Immunity Hunter

Chapter Nine - Nevin Rockiest

If someone asked me what I wanted in life, the answer would be easy: be a hero.

Ah man, I can't believe it. The second day of school isn't going so great. Thirty seconds before the start of Mahou Homeroom 2B, and Jeiku and I are almost late for our first class. We bolt down the hallway, ignoring the angry looks from the hallway patrol dork. Jeiku tries to talk me into peeking in the girl's locker room first. I know better than that—okay, so the idea was mine but whatever. The Headmistress will chew our heads off. She's so angry all the time. Is it because her husband left her?

We finally make it to the door with the "2B" sign on the top ledge. The two of us sprint into the room with three seconds to spare. Record timing, hell yeah! Lucky for us, the hot and spicy Professor Yukio Suga doesn't notice us—yet. I met her a few times on those stupid academy tours. The ones where they take you around the campus and prove they are worth attending. I would've come here anyway. The school is the quickest way to get into the Eradication Squad since they do most of the recruiting here.

I wonder why the professor doesn't like us so much. Does it have something to do with Jeiku's pointed ears? I bet she's afraid of Okamikiin. Most people are.

Jeiku and I scurry to the two empty desks in the second row. Two dark-hair boys sit in front of us, a redhead girl to my left, and a boy with dark braids with beads on the ends sits on the right side of Jeiku. Each of them glares at us as if we ruined their day.

"Hello, I'm Yukio. I will be teaching you mahou this year as well as how to unlock your Kaji. Kaji is your family's special twist on the mahou you possess." She slams the chalk into the blackboard, crushing it to dust. Talk about a first impression. "Those of you who are new, we welcome you. Pay attention and you won't die. Oh, and just in case some of you have been sleeping under a rock all your life, mahou is another word for magic."

Professor Yukio is one of the toughest yet amazingly beautiful professors on campus—only twenty-three years old, six years my senior. What a shame that she has such a nasty attitude. She will bite the head off anyone that even thinks of looking at her the wrong way. Bad attitude, plus short temper, plus being a master at mahou means trouble for anyone that crosses her.

She reminds me of my girlfriend, Ashley, in a way—minus the attitude problem.

Professor Yukio keeps talking, and I drift into another world with my mouth hanging open. Wiping the string of drool from my lips, I look around the room wondering if I'm the only one already bored out of my mind. Jeiku's cute crush, Rin, sits next to my adorable girlfriend in the back. It's obvious why Jeiku likes her so much: long purple hair, pouty lips, and big round eyes.

"Hey, look, Rin has homeroom with us this year. You should go talk to her," I whisper to Jeiku.

Jeiku looks back at her. Rin stares into space as if her mind is stuck in another world. Jeiku frowns. I shake my head. He's one of my best friends but I'll never understand why he's chasing a girl that's already hanging with some other guy. He knew the situation a year ago when he first met Rin. That hasn't stopped Jeiku from trying to win her over from Shadow Ukon.

Jeiku turns back to me and lets out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, right. She's daydreaming about her boyfriend right now. Besides, why would she like an Okamikiin? It's hopeless."

"It wouldn't hurt to try," I say.

Jeiku takes one last look at Rin. "Fine. I'll talk to her after class."

I look at Professor Yukio's high ponytail that dangles just past her ears. A little vein starts to twitch in the back of her neck. She takes a slow breath as she continues to write a few more notes on the board. Once she finishes, she spins around and aims the chalk at Jeiku.