Inari's Renegade

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

        Everyone was crowded around the art room the next day I decided to peek in and see the damage. A piece of cardboard covered the window and art work that hung on the walls was askew or sprawled on the floor. The floor was also splattered with paint, causing the floor to look like some abstract piece.  Clay figurines and pots were broken and desks and chairs were overturned.

Kieran must have gone through quite a tussle.

     “Do you think it was a burglar?” A girl in front of me asked her friend.

Her friend scoffed. “What does this school have to steal, the old-school computers that should have been retired in the 90’s? It was a prank most likely.”

I backed away from the crowd; determine to pretend last night never happened when I bumped into someone. I turned around to apologize when I saw Akihiro looking down at me with a stern look on his face.

“In my classroom, now.” He ordered.

I silently followed him and ignored the murmurs of the people who heard him. They were probably assuming that I had something to do with the damage. They wouldn’t have been wrong. As soon as we were in his room, he closed the door and turned around to face me.

“What’s up?” I asked, nonchalant.

“Weren’t you in the art room last night?”

“Yes…” I didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“I smelt traces of a dragon coming from that room. Were you there at the time it was there?”

“I was,” I said rubbing my arm.

“What did it want?”

“It wanted…me.”

His face went white. “What would a dragon want with you? They don’t come to the earth realm often except to...”

“Except to what?” I urged, a knot forming in my throat.

“You never got rid of that Nogitune, did you?” he whispered.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“That’s the only reason I could think of why a dragon would be so close to us. Meaning, the Nogitsune is near as well.”

My heart started beating rapidly in my chest. “I’ll handle it!” I said quickly. “Just leave it to me.”

“I care about you too much to leave you in the hands of a dragon Kaneko.”

“Please, Akihiro just leave it to me.”

“You had your chance. I think it’s time we brought in more help. Don’t like it?  Then you should exterminate him before the others do. You’re dismissed.

  I stuttered for a moment, before I decided to reclaim what little dignity I still obtained and left his presence.  He’s only doing this because he cares about you.  I assured myself. Still, if he thinks I disappointed him now, he should wait awhile.

***

    I was still fuming when I went to the library for some peace. I didn’t want to let Akihiro down, but that was what I was doing. How was I going to protect my reputation when I couldn’t go after what I wanted? I groaned and hit my head against the table.

“Aw, why so down?” I heard someone ask in fake sympathy.

    I looked up and saw Kieran looking at me with one eyebrow raised. His face was paler than usual and circles were under his eyes, but she still managed to give me his favorite infuriating smile.