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Off the Wall

Chapter 2: Table for Three


"Ever wonder how much a human life is worth? I guess you could say, at that moment, my life was worth a Kid's Meal."

Bewildered, horror struck eyes widened when seeing his hell forged, claw-like teeth reign down on her. She tried, albeit failingly, to wiggle out of his iron grip clasped onto the edge of her uniform collar. Her feet dangled motionlessly off the ground as her hands pressed awkwardly behind her back. She stayed in his clutches like an old, worn rag doll that was about to be torn to shreds by some oversized, malicious thing. There was an irritable humming resounding inside her head, a loud piercing hum that penetrated her brain—much like the fire alarms at her school. Her impaired vision fluctuated with the lights and colors around her. One moment she was able to see the monster, and the next moment she could only see shadows wildly moving about.

Miharu's fingers twitched violently as pure pain coursed its way through her blood. She slowly started to feel weak, her muscles unable to handle the strain in which she was putting them through. She was confused. When Gouki had instinctively grabbed her wrist, all the pain had vanished – just like it had usually done with a certain red-haired boy years ago. However, whenever she would touch someone else, nothing would happen. But now, after a few moments since the event last happened, her illness slammed down on her body like a ton of bricks. Slumber was slowly threatening to take over her, but she tried to fight it – for fear of what this monster would do to her if she allowed her narcolepsy to take her at this moment. She would try to hold on for Ichiro's sake.

Miharu could care less about dying. She had been raised to expect it, despite her condition not being particularly life-threatening. However, if she was going to die, she wanted to ensure Ichiro was safe. She grimaced as images of his limp body reeled through her mind.

This situation was odd enough. Miharu always imagined dying of old age or miraculously getting hit by bus, but she never imagined that she would be a giant monster's dinner. That wasn't exactly her preference either. Somehow, Miharu preferred being hit by a bus to being eaten alive. Yes—being hit by a bus sounded a lot more peaceful.

Weren't people supposed to replay memories in their minds when they died? Miharu certainly wasn't doing anything of the sort. She couldn't even see any light at the end of the tunnel either. All she saw was a vast oblivion of darkness – meaning the inside of this monster's mouth—and if she were to enter that oblivion, she knew she would be welcomed by churning stomach acid.

Miharu clenched her eyes tightly shut, preparing to be snapped in half by his steel-like jaws. "Do you have any last requests, human?" His baneful voice called out to her.

Miharu's nose twitched when she smelled the putrid stench of dead carcass that dripped from his mouth. "Yeah, please use a breath mint." She wiggled helplessly in his grasp as she tried to free her arms from her back that were currently pinned to a tree behind her. Miharu opened her eyes hesitantly, cowering back slightly at the sickeningly smug expression in which the demon wore. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a small fire burning within her chest. She knew very well she should have kept her mouth shut. Normal people usually would have a little voice in the back of their heads warning them of the consequences their words might have. Sadly, at this moment, Miharu didn't have one of those.

"Yeah, I have a suggestion." She struggled out valiantly. "It's called 'don't eat me."

"I don't think I will be able to take that one under consideration, little girl. Your fear is delicious." Gouki laughed wholeheartedly as he once again opened his mouth in order to swallow her whole.

Miharu's eyes widened as he carefully plucked her collar with his other hand, picking her up as he tilted his head back with his mouth opened wide. She had to think of something – anything. A smug smile spread across her lips as she asked evenly, "What, no Ketchup?"

"You are starting to get on my nerves, kid." Gouki frowned briefly, then it spread into a devilish grin when she cried out in pain after he slammed her back mightily against the rough bark behind her.

Miharu let out a strained cough and was able to get her hands free from behind her back. She looked up at Gouki and tried her best to hide the fear in her eyes. "Yeah, I have that effect on people," her voice quivered, her vision blurring slightly.

"You humans are so pathetic and tiny." Gouki sinisterly teased – oblivious to the fact that Miharu's hands were no longer pinned behind her and gravely unaware of the dangers that it implied.

Miharu felt a wave of relief shoot through her when she was able to freely move her hands after he had swung her around. She looked back up at Gouki, a dangerous glint in her eyes. A plan had slowly unfolded within her mind. It was a stupid plan – but a plan nonetheless.

"I think we are bite sized for your convenience." Miharu sarcastically commented, opening and closing her hands to relieve the pain that had been shooting through them.

Her eyes downcast to the monster's grip that was once again on her collar. She recalled the event that happened moments before when he touched her. She looked down at the charred skin now grazing his palm. She had hurt him – not critically but enough to get her a safe distance away from him. Her brow furrowed slightly as she contemplated her options. She could either try to break free once again or she could become a nice juicy meal.

She nodded resolutely, shutting her eyes tightly as she brought her hands up to touch his. "Well, here goes nothing!"

