Chapter Four- Day One

Hiei was roused by the sound of the doorbell. He stretched as he got up and realized that he actually felt well-rested; more so than sleeping in a tree. Hn, I think I'll sleep in a bed more often. He headed for the bathroom to wash up and heard Yusuke and Shizuru's voices. He sighed. He failed to see how grocery shopping was going to help him respect humans but he had to follow Yusuke as per Koenma's instructions.

He came down to see Yusuke waiting in the hall, two pieces of paper in one hand. "Hey, Hiei. Ready for your first day as a human?"

"Just answer this," he said as they left. "How will this help me respect humans?"

"Shizuru suggested I go about my usual routine with you following me. Then, I explain them and why humans do them."

Hiei inclined his head. "That's not a bad idea. No need to explain grocery shopping as it's obvious. Humans need to eat."

"Yeah, but there's more to it than that. You'll see when we get there."

Kuwabara awoke to an enticing smell. It was a subtle scent and yet he picked it up as if it was stronger. Hmm, seems I have sharper senses as a demon. How come I didn't notice that before? He opened his eyes and sat up, yawning and stretching.

"Kuwabara, I made some breakfast," Kurama called through the door.

"You heard me yawn, huh?"

"Not at all. I figured the subtle scent of food would wake you as you have sharper senses as a demon."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that," he answered as he stood, went to the door, and opened it. Kurama was there with a patient, understanding look. The two demons went to the table to enjoy a light breakfast. Afterwards, they gathered sacks and swords that were sheathed and strapped to their backs. They added sheathed knives to their hips before leaving the hideout. Kuwabara felt security from the weapons they had. He had experience with a sword thanks to his Spirit Sword. But with his energy belonging to Hiei and him not having much experience using Hiei's demon energy, a sword of energy would be difficult to do. Or would it? Kuwabara wondered. I made fire to cook the stew last night, so if I practice perhaps I can make a sword out of fire. The idea sent his mind racing with excitement. He doubted Hiei was having any fun being human. I wonder what he's going through right now.

Hiei stood by the cart, watching as Yusuke examined apples. He understood why he was looking at them carefully as he had explained when choosing a banana bunch. Hiei was content to let Yusuke take his time since he didn't want food poisoning later on and he didn't have anywhere to go, really.

His eyes watched the people also roaming the produce aisle or the ones wheeling carts past the section and into different aisles. He looked at the lists sitting in the baby seat and to him there seemed to still be a lot to buy. How long does grocery shopping take? he wondered as Yusuke put a bag of apples in the cart and asked him as much.

"Depends on how much one needs. I've seen people buy a cartful, other buying two cartsful."

"Two!?" Hiei gasped.

"Not to worry. We won't even have a full cart. Let's see." Yusuke scanned the lists. "Shizuru wrote ice cream on the list. How about it, Hiei?"

Hiei's eyes lit up with interest. He loved ice cream; one of the few things he liked about humans. He led the way to the ice cream and gazed at the different flavors in the freezer and especially the different types of chocolate, his favorite flavor. Which one do I want? Regular, extra creamy, maybe vanilla with chocolate chips? A duo of giggles nearby caught his attention and he turned toward it.

Two teenage girls stood a few freezers down and were smiling and giggling at him. He turned away and went to Yusuke. "Are they laughing at me?" he growled.

"Actually, I think they like you," Yusuke answered, grinning.

Hiei huffed as he went back to the ice cream, eyeing the girls out of the corner of his eye. Both were cute, he admitted it. One was blond with bright green eyes while the other had brilliant red hair and sparkling brown eyes. Both wore a light coat of eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick. He selected an extra creamy chocolate, put it in the cart, and turned to see the girls had come closer.

The redhead blushed while the blonde said, "Hi, I'm Emma and this is my friend, Sandy."

"Hi, I'm Yusuke and this is Hiei."

"Hiei," Sandy repeated softly.

Emma nudged her. "Go ahead. Ask." Sandy blushed harder and stared at the floor. Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll do it. Sandy thinks you're cute, Hiei. She was wondering if you'd like to go out with her."

Hiei was impressed that they were brave enough to approach them. He was aware of Yusuke's reputation and most people steered clear of him. Hiei didn't think of himself as cute or anyone someone would want to go out with. I see no reason to agree. I'm not really human. I just look like one.

Hiei opened his mouth to turn the girl down when Yusuke said, "He'd love to. The Yukimura noodle ship at noon tomorrow."

Sandy looked up, a happy smile lighting up her face. "Great! See you then." The girls walked way, talking excitedly to each other. Hiei spun around and scowled at Yusuke. "Why the hell did you do that? You set me up on a date!"

"Blind date actually since you don't know anything about her. Besides, she's cute."

"Detective," he said in a low deadly tone. "I'm not looking for a girlfriend or even a mate. I just want to respect humans so I can be a demon again."

"Dating's a great way to see why humans do what they do. Besides, Keiko wants me to help her out at the shop tomorrow. A date will keep you occupied while I work."

"Thanks for the groceries, Yusuke." Shizuru took the bags from him and carried them into the kitchen with the boys behind her. "So, how did it go?"

"I learned a little and it was fine until someone set me up on a blind date." Hiei shot Yusuke a death glare. "Mark my words, Yusuke. I will kill you once I'm back to normal."

"You have a date?" Shizuru smiled. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah," Yusuke said, nodding. "They're meeting at Keiko's shop tomorrow since I have to work."

"Perfect. So, Hiei. What's her name? What does she look like?"

"Does it matter? There's not going to be a second date or any romance."

"Well, I'd like to know. So Yusuke, you tell me."

"Her name's Sandy. She got red hair and brown eyes. She thinks Hiei's cute."

"Really?" Shizuru smiled at that comment. "Well, he does look kind of cute."

Hiei scowled and definitely did not look cute at that moment. "So, what else are we doing today? That is, what else are you doing today?"

"Well after putting away the groceries, I'm hitting the arcade."

"Why?"

"Because it's fun. Humans often seek something they enjoy when not working or in school. Hmm, maybe we can go swimming while you're human since it is summer."

"I know how to swim."

"Yeah, but humans swim for exercise or fun."

"Is fun all you think about?"

"No. Come on. The sooner we put the groceries away, the sooner we can go to the arcade."