"People, settle down!" Mr. Aitenshi clapped his hands three times, signalling the students in his class to sit down and keep quiet. The class had been in such a chaos by the time he arrived at the classroom. He stood straightly in front of the class, looking up at them, waiting for them to notice him. Everybody ran to their own seats and finally settled. The teacher cleared his throat and held out a paper. "Now, just in case you didn't know, I've already assigned your lab partners for those who still haven't had their own" with a single flip, the paper lost it's folded form and then he began to read. "Haiko Minoru, you be with Kiiyo Tesuke" he started. Two boys faced each other and grinned. Aitenshi then read several others more. Some girls even watched hopefully, just in case they could be paired up with Suiichi. Their hopes fell, neither of them were chosen. "Okay, the last pair is Minamino Shuuichi and Shiito Yui" he announced. "Since Yui is a new student here, I probably should set her up with someone who could guide her with our school's way of performing these things" he explained. Loud groans can be heard from all over the classroom. Kurama sighed. At least, maybe it would be better if he had Yui is a partner other than the other girls. But still, he really wished he had a boy partner, maybe he won't have anything to worry about. He glanced at Kaitou at the other corner of the room. He was looking at him. Kurama raised his brows in question, trying to figure out what the look was for. Kaitou grinned at him and started laughing quietly in his seat. Great, just great. Now even Kaitou is getting the same idea the other students were. The false idea about him and Yui Shiito.

      The bell then rang. The students stood up and joined their own group of friends as they went out the door of the classroom. Kurama stood up and went beside Kaitou.

      "It's not like what you think it is" he said, his brows furrowed seriously. Kaoitou nodded. "I know, as if I don't know you. It's just that, the other students doesn't know about the other girl" he said, willing himself not to mention Botan's name in front of Kurama. Hearing the news from Kuwabara, he knew it must've been hard for Kurama. "If I were a regular student here, I would've thought the same" he said, looking at his companion. Kurama winced. "I can't get her off!" he muttered in a husky whisper. Speak of the devil, Yui ran behind him. Kurama winced again and turned back. "Yui-san"

      "Gomen ne, Shuuichi-kun, I can't join you right now. I have somewhere else to go to, I'm really sorry" she said and bowed down. She waved a hand to him and Kaitou and ran off. Kurama sighed a sigh of relief. "Geez, as if I don't mind" he said and turned back. Kaitou laughed. "That bad huh? You're beginning to sound like Hiei" he told him. Kurama calmed down. "Really? Is it that bad that I'm sounding like Hiei?" he asked Kaitou. He then sighed. "Not really, she's nice, but very...stubborn. She always wants her way of things" he told him. Kaitou nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right" he replied. Kurama winced again. "It's like I was her bodyguard or something, what do you think of that?!" Kurama asked and grumbled silently in place.

      "Ayame, what are you doing here?!" Koenma asked angrily. He waved his hands in the air and stood up. "I...I'm sorry, Koenma-sama but---"
"But what?! I gave you an order, now what are you doing here disobeying it?!" he asked her. He eyed her angrily, glaring at her. His thought shifted though as a tear fell down Ayame's eyes. "I can't do it anymore, Koenma-sama...gomennasai..." she muttered in between her gasps. Koenma eys narrowed. "Do you have a good reason why?" he asked her. Ayame sniffed. Because I love you she thought, but didn't make a noise about it. She knew Koenma would be furious once she said it, now that he's already engaged. A long moment had passed. Koenma sighed. "Ayame, please. Now that Botan had lost her old self, you're the only one I can rely on now. I can't ask someone else to do a better job, please" Koenma asked her. Ayame looked up at him. How on earth could she refuse? She loved Koenma too much to disobey him. His eyes were really desperate and looking for loyalty from her Even if her heart tells her not to, Ayame nodded her head slowly and summoned her oar.

