Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Against The Odds: Take A Look At Me Now ❯ The Secret's Out ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: I don't own any of this so don't sue me! This all belongs to Yoshihiro Togash except for except for Suika and the plot.
The rest is his! ^_~

















Key:
~~~=Change of POV.
*Words*=Dream sequence/ thoughts/ flashbacks






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*Against The Odds: Take A Look At Me Now*




















Chapter Two





















Suika woke up, not at all surprised to see Yuskue gone and the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs; Suika got up and walked over to her bathroom as she started to get ready for another day at school.


















As the warm water splashed down on her she replayed in her mind how the world became so cruel; after the people of Ningenkai found out about Reikai and Makai, they, being possessive creatures thought that the world should only be inhabited by them, shunned all demons away from all human civilization.

















Atsuko. Yuskue's human mother, who died after it was found out that mated with a demon to create her hybrid son; 'God bless her soul.' Suika thought, stepping out of the shower; Suika sighed as she thought of Kazuma Kuwabara, who betrayed his best fried and stood beside his human family, also betraying his fiancé Yukina as well.



Suika felt a tear run down her cheek, as she thought of her brother Minamino Shuiichi a.k.a the legendary thief Yoko Kurama; the way their mother, Shiori-Okaasan, looked at him; as if she was disgusted that she gave birth to him.













The blonde's mother had blinked clumsily when they had met in the kitchen. There was something about her daughter that stood out this morning. It was none of those superficial characteristics such as a thin wash of perfume over her chest, or anything of that sort. No, this morning she was glowing softly. It displayed clearly too. Shiori sensed it from the way she went up to her for the ritual morning kiss. Her hair smelt good, as always, but it was dewy. Her eyes carried an air of mystification. If that was the correct word. A closer fit would have been wistful, but the reason behind this appearance in her eyes was still left to be exposed.










Suika stood and walked about lightly, the process by which she retrieved his books was graceful alone. Shiori smiled, nearly ear-to-ear, at seeing this sudden melody being played in suika's attitude. Normally, the preparations for schooling were blended with gestures such as grins and salutations to presence. Before she left the door, Suika had given a considerably large hug- with the added whisper of: "You're great Okaasan! I'll make a special dinner tonight."





















Not to imply that she was never a faithful daughter, for she always and consistently was. Her grades were top of the list, and her obedience consummate. However, the sincerity in her voice this day seemed to be multiplied ten fold.








~*~









"Twelfth lap, this is your last one Suika!"

By afternoon she was running around the rubber track in the field. It was hot, and irrefutable steam could be seen rising from the asphalt. Her hair had mated over densely, several strands sticking to the back of her neck. Although she was in shorts and a tank top, the few articles of clothing she had were already saturated with sweat. Suika made a turn, and slowly began to pick-up the pace to sprint to the finish.



























Blonde hair, tied in a rubber band, flew up in masses as his feet reared to a stop. She was huffing terribly, and so bent over, hands on knees and perspiration dripping from the point of her nose. Her coach went up to her, and rested a kind hand on her damp back.
















"Great job! You ran three miles in less than thirteen minutes! You're on the team!"

"Really?" Suika stood up straight, a humble smile crossing her features. The coach looked at her for a moment, somewhat marveling at the girl's reticence. He had heard of Minamino Suika many times before. The teachers simply adored her. Easy to teach, quick to learn, responsible, and respectful. While the school as a whole consisted of the highest of intellects, many of them were either cheaters or sufferers of a bad case of condescension. Speculation over Suika's clean record was brought about on and off like publicity, but there wasn't a grain of dirt on her idyllic transcript.

























