Chapter 4
Rain & Crow Feathers
It had been a week since the soup incident at Hizuru's house.
A WEEK! Just when was this guy going to contact her?
Though she wasn't freaking out. No, she wasn't one to lose her temper so easily...
...Okay she was absolutely murderous. And her attitude was also affecting her curse. The more negative her energy became, the more of an effect the curse would have on her.
"Hey guys! I got new shoes, what do you think~?"
As Hizuru walked by the chatty group of girls, she scoffed while looking down at the new shoes.
"I wouldn't wear those in a million years." She said, and just kept walking on. They were rather tasteless, just sayin'.
"Do you think she likes me?"
"I dunno man, she's kind of –"
"Who, her? She's way out of your league." Hizuru said, while passing by two guys.
"Hizuru! Why are you always so mean?"
"Another good question is why you're always so nosy." She said to someone who had finally approached her about her attitude.
And just as she was about to comment to a few people in a very rude way, once again, she instantly turned her head and slammed it into the nearest wall.
"...Hey uhh, Mimori... are you... okay?"
"Ow ow oww..." She muttered, pulling back a little to rub the red spot on her forehead. She merely glanced at the two people behind her and frowned. "I'm – I'm fine. Go away."
"Well, are you... sure? You've been acting, um..." One of the girls started.
"Like a bitch." The other added in, in a tone that was irritated and quite different from her friend's.
The first girl shot the second a look. "Mieko!"
"It's alright." Hizuru turned around, her hair falling in front of her face as she made to walk away from them. "Call me what you like."
And then she hurried down the hallway, getting out of their sight as quickly as she could.
Once on the roof, for that was the place she always fled to, she let out several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She walked forward, all the way to the edge, and leaned over the railing, where she began to cry silently. She allowed the droplets to wet her face, slowly leaving behind tiny trails down her cheeks. A slight wind fluttered by her as her only companion.
She thought she could count on the stupid tengu. She had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. But now she felt that, after a whole seven days had gone by with no sign of him or word from him, he was just cruel enough to give her false hope, to string her along for no good reason.
She was too foolish and desperate.
Hizuru didn't necessarily want any outside help, she'd much rather do everything herself. But it wasn't a matter of what she wanted. If she could lift the curse on her own she would have by now, but it was impossible for her to do it on her own. She was only human. She didn't have the power to lift the curse. Or at least, she didn't think she did.
This damned curse was slowly reducing her to nothing, and she could do nothing about it. She was starting to wonder if life would ever get much better than this, or if it was all just downhill even further from here.
"I..." She lowered her head, allowing her curtain of hair to conceal her face. "...hate this." She spat bitterly, clenching the railing with all her might.
Thunder clouds gathered overhead, sullying the once blue sky and turning it to a dark grey, perfectly matching her mood.
-X-
Kurama sat in his desk, smiling at the cluster of girls crowding around him. He smirked proudly, fully content as all they did was compliment him on his music and gush over his good looks.
"Your last concert was amazing! Did you see me in the crowd? I was in the front row!"
"Hey so was I! Did you see me, Kurama?"
"I always notice my fans." He replied earnestly, flashing them a bright smile.
"Kyaaa!"
"Kurama, all of your concerts are more than amazing! Your voice really speaks to me!"
"Thank you." He winked at the group, and they trembled underneath his gaze. "I always do my best," To emphasize his point with that dramatic flair of his, he placed his hand over the space of his heart. "to sing from the heart."
A few of them sighed and fainted while others had hearts in their eyes.
"By the way Kurama, you look so good today!"
"Yeah like totally amazing!"
"Sooo handsome~!" They all chorused, causing him to lean back in his seat and flip his hair, before running a hand through the silky locks.
"Just today?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"Of course not just today!"
"Don't get the wrong idea!"
"You look good every day, Kurama!"
"There's never a time where your features haven't left me breathless!"
"Yeah or me!"
"You take our breath away, Kurama~!"
The bell ran a few moments later, and all the girls made room for him and parted like the red sea when he stood up from his desk and began walking to the exit. The girls began chattering at him again, but he could barely make out what a single one of them were saying anymore. Not that it mattered – all that really mattered was that their attention was on him. That was just the way he liked it.
Feeling someone tug on his sleeve, he turned to the left where a girl with pigtails was fiddling nervously with a small piece of paper in her hands. "Ah, you dropped this..." She quickly held it out to him, blushing all the while.
