Magnanimous (Blue Exorcist ~ Yukio Okumura)

Chapter 53

We had to quickly make our way to Mephisto's office, my hair pulled into a ponytail and still wet as I flattened out the wrinkles  in my uniform shirt. I was tired out and my breathing was ragged after walking up all the stairs with Yukio, who didn't even seem to break a sweat. We waited until we were standing in front of a certain purple-haired demon's desk, who smiled at us devilishly- no pun intended.

"Miss Katai," Mephisto began. "As you see here, this is your new uniform jacket. As you have seen Mister Okumura and other exorcists do, this is what you will e given to wear to your missions and inside the Academy. I have good news though. You are not required to wear your Academy uniform in the field, you only must in class. Seeing as your current uniform is... unpractical for mission work," he gave a frown, "Your only requirement is to keep your uniform jacket at all time, and your True Cross pin, which will identify you as one of the others."

I nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Now, onto other business," he gave another perverted smile, "I have heard you wish to apply as a student aid? Is that still true?"

"Uh, y-yes," I nodded again, holding my hands together in front of my hips.

"Wonderful. Seeing as you would be the only aid this year in True Cross, I will not require you to complete any of the necessary paperwork. That will be taken care of. However, the issue of your assignment must be decided. According to your schedules, you would best fit with Professor Neuhaus, and you would only miss out on two of his classes in which he teaches. There is Professor Okumura, as well, who you would be available to aid in every one of his classes."

I had no preference if I was assigned as Yukio's teacher aid. However, realizing that Neuhaus did put in a teacher's aid request made me definitely want to be assigned with Yukio. "Y-y-yes, sir."

"I am assuming you have a preference?" Mephisto gave a small smirk, twirling a thick purple strand of his hair around his finger.

"Simply because of the... personal issues between me and Professor Neuhaus, I would ask that you not assign my aid to him. We have... Some tensions, especially after my Authorization Exam."

"Ah, yes," the purple-haired demon frowned again with a nod, "However, you may do well as his aid, being a Tamer yourself. And if I were to assign you to Professor Okumura, I wouldn't want any.... Copulation in the classroom, of sorts."

I felt my face heat up red and I could see Yukio's do the same next to me. "Oh, s-sir, we would never do anything like that, of course not. I have no general preference over my teacher aid assignment other than asking that I am not placed with Professor Neuhaus due to... those personal conflicts."

Mephisto kept his frown on his pale face as he nodded. "Very well, Miss Katai. I will see to it that you are documented as Professor Okumura's official teacher's aid. You may start this afternoon. But don't expect way too many favours from me in the future."

I let out a silent relieved sigh. "Yes, Sir Pheles, of course. Thank you, sir."

"Hurry on to class, now, before you're late. Take your uniform jacket, of course."

I nodded, holding the folded black fabric in my hands as I stepped out of the office, Yukio in tow behind me. As the door shut and we headed down the stairs, I let out another sigh of relief- this time slightly louder. "Thank God," I breathed out. 

"That was incredibly close," Yukio commented. 

"No kidding," I shook my head. "I would have fought Satan before I have to aid for Neuhaus. I didn't really have a real preference, but it's still nice we get to work together now."

"Yes," the boy agreed as our hands took each other while we walked down the hallway. "I could definitely use the help, too."

"We can split the grading, especially," I suggested. "And setting up assignments or projects."

"I will definitely be asking you to do so. Taking care of both my own school and others' work is more tiring than you may think, especially with having to essentially repeat everything I say for Rin at a later time."

"Why don't you let go of Rin's thing? Give him to me... In a sense... I can tutor him and make sure he finishes his assignments. We can split the grading, you write up assignments and tests and I can edit them or suggest changes," I looked up at the teal-eyed boy as we neared our first-period Chemistry classroom.

"That may be a good plan," he nodded, gazing down at me with a soft smile. "There are occasionally other students who stay after classes for help, as well, though. Either I could take them and you take Rin, or we could rotate days."

"Yeah," I replied softly as we sat in our chairs at the table in the middle of the classroom. "I would probably say I could take Rin most days, and you take the others. If there are days when it's easier to switch, we can then do that."

Yukio nodded. "I like that, Minette. We can use that process, and work things out as they go."

I nodded, taking out my books and homework as the professor began his lecture. "But don't think this will set me back from getting better than you at this," I whispered to him as I worked out a problem in the book that the professor pointed out. 

I heard a small chuckle come from Yukio. "I'm sure it won't."