Well, here is the next chapter. Just a bit more to go—I didn't expect to be so close to the end! Enjoy!

Rui Amano: Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Yeah, Kenta definitely gets into a lot of crazy situations—but it's all for his good (I'd like to think). Hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters.

eunice. heart: Thank you for your review; I definitely try to keep them in character. If you see any discrepancies, don't hesitate to holler. :) I like the concept too—just wasn't sure how other people would react. (By the way, I put a space in between your name because something screwy was happening with the document when I didn't have the space. Don't know why...)

loretta537: Yeah, I'd say he's learning. This chapter in particular, I think, is one of him really starting to grow up. Please enjoy!

Fire in the hole: I was half-tempted to have Botan appear and reveal that there really was a hidden elevator. Actually, you mentioning Genkai really motivated me for Chapter 8! I originally wasn't going to put her in, but I'm definitely seeing a good place for her now.

Disclaimer: I have no claim on Yu Yu Hakusho. I do have a claim on Kenta-kun.


Chapter 7 – Manning Up

Wednesday morning. I woke up with a headache and an enormous disinclination to get out of bed. My alarm screeched for another five minutes in my ears, red numbers flashing abruptly every other second, before finally giving up on me and settling down to a quiet ticking noise. Closing my eyes, I grabbed a hold of my covers and twisted to the other side of the bed, trying to go back to sleep rather than face another day.

About twenty minutes later I would estimate, my mother came into the room, her footsteps impatiently loud. "Kenta? Kenta, why haven't you come down yet?"

I didn't speak, clenching my eyes tightly closed. Please just leave. Please.

She bustled up next to the bed, roughly shaking my shoulder till my teeth chattered against each other. "Kenta?" The disapproval of my laziness was evident in her voice. "If you don't get up right now—" My reluctant eyes met hers as she pushed me onto my back to face her. Her breath hitched with surprise and I vaguely wondered what she saw as her face paled.

"I don't want to go to school today Okaasan," I finally said, though I felt an inward shock and thrill at the audacity of my words. But something, something in me, felt so strongly about this that I couldn't deny the words from escaping my mouth.

Lips tightly pursed, she slowly removed her hand from my shoulder and walked out of the room without another word, closing the door behind her. I had a feeling that later tonight, I would pay for my attitude. But it was worth it to avoid today.

I'm not sure how long I sulked in bed, but by the time I got up, it was easily in the afternoon. Next to my bedroom door was a tray with a bowl of vegetable rice and a bigger, covered bowl of soup, which I identified as udon once I opened the lid. It was still weakly steaming, but I knew it must have been placed here hours ago, because both my parents had to be at work by now. A swell of gratitude built in my throat for my mother's understanding.

My mind remained purposely blank as I sat down with my tray to eat in the kitchen. The rice stuck coldly in my throat as I tried to swallow, and the udon didn't taste like anything, though normally my mother's udon was filled wonderfully delicious and thick noodles. It occurred to me that there was nothing wrong with the noodles; I was the problem.

Sitting there in my pajamas, hair sticking out in all directions, I felt a growing resentment towards everyone. Why did I have to sit here, miserable and guilt-ridden, while everyone else happily went on with their lives? But that wasn't fair. It's not their faults that I'm an idiot.

My chopsticks fell into the bowl of remaining soup with a resounding plop of liquid. I stared down at the table, vaguely noticing the scratches that had been part of the surface since I had been a little boy drawing masterpieces on the table as a surprise to my mother and father. I just felt so stupid.

Kuwabara. Yusuke. My head hurt. Nothing made sense—were they monsters, was I a monster, was I really that wrong, that stupid? How many people were just as blind and cruel as me? I thought of Keiko-san, who hadn't been in my thoughts much for the past few days. Shocking, since I know that just a week ago I would have been dreaming of the day that she would see that I was the right guy for her and not that lowlife Yusuke. But that's not reality; it never was. I wondered, still staring down at the table, hand lightly running against the grooves, if Keiko-san had to deal like people like me every day. How did she keep from exploding in righteous anger? How much did she have to put up with her friends because they couldn't accept Yusuke?