He cast his gaze down, staring at the piece of paper he just plucked from the girl's grasp. Then his eyes widened a fraction.
That girl... He suddenly recalled. There were two phone numbers written on this paper. She was the only girl to have ever given him two numbers to reach her on. He had always received one number per girl, but never two numbers from the same girl.
His eyes narrowed as he stopped walking and simply stared at the paper, thinking about how odd it was. He knew he shouldn't think it was so strange – one number for calling her house, one number for reaching her cell phone. But it was, to him, a weird feeling to know that he had two different ways to contact the same girl.
Make that three. He went to the same school as her, too.
Four. It wasn't hard to find her house, either.
So he had several different ways that he could contact just one specific girl.
What was this, a sign?
No, a reminder. He had completely forgotten to call her.
At first it was on purpose, he wanted to make her wait a bit, three or four days just to get her antsy, but he had been working a lot recently and she had just... slipped his mind. Today was his first day back in school since the week had begun, he had been too busy with his music that he had to skip pretty much every day. And then when he got here today, all he could think about was enjoying his time in an environment where he got extra special treatment because everyone around him was normal, and he was a shining star among the rubble. He loved being praised at work, yes, but hearing it come from cute school girls just felt ten times better.
"Hey Kurama, what is that?"
He glanced in front of him at the line of girls staring at him and the paper with curious, prying eyes.
Acting as cool as ever, he waved the paper around in the air. "What, this? It's just some trash I accidentally dropped on the floor. I was about to throw it away."
The tengu walked leisurely over to the trash bin, crumpled the paper, and let it fall from his hand.
Turning back to face all of his fans, he placed a finger underneath the chin of the girl with the pigtails.
"Thank you for picking that up for me." He whispered, getting close enough that he could see every ounce of admiration in her wide eyes. He then let her go, and addressed the whole group at once. "Please excuse me everyone, but I have to go attend to something important," He explained smoothly, and then struck one of his best poses for them, passing a hand in front of his face and smirking. "I assume I'll be seeing you all at my next concert?"
As expected, they all screamed out "YES!" in perfect fangirl unison.
Satisfied, Kurama headed for the door, proclamations of love echoing behind him.
-X-
Hizuru readjusted her bag on her shoulder as she walked out of the school building. People were very obviously staying away from her – sticking to the edge of the sidewalk, creating a space for her to walk silently on her own down the middle.
"Where are you going?"
She jolted to a halt, her eyes widening. That voice... that smooth, lyrical voice could only belong to one person.
Gritting her teeth, she ground out his name. "Kurama." She started walking again (or rather, stomping). "Get lost you jerk –"
"I live in the other direction."
A hand came down on her shoulder and whirled her around. She was met with the tall vision of idiot that is the crow tengu. He was staring down at her with a smile. An annoyingly perfect smile. Fascinatingly cocky it was, too.
"Come on, my car's just over –"
"What makes you think I'm going to go anywhere with you?" She spat, shooting him a calculating look.
He blinked at her for a moment, and she took that moment to forcefully remove his hand from her shoulder.
"I thought," He said slowly, a tricky new smile coming to his face at the same time. "that you wanted me to help you break your curse?"
"Yeah well I'm not so sure that I want your help anymore, crow." She said bitingly, and then looked at the ground. "And your shoes are still really ugly, by the way."
He laughed, mockingly. "I have a much better sense of style than you happen to have."
She found his eyes again. Her look said something along the lines of 'I'm gonna kill you any minute now'. "And I couldn't care less." She seethed, and then turned around. "This conversation is ov –"
A clap of thunder interrupted her. Well, that was sudden and unexpected. She glanced up at the sky. She had been too caught up in her terrible mood all day to take notice of the dark clouds that had gathered up above.
"Shit..." She muttered, realizing the walk to her house would leave her soaked to the core as a raindrop hit her nose. Also, there was the fact that she hated stormy weather to the point of not really being able to walk around in it. Would she have to stay at the school and wait until the rain let up? But who knows how long that would take?!
Another clap of thunder sounded, and she shuddered visibly.
"Just let me give you a ride." Kurama spoke up, and again his hand was on her shoulder.
She scrunched her nose up at him and gave him an accusatory glare, as if the weather was somehow his fault. The rain picked up the pace and started to come down in sheets, faster and harder, and she just about felt ready to start panicking when the thunder boomed another time. A creeping feeling of fear was weighing her down and old memories started playing like a sad movie clip inside her mind.