The coach skimmed over the papers on his clipboard and glanced one more time on his newest team member. The blonde had bent over again to lace her tennis shoes, and he couldn't help, but notice how long Suika's hair was.

"You know, it could help you if you cut your hair. Especially since it's getting pretty scorchy out here."



Suika shot her head up, almost surprising her instructor, and smiled as brightly as the sun. "I would. But then it would grow and I will have to cut it again.", the older scratched his head with his ballpoint pen, and shrugged it off. "It's up to you I guess. Why don't you head for the showers, you look like you can use it.", "Thanks." Suika walked over to the bleachers for her towel and rubbed herself briskly. "By the way. When's the track meet?"
"7:30 AM, Wednesday."
"I'll be there."
"You better. Some of the kids are beginning to think they're hot shots."

Laughing, she walked to the girl's locker room to get cleaned up. The muscles on her calves were pulsating, tight and very well carved. Walking gave her the sensation of being on a trampoline- every step felt like a short bounce. It was a good feeling. A nice workout followed later by a refreshing shower. Opening the metal door before her, he found the whole room to be vacant of any users. Pleased, she stripped himself of her clothing and folded them into her duffle bag. Unzipping a few pockets, Suika found her soap and second towel- dry and ready for use.



















The taps squeaked as she turned the water to warm. That was, warm enough to cause steam to rise and fog the whole locker. She closed her eyes as the water rained down on her, washing away the sweat. 'How good it is to shower.' Kurama thought. 'It's like I'm pealing away my skin.',
"BOO!"

Taken completely off guard, she couldn't help, but jump and nearly fumble with the lather of her soap bar. Suika glanced to the left, and found the improvident prankster peaking over the blue tile wall. The blonde took ease later, clearly recognizing the face even through all the mist.

"Very funny Subrina."


















Yoshizumi Subrina, high school sophomore sharing the same year and class with Minamino Suika. She was the kind and joking type- often mistaken for a delinquent because of her antics. But on contraire, she ranked number four in the efficiency exams, and was captain of the girl's volleyball team. As a friend, Suika would always wind-up defending Subrina's name with the simple line: "Don't underestimate her."

























Subrina shook her head to the side to take her long dark bangs away from her eyes. Her arms were resting casually on the wall, which was soaking the sleeves of her shirt because of the dew, and she went on talking unceremoniously about the runs of the day. So to speak.







"Did you make the cut?"







In reply, a mild grin appeared.







"That's great! I knew you could do it!"



















Chuckling, Suika crooked to wash her hair- her arms reaching for the shampoo on the floor. Pumping a dollop into his palm, she massaged the gel into her scalp until bubbles began to fly about the room. One of the luminescent suds floated in front of her friend. It popped as it landed on his nose.



















"Suika, I think it's more humid in here than it is outside."



















"You should have thought about that before deciding to stay here."























She shrugged, and redirected her stare towards the mirrors. "Nice to know what you think about my loyalty." Actually, the remark came out as a melodramatic joke. Certainly, though, that was Subrina's full intention. "Still. You just had a workout." She continued.
























Suika turned the taps to cool. The miasma began to dissipate. "It's not good to get cold water over you after running so much. I don't want to be sore tomorrow you know."
























"Oh yeah. Silly me." She kind of laughed at himself then and there. Sure, she was smart, but only when she needed to be. "By the way." Subrina added on a rising note. "I asked Satoshi to the Shady Hawkins Dance."
























Water stopped running- a few drops leaking from the showerhead. "Hand me my towel, if you please."
























"Yeah, sure." For a moment she disappeared behind the divider, then returned with a cottony cloth at hand. "Catch."

