Summary: For Mika, life is a constant struggle for survival. After some very unfortunate situations, she has isolated herself and is dangerously close to losing her sanity. That is, until she meets Kurama who turns her life upside down. But things begin to get out of control when it is discovered that she could have a strange connection to a mysterious legendary force that could be plotting a major takeover of all three worlds! Could her misery be nothing more that a cruel twist of fate or is this all connected to something even bigger?
Disclaimer: YU YU HAKUSHO DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. k thx bye :)
Angel's Cry
Chapter 17
"Appearances"
EXTRA LONG CHAPPIE, JUST FOR YOU GUYS! :) Thank you to all who have favorited me as an author and/or added this story to your favorites list! Your reviews were the sweetest as well as all the personal PMs I received! Please enjoy, and I thank you all for the support! :)
"C'mon, Mika! You've got to come to the party!"
Mika sat on the couch sandwiched between Botan and Keiko. Yukina sat in the chair across from them. Shizuru was lying on the floor with a small stack of magazines beside her as she flipped through them. Mika had her feet propped up on the low table with a bowl of M&Ms in her lap. She rolled her eyes at the pleading looks that the girls were giving her before she popped another piece of candy into her mouth.
It was mid-December and the girls were trying to convince Mika to attend a Christmas Eve party that was being thrown by Sarayashki High's student council the following week. They were also discussing what gifts to buy for the boys for Christmas.
"No," Mika repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time that evening. "I don't want to go."
"Why not?" Botan questioned as she poked the silverette in the side.
"C'mon, Mika!" Keiko pleaded, "I'm the president of student council, and it would really mean a lot to me if you'd come support me!"
"Keiko, I don't dance!" Mika tried to reason with the brunette girl who was frowning at her.
"You can learn," Shizuru added as she snatched the bowl of candy from her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure all the boys have two left feet too. You won't be that out of place."
"Besides, everyone is going!" Botan added with a smile. "Even Hiei."
"He is not."
"He sure is," Shizuru replied as she flicked her long hair out of her face with a grin, "You can get Hiei to do anything if you get Yukina to ask him."
Yukina giggled guiltily as she shrugged her shoulders.
"See? If Hiei is going to go, then there's no reason you shouldn't!"
"Mika dear," the ice maiden said, "It'll be a lot of fun. I promise! Please at least come to the party and try to have fun?"
Mika frowned as her friend watched her eyes as wide as a puppy's. She glanced at everyone else's faces and realized that all the girls were wearing the same evil expression.
"You set me up!" she accused them, "You know that no one can say 'no' to Yukina!"
"That is not true!" Botan feigned innocence.
"Yeah, don't blame us!" Shizuru grinned as she snuffed out her cigarette on the floor. "Besides, Yukina volunteered."
"Yukina!"
The ice maiden just smiled at her. "Please? It won't be any fun without you."
Mika let out a sigh as she slapped her hand to her forehead, "Ugh! Fine, I'll go! But I won't have any fun."
"Trust me, you will," Shizuru grinned. "You know what this means, girls?"
"We've got to go dress shopping!" Botan squealed.
"But... I've got work all this week," Mika sighed, "And I can't take a day off. We're busy preparing for the Christmas festival next week."
"Do you get off early any day this week?" Yukina questioned.
"...I do. Wednesday around four o'clock," Mika replied grudgingly as she pursed her lips.
She was trying her hardest to get out of this whole dress shopping situation. But Yukina just burst her bubble.
"Good thinking, Yukina!" Keiko said as she high-fived the ice maiden. "Mika probably wouldn't have told us, unless we asked directly."
"I wouldn't have," she admitted.
"Yeah, but now we know! We'll come pick you up after work that day and then we'll go shopping, ok?"
Mika let out a groan which caused her friends to laugh loudly.
"Oh, and Mika?" Keiko continued in a sly voice.
Shit! What now? Mika thought as she took in all the identical evil looks plastered on her friend's faces. She was almost hesitant to answer to her name.
"Yeah?" she squeaked.
"We forgot just one itty bitty detail," Shizuru said.
"And what's that?"
"You have to bring a date to the dance!" Botan yelled as Yukina giggled loudly.
"What?"
"You heard her!" Shizuru snorted with laughter. "But, you don't have to do much. We all know a guy who'd probably be more than willing to take you to the dance."
"Who?"
In the back of her mind, she knew exactly who they were talking about. How could she not? After all, the girls were always teasing her. And if being teased by the girls was bad enough to make her feel humiliated, imagine the horrors she faced from Yusuke and Kuwabara's matchmaking mischief.
But she just couldn't see herself with him. It's not that he wasn't attractive because he was gorgeous. She wasn't ignorant. She saw the way girls threw themselves at his feet. He could probably charm the pants off of any woman he wanted. She wasn't good enough for him; he was nowhere near her league.
And it's not that they weren't compatible-hell, they were nearly inseparable. She had never had such a close relationship with any other being in her whole life. Out of all her friends, she was the closest to the fox. And even though they almost always got along, they still got on each others nerves-him with his snarky know-it-all attitude, and her with the way she reads too deeply into things. But they had such a strong bond that no silly argument could ruin. She felt like she could completely be herself around him. She told him everything, and he confessed things to her that he hadn't even told Hiei.
To everyone, they seemed to be the perfect match. But to her, it was all very wrong. She couldn't afford to screw up this friendship. She wouldn't even let herself think about it nor would she let herself feel anything more than pure innocent companionship. She wasn't going to lose him by a simple mistake. He was the other half of her.
"Are you really that oblivious, Mika?" Shizuru stared at her with the utmost disbelief.
"Yes."
"We're talking about Kurama, you silly girl!" Botan yelled at her friend who glanced at her with a perked eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that!"
"Like what?"
"Quit being such a smart-ass!"
"Well, I really don't-" Mika began when a soft voice cut through her words.
"Please, Mika dear." Yukina sighed, "Be reasonable."
She frowned at her friend, her lips twisted into a grumpy frown. She clicked her tongue in agitation as she readjusted her long legs.
"Fine," she agreed grudgingly, "I'll ask him today. He's staying after school to make up work for the days he missed so I'm meeting him for dinner."
"No!" Botan protested as she shook her head frantically. "Let him ask you!"
"But what if he doesn't?"
"Trust us," Keiko grinned widely. "He will."
~.~.~.~.~
"Is this another attempt at trying your hands at matchmaking? If so, I'm not interested."
Kurama was bent over the table in the science lab, trying his hardest to ignore his friends while he worked. He was staying after school late to work on some of the lab assignments that he had missed when he had skipped school to work on a mission that Koenma had assigned to him and Hiei.
