"Yoko, this is as far as I can accompany you. Your class is on the first floor while I am on the other side of the school. Make sure you don't cause any trouble on the first day back. And please, do not bring any weird beasts back home."
Sakura's pleading face was cute but her words sounded desperate for real.
Most passersby stopped to look at the scene that was happening in front of the final year corridor with an amused look.
It was not every day that the famous 'Sakura Tsurugi' stopped by the final year corridor. Everyone knew she had a complicated relationship with her cousin.
This was the first time people were seeing that two interact with each other.
"Yes, I heard you, mom. But shouldn't you hurry up and head to your class now? I heard you are quite a model studen— and there she goes."
Amane had not finished speaking when she watched her cousin dash out toward her classroom.
'Such a model student. I am sure her teachers are happy with her performance and her efforts.'
Amane knew which classroom she needed to head toward but she didn't want to spend the next eight hours being struck by strangers.
She was already receiving weird looks from passersby at her dressing choice. Had they not seen anyone dress in pants before? This was a co-ed school after all for the most part.
Well, males and females were separated into different divisions and had different buildings as a result but this was still a co-ed school.
Amane's sudden shift in confidence and her new dressing sense seemed to come across as a shock to most people. She could hear the words like 'Who?' and 'Is that a new student? He seems lost' being thrown around.
But it was not until someone shouted at Amane did she realize that it was 'her' they were talking about.
"Hey you, stop there. You are not permitted to be in this hallway so return to your class now. Your building is on the other side of the campus-"
"Really? But I could have sworn that I was in the right place. I mean, Sakura even dropped me in front of the corridor and all."
Amane turned around to face the teacher and watched as those tired eyes widened before the teacher's mouth dropped in shock.
"Y-Yoko Tsurugi? What in god's living grace are you wearing? Why are you in the boy's uniform?"
'Agh, I knew I would be questioned but not this soon. Anyway, I should get this over with.'
"I'm wearing this because pants are comfortable and easy to work around in. As far as I'm concerned, I am not breaking any rules by doing this."
Amane was sure she had not broken any rules. She had gone over the rule book twice to make sure of that fact even.
Still, the teacher looked red in the face at Amane's defense.
"Yoko Tsurugi, just because it is against the rules does not mean you can do what you want to. You need to change into your female uniform now."
The teacher looked like she was trying hard to control her temper. The teacher's face had already gone red because of the effort it took to not yell.
"I don't have my female uniform with me. And also, I don't want to change. It's not like you can punish me since I haven't broken any rules yet. Now, if that was all then I need to head toward class. I don't want to be late on my first day of work."
Normally, Amane would not have gotten this riled up against a teacher and just tried to play the situation down.
But the run-in with her uncle in the morning and then being gawked like a circus exhibition was making Amane cranky.
And the teacher just happened to be someone who broke Amane's dam and became a victim of Amane's ire.
"I…that is….just go now. I don't think I can handle you right now. I can't believe I am hallucinating something this outrageous like Yoko Tsurugi talking back to me."
The teacher looked pale and in pain at the sudden shock she received at Amane's back-talk.
'Oops, I forgot that Yoko's character is different from mine. Well, nothing I can do about it now.'
Amane had just left the teacher in the corridor. Amane didn't feel compelled to intervene because the teacher was convinced she was hallucinating.
Students who happened to be nearby rubbed their eyes as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing. However, the reality in front of them remained unchanged.
"What are you all gawking at? Do you want to say something to me as well?"
Amane turned toward the group of students that had gathered around her. But they quickly denied whatever they wanted to say and quickly left the scene.
Mostly because of the teachers that were heading toward the commotion in the hallway.
Amane locked eyes with the buff lady leading the group before she left the scene as well. There was no point in remaining at the scene of the crime if you did not want to be caught.
It didn't take long for the hallway to empty but the dazed teacher still looked out of it.
"Sherly, is something wrong? You're looking a little pale today for my liking. Do you need me to take you to the nurse's office?"
The buff lady asked the teacher who was still shaking in her place. The poor teacher Shirly blinked slowly as if she was coming out of a daze before she locked eyes with the buff lady.
"Ah, Emily? Nurse office? I don't think that'll help me. Emily, I think I need professional help now. I had the most vivid hallucination of my life today. Can you take me to the hospital?"
The shorter teacher looked pained at the sudden admission on her part but her face looked determined.
