(Kai POV – Yokai Academy Entrance)
In the span of a few seconds, several misconceptions died violent deaths.
Firstly…
Yes, Moka's bite looks like a kiss.
It is not.
It is a bite. And it hurts.
Secondly…
'Blood loss really sucks…' I think. 'Which bastard said a vampire drinking blood gives euphoria?'
My body feels hollow, drained of all strength, and everything seems to spin slightly, while my heart beats quickly to compensate for the sudden drop in blood volume.
Still… I wrap an arm around Moka as she hugs me.
Her body is warm, trembling softly as she presses against me.
'It's all worth it.' She nuzzles into my chest like she's afraid I'll disappear if she lets go.
For half a second, everything feels… peaceful.
Then—
"WAIT!" Tsukune yells in disbelief. His eyes are wide, looking between Moka, and my now bleeding neck.
"S-Slow down! This definitely isn't normal!" He blurts out. "V-vampires don't actually exist… r-right?!"
I feel Moka stiffen against me, her grip tightens as she braces herself for a rejection of her existence.
But before Tsukune can make things worse, I squeeze her gently, meeting his gaze.
"Of course they exist." I say flatly. "All kinds of monsters do."
I gesture vaguely toward the looming academy gates and the jagged cliffs behind us. "Vampires are just rare, so it makes sense you'd be shocked to suddenly meet one."
I gesture for him to play along, and luckily, he catches the hint.
"O-Oh! Yeah, right! Vampires are… totally real!" He laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Guess I panicked for nothing, haha…"
He bows slightly. "I'm Tsukune Aono. Nice to meet you both."
Moka exhales, finally relaxing. "So that's what it was." She nods trustingly.
"It's nice to meet you too!" She says brightly, once again adopting her innocent, carefree smile.
She finally let's go, much to my disappointment, and stands up.
"Nice to meet you too." I add, trying to stand… and nearly falling over.
Before I can fall, Moka grabs my arm and hauls me upright like I weigh nothing.
Her strength is… absurd, even with her powers sealed.
"Are you sure you can walk?" She asks, eyes full of guilt. "I drank a lot… I'm worried about your health…"
"I'll be fine in a couple of minutes." I say with a small smile. "I'll be good as new by the time we reach the school."
My legs disagree, but I move anyway.
Each step requires conscious effort to avoid falling, but the worst of the pain is already gone. The bite on my neck has already faded to a dull throb, and the gash on my palm has stopped bleeding, and is starting to close.
'Natural Restoration's kicking in…' I think, feeling myself recover in real time as the dizziness eases a little. 'I don't think I'd survive otherwise, if Moka drinking blood like this becomes the norm.'
Moka stays close as we walk, her hand hovering near my sleeve like she's afraid to touch me and hurt me again.
"...I really am sorry." She murmurs. "I didn't mean to lose control…"
"It's fine." I smile. "I don't mind. Besides, what's a little blood between friends? I'm happy you liked my blood so much."
"Of course I liked it! It was better than anything I've ever had before!" She says seriously, then her eyes look up at me nervously. "You… weren't scared?"
"No."
She slows. "Not even a little?"
"You're too cute to ever be scary." I tease.
"Thanks for saying so." She giggles sweetly, which makes me smile.
"But on a more serious note…" I add. "Being a Vampire doesn't make you different from anyone else. And you're a sweet person, so I trust you."
Her lips part slightly, like she doesn't know what to say, before ultimately just smiling.
A pure, warm smile that melts my heart.
Tsukune walks a few steps ahead, glancing back every few seconds like we're walking bombs.
At that moment, a notification echoes in my head.
[Feat Achieved! Survive a Vampire Attack for the First Time.]
Reward: 1× Trait Golden Gacha Ticket.
'…That's both impressive.' I think. 'Moka's strong enough to trigger a Gold Ticket just by drinking my blood.'
I use the ticket immediately, and the Chaos Gacha appears, options flashing across the screen before landing on…
[Mysticism]
|Rare Trait|
Your energy reserves and recovery speeds are beyond the norm, allowing prolonged use of abilities and spells.
A surge of warmth flows through my body as the trait activates.
'I definitely need to test the limits of my abilities.' I think excitedly.
Slowly, as we approach Yokai Academy, my remaining dizziness fades, and my strength returns to my body.
Moka notices instantly.
"You're walking more steadily." She says curiously.
"Yeah." I reply. "Most of the symptoms are gone."
'I'm not yet fully recovered, but it shouldn't be long.' I think. 'The recovery is even faster than I expected.'
