Of Love and Roses - Ch. 4

[walkyourownway]

Title: Of Love and Roses
Chapter: 4
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon
Character(s): Kurama, Aino Minako
Genre: Romance, drama, friendship
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Sailor Moon © Naoko Takeuchi, Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi
Notes: I had this idea one day when I was looking through one of my old crossovers, and I remembered a picture I saw of Yusuke and Usagi getting married, in honor of Yoshihiro Togashi and Naoko Takeuchi's marriage. But as cute as that was, it didn't feel right since Yusuke and Usagi both have people who they love. So after thinking about which characters would work well and unite the two universes, I decided to pair my two favorite characters from each. Enjoy.

Summary: "A floral symbol sacred to Venus and signifying love, the quality and nature of which was characterized by the color of the rose." ~ The Dictionary of Christian Art

~*~*~*~

"I appreciate you taking the time to show me around, Chiba-san," Kurama said, the breeze around them softening his words.

"I'm glad I could help," the raven-haired man replied. "I know how difficult it is to be in an unfamiliar place, on top of working and studying. Have you managed to settle down all right?"

"Well enough, for now. I still feel as though I'm living from day to day, but I've survived so far." Kurama winced a little as the wind whipped his crimson mane into a wild frenzy, and he paused for a moment to pull his hair back into a loose ponytail.

As Mamoru waited for his neighbor, he glanced around their surroundings. "There's a supermarket close by. Would you like to stop by and pick up a few things?"

The two resumed to walk at a leisurely place, allowing the redhead to consider the suggestion. "Maybe I'll go there later," he finally said after a glance at his watch. "I'm meeting someone from the phone company today to install a landline in my apartment."

Mamoru nodded in understanding. "We can take a shortcut through the park," he said, motioning towards the green estate. With the redhead's nod of agreement, the two men turned into the park and made their way back to their apartment building.

As they traveled deeper into the park, however, they soon came across two familiar golden-haired girls, sitting on a stone bench beneath one of the park's large trees. Between the girls sat a small boy, sad eyes fixed on the remote control box in front of him as he ignored whatever attempt the girls tried to cheer him up.

The two men slowed as they neared, watching the scene with curious eyes. When they were close enough, Mamoru said softly, "Usa-ko?"

Both girls looked up, slightly startled, but the dumpling-haired one relaxed at the sight of her boyfriend. "Mamo-chan!" she said.

Minako, on the other hand, blinked in surprise. "Minamino-sensei?"

Kurama's eyes drifted from her to the boy next to her. "Is everything all right?" he wondered.

The boy on the bench sniffled suddenly, and Usagi looked at him with a small frown. "Well," she began slowly, "this kid lost his toy airplane."

"It's not lost," Minako objected. "It's just…stuck in the tree."

Kurama and Mamoru both glanced at the tree towering over them from behind the bench. "This tree?" Mamoru asked, walking around the bench to better look up at the tree's branches.

The boy nodded, sniffling again. "I-I…was just trying to fl-fly it," he finally said in a soft, pitiful voice. "But the wind blew it into th-the tree."

"I don't…see it," the raven-haired man said, circling the tree once again to be sure.

The boy's bottom lip quivered, and he seemed to try his hardest not to cry. Minako gently patted his back. "There, there," she said as soothingly as possible. "Maybe you can get a new one."

The child shook his head vigorously. "My papa gave it to me for my birthday, and we were gonna fly it together when he came back from a business trip. I wanted to practice, so I could be ready when Papa comes home. But if I lose it, Papa and I can't play with it…" He sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Watching the little boy for a moment longer, Kurama then walked up to the tree and place his hand to the trunk. He knew it was a slight risk, especially with Mamoru so close by, but that did not stop him from allowing his energy to pulse into the tree to determine where the toy was located. The leaves rustled as his energy caused the branches to sway, and he hoped the breeze would be enough to cover the excessive movement.

