Kurumu drifted over to the entry of Yukari's suite, stepping into her loafers. She leaned over to grab the strap of her schoolbag, hefting it up over her head. She shifted the strap into the valley of her blouse, having left her school jacket open. Resting the bag upon her hip, she favored Yukari a grin.
"Did you remember your gym clothes?"
Yukari snorted, picking up the white satchel which contained bento boxes for Kurumu, Yukari and her two adoring fans. Yukari rested the strap on the same shoulder bearing the burden of her schoolbag.
"Of course I remembered. Did you?"
Kurumu giggled, retreating to the door. She patted her schoolbag which had her gym sneakers tied by their laces about the bag's handles.
"Yes. I'm still fascinated by your claim of genuinely forgetting something."
Yukari huffed pompously, strolling over to don her loafers.
"A genius like me can't be bothered with such trivial matters."
Kurumu smirked, unlocking the door before opening it.
"Sure. We're heading out, Rubi."
"I'm coming!"
Rubi pranced out of the closet, wearing that silk, pink blouse with the crimped, short sleeves. The black fabric of the pencil skirt ended where the black hose began. The older witch had been in her pajamas only minutes ago, having done the dishes in her sleep attire.
"Go outside already."
Kurumu chuckled at Yukari's shooing gesture. Letting go of the knob, she drifted out onto the landing with the black metal railing. She breathed in deep, enjoying the crisp morning air.
"Rubi should agree to Ginei's proposal."
Yukari scowled, wandering outside to join Kurumu. Having grabbed a pair of white sneakers for gym, Yukari looked fully encumbered.
"It's a terrible idea. Rubi doesn't even know if she'll stay at Yokai Academy after we graduate."
"But I could do it for the next two years."
"Ginei should find someone more committed to the school."
Rubi bounded over, stopping to slip on her black flats.
"But I could help out now. It's the least I can do."
"You don't owe him anything for planning a birthday party. We would have done that without his help."
Kurumu grinned, stepping down one stair as Rubi exited the suite.
"I have to agree with Yukari. All of us want to celebrate your birthday."
Rubi giggled, pulling her keys out of her black leather weave purse.
"I've never had a birthday party before."
Kurumu frowned, wandering down two more steps as Rubi closed the door to lock it up.
"You've never celebrated your birthday?"
Rubi smiled, putting her keys back in her purse after locking up.
"Lady Oyakata celebrated the day I came into her life which was in May. It was sort of like a birthday."
Yukari huffed, gesturing for Kurumu to descend. Kurumu quickly obliged, staying a step ahead of Yukari.
"I want to check on my Moka."
"It's a little weird that a six year old didn't remember her own birthday."
"That beloved witch of hers tampered with her memories."
"She wasn't all bad, Yukari."
Yukari sighed heavily upon reaching the bottom of the stairs to join Kurumu.
"She did you more harm than good. I'll see if my parents can attend this party that Ginei is planning."
"That would be nice."
Yukari shrugged, stalking off which prompted them to follow.
"No promises. It's in the middle of the week and my dad has work."
They arrived at the door to 313 and Yukari promptly knocked. Kurumu managed a smile, gesturing to the other side of the apartment building.
"Do you think we can stop by Mizore's place?"
"Aren't you supposed to meet with your kouhai?"
Kurumu frowned at Yukari's reproachful tone.
"It won't take that long."
"If my Moka isn't ready, then we are leaving. I don't want to be an excuse for your failures."
Kurumu pouted, slipping a hand inside her jacket's pocket. She felt the folded sheet from Tashikana which had the list of CD releases and latest movies.
"I wasn't planning to blame you for anything."
"And don't say a thing about that comic. We don't need to worry my Moka over that nonsense."
Yukari knocked again which was answered with the deadbolt being drawn back. The door pushed open, revealing that Kokoa was already dressed for school. She had on the sleeveless beige vest over the long sleeved, white blouse. The vampire wiggled her feet into her loafers as she picked up her schoolbag.
"Morning, Kokoa."
"Morning. Hurry up, Moka. I said they'd be here."
"I'm going as fast as I can!"
Kurumu chuckled, gesturing at Kokoa when the girl sauntered out to join them.
"Looking into our futures?"
"Not intentionally. It just happens when I'm not careful."
Kurumu frowned, cocking her head. It was still odd to see Kokoa with just a ponytail but something else had caught her attention.
"Why aren't you wearing your mother's barrette to suppress your powers?"
"You just now noticed? I haven't been wearing that all week."
"Don't rely on Kurumu to notice small details like that."
Kurumu pouted at Yukari's accusation.
"I noticed she cut her hair!"
"And I noticed she wasn't wearing her mother's barrette at Disneyland."
"I didn't want to lose it."
"Why aren't you wearing it now?"
Kokoa shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's too flashy for school. It's not like I need it. Even when I was wearing it, it didn't stop me from seeing probable futures. It just slowed things down."
Kurumu felt guilty for not realizing this sooner.
"I'm sorry, Kokoa."
"It's no big deal. I sent those forms to Father last night with a letter explaining your situation. I doubt he will care if you get a job or date Mr. Amesuki."
"Thanks for that."
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Moka appeared in the doorway, adjusting the straps of her schoolbag and lunch satchel. The vampire scooted her shoes about with her feet before putting them on without using her hands.
"Did you make lunch for your sylph friends?"
Moka chuckled at Kurumu's query, shaking her head as she completed her task. She stepped out of her suite, fishing her keys out of the pocket of her school jacket.
"No. I only made lunch for myself and Tsukune."
Kurumu perked up at the confession as Moka closed the door.
"Oh? Are you sitting with him at lunch?"
Moka blushed as she locked up her suite.
"No. I don't want to get reported for being in violation of the relationship rules."
Kurumu snickered when the vampire pocketed her keys.
"But you have no issue making him a bento."
"I'd make Kokoa a bento if she let me."
"We should go."
Kurumu sounded an affirmative, walking alongside Kokoa. They passed through the gap between the base of the stairs and the corner of the commissary building. Yukari trailed behind them with Moka to one side and Rubi on the other.
"Are you sitting with your new sylph friends?"
"Three of them are in band so they sit on the other side of the cafeteria. Only Tomo has been sitting with me since we started this new lunch schedule."
Kurumu frowned at the revelation as they left the clearing.
"I didn't know that."
"We're with the softball girls so it's not like I'm by myself."
"Did you finally join their team?"
"I really should. They all want me to. Even Tsukune thinks it would be good for me."
Kurumu nodded, watching the trail ahead of them. As they had left the suite on Yukari's schedule, they were the only ones walking to school at this time.
"Did the softball team practice yesterday?"
"No, but we did meet on the field and discussed ideas for the club showcase."
Yukari huffed indignantly.
"That's more than what Ginei did with us. All he talked about was throwing a birthday party for Rubi."
"That's nice of him."
"He's only doing it to make Rubi feel obligated to be our club advisor."
"I don't mind doing that for you guys."
Moka giggled at Rubi's response.
"That's sweet of you, Rubi. What plans did Ginei have?"
