"Obligation and Duty"
Chapter 3
*****
Rei ran to Shady Oaks, her Grandmother's nursing home, and quickly hopped through the automatic doors before they closed.
"Rei! Nice to see you," Ms. Tanekai, the nursing home's director said as Rei passed the front desk.
"Uh, yeah. How's my Grandma?" Rei asked.
Ms. Tanekai frowned. "Not so good, I'm afraid. Doctor says she has a few months."
Rei mentally yelled at herself again.
.oO{Jeez! My grandma can die any day and I haven't even visited her}
Ms. Tanekai was talking again, so Rei snapped out of her mental abuse.
"She should be in her room right now, so you can go see her."
Rei nodded her thanks as she quickly walked to her granmother's room. Rei opened the door and walked in.
Inside was sitting a grey-haired old lady, playing checkers by herself.
"Y'know, it's a lot easier when two people play," Rei smiled as she sat down in the chair opposite her grandma.
Rei's grandma looked up, "Rei! Darling, I've missed you!"
Rei hopped out of her chair to give a hug and sat back down again.
"So... How've you been, deary?"
Rei cringed. "Akuza, my name is Rei, you don't have to call me 'deary'," Rei said, calling her grandma by her real name.
Akuza whapped Rei upside her head with her cane, "How old are you? 14? And you still have no respect for elders."
Rei rubbed her head as she said, "Well, hey! It's not like I killed someone by calling you by your given name!"
Akuza folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "It all starts when you loose respect for your family. Next comes friends, then total strangers. I don't want you to turn into one of those bitchy girls on the street."
Rei looked down at her hands.
.oO{I might not be bitchy, but I'm gonna be a wench....} she thought with a sigh.
"Well," Akuza started again, "Any boyfriends yet?"
"Okay, granny, you didn't have to ask that," Rei said with a pointed look.
Akuza shrugged, "I have a right to ask, don't I? After all, you're my only immediate family member, making you my heir, plus the only one that can give me great-granchildren..."
Akuza went on and on, and Rei wondered what it was with older people that made them want granchildren.
"Anyways!," Akuza came back out of her wanderings, "what about your Time of Month, eh? Has good old 'Aunt Flo' made her rounds with you yet?"
Rei shook her head, "C'mon granny, no more of this."
Akuza looked put out, "Well, you should've atleast gotten a new bra or something. Are you a double-D yet? Or are you still wearing those same sports-bras?"
"GRANDMA!" Rei exclaimed, "Holy Crap, what's up with you?"
"Well. No boyfriends, no period and no new growth. What HAS happened to you."
Rei secretly groaned inside when all this was said.
"Hell, Grandma, it's not my fault, and yes, the same old sports-bras are still being worn."
Akuza smiled. "There's my Rei. I was hoping you hadn't gotten rid of your fire. It's in your blood! And as for the bras, I can tell, you look like you're about ready to pop out of it."
Rei unconsciously put her arms over her chest.
"Okay, I'm tired now, besides you have work today, huh? So you can go now."
Rei got up and gave her fiesty old grandma a hug and ran out of the building.
Rei was walking towards home when she had the odd feeling of being watched again. She turned around quickly and saw some black cloth quickly turn a corner.
Instead of walking faster, Rei walked toward that corner and literally ran into a tall, red-headed boy.
"Oh! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Rei stammered while she was still sitting on the ground. The boy stood up and reached out his hand to her.
"It's alright. I'm not hurt. Are you okay?" he asked as he looked into her eyes with his own piercing emerald ones. Rei stared back as she reached her hand up to grasp his.
He helped her up and Rei remembered that she was being rude. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Rei Amerasu. What's yours?"
"Shuichi; Shuichi Minamino. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.
Rei nodded, "Yep, I'm fine."
Shuichi smiled and Rei couldn't help but like him.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Rei. I have to go," Shuichi said as he started walking away.
"I'm sorry again," Rei called after him.
"Don't worry about it," he waved.
.oO{Wow, I've met two really cute guys in two days...} Rei thought as she remembered Yusuke. Thinking about Yusuke made her remember her work and she quickly looked at her watch.
"Oh shit! I'm going to be late, AGAIN!" she groaned as she ran towards her home to get her uniform.
Rei got to work on time, and no problems arose like they did yesterday, and Rei was on her way home now.
.oO{I'm bored. And hungry. And tired. And achy...} her mind kept listing her problems. She decided as soon as she got home she was going to get a bath. Rei opened her door and threw her purse-sack on the couch.
"Man... I could really go for some sake about now..." she whined. She walked into the bathroom and pulled her obi out. Rei slipped out of her kimono and looked at herself in the full length mirror.
