Kazeyama: Shiawase Twilight 7

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Ame picked up from where she'd left off in her novel, not that she was purposely trying to avoid conversation with Yuki, but she sat down next to him without any idea as to what she could say. She couldn't so easily sit next to someone and effortlessly spark up some small talk, but despite the awkward moment of her trying to focus on printed words while sure she was being watched, it was much better than sitting by herself.

Even so, she couldn't very well hide the fact she was greatly aware of him sliding closer. Shivering a little, not just due to her roommate's cool aura but from nervous jitters as a response to how close he was, she'd read over the same sentence multiple times now. To make matters worse for her nerves, the occasional swaying movements of the bus every so often caused her head to brush even closer to his. When Yuki spoke she was expecting an attempt to tease or play a trick, and that may have been his intention as he put emphasis on the word 'romance,' but the word meant little to her outside of the shoujo genre of manga and novels she enjoyed. "Um... a fantasy, romance," she muttered, figuring he was close enough to hear her over the bus engine and chatting students. "It's very good," she added, glancing at him through the hair hanging partially over her face.
 
Yuki let his lips curve effortlessly into a small smile just for her. His eyes were not smiling though. At first they had appeared cool and detached from the entire situation at hand. Perhaps it came from the amount of effort her currently put into containing his arctic aura. Quiet focus went into limiting both the intensity and the range of that freezing feeling which followed him everywhere. Right now he had managed to keep it not only limited to this row on the bus, but contained within his very skin. Surprisingly, at a temperature that most humans could bear rather than something close to below zero. Only touching him would give someone the shivers. Which explained why Ame really started to feel it as their legs and arms were now very lightly pressed against one another.

"Really?"

Icy blue eyes were only glancing periodically at the book while he gazed at Ame in a certain way. Certain to make her blush.

"Now you've got me interested. I like reading romance books too, you know."

As he spoke their cheeks were only a chance swaying of the bus away from touching. Cool breath that smelled of showing ever so slightly in the air The tone of his voice had no hint of teasing in it. Instead it had an entirely different emotion behind it. Everything he had said was not a lie at all. But why would someone who constantly tried to seduce others read about romance? Speaking of seducing, surprisingly his hands still stayed off of her. Not even an innocent game of footsies was attempted. But how long might that last? Would she let him continue behaving this way? Did she secretly want more from him than just social interaction? Or would she give him the brush off?

"Tell me about the couple. Do they know how each of them feels about the other yet?"
 
Kenta was barely listening to the others but still kept an eye on them. Yuki was being flirtatious which was somehow grating on his nerves. "ARIKADO-SAN. PLEASE." He raised his voice, something the other students were a bit unused to already. He sighed and shook his head, sitting back down in his seat just in time for the bus to pull up along the road, just ahead the onsen's buildings could be seen.

As the bus let everyone out Kenta grabbed his bag and helped take roll call as everyone departed for their half of the hotsprings. The women on the right, the men on the left. The sense of anticipation was almost palpable in the air as the students were allowed free reign of the facilities and were all off that cramped bus with one another. Kenta was the last to get changed into his yukata and make his way out along the rocky edges of the hotsprings where the other boys were situated, some of them splashing about and horsing around while others were around the bend, relaxing. From the other side of the tall wooden wall he could faintly make out the sounds of the girls giggling and gossiping. He found himself wishing that he was allowed over there, at least he wouldn't feel as awkward around them naked. With a sigh he disrobed out of view of the others as best as he could and slipped into the hot waters with a sigh. So far, so good. No monsters, no ghosts. Everything seemed to be going normal for once. How strange.
 
Naoki did have the good sense to know he'd screwed up and made Kaelyn unhappy with him. He winced inwardly, wondering what he was thinking. Just the excitement from going to the this onsen with his classmates. He was well behaved the rest of the trip, quiet for once and kept himself on his side of the seat.

He was patient, waiting on his turn to get off the bus but once he was off he pulled a typical vanishing act. Naoki went up and around, investigating quickly. He knew at the moment no one would notice him missing. He showed up a few minutes late to set his bag on an empty spot in the floor, near a futon. He quickly wrangled his yukata out of his luggage and set off towards the hot spring, following behind the other students. Naoki undressed quietly, listening to the noises the girls made on their side. He wondered in a fit of curiosity if any of the boys would peek and if so, what should he do if anything?

