I stare at Aido, shaking my head at the boy. I sigh and just open the case, putting the earplugs in.

"Oi, Niko-"

"Lalala, no I don't wanna know." I spin away from him and turn towards the door.

I can hear him loud and clear but I'm just gonna pretend I can't. He brings his face right up next to mine and stares straight at the side of my face. I try not to react, just keeping my face as stony as possible.

"Tsk, just leave her alone, Hanabusa." The boy wanders over to the couch and sits down, rubbing the back of his head.

Aido sighs and glares harshly at me before heading to sit down on the couch as well. I glance behind me at them and almost burst into laughter as Akara suddenly teleports onto the couch, spread-eagle across the lot of them sitting on the couch.

I turn back to the front and cover my mouth, my shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Aido, wake me up when we're going." I faintly hear Akara say before he completely passes out.

Rough night, huh?

"Niko, stop laughing!" Aido hisses from the couch, raising his fist at me.

I wander over to them, pulling one of the earplugs out. I giggle, seeing Aido, Kain and Ichijo all stuck beneath Akara.

"This looks fun doesn't it?" I chuckle and sit down on the coffee table that sits in front of the couch.

Kain just groans and rolls his head back, already done with today and it's antics.

"Aw, c'mon big guy, we haven't even left the dorms yet." I raise my hand and smack his knee harshly, making it jerk sporadically and knee Akara in the stomach.

I cover my mouth with both hands and rock backwards, pissing myself with laughter. All three vampires sitting under the boy hold their breath and stare at the practically dead body on top of them, looking for any type of movement. Akara doesn't even flinch, he just sleeps right through it.

"Niko do you want to kill me?" Kain hisses to me, looking genuinely angry.

I smile widely, "I only kill my favourites," I turn to Ruka and offer her a smirk, "So you will be living for eternity."

Right when Ruka goes to answer me, Aido cuts her off.

"Niko! You didn't answer my question, what is your status?" He practically growls at me from the couch.

Ruka turns to look at the boy then at me, her interest peaked by the sudden revolutionary question of the boy. I smile softly to them and lean forward, putting a hand up to my mouth and the other motioning for them to lean closer.

Or as close as they can get without waking the sleeping dragon on their laps.

"Wanna know a secret?" I whisper, looking at all of them in turn.

Aido nods his head expectantly while Ruka crosses her arms with a huff. Kain picks up on my gag immediately and leans back into the couch. No fun.

"Well, the truth is. I'm a Level D and I only have three months to live." I lean away from them and wait for a reaction.

None, no reaction at all. I pout.

"Well, you guys are no fun." I cross my arms and stand from the coffee table, putting the earbud back in.

Kain rolls his eyes and reaches for the remote, turning the TV on and flicking through the channels. I watch the news flicker by, my eyes widening at the picture on the TV.

"Kain, go back. To the news." I pull both earbuds out, squatting in front of the coffee table and staring at the TV.

He does as I say and goes back two channels to the news.

" . . . SS-Ranked, Niko K, is still on the loose. Because of her ability to stay hidden for a long period of time and through close assessment of video footage from Cochlea. She is being upgraded to an SSS-Rank. If you see or hear from her, immediately call the authorities. Tokyo and surrounding areas are now going into Code Red. For your safety, you will not be allowed to leave your house after sundown. . . ."

I scan the surrounding text for any extra information, any leads they have on me or people around them. I turn to Kain to tell him to turn it off, but something piques my interest as I do.

"Thought I would inform you," I turn back to the TV slowly, my eyes widening at the sight of Arima staring back at me, "We know where Niko K is, and as I am sure you are watching this, I would move quickly if you want your red-headed friend to live."

I stand stock-still, glaring at the face. I hold my hand out to Kain.

"Give me the remote." I hiss, not turning away from the TV, quite a few people have come to watch the TV as my face flashes across the screen.

I choke slightly as a family photo flashes past, my parents sitting around me. I ignore it and flash through the channels, it's currently evening which means it's peak news time.

