Disclaimer: I own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Summary: No one would ever suspect she would fall for someone like him.

Ah, summer holidays; a break from piles and piles of homework and troublesome exams that countless students had been waiting for since they had first stepped foot into Hakuen High that semester. Many were making plans of how to spend their summer holidays; all of them excited for their most anticipated moment.

Although, for one student, she was not all that happy for the summer holidays.

Botan Fukuyama sat alone in her classroom, the red orange light of the setting sun darkening her vibrant pools of amethyst into a dark, murky purple. She stared idly at the blackboard, chewing on the plump skin of her bottom lip.

Of course, getting a well deserved break was fun, and there was no possible way none of her friends would not want to spend said break hanging out with her. However, for some reason, Botan found herself dreading the summer.

After all, summer holidays meant that she would no longer be able to enjoy the company of the one and only sought after prodigy, Shuichi Minamino.

Ah, she would never admit it, not even to herself and much less to him, but she had developed quite a small, very, very tiny crush on the handsome red-haired lad.

It had all began about three months ago, during Genkai-sensei's chemistry class.

The old woman was quite the sadistic one, Botan would never have expected. That day, she had assigned the class of thirty-four students into pairs as they worked on an experiment. Botan got along with nearly everyone; of course, at the time, it didn't really include Shuichi Minamino, so it struck her as some sick amusement of Genkai-sensei's when the old lady decided to pair her up with said redhead. Botan had never been quite as nervous as she had been that very day as she gathered her things and walked towards Minamino's table.

His peers, Hiei Jaganshi and Kuronue Masami, had solemnly left the table, with the former sparing her a fleeting glance. They left she and Minamino alone, and well, for the first time ever, Botan found herself at a loss of words to make small talk. Not that they really needed to as they were supposed to be working on a very important project, but it would have helped to calm her rattling nerves, albeit only for a little bit.

In spite her unusual timidity, she was strangely curious of the redheaded genius. She had heard that Minamino was made up of two embodiments; anti-social and indifference. No one could ever read what went through his head, and despite his popularity, he treated his groupies either with reluctant politeness or just straight up rudeness; depending on his mood at the moment. With him, no one was able to guess what mood he was in, and what reaction they would elicit from him. Then again, when she thought about it, he didn't give much of a reaction to anything. Botan suspected his friends didn't quite understand him either; although, then again, his peers were as odd as he himself, so Botan ought to think otherwise.

She studied him, eyes wandering from the ingredients before her to the red-haired boy. Minamino sat idly across her, his chin placed flat on one hand, although his gaze was not fixed on her, and instead, on the list of ingredients written on the blackboard. She couldn't help but take note of his long, silky vibrant red hair, finding herself at awe at how messy yet well-kept the crimson strands were. The red shade fitted well with his fair complexion; his skin seeming smooth and clear with his high cheek bones accentuating and sharpening his features – which seemed boyish at first glance, if not for the look of composure and the air of confidence radiating off of him clearly making up for all that. His green eyes, bright and glimmering, came off depthful and solemn yet stunning and smothering at the same time, making them seem soul-searching as... they locked with hers.

Heat rushed to Botan's face as her shocked irises met with his calm but mirthful emerald ones and it took her only a milisecond to realize she had been caught staring. She looked away, murmuring an almost inaudible apology as she fixed her gaze to her skirt. She could have sworn she heard him stifle a chuckle.

"It's quite alright, Fukuyama-san," he said, his voice rich and friendly as it reached her ears. "I'm quite used to being stared at, you see," he added in a joking manner, and for a moment, Botan wondered how a guy like him would be so out of the social loop; obviously, with his natural charms, he could easily gain as many friends as she could, if not more.

"I-I see," she replied slowly, nodding her head. "I suppose that's normal for someone as popular as yourself."

His mouth quirked up into a patient smile. "Well, as much as it honors me to know that you think of me that way, I'd honestly prefer it better if I wasn't."

She raised her head to look at him in curiousity, wondering what he meant, but he was already going through the list of ingredients again. It was stupid, but she just finally noticed the way his lips moved as he mouthed the words, and she found herself somewhat captivated by their movements – or was it by him?

Botan blushed again at the thought, before quickly brushing it off. She watched silently as Minamino scanned through the blackboard for at least three more times, before going up to arrange the ingredients. Suddenly reminded that this was supposed to be a group work, Botan stood up from her stool and started helping her partner out.

"It says to put in three litres, right?" Minamino asked her without sparing her a glance, and the girl, although startled at first when he spoke, instantly went through the blackboard. Her eyes widened as she realized something; something so peculiar and rare, she wondered if she should even tell him. Though considering she should, in a soft voice, she announced,

"Uh... you're wrong, actually, Minamino-san." She pointed at the blackboard. "It actually says four."

