"RIREN*!"
I slowly glanced up with bored gaze at the grey haired old man standing within the sideline of observers.
Fujita-sensei, as always, has veins popping from his face. Most likely due to age.
"…What?" I asked and watched in amusement as the veins on his face became more visible.
He stepped up, as though trying to intimidate me by towering over me. Someone needs to tell him that it only makes him look stupider.
"How many times did I told you no fighting in school?" I casually glanced back at the half conscious brats scattered behind me. Having no interest in anything that old man has to say, I gave one of the body a rough kick.
"Riren! You get over here right now!" Fujita-sensei snapped. I felt a hand roughly grabbed my wrist. As I was dragged back into the school, I caught a glimpse of shadow passing over my head. I glanced up, my eyes shifted in time to catch two furred tails disappearing behind a roof.
Thus starts a new day of my life.
Nura Riren, fourteen years old. I'm a hanyo* with half human blood, one sixth Nurarihyon and one third Doji.
Although hate being involved in troublesome matter...I was forced into a human school against my will.
"This is the third time this month!" The principal continued rambling on with Fujita-sensei standing behind him. I held back the urge to beat smug smirk off his old wrinkled face. If only there isn't bystander, I would have beaten him up long ago.
Perhaps I could stalk him when he goes home and trash up his place.
"If you don't want to be expel you better–"
"Expel?" A soft woman's voice suddenly cuts in as. I restrained myself to shiver at the chill that crawled down my spine. I quickly dropped my gaze.
'That dumb cat…' I cursed in my mind at the memory of those tails.
"Nura-san!" The principal gasped as he quickly stood up. "What brings you here?" The face that once was plastered with anger has turned into a wide smile. Even Fujita-sensei who was so hyped up on watching me getting scold had his attention diverted.
I unwillingly turned to the doorway.
My eyes drifted across the room and laded upon a pale woman with long white hair and silver eyes. She walked up to the principal's desk, her silver blue kimono fluttered within the windless void. With soft soothing voice, she said, "pardon my intrusion."
"No, no, not at all. What brings you here?" The principal extended a hand as though asking for a shake. I don't even know why he even thinks it's not awkward suddenly asking for a shake like that.
The woman smiled, but made no attempt to take his hand. "I came to pick Riren up but heard that he's been called here." Her gaze then softened, almost in a sorrowful way. "By expel…?" Her voice trailed off.
Seeing where the topic is heading, the principal quickly shook his head. "No, no! I was just kidding!" He lied as his fat hand made of blubber ruffled my hair. "I couldn't expel such fine young man." He gave out a laugh as the woman smiled.
"Oh, I see." She said in relief before glancing to me. "Riren," in a split second, I caught her smile morphed into a dark, threatening smirk, "don't cause trouble for your kind principal." I swallowed hard as a drop of cold sweat rolled down my back. By the time the woman looked back, she had on nothing but that pure smile again.
The principal and Fujita-sensei stupidly smiled back. For them who kept eyeing her, it's amazing how they failed to catch a glimpse of this woman's real nature.
"Nura-san, if you would like to discuss about Riren's education…"
I rolled my eyes.
I've heard it so many times that I've even memorized the dialogue in my dreams. Apparently they never thought it was strange how she would always show up at such perfect timing.
"Perhaps dinner–"
"Miu."
A voice interrupted. I glanced back to the doorway. This time, it was a tall man. The upper pair of his hair was in light brought and the bottom, as though casted by shadow, was in darker shades. Like the woman, he too wore traditional Japanese clothing. When he walked, the sound of his wooden sandals clattering against the marble floor could be heard.
At the sight of his usual appearance at the exact right time, the principal's head dropped…
My father, Nura Rikuo, is the Third Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan.
My mother, Miu, is the wife of that Third Supreme Commander, famed for her beauty that even caught the interest of the Dark Lord Mouyou. Or…that's what those who don't know her believed.
They were all fooled by her delicate appearance.
