i'm back lol

~~~~

"Brother, are you sure this is the correct place?" Timid ruby eyes gaze into the empty school yard. From the corner of his eye, he could see his older brother looking at a specific room.

"I'm sure. From the reports I got those lower apparitions to give me, she should be here. It's funny though, they kept mentioning a scary exorcist with her. Maybe to them but what I'm sensing is nothing powerful."

The other hummed in confusion. Was there really someone like that with their sister? "Do you think she'll be happy to see us?"

"Of course she would, we're family. Now, let's go you cry baby. We'll be back soon enough."

Like that, as if the two had not been there, they vanished. The moonlight peaked from some clouds illuminating the school building ominously.

~~~~

"Hey Teru, I said I would talk to you again but I never agreed to doing this paperwork. Isn't that why you have Akane with you?" Yumeko pouted, resting her chin on the small table. She had forgotten she was still technically a part of the student council, per Teru's request. It was more to keep an eye on her but it was also just to have more people he could exploit- sorry, more people to help him out.

"Fujisaki-senpai, you don't do any work though? And when you do, you do it almost perfectly. Like the president but less scary." He murmured the last part.

The older girl wasn't sure if to think of it as a compliment or not. While it was true she hardly helped with any of the paperwork, when it was absolutely necessary did she ever actually do it.

Like currently, she was only flipping through one of her textbooks, ignoring her own stack of paperwork. This stack was taken by Akane, who muttered under his breathe how this wasn't supposed to be how this worked.

"Yumeko, there is only a small stack left. Make yourself useful and go get the club report revised copy from the broadcasting club." Teru hardly looked up, occupied scribbling on the papers in front of him.

"Senpai, that's hardly fair. You're just giving her a chance to be out and- yes! Sorry, I'll continue working!" Akane reacted quickly to Teru giving him a silent smile. For someone who was regarded as such a kind person, the second year student sure was scary.

The vampire blinked rapidly, trying to understand the situation. She hadn't been paying too much attention, if she was honest. That comment had irked her so much. Rather than being called useless, she'd rather be called lazy.

Yawning again, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Why don't you just send Akane?" Nope, she wasn't about to get roped into doing this. Definitely not about to, "Because Akane is busy with other paperwork while you're just sitting there. "

"Eh? You're so mean." Her tone flat. Rolling her eyes, she stood and stretched her arms, a slight pop sound coming from them. "Alright then, I'll go get that paper and search for Kou. I will definitely not be back soon then." With that, Yumeko walked out of the student council room, closing the door quietly.

"President, was it really necessary to send Senpai on such a useless errand?" Akane Aoi was not very fond of either upperclassmen, they held no candle compared to his beloved Aoi, but he did tolerate them to a certain extent. Truth to his statement, the revised copies from clubs of their activities were not due for another few days. Teru stopped writing, his pen frozen over the paperwork.

"I'd rather her not be here moping and instead do something helpful." Wordlessly, his smile was sent towards Akane who sensed sudden danger. "Actually, why would you care what I tell her to do Akane-san?" The younger boy gulped, the feeling of sudden hostility the president was giving him felt far more dangerous than normal. What the hell? Just because he was curious about his attitude toward the older girl didn't mean he had to go feral on him; what gives?

He did his best to ignore whatever bad mood the older Minamoto was currently in. In his thoughts he cried out, wanting the older girl to return or to have at least taken him with.

Teru on the other hand was feeling conflicted. Why did he continue treating the vampire so harshly after knowing her for so long? She had proved she would protect his younger siblings without him even asking and while her relationship with the other exorcists in the family was rocky, she was still obeying their will, to a certain degree.

Yumeko sauntered down the hallways of Kamome Academy, taking in the sight of different students walking by. Underclassmen talking excitedly with their respective friend groups, while other students carried supplies either for their club or for a staff member. Her thoughts quiet.

Lately Yumeko hadn't been actively hunting for apparitions along with Teru. Rather she had been resting from any sort of apparition activity. But that didn't stop apparitions from suddenly appearing in front of her, as though they had been searching for her. She found it odd. At one point she had even stopped one before it retreated to ask why it was looking for her. All she received were hissing sounds and swipes before she let them go.

