Author's Note: Some name translations I received through a helpful e-mail. If you see any mistakes, please feel free to correct them.
Urameshi Yusuke: troubled spirit;ghost's helper
Keiko: respectful girl
Hanasaki Botan: happy flower; peony or button
Kuwabara: a chant said when ghosts are about
Koorime Yukina: ice demon; snow flower
Jaganshi Hiei: evil eye user; flying shadow or fire dragon
Karasu: crow
Kuronue: black spirit
Touya: peach blossoms
Daioh Koenma: king; Enma Jr. (The mark on Koenma's hat when he's in toddler form is the Chinese character for "king".)

What He Said, She Said
"Minamino!" an unidentified student with ebony hair smirked amusedly as he walked up to the fox-masked second year. "I see you're having a good time here: who is she, Minamino? I've never seen the likes of her before at school; is she new here?" the fellow classmate asked with a sly voice, much alike to Kuronue. He observed Botan through his strange mask from head to toe, and quite bluntly, he liked what he saw. "She's really pretty, Minamino. Is she from the high school or from the junior high?" The second year Meiou student, removing his mask, neared his face towards Botan's, making the girl rather nervous.

'That look he's giving me is definitely not good.'

Kurama, recognizing the masked student as his fellow classmate Sashiyaki Yomi, could sense his delicate partner tense up nervously in his arms. Kurama gave Botan's slim waist a reassuring squeeze and answered darkly, "She is my date for tonight, Yomi, and it does not matter what year she is in. I suggest you leave us alone now."

'So I can quell this undying thirst in me.'

"Heh, going out with junior high students now, Minamino? I guess your experiences with Kitajima have made you set your standards lower. Do you think I can have your new friend once you're done?" Yomi asked, laughing a little at his own joke. The impudent one had utterly ignored Kurama's warning.

Realizing what Yomi was trying to say, Botan began to tremble with fear and rage; she was furious that this arrogant student thought that she was a junior high student, and it made Botan frightened that the freak was even attracted to her; he reminded her slimly of Karasu. Noticing the girl's nervous reactions, this only made Kurama angrier. "Yomi, shut up before I make you. Go away and leave us alone!" Kurama growled harshly. "You are acting like an idiot right now, Yomi, and you should apologize to her for saying something so rude. She is a first year at the high school, so apologize for insinuating she is a mere child."

"Jeez, Minamino," Yomi sighed dejectedly, backing away from the couple, "I was only joking around. But since I did offend your lady friend-- " Yomi gave Botan a graceful and polite bow, a sincere and sorry smile on his lips. "I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean to offend you."

Accepting the apology easily (much to Kurama's surprise), Botan replied cheerily, "That's all right; a lot of people think I'm still in junior high. And I really don't blame them."

'Just please don't give me anymore attention.'

Nodding respectfully, Yomi waved good-bye to Kurama and his fair lady and stalked into the partying crowd. Another slow dance song began.

Walking through the crowded party with as much discretion as possible, Hiei tried his best to keep an eye on the flash of color he had seen pass by him before. By now, the young man had noted his subject was accompanied with a tall, orange haired buffoon (the tall student, by what Hiei saw, had taken off his hood but had kept on his mask).

Quietly watching the couple walking towards the refreshments, Hiei annoyingly noticed that the sea-green (not sky blue) haired girl's costume matched nicely with the loud-mouthed carrot-top. The girl was wearing an adorable glacier gown that resembled something a snow princess would wear. Hiei would have enjoyed the girl's lovely dress if her partner had only not worn something similar: the taller boy wore a white costume that made him look like the girl's prince. Hiei growled as his fist trembled violently. If looks could kill, the orange haired boy would have a good size hole burned through the left side of his chest and head.

"So, Yukina-senpai, I heard that you moved from a northern prefecture during your first year of high school. What was it like up there?" Kazuma asked as he handed Yukina, after thoroughly searching for any suspicious drugs, a party drink. The two of them, happily for Kazuma's taste, were each other's partner for the night. And after separating from the others, Yukina and Kazuma had decided to stay on the sidelines and remain inconspicuous for the night.

