translate into words.
"It's not what you're thinking Tora. The tail goes in my head."
Tora nodded, blinking twice.
"Right. That's what I was thinking. That's a world in your mind, so why would it go anywhere else?"
Kana giggled, clutching Kurumu's clothes to her chest.
"Gives a new meaning to fucking with your mind."
Yukari sighed more dramatically.
"Could the children please gather at the far wall? Kurumu, go kneel on your bedding."
Kurumu chuckled as she wandered off towards her bedding. She let her tail slip out as she stepped on her futon. Turning about, she knelt down and curled her tail up to hover by her left ear. Grabbing her earlobe, she let her thumb knife through the soft flesh to remove the flimsy barrier. A slight trickle of blood dripped on her shoulder as she opened the spade end of her tail.
All the girls had lined up against the wall and were watching her intently. Yukari was on one end while Kana was on the other. Kurumu smiled at them as she tilted her head to the right and grabbed the base of the open spade end. She guided it through the fresh hole, shivering as it slipped further in through the hidden, sensitive spot.
"You are all a bunch of idiots."
Sure enough, the silver haired Moka stood where the pink haired one had been moments ago. She was wearing the same outfit and had her arms defiantly crossed about her chest.
"Your hair color really changes! I heard the rumors but-"
"Please don't talk."
The blonde promptly grabbed Moka's arm. She was dressed the same as before but was no longer holding Kurumu's clothes, since Kurumu had felt it appropriate to have them back. Grinning, Kurumu got up on her feet, noting Yukari had matured her body to better fit that nightie.
"Zukkutani Kana. I want to thank you for rescuing us from Ms. Ishigami. I know I've thanked the others, but it seems right that I should thank you too."
Moka sighed.
"You're welcome. Now be quiet."
"You really should not brush Ms. Zukkutani off so rudely. She has known about Aono's secret for weeks and has not betrayed us."
"Tora. I liked you better when you adamantly stayed out of my affairs."
Kurumu quickly hurried over to Tora's side as the sphinx paused with uncertainty.
"Moka, stop. I didn't bring you here so you could belittle all of your friends."
"You're not my friends, Kurumu. You're her friends."
"Then you should be nicer. She is your other half."
"We may share the same body, but we are not the same person."
Kurumu scowled, quite aware that the two had different personalities. This Moka was never happy. The most she had ever been was civil that one time when they fought with Lady Hineri from the PSC.
"Then what would you say she is, Moka? I thought she might be a split personality, but your mother said she would protect you. I presume she meant the other Moka."
Moka sighed, turning her gaze on this older version of Yukari. The witch was using that young twenties look that Kurumu felt best suited her. It was better than all other mature variants Yukari had tried.
"I don't know what my mother meant. She could have meant Akua. She was there."
"Akua? Who is that?"
"My oldest sister."
"I thought Kahlua is your older sister."
"I have another one that's five years older than Kahlua. She moved in with us shortly after Mother left us for Fairy Tale. She was sixteen, so it was her duty to fulfill her role as the eldest Shuzen daughter."
"Why have we not heard of this?"
"Because she does not know about Akua. I would prefer that to remain so."
Kurumu frowned.
"But Kahlua is fulfilling that role. What happened to Akua?"
"I don't know. Mother doesn't speak of her, so she may have died."
"Well… seems odd your mother would say a dead girl could protect you."
"I blacked out. It was three months later when I woke up."
"Moka was unconscious for three months?"
"No. I was unconscious. I have no idea how long she was awake."
"But she said she was not awake long before you spoke with her."
Moka's crimson eyes flashed intensely.
"She doesn't want to admit she was lost, hopeless and without anyone for months! She didn't know anything because Mother abandoned us! She thought she was an orphan with nobody!"
Kurumu scowled.
"Why would she do that to you?"
"I don't know! I've not seen my father or Akua since that day mother died. And what bothers me most, is that I was being moved that day. I was supposed to start living with Mother at Fairy Tale."
Moka let out a frustrated growl as she flicked a swath of tresses about her ear.
"Everything got crazy after Akua showed me that beast and told me that she was destined to kill it. She said with my mother's help, she would have the power to destroy that thing and save the world."
