Kurumu
The aqua-haired Succubus found herself walking through a beautiful garden that seemed to glow under the moonlight, she looked around only to find herself feeling a sense of peace and tranquility. The trees lightly wayed in the night breeze, their scent along with the beautiful fragrance of each flower added to the ethereal feeling in the girl's heart. As she walked, the Succubus eventually came across the back of a boy with brown hair, he stood there quietly and gazed up at the night sky.
"...Tsukune?"
The boy did not move from his position at the sound of Kurumu's soft voice, only leaving his attention to the beauty of the night and keeping his back to her. The girl took a few steps closer until she was standing right behind him, she could see the outline of his strong shoulders and the way his hair flowed in the night breeze. Kurumu wanted to reach out and touch him...but she held herself back.
"...Look," She sighs. "I know I've been a pain to you, especially when I was at your home. But there's been something on my mind ever since the day you told us you were a human and I just couldn't wait to finally get things straight. I've just been so frustrated and confused that I don't even know what's wrong or what's right anymore!" Kurumu speaks faster than her mind can catch up, she takes a breath to calm herself down in order to get her point across.
"..."
"...I know you love Moka, and I'm happy for you, I really am. But...I just need you to do this one thing for me, and then I'll know. I promise."
"..."
Kurumu takes Tsukune's silence as a response, she sighs to herself and musters up the courage to ask her favor. "...Can you say...'I love you', Tsukune? I just need to hear you say it once, that's all."
"..."
Silence filled the air, hanging heavily between them. Kurumu felt her heart beating faster as each second ticked by, waiting for Tsukune to respond in any shape or form. Seconds turned into minutes...and minutes turned into what felt like hours, impatient, Kurumu fell to her knees and clamped her eyes shut.
"Please! I'm tired of being confused! I'm so sick of not knowing what is wrong with me! I'm begging you, just say those three words! Say, 'I love you', Tsukune...you don't even have to mean it," Her pleas turned desperate, as if her very life depended on him saying those three little words. Kurumu sobbed softly, bringing her hands over her face to stifle her sniffling. "Please...Please, Tsukune."
"...I can't do that, Kurumu."
"Huh?" The young Succubus looked up at the boy's back, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. "What do you-" Her sentence trails off as the boy slowly turns around to finally face her. But when he does...Kurumu is not met with the familiar face of Tsukune Aono...but her best friend, Elijah Everett. "Elijah?"
"... Because you already know the answer."
"W-What are you?"
"Well, maybe not entirely," Elijah corrects himself with a grin. "but I think you really know what your heart wants," Elijah winks before he turns his back on her again, walks away...and slowly fades into the darkness. "You can't keep dodging it forever, you know?"
"Wait!" Kurumu begged, reaching out her hand to the boy...only for it to phase right through him. "No! Don't go! I don't want to be alone! You promised me! No... No. No!"
"NO!"
The Succubus' chest rose and fell with anxiety as she sat upright in her bed, a cold sweat dripping down her forehead that sent a cold chill up her body. Kurumu takes a moment to take in her surroundings, sighing in relief once she realizes that she's safe and sound in her dorm room.
"It was just that dream again..."
Kurumu snuggles herself back under the covers, closing her eyes to try and go back to sleep. But she only finds herself tossing and turning, her mind is still rattled by what she had experienced in her subconscious. In truth, Kurumu has been having this dream ever since Tsukune revealed to the others that he was a human. She knows she cares deeply for him, and she knows that she would do anything for him...she even declared his love for the human not only a day after she met him. But she also knows just how much he loves Moka Akashiya, she's even seen it with her own eyes. An older, much less mature version of herself would be hopelessly jealous But now...whenever she even thinks of love itself, Kurumu finds herself lost in a deep and dark place, wandering aimlessly with no answer in sight.
Well, that's not always the case...
"That's it," Kurumu shot her eyes awake, staring directly up at the ceiling. Her heart which was beating with anxiety and doubt merely minutes ago now beats with determination. "I've put it off for too long," She stated. "Tomorrow, I talk to Tsukune...no matter what, and nobody is getting in my way."
Tsukune...
I step in place, hyping myself up. I snuck out a little earlier this morning in hopes of catching Elijah during his morning P.T., I just hope he won't be too angry to see me. I know he's been...off lately, but he's my brother and I want to be there for him. I also wanted to ask him about that...'spell' or whatever it was that he used yesterday, it definitely wasn't anything like I've ever seen him do. It was pretty awesome how he took down that Monster Durian...but it was also terrifying. He also seemed to...enjoy killing that plant.
"...He's never like that."
CLICK!
I turn my head at the sound of a door opening, finding my best friend coming out of the boy's dorm room wearing nothing but track pants and a black tank top. "Oh! Hey, man!"
"Tsukune?" Elijah tilted his head once he saw me. "What are you doin' out here?"