"He said that he would finalize things over the weekend and let us know next Monday."
"But the club showcase is next Monday."
Yukari sighed dramatically as they arrived at the small clearing where several trails began. They drifted to the right, taking the widest of these trails which would connect to the main school path.
"We didn't even talk about the club showcase. Maybe that will be the focus of our next meeting."
Kurumu smiled, glancing at Kokoa whom walked alongside her.
"What did your fencing club do yesterday?"
"Probably the same as most clubs. Talk about plans for the club showcase."
"What sort of plans?"
"Well since our building is away from campus, we are hoping to use some gym space."
"The softball team was thinking the same thing."
"At least the first years will know where the baseball fields are."
"Yea and we certainly intend to use one so students can try out hitting, catching and pitching. But we want some presence on campus to direct the first years to the fields."
"We can't have novices wielding blades. Ms. Shikichi thinks we should do a demonstration on campus."
Kurumu smiled at a passing thought about Miyamoto Haiji, Ginei's friend whom had a crush on Kokoa.
"The karate club's dojo is also pretty far away from campus."
"What about it?"
Kurumu chuckled at Kokoa's standoffish tone.
"Have you seen Miyamoto yet?"
"Not since he embarrassed me before my tournament."
When Kokoa and Moka had boarded the bus with the fencing club, the tengu senior had declared that Kokoa would always be a winner in his heart.
"You could always visit him."
"Why would I do that? I never visited him in his old room so why would I start now?"
"I'm sure that he would want to see you."
"That's his problem."
Kurumu refrained from responding to that, reaching the end of the trail moments later. They turned left, heading towards the school. It was not that far before the woods started to thin out. To the left of the trail was the pond where she had first tried to talk to Tsukune.
"Only one year."
"What?"
Kurumu smiled at Kokoa's confusion.
"My first day at Yokai Academy was April eleventh. Technically I was here the day before but I didn't talk to any students before this day one year ago."
Moka laughed softly, nodding.
"Same. I was here for the welcoming ceremony but I didn't talk to anyone."
"Both of you were lucky. So many people were asking if I was lost or a gnome. Attending the welcoming ceremony was a huge mistake."
Kurumu chuckled at Yukari's remark. She had never asked most of the other girls about their first days of school. Most of their initial chats had been about other things.
"Yea. Those first few days it was just me, Moka and Tsukune."
"You mean Hatsue."
Kurumu laughed at Moka's correction.
"Yes, though I met you that first week. You threatened to tear my wings and tail off."
Moka sighed as they walked at a steady pace.
"Because Tsukune meant so much to Hatsue. He was her first friend. Our first blood claim. And then there was some sexy girl trying to steal him away. Of course I hated you for that."
Kurumu supposed she deserved that. She had been such a spoiled brat back then. She had not even appreciated her mother's love.
"Yea. I didn't have a great opinion of Hatsue either at first. She was clinging to Tsukune in a way that would have got me called all sorts of bad things back in junior high."
"Didn't you have a boyfriend in junior high?"
Kurumu nodded at Kokoa's query.
"I did but he was charmed. Those girls were going to call me a whore anyways so I decided to at least get something out of it. It wasn't real and I never took it seriously. Tsukune was my real first love."
"That was because your body responded to his."
Kurumu sighed at Yukari's simple explanation.
"It was more than that. I wanted to love him. More than anything. It just didn't work out."
Moka took in a deep breath as they neared the split in the path. The trail on the left would end at a path that ran between the school and the hospital on the outskirts of Mononoke. The other trail would take them to the main school gate.
"So much has happened in just one year. I'm free and so is Hatsue."
That sentiment made Kurumu feel warm inside.
"She'll be born again soon. Most likely before your birthdays."
Moka laughed brightly, nodding.
"I imagine that Mizore wants that. My birthday is still a month away."
"And mine is only three days after yours."
Kurumu smiled at Kokoa's addition as they favored the trail on the right.
"Do you think Hatsue will retain her memories?"
"That was never a guarantee."
Kurumu sighed at Yukari's declaration.
"I'm aware of that but it is possible."
"Even if she does have them, it will take years for her to develop the ability to talk. You know this from those memories you pilfered from Ms. Kiyomizu when you learned how to speak Cantonese."
Yukari was right. When Mizore's ancestor had been slain by Fujisaki, Ms. Kiyomizu had not been aware of her new life as a kappa boy until she was around two years old. There was a good chance that even if Hatsue had her memories, she would not be able to tell them before they graduated from high school.
So much had changed in one year. She was an orphan and there was a scar between her breasts from when the doctors in Iromori had operated on her heart. She was no longer under the threat of dying from a broken heart but she felt no solace from that. A final gift from Mrs. Shuzen and not the only one that had involved a hospital operation. The other had been last summer when the Iromori doctors had put her mother's baby maker inside her since hers had been torn out by Tsukune when he had first gone berserk, killing those monstrel boys. In a twisted way, Hatsue would both be her daughter and sister.
"Will things be so different one year from now?"
"I am not letting you marry Mr. Amesuki before your graduation."
Kurumu laughed at Kokoa's stern response.
"I'll be sure to tell Nijiro that at lunch today."
"If you are still with him when you graduate, I will release you from your duties. But I better get an invitation to your wedding."
Kurumu snickered, bumping against the vampire.
"Of course, Milady."
"I doubt much will be different for me."
Kurumu smirked at Moka's resigned tone.
"Oh? Not going to write your father for permission to date Tsukune?"
Moka snorted at her playful remarks.
"Of course not. Father would reject such a thing without a thought. If Tsukune wants me in that kind of relationship, he would have to demand an official match."
"You'll need to tell him that. Make him understand that you can't just ask Father's permission for this."
"I know. Perhaps I should have lunch with him today."
"You should also remind Tsukune that you are exiled. While Father will require an official match for his blessing, there won't be any pressure on the two of you to marry right away."
Moka blushed slightly, glancing aside.
"Not that that matters. The wedding is just a formality at that point."
"A formality that he would want to be a part of, Sister. While the Shuzen Estate won't have any stake in that ceremony, I'm certain that both of our older sisters will want to be there."
"But that won't happen this year, right?"
Moka smiled at Rubi's concern.
"I doubt that Mrs. Aono will allow Tsukune to marry this year. Next summer break is probably the earliest we could consider having a wedding."
"Already conceding your defeat?"
Moka pouted at Kokoa.
"Even if I trained every single day for the next year, I might not win that match."
"Because you can't or because you don't want to?"
Moka sighed, looking to the thinning woods on their left. The perimeter wall stood on the other side of a few trees. This was where they had set up the tables to hand out their papers.
"My pride says I can beat him. But you're right, Kokoa. I don't want to."
Yukari sighed theatrically.
"Well I better be taller in one year. And at least an A cup."
Kurumu giggled, noting that the boards flanking the school path were up ahead. The lists of names for the first year homerooms had already been taken down yesterday afternoon.
"Is that really so important?"
"Yes. I want to bloom into a mature woman while Tsukune is still around to see it."
Moka chuckled, tousling Yukari's locks.
"We still have two more years."
