Yuki had gone with Zero to Kaien's office to give his report, and so that she could scold her father figure for letting him go hunting some Level E in the first place. But Yuki never got to voice her displeasure as she and Zero were ushered out quickly after he took a rather insistent call. Afterwards, they received a thorough scolding form their teacher and Class President for missing the entire first half of school. Now, the day was over, and the pair were at the changeover waiting for the Night Class to leave their dorm.
Yuki snuck glances at Zero, checking he was ok, but couldn't help the jealousy she felt for him being able to keep his side in line so easily. There wasn't a student out of place under Zero's watchful and menacing glare, but Yuki was regularly shoved and trampled. It's not fair! She lamented to herself.
"All of you need to step back! You know you can't go any further! Stop!" but Yuki was again being pushed back by the crowd of screaming girls as she tried to blow her whistle and get their attention.
The gates creaked as they opened. The screaming got louder. Miu stood with Kimiko, Naomi, and Kohaku, on Zero's side of the path. They weren't at the front again today but Miu was confident she would still get a moment to speak to Akane. Miu had something very important to discuss with her friend, well, she thought it was important. The ball! Even though Miu already had her dress, she wanted to go shopping with Akane for her dress, or at least get an answer about the dresses she already had, that she thought Akane would like. She didn't hold out hope Zero would let her talk to Akane for long. He was very determined to keep them separated. But Miu knew the distraction of the desperate girls in front, trying to sneak a few steps closer as the elite students walked by, would give her some time.
Zero could see the brunette next to him, inching her way closer.
"Take another step, and I'll make you cry!" he threatened darkly, not even turning to look the startled girl in the eye. She stepped back dejectedly. Miu couldn't allow that! She was counting on these girls and their wildly raging hormones to distract the grumpy boy long enough for her to talk to Akane.
"Come on! Zero's not half as scary as he thinks he is," she said, covertly ducking down, so no one could see who'd spoken. Kimiko rolled her eyes while Naomi and Kohaku grinned at Miu's antics.
"Yeah, Zero's quieter now. He was scarier when he yelled."
"That's right, go for it!
"He can't threaten students, he's just a Prefect!"
"Hey!" Zero bellowed to the mutinous rabble behind him, silencing them. His glare was intense and piercing, but Miu had succeeded in distracting him long enough to slip to the front and down the line with the others and waved down Akane as she passed.
Akane smiled when she spotted her friends squeezing their way through the crowd and separated herself from Aido before he was surrounded by his fans.
"Akane!" Miu greeted happily, jumping up into her slightly taller friend's waiting arms. Akane had become accustomed to Miu's insistence on a hug (glomp) every meeting since her induction into the Night Class. Surprisingly, Akane was quicker to accept this new enthusiastic way of greeting than Miu had thought she would be. Akane had always been a little more reserved. She hadn't hugged Miu until nearly a month of knowing each other, and even that had been awkward and brief.
"Hi everyone! How was school?" Akane asked cheerfully. She was always happy to see her friends. But before Kohaku could answer for the group, Miu interrupted.
"No time for that!" She shook her head, scowling at her friends for being about to waste the little time they had with Akane. "The ball's coming up and you still don't have a dress!" Akane tilted her head at the almost desperate look on Miu's face. She flicked her eyes to her other friends for some help understanding Miu's intensity, receiving shrugs and knowing gestures and nods, in return.
"No, I don't."
Miu shook her head pityingly before smiling brightly up at Akane, giving her pause. This was the look Akane associated with the Night Class sleepovers she'd had to endure. A sudden smile after a face like that could mean two things with Miu. Either, she'd just thought of a solution, or, she'd gotten just what she wanted from the conversation and was about to drop an unpleasant bomb!
"Then you'll have to get permission to come dress shopping with us!"
Akane wanted to laugh at the relief she felt, but then guilt and awkwardness at having to decline Miu's offer. How was she supposed to tell Miu, they couldn't go dress shopping together, unsupervised, because she was a Vampire now, and afraid something would happen?
"What's this about dress shopping?" Aido's chirpy 'Day Class' voice said from behind Akane. The reaction of her friends was immediate and predictable. Kimiko's cheeks flared, Kohaku turned scarlet and started giggling, Naomi looked dazed as she stared at Aido, and Miu giggled prettily with a blush quickly staining her cheeks.
Getting a grip on herself, Miu shook her head and got back to business. No! This is important!
