We set off together, and I say, "I feel like you'd get tired of celebrating New Year's after you've seen so many."
"Not hardly." He smiles, sliding his hands in his jacket pockets. "I like to watch each new year dawn so I might see which of my past-laid plans come to fruition."
"Geez," I mumble, shaking my head. "You're something else."
"Irritating and ridiculously stubborn?"
"Yes. Wait." I freeze, looking up at him. "You heard all of that?"
He nods, smiling wryly. "I apologize for eavesdropping, but I didn't want to interrupt you."
I start walking again, hitting myself in the side of the head. "Ah, good. I seem to be incapable of going for more than two minutes without making an idiot of myself around you."
"You were asleep for a few hours today," he says.
"Ha. So the only time I'm not being stupid is when I'm asleep. Thanks."
"Asaki." He grabs my hand, sighing exasperatedly. "I was joking. I can't think of a single time you've made an idiot if yourself."
"That makes one of us," I mumble, staring at our joined hands. His fingers are cold, but his palm is warm, and I find myself curling my fingers into it so he's basically holding my fist.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you what I thought of you?"
I yank my hand away from him, my stomach dropping to my feet. "Oh, no you don't have to do that." Just the thought of hearing that terrifies me.
His green eyes bore into me, and I swallow hard, looking away. I see our friends waiting at the foot of some stairs up ahead, so I quicken my pace, wanting to put distance between myself and his words.
I'd much rather continue living in ignorance, satisfied with the fact that we're friends. I don't want to know that he doesn't like me as much as I like him or that being called my best friend makes him uncomfortable. I don't dare to hope he'll have positive things to say, as I've been nothing but a burden on him and his family. He probably sees me as a pet as much as anything else. I'm like a kicked puppy.
"Yo!" Yusuke says as I approach. "You're not going to throw up on us, are you?"
"Yusuke!" Keiko elbows him hard, and he winces. "How are you feeling, Asaki?"
"All right," I say. "Just a bit cold."
"I don't get fire demons being cold," Kuwabara grunts. I flick a tiny bit of fire at him, making sure it falls short, but he jumps anyway. "Watch it!"
"I don't get why humans are so afraid of fire," I tell him, forcing a smile. Just relax, Asaki. Breathe.
"The average person is highly flammable," Kurama says as he stops beside me.
"Fair enough," I say, pretending nothing is wrong, even though all I want is to bolt again.
"Come on," Keiko says, tugging on Yusuke's sleeve. "We've got to get to the top still."
The five of us make our way up the stairs, just making it past the shrine gates and into the massive crowd of people who've gathered when the whistle and pop of fireworks catches my attention. They're pretty, and I stop in my tracks, staring up at the sky with wide eyes.
Somebody bumps me hard, and I stumble, falling against someone else. "Careful." I look up at Kurama who gives me a small smile, taking my hand. He leads me through the crowd, and I feel my heart in my throat as I hold fast to him. Once we're out of the throng, however, he immediately lets go, leaving me feeling a little cold.
"You there!" I turn, frowning at a booth set apart from the main thoroughfare. A woman is sitting there, her hair wrapped in a scarf, her face mostly covered, wearing a beautiful purple kimono. "Come, get your fortune told! New Year's special."
"Hey, I know this trick!" Yusuke says, swaggering over to the woman. "Botan, is that you?"
"You've got me!" She takes off the headscarf and the one covering her face to reveal her bright blue hair and a huge smile. "Now, who wants a fortune? I think you'll find mine are eerily accurate!"
"Why would you say 'eerily' if you actually want us to get them?" I ask, frowning.
"Scared?" Yusuke asks, reaching into the box Botan has sitting in front of her.
"Jackass," I grunt, following suit. Everyone else does the same, and we stand a little apart, reading what we've got. Mine says 'mixed luck', and I frown as I read over what that means. Everything says I'll do well, from academics to money, the latter of which is both surprising and relieving. The only things that are poor are health and love.
"Let's see?" Botan says, smiling as she reaches for my fortune.
"Wait," I gasp, trying to snatch it back.
"Hmm. This is rather good, Asaki." She frowns at one, saying, "Too bad, though. You've got terrible luck in love. It says to avoid older men as they'll only break your heart."
"That shouldn't be too hard, right?" Keiko says. "I mean, you're pretty old."
"Thanks," I drawl, snatching my fortune away from her, shooting Botan a dirty look.