.oO{Could Granny really tell that I was about to pop? Nah... she was probably just messin' with me...} Rei thought as she slipped out of her bra. She pulled her undies off and stepped into her bath.
"Ahhhh.... I wish I had enough time to do this more often..." she sighed as she breathed in the steam.
Soon she was out of the bath and wrapped in a clean kimono. She pulled her brown hair up into a towel and let it dry as she walked into the living room.
"Rei-chan. Finally," Botan said. Rei's eyes got wide as she noticed Botan- and Yusuke- sitting in her living room.
"Kami, Botan, can't you atleast give me a heads-up that you're coming instead of just sitting in my living room waiting to scare the crap out of me!" Rei rushed. All the steam and the fright of seeing Yusuke while she was in her robe/kimono was getting to her head.
"Oh... Come on, Rei-chan, it's no fun that way," Yusuke said, trying to act like Botan.
Botan turned to him and glared, "You really need practice at that."
"Nu-uh, silly! I can be just as good as you," he said as he stuck his tongue out.
Rei couldn't help but laugh, because she had gotten the impression that Yusuke was the serious type.
Botan put her hands up and sighed, "Oh... I'm gonna need help if you're going to be this way, Yusuke." Botan gave Rei a I-need-to-talk-to-you look and ushered Rei into the kitchen.
"What's up?" Rei asked.
"Uh.... well.... I accidentally slipped up..." Botan started.
"With what?" Rei asked, still not quite following.
"Well, after Yusuke and I met up with you earlier today, he started asking me questions about you, like, how we knew each other and such, amd I accidentally told him about your power," Botan quickly said.
Rei took a deep breath. "So he knows?"
"'Fraid so..."
Rei nodded, "Hmmm.... That might not be a bad thing... I should probably just come out and say it to him, that way it won't be so odd..."
Botan was already in the next room and had Rei in tow as Rei was musing.
"Yusuke, you know about Rei's background and everything now. Give us your questions, comments, whatever!" Botan commanded.
Yusuke was caught off-guard when she said this, so it took a few seconds for it to register.
"Oh, what, huh?" he said all at once.
"What do you think about all this?"
"Well," he started, "I think it's quite an odd power. I mean, couldn't she have gotten a Spirit Gun or something?"
Botan nodded, "Yes, I agree. It is an odd power, but I guess if she has to 'creep around' she can atleast do some good!"
Rei smacked Botan on the head and shook her head, "That's one way to put it, Botan. But I still think Koenma was a little horny that day..."
Yusuke laughed when she said that. "I always thought the toddler was messed up..." he agreed.
"Hey, not fair. It's two against one here," Botan said.
"Yeah, we have to watch out for your oar, though. You swing that thing like a bat!" Yusuke started laughing again.
"Y'know, I was going to ask you if you wanted any sake or someting to drink, but I don't think you'll be needing any with the way you're acting," Rei laughed.
Yusuke put his hands behind his head, "It's just because I'm not worrying about somebody jumping me. In the day-time I have to be careful, or else everyone'll take advantage of me."
Rei nodded. "Yup, I understand that. Though I don't have the reputation of being the best high-school delinquent around."
"Hey, not everyone is perfect."
Rei popped him on the head, too, as she sat down on the couch beside him. He looked her over and slid his arm over the back of the couch. Rei gave him a don't-try-anything-or-I'll-kill-you look and he grinned wickedly.
"Ooooh...you two look cozy," Botan bubbled. Both Rei and Yusuke glared at her and she said, "I wonder what Keiko is doing...?"
Yusuke groaned, "You just had to bring her up..."
Rei looked completely at sea, "Who is Keiko?"
"Only Yusuke's girlfriend! She was the one who kissed him in order to bring him back to life," Botan said pointing to Yusuke.
"Jeez, lady! She's not my girlfriend. We've just known each other since we were kids," Yusuke muttered.
"So if I try anything, she won't come kill me, right?" Rei asked, leaning closer to Yusuke, trying to flirt for the first time.
With the way Yusuke smiled at her, it looked like it was working.
"No, I wouldn't let her," he said as he pulled Rei's towel out of her hair.
Botan sighed and said, "I'll be leaving now... Don't forget, Yusuke, tomorrow we have Kurama!" and off she was on her oar.
"She get's annoying, doesn't she?" Yusuke asked.
Rei nodded, "If you actually think about it, but I'm used to her now. And she's the only friend I have."
Yusuke sat up, "Y'mean, you don't have any other friends? None at all?"
"Nope, none..."
"Can I be your friend?" Yusuke asked with a puppy-dog face and Rei smiled.
