Koenma scowled lightly at being pushed off the couch. He glowered at his cousin. "Do you absolutely have to do that?" he asked, hands resting on the carpet.
"Do you absolutely have to lounge about all day?" Botan mimicked his manner, eyes twinkling in amusement. "You're impossible." On the side note he was also strangely endearing. But that had more to do with Botan being odd rather than any real quality of Koenma's.
"And proud of it," the young man declared, sitting up and taking the mugs from Botan's hands. He disappeared in the kitchen, leaving a chuckle in his wake and a smiling cousin.
Hearing the tap run, Botan went to grab her purse. "I'm off now!" she called, putting a pair of flats on. Koenma would have to take care of his own breakfast today. She had to get to school really fast if she was to avoid what looked to be a veritable oncoming storm. Plucking the keys off the counter, she was out the door before her cousin came out of the kitchen.
Vast expanses of gray clouds blanketed the sky heavily. Their dark, ominous presence could mean only one thing to Botan's mind. If she lounged, she'd be caught in the downpour that was sure to follow. And the umbrella she carried in her purse was a flimsy, little thing that would most likely not be of any real help. Such was the case with these umbrellas nowadays. Botan dared another look heavenwards and frowned lightly. Concentrated as she was on the clouds, she failed to notice the red light or hear the rather loud sound of a running car heading straight for her.
Thankfully, a thoughtful person reacted before anything unpleasant could happen. Botan gasped as she felt herself being pulled back, and then her eyes finally saw the red light. Breathing out in relief, she turned to thank however it was that pulled her back. To her utter surprise she came face to face with a familiar redhead she'd me not too long ago. "Minamino-san!" she exclaimed, a pleasant smile sliding on her face.
"Yamamoto-san," Kurama replied. "Best be careful," he cautioned with a soft smile of his own. Discreetly he took the time to study his younger brother's teacher.
"I think, that given the circumstances, you might as well not be so very formal, Minamino-san." Botan, having a rather paltry experience with the opposite gender, was hoping she had made the right decision.
"In that case you should call me Kurama," he offered as they crossed the street.
Confusion lasted only a moment for Botan. Of course he'd have some sort of nickname considering his brother had the same name as him. "Kurama-kun it is then." Botan breathed in deeply. "Are you heading in for work?"
"That's one way of putting it," Kurama said. "Do you know that dojo, close to the school?" He waited for her nod before continuing. "Well, that's where I'm heading."
"Oh, so you practice?" Botan supposed she should have been surprised but she wasn't really. "That's nice." And it was, because some people actually had the discipline to do something like that. As far as she was concerned, Botan had no such quality. Thus she practiced no sport whatsoever.
Small talk was made until they reached the school. At that point, Kurama took his leave of Botan and continued on his way to the dojo, presumably to get started on his routine. Alone once again, Botan entered through the main couple of doors. She made for the lounge with not much a thought to her current mien.
Ogawa Ran, one of her colleagues, was already there. A stack of papers stood on the table to her right. She raised her head when Botan entered. "I know that smile. What's with the smile?"
"Ran-san," Botan protested lightly, her cheeks flushing. "There is no smile." And she forced her mouth in a straight line. "See?" Ran could be tiresome when she set her mind to it and Botan was not in the mood for such things this early in the morning. Her pupils would take at least fifteen more minutes to arrive and she really needed to start marking those tests she'd given them.
"Fine, fine, keep your secrets," Ran said, slapping a hand to her thigh. "See if I ever share any of mine with you again." There was no real anger to her words. She smiled at Botan in a way that said she already knew everything. "You'll tell me eventually."
Sure enough, Botan would tell her eventually. "When pigs fly, Ran-san." It was just that she wasn't about to admit to it. Besides there was nothing to tell, there was nothing of importance which she could share with her friend. Nothing had happened in truth.
They sat in companionable silence, each doing what was needed to prepare for their classes. Botan marked a few mistakes on the paper in her hands and shook her head lightly. Her children ought to have paid more attention when she'd explained these problems to them in class. When she reached Susumu's work, Botan heaved a loud sight.
"Problem?" Ran questioned, looking up from her own stack of papers.
"One of my children," Botan confirmed. She didn't go into detail. In any event, Susumu's mother would be meeting her later in the evening and they could discuss her son's behaviour together. "I swear that sometimes I don't know what to do."
"Take it as it comes," the other female suggested with her customary smirk. "You worry too much."
"And you don't worry enough," the blue haired teacher answered.
"What would be the point?" Ran had always been the more relaxed on the two. "I would only get wrinkles as rewards and I rather like my skin." Consequently she was the one who found the fun side to any situation, oftentimes convincing Botan to go along with her.
"Yes, it would be a catastrophe if you were to get a few wrinkles," Botan joked. "I'd be heartbroken. Oh, please, Ran-san, do never worry."
"My, my. You're a brazen one, aren't you?" Ran rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to the sheet of paper she was holding. "I ought to remember you have a sharp tongue, despite that innocent face of yours."
.
.
.
Shizuru gave her son a dirty look. "Do you mind telling me what you've done this time, young man?" she hissed, dragging him along down the street. "I have spoken with Yamamoto-san a couple of moths ago too!" It was not that Susumu actively tried to cause trouble. It was rather his lack of participation that did it for him. "Is it too much to ask that you respect my efforts of raising you by doing your best in school?"