"Ms. Kurono!"
Yotaku Miko waved enthusiastically from the school gate up ahead. Like her cousin, Yotaku had wavy, lilac hair. The first year had on the school jacket with the red bow tied at her collar. Standing beside her was little Nyuuwa whom was dressed in the same attire.
"Looks like my kouhai beat us here. See you all later."
Kurumu kicked up into a slight jog, crossing the remaining distance in the matter of seconds. Yotaku grinned broadly with her fair eyes shifting colors.
"We await your orders!"
Kurumu giggled, slowing down upon arrival. She gestured at the school's main entrance.
"We should head inside and chat with our advisor."
Nyuuwa smiled sheepishly as she fell in step with Kurumu.
"Uh, Ms. Kurono. Do you have an opinion on this?"
The tiny girl held out a familiar comic that made Kurumu's eyes widen.
"Where did you get that?"
Yotaku laughed cheerfully, bumping against Kurumu's shoulder.
"I showed it to her."
Kurumu groaned as they walked up the incline to the school.
"Why would you do that?"
"I wanted her to see the fruits of your modeling career."
Kurumu shook her head as the girl darted ahead to open the doors for them.
"It is not a career."
She sauntered over the threshold, turning about to regard Nyuuwa's concerned expression. She gestured at the comic in the tiny girl's hands as Nyuuwa entered.
"If anyone deserves credit for that artwork, it's Uboku Iko. She drew it."
Yotaku grinned, joining them in the space before the shoe shelves.
"Could you introduce us to her?"
Kurumu frowned at this girl's enthusiasm.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I should try some modeling myself. That is what popular girls do."
Kurumu rolled her eyes, stalking off.
"Go change your shoes."
Yotaku responded with much more vigor than Nyuuwa. The girl bounded around Kurumu, turning up the adjacent aisle as Kurumu started down her own.
"Is Ms. Uboku in your lunch period?"
Kurumu sighed as she made her way to her shoe shelf.
"She has fifth period lunch so I don't ever see her."
"Do you know where she lives?"
Kurumu had no interest carrying on this conversation across the aisles. She stopped in front of her cubby, taking out her slippers. Dropping those on the floor, she stepped out of her loafers. Kurumu leaned over to quickly don her slippers. Stuffing her loafers into her cubby, she stepped up from the genkan into the grand foyer. It was no surprise that Yotaku was first to join her.
"Is she a second or third year?"
Kurumu sighed, hoping Nyuuwa would rescue her from this interrogation.
"Second year. She was in the manga club but was kicked out for making that comic."
"Do you know which club she is in now?"
"I don't know if she picked a new club. This all happened in late February."
"Does the school have a modeling club?"
Kurumu shook her head, feeling relief when Nyuuwa stepped up from the genkan. The small girl was glancing down at the comic as she walked over to them.
"I hope you don't expect me to do something like this."
Kurumu laughed, turning about and starting towards the door to the teachers' lounge.
"I don't. That has nothing to do with our broadcasting club."
"Good. You're gorgeous and sexy. I could never pull this off."
"I might give it a try."
Kurumu clucked her tongue as she reached the door ahead of her juniors.
"Don't. You'll only get in trouble."
Yotaku grinned as Kurumu drew the door open.
"But being a rebel is part of your charm. It made you popular."
"What has Tashikana been telling you?"
Yotaku giggled, strolling inside.
"Only the truth."
Kurumu shook her head, following Nyuuwa into the lounge.
"Morning, Mrs. Senda."
The science teacher turned at the greeting from Nyuuwa. The woman had a caramel cardigan draped over a long sleeved, white blouse. Tan capris clung to her legs.
"Morning, Ms. Nyuuwa. I see that you are with Ms. Yotaku and Ms. Kurono."
"We are all reporting for duty, Ma'am!"
Mrs. Senda giggled at Yotaku's declaration. She picked up a sheet from her desk as well as her keys.
"I should remind you that we need four members to retain our club status."
"We could recruit Ms. Uboku."
"We are not doing that!"
Yotaku frowned at Kurumu's quick refusal.
"But she might need a club."
Kurumu shook her head, not wanting to address that.
"I'm sure that we can find one first year willing to give us a try."
"Yea. You are… popular."
Mrs. Senda glanced at the item in Nyuuwa's hands.
"Oh my. Why do you have that?"
"I gave it to her."
"Put that away in a schoolbag. You girls shouldn't have that sort of thing on campus."
Nyuuwa promptly thrust the comic to Yotaku. The girl chuckled softly, taking the comic. She opened up her schoolbag, putting the smut away.
"Do you girls have any ideas of what you want to do for the club showcase?"
Kurumu shrugged indifferently.
"I don't know. What has the club done in the past?"
"Well last year we didn't do anything but in other years we've let students try out the PA system."
"So we just have it in the broadcasting room?"
"It's really up to you, Ms. Kurono. You are the club president."
Kurumu smiled nervously.
"I don't see why we should do anything different."
"I heard from my cousin that we got new equipment."
Kurumu laughed softly, nodding.
"Yea. Though the room is much emptier than it used to be."
"That isn't a bad thing. More room for more people."
"And we can use the system to encourage students to stop by! We'll be swimming in new members!"
Kurumu smirked at Yotaku's follow up to Mrs. Senda.
"Do you even know how to use the system?"
"Nope! But you are going to show us, right?"
Mrs. Senda chuckled, getting up from her chair.
"I suppose we should do that. Follow me, ladies."
Kurumu grinned, suspecting this day would be better than the last one.
"I think we have spent enough time reviewing the homework packet. If any of you want to turn in your packets today, you may do so. If not, you do have the rest of the week to finish."
Yokei Shinsei stepped away from the podium, drifting over to the teacher's desk. The biology teacher had his short, dark hair styled in a simple middle part and had soft brown eyes. He had on a navy suit jacket over a yellow dress shirt with a black tie hiding the buttons. His navy slacks had a black braided belt fed through the loops at his waist.
"Ms. Sendou. Could you please collect the homework?"
Yukari sounded an affirmative as the man took his seat behind the desk. The witch scooted off her chair, skipping over to Yokumoto's desk by the windows. Mizore sighed, taking a homework packet from her fiancé before handing both hers and his up to the quiet choir girl.
"Mr. Y-y-yokei. Are w-we going to d-d-dissect anything in c-class?"
The teacher looked at Itazura whom often stammered out her sentences.
"There will be one dissection of a small animal in September. It's important for students to understand that there are organs inside us all that keep us alive."
"Do w-we have to?"
"Yes, Ms. Itazura. Science is about knowing how things work, not just accepting what you are told."
Itazura sighed, looking down at her desk.
"I'll h-have to end-dure it."
"Kurumu. Homework."
Kurumu smirked at Yukari, turning in her chair to pat Itazura's desk. The girl smiled, shaking her head. Seeing no reason to keep her completed assignment, Kurumu turned about and picked up her packet. Lifting up from her seat, she leaned forward to give it to the witch whom presumably had already added her own homework packet to the stack.
"What other kinds of things will we be doing in the labs?"
