It's True Love 55 (Patreon)
Content
I have developed a useful skill through my years of being forced to go to school.
The skill of turning anything that reaches my ears into meaningless noise. I am indeed that powerful! Oh, and before you judge me, I only developed this skill because I already know a lot of the things that are being taught to me.
Now, this doesn't apply to everything of course, and this is a class on Japanese so I really should be paying attention, but... I just can't help it right now.
My mind is filled with thoughts about Roa. I have definitely recovered enough at this point, so after class is over, I'll go to Ciel-Senpai and beg her to let me help in hunting him down. I have tons of promises to keep after all.
And so I continue to ignore the mundane as I think about a Immortal vampire.
At least I do so until my attention is stolen away. "So..." The teacher clears his throat, probably so slackers like me will return to the world of the living. "As you all know, there has been a sickness going around." I definitely didn't know that.
But it's not like I have been paying attention to the news anyways, since I have been too busy trying to seduce redheads recently, and also recovering from my wounds, I guess. And besides, I don't tend to get sick often, maybe due to my weird lineage.
"And so to ensure the safety of everyone..." He goes on to explain that a doctor has shown up to give us shots for it.
With that said, we can't all go see this doctor at the same time, and so I wait for my turn like a good boy. I do notice that this won't take long at least, pretty much everyone who leaves class comes back after a few minutes.
Eventually it's Shiki's turn... once he comes back he has a frown and is muttering to himself. "Annoying nutjob..." Well, that isn't a good sign.
Sadly I can't ask him what he's talking about, so I naturally steel my heart for the worse.
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"Excuse me..." I enter the room without knocking. Maybe that's impolite of me, but I want to get this over with as soon as possible. And besides, I'm sure the same thing applies to this doctor.
I look around the room, trying to spot this doctor. It's strange though, because I only see a porn star dressing up as a doctor.
Oh, nevermind, it's just Arach. "You're excused!" What is she doing here!?
My eyes widen in shock. "What!? Is Akiha not paying you well enough!?" I'm actually sort of happy, because I haven't seen Arach in a while. Well, I actually only talked to her once, so it's not like I was missing her presence or anything...
Arach sighs. "Yep, she's definitely not paying me enough..." I understand. I shall not make fun of you for this issue. "Hey, I actually suddenly got an idea..." Oh? What has this ingenious doctor come up with?
She chuckles. "You're the guy who's currently giving the little matriarch a good pounding on the tuna right!? She will totally listen to you right!? Ask her to raise my salary pretty please!?" I have not pounded any Akiha tunas yet.
Furthermore... "Hah? Is this sexual harassment? Well, whether it is or not will depend if you're willing to pay me." My money is basically infinite, but we can always go higher.
Besides, I haven't really done anything noteworthy in a long while, so maybe the Holy Church will confiscate my wallet. In my defense, Dead Apostle Ancestors don't grow in trees, I would kill one if it was right here!
Arach hugs herself. "Didn't I just basically confess I'm broke!? Let me pay with my super sexy hot body instead!?" She's tripling down on the sexual harassment!? What powerful aura...!
I end up laughing. "Well, since you're so broke I will let it pass. I'm genuinely surprised you're here though. I mean, there is no way Akiha isn't paying you a bunch." But I'm also glad.
If Akiha regularly makes use of her services, then Arach is definitely a good doctor. Which means my classmates are getting the best care possible... That said, I can understand why Shiki looked frustrated, she can be very high energy after all.
Arach shrugs. "I'm here because I'm passionate for my job you know? I just love injecting stuff in people..." Her body trembles. "My expertise lies in surgery by the way, that should tell you a lot about me." I guess if you love your job you won't work a day of your life.
She puts a hand on her chin. "And... well... most of the time I'm working for Miss Repressed Virgin I'm not even acting as a doctor. She actually hires me as an architect." For real!?
My eye twitches. "Why did she introduce you as her doctor then!?" Man, isn't this woman way too much of a jack-of-all-trades!? I seriously didn't expect her to have such a hidden talent.
She pouts. "I said most of the time I'm not her doctor! Sometimes I am! Weren't you paying attention!?" Tears appear in the corner of her eyes. "Ah, he isn't even bothering to read my dialogue! He's just skipping it!" Since when did we become a VN!?
"Actually now that I think about, am I not a neglected heroine!? You met me once and pretty much ignored me for days on end!? Weren't you supposed to follow me until the end of time!? Where is your drive to be a harem king!?" I remember you rejecting me...
I lower my head in shame. "My greatest of apologies... I was far too distracted by your boobs." I mean, she is basically leaving them out in the open! I respect it, because if I had giant tits I would do the same!