Minamino seemed so shocked, Botan could have sworn he seemed dumbfounded as he uttered, "What? You can't be serious, right?"

"Um, it says four," she repeated nervously, as she watched his eyes furiously read through the words written on the blackboard, as if trying to find proof that he was right and she was wrong. Botan was certain that she was right, though.

When it finally hit him that he had made a mistake, Minamino pulled a discomfort expression, clearly expressing his dislike of being wrong – especially when it came to small details. "Right." He heaved a sigh. "You're right. Four it is."

"You don't really deal well with mistakes, do you?" she inquired before she could stop herself and when he looked up to pin an unreadable stare on her, she nearly slapped herself in the face.

"Come again?"

"Um," She gulped, "Sorry, you just strike me as a perfectionist. It's okay, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. I mean, my brother's like that, too. But, I think you should learn to relax a little, it's not like the world is gonna end if you make one simple mistake and… uh, never mind, I'll shut up," she added in panic as she realized she had begun to ramble. Damn her and her mouth. Minamino looked like he considered her as a patient from a mental institution.

"It's… fine, Fukuyama," he finally spoke after what felt like an interminable silence; though, Botan tried to ignore the drop of honorifics as he addressed her by her last name. "You're quite an odd one, aren't you?"

"H-how so?"

"No one who's ever talked to me for at most five minutes ever dared to speak of my personality… as correct as they may be in regards of their opinion of me. You're quite brave, I'd give you that." He paused, seeming to consider something. "Although, I'm not really sure how I should take it."

Botan wasn't entirely convinced that he was unsure; after all, he seemed as if he was torn apart between being offended or irked.

She didn't really say anything after that.

In spite what occurred between them, the duo didn't really have any disagreements while working together, and actually made a great team, when she stopped to think about it. They tried not to argue much, and Botan was pleased to see that Minamino didn't even criticize her and her habit of making mistakes and her clumsiness, as opposed to his perfectionist demeanor.

By the end of class, however, Genkai-sensei had decided to give her the task of cleaning up the mess – probably due to it being mostly caused by her herself. Botan, although reluctant and a bit exhausted, agreed to it, knowing that she could not, in any way, go against the old lady's orders. No, that was Yusuke's job.

Botan visibly flinched as one of her male classmates tapped her on the shoulder and said, "See ya, klutz!" not knowing that his words had hurt her.

The pain seemed to intensify as the whole class erupted into a burst of laughter. It was a joke, she knew, but even after the whole class had gone out, and the snickers had came to a halt, she couldn't quite shake off the feeling of a needle pricking at the middle of her chest. She was well aware that she was a klutz, but she didn't like to be called one. Perhaps it was because it made her feel utterly useless, compared to her brother who was good at everything.

She hadn't even noticed that one other person had yet to leave the chemistry lab.

"You shouldn't let them get you down," Minamino's voice interrupted her line of thoughts, and she almost jumped at the sudden sound, clearly not expecting him to still be there. She was so startled that she didn't even realize what he just said, until a moment later, her brain finally registered his words. She felt the pain coiling around her heart lessen a bit at his attempt to comfort her, and her mouth curled upwards into an appreciative grin.

"Thanks, I know," she said, the quirk of her lips broadening ever so slightly.

He nodded. "You know, and yet you still let their mindless words bother you," he stated bluntly, causing her smile to waver. "You're not a klutz, Fukuyama. And even if you were, I don't really think there's anything wrong with that. On the contrary, I believe your ditziness to be your charming trait and it is... quite adorable."

"W-what?" she half shrieked, acutely aware of the scarlet hue that had begun to color her cheeks. As opposed to her clearly embarrassed appearance, however, Minamino seemed oddly calm and stoic, as if telling her that she was adorable had no effect on him. Good lord, did the boy not have any shame?

Not to say she didn't enjoy the compliment, though.

It was the first time someone had ever said anything like that to her, and for whatever reason her heart was starting to beat at a faster tempo.

"Well, I must be going now." He tilted his head at the exit, before throwing something at her. Botan, still hadn't quite recovered from her embarrassment, nearly failed to catch it, but she managed to just in time. Opening her fist, she tentatively peered down, blinking at the silver key staring back at her. She looked up at Minamino again, raising one quizzical eyebrow at him. "Genkai-sensei said for you to lock up once you're done," he explained in merely ten words, before spinning on his heels and making to leave.

"U-um, see you in class!" she called out to him, and the most unexpected thing happened then;

Minamino turned around and gave her a smile; not one of those curt, reserved smiles, but a real, tender one – one that he would only send to his peers, one that he would never send to someone like her.

