When Did I Notice

By: Silver Teardrops

Chapter 2

_ _ _ _

She entered the through the entrance and immediately she was greeted with many customers smiling in satisfaction and a lovely girl greeted her by the door.

"Konnichi wa, how may I help you today?" Keiko smiled with her eyes closed, but as soon as she opened them, she gasped, then started to give out to a shriek-hugging Botan tightly.

"Botan-chan!!! I haven't seen you in a long time, how long has it been?" Keiko finally released the purple faced Deity of death and Botan took in a big, long breath before answering.

"It's been a bit more than 4 years. I just came for a visit is all." Botan produced a smile, that Keiko has missed so much, her best friend had finally come back to visit her. Yusuke started to walk out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel he was holding; looking for the reason for the loud shriek, he knew was his fiance's.

"Oi! Keiko, this is a restuarant, you shouldn't be disturbing the cutomers like that." Yusuke then squinted his eyes at a blue haird girl beside Keiko and immediately his eyes widen in recognition. He ran past many people knocking down a few and embraced Botan by lifting her up off her feet.

"AHHH!!! LET ME DOWN!!!" Botan screamed as she was twirled into the air, by who else than her former assignment, her little brother almost.

"HHAHahah, you finally came back! I knew you would!" Yusuke spun the screeching girl a few more times before returning her to the ground. Botan wasn't at all ready for this type of greeting and was still dizzy.

"Oh gosh, we need a place for her to sit down." Keiko looked for an empty booth and Yusuke carried Botan to it. Then he ran to get her a glass of water to drink down all the excitement.

"Botan-chan, Botan-chan, wake up, onegai?" Keiko slapped Botan's cheeks lightly and she started to regained her normal vision and looked at Keiko.

"Don't do that again, please." Botan grumbled and Keiko giggled and nodded.

"Hai hai."

"Here you go." Botan looked up past Keiko and saw Yusuke clearly, they've changed, all of them, but still seemed the same- you know? She scolded herself for saying ridiculous things and sat up straight.

"Arigatou Yusuke-kun. When you're through with work come talk with me okay?" Botan patted Yusuked arm sisterly and he nodded returning to work on cooking ramen and more.

"What about you Keiko? Don't you need to take orders?" Botan looked at her friend who just sat smiling, not moving a inch to get back to work. Keiko looked at the kitchen door as if expecting someone to burst thorugh as if reading her mind. And she was correct, there exited a girl, about a teenager the age of 16 or 17 came out in a uniform of a waiter and was handling trays.

"Who is she?" Botan asked, tired of the silence and that smile Keiko had on her face.

"Endo Meiko, she is a girl, who so happens to need a job that could be part-time and has a nice pay. We were in need of assitance, so we put up a want ad and she came and she was perfect. So I am really just a person who greets at the door, or sometimes I help in the kitchen with Yusuke, other than that, I just total the money made and split it evenly upon the workers." Keiko explained in a matter-of-factly tone. Botan scrutizined her.

"Workers? As in more than just Endo-san?"

"Hai, they take turns, they still have school to attend of course, some comes here in the morning, and she usually the only one who helps at the evening times. But somedays she would stop by and ask to work that day just because-she's really something." Keiko admired her from watching her laugh with some customer and collecting a big amount of tip. Botan then sighed, she plopped her head onto her folded arms on the table, helplessly. She didn't want to tell them about the news and then have to repeat it all over again-wait, she got an idea.

"Keiko-chan, are you still in contact with Shuichi-san, and Kuwabara-san?" Keiko nodded quite scared of the sudden topic change and attitude.

"Good, could you tell them to come here, and that it's important they come right now." Botan asked eagerly, she wanted to see Shuichi-san again, just because he promised her something last time they met. 'Next time I see you Botan- I'll make a dozen pink roses appear just for you. You helped me enough and this at least will pay off some of the debt owed.' Botan smirked as she remembered his words clearly, Kurama wouldn't forget that ever, at least she hoped so.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Keiko excused herself as she made her way to the cashier to pick up the phone on the counter top and began to dial the numbers. Botan sat waiting quite pleased, and soon one by one, all the customers started to leave- lunch time was over already, and Yusuke would soon be joinging them.

_ _ _ _

Kurama was first to arrive and his hair was in a mess and he was out of breath. Botan stared at him then burst into laughter, never did she see Kurama look that way before. Kurama noticed someone laughing and saw Botan and smiled calming down before going over to her.

