I know, I know, it's been a long time since I updated...gomen!!
And sorry, but I can't kill off Kali and Himoko, they play very important parts to the story, as you will soon see....
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, because if I did, why the hell would I be here writing fanfiction?!?!?! I do own Fern, Kali, and Himoko, though^^
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"Run, child!! You have to run if you want to live!!!"
"But, momma, I don't want to go out there alone. I wanna stay with you..."
"You can't!!"
"But-"
"Petal, there's no time for arguing! She's approaching us as we speak!!"
"But-"
"NO BUTS!! Just run..run for your life...."
"Momma..."
".....just go....please...."
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I've relived that memory so many times....it's burned into the cores of my mind, and will remain there until the day I perish, which actually may not be too long from now, if I don't keep my guard up.
But now is not the time to think about that.
Now is the time to venture to that 'school' building. I have no idea why I keep going there every day...it's not like I actually have to...but...it just makes me feel safe to know that I'm in the company of others and not all alone.
I rise from the soft area of green grass that has served as my bed for the night, my mind filled with only thoughts of how I'm going to carry myself today as I walk through those narrow hallways filled with chattering students who have suddenly become terrified by the mere sight of me.
Strange how the simple murder of a ningen can upset people so much.
But what even confuses me more is the fact that everyone immediately chose me as the prime suspect without even so much as a second wasted on trying to interrogate any other students. Just because I was out in the hall at that time, only because I was unfamiliar to them...
No matter how much they will try to blame me, they still cannot change one thing: my innocense. My hands remain clean, no blood stains to be found. There is no sharp blade hidden away in my school blouse.
I have killed no one.
They don't care, though. They seem to think that they're going to change what is already incorrect somehow. That they're going to warp my ideas so that I actually believe that I am the murderer.
It's almost pathetic.
But, alas, as long as I keep attending this school, they can overpower me, and there's nothing I can do about it...
Oh no, with all these excess thinking, I'm going to be late...
I grab the dark brown handle of my school bag and immediately begin sprinting through the trees, my red tresses flowing wildly behind me. I'm heading towards the road, though I've purposely taken the long route there, even though I know a shorter way.
No one will mind if I'm a little late...
Actually, maybe it's better if I'm late, since then, everyone will already be in class, and no one will be able to gawk at me as I walk past.
You know, I would think that at least the teachers would be on my side. They're older, and are supposed to be more understanding and mature and calm-headed. But for some strange reason, they all hung on to the every word of that blonde-haired girl who was sobbing uncontrollably.
I really don't like her. And she doesn't seem to like me either, considering the fact that she blamed me for the murder of that poor girl.
And everyone believed her.
It would of been awful if the teachers had actually gone through with their idea of bringing me to talk with the police. They would of surely asked me who my parents were and what my address currently was....questions that I cannot answer.
But luckily, they decided not to.
And it was all because of him.
That boy with hair the color of blood...I don't even know his name....wait a moment, yes I do....well, his last name anyway...
Minamino. Yes, that's it.
The only one who knows my secret.
The only one who's ever helped me.
And I don't understand it at all...
I never did anything for him....I only spoke to him when it was completely necessary...I screamed at him, and even had the urge to slap him when he turned up in my garden....I avoided him relentlessly...
And yet, he still has this strange desire to be kind to me.
I've finally arrived at the school building, after a few blocks of running at top speed. It seems so tall when you stand right outside its doors, like it's a monster, waiting for you to meander carelessly into its open mouth so it can tear your skin apart and then spit out your bare bones.
Strange...I think I just described what school actually is to many, including myself.
I remain motionless for a moment, since from my position, I can see through the small glass window of the front door, and there are a sea of school uniforms everywhere I look. It's obvious the bell hasn't run yet.
Just my luck. I should of gone a bit slower...
Someone suddenly brushes against me, causing me to stumble forward, surprised. When I regain my balance, I notice that it was two female students, both wearing identical nervous looks as they stare at me, frozen in their places.
I guess they're afraid that if they make a move for the door, I'll slice their arms off..
Feh. Ningens.
