A Month With Suichi Minamino
By Payne N. Uranus
.:AN:.
YES! I've got it! (starts dancing around all crazy-like)
Conscience: Is it contagious?
YES!—in a good way…and… actually, it may not be contagious…but it could be… maybe…
Conscience: As articulate as always Payne. Now what is it?
(completely forgets/ignores the insult) I am SO happy! See, I was starting to get worried because I knew that I would run into some writer's block, because I have this thing where certain scenes (like the beginning of last chapter) that just come to me and I write them down and everything, and I thought up this one that I thought was pretty cool, but I didn't know how I would include it, but now I do, and I'm happy. (I said that all in one breath when I was talking to myself).
Conscience: Um…right. Well, then, I think this is one of those moments where you just smile and nod "yes", right?
Yes. And if you have any questions on how to conduct such an act, and know where to use it, you'll find the answers to these inquiries in this story (somewhere, since Payne is a very unorganized person, and easily loses things), thanks to Mitsuyo Kajima!
Mitsuyo Kajima: Oh, it's nothing, really! I'm just glad that I can put my hurtful yet sarcastically funny comments and acts to use, and prepare the next generation for perfecting their forms of torment and life-ruining.
Well said, well said… you're my role model! I want to be like you when I grow up!
Mitsuyo Kajima: That is if you ever grow up at all.
Ouch. But true, too true… would you like to take the time to comment on the reviews I received last chapter?
Mitsuyo Kajima: What am I, you're personal slave? I've done enough, I say!
Conscience: I'm sorry to say this, but—
Actually, you really are my—
Mitsuyo Kajima: Wait a moment. I just thought that over, and I really don't want to hear the answer. It'll destroy the happy lie I have been going by my whole…nonexistence and I'd rather it not be crushed into oblivion so early on in the story. So I'll do it.
Goodie! Now join me in my happy dance! (starts dancing)
Conscience: What is wrong with you guys?
Mitsuyo Kajima: Hey, I just said I'd do it, I didn't say I'd join you in dancing around like a delusional hyena.
(embarrassed) Right. Sorry. Here's the reviews. My comments will be as they are while Mitsuyo's will be in italics.
midnightsprite: Ha-HA! (points jeeringly at Mitsuyo) A fan likes something that I wrote about ME! Not YOU, for once! Mwahaha! Keep that up and I'm turning around and walking away. Right now. How old are we again? Oooh, someone's a bit sensitive... Once again, keep it up, and I'll show you sensitive (shakes fist). Okay then! Thanks for the reveiw! We're gonna move on now...
Death101- Fox Version: No, no crossover (pats Mitsuyo's shoulder) She's the only hero in this story. For the most part. Heck yes, man. I'm gonna save the world one day. Sure, honey. Whatever you say. Gracias for the love!
angelofdarkness89: (giggles at Mitsuyo) Teehee, I wonder who's loved more. You or Harry? Dude, Harry's a wizard. I'm a crossdresser. I'm obviously cooler. Do I dare argue with that logic? No. Walk away from this conversation right now. You're awfully demanding today. I want coffee.
IssueshaveI: I do intend to, so no worries. =) You know what I just realized? Once this series is over, I'll be essentially...dead. That sucks! Keep writing forever! Can't make me! You..you ho!
Song Of A Fallen Angel: Hey, I'm glad you liked it! Of course she liked it, I'm in it! Right, how could I forget? (notice I'm being extremely friendly, considering this OC has gotten me a lot of attention).
Kajihenge Yoko: Heh, you can't kill Hoshi, I'M suppose to kill Hoshi! (whispers to Payne) I get to kill Hoshi, right? No. If you do, you're going to be sent to jail, and then all of my reviewers will be mad and will start hating me. Kajihenge Yoko get's to kill Hoshi (other gazillion Hoshi-haters start rioting) OKAY, OKAY! YOU CAN ALL KILL HOSHI! (everyone cheers) Only after the story is done (cough) if she's still alive(coughcough).
Mia: Hey, it's cool, I guess. I'm so happy that people love my story! Hello? Who says the sarcastic and witty lines and such? Hmmm? And who writes them so that that certain someone can say them, hmmm? Damn.
AstarothTheFallen: Eh, no, I don't think I'm gonna get found out. I'm just too damn good at this game. Sorry to dissappoint, though not really because I live for it. Yeah, what she said. She'll get found out though, trust me. Just not at the end of the school day...heheheheh.... Did I happen to mention that when you laugh like that, you actually scare me? Really? Gotta keep that in mind.
XNabaki-ChanX: Yes, another summer is definately desireable. Because then she can write more stories about me. Nu-uh!...okay, yeah. (snigger) I know you well, young one. Um... I'm older than you. Naw, I'm way smarter than you, just go along with it. Yeahsureyabetcha.
tinker: (Mitsuyo and Payne glance at each other) Oops. Oops, is right. Can't I pretend that I made that name up? Don't think it'll work, bud. Surprised that Kurama didn't react to it. Eh, he was probably too worn out to notice. I tend to do that to people.
sandry stardiamond: See? I told you you're writing started out slow! Well, sorry! Geez! You expect me to be perfect? Well, duh! You write my lines, idiot! Where's Conscience, it's nicer! (pause) Okay, come to think of it, it'd say the same thing...Anyways, to answer you're question, there should be loads and loads of action in the chapters following this one. SORRY that it's taking so long to start off, but I can't help it--it's just the way I write. Hopefully you'll stick around to continue reading, right? Keep dreaming, bucko. I just want to learn some fighting so I can kick some ass. So do I...
