Chapter 19

Little Lies, Big Trouble

Since the four teens had spent nearly a week living in the Resting Place, they had begun to grow accustomed to each other's day-to-day eccentricities, but when Kurumu bustled into the kitchen clad in a towel, another wrapped around her dripping hair, neither Moka nor Mizore could help but be surprised. As they watched, she rounded the kitchen counter and made for the sink, scrubbing briskly at her teeth before removing the toothbrush as she leaned over the sink. "Kurumu!" Moka objected as the succubus emptied her mouth into the sink and grabbed a cup to rinse, but her friend paid her no attention, moving now to pick up the telephone.

"Someone slept in," Mizore noted, smirking at Kurumu's still-damp back. "It would be a shame to keep Tsukune waiting, all because you couldn't be bothered to get ready for the date on time." The snow maiden leaned back, glancing towards the ceiling as if trying to peer through it into Tsukune's room above them. "But don't worry," she added, looking back down at her friend with a dark grin. "If Mr. Cooper arrives before you are ready, I'd gladly take your place on that date."

"That won't be necessary… or even possible if I can't reach Mr. Cooper to tell him to come!" Kurumu all but wailed, punching the number into the base. "I called several times yesterday, but I didn't get an answer. I guess they went out. I just remembered I had to take care of that, and I hope he's there…"

Moka and Mizore shared a glance, silently speaking their bemused exasperation with their unprepared friend, if not their silent wish that the phone call would go unanswered. Ignoring them, Kurumu waited as the phone buzzed several rings, tapping her foot impatiently, the pace increasing with each unanswered tone. Finally there was a click, and a male voice on the other end of the line. "Hello?"

"Ah, Mr. Cooper!" Kurumu cheered. "This is Kurumu; I was wondering if-"

Shrugging, Moka picked up her glass and stood to leave the kitchen, not wishing to intrude on Kurumu's conversation, but primarily disturbed by the reminder of where Tsukune would be spending his day. Mizore made to follow, giving Kurumu a final chuckle before walking towards the living room. As the two exited, the succubus continued her conversation with her prospective chauffeur, offering him the excuse that she had prepared for the occasion. "It's because we didn't know where we would end up when the Headmaster sent us here. We've been doing laundry, but a lot of the outfits I brought with me from the academy were meant for a cooler climate, so I'd appreciate the chance to pick up some more clothes."

"Oh, that sounds reasonable. Will it be you alone, then?"

"Ah, no, Tsukune will be coming with me. At least he can help carry my purchases, you know." Kurumu forced a laugh, not questioning the awkward silence coming from the other end of the line.

"I… see. Well, give me just a few minutes to get ready, and I'll be there to pick you up. Shall we say ten-thirty?" Mr. Cooper asked, and Kurumu chose to ignore the doubt tinting his words.

"Sounds great, thanks! We'll be ready when you get here," Kurumu offered, bolstering her resolution to make it so just as she wondered how she would accomplish that task. Moments later, the phone was replaced on its base and Kurumu stormed up the stairs, racing for her room.

Mizore shook her head at the sound of Kurumu's feet stampeding up the stairway, but kept silent until she heard the succubus' door close, when she breathed a sigh of relief. When Moka gave her a questioning glance, the snow maiden explained: "Just imagine if Tsukune had come out then. She probably wouldn't have dropped her towel or anything, but…" Moka blanched at the notion, while Mizore frowned grimly. "Nothing he hasn't seen anyways," she grumbled before closing her mouth to worry at her sucker with unusual intensity.

Moka barely restrained her surprise before she remembered the occasion her friend was referring to. It had been when Kurumu had tried to seduce Tsukune in the bathroom of his parents' home before Mizore had interrupted, and Yukari had accidentally disrobed the succubus. Now that she thought of it, the vampire considered, she had never tried to ask why Kurumu found it necessary to enter the bath in only a towel if she had really just intended to talk to Tsukune. She knew there were quite a few reasons for Kurumu to do that if her intentions hadn't been so pure, but… those were probably enough, on second consideration. Moka's dread grew, and compounded once again as she decided to mention to Mizore the notion that had been plaguing her ever since the previous night.

"I'm worried," Moka admitted bluntly, not meeting her friend's eyes. The snow maiden leaned forward on the couch, already faintly conscious of what was bothering her friend. "We all agreed to the rules, and so far we've been sticking to them-"

"Right. None of us have even snuck into Tsukune's room," Mizore interrupted, pointedly looking away from the vampire. Moka blushed at the recrimination in her words, but pressed on without answering that matter.

"But, I'm scared that Kurumu won't be able to keep all the rules. If she kisses him, then everything will be over with. There will be nothing we can do to save Tsukune." Moka stared at her lap, her damp eyes proving the conflict she felt between her concern for the man she loved and her desire to trust her friend. Mizore sighed, understanding Moka's fears, and though she shared those concerns she knew it was up to her to relieve Moka as best she could.