Shuuichi. He seemed so perfect. Handsome, smart, kind—yet I recall that when I first heard of him, I labeled him off as a geek who probably had no chance with the ladies. He had been nothing like I had imagined. Neither had Botan-chan been what I thought she would be. A raver because of her eye and hair color? Ha! She was a wonderful, sweet girl who could make my heart flutter with a single glance. Not scary in the slightest.

With those thoughts whirling in my head, I began to see something about myself that I hadn't before. Every person I had met in the last five days was nothing like I had thought. Always before meeting one of them, I had already established an image of who they should be, rather than leaving my mind open to welcome who they were.

Even Hiei-san was a different person than I wanted to pretend he was. He wasn't some thug that wanted to kill everyone. Well, maybe he did want to kill some people. But I had seen that other side, the protective, caring side that had taken care of Yukina-san and kept her company. I wondered what had happened to make him grow up so fast—to give him that look in his eyes that the world was against him and he did not care? Did he even go to school? What would it be like to have him as a friend? Shuuichi could probably tell me, since they seemed to be friends.

And Genkai-sama, who I had never met. She probably was not some huge, buff woman with tons of scars. Heck, she might even just be some sweet old granny like I had wished and prayed for—

The phone rang suddenly, startling me. I stared at the receiver as the piercing rings continued to resound in the kitchen, hesitant to pick up the phone. Unwilling, I finally clasped the cold plastic in my hand and picked it up, using my most polite voice. "Hello? Kawasaki residence."

A gravelly, female voice spoke in my ear. "Is this Kenta?"

Who was this? "Yes," I said cautiously after a pregnant pause of gathering my wits. "May I ask who is calling?"

"This is Genkai." The voice sounded amused. "I would like to meet the boy that spent hours gardening with Yukina. Meet me tomorrow at Yukimura Shokudo right after you get out of school. You know, the ramen shop run by Keiko's family. I expect that you know where it is."

She hung up.

My hands were shaking as I tried to set the phone back in its place, almost dropping the whole piece in my shock. I had not expected Genkai-sama herself to ever call me. I...I was going to talk to a famous martial artist tomorrow who could probably bend me into a pretzel with her smallest finger!

But tomorrow was the day I was going to talk to Yusuke too. I felt myself grow light-headed. How was I going to do this? What if I had done something that had offended Yukina-san and Genkai-sama was going to kick my butt? No, calm down Kenta. There's no way she would call you like this and invite you for a cup of ramen if Yukina-san was upset at you. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. I just hope whatever she wants to talk about doesn't take too much time, or I might miss out on my interview.

My head was still reeling, and I felt no closer to peace than I had at the beginning of this day. Spending a few minutes cleaning the tray and unfinished bowls of food, I tried to sort my mind back into some semblance of order—without much success.

Damn it all! Forget this, I just need some air. Yeah, some air to clear my head. I practically shot up the stairs to my room, brushing my teeth, trying to smooth my hair down out of its personal funk, and throwing on some real clothes.

Outside, the sun was lower in the sky than I expected, and I glanced down at my watch. Or rather where my watch should be. Shit, Kenta you are a mess today! I figured it wasn't worth it to go back in the house. If I did I'd probably lose what energy I had and be unable (or should I say unwilling?) to leave it again. Hoping no one from school would see me and realize that I played hooky today, I sidled off to another part of the neighborhood, walking broodingly. I couldn't help it; I really was upset.

Then I heard something from around the corner of a street. Laughter and loud voices that sounded slightly familiar. Maybe I knew them from school? I peeked over and squinted at the sight of three boys in uniforms playing with a cat. A cat that was quickly growing larger in my vision. A cat that was—

Ack!

The cat landed with a cheerful meow on my chest, claws immediately digging into my clothes and skin to maintain the grip. I winced, but brought up my hands to hold him properly before he started drawing blood. We stared at each other in mild astonishment on both our parts.

He licked my nose with his soft, almost furry tongue and I couldn't help but laugh.

The response pleased him and he rubbed his head against my chest, a purr rumbling from the depths of his body, so deep that I actually felt his sides shake against my arms and chest. "Hey there little guy," I said affectionately. I did have a thing for cats, though my parents wouldn't let me keep any. Truth is, I think my dad is allergic to their fur. Sucks, right?