But he did.

Two months after that fateful, official meeting between Minamino and her, Botan found herself oddly consistently watching the redhead. It took her a while before she realized that her crush was flourishing, and about a while to admit that she did have the tiniest bit of romantic affection for the boy who probably didn't even deem her as a friend or anything more than an anquaintance or just another one of his classmates. They didn't talk much, but with each word they exchanged towards each other, she cherished the conversation more than any of the ones she had with others before. What was it about him that seem to draw her in? Perhaps it was because of his friendliness, or was it due to the fact he treated her as nicely as he did, saw her as her real self as he did, and took her seriously when no one else did? She wasn't sure, but she had wanted to know more of the mysterious existence known as Shuichi Minamino. Unfortunately, with the upcoming summer holidays, her chance to befriend him was slowly and slowly getting smaller and smaller.

"So, remember; shopping on Monday and sleep over on Friday."

Botan nodded once again as her best friend Keiko Yukimura reminded her of their plans for the upcoming week. "I get it, I get it," she said, laughing, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Be sure that you do," Keiko replied, nodding once before turning to wave at her parents whose arrival by car had just been noticed by both girls. "I gotta go now, B. See you later?"

"Yeah, see you." Botan smiled, bidding farewell to her friend who rushed towards her parents' car. She watched the vehicle drove off before slinging her backpack over her shoulder, somewhat unaware of the silhouette standing behind her until she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Startled, she cried, "Wargh!" and nearly jumped literally two metres from the ground. When she regained the slightest bit of her composure, she whirled her head around and came face to face with a smiling Shuichi Minamino. She hadn't expected to see him, much less on the day they were supposed to last meet until the end of summer holidays, that she staggered back and almost felled on her butt – if it wasn't for Minamino who wrapped an arm around her, helping her balance herself and preventing the fall.

"T-thanks," she stammered softly, her heart pounding in her ears.

His smile took on a more playful approach, touching his emerald orbs with warmth and mirth. "Your welcome. You should be more careful next time, though."

"I-I know," she stuttered yet again, although her voice was louder this time. She felt him slowly unhook his arm from her, and tried to brush off the wave of disappointment that overtook her senses as he pulled apart to gain a respectable distance between the two of them.

"Waiting for your parents to pick you up, I presume?" he guessed, after a long pause.

"Um, no, actually." She mustered the courage to quirk her trembling lips up into a toothy grin. She hoped she didn't seem to nervous and awkward, but the laughing look in his eyes told her differently. "I walk."

"Ah, I see." He nodded.

"How about you, Minamino-san?"

"I have my bike," he pointed out, and she made an 'o' face, before blinking as he slid a hand into his right pocket and retrieved a bright red cell phone. "Mind if I ask you to put your number in here, Botan-san?" he asked, curtly, despite his rare request. "I would like to contact you sometime."

Botan was so surprised that she said the only thing that came to mind. "Huh?" She wasn't sure what took her off guard the most; the request for her number, or the fact he just called her Botan. "Oh, uh, sure," she said, once she realized she hadn't given a proper answer, "and did you just call me by my given name?" Oh, and she just had to blurt that out.

He blinked, but handed her his phone. "Well, yes, I did. Do you mind?"

"Oh, no, I don't. Call me whatever you want," she answered, for once relaxing as she gave him a smile. She flicked the lid of his cell phone open, opening the contact list and tapping hers in.

"I just found it strange to call you Fukuyama as that's what I address your older brother."

Botan looked up at him in mild-shock. "You know my brother?"

He blinked once more, and for a moment, Botan was slightly suspicious that she might have said something stupid. "Yes, we're in the same soccer club, remember?" he reminded her, with a tinge of humor evident in his voice.

Ah, right. How could she forget? Her brother and Minamino were probably the most popular members in the soccer club. "Right." She let out a sheepish laugh. "That slipped out my mind somehow. Sorry."

"No need to apologize," he told her, dismissing her with a wave. "Anyway, since we're on the subject, I was wondering if you could call me by my given name as well."

"What, you mean... Shuichi?"

Shit. She must have sounded stupid... again.

She should get a reward or something for managing to embarrass herself in front of her crush... twice in a matter of minutes.

"Well... yes. That is my given name," he stated in a half matter of factly way and half teasingly. Her embarrassment seemed to rise up another level as her face flushed bright crimson.

"Is it alright?" she asked, gulping as she handed Minamino his cell phone again and their fingers brushed as he took it out of her grasp.

"Of course it is."

