Kurumu roused as a warm feeling pushed throughout the core of her being. Her throat was dry and ached. Something had crusted over her lips and she could feel more of it on her thighs and knees. She was lying on her side upon the cool floor in her bathroom.
She heard sobbing as small hands pressed on her side again. Another rush of warmth flooded into her almost causing her to empty her bladder. She groaned, rolling onto her back to stare blearily up at the small witch hovering over her.
Already dressed in her school blouse, Yukari's face was twisted in grief with tears rolling down her cheeks. Her hands withdrew, one touching her small chest as the other palm gingerly touched Kurumu's forehead. The girl was kneeling in the doorway with the room beyond lit up.
Kurumu moved a limp hand to rest on Yukari's knee. She wondered what time it was.
"Hey."
"Don't hey me. I cast five healing spells."
Kurumu grimaced as a painful thought crossed her mind. Her heart hurt.
"I shouldn't be alone with you."
"Shut up."
"It's not safe."
"You were practically dead two minutes ago. I don't want to hear it."
Kurumu sighed. She felt so tired and weak.
"You don't understand. I might hurt you."
"I doubt that."
Kurumu groaned. She felt dirty and the faint scent of bile hung about her.
"It's like you said. My body reacted to his and it messed with my head."
"So you tried to kill yourself?"
Kurumu had no idea what was going on. All of yesterday had been such an emotional rollercoaster.
"I didn't do that. I threw up and passed out."
"That's not normal, Kurumu."
"I was exhausted."
"When did this happen?"
Kurumu sighed, forcing herself up to a seated position. Her whole body ached.
"Shortly after getting home. Before nine."
"That's more than nine hours ago. If you were human, you would be dead."
"It's not like this is the first time I've collapsed."
Kurumu could think of a couple instances in which this had happened, including the retching. There had been a couple times in Kengamine and then that awkward picnic her first week here.
"What if I had gone to school without checking on you?"
Yukari voice tightened as new tears rolled.
"Would you have come out of it on your own?"
Every memory of these episodes ended with her in the care of someone.
"I don't know."
"You can't do this. I don't want to find you like this again. Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry."
"Do you understand?"
Kurumu sighed, bowing her head.
"I don't know what happened. I was just overwhelmed with bad feelings."
"People don't pass out from anxiety attacks, Kurumu. That's a heightened state of awareness. To pass out you would have to experience a sudden drop of blood pressure, due to losing blood, severe change of body temperature or heart failure."
Kurumu took a deep breath. She managed a smile.
"You can pass out from drinking."
"I'm being serious, Kurumu. Something's wrong and you should have it checked. I've seen you clutch your chest in pain many times. Maybe you have a weak heart."
Kurumu grimaced, shaking her head.
"No more hospitals. Yesterday was humiliating."
"What happened?"
Kurumu hesitated.
"Ms. Sasayaki emptied my tail to take samples. Because my charm was acting up, she had to do this while Moka and Tora were in the room."
Yukari frowned.
"Confirming your body reacts to Tsukune should be good news. Now what's this about your charm?"
"I was able to influence the other girls for short periods of time. Convince them to let go of me."
Yukari sighed.
"I always believed that gender barrier was your own creation."
"Are you sure it is safe for you to be alone with me? I tried to impregnate Moka."
Yukari snorted, getting up on her feet. She leaned on the door frame.
"I highly doubt you regard an eleven year old body as suitable for carrying a child."
Kurumu picked herself off the floor, using the sink for leverage. She regarded her haggard reflection. Sighing, she turned about and leaned on the porcelain.
"I don't know. What if I become desperate?"
"This happened while you were with Tora and those girls helping her learn to fly. Why did you pick Moka when you had so many options?"
Kurumu guessed where Yukari was going with this.
"Moka is very dear to me."
"You have no affection for Tora?"
"What if I become so desperate that I don't care for the safety of a friend?"
Yukari rolled her eyes.
"Should we judge on hypothetical now?"
"It's not like I woke up planning to force myself Moka."
"True, but I don't think you behaved irrationally. She was safe and also loves Tsukune. How would I ever be a better host than Moka when you know she can become immune to any side effects?"
"Ms. Sasayaki said I should not be alone with any of my friends."
Yukari sighed, shaking her head.
"Yes, and I'm sure she told you not to have sex. Are you planning to break up with Tsukune?"
Kurumu flinched. The thought had crossed her mind.
"I don't want to."
"Ms. Sasayaki is suggesting an overly cautious route. She's not an expert on your kind so you shouldn't take her advice without consideration of your own limitations."
Kurumu stared blankly at the witch. Yukari rolled her eyes.
"You don't handle isolation well."
"Don't be stupid. I wasn't that popular in junior high."
"It's different when you no longer have a family to come home to every night. I know this, Kurumu."
If she had been challenged on this during her first weeks at Yokai, Kurumu would have adamantly argued about the depth of her relationship with her mother. She had carried this belief that everyone had a better family life than her. That angst had passed by the time she had written her first letter home. She really missed her mother and it certainly would have been nice to come home to her.
"How is Tsukune?"
"His mark is getting worse. Ms. Sasayaki promised to bring this to the Headmaster's attention."
Yukari nodded, glancing her over.
"I had hoped it would get better. Do they have any idea what is wrong?"
"Moka said it was blood rebellion. That it has a will of its own."
"This was mentioned in Grandfather's work. Only vampires would know if there is a cure for this."
"He can be cured?"
Yukari shrugged.
"From what I read, ghouls are summarily put down. There's no reason to save a failure."
"There has to be something."
"There's nothing we can do about that. I need to start making breakfast and you need to shower."
While she had been relieved to have the subject change, she realized this topic was more grim than her clingy behavior. Turning the sink on, Kurumu cupped some water in her hand to smear it across her lips.
"Would you be mad if I did manage to convince Moka to carry Tsukune's baby?"
Yukari snorted on her way out of the bathroom.
"Don't be silly. You're too young and Moka won't ever do that."
Kurumu paused, supposing she was too young. Shaking her head, she cut the water off.
"What did you do yesterday?"
Yukari paused at the other side of the magical doorway.
"I was burned out from writing that article so many times that it was nice to have a simple day to read those manga volumes I had meant to read during our field trip."
Kurumu smiled.
"How is that series?"
"It's good. You should read it. I'm twelve volumes in and Kana said it's complete. It's not as good as Nana. I'm annoyed that I have to wait for a new edition of that to be released."
Kurumu grinned, rubbing the heel of her palm between her breasts. Her torso was sore.
"I bought some more things. I might be able to make something if it doesn't involve cutting or mixing."
Yukari smirked, shaking her head as she wandered out of sight.
"I'll make the breakfast and lunch for four. You need to shower and get dressed."
Kurumu nodded at the girl's voice, deciding to close the door. She tugged the grimy tank top off, setting it aside on the toilet. She regarded the floor and sighed. She had nothing to clean this mess up. She supposed she could use her wastebasket like a bucket if she picked up some sponges at the commissary. She doubted the toilet paper was sturdy enough for the task.
"Good thing I didn't spend all my money."
Ms. Nekonome paused after mentioning an important historical date, glancing at her wristwatch.
"It seems the bell will be sounding soon and I don't want to start on the next subject. I'm sure nobody minds being released a couple minutes early, but do behave yourselves in the hall. Other classes are still in session."