The young prince was still sore about the events that had taken place earlier in the summer when a thief had managed to force an entry into the Spirit World's vault. The mission was a simple one-pure reconnaissance and detective work in the Makai. They were trying to place a name to the man's face. Either he was unknown amongst the criminals in the Makai or all the demons that they had interrogated were very capable of keeping their traps closed. It was irritating to Kurama when he thought of it. Even though Koenma said nothing on the matter, he knew that the prince still suspected Mika to be involved in the robbery. He wanted to catch whoever this bastard was so that he could clear his friend's name.
With this serious problem nagging at him every moment and the growing mountain of late assignments and deadlines, Kurama was already feeling irritated. He didn't have time for his friend's childish games.
"It'll be fun," Yusuke repeated in a sly voice. "Just come to the dance and bring Mika as your date!"
"No." Kurama said, his brilliant eyes were narrowed behind the pair of thick safety goggles he wore as he poured a dark blue chemical into a test tube.
"Why not?" Kuwabara questioned as he drummed his fingers on a desk.
"Because I'm not stupid," the redhead answered as he straightened up. He pulled the goggles off of his face with a sigh. "I know that you and the girls have some ridiculous plan cooked up. Mika and I are just friends- we are nothing more."
"Really, Foxboy?" Yusuke questioned, his voice had a tone of disbelief. "Is that really all you want to be?"
Kurama could feel the corners of his mouth twitch in irritation. "What are you trying to imply?"
"That you've got the hots for Mika!" the teenager said as he threw his hands up in the air. "Oh, c'mon! It's so obvious!"
Kurama pulled off his gloves. "You're sadly mistaken."
"Don't you like her at all?" Kuwabara questioned.
"Of course. She's my best friend."
"You know what he means, Kurama!" Yusuke chimed in, "Don't you ever think about it?"
"Elaborate, please?"
"Don't you ever wonder what it'd be like to-y'know, be with her? Don't you ever picture her naked?"
Kurama let out a dry laugh as he turned away from the two behind him. "Unlike you two, I can actually control my mind. I've never pictured Mika undressed."
"But don't you think she's hot?" Kuwabara urged, trying his hardest to get a confession out of the redhead. "Or at least pretty?"
"Of course I do," Kurama answered before he turned his back on his friends to resume his work. "You all should leave before my teacher comes back."
And he was telling the truth. In fact, he thought she was beautiful. Any man would be blind not to see her beauty. But just because he considered her a sight to see didn't mean that he always pictured her naked or felt more than friendship for her. He loved her to death, he'd admit, but not in the way that everyone else wanted him to.
"She's really starting to fill out, don't you think?" Yusuke grinned as he watched the redhead's back, observing him closely on the lookout for any clues.
Kuwabara seemed to catch on and joined in, "She sure has. She used to be on the flat side but I'd say she's about a-"
"At least a B-cup now."
Kurama closed his eyes as the two perverted boys behind him continued to discuss his best friend's... assets. He pulled on his gloves again followed by his goggles to get back to work in an effort to ignore them.
"No, I'd say more like a C-cup, Urameshi."
"Even better!"
The fox could feel his eye twitch in irritation as he plugged up the Bunsen Burner to the gas nozzle so he could heat up his experiment. He pulled open the drawer in search of the striker and rummaged through loudly to tune out the conversation. When he finally found it, he was about to light the fire when he caught a bit of the conversation.
"And, damn! She's got a nice pair of legs," Yusuke whistled loudly, enough to cause Kurama to flinch. "They seem to go on for miles."
Kuwabara grinned, "Imagine them wrapped around you."
"Would you two stop?" Kurama yelled as he slammed the metal striker down on the table. He spun around to see his friend's doubled over in laughter. He glared murderously at them.
How could they talk about Mika in such a way? The thought made his blood boil. It was downright disgusting of them. To talk so... disrespectfully about her AND still be friends with her? And here they were! Just laughing it off, as if it were no big deal!
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! How can you talk about her that way and still be able to look her in the eye?"
It took a moment for the two boys to control themselves. Kurama stood there furiously waiting for their raucous laughter to subside. He wanted to reach out and give each boy a good sock in the face.
"Simple! We're guys." Yusuke grinned when he finally managed to settle down. "See, you really do care about her."
"My tolerance for the two of you has run out today," Kurama growled as he gnashed his teeth together. "You haven't proven your point at all."
"Actually, we did," the brunette teen laughed as he took a seat on top of on of the desks.
"What?"
"We're guys, Kurama. Of course we're going to think dirty about almost every girl around us. But that doesn't mean we'd really do anything. We're just talking shit."
"Yeah," Kuwabara added. "But you got so angry about it. Do you realize that your eyes flickered gold? That means we made you mad enough to bring out Youko for a moment."
Kurama fumbled for an excuse to explain his momentary loss of control. "She's my friend! What do you expect?"
"Hey, Botan is my friend too. But when someone starts talking about her body, I don't freak out. Hell, I even join in! I only get angry if it's Keiko because I want to be the only one that can enjoy the view."
"Just own up to it, man!" Kuwabara sighed. "We only want what's best for you two. You better get her while you can before another guy snatches her up. Girls like her don't stay single for long."
"This is ridiculous. Please leave, I'm busy and I've got to finish this experiment before Mika gets here," Kurama remained quiet as he turned his back on his friends. He didn't even have to look at them to guess what they were doing. "Stop smirking you two. I'm serious."
The two boys snickered behind him.
"Alright, alright!" Kuwabara laughed, "We're going. Just ask her to the dance, alright?"
"You won't regret it," Yusuke said as they strolled leisurely towards the door that led out into the hall. "Who knows? Maybe you won't have to picture her naked. You could get the real thing."
"Out!"
~.~.~.~.~
"Your hot chocolate, ma'am."
Mika smiled as the waiter set down a bright blue mug in front of her. She thanked him as she curled her hands around the plastic, letting the heat of the drink seep into her frostbitten fingers. She had been waiting for Kurama for twenty minutes outside their favorite restaurant, but it had gotten so cold that she just had to wait inside.
"Would you like to order now, ma'am?" the waiter asked politely, his pad and pen in hand ready to jot down her order.
Her eyes cut to the front doors of the restaurant, and she frowned when she saw that her friend still had not arrived. She looked at her watch quickly. It was already close to 5:30, and she knew that Kurama would be hungry by now.
"Ma'am?" the waiter asked once more, in an attempt to catch her attention.
She shrugged before she apologized to the man for keeping him waiting. She would just order for the both of them. The two were regulars at this diner, and each time they came Kurama would order the same thing without even looking at the menu.
"Thank you and your food will be ready shortly."
Mika thanked the waiter and watched as he spun on his heel and hurried off towards the kitchen. She ran her fingers through her long bangs when she felt her phone vibrate against her hip before it chirped loudly. She glanced back up at the door to check for Kurama before she withdrew the device from its holster.
The screen blinked at her eagerly: One new SMS message! She quickly scrolled through the menu to check who it was from. She smiled when she saw that it was from Kurama.