"Oh. Um, well then, since we've decided to call each other by our given names," she paused, reminding herself she would probably cry herself to sleep if he said no to this, "mind if I suggest dropping the honorifics?"

"Of course." He gave her a smile that seemed to boyish to be on the countenance of a well-known prodigy such as himself. "If that's what you want."

"Oh." She could have sworn her cheeks hurt as her mouth curled into the biggest grin anyone had ever seen, but she didn't mind it. "Great then."

"Great." He nodded, before sparing a glance at his wrist watch. "I have to go now, Botan, my mother would be worried sick if I don't hurry."

"Ah, right. I understand." Botan could feel her heart flutter as she heard him call her name again; this time it felt more happy-inducing without the formal honorific.

"I suppose I'll see you again during the summer?" he said hopefully, to which she had to blink twice to make sure she actually heard that tone in his voice.

"Yes, sure. I'd love that," she replied, somewhat aware of her pinking cheeks.

"Alright then. Good bye, Botan. Have a good summer," was all he said, and without waiting for her to respond, gave her one last smile and waved a hand at her in farewell. She watched him, dumbfounded, as he walked over to his bike. It wasn't until she saw him cycle away did she finally snap out of her trance.

I'll see you again during the summer.

Bloody hell.

Botan was feeling rather... well, bored that day.

After having spent her time locked up in her room, reading mangas, she had decided to go out. When she left, she didn't even tell her brother, although she doubted he even cared about where she was going. She was right when he didn't bother to ask anything.

It was hot –as expected as it was summer– so she settled with a simple white loose shirt, a pair of blue denim shorts that reached her knees, a pair of baby pink sandals and a bright red and black cap. It was a bit too casual of an outfit to go outdoors in, but she was rather comfortable in them as she walked down the busy streets, letting her feet guide her to wherever.

Her tracks halted as she found a book store; it wasn't small, but it wasn't big either. It reminded her of the house she lived in with her brother, and she was suddenly disturbed by a sudden urge to enter. Without thinking much of anything, the girl slid open the door, the sound of the chiming bell signalling a customer's arrival barely registering in her little mind as she fixed her gaze on the books arranged neatly on the numerous shelves. She blinked for a moment, wondering why she was here.

"Botan?"

A voice, oddly familiar but surprisingly there, greeted her, although it sounded more startled and questioning than casual, and she broke out of her reverie, pinning a wide-eyed stare on the owner.

She locked eyes with beautiful pools of emeralds.

"Shuichi!" she cried in delight, before inwardly noting to herself how well his name rolled off her tounge. The redhead, seeming to have gotten over his shock of seeing her there, smiled ever so curtly at her. She returned the smile with a grin, spreading from ear to ear.

"Botan," he said again, and nodded once. "How are you?"

"Well, I've been fine, I suppose. Nothing much has changed about me."

"Yes." He chuckled, and Botan thought the sound sounded wonderfully similar to that of jingle bells. "Considering we've only been out of one another's presence for two days, then I would think as much."

"What about you?" she asked, "How have you been?"

"Quite well, actually," he answered, the smile on his face taking on a friendlier approach. "What are you doing here?" he inquired back at her. "You don't really strike me as the kind who likes to read."

Her mouth formed a cute pout. "Well, that's rude. I do read, for your information. I just don't read as much as you do."

"I see." His vibrant emeralds seemed to laugh as they studied her. "I'll be sure that I remember that."

"What about you? What are you doing here?" she questioned, although the answer was pretty obvious, given his favor of reading books.

He held up a stack of books in response, and she made a stupid face, as if she had made a mistake of asking him the most ridiculous inquiry there was. However, she instantly got over her embarrassment, as he suddenly said,

"Would you mind taking a walk with me? Or are you in the middle of buying something?"

"Ah, no, I wouldn't mind it," she replied with a small grin, though there was a light rosy shade coloring her cheeks.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just stepped in here, but I don't really know why I did."

He quirked a quizzical eyebrow her way, seeming to wonder what she meant by that, but didn't try to probe any further into the matter. Botan turned scarlet as he took her by the hand, guiding her out of the book store.

The bell chimed, and he let go.

"You never called," Botan blurted out before she could stop herself, and almost immediately, Shuichi's baffled and questioning gaze was on her. "I mean, I gave you my number, so I thought..." the girl trailed off as she realized how she must have sounded like. Good grief, she was talking as if he was her boyfriend! Blood rushed to her face again, and it seemed as if she was on the verge of spinning on her heels and running off to sanctuary.

Fortunately, Shuichi didn't utter a remark about how she must have looked like; a look of understanding entering his eyes as he caught on to what she meant. "Oh, about that," he started, "I wanted to, but I figured you might be busy and I didn't want to be a disturbance, and besides, I wouldn't know what to say even if I did."