Smiling cheerily, Yukina kindly replied, "Oh, it was lovely up there, Kuwabara-san. The weather was a little more moderate than down here in the city, and there were a lot more forests in my small town too. But I like the city just as much as I like my hometown. People at both places are equally nice."

From afar, it appeared the girl was having a nice time with her tall friend, but if she was the one Hiei had been searching for most of his life, then he would not allow the carrot-top idiot near her ever again.

A stranger's voice suddenly broke through Kazuma and Yukina's conversation.

Yusuke smiled blissfully as he and Keiko silently walked hand in hand in the enormous dim-lighted garden behind the Kitajima home. Autumn leaves showered past them and swirled around them as a small breeze blew around the couple; they looked like a scene from an old fairytale they once listened to when they were children. Although his manly ego would never allow him to admit it, Urameshi much rather preferred a quiet stroll with Keiko than loud and wild dancing with her any day. The peace, whenever they could find it, Yusuke believed brought out more of their care for one another.

'Why can't we be like this more often?'

"Yuu-chan?"

"Hm?" Yusuke responded instantly to his pet name.

Keiko kindly smiled at Yusuke's expectant face. No matter how long they had known each other, Keiko could never fully adjust herself to Yusuke; he was, simply to state, just Yusuke. She wrapped herself around Yusuke's arm, trying to get as close as she could without them coming to a complete stop. After a few moments of silence, Keiko started, "Yusuke, has Botan-chan been feeling all right lately? She hasn't been acting like her normal self for the past few days, and she's never been like this before. Did something happen to her recently?"

Yusuke sighed at the mention of his cousin as he raked his free hand through his black hair. The talk about Karasu with Botan nights before flashed by his thoughts. "I honestly don't know if she's all right, Keiko-chan. Botan has a lot of skeletons in her closet, and right now, only a few have made their way out and disappeared."

'I wish Karasu would just disappear.'

"What do you mean by that, Yusuke?"

Holding Keiko's hand tightly and kissing it, Yusuke whispered, "What I mean is, Keiko-chan, Botan has been running from her past for a long time now; and as much as she's fighting it, it's rearing its ugly head whether Botan wants it to or not. Just leave Botan to deal with it. And if she needs help from us, we'll be there to give it her. Do you understand what I'm saying, Keiko-chan?"

'Botan needs us to stick behind her.'

Nodding and understanding perfectly, she murmured, "Poor Botan-chan."

"Would you care to dance with me, miss?" a masked young man questioned as he held out his black-gloved hand welcomingly to Yukina. "You seem like a fine dancer to me who would love to reach the dance floor."

'And get away from this idiot.' A smirk graced the stranger's lips.

Yukina stared at the masked figure, her breath somewhat lost. The stranger who had approached her had a deep, kind, and rather familiar voice, as if Yukina had heard it somewhere in her past. Just the sound of it nearly put her heart to rest. As her jumbled mind speedily came to a decision, Yukina nodded and took the dark glove in her own white ones and allowed her self to be swept onto the dance floor.

Kazuma, his cheeks puffed and face red, could only frigidly stare and watch in jealousy and horror as a Meiou (a junkie, in Kazuma's mind, no doubt) snatched away his dream girl! 'This isn't fair! This isn't fair at all!'

"You have beautiful hair," the young man complimented as he smiled at the strands filtering around Yukina's masked face. With her hand delicately resting in his, the masked figure led Yukina smoothly to the dance floor, where lights were beginning to dim once more. Now that "First Love" was finished, someone else began playing "For My Dear" by Hamasaki Ayumi. "It looks like a blue shade in the distance, but up close I can see it's sea green: beautiful sea green, if I might add. Reminds me of a beautiful woman I once knew."

"Thank you," Yukina blushed, her shy nature taking over.

"You're from Sarayashiki, aren't you, miss?" the figure questioned melodiously as he and Yukina began to move slowly to the song's rhythm.

Yukina nearly froze in her place; however, the Meiou student would not allow this. He urged her to continue moving as they stepped along with the slow song. "Keep moving or others will wonder. And don't worry," her partner whispered gently into her ear, an unknown kind smile creeping onto his lips. "I won't reveal your secret to anyone, miss. Just tell me, are you Koorime Hina's daughter, Koorime Yukina?"

