2

Kuwabara wandered across the soaked grass of Kasane High's front lawn, seeming no more aware than a person who was blind and deaf. His eyes were aimed at the ground as he walked, but they were not really seeing anything. The slump of his shoulders and the way he dragged his feet were clear indications of how he was feeling.

"Oh, right," Yukina said quickly, nodding at the shorter boy and flashing a sweet smile. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced you sooner. Hiei, this is Kuwabara Kazuma. Kazuma, this is my older brother, Jaganshi Hiei."

Kuwabara stared at Yukina's brother for several moments. The shrimp had managed to beat Sarayashiki with virtually no assistance from his Kasane teammates. What was Kuwabara supposed to say to him?

Hiei did not seem to have any problems with self-confidence. He folded his arms over his chest arrogantly and dipped his head so that he was glaring up at Kuwabara through his fringe. Everything from his eyes to his posture conveyed bellicosity.

"You're a player for Sarayashiki High," Hiei stated in a flat voice. "Guess your school will let anyone play if they can keep from tripping over their own feet. Wonder why they let you on the team, then?"

Kuwabara flinched at the comment. He had fallen on the wet grass during the first half of the game, but had been allowed to continue playing since he had not been injured. Hiei's reference was entirely unfair, since almost every other player on the field had slipped at least once, but Kuwabara could not really counter the low blow with Yukina watching. He swallowed his pride and barely managed to turn his cringe into a smile.

"Sarayashiki is a small school. I guess I was the only chance they had of meeting the player quota," Kuwabara said in the most comical tone he could manage. Yukina giggled at the joke, and Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"Huh. That's probably it," Hiei said, his tone disdainful. He snapped his eyes to the side, looking at his sister without turning his head. "Yukina, we should probably leave now. He was supposed to pick us up at five thirty, but my guess is that he is going to show up early."

"All right," Yukina said happily, seemingly unaware of how rude her brother had just been. Kuwabara guessed that the girl had become accustomed to Hiei's blatant aggression as an everyday occurrence. Yukina turned and offered a smile to Kuwabara. "It was nice talking to you, Kazuma. I hope we see each other again sometime."

"Kazuma!"

Kuwabara glanced up at the sound of his own name, blinking several times to get his eyes back into focus. He glanced around, glimpsing the person who had been calling him. She was at the top of the stairs that led down to the parking area.

The girl was wearing a solid black blouse with the uppermost buttons left undone, and her dark green skirt fell halfway down her thighs, showing off the curves of her legs. She had pulled her honey-colored hair into a loose ponytail that hung over one of her shoulders, secured with a green scrunchie that matched her skirt, and she was jangling her keys in one hand, her face the very image of irritation.

"Five twenty. You said you would be ready to leave at five twenty," Kuwabara Shizuru told him. "You know what time it is now? I have a date with Sakyo in twenty minutes, and you know he doesn't like waiting."

"Sorry, Shizuru," Kuwabara mumbled, glancing down the stairs so that he wouldn't have to meet his sister's eyes. "I got distracted."

Shizuru sighed in annoyance and opened her mouth to say something, but her words fell on deaf ears. Kuwabara's eyes had locked on the parking lot, and nothing else seemed to be registering.

"I just don't think you should be picking fights, Hiei. You might get suspended from school again."

"Oh, shut up Kurama. I can do whatever I want."

"Do you want to walk home, then?"

Yukina was seated in the back of a cherry-red convertible that managed to gleam even in the weak sunshine. Hiei stood outside of the car, glaring sulkily up at the person he was talking to.

The taller boy had a handsome face and a lean, graceful physique that most teenage girls would drool over. A flawless mane of hair tumbled all the way down his back, the color reminding Kuwabara of the tropical punch served in Sarayashiki High's cafeteria, and his eyes were a clear green. He was wearing some faded blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved shirt underneath a dark blue one with short sleeves.

"Fine, I won't get into anymore fights," Hiei conceded with a sigh. The taller boy smiled, satisfied by this response, and pressed a quick kiss against Hiei's mouth before opening the passenger door. Hiei smirked as he sat down in the car, allowing the taller boy to close the door for him. Moments later, the redhead had gotten into the driver's seat, and the red convertible was pulling out of the parking area.

Kuwabara's mouth was hanging agape. It was an understandable reaction, considering how many good reasons he had to be shocked. One, the redheaded boy he had seen was Minamino Kurama, the president of Sarayashiki High's senior class. Two, he had just watched as Kurama drove away with a short, bad-tempered soccer player from Kasane. Three...

"Are you even listening to me?" Shizuru asked sharply.

"Yeah, sure," Kuwabara mumbled distractedly. But his thoughts were focused elsewhere.

A/N: Introduced Kurama...kind of. If I get this right, Kuwabara actually gets around to talking to him next chapter.