In the Same Cold Blood

Chapter Ten: The Search

Akane has no choice. He's at the mercy of the bastard of a student president, as well as an unstable leader of the mysteries. He knows he can't keep things up forever.

...

Kou's walking into his homeroom with a look from his home teacher. He chooses to ignore it. For once, he isn't trying to listen, he is wrapped around what happened between him and Hanako. He really hates to consider it- absolutely hates to...

But...his senpai has to be homesick.

She has to.

......

It wasn't until lunch, he sat in front of his two friends Yokko and Saito, who were casually having a conversation. He couldn't help but to poke at the food in his bento. They looked at him in worry but he didn't respond. He's heard the rumors upstairs, but he tries to veer away from them. He simply tells the 2 "I'm just...thinking...it's nothing important." They try to make light with a joke chuckling, "You thinking for once? I didn't know tha-"

"Minamoto-san." He picked up his head, making direct eye contact with Tsuchimagori. The vice president stood next to him. Two of the 7 mysteries standing shoulder-width apart, with similar expressions. It didn't take any words to know what they were communicating to each other.

Akane stepped forward. "Minamoto kohai- I need to talk to you-"

"I can't. Aoi senpai, I have clas-"

"Minamoto san you are being excluded from class. For the rest of the day." The man said with a knowing look.

Kou gets up looking at Akane with confusion.

"What do you want, Aoi-senpai?" he says as they exit the room.

"I would like to ask you questions about Yashiro-san."

"Yashiro-senpai? She's still homesick in her bed, did Teru-nii put you up to this?" Kou questions his senpai, the last part in a joking manner.

The words of the student president replayed in the ginger's head.

"You know what you might be right, why don't we go visit her today? Maybe even bring her something." Akane says nonchalantly.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Kou nods. Akane grimaces at the younger Minamoto, he really did have it bad

Kou stops. "But what could we even get her?"

Akane stops and thinks for a moment "Well...I did overhear from Aoi-chan that her favorite food was rice cakes, specifically strawberry ones."

"Store-bought or homemade?" Kou's next question was. Akane gives him an odd look.

"I don't know- maybe you could get some from that store near her complex. It would save us time." Akane simply says. His real motives being blind to the stubborn younger blond.

Kou thought for a moment, "That could work. I need to get stuff for my household anyway. "

"Then it's settled."

...

Nene's bounds have expanded, surprisingly they stretch beyond the ally now as she now walks around the street block. It felt a little bit better but she still felt compressed. The good thing is she could walk around and feel almost like a normal person again and no one gave her any odd looks or even any looks at all. As great as it is she can't go beyond the space of her rumor. It doesn't stop her from imagining. She imagines feeling the sun and the wind but all she actually feels is that numbing cold no matter what the temperature seems to be. It doesn't stop her from trying.

Kou heads into the store, "alright I'll be done shortly wait right here Aoi senpai."

He disappears inside. Akane sighs to himself. The president said he found her somewhere around here. So now to investigate. The ginger acts discreetly as he takes out a microfiber cloth pretending to clean off his glasses. As soon as he takes them off he sees the other world bleed into normal reality. Lesser spirits scrambling around, yokai that feed on others' emotions, even little wild mokke hopping around, some with everyday items. There is a lot of hustle and bustle from both sides of the shore. Yet nothing familiar yet. Seeing all this still gives him a headache but as much as he would like to put his glasses back on he will have to deal with the terms for now. He continues to scan. He's not getting anywhere. He decides to take a walk around the street. Still nothing. So he goes to the original place she was said to be the alleyway....

He finds himself back to lingering in front of the store. There was nothing there, he walked the entire thing.

Kou comes out bag in hand. "Ready to go now Aoi senpai?" he says excitedly.

Akane sighs, "yeah let me just-" as he turns to get his glasses from his pocket, he sees a figure in the distance, crouched down with floating teal locks. His eyes focus.

There she is.

"Minamoto kohai."

"What is it?"

Akane said nothing he just started running in the opposite direction of the younger student.

"AH WAIT AOI SENPAI!" Kou calls out

Nene sees a redhead running making direct eye contact with her. If she still had her heart it would probably quicken. He's familiar. As he gets closer she sees who it is. Immediately she runs.

"Yashiro san!" Akane calls out chasing her but she just picks up speed. After what happened the other night there is no way she is trusting the student president much less the vice one now. Kou and Akane were blindly chasing as she weaves her way through the crowds accidentally passing through some people sending them spiked chills. Even if they can't hear her-she apologies in their directions.

Akane stops Kou looks very confused, "what were you doing"

"Don't ask just-" he points in the opposite direction "go that way and run as fast as you can. I'll meet you on the other side."

So both boys run and Nene continued running until the person in front of her stopped as he saw her far at the corner.

They stand there for a moment.

"S-senpai?..."

"Kou kun?..."

...

To be continued...

IIIIII'm back from the dead! to all the readers still reading this I have been so gone so long because I- ...reasons anyway if you guys are still up this story will get better hope you guys still continue to read this

~Pearl