My Sweet Heart's Rival
By: Amethyst Tiger
Disclaimer: Me: Hello
Random Person: Oh hi.
Me: Guess what!
Random Person: Okay, um . . . you like chicken.
Me: Nope!
Random Person: Uh . . . the sky is falling and you lost your pants?
Me: (sweat drops) Not quite.
Random Person: Oh wait, I got it! You ran into huge piece of plastic covering your doorway once!
Me: (blinks) Nah, man, four times, but that's not it.
Random Person: Oh. Hm . . . well uh . . . how 'bout . . . you don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Me: Bingo! (Wow, he's good, huh?)
Author's Note: Hello everyone. Well, I haven't had any new stories lately, but the other day I was in student center thinking about Yu Yu Hakusho (what else???) and an idea popped into my head. I don't know how you will all like this story, and I guess the first chapter doesn't pertain much to the coming chapters, but bare with me would you? Anyway, I'm pretty accepting of any reviews you'd like to send me (hint, hint, wink, wink . . . ^_^,). So flame me or praise me or just say hey. It doesn't matter really, I just like hearing from people. So, I guess that about sums it all up. I hope you read this and enjoy. Thanks!
Chapter: 1
The day was unusually hot and humid. The sun blazed a bright, fiery gold against the blue azure sky, and Yusuke sighed as he gazed out the large classroom window. He supposed that the day was also unusual because he both showed up at school and in class. Yes, definitely unusual. Normally he'd be up on the roof day dreaming or something else less productive, but today was hot and heavy, and the school was air-conditioned. Oh well, at least his appearance had made Keiko happy. So happy in fact that, when no one was looking, she had given him a quick kiss on the lips. Now THAT was unusual as Keiko wasn't a huge fan of showing public affection. He grinned. He wondered what he'd have to do in order to get to kiss her back. Suddenly, the bell rang, and the clatter of kids talking and gathering their books filled the room.
Yusuke shook his head to clear his mind from the daze he had let it slip in to. He gathered his own books and let out a yawn as he headed for the door. He was one of the last kids out and just before he was able to step out, the teacher's voice called him back.
"Mr. Urameshi, I trust you found the lecture most interesting today." He said.
Yusuke rolled his eyes. He turned around to face the taller, older man with scowl.
"Yeah, it was awe inspiring." He replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
The teacher's already present frown deepened considerably.
"You do know that you are failing this class, don't you?"
To this Yusuke had to smirk. Of coarse he knew! How couldn't he? He hadn't done one assignment all year, let alone turn one in!
"Ch! I'm failing everyone's class, what makes you so special?" He retorted.
The teacher's frown deepened even further, which Yusuke hadn't thought was possible until that moment, and his face began to turn from a pale, pasty color to a bright red. The ruler that he had been holding in his hand was beginning to shutter due to its owner's rage shaking arms. His knuckles were turning white as well. There was a moment of dead silence, Yusuke smirking challengingly, and the teacher grinding his teeth in anger. Then, he began to open his lips, about ready to say something. Suddenly, and quite out of nowhere, Keiko popped up.
"Good afternoon Mr. Shou!" She greeted cheerily.
Mr. Shou's angry expression fumbled to a silly look of surprise at Keiko's abrupt appearance.
Yusuke regarded the girl with a raised eyebrow. Keiko didn't seem to mind this, for she only linked her arm with Yusuke's.
"Mr. Shou, I couldn't help but hear your conversation with Yusuke, and I must tell you that Yusuke has never been good with words. What he meant to say was that, yes, he's failing your class, but he's failing everyone else's too, so it's nothing personal. However, I have heard that you have a report due very soon that is worth a large sum of points, is that right?"
He opened his mouth to speak again, but Keiko did not wait for him.
"Well, Yusuke will have it turned in right on time, typed, 12 point, with a decent opening paragraph and a fantastic concluding paragraph. All of your required information and more will be in the body and the grammar will absolutely perfect. Now, I can guarantee this, but if he turns it in as per your requirements, will it salvage his grade?"
This time she allowed a fair amount of time for him to speak. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, and he cleared his throat, regaining his composure finally.