A stormy night... pelting rain... a voice in the darkness... her parents...
Hizuru shook her head, and without really thinking about it, clung to Kurama's arm (several passing girls gasped when this happened).
"Where," She tried to sound as calm as possible, even though every splash of rain and roll of thunder made her insides jumble up. "Where did you say your car was?"
-X-
Kurama pulled out an umbrella as soon as he was out of the car. He watched Hizuru closely and raised an eyebrow when, as soon as she exited the safe, dry domain of the car, she rushed over to him and hid underneath the umbrella.
She was, he noted, trying her best to avoid the steadily falling downpour.
"Don't like the rain, huh?" He asked as they walked up to his building.
"Not nearly as much as I don't like you." She muttered back, but it wasn't said with much conviction. She was shivering, for some reason, either from the cold or because she was uncomfortable in this weather. "This is where you live?" She suddenly changed the subject, staring up at the large brick building that had several different sets of arched windows all along the front of it, and a few balconies in the middle as well.
"Yeah, top floor." He punched a number in at a small device installed on the wall, there was a beep, and then he pushed open the large door in front of them. Hizuru zoomed inside as soon as entrance was available.
He shook his head, smirking at the girl who was shivering by the elevator doors when he followed her inside. "If you're cold, I'll lend you my jacket."
"Stop it with your failed attempts at impressing me and get in the freaking elevator." She growled, and just then the doors dinged and opened up for them.
The two stepped in, and began the ride up to the top floor. Repetitive tunes started up inside the lift and Hizuru was glad that it drowned out the sound of the rain and thunder that had been ringing in her ears up until now. The blurry visions that had been replaying inside her head were finally starting to fade away, much to her relief.
"I wasn't trying to impress you, I was being a gentleman." Kurama told her, and she cracked open an eye (she had been leaning back with her eyes closed in order to calm herself down) and gave him the tiniest of smirks.
"No. You were trying to flirt with me. I'll just tell you now – it's annoying, so stop doing it."
The tengu flinched, but didn't know quite what to come back with. Instead, he changed the topic. "Look, I know you're mad because I never contacted you until now. But for your information, I was so busy working that I forgot."
"Nice to know." Came a very sarcastic reply.
"Oi!" Kurama was slowly losing his cool. "What kind of attitude is that, towards the person who saved you from walking home in the rain?"
"You forgot about me. Am I supposed to thank you for that?" She snapped at him, and if looks could kill, he'd have keeled over and died right then and there. She had quite the glare on her.
"I'm not going to apologize for doing my job, if that's what you want, don't get your hopes up." Kurama leaned back and turned his head away, stubbornly crossing his arms.
"Then I'm not apologizing for my attitude."
"Who cares?"
They finally reached the top floor, and he walked out, Hizuru following behind him with a disgruntled appearance. They came up to the door that led into his loft and Kurama reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his keys and undoing the lock. He walked right in, not bothering to offer her that 'ladies first' gentleman crap. Not with how she was acting so ungraciously towards him. If it wasn't going to work on her, then why bother?
"Take your shoes off, I don't need the floors getting ruined because of you." He said, closing the door behind him once she had followed him in, and placing the umbrella down.
Grumbling to herself, Hizuru took off her shoes one at a time, gazing curiously around his living space. He took off his own shoes and left the front room, passing by her and heading around a corner.
"Where are you going?" He heard her call after him, following not far behind.
He continued on down a short corridor, starting to unbutton his shirt. "To my room. I keep a lot of stuff from my old life in there, there are some books we can start looking into."
"And wha – WHAT are you doing?!"
He reached a closed door and turned around, unfolding and stretching out his wings as he faced her, now shirtless. "Hn?"
She promptly threw her school bag at his head.
"Ow! Hey, that's a pretty low thing to do to someone who's offered to help you out with something this important!" He yelled, the side of his head throbbing.
"I'm not even supposed to be here! You do remember that I said I no longer wanted your help, don't you? And yet instead of taking me home, you take me to your place! Why are we at your place?! AND WHY ARE YOU UNDRESSING YOURSELF?!" She grabbed her bag from where it had fallen to the floor and reached into its depths, and fear flashed across his face for a second when he wondered if it might be pepper spray she was going to bring out, or something possibly worse.