FROM: KURAMA MINAMINO (CELL). 5:27 PM.
I apologize for keeping you waiting. Kuwabara and Yusuke showed up after school and distracted me. I will be there in less than ten minutes- I'm stuck in traffic.
Mika lifted her mug to her lips and took a sip, frowning when it burned her tongue. She fumbled with her phone, texting awkwardly with one hand.
REPLY TO: KURAMA MINAMINO (CELL). 5:28 PM.
its ok, don't worry about it... i thought u would be hungry when u get here so i went ahead and ordered 4 us. i got u the usual. is that ok?
She set down her phone on the table and let out a sigh as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. It was when a tinkling noise sounded at the front of the diner that she looked up. She immediately wished that she hadn't.
A young woman walked in and stormed to the podium where a waitress greeted her with a smile. Her long hair was tied into a long plait and she was pulling on the straps of her leotard, looking like she had just gotten out of a dance rehearsal. Mika immediately recognized the raven-haired girl as the same one who had bothered her while she had been working a few months earlier.
She would never forget the strange encounter with the woman who had claimed that she could see spirits and could talk to them too. "There's one following you," the woman had told her. "She's evil."
She instantly ducked down when she saw the waitress leading the dancer in her direction. Her phone roared as it vibrated across the table and chirped loudly. She cursed, diving for the loud device to check her text messages while trying her hardest to remain inconspicuous.
FROM: KURAMA MINAMINO (CELL). 5:30 PM.
Yes, that's fine. Thank you! :-)
She was about to respond to the message when footsteps stopped at her table and the smell of vanilla perfume mixed with a soft hint of musk filled her nostrils.
"Don't try to hide from me. I can see you right there, Mika."
The young woman raised her eyes from the phone in her hand and glared at the dancer. The brunette woman's pale lips were turned down into a deep frown, and her unsettling pink eyes stared squarely at Mika completely unabashed.
"What is it that you want?" Mika couldn't help but snap at her.
"Ma'am, your table?" the waitress interrupted tentatively, nervously biting on her bottom lip. Her black eyes bounced back and forth from the two woman's faces.
"I'll sit over there," the brunette said as she pointed to a small table beside the window. "I just want water as a drink."
"Alright," the waitress said as she ran off, desperate to escape the argument that was threatening to break out.
The woman's bright eyes trailed after the waitress before she turned her gaze to Mika. Her lips were stretched into a tightlipped scowl.
"I'm only offering help to you," she spat.
"Who offers help without wanting some form of payment?"
"Fine! Maybe I do want something from you! I want to know what the hell happened to my sister!" she said as she slammed her palms down on the table. "That thing that's following you got her! I want to find out what that thing is."
"You're crazy."
"I'm not. I see you around town sometimes. She follows you whenever you're at you're weakest. Whenever you're sad, or angry, or lonely-any dark feelings- that's when she latches onto you."
Mika grabbed her mug and, with a shaking hand, brought it to her lips. She kept her mouth shut and listened reluctantly as the woman continued.
"I don't know what she does to people. Hell, I don't even know exactly what she is, but I need to find my sister. And I'm positive that that thing following you knows exactly where she is."
"Is she following me now?" she questioned as she glanced around herself, sarcasm dripping off her every word. "If she is, I don't see her."
"Of course you can't see her!" the woman scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "If you were stalking someone would you want them to see you? Don't be stupid."
"Stupid?" she growled out as she slammed her mug down on the table in irritation, "You're the one who's stupid, Crazy!"
"I have a name y'know!" the woman snapped at her, "Its Tsuki."
"Alright then, Tsuki!" she said, putting emphasis on the name, "I think you should-"
The chiming of bells rang announcing the arrival of yet another customer. Mika's eyes shot up to the entrance. When she saw who it was approaching her, she felt relief spread through her body. Kurama smiled at her before he turned to chat with the waitress that greeted him. Both women's faces were flushed pink from their argument but they immediately quieted down as Mika waved stiffly at him and Tsuki's regarded him with a thoughtful frown.
"You like him, don't you?" she asked. When her question went unanswered, she nodded and continued. "It makes perfect sense, y'know. He makes you happy and all that darkness around you slithers away."
Mika irritated whipped her head in the dancer's direction and she snapped at her. "What?"
"I see you with him sometimes. You pass by my dance studio on the way to work." Tsuki said as she backed away from the table as the redheaded fox slowly approached them. "Stay close to him. She can't drain you when your heart is full of happiness. It will prevent her from getting to you."
Mika opened her mouth to say something else, but the woman had already turned on her heel and stalked off to her table. She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling even more stressed than before. Kurama collapsed in the seat across from her with a sigh. She laughed when she realized that he was doing the same thing as her, running his hands through his bangs.
"Are you copying me, Kurama?" she questioned.
"Maybe," he grinned at her, his voice teasing and filled with amusement. "Who was that girl?"
"Some crazy chick," Mika's lips twisted in a frown. "Don't worry about it."
"Crazy, huh?" he repeated, his voice sly as he leaned forward on his elbow. "She's cute."
"What?" Mika said in disbelief, her eyebrows colliding together as she followed his gaze. "No way."
Tsuki was now settled at her table, and she was bent over the same manila folder that Mika recalled her having the last time they had met. Her hand flew across the page at a furious pace, but she suddenly stopped writing and her bright eyes rose to meet Mika's. It almost as if she knew that they were looking. Mika let out a squeak and hurriedly turned back around while Kurama just looked amused and smiled at the dancer.
"Stop looking at her," she hissed. "You're encouraging her to come over."
The redhead just let out an amused chuckle as he turned her brilliant eyes to observe Mika's face carefully. "Maybe I want her to come over here."
"Well, do it after I leave!"
"Why? Are you jealous, perhaps?" he teased as he reached out to flick her in the forehead.
"Of course not!" Mika's face reddened in slight anger as she slapped his hand away. "If you want to pick up crazy girls, then that's your choice. But I don't want to be kidnapped and killed."
"Now you're the one acting like a crazy girl."
"Be quiet," she rolled her eyes as she balled up her napkin and then threw it at his face.
"Well, if it makes you feel better..." he let out a laugh as he caught the napkin in mid-air."I think you're a lot cuter," he finished before he tossed it back at her, striking her dead in the face.
And he really meant it. As he stared at her face, he couldn't help but realize how wrong he had been earlier. Mika wasn't just beautiful; she was gorgeous. She had changed so much in such a short amount of time that it was hard for him to believe that she was the same sickly woman that he had met half a year ago in an abandoned cabin.
"Stop teasing me, Kurama." Mika demanded, and she could feel her face burning up in embarrassment. She looked away from him and reluctantly turned to face him again when he tapped her hand.
"I'm not teasing you," he said, a sincere smile stretched across his face. "I don't understand why you don't see it either."