Although seemingly perfect…this woman…
"What was that, Riren?" Mother said with a wide smile as I winced at her fingers that were pinching my cheek.
"Ugh hurghs (It hurts)…" I mumbled again.
"Speak clearly, Riren." Mother said in that innocent tone as I winced at the increasing pain.
…has a terrible personality flaw.
"Miu, that's enough. Shouldn't we hear out Riren's reason first?" Father interrupted as I felt those fingers released me. I rubbed my cheek, swearing that it'll turn into a bruise by the time we return.
"Beating up six boys in the school ground and nearly getting himself expelled," mother snapped as her eyes hardened into a cold glare, "what reason would he have?"
"They called me an albino." I replied. I could still feel my chest boil at the memory. Just because of my white hair and crimson eyes, they randomly tagged me into some different species.
A gentle was placed upon my head. Unlike the hand of that fat pig's, this one felt warm and comfortable. Most of all, I don't feel nauseous at the touch. "There's no reason to be angry over it. You know that it's not true," said father. I slowly gaze up to him only to catch his smile turning into a frown.
"…Miu?" Father whispered as I felt the warmth leaving my head. I quickly turned, realizing for the first time the sweats that were staining mother's pale skin.
They have a long complicated history with each other, so I was told. But the only impression I have much of what they did was only through stories told by today's youkai.
They are– or were close.
"Don't touch me." Mother hissed before I heard the sound of slap ringing through the air. Father withdrew his reddened hand as mother tumbled and fell against a lamppost. Her usual elegance shattered. I could hear her heavy breaths, coming out heavily with hints of pain.
I stared at her legs that were beginning to tremble; drained of strength.
Mother always had problem walking.
Though I don't know the reason, I heard she wasn't able to move her legs at all in the past. As time progressed, her legs began to improve. But even so, she could only walk a maximum of an hour before she needs to sit down and rest.
"Miu." Father whispered softly as he crouched down beside her. They began whispering something to each other…and from the look on mother's face, there's most likely an argument going on.
When father spoke something beside her ear, mother's gaze snapped towards my direction. Her silver eyes then softened as father gently took her hand. This time, mother didn't resist. With a pull, father gathered her into his arm before glancing back to me.
"Let's go, Riren." He called, smiling as though nothing had happened.
Everything happened one month ago when they gotten into their first fight.
It wasn't some heavy argument between human's average married couple.
It was literally a fight.
A one sided fight on mother's side.
Father was always one to wonder away during the night. Mother knew that. It was in his blood so she never complained about that habit of his. He would always return at dawn.
But about a month ago, father's usual routine came to an end.
He disappeared for a week straight. The entire clan tried looking for him, but no one was able to find where he was.
Doji are creatures extremely sensitive to air.
Carrying a third of Doji's blood myself, I knew that well. I was often forced to be obvious to other people's presence, able to tell people apart just from the flow f the air around their bodies.
As pure Doji, mother's natural instinct was beyond my own.
When father returned for the first of his long absence, the air around him was heavier than usual. Almost as though a chemical substance had attached itself to him and weighed heavily around his board shoulders. It was the same type of feeling you would get from a woman abusing her perfume.
When mother realized that, she asked where he went but father told a lie of going out drinking with his companions.
The first lie he ever spoke to her.
This repeated for days.
Every time when he returned; the same heavy air was attached to him like poison.
On the edge of her patience, mother asked father the same question she would ask every time he returns. But father would always make up excuses, sometimes even evading her questions.
Mother brought out our house cat and forced him to reveal the strange air around father.
Just as she suspected, the substance she felt was definitely a woman's perfume.
For the first in my memory, mother struck father beneath a moonless night. I sat on the roof of the neighbor with the old man (great grandfather) as a hurricane blew over the sky, hitting only the Nura manor.
The next day passed…and the day after. But nothing has changed.
"You're being cold, Riren!" Watanabe Hana complained as I twitched at how she called me so familiarly.