"Akane doesn't have a dress for the ball! She needs to come shopping with us!" Her tone was strong but sweet and hopeful, coupled with her usual pleading look, that got all her friends caving. Aido, however, appeared to have no problem shooting down her puppy-dog eyes.
"Sorry, but Akane has to keep up with her studies. There's still a lot for her to catch up on." How could you? The girls thought aghast that Aido could smile that charming smile and not so much as wince at the bowed head and dejected look on Miu's face. "On the other hand," Miu's head perked up and Akane swore, if she'd been a dog, Miu's tail would've been wagging a mile a minute. "You do need a dress for the ball," he reasoned, turning to Akane.
"I don't want to go." Aido grinned his more Cheshire cat grin that caused a not so unpleasant flutter in Akane's stomach.
"You're Night Class. Night Class have to attend." Akane groaned as Miu jumped up with an excited cry.
"Yeah!"
"But I can't just go and buy a dress! Where am I gonna get the money for that?"
"I have dresses, remember?" Miu said happily. She knew Akane would flat out refuse if she offered to buy her a dress for the ball. She doesn't need to know the dresses I have are too long and too big on purpose, with tags still attached! "I'll pick out my favourites and bring them to you after I come back from home this weekend," she offered.
Akane vaguely remembered Miu saying she had dressed she could borrow for the ball, so nodded, but pointed an accusing finger at Miu, who looked up at her with wide-eyed innocence. Akane didn't buy it for a second.
"No frills, no plunging anything, no straps, no puff, no slits, and no blue!" Akane watched Miu as her mind deleted a million possibilities from her brain unwillingly before another beaming smile spread across her face.
"Ok, Akane." Akane nodded and allowed Miu to hug her again, right before Zero stomped over and ushered them rudely on with the rest of the Night Class. What did I just agree too? she thought.
Aido chuckled, reading Akane's thoughts as she groaned. He was glad she was still able to speak with her friends. He honestly, hadn't thought about how that would work the first few days she was in the Night Class. The persistent questions about her from her friends, however, should have been enough of an indication that they weren't going to disappear anytime soon. Miu, especially, had made a point to stop him or yell over the heads of the crowd, until she received an answer.
He knew how relieved Akane was to have her friends treat her like they used to and had found himself enjoying his little chats with Miu before being forced away. The matter with Zero was another issue Aido was happy appeared to be ending. Akane finally seemed to be getting over her dislike of him, or at least, she was ignoring him now. Zero, on the other hand, was still watching her closely. Even tonight, Aido saw as Zero stared at Akane while she talked with Miu and the others, before he walked over himself, away from his adoring fans. He didn't like that Zero was watching Akane so closely, especially after he'd completed his first real assignment from The Hunters Association.
As they got to the doors of the school building, the cries of the Day Class got progressively louder. Aido turned curiously, seeing as Yuki was pushed by the unruly hoard of girls, right to the steps of the main entrance of the school.
"Stop! You really can't go any further!"
"Just one picture!"
"Get out of the way, Cross!" The girls yelled back and forth. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to fluster the Day Class, and make Yuki's job more difficult, Aido expertly slinked up behind the committee member at the head of the crowd.
"Need some help, Yuki?" he asked silkily as he wound his hand around her forearm. Yuki looked at his smile, perplexed and grateful for a moment before it turned impish and he pulled her from the screaming girls. "Yeah! Like I'd actually do that!"
Aido pulled Yuki into the school building and slammed the door in the Day Class girl's faces as they raced to catch him. He stood against the door, listening to their complaints.
"It's not fair!"
"Why is it always the Disciplinary Committee?"
"And Nakamura too!"
"It's not fair! We want to be Prefects too!" He chuckled as their whining got louder.
"They're really jealous of you. How cute!"
"Umm… Can you let go now? I have to get back to work."
Aido frowned down at the girl he still had a hold of as she glared up at him irritably.
"What's with that attitude? I just helped you!" he said, dropping her arm in a huff.
"Hanabusa," Akane's reprimanding tone sounded from the foot of the stairs that lead up to their classrooms. "Leave Cross alone. Her job is hard enough without you acting like an idiot!" Aido's face slackened as a dumbfounded expression crossed his face.
"I wasn't…" Akane didn't wait to listen and turned away to continue up the stairs without him, shaking her head and sighing disappointedly.
Kain chuckled lowly at his cousin while Ruka and Ichijo giggled openly. Yuki felt there'd been a joke, but she'd missed the punchline. Looking at the amused faces around her, she could tell, however, the joke was on Aido, as he did not look pleased to have others laughing at his expense.
