Chapter 24 : When It Rains, It Pours. 1/2
A/N: Good day to you guys! Here's today's chap, have fun reading it, we're still in the 'curing' arc for our lil' bunny.
Today's chap might seem smaller though, it's because it was one big chapter (4000 words), so I just divided it. Cuz well, I think it's too heavy (as much as it is in words or emotions lol).
Anyway, thank you for the stones guys! Please don't stop, I'm not getting stoned enough those last few days lol.
https://discord.gg/muwqy9ftad
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*Sigh*
Kurai didn't know how many times he sighed on his way to school.
From what he learned yesterday the situation was dire, and even if he confronted the bunny girl he wasn't sure if she would answer or just call him a creep.
Entering the school playground he steeled himself for a boring day, knowing that his only friend won't be here to make it funnier, or just more lively.
That's why, instead of staying in the playground like the other kids, Kurai went straight for the classroom. Today he wasn't in the mood to be bothered by anyone.
Generally no one approached him, because they feared Rumi, well, that's mostly because he always kept his good student facade around school or his classmates.
So he walked silently to the class and entered it before anyone else, he then sat down on his seat and closed his eyes, waiting for the day to start.
…
…
…
It's only a few minutes later that he re-opened them, hearing noise around him.
*Yawn*
'Those cat-like genes really help me sleep everywhere, aha!' He thought, yawning.
The teacher hadn't arrived yet, but he still took out his books and notes, like a real diligent student.
'Anyway…'
Kurai threw a look around him, his golden irises profoundly gazing at his fellow classmates.
They were also looking at him, or more precisely just beside him, "Did you know? That crazy rabbit was suspended!"
His face remained emotionless, as if he didn't hear their murmurs, "I heard she bloodied a few upperclassmen!"
"I told you that she was crazy!" But their snarky remarks couldn't escape his enhanced cat-like hearing.
Kurai snickered, those same people didn't have the gall to look at her in the eyes, were now cursing her. And it wasn't only girls, but some boys too. 'Males shouldn't be jealous, that's a female trait.'
'Pathetic.' He added.
Fortunately, Ishikawa-sensei entered the classroom soon enough, and interrupted their talks with a clap of her hands.
*Clap Clap*
"Okay Class, we'll proceed normally today."
She looked at Kurai, and added, "Don't forget to take notes in Rumi's stead, Kurai."
The latter only nodded silently, and grabbed his notebook. He didn't need those notes for himself because he already knew everything, so he only needed to do it for her.
As he expected, though, the rest of the class were pure boredom. Normally he would chit-chat with Rumi in a low voice, since they can hear each other just fine but now that he was alone he had to fight back with all his will as to not fall asleep in the middle of the lesson.
'No, I might as well just do that.' Alas, before he even laid his head down, the school's alarm signalling dinner echoed.
*Ring Ring Ruung*
'Yikes. It's only half the day…'
Unfortunately for Kurai, the remaining half of the day didn't look good; seeing the dinner hall, he really hoped no one would bother him. So he went to take his plate... 'Today's plate doesn't look appetizing.' He noticed.
...And a few minutes later:
"I really shouldn't hope for anything…" Kurai hanged his head down, and murmured, seeing the group of girls surrounding him.
"Hum? What did you say, Kurai-kun?" A little girl, probably one of his classmates, asked him.
She was trying hard to look cute, controlling her gestures, sadly for her though, Kurai was barely looking at her.
"Oh nothing, I just said that there was a bug crawling on your arm…" Then, before the girl even checked her arm, Kurai quickly moved his hand.
Like an expert magician, it was so fast that the kids didn't even see it move, no, they didn't even have time to blink that he already retracted his hand. His did this trick to hide the fact that he send her a bit of after electrical current through the girl's hand.
Imitating insects, the current was pretty weak, just enough to tickle her.
"Kyaaaa!!" Naively believing him, she shouted when she felt it "crawl" on her skin, and slapped her forearm.
"You too! You too!" He repeated his actions with two other girls from the same group as the first one.
They also reacted like her if not stronger, it left a big enough window for Kurai to stealthy escape while the 3 girls were the center of attention of the whole dinner hall. They shouts were ear-piercing after all.
'What a pain!' He grumbled after finally getting rid of the nuisances.
'Imagine what a man has to do nowadays to swat away some flies… sigh.'
He got out and went to eat his food outside, and alone this time. He really preferred a calm place instead of the dinner hall.
'I shouldn't talk to fools anymore, they could literally scorn the wisdom of my words, tsk, tsk.' He snickered while munching on his food.
'I rather be lost in my thoughts than having to endure a second more of their remarks about Rumi.' Today his patience was put to test. Fortunately, they were kids… If not… God prays for their souls, Kurai was sure that it wouldn't end well.
Thankfully, for the rest of the day, they had some tests to do, so the interactions between classmates were limited. Which gladly worked for Kurai.
He was now walking through the streets of Hiroshima, going toward Rumi's house to give her the notes he took today.
On his way, he even bought snacks, getting interrupted during dinner left him more hungry than usual. He even bought one more for Rumi, while he was at it.
*Ring Ring*
Reaching the house, he rang on the bell.
As per usual, Rumi's mom, Mai, came to greet him.
"Yahallo!" She declared joyfully.
"Hi Ma'am!"
