"Yakusoku no Hiei"
By Hiei Joro and Nijuukyuu (Sunday, November 6th, 2005)
Summary: Hiei learns English so he can talk with an old friend who took care of him a few years before, in this sequel to 'Taking care of you' while keeping up on a mission going on in their area.
(Title translates to 'Hiei's Oath', which is a fitting title as he makes a goal for himself to complete to repay his friend for learning his language for him.)
Authors' Notes: Well, this is the sequel to 'Taking care of you', which is hosted under my co-writer's account... It'll be written in the same style as the first (in point-of-views), even though this story doesn't have a similar storyline to it's prequel, it does have referrences, and if you read the first one, then'll you understand the friendship Hiei and his friend, Sha, has... but, there is a new element now, this story is set two years after the first; and will be co-starring other characters now that the freedom is given...
Fiery leaves had been falling from the trees ever since Autumn had begun here in Japan, as I landed from a midair kick that brought the low-class demon that had been in front of me down... I narrowed my eyes, glaring down at him; while holding my sword lifted upward in front of my face, to let the reptilian demon know I meant business...
I watched amused as he whimpered, and cowered; continuing to beg for his feeble life... He let out a scream as I then stabbed down into the middle of his bloody back, causing the demon to spasm with pain; and I listened to the cries becoming weaker and frail from the dying thing.
"What a pathetic fool..." I muttered, disgusted, turning away sharply on the heel of my black boot, not bothering to even glance at the suffering waste of life behind myself; as I leaped up into the tree, then to the others until I came to the other end of this park.
However, this park was rather trashed, and gloomy... not a single soul enjoyed visiting here anymore - I don't know what the humans did to this place, but to be frank, I just didn't care what they cause for themselves - it's their own faults they were all born half-witted idiots; save for a very rare few, whom were spared by their creator.
"Hm..." I seated myself down on the base of a tree branch, which had it's branches spread, touching the top of the brick walls, which surrounded the park, to the irongate entrance; far from where I was sitting here; to prevent more people from coming in, I believed...
This morning, I had been bored and I had nothing better to do, so I came in here, because I was aware that some other demons had been gathering here, and were up to no good... but to my disappointment, they were all lowlives, not one a single challenge for me.
"Ugh..." I stretched my arms, arching my back before slumping downward, crossed my arms together, and shifted one foot over the other, as I closed my eyes...
Life was too meaningless sometimes for me, I thought to myself, trying to relax enough to fall asleep, but I knew I was restless, only causing myself to become irritated towards myself.
I was itching for a good battle, with someone who wouldn't hold back on me; which is why I didn't bother asking Yuusuke or Kurama for a fight... and for Kuwabara, it was I who was forced to hold back because of his much weaker strength.
"Speak of the devil..." I murmured to myself, pulling myself lazily upward as I heard the sound of the three I had been thinking of coming from the other side of the wall...
I glanced over the top, to see them stop as Kuwabara was telling the other two something, and they seemed to be very interested in it... but the strangest thing was, I didn't understand a single word they were saying.
"Hm...?" Raising an eyebrow, I then lept down to the grass, landing silently so they did not hear me, then standing with my back against the wall, eavesdropping into their conversation...
"Wait, Kuwabara, could you repeat that, but slower this time. I'm not quite sure if you have mastered that sound yet, so let's go over it once more." Kurama was requesting Kuwabara to... repeat something...
I lifted my head, waiting to hear the big doofus talk, but I nearly lost my balance in shock when I heard him speaking another language, not in Japanese like we were accustomed to...
Wait... that language... I've heard it before... where?
Where?.!
I closed my eyes, quickly trying to remember, as I listened to Kurama and Yuusuke begin to engage in a conversation of the same tongue.
Suddenly, opening my eyes as I caught my breath, realising it to be English... normally, something like this wouldn't even matter in the least to one such as myself, but the English language always reminded of an old friend of mine - a young, sweet girl who took me in when I had been badly injured...
Chuckling, I remembered she hadn't been so sweet when we first met, it had been quite frustrating... us not being able to speak the same language - me being Japanese and her English... but somehow, she had managed to learn some Japanese as to speak to me.
Well, I snapped back to reality, also remembering I hadn't visited her ever since... that is, within her knowledge, I did check up on her every now and then... seems she has forgotten me, or at least, I thought so.
How many years...?
One?
No... two, I believed... She wouldn't be so much of a child anymore, but more of a young woman of seventeen now...
Hmph, I had to know why they were rambling on in English like this...
Pushing the other thoughts far from my mind, I jumped up, throwing my hands back as they caught the top of the wall, and I swung over gracefully landing down behind the trio; as they turned to me, I noticed they looked a little surprised to see me...
I guess I was ruining their 'fun' by showing up like this. I glared at them, suppressing a growl as I disliked being ignored like this, but they continued to look at me like they were clueless, but then Yuusuke spoke.
"Something the matter, Hiei?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as I crossed my arms, closing my eyes, with an irritated huff.
