After what happened that morning, Kurama noticed that everyone in his school seemed to be more interested in him than usual. It was only to be expected, he reminded himself. Although he was quite sure Yusuke and Kuwabara could have taken Tadayo and his gang down in their sleep, they were considered the toughest of the tough at Kurama's school, and all of its rivals as well. Yet in less than a minute, Kurama had shown himself to be tougher, at least in the other students' eyes.

But in truth, Kurama didn't care about Tadayo or what became of his gang. What he cared about was whether Aratani and all the other girls would stop being bothered by them. Not that he ever thought Tadayo respected the fairer sex, but maybe he'd needed to be a girl to see how it really felt. The boys at school weren't hitting on him anymore, at least, for which he was thankful.

When lunchtime came, Kurama went out to eat his lunch on the steps in front of the school. Aratani joined him with a smile.

"How's it going?" she said. "Looking forward to the lab?"

"Sure," said Kurama. "I heard we get to do some great experiments today, even though we have that test first. Say, do you want to help me study? We can quiz each other."

"As if you need it, Sakura," she joked. "You've got the top scores in this entire school!"

There was a pause in the conversation; Kurama tried to stay focused on his sandwich, but he couldn't help but glance up at Aratani, eating a rice ball, her long curtain of black hair falling past her shoulders and halfway down her back, similar to the way Hiei's had before Shizuru cut it. He still felt a special sort of feeling when he saw her. She wasn't the prettiest or most popular girl in the school—technically, he supposed, both of those rankings now belonged to him. But they had interesting conversations, and most importantly, she was one of the kindest girls he had ever met.

How would it have been, he wondered, if he had actually pursued something romantic with her? He would never forget the way Roto had threatened his mother in the Dark Tournament. It wasn't the first time someone had done that, and he was certain it wouldn't be the last. He was equally certain that if he ever became anything more than friends with Aratani, she, too, would end up being used against him. Hiei had pointed out just last night that it happened to Keiko because of her connection with Yusuke—but then, he'd said it in opposition to Kurama's feelings on this subject, not in support. The risk was worth the reward, he said.

Kurama would never admit it to anyone, but he really did feel jealous of Yusuke and Keiko sometimes. Of what they had. Their love and devotion to each other, even if those feelings weren't completely sorted out yet, trumped their fears. Could he ever do the same? Was he missing out, just because he didn't want to leave things with Aratani to chance? Because he didn't want to put her in danger, the way his mother already was?

There had been times, during their lab work together, when Kurama could have sworn he felt sparks between them. When the conversation came to a halt and their eyes met, or his hand brushed up against hers, or even when he just observed her smiles, the way she walked, the kind things she did for other people…Aratani wasn't just intelligent. She also had a very kind heart. That was what Kurama noticed the most. What he liked the most. And he knew better than anyone else what kindness could do to help someone.

"Listen, Aratani," Kurama said, and she smiled again. She smiled so much. "Would you like to stay for dinner this Saturday?"

"Oh, I'd love to, but I can't," Aratani replied. "I'm going out to dinner with my boyfriend that night."

"Your boyfriend? I didn't know you had a—"

"There you are, my love!"

Kurama stared. It was none other than Yu Kaito, the boy who got the second-highest scores in the school, and was even better than Kurama when it came to literature. People said Kaito viewed Kurama as his academic rival, although Kurama didn't know how much of an academic rival someone could be if he'd never even spoken to them. But according to Yu Kaito, he and Kurama were the most bitter of academic rivals, and now they were apparently romantic rivals as well.

"Kaito, sweetheart!" Aratani cried, jumping up and kissing him on the cheek.

For about the millionth time since yesterday, Kurama was baffled by the realities of his female existence. It was a known fact that Aratani Fujisaki didn't have a boyfriend. And yet, in this insane, mixed-up, twisted alternate reality, she was dating Kaito, of all people?

"Come on, sit down with us, honey," Aratani said, leading him by the hand. "You've met Sakura, haven't you? She's my lab partner in Biology class. It's both of our favorite subject."

Kurama expected unpleasant treatment; Kaito never made any attempt to hide his envy of Kurama's academic ability. But in place of any snotty resentment, Kurama got a friendly smile. In fact, Kaito made direct eye contact without looking jealous at all.

"We've never met formally, but Sakura is famous in our school," he said, and Kurama was shocked to hear something like respect in his voice. "It's nice to finally speak to you, Sakura. How are things with you?"

"Fine," Kurama replied, his eyes searching Kaito's. What was going on here? According to Aratani, his grades hadn't suffered any, despite the switch. So why was Kaito being so nice?

