Day 10: "Flowing"

Keiko pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon them. Moodily, eyes hooded and lips pursed, she looked ahead over the training ground. "I think I hate him," she muttered. "Just a little, though."

Beside her, Botan frowned. "Who do you mean, Keiko?"

"Kurama." Keiko blew out a breath, aimed upward so her bangs fluttered. "I think I might hate him a little."

Botan's scandalized jaw dropped at once. "Keiko, I'm surprised at you!" she said, twisting upon the leaf-covered ground to face her. "What a mean thing to say about your friend!"

But Keiko shrugged the admonishment aside. "Oh, come off it." One hand lashed out. "Just look at him."

"Look at him?" Botan repeated. Dutifully she turned her face to the training ground, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be seeing. The boys sparred as they always did, their breath forming misty clouds in the cold and watery winter sunshine. Kurama wielded his customary whip, lashing it about as Hiei tried to break through that thorny barrier—but what about that typical scene had roused Keiko's ire so?

Eventually Botan gave up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Keiko," she sighed, "but I'm afraid I don't get it."

Keiko's pursed lips even tighter, a tiny pink spot beneath her nose. "Oh, c'mon. You really don't see it?"

Botan looked again, confused. This time she made it her mission to study Kurama thoroughly indeed. His shoes were polished and shined, his slacks crisp and pressed, his shirt likewise somehow free of wrinkles despite the day's grueling training. Good heavens, Botan thought. How did he keep himself looking so polished amidst such exertion? Though he had arranged his delicate features in an expression of intense concentration, that look did not detract from the handsomeness of his face—a face free of sweat and grime, Botan saw now that she observed him closely. Why, even his thick, lustrous hair remained completely free of tangles as he completed a neat backflip and dodged away from Hiei's sword, and his hair didn't get in his face even once as he pelted across the training field. Shiny and thick, rippling like silk on the breeze, his mane flowed around him like a sheet of satin. The sun caught its deep ruby color and lit it up like a spotlight illuminating a precious stone.

Well. That just didn't seem fair. When Botan trained with Hiei to master her newly acquired Jagan Eye, she always looked a horrible fright afterwards! How in the three worlds did Kurama manage to—?

Keiko sighed. When Botan glanced her way, she saw Keiko fingering the longest end of her bangs, staring at the tips of that hair with an expression most sullen.

Suddenly, Botan understood.

"Oh. I see." Botan arranged her hands neatly on her lap and turned up her pert nose. "I think I hate him, too, now that you mention it."

Keiko smirked. "Did you know some of my classmates tried to bribe me to find out what kind of shampoo he uses?"

Botan gasped. "What?! No!"

"Yes! 5,000 yen!" Keiko snickered. "They might be in Kurama's fanclub, but they have serious hair envy."

"As do I!" Botan leaned close to Keiko and whispered in her ear, "So what do you think, hmm? Could we make it to his house, sneak into his bathroom, check out his products and make it back here before they finish training for the day?"

Keiko perked up at once. "We could call it a stealth mission!"

"And tell them we're leaving to go train!"

"A perfect excuse!"

"Is something amusing?" Kurama called. "Kei? Botan?"

The aforementioned had been huddling together and giggling; at the sound of their names, they sat up ramrod straight in unison and grinned, each trying her best to look innocent indeed. Botan gave a nervous chuckle as Kurama stared at them, one of his brows hitched high across his forehead.

"Oh." Botan laughed again. "Nothing!"

"Yeah," Keiko concurred with a frantic nod. "Nothing!"

Kurama gave them a Look—but then he smiled, and shook his head, and turned back to the training ground.

For a moment, Botan and Keiko sat in silence. Then Keiko grinned. She drew in a deep breath. Botan realized too late what she was about to do, and thus Keiko's cry rang out unhindered.

"Your hair is looking particularly luscious today, by the way!" Keiko called after Kurama—and Botan gave a delighted, shocked shriek before tackling Keiko to the ground and clamping a hand over her grinning mouth.

Kurama, of course, stared at them as if they'd each sprouted antlers, and with another shake of his head he went back to training.

Two days later and with a knowing look, though, Kurama gave them each a bottle of his homemade hair tonic, leaving Botan to wonder just how often the poor boy was accosted for the secret of his lovely, flowing hair.

NOTES:

(823 words)

Kurama's hair is the subject of much scrutiny...