"If you're too stupid to go first, then I'll be glad to." I mutter under my breath, though I don't know if they heard me or not as I shove open the entrance door and make my way in, knowing that the second my presence was noticed, I would be gawked at by my fellow 'peers'.
Would you look at that, I guessed right.
A curtain of silence seemed to settle over the nonchalant conversations being held a moment ago as everyone's attention immediately turns to me, myself, and I as I head towards my locker, swinging my bookbag back and forth.
I struggle not to make eye contact with these animals, but some of their whispers travel to my ears, and I hear the names 'killer, murderer, freak, pyscho...' Obviously talking about me...
Oh well. It doesn't really bother me what they think. At least I know that I didn't do anything.
I continue on my way down the hall silently, keeping both of my eyes focused on the end of the hallway. Don't encourage them by glancing their way, I tell myself over and over again...
The loud creak of a door open emits from behind me, though I don't dare glance behind me. If it had been possible for that hallway to have grown even more silent, then it did. At least I had heard almost non-existent whispers before, but now, the only sound came from my shoes as pushed against the dark gray carpet of the school.
What had come out of that certain door that everyone was so paralyzed by??
I get my answer when I hear her name whispered so faintly that I almost don't catch it.
'Kali...'
Kali?!? Who was that? Why is everyone so-
Wait a second. I remember that name....that golden-haired girl...the one that blamed me for the murder of that ningen...
Yep, it must be her. Who else could make the entire student body grow dead silent? Everyone saw how she practically erupted at me for no apparent reason yesterday...they, like me, are probably expecting her to say something mean to me, or worse, even hit me...
I hear her rapid footsteps behind me, and I can tell she's trying to catch up...I dare not turn my head the least bit, though...I don't want to seem interested in what's she trying to do, though I am wondering...
She's right beside me. Though my eyes are still sternly focused on the hallway, the occasional flash of her red school uniform involuntarily catches my eye. My mind is working overtime, trying to figure out what her plan is...
I finally build up my courage enough to cast a small sideward glance at her, and do so, though only for a few seconds at the most. She's wearing a expression of stone, and is staring straight down the hallway not unlike me. Her golden tresses flow behind her carelessly, and she seems to not even notice that I'm beside her.
Maybe I'm incorrect. Maybe she's not going to try anything...
My foot suddenly slams against something hard, causing me to lose my balance, my bookbag thrown from my hand, landing a few feet in front of me with a loud thud. I let out a small cry of surprise as my body slams against the hard ground, both of my knees scraping against the carpet hard.
Okay, so maybe I was wrong...
As I slowly rise, I let out a small cry of pain as I put pressure on my knees, which I notice are badly scraped.
Her...
I brush red tendrils of hair away from my face, Kali's cruel laughter echoing through my ears. She had planned the whole thing, it seemed, just to be mean to me...how warped she must be.
"How clumsy of you, freak." She sneers, though still laughing quietly to herself as she begins to walk farther down the hallway, purposely stepping on my bookbag as I pull myself to my feet, trying to wipe away the blood on my knees.
There are a million names I wish to call her at the moment, but I'm not going to waste my breath on a insignificant being like herself. Brushing myself off, I briskly grab my bookbag, and continue on my way to my locker, trying to ignore the stinging sensation that runs through my body with each step I take...
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It's during lunch now. I don't eat anything, of course, and how can I? I have no money to purchase any.
I enjoy sitting outside during this time, usually reading a interesting book that I picked up at the library they have. I didn't used to like to read, but now it seems like a whole new world has opened up. The world of fantasy, of romance, of science fiction...I had no idea what I was missing this entire time....
Today, I'm enjoying a novel about a princess and her trials as she tries to escape her burden. She must be very unhappy, being cooped up like that...it sounds dreadful.
My reading experience is suddenly interrupted, though, as the book is abruptly wrenched from my hand by some unknown force.
"What do you think you're doing?!?!" Now usually, I'm a calm person, but when someone decides in their puny little mind that they're going to try and take my book away, and I can get pretty ticked-off. And that's exactly what I'm about to do to this girl standing in front of me, my library book clutched tightly in her hand.
