“Your grandmother?” Keiko blinked as she ate with Haru on the school rooftop.

            “You’re going to meet her tomorrow,” he said, “We need to make sure you’re prepared.”

            “What do I need to do?” she asked.

            Haru answered, “I’m not sure you understand, Keiko-chan. My grandmother is incredibly dangerous. I tried to hide our relationship from her, but I could only do that for a time. As long as you’re in a relationship with me, you’ll be in danger.”

            “I knew about your grandmother, Haru-kun,” Keiko stated, “I knew the risks.”

“I’ll be sure to protect you, Keiko-chan,” Haru replied, “There are three things you need to remember when dealing with my grandmother.”

            Keiko spoke, “What are they?”

            “First, be as polite as possible. Pretend you’re the wife of a samurai if you have to.”

            “Alright, be polite.”

            “Second, if she asks you to pick a gift, choose the smaller gift,” Haru stated.

            “Choose the smaller gift,” she nodded.

            Haru said, “Third, and the most important one, be kind to any animal you meet on the way there.”

            “Be kind to animals,” Keiko spoke, “Baba Yaga must like animals.”

            He replied, “No, she hates them.”

            “Then why is being kind to animals a rule?” Keiko was confused.

            “Because grandmother might ask you to do something,” Haru explained, “If she does, you’ll need their help.”

            Haru grabbed her shoulders, “Keiko-chan. No matter what, don’t forget these rules.”

            Keiko said, “Don’t worry, Haru-kun, I’ll remember the rules.”

            “We can’t back out of this now.”

            The door to the rooftop swung open and Erik ran out of it.

            “I finally found you, Baba Haru,” he said.

            “Who are you?” Haru asked.

            “His name is Date Kenji,” Keiko explained, “He’s a student in our class.”

            The vampire stated, “That’s a fake name. My real name is Erik Egilson.”

            Haru prodded him with his magical senses. To Haru, Erik emanated a freezing chill.

            “You’re vampire, and a powerful one too. I presume that the vampire who attacked us works for you?” Haru extended his arm, preparing his wind spell.

            Erik held up his hands, “I come in peace, grandson of Baba Yaga. I punished my idiot subordinate for his actions. I don’t want to fight.”

            Keiko said, “Hang on, your subordinate? I know that vampires don’t age, but how old are you?”

            “I’m over 1100 years old,” he replied.

            “That old?” her eyes widened in shock, “To think that someone like that is in our high school.”

            “Actually, why are you in high school? You’re over 1100 years old! Don’t you have better things to do?” Haru asked.

            Erik’s eye twitched, “You want to know why I’m in high school?”

            “That is a pretty good question,” Keiko admitted.

            “Because I was turned into a vampire when I was fifteen. Back then, I was a legal adult.” Anger steadily rose through Erik’s voice, “Then you pathetic weaklings got the idea that people needed more time than that to mature. And with the way I look, no amount of documentation will make people think I’m older than that.”

            Haru said, “Is that a sore spot?”

            The vampire shouted, “You’re damn right that’s a sore spot! I had a wife and 3 kids before I was 20, I’ll have you know! I commanded a group of vikings! I fought many glorious battles, and now I can’t even get a drink without some simpering girly man trying to arrest me!”

            “That sounds pretty awful,” Keiko stated before realizing something, “Hang on, why aren’t you affected by Haru’s curse?”

            “Because I’m not a moron. Any vampire with a modicum of sense does his research before making a judgment,” he replied.

            “If you don’t like living in modern society, why don’t you live in a castle in the middle of nowhere like other vampires do?” Haru asked.

            Erik said, “No way in Hel am I giving up my internet connection!”

            The witch shrugged, “Fair enough, but why are you here? It can’t just be to apologize.”

            “It’s because I need your help,” Erik admitted, “Some people followed me around with cameras. I think they know I’m a vampire.”

            “Cameras? Like that?” Haru pointed at a camera that was just rising above the side of the building.

            “Like that!” Erik jumped back.

            Haru cast a quick incantation and wind blew a piece of paper over the camera. It bobbed down.

            The vampire smiled, “Yes, that’s exactly what I want you to do! Use some sort of magic to get them to stop following me.”

            “I can do that,” Haru thought it through, “But I’ll need a favor in return. You must have met a lot of witches in your life.”

            Erik asked, “I have. What do you need help with?”

            “Haru-kun’s grandmother,” Keiko answered, “I’m going to visit her this weekend.”

            “I’ve dealt with a lot of witches in the past, but Baba Yaga’s on another level. Besides, I avoid conflict with witches whenever I can because of how powerful they are,” the vampire said.

            “I don’t want you to fight her. I want you to come to my house with Keiko-chan and help give grandmother a good impression of her,” Haru replied.

            “That’s something I can do,” Erik stated, “And when will you deal with the people following me?”

            The witch spoke, “Monday. We’ll go to grandmother’s house this weekend. Grandmother and I are the only ones who can get through that forest, so they won’t be able to get there without my help.”

Cool night air surrounded Baba Haru as he stood outside of the gate to Keiko’s house.

            “Goodnight, Haru-kun,” she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            He waved, “Night, Keiko-chan. Make sure that Anzu doesn’t cause you any trouble.”

            “You don’t need to worry about her.”

            As Haru walked away, three heads popped out of a nearby bush. It was Himari, Chitose, and Jirogame.

            “Man, he’s so lucky!” Jirogame overflowed with jealousy, “He has a girl to walk home with.”

             Himari snapped her fingers, “Stay focused. We can’t let Watanabe-sama down.”

            “You’re right. There’s no way we’re losing to anyone with her as our leader,” he clenched his fist over his camera.

            Across the street, Erik hung from a tree in bat form.

            Erik thought, ‘It doesn’t look like Haru’s planning anything against me so far. Maybe he doesn’t know that Beauregard’s my subordinate?’

            Back in the bushes, Himari got worked up, “Watanabe is an inspiration to us all! She’s the ideal journalist. No matter what, we won’t let her down!”

            “Yeah! Let’s do this!” in his excitement, Jirogame pressed the snapshot button and a click rang out.

            “Himari, you’re getting Jirogame worked up too much.” Chitose stated with irritation in her voice, “Jirogame, if you press down on the camera any tighter, you’ll break it.”

            They both bowed their heads, “We’re sorry!”

            The sudden click caught Erik’s attention. His head whirled around, and he saw the three. Their camera was pointed right at him.

            ‘What the Hel are those guys doing here this late?’ he flew off, keeping an eye on Haru.

The journalism club tracked Haru through empty streets while Erik flew overhead. Erik kept taking furtive glances behind him, and his hair stood on end.

            Erik thought, “Those bastards are following me! Do they know I’m a vampire? No, they probably just want to take pictures of bats.”

            Haru entered an area of the town without plants.

            “Shit. There aren’t any bushes we can hide behind,” Himari said.

            Chitose replied, “There’s a wall over there. We can hide behind that.”

            “That’s no good.” Jirogame shook his head, “We can’t see over it.”

            “No problem. Check this out.” Chitose pulled out a pole and placed her camera on it.

            She pulled out a chord and attached it to the camera. The other end was attached to a screen. A visual of what was on the camera appeared on it.

            “You’re amazing! You always come prepared!” Jirogame smiled.

            Erik took another glance behind him and almost forgot to flap his wings in shock. The camera was on a pole and right behind him.

            ‘Shit! Shit! Shit! Do they know what I am?’ he flew away as fast as he could.

            He collided with a window, forgetting to use his echolocation.

            “If I wasn’t a vampire,” Erik fell to the ground and sighed, “That would have killed me.”