      Botan entered the red wooden doors of her own room. She brought up a weary hand pushed the door open. She opened up the lights, looking around. She then saw something on top of her bed. Curious of what it was, she took small steps towards it. Holding the cover on both hands, she lifted it off. A gasp was then let out of her mouth, shaking as if she saw something that would end her life. Botan bent down, lifting the heavy cloth on her clutches. White, shining and full of misery, she held the fabric close to her body. A tear fell on her eyes. No, not yet. She wasn't ready yet. She still has to take her feelings away from the one who has it before she could give it to Koenma. She thought of the outcome of next week's occassion. She only hoped that things would go as far as Koenma had planned. How she wished she could just forget about her past, maybe marrying Koenma would not be this maddening. She remembered the times she had her head over heels towards Koenma. The times she had daydreamed about it, how she used to think of him all the time. That was before she got close to him. Kurama. Before she had gone very close to him, her feelings towards Koenma had been erased. If you think about it, this had been her dream before. Being with Koenma, being one with him, being his, it was all she had been wanting for so long. Now that she has it, she doesn't know if she still wants it. It was too late now. Even if she didn't want it, she didn't have a choice. The only thing she could do is to take it all in. And that's why it hurts. If she fought for her heart, she might be getting Kurama's life in her palms, she might kill him if she tried.

      As another tear rolled down the deity's pale cheeks, a name had been whispered, giving away the hope she had for her life..."Kurama"

      "Shuuichi!!!" Yui's voice banged on his ears like a breaking ice. Kurama tried his best to smile at her. Yui smiled back and ran up to him. She tried to catch her breath before looking up at him for another smile. "Sorry, I had work to do" she said. Kurama smiled. "That's okay, Yui-san, it was no bother" he said. No bother was right. He felt free to be out of her clutches. "Did you miss me?" Yui asked him. Kurama was silent. The girl with him waite patiently for an answer. Kurama noticed the enthusiasm in her eyes, and he didn't want to disappoint her. "Probably" came a muffled answer. But Yui heard it. She giggled and held his arm closer to her. Kurama sighed. At least this wasn't as annoying as before. He somehow got used to the closeness. "Ne, Shuuichi, mind if you go home with me again?" she asked with the most hopeful eyes anyone had ever gave him. Kurama shrugged. "Maybe, I'm not that busy anyway"

      A loud thug had been heard behind them, as if something had fallen hard on the ground. Both heads turned around in curiosity. Kurama's eyes got wide as he saw what...or should I say, who it was. "Hiei!"

      "You know this guy?" Yui asked in astonishment as Kurama went near the little man who seemed to have fallen off a tree. "Shuuichi! What are you doing?!" she asked as Kurama helped the little boy up. Kurama glanced back at her and held out a hand. "Would you mind, Yui-san? May I be excused while I---" Kurama was cut off when Hiei pulled him behind the tree he had just fallen off. "Hiei, what's with you?"

      "What are you, nuts?!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe you're going into that girl's house! What if she does something to you?!" he asked with eyes bulging out of their sockets. He pulled his friend by the collar, so close that their nose touched. "Hiei---" Kurama said, only to be cut off again as he saw his friend's angry glare at him. "I have a bad feeling about this woman and I mean bad!" Hiei almost yelled, but tried hard to keep his tone down so that Yui wouldn't here. "Bad feeling?" Kurama repeated. "Before you tell me, would you mind letting go?" he asked, nearly suffocating from Hiei's tight grip. Hiei winced and pushed him on the tree. "Hiei!"

      "Excuse me but, are you two fighting?" Yui asked, slowly making slow steps towards the two, noticing that Shuuichi had been pushed on that tree, almost like a shove. "Uhm..."
"Yui-san, I'm alright" Kurama said, patting the dirt off his sleeves. He stood up next. "Hiei, we'll talk later" he said and led Yui away. He gave Hiei a mental note and Hiei nodded and went off. "Where did he go?" Yui asked, realizing that they have been left alone. "Don't mind him, Yui-san" he said and tried to lead her out of the streets. He didn't expect that Hiei would come. What did he mean by...'a bad feeling'?

      Yui opened the door to her house and went straight to the kitchen. Kurama in the other hand, made himself comfortable on the couch in the living room. Hiei was right, he himself could feel something weird whenever he was with Yui. But until now, he still didn't know why he was feeling.