She was about to respond when a waiter sauntered over, a bright smile on his face. He held a tray of food high above his head and gracefully lowered it onto the table. The two smiled at the man as he passed out the food and offered them more drinks. When the waiter finally left, Mika turned to face her friend with a small frown.
"Thanks, Kurama," she said as she stared down at the plate of food in front of her. "That's really nice of you to say."
He smiled at her as he stole her mug of hot chocolate and took a sip. She smacked his hand lightly, and he laughed.
"So you said that Kuwabara and Yusuke were distracting you," she said, starting up a casual conversation as they began to eat. "What were those two idiots bothering you about now? A new mission?"
Mika quirked a brow as Kurama deliberately took his time to chew his food. His eyes met hers for a split-second before he averted his gaze to his plate. He seemed to be thinking about her question, and she knew by the way he was buying himself time that he was choosing his words very carefully. This meant that he was hiding something from her. And she was having none of that.
"Oh, stop it Kurama," she sighed.
"Stop what?"
"You're hiding something," she grinned at him.
He frowned at her, "I've nothing to hide."
"You and I both know that that is utter bullshit," she said as she set down her fork, "I know you better than anyone else. Now spill it, Red!"
He grimaced at his nickname. "Fine, Mimi." He seemed satisfied when she frowned at the pet name. "Yusuke and Kuwabara were bothering me about attending the Christmas Eve Party that their school was throwing."
"Oh... that," Mika said in a low voice.
Of course. She had been so preoccupied with her argument with Tsuki that she had completely forgotten about the whole situation. She felt awkward as he stared at her, almost urging her to keep up her end of the conversation.
"Oh... so are you going?" she questioned as she pushed the food on her plate back and forth with her fork.
"I wasn't planning on it," he replied swiftly causing her to nod stiffly. "But I'm still considering it. What about you?"
"I wasn't going to go," she admitted. "But Yukina guilt-tripped me into going."
He let out a laugh and shook his head, "No one can say 'no' to Yukina."
"Hah, you're tellin' me."
They both fell into a rare awkward silence as they continued to eat; the only sounds were the quiet chattering of other customers and the clinking of silverware and glasses. They continued that way for the next couple of minutes, their silent dining interrupted by their waiter who offered them more beverages.
"No, thank you," Mika smiled at him.
"I'm fine," Kurama said in his most gentlemanly voice, "Thank you."
The waiter nodded before he spun on his heel and scurried away to please his other awaiting customers. Mika peered up at Kurama through her messy bangs. He wasn't looking at her; his eyes were focused on the food in front of him as he carefully cut up his food.
She let out a small sigh as she took in his features. He was impeccably handsome with a clean-shaven face free of blemishes. His eyes... damn, those eyes! Kurama's eyes were as bright as emerald stones yet ancient at the same time filled with wisdom way beyond his years. Her eyes followed the nearly invisible X-shaped scar on his left cheek. He was tall and a long-limbed yet graceful and in tip-top shape. She had been one of the very few women in the world to experience the honor-no, the pleasure- of seeing him without a shirt. Hell, she had even felt his muscles before! But, not only was he mind-blowing handsome, he was also the loveliest person she had ever met before. He always seemed eager, even pleased, to speak with her even if it were just small talk about nothing. He was always impossibly kind to her even when she didn't deserve it. She loved being around him, and she loved being able to make him smile. She just wanted him to be around forever. She had never felt this close to another person before.
But she knew that the situation at hand was a very delicate one. She chewed on her food slowly, allowing herself for the first time to reflect deeply on the possibilities. She wanted him to ask her to the dance so that they could get this over with yet at the same time she didn't want him to. She was so mixed up and confused that she didn't understand what was really happening. She remembered what it felt like to be in love, and she missed it dearly. She missed how her old lover used to make her feel. It would be so easy to just let her guard down and let herself fall in love with Kurama. But she didn't want to fall in love with him. She didn't even want to go to the dance with him. She feared that she would prove everyone to be right, and quite frankly, the thought of their friendship evolving to something more downright frightened her. What if it ended up all wrong? But then again... what if it ended up all right?
She felt a giggly grin spread across her face as a fantasy began to take over her mind. Kurama seemed to feel a pair of eyes on him because he looked up and met her gaze, a curious look spreading across his face. She could feel the heat rush up from her neck and sting her ears, and she dropped her eyes to the plate of food in front of her. She could hear him chuckle slightly which caused her to peek up at him again. He just smiled kindly at her, his beautiful eyes filled with amusement and compassion.
Kurama couldn't help himself as he took a good hard look at the woman who sat across the table from him. Maybe he was the one being an idiot. Maybe Yusuke and Kuwabara did have a point. If everyone else could see the obvious attraction between them, why didn't he? If someone told him to come up with a list with all the positive attributes about her, he honestly wouldn't know where to begin. She was kind. She was certainly a beauty. Loyal. Caring. Honest. She had a beautiful laugh that reminded him of bells. She always knew how to make him smile... She was just perfect. There were no flaws in his mind when it came to her. He loved to be around her. She was the only one that really and truly understood him. He was able to discuss with her some of the things that he was afraid to talk to Hiei about. He was always afraid that his friends would think he was weak, but he never worried about her judging him. And he thought about her all the time. He was always worried about her wellbeing even when he knew that she was perfectly fine. The thought of losing her-his best friend-was too much to bear.
That's how one is supposed to feel about someone they loved... right? That was how they described it in the books and movies. But he still was uncertain. He didn't think that he'd ever really felt this way before, not even his old girlfriend Maya.
"You know you've got the hots for Mika!"
He watched as Mika looked away from him again, and he licked his lips as he searched for something to say.
"Just come to the dance and bring Mika as your date!"
"Girls like her don't stay single for long."
"You better get her while you can before another guy snatches her up."
Kurama frowned at the voices nagging him in his head, and he forced out the words. "I heard from Yusuke that you're supposed to bring a date to the dance."
"You heard right," she answered as she kept her eyes down on the plate. She was currently terrorizing the vegetables on her plate, mashing them up with her fork and smearing the remains across the rim of the plate.
"Are you going with anyone?" he questioned. "A co-worker, perhaps?"
Mika could feel her face getting warmer by the moment, "No. I don't have a date yet. Actually, I don't think I'm going to bring one at all."
"Why not?"
"Because who in their right mind would take me to the dance?"
"Well, according to what you said then every straight male in this world must be insane. I guarantee you every man in this diner would love to take you to the dance," he said before he added quietly, "Myself included."
"So," she felt awkward. In the back of her mind she knew just exactly what he was hinting at, but her brain felt like it had exploded under his gaze as he stared her down. "What are you trying to say, Kurama?"
"Will you go to the dance with me Mika? As my date?"