"How do you know my own and Okaa-san's name?" Yukina gasped as she looked into the indifferent, unrevealing sable mask of ebony-clad lad. This mysterious young man was becoming more obscure to Yukina by the moment.

"My name is Jaganshi Hiei. My family is an old friend of her husband's."

After that statement, Yukina turned her frightened gaze from her companion and instead glared at the ground. "I'm sorry, but you must be gravely mistaken. Okaa-san had no husband. And now, she never will."

Yukina's statement stunned Hiei for an instant. "What do you mean by-- "

"She passed away six months ago."

Hiei could feel hot tears slowly welling up in his eyes, but he refused to ever cry, especially in front of this girl: especially if this girl was who he thought she was. However, although he wanted hold back his emotions, Hiei could not fend off the pain he was feeling. He felt even worse when he realized how fresh the scars must be on Yukina's heart. "I'm sorry to hear that, Yukina-san. You must feel incredible sadness."

Yukina's face grew worried as she noticed her partner shed a tear; the crystal liquid rolled behind the dark mask and then freely drizzled down the tanned cheek. Yukina quickly released one of her hands from his grip and wiped his other tears away. "Why are you so sad, Hiei-san? You don't even know me."

"I understand what it is like to lose a mother," the young man replied, his voice somewhat choked. His hurt voice warmed and eased Yukina's anxiety; his voice alone comforted her aching heart. "Or any family, for that matter. I've lost all of my family."

Yukina sighed as she rested her head against Hiei's shoulder, their pace slow enough for the girl to relax against the boy. Oddly, Koorime found even more comfort from her stranger's steady heartbeat; the regular rhythm matched the thumping of her own. "Now that my mother is gone, I understand that pain all too well; but, I guess, I knew that feeling the day my father and brother left my mother and me."

Grinning at the mention of his past self, Hiei questioned, "Your brother?"

Nodding, Yukina muttered into Hiei's black costume, "My twin brother, Onii-chan. Okaa-san's family had named him Yukito, but Otou-san's family renamed him when Otou-san took Onii-chan away. I don't even know his new name. We were really young when we were separated. Even though I really didn't know him, the most pain I have ever felt was when Onii-chan left."

Hiei hugged Yukina even closer when he felt her lean against him. "The same is also for me. I lost a little sister when I was really young too. I've been looking for her for a long time now."

"I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this, Hiei-san," Yukina murmured, her voice insecure and worried. "I haven't even told many of my friends about my past; but yet, here I am, only knowing you for about five minutes, and you know nearly everything about me."

Leaning his forehead against the girl's, Hiei grinned secretively, "Not everything. Besides, it's because you trust me, Yukina-san. And do you know what? I trust you as well."

Feeling the eyes of the Sarayashiki student from earlier carefully observing them, Hiei growled in annoyance. He preferred to bond with his long-lost family member without the spying eyes of some oddball student. The Meiou second-year then got an idea, an idea that would be rid him of those annoying eyes. "Would you like to go outside, Yukina-san? Kitajima, although I rather hate to even consider admitting, has a lovely garden outside. Would you want to see it?"

"If you want, Hiei-san. I'll go anywhere you go," Yukina answered sweetly.

"Where the hell are they going!" Kazuma fumed, his fist clenched tightly. He felt his heart sinking faster and faster while his anger growing larger and larger while Yukina cheerily and innocently walked away with her new, unknown, strange partner. Tonight was supposed to be something special!

"Let it go, boy," a deep, but feminine chuckle next to him replied. "My friend has his own good reasons for taking your girl away temporarily. She'll be back to you soon unharmed, no worries."

Kazuma turned to look at his right and found an older girl dressed in a pirate's outfit leaning casually against the bar (the Kitajima house was so large, it had its own bar on the main level). The girl wore a royal blue shirt with a black vest that was slightly frayed, and her pants were also rugged in appearance; golden cuffs were fastened around her wrists while large golden loops dangled on her ears. The female's fiery hair was boyishly short and had a bandana across her forehead; and she fashioned a black eye-patch over her right eye. And by the air around her, Kazuma could tell she was a street fighter as well, not to mention a rather skilled and good-looking one.

