"Blah blah blah... Different stuff, same bullshit."

If it weren't for me somehow caring about my attendance in class, plus that I rather not get in trouble with the school, I'd be goofing off in my dorm room. But instead, I'm here in math class learning what I already know. Besides, I doubt any student here is gonna use the knowledge of how to find the volume of a cone in a real-world situation. Not unless they go into construction, engineering, glass-making, or an ice cream cone enthusiast. Besides, how can most of these people find this difficult? I know I'm a smart guy, but this is easy to follow once you put your mind to it. All it takes is one-third, H, Pi, R-squared where H represents the height of the cone and R represents the radius of the base. It's basic geometry.

What worries me is that finals are around the corner and thanks to me being stupid about trying to figure out my feelings, I haven't been able to study as much. I mean, I don't really need to study, but it's good for me in the long run. The only two I'm really worried about are Kurumu and Tsukune. I know I helped out Kurumu during mid-terms and she managed to do better than she used to, but I think she can do a lot better. As for Tsukune...

"Mr. Aono."

"Uh," The boy stands when the math teacher, Ms. Kagome, his knees shaking in nervousness. "yes, ma'am?"

She points to the chalkboard laid out with the diorama of the formula to find the volume of a cone. "Please solve this problem."

"Uh..." Tsukune twiddles his fingers. "...I...can't."

Yep, that's what I was afraid of. The guy's smart, but he's not as paced as Moka, Yukari, or myself. As some of the other jackasses in the classroom laugh at Tsukune's inability to solve a problem that they probably couldn't either, Ms. Kagome then looks over to... God dammit...

"Then what about you, Mr. Everett? Would you please solve this problem?"

I roll my eyes. Of all the teachers, besides the one my friends and I got fired, Ms. Kagome is the one I despise the most. I have nothing against her as a teacher, just as a person. Something about her makes me...uncomfortable. "I mean, if you want me to give the others the answer instead of having them answer it for themselves, then yes."

She slowly walks over to my desk, and I don't know if it's just me, but she's adding more swaying to her hips as she makes her way to me. "Bad boy... If you know the answer, then you shouldn't mind sharing it with the rest of the class. After all, finals are just around the corner and we all need to do our best." She looks over to Tsukune as she says that last part. "So try and do your best, okay?"

Judging by Tsukune's shocked expression, I can only imagine that he completely forgot about finals. I don't blame him. With the amount of stress he's been under, plus the random encounters we get on almost a weekly basis, and the fact he has three girls chasing after him, I'd forget about some worthless test too. Maybe I could make a study group with everyone. I mean, after all, our group has three smart students. So maybe we can help Tsukune, Kurumu, and possibly Mizore.

"A study group?"

I nod to the young witch as we make our way to the roof of the school. Every time Tsukune is stressed beyond his brain, he always goes to the roof. And if he's there, then Moka's gotta be too...possibly the other two. "Yeah, what do you think? Those three might need all the help they can get," She cackles. "Especially boobs for brains!"

"...Come on, Yukari. She's not that bad."

She turns to me, almost dumbfounded. "Oh please, Elijah. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you have a crush on her or something."

"..." Okay...just play it off like a joke. "What, pfft, no way..."

"..." The way Yukari's looking at me, I think she- "You totally do, don't you?!"

Busted... "Shh! Quiet will ya?! Look, I don't know if I do or not, but...just don't say anything and keep this between us, okay? At least until I can figure out my feelings."

The young witch bears a cocky smile. "My lips are sealed. Besides, this is perfect for my master plan."

I raise an eyebrow. "'Master plan'? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, since we're sharing secrets. I know I have no chance with Moka or Tsukune since...you know?"

"You're a kid? In the literal sense?"

"Yeah, that. So... I can see that they...really like each other, so I want to help them get together! Plus if it means shattering the other girl's hearts, then that's a plus!"

"That's mean," I add.

"Yeah, but look at the bright side! If you really do like Kurumu that way, then I can help you too!"

I'm taken aback by her offer. "Why would you help me?"

"Because we're friends, dummy!" Yukari hits me in the arm.

I smile at her playfulness. "Thanks, Yukari."

