A.N: Hello. I just want to point out that this is a sequel to my one shot called "Air" that I published in 2011 and will make a lot more sense if you read it, too, but if you do, remember that it's really old so it has quite a few grammar mistakes and the plot itself could be called a little cliché.
Anyway, I'm writing this now since a while ago I read this one KuramaXOC fic that more or less follows the canon story line, but in that fic the OC killed Mitarai. So, after reading that I felt like reading Mitarai fics and started with my own old one, which I had avoided for years since I thought it was really bad. However, it turned out not to be as bad as I remembered and it inspired me to start this. So, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Chapter 1
First day of college should probably make a person feel very grown up, but honestly, I didn't. I felt like an adult when I entered high school, yet noticed quickly that everyone were still brats and, after some time, I realized I wasn't exactly what one would call mature, either. And that's why I don't think too much of myself for just being a college student, either. I have diffidently matured a little since my high school days but, in all honesty I think that after few years I'll look back in to this day and realize how much of a brat I still was. Or at least that's what I think. Still, that does not change the fact that I, Takanishi Yuri, am now a college student. It's funny, for I have not changed much since high school. I'm only 157 cm tall and, while I'm no longer overweight, I'm not someone one would consider a model. My hair is ordinary, black, straight and reaching the middle of my back, and my eyes are brown. I'm normal, average, part of the mass. Not that I really consider it a bad thing, but normal people rarely leave a lasting impact on others. That was something I wanted to do, to leave a proof that I exist, that I am definitely here.
...Would you call that a weird goal or something completely normal? Not that I care; it's what I want and if someone doesn't like it that's their problem. Not that I really have experience on leaving an impact on people; in high school I had a full job with keeping myself from being treated like air... which went pretty well after changing schools, but that's another story entirely. Now I'm over all the bullying and stuff, so it's time to make something of my life.
Hopefully anyway.
Instinctively, I turn my head towards a familiar voice, freezing when I see the person's face. Usui Kyo.
I turned away, walking to the other direction with rapid speed. I might be over all the bullying, mostly at least, but that didn't mean I was ready to face those who tormented me the most, especially not him. Hopefully, he'd be the only one of them going to this school.
"Calm down" I chanted to myself. I've gotten over it, and if something happened again I wouldn't be helpless. I've taken self defense classes; I can take care of myself. Even so, I still shrieked rather loudly when someone put a hand on my shoulder. Spinning around, I was ready to punch the person before I realized who it was. Mitarai, a guy from my old school.
"Easy there, Takanishi. It's just me" he said, raising his hands up. Despite having gone to the same high school as I did first, I considered him as a friend... or something similar, at least. He was easy to get along with after all, but his friends were not. And the guy had a lot of them; he was quite popular.
"Don't do that" I hissed at him, ignoring the stares we were getting because of my shriek. Mitarai smiled awkwardly at the people who were watching us before turning his attention back to me.
"What makes you so jumpy?" he asked. I hesitated, should I tell him? He knew that Usui had picked on me in high school, but he didn't know any details and I wanted to keep it that way. Still, maybe it wouldn't hurt to mention it. That way Mitarai could have my back if I needed help; I know he will if the need comes, simply because he's a good guy and always ready to help, even if we had such a rough start in our... sort of friendship.
"Usui is here, in this school" I told him. I saw the smile leave his face and he frowned. From what I've understood, when Mitarai stopped trying to be Mister Popular and started to stand up for others publicly, he had a few squabbles with Usui as well. He had also lost some of his so called friends, but overall he had been fine... or at least so he said. He had lost his position as "everyone's favorite", but so many people stayed by his side that he didn't become a target himself. He hadn't exactly said so, but since he hadn't been bullied that was probably the case.
"Earth to Takanishi, does Takanishi hear?" I snapped out of my thoughts when I noticed Mitarai waiving his hand in front of my face, calling my name. I blushed; I can't believe I zoned out like that!
"Yeah, I hear you" I said "What were you saying again?"
"Just that if Usui, or anyone else for that matter, bothers you come to tell me and we can figure something out" he assured "Okay?"
"Yeah sure" I said dismissively "But I'm pretty sure I can handle things on my own. Thanks though."
After that we went our separate ways, having no classes together. We did however see each other at lunch again and sat at the same table. Or well, he was already sitting there and I decided to join him. He was reading something, probably something from class.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Nothing" he said, quickly putting the paper back to his bag. A bit too quickly in fact, it was like he didn't want me to see it. Now, this wasn't the first time he did that. From time to time I caught him reading something he always hastily put away, talking quietly in the phone with someone, disappearing for a few days with his mom simply saying he was with friends... and then there was this one time that I visited his house. He wasn't home yet, but his mom let me in and told me to wait in his room, so I did. I noticed there was something hidden under his pillow and got curious. (Nosy? Who me?) So I took it out and it turned out to be a videotape. Mitarai has a TV and a VCR in his room, but before I could even think about checking what was on it he came home. The look on his face when he saw me with the tape was a priceless one, if not a little worrisome. He looked horrified, like I had witnessed something really bad. However, he calmed down quickly when he found out I hadn't seen it, so he just put it away and we never talked about it again. I kind of wanted to know what had made him react like that, but maybe it was for the better that I didn't know? After all, that look he had on his face back then...