"Same as you, dude," I punch him in the shoulder, trying to play it casual. "What do you say, dude? A couple of laps around Yokai Academy? I bet I can keep up this time."
"...Uh, sure," he nods, his voice sounding uncertain. "Just try to keep up, Aono," he smirks back at me before popping one of his earbuds into his ear.
I manage to follow close behind as we begin our morning run, the cool morning air along with the warmth of the rising sun provides a sense of peace and nostalgia. It's been a while since I've done this with my best friend, it feels nice. We've been running for a while and we've even done a few laps around the school, we've run into a few other early morning risers, Elijah nearly actually ran into them but they all narrowly got out of his path. I just wish he would say something, he's been silent ever since we started running.
"Hey, man," I say between slightly rapid breaths. "I just wanna ask about that spell you used yesterday, it was pretty intense, dude!" I chose the first thing to come to my mind to talk about.
"Oh, that?" Elijah looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "I think it was a transformation spell of sorts if that stuff came out of my body like that. I'm not too sure what it was myself, I'll have to ask my mom or Ruby about it. They'd probably know about it."
"You...don't know?" Okay, I'm sure that's not a good sign.
"Nope, but I'll tell you this, though," Elijah turns his head completely towards me and smiles. "It was pretty cool, huh?"
"..." I stop running, placing my hands on my knees and taking deep breaths. I hear Elijah stop ahead of me and take a few steps over towards me. "Okay...I need to be honest with you, dude."
"Uh, okay?"
"...I'm really worried about you, Elijah. And I'm not just expressing some minor concern, I'm really worried. With what happened yesterday, how you practically...enjoyed killing that thing."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't 'enjoy' it, I was just protecting you guys like always, that's all."
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, why did you take a bite out of it like some...wild animal?"
"...I what?"
"Everyone saw you do it, man!" I exclaim...but stop myself from chewing Elijah's head off when see his confused expression. I take a calming breath so I can address this in a civilized manner. "Look, I'm glad you were there to protect us, but you did it in such a way...that I wasn't so sure that it was even you. You made that monster suffer way more than it deserved, and you even seemed to enjoy it. You licked that monster plant's blood off of your lips like you just had the best meal of your life, even talking about it now is giving me chills."
"...I did that?" Elijah looks off to the side, his eyes squinting as he...tried to remember. So...he really forgot. This is just like that night when he stormed out of the house. Should I...should I bring that up too?
"...And also," I decide it's best to get this out there now. "You may not remember, but we...sort of had a fight."
"What?"
"...The night the girls came to my house, after everything settled down, I came downstairs and I found you storming out of the house. And the way you looked at me as you said...'It was always you', it's like you...hated me."
"...I don't..." Elijah brings his hand up to his forehead, I can tell he's trying really hard to remember what happened. "...Why can't I remember this?"
"...You really don't remember?"
"No, and I don't know why," Elijah sighed. "Okay, look, I know that I've been...a little off, lately, but that doesn't mean that I stopped caring. I just didn't want that thing to hurt anyone else. And I may not remember what caused me to be so angry with you to cause...a verbal fight, but I really am sorry, dude."
"Don't worry about-"
"No, really," He interrupts me. "I told myself that I would no longer let my anger get the best of me, and here I am being a complete dick, and I don't even remember it all! So hear me when I say, I'm gonna do my best to be better than that, alright? And I'll never use that...'spell' again. You have my word."
"...Of course, man," I nod. I can hear the desperation and steadiness in his voice, he means it...I mean, it didn't take a lot to see that.
"So...we're good?"
"Yeah, man," I smile, bringing up my hand. "We're brothers, it'll take a lot more than that to tear us apart." Elijah takes my hand and we bring it into a pound hug. I pat his back and he pats mine, just like old times.
"Huh?" But he breaks away from me, looking at me with a confused expression. "Did you say something?"
"Yeah," I nod. "I said that we're brothers."
"No, after that."
"Uh, no? I didn't say anything."
"...Never mind."
Kurumu...Later that day...
Classes were like usual for the blue-haired Succubus, despite the growing anxiety rising in her heart every time she took a peek at the clock. It wouldn't be long before she would have to speak with her human friend, the only problem she had would be getting him away from the others. More specifically, Moka and Elijah. Speaking of the ladder, Kurumu had noticed a better change in his attitude. Elijah doesn't seem so distant compared to when the year of Yokai Academy began, Kurumu hasn't seen Elijah smile like that in so long, not since...that night.
"Now as you all see here in your textbook," Ms. Nekonome goes on with her lecture. "humans have many different types and all kinds of cultures, they even go far back beyond the dark ages where even many of our races survived in cultures of their own!"
But Kurumu's mind was elsewhere. She couldn't bear to pay attention to Ms. Nekonome's lecture. Instead, Kurumu could only think of that dance under the moonlight with her best friend. She would often dream about it as well, along with the one she had this morning. I never thought Elijah could be so light on his feet. Well, he barely even knew how to take the lead...what a dummy. He looked so handsome under the moonlight...
