Bodyguarding Takabana (2) The Skipping Student

The morning classes dragged on, and I found myself standing in the shadows, out of sight but always aware of where Takabana Maya was. Being a bodyguard really wasn't my forte, but then again, I'd handled worse things in my time. Maya was in her classroom, surrounded by her usual group of admirers—mostly girls who seemed to worship the ground she walked on. It wasn't hard to keep track of her movements; after all, I had a little help.

The school was home to several small youkai who thrived off the stress and negative emotions of students. They were harmless creatures, and they'd proven useful more than once. Tiny, shadow-like beings that flitted from room to room, feeding on students' exhaustion and anxiety—they were more than happy to help me keep an eye on Maya. I stood near a window, letting my senses stretch out, feeling the subtle tug of energy that told me where Maya was. It was like an invisible radar, one that gave me a mental map of the entire school.