She caught it, and quickly wrapped it around her body to preserve her unpretentious nature- not that it truly mattered in this case, however. After all, a girl's locker room was a girl's locker room. No wonder then, that Suika chose to bathe when the afternoon rush was low. It felt rather uncomfortable being around women who ran around the stalls naked with wet towels used as playful whips for 'butt-lashing'.
























"On that topic. Who are YOU taking to Dance, Suika?"
























Suika put on his panties and slipped a shirt over his admirable chest. One leg, and then the other, hrs skirt were zipped and worn in only a few minutes. "I'm not going."
























"What? Why?"
























"I. Just don't want to go. That's all."
























Subrina's eyebrow went up, then came furrowing down at a suspicion far off from the truth. "Suika. If it's because of Satoshi."

























She rung her towel. Quite a bit of water drizzled from it and soaked the cement flooring. Coolly, the blonde disapproved the suggestion. "No, that's not it. Don't worry about Satoshi and me, Subrina; we never had anything in the first place. At least, no more than a platonic relationship."
























Dead memories arose. Satoshi and Suika. The love situation in that state of affairs was all, but forgotten. Yes, a year ago. He had met a stunning young man with midnight blue and aqua tinted eyes. Infatuation was what it was. Suika would never have expected that a certain triangle between all of them- Satoshi, Suika, and Subrina- would form. All the same, this occurred a long time ago. Satoshi loved Subrina, not him. The revelation of it hurt so much that Suika cried herself to sleep- soaking his pillows with his hands gripping against the sheets in emotional anguish. He wasn't alone on this, however. Yuskue had come through his window that night- that night of the day he was crushed like a wilted flower.
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"Then. What's wrong? You can practically pick your date."

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Grabbing her bag from the wooden bench she set it on, Suika stood at ease and thought for a moment. "None of those guys. mean anything to me. Besides, I'm happy enough as it is."

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"You've got to be kidding." Her friend deadpanned.

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"No, I'm not. But hey, promise to save me a picture of you and Satoshi. Okay?"

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"Sure."

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~*~










By four PM, Subrina and Suika had parted after a short spend at a nearby coffee shop. Short stops for relaxation such as this was unquestionably a simple indulgement. Over coffee, discussion in regards to academia was on its minimal- with the exception of group study sessions.

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Somehow, taking the bus home seemed unappealing this day. Come to think of it, taking the bus wasn't a priority on Suika's transportation list. Why take a stuffy crowded bus, when one may enjoy walking out on the sun baked street and cheery parks? At any rate, she arrived home late in the afternoon. She had made several stops to pick up groceries and flowers for her mother, then as soon as she was home- made the special dinner she promised: stuffed clams.

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The run had completely worn her out, and so she retired to her room and collapsed on the bed- falling into a peaceful slumber. Her lover walked in later that night, when the stars where in full life and the only activity about were the stray cats roaming the deserted parkways. Yuskue crept upon the bed, as quietly as he could muster. Lovingly, he took the blankets and tenderly draped Suika in warmth. He grinned smug, seeing the blonde's lips parted and hearing the shallow exhales departing from her breath. Removing his boots and overcoat, he curled up beside her. His arms found their way around Suika's torso, embracing tightly with the expression of utmost compassion.

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Yuskue smelled her hair- long white-golden strands scented unsurprisingly of rose and jasmine. Closing his eyes, he recalled the short and seemingly term-less events after Suika's morning departure. As expected, his obligations ran to no more than what he demanded of himself. Visitations to the temple, as usual, and the daily routes over the roof paths of the large city. It was a great thrill jumping down from buildings of inconceivable heights. The adrenaline rush it sent him gave extra sprits to vigor; the wind that rushed over him and the whistling he heard as he descended faster and faster toward the ground. Touching such peril everyday and evading it with unparalleled skill was a sheer pleasure. It was like flying. Soaring into the sky and diving at endless limits.