Looking up and pretending to search for the plane, he then lowered his hand. "Oh…" he said, drawing the others' attention, "I think I see it."

The boy's face lit up hopefully. "Really, Oniisan?"

Kurama nodded, looking from the tree to the stone bench and quickly calculating in his mind. The lowest branch wasn't too high for him, and he could normally make it with a simple jump. However, it was just high enough that the others would notice something odd if he reached it from the ground. The bench looked just about the right height, though… "May I ask you three to move away for a moment?"

"Uh…okay," Minako said, leading the child to stand at one end of the bench while Usagi joined Mamoru on the other. When the bench was clear, Kurama climbed up on the seat, balancing on the stone back rest.

"Be careful, Minamino-sensei," Minako said. For some reason, the genuine concern in her voice made Kurama smile.

The jump was too easy now, but he did his best to make it seem like an effort to the others. Once he grabbed hold of the lowest limb, he smoothly pulled himself up to sit on it before climbing the rest of the way up.

He knew that the further up he climbed, the more the branches and leaves hid him from the view of the others below. And yet he could still feel their eyes watching him, which was somehow enough to keep him from manipulating the tree with his energy any further. It would have been helpful, though, as the branches grew thinner and weaker the higher he climbed. It would have been too easy to break them under his weight.

Still, he managed to reach the cluster of branches where the airplane was, and he carefully untangled the toy from the tree's grasp. Inspecting the plane for any damages, Kurama then glanced up. He could see the rest of the park between the leaves, dancing as the wind blew between them. And as he sat – balancing on a branch, feeling the thick trunk against his back, and the sudden smell of impending rain filling his senses, he was surprised to find himself thinking of home. He imagined for a moment that, if he looked down, he would see his mother waiting for him on the ground below, with that familiar smile on her lips…

A small, tentative sound cut through his nostalgia, "Oniisan?"

The image of his brother flitted through his mind, but it was not Shuiichi's voice he heard. With a small shake of his head, he called down, "Yes, I found it. I'm coming back down."

He took his time descending from the tree, testing each branch below him before resting his weight on it. When he finally reached the lowest branch, he slipped down and let himself dangle for a moment, hanging from the branch with one hand as the other carefully handed the toy plane to Mamoru. Then he released his hold, dropping the distance to the ground and landing gracefully on his feet.

"It's a little scratched up," Mamoru said, placing the plane in the eager child's hands, "but it should still work all right."

No longer upset, the boy seemed different as he fidgeted excitedly, a large smile on his small, round face. "Thank you, Oniisan!" he exclaimed, bowing slightly to Kurama. "Thank you so much!"

Kurama smiled. "You're welcome. But maybe you should take that home. I think a storm's coming, and you won't be able to fly that out here."

The boy pouted, but a glance at the darkening sky prevented him from arguing. "Okay," he answered softly. With a last respectful bow to the group, the boy then skipped off.

When the child was gone, Minako looked at the redhead with sparkling eyes. "Minamino-sensei," she seemed to swoon, "you looked so awesome climbing that tree!"

Turning to her, Kurama raised a curious brow. "Oh? How so?"

"I…I'm not sure how to explain it. When you pulled yourself up onto the branch, you looked so strong, and it seemed so natural to you. And coming down you were so…charming, and you just seemed so…cool," she finished lamely with a small shrug, blushing a little as though embarrassed.

Kurama chuckled softly, running pale fingers through his crimson bangs in a humble gesture. "Well, actually, I used to do a lot of tree climbing when I was younger," he said.

"Really?" Minako asked, smiling as though the statement was the most interesting thing ever spoken. "Maybe that's why it seemed so easy for you."

"I guess so."

"But was everything all right?" Mamoru asked suddenly. "There was a moment when you just seemed to…stop."

"I almost thought you were stuck," Usagi admitted with a giggle.

Kurama shook his head. "No, everything was fine. I just…I was suddenly feeling a little homesick, I guess."

Minako blinked. "Homesick?" she echoed curiously.

