Attention: This chapter contains some cultural and manga references. For those of you unfamiliar with Japanese culture and language and for those that have only seen the anime, I added footnotes at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep saying it? Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine.
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Chapter 3: Conversation
"Is there something outside." The answer itself is not important enough to make it a proper question.
"No…" he replies, still staring out into the night, "…not yet."
Not receiving the confirmation I had hoped for – I should have know it wouldn't be that easy – I use a slow deep breath to help calm my nerves before trying again. "A girl named Yukina called. She said she is ready if you need her."
"He's better now…calmer." The distance in his voice makes it apparent that he is too absorbed in his own thoughts to pay proper attention to what he is saying. "Besides, it's safer for her were she is."
How could this boy possibly be my son's best friend? They are complete opposites. They have nothing in common. Shuichi is sweet and gentle and polite. This boy is aloof, abrasive, and... "What did she mean?"
"Hn." …and his wordless grunt of an answer is, quite frankly, rude. If the two of them are truly such good friends, why didn't he just introduce himself in the first place? What is the reason for carrying around a katana and why doesn't he ever use Shuichi's name? (1)
"May I ask you a question?" Only his eyes turn to regard me and, for a split second, I regret what I am about to do. I only venture on when I am convinced he is not going to voice an objection. "I noticed you never refer to Shuichi by his name. Why is that… Hiei?"
"I do." The disbelief written across my features speaks in place of words. I'm certain he knows what I'm getting at but even still, entire minutes pass by before he decides to elaborate. "You and I don't know him by the same name."
"Oh." I had no idea. "I didn't know Shuichi had a nickname. What is it?" The only sound in the room is Shuichi's quiet breathing as Hiei returns to gazing out the window, seemingly in contemplation. Why would he hesitate? "It's not something offensive, is it?"
He swings his head back to give a curt, "no," but after the swift reply, he pauses, mulling over his explanation. "We call him Kurama."
Kurama? Like the mountain? (2) "But that's not really much of a nickname…more like a pseudonym. Why Kurama?"
A heavy sigh from Hiei lets me know that all these questions are wearing on his patience. "That was the name he gave when we first met. If you want the full story, you'll have to ask Kurama himself…I don't suggest it."
If Shuichi had the same reaction to meeting Hiei as I did, it's no wonder he gave a false name. He probably used the first one that came to mind, and if Hiei offered his name first, Shuichi, with his sense of humor, might have even picked Kurama as something of a joke. A thing like that is hard to take back. It makes sense that Hiei doesn't know the whole story.
To go from such distrust to genuine friendship, Hiei must be far more complex than his cold stares and harsh words make him appear. It seems the perfect reflection of the current situation. Something is going on here that cannot be directly observed. Why is Hiei even here? What was the girl on the phone talking about? Where was Shuichi tonight? Was he injured? How? I need to know.
"Hiei, what happened to my son tonight, where has he been? This isn't the first time something like this has happened." Openly admitting that I have known about the situation and done nothing for so long feels like proclaiming my failure as a mother. I look him straight in the eyes and wait for the answers.
For the first time all night, Hiei looks me square in the eyes, not with intimidation or annoyance but with a firm resolution. "Betrayal is the worst action anyone can take."
"I understand you don't want to get him into trouble, but this is important!" My frustration is beginning to be unleashed as the panic of the night finally ebbs away. "I need a straight answer."
"He should wake up soon; I think the medicine is wearing off."
"What medicine? Stop ignoring my questions!" My voice shakes as tears begin to roll down my cheeks.
"Kurama told me how you received the scars on your arms. (3) Would you have acted so selflessly had you known the consequence?" The change in topic catches me off guard and the tears cease to fall. What does this have to do with anything?
"Of course, that is what mothers do." The boy's face goes blank and I am once more struck by how mature his eyes appear…as though their owner has lived far longer than the body reflects and has been somehow saddened by all they have witnessed. He is trying to tell me something important with those eyes, but how can he expect anyone to decipher his meaning? I hear the slow, controlled exhale of his breath. Why would my reply be upsetting? "I don't see what you are getting at." A new, almost...serene, expression crosses his face and he looks down at Shuichi again…or maybe through him? It's hard to say.
His soft words are rich with a logic I don't understand. "Sometimes, regardless of how you feel, it is best to keep it inside – to remain silent, for their sake."
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(1) For those who don't know much about Japanese grammar: When you address someone else in Japanese, you rarely used the word "you" and there are no gender specific pronouns (he/she). There are several words that mean "you" but each form carries a different connotation ranging from intimate to derogatory. So instead, you use the person's actual name plus the appropriate honorific (or lack of honorific if that is appropriate given your relationship). What this all means is that in Japanese, even more so than English, it would be a) difficult to completely avoid using someone's name and b) if you somehow manage it, it's pretty much guaranteed to come off as being incredibly rude.
(2) I'm not sure how widely known this is so I thought I would add it. Both "Kurama" and "Hiei" are the names of mountains in Japan.
(3) Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this only happens in the manga. When Kurama was still a little boy, he was trying to get something for a school project off a high shelf in the kitchen. He used a stool but still wasn't quite tall enough. He loses his balance and sends several plates crashing down to the floor with him. Shiori swings into action but ends up getting her hands and arms sliced up by the broken shards of plateware in the process.
Author's Note: Only one chapter left to go and it should be out within a week!