"Giving you what you deserve." Her voice has a such a cold tone, that my upset attitude is immediately overshadowed by a curious one. Why does this girl sound so angry??
I let out a small yelp as she suddenly lunges out and grabs my arm, beginning to drag me behind her. She's actually quite strong for a ningen, and her grasp is so tight that I can't break out of it. So I resort to my next option: Yell.
"What are you doing?!? Let me go!" This seems so out of character for someone such as myself, but it seems as though this girl does not have good intentions, so it's really the only I can do.
She doesn't answer, though, continuing to drag little ole' helpless me by the arm. Strangely enough, I take this time to study her. Maybe I know this girl...have I done anything to her in the short time that I've been here?
Well...she has long black hair that cuts off in the center of her back, and I remember her eyes being a crimson shade the first time I had saw her, when she had grabbed my book...hmm...
Nope, no names are coming to mind.
So I don't know her...then what does she want with me?
She finally pulls me around the corner of the school building roughly, and before I can react, slams me up against the brick wall of the building.
I'm starting to grow worried. This is not looking good, and if she tries to harm me, I'm going to have to resort to something that could kill her...
NO. I can't. I would give away my secret, and I can never do that, no matter what.
I'm going to have to just take whatever she throws at me, no matter how bad it hurts...
"Listen to me..." She growls, a venomous glare in her eyes. "You're going to confess to the murder of Naturai Mishyu." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"But I didn't do it..." I speak quietly, trying to retain my calmness. It's not working. This girl is obviously not too right in the head...
"I don't give a damn if you did it or not!!" She cries, slamming her hand against the brick area right beside my head, causing me to wince uncontrollably. "Am I going to have to hurt you to get you to do what I say?!?"
She brings her arm back, curling her fingers into a fist. I know exactly what's coming next, but I'm just going to have to take it....even if I don't want to, there's no other way...
She suddenly starts to hurl her fist towards my face, and I immediately shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the impact...
A few seconds pass...nothing's happening....maybe she's just building up more power...
Five more seconds fly by, and I'm still staring into the oblivious black of my eyelids, waiting for something that seems like it's never going to come, oddly enough...
Did she change her mind? Is she not going to hit me?
Building up what little courage I can find in myself, I cautiously open my eyes only to lay eyes on the back of a large hand only an inch away from my face. At first, I think it's the girl's hand, but then I realize that this strange hand is grasping her clenched fist, holding it back. As I transfer my gaze over to the black-haired female, I can see clearly that she is just as surprised as I am.
I thought nobody cared in this school cared about me, so who is-
My stare abruptly moves over the side of my body, and my eyes immediately grow wide.
It's...him.
"Himoko, what do you think you're doing?" He asks calmly, allowing her clenched fist to drop to her side limply.
"I-I wasn't doing anything, Shuichi..." She lies through her teeth, and I feel the sudden need to call her an obscene name, but I remain silent as the red-haired boy looks her over.
"You better get back to your friends, Himoko, before I decide to tell the principal that you've been attempting to hit another student." His voice is so smooth, though I can sense a small tinge of anger as he gestures towards the chattering group of students on the other side of the school, still enjoying their lunch period.
The girl, whose name is Himoko, only nods, and then sprints as fast as her legs will carry her back towards the crowd of teenagers.
I would like to stick my tongue out at her, but I'm definitely too mature for that. Instead, I avert my gaze to the ground. Though I seem to have no problem talking to other students, ever since that day he had arrived in my garden, I have been incapable of talking to...Shuichi..yes, that's his name, I think.... I guess that, by acknowledging him, I'll be admitting to myself that someone else knows my secret, and I just can't do that yet.
"Are you alright?" I hear him ask me. I start to open my mouth to answer, but then I shut it again, still too nervous to even say one word. I expect that he'll ask me again, but I'm suddenly surprised...
"It's alright if you don't want to talk to me right now. I understand. But when you do, I'll be ready." Completely shocked by this statement, I glance up at him with a dumbfounded expression only to be greeted with a warm smile before he turns and begins to walk away, back towards the students who are beginning to file in.
