Chapter 44: The Make up Game.


Date: October 4th, 2002


Mimiko's P.O.V.

Later that night was a pretty typical night for our team, sitting in the hotel room, counting down the minutes to our next fight. Kurama, Kuwabara, Shea and I sat around playing cards, while Hiei and Loki sat by the windowsill. Loki turned her eyes out towards the rain pelted window pain, sighing as she watched the water slide down the glass.

"Yusuke hasn't returned yet." She mentioned. Though there wasn't any worry in her voice, I thought I should assure her of something somehow.

"Seems like typical Yusuke to me. He's probably around, taking his anger out on some trees or something." I commented, taking one of the cards from Kurama's hand into my own. The eight of Spades had been just what I needed. Kuwabara looked up from his cards, seemingly deep in thought as he moved them in his hands.

"I wonder how tough this team is going to be…" Kuwabara thought aloud, allowing Shea to pluck one of his cards from him as she took her turn.

"The only thing Mimiko and I have to worry about are a bunch of fangirls for that Shishiwaka…whatever his name was guy. We'll be okay." Hiei huffed from his place on the sill and cracked a crimson eye open to look at Shea.

"It doesn't matter what they are, we don't know a thing about their ability, or about their need for vengeance." He muttered, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Why does a need for vengeance matter?"

"Neither of you have killed a single opponent of yours since these matches began." Hiei argued, which made me somehow see his point. Though I was grateful to him, since he seemed to be pointedly avoiding the fact that Shea had in fact killed someone during her fight, she just wasn't aware she had, and we were trying to keep it that way, as Setsuya wanted us to.

"You know, not everyone likes killing things Hiei." I retorted, to which he rolled his eyes in annoyance and turned back to the window. A knock at the door caught our attention, and whoever was knocking didn't wait for us to open the door. The door creaked open to reveal Keiko, Shizuru, Yukina, Bruno, Shin, and Botan leading the pack, arms filled with various drinks. I Noticed Kouhei was not among them and sighed to myself, figuring she probably hadn't wanted to come in the first place, not after what I said.

"You guys ever heard of waiting until someone answers the door?" Kuwabara asked. Botan shrugged and placed the drinks on the table.

"Well, we figured you all needed a bit of a pick me up, so we thought a little party before your next match would help!" Bruno strolled up beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"By we, she means her." He explained as Kuwabara eyed him.

"Well, we were discussing important team matters-"

"What's so dire about Go Fish?" As Yukina poked her head out from behind Bruno, Kuwabara perked up, ignoring the older boy completely.

"Oh Yukina! Why don't you play some cards with us, we weren't really doing anything important!" Yeah, smooth Kuwabara… Bruno looked a bit annoyed, but Botan took his wrist.

"Just ignore his mood changes." She commented, though she seemed annoyed by it herself. Keiko looked over to Kurama, and I noticed she had been holding Puu, who looked a bit pale and sick, compared to how he usually was.

"…Have you seen Yusuke? I've been worried about Puu…he looks sick, and he's Yusuke's other half and all…." Kurama responded calmly, with a warm smile he shared only with his friends, if only on this island, I had no idea where he used it outside of Hanging Neck Island.

"He went out for a while, I'm sure he'll be back later." Good thing he said that too, since none of us wanted Keiko to freak out, because Yusuke was missing in action and none of us had the slightest idea of a first place to look for him. Of course the Masked Fighter was missing as well, I was sure they hadn't killed each other. I felt a shift in the weight at my side as Shin sat beside me, his arms crossed over his lap as he looked back at me.

"Hey Shin…"

"Are you okay? Kouhei told me about your fight…right before she went off to find Jin. I swear you two think I'm useless these days." He joked, swatting my shoulder lightly. I gave him a sigh and a nudge before speaking.

"I need to find her Shin, I said some things I really shouldn't have." Shin smiled and gave me the thumbs up.

"Great, I'll look for her with you." He took my hand and nearly launched me off the couch as he got up himself, and we told the others we had to take a walk before excusing ourselves from them.

"Man, we've been searching for thirty minutes, who knows where they are?" Shin exclaimed as he poked his head out of one of the bushes. I paused in my searching to smell the air.

"…Lilacs don't grow around here…why does it smell like that?" Shin suggested we follow it, and it led us to a clearing that sat on a hill overlooking the ocean. Beautiful bunches of lilacs surrounded the area, the shades of purple calming me a little as I took in the scent. Though I tensed as soon as I spotted Kouhei and Jin. They were in the middle of the field, sitting together while Kouhei was at work making a chain of flowers on a string. Shin stepped forwards and laughed.

"Kouhei, remember how you always used to make those for us as kids? You were really good at it." Kouhei and Jin, who had probably sensed us before we got there, looked up at the sound of his voice. Kouhei spotted me and made sure to turn her back on me while she continued to work, while Jin smiled at us.

"Bout' time someone else found this place besides me, the lilacs sure do get lonely up here." I figured that was his way of saying hello, and nodded at him in return. He seemed aware of course, that Kouhei was mad at me, but the flicker of confusion in his eyes told me she didn't tell him why.

"Hey Jin, mind telling me how you found this place on an island like this." Jin nodded at jumped to his feet, catching up to Shin to tell him all about the place, giving me a chance to sit down beside Kouhei.

"Kouhei, look-"

"I don't have any interest in hearing you say anything about Jin, alright?"

"I'm not here to fight." Kouhei turned to her side a little, showing me she was listening despite not wanting too.

"I was wrong, and after we fought, I had a talk with Sprite. Everything I said was bad, some of it was a bit hypocritical, and I had no place to speak because…I was about borderline in love with Yusuke at some point too and…" Kouhei blinked, now turned fully towards me and sitting with her legs crossed like a pretzel. Her look was one of genuine surprise.

"You liked Yusuke? Why didn't you act on it?"

"I had to let go of those feelings for him Kouhei, because he already had someone who loved him so dearly for years, even if he isn't aware of what he has yet. I wasn't going to get in the way of that." I paused and took a deep breath.

"But enough about that. Do you like Jin a little more than you should?"

"I…yes…but it isn't love I just…I don't know." Nodding, I cleared my throat a little.

"It can be different for you and Jin than it was for me. I understand if you really like each other, that you'll make it work. I'm not going to pretend you can't handle yourself anymore." Kouhei lowered the chain of flowers to the grass and let it lay there, and then leaned over to hug me, to which I responded by placing my arms around her as well.

"So…friends?"

"The best…" I pulled back and looked back to Jin and Shin, who were looking out at the Ocean, and dragged Kouhei over to them, shoving her into Jin, who twitched an ear as he steadied her. Jin breathed in and grinned widely.

"Ah the smell of the sea's always a great thing." He commented as he gave a stretch. I looked out over the glistening sea and nodded.

"Oh yeah, the ocean and all its glorious mutant angler fish." Shin and Kouhei both looked at me.

"…What?"

"Oh nothing."


A/N: Just a small chapter filled of mostly fluff, I'll get into the actual fights next chapter.