More Than Friends 
chapter 6
Manille

Yusuke placed his hands in his jacket pockets. Nope. Nothing.

There was something wrong in the place. Where is everyone? Why don’t the people seem amazed at the rei gan that Kurama, Hiei, and possibly Kuwabara, and I had seen?

And where is Keiko? Didn’t she see the rei gan as well?

"I thought you said that the rei gan came from this place," Hiei, the small but quick and all-powerful fire youkai, asked Yusuke mistrustfully.

"Hiei, I know it came from this place. I’m sure of it."

"Hmph." There was that irritating grunt from Hiei.

Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama had assembled on the street very familiar with Yusuke. It led towards Keiko’s house. Yusuke saw that all the lights of the house, except that of the front porch, were put off.

Hiei shook his head. "So where is everyone?"

"Maybe it was a false alarm," Yusuke muttered. "If it’s not, then were is Botan? Why hasn’t Koenma told me anything yet?"

Kurama touched his chin craftily. "No, it can’t be a false alarm. That rei gan was too powerful. You yourself couldn’t have fired a rei gan that large if Genkai hadn’t given you his spirit waves."

"Then where do you think it came from?"

"Doesn’t Keiko know anything about it?"

Yusuke briefly glanced at Hiei, who had his arms folded across his chest. Yusuke nodded and dashed for Keiko’s house.

He picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it towards Keiko’s window. It hit the glass with a loud clank. Yusuke picked another pebble and did the same.

After the fourth hit, the light in Keiko’s room was turned on and Keiko peeped out of her window.

Yusuke waved his arms frantically. "I need to talk to you!" he mouthed.

Keiko turned away from the window. A moment later, she unlocked the front door and stepped out, hugging Pu.

Yusuke swallowed. He suddenly knew that Keiko didn’t notice the rei gan and that he had just disturbed her sleep. Yusuke glanced at his wristwatch—it was ten in the evening. Right, so I woke Keiko up because of seemingly nothing. "Sorry to bother you," he apologized.

"It’s okay," Keiko said throatily.

Her voice was so unlike her that Yusuke couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

He looked at her eyes.

"Keiko…" Yusuke’s eyes widened. "You’re crying."

Keiko bit her lip guiltily and looked down on the ground.

Her eyes were swollen. She seemed to have been crying all night long. But why? Yusuke asked himself. He racked his brain for any event that day wherein he might have hurt her, but found none. His heart opened up for her. "What’s wrong?"

Keiko shook her head slowly. "Nothing. I’m all right, Yusuke."

Yusuke stepped closer. "No, you’re not. Come on, tell me."

"There’s nothing to tell," Keiko said softly, yet stubbornly.

"Puu…" Pu flapped its wings, seemingly addressing Yusuke.

He’s trying to tell me something, Yusuke realized. If only the little guy could speak.

Yusuke knew that Keiko was lying. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in her voice. The way she kept on hugging Pu and biting her lip nagged him.

Yusuke placed a hand on one of her shoulders. "Keiko…I know you’re hiding something. Why don’t you tell me what it is?"

Keiko shook her head again. "What are you doing here at ten in the evening?"

Yusuke slowly smiled ruefully. "I’m sorry." Then his face grew serious. He glanced at Hiei and Kurama—and at Kuwabara, who had arrived at the scene without Yusuke knowing, arguing with Hiei. "We saw a rei gan being fired from somewhere near here. We were wondering if you’d seen it."

Keiko rolled her eyes slightly. "No."

"No?"

"Nai," Keiko repeated. This time, her face was expressionless.

"But…it was so bright…"

"I didn’t see it, period." Keiko hugged Pu tightly once more.

Yusuke nodded. Keiko was probably too upset to see it. Maybe she was already asleep when it was fired.

He frowned once more. Keiko, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? his face seemed to ask.

I’ll ask her once more tomorrow, Yusuke decided. Maybe she’ll feel more open by then.

Yusuke heaved a huge sigh, as if to conceal the aching sensation he was feeling inside his chest. What is that feeling? Hurt?

Disappointment? Compassion?

He himself didn’t know.

"Keiko…" he started to say.

"Yes?" she said weakly.

Yusuke’s eyes narrowed with sympathy. "If…if you need to talk with me…just give me a ring, okay?"

Yusuke waited expectantly until he received a reply.

Keiko bit her lip. "Okay," she said.

She got the message, Yusuke thought. However, he doubted if Keiko would do call him.

What is wrong with you, Keiko? Tell me…

"Sweet dreams," he whispered instead.

"Sweet dreams too, Yusuke," Keiko replied.

Yusuke leaned towards her and pressed his lips on her left cheek.

He left it there for a second longer than he wanted to.

Then he felt water touch his lips. He finally moved back, seeing that they it was tears he tasted.

Keiko was crying uncontrollably. Yusuke licked his lips, tasting the salty flavor of Keiko’s tears.

Keiko didn’t look at him. She had her eyes closed and her head bent down. Yusuke wanted to hug her, or touch her hand, like that afternoon when they assured each other that everything’s going to be fine.

"Puu…" Pu said once more. It was looking at Keiko affectionately.

Everything’s going to be fine.

Yusuke wished he could tell Keiko that.

But before he could do so, Keiko closed the front door and locked it.

Yusuke stepped back. What’s wrong? What’s wrong? He immediately regretted not having asked Keiko quite enough.

"What was that all about?" Kuwabara asked Yusuke, looking from one person to another in confusion. "Why is she crying?"

"I…have no idea," Yusuke told him. "I’m as confused as you are."

