The Succubus's Plaything

Chapter 25: An Invitation

I arrive at the train station with several minutes early, and when the train finally does come I quickly climb on and take a seat close to the sliding door.

Looking around Inesa and Sara are nowhere in sight, meaning that they either took the earlier train, or are on a different wagon.

...

On schedule like always, the train arrives at my destination, and all the students climb off.

"There you are!" My heart nearly leaps out of my chest as someone grabs my shoulders from behind and I quickly spin around.

"Sis! Why!?" Taking a deep breath I try to return my elevated heart rate back to normal.

Sara laughs at my reaction, which I rightly glare back at her for.

"Because why not!?" She grins for a moment longer, before switching to complete seriousness. "You'd better not have any new hickeys."

"Yes. If you do then that'll be extremely unfortunate for you." Inesa cracks the knuckles on her right hand while stepping towards me.

Both me and my sister take a step back at Inesa's sudden aggressive tone.

"Well, I don't." I sweat drop.

"That's good for you." She turns away with a small "hmf".

Sara nervously laughs at our interaction. "Uhm.. If something is going on here that I don't know about, could someone fill me in?.."

"Nothing is going on." Inesa quickly answers without even letting a second pass.

"What she said." I reinforce Inesa's statement.

"Sure.." My sister looks between us suspiciously, but thankfully decides to drop the subject.

I end up getting to class without Inesa pulling me to the side demanding blood.

And in fact most of the day does by with much of anything happening.

Most of the day at least. Getting through a day normally would be too good.

...

By either coincidence or purpose, or perhaps because I'm paying more attention now, but twice today when I felt like someone watching me, I turn to see the back of a pink haired girl.

Since I only ever saw her from behind, I can't be completely sure, but Inesa is the only girl with pink hair around that I've ever seen.

"Is everything alright man?" Gabriel must have noticed me acting abnormally. "You keep looking behind you."

"Yea. Yes of course, what could I even be looking out for?" I try to laugh it off, but that only gets him to look at me even more suspiciously.

He returns to his normal carefree self after seeing that I don't want to talk about it, but still doesn't entirely leave me alone.

"Me and a few friends are gonna to be going to a karaoke place later this evening, you down to join?" Gabriel then leans in closer and subtly checks around to make sure no-one else is too close. "It's a bit of a mixer event, and we are a man down."

I make note of the fact that I'm just filling the last position, but I don't really mind. I do enjoy a good karaoke bar. Besides, an opportunity do drown out my thoughts in noise is always welcome!

"Sure, I'm down, what time? Who's gonna be going?" I casually ask, while grabbing my English books from my locker, making sure not to come off as too exited.

"I don't know actually. Hina asked me to find someone, but other than her I can't really sure. I think a couple upperclassmen will be there."

"Hina as in class-B Hina? Fujita?"

"Yea, class pres Hina."

I put my left hand to my chin in thought. I'm not all that surprised, she is an extrovert through and through. It feels a little odd to be hanging out with someone that popular though. I've always lived in my sister's shadow, keeping to myself.

Suddenly I pause and widen my eyes at Gabriel, to which he takes a step back, unsure about what I just thought about.

"You're kind of popular aren't you?" More like a statement than a question.

My question was apparently far from what he expected, because out of confusion he completely freezes for several seconds.

"I mean.. I suppose a little? Maybe? I just know people? Why do you ask?.."

"I don't know. I just never thought about it." I realize, that despite what I initially thought, I am not simply filling the last empty spot, Gabriel chose me. That revelation boosts my confidence enough to make me chuckle.

"We are gonna be meeting at seven tonight. Some of the girls wanted time to go home in the time between school and then. So some of us guys are gonna go to the arcade nearby while waiting. Now that you've already said yes to party, you can't really so no to games." He grins in satisfaction.

I grin back. "Now that's a party! Just be prepared to loose. I assume bets will be in place?"

"Oh you betcha. But you're wrong. Yours truly will be the one to win."