Naoki finished wrapping the little towel around his hips and he stepped down into the steaming water. He was built, really well for a high school student. There wasn't an ounce of fat on his body and he was very nice to look at. He had a few scars, they crossed his back and arms and chest and spun dizzily down his legs like he'd been caught in sharp wire. He adjusted his glasses and waded in, finding a nice place to sit.

 
By the time they reached the onsen, that frosty touch from Yuki had finally worn off. Kaelyn grabbed his overnight bag from under the bus and turned around, opening his mouth to say something to Naoki, only to find that his ninja roommate was nowhere to be found. Kaelyn gazed around, brow furrowed a little as he inspected the crowd of students that was building around the bus and the onsen main entrance.

No green hair in sight.

Now that I think about it, Mori-san was unusually quiet on the bus after that incident... Was something wrong? The young siren's gut went cold at the thought, immediately wondering if maybe he'd said or done something to upset his roommate. And then he realized he was worrying like some silly girl and immediately took a deep breath, blowing out the confusing, irritating emotion with a sigh. Mellow again. He allowed himself a lazy smile as he followed his classmates into the building after the class rep took roll call.

However, that mellow state of mind was quickly interupted when he realized bathing suits were not permitted in this specific onsen. Gods... He was done for. Face burning hot, he quickly washed up in the shower room and headed for the springs. His method of avoiding seeing something that would inevitably embarrass him was to keep his eyes firmly gazing at the floor no more than a foot ahead and it served him well, despite bumping into two people and a wall. At least up until he was out in the springs. Though the air was filled with steam, it was still easy to make out...details, and whether or not it was just his paranoia, he could feel eyes on him. He supposed it was because he was a bit leaner than most of the boys present. Keeping in top shape was a must for him because kyudo was more enjoyable when healthy and jogging was just another way to calm his mind.

A couple of boys who sat near Kaelyn in class called out to him from near the wooden partition, though he pretended not to hear them as he waded through the water to an abandoned corner, arms lifted up so that his precious iPod wouldn't fall victim to the bath. There he settled, shoulders just above the water level, head resting on a folded towel on the edge of the bath, eyes closed, Uzu filling his ears. He was only halfway through the song before he suddenly felt the urge to look around. The urge was almost nagging, gnawing at his attention until he finally gave in and sat up straight, gazing around with a bit of a frown.

Was someone talking poorly about him? No, it wasn't quite that. His gaze swept the springs and he noted the boys near the partition who were now calling out to the girls on the other side. Then he spotted Naoki just making his way into the water and frowned a little more when he was able to discern that the marks on the boy's body were infact scars. Of course his curiosity kept him staring but he wasn't about to ask about them because he really had no right. "Mori-san," he called, blushing just from having to raise his voice above a comfortable level.
 
Ame tried to read the other's expression rather than his mind, though she didn't get much out of it before her timid demeanor forced her eyes back to her book, leaving her to focus purely on the slight and chilling contact between them. His tone didn't sound very teasing, and he really seemed interested in the novel, though she honestly couldn't picture her roommate reading about romance... well, maybe ones with more... adult themes, she could picture that. But assumptions aside, she had no idea what was going through Yuki's head (as usual), and even though she did have a way to find out... she'd never been very comfortable using that.

Before she could answer that question, the class rep's voice rose from one of the seats behind them, making Ame tense... more tense than before, anyways. Cheeks once again flushed that dreaded color as she felt the gaze of other students focused their way, or maybe it was just in her head? She didn't dare look back to confirm. With the bus slowing to a stop, she closed her book and slid it back into the bag as the other students began to climb off. "Um... I'll... tell you about the book later, I guess," she muttered nervously before following one student out.

