Author's note: Cheer up, cheer up, readers, I'm back! Hehehe. Okay, now,
for the story… by the way, thanks so much for all of you who reviewed.
By the way, DISCLAIMERS applied…
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1 ONE MONTH AGO
"Botan, is there something wrong?" Koenma asked worriedly when he saw how pale Botan's skin was, how swollen her eyes were, and the brightness in them, gone.
"Iie, Koenma-sama, I'm perfectly fine," Botan said, vigorously shaking her head and tried as much as she can to smile. Even a bitter one. She knows she looks awful. She spent her last two-day vacation crying and nothing else. She couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, all she did was cry and think of Kurama. And how he broke her heart.
But Koenma wasn't fooled. He knows something is wrong no matter how much Botan tried to deny it. Reikai be damned but he will find out all about it, even if it's the last thing he has to do.
"How's Kurama, Botan?" he asked mildly.
Botan instantly went still but managed to gain her composure. "Kurama- kun's fine, Koenma-sama," she stammered, not looking at his eyes.
"Botan," Koenma began, a warning in his voice. "You can tell me what's wrong. What happened between you and Kurama? Why are you trying to defend him? Did he do something he shouldn't be doing?" he asked, concern filled his voice.
"Iie, Koenma-sama," Botan said weakly, her eyes starting to water. "Except breaking my heart," she mumbled.
But Koenma, with his super-sensitive hearing, heard it alright. So that's why, my beautiful ferry girl had fallen in love with that pretty kitsune, he thought. He sighed then said, "If you say so."
"Don't I have some work to do?" Botan asked, hurriedly changing the topic. She couldn't bear another one of Koenma's stares at her as if reading her mind.
"I decided to give you a day's rest since you just came back from Ningenkai," Koenma said nonchalantly.
"But, Koenma-sama, I came from a vacation. I don't need another day- off. In fact, I suggest that you assign me in Makai to make up for the month off you gave me," she protested, all the while cringing with her words. Jobs in Makai are so hard, no one would want to work there. Those people who work there are either being punished for something they did or just came back from a long vacation.
"Botan—"
"Please, Koenma-sama," Botan pleaded. She would rather work there than in Ningenkai where Kurama could easily spot her. "Hinageshi can take my place for awhile," she said, referring the little ferry girl she taught and guided.
"Alright, if that's what you want," Koenma said, giving up. Forgive me, Botan, he taught, he doesn't want to, but they badly needed ferry girls in Makai this time. "You are now assigned in Makai for now, here are your assignments," he said and handed Botan a folder.
"Arigatou, Koenma-sama," she said, and turned around to hide the tears that fell from her eyes.
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2 END OF FLASHBACK
"And you let her work in Makai even if you know how hard it is to work there?" Kurama asked angrily after Koenma finished telling his side.
"Hey, not so fast! She's one of my employees here and that's the rule my father set in here," Koenma said defensively.
"Didn't you at least cared about her as a friend? Where in the goddamn three worlds would I search for her?" Kurama said, still angrily and glared at Koenma. I could kill this guy this instant, he thought.
"And what about you? Why don't you go ask her why she wanted to work in Makai in the first place? Don't you think you are at least responsible?" Koenma countered hotly, his fear for him, melting.
His words struck Kurama's heart. Koenma was right, its all my fault, he thought weakly. "We're from different worlds," he muttered sadly.
Koenma snorted. "You couldn't have given me a more lousy excuse. You could live here in Reikai since you're one of the Reikai tantei or I could transform Botan as a ningen for life if you only asked. Come on, kitsune, I thought you're smarter than that!"
"I know," Kurama said, his voice cracked as tears filled his eyes. He really has to press the issue, didn't he?"
Koenma's eyes softened, he couldn't believe Kurama would breakdown like that just for Botan. He must have really cared for her. "I didn't mean what I said, Kurama," he said. It was his way of apologizing since gods like him didn't really apologize.
"Iie, don't worry about it. You're right, though. I guess I'll just go look for her in Makai," Kurama said, calming down. "I'll bring her back, that I'm sure."
Koenma smiled. " Good luck, Kurama. I hope you find her as soon as possible."
