Kurama 1/2

Kurama 1/2
Chapter 8
By Kristin Huntsman

Mieiko looked up as a shadow fell across her light source. "Excuse me," a young man said to her, "but may I sit here?"
"If you'll get out of the light, certainly," Mieiko replied. The young man obeyed, promptly sitting down next to her. Mieiko sighed, and continued her sketching of the tree opposite her.
"You're Mieiko, aren't you?" the young man asked. When she looked at him, startled, he smiled sheepishly at her and ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "I'm Koenma, a friend of Kur-- Shuuichi's. He told me who you are when I asked about you. You seemed kind of lonely, just sitting over here all on your own."
"I'm drawing," Mieiko stated, then decided to clarify herself, as most people didn't understand that statement well enough. "I never feel lonely when I draw."
"Wow, that's great!" Koenma exclaimed, looking at her half-done picture of the tree, then at the real thing. "I wish I could draw like that!"
"You could learn..." suggested Mieiko.
"No time," he said, shaking his head.
"School?" asked Mieiko, wondering if Koenma was going to be in any of her classes.
"No, work," replied Koenma, shaking his head. "Oyaji keeps me too busy to have a hobby."
"How do you know Shuuichi-san, then?" Mieiko questioned. "If you don't go to the same school...."
He hesitated, and Mieiko took the time to study him closer. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a cream sweatshirt, warding off the faint hint of fall chill in the air. A matching headband crossed his forehead, partially covered by the unruly brown hair that drifted almost into his topaz eyes. He was kind of cute, but definitely not the guy of Mieiko's fantasies.
"... It's a long story," Koenma hedged. "He and some friends had some dealings with my dad's company, and I was the one who got to handle the case. It's indirectly how he met most of the people that we both hang out with these days."
"Oh." Mieiko ran out of things to say, and on impulse, turned to a blank page in her book. Her pencil flew over the paper and quickly left an image that bore a stunning resemblence to Koenma. She tore it out and handed it to him.
"Wow!" he said, examining it. "It looks just like me! That's really good!"
"It's yours," Mieiko said negligently. "For liking what I draw."
"Have you ever considered selling your artwork to support yourself?" Koenma asked seriously.
"In a few years, when I graduate," Mieiko replied, already back to work on drawing the tree again. "Until then, I'm just sharpening my skills and style while my parents support me."
"Shuuichi told me that you just got here, and that you're staying with him," Koenma replied. "Have you gotten the tour of the town yet? I'd like to take you on it, if you haven't."
<Is he trying to hit on me?> Mieiko wondered.
"No thank you," she replied. "I'm just taking a break from unpacking."

Kurama 1/2, chapter 8
Several days later....
In a nearby tree, Kurama watched the thwarted Koenma walk sullenly away from his another failed meeting with Mieiko, and smiled to himself.
<He's going to have a rough time courting her,> his first tail said quietly. 
<He probably is,> Shuuichi replied. <Have you ever been in love, Kurama?>
<I've never had the opportunity nor the time to waste,> first tail replied. 
<... I'm sorry,> Shuuichi-Kurama replied.
<Don't be,> Kurama-first replied. <After all, I have my hands full with the rest of you. Especially you.>
<I'm sorry...> Shuuichi-Kurama apologized again.
<Don't be. You're just a kit, and all of the tails, myself included, have made mistakes.>
<Even second?>
Kurama-first laughed. <He won't admit to it, but he's made as many mistakes as the rest of us.>
 Kurama-female replied, pulling herself separate from Shuuichi-Kurama. She subtly took control of the body and dropped to the ground. <In retribution, I'm going... _shopping_,> she said with delighted malice.
All of the other Kuramas emitted groans from the back of their mind. Kurama-chan smiled wickedly to herself and turned on the hose, splashing her hand and arm with water. Whistling merrily, she checked her wallet and headed to a nearby thrift store.
Behind her, Mieiko watched with wide eyes from around the corner of the house. "Shuuichi-san!" she cried out.
"Hai?" Kurama turned around instinctively, before she processed who the voice belonged to.
"Mieiko-san?"
Mieiko stared first at the prettier, heart-shaped face, then her gaze dropped to the round chest, then she just stared. "Shuuichi-san...?"
Kurama quickly walked over to Mieiko and, lightly placing hands on her shoulders, shook her out of the semi-trance. "Mieiko-san! Wake up, please!"
"Who are you?"
Kurama sighed and sat down, indicating that Mieiko should follow.