"Is there something on my face, boy?" the tomboyish woman questioned as she raised an inquisitive brow. With every gesture and movement she suggested power and grace. It took a fierce glare to snap Kazuma out of his admiring gaze.

"Oh, no-no-no!" Kazuma shook his head, discontinuing his staring.

"You're amusing, first-year. My name is Akiyuki Mukuro," Mukuro introduced as she held out her pale hand to Kazuma. Nervously, Kazuma took the Meiou student's hand, sensing the lady's commanding aura and superior fighting skills.

"I'm--er--"

"I don't need to know who you are," Mukuro serenely smiled as she began to walk off. She waved an indifferent hand and chuckled lightly at her thoughts. "I'll find out soon enough, sometime in the future. I have a feeling we'll meet again, especially if you're connected with my friend. Later."

Once outside, crisp cold air struck the two siblings (unknown to one of them), but neither minded. Sighing at the freedom she felt, Yukina grinned happily as she and Hiei began their stroll through the gardens. She even forgot the danger within the Meiou district.

Twenty minutes into their promenade, Hiei and Yukina found a bench beneath an inviting tree. Both thinking of the same thing, they quickly raced one another to take a seat and sighed and laughed in content. It was a while before the two calmed down from their own amusement. But once they did calm themselves, they just stared up into the starry sky in pleasing silence. "Can I see your face, Hiei-san?" Yukina abruptly asked casually as she and him watched stars.

"If I can see yours," Hiei chuckled in merry response, not phased at Yukina's unexpected question. Nodding with consent, Yukina began to remove her snowy white mask. Hiei followed suit as he reached for his own black mask.

Yukina sheepishly grinned as she gazed upon the handsome face of Hiei, and Hiei likewise to Yukina's beauty. Jaganshi was quite proud his twin sister had grown into a rather attractive young lady (although, he did not quite approve of the boys who were likely to be after her heart). She reminded him so much of his late mother.

Hiei then found himself kissing Yukina tenderly on her cheek. Koorime's face reddened, and Hiei could feel the heat radiating to his lip. "Hiei-san--"

"If you ever come to our district again, Yukina-san, and run into trouble, you can tell those troublemakers you're with me." Hiei then removed an earring from his right ear, hooked it through some string, and then placed it around Yukina's neck. "This'll be your proof. And whenever you wish, you can come and see me."

Yukina held up the "pendant" before her and gasped in surprise when the tear-sized stone caught the dim garden lights. "Oh! This is made from Tear Crystals! This is made from the rarest stone on Earth."

"Yes," Hiei nodded smugly, "and I want you to have it, Yukina-san."

"But I can't accept a gift like this," Yukina argued, handing back Hiei the necklace. "This is too much, especially since we have just met. And I can tell that this earring means a lot to you, Hiei-san. I can't accept something that means so much."

Hiei stopped Yukina and covered her hand over his former earring; after that, he tucked back some sea-green strands behind Yukina's ear. "Yes, but now it will mean even more to me while you have it, Yukina-san."

"But why, Hiei-san?"

"Because." Hiei grinned to himself, but Yukina was able to see his pleased expression. "I made a promise to someone a long time ago to always take care of you. And frankly, I think I'll like taking care of you for him."

"And to whom did you make this promise?"

"Your brother."

Finishing their serene stroll outside, Yusuke and Keiko returned immediately to the main party right when another slow song started. Smiling, Yusuke turned to Keiko and silently motioned toward the dance floor full of content couples. Nodding and smiling with just as much care, Keiko took Yusuke's hand as the young man wordlessly led his princess away.

Just as they were about to really relax in one another's arms, someone roughly knocked into Yusuke, forcing his hood and mask off. A gasp was heard as Yusuke recovered from the blow. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to--You're--You're Urameshi Yusuke!"

"Shit." Yusuke cringed as he felt the Meiou student accusingly point at his back. He tried to replace his hood and find his mask lying somewhere on the floor. 'Damn it,' Urameshi thought when he realized his mask was long gone. 'And I just wanted a little more time with Keiko. Damn Meiou kids.'