Her fork clattered noisily to her plate, and he was caught off guard. He became flustered and immediately backtracked. "I-I mean, it's alright if you don't want to. I just thought that it might be fun, and we can always just go as-"
"N-No," she forced the words out of her mouth as her face turned a blazing red. "I-I would love to go to the dance with you. As your d-date. It'll be fun."
"If it isn't then you owe me the money that it cost to rent a tux," he joked, trying to sooth the awkwardness.
She let out a laugh as relief spread through her body. She looked up at him and saw that his eyes were bright with a mix of relief and excitement. He reached out and shoved her shoulder playfully, and she smacked his arm and smiled at him.
"It will be."
~.~.~.~.~.~
"Mika!"
Mika whipped her head around in the direction that her name was called. She smiled at Roz who was waving her over frantically. She held her finger up, silently telling her to wait a moment before she turned back to the customers that she was serving.
It was Wednesday afternoon, and the restaurant was buzzing with unusual activity. They had attracted a couple more customers that week, and she was doing her best to keep up with all her tables even though she was exhausted. They couldn't afford any bad reviews after all.
A few more hours, she thought as she placed the tab down on the table in front of her, and my shift is over. Ugh... dress shopping is next. Damn it!
She watched as the head of the party signed on the line, and she smiled when he handed the check back to her. She bowed her head respectfully and recited her lines, "Thank you, sir. I hope that you enjoyed your meal and have a good day!"
When the family seated at the table gave her their thanks, she spun on her heel and hurried towards her friend who was impatiently bouncing up and down.
"What's up?" she questioned curiously.
"Wuan told me that there's a huge fight going on right now backstage!"
"What? Between who?"
"The band and the owner! They've been at it for five minutes now!"
"This is ridiculous! What are they fighting about?"
"Well, someone says that it's about money. But others have heard that-"
A loud crash cut off Roz's sentence and both girls whipped their heads in the direction of the distraction. The curtains on the stage were thrown open slightly as several people stormed out from backstage.
"Wait!" a young woman called out as she ran after the man who was now angrily adjusting the messenger bag on his shoulder. "C'mon, we can work something out if you just-"
Mika recognized the man who had stormed out from the curtain to be the band's pianist, and the man and woman who followed behind him to be Mr. Takeda, the owner of the cafe and Yuri, the lead singer of the band.
"No! I am sick of this!" the man yelled as he whirled around and glared at Yuri, "You idiots can stay here if you want! But, I am leaving!"
"But who's going to play the piano?" Takeda questioned in a pleading voice, "Next week is the Christmas festival. I need you to play!"
"Yeah, and I need to pay my rent! Hopefully you'll find someone else!" he said as he stormed through the middle of the restaurant, nearly running into the busy waiters and customers. "Because I quit!"
"Shit... that's not good," Roz whispered to Mika who nodded in agreement.
"What am I going to do?" Takeda roared as he and the woman retreated back towards the stage, "Where am I going to find someone who can play the piano on such short notice?"
"Mika!" Roz breathed as she turned to grin at her friend. She bounced up and down, her shaggy ebony hair falling into her eyes.
The silverette immediately caught on and began to shake her head frantically, "No, no, no! Absolutely not, Roz!"
"Why not?" the woman whined, "You can play!"
"And you can play too!"
"Ummm... hello? Yeah, I can play but not as good as you! It takes me forever to learn how to play a new piece but you catch on so quickly!"
Mika chewed her bottom lip as she shook her head. "No."
"Mika, do you realize that if Mr. Takeda doesn't get someone to play then we could possibly lose our jobs? The live band is the main thing that attracts the most customers right now. And if we lose too many customers then we're all screwed."
"I know."
"So take one for the team and play! It'll only be temporary until they can find someone to replace you! Please, Mika? Pretty please?"
Mika let out a sigh as she slapped her palm against her face. "Oh, fine! I'll do it. Are you happy now?"
"Ecstatic! C'mon, let's go tell Mr. Takeda!" Roz chirped as she dragged the reluctant woman towards the stage.
~.~.~.~.~
"So you'd be willing to play for the band until we can convince Rei to come back?"
Mika sat cross-legged on the stage floor across from Yuri and Mr. Takeda. Roz was poking her head in through the curtain, making funny faces at her and disappearing when someone noticed her. Several other members of the band loitered around backstage: two tuned their instruments in preparation for their rehearsal; one sat on top of the piano taking a long drag from a cigarette; and two other leaned against the wall chattering quietly.
She grit her teeth as she caught the eyes of her friend before she smiled at Yuri. "Yes, I'll play for you until you can find a replacement."
"You have no idea how thankful we are, Mika," Mr. Takeda sighed in relief, "You've saved me the pain of trying to find a pianist last minute. Will you be willing to play in the Christmas festival too if we can't find someone?"
"Ummm... I'm sorry, but I've already made plans with friends on Christmas Eve."
"A party?" the man beside her questioned, and when she nodded, he continued, "What time does it start? Could you just come before if I adjust the schedule?"
"I can try," she shrugged. "But I can't promise anything."
"Don't worry," Yuri smiled, "I'm pretty sure we can get Rei to come back or find a replacement by then. But we definitely need someone to play all next week because we've got word that some very important people in the jazz music industry are planning to come check this place out. They help plan the Annual Jazz Festival downtown."
"Really?"
"Yes," Mr. Takeda answered with a nervous smile, "If we manage to please them, it's very likely that we can receive a generous donation since we are one of the only places downtown that has live jazz music."
"Well, I'll definitely help if it means that it'll help the restaurant," Mika said as she shook her head. "I don't want this place to be shut down."
"Well, this is what we can do. Instead of working all the rest of this week, I'd like you to learn all the songs and rehearse with the band in the afternoons. I will give your shift to someone else." Mr. Takeda said, "Next week, you will perform each night except for Saturday because that is Christmas Day. We will be closed."
"That sounds fine," Mika nodded. "It shouldn't take me too long to learn the songs."
"That's great. But, first..." Yuri said as she pulled herself up from the floor and helped the silverette up. "Let's hear you play that piano, girl!"
~.~.~.~.~
"Hey, bitch!"
Mika frowned at Shizuru as she climbed into the backseat of her car. She slammed the door shut behind her and took a seat next to Yukina who greeted her with a sweet smile. Keiko grinned at her from the passenger seat next to the eldest Kuwabara sibling.
"I'm not a bitch, Shizuru," the silverette replied, "You are."
Shizuru peered into the mirror to stare at Mika, her lips twisted into a grin. "Oh really? Now remember who is driving. I can toss your ass out right now, missy!"
Mika let out a laugh as she kicked the back of the brunette's seat, "Where's Botan?"
"Botan is going to meet us at the dress shop," Yukina explained with a smile. "Prince Koenma needed her to run a few errands."
"It sucks for her," Shizuru sighed as she peeled out of the parking lot with a loud squeal of the tires. "Koenma has her running around all day. Can't that poor girl ever catch a break?"