Author's note: I know it's short, but at least I updated, right? Now, what will happen next?
By the way, DISCLAIMERS applied…
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1 ONE MONTH AGO
"Botan, is there something wrong?" Koenma asked worriedly when he saw how pale Botan's skin was, how swollen her eyes were, and the brightness in them, gone.
"Iie, Koenma-sama, I'm perfectly fine," Botan said, vigorously shaking her head and tried as much as she can to smile. Even a bitter one. She knows she looks awful. She spent her last two-day vacation crying and nothing else. She couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, all she did was cry and think of Kurama. And how he broke her heart.
But Koenma wasn't fooled. He knows something is wrong no matter how much Botan tried to deny it. Reikai be damned but he will find out all about it, even if it's the last thing he has to do.
"How's Kurama, Botan?" he asked mildly.
Botan instantly went still but managed to gain her composure. "Kurama- kun's fine, Koenma-sama," she stammered, not looking at his eyes.
"Botan," Koenma began, a warning in his voice. "You can tell me what's wrong. What happened between you and Kurama? Why are you trying to defend him? Did he do something he shouldn't be doing?" he asked, concern filled his voice.
"Iie, Koenma-sama," Botan said weakly, her eyes starting to water. "Except breaking my heart," she mumbled.
But Koenma, with his super-sensitive hearing, heard it alright. So that's why, my beautiful ferry girl had fallen in love with that pretty kitsune, he thought. He sighed then said, "If you say so."
"Don't I have some work to do?" Botan asked, hurriedly changing the topic. She couldn't bear another one of Koenma's stares at her as if reading her mind.
"I decided to give you a day's rest since you just came back from Ningenkai," Koenma said nonchalantly.
"But, Koenma-sama, I came from a vacation. I don't need another day- off. In fact, I suggest that you assign me in Makai to make up for the month off you gave me," she protested, all the while cringing with her words. Jobs in Makai are so hard, no one would want to work there. Those people who work there are either being punished for something they did or just came back from a long vacation.
"Botan—"
"Please, Koenma-sama," Botan pleaded. She would rather work there than in Ningenkai where Kurama could easily spot her. "Hinageshi can take my place for awhile," she said, referring the little ferry girl she taught and guided.
"Alright, if that's what you want," Koenma said, giving up. Forgive me, Botan, he taught, he doesn't want to, but they badly needed ferry girls in Makai this time. "You are now assigned in Makai for now, here are your assignments," he said and handed Botan a folder.
"Arigatou, Koenma-sama," she said, and turned around to hide the tears that fell from her eyes.
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2 END OF FLASHBACK
"And you let her work in Makai even if you know how hard it is to work there?" Kurama asked angrily after Koenma finished telling his side.
"Hey, not so fast! She's one of my employees here and that's the rule my father set in here," Koenma said defensively.
"Didn't you at least cared about her as a friend? Where in the goddamn three worlds would I search for her?" Kurama said, still angrily and glared at Koenma. I could kill this guy this instant, he thought.
"And what about you? Why don't you go ask her why she wanted to work in Makai in the first place? Don't you think you are at least responsible?" Koenma countered hotly, his fear for him, melting.
His words struck Kurama's heart. Koenma was right, its all my fault, he thought weakly. "We're from different worlds," he muttered sadly.
Koenma snorted. "You couldn't have given me a more lousy excuse. You could live here in Reikai since you're one of the Reikai tantei or I could transform Botan as a ningen for life if you only asked. Come on, kitsune, I thought you're smarter than that!"
"I know," Kurama said, his voice cracked as tears filled his eyes. He really has to press the issue, didn't he?"
Koenma's eyes softened, he couldn't believe Kurama would breakdown like that just for Botan. He must have really cared for her. "I didn't mean what I said, Kurama," he said. It was his way of apologizing since gods like him didn't really apologize.
"Iie, don't worry about it. You're right, though. I guess I'll just go look for her in Makai," Kurama said, calming down. "I'll bring her back, that I'm sure."
Koenma smiled. " Good luck, Kurama. I hope you find her as soon as possible."
Author's note: I know it's short, but at least I updated, right? Now, what will happen next?