I heard footsteps approaching, and I glanced past his furry ears to see the three boys, about my age, coming closer cautiously. Wait a minute. These guys do look familiar.

Grateful to let my mind work on something less painful than my earlier thoughts, it didn't take me long to identify them as Kuwabara's cronies. No, that's the wrong word. His friends.

"Is this your cat?" I asked, smiling when the feline butted my chin to demand a scratch.

"Yeah. Give her back and there won't be any trouble, all right?" said a serious-looking boy, dark hair closely shaved to his head and his hands roughly shoved into the pockets of his uniform. The other two were right behind him, and they all looked ready for a fight.

Holding this cat (who I guess is a girl) gave me sudden inspiration and insight. People who seemed to like cats as much as I do can't be all that bad. And I decided to try a different approach than my normal cower-and-run tactic screaming "thugs, thugs!". Keeping a firm hold on the cat with one arm, I held out the other for a handshake.

"Hi. My name is Kawasaki Kenta." I smiled broadly at them. "It's nice to meet you. Will you tell me your names?"

Their incredulous stares merely strengthened my resolve to be as open-minded as possible. I had a feeling few people ever tried to greet them the way I was doing. When none of them reached for my hand, I used it to scratch the cat between the ears, eliciting another pleased purr. "She's a real beauty, isn't she?"

"Her name is Eikichi." Out of the corner of my eye, I noted that it was the chubby one with black hair gelled back who spoke to me. He did seem the friendliest looking out of the three, though he had put on a believable mean face.

"Eikichi." I tried out the name, and nodded with approval. "That's a nice name."

Her dark eyes stared up at me with curiosity, and one small white paw batted at my face to retain my attention, claws retracted (thank Kami). She was honestly one of the cutest cats I had ever seen before, with a white furred face in the shape of a heart with light brown fur almost everywhere else. I inspected her closely, and noticed darker brown fur starting at the top of her forehead and went down her back like a cloak, even reaching her arms and legs. She pawed my mouth, which made me laugh again, and two bells jingled merrily around her neck.

The three guys seemed to relax a little after seeing Eikichi's approval of me. It's nice to know that people trust me because I was cat-approved, and not because of any actual merit.

"Here. I believe she belongs to you." I gently proffered her to the chubbiest of the three, who took her after a moment's hesitation.

He glanced down at her, then back at me. Almost reluctantly, but with a slightly sheepish smile, he offered his hand to me. "My name is Okubo. Sorry for the cold shoulder, man. You just never know about people around here."

I clasped it and sent him a reassuring smile. "That's fine. I know exactly what you mean." In fact, I suspected that he did not tell me his last name in case there were eavesdroppers who were not happy with the Sarayashiki boys. It wasn't a good idea to get your family involved when you spent time fighting other gangs. Or at least that what I think drove them to keep their surnames secret from me.

The one who hadn't spoke yet jerked a thumb at his face with a slight smile. "I'm Kirishima. You go to Sarayashiki?"

I nodded which elicited a pleased reaction from the three. The only one to not introduce himself stepped forward and shook my hand with a strong grip. He grinned at me, scratching at a bandage on his cheek with the other hand. "Hey, I'm Sawamura. You do look kind of familiar."

I felt strangely vindicated by their friendliness towards me. I mean, who would have ever thought I'd be rubbing elbows with the "thugs of Sarayashiki"? We chilled together for a good twenty minutes, just playing with Eikichi and talking about the week of tests coming up. I was a bit amazed by how much I had in common with these boys. And I felt a little better than I had at the beginning of the day.

"Yeah dude, I am not looking forward to that science test," groaned Okubo. "I've been trying to study more once in a while, but I just can't see myself passing it."

Kirishima scratched as his short brown hair, grinning that silly grin that was his trademark around his friends. "Chill man. We'll help you out. Remember, science is my specialty. My grandpa was a biologist, so when I was a little, he was always telling me about stuff like that. I don't even need to study and I can pass easy."

"That's good," laughed Sawamura. "Cause I could use all the help I could get in math!"

"Hey, wait a minute. I didn't say I could do math!" protested the proclaimed science-savvy student, twisting around a feather for Eikichi to play with. All three of them laughed so good-naturedly that I couldn't help but laugh with them.

