Reassuring a new student that an unfamiliar territory wasn’t so intimidating seldom worked. It was on his mind as much as Botan; people might not like her, but not for the reasons she must have been thinking of. The girls at his school, while gifted and generally good people, were often… confrontational, he’d call it. But so were the boys. When it came to an object of desire—someone of the opposite sex—these people could turn on each other very quickly. He had seen the ugly side of both genders when it came to the object of their desires. Unfortunately, he himself was still one of those people that girls seemed to cling to. They gossiped here and there about how he was playing hard to get, that he was simply too good for the ordinary girl. 

In reality, all he wanted was to finish his education and be left alone. 

Botan may not have realized it yet. She was as new and unfamiliar as the very school she was about to enter. A variety of new faces and personalities were going to be met all at once. Kurama had believed that once they finally passed through those gates, Botan would see that the cluster of students in the courtyard were just ordinary people living ordinary lives. They talked about anything—a movie, exams, plans for after school—to pass the time before school officially started. Hee believed she had begun to understand the situation well enough, until that bell had rung, until they had taken complete notice of Botan, and until they had begun to talk amongst themselves without making an effort to hide their stares. She had turned from just a new girl into [i]THE new girl[/i]. He had gotten her inside before anyone had decided to question her appearance. That would have to be dealt with later.

[color=f7941d][b]“You’ll be alright. You’ve faced worse than a new day at school.”[/b][/color] Kurama said as they ascended to their homeroom. Though, he had a feeling that if she had to choose between today and facing another outbreak of the Makai Insects, she might consider the latter option more reasonable. The rest would be up to her. 

Being introduced to Satsumi and luckily having a seat beside him, Kurama had kept his eye on Botan for the majority of the morning, until finally lunch had come around. Having done his best to get her past the mutterings of her new peers, Kurama could breathe easier once they had taken a seat at an empty, polished table, and just in time for Koenma to send over the results from the readings they had taken yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, Botan wasn’t able to get far in her explanation. Kurama had felt them come before he had seen them: a small mass of their peers, boys and girls in a relatively even ratio, of all shapes and sizes, had appeared to surround them. 

[color=f7941d][i]‘It wasn’t enough that they were whispering about her all day.’[/i][/color] Kurama sighed inwardly while doing his very best not to show disapproval. Just when they got the results, this had to occur, distracting them from what was really important. Instead they had to deal with the pointlessness of adolescent gossip, wasting time. 

[color=82ca9d][b]“You know,”[/b][/color] A boy with short black hair and thick, dark frames said nervously, continuing from where the girl left off. [color=82ca9d][b]“A-are you two… well, that is… are you both…close?”[/b][/color] His sight was mostly on Botan when he asked. It was almost impossible for him to hide how smitten he was from her appearance. To be this close to her was incredible. 

The boys and girls all waited for a response, each equally eager to know.

A hand placed itself on Botan’s knee below the table, giving a gentle squeeze to her. Kurama had already begun to think about the answer they were looking for. It shouldn’t have mattered to any of them. Whether they liked it or not, they had become an object for their peers’ affections. 

If he denied the closeness he had with Botan, there’d be two problems. The first was that, even if they weren’t together in a romantic sense, people may still find it odd just how much time he, a loner, had spent with her as the new girl. He couldn’t call Botan a distant cousin or anything like that, because that led to the second problem: these people themselves. Botan was far more attractive than she had realized. Many appealing girls attended this academy but none came as unique and mysterious as Botan. As a source of their curiosity and lust, it didn’t matter how many times she said she wasn’t interested in getting to know them as peers. They’d come back. Confession notes left at her desk when she wasn’t looking, or within her locker. None of them were malicious. Just annoying. Annoying enough that even Botan might have lost her patience eventually. 

[color=f7941d][i]‘It won’t stop if I deny it… but…’ [/i][/color]

He could claim her. Botan being his girlfriend would mean that the confession notes were pointless. Kurama could not stop them lusting for her and placing her in their perverse imaginations, but he could at least lower the harassment she received by a considerable amount. That went double for him, who had endured many girls attempting to grow closer to him beyond the level he would have liked. For a guy who kept his peers as just that—peers—it would likely bring some vitriol for Botan, who had appeared out of nowhere and ‘took him away’ from those that had come before her. At the same time, there would also be an equal amount of loathing for him who, while not only being the top student at this school, managed to take the most beautiful girl from them within a day. It complicated matters, but he’d take their quiet loathing over the continued harassment they’d face in their day-to-day activities. 

[color=f7941d][b]“The truth is…” [/b][/color]Kurama, who had his eyes closed to concentrate, opened them to meet the anticipation in the gazes of those that surrounded them. [color=f7941d][b]“Botan is my girlfriend.”[/b][/color] The hand that softly grasped her knee had released. He turned to look at her, hoping that she understood this move. This wouldn’t work if she wasn’t willing to sell the deception with him. [color=f7941d][b]“It’s best that we get this out of the way now. We could never hide the way we feel about each other for long. It’s not in our nature.”[/b][/color]

Kurama’s reveal had struck every student within earshot. Mixtures of shock, awe, anger, and disappointment were plain as day on the multiple faces that looked to meet them. The hand that had grasped Botan below had risen from below, coming to settle on her shoulder farthest from him. He drew her closer, daring a kiss with how slowly he drew her in. With great care he avoided it, monitoring the reactions of those nearby from the corner of his eye. It looked as though most of them were entirely convinced by his announcement, as well as his near-kiss, based on the widening of their eyes and the parting of their jaws. 

He didn’t think it would be so simple, but somehow almost everyone was sold. It wasn’t exactly in character for Shuichi to lie about anything he had ever done. Daring to kiss Botan in front of them was nearly too much for them to comprehend. The new girl was receiving the exact scenario so many girls had dreamed of for a very long time. 

[color=f7941d][b]“Sorry,”[/b][/color] Kurama stopped himself short of Botan’s lips. His hand didn’t leave her shoulder, but his lips no longer threatened to merge with hers, stopping just a few inches apart. [color=f7941d][b]“I tend to get carried away. That’s why we keep our affections private, isn’t that right?”[/b][/color] He wanted to wink, but that would give far too much away. At least the idea of him and her having private sessions to express themselves fully would give everyone something to think about. Hopefully it would be enough for them to get back to business shortly.

[color=00a99d][b]“N-no way!”[/b][/color] A boy exclaimed. [color=00a99d][b]“So that’s why you weren’t looking at her so much during class. You were hiding your affection!”[/b][/color] He sunk to his knees, his mind blown. Shuichi was far too smooth for the rest of them to possibly comprehend. He was on an entirely different level from everyone else!

[color=f9ad81][b]“A secret girlfriend all this time? Man!”[/b][/color] Another said, ruffling his hair in frustration. 

The girls were crushed by this news, even moreso by Shuichi’s daring to nearly kiss her in front of them. Still, it seemed like they were waiting for something… Botan’s word, perhaps. It was one thing for Shuichi to say this, but if Botan didn’t confirm it through her own words and actions, then perhaps this could be a ruse. Yes, that’s it, a ruse!