The bell for second period rang, echoing through the massive stone halls of Hell High School. Students shuffled from one room to another, the chaos of the underworld's most prestigious school for demons and wayward souls carrying on as usual. Yumi, however, was not part of the crowd.
Instead, she was leaning against a shadowy corner of the outdoor courtyard, her black combat boots scuffing the ground as she fiddled with a loose thread on her torn hoodie. Her signature goth look—dark eyeliner, black lipstick, and her endless collection of spiked accessories—made her stand out even in Hell. Not that she cared. She was Yumi, and she owned her style unapologetically.
Beside her stood Elnora, her crush, who looked effortlessly pretty in a way that annoyed and enchanted Yumi at the same time. Elnora wasn't goth, but her soft features and naturally elegant demeanor always seemed to complement Yumi's rough edges perfectly.
"Are you sure about this?" Elnora asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she peeked around the corner.
"Of course, I'm sure," Yumi said with a sly grin. "Skipping class is practically a Hell High rite of passage. Besides, who's gonna catch us? Cerberus?"
Elnora giggled, and Yumi's heart did a little flip at the sound. She shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets, trying to look cool and not like her stomach was doing cartwheels.
"So, where do we go?" Elnora asked, brushing a strand of her silky black hair behind her ear.
Yumi shrugged. "Anywhere but gym class. I'm not running laps or pretending to care about dodgeball."
They wandered deeper into the courtyard, finding a secluded spot beneath one of the twisted, gnarled trees that dotted the landscape. The air was heavy with heat, the faint scent of brimstone lingering, but the spot was quiet, away from prying eyes.
As they sat down on the dry, cracked ground, Elnora leaned closer to Yumi. "You know, I've never skipped class before. What if we get caught?"
Yumi smirked. "Then we blame it on someone else. Isn't that what the underworld's all about?"
Elnora laughed again, and Yumi couldn't help but stare. There was something about Elnora that made the fire pits of Hell seem just a little less overwhelming.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Elnora asked, tilting her head.
Yumi blinked, realizing she'd been caught. "Uh… no reason," she stammered, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She quickly tried to change the subject. "So, what's the worst thing you've ever done in school?"
Elnora thought for a moment before smiling mischievously. "I once used my powers to make a teacher's wig fly off in the middle of class. Does that count?"
Yumi burst out laughing. "That's amazing! Why didn't I think of that?"
They both laughed together, the tension easing as they fell into a comfortable rhythm of conversation. But as the laughter faded, Yumi noticed Elnora watching her, her soft brown eyes catching the faint glow of the ever-present flames in the distance.
"What?" Yumi asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"Nothing," Elnora said, her voice quieter now. "It's just… you're really cool, you know that?"
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "Cool? Me? You're the one everyone secretly likes."
Elnora blushed, looking down at her hands. "Not everyone."
There was a pause, and Yumi felt her heart start to race. She didn't know if it was the heat of Hell or the fact that she was sitting so close to Elnora, but everything suddenly felt… electric.
Before she could overthink it, Elnora leaned in and kissed her.
Yumi's eyes widened for a moment, her mind going blank. But then she relaxed, her lips moving in sync with Elnora's as the world around them seemed to fade away.
When they finally pulled apart, Elnora's face was flushed, and Yumi was pretty sure she looked just as dazed.
"Uh… wow," Yumi said, trying to regain her composure. "So… skipping class is great, huh?"
Elnora laughed softly, her cheeks still pink. "Yeah. I think I could get used to this."
They stayed there for a while, talking and laughing as if the rest of the world didn't exist. For once, Yumi didn't care about the pressures of being the most popular girl in school or the shadow of her parents' legacy. In that moment, it was just her and Elnora, and that was all she needed.
The End of Chapter 15