Chapter Text
Teru was used to keeping vigilant around any large gathering of people.
Especially at Kamome Academy which his father had warned was rife with supernatural activity. The entrance ceremony was full of people buzzing with excitement, anxiety and everything in between - the perfect hunting grounds for a cruel spirit.
He was only there as a top student, representing his class. He’d gotten full marks across the board as usual - his father wouldn’t accept anything less.
Looking around, he took stock of the exits and a few low level supernaturals hanging around. (He’d take care of those once everyone was gone.) The speaker droned on and on and Teru wished he were at home with his younger siblings. Kou had wanted to accompany him but Teru had convinced him to stay at home since he’d have the chance to attend his own opening ceremony next year. He also needed to watch over Tiara, who at one year old still needed eyes on her at all times.
With not much else to pass the time with, Teru scans through the new set of students. Most are unassuming, plain brown hair and eyes that he hardly feels the need to make a note of. There’s movement in his peripheral vision that has him zeroing in on the left corner of the crowd of students.
There’s a girl with purple hair done up in perfect curls that frame her face which dons a pure and gentle smile. She’s pretty, and she’s certainly caught the eyes of a few students who sneak glances at her before turning back to whisper to their friends. But what catches Teru’s attention is the boy next to her.
His hair is the same boring brown as countless of his other classmates, but he looks… alive. He’s restless, eyes darting everywhere and every so often noticing something that has him leaning over to the purple haired girl who seems to hum and nod to whatever’s being said.
The principal had been droning on about their uniform policy for quite awhile so the curious boy turned in his seat to get a glimpse around the room. It’s innocuous enough that no one really pays him much mind. His eyes sweep toward the back of the room where Teru is standing and-
Their gazes lock.
Brown eyes are a dime a dozen, but something in the boy’s gaze speaks to more. They shine brightly and so full of life Teru feels almost like he’s tainting him through eye contact alone. The boy grins, unbothered by Teru’s inner conflict.
You can’t afford distractions.
The exorcist feels his chest tighten and forces his eyes straight forward.
Distractions cause mistakes. Mistakes cause deaths.
His father had repeated the mantra so many times, Teru feels it ingrained in his very being.
No distractions. He’d keep the boy with bright eyes safe along with the rest of the student body, but at arms length otherwise. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes.
People pile out of the school to take pictures with their kids. Teru stands off to the side, shaking hands with the occasional student forced to make acquaintances with Teru due to overachieving parents.
The latest one had just stepped away and Teru heard the parent saying, “See, that can be you if you apply yourself-” before they disappeared from view.
They had been blocked by a blur of brown and purple, passing so close Teru feels a hand brushing his own. He looks up just in time to lock eyes with the brown haired boy from earlier. The exorcist had spent ages learning to school his expression, but the boy in front of him widened his eyes, startled. He seems to realize that he’s seen Teru at the assembly and offers him a smile. It’s a little crooked and Teru almost wants to reach over and straighten it but before he can do something stupid the boy has already left.
He’s only a few steps ahead, walking with the purple haired girl once again, a sweet, gummy smile on his lips. It’s different from the one he’d offered Teru. The girl seems to hardly acknowledge it though, giving a close eyed smile in response and avoiding any glimpse of the grin.
Teru feels something shift inside of him. He can’t explain the emotion - subtle, like a gentle tug from something he should pay more attention to, but also strong enough to make him almost nauseous at the notion.
He narrows his eyes and grips his arm through the sleeve of his uniform, digging his nails as hard as he can to ground himself.
There’s enough people out that Teru can sneak back into the building to take care of the pesky supernaturals he’d caught sight of during the assembly.
If he’s a little more harsh than necessary, there’s no one around to see.
There’s a convenience store near the school that Teru beelines for as soon as he can. Kou probably whipped up a delicious dinner while Teru had been at the opening ceremony, but there’s still patrolling to be done before Teru could retire to their house for the night so he opts for a quick snack.
Something itches under his skin as he approaches his destination, but Teru’s distracted by the jingling of the bell and stops a few feet away.
Two figures step out of the shop and Teru’s breath hitches.
The boy and purple haired girl hanging out together isn’t surprising - it seemed like they were practically attached at the hip in the few short hours Teru has known them.
It should be surprising that he’s run into them so much in one day but Teru isn’t even thinking about that as he takes in the scene in front of him.
The boy is missing his radiant smile and his eyes seem almost dull as they flit around, seemingly expecting the worst. He looks shaken and pale, keeping a hand on the girl’s elbow as if she could disappear at any moment. She seems to be comforting him with soft whispers and although the boy nods along, her words don’t seem to be registering. Neither seem to notice Teru.
The itch under his skin is unable to be ignored now. He’s felt it many times before, honed it to be useful for his duties and it’s come to save his life many times.
This is what he feels when there’s a supernatural nearby.
And it’s coming from the boy in front of him.
Distractions cause mistakes.
Teru is forced to reconsider the first few times their eyes had met at the assembly. Yet, no matter how much he racks his brain, he can’t recall a single ounce of supernatural energy emitting from the boy.
Mistakes cause death.
It hadn’t even been an hour since their hands had brushed against one another. No supernatural could hide their true self from an exorcist, especially not one as good as Teru. No, something must’ve happened in the short amount of time since he’d last seen the boy but what?
You cannot take chances with supernaturals.
The boy and girl are almost at the corner now. It’ll be hard to take care of the supernatural with a witness but it’s nothing Teru hasn’t dealt with before. His hand slowly reaches up to grab the sword on his back.
A soft laugh echoes through the empty street. Even while visibly rattled, the boy seems to assure the girl that he’s fine. The smile on his lips is still dull, only serving to bring to Teru’s mind the memory of the bright smile from earlier, searing into the backs of his eyes.
Teru’s expression hardens. His hand wraps around his sword’s handle.
Here is a fundamental truth of Teru’s life: As the eldest Minamoto, it is his duty to take on the exorcist role and eliminate the supernaturals of the world.
There was no room for distractions or mistakes. He couldn’t take any chances.
Brown and purple disappear around the corner and Teru adjusts the sword on his back.
He needs to refuel before patrol and the sooner he does both of those things, the sooner he can get back home to Kou and Tiara.
The bell jingles above him as he steps into the convenience store.