"Miss Nakamura's right, Aido. Yuki has a job to do." Kaname said evenly, before softening his voice and looking at Yuki. "Don't work too hard though, Yuki. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
The prefect pinked at Kaname's warm smile and open display of concern around his peers. Aido huffed, folding his arms irritably. Yuki smiled shyly and nervously twiddled her hair with her fingers.
"Yes! Umm… I'll be more careful." As her words died the doors behind her were thrown open and an irritated Zero, stood glaring down at his partner. He grabbed her upper arm and dragged her, unceremoniously out of the school building.
"What are you doing, getting abducted? Let's go!" Zero glared over his shoulder at the Pureblood, while Yuki turned to watch as Kaname was swallowed up by the building as the doors closed.
When Akane got to class, there were a few students present already. She spotted Rin Yamiyo sat next to a brunette who was not Kyou Himura. Kyou sat up and across from them and looked thoroughly annoyed she had been replaced. Akane rolled her eyes at the petite Vampire sat two rows down from her usual seat as she walked by. The insulted girl snapped her pencil in outrage and frustration as Rin spoke suggestively into the other girl's ear. Akane wrinkled her nose in revulsion. That sicko knows we can hear him! Can't he say that shit when they're alone?
Akane was seated by the time Aido, and the others walked in. Ichijo went to his usual seat in the middle of the class. Ruka and Kain sat a tear above him while Shiki and Rima sat to his right. Shiki dropped his head on the desk, while Rima fished in his blazer and pant pockets for something. Not a flicker of emotion on her face as she stretched around him to reach his other side.
Aido sat down, frowning at Akane's scathing gaze to Rin. He hadn't heard what the Vampire had said as he'd walked into the room and Akane was loath to repeat it.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing!" Akane snapped, tearing her eyes away from the Vampire before Rin fully turned to look back at them. She did not want him catching her watching him, even if it was with a disgusted expression. The jerk would probably get off on it!
Once the click of the door closing sounded, everyone's attention was on Kaname, who was standing near the teacher's desk, waiting for everyone to be settled down. Seiren standing by the door like a guard behind him.
"There will be a new student joining us, in The Night Class." Kaname revealed. Quiet murmuring broke out amongst the students as speculation of the identity of the newcomer was discussed. "I expect you all to be respectful and welcome her." Akane noticed Rin shift in his seat.
With his duty done, Kaname walked to a seat at the top tear, close to where Akane preferred to sit, and leant against the back wall. She eyed him quizzically as he set his bag down on the desk in front of him and removed a book with a blank cover from inside and began to read. The gossip continued as the students waited for their teacher. This lesson was Mathematics, a subject Akane excelled at, but their tutor had an annoying problem with timekeeping. As was usual for this lesson, Akane pulled out her workbook and started checking her homework, ignoring the conversations around her.
"A new student? Sounds mysterious," Ichijo mused. Shiki lifted his head and lightly batted Rima's hands away before pulling out the poki she'd been after in his pockets. He ripped it open and handed the packet to her before accepting it back and taking three out, for himself.
"Is he talking about his books again?" Shiki asked tiredly.
"No, there's a new student coming tonight," Rema replied as she munched on her double chocolate poki stick. Shiki nodded disinterestedly, biting down on his three sticks in one go.
The sound drew Aido's attention and a cry of indignation left him as he stood and pointed accusingly at the models. Akane had jumped at his sudden action and glared at his back as he faced off against Shiki.
"That's my poki!" he accused. "I was going to share that with Lord Kaname," he added dismally. Akane would have rolled her eyes if they hadn't already been fixed on the student currently sat on the teacher's desk, looking on in amusement.
The girl looked young and dainty as if a soft breeze could knock her down. Her hair was a shimmering sheet of silver, flowing down her back. Her pale skin was turned to pristine porcelain by the white of the Night Class uniform. Her eyes were what held Akane's attention, however. They were a perfect shade of lavender, bright and mirthful, but the small smile on her lips had her face in an expression Akane had seen only once before. She was unable to look away.
The girl tittered with a bell-like laugh, gaining everyone's attention. She swung her legs as they dangled off the edge of the desk she was perched on. Her excitement evidently building with all eyes now on her.
"This seems like a fun class, but shouldn't it have already started?" The girl's head tilted to the left minutely, that smile never leaving her face as she surveyed the room. Aido was still unhappy with Shiki for stealing his treat and snapped at the girl irritably.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked.