"Biology is a broad subject, Ms. Touzoku. While some topics should have been covered in junior high, there is no guarantee every junior high is up to human standards. This is a very fast paced course with labs every Tuesday and Thursday starting next week. We will be covering many subjects like looking at cells through a microscope, determining your blood type, and even growing your own seeds."
Yukari frowned, collecting up the final packets from Musousaki's row.
"You will have us grow a plant?"
"Yes. That will actually be your first lab next week. Obviously it won't grow right away so we will move on to another subject but I will expect you to bring your plants back eventually."
Yukari nodded thoughtfully, stalking over to his desk with the stack of completed homework packets.
"Interesting. Will there be lab based exams?"
"No, Ms. Sendou. Labs in this class are for the sake of participation and experience."
Yukari lingered by his desk after placing the stack on the surface.
"They aren't graded?"
"This isn't chemistry, Ms. Sendou. All biology exams are written. There will be diagrams and pictures on your tests which will refer back to our lab activities, but the labs themselves are not graded."
Yukari made a thoughtful sound, drifting back to her front row desk in the center of the class. Nodding, she turned about and sat down in her chair.
"So it doesn't matter whom my lab partners were."
"I do keep track of attendance, Ms. Sendou. And your textbooks are not fully comprehensive of every subject we will cover. I will be handing out supplemental packets throughout the year to make things easier to study for your exams."
"But my grade won't be affected by the performance of my lab partners."
"That is correct, Ms. Sendou. You will only be graded on your own merits."
Yukari was obviously pleased with this news. The young witch had achieved perfect scores when the chemistry exam had not been lab based. Yukari still had been number one the other times but not getting a perfect score had bothered the genius.
"Are the other biology teachers having labs only on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"
"Yes, Ms. Kurono. The curriculum is the same for all second years. If any of you ever miss a lab, you can schedule something with me. We can either stay after school or come in on the weekends."
Kurumu nodded though that was not the reason she had asked the question.
"So you only have to worry about a noisy lunch line twice a week."
Mr. Yokei paused with a contemplative look.
"I can't say it was that much of a nuisance but my lab is not that close to the cafeteria. I would have to ask my colleagues if the staggered lunch is a disturbance to them."
"Ms. Yumeito has the worst of it as the lunch line favors her side of the hall."
"Very true, Ms. Sendou. I'm the only biology teacher with a lab during fourth period lunch and I think it was fine, but time will tell. I don't think fifth period lunch will be an issue because those students are all coming from fourth period gym. I honestly think they formed a line down the other hall by the library."
Yukari gasped at his explanation.
"Oh! That actually makes sense."
"Did you not think about that?"
Yukari frowned at Kurumu's smirk.
"I didn't ask Tora how her lunch group was working before the break."
Kurumu shrugged, unwilling to admit this had not crossed her mind either despite it being obvious. Why would anyone with fourth period gym form a lunch line that extended into the second year hallway?
"Sounds like our lunch period is the only one causing problems."
"Whatever. I'm just glad that my grade won't depend on the competence of my lab partners."
Kurumu frowned, glancing at the tiny girl sitting to Yukari's left.
"That's a not a nice thing to say about Kosame."
"I'm sure that she would have preferred being partnered up with her junior high friends."
Mr. Yokei chuckled, fixing the stack of papers on the desk.
"If I had left things up to you students, you would have all segregated by gender."
"Shouldn't you respect the rules against relationships?"
The teacher smirked at Kurumu's playful jab.
"This isn't about instigating romance, Ms. Kurono. Girls and boys tend to be more behaved when they are in mixed groups."
Shinayaka sighed heavily.
"That's too bad. I'd trade Mr. Burumoto for Kosame in a heartbeat."
"I agree. He's scary."
Burumoto chuckled at Kochimaru's sentiment.
"Am I that intimidating?"
"Yes!"
The unified answer made Kurumu giggle.
"Would you be willing to trade Kosame for Ushio?"
Yukari snorted, not bothering to look back at her.
"Absolutely not. I'm already dealing with one moron."
Kurumu smirked, glancing at the moron in question.
"I bet that Nakai wouldn't mind trading spots with Ushio."
Nakai glanced at her before letting his eyes pass over the two buxom gyokuto girls he had gone to junior high with. He turned his attention to the windows.
"I'd rather keep my focus on the task at hand."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That I'll never be distracted by the childish bodies of my current lab partners."
Yukari hopped out of her seat, thrusting a finger at the guy.
"I'll have you know that I will be taller than you some day."
Kana giggled, gesturing at Kurumu.
"If limiting goofing off was your goal, why did you put Kurumu with Ms. Shirayuki and Mr. Umizake?"
Kurumu huffed at being singled out.
"You got put with one of your friends too."
"Fuyuki has always been quiet and she won't be saying anything with Mr. Tsukihara as our partner."
Mr. Yokei chuckled at Kana's quick response.
"To answer your question, Ms. Zukkutani, I felt that Ms. Kurono would be an issue with any group I put her with. I figured that she would cause the least trouble with an established couple."
Yochimaru grumbled, leaning back in her chair.
"I'm still not happy about being partnered up with Ichiboku."
"But it made sense. The three of you are in the manga club."
Yochimaru swatted Touzoku in the back.
"Shut up."
Touzoku chuckled, looking over the guys to her right.
"And here I was hoping that getting stuck with two smart guys would actually be good for me."
"You could always swap with one of the girls in my group."
Touzoku smirked at Yakuza's grin.
"No thanks. You're not my type."
"Really? I would swear that you're a tanuki like me."
"Don't be bringing up true forms in the class, Mr. Yakuza."
"Sorry, Mr. Yokei."
Kurumu snickered, knowing that Yakuza had been assigned to a group with Dakuhime and Yokumoto. She turned her attention back to the teacher.
"Have you made amends with Ms. Bakudai?"
Mr. Yokei chuckled, glancing at the clock. He got to his feet, picking up the stack of homework.
"No. I'm still the scum of the Earth but she gets along well with Midori and my boys. She's actually visited our place at least once a week for the past month."
"Why does she think you are scum?"
Mr. Yokei chuckled at Shinayaka's query as he tucked the packets beneath his arm.
"I used to have an intimate relationship with Ms. Bakudai. We parted on somewhat amicable terms but she was not very happy when I married her friend."
Shinayaka's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.
"I can see why she would hate you."
"Yea. Shouldn't she hate your wife too?"
Mr. Yokei smiled at Kochimaru's confusion.
"My wife never knew about my prior relationship with Ms. Bakudai. Midori is younger than either of us and looked up to Ms. Bakudai like a mentor."
"Was she a student here?"
Mr. Yokei chuckled at Dakuhime's inquiry.
"Yes. Of course. So was Ms. Bakudai and myself."
"Mr. Yokei is not someone to scold us over breaking the relationship rules."
Mr. Yokei smirked at Yukari.
"I disagree, Ms. Sendou. My experience makes me very qualified to discourage my students from making the same mistakes I did."
"She was your kouhai."
Mr. Yokei smiled at the wrong deduction from Kochimaru.