"Oi, oi, relax! I couldn't remember where you live, not in this rain, it was hard to see the streets! So we came here, since the weather is only getting worse. Ow!" He shot her a glare when she pulled out a textbook from her bag and threw it at him. "STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME!"
"PUT A SHIRT ON!"
"I WANTED TO STRETCH OUT MY WINGS!"
"WHO CARES THAT'S NO EXCUSE TO UNDRESS IN FRONT OF A LADY!"
"HOW FUNNY, I DON'T SEE A LADY ANYWHERE – KAAAHH!"
He started to back away down the hall as she reached back into her death bag and started throwing random items from within it at him. Unfortunately for the idol, this girl happened to have a really good arm, and also good aim.
"TAKE THAT BACK YOU JERK FACE!"
"WHY THE HELL SHOULD I WHEN YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT A LADY?!"
"I AM TOO DAMMIT!"
"YOU DON'T ACT LIKE ONE – OUCH! WOULD YOU STOP THAT?!"
"NO! TAKE THAT, AND THAT, AND THAT!"
"OUCH! WHAT – STOP – GAHK! WHAT IS A BOOK THAT BIG DOING INSIDE YOUR BAG ANYWAY?!"
"IT'S AN ENCYCLOPEDIA YOU TWIT!"
"WHO CARRIES AROUND A WHOLE ENCYCLOPEDIA WITH THEM?!"
"I DO!"
Their yelling and screaming match continued on back and forth for quite some time, since it took a while for Hizuru to run out of things to throw at him. At some point Kurama took to flying up to the ceiling, but Hizuru just went into his room and threatened to cut up all his clothing, and that got him to come back down again.
Eventually the two got worn out, and collapsed inside of his bedroom, which was quite a mess due to their squabbling, but not as messy as the hallway which was littered with miscellaneous items now.
"Heh... I'm hungry." Hizuru commented, hopping up off of the floor.
"I don't care." Kurama mumbled, leaning back on his bed, his chest heaving.
Her eyes narrowed at him. "Fine. Where's your kitchen, I'll make some food myself."
He smirked. "I'm not telling you."
She stood up straighter, glaring harder. "Put a shirt on, tengu."
"Learn how to be more lady-like, human."
There was a deadly aura travelling through the air between the two, and then Kurama sighed in irritation and stood up. He walked across the room, feeling her eyes trying to glare a hole through him as he opened up his dresser and pulled out a dark blue t-shirt. He put it on, letting his wings freely slip through the fabric and unfold again as he placed it over his head and shook out his hair. He turned to face her, watching as she was glaring a little less harshly now.
"We'll eat, and then start what we came here to do."
She cocked her head, looking suspiciously up at him. "What did we come here to do? You better not have any pervy ideas."
"Tch." Walking out of the room, he fought back the urge to throw something at her for a change.
"HEY! Don't just ignore me!"
He maneuvered through the loft and came to the kitchen, where he sat himself down at a table and waited. Like he had assumed, she came bustling in soon after him.
"What are you doing now?" She asked, very obviously annoyed.
"You can make us some food. I'm going to unwind." He leaned back, stretching his arms back behind his head.
*Pluck!*
He yelped, standing upright from his seat. He whipped his head around, seeing one long, black feather held in between her fingers.
"Don't treat me as your maid! I'm your guest!"
He ground his teeth together. If he had half a mind, he'd send her on her way, letting her walk home in the pouring rain. But unfortunately his brain was whole. "Guests, don't, pluck off the feathers of their kind host!"
"Psht. Kind..." She muttered, and then met his eyes with a harsh glare. "Well I couldn't help it! You piss me off, and –" She suddenly stopped, turning her face immediately downward.
"And what?"
"And nothing!" Her cheeks turned pink, the blush was obvious due to her skin being such a ghostly pale color.
"Seriously though, and what?" He leaned forward, trying to figure out the look on her face.
She shyly (he had no idea that she even had a shy side) fiddled with the silky feather she'd plucked from him. "I've never seen... wings like yours before... they're really very... nice." She was going to use a better adjective than just 'nice', because they were more than that. They were majestic and impressive and they added to his overall charm. But she didn't say that because she didn't want him to get cocky about it.
Kurama, for his part, felt speechless even just by her saying they were 'nice'.
"How about I make us some soup?" Hizuru perked up, walking around the kitchen and up to the fridge. The moment where she sort of complimented him had passed as quickly and unexpectedly as it had come.
