On Wednesday, Aido, and the Night Class had been told to take extra blood tablets before leaving their dormitories as a precaution. They'd been warned that Akane would be in the school's infirmary when they arrived for lessons due to an accident in one of her classes. Aido had been curious when Kaname informed them of this before they were to leave the dorms. He'd voiced his curiosity, but the Pureblood had simply said she was unharmed and left it at that before he led everyone out of The Moon Dorms and through the chaos of the changeover.
Aido had walked along performing his usual show for his fans, but all the while, that Human was on his mind. Eventually, he spotted just the person to rid him of his damned curiosity and wasted no time in detangling her from the Day Class mob that surrounded him.
"Good evening, Miss Miu," he greeted seductively, as he pulled her from the throng of Day Class girls.
"Oh, Idol! I mean, good evening," she squeaked with a deep blush quickly taking over her face.
"I'm still waiting to take you and Miss Nakamura out on that walk," he added, kissing her hand, make sure to hold eye contact with the swooning Human causing her delicate blush to deepen and lengthen down her neck. "I heard Miss Nakamura had an accident today, is she alright?" He was laying the charm on thick to get his answers quickly before Kaname or Zero got him moving again. He even tilted his head with the sincerest look of worry he could muster to match the concern he added to his voice.
"Akane? A little rest and she'll be good as new. Just a bit of a shock is all," Miu reassured with a beaming smile.
"A shock, what happened? I hope it wasn't serious."
"No, nothing like that, she just didn't like the horses." Horses? That doesn't tell me much, Sigh. I could ask someone else, Aido mused but grumbled irritably as he noticed Zero moving his way, cutting his time short.
"Please tell Miss Nakamura that I hope she feels better soon." He excused himself and rejoined his cousin, leaving Miu with the now, silent group of girls surrounding her, all with the same lofty yet puzzled expression.
When Akane awoke she was lying in a dimly lit room. It was deathly quiet, so quiet that she could hear that loud ring that can only be heard in silence. The smell of sterilising fluid invaded her nose, so strong she could taste it on her tongue and the back of her throat. She scrunched up her face at the headache she could feel building.
She quickly realised she was lying on a small bed and sat up to scrutinise her surroundings. The walls were painted white and the floors were a white tile with that just sanitized sheen about them. The bed she lay in was part of a row of five lining this side of the room, which was mirrored on the wall opposite, with a simple, white, wooden door at either end of the room.
Understanding she was in the infirmary, Akane relaxed, that is until she saw her riding helmet, boots and blazer placed on the little bedside table next to her. All too soon, the memory of her episode with the horse and having to be practically carried by her friend and teacher resurfaced. She groaned in embarrassment and flopped back down onto the semi-comfortable mattress.
"I passed out too?... How pathetic," she grumbled into the empty room.
One of the doors to the infirmary suddenly opened revealing the nurse who had heard her patient stir.
"How are you feeling, Miss Nakamura?" she asked briskly as she made her way across the room.
"I'm fine, thank you. I'm sorry, I should go."
"Headmaster Cross wants to see you before you go back to The Sun Dorms. I'll show you the way to his office before I leave," she informed her as she buttoned up the navy-blue cardigan she wore over her white nurses' uniform then plucked up Akane's blazer and held it up for the girl to put on.
The nurse was Miss Aoi Shou. She was a young woman in her early thirties, with long blonde hair that she always kept in a messy bun at the back of her head. She was slim with a toned physique and usually wore a pleasant, dainty smile, but at present, she wore a frown and bustled about collecting her bag and coat as she was late to leave. Akane understood Miss Shou wanted to get home and got herself ready to leave as quickly as she could.
She pulled on her shoes and blazer then followed Miss Shou out of the infirmary, picking up her helmet to drop off with the Headmaster as she stood, and waited as the nurse locked the door. Miss Shou gestured for Akane to follow her and took her to a set of stairs.
"Go up one flight and you'll be in the corridor to the Headmaster's office, just turn left at the top of the stairs, the Headmaster's office is at the end of the corridor." Akane thanked her and watched as she smartly turned and left for home before she walked the familiar route to Kaien's office.
As Akane ambled up the steps, she wondered why Kaien needed to see her in the first place. Then, something occurred to her, bringing with it a terrifying dread. Aido's told them! Her worry increased with every stop and she found herself, all too quickly, at Kaien's door and stood there, racking her brain, trying to think of something, anything she could do to keep her secret hidden. There's no reason to worry yet, she reasoned with herself. You don't know for sure.
"Just calm down and think before you speak Akane, this could be nothing."
She took a moment to calm herself, then rose a nervous hand and knocked on the polished, wooden door.
"Come in!" came the cheery call she'd become accustomed to on her many trips to this door. She popped her head through, reluctantly followed by the rest of her body, then fully entered the room and took her seat opposite her Headmaster. At least there's no sign of Aido or his 'Lord', Kaname Kuran, Akane observed as she discreetly examined her surroundings for any clue or change to the office or Kaien.
"How are you feeling?" The headmaster asked his student conversationally, leaning across the table with his usual cheerfulness. Akane raised a suspicious brow.
"Fine…" she replied, unsure whether she needed to be careful with her answers and decided to keep her responses vague.
"Mr Iwata sends his apologies and hopes you'll feel better soon," Kaien said. Akane spoke with as much confidence her embarrassment would allow when he mentioned her teacher, the teacher that had carried her to the infirmary, in front of her entire class.
"I feel ok… embarrassed that I freaked out, but ok... I never did like horses much," Akane muttered as she fiddled with the buckle of her helmet resting on her lap.
"Well, you needn't worry. You won't have to attend any more riding lessons. You can spend those classes either, here, or in the library studying from now on."
"Sir?"
"Well, since you were so affected, it would be too cruel to force you to take part."
Though Akane did appreciate the reprieve from the horse riding lessons, and the offer to spend that time in his office, she knew Kaien's cheery nature would send her around the bend.
"The library would be perfect!" If he noticed the rejection, Kaien didn't show it.
"I also wanted to talk to you about your classes."
"I've attended all of them since we last spoke, Headmaster," Akane said quickly, her relief switching to apprehension.
"I know," he began, waving Akane's anxiety away. "I'm glad you did what I asked. I wanted to congratulate you."
"Congratulate me?" Akane asked with a tilt of her head.
"Yes, The Cross Academy Directors have decided to continue your scholarship." A hopeful smile spread wide across Akane's face.
"Thank you, Headmaster" Thank you!"
"This doesn't mean you're off the hook, Miss Nakamura. You must keep this up to stay in their good books, as well as mine," Kaien reminded in a stricter tone than before but smiled at the relief his student felt.
He was the usual happy-go-lucky Headmaster Cross that Akane was accustomed to. The realisation he didn't know noticeably calmed her. Kaien was, thankfully, none the wiser as to the true reason for her lightened disposition. He doesn't know. Thank God!
"Yes Sir, I will," she nodded earnestly, her face set and her fists balled in determination.
"Then you may go back to your dorm, Yuki's waiting by the main entrance to escort you."
Akane jumped to her feet and bowed low with more words of thanks as she hurriedly placed her riding helmet down on Kaien's desk, bid him goodnight, then quickly left the office. She closed the door, leaning against the wood and enjoying the sense of relief. She wasn't being sent away and Aido hadn't told on her either, but then she realised the corridor had darkened considerably and remembered, I'm alone…at night… in a school full of Vampires!