Haru left the city and stepped into a vast, dark forest. A cloak of shadows gathered around him. As Erik flew in, his vision diminished to nothing. He called out with his echolocation, but it only bounced off the closest trees.

            Erik said, “This darkness isn’t natural. It drowns out sound as well as sight. Baba Yaga’s defenses are top-notch, as expected.

            Outside of the forest, the journalism club members gazed into the depths of darkness.

            “Why did he go in there? We can’t see in,” Himari stated.

            “Maybe his house is that way, or maybe he figured out we’re following him and tried to lose us?” Jirogame suggested.

            Chitose shined a flashlight inside. It barely penetrated.

            Himari spoke, “It looks like even you’re not prepared this time.”

            “Not so fast.” Chitose smiled, “I still have a trick up my sleeve.

            She pulled out a set of night-vision goggles.

            Jirogame blinked, “Where did you get those?”

            “Never underestimate a journalist, especially a journalist whose father owns a night vision company,” Chitose proclaimed before realizing that her goggles didn’t help her see into the forest at all.

            Erik flew out and saw Chitose with her night-vision goggles on. Out of shock, he turned back into his human form. He slammed into the ground in front of them. The vampire scrambled to get up and found that all three students were staring at him.

            “Kenji-kun? What are you doing here?” Himari said.

            “Oh, you know, whoever you are,” Erik rushed for an excuse, “Just looking for shiny rocks.”

            Jirogame narrowed his eyes, “Shiny rocks? You’re looking for those at night?”

            “Of course! They’re shiniest at night!”

            Chitose observed, “You fell down. You must have been up a tree. How will you find any shiny rocks there?”

            “Birds! Birds love shiny rocks!” Erik stated.

            “I guess they do,” Jirogame admitted, “Did you see Baba-san walk this way?”

            Erik shook his head, “No, no, no, now I have to go.”

            He blasted away like a rocket.

            “That was weird,” Jirogame said.

            Himari replied, “I’ve never seen Kenji-kun like that.”

            “Why are you calling him by his first name and not Date-san?” Chitose asked, “You two don’t seem very close.”

            “Of course, we’re close! He just doesn’t know it yet!” she scoffed.

            Jirogame and Chitose shared a look of disbelief.

Deep in the forest, the darkness surrounding Haru faded. His eyes squinted as lights appeared. Up ahead was the back of an ancient house, a fence of bones surrounding it. Each of the posts had a glowing skull planted on top of it. Haru walked through a gate.

            He said, “Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me.”

            The house moved half a meter above the ground and turned around before planting itself down again. Haru stepped through the door.

            “Hello, Haru,” Baba Yaga said while stirring a pot. “How was school today?”

            “The same as usual, grandmother. What are we having for dinner?” Haru asked.

            She answered, “Leftovers. The meat has started to rot, so we should finish it before it decays any further.”

            He said, “Then you’re brewing a potion?”

            “A love potion. You’re a teenager in the flower of your youth. With your curse, this is the only way for you to get yourself a woman,” Baba Yaga stated.

            Haru turned pale.

            “Actually, grandmother, I have a girlfriend,” his voice stuttered.

            Baba Yaga stopped stirring her brew, “A girlfriend? Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

            “It slipped my mind,” he made an excuse.

            “This won’t do at all.” She gritted her teeth, “Any girlfriend who can slip your mind is worthless.”

            ‘Shit! That backfired.’ Haru thought before speaking, “Grandmother, she is a good girl. The forest is designed to make people get lost. That counts for thought too.”

            “I suppose it does,” Baba Yaga admitted.

            Haru kept his breath in. A single mistake could spell doom.

            His grandmother said, “The day after tomorrow is the weekend, right?”

            He replied, “It is. Do you want me to stay here and practice my magic?”

            “You practice it more than enough,” she waved her hand, “You will bring this girl of yours here. She will spend a day in my hut.”

            “Grandmother, she’s my only chance at being in a relationship,” Haru stated.

            “And I will judge her with that in mind,” her cold eyes stared into his soul.

            “Alright. I’ll bring her.”

            Haru sat down at the dining table. It took everything he had to stop himself from shaking. He needed a plan, and he only had a day to come up with it.

When the afternoon bell rang, Haru and Keiko got up from their desks and walked out into the hallway. A tall, lean second-year boy stepped in front of them. His mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t. They seethed with arrogance.

            “You’re Baba Haru, right?” he asked.

            “I am, and you are?” Haru said.

            The boy’s smile widened while his eyes grew cold, “I’m surprised you don’t know who I am. My name is Akechi Jubei, and I’m the student council president.”

            Haru was suspicious, “What do you want with me?”

            “Straight to the point?” Jubei spoke, “No pleasantries?”

            With sarcasm, Haru replied, “Sorry, what do you want with me, senpai?”

            “Alright, I’ll be blunt,” his cold expression turned into a glare, “I want you and Keiko to break up.”

            Keiko and Haru shared a groan. The former sighed and addressed Akechi Jubei.

            “I’m not interested in you, Akechi. If you want to be with me, it’s far too late.”

            Jubei said, “You don’t understand. I don’t have any interest in you either, Mae. I just don’t want you to be with Haru.”

            “Listen, Haru-kun isn’t like what you think he is,” Keiko spoke, “He’s a good person. The rumors about him are all lies.”

            “I don’t care. People think that Haru’s a bad person, and that’s all that matters,” he replied.

            Haru clenched his fist, “So, the truth doesn’t matter?”

            “Of course not. Appearances are all that matters,” Jubei said, “And a model student like Keiko having a delinquent like you as a boyfriend makes the school look bad.”

            “Why the hell should I care about the school? The only person here who cares about me is Keiko.”

            Jubei smirked, “Then do you care about her?”

            “Of course, I do,” Haru replied.

“Then you should break up with her,” he stated, “If you care about her, you need to think about her reputation, and how being around you damages it.”

            “I know what being in a relationship with Haru-kun does to my reputation,” Keiko said, “And I don’t care. You should mind your own business.”

            Jubei grit his teeth, “I am the student council president. Student relationships are my business. The school must look good, and anyone who threatens that image of the school will be dealt with.”

            Haru burst out laughing, “If you think you’re scary, think again. You’re just some ass with delusions of power. You can’t even comprehend what real power is.”

            Akechi Jubei turned and stomped off. His hand was clenched so hard it turned white.

            Keiko shivered, “Haru-kun, do you think we were too harsh? He is the student council president, so we should be careful.”

            “Don’t worry about him.” Haru waved it off, “I’m a witch, remember? I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve.”

            “You’re not planning on hurting him, are you?” she asked.

            “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle,” he answered with a chuckle.

The door to the journalism club swung open, and Jubei stormed inside. It was stacked with tables, computers, and printers. Numerous newspapers littered the walls. Their articles had titles like ‘School Festival Goes Great’ and ‘Student Attendance Is Up.’ Not a single one reported bad news.

An aubern-haired girl caught Jubei’s attention. Two belts rested around her waist, one of which had a camera hanging from it. The arms of her jacket were wrapped just over her belts so that its back hung off her hips like a cape. A clipboard was attached to the tied arms of the jacket. She was looking through a stack of papers.

            “Watanabe!” he pointed at her.

            She held her arms up, “I didn’t do anything!”

            “I’m not here to accuse you,” Jubei said, “I need you to do something for me.”

            “Oh,” Watanabe breathed out in relief, “What do you want?”

            “You are going to get dirt on Baba Haru, something that could get him expelled.”

            “Getting dirt on him? The guy’s painfully average. There’s no way he has any interesting secrets,” she replied.

            Jubei scoffed, “I don’t care. Either find a secret or make one up.”

            “What will we get in return?” a young boy asked, “You’re asking us to spy on someone, to slander them. That’s horrible, so we’ll need something in exchange for it.”