The teacher walked over to the desk to retrieve her things as the students put away their course material. It was six minutes early which meant she would have to kill some time before heading into class three. Mr. Nagamushi rarely ended his English lectures early, sometimes carrying them past the bell. None of her other instructors did that.
With it being history class, most students only had a notebook and mechanical pencil out. Several of the back row boys had already slipped out and so had that lizard, Wanibuchi, and his pompadour friend, Yakihara. Kurumu favored their class rep, Ichida, a polite smile as he got up.
"You're from Okayama, right?"
He frowned, smoothing out his green jacket.
"That is correct."
"I've spent some time with Uchiyama from the film club. He mentioned you and Noboru as former classmates."
"Ah, I see. Is this related to your club?"
"Uh… no."
"Oh. Forgive me. I thought you might have been interested in my junior high."
"I have a few friends I meet with on Sundays that might be interested in meeting you."
Satsuki slapped a hand down on Kurumu's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The girl had on her temporary armband that declared her a member of the PSC.
"Are you trying to hook up our class rep?"
Kurumu sighed as an amused look crossed Ichida's face.
"I was trying to be friendly."
"She has four 'chick' friends, if you know what I mean."
Ichida grinned, glancing at the open door as Senyou and Abe left. The sky blue ponytail boy that sat on Abe's right by the window slipped out behind them.
"I try to keep myself out of those endeavors and I imagine you will find similar resistance from Mr. Noboru. I'm surprised you aren't satisfied with Mr. Uchiyama."
Kurumu shrugged off Satsuki's hand so she could get up from her seat.
"Uchiyama is fine. It's more a matter of having more guys in our group. Don't you hang out with them?"
"We all live on the seventh floor in adjacent rooms so we eat our meals together."
"You don't eat with your Tennis club?"
"For lunch only. I imagine the others share their lunches with their clubs."
Kurumu nodded, slightly confused.
"If they're your friends, why the formality?"
"Out of respect, Ms. Kurono. Naturally I don't address them as such in their company."
Kurumu smiled, unable to recall the last time she had addressed any friend so politely.
"What's your tennis club like? Do you guys start playing games soon?"
"Our season begins with the second term. I don't have an opinion on how the club is like. Tennis is primarily an individual sport and I clearly am not as experienced as the other boys."
"How big is your club?"
"Didn't you already agree to working on the softball and baseball teams next?"
Kurumu sighed, smacking Satsuki's shoulder with the back of her hand. The classroom had emptied with the exception of them, Deshi and Yukari. The witch looked annoyed as she held the white satchel while Deshi lingered at the door. It was different seeing Yukari without her hat and cape.
"Yes, and I've heard that the Judo team is wanting coverage soon because they start their season in September. I'm looking ahead."
Ichida smiled politely.
"I can't give you a precise number, but I would guess around thirty if you're counting both boys and girls. The club is prestigious. All of our seniors are in the top hundred and I think at least ten of us are class representatives."
"Sounds like a bunch of elitist snobs to me."
"I admit there is an air of superiority carried by some of my club members. Others are indifferent and detached. I hope I favor that side of the spectrum."
Satsuki chuckled.
"Naw, you're a good middle ground. You don't want to be like Hayate from class one."
Kurumu smiled, vaguely familiar with Hayate. The boy was a co representative with Asakira. That fiery, curt girl was probably not the best source of information, but it was her opinion that Hayate was lazy and unresponsive.
"Are we going?"
"Yes. Sorry for holding you up, Ichida."
He waved dismissively as they all started for the door. Yukari fell in step with them as they passed.
"I'm in no rush for lunch. It's not a sociable experience."
"Why don't you eat with your friends instead?"
He chuckled as they reached the door.
"I'm not worried about one meal. Besides, I would be depriving myself of the company of Ms. Kurukaze. She might be snobbish by Ms. Unari's standards, but she is the pride of our club and understandably so."
Kurumu jumped a step at the touch of Yukari's hand.
"Keep moving."
Deshi laughed, flipping her staff up onto her shoulders as she walked over to the railing of the balcony that overlooked the floor below. They all filtered out into the hall to join the PSC girl.
"I haven't heard of Ms. Kurukaze."
"Kurukaze Hazori from third year class three. She will be in your gym class."
"Have you seen her?"
"I don't attend gym."
Kurumu nodded, realizing her error.
"I saw on midterms that she scored fifth overall while our student council president was sixth. I can see why the club would value her."
"Academics isn't the only important thing."
"You only say that because you're dumb."
The bell sounded right before they got to the back door of class three. Chuckling, Ichida offered a slight wave as he kept walking.
"I will see you ladies after lunch."
Both doors opened within seconds, with Mr. Nagamushi coming out the front. Kurumu smiled as Ushio and Tamaishi were first out the back. Ushio grinned, plopping his large hand atop her head without comment before walking off with his teammate.
Coming to school had been such a huge relief. Her heart felt good. She had not realized how heavy everything felt until the forgettable morning greetings had been exchanged. This illogical sense of abandonment fled, making it so much easier to breathe and think. It was not a big deal. Things were just going back to the way it had been before making love to Tsukune.
As they entered the room, they parted to allow Takurami to slip by. Kurumu shuddered as an intense feeling flooded into her. She had not felt this hunger for months. She noted Saizou only a moment before he intentionally shoved her and Satsuki's aside so he could pass.
"Fucking council bitches."
Deshi turned about and brandished her staff at the boy, shaking her head.
"Bad manners. Apologize."
Saizou scowled. For some reason he was not wearing the school uniform today. A silky, long sleeved shirt which was primarily black but had gray marks flecked randomly about was buttoned up over his torso. It looked like something out of Ginei's wardrobe.
"Or what?"
Deshi smiled, closing her eyes.
"Report bad manners. Very bad."
Saizou snorted, thrusting his hands in his pockets. Shaking his head, he walked out of the room behind the silent Arashimideru.
Satsuki chuckled as she placed her hands behind her head.
"You sure told him, Deshi."
Deshi grinned, flipping her staff back across her shoulders.
"What else can say?"
Yukari walked on without them, intent on the desks that Tsukune was arranging for their lunch. Nerume was lingering beside Mizore, absently holding the girl's sleeve. The kirin frowned, talking quietly to the distant girl.
It had been a week since Kurumu had seen Tora in the sleeveless PSC jacket. The sphinx got up from her desk which formerly belonged to Kurumu, shaking her head as she walked over to them. She paused, favoring them a strained smile.
"I take it we're walking to lunch together?"
Deshi shrugged while Satsuki grinned.
"Sure, why not?"
"How have you been, Tora?"
Tora sighed.
"Mr. Komiya is difficult to be around."
"I can imagine."
"He made such a fuss this morning about the duty roster. Called us all a bunch of cowards for running away from our responsibilities."
Kurumu frowned, aware that Mizore had not bothered turning her desk around and that Nerume was now talking with Tsukune as Yukari set her satchel down on Tora's desk.
"Why would he think you ran away from responsibilities?"
"I have no idea. If he had not cut his afternoon classes last week, he would have known we had discussed everything in eighth period. We left Ms. Arashimideru in charge and adjusted the duty roster for our absences."
Kurumu nodded. She recalled part of why Tsukune had stayed late Monday night after her exam retake was due to him having class duty with Arashimideru. She had not thought about it, but that meant Kamitsuku, Moka and Tora would all have had class duties last week, following the pattern Tora had set out after assessments.