"There is much more to it than that but I won't elaborate. I will say that relationships are much better when both parties are not dependent on their parents for financial support."
The bell sounded in the middle of his last sentence. He nodded, walking across the classroom.
"I will see all of you in lab tomorrow. We will be going over the lab equipment."
He stopped at the door, drawing it open.
"I hope you all will have a good rest of your day."
The moment the guy had walked out of the room, Shinayaka turned upon Kurumu.
"What is the story with that guy?"
Kurumu smiled apologetically at the interest in Shinayaka's pink eyes.
"It's really not my place to talk. Yukari already said too much."
"I was being deliberately vague."
"But your grandfather said Mr. Yokei was hired in 94. The article last year about the literature club said Ms. Bakudai took over as librarian when the old librarian passed away in 94. Wasn't that also the year that she graduated?"
Kochimaru nodded at Shinayaka's statements.
"If that's true, then he's older than Ms. Bakudai."
"I'm actually impressed with your memory, Ms. Shinayaka."
Shinayaka laughed at Yukari.
"It's more about how he answered Mayu's question and didn't confirm Usagi's conclusion. His wife must have been his student."
Kurumu sighed, making a placating gesture.
"It's all in the past now. He's happily married with two little boys."
"You're the one whom brought this subject up."
Kurumu pouted at Yukari's accusation.
"I was only curious how things are going with him."
"You should have asked outside of class."
Kurumu had no defense against that. She had just asked without thinking.
"Did you make a bento for Ms. Kurono?"
Yukari nodded at Dakuhime.
"Yes, though she intends to have lunch with you."
Kurumu grinned, gesturing at Yukari.
"She also made a bento for her cousin and her cousin's friend."
"Second cousin. Not that you needed to bring that up."
"You know where we are sitting, right?"
Giggling, Kurumu turned her attention upon Dakuhime.
"Yes but I also need to talk to Nijiro at some point."
"How is that going?"
Kurumu smiled at Shinayaka.
"Not much different from yesterday. I have some news from Kokoa which I should share with him."
Shinayaka nodded thoughtfully.
"I saw Nyanya at dinner last night. She had picked up those forms so she could have her relationship with Mr. Hatahana. She was very nervous about filling that out."
Meisai Nadako had just started dating Hatahana Yuya shortly after the cultural festival. Hatahana was a third year on the basketball team. He was a gyokuto and from Aranoiji so he had known Nyanya since they had been little kids.
"Doesn't her parents and his parents get along?"
"They do but that form is like asking for permission to have sex."
"No it's not."
Shinayaka pouted at Yukari's flat denial.
"It's implied. It's not like there is a checklist of acceptable things the couple can do if the parents sign off on it. It's basically saying the school won't punish your kid for being with this guy or girl."
Kurumu looked up as a burly man with sludge black hair trimmed about his brow in a bowl cut strolled through the open front door. Wada Kozaka was sporting a textured gray suit jacket over a white dress shirt with a black tie secured about his color. His textured gray slacks were held up by a thick black belt with a shiny chrome buckle. He placed his portfolio on the podium.
"If anyone needs a bathroom break, I suggest to hurry and do it now. I want to start this session the moment the bell sounds."
Shinayaka hopped up from her seat, motioning for Kochimaru.
"Come with me, Usagi. You probably have to go."
Kochimaru blushed, getting up from her desk. She wordlessly joined Shinayaka as they walked across the front of the class to the open door.
"Mr. Wada. Will you be accepting our spring break homework packets today?"
The husky man regarded Yukari with blood red eyes.
"I suppose that I could. I have no reason to spend any more time on that subject matter."
Kurumu smiled, leaning over to fish her history packet out of her schoolbag.
"Are you from Tamari, Mr. Wada?"
"No, Ms. Kurono. Why do you ask?"
Kurumu straightened up in her seat, resting her homework packet on her desk.
"I understand that most of the bowling club members are from Tamari."
"That wasn't always the case, Ms. Kurono."
"Then where are you from?"
"My parents don't live in a community, Ms. Kurono. If you must know, I didn't attend a primary school. My first day of school was in the junior high at Umiman."
"I thought you weren't doing any more articles for the newspaper club."
Kurumu frowned at Kana's teasing.
"It's not for an article. I was just curious."
"Did you guys ever do an article for the bowling club?"
Mr. Wada chuckled at Touzoku's genuine question.
"They did not but they are more than welcome to. It is one of the oldest clubs on campus."
Yukari sighed dramatically.
"I suppose I could work that into my schedule."
Kurumu giggled, wondering if the witch was being serious.
The bell sounded, startling Mrs. Tomarigi. The choir instructor was sporting a navy jacket over a white blouse struggling to contain her massive bosom. The skirt wrapped about her curvy hips matched the color of the jacket.
"I apologize for not wrapping this up sooner. You may all go."
Kurumu smiled when Koyomi grabbed her by the arm. She sauntered over to the wall where she had left her schoolbag with her tennis shoes still tied to the handles. Koyomi had the same thing done with hers which rested beside Kurumu's.
'Must I switch electives?'
The other girls quickly moved to gather up their things or exit the classroom. Five headed out the front door, including Kisurusu, Chousei and Utachi. The other two were Karasu and Hatsura Mina, little sister of a third year on the baseball team. The inugami girl was about Tsukune's height and looked a lot like her brother, having short, dingy black locks which were coarse and shaggy.
'Yes. You are wasting your time here.'
Koyomi pouted, detaching to fetch her things.
'You will never be a waste of my time.'
Kurumu smiled, hefting up her schoolbag onto her shoulder as the other girls all filtered out of the back. She could feel Ginei's attention on her as she motioned for Koyomi to return to her side. The girl happily latched on as they made their way to the back.
The choir room was huge and they only used a small portion of it. Other than the piano and the three tiered riser, the room had nothing else of interest. Kurumu was mildly surprised that they had not done something different with this space when they had remodeled it.
Kurumu felt Ginei's intentions before she exited the room. The moment she was out in the hall, he was by her side. She shivered slightly when his hand firmly gripped the left cheek of her ass, squeezing before letting go. She backhanded his shoulder as he chuckled beside her.
"As firm as I remember. I bet your friend feels just as nice."
Kurumu shook her head, hearing Koyomi pant from the lecherous thoughts he was pouring into them. His antics forced them into a slower pace as they walked alongside Mr. Hakuru's chemistry lab.
"Keep your hands to yourself, Ginei."
"Where is the fun in that?"
'I want him to bend me over.'
Kurumu clucked her tongue.
"No you don't."
"Is your friend okay?"
Kurumu glanced at his wolfish grin with mild annoyance. They were already near the end of the hall. The next doors on the right were also for Mr. Hakuru's lab but the last doors along this wall were for the film club's dark room. To the left was a set of vending machines before a flight of stairs going down. Most of the girls were already at the stairs but Kusamoto was walking slowly with her attention on Kurumu.
"Keep your thoughts clean, Ginei. She has no tolerance for perverts like you."
Ginei grinned wide as they crossed the hall. Kusamoto had stopped at the start of the stairs.