"I don't think she would do that." Moka turned a shocked look to the snow maiden, who paused to collect her thoughts before continuing. "After all, we've seen how people act under the influence of succubus magic, and... well, let me ask you this. If you had her power, and knew that you could win with one kiss, but Tsukune would act like that forever… even though he would be utterly devoted to you, would you do it?"

Moka shuddered, shaking her head quickly. "That would be horrible."

"Yeah. And that's why I don't think Kurumu would do it either." Mizore tried valiantly, but the words escaped before she could hold them back. "Intentionally, anyways…" Mizore faced Moka's horrified stare with a shrug, desperately wishing she could take back those final words, preferably to before she herself had thought them.

"Hey, what's up?" The two girls turned to see Tsukune standing at the room's entry, smiling obliviously. "Is something wrong?"

Once their frantic denials had died down, they regained enough composure to invite Tsukune to take a seat beside them, which he accepted. Even sitting on the couch it was obvious from his stiffness that he was nervous, but kept his feelings to himself, wisely noting that this was not the audience for any discussions about the coming date.
Wordlessly, Mizore took up the remote and, after silently offering it to the others, who shook their heads, turned on the television and began to idly flip through the channels. Across from her, Moka sat quietly in her seat, her obvious discomfort enough to keep the others from noticing the way she stared at her rosario, head tilted as if listening to something only she could hear, her expression becoming gradually more and more discomfited. Tsukune pretended to watch the television, but his mind stayed on other matters.

This continued until Kurumu came down the stairs, beaming from the exhilaration at finishing her preparations just minutes before Mr. Cooper was to arrive. The seated trio turned to face her, their expressions varied: Tsukune instinctively gaped, mouth open, while Mizore glowered and Moka, despite herself, offered a smile of admiration even as the rosario at her neck howled in a voice for her alone. Kurumu had come well-prepared for this situation, it seemed, which did not surprise her rivals; it was Kurumu, after all, who had proposed the series of dates. For her attire, she had chosen a skirt that was long enough to draw subtle attention to its shortness, and a blouse that displayed her ample blessings quite well. Mizore's piercing eye noted the presence of make-up and lipstick, and for a moment felt intimidated by Kurumu's surprising skill; despite her earlier show of chaotic clumsiness, she had pulled herself together quite ably. It was probably something she had learned from her mother, the snow maiden mused darkly, and she hoped that that was all of the knowledge on this subject that the succubus had gained from Ageha Kurono.
Kurumu pirouetted before them, smiling brightly. "How do I look?" she asked almost innocently, her eyes drinking in Tsukune's expression.

"Ah… you look, um…" Tsukune blushed as he realized he was stammering, scratching his head as a quick glance around him revealed Moka wincing at his verbal fumbling and Mizore glaring heatedly at him. "You look great!" he offered lamely, succumbing to the oppressive aura he felt from the other girls, but the flicker of disappointment in Kurumu's eyes took little away from her glow of victory.

Before she could voice her gratitude for the compliment, the conversation was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Oh, he's here!" Kurumu shouted, waving Tsukune to follow her before running to answer the door. Tsukune stood to follow, but paused, remembering something he had been asked to bring. He stepped into the foyer and asked Mr. Cooper to wait just a moment before climbing the stairs, headed to his room to reclaim the swimming trunks he had laid out.

"Oh, I forgot to get one of my books from upstairs! I'll be right back," Moka said suddenly, not meeting Mizore's eyes as she stood from her seat and darted after Tsukune. Mizore watched her go, her suspicion obvious, but instead of acting on it she sighed and sank back into the couch, shaking her head as she listened to Kurumu chatter with Mr. Cooper in the next room.

"I wonder…" the snow maiden mused, no more able to deduce the vampire's intentions than she was able to sort out her own conflicted emotions.

When Tsukune emerged from his room a moment later, he discovered Moka waiting for him just outside in the hallway, her anxiety plastered across her face. Closing his door, he nodded to her, stepping close as he waited for her to speak. He felt a surge of fear as he watched her fidget, afraid that the rift that had formed between her and Kurumu the previous day had driven Moka to speak to him about today's excursion. Unable to repress the guilty thought, he worried that she might have come to ask him not to go on today's date, and his shame deepened as he realized he didn't know how he would respond to such a demand.

"Tsukune, I just wanted to say…" Moka hesitated, her eyes lowering as she unconsciously reached up and touched the silver cross she wore at her neck. After a brief moment, her expression firmed, and her hand tightened over the rosario as she looked up to meet Tsukune's gaze. "I want you to have fun today!" she explained, her abrupt smile either genuine or a skillful forgery.