She smiles. "Apologies accepted! But yes, nowadays the only doctor related thing I do around the mansion is give Shiki the occasional checkup. He's pretty unhealthy after all." Anemia will do that to you.
"Though back when Makihisa was alive, I would put my skills as a surgeon to the test everyday... Akiha was a messed up kid." Something about what she said doesn't seem right.
But that name grabbed my attention. "Makihisa? Who's that?" I don't think I've heard it before.
She tilts her head. "You don't know...?" She hums for a little. "Welp, I doubt I would get whipped for telling ya, it's not a big secret. Makihisa is Akiha's father... and Shiki's father too of course." A chill runs down my spine.
So that's the name of the man who ruined Kohaku and Hisui's lives... I still have technically never heard what he did to Kohaku, but it's pretty obvious. Naturally I hate the man...
My face must have made that clear, because Arach pats my soldier. "Hey, no need to frown! I mean, the dead don't come back to life!" Except under very specific circumstances. "And besides... don't you like little Akiha? Or are you planning to drop her?" Huh?
I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, I like Akiha, but I'm not the type who blames someone for their father's sins." More than that, I'm surprised Arach knows about these sins.
But maybe I shouldn't be... because this woman is definitely aware of the supernatural in some capacity.
Akiha once said Arach was just some normal human woman who her father met on college. However, there is no way a normal doctor would be allowed to do surgery on someone who is technically a demon.
Arach nods. "That's a boring, and good attitude to have. It isn't what I'm talking about though." A sly grin appears on her face. "But nevermind that... Let's go back to talking about my work."
"Basically I fix whatever is wrong with the mansion. I actually renovated it a few years ago... Had to install new secret passages and all that, can't have a creepy rich guy mansion without secret passages." I feel like Akiha will kill me if I ask about those.
But screw those! "Nevermind that, rewind for a bit! What were you talking about!?" Normally I'm fine with letting people keep their secrets, but...
But Arach isn't like Arcueid, Akiha or someone similar. Even though those people are obviously keeping secrets from me... they're close friends. I'm willing to wait for them to come out with it.
The most important thing here though, is that this secret could involve Kohaku and Hisui. If their safety is in jeopardy, then I could care less for people's privacy.
She takes a step back. "But don't you want to hear more about my amazing hidden skills!?" Her comment is only met with a glare. "Seriously, the Tohno Mansion is even bigger than this school you know!?" Who cares about that!?
"There is even an office which Makihisa used to use!" O-okay? I guess he would need one... "And in it, there is a locked drawer with his diary. I wonder what he wrote in it?" Ah, I see her angle.
She's essentially telling me that if I'm that curious I should go out and find out for myself. Which is nice and all, but I doubt Akiha will let me check out the diary of her dead father...
Actually now that I think about, even if indirectly, I am indeed snooping on Akiha's secrets right now.
And then suddenly she puts her tongue. "Well who cares am I right!? By the way, here's a little tidbit about the Tohno family..." Eh!? She's giving me that information after all!?
"Without any exception, all members had... problems. Now, sometimes these were physical problems like Shiki's anemia..." But...
Shiki isn't truly a Tohno., he is a Nanaya who was adopted. And now I'm left to wonder if she doesn't know that, or if she's under the impression that I don't know that, and is trying to trick me...
"However, the most common type of problems are the mental ones. Makihisa had Dissociative Identity Disorder for example, and it was... well, let's just say he had it worse than most people."
Is she implying that Akiha will one day suffer something similar to her father? Well... in the end that still doesn't justify what Makihisa did. He may have had his problems, but that did not give him permission to enslave two innocent girls.
A sigh. "I see. I still don't see how that relates to anything though, Akiha won't become like her father after all." She just chuckles in response. "By the way, thanks for the info. I appreciate it." It's rare for me to get a straight answer.
She shrugs. "I did promise to help you create a harem after all! It's just that you never come to me for help..." She starts rapid firing words. "Speaking of harems, I wonder if Makihisa had any advice on how to make one!? Maybe even in a diary!?" This diary talk again...?
For a second I thought the information she wanted me to find was the one about Makihisa's Dissociative Identity Disorder, but I guess not. There must be some other secret I'm still not privy of.
She grins. "By the way, coming back to my work as an architect..." She gets closer to my ear and begins whispering. "There is a secret passage in Kohaku's room that takes you to Makihisa's office. Neat, huh?" I...
That information makes me feel sick more than anything. "So you knew and helped Makihisa...?" I know what she wanted to get at, but I can't help, but focus on this.