She wondered if whatever was searching for her was also the reason some apparitions had become so aggressive in the past weeks.

She shook her head. It would be impossible. There wasn't anyone who really knew who she was except her brothers and the old vampire council. Both options were pretty absurd though. The vampire council had gotten killed during a human revolution and her brothers' current whereabouts were unknown.

Even if she did try to go search for them, she didn't remember the exact location of their house. What if it wasn't even there anymore?

Yumeko climbed the steps and made her way towards the broadcasting room, finding it rather eerie where it was located. She found it odd. She was a vampire and yet damp, dark places like where the Broadcasting club was located gave her the creeps.

Gently knocking on the door, she waited for a response before opening the door. "Excuse the intrusion. I'm here to pick up club reports for the student council." She stayed at the doorway, not wanting to intrude, just in case they were handling some kind of club activity or whatever. Ruby eyes caught sight of one of her classmates, Hyuuga Natsuhiko. Oh right, he was part of this club, wasn't he.

His mischievous grin caught her eye more, as he made his way over to where she was standing. "Fujisaki-chan, don't just stand there. Feel free to come further inside." He spread his arms further inside the room. Yumeko shook her head, she would rather not spend more time with this simp and whoever else was inside the room.

"I'm fine, just came to pick up the papers." She held her left arm with her right, stepping from one foot to the other awkwardly, hoping whoever was in charge of paperwork here could hurry and give her the forms she needed.

"Don't bother Fujisaki-san further, Natsuhiko." Green hair and green eyes reach her vision. How pretty, Yumeko thought. She and Natsuhiko seemed close, given that Natsuhiko was addressed by his given name without any honorific.

"Ah, it's alright. He was just keeping me company." Green eyes stare at the boy curiously, as he shrugged his shoulders at Yumeko's statement. "Is that so?" Her hands stretch out, papers rustling in her grasp. Yumeko retrieves them and gives them a glance over. "Thank you um,"

"Nanamine Sakura. Third year."

"Fujisaki Yumeko, second year." Proper introductions should be given after all. Earlier she had probably heard Natsuhiko call out her name. Yumeko bowed, "Thank you senpai. I'll leave you guys to your club activities now. If you'll-"

She was cut off by the third year, "If you don't mind, would it be alright for you to stay for a small chat?" What? Had she heard them correctly? Apparently her incredulous expression was noticed by the older girl, whose lips slowly quirked upwards, gesturing a hand towards the room.

Well, she had told Teru that she would take awhile, hadn't she? But should she really stay? Teru had warned her about this club in particular, to be on her guard at all times. Drinking tea was the same as eating food too, she wouldn't be able to enjoy it but she did miss the company of someone else to talk to...

"Fujisaki-san, I wouldn't have thought you enjoyed being in the student council." The green haired upperclassmen gently set down her own tea cup, observing Yumeko, who was only staring into her cup, watching the steam curl out and dissipate.

"Yes, I didn't think I would have stayed either but the tasks are surprisingly easy to do most of the time." Natsuhiko had left after he had boiled the tea water. Something about needing to help with something elsewhere.

"Senpai, I'm more surprised you can handle Natsuhiko-san." He was pretty flirty and while he knew his boundaries, he was still a bit over the top for Yumeko to handle without wanting to slap him. "Ah him. There's no need to bother with him. Think of him as the air you pass by."

Well, that was, that was certainly one way of describing how to handle the teen. "I-I see."

"Fujisaki-san, if you don't mind me asking, what sort of relationship do you hold with president Minamoto?" Yumeko's relationship with Teru huh. That was a pretty broad question. They weren't family, much less friends. Maybe the best way to describe their relationship, or lack thereof, would be, "He's someone who has helped me a lot."

Yup that was about it. She wouldn't admit to anyone that she basically owed her life to him. Because as much as her teenage feelings would scream at her to say that she liked him, there was no way that she would say it out loud; especially to someone she had recently met.

Yumeko would not deny, there was something about the green haired girl sitting across from her but she couldn't pinpoint if it was a good or bad thing just yet. There was a lingering aura of an apparition around her. Was there a ghost more powerful than Hanako that Yumeko had yet to meet? The second year didn't want to find out; Hanako's aura was hard enough to ignore but someone more powerful? That would be annoying.

