-Look at me posting so often... I might start having expectations of myself if I keep this up... o.o
only one monster is mentioned in this chap but I can still give ya the run down-
Giroro- Ganrougel
Keroro- Kurse
Dororo- Aldmora
-Please Enjoy~!
Natsumi walked through school the next day easily. She didn't feel the heavy weight of fearing for her life, or that of her friends and family. She could actually focus on the teacher instead of glancing out the windows or down the halls. She wouldn't have to re-read the textbooks later to catch up and do her homework.
"Natsumi, what happened to you?" Satsuki and Yayoi leaned over Natsumi's desk once lunch break started. They were smiling brightly, almost as if they were waiting for Natsumi to own up to something extremely secret.
"Nothing. Why?" Natsumi was completely lost by what they meant. They couldn't have known about Ganrougel and there was nothing different about the way she looked. She wore clean clothes and her hair was brushed. She quickly checked her skirts in case they were disheveled and draped higher up her legs than she would have liked.
"You're smiling today." Yayoi chimed in.
"Yeah it's like totally unlike you." Satsuki smirked.
"What do you mean? I smile." Natsumi answered.
"Not usually, only when you know someone is looking and talking to you. Otherwise you're serious and checking for something around you. Like you were going to be attacked or something." Satsuki explained. "We tried to talk to you about it before but you always brushed it off and went home. Sometimes it didn't even seem like you heard us."
"Yeah, we were always worried about you." Yayoi nodded her head.
"A couple of times we walked close behind you on your way home and made sure no one else got to you." Satsuki went on.
"You followed me?" Natsumi's eyes widened. She never noticed them before.
"We even talked to your brother but he just said that's how you were all the time cause you would do it at home too." Yayoi turned her eyes down slightly guilty. "We didn't know how to help you."
"I'm sorry I worried you guys. I promise everything is fine." Natsumi covered her heart with her right hand.
"Good, now can we talk about normal teenager stuff." Satsuki leaned back in her chair casually.
"Like what?" Natsumi asked curious about current teens actually did talk about.
"Like romance and current fashion." Yayoi smiled one again.
"Or maybe our most hated teachers, like I have this vendetta with that one teach who decided to call me out on my socks. I'm sorry but I have a preferred brand that will actually work against the smell unlike the stupid ones they force us to wear." Satsuki rambled.
"How about that Saburo kid who keeps skipping class?" Yayoi suggested. "I know Natsumi used to like talking about him."
"What's so cool about him? He's just an airhead who rebels for attention." Satsuki waved off the topic. "What about the new chick? She's cool."
"New chick? When did we get a new student?" Natsumi leaned closer to them, surprised with the new fact.
"Geez, were you that out of it Natsumi?" Satsuki teased.
"Her name is Koyuki. She started around last month. She's really nice but has some weird habits, I think it's because she lived really far in the country." Yayoi explained.
"Hey, she's coming over. Now you can actually meet her." Satsuki bumped Yayoi's shoulder and pointed towards the door. A young girl with long black hair tied up with a red bow, made her way to the trio.
"Hey guys. Can I eat lunch with you today? It rained too much last night for me to sit in my usual tree and I don't want to ruin my skirt on the wet wood." Koyuki smiled brighter than Natsumi's thought possible.
"Sure thing. Pull up a chair." Satsuki nodded.
"You're Natsumi right? We met once already but you seem much calmer today." Koyuki looked to Natsumi.
"Have we really? I'm sorry I must have forgot." Natsumi blushed with embarrassment.
"That's ok. You seemed really preoccupied by something intense like an internal struggle. I'm glad for you, it looks like you won over and are at peace." Koyuki giggled.
"That's true, I am." Natsumi smiled with her new friend. Koyuki didn't seem too inquisitive so she wouldn't have to go into details about meeting monsters and now maybe having befriended one.
"So will you stay after school and help my club this time?" Satsuki leaned over to Natsumi again. "I seriously need you on the team."
"I can't today." Natsumi answered nervously. I'm as curious as Ganrougel is about what kept sending him away. What keeps protecting me?