"Ms. Yukimura, in order to save this boy's grade the report would have to be consummately perfect. Why, not even the paper could be wrinkled. Even then, I can only promise a high D or possibly a low C." He said, his eyes resting on her, and then briefly on Yusuke who had his head turned away to the side.
Keiko nodded.
"Yes, but a D is passing, is it not?"
There was a pause, but Mr. Shou nodded.
"Yes, it is." He agreed.
Keiko smiled.
"Fine, expect it to be the finest report you've ever had the pleasure of grading. Good day, Mr. Shou." She said, and with that, she turned on her heel, dragging a confused Yusuke with her.
Keiko closed the classroom door behind her and let out a sigh. She released Yusuke's arm and leaned against the wall. Yusuke looked at her. He blinked. She didn't say anything, so Yusuke took it upon himself.
"Keiko, what did you just get me in to?"
She finally spared him a glance before pushing away from the wall and walking away at a leisure pace. The boy caught up to her side.
"Keiko?"
"What I just got you into . . . hopefully anyway, is high school."
"What?"
She stopped to look at him sternly.
"Yusuke, I don't want to go on to high school without you, okay? Honestly, I don't know how you made it this far, but if you don't pass all your classes there is no way you can come with me. High school . . . well it's a big step in life. It's where every grade, every action counts towards the future Yusuke, and I don't want to go without you." She said.
Keiko's eyes were pleading. She had known Yusuke since kindergarten and never had any other REAL friends, or at least none like him. Yusuke had always been there to protect her and she had always been there for him for . . . for everything. Her hand tightened on the handle of her bag, and she fought off tears. Surely, this was nothing to get upset over. How she hated showing how truly feminine she was. She closed her eyes, and sighed. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, very gentle, very caring. She opened her eyes and met Yusuke's dark ones.
"Keiko, please don't worry. I promise that I'll be there." He said quietly.
There was something in his voice that made Keiko blush ever so slightly. She looked away and tried to slow her heartbeat. Yusuke Urameshi . . . he had never broken a promise to her . . . ever.
"If you break that promise Yusuke," She said softly, and suddenly faced him fully with fierce, threatening eyes. "You aren't going to be able to walk right for a week!" And with that little outburst, she stalked off. Yusuke sweat dropped, and ran to catch up with her.
At least an hour later found the pair in the park sipping away at sodas on a wooden bench. It was still very hot, so Yusuke had removed his green jacket, now clad in his pants and light, cotton shirt. Keiko had changed out of her uniform, now wearing a pair of decently short, khaki shorts and a dark blue, sleeveless, button up shirt that was fairly form fitting.
She shoved a piece of stray hair that had fallen from the ponytail behind her ear.
"Okay Yusuke. First things first. You have to decide on a topic. Mr. Shou says that it must be about an animal." She said.
Keiko grabbed a pen that she had clipped on her pocket and opened the notebook that was lying in her lap. She crossed her legs to better support the notebook for writing.
"So what'll it be?"
Yusuke shrugged.
"I dunno. I don't know anything about animals." He replied, rolling his eyes.
Keiko shook her head.
"Yusuke, the point of the report is to find out!" She exclaimed.
Keiko knocked him playfully against the head. Yusuke grinned.
"Okay, okay. Lemme think. An animal . . . I could do it on Kuwabara."
Keiko gasped, but giggled despite herself.
"Yusuke, that's so mean, Kuwabara isn't even here to defend himself!"
Yusuke shrugged.
"That makes it all the more easy."
They shared the laughter for a moment, reminding them of all of the times that they had laughed so freely as children talking of things that they had yet to understand.
"C'mon now, we have to work. The report is due next Friday." Keiko coaxed after a while of regaining her composure.
Yusuke sighed.
"Right, right. Okay, well I wanna do something that is going to be easy to find out about . . ." He started.
Keiko bit her lip, and then nodded.
"Yes, and you'll definitely want a lot of sources for the bibliography. Some quotes would be nice too."
Yusuke nodded this time.
"Right, and the animal should have a lot of history to relate other points to." He said.