"No problemo!" She salutes me in a goofy way.

We end our conversation with a hearty laugh as we finally make our way to the rooftop. When we open the roof access, we see-

"Tsukune..."

"Moka..."

Haven't seen them do that in a while. "Hey, lovebirds."

"Huh?!" Moka backs away from the human, her face entirely red. "W-When did you guys get here?"

"Just when you two got all lovey-dovey!" Yukari shouts and laughs.

"What were you talking about this time? Before your signature thing."

"Uh...I was just asking Moka if she could tutor me, I don't want to fail."

"What a coincidence," I say. "I was talking to Yukari about having a study group with everyone. So this is perfect."

"...Everyone?"

I know, you want your alone time with Moka, but you need help, lover boy. "Yep."

"That actually sounds great!" Moka happily says. "We can all help each other."

"Perfect, now we just need Kurumu and Mizore to join in."

"Someone call for me?"

"Ah!" I jump at the sound of the former's voice. "I really need a bell for you. But, yes, we did."

"Well then, if Tsukune's gonna need help from anyone, it should be me!"

I rub the bridge of my nose. "Kuru, you'd still be at the bottom in scores if it weren't for my help."

"...So?" She pouts at me. "I can still help."

"Then you'll join us?" Moka asks.

"...Fine, as long as Tsukune's there."

It's always about him, isn't it? No, stop thinking like that."Then now all we need is-"

"Hey, guys..."

"Ah!" We all collectively yell in shock at the sudden yet soft voice. Mizore, being the more shy one of us, peeks out from behind the roof access door, blushing.

"I'm in the same boat since I missed a lot of school. Is it okay...if I study with you guys too?"

"Uh...yeah! We were gonna ask you anyway." I say. Man, maybe she's the one who needs a bell.

It was a tough session, well, it was a tough session for three of us. Thankfully, they got a good understanding of the subject at hand, Tsukune most of all. Moka is a really good teacher when it comes down to it. Kurumu even admitted that I wasn't too bad. It felt nice... Now, if only there were a spell to keep me awake for the rest of the day because I refuse to drink coffee.

"Woo, I'm beat and school hasn't even started yet!" Tsukune says in an exhausted voice. We did spend a whole two hours early in the morning before school studying.

"We did work hard after all," I add.

"Especially you, Tsukune! You're doing so much better than before!" Moka says happily.

The boy smiles at her. "All thanks to you guys helping me, especially you, Moka."

The vampire blushes. "It was nothing..." She looks into the boy's eyes, her own sparkling in awe. "...Tsukune."

"...Mo-"

"Should I leave you two alone?" I ask.

"Oh!" They both say as they realize that I'm still here by our shoe lockers.

I laugh at their flustered looks. "You two really need to get your story straight already."

Tsukune widens his eyes at me while Moka's face is as red as a tomato. "Come on, du-"

"Well, well, well, If it isn't Mr. Aono and Everett." The three of us are approached by Ms. Kagome, looking at us with a seemingly innocent smile.

"Oh, hi, Ms. Kagome." Tsukune politely greets her.

"Why are you three late?"

"We just got through with a morning study session," I answer.

"Study session?" Her eyebrows burrow but she keeps her smile. "That simply won't do, I'm afraid to say."

"Excuse me? The he- What do you mean?"

"It's good that you're putting in the effort and all, but when students study together, they wind up spending half the time goofing around and don't learn the material."

"Except that's not the case," I say with slight annoyance escaping my facade. "We've been making excellent progress."

"It's true, Ms. Kagome."

"They're right! We've all been working really diligently and-"

"Ms. Akashiya," Our teacher interrupts. you are just not up to the task of helping Mr. Aono, and neither are you, Mr. Everett."

Okay, this woman is really starting to get on my last nerve. "Well, Ms. Kagome, I think teachers are supposed to encourage their students to help each other rather than diminish their ability. Am I correct?"