Once she'd pulled her suitcase from under the bus she waited until Kenta finished role call before wandering towards the girls side of the onsen. The bus ride had served as a great distraction but now she was coming back to the realization that she'd be going in a public onsen for the first time, even with just girls she felt self conscious. Hurrying into her yukata, she made her way to the showers, using one closest to the corner of the room. Once in the warm waters of the spring, sitting low enough that her nose was just above the water, all her concerns and troubling thoughts about Yuki and this field trip (but mostly Yuki) seemingly melted away into the waters. Back and head resting against wall, Ame let her eyes slip shut, long dark hair swaying in the waters surrounding her. If she didn't look like some type of spirit before, she certainly did now.
 

The bus ride had been dull, with very little happening to capture Yukisa's attention. When it was clear that no one would be sitting near her - that's what she had wanted, wasn't it? - she took a small music player from her pocket and placed the headphones to her ears. She told herself that it was better than no one had wanted to sit with her, that way there was no chance of being ridiculed or making everyone see her in a negative light, but she still felt oddly sad for some reason. All those years here and not a single friend. There was something oddly pathetic about it. Trying not to dwell, she tapped her foot lightly to the beat of the song.

Before she knew it, the bus had rolled into a slow halt and everyone was filing off of it, eager or not, as the case might be, to get to the hot spring. It was easy enough to do the math, there were hardly any girls along on this trip. Yukisa's heart clutched in a sudden surge of panic as she realized, for the first time, that she was going to be alone with the girl who seemed so popular with the boys, who would probably hate being stuck with boring, shy, vanilla Yukisa. Kenta and the others would be separated from the girls, since he was still a boy... Yukisa held the music player tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white with her grip. She couldn't even bring the music in, since dropping it in the water would be a catastrophe.

There was little choice in the matter, really. Yukisa's eyes flicked around the bus, looking for some escape, while she grabbed her bag. There was none to be had at all, unless she hid in the onsen bathroom, which would be arguably more humiliating than the other girl complaining about her presence. She gulped and her cheeks flushed red before she even made it to the bathroom, far behind everyone else it seemed. She got undressed quickly but before she went out to the spring, she grabbed one of the thin white towels and wrapped it self-consciously around herself. She hadn't even looked at Ame closely, but her mind was instantly assigning her a sixty-six centimeter waist and ninety-one centimeter hips.

Without even looking at Ame, Yukisa scuttled to the water. In a fluid, almost graceful movement, Yukisa pulled off the towel, slipped into the water, and turned to fold the towel now that she was safely in the warm embrace of the hot spring. She didn't dare start a conversation with the other girl lest she be thought forward or impudent. Instead, she faced her towel, even though it was already neatly folded.
​
 
Naoki's glasses fogged, giving him a dorky look and he pulled them off and sat them atop his head where his goggles normally sat. He was goggle-less of course. While they were waterproof they certainly weren't bathing wear. He stretched and managed to see the Kae-chan had entered the hot springs finally. He wondered briefly if they were roommates, or close to each other. He gave him a small smile, the boy was a little fuzzy around the edges.

"Hey Kae-chan." He waved a little and settled himself down into the warm water. Kaelyn wasn't the only one who had people watching him. The scars that spiraled up his thighs in lazy almost patterns were gathering attention. "So, uh. Enjoying yourself?" He wasn't shy but he was a little quieter than normal. Maybe the water had a calming effect on the hyperactive boy.

Naoki's eyes slid over the boys. Honestly he didn't like to be disarmed. He didn't like it at all. Being naked was just fine but to be weaponless... He knew that he himself was a weapon, the best weapon he could have was his strong body but he still felt naked and not just in the physical sense.

"It's a nice place..." Truth be told, Naoki was also a little bit lonely. He wasn't making friends as fast as he could be and he really had only been lurking around and talking to Kae-chan. The one boy who had been there for the school exploration was gone and it made him feel like he stood out. The only person who had missed the first week of school. It didn't help that everyone seemed to know everyone else...
He gave Kae-chan an unexpectedly shy smile, his brows furrowing. "Good music?"
 
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Kenta sighed, letting his eyes drift closed. The other voices around him faded as he let the hot waters soothe his stress away. In fact all of his close friends that he had made wouldn't notice as the scenery changed ever so slowly. All traces of technology fading away around them, their classmates soon following suit. It was so subtle Kenta hadn't even noticed until the change had already taken place. Not wanting to alarm anybody he quietly grabbed his yukata and threw it on, finding it suspicious that his katana was resting nearby considering he purposely left it back on campus.