As their skin made contact with each other, Miharu winced when she heard Gouki's piercing roar that almost made her ears bleed. She wailed blatantly as she was hurled into a neighboring tree at the opposite end of the forest opening. She rolled onto her back and tried to calm her rapid breathing. Miharu sat up and blinked in bewilderment. She felt nothing—no pain what so ever. It was the exact same bolstering feeling that she had gotten when she touched Shuichi a few hours before.

She looked towards Gouki warily as he yelled at the excruciating pain coursing through him. He glared in perplexity at the large patch of chard skin now covering each wrist. "How is this even possible?! A Kyūkonki's skin is indestructible!"

Gouki stared wide eyed at the woman who was scurrying to her feet and darting away from the forest opening. He clenched his fist tightly as he leaped with inhuman strength towards the fragile girl and created a vast crater in the floor when he landed in front of her. Miharu stumbled back as the debris from the mucky earth that shot at her. She heaved up blood when Gouki's clawed feet made contact with her torso and sent her skidding, like a smooth pencil rolling on paper, across the grass.

She laid there, fear stricken, as Gouki took slow, menacing stomps towards her. However, just as Gouki was about to reach her side and smash her into the earth, a brave war cry resounded behind him. "Hey, glutton!" Gouki slowly turned at the insult in order to acknowledge the culprit's presence. But before he could fully turn around, a sharp punch greeted the side of his cheek."Eat my fist!"

Gouki staggered back two feet, glaring daggers at his attacker. There, standing protectively in front of Miharu, stood a medium framed boy in a green jumpsuit. He had greasy ebony hair that was slicked back, large enthusiastic brown eyes that accompanied his small round face, a large cocky smirk plastered on his well-tanned skin, and an over inflated ego to accompany his well-built physique.

From where Miharu could see, the boy looked genuinely shocked that his punch didn't even so much as leave a scratch on his victim. The boy took a few steps back and looked back to Miharu, quickly assessing her injuries. His blood boiled within him and he looked over the young girl who was now mangled with cuts and fresh bruises. He looked back toward the monster when he heard him start to chuckle.

Gouki let out a haughty laugh as he watched the boy in amusement. "Spirit Detective, what are you doing here? Have you come back to finally be my meal?"

The boy grinned widely from ear to ear, cracking his knuckles tauntingly in front of the monster. "No, I came back because you ran away from our little date last time. I'm hurt that you started dinner without me. Allow me to retort!"

The aforementioned spirit detective launched forward towards the monster at a splitting speed. He confidently pulled back his fist and grinned cockily when it made contact with the monster's abdominal region. His eyes widened when the monster didn't even so much as stir at the attack. Gouki carelessly raised his hand and smacked the spirit detective back.

"Well, that was uncalled for." The young boy coughed out, looking towards the girl who was groaning in agony. "Shit, I don't nearly get paid enough for this. No—wait a second. I don't get paid at all! Note to self; remind me to bring that problem up with binky breath if I get out of this alive."

The painful ringing in Miharu's head had returned. She struggled to get to her feet, but her weakened arms gave out beneath her and her face skid across the ground. Her body had started to feel drained again from physical exhaustion. She clamped her brittle fingers against her temples, as the ringing grew louder. Her vision became cloudy as she clawed the ground in order to move herself away from the battle. She tried her hardest to fight her narcolepsy, but to no avail. The world was spinning around her. The pounding fear in her head was consuming her slowly like that anticipation of waiting for a bomb to go off. Her muscles tensed tightly as an electric current of pain swallowed her whole. Her lashes fluttered closed as the world left her. Muffled war cries and agonizing screams of pain were all she heard as everything went black.

And then, the darkness claimed her.


The clank of the soles of his shoes echoed strongly off the stucco walls secluding him as he made his way down the asphalt-paved street and into the city. His anxious glare darted spritely across the path as he skidded briefly around the corner. He had one thought dominating his mind – finding the spirit detective. He had sensed his energy earlier and feared that he had already ran into trouble. He needed to reach Yusuke to discuss his ordeal. He needed to do this for this mother's sake. She was running out of time…Shuichi could feel it.

His deep crimson hair ruffled in the large gusts of wind as he skid to a halt, with the soles of his shoes breaking roughly against the pavement. He stared wildly about when he felt a sudden burst in demonic energy. He knew that energy. He let out a shaky breath as his teeth clenched tightly in animosity. "Gouki, why must you cause so much trouble?"

He quickly resumed his chase through the city while zooming by the crowded sidewalks. He stumbled occasionally as he pushed through the suffocating crowds, apologizing to whomever he accidentally knocked over in his fervent pursuit. His footsteps came to a halt when he heard the frantic murmurs down the street. His gaze narrowed in on a large crowd surrounding the shopping district. He stared curiously at the group and cautiously pushed his way through when he heard the panicked cries of the businessmen and women surrounding a body.

"What happened to him? He just collapsed out of nowhere."

"Hurry up and call an ambulance!"

"He isn't breathing!"