Moka looks relieved that I'm fine, and along with her worries, her guilt vanishes.
Our fingers brush as we walk.
It's neither accidental, nor intentional…
But neither of us mind.
(Kai POV – Yokai Academy, Gymnasium)
The opening ceremony finally ends, and the gym erupts into motion.
Chairs scrape against the floor as students chatter loudly, laughing, stretching, and already breaking into cliques. Teachers begin herding people toward the exits.
I scan the crowd immediately, looking for Moka, and fail to find her.
'I wanted to make sure she didn't get lost.' I sigh, but quickly move on to the next pending task.
I quickly spot Tsukune a few rows ahead, standing stiffly and cautiously, glancing nervously at everyone.
I weave through the students and tap his shoulder.
"Tsukune. We need to talk."
He jumps.
"O-Oh! Uh—sure." He hesitates. "Where are we going?"
"No idea. I'm also a new student." I admit. "I just want to talk somewhere without people."
That… does not reassure him, but he follows regardless.
We slip away from the main stream of students and end up in a narrow side corridor between the gym and the main building, and the noise fades into a distant murmur.
I lean back against a wall. "I guess I should explain in more detail." I sigh.
He nods. "Were you serious about what you said?" He whispers.
I nod. "Yokai Academy is a monster school. Vampires, succubi, werewolves, and various other monsters. They're here to learn how to blend in to human society."
He stares at me in silent shock.
I continue. "Humans aren't allowed here, as you'll find out. And if they find out you're human…"
I trail off, but the implication is clear.
Tsukune's face drains of color.
"…I die?"
I nod gravely.
His hands tremble. "Th-Then… then what about you…?"
He looks at me carefully.
"Are you… a monster too?"
For a second, I consider messing with him… but now's not the time.
"No. I'm human." His shoulders sag in visible relief.
"And you're the only other one here?"
"Yep."
"…Why are you so calm about this?" He asks in confusion, his brows furrowing.
'It makes sense. No sane person would knowingly go to a place where they could die at any moment.' I muse internally.
"Unlike you, I came here intentionally." I smile. "And I think I'll be okay."
That makes him stare.
"Y-You what?!" He yells, before quickly covering his mouth and looking around cautiously, and composing himself. "Then what should I do?"
"There is a way out." I say. "You can write a withdrawal letter to the headmaster and take the bus back to the human world. They wouldn't stop you from leaving."
'Maybe since you're not the only human anymore.'
Tsukune grips his sleeves. "Then… then that's what I should do, right? That's the smart choice…"
I tilt my head. "Maybe."
"…Maybe?"
"I'm not here to decide for you." I say simply. "As a fellow human, I wanted to help you out. It'd suck to get thrown into all this without understanding what's happening. But in the end, it's up to you whether you stay or leave."
He looks down. "Why would anyone choose to stay…?"
I think for a moment, then shrug.
"It depends on the person. Even if it's not safe or normal… it makes no real difference. Monster or human, we're all people. The difference being that monsters have lived their whole lives hiding what they are… rejected by everyone. I want to see it for myself." I say solemnly.
He glances up at me.
"And yeah…" I admit. "It's dangerous. But as long as you don't expose yourself, don't pick fights, and don't get dragged into stupid situations… it'd be quite easy to survive."
"Why?" Tsukune asks softly.
"Why what?" I ask back.
"Why do you want to stay?" He asks.
I smile faintly. "I think it'll be a wonderful experience."
He laughs weakly. "That's insane…"
"From your perspective… maybe." I laugh.
We stand there for a second, listening to footsteps echo through the halls.
"Whatever you choose…" I say, pushing myself off the wall. "Don't rush it. Leaving is easy. And maybe it's the right choice. But try not to leave behind and regrets. After all, you won't get another opportunity."
He nods slowly. "I… I need to think."
"I'm glad you'll make an informed decision." I smile.
The hallway bell rings.
"Class is starting." I say. "We shouldn't be late on the first day."
I start walking with the flow of students.
"W-Wait!" Tsukune jogs up beside me. "Don't just leave me behind like that!"
"Then keep up." I smirk as we head to class.
(Kai POV – Classroom)
Tsukune and I slip into the classroom just as the teacher is finishing roll call.
"…and remember," Ms. Nekonome drawls lazily from behind her desk, tail swaying as she leans on one elbow, "this academy exists so monsters can live peacefully among humans. Which means you will keep your disguises on, you will behave, and you will not eat your classmates. Try to make friends instead."
A few students laugh. A few others look mildly offended. And some look annoyed.
I take a seat near the middle of the room, one with an empty desk beside it, and diligently listen to her explanations.
