"If you want my future, forget my past,
if you wanna get with me, better make it fast…
Now don't go wasting my precious time,
get your act together we could be just fine…"
-The Spice Girls
With Kazuma taking the lead, they quickly located which of the occupied booths held their companions, and upon entering, Davina was nearly blown away by just how intricate the karaoke rooms were designed—it looked deceptively like a private nightclub, complete with a small stage, brightly colored leather seating, mirrored walls, and spotlights, coupled with huge speakers and a massive monitor on the far wall to display the lyrics for the performer. As they made their way inside, Botan was at the mic, singing along to a Japanese pop song that Davina didn't recognize. Keiko and Yukina were perched on the couch that sat just before the stage, cheering on their friend with vigor. Davina and the boys lingered by the exit, waiting for Botan to complete her song before they made their presence known.
"Hi Yukina!" Kazuma belted out before Botan could even return the microphone to its stand, swiftly catching the attention of the room's other patrons. A small smile perched on Yukina's face as she waved them over in invitation, and together, they approached the seating area. Without hesitation, Kazuma handed over the plush to Yukina with a huge grin of satisfaction.
"Surprise!" he exclaimed, causing her dark eyes to widen considerably at the gift.
"Kazuma, that's so sweet!" she offered, accepting the stuffed animal with a warm smile before rising to her feet to bestow a chaste kiss of appreciation upon his cheek.
"Aww, Kuwabara, how cute!" Botan interjected with a soft chuckle as she stepped down off the stage and over to where they stood. Keiko nodded her head in agreement, but kept silent, keeping her gaze purposely away from her significant other. Yusuke also kept to himself, moving only to stuff his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The amount of effort the pair was putting into actively avoiding one another was impressive, to say the least. Given the excerpt of the fight between the two that she had witnessed during her duration within the noodle shop that lone evening several weeks prior, Davina privately assumed that another disagreement had occurred, and they were still sore at each another. Judging by the little she knew of them, it seemed a fairly common occurrence, which didn't bode well for their relationship. But it was none of her business, and she had no interest in making further assumptions on matters than did not concern her or warrant her opinion.
"Are you having fun, my love?" Kazuma asked, his full attention on his girlfriend. Davina had to admit, the way Kazuma looked at Yukina, as if no one else existed, was quite a thing to witness. It was obvious that he was head over heels for her. And even with her fairly reserved visage, the adoration in her gaze when she looked upon him was undeniable. Davina felt herself smile at the heartwarming sight, content to see their happiness in full bloom. It was refreshing to see in comparison.
"Yes, very much!" Yukina responded with enthusiasm. "I've never sang karaoke before. Botan says that it's a good time, so I'm excited to try it for myself."
"I'll sing with you, my sweet!" Kazuma immediately announced, but Botan was quick to shush him.
"I've got a better idea," she interjected quickly, stepping alongside Yukina and resting a hand on her arm. "Why don't you guys go find Shizuru and send her up here? We can have a little girl time and meet up in a bit. You don't want to make Yukina nervous for her first time singing!"
"Aww, but…"
"Sounds like a good idea," Yusuke said quickly, cutting off his friend before he could make his case. He appeared rather eager to make his escape, and was quick to head back towards the exit. "C'mon, Kuwabara. Let's go find the others—we'll tell Shizuru to head over."
"But I…" Kazuma sputtered, looking somewhat crestfallen at this denial of participation.
"Let them have some girl time," Yusuke retorted firmly, leaving no room for protest. "We can hang with Shuichi for a bit and catch up while they do their thing and go from there."
"Sounds like a good idea," Keiko suddenly perked up, echoing her fiancée's suggestion. A tense silence followed, but lasted only for a brief interlude before Kazuma sighed in defeat and nodded his head. He and Yusuke took their leave of the karaoke booth, leaving Davina in the company of the remaining females.
"I'm glad you could join us, Davina," Botan offered happily, now standing just alongside her.
"O-oh?' Davina replied, now once again officially out of her comfort zone and left to her own devices due to the absence of the parties she was more familiar with.
"Yes, silly. This will give us a chance to get to know each other better! Come, sit with us," Botan continued, lowering herself onto the couch beside Yukina and patting the vacant spot alongside her.
