"Hiyori! Hasegawa!"
Tarumi waved enthusiastically, standing in front of the Film Deck theater with Kurumu. Declining Mr. Ranryuu's offer to stay at his place over the weekend, Tarumi had on her green school jacket and her schoolbag hung from her shoulder. Having spent the night in the hotel with Ms. Ohno, Kurumu also had all of her belongings.
The two undines strolled towards them, wearing the same attire as yesterday. Hiyori had her usual aloof aura while Hasegawa was mild and soothing. Hasegawa smiled brightly.
"I'm glad to see you, Ms. Kurono. We were worried."
"I wasn't. Sounded like she was causing trouble."
"It was just a misunderstanding. Ms. Ohno explained everything last night."
Having not brought a change of clothes, the succubus was still sporting that long sleeved, cream jacket over that stretchy, periwinkle blouse. A glossy black purse hung by its strap off her left shoulder. Her legs between her shiny black flats and the hem of her clingy black skirt were swathed in black hose.
"Officer Kizunai was just confused. The damage report he was given yesterday made it sound like Ms. Kurono had caused the accident at the hotel in Aranami."
"That's not what Mr. Ranryuu said last night."
Tarumi snorted at Hiyori's response.
"Mr. Ranryuu just said she was being held for questioning. He had no idea why."
"I'm glad that it was just a mistake."
Kurumu mirrored Hasegawa's smile, feeling bad about everything. Tarumi had already told her about the trouble her absence had caused. The group had wasted over an hour searching for her before checking the jump station. The lady at the counter had confirmed Kurumu's departure with Kazuhiko. The local undines had decided to call it a day while the others had waited for Kurumu's return. Shortly after five, the waiting group had come to Umiman and had heard Mr. Ranryuu's explanation.
"Yea. I actually had no idea what was going on. They just locked me in a room with no explanation."
"Probably Kazuhiko being a shit. Kiwi's brother has a worse attitude than Hibiki."
Tarumi nodded at Hiyori, gesturing at Hasegawa.
"Where's Aka?"
"I'm sorry. When Hiyori told Aka's mother about Ms. Kurono getting in trouble, she refused to let Aka come with us today."
"Yea. I had to spend the night at Hasegawa's place."
Kurumu grimaced, already feeling like she had sabotaged Tarumi's birthday with needing to leave early.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday. I honestly thought it would be a quick trip to the Fairy Tale office and back. I should have told someone what I was doing."
Hasegawa made a dismissive gesture.
"It's no big deal. Aka was already wanting to go home. I'm thinking about letting her stay with me in the junior dorms. It will make it easier to ensure she goes to school."
"Don't you have a roommate?"
"No. I'm alone in 309."
Tarumi frowned at the response to her question.
"309? How did you end up on the third floor? The rest of us are up on the fourth."
"That's not true. Ms. Doronuma is living with Ms. Usabara in 306."
"Do you know which room in Baratoge was assigned to you?"
"Is that the first year dorm? Not a clue."
Hasegawa giggled at Hiyori's answer to Kurumu.
"True. I didn't know my room until I showed up."
"I think that was the case for everyone. The Housemother gave us our keys and lunch cards. She had the automatic door wide open for all of Friday and the weekend."
Kurumu nodded thoughtfully at Tarumi's remarks, knowing that was how she had received her items. She had not left her room on Sunday after her check in to notice if the main door was still open.
"So who is this lady anyways?"
Kurumu smiled at Hiyori's suspicious look.
"This is Ohno Yokina. She is Fairy Tale's intelligence officer for the Chubu region."
"While technically true, I'm still very new at this. Ms. Kyuusai has been covering most of my work."
"Didn't Ms. Shikaru have you in charge of the Aichi prefecture for the past four years?"
Ms. Ohno favored Kurumu a smile.
"Momma handled so much since I was going to college. Lord Souken only turned to me for help when she was too busy. Lord Shijima has thrust so much work on me that I had to remind him of my college obligations. Now that I graduated, he had me running all over the city last week."
"What happened to your momma?"
Ms. Ohno smiled softly at Hasegawa.
"She passed away in January along with Region Commander Kenmei. So now Lord Souken and I are in charge of the whole region. Both of us are struggling to adjust and it doesn't help with Lord Shijima also being new to his rank."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Ohno."
"Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa."
"That's right. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Hasegawa Kasumi and this is Akenuma Hiyori."
Ms. Ohno and the girls all bowed, murmuring pleasantries.
"Ms. Ohno just graduated from Tokai Gakuen University with a degree in psychology."
"Psychology. What does an intelligence officer do?"
Ms. Ohno smiled politely at Hiyori.
"We control the information humans have about us. From what I've been told from women whom have been in this field far longer than I, there was a shift in focus of what Fairy Tale allowed succubi to do. After the fall of the Taizai Household in 1970, the succubi in Fairy Tale were trained in covering up any blunders monsters made in the human world."
"Ms. Ohno and her mother used to report directly to the President of Fairy Tale."
Ms. Ohno laughed softly at Kurumu's input.
"That was true but I don't know if it will continue being that way. With our numbers thinned due to recent events, Ms. Kyuusai has suggested that we report to our region commanders instead of her."
"Who is this Ms. Kyuusai?"
"She was in charge of the Kansai region, though Ms. Aimai was doing most of the legwork. As Fairy Tale has no president right now, Ms. Kyuusai has been acting as an advisor for the region commanders."
Kurumu had some knowledge on how this all worked. Not that long ago, Gyokuro had thirteen succubi in this elite group. Four had died since November, leaving barely enough to cover the regions.
"Some of the prefectural officers have succubi working for them."
"That's true but about a third of those are more like mistresses than agents. Ms. Kyuusai is hoping to change that and I hope she succeeds soon. It would be so much easier if I had nine other colleagues to help me manage the region."
"Kurumu could join your ranks."
Kurumu huffed at Tarumi's declaration.
"Are you forgetting that I'm Kokoa's servant? If I'm getting out of that commitment, it would be because I'm getting married to Nijiro. The life of a simple housewife is good enough for me."
"I think Ms. Kurono should join our cause. Her talents far exceed mine."
Kurumu frowned at Ms. Ohno's assessment.
"I don't think I'm that particularly special."
"You shouldn't doubt your abilities, Ms. Kurono. While detaining succubi is standard procedure, they immediately recognized that you could charm your way out of custody. That was why nobody came to chat with you after locking you up in that room."
That revelation brought up so many questions.
"How long were they planning to keep me in there?"
"I have no idea but Officer Kizunai was relieved that I came to get you."
"Are you known around here?"
Ms. Ohno laughed at the question from Hiyori.
"Not really. But I do have a nifty badge from Fairy Tale signed by Mrs. Shuzen and Lord Kenmei. If I had an official rank, it would be higher than Officer Kizunai's."
Hiyori nodded without any interest in her pink eyes.
"Which movie are we watching?"
Tarumi grinned, thumbing over her shoulder at the entrance doors.
"I was thinking we should do Fearless. Can't go wrong with an action flick."
"When does it start?"
"First showing is at ten ten. We should be out a little after noon and we can have lunch at Kamumoto since we didn't get to eat there yesterday."
