Chapter 1 part2 (1/2)

99th vampire princess Chapter 1 Part 2

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CHAPTER 1 - LORE OF THE “ONE-MAN HIDE-AND-SEEK”

PART 02

“Hey, good morning~”

It was morning, in our cla.s.sroom.

Numerous cla.s.smates greeted me as I entered the room.

“Yo, Tsuk.u.mo.”

“Morning, Tsuk.u.mo-kun!”

There weren’t that many people around yet, but almost everyone seemed energetic enough to return my greetings.

Then, my best friend, Mikageyama n.o.boru, came towards me--

“Tsuk.u.mo, I heard that today’s ancient j.a.panese cla.s.s is going to start off with a pop quiz. Lend me your notebook.”

--and I was a.s.saulted with this insolent request.

Tall and athletic, Mikageyama was what girls nowadays termed affectionately as the ‘slim macho’. With his sculpted and wildly handsome appearance, he was a slightly dangerous guy with an aura like a carnivore&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;

“And I’ll get something in return, Mikageyama?”

“Of course. I’ll give you this special cake from ‘Fortune’ bakery if you lend me the notebook.”

Could it be!? Would I really get that specially-made, limited to only 20 per day cakes from that famous bakery owned by the French patissier!?

“Alright. I’ll lend you my notebook for the cake.”

“Transaction complete.”

Despite his wild, scary appearance, Mikageyama was actually the head of the Desserts club in school. Well, I guess making desserts and physical training could go hand-in-hand.

“Here, notebook.”

“Anyway, you really study a lot, Tsuk.u.mo.”

“Maybe. I don’t mind it so much.”

I didn’t mind gaining new knowledge, and I could even help friends out like this with just a bit of preparation on my part. I didn’t panic before tests too, so with all these benefits, I actually enjoyed studying.

“Here’s your cake, Tsuk.u.mo.”

I took the cute cake box from Mikageyama’s well-built hands. It felt cool to the touch, probably because the box contained a cool pack.

The girls in cla.s.s cast envious glances my way.

“Hmm, a notebook with penmans.h.i.+p that’s easy to read and content with no parts missing, in exchange for a bitter-tasting chocolate cake. What a great deal.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at, but if that was a compliment, thanks.”

“Of course it was. Why would I ever reject cake?”

I wondered if he really meant that.

“Fufu! Tsuk.u.mo-kun, Tsuk.u.mo-kun!”

“Huh? What is it, ma’am?”

It was Saegusa-san, the student council member in-charge of our grade. Her gla.s.ses and braided hair were her trademarks.

She might seem plain at first glance, but she was actually one of the cutest girls in our cla.s.s. Maybe it was because her gla.s.ses were really stylish, or the way she always did her hair. It was amazing how she managed to strike a balance between looking cute and professional.

“Here’s the novel you lent me yesterday. It was really interesting!”

“Oh, have you already finished it? Do tell me what you thought about it later.”

“Yes, during our recess break, of course.”

Saegusa-san smiled so wide, her eyes crinkled under her gla.s.ses.

With that warm personality and cute smile at odds with her serious look, it was no wonder why some guys got the wrong idea that Saegusa-san was interested in them. In fact, I knew a number of guys who had secret feelings for her.

“Well, I won’t take up any more of your time. Bye bye!”

With a wave of her hand, Saegusa-san returned to her seat.

Her cheerful self was just too sweet.

She might be totally innocent, but I wondered if she was actually a little, no, a big devil inside.

“Humph. You’re really close friends with that council girl huh, Tsuk.u.mo?”

Mikageyama asked, arms crossed over his chest.

“No, we’re not close friends.”

“Not yet, you mean. You really like to play Prince Charming, don’t you?”

“And who made you king, that you may declare me a prince?”

Mikageyama laughed out loud at my retort.

While it was true that Saegusa-san and I weren’t close friends, it would be rude to say that we weren’t at least on good terms. That was why I had answered the way I did.

Besides, there were lots of guys who liked Saegusa-san, so giving that answer would ensure there was nothing anybody could latch on to to start any gossip.

“But you know what, Tsuk.u.mo?”

“What?”

“I really think you’re like some shadow hero who likes to help people without their knowledge.”

“W-What’s with that?”

My heart skipped a beat at Mikageyama’s words.

While I wasn’t a real hero, it was true that I’d been doing some things which could be considered heroic.

However, there was no way Mikageyama could have known about the ‘extra activities’ I engaged in after school.

So I let his statement slide.

“You have an imagination like a junior high school kid, Mikageyama.”

“You’re right. I do miss those times so much.”

The way he smirked, as if he’d gotten the better of me, made me feel that he knew more than he was letting on.

Well, I guess I knew it would be impossible to fool him for long.

Mikageyama could be perceptive when he wanted to be, so I made a mental note to be more careful in the future.

“Anyway, hurry up and copy the notes. I need-”

“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, I’ll be gone now.”

Casting a flirtatious smile at the girl sitting in the seat beside me, Mikageyama slowly returned to his seat, which happened to be right behind Saegusa-san’s.

I could hear them chatting gaily with each other.

‘Hey, I got the hero’s notebook.’ ‘Really? Let me see!’

I wished this nonsense about me being a hero would stop. It was truly embarra.s.sing.

&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;And then.

“That’s my Jin-san. Such a hard worker, and so popular with everyone. You truly are a shadow hero.”

The usually silent girl who sat beside me whispered in a soft voice.

“Well, you’re a hero yourself, aren’t you?”

“But I’d like to be your heroine.”

She was staring at me.

“So, did you enjoy the hot and pa.s.sionate talk with Mikageyama, as well as the flirtatious and deeply personal chat with Saegusa-san?”

She asked in a cold, emotionless voice.

She was dressed in a rough manner, with a cardigan thrown over her school uniform and her usual patchwork m.u.f.fler wrapped around her throat.

Her name was Kitasenju Ayase.

It sounded like a fake name, but I thought it matched her perfectly.

She probably just looked through a list of train station names in Tokyo and picked a couple which sounded like girl’s names.

“They know that my time before homeroom period in the mornings belongs to you, Ayase.”

“I see, so we are an official couple. Poof!”

Despite the cute word she’d just uttered, Ayase’s expression had not changed.

Her tone remained flat as well, and it always gave me the impression that I was speaking to a robot.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Ayase.”

“I know, I think we should hold the ceremony here in j.a.pan. It’ll be hard to go overseas.”

“&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t we discussing our wedding plans?”

“Sorry, but I don’t remember asking you to marry me, Ayase. We’re not even a couple.”

“Not yet.”

“Yet&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;? Whatever you say.”

“So I have a chance.”

She clenched her fists in determination, even as her face remained expressionless.

The action was cute, but her face and voice just threw the whole image off.

Well, frankly speaking, she does have quite an attractive face.

“So, if it’s not about our wedding, what do you want to talk about? Our honeymoon?”

“Sorry, but it’s nothing related to marriage. How much do you know about urban legends?”

“It’s not an exaggeration to call me a walking encyclopedia when it comes to urban legends.”

Ayase puffed out her large chest in pride, probably waiting to bestow her wisdom upon me.

“Erm, do you know about the ‘one-man hide-and-seek’? I heard that it’s a really popular rumor circling among the junior high school kids these days.”

“I see, the ‘one-man nightlife’.”

“No, Ayase. The ‘one-man hide-and-seek’.”