Despite her keeping up her smile, I notice the small twitch in her eye. "However good you may be at schoolwork, Mr. Everett, teaching students is a task that must be left up to professional educators. So..." Ms. Kagome approaches the human boy with a sly smile, sending an unsatisfying chill down my spine. "Mr. Aono, after classes today, come meet me in the tutoring room," She traces his cheek with her fingernail, making not only the boy wince in disgust, but me and Moka as well. "Teaching is a wonderful thing. And that's what I plan to do..." And for reasons unknown, she turns to me with the same look of hunger in her eyes. "Perhaps you need some teaching in...respecting authority, Mr. Everett."

"...I have no problem with respect, ma'am. Just those who claim they deserve it."

"Oh well, can't say I warned you." She giggles, releasing Tsukune as she takes her leave.

The rest of the day went normal, despite the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. I don't believe for one second that Ms. Kagome wants to 'teach' me or Tsukune. This may be a situation where we have to get another teacher fired. Let's just hope that's not the case. I've heard from some of the other teachers that she's just really passionate about teaching and can sometimes go overboard, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt...for now. But Tsukune should pass on her offer either way, he's already doing well in our study group, so to hinder his progress would only cause more trouble than it's worth. The six of us spend some of our time discussing mostly about our day until Kurumu speaks up about Ms. Kagome with Tsukune.

"I asked some of the kids in the fourth cohort, and they said that she's really passionate about teaching, but...she only believes what she wants to, and tends to go way overboard with everything."

"Is that so? Is there anything else?" Tsukune looks up, his face still showing plenty of worry.

"Well, there are two more problems," Oh, boy...why do I feel like I know what she's- "They just make me so angry, the boys won't stop staring at her tits!" I facepalm, mostly to keep myself from staring. But I notice Moka looking down at her own chest. Don't tell me she's gonna start feeling insecure.

"Aww, are you jealous 'cause your honkers aren't as big as hers?" Yukari teases the Succubus childishly. "You're acting like a child!"

"The only child around here is you, Yukari, with that flat as a pancake chest of yours-"

"Why are we having this conversation?!" I yell, my hand still planted on my face in annoyance, then look at everyone with seriousness in my tone. Despite the current conversation, we may have a potential problem. "We've been doing great so far with our study group, so we should continue our progress and not be bothered by anyone's opinion. Summer break is almost here and if any of us want to go, we all need to make at least a sixty percent. Any student who scores under that has to go to summer school. So unless you guys want to spend your time in a classroom over the summer, then we need to work hard."

"Wait!"

Everyone is silent from the human's outburst.

"...You okay, dude?"

"That's right!" He stands in excitement. "I almost forgot! After finals, it's finally summer break!"

I smile. "Now there's some enthusiasm I like to see! Now then, we better get to work if we all want to pass and get to go, am I right?"

"Hell yeah!" Tsukune turns to Moka, now more determined than ever before to pass his class to spend more time with the girl he likes. "Don't worry, Moka. I'll work extra hard so we can spend our summer break together!"

The girl offers him a small smile in return with a cute blush. "I believe in yo-"

"But what about me?!" Kurumu interrupts the tender moment...again. "Why not spend your summer with your little succubus?!"

"Please, if anyone here should spend their summer with Tsukune," Mizore says. "It should be me."

This doesn't sit well with Kurumu, she scowls at the Snow Fairy. "And why do you get to-"

"That's enough, you two!" I scold. "If you two don't get your heads in the right place, neither of you won't be able to have a summer vacation at all. We're all going to be together during the summer with our club anyways, so let's stop arguing and start working on passing."

"...Fine," They both reluctantly agree.

"If that's the case, then maybe I should take Ms. Kagome's offer," Tsukune suggested, making my eyes widen in shock.

"You can't be serious."

"I need all the help I can get. I know we're already doing so well in our morning sessions, but it wouldn't hurt for the extra help, you know?"

"Well, yeah, but...I don't know, dude. Something about her offer just creeps me out."

Tsukune rests his hand on my shoulder, offering me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry so much about me, man. Hey, if it's really any trouble, I know that I can defend myself now. And if I can't I know I have you guys to back me up."

"..." I don't like this one bit, but he's more than capable than he was when he first came here to Yokai Academy. So...for once, I'm gonna trust him. But the second he's in trouble or they try something... I nod. "Alright, just...be careful."

