Disclaimer: Neither YuYuHakusho nor any of its amazing characters belong to me.
Chapter One: Secret Part 1
"Please." I murmur as I reach out an impeccably manicured hand and grasp the door knob. "Please let there be nobody in here." I open the door slowly and there, clustered together in the center of the room is the very last thing I wanted to see. Yes ladies and gentlemen, sitting in the classroom during lunch hour, is a group of first years having lunch together. The audacity! I can't help the disgruntled groan that slips past my lips. They all turn at the sound of it.
"Oh, hello Miyu-senpai, d-do you need something." An ordinary girl in pigtails stutters as the rest of her friends share nervous glances. The killer glare I'm shooting them for no apparent reason is probably freaking them out. I compose my face into what I hope is a friendly expression or at least not an obviously fake one.
"No thanks…," I recognize the pigtailed girl from somewhere. What's her name again? Ren? Sakura? Crap! I can't believe I forgot her name. I'm usually good with stuff like that.
"Kojima Tomoyo." She supplies. I totally would have got it eventually. "We m-met at the Snow Monkey Reservation Fundraiser Ball, re-remember?" I watch as her face blooms into a rosy shade that goes well with her pink uniform. That fundraiser was weeks ago. Mom's always making me go to tedious business parties and fundraisers with stupid names like that. She wants to "integrate me into high society" so that I can "blossom into an elegant lady and marry into a well-respected family." Usually I can't stand them but on that occasion I didn't mind it so much because secretly I really wanted to see the monkeys. You can only imagine my outrage when I got to the Snow Monkey Reservation Fundraiser Ball and discovered that no monkeys were invited. Apparently the high society my mother is so interested in integrating me into is under the impression that hanging a big picture of a Snow Monkey on a wall is an acceptable substitute for the real thing. I had escaped to vent my frustrations on a cigarette in the ladies room where I met the young Tomoyo. Naked. Well almost naked. She'd spilled something on her dress and was trying to wash it out in the sink. The poor girl was so embarrassed until I jokingly offered to flash her mine so that we'd be even. We laughed, I helped her zip up her dress and that was the last I ever saw of Kojima Tomoyo. Well, until today.
"It's nice to see you again Tomoyo- chan." I say hedging back out the door obviously trying to leave but not be rude about it; I've already wasted half of lunch hour searching for an empty room.
"Yeah, the fundraiser was… fun." Tomoyo says in the airy way. Clever, I think sarcastically. "Did you hear," she lowers voice to gossipy whisper. "Someone stole the Snow Monkey portrait that was hanging in the entrance hall."
"Oh my how scandalous." I whisper back before winking cheekily and making my exit. In case you're wondering, yes it was I who stole the monkey picture out of spite. Don't ask me how I nicked the poster size photograph. It's a secret I'll take to my grave. But before you go judging me just know that it doesn't really count as stealing since I left several months' worth of saved up allowance as a donation. So it's more like I bought it… even though it wasn't really on sale… whatever.
I drop my cheery façade as I start down the hall. Damn it. All I want is a quiet place to think. Somewhere I can organize my thoughts and figure out how the hell I'm going to get rid of my mom's new demonic boyfriend. You would think it wouldn't be too hard to find a private spot in a Meioh Private Academy. But no, it is. All of the classrooms are taken up by either students or teachers and the lawn is out of the question because that's where my friends are hanging out. I almost start to seriously consider locking myself in a maintenance closet when I stumble upon a thick door. The door leads to the roof and greenhouse, if the red kanji above it is correct. Taped to the door is a notice, prohibiting any students from going up outside of club hours.
"Perfect!" I crow, smiling genuinely as I haul open the heavy door. Said genuine smile leaves just as quickly as it arrived when I start climbing up the sheer stair case. "These steps are so steep," I huff griping the rail in one hand and the strap to my brown leather bag in the other. When I finally make it to the top of the stairs I take a moment to rest my sweaty forehead against the roof's cool, metal door. "I should cut back on the cigarettes," I murmur to myself, "and alcohol. Maybe take up track again." As I lean against the door, whispering empty promises to my health, a prickly sensation tickles the inside of my skull. I freeze then push the feeling away. Probably just the ghost of some over stressed student that jumped off the roof lurking around. A more irritating issue emerges when I hear voices coming from the other side of the door. Hell no! I didn't just almost have an asthma attack on the stairs for nothing.
I push the door open harder than necessary and stumble momentarily blinded onto the roof. The sun reflects brilliantly off the white cement of the roof's floor and the glass greenhouse. There was no ghost to be seen, that confused me for a second. My feelings were never wrong. I push that mystery to the side and focus on the green house. There, that was where the voices were coming from. I marched over ready to tell off whoever was in there. Sure the roof was more than big enough for eighty people to spin around in a circle with their arms held wide open. Sure we wouldn't even be able to see each other if they stuck to the greenhouse and I stayed out of it but still. It was the principle of the matter. All the work I put into finding a secluded spot warranted me a private roof in my opinion.
I clutched the glass door's handle. I couldn't tell who was inside; the whole interior of the greenhouse was lined with fauna. But their voice seeped through the glass and I could tell it was more than one person and they were arguing. As I jerked the door open the prickly sensation returned with vengeance, stinging like an angry wasp. "Ow," I winced, leaned heavily against the door frame and struggled to push the feeling down again. It wouldn't go away completely but ebbed a little so that it was just bearable. The voices had stopped arguing while I struggled to control my spirit awareness.
