August of 1872

"Yuki-chan! Quick you will be late again!"

The girl of seventeen then bounded carelessly from the tiny room of their little cottage. Her blue pony-tailed hair bouncing behind her oval face, gleaming under the bright light of the morning sun.

"Hai, Kaasan!" she answered,the cheerful lilt of her voice quite audible although she spoke it with obvious worry on her sweet face.

Her mother shook her head slowly as she approached the scurrying girl. She adjusted her obi, which was obviously falling out of place.

"Your sensei won't be pleased again,Yuki-chan." her mother said gravely. Yuki gulped nervously as the face of the stern English woman crossed her mind.

"I suppose so." she replied remembering how humiliated she had been yesterday. No doubt her sensei would punish her again and this time severly.

"I just can't understand you young people." her mother began.

<Uh-oh...>Yuki thought as she found her mother getting ready for another one of her speeches.

"Why do you insist on going to school anyway? In my days-"

"Mother I'm going!" Yuki called out as she dashed outside, carrying a cloth bundle containing her books. She gave a grateful sigh when her mother mercifully stopped.

"Oh, well take care Yuki-chan." she said as Yuki slipped her feet in her zoris. "Be back home right after class, all right?"

"Yes mother!" Yuki called out dashing outside in the most unfashionable manner leaving her mother frowning after her.

==========

"K-koenma-sama?"

"What?!"

George, the blue oni of the prince gulped down nervously. Of all the times he was ordered to deliver a message to the young Prince of the Rei kai, why does it have to be now?

"Well what is it?" Koenma snapped again.

"Y-your father, the Great Enma-Daiou just wanted to remind you to change into Ningen clothes before going down there." the oni nervously replied. Then without anther word, Goerge hurriedly left the irritated koenma.

"Ch! Great Enma Daiou!" he spat as he changed into his teenage form.

<What is so great about him anyway? > he thought as he donned on his black trousers and his silk white shirt.

He sighed as he faced the mirror. He didn't actually mean to snap at George like that but then he couldn't help it since he was in a very foul mood today. Enma Daiou, ruler of the dead just ordered him,the Prince of Rei Kai to go down to Ningenkai to personally check and bring back with him the souls of the supposed-to-be-dead-right-now.

"Damn!" he cursed. Bringing souls to Rei kai is the job of the ferry girls and not his. Why can't his father see that he has so many work tied up on his hands right now? And besides, it was of his own doing why the ferrying of souls has been delayed.

"If it wasn't for that stupid reshuffling thing!" He muttered as he crossly made his way towards the portal separating the Rei Kai and the Ningenkai, dragging his coat with him.

Because of the reshuffling, his domain fell short on ferry girls causing the endless delays. As a result, many Ningens suffered greatly, especially the ailing ones who had been longing for death.

Muttering out another curse, he gruffly went through the portal. Well, he has no other choice. If he wants to end this, he has to get this over and done with. And besides, no matter how annoyed he is with his father right now, he dared not disobey the great Enma Daiou.

==========

"Oh dear!" muttered Yuki as she hastily made her way across the crowded streets of Kyoto. She clutched her books tightly to her chest as she ran faster.

"Sensei would be furious." she thought as she turned into a corner, the last turn she had to make before reaching the school house. Just then she felt herself bouncing back. Then she became dizzy as she felt herself falling on the hard ground, her books scattering around her.

Clearing her head, she slowly looked up only to see a young man sitting across from her, rubbing his back side.

"Oh,oh,I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed realizing that she had actually bumped into someone.

"I-I am all right." Koenma slowly replied getting up. What a very nice welcome for a prince indeed!

Yuki stood up as well but the sudden force of the collision made her rather very dizzy. She groggily picked herself up, swaying a little.

"Are you all right?" the young man asked steadying her. She looked up only to find a set of hazel-brown eyes peering at her with concern.

"Y-yes, thank you." she replied averting her eyes. She then bent down to pick up her books scattered on the ground.

"Im so, so, sorry for being careless." she said noticing the boy bending over and picking up some of her books as well. "I'm just in a hurry." she added.

"Well that makes both of us." he said handing her her books.

Yuki, getting past the dizziness, smiled gratefully. Koenma momentarily stared at her, her smile catching him off-guard for a second.

"She looked mighty cheerful for someone hurrying to class." he thought absorbing her pretty smile.

"Um, well I have to get going." Yuki said taking a step past him. "Thank you and it was nice bumping into you." she added running away from him before he could utter a word.

Koenma looked after her lost for words. He would've loved to follow her if the streak of her pink yukata hadn't vanished from his sight. He then looked up, the warm sun bathing his face.

"Ningens." he thought wryly, shaking his head. He then turned around and started walking. "What a strange bunch of creatures." he added. But then he smiled softly upon remembering the girl's beautiful smile.

Amusing it really was. He was just granted the most beautiful smile he had never seen before. It made him wonder if the girl would smile at him just the same if she had known who he really was and what is his purpose for coming here. Then dismissing such thoughts, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started to walk.

Funny, he just realized that he was taking the same direction where the girl had gone.