Botan was not the type who took pleasure in acts of violence. Still, Kurama had wondered if she may have found some satisfaction from dealing with that imp with her own hands. He was able to admit to himself that there was enjoyment in dealing with beings who did nothing with their existence but cause hurt and suffering, especially when they clearly took joy in it. There was no shame in having that feeling. People like himself, Yusuke, and Kuwabara were not violent people at their core; they dealt blows to those that caused a great deal of harm to others, and while it was regrettable that it came to it, it was rewarding. They knew that they were making this world, and due to recent events Spirit World as well, a better place. Botan already felt the relief of someone cruel and merciless being dispatched in both the Toguro brothers. It was inevitable that she eventually learned more about defending herself, but he hoped that there would never be a time where she had to take a life. That innocence of hers was something he wanted her to keep for as long as she was able. It was already too late for him.
The imp banished to the appropriate realm, he released his hold on her shoulder and joined her in inspecting her oar. Luckily there were no splinters or a severe impression of an imp’s skull against the wood. A bullet dodged. “With a swing that dangerous I don’t believe your spirit gun would be necessary.” He said with a smile.
The spirit gun was a very powerful technique in the right hands. No doubt Botan had limited use for it in her day-to-day activities, but the knowledge that she could use it herself would be more useful than she realized.
She had thanked him for his assistance. The gesture was kind, but unnecessary. Having done all the work herself, it was him that should have been the first to praise her. She had gone on to say that it wasn’t just her taste of combat, but her integration into the school system at such short notice. His smile didn’t wither even after she had frowned due to concern for his mother’s worrying. “You don’t have to worry about her. I don’t know if you saw it earlier, but she believes that there is something brewing between us. It’s possible that she also believes this walk was just to get out of the house and express ourselves intimately, in an area she can’t intrude on.” His mother’s imagination was very active ever since Botan had entered the picture. The fantasy of her teenage son with a respectful and intelligent young woman was one he was willing to let her hold on to. If their peers were to believe their story, then perhaps…
“If we are to continue with our story at school, why not bring it home with us as well?” Kurama had nodded towards the way they had come, turning on his heel and starting to return home with her beside him. “My life as Shuichi Minamino is far different than that of Kurama. Shuichi doesn’t deal with demons and join tournaments. He doesn’t get into fights. He’s quiet, studies hard, and avoids trouble. Your arrival in our lives is the most exciting thing that has happened to her in a very long time. You’ve shaken things up for us.”
The brushing of his shoulder earlier and the notice of their hands locked had not gone unnoticed earlier. His mother wasn’t blind to a sign so large. He was almost certain that she was just waiting for the truth from one of them—that, or another sign that she could be able to pick apart for herself. The urge to give his mother something to gush over was building, as it was very rare for her to ever have this chance. His academic standing and good nature were things to be proud of, but they weren’t exciting or risqué. With Botan, maybe he could give her a taste of a teenage