Donde esta Originality: So many people liked the HP reference, I'm starting to worry... Same here, but I guess that's just the way it goes. Oh, and I already finished it. Great book, don't you think? Very sad ending area, though...very sad... LALALA, I can't HEAR YOU! What's up with you? I haven't read the book, dumbass. You're gonna spoil it for me and others that have yet to read it! Why haven't you? I've been too busy with school, pretending to be a guy, hanging out with Pretty Boy, all that know, the usual stuff. True. Can't believe I forgot.
Janai: HAHA! SEE, CONSCIENCE? MY GOAL TO BE UNIQUE HAS NOW BEEN ACHIEVED! WHOOT! Uh... Conscience is asleep. Didn't want to listen to all this again, I suppose (wish I was him). Oh. Right. Well, there goes the fun. And, I kinda re-did the whole last chapter. It's better, and I promise, NO HP CROSSOVER. Swear to God (hey, that's me! Oh, no, wait, it isn't. Never mind)
PervyMonk: Mitsuyo, this is one of my favorite reviewers, Pervy-chan! That sounds so wrong, but I guess it works. Yup. But, anyways, yo. Whad up, ho? Mitsuyo! What? That's rude! Reeeeally... whatever. (reads Pervy's review) Uh-oh, she mentioned Harry Potter. RUN! (ducks under bed that mysteriously pops out of nowhere) Yeah, I know what you mean. My friend loved Sirius and Dumbledoor. They were her favorite characters So she cried for hours about the books. I told her to make Snape her third favorite so that he could...y'know, in the next book. Or better yet, Vold--I mean, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! So yeah. Glad you liked the chappy, keep reading! (Mitsuyo pokes head out from under bed) Are you guys done yet? If I said no, would you stay under there? No comment.
ziggythebratt: Yes, I did! No thanks to THIS one over here though (jabs thumb in Mitsuyo's direction) Hey, what'd I do, huh? You wouldn't wake up after the scene with Kurama nd the bed. It took me a few tries to get you into the next scene!...Shut up. Not a word. None. Zippo. You already know what I'm gonna say anyway, so I'm okay with keeping quiet for now... (coughs loudly, "Kurama") Where? Where?! Not gonna say a word...
OneOutOfControlChick: Like the new name. Makes more sense in my opinion. Which doesn't count. Mitsuyo, what happened to hiding under the bed? Um... I got a cramp? Ah. I understand. So yeah. Glad I had you laughing. I had her laughing, Kajima. I said the lines! I wrote the lines! Are we going through this again? I won last time, so why not? Damn.
Yutis: Eh, we strive to be strange, I suppose. You suppose correctly, daughter of mine. o.O Daughter? Hey, I created you, so why not? DAMN! And sorry, no Yoko this chapter, but later on...? Heh...just you wait...
javacrzy: Glad you liked it! Me too, only I'm too busy pouting about the fact that I keep losing arguments and fights (as you, the reader, will unfortunately soon see in this chapter). Read on...reader! Clever. I thought so, yes.
bookworm0492: Well, I have to admit, I've never slapped someone before. Hit, yes. Kicked, yes. Tackled to the ground and tickled mercifully, yes, but slapped? Nope. How about you, Mitsuyo? Eh. Same here. Slapping just isn't my style. But go you! Red marks are a good sign!...well, they aren't if you're the one who got slapped, but the other way around? Yup, good good... So, glad we made you laugh. (turns to Mitsuyo) How's that compromise? Good enough, I suppose. But I still said it. And I still wrote it. Can't change the facts, hun. Phhht, whatever.
lizzieXmarieXyoukai: Hey, we're someone's favorite story. Pretty sweet. (sighs in bliss) Indeed it is. Here's your update, feel free to leave a review as payment at the end of the chapter! Clever. I like. But money is better. Why? It's green, and... green is a good color. This doesn't happen to have anything to do with Kurama's eyes, does it? Who's Kurama again? (sweatdrop) Neeevermind.
Yoru Inu: Wow, compliments are coming in left and right, aren't they? I like it. It makes me feel famous. No, now apparently we're royalty. Huh? Read the review. I am now addressed as "Your Highness". How blissful life can be. And what am I, mince meat? Nope, you're my money maker that has the fun of tormenting people in my stories. Ah, how blissful life can be.
Sonya-White-Angel: Sorry, this chapter just turned out so long and I wasn't able to add much detail in it...but the action comes soon, and I'm sure that's what everybody wants. Besides seeing me and Suichi get it down, right? Of course, how could we ever top that? Good question, I don't know. I was being sarcastic. So, didn't stop me from answering truthfully. True. I was being sarcastic. Damn you.