"Why would Saizou care about class duties? It's not like he was around when you made the schedule."
Tora sighed.
"Since you left the class, I paired myself with Moka and assigned Komiya to Tamaishi. Someone must have mentioned the change and Mr. Komiya took it personally."
"He's a jerk, looking for a reason to fuck with someone. We should report it."
Tora grimaced.
"I'm reluctant to do that. It's no secret that the PSC has a bad reputation with the monstrel community. We don't want to continue that."
"I can't imagine he actually helped Tamaishi."
"I understand he didn't."
Kurumu rolled her eyes.
"Why don't they move him to class ten or twelve?"
"There might have been concerns with his elective."
"Fuck his elective. We're filing a report."
Deshi giggled at Satsuki's firm decision. Satsuki smacked the girl's side without a hint of amusement.
"I'm not kidding. Guy is deliberately causing trouble. Move him to another homeroom."
"That's not our call, but I guess we can file the report. There's no PSC members in ten or twelve, so it should settle him down."
"Right. Let's go eat."
Satsuki turned about and started walking, which prompted Tora to follow. Deshi spun her staff about to tap Kurumu's shoulder.
"Oh, you see? Speak of duty we have today."
Kurumu frowned.
"We do?"
The girl nodded, swinging her staff back in place behind her head.
"With Ms. Sendou. See later."
Kurumu watched the girl leave, wondering if Ichida had altered the roster for them. She had no idea if there was a pattern to the duty assignments. Shrugging, she turned about and walked over to join the others whom had yet to start eating. They regarded her with unusual expectation.
"What's going on?"
"I was wondering if you would want to eat with Ms. Bikiyama's group."
"We were waiting to hear your opinion."
Kurumu smiled, wondering why he would think she would refuse.
"I'm fine with that."
"I told you she would."
Yukari huffed, frowning at Moka.
"Why do we have to eat with them? Ms. Shirayuki can keep company with Ms. Genzouyaki."
"I want to be with Aono."
"And I told you to not be near my friends."
Tsukune chuckled, rubbing the bandage about his neck while Mizore glanced aside.
"That's impossible, Yukari. She sits next to me."
"Then I see no reason why she must eat with us. She has plenty of time with you all day."
Nerume pouted.
"Mizore doesn't like the cafeteria when it's this busy."
"And I don't like the company of a woman that hurts my friends."
Moka handed her faded pink bento over to Tsukune.
"I'll have lunch with you, Nerume."
"You will?"
Moka smiled as a confused Tsukune took her bento.
"Ms. Shirayuki knows where Ms. Bikiyama's group is. You will show them where it is, right?"
Mizore regarded Moka, touching the end of her white stick.
"I could."
"Good. Tsukune can have my lunch and I can pick up something in the cafeteria."
"What?!"
Moka smiled at Yukari, patting the girl's head.
"You don't mind that I give my lunch to Tsukune."
"I… fine."
"I will meet up with you guys."
Yukari sighed as Moka tousled her hair before walking over to offer her hand to Nerume. The kirin grinned, taking the vampire's hand and continuing down the aisle, intent on the open front door.
"I guess we should be going. Lead the way, Ms. Shirayuki."
Yukari thrust the periwinkle bento into Kurumu's hands as Mizore got up. She stuffed her hands in her center pocket and strolled around them, heading for the back door. Holding the bento to her chest, Kurumu smiled as she walked alongside Tsukune.
"How's your neck feeling today?"
He stifled a yawn as they reached the door.
"I'm on those pain killers they gave me yesterday. Makes me drowsy and it's hard to focus on lectures."
"Is it getting better?"
"I don't know. I think I might be running a fever."
Kurumu reached over to press the back of her hand against his warm forehead. He chuckled.
"Either I have a massive fever, or you're running a normal temperature today."
"I'm feeling much better than yesterday."
"That's good."
He draped an arm about her shoulder and she sighed with content. She leaned against him, breathing in deep. She could smell the fragrance of his deodorant and shampoo.
"I kind of miss the days when you were too flustered to do anything."
"You shouldn't have pushed so hard. I had to get comfortable with this situation to preserve my sanity."
"I don't mind. Moka's the only one that needs some time to accept this."
He chuckled.
"I don't think your pleas for her to carry our child was the best way to help her cope."
She sighed, wishing she could make everyone forget that.
"I was crazy yesterday."
"I don't know about that. You seem to be crazy most days."
She sighed, not wanting to be teased.
"We should pace things slower. Go on those dates Tora wants from us. I really should meet your parents before spending another night with you."
He grinned, leaning harder against her as they walked.
"Who are you? What have you done with my girlfriend?"
She giggled, leaning back. She sighed.
"I'll have to behave a whole month."
"As if that will happen."
She pouted.
"And then you're transferring schools at the end of term."
"Now that hasn't been decided yet."
"What could possibly happen that would change that?"
He chuckled.
"My inability to get in another school. Summer break is not a lot of time to make those arrangements. Even if I was fully motivated to transfer, I might not be able to do it."
"You should be motivated. Your life is precious to me."
"I understand that."
They reached the end of the hall where Yukari and Mizore were lingering. Yukari was quite displeased.
"You two are walking way too slow."
Mizore gestured at the stair and started in that direction.
"Ms. Bikiyama and her friends have been eating outside."
"What did you do yesterday?"
Mizore paused a moment before shrugging. She started down the stairs a little ahead of them.
"I spent most the day in the library."
"Ms. Bakudai did not fuss about that?"
"She was not there. A third year watches over the library on Sundays."
Kurumu nodded, recalling that might have been mentioned in Mizore's diary.
"Where's your diary?"
Mizore reached the bottom of the stairs and walked slowly over to the exterior door.
"I burned that."
Kurumu paused which forced Tsukune to do the same.
"Why?"
Mizore pushed open the door, glancing back at them with a shrug.
"I realized I didn't want people reading it."
Mizore headed out, the door slowly closing behind her. Yukari shook her head as she moved quickly to catch the door.
"Such a drama queen. Come on you two."
Kurumu sighed, saddened by Mizore's decision to destroy a link to her inner feelings. She understood why Mizore would not want someone like Tsukune to read her diary. Those type of revelations could push people away.
Pausing only a moment to contemplate whether or not she should remove her slippers, Kurumu decided to head out with the others. The area outside the stairway had been cleared of debris. About a dozen café tables had been set out with metallic porch chairs haphazardly arranged about them. None of the tables were presently occupied.
Mizore was taking a seat at one of the tables that had been drawn up to an adjacent one. Eight chairs had been set up around this pair. The quiet girl sighed as Yukari took up a seat across from her. The witch placed the satchel on the ground, pulling out her bento before clambering up on her seat. Yukari did not have a green jacket or a sweater over her school blouse, but Deshi had admitted this was not a violation of the dress code.
Kurumu let go of Tsukune as she regarded the chairs. Thinking they would be shy a couple seats, she wandered over to a nearby table to steal a chair and drag it over to the table. Sitting down on Mizore's right, she smiled as Tsukune took the vacant seat on Yukari's right. She was tempted to scoot her chair closer to Yukari, but realized this would put her back to anyone sitting at the adjacent table.
"What were you doing in the library all day?"
"Reading."
Kurumu laughed as she set her bento down, caressing the top.
"You couldn't have done that."
"I read manga all day. It's not that hard if you have subject matter you enjoy."