"I heard what happened to you outside the school today," Kaito continued. "Are you all right?"

"Thanks to Sakura, we are," said Aratani.

"Tadayo and his gang are such heathens," Kaito said loftily. "But I must admit I'm surprised at you, Sakura. Is it true you threw Tadayo against a brick wall and gave him a concussion?"

"To be fair, I didn't know he was going to fly so far," said Kurama.

"Well, maybe he shouldn't have touched Sakura without permission," said Aratani. "You would never be such a pig, would you, Kaito?"

"Oh, no, never, my darling," said Kaito. "I respect girls and women."

"I love you, snuggle muffin," Aratani cooed, holding his hands.

"I love you more, kissy-wissy," said Kaito, giving them a passionate squeeze.

"I love you times one hundred, tickle bear!"

"I love you times one thousand!"

"I love you times one million!"

"I love you times—"

"Considering how high both of you can count," Kurama interrupted, cutting Kaito off, "I think it's best we call it a draw."

"If you say so." Kaito gave Aratani a wink, and she nearly collapsed into giggles. Kurama resisted the urge to slap himself across the face.

On the one hand, it was good that Aratani was seeing someone who treated her right. On the other hand, Kurama would have treated her right, too, so why couldn't her special someone be him? Well, he knew why it couldn't be him. Unlike Kaito (as far as he knew), Kurama was forever linked to death and destruction. But what he didn't understand was why Aratani was dating Kaito in this alternate reality, while she had been single in their old one.

"I'm going to go get us some dessert," Aratani said brightly. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Kurama waited until Aratani was out of earshot, then muttered to Kaito, "How did you ask her out?"

"I was tutoring her in the literary arts," Kaito replied snobbishly, apparently eager to retell the story. "Aratani is very good at science and math, but her writing skills tend to be somewhat lacking. After I was done reviewing her presentation, I asked her if she would like to go to dinner with me sometime, and she said yes. We've been a couple ever since."

"And when did this happen?"

"About a month ago."

"Wait a minute." Kurama's eyes widened. "Were you reviewing her mythology assignment? The one about divine punishment?"

"Why, yes!" Kaito looked as shocked as Kurama felt. "How did you know?"

"Because she told me about it…"

Yes, she had told him all about it. But not the same story.

"You know, Shuichi, the strangest thing happened the other day," Aratani said in an offhand way. Her eyes were focused on her lab work, but her voice prompted Kurama to ask more.

"Oh, really? What?"

"Yu Kaito," Aratani replied. "He was helping me out with that mythology report I'd been having trouble with, the one on divine punishment."

"Yes, I enjoyed that one very much."

Aratani beamed, then continued, "Well, he asked me out when we were done."

"What?" Kurama nearly dropped the beaker he was holding. "Kaito asked you to be his girlfriend?"

"Yep," said Aratani. "I turned him down, though."

She looked at him as though expecting him to ask why, but he didn't, as that would be rude. But he was a little curious.

"It's strange," Kurama told her with a smile. "I should have thought Kaito would be your type."

"Oh, I love smart guys," Aratani said. "And I love how Kaito advocates against violence. But I just didn't…feel anything. Saying yes would be like lying to him. I didn't want to lead him on."

"It's best to be honest," Kurama agreed. "I hope you find someone special, though."

"I wish the same for you," Aratani said softly, turning back to her work.

Kurama's eyes followed Aratani, his mouth open slightly, as she waited in line to buy desserts. How could he have missed it? How could he possibly have been so blind? If he was correct, and he was quite sure he was, Aratani liked him a whole lot more than he previously thought. That was why she hadn't said yes to Kaito. She'd passed him up because she was hoping to get an offer from someone she liked better. But in this new world, the male Shuichi Minamino, the one Aratani had a crush on, didn't exist, and Kaito's competition had been effectively eliminated. Kaito had been upgraded from the "friendzone" to "Mr. Right Now." Poor Kaito.

"I suppose you're jealous of Aratani's math and science scores," Kurama continued, wondering if he saw her as an academic rival, too.

"Oh, not at all," Kaito said emphatically. "I love smart girls. In fact, if a girl scores better than I do, it only endears her to me more."

To Kurama's horror, Kaito's eyes met his directly, and, well…it certainly wasn't jealousy Kurama saw in his rival's eyes this time.

"Maybe you ought to join Aratani by the desserts, Kaito," Kurama said flatly. Anything to get rid of the dangerously lustful look on his bespectacled face. His cheeks flushed pink, and he stood up to join his girlfriend in the dessert line.