            Watanabe looked at him and turned pale.

            “Why should I give you anything in return?” Jubei glared, “I’m the student council president. Everything I do is for your benefit.”

            “For our benefit? You made the student newspaper nothing more than a tool for praising the school!” the boy objected.

            “Hey, you shouldn’t talk bad about him,” Watanabe stepped between them.

            Jubei smirked, “Listen to the head of your club. If you don’t do what I say, I’ll reveal that your mother is the star of the Maddie’s Mud Mayhem hentai movies, Jirogami.”

            The entire journalism club looked at the boy.

            Jirogame said, “How did you know that?”

            “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have dirt on every last one of you. I could make all your lives a living hell.”

            Watanabe’s eyes smiled, but she still pretended to look shocked. She had to stop herself from chuckling.

            She thought, ‘You think you can do anything you want, you bastard? Just you wait, I’ll bring you down.’

            “We’ll do what you say. You don’t have to worry about that,” Watanabe assured him, “But finding dirt on Haru won’t be easy. We’ll need more access to the school.”

            “Go wherever you want, and don’t mess up, or else…” Jubei’s eyes widened as he gave her a toothy grin, “I’ll spread around photos of you going to pro wrestling events!”

            She collapsed to her knees, “If everyone sees those photos…if it becomes known that I like pro wrestling, I’ll never get a husband.”

            “I don’t think there are many men who are against women liking pro wrestling,” Jirogame pointed out.

            “Men only like women who practice naginatajutsu! Even looking at another martial art is forbidden!” Watanabe declared.

            Another student spoke up, “Actually, my girlfriend practices judo. So you should be…”

            “One more word out of you and I’ll tell everyone that you use root beer instead of milk with cereal,” Jubei cut him off.

As Jubei turned to leave, he said, “Get dirt on Baba Haru, or else.”

            When he was out of earshot, Watanabe laughed like a madwoman.

            “Are you alright, senpai?” Jirogame asked.

            She answered, “I’m fine. That shitty president fell for it.”

            “Fell for what?”

            “Akechi gave us complete access to the school.” Watanabe smiled, “We just got the opportunity of a lifetime. We’ll get dirt on him while spying on Haru! Then, we’ll be the ones who make demands!”

            “You’re amazing, senpai!” a girl spoke, “We’ll kick Akechi’s ass!”

            Jirogame said, “Yeah! He won’t know what hit him!”

            Watanabe smiled, “Alright, then you, Himari, and Chitose-kun will go spy on Haru. Eikoh, Michi, and Eiji will spy on Akechi. Since Eikoh and Michi are second years, they’ll be able to help Eiji follow Akechi better.”

            “And what will you do?” Michi asked.

            “I’ll think of plans and supervise the operation, but first I’ll make an offering to the kami of journalism!” she declared.

            Eiko questioned, “There’s a kami of journalism?”

            “There are eight million kami,” Watanabe shrugged, “At least one of them should be a kami of journalism. Now, let’s move out!”

Keiko paced outside the gate to her house. She glanced around with worried eyes.

“Haru-kun said he’d meet me here so we could walk to school together. I even got up early for it, but he isn’t here yet,” she sighed. “It’s probably nothing, but…”

Loud caws caught her attention. Keiko’s head swung to the sky. There, several crows were assaulting a lone crow. They pecked, clawed, and battered their target. It flew to the ground with them in close pursuit.

The crow landed. With a flap of its wings, it morphed into a cat. Its claws lashed out at the attackers. They scattered, flying into the air. The cat raised up on its back legs and turned into Haru.

He gave the crows the middle finger, “Well, a double dumbass on you!”

“Haru-kun?” Keiko said. “What the hell just happened?”

“I turned into a crow to get here faster, but that was a bad idea,” he replied.

She spoke, “They attacked you because of your curse, but why did they run when you became a cat? There were enough crows that they could have overwhelmed you without much trouble.”

“That’s part of my curse,” Haru stated.

“Go on,” Keiko encouraged him.

Haru said, “Others see in me what they hate most; however, it has to be something possible. Let’s say someone hates samurai. There haven’t been any samurai in centuries, so they won’t think I’m one. It has to be based on what I could be.”

“You mean the crows could have assumed you were stealing food, but assumed you were an expert hunter when you were a cat?”

“You got the first part right. I don’t know about the cat part since I can only speak their language in crow form,” he replied.

Keiko chuckled, “Did those crows really call you a dumbass?”

“They did,” Haru groaned. “Crows are very rude.”

“How rude are they?”

He changed the subject, “We should get to school. Come on. Let’s go over our last lesson.”

Haru walked to the school with Keiko keeping pace with him. As they moved along the sidewalk, a girl with flaming red hair leapt out of some bushes and landed in front of them. Her hair was covered in twigs, leaves, and dirt. A beetle crawled out of it.

            “So, thou hast arrived, just as expected!” the girl laughed. “Thee, who I must destroy!”

            Haru said, “Who are you?”

            “Thou dost not know who I am? We’re in the same class!”

            “Did you ever talk to me?” his face turned blank.

            “Of course not!” she snapped, “I wish not to know thee, simply to destroy thee.”

            Keiko spoke, “Haru-kun, this is Sato Anzu. She always talks like that.”

            “Oh, she’s a chuuni,” Haru nodded.

            “I am not that!” Anzu said, “I am a demon, and I shall destroy thee, follower of Christ!”

            Haru replied, “If I were to side with any god, grandmother would castrate me with a durian.”

            “Silence! Thou made a mistake not carrying thine cross! This ist mine opportunity!” she declared.

            “I don’t wear a cross, dumbass.”

            “Dost not anger me further, human!”

            Haru probed the young girl with his energy sense, pinpricks of pain poking his skin, “You are a demon!”

            “You can tell so fast?” Keiko blinked.

            “Demons make my skin prickle.”

            Anzu laughed, “Tremble in fear! Now, face death, wicked cur!”

            Fire blazed to life in her hands. Keiko felt searing heat. Wings sprouted from Anzu’s back and she ran toward them. Haru cast a spell as fast as he could.

            “Poshol nahuj!”

            The demon slammed to the ground like a ten ton weight was dropped on her. Her fires dissipated.

            “Owwwwwwww…” Anzu groaned.

            Keiko said, “That was as easy as the vampire.”

            “It was easier,” Haru stated, “Us witches have all sorts of spells for dealing with demons. They love tempting us.”

            “Fool! Counterspell! Juhan lohsop!” Anzu jumped up and pointed her arms at them.

            “She broke my spell! How?” Haru stepped back in shock.

            “Mine magic training came forth from the Sengoku Jidai! I was a mere half-demon before my transformation into a full demon!”

            Keiko’s eyes widened, “That’s amazing! You turned yourself into a demon with magic.”

            “That’s not how mine transformation happened,” Anzu said, “I mistook a magic jewel for candy and ate it.”

            “Past’ zabej, padla jebanaja!” Haru’s shouted.

            Anzu went flying backwards. Blood sprayed from her mouth. She roared and flapped her wings. They stopped her in place. Fire blasted out from her hands.

            Haru countered with his wind spell, “Veter dut!”

            A torrent of wind pushed back the flames. Anzu laughed like a madwoman. Even with the wind defense, the flames licked her opponents.

            “Thou canst stop me! Mine power ist supreme!”

            “Poshol nahuj!” Haru barked.

            Anzu was driven into a freshly poured cement driveway. The concrete splattered into the air.

Under his breath, Haru uttered a word. The cement hardened around the demon girl.

            “Fool of fools!” she chuckled. “With mine demonic strength, I shall break through this cement posthaste!”

            “Are you sure about that?” Haru pointed at a sign next to the cement.