Her phone buzzed lightly in her pocket, startling the two girls. Sakura placed her cup down and gazed curiously at the 'younger' girl in front of her, who was gazing at whatever notification arrived on her phone. In terms of looks, she was very pretty. Soft, silver hair, unblemished skin that seemed to radiate a faint glow, ruby eyes that held a sparkle in them. The teen was very beautiful, Sakura had to wonder how she hadn't heard the school gossip about this beauty more, especially seeing as she and Minamoto Teru were often together. More often than Minamoto and the rather famous, Akane Aoi. Though given their short conversation, she could only deduce the ruby eyed beauty was soft spoken, maybe a bit shy with strangers?

「Kou ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ 」

Nee-chan, I'll be staying out late today!

Don't wait for me at the gate

Remind Nii-chan!!

Thank you!!

Seeing nimble fingers quickly type something in and the frown that suddenly adorned her face, Sakura could only deduct that whatever it had been wasn't something the silver haired girl was expecting. "Sorry about that Senpai. It was my younger brother."

It had been Kou, texting to tell the older girl he was going to be late today. Hm, seems she wouldn't end up seeing him today either? Sakura nodded at her explanation, not asking for any further details.

"It's alright. It is getting late, I suppose I've kept you a bit longer than necessary." Yumeko wouldn't exactly call their conversation long but considering the two girls were very much strangers to each other, it could be said that.

Sakura had other motives in keeping the girl distracted, she couldn't very well say no to him... Although, seeing the girl in front of her, Sakura had to wonder if she was truly powerful or had Natsuhiko merely been exaggerating when he talked about what he had seen a while back? The silver haired teen was clearly acquainted with the Minamoto's, she was often accompanying the eldest one; if she had any clear indication of being able to see the supernatural, she hid it pretty well.

Sakura hid her distaste at the thought of the task she had been given. While keeping Yumeko distracted, she'd be far away from the younger Minamoto. Sakura was also to gain some sort of knowledge from the girl but the chat had been kept at basic questions which gave only vague answers, unfortunately for the green haired girl.

"Senpai, although we might not know each other well, thank you for the tea and the talk." The third year panicked, about to make an excuse for the second year girl to stay longer when Natsuhiko entered the club room once more. "Oh, Fujisaki-chan, leaving so soon?"

"Yes, unfortunately I do still have other council duties to attend. I may have overstayed my welcome today." The boy laughed nonchalantly at her words, waving them off in a casual manner.

Giving her farewells she left the club room, unaware of the two other students gazing at her as she left. "Can we be sure she has something to do with the supernatural? Other than hanging with the Minamoto's, there's nothing particularly special about her. Though she is very pretty, almost as pretty as you, my lady!"

Sakura sat back onto a chair, waiting for Tsukasa's signal. She ignored Natsuhiko rambling, wondering if there truly was nothing strange about Fujisaki Yumeko. The girl hadn't touched the tea, though she hadn't commented on having seen the mokke that was hanging around. Her eyes hadn't shifted either but the girl had appeared to be a bit tense. If she couldn't see them, maybe she could only sense them? Whatever the case was, Sakura could only figure out small pieces of what she hoped would lead them to the truth.

