Part
6: The Surprise
Kuwabara is already there by the time Hiei arrives at Genkai's temple.
"Ready, shorty?" Kuwabara says, then goes ahead up the long stairway to the temple.
Hiei doesn't say anything back. He just quietly walks up the same stairway, hands characteristically dived into his pockets. He notes that Kuwabara looks like he's really prepped himself up for the challenge, wearing a well-pressed attire of polo shirt and slacks. His hair is finely combed up, his black shoes are glistening, and a strong perfume scent is emanating from him. He's also carrying a pink, heart-shaped box that's bigger than his face, most presumably a gift for Yukina.
'Huh, this should make my job easier,' deems Hiei.
The two now finally reach the temple's main entrance door.
Kuwabara takes out a pocket mirror and checks how he looks for one last time.
Shaking his head, Hiei gives a knock to the door.
In a couple of seconds, someone opens the door. It's Yukina.
"Oh, hi!" Yukina greets them, quite surprised at the two of them standing there before her.
"Good evening, Yukina," Kuwabara says, smiling widely. "We're here to visit you."
"Really?" Yukina looks at Hiei, but he doesn't say anything. "That's so sweet!"
Kuwabara blushes, still smiling widely at Yukina. Hiei just continues to stand there like a rock.
"Come in, please," invites Yukina.
Kuwabara eagerly enters ahead of Hiei. Yukina gives Hiei a big, sweet smile, and it takes Hiei a lot of effort not to smile back at her. He walks straight ahead, as if he didn't see anything.
It doesn't seem to affect Yukina, though. She just smilingly closes the door, and joins her two visitors now sitting there in the parlor.
Genkai enters the room and gets surprised at the sight of Hiei and Kuwabara there.
"Good evening, Master Genkai!" Kuwabara booms.
Hiei gives her a curt nod.
"So what brings you two here to my temple?" asks Genkai.
"To see Yukina," answers Kuwabara.
"Hmm, I see. Well, guess I'll have to leave you three alone, then."
"Is it alright, Master Genkai?" Yukina asks.
"Of course. Don't mind me, I'll just be in here." With that, Genkai goes back to the room she's just come out of and quietly slides the door close.
"Yukina, I brought something for you," Kuwabara discloses, and gives her the pink heart-shaped box he's been hiding behind him.
"Oh, this is lovely!" Yukina says, her eyes lighting up at the box. "Thank you, Kazuma."
Kuwabara blushes once again. "Ah, it's nothing."
Secretly, Hiei looks at them with glee.
Yukina opens the box, revealing an assortment of bite-sized chocolate candies.
"Are these what you call..."
"Chocolates, yeah," Kuwabara finishes her sentence.
Being the generous soul that she is, Yukina offers the two to get some.
"No," Kuwabara declines. "That's for you."
"Yes, but... Hiei, you want some?" Yukina asks.
Hiei grunts and says, "I don't like chocolates."
"Oh..." Yukina closes the box and smiles. "I don't like chocolates too."
"Huh?" Kuwabara is dumbfounded. 'But I spent a lot of dough on that,' he contemplates.
"Maybe Master Genkai will like these," Yukina says, laying the box beside her.
Hiei gulps. 'Maybe I should've grabbed a handful,' he regretfully muses.
Hiei is trying not to look at her, but he can keenly feel Yukina's smiling eyes on him.
'Whew, this is going to be a long night.'
Hiei and Kuwabara are now silently descending the stairway. No one speaks to the other, until they reach the empty road.
"So, Hiei," Kuwabara says, "you've won. You've proven me wrong. Yukina doesn't really like me. She likes...you. I guess there's nothing more I can do about that."
"No, Kuwabara, there has to be --"
"I just wanna be left alone now, okay?"
Kuwabara leaves with his head bowed, not stopping even if Hiei keeps calling him.
Giving up now, Hiei turns around and starts walking to the opposite direction, his own head bowed. He senses Kurama approaching a few minutes later, but doesn't lift his eyes up until the redhead calls him.
"So how did it go?" Kurama anxiously asks, walking with him.
"She still likes me," Hiei dejectedly replies.
Kurama sighs. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Even Kuwabara admitted it."
"But, I don't get it. Exactly what did you do in there?"
"I don't get it either," Hiei tells him. "I was a total jackass the whole time."
"Uh-huh," Kurama urges him to continue.
"First off, I let Kuwabara strut his stuff on her. I acted like I wasn't there. But I don't know, she kept talking to me. Then Master Genkai invited us to eat, so I dashed to the table without waiting for her and began chowing away. Was that rude or what."
"That was rude alright."
"But to Yukina it wasn't. She just smiled and said that it's good for a man to have a healthy appetite, or something."
"Really?"
"And then, eating, I'd burp loudly, and talk with my mouth full, and put my foot on the table, and chew noisily, all that shit, but, hell she'd just giggle at me like she was even enjoying it all!"
"What?!"
"I almost choked seeing that."
"I know I would."
"Then before we left, Kuwabara was all nice and polite, right, and I just went right out without looking at her. But...man..."
"What," Kurama demands.
"She took my arm, as I passed her, and told me thank you, and that she really appreciated my coming over." Hiei slowly shakes his head. "Like the nail in the coffin."
"I would've never guessed she'd be this in love with you," Kurama remarks.
"I screw everything up and she still finds it okay? This just doesn't make any sense."
"In that case we'll just have to move on to Plan B."
Hiei blinks. "What Plan B."
"I already talked to Botan about it, and she agreed to help."
"Botan?" Hiei clarifies. "Why did you have to drag her into this?"
"Look, do you want to solve your problem or not?" Kurama has to ask him.
Hiei scowls, and just mumbles to himself.
"C'mon, I'll tell you the plan."
Hiei and Kurama disappear down the
road, discussing an alternative plan they sure are hoping will work.
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