Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of The Demon ❯ The Fake Hachimaki and Sushi Tactics ( Chapter 2 )

Mark of The Demon

Chapter 2

The Fake Hachimaki and Sushi Tactics

My eyes fluttered open slowly and even then they were only partly open. My head hurt, it throbbed and I could feel my heart beat pulsating in it. It took me awhile to realize I had a white bandage wrapped around my forehead, when I fell I probably hit my head on something. That much I could assume since it was especially painful on the left side right above my eye.

I was too tired to get up or maybe it was because I felt too heavy. On second though, I was just being my lazy self.

I was laying on the most uncomfortable bed I had ever been on with metal bars on both sides, I guess was just incase I was stupid enough to roll off while I was asleep.

My eyes scanned the room leisurely. It had white walls with a huge window that had, drum roll please, white curtains. The window was open and an occasionally breeze fluttered the curtains and swept across me, quite refreshing really.

There was a clock on the wall right across from me. It was one of those stupid clocks with the minute and hour hand. It said 1:25.

How long had I been out?

A day perhaps…

I glanced back out the window, it was a sunny afternoon with some white wisps of clouds in the sky. I could hear the birds chirping above the busy city sounds of people yelling or in their cars honking horns at one another.

I propped myself up on my elbows and sighed. This was a hospital, an obvious no brainer and I hated hospitals. From the shots, to the know-it-all doctors to the too patient nurses. I would rather be recuperating at home with Shinji poking me every other minute asking if he would get infected with whatever weird disease he presumed I might have until I hit him over the head and Aunt ushered him out of the room with a scolding voice directed at us both. Ah, those were the times as annoying as they were.

I finally sat up completely after what seemed to be hours. Time always seemed to pass slower in hospitals or maybe I was being eager for Aunt and Uncle to take me home so I could rest while playing video games.

The door swung open suddenly and made me jump.

“You’re alive!” Shinji bounded in smiling as broad as ever. “You really had my mom and dad worried, you know?” He sat at the empty chair next to the bed and dangled his arms over the metal bar. “Mom freaked when you fell down in the kitchen.” He then pointed at my forehead, “You hit your head pretty hard on the counter, there was blood everywhere. I reckon they gave you a few stitches to close that up.” This all seemed to be entertaining to him.

I crossed my legs and sat up straight, “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“Was I yesterday?”

I glared at him from the corners of my eyes, “You are going to get into trouble one of these days and I’ll be there saying I told you so.” He gave no indication he was phased by this so I pressed the matter, “Honestly, how you get away with it is beyond me. It’s almost like throwing away your future.”

Shinji shrugged, “You don’t like school either.”

“Are you suggesting something?” I could see the carefree attitude on his face all the time, but at the same time it was a complete mystery to me. He was a good student up until he started ditching, even better than me.

“I’m just saying why put up with it?-it’s just school and as for my future,” he paused as if he wanted to choose his next words carefully for the first time in his life, “I’m going to be actor so I really don’t need an education.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking. “You? An actor?” I concealed my laughter by biting my fist. “Shinji, you fell off the stage in that Junior High play, remember? The lights were shining too brightly and you couldn’t see where you were walking and you fall off onto the principal.” Now that was a memory never to be forgotten.

He looked flustered by what I said then replied, “Fine. I’ll be a homeless bum who mooches off of his successful cousin because she’s so driven to have a good job and make money.”

“That sounds more like you.”

We talked a little bit more about his sordid future. Setting details about the trailer park he was going to live in with his manic depressed wife and twelve children and his job as a sanitation worker. We even got around to naming and specifying genders for all his children before he left claiming this conversation made him want to think his life over a little bit. The way he said that in such an overly dramatic way meant that it was just a simple tête-à-tête for a good laugh. I suspected the real reason he left was because he was a compulsive video gamer and that in another hour or so he would die from the lack of flashing bright lights and lame fighting graphics.

Uncle came to pick me up later at around five or six. He brought me a pair of slacks, a baggy t-shirt and sandals to change into which I gratefully put on hastily although by that time I was famished.

“What do you want to eat?” He inquired as we got into his car.