Kurama nodded, glancing up at the tree with a small smile. "When I was a child, there was a Sakura tree behind the house where my mother and I lived. I loved to climb up there all the time, especially when it bloomed, and I would stay up there for hours looking out at the neighborhood until my mother would come and get me."

His smile slowly faded as the memory returned once again. He hadn't thought of it since his fight with Shigure the Osteopath several years ago. So what brought the memory back now? Was it really just being up in the tree? Or…

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Minako giggled. "Minamino-sensei," she said, "you must have been so adorable as a child."

Kurama laughed. "That's what my mother likes to tell people," he replied playfully.

"Um…Minamino-sensei," Usagi said glancing at the sky nervously, "you mentioned that a storm was coming?"

Glancing toward the dumpling haired girl, the fox nodded. "At least I think so. It seems like it will start raining soon."

Minako groaned. "Great. That's something I don't need right now."

Kurama frowned, taking in the girl's thin sky blue, V-cut blouse and thin white mini-skirt. She certainly wasn't dressed for rain. "Perhaps it would be best if you headed on home as well."

A sudden spark shot out from the cloud above them, silencing the girl before she could reply. Soon it was followed by the crack of thunder, and Usagi jumped and clung to her boyfriend, her scream trailing at the end of the rumbling echo.

"Tsukino-san!" Kurama said, concern emphasizing the alarm in his voice. "Are you all right?"

The dumpling-haired girl shuddered, her eyes shut as she buried herself deeper into Mamoru's protective embrace. "I hate thunder!" she whined.

Mamoru glanced up at the sky, as the scent of rain grew stronger. "Maybe you two should wait out the storm at my place," he offered, looking to Minako as he spoke.

"Uh…" Minako hesitated, glancing at the redhead. "Sure…I guess. Thanks, Mamoru-san." Still, she continued to eye her teacher hopefully, as though waiting for him to say something.

Instead, Kurama remained silent for a moment. He understood what she wanted, and in any other circumstance, he would have happily offered her his own apartment as a shelter from the rain. It would probably be more convenient for Mamoru and Usagi, who most likely would enjoy some time alone, plus it would have given him a polite opportunity to get to know Minako better…to determine if his hypothesis of who she really is was correct. But he knew that the social implications of his position prevented him from such.

Even after just one week of teaching, he knew of the rumors about him already spreading among students and teachers alike. Most were harmless talk concerning trivial matters such as his hobbies or how he spent his days when not teaching or in class. There were also many positive comments towards him. But there were also some who've witnessed his several encounters with Aino Minako, both in and outside of school, and many wondered if something outside of the normal teacher-student relationship was developing.

Normally, he wouldn't mind if that was the case. There was…something about her, and he would have liked to understand what that was. But he knew how that would have looked to others, and he didn't want to do anything that would cause her any trouble. As her teacher, it was his responsibility to look after her, even concerning something like this.

"We should get going, Minamino-san," he heard Mamoru say. "You mentioned you had an appointment with the phone company, right? We should go so you won't be late."

He looked toward the raven-haired man with a grateful smile. Mamoru understood the situation, and he knew the problems that could arise if he got too close to these girls – his students. That's why Mamoru kept trying to help him. Mamoru offered Minako to wait the storm out in his apartment so Kurama wouldn't feel obligated to do so, and he mentioned the appointment with the phone company so Minako wouldn't question it.

Still, though he saw the understanding realization in Minako's eyes, the disappointment he felt from her made him feel guilty somehow. He would have to find a way to make it up to her.

Another roar of thunder crashed above them, forcing another scream from Usagi. Kurama watched Mamoru, who silently told him that he had to take Usagi and go on ahead, whisper something to the frightened girl before leading her through the park. Then the redhead turned to Minako. "Shall we go?" he asked with a small smile.

Minako frowned, a little confused by his behavior. He could see the question in her eyes – Does he want to hang out with me or not? But then she shook it off with a smile of her own and nodded. "Okay. Let's go!"