"What are we going to do, Yuu-chan?" Keiko whispered fearfully as she helped Yusuke back onto his feet.

"You go find Koenma-senpai and Yukina-senpai and get out of here with them right now," Yusuke ordered quietly to Keiko, already pushing his girlfriend towards the nearest exit. "I'll handle all of these guys."

"But what about Botan-chan and Kuwabara-kun?"

Yusuke pushed Keiko behind him as he faced the nearing Meiou students. "Kuwabara will be here soon; he can smell a fight dealing with me a mile away. I'll go and find Botan after I'm through dealing with this crowd. Don't worry about Botan, Keiko-chan; she can take care of herself well enough on her own. You just better get out here. I'll meet everyone else with Botan and Kuwabara back at Genkai-senpai's."

When Keiko was gone, Yusuke returned his attention to the Meiou students, a devilish smirk across his face. Without his last restraint gone and out of harms way, Urameshi was free to fight as he pleased. "Yeah, you're right. I am Urameshi Yusuke. And who are you, and what's it to you who I am?"

"My name," the teen answered, "is Sashiyaki Yomi. We heard you were going to be at Kitajima-san's party, but we never actually believed you would be stupid enough to come so far into our district." A few Meiou students hanging around Yomi, his gang members, chuckled at Yomi's insult.

"Me? Stupid?" Yusuke laughed out loud and obnoxiously, causing other people to stop their dancing and to stare at the deranged boy. "Heh, I think you got it all wrong, Sashiyaki you said? The question isn't am I stupid enough to come here but why are you Meiou kids, if you're so high and mighty, afraid to come far into our own district? I mean, honestly, coming into the Meiou district is no real challenge. Any Sarayashiki kid could do it."

The crowd in that room shushed and whispered; everyone slowly came to realization the demented-appearing boy was actually the feared Urameshi Yusuke of Sarayashiki High. And as the majority whispered, a loud bragging voice shouted, "You tell them, Urameshi! These load of Meiou kids are all wimps!"

The mass of students divided as they allowed the speaker to reach the other Sarayashiki student. Yusuke smiled at the sight of familiar orange hair. "Heh, Kuwbara! About time you showed up. What took you so long, you idiot? I was going to have all the fun without you."

"Me?" Kuwabara fumed, balling his hands into fists. "Oh, shut up, Urameshi! I was busy!"

"Busy my ass, you dimwit! You're never busy! Besides, how can you be busy at a party?"

"Bite my ass, Urameshi! I was too busy!"

All of the Meiou students within that room stared at the two quarreling Sarayashiki students in utter shock and embarrassment; the two strangers were fighting like elementary school kids. Ayame, watching the childish argument from a safe distance, sighed as she dropped her head into her slender hands. "Oi, Botan-chan, I don't know how in the world you're related to him," she muttered quietly beneath her breath. "It must be your father's side."

"Do you think they're telling the truth, Ayame-senpai?" Touya questioned, not catching a single word Ayame had uttered earlier. "Are they really Urameshi and Kuwabara of Sarayashiki?"

Ayame grinned down at the first-year. "I am more than sure."

"I think I should go find Hiei," Touya remarked as he began to run off. "And then Kuronue and Kurama too. The three of them will want to know Urameshi has finally made his appearance here."

At the mention of Touya's leader, Ayame placed an urgent hand on Touya's shoulder and commented, "I don't think Kurama-san needs to know any of this, Touya-san. At least, he doesn't need to know about Urameshi being here."

"But Ayame-senpai!" Touya exclaimed in surprise. "Out of everyone, Kurama will be the most eager to face Urameshi; after all, he is the best fighter out of everyone in our group!" A sigh reached the younger student's ears as Ayame dismissed him hopelessly. Touya eagerly left Ayame alone, wondering curiously why Ayame had said what she had said.

"At least I don't need a gang to live up to my reputation."

"Hey, they follow me!"

"Which means they must be stupider than you!"