"Did you tell your friend how I made you pass out from pleasure shortly after we first met?"
Kurumu scowled at his exaggeration.
"No. You knocked me out because I was going to expose you for framing Tsukune as a pervert."
"That was self-defense."
Kurumu shook her head as they caught up to Kusamoto.
"Hey, Kusamoto. Don't ever trust this guy?"
Ginei gasped, starting down the steps ahead of them.
"What did I do?"
"Is Ms. Hajinai okay?"
"Just overwhelmed by this pervert."
"I can't help that I have a colorful imagination."
"You should be ashamed of yourself."
Ginei smirked, waiting for them to join him on the landing before starting down the second flight.
"It's Ms. Kusamoto, right? Do you have any preferences on which club you might join?"
"I would have liked to join an athletic club but they don't take monstrels."
"Yes. For all that talk about coexistence, prejudice still runs thick in Fairy Tale."
Kurumu laughed softly as she helped Koyomi down the stairs.
"I honestly forgot that monstrels were banned from competitive sports."
Ginei hopped down the last steps, turning about. He patted his lap loudly.
"Well I have a place for you and our mute beauty in my newspaper club. You may be tall but girls are all about the same size when they are on their hands and knees."
Kusamoto blushed as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs well behind the other choir girls. The third years whom did not have gym this hour were already walking by the library.
"Could you not be so crude?"
Ginei laughed at Kurumu's reproach, turning about and stalking down the hall.
"It's a joke. I'm only serious if you're interested."
Kusamoto shook her head, walking slowly after the chuckling werewolf.
"I doubt I'll take that offer but I was considering trying out the Sadou club that Ms. Onodera and Ms. Kumatani were talking about."
Kurumu smiled as Ginei hurried to catch up with Dakuhime and Yokumoto whom were trailing behind the rest of the group with the four first year girls.
"Yea. You could also join the choir or my broadcasting club."
Ginei was already pitching his case to the two nekomusume girls, Heida Mari and Tobihaneru Taiga. Heida was a little taller than Yokumoto and had twin tails which were mostly black but had patches of orange and white. The hazel eyed girl had a demure personality. Taiga was a gruff girl, having short, marmalade locks. She was one of the few girls shorter than Kurumu on campus.
"That dog is going to make sure that nobody joins his club this year."
'I should join his club.'
'He has a girlfriend.'
'I know. I need to masturbate. Clear my head.'
Kurumu snickered, hoping Koyomi would get accustomed to male attention soon. They passed by the aisle to the serving line, walking into the cafeteria seating area. All of the tables had been cleaned off and folded up, making the room feel even bigger. Turning left, they headed for the doors to the auditorium.
Ginei had darted ahead to hold the doors open for the girls. He was propositioning the silver haired first year with the icy blue eyes. That was Araya Himari and judging by her snaggletooth grin, she was most likely an okami. Her amicable behavior betrayed her interest in him which was probably due to Ginei's scent. Other okami girls had told Kurumu that this trait of Ginei's made him very attractive.
"Ginei!"
Her shout across the cafeteria got his and the Araya's attention. The nekomusume girls passed through the open door, followed by Hagane Miu. Tonda's cousin had raven tresses pulled back in a ponytail with the shorter sides feathered. Hagane had made it quite clear in the middle of today's choir session that she was going to join her cousin's dance club.
"Did you get your relationship paperwork for Mika yet?"
Ginei flinched as Araya turned her attention back to him.
"You have a girlfriend?"
"I am experienced with a woman's body."
Araya snickered with a slight shake of her head. She swatted him as she walked into the auditorium.
"You should save that experience for your woman."
"I am. Flirting with sexy bitches like you gets my juices flowing for my lady."
Kurumu sighed as she steered Koyomi over to the incorrigible senior.
"I'm being serious, Ginei. You and Mika will get in trouble if you two don't fill out your paperwork."
Ginei turned a smirk upon her when she arrived with the trembling Koyomi. Kusamoto elected to stop with them instead of passing through.
"Don't you have your own relationship to worry about?"
"I've already done my paperwork, Ginei. And Nijiro promised to send his stuff to his dad tonight."
Ginei's expression softened.
"I'll take care of it after gym. I'll even pick up a form for Mika if she hasn't already."
"You haven't talked to her about this yet?"
Ginei shrugged, glancing at other students arriving in the cafeteria behind them. It was mostly guys but Manami was with those two kappa girls whom had quit the broadcasting club. He backpedaled into the auditorium, prompting them to follow him.
"I've had other things to do. I need to get my club a new advisor and throw a birthday party for Rubi."
"This is important, Ginei. Mika loves you despite your many, many flaws."
"I'm well aware of that. I don't think we will have an issue, considering both my parents and her mother have already met and get along."
"You better behave yourself in gym."
Ginei snorted, turning about on his heel. He altered his course, heading straight for the passage flanking the side of the stage which would end at the door to the boys' locker room.
"Flirting with the same gender is your reputation, not mine."
Kurumu blushed, shivering when Koyomi tightened her hold on her right arm.
"That's not true!"
'But you almost crossed the line with Moka.'
"He's lying, right?"
Kurumu sighed as they reached the start of the passage on the girls' side of the stage. The door up ahead on the left was for a drama storage room that the PSC had used for lunch last year. Across from that door was a short flight up steps onto the stage. The door at the end of the hall was for the girls' locker room.
"I've been known to kiss a few girls but he's blowing things way out of proportion."
Kurumu stopped at the end of the passage to hold the door open for the two first years.
"I've never touched the coochie of any other girl."
'Though you have thought about it.'
Kurumu stuck her tongue out at Koyomi as the girl finally detached from her arm.
'So have you.'
Several girls were already in the locker room, changing for gym. The girls from home economics were guaranteed to get here first but so had the girls from band and the computer electives. Kana and her three friends were in the same bay of lockers with the two new first years from their junior high.
They were seven bays in total on the left of this main aisle and with this being the last period of gym, most of them had been assigned to the last bay. After the remodel, each of these bays now had a central bench instead of the old ones that had flanked the narrow, metal lockers. A tiny window on the exterior wall was high enough to only allow light inside.
An opening on the right was for a passage through a toilet and shower area to the weight room which was adjacent to the offices of the gym instructors. Not many girls bothered taking showers during school hours as nobody put in that much effort to break a sweat.
Walking to the last bay closest to the exterior door, Kurumu turned left to join the girls changing in this area. Unsurprisingly Kokoa and Yukari were here, as well as Nagisa and her two friends, Numasaki and Umiyama. Both Yukari and Kokoa were already down to their red lingerie. Kokoa's lingerie was a darker red hue but it was just as lacy as the set Yukari had on.
"I see that you kept up with our pattern."
Kokoa glanced at Kurumu as she sauntered over to her locker. The vampire shrugged, stuffing her school blouse and skirt into her own open locker.
"Moka reminded me."
Yukari grumbled, pulling a white shirt over her lacy, red training bra which was loose.
"Don't know why they want us to run laps on the second day of gym."
Kurumu chuckled, spinning the dial of her lock.