"Niko K raised to SSS–"

"Niko–"

"SSS-ranked gh–"

"Black Rabbit–"

"Gh–"

I flick back a channel, my eyes widening.

"The Black Rabbit was almost caught by CCG agents last night while searching through suburban streets. He got away with major injuries. If anyone you know sustains a major leg injury, call the number on the screen now–"

I turn the TV completely off, wanting to yank my hair out. I suddenly spin around.

"Which one of you?" I glance around, "Kain, Shiki and that Rima girl are all red-heads. Who is he-oh."

I turn the TV back on for a second, just to make sure.

" . . . Underground pub identified and flushed out, Helter Skelter–"

"Itori. He's bluffing, he doesn't know where I am." I whisper, turning the TV off in time for Kaname to walk down the stairs.

I yeet the remote across the room and shove the earplugs into my ears, standing stoic still. The last person I want up my backside is Kaname Kuran and his nose ass.

"Shall we go?" He offers a small smile.

Aido shakes Akara awake, making the said boy roll off their laps haphazardly. Kain barely catches him and throws him over his shoulder like a body bag. Hm, Ayato would do that to me sometimes. No! Stop it Niko, you are doing so well, trust the people in Tokyo to last. Next week is the ghoul capture report, all you have to do is last until then.

I follow Kaname slowly, walking a few meters behind him and Takuma, making sure not to get too close to him. We once again wait outside the gates and I cringe at the sound of the shouting teens, yes it's better than yesterday but oh what I'd do to just have them shut up.

Aido taps my shoulder, making me turn to him, my eyebrows raised. He points to his ears, also raising his eyebrows. I raise my eyebrows even further, staring at him for a second. Then it hits me. I raise my hands and give him two thumbs up, telling me it's better.

He smiles and drops his hands, giving me a thumbs-up back. Kain grunts from the back, still carrying Akara's dead body around. The gates open, the screaming gets louder, just bearable. I cringe slightly as I walk out into the crowd, ignoring them just as I did yesterday, and sending my two attackers a particularly nasty glare, making Aido sigh and shake his head.

He sends a kiss their way as I pass, cheering them up after my direct attack. This time I sigh and shake my head. We walk in silence to class, knowing that we won't be able to hear each other over the screaming following Kain and Akara. When we make it into the building and the doors close I sigh contently and take the earplugs out, happy to hear.

"Maybe, I can use their vocal cords as straws when I drink their blood?" I ponder out loud as I walk to class, scaring the hell out of everyone around me.

I showed weakness not long ago and I need to reiterate that I am not weak, I am in fact, stronger than the majority of this school. I open the classroom door and smile at Yagari, a glare burning from my eyes.

"Good morning, SSS-rank." He says, writing something out on the board.

"Good morning, useless CCG spy for Arima. Hope you die today." I wave to him as I leap up the steps, sitting in the same seat as yesterday.

Let's hope that Yagari's lesson is short today because if it isn't I'm going to kill him~

Kain sits down next to me with a huff, tossing Akara into the seat next to him.

"Good job, big boy. I know it's hard to carry titan's around." I pat his back as he just shakes his head at me, refusing to talk.

c.r.o.s.s.e.d.

"Sensei, I'm about to either start crying or kill myself if you don't turn down the volume even a little bit."

I'm sorry what? Come again? Akara volunteering to die? Well, I volunteer to assist.

Wow, Akara is useful for one thing though, this teacher has been yapping on about vampires for the last 25 minutes and he finally shut up. Thank Kami for that. Oh, Akara just passed out again.

What the hell happened to you? If I am functioning I think you can function, sir, what yourself I'm coming for you. I glance around the classroom, looking for something interesting to think about. Or even just something to look at, there really isn't that much eye candy in here.

I mean like, some of them are hot, but their personalities just make them not so attractive. I glance at Kaname who has his own little fancy couch thing next to the window to sit in. From what I have noticed, he spends all class reading a book and only looks up or joins the discussion to tell Aido off.