I thought for a moment while piling into the shot gun seat then said, “Imagawayaki.” Imagawayaki was a cylindrical sweet cake with red beans stuffed inside a pancake-like batter. It was one of my favorite treats mainly because it was the first thing Auntie showed me how to make at the bakery when I was nine.

“That’s hardly a suitable dinner,” he noted, frowning at my suggestion. He was clearly worn-out by the long process of getting me released from the hospital. It was a long car drive from the house to the hospital and I suspected that Uncle had to get off work early to pick me up, which meant closing the bakery early. Without Haruka and Umi there this week, it was a lot of work for one or two people.

I decided not to pursue the topic of having Imagawayaki any further, I was drained myself and my head started aching again.

As it turns out, I went without dinner. The instant I got into the house I retired to my bedroom even though on the way I stumbled over Shinji’s foot that he stuck out without sympathy to my situation and I ended up hitting my head on the wall. Stupid Shinji.

My bedroom was dark though the door to the hallway was open and the hall light shone in across the floor and on my bed. I could make out faint lines of books and clothes on the floor, but I wasn’t in the mood to critique my room at the moment despite how much more comfortable my bed was compared to the one in the hospital. I rested my head on the pillow and pulled my comforter over me. So warm, so secure. It never felt like this in my foster family’s homes.

I could hear the discussion at the dinner table in the dining room, but I managed to push it out of my head and treat it like it was just white noise.

I rolled onto my back and put my hands behind my head. I gazed at the ceiling which I had already decorated with glow in the dark stars that were now dimly glowing.

Moving was bad enough without having a bandage wrapped around your head especially since the doctor told me to keep the bandage on for another week. Evil doctors, I was already anticipating the strange stares I would receive at school. Now there was another reason not to look forward to school.

I closed my eyes and sighed, life was so unfair.

I woke up the next morning when someone was tapping me on the shoulder.

“Wake up Sleeping Beauty.”

I groaned at the sound of Shinji’s voice. I swatted his hand away and pulled the covers over my head, “Go away.”

“School’s starting in thirty minutes.”

It took a minute for that to register in my mind, before I literally shot up, “What? Why didn’t anyone wake me up sooner?”

“Well,” he said casually, “I thought it’d be rude to wake you up so early.”

I snorted, since when did he care if he was ever rude? I got out of bed and pushed him out of my room, which took a lot of effort, particularly for someone who is not in anyway a morning person. “Get out!” I shouted, “I need to get dressed.” I was still wearing the clothes my Uncle brought to me from the hospital. Once I slammed the door in Shinji’s face I dashed over to my dresser and opened the middle drawer searching frantically for my spare fuku. I found it buried below my various shirts and tossed my old clothes in a pile on the floor before pulling the blue uniform over my head and then pulling of the blue skirt. I found my school shoes in the corner of my room and quickly brushed my hair then put my hair in a high ponytail.

After I was fully dressed I grabbed my book bag which Auntie had placed outside my room and went into the kitchen, scavenging for a quick snack.

Shinji was vaguely watching as I scurried around the kitchen trying to find anything to with mild interest. I took it he wasn’t going to school today because he wasn’t even in his uniform today. Sometimes I wondered if he’d go to school if Auntie and Uncle were here in the mornings, but then again…he’d probably still ditch. He was wearing rather baggy jeans, black tennis shoes, a white shirt with a black logo on the front and a brown raincoat like jacket over it.

I settled just for a glass of orange juice which I chugged in a matter of seconds before putting in the sink.

“What are you going to do about it?”

I turned around and looked at Shinji, “About what?”

He pointed at my forehead as he leaned on the counter by the sink next to me. “People will think that’s odd. Maybe you should tell them you had brain surgery. I’m sure they won’t make fun of you if they think it’s something serious.”

“You’re a real comedian,” I said acidly, “in fact that was so funny I forgot-”

“To laugh.” He finished for me in an airy voice no longer looking at me. Instead he was examining his palm with sudden interest. “I have a long life line, what about you?” He snatched my hand before I could respond, “You’re not going to have a long life.”

I pulled my hand away, “What do you mean?”

This time I let him take my hand, he traced an index finger along a curved line on my palm, “See? It ends about halfway to your wrist.” He let go of my hand and showed me his, “Mine goes all the way down to my wrist, see?”

