Innocence | VK

<Night 6 ~ Annoying teacher>

Takuma's P.O.V

It wasn't until late the next night Mari returned. She so casually strolled back in, looking exhausted out of her mind.

"I'm taking a nap..." She yawned, lugging herself up the stairs to her room, to take a nap presumably.

"Well hello to you too." Aido scowled spitefully, rolling his eyes. He was bitter about what happened as after Mari disappeared, both Ruka and Aido got punished for driving her away. I escorted Kaname to Headmaster Cross's office, but he told us not to worry and she will be back. So we waited. And waited. And it wasn't until after class a day later, she came back.

"Where'd you think she went?" Akatsuki voiced everyone's question aloud.

"She smells of human. So probably the human world." Rima deduced.

"But what business does she have there?" Ruka scorned, clearly disliking Mari although it's not even been a week since we met her.

"She said she has a job so maybe that..."

For the next few nights, she decided not to go to class. Or rather she did, but finished her classwork early so she could go back to the dorm to sleep. The others protested, but I simply told them to finish their own work and perhaps they could go too. Kaname and I agreed to let her off for a while as she still seemed drained from her visit to the human world.

Then the day the infamous vampire hunter came to our school to be a teacher arrived. I knew he had links with Zero, and telling from the way said male was more moody with handling the day class, or just didn't turn up, I knew Zero was dealing with something to do with that man. We had let the night class know of his arrival, a lot of them groaning in annoyance, Mari lulling herself to sleep with her headphones on. I wonder why she was so tired.

Like a ghost, she haunted her way to lessons; did she hear my announcement about the new teacher? She plopped down in her seat, resting her head on her arms. The dreaded teacher arrived, everyone tensed, except Mari.

"Hey!" He yelled to her. She didn't flinch. He marched up to her desk, yanking her headphones off. "Don't sleep in my class!" She glared icily at him, her red eye glowing slightly in great irritation.

"Whatever." She grumbled, the teacher smirking at her sign of defeat.

"I'm your new teacher, Mr Toga Yagari." Mari's eye was drawn to the man.

"Yagari..." She repeated quietly.

"Famous vampire hunter. Heard of me?" He snickered.

"Never heard of you." She stated, the class sniggering at her bluntness and the teacher's shocked expression. "Is there a reason I should?"

"You should be very afraid." He snapped, confiscating her headphones, Mari glaring venomously with every step he took with her headphones in his hand.

Now satisfied he had everyone's attention, he began the lesson. I side glanced at Mari, not all surprised to see her with her head on the desk, white earphones in her ears. How did she get those? It seemed the teacher had noticed as his face scrunched up in anger.

"Someone wake her up." He demanded lowly. Shiki leaned back, tapping on the front of Mari's desk to get her attention. She perked up and lazily opened her eyes.

"Teacher wants you." He said monotonously. Mari sighed and sat up, taking one of her earphones out, spinning it around, purposely annoying the teacher. All of a sudden, he whipped out his anti vampire gun and shot it toward Mari. She didn't move a muscle as the bullet flew by her head, we all gasped.

"Nearly hit my headphones..." She clicked her tongue, running her finger over the scratched earbud.

The teacher scowled. "You wish to die vampire?"

"Vampire? I don't know if you could call me that, but in answer to your question, no I do not wish to die yet. I have... something to live for." Everyone stared at Mari in shock. They didn't expect her to say so much, and the look in her visible ruby eye alone could end a vampire's immortal life. "Tch, this is stupid." She stood from her seat, the chair making an ear bleeding screeching sound followed by her angry huff and slamming of the classroom door as she stormed out.

"Well..." I said brightly, trying to smooth over the tension Mari left in the room.

I was concerned too with her change in attitude after coming back from her trip to the human world (or so we assumed), but as Vice President, I couldn't give her all the attention, although she had most of it in the back of my mind, lingering around in my thoughts like the thought of blood to us vampires. I could tell Kaname's mind was also preoccupied with her, and I didn't blame him. She was an enigma that no one could solve. She was playing us right in the palm of her hand, only telling us what she wants us to know, and it was bothering Kaname. Kaname couldn't understand that the only way to get to know her would be to make friends with her, establish a connection. She and Shiki and Rima seemed to have a good connection, and I'd like to think Mari and I had some sort of connection.

But unlike Kaname, I wasn't searching for answers slyly, I'd just like to get to know her better, like what her favourite colour is, her favourite food, what genres of music she likes, and I wanted to tell her about my favourite things too.

I want to know you Mari, I want to solve the enigma of the night class.