Kurama sat on the steps alone, watching Kaito and Aratani, talking and laughing. She seemed to be having the time of her life with him. This whole thing served him right. If he'd acted on his feelings sooner, this wouldn't have happened. Did he just want to be with Aratani because he didn't want Kaito to have her, he wondered? Was it just jealousy of his rival?

No, that was ridiculous. Kurama had never once felt anything for Kaito, especially not jealousy. In Kurama's opinion, the rivalry was largely in Kaito's head. Besides, he reminded himself, Aratani wasn't a test score. She was a human being who was allowed to make her own life decisions. And if dating Kaito was that decision…

But he wasn't her decision, not really, Kurama thought. He certainly hadn't been her first pick. But there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Hey, Sakura, what are you doing all alone?"

Another girl had taken Aratani's spot on the steps, one who was not quite so welcome. Her name was Chizuko, and Kurama typically did his best to avoid her. She ran a gossip column in their school newspaper, and not only did she squeeze in every bit of gossip she could get her perfectly-manicured hands on, she shamelessly libeled anyone who rubbed her the wrong way, and in the absence of anything juicy, she simply made something up—not that her readers cared if what she wrote was true or not.

Kurama couldn't care less about the pecking order of high school, of course, but that didn't mean he wasn't observant of what went on around him. Chizuko was infamous for shredding boys' hearts into ribbons and destroying other girls' social lives. In particular, she seemed to have it out for Aratani, whose name appeared in the gossip column every other week. Apparently the two of them had been friends in junior high, but something went awry when they reached high school. Kurama had no idea what that was all about, since he had gone to a different junior high, but they had gone their separate ways, and each now hung out with a separate group. Chizuko was on the cheerleading squad and belonged to a plethora of "high-profile" school clubs, and Aratani was friends with the people Chizuko would probably call "nerds."

"Good afternoon, Chizuko," Kurama said warily.

"Feeling jealous, are we?" said Chizuko with a smirk.

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you eyeing Kaito and Aratani," Chizuko teased. "You can do so much better than that book snob, sister. You know that, right?"

"Kaito is nothing more than a classmate," Kurama told her. "I assure you I do not feel romantic towards him in any way."

"Sakura, you just never let yourself do anything fun, that's all."

"I wouldn't consider it fun to break his heart, Chizuko." Kurama kept his voice even and calm, though his tone came out a bit frosty. Kaito might be a little pretentious, and jealous from a rivalry he had invented with someone who had never even spoken to him before today. But he wasn't a bad person, at least not as bad as Chizuko herself. Kurama couldn't see for the life of him how she and Aratani had ever been friends.

"I'm an expert at reading body language," Chizuko continued. "I can tell Kaito totally likes you, much better than he likes Aratani. I'm sure he'd love to get you in bed."

"I don't know," said Kurama, trying to suppress a shudder at the thought of bedding Yu Kaito. "Kaito seems faithful to me."

"It's probably just as well, girlfriend," Chizuko said airily. "If you want my opinion, Aratani is only with a nerd like Yu Kaito because she can't do any better, either. Mediocrity loves company, don't you agree?"

Foolish girl. Her act was so obvious. She was pretending to make friendly conversation, when she was really hoping to get information out of him so she could put it in her awful gossip column. And yet, his classmates all fell for it. Didn't anyone have anything better to do?

"I wouldn't call them mediocre," Kurama said softly, suppressing a flare of anger inside him. "They both score well on exams."

"Life is about more than exams, Sakura."

"You're right," Kurama told her. "But life is about more than this, too, isn't it? It's not necessary to speak about Aratani and Kaito that way. You don't need to put others down to feel confident in yourself and your abilities."

For most students, it was imperative to not say anything incriminating around Chizuko, or anger her in any way, but if she was as good at reading people as she claimed, she could probably tell that a libelous story wouldn't bother Kurama in the slightest. That was probably why he had never been in her column in the first place—although what he'd done to Tadayo might change that fact.

Chizuko was staring at him in disbelief. "What are you, a shrink?"

"I'm just asking a question," said Kurama. "I know you were friends with Aratani in junior high. What happened to that?"

"None of your business," she snapped.

"It doesn't feel so good on the other end of the sword, does it?" Kurama said quietly. "I'm sure you'd love to get your hands on a backstory like that. Of all the libelous stories you've written about your former best friend, which one comes closest to the truth?"

Chizuko's face was blank as she stared out across the courtyard, her eyes following the students milling about in their spring uniforms. Aratani and Kaito were still in the dessert line, waiting to buy pudding.

"Nobody's ever asked me that before," she said finally.

"Well, I'm asking."

"What will you do if I tell you?"

