Chapter 4: "J" is for Jealousy!

The winds seemed to be picking up lately as the trees began to age with the season. Fall was here. Suddenly the wind managed to break off a few rust colored leaves from a tree branch, and they flew with the wind until they reached a particular house. The leaves gently knocked at Kokoro's window, coincidentally at the same time Kokoro's eyes opened to another Monday.

She turned. "Nishiki... Nishiki?" She sat up upon not finding him lying next to her, and she was startled to see him sitting Indian-style on the other end of the bed, facing her.

He smiled. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Kokoro blushed. "W-What are you doing?"

"Oh, I just happened to wake up earlier than usual, but you were so cute while you slept that I just had to watch you!"

Kokoro blushed even more, and after a moment, she finally noticed something. "Oh, um, why are you dressed like that?.."

"Oh, this? Since I woke up so early I was bored, so I started rummaging through all the hand-me-downs your brother gave me. You like it?"

What she saw made her speechless and go into a sort of trance. Nishiki was wearing a long sleeved, black dress shirt and black pants, and the shirt's top four buttons were unbuttoned, revealing Nishiki's sexy collar bone and part of his chest. What girl couldn't like it? "It-It's nice..."

"You think?"

She shyly nodded. But just then, Kokoro noticed something else. After all these years, Nishiki never looked a day younger than her. Did that mean a shikigami could age too? "Nishiki.. I know it's an odd question but, how old are you?"

"Actually, I'm exactly the same age as you. You see, when you were born in this world, I first appeared in the Rhelm of Shikigami. Humans can only bond with one shikigami," he pointed to the mark on his cheek, "And fate never lies. From the moment you were born I've been waiting for you," he explained, smiling. (A/N: I don't really know much about shikigami, I'm just making this up, so don't get upset if stuff from here is wrong, it's just a fanfic after all :P)

Kokoro stared in wonder after hearing Nishiki's story. "Nishiki..." She lowered her head as her eyes wandered and she fidgeted with her fingers. "Um... Th-There's something I wanted to tell you..." By now she was blushing furiously.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um... I... Nishiki, I-"

"Kokoro!" Just then, Kodama opened the door slightly and popped his head into the room. "Hey! Time to eat breakfast."

Kokoro's head was now hung low and her fist was shaking with a vein popping out. "Big brother..."

Upon seeing how furious he had gotten Kokoro, his eyes turned into slits and he smirked. "Hehe.. Better come eat before it gets cold." At that, he closed the door.

'GRR! Stupid Kodama! He probably knows how I feel and just does this on purpose to torment me!' Kokoro thought angrily to herself.

"Uh.. Kokoro? What's wrong? Don't you wanna eat breakfast?" Nishiki asked, clueless to what had gone on.

Kokoro relaxed her fist and forced a smile. "Yes.."

As the two were on their way to school, Kokoro turned to Nishiki. "Oh, you didn't change back into your regular clothes?" she said, noting he was still dressed in the black dress shirt and pants. Not that she was complaining or anything.

"What's wrong? Can't I look nice once and a while?" Nishiki said proudly. Kokoro just giggled.

"Kokoro!" a voice called out from the distance. Kokoro turned around and spotted the source of the voice. It was a boy, running towards them.

"Oh, Yamazaki!" she waved. As Yamazaki caught up to them, he stopped and panted. "Uh.. Yamazaki? Don't you live closer to the school than we do?"

He blushed. "Um.. Yeah.. But, I thought I'd like to walk to school with you.."

She smiled brightly. "That's nice of you, Yamazaki!"

He just stared at her smiling face, blushing a little more.

"So, he's your shikigami?" Yamazaki asked about Nishiki after Kokoro finished explaining everything.

She smiled and blushed slightly. "Yup. He goes everywhere with me and watches out for me, right Nishiki?" Nishiki just smiled down at Kokoro and nodded.

It was quiet for a moment as Yamazaki could only watch as the two smiled at each other, and suddenly his expression saddened.

After the three had walked a few blocks, they met up with Kaname and Misaki, as usual. And once they had talked for a while, the two welcomed the former outsider into their group.

The day went by as just another normal day, but when school had ended, since it was Kokoro and Yamazaki's turn for day duty, the teacher had assigned them to move some boxes into the utility room. The problem was, the boxes were huge! And heavy..

"Aw man! Why'd my day duty turn have to be today?" Kokoro said miserably.

"Have no fear! This is a job for Nishiki's third size!" At that, Nishiki transformed into a taller, more muscular man, and his hair had gotten a little longer, and his face looked both more fierce and handsome, if that was even possible. Kokoro's cheeks were deep red as she just stared in awe at Nishiki's new form. She was familiar with his other two sizes- the bunny plush toy and of course his regular boy form, but she had never seen this size.

As Yamazaki was watching the drool practically fall out of Kokoro's hanging jaw, he found himself infuriated.

Nishiki lifted two boxes with ease. "Heh, piece of cake."

