Summary: When Hanako is grudgingly sent to live with her cousin Kaito the last thing she expected was to fall in love with her cousin's academic rival and hated classmate. Enter Kurama – also known as Shuichi Minamino by his classmates – who (by the pleas of his mother) is now forced to partake in "life's springtime" while still secretly balancing his Spirit World activities. Kaito on the other hand is just trying to get through high school, finish his manuscript and hopefully survive the year living with his cousin.
Exactly how do their stories intersect? What family secrets is Hanako going to uncover? Why does a simple human intrigue the once great and powerful Yoko Kurama so much? And why does Kaito always get sucked into his cousins awful, unplanned and unthought out plans?
Pairings: KuramaXOC, YusukeXKeiko, KuwabaraXYukina
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho
Chapter 1
Call me Hanako
"Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." – Moby Dick
Hanako
My cousin is a nerd.
Probably the biggest one that I've ever come across with in my life. Granted I've only been alive for very long but finding a bigger nerd than Kaito is much too difficult of a task. That doesn't mean that I don't love him though. He was a great partner to have during family trivia and is the owner of the best collect of books and video games. He may have a penchant for rambling on about obscure topics and maybe he was a bit of a wimp when it came to horror movies, but family is family.
He is my cousin after all and the only positive part about getting shipped off to Japan to live with my Aunt and Uncle. Don't get me wrong. I love my extended family. I used to look forward to spending long summers with them in Mushiyori City. My aunt would take my shopping downtown, my uncle would take Kaito and me to movies almost every weekend and Kaito and I had daringly long and heated Scrabble battles as children.
It was fun. A lot of fun.
But I don't think Japan could ever truly feel like home for me. I may be Japanese born, I may speak Japanese, but Japan hasn't been home for me in a very long time. The last time I ever truly lived in Japan – outside from summer trips to visit extended family – was when I was five years old before my father was offered a position as a scientific researcher in Connecticut. But ever since the new school reforms, increasing costs of living and my mother's insistence on "reconnecting with your culture" my parents decided it'd be best to have me live with my father's side of the family in Mushiyori. Needless to say, I was strongly against it.
"Well, well, if it isn't the gaijin." Kaito smirked as he greeted me. He was now a full head taller than me and had a stockier built than I expected – mother says it's because he had a more nutritious diet growing up, but I think it was just lucky genetics on his part. Aside from our freckles we didn't look that similar to each other, his hair was still darker and curlier compared to my long straight, dark brown hair. "According to Auntie my main task this year is to remove you of your Americanisms, dear cousin."
"Yes, yes. I'm a bad seed shipped off to Japan in order to give myself a proper life," I handed my blue duffle bag over to Kaito. "Carry this for me, will you? It's heavy."
"First rule of Japan – we're polite here, Hanako. We say please," Kaito tutted.
"Considering that those are the lasted and greatest American novels you requested, I think you can carry them. Mother kept saying they were too heavy for my check in luggage, so the only choice was to lug them halfway across the world."
"You really are my favorite cousin," he smiled as he started rifling through the bag.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm your only cousin, Kaito."
"My statement is still correct!" he argued as he led the way out of the airport and towards the train stations.
Kaito made sure to note every possible bit of information about the area. The stops I needed to remember, notable areas that might interest me and other important areas. His usual rambling drew me into a slight lull, but he was right about one thing. The area was huge. Mushiyori City and Sarayashiki City were located just outside of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. The last time I had been here was two summers ago and everything was already looking more and more developed compared to before.
"Hanako!" Kaito waved his hands in front of my face.
"Sorry, Kaito. What were you saying?"
He sighed. "I was just saying that I know this isn't what you wanted. As great of a cousin as I am, I know you weren't happy to leave America and have to start living with us, but I assure you Japan has a lot to offer.
"I'm surprised to hear you say that. Aren't you the one who cried for two weeks straight because he couldn't come with us to America? You kept saying 'Hanako doesn't deserve it! She can't even pronounce 'squirrel' correctly!' didn't you?"
"To be fair, you also couldn't pronounce 'penguin' or 'onomatopoeia'," Kaito countered.
"Kaito. I was five."
"My point is that I'm sure you'll grow to appreciate your chance to live here again. You didn't originally want to move to American when you were five, but you grew to love it. You might grow to like it here too," Kaito spoke uncharacteristically. He wasn't known for his pep talks or words of wisdom unless it was words spoken by other great novelists, but it was sweet that he was doing his best here, with me. "Besides, mother and father are very excited to have you here."
"Oh no – don't tell me…"
"Affirmative. Family game night."
"Well, if Scrabble is on the table then you are going down, cousin."
I was wrong.
My nine years in America failed me and Kaito won.
And that wouldn't be the only thing Kaito was right about. Japan did have a lot to offer me in the next year, I just didn't know it yet at the time.
Note: Thank you for reading my first story! Or at least my first fanfic that I'm posting up. I hope you'll enjoy the journey that I'm planning for Hanako and Kurama to go on. I've always been interested in Kaito as a character so I'm excited to explore his family a lot more through Hanako. Also just as an fyi this story will be told in alternating first person POVs between Hanako, Kurama and Kaito so if that's something you don't like then fair warning.