"I tried to come up with ideas for the story you want for the paper."
Tsukune smiled, having set Moka's bento down next to his which Yukari had set out seconds ago.
"Did you decide on something?"
"No. I would have preferred watching you all day, but I woke up too late."
Tsukune grimaced.
"I'm unsure if that would have been more enjoyable."
"I did wait at the flower field till noon, but you must have finished before I arrived."
Kurumu sighed.
"You didn't miss anything, Mizore. Yesterday was embarrassing."
"I don't know why you would want to watch us all day."
"I asked her to help keep an eye on you, but I meant you could hang out with us."
Kurumu smiled, placing a hand on Mizore's icy shoulder.
"There's no reason for you to watch from afar. You can join us anytime."
Mizore glanced at her, a soft sweetness drifting into Kurumu.
"I doubt you wanted my company in the laundry room."
Kurumu withdrew her hand as she realized what that meant. She touched her breast as she looked off at the forest in the distance.
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"What is she talking about?"
Kurumu managed a smile. She had not told Tsukune about their voyeur.
"It's nothing."
Yukari favored her a dubious look but Tsukune quickly lost interest.
"When did this get setup? I don't recall seeing these tables out before."
"After midterms. Ms. Uchikawa submitted a petition to have more lunch spaces due to the crowded environment of the gyms and cafeteria."
Yukari huffed, shaking her head as she scooped up her first mouthful.
"I'm surprised this was realized now."
"I didn't ask for details."
Tsukune smiled, opening the black bento and retrieving the chopsticks.
"We should try something different if we eat out here again. Maybe give it a picnic feel with sandwiches and cookies."
Kurumu grinned, pulling the top off her bento.
"I think I could make sandwiches, but cookies require baking. I doubt we will be doing another round of cookies in home ec any time soon."
"I have pans for baking."
"Would you make cookies for us?"
"If my Moka so desires, I shall make cookies for you."
Taking her first bite of her meal, Kurumu wondered if they could convince Yukari to make something different from eggs every day.
"Yukari is worried about the nutritional content of sweets."
"I'm worried if we stuff more carbs in your body that your tits will start dragging on the ground."
"Fat stores on your belly before it goes anywhere you want it."
Tsukune laughed nervously at Mizore's remark.
"Are you eating anything?"
Mizore shook her head. None of these tables had umbrellas and there was nothing resembling shade. The school building had a slight overhang but the shadows did not reach the tables.
"I don't need to eat both lunches. You can have the one Moka left me."
"I'm not hungry."
Kurumu grinned, noting Yukari's annoyance at Tsukune's offer.
"Don't worry about Yukari. She's very lovable when she decides you belong to her."
Mizore smiled softly, touching the end of the stick nestled in the corner of her mouth.
"I don't blame her. She made that for someone she loves."
Yukari sighed as she started on her meal.
"At least she understands."
Tsukune poked at his meal, stowing away another mouthful.
"Tsukune. Do you think you could get us some drinks from the school store?"
He nodded, quickly finishing off the last of his bento. Setting it down, he smiled.
"Do you have any preferences?"
"I want canned mocha."
Tsukune grinned, glancing at Kurumu.
"Whatever you want to give me."
He smirked as juicy sensations teased her core.
"Cream soda."
Tsukune took off at a brisk pace. He held open the door for a group of five girls that came out. Kurumu recognized the greenish blond from her home ec and quickly identified the curly pink haired one from track. As Tsukune slipped inside, Kurumu watched these five make their way over to a nearby table. She knew the girl with the frosted blue curls was from class four cause she saw her in gym. The other two blondes she did not recognize at all.
Yukari set her chopsticks in her bento, closing it up.
"So what have you read?"
Mizore glanced at Yukari, cocking her head.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Kurumu doesn't know how to read."
"I can read."
Mizore smiled, glancing down at the table.
"You've asked before."
"You said you preferred horror works, but I'm curious if you've read notable works of literature."
"Like what?"
"For instance, have you read anything from Lord Souseki?"
Kurumu snorted, swallowing down the last of her omelet.
"You must really like your cat book."
"It is an amusing satire of the human species."
Mizore shrugged.
"His narrator is unlikable. Who cares about a pompous creature that looks down upon everything and everyone? I gave up after the first volume."
Yukari frowned.
"I suppose that is a reasonable conclusion. The point of the work is to poke fun at humanity."
"Why write something filled with unrelatable and unlikable characters? Did he have them all die?"
Yukari sighed.
"It was a work to remind humans to be humble."
Mizore shrugged.
"I don't see why anyone would read that long of a book for that reason."
"You are not factoring in the audience he was writing for."
Mizore paused.
"If I'm not the intended audience, then there's no reason to read it."
Yukari frowned, sitting back. She eventually nodded.
"A surprising conclusion. I suppose I enjoyed it for personal reasons. I view humans as lacking sense in how they use everything and regard themselves as the only race that matters. I could empathize with the cat, although I did recognize the cat often displayed a similar personality. To me this meant the cat and the humans were the same, and could coexist, but the humans stubbornly refuse to acknowledge this world belongs as much to the cat as it does them. It is how the monster races exist, in that we are similar to humans, but they won't acknowledge us."
Mizore shrugged.
"I didn't like the characters."
Yukari giggled, shaking her head.
"Fair enough."
Kurumu stared at the group of five girls, trying to remember the names. Midori. That was the girl from home economics. And that track girl was Izumi from class five. That meant these girls were probably from Itoigawa, where Kamitsuku was from. Was it five girls? She honestly could not remember.
"What are you doing?"
Kurumu smiled, realizing Tsukune had returned with drinks. He set down a can of green tea, which was the same that he had gotten for himself. Setting down the drinks for the other girls, he took his seat.
"What sort of books do you read, Tsukune?"
He snorted a laugh as he popped the tab of his can.
"I read when I'm in the mood. I don't have a preference."
"Do you own any books?"
He frowned.
"I don't think people buy books these days. Sure, there are people that buy manga religiously, but I can't think of anybody that buys regular books."
"It's not like you own that many books, Yukari."
"I'm eleven and didn't have money of my own until coming here."
"Did you buy all those things in your kitchen?"
"No. My parents purchased all of that and shipped it with me. And the weekly allowance my parents provide me is not enough to run out and buy books or clothes."
Kurumu smiled as the door opened again. This time it was Moka, Nerume and the four girls. All of them were wearing the green school jacket. Nerume did a quick step to arrive at their table first, taking the last vacant chair next to Mizore. Moka wandered over to the small space between Nerume and Tsukune, setting her tray down and glancing about.
Having nothing left of her meal, Kurumu waved at the four girls as they made their way over to the adjacent table. Bikiyama was the one with black peppered curls that hung past her shoulders. She was the shortest of the group and took the chair closest to Kurumu. Matsudera was the tallest of the group, sitting down on Bikiyama's right. She had shaggy, dark gray hair and was about Tsukune's height. The other two girls were about Moka's height.
Uchikawa was the mahogany haired girl with short locks that tapered to the nape of her neck. She had a dark iris that got darker with each concentric circle about her pupil. It was an unusual trait. The girl settled down in the seat closest to Yukari.
As Moka stalked off to get a chair, the last girl hovered near the last vacant seat beside Uchikawa. She had only seen this hazel eyed, black haired girl once on Moka's floor with Matsudera. This was Kiba from Kana's class.