There she went on again, thinking about her best friend in such a way. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and it didn't take much to figure out why. But before she could even scratch the surface of that, she needed to sort out the main issue with her feelings.
"Today...today for sure."
GONG! GONG! GONG!
"Well, looks like that's all we have time for today, class!" Ms. Nekonome smiled as the bells indicated the end of class. "I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! And remember that Parents' day is next week so be sure to be prepared for that!"
Kurumu sighed to herself once she heard that reminder. Right, I gotta deal with that too... The blue-haired Succubus decided not to dwell on that for now and gathered her things before she spoke to her dear human friend. It's now, or never.
"So, Moka," Tsukune smiled at her. "do you have any plans this weekend?"
"Not really, I was just going to relax in my room, maybe even catch up on some reading too."
"Well...I was thinking that maybe we could hang out. You know...just the two of us?"
"O-Oh!" Moka blushed. "I mean, if...you're not too busy, Tsukune."
"No, not at all. I mean, I wouldn't be asking if I was but I also wanted to make sure that you weren't busy so that I wouldn't ruin anything that may have donated to do this weekend and..." Tsukune sighed in defeat, his face burned up with embarrassment. Moka couldn't help herself but giggle at the boy before she offered him a response.
"I wouldn't mind spending my weekend with you, even if I did have plans."
Those words made the human smile, and his heart practically pounded in his chest. "Moka..."
"Tsukune..."
"Um, I'd hate to interrupt," The pair of lovebirds jolted at the sound of their Succubus friend. "Moka, do you mind if I borrow Tsukune for today?"
"Huh? Why?"
"It's...kinda private," Kurumu admitted, scratching the back of her head. "But I promise it's not what you think. Once I'm done with him for today, he's all yours for the rest of the weekend."
"..." Moka takes a second to search Kurumu's eyes for any hint of deception or treachery, but all she finds is...desperation. So for the first time in a while, the Vampire will trust the Succubus. "Of course, Kurumu. I don't mind."
"Thank you," The Succubus returned the Vampire's warm smile, and now she turned to the human boy with the same expression. "Can we go somewhere private? This won't take too long, I promise."
"Yeah, alright," He nods. "Let's go." This was it. Finally, no distractions, no one to stand in her way. Kurumu was this close to resolving the inner turmoil of her heart. All it takes now is one evening with her human friend.
"Hey, Kurumu," Oh, crap... But she forgot about her best friend. "I got another album full of songs I wanted to show you, how about we head down to the old pond and-"
"I'm sorry, Elijah," Kurumu cuts him off, and a pang of guilt forms at the bottom of her heart. If it were any other day, she would join him in a heartbeat. "not today. I need to work out some things with TSukune. But tomorrow, we can for sure."
"...Oh. Well, that's alright. I know you're good on your word. But...is everything okay?"
"..." Kurumu glances in between the eyes of Elijah and Tsukune and she smiles when she sees her own reflection sparkle in Elijah's brown irises. "I'll know soon enough, I'll see you later, okay?"
"You bet."
Since everywhere else wasn't exactly private enough for Kurumu to have her conversation with Tsukune, she ultimately decided that her dorm room would be the best place. Tsukune didn't mind, if anything he was worried about what Kurumu could possibly want to talk about and why it had to be him she was talking to. Tsukune was happy to help ease her mind regardless.
"Excuse the mess,"
"Oh, it's fine," Tsukune waved his hand in dismissal as Kurumu locked the door behind her. "It's not really that messy, although..." Tsukune picked up a black piece of clothing that was sticking out from in between Kurumu's mattress. "What is this?"
"N-Nothing!" Kurumu swipes the jacket away from Tsukune and quickly stuffs it underneath her bed, but the Succubus sees the way he smiles at her. Crap, he definitely saw the lettering.
Tsukune's attention went from the piece of clothing to...a small fish tank that lays on her work desk. Inside, a small goldfish swam around in circles around a tiny castle. "I didn't know you had a goldfish."
"Oh, yeah," Kurumu giggles before joining Tsukune's side. "His name's Flealick, he was one of the goldfish we had during the festival. I managed to snag him before we had to leave, Ms. Nekonome has been looking after him since."
"Ms. Nekonome," Tsukune laughed. "I'm surprised that she didn't eat him."
"Oh, trust me. I made it very clear that If she did that, there'd be hell to pay."
"I don't think you could've said that to any other teacher," Tsukune chuckled at Kurumu's bluntness. "Well, maybe Ms. Kagome because of...yeah."
"Yeah," Kurumu nods, knowing what Tsukune was talking about. "But enough of that, it's time to get serious."