            It read, “Church services will be held at the Northwest chapel while the driveway is being repaired.”

            The demon was on holy ground.

            “Curses! Thou hast foiled me!” Anzu spat.

            “Haru-kun,” Keiko said, “What do we do with her?”

            He replied, “I was actually thinking of letting you decide.”

            “Me? Why?” she asked.

            Haru answered, “She might be able to tell what type of supernatural creature you are.”

            Anzu scoffed, “As if I wouldst tell that to the friend of an utterly devout Christian!”

            Keiko thought for a moment.

            “What to do? You said demons were worse than humans are, but if she can help me… Is there any way you can keep her from hurting anyone?”

            “Leave it to me,” Haru chanted, “Cyka blyat, cyka blyat, cyka blyat, cyka blyat, cyka blyat…”

When they arrived at school, Anzu was walking behind them. She was struggling to carry all their stuff in her arms.

            “This is humiliating,” she said, “How long must I do this?”

            “You can give them back to us now. We can’t have you carry them into school for us. It’d look suspicious,” Haru stated.

            Anzu handed their stuff back to them, “Praise the devil. Thou hast shown mercy.”

            “That being said, you need to obey me now. So, behave yourself. Don’t spread evil,” Keiko ordered.

            “But that’s why I am in school in the first place!” the demon objected, “Teenagers art easy to manipulate!”

            “I bound you to Keiko-chan. So, play nice,” condescension flowed through Haru’s voice.

            “Curse thee for binding me to that accursed woman,” Anzu grit her teeth so hard one of them chipped and the piece flew out.

            In its place, a new tooth formed.

            Keiko asked, “So, Haru, what am I supposed to do with a demon as a servant?”

            He said, “Whatever you do with normal servants. I’ll help you with anything occult. If she tries to make a deal with you, refuse.”

            She addressed Anzu, “I order you to make us healthy, tasty lunches for us tomorrow.”

            Then Keiko pointed at Anzu.

            “And not cursed!”

            “I shall obey thee…what hath I ever done to deserve this?” the demon groaned.

            “You tried to kill us,” Haru stated.

            Anzu shrugged, “How is that bad?”

            Keiko sighed, “Haru-kun, you know what to do.”

            “Poshol nahuj.”

The noon sun drifted through clouds over the school rooftop where Haru and Keiko were sitting.

            “Alright,” he said, “Let’s get started.”

            “What are you testing for?” Keiko asked.

            Haru answered, “I’m testing for two things: vampire blood and sidhe blood.”

            “Sidhe?”

            “Fairy. I would test for demon blood, but my grandmother said she’d castrate me with a rusty spoon if I brought anything with a blessing into our house,” he spoke, “And I need something with a blessing to test for demon blood.”

            “She said that?” Keiko blinked, “Was she serious?”

            “It’s hard to tell with her, best not to think about it much.”

            “Ooookay…” she got back to the main subject, “Can you test for anything else?”

            “No. I only know how to test for those three things.”

            Haru grabbed a vial of ash and scattered it in front of Keiko. He poked his finger with a needle and uttered some words as he dropped the blood onto the ash, and then he looked down. Nothing happened.

            “That proves you’re not part vampire,” he said.

            Haru placed bits of iron on the ground.

            “Give me your hand. I need some of your blood for this.”

            Keiko held out her palm. Haru pricked it with the needle and chanted some words. A drop of blood trickled out and landed on the iron. No results.

            “Your blood would have disintegrated if you were part sidhe,” Haru told her.

            “What am I? I need to know now,” Keiko asked, “What will happen to me? Will I be a target?”

            Haru answered, “You might or you might not. Most supernatural beings leave each other alone unless they have a reason to bother each other.”

            “Do you think I’m descended from yokai instead of a western monster?”

            “That’s more likely, but I can’t test for those. My magic tradition is based in the west. I don’t have any spells that specifically affect yokai. I have to use more general spells for them.”

            Keiko said, “Then we’ll just have to wait for you to find a spell?”

            “Either that or until your powers start appearing, assuming they do. So, we should take our time and not stress out over this. It’ll just give us wrinkles,” Haru replied.

            She nodded.

            “Hey, Haru-kun?” Keiko asked, “Are you free tonight?”

            “I am, Keiko-chan,” he answered, “Why do you ask?”

            She spoke, “I’d like to do something fun with you. Maybe we could eat together?”

            “I don’t mind that, but you’d have to pay for the food and bring it outside. If I did, they’d spit in it,” Haru stated.

            “That’s fine. I’m the one who invited you out, so it’s only right that I pay for the food,” she said.

            Early evening fell over the empty streets of the city. Haru leaned on a wall as he looked at a restaurant named Underwater Ship. Keiko strolled out of it with two sandwiches in her hands. She walked over to Haru and handed him a long one.

            “Thanks, Keiko-chan.”

            “Mayonnaise, onion, salmon, peanut butter, and grilled cheese,” she said, “I can’t believe you eat something like that.”

            He shrugged, “I only asked for that since they have a discount on those ingredients. You shouldn’t pay too much for my food.”

            “You don’t have to worry about it. I like being around you, and I want to eat with you,” Keiko stated.

            They walked through the streets. The few people that were there avoided Haru like the plague. Some of them gave him cold looks as well. Keiko shot one of them a glare before turning to Haru.

            She said, “People shouldn’t look at you like that. You haven’t done anything to them.”

            Haru replied, “You’re right, but that’s the way it is. I can’t do anything about it.”

            As they walked into a park, a chill wind flowed across their backs. They had the place to themselves. Haru sat down on a bench and patted it. Keiko sat down next to him. He took a bite of his sandwich as Keiko’s eyes widened.

            “How can you eat that like it’s normal?” she asked.

            He answered, “I’m used to eating strange things.”

            Haru was about to take another bite when he stopped, “Hey, Keiko-chan, do you like me? And I mean romantically, not as a friend.”

            “What?” she blinked, “That came out of nowhere?”

            “Do you or do you not? It’s a simple question,” he spoke.

            “Well…I do,” Keiko admitted, “I have feelings for you.”

            “I like you too. Let’s get together,” Haru gave her a smile.

            She almost fell off the bench, “This sudden? Shouldn’t we wait a few seasons first?”

            “What’s wrong with two people who know they like each other being together?” Haru asked, “Why should we waste time?”

            Keiko considered things before nodding, “You’re right. We’d probably end up spending years thinking of whether or not we should be together only to end up together anyway.”

            “Then we’re together now?” he said.

            “We are,” she gave him a smile, “So, what should we do now?”

            Haru admitted, “I don’t know. I’ve never been in a relationship before. I never even thought that I’d be in one. I mean, this was much more calm and logical than anything I’ve seen in romance movies.”

            “Let’s go on a movie date,” Keiko suggested, “I don’t normally watch films, but I looked under my dad’s bed once as a kid and saw the movies he watched. So, I know what movies men like.”

            “What films are those?”

            “Maddie’s Mud Madam Mayhem 13, Cheerleader Wet Party, The Plumber’s Little Helper, Kill la Cock, Naked Nude…”

            “Those are dirty movies!” Haru covered her mouth, “How naïve are you?”

            Keiko brought his hands down and chuckled, “I know what those movies are. I was just messing with you. And a theatre’s out of the question with the curse on you, so going to one isn’t an option.”

            “And watching a movie at my house is out of the question. You’re not ready to meet grandmother yet. Let’s just hold hands,” Haru asked.

            She said, “Ohhhh…yeah, that sounds fine.”

            He reached out with his hand and she took it with hers. They both blushed.

Baba Haru stood at the entrance to high school, the morning sun at his back.

            “Well, the weekend is over now,” he said, “I wonder if Keiko will try anything or just ignore me?”

