Kurota's footsteps clicked quietly along the polished hallways of the Valcorian Academy. The corridors were mostly empty, the muffled sounds of lectures and exercises leaked from closed doors. His left eye glowed faintly. Lucien hovered in his mind, silent at first, letting Kurota enjoy the peace he had.
Casual stroll in a near-empty hallway, Lucien mused, smirking inside. How civilized of them to leave us "unsupervised". Almost boring.
Kurota rolled his eyes, feeling the usual lightness of freedom after days of observation and enforced idleness. It was surreal: no students rushing past him, no teacher or classmates barking orders, no immediate threat of death. He could move like any ordinary human, though the faint feel of lucien beneath his skin reminded him he was anything but ordinary.
He rounded a corner lazily, humming under his breath, when a sudden collision sent him stumbling back.
"Watch where you're—" The words stopped as he looked up. Two students blocked the hallway: one tall, brown-haired with an easy grin and sharp blue eyes, and another shorter, stockier, with a dangerous gleam in his amber eyes.
"You must be the new guy," the taller one said, smirking. "Tokinada Tesla. And this is Promto Yuki."
Lucien's internal chuckle resonated lightly, amused. Oh, lovely. First interaction, bet you picked up two major disasters like some kind of magnet.
"I—uh—yeah, that's me," Kurota said, adjusting his stance. His chest still ached faintly from the merge, but he hid it easily. Why do I always run into trouble? he thought. Lucien didn't answer—just a sarcastic snort. Because your an idiot.
Promto leaned closer, amber eyes glinting. "Listen carefully, new guy. If you tell anyone we're skipping class, I'll make sure you regret it. Special case or not. You understand?"
Kurota raised a hand, half in surrender, half in confusion. "Yeah… I got it."
Tokinada clapped him on the shoulder with an ease that would have been annoying if it weren't so disarming. "Good. Now that that's clear, you're coming with us."
Kurota frowned. "Coming with… where?"
Promto snorted. "Somewhere you probably shouldn't be."
Tokinada grinned. "Poker. You like games?"
Kurota blinked, startled. "Games? Here?"
Tokinada's grin widened. "Yeah. Quiet place, easy to hide. You want in or not?"
Lucien's voice curled around Kurota's thoughts like smoke, teasing. Oh, yes. Perfect. Let's go affiliate ourselves with troublemakers. This will end well.
Shut up, Kurota muttered mentally, though a tiny grin tugged at his lips.
Tokinada gestured down the hallway, glancing over his shoulder. "Follow me. And relax, if anyone sees us– I mean you just tell them we're escorting you."
The three of them slipped into a side corridor, its tiles creaking softly beneath their feet. Kurota felt a strange exhilaration, the thrill of bending the rules lightly, the quiet rebellion against the rigid order of an academy reminds him of his prime years. Lucien nodded, approving but sarcastic. He's enjoying this far too much for someone who thinks he's above humans.
They rounded a corner and Tokinada pushed open a nondescript door. "Bathroom," he said simply. "Let's play."
Kurota raised a brow. "Poker… in a bathroom?"
Promto shrugged. "Rules are flexible if you're smart. You want in or not?"
Lucien whispered, amused. I'm curious to see how long it takes before he notices the irony.
Kurota shrugged, sliding inside. "Fine. But don't think I'll go easy on you."
Tokinada laughed, tossing a deck of cards onto a clean countertop. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Promto leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes scanning the empty hallway outside the door. "Remember. No snitching."
Kurota's lips twitched. "Got it."
They sat around a makeshift table, the deck of cards the only thing bridging the tense, lazy calm of the room. Kurota glanced at the other two, still curious about the academy, and how the system worked.
"Why are there so little students?" he asked casually, dealing himself a hand. "I thought… you know… since Yokais are so strong their would be like thousands of you guys?"
Tokinada leaned back, one arm propped lazily. "The Valcorian Academy is only mean't for prodigious hunters that's why, the system works differently than human schools... Three grades—first, second, third. Two classes per grade. Sure we're a smaller academy, but quality matters more than quantity. We're the only ones out, as you saw everyone else is in lessons or training ."
Promto rolled his eyes. "Just play the game. You'll learn fast enough."
Tokinada shuffled the deck, blue eyes glinting. "Besides, games like this teach more than books. Observation, strategy, bluffing… all crucial here."
Kurota nodded slowly, absorbing the explanation while keeping his focus on the cards. Lucien, meanwhile, whispered a running commentary, sharp and mocking. Oh, look at you, blending in with delinquents. How… dignified.
As the game continued, hands were played, bets placed, and subtle rules of the academy seeped into conversation.
"You'll find," Tokinada said as he raised his bet with a smirk, "it's not all about power here. Influence matters. Connections. Friends you can trust… or blackmail if needed."
Kurota's brow rose. "Sounds… complicated."
Lucien's voice threaded through Kurota's thoughts, dry and amused. Complicated? This is a social hub you turd, playing cannibal in the forest for a week doesn't make you a caveman.
Promto smirked, reading their faces as they play. "You'll get used to it, new guy, or you'll be killed."
Kurota let out a small laugh, half-mocking, half-nervous. "Sounds charming."
The game grew more intense, stakes rising with each hand. Laughter, mock threats, and subtle bluffs filled the small bathroom. For the first time since arriving at the academy, Kurota felt almost… normal, even if only for a few minutes. Lucien stayed silent mostly, though a quiet chuckle surfaced when Kurota nearly fell for one of Tokinada's obvious bluffs. Predictable human… I'm enjoying this far too much.
Then came the sharp knock.
"Open up," a voice demanded, authoritative and impatient. Kurota's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the tone—faculty, not a student.
The three froze. Tokinada cursed under his breath, and Promto's posture stiffened. Kurota, caught mid-bluff, let his cards fall slightly. Lucien laughed in amusement. Bravo, human. You've successfully announced yourself as a problem child.
They glanced at each other, realizing the impossibility of hiding. Tokinada's smirk faltered slightly. "Uh… quick clean-up?" he muttered, but the reality was undeniable.
The door swung open. A stern, no-nonsense faculty member stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable. "What's going on in here?"
Kurota opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Tokinada raised his hands in mock surrender. Promto muttered something that sounded like a curse under his breath.
The faculty member's gaze swept the room, landing finally on Kurota. "You," they said, voice sharp. "With them. You're coming with me. Now."
Lucien's internal voice muttered, smirking. Ah, the first taste of consequences. Delightful.
Kurota allowed himself to rise, collecting the cards as best he could. Tokinada and Promto followed without protest, the tension in their shoulders speaking louder than words. The faculty member led them down the hallway, silent but firm.
Every step of the faculty member scraped with the calm certainty of authority. The bathroom's temporary sense of freedom evaporated, replaced with the looming anticipation of the principal's office. Kurota's chest tightened slightly, not from fear, but from the realization that his life at Valcorian Academy would be filled with unexpected challenges, even in moments of leisure.
There were consequences for stepping outside the rules, no matter how "special" a student one might be.
Lucien, quiet now, letting Kurota feel the tension fully. Enjoy it while you can, human. This is only the beginning.
The door to the principal's office loomed ahead, and the sound of their footsteps seemed unnaturally loud. Kurota's stomach tightened. The academy had many rules, many layers, and the principal would be the ultimate arbiter of all of them.
Tokinada leaned slightly toward Kurota, whispering, "Don't worry. It's not the worst place to be caught… sometimes."
Promto snorted. "Depends on who's in the chair."
Kurota inhaled slowly. Lucien's faint chuckle resonated again. Ah, yes surely they'll punish the boy that they allowed to skip, idiots..