Lucifer001: Lucifer, darling! I read your review, and felt so bad for making you people wait for such a crummy, and short, chapter addition, so I went back just for you and added stuff to the last chapter, as well as the rest of the story. Hope I didn't disappoint you too badly this time, I think this is the longest chapter ever!...in my story. Not to mention the review answering is long. True, but where's the harm? Where's the farm? Harm, darling, HARM. Oh. I dunno, what does this 'harm' of which you speak look like? (sigh) Just sit and wait patiently for the next reviewer, Mitsuyo. Yes, mummy.
Kuramafan-06: No, you may NOT have my attention, you have to BUY my attention, and it is QUITE expensive, thank you very much! What in the world are you trying to pull! I'll have you arressted and beaten and tortured and whipped, then hung, then quartered, then thrown in a blender, then fed to the dogs, then have their poop burnt! How's that? Huh? Huh? Yeah, that's right, you can't answer because you're just a bunch of carbon particles lost in the atmosphere, uh-huh! Take that, you stupid mass of CO2! (pant pant) Breathe, Mitsuyo, breathe... Sorry, Kuramafan-06, Mitsuyo is very touchy when it comes to attention-giving. I won't do it I tell you! Mitsuyo, behave yourself! (reads review again) Wow. Ahem, I couldn't possibly answer/talk about everything you mentioned in the review, but I loved it all the same. Very eccentric. And thank you for warning me about the spider thing... Great, now we have Hoshi-killers (which is my job, btw) and spider-killers. What is this world coming to? Now that you're in it? Good question, but I'm worried about the answer... Keep reading, friend!
Blehh: Um...you may want to reread the last chapter, only because after reading your review, I added something to make it more understandable. Thank you for reviewing! Wait, can I say something? After all, that's what you asked me to do. Go ahead. Something. Okay, thank you! You just wanted to say "something"? That's what I asked to do, right? (shrugs) Okay, whatever. Tata!
lalalanerd: Woke up together...? Awoke in each other's arms...? Stared at each other while sleeping? Held each other while sleeping? Goofed around while getting ready to sleep? Got it on while getting ready to sleep? (Pause) Wait a sec--you guys didn't do that! Uh, didn't do what? You two didn't "get it on"! Well, w-who said we did? You did! I did? Yes! You sure? Sure I'm sure! How sure? Really sure! Raise you're hands if you're sure. (Payne raises both hands) What are you doing? Raising my hands. I can see that. Why? Because you said to. I did? When? Just now! Oh, hold on... are you saying you'll do what I tell you to if I tell you to? No. (Mitsuyo frowns) I'm confused. Why did you raise your hands, then? Because you said to raise your hands if I'm sure that you and Suichi didn't get it on while getting ready for bed in the last chapter! Oh! I was just singing that jingle from that commercial. (Payne's face vaults) Commercial? Yeah! That foot massager thing, I think it was. I just remember the "Raise your hands, raise your hands if your sure!" That was a male deoterizer commercial advertisement. So? The jingle was still good. (sighs) Whatever. Keep reading, friend!
Well. That was…interesting.
Mitsuyo Kajima: That was the most painful moments of my life! But I did like a few, they were insanely…insane.
Conscience: I don't blame you. I think it's even worse just watching.
(whispers to Conscience "I thought you were sleeping"?) Which ones did you like?
Mitsuyo Kajima: Phht, like you need to know. Let's just get on with the story, m'kay? Here it is. So there.
Conscience: Screw Hiei (not really), I admire you WAY more than him (not really)! I will now worship you in a similar way that the Egyptians worships their sun gods.
Mitsuyo Kajima: Sweet. Bring on the grapes, the mountains of gold, the freaky looking outfits (without the skirts, mind you), the smart mindless servants, and my towering throne!
Conscience: I like the way she thinks.
Riiiiight. So, this is a scary alliance... (turns to readers) Before I feel like killing my OC that everyone seems to love and relates to, here's the chapter.
Chapter Eleven: Getting It On
"Damn it, Kuwabara!" Yusuke screamed as he dragged himself onto the riverbed, his now wet customary green school uniform clinging to his body. He lay face down on the rough grimy sand, his breath coming out in harsh pants as he fought to get it back under control.
"How many times do I have to apologize, Urameshi?" his companion shouted in return, struggling to pull himself out of the water with difficulty. The carrot top was, however, unable to find any remaining strength to continue any further, so he relented to just hang in-between, his lower torso immersed in the icy stream.
"Gee, I don't know, maybe until I'm convinced that it wasn't your fault, that if you hadn't just listened to me, we wouldn't have been fleeing for our lives?" Yusuke's reply was muffled to the sand, but it didn't muffle the fact that he was very angry. "Since I am not yet convinced, I should be irked, currently, yes?"
"Oh, just shut up and help me, okay?" Kuwabara scowled, trying another fleeting attempt to get out of the river before collapsing back into his previous position.