"Huh? Oh!" Before the human boy could inquire more, the Succubus forces him to sit down on the floor. She kneels right across from him and puts on her serious face. "Kurumu, what's-"
"I'm not gonna waste any more time beating around the bush so I'm just gonna get straight to the point, okay?"
"Okay...?"
"You should know that I already proclaimed you as my Destined One, but I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't really made any advancements towards you since...you and Moka are now..."
"Oh, we're not official...I mean, not yet anyway."
"But we all know by now, Tsukune. It's clear as day that you both love each other."
"...Yeah," Tsukune's face flushed. "I guess you're right about that."
"Anyway," Kurumu continues. "The reason I brought you here is so I can finally get to the bottom of my feelings."
"What do you mean?"
"...I don't know if you're my Destined One, and I know a way to figure that out. So...I need you to do me a huge favor."
"...And what's that?"
"...Tsukune," Her voice shakes at first, but a quick deep breath steadies Kurumu's nerves. "I need you to tell me you love me."
"...What?!"
"Look, look, look!" Kurumu holds Tsukune by his shoulders, stopping him from getting up and leaving. "I know how it sounds and it's not what you think! Please, please, please just hear me out, okay?"
"..."
Kurumu takes Tsukune's silence as his answer. "As a Succubus, my kind lives for love, it's the very thing that gives us purpose. And when our Destined Ones proclaim their love for us in return, it's supposed to be the best feeling in the world. My mother described it to me as if all my worries would float away, my heart wouldn't stop beating for minutes on end, and my mind would only be able to focus on one thing."
"Your Destined One?"
"Mm-hm," Kurumu nods. "Exactly! It's been my dream to experience that feeling ever since I was a little kid. And I really thought I was close to when...I met you."
"...I'm sorry, Kurumu."
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?"
"I know you care about me, and I'm flattered that you thought of me in such a way...I'm just sorry that I couldn't return your feelings."
"But that's not your fault," Kurumu gives Tsukune's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You just...were in love with someone else, that doesn't mean you have to be sorry."
"Still, I just feel bad for not being forward with you from the start, I didn't even consider how you felt. I was just so sidewinded with how I felt for Moka that-"
"Shh," Silence follows after the Succubus shushes the human with her index finger, she presses it against his lips and smiles warmly. "You're sweet, Tsukune. It's one of the reasons I loved you, after all. Now..." Kuurmu allows her arms to relax at her side and fiddle with the end of her skirt. "You don't have to mean it, I just need you to say those three little words, okay?"
"...Are you really sure about this?"
"One hundred percent."
"..." Tsukune took a deep breath to steady his rising heartbeat, his eyes could only meet his lap as his fingers dug into the fabric of his trousers. It was only a few seconds...but the words finally fell from his lips. "...I love you."
"...Say it again."
"Huh?" Tsukune looks up and meets Kurumu's perplexed expression. "Uh...I love you."
She brings up her hand to her chest, closes her eyes, and focuses on her heartbeat. "Again."
"I love you."
"...One last time."
"I love you."
"..." Nothing...I didn't feel a thing, my heartbeat didn't even go up in the slightest. So...that means...
"Kurumu?"
"It's not you...you're not my Destined One."
"Huh?" Tsukune didn't quite hear that. "What did you-"
"It's not you!" She proclaimed for a second time...but her relieved smile quickly turned into a worried frown. "But if it's not you...Oh, God," Kurumu brings her hands up to the sides of her head, and her breathing becomes more rapid and exasperated by the second. If it's not TSukune, then... I was so sure that my heart felt something that day, but...what if I'm wrong again? I don't think I could handle losing-
"Kurumu," Tsukune took charge and tried to calm his friend down, he grabbed a hold of her wrists and brought them down to her side so he could look her in the eye. "What's wrong? Why...why are you crying?"
"...Because I'm scared."
"But why?"
"If I was wrong about you, who will I know if I can ever find my one? That terrifies me more than anything in the world...being alone. All my life, I just wanted to find my Destined one not for the sake of my race but because...because I really want to make someone happy someday, and I want them to do the same for me."
"Kurumu..." Tsukune releases her from his grip, but Kurumu doesn't even look up at the human boy.
"I want to be someone's sunshine, I want to be able to make them a yummy dinner after a hard day's work, I want to receive head pats whenever I'm feeling insecure about myself, I want to be able to hear the heartbeat of the person I love in sync with my own. I want someone to look me in the eye and say...that they love me."
"..." Tsukune could feel the fear behind Kuurmu's shaky words, so he let her speak and waited for a good moment to offer condolences.
"I'm scared Tsukune. I'm scared that I'm going to wind up all alone with no one to love, it's one of the worst things I can ever experience. I know that for a fact," Kurumu could feel her fingernails digging into her palms as she balled her fists. "What am I gonna do? what am I gonna do? What am I gonna-"
To stop the Succubus from repeating that question, Tsukune takes it upon himself to console the anxious girl by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Kurumu is forced into a warm hug, her arms remain by her side and she is shocked by the initial gesture...but she doesn't pull away.
