The perfect | TBATE X COTE

Chapter 13: Instructor

Kiyotaka's point of view:

Lilia came down the steps after me. Only our footsteps and the cheery voices in the distance broke the silence between our steps. The sound of voices and laughter coming through the wooden door caused Lilia to direct her attention there. The majority of them I recognized as the twin horns, but one didn't sound familiar.

I took a calm step towards the door, but before I reached it, I felt a tiny tug on my shirt.

Lilia had her small hand on the hem of my shirt when I turned around. I didn't say anything, but I also didn't take her hand away. Instead, I just kept walking, eager to meet this new instructor who was waiting for me behind the door.

When I got there, the door was made of dark wood, and I twisted the chilly metal handle. To be quite honest, I was rather curious to meet my instructor.

I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of the door hinges. In an instant, the raucous room fell hushed, and everyone turned to face us. The Helstea couple nodded, the twin horns and my mother-My father was absent due to his new job- grinned at my arrival, and there was a new set of enquiring eyes looking at me.

"So you're Kiyotaka." From the rear of the room, a woman's smooth, velvet voice could be heard. She smiled and said, "You're handsome just like your father."

The russet-haired woman's words caused all of the girls to grin, but these smiles were purely uneasy ones.

My mother, in particular, had an icy aura about her; I even thought I saw her brown hair move in response to a mysterious wind, but Angela spoke before she could say anything. "Ruri, don't make such jokes."

The robed woman laughed quietly. "What joke?" she asked, shaking her head and growing more serious. "My name is Ruri Wechenster, former teacher at Xyrus Academy, Kiyotaka, if all goes well, I'll be your new instructor."

The woman rose from her seat on the couch and approached me, her long robe trailing behind her. Her dark reddish hair and light green eyes complemented her attractive appearance. I bowed after examining her.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity, Ms. Wechenster, I am Kiyotaka Leywin."

"Tha-"

Lilia, who was hiding behind me, ran as fast as her little body could, her little footsteps sounding across the wooden floor, and jumped into her mother's arms as I was about to respond. I'm not sure why she didn't do it sooner, but maybe she didn't have the courage until now. Tabitha smiled and then placed her on her lap, apologizing for the interruption.

Mrs. Wechenster narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously at the shy girl in Tabitha's arms, and Lilia shrank back and hid her face from the newcomer, eliciting a few smiles from the room's occupants.

Vincent took a step forward and smiled as he pointed to a small table for two. "How about you, Lady Wechenster and Kiyo, take a seat?"

Mrs. Wechenster sighed and sagged her shoulders in mock disappointment. "I don't know how many times I've told you Vincent to just call me Ruri." She shook her head and sat down at the aforementioned table with a smile. "You'll get wrinkles if you're too stiff."

Vincent simply laughed awkwardly at her remark and did not respond.

I followed her and sat across from her; the seat was comfortable, and there was a strange board game in front of us that, from Vincent's brief explanation, was similar to checkers, but a bit more complex.

She, on the other hand, did not appear to be interested in playing. She crossed her hands in front of her face, resting her elbows on the polished wooden table, and narrowed her eyes on me. If it were anyone else they would feel uncomfortable, her gaze was of someone trying to figure me out. But I was accustomed to it.