"Ms. Kurono and I will have to leave before two so I hope that place isn't too busy."
Hasegawa gestured towards the jump station.
"Most topsiders prefer to spend their weekends in Kuminagawa. More things to do and fresh air. Only a few underwater families come up here on the weekends and it isn't for the food."
"Yea, considering most food is free in Aranami and Umiman."
"Food in Umiman is free?"
"They have hunting parties just like Aranami does. Money is for novelty things."
Hasegawa nodded vehemently at Hiyori's flat answer.
"Yea. The only thing my dad needs money for is school related stuff."
Kurumu smiled, having already asked about Hasegawa's older brother. He had failed to get accepted into a college. His parents had already enrolled him in the matchmaking program. Until he found a wife, he would be keeping his dad company.
"I didn't ask, but what does your dad do for work?"
"He's a hunter but he does commissions for Fairy Tale to afford our tuition. He had to do so much extra work last year when it was the both of us."
"You must be trying your best at school."
Hasegawa sighed at Ms. Ohno's remark.
"If only that were true. I'm an average student at best and my brother worked hard to keep his name off the board of shame. Neither of us have no real business being in high school."
"Don't say that, Ms. Hasegawa. Many young kids need high school."
"If my brother had a girlfriend, he probably wouldn't have gone to Yokai Academy."
"That's probably true for a lot us. I don't particularly care to live in Aranami but you don't just move to Umiman or Ikinakawa. You either need money or marriage and I don't have either."
"Speak for yourself. Even if I had found a guy in junior high, my parents would insist on me bringing him to Aranami to run that stupid hotel. If I get a boyfriend at Yokai Academy, I am not going home ever."
"Are you thinking about marrying a different race?"
Hiyori shrugged at Hasegawa.
"Why not? If he's cool with my true form, then I'll give him as many monstrel babies as he wants."
"Just be careful, young lady. Fairy Tale still doesn't support interracial marriages. Most of my missions in Nagoya were cleaning up the messes made by young, interracial couples."
"I didn't say I was going to date a human."
"I wasn't talking about humans. Getting a job with Fairy Tale is harder if your spouse is not the same race as you. That means you have to work for humans which increases your risk of exposure."
"Yea. That's why Mr. Doronuma started working for Fairy Tale before trying to marry his wife."
"Mr. Doronuma is a kappa and his wife is an undine."
Ms. Ohno's eyes lit up when Kurumu explained Hasegawa's comment.
"I see. Yes. Fairy Tale won't fire you over marrying outside your race. But Mr. Doronuma probably has never gotten a promotion because of that."
"I wonder if that's why Mr. Ranryuu is just a librarian."
Kurumu shrugged at Tarumi, having never asked about promotions. Her eyes drifted to the right and were welcomed by the sight of two familiar figures. That Kurotaki girl with the poofy green hair was walking alongside Mr. Amesuki. She was wearing that black frock from yesterday while the man was in a white polo and black slacks. His short dark hair and dark eyes were nothing like his children's.
"Mami!"
Tarumi sprung away to meet the young girl halfway. Kurotaki giggled, offering her hand when Tarumi held hers out.
"Someone is happy to see me."
Tarumi grinned, steering the girl back to the theater with the father walking silently behind them.
"Yes. I was starting to think nobody from Ikinakawa was going to take me up on my invitation."
"Mother was reluctant but I told her I wouldn't be the only one. Then I got nervous when nobody else showed up at the jump station. If Mr. Amesuki hadn't arrived, she might not have let me come."
Tarumi stopped once she had arrived with her friend. She turned and offered a slight bow.
"Thank you, Mr. Amesuki."
The father glanced at Ms. Ohno before his eyes settled on Kurumu.
"I did nothing out of the ordinary. Morning, Ms. Kurono. It appears that you and Tarumi are here a bit earlier than I expected."
"The hotel had an accident which forced Ms. Kurono to come back to Umiman on Wednesday. She has been staying with friends ever since."
Mr. Amesuki nodded at Ms. Ohno's explanation.
"And you are?"
"Ohno Yokina. I was sent to fetch Ms. Kurono and take her back to Yokai Academy."
"I see. I hope things weren't too unpleasant for you, Ms. Kurono. While it is my home, Aranami is not a hospital environment. I would have felt much better about this visit if you had stayed here in Umiman."
Kurumu smiled thinly. It was her own stubbornness that had put her life in danger.
"I should have taken the hint when your wife said I couldn't stay in your home."
"I blame my cousin. He was the one that encouraged you to stay in Dad's hotel."
Mr. Amesuki took in a deep breath, looking Kurumu over with a hint of desire.
"You are a beautiful, young woman. My son is fortunate to have you but I still feel it would be for the best if he marries an undine."
Kurumu grit her teeth, glancing at the other girls.
"Your wife made me aware of your stance. Something along the lines of me being his mistress."
"It could work, Ms. Kurono. Provided that the undine woman in question truly loves my son."
Tarumi snickered, nudging Kurotaki in the side.
"Sounds like someone is trying to live vicariously through his son."
"This isn't about me. This is about my son being happy. And considering how well Ms. Kurono seems to get along with undine girls, perhaps all parties would be satisfied with this arrangement."
"Nijiro didn't sound agreeable to this."
Mr. Amesuki nodded. His eyes were on her but his mind was elsewhere.
"I don't know if the two of you could adopt a human child, Ms. Kurono. I know that there is no shortage of undine girls wanting to escape the depths of the sea. Could you not love an undine child?"
Kurumu knew that he had a point. She had even had a dream once where she had cheated on Nijiro and asked Manami to carry the child. While Nijiro obviously would never marry his own sister, it was not like Kurumu would hate having someone like Tarumi around.
"Don't look at me. I'm not marrying any guy from Aranami."
Kurumu snorted at Hiyori.
"I wasn't looking at you."
"So what movie are we watching?"
Tarumi grinned at Kurotaki, pointing at the theater.
"If nobody objects, I was thinking we should watch Fearless. It starts at ten ten."
"Is your family going to get here in time? It's already after nine."
"Nine seventeen."
Tarumi flinched at Mr. Amesuki's correction as the man looked at his watch.
"Well Dad is used to getting up early but the others aren't. He promised me that they would get here before ten. He might be a little delayed if he had to wake up Mr. Amesuki's family."
"Yes. I'm mildly surprised that Manami isn't here with you. She seems to adore Ms. Kurono."
Kurumu smiled, having no response for Mr. Amesuki's musing. The other girls started up some harmless banter which Kurumu paid no real attention to. Her thoughts were on Manami and how she had not seen the girl since the accident. Even before that, Manami had been distraught and withdrawn after revealing the affair to Nijiro.
"There they are!"
Tarumi's excited announcement snapped Kurumu out of her reverie. She had no idea how much time had passed as she saw the approach of Mr. Watakoma and his wife whom held her son's hand. The trio were all garbed in black swimsuits.
"Where's Manami?"
That question was directed at Nijiro whom trailed behind the family. Like the others he had shifted into his human form. His loins were girded in a black speedo. He ignored Tarumi with his eyes on his father.
