Four Years in the Making
By: TearStar
I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho…
This is an AU people… I guess you'd figure it out anyway
Chapter One
14
It's Monday morning and I'm packing my things. Nope. I'm not packing your regular schoolbag with books, readings, notes, and pen. What I have are newspapers. Yeah… I'm a newspaper vendor… I know, at my age I should be at, like what? College? I don't know… I wasn't even able to set foot on a classroom…
"Yusuke, are we all set?"
Yeah, that's my name. Yusuke Urameshi and that? That's my grandmother, Genkai. I can't complain anything about her, she's a really good grandma, I must say…
"Yes! Let's go!"
No, she is good. My mother seemed to quit being a mom so she just left me at grandma's care. Grandma wasn't able to study too. But she knows how to make strawberry jams. Real good ones! That's where she get money… for us.
Yeah… Let's go… I can't miss it… I can't miss that beautiful God-given display on a sunny morning… That red haired guy I've been pining for so long now…
And so we settled on our spot; just right at the train station's hallway… yeah, we ARE illegal vendors… But hell! No one's complaining… so as I was saying, it started last year, when a new herd of freshmen came to enroll at this university just one ride from the train station; Tokyo University, that is. So I saw him one day, and wow! He is damn beautiful… hot, dude!... just imagine seeing a god-like human running up the stairs with his red mane swaying plus all that sparkling, shining, glittering, and slow motion things you see in movies… well, it could be real. He's not too muscled nor thin. Just right. He's tall, he's got brilliant emerald eyes, and I just love seeing him blush from running through the hall whenever he arrives at the station at around 7:05 am, I guess he is late. Hahaha! And then I saw him the next day, and the next day, and the next, until it turned into a year. I get worried whenever I don't see him. I sometimes blame grandma for being slow and so I missed him. But maybe he is absent. How will I know… I don't even know his name yet! I always pray that one day, he'd buy a newspaper from me. Even just one, and then I'd ask his name. And then who knows? We could be friends… My wishful thinking! Sometimes I thought of running into him on purpose just to get him to notice me… I really… I really like him. He's everything I want. He keeps me up at night. And then he wakes me early in the morning. And he's also the one who breaks my heart. Planting deep in my mind that I couldn't have him… I just wanted to see him always… Think of him. That's the closest I could get, I'm just a vendor… Yeah, so if you'd help me- wait! Here he comes…
14
'Oh! I'm glad I'm early today.' –Kurama smiled as he walked.
'Whoa… He's smiling. Cute!.. Oh no, that vampire again!' –Yusuke thought jealously.
Karasu tapped Kurama from behind.
"Oh! Karasu!"
"You're early."
"You, too."
…And so they walked, with Karasu's hand on Kurama's shoulder.
'Why don't you remove that hand?!' –Yusuke thought as they pass him by.
That vampire! That's what I call him, with his pale skin and all. That Karasu, as I heard it before, I always see him with the red head. Foxy red always say his name, but that vampire, jetblack-long-haired, always-clad-in-black guy never say his name aloud. To keep me from knowing foxy red's name? Damn it! I don't know why, but I just feel so angry whenever I see vampire with foxy red… are they 'they' or what? That, reminds me again that we are not of the same level… sometimes, I think, what if I studied? Could I be friends with foxy red? What if I wasn't a vendor, would I be friends with him? What should I do so I could be in his life… Wait, what's the time?
30 seconds. It takes foxy red exactly 30 seconds to completely leave the station if he's just walking… The time I get to see him for the whole day. Just enough to get me through the day… 30 seconds that brings me to life every morning… and die again when it's over.
"Excuse me?" –guy
"Huh?" –Yusuke
"I'm trying to buy your newspaper."
"Oh! Sorry… which one?"
After Yusuke gave the newspaper, his grandma, who is selling strawberry jam next to him, hit him on the head.
"You! Don't daydream or you'd get snatched by!"
"I won't, grandma!"
"Heh! Just sell ok… Maybe you saw him again, huh?"
"Wh-What? Who?"
"Your crush." –Genkai giggled.
"Grandma! I don't have a crush."
"Oh come on! That red haired student from Tokyo University."
"Uhm… I don't know what you're talking about- ouch!"
Another slap on the head.
"Don't deny! I could see it…"
Yusuke sat on the floor and crossed his arms, he couldn't believe Genkai picked it up easy.
14
And that was last week. A whole week passed, with me savoring the 30 seconds view of foxy red, I just hope that Karasu isn't with him… I have a better sounding name than him! And I'm better looking than him, I believe… anyway… Where is foxy red? It's already lunchtime? Is the semester over or something?
"Yusuke! Come, let's eat lunch now." –Genkai invited.
"Ok."
Yeah, we eat lunch on the floor of the station's hallway. Can't afford to leave our livelihood!
"What'd you pack for today, grandma?'
"Boiled egg and fried rice."
"…"
Yusuke bowed his head, feeling tears filling his eyes. They live in this abandoned building, and they eat only twice a day. Boiled eggs and fried rice for lunch; instant noodles and 2 slices of loaf for dinner. If they get lucky, they could get fish and rice for dinner… if not, they eat nothing.
Yusuke shook his head and acted out happy "Itadakimasu!"