"Leave me alone." I snapped, feeling my irritation increasing by the seconds. I don't know why I have to put up with this…for all I know (or care); we're complete strangers who only happened to be classmates and our parents being old friends.
"Say Riren, did you finish your bibliography yet? It's due in three days."
I sighed out impatiently. "Stop following me."
"I'm not. My house is this way as well."
"Then go your way." I snapped and quickly made a dash around the corner. "Riren?" Her annoying voice shouted behind me. I soared into the air, lifted by a heavy gust of wind as I landed upon a branch. I concealed myself within the leaves and watched as the stupid girl rushed down the street searching for me.
"My house is this way as well," I imitated Hana's line, "what a joke."
"Popular with girls aren't you, Riren?" I heard a snicker and looked up to find a large tiger sized cat with split tail resting upon the branch above me.
"Oh," I mumbled as my gaze dulled, "it's you, Tama."
Upon hearing the name, the cat's ears twitched in annoyance. "It's Yama." He corrected me in a tired tone that sounded as though he doesn't want to bother with it anymore. "Anyways, if you don't go home, everyone will be worried." With that said; he wrapped his tails around me and lifted me onto his back.
"…What's that?" The cat asked in curiosity when he caught the sound of me pulling out my notebook from my backpack. "Homework. I'm supposed to write a bibliography of my family." I pulled out a pencil and flipped the book open.
"You're doing your homework now?" Tama asked in amazement, his eyes rounded.
"If I don't that bastard will call my parent (mother) for real." I growled. Somehow, my instinct was telling me that this bibliography has something to do with mother as well. After all, who heard of doing a bibliography of your family?
At my reply, Tama's ears flattened almost in disappointment.
"Oh…of course…" He mumbled.
With a sigh, he leaped onto a utility pole and began running down the power line at a speed invisible to human's naked eyes.
I lied with my back against him.
The razor wind slammed against me, but to my skin, it only feels like massage.
"We're back!" Tama declared our return. I didn't even get a change to write a single word as we arrived at the gate of the Nura household.
"Welcome back, Riren." I sat up and found myself staring at father who was waiting beside the entrance.
"I'm back." I quickly greeted and pulled myself off Tama's back. I slowly ran my eyes around father, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
"What's wrong, Riren?" Hearing father's voice, I quickly shook my head.
"Nothing." I replied. "Are you going somewhere, father?"
"I'm just going out for a moment. I'll be back before midnight." Father replied as walked by me. The minute his back was revealed to my eyes, I nearly gapped. Though father looked completely fine, the back of his kimono was pretty much scratched with white dust and tiny bits of cement attached to the fabric.
"Out again?" Tama asked, but only earned a scratch behind his ear as reply. Then without another word, father disappeared down the street. I stared at where father disappeared before quickly running into the manor.
"Riren? Where are you going?" Tama shouted behind me, but I didn't stop.
I ran around the house.
I made a sharp turn around the corner, arriving at the garden of where the lone sakura tree stood. The first thing that caught my attention was the broken shojis to father's and mother's room. The far side of the wall directly across from their room was smashed.
'So that's it…' I thought silently to myself. The colour of the dust on father's back seemed to match quite well with the wall.
"Riren, what are you– what is this?" Tama whispered as he came up behind me.
"Riren-sama! You're back."
I turned to see Tsurara coming towards us with a broom in her hand.
"What happened here?" At my question, Tsurara flinched.
"E-eh? W-well…" She shuttered softly before her eyes slowly trailed away from me. I sighed, waving my hand to indicate how she doesn't need to answer. I knew myself that my question was a rhetorical one.
"Riren." Hearing mother's voice, I gazed up to see her coming out of her room as she stepped over the broken shojis.
I nearly flinched upon her presence.
Mother…she was completely messed up.
"Miu-san!" Tama shouted, immediately becoming energetic. He dashed around me and cuddled up to her.
My eyes never left mother. Although she appeared as usual, the air around her was giving off a threatening pressure.