"Natsuhiko, please be quiet and get ready. We'll be on air soon."

~~~~

Yumeko wandered through the halls again, seeing a few more students outside doing club activities or walking home. There was less student activity inside and for once, the teen was thankful there was less chatter. Though she couldn't pinpoint why she had stayed longer than originally planned, it had brought her mind back to the problem she was avoiding: her true thoughts about Teru.

Yes, he may have awakened her from her state of stasis, he may have saved her from getting killed by other exorcists and he may be the one keeping her alive to some extent but why? He had no reason to. Was she merely happy that she wasn't alone? He was harsh to her and never seemed to show her any kindness, if any.

Was she that much of a masochist to like someone who treated her as though she were the very thing he hated? Yumeko detested the thought.

Her legs walked aimlessly now, the papers forgotten. Fingers wrapped themselves around the small packet, wondering if she should just take the forms to the council room first and then head home or take another detour first. She wasn't in the mood to see anyone right now but it was inevitable.

Her body subconsciously walked towards the girl's bathroom. She remembered Kou getting in trouble for appearing in the room and scaring the girls. Needless to say, she was a little disappointed when Tsuchigomori commented on the problem to her. Maybe talking with Hanako might help a little? They might not be as acquainted with each other but the vampire felt maybe speaking with someone else for a change might be nice.

She entered quietly, papers rustling as she shifted her body. Inside, ruby orbs saw Hanako playing cards with his first year assistant, Yashiro Nene. Yumeko still didn't think much of the younger girl; at most, she was Kou's crush and Akane Aoi's friend.

Delicate hands knocked on the door frame, not wanting to completely scare the two children inside. "Room for one more?" Although they wouldn't be able to talk now, maybe taking her mind off things would be ok.

"Senpai!" The dual colored haired girl exclaimed, standing to greet her elder, getting waved off with a small smile. Nervous stutters left her mouth, trying to excuse why she was in the bathroom. "Yashiro-san, it's fine. You're his assistant right? There's no way Hanako would be cruel to someone who's helping him out, much less when it's a cute girl."

Yashiro flushed at the compliment, "Oh, thank you." was quietly murmured, shly looking at the ground, fidgeting. "Oh! Senpai, were you here looking for Kou?" The silver haired girl shook her head. Is it that obvious she was always looking for Kou? Maybe she should give it a break, he was branching out far more than she had originally thought.

"No, I was running some errands for the student council. But I wanted to drop in and ask Hanako something but looks like he's a little busy today."

Hanako stared at the vampire a little confused, they weren't overly familiar with each other yet, despite the few days she had spent overnight awhile back. Though Hanako didn't mind the ruby eyed girl, he wondered what she would need with him, or rather why she looked so. . . sad? Whatever the vampire was feeling right now, she looked conflicted and confused, as if unsure of something.

Hanako wondered if this had anything to do with the older Minamoto boy or if this was just some sort of girl problem. If it was, he would unfortunately not be much help (queue flashbacks to trying to help Yashiro catch the attention of her crush).

"Wanna play with us?" He gestured to the cards in his hand, the Mokke besides him jumped in excitement. Yashiro's eyes sparkled with wonder, curious to see what the older girl would do.

Adjusting the club forms under her arm, Yumeko approached closer to the ghost and his assistant, free hand stretched out to take the cards. "I have time to spare."

Which is how the three spent the afternoon, the girls laughing as Hanako kept getting the losing pair or Yashiro glaring at the cards in Yumeko's hand trying to do her best against the second year student. The Mokke played along with the girls, giving tips and other tricks to help them. Though they did mostly stay near Yashiro, being a bit afraid of the silver haired teen besides the two.

Yumeko's ruby eyes flickered over to Hanako, who was preoccupied with his cards before noticing one of tsueshiros flicker lightly. She frowned, unsure of what the chatter was but seeing Hanako's expression, as though fearful of something made her worried. Yashiro had not noticed, too preoccupied with the Mokke pointing at her cards. As the tsueshiro held conversation with Hanako, his expression seemed to turn terrified.

"Hana-" Yumeko wasn't able to ask as Hanako rushed out of the bathroom. The older girl followed shortly after, leaving a confused Yashiro at the entrance with the club papers Yumeko was supposed to take back to the student council room.

Something about Hanako's facial expression didn't sit right with Yumeko. He was terrified but what could he, a powerful supernatural, have to fear when most of the other mysteries feared him? She didn't want to find out. But she had a bad feeling about this. She hoped it didn't involve anything with Kou. It was nice to see that he was branching away from solely relying on his two older siblings but he shouldn't just be subjected to the harshness of the world so quickly.

Yumeko picked up her pace, ruby orbs flickering to Hanako's form. He donned a cape above his usual uniform; while it was a cool transition to see, Yumeko had no time to be amazed at the sight. She followed closely behind the ghost, opening her mouth to question what was happening.