Reining in a sigh of relief, Tsukune responded with a warm smile of his own. "Don't worry," he said reflexively, spreading his hands in a shrug. "I don't know what all Kurumu has planned, but I'm sure it will be fine."

Moka's eyes lighted upon the swimming trunks he had clenched in one of his hands, but she maintained her smile as she nodded energetically to him. "Come on, you don't want to keep them waiting!" she said, turning away from him before her expression could fall. His concern and discomfort obvious, Tsukune trailed after her, composing himself just in time to start down the stairs to where Kurumu and Mr. Cooper awaited.

Minutes later, shouting their farewells and watching as the Coopers' car carried the couple off the hill towards the gates, Mizore and Moka returned to the common room, flopping back into their seats and silently considering the air in front of them. Weighted down by the melancholy hanging over the room, it was several minutes before either of them spoke, but when Moka broke the silence it was with a resolved gleam in her eyes. "Want to use Kurumu's dance video?"

Mizore considered this distraction for only a moment before agreeing. At the least, it would get their minds off of what could happen on Tsukune and Kurumu's date; plus, it wouldn't hurt to be in the best shape she could be, just in case Tsukune's impending decision ended in her favor. The snow maiden grinned and nodded to her friend, and together the two stood from their seats and made their way to the screen, determined to burn away their gloom.

"So, you're originally from a colder climate? That explains why it's so chilly in that house, then!"

Tsukune and Kurumu joined in with Mr. Cooper's booming laughter, though Tsukune did so a tad nervously, having not been present for the prior conversation that had given the older man that idea. Kurumu, on the other hand, was unfazed. "Yeah, plus, it's a lot warmer here than at the academy." That, at least, was certainly true: the weather at Yokai Academy was almost always moderate, controlled by the Great Barrier that surrounded the school.

"Yeah, I guess it would be. It's been a while since I visited the academy; it would be nice to go see some old friends, instead of waiting for them to come to us." Mr. Cooper laughed, but his gaze in the rearview mirror wandered from Kurumu to the swimming trunks Tsukune was handing her to place in her bag. "Going swimming?"

"Oh, yes, we figured we'd take advantage of such a nice day," Kurumu explained.

"Ah, yes." Mr. Cooper nodded without glancing back, the rearview mirror not revealing his worried expression to his two passengers. Swallowing his suspicions, he replaced his grin and changed the topic. "So, where was it that you were going shopping again?"

"Let's see…" Kurumu glanced down at the piece of paper she held, reciting the directions she had copied down. Mr. Cooper's brow furrowed as he listened, finally interrupting.

"Oh, yes, I know that place! It does have a nice selection of shops, everything from pet stores to bakeries. It's a pretty popular place to waste time; so much so that a lot of the young people around here refer to it as the couple's shopping district." He blinked as he silently drew an unfortunate connection while Kurumu and Tsukune laughed uncomfortably in the back seat. After that, the car drove on in relative silence, descending from the mountainside into the city and weaving its way towards its destination.

"This is it!" Kurumu exclaimed as the car slowed at its destination. Barely giving the vehicle time to stop, she opened the door and hopped out. Tsukune moved to follow, but paused as he heard Mr. Cooper mumble something from the front seat of the car.

"Be careful, son." Mr. Cooper looked into the mirror, his sad eyes meeting Tsukune's worried gaze. "I hope you've not gotten yourself in over your head."

Before Tsukune could manage a response, he saw Kurumu waving him out from the window next to him. He glanced back to the older man and nodded, though he hardly understood what Mr. Cooper was referring to. "Thanks," he offered weakly, and opened the door to step out.

"See you this evening, then!" Mr. Cooper yelled from inside the car, no sign remaining of his sudden melancholy. Tsukune nodded in response, and Kurumu shouted her own gratitude to him. Moments later, the car was lost among the nearby traffic, and the two teens turned to face each other with nervous smiles. Before them stretched a long row of shops and booths, with a healthy amount of shoppers that would no doubt increase as the morning turned into afternoon.

Tsukune stared down that row a moment before turning to Kurumu and shrugging. "Lead the way," he offered, and the succubus nodded, reaching out to take his hand in hers. Walking with fingers interlocked, the pair made their way down the row of shops, already checking the storefronts for potential points of interest, their mutual nervousness beginning to waver in the face of idle conversation.

The final date had begun.

"So, what about Keigo? He's cute!"

"Him? No way! Totally not my type." The girl laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You can keep him."

"Hey, if you say so Kana, I'm not going to complain." The bespectacled high-schooler grinned broadly at her friend, who could only laugh at her eagerness. The laugh died a moment later as Kana remembered that she had come shopping with two of her friends, and she was neglecting one of them, an old pal from middle school that had come to visit. Smiling in apology to her short-haired comrade, Kana called out to her, drawing her attention away from the crowd she had been staring intently at.