Although uneasy, Davina took the invitation and sat, smiling mildly as she tried to swallow back her sudden discomfort.
"So, do you sing?" Botan continued the conversation, quirking a curious brow in her direction.
"Err…somewhat," Davina replied quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "Mostly in the shower, to be honest. I've done karaoke a few times before, but it's been a while."
"That's fine! Yukina, any ideas on what you'd like to sing? We can sing something together, if you want," the blue haired girl offered, turning her attention to the other party.
"Well, I did recently find a band I've taking a liking to," the green haired female replied thoughtfully. "Genkai was kind enough to let me look through her CD collection, and to be honest, I've been listening to them nonstop for the past few weeks."
"What band is it?" Keiko chimed in, sounding curious.
"They're called the Spice Girl—no, that's not right. The Spice Girls," she said, quickly correcting herself.
"Oh, that's wonderful! I love the Spice Girls!" Botan responded enthusiastically. "What do you guys think?"
Davina couldn't suppress her smile at Yukina's statement, feeling yet another tingle of deeply seated nostalgia.
"I grew up listening to them," she admitted with a small smile. It was a wonder in itself that Yukina had only just discovered them, given that they were almost obnoxiously popular in multiple countries for an impressive number of years, but it wasn't her place to pass judgment.
"Perfect! So, since they're a group, we can all do a song together!" Botan said cheerfully, her pink eyes aglow with excitement. While not keen on singing, Davina was hesitant to protest, not wanting to disappoint her new companions by refusing to participate. Instead, she nodded her agreement, comforted by the fact that booth was a fairly private space and that she was extremely familiar with the material selected. That, and with the absence of the boys, namely Shuichi, she had little to worry about in terms of embarrassing herself too much, which was a relief in its own right.
"Let's pick out a song and cue it up so when Shizuru gets here, we can jump right in," Botan suggested, rising to her feet. The rest of them followed suit, heading over to the song panel to see what songs were available. It didn't take long for Yukina to point out her current favorite, which luckily, happened to also be one of Davina's. Cue another internal sigh of relief—perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as she had first anticipated.
"So, since they all sing different parts, let's chose who sings what to keep things simple," Botan said as she clicked to add Yukina's selection to the song queue. "I'll do Sporty—Yukina, you be Baby. Davina, does Ginger work for you?"
"She was always my go to," Davina replied with a small chuckle. It was the truth—Ginger Spice was undoubtedly her favorite, especially being a redhead. That and Selina was absolutely obsessed with Sporty and could hit all of the high notes she couldn't even hope to touch.
"Awesome! Keiko, will do you Posh?"
"Works for me."
Before Botan could respond, Shizuru slipped into the booth. Her arrival caused Botan to nearly squeal with excitement, which caused the elder Kuwabara to raise a questioning eyebrow.
"There's our Scary!" Botan exclaimed, gesturing for her to join them with an enthusiastic wave.
"Scary what?" Shizuru asked, looking mildly miffed at such a bizarre greeting.
"Scary Spice," Keiko explained, her tone almost sheepish. Shizuru appeared confused for a brief moment, but then realized dawned on her.
"Are you guys seriously about to sing something from the Spice Girls?" she asked dryly, mild amusement forming across her fairly stoic features.
"It's Yukina's first time at karaoke," Botan explained quickly, smiling wide in a manner reminiscent of a Cheshire Cat. "That's what she picked for us to sing."
"Us?" Shizuru's tone was suddenly less amused.
"Yes, us. There's five of them, and five of us, so…"
"You will sing with us, won't you Shizuru?" Yukina asked, sounding hopeful.
"Yeah, Shizuru. It wouldn't be the same without you…" Botan interjected, standing alongside Yukina and making what could only be described as big, pathetic puppy dog eyes at her to break her resolve.
The elder Kuwabara sighed heavily in defeat, knowing that she couldn't refuse the request with a clear conscience.
"Scary Spice it is," she replied quietly, shaking her head. "You guys know I don't sing, right?"
"I don't really either," Davina interjected, feeling Shizuru's pain, but submitting to task at hand all the same. "But let's make the best of it."