"Miyu-san, are you alright?" A smooth voice etched with masked surprise asked. I recognized that voice. We were in the same class together. He was the last person I thought I'd find here. I looked up and took in the red haired eye candy.
"Shuichi-san I..." I paused while my mind quickly registered the scene before me. Shuichi's face was usually fixed into a pleasant mask. None of the other students ever seem to notice it except me. Then again I'm more observant than most. Now however, his expression was a cool blank and there was a hard edge in his tight mouth and a sharp glint in his green eyes. Is he annoyed with me or something else? Behind him, almost concealed in the green gloom cast by the vegetation were two others. I realized too late that it hadn't been a ghost I was sensing and cursed myself for ignoring the warning signs. Really I should know better by now. Both men gave off strong demonic auras. One was a tall man with a plain face and bulky muscles that looked human enough. I focused closely on him and could just barely see through his disguise. A massive form with horns covered him like a transparent second skin, a demon in human's clothing. His demonic aura felt gluttonous and oppressive. I didn't have to focus on the other one to see that he wasn't human. His lithe form was shrouded in black cloth but my sharp eyes could trace the sinewy muscle beneath even in the bad lighting. It's was his hair and startling eyes that gave him away. Hair so black it shone blue that defied gravity and eyes that made my heart stutter. They were wide yet angled at the same time and shone bright red in the dark gloom like a jungle cat. His aura burned a lethal and consuming fire. I could sense that, despite his size, he was even more dangerous than the other.
They were staring at me. Shuichi watched me with a guarded and calculating gaze. The buff demon leered at me at licked his lips. The dark one observed me with veiled suspicion and open hostility. Under their gaze I leaned casually against the door frame and flashed a dumb, innocent smile at them, which wasn't an easy thing to do seeing as how the amount of adrenaline coursing through my body could have brought a corpse back to life. But if I ran I'd look suspicious and they might come after me. No, my safest bet is play to dumb, pretend I didn't know I was standing not three feet from two killer demons and then leave at the most opportune opportunity. Besides, I was more than a little curious of how Shuichi was involved with the likes of them.
"Kurama," the dark one's face slanted toward Shuichi. I had never heard anyone call him that. I filed that piece of information away to further evaluate it later. "You said we could speak here privately." Judging from his voice (a cool, biting baritone) he was obviously displeased.
"I'm sorry." I apologized, my tone bubbly. "I don't mean to interrupt. But it's not club hour so I wasn't expecting anyone else to be up here, least of all you Shuichi-san. I didn't take you for a rebel." I giggled and winked flirtatiously. On the outside I was all stupid smiles and oblivious eyes but I was sweating it on the inside. Are they buying it? Am I laying it on too thick? Shuichi's expression slipped into its usually friendly mask and he graced me with a pleasant smile but I noticed that there was still a sharp edge in his eyes as he flashed a warning look at his companions.
"I'm afraid being a rebel isn't really my thing Miyu-san," he laughs gently. "I was just having a quick word with my… friends."
"Oh," I looked at the two demons as if I was just noticing them. "Hi, I'm Hozuki Miyu." I say, bowing shallowly in their direction but I never take my eyes of them. They caught me off guard once but they wouldn't do it again. The dark haired one snorts in derision and turns away from me, clearly disinterested in me. It irks me and my false smile falters just a little around the edges of my lips. Pretending to be nice is going to difficult if he's going to be outright rude. The buff demon chortles, though for the life of me I can't figure out what's so funny, and eyes me with a hungry and empty look. Pretending is going to be even harder if the big one doesn't stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat. Neither introduces himself so I turn expectantly towards Shuichi.
"These are Goki and Hiei." He supplies politely, but I can sense his reluctance in giving up their names. He doesn't gesture or distinguish either one when he names them either, so I have to figure out who is who on my own. Luckily the tall one grunts boastfully when Shuichi says Goki, so it's not too difficult to deduce who is who. I'm sure I won't be forgetting their names anytime soon. "Miyu-san," I can hear the upcoming dismissal in his voice. "I know this is against school rules but I would appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone." He smiles bashfully playing the role of the guilty but well-meaning school boy masterfully.
"Don't worry I understand, I won't rat you out to the teachers or anything." I say, playing the part of the understanding school girl just as well. Then, only because I could see no other way to pry into what they're doing without raising suspicions, I say "See you in class Shuichi-san and it was interesting meeting you Goki-san, Hiei- san."
"Where are you going little girl." Goki speaks for the first time. His voice is gravely and oppressing, too loud for the enclosed greenhouse we're on. "Why don't you stay and have lunch with me." My legs tense, ready to make a break for it. His hungry leer makes suppressing my fight of flight instincts impossible. The buzzing in my skull intensifies, warning me of the upcoming danger. I won't ignore it this time. Goki takes a huge step towards me, his long arm outstretched, reaching for me. I'm out the door before his foot hits the ground, sprinting across the roof. Something sparks up behind and even as I register what it is in my mind I'm running down the stairs, through the door, across the hallway. I slow to a brisk walk once I put a few hallways between me and the three demons. Yes three demons because that sudden spark of energy I felt back there, separate from Goki's and Hiei's, was demonic and the only possible person it could have come from was Shuichi. A plan begins to take seed in my mind and I walk purposely. I wonder if I have enough time to go check the records office. I hope that lazy secretary is taking a nap.