The Succubus's Plaything

Chapter 63: Loose-Mouthed-Something

I'm back. School.

The familiar sound of all the countless students rushing from one side of the hall to the other, some stressing to get to class on time, and some gathered in small clusters chatting eagerly away fills my ears as one big jumbled mess.

Out of nowhere a hard smack on my back nearly knocks the air out of me. I spin around, quickly identifying my aggressor, but when I see who it is I annoyedly relax.

"Dude."

"Yo man. You have anything that you've neglected to communicate!?" Gabriel's face mimics annoyed, but his body language and tone says otherwise.

Heh? "What do you mean?" Forgetting about his ambush, I give him a confused look.

"You and Hina!? You weren't gonna say anything!?" Ohh.. Frick.

Without thinking, I grab him by the shoulder, desperately trying to suppress my panic.

"It's not what you think. We're just friends. Okay? Also, how'd you find out and who knows!?" If this somehow gets to Inesa..

"Whoa.. Chiiill.. I don't think anyone knows. I just heard something from Minoru is all. But also, if you really want me to believe that anything is going on, you should probably pay attention to how contradicting you sound."

Damn it. Minoru.. I took for granted he would say anything.. I need to get a hold of him before he tells anyone else.

"Where is he!?" I ignore Gabriel's words, which hopefully doesn't equate to my shooting in my foot. I need to solve this quickly.

"Seriously. Calm. What's gotten into you!?" Gabriel's face has now completely shifted into a mixture of confusion and worry.

"Minoru. Where?" I forcefully take a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm myself down.

"I don't know. He told me over the weekend." As he says this, Gabriel, while forcing eye contact, shoves my hand off his shoulder, and instead puts his on mine with a firm pressure.

Okay.. So he isn't telling people in the hallways. Then I'm not quite in as much of a hurry as I thought. At least I hope.

But I still need to find him before class.

"Thanks. But please excuse me, I'll see you in class." Ripping myself out of Gabriel's grip, I half-jog down the hallway to where I know Minoru has his locker.

Left and right. I zig-zag across the hallway, doing my best not to bump into any of the incoming students. In my mind I compare this to the subway during rush hour.

But out of nowhere, a small figure swerves in front of me, and before I am able respond, I wince, expecting to send the pink-haired girl flying. It doesn't happen though, and instead I find myself hitting what feels like a wall and flying backwards.

Embarrassed, and with my behind numb from the impact with the floor, it clicks. I look up at the surprised girl who is now looking down on me. Inesa.

"Hal. What on earth are you doing?" She blinks blankly.

"I.. Uhm.. I'm in a hurry?" While I am still very much in a rush to find Minoru, this absurd situation has effectively knocked my anxiety down a couple notches.

"Just get up."

Looking around me, I realize that the hallway traffic hasn't stopped, and instead I am pretty much just an obstacle sitting in the middle of the hall. If I don't move, I'll probably end up stepped on pretty soon.

Hurriedly I act on her suggestion- or rather demand.

Now that I'm up she re-words her question. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I'm.. Looking for a friend?.." Of course I can't tell the primary person I'm trying to stop the information from getting to.

"Why did that sound like a question?" Suddenly I get the idea that something is different about Inesa.

It isn't her appearance, although she does seem to be glowing a bit more than she usually does. Maybe her mannerisms? Despite me running into her, she doesn't seem to care and is reacting to everything I say like a normal person?

"I don't know. But I'm trying to find Minoru." This time I make sure to sound more confident, and after taking a moment to think, Inesa seems to swallow my story.

"Alright. I gotta get to class now though, so see you around." Inesa then proceeds to walk past me, and moments later she has completely vanished in the crowd of students.

Taking a deep breath I once more psyche myself up. Stick to the objective Hal. I need to find that loose-mouthed-something.

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Inesa: *Sighs* What are you doing here?

Hina: Hm? What do you mean? This is school. We both are here by obligation.

Inesa: No. I mean, why are you sitting right across from me in the lunchroom.

Hina: *Looks down and mutters* This was the only seat that wasn't taken..

Inesa: What was that? I didn't hear.

Hina: I said- I just felt like knocking down your overblown confidence a couple notches.

Inesa: Oh yeah? And pray tell, how would you do that? Insults?

Hina: Hal.

Inesa: Hal?

Hina: Mine.

Inesa: Not a change.

Hina: Then I suppose you're unaware of his whereabouts this weekend?

Inesa: My place?

Hina: *Nearly chokes* NO. He was at my place. Overnight.

Inesa: You forget about my perfect hearing. Your irregular heartbeat says you're lying.

Hina: Hey!.. That's cheating.

Inesa: *Smirks*