Herb Friend

I slid into a seat at the front of the greenhouse, trying to ignore how my heart was still racing from earlier. What was wrong with me? It had to be sleep deprivation. Definitely not because of-

"Your heart's still doing that skippy thing," Akane whispered as she plopped down next to me.

"Don't you have anything better to do than listen to my heart?"

"Nope!" She propped her chin on her hand, ears twitching happily. "It's my favorite sound in the whole world."

A scraping sound caught my attention. The student next to me hastily grabbed their things and moved to the back of the room. Then another. And another. Soon, every desk within a three-seat radius of us was empty.

I frowned, watching as the last student practically sprinted to join the others huddled in the back. "What's their problem?"

Akane's ears twitched. "Oh, that? They're probably just worried about getting caught in the blast radius when you sneeze."

"When I what?"

"You know, because of your 'werewolf allergies.'" She made air quotes with her fingers, grinning. "Some say that vampire sneezes can shatter windows."

"You can't be serious."

The greenhouse fell silent as our teacher made his entrance. He was... unique, even by Nebou standards. His head was literally a Queen of the Night flower, complete with delicate white petals that seemed to glow against his dark lab coat. The coat itself draped over a frame that was, surprisingly, quite human in shape. His glasses were precariously balanced on one of his petals, and as he walked to the front desk, they slipped slightly.

"Hello class!" He adjusted his glasses with a gloved hand. "Q-sensei here. Before we begin today's lesson, I have something fascinating to show you."

From his coat pocket, he produced a small plant with distinctive serrated leaves. Years of helping at my father's herb shop had taught me more than enough about this plant. That was Leonurus cardiaca - motherwort. Used for anxiety, heart conditions, and particularly effective for menstrual pain. The bitter taste made it tricky to prepare properly, but when mixed with honey and chamomile...

"This is a specimen from the human world. Part of our new curriculum! Has anyone read ahead and can identify it?"

A scoffing laugh came from behind us. I turned around to see possibly the most striking student I'd ever laid eyes on. Long, sleek black hair cascaded down her shoulders like silk threads, and her dark eyes seemed to draw you in. Everything about her screamed perfection, from her immaculate uniform to her poised posture.

"It's Leonurus cardiaca," she announced, her voice smooth but with an edge of superiority. "More commonly known as motherwort."

Q-sensei's flower head glowed with excitement. "Excellent, Ms. Kuragari! As expected from our top student."

I couldn't help but perk up at her knowledge. Finally, someone else who understood herbs. Maybe we could-

Q-sensei's voice pulled me back to the front. "Now, class, I'm afraid we have to postpone our regular herb studies. The recent wet weather has attracted some... unwanted visitors to our forest."

My heart sank. No herbs on my first day?

"Whale slugs." Q-sensei continued, pushing up his sliding glasses. "They've become quite the pest problem. They're destroying our local flora, including some very rare specimens we use in class. The administration has requested that we assist in their removal to protect our school's greenery."

A collective groan rippled through the greenhouse. I couldn't help but share their sentiment. I'd come to learn about medicinal plants, not to hunt giant slugs.

"How big are these slugs exactly?" I whispered to Akane.

Her ears perked up. "Oh, they're not too bad. Only about the size of our table."

I choked on air. "What?"

"Don't worry," Akane whispered, her tail wagging with entirely too much enthusiasm. "I'll protect you from the big, bad slugs!"

"Now then," Q-sensei clapped his gloved hands together, "everyone pair up! Safety in numbers when dealing with whale slugs."

Akane's tail started wagging so hard it was practically a blur. She opened her mouth, probably to declare herself my partner, when Q-sensei continued:

"Oh, but Kusunoki-san, since you're new here... Ah! Kuragari-san, would you mind partnering with our transfer student? Show her how we do things at Nebou?"

"Of course, sensei. I'd be happy to assist."

"But-" Akane started.

"Akatomi-san, you can partner with Suzaku-san."

As Kuragari-san approached our desk, Akane refused to move, her golden eyes narrowed. She was actually growling under her breath.

"Sensei's orders." Kuragari-san smiled. "Unless you're questioning his decision?"

Akane's growl grew louder.

"Akatomi-san!" Q-sensei called out. "Your partner is waiting!"

Akane stood up. "I'll be watching," she hissed at Kuragari-san, before slinking away to join her assigned partner.