"I'm Kurono Kurumu and this is Sendou Yukari."
All but Kiba laughed at the introduction.
"I'm sure they know who you are, Kurumu. You did their interviews."
She shook her head at Tsukune.
"No, that was Tora. I've never officially met Ms. Uchikawa and Ms. Matsudera."
Matsudera snickered.
"Maybe not officially, but it's not like we don't know you. But since you did, I'm Matsudera Nikki and my friend is Kiba Enoko."
Uchikawa smiled politely.
"Uchikawa Akari. And I feel compelled to remind Mr. Aono that as a class representative, you need to try harder to make the Saturday morning student council meetings."
Kurumu grimaced, aware that she might have caused that absence.
"I'll remember to keep my Saturday mornings open in the future."
Uchikawa smiled, bowing her head slightly.
"I understand from Ms. Genzouyaki that Ms. Akashiya is your official secondary, so she is more than welcome to show up with you, or in your stead."
Moka came back with a chair, setting it down before taking her seat to join them.
"I see you guys have finished quickly."
Tsukune chuckled, tapping Moka's bento.
"Actually, I've only finished one of the meals. I can eat the second if Mizore absolutely doesn't want it."
"I'm fine."
He shrugged, opening the bento to retrieve the chopsticks.
"I understand you have been keeping company with Mizore and Nerume."
Kiba grinned toothily in a manner that reminded Kurumu of Koike and Tokori's mother. It was a smile with rows and rows of jagged fangs.
"Nerume is a sweetheart, but she won't join my club without Shirayuki."
Nerume pouted as she pulled a lid off.
"I want to, but I don't know if I should. I'm already in two clubs."
Kurumu smiled, aware that Sonoda was in three and seemed to think she could be in a fourth.
"What club are you in?"
"The badminton club."
Matsudera snorted, shaking her head.
"Don't let her fool you. It's basically a goof off outside club. They just run around like a bunch of idiots."
"It's an active club. Come on, Ms. Akashiya. I've heard about your prowess in gym. You should be in a physical club."
Moka smiled, glancing down at her food.
"I'm fine with being in one club."
"I know how much you love gym, Nerume. You can be in her club if you want to be."
"But I just joined your newspaper club."
Uchikawa held a hand over her mouth as she chewed.
"A student can be registered in up to four clubs. It's more a matter of if she thinks she can juggle that many clubs."
Kurumu chuckled.
"I doubt she's doing anything in her Astronomy club and I don't think Ginei would mind if we had a few members that only helped fold and hand out papers."
"But I help with your articles."
"I'm not saying you don't. It's just that you might not have to write articles for us. Kana usually just makes the comic. The manga article is the first one she's done."
Nerume nodded, absently poking at her meal.
"Okay. Maybe later in the week I could fill out an application."
Kiba grinned wickedly.
"Awesome. And you, Ms. Akashiya? You need an outlet for pent up frustration?"
Kurumu laughed, shaking her head at the girl's enthusiasm.
"Why aren't you in track?"
Matsudera snickered.
"I've asked her that several times. Says she doesn't like the competitive environment."
Kiba stuck her tongue out.
"You guys don't do anything. I'm not going to run around in circles trying to beat a clock. I want to play a game. I don't want to practice for one."
Kurumu smiled, thinking that sounded reasonable.
"So how many girls do you have in your club?"
Kiba sighed as the other girls laughed. Bikiyama gestured at Kiba.
"It's just her. She's been pestering us for weeks to sign up. It's not our fault she felt obligated to join that stupid club with her cousin."
Nerume shrugged as she swallowed down a large mouthful.
"It does sound fun. I don't get to do anything in gym."
Kiba groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Gym is sad. My class is a bunch of lazy girls. We didn't win a volleyball game. It's really just Fuyutsuki, Kubo and me. Getting grouped with class five for softball was a little better, but they have to field most of the team."
Kurumu shrugged, vaguely aware of their softball lineup. She had no idea if they had won any games last week and honestly did not care to ask.
"I meant to ask earlier but did not wish to talk over Enoko's request for Ms. Akashiya to join her. How was your field trip?"
They glanced at each other. Tsukune was more than halfway through the second bento and he merely shrugged. Yukari managed a smile.
"It was different, Ms. Uchikawa. We have articles about it, which will hopefully be handed out tomorrow morning pending the student council approval."
"I noticed you aren't wearing your hat and cape."
"My brooch was broken, so I can't wear my cape. I lost my hat."
Uchikawa frowned.
"That's unfortunate. You're like an icon for our grade, so it's notable when a change like this happens."
Yukari shrugged.
"I've been thinking about going to standard wear. While I'm proud to be a witch, I don't feel the need to flaunt it these days. I'm thinking I will get my ears pierced this weekend."
Bikiyama perked up.
"Speaking of weekends, I didn't see Shirayuki at the soccer games."
Uchikawa wagged an admonishing finger at Bikiyama.
"What? I'm just saying if she had gone, she would have seen Coach Kotsubo."
Mizore looked up, touching the end of her white stick.
"Kotsubo was released from the hospital?"
"Yea. He was on the sidelines at both games. It was a real rough game against Imoshinai yesterday. Like watching pros beating up an amateur team."
"How is the team doing?"
Bikiyama shrugged.
"They've won two and lost two."
Uchikawa nodded.
"The loss to Nakamune was big. The boys might not make the cut for regionals if they also lose their game to Joukuu."
Mizore fiddled with her white stick, glancing at Tsukune.
"I don't think I should see him."
"Well if you don't, you're not going to see him again. He told the boys yesterday that he was resigning."
Mizore's eyes widened as she regarded Bikiyama. The temperature about her took a nose dive, causing Kurumu to involuntarily shudder.
"When?"
"After the game."
"No. When is he leaving?"
Bikiyama shrugged, prompting Mizore to spring out of her chair. The girl quickly stalked off toward the back of the school.
Feeling bad that she had not thought to mention it, Kurumu got up.
"Don't."
Kurumu frowned at Yukari.
"But I can't-"
"Not now, Kurumu. Let her be alone."
Nerume got up, staring off at the retreating figure.
"Should I go?"
Yukari sighed.
"Am I the only person that felt the temperature drop? She's not safe right now."
"She's not going to find him anyways."
Matsudera shrugged as attention shifted to her.
"Kiba and I have fourth period gym. Kotsubo was not present. I doubt he's on campus."
Kurumu bit her lower lip.
"I don't feel right about letting her wander around aimlessly."
Bikiyama chuckled.
"She has a volatile reputation. Most people are not going to mess with her."
"It's more likely she will hurt someone else."
Kurumu grimaced at Yukari's comment.
"That is true, Ms. Sendou. I must confess my curiosity about this actual fiancé Ms. Shirayuki has. Ms. Genzouyaki assured us that there is such a person but did not have a name."
"Umizake Aoi, from class nine, ranked fifth in our grade."
Kurumu sighed, wondering if Yukari's reveal was a good thing as the track girls regarded each other.
"Her fiancé is in the school?"
"I've asked Mr. Yokokara about Mr. Umizake, since they share homeroom. I hear he joined the PSC."
Kurumu frowned, unfamiliar with the name.
"I've never heard of this Yokokara."
Tsukune wagged his hand dismissively, setting his chopsticks down in the emptied bento.
"He lives further down the hall. I've met him in the restroom a couple times."