Kurama returned the nod, and the two of them followed after Mamoru and Usagi. The girl soon began chatting about her week – all the moments he hadn't been with her – and asking him some questions about his classes at the university. He found he didn't mind telling her, though. Since this was the closest he was allowed with her, he might as well make the most of their time.

---

The bell for lunch barely sounded before Makoto shot up and quickly gathered her things.

"Where are you going, Mako-chan?" Usagi wondered.

"I'll be right back," the brunette assured her. "I just wanna catch Minamino-sensei."

Minako looked up sharply at the mention of the redhead's name. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Makoto grinned, playing with her bag. "I've got something that's sure to win him over…Or at least warm him up to me."

"What would that be?" Ami asked, voicing all three girls' curiosity.

"You'll see." They followed the taller girl to the door. "I just hope to catch him before his groupies do…"

She barely got the words out as she slid the door open, only to find her way blocked by a wall of other female students. All of them were standing around and waiting for their turn to speak to the red-haired teacher, still stuck in the entryway of the classroom next door by some girls talking animatedly.

"Looks like the crowd has already shown up," Ami quipped, her head shaking in slight disapproval.

"Poor Minamino-sensei can't even get out," Usagi said.

Makoto huffed, pulling out a large bento box from her bag. "Man! I really hope I can give this to him."

"Yeah," Minako retorted, looking around at the rest of the girls, "good luck with that."

"Is it really appropriate to give him gifts?" the warrior of wisdom wondered.

"Hey, this is important!" Makoto insisted.

"How do you know he'll like it?" Minako wondered, a competitive edge in her voice. "How much do you know about Minamino-sensei anyway?" She flashed a smug smile. "I bet you didn't know he used to climb trees when he was a kid. He told me that himself."

"Minako-chan…" Usagi said gently.

Makoto frowned slightly. "No, I didn't know that." Then she matched Minako's haughty look with one of her own. "But I bet you don't know what his favorite food is."

The three other girls blinked in surprise. "You know his favorite food?" Minako asked.

The warrior of protection grinned. "You may have gotten a lead running into him all the time, but this," she emphasized by tapping the bento box, "is definitely gonna tip things in my favor."

Usagi and Ami exchanged uncertain glances as Minako growled. This wasn't the first time Makoto and Minako had fought over the same guy. Luckily, they had learned from their past arguments, as this competition was tamer than previous ones. But as the two fought for Minamino-sensei's attention, Usagi and Ami had to wonder if either one would win.

They were all drawn back to reality by the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat, and all the girls in the hall turned to see Nakagawa-sensei, patiently standing just at the edge of the crowd.

"Ah, Nakagawa-sensei," Minamino-sensei said, and anyone who listened carefully enough could hear the relief in his voice. Politely excusing himself from the girls he was speaking to, he weaved his way through the crowd and approached her. "I apologize. Have you been waiting long?"

The older woman shook her head. "Not very. Now stop bothering these girls," she added with a soft teasing tone. "Just because you have no lunch is no reason to keep the students from eating theirs."

The red-haired man smiled. "Of course," he said. Turning to the students, he bowed slightly. "I apologize, everyone. Please enjoy your lunch period."

An indignant cry suddenly rose from the crowd, and the students began bombarding him with concern.

"You have no lunch again, Minamino-sensei?!"

"How can you live like that, Minamino-sensei?!"

"You haven't had time to settle down or buy groceries?!"

"You must be so hungry!"

"Poor Minamino-sensei!"

"I know! You can share my lunch, Minamino-sensei!"

"No wait, have some of mine, Minamino-sensei!"

"Try mine, Sensei!"

"Have mine!"

"Girls, girls!" Minamino-sensei called, trying to pacify the group. He glanced at Nakagawa-sensei, who seemed to be watching with mild amusement behind her glasses. Turning his attention back to the students, he said, "I appreciate all of your concern…but I couldn't take any of your lunches." He waited for the wave of concerned protests to pass. "You're all still young, and it's important for you to be well-nourished."