"I'm just fine with letting you stay there, actually," the slick-haired detective drawled wickedly, rolling lifelessly onto his back to stare blankly up at the canopy of the trees towering above. "We were so close, we were right there, and what happened? Your stomach was thinking "what a lovely time for a happy meal" and... and happy-mealed the whole thing away!"
"How was I suppose to know there was honey extract in that bar, huh?" Kuwabara growled defensively. "I didn't even know demon bears were attracted to it, I thought that was just a silly stereotype. Like milk for kittens; it's really not good for them."
"Whatever the stupid stereotype says, you completely washed us up -- no most obviously intended -- and we had to run. That stupid, stereotypical bear demon will head back to the base we were suppose to infiltrate secretly and our presence will be known! What now, I ask you? What now."
"Look, let's head back home, explain everything to Kurama, schedule a meeting with Koenma, and think of something else, okay?" Kuwabara suggested with exasperation.
"Fine, let's go," said Yusuke with a defeated sigh. While it wasn't much of a plan, it was better than moping. Although, Yusuke was quite a big fan of moping. "I hope Hiei's still doing his thing. We don't want two failures to add to our list this mission."
With that said, he lazily pushed himself up and trudged back into the forest with his shoulders hunched in disappointment.
"Hey…Urameshi? Hey, Urameshi, what about me? HEY!"
~`*`~
"You do know that you're not staying with me tonight, right? You can go home until tomorrow, and, you know, just...stay there. Like, without me. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I am aware of this, Mr. Yamamoto."
"…Then… why, exactly, are you walking me home?...Again?"
Indeed, the two "boys" were walking side-by-side down the same path they had taken yesterday to get to her house. The sun was shining happily, birds flew overhead singing their joyful tunes, leaves fluttered by with the pleasant wind at their backs…and Mitsuyo was scowling and Kurama was strolling along as if nothing was wrong with the world.
Truth be told, Kurama didn't know the real explanation of why he was "escorting Mr. Yamamoto" home. To avoid complicating things, he kept telling himself that he was just performing his duty to its full meaning.
"It is a nice day for a walk, Mr. Yamamoto," the redhead responded breezily.
"So why don't you take that walk to your house, hm?" she prodded moodily. She even used her hands to shoo him, so to speak, in the direction of this home, much to Kurama's amusement.
"Do you not like my company anymore, Mr. Yamamoto?" he asked, feigning a reserved face that, if Mitsuyo dared to think Kurama human, could almost be considered pouting.
"Well—no, it's just that—I didn't mean that—I think that you'd—why do you want to stay in my company?" she managed to ask through her stuttering, embarrassed about the fact he managed to get her all flustered…again…
"You are quite enjoyable to be around," Kurama answered with a warm smile to absolutely nothing, as his gaze was still fixed in front of him.
Mitsuyo stared at him for a while before sighing, lowering her head. She tried to fight it, but a pleased grin was forcing their way to her lips. A light giggle (she'd deny this if you told her she did so, she'd say it was more of a chuckle—giggling is for girly-girls) escaped her lips before she looked up at him again.
It was one of those few times that they were getting along without her scowling and his reprimanding. And, though she'd deny this as well, Mitsuyo enjoyed these rare moments more than anything. It always made her feel more relaxed and carefree than she ever could be. She didn't have any friends in or out of school, and at home the only person she could actually play around with was her brother, since her dad was always gone and her mom never wanted to play "game" games. And Mitsuyo really didn't think that she could stand being around Hiroshi for a whole day… not to mention the age difference was large enough to make it a bit uncomfortable.
"I guess," she finally agreed with a half-shrug.
"Especially when you poke fun at Miss Hoshi," Kurama added with a sly grin.
"Hehe, yeah, I enjoy that, too," Mitsuyo admitted after a bark of evil laughter. She made her face like those interviewing someone, and spoke in a smooth voice, "Hoshi, I need help on this math question. It says "Which weighs more—a pound of bricks or a pound of feather"? Which one do you think it is?"
She then proceeded to scrunch up her face like she smelled something completely revolting and squealed in a voice not unlike Mayami's, "Gee, I dunno… how much does a pound of bricks weigh?"
Kurama chuckled softly at her antics, and shook his head with amazement. "You are certainly a character, Mr. Yamamoto."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Mitsuyo said lightly. She didn't even bother commenting on the use of her fake surname.
"Hey you two!" a familiar voice called. Kurama and Mitsuyo both looked up in confusion, only to smile as they saw Mrs. Kajima waving affectionately from her place in her garden.
And what a garden it was. Kurama hadn't noticed it before because the gate had been closed at the time, but now it was open for the neighborhood to see. There were so many vibrant colors—rich reds, luminous yellows, deep violets, peachy pinks, navy blues, blinding whites, soft oranges… rampant weeds pushing through the lush petals of the flowers….
"What're you doing, Mom?" Mitsuyo asked with confusion as they finally reached the house.
"Taking some time off housework duties, since you and your brother helped me lots yesterday"—Mrs. Kajima winked at Kurama when she said this—"and weeding my beautiful garden."