More mysteries seemed to pile one on top of the next when he retreated back into the building to look for his other clothes but found that everything that he had come with were gone. In their place were a few things that looked like they belonged in an old samurai film. "Of course, if things were normal here it wouldn't have Kazeyama in its name." Kenta sighed to himself before returning to the springs where the other boys were. "Guys, I think we have a problem. It appears that we've got another school situation on our hands. You guys should take a look for yourselves, I'll try to figure out how to let the girls know if they don't already." Kenta nodded sternly and turned on his heel, heading back inside and towards the girl's side, mulling over a way to get the message to them without looking like a pervert.
 
Wow... Naoki was really quiet, to the point that Kaelyn was a little freaked out. And what the heck was with the sudden shyness? He felt responsible somehow and if it was just his imagination, he supposed being Naoki's friend meant he should try his best to cheer the boy up.

"Y-yeah," Kaelyn replied to the question, tugging the headphones from his ears and letting them drop around his neck like usual. "Hey, Mori-san... Are you o-..." He'd intended to get to the bottom of his roommate's strange behaviour but something about the onsen's atmosphere shifted then, or maybe it was only just then that he'd noticed.

Frowning in confusion, Kaelyn glanced around the springs. Wasn't there more classmates here than this? Where had they gone so suddenly? And now that he got a good look around, things looked different somehow. The change was subtle, but there. And then suddenly the music from his headphones ceased and he panicked for a moment, fearing the worst, that he'd accidentally knocked his iPod into the water. But that wasn't the case at all...because it wasn't there.

Where the noise canceling headphones should have hung around his neck was now just his bare skin and still he reached a hand up to grope for them, trying to convince himself that they really had just dissolved into thin air. "What the...?" He didn't have long to ponder over this strange turn of events though because the class rep was now demanding everyone's attention, confirming Kaelyn's suspicions. He turned his attention back to Naoki, raising his eyebrows. "I guess we investigate now?" he asked and began to wade across the pool of water to where he'd left his yukata.

Covered, he felt a little more comfortable, and ran a hand through his damp hair as he considered what to investigate first. "I'm gonna go check my room and put some proper clothes on," he mumbled. Then he slipped away from the group of boys and back into the building.
 
Ame became aware of her surrounding once again as she heard someone else enter the water. With there being only one other girl on this trip, we didn't have to look up to know who it was. She did look though, wanting to at least greet her classmate who, like many others in the class, she'd never gotten to speak to. But with her hurrying into the water and avoiding looking her way, Ame decided it was better to leave her classmate alone; she was probably not too happy about having to share the spring with someone like her. After all, Yukisa was easily what other's would consider to be the ideal cute girl, while she herself can't even stop hiding behind her hair. A small, possibly envious sigh escaped her as she turned around to face the edge of the spring, resting her arms and head on the warm stones. She let her thoughts wander again, though they brought more worries now than peace of mind. Back on the bus... she ran off just as her and Yuki were about to finally have a normal conversation, and while someone like him probably didn't think much of it, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Then... Ame couldn't put her finger on it, but something seemed... off. For one, it sounded quieter on the boys side now, though it was possible they just ran out of conversation. She lifted her head and glanced around, finding nothing out of the ordinary... but was everything the same as when they'd gotten there? She shook her head then, of course it was the same... they came here to relax, so she shouldn't be paranoid....
 
Naoki nodded at Kaelyn's answers, not giving much mind to his slightly upset roommate and certainly not thinking himself the cause. Naoki did notice that between blinks that the ever present headphones around Kae-chan's neck was gone. He stood up just in time to hear Kenta's little speech. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had noticed the strangeness.

Kazeyama... Apparently rest days were forbidden.

Naoki made sure his towel was wrapped tightly around his midsection as he waded around the spring, just looking around. He was curious of course. Things were different, they felt different and the lack of tech was strange. Cellphones were gone. His cellphone would be gone too. Now that made Naoki's heart leap into his throat as he stopped what he was doing and made for dry ground.

Just in case, just in case.... He didn't even bother with his yukata as he looked through it for his beloved cellphone.