Kurama just stood there, blinking at the air for a second. He was smiling inwardly, and a bit of warmth had flooded into his cheeks as well. Slowly he turned around, and his mouth fell open when he already found her with half the contents of his fridge all around her, and a pan of something already cooking at the stove.
Just how the hell did she do that?!
"It's miso soup again, by the way." Her voice was oddly cheery whenever she spoke of that soup she adored.
"How did you do that so fast?" He mumbled in awe, walking around the table to stand next to her, peering at her working hands. He noted that she'd placed his feather in the pocket of her uniform shirt.
"Miso soup is my favorite." She blabbered on, refusing to look at him. He leaned a bit closer, closing his eyes to the smell coming from the pan...
"Hey! Stop it, don't stick your face in!" She smacked his head with a wooden spoon, making him cringe and withdraw.
"I don't think I want your lousy soup anyway." He snapped, backing away to what he thought was a safe distance. (Half way across the kitchen.)
"Fine, more for me then."
He folded his arms. "Fine."
"Fine." She shrugged.
"FINE!" He snapped.
She promptly turned towards him, and threw the same wooden spoon at him. He yelped and ducked, allowing it to hit the wall behind his head.
"What is with you and throwing things at me?! First your underwear and your bra, your bag, numerous other items, a freaking encyclopedia, and now kitchen utensils –"
She picked up an onion and began chopping it skillfully and rapidly. The movement caused Kurama's eyes to widen – it looked more threatening than it probably should look.
"I guess you're just an easy target." She said, shooting him a glare. "And don't ever bring up my... 'personal belongings'... again."
He allowed himself a short laugh, but was still wary of the knife in her hands. "Hey, I'm not the one who threw them at me."
Like he thought, she tried to throw the knife at him. He casually leaned to one side, dodging it as it hit the wall behind him and clattered to the floor.
"You need anger management classes."
"And you could use a personality adjustment."
He sighed, walking out of the room and shaking his head. This girl was a real pain in the neck so why exactly was he doing this again? Maybe he was just feeling a tad lonely as of late. And she certainly made him feel anything but alone. Her presence was strong and a little overbearing. And yet, that blush that had been on her face a few minutes ago was honestly rather adorable.
-X-
Hizuru sat eating in the kitchen, slurping up the miso soup with a calmed aura surrounding her and a smile on her face.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kurama slinking into the room, sniffing around. "If you want some, then stop taking so long and come and eat with me."
He sat down next to her with a 'hmf' sound, and only stared down at the bowl of soup. She watched his handsome face turn towards hers, and the frown that formed there. "How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"
"You don't." She took another spoonful for herself and hummed happily.
He sighed and began eating the soup, too hungry and tired to worry about what she might've put in it when he wasn't there to supervise. She eyed him while she ate her portion, watching his face rearrange itself into an enjoyable look when he tasted it.
"Kurama?"
"Mm." He closed his eyes, spooning more soup into his mouth. He'd give her this – she was a great cook.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"So that we can work on getting rid of your curse..."
"Yeah but why?"
"What? Isn't that what you asked me to do?"
"But you have no reason to help me."
He thought for a moment, and then turned a smile on her.
"Have you already forgotten the fact that I showered at your home, and you also had to wash my clothes for me?"
She blushed as she remembered the embarrassing predicament from last week. And again, he found that her blush made her seem less annoying and more girly and cute and to his liking.
"Well, why did it take you so long?"
"I've been busy, I told you."
"Busy being perfect." She said sarcastically.
"That's right." Came the smug reply.
"Do I need to spill soup on you like the last time?"
"You just want me in a towel in front of you again, don't you?" He smirked when he saw her blush darken to a deep scarlet.
"YOU – That's not true! And anyway," She stood up, taking her empty bowl to the sink. "I didn't like what I saw. You're super pale."
She turned around to see a very offended Kurama.
"Didn't like what you saw?! And what, I'm pale?" He questioned loudly. "Have you looked in a mirror? Your skin is as white as a sheet! You could practically be some sort of spirit that's taken to haunting me for all I know!"
"Can it and eat your soup, stupid bird!"
He grunted and went back to eating, a frown plastered onto his face. "I don't have to help you, you know." Didn't like what she saw?! Yeah right! Unbelievable!
She leaned back and regarded him carefully. "...But you are for some reason. What's the reason?"
"If I tell you what I think it is, you'll throw something at me again."