"Apparently not," Mika sighed as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass.
Today had been such a crazy day. She had spent the rest of her shift backstage with the band learning and practicing several songs. Her fingers ached and felt tight from all of the playing. She had managed to memorize one of the five songs that she needed to learn. At the rate they were going, she would have all the songs down and memorized just in time for the performance at the festival.
The car ride was uneventful and quiet. Keiko and Shizuru murmured quietly in the front seats about the upcoming shopping spree. Beside her, Yukina's head swayed as she hummed along to the song playing softly through the speakers. Mika let out a sigh as she pulled the elastic band out of her hair so that she could tighten her ponytail that had come loose. Keiko peered in the front mirror and caught sight of her fussing with her hair.
"Why do you always tie your hair back?" she questioned as she flipped through the radio stations. "If my hair was as long as yours I'd be swinging it everywhere."
"Trust me," Mika replied as she flicked her long locks behind her back, "When your hair is long, it gets annoying."
"Why don't you just cut your hair off already and donate it?" Shizuru laughed as she turned into the shopping center's parking lot with a wild swerve, causing the two in the backseat to squeal as they slid in their seats.
"Shizuru, please be careful!" Yukina cried out as she sat up; her knuckles were bone white as she clutched the handle above her seat to keep herself steady.
"Yeah! Are you trying to kill us?" Mika questioned as she pulled herself upright.
"Maybe," the brunette grinned as she slid the car into a parking space with ease. "Let's go and find some dresses, girls!"
The group of girls quickly climbed out of the car and hurried across the crowded lot, carefully watching the traffic zooming impatiently past them. The bells overhead jingled as they pushed through the boutique's glass doors alerting anyone who heard it to their entrance.
A woman who looked to be in her mid-forties sat behind a marble top counter. Her head snapped up and turned to observe the group of woman who filed in through the door. Nearby the counter, a familiar blue haired girl lounged in a plush chair reading a magazine. She glanced up and smiled at her friends.
"Hey girls!" she greeted them with a bright smile.
The woman's face remained stoic as she watched the girls exchange a round of hugs and giggly compliments. She just tapped her fingers in a steady yet impatient rhythm against the marble countertop. Mika turned to smile at the woman but she could feel the expression melting from her face as the woman stared at her blankly.
"May I help you?" she questioned as the group of girls gathered in a tight huddle in front of her.
"Yes," Shizuru said. "We'd like to look at your party dresses."
The woman nodded as she climbed out of her seat. She pulled a curtain back and motioned for the girls to step through. She swept past them gracefully and led them through the large studio. Mika looked around herself in awe as she trailed behind. The studio was stylishly decorated with deep brown wooden floors that were glossy and the walls were painted a deep plum color. Mannequins lined the walls dressed in exquisite dresses that Mika imagined only princesses and celebrities could afford.
"You know what I've always wondered?" Shizuru said aloud as they followed the woman around a corner.
"What is it?" Yukina questioned curiously.
"Why do we girls have to buy our dresses but guys rent their tuxes?"
Keiko grinned at the eldest Kuwabara sibling, "Because guys always get the easier end of things."
"Ma'am?" Shizuru said aloud to catch the woman's attention. The clerk stopped in her tracks and turned to face Shizuru. "Is there any way that we could rent a dress instead of buying?"
Mika's mouth fell open when the woman let out a cackle as she turned to keep walking. The group of girls exchanged looks as they all hurried to keep up with the woman.
"I was being serious," Shizuru said quietly as they continued on their way.
"Here are all the party dresses," the woman said as she spread her arms to emphasize her point. "We do not rent out dresses, ma'am. What a stupid question to ask. If you require assistance, just press the button on the wall and the seamstress will come help you."
When the woman turned to walk away, all four girls pounced on top of Shizuru who was getting ready to reach out and grab onto the woman's long hair.
"I'd like to punch her button!" the brunette hissed through clenched teeth as she watched the woman retreat around the corner oblivious to the murderous glares being sent her way.
"Shizuru," Yukina sighed. "Please, calm down!"
"I'm sorry, but I hate people like her!" Shizuru huffed, "They're so rude and snooty like they've always got a huge stick up their ass. All I asked was a question."
"We know," Botan said in a soothing voice as they all strolled over to the racks of dresses. "We know."
"So what colors are you guys thinking for your dresses?" Keiko questioned as she began to push through the crowded racks which were filled with a wild rainbow of different fabrics.
"I was thinking that I would wear blue," Yukina said softly as she ran her fingers over the cloth of a pale dress. "It's my favorite color."
"Black for me," Shizuru grinned. "Preferably very short and strapless. Tight too."
"Whore!" Botan shouted with a smile.
"You know it, babe!" the woman barked out a laugh.
"Please wear something school appropriate, Shizuru. I don't want you to get kicked out." Keiko shook her head. "I was thinking something a nice lavender color."
"I'm trying to stick to the winter scheme, so I was thinking a silver dress," Botan said.
"What about this?" Mika grimaced at the garish dress on the rack. It was as bright as a disco ball glinting in the sun and was heavily embellished at the top. She pulled it out, and she held it up and waved it high in the air for her friends to see. "This dress should be illegal to wear. You could blind someone if you wanted to- it's definitely a weapon."
"Definitely," Botan agreed. "We should report that to the fashion police."
The girls giggled as Mika shoved the dress back amongst all the others on the rack. "I don't know what color I should wear," she admitted as she clucked her tongue in irritation. "I hate shopping."
"You're so weird!" Keiko said.
"I know."
Botan stared at the silver haired woman for a moment, her expression thoughtful before she smiled. "Red."
"Red?" Mika questioned incredulously.
"Definitely. You need to look...dramatic and sexy," the deity said with a sharp nod before her lips spread into a catlike grin.
"It needs to be short," Shizuru added. "You never show off those pretty legs of yours!"
"It needs to be tight too," Keiko grinned.
"And it should have a bow!" Yukina chimed in, her face slightly flushed with excitement. When she realized that everyone had turned to stare at her, she blushed even harder. "Or... or-"
"No! Yukina, that's perfect!" Botan snapped her fingers. "I can see it!"
"But you just called Shizuru a whore for the same type of dress!" Mika protested, trying her best to get herself out of this situation. "I'd like a long dress, preferably one with built-in pants and long sleeves."
"Stop being silly!" Shizuru laughed. "It's okay to look like a whore from time to time."
"You've got to dress to impress," Botan added.
"But I'm not trying to impress anyone."
"Don't you want to look nice for Kurama, Mika dear?" Yukina questioned.
She could feel her face heating up as all the girls stared at her with knowing smiles. She let out a huff before she yelled, "No!"
"Well, I don't care what you say, Mika." Keiko bounced up and down as she crossed the room, "We've got to find that dress!"
~.~.~.~.~
"Are you two done yet? Come out so we can see!"