            Footsteps caught his attention.

            “There you are!” Keiko ran over, “You get to school later than I do.”

            “Mae-san? You’re here?” Haru’s eyes widened in surprise.

            “I am. What did you expect?” she asked.

            He answered, “Being around me is social suicide. Everyone hates me.”

            “Baba-san, I knew that even before I talked to you. If I cared what other people thought, I would have stayed away.”

            “Oh…thanks,” Haru smiled.

As they walked through the halls, people gave Haru horrible looks. Their cold glares could turn water into ice.

            A boy grabbed Haru and yanked him back, “What do you think you’re doing, walking next to her?”

            “A pervert like you shouldn’t be anywhere near a woman as beautiful as Mae-san,” a short girl stated, “You must be planning something.”

            Then the short girl felt a strong presence behind her. She turned around. Keiko was centimeters from her face with a sinister smile.

            “What was that about Baba-san being a pervert?” Keiko asked, malice flooding her voice.

            The girl said, “B-But Mae-san, you know what people say about him! What are you doing with him?”

            “That’s none of your business,” she turned to the boy, “Now, release Baba-san or else.”

            “You…” his face turned red, “Fine! But you’ll regret this! He’ll get you eventually!”

            He did so and ran off, the girl following him.

            “Thanks, Mae-san. Those people are troublesome,” Haru said.

            “And I can’t have you getting in trouble,” Keiko leaned in and whispered with a smile, “I’ve seen what you can do to a vampire. They’d just be a stain on the wall if you got mad.”

            Haru folded his arms and whispered back, “I wouldn’t do something like that, Mae-san. I’d at least leave a few bones.”

            They both chuckled and went to class.

            Noon came and the students in the class shot them with evil eyes. Keiko and Haru sat next to each other. Keiko pulled out his lunch box and Haru leaned over to look at it. His food was a type of bun. When Haru took a bite out of it, it showed that the interior was filled with mushrooms and spinach.

            “I haven’t seen food like that before,” Keiko said.

            “It’s pirozhki,” Haru explained, “A Russian food.”

            “Do you like foreign food?” she asked.

            He answered, “My grandmother’s Russian, so she makes Russian food. She told me that my father’s Russian as well and that’s why he was able to find her.”

            Keiko blinked, “What?”

            “I should clarify,” Haru scanned the classroom.

            The other students weren’t out of earshot.

            “Alright, come closer,” they leaned into each other, their shoulders bumping, and Haru spoke softly, “My grandmother is a famous witch called Baba Yaga. She isn’t my biological grandmother, but she raised me and taught me witchcraft.”

            “Baba Yaga?” Keiko said, “I’ve heard of her before. Isn’t she dangerous?”

            “Oh, she is. She’s…I’ll tell you about it later,” he sighed.

            Keiko thought a moment before she said, “Actually, there’s something that I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while.”

            “What is it?”

            “Why are you a witch? You’re a man, so shouldn’t you be a wizard?”

            “No, wizards practice a different form of magic and witch is a gender-neutral term,” Haru stated. “There have been plenty of male witches and men killed for witchcraft throughout history.”

            “But most media portrays all witches as women,” Keiko said.

            He scoffed, “It isn’t our fault that the media is sexist. Besides, these same films always portray witches as being burned. Some were, but most were just hung.”

            Erik had listened in. When he heard who Haru’s grandmother was, he slammed his head into his desk over and over.

            “That idiot…he just had to attack someone trained by Baba Yaga!” Erik groaned.

            The school bell rang as the evening sunlight draped the town. Haru and Keiko walked into that sunlight as they exited the building.

            “Hey, could you walk home with me again?” Keiko asked.

            Haru answered, “Of course.”

            “Thanks,” she smiled as she started walking, “Honestly, I feel a lot safer with you here. Knowing that there are things like vampires running around is a bit scary.”

            “Then you really don’t know?” Haru stopped in his tracks.

            She stopped too, “Know what?”

            “Let’s get a bit further from the school. Someone could listen in here.”

            He walked ahead of her at a rapid pace. Keiko followed him to an overlook. Haru’s head darted back and forth. They were alone. He stopped next to a bench.

            “Mae-san. You might want to sit down for this,” he told her.

            Keiko said, “Alright, Haru-kun.”

            Her affectionate words sent a shock jolting down his spine for just a moment. Keiko’s face turned red like a tomato and covered her mouth when she saw Haru freeze. They fidgeted for a moment before she broke the silence.

            “Ummmm, you wanted to tell me something?”

            “Right! Keiko-chan,” Haru spoke, “You’re a supernatural creature.”

Shock overcame Keiko’s face.

            “What? How is that possible? How did you know?” she blurted out.

            He explained, “Back when we were in the forest, I sensed your power. It’s why I was willing to use magic in front of you.”

            Keiko’s jaw dropped, “How could I not know?”

            “It depends on the type of supernatural being you are. If you have magical talent but never got training, you could go your whole life without realizing your potential. Other powers take years to manifest. That’s common for hybrids of humans and non-human supernatural entities.”

            “Then…I’m…” she looked at him, “Haru-kun, I don’t know what to do.”

            “You could ask your family. They might know what type of supernatural blood flows through you,” Haru said.

            Keiko took a deep breath, “Haru-kun, I can’t do that. My family…they’ve disowned me.”

            Tears leaked from her eyes.

            “I was supposed to be their heir, and I did everything I could to prepare for it. But it was too much. I couldn’t do it. I had to get the best grades, be the better than everyone at sword fighting, be the best at chess, be the absolute best at everything. It was too much. I couldn’t keep it up. And when I failed…they…they saw me as worthless. I…”

            Haru took Keiko in his arms. She hugged him back. His embrace was warm and strong.

            He spoke, “Keiko-chan, we’re in this together. Even if they’ve abandoned you, I won’t. I’ll help you through this.”

            “Thank you, Haru-kun,” she said, “I won’t abandon you either.”

            They released each other with a blush.

            “It’s getting late. We can figure this out later,” Haru stated.

            Keiko said, “Oh, of course. We’ll need a lot of time, right?”

            “And I need to get some things ready. Now come on, let’s get you home. Then I can start making preparations.”

            “I’ll count on you, Haru-kun,” Keiko told him, “And if you ever need me, I promise I won’t let you down.”

            He nodded, “Then it’s decided. No matter what, we’ll make sure to not let each other down.”

            Haru extended his hand and Keiko shook it.

Haru stood on a curb, waiting for Keiko to arrive. He watched the morning sun rise over the horison. His stomach grumbled. Haru looked at the time on his phone and saw that he had time to get something light to eat.

            Haru walked into a fast food restaurant and walked up to the counter. The cashier sneered at him.

            “Welcome to Burrito Chime,” she forced a smile, “How can we help you?”

            “I’d like a Mashed Bacon Chocolate Nacho and a soft drink. I’ll give you an extra thousand yen for it if you don’t spit in my food,” he said.

            The cashier looked at Haru with narrowed eyes.

            She sighed, “Alright, I won’t spit in your food. I need the money.”

            Haru left the restaurant and returned to the curb. When Keiko arrived, she found Haru eating the last of his food.

            “Sorry if I made you wait,” Keiko spoke.

            Haru said, “It’s fine. I showed up ahead of time on purpose.”

            The two of them took a moment to look at each other. This was the first time they had seen each other in their casual wear. Haru wore jeans and a t-shirt with a light jacket over it. Keiko also wore jeans, but she wore a polo shirt rather than a t-shirt. He took a note of her upper-end clothing.

            “So, are you ready?” Keiko asked.

            He answered, “Just one thing first. You were surprised when you saw my magic, right?”

            “I was. I didn’t even know that the supernatural existed when we met.”