He actually understood...I can't believe it....
You know what? Maybe....maybe it would be alright if someone knew my secret....it would give me someone to confide in....someone to talk to....and dare I say? It would give me...a friend...
I have decided. Mental preparation, here I come!!
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Okay, after spending two periods going through extreme mental preparation, I think I'm actually ready to confront Shuichi about my secret. The last period bell has just rung, and now I'm out in the hall, trying to avoid the mass of people moving around me, as well as trying to calm my nerves, which feel as though they're about to explode.
Clutching my bookbag tightly, I slowly begin to make my way through the crowd of chattering students, heading towards the front of the building. If I'm not mistaken, that's where his locker is located.
I'm managing to avoid the commotion alright...luckily for me, it's hard for my peers to distinguish the murderer when everyone's only trying to get home as fast as humanly possible.
Where the heck is that boy? I'm not going to let all my mental preparation be wasted!!
Aah, there he is. His red hair is practically a beacon among all of these blond and browns. He's grabbing some books from his locker.
Um...suddenly, this queasy feeling rushes over my body. Maybe I'm not ready for this, maybe I need more preparation before I just walk up to him and say 'Hey, how's it going?'
But....If I don't do it now, then when???
Okay, feet, do your thing...one step forward....foorrrwwaaarrrddd....no, not backwards!! Go forward!!!
Oh no, he's shutting his locker door. WHY WON'T MY FEET WORK?!?!
Oh, it's no use. No matter what my mind thinks, I'm still not ready to say outloud that someone knows my secret.
Turning away, I begin to walk down the hall dejectedly, embarrassed by my own cowardness...
Well, there's always tomorrow...
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^Third Person^
"Minamino-san!"
Kurama turned his head curiously only to see one of his teachers hurrying towards him, a stack of papers piled high in her arms.
"I'm glad I caught you." She panted, balancing the papers in one arm long enough to wipe a large bead of sweat off her forehead.
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Senyu?" he asked politely, smiling kindly at the female teacher as she managed to grab three papers off the top of her large stack and hold them out in front of her.
"Well, as you know, we've had a lot of new students transferring here lately." She started to speak in a calm voice. "And it turns out that finals are going to be earlier than we expected, so there won't be a lot of time for these students to prepare..."
"Yes?" Kurama was wondering where this was leading up to.
"Well, some of the teachers were wondering if you would be willing to volunteer some of your spare time and tutor one of these students on the material that will be in the finals." At this point, she handed him the three sheets, which the red-haired male noticed were profiles of the students.
"It's your choice who you would like to tutor. You might already have preferences..." She spoke as she watched the bright student glance over the three profiles.
Kali, Himoko, and Fern...Kurama thought to himself sternly, glancing over each of the detailed files...
The three girls that he needed to investigate...
It was almost too perfect...
"Uh, Mrs. Senya..." He began slowly, handing the profiles back to the teacher, "If it would be alright with you, I would like to instead of tutoring one, tutor all three."
The teacher practically face-faulted at this suggestion. "REALLY?? You would tutor all of them, Minamino-san?!?" She cried, obviously surprised.
"Of course, Mrs. Senya, I would like nothing better than to help them prepare." He whispered kindly.
...And figure out which one is Kirya....
"Well...you can just keep their profiles and schedule study times on your own, then!!" She spoke brightly, thrusting the papers back into his hands. "Be sure to prepare them fully!" She spoke once last time before heading down the hallway, leaving Kurama standing there with the three profiles clutched in his hand.
This will be simple. Now all I have to do is interrogate the three girls separately, and I'll be sure to discover who is Kirya...
Quite pleased with his idea, Kurama headed towards the door leading out of the school, swinging his bookbag back and forth happily....
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O_O This chapter was actually pretty boring in my opinion, but I needed to transfer over to the idea of tutoring.
Things are getting very confusing...Himoko threatens Fern to confess to the murder, even if she didn't do it....Kali cruelly trips Fern and calls her a freak...
Who could the ACTUAL murderer be??
Reviews please!!