The girl's eyes narrowed dangerously, and her smile dropped. The tension in the room spiked and Akane saw as it rippled through everyone as they stilled. The girl moved quicker than Akane could see, and jumped from the teacher's desk to her desk, right in front of Aido.
"The hell?" she asked with a dangerously level tone, as she took Aido's face in her hands and brought him closer. Aido's eyes widened as he stared into her cold, narrowed eyes. Fear gripped him as an immense commanding power forced him to remain where he stood and keep his mouth shut. He was being compelled! Akane watched as the girl's head tilted in question as she continued. "What makes you think you can speak to me like that, boy?"
"It's customary to introduce yourself to new people, Maria Kurenai," Kaname interrupted. Aido stepped back from the girl as she pulled her hands away, looking at Kaname with a coy smile before leaping over the two desks between his and, Aido's.
"I'm sorry if I've displeased you, Lord Kaname," she breathed as she took his hand and brought it to her chest. "Oh! I'm so happy to meet a Pureblood. I feel so lucky!" she exclaimed giddily as she nuzzled her face on the back of his hand.
"It's nice to meet you as well," Kaname said tonelessly. Akane could almost feel the irritation coming from her master but his face was a stone mask as Maria continued to make a fool out of herself. In Akane's opinion.
As Maria turned her head after seeming to have had enough of Kaname's hand, her gaze fell on Akane and her eyes practically blazed with humour.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she shuffled right in front of Akane and leant into her personal bubble, causing Akane to lean back and away from her. "You must be the Unfortunate! Akane Nakamura!" Akane saw as Maria's hand rose, itching to touch her hair and hardened her eyes into cold gems, stilling the girl's hand.
"You must have been raised by animals," Akane commented irritably. "Civilised people don't tend to climb or stand on desks!"
Maria seemed taken aback, and looked at Kaname, expecting him to reprimand his progeny for speaking to a Noble Vampire like that, but the Pureblood did nothing, except look on silently. Maria looked around at the hard expressions of her fellow student's faces.
"I'm sorry. I appear to have made everyone uncomfortable." She looked back at Akane with what must have been her interpretation of a remorseful expression, which was no more convincing than the annoying giggle she released right after. "I think it's best if I just go, for the time being," and with that, she left, gliding down the steps and out the door. What the fuck was that!
The room seemed to hold the tension for another couple of seconds before a collective breath was released.
"Who does that girl think she is?" Ruka seethed as everyone sat back down in their seats.
"Hey, calm down. Don't worry about her," Kain soothed as he held her chair out for her, indicating for her to sit down, which she did in a huff. As the teacher finally arrived, Akane went back to her books and looked over at Aido, waiting for him to take his seat. But he was still standing, staring, transfixed at the door. She reached for his arm and pulled him down into his chair.
"You ok?" she asked. He nodded, but his frown stayed for the remainder of the night.
Back at the dorm, Aido left Akane with Ichijo, who stopped by her room with another armful of books from his extensive collection. Aido had asked Kain to source all he could find on Maria Kurenai, during their first break at school, and needed to meet him in the archive room to see what he'd found. Akane had given him a puzzled look, but with Ichijo currently holding most of her attention, there was little she could do to stop him. Also, he'd asked the blond to keep Akane entertained for a while. He hadn't told Ichijo what he was doing as it could have drawn questions, he felt Akane had the right to answer herself, but Ichijo had agreed to his request easily enough.
Aido walked through the heavy, mahogany doors of the archive room with a frown on his handsome face and his hands fisted in his pant pockets as he came to the large circular, mahogany table, in the centre of the room. Kain was already seated, the light of the flickering torches making his hair appear to dance like the flames it resembled. He looked up as his younger cousin sat next to him expectantly.
"Maria Kurenai," Kain began, offering Aido the school records. "She swore to the same pledges we all did and completed all the necessary paperwork before being admitted into the Night Class. She's been frail since she was born and has never been publicly introduced to Vampire Society." Kain sighed as Aido passed the papers back with a dissatisfied look. "There's nothing else out of the ordinary, except her total lack of fear, that is."
Aido folded his arms on the table-top and gazed out into the room with a hard expression.
"Akatsuki?" he asked. "Did you ever meet that woman?"
"That woman?"
"The Pureblood Princess, with a lineage surpassed, only by Lord Kaname. She went missing after going insane. Shizuka Hio." Kain watched Aido closely. He may not seem to be the most observant person, but he knew his cousin and knew he had a theory working through his head. Bringing up that woman was no coincidence.