It was the first time I've seen mother angry like this.
Mother leaned her weight against Tama as she took the broom off Tsurara's hand. "Thanks." Mother said softly before glancing to the damage she was most likely responsible for.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Tsurara asked, seeming quite concern about mother's welfare which was quite rare. Normally, Tsurara would look at mother as though she stole her lover or something.
"There's no need," mother replied.
There was a sigh in her sentence.
She definitely sighed somewhere within that sentence.
"But–"
"You can if you want," a smile crossed mother's lips, "but there'll be consequences if you do."
I flinched at the increasing pressure emitting from mother.
"Tsurara." I said as I turned to the dumbfounded yuki onna. She's been petrified by the darkness of that smile. I hid my hands behind my head and pointed my finger towards her. A blast of wind shot from the tip of my nail and lightly hit the side of her head.
"Ah!" Tsurara gasped in surprised as her hand flew to her head.
"Stop spacing around. Kubinashi is looking for you."
"Kubinashi?" Tsurara said in confusion. Growing impatient with her denseness of unable to read the atmosphere, I secretly waved my hand. Tsurara's kimono fluttered slightly as a twirl of wind blew around her.
"Go." I mumbled as the wind dragged her down the hall.
"W-wait– Kyaaa!" Tsurara's voice faded as she disappeared around the corner and out of our sight.
"Ah…she ran." Tama laughed. Unlike mother who was staring at me, Tama was completely oblivious to the invisible force that had pulled her away. "Miu-san, you didn't have to tease her that far." Tama said as mother sat down upon him for rest. I sighed and raised my hand to cover my ears.
"Tama," I watched uninterestedly as mother grabbed Tama's tails, "do I look like someone who speaks jokes to you?" With a tug, a sharp scream erupted into the air.
"This is ridiculous." I mumbled and hurried away before mother's mood become even worst. Before I leave the garden, I glanced over my shoulder. I took a last glance at the cracked cement within the wall, then to the broom resting in mother's hands.
Every time mother damaged something, she would stubbornly fix everything herself.
It's her policy.
She wouldn't allow anyone to help. She made that clear to all member of the Nura clan, including me.
Normally she would just use empty threats…but the air around her when she was speaking to Tsurara…
If Tsurara had pushed on like that, mother might seriously…
I gazed out to the darkness of the night through my open window.
"Riren, you're still writing?" Tama yawned softly as the fur I was leaning against moved. "You've been scribbling on that note ever since you came back."
"It's not like I need to sleep." I replied flatly. Thanks to the youkai blood in my body, my body doesn't require much sleep. I only needed a short nap during Fujita-sensei's lessons to recharge.
"How's mother?"
"As usual, Miu-san's trying to waste time by sleeping." Tama sigh. "Probably on the sakura tree again."
I pushed my note aside and climbed onto my feet. The chilling air seeped through my skin and caressed my bones. Staying with Tama the entire night had made me become oblivious to the actual temperature of the air.
"Riren, where are you going?"
"Nowhere." I replied and closed the shojis behind me.
I silently headed for the garden.
Just as Tama had guessed, mother was indeed sleeping upon a branch of the sakura tree. I stared at her before feeling the cool air of the night blowing by. I glanced around, my eyes staring from the perfectly fixed shoji to the wall which the cracks had been filled.
A blanket, I thought as I turned to the entrance of my parent's room. Just when I grasped the shoji, I felt another breeze brushed against my skin.
This breeze was different.
I could feel the air behind me suddenly changed.
I looked back towards the sakura tree.
There father was, holding mother carefully in his arms with a blanket wrapped around her as she peacefully slept. Noticing my gaze, father's crimson eyes slowly shifted towards me. A faint smile spread upon his lips as he gently removed a hand from mother.
He held up his index finger and placed it over his lips.
Getting the message, I turned my attention away and began to walk off. I held myself back as to not take another glance at them.
But I was curious.