"Hanako, is everything alright?" Hanako's panicked eyes shifted back to the vampire chasing closely behind him. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea for her to come with. If it was Tsukasa causing trouble again, he didn't want to drag in anyone else. The seventh mystery was sure the vampire could take care of herself but he would rather avoid conflict with Tsukasa. His brother was- no he couldn't even finish his thought.

"I'm not sure exactly but there was a disturbance caused just now. Something really big. I'm going to check it out." Short and simple.

Yumeko frowned, not particularly satisfied with the answer. However, she kept following closely behind; matching speed with someone who didn't need to physically touch the ground wasn't something new to her, but the speed that Hanako was going was much faster than that of the ghosts she usually had to run after.

Turning sharp corners, her sensitive ears heard Kou's pained screams. Her legs ran faster, overtaking Hanako who was surprised at the girl's speed. Yumeko didn't see the surprise expression he made, wanting only to help Kou. He could handle himself against smaller supernaturals but he was still weak; if this supernatural was just as strong as Hanako, he held no chance.

She and Hanako arrived, just in time as Kou was wrapped in some kind of long bandage, growing tighter and drawing him closer to the apparition in front of him. Next to the two, was another ghost, with a more human appearance. Almost like-

"Come on. . . Say something..." Kou was pleading softly to the supernatural that held him captive. It made Yumeko wonder, had something happened? He didn't struggle to become free...

Yumeko jumped over Hanako who had drawn his knife out. As he striked down the middle she took the chance to rip away Kou from there, struggling as the boy fought against her hold. Both watched as the apparition slowly faded, Hanako joining them shortly after.

In her crouched position, Yumeko supported Kou with one hand while another was in front of him, creating a sort of protective shield of sorts. Hanako was quiet, analyzing the situation.

"N-nee-chan... Hanako..." Kou winced as he spoke, having been held by his throat just now.

"Oh! It's Amane!" The vampire tightened her hold on the blonde as she heard another voice near them. Hardly blinking at the next scene, she witnessed Hanako pinning the other figure to the wall. It was as if she was looking at a mirror, a carbon copy of Hanako was there. "Why are you doing this?! Tsukasa!!"

"Hmm... because I like it. The look on people's face when they finally stop holding back. Yours was really good too. Back when you killed me."

What the fuck.

From her position on the floor, she couldn't see Hanako's expression very well but he began to tremble. The other ghost appeared pleased by whatever expression he had. The danger was over for Kou, she had to help Hanako. She stood, watching as Kou raced over to the fallen ghost, only glancing back at the twins near the window before focusing his attention solely on the pink ghost.

Yumeko strode forward, witnessed Hanako become meek, wrists held by the other before she swooped in. He was becoming too overwhelmed by his own emotions. Her own hand positioned itself over Hanako's eyes, closing his view from the other. Feeling something wet graze her fingertips, she frowned.

His body trembled so much, she was afraid he would break then and there. "I love you Amane. Let's play together. Like we used to."

Ruby orbs turned to the ghost who didn't appear pleased at her actions. His own amber eyes glared at her; the vampire stood her ground returning her own glare at the other ghost. The only fight between them happened nonverbally, seeing who would yield from staring back first.

He must have felt satisfied from Hanako's reaction as he smirked and dissipated into a black smoke. "Hanako take a deep breath." Yumeko noticed Kou's distressed voice call out to the fallen ghost. The girl had never encountered this type of situation, she needed Hanako to be conscious of what was happening and for that, she needed him to calm himself.

His trembling stopped as he snapped out of his daze, removing the older girl's hand away from his face.

"Hanako, you... you can fix him, right?" Kou's face full of despair, in his arms he held a broken ghost. Yumeko stayed quiet, no longer sensing any sort of life from that form. Hanako took one look at the two, eyebrows furrowing, pausing at Kou's wavering form. He wanted relief, some sort of hope that his friend would be okay but Hanako couldn't provide him that.

Kou looked back at his older sister, also wanting to see if she could possibly do something that might help him. Except she wouldn't even meet his eyes; Kou's blue eyes stared at her form in disbelief, teeth clenching at the silence from both. He thought they could help, why couldn't they? Weren't they the ones who had encouraged him to exorcise ghosts in a friendlier manner?

"Mitsuba!!" His voice full of anguish, the young boy just wanted his friend back. Why did it have to be like this...?

"It's no use." Hanako grimly said.

"Kid, death... is the end." Yumeko knew this well. She may be naive to a certain extent and while she may not be holding hands with death, she knows what it is like. The vampire couldn't provide the comfort the young boy wanted, much less bring relief to his friend. She would have to leave it to the ghost who ruled over the school.

"You can't be so kind to the dead. Because," Hanako raised his knife, plunging it into the gaping hole left in the other's chest.

"We have no future."

