The Vampires had followed the noisy teens for a little over an hour and Aido was already wishing he had kept his mouth shut and just held his buckets. He had hoped to separate Akane somehow, but her energetic friend and two of the boys in the group were keeping annoyingly close to her. They were sat in a café on the opposite side of the street from the group, currently working their way through the stalls and games in an arcade.
Aido absentmindedly sipped on his iced tea, unaware he was being watched just as closely as he observed the Unfortunate, though, far more discreetly. Nothing remotely eventful had happened, but Ichijo would swear Aido was transfixed, watching his favourite soap opera. He'd chortled to himself at Aido every time someone (particularly male) had either held onto the Unfortunate, draped an arm around her, or even just gained her attention.
He wasn't frowning or grumbling under his breath and at a glance, he looked quite passive, but he barely blinked and hadn't taken his eyes off her since they set off from the academy. The ice in his tea was still frozen solid too, the only outward sign the Vampire was agitated, as they'd been sat for twenty minutes, the temperature in the café, more than enough to melt the ice in his glass.
"She certainly catches the eye when surrounded by her friends," he goaded him cheerfully with a closed eye smile at the younger Vampire. "Those poor boys are tripping over themselves." Aido sipped from his glass, a frown making its way onto his face. He glanced at Ichijo from the corner of his eye, but made no comment of his own, and continued to just watch, except now, he made a more conscious effort to keep his observation discreet. Too late~
Sometime later, the teens were sat in an ice-cream parlour taking up a booth and three tables that they'd brought together, so they could be nearer each other. The group of teenagers were loud, excitable, and animatedly discussing the winners and losers of the arcade games they'd played for a solid three hours.
A call for food had been agreed by everyone and they had been looking for somewhere to eat when, along the way, Naomi had spotted the sign of the ice-cream parlour. They'd been veered off course by the sweet-toothed girl who'd dragged everyone along with her. They'd all be walking arm in arm, connected in a chain, laughing loudly at the questioning and disapproving looks of those they passed.
Yasu, Sayori and Yuki sat on one side of the booth while Miu, Kimiko and Naomi sat on the other. Kohaku and Hiroki sat on one of the two-seater tables, as did Shun and Kaede, while Akane was squeezed between Nori and Kenshin at the third table. They were enjoying their various treats, all conversing with their tablemates happily. Even Akane, stuck between the rivals, was having a good time, laughing at the two as they bickered and insulted each other good-naturedly. She felt like a normal teenager for a change, one that didn't have to worry about Vampires or life and death. She felt like she was just a girl, hanging out with her friends. She was having fun. She was happy.
Aido and Ichijo dispatched the third Vampire to cross their path in the last hour and had decided, the group outing would need to be cut short. Of the Vampires they had taken out, one had been a Level D while the others were Level E's, meaning Akane was attracting attention. Ichijo swallowed two more blood tablets while Aido swallowed one, and then separated to execute their plan to persuade the Day Class students to return to Cross Academy early, or at the very least, move them closer to the school and further away from the most populated parts of town.
Ichijo stepped into the popular parlour and walked to the counter with a beaming smile to the server as he ordered. Kaede, Kohaku and Yasu's attention had been instantly seized by the Vampire, their blushes promptly alerting the males in the group that they had competition. Shun took his girlfriend's hand and smiled at her sweetly, while Nori and Kenshin, shuffled even closer to Akane, diminishing her coveted personal space further.
Yuki spotted the Vampire as he turned with a convincing look of surprise at the Disciplinary Committee member. She spluttered into her milkshake.
"Yuki? Hello," The social Vampire greeted as he walked over, plucking a seat from a nearby table to sit at the Shun and Kaede's table, much to Kaede's delight and Shun's dismay. "What's the occasion for everyone to be out, together like this?" he asked conversationally, as he sipped from his straw, giving the girls a charmingly sweet smile as all but four swooned.
Akane was trying not to sweat profusely with a Vampire sitting so close to her friends, while Kimiko tried to keep her cool, despite her racing heart. Sayori wasn't a fan of the Night Class, she found them more frightening than fascinating. A standpoint, Akane agreed with wholeheartedly, when she'd voiced as much when they played a zombie, shooting game together, at the arcade.
Yuki bit her lip in worry. She knew the only reason Kaname and Kaien gave Aido and Ichijo permission to reveal themselves, was to intercept everyone and escort them back to school, which meant they were in danger!
Kimiko was the one to answer Ichijo's question, as everyone was either sulking, thinking hard, or drooling.
"We're celebrating Miu's birthday. She turns sixteen tomorrow, so we've met today before she goes home for the weekend." Ichijo's smile widened as he turned his attention to Miu, with her pink dusted cheeks and a sheepish smile on her lips.
"Well, happy birthday for tomorrow, Miss Hayashi. I hope you have fun. Will you be having a party at home too?"
"Ok! I need to go to the bathroom. Please excuse me!" Akane suddenly announced as she shot to her feet, not quite able to cope with this ordinary conversation with the Vampire any longer.
"I'll come with you, Nakamura!" Yuki declared while striving to work her way out of the booth she was trapped in. The raised eyebrow and sweat drop Akane sent her as she watched her headmaster's daughter try to climb over her friends from the inside of the booth, ceased her struggling, and caused her cheeks to flush in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, Cross. I know where it is," she chuckled, thanking God for people like Yuki, who could be counted on to make an ordinary situation awkward, while still delivering comic relief.
Yuki sat back down with a tense expression and turned to Ichijo. He offered her a pleasant, and reassuring smile that had little to no effect. With him here, it meant Aido was left, out of the three of them, to watch out for Akane, an Unfortunate Human, whose blood was more potent than a regular Human. She was now, solely, under the care of a Vampire who was known to struggle with his thirst. Yuki felt she had every right to worry!