Amity to vampire

Chapter 8: insecure

The next day Tsukune dressed in the uniform his mother prepared for him. He wore a black tee shirt under his white collared shirt with black slacks. He gave himself the once over in the mirror. It was difficult, but he managed to slip his right arm though his sleeve by unbuttoning the cuff so that his Holy Lock would not snag. He sighed deeply and made his way downstairs. His father sat at the kitchen table reading the shinbun. Tsukune sat down in his seat, setting his schoolbag at his side, on the floor. His mother set out a traditional breakfast of rice with nori, miso soup, natto, grilled fish, and some of the food left over from last night's dinner.

"Make sure to eat up before Kyouko gets here, she said she was coming over to walk with you to your first day of your new school."

She said as she turned to walk to the counter.

"H-hai..."

He picked up his chopsticks and his bowl of rice. He didn't know how to feel. Everything was going too fast. He slowly ate, his mind wandering between worrying about meeting new people, and having to study harder to catch up with the subjects of this school, which certainly wouldn't include a classroom of youkai that either wanted you dead or otherwise.

Tsukune was startled from his thoughts when his mother set a cup of green tea beside him.

"A..arigatou okkasan."

She smiled at Tsukune and brushed back his wild hair with her hands.

"Do your best, Tsukune."

Tsukune smiled at his mother's encouragements.

"Okkasan...I..."

"Tsukki!"

The loud cry of Kyouko called.

"Ah, well Kyouko is here."

Tsukune stood from his seat and picked up his bag. His mother turns and hands him an obento.

"Arigatou Okkasan, I'm going now."

His father lowered the newspaper and grinned widely.

"Have a good day son! Make us proud!"

Tsukune chuckled nervously and made his way to his home's entrance. Slipping into his shoes he makes his way out the door. In the distance he can see his cousin Kyouko standing by her bike in her uniform which consisted of a white dress shirt and a long black skirt that went down to her shins. Around the collar of her shirt was a red ribbon. She waved at her cousin as he made his way past his gates.

"Ohayo Kyouko-nee."

"Ohayo Tsukki! Look at you, aren't you handsome."

She teased. The two laughed and made their way to school. Kyouko walked along side of her cousin, rolling her bike along her side. The two talked about the lessons at his old school.

"Wow Tsukki! You're actually farther ahead on lessons than we are in Mihara(*)!"

He chuckled in embarrassment.

"Really? Well I guess that's good..."

He laughed and Kyouko and he made their way, with many of the gathering students, into the school.

"Hey Tsukki, come on! We'll be late for the entrance ceremony!"

"H-hai..."

He stammered as she finished up locking her bike in the rack and dragging him away by his arm. The two made their way into the auditorium. It was loud and packed with students. Tsukune and Kyouko took a seat in the middle of the rows. Tsukune nervously looked around. It felt like all eyes were on him, but nothing like how it felt his first time in Youkai Academy. No one looked his way. He was small, worthless, but here he looked to be of better build than most of the students in the first year classes.

"I felt safer in Youkai Gakuen..."

He whispered to himself as the announcements and welcomings seemed to drone on. Finally they were sent off to their classes. Kyouko bid her cousin a good day before taking off to her classes. Tsukune sighed and made his way to his classroom. He listened as his teacher introduced herself, but Tsukune was lost in his own thoughts, her name going in one ear and out the other. She was nothing like Nekonome-sensei. She wasn't bright, and just plain happy for no reason at all. He was half expecting, at any moment, the class door to fly open and that familiar presence walks into the room, disoriented about her place, only to discover Tsukune sitting there and affectionately...

All through out the day, Tsukune felt the student's eyes on him. He had entered the semester part-way as a second year student. He was relieved somewhat when he made his way to the lunch room and Kyouko called him over to her table. While Kyouko and her friends happily talked, Tsukune stayed quiet as he ate his obento. He really did miss them. He felt so wrong in this situation. It was all so calm. He felt as if, at any moment, he would be attacked.

At Youkai Academy, it felt much the same to the girls. Without Tsukune around everything felt so boring. Moka and the girls sat at lunch, moping over their meals.

"Ugh I can't take this! Why is it so frustrating today?!"

The succubus yelled as she ruffled her blue hair.

"We were so used to Tsukune-san being with us everyday desu...it takes time."

Yukari said as she took a bite of her meal.

"Who wants to get used to it?"

Mizore said, looking to the girls from her spot beside them. They sighed. Moka was taking it the hardest. She was not only late to school but would often be caught staring off. Kokoa even met the harsher end of her sister's temperamental state when she challenged her reasoning behind missing a "worthless human". You young Vampire has yet to return from the infirmary.

"Moka-san?"

Moka looks up, startled from her thoughts by the young witch's call.

"G-gomen..."

"Moka you don't look well, are you drinking enough?"

Kurumu asked with concern.

"Iie...I didn't sleep last night...I was working hard on my homework. I...sumimasen."

She stood up and bowed her head.

"I'll go get some tomato juice from the vending machine. I'll be back!"

With htat Moka skipped off, but stumbled a bit and fell on her face.

"I-itai..."

The girls chuckled nervously at their friend. She was definitely taking it the hardest, and it was probably because he was her first friend, or so they discerned.