"That's the spirit!" Botan chimed in happily, heading over to the cabinet to withdraw four more microphones and turning them on before passing them over to the others. Together, they all headed up to the stage, lining up in preparation to sing. Botan pressed the start button before racing up to claim her position, and following a few second delay, the music began to play.
Seeing the first verse belonged to Ginger Spice, Davina was the first person to sing. She was all nerves as she waited for the words to flash across the screen, swallowing hard.
"You just walk in, I make you smile. It's cool, but you don't even know me."
Despite her nervousness, Davina thought she did fairly well, albeit her singing was soft and lacked confidence.
"You take an inch, I run a mile, can't win, you're always right behind me," Botan chimed in right on par, followed by Yukina's verse.
"And we know that you could go and find some other, take or leave it, or just don't even bother."
For her very first time, Yukina did great. She was smiling widely as Keiko's turn came to focus, looking happy at her success.
"Caught in a craze, it's just a phase, or will this be around forever."
The chorus came to play, and much to Davina's surprise, everyone sounded pretty damn good together. Even Shizuru played her part well, despite her previous protest and sounding somewhat off key.
"Don't you know it's going too fast,
Racing so hard you know it won't last…"
"Don't you know, why can't you see…"
"Slow it down, read the sign, so you know just where you're going!"
"Stop right now, thank you very much,
I need somebody with a human touch,
Hey you, always on the run,
Gotta slow it down, baby, gotta have some fun…"
By the song's conclusion, everyone had hit their stride, and when the music stopped, they were all smiling, fixing each other with victorious high fives and laughing out loud at their efforts. Relief washed over Davina, feeling as if she had conquered something big. It was silly, but she didn't question it.
"Great job, everyone!" Botan cheered, reaching over to pat Yukina on the back. "That was great, Yukina! Did you enjoy it?"
"Very much!" Yukina replied, her happy smile endearing to see. "Do you think we could do one more?"
"I don't see why not," Shizuru interjected, smirking. "If we're being this ridiculous, we might as well go for round two."
Yukina looked quizzical at this statement. "Ridiculous?"
"She's just joking around," Keiko said quickly, fixing Shizuru with a stern look. Shizuru sighed and shook her head.
"Yeah, just kidding around, Yukina," she replied dejectedly. "Go pick another one—and keep this between us, will ya? If Kazuma finds out, he'll never let me live it down."
Yukina nodded firmly, and then made her way over to the panel with Botan in tow to select another song. Davina migrated closer to where Shizuru stood, fixing her with a friendly smile.
"You know, for someone who doesn't sing, you did good," she offered conversationally, which earned a sardonic chuckle from her companion.
"I know you are just being nice, Davi, but hey, if it makes Yukina happy, it's worth it—she doesn't get out much, so this visit is kind of a big deal for her."
This statement was a curious one, and while Davina didn't want to risk over stepping her bounds, she felt compelled to ask for further information, if only to get to know more about her new associates.
"So where exactly does she live?"
"Well, she's originally from a rural village up north, but she is currently staying at Yusuke's mentor's place up in the mountains. The town is called Shuzenji—nice place, but a bit of a bear to get to."
More questions surfaced, but Davina thought it best to tread carefully, not wanting to come across as nosy.
"I've heard of it—never been up that way, but I'll bet it's beautiful. So, Yusuke's mentor? I take it that's Genkai? Yukina mentioned that name earlier."
"Yeah, that's her. She's up there in years, so Yukina is her caretaker, in a way."
"Ah. What did she mentor Yusuke in?" The inquiry slipped out of her mouth before she considered that it could be an invasion question.
"Well, Yusuke and Kazuma both were troublemakers growing up—they both loved to fight. Hell, they still do. That's actually how they became friends," Shizuru explained, smiling slightly. "Genkai is a retired martial artist—back in her glory days, she was one of the best in the world. She took them both under her wing and trained them—she kicked their asses good, and helped set them straight. Gave them something positive to focus on."
"I never would have guessed they were fighters," Davina replied, feeling somewhat in awe of what she had just learned, especially concerning Kazuma. He seemed so gentle, so unassuming. As for Yusuke, it didn't come as too much of a surprise, given the constant chip off his shoulder and his gruff attitude.