"Sure."
Chapter 3
*****
Rei ran to Shady Oaks, her Grandmother's nursing home, and quickly hopped through the automatic doors before they closed.
"Rei! Nice to see you," Ms. Tanekai, the nursing home's director said as Rei passed the front desk.
"Uh, yeah. How's my Grandma?" Rei asked.
Ms. Tanekai frowned. "Not so good, I'm afraid. Doctor says she has a few months."
Rei mentally yelled at herself again.
.oO{Jeez! My grandma can die any day and I haven't even visited her}
Ms. Tanekai was talking again, so Rei snapped out of her mental abuse.
"She should be in her room right now, so you can go see her."
Rei nodded her thanks as she quickly walked to her granmother's room. Rei opened the door and walked in.
Inside was sitting a grey-haired old lady, playing checkers by herself.
"Y'know, it's a lot easier when two people play," Rei smiled as she sat down in the chair opposite her grandma.
Rei's grandma looked up, "Rei! Darling, I've missed you!"
Rei hopped out of her chair to give a hug and sat back down again.
"So... How've you been, deary?"
Rei cringed. "Akuza, my name is Rei, you don't have to call me 'deary'," Rei said, calling her grandma by her real name.
Akuza whapped Rei upside her head with her cane, "How old are you? 14? And you still have no respect for elders."
Rei rubbed her head as she said, "Well, hey! It's not like I killed someone by calling you by your given name!"
Akuza folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "It all starts when you loose respect for your family. Next comes friends, then total strangers. I don't want you to turn into one of those bitchy girls on the street."
Rei looked down at her hands.
.oO{I might not be bitchy, but I'm gonna be a wench....} she thought with a sigh.
"Well," Akuza started again, "Any boyfriends yet?"
"Okay, granny, you didn't have to ask that," Rei said with a pointed look.
Akuza shrugged, "I have a right to ask, don't I? After all, you're my only immediate family member, making you my heir, plus the only one that can give me great-granchildren..."
Akuza went on and on, and Rei wondered what it was with older people that made them want granchildren.
"Anyways!," Akuza came back out of her wanderings, "what about your Time of Month, eh? Has good old 'Aunt Flo' made her rounds with you yet?"
Rei shook her head, "C'mon granny, no more of this."
Akuza looked put out, "Well, you should've atleast gotten a new bra or something. Are you a double-D yet? Or are you still wearing those same sports-bras?"
"GRANDMA!" Rei exclaimed, "Holy Crap, what's up with you?"
"Well. No boyfriends, no period and no new growth. What HAS happened to you."
Rei secretly groaned inside when all this was said.
"Hell, Grandma, it's not my fault, and yes, the same old sports-bras are still being worn."
Akuza smiled. "There's my Rei. I was hoping you hadn't gotten rid of your fire. It's in your blood! And as for the bras, I can tell, you look like you're about ready to pop out of it."
Rei unconsciously put her arms over her chest.
"Okay, I'm tired now, besides you have work today, huh? So you can go now."
Rei got up and gave her fiesty old grandma a hug and ran out of the building.
Rei was walking towards home when she had the odd feeling of being watched again. She turned around quickly and saw some black cloth quickly turn a corner.
Instead of walking faster, Rei walked toward that corner and literally ran into a tall, red-headed boy.
"Oh! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Rei stammered while she was still sitting on the ground. The boy stood up and reached out his hand to her.
"It's alright. I'm not hurt. Are you okay?" he asked as he looked into her eyes with his own piercing emerald ones. Rei stared back as she reached her hand up to grasp his.
He helped her up and Rei remembered that she was being rude. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Rei Amerasu. What's yours?"
"Shuichi; Shuichi Minamino. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.
Rei nodded, "Yep, I'm fine."
Shuichi smiled and Rei couldn't help but like him.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Rei. I have to go," Shuichi said as he started walking away.
"I'm sorry again," Rei called after him.
"Don't worry about it," he waved.
.oO{Wow, I've met two really cute guys in two days...} Rei thought as she remembered Yusuke. Thinking about Yusuke made her remember her work and she quickly looked at her watch.
"Oh shit! I'm going to be late, AGAIN!" she groaned as she ran towards her home to get her uniform.
Rei got to work on time, and no problems arose like they did yesterday, and Rei was on her way home now.
.oO{I'm bored. And hungry. And tired. And achy...} her mind kept listing her problems. She decided as soon as she got home she was going to get a bath. Rei opened her door and threw her purse-sack on the couch.
"Man... I could really go for some sake about now..." she whined. She walked into the bathroom and pulled her obi out. Rei slipped out of her kimono and looked at herself in the full length mirror.