I stared blankly at him. What a wonderful moment for him to be obnoxious. “I don’t have time for life lines or whatever they’re called.”

He was still staring at his own palm.

I rolled my eyes. I was too worried about my bandage to care then an idea struck me. “Shinji do you have a red and a black permanent marker?”

He fiddled around in his pockets for a few moments then pulled out two markers, one black the other red, “Here.” He handed them too me. It was always a wonder what kinds of thing boys kept in their pockets and I couldn’t help but think how random it was for him to have the two markers I needed.

I went over to the mirror in my room and carefully with the red marker, I drew the outline of a circle then slowly filled it in until I had a somewhat lopsided circle. I was never a good artist. I then took the black marker and drew the character for fighting spirit on one side of the red circle. I was silently hoping this idea would work although people would wonder why I was wearing a hachimaki when it wasn’t even final exams yet. The point was for it to appear like a hachimaki so it wouldn’t be as bizarre, but people would still maybe ask why there wasn‘t a tie in the back.

When I went back out to show Shinji and he burst out laughing. He was holding his stomach and pounding his fist on the wall howling with laughter.

I glared at him, “Give me a break. Nobody will notice unless they’re like those creepy people who pay too much attention to detail.” Even though I was the one who said it, it didn’t sound the least bit assuring. I was going to make a bigger fool out of myself then I ever meant to.

He straightened up, “Well, you should get going. You only have ten minutes.”

I was out the door in a heartbeat when he said that. I knew even if I caught the bus I still wouldn’t make it on time. It would take a miracle for me to get there in time which was running out rapidly. I waited by the bus stop which was a few blocks away from the house for five minutes. Five painful minutes and it didn’t even come. Time was ticking away and I didn’t know what to do. My school was about ten miles away which meant I usually left about an hour early to get there. It would take me well over an hour to walk there and I would be out of breath if I ran and I wasn’t sure with my headache if I could run all that way, but that didn’t mean I was going to admit defeat. I just needed to find an alternate source of transportation, but I didn’t have time for that did I? I sunk down on the sidewalk and sat on the curb thinking.

“The bus isn’t going to come for another fifteen minutes,” Shinji said behind me.

I turned my head towards him. He was squatting on the sidewalk next to me with his hands on his knees. “Do you always have to mock my problems? And why did you follow me here? I thought you were had C.V.G.P?”

“Castrated virgins getting poked?” He titled his head to one side.

“Compulsive Video Game Playing.”

“Ah. Well, yes I do have that.”

He was making fun of me again from the sound of his voice.

“Might as well spend the reminder of this beautiful day with your older cousin then, eh?”

I sighed deeply. Maybe it would be nice not to go to school once, but I better not make it a habit like him. Auntie and Uncle wouldn’t be happy with that and I owed them so much already.

“Just this once.” I said quietly.

He grinned at me, not mockingly but rather sweetly which was a nice change, “I knew you were related to me. You’re not a real Arakawa until you’ve ditched a day or so of school.” He pulled me up and, in lack of better words for describing it, dragged me into the city out of the residential zone where we lived. I had a feeling I was going to regret this. As if having a fake hachimaki on my forehead wasn’t ridiculous enough, I was going to spend the rest of the day playing mindless video games.

The arcade was filled with teenage boys, all of them I supposed were ditching as well. I don’t know whether it was that I looked nervous or because of my ‘hachimaki’, but a lot of boys were staring at me trailing after my cousin, I had managed to wrench out of his death grip once we entered the building.

From what I saw, he was already well acquainted with many of the other teenagers here. They seemed friendly. Keyword was SEEMED. For all I could know they were punks and bullies who would jump a regular school student if they got the chance.

I felt a hand go up my skirt and either by instinct or out of my surprise I twisted around and flat out smacked whomever had dared to be the pervert. I found myself staring down a guy a little shorter than my cousin who was having a major nosebleed and a red hand mark on his cheek.

But what surprised me more was that Shinji got between me and the boy and grabbed the boy by the shirt collar, “If you ever touch her like that again I’ll kill you.”