Nothing. He pinched his nose and patted his head for his glasses. Now that was strange. In his glasses place was a pair of old timey, wire rimmed glasses. The glass was a bit wavy, certainly not as clear as his modern glasses. Without his glasses and probably without his goggles. Naoki couldn't help but to curse as he dried himself off and dropped his towel, sliding his yukata on.

No glasses and no cellphone. He suddenly had a bad feeling. He could only hope that at least some of his weapons were where they needed to be.

Naoki rushed towards the rooms, his long legs flashing as he ran without thought to modesty. All his clothes were gone! Leaving nothing but kimono and yukata and hakama! He groaned in annoyance but was pleasantly surprised that by lifting up a kimono he could hear the telltale jingle of his knives. Without his usual body harness kit though, hiding them on his person would be difficult. He managed anyway, finding something very akin to what he normally used under another yukata.

"Clever..." He'd seen one of these in his family's personal museum before. Yes, this would do. Now he was ready.

Naoki set off to find his fellow students, feeling at least a little less naked.

 
Yuki had a tiny little smirk on his face as he left the bus with a dufflebag slung over his shoulder. Multiple factors could have put the look on his face though very few could put such a mischievous glint in his icy blue eyes. Swagger showed in his gait with every step taken toward the onsen as though he complete control of the world itself. All the other males of his class were out of the changing area long before him. Could he be plotting some sort of prank even on a field trip? Or was it something else? Just from looking at his face one would notice a decent amount of nervousness cracking through his usually flawless cool expression. Peering around the corner while still wearing all of his clothing he stared right at the hot waters with a look of loathing in his eyes. Steam arose from the onsen waters into the air to create a sort of warm mist that shrouded the entire area. After a few minutes he had finally changed into his bathing attire but that was about it. Not a single step was taken toward the soothing waters with the same aversion to their temperature that a werewolf had to silver.

Kenta's speech snapped him out of such an uncharacteristic bout of negativity.

Focusing his senses on the atmosphere around them Yuki realized that their class leader was right. Nothing in their environment had quite the right smell to it. All the signs that reeked of containment started to register one after another. Though these were not the kind brought on by holy seals that monks used to ward off or trap demons. Goosebumps had no place on his smooth snow white skin, yet if he could get them now would have been appropriate. Instead the water droplets which touched his bare flesh froze into little beads of ice instantaneously on contact. Arikado refused to allow anyone in the world to send a shiver down his spine. It was his job to do that to others and he was not about to let that change now!

The Ice Demon followed Kenta toward the girl's area without an iota of hesitation and stopped a mere foot behind him. A tiny chuckle escaped his lips upon witnessing their leader's hesitation to give the girls rather important information. Of course he found this sort of dilemma amusing to watch others experience. Chilled far colder than any part of the onsen, his hand fell upon his fellow clssmate's shoulder as he leaned in close to whisper a simple offer into his ear.

"I'll handle this for you."

"Trust me."

He offered those two final words before moving him aside with all the gentle nature of a lover, before stepping toward the area which contained the only two girls in their entire class. Not a single cell of hesitation existed within his body while wearing nothing more than a bathing suit covered in a snowflake pattern. Upon stepping inside the area with the girls, the air instant got thicker and obscured him from their vision while also concealing them from his own sight. Even with the eyes of a demon there were limits to his enhanced senses. All the cold his body naturally gave off warred violently with the relaxing air of the onsen. Should Ame and Yukisa look in the direction of where he stood they would witness a thicker concentration of steam than all the rest of their area. Crouched right at the edge of the water he finally decided to speak aloud to them both. . . one could tell he was grinning just from the sound of his voice.

"Ame, Hayau-San! Sorry to disturb you both during a time of relaxation. . . but Kenta believes something is wrong at the onsen. I can sense it too. If you'd both like I could protect each of you. I never get cold feet in the face of danger. Or you can just keep wading around the water."

 

The sound of a guy's voice - more specifically, a voice that clearly belonged to Yuki, came from so near Yukisa that she jumped slightly from surprise and grabbed for the towel that she had carefully folded next to her. His actual statement, of course, rang clear in her ears but her first priority was unfolding the towel to hold in front of herself while simultaneously climbing out of the water. She was hoping that he was projecting his voice or some other trick of the sort, since she didn't see him, though she was scanning the onsen with narrowed eyes.