"Wow, I didn't know you guys cared so much about your..." I paused, realizing what I sounded like (a prick?!).

All three looked over at me with sheepish grins, and I was relieved to see that they weren't offended. "Our grades, right?" laughed Okubo. "Yeah, we didn't really care until Akashi-sensei." Somehow the way that he said that name was both derisive and amused. His nostrils flared with indignation, and my reporter senses started tingling.

"Akashi-sensei?" Of course I knew of him—heck I've had him as a teacher! He was that rat-faced, short man who always was sneering at someone. I'll never forgive him for that D on one of my essays. That essay was brilliant! Brilliant!

Well, maybe it wasn't that great. But the way he looked down his nose at me and gingerly held my paper away from him with his thin little fingers like it was garbage...grr. Not the type of guy to give you the warm and fuzzies.

"Aw dude, you have no idea," sighed Sawamura, rubbing his head irritably. "It was awful."

"What happened?"

"Akashi-sensei decided one day that we were fighting way too much. You know, damaging the school's rep and all that. So he decided to threaten us with the loss of Okubo's job."

I glanced over at Okubo who looked a little annoyed, as if remembering that day. He clenched his fist tightly, staring down at it.

"Yeah. I had to get special permission to have that job. And my mom was really sick. My job was literally the only thing keeping my family from being thrown into the streets."

Damn. That's harsh. I found it difficult to speak for a moment, stunned by the insensitivity of that prick teacher. "D-did you manage to keep it?"

He nodded with a smile, kneeling to pet Eikichi. "We had to promise not to fight for a week and all get at least fifty percent on our upcoming science test. It was me, Kirishima, Sawamura, and Kuwabara."

So Kuwabara was part of this story. "And you did it?"

"It wasn't that hard," laughed Kirishima, but his smile faded. "Well, at least not for us. We were mostly worried about Kuwabara. Poor guy kept getting ambushed by other guys every day." He shook his head. "He looked absolutely awful."

Okubo looked almost exultant now, fists clenched. "But Kuwabara did it! He worked his butt off to pass the test and didn't lift a finger against anyone that whole week." Tears welled up at the memory. "I...I was so happy. I honestly didn't think we could do it."

I hid my angry, resentful expression by leaning down to scratch Eikichi behind her ears. It was a lot to take in. And it was almost frustrating—how at every corner there was some fact, some story that was so obvious and just proved further that Yusuke and Kuwabara weren't at all like everyone assumed. How were we all so stupid? Why did they have to be so nice and friendly and nothing like they were supposed to be? Why did I have to go through this crap? I knew these resentments were unfounded and unfair towards these people who treated me with more fairness than a lot of my supposed "friends" did.

Pushing aside my tormented emotions, I composed myself under the guise of reaching for a particular spot on Eikichi's back. "I..." I cleared my throat after my voice immediately cracked. "I'm glad that it all worked out."

"If it hadn't, we'd have a super skinny Okubo!" teased Kirishima, able to joke and laugh in relief now that there was no threat to his friend's survival.

"Aw, come off it guys. I like my weight!" he protested, and all three of them laughed again.

I laughed also, but it was a weak imitation of a laugh. There was just too much stuff to think about. And I still felt terrible, head still pounding away. It just seemed that no matter what I did, I came face to face with my own failings as a reporter and as a person.

Eikichi ran her body around my legs, giving me comfort more than she could ever know, and I buried my face into her side as I picked her up. The three boys were talking amongst themselves, laughing just like any other group of friends—a stab of envy cut off my breathing. Did I even have friends that were as open as these guys? Kuwabara was a lucky man. Or maybe he had been the one to bring these guys together. They seemed to all hold a great deal of respect for him.

"Actually," Okubo's eyes were wide as he thought. "Kuwabara is the most studious of us now." The other two grinned at me. "He just can't get enough of studying! He left Eikichi with us today, but I think he's still at home doing homework." He shook his head. "It's just crazy, man!"