"Yup. They actually just competed not too long ago—made it to the finals and everything."
Davina chuckled at the thought.
"Well, remind me not to piss anyone off—wouldn't want to risk getting my butt kicked," she joked playfully.
"You've got nothing to worry about, kid. Trust me, you'd know if you did. This group isn't really the sugar coating type—we keep it real and don't take any crap."
"You guys ready to sing?" Botan's voice suddenly called out, catching their attention. Collectively, they nodded in agreement, and recalled their previous positions as the others rejoined them on the stage. A new song drifted in over the speakers, and Davina smiled as she recognized the slow melody of Too Much almost immediately.
'Here we go again…'
. . .
Once clear of the karaoke booth, Yusuke remained at the lead, with Kuwabara following in tandem down the stairs. Together, they made their way back onto the first floor of the arcade, heading directly for the pool tables. They quickly spotted the table occupied by Shizuru and Shuichi and quickly made their way over.
"Hey Sis, the girls are upstairs singing karaoke, and they want you up there," Kazuma announced, just as Shizuru sank the eight ball into the middle pocket with ease, concluding the current game.
"Well, good timing as always, little Bro," she retorted, taking a step back from the table.
"Shall we all head that way?" Shuichi questioned—Davina had been absent for well over an hour, and it was safe to say he was eager to lay eyes on her once more.
"Nah, Botan wants them to have a little girl time," Kazuma explained, not trying to keep the disappointment from his tone. Shizuru sighed loudly as she returned her pool cue to its home in the rack.
"Well, you heard the man—guess I better get my butt up there," she said, sounding less than eager.
"Well, whatever you do, try not to sing too loud, Sis—you'll clear this place out if you do."
"Gee, thanks—coming from the one who sounds like a screeching cat when he singing pop songs in the shower."
"Hey, I'm not that—"
"We'll head up there soon, so we can figure out something to do after this," Yusuke interjected, quickly silencing his friend's loud complaint.
"Works for me," Shizuru replied, sounded relieved at the implied rescue plan. "I'll see you guys in a bit." She took her leave of the boys then, heading for the back of the building at a leisurely pace.
"Wanna grab a soda?" Yusuke asked, pointing to the dining area. His question earned simultaneous nods from his companions, so together, they headed for the counter. Once they had their beverages, they located a vacant table and settled in.
Shuichi took the opportunity to inquire about Davina, concerned with how she was faring in light of their current arrangement.
"She's doing just fine—seems to be getting along with everyone pretty good," Kazuma offered with a shrug. His replied was vague, but still brought some semblance of assurance.
"I like her," Yusuke announced decidedly, his positive affirmation coming as a mild surprise for both of his friends. "She kept up with me in Mortal Kombat—hell, she even managed to kick my ass a few times." He fixed Shuichi's arm with a friendly slap and chuckled lightly. "Think you picked a winner this time around, buddy."
Shuichi smiled at his friend's somewhat backhanded compliment, but remained silent. His previous girlfriend hadn't exactly meshed well with his group, and because of that, she was never really keen on hanging out in their company. It pleased him to have his friend's approval, but truth be told, he was hoping time would pass on quickly so he could have the pleasure of Davina's presence once more.
"Told ya Davi was cool," Kazuma interjected with a smug grin. "So, are you gonna ask her out anytime soon?"
"It's best not to rush into things, don't you think?" Shuichi responded bluntly, opting to keep his intentions to himself rather than gossip. "We should focus our attention on figuring out what to do next."
"There's an autumn festival happening over in Hoshi Square," Kazuma suggested quickly. "Food, games, music, that sort of thing. Could be fun."
"I think that's a fine idea," Shuichi replied, glancing over at Yusuke for confirmation. Their friend simply shrugged his shoulders, obviously disinterested in the idea, but agreeable nonetheless. In the midst of their conversation, Yusuke's phone had gone off and had easily consumed the bulk of his attention as he corresponded via text. Shuichi initially assumed that it was Keiko he was conversing with, but given the bemused smirk that had since formed on his lips during the length of his phone activity, Shuichi found himself second guessing that idea.