Koenma frowned as he walked away from the Minamino residence. Courting Mieiko, who had to be the most beautiful girl he was sure he had ever seen in nearly seven hundred and thirteen years of existance, was not going quite as well as he hoped. She was incredible, of course... but he had the distinct feeling that she was brushing him off. "Why does she have to be Kurama's fiancee?" he grumbled out loud to himself. "He already _has_ Hairspray...."
A sudden shove from behind made Koenma stumble. He whirled, fists coming up as he was instantly ready to confront his attacker.
"For being over seven hundred and the son of Enma Daiou, you're caught off guard far too easily," Hiei coldly observed, the point of his sword resting lightly in the hollow of Koenma's throat.
"Knock it off," Koenma retorted, swatting the sword away. "I'm not in the mood."
"Turnabout is fair play," Hiei replied, perfectly calm. That calmness was infuriating, but Koenma retained his own cool.
"What do you want to talk to me about, Hiei?" he asked. The youkai had sought him out, a most unusual event that clearly gave Koenma the upper hand.
"Why is a demi-god like you interested in a _human_?" Hiei asked, getting directly to the point, with a pronounced derogatory emphasis on "human."
"None of your business!" Koenma instantly retorted.
"If it concerns Kurama or his fiancees, then it _is_ bloody well my business," Hiei growled.
"Why?"

Kurama sighed, looking wistfully at her reflection in the mirror. She'd managed to explain everything to Mieiko and escape to shopping without further incident or inquiry. "I think look good in clothes like this," she said to herself.
 her double shouted angrily at her. Kurama-chan smiled at his cute, upset tone.
"Excuse me." Kurama jumped at the sound of a man's voice behind her. He smiled at her as she turned around. "I couldn't help but notice you during your shopping. My name is Takamine Tohoru, and I'm a scout for several fashion magazines. I was wondering... have you ever considered being a model?"
"Uhmm... no," Kurama admitted.
<He's making a move on you,> her second tail whispered to her. <Don't trust him.>
<Shut up, I want to see where this is going,> Kurama-fourth responded.
 Kurama-third murmured.
<Pipe down, the lot of you!> Kurama said internally.
"I have a local photo agency, if you'd be interested in taking some preliminary shots," the man said. "Don't say yes or no yet. Please, take some time to think it over. Here's my card. It has my business and private numbers on it. Let me know when you've decided, please." He handed his business card to her with a formal flourish.
"Thank you," Kurama said automatically, accepting it. "My name is Minamino Kurama."
"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Minamino-san," Takamine said, bowing to her. "I'm afraid I have to leave for an appointment, but, please, call me and let me know your decision! I'll be waiting!"
"Nice to meet you, too, Takamine-san," Kurama said absently, watching the tall brown-haired man retreat. She looked down at the card in her hands. "So much for not being perverted...."
Kurama looked back in the mirror. There was no hiding it in these jeans; she was definitely female. She knew she was definitely good-looking. And sexy. And....
Kurama swallowed. The jeans were perfect; soft and supple, yet form-fitting. The way they hugged her legs and rear made her feel hot inside. The problem, she concluded, was that she was looking at herself as though she was about to seduce herself. "I'll take them," she bravely told herself. She stepped back into the changing booth and shrugged out of the jeans and back into her regular guy's clothing, cinching the belt two holes tighter than was necessary in her other body.
Kurama stepped out of the dressing room and looked around the store, holding the jeans. <What else do I need?> she thought to herself.
Kurama smiled and headed towards the shoe department.

"Why?" Koenma asked Hiei, repeating his question. Hiei looked as if he was about to insult Koenma's parentage and flicker off, but, as Koenma's father was a god, he was obviously having a slight difficulty. Koenma smiled; occasionally, being "Enma Daiou, Jr." helped.
"Do you have any idea what happens inside that red-haired head of his?" Hiei questioned.
"What do you mean?"
"He's a youko. He has a mind for every tail," Hiei spat out. "Do you have any idea what's happening to them?"
"No," Koenma replied, confused.
"Then it's none of your damn business what my business with Kurama is."
"Except when it concerns Mieiko-san," Koenma replied.
"Go to hell." With that simple command, Hiei vanished into thin air.
Koenma stood for a minute, wondering what was happening between Hiei and Kurama that involved his relationship (or lack thereof, he sighed to himself) with Mieiko-san. Then something rang at his side.
"Hello, Koenma here," he said, unfolding his cellphone.
"Koenma-sama! You have to get here right away! There's going to be big trouble if the paperwork for section 21 isn't signed by 4 o'clock!" the voice of George, his always-harried and definitely-overworked assistant blared into Koenma's ear.
"All right!" he yelled back. "You don't have to shout! Geez, I'll be right there!"
Koenma grumbled to himself, then pulled out something that looked like a walkman. Whistling resignedly, he put the headphones on his ears, tuned the dial, and was blasted across time, space, and dimensions to end up in his office. He looked in awe at the trans-dimensional cassette player. "Wow! this thing is _so_ _cool_!"
"Ko- Koenma-sama," George timidly said.
"Eh?" Koenma looked across his desk at the huge number of _stacks_ of papers. Had he had the luxury to faint from the prospect, he would have. "Why _ME_?!"