He never wanted to show his grandma he is sad, he want her to feel happy too… so he ate the lunch, and his taste buds seem to be lost, he couldn't taste it anymore. You eat it everyday, it seem to lose its taste. So he stuck more rice in his mouth, until he has some grains sticking at the sides of his mouth… and then Kurama passed by…
"Phew! Prrt!" –Yusuke almost showered rice from his mouth.
He turned and faced the wall. He wiped his mouth clean, before facing the hall again.
'Oh! Did he see me? That's so embarrassing!'
He glimpsed at Kurama at the corner of his eyes. He was alone until he reached the top of the stairs. Yusuke saw his feet stopped, and then another pair of feet stood next to foxy red's… Yusuke needn't see the face of the owner of the other set of feet, he knows it is Karasu…
And suddenly, he felt full. He doesn't want to eat anymore. He lost his appetite.
"They surely are together…"
"Maybe they're just bestfriends." –Genkai built him up.
"You think so, grandma?"
"Yeah… Why? Can't they be just bestfriends?"
"They could also be boyfriends…"
"Think positive… Oh God! Let's get out of here, Yusuke!!"
"What?"
Yusuke looked back and saw police entering the hall. He quickly stood and gathered their products.
"Hey! Stop, you fools!" –the police commanded.
The other vendors on the hall squabbled and ran like ants towards the exit of the station. There are screaming and shouting from those who struggled to be free from the police.
"Come on, grandma!" –Yusuke prodded Genkai.
They were able to getaway from the station, but they almost got ran over by speeding cars on the streets.
"Watch it! Fools!"
"You scumbags!"
Yusuke hated it. They waited there for almost a whole day to sell, then there would be raid, you'd get shouted at and be called a fool, a scumbag, even if you don't snatch or rob. Damn malicious people!
"I dropped the box of jams, Yusuke!"
Genkai cried out as she tried to run back to the middle of the street.
"No, Grandma! You'll get hurt. You might get caught. Never mind it!"
Yusuke pulled Genkai back.
"No! We get money from it! Yusuke!" –Genkai weeped.
"Come on… Grandma!"
Yusuke cried as well, as he convinced Genkai to run back. It hurt him so to see his kind grandma cry like that. His grandma who knows nothing but to take care of him, and work hard for every penny they earn.
It's just an example of the big risk they take when selling in the hall. It wasn't the worst. He recalled one raid where all their products got seized, and one bastard cop kicked Genkai on the back. Yusuke swore he lost his mind there. He shouted and kicked the police back, freeing Genkai and him away from the violent, inhumane raid.
"One day, we'll be out of this hell. We'll get by." –Yusuke
14
He returned the next day at the hall, he have no choice; it's the only place they could sit and sell at, when no raid happens. Yusuke prayed that no raid would happen today. He wasn't able to sleep from Genkai's crying all night. He suggested for her to stay back, he doesn't want her to be hurt. Honestly, in his young age, he felt so tired of life. Of his life. He felt so exhausted from day to day, hard, dog-like work of his life. The feeling of hopelessness is ever hanging above him. He knows no matter how hard he works, he knows, that in this world, they won't climb up. This world is not kind for people like them. And so he sat there, head low, waiting for someone to buy a newspaper, so he could buy lunch and dinner for him and Genkai for the day…
"How much is Daily Bulletin?"
'Mn. Roses.'
Yusuke looked up and saw… foxy red leaning down.
"Uh-huh?" –he stuttered out.
"I said: how much is Daily Bulletin?" –foxy red bent further for him to hear. Making him blush like a school girl would.
"Uhm…"
Yusuke froze. He looked at the spread variety of newspaper… he clenched his fists…
'Daily Bulletin? Which one is it? Damn it… which one is it?... which one… just point at it, please… I don't know how to read…' -Yusuke sniffed, almost crying at his helplessness; in front of his love.
Kurama seemed to notice, so he just picked up the newspaper.
"Here…" Kurama handed over a hundred bucks. "Keep the change."
"Huh?" –Yusuke looked up at him, there, tears escaped his eyes.
"H-Hey… Are you alright?" –Kurama wiped his tears with his handkerchief.
Yusuke flinched away, but gave in when Kurama's hand followed his wet cheeks.
"T-Thank you…" –Yusuke
"You're welcome." –Kurama sat in front of him "What's your name?"
"…Y-Yusuke."
"I'm Kurama." –Kurama offered a hand shake.
Yusuke hesitantly, but excitedly took it; amazed by how soft the hand is.
"Why did you cry?"
"I-I… don't… know how to… read." –Yusuke shamefully admitted.
"Oh… Do you want me to teach you?"
"Huh?!"
Yusuke just couldn't believe this is happening. Having foxy red buy his newspaper, is more than enough. Knowing his name: Kurama, is beyond enough. Having Kurama sit in front of him is infinity beyond enough. Having Kurama teach him how to read is…is… just doesn't seem real…
"I could teach you… if you want." –Kurama repeated.
'If I want? Of course, I want!'
"So?"
"Yes!"
Kurama smiled and rubbed Yusuke's hair. "See you tomorrow then, Yusuke."
"Y-Yeah, Kurama."
14
TearStar: I don't know, I was teary when writing this… anyway. Next chap.