A brief pause ensued, and then they both looked at each other, a mutual thought clicking in their minds.
"Yusuke . . ." Keiko started.
He grinned.
"Kurama should be home from school by now, let' go pay him a visit and see if he can lay a little bit of that vulpine knowledge on us."
He said this around a wide, signature grin. He stood up and he extended his hand out to a still seated Keiko, who took it. Yusuke pulled her to her feet and they walked off, shoulder to shoulder.
When they arrived at Kurama's house, they immediately looked to his window, which they noticed was open. That meant he was home. Kurama always left the window open for Hiei as the fire demon had a long lasting grudge against doors, although, for the life of them they couldn't figure out why.
Yusuke shook his head as they continued their short walk up to the door. Keiko knocked very slightly against it, and almost immediately Shiori opened it. The kindly woman smiled. They couldn't have helped smiling back even if they had wanted to. Shiori had a very pretty smile, quite radiant, and the small wrinkles, the laugh lines, around her eyes made her eyes twinkle so sweetly. Her slender hands looked damp, most likely from doing the dishes. A pale pink apron was somewhat stained, probably from the constant baking she was known for doing.
"Keiko, Yusuke, come in." She said, stepping aside to allow them entrance. Yusuke let Keiko go in, and he brought up the rear. Shiori closed the door behind them, and she waited patiently as they removed their shoes. They followed her into the kitchen where they found that, in fact, Shiori was cleaning up the dishes that she had just used to bake a batch of fresh, warm, sweet smelling cookies.
"Shuuichi is up in his room, you can go on up, I don't think he'll mind." She said. Yusuke nodded. He turned to begin the incline up the stairs, this time Keiko following him, but Shiori stopped them.
"Wait just a minute there you two."
Both teens looked at one another and then turned to face her again.
"What is it Shiori?" Questioned Keiko.
The woman smiled one of her lovely smiles.
"You can't go anywhere without a cookie. Now hold out your hands. Be careful, they're still hot." She said.
After Keiko and Yusuke were both 'with cookie', so to speak, they were allowed to go up the stairs. Kurama's bedroom was practically right at the top of the stairway, but his door was closed, as per the usual. The fox always kept his bedroom locked . . . his bedroom, his life, his secrets. Kurama kept everything neatly tucked away, locked up in a neat little box that only he was allowed to get into. Well, actually, Hiei and Kurama were very close. The chance that Hiei knew a lot of those secrets was very large.
Yusuke shrugged and knocked. There was the sound of shuffling on the other side of the door and then it opened, revealing an easy smiling Kurama in his uniform pants and white cotton under shirt. His brilliant red hair was held back in a low, neat ponytail. Apparently the heat also affected him.
"Hey Kurama." Greeted Keiko.
Yusuke smiled at him, letting Keiko speak for both of them. The fox nodded at Yusuke and said hello to Keiko. He let them in to his unbelievably clean room where the pair told them of the report, of Yusuke's grade, and of the fact that Yusuke had decided for his topic to be the fox. To this, Kurama had sweat dropped and chuckled a little bit. Never the less, he agreed to help them. Keiko had compiled a list of questions that they would ask him, but none of them wanted to stay cooped up in the house. So Kurama brushed through his hair, changed into a pair of blue jeans and met Keiko and Yusuke downstairs. He told his dear Kaasan that he was leaving, but that he would be back soon. At the door he, Keiko, and Yusuke slipped on their shoes and out they went, seconds later finding the trio at a small café. They were seated at table right next to a huge window where they could watch as people continued with their daily lives, shopping, laughing, chatting, so on and so forth.
"Okay, so what is the life expectancy?" Keiko asked, her notebook open on the tabletop, pen in hand.
A small smile tugged at Kurama's lips, but he concealed it behind his cup of coffee.
"For the ningen idea of a fox, or for a kitsune?"
"Kitsune. We can get all of the usual information from the library or online. Yusuke wants to add a section about mythology . . . er . . . what is considered mythology here, right Yusuke?" Keiko asked, facing the questioned.