"You could have said anything," she told him simply, "I wouldn't mind talking about even the most random of things."

"You wouldn't?"

"No," and she smiled, "I wouldn't." If it was with him, of course.

"Well," She could see a genuine smile tugged at his lips, "Then, I suppose I will in a very short time."

"Good." A laugh erupted from her throat. "I'll be waiting. Just don't make me wait in vain," she jokingly added, as she gave him a playful punch at the shoulder. A loud, wholehearted laughter rumbled in his chest, catching her slightly off guard.

"Trust me," he said, as his fit of laughter died out in the air. For some reason, he sported a cryptic but deep-promising smile on his face. "I won't."

A comfortable silence surrounded them, and they strolled along the busy streets in easy companionship, neither minding the quiet air between them. Once a while, their fingers would brush against each other, and despite her overjoyed, embarrassed self at each skin contact, Botan was certain it was in no possible way intentional.

Not in her part, at least.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time," Botan spoke, breaking off the silence, "But, why do your friends call you Kurama?"

"It's a nickname. I don't know how I got it, but it's stuck since junior high," he explained, as he looked at her, his ever charming smile reaching his lips.

"Ah, I see." She nodded her head in understanding, before in a shy voice, slowly asked, "Would you mind it if I call you Kurama as well?"

As soon as her question escaped the hot, summer air, Shuichi halted in his tracks, causing her to stop her foot steps as well. She whirled her head around to ask him what was wrong, but the moment her eyes met his, she could tell that he didn't quite appreciate her request. If the tense, uncomfortable silence didn't give it away, the look on his face certainly did, and Botan worried that she might have done something she shouldn't.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just—"

"No, it's alright," he cut her short, his voice barely a hushed whisper. She could see him hesitate for a second, before making his way to her. They continued their stroll, but Shuichi had yet to utter anything more. It wasn't until they reached a small cafe, until Shuichi's hand suddenly gripped hers, did his voice finally echo in her ears, "Everyone either calls me Minamino or Kurama. No one's ever called me Shuichi." The corners of his lips curved upwards into a wistful smile, and Botan could feel his fingers intertwine with hers, before squeezing lightly. "My mother used to call me that, but she hasn't done that in a long time. Her sickness has left her unable to speak, and it's been forever since anyone's call me by my real name. I'm not really close to my step-father, you see. We rarely speak to each other, so naturally, he never says my name. My step-brother, the other one aside from my mother to call me Shuichi, has passed away three years ago and... I'm sorry, I don't normally do this... blurt out my personal life to someone... I like keeping things to myself. But, I don't know why, with you, I feel... relaxed. Like I can act any way I want and you won't judge me for it."

"No one's going to judge you for having a tough life," she reassured him with a gentle but firm voice, "And certainly not I."

"You might think I'm stupid for saying this, but I don't want you to stop calling me Shuichi," he murmured, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of her hand. "I rather enjoy hearing you say it... my name. My real name."

Her eyes widened at his confession, her cheeks immediately flushing bright red at his words. Her heart pounding, she stammered, "O-oh, I see. Well, you don't have to worry, I won't stop... if it makes you happy."

He gave her a tender and warm smile. "Thank you," he whispered, and she squeezed his hand and returned the smile with her own.

"It's not a big deal," she stated softly, "No need to thank me." She turned her gaze to the sky, watching as a flock of birds flew up and up until they disappeared into the puffy clouds. And she wasn't sure why she said it, but she did. "You know, my parents died five years ago."

She could feel the shock practically radiating off of him, and could see his features turn sympathetic from the corner of her eyes. She smiled, a bitter but gentle smile. "It was a car accident, you see. It was raining. They were on the way home from a reunion, and the road was wet and slippery. A truck nearly hit them; when they turned left to try and prevent the crash, they ended up falling down a cliff instead. It's pretty sad, actually."

"It's tragic," he murmured, and she could feel his grip on her hand tighten in a gentle manner, as if to offer her some comfort, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Everyone loses something in life," she said, her voice back to its usual cheeriness as she slipped on her toothy grin again, "It's normal."

He stared at her for a while; his gaze unwavering, smothering and almost scrutinizing. His eyes seemed to stare right through her soul, and Botan's grin faltered slightly.

"What?" she asked, her voice too soft for her own taste.

"You don't always have to pretend you're okay, you know," he abruptly told her, his voice soft but firm, and his features dead serious. "You always do that."

Botan nearly jerked away from him, but instead, unexpectedly leaned closer as he gave her a small smile. She parted her lips, before closing it again, and repeated the process two or three more times, before croaking out, "Y-you noticed?"