"Mr. Yokokara is the class representative of class nine. I thought he would have more of an opinion of the student ranked highest in his class."
"What's this guy like?"
Kurumu shrugged, regarding Bikiyama.
"I've spoken with him and he admitted he is her fiancé."
"It's an arranged marriage and I get the impression neither care much for it."
Kurumu smiled softly at Nerume.
"It's hard to read Umizake. Tsukune knows him better than any of us."
"Not really. I guess I see him more, but it's not like he stands out."
"If it's possible, I would appreciate you guys not spreading this around the school."
Yukari snorted.
"Why not?"
"Because it's personal."
"I think making this public knowledge would force her to deal with the issue instead of trying to run away with any willing guy. It would have spared both Coach Kotsubo and Tsukune a lot of trouble."
Kurumu sighed.
"I don't know what good it would do for her to face the issue."
"While I can respect your request to not gossip about this, I do think it would be in her best interest to discuss the matter with Mr. Umizake."
"Umizake already said he has no plans to break off the engagement."
Uchikawa perked up with interest.
"But Ms. Genzouyaki said he was not interested."
"It's complicated."
"I'm surprised people still arrange marriages?"
Uchikawa smiled at Bikiyama.
"Some families do."
Bikiyama gestured at Nerume.
"What makes you say he wasn't interested?"
Nerume shrugged with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry. That's how I felt when Kurumu and Tora talked about him."
Kurumu sighed.
"Mizore is being pressured to marry soon. Even if Umizake breaks off the engagement, her family will pick someone else."
"That makes sense. Her race has fertility issues starting around the mid twenties with no guarantee of having daughters."
"That's not the point, Yukari. He's honoring the engagement because he feels it changes nothing for her if he doesn't."
A silence fell over the group as the girls regarded each other. It was one of those uncomfortable pauses where everyone seemed on the brink of saying something, but hesitated.
"Excuse us."
Feeling relieved, Kurumu regarded the new arrivals. The girl with the frosted blue curls and her taller, blond friend had come over to stand behind Matsudera. This other girl had her bangs swept left while her ponytail was hanging off to the right. She had hazel eyes that brightened up with her smile.
"I'm Yarimizu Eika from class six and this is Utsumi Chisui from class four. I know this sounds strange but are you friends with Ms. Uchikawa?"
Uchikawa grinned, absently toying with her food that she had barely touched.
"This would be our first lunch together, though they are more than welcome to come back."
The blond whom had made the introductions grinned.
"That is so cool. Would you mind if I got a picture?"
Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.
"Why?"
Bikiyama snorted, wagging her hand dismissively.
"These two girls are from the Literature club. I see them in the library all the time."
"You two are from Itoigawa, the same place our friend Kamitsuku is from."
Yarimizu frowned, thumbing at the hem of her jacket.
"Yea… I've been thinking it would be cool to have a picture with you guys, since you're club is famous."
"It would be lovely if we had Ms. Uchikawa in the picture too."
Kurumu almost questioned why anyone would feel they are famous, but realized that was silly. No other club had this level of involvement in major events at the school. The connections to the missing girls, the PSC, Mizore and Yukari were all notorious rumors that involved them. Double that with Ginei's former notoriety and it was impossible not to recognize their fame.
"I know Midori and Izumi are both from Itoigawa. Who's the fifth?"
The girls glanced over and smiled.
"That's Ms. Dokugo Azuki, our club president. She's a local from Mononoke."
"Really?"
Utsumi grinned, gesturing for the tall blonde. It caught the attention of the others and through a mix of nods and shakes, Dokugo realized she was the only one being requested. Yarimizu held her phone out to the girl when she approached.
"Could you take my picture with them?"
The blonde was only tall compared to these girls. Now that Tsukune was standing, Kurumu could tell Dokugo was slightly shorter than him. Everyone was getting up from their chairs and wandering over to join Yarimizu and Utsumi.
Taking the phone, Dokugo shook her head, backing away a couple steps.
"Surprised you didn't ask any of these other girls to take the picture."
"They're friends with Ms. Uchikawa. I don't want to leave anyone out."
Dokugo grinned.
"Everyone get closer together and someone pick Ms. Sendou up."
Yukari paused.
"You know me?"
"Who doesn't, Ms. Sendou?"
Kurumu chuckled, leaning down behind Yukari to haul the girl up. Yukari pouted, reaching over to drape her arms about Kurumu's neck as they scooted in beside Yarimizu. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she smiled upon noting it was his and leaned back into him. Moka hovered next to him while Uchikawa stood beside her. Nerume pressed in on Kurumu's side while the other girls squeezed in next to Utsumi.
"I'm going to take about six shots. Okay?"
"My phone has enough free space for that."
Dokugo shrugged, regarded the small screen as she held up the silver phone.
"Smile."
Kurumu could hear the clicks as the girl took their picture several times. Dokugo lowered the phone and walked over to them, handing it back to Yarimizu. Kurumu let go of Yukari, allowing the girl to dangle from her neck before the witch cautiously touched the ground and released her hold.
"I would have preferred being held by Moka."
Kurumu chuckled, tousling the girl's hair. She leaned against Yarimizu whom was regarding the pictures.
"So the four of you actually stick together?"
"Hmm?"
"The four of you from Itoigawa."
"Oh. Not really. Kasui eats with some of the girls from track on occasions and Midori sometimes hangs out with her fashion club."
"She's in the fashion club?"
Yarimizu nodded.
"Do any other Itoigawa girls eat with you? Like Okimune?"
Yarimizu sighed, pressing her phone to her breast.
"I wish. You're as pretty as she is."
"Ms. Okimune eats with her friends whom are in the dance club. I'm sure if we asked, she would eat with us, but I'm not about to chase her down every lunch hour."
Kurumu chuckled, glancing over her shoulder to notice that Tsukune was making idle talk with Moka and Yukari. She held a hand out to him which caught his attention. Grabbing it, he stepped in close.
"What?"
"I'm just curious if Kamitsuku has ever talked about these girls to you. These two went to junior high with him."
He shrugged, which caused Yarimizu to frown.
"Seriously? He asked me out last year and he hasn't talked about me once?"
Utsumi giggled at Tsukune's perplexed reaction.
"Guess he's already forgotten about you, Eika."
"Doubt that. Guy was crushing on me for three years."
Kurumu frowned. She vaguely recalled Kamitsuku mentioning the fourth with a dismissive comment of not knowing what she was doing. He had not betrayed any interest.
"He mentioned the four of you to me, but he didn't say anything about being interested. I did pester him about it and he only said it would cause trouble."
Yarimizu shrugged.
"Oh well. He's a nice guy, but creepy. It's kind of strange how that works."
"What do you mean?"
"Well… if you like a guy, he can do strange things and it will be endearing. If you don't, it's creepy."
"That doesn't seem right."
Uchikawa grinned up at Tsukune.
"That is accurate. If you buy a gift for a girl that has turned you down, that's uncomfortable for her."
Yarimizu giggled.
"It's also creepy if you didn't ask for a gift. What do you even do at that point? Have him keep something he clearly has no use for? He's just weird."
Kurumu smiled, supposing she could see Kamitsuku doing something like that. She was about to say something when she felt something passionate directed at her coming from above. She frowned, turning about and glancing up. She quickly spied Saizou standing on that overhang of the roof. There were three other young men around him, one sitting on the gutter next to Saizou and another up on a nearby gable. The last one looked older and was seated by the railing that ringed the roof.
