Love Lessons

A metallic crack sounded, then the PA system above their heads came to life.

And with that, today’s matches are officially concluded, nya. The next qualifying rounds will take place on December fourteenth. Program flyers are available at the information booth next to the arena shop. Thank you for visiting, nya, we wish you a safe journey home.

The announcement faded into the rising murmur of voices as students and visitors flooded through the wide entrance hall.

Hale pulled his helmet lower over his face while they walked through the restricted competitor’s area.

“Okay… just slip out quietly,” he muttered.

Koori nodded eagerly and followed him, the fabric ears on her hood bouncing up and down.

“There!” Hale pointed toward a side exit. “Let’s head straight back to the Literature Club room before...”

“Ice Knight! Lava Kitten!”

Both of them froze.

A familiar face stood behind them when they turned.

Coat collar raised, cigarette in the corner of her mouth, yellow eyes half-hidden behind her glasses.

“Congratulations on your victory,” she said in a calm, purring voice. “Planning to disappear without showing yourselves to your fans? Pretty selfish of you... nyahaha.”

Hale swallowed.

Not her again…

This time, though, he refused to be intimidated. 

The adrenaline from the match still surged through his body.

“You talked to us earlier, but may I ask who we have the pleasure of speaking with? Nya.”

The Neko widened her eyes dramatically, dripping with fake remorse.

“Oh! Did I forget to introduce myself last time? How terribly rude of me!”

Without warning, she suddenly pressed close to him, trailing a paw along his coat, her claw circling the heavy brass buttons before meeting his eyes with a lazy, purring stare.

“You must think I’m some kind of stalker, right? My name is Tadamori Purimura. And I’m single, by the way… so if you’d like to invite me to dinner sometime… nyah.”

“I...uh…well...” Hale’s confidence evaporated in an instant.

Did I just get hit on by a cat!?

But before he could stammer out anything else, another voice cut in.

“What… what do you want from us?”

Koori’s tone was surprisingly sharp.

Not loud, but so abrupt that even Hale blinked.

She now stood a step closer than before, shoulders tense, one hand gripping Hale’s arm as if her body had moved before her mind caught up.

Purimura only raised an eyebrow and stepped back again, visibly amused.

“Oh? Already claimed, are you? What a shame…”

She cleared her throat, took a slow drag, and exhaled before continuing in a voice suddenly cold as ice.

“Anyway… I’m here on behalf of the Department of Magic Surveillance.”

“Department... of Magic Surveillance?” Hale repeated, startled.

Purimura nodded.

“I investigate irregularities in nekotheurgic resonance.”

Her gaze flicked from him to Koori, then back again.

“And come to think of it, your match wasn’t exactly… regular, was it?”

“What do you mean?” Hale asked nervously.

Purimura shrugged and clicked her tongue.

“Well… two high schoolers achieving perfect resonance synergy in their very first battle?” She moved her paws up and down as if weighing invisible objects. “That’s extremely rare. Normally it requires years of bonded experience, even for a Domei like me.”

Hale laughed nervously.

“W-well, we… uh… practiced a lot…”

Koori nodded hard. “Yes, nya!”

Purimura raised an eyebrow.

“Of course you did.”

She stared at them for a long moment, not probing like before, but more like a hunter who had already cornered her prey.

“No need to strain yourselves, Mr. Armitage. You can drop the act. I’m not going to cause trouble for you or Sakuya-san today.”

Hale froze.

For a moment, he heard nothing at all.

Then blood rushed hot into his head.

“W-what?”

His heart pounded, his stomach twisted.

Damn it, she knows who we are!?

The mark on his wrist flared, icy air hissing from inside his helmet.

He spun around, scanning the hallway, doors, cameras, possible witnesses.

Koori flinched as well, her fingers clenching into his sleeve as his panic echoed through her own mark.

“Hale!”

But Purimura didn’t even blink.

“Relax,” she said calmly, bored even. “If I wanted to stop you, I would have done it already.”

Hale ground his teeth.

“What do you want, then?”

Purimura looked at them as if delivering a weather report.

“Nothing…” She smiled. “At least… not yet,” she added softly.

Then she turned away, already halfway gone.

“We’ll speak again once you’ve made it to the elimination round.”

One final glance over her shoulder, cold as steel.

“So do make sure to try your best…”

Then she was gone.

Only once she rounded the corner did Koori’s hand finally loosen from Hale’s sleeve.

“She knows who we are. What… what do we do now?”

Hale took a slow breath, though it sounded more like a tremor.

“We can’t know what she wants,” he murmured. “But we better tell Hiro-san soon. There is not much else we can do anyway...”

Koori nodded, though her fingers still trembled slightly.

The mark beneath her chest burned, not from fear, but because Hale’s unease vibrated inside her like an echo.

He knew their plan had just become much more complicated.

***

The Westminster chime echoed once more through Nyansei High’s speakers.

Chairs scraped, backpacks were slung over shoulders, and the hallway slowly filled with the usual after-school chatter.