"No, nothing at all. But tell me this, where did you learn English?" I demanded, in the faint hopes I could somehow learn it too... it would be nice to return the favor for Sha, it would surprise her and let her know I hadn't forgotten her over the years, even if I may not matter to her anymore... It did rather bother me I hadn't been able to repay her properly somehow, but this would be the perfect solution for me...
"Why, in school, Hiei... That is, for me and Yuusuke." Kurama chuckled, smiling at Kuwabara, who seemed a little offended, turning to Yuusuke, he said: "I can't believe Urameshi, the worst student EVER was able to pick up on English!"
Yuusuke placed his hands on his hips, returning the comment. "Oh yeah?.! At least I'm not the one in an English class because I happened to FORGET to do English - for me, it was just easy, but I dunno why." Yuusuke shrugged, letting Kuwabara know the anger had been a bluff.
"...At least I finished high school, y'dork." Kuwabara mumbled, glaring at Yuusuke, but Yuusuke had heard, and was about to punch his lights out, when Kurama cleared his throat loudly.
"Getting a cold there, Kurama?" Yuusuke asked dumbly, looking at Kurama, who shook his head.
"No... it's just... the English..." Kurama was always one to play around the real darn thing he meant, but Yuusuke and Kuwabara quickly picked up, much to my irritation... and it just had to be Kuwabara who said:
"Hey, shrimpy, just why the heck are you interested in English?"
I quietly growled to myself, but I knew I never had to tell anyone anything no matter what they said; so I turned away, saying: "I was just curious, seeing as English is beyond YOU, Kuwabara." with that, I disappeared, back into the tree over the wall; and I was now glad that not all the leaves had fallen on the trees around this area, as it covered me from them.
"That's KAZUMA to you, pal! In America, and England, and wherever, you call a person by their first name... right?" Kuwabara looked at Kurama, whom nodded quietly.
Kuwabara sighed loudly in distress, going on: "What's he talking about anyway?.! I bet he doesn't even KNOW English!" Kuwabara huffed, crossing his arms; as Yuusuke stared at him blankly.
"He recognized it, didn't he?" The Spirit Detective pointed out, shrugging as though it didn't matter to him...
'Good Yuusuke... You might just lead them off-track...' I smirked, thinking that Yuusuke could change the subject, and they would just think of it as no importance.
"Yes, but it's pretty easy to recognize the English language, as it is probably the most spoken tongue on the Earth by humans." Kurama beat Yuusuke's point, as I glared at the fox, trying to burn a hole through him with my fiery eyes...
"Why would he be interested?" Yuusuke asked, with widened eyes, blinking; then he yawned as he stretched, returning with his hands to the back of his dark head.
Kuwabara burst into laughter, as he suggested: "Maybe he has an English girlfriend!"
I glared at the loudmouth - yes, I admitted to myself I had had some sort of attraction to the girl at first, and I was still a little fond of her - but it wasn't anything like love... because love was wasted on fools...
Besides... she deserved someone much better then me...
Yuusuke rolled his eyes, as Kurama sighed, lowering his head; as I could tell he was probably fed up with them by now.
"Kuwabara, get real. Hiei isn't stupid enough to get a girlfriend who doesn't speak the same language." Yuusuke yawned again, as I glared at him peeved.
"'STUPID ENOUGH?' Why I oughta..." My thoughts were broken off as Kurama spoke up softly.
"Maybe he was just interested... you two are well aware he'd never give up a chance to make fun of Kuwabara." Kurama chuckled, as Kuwabara and Yuusuke both sighed, rolling their eyes.
"C'mon guys, I'm straved." Yuusuke said, beginning to walk off with the other two following as they began to ramble with one another again.
I sat down in the tree with one leg up, and the other crossed around it; holding a hand to my chin and the other to my elbow, as I thought.
"Kuwabara is taking English classes... I could just go eavedrop on him there... but the thing is, I have no idea when these classes are in session, so..." I sighed in distress, straightening out on the branch, as I realised it would mean I would have to stalk him for an entire day...
The next day was pretty much wasted, as I followed the clueless Kuwabara from one place to another, without him ever seeing or sensing me at all... I felt ready to just get up and quit, but my determination was the light for me today, as it finally paid off around eight o'clock that night, when he went into an old building...
Resting in a tree, I removed my handband as I slowly absorbed everything going on in the class... I realised that learning this language wasn't going to be as easy as I had hoped, but I wasn't going to give up on the first day of my 'learning'...
Amazingly, three hours passed rather quickly, and I was trying to rehearse the English words I actually managed to remember and understand over and over in my head, as I lept down from the tree, then I became aware that students were coming out of the building, and Kuwabara would be heading out soon...
I backed behind the tree, but it was too late... he had already seen me, and thus, he made his way over to me; and I glared at him, irritated.
'What are you doing outside my English class, shortie?.!" Kuwabara asked loudly, as annoyed at me as I was with him.
'I was just passing by... to make fun of you. You're probably fluking terribly." I said disgusted, as I walked past him...
I swore to myself once I was out of range, several feet away on the roof of a nearby building; I kick over a crate up here in anger...
Why did I have to get caught on the first try?.!
...I just hoped he wouldn't make anything of it...
.:.To be continued.:.