He nods. "I will." Tsukune leaves the rest of us here in the club. I'm still a little uneasy about this, but I'll have his back if he needs it. While the others seem contemptuous of the boy's decision, I notice two that look more distraught now that he's left.

"I can't believe you just let him go," Kurumu looks at me.

"What was I supposed to do? It's his decision and I know he can protect himself now. Tsukune's come a long way since he first came here and I'm going to trust him, you should too."

"It's not that I don't! I don't trust her!"

"I don't either, but I trust him enough to be able to handle himself...or her. If it's anything like what I fear, then we just might have to get another teacher fired."

"...You really think he can-"

"Yes. The guy's tough, I've seen it."

"...Okay." Kurumu reluctantly takes my word, going back to her studying. A few quiet minutes go by until the succubus tugs on my uniform. She seems...worried, I thought I could convince her about her human boy toy. "...Elijah?" She whispers.

"What's up?"

"...Since Tsukune's getting extra help, could you help me...again? You know, just like back at midterms?"

I tilt my head. "Really?"

She nods. "Mhm! You helped me so much last time, so...please?"

I smile. "Of course. So, where do you need-"

"N-No...not here. Let's go somewhere more private."

"Why?"

"Well...uh..." I don't know if it's what I'm really seeing, but...she's blushing. "I trust you with this kind of thing, okay? And I like it when It's just us. You're still my best friend after all."

"...Well, alright." I agree, feeling my own face burn up. "where should we-"

"Just come to my dorm room in an hour."

My eyes widen a little at her words. "O-Okay..." I clear my throat, shaking off my nervousness. "Why an hour?"

She smirks. "It's only proper to have your lace clean whenever you have guests, right?"

"I guess?"

Kurumu giggles softly. "Then there you go!" Now with a little more of a positive attitude, Kurumu packs all her things and starts to leave. She looks back at me with a sincere smile, making my chest pound. "See you soon, Elijah. And thanks!" She skips away, leaving us...well, mostly me a confused mess of a man.

"Elijah?"

"Huh?" I respond to Moka who's knocked me out of my gaze. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? You look a little...red?"

"I'm fine!" I say more harshly than I intended, causing the girl to jump a bit at my response. Not only that, but I can see Yukari's smug little face from behind the vampire girl. Thankfully, she says nothing, but that doesn't help the side-eyeing look I'm also getting from the Snow Fairy known as Mizore.

"So, the Succubus has you under her charm, huh? Guess I'll have to deal with her-"

"It's not like that," I say in a more calm but firm manner. "She's my friend and I just want to help her pass. I'm gonna go help her and Moka and Yukari are gonna help you since all you do in our study sessions is write my and Tsukune's name in your textbook."

Mizore blushes and looks down in shame after calling her out. "...Okay, fine."

"That's more like it. Now," I stand from my chair and start packing my things. "if you guys will excuse me." Not only do I need to take a shower, but...maybe I should make something for her as well? Maybe even play a few new songs for her too.

Kurumu

The young succubus has been spending the last hour tidying up her room. She's not messy, but she still wants to make a good impression on her best friend regardless. Kurumu doesn't really know why, but she feels like she wouldn't do this for any other guy, other than Tsukune.

"...Why am I like this?" The Succubus asks herself as she's washing up the last of her dishes. "Tsukune's the one for me, but I have another boy coming to my room. So...why is it so...nerve-wracking?" Kurumu is not only confused about some of her subjects in class, but she's even more confused whenever she's just with Elijah. Not in a bad way...but...

"He's my best friend, but..." She stops washing the dishes for a moment and thinks back to when she first had this...unfamiliar feeling. The time when she saved Elijah's life from a watery grave. I saved him...but why? "Obviously he's my friend, that's why," She answers her own thoughts. "...But I wasn't like that whenever Tsukune was in danger, and he's my 'destined one', so..."

Knock! Knock!

"Oh! Coming!" Kurumu finishes up the last of her dishes and makes her way to the front door, hastily fixing her hair in the process. She opens the door, seeing Elijah out of uniform and in the white shirt and black vest that Moka got for him on their day out together. She doesn't day anything, but... Wow, he looks...handsome.