            “I see,” Haru paused for a moment in thought, “Come on, let’s get to the museum.”

After a short walk, they entered the museum. As they paid, the clerk leered at them.

            “You had better not break anything while you’re here,” he looked right at Haru, “Delinquents like you always want to wreck this place.”

            When they were out of earshot, Keiko said, “Your curse is horrible.”

            “It is, but I like to count my blessings,” Haru stated, “It could be worse.”

            “How so?” she asked.

            “I’d rather not say right now. I don’t trust you enough yet to give you more details on my curse.”

            Keiko replied, “That’s fine. I wouldn’t trust anyone if I were you either.”

            They went over to an exhibit featuring a daisho and samurai armor. An arquebus and spear were there as well.

            “Samurai had some pretty impressive equipment. That armor could probably protect you pretty well,” Haru noted.

            “Oh, it could. You can’t cut through metal armor with a sword,” Keiko said, “Samurai aimed for the light or unarmored regions like the armpit, the neck, or the waist.”

            He thought for a moment, “Could you cut through armor with a sword if you had super strength?”

            She replied, “Maybe, but you’d need a sword that could withstand it. If you hit armor with enough force for a sword to cut through it, the sword would end up bending or shattering into a million pieces.”

            “You know a lot about swords. I’m impressed.”

            “It isn’t anything special,” Keiko worried that he’d see her as unapproachable and quickly deflected, “My family just made me learn about swords.”

            “Well, it’s still impressive,” Haru said, “And you can relax. I like hearing your voice.”

            Keiko blushed, “A-Alright. You have a nice voice too.”

            They spent the rest of the day looking around the museum, checking out paintings and historical items. When they left, Haru looked at the sky.

            “It’s getting dark out,” he said.

            “Yeah, I should get going,” Keiko stated.

            Haru asked, “Will your parents worry about you?”

            “No,” she said with a hint of bitterness.

            “Do you want me to walk with you back home?” he asked.

            She answered, “I’d like that. It’s this way.”

            The two of them moved along empty streets. They took a short-cut through a park. Darkness descended just as they reached the middle of it. In an American southern gentleman’s accent, a voice called out.

            “I say now, that’s enough right there.”

            They turned around to see a lanky man with reddish-brown hair dressed in a white suit. Moonlight glimmered off the gilded scabbard of a cavalry saber that was slung off his hip. He was six meters away from them.

            Keiko said, “A foreigner?”

            “Who are you?” Haru questioned.

            The man spoke, “A gentleman, I say. And I must kindly ask you to unhand that lady.”

            Haru’s face turned blank, “I’m not even touching her.”

            “No sir, but your intentions are clearly not honorable,” he replied, “A man who doesn’t treat women well is the worst scum in the world, boy.”

            Keiko said, “He isn’t…”

            The swordsman cut her off, “Worry not, young lady. I’ll protect you from that scum.”

            Wind rushed as he sprung into the air like a flash of light. Keiko could barely keep up with his movements. Moonlight flashed off of his saber as he drew it from its scabbard. The swordsman bore down on Haru, bloodlust in his eyes.

            Haru put his hand forward, “Veter Dut.”

            A torrent of wind sent the man flying into a tree. THUNK! He collapsed to the ground, motionless.

            Keiko asked, “Is he dead?”

            “He’s just a vampire,” Haru shrugged, “It’ll take a lot more than that to kill him.”

            “What? He’s a vampire? If he’s one, shouldn’t you kill him?!?” she said.

            “Don’t worry about it. Vampires don’t kill people when they drink their blood. They can if they want to, but it’s too risky to leave corpses behind with modern investigative technology. And this guy is too weak to be a vampire leader. If we kill him, it’ll make his boss mad. That’s not a good idea.”

Later that evening, the southern vampire was kneeling before a young man in his mid-teens. The boy was dying his hair.

            The vampire said, “I’m sorry, Master Erik.”

            “You attacked a random person, getting your ass kicked and potentially exposing us,” Erik turned to him with cold eyes.

            “But you don’t understand, sir! He was a massive misogynist in the presence of a lady! We have to do something!”

            “We have to do nothing,” Erik snapped, “You’re not provoking a spellcaster.”

            “Yes, sir,” the vampire said.

            Master Erik leered into his eyes, “When you went after him, were any of his family there? Were you trying to kill him in secret?”

            “I was, Master Erik. Please und…”

            Erik punched him, sending him flying through a wall. Rubble collapsed on him, hitting his face and covering his body.

            “You dishonorable coward, we are not assassins! We do not murder people!” Erik’s own ear drums rang as he screamed, “If you want to kill someone, you do it in the open! That isn’t murder, even if the authorities see it differently. At the very least, their family should know. Anything else is dishonorable.”

            He turned his attention to a young adult female vampire, “Lenora, clean this mess up.”

Erik pointed at the southern vampire and said, “And tend to Beauregard’s wounds. I need him to go to the blood bank tonight.”

            “Of course, Master Erik,” she said.

Lenora smiled as she walked over to Beauregard and examined his wounds, “My goodness, you made quite a mess here.”

            Erik sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose.

            “How did I get stuck with these idiots?”

Classes had ended for the day and Baba Haru watched Mae Keiko as she left the classroom. The other students avoided her as she exited the room. Haru’s eyes turned cold when he saw this happen. He clenched his fist.

            “They lined up to ‘protect’ her yesterday, but they’ve been avoiding her since. What’s wrong with them?” he said, “I should thank her for helping me, but she’d probably think I’m trying to trick her.”

            A student sneared at him, “Of course, she would. You’re always up to something.”

            Haru moved to the side of the classroom. He stood still until everyone else had left before leaving himself.

            Keiko watched Haru exit the room. She was hiding around a corner.

            “He hasn’t done anything bad all day,” she noted.

            Keiko pulled up a bag from the floor and walked into the women’s bathroom.

            She said, “Maybe I can figure things out with this?”

            When she came out, Mae Keiko had her hair tied up under a large hat, wore a trench coat, and had a pair of googly-eyed glasses with a fake nose and mustache attached to them.

            Using this disguise, Keiko followed Haru outside of the school. She ducked behind rocks, hedges, and fences. At one point, Haru turned around and she jumped behind a bush. After a moment, he turned back and kept walking.

            She tailed him at a further distance after that. He walked into a building. Keiko was about to follow him when a harsh voice stopped her in her tracks.

            “That’s him, officer!”

            She swerved. A police officer glared down at her. There was a fat man behind him.

            “Don’t move,” the officer said, “I’ll have to ask you a few questions.”

            “What? Me?” Keiko blinked, “Did I do something wrong?”

            The fat man said, “You’re walking around in a trench coat! A man like you, dressed like that, has got to be a pervert!”

            “Look, I’m not suspicious. I’m not even a man. I’m just a student, see?” she removed her glasses and hat.

            The officer’s eyes fixed on her face. He froze as a chill ran down his body.

            “A girl dressed like that is suspicious too!” the fat man argued.

            “Sorry, but she’s no one to worry about,” the officer said, “Don’t waste my time.”

            “But officer…”

            He turned on the guy, “Listen here! The Mae family is a decent group of good people! If you call me on one of them again, I’ll have you arrested!”

            The fat man shut his mouth. Keiko saw the officer glance at her before walking away as fast as he could.

            “Who was that guy? Why does he know who I am?” she muttered, “I wish I could ask my father about it, but he’d just ignore me or make some excuse. My family would all do that.”

            After that, Keiko ran like her shoes were on fire to catch up to Haru. He had left the building and was walking into a forest. She skidded to a halt, and then she started walking at a slow pace. Haru made his way into a clearing deep in the forest and Keiko hid behind a bush. A twig snapped under her feet. He turned around in her direction.

