"Iori!!! There you are! And not a little bit too late! And you look better today! And you are together with Karin! I'm so glad you were able to make a friend! Honestly, I got a little worried in that regard! (C)

Chiaki is like always totally over the edge.

I am not even tired, but her attitude gets instantly too much for me.

And that maelstrom of sparkles around her doesn't help.

"Can we maybe just go to the classroom please?" (I)

"Sure! Follow me!" (C)

The good point is as long she takes the lead those behind her can speak more freely.

Tending to Zika I apologize.

"I am really sorry for Chiaki. I know she must be hard on you too." (I)

"It's a problem that I cannot influence her. Simply too many interferences. But on the other side, I am just one dying critter on her path away from the ultimate feast." (Z)

Is this supposed to be positive thinking?

Well, for demons it might be.

I manage to find my way into the classroom, despite being constantly blinded by the one who said she would lead me there.

This aura reading can be troublesome at times.

As soon I enter I notice that Makoto is already in his seat.

And see him scowling at me.

Or wait, it was Zika.

But I guess also a little bit at me.

Does he know something?

This is for sure the only explanation I could find why he antagonizes her so much.

Or she has done something to him.

Either way, there is one safe way to get answers.

By asking the one directly behind me.

Yet I should wait till the next break as it might be problematic to query her whether Makoto knows she is a demon in front of all my classmates.

Nonetheless, Makoto approaches me.

"Why are you still with the exchange student? I told you she is bad news!" (M)

"Chiaki and I spend the whole day yesterday with her and she was well-behaved. And that despite Chiaki being Chiaki. Also she is willing to help if you ask her!" (I)

"Y-you took her help?! Did you promise her anything in return?! Has she said something weird? This is important!" (M)

Okay! Now I am actually sure that Makoto knows something.

But hell will I do and pull him into this.

"This doesn't concern you! I can be friends with whoever I want! And you shouldn't meddle in this! I don't pry into your privacy either!" (I)

I am not really angry but try to sound that part.

After all, it would be really bad if he starts to inquire any closer here.

It has some impact.

He is actually put off.

Having him at a loss is my win for now.

It seems like he has not much more of a choice than going back to his place.

There is this downing feeling that I might have been too hard on him.

With my current situation, I am just not sure if I shouldn't simply distance myself from my friends.

On one side, I don't want to hurt or endanger them.

On the other, I just don't want them to find out.

In addition, there is this discomforting thought that Makoto hates Zika because she is a demon.

Then what about me?

That aside, if I completely give up on them I don't fare much better as when things go south.

My performance in class isn't great.

All the stuff that piled up has a rather distracting effect.

While I might do better in general I am too concerned in other ways right now.

I mean, yes I do worry about my future, but in a completely different way than regarding my grades.

The only reason why I haven't completely lost it by now is that everything went really convenient for me.

When I still thought it was all a dream it gave me time to accommodate.

Then after I woke up I was very close to a collapse but I could reverse all the changes.

There was a tiny spark of hope I could cling to that I might somehow live on.

And finally, even if it's hard to admit, Zika was right.

That love I received from mum was what saved me.

Even if I had managed to hide this I am sure that as shaken I was at that time I wouldn't have been able to endure much longer.

But now I can actually be glad to get back home.

I have something to look forward to.

And this is truly what keeps me going.

If not for all these factors coming together to help me out whenever I was at my limits I would surely be now in a much worse condition.

And apparently the world as well, according to Zika.

This doesn't mean I am fine.

If possible I would like to completely ignore any changes and act as if everything is normal for the rest of my life.

Yet immortality could undermine this plan.

And supposedly a whole bunch of other issues as well.

Nonetheless, this goddess nonsense is nothing I want to dwell in.

In fact, I will try to be as bland as I can be.

This is now my plan for the future and I will follow it.

Duh, this was quite much, but at least it got me through class.

To summarize, I will abstain from anything unnatural to keep my life normal.

Well, that's that.

But now I have to discuss something important with the school demon!

I give Zika a sign that I want to talk to her outside.

She seems to catch on and follows.

Yet with a delay to not attract any attention.

Intentionally we walk some floors away from class, to have a moment to talk.

"And what is it now?" (Z)

"Could you tell me what you did to Makoto?" (I)

"Who?" (Z)

"Makoto. My friend! Brown hair, middle row, on the left." (I)

"Hmm, you mean... Oh, the shrine boy! I remember." (Z)

This sounds bad.

"You remember what? Did you do anything to him?" (I)

"Nah! He just for sure assumes what I am." (Z)

"H-how? And isn't this bad?" (I)

"It's an open secret that most of these shrine families teach their children about demons. Or evil spirits, yokai, whatever they call it. While I am sure he had not the necessary training yet to directly perceive my actions and what I'm doing, he might have seen me doing something suspicious. While the forces at play were invisible to him, it isn't impossible to figure out a demon. This isn't this special. I mean, those guys are raised to fend us off." (Z)

Huh?

Makoto is a demon hunter?

Is this the reason he has so much to do at home?

Nevermind, this means he knows about demons.