"What was that thing that killed your mother?"
Moka gestured at Yukari.
"She knows the story. My mother was one of the three dark lords to seal away that creature. My father was the current vampire in charge of watching over it."
Kurumu vaguely recalled the story about the vampire that had absorbed so many powers that it had become invincible.
"So what happened?"
"I don't know. I think Akua woke it up or there was something about me being there that caused it to stir. I can't say. All I know is that Akua was angry and trying to kill mother because she disagreed with her plan. Then that thing came after me and mother had to sacrifice herself to put it to sleep."
Yukari wagged her finger with her nose turned up.
"And she sealed your powers away. It sounds like your presence was a catalyst."
"Maybe. It could be that Akua could have used me for her plans, but did not realize it."
"If Akua was trying to kill your mother, I think it's safe to say your mother wasn't talking about Akua protecting you."
Moka shook her head.
"No. Akua would never harm me. But Mother might have killed her if she felt Akua was responsible for that destruction. Nobody wins a fight against Mother. I hate that she left us for Fairy Tale. She could have saved everyone."
Yukari crossed her arms about her chest as she glanced at Tora, whom merely shrugged.
"Is it possible the other Moka is the seal itself?"
"That troublesome foreign girl knows something. I've been considering the possibility that Akua is alive ever since she mentioned the story about the tsukumogami."
Tora perked up.
"The spirit of a beloved artifact? You think the other Moka is the rosary."
"My mother tried to give it to me the night before I left. She said it would protect me. I suspect this rosary was a treasured item that she knew would come alive if I needed it to."
Yukari frowned.
"Again, more evidence that she meant our Moka than Akua. That aside, I know of no such magic that can force a tsukumogami into existence. A tsukumogami has no corporeal form. Removing the rosary should not put her to sleep."
"She doesn't have a corporeal form. It's my body. She possesses it while I'm wearing the rosary."
"That is a solid point. Get it? Solid? Okay, I'll be quiet again."
Kurumu smirked as Kana quietly backed away a step. Yukari shook her head.
"It's a worthy theory. There's also the possibility that your mother may have programmed an artificial personality within the seal. If she is one of the dark lords, then she would have centuries of life experiences to put together something that complex, assuming she had the magical prowess to do it."
"My mother never gave such indications of such witchcraft. The seal itself is a mystery to me. I don't know if she made it or if it was given to her."
Kurumu frowned.
"Isn't the seal and the rosary the same thing?"
"No. The seal is a magical prison placed upon the rosary. Your assumption there would be the same as saying that my wand is a spell, which you know is not true."
"So… they could break the seal but the other Moka would be fine?"
"Depends on if she's a magic program or a spirit of the rosary."
Moka nodded.
"Which is why I don't want to gamble much longer with this Aono Tsukune."
"Tsukune? What issue do you have with him?"
"His purpose here is to break the seal."
"Which means you think Tsukune might kill the other Moka."
Moka nodded, pressing her hand to her chest.
"I am completely on board with your plans to have Aono transfer from this school after the term. I think that's what's best for me and for him."
Kurumu sighed.
"Is that why you've been giving him blood instead of letting him remove the rosary?"
"She's been giving him blood?"
"You are twisting the truth, Kurumu. I did not encourage her to give him blood last time."
"No. You told her to let everyone die."
"What is she talking about?"
Yukari sighed.
"Moka used her blood so that Tsukune would survive his injuries from trying to help Shirayuki."
"You panicked her by telling her that he was dead. She used too much because of you."
Moka stared calmly at Kurumu.
"I realize that."
"What if he becomes a vampire?"
Moka shrugged.
"He's more likely to become a ghoul than a true vampire."
Yukari gasped, falling back a step.
"That's horrible."
"Why? What's a ghoul?"
"A mindless creature that destroys everything in its path. One that fails the Rite of Ascension."
"Then stop giving him blood!"
Moka scowled at her.
"Stop letting that idiot stand in harm's way!"
"We're trying, Akashiya. Tsukune has a penchant for finding trouble."
"I told her to drink blood of strong monsters when we got here so that she could better protect herself. Do you know what happens to a vampire when they give blood?"