            “Who’s there?” he said.

            There was silence. Keiko held her breath. Haru’s harsh voice blasted through the clearing.

            “Come out or I’ll make you come out!”

            Keiko jumped out of the bush. She held up her hands. Haru covered his mouth. His cheeks puffed out and his eyes watered. He was struggling to avoid chuckling.

            “Focus, Haru,” he took a deep breath, “Now is not the time to laugh.”

            “I’m not here to hurt you. You can calm down,” Keiko said.

            “What’s with the getup?”

            She replied, “What getup?”

            “Let’s just get on with this,” Haru pointed his arm at her, “Veter Dut.”

            Wind blasted from his outstretched hand. It smacked Keiko in the face. Her hat and glasses went flying and her trench coat flapped in the torrent of wind.

            Haru took a step back, “Mae? Why are you coming after me?”

            “What was that?” she asked, “You just shot air at me!”

            “It was a magic spell. I’m a witch,” Haru answered.

            Keiko said, “You’re a witch? Witches exist? Magic exists?”

            He tilted his head, “…didn’t you…know that?”

            “No, I didn’t. Does anyone know?” she said.

            She stumbled back, covering her face with her arms.

            “Hold on, are you going to have to kill me now that I know your secret?”

            Haru’s face turned blank, “Think about it, Mae. If you went around saying that I was a witch, would anyone believe you?”

            She thought a moment.

            “You’re right,” Keiko said, “That was pretty obvious. Sorry, Baba-san.”

            “Of course, I need to now why you’re here. You will tell me,” he pointed his hand at her again.

            Keiko waved her arms across her face, “I’m not here to hurt you! I just noticed that people hate you when you didn’t do anything wrong! I was trying to find out why!”

            “Oh, that’s easy,” Haru put his hand down, “I’m under a curse. People automatically assume that I’m the type of person they hate the most.”

            “You’re under a curse? That sounds a bit silly,” she said.

            His expression turned blank again, “I just told you that I’m a witch. You saw me use a magic spell. Do you really think that curses are silly?”

            “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” Keiko said.

            In frustration, Haru said, “You don’t have to apologize. Just say I’m evil like everyone else.”

            Keiko put her arms down. Her eyes softened. She recalled how she thought he saw her as worthless. Keiko couldn’t remember having any reason to think that aside from looking at his face.

            Her thoughts turned to how her own family treated her. A chill ran through her entire body as she remembered the feeling of isolation from them and the other students.

            “I’m sorry for how everyone treated you, including me,” she spoke, “You must have had an awful life.”

            Haru said, “It is awful. People are awful. They’re the second worst scum out there.”

            “Second worst?”

            “Demons are the worst.”

            She hid her shock that demons existed, “Listen, I…”

            “Save it,” he cut her off, “Now that you know of the curse, you’re just going to use it against me.”

            “What do you mean?” Keiko looked into his eyes with empathy.

            He said, “Everyone else who found out about it just used it to hurt me for their own benefit. You’re no different. Now, leave me alone.”

            Haru stomped away. Keiko stood tall and took in a deep breath. She said the only thing she could think to.

            “Please don’t assume that I’ll do that! I’m sorry that I wrongly judged you, even if it was because of a curse! I just want you to give me a chance! Please, I’m lonely too, Baba-san!”

            When that last sentence hit his ears, Haru stopped dead in his tracks. His shoulders loosened, and he turned to her with soft eyes.

            He said, ”Everyone avoids you. They like you, but they won’t tell it to your face. It’s just another form of isolation.”

            “It is,” she agreed.

            “Alright, I’ll give you a chance,” Haru decided, “Why don’t we do something this weekend? It’ll give you a chance to earn my trust.”

            Keiko replied, “I’d be happy to spend time with you. I’ve…never really had a friend before.”

            Haru said, “I haven’t either. Let’s do our best to get along, Mae-san.”

            They both gave each other smiles.

A month and a half had passed since school started. Mae Keiko kept her arms close to her body as she walked to class. The students she passed gazed at her with admiration, only to turn away when she got closer.

            A young woman said, “There she is. Keiko’s amaz…”

            She was cut off by another girl, “Oh my god, she’s getting too close. Let’s talk elsewhere.”

They shivered with fear. Keiko hid a tear that fell from her eye. Why had this happened?

            Before she had entered middle school, her father talked to her. He was a muscled, imposing man with a grizzled face. The man was in a long and narrow room with a row of subordinates and officers on each side of it. Keiko walked down the center, between the two rows, and sat in front of him.

            “You called me here, father?” she asked.

            He answered, “I did. Keiko, do you know what our family does?”

            “I do not.”

            “Hmm, now is not the time for you to find out. Right now, what is important is that you are my heir and the future head of our family,” her father said, “This is a big responsibility. Do you know what this means?”

            Keiko hesitated, “It means I have to be very good?”

            “No! It means you must be the best!” he snapped.

            She jolted back and looked around. Everyone in the room had their gaze locked on her.

            Her father said, “Keiko, you can’t be good. You can’t even be very good. You have to be the best. If you are anything other than the best, you are not fit to be the head of our family. From now on, you must be perfect at everything you do.”

            Middle school was spent with that pounded into her head. Her family stacked pressure on her like a mason laying bricks. Every hour of Keiko’s day was spent studying or at a club. Any time her grade was less than 99%, she was struck with a rod. In her kendo club and kenjutsu practice at home, never losing wasn’t good enough. If she didn’t win in three hits or less, the discipline of the rod was used.

            Keiko’s family drilled in her the importance of having an heir. Every day, they’d tell her that the father needed to be someone with perfect genetics and a high rank at a type of organization they never clarified.

            When Keiko entered high school, the students were drawn to her by her beauty, her skill, and her intelligence. She became the talk of the school.

            Her family kept up the pressure all the while. Keiko had to do better than she did before. She was ordered to always get 100%. Keiko was ordered to enter more clubs too. In addition to kendo, she joined the chess, poetry, and judo clubs. All this was pushed onto her until, at the end of her second week of school, it hit a breaking point.

            A boy asked her out. She remembered the words of her father of how important it was to select the right boy. Keiko was the carrier of her family’s bloodline. She froze. The boy left in tears with everyone assuming that he was beneath her notice.

            After that, a distance formed between Keiko and the other students. From then on, they avoided her. The words of praise she had become accustomed to were now distant and fleeting.

            Worse still, Keiko’s family decided that she was a failure. While she still had great grades, always above 90%, that wasn’t good enough for them. Her father disowned her and told her he would make someone else the heir of her family. From that point on, the rest of her family treated her as little more than a guest.

            “Why?” she shook her head as she walked through the school halls, “Why did things turn out like this?”

            Boom, Keiko collided with someone and fell to the ground. Her eyes narrowed with anger. She had bumped into Baba Haru, who landed next to her. She could tell just from the grimace on his face that Haru thought she was worthless.

            “What do you want?” Keiko snapped.

            Haru held up his hands, dropping a ton of books to the ground, “Nothing. It was just an accident.”

            As a crowd of students formed around her, a kid called out, “I can’t believe he tried to pull that. That pervert did it on purpose to grope her.”

            “He’s not smart enough to come up with a plan like that,” a boy scoffed.

            Keiko got up and took a deep breath. She had to get to class.

            “You’re right. We were both at fault. Just get out of my way,” she said.

            A tough kid stomped over and glared at Haru, “Hey, what the hell were you doing?”

            “Carrying books,” he replied.

            “Don’t play dumb with me!” he yanked him up and pushed him against a wall, “You’re jealous that she’s popular, so you knocked her over on purpose!”

            “If I did that, wouldn’t I put my books down first?” Haru pointed out.