If father loved mother so much, then what was that perfume scent? Why does he still go out knowing it would make mother uneasy?
"You look like you got slapped in the face." Tama spoke the minute I returned into my room. "Hey Tama." Tama's ears twitched at his forcefully changed name.
"The perfume scent on father…is it really the scent of another woman's?"
At my question, Tama glanced to me. He seemed hesitant in replying.
I reached out my hand and grabbed one of his furred ears. With a tug, Tama fell to the floor with a yelp. "I have the right to know." I urged him on, not letting him a chance to refuse or find an excuse to escape.
"Okay, okay! Stop it! It's going to fall!" Tama shouted as he finally pulled himself away from my grasp. He rubbed his ear with his paw and.
"…It's…a woman's. A youkai's." Tama replied softly. His ears were constantly twitching as though he's trying to make sure it's still attached. "Miu-san asked the same question."
"And you told her that?"
"You aren't giving me much of a choice either." He waved his tails, reminding me of mother's favorite place to tug whenever punishing him.
I flopped down onto the tatami and buried my face into Tama's fur coat.
Another woman…
My face tightened in disgust at the thought.
When day break, father quickly left before mother wakes.
I sat on a lamppost outside the manor. I waited for minutes, hours, until I saw father coming out of the house. My eyes were glued upon him like a hawk's as he passed by beneath me. I silently leaped down and trailed after him. Although I knew it was wrong, I followed after him anyways.
I wanted to know…exactly what he was hiding from us.
"Rikuo-kun!"
I jumped at the sound of that familiar voice. I slowly peeked from around the corner to find Hana's mother running across the street to greet father. In her hand was a bag of groceries, meaning she must have returned from shopping.
"It's been a while, Kana-chan." Father greeted as I stared at that woman.
Was it her? The owner of the perfume?
I squinted my eyes for a closer look. Then again, the atmosphere around her felt natural…so she shouldn't have used any of those human's chemical.
Even so, when I saw the happy look across that woman's face, I felt my irritation compressed within my chest. The only smile mother had on recently had been all empty…yet that woman's…
My fingers spread out as a miniature cyclone formed within the palm of my hand.
So he can make other woman laugh…but not his own wife.
A frown tugged on my lips as the muscles in my arm tensed. I slowly took a step forward and raised my arm.
"Riren, what are you doing?" I froze at the voice that just spoke beside my ears.
I stared at the scene before me…
Nothing had changed.
The sparrows were still pecking at the ground…
Hana's mother was still there laughing…
But father…wasn't in that scene. I didn't blink, but my mind couldn't figure out since when did he disappeared from my sight.
It was then when I felt it…the warmth grasping my wrist. The wind in my palm disbursed. I slowly turned. "…Father." I whispered softly as I stared into those brown eyes.
"Rikuo-kun?" Hana's mother called, seeming to finally realize how father was no longer before her.
"Come, Riren." Father whispered softy, releasing me as he turned to walk away.
I peeked over the corner to the woman who was still searching for father, oblivious to our presences. "Riren." Hearing father's call, I tore my gaze away and quickly followed after him.
"Riren." Father spoke, making a turn into an alley as I quickly pull myself to a stop to prevent myself from walking into him. "What have I told you about attacking human?" Father said in a displeased tone as I frowned. He's angry, as expected. "What were you doing? That's Hana's mother," he added. At the mention of the word mother, my gaze narrowed.
"Then what about my mother?" I asked. "You care about someone else's mother and not mine?" Father slowly turned, his gaze captured mine.
Despite the pressure I felt, I didn't look away. I didn't do anything wrong. There was no reason for me to avoid anything.
Pulling away from out staring contest, father heaved out a soft sigh. After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"Come with me, Riren."
That was the last sentence we exchanged.
For the rest of the day, we didn't speak again. Whether it was walking through the town or eating, we didn't exchange a single word. We traveled by foot and through human's transportation during the day to a far away mountain. When night came, I sat on the tail of father's Hebi Nyoro and flew the rest of the way.