"Tsukune?"
"It's okay, everything is gonna be okay. I know you're scared, and that's okay. But I'm also worried about you. I knew I was right to think that you've been sad lately...I just didn't know why. I'd rather see ou like your old self and smile."
"..."
"But do you...Do you need to cry?"
"...No," Kurumu shook her head against Tsukune's shoulder...but the Succubus couldn't fool herself any longer as her head nodded. "Yes."
Kurumu doesn't hold back her tears any longer, she allows herself to be vulnerable and lets the tears of her lonely heart fall onto Tsukune's shoulder. She returns his hug and constricts her arms tightly around the boy's muscle-toned torso. It's a little too tight for the human boy, but he doesn't mind. He has to be here for her now, who cares if it costs a few broken ribs? Kurumu's tears soak through Tsukune's blazer, making the girl even more self-conscious.
Oh, god, now I'm ruining his clothes! I'm already a blubbering mess, why do I have to be like this?!
"It's okay, Kurumu," Tsukune runs a gentle hand up and down Kurumu's back. "Just let it all out, okay?"
"No, no," Kuurmu pulls herself away, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I think I've cried enough. Thank you, Tsukune. I really needed that. I feel a lot better now that I've had a good cry."
"So...what now?"
"...I don't really know. Now that I know that you aren't my Destined One, I don't know where to go from here."
"...Do you know who you think it could be?"
The way Tsukune voiced that question caught Kurumu off guard, it was almost as if he was asking her like she already knew the answer...and the human wasn't far off. Kurumu had thought of that possibility many times now, and every time, she found herself happy with that thought...but at the same time terrified. The Succubus nearly lost him once, risking that for a second time...Kurumu wouldn't know what to do with herself.
"I mean," She finally spoke with a whisper. "I have...somewhat of an idea, but..."
"Hmm..." An idea popped into the human's head, feeling that he'd been through this kind of situation before. Plus...Tsukune had a feeling he knew exactly who Kurumu was thinking of right now. "Kurumu, do you mind if I try something?"
"Huh?"
"Just trust me, okay?"
"...Okay."
"This...person that you're thinking of, tell me about them without revealing too much of who they are."
Kurumu bit her lower lip, choosing her next words carefully. "Well, they're usually on my mind every single day. They're brave, kind, smart, funny, compassionate, and above all else...they know how to make me feel better about myself."
"When you think about them, what do you feel? Nervous? Happy? Do they leave you wanting to spend more time with them?"
Is he psychic? That's exactly how I feel. "Uh...yes," Kurumu chucked nervously, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. Kurumu almost stops talking here, but she keeps going. "Every time he walks into the room, I feel all tingly inside. And when we talk, my smile feels a lot bigger than before." Especially when we listen to music together.
Tsukune kept his attention solely focused on Kurumu, listening closely as a small smile formed at the corner of his mouth. "Okay, now I want you to try something. Close your eyes for a second."
"What, why?"
"Just trust me, okay?"
"Um...okay," Kurumu does so and her vision is engulfed in darkness.
"Now imagine this happening," Tsukune goes on. "You're heading to class. And then, you look down the hall and see the person you're thinking of. He's happy, laughing, and smiling," Kurumu could see it like it was really happening, Elijah's laugh and smile are practically burned into the girl's memory.
Where is he going with this?
"But..." Tsukune continues. "walking next to him is someone else. Someone he's looking at with love and happiness," Wait, what? No... Kurumu's heart dropped as she saw her best friend smiling and laughing with...a certain Snow Fairy. Mizore...you can't do that! This...this hurts, I don't like it. A pang of an old familiar feeling stabs at her heart. "Does it hurt?" Kurumu opens her eyes, seeing Tsukune touching his chest where his heart is. "Right here?"
Tsukune asked with surprisingly more concern than Kurumu expected. Speechless, she nods slowly. "Yes, it...really hurt."
"What if he said those three words to you? Do you think you would react the same way you did earlier?"
Now there's something Kurumu had never thought of before, that thought alone was enough to make her heart flutter and her cheeks grow red in slight embarrassment. Elijah...saying that to me? She unconsciously brings a hand up to her cheek and brushes a lock of loose hair behind her ear, the Succubus could practically hear her best friend's voice without him ever having to be here.
"I love you, Kurumu."
"Kurumu," While the aqua-haired girl was lost in her thoughts, Tsukune grabbed the black piece of clothing once again. He unfolds it and finally reads the white lettering that went down the left arm...and he smiles. "I think we both know who you're really in love with, I think...I think you just didn't want to realize it until you didn't know for sure."
"..." Kurumu takes the jacket from Tsukune, holding it close to her chest. Has it really been him since the beginning? Kurumu could only think about her time with the Wizard Boy, making her heart beat faster with each memory.