"Why is it just Nijiro?"
Mr. Watakoma smiled thinly at Tarumi, wagging a black wallet at her as he closed the gap between them.
"We should get those tickets, Tarumi. Come with us inside. Nijiro needs to speak with his father."
Mr. Amesuki sighed as the family arrived. He nodded, making a sweeping gesture.
"Listen to Mr. Watakoma. Get going girls."
"Actually I should also talk to Kurumu since she is here."
"I'll stay too if it's all the same."
Mr. Amesuki shrugged at Ms. Ohno's declaration as the others made their way to the door.
"What is going on, Dad?"
Mr. Watakoma shook his head, tugging the door open.
"It's a family matter, Tarumi. We can talk about it after your party."
Kurumu felt sick with anxiety as the four undine girls were ushered through the door. Once the wife and son were through, Mr. Watakoma entered the theater.
"I guess I should start with an apology."
Nijiro bowed deeply to Kurumu.
"Manami and I can't attend Tarumi's birthday party."
He straightened up, turning his gaze upon his father.
"My mother has something important to discuss with my father."
"About the affair?"
Nijiro clenched his fists and nodded.
"Yes, Kurumu. I suppose my father would find out soon enough about Mr. Junsui."
"There is nothing to find out. I've known about her love for Ouja since the beginning."
Nijiro's eyes went wide and Kurumu gasped. She absently touched her breast as the father regarded his son impassively.
"You knew what Mom was doing?"
"Rio was in love with Ouja when I married her. Even brought him up in our marriage meeting. I told her that I had no objection to her lover and that she could spare herself more of those unpleasant meetings if she agreed to marry me."
"Why would you-"
"Because I love her."
Nijiro laughed in disbelief.
"You can't be serious."
"I am. I always loved her. But I also knew how she felt about Ouja. I thought that I would never see her again after I went to Yokai Academy. Didn't even want to come back to Aranami and see the family she undoubtedly would have with Ouja."
"But he had that accident."
Mr. Amesuki glanced at Kurumu.
"You seem quite well versed about the situation, Ms. Kurono."
"She read Mom's mind."
There was a long pause as Mr. Amesuki nodded in contemplation.
"I can't imagine that went over well."
"It didn't. Mom is furious. I guess Kurumu also accused Mr. Junsui of trying to kill her."
Kurumu shook her head vehemently.
"That was a mistake and I quickly told everyone that he didn't."
"Well you hurt his feelings and Mom thinks you're evil incarnate. She's now trying to convince us both that we are Mr. Junsui's kids and that Dad has never had sex with her."
"Guess I should go home and try to calm her down."
"That isn't true, right?"
Mr. Amesuki regarded Nijiro with a slight smile.
"We stopped having sex once we reached the original agreement. One boy. One girl. The fact that she hasn't had any children since speaks for itself."
"And you are okay with that?!"
In her attempts to understand the situation herself, Kurumu could feel the father's regret.
"It isn't perfect, my boy. But you are my son. And Manami is my daughter. I had the privilege of having children with the only woman I've ever loved."
"You should put a stop to this!"
Mr. Amesuki shook his head at his enraged son.
"No. That was always up to her."
"Then leave her! She clearly doesn't love you!"
For the first time, Mr. Amesuki's demeanor faltered. His response was meek.
"When did that ever matter?"
Nijiro scowled, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"Don't you have any pride?! Is this why you only came home on the weekends all of these past years? Because you couldn't face the truth that she never loved you!"
Mr. Amesuki swallowed thickly, unable to meet his son's burning gaze.
"I wanted so much that I could be the one to make Rio happy. And it was wrong of me to bargain my way into her …. I've always felt guilty for doing that to her which is why I kept my distance. But I don't regret having you or Manami. I don't regret that for one second."
Nijiro backed away, shaking his head in disgust.
"And you have the audacity to tell me whom I should marry. Both you and Mom are hypocrites."
Mr. Amesuki took a steadying breath.
"Most parents are, my son. The reality is that there aren't any perfect relationships. I only said that you shouldn't marry Ms. Kurono. I never said that you should break up with her."
"I'm not going to do to some girl what Mom did to you."
Kurumu held back her words, knowing what the father had just told her. In his mind, it would work if the girl loved Nijiro because he was basing that belief on his own marriage.
"Fair enough. Do you want me to divorce your mother?"
The angered expression on Nijiro's face wavered. He looked away.
"I honestly don't care what you do. But you need to talk with Mom right now."
Mr. Amesuki sighed, stalking by his son.
"Okay then. Enjoy your movie, Ms. Kurono."
Nijiro grimaced, turning his attention back to her.
"Sorry. Didn't expect this."
Kurumu laughed nervously.
"Yea. Don't be too hard on him."
Nijiro huffed out a laugh. He backed away with a resigned aura.
"Well it's a long swim to Aranami. I'll see you as soon as I can."
Kurumu nodded, thinking now was not the time to tell him that she was leaving today. She watched him turn on his heel and hurry after his father. She sighed, hoping things would be okay with his family.
"Well that was interesting. Shall we head inside?"
Smiling at Ms. Ohno, Kurumu agreed that it was time to catch that movie.
"Somehow this birthday party felt much grander in my head."
Kurumu giggled as she gave Tarumi a hug in the parking lot outside the jump station in Ikinakawa.
"You could still go back and do karaoke with your friends."
Tarumi groaned, leaning back to arms' length. She glanced over her shoulder at the trio of undine girls whom had come with them to Ikinakawa. Her parents and brother had already decided to go back to Aranami, leaving some money with Tarumi to enjoy the rest of her weekend.
"I guess. It would have been better if you could have been with us."
Kurumu smiled as she heard the sedan door open. She glanced to her right as Ms. Ohno clambered into the driver's seat of the silver vehicle.
"It was fun. I haven't been to a party where the staff sings Happy Birthday."
Tarumi blushed slightly, letting go of her.
"I can't believe my father requested that. I'm not a little girl."
Kurumu sighed, reaching out to toy with Tarumi's braids in front of her peridot eyes.
"I wish I could have gone to Kuminagawa with you."
Tarumi nodded, backing out of her reach.
"Yea. See you at school."
Kurumu drifted over to the passenger side door. She breathed in the fresh afternoon air.
"Yea. Friday morning."
"Are you going to be waiting for us at the bus stop?"
Kurumu grinned, opening up the door as Tarumi retreated back to her friends.
"Of course. I'm going to give Nijiro a big, juicy kiss."
"Goodbye, Ms. Kurono."
Kurumu waved at Hasegawa before sitting down on the black cushioned seat. She shifted her lavender purse into her lap before closing the door.
"You can use this."
Ms. Ohno pushed a device into the car's cigarette lighter. She tapped the corded end of it before moving her hand aside and putting the key in the ignition.
"What's that?"
"A phone charger. That cord should work."
Kurumu gasped, noting the end of the cord did look like it would fit in her phone. She unzipped her purse as the car engine roared to life. She fished out her phone.
"Seatbelt."