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"Hmm." He buried his head deeper into the nape of his lover's neck.

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It was like love in its emblematic form.

"Yuskue." The serene call of his name was paired with Suika turning within his arms. "It's strange. That one of your reputation is cradling me."

The hybrid loosened his arms. "Would you prefer I not do it then?"

"I was just kidding."

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For a while, they said no more than that and lay on the bed in shared silence. By an unknown means, they had acquired a sense of communication without words or action. They just knew what jogged around in each other's head, and in bizarre twists- they would find themselves laughing for no coherent or evident reason. They laughed because they felt it. Smiled too.

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"Do you watch me every time I sleep?" Suika asked.

"If I'm given the chance."

They kissed.

"Let's sleep. I think I'm still partially drained because of last night."

"You talk about it so offhandedly." Yuskue smirked. "It's good to know that you're giving me your sincerity, though."

"I don't think. I can give you any less than that."

"Whatever. This conversation is growing too sappy for my tastes." He leaned over Suika's side in an effort to turn off the lamp. "Go back to sleep now."

Blinking was the blonde's reaction. "What about you?"

Off went the light.





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~*~









'I'm not much for pictures.' she once said. Certainly, she had stated this only out of polite modesty- her number one habit and rule. She looked stunning in pictures, and she knew it. The way her hair would swirl and drape over her shoulders- the lighting adding a surreal gloss to every curl and strand. Her eyes seemed to light up before even the flash. Unfathomable pale green eyes momentarily mixed, and later absorbed by dark green and azure. In the next second, the change would be gone, and the irises had reverted back to light emeralds once more. Humorous, really. Seeing the photographers strain their focus lens, wondering why they had seen a transformation in her eye color. It brought a slight mischievous grin to lip.

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Then again, she preferred taking the photos rather than being in them. It was a lot more pleasurable to be the one in control of the shutter. 'Almost like playing God', she mused, 'only in a more unassuming form.'

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With that in mind, sixth period always seemed to go by fast. Suika often watched the clock pull its so-called extremities around its face, until it finally stopped and ring the cursed bell. This was the only class she sincerely enjoyed- besides biology, at least. It gave him a good excuse to go out and enjoy nature. What ever left there of in Tokyo. At any rate, she sat there again, at her table and fingering her camera.

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Shutter open? Check. Clean lens? Check. Film? Film. The blonde left her seat and opened one of the drawers from behind the classroom. Her hands rummaged around until he finally came to an occupied film tube. Smiling, Suika opened the slip from behind her camera, inserted the roll, and shut the slip again with a hard 'click'.

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From across the room, Arimi watched him busy himself with all the simple 'knicks and knacks'. Brushing back her hair, which was impossible since her hair was perpetually shaved, Arimi thought him to be stupid. Photography 1A. It's supposed to be a whiz course, not something for personal enjoyment.

'Stupid.' The word rang again in her mind. The only people who ever truly enjoyed photography- as far as he was concerned- were girls, the Paparazzi and entrepreneurs. Suika appreciated the arts, on a far more profound level than other girls. She was good at everything. Plausibly, Arimi's state of mentality was simply inclined to following jealousy's stroke to her unending ego. or maybe she just hated her.

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Again, their class went out. The air outside was fresh, but pleasantly warm. The sun was already passing over the roof of the school, creating a sheet of white light that darted out from the edges of the edifice. Suika stepped back, knelt on one knee, and took the picture. She thought it would be nice- the sun coming close to its descend from behind the building made a good contrast between light and dark. When the film would be developed, she at once decided to keep the entire picture in black and white, except for the sun. That would get her emphasis across.

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Walking around, she headed for the arboretum, taking the trail made of tender wood chucks- scented of American cedar and moss. Spying a tall maple tree, Suika stood from under it, positioning her camera up for the perfect angle. It WAS perfect. From where she was, the tree seemed to stretch up toward the heavens, soft luminosity pouring through the breakage in thin foliage.