"Besides...Deep down, I think she's a good person."
I tried to hurt him...but he saw something that I couldn't even see within myself.
"What are those?"
"Oh, these? They're my earbuds. I use them to listen to my music on my phone."
"I've heard about these in the human world! They let you do all sorts of things, right? Wait, you listen to music with this? Can you show me?"
He's the reason why I love music so much...
"'Kuru'?"
"That's my nickname for you, gotta problem?"
"You do know that means 'tremble in fear', right?"
"Yeah?"
"Then why are you calling me that?"
"Well, after seeing what you did to Tamao, you know...after you saved my life?"
"I told you, you don't have to keep-"
"I know. But I saw a new part of you I've never seen before. You're a total badass! You made that fish your bitch! I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. In fact, when the other mermaids saw what you did, they quickly went back to their human forms and ran away! You made them tremble in fear!"
"...Elijah...Th-Thank you..."
No one has ever praised me the way he has before...
"...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."
Elijah is one of the most handsome guys I've ever met, he doesn't deserve to feel insecure about himself. I don't think he realizes how many girls stare at him when he's not looking.
"...Kuru...mu...Everything...is gonna be...okay..."
"Elijah..."
"You saved me...many times... I was just returning the favor..."
"Don't say that! You're gonna be alright! To hell with Moka! Yukari and Ruby could help! I...I can't lose you too! You're...my best friend. You promised!"
Elijah saved my life, he willingly laid down his life for me... And I know for a fact that I would do the same for him. And the way he held me that night...I never thought someone could look so beautiful before.
"Oh, my God," Kurumu buries her face in the jacket, not wanting to face Tsukune with this amount of embarrassment. But no matter how long she could hide, she could never escape from the irrefutable fact...
Kurumu is in love with her best friend.
"How could I have been so stupid?!" Her voice was barely audible thanks to the piece of clothing. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
"Kuurmu? Are you okay?" Not wanting to hide anymore, Kurumu lifts her head out of the jacket and meets Tsukune's concerned expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine. But...Tsukune?"
"Yeah?"
"...Has...he ever said anything...you know, about me?"
"...It's not my place to say," Tsukune scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. "that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."
"Meanie..." Kurumu pouts but she knows that Tsukune's right. "...But what If I'm wrong again, Tsukune? I mean, if I was wrong about you, then there's a possibility that I'm wrong about him too. I nearly lost him once and I don't know If I can handle losing him again."
"...Well, you'll never really know unless you try, right? Just like you did with me, I know you can do this Kurumu."
"..."
"Besides, something tells me that everything is going to work out just fine."
Damn his optimism and kindness to others. "How can you be so sure?"
"I'm not," Tsukuen shrugs. "I just have faith."
Tsukune's blunt answer brings a small chuckle out of Kurumu. "You always have faith, I wish I was more like that," Kurumu only now realizes how dark it's gotten in her room, she stands and stretches her arms. "Okay, I think I've kept you long enough."
"Oh," Tsukune stands, also seeing that it was getting late. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?"
"No," She shakes her head with a sweet smile. "I'm alright now, thank you Tsukune. You really did a lot for me already, I shouldn't keep you here any longer. I'm sure you need to get ready for your date tomorrow."
Tsukune sighed, ignoring Kurumu's smirk. "Not you too..."
"Hey, I'm serious," The Succubus spoke in a serious tone as she opened the front door of her dorm room, Tsukune stepped outside but he didn't leave. The small light provided overhead gave them a sense of tranquility and warmth. "Moka is a lucky girl to have someone like you, her and her mean other half."
"Kurumu..."
"Just don't go breaking her heart, you hear me?" She smirks at the boy.
"Oh, hell, no," He laughed. "I would never do that. And...Kurumu?" Tsukune smiles warmly at her and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I did mean it earlier when I said that I love you, you're my friend and I care about you." Kurumu giggled...and did something the human boy least expected, she planted a small kiss on Tsukune's cheek. "K-Kurumu?"
"It's just a thank you kiss, Dummy, don't think much of it," She teased, punching his shoulder. "Goodnight, Tsukune."
"...Goodnight Kurumu."
Kurumu steps back inside, closing the door behind her with a big smile on her face. She practically skips over and leaps onto her bed, grabbing onto one of her many plushies and holding it tightly to her chest. The Succubus squeals with joy as she rolls around on the mattress, kicking her legs in the air like a happy little kid.
"I love Elijah..." Kurumu gasped, covering her mouth as those words came through her rosy lips. "I love Elijah," She says again, giggling as she repeats those three words over and over again. "I love Elijah, I love Elijah, I love Elijah!"
No matter how many times she would say it to herself, the Succubus' found herself even more happy the more she repeated it. Kurumu sits up on the bed, looking over at her desk and looking at her goldfish. She couldn't hear his thoughts, but she was sure that the fish was smirking at her.