"May I ask you Miss, what seems to be so funny? I wouldn't mind laughing too." Kurama joked as he sat down beside her. Botan looked up and smiled, stopping her laughing.

"Shuichi-san, hehe, you just-I've never seen you this way before, even in battle you always looked-well diginified!" Botan smiled as Kurama began to chuckle.

"Did you invite Hiei-san?"

"Aa. He's at Yukina's right now, but he'll most probably arrive we Kuwabara does." Kurama looked around and noticed it was empty.

"Where's everybody? I thought it was open?"

"Well, lunch is over so everyones' bound to leave and since Botan is here, we're temporarily closing up to keep it private. The workers are upstairs in the lounge area and you have no worries about that-they usually take a long time." Keiko came to the table with a tray of milk and cookies.

"Arigatou," Kurama and Botan said at the same time and Botan blushed. Kurama saw the tinted shade and remember something he promised her.

"Botan-chan, I have something for you." Kurama went through his hair and pulled out a seed, and placed it on his palm, he closed it and then reopened it to produce a bouquet of roses.

"Oh, Kurama!" Botan didn't notice her laspe in usuing his youkai name as he gave her the roses.

"I promised didn't I? Oh want to go eat out later with me? My treat for coming back and visiting?" Kurama smiled, he has secretly liked Botan for a while now, but he knew that his love was unrequited but they were still friends.

"Sure, I would love to!" Botan got up to asked Keiko to place the flowers in a vase. Keiko went with the roses and Botan came back. Kurama then noticed her change of clothes and admired it on her.

"That kimono looks good on you. Suits you better than the pink one."

"Yea, that's what I said to Koenma-sama," Botan lasped back into a reserved mood remembering...Koenma.

_ _ _ _

Kuwabara finally arrived with Yukina and Botan went into her serious mode.

"Okay, okay, since everyone is here- do you know where Hiei is?" Botan asked quickly noticing no fire demon around.

"He's listening, just continue." Yusuke smiled as he heard a growl and then some light steps entering the room.

"Just had to point me out huh, Yusuke?" Hiei glared and Yusuke jsut shrugged and smiled.

"Okay, Koenma asked me to come here today not jsut for a visit, but he wants me to invite you guys." Botan broke for a breath of air.

"Invite us to what exactly Botan-chan?" Kurama asked gently. Botan blushed adn continued.



"To his birthday party." Everyone's face fell and soon laughter exploded through the restaurant.

"To his- come on now Botan I thought this was serious." Keiko laughed away as Kuwabara made more jokes and Yusuke making a few of his own.

'But this is serious.' Botan thought to herself before she broke the whole gang.



"Stop this, Okay it is a big party, it's when he has to choose someone to marry or he won't be a prince any longer. The purple full moon, I know the tanteis looked at it once or twice." Everyone stopped and looked at her.

"So when is it?" Hiei asked.

"Two weeks from now. I'll send you an invitation by the end of this week. Tell me if you can come." Botan smiled getting up.

"You're leaving already?" Yukina asked timidly.

"Hai, I have other things I must attend to, ja." Botan waved and left the place, forgetting her roses behind and then running to a deserted alley and then rode away on her oar.

_ _ _ _

"Koenma, son, I think I found the perfect girl for you to marry." Enma Daou sighed as he flipped through some pages.

"Who is it this time?" Koenma replie tiredly but respectfully.



"Ayame-chan."

"What? Ayame the ferry girl? That Ayame?"

"Hai, you've turned down every rich girl already so I've come to know Ayame more and she is quite polite and she will take care of you." He did not mind the way Koenma reacted by jumping up and down repeating that same phrase.

"Then why didn't you just arranged for me and Botan to get married!" Koenma didn't know why he shouted that but he did.

"So that is who you choose to marry?"

"Well, erm, you see, it's better to marry someone you know right?" Koenma nervously paced around.

"It is, but no matter- Ayame will be you're bride or Hikaru will. Those are the only two I will allow. Now be gone. Talking about nonsense, Botan is practically your bestfriend." Enma-Daou laughed as Koenma exited the big office.

_ _ _ _

Botan sneezed repeatidly, while she was riding back to Reikai.

"Someone is talking about me." She muttered and entered the gates.