"Hey, Kuru," He says with a small smile. "So, can I come in?"

"Right, yes, you may." She giggles and allows the boy to come inside. Kurumu's dorm room, like the rest of the student's dorms in Yokai Academy, has one bed, a bathroom, and a small kitchen that allows students to make their meals. But the magic boy was more impressed by how she decorated the place. Her

"Like what you did with your room, Kuru. It's clean, too." Elijah looks at her bed in the corner, noticing the abundance of plushies and stuffed animals, from cute little animals to ugly little goblins. He also notices... "Isn't that the voodoo doll of Tsukune that Yukari made when we first met her?"

Kurumu realizes what he sees and attempts to hide it under her pillows. "N-No! It's not!" But the half-human doesn't buy her poor attempt at a lie, so she pulls it back out and holds it in her hands. "It's just really cute, alright. And don't worry, the magic doesn't even affect him anymore, I promise."

Elijah shrugs. "Well, alright."

"Please don't tell him about it! It's...embarrassing."

This reaction causes him to raise an eyebrow "You? Embarrassed of all things? You already flaunt how much you love the guy on a daily basis."

The Succubi's face only grows more red. "This is different! Just don't tell him, okay?"

Elijah raises his hands in defense. "Alright, alright, I won't."

Kurumu sighs in relief, relaxing herself on her bed. "Thank you, we can get started now."

Nodding, Elijah takes his place on the floor and pulls one of his notebooks from his bag...then a small plastic container. He hands it over to Kurumu, confused by his gesture. "I...made you this. As thanks for all the other times that you baked for me."

She takes the boy's offering, "You made this?" Kurumu opened it, her nostrils immediately filled with the smell of multiple seasonings. From what she sees, Elijah has made onigiri. Oh, yeah. I totally forgot that Elijah can cook! Kurumu smiles at the boy's cookwork. "Wow...these look great! Thank you, but you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to. You don't have to eat them right away, you can save them for another time. We got work to do after all."

Kurumu nods enthusiastically, remembering the real purpose of Elijah coming over. "Right! Let's do this!"

He nods back. "Good, now... Where was it that you needed help with the most?"

Elijah spends the next couple of hours going over each subject that Kurumu is having the most trouble with. The only areas were in both science and history. So far, Kurumu has made excellent progress thanks to Elijah's better understanding of science. He states that science is just magic that humans can easily comprehend. It's funny because that's how humans explain magic, 'it's a science that no one can explain', he quoted. As for history, Kurumu has a better understanding but is still having difficulty remembering certain dates. But overall, it's been a successful session. They both feel as if they can pass their finals with ease. Well, the boy certainly can, but Kurumu knows she can do better than before.

Elijah stretches after closing his notebook. "I think that's enough for one evening," He checks his phone, seeing that it's almost seven. "It's getting late, curfew is in an hour. I think I better go."

"W-Wait..." Kurumu stands from her bed and walks up to the boy, now only does she see how much taller he is compared to her. "Can't you stay for just a little longer? We haven't hung out in a while."

"We did last weekend and today."

"Well, yeah. But that was a group thing and all we did today was study. It's been a while since it's been...just us, you know?" Kurumu's own words cause her to blush after realizing how that could've sounded.

"..." Elijah's not safe from blushing himself, but he seemingly plays it off as if it's nothing. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He sets down his bag, allowing himself to relax on the floor. "I guess I can spare a good half hour or so."

"Why are you sitting there?" Kurumu says after she sat down on her bed. "You can just sit here with me."

"I didn't want to be rude," Elijah claims.

"It's not rude if you're my guest and my best friend, dummy! Just come on already!"

"...Fine," The half-human abides by the Succubi's offer, taking his seat next to her on her bed. Not really knowing what to say...but knowing what they could do, he takes out his phone and earbuds and sets them both in his lap. Kurumu smiles when she sees the devices.

Yes! She smiles. "So...what do you got for me today?"

Elijah smiles back. "Only the best."

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair..."

"Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air..."

"Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light..."

"My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night..."

"How is it that you manage to surprise me every time you show me something new?" Kurumu asks.

Elijah could only shrug. "Beats me."