"Laps are harder on girls like Koyomi and me."
"I don't need to hear you boasting about your boobs."
Kurumu smirked, tugging down on the lock once she had the combination in. The bolt slipped out of the padlock which she fished through the hole keeping her locker secure.
"Have you ever done laps, Koyomi?"
Koyomi shook her head with a slight smile as she spun the dial of her own padlock.
"Well if you try too hard, you'll be sore the rest of the day."
Kurumu turned about and set down her schoolbag on the central bench. Bending over, she took off her school slippers and turned back around to her locker. She put them in the bottom of her locker before slipping off her school jacket. Folding it up, she placed it on top of her slippers.
"Will it be okay to leave our schoolbags here?"
Kurumu frowned at the question from Kusamoto. She absently started to unbutton her blouse.
"Yukari. What did you do with your schoolbag?"
Yukari huffed, pulling on spandex shorts which were a brighter red than the panties she had on.
"I brought my schoolbag with me to lunch so I could put my things away before I went to my computer class. You should have done the same thing instead of running off to gossip with your choir friends."
Kurumu nodded, slipping out of her blouse. Folding the garment up, she placed it on her school jacket.
"I should have done that."
"You should have. I'll see you outside."
Kurumu chuckled softly as the witch stalked around them, following Kokoa and the other three through the open exterior door. There was no point asking Kokoa what she had done with her schoolbag as the vampire sisters had brought their gym things yesterday.
"Maybe we can squeeze our schoolbags into our lockers?"
"I'll certainly try to."
Having loosened the waistband of her skirt, she wiggled the coarse fabric down her hips enough for it to fall under its own weight. She stepped out of it, bending over to fetch the pleated garment. She folded it up and added it to the pile in her locker.
'Those shades of red are different.'
Kurumu smirked at Koyomi's observation. The white haired succubus had already stripped down to her white lingerie which was far too boring for a buxom girl.
"I got the panties months before I got the custom bra."
Kurumu unties the laces of her sneakers to free them from her schoolbag. Opening up the schoolbag, she pulled out the white tee shirt and red spandex shorts that girls were required to purchase for gym. She also tugged out her two sports bras, planning to alternate them over the course of the week. One was hot pink while the other was a textured gray.
'Are those custom ordered?'
Kurumu gasped when she saw Koyomi pull on her white tee without anything beneath it. She grabbed the succubus by the arm, startling the girl.
"You are not going to gym without a bra!"
'But my bra will break if I run with it.'
Kurumu sighed at the silliness of this girl. She thrust her hot pink sports bra into Koyomi's hand.
"Put this on. These don't even fit me perfectly but they stretch and won't break."
Koyomi nodded, grabbing the hem of her shirt. She drew it back over her head, baring her massive mammaries. Kusamoto laughed softly, securing her padlock. The tall girl was already dressed with no signs of her schoolbag.
"Was she really going to go out there without a bra?"
Kurumu sighed, unhooking the front clasps of her bra. It was the same hue as Kokoa's set, having been ordered from the same store. Her lace bikinis were closer to the shade that Yukari had on.
"She was. Looks like you got your schoolbag in there."
"Yea. I'll be going now."
Kurumu sounded an affirmative as she pulled on her textured gray sports bra.
'Thank you for this.'
Kurumu snorted as Koyomi pulled the white shirt over the hot pink sports bra. It looked like it fit just as snug as it did on her.
"You're not keeping it. I'm just loaning it to you until you can buy your own."
Kurumu pulled on her own white tee as Koyomi wiggled into her red spandex shorts.
'But you had me spend all my spare money last weekend.'
"Ask for more! How did you buy gym clothes and not think about buying a sports bra?"
'Because I have never had gym before. Wearing bras was not a common thing in our village.'
Kurumu sighed, wiggling into her own spandex shorts. She was glad she had worn these panties as these gym shorts bared more of her thighs than her boyshorts. It always felt weird having to tuck the fabric up into the spandex.
"You would think that the person funding your new wardrobe would have thought about this. You should write your mother tonight and ask for enough money to buy two sports bras."
Koyomi nodded, wiggling her schoolbag into her locker.
'I will.'
Kurumu bent over, putting on her shoes and tying up the laces. With that task complete, she grabbed her schoolbag and forced it into the narrow locker. It was not nearly as difficult as she had thought it would be. Retrieving her padlock, she fished it through the hole and secured her belongings.
"You didn't have to wait for me."
Koyomi grinned, clinging to her arm as they walked over to the exterior door.
'I know.'
Heading out through the doorway, Kurumu stepped into the warmth of the afternoon. Directly in front of them were the new steel bleachers which had been erected over spring break. She was mildly surprised with how quickly that had been done, considering it had not even been there for graduation.
To each side of the new bleachers was a small storage room which contained equipment for the soccer and track teams. Black chain link fencing enclosed the six lane track which wrapped around the soccer field. There was a break in the fencing on either side of the bleachers, allowing access to the track and field. The gym instructors were already out on the field with their groups sitting near them.
Kurumu steered Koyomi over to the left, making for the side of the bleachers. To the left of the track were the tennis courts which were also enclosed in black fencing. Bleachers were built on either side of the eight courts which were fenced off in pairs. Beyond those courts to the left was a small building with changing rooms and concessions. That building was identical to the one that was over by the baseball fields. Those two fields were on the north side of the track.
To the right of the track was the archery pavilion. The shooting range was fenced off though not many students would ever have a reason to walk over there. There was a path somewhere over there with torii gates which led up to a shrine that the PSC had been using back when Kuyo had been in charge. The last time Kurumu had been up there was when Tashikana had 'abducted' Kumiko to make Lady Hineri leave her room and speak with him about their future together.
Passing through the gap between the bleachers and the fencing, Kurumu stepped onto the track lanes. She could clearly the see the groups now. Coach Yaisoku had on gray sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt. Next to her was a young woman with her sable tresses pulled back in a ponytail. That was Kurohane Emi, an assistant for the softball team. The harpy had on a white tee shirt with red hem about the collar and sleeves. Green track pants with white lines down the sides graced her legs.
Kurumu's gym group with Coach Yaisoku would include the girls from homeroom three while the fencing club's advisor, Ms. Takaku, would handle the second year girls from even numbered homerooms. That tall woman with her ash black hair done up in braids stood to one side of Kurumu's group while the track coach, Ms. Kibashiro, stood on the other. Both gym instructors had on the same attire as Ms. Kurohane.
'See you after school.'
Kurumu frowned when Koyomi let go of her.
"You better not come to choir again. You're supposed to talk to Mr. Tagami."
'Did you forget that I am mute?'
"You know what I meant."
Koyomi walked seductively the rest of the way to the last group in that direction.
"Having fun with your kouhai?"
Kurumu smirked at Kana, arriving at her own group.
"How was home economics?"
Kana giggled as Kurumu took a seat near them. Yukari was nearby, allowing Itazura to play with her hair.
"Better than art."
"I wholeheartedly agree with that."
Kurumu smiled at Endo's sentiment. The brunette was seated nearby with her two friends, Matsuri and Sugimoto. All three were taking home economics this year.