"They become weaker."
Moka paused, regarding Yukari.
"Yes. I don't want to give Aono more blood, if all it accomplishes is killing him. It's a waste of my strength. I should just let him die the next time that fool throws himself into danger."
Kurumu shook her head.
"Don't say that. You know she doesn't see it that way."
"Do better. I asked you to do better. Every time when it comes down to it being just me and Aono, I have to make the decision which life I risk. And I'm not throwing her away for a boy I've only known for two months. I've kept him alive, for her sake."
Kurumu looked into those crimson, unflinching eyes and nodded. Moka was right. Even if Tsukune felt annoyed by it, they needed to do better at keeping him out of trouble.
"Do you sleep?"
Everyone glanced at Kana, whom shrugged.
"What? It's a fair question."
"She needs sleep, but I manage without. My body gets enough physical rest."
"That's cool. So you're like always awake. You hear and see everything she does."
"Yes. I am even forced to deal with her feelings."
Kurumu smirked.
"What? You don't like her feelings?"
"It's confusing. There's a physical reaction for most feelings so if she gets embarrassed, I feel it."
"So if she gets aroused, you feel it."
Moka scowled at Yukari.
"I do not appreciate the things you do to my body, little witch."
"Are you able to push your feelings onto her?"
"I don't know. I assume not since I have no control over my body."
"Kurumu says that she can feel desire directed at her from all sources, including other women. Could you care to explain why she feels that from you more often than any other girl?"
"Ms. Sendou, that is highly inappropriate to ask."
Moka rolled her eyes.
"You realized that none of us are having real emotions. Your physical body is not responding to any feelings you display right now."
"That's not true. I've had sex in this world and I guarantee my body is responding when I come out."
"You've had sex in here?"
Kurumu smiled apologetically at Tora.
"With who?"
"Obviously with Tsukune. She's not going to molest me."
"Apologies, but I was thinking you might molest her."
Yukari shrugged.
"I have."
"Oh dear lord."
"I have no sexual interest in women, little witch. That is the question you want answered."
"So she's the one that's interested in Kurumu."
Moka grimaced. Glancing aside, she toyed with the tresses about her ear.
"She is curious. She thinks of Aono and Kurumu a lot. Sometimes as a couple and sometimes with her."
"Are you admitting that our Moka masturbates?"
"No! There's no way I'd let her do that! I would have to feel that, and I don't want to."
Kana chuckled.
"Well what if you're both in the mood?"
"Next topic please."
Kurumu smiled, shaking her head.
"What are your plans? I mean, have you thought about what needs to be done to kill that thing or how you will coexist with the other Moka."
"I have no idea what Mother's plans are. She might be planning to destroy my seal so that she can defeat that monster. I don't want that. I would rather continue being sealed away with Moka living a happy life with the rest of you guys."
"And what about Tsukune?"
Moka regarded Kurumu with unusual softness.
"I think I want you to have sex with him."
Kurumu huffed in disbelief.
"For real?"
"Yes. I think he would lose interest in her if you two were in a closer relationship. I know I will feel lonely and jealous and long to be a part of it, but hopefully she won't torment me with that for months."
"You know I'm still dangerous to him."
"That's not my concern. She has always been my priority."
Kurumu smiled. This was possibly the best endorsement she could hope to get from Moka.
"Hey, Kurumu. While I think it's cool that I got to meet this silver version of Akashiya and Ms. Sendou from the future, are we really dreaming?"
"There is something different about the environment, Ms. Zukkutani. I can't feel anything here."
"That's because you have been cut off from your body, which is the source of your power."
"Why are you older? Is this like how you see yourself or something? Do I look older?"
"No. I've been in here several times with Kurumu so I understand the rules of this environment. I've changed the way my mind represents itself. If Kurumu wanted to, she could override my image."
"That's disturbing. I trust Kurumu has been kind to my appearance."
"Don't worry, Tora. You look exactly the same."
Kana chuckled.
"That was what I was wondering about. Is this it? This place in your head doesn't seem that interesting."
Kurumu smirked.
"I can change that if you want."
And with a thought, they were somewhere else.