"I'm home!" Kurama called out as he slipped his shoes off before proceeding further into the Minamino residence.
"Shuuichi-san!" Two bundles of energy flew at Kurama, enthusiastically hugging him from either side.
"Shuuichi," Kurama's mother said, stepping around the corner. The two girls straightened and moved away from a slightly-blushing Kurama. Shiori smiled at her son. "Did you have a good time shopping?"
"Hai, Kaasan," Kurama replied, moving to give his mother a fond hug. "I had a good time."
"The girls were just helping me prepare dinner. Go put our new things away, and come help," Shiori invited.
"I will." Kurama beat a hasty retreat up the stairs to his room, already starting a mental argument with himself.

"I can't believe you're serious," Kurama's male half offered to her. "If anyone finds out about this...."
"What? You'll be humiliated?" Kurama-female retorted. "No one knows that Minamino Shuuichi and Minamino Kurama are the same person."
"Except your closest friends," fourth tail replied. "Who are, I believe, who Kurama is worrying about."
"It would make sense to take the job," the third Kurama said thoughtfully. "It's supposed to pay well...."
"At the cost of my pride?!" fifth-male demanded.
"Calm down!" second tail barked. "We have to come to a concensus here. And since first tail is sleeping, we'll see if we can reach one on our own. Third mediates." He sat down abruptly, his silver youko tail bristled in irritation.
Third looked surprised, but took a calming breath nonetheless. "First point," he said, starting to tick the arguments off on his fingers, "it pays. Second point, it requires pretending to be a female, in front of a LOT of people, for sustained periods of time. Third point, it's in front of a camera, which means wide-spread exposure."
"Fourth point," fifth-female joined in, "he offered the job to ME. Fifth point, I want to do it. It's fun. It's a game. Sixth point, the rest of you are a bunch of sexist morons. If I have to deal with being a guy most of the time, then you have to deal with being a girl. Grow up and live with it."
"She has a point..." a sixth, somewhat sleepy, voice agreed. First tail stepped up into the conference area. "I cast my vote: let her take the job."
"Kurama?" third asked, looking at second.
"Has nothing to do with _my_ life," second tail replied, shrugging. "Let her take it."
"She can have it only if I get to play along," fourth answered before third could ask him.
"I also vote in assent," third said. "The money should go into the household fund, though. Shiori-san's budget needs supplementing now that we have Hairspray and Mieiko to worry about."
"Fine by me," Kurama-chan replied. She looked at her double. "'Niichan?"
Kurama-fifth looked blackly around him, then sighed in resignation. "I don't have much choice left. All right, I agree. Just _please_ promise me that you won't pose nude."
"Of course not," Kurama sweetly agreed. "I'll leave that to fourth tail."

The kitchen smelled delicious, filled with the aromas of various foods cooking. Kurama quickly washed his hands, looked around, and picked up a knife, setting it to use chopping vegetables for the stew
"How was everyone's day?" Shiori asked, carefully eyeing the flour as she poured it into a measuring cup.
"I got started on a new painting!" Mieiko said cheerfully. She pulled three carrots out of the refrigerator and moved to the sink to wash them. "I think it's going to turn out well, too... I already have it sketched on paper, and it works well."
"I was hired at the child-care center down the street from Meiou High," Hairspray said proudly, looking up from the dough she was rolling flat. "They needed someone to help with the paperwork."
"Congratulations," Shiori told both of the girls. "And you, Shuuichi?"
Kurama looked up from the vegetables and tried to think of a way to phrase what he wanted to say. "I was approached with a job offer today."
"Really? What was it?" Mieiko asked, beating Hairspray to the question.
Kurama set his knife down quietly. "The job offer was as a model."
The three women stared at him.
"A _female_ model."
Kurama deftly caught the glass measuring cup as it fell from his mother's hand.
"What?!" Mieiko gasped.
"You're not serious!" Hairspray protested.
"Actually," Kurama said, setting the cup of flour down on the counter, "I was thinking of accepting the job."