"You have taken great care with these plants, Mrs. Kajima," Kurama complimented lightly, his own eyes brightening. He could practically feel the happiness of the flowers seeping out of their feather-like petals.
"Thank you," she jested happily. Then her whole demeanor fell into that of irritation. "Now I just need to take care of all these weeds…" She turned around to give a heated look to the vegetation-in-question, as if wishing they would indeed catch fire to save her the trouble of removing them.
"I will assist you," Kurama offered automatically. That way, he reasoned silently, I won't need to leave Mitsuyo without protection, considering what happened yesterday during the journey home from school…
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, Mr. Meal Master," she argued affectionately. "What about your mother?"
As fate would have it, his mother was invited by none other than Hatanaka to join him on a cruise. During the phone call that he had made that morning, his mother had informed him that they would be leaving tomorrow morning, and apologized for it being so abrupt. "We figured," she had said, "that since you were staying with Suichi's friend, that we could have some alone time together. We'll only be gone for a couple weeks or so. I hope you don't object…"
Kurama hadn't objected at all—it actually made things easier for him, in too many ways to list for his mother, so he had insisted whole-heartedly that he and Suichi would be fine, and that the two try to enjoy their limited time away from home.
Flashing a teasing smile at Mitsuyo, to which she scowled in an untrusting fashion, he answered charmingly, "My mother will be on vacation this summer with her lover. I'm sure she'll won't mind me staying an hour or so for the time being."
"Oh, wonderful!" Mrs. Kajima sighed happily. "Because I really wanted some help, I really was hoping you'd stay. Suichi told me you gardened, so that makes things easier for me."
Kurama looked amused, "Did he now?"
"Yes, he did," she answered firmly. A thoughtful look graced her young face and she added, "He seemed quite fond of the subject when he told me—though whether it was directed to you or gardening, I wasn't exactly sure."
The redhead smiled to himself, knowing full well what was probably going on in the boy's mind. Instead of commenting, Kurama promptly asked, "Shall we start now?"
"Yes, why not?" Mrs. Kajima asked with the same tone. Turning to her daughter, she asked pointedly, "Would you like to help us, too, Mitsuyo?"
She yawned, "Naaaa, I think I'll pass on this one"—she paused to stretch, muttering "Oh, that felt good" before continuing tiredly—"I'll just have a soda and rest on the patio chairs."
Sighing with disappointment, though no surprise was hinted, Mrs. Kajima handed Kurama the gardening gloves that she held and said, "Okay, let's get to it!"
~`*`~
Humming to herself, Mitsuyo watched dully from her perch on the lawn chair as her mother and Kurama weeded through the rich lowland jungle of flowers and vegetation. Pausing mid-tune, she took a obnoxiously loud slurp from her soda can, flaunting the fact that she wasn't the one working her ass off for a garden. However, even though her mom gave her that "look", Kurama continued his labor diligently, his eyes focused on the task at hand. They were both hard at work, their foreheads gleaming with sweat in the sunlight, their backs bent over the ground. But, despite their obvious distaste (at least, Mrs. Kajima's obvious distaste) of the task, Kurama had a strange smile on his face. Needless to say, it perked Mitsuyo's curiosity.
Looking closer with interest, she noticed that he was barely sweating at all! Aside from Kurama's forehead, his skin was as dry as ever. The two had been out there for at least an hour and a half! Not to mention her mother was sweating buckets, and he was working even harder than her… Concentrating on his hands, Mitsuyo had to run her eyes out of disbelief.
It looked like the weeds were just popping out of the ground as soon as his hands strayed near them. All he had to do was pick them up!
No way, she thought with a skeptical laugh. The heat is getting to you. Finish your drink, then go inside.
With that thought in mind, Mitsuyo downed the contents of her can, setting it down afterwards with a satisfying clang on the glass table that was positioned near her.
Her hand automatically moved to the small nub at the top of the can, moving as though she were to open it up again. Her friends back in America taught her this, and she had continued doing it out of habit. It'd never really worked with her before—she always went through the whole alphabet before it broke.
It was a stupid "ABC Matchmaking Game" where the opening tab on the can was bent back and forth, and each bend corresponded with the letter of the alphabet. She was sure there was an "official" name for the game, but anyways, when it broke off, the letter it stopped on would be the letter that the drinker's lover's name would start with. Flipping the tab like a coin determind whether the first or last name would start with the letter, depending on how the tab landed.
A…B…C…D…E…F…G…H…I…J…K… Mitsuyo hummed to herself.
"Miss Kajima?"
SNAP!
The clanging sound of the tab disappearing into the opening of the can went unheeded, her head shooting up to meet the questioning gaze of a slightly dirty Suichi.
"Uh…hiya!" she chirped with an innocent smile.
"May I ask what you are doing?" he asked, a smile gracing his lips.
"Nope!"
He stared at her for a moment before looking away with a laugh. "Very well. Your mother and I have finished with the weeding. If you need me, I'll be completing today's homework assignments in the dining room so that I will be free for tomorrow night's festivities."