I’ve never heard his voice so serious and I’m embarrassed to admit it was kind of scary. I touched his shoulder gently, “Don’t worry. I’m fine.” I gave him my best smile, I wanted him to turn back into my goofball cousin. I’d never seen him so furious although I hated perverts just as much as the next girl.

The offending boy ran off running when Shinji let him go after a good threatening, but I was still uneasy at how fast things returned to normal. People who had been staring at the scene just shrugged and went back to playing video games as if what just happened was a ordinary event, or maybe they didn’t care.

Shinji was still fuming though, “I can’t believe that bastard Suzuki.”

I wished he’d calm down. It was nice to know that he cared if some pervert tried to feel me up, but I was used to him being that sarcastic and never serious cousin. And now to finally see him so worked up, it didn’t seem like him at all. I could see how red his cheeks were from the blood rushing to his head and his eyes were narrowed.

Just then I heard someone call out, “Arakawa!”

We both looked over our shoulders to see whomever called our last names. It was a tall guy with goofy orange hair wearing a blue Sarayashiki boy’s uniform. I blinked as he walked over to us so casually, utterly confused if he was talking to me or my cousin. Most likely Shinji since I had no idea who the hell he was.

“Isn’t it more your style to beat the crap outta some guy like Suzuki?” The taller boy asked crossing his arms across his chest. I felt short standing between Shinji and this new guy, very short.

I saw that Shinji had cooled off considerably in what was like seconds. He patted my back roughly earning him a venomous glower from me, “Not in front of the children. I don’t like showcasing violence in front of such an impressionable young girl.” At least he was back to normal. “Anything new Kuwabara?” He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

I had no idea that he had beaten other kids up. Just goes to show that you learn something new everyday. Although I was still shocked by this information. Though the name Kuwabara sounded familiar to me.

Kuwabara heaved his shoulders up and down, “Not really.” He then cracked his knuckles, “Urameshi hasn’t been around for a few days.” He then glanced down at me, “Who’s the babe? New girlfriend?”

I blushed furiously at the question, “I’m not his girlfriend.” It never occurred to me either that Shinji would ever be capable of having a girlfriend, but the way Kuwabara asked about it implied that Shinji had definitely been in quite a few relationships I hadn’t even the faintest clue that even existed. He didn’t appear to be boyfriend material to me anyway. I knew some of my former classmates thought he was quite cute, but I could never see pass the annoying jokes and toilet humor.

Shinji propped his arm up on my head in a teasing manner, “She’s my adorable cousin, Rakuen-chan.”

I elbowed him in the stomach, “I’m not adorable.” Teenage girls often don’t think of themselves as pretty or adorable and I wasn’t an exception to that rule. Not that I hated how I looked, I just wasn’t that pretty regardless whatever Auntie and Uncle told me. Besides, I knew Shinji was just badgering me and hoping to get some kind of reaction, positive or negative.

Shinji put his hands up in defeat, “Fine, you’re ugly.”

My eye twitched. I should‘ve seen that coming a mile away. I clenched my fists, “Hey! I didn‘t mean I was ugly you friggin-”

He covered my mouth with his hand to keep me from saying anything else, “She goes to Sarayashiki too. Maybe if you go tomorrow you could help her make some friends, she’s a loner really and in desperate need of a boyfriend.” He ruffled my hair with his free hand, “See the hachimaki? She’s covering over stitched from brain surgery yesterday.”

“Really?” Kuwabara actually seemed to believe what Shinji was saying.

As far as my first impression of Kuwabara we wasn’t what people would call the brightest crayon in the box, in my personal opinion anyway. Then again who knows? He could turn out to a genius or another pervert, but somehow he didn’t strike me as a pervert as much as that Suzuki guy did.

I bit Shinji’s hand as hard as I could and he yelped then whispered to Kuwabara, “She’s kinda violent though…so watch out for that.”

Kuwabara snickered, “She and Urameshi would probably get along.”

Shinji nodded in agreement, “I figured as much, but who would win? Yusuke’s fighting against Rakuen-chan’s yelling?-too close to call I think.”

I knew I was being made fun of so I just stuck my tongue out at him, “I could take on that Urameshi guy any…wait…Urameshi?” The name struck a familiar chord in my head just like Kuwabara’s had. I looked back and forth from Shinji and Kuwabara, “You mean that punk Urameshi? From my school like Kuwabara? Aren‘t they both like street punks or something?”