"I want to know so much more... If only I had a phone of my own."

"How about this," Elijah says. "When we go on summer break, I can get you a phone if we have the time."

The boy's offer causes Kurumu to look at him in surprise. "I can't ask you to do that! Don't they cost a lot of money in the human world?"

"Well, yeah. But I don't mind, really."

"...You'd really do that for me?"

Elijah playfully nudges Kurumu's arm. "You're my best friend, dummy. Of course, I would." The pair share a laugh together, not noticing how closer they have gotten on Kurumu's bed. Not only are they too focused on the music, but they're also just happy to be in each other's presence.

"Welcome to the Hotel California..."

"Such a lovely place...Such a lovely face..."

" They're livin' it up at the Hotel California..."

"What a nice surprise..."

"Bring your alibis..."

"...Hey, Elijah?"

"Hmm, yeah?"

"...Can I ask you something?"

The seriousness in her voice causes the boy to develop a small pit in his stomach. "Yeah?"

"It's nothing bad...at least I hope. It's about...our day out."

"...Oh?"

"...The outfit I got for you... Why didn't you want to come out in it? And you looked so...embarrassed, I think? Why?"

"..." This subject is one that Elijah always found difficult, especially during his childhood. "...Alright, I'm gonna tell you something I've never really told...anyone," He looks away, fidgeting with his fingers. "I'm not comfortable with my body..."

"What do you mean?"

"...I used to be...overweight as a kid. I've toned down...like a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm still not ashamed. And...I'm not exactly the most attractive-looking guy, so..." Elijah manages to make eye contact with Kurumu. "Seeing myself in an outfit that's so...revealing, it just reminds me of how...hideous I was all those years ago."

"..." I...I never knew he saw himself this way. But how? He's not ugly at all! "You're really handsome, Elijah!"

"W-What?"

"..." D-Did I just say that out loud? "...Uh,"

Both of them have no idea what to say after Kurumu's unexpected admission. She has always seen Elijah as a decent-looking guy, even when she first met him. The young Succubus even remembers him asking if he was 'ugly' before. At the time, she couldn't give him an exact answer because they weren't as close, but now...

Kurumu turns to Elijah, facing him completely, and looks him in the eye. "You are not ugly, Elijah," Her voice is soft, but the firmness in her tone made her sound like she was shouting it. "I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, I'm saying this because you are a kind, caring, smart, funny, and strong person. You've done so much in your short time, and..." Kurumu's eyes look down a little, her cheeks turning bright red. "You...mean a lot to me."

"..." That last sentence causes Elijah to blush in return...and a lone tear to fall down his left cheek. "...Kuru."

"...Elijah."

BZZT! BZZT!

The sudden alarm coming from the half-human's phone brings the pair back to reality, the pair blushing profusely at the growing tension, along with a new developing feeling that they are not entirely aware of. Elijah checks his phone, seeing that it is now seven-fifty.

"...I gotta get back to my room, don't wanna get in trouble with school faculty, you know?"

"Y-Yeah, right..." Kurumu smiles nervously, Elijah grabs his bag and begins to leave, but not without looking back at his best friend with a small smile.

"I'll...see you tomorrow, yeah?"

She nods with a smile in return. "Mhm! You bet..."

With Kurumu's final words, Elijah takes his leave, allowing the clicking of the door to echo through the Succubi's empty room. Once Kurumu knows that she is now completely alone, she allows herself to fall back onto her bed, planting her head face-first into her pillow.

What the hell just happened? Why were we so close? And why is my heart beating more so than normal?!

Kurumu flips over, staring straight up at the ceiling, wondering...demanding...longing for the reason for this new feeling growing in her heart.

"...What is this feeling?" Wanting to explore this further, Kurumu reaches under her bed. She pulls out an extra-large black jacket, reading off the word, 'Skillet' plastered across the back. "...I forgot to give it back," Not entirely aware of her actions...Kurumu brings Elijah's jacket close to her face, smelling the piece of clothing. "...It even smells like him."

Huh? Wait...

"What am I doing?!" The succubus, now embarrassed by her own intuition, throws the jacket across her bed. "...All this stress from finals is just messing with my head, right? I mean, there's just no way...right?"