"No I won't."
"Hah."
"Okay I promise I won't throw anything at you if you just tell me, how's that?"
"..."
"I mean it, okay?"
Kurama just had to roll his eyes at her persistence. "Whatever, if you do I'll just lock you in a room for my own safety until the rain finally lets up." He smiled evilly, sending her a meaningful glare.
"JUST TELL ME ALREADY, DAMN YOU!"
He stood up, walking over to where she was by the sink and putting his bowl there as well. "I'm pretty sure it has to do with the annoying fact that you don't find me as appealing as most women do."
She swiftly jumped up and karate chopped him on the head.
"No inflicting pain on me of any kind!" Kurama immediately backed away, to the very far end of the room, with his arms held in front of him to block any other attacks.
"You," Hizuru hissed. "are so freaking stupid! That reason is absurd."
"Oh really? I think it's perfectly normal for a guy with my popularity level to be disturbed when someone isn't as into him as the rest are." He sounded as if he was making a perfectly logical point, but she just wasn't having it.
"And that's the stupidest thing ever! So what are you planning by luring me in and helping me, eh? I don't get it, why offer your help to a girl who doesn't even like you?"
The crow tengu stood up straight and took a step towards her, thrusting out an arm and pointing at her. "You will end up infatuated with me if you're around me often enough." He smirked, folding his arms across his chest in an extremely self-important way. "I am the great Kurama! No one can resist my charms, and after helping you lift your curse, you'll be so thankful that you'll have fallen for me, and then I can rest easy and not have to worry about my popularity level dropping."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Hizuru just waved her hand, walking around him and out of the kitchen, leaving him to stand there stunned, blinking with a blank look on his face.
"H – hey! What's with that complete disregard for what I said?! Did you not listen properly?"
He heard her bored tone from the hall, "To be honest, no, I stopped listening and zoned out before you finished. All I really got was 'blah blah blah blah blah the great Kurama, blah blah blah I'm so full of myself ho ho ho~'."
"EXCUSE ME?!" The way she imitated him wasn't anywhere close to how he actually sounded! It was all said in a tone of voice that implied he was incredibly dumb.
"Let's go start figuring out ways to lift my curse now, shall we?" She popped back into the room and grabbed his hand, offering him a cheeky half-grin before dragging him behind her back to his room. "And before you complain any further, try remembering that it's your own damn fault you decided to give me an offer of assistance I couldn't refuse, it's also your fault for inviting me into your home, and it's your fault that it's raining."
He bristled even further at the accusations. "No it's not and that doesn't even make any sense!"
"Well, that last one is just a theory I'm entertaining. But the rest of the stuff yeah, it's all your fault. And if you think you can win me over, well, go ahead and try. In fact, I challenge you to do it! If only to see how hard you'll fall on that pretty face of yours after you fail, hehehe."
"Huh? I should be the one laughing! You underestimate my impeccable charm, I definitely won't be failing because I am the great Kur –"
"Oh put a sock in it, Ku-baka!"
-X-
Kurama walked into the room after a short trip to the bathroom, to find Hizuru sprawled on the floor, a few of the books they'd gathered from his shelves open beside her and her cell phone pressed to her ear. Not even the sound of the rain pounding on the roof directly above their heads and on the window panes directly across the room could block out the sound of the voice yelling at her on the other end of the phone call.
"Peppi, I'm sorry, but it started to rain and –"
"I don't care! You should be home with me and your sister, not with some strange boy at his place!"
"I know it sounds weird. But you do know that I can take care of myself anyway –"
"Do you have any idea how worried I have been?!"
"I –"
"AND just because it started to rain, doesn't mean you couldn't just run home!"
"You know I couldn't do that! Not in this kind of weather!"
"Nevermind. Forget it. Just let me talk to him."
Kurama jolted as he took a seat on his bed. What did he just hear? He did not just hear what he think he just heard. Did he?
"Peppi, stop being so –"
"Let me. Speak with him." The voice insisted.
A very ominous aura was coming from the other line of the phone and leaking into the room, making both Kurama and Hizuru start to sweat nervously.
"Uh..." She looked up at the crow. "It's for you." And tossed him the phone.
"Just talk to her." She ordered, seeing the look of deep apprehension on his face.
Slowly, he brought the phone to his ear, bracing himself. Hizuru's guardian sure was... intimidating.