Kurumu smiled at the prompting, pulling the belt down across her torso to push the metal end into the receiver on her right. Picking her phone out of her lap, she inserted the cord's end as the car rolled forward onto the dirt road. Her phone display lit up, confirming the connection as Ms. Ohno eased the wheel to the left, making the turn towards the shimmering view. The time was one fifty three.
Kurumu set her phone aside, looking at the flickering scenery ahead. It looked like a small paved area in the woods with a curved road up ahead. This phenomenon reminded her of when she had left Kunitama in Kanagawa prefecture. The vehicle had passed through a similar flickering image of the real world.
The sedan cruised through the barrier like it was a water curtain. Despite being in a vehicle, Kurumu felt the difference in the environment. She glanced over her shoulder, noting a paved walk between white steel railings with a green arch stretching towards the forest beyond. She felt the car drift to the left as Ms. Ohno steered them along the narrow road in the real world.
"Was that a bridge behind us?"
"The Shozenjiko Bridge."
"Can humans just walk into Ikinakawa?"
Ms. Ohno chuckled as she navigated the curves of the paved path. There was a river to the left of them while the ground had been shored up with concrete on the right. Plant life was making a good effort to reclaim that manmade barrier.
"Haven't you been through enough barriers to know that you need a charm?"
That was true. Most residents whom commuted between remote monster villages and the human world had a charm in their vehicles to enable passage through the barriers. Either the villages connected to a remote location without concern of hitting something in the real world or they had these barriers with views of the real world to allow residents to properly time their arrival.
Kurumu glimpsed a dam on the left before they veered to the right, following the road. Bushes and trees crowded the path, filling her view with green. They curved back and the right side was once again shored up to keep the landscape from taking over the road.
"That reminds me. I still don't have a yunomi for that time I was in Kunitama."
"Kunitama. That's Kanagawa prefecture, right?"
Kurumu nodded as they passed by a small building on the left which was flanked by a small parking lot. A moment later they cruised by the narrow road that ran across the bridge. A two story, white building flanked that road which was probably a visitor center or for dam maintenance. The road widened out to have a proper second lane as they continued their drive.
"You should write that down for me. I have a pad of paper and pencil in the glove box."
Kurumu pushed the latch in front of her which dropped the door of the storage compartment. She pulled out a black notebook, regarding the logo on the cover as she absently pushed the door back up. This was from Nagoya University. Tugging the mechanical pencil out of the binding, she opened the notebook and turned to a blank sheet.
"I thought you graduated from Tokai Gakuen University."
"I did but Kimi went to Nagoya University. Momma was so nice about helping us go to college. Neither of us had the grades for it so we needed letters of recommendation."
Kurumu paused, recalling the many stories she had recently heard of graduates failing to get into their college of choice. This notebook made Kurumu think about one of the graduate's from the fashion club.
"Do you know about the Nagoya University of Commerce and Business?"
Ms. Ohno shrugged as their vehicle coasted through a small community. Some of these structures were probably shops but others were homes. Some were set back from the road but the trees prevented the humans from expanding too far into nature's territory.
"I've heard of it. It's about a half hour from Isogashi just like the other colleges."
"There's this girl, Gawauchi. She's from Machinise. She was trying to get into the Nagoya University of Commerce and Business but they didn't like her test scores. She needs a letter of recommendation."
They were already out of that small community, driving through the forest. Poles with wires flanked the road, providing services to the humans.
"I'm not involved with those kind of matters."
"But you could check on her application. She applied for the Happily Ever After program but I guess with her barely qualifying for it, they were in no hurry to get back with her. She already has an uncle whom lives in Nagoya so she doesn't need money for room and board."
In the midst of her explanation, they had already entered another small community. In the span of Ms. Ohno's sigh, they had passed back into the woods. Like before, there was some level space on the right side of the road that could allow for buildings but it was just bushes and grass before the trees.
"Right her name down and I can ask Lord Shijima to look into it. It's possible that her application got lost between his office and Lord Inazuma's, considering both are new to their positions."
Kurumu grinned, jotting the graduate's name first at the top of the page. Gawauchi Kakuri. The girl had resigned herself to just helping out with her parents' flower shop in Machinise. She added the name of the college below the graduate's name before drawing a line across the page.
Collecting her thoughts, Kurumu wrote down all of the prefectures she was still missing yunomi for. The very first one which she underlined was Hokkaido. She wanted that one the most but she added a note to the side of it, admitting Mizore might get one for her as the snow girl had gone home over the break. Then she listed off Kanagawa for her visit to Kunitama, Nara for her visit to Lady Chuujitsu's home near Unayama, Osaka for their drive from Unayama to the airport and Tochigi for her trip to Doufuushakai where her choir competition had been held at Bakufu Academy.
Kurumu looked up from her task just as they passed under a white bridge.
"Was that a railroad?"
"The tollway E18. Fastest way to get to Niigata from Isogashi is to take E19 to E18."
Kurumu smiled, having been on that tollway before. Lord Kenmei had taken that road to the High Court in Shinnosekai of Nagano prefecture. She shivered, remembering the car wreck on their return trip and how he had died to Lady Chuujitsu's magic.
Putting the mechanical pencil back in the notebook's binding, Kurumu glanced about as they passed by a small row of homes. After the homes was a bunch of rice fields on the left as they approached a line of trees. They entered the woods for only a moment before they were once again inside a community.
"Doesn't E18 end in Joetsu?"
"Mhm. It connects to E8 which will take us to Niigata city before it becomes E7 which goes to Murakami where the portal to your school is. We are in Joetsu right now so we'll be getting on E8 soon."
They glided through the town, passing by several homes and a few apartment buildings. Occasionally there were side roads to give access to homes that were not flanking this main street. She opened the glove box, putting the notebook away before closing the storage compartment.
The first blue sign was shortly before the first intersection with traffic lights. They were on 13 and this other road was 63. The other road was bigger but the light was in their favor. They only had to slow a little before the two cars ahead of them coasted through. On her left was the Satomi Hanten family restaurant. The sign had an elderly small man with an orange cap and purple robe holding a bowl.
They kept up with the cars ahead of them, passing by a massive three story apartment building on the left. They passed by several homes and smaller apartment buildings, cruising through green lights. A Lawson station convenience store was on Kurumu's side at the corner of the intersection before they crossed a bridge with panels blocking their view on either side.
They came off the bridge in a residential area, coasting through another favorable light. Not long after that, they veered on a side road. These upcoming buildings were for small businesses. There was even a pachinko parlor behind a clothing shop on the left. This road ended in a larger one and they came to a stop at a light. Eventually they made a left turn.
Kurumu smirked, immediately spying a red sign with a familiar white bearded visage. This red roof and white panel building on the left was a KFC. An apartment building was across the street. They passed by another restaurant and a Harashin supermarket.
"I should get gas."
Kurumu spied an Eneos gas station coming up on the left. In moments, they had drifted into the paved space beneath the station's canopy. Nozzles hung from the signs mounted to the canopy. Turning the vehicle off, Ms. Ohno opened the door. She snatched up her purse and closed the door. The succubus strolled off to the glass door, needing to pay in advance to activate the pump.