I'm aware enough to know that I don't know everything. And I'm not arrogant enough to assume that what I do know is sufficient, and that what I don't is irrelevant.
And this immediately proves useful as she talks about the dorms, cafeteria, and other school facilities, detailing their locations, and other tidbits of information that I would've learned eventually after lots of effort and time.
Then, halfway through one of her explanations…
The classroom door slides open.
"Oh…! I'm so sorry!" A familiar voice blurts out. "I got lost in the hallways after the ceremony and… sorry I'm late!"
Heads turn instantly.
Moka stands in the doorway, slightly out of breath, hands clasped nervously in front of her skirt.
"It's alright." Ms. Nekonome smiles. "I'm glad you made it. Take any empty seat, sweetheart."
"Thank you!" Moka bows quickly, steps inside, and the class explodes.
Whispers and shouts ripple like waves on the turbulent sea.
"Who is she…?"
"She's glowing…!"
"There's no way that's a disguise!!"
"I've found the meaning of life!!!"
I wince as the shouts hit my ears.
Moka walks between desks, glancing around uncertainly, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden attention.
That's when I raise my hand.
"Moka!" I call out. "Over here. I saved you a seat."
Her head snaps up.
"Kai!" Her face lights up, eyes sparkling with joy. "You're here!"
She practically skips over, ignoring every other empty desk in the room.
A few boys make wounded noises, hands clutching their hearts, but she doesn't notice… or care.
The moment she reaches me, she throws her arms around me without hesitation.
"I'm so happy we're in the same class!" She says, pressing close.
I barely manage to stand in time to catch her so we don't knock over the chair, and my brain instantly short-circuits.
She's warm, soft… and smells amazing. Even the pounding of my heart in my ears isn't loud enough to draw my attention from her.
My arms wrap around her almost on instinct.
"Y-Yeah…" I manage. "Me too."
She nuzzles into me, completely relaxed, like this is the most natural thing in the world.
And everything else disappears.
'I've never…' I swallow. 'I don't think anyone's ever been this happy to see me before.'
It's something I never expected, much less manage to prepare for.
I know it's purely platonic, but my heart can't help but flutter.
Around us, the classroom erupts.
"WHY HIM?!"
"IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME!"
"DAMN YOU!!!"
I hear it distantly.
Because right now, Moka is smiling up at me, tilting her head cutely when she sees me stunned.
How could anyone resist that?!
Yeah. I've just made a room full of enemies.
Yep. Any chance of friendship with the rest of the class is out the window.
And yes. I have absolutely zero regrets!
I pull out her chair. "Sit before the teacher yells at us."
"Okay." She giggles and sits beside me, leaning in as she watches me, hand propping up her chin.
"I'm happy to see you again." She whispers.
"It wasn't even that long since we saw each other…" I mutter, looking away. Then, in a lower voice… "But I'm happy to see you too."
I hear her giggle again, and before I can say anything…
"Alright!" Ms. Nekonome snaps. "Settle down!"
And the class begrudgingly quiets, even as several students glare absolute murder at me.
*********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or powerstones. It really helps the book out.
I'll be honest... Damn. I didn't expect this. It's my first time encountering this scenario. I mean, normally, I'm used to the love interests falling for the MC first, and at most, at the same fate, and this is an entire reversal. Hit me so suddenly, that I need to go and recover🫠.
It's a cute chapter, I'll admit, closely following canon for now with some differences, and will diverge more later. I don't even remember all the nonsense I planned to talk about here, but at least I remember the poll.
So, based on this chapter, what do y'all think about Tsukune? Mainly, do you think he should stay, or leave? In my opinion, both options have their pros and cons.
If he stays, well, Kai has a close, male friend, and adds some diversity. Since I normally want to avoid just replacing the original MCs. On the other hand, it's kinda hard for Tsukune to remain relevant, since his strength, and pretty much all his opportunities stem from Moka or his connection to her. Without that... He remains a regular dude. Even him staying in canon was because of Moka. So, of she's with Kai, he has no reason to stay currently.
As for him leaving... It makes a lot of things easier for me, but I want to avoid replacing the MC, since it'd feel like rewriting canon. If he does stay, I'd obviously find a way for him to be relevant. Also, not all the girls from Rosario will be in the harem, and they'd need some love too, so there's that 👀. So, what do you guys think? Vote in the poll! I will say, this time, that the poll isn't necessarily what I'd do, but more to sway me to some side. Helps me decide🫠. So, I thank you in advance for your advice😭.
But anyway, that's all from me. I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night!😁