Yusuke looked up at Keiko’s bedroom window. He saw her figure walking back and forth across the room, still holding Pu.

He waited until Keiko turned the light off.
 
 

Where in the world is Botan? Yusuke asked himself impatiently. Why does she come when I don’t want her around and doesn’t come when I need her?

It was six-thirty in the morning and Yusuke was sitting on his bed, looking at the sky and the nimbus clouds. It would rain again.

Ah, the summer rains. They ruin the best season of the year.

Yusuke decided to get going for another day in school. But first, he must drop by Keiko’s house and fetch her.

Maybe she feels better by now, Yusuke thought.

Yukimura Keiko. From the very beginning, she was hard to figure out. She was a mixture of paradoxical natures. Vulnerable but strong-willed. Quite helpless but smart. Amiable but tough. Sensitive but patient and open-minded. Most of all, she was beautiful, yet humble all the same.

Her character was what Yusuke loved most about her.

A few minutes later, Yusuke made sure that his mother was still in her room. Then he ran for Keiko’s house.

Yusuke knocked on the door loudly. Keiko’s father answered it.

"Good morning," Yusuke greeted.

"Yusuke, hello," Mr. Yukimura said. "Keiko’s still upstairs. Taking a bath, I guess."

"Oh." Yusuke’s face fell.

"Why don’t you wait in the restaurant?" Mr. Yukimura suggested as he opened the door wider. "I’ll tell Keiko to hurry."

"Arigatou." Yusuke bowed and entered the restaurant.

He sat down on one of the stools. He suddenly noticed that he was sitting on the place where he sat the other day, when Keiko was with him and he almost choked on his food…

Keiko was still bright and happy by then. Hopefully, she’s okay… Yusuke crossed his fingers.

"By the way, Yusuke," Mr. Yukimura stated, "I noticed that Keiko seemed to have cried last night." He scratched his head. "Do you think there’s something bothering her?"

"To tell you the truth, her mood shifted all of a sudden that I still don’t know where to go to catch up with her."

"Hmm…you think she’s got a problem with boys?"

Yusuke swallowed. What am I going to tell him? he wondered. Yusuke and Keiko often quarreled about him telling her father top secret things he knows about.

Then an idea popped in his brain. "I really don’t want to talk about Keiko behind her back, Yukimura-san."

"Oh." Mr. Yukimura smiled a little. "Gomen ne."

Yusuke exhaled slowly. Well, it’s true, isn’t it?

Mr. Yukimura went up. After some minutes, Yusuke heard Keiko descending the stairs.

Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"Hey, Keiko," Yusuke greeted her brightly. "I trust you slept well?"

Keiko looked down on her blue uniform. "W-well, uh…not really…but fine. Just okay."

"You sure?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Good." Yusuke grinned and extended his hand. "Shall we go?"

Keiko nodded stiffly. Yusuke stood up and waited until Keiko took his hand.

But she didn’t.

Yusuke’s face flushed as he put his hand down.

There was a big gap between the two as they walked towards their high school.

Keiko was being spiritless, Yusuke noticed. She didn’t speak a word to him. It was as if he were a total stranger to her, as if she didn’t know that the guy walking beside her was her best friend.

Yusuke gripped at the handle of his bag tighter as he felt himself shiver at Keiko’s coldness towards him. His cheeks prickled like when the first cold wind of winter hits his face.

He couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

"Keiko, I want to know—right now—what’s keeping you aloof towards me."

Keiko turned to look at him sharply.

"Last night, I felt as if you’re too scared to talk to me. You wanted to keep cool, but I sensed that’s something’s wrong. I want to know what is it."

"There’s nothing wrong with me," Keiko said firmly.

"No, there is something wrong with you. I know it; it just jumps out into my face."

Yusuke kept his eyes glued on Keiko’s to keep her own eyes fixed on his. Yusuke didn’t let her gaze fall down.

"I…I…You…" It was all Keiko could say.

"I’m what? You’re what?" Yusuke pressed.

"I…I’m afraid…"

Yusuke frowned.

"I…I’m…sorry…"

"Huh?"

"I’m sorry. Yusuke…"

Yusuke shook his head in bafflement.

"Y-you can’t…you can’t be my…"

At that, Keiko’s eyes started to brim with tears.

"I can’t be what?" Yusuke urged, feeling more and more nervous. It was as if he expected Keiko to say something that might change the course of his life forever.

"You can’t be…my friend…any longer."

With those words, Yusuke’s whole world—and his heart—shattered to pieces.

He was left speechless. His mind ran through memories shared, trust built, admiration said and promises made—

"Promise me you’ll tell me where you’re going before you go."

"There’s only one person I love."

"Why are you so nice to me?" "You’re nice to me as well."

"I like you just the way you are."

"I cannot hold a grudge against you for long, Yusuke. You are too irresistible."

"It's my duty to protect my friend, I guess..."

"I just want to let you know that you're special."

"I'll wait for you, Yusuke." "Thank you."

All the embraces, the laughter, the smiles, the tears they shared. Her slaps, her kicks, her touch, her kiss…

The way she kissed him to bring him back to life…

He would never ever forget the touch of her lips on his.

"Keiko…"

His mind stopped drifting off and returned to reality. He saw Keiko weeping.

"Keiko…why?"

"I-I’m sorry, Yusuke," she whispered, seemingly regretting what she had just said.

Without another word, Keiko scrambled off, leaving Yusuke standing on the sidewalk.

Nothing matters anymore.

A tear slowly slid down Yusuke’s cheek.
 
 
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