"Wait, you're not going home?" Mitsuyo said in an almost frantic voice as she watched Suichi start to leave.
The redhead gave an almost evil grin, or it was evil as far as Mitsuyo was concerned, and said,"Your mother has kindly offered to make some brownies, as a thank-you for helping her with the garden."
"Brownies!" she cheered excitedly. "I love Mom's brownies! I get some, right?"
"You didn't help with the garden." Mitsuyo blinked. "I suppose you'll have to be considerably kinder to me if you want me to share..."
"...Right," she responded meekly. Yeah, he's really evil. "I'll...see ya if I need ya."
He nodded, still wearing that stupid, cheeky, evil grin of his, and entered the house, leaving her torn between the want for brownies, and the want for her pride. And to ponder who it was she knew that had a name that started with a "K".
~`*`~
K…K…whose name is K…
"Mitsuyo?"
"Huh?"
"Are you prepared to go?"
Yes, it was finally here—the time of the party. Friday. Yup, skipped through the whole school day. Nothing much to say, really. After the gardening, Kurama got his brownies, and was nice enough to share some with Mitsuyo, though it was only after she promised to help her mother with the weeding next time did he actually let her have some. Then, he went home, Mitsuyo did her homework, got into a fight with Hiroshi over who had to set the table, set the table, had dinner, got into a fight with Hiroshi over who got to choose the night's TV show, watched Teen Titans (in case you were wondering, she lost the fight for the remote), went upstairs, fussed with her mother about whether or not she should go to the party as a girl or a guy, had her mother choose her outfit (again, she lost the fight; Mitsuyo was pro-guy, since she wouldn't have to wear a skirt or anything girly in genearl), pouted for fifteen minutes, then went to bed. Then, the next morning, Mitsuyo met up with Kurama, had an argument about whether or not people were going to sneak alcoholic drinks into the party, went to class, had another argument with Kurama because she wanted to copy his notes (and homework…and of course he didn't let her do either), ate lunch, had a fight over Kurama's lunch (it was better than what she had...words couldn't possibly describe the grossness the school cafeteria had the gall to serve students…but she lost the fight, and had to eat it anyway), went to class, made fun of Mayami (though the girl didn't know it; it was rather sad), walked home with Kurama since his mother ditched him—ahem, left the house that morning, goofed away the two remaining hours before the party, then got ready for the party.
So, really, nothing much happened that day.
The night was what really counted.
Mitsuyo stared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror, scowling at her appearance. After that fight mentioned above with her mother, Mitsuyo finally won part of it—no skirts or excessively girly things. Instead, she wore a tight navy blue t-shirt, blinding white letters saying "DON'T MESS WITH ME" on the front, and loose Capri kaki's that showed off her toned legs. Her hair was in a spiky high ponytail with two semi-thick strands of hair framing her face. She blew irritatingly at them, for they fell relentlessly into her eyesight. Her mother thought they were stylish. Mitsuyo thought they were retarded.
"Miss Kajima?"
"Right, right, give me a sec…" she grumbled angrily, still fussing with her hair.
"We will be late if we postpone this any longer…" Kurama informed her tolerantly.
"Okay, okay! I'm coming out! Sheesh!"
She threw open the door, slamming it unintentionally against the wall, her eyes narrowed in annoyance and her lips set in a scowl. However, that all changed immediately when her eyes caught the sight of Kurama waiting calmly in the middle of her room.
Her face vaulted. Suddenly, Mitsuyo wished she was still in the bathroom…
Suichi had told her that he wasn't the type of person to go all out for parties, but even so, he did attempt to look fit for a high school party. Dressed in a black satin button up shirt and kaki dress pants, Mitsuyo had to admit that he succeeded. More than succeeded, actually. It was guaranteed he would have a difficult night evading all of his fan girls, going in a sharp get-up like that.
Acting on instinct, Mitsuyo reached out for the doorknob and closed the door on Kurama's face just in time to hide the fierce blush that set fire to her cheeks.
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod… she kept repeating in her mind. Remember a long time ago in a far away land, there was once a girl by the name of Mitsuyo Kajima who had swore she despised everything that had to do with Suichi Minamino? Well, the said girl was having trouble remembering she was the one that had said that.
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod…
Yeah, she was having problems with speech, too.
"Um… Miss Kajima," he called from the other side of the door, sounding obviously puzzled, but doing his best to remain unaffected.
Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap—
"Miss Kajima, we're going to be late."
"Uh. Sure! Right! Ah…I'm coming out…"
The door opened up once more, though slower than the last time. Mitsuyo hesitantly stepped out—this time, with her eyes closed.
"Miss Kajima," Kurama started after a moment of staring at her in confusion. "Why are your eyes closed?"
"Because," she answered sharply.
"Because why?"
"Because…I…poked myself in the eye."
"Are you alright?"
"Fine! I… just need to keep my eyes closed… for right now. It…stings."
"Allow me to escort you, then," the redhead offered kindly, placing a delicate hand at the small of her back.