Mika let out a deep sigh as she frowned at her reflection in the mirror. She slowly rotated this way and that way, staring at her body disdainfully. She pinched the sides of the dress and pulled at it a bit in an effort to make it a bit looser, but it was to no avail. The red fabric snapped back into place and remained snug against her overheated skin.
It was just her luck. She had hoped-hell, she even got down on her knees and prayed- as the seamstress and girls scavenged that they wouldn't find a dress. And if they did find a dress, she hoped that they wouldn't be able to find it in her size. But as everyone knows, poor Mika doesn't have good luck.
They found the damned thing.
She pulled at the dress more before she let out frustrated whine and wrapped her hands around her stomach. She had put on a significant amount of weight over the course of the year- so much that she was only a two measly pounds away from what was her ideal weight. The doctors as well as her friends were surprised at how quickly she had gained the weight. The zinc supplements that they had prescribed to them definitely did its job. It made her so crazy hungry at times that she ate like a pig. But even though she was eating a lot, the doctors still were surprised but then assumed that it was because her body was so desperate for nutrients that it quickly processed them and packed on the pounds.
She had only relapsed twice; the last time being early in November. Those two times were when she was feeling down in the dumps. Both times she had been extremely stressed out from work and felt extremely lonely from the days of isolation from her friends. She could clearly recall the look of disappointment on Kurama's face and the frustration in Hiei's when they realized that she hadn't been taking care of herself. After that she quickly got back on her routine, motivated by her discontent with her own failure and her friends' disappointment with her. So far it had worked.
"Mika, do you have the dress on yet?"
"Yes," she called out. "I'll be out in a minute."
She let out another sigh as she readjusted her bra strap that was beginning to dig into her shoulders. One bonus about putting on a bit of weight was that her breasts had gotten bigger. This was nice because her friends' jokes about her being as flat as a surfboard no longer held any veracity. The downside? Her chest ached, and she had to buy new bras at least one a month because she'd quickly grow out of them.
She had been in an 'okay' mood after work, but now as she started at her appearance in the bright dress and critised herself, she felt her mood slowly sliding down the drain. She reached out and turned the handle on the door behind her before she stepped out of the dressing room. She noticed that the room across from hers had been abandoned, and she realized that Yukina was probably already out modeling her dress. She peeked around the corner to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
"Yukina, you look gorgeous!"
Yukina blushed and smiled shyly as she stood on the raised platform. The seamstress kneeled at the ice maiden's feet, examining the hem of the dress with a sharp eye. She reached into the box beside her and withdrew a pair of scissors and snipped off a nearly invisible thread that had been out of place. She then stood up and yanked Yukina to face her so she could examine the pearl beading on the bodice and the soft blue fabric.
"My dresses are perfection," she cooed when she finished her examination. "Will you buy it?"
"What do you all think?" Yukina questioned as she faced her friends who were sitting and already dressed in their street clothes. "I like it a lot."
"You should definitely get that one," Keiko smiled. "It looks so adorable on you!"
"We'll take it!" Botan grinned, "Now we've got one more dress to look at."
Mika shrank away from the wall as her friends began to call her name loudly. She wished that she could run back inside the dressing room and lock herself in there forever. She did not feel comfortable with herself at all. Her appearance disgusted her. And she certainly didn't want everyone to stare at her in this tight-ass dress that made all her flaws obvious-like her wide hips, her knobby knees, and manly calves- and feed her false compliments in a desperate effort to inflate her nonexistent ego.
"Mika! C'mon, let's see the dress!"
She let out a sigh as she stepped out from her hiding place behind the wall. She kept her eyes on her feet as she hurried quickly into the room. She heard all the gasps around her and she could feel her face beginning to burn in embarrassment.
"Mika, you look gorgeous!" Keiko smiled as she clapped her hands.
She looked up and could see mixed expressions on her friend's faces. Yukina and Keiko were all smiles as they examined her. But Botan and Shizuru looked as if they had seen a ghost. Their faces were twisted with horror and what seemed to be... fear? She swallowed, turning her eyes away from them. They didn't have to stare at her like that. If they didn't like the dress, they could just kindly hint at it and help her find a more conservative outfit-preferably something all black with pants.
"You like?" the seamstress questioned from behind her as she grabbed onto the material and hitched it up higher on her body. "The bottom needs to be higher up. What are you trying to do? Pull it to the floor?"
"You don't like it, Mika dear?" Yukina questioned as she noticed the insecure expression on her friend's face.
The seamstress's face was empty as she led Mika up the small steps to the platform, but the silverette could sense the waves of insult and anger rolling off of the woman. Mika bit her lip, and felt uncomfortable as the woman yanked once more on her arm. She shrugged.
"But you look lovely. Just look in the mirror, Mika!"
Mika reluctantly turned her eyes to the mirror in front of her, but what she saw caused her to gasp in fear. She observed her face- her eyes bulging with absolute terror and her mouth open in mid-scream. But that's not what scared her.
The woman behind her did.
She seemed to be made out of smoke; her body evidently transparent. Her dark eyes were narrowed into an evil glare and her blood-red lips stretched into a smile so sinister than it sent shivers down Mika's spine. Leathery angel wings as dark as the midnight sky protruded from the mirror woman's back. Long spidery arms that were as pale as death were wrapped around Mika's waist as if she were pulling her closer to her. Tendrils of dark smoke weaved its way through the air, coiling and writhing around their bodies like deadly cobras.
Mika felt her blood run cold in her veins as she realized that this was her. This was the face, the voice, the sinister spirit that followed her. This woman was the one who plagued her sleep. She was the one who whispered those sweet yet crude things in her ears late at night long after she had entered the realm of dreams. She didn't have to ask for a name. It came to her lips as if she had already known.
Akumei.
"I see you," the woman mouthed, her lips spreading into a feral grin.
"Mika, are you alright?"
Mika hesitantly turned to look at Yukina who regarded her with concern. She nodded her head before she turned to face the mirror once again. The ghost was gone. The woman could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and could feel goose bumps creeping up her arms. She couldn't stay here. She had to go-now.
"Do you like the dress?" Keiko questioned, "If not, we can try and find another one."
"No, no!" Mika squeaked as she tried her best to calm herself down. She needed to be convincing. She forced the biggest smile she could muster before she peering into the mirror, running her hands down the sides of her body in false admiration. "I love it! Let's get this one."
Honestly, she didn't give a damn about the dress right now. She didn't even care about the dance. All she wanted was to go home where she knew she'd be safe from whatever was following her.
"What's wrong with you two?" Keiko questioned as she stared at Shizuru and Botan who had fell uncharacteristically silent.
"I'm fine," Shizuru said before she shakily reached down to pick up her purse to dig through it.
"N-Nothing," Botan tittered as she jumped up from where she was sitting. Her amethyst eyes were wide as she turned to the seamstress. "We'll take that one too."