Shuichi froze on the spot when he caught sight of the limp, lifeless body of a ten-year-old boy clattered across the pavement. The boy's resemblance to her was unmistakable. He remembered instantly who he was and who he was related to. He remembered the bright eyed boy who would hide from him behind his sister when they were younger. Shuichi surveyed the area around him quickly, trying to find any sign of the young woman. He knew that she normally would pick up Ichiro from school after class and as careless as Miharu was, she would never allow him to wander off on his own. Shuichi cursed under his breath, trying to hopefully feel around for her energy, to no avail. He knew one thing for certain – Miharu was in trouble and as he glanced down at the limp body of Ichiro, Shuichi had a feeling that he knew just who was responsible for this incident. He clenched his fists tightly, everything reeling through his mind at an insane speed. He had to find Yusuke. That was his priority, he tried to remind himself. "But…" Shuichi looked down at Ichiro's body once more and sighed exasperatedly.

Shuichi sucked in his breath and walked toward the body, pushing past the crowd. He did not know what impelled him to do what he did in that moment. Guilt, he concluded – for what happened all those years ago. He knew that when he agreed to take on Hiei's plans that certain casualties would happen— especially when he discovered that a criminal as ruthless as Gouki was in on their plans as well, but he didn't expect something of this caliber. "Gouki will have to wait." Shuichi sighed in disdain kneeling onto the pavement, scooped the limp body of Ichiro into his arms, and ran full speed down the road while ignoring the protests of innocent bystanders.

The energy he sensed earlier belonged to Gouki, but there was another that was also unmistakable—the spirit detective. Shuichi mentally made note to track down Yusuke in order to discuss his ordeal and to return this troublesome child to the woman who seemed to be the only person invading his thoughts aside from his mother—Miharu.


Thoughts about the monster that just tried to rip her to shreds were swirling mechanically through Miharu's mind as she woke to the gentle ticking of her purple clock situated on a dark mahogany nightstand that lined the side of her bed. She tensed when her muscles pinched together painfully. It was then that she was able to process the cotton blankets mounted securely over her lush form and tucked beneath her. Her nose crinkled in disgust as she tried to wiggle out of the blanket securely placed over her.

The sweat grazing her body made her delicate bed sheets cling to her and refuse to release her. She moved uncomfortably against the firm mattress that made the soreness enveloping her muscles worse. Any other day, her mattress would have been a paradise—with its sturdy plush top and ability to adjust itself to fit a person's exact form—but not today. No—today Miharu's muscles needed a break from the firm cushion beneath her.

Miharu was then able to process a strangely familiar rose smell that inhabited the room, causing her to stir uncomfortably. Although her room never smelled of roses, she knew this scent. As she curiously opened one eye, and then the other, she couldn't help but notice the shadowy outline of her room. Her hands involuntarily clamped against the sides of her scalp as she tried to sit up.

"Ugh…" Miharu grunted as she propped her body up on her elbows with difficulty. She squinted at the shadow shuffling unsteadily beside her. Her impaired vision slowly cleared only to reveal the upright body of Minamino Shuichi sitting on a purple cushioned chair to the right of the bed. His brow furrowed as he tore his gaze from the large book in his hands and directed it towards Miharu.

"It is nice to see you are finally awake," his voice took on a reprimanding tone as he shot Miharu a forced, but pleasant smile.

Miharu stared blankly at Shuichi before she curtly replied, "This is it. I have found it. I'm in hell." She coughed heavily as she lazily slid her legs off the edge of the bed. "I mean, why else would you be here? This is obviously God's punishment for me. An eternity of staring at the face of the man I despise the most—how lovely."

Miharu's taunting smirk fell when she noticed Shuichi's attention seemed elsewhere. He slouched back in the chair slightly, placing the book neatly back into the shelf that was situated next to the chair. Miharu noted the way his hands lingered on the spine as he examined the rest of the books, his eyes glazed over in a slight daze.

"W-what?" Miharu asked coarsely, tilting her head to the side.

Shuichi hummed, being brought out of his thoughts and plucked a plush doll of an anime character from the book shelf and examined it. "Nothing, really." He leaned back in the chair once again, tossing the plush towards Miharu, who caught it effortlessly. "It is nostalgic, being here." He paused, looking about the room with a small smile grazing his features. His attention turned to Miharu, who had stiffened at his words. "I still believe it reflects the room of an otaku. It's nice to see that you are still such a Hikkikomori*." Shuichi smiled sweetly, chuckling when the stuffed anime plush was thrown back at his torso roughly. (*a person who is socially withdrawn for long periods at a time)

His chuckling died down softly and his expression became serious. "Miharu—"

"Shut it, Minamino." Miharu hissed, placing her hands over her ears, failing to notice the slight stiffening in Shuichi's posture by being called with such unfamiliarity. Miharu didn't need to hear this – not here and not now.

She stopped suddenly, noticing the soft cloth that brushed against her ears when she placed her fingers against them. She blinked curiously, bringing her hands down in front of her to notice that her hands had been covered with white cotton gloves. Miharu's eyes widened a fraction, her mouth parting slightly as she looked up at Shuichi. "Who—"

"I figured that it would make you more comfortable – especially being around me," Shuichi interrupted. His expression darkened slightly and became dazed as if he was having some mental battle against himself.