Nakagawa-sensei gave a soft laugh. "You're certainly one to talk, Minamino-sensei."

The redhead simply smiled in response before turning back to the students. "Besides, I'll be fine, and you shouldn't worry about me. Just go on and enjoy your lunch period before it's time for class."

At this point, Makoto finally pushed her way up to the front of the crowd with Minako right behind her. "Minamino-sensei," the brunette said, "what if someone gave you your own lunch?"

Minamino frowned slightly, uncertain. "Kino-san…"

"I know you say not to worry," Makoto said, slowly approaching him and holding up the bento box, "but we can't help it, since you never seem to eat lunch when you're teaching. And…" she added shyly, "I know it's not much, but…I made you some Inarizushi!"

Whatever the red-haired teacher was going to say died as his body froze, his eyes widening ever so slightly. "What?"

Makoto smiled and removed the bento box lid, revealing four rows, each with three pieces of the tofu-wrapped pockets of sushi. "I…overheard you talking with Nakagawa-sensei last week," the brunette confessed, "and you mentioned how much you like Inarizushi. I'm sorry there isn't anything else, but the aburaage took a long time to make, so I didn't have time for anything else."

"So you made this from scratch?" Minamino wondered.

Makoto nodded. "Yes. I tried to be creative, though, so you'd have a complete meal, even though it's all Inarizushi." Pointing to the first row, she said, "This kind is just plain rice with toasted sesame seeds. These," she pointed to the second row, "have eel and shiitake mushrooms mixed with the rice. This kind is filled will a somen noodle salad, and these last ones are topped with tamago and green onions."

"You certainly went through a lot of trouble, Kino-san," the redhead commented as he continued to eye the sushi.

"It's no trouble," Makoto replied, brushing off the remark. She paused for a moment, thoughtful, before saying, "Maybe you should try one first, though. I haven't had a chance to taste them yet, and I wouldn't want you to take all of them if they aren't any good."

Minako shot her friend a withering glare. She had a feeling that Makoto knew exactly how it tasted, and was only saying that so everyone could see Minamino-sensei enjoying the food she made for him.

Still, the warrior of love watched the red-haired teacher hesitate for a moment before slowly reaching into the bento box and removing one of the plain-rice sushi. He examined it, taking an experimental whiff. And then, to the surprise of Minako and everyone else in the hallway, Minamino popped the entire piece of sushi into his mouth.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Minamino chewed thoughtfully, savoring the taste of the food. Normally, the tofu skin on its own was enough to fill someone's mouth. With all the stuffing, an entire piece of Inarizushi was too much to eat in one sitting, and doing so might cause a person to choke. Yet Minamino continued to chew it easily, as though he had only taken a small bite instead of the whole thing.

As he swallowed, Minamino's emerald eyes seemed to light up. "It's delicious, Kino-san!" he said.

Snapping out of her shock, Makoto blinked up at him. "Really?" she asked, unable to form any other response in that instance.

He nodded. "It's one of the best Inarizushi I've ever had."

The warrior from Jupiter couldn't help but smile at the genuine tone in his voice. "I'm glad you like it," she said. Replacing the lid on the box, she then offered it to him.

Minamino reached out to accept the gift with an almost…eager?…smile on his lips. Then he paused, his smile slowly fading as though realizing just where he was. "Um…well…" he faltered.

"You might as well take it," Nakagawa-sensei piped up suddenly. "You said it yourself, Minamino-sensei. It's important to be well-nourished." She smiled. "What kind of teacher would you be if you didn't set a good example for your students?"

The red-haired man blinked at her, then turned back to Makoto. "Thank you," he said, finally accepting the bento box with a small smile.

But Minako saw the difference in his smile now, compared to the one before. While the other smile had been so open, so genuine and truly happy, this smile was rather reserved and politely guarded – the kind of smile a teacher would give his students to keep some space between them.