Leaning on the door, she smiled, "See, I had an inkling that you'll be the one to come and bring the books. Ahaha, call it a mother's instinct."
Kurai joked with her, "Ahaha, indeed it's pretty accurate. It can't let my best friend down after all."
Hearing him, Mai started pouting even though she was already an adult.
"Anyway Ma'am, here are the books, I gotta leave, just tell Rumi that I'll come tomorrow too." He continued, giving her the books and the bag with snacks while he eyed the upper window where 2 white bunny ears were protruding.
"I also put some snacks I bought along the way for Rumi."
Mai took the bag with a smile and thanked him, but she was actually saddened, "Are you sure that you can't stay even for a drink?"
"Sorry Ma'am but I really can't." He forced out a difficult smile to let her know that she shouldn't incest more.
"Alright, I get it, I won't hold you any longer, just be safe on your way back!" Mai sighed.
'Don't worry!" Kurai waved at her and left, not before eyeing one last time through that window.
Smirking, he thought, 'Not discreet enough lil' rabbit.'
"Bye-Bye!" Mai waved back before closing the door.
Kurai, now alone, continued to walk until he reached the next turn, 'Alright time to move on.'
Entering a shadowy alley, he opted for his cat form, because it was easier for him to move around.
Indeed, today he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Mainly all that stuff about Rumi.
Yesterday, since he didn't sleep, he used that one hour of free time he had until his daily training to contact the drug article's author.
It was a hassle to find his phone number and to get information, but even though the time period and the technology changed, people didn't. There's too little things that money can't buy after all, that's why Kurai knew where to go and find 'him'.
Though his pride was hurting a lot, he didn't like spending his parents' money, even if they were filthy rich. It just didn't suit him.
'I'll have to make my own money later.' He reasoned.
'Oh, I forgot!' But before that he got back to his human form and rummaged into his pocket, finding the piece of paper he was looking for.
'Iwakuni Naval Family Branch Clinic, huh?' He read.
'Room 420.' He laughed at that.
'Quite ironic, if it was done unpurposefully.' [1]
He put the paper back into his pocket and cracked his neck sideways.
'Anyway, it's around 50 km from here.' He thought, now transforming to his cat form again.
'Let's see how fast I'am with this form.' He departed for another rooftop escapade.
It took a bit less than 40 minutes to reach Iwakuni, the city.
It was a city bordering the sea too, well the it'll be more exact to say that it bordered Hiroshima bay, though it was in the Yamaguchi prefecture instead.
Even if his cat form was slower, he could nimbly jump from roof to roof without being seen thanks to his smaller stature and dark fur.
*Pouf*
Jumping down from a roof into an isolated alley, he transformed back to Human now that he reached the clinic.
'It looks like a hospital dedicated to retired Navys.' Kurai observed the facade.
Entering the clinic, he directly went for the lift instead of going to the reception desk.
'4th floor.' He pressed the button, thankfully the nurses didn't see him, even though he didn't mind.
It was still better to remain as discreet as possible.
*Ding*
The door opened and some nurses went in, smiling innocently he nodded at them and left to look for the door. His smile left them a short daze, and they were so dazed by it that they didn't even question his lone presence in the clinic.
Standing now in front of the room n°420, he knocked 3 times before pushing the door open.
There, an old man was gazing through the window next to a nurse busy reading a magazine.
"Ah! Is it finally time to switch turns?" The nurse looked up, thinking that it was her colleague, but was shocked to see a cute purple haired kid.
Kurai smiled and greeted her politely.
"Hi little guy, why are you here?"
"Etooo… Is this room 420? I came here because my school asked me to look for a testimony from a retired soldier." He acted meekly before the nurse, trying to fool her with his looks and his 'innocent' face.
"Huh… Yes, it is. But a school interview? No one informed us about it... " The nurse tilted her head, trying to remember today's planning. She was sure that there wasn't any mention about a schoolboy coming to interview a veteran.
She continued, "What school are you from, little guy?"
"Fokuoko Elementary school, Yamaguchi prefecture." He lied.
"Mmh... Alright, we'll check that, you can start interviewing him in the meanwhile. Though bear with him, he has a few screws loose…" The nurse then left to check his information.
'Alright gotta be fast.' He planned to leave before she came back anyway.
"Hello sir?"
The old man finally turned his head, frowning "Who the hell are you?"
Kurai stopped walking toward him, "..."
But then the old man smiled, "Oh, hello young boy!"
"..." Kurai was weird out by him.
Still, he didn't let it destabilize him.
"Are you really crazy?" He asked.
"No, just old." The old man answered, sighing heavily.
"..." Kurai didn't react immediately.
"Okay, okay maybe just a bit?" The old man confessed.
Kurai then raised his finger as if he found a hidden secret, "Oh, I see you must be senile."
The old man actually chuckled at that, "Heh, I don't advise you to joke with me, you probably don't have time to waste, no?"
"How did you know?" Kurai was intrigued.
"...Experience." He sagely declared, rubbing his white beard.
"Huuuh… Okay, anyway…"
Kurai didn't want to mince his words, so he was honest about his request,"I really need to know how you've dealt with the drug… A very close friend of mine consumed it too a few years back, and I fear that the situation is only worsening…"
"..."
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[1] : 20th April (abbreviated 4/20 in the US), considered as an occasion for smoking or celebrating the smoking of cannabis… (A/N: Best day of the year ngl, better than x-mas)