Sayonara Aishiteru II
Okay…so I didn't see that chapter I was poorly written last time and that it's too quick and long. Next half of chapter one, shifted into chapter II people! The lemon part will be part B of chapter 2 now, I suppose -Karasu
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Koenma's eyes grew wide. Has he heard? He wasn't sure yet, but he's not yet ready to tell the youko. Both men's eyes clashed each other, eliciting a sudden force that even Yusuke and Keiko seem to feel. After a few more seconds of sharp glares, Koenma furrowed his brows, breaking the silence. "I supposed you've heard"
Kurama merely moved, a slight nod of his head as a reply. His eyes just as sharp, he gazed into Koenma's piercing glare even further. Koenma knew what that glare says. Kurama won't budge that quickly. The usual soft gaze of Shuuichi Minamino had turned back into the cold, youko inside the boy. Yusuke and Keiko had backed off long before Koenma could even say something.
The prince's eyes closed as he started to walk past Kurama, shoving him on the shoulder purposely. Kurama winced at the contact, not because of the physical pain it made, but because of the sudden disgust of even seeing the master he once worked for. Time really does do magic once in a while, first he fell in love so suddenly, now he's lost his love for a friend. The closeness and respect he once had for Koenma all disappeared, the cold feeling for him when he was still a thief came back. He turned back to face him again, their eyes clashing one last time.
"Get away from her, Kurama. You, of all people, should know better than to meddle with Reikai" Koenma threatened him, breaking the hasty bond their eyes just had. With a last puff of breath, he stormed out.
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"Ohayou gozaimasu, Keiko-chan!"
Keiko's breath caught in her throat. That familiar voice, the voice she had been trying to avoid all week. She should've known better than to run away from her best friend. Instead, she smiled back at her, hiding her paranoia of getting herself in trouble. Two days have passed since that incident with Koenma and Kurama, and she tries to avoid any distress of things. "Botan-chan, nice to see you again"
Botan sat on the counter, her eyes fixed on Keiko, making the girl gulp silently. "By any chance, have you seen Kurama?" she asked, her voice showing oblivious ignorance to what happened the other day. Maybe Koenma hadn't told her yet.
Keiko fidgeted in her place, her hands shaking behind her. "I…I haven't seen him quite often these days, Botan" she answered, letting out a nervous smile. "Hey…I got to go, I have a lot of work to do in the kitchen, you go on along" she added, quickly escaping at the back door of the counter. She didn't want to run away from Botan, it's jus that she doesn't know whose side to choose. Koenma has his point, but Botan is in love with Kurama, so is he, and she didn't wan to ruin such a great friendship between the two. And she likes Kurama, just as much as she likes Koenma. He just didn't know what to do anymore.
Botan sat still as Keiko ran away to the kitchen. Much as she wanted to follow her, she was still looking for Kurama. She slipped down the counter and ran off the door, her mind slipping from the fact that the ramen house didn't have any customers at all when Keiko said she was "busy".
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Botan looked around. She had been looking for Kurama for half an hour then. He wasn't at home, nor was he in any other places she knew. Finally, she recognized someone in the midst of the passers-by, her eyes coming to a stop.
There he was, where she had seen him that day when she asked him out. Same place, same booth. Her face finally coming to a smile for the first time that day.
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Silently playing with his straw, Kurama eyes his drink in heated glares that the drink almost melted from it. Ever since his "talk" with Koenma, he had been so quick-tempered lately. He even went as far as snapping at his own mother, the very last person on earth he'd be angry with. Shiori understood him after he apologized, but he still wanted to strangle himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. If he went as far as getting impatient with Shiori, it's possible that he might attack Reikai in rebellion and desire to kill Koenma himself. But he knew better than that. Maybe heeding Koenma's words may not be so bad, he'd soon forget about HER…somehow.
"Kurama?"
Speak of the devil.