"Hey, Coach. Is Ms. Kurohane going to be helping you all year?"
Coach Yaisoku chuckled softly at Touzoku's query. The tennis coach touched her swollen abdomen.
"If you hadn't noticed, I am very pregnant. Ms. Kurohane needs to be ready to fill in for me when my little one decides she is tired of living in here."
"Was that why you were not here yesterday?"
The woman smiled thinly at Touzoku's next question.
"Maybe. I ate something that disagreed with me and spent the whole afternoon in the nurse's office."
Yukari huffed loudly, crossing her arms below her almost nonexistent bosom.
"Proof that my concerns over the quality of cafeteria food is valid."
Several girls giggled and the tennis coach had her own chuckle.
"Yes. It looked tasty but proved too much for me to stomach."
Recalling Tashikana's comment over the weekend, Kurumu hoped the woman was talking about food.
April 11th
Kabuki, my dearest sister from the same birth mother.
Okay, that sounds a bit silly even for me. I got your letter a few days ago and you are the first person to send me a letter so congratulations and thank you so much. That really means a lot to me.
So where do I begin?
Well I just finished writing a letter to Sakamori Hinoko. I believe that I've mentioned her to you, but just in case, she's a girl whom used to be at Yokai Academy. Hinoko had to leave before the cultural festival because some bad things happened to her which I doubt I explained and I don't think I should. Right now she is in a twenty four hour facility to watch over her since she can't get over those bad things. Hopefully Mrs. Sakamori will read my letter to her as Hinoko needs all of the love she can get.
I know we talked a little about my spring break adventure in Aranami but that was a pretty short phone call we had. I mentioned the former PSC guy trying to kill me and his reasons for doing so were stupid since I didn't even know the guy. Well his sister showed up here as a first year student and she was all nice about it. Apparently the Fairy Tale officer in charge of Umiman realized that I was telling the truth and gave that guy a big scolding that made his sister happy since she doesn't like him. So I sort of got a friend out of that mess, though we haven't really talked since that first day.
Now for the bad news. Nijiro's mom hates me. I probably told you that but she really hates me. Like she was angry with me before I even tried talking to her, but I decided to air her dirty laundry because she pissed me off. I told Nijiro that his mom was having an affair and it turned out that Manami and Nijiro's father already knew. Nijiro was the only one in the dark.
So the short version of this is that his parents are now getting a divorce. Manami hates me for destroying her family and Nijiro hates his parents. He hates his mom for cheating on his dad and he hates his dad for knowing about it but not doing anything to stop her. Thankfully he isn't upset at me. In fact, he actually wants me more than I think he did before. He even suggested for me to drop out of high school to marry him the moment he graduates.
I know you don't want that. I know you said ten years. But that's a long time, Kabuki. Even in my worst case scenarios, I was thinking like six or seven years max before marrying Nijiro. That was when he was saying I would be too much of a distraction for him to handle college properly. Now that he thinks it is his job to keep me in line and faithful, he's willing to take me sooner. And that makes me happy.
This first year will be the hardest. Attendance at Yokai Academy is down and they want to impress Fairy Tale by being stricter with the rules. That means in order for students to have a relationship, they need written parental consent. I think you can figure out what that means in my case.
Nijiro's dad doesn't care if we date but his mom wants me expelled if I don't leave her son alone. And Manami is already making false reports of us going on dates so this is going to be rough. Most likely we will have to be very proper in our behavior around each other for this entire school year. I can only hope that Manami's opinion about me changes soon as dealing with false reporting will get old real fast. Nijiro plans to talk to his father about it if this persists. Considering they both will be living with their father from here on out, maybe this will only be an issue for the first few months.
The school is already on high alert about my relationship with Nijiro. They even suggested having one of us switch homerooms to lessen our exposure to each other. I understand that the school wants to reduce their involvement in the matter but I don't want to switch homerooms. I'm with Yukari and Mizore. As much as I love Moka, it doesn't feel right abandoning them just to avoid my boyfriend.
There is one thing that we lied to you about that I think I can share now. Mizore isn't pregnant from her fiancé. That's the official story but that baby is actually mine and Tsukune's. I know that's a huge thing to admit and it's something I have yet to share with Nijiro. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth earlier. A lot of us know about this, including Mizore's fiancé.
That technically means that I'm going to be a mother soon. It doesn't feel like it, considering Mizore is carrying the baby. She's already twenty two weeks along and most likely will give birth to Hatsue before the end of the month. She looks so pregnant. I wish I could be her real mother. I know that isn't possible but it would have been nice. And if I follow Nijiro's lead, I might not see much of my baby's childhood.
There are probably dozens of other things I could write about but nothing feels very important. We did that trip to Disneyland which was fun but my memories of it are all kind of soured by the crummy days before and after it. There is just too much drama going on. Why can't my life be simple and happy?
I've met a lot of first years these last few days. Even spent the night in Baratoge to meet the girls on the seventh floor. I knew most of them already. Imai Rin is Yukari's second cousin and she brought a friend. Goto's little sister, Poni, and her two friends. Two girls from Kana's junior high and a cousin of one of the girls in my choir. And two very vulnerable girls whom came to Yokai Academy just to be near me.
Kusamoto Tsubasa is a monstrel girl whom was in that prison that I spent the weekend at while you were here watching over Kokoa. She came here to see me and Yukari. I'm hoping that the other monstrel girls will look after her.
The other is Hajinai Koyomi from the village of the matchmaker your mother uses. She's absolutely gorgeous and mischievous in an endearing way. She isn't used to being around guys so she's getting a crash course in male attention. She's technically a month older than me but I feel like her big sister, considering the school has her enrolled as a first year. She's mute and somehow ended up in my choir elective. I'm trying to get her to switch to band since I can loan her my flute that I don't use.
I should also mention that my broadcasting club is in trouble since I need four members and only have three. My two other members are Nyuuwa Ageha and Yotaku Miko. Nyuuwa is the daughter of the guy whom ran the broadcasting club when my mommy was at Yokai Academy. He named his daughter after her which is weird. It's feels strange to call that girl by my mother's name but I'm trying to get used to it. As for the other girl, she's the cousin of the former broadcasting club president whom just graduated. That guy is still in town, working at the music store.
One year. I've been at Yokai Academy for just one year. I look at my mother's urn and butsudan and think how horrible this year has been. I lost my mother. I lost my first love. I'm having a baby that I can't truly be the mother for. The parents of my current boyfriend either hate me or don't want me to marry him. His sister is trying to get me expelled. And I haven't even mentioned how the town elders also want me gone. Elder Kunai is convinced that my mother killed his grandson seventeen years ago.
Where is my happiness? Did I do something so wrong to deserve all of this? I guess I should be grateful that they tore out those heartstrings so I can cry to my heart's content. Lucky me.
Please send me a response. I know your birthday is in May but I don't recall if you ever told me the exact date. I want to celebrate it with you. Maybe give you a call? I'm sure that if I ask Yukari's grandfather, he can let me outside the barrier to do that.
Wish you were here. I really hate sleeping alone.