Kuwabara looked pleased at my recognition, “So you’ve heard of me.” I could see his ego inflating like a balloon.

I decided to pop that balloon and gave him a smug look, “Actually, to be perfectly honest, I heard more of Yusuke’s awesome ability, that you’re second to him.”

Kuwabara hung his head before snapping back up. His head was held up high and his index finger was pointing up while his feet were apart, like a victory stance, “I, the amazing Kuwabara, will defeat him someday. I swear it!”

Shinji and I stared blankly at him before glancing at each other sideways. I repressed the urge to ask if he was always like this, but the look in Shinji’s eyes told me this was classic Kuwabara. I giggled unsurely, this guy was definitely unique.

Shinji regained the ability to speak first, “What the hell are you pointing at anyway Kuwabara?”

The orange haired boy suddenly coughed into his hand and mumbled something that sounded like, “It’s true anyway. One of these days…after so many defeats…” He then changed the subject swiftly, “Nice hachimaki Rakuen-chan.”

This guy was begging for a beating, but I was too short to do much damage. The only place I could think of kicking him where it would hurt was in the shins or in the…you know, but to kick him there would be truly mean so I resisted. “Thanks,” I muttered. I watched as Shinji walked over to some other kids, leaving me alone with Kuwabara.

“So why aren’t you in school?” he asked curiously.

“I…missed the bus.”

“Got up late because your head hurt after brain surgery?”

“You actually believed that? Shinji lied!” I pouted and continued ranting, “That arrogant cousin of mine always does things like this. I can’t believe him at all!” I saw Kuwabara tiptoeing away from me, “Where do you think you’re going?” I scowled menacingly, “You’re not leaving me here all by myself are you?”

“Of course not,” he lied. I noticed a bead of sweat roll down his head. “You’re just kinda of scaring me, that’s all.”

I couldn’t even fathom how someone like Kuwabara would feel intimidated by me. Shinji always said I was the least intimidating person on the planet, mainly because I was so short. Kuwabara should just be glad that I wasn’t throwing things, if there was one thing Shinji would praise me for it was my arm and aim. I never missed, I always hit my mark except that time I threw an eraser at one of my former classmates and the teacher moved in the wrong direction at exactly the wrong second and got a full blow of chalk dust in his face. I received detention for two months for that incident.

Shinji finally whisked me away from Kuwabara when his stomach began growling simply because I had money and he didn’t. I waved goodbye to Kuwabara who seemed relieved that Shinji was dragging me somewhere, once again.

We stopped at a sushi restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised that Shinji knew how to pick up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks, rotate his wrist backward in a circular course so it barely skimmed the surface of the soy sauce and cleanly place it into his mouth, in one swift motion. I was in awe and begged him to teach me, I was one of those people who put the whole thing in the soy sauce, letting the rice absorb too much sauce so I couldn’t taste the fish. After an hour of practicing I still couldn’t do it, but I figured I’d get it eventually.

“How long did it take you to learn how to do that?” I stared on in jealously as he did it again just to rub it in.

“Dad taught me when I was little, before you moved in,” he sounded almost nostalgic. He then moved to sit next to me, he softly grabbed the back of hand, “Now try it again, but let me guide your wrist motion. You seem less coordinated then other girls your age with your hands.”

Doubtful, I picked up a piece of sushi with my chopsticks and let his hand guide me. He did it steadily which made me watch my wrist movement more carefully. Amazing, I managed to do it. Then he made me do it without his help. I did it well, but I dropped it before I could put it in my mouth.

He moved back to his seat, “Just keep practicing that.” He then looked at my ‘hachimaki’. “Why fighting spirit anyways?”

“I couldn’t think of anything else,” I admitted truthfully. After I had done it I realized all the other things I could have written that would’ve been better. I knew Shinji was implying that fighting spirit was not like me at all. I should’ve written courage or maybe even idiot for thinking I could pass a bandage as a hachimaki.

We left the sushi restaurant after I had paid the check. “Why don’t you have any money Shinji? How do you play all those games?”

“Magic,” he scoffed. “Actually, I got an allowance you know, but I get more than you because I’m two years older than you.”