.oO{Could Granny really tell that I was about to pop? Nah... she was probably just messin' with me...} Rei thought as she slipped out of her bra. She pulled her undies off and stepped into her bath.
"Ahhhh.... I wish I had enough time to do this more often..." she sighed as she breathed in the steam.
Soon she was out of the bath and wrapped in a clean kimono. She pulled her brown hair up into a towel and let it dry as she walked into the living room.
"Rei-chan. Finally," Botan said. Rei's eyes got wide as she noticed Botan- and Yusuke- sitting in her living room.
"Kami, Botan, can't you atleast give me a heads-up that you're coming instead of just sitting in my living room waiting to scare the crap out of me!" Rei rushed. All the steam and the fright of seeing Yusuke while she was in her robe/kimono was getting to her head.
"Oh... Come on, Rei-chan, it's no fun that way," Yusuke said, trying to act like Botan.
Botan turned to him and glared, "You really need practice at that."
"Nu-uh, silly! I can be just as good as you," he said as he stuck his tongue out.
Rei couldn't help but laugh, because she had gotten the impression that Yusuke was the serious type.
Botan put her hands up and sighed, "Oh... I'm gonna need help if you're going to be this way, Yusuke." Botan gave Rei a I-need-to-talk-to-you look and ushered Rei into the kitchen.
"What's up?" Rei asked.
"Uh.... well.... I accidentally slipped up..." Botan started.
"With what?" Rei asked, still not quite following.
"Well, after Yusuke and I met up with you earlier today, he started asking me questions about you, like, how we knew each other and such, amd I accidentally told him about your power," Botan quickly said.
Rei took a deep breath. "So he knows?"
"'Fraid so..."
Rei nodded, "Hmmm.... That might not be a bad thing... I should probably just come out and say it to him, that way it won't be so odd..."
Botan was already in the next room and had Rei in tow as Rei was musing.
"Yusuke, you know about Rei's background and everything now. Give us your questions, comments, whatever!" Botan commanded.
Yusuke was caught off-guard when she said this, so it took a few seconds for it to register.
"Oh, what, huh?" he said all at once.
"What do you think about all this?"
"Well," he started, "I think it's quite an odd power. I mean, couldn't she have gotten a Spirit Gun or something?"
Botan nodded, "Yes, I agree. It is an odd power, but I guess if she has to 'creep around' she can atleast do some good!"
Rei smacked Botan on the head and shook her head, "That's one way to put it, Botan. But I still think Koenma was a little horny that day..."
Yusuke laughed when she said that. "I always thought the toddler was messed up..." he agreed.
"Hey, not fair. It's two against one here," Botan said.
"Yeah, we have to watch out for your oar, though. You swing that thing like a bat!" Yusuke started laughing again.
"Y'know, I was going to ask you if you wanted any sake or someting to drink, but I don't think you'll be needing any with the way you're acting," Rei laughed.
Yusuke put his hands behind his head, "It's just because I'm not worrying about somebody jumping me. In the day-time I have to be careful, or else everyone'll take advantage of me."
Rei nodded. "Yup, I understand that. Though I don't have the reputation of being the best high-school delinquent around."
"Hey, not everyone is perfect."
Rei popped him on the head, too, as she sat down on the couch beside him. He looked her over and slid his arm over the back of the couch. Rei gave him a don't-try-anything-or-I'll-kill-you look and he grinned wickedly.
"Ooooh...you two look cozy," Botan bubbled. Both Rei and Yusuke glared at her and she said, "I wonder what Keiko is doing...?"
Yusuke groaned, "You just had to bring her up..."
Rei looked completely at sea, "Who is Keiko?"
"Only Yusuke's girlfriend! She was the one who kissed him in order to bring him back to life," Botan said pointing to Yusuke.
"Jeez, lady! She's not my girlfriend. We've just known each other since we were kids," Yusuke muttered.
"So if I try anything, she won't come kill me, right?" Rei asked, leaning closer to Yusuke, trying to flirt for the first time.
With the way Yusuke smiled at her, it looked like it was working.
"No, I wouldn't let her," he said as he pulled Rei's towel out of her hair.
Botan sighed and said, "I'll be leaving now... Don't forget, Yusuke, tomorrow we have Kurama!" and off she was on her oar.
"She get's annoying, doesn't she?" Yusuke asked.
Rei nodded, "If you actually think about it, but I'm used to her now. And she's the only friend I have."
Yusuke sat up, "Y'mean, you don't have any other friends? None at all?"
"Nope, none..."
"Can I be your friend?" Yusuke asked with a puppy-dog face and Rei smiled.
"Sure."