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"Beautiful." She murmured, snapping her shutter, when she felt something soft and moist push against his lips.

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Lowering the camera, with its strap swung loosely around her neck, he blinked at meeting Yuskue- eye to eye, albeit upside-down. For a time, she was too surprised to say anything, until finally the taller flipped from the tree he was hanging from with his legs.

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Landing on the ground, several wood chips went flying from beneath his pressing feet. Yuskue turned, face unsurprisingly solemn. That didn't last long, a charming, but small smile pulled across his features.

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Another flash.

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"That one. Is for me."

He closed his eyes. "Hmm. Sentimental."

"Oh?" Suika asked on a rising note. "And who was it that was waiting for me in that tree?"

The hybrid stared at the thin plant Suika was standing under. "What tree?"

A frown was the response. A half-frown, the other half was a suppressed laugh. "THIS one." Suika batted the pale bark.

"That's a twig, Suika."






Her friend raised his finger, mouth gaping to say something, but he stopped. Better to make a sweet comeback than a sorry scold. "Well, if you were hanging from it, Yuskue, you must weigh less than a twig then."




Ouch.




Unfortunately, with the elder's pride, the smile faded. "You win." He said evenly. "That means I have to kiss you again. My reprimand."



Striding to Suika with ease, he looked down to her to touch her lips. The camera at the blonde's hands slipped, the weight of it pulling her deeper into the kiss. In that second, both of their eyes widened in shock. After a while, though, Suika let go of his laugh- tickling Yuskue in the nose with her breath.

A whistle sounded, causing them to straighten and look in the same direction.

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"I've got to go. My class is heading back inside."



Nodding, the demon released his hold from around his lover's waist and beneath the great mass of golden hair. Suika walked off, for a short distance of four and a half meters, then turned back.




"It's Friday today!" She yelled. "Do you want to do something tomorrow?"


Subsequently, Yuskue turned on his heel. "Whatever."




The blonde brightened, interpreting the reply as a 'yes', rather than what it really meant. Not that it mattered, one way or another he could always get the retired tentai to do something out of the question or league. That was some power, it was tempting to just test Yuskue's loyalty- but it wasn't worth risking the opulent friendship they already had.
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Traveling up the trail again, the surface began to rise a little once reaching the base of the hill leading out of the arboretum. Suika checked the counter on his camera. Thirteen. She still had fourteen shots to spare; maybe she could ask Yuskue to do some glamour shots. Now wouldn't that be great? Having the disgruntled guy walk down a platform, its floor covered with lights. He would turn his waist toward the crowd- that being Suika- flash a sexy pose, possibly leaving his thin white shirt open, and look drastically away to some far off distance. His brown eyes would be vacant, but deep. Two fans were to be situated at his side- blowing air that made the material of his attire go flying with the wind. Calvin Klein, eat your heart out.

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The more Suika thought about it, the more fun it sounded. What clothes would he have him wear? First, a nice tank top- to show off Yuskue's perfect skin, not to mention his muscles. It would be ash gray, made of soft cotton and would come down to Yuskue's lower abdomen. For pants, black beach shorts. Then, to accentuate some sexual flavor, a thin silver chain with a plain ring on it- hanging off of his koibito's slender neck. Shoes? Why not barefoot? The scenery could be at the beach during sunset.

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What about the next style? A turtleneck. Yes, a turtleneck- mahogany in color, with a navy blue wool scarf flapping over his shoulder. The lower part of his body should be covered in matching blue slacks- shoes being quarter boots, black and shiny. That was classy.

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Finally, just for fun, the third set would be completely composed of gothic/punker wear. A torn up shirt. No. No. A black FISHNET shirt, with silver chains and thin bondage straps hanging from the long sleeves. The pants will also be black, regular bondage straps crossing all around his legs. Black nail polish, that can't be forgotten. Black lipstick- with eyeliner. Tall boots coming up to the knee- plenty of silver buckles on them. Of course! A silver hoop ring! On the earlobe? Or on the top?