The woman was well aware that her son's life was far from ideal. How could it be when there was no father for him? Susumu lacked an important member of the family, a founding component so to speak. Shizuru had not expected to raise her child without a glitch, but she hadn't expected it to be this hard a challenge either. In retrospect, what had she known about the rearing of children when she found out she was going to have her own baby? Next to nothing, of course. But as she hadn't been smart enough to protect herself, Shizuru was determined to at least take responsibility for the life she had helped create. If only she knew the name of his father.
"I didn't do anything!" Susumu protested, stomping his feet in a childish fit. "Yamamoto-sensei is just being nosey again!"
"Not another word out of you," Shizuru spoke with a low, chagrined voice. But for all that she held his hand tenderly. Shizuru loved her son. Even if she hadn't planned for him to be in her life. He was the reason for which she found the strength to get up in the morning and work hard until evening and then go to glasses until late into the night. She wanted to give him something better than what they currently had. But she suspected her absence left him feeling neglected.
Though what could she do? Her job was what kept the house and the food in his plate and him in school. The education process she was going through was for both of them. She couldn't quit either. Even now she had had a hard time convincing her boss to let her off earlier. But that did not mean her son didn't feel neglected. She supposed her brother took good care of him when he dropped by, but Kazuma rarely stayed more than a few hours and Shizuru often got back only after Susumu fell asleep.
"Ne, Okaasan, do you have to go to your classes today?" her son asked, effectively breaking Shizuru's heart.
"Yes, Susumu-chan, I really have to," she replied nonetheless. Shizuru pulled her son just a little closer as they crossed the street. "But tomorrow I have the morning off and we can watch TV together or I can help you with your lessons."
"Really? You're the best, Okaasan!" the boy exclaimed, happily curling his fingers around her hand.
Kazuma waited for the by the entrance of the school. Shizuru lifted her hand fleetingly. Her brother gave her a big smile, but called for Susumu. "Would you look at that? Not even ten and already escorting ladies around!"
"Kazu-chan, stop teasing my son!" Shizuru taunted as Susumu scowled. "You go with you uncle now, and listen to you. Do I make myself clear, Susumu-chan?" She rummaged through her purse, looking for some money to give to her brother.
As if he had read her intention, Kuwabarashook his head and touched her arm gently. "There's no need for that sis. I'll tale the little guy to the noodle shop."
"Is Yusuke working there today too?" the woman questioned with some wonder/ "It's good he managed to keep the job so long."
"It certainly is! The ramen there is delicious," her brother replied with a loud laugh. "Come there too after you're done."
"While I would love to, I can't. I'm leaving my precious Susumu to you, little brother. If something happens to him-" Shizuru started menacingly.
"Yes, I know already," Kwabara interrupted. "Here, give this to Susumu's teacher." He handed his sister an envelope.
"What is this?" she asked, turning it from one side to the other. A slightly mischievous smile came to her lips, "I see. A love letter," she said nonchalantly, pocketing the envelope. "I'll make sure that she gets it."
Her brother's face burned red. "It's not a love letter! Come one, Susumu. Let's go and have ramen. My treat."
Susumu waved to his mother and hurried after his uncle, leaving Shizuru to watch them until she could no longer see either. She glanced at her wristwatch. She could go in now. She passed the school gate and the entrance, making her way to what she knew was her son's classroom. Yamamoto Botan was waiting at the teacher's desk, bent over some paper, which Shizuru supposed to be tests. She knocked gently on the wood frame to alert the teach of her arrival.
"Shizuru-san, hello and welcome!" Botan greeted her cheerfully, beckoning her further in. "Have a sit here in front of me, Shizuru-san," she invited.
"Hello to you too, Botan-san," the older woman answered, a warm smile of her own appearing. "So, what sort of trouble had my Susumu caused now?" Botan handed her one of the papers on top. Shizuru threw a cursory look over it. "His score is pretty low." He could do better. Shizuru knew that much.
"It is that," Botan agreed. "Shizuru-san, we are friends of a sort, aren't we?" Botan asked and waited for the hesitant nod. "Then as a friend and as a teacher, I must say I am concerned. The fact is, Susumu has been skipping classes recently and it has started affecting his grade."
"I'll talk to him," Shizuru signed. "I'll find out why he'd doing this and put a stop to it."
"Actually, Shizuru-san, I have a proposition for you," Botan cut in. "I know you are very busy and in such conditions supervising Susumu-chan is rather difficult. That's why I propose you allow me to do it. AT least for a few months, to see if there are any improvements."
"Like a babysitter?" the other questioned, her brows furrowing. "I couldn't possibly impose on you like that, Botan-san."
"Not at all, Shizuru-san. I would be happy to spend some more time with Susumu-chan and get to know him better. Please consider my request," the blue haired female made a formal entreat. She could tell by the bewildered silence that Shizuru was in two minds regarding her plea. But Botan still felt it was her duty to try. She sincerely wanted to help Susumu, and she knew his mother wanted the same too. "Allow me to be of use, Shizuru-san. This is the best I could think of right now. Perhaps a little later, we might find something else."