Clearing his voice, he attempted to be brave. "Hello?"
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU KIDNAP MY DAUGHTER AND THEN TAKE HER TO YOUR HOME ALONE I CAN'T BELIEVE THE NERVE YOU'VE GOT JUST WAIT UNTIL THE POLICE GET INVOLVED OH YOU ARE SO GOING TO REGRET EVER MESSING WITH OUR FAMILY I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS WHAT KIND OF BOY ARE YOU TO JUST TAKE A GIRL BACK TO YOUR PLACE SO EASILY I DOUBT YOU HAVE ANY GOOD INTENTIONS AT ALL WHERE DO YOU LIVE I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND I WILL –"
"Excuse me miss, but I did not kidnap your daughter." He was sweating even more now. What the hell was up with this woman?!
"I'm not her daughter." Hizuru plainly corrected.
"Then what are you?" He held the phone away for a moment, as the woman on the other end was yelling once again.
"I just... she's my legal guardian." She shrugged at him.
See, that's what he had thought, since she had once mentioned to him and the fox that she was an orphan. But this woman on the other end of the line was referring to her as her daughter. Sighing, he put the phone back to his ear.
"– KIDNAP HER, I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING –"
"Calm down, I'm just a friend from school." Kurama put on his most convincing, smooth-talking voice. "Hizuru had mentioned last week that she wanted me to help her with some homework she'd been struggling with. I figured today was a good day to help her study, since it had started to rain and she didn't seem to have a ride home, I took her home with me before the weather got too bad. We've been studying since we got here, I'm really just helping out a friend and nothing more. I do feel it's our fault for not informing you of what the plan was though, and as her guardian I'm sure you've been incredibly worried. So for that, I sincerely apologize."
The line was dead-silent. And then he heard a decisive click as if the woman had hung up.
"Did she hang up?"
He stared at Hizuru, who was looking up at him with her head tilted cutely to one side.
Wait, cutely? Eh, whatever. Yeah, alright, admittedly, he was starting to think she was more and more appealing by the hour.
"Yes." He handed her phone back to her with a puzzled expression.
She suddenly smiled. "Good! That means she lost the argument and has admitted defeat! So she's okay with me staying."
He eyed her carefully for a moment, before reaching a clear conclusion. "You have an eccentric family."
She only smiled again and even laughed a little. "Oh, trust me, compared to the rest of my family, I'm the strangest."
"I believe you..." He mumbled.
*Pluck!*
"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND PLUCKING MY FEATHERS RECENTLY!?" He yelled, jumping up from the bed and facing her with a murderous glint in his eyes.
She used one finger and trailed it up the side of the black feather she'd just plucked, taunting him.
"Don't be so mean." She pretended to pout.
"I'm not mean," He straightened up, folding his arms. "you're just intolerable. In reality though, I am a perfect host."
"You made me cook for you and tried to strip in front of me." She deadpanned.
"Do you want my help or not?!"
"Yeah."
"Then let's get to work." He let out a breath of air, feeling a headache coming on any minute now.
"Fine."
"Fine!"
"FINE."
"Can we stop doing that?" He shot her a hateful glance which she returned as he sat down on the floor next to her.
This was going to be a long, long evening...
*Pluck!*
"Quit touching my wings!"
"Then stop flapping them around in my face!"
"I wasn't!"
"By the way, your feathers are so soft, do you condition them?"
"What?"
"Or I guess since you're like a bird it would be referred to as 'preening'."
"...What are you even talking about?"
A/N: Okay how was that? Tell me everything you think. Everything. 0.0
Also, don't forget to review, favorite, and follow! Or else I'll have Hizuru throw stuff at you. ^_^
Hizuru: I like miso soup... mmm...
Me: Hizuru, that has nothing to do with what I just said...
Hizuru: Oh yes it does. I could throw miso soup at them.
Me: Good point, good point.
*Pluck!*
Kurama: Would you stop that!?
Hizuru: *cuddling up to velvety-soft feather* I don't know what you're talking about. Hahaha...
Me: *touches his feathers* Wow, they really are so soft...
Kurama: *blushing* Pft. Whatever.
Me: Remember to review and stuff or else get soup thrown at you, dear viewers!
Hizuru: *Holds up bowl of soup* Hehehe...
Kurama: You know she's going to eat that before throwing it at anyone. She wouldn't want to waste it.
Me: Ah, yes. You're probably right.
CK :*