~~~~

Yumeko wondered how deeply rooted the boy who had laid dead in his arms truly was to Kou. After the whole ordeal, she left the younger boy alone. Having gone back to the student council room, her mood had gone down significantly. She could protect those she held dear from physical harm but yet...

The young vampire dropped off the papers, before picking up her bag and leaving the room quickly, the gazes of the other two boys inside watching her form. The older of the two said nothing, eyes narrowing in suspicion while the other quietly voiced his concern.

Back home, the silver haired girl stayed in her room. Wondering if she should just leave the boy to his thoughts. It was maddening to see she couldn't do anything. Her efforts were useless, she wouldn't even be able to properly console the boy. Though, she was glad he wasn't crying just yet.

It was why all she could do for now was feign ignorance even when Teru wanted to know why her mood had changed so quickly. He had cornered her in the kitchen while she made tea for Kou, thinking maybe something soothing would be ok. "You should know when to ignore a situation, especially now that Kou is also growing up... he won't always need us to be there."

She poured the tea into cups, placing them onto a small carrying tray, leaving Teru glaring at her retreating form.

"Kou, I brought you something. Is it okay for me to enter?" She had heard him crying, but she didn't want to mention it.

"A-ah! N-nee-chan, wait a minute!!"

There was the light sound of rustling paper and the stumbling onto the floor, Yumeko wondered if she had made a wrong choice to come check on the boy. "Co-come in!"

Balancing the tray on one hand, her other opened the door. "Um, I just came to give you this. It's chamomile. Um, someone told me it would warm you right up..."

The older girl didn't want to overstep any boundaries right now but she also was worried for Kou; he really was the younger brother she hadn't had the chance to watch grow. Even if the two weren't blood related...

"Nee-chan, did you know?" The tray was set down on his desk, having moved his school bag down from it. "Did I know what exactly?" She didn't face him, in fear of his reaction.

"Were you aware that Mitsuba wasn't going to be able to be saved? That I would have failed in helping him?" His voice soft, almost cracking at the end. The fear that he would never be able to do anything good or be able to help ghosts in his manner, it all scared him so much.

"You didn't fail. You did what you could."

"Then," the young boy clenched his fists, "Why does it feel like I was so useless in that situation!? The way that Tsukasa guy overpowered me so easily! I-I couldn't even do anything to prevent Mitsuba to- I couldn't... protect him."

He held back a sob, he no longer wanted to cry but the tears fell slowly, he truly did have his heart on his sleeve.

"You have the potential to grow, Kou. No one is born strong or perfect, not even I nor Teru. We might seem to always have answers but even we are troubled by things. I know I'm not the right person to say this but you really are strong Kou. Stronger in a way that both your brother and I might not be able to achieve. You are you Kou, you will be able to get stronger. Even when things happen that make you question your path, I know, I know that you'll be able to make the right choice."

As the two were of similar height, Yumeko pulled Kou into a hug, holding his head to the crook of her neck while rubbing his back in a circular motion. It was how she remembered her mother calming down Yuto and on occasion Luka. Remembering the memory caused the ruby eyed girl to swallow the lump in her throat. Even as her shirt gained a small wet spot, she continued her ministrations, whispering words of encouragement.

But she was a liar. She wasn't strong either. She was just a fantastic actress.

~~~~~

lmao whoever could the new guys be?

sorry i disappeared for like, a month? more than that probably. I gave myself the week off before realizing I only had like a week left before my finals so i wanted to focus on school for that time at least. and school is over now yay, i graduated and stuff....

Then june happened and my bday happened alongside with other matters, I felt it wasn't time to post.

this chapter was actually unfinished until like, couple hours ago? i ended up in a really bad writers block..... and then i started reading a lot of bnha fics not sure if i'll write one yet but i will be finishing this book! which actually will probably end after this next arc, the clock keepers! not totally decided yet, we'll see.

seeing as i have nothing to do except watch over the house, i hope to be updating longer chapters, thanks.