His smile seemed to broaden, and in a soft whisper, he said the most surprising thing,

"I always notice a lot of things about you, Botan Fukuyama."

"So, how about it?"

"As much as I would love to hang out with you, Botan, I am afraid that I might be a nuisance. Is it alright?"

Botan smiled as Shuichi's voice resonated from the other line. She assumed he was worried that she might have plans, so she went to reassure him, "It's fine. I went shopping with Keiko the other day, and I won't be seeing her until Friday, so you can come to my place anytime."

There was a laugh. "I don't mean that, Botan. I assumed you didn't have any plans when you asked me to hang out, but what I'm concerned about is actually whether or not your brother would mind if I intrude in your house. Does he know?"

"Oh." Botan felt as if she was just slapped in the face. How embarrassing. "Well," she started as she collected her shattered pride, "I don't think he'd care. I mean, he's been at his friend's these days, so he wouldn't, really."

"You don't have any other siblings aside from him, right? How could he leave you all alone?"

Shuichi sounded furious for some reason, which was odd, but she fought the smile that threatened to lift up her lips. "I'm used to it, Shuichi. I don't really get along that well with him, after all."

"You don't?" Surprise filled his deep voice, making it rise up a notch, before he cleared his throat, most likely collecting himself. "Oh, I didn't know. Sorry to hear that."

"It's fine." Her smile widened, and she twirled a strand of blue hair with her index finger. "Like I said, I'm used to it. I never really got along with him, even before my parents passed away."

"How come?"

"Well, I just don't, I guess. We don't really have much in common, and we tend to argue a lot as our opinions tend to differ. Besides, ever since we were little, people around us have been comparing us to each other. He was always better than me. He still is. And I think I kinda hate him for that sometimes. It's not really his fault, though."

Silence engulfed the other line for what felt like interminable, and Botan nearly worried that he might have hung up on her. "He's not better than you," Shuichi finally spoke, his voice firm, "No one's better than anyone. We all have our faults and talents. There's good and bad in everyone. What others have, you might not have. And what you have, others might not. You're allowed to be envious of your brother as much as you want, but there's a possibility he feels the same. In my opinion, I think you should discuss things with him. You know, talk it out, express your feelings. He's the only family you have; it'd be a shame not to have a good relationship with him. Though, I'm not forcing you into anything. It's up to you whether or not you want to heed my advice."

Botan couldn't help the tender smile that etched itself on her soft features. "Why is it that you always sound so wise?" she asked, and she could almost feel him smile. "I suppose you're right, though. I'll try to make things better between me and my brother... if you promise that you'll hang out with me."

He laughed, a wholehearted laugh she had never heard him let out to anyone but her and his peers. "I don't have to promise anything, Botan. I never said I didn't want to." Humor dripped heavily in his voice, causing her smile to widen ever so slightly. "I can't wait to see you."

"R-really?" she stuttered in half embarrassment and half surprise, a light blush creeping up her cheeks. She heard him hum and said a "Yes." which made her turn ten shades darker. Licking her lips, she murmured, "This Wednesday, then?"

"This Wednesday." His tone, affirming, promised her that she would see more of him.

After that phone call she had with Shuichi, Botan had immediately called her brother on his cell and although she hadn't expected him to pick up, she'd bravely told him that she wanted to talk. They ended up bickering a little, and once a while, her brother and even she herself, would raise their voices at one another, but everything ended oddly but wonderfully well. They hadn't mended their sibling relationship fully yet –as expected because such a thing would take some time– but it was only a matter of time before they would. They had already taken step one, after all, and that was all thanks to Shuichi. She'd meant to call him in order to thank him, but that changed during a stroll at the park when she accidentally crossed paths with Hiei Jaganshi, who more or less emotionlessly told her of the redhead's whereabouts. Apparently, Shuichi had been working part time at a flower shop to cover most of his living expenses as he didn't want to rely on his enstranged step-father's wealth.

Botan stopped as she reached said flower shop, her chest heaving up and down in time with her heavy pants, due to the reason she ran all the way here. Anticipation filled her senses, and without taking another moment to rest, she entered, glancing around until her eyes caught sight of a familiar red-haired and emerald-eyed boy. A delighted grin brightened up her features, and she raised an arm to call out to him... until she realized he was talking to someone.

It was a girl; her hair was short and brown, and her eyes reminded Botan awfully of chocolates. Her grin faltering, Botan eyed the girl chatter with Shuichi, a snake coiling around her heart as she watched the girl place a hand on Shuichi's arm. The redhead didn't seem to mind the contact, as he went on and happily laughed with her. They fitted so perfectly in Botan's eyes, and they seemed so close, as if they had known each other forever – something Botan would forever crave but never earn from Shuichi.

