[Not What She Seems]
Naomi's day started as mundane as any other day: wake up, got to class, daydream, avoid the pathetic girls who fawn over the night class, shower, change into nightwear, and, finally, go to sleep. However, avoiding her relentless classmates was proving to be impossible today as the vultures circled around her seat and asked for the tenth time today if she had found out why the night class was so elite.
"I haven't and I'm not going to investigate the night class, so go away." Naomi snapped.
The girls whined and complained about how she was as "bad" as the prefect, Zero Kiryu.
Naomi rolled her eyes at them.
Truth is, she did know why the night class students were so elite. She found out a few weeks ago, while the Headmaster was out, she had sneaked into his office and picked every lock in his desk until she found files of the night class students. In bold printed letters it had said: Vampire with a letter B, or, C, or, A next to it. Naomi didn't notice how many were which letter, she was more focused on the word vampire. Unfortunately, she couldn't investigate any further as the Headmaster of Cross Academy was surely coming back to his office soon, and so Naomi, quickly put the files back where she found them and locked the drawer.
She ran all the way to the dorms after that, and it wasn't until the next morning that she realized how lucky she was for not getting caught.
Naomi shivered, They're all vampires, every single one of them.
"Come on, Naomi!" squealed a high pitched voice, "you're the only one who can do it!"
Naomi glared at the girls, "Leave me alone, you hyenas."
Naomi got up from her seat pushed herself through her fellow classmates.
I will not investigate the night class that's just asking for trouble. Naomi thought, No matter how tempting it is. And it was very tempting. She lived for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. A bad habit, yes, but it was an addiction of hers. You deal with human investigations, and only human investigations... She repeated those words in her head over and over again, convincing herself that the night class was not worth the time she would put in her regular routine of sleuthing.
In all honesty, Naomi longed for the days when she thought the night class was a cult or when she thought that they were just a band of pretty faces with nothing truly going on underneath. Now, she rarely sneaks out at night, afraid she might run into one of them.
Naomi shivered at the thought of seeing their fangs. She does not want to be in the receiving end of that ever.
"Hey, Naomi!" yelled a cheerful voice.
Naomi turned to face her friend, Asuna, and smiled. "What's up?"
Asuna quickly became serious and lowered her voice into a hushed whisper, "You know the professor you thought was having an affair with a student?"
"Don't tell me..?"
"I saw them in the history room." Asuna contorted her face in disgust, "Kissing!"
"Well, at least, the professor's young and single." Naomi joked.
"Naomi!" Asuna scolded.
Naomi smirked, "Don't worry, I'm on it." She walked down the stairs with Asuna in toe, "You up for some late night sleuthing?"
Asuna's eyes widen, she looked around as if to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. "What about the prefects?" She whispered.
"I know my way around them, the people we should be worried about is the night class." Naomi tapped her waist.
"I don't know..." Asuna fiddled with her skirt and uneasily stared at the floor.
"I'm not going to force you, Asuna." Naomi giggled, "This is strictly voluntary."
Asuna let out breath of relief, "Yeah, just tell me how it goes tomorrow in class."
Naomi couldn't help but feel relieved herself. If the night class were truly vampires she didn't want to bring her friend into a lion's den.
"Just cover for me when the prefects do their rounds on the dorms."
Asuna saluted, "You can count on me."
"Oi!" They both turned at source of the sound, Zero Kiryu.
Great, the prefect from hell.
"Class is over. Get to your dorms." His glare pierced through both the girls but Naomi merely scoffed at him.
Asuna cowered while Naomi returned Zero's glare tenfold. She huffed and grabbed Asuna's hand and led her out the academic building.
"God, he's so scary." Asuna said.
"No, he's not. What he is, is annoying."
They walked past the screaming girls as they were ready to pounce on the night class students.
"Idol-senpai!"
"Wild-senpai!"
"Kaname-senpai!"
"They're so hot!"
Naomi gulped, If only they knew.
The night class gates were opening and Naomi quickened her pace with Asuna following in her step, the day class girls screams got louder (if possible).
Asuna gripped the door of the sun dorms and opened it and the closed it shut.
"Those girls really have no dignity." Asuna huffed, "Throwing themselves at them like that."
Naomi smiled, "That's why you are my best friend."
The linked their arms together as they made they're way up the stairs and into their dorm room.
"By the way, which student was it?" Naomi asked, "Maybe, I can knock some sense into him."
"It was Haruto."
This made her blood boil: Haruto was one of her best friends. He won't listen to reason, its just the type of person he is: loyal and stupid.
Naomi made quick work of her uniform and changed into something more comfortable to roam around in.