            The student said, “Don’t think I’m an idiot! You’re just the type of jealous asshole to hurt yourself just to get at someone!”

            The student swung a fist at Haru, who opened his mouth and muttered something that no one could hear.

            “Stop that,” Keiko grabbed the flying fist, “He was carrying a lot of books. That’s why he bumped into me.”

            The student retracted his arm, “Mae-san, why are you taking his side? Everyone knows he’s no good!”

            “Because you’re overreacting. What exactly did he do to deserve this? Isn’t it a bit extreme for an accident?” she asked.

            “I don’t know,” he shrugged, “But we all know he’s up to no good!”

            Keiko questioned, “How do you know that? What did he do?”

            “He’s tricky like that. Remember how he got those two delinquints to prank the teacher while he distracted her?” another student spoke up.

            A memory flashed through Keiko. The teacher pulled Haru aside on her own. If he was a distraction, he didn’t know it.

            “And he’s done perverted stuff like this before!” said a young woman, “He bumped into another student last week!”

            “Was it a girl like me?” Keiko asked.

            “It was a boy, but his perversion knows no bounds!”

            The tough kid spoke up, “Then that settles it! I’ll kick his ass!”

            He threw a knee kick at Haru, only to trip and smash his head against the wall before collapsing to the ground. The student rubbed his scalp while moaning in pain. The crowd glared at Haru.

            An angry young man said, “You may have gotten away from him, but do you really think you’ll get away from us?”

            “Bring it, but first, there’s something you should know,” Haru said, “I could have been the track champion if they’d let me join the club.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            Haru took off, blasting down the hallway like a cheetah on crack. A group of students chased after him. He outran them with ease.

            A puzzled expression overcame Keiko’s face. She wondered why the student body hated Haru so much. They had to jump over hoops to say he did something bad. Keiko resolved to investigate this.

A pile of papers slammed Baba Haru in the face. He fell backward onto the sidewalk outside Yoko Oni High School. There was a group of angry students in front of him.

            “What the hell?” he asked, “I was just giving you the papers you dropped.”

            A girl answered, “You obviously took them! I can tell just from looking at you that you were up to something!”

            Another student said, “You should check to see if something’s missing. This delinquent probably stole something.”

            With a huff, they left him behind. Haru got up from the ground, brushing the dust off his body.

            “My first day of high school, and it’s exactly what I expected,” Haru mumbled to himself.

            A memory flashed in his mind. It had been years, but Haru still remembered it like it was yesterday. He remembered the moment the old witch told him the story.

            Once upon a time, there were a husband and a wife. They lived together in happiness; however, the wife was afflicted by a terrible illness. Out of desperation, the husband went deep into the woods and begged a witch for a cure. His family was poor and he couldn’t pay her, so the witch asked for his firstborn child instead.

            The husband agreed and the witch gave him a potion. Sure enough, his wife was cured. Time passed and they had a child. The witch noticed it and waited for them to deliver him to her. She waited and waited until she decided that they were going to shirk their deal. Out of rage and anger, the witch cursed the child with a curse so powerful that even she could not undo it.

            “And then they gave you to me anyway. They took longer than I thought they would,” an old woman told Haru, “So, it was a bit awkward.”

            “You put a curse on me, grandmother?” the younger Haru was shocked.

            She rubbed the back of her head, “Well…yes. It’s a pretty bad curse too.”

            “Will it make me fall into a deep sleep? Will it give me some disease? Will it make my hair fall out?”

            “No,” his grandmother explained, “This curse makes people hate you. When they meet you, they will assume that you’re the type of person that they hate the most. This can be overcome if you break through that hatred or they learn about the curse, but that won’t be easy. And there’s one more thing.”

            The old witch took in a deep breath, “This curse will make it so that women hate you more than men. So, I hope you’re gay.”

            Haru remembered how horrible the curse made his middle school life. Teachers constantly accused him of cheating on tests. He told the principal about the curse and he called Haru a liar. It was three years of frustration and rejection.

            “I hope that things get better in high school,” Haru sighed, “People should be more mature here.”

            He stepped into a bustling classroom and looked around. A few students stood out. There was a bored teenager who looked young for his age, had lean muscles, and hair dyed shoe-polish black. Two girls chatted about the student newspaper. A young woman’s eyes darted side to side as she circled around the room before tossing her flaming red hair and taking a seat. With meticulous care, a boy dressed in formal clothing was writing on one of the several small strips of paper on his desk.

            Haru’s eyes were drawn to a girl that sat next to the windows. She was watching a black car pass on the road. Most of the class surrounded her and were trying to seek her attention with praise. There was a little gold katana pinned to her lapel. One of the students addressed her as Keiko.

            Haru was deciding where to sit when he felt a hand grab his shoulder, “You! I need to talk to you!”

The teacher spun him around and their eyes locked.

She poked a finger into his cheek and said, “I know your type. I can tell just by looking at you that you’re a delinquent, a troublemaker.”

He held his hands up, “I promise you that I’m not a delinquent.”

A pair of students with their uniform jackets open and chains for belts walked up behind the teacher. One of them was short and the other was tall. They had hair that stuck directly up and was gelled into spikes.

The teacher said, “Don’t give me that. I know your type. You can forget the sweet-talk.”

            One of the students behind the teacher rubbed an eraser in chalk until it was pure white.

            “Umm, there…” Haru started to speak.

            The teacher cut him off, “Shut up and listen. I’m warning you to stay out of trouble. I can’t stand troublemakers like you.”

            The student behind the teacher threw the eraser in the air, and then he and his friend ducked behind a desk.

            As Haru watched the eraser fly into the air, he said, “Oh, no, not this again.”

            He saw the eraser bounce onto the teacher’s head in a poof, sending a cloud of dust over her face. When it cleared, the eraser was resting on her head like a cat and she was covered in white chalk.

            For a moment, there was silence. The teacher wiped the chalk from her piercing eyes. They gazed into Haru’s with hatred. More silence.

            The teacher grabbed his cheeks and started pulling on them, “How the hell did you do that? I didn’t even see you!”

            “I swear, it wasn’t me! It was…”

            “Don’t lie to me!”

            After getting chewed out by the teacher, Haru sat next to the two students who threw the chalk. Haru listened in on their conversation.

            “I can’t believe she thought he was one of us!” the tall one said.

            The short one replied, “I know! He’s such a putz!”

            Once again, the tall one spoke, “Having a goody-two-shoes like him be mistaken for one of our boys is an embarrassment.”

            “Yeah, but we showed him!”

            The two of them laughed.

            Haru gritted his teeth. They were affected by the curse. The difference was that they were delinquents. Haru felt that revenge was justified.

            A pair of girls sat next to the delinquents. The delinquents looked right at them.

            “Hey, babies,” the shorter of the delinquents said, “You wanna go cause some trouble?”

            “We can get you all sorts of things,” the tall one stated.

            Seeing his chance, Haru whispered an incantation. As he uttered the final word, the gel on the delinquents’ hair solidified into cement. It cracked and broke apart, shattering their hair into pieces. A breeze flowed through the room and blew the bits of hair away.

            The two girls started laughing.

            “Hey, what’s so funny?” the short delinquent asked.

            A girl just pointed at their heads.

            They both reached up and felt their scalps.

            The short one looked at his friend, “Dude, you’re bald!”

            “So are you!” the tall delinquent shouted.

            “No, no, no! How can we get chicks now?”

            “Hold on, do you have a wig?”

            “What the hell would I carry around a wig for?”

            Haru chuckled as he looked at them. He had to keep it quiet or they might suspect him. Still, he did have some hidden words.

            “Morons,” he whispered to himself, “You really should be careful who you mess with.”