"It" Can't Be Helped (Revised) | ✔️ | Blue Exorcist

41

I adjusted my tie before turning on my heels and presenting myself to Kuro. He paused cleaning himself to give me a good look up and down before nodding his approval, and I sighed in relief. My familiar chuckled and hopped off the desk before padding his way over and jumping up onto my shoulder. I reached upward and scratched between his horns before grabbing my book bag and heading out the bedroom toward the stairs. He purred and rubbed his chin against my hair. "Why are you so nervous, Rin? You're a second year now. I'd understand if it was your first day at the academy, but you seem overly anxious."

I hummed as I trodded down the stairs, my grip momentarily tightening on my book bag as my anxiety swelled within my abdomen. It felt a bit obvious why I'd be hesitant, but either way, I kept my tone low as I responded. "Last year didn't end the greatest for me. And people talk over the summer time." I gnawed on my bottom lip as we went down another flight of stairs. "This is going to sound silly; but I'm worried I'll get bullied for it." Here I was, the son of Satan, anxious over the words of teenaged humans. It was kind of pathetic when put into perspective. That didn't stop me from fretting over it, however.

"Two things," Kuro hummed, sounding as chipper as ever despite my darkened aura. "One; I highly doubt people are going to focus on you. Summer break just ended and almost everyone is going to be worried about their assignments or their own images. And two; if they do — for whatever reason — bully you; let them." I felt my lip pull up into a sneer at the thought, unsure just what I could gain by letting someone else theoretically win by allowing said bullying. However, Kuro sensed my apprehension and went to clarify himself. "Let them say harsh words, but don't let it to rile you up. I know it's all in the past, but the cram school kids bullied you far worse last year." My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my skull from the memories. I'm sure no one in my day classes would think to carry holy water on them. I would gladly go the rest of my life without relieving that burning sensation. "You've been through it, so if someone tries anything, just grin and bear it. Show them it doesn't hurt."

"That's a lot easier said than done, Kuro." I muttered, but I understood where he was coming from. As we rounded the corner for the last flight of stairs, I recalled how I'd isolated myself not that long ago. That tactic wasn't flawless, obviously, but if push came to shove; I could easy slip back into that routine until things calmed down.

Yeah, with Kuro's logic, I was more than prepared to handle any situation they'd throw at me.

I pushed open the cafeteria door and walked into the kitchen just as Yukio was making his way out. We narrowly avoided colliding shoulders and he skirted to the side before quirking an eyebrow at me. "You're up early."

I smiled sheepishly and nodded, "I'm meeting Izumo at her dorm and walking her to school." She'd told me not to bother, but after insisting for the last week, she'd given in. My twin shook his head with amusement but waved me off, bidding me farewell as he had his own reasons for heading to the academy early. I'm sure he wanted to get a head start. It was rough being the face of the entire grade.

Pride settled in my heart as I grabbed a slice of bread and popped it into the toaster. Yukio never ceased to amaze me. He maintained stellar grades, taught a class, and somehow still had the mental capacity to deal with my ass on a daily basis. If it were me in his shoes, I would've caved under the pressure long ago. But everyone was different, we all woke up with varying bandwidths for the day, and there was no shame in having a lesser tolerance than someone else. It's what made us human.

A small smile tugged at my lips as the thought came naturally. Not too long ago, I wouldn't have dared refer to myself as a human, or as a simple, struggling teenager. I'd been a monster in my own mind, an "it." But I've slowly started to crawl myself out of that shell. It was nice to breathe in the air and not feel guilty about stealing it from another. And if I somehow regressed and felt remorse for wasting oxygen, I could simply plant a tree and move on.