Kokoro's eyes were sparkling. "Wow, that's so amazing, Nishiki!"

'GRRRR!' Yamazaki began trying to pick up one box. "Look, Kokoro.. I can do it.. too..!" Yamazaki struggled, but he managed to at least raise the box above the ground, but soon his strength gave way and he fell over. "Ah!" The box was obviously not secured very well as all the stuff inside the box scattered all over the floor after he dropped it.

"Oh no! Yamazaki, are you okay?" Kokoro asked with concern after she had rushed to his side.

Yamazaki blushed furiously. "Uh... Yeah.."

She smiled. "That's good."

As Kokoro and Yamazaki gathered everything back into the box, Nishiki was putting up all the other boxes. By the time Kokoro and Yamazaki finished, it was the only box that was left to be put away. Yamazaki tried to pick it up again, but suddenly Nishiki grabbed it with one arm like it was nothing.

"Better let me get that." Nishiki smirked.

Yamazaki's ears turned red in anger, and a vein popped out of his head. "Humph!"

Many days and demons later, the days turned into weeks, which turned into months, with the weather getting colder every day as fall progressed to winter. What also progressed was Yamazaki's feelings for Kokoro. Yamazaki sat two seats behind in the row next to Kokoro, so he could always see her. However, Nishiki in the form of a stuffed bunny was always closer, watching her from her backpack. Yamazaki knew from what Kokoro had told him that Kokoro and Nishiki could talk within their minds, and often times Kokoro would glance down at the plush toy and smile, seemingly having a nice conversation that the rest of the world would never know about. Seeing her pretty smiling face directed at the shikigami excited, saddened, and infuriated him all at once. But still, he couldn't stop his feelings for the raven haired girl from growing, and soon it became unbearable. He just had to tell her! So after school one snowy December day, Yamazaki bravely approached her.

She was pulling up her mittens and rubbing her hands together, and then she cupped her hands over her mouth and breathed hot air into them as she tried to stay warm. She looked so cute in her big uniform jacket and scarf... These few seconds of watching Kokoro seemed a lot longer than just seconds to Yamazaki as he almost went into a daze, but then suddenly Nishiki, who was also dressed quite warmly, walked up to Kokoro and rubbed her back. "Kokoro, are you ready? We should get home before you catch a cold."

Kokoro just blushed and smiled slightly. "Oh, Nishiki, I'm fine-"

"Um.." Yamazaki interrupted. He faced Nishiki with a timid expression. "...Nishiki? Could you.. let me and Kokoro.. be alone for a bit?..." He looked to Kokoro, and suddenly his eyes showed determination. "I just need to talk to her in private."

"Hm?" Nishiki looked confused, and so he looked to Kokoro.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, really," said Kokoro.

"Okay..." Nishiki said, a little suspiciously, but he paid it no mind as he vanished into thin air.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about? Are you okay?" Kokoro asked with a friendly tone.

Yamazaki bundled his gloved hands into fists for some kind of comfort. "Kokoro... I..." He looked like he was struggling with whatever he was about to say, so Kokoro just stayed quiet and blinked with curiosity, until finally, he said it. "I love you!"

Kokoro gasped while Yamazaki just stared at her, his eyes full of tension. The two were silent for a long moment as Kokoro thought about it. When she didn't say anything, Yamazaki looked down with a troubled expression. Kokoro's face saddened, and suddenly she put her hand on his shoulder. Yamazaki just looked into her eyes with wonder. "I'm sorry," said Kokoro, "...I know it must've been hard to get up the courage to tell me, and you're a great guy, believe me!... But I'm afraid I'm in love with someone else..."

"Oh..." Yamazaki looked down, sadly, as Kokoro took her hand off his shoulder. The two just stood there for a moment, when suddenly Yamazaki spoke again. "Is it... Nishiki..?"

This caught Kokoro off guard as she blushed, but she soon managed to smile. "...Y-Yes... But... I don't really know how he feels about me yet.."

Yamazaki smiled, although inside he was still hurting badly. "I'm sure.. he feels the same way... You're so kind and wonderful to be around, how can anyone not love you?"

Kokoro blushed a bit at his comment. "Thanks.."

After the two had said goodbye at the school gates, Kokoro and Yamazaki walked their separate ways home for the first time in what seemed like ages.

'Alright Nishiki, you can come back now,' Kokoro said to him through her mind.

Suddenly, Nishiki popped back. "So, what'd he say?"

"He told me that he loved me."

"Loved you? You mean like a boyfriend and girlfriend?" Nishiki asked, surprised. Kokoro simply nodded. "Oh.." Nishiki suddenly found himself feeling very strange. "So, you two are.."

Kokoro shook her head. "No. I turned him down."

"You did? Why?"

"I just don't like him that way, that's all."

"Oh.." Nishiki then turned from Kokoro to look at the sky, which was very beautiful as dusk arrived. As they continued walking in silence, Nishiki found that he wasn't feeling strange any more.

Poor Yamazaki-kun lol. Next chapter, coming soon!