Internally, Shuichi was battling against the decision of whether or not to tell Miharu about her abilities, seeing as the girl knew since a really young age that she had abilities, however, she never knew much about them – other than the fact that physical touch with himself would cause a reaction. Shuichi had a hunch that her abilities reacted with demonic energy, however recent reports from Yusuke seeing the way her powers acted around Gouki confirmed that theory. Miharu hadn't said anything about the incident yet, but Shuichi was sure she was already beginning to wonder why her powers acted in a similar way with Gouki that they did with him. And telling Miharu why would mean that Shuichi had to tell her that he was both the human Minamino Shuichi and the demon Youko Kurama…and he wasn't prepared for that yet.

Miharu studied Shuichi's expression silently, noticing how it looked like he wanted badly to tell her something but couldn't find the courage to do so. She looked down again at her hands and clenched them tightly. Thoughts swirled wildly throughout her head. Why was he being so confusing? One moment he is ignoring her existence and the next he is being nice to her? Miharu's eyes narrowed and she felt something boil within her. "I don't need your help," Miharu seethed, causing Shuichi to snap out of his daze.

"Pardon?"

"I said…" Miharu looked at Shuichi, anger swirling behind grey eyes despite the indifference in her face. "…I don't need your help." She looked down and glared at her bed sheets. "We can't go back to how things were before." Her expression grew void of emotion, as if she weren't really there but lost somewhere in the memories within her mind. "That's somebody else's slideshow."

Shuichi's jaw set tightly, his expression becoming stoic. He leaned forward slowly, causing Miharu to flinch back and rested his hand on the side of the bed, trapping Miharu between his arm and the wall on her other side. "Miharu…I wish to speak about what happened that time…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Miharu scooted further away from him, refusing for her eyes to meet his own but being drawn to them nonetheless.

Shuichi's expression kept a chilling nonchalance, with emerald orbs clashing forcefully with steel grey. "You can't avoid the topic forever, you know this, don't you?"

Before Miharu could open her mouth and calmly retort, the door smoothly creaked open to reveal Ichiro walking in with a grumpy Yusuke in tow. Yusuke stopped briefly, examining the couple before him who were mere inches away from each other. He turned to Shuichi, who had leaned in particularly close to Miharu, with one had on the side of the bed, as if caging her in. He noted the way the tense air around them had dissipated into an uncomfortable silence, neither looking at the other directly but lost in their own thoughts. Yusuke removed his gaze and focused on Miharu, shrugging the situation off for a later time.

"Damn, you have been out for four days and you still look like hammered shit," the boy placidly replied as he let out a groggy yawn.

"Yusuke, must you be so blunt?" Shuichi reprimanded hastily, wanting to avoid Miharu lashing out at the insult. She was already peeved enough at it is from his recent confrontation with her.

"Sorry, sorry. I meant to say you look like regular shit." Yusuke grinned toothily as he walked over to the bedside with Ichiro.

When Miharu spotted Ichiro, the scowl on her face vanished. She shot up instantly, ignoring the excruciating tightness of every single muscle in her body. She tried to push away the slumber that once again took over. Miharu legs wobbled beneath her as she reached her younger brother, pushing past Shuichi who had drawn back when Yusuke came into the room. Ichiro shrunk back at Miharu's demanding touch that hesitantly hovered over the skin of his cheeks, never fully making contact. Miharu examined the boy briefly – half expecting him to be dead.

Her brow creased confusedly, "How can this be? He didn't have a pulse before." She directed her glare to the boy standing a little ways off from her bed—Yusuke. She remembered him. "But if he is here, then it wasn't a dream." She was called out of her thoughts when Ichiro slowly brought a glass of water to her lips, in which she gratefully accepted.

"Actually…" Ichiro spoke, climbing onto the bed after shooting his sister a questioning look, wondering why she was looking so concerned for him. "…I think Onee-chan looks pretty good for someone who tripped over a potato."

Shuichi blinked once. He blinked again bewilderedly, raising a quizzical brow at the pathetic story. He patiently replied, "She was unconscious for four days and that is the most reasonable scenario you could create to tell Ichiro?" Shuichi sighed. Ichiro hadn't remembered anything about Gouki taking his soul, and in order to avoid telling him about what really happened to his sister, Shuichi decided to leave the story making up to Yusuke…regrettably.

Yusuke raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I don't make the best discussions when I am under pressure, okay?!"

"Yusuke, you could have at least—"

"Ladies, ladies, you are both very pretty." Miharu interrupted their tiny argument, her head ringing with the recent noise. "Now… would anyone mind telling me how the hell you both got into my house?"

She was growing impatient. She wasn't pleased with the fact that Shuichi was in her room, let alone a stranger. Too many things were going on through her head and she did not have the patience to put up with this constant bickering. Miharu's foot tapped fiercely against the dark ash wood tiling against the floor as her arms expectantly crossed in front of her small chest.

