Chapter 67:

Meanwhile...

Shiroi, who was intent on guarding the well, heard the echo of a massive howl from a demon that came from somewhere far. It gave her unusual chills.

'That's quite a strong one. I just hope it won't reach this place...'

After calming herself down, Arisa patted her cheeks and gently rubbed her eyes to sober up. She then fixed her rumpled uniform and checked her bag if she forgot anything, and was relieved to see that her things were all there. With that, she went out of the forest, and considered it as her first step about leaving the feudal era behind.

I'm going back to my life as a normal college student…this was how it was supposed to be anyway.

However, upon entering their house, she didn't have the energy to greet her mother and his younger brother, Jin, who were both watching their favorite TV show that usually aired on Sundays.

Oh…so today's Sunday.

"Whoa, sis! You're back!" Jin exclaimed and her mother followed.

"I thought you were going to stay there for a little longer, dear."

"...I'm not going back anymore." She replied downheartedly and gave them a wry smile before proceeding to her room upstairs. Both Jin and their mother simultaneously looked at each other, worried about what could have happened.

She threw her bag on the floor and immediately lied down on her bed. She definitely missed her room, but she couldn't bring herself to express it. She naturally just closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Arisa woke up in a daze, and was shocked when she realized that it was already evening.

I can't believe I slept the whole day…!

She quickly got up and took a quick shower and then changed into her pajamas. She didn't want to go down yet, but her hunger struck so she had no choice but to delve into the kitchen.

I'm just going to grab something to eat and bring it here.

She was looking down as she went into the kitchen, and was a bit flabbergasted to see Jin distributing the plates, her mother displaying their food, and Ayame who had just come home; currently drinking a glass of water.

"Ah, perfect timing, Arisa. I was just about to tell Jin to call you for dinner."

"…oh. Thanks mom, but I'll pass." she replied in a detached tone and went ahead at their stock cabinet. Her eyes searched if there were some finger foods, and luckily, she spotted some bread and reached for it. She was about to leave, but Ayame stopped her.

"Come on, Arisa. Have dinner with us. It's been a while, you know?"

"…fine."

Their mother smiled at her response, and clapped her hands as she was done with displaying their food.

Arisa carefully sat on the table, and she gasped at the sight of curry. Her eyes began to moist, but she quickly wiped them off.

Sesshomaru's favorite modern food…

"What's with that look, sis? You missed having curry so much that you'd cry?" Jin exclaimed in a joking manner, but his grin dropped as she kept silent and just sadly looked away.

"Learn how to read the atmosphere, Jin." Ayame said as a reminder, and their younger brother slowly nodded.

"…right. I'm sorry, sis."

"It's okay." Arisa replied, and began getting a portion of food for herself.

They wanted her to open up on her own accord, so they decided not to press questions on her. So that night, they had a quiet dinner and when everything was done, they all went straight to their rooms.

Arisa decided to see her schedule first, and scanned a few notes for her subjects the next day. After that, she fixed her school bag and put the necessary things. She closed her lights and lied down on her bed, but no matter how she forced to shut her eyes, she couldn't get to sleep; and ended up pulling an all-nighter by reading her textbooks. It was enough to keep her thoughts away from the ancient age…and Sesshomaru.

By morning, she prepared herself for classes, and was finished dressing up. The moment she picked up her school bag on her table, the necklace glistened from the sun's rays, catching her attention.

Whoa…I almost forgot to wear this.

Her fingers gently touched its beautifully crafted blue stone, grabbed it right after and proudly put it around her neck. A sad smile crossed her face as she looked at herself in the mirror.

No! I have to be fine!

After convincing herself to feel okay, she put on a much better look before quickly leaving for school.

However, once she arrived at her school university's gate, everyone was holding their notes and books, as if studying for an upcoming major exam. She began to feel nervous and went straight to their room, hoping to see Yukino and Mari.

Her friends were surprised to see her all of a sudden, and they both ran towards her.

"Arisa…! You finally came to school!" Yukino exclaimed in worry.

"You've been absent for so long, we were getting concerned if you could at least make it to our final exams." Mari added, to which her eyes widened in shock.

"Hold on! Did you just say…final exams?"

"Yes…and that's…actually…it's today." Mari replied, stuttering.

"WHAT!?"

Yukino and Mari looked at each other in uneasily, feeling apologetic for their friend's situation.

"What time does our examination start? What subjects will we take today?"

"About 10:00…and we're taking History and General Chemistry."

Arisa quickly looked at the time, and she had at least two hours to spare.

"Alright, I'm heading to the library to scan my notes. See you later…!"

She didn't even wait for her friends to react and dashed towards their school library. She took all the books she felt were necessary and jotted down important facts that covered the topics for their finals. In that span of time, she was able to concentrate and she felt like the normal college student she used to be.

She wasn't that prepared, but she took the exams anyway, feeling nervous all throughout.

Arisa let out a weary sigh as they stepped out of their classroom.

Yukino was having second thoughts whether to ask how she was, since she was obviously in a state of panic. Nevertheless, she brought her words out.

"S-so…how did it go?"

Arisa didn't reply immediately, but gave her an answer after contemplating.

"It was terrible…but I think I managed, at least."

"Don't worry, Arisa! We believe in you. You can aim higher on the next subjects. It will surely compensate for today…!" Mari commented, trying to cheer her friend up.

"Thank you, both of you. Since you've said that…can I at least borrow your notes?"

Both of them gave her a dignified smirk, and she looked at them in bewilderment.

"We were prepared for that. So, here you go!"

They said as they reached for the notes in their bags and handed them over to her. Arisa widely smiled at them in full gratification.

"You two are the best, ever…!"

The three of them happily exited the university, and decided to eat somewhere first before going home to study for the next batch of exams.

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A/N: Two chapters today, because why not!? :D