Botan felt as if she was suffocating, and without even greeting her crush, spun on her heels and left.

She panted as she exited the shop, a single tear involuntarily trailing down her left cheek. Legs quivering, Botan made to walk away when an unfamiliar voice called out to her. She turned, and watched as a girl, purple-haired with yellow eyes as sharp as a cat, exited the flower shop and greeted her.

"Mind if I ask you who you are?" the girl asked, and Botan reached a hand to furiously wipe her tear away. She hoped the stranger hadn't seen her cry.

"Um, I'm Botan," she answered, after a moment of silence. This girl must be a friend of Shuichi's, Botan assumed, as she wore the same uniform as the redhead did.

"You're Kurama's friend, aren't you?" the girl continued to prod, and despite her discomfort, Botan nodded. "You don't feel anything for him, now do you?"

Anger flooded Botan's system as she heard the question pass the stranger's lips. Shuichi's friend or not, this girl had no right to ask her a personal inquiry when they didn't even know one another.

"That doesn't have anything to do with you, now does it?" Botan spat venomously, eyes red – either it was due to the tears threatening to come out or her fury at the moment, she herself wasn't sure.

The girl gave her a sheepish grin before throwing her arms up in defense. "Hey, chill. I didn't mean to offend you. I only wanted to make sure." She laughed. "Although, it's obvious from your violent reaction that you don't harbor any romantic feelings for him. Which is a good thing, to be honest."

Botan narrowed her eyes at her. "And why is that?" she inquired, her voice hesitant and cautious.

The girl sent her a grin. "You see that brown-haired girl talking to him in there?" she asked, and Botan reluctantly nodded. "That's his girlfriend, Maya Kitajima."

And suddenly, Botan felt as if she had plunged into a world of total darkness the moment those six words escaped and reverberated in her ears.

"Oh, I forgot. Did you need something from Kurama? If you do, then I can get him for you."

"No." Botan shook her head. Her voice sounded like it didn't belong to her. "There's no need. I didn't come here to see him. I didn't even know he worked here," she bluffed, and without waiting for the strange girl to reply, whirled around and ran off.

It had been a long time since she cried.

"Hello there, Botan."

Those were the words that erupted from Shuichi's lips, the words that should have made her smile and beam in joy. But, not today.

She let him in without saying a word, and when she did, she could see his smile drop as she shut the door close again, locking the wooden material. But, it came back as quickly as it felled, and he began to talk to her as she guided him to the living room.

She flopped down on the couch, Shuichi mimicking her actions after a hesitant pause. Silence engulfed the duo for a while, before the redhead broke it off, "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, the concern laced in his voice nearly making her burst into tears right then and there. "You're being awfully silent today."

"I'm alright," she forced out, hating herself when her voice broke at the last word, "I'm just worried that I might have dressed terribly for today, that's all," she bluffed, and without waiting for him to reply, made to stand up from the couch, "I need to go and change." Not really; she just needed some time alone – and away from him.

An arm shot up and a hand grabbed hers as instantly as she attempted to walk away, pulling her and tugging her into the last place Botan wanted to be in at the moment – Shuichi's lap.

"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, mildly terrified, and stared at him. He stared back, stoic but scrutinizing at the same time.

"Don't," he whispered, and she could feel his hot breath fan over her skin due to their close proximity. "Don't go."

"Let me go," she said, instead of acknowledging his words. She felt him tighten his grip around her hand for a moment, before reluctantly releasing her. She was swift to remove herself from her position on his lap, scooting as far away as she could from him.

"You don't need a change of clothes," he told her, voice as gentle as ever, "You already look stunning."

Botan bit her lip, and shook her head, before bringing her knees together to her chest and burying it there. It wasn't fair. Only with those simple words, he could make her heart pound, reduce her to a blushing mess, and cause her to start liking –no, loving—more and more, and he didn't even feel anything for her. He had a girlfriend, and she was a nobody. Why would he look at her when he had a lover as beautiful as Maya Kitajima? What was Botan compared to Maya Kitajima?

Nothing.

That was how she felt then; as if she was nothing.

And before she knew it, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Botan?" she heard Shuichi call, but didn't bother to justify him with a response. Not like she could, anyway. She cried, but the redhead made no move, as if afraid to touch her. Although, a second later, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, a hand patting at her back, and couldn't resist the urge to look up at him. Her saddened eyes met his, and then it happened.

Shuichi leaned in and kissed her.

Square on the lips.