Yusuke, who hadn't truly been paying attention nodded dumbly. Keiko rolled her eyes and mumbled something incoherent. She quickly turned back to an amused Kurama.
"Anyway, so what is it again?"
Kurama thought a moment.
"900 to 1000." He answered.
Keiko wrote it down.
"Really? That long, huh?" She asked after she had finished.
Kurama nodded.
"Wow . . . so then, how old are you?"
The fox set down his cup and laced his fingers together. He balanced his chin atop his entwined fingers and briefly closed his eyes.
"I'm 600." He replied quite matter-of-factly.
Keiko raised her eyebrows.
"Ya look good for your age." She said teasingly, and Kurama cracked a smile at this.
A good half hour must have passed before they decided to take their leave of the café. They found themselves talking as friends would do out on the busy sidewalks, watching the people, all in all enjoying each other's company.
"Okay, okay, so the then the doctor says, 'don't worry, he's an American!'" Yusuke finished his punch line, quite pleased when both Kurama and Keiko started laughing, actually holding their stomachs.
He smiled. He loved making people laugh, and he was actually good at it. Sarcasm, fighting, and making other people laugh were his specialties. To him there was nothing more beautiful than hearing laughter . . . except for Keiko when she was angry. He hadn't ever told her, but she looked very cute and pretty when she was angry. He probably wouldn't tell her . . . he preferred to avoid any of her power smacks. Out of all of his opponents, the only one who he'd failed to beat was Keiko. Heh, go figure.
Suddenly, Yusuke noticed a lack of a pair of footsteps. Kurama was at his side, he saw him out of the corner of his eye, so then, where was Keiko. He turned around and saw her standing stalk still, her eyes wide and fierce. Her vision was obviously trained on one, very specific point. He squinted his eyes, looking in the direction that she was. At first, all he saw was moving, bustling people, but then he caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair. Like the ocean that split apart for Moses, the crowd seemed to go around her. His eyes went wide.
"No way . . ." He started.
He looked over at the still glaring Keiko.
". . . Keiko?"
The girl's eyes narrowed.
"It's Amissa."
By: Amethyst Tiger
Disclaimer: Me: Hello
Random Person: Oh hi.
Me: Guess what!
Random Person: Okay, um . . . you like chicken.
Me: Nope!
Random Person: Uh . . . the sky is falling and you lost your pants?
Me: (sweat drops) Not quite.
Random Person: Oh wait, I got it! You ran into huge piece of plastic covering your doorway once!
Me: (blinks) Nah, man, four times, but that's not it.
Random Person: Oh. Hm . . . well uh . . . how 'bout . . . you don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Me: Bingo! (Wow, he's good, huh?)
Author's Note: Hello everyone. Well, I haven't had any new stories lately, but the other day I was in student center thinking about Yu Yu Hakusho (what else???) and an idea popped into my head. I don't know how you will all like this story, and I guess the first chapter doesn't pertain much to the coming chapters, but bare with me would you? Anyway, I'm pretty accepting of any reviews you'd like to send me (hint, hint, wink, wink . . . ^_^,). So flame me or praise me or just say hey. It doesn't matter really, I just like hearing from people. So, I guess that about sums it all up. I hope you read this and enjoy. Thanks!
Chapter: 1
The day was unusually hot and humid. The sun blazed a bright, fiery gold against the blue azure sky, and Yusuke sighed as he gazed out the large classroom window. He supposed that the day was also unusual because he both showed up at school and in class. Yes, definitely unusual. Normally he'd be up on the roof day dreaming or something else less productive, but today was hot and heavy, and the school was air-conditioned. Oh well, at least his appearance had made Keiko happy. So happy in fact that, when no one was looking, she had given him a quick kiss on the lips. Now THAT was unusual as Keiko wasn't a huge fan of showing public affection. He grinned. He wondered what he'd have to do in order to get to kiss her back. Suddenly, the bell rang, and the clatter of kids talking and gathering their books filled the room.
Yusuke shook his head to clear his mind from the daze he had let it slip in to. He gathered his own books and let out a yawn as he headed for the door. He was one of the last kids out and just before he was able to step out, the teacher's voice called him back.