"Nothing," said Kurama simply. "I just want to know. Aratani is my friend, after all."

"I don't believe it," Chizuko told him. "What kind of girl could get her hands on dirt like that and not tell anyone?"

"Someone who thinks this high school drama is silly, that's who." Kurama gave her the smallest of smiles. "Besides, you'd be surprised at how much better it feels. When you talk about something hard, you feel better after. Like you've just thrown up after being nauseous all day."

"Well…okay." Chizuko heaved a deep breath. "Remember how I said Kaito and Aratani are probably only with each other because they can't do any better?"

"Yes."

"That was me in junior high," said Chizuko. "Aratani Fujisaki was the only girl who wanted to be my friend. My hair was awful, I had a face full of zits, I was fat, and everyone teased me about my braces. But when they did, Aratani would stick up for me, the same way she did for you when that man-whore came after you this morning. She was my best friend."

"So why did you betray her?" Kurama asked, resting his chin on his hand.

"I was selfish," Chizuko admitted, taking even Kurama by surprise. "I was dumb. By the time we got to high school, I'd grown out of my awkward phase, and I got pretty and popular. I learned how to make my hair look nice, I got my braces off, my acne cleared up, and as I grew older and taller, my fat kind of dispersed itself better, if you know what I mean." She gave a little laugh, but her voice was still glum. "I joined the cheerleading squad and made all these popular friends, and I realized that if anyone saw me with Aratani, they would think I was a loser, the way so many people think she is. We sort of went our different ways after that."

"What you did was selfish and dumb, indeed," Kurama agreed. "I don't think you're alone in that matter, however."

"The popular girls aren't my real friends," Chizuko said softly, examining her fingernails. It was as if she wasn't even listening to Kurama's words. "We would all betray each other in an instant, and we all know it. She who gossips to you, gossips about you."

"Then why do you care what they think about you?" Kurama asked. "Aren't your true friends more important?"

"Maybe," Chizuko muttered, and Kurama couldn't believe he might actually be getting through to her. "But it's too late now."

"It's never too late to change, Chizuko," Kurama told her. "Between you and me, I don't have such a great past, either. But it was the people who touched me with their kindness that made me want to do better."

"Whatever you did in your past, it can't be worse than mine." Chizuko stood up and began to walk away, not giving Kurama any time to insist that it really could. "Sometimes I think I hate myself for the things I've done, but I can't take them back."

"So you're just going to keep getting wo—Chizuko, look out!" Kurama cried.

Chizuko, distracted and not looking where she was going, was headed straight for a mud puddle left over from an April shower they had the night before.

"What?" she said, turning her head, but it was too late. Her designer ankle boot slipped; she shrieked; she stuck out her hands to break her fall; and she landed on her back, groaning in pain and completely covered in mud, her long hair fanned out over the ice. Students were gathering all around her. Some were laughing, while others looked concerned, but Kurama ran over to see if everything was all right. Aratani ran over too, he noticed, with Kaito on her heels.

"Stay still," Kurama ordered, one hand on Chizuko's shoulder, the other on her back. He was glad he had more medical experience than the average high school student. "Does anything hurt?"

"My ankle," she mumbled.

"I'll get the school nurse!" Aratani announced, and promptly made a beeline for the school. In the meantime, Kurama took it upon himself to assess Chizuko's injury. If Genkai and Yukina weren't around, he was typically in charge of general first aid, so he knew she'd be okay in his hands. Even if someone wasn't in immediate danger, Kurama knew which plants relieved pain, and he used them as medical tools as well in the past, even as sutures.

"It looks like you have a sprained ankle," said Kurama, examining it intently. "Don't stand up. Wait for the nurse."

"No! I-I can't have a sprained ankle!" Chizuko cried. "The big cheerleading competition is this weekend!"

"Well," said a voice from behind them, "it looks like you won't be participating, then."

Kurama looked around. So did Chizuko, as well as all the other students who were watching as if this was some sort of floor show. It was another cheerleader named Hanako. She was known for being bossy and cruel; in fact, she made Chizuko look like Mother Theresa.

"Our chances of winning are really stiff now, Hanako," said Chizuko through gritted teeth. "I was practicing the Meiou Monster."

"What's the Meiou Monster?" Kurama asked.

"It's a lot of talk, that's what it is," Hanako scoffed. "No girl can do that routine."

"Ichika—the cheerleading captain—she shows every new cheerleader the video," Chizuko explained in a mystic voice. "Fifty years ago, our school's cheerleading captain at the time invented a solo routine that no cheerleader has been able to replicate since, which is why it's called the Meiou Monster. Not even Ichika could do it, and she's been doing gymnastics since she was two. I'm doing a sort of modified, easier version."

