~Kurama's POV~
"Koenma has another mission for us all." Hiei looked annoyed.
I sighed, I was hoping I could go home and do some research on Kimi, something about her seemed inhuman, I could sense an aura around her, but it was masked. I'd been in school with her for years and had never noticed it, until today.
"So who was the human girl you were fawning over all day?" Hiei smirked.
I turned to him curiously, "Were you spying on me, Hiei?"
"Just trying to figure out why you pretend to be human, but I guess I can kind of see why." He chuckled.
Kimi was beautiful, and she wasn't like any of the other girls at school. She was so sweet and innocent and she had the prettiest blue green eyes. I followed Hiei through the portal and we reappeared in Koenma's office to find Yusuke and Kuwabara already there bickering.
"Good you're all here, a demon has managed to escape into the human world, he's pretty dangerous, B-class, he's a master of torture and especially has a thing for pretty young women, they're his favorite victims." An image flickered onto the screen of a man with long midnight blue hair, dark stripes across his arms and torso and dark midnight eyes. "He's very skilled in dual weapon wielding combat, specializing in katanas, once he starts killing I'm sure it will only escalate from there, you need to find him, and quick."
"Does he have any abilities?" I asked curiously.
Koenma looked nervous at this, "He can bend beings of weaker will power to do his bidding, can completely control them. His name is Kai, please be careful."
That was dangerous, he could have an army of humans at his disposal already, and humans were easily susceptible to matters of the mind. We needed to find him quickly. He summoned a portal for us at the demon's last sighting. It was a park; just on the outskirts of the city. It was nightfall and the park was aglow due to the various streetlights. The park seemed to be empty. We all surveyed the area for any clues or signs of his current whereabouts.
"Isn't that, Kimi?" Yusuke pondered pointing over at a row of cherry blossom trees. And sure enough, there was Kimi, wearing a simple white sundress and a pair of sandals sitting beneath the cherry blossom trees with her sketchbook splayed out across her legs. Her long light brown hair was down and loosely draped around her nearly reaching the grass as it fell just past her ribs.
I didn't sense any demonic presence aside from her strange aura, she wasn't in any immediate danger, "We should probably take her home, it could be dangerous." Kuwabara suggested.
I nodded in agreement and we headed toward her; she had headphones in and was softly humming along to her music. She looked up upon our arrival and jumped. An adorable blush spread across her face.
"Shuichi, Yusuke, Kuwabara, what are you all doing here?" She squeaked as she turned off her music player.
"We were just out on a walk, what are you doing out at this hour?" Yusuke pondered as he tried to get a look at her sketchbook.
"It's not safe." Kuwabara added.
She smiled sheepishly, "I like coming out here to draw." She hid her sketchbook.
"What are you drawing?" Kuwabara beamed.
"Oh, nothing." Her face was a brilliant shade of red.
"You were drawing something, dirty." Yusuke teased.
"I was not!" Kimi blushed even more.
"Leave her alone, you idiots." Hiei growled, that was odd for him, sticking up for a human.
Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at him with wide eyes and they both grinned like total morons. "Hiei has a crush!" Kuwabara sang in an annoying scratchy tone that even had Kimi cringing.
THUD!
Kuwabara was flat on his back in an instant and a massive bump was forming on his head. Kimi stared wide eyed.
"Note to self, do not piss him off." She squeaked.
Hiei smirked at this.
"Allow us to walk you home." I smiled and offered her my hand to pull her to her feet.
She blushed again but gathered her things and stuffed them into her messenger bag before grabbing my hand and allowing me to help her to her feet. "You really don't have to, I'll be okay."
"We insist." Yusuke smiled and then I sensed it, a strong demonic aura somewhere nearby, he was close and probably watching.
Everyone tensed around me as they sensed it too. We had to get Kimi to safety before he noticed her, she would probably be a treat for him; she was beautiful, sweet and pure. She attempted to pull her hand from mine once she was on her feet but I held onto her with a smile causing her to blush again.
"Aren't you cold out here?" Yusuke asked as he took notice of her apparel, her arms were bare and there was a chill in the air.
Kimi blushed again, "I'm okay."
I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Here, wear my jacket."
"Oh, Shuichi I don't want you to get cold." She protested.
"It's fine, Kimi." I led her out of the park and everyone trailed around us, so she was guarded from all angles.
"Is something wrong? You all seem a bit tense." Kimi pointed looking to each of us curiously.
"It's dangerous for a girl to be out at night so close to the city." Yusuke covered quickly trying not to alarm her.
Kimi smiled, "I've not had any problems yet, I come out here all the time."
"Stay inside for awhile, please." Kuwabara piped in, no as subtly.
"Why? What's going on?" Kimi paled.
"It's just not safe right now."
Kimi turned to me her beautiful blue green eyes filled with worry, "Are you guys in trouble? Is there something I can do to help?" She was such a sweet girl.
"No, we're just worried about you, so please promise us you won't go out on your own." I implored her seriously.
She paused as if considering it, but smiled sadly, "Alright, I'll remain on house arrest and won't leave my house by myself, if it will make you all feel better."
"Yes, thank you. I'll come over in the morning and walk to school with you." I smiled as we arrived at a small white farmhouse with a beautiful flower garden, with two beautiful cherry blossom trees and a small koi pond.
"Nana baked some 7 layer cookies, would you all like one for walking me home?" She asked with a sweet smile.
Kuwabara beamed, "Yes!"
Yusuke grinned, "Please."
Hiei shrugged.
I smiled, "Thank you."