She had never noticed before, and she wondered if that was because Minamino-sensei only gave her this kind of smile every time they met. Had he ever given her the other smile – his real smile – like the one he just gave Makoto?

As Minamino and Nakagawa-sensei left, Minako watched on until they were out of sight, listening as the crowd buzzed around her.

"Did you see Minamino-sensei's face?"

"I didn't know he would like Inarizushi that much!"

"He looked so cute while he was eating though, didn't he?"

"Almost like a little kid!"

"I wonder if I should make some Inarizushi for him…"

The chattering trickled off as the crowd dispersed, leaving only the four Sailor Soldiers in the hallway.

"Wow, Mako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed. "He really did like your Inarizushi!"

Makoto nodded, equally impressed. "Even I didn't think it'd work that well!"

Minako scoffed as indifferently as she could manage. "He was probably just really hungry. I hear starving people will eat just about anything."

"Maybe," Ami said in her most logical tone, "but I don't think Minamino-sensei would normally be so willing to accept food from a student. He even looked as though he was going to decline Mako-chan's until he found out what it was."

Makoto glanced at Minako with a small smirk, and the blond girl pouted slightly. Now she had to do something equally impressive to keep Minamino-sense interested in her, but she couldn't copy Makoto's tactic; she couldn't make Inarizushi to save her life, and nothing else seemed good enough now.

So how in the world could she compete with that?

---

Kurama frowned as he ran his finger over the spines of the books on the shelf. Pausing for a moment, he then pulled out one of the books and quickly flipped through it. Satisfied with its content, he added the tome to the growing collection in his arms.

When he finished picking out the books he wanted, he checked their prices and tallied the tab to make sure he had enough. Then he made his way to the male cashier, glancing at the rain pouring outside. He wondered if he had enough time to drop the books off at his apartment before heading back to campus.

"Minamino-sensei?" a voice that was becoming too familiar said, drawing him out of his musings.

The fox teen turned and smiled at the girl. "Hello, Aino-san," he said. After running into her almost everyday, he had stopped being surprised to see her on days he wasn't teaching.

Minako blinked as she noted the stack of books he carried. "Are those for your classes?" she wondered, tipping her head to the books.

"Some of them," Kurama replied, continuing towards the cash register. The girl followed along beside him. "Some of them are for my own amusement."

The girl rolled her eyes. "You're just like Ami-chan. She buys a mountain of books at a time too."

Kurama chuckled. "Is that right?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised she can finish any of them." The girl frowned then, concern growing in her sapphire eyes. "But don't you have other things you should spend your money on? Like…food?"

"Actually, I did find some time today to finally get some groceries. So I should be all set for a while."

"Oh." Minako sighed in what seemed to be relief. "That's good." Then with a teasing smile, she added, "So no more lunch-less lunch periods?"

The redhead laughed softly. "I suppose not."

He couldn't help but sense her sudden disappointment, but he couldn't figure out what caused it. He didn't have much time to dwell on it either, as he placed the books on the cashier's counter. Turning to her, he said, "Would you like to go first, Aino-san?"

"Huh?" She blinked as he pointed to the two books in her hands. "Oh…" She blushed slightly. "Um…okay, I guess. Thanks."

She placed the books on the counter and retrieved her wallet from her school bag as the cashier scanned the prices. But her face fell when the total came up on the register. "Oh, shoot…!"

"What's wrong?" Kurama asked.

She held up both books and looked between them. "I thought I had enough money for both, but I guess I really only have enough to buy one."

Kurama watched as she lifted one book up, looking at it before lifting the other as though weighing out which one she should buy. In one hand was a historical reference book, and he abruptly remembered the history test he had to give the students in a few days. In her other hand was a manga book for a series that he was surprised he recognized.

He caught the blonde girl glance at him from the corner of her eyes, and he already knew which book she would pick. He knew that it was a move to impress him, but he still felt a little guilty that she wanted to change because of him – that she felt she couldn't be herself because she thought he would like her any less.