She takes a step back, and nods. "My job was helping Makihisa... Though I didn't know the details at the time. And in my defense, there are secret passages all around the mansion, this is just another one." Right...
Naturally I'm glaring at her again. She ends up looking away. "Geez, you're so mean. Ignoring my route, never talking to me... and now that we are talking, you picked all the wrong dialogue choices." She shakes her head, seemingly disappointed. "You're lacking game, my boy." I have plenty of game.
I clench my fists. "Look... I'm just going to ask this one time... Are you my enemy?" Because if she is, then... then I won't look away from this situation.
"What would turn me into your enemy? Do pretty girls like me not gain free immunity?" She seems genuinely curious.
So I might as well make this clear. "If you're an enemy of Akiha, Shiki, Hisui, or Kohaku you are my enemy. It's as simple as that." Because I have responsibilities, both as a friend and as a sort of brother.
Immediate she bursts out laughing. "For real!? Ain't that way too messed up!? Self-hatred is no good!" Ah, she might have too much energy for me too. Sorry Shiki. "Leaving that aside though..."
She starts counting with her fingers. "I'm totally loyal to the little matriarch. Mostly because I was genuinely friends with her papa, crazy mental issues and all. That naturally extends to Shiki... even if he is no fun."
"I couldn't care less for a harmless flower like Hisui and I'll have you know that before you came along I was Kohaku's strongest soldier. You can even ask her, if she's not a liar she will confirm it. That is to say, she will totally deny it." Hey!
She puts her hands on her hips. "So don't worry, I'm not your enemy! And I don't consider you a enemy either. So let's just skip neutrality and become allies!" I still don't understand this woman's motivations.
But sure, I'll accept her as an ally. "Fine... Why not just tell me what's on the diary though? I mean, you already gave a hint and all." If Akiha catches me breaking into her home... Not that I will be doing that.
She starts sweating and looks away. "That's because I don't actually know what's on that diary... Maybe it's a bunch of confessions of love aimed at me? If that's the case I don't know how I would apologize to Makihisa." If that happened you should apologize to me!
She continues. "By the way, don't talk as if I want you to steal the diary or something, I'm just saying it exists, and that Akiha doesn't have the best home security in the world or anything."
"Oh, and if a home invader appeared... being found by Akiha would be a bad end, Being found by a bandaged man would be a bad end, Toji leaves at night, I don't know about Shiki, and if a certain doctor caught you on the act... she doesn't get paid enough to fight a burglar, so she might look the other way." She definitely wants me to steal it!
"Ah, try to avoiding lil' Miyako. I'm pretty sure she has started walking the path of enlightened recently." The Rika encounter really traumatized her.
My eye twitches. "So, any other piece of information relating to this thing that you just want to casually throw away, like who is this bandaged man?" I did hear it that there was one extra person living in that mansion from Akiha.
Saiki Goto. A demon.
She quickly nods. "Yes! I would recommend searching the woods in a mountainous area!" H-huh? "You might found a important monk there, and if you don't die he might reveal some important information." Yeah, this part sounds like she's just joking.
She raises a finger. "And about the bandaged man... Don't worry too much about him. He's just a creepy crybaby who keeps trying to corrupt my little pupil. Oh! And speaking of her, let's get on with this whole thing already!"
To be honest I almost want to press her for more information, but at this point I should probably stop pushing my luck. And besides, she might... she is probably not lying about legitimately not knowing what's on the diary.
She giggles to herself. "Now sit down so we can see if you're a healthy boy! You don't have any troubles getting that thing to go up right?" If you ask Ciel-Senpai, you will quickly find out that I don't.
She starts... analyzing my body, I guess. It's a bit surprising, since I expected her to just give me a injection of something and tell me to go my way, but nope. She seems to be giving me a fairly complete health checkup.
Is this some kind of Akiha related privilege!?
After she is finished, she squints her eyes in my direction. "Huh, you're surprisingly boring." Oi. "Like... I was expecting some freakish body just like the one Miss Matriarch has, but instead you're just a normal high school boy."
A freakish body huh... "What's wrong with Akiha's body?" Does she have some physical sickness too? Apparently those are very common among the Tohno. Or maybe Arach is just talking about her Oni Blood.
The doctor whispers. "Diary... In a cool mansion mostly designed by me... Spooky mysteries..." I get it already! This woman really wants to turn me into a thief huh!?
Speaking of this woman, according to her Akiha used to test her skills as a surgeon...