That made sense, even if he acted younger than me most of the time. “What time is it?” I wondered how long we’d been ditching. It was odd that I hardly felt the least bit guilty, maybe Shinji and I were really related after all no matter how much I disliked the idea.

“No clue,” he replied, “but I think he knows.” He pointed at Kuwabara as we passed the arcade. I groaned as he yelled, “Kuwabara? What time is it?”

Kuwabara came back after hassling a younger boy for the time, “Around one thirty.”

Shinji and Kuwabara began talking and walking so I lagged behind them with no interest in their conversation. It was probably something stupid, I convinced myself.

We were walking through a park that was shrouded in trees with a small paved walkway twisting it’s way through the trees when I felt something fall out of the sky and hit my head.

The impact caused me to fall forward and scrape my palms and knees. I could fell them stinging already.

Shinji helped me up, “What was that?”

Kuwabara picked something up off the ground, he turned to us speechless. Shinji and I craned our necks to see what was in his hands.

“Well?” Shinji implied loudly.

“Guys…” Kuwabara hesitated then continued holding it our for us to see, “I think it’s…a…youkai…”

“No way…”Shinji trailed off.

In Kuwabara’s hands was an animal about the size of a soda can or a little bit bigger. It had huge sapphire doe eyes with lighter brown patches around it’s eyes and cat paws with white tips. It’s fur was a mousy brown and it had rabbit like ears with white tips as well. It looked almost like a cross between a cat and a rabbit except for its tail which was long with a spade at the tip. It looked up at us innocently from Kuwabara’s hands and smiled sweetly.

“Hello!” It said in a sugary voice.

Kuwabara all but dropped the strange creature.

It continues as if it wasn’t unusual that it fell from the sky and hit me in the head, “I’m Nekagimaru!” The creature jumped out of Kuwabara’s hands and floated in midair and floated around Rakuen a few times before saying, “Yes! It is you! The one I’ve been searching for years!”

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Character Bio#3

Name: Nekagimaru

Gender: Unknown

Age: Unknown

B-day: Unknown

Height: 5-6 inches

Weight: 9 ounces

Eyes: Light blue

Hair: Mousy brown, white tips and light brown patches around eyes.

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BP: Yeah…Nekagimaru is a combination of neko (cat) and usagi (rabbit). That was the best I could come up with and it sounds cool to me so yeah…

Disclaimer: Why do people do this? You know I don’t own YYH!

Reviewers: Thanks, it’s okay if you don’t leave constructive criticism and dude, I didn’t know my spelling and grammar sucked that bad. 2 out of 10 o.O Maybe I should get a beta? Any volunteers?

EXTRA!!!-for all you lucky readers who are reading this! Skip it if you don’t like random stuff.

Side Story: Vertically Challenged, Hiei’s Kill Spree part 1 (WARNING: Hiei is out of character)

Kuwabara: Hiei and Rakuen are the same height! :D

Hiei: *eye twitching*

BP: Actually, Rakuen is an inch taller than him if you bothered to read her bio-

Hiei: >.< *kills BP* Quit making fun of my height! You’re only an inch taller than me too! (that’s terribly out of character for dear Hiei-chan, isn’t it?)

Rakuen: Blood…o_o Oh no! That nightmares! *runs off screaming into the distance*

Hiei: Nightmares?

Kuwabara: Well, you just killed the authoress so now we can’t find out why she has nightmares. Aren’t you just so smart you little-

Hiei: *kills Kuwabara and drags his and BP’s body in a garbage dump*

*POOF! Yusuke suddenly appears*

Yusuke: What’s up Hiei?

Hiei: I didn’t do anything!

Yusuke: I didn’t say you did anything…wait…isn’t that Kuwabara’s body and BP‘s? O.O Hiei…why’s it all covered in blood-

Hiei: Must kill…*kills Yusuke* Aw, crap. *puts Yusuke’s body in garbage dump* So much blood-

Rakuen: *screaming in the distance* Blood! It’s everywhere! Unclean! Unclean!

Hiei: Ehh, right. Stupid OC. *stares at the bodies* o____o Ehh…*eye twitches again*

To be continued…? XD

Sorry about that.