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Not paying attention to her surroundings any more, Suika practically walked blindly into another person. She blinked a few times, coming out of her playful daze, when she recognized the student she stumbled into.

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"Watch it, Suika."

"Gomen nasai! I didn't see you, Arimi."

"Chikuso..." She wiped the lens of his camera, making sure nothing was ruined. "How could you not see me? I was coming up the other path! No one is down here except for the two of us!"

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The blonde smiled quite guiltily. It was an accident, but it wasn't such a big deal. A simple run-in, that was all. Still, Arimi's hostility to him was always one of question. Her silver eyes would glare, almost like steel. Her frown, he did it so much that there appeared to be permanent creases on her forehead. From the way Arimi looked, she could easily be mistaken for a graduate of military school. If Suika hadn't had the upper hand in combat ability, she probably would have been a little intimidated by the girl.

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"I'm sorry." She repeated. "Whatever, common' let's get back in."

"Mm. Right."

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Going further into the campus, Arimi made sure to keep at least five paces away from Suika and ten paces AHEAD of him. In a minute, she could hear a few of the male students run-up towards the blonde- they giggling and babbling like a bunch of sightless fools. She glanced back. Well, they WERE fairly attractive. It annoyed her, however, that all the guys on the planet would pause just to smile at Arimi; while for her, on the other hand, they were afraid of her. 'Never mind the guys.' She thought. 'Making money is the higher priority as compared to love...'











~*~








The students filed into the classroom, whispering a little over their findings outside. One of the students caught a dragonfly whizzing by, just at the right moment. Its wings were captured by the light, giving them a multihued appearance. Another found a hare darting across the football field. It was the typical brown kind, but its eyes were big and sad. The remainder of the class was still in the dark room, having their pictures developed.


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Arimi fumbled to pull the chain of the light switch. After she got it on, the little room was lit with an eerie tone of crimson red. Taking the film, he placed it into the developing pan- dipping and lifting as needed. When she was done, she pinned the photos onto a string for them to dry out. As they did, she examined each of them carefully- to make sure none of her shots were exposed.


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Her photos were irrefutably dull. No emotions of any sort were focused into her work. What she cared about was getting an easy A, and going on with her life. The first ten developments were all of trees, but at very monotonous positioning and angles. The next eight were nothing, but birds perched on a cable line. Actually, she kind of liked it- the way the crows stalked down from their roosts. Nonetheless, one could only make out the birds by the shape of their shadow. The rest of the photo was blank, not even the sky had that extra vibrancy of a swirling cloud or a falling leaf. It probably would look better if she reversed the colors. Hm.


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Pulling at the photos with her tweezers, Arimi was pleased to find that most of them had already dried. Taking them down, she pressed another light switch to change the lighting from red to white. She sat on a stool situated there, and began shuffling through the collection. Nothing grasped her own interest, save for the picture of the birds, until she reached the twentieth or so shot. It was from behind the school, where the plants and rocks were more varied. He noticed there was a distinct patch of white-gold coming through a maple tree. No doubt it probably was Suika's head full of hair.


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"Damn it." Arimi groaned. "Even in my own work you piss me off."


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She squinted a bit. "Wait a minute." She looked closer and found that the blonde seemed to be leaning over and. kissing a tree?! Now that was funny. REALLY funny. The student couldn't help, but choke down some horribly restrained laughter. A snort inevitably tumbled out of her breath. Imagine that. Suika, an arboreal sexualite. Oh, she could only wish. The exploits! The very idea made her shiver with excitement.


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There was a magnifying glass on the counter top, and she hastily reached for it. Her hands were shaking, becoming sweaty even. Arimi licked her lips from corner to corner. Suika was obviously kissing something, but it wasn't a plant. For a moment, she leaned back. There was the possibility that she could have been secretly making out with another guy. But how? There wasn't anyone following 'Ms. Perfect' from behind when they were called back. A guy from another school then?


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Standing, she stormed out of the dark room, nearly slamming the door behind her when he incidentally bumped into someone.




"Sorry, I was about to knock, but."

Arimi didn't hear him, in fact she didn't even swear. She emphatically left the classroom, and headed straight for the library. Showing the librarian her I.D. card, she logged into a computer and prepared the scanner.