I look down. "Right. Anyways, I'll have you know I'm very special on the inside." I have alien stuff running through me! I bet Akiha doesn't have that...! Is oni stuff inferior at all though?
Arach grins. "I don't doubt that... but it's not like I can open you up to check! Unless...?" She starts panting, clearly excited. Naturally I reject her immediately. "Meanie. You just lost fifty million Arach points. Are you that desperate to avoid my route!?" This again!?
I sigh. "I did invite you to a beach once..." Technically it wasn't me. And also, I guess it's more like everyone living in the mansion was invited... Is it weird that I feel a bit mad Goto never bothered coming!?
She copies my sigh. "Ah, that's because you invited my natural enemy too. A woman which I fear with all my heart." Oh, okay then. I'm guessing this woman is Aoko.
How do I know? A boyfriend just knows these things.
She shakes her head. "Anyways, you're totally healthy! Though I guess I should have expected that. If you were feeling unwell, then my little pupil would have probably helped you immediately."
I make a thinking pose. "You're talking about Kohaku, right...?" Could it be that these two are genuinely close to each other like she said? But Kohaku pretty much never mentions her...
Arach excitedly nods. "Ayup! I'll have you know I taught Kohaku all she knows about medicine! She doesn't have any talent for surgery though, so we ended up developing different skillsets."
"Oh, and speaking of my cute little pupil... She's a dumbass who's walking on dreamland and forgetting about the real world. Try not failing, because if you do, the poison she made might kill her charming prince. If that happens she will definitely commit suicide." Wow!
That certainly came out of nowhere... And I would like to ask what the hell she's talking about, but I have a feeling she would just whisper the words diary on my ears yet again.
She walks over to a bag. "So it's injection time! Shiki didn't get his... so I'm excited!" She pouts. "You better not blue ball me like he did. Let me penetrate you so I can shot my hot liquid." Should I bring up sexual harassment again?
I tilt my head. "Why didn't Shiki get his injection?" Is that even allowed?
A blush appears on her face. "He ran away while accusing me of sexual harassment." I understand. "I didn't do anything bad though! I just called him a cuck because his little sister was being stolen by another guy!" I... I... I don't know what to say to that one.
She shakes her head. "Honestly, I was so sure those two were going to bang once I heard he had returned to the mansion, but now all she does is cry about you all day... And she can't rant to the maids anymore, so I have to hear it instead!"
"Nonetheless, while I'm sure you are super excited about Akiha, her copious amounts of money, her beauty, and seriously she has a lot of money, just remember that having someone with demon blood interested in you is bought to end up in tragedy." Um...
Yet again I would like to ask why that is, but... the diary and all that. It seems I really have no choice, but to commit home invasion. Yeah, I'm normally not a guy who snoops around, but I'm left with no choice!
She starts messing around with her bag. "So, I have two options for you. One is a injection that... Actually, nevermind. I can only offer you the boring option, since that princess watching through the window can rip off my head at any time."
As expected of my little vampire yandere. "You know about Arcueid?" I wonder if she's aware that Rika is here too. She's just resting on my shadow after all.
Arach sends me a thumbs up. She already has her injection on hand. "Of course I do! I'll have you know that I'm probably more knowledgeable about the supernatural than even the little matriarch... or her dead father."
"They are just country bumpkins who only care about Japan after all. In the meanwhile, I'm basically Miss Worldwide!" Don't put such a scary image in my head!
Without any hesitation, she gives me the shot. I feel pain for a quick second then it's all over. "Well, there you go. Now you won't get sick. Unless you do." Amazing. And now I guess I should leave...
Before that however... "What was the other option anyways?" I'm naturally curious, since apparently it's something that would make Arach attack Arcueid. "And why did you even offer it to me?"
She waves me off. "Don't worry, I'm not even sure how it would affect you." You just wanted to inject me with random stuff!? "It's just some weird spooky liquid. Oh, and the reason why I'm helping you is..."
"That I am your fairy godmother! I am invested in your journey towards a harem! Your journey towards messing up the Tohno family even more an-!"
A sudden knock on the door. "E-excuse me, is everything alright there? The teacher sent me to check if anything went wrong..." Ah, this was supposed to be a quick thing, but we have been talking for a longtime now.
Arach even seems embarrassed. "Sorry, there were some unfortunate circumstances! Everything turned out well though!" She sends me a wink. "You go pound that tuna, Yuta Okkotsu." I wish.
And so I leave the room wearing the same frown Shiki did. And that frown only gets worse once I realize she never told me in what part of the mansion Makihisa's office is.
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AN: And so the Roa Arc begins! Yuta (Burglar) Five Stars soon!?