"What?! Why? I thought everything was alright with you now and you could spend some free time with us." Satsuki slammed her hands on the table and stood up, casting a dark interrogative shadow over her friends. Natsumi held up her hands defensively. Koyuki was happily eating a sandwich as she had gotten quite used to the shenanigans.
"Wait! What if she-" Yayoi pulled Satsuki down to her and whispered into her ear. The two whispered back and forth, glancing to Natsumi every now and then. Soon they both leaned closer to Natsumi, staring straight into her eyes.
"Natsumi you couldn't have?!" Satsuki stood up with her head tossed back dramatically. Her hand rested on her forehead as if she were about to faint.
"And she didn't even confide in us?" Yayoi held a hand over her mouth as she turned her head to the side looking hurt and distrusted.
"What are you guys on about?" Natsumi nervous for what they thought up and prepared for embarrassment.
"You found a lover didn't you?" Satsuki turned her saddened eyes to Natsumi.
"A... a lover? Why did you phrase it like that?" Natsumi turned bright red at the suggestion.
"Well if you were casually dating someone you would have told us right?" Yayoi clasped her hands over her heart.
"It's that Saburo guy isn't it?" Satsuki clenched her fists angrily. "Anyone would be ashamed to admit they were dating such a lousy weirdo but we wouldn't have judged you so much. You know that don't you?"
"I'm not dating anyone. OK?" Natsumi declared.
"Then where do go to everyday?" Yayoi asked.
"I go home." Natsumi answered hoping the teasing and social torment would end.
"Why do you have to go home every single day? Fuyuki seems fine so nothing could ever be so bad there. You aren't doing something illegal are you?" Satsuki leaned close to Natsumi and whispered behind her hand.
"What? NO!" Natsumi shouted.
"Then what keeps you? You're always so mysterious and we miss hanging out with you." Yayoi asked directly.
Natsumi looked between her friends, thinking of the best answer. She couldn't begin to explain monsters because they would throw her in the nearest asylum and anything else started to sound like it was going to take a lot of work to keep up. "Ok, I have a boyfriend."
"You just said you didn't." Satsuki stated as she slumped back into her chair.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Yayoi was close to crying from the secret.
"He's... he's in witness protection stuff. It's technically illegal for me to tell anyone." Natsumi clenched the edges of her skirt, eager for them to buy it and the topic dropped.
"Oh wow." Koyuki gasped at the exciting detail.
"Is he ok?" Yayoi asked.
"He didn't do the illegal stuff did he?" Satsuki was drawn to the story and curious for more.
"No... he was targeted by a really bad gang in another country." Natsumi continued her bad story as far as she could.
"What's his name?" Koyuki asked.
"Well... I don't think I... for the sake of the law I'll just call him red for you guys." Natsumi winced as Ganrougel was the only one she could think of but his name was still too odd for humans.
"That's fine, we don't want you getting in trouble." Yayoi dismissed the excuse to avoid a name.
"I just wish you told us earlier." Satsuki crossed her arms over her chest. "And if anything happens call us. I'll be there to take him out faster than any cop could."
"Sorry guys." Natsumi rubbed her head nervously.
"But wait, I'm confused. They kept saying you had major affections for Sab-" Koyuki was interrupted as Satsuki covered her mouth.
"If that crush of hers finally died, I want to just let it be dead." Satsuki nodded and then released Koyuki.
"Oh, that..." Natsumi covered her cheek as a slight blush developed. The image of Saburo flashed through her mind.
"Natsumi don't tell me..." Yayoi started. "You still have feelings?"
"Well... he just never seemed to have the same feeling to me so I've been trying to ignore it." Natsumi sighed.
"I hope red isn't just a replacement." Satsuki sat back in her own seat.
"No, of course not." Natsumi muttered as she glanced outside. This time was to escape her one sided crush. I feel like I missed out on so many chances to find a real boyfriend who feels about me they way I would him. All because Ganrougel started hunting me down I got so obsessed to fight him back. It's like the universe doesn't want me to fall in love. Natsumi sighed as she went through the rest of the day, realizing all of her missed chances to be normal.