And as if that wasn't surprising enough, she kissed back, devouring his lips as eagerly as she could, as if she hadn't eaten or drank anything for weeks. Shuichi groaned at her aggressiveness, and without a moment of hesitation, moved his lips back against hers in equal fervor. Their tongues danced, their teeths bumped, and after what felt like forever, they finally broke off the lip-lock.

Shuichi stared at her, his vibrant emerald orbs now reduced to a dark forest green as he studied her in daze. Botan stared back, and only snapped out of her trance when Shuichi did.

"Shit." It was the first time she heard Shuichi curse, and she couldn't help but look at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I went out of line," he said, regret and fear filling his voice.

"N-no," she whispered, her voice breaking, and her eyes watering. Crystalline tears felled down her cheeks almost uncontrollably so, and she could have sworn she could feel the panic practically radiating off of him. "I'm sorry. I should be the one to apologize," she went on, her words nearly muffled by her loud sobs, "You already have a girlfriend and yet here I am, making a move on you."

"What are you talking about?" For the first time ever, Shuichi seemed incredulous. "I don't have a girlfriend. And it's not your fault, I kissed you first."

"But, I kissed you back!" she cried. "I kissed you back when I knew I shouldn't, and I... wait, what?" She pulled a ridiculous face. "What did you say?"

Shuichi frowned, but repeated, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Y-you don't?"

"I don't," he repeated once again, his voice stiff, "Whoever gave you the idea I did?"

"B-but, I thought... Maya Kitajima..." she trailed off, suddenly feeling stupid.

"Maya Kitajima's my childhood friend. There's nothing between us," he went on patiently, "Who told you that she's my girl friend?"

Botan opened and closed her mouth like a stupid fish, unsure what to say. It took her a moment to recover – although, not fully – and when she did, she stammered out her reply,

"A-a girl. With purple hair and yellow eyes."

Shuichi let out an exasperated groan, and for a moment, she was worried that he might be angry at her. But, he seemed to catch on as he saw the fear reflected in her bright amethyst. "I'm not angry at you, dearest. God, no." He shook his head. "It's just... The girl who spoke to you is my cousin. She really loathes me, and is a liar out to ruin my life." He heaved a heavy sigh. "I told my mother about you, and she over heard. She must have planned to get you to hate me so I'd become miserable. The evil, conniving woman," he growled, low and dangerous, before pulling Botan into his lap.

"S-so," Botan started, "That was all a lie?"

"Yes, it was." He looked straight into her eyes, and she gulped. His hand reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb running lazy, little circles on her smooth skin. "I never liked anyone other than you."

Botan was dizzy with his light touches, and dizzier with his words that the only word she managed to utter was, "What?"

He gave her a warm smile, before expelling a soft, contented sigh as he laid his forehead against hers. His gaze fixated on the glossy texture of her pink lips before returning to her face, and his smile seemed to broaden ever so slightly.

"I've always been watching you, Botan," he confessed, his voice barely a hushed whisper, gentle and filled with love as it was let out in the air and reached her ears, "Didn't I tell you? I always notice a lot of things about you. I knew that when you suddenly disappeared during P.E, and everyone thought you skipped, you were actually helping a kitten off a tree. I knew that when your friend, Keiko, got hurt, you offered to replace her during the school pla, even though you didn't have any practice. I knew that when you broke up with your boy friend, you cried at the stairs and pretended to smile in front of your friends." He took in a deep breath. "I know you secretly watch your brother's soccer practice. I know you would occasionally watch me as well." He smiled at her, his affectionate orbs meeting her wide ones. "I've always been watching you, you see, and before I knew it, I already felled for you. It's odd. You were the last one I expected to fall in love with, but I did. I just never had the nerve to talk to you... until that chemistry experiment three months ago."

"I-I didn't know," Botan murmured as the shock died down. Her lips lifted up into a wide grin. "You could have told me."

"I was a coward," he mumbled. "And you're not any better. If you liked me, then why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't like you," she said, and laughed when he looked at her fearfully. Cupping his cheeks, she gave him a genuine, warm smile, and whispered, "I love you."

He sighed in relief, before returning her smile with his own. He stared at her, his gaze loving, and with a brush of his thumb against her bottom lip, he leaned down and kissed her again.

"Be my girlfriend, Botan Fukuyama?" he asked, his voice humorous but serious at the same time as he searched for an answer through her amethyst irises. She giggled, and nodded her head happily in response.

"Yes," she beamed, "Yes, I'd love to."

"Good." He smiled, before pulling her into another a breathtaking kiss, "Because I wouldn't know what I'd do if you would have said no."

"Will you say it, though?" she asked as he broke off the lip-lock.

And for the first time ever, she saw him blush beet red.

"I love you too."