"NO THANK YOU!" Mitsuyo shouted quickly, jumping away from his touch as if he burned her. Honestly, he kind of did, but it was the sort of burn Mitsuyo wasn't about to complain about. Or, really, admit to feeling it to anyone. Ever. Unfortunately, her violent reaction resulted in her slamming into the dresser, but it wasn't something any sane human could exactly blame her for; she did have her eyes closed. And besides, she didn't curse or anything! Bonus points!
But, anyways, back to the story.
Kurama gave her a weird look and, even though she couldn't see it, she sensed it. Hastily, Mitsuyo explained herself the best she could.
"Sorry, you...surprised me."
"Oh, well, I'll try to provide more warning this time."
"No! No, it's okay, I'd rather you didn't."
"What exactly do you mean, Miss Kajima?"
"Um… I don't trust you…?"
Kurama's eyebrows furrowed, "I assure you, Miss Kajima, I have no intention of leading you into some sort of danger. Such tricks are not meant to be played by someone such as myself, you need not worry."
"No, no! It's—ah, forget I said anything, okay? Yeah, see, my eye's better now, I can open them up and it's all good!" She did indeed open her eyes, and even fluttered them for effect, though she made sure to look everywhere but at Kurama.
Not sure whether to laugh at her antics or worry about her sanity, Kurama simply shrugged and moved to lead the way out of the room.
Act quick, Mitsuyo! Who knows what'll happen if you get a look of him from behind!
Without a thought, she jumped in front of the door, her back to Kurama, and exclaimed shrilly, "Nu-uh, Suichi! What happened to lady's first?" Not leaving any room for him to comment, she continued, "That's okay, I forgive you, let's just hurry up or we'll be late!"
Why can't he do something to piss me off?
"But you are still guarding the doorway, Miss Kajima. If you do not move, we will be late."
THANK YOU, LORD!
"Well, excuse me for not being all peachy-keen when it comes to parties and stuff!" Mitsuyo fumed half-heartedly. "I mean, it's not everyday that I'm invited to school-wide parties, let alone arriving on time for one!"
And with that, she stomped down the stairs, not even bothering to pause and wait for Kurama to follow, and walked right out the door.
~`*`~
"Call me if you need anything," Mrs. Kajima ordered in that worried parenting tone she always got when her kids left the house. "I'll just be watching movies and eating popcorn, Lord knows I do enough of that."
"Thanks, Mom," Mitsuyo huffed humorously.
Ushering the two teens out the front door, Mrs. Kajima waved enthusiastically while yelling in a loving way, "Have a great time! Don't drink, don't smoke, don't have sex with boy's I don't know, and be sure to come back home before 10:30 or the doors will lock and will remain locked until exactly 6:45 tomorrow morning!"
"Ugh, shoot me now," Mitsuyo muttered. Kurama gave her a look, but decided not to comment.
They walked together in comfortable silence, the calming chirping of crickets every once in a while as they strolled side-by-side down the grass-lined sidewalk towards the Ocean View homes, which were located a few blocks down from her house.
Mitsuyo was curious, and slightly worried because there would be times when she felt Kurama stiffen at her side, and stop walking. However, when she turned to give him a questioning look, he didn't even glance at her and resumed walking as if nothing had occurred. Of course, Mitsuyo would then pretend she hadn't noticed anything, and would continue on while hoping that it wouldn't happen again.
However, it did.
After the fifth time of this occurrence, Mitsuyo finally sighed in exasperation and asked, "Okay, what is wrong, Suichi?"
Kurama paused, flitted his eyes over her frame before asking, "What do you mean?"
With a quick huff, she explained, "You've been stopping all night to stare at the trees. I promise, they won't come alive and eat you up."
In his silence, Kurama stared at the thick forestry of the surrounding vegetation and softly said, "Nothing is wrong, Miss Kajima. Just be sure to stay with me all night, is that alright with you?"
Looking away, she muttered, "You're my only friend, so I don't see why not."
Kurama let a small, grim smile adorn his lips, and wordlessly both continued to enter through the gates that framed the mansion-sized houses at Ocean View.
"Wow, that's a nice big pad," Mitsuyo spoke in awe. "If only I could whistle."
After letting her stare at it for a bit, Kurama offered his arm and asked politely, "Shall we finish our journey?"
With a sickeningly sweet smile, she said, "We shall," and took his arm.
Together, they marched up to the steps and knocked on the door. Not two seconds later, it swung open revealing a young girl, decked out in the normal, crazy party attire—pink tube top, black miniskirt, hair up in a messy bun, pounds of make-up, and knee-high leather boots.
The girl whistled in amazement as her eyes fell upon the couple…or Kurama, to be exact.
"Damn, boy, you're looking HOT tonight!" she exclaimed with a ridiculous sassy tone. "Love your hair…"
Blinking uninterestedly at the girl's antics, Kurama simply said, "Thank you. May we enter?"
"Only if you give me a kiss," the girl bargained seductively. "Right here on the lips." At this, she puckered up in what she probably thought was a tantalizing gesture.
"I'll give you something," Mitsuyo growled, balling up her fists, "right there on the kisser, yes I will!"