Yusuke, as always, was the first to speak. He was starting to become infuriated because of her attitude. He sarcastically replied, "Well, there is this lovely invention called a door knob. You should try it sometime."

He smirked victoriously when he caught her heated glare boring into him. Shuichi, who was now cautiously standing by Yusuke's side, shook his head disappointedly. He inwardly knew this was not going to end well. Yusuke's temper would ruin his carefully laid out plan once it was put into play and Miharu's narrow-mindedness would ruin his attempts in carrying out the plan. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. To think he had to deal with this just after being pardoned from spirit world that same morning for his 'reasonable behavior.' He thought after he had saved his mother, that everything would be peaceful. That was until these two were put in the same room together.

Yusuke grumbled under his breath when Shuichi nudged his side. "Yusuke, perhaps you should try coming on a little less strong. Remember, we are guests and lucky to be welcomed in the Etsuko residence," Shuichi calmly replied while ignoring Miharu's grumpy 'neither of you are welcome in my house, baka.'

"Okay, okay." Yusuke swatted Shuichi's elbow away. "We are here because it's not like I could have taken you over to my house anyway. If Keiko were to see a girl lying unconscious in my bed, she would murder me slowly, dance on my grave, and then go bury you alive out in the forest or something. So, in order to live another day, I had to come up with another plan. At first, I was just going to dump your sorry ass out in a dumpster or something so I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore. Lucky for you, I met Kur—I mean Shuichi—along the way and also your brother, who was with him at the time, and who led us here."

"I see that this is about to get down and dirty." Ichiro laughed nervously as he sensed the murderous aura that Miharu was emitting. He slowly slid off the bed and inched towards the door. "I'll just be waiting down stairs with Botan. Oh and Yusuke…" Ichiro patted Yusuke's forearm. "…good luck." And with that he darted out the door.

"Wait…Botan? There are more of you?!" Miharu furiously yelled. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before she pinched her nose in frustration. "You know what—I don't even want to know."

Miharu, using the furniture surrounding her, moved towards the door. Shuichi subconsciously moved closer to Miharu, who flinched at the sudden action. Shuichi frowned and cautiously moved behind Yusuke, letting the spirit detective move toward her should she fall.

Truth be told, the only reason him and Yusuke had stayed around these four days at Miharu's place was to see if she could recall any of the events that had taken place or if her memory would have erased like Ichiro's did. Also, he had felt guilty for the events that had happened. Perhaps if he had told Miharu about demons before, this could have been avoided and something could have been done about her lack of control over her abilities.

He hadn't anticipated that she would have ever come into contact with the supernatural – especially since they had broken off all contact with each other since she had transferred back. Shuichi didn't think it was necessary to add onto the damage of old wounds. He had tried to stay away from her when she had come back – to avoid situations like this specifically. However, because of their previous closeness and the fact that he knew just how to handle her condition, he would instinctively end up trying to get close to her – much to Miharu's dismay.

Shuichi looked over the young girl, examining the way her features fell into a disinterested expression. His brow furrowed slightly. The woman before him definitely wasn't the same girl he had befriended years before, and Shuichi couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

Miharu's eyes narrowed when she caught Shuichi's stare. She shuddered slightly, ignoring the feeling she was getting of his energy being pulled toward her being. Miharu shrugged the feeling off and quietly closed the door in front of her. "Now…" she started. "…would you two like to tell me what the hell that thing was that attacked me back there? And don't give me that 'It Was a Very Large Guy in a Costume' crap either, because if that was a mask on that monster, he must have used a hell of a lot of super glue!"

"Hey, stumpy, no need to get your balls in a knot." Yusuke held his hand up complacently before him. "I think you should calm down and make your guests here feel a little more at home before you go demanding explanations left and right."

"Oh, I am sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" Miharu spat, feigning hurt. "I was just attacked by a nine foot crimson hulk and then wake up, four days later, to see strangers in my home, but may I interest you in a drink?"

Yusuke nervously backed up against the doorframe as Miharu walked towards him with each step. "Okay, point taken. I can do without the sarcasm, you know?"

Miharu shivered when Shuichi gently clasped his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to hold her back. Almost instinctively, she moved out of his grasp and slapped his hand away, fear swirling behind grey eyes. Shuichi let his hand drop to his side and mumbled an apology. Yusuke watched the exchanged with a look of curiosity once the room fell silent. However, his attention was diverted when Miharu's legs began to buckle beneath her. Yusuke moved forward quickly, grabbing her waist to keep her steady, only for her to push him back suddenly. However, before she could fall back again, Yusuke grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her to his chest, with his other hand on the small of her back to keep her steady. Miharu glanced down at his hand on her bare wrist confusedly. "Nothing happened. Then why can't I touch Minamino? Or that thing?"

"Oi…" Yusuke began irately, looking down at the girl in his arms. "Does that always happen? What's wrong with you anyway?" He inquired.