Kuragari-san settled gracefully into Akane's vacated seat, turning to face me with that smile still in place.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Shion Kuragari, but please, call me Shion." Her voice was melodious, almost hypnotic.

"Ah, Ryou Kusunoki." I nodded stiffly. Everything about her was flawless - perhaps that was what made me uneasy. No one should be that perfect.

"Ryou it is then." She leaned in slightly, and I caught a whiff of something sweet and alluring. "I must say, you're not what I expected from a vampire."

Before I could fumble for a response, Q-sensei herded us all outside. The entire class gathered at the edge of the Woods, where the trees loomed impossibly tall in the darkness.

"Now class," Q-sensei adjusted his glasses, "stay with your partners, and don't let the slime trails trap you. It can take hours to dissolve. And remember - when the Wood's fireflies glow green at midnight, that's your signal to head back."

Q-sensei waved us off with a cheery "good luck!" that seemed far too optimistic. As the students spread out into the Woods, I saw Akane crouching, ready to spring at me. But before she could, her partner grabbed her collar and dragged her off in the opposite direction.

"Shall we?" Shion gestured toward a dense section of the Woods.

Having no better options, I followed her lead. The deeper we went, the more unsettling the forest became. The trees grew impossibly close together, their branches interweaving until barely any moonlight filtered through. Even the air felt different - heavier, almost sticky.

Shion finally came to a stop in a small clearing.

"Aren't we a bit far from school grounds?" I asked, eyeing the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Oh, don't worry." Shion stepped closer, her movements fluid and graceful, stopping inches from my face. "I'll keep you safe."

Her voice dropped to a whisper as her hand moved to my tie, tugging it loose. "They say a vampire's essence is like drinking a thousand souls at once. Won't you let me... sample you?"

I stared at her hand, then at her face. "Are you having a stroke?"

She blinked. "I- what? No, I'm trying to seduce you!"

"Why?"

"Because you're- wait, why aren't you affected by my charms?"

"Huh?"

Shion's perfect composure cracked. "My charms! They work on all men!"

"Ah. That would explain why they're not working."

"Exactly! They should be- wait." She stopped, her eyes widening. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a girl."

Shion took a step back, looking me up and down. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"But your uniform-"

"Is the guys' uniform, I know. They ran out of my size in the girls'."

"But... but... you're so handsome!"

I shrugged. "Thanks, I think?"

Shion stumbled backward. "I- I've been trying to seduce- Oh god." Her face turned bright red. "This is so embarrassing."

"If it helps, you're very good at it. Just, you know, wrong target demographic."

She buried her face in her hands and muttered, "This never happened. We will never speak of this again."

"Actually..." I couldn't help but smile a little. This was too perfect. "I might be willing to keep quiet about your, ah, attempted seduction - on one condition."

"…What condition?"

"Be my herb friend."

"Your... what?"

"Herb friend. Someone to geek out about medicinal plants with." I was probably too excited, but I couldn't help it. "You identified that motherwort earlier. You actually know your stuff."

Shion slowly lowered her hands, looking at me like I'd grown a second head. "Let me get this straight. I just tried to seduce you to drain your life force, and your response is to... ask me to be your plant buddy?"

"Yes."

"You're weird."

I grinned. "So, deal?"

She sighed, but I could see her fighting back a smile. "Fine. Deal. But if you ever breathe a word about what just happened-"

"I know, I know. You'll eat my soul or whatever."

"I don't eat women's souls."

"Then I guess we're stuck being herb friends."

Shion actually laughed at that, a genuine reaction completely different from her earlier practiced charm. "You really are the strangest vampire I've ever met."

I chose not to comment on that part.

"Wait. Does that werewolf know you're a girl?"

"Akane? I assume so?"

"Oh no. Oh no no no." She started laughing again, but it wasn't the pleasant laugh from earlier. This was more of a 'you're completely screwed' kind of laugh. "You have no idea who she is, do you?"

"Should I?"

"She's an Akatomi. As in, the Akatomi family?"

I stared blankly.

"They're only the most powerful black wolf clan in existence! They practically own half the realm."

"And this matters because...?"

"Their family is incredibly traditional. Like, strict bloodline preservation, that kind of traditional. If they find out their daughter formed a bond with a girl - and a vampire at that - well, let's just say the last person who crossed them mysteriously vanished."

"Oh." Then it hit me. "Oh no."

You know, I'm starting to think my insomnia wasn't my biggest problem after all.