"Oh, that's right!" She says, her face going red. "Asaki-"
"Stop." I hold out my hand, desperately trying to tell her to shut up. The only person I happen to be in love with is in fact much older than me. Not only that, but he's standing beside me. Stupid fortune. Now, on top of all my other worries, I have this to fret about too.
"It's just a fortune," Yusuke grunts. "These things are usually pretty bogus. Look, mine says to just keep doing what I'm doing, and love will find me. Like I'm looking or something."
"Mine says to try harder," Kuwabara mumbles. "I can do that! Don't worry, Yukina, my love! Your Kazuma is going to win your heart!"
I laugh, as Botan leans over Kurama's slip. "Love Fortune: Don't wait too long or you'll lose your chance." She stares piercingly up at Kurama who raises his hands to ward her off. "Does that mean you've got someone in mind, Kurama?"
He shakes his head. "As Yusuke said, it's just a fortune."
"They aren't just fortunes. They're Botan-certified, Spirit World Fortunes."
I take a step back, watching them debate the merits of fortunes as I try to hold myself together. Not only is my love luck terrible and aimed directly at Kurama, but his own seems to indicate he does have someone in mind. This night is a hot mess.
"Hm."
"What is it, Asaki?" Keiko asks.
"I was just thinking that Hide is older than me…." I look up at Botan, frowning.
"Oh, dear," she says. "Have you heard from him recently?"
"Much to my misfortune," I reply. "This isn't exactly the best start to a new year."
"Well...they're predictions of what may happen. In the end, the future is yours to shape." Botan nods her head, smiling.
"You're right," I reply, returning her smile. Before I can say anything more, a squawking noise catches my attention, and I look up, eyes going wide at the sight of another ghastly bird like the one from the other night. It drops an envelope once again, right into my hands.
I stare at it, my heart suddenly pounding fast. Typed on the front of the envelope is my name, first and last, with the letters DTC beneath it. All eyes are on me, and I resist the urge to look up at Kurama. I think, if I did, I'd ask him to open it for me, but I can't just lean on him for everything.
"I'm so done with getting mail like this," I growl.
"Who's it from?" Yusuke asks.
"It says 'DTC'."
"Dark Tournament Committee?" Botan says, and I stare at her.
"But why would they send me anything…? Oh!" I rip open the letter, pulling out two pieces of paper. One is a letter congratulating me on my winning bets at the Dark Tournament. The other is a check for…. "Holy crap."
"Let me see!" Yusuke snaps, yanking both the paper and the check from my hands. His eyes go wide. "Well, shit, Asaki. What the hell did you do?"
"Somebody explain to me what's going on!" Kuwabara grunts.
"Asaki got a check from the Dark Tournament Committee for one trillion yen." Silence meets his words, and I find I still can't believe it myself.
"Why?" Keiko asks at last.
"W-well," I say, tugging on the base of my braid. "I bet on Yusuke's team."
"Seriously?" Yusuke says, staring with wide eyes.
"Yeah. Before that whole mess even started, I asked my father if I could take my dowry and use it all to bet on you guys. I placed a bet that would just keep going as long as you guys would keep winning. I figured I had nothing to lose. If you all didn't win, there'd be no point in having money anyway, right?"
"What's a dowry?" Kuwabara asks.
"Money that would have gone to my husband if I'd married," I tell him. "It's kind of an old concept, but I'm also kind of old…. I like how that's the question you ask after I just told you that."
Kurama chuckles, his smile enough to both warm and chill me at once. "Forward thinking, Asaki. Maybe the rest of us should have done the same."
"How much was your dowry if you made that much money?" Kuwabara asks.
"A couple million yen," I say, shrugging. "Honestly, it wasn't as much about the amount I bet as the odds that were against you. They were ridiculous, even for the invited team."
"Damn," Yusuke grunts. "Well, what the hell are you going to do with all that money?" He hands the papers back to me, and I pocket everything with a sigh.
"Well, I guess I can go to whatever school I want to now."
Kurama chuckles as Kuwabara and Yusuke stare at me like I've lost my mind. "You have a trillion yen," Yusuke says slowly, "and the first thing you think of is school?"
"Seriously, Asaki," Kuwabara says. "You could buy like ten houses!"
"What would I do with ten houses?" I snap, exasperated.
"It's comforting to know that, regardless of how much money you have, you're still the same Asaki," Kurama says, and I swear, his smile could melt steel. It's certainly doing a number on my heart.