Kurumu sighed, checking her phone. It had only been about sixteen minutes but it looked like her phone was already fully charged. Leaving it plugged in, she flipped open her phone and scrolled through her list of contacts. She wondered if Kokoa and Moka were in Iromori right now. If they were, there was no way she could contact them even with Yukari's spell.
Noting Kabuki's name was near Kokoa's, Kurumu decided that should be her first call to test her phone's capabilities. She had never had an issue calling her half-sister in Otoyo of the Kochi prefecture. Pressing the call button, she scooted forward in her seat so it was easier to hold the phone against her ear.
Sakurai Kabuki was the second daughter of the succubus in charge of the Shikoku region. Like Kurumu, she had been carried in the womb of Garimasu Ame, an undine exiled from her community for having a succubus child. For sixteen years, Ms. Garimasu had lived in Toukai, the succubi village in Shimane prefecture where Elder Hajinai, a renowned matchmaker, lived.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kabuki. Are you home?"
"Yea. Mom is out shopping with Jona. I'm supposed to be watching Takara but she's annoying, huh?"
Kurumu giggled at the nine year old's complaints.
"Are you playing video games?"
"Course. Thought you weren't calling until your Disney trip on Wednesday, huh?"
Kurumu smirked, surprised Kabuki had remembered that.
"My trip to Aranami was cut short. I'm in Joetsu with Ms. Ohno. She's taking me back to Mononoke."
"What happened, huh?"
"Some guy from Kuyo's PSC was angry over being expelled. Since I was part of the newspaper club that triggered his expulsion, he decided that killing me would make him feel better."
"Are you okay?"
Kurumu smiled at the lack of her usual huh. She noticed that Ms. Ohno was making her way back to the car. It looked like the nearby nozzle had been lowered from the sign for Ms. Ohno's use.
"You know it. Once that jerk lost the element of surprise, he stood no chance against your Big Sis."
Kabuki cackled on the other end.
"That's awesome. Sucks that your vacation got cut short, huh?"
"Yea. I would not recommend visiting Aranami. Umiman and Ikinakawa were okay though."
"That bad, huh? Did you make things right with your boyfriend's parents, huh?"
Kurumu paused, doubting she had. She glanced at Ms. Ohno whom was presumably filling the tank.
"I don't think so. His mother did a real one eighty on me. Turns out that she's never liked me and was just feigning support to mess with her husband."
"That's twisted, huh?"
"Yea. His dad doesn't care if we date. He just objects to us getting married which Nijiro says won't be happening any time soon."
"I don't want you get married yet, huh?"
"Why not?"
"Because you're my Big Sis. I don't want you getting married before I'm even in high school, huh?"
"You're not even in junior high. How long do I have to stay single for you?"
"Ten years."
Kurumu laughed before she heard a loud click. Her escort pulled the nozzle out, letting go so the nozzle could go back up to the sign. There was another thud which was probably closing the fuel flap.
"What makes you think I should wait ten years?"
Ms. Ohno opened the driver's door, clambering inside.
"I'll be done with high school and we can live together, huh?"
Kurumu smirked, scooting back in the seat which strained the cord to the device in the lighter socket.
"I can't make promises like that."
The door shut and Ms. Ohno fished her keys out of her purse.
"Who are you talking to?"
"But we're more like family than the jerks I'm living with, huh?"
Kurumu smiled softly as Ms. Ohno started up the sedan.
"It's Kabuki. You have my new suite number at Yokai Academy, right?"
Kabuki sighed heavily as Ms. Ohno shifted the car into gear. They started rolling forward.
"Yes. Though it's not like I have anything fancy to write about, huh? I've been home all break."
Kurumu giggled as they resumed their drive down the road. They rolled through a green light, passing by the Citizens Plaza on her left.
"Send me a letter all the same. It can be the first mail in my new mailbox."
"Okay. Talk to you later, huh?"
The girl hung up before Kurumu could respond. She chuckled, lowering the phone into her lap. They passed by a Mazda dealer before finally slowing for a red light. Kurumu glanced at the buildings at the corners of the intersection, finding none of particular interest.
"Do you mind if I call some of my friends?"
"By all means. I actually should pay attention to the road while we are in the city. Once we do get on E8, it would be nice of you to chat with me some. It's a long and boring drive."
Kurumu smiled, glancing down at her phone's display. That last call had not drained much of her battery. Her eyes fixed on Tora's name. Tora lived in the human world. That call would not need Yukari's magic. Decisively, Kurumu pushed the call button. She scooted forward slightly, lifting the phone to her ear.
The light turned green and Ms. Ohno started rolling forward when the cars ahead of them moved. The phone continued to ring in Kurumu's ear as they cruised through the intersection.
"Kurumu?"
Kurumu grinned at Tora's voice.
"Tora! How are you?!"
"Fine, uh. I really shouldn't be on the phone right now. I have family over."
Kurumu flinched, realizing her mistake.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Was the funeral today?"
Tora laughed, softening the mood.
"No. That was Thursday. But my family won't be leaving until Sunday afternoon. Everyone is still … well, you know. Condolences and whatnot. This whole week has been surreal."
Kurumu smiled, vaguely remembering that week when she had lost her mother. She had felt out of it for days. If not for her body's strong reaction to Tsukune's arrival, that feeling might have lasted for weeks.
A glance at the road revealed another Eneos station. This one actually had pumps. A NTT Docomo place was on the right, followed by a seven eleven convenience store.
"Are you going to our Disney Trip on Wednesday?"
Tora laughed again.
"You worry over the silliest things."
"I want you with us."
Tora sighed on the other end as Ms. Ohno cruised through a green light, passing by a Nissan and Toyota dealership on the right.
"I don't know. Mom is going back to work on Monday and I don't have a way of getting there."
Kurumu grimaced, having known this could happen. Tora was going to spend this whole week alone.
"Can you come back to Yokai Academy on Monday?"
There was a pause. In the silence, their sedan coasted through several intersections without having to slow down. They passed a Suzuki and Honda dealership before Tora spoke up.
"Maybe. Mom probably could arrange something."
"That would be amazing."
"You know… today is Saturday. Where are you calling me from?"
Kurumu laughed, having no precise answer for that. The blue sign up ahead said they were about to cross 534 which might be that white bridge crossing over the road.
"I'm in Joetsu."
"Why are you in Joetsu?"
Kurumu smiled softly, thinking she should not worry Tora.
"Because Aranami was the most boring place in the world. I spent the last two nights in Umiman and managed to get a ride from Ikinakawa to Mononoke right after Tarumi's birthday."
They came to a stop at a red light beneath the bridge.
"Tarumi?"
"Watakoma. Manami's friend."
"From class seven. I remember now."
"Mhm. So I'll be in Mononoke today and I better see you on Monday."
Tora let out a sigh.
"I'll try. I am curious what a trip to Disney would be like."
"I'll see you then."
The light turned in their favor, allowing the cars ahead of them to move.
"Yea. Thanks for the call, Kurumu."
Kurumu grinned broadly.
"No problem, Tora."