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Open Kodak program. Click on scan. Her mouse moved about the screen, flying around from button to button with speed and much fortitude. The sound of the apparatus functioning ensued, bright rays from the scanner sliding smoothly from bottom to top. Slowly, the photo appeared on the computer, fraction by fraction.


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Again, she moved her mouse, positioning the arrow on 'resize image.' She clicked. Multiply two- hundred percent of current image. Arimi scowled impatiently. It still wasn't clear. Fine then, multiply image three hundred percent. A smirk. Still not completely clear, but getting closer. Opening the 'resize image' box once more, he typed in the next measure: five hundred percent.


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"Shit. There're some branches in the way. I'll have to transfer this onto another program."


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Clicking on a different icon, she saved the image under a Jpeg file and opened Photoshop Pro. Using the magic wand tool, she separated the overhanging branches from the shorter figure to the left. When this was done, Arimi specified corrections onto the file to make-out who was it Suika was with- magnifying, pasting, and cutting all along the way. Scrolling to full-screen display, she clicked on the menu and saw what she so worked hard for.

"It's. a demon."

A demon. Not just any demon, the hybrid known as Yuskue Urameshi. His hair was black, dark black- the shine of it giving a highlight of teal. Both of them, the shorter and taller, were lip-locked- their eyes gently shut, with their arms somewhat roaming and embracing.


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"I need to save this." Arimi minimized the window and looked around. "Nero! I need you for a moment!"


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The library aid, far on the other end of the room, set the books at hand in a cart and walked to the table she was at. Arimi tried not to look at the number two pencil stuck behind his ear. He would have been cute if it weren't for that. And, well, his overalls and high-tops.


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"Please don't yell in the library."


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Typical.


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"Sorry." She mocked whispered. "Do you have a blank disc I can use?"

"Sure." His thin hands fingered around the front pocket of his outfit. "Here."

"Wow. Just like a carpenter. Only."

"Only not." He said a little stiffly, but then grinned. "Anything else you need?"


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Arimi looked to the computer. The glow of it washed over her features, almost giving this sick look off brainwash over her eyes. "Yes. I want to use the net."

"Really?" Nero spoke suspiciously. "What for?"

"A report. on. uh." She searched for something to inspire him. Anything. Anything at all. Normally, she was good at making lies, but the all- knowingness this senior student next to her had given her a feeling of stupidity. Without thinking, she accidentally knocked the pictures off of the table. The photos rained down to the carpeting, flapping audibly in the quiet building.

Nero bent down to pick them up. Kindly, she arranged them into a neat pile, and handed it to him. Looking at the top picture, Arimi got it.

"A report on birds."

Fine and smooth strands of beige hair slipped from his face and fell over his hazel eyes. One of his thin eyebrows went up, lower lip pointing downward a bit in disbelief.

"All right then." He shrugged. "Just sign on the clipboard on your way out, that tells us you used the modem."

"Thanks."

"Uh-huh." Nero strolled away, grinning goofily to himself.

The student paid no heed to this, and quickly opened her e-mail account the moment the net was connected.

Subject: Suika's Love To: . She typed in all the possible e-mail addresses she could think of. If she could leak even at least one chain letter into the cyber world, that little drop of ink will touch ends with everyone. From here, to the ends of the earth. It was a perfect example of diffusion. Word spreads fast, especially via electricity. The second the letter makes it into an in-box, the person who receives it would surely forward it to everyone else he or she knows. Given that Suika was such a popular student, the scandal would be enormous! Attaching the image onto the letter, the last thing to do was to write 'from'. From who? Anonymous? Boring. How about. From: Bird Watcher


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Perfect. Arimi tilted back on his chair, until only two of its legs rested on the floor. She pulled her arms behind his head and watched as the letter was sent.


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A gray box appeared, the blue bars loaded from end to end, until finally a separate box popped in, reading:


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Mail sent. Job completed.


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With that, Arimi shut down the computer, and went on her way.


























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