Almost dropping Eikichi, I managed to keep my grip on the surprised cat who meowed in protest. Kuwabara likes to study? And did I hear right—this cat is his? Kami, this just keep getting better and better (sarcasm much?). ARGH! My increasingly tense grip on Eikichi had discomforted her enough that she swiped a paw at me, leaving shallow grooves in my arm. I showed my repentance by easing my hold on her and petting her soothingly.

I spent some more time with them before I couldn't handle the congeniality towards me anymore. It wasn't them though; it was me. They parted easily with me, promising that I could hang out with them any day and Eikichi obviously was missing me already. If I hadn't felt so bad, it would have really made me feel good that they accepted me without any qualms.

As I walked away with my hands in my pockets and wondering what time it was, I felt a little more at peace alone. Was there anything I could do to make up for what a moron I had been?

And then it hit me. I knew that there was one more thing I had to do before tomorrow. What I was about to do might be the most important thing I will ever do in my life, and I understood that if I didn't do it, I would never be the man I wanted to become.

I headed towards Yukimura Shokudo rather than go back home, and entered the shop quietly. There was a chime of bells as I stepped through the entrance. For the first time today, my mind was clear of all thoughts, and I let the words flow with their own will as I spotted my target.

"Keiko-san."

She turned in surprise, carefully balancing the bowls in her arms. A polite smile crossed her face as she recognized me, and she said, "Just a moment!" before tottering off with the load.

My eyes followed her lithe figure, but to my slight surprise, I really did feel no attraction towards her anymore. I guess it really had been some stupid infatuation with the idea of her rather than the actual person. This wouldn't be the first time that I had put some girl on a pedestal, giving her every perfect trait that I could want without finding out who she really was. That type of dream always ended in disappointment, and I think I finally knew better than that. The next girl I had a crush on, I think I'll try to get to really know her before proclaiming my undying love.

Botan-chan popped into my mind's eye for a moment, but I brushed her image aside. I didn't want to be distracted right now. I came on a mission, and I was going to complete it.

"Kenta-san! Sorry for the wait; it's been pretty busy around here recently. Good news by the way! Yusuke can definitely make it tomorrow at four." She stood in front of me now, brushing aside loose particles from her apron. "Is there something I can do for you?" Her light brown eyes sparkled with some inner amusement, and I wonder if some of Yusuke's other friends had told her about my recent conversations and meetings. I cleared my throat before speaking, wanting her to really hear what I was about to say.

"I came to apologize about Yusuke."

Her eyes widened at my words, but she said nothing, waiting for me to continue. Her hands unconsciously gripped at her apron.

I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out how to explain how I felt. "I've been talking to a lot of people, and trying to figure out what the heck all you guys saw in him and Kuwabara, but now...now I think I sort of get it. They're not what people claim. They're not bullies and not demons. If anything, it's everyone else who was the bullies. They decided that Yusuke and Kuwabara were the enemies, and treated them as such without any sympathy. And for that...please forgive me Keiko-san!"

I bowed quickly and low, to express how much I meant what I said. I don't think I had ever been as serious as I was now.

Hearing a sniffle, I glanced up to see Keiko brushing away tears. She was...crying?

As she cleared one eye with her palm, she gave me a watery smile. "Kenta-san...thank you. That was...the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say." Her smile grew wider, and she nodded. "I hear it every day, all those stupid people who judge Yusuke and Kuwabara. They're always whispering new rumors and wondering why I would ever hang out with such delinquents. It's all so...ridiculous! But you..."

Looking at her, I could abruptly see something that I never had before. It was almost like Keiko-san was glowing—there's no other word to describe it—with a sort of beautiful, ethereal love. Not for me (you crazy?!), but for the Yusuke that she knew and loved. And suddenly I felt that he really was a lucky guy, to have such a girl who was so devoted to him. And I hoped that one day I could be just as worthy as he was and find a woman who would look at me with those type of eyes. Because she wasn't looking at me anymore; she was looking at Yusuke.

I left after that, heading back home in a bemused daze. I had finally apologized to Keiko-san and maybe even redeemed myself in her eyes. I had spent time with Kuwabara's friends and found them to be much nicer than anyone would have guessed.

So why did I still feel like shit?


Aaaand done! Kenta-kun really is starting to have some character development (oh noes!). Thanks for reading and have a good day.