Tora made a slight sound and then the line went dead. Kurumu breathed in deep, satisfied with the results. If she had to, she could give Tora more details about her troubled stay in Aranami after their Disney trip. No reason to worry the girl when she still had her father's funeral fresh on her mind.
They were near another Lawson station convenience store which was in front of a tall apartment building. Two more apartment buildings stood on the left with an even taller one on the right. It only took a few moments before they reached them but they had to slow down for the light. Ms. Ohno had turned on her blinker, intent on making a right hand turn.
"You know you don't have to be so brief with your friends."
Kurumu giggled as they waited behind the other cars.
"Well Tora couldn't talk long and Kabuki was supposed to be watching her little sister. I'm also a little worried about draining my battery."
"I understand. To be honest, you might lose service once we are out of the city. It's only a short drive to the ramp for E8 from here."
Kurumu smirked when the light turned in their favor. They followed the cars ahead of them that were also making this right hand turn.
"Well other than Ms. Kiyoshi, everyone else I might want to call would require Yukari's spell."
Ms. Ohno laughed as they straightened out. She accelerated down the road, passing by a seven eleven on the left. The right side of this road was on the other side of a small island with grass.
"I wouldn't try that. Auntie Narau has been working her weekends which is why I'm here instead of her. Even if she did answer, she would not talk with you long. I know from experience."
Kurumu smiled softly, regarding the names in her contact list. As much as she wanted to ask Kokoa for explanations, she had no guarantee that call would go through. There was no chance of reaching Mizore with her being in Yukimura. The only person that made sense to try now was Yukari.
"Call Yukari."
Kurumu heard the car motor hum as power was drawn into the phone to fuel the spell. Ms. Ohno frowned, revving the engine to compensate for the anomaly. Kurumu smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. This spell of hers takes a bit of energy."
"You could have warned me."
Kurumu laughed, realizing they were in a wide open space with fields in either direction. She glanced at the phone, feeling it hum in her palm. The spell was active so she was connected to Yukari's toy phone. She noted a curved white arch coming up in the center of the road. Before they reached it, she saw that a river was passing beneath them.
"Who is calling me?"
Kurumu laughed, turning her attention back to her phone.
"It's Kurumu."
"Kurumu? Where are you calling me from?"
Kurumu smirked, knowing all of her friends would be surprised by this.
"Joetsu. I had to leave early."
"Why?"
Kurumu noted several signs for the stores on the right side of the road. Sanki, Yellow Hat, Toda Books. There was a Shell gas station on the corner of an intersection which had a green light in their favor.
"My hotel had an accident so I was in Umiman these last two days. Kokoa apparently knew about this and sent Ms. Ohno to pick me up and take me back to Mononoke."
"Really? She could have told us about that."
"I know. I'll try calling her next and see why she omitted that detail."
"So you're going to be back at Yokai Academy today?"
"Mhm. In two and a half hours."
"More like two at this point, Ms. Kurono."
Kurumu laughed at the correction as they rolled through another intersection which had the light in their favor. A yellow building stood on the right corner with a big sign with Yamada written on it.
"I'll be back in my suite in time to have dinner with Rubi, assuming she isn't harassing Tsukune."
"I see. Well I've already had my dental appointment."
Kurumu smirked, well aware that had been days ago.
"How did that go?"
"They are impressed with my recovery, but I still need these stupid braces."
"Still saying four to five years?"
"Yea. My parents are fighting again."
Kurumu frowned as Ms. Ohno slowed the vehicle down while in the right most lane. The light before a bridge up ahead was red. The succubus signaled a right hand turn.
"What for?"
"Mom wants to do a bunch of things with me over the break but Dad refuses everything she suggests. He keeps bringing up concern for the baby."
Yukari sighed heavily.
"This all started because Mom wanted to go to Disney with us which Dad immediately rejected. I was fine with that since I knew Dad would only bitch about Moka being there. But Mom got all upset about us not being a real family. She's been crying a lot."
Kurumu grimaced, thinking of the trouble she had stirred up with Nijiro's family.
"I'm sorry you're having to go through that."
Yukari sighed again just as the light changed. The cars ahead slowly started moving forward.
"I'll see if Dad has anything planned for tomorrow. If not, I might join you for dinner."
"You don't have to do that."
"I was already thinking of taking off on Monday so I could be there for Mrs. Aono's birthday. The less days I have to deal with this drama the better."
Kurumu smiled in resignation as Ms. Ohno made the right hand turn. The sedan coasted up the ramp which would merge with the road they had crossed under.
"Maybe I'll see you tonight then."
"You might even if I don't get permission."
"Don't do that."
"See you, Kurumu. End call."
Kurumu sighed when she felt the hum of power within her phone cease. She glanced up as the sedan merged on the road. Up ahead this road would pass beneath another one.
"Are we on E8?"
"No. That's E8 up ahead. One more ramp around to the toll booth."
Kurumu nodded, caressing the phone in her lap. They passed under the bridge with Ms. Ohno keeping to the left lane. It was a short way before they started a long curve to the left. It went all the way about, heading back in their original direction. A bunch of lanes were flanked by booths beneath a canopy.
They reached the toll booth in seconds with Ms. Ohno slowing down. The sedan came to a stop and Ms. Ohno rolled the window down. She reached out to the machine flanking their lane and pushed a button. A ticket popped out which she snatched up. Setting the ticket aside, Ms. Ohno rolled her window back up as she eased off her brake.
With the window up, Ms. Ohno accelerated forward while favoring the right lane. It soon became just one lane, eventually passing below a bridge. Once they were on the other side, she started up an incline which curved to the right. In seconds they merged with a two lane highway.
"Done with your phone?"
Kurumu breathed in deep, thinking she should at least try.
"Just one more. Call Kokoa."
The phone surged with power, taxing the engine once again. Ms. Ohno countered the lull by pushing the pedal all the way down. Even with that they were still slightly slower than other traffic on the tollway.
"I suspected you would give me a call."
Kurumu clenched her teeth at the sound of Kokoa's voice.
"You could have warned me about this."
"I told you that the trip was dangerous."
"Is that Kurumu?"
Kurumu had to smile at the familiar voice.
"Hey, Moka. I take it the two of you are outside of Iromori?"
"Yea. We're with Akua and Ms. Fukuda. Apparently Father will be too busy to see us over break."
"Saw movie. Was okay."
Kurumu smirked at Akua's curt remarks.
"What movie did you see?"
"She insisted on watching that Fearless movie despite me having already seen it."
"But it just came out this weekend. When did you have a chance to see it?"
Kurumu shared Moka's confusion before she realized the truth.
"She watched it through my future. I saw that movie earlier this morning."
Moka laughed brightly over the phone.
"Now I get it. So where are you, Kurumu? I didn't sound like they had a theater in Aranami."
Kurumu sighed, guessing Kokoa had not even bothered to enlighten her sister.
"The theater was in Umiman. I'm leaving Joetsu right now. I'm in a car with Ms. Ohno and we are on our way back to Mononoke?"
"You're not staying until Monday?"
Kurumu rolled her eyes.
"No. Someone caused the hotel to have an accident, nearly killing me. I spent Wednesday night at the hospital in Umiman, which Kokoa must have known about."