I walked around a tree, my eyes darting through the forest before catching father's figure that was slowly melting into the shadows. I quickly picked up my pace. I ran through the forest, and chased after the silhouette of father.
I dash out of the forest to be embraced by the soft moonlight. I stared at the clearing before me. There was a lake. Though it wasn't big, I could tell the water was clear. Even through this distance, I could see through the transparent water to the bottom.
There were no human waste, no random footprints crushing the innocent greens. The air was clean from human's pollution.
I glanced back to the darkness of the forest behind me.
There wasn't any way a place like this wouldn't be discovered by human…
"Riren." I quickly snapped out and glanced towards a lone tree beside the lake to see father kneeling against the soft blades of grass. He waved his hand at my direction. I glanced around the clearing before I slowly moved over to him. When I peered over father's shoulder to see what he was doing, I found myself staring at a plant.
It was a plant about my arm's length with purple blue buds that looked as though it will be ready to blossom when sun rises.
"This is…?"
"Kurinji." Father replied. He dipped his hand into the lake and scooped up a handful of clear water. I watched silently as he carefully sprinkled the water at the base of the flower. "It's a flower that blooms once every twelve years."
I stared.
A flower with a twelve year cycle?
It was then when realization hit me. I quickly straighten myself and glanced around the area before turning back to the flower.
"Then…the reason you keep disappearing…was it for this?"
Father didn't reply. His crimson eyes were fixed upon the flower as his fingers gently caressed the leaves.
"Is this for mother?"
"In three days it will be the day when your mother and I first met." Father replied after a moment of silence. A smirk slid upon his lips as he pulled himself away from the flower. "So keep this a secret from her."
So that's what it was.
Father…always had mother's best interest in mind.
I stared at father before looking down to the flower. "Three days?" No matter how I look at it, this flower will bloom once the sunlight seeped into the forest. Then suddenly, a loud yawning sound disturbed the peace. A couple of leaves rained down upon me. I flinched, quickly looking up to see the tree beside the Kurinji beginning to shake.
A ring of wind twirled around my hand as my fear began to shroud around me. Just before I was able to melt into the darkness, father's hand suddenly cut into my sight. Another fear cut through mine, forcing my concentration to break as the wind faded from my hand.
"Rikuo-chan!" A screech of a woman's nearly pierced through my eardrum. My eyes widened as the tree slowly began to morph into the shape of woman. The bark upon the tree grew lighter, the texture softening. The leaves on the tree came down like a long curtain of hair, wrapping around the body to form a short dress.
A pair of emerald eyes opened.
The figure stood still for a couple of seconds before it slowly moved and stretched its arms.
"Rikuo-chan! I thought you wouldn't come!" The youkai laughed before pouncing onto father.
Morphed from a tree and carrying long upper fangs…it's a Jubokko*.
The bone in my knuckle crackled as I dug my heel into the ground. My fear emitted from my hand again and began to morph with the surrounding air. I slashed my hand through the air and sent out a blast of concentrated wind. Seeing my attack, the Jubokko yelped. She pulled away from father and ungracefully ducked.
When the air calmed, a couple strand of the Jubokko's hair fell onto the soft blades of grass.
"Kya!" The Jubokko screamed as she examined her hair. "What did you do that for you brat?"
The Jubokko hissed to show off her long upper fangs hidden behind her lips. At the Jubokko's anger, father quickly stepped in between us. "Riren." Father spoke my name in a tone that was telling me to behave.
"I let you into my territory, gave you one of my precious Kurinji, spent my past month keeping that flower asleep, and this is the payment I get, Rikuo-chan?"The woman screamed and pouted, trashing around like a five years old.
"My son is a little playful. He didn't mean that, Masaki*." Father said calmly as I peered around him to catch the Jubokko's glare.
I glared back.
A heavy pressure was wrapped around her, so visible that I couldn't help but become conscious of it. I covered my nose, able to smell that heavy perfume that have already ruined father's kimono.