She moved to step forward, planning on going along with her idea, but Kurama simply grabbed her around the waist, and said passively, "My apologies, but I'm taken, happily at that. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind at all." Mitsuyo blushed and tried to scowl, with little success.
Stupid pretty boy.
"Oh…" the girl sighed with a slightly disappointed frown. "Never mind, then." She then cheered up a bit, and continued with, "Come on in, we're planning on having a karaoke contest in a few minutes, so get ready to hear some vocal talent!"
"Damn, I knew I forgot something," Mitsuyo mumbled so softly that Kurama's sensitive hearing barely caught it. "Earplugs, earplugs, Mitsuyo, way to go to forget the most important thing needed for a party that has kids who can't sing, singing…"
As the girl waltzed off, probably to go hit on some other guys that she thought were eye candies, Kurama slowly loosened his grip around Mitsuyo's waist, but didn't completely remove it, as he whispered in her ear, "You see? Violence is not the answer to every situation, Miss Kajima."
Grumbling, Mitsuyo pouted and folded her arms stubbornly. She really wanted to hit that girl, but life is full of missed opportunities…
Speaking of which.
"Hands of the waist, bub."
"My apologizes, Miss Kajima."
"Suichi!"
"Yes?"
Pause.
Sigh, "Never mind, Suichi…"
"Indeed."
The wonderfully entertaining squabble ended quicker than usual, as all the hustle and bustle going on at the party drew their attention. The blaring music, the squeals and laughter of the party people, the pleasant buzz of others simply socializing, colorful flashing lights, teens "breaking it down"…
Both could safely say that this was the first teen party they had been to. Well, for Kurama, this was the first one he was attending for the understanding that he was at the party for fun reasons, not reasons related to "Spirit Detective"ing.
"So," Mitsuyo started casually. "What do you wanna do?"
Kurama simply remained silent, glancing around the party. Normally, he wasn't one to be all self-conscious and everything, but he really didn't feel like dancing, chatting with the students, eating, drinking, or any of that. He simply went to the party because Mitsuyo was going, and he was suppose to keep an eye on her. Kurama closed his eyes, blocking out the ruckus so as to help him concentrate better. Trying to calm his mind, he hastily scanned the area for the energy signature that had been bugging him all night, worried that it had managed to follow the duo to the party.
He found it.
And it wasn't far away either.
He'd need to distract the girl to take care of it.
But how?
"Let's dance," Kurama commanded abruptly, the arm that was still wrapped around Mitsuyo's waist tightening, dragging her with him to the midst of the dance floor.
He swung her around so that they were facing each other, placed his free hand on her waist to lock with the other, forcing Mitsuyo's to settle comfortably on his shoulders, and started to sway to the music. Mitsuyo was adorning a perplexed expression, but Kurama was too focused on the mysterious spirit energy he was sensing to notice.
Realizing that fact, she frowned in curiosity, and asked in a tentative voice, "Suichi…?"
Kurama blinked, and glanced down at the girl in his arms. "Yes, Miss Kajima?"
"What's up," she demanded with a definite tone.
He opened his mouth, trying to make up an excuse, but realized that he couldn't.
Or didn't have to.
Considering that right at that moment, when Kurama had taken his attention off the energy signature, the being to which it belonged to decided to break through the three floorings from above and strike.
"Spirit Child, you now belong to Master Isamu!"
.:AN:.
Yeah, I'm jumping right into it. I just couldn't help myself. And I know I promised I'd make this the whole "fighting thing" but I decided it needed it's own chapter. So I came out with this. Yes, I know I build up slowly. But I just couldn't control it! Every part was needed, including what was in this one. See, Mitsuyo starts to suspect something strange about Kurama, Kurama notices that Mitsuyo has a demon stalker that most likely serves Akio (considering what the dude said at the end of the chapter), and Yusuke and Kuwabara failed in their attempt to reach Akio's layer, which they know is impossible to break through without the element of surprise. But, Hiei is still doing good, as they hope is true.
My Question: What do you think Hiei is doing? It's been a secret ever since chapter…ssssix, I think. Yes, six. I want to know what you believe he is doing, only because then I can tell if I've given good, bad, confusing hints.
So yes. The next chapter is gurrenteed to be filled with fighting, gore, and humor. Not so much explicit gore, but fighting and killing demons is always gory, right? Right. Well, update if you want to read that stuff, okay?
Conscience: Please do! Oh, and Payne forgot to mention this, but we went back and redid most of the chapters, so if you're an old reader that read from the creation of this story, it is highly suggested that you take some time to go back and read it.
Mitsuyo: Yeah, she totally redid the first chapter. Makes me sound not so love-sick (not that I am love-sick in any way, mind you, I'm just stating the facts) and more like the suppressed me that doesn't show itself unless I'm out of school. Like that pink-haired girl from Naruto! I'm, ahem, I mean we're watching the shows now, since they've started over from the beginning last Saturday. Not bad, if I do say so myself, but we like Yu Yu Hakusho more. It's just funner (It's. A. Word.)
So that's it. Hope you liked it, I look forward to your comments!