Just the plain sound of the name gave her the shivers. Was he the same man who was in the Ankonku Bujutsuukai? Wasn't he the one who fought...him? Just the thought of him made her smile. But it wasn't HIM she was thinking of...it was Karasu. What does he want? Most of all, how was he able to live?

"Are you sure?" Koenma's shocked voice broke her thoughts. Botan leaned closer to be able to hear more. Inside the thick doors, the youko nodded. "Affirmative, Koenma-sama. Though the senshis say that he was much faster than in the tournament. Only the class-A senshis were able to see him".

Only the class-A senshis were able to see him?! Botan's heart leapt from its place as the words penetrated in her mind. How come he was that strong? He wasn't that strong the last time. He's even stronger than Toguro now! The thought of his face gave her the chills she couldn't understand. She knew she shouldn't interfere, but something about this news made her feel she needed to be involved. No, not need, she's going to be involved, she could feel it. Only, the feeling wasn't good, it was bad. A very bad feeling. Something will happen, but what?

Kurama sighed again. "Yui-san, isn't it time for you to go home yet?" he asked her for the second time that day. He was tired and he wanted to rest, but he didn't have the heart to tell her that. All he wanted was for her to give up bugging him and just go on. Yui turned to him with a frown. "Why do I have the feeling that you don't like me around?" she asked him. Kurama widened his eyes. "Of course not" he denied. Even though what she had just said was partly true, he wouldn't tell her that. "Then why do you keep asking me that question?" she asked, her pout haven't left her face yet. Kurama sighed. "It's getting late, it's dangerous in the streets when it's already dark" he reasoned out. It was good reason, wasn't it? He sure was right when he saw Yui sigh. "Okay, under one condition" she said. "I want you to walk me home so tomorrow you could pick me up for school" she said happily jumping in place. Kurama gawked. Why would he want to do that?! "But---" he tried to say something but Yui cut him off. "No buts. Tomorrow, now let's go!" she said and pulled him by the hand.

Botan walked through the halls as she lingered on the thought that Karasu might strike again. She was just passing by the Reikai treasury. Curiosity got into her and she opened the door towards it. She closed the door behind her, hoping no one saw her come in. She sneaked inside when "Botan!"

"Okay, here we are!!!" Yui announced as she went in front of a rather small house, but enough for one to live in. She opened the gates and took her keys from her bag to welcome Kurama inside. "Shuuichi-kun, please make yourself comfortable here while I fix you something to drink" she said as she guided Kurama towards the couch. "No, thank you, I really must be going home" he said. He thought he saw Yui wince angrily on her back as she fixed them something. Kurama was still having strange feelings about Yui. He wasn't comfortable with her, though she seem nice in some way. His thoughts were cute off when Yui turned around with a smile. "This won't take long, Shuuichi, please wait a little longer" she said and mixed the juices. She fixed two of them and placed it on a tray. She walked towards Kurama as he stood up to help her with them. They both sat down and drank their drinks.

"Ayame!" Botan exclaimed as she sighed in relief. "You scared the wits out of me!" she told her. Ayame placed her finger on her lips and hushed her. "Quiet, they might hear us" she said and pulled Botan by the hand. She then led her somewhere in the treasury. She then led her somewhere in the treasury. "A senshi told me they saw him right here" she said, pointing on a certain spot in the treasury. Botan stared at it for a moment. A certain coldness surrounded her as her hairs seem to rise up from its place. They stared at it for a moment when "Hey! You two!"

"I really have to go, Yui-san" Kurama insisted. Yui had been keeping him from going off for the past ten minutes. "Can't you stay a little longer?" she asked. Kurama sadly shook his head. "I thought I'll just pick you up tomorrow?" he asked her. "So you really would?!" she asked him happily. Kurama sighed. "Do I have a choice? Okay, I'll go now, oyasumi nasai, Yui-san" he said as he reached for the doorknob. Yui waved him goodbye as he walked out the gates.

"A real pain in the ass, ain't she?" someone asked him from someplace. Kurama smiled at the sound of the voice, quite relieved for being free from the headache. "Hiei" he greeted and looked up the tree. A small, black figure then came down. The spikes in his raven black hair swayed with the evening wind as he opened his eyes to look at Kurama. "Oi" he said. "I see you have a new friend" he said. Kurama groaned. "She's too loud and jumpy for me" he said as he and Hiei walked side by side towards his house. Hiei smirked. "As if the other one wasn't" he said with a chuckle. He then heard that there was no answer. Silence just came. He also realized that he was walking alone now. He turned his back to see his friend stop and looked at the ground. He then realized what he had just said. "Sorry" he apologized. He thought Kurama would've came over it already. "I didn't know you still haven't recovered yet" he said as he walked towards him. He then slapped him on the back and led him to walk. "I miss her, Hiei" a muffled voice came after a few seconds. "I just didn't expect of you to remind me of her" Kurama said as he looked up straight ahead. Hiei grinned. "Hehe, get over it. Who knows what'll happen, we could break in there and kill that reikai baby-sucker out of his stupid hat" Hiei said, trying to cheer him up. He wasn't used to lonely ningens yet. He then heard a chuckle from his companion. "Maybe" was just the answer. Hiei's grin widened and just walked on.

"We're going we're going!" Ayame said as she held up her hands with Botan following her in the back. Both were trying to supress the laughter they were about to burst out. The senshi who had just called them was the new senshi they were always picking on when they have the time. They both walked out the door, closed it and bursts into laughter. "Have you seen the face of the stupid fool?!" Ayame asked as she held on to here belly as it hurt when she kept laughing. Botan was doing the same. "Yeah, and how he said..." she then lowered her chin to her throat for a deeper voice "'Hey!'" she said in a deep voice, imitating that of the senshi. Both of them burst laughing again. Botan the paused and looked at Ayame. Ayame then noticed Botan. "Is something wrong?" she asked her. Botan shook her head with a smile. "No, I just want to thank you. This was the first real laugh I had since this week" she said. "Yeah, and you never lasted a day without bursts of giggles" Ayame said with a smile as well. "Well, we better go, before that guy over there finds us laughing" Ayame said as she crossed her eyes with her tongue sticking out. Botan giggled again and took Ayame's hand.

He grinned as he watched them both run off. "Beautiful...just beautiful, just like I've always remebered...and as I remember...Botan"

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