"Oh, shut up, Flealick," She giggled. "I'm in love!"
But Kurumu's happiness was only momentarily, she remembered a certain someone who needed to know how her love life had changed dramatically. The Succubus sighs in annoyance before she looks over at her phone. I know she's not going to like this, but I need to get this out of the way before she shows up on Monday. Kurumu picks up her phone and quickly dials her house phone number, remembering that they have gotten one in case of emergencies. The dial tone rings in her ears for a few seconds before an older woman's voice came through the other line.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mother. We need to talk."
Elijah...
"Finally..."
I take a long and deep breath as my afternoon workout comes to an end. Since Kurumu needed to be with Tsukune today, I decided to get an extra workout in for the evening. I think I've lapped around the Academy at least fifteen times now, so close to beating my record. But there's no time to worry about that right now, I think it's best if I just get back to my room and get some rest.
I just hope everything is alright with Kurumu, she seemed very troubled when she left. I know I haven't really talked to her since... that night, I just wish I could remember exactly what happened. I do remember ending the initial fight, then we went to eat, and then we came home. After that...it's all fuzzy, I don't even remember when I went to bed that night.
Tsukune said we had a 'fight', but why would I get angry at him?
"..Maybe I should ask Kurumu what happened that night," I voiced my rising thought. "she and Tsukune have probably finished things up by now."
I just wonder what they could possibly be talking about...
"It's probably nothing too serious," I say to my rising worry. "If it was, I'm sure Kurumu would want to talk to me about it too...would she?"
"Traitors..."
I turn my head back to that sudden voice ringing in my ears. "Okay, seriously, what the hell is that?"
I know for a fact that I've been hearing that same voice in my head for the past week now, I thought it was just my bad thoughts somehow trying to speak for themselves but that's just ridiculous. How can just just manifest a voice of their own? Well, I guess anything's possible with magic...but this is worrying me. Maybe I should bring it up with Ruby or the Headmaster the next time I see them. Maybe they can see if there's anything wrong with me. But for now...
I came close to the girls' dorms as the sun set beyond the horizon, the area around me glows a beautiful orange-yellow and brings me a sense of peace. I bet the pond looks even more gorgeous than usual right now, that's the reason why I wanted Kurumu to join me today, she would've loved it. There should be plenty of time if she's up for it, I just hope she's not too upset at me.
"Augh, there I go again. Why would she be upset at me?" I tried my best to push down that thought as I came close to the girl's dormitory. As I did, I saw my friends on the second-floor walkway. Oh, looks like they're just finishing up. I raise my hand to wave at them. "Hey...guys?" But my voice fell flat as I saw my best friend...kissing Tsukune on the cheek.
...What the hell? No...I'm just seeing things, right? There's just no way that just happened. I mean...I'm just tired from all of my running and workouts, right? Okay, hold it together, Elijah. Hold it together. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for that, no need to stress myself out by jumping to conclusions.
"Hey, dude!" I'm brought out of my inner turmoil by Tsukune's voice, he rushes over to me with a huge smile on his face.
"H-Hey, man..."
"I'm telling you, man, things are finally going the way that they're supposed to for us! You'll see."
"...I will?"
"Wish I could say more," Tsukune punches my shoulder and starts running in the direction of our dorm. "I'll see you later!"
"...Yeah, see ya." I offer a small wave...but my hand just falls to my side.
"Traitor..."
"...Shut up." "Something troubling you, Elijah?"
"GAH!" I nearly jump out of my skin when Mizore scares the living daylight out of me again for possibly the thousandth time. "God dammit, Mizore! Get a fuckin' bell already!"
Mizore flinches at my outburst. "I saw the whole thing..."
"..." Not this again...
"You deserve better than that, I know that for a fact. I also know I can be that person for you. I can be that kind, loving, funny, badass, and awesome person you want. Let me make it up to you for all I've done, please... I really am sorry for not listening to you, but I know I can be better than that. I promise I can be so much more than-" Mizore reaches out for my hand...and I swat it away.
"Mizore...for once in your life...stop stalking me." I start walking away from my snow fairy friend...but my anger boils over when Mizore tries to grab onto my hand again. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Mizore gasps at my outburst...and my heart breaks when I see her crying. "Mizore, I-" She didn't want to hear what I had to say, so she ran back to the girls' dorm. I groan in frustration beyond any I've ever felt in my life. "What the hell is wrong with me?!"
SLAM!
"Hoo! Who?! What, what?!" Archimedes woke up after I slammed my door shut...but I couldn't give two fucks about his 'beauty sleep' right now. "I say, young Everett! What's with all this ruckus?!"
"Get out..."
"I beg your pardon?" The pygmy owl tilted his head at me. "What makes you-"
"I said," I picked up my drinking glass off of my nightstand and threw it at the owl, I missed and it shattered against the wall and left a small crack. "GET OUT!"