"Whatever," I grunt. "I mean, I guess I can move out of the place I'm in now." I clap my hands together, suddenly excited. "I could have a place with more than one room!"
Yusuke and Kuwabara facepalm in unison as Keiko says, "That sounds wonderful, Asaki. I'm so happy for you."
"At least someone is," I say, sighing. "I have a really poor concept of money, considering I grew up surrounded by it. It doesn't mean more to me than a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and the chance to better myself."
"Yeah, but buy something fancy, at least!" Yusuke crows, sounding defeated. "You could buy this whole city!"
"Why would I want a city?" This squabbling continues as Botan packs up her little stand-I think some Spirit World magic is involved, because it disappears-and she and Keiko lead us out of the shrine and to a hill where a few other groups are gathered. I'm having fun picking at Yusuke, so I don't even question where we're going.
"All right, you two," Botan says. "If you don't shut up, you'll miss the first sunrise of the year."
"Big deal," Yusuke grunts.
I frown, but before I can ask a question, Kurama answers it. "It's customary for humans to watch the first sunrise of a new year." I hadn't even noticed he was beside me, and I jump at his proximity. As though unaware of my discomfort, he continues. "It's a good way to say farewell to the old and to welcome the new."
"Right," I say, nodding. Leave it to Kurama to be able to answer questions before I ask them.
We're at a great spot to watch as the sky slowly turns pink. I yawn, feeling tired. I slept most of yesterday, but I must still be recovering a bit. The sun rises slowly, and I find my head resting against Kurama's shoulder. I'm too tired to move or care, and he doesn't shrug me off, taking my hand in his instead.
That simple gesture makes me feel an awful lot better, and I wonder why I've been so up-in-arms lately. Who cares if he doesn't like me as much as I like him? He's still here, and he's holding my hand.
The moment the sun breaks the horizon, Botan claps her hands together. "So, who wants breakfast?"
...
January flies by in a blur, my life once again consumed by three things: School, Work, and Kurama. Entrance exams for high school are coming up, and while I no longer have to worry about getting a scholarship due to my sudden wealth, I still have to pass the exams I plan on taking. Keiko and I spend a lot of time studying together, as apparently Kuwabara has decided he wants to study with Kurama instead. So much for the guy not being a great teacher.
I work at the bakery twice a week, not for the money, but just for the company. It's the only time I ever get to see Haruka and Kana anymore. Apparently, they're also working as hard as they can to get into their top schools. Mrs. Tendou is sympathetic, not getting too mad if she catches any of us studying on the job.
Two or three nights a week, when he's not helping Kuwabara, Kurama and I find ourselves together. At first it was just our ramen quest, but after deciding that Keiko's is our favorite place for ramen, I end up spending more time just at his house. His mother is more than happy to see me, and occasionally, we all go out with Mr. Hatanaka and Kokoda as well. It makes me feel like I'm part of an actual, functioning family.
It occurs to me, one day as I'm heading back to the same old apartment, that I haven't seen Hiei in forever. I kind of miss the prickly guy, which is when I come up with the craziest idea I've ever had. When I'd asked Botan what Hiei was up to, she told me he couldn't leave the city, so he was probably just going from deserted spot to spot, sleeping outside or in abandoned buildings or something.
I owe the little demon, so I start going apartment hunting, eventually settling on a two-bedroom place closer to the high schools I want to go to, but not much further from my current school. After that, I ask Kurama if he can find Hiei for me. When he questions me, I shrug it off, not wanting to jinx anything. I feel like if I say it out loud before I talk to the short demon, it'll ruin everything.
So, Kurama arranges a meeting for Hiei and me, and I'm fighting myself every step of the way to the place, trying not to chicken out. It's entirely possible he'll laugh in my face. I console myself with the fact that if he does laugh, at least I'll have expected it.
Hiei glares at me when I greet him. "What do you want?" he snaps.
"I hear you're stuck in the city until Spirit World says otherwise." Maybe that isn't the best way to start a conversation.
"What do you want, Asaki?" he repeats, narrowing his eyes.
I chuck a set of keys at him. "I have a new place, and it's got two bedrooms. I honestly don't care what you do with yourself, but that room is yours if you want it." Sighing, I give him the address and then leave, heart in my throat.
He probably won't come, I tell myself. He'll probably think the idea of being housemates with me is the single most repulsive thing, but I don't care. The option was given.