"What are those boys doing on the other side of the rail?"
The others turned and looked upwards, which caused the boys to retreat. Kurumu recognized the local Miki boy from her class had been the boy next to Saizou. He had worn that white shirt with the black sleeves. That boy on the gable was wearing a black tee and the other did not have the school jacket. She wondered why none of them felt like wearing the proper school attire. The young man by the rail vaulted over it first and the others soon followed his example.
"Midou and his lackeys."
Kurumu glanced at Dokugo, whom was shaking her head.
"Midou?"
"Midou Kusabi, captain of the Rugby team and from my homeroom. He also moonlights as the leader of the group known as the Outcasts. Just a bunch of thugs, beating up people for reputation."
"Miki Moroha from our class was up there."
Kurumu smiled at Yukari, supposing she should not be surprised at Yukari's ability to recall all names.
"Miki? That's disturbing. I'll talk to his mother."
"Is there a problem?"
"I just don't like our local boys mixing with Midou. I get why they respect him. He's one of two boys that stood up to Kuyo and lived, the other being Fusamina, the leader of the Skating club."
Dokugo frowned, lifting a hand to tap her cheek.
"I'm going to talk to Mr. Saitou and see what's up."
"Mr. Saitou?"
"Advisor for the skating club. He might have a clue why Miki is hanging around with Midou."
The bell sounded the end of the lunch hour, causing the older girl to sigh.
"Or not. I guess we have to go to classes first. I'll talk to Mr. Saitou after school."
"What's so special about Mr. Saitou?"
"He's been working hard to keep those boys out of trouble. The last thing we need is for them to start causing trouble now that the PSC is in shambles."
Kurumu sighed, having a feeling that trouble would find them regardless.
Kurumu sat in Nerume's former desk with her feet up on the top while her slippers rested beneath her chair. Honda was sitting in the desk in front of her, filling out a club application that Ginei had handed her before heading off for the student council room. Yukari was in the adjacent desk while Tora sat in the one across from Honda. Nerume was sitting on the desk beside Kurumu's feet while Kana was all the way up at the front of the class, doodling in a sketchbook. Everyone else was missing.
As class representatives, Tsukune and Moka had been asked to assist Ms. Nekonome with a few chores that had piled up over her absence. Having nothing better to do, Nerume had assisted Tora in Moka's place, so the two had been almost finished when Kurumu had arrived after completing her own cleanup duties with Deshi and Yukari.
Mizore had missed all of her afternoon classes, so it was not a surprise that she was still missing. It's not like her absence had any impact on her gym or home ec periods since nobody would reasonably put her on the softball team and Tokori and Taijin could manage cooking pancakes without her. As there had not been a lab project in chemistry today, Tora had not been inconvenienced by Mizore's impulsive decision to find Kotsubo.
"I'm bored."
Kurumu smirked, pawing at the small of Nerume's back with her slipper. The girl giggled, reaching over to hold Kurumu's feet in place by the shins.
"There's not much we can do until Senior lets us know if our paper has been approved. He should be back in a few minutes."
"Why does it take so long?"
"Because the council has other things to talk about."
Kurumu frowned.
"Don't they do that on the Saturday morning meeting?"
"They do, but since Ginei called them to meet, they probably felt like wrapping up other things that they left unfinished. If they are going to get together, may as well make the most of it."
"But since he's the one that scheduled it, shouldn't they handle his matter first?"
Tora shrugged.
"Some people like to show their authority by making others wait. It's annoying, but we should have the understanding that we are not the only club that matters to the student council."
Kurumu smiled as she allowed Nerume to drag her feet up into the small girl's lap. The girl tugged her socks off, dropping them behind her on the desktop.
"Have you ever thought about painting your toenails?"
"Why would I do that?"
"You could wear sandals on the weekends."
"I don't own any sandals."
"How do you not own a pair of sandals?"
Kurumu shrugged.
"Never had much a reason to own a pair. We lived up in the mountains and I would not bother wearing shoes the few times I did go to a pool."
Nerume nodded while poking at Kurumu's toes.
"Does the school have a policy against painting our fingernails?"
"They don't."
Tora frowned at Honda, whom set aside her application.
"Are you sure? I don't see anyone wearing fingernail polish."
"I think a lot of people assume there is a rule against it. If you haven't noticed, most of our classmates don't wear jewelry, despite that being allowed."
Kurumu shrugged.
"There were rules against all of that in my junior high."
"Likewise. I'm pretty sure all human high schools ban those things."
"I can't say if human schools do, but I know our junior high didn't allow it. It wouldn't surprise me if all junior highs for monsters are like that."
Nerume nodded.
"Ours had it banned too but everyone knew it would be allowed in high school. It was not something mentioned in the Yokai brochure."
"It's probably buried in the student handbook sent to our parents. I didn't really look at that thing beyond what courses were offered."
Tora sighed, glancing at the door.
"I wonder what is taking Moka and Tsukune so long. Can you tell us something, Yukari?"
Yukari shook her head.
"I've thought about recasting the spell, but think it would better if I attach it to an artifact instead of a flimsy pair of plastic glasses."
Kurumu smiled, recalling Yukari's plans to have her ears pierced.
"Are you going to make your new earrings into wands?"
"It seems smarter than using a brooch or a hat. I'll have to make a slight adjustment to the tracking spell if I place it in my earrings."
"Maybe include sound?"
"I'm sure I can figure that out if Moka allows me enough time with her. I need both the earring and her rosary to work on the spell."
Tora frowned.
"Can't you experiment on a sample to perfect the spell first?"
Yukari pouted.
"I could but I would rather have more time spent with Moka."
Kurumu sighed as Nerume decided to massage her feet. At least that was probably what the girl thought she was doing.
"Do you think Mr. Nekonome is still in the teachers' lounge?"
"Probably. I doubt she would leave without confirming Tsukune and Moka finished her tasks."
"We should go check with her."
Tora wagged a hand dismissively.
"We can wait for Senior to return. If they're still not back by then, he can check with Ms. Nekonome for us while we start printing our papers."
Kurumu smirked.
"You seem certain we won't be asked to revise anything."
"I can't imagine what they would get upset over. None of our articles address the odd behavior of the faculty as of late."
"Only because Ginei insisted I remove the remarks questioning the common sense of our escorts."
"Senior is correct that it would not be beneficial to discredit Mr. Nurari when he is such an integral member of this community. While I disagree with how he forced the issue upon us, I have this sense that there may have been reasons for him not to address things personally."
Yukari snorted, rolling her eyes.
"I considered that possibility, but that does not make his actions appropriate."
"Who is Mr. Nurari?"
Kurumu smiled at Honda.
"He's the bus driver that transports people in and out of Mononoke."
"I recall him. He picked all of us up at the junior high in Nagaoka."
"Every student from Nagaoka can fit on one bus?"
Honda nodded.
"I think our junior high only averages eight or so students to Yokai since Hisoshi is much closer."
"I kind of wonder how many students come from other districts. I recall Kamitsuku saying it was just him and those four girls. How do we have almost three hundred students if each district averages less than ten a year?"
"Niigata is a large prefecture, Kurumu. I suggest visiting the library and learning some local geography."
Nerume sighed, letting go of Kurumu's foot.
"You can't forget that there are several students out of prefecture like Mizore. Do you think she went to his apartment in Mononoke?"