"Wait! This is bad, right? Couldn't he somehow notice what is wrong with me? You said I look like a demon." (I)

"As long you aren't as obvious as you usually are, no. You're fine. It takes years of training to perceive the other world. As long you don't take any shortcuts that is." (Z)

That wink went directly to me.

"But isn't this still bad? He could do something to you. Why he didn't already?" (I)

"I am no small fry and there were no casualties. Yet there could be if he forces me to go all out. But even if he would manage to exorcise me, just another demon would take over when the place of the seventh evil becomes vacant. The devil you know, right? However, thank you for this information. Can't be careful enough." (Z)

"But aren't you kind of challenging it when you always sit this close to him?" (I)

"As I said, I am much older than him and his abilities can't be too great by now. Also it's not like he could attack me openly in front of the teacher." (Z)

Might be true, but such a risk?

"Why do you even visit classes? Isn't it boring to you?" (I)

"Yes, totally! Perfect isn't it?" (Z)

"Uhm, sorry I think you lost me." (I)

"You know the meaning of the word "apathy"? One could say it's the advanced form of boredom. You just wish for the day to end, your whole life begins to feel dull and you start thinking about killing yourself. This is what I call a negative emotion. Or rather a feast! I couldn't get a more stable income anywhere else." (Z)

"So you're in fact feeding on us during the lessons." (I)

"On them! You are out of the picture, remember? And that's probably what your friend noticed. He likely received special training to evade my little mental tricks which keep the students from looking at me. He's one of the perceptive ones I mentioned. And then he has seen my "breathing techniques" and could link the dots. But this isn't the problem here." (Z)

"Then what?" (I)

"You. Or rather your mentality. It's problematic having someone perceptive here and at the same time you who has no control at all. Not to speak of your non-existing abilities for concealment. So I would prepare for the worst case. Do you think by now you might endure a "you-damned-monster-talk"?" (Z)

"D-don't know. Maybe. I'm still a little shaken and try not to think about the troublesome stuff." (I)

"Duh! At least try to focus here a little. Try not to be too surprised if something goes wrong. More we cannot do for now." (Z)

"Sorry. I appreciate what you're doing for me. Even if it's mostly self-preservation. I know I am bothersome." (I)

"Honestly, the human-demon combination is most problematic. Yet regarding outer gods, all of them are chaos itself. You at least are a listening calamity. And maybe I will get something out of this." (Z)

I am not sure if being referred to as a calamity is really helping.

Promptly an eye plops up in the direction we came from.

I directly act by reflex and hide it.

"Chiaki?!" (I)

"Umh, have I barged in something here? W-what was this about demons?" (C)

"Uh, ehm. We, we just have a common interest in the occult. N-nothing else." (I)

If you think about it, this isn't even a lie.

"This, this is quite scary stuff. I better get going!" (C)

"Fine. Bye then." (I)

And she leaves.

That was narrow.

Could have been worse.

"Do I have to say it?" (Z)

"Huh? What are you referring to?" (I)

"Let's summarize: Not her usual bright front, slight trembling, wishes to cut the talk as short as possible, and a sudden peak of emotions of panic and distress strong enough to make my mouth water. She has heard too much!" (Z)

"Wha-? A-are you sure about this?" (I)

"Quite; and to say so, your skills in hiding these eyes are not as refined as you might believe." (Z)

"Can you do something?" (I)

"Nope! As I said, too much energy around her to meddle. As long we don't drain it away I cannot do much. But such an amount lost will leave mental scars!" (Z)

"You cannot do this!" (I)

"Sigh. Thought so! And I guess you won't like to start to practice, right?" (Z)

"N-no?" (I)

"Fine, then just hope that she hasn't heard too well and doubts her sanity!" (Z)

This is not exactly what I would want to rely on.

Going back in I notice Makoto.

The way he glares again in our direction is a little hard to bear but like before most goes to Zika.

Also, he hurried a bit back to his place, so that I get the impression he was spying on us but maybe got interrupted by Chiaki who was faster in following behind.

To speak of, Chiaki is...

Well, uneasy might describe it.

The kind of uneasy where she looks distressed in your direction and if one would suddenly come from behind she might startled scream the whole class down.

And what disturbs me the most is that her smoke is not as blinding bright anymore.

Makoto waves me to him.

Since I have no good excuse I follow.

"What the heck happened there? I've never seen Chiaki like this! What goes on with you and..." (M)

He suddenly looks nervously around.

Some classmates are even looking.

Not attentively but enough to perk up would someone mention things of interest.

"We need to talk about this!" (M)

"Why? Because you want to tell me I shouldn't hang out with Zika...-rin?" (I)

"Zikarin?" (M)

"A nickname! Because we're friends!" (I)

"She isn't your friend! She is..." (M)

"It doesn't matter! I am indebted to her!" (I)

"You are what?!" (M)

"I said before; it isn't your business!" (I)

"Iori, you can't get involved with her!" (M)

Sadly at this moment, our teacher comes in and class starts so that I cannot say anything else.

I mean I know that Makoto is just worried and not against me so that I would rather sort it out than worsen this situation.

As much he is pressuring me here.

And again it seems as if I will spend lessons while being concerned about something completely different.

And in addition, I feel now Zika glaring at me.

Just good that I don't have high grades to maintain.