"Earth to Takanishi" I suddenly heard Mitarai say "Again."
"Sorry" I said, turning to my attention to my food. However, I could feel Mitarai's eyes on me. Any moment now...
"Is everything okay?" he asked. Hah, knew it "You've been spacing out a lot today."
"Only twice" I corrected. That wasn't much.
"Only twice that I've witnessed it" Mitarai corrected, much to my annoyance "You've been doing that a lot recently; are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
"I'm fine; I've just had a lot on my mine recently" I told him, and it was true, but I didn't want to tell him the details; he already knew so much about me to the point that it was awkward. He didn't need to know about what had happened in the self defense class. It had been a normal day, really. While our classes mostly concentrated around techniques of using an attacker's own strength and size against them and other stuff clearly meant for defense, we were encouraged to get stronger and raise our stamina too, in case our techniques didn't work. Anyway, last week I had been practicing with a punching bag, and out of nowhere I hit a literal hole in it! And I'm not kidding; but I thought my hand had glowed when I did that... but no matter how much I think about it there's no logical explanation for it, so it was probably just a trick of light. And the punching bag was old, or so they said, so that explained why it broke like that. Still, I just couldn't get that glow off of my mind... Suddenly I blinked, looking at Mitarai who was watching me with a raised eyebrow. Oh god, I spaced out again!
"...Did you say something?"
"No" Mitarai told me "I was about to, but it looked like you were about to space out again. And I was right."
"Right..." I muttered with a sigh "So, what were you about to say?"
"I just wanted to know what exactly you have in mind so much that you space out like this" he said "Well?"
I sighed, but fortunately I knew how to get out of this situation.
"I'll tell you if you tell me what you were reading just now" I told him, knowing that he wouldn't say anything and therefore I wouldn't have to either.
"Just some... stuff." And what do you know, I was right.
"Yeah, I have some stuff too" I shot back with a rather irritated voice, making Mitarai flinch. Now that was something I hadn't caused in quite a while; these days almost nothing I said could get to him. We sat the rest of the lunch in silence, which probably meant that I had ruined the mood... not that it was entirely my fault; he was obviously keeping secrets from me and treated me like a fool who wouldn't notice.
XXXXX
Home at last. Not that the first day of school had been exhausting or anything, but the exchange with Mitarai left me with a bad taste.
"I'm home" I called out. Mom only has a part time job and didn't usually have night shifts so she should be home by now.
"Welcome back" mom called from the kitchen. I went over there too because I wanted a glass of juice "How was school? Any familiar faces?"
She was clearly trying to be subtle about asking if Moku or the like were there... well, there's really no reason to tell her about Usui. I can handle him these days.
"Fine, a few" I answered. As an afterthought I added so that she wouldn't press for more information: "You know, Mitarai and the like."
"I see" something in my mother's tone told me she wasn't finished "You know, Yuri..."
"Yeah?"
"How come you still call little Kiyoshi by his last name? You've been friends for quite a while now..."
Ah rats, I should've known she'd ask that. What could I tell her? I didn't really even have a reason!
"...Just because we spend a lot of time together doesn't mean we're close." I told her. I mean that was true; he knew something about me that no one else did, but aside from that we didn't really talk about personal matters much, just ordinary things like school, movies etc. Plus, he was definitely hiding something big from me. Or at the very least something he considered to be big... maybe the tape I found just had some porn on it or something.
"-ney... Honey!" I snapped out of my thoughts thanks to mom's voice. Crap, did I- "You spaced out again."
Right; this had pretty much become a habit by now.
"Sorry" I apologized, looking away from her "Did you say something?"
"Just that you should ask Kiyoshi to come visit us again soon; it's been a while since we've seen him" oh God I knew that look on her face "Your dad approves of him, too."
My mom was a freaking shipper, I'm telling you. I don't know why, but she had somehow gotten the idea that Mitarai and I would be a good match. And somehow she had gotten dad in to it, too.
"Whatever" I said, wanting to end the conversation there. It wasn't that I didn't like Mitarai; I just liked him as a person, not as a man... not that I have ever even considered him that way. Chucking the guy out of my head, I went to get the juice I came for in the first place. I've had my share of the blonde for the day.
A.N: There's the first chapter. I have a general idea where I want to take this story, but since I haven't planned out all the details the updates might take some time. I'll try not to be unreasonably slow, though.