She invited us in to the small farmhouse, we stepped into a living room with two comfy couches with a floral pattern and a desk with a computer on it as well as a TV sitting on a stand and even a cozy fireplace. There was an antique cuckoo clock on the wall; the wall paper was a pastel lavender with some floral border at the top. Kimi passed a staircase and went into a quaint little kitchen with all new appliances, chestnut cabinetry and a butterfly theme. She went to a wire cooling rack and retrieved four 7 layer cookies and distributed one to each of us.
"Would anyone like milk to drink?" She asked politely; I could just picture her in her cute little sundress with a lavender apron being a perfect hostess.
"Please." Yusuke and Kuwabara beamed.
Hiei shrugged once more and looked at the cookie in his hand cautiously.
"Yes please." I smiled as she poured us each a glass of milk and invited us to sit at the four bar stools at the counter in the kitchen.
Someone coughed from down the hall and Kimi looked worried, "Excuse me a moment, please." She hurried out of the room; I could hear her down the hall. "Nana, are you alright?" Her soft voice was filled with concern.
"I'm alright, Kimi, dear, would you mind making me some hot tea?"
"Sure thing, Nana, would you like lemon and honey in it?"
"Yes, thank you Kimi dear."
Kimi returned to make a pot of hot tea, "Would anyone else like hot tea?" She asked politely.
"No thanks, you didn't tell me how you came to live with Nana, earlier." I noted.
She smiled sadly, "Nana found me when I was eight." She gathered some fresh lemon and began to cut it into slices while the tea brewed on the stove top.
"Found you?" Yusuke pondered.
"I don't remember really, I have amnesia, I can't recall my childhood, Nana said she found me in the mountains, almost ten years ago." She added honey to the teacup and placed two lemon slices in it and poured the tea over top. "Excuse me a moment." She walked quickly back to Nana's room and brought her the tea.
"Thank you, Kimi."
"You're welcome Nana, do you need anything else?"
"No, thank you dear, do I hear guests in the kitchen?"
"Yes, some boys I met earlier walked me home from the park and I offered them some cookies." Kimi responded.
Nana chuckled at this, "Well see if they're hungry we have plenty of leftovers from dinner."
"Yes, Nana. Get some rest." Kimi returned with a smile. "Anybody still hungry?"
Kuwabara and Yusuke grinned, "What's for dinner?"
Kimi laughed at this, "We have left over cheesy chicken casserole, that I made for supper earlier, would you like to try it?"
"Mhmm." Kuwabara and Yusuke dramatically rubbed their stomachs with cheesy grins on their faces.
I chuckled at this, "Do you need any help?"
"Oh no, you guys just sit back and relax." She tossed on a sea green apron and bustled around the kitchen preparing us all a midnight meal, what a strange girl, being so hospitable to four boys she barely knew, though I had a feeling that was Nana's influence.
She placed a plate in front of each of us after only a few minutes and offered us forks, "I apologize its sort of an American type dish, I made it for Dee while she was over."
Yusuke and Kuwabara dug in like they were starving, Hiei poked at it questionably a few times before nibbling at it and I politely thanked her before trying it. It was absolutely delicious, the girl could cook. It was cheesy and tender and even crunchy with a frito lay crust.
"Marry me." Kuwabara said between shoveling.
Kimi laughed at this.
"I think you should cook for me, every day." Yusuke grinned.
Kimi blushed, "Would you two like second helpings?"
"Yes!"
She laughed, got them second helpings and started on some dishes while we all ate. It was odd how comfortable she seemed with all of us, and how comfortable we all seemed with her, even Hiei.
"This is absolutely delicious, Kimi, thank you." I smiled as I brought my plate over to the sink.
"Good, I'm glad you liked it." She took my plate with a smile, "Would you like more?"
"No thank you."
She smiled and resumed her dishwashing.
Yusuke and Kuwabara, after their third helping were finished, Hiei surprised me by asking for a second helping which Kimi was happy to oblige. Hiei brought his plate to her when he was finished and she smiled at him kindly, I knew he wasn't used to this kind of treatment and was curious as to how he felt about it.
"I don't believe we were formally introduced, I'm Kimora Shiro, but you may call me Kimi." She smiled kindly.
"Hiei." He said quietly.
"It's very nice to meet you."
Hiei looked at her for a moment and gave her a very small smile, "Thank you for the food."
Kimi blushed, "You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it."
"We should get going; we've kept you up late enough." I chuckled.
"Oh, no problem, I don't sleep very much anyway." She walked us to the door and waved goodbye, "You'll all have to come over for dinner or breakfast sometime so I can introduce you to, Nana, she'd like that."
"That would be nice." I smiled as I put my jacket back on.
"See you all later, and thank you again." Kimi smiled and waved us off.
"I like that girl." Yusuke noted once we were out of earshot.
"She's perfect, I want to marry her, so she can cook for me every day." Kuwabara grinned.
Hiei 'hn'd at this and I chuckled to myself, he liked the girl, she was rather infectious.
"One of us should stake out here for the night, I can still sense that guy nearby." Kuwabara noted.
"I'll stay." Hiei offered surprising us all.
I smiled at this, "Very well, I'll be here in the morning to take her to school."
"We should all come over, and we can have breakfast." Kuwabara beamed.
I chuckled at this, but everyone agreed. Kuwabara, Yusuke and myself returned to the city to our homes while Hiei stayed back and jumped into one of the cherry blossom trees to watch over the house.
Video- "Until We Go Down" By Ruelle