Kurumu doesn't really know herself. But soon enough, she'll have more than one question to answer herself. All in time, everything will fall into place.

Elijah

Different morning, same routine. Wake up, shower, brush teeth, grab uniform and bag, and go. Well, I'd be more energized if it weren't for the fact that I couldn't get much sleep last night. All I could think about was...her. I didn't know that Kurumu held me in such high regard, and I'm her best friend. She said...such wonderful things to me, and the tenacity of her voice made her sound so genuine.

Is this... Is this what it's like to have a crush? "...But she only has eyes for him," I answer my own thoughts, immediately regretting how I said that. "It's not his fault, but..." I stop in my tracks. "...Who the hell am I talking to?"

I ignored the fact that I was starting to talk to myself and continued making my way to the Academy. Around halfway through my walk, I see my human friend, but...he looks more tense than usual, especially with how he's holding at least three textbooks in his arms like a vice grip.

"Tsukune, you good, man?" I ask.

"If we say alpha equals the cosine of one hundred and twenty degrees plus twenty degrees, then alpha squared plus alpha plus one takes on the following value..."

"What the?" Why is he reciting mathematic formulas from memory? I wave my hand in front of his blank and expressionless face. From the looks of his eyes, I don't think he even slept last night. "Is this a part of that tutoring thing? What's gotten into you?" These aren't even formulas we're supposed to learn yet...

"Hey, good morning, Tsukune!" I didn't even realize how far we'd been walking that Tsukune and I were already inside the main corridor of the school. Moka was already here waiting for the boy, holding a little notebook in her hands. "Um...I know that I'm not a great teacher, but I really wanted to do something to help you understand math better. So I copied all my notes and compiled them in a notebook for you! So-"

"Moka," I interrupt. "Now's not exactly a great time." Moka looks to me in confusion, then to Tsukune in slight worry when he still hasn't stopped reciting math formulas.

"W-What's going on?"

I shrug. "I have no idea, but..." I scratch the back of my head. "I'm gonna see if this works, so just bear with me."

SMACK!

"OW!" Tsukune yelps at my backhand smack and holds his right cheek. "What the heck, dude?!"

"Why did you do that, Elijah?!"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"What 'worked'?"

"You were reciting math formulas like some kinda freakin' zealot," I answer Tsukune.

"...I was?"

"He's right, Tsukune."

"When did this start?" I ask.

"...I...I don't know." Tsukune clutches his head. "I don't even remember anything after..." He widens his eyes in realization. "...my tutoring session."

"Alright then, that's enough for me." I rest a hand on his shoulder. "No more of these tutoring sessions, you're lucky she didn't do any permanent damage...or worse."

"What's this I hear?" Oh, great, speak of the devil. "Oh, it's you two. I thought you might try to interfere with Mr. Aono's progress. And what's this?" Ms. Kagome yanks the notebook from Moka's hands. "Trying to undermine me, Ms. Akashiya? You should be ashamed."

"I-I was just trying to help Tsukune with- Ah!"

"Moka!"

The girl tumbles to the ground after our math teacher smacked her with her own notebook. I kneel down to make sure she's alright while Ms. Kagome attempts to take away Tsukune. "Come along with me Mr. Aono, let's study even more together."

"Hey!" I shout after I stand back up and grab her by the shoulder, stopping Ms. Kagome in her tracks. "What the fuck is your problem?! Who do you think you are?!"

She glares back at me. "I think I'm your teacher, Mr. Everett. And if you'll excuse me, I must-"

"No teacher would do this to their students! You've overstepped your bounds, Ma'am. And I think you're just afraid to be wrong."

"Oh?" She smirks at me. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"You claim that we can't possibly pass our finals by studying together rather than learning from you. So...how about a little wager?"

"..." Ms. Kagome releases Tsukune who takes his place by my side. She crosses her arms, making extra sure she's flaunting...herself. "I'm listening, Mr. Everett."

"Let us continue studying as we please, and if a single one of us in our group fails..." I shiver at the thought, but I can't back down. "...Then I'll spend my summer vacation in your care."

"Dude!"