There was a short pause of silence.
"Kurumu. It was dark. It was hard to tell when you were awake. My only points of reference were the few times you looked at a clock. There were several instances of you having an accident and some put you in the hospital. That was why I insisted on you always being with someone. As long as you were with an undine, you would somehow make it out alive."
Kurumu grimaced, feeling frustrated with the situation.
"You could have told me that someone was trying to kill me."
"Someone was?"
Kurumu paused at the genuine confusion in Kokoa's voice.
"You're joking, right?"
"Whenever you made it back to Umiman, some guy that I've never seen before would grab your tits in an empty school building. You would take him to the Fairy Tale office in Umiman and glimpse a day by day calendar which showed Friday. Then you would be locked up for days if nobody came to get you."
Kurumu groaned, understanding the limitations to Kokoa's foreshadowing. Without sound and thoughts, it would be difficult to understand that encounter with Kazuhiko.
"That jerk was trying to kill me."
"Why?"
"Because he was part of Kuyo's PSC and got expelled. Since I played a part in the PSC's downfall, he was taking his frustrations out on me."
The sisters on the other end made sounds of understanding.
"Kokoa did try to discourage you."
"I know. Thanks for sending someone to pick me up."
"Yes. Are things okay with you and your boyfriend?"
Kurumu managed a laugh. There was no way Kokoa would have understood that.
"I have no idea. His parents have a complicated relationship."
"His mother was always mad at you and any advice I tried to give you did not change that. I don't know if that meant my advice would be ignored or if there was no way of talking yourself into a favorable light."
"Short of me just charming her into submission, she was dead set against me."
"Maybe things will still work out."
Kurumu nodded at Moka's hopeful words.
"How have things been for you guys?"
"Kokoa won her tournament."
"Of course I won. I'm now the same rank as Ms. Udetama."
Kurumu smirked at the younger sister's confidence.
"How did Udetama do?"
"She was a semifinalist so not good enough to be bumped into the B rank."
"Could you unplug your phone? I think it might be troubling the car."
Kurumu favored Ms. Ohno an apologetic smile, unhooking the cord from her phone. The sedan instantly surged forward, causing the succubus to chuckle. She eased off her acceleration now that the strain on the engine had been removed.
"So what else have you two been doing this last week?"
"Not much. Moka has been learning to drive."
"Mrs. Ruben has been very helpful."
"Are you driving right now?"
Moka laughed in a disarming manner.
"No. I don't have a license. The three of us are in the back seat."
"And Ms. Fukuda is our chaperone for the weekend. We're in Kumamoto right now and tomorrow we shall be exploring all that Fukuoka has to offer."
"Which is not how I planned to spend my free time."
Akua huffed indignantly.
"Not like better things for you."
"We are very grateful for Ms. Fukuda's assistance."
"Yes. We are buying undergarments for our uncivilized sister."
"Waste of money. No need for frilly cloths only men admire."
"You only say that because you have nothing to support."
"Show you support!"
Kurumu smiled, feeling sad that the sisters would not see their father.
"Did you see Kahlua?"
"We will tomorrow. Then we'll be getting on a plane first thing Monday morning."
"Plane? To where?"
Moka laughed cheerfully.
"To Disney. Akua booked the resort for a two night stay."
"But our trip is on Wednesday."
"I know. We'll check out before meeting up with everyone at the park."
"Akua insisted on having a day at the park with just us."
"Not you. Just Moka."
"Since it's better than wasting another day in Iromori, I decided to humor her. It will be the first time she's been to this Disneyland."
The phone beeped, signaling the battery was low. Kurumu sighed.
"As much as I'd like to chat for longer, my phone is about to die."
"Hmm. Mine is already on half battery. That brat needs to make a better energy efficient spell."
Kurumu laughed, bringing her phone up to her breast.
"Well I hope the three of you have fun at Disney. Yukari will be relying on your expertise to take us to all of the best rides in one day."
"Right. See you Wednesday, Kurumu."
Kurumu nodded as Moka echoed Kokoa's sentiment.
"Bye. End call."
Kurumu smiled, feeling the warmth of the phone dissipate. She glanced at the road, seeing fields to either side. A sign up ahead was the exit for Kakizaki.
"Where are we?"
"I wish I could get you closer to your apartment."
Kurumu smiled as she opened up the door. Having already unbuckled her seatbelt, she stood up out of the parked vehicle.
"It's no big deal. Even if you drove all the way to the dining hall, I'd still be walking over ten minutes."
Ms. Ohno sighed as Kurumu fetched her lavender purse from the passenger seat.
"I hope the rest of your spring break is enjoyable."
Kurumu laughed, hesitating in closing the door. The clock on the dashboard read four forty nine.
"Don't fall asleep on your drive home."
"I won't."
Kurumu smirked, shutting the door. She strolled behind the sedan as Ms. Ohno adjusted the gear. The vehicle eased forward and turned all the way about in the road. Once the car was straightened out in the proper lane, the succubus hit the gas. The sedan zoomed off towards the black tunnel which would take her back out into the real world.
Taking in a deep breath, Kurumu glanced about the empty bus stop. It had only been one week since she had been here with the students heading to Tsushimi village. Shifting the strap of her purse higher up on her shoulder, she started her walk towards the only trail leading out of this clearing.
It was good to be back in Mononoke but most of her classmates would not be returning before Friday. A part of her wanted to visit Tsukune but that felt wrong with her being Nijiro's girlfriend. She should hang out with other people like Rubi and Yukari if she could.
One option was Meirowasa Tokori. The local monstrel girl had been in Kurumu's home economics class. Tokori's mother had recently been hired on to be the teacher for the health and wellness elective, having years of experience working as a nurse in the town's hospital. Tokori's father whom was an undine had been an English teacher at Yokai Academy but had left years before Tokori's brother had been born. The only thing Kurumu knew was that Tokori's father had not come from the nearby undine communities.
But it was spring break. Tokori might be spending most of her free time working at her part time job at the Mix it Up Café. That might also be the case with Unari Satsuki. The nekomusume had opted to stay on campus over the break with Tokori's family. She had a part time job as a waitress at the Gates of Heaven, a maid café. Wanibuchi Bunko, another monstrel girl in their grade, worked at this café which was owned by her uncle.
The only local girl whom might be completely free of commitments was Sawayaka Mikomi. Her father had been a homeroom teacher at Yokai Academy for over thirty years. After he died while protecting the former Headmaster from a colleague's attack, Mikomi had started living with Tokori's family. Smart and resourceful, Mikomi had managed to win the student council election with Nijiro as her vice president.
Kurumu sighed, walking along the level trail which cut through the woods to the bus stop. This would eventually meet up with the path between the dining hall and the school entrance. Right now she had only passed by the narrow trail which ended at Baratoge, the first year girls' dormitory. At least the sun was still up to illuminate her path.
The drive to Mononoke had been mildly interesting. The first time when she had traveled down E7 she had been too preoccupied with worries about their imminent audience with the High Court to pay too much attention to the details. Now she felt better acquainted with the journey. The tunnel that was linked to Mononoke was on 345. They had taken the Kamihayashi exit and headed north.
