Name: Ayame Kentayama

Age: 19( same as Kurama's human self)

Race: Human

Looks: black hair down to the middle of her back, tall (same height as Kurama)

Eye Color: Blue

Her Story: She grew up with "Shuichi Minamino" and has known him since elementary school. When they were both 10 years old, around the time Kurama became aware of him being a fox demon, she cut off ties with him because of him breaking a promise to never hold secrets from each other. They hadn't seen each other since. Part 1 will be in Kurama's POV as he and the rest of Team Urameshi walk around Human World in search of something to do. Stay tuned to see what happens

The Childhood Friend of Kurama Part 1: Meeting Again After 9 Years

Since Yusuke was no longer Spirit Detective, the rest of us had more time to do whatever we wished since we weren't part of a team anymore. We all still got together once in a while since we've known each other for so long. Kuwabara, Keiko, and I have all gotten through high school while Yusuke managed to obtain a GED. It's been a year since Yusuke came back from Demon World, and we were all pleased to have him back. Hiei, who I've stayed in touch with, plans to permanently stay in Human World once replacements for the patrol units arrived in Demon World. Currently, we were walking around Human World in search of something to do.

"Ah, what a day. Imagine if we were still working with Urameshi. We'd all be on a mission right now."

Yusuke placed his hands in his pants pockets and sighed.

"Yeah ,Kuwabara. Working with an organization that banished me just because my ancestor is a Mazaku. Just because my ancestor was a demon and I have his blood running through my veins doesn't mean I'm a threat to Spirit or Human World. King Yama's just paranoid."

Keiko smiled and linked arms with Yusuke.

"I'm sure if Koenma needed you, he'd recruit you and the others in a flash. He hasn't found anyone to replace him, right Kurama?"

I shook my head and smiled.

"Last time I spoke with Koenma, he said he hasn't found a replacement yet because 'no one could take care of the job like Yusuke and his team'. I'm sure if he was ruler, he'd hire Yusuke back."

Kuwabara stopped at a frozen lemonade cart and bought some for all four of us. As we enjoyed our treats, Kuwabara looked at me.

"What is it, Kuwabara?"

"Hard to believe Urameshi came back a year ago, huh?"

"Yes, time does fly."

"Sure does. Hard to believe it's been 9 months since Genkai died, too. At least Urameshi was able to be there to say goodbye."

I nodded in agreement and silently enjoyed my frozen lemonade. 3 months after Yusuke came back, Genkai had fallen ill and passed away with all of us present. As Genkai stated, her temple and surrounding property became ours to enjoy as long as we didn't change it in any way. Her death had been hard on Yusuke and the rest of us, but she would be remembered as the woman who taught Yusuke everything she knew. I stopped suddenly as a familiar scent came to my nose. Yusuke raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

"What's up, Kurama? Sense a demon around here?"

"Besides you and me, no. Just...a familiar scent."

"Shuichi Minamino."

I flinched slightly as I heard the voice I hadn't heard in 9 years.

"Ayame, it's been a while."

Ayame Kentayama was a former friend of mine. We attended elementary school together, but stopped being friends at the age of 10, around the time I became aware of my identity as a demon. We had made promises to each other that we wouldn't hold back any secrets from each other. She became aware I was hiding something and wouldn't tell her, so she broke off ties with me saying until I could find the courage to tell the truth, she didn't want to see my promise breaking face again. From that time to this, we hadn't been in touch at all. Her black hair had now reached the middle of her back, and her blue eyes became a deeper color, like a deep ocean. She apparently had hit a growth spurt because she was now just inches shy of my height.

"It certainly has been a while."

I chuckled weakly and looked at the others.

"Guys, give us a minute."

"Yeah, man."

After they went to sit on a bench nearby, I turned back around to face Ayame. Her eyes were now narrowed and her arms were crossed.

"I see you made some new friends, Shuichi. They seem...nice."

"They definitely grew on me."

"Why do I get the feeling they know your secret? From how you all looked together, you seemed pretty close."

She always had been observant, even when we were children together. I couldn't answer her, and she took my silence as an answer.

"9 years and you haven't changed a bit, Shuichi."

"Ayame, I want to tell you. It's just-"

"It's just that you can't or that I wouldn't understand. We were friends, Shuichi, best friends, and you forced my hand because you couldn't keep a promise we made to each other."

I could see Yusuke looking at us from the corner of my eye, and I was getting a feeling he could hear everything we were saying. I looked back at Ayame and my eyes widened slightly as I saw small tears forming in her eyes.

"Why couldn't you have just kept your promise, Shuichi? We may have been children, but it meant something to me."

"I understand you feel hurt and betrayed, Ayame, but I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to."

"So you're saying you really don't want to tell me?"

I sighed in frustration and shook my head.

"I'm saying that...I'd like to tell you, but I can't."

"Fine."

She quickly wiped her tears and hurried off without saying another word. When the others got up to me, Yusuke raised an eyebrow.

"You knew her, Kurama? She's a looker."

Kuwabara nodded in agreement and smiled after Ayame.

"Yeah. I can't believe you guys stopped being friends. Think it'll...you know, get better?"

"Until I'm able to tell her of what I really am, I doubt it will anytime soon."

Keiko sighed and put a hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Kurama. Eventually, she'll see it's just a silly, little grudge."

"You don't know her like I do, Keiko. When she holds a grudge against someone that did her wrong, she sticks to it until the other gives in and apologizes. She's been like that ever since we were children."

After our lemonades were finished, we continued walking through Human World. The whole time, I kept thinking of the tears I saw in Ayame's eyes. That was the same look she gave me when she said she didn't want to be my friend anymore. It pained me to see that look in her eyes, but I couldn't tell her the truth because of the trouble she would be in. Enemies of mine and Team Urameshi's would see her as a weakness of mine and use her to their advantage to get something from me. The last thing I wanted was to have her destroyed because of me.

That's a wrap for part 1. Part 2 will begin in Ayame's POV as she enjoys a quiet afternoon in a park near Yusuke's neighborhood. Also in part 2, Kurama learns from Hiei, who just returned from Demon World, that Shiori, Kurama's mother, invited Ayame over. Stay tuned to see what happens