"It is a condition called narcolepsy." Shuichi spoke before Miharu could open her mouth.

"Narco—what now?"

"Narcolepsy." Shuichi repeated, ignoring the glare he was receiving from Miharu. "It's a chronic neurological disorder that affects that part of the brain that is responsible for regulating sleep. It is usually followed by cataplexy, or sudden muscle weakness, that is usually brought on by strong emotions, physical strain, or other factors." Shuichi sighed after seeing Yusuke's confused expression. "To put it simply, Miharu has sudden drowsiness or sleep attacks and at times her muscles can give out."

"Whoa. That's sounds tough," Yusuke said, picking up Miharu and gently placing her back on the bed. "How long has it been going on? And is there any cure for it?"

"It really didn't affect me when I was younger." Miharu's eyes caught Shuichi's, who smiled at the thoughts slowly coursing through his head. "Lately, though, it's been gradually getting worse. And it can be treated with medicine – as far as I know." Miharu stopped suddenly. "That's not the issue right now. Are you two going to tell me what the hell that things was that attacked me back there or not?"

The room fell into an eerie silence.

"Koenma won't be pleased," Shuichi started, turning towards Yusuke who scratched his head in thought.

"And Botan will be all over our asses too," Yusuke put in. "And I really don't need another lecture from her." Yusuke grimaced.

"However, I think she deserves to know," Shuichi interjected, turning towards Miharu." She should know what he was at least. No more than that. Whether she chooses to believe us or not is her own decision."

Shuichi glanced down at her gloved hands and nodded to himself decisively. He knew it was pointless to keep the knowledge of other worlds hidden from her when she had a psychic ability shecouldn't control. Part of him also wanted her to know because he felt like it was only right to tell her – especially after he had befriended her for so long, despite their now rocky relationship. Or perhaps part of it was to just make himself feel less guilty for keeping something from her for so long. No matter the reason, he knew that she just had to be informed of the reality of the world they lived in.

"Besides," Shuichi continued, as his expression darkened. "Miharu isn't one to give in so easily even if we do keep the truth from her. There is no convincing her otherwise, Yusuke."

"Okay, okay," Yusuke threw his hands up in defeat. "Care to do the honors?"

"Very well," Shuichi sighed disdainfully, sitting on the edge of the bed close to Miharu, unsure of how to begin.

Miharu fiddled with the hem of her skirt nervously, noting how serious Shuichi had become. She listened expectantly to Shuichi, who kept a cautious distance from her before he continued. "I understand that you must be startled from this week's…questionable events," Shuichi paused when Miharu interrupted.

"Like hell I am," Miharu snorted.

She fell silent when she caught Shuichi's sharp glare, indicating that he didn't take too kindly to people interrupting him.

"Sorry," she murmured, "continue."

"Yes, well, not everything is as it seems, Miharu. Please, tell me, do you believe in a life beyond this one?" Shuichi said carefully, watching the way Miharu shifted uncomfortably.

"Please, I stuck my bible where the sun doesn't shine years ago." Miharu looked up suspiciously. "Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like what you are about to tell me?"

"Just listen," Yusuke let out an irate growl, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Shuichi situated his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together before continuing. "You see, Miharu. Initially, there are three planes of existence: the Makai, the Reikai, and the Ningenkai- the one in which we inhabit—the human world. Gouki, the man that attacked you, was from the Makai—the demon world," Shuichi paused briefly in order to take in Miharu's reaction.

Miharu's brow furrowed in thought as she tried to process what she was being told. "So what you are telling me is that this Gouki is a demon?" Miharu questioned urgently.

Shuichi nodded briefly in confirmation. "He was a Kyūkonki, or spirit-devouring demon, to be exact. He was involved in a prison break and, after acquiring certain objects from the Reikai, he escaped, along with others in which I will refrain from naming, to the human world. His preferences for souls were small children—hence the reason why your brother had collapsed. Luckily, Ichiro doesn't remember anything before his soul was taken."

"Wait, wait." Miharu sat flabbergasted as she held her hands up comically in front of her. "You said he was a Kyūkonki. Does that mean he is dead?"

"Yep, dead as a door nail," Yusuke stated haughtily. "I killed him and freed your brother's soul. I forcibly work for spirit world as a Reikai Tantei—a spirit detective. I am assigned to handle this stuff."

An unsettling silence engulfed the room for a few moments.

Miharu cleared her throat and stood up lazily to stretch. "Congratulations. You just managed to make me a more open-minded person and a more judgmental person at the exact same time," Miharu replied in monotone as she sat up and left the room in order to keep the last bit of sanity she had.

Yusuke gaped in disbelief, watching as the girl yawned idly. "You were just told about demons and this is your reaction?"

Ignoring Yusuke, Miharu whispered into her closed hands that were cupped together. "Go on," she said wistfully, opening her hands towards the sky. "You're free."

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm letting my last fuck go. Now I have nothing." Miharu looked at Yusuke blankly.