So she's the one.
"What? If you got something to say, say it." The Jubokko snapped. I dully glanced to her direction.
"You stink. Don't come near me."
"What did you–!"
"I told you to cut down on those perfume." Father agreed with me.
"Watch it! Jinmenju-sama* happens to like this scent!"
I stared at the Jubokko, then to the flower father cared for. 'So that's it…' I thought to myself.
Everything makes sense now.
"Did you know how much energy I spent keeping that flower asleep for the past month?"
That flower wasn't supposed to bloom tomorrow…it was supposed to bloom long before that. That's why father asked this woman to keep this flower from blooming. A Jubokko is the only one capable of pulling that off, for that they steal life and can produce life. Making a plant undergo a sleeping stage wouldn't be a surprise.
From the looks, this place is also her territory, which would also explain how the environment could remain so pure.
"For every single day I wasted looking after this flower, I could have gone out on a date with Jinmenju-sama!"
I gazed to the noisy woman, then to father who seemed uninterested in her endless complains.
He came everyday just for something like this. Lying to mother even knowing that it would hurt her…
All for the sake of that day where he could present those flower to her and surprise her.
I a faint smile swept across my lips.
I can't imagine it…how mother's angry face would look after she sees that flower.
'He could have just told her.' I found it stupid at the memory of that cracked wall and the hurricane that nearly tore the manor apart. But then again…if he told her, then those flowers would be meaningless.
My parents…are hard to understand after all.
"RIREN!"
What is this annoying déjà-vu, I wondered as I stood before Fujita-sensei's desk at the front of the class.
"What is this, Riren?" He slapped a notebook onto the wooden desk with my name printed on the cover page in lead.
"Bibliography assignment." I replied plainly. His brain must have regressed if he can't tell that much.
"Yes. It's a bibliography about your family! Not making a fantasy out of them!" He flipped opened my notebook. "If your father is the Supreme Commander of some youkais then I'm the king!" He snapped as I heard the sounds of giggles behind me.
"Then you aren't going to live long on that filthy throne." I said casually, causing the laughter behind me to rise by ten notches.
"RIREN! GO STAND IN THE HALL!"
The door slammed shut behind me, but the laughter didn't die. I sat onto the cement ground. Since class was in session, the hallway was freed of humans.
"You're a magnet for trouble."
I glanced up to the window before me. There it was; the oversized fat cat lying lazily on the windowsill. His tails swayed at the edge, his body tensed as though prepared to dash at the slightest bit of noise.
"Mind your own business."
"Looking after you is my business." Tama replied. A smile turned upon his muzzle. "Shall I tell Miu-san?"
I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. A gentle breeze came through the open window and swirled around me.
"Do you want to keep those ears?"
"Calm down. I was just kidding," Tama laughed, "Miu-san finally got into a good mood after so long. I'm not going to spoil it."
The muscles in my body relaxed at the news.
"Mother's in a good mood…?"
"Yeah." Tama replied. "About an hour after your school started, she seemed strangely happy."
The wind around me gently faded down the hall, creating a soft rhythmic melody.
So mother's in a good mood? My lips twitched and turned into a smile at the thought.
"What are you smiling for?" Tama asked suspiciously before his ears perked up. His tails froze within the air and his irises grew into a complete circle. "You know why Miu-san's in a good mood?" I smirked at his question.
"Like I'd know."
"You do know something. Tell me!"
"I said I don't know."
"Then what are you smiling for?"
"At your stupid face."
There's no way I'd tell. Not to him, not to anyone.
"Hey–…? Where are you going? You still have class!"
"It's not like I'll be attending, no point staying here."
"Get back here! And about Miu-san–…!"
"I. Don't. Know."
"RIREN!"
Riren – Ri means clever and ren means lotus
Hanyo – half demon
Jubokko – a vampire tree.
Masaki – means great timbertree
Jinmenju – a tree with human-faced fruits.