HOO! HOO!
"Have you gone mad?!" Archimedes hovers himself over to the open window. "I do hope you get rid of that nasty attitude of yours while I'm gone! Hmph!"
My owl...friend flies out into the night sky, leaving me all alone again. I throw myself onto my bed and slam my head against my pillow, screaming into the cloth and letting all of my frustration muffle against the fabric. What the hell is wrong with me?! WHY AM I SO ANGRY?!
"Because...your 'friends' betrayed you..."
I throw my pillow across the room in a huff, I scoff at the sound of that annoying, condescending voice. "That's not true! What would you know anyway?! Your just a fucking voice!"
"Oh, but I know...everything about you, Elijah Everett."
"...What?" The voice...it's actually responding to me. But...that's not Merlin. "...What are you?"
"Call me...a friend."
I scoff at that eerie ton of his. "'Friend'? Yeah, right. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I already have enough friends."
"Hahaha... Your 'friends'..." The voice was mocking me. "Are they the same ones who treat you like the weak link?"
"What? Augh!" A searing pain digs its way into my skull...filling my head with memories of the past year...but they're nothing like what actually happened. I see my friends leaving me behind, telling me that I'm worthless and that I don't belong here. "Nngh! That's not what happened!"
"Oh, but it is... They all hate you, despise your very existence, they...pity you."
"NGH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Another flash comes into my mind, this time it was the day Kurumu saved me from that fish lady who tried to drown me...but only now she looked down on me as I was drowning, and she walked away, leaving me to die.
"NO! That's not-"
"She never cared about you...none of them did..."
The nightmare doesn't end, the next thing I see is the horrific day I nearly died fighting that bastard Kuyo. As I lay there and got beaten to a pulp, the others just stood there and watched...each and every one of them had a smile on their face.
"N-No!" I slam my head against the wall, hoping it would stop this madness. "I saved them! Me and Tsukune did it together!"
"Ah, Tsukune Aono...your 'brother in arms'. But not everything is as it seems."
"I'm telling you, everything is finally going my way. I don't need you anymore."
"No!" I smack myself in the face, ending the flashes in my head. "That's not what he said! Tsukune wouldn't hurt me like that!"
"Oh? Then allow me to show you what truly happened that night..."
"What?"
What he showed me next...I couldn't believe it. Kurumu and I danced under the moonlight after the whole fight, we flew into the night sky like a pair of doves, and I carried her back to the house as she fell asleep in my arms. But then...
"..ay I love you, Tsukune..."
I heard her say those words in her sleep, then I ran out of the house in a fit, not before yelling at Tsukune as he betrayed me...and that's when...
Just as I was about to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, a black, oozing, and slimy substance wrapped itself around my face, blocking my eyes and mouth. I fall on my back as I desperately try to rip off...whatever it was that grabbed a hold of me. Whatever it was...I could feel it latching onto the rest of my body, covering me in this black matter. Its cold, sticky, and damp consistency moved all around me in an almost liquid-like way, spreading all across my body...and I was falling into unconsciousness. As my body went limp...the last thing I heard was the demonic voice creeping into my ear again.
"Oh, my god," I remember...everything. The reason I don't remember that night, the reason I've been so easily agitated lately, the reason I feel so hungry all the time, and how I used that power yesterday... "It was you."
The voice laughed, mocking me once again. "Hahaha...you really are a clever one, Blessed Child."
"...It doesn't matter!" I shout. "Even if that really happened and I heard that in her sleep, I know that Kurumu would never hurt me intentionally!"
"No? But what about...everyone else?"
What the voice showed me next...it made me furious beyond anything I've ever felt before, even more than Kuyo or Ishigami. My head was filled with the voices of all of my friends...and even my family.
"I never learned anything from you..."
"Why would I want to be your friend?"
"You're not even a real Wizard..."
"All the time I spent watching you...wasted."
"I wish you had never saved me from Her Ladyship..."
"Merlin made a mistake in choosing you..."
"How could I have given birth to such a worthless child?"
"My son...you are so weak..."
"How can I ever love someone like you?"
"NO!" I slam my head into the wall again when Kurumu's voice rings through my head. "She would never say that to me! Get out! Get out! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"No, I don't think I will...Blessed Child. You and me...are going to do great things together. You will see..." I look down at my hands...they're completely covered in a black, goo-like substance. No...that spell...
"Yes," The voice answers my thoughts. "We are going to help...everyone. Allow me to take it from here, my friend."
"No! No! NO!" I roll around, eventually falling off of my bed and clasping my hands over my head. "NNNGGGGHHH! GET...OUT!" Tsukune! Kurumu! Moka! Yukari! Ruby! Mizore! Merlin! I...need...help...
"Shhh, Blessed Child. We are going to heal...everything."
Knock knock... Let the devil in...