"He's such an idiot! Why would he even get involved with a teacher!?"
"You know him, Naomi, he falls in love quickly." Asuna said sweetly.
Naomi rolled her eyes, "Don't remind me."
She grabbed a black sweater off her closet and a black pair of high waisted jeans. She quickly changed into her sleuthing outfit and grabbed her black hair and pulled it high into a ponytail. Naomi reached for her hat and rested it on her head.
"Are you sure you should be doing this, Naomi?"
"Please, Asuna, Haruto won't listen to reason and you know it."
Asuna shrugged, "I guess, you're right. What are you even looking for?"
Naomi sighed, "Anything that proves that she's not who she says she is or that incriminates her."
"Well, good luck and be careful." Asuna said softly.
Naomi reached for the door and tipped her hat, "Always am."
She closed the door lightly and went for her usual escape route. Down the stairs, two rights and the third window next to the center. Naomi opened the window quietly and climbed down off it. She landed softly on her feet and hastily made her way towards academic building.
It didn't take Naomi long to arrive at the school. She made it her mission to make it there in little as time as possible during her other late night rendezvous.
Naomi quickly slid inside one of the building's side door and crouched as she took long strides towards the professor's office.
Naomi grabbed the knob turned it... It was locked.
She reached into her hair pulled out a black bobby pin.
Trusty bobby pin, don't fail me now. Naomi inserted the bobby pin into the lock and masterly fiddled with it until she heard the reassuring sound of a lock being unlocked.
Naomi smirked, Jackpot!
She turned the knob and crawled into the office.
"Alright, Hiyori Sensei," Naomi stood up straight but walked lightly, "what are you up to?"
Naomi lunged for the desk first and opened all the drawers and took out documents, assignments, tests, files , until, finally, Naomi struck lucky. She pulled at the last drawer and found it to be locked.
"Suspicious..." Once again, Naomi inserted the bobby pin in and unlocked the drawer with ease. "This school should really get new locks, this is too easy."
Naomi didnt know what she was expecting but a plain gray metal box was, in her opinion, underwhelming. She gently took out the box from its place and saw latch keeping it closed.
Naomi wetted her lips, Please, be something for my while.
She opened the latch and saw the content. It was a few cigarattes, a fake ID, and a gun. Naomi reached into the box and held the gun dangaling in her fingers.
"Oh my god..." She grabbed the ID and looked at the name imprinted on it. "Who in the world is Akira Saito?"
Naomi put down the gun and ID on the desk took out a paper only to find it was picture of a boy in her class.
"Oh my God!" Naomi screeched but then quickly covered her mouth. She stared the picture in horror.
It was Naoto Yamamoto. He had been murdered a few months ago with a gunshot to the head and his picture had a thick red 'X' across his smiling face.
I need to tell the headmaster! Haruto is in danger!
"Oi!"
Naomi snapped her head towards the sound. She didn't even notice that someone had opened the door, but she felt relief wash over her when she saw it was Zero Kiryu, and not her teacher, Hiyori.
"I want your name and class." He demanded.
"I need to talk to headmaster, now." Naomi teared her gaze from Zero's and stared the articles she had found. "It's important." She pointed the gun and ID and the photo of her late pier, Naoto Yamamoto.
Zero walked towards her and saw with clarity the items laid on the desk. He reached for them but Naomi grabbed his arm.
"Dont touch it, it's evidence." Her voice was steady which surprised her, she was sure her voice would come out trembling.
Footsteps came towards them and Naomi gripped his arm tighter.
Please, don't be Sensei... please, don't be her.
On the corner of her eye, Naomi saw Zero reach with his free hand into his jacket.
"Hey, Zero, are you slacking off again?" It was a female voice, Yuki.
Naomi let out a sigh of relief.
Yuki looked inside the office, "Oh, you found a day class student." She raised an eyebrow at the scene before her: Naomi was clutching Zero's arm and the fact that Zero was letting her was what confused her the most.
"Is something going on?"
Zero broke the silence, "Call the Chairman, Yuki, It's important." His voice was cool even amidst all the chaos.
Yuki nodded and ran to get the Headmaster.
"I - I can't believe she killed, Naoto." Naomi stuttered, "She probably was having an affair with him too."
Tears brimmed her eyes as she let go of Zero's arm and held herself tightly instead. "Poor, Naoto."
Naomi blinked her tears away, and took in long deep breaths. In... Out... In... Out...
The headmaster would be here soon and she would not cry not infront him or the prefects. Naomi straighten her back and steeled herself.
I'm Naomi Nakamura, I'm the queen of pretending that everything's fine.