"After what happened with the Kiryu family, she disappeared. Some say she died. I never met her. Why do you ask?" Aido looked to his cousin momentarily before standing from his seat.
"It's nothing. We shouldn't talk about that woman anymore. It's unlucky." Kain stood along with Aido and followed him out of the archive room to the main lobby, all the while watching as his mind worked.
"This doesn't have anything to do with Nakamura, does it?" Aido sent a sudden hard glare at his cousin. A warning. Guess it does, Kain thought as he held his hands up in surrender.
It was later, after Aido returned to Akane, that Ichijo was ushered out of the ex-Human's room by the grumpy Idol. He went to Kaname to see if he could question his friend more about the new student, Maria Kurenai. Kaname had been leaving his room when he'd arrived, and they'd walked together, down to the archive room for Kaname to collect some books. It was after a pregnant pause in Kaname's searching when Ichijo voiced his thoughts.
"So, that new student. What are we going to do with her, Kaname?" Without missing a beat, Kaname replied,
"Well, you can take care of her, Takuma."
"Eh!" the blond gasped.
"It would cause problems if I were to do anything openly. All the pieces she wants are all here at the academy, just as I arranged them."
"I suppose, pieces, is an apt analogy, isn't it?" Takuma agreed with a slightly despondent tone. Kaname said nothing.
When Aido returned to Akane's room after an hour and a half being MIA, Akane wanted to ask what he'd been up to. But Aido had come in and gone right back to their lesson, without giving her time to ask any questions. Even after they'd finished and packed away their things, Aido just shrugged and said he'd gone to speak with Kain.
"Well, what about?" Akane asked, exasperated with his cryptic answers.
"Wouldn't you like to know," he said with a devious slime as he closed her bedroom door behind him. Aido didn't want his theories to be fact and especially didn't want Akane anywhere near Maria again if he could help it.
He stalked the halls, distractedly for twenty, or so, minutes before he noticed Ichijo and Maria stood at Kaname's door about to knock. He stopped and waited, watching the interaction from the shadows.
"Come in!" Kaname called after Ichijo knocked. The Vice-President opened the door but only stood in the doorway with the younger Vampire by his side looking imploringly into the room.
"Kaname, Lady Kurenai says she's having trouble sleeping in our dorm. She says it makes her nervous being surrounded by so many people."
"I'd like permission to leave the dorms for a while, to help keep the peace," Maria interjected, looking directly at Kaname. "I heard there was a substitute dorm used to house the students when the Night Class was being established. If it's allowed, I'd like to stay there?" Kaname turned back to his chessboard and placed the white queen he'd been holding, back in its' place.
"Alright, I'll speak to the Headmaster."
Aido watched as Maria's reserved postured changed as she jumped and twirled to leave, throwing thanks over her shoulder.
"Yay! Thank you. I'm so happy!"
"You're going to allow it?" Aido glowered at the sickeningly sweet smile the girl shot him as she danced passed and noted, Ichijo's surprised tone. "Alright," Ichijo agreed, stepping out of Kaname's room, and closed the door. He gave Aido a nod as he passed, following in the wake of Maria's departure. Aido remained thinking of all he'd learnt of the new student. The smile she wore, putting him in mind of what Akane told him, not too long ago, about the attack on her family. He knew Maria's expression had triggered Akane's memories of that day, as her immediate iciness to the newcomer was obviously seated in deep mistrust. Eventually, he moved on, subconsciously following the Vice-President and his new charge's path.
Akane couldn't sleep again. There were too many thoughts running around in her head. First Miu, and her dress dilemma, then the new girl and that smile, and then Aido, lying to her face. She didn't know what was going on, but she did know someone who did, and that someone, was likely to be her master. After tossing and turning without success for two hours, Akane gave up and threw her covers off her body. She quickly pulled a jumper over her nightshirt and changed her shorts for a pair of grey leggings. Quietly, Akane left her dorm and tip-toed along the halls to Kaname's room. He appeared to have been expecting her as he opened the door just as she was within sight. His sudden appearance halted her, but after catching her eye, he walked back into his room, leaving his door open. Akane shook herself and walked in, closing the door softly behind her.
"Good morning, Miss Nakamura. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Akane frowned at his tone. It was tired and, level. He was irritated, whether it was at her or not, she didn't know.
