A Forest on Fire (KuramaxOc)

Ch 3: A Fox in Human Skin

Yumiko nodded in response, leaning up to wrap her arms around the demon in a hug before taking a step back.

"I will! Thank you Mako, for everything you've done for me... I'll do my best to make you proud!" She gave him a warm smile before scampering off in the direction of the school.

Already the streets were crowded with humans making their way to day jobs, and she wondered if she would be able to recognize the boy who was to be her guide among them. Mako said the boy would be waiting for her by the front gates, and as the gates came into view, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

The first thing that caught the girl's attention, was the sudden scent of another kitsune, a male if she wasn't mistaken. The next thing she noticed, was a tall boy leaning against the school gates with long, crimson hair, and emerald green eyes he used to scan the crowd.

As she approached, the look in his eyes had seemed quite serious, but the moment those green orbs fell upon her, they softened, and the boy's face lit up in a welcoming grin.

"Good morning, miss. You must be Yumiko Sayo, yes?"

_______

Shuichi had arrived about fifteen minutes early for the meetup. Given his conversation with Mako before the weekend, he had asked to meet with Yumiko an hour before classes should start. That way he would have ample time to show her around, and be able to answer her questions with few prying ears.

He lifted his gaze as the scent of the kitsune reached his nose. He had seen her visage at Koenma's palace, but this was the first he laid eyes on the girl in person, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.

She was more stunning than he had even imagined... On the screen, she had worn training gear, and had her hair in a loose ponytail, a scowl on her face in concentration. The girl in front of him was nothing like the cold eyed girl he had seen.

She was wearing the female version of their school's maroon uniform, but that wasn't what had taken his breathe away. She had gone to great lengths to tie her hair, which fell in a gradient starting with the deepest crimson tips, fading to an orange-brown in it's center, and ending in a soft cream shade at her roots.

She had pulled it back into loose ponytail again, but tied it with a stunning bow of smoke gray silk. As the wind caught in her hair, she truly looked as though she had been set ablaze.

As his senses returned, he tried to hide the startled expression from his gaze and smiled warmly at the girl, then her eyes caught his. They were a soft blue-green, and they held more emotion than the boy thought possible for a demon in human form.

She was nervous... That much was clear, but there was a curiosity in her gaze as well. Perhaps that was why he felt so caught off guard when she spoke.

"Y-you're a fox..." She half-whispered, her eyes never leaving his.

Shuichi blinked twice at her. 'Mako wasn't kidding about her intuition...'

"Y-yes well... I appreciate the compliment, but perhaps we should head inside now. We have an hour before classes start, and I will gladly answer all your questions if you'll follow me. Ah, I've got an idea! Would you like to see the view from the roof before we start the tour?" He asked nervously, hoping she would understand the meaning behind his words.