Shiori looked at her son. "Shuuichi... you're not serious, are you?" she asked.
"I am, Kaasan," he replied evenly.
"But...." Shiori stuttered to find words. "_Why_?"
"Let's just say it suits my sense of humor," Shuuichi replied, calmly returning to slicing vegetables.
Shiori hesitated. She didn't want to ask this, but she felt as if she had to. "You're... not doing this because you _like_ dressing up in girl's clothing, are you, Shuuichi?"
Shuuichi nearly choked, but managed a beautiful recovery. "No!" he replied, laughing. "I just like the idea of people thinking that I'm a good-looking girl when I'm not even really a female." Shiori smiled, seeing her late husband's odd sense of humor developing in her son. "_Plus_," Shuuichi emphasized, "we now have two extra people stretching the household budget. Any extra income I can earn won't hurt to help make things easier around here."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Shuuichi offered, setting down the knife and drying his hands on a towel. "You should go get ready for your date, Mother," he said teasingly as he walked out the door. To Mieiko's surprise, Shiori blushed slightly and hurried from the room. Mieiko raised an eyebrow and looked at Hairspray. Hairspray shrugged.
Together, they washed their hands and walked towards the living room, wanting to know exactly what was going on.

Kurama smiled, watching Shuuichi play fascinatedly with the puzzle box he had brought back from China. The gift had seemed appropriate for the boy when he had seen it, and now Kurama was sure that he had made the right choice. "Arigatou, Shuuichi-san!" the boy said enthusiastically when he looked up from the box for a second. "If I could only figure out how to get it open...."
"Like this," a soft, feminine voice said, as Hairspray gently opened the box. "There's a trick to it."
"Thanks! Who are you?" Shuuichi asked, turning his attention to the new person.
"I'm Hairspray," the Chinese girl replied, bowing politely. "Shuuichi-san's fiancee."
"Fiancee?" Hatanaka Kazuya asked, surprised.
"Allow me to introduce my fiancee, Hairspray, whom I met while in China," Kurama started, "and my other fiancee, Tsukiko Mieiko, to who I have *apparently* been engaged for several years. Hairspray, Mieiko-san, this is Hatanaka Kazuya-san, my mother's suitor, and his son, Shuuichi."
Everyone bowed politely to each other, and Hairspray and Mieiko took seats on either side of Kurama.
"Kazuya-san, are you ready to go out?" Shiori asked as she came down the stairs, her hair neatly arranged, wearing a pretty dress. She smiled gently. "Oh, I see you've met the girls."
"You look wonderful, Shiori-san," Kazuya said, immediately standing up and walking over to her.
"You look very handsome, Kazuya-san," Shiori responded. She turned to her son and said, "We'll be home around ten. The phone numbers are on the refrigerator."
"Have a good evening, Mother, Hatanaka-san," Kurama responded, watching as the man he hoped his mother would choose to marry helped her into her coat and held the door for her. The two of them were so happily in love that a train could hit them and they wouldn't notice. It reminded Kurama very much of how Kuwabara was towards Yukina.
"So how'd you get two fiancees?" Shuuichi asked the minute the door closed behind their mutual parents.
Kurama smiled. "Let's all go finish making dinner, and I'll tell you," he offered, already standing and heading towards the kitchen.

The next morning, in the Reikai....
Botan skipped merrily down the hall, humming to herself as she clutched a thick folder to her chest. She had a day off! Once she delivered these papers, she'd be free....
"Abunai!!" As usual in the Reikai, though, the warning came too late. Botan shrieked as a purple oni crashed into her and the liquid in the beaker he was carrying splashed all over her.
"Ah! Sumimasen, sumimasen!" he apologized, falling to his knees and picking up the scattered papers. The sweet-smelling liquid quickly soaked through Botan's favorite kimono.
"What is this stuff?" Botan asked, rubbing the back of one hand against her eyes as she knelt to the floor and began blindly picking up papers before they got wet.
"First-class love potion, fresh from the labs," the oni replied, looking up. "Ah! Don't do that!"
"What?" Botan asked, opening her eyes. "Eep! The folder! It's all messed up!" She hurridly started shuffling papers back into the folder in a more-or-less correct order. The picture of the Reikai Investigator the file concerned fell on the top. Botan barely glanced at it.
Then she looked again.
The photo was in black and white, robbing him of glorious warm color, but it was him nonetheless. He was wonderful, she suddenly realized. He was strong and proud and determined... he always protected those around him....
Botan's eyes sparkled as she breathed a sigh of happiness. Behind her, unheard, the oni groaned. "Oh no..." he muttered.
"Yuusuke..." Botan breathed, clutching the picture to her chest.

Author's Ramblings: BRAHHAHAHAAHAH!!! I had no _idea_ how good it would feel to do that to poor Botan... and to finally get this finished! I must say, when I get creative, I write a *lot*, don't I? In any case, all rights to YYH belong to other people who obviously aren't me, because they're making money off of it, and I'm still poor. I think now that I've finished this chapter, I'll simply store it and all the other stuff I need to transfer to disk in a sub-directory, turn the computer off, and *live* for a while. (Translation for the Keichan-impaired: I need to clean the boat and do homework. Ja ne!)

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