"Mr. Urameshi, I trust you found the lecture most interesting today." He said.
Yusuke rolled his eyes. He turned around to face the taller, older man with scowl.
"Yeah, it was awe inspiring." He replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
The teacher's already present frown deepened considerably.
"You do know that you are failing this class, don't you?"
To this Yusuke had to smirk. Of coarse he knew! How couldn't he? He hadn't done one assignment all year, let alone turn one in!
"Ch! I'm failing everyone's class, what makes you so special?" He retorted.
The teacher's frown deepened even further, which Yusuke hadn't thought was possible until that moment, and his face began to turn from a pale, pasty color to a bright red. The ruler that he had been holding in his hand was beginning to shutter due to its owner's rage shaking arms. His knuckles were turning white as well. There was a moment of dead silence, Yusuke smirking challengingly, and the teacher grinding his teeth in anger. Then, he began to open his lips, about ready to say something. Suddenly, and quite out of nowhere, Keiko popped up.
"Good afternoon Mr. Shou!" She greeted cheerily.
Mr. Shou's angry expression fumbled to a silly look of surprise at Keiko's abrupt appearance.
Yusuke regarded the girl with a raised eyebrow. Keiko didn't seem to mind this, for she only linked her arm with Yusuke's.
"Mr. Shou, I couldn't help but hear your conversation with Yusuke, and I must tell you that Yusuke has never been good with words. What he meant to say was that, yes, he's failing your class, but he's failing everyone else's too, so it's nothing personal. However, I have heard that you have a report due very soon that is worth a large sum of points, is that right?"
He opened his mouth to speak again, but Keiko did not wait for him.
"Well, Yusuke will have it turned in right on time, typed, 12 point, with a decent opening paragraph and a fantastic concluding paragraph. All of your required information and more will be in the body and the grammar will absolutely perfect. Now, I can guarantee this, but if he turns it in as per your requirements, will it salvage his grade?"
This time she allowed a fair amount of time for him to speak. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, and he cleared his throat, regaining his composure finally.
"Ms. Yukimura, in order to save this boy's grade the report would have to be consummately perfect. Why, not even the paper could be wrinkled. Even then, I can only promise a high D or possibly a low C." He said, his eyes resting on her, and then briefly on Yusuke who had his head turned away to the side.
Keiko nodded.
"Yes, but a D is passing, is it not?"
There was a pause, but Mr. Shou nodded.
"Yes, it is." He agreed.
Keiko smiled.
"Fine, expect it to be the finest report you've ever had the pleasure of grading. Good day, Mr. Shou." She said, and with that, she turned on her heel, dragging a confused Yusuke with her.
Keiko closed the classroom door behind her and let out a sigh. She released Yusuke's arm and leaned against the wall. Yusuke looked at her. He blinked. She didn't say anything, so Yusuke took it upon himself.
"Keiko, what did you just get me in to?"
She finally spared him a glance before pushing away from the wall and walking away at a leisure pace. The boy caught up to her side.
"Keiko?"
"What I just got you into . . . hopefully anyway, is high school."
"What?"
She stopped to look at him sternly.
"Yusuke, I don't want to go on to high school without you, okay? Honestly, I don't know how you made it this far, but if you don't pass all your classes there is no way you can come with me. High school . . . well it's a big step in life. It's where every grade, every action counts towards the future Yusuke, and I don't want to go without you." She said.
Keiko's eyes were pleading. She had known Yusuke since kindergarten and never had any other REAL friends, or at least none like him. Yusuke had always been there to protect her and she had always been there for him for . . . for everything. Her hand tightened on the handle of her bag, and she fought off tears. Surely, this was nothing to get upset over. How she hated showing how truly feminine she was. She closed her eyes, and sighed. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, very gentle, very caring. She opened her eyes and met Yusuke's dark ones.
"Keiko, please don't worry. I promise that I'll be there." He said quietly.
There was something in his voice that made Keiko blush ever so slightly. She looked away and tried to slow her heartbeat. Yusuke Urameshi . . . he had never broken a promise to her . . . ever.