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"Would the two of you shut up!" a Meiou fighter yelled, losing his patience for the Sarayashiki students. "We want a fight here!"

"Yeah, just hurry up and fight us so we can kick your asses!" another added.

"Shut up!" Kazuma and Yusuke snapped back in unison, punching the two students in the gut and knocking them out instantaneously. "We're arguing here!"

After their punches were thrown, Yusuke and Kazuma found themselves being attacked by a swarm of Meiou fighters. They barely had time to react as the Meiou kids piled on top of them, fists and kicks showering down. The bystanders cheered for their fighters, knowing the odds were against the rival school intruders; however, Meiou was sorely disappointed when Yusuke and Kazuma rose unharmed from the mass of fighters.

"Feh, and these guys are supposed to be some of the best Meiou fighters?" Kazuma scoffed, cracking his knuckles and stretching his arms. It had been a good warm-up for the night.

Yusuke shrugged in response. "Who cares right now? Just get out of here, Kuwabara. Keiko-chan, Koenma-senpai, and Yukina-senpai have probably made it out of the district by now. Botan and I will catch with you and the others at Genkai-senpai's place."

"Hey, now what do we have here?"

"Like a bunch of embarrassment, if you ask me. Look at these lads!"

"Sarayashiki work, no doubt. Pretty good, if you ask me."

"Whatever you say, Kuronue."

The name made Yusuke and Kazuma shudder. The two slowly turned around and gaped when they realized whom they were staring at. Their object of surprise gasped in surprise when he looked down upon the two fighters. "Oh, my God," Kazuma rasped. "It's one of them, Urameshi."

Kuronue pointed his finger at Kazuma and Yusuke in childlike surprise. "You're--"

"Kuwabara, get going! I'm going to find Botan!" Yusuke harshly ordered as he pushed Kazuma away. The black-haired delinquent then started his own mad dash. "Get out of here as fast as you can, Kuwabara! NOW!"

"Sorry to cut in, but I need to speak to Kurama."

Botan snapped out of her dreamy daze and stared down into the face of a glaring, red-eyed student. For some odd reason, Botan felt like she had stared into those familiar scarlet eyes before. "Um--Excuse me, but who are you?" Botan wondered curiously.

The new young man utterly ignored her. "Kurama, now!"

"This is Jaganshi Hiei," Kurama introduced politely with an exasperated tone. "Excuse his 'forwardness'; he can be quite impatient at times. He is another one of my classmates, and I assure you, he is more tolerable than Yomi and less frightening."

Using all of her will power, Botan resisted the urge to gasp at the introduction. Jaganshi Hiei was well known and a feared fighter at Sarayashiki High. Him, Minamino Syuuichi, and Shinomori Kuronue were infamously known as the Three; however, Jaganshi's reputation was a slightly more brutal than Minamino (who was the most frightening) and Shinomori's.

"Well, if you haven't noticed by now, there are Sarayashiki students here, Kurama. I've counted four so far, and one of them is Urameshi," Hiei quickly muttered after Kurama, the shorter student not caring for introductions.

Kurama suddenly grinned at Hiei as Botan paled further. The promise the redhead had made to Ayame was long gone; not a single memory of it remained. "Are you sure about this, Hiei? No lie?"

Hiei nodded in affirmation, deciding not to mention anything about the girl Yukina. "I'm sure, Kurama. Kuronue is busy following the other three as we speak. Kuronue, though, heard that Urameshi is searching for one last member of their party, so he's also searching for that last person. Yomi and some of his friends just had a little skirmish with Urameshi, and now I'm having a hard time finding the damn Sarayashiki fighter; he's probably searching for the other member of their party as we speak. We better hurry before he leaves or else we won't get the chance to face him."

"I am so sorry to cut our dance so short," Kurama politely and gracefully bowed, giving Botan's hand a quick kiss and then a peck on her cheek, "but I have some important matters to attend to."

"Where are you going, Kurama?" Botan called out as Kurama was beginning to leave her side.

Freezing in his place, Kurama thought best not to answer the question directly; he did not want his possible blossoming relationship to think he was some wild delinquent. "I need to do something with my friends Hiei and Kuronue. I will not be long. You will wait for me here, won't you?"