Minako sighed then, predictably placing the reference book back down on the counter and sliding it toward the clerk. "I'll go put this back," she offered, holding up the manga book.

Struck with an impulsive idea, Kurama took the book from her. "I've been looking for this one," he said.

Startled, Minako spun around to look at him. "You read manga, Minamino-sensei?" she asked.

"Not a lot, really. But I happen to like this series."

She blinked suspiciously. "Really?"

Kurama nodded. "Yes. I felt really bad for the main character when she thought she'd been…violated…and how she was willing to deal with it because she believed it happened to her friend, only to discover that it didn't."

Minako blinked again, this time in surprise. "Oh…" With a convinced nod, she slowly turned back to the cashier to pay for her book.

Looking at the manga book in his hand, Kurama frowned. It wasn't a complete lie; he had felt a little sorry for the main character…but the manga didn't really hold his interest. If it wasn't for Botan forcing Yusuke to read shojo manga like this one (something about helping Yusuke's relationship with Keiko…Kurama didn't try to understand the logic behind that…), and Yusuke coming to him and complaining about the manga's story, Kurama really wouldn't have heard of this series at all.

He didn't say anything, though, as Minako finished at the register and stepped aside for his turn. Placing the manga on top of his stack, he reached for his wallet as the cashier scanned the price of each book, noting with mild curiosity that Minako remained nearby.

"No after-school activities today, Aino-san?" he asked casually. If she was willing to wait for him, he could at least strike up a conversation.

The girl gave a disappointed sigh. "No…" she whined. "The Volleyball Club decided not to meet today because of the storm."

Kurama glanced out at the city, still darkened by the clouds above, and listened to the heavy pattering of the rain. "That seems like a wise decision."

"I guess. But that means I'm stuck by myself because everyone else is busy! Usagi-chan's in Manga Drawing Club, Ami-chan's in Computer club, and Mako-chan's in Cooking Club…And," she added knowingly, just as Kurama opened his mouth to speak, "I have nothing to do while they're all still at school because I have to wait for Ami-chan so she can help me study for the upcoming history test."

Kurama let his reply die off as he handed some money to the cashier. Lifting his bag of books from the counter, he finally said, "What about your friend that attends the private school? Um…Hino-san?"

"Archery Club," she replied with a toss of her hand. "They went on some kind of field trip or something."

"Ah, I see." The two of them slowly left the store, standing just under the awning that protected them from the rain.

"Yeah," Minako sighed again. "That's why I wanted to buy the manga, so I have something to do until the others are all finished. But I don't have the money to buy it, and now I can't get it for a long time, and I'll never find out what happens!"

For some reason, her over-dramatic behavior made him smile. Figuring now would be a good time to enact his idea, he said, "How about I make you a deal, Aino-san?"

She looked up at him curiously. "Deal? What kind of deal?"

Reaching into the plastic bag, Kurama pulled out the manga and held it up to her. "If you do well on the history test this week, I'll let you borrow this."

Minako's sapphire eyes seemed to light up as she grinned. "Really?" Then the smile slowly faded as she added, "Wait…How well do I have to do on the test?"

"Let's say…" Kurama pretended to think for a moment. "At least eighty percent."

She grimaced briefly, but then gave it a little more thought. "Okay…" she said after a lengthy pause, "I think I can do that."

He smiled and put the book away. "I'm sure you can, Aino-san."

With a small blush, the girl nodded.

"Well, I should get going," Kurama said, glancing at his watch. "I still have a class later today."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Minamino-sensei. And don't forget about our deal!"

He chuckled. "You don't forget either, Aino-san." With a small wave, he stepped out from under the canopy and jogged back to his apartment. Glancing at the bag of books, a thoughtful frown spread across his lips.

'What am I doing…?' he wondered. Shaking his head, he focused on the slick road before him. 'I better be careful. It won't be good if I keep getting too close…'

And yet he began to wonder if he had any control in the matter.

TBC