Yusuke fumed, about to snap until Shuichi put a hand on his shoulder, watching the girl retreat out of the room. "Though she may not look like it, Yusuke, she is shocked. This is just how she handles it. You will learn with time."

Yusuke shrugged Shuichi's hand off his shoulder. "You better be right, fox-boy."

And he was. Not only was Miharu in shock, she was absolutely livid. It wasn't because Shuichi told her about the supernatural, it was because he knew and kept it from her until now. Part of Miharu insisted that she didn't care, but another part of her was pained – she knew they were not on good terms right now, but they used to be. Miharu couldn't help but wonder if he had known then. She looked down at her gloved hands and sighed. Of course he knew. He had to have known. After all, he was the one who told her she had abilities.

She shook off the feeling that was beginning to swell within her chest and continued walking down the hall to find her brother. "It's not like it matters anymore anyway."


Botan rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she examined the picture on the mahogany television stand. She squinted, perplexed, when she spotted the couple hugging a ten-year-old Miharu and a five-year-old Ichiro. The man was broad shouldered, tall, well built, and dressed in the formal attire of a businessman. He had narrow, aristocratic brown eyes, darkly tanned skin, choppy slicked back chestnut-brown hair, and a scruffy beard dominating his handsome features. Botan could surely tell that Ichiro and Miharu were this man's children. However, Botan could not pin point the relationship of the middle-aged woman in the picture.

By the man's side was a woman that held no resemblance to the children except for their differences from traditional Japanese characteristics. She had a small, petite frame, large owl-like grey eyes, pale skin, and long blonde hair grazing her foreign features. The woman looked European more than anything, but for some reason she seemed oddly familiar. They both did. Botan grunted, slightly frustrated. "Where have I seen their faces before?"

She was called out of her thoughts when she heard Ichiro's informative voice, "That's our dad. He owns an engineering business that's suddenly boomed in the last few years. Right now, he is away on a business trip, working on a project. Hopefully, he won't return soon to find out Miharu was attacked. Good thing she woke up, dad was starting to get suspicious about me calling for daily check-ins."

Botan whipped around. "I thought you didn't remember anything?!" she yelled, examining the boy who looked at her with a straight face.

Ichiro cocked an eyebrow. "You really think I'd believe Miharu tripped over a potato? I'm young, not stupid." His expression turned serious. "I'm sure you all have your reasons for not wanting me to know." He looked back up toward the picture, eyes narrowing in on the couple holding them. "I'm used to people hiding things from me."

Botan didn't catch his meaning. She looked back at the photo and pointed toward the woman. "Is that your mother?"

A ghost of a smile spread across Ichiro's face. "Un." He agreed. "She originally created the company…"—he hesitated—"…but things happened, and all ownership belongs to my dad now."

Botan misunderstood his words and raised a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"She's not dead!" Ichiro quickly corrected, blushing at his sudden outburst. He turned away from the photo, walking toward the hallway. "She's just not welcome here anymore—which is good. We don't need that woman."

He took a calming breath and turned around, plastering on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We also have a really neat dog! She should be around here somewhere." He stopped suddenly hearing scuffling down that hall. "I think she's coming. Right there!" Ichiro pointed at the door way to see Miharu walking in with a tired expression.

Miharu stopped. "What?"

Ichiro's finger deflated. "Oh…heh…" Ichiro scratched the back of his head. "That's my sister. Not my dog. I mean, they're both bitches, but the dog doesn't have a choice—Itai!" Ichiro yelled as a book his the side of his head with great accuracy.

"Shut it, you little crotch spawn." Miharu gritted her teach, stopping when she stopped another guest.

Botan gleefully skipped up to Miharu, taking her hands into her own. "My name's Botan. It's so nice to see that you are alright. When Yusuke and I found you out in the forest with Gouki you looked pretty roughed up."

Miharu groaned, forcing her hands out of Botan's grasp. "Don't tell me you are in on this demon prank too?" she asked just as the boys stepped into the living room.

Botan's aura grew dark as she looked over at Yusuke and wailed. "Demon prank?! You told her?! Koenma is going to kill us!"

"Look, it's not like I had a choice, okay?!" Yusuke yelled back, causing Botan to shrink slightly. "Besides, I think the first thought that would have gone through her mind when she woke up was, 'what the hell was that monster that attacked me?"

"Actually," Miharu pointed out apathetically, "the first thought that went through my mind when I woke up was, 'please, tell me no one made out with me."

Yusuke seemed taken aback by the accusation. He huffed irately as he pointed a dainty finger at her relatively flat chest. "No offense, girly, but I like my women with something on them. You have the body of a wooden plank."

Ichiro broke out into a loud laughter, bending over slightly. Miharu crossed her arms over her chest and blushed a dark crimson red, her eyebrow twitching slightly. Shuichi blinked a few times and then bit his thumb in order to stifle a laugh. Miharu whipped around to glare daggers at him, blushing even more.

Botan was the first to retort. "Yusuke!" she yelled.