I'm beyond surprised when the door to my empty apartment opens later that day, with Hiei standing in the entryway, looking around distastefully. He comes inside, brushing past me to the smaller of the two rooms before coming out to stare at me. I'd been trying to plan the things I would need here when he came in, so I'm just standing, dumbfounded in the living room.
"I come and go as I please," he growls.
"That's fine," I tell him, rubbing a hand over my face. "You can eat whatever food is in the house. If there's anything specific you want, just give me a list."
"Whatever," he replies, heading into his new room and slamming the door behind him. I wonder what I've just gotten myself into. It's too late to back out now.
When I get up the next morning, the little demon is gone, and I wonder just how much coming and going he'll be doing. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. At least he won't be sleeping outside anymore.
I'd invited Yusuke to go shopping with me for house essentials since he'd seemed so keen on me spending my money. When I meet him at the shopping mall, he looks bored already. I must be one hell of a masochist.
"Why me, again?" Yusuke asks.
"You can go home, if you want," I reply. "I just figured a human would know best what to put in a human house. I know if I did this by myself, I'd forget something really obvious."
"Why didn't you ask Kurama?"
"He's not human. And, with my luck, he'd probably trick me into buying something stupid, convincing me it's some essential human thing."
"I guess," Yusuke says.
With that, the two of us head out. I end up getting two couches, a dinner table, a coffee table, a couple bookshelves, two beds, a TV, and a bunch of fancy cooking utensils. The store is going to send some people to deliver the furniture to my home since I obviously can't carry it all myself.
Yusuke is dead tired by the end, and I can tell he really doesn't want to be here anymore. "Two more things, I promise."
"You owe me big time," he grunts in reply.
"I know. That's why I said just two more things." Mrs. Minamino had been complaining that her oven wasn't working properly, so I've decided to buy her a new one. I'm going to send it anonymously so that she doesn't question how I have enough money for that, living on my own, but I hope she'll still accept it.
After that, all that's left is...video games. "Get whatever you want," I tell Yusuke. "And some for Kuwabara too."
"Are you serious?" He's staring at me like I'm crazy, and I shrug.
"It's a thank you for everything you guys have done for me. I already got something for Keiko, Kurama, and Botan." Botan had thought the little oar-shaped keychain I gave her was adorable, and Keiko was more than grateful for the cookbook I got her. She'd said between our study sessions, we could try out new recipes, which was fine by me. With Hiei now in the house, I'll probably be cooking for two on occasion. I don't know that the cheap crap I can currently make will cut it.
As for Kurama, I got him a plant, which sounds incredibly lame, but I didn't think he'd accept anything else from me. The plant is a flower that hasn't done more than sprout right now, and I'd told him he couldn't cheat and make it grow. He would just have to take care of it the old-fashioned way, and if he didn't I'd know, and then I'd beat him up. Or something like that, which made him laugh.
Yusuke picks out a few games after making absolutely certain I'm okay with it, and when we finally part ways at the end of the day, I'm beyond pleased with everything that's happened so far. I dash back to my place so I can tell the movers where to put everything, and I'm rather pleased with the final result.
I pick up the phone I'd bought, wondering who I could call. I haven't used a phone since I left my father's, and it occurs to me that the only numbers I still know serve me no purpose in this world. Sighing, I set it back down and get started on dinner.
Hiei comes in through the window at some point, and I yell at him about using doors, which he ignores. He goes into his room, shutting the door, and I wonder what he thinks of the bed I got him. Once I finish dinner, I knock on his door. He pokes his head out, scowling, and I shove the food at him.
"Eat," I say before going to the kitchen table, flipping open a textbook so I can study and eat. After a few minutes, Hiei joins me, much to my surprise. When we're done eating, he grabs my plate and chopsticks roughly, heading over to the sink and dumping everything in. With that, he turns and heads back into his room.
"Well, I'll be damned," I whisper, grinning.
A/N: I'm here! I promise, I'm still here. Things have been insane lately, and I feel like I'm losing my mind, but I'm still updating, slowly but surely.
This chapter was kind of weird. It feels like it's just a bunch of loose ends getting tied up and new paths opening to be explored. Rabbit holes, maybe. I like shrine visit things, and I feel like Botan would totally be giving out spooky fortunes. As far as Hiei goes...he's not my favorite character, but he's important in Asaki's life, so I have to keep him around (holds up shield to fend off the scary Hiei fans who hate me now). I like him better than I used to, and he's a character Asaki's creation couldn't have existed without.
Anyway, that's me rambling. Thanks for reading!