"Sorry, Kyoko, I almost forgot you were there."

"What? Oh, don't worry about it." Kyoko Aono murmured distractedly, nodding to her before turning back to stare into the crowd again. Shaking her head at her tomboyish friend's strange behavior, Kana shrugged and turned back to her other friend to resume their earlier conversation, quickly lost in their discussion of the various merits of their male classmates.

Kyoko, however, had her mind on other matters entirely. For just a moment, she thought she had seen someone familiar: a flash of the face, that familiar walk, the faintest tatters of a laugh she had heard throughout much of her life. Could it be…? There! It couldn't be him, but, sure enough, the crowd parted just enough to reveal the profile of her cousin, who was walking hand-in-hand with a girl she couldn't quite see.

"Tsuki!" she cried out in shock, not believing her eyes. He was supposed to still be at school, at that frightening Yokai Academy. Why would he be here, so far away from their hometown? And, better yet, who was that girl with him? It couldn't be that… he was on a date?

Kyoko's eyes narrowed as she watched him disappear back into the press of pedestrians. She had a responsibility, for her cousin's well-being and to his mother, to investigate this matter. She could always try to catch up to him and ask, but after the events that had occurred when she had visited his school she wasn't entirely ready to offer him her blind trust. No, it would be better to see for herself; that way she would know for sure.

"Hey, I'll catch up to you later, okay? There's something I have to take care of," Kyoko told her friend, who started to object until she saw the determination burning in Kyoko's eyes.

"Fine." Kana smiled indulgently, receiving a quick nod of gratitude in return. "But make sure to be at the meeting place in a few hours, at least!" she shouted as Kyoko began to jog forward, making quick pace down the street as she threw up a hand in farewell. Chuckling, Kana turned back to her other friend, shrugging casually. "She's always like that," she offered in explanation, which did little to dispel the confusion the other girl was obviously feeling.

Just down the road, Kyoko felt the pavement pound against her sneakers as she pressed forward, increasing her pace as she dodged milling shoppers and half-occupied benches. Despite her alarm, she felt a hunter's eager grin spread across her face; whatever Tsukune had gotten himself into, she would make sure that he was alright. It was her job as his cousin, after all.

And so she ran, swiftly catching up to her unwitting prey.

Author's Note: Gah, this one was far more trouble than I had ever expected. I'm afraid that the ink for my mental quill had dried somewhat when I sat down to craft this chapter, and the fact that it doesn't cover all that I had expected worries me. Either the next chapter will be quite a behemoth (heifer, perhaps, in the word of one esteemed reviewer), or Kurumu will end up with a trio of chapters; if so, I won't lament it too much, since there will be much to discuss between the ending of this date and the beginning of the next day. Either way, I've got quite a handful ahead, but hopefully I'll pull it together faster than I did with this section.

Part of the reason behind the struggle I had with this installment stems from the fact that I made a grave error recently, as far as my author's focus is concerned. Finding myself lodged down in the proverbial dumps, I turned to manga in the hopes of a pleasant diversion to improve my mood enough for me to return to my writing. However, I have come to a worrying realization: whenever I get really into a series, I allow it to consume my creativity as I begin crafting nascent stories and scenes for it, the seeds of fanfiction that may or may not be planted in the days to come. So it was with several series in the past: Slayers, Love Hina (seeds which have already taken root, so to speak), Nagasarete Airantou, and the latest, Higurashi (Save me, Sweet Monkeycopter; that series is lethal for a coward like me, but I was utterly enthralled nevertheless). So, with my mood suffering for all new reasons totally unrelated to being creeped the hell out, I found myself… still unable to write. This is probably because of how I visualize a story: I try to memorize how a character moves, the little repeated gestures that define their motion even in a manga. When I've become lost in another story, I lose those… so, if something seems a tad off in this chapter, please let me know. I'll be reviewing it myself after I immerse myself fully back into R + V, and thus can be a better judge of it.

So, next chapter, more of the date, perhaps even most of it if the plot falls that way. Swimming and shopping and spying, yes, and some more yet to be seen. Oh, and for those gentlemen who may shudder at the notion of being taken shopping as a date, please remember that there is more to this place than clothing stores, and even those present… possibilities, to Kurumu's mentality. I shall say no more… except to wonder about my own reasoning, considering that the first date I shared with my wife was mostly spent wandering through a mall.

In any case, thank you for reading, and for your kind reviews. I shall shed my pride in humbly asking for feedback on this one, since, as I noted before, I worry that it might not quite be up to my usual level. But, that I leave to you, my readers. Until next time, I shall be writing and reading, and definitely not watching any more Higurashi.

After all… I like to be able to sleep.

~Wynn Pendragon