"Did you ever get the chance to ask Hiei about joining us?" Kazuma asked curiously, reclaiming Shuichi's consideration. "I know Yukina would love to see him." His tone was somewhat envious, as if Yukina desiring to see their companion struck an ill chord. Of course, Kuwabara was still unaware of the truth regarding their relationship, so his discontentment was understandable. Seeing that Hiei and Kazuma were actively at odds with another one, it didn't come as a surprise.
"Unfortunately, no. I haven't had the opportunity to make the trip to see him—how long will Yukina be staying in town?"
"She's gonna be here for the next two weeks—I don't think he'll bother, but at least if he's invited, Shrimpy can't get pissy over it."
Shuichi nodded his head. "I will make time to make the journey and send the message along sometime this week."
"That's assuming he hasn't heard about it already and is hiding in the shadows somewhere," Yusuke chimed in dryly.
"That is something he would do," Kuwabara said with a sardonic chuckle.
"Given his current responsibilities, I doubt that," Shuichi retorted sternly. "He has a lot to contend with."
"What's got you all smiley?" Kazuma asked suddenly, his attention drawn to Yusuke abruptly, who was once again buried in his phone.
"It's called none ya," came the harsh retort. "As in, none of ya business." Obviously agitated, Yusuke rapidly rose to his feet, gulping down the last of his drink and crushing the empty cup in his hand.
"I'm gonna head out," he grumbled, making no effort to conceal his annoyance. "I'll catch you guys at the square. Later." With a half assed wave, he left their ranks and headed back towards the front. Once he was clear of the area, Kazuma let out a heavy sigh.
"I dunno what his problem is," he grumbled, frowning deeply.
"I would assume that he and Keiko had another fight," Shuichi stated, his gaze following their friend from afar as the distance amassed between them.
"Wouldn't doubt it—they've been avoiding each other all day. And I snuck a peek at his screen—whoever that was he's been texting isn't saved in his phone, and the few messages I saw were more than friendly, if you catch my drift."
"It's not our business, Kazuma," Shuichi reminded him gently, although this information didn't necessarily come as a shock. "And it's most certainly not our place to get involved with Yusuke's personal affairs, even if they are inappropriate."
"I get that, but man! Cheating is the scummiest thing you can do, and for him to even think about doing that to Keiko…if that's what he's doing, I'm going to mop the floor with him!" Kuwabara growled, his big hands clenching into tight fights. His anger was palpable, and Shuichi couldn't blame him for being angry at the situation.
"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Shuichi counseled led with an authoritative tone. "You can't just throw out accusations without hard evidence, or make assumptions." He paused to take a long sip of his drink, and then sighed quietly. "We'll revisit this at a later time—for now, we should rejoin up with the girls and head over to the square. We don't want to risk upsetting anyone and making a scene, yes?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," his friend replied sullenly, seeming to deflate in his seat as the sudden influx of rage faded from his person. A brief but tense silence followed, but after a minute or so, they left the dining area and headed for the second level, walking in a terse silence.
Shuichi was relieved when they finally reached their destination, knowing that once Kazuma saw Yukina, it would provide the distraction he needed not to focus on the shortcomings of their friend.
The 'ON AIR' light was illuminated in bright yellow, signaling that the booth the girls were currently occupying was still in use. They lingered in the corridor until the light went dark, announcing the completion of their song. Kazuma pulled open the door and they slipped inside, entering just as the group within was taking their leave of the stage.
Almost as if by instinct, Shuichi's gaze reached for Davina's and their eyes locked almost immediately. A wide smile broke out across her lips, and her eyes seemed to light up at the sight of him there. All of the concern he had been silently harboring for her well being in the presence of unfamiliar people fled quickly then, assured by her happy reaction. They met near the couches, the smile clinging firmly to her face.
"Hey Shuichi," she offered, the sound of his name spoken in the sweet warmth of her voice causing his ears to tingle pleasantly.
. . .
Author's Note: I'll have to ask your forgiveness for the campiness of this chapter, but I was having one hell of a time figuring out a band to use. My best friend jokingly suggested the Spice Girls, and it just stuck. Thank you to those who left more reviews, you guys are wonderful. The next two chapters are complete, just need a final edit, so there is more incoming soon. As always, I appreciate all of you lovely readers, hope everyone is doing well out there. Take care!