He looked around, his eyes abruptly stopping at a certain figure walking towards him. Why was it that she'd come at the least time he'd expect company?
He took a deep breath, knowing that acting coldly towards her will take almost all of his will power to even get a single word out. But he's been trained all his life for being cold, but this he admit, this might be the hardest thing he ever had to do.
I love you, Botan…
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She saw him stand up. She was about to smile again, but the look on his face made her change her mind. He didn't have that usual warmth on his eyes anymore, just a cold, blank glow. She never saw that look from him before. It made her feel…unwelcome, in a way. Somehow, she managed to mutter his name, "Kurama?"
He closed his eyes. Taking another deep breath, he willed his mind to speak to her. "Botan, I can't see you anymore" It's a wonder how such a short phrase could break his heart into a million pieces, making him feel a sudden emptiness inside. The feeling only increased in pain as he watched her eyes fall, her lips trembling in sadness he had never seen in her. He felt his chest tighten just seeing it.
Botan could hardly breath. The words had been uttered so clearly, silently but clearly. But she denied the thought of it as true. She didn't want to admit that she actually heard. "What…do you mean?" she managed to ask, even if those words were as clear as a shiny glass. She felt her hands trembling on each side of her, her heart giving a sudden bolt.
He couldn't take it, it was too much. The pain of seeing her like this was too painful to bear inside. He looked away from her, wishing that she wasn't there in front of him. All he wanted to do was to gather her up in his arms again, giving her comfort on whatever she might've been feeling. A sudden desire to apologize and tell her how much he loved her. But something inside him refused to do so. A dreaded face had appeared on his mind, a piercing glare running through him like a cold knife.
His brows furrowed, his anger building up again, giving him the courage to look up at her. "Why don't you ask your boss then?" he told her, emphasizing the term he used for the man with the name he never wanted to mention again, his feet moving him away from her.
Botan was left still on the suddenly cold floor. She felt her eyes turn watery, hot tears flowing down her cheeks. But she didn't give them any mind. All she was thinking of was Kurama, and his answer. What does Koenma have to do with anything?
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Koenma sighed, burying his face in his hands. The click of the monitor had signaled that it's off as he leaned back on his seat, contemplating on the things that have been happening. "Botan…I'm so sorry"
He just lost a detective, and now one of his ferry girls are suffering just because of the order. But that's not what was bothering him. It was Botan herself. His chest would tighten whenever he'd admit to himself that he's not Botan's interest anymore. It was not until a few days before that he admitted to himself that he did feel something for her. He actually knew that he did when it was too late, just at the same time Kurama had claimed her. The blame he had pushed to himself was making his inner pains increase. He had been told that she always had feelings for him, but he was always to engrossed with his work that he never gave her enough time. This was all too much for him to regret about. Kurama's patient and can manage his time well, that's one of the things he never had.
The door opened slowly, a Reikai personnel calling him to his father's room. Koenma sighed and stood up, his steps short and slow. "Botan's coming, tell her to follow" Maybe it's time to tell her the plans.
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12:45
His eyes rested on the blinking light of the clock, the only light visible besides that of the moon's. Kurama shut his eyes closed, burying his face on his palms, lying on his back. He wanted to blind himself to get rid of the sight of her in his head, the sight of her crying made his throat constrict in a way wherein he couldn't even breath. But he knew that if ever Yusuke or Kuwabara would even know he made her cry, he was sure he was as good as dead nonetheless.
Botan…
He never wanted to hurt her. Never in his heart had he ever had the thought of even making her frown. That was the last thing he'd ever let himself do…he wouldn't even let himself do it, even if his life depended on it. But he just did, and the pain and regret was already acting up to him. Mourning at his own mistake, he let himself bask into his own sorrow.
Suddenly, he heard a low sound on the carpeted floor of his room, causing him to sit up and look at where the sound came from. His eyes widened, his hands turning clammy. He couldn't believe his eyes, was this just his imagination?
"Botan?"
