More Than
Friends
chapter 1
Manille
"YUSUKE!!!"
Yusuke’s magazine flew from his hand as he jumped up with a jolt from the table where he had been sitting. He knew that voice. It was Keiko’s. Her shrill shout rang inside his ear like that buzzer placed on the wall just outside his classroom. In fact, Keiko’s shout was worse than the buzzer.
That guy is going to get another proper tongue-lashing from me, Keiko told herself as she wove her way across the students’ desks towards Yusuke. "Urameshi Yusuke, you should be ashamed of yourself," she exclaimed aloud. "You’re sitting on the teacher’s table!"
Yusuke placed his hands on his waist and raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Is that really you, Yukimura Keiko?"
"Who do you think I am? Auntie Atsuko?"
"I thought you know very well that it’s normal for me to be sitting on whatever table there is in this school."
"Well, you’re not going to sit on that table as long as I’m here." Keiko picked up the magazine from the floor. "And what is this? Playboy?"
"Keiko, I can’t believe you can be that malicious!" Yusuke asserted as he snatched the magazine from Keiko. "It’s a comic magazine, for goodness’ sake!"
"Oh, sure it is. With a lot of inane and obnoxious stuff."
Yusuke sighed and opened the magazine on one page and shoved it in front of Keiko’s eyes. "Look, is this what you might call obnoxious?"
Keiko flashed a quick look on the page. Yusuke was right—it was nothing but comedic comics. Keiko was clearly embarrassed as a light blush crept on her cheeks.
"Satisfied?"
Keiko pushed the magazine against Yusuke’s chest. "All right. Fine. Whatever." She started walking out of the room.
Yusuke grabbed her arm. "Hey, Keiko, I thought you promised that you’ll walk home with me."
"I did?" Keiko asked nonchalantly as she turned her face towards Yusuke.
Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Give me a break."
Keiko smiled. "Sure, I did. Well, come on before the sun sets on us."
In a gentlemanly fashion, Yusuke offered his arm to Keiko. Keiko gladly hooked her own arm with his.
"Keiko-san, let me accompany you to your pleasing abode."
"Arigatou, Yusuke-san," Keiko replied, feeling giddy. She suddenly forgot about giving him a long lecture.
The two of them walked out of the frenzy of their high school, their arms still entwined with each other. At one look, they seemed like the perfect couple.
But no, neither Keiko nor Yusuke would say that. "We’re just friends," they’d always say. When no one would believe in them, they just let it go. Besides, humans can be quite stubborn and curious—and scandalous.
Keiko relaxed herself. It felt great to be back home! She had spent a few days away, watching Yusuke fight Toguro off in that tournament. She saw all the gore Yusuke was going through. Such a waste of time.
Well, not really, Keiko corrected herself as she pulled Yusuke’s arm closer. I saw how determined Yusuke really is.
"Yusuke?"
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so tall?"
"Tall?" Yusuke laughed. "Kurama is taller than I am! And look at Kuwabara, for goodness’ sake!"
"No, silly," Keiko said, slapping his face very lightly. "I mean, I never noticed you grow up."
Yusuke shrugged. "I guess it’s because we grew up together. I never noticed you grow up, either."
"Me? Grow up? I’m still small." Keiko pouted a little.
"But more mature."
Keiko smiled slowly and leaned her head on Yusuke’s upper arm.
"Ouch, Keiko," Yusuke suddenly yelped, slightly moving away from Keiko but keeping his arm hooked with hers. "Please. That’s a painful spot. Toguro hit me pretty badly there."
"Oh, gosh. Gomen," Keiko apologized. She released Yusuke’s arm and started to dig something out of her bag.
"Um, Keiko?"
"Yes?"
"Where’s Pu, anyhow?"
"Don’t worry about Pu, he’s safe and warm in my house," Keiko responded. She came up with a novel. Another romance.
"Can you do this, Keiko?"
Keiko looked at Yusuke. Her eyes widened. Yusuke was balancing a pencil upright on the tip of his nose.
"Yusuke, you’re so silly," Keiko commented, shaking her head. "You always act like a kid."
"Sorry, but I have the reputation of not minding what I do," Yusuke said, still keeping his eyes on the pencil. "I’d better stick with it then."
Keiko shook her head again. Yusuke will never change, she thought. But… she added, sighing, I’m glad he didn’t. I like him just the way he is. I’m just glad that you are still the same to me, Urameshi Yusuke. You never turned me away although you’re always gone.
"What is it again, Keiko?"
"What?"
"What’s so depressing that made you sigh?"
"Nah. Nothing. Forget it."
Yusuke shrugged.
Keiko looked at him more closely as he balanced that pencil on his nose. His mouth was slightly agape. She looked at his eyes. He was cross-eyed! Keiko giggled softly. "Urameshi Yusuke, there’s one thing about being a man and being a guy," she stated in her Best Student tone.
"Oh, sure," Yusuke said. "Men are tall, like me."
"Nope." Keiko looked away. "A man knows how to balance his life. A guy knows how to balance his pencil on the tip of his nose."
"OUCH!"
Keiko looked at Yusuke. His hands were clamped over his left eye. He was clearly in pain. The pencil was on the ground. As Keiko looked at it more closely, she noticed that it was sharpened too well. It was as sharp as a pin.
"Oh, no!" Keiko cried out. "Yusuke, did you hurt your eye?"
She was answered with a groan.
Keiko lifted Yusuke’s hands off his face. "Here, let me see that."
Yusuke gave in to Keiko. Keiko frowned overwhelmingly. "It’s red," Keiko muttered. She blew on his eye gently. Yusuke winced.
"Yusuke, please."
Yusuke bit his lip. Keiko blew on his eye once more, then again. Yusuke didn’t move an inch.
"You’re such a wimp, Yusuke," Keiko chided. "Never ever attempt any dangerous stunt like that again."
"Okay, Keiko. I’ve learned my lesson. Promise I’ll never do it again."
"Good." Keiko smiled. Then, noticing that Yusuke’s eyes were filled with tears due to the pain, she wiped the skin below his eyes with her thumb.
As she did, her fingers suddenly trembled. His skin was so silky to touch. She trailed his thumb on his face a little while longer.
Yusuke blinked a lot of times and held her wrists. "Now, Keiko. I’m not crying. Arigatou, thank you very much."
Keiko blushed fiercely. Keiko, how can you be so careless enough to touch him like that? You seemed horny back there, lusting after your best friend. "Um, I do whatever I can," she murmured.
"I know you do. You’re such a nice, nice girl." Tentatively, he kissed Keiko’s pink cheeks.
The color of Keiko’s cheeks brightened.
"I’ll take you home," he stated.
Recovering her senses, Keiko nodded. "I’ll cook for you if you want," she added.
Still blinking, Yusuke snapped his fingers and gave her the thumbs-up sign. "You read my mind very well, Keiko."
"I know you too well," Keiko told him truthfully.