'Wait for me and don't disappear.'

"I'll try," Botan replied, trying to keep her nerve; she knew perfectly well where Kurama was going. All she could currently hope for was that her friends and cousin were already out of harms way, and she wished her breaking heart would heal from this departure. "But I can't promise anything. My ride will be here soon."

"Just be sure to be here when I come back, all right? Please, do not leave before I get a chance to say good-bye. I promise to be back soon," Kurama grinned as he walked away with Hiei.

And as Kurama and Hiei disappeared into the partying crowd, Botan whispered quietly to herself, "But you won't be back soon enough, Kurama. Not soon enough. I'm sorry."

Right then, Yusuke spotted Botan alone on the dance floor and quickly rushed towards her. "What are you doing here out in the open, Botan? Were you dancing with someone?"

"No," Botan speedily lied to her cousin. "I was just walking by here. What's going on, Yusuke? You look like you've been running from someone. Did you get into a fight?"

"I've been running away from Shinomori Kuronue, and I still think he's on my tail," Yusuke hastily informed her. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her through the partying crowd, and stepped out of the enormous home. "Come on, Botan. We've been caught, and now we have to get out of here. Kuwabara and Koenma-senpai are with Keiko-chan and Yukina-senpai and are taking them home; so the four of them will be all right. I just hope we'll be lucky enough not to meet any Meiou kids while getting home."

"Good bye, Kurama," Botan muttered sadly as she looked back at the house where she had met her crimson locked thief.

Two days after the party, at around lunchtime at Meiou High School, Hiei exited his math class and sauntered towards a certain tree, rather sure he would encounter at least two of his friends there. And sure enough, the raven-haired boy found Kurama and Kuronue leaning against the tree's base, both with gloomy expressions etched onto their faces; however, Kurama looked the most pathetic. Hiei twitched. "What's wrong with Kurama, Kuronue?" Hiei demanded loudly as he walked to their group's meeting tree. The young Jaganshi had his black uniform jacket slung over his shoulder, his white shirt's sleeves rolled up.

"Could you be a LITTLE more quieter, PLEASE!" Kuronue snapped harshly as he leaned against the tree trunk. "Damn, it's been two damn nights since that damn party, and I still haven't gotten rid of this damn hangover." Unknown to Kuronue and many other partygoers, during some point of the party, someone had heavily spiked the drinks; and Kuronue had been rather thirsty that night after the Sarayashiki chase.

"What's wrong with Kurama?" Hiei repeated, his voice softer than the last time.

Kuronue gave an aggravated sigh as Hiei took a seat beside him. The longhaired boy groaned as he slapped a hand across his forehead in frustration and from the migraine. "Fox boy here is still moping about that strange girl he met and lost at Kitajima's party. The dummy won't get over her. He's beginning to obsess over finding her."

Kurama, ignoring his two best friends' conversation, stared at the sky, its vibrant color a constant reminder of the girl he had lost two nights ago. "Damn it. Where could she possibly be? I have already looked at all of the first year classes here, and I have pretty much checked all of the private schools in this district. And she said she was new here. Ugh, why can I not find her!"

Hiei glared at Kurama in disgust. Even he, Hiei, had pushed aside the night's events; and he had lost his twin sister once more to the world. "Oh, please, Kurama! And just when I thought you were the only person that deserved my respect in this worthless place. You're making me sick with this pining attitude of yours! Get over it: get over her! You have no name to go by or anything else that would be remotely helpful. There are plenty of more fish in the sea. Besides, we have more important things to worry about!"

"Could you two talk more softly!" Kuronue hissed dangerously through his teeth.

"Like what?" Kurama demanded in annoyance from his shorter friend. "Hiei, if it is about Sarayashiki, I do not want anything to do with it. I could care less now that--"Suddenly, a thought dawned upon Kurama. Voices and images began to replay in Kurama's mind as he thought of his dream girl two nights ago. Her initial reaction, her introduction, her uneasy detachment, and her abrupt disappearance: Everything finally made sense to Kurama. The redhead cursed at his stupidity. "Damn it, why did I not think of that before?"