Koori stood up, clutching her books tightly to her chest.

Normally she asked questions about everything, but today she was quieter than usual, her shoulders drawn in slightly.

Mitsuki slid over to her from the side.

“Koori-chan,” she whispered, “can I walk you home again today? I still have so many questions about the tournament…”

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Koori blinked, surprised, then nodded.

“Yes. Of course.”

Later, a soft afternoon shadow lay over the school path. 

Leaves rustled, somewhere a bicycle rolled past. 

Mitsuki walked beside Koori, hands folded behind her blue pom-pom hat.

“…Crap,” she sighed eventually. “So that Tadamori really found out who you are? That’s really bad.”

Koori nodded silently.

“And what is Amiteji-sensei going to do now? If she reports you, then...”

“Hale said we’ll continue as planned!” Koori suddenly burst out, unexpectedly firm. “But we have to stay alert.”

Mitsuki frowned, staring up at the gray sky for a moment.

“Hmm… okay. Then I’ll keep my eyes open for you too. If I notice anything weird… I’ll tell you right away.”

Koori nodded thankful.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Only their footsteps sounded along the pavement, until Koori slowed, then stopped completely.

Mitsuki took two more steps before realizing, then turned in confusion.

“Hm? Everything okay?”

Koori stared down at her shoes, hands tightly folded together.

“Say... Mitsuki-chan…?”

“What’s wrong?” Mitsuki tilted her head curiously.

Koori slowly looked up.

“Do you know anything about… love?”

A full second of absolute silence.

Mitsuki froze.

Then she shot forward, eyes huge.

“W-wait, WHAT!? Koori-chan, what did you just ask me!?”

Koori flinched slightly. “Was that… wrong?”

“No! No!” Mitsuki waved her hands frantically. “It’s just… that’s a very important question!”

She glanced around, as if the wind might be listening, and lowered her voice.

“Okay. We talk. But not here. Come with me!”

Koori blinked, a little overwhelmed.

“So… you know something about it?”

Mitsuki stopped, turned dramatically, and lifted a finger like a stage heroine.

“Of course! I’m an expert! Well… theoretically. I’ve read all twenty-seven volumes of Starlight Lovers!”

***

The café was in Edogawa, outside the K-Zone and not far from the human apartment blocks.

“No Nekos come in here,” Mitsuki explained as she took off her hat. “So we can talk without worrying.”

A waitress brought their drinks: a cup of coffee for Mitsuki, hot chocolate with extra whipped cream for Koori.

Once she was out of earshot, Mitsuki leaned forward, voice hushed.

“So… Koori-chan. Is it someone from our class?”

Koori shook her head.

“Hm…” Mitsuki tapped her chin.

“And… how do you know it’s love?”

Koori lowered her gaze to the cocoa, as if searching for answers beneath the cream.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”

Mitsuki sat up straight, as if she had been waiting her whole life for this moment.

“Then listen carefully! There are certain signs. For example... what do you feel when this person is near you?”

Koori lifted her gaze slowly.

“It gets warm here…” She placed a hand on her stomach. “But not because of my power… just… like that.”

Mitsuki quietly gasped as Koori continued.

“My heart beats faster when he’s close, and...”

“…And you want to see him again when he’s not there? Even without a reason!?” Mitsuki pressed.

Koori grew quiet and thoughtful.

“Yes…”

Mitsuki stared at her, eyes huge.

“E-eh!? Then it’s already really serious for you!”

Koori shifted nervously in her chair.

“What… what does that mean? And what should I do now?”

Mitsuki tilted her head.

“The question is… do you actually want to be with this person? Like… really stay together?”

Koori’s cheeks warmed as she looked down. 

“Yes...”

Mitsuki took a deep breath, sat up perfectly straight, and folded her hands like a teacher.

“Alright then, Koori-chan. Listen closely. There is only one proper way to handle this.”

Koori leaned forward as Mitsuki raised a finger.

“You write a love letter.”

Koori blinked. “A… letter?”

“Yes!” Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

“On nice paper. With your name at the bottom.”

Then she lowered her voice with ceremonial seriousness.

“And you give it to him somewhere quiet. No classmates. No witnesses. Just the two of you.”

Koori’s eyes widened a little.

“Somewhere… unobserved?”

Mitsuki nodded even deeper, as if revealing ancient wisdom.

“And after that... you run away.”

Koori tilted her head slightly. “R-run? Why?”

Mitsuki whispered, as if it were the most obvious rule on earth:

“Because that’s how it’s done. If he likes you too, he’ll let you know shortly after!”

Koori nodded slowly, as if learning an ancient spell.

“I… understand.”

Silence settled for a moment.

Then Koori said softly:

“Thank you, Mitsuki-chan. You helped me a lot.”

Mitsuki smiled proudly, though a little flustered.

“That’s what I’m here for! I’m your onee-san!”

Koori blinked.

“Onee-san?”