Suddenly realisation dawns on me. If my face is being all fancy flashed across the country, maybe I should listen to Kaien and change my appearance. Should I change my name? No, my name is way too sick to change. Plus they don't know my last name that is always sick.

The teacher leaves the classroom, giving us a small break before the next one comes in. I don't notice though, I just keep thinking about how to fix the situation. There is always the chance that people just don't check the news, or that they don't care about the news.

"Niko."

I look up from my desk, turning to the sound of my name. Everyone is looking at me, which tells me the one and only King Sofa has officially addressed me.

"Yeah?" I ask back, as polite as possible.

One hundred percent polite.

"Where did you come from? You seem to have different standards and mannerisms to most."

Wow, way to insult me, big guy.

"I was born and raised just outside of Tokyo and then moved into Tokyo to live with friends when I was older."

"So why did you move here."

Nosy bitch.

I offer him a closed mouth smile, "Because my boss offered me up to the enemy as a sacrifice so I came here for safety but you guys are crazy so I don't know If I'm any safer here."

I go to stands but duck immediately as I see white hair pass through the window. I crawl beside King Sofa's chair and peek over the window sill, looking out into the woods.

"Oh, it's just Zero," I seriously thought they sent Juuzou after me. I wipe some sweat off my brow. "False alarm, we are safe. But if you see a little short boy with red stitches I would run. I mean unless you wanna be like Akara and sleep for the rest of eternity.' They make a confused face at me but I just shrug it off.

I stand and grab my bag, I am done with class for today, I highly doubt another teacher is coming in to talk shit to us some more. I walk down the steps and am just about to make it out of the door when another bitch calls me.

I go to leave the classroom for a small walk before we have to sit down and 'learn' some more.

"Niko." Again?

"He lives," I mutter under my breath and twirl around on my foot, sliding my bag off and putting it on the table in front of me. Can you people leave me alone? "What?"

Akara looks over to Kain as he joins our little gathering. He can be here whatever.

"Were you following me yesterday?"

Oh, the man has some spacial awareness, does he now?

"Niko, were you spying on me?"

Um, give me a sec to talk mah man, not everyone answers you straight away, some of us think before we speak.

"Yeah, what about it." I raise my eyebrows at him, I am sure this man is watching me all the time, making me shiver all the time.

"You seriously perved on me making out with my boyfriend? What is wrong with you."

I fucking choke. I'm sorry? Come again?

"What the fuck are you talking about." I unzip my bag, may as well get everything out of the way in one go. "I followed you to that barn but-" I pause to yank out his coat. "Never mind that, you left your coat at that cafe, I was following you to give it to you."

I toss the coat at him before turning around and this time, trying to make it out the door.

But, no.

Akara thinks not.

"You were at the cafe?"

"I didn't hear anything. I just wanted coffee. Plus you were sobbing so it's not like I was gonna listen in on you."

"Yeah, that's usually what happens when your parents die and you miss their funeral because no one knew you were alive."

My eyes widen as things connect, my mouth parting slightly in shock. I just want to go to bed and I have to deal with this? Deep breaths Niko, deep breaths.

"Sounds depressing. Never went to mine either." I mumble, patting his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, it do be like that. Also thank you for giving me back my coat. I thought I lost it forever." Akara doesn't really do anything after that so I just walk off. Kami that boy is awkward sometimes.

Wow, I wanted to leave three times and here we are with him leaving first. I once again try to leave the classroom as the class files out, all the students leaving before me, but Kain grabs my arm.

"Wait, Niko."

OH. MY. KAMI.

c.r.o.s.s.e.d.

question of the chapter:

Is niko safe at cross academy?

~shadow

–@ZylikaZ 2020

"Eh, on the grand scheme of things probably not, but you're not supposed to know that yet"–@ZylikaZ 2020

"I'm sorry what? Come again? Akara volunteering to die? Well, I volunteer to assist." "in the state he's in right now he would let her." –@ZylikaZ 2020