Kurumu grimaced.
"I hope not."
"Should we check?"
"Does anyone know where Mr. Kotsubo lives?"
Nerume shook her head, prompting Tora to turn her inquisitive gaze on Kurumu. Kurumu shrugged.
"I don't know how we would go about asking for his address. Knowing our connections to Ms. Shirayuki, I doubt the faculty would yield that information."
Kurumu smirked.
"The faculty has done stranger things."
"True, but I don't see why we should rely on them being irresponsible."
"We have papers to fold. We can't spare people to look after an unstable girl."
"Yea, considering you aren't very useful for physical labor."
Yukari wagged a finger at her.
"You last only an hour before resorting to whining."
"Hey. The first time was Moka's birthday. There was no reason to have us work that late. And last time I really wanted to talk with Mizore."
"Do you have any pressing needs that will torment us in the near future if this takes too long?"
Kurumu shrugged.
"Probably. I'm worried about Mizore, Tsukune and Moka."
A hand plopped on her head, tousling her hair.
"What's this about Moka?"
Kurumu sighed, glancing over her shoulder at Ginei.
"Ms. Nekonome sent them on an errand and they haven't returned."
"Eh, Moka has the whistle if anything is up."
Yukari snorted.
"Because that was so useful the last few times she has used it."
Ginei grinned.
"If I hear it, I'll carry you with me to them."
Yukari scowled, crossing her arms about her torso.
"I haven't made a new artifact for spells. And if you need a healer, Tora would be more suitable since my spirit needs to recover after casting several healing spells on a silly succubus this morning."
Tora frowned.
"What was wrong with Kurumu?"
Kurumu pulled her feet out of Nerume's lap to sit up properly. She waved at them dismissively as she grabbed her socks and slippers.
"It's nothing. I slept wrong."
"How does sleeping wrong result in needing a healing spell?"
Kurumu sighed, frowning at Yukari.
"It's nothing. I let myself worry too much and it made me sick."
Pulling her socks back over her feet, she put on her slippers and got up from her seat which prompted Nerume to hop down from the desk. Honda walked around them to hand her application to Ginei. The boy grinned, folding it up and tucking it in his jacket pocket.
"I guess I should announce that our paper was approved, so we should head up to the printing room."
Tora smiled softly, getting up.
"If it's all the same, could you check with Ms. Nekonome after you get things started? Maybe you can help Tsukune and Moka finish up whatever task she has them doing."
"Sure, though the printer only goes so fast. We only needed the extra hands because some girls tire out and lose interest."
Kurumu smirked as she walked around him to head out into the hall first. She only had to pause a moment for Ginei and the others to catch up with her. He grinned at her, bumping into her shoulder as he started down the hall towards the front of the school.
"Did you turn in the applications for Nerume and Mizore?"
"I haven't. Speaking of which, where is our ice princess?"
Nerume sighed.
"Mizore heard about Coach Kotsubo resigning during lunch and hasn't been seen since."
"Really? Surprised the guy quit since everyone agreed it was an accident."
Kurumu glanced over the balcony rail at the floor below, thinking about how Ms. Kagome had been transferred. She supposed it would make her life easier not having the math teacher around. When she next saw Mizore, she would have to make her understand that this was for the best.
"Speaking of lunch, what would you know about a guy named Midou Kusabi?"
Ginei glanced at Yukari.
"That's an unusual question."
"I understand you got in many fights your first year before adopting the pacifist route. I imagine you would know something about him."
"I do. He's the captain of the rugby team and well respected."
Kurumu rolled her eyes.
"Dokugo seemed to think otherwise. Called him the leader of a bunch of thugs known as the Outcasts."
"What is your interest in this?"
"During lunch he was looking down at us from the roof with Saizou, Miki and some other guy."
Ginei chuckled, shaking his head.
"I assume Moka was with you. You can't fault some guys taking interest in a group of beautiful women."
"You don't understand, Senior. Komiya Saizou is a young man from our class that attacked us during our first week of school."
Ginei snorted, waving his hand dismissively.
"I wouldn't worry about that. If Saizou steps outside the rules, he'll disappear for good. Midou will make certain of that."
"That's not a comforting thought."
Ginei grinned as they walked down the adjacent hall towards the main foyer.
"It should be. Nobody cares to report murders between monstrels. Saizou would have to be a complete idiot to break Midou's rules."
Tora's brow furrowed with concern.
"I understand that, but that only means Mr. Midou is a killer."
"Not really. If Midou was a killer, Kuyo would have crucified him. The PSC was trying to frame Midou's Outcasts as a terrorist organization since he formed it as a first year. They're annoying but they're all about reputation."
Kurumu frowned.
"Reputation?"
"Yea. They want to be acknowledged as the strongest group in the school. They usually pick out strong, pureblood marks to beat up. They keep doing it till you admit they are stronger than you and then they move on to the next mark."
"Sounds juvenile."
"It was fun. Went about three rounds with them before Midou personally came out to kick my ass."
Kurumu snorted.
"Are you saying you lost to them?"
"Of course. When you realize what they want, it's not worth fighting them every day. And Midou is a strong guy. You let a couple of his attacks connect and it is over."
"You let him win."
Ginei shrugged as they turned along the balcony that flanked the main foyer.
"I don't know if I could beat him. But they're not killers. You can't build credibility by admitting you murdered people. That gets you executed."
While that did make Kurumu feel a little better about Midou, she still had this nagging concern about Saizou. That maniac might not have enough brain cells to follow Midou's rules. She had no idea what Saizou had been doing these past months after his suspension, but she doubted it was learning how to be a good member of the Outcasts.
Ginei paused at the first door on the other side of the stairs that went up to the third floor where the student council room and the Headmaster's office were. He fished the key out of his other pocket and unlocked the door, sliding it open and flipping the switch to turn on the two rows of overhead lights.
The printing room was a cramped space with small aisles about the large printing press in the center of the room. There were two drafting tables in the back which were useful for folding the papers. The wall that flanked the stairs was lined with shelves for storing rolls of paper and printing supplies.
Ginei walked over to the monitor that was hooked up to the printing press. He pushed a couple buttons, causing the screen to come to life. He fished a small USB drive out of his pant pocket and pushed it in the terminal as he used a mouse to direct the cursor on the screen to open and print their files.
"I trust I don't need to explain how to fold papers to anyone."
Nerume giggled as Honda frowned. Tora glanced about and sighed.
"We forgot Kana."
Ginei snorted, shaking his head.
"Okay. I have to go back to my class and get two applications anyways so I can remind our airhead that we are printing our paper today."
He clicked a couple more buttons on the screen with the cursor which set the printer in motion.
"Then I'll turn those applications in and find out from Ms. Nekonome where our two lovebirds have ran off to. Sound good?"
Kurumu pouted, smacking his shoulder with the back of her hand.
"Are you trying to annoy me?"
He clutched his chest in feigned injury.
"I would not think of such a thing. Now behave yourself. No kissing any girls unless I'm watching."
Kurumu sighed as the girls regarded her while Ginei slipped back into the hall. Honda promptly looked away while Tora pressed her hand to her chest.
"I told him nothing, Kurumu. I swear I said nothing about yesterday."
Kurumu smiled, thankful for that.
"You were kissing girls?"
Kurumu sighed with a slight whimper at Nerume's inquiry. She supposed it might be best to explain everything since there was little else to do before this machine started spitting out papers.