      Yui was sweating hard. She didn't know what to do next. If she does this, it'll all be over. But she...she couldn't. This is all too much. She glanced back at the living room as she saw Shuuichi's form sitting on the couch, his arms rested on his knees, as if he was in deep thought. She clutchd the handle of the knife in her hand. What would her master say if she didn't do it? But, what will the other one say if she does? She couldn't choose between the two. She must think of something else, something else! Death is not the answer to this. Even if it was her orders, she will not do it.

      An idea popped into her head next. All her master wanted was for Shuuichi Minamino...or should she say Kurama to get out of the way. That will be the new plan.

      Kurama shifted restlessly in his place. Something is happening and it's making him uncomfortable. And to top it all of, Yui had been in the kitchen for so long. "Yui-san?" he called off, curious if she was alright. Better yet, curious if she was up to something. Minding what Hiei had told him, he better be careful. "Stay" a lone voice was heard. Kurama stiffened. It was Yui's voice alright, but it had a bit of hardness in it. "Yui-san" he called out again. He then sees a shadow coming up to him. With a swift motion, the girl he thought was an ordinary classmate of his had jumped to him, giving him a hard kiss, straight on the lips. Kurama's eyes widened, not being able to move due to the shock. He could feel Yui's mouth on his, feeling his own body react. His hands grew cold and clammy, his heart beating fast. What was happening? Is this what Hiei was talking about? He summoned his will to give him the strength to push her away. Yui had fallen back for a bit but she was determined to get Kurama for herself.

      "Shuuichi Minamino!" she yelled, calling his name as if it was an order. "Yui, what's happening to you?" he asked, worried about the girl's state. Yui gave him a death glare, letting him know that what she was doing wasn't a joke. "Kurama" she called. Kurama stood frozen in place. Kurama, she just called him by his other name. The name only his friends called him. His friends, or other people who knew his true identity. A shiver was brought up his spine as Yui made small, seductive steps towards him. Kurama knew he should get away. This girl is NOT a normal human being. But it was too late. He felt his body grow numb as he fell on the floor.

      "Painful isn't it?" she asked. Kurama's eyes widened in shock. No, she wouldn't! Not at a time like this. This was all too much. Yui, what happened to the childish Yui he used to know? What?! Before he could reminice about what was happening, he felt a tight grip on his jaws, forcing his head to tilt up. He then saw a pair of eyes, blue eyes that glistened in the moon's light. A cold gust of wind blew around them, chilling Kurama even more, with the fact that he couldn't do anything to keep himself warm...or safe from this woman's grasp. He thought of ideas to get out, but before he could think some more, his mind was blocked by Yui's lips again on his. They were warm, almost like hers. Reminding his whole body as if she was right there in front of him. "Botan" he whispered. A grin spread across Yui's face. Kurama then realized what he had just said. He knew it wasn't his imagination, he saw and felt her. Botan. It was Botan. He was so confused, his eyes was starting to blur. "I guess the poison is working real well on you, Kurama" she told him. Poison? He was poisoned? "When I kissed you a while ago, didn't you feel that I got you to drink something?" she asked with a light spark in her eyes. Kurama's breath was getting shallow, knowing that it was getting hard for him to breath. He closed his eyes shut when he felt her lips descend on his neck. He felt it again. It was Botan's lips once more, can't help the feeling as he closed his eyes, not shut, closing it as if savoring the touch. "You see, Shuuichi, whenever I get close on you, you start feeling things. The poison gets your mind to go wild and makes you feel what you wants to. So, even if you see me as Yui Shiito, you will feel me as Botan, the one you love and wanted" she explained. "Nonetheless, you will forget it's me who is doing this once I touch you" she said, a slight chuckle heard from her mouth.

      "You can't force me to do this" he told her, his voice firm and straight. Yui laughed. "I'm not forcing you, you want this" she said. Kurama's eyes widened. "What...are you talking about" he asked. He tried to back off, but his body was still numb. The intense pain of trying to get off his place was hard, as if his body was being torn apart. "Don't worry, the numb state of your body will go off once we're through" she said with another mind boggling laugh. The tone of her voice came crushing on Kurama's mind. This was Yui, he told himself. He just had to kept telling himself. Yui let him go, and he tried to stand up, but before he could, he felt Yui's lips getting on his again. To his mind's astonishment, he placed his own arms around her. He was kissing her back!

Next Chapter