"What? I want her to know that we are on a strict Hero and Damsel in Distress basis!" Yusuke yelled defensively.

Miharu grunted and pointed a finger at his pants. "Have you ever thought, douche bag, that maybe your dick wouldn't be so small if you hadn't shoved three fourths of it into your personality?"

The room was quiet for a moment. Then Ichiro curled over wailing, Botan blushed deeply, and Shuichi broke into a small laughter.

Miharu laughed humorlessly at Yusuke's slacked jaw. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something to offend you? Good. I'll be sure to say it again sometime."

Yusuke glared. "I hate you."

"I'll get over it."

"You know, Etsuko-san, Yusuke may be insolent, rude, stupid, and a complete scoundrel, but he would never violate any girl aside from Keiko." Botan intruded while ignoring Yusuke's confident, 'That's right! Wait, what?'

"Well, I'll be damned. You must be a real gentleman, Yusuke. I bet you also take the dishes out of the sink before you decide to pee in it," Miharu boldly remarked.

She opened the door and gestured the group out. "Now, if you wouldn't mind…"

Yusuke was first to retreat out the door, deciding to keep this mouth shut – much to everyone's amazement. This girl reminded him of Keiko at times—he just couldn't win. He retreated down the walkway muttering insults under his breath. Botan ruffled Ichiro's hair and shortly followed Yusuke. She had been there long enough to gather any necessary information of the Etsuko family. Now, she had to go back to spirit world and do a little more investigating. Shuichi was the last to leave, hesitating slightly at the door. He looked as if he wanted to tell something to Miharu, but decided against it and shook his head. He moved silently about to walk out the door until long, gloved fingers gripped his sleeve. He looked up to the girl who was slightly taller than him. "Miharu?" he inquired gently.

Miharu glared at the floor, cursing under her breath at her impulsive movement. "Um…" she looked towards Shuichi. "How long had you known?" About demons, Miharu implied.

Shuichi looked hesitant. He locked his gaze with Miharu and replied sincerely, "I have always known." He stiffened when he caught a millisecond emotion of hurt flash across Miharu's face. "Miharu, there are reasons—"

Miharu lifted up her hand to stop him. "No need. I don't really care," she said, unconvincingly. She looked at the road, almost in a daze. "I suppose we all have our secrets." Striking grey eyes looked over at Shuichi who blinked.

"What does she mean?"

Miharu stoically waved toward Botan, who excitedly waved back. She turned to Shuichi with a sense of finality. "Take care…" She stopped, realizing her words. "…and by that I mean, I hope you get struck by a bus." She added quickly, grumbling under her breath.

Shuichi smirked amusedly. "I'm glad the feeling is mutual."

Miharu watched him retreat down the walk way. She cupped her head in her hands and sighed, a feeling of guilt slightly wallowing in her chest. She looked down at the gloves on her hands and called out suddenly. "Minamino."

Shuichi stiffened again, still not used to hearing her address him with such unfamiliarity. He looked over his shoulder, tilting his head curiously. "Yes?"

Miharu lifted a gloved hand and pointed at it. "Thanks." She scratched the back of her head slightly. "And, uh, thanks for bringing Ichiro back."

Her words left the whole group in an awkward silence.

Yusuke was the first to break the silence with his heated outburst. "What the hell!? I saved your sorry ass, and you thank him!"

"Welcome to life and its disappointments, you little shit." Miharu deadpanned. "See you at school tomorrow, Minamino." And with that, she shut the door.

"Why that ungrateful little—" Yusuke clutched his hands together tightly, pretending that the girl's neck was in-between them.

Shuichi let out a soft chuckle as he placed a reassuring hand on Yusuke's shoulder.

"Don't fret, Yusuke. She is really nice, in her own way, once you get to know her."

Yusuke dusted Shuichi's hand off his shoulder as they stumbled down the road. He scoffed, "Riiight. I think that is code for 'she's a bitch, but you'll get used to her."

"Precisely."

They walked in silence for a few moments, Yusuke glancing at Shuichi who now seemed to have a troubled expression. Yusuke recalled the events in the room and noted the way they talked with a certain familiarity. He placed his arms behind his head and looked up at the sky. "So…she like an ex or something?"

Shuichi nearly tripped over his own two feet. He gaped up at Yusuke and quickly regained his composure. He chuckled humorlessly. "I guess it's understandable to assume it's something like that. However, it's not – not even in the slightest." Shuichi looked down the road, curling into himself to be left in his own thoughts. "I suppose you could say we were friends, if even you wanted to consider us as that. We were just children, in need of another's company."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow curiously. "What happened?"

Shuichi's eyes grew dim suddenly as he brushed past Yusuke. Yusuke stared at his retreating figure until he heard Shuichi speak in the faintest whisper.

"We grew up."


A/N: Oh, a terrible cliff hanger. I am so NOT sorry. I hope you enjoy what I have in store for this fan fiction. Please support my other newly published work titled, Beyond the Boundary. It is a interesting KuramaxDemonOC and has a more serious tone to it.