"I wouldn't know what you mean about something not being right, but I will gather my things and regroup with the rest so that you two can fill us in. If there's some sort of monster, I will hold you to that offer of protection unless it's particularly vulnerable to women's shoes as used as projectiles. You're not... actually in here, are you?" she was wrapping the towel around herself as she spoke and her tone did not seem to change from the steady assurance at the beginning to the words at the end that were clearly intended as a joke, but it also meant that her tone for her question did not change either and it was nearly impossible to tell if she was annoyed or not. Her steps over the smooth stone were fleet, just short of running.

Slipping back into the changing room reserved for the girls, Yukisa saw Kenta standing at the door, looking a touch nervous. Having been the one who fielded the phone call before, when pairing her up with him for a room, she was not perturbed in the slightest to see him standing there and instead, her mouth edged into a small smile for her friend. Even her posture relaxed some and she padded over the wooden floor to the locker where she had stashed her things. Had the lockers always been this thin wood? She hadn't noticed before.

"So what is the matter exactly, Kenta?"
​
 
Ame, eyes closed in relaxation, opened them again as she heard the light sound of the sliding wooden door opening. She could only wonder who else would be stepping in, seeing as the only other girl on the trip was already there, in the onsen. Looking over, she could see only an oddly thick cloud of steam, too thick to see through. But upon hearing a familiar voice speak their names... well, she didn't hear much after that. Her face reddened and her ears rang in her embarrassment, blocking out whatever else her roommate might be saying. Ame sunk down so even her nose was under. What was he doing over here!? As a joke, it really went too far! And without actually listening to anything Yuki had said, she focused on the center of the heavy steam, sending the hidden mass that was Yuki flying over the tall wooden wall and back to the boys side of the onsen.

After calming down just a little, she wrapped her towel around herself and climbed out the water before stepping into the changing room. Seeing Kenta there was a little surprising, but she assumed his reasons weren't mischievous like Yuki's were. "Ah... um, i-is something wrong?" She asked, glancing between Yukisa and Kenta.
 
Something definitely was wrong here. The decor of the onsen had taken a trip back in time. Sure, it had already reflected the traditional Japanese style but there were still at hell of a lot of modern additions. Not anymore, apparently, Kaelyn thought as he stood in the hallway, staring intently at an oil lamp mounted on the wall.

A lamp that should have been electric.

If this had been any other place in the world, Kaelyn would have wondered if he was part of some big, elaborate prank. But this was Kazeyama after all, right? He'd seen weirder stuff happen than a trip back in time. Or "seemingly" at least.

So if his iPod, dear gods his iPod, and all of the modern items in the onsen had disappeared, did that mean....? Sliding open the door to his room, the young siren's suspicions were confirmed. No suitcase. No clothes save for a hakama spread out on his bed. Wonderful. "Why did I think this was going to be a relaxing, uneventful trip?" he grumbled as he tied the string for the garment and adjusted his yukata. And just as he drew the bow tight, an foreboding feeling pressed itself against his mind, making his spine tingle all the way down to the very small of his back. He shuddered, shaking his shoulders to try and throw the umcomfortable feeling off like some kind of clinging devil. He could feel his heart beating quickly against his chest but with a simple deep breath in through his nose he found his calm again and turned for the door.

He decided it was best to meet up with the class rep again and discuss his theories. That is, if Kenta hadn't already come to the same conclusions. And just as Kaelyn was thinking about him, he heard the rep's voice carrying from-- Was that the girls' changing room? Kaelyn was glad there was no one around to witness the strange expression that popped up onto his face before he could grab control of it. A furrowed brow, a wrinkled nose. Probably not the most attractive expression on a rather plain face. But then he wiped the look away by rubbing his face with his hands, patting his cheeks in an attempt to get his thoughts back on track, and hesitated by the door to said changing room.

"U-uh... Pardon me but... Are we meeting in here or...something?" he called, closing his eyes, with a hand over them to boot, as he poked his head inside the room. "I need to talk to Suzuki-san."
 
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