"If you break that promise Yusuke," She said softly, and suddenly faced him fully with fierce, threatening eyes. "You aren't going to be able to walk right for a week!" And with that little outburst, she stalked off. Yusuke sweat dropped, and ran to catch up with her.
At least an hour later found the pair in the park sipping away at sodas on a wooden bench. It was still very hot, so Yusuke had removed his green jacket, now clad in his pants and light, cotton shirt. Keiko had changed out of her uniform, now wearing a pair of decently short, khaki shorts and a dark blue, sleeveless, button up shirt that was fairly form fitting.
She shoved a piece of stray hair that had fallen from the ponytail behind her ear.
"Okay Yusuke. First things first. You have to decide on a topic. Mr. Shou says that it must be about an animal." She said.
Keiko grabbed a pen that she had clipped on her pocket and opened the notebook that was lying in her lap. She crossed her legs to better support the notebook for writing.
"So what'll it be?"
Yusuke shrugged.
"I dunno. I don't know anything about animals." He replied, rolling his eyes.
Keiko shook her head.
"Yusuke, the point of the report is to find out!" She exclaimed.
Keiko knocked him playfully against the head. Yusuke grinned.
"Okay, okay. Lemme think. An animal . . . I could do it on Kuwabara."
Keiko gasped, but giggled despite herself.
"Yusuke, that's so mean, Kuwabara isn't even here to defend himself!"
Yusuke shrugged.
"That makes it all the more easy."
They shared the laughter for a moment, reminding them of all of the times that they had laughed so freely as children talking of things that they had yet to understand.
"C'mon now, we have to work. The report is due next Friday." Keiko coaxed after a while of regaining her composure.
Yusuke sighed.
"Right, right. Okay, well I wanna do something that is going to be easy to find out about . . ." He started.
Keiko bit her lip, and then nodded.
"Yes, and you'll definitely want a lot of sources for the bibliography. Some quotes would be nice too."
Yusuke nodded this time.
"Right, and the animal should have a lot of history to relate other points to." He said.
A brief pause ensued, and then they both looked at each other, a mutual thought clicking in their minds.
"Yusuke . . ." Keiko started.
He grinned.
"Kurama should be home from school by now, let' go pay him a visit and see if he can lay a little bit of that vulpine knowledge on us."
He said this around a wide, signature grin. He stood up and he extended his hand out to a still seated Keiko, who took it. Yusuke pulled her to her feet and they walked off, shoulder to shoulder.
When they arrived at Kurama's house, they immediately looked to his window, which they noticed was open. That meant he was home. Kurama always left the window open for Hiei as the fire demon had a long lasting grudge against doors, although, for the life of them they couldn't figure out why.
Yusuke shook his head as they continued their short walk up to the door. Keiko knocked very slightly against it, and almost immediately Shiori opened it. The kindly woman smiled. They couldn't have helped smiling back even if they had wanted to. Shiori had a very pretty smile, quite radiant, and the small wrinkles, the laugh lines, around her eyes made her eyes twinkle so sweetly. Her slender hands looked damp, most likely from doing the dishes. A pale pink apron was somewhat stained, probably from the constant baking she was known for doing.
"Keiko, Yusuke, come in." She said, stepping aside to allow them entrance. Yusuke let Keiko go in, and he brought up the rear. Shiori closed the door behind them, and she waited patiently as they removed their shoes. They followed her into the kitchen where they found that, in fact, Shiori was cleaning up the dishes that she had just used to bake a batch of fresh, warm, sweet smelling cookies.
"Shuuichi is up in his room, you can go on up, I don't think he'll mind." She said. Yusuke nodded. He turned to begin the incline up the stairs, this time Keiko following him, but Shiori stopped them.
"Wait just a minute there you two."
Both teens looked at one another and then turned to face her again.
"What is it Shiori?" Questioned Keiko.
The woman smiled one of her lovely smiles.
"You can't go anywhere without a cookie. Now hold out your hands. Be careful, they're still hot." She said.