"Elijah, you can't!"

"Deal," I feel like throwing up as I see Ms. Kagome lick her lips seductively as she gets closer to me. "I'm looking forward to our time together."

"Don't count on it," I say as she walks away. After she's finally away from the three of us, I turn to the other two who are now looking at me in concern.

"Elijah, why would you do that?"

"Yeah, man. What if we fail, you'll lose your summer vacation because of me-"

"Enough, both of you," I say, de-escalating the growing tension. "I didn't want to get in another fight with another teacher. And do you realize how egotistical she is? She wants to be right about our 'poor' studying skills. But we're going to prove her wrong. Now...are you guys with me or not?"

"What?! No way you're gonna stay with that bitch!"

I should've known that the other three wouldn't have taken the news so greatly, especially Kurumu. She was already jealous of how Ms. Kagome gets all the attention of the boys in the school, and I don't think she likes the idea of her getting mine...even if it's against my will.

"Calm down, Kuru. As long as we pass then I get to go with you guys, what's the big deal?"

"I think the 'big deal' is that I'm still confused on almost every subject and I don't like the idea of you spending your summer with that woman either," Mizore answers my rhetorical question. "Now I need to actually work in order to pass, yay..."

"You should be working hard in the first place," I counter-argue. "Sure, most of what we learn is a waste for most of us, but that doesn't mean we should just let be all for nothing. So how about we cut the chatter and get back to it, huh?"

"I don't know, Elijah," Yukari begins to state. "Mizore has been improving, don't get me wrong, but she's got a long way from being able to pass at this rate. No offense."

"I don't care enough to care..."

"It doesn't matter because there is no way in hell that Elijah is gonna be stuck here at Yokai Academy while we're all out and having fun!" Kurumu shouts, looking at me. "I don't care if I have to study until I fall flat in my face, I refuse to leave you behind!"

"We're not gonna let that teacher prove us wrong, so let's all work hard to pass!" Moka sides with Kurumu.

"Well, I guess it would suck that one of the boys I like get left behind. So I guess I can do it if I actually tried." Mizore softly says.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tsukune stands triumphant. "Let's do it!"

"..." I smirk, letting their words ring through my head. "Now that's what I'm talking about.

Thanks to the effort of everyone pulling together, and the fact we had three of the smartest students in Yokai Academy, the six of us managed to pass our finals. While Moka and Yukari were at the top of our class, I managed to bump up a little in the scores at number thirteen, right behind Moka. As for the other three, Tsukune was surprised to find himself in the top one hundred since he'd never really gotten such a high score before. Mizore was surprised that she passed as well, even if it was just by a hair. Kurumu... Now that is who I was impressed with the most when I saw she was number...

"Forty...seven?" I say as I can barely even believe my own eyes. "...Holy shit, you did it!"

The girl smiles at me and giggles. "It was all thanks to you, Elijah."

I shrug at her words. "It was nothing, it's what friends do- huh?" Before I could even finish, Kurumu hugged me. But only this time, instead of suffocating me in her...well, 'booby trap', it's a normal, warm, and gentle hug.

"...Thank you so much."

"..." Not wanting to be rude and disregard her gesture, I hug her back. "...Kuru-"

"Hey, guys!" We quickly release from each other as the others come back into the clubroom with their grades.

"Are we interrupting?" Mizore glares at Kurumu.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised that you and that ballooned-chested Succubus passed," Yukari says with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Do I need to freeze you in ice to shut you up, little witch?"

"For once, you and I agree." Kurumu says as she glares at Yukari.

"Come on, guys. Don't fight we all passed!"

"I'm just so glad that we pulled it off, now we can all go on summer break!"

"That's right!" Ms. Nekonome gladly agrees with Moka's statement. "And as you all remember, the Newspaper club will be taking a trip to the human world! With me as your personal chaperone!"

"That's right!" Both Tsukune and I are both excited by this reminder, seeing as we were both raised in the human world and we miss it more than the others realize.

"Well then, the next order of business is for everyone to get ready for a fun summer break!"

"Yeah!" The members of the newspaper club happily agree with Ms. Nekonome.

...I actually can't wait.