"What's going on?" she asked simply, crossing her arms, and staring him in the eye with a hard frown. There was no room in her expression for half-truths or reassurances. Kaname took his time to walk around his desk and sit down. He considered her for a while, long enough for Akane to start tapping her foot in agitation before she cracked. "Look, I know, I don't make things easy for you," she said, coming around one of the chairs at his desk to sit down. "But everyone's on edge, including you. It makes me nervous. Hanabusa is lying to me. He's done that before, but never so poorly. He's preoccupied and worried."
Kaname leant back in his chair, but his calm expression had changed to a frown. He'd been pondering Akane's obvious and immediate dislike for Zero, and now Maria, for some time, and had some suspicions as to the reason behind her continued animosity. The possibilities were troubling. Everything had been arranged so carefully, he'd thought he'd accommodated Akane's presence into his plans adequately, but if his fears were realised, he may have to face even more of her hatred.
Kaname crossed his legs and settled into his chair more comfortably.
"Why did you cause that scene with Zero, that time?" Kaname observed Akane fidget in her seat. She hadn't expected him to ask that but quickly realised, if she wanted answers, she had to give a few of her own to get them.
"It's complicated. He…" Akane stalled. Her palms began sweating and her eyes stung as the all too familiar ferocity began bubbling in her chest. "He looks like a boy who was with the Vampire that attacked my family."
"This boy?" Akane visibly stiffened. "Did he give you his name?" She didn't trust her voice, or her eyes so kept them low and nodded. "What was his name?" Kaname had never seen a gaze with such cold fury as there was in Akane's eyes when she slowly lifted her head to face him.
"Ichiru!" She spat the name like poison as if she couldn't have it resting on her tongue a second longer.
Kaname's theory was confirmed. He inwardly cursed. Why did that woman have to find you? This complicates things, he thought tiredly, not that things weren't complicated enough!
"You're aware that boy couldn't have been Zero?" Akane nodded, the ferocity fleeing her eyes as she turned away. They sat quietly for a while after that. Kaname watched Akane with a thoughtfully deep frown on his face as the light of dawn bathed the room in a golden light. He contemplated what his next move should be to keep the game in his favour.
"Maria Kurenai, may not be who she appears to be." Akane's head shot up at Kaname's words. Her eyes were wide and searching, waiting for more to be said, but the Pureblood's thoughtful look reverted to his stoic expression. "You will not ask again about Miss Kurenai and you are not to interfere. Also, do not allow yourself to be alone with her, at least until I can determine her identity and intentions." Kaname's authoritative tone was final. Akane was about to protest when the Pureblood stood, towering over the lesser Vampire, letting her feel the undulating wave of power he kept under the surface. Her thundering heart and the scent of fear was enough for Kaname to be satisfied, and he drew it back. He didn't want Akane to fear him, but she needed to be incentivized. He really couldn't afford for her to interfere with his carefully laid plans any more than she already had.
Akane looked up at the hard expression on her master's face and nodded, conceding defeat on the matter. She didn't know what was going on, but it was enough for everyone to be on edge and for Kaname to practically order her into submission. Akane decided, she didn't want to know the drama going on in the Vampire world. She also realised; she didn't want anything to do with it either. Akane became a Vampire to survive, and had done her best to integrate herself by learning about the culture and social structure, but why? Why did it matter if she was a part of that world? She didn't belong there; they didn't understand her. The Vampires in the Night Class were all Aristocrats. They wouldn't have any time for a common Level D once the experiment at the academy is over. Then what is she supposed to do? Akane decided, she needed to think long and hard about what she wanted to do with her life from now on. Because, she wouldn't be in the security of Cross Academy forever, and outside these walls, she would be alone.
Kaname gestured for Akane to stand and she did without hesitation and eagerly exited the room as he held the door for her. She walked quickly down the corridor and we just passing the lobby when the main doors opened. The noise drew her attention, but the scent of the individual entering the dorm held it. Aido walked through the door, a disgruntled frown on his face. He looked up once he'd noticed Akane's presence. He saw she was still dressed and was about to ask her, why she wasn't in bed, when she turned away and continued down the hall, her expression, blank.
Aido knew something was wrong, but he was too distracted to check on her. He would say too much, or worse, tell her everything he suspected. If he was right, all that would do is put Akane in danger. If he'd thought the sight of Zero made her angry, then the knowledge of Maria's identity would enrage her beyond reason. She'd go after her. And get herself killed in the process! I won't let that happen! Aido declared as he stepped into his room and readied for a good days' sleep.