After Keiko and Yusuke were both 'with cookie', so to speak, they were allowed to go up the stairs. Kurama's bedroom was practically right at the top of the stairway, but his door was closed, as per the usual. The fox always kept his bedroom locked . . . his bedroom, his life, his secrets. Kurama kept everything neatly tucked away, locked up in a neat little box that only he was allowed to get into. Well, actually, Hiei and Kurama were very close. The chance that Hiei knew a lot of those secrets was very large.
Yusuke shrugged and knocked. There was the sound of shuffling on the other side of the door and then it opened, revealing an easy smiling Kurama in his uniform pants and white cotton under shirt. His brilliant red hair was held back in a low, neat ponytail. Apparently the heat also affected him.
"Hey Kurama." Greeted Keiko.
Yusuke smiled at him, letting Keiko speak for both of them. The fox nodded at Yusuke and said hello to Keiko. He let them in to his unbelievably clean room where the pair told them of the report, of Yusuke's grade, and of the fact that Yusuke had decided for his topic to be the fox. To this, Kurama had sweat dropped and chuckled a little bit. Never the less, he agreed to help them. Keiko had compiled a list of questions that they would ask him, but none of them wanted to stay cooped up in the house. So Kurama brushed through his hair, changed into a pair of blue jeans and met Keiko and Yusuke downstairs. He told his dear Kaasan that he was leaving, but that he would be back soon. At the door he, Keiko, and Yusuke slipped on their shoes and out they went, seconds later finding the trio at a small café. They were seated at table right next to a huge window where they could watch as people continued with their daily lives, shopping, laughing, chatting, so on and so forth.
"Okay, so what is the life expectancy?" Keiko asked, her notebook open on the tabletop, pen in hand.
A small smile tugged at Kurama's lips, but he concealed it behind his cup of coffee.
"For the ningen idea of a fox, or for a kitsune?"
"Kitsune. We can get all of the usual information from the library or online. Yusuke wants to add a section about mythology . . . er . . . what is considered mythology here, right Yusuke?" Keiko asked, facing the questioned.
Yusuke, who hadn't truly been paying attention nodded dumbly. Keiko rolled her eyes and mumbled something incoherent. She quickly turned back to an amused Kurama.
"Anyway, so what is it again?"
Kurama thought a moment.
"900 to 1000." He answered.
Keiko wrote it down.
"Really? That long, huh?" She asked after she had finished.
Kurama nodded.
"Wow . . . so then, how old are you?"
The fox set down his cup and laced his fingers together. He balanced his chin atop his entwined fingers and briefly closed his eyes.
"I'm 600." He replied quite matter-of-factly.
Keiko raised her eyebrows.
"Ya look good for your age." She said teasingly, and Kurama cracked a smile at this.
A good half hour must have passed before they decided to take their leave of the café. They found themselves talking as friends would do out on the busy sidewalks, watching the people, all in all enjoying each other's company.
"Okay, okay, so the then the doctor says, 'don't worry, he's an American!'" Yusuke finished his punch line, quite pleased when both Kurama and Keiko started laughing, actually holding their stomachs.
He smiled. He loved making people laugh, and he was actually good at it. Sarcasm, fighting, and making other people laugh were his specialties. To him there was nothing more beautiful than hearing laughter . . . except for Keiko when she was angry. He hadn't ever told her, but she looked very cute and pretty when she was angry. He probably wouldn't tell her . . . he preferred to avoid any of her power smacks. Out of all of his opponents, the only one who he'd failed to beat was Keiko. Heh, go figure.
Suddenly, Yusuke noticed a lack of a pair of footsteps. Kurama was at his side, he saw him out of the corner of his eye, so then, where was Keiko. He turned around and saw her standing stalk still, her eyes wide and fierce. Her vision was obviously trained on one, very specific point. He squinted his eyes, looking in the direction that she was. At first, all he saw was moving, bustling people, but then he caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair. Like the ocean that split apart for Moses, the crowd seemed to go around her. His eyes went wide.
"No way . . ." He started.
He looked over at the still glaring Keiko.
". . . Keiko?"
The girl's eyes narrowed.
"It's Amissa."