There had been several significant landmarks along the journey but it was a tollway. A good portion of the drive had been away from the towns and they had been going fast. And she had seen the stretch of E8 between Nagaoka and Niigata even before that drive to the High Court. Her former history teacher had taken E17 to E8 when they had been driving to her wedding in Niigata from Aserutani.
Takizawa Nekonome Shizuka. Kurumu wondered if she would ever see her teacher again. She had finally married the human doctor whom she had been dating for the last decade. She was Satsuki's aunt and her mother lived in Aserutani, a tanuki ran mixed community in the Tsunan region. It was her hopes to at least be pregnant before the end of the calendar year.
A narrow trail cut across this nicer, wider one in both directions. To Kurumu's right, this trail ended in the clearing about the Kurai dining hall. To the left, the trail would take her to the second year dormitories. For some reason they were labeled East and West despite them being North and South.
Most of her peers would start living in those dormitories soon. She was mildly curious when they would reopen. The dorms had closed down for cleaning purposes this week. That was why Satsuki was staying with Tokori and why Tsukune was staying with his mom in Ms. Atsumoto's apartment. The suites for the third years were an exception since they were all accessible from the exterior.
Kurumu grumbled to herself as she veered to the right, following the slight curve of the trail. This was such a long and boring walk. She fussed with her purse strap, thinking about her phone. She had not taken a single picture this week. She had no souvenirs to show for the trip. That deck of cards Nijiro had bought had been lost in the accident. What had even been the point of this trip?
The view ahead of her opened up in a clearing of uneven grass. This path veered off to the right but Kurumu decided to just walk through the clearing. This empty space had been reserved for housing back in the nineties when the school had last expanded. She was unsure if this had been meant to replace or augment the current housing situation. The rumors were that this would have been coed housing.
This clearing ended where the jogging path intersected with the main path between the dining hall and the school entrance. Both trails were level, widened and well maintained. This jogging trail cutting off to the left would make its way to the back of the clearing with the second year dorms. Following it to the right would run south of Chikara, the first year boys' dorm before cutting north to run between the chapel and the main road. The jogging path eventually would end in the main school parking lot after passing by the student council building.
Kurumu stepped off the uneven grass onto the main path and crossed the jogging trail. She drifted to the left, following the path through the woods. She still had a long walk ahead of her but she was probably more than half way. The next trail she would pass by would go off to the right, ending at Chikara.
She felt like she should take a shower. That was strange considering she had spent so much time in the water. It was probably because she had been wearing this school uniform and swimsuit for days. It was not like she had done laundry.
She reached a bend in the path with that trail going to Chikara on the right. Glancing at the trees on her left, she wondered if she should just cut through the woods. She probably was not too far from home.
Decisively Kurumu braved a trek through the woods. She stepped gingerly around the trees, thankful that there was still enough sunlight to justify this act. It had not even taken a minute before she spied the two story apartments through the trees. Emboldened, she hastened her pace through the thicket.
Kurumu entered the clearing, instantly recognizing the torn up turf between the two nearest buildings. That was where Tsukune had fought Moka for the right to be her boyfriend. That meant the building on her left was hers. She walked purposefully towards the corner closer to the squat commissary building.
Once she had cleared the corner, Kurumu brought her purse up and unzipped it. She fished out her keys before shifting her purse back to her side. She closed in on the base of the stairs which stretched out to the back corner of the commissary. After a few steps, she reached the base and grabbed the black railing. At a brisk pace, she started up the long flight of steps to the landing in front of her door.
In moments Kurumu reached the top. She promptly put her key into the lock, turning the deadbolt back. Removing the key, she twisted the knob and pushed in. She stepped inside, finally home.
Flicking on the light, Kurumu closed the door behind her and set the deadbolt back in place. She shuffled out of her loafers, setting her keys on the half wall. Fishing her phone out of her purse, she zipped it up and dropped it on the floor beside her schoolbag.
Kurumu drifted over to her desk, noting the butsudan and mommy's picture. She leaned over to fetch the end of the charger cord from the floor. Plugging it into her phone, she placed the phone beneath the white desk lamp. The display was lit up, showing the connection was good.
Thinking she could save the shower for tomorrow, Kurumu grabbed the hem of her sweater vest, tugging it up over her head. She slung the garment into her baby blue hamper beside her dresser before starting to unbutton her blouse.
In a matter of seconds, Kurumu stripped down to nothing. Adding the socks last to the pile of dirty clothes, she pranced over to the refrigerator with her breasts jiggling. She tugged open the closet door, turning on the light. She padded over to the low shelf where she kept her pajamas. Thinking she should do laundry tonight, she grabbed her powder blue, corduroy tank top and navy cotton shorts.
Once she had both garments on, she pranced back into the main room and turned off the light. Shutting the closet door, she skipped over to her hamper by the dresser. She hefted it up, carrying it over to the entry. A sudden thought prompted her to set the hamper aside.
"I should check if Yukari is here first."
Stepping over to the foot of her bed, Kurumu felt up the wall for the hidden device. She found it quickly, touching it to trigger the spell. The room hummed with power as the wall was pulled apart. She darted into the dark closet space beyond, feeling for the doorknob.
A sizzling sound greeted her the moment she pushed open the door. Standing on a stool in front of the stove was Yukari. The witch was garbed in that periwinkle tee shirt with the stars and glitter. A knee length pair of denim shorts hugged her slender hips and rump. Yukari scooted the contents of a skillet about before casting a glance in Kurumu's direction.
"I was wondering when you would get here."
Kurumu smirked, shutting the door behind her.
"When did you get here?"
"Less than a half hour ago. I honestly thought you would get here first."
Kurumu strolled over to the counter near the witch, leaning back against it.
"Where is Rubi?"
"Don't know. But I can always make more when she shows up. The commissary didn't have a great selection so we will be grocery shopping tomorrow."
Kurumu laughed softly. She breathed in deep, enjoying the scent of the grilled vegetables.
"I'm going to do laundry after this."
"And here I was going to offer to help you with your homework."
Kurumu snorted with a shake of her head.
"I can do that later."
"You should do it now."
Kurumu took in another deep breath. A thought crossed her mind.
"Do you think Mikomi would be up for a study session sleepover?"
"Ms. Sawayaka? That would interfere with my shopping plans."
Kurumu chuckled, watching the witch turn off the stove. Yukari moved the skillet to a cold burner before hopping off her stool.
"Could you get the plates?"
Kurumu sounded an affirmative, turning about and reaching up for the cabinets. Tugging the door open, she lifted up on her toes to secure a pair of ceramic plates.
"We could still do your shopping and a sleepover at her place. It's not like we have anything else to do."
Yukari huffed as Kurumu moved aside to allow her access to the plates on the counter.
"You have homework. But if Ms. Sawayaka does agree to your plan, I will entertain such an endeavor."
Kurumu snickered as Yukari portioned out the grilled vegetables onto the plates.
"I'm glad to be back here."
Yukari pause her task for a moment. She nodded before resuming.
"So am I. Go sit at the table. You're in the way."
Laughing, Kurumu complied with the request.