Emily did think of asking her what all this was about but then let the matter rest. She and Sherly were not close enough to share such secrets but Emily could take a few educated guesses.
She was sure that the student she had seen leaving the scene before was Yoko Tsurugi who had finally returned.
But there was a weird air about her today. If she had to guess what was wrong then Emily would say that the person she saw was not Yoko at all but someone entirely else.
'Well, not my student, not my problem. Also, isn't this the age kids change? It must be something like that. I bet my husband would have known if he had been alive today.'
The thought of her husband still hurt but it was a familiar but welcoming pain. Emily would never regret falling in love with her husband, even if their kind could only bond for once in their life.
"Emily, help me out here. I think I'm going to be sick soon."
"No, wait Sherly, don't get sick in the hallway. I'll bring you to the washroom soon."
Emily picked up the smaller body and rushed toward the nearest washroom. She did not want to deal with the smell of vomit on her today.
But she could also not leave a teacher out in the hallway in this condition.
'Fuck this day. I should have just taken the day off after today. Why did I have to deal with these things all the time?'
But even as Emily complained, she helped the other female out. It was all because of her husband and his desire to help everyone he met.
___________________________
"Wow, a married Alpha wolf-demon who lost her lover. I pity the poor soul for never being able to experience a life of pleasure now."
Amane looked back at the buff back of the female before going her way again.
Wolves were monogamous for life so once they tied the not, then that was it. No power in this world could change their fate.
It was similar to the wolf-beasts as well but they usually did not survive once their partner died. But that had nothing to do with Amane.
While the female had been hot, three was no point in making a move on her. Her desire for anything sexual had been killed off by her lover's death.
Besides, it was the female's own business that she wanted to do in life. Amane did not want to get entangled with such a person when she still had a ton of shit to solve.
Like the classroom in front of her.
It had been bustling with people and talks just a second ago but everyone had gone quiet as soon as Amane had stepped inside.
These kids were looking at Amane with interesting looks but it was nothing more than the glance one given to a highly expensive jewel.
For them, Amane was not a person but an object they could use.
"Welcome back Yoko. I was so worried when you took a week off. But now that you are back, you can treat us again in that fancy restaurant, right? Hey everyone, it's Yoko's treat today."
The unknown girl that had walked toward Amane without introducing herself made the sudden decision.
Her sudden outburst startled Amane but no one else looked surprised in the least. Instead, most of the students in the class looked satisfied with the outcome.
But not everyone had the same expression of satisfaction. There were a couple that looked annoyed and even worried for Yoko's sake.
Amane made sure she remembered their faces before she realized that the unknown girl was still making plans on her behalf.
"-and we can order before you get there. You will take care of the bill for us like usual, right? Your card was blocked for the past few days when we tried to pay but you'll compensate us for that, right Yoko? After all, we are friends."
Amane didn't even realize that she had zoned out of the conversation until the teacher came and the unknown girl trailed off.
But her satisfied look was enough for Amane to realize that this was not a one-time occurrence.
'It seems like poor Yoko was a subject of bullying in the school. What an immature bunch I am stuck with now. I'm not going to bother them. Good luck paying the bill once I don't show up.'
These kids might not be aware but Amane had gone ahead and changed all her bank account access during the past few days.
She had done it mainly to stop her extended family from draining the Tsurugi funds but it seems it had affected more than some mere thieves.
Amane rolled her eyes as the teacher kept on speaking about things that were never going to be of any use in the real world.
Something hit Amane in the pack halfway through the lesson and she quickly picked up the paper. Her sudden action cost Amane a questioning look from her teacher but he didn't comment on it any further before going back to his lesson.
Amane's eyes met Lady Ely's across the room which made the other female go red in the face.
The paper had only one line written on it but it was enough to convince her that Lady Ely was on her side.
'I and Lady Sah tried to stop them. I'm sorry.'
Amane looked back at Lady Ely's way to mouth 'Not your fault' which seemed to reassure the lady a little.
But her message made one thing clear to Amane. Lady Sah was also someone who had no interest in Yoko's personal life for now. She was someone who could help be considered a 'potential' friend.
The bell finally rang after an hour of class so it was one over and five more to go. It was all too boring but it gave Amane enough time to plan around.
She would approach Lady Sah during the break and then decide if she could use the other or not. It would be nice to have more allies in these trying times.