Sorry for not updating in a while. I had school exams and I needed to study for it. But here it is! Chapter 10! Thanks for the reviews! In this chap, there's going to be a lot of flash backs, sorry about that.

Disappearance

'I haven't seen Kaori for almost a month. She hasn't been going in any of her classes. I have not even seen her outside of school. Where could she be. Hopefully, she's alright.' Kurama told Botan who was standing with him on the school rooftop.

'Me too! Haven't heard from her since we came back from the dark tournament.' she replied, thinking when it was last.

'I just hope she's alright.' he said.

'erhm.. Kurama.'

'Yes?' he asked.

'Im probably wrong, but.. it sounds like you're worried about her.'

'Of course. Aren't you worried, yourself?'

'hm.. that's not what I mean.. What I meant was.. I mean.. you're worried about her.. in.. uhm.. different.. way.. I've seen this before.. oh nevermind. what I want to ask is, do you have some kind of feelings for her?' she finally said after hesitating.

'She is just a dear friend. Nothing more.' he replied calmly. Botan didn't belive him but decided to drop the subject, but she couldn't help but be nosy.

'So, she's not the reason why you called me?'

'It is. I was just wondering if you've been able to talk to her. But I guess not.'

Kurama was sitting down at his school desk a book in his hand when two girls, one blonde and one dark haired, came in to congratulate him for getting the highest marks in the whole school. The two girls kept complementing him, and kept on blushing.

'You're just embarrased is that it?' the dark haired one asked. Kurama giggled softly and said 'you know me well.'. The blonde haired girled invited Kurama to eat out after school, as a kind of celebration, but he politely denied, leaving that two girls disappointed.

'I have to finish this book. I am very sorry.' he said.

'Oh, that's okay. Maybe next time?'

'Yes, maybe.' he replied. Looking at the blonde girl, he noticed that there was a bug on her left shoulder. A Makai bug. He tricked the two girls into looking away and grabbed the bug smoothly.

'There's no one there!' they exclaimed.

'Sorry, must be my imagination.' he apologized. When the two girls had walked out of the room, Kurama examined the bug and knew immidiately that it is a Makai.

'but how can this be? I thought the hole had been closed?' he asked himself before being interrupted with a sound of rustling coming from the door.

'hmm! That was nice! Able to sleep without interruption!!' a voice of a girl exclaimed. Kurama's head shot up immediately for the voice seemed all too familiar.

'Kaori?' he muttered, wide-eyed,.

'Oh! Hey there Kura..- Shuichi!' she stuttered before she could call him his demon name. She settled down two desk infront of him and laid her forehead on the cool surface of the desk. Kurama stood up from his desk and sat beside Kaori. He could feel something different about her, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. He continued gazing at her and Kaori felt a sudden rush of anxiety. Lifting her head up from the desk she looked him in the eye.

'Oi, ano.. Kurama. Why are you looking at me like Im insane?' she asked, whispering.

'Where have you been?' he asked, keeping his posture, facing her.

'just places..'

'Where exactly?' he asked.

'Oi, why are you suddenly all that interested.. Places, okay?' she snapped back. Kurama was not ready for that. He was curious why she is acting like this. why is she acting like this?, he asked himself.

'Okay.'

'Yeah, okay.' she replied boringly and kept her head down. Kaori felt bad for snapping at Kurama like that, but she couldn't just blow her cover.

Maybe I shouldn't have come...

just like what Genkai told me.

FLASHBACK

'.. you can't go back now. Don't be a dimwitt! They would find out. Especially Kurama! They aren't stupid like you, you know!' Genkai shouted.

'... they wouldn't suspect a thing! Kurama knows I don't go to school anyway, I'll make up an excuse.. I'll tell him I wasn't in the mood for school.' she argued. '.. and Im not stupid.' she added.

After arguing, which didn't seem to end, Genkai finally agreed to let her to go back.

'alright, I think you deserve it. You have been training very hard and you're spirit energy is more stable... you can go.' she replied softly.

'Alright!'

'..in one condition.'

'condition?'

'you're going to be included in our plan..'

'what plan.. Oh no! Not that plan. grrr.. alright. Fine with me.' she agreed sourly.

'Good. You can go now.'

End of FLASHBACK

'Don't you think you owe me an explanation why you've been gone for a long time.' Kurama asked, his face getting closer to Kaori's head. Kaori wasn'r listening to him, she was too occupied right now.

FLASH BACK

After Kaori had stormed out of the house, she quickly went downtown, to catch the earliest train out of town. I might have some other family members right? What about grama? But, I don't know her adress... and I don't know any of my aunties names. why is my family so screwed up? She was so busy thinking where to go, she didn't noticed three men standing before her.

'..are you Kaori Sakamoto?' a guy with a hair like a pineapple asked.

'..uhmm.. depends. Who are you?' Kaori asked, trying to keep her cool.

'You are her..'

'Oi! Don't touch me! I know... I know Karate!!' she exclaimed. The pineapple head person held her by her arms and his two friends, tried to hold her down by the foot.

'Let me go!! where are you guys taking me!' she shouted. She heard the guy with the blonde hair speak.

'She's right, this one is a tough one.'

'hey! Who's.. who's right?' she said. The guy with the glasses placed something in Kaori's mouth that made her pass out.

End of Flashback

'Kaori, are you alright?' Kurama asked, waving his right hands infront of her face. Kaori, who's head are still laying flat on her arms, looked up at Kurama. Maybe I do owe him an excuse. I won't tell him anything about Genkai.

'Oh, sorry. Yes, Im alright.' she said, sitting up right.

'You have been gone a long time. Where have you been?' he asked, gently.

'Oh, I just needed to take some time out.. from things.' she replied.

'Time out? From what kind of things?' he asked, sitting back at his chair.

'my family.. and stuff.' she said hesitantly. Kurama only gave her a small smile. 'Don't do that.'

'Do what?' he asked, blankly.

'stop looking at me like that... and stop smiling. You're going to make me tell you things.'

'You got it.' he replied, a smile plastered on his face as if it had been his plan all along. Kaori couldn't gelp but tell him, so she told him half the truth. Kaori told him how his father is going to marry someone she had never met before and that she had ran away about a month ago. Kurama listened very intently and only spoke when she had finished.

'I think that your father deserves someone he would love until the end.' he said.

'Sure. whatever. I deserve to know before hand. Don't you think?' she said, once again placing her head on the cool surface of the desk.

'You are right. You deserve to know.. so why did you ran away? You could have give him a time to explain.' he said.

'oy, ano.. Kurama-chan. Who's side are you on?' she asked him, eyeing him curiously.

'Kurama-chan? Please, you need not call me that.. and I do not choose sides.' he replied, sitting back on his seat.

'Kurama-chan. Kurama-chan. Kurama-chan.' she chanted. She stood up and started to dance along. Circling around the room she chanted even louder.

'Kurama-chan. Kurama-chan. Kurama-chan!'

She made her way around Kurama and danced even more vigorously. Kaori kept on dancing around the room, while Kurama made his way back to seat and continued reading his book.

Someone cleared their throat, and Kaori quickly stopped. she noticed that Kurama was looking at the board and was writing down notes in his notebook. Kaori turned around to see that everyone else is seated in their seats, and looking at her like she had gone insane.

She embarassingly took her seat beside Kurama and got her books out.

'That was an interesting dance Ms. Sakamoto.' the teacher said. The whole class bursted laughing, even Kurama couldn't help but giggle.

Kaori eyed him and made an angry face, but it was too funny so she laughed as well. When she was able to catch her breath, she muttered something to Kurama.

'Kurama-chan.'

Thanks for reading! R&R