"You were doing a modified version," Hanako sneered. "You can't do the Meiou Monster on a sprained ankle! Now I'm going to do the Meiou Monster, and Ichika is going to pick me to be the new captain after she graduates next year."

Kurama couldn't believe it. They were like elementary-school children.

"Is that what this is all about?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "You two are competing to be Ichika's successor?"

"Yes." Hanako gave Chizuko a long, withering glare, and Chizuko's gaze sizzled with hatred as she glared right back. "Everyone knows the competition is going to decide who gets the title. Once I do the Meiou Monster and propel our school to victory, she'll pick me for sure."

"But you just said no one can do the Meiou Monster," Kurama pointed out.

"That was before I learned Chizuko was going to do it." Hanako smirked. "You'll see."

Kurama hadn't known there were legendary cheer routines, although he did know that the routines they did—solo and group—were very impressive. Cheerleading was certainly a lot more complicated than waving a pom-pom around.

"Have fun in the losers' circle," said Hanako, and she flounced away.

"I can't be out of the squad!" Chizuko let her head fall back into the mud, which was when Kurama knew she must be really out of it. "See? This is what I meant. We'd all turn on each other in an instant. Next year, that bitch will be captain of the cheerleading squad."

"Oh, no she won't!"

Everyone turned to look. There stood Aratani, the school nurse right behind her. Chizuko stared up at her as the nurse tended to her ankle.

"I'll enter the competition in your place, Chizuko," said Aratani. "That way, Hanako won't get to be the captain."

"What do you know about cheerleading?" Kurama asked her curiously. Was this going to be like one of those teen movies, where the nerdy, unpopular girl had secretly been practicing cheerleading or gymnastics all her life and revealed her secret abilities just in time to save the day? It didn't seem likely, considering Aratani was one of the least physically coordinated people Kurama had ever met.

And as it turns out, life isn't like the movies.

"I don't know anything about cheerleading," Aratani admitted. "But I can learn."

"The competition is this Saturday," said Chizuko. "I was practicing the Meiou Monster, a routine that no girl has been able to replicate in fifty years. Some say it's impossible. You won't be able to do it, Aratani. Nobody will be able to do it."

Chizuko's voice broke, and she shut her eyes. Everyone was gaping. Aratani got down on her knees and held Chizuko's hand as the nurse wrapped up her ankle.

"It's okay," she said softly. "Even if you never become a cheerleader again, I won't turn on you like Hanako did. I promise."

"I-I missed you, Aratani," Chizuko told her with watery eyes.

"I missed you, too!" Aratani cried, and next thing you know, she had embraced her old friend, and both were sobbing. Kurama spent the entire time thanking his lucky stars that he hadn't been born a girl.

"Want to do homework together after school?" Chizuko asked, once they had finally calmed down.

"Sure, sis," Aratani said, giving her a smile. "And I'll help you call your mom, so she can bring you a change of clothes."

With that, Aratani slung Chizuko's arm over her shoulder, meaning to help her into the school again. Unfortunately, not only was Chizuko's ankle sprained, but her weight threw off what little coordination Aratani had, and they were both about to fall in the mud when Kurama caught them.

"Perhaps you should let me help Chizuko, Aratani," he said, smiling at her.

"Good idea," the girls chorused.

Kurama easily walked Chizuko into the school while Aratani walked beside them, clinging desperately to Kurama's arm so as not to slip in any mud puddles herself. He had to admit, what he'd just witnessed had warmed his heart.

"I'm glad you two made up," Kurama told them. "But Chizuko, there's one last thing I think you should do."

"What is it?"

"It would be best to give up your gossip column," Kurama said. "Causing other people pain won't make your own go away."

"What am I supposed to do with myself, then?" Chizuko asked. "I've been doing that gossip column since I first started high school."

"You'll find something," Kurama told her. "If you really want to make a change, this is a good start."

"Why don't you become a writing tutor like Kaito?" Aratani suggested. "You're a good writer. Use your skills for good this time, never for evil."

"That's not a bad idea," Chizuko said, giving her a grin. "Thanks."

"You know what I think?" said Aratani, looking at Kurama, then at Chizuko. "I think this is shaping up to be a beautiful friendship. All three of us."

"Sounds good to me," said Chizuko.

"Count me in as well," Kurama added, but even though the two girls seemed happy, he couldn't help but think that Aratani still had a big problem. However much he cared for her, he knew that it would be a hot day in January before she could propel Meiou Private Academy's cheerleaders to victory, especially if the Meiou Monster was as difficult as the cheerleaders said.