"Certainly," the woman nodded as she shooed Mika and Yukina towards the dressing rooms so that they could change. "Hurry up so I can ring those up."
Mika brushed past Yukina silently, and she opened the dressing room with a shaky hand. She didn't dare to peer inside the mirror again and she turned to face the wall. She hurriedly squeezed out of the tight dress and changed into her normal clothes before she dashed out of the dressing room. She skidded to a stop as she nearly collided into the seamstress who was waiting in the narrow hall. The woman perked an eyebrow in curiosity as Mika shoved the dress into her hands before she swept past her and into the studio.
She looked around the room. Keiko was no where to be found, and Shizuru and Botan whispering beside a mannequin. She approached them slowly, and they stopped talking when they saw her.
"Hey, Mika," Botan greeted her in a tense voice. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah," she said as she forced a smile. "Thanks and I'm sorry about all the money you're spending on me, Botan. I'll pay you back once I get my next check."
"Don't worry about it, Mika," the pilot just smiled kindly at her and waved away the apology, "It's not a big deal."
She just nodded, not bothering to press the matter because she knew in the end that Botan would win. Botan and Shizuru began to make small talk beside her while Keiko strolled into the room, the brightly colored cell phone in her hand chirping urgently. Mika watched as the brunette flipped open her phone and began to type away on the keypad.
She moved over to the couch, keeping her eyes away from the mirror and flopped down. She snuck another peek at Botan and Shizuru, and she couldn't help but feel as if the girls had been talking about her when she had come in. Their behavior was so strange, and when she had stood in front of them in her dress they looked just as frightened as she did. It was almost as if they had seen a-
No! She thought, her eyes as wide as saucers. Did they see her too?
As she thought about it, it made sense. Botan was the Grim Reaper and she escorted spirits to the next world. She also remembered that Shizuru had explained to her that she had an abnormal amount of spiritual energy that gave her the ability to see ghosts and spirits. It only made sense that they saw the woman as well.
She began to consider confronting the two girls about the matter when an ice cold hand came down on her shoulder. She jumped in fear, and when she whirled around she saw that it was only Yukina.
The ice maiden blushed and gave her a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry, Mika. Did I frighten you?"
"Just a bit," she let out a shaky laugh as she willed her frantic heart to stop beating so wildly.
"I'm sorry," Yukina apologized to her as she helped the woman off the couch before she handed Mika her forgotten bag. "I didn't mean to."
"It's alright," she responded with a small smile.
"Are you alright?" she questioned as they strolled across the room to join the huddle of girls, "You seem tense. Botan and Shizuru are acting strange as well."
"I'm fine," she answered, "I'm just a bit tired."
Yukina opened her mouth to speak, but Botan's shrill voice cut through the conversation.
"Alright, girls!" the deity chirped as she clapped her hands together. "We've got our dresses and now it's time to go look for shoes and jewelry!"
Mika let out a loud groan causing all of her friends to let out a collective laugh. Keiko latched onto the woman's wrist and began to pull her forward as they moved en mass out of the room and down the halls.
"It won't be that bad," the brunette smiled, "I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Keiko," Mika responded flatly, an agitated look taking over her angular features.
"Well," Botan's amethyst eyes regarded her thoughtfully, "How about afterwards we go get ice cream?"
There was a murmur of approval throughout the small huddle of girls. Mika just nodded quietly. Ice cream sounded nice, but she doubted that ice cream would soothe her worries. Maybe a nice shot of strong tequila would...
She let out a soft sigh which went unnoticed with all the laughter and clattering of high-heels against the wooden floors that swelled around her. They entered the front room where the clerk was waiting with the seamstress. A pile of plastic bags stretched across the length of the marble topped counter, and the clerk began to talk with Botan about the price.
Yukina and Keiko stood nearby chattering quietly, and Shizuru was focused intently on the cell phone in her hand. She let out a sigh as she looked around for something to distract her mind from the problems bothering her. Her hands shook as she reached into her pocket for her own phone. She fumbled with the device for a few minutes before she sighed and slipped it into her purse.
"Thank you!" Botan's voice called out. "Girls, grab your dresses so we can get this show on the road! We're on a schedule here!"
There was a flurry of confused activity as the girls crowded around the counter trying to find their rightful outfits. Mika grabbed hers from the pile and frowned down at the dress that sat innocently in its bag. She turned to follow the girls out the store when something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She turned and found herself staring straight into the depths of her own reflection.
She breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized that everything was the way it was supposed to be. Just to be sure, she reached up and touched her face. It was her, alright. And it was only her. There was no ghost beside her. There were no tendrils of darkness curling around her.
It was only her.
"It's yours for five dollars."
Mika turned in the direction of the voice. The clerk sat at her place behind the counter, her eyes staring intently at her. She jabbed a pudgy finger at the golden mirror hanging on the wall in front of Mika.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't catch that."
"Would you like to buy that as well?" she sneered.
"What?" Mika questioned, perking an eyebrow. "The mirror?"
"Yes," the woman said as she rolled her eyes, "Appearances aren't everything, you know. Did you get so distracted by your own beauty that you didn't even realize that your friends have left?"
"I-I'm sorry, I-"
"Just go," she scowled before she added under her breath, "Girls these days..."
Mika frowned at the woman before she turned to sneak one more glance at her reflection before she spun on her heel and left the store, her bag swinging on her arm. She hurriedly crossed the road after double-checking that there were no cars coming in her direction.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt her head spinning. What the hell was going on here? She was so nervous that it felt like her stomach was doing flips inside her. She needed to sit down before she vomited-or worse-fainted.
"Hey, what took you so long?"
I should tell somebody, she thought but she couldn't even bring herself to open her mouth as she smiled at her friends who were already situated in the car.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she lied smoothly as she climbed into the backseat, "I was talking to the woman in the front."
Her friends seemed to accept the cover, and Shizuru quickly threw the car into reverse and backed out of their parking space. It didn't take long until they were speeding out of the lot with the radio on full blast. Her friends chattering and laughed loudly, their voices filled with excitement. She wanted to be just as excited as they were, and she wished that she could forget what had just happened but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She could almost feel Akumei's presence- a dark presence that weighed on her and it frightened her.
She wasn't lying... she repeated in her mind over and over again as the flashing lights of Tokyo zoomed past her in a blur. She isn't crazy.
Tsuki was telling the truth: Mika was being pursued by something. And that something was beyond her comprehension. And the clerk at the boutique was right: appearances weren't everything. But in Mika's book, the appearance of a ghost in the mirror was definitely something to be worried about. Especially when one was a prime suspect in a crime in a world that they didn't belong in, like she was. How would this look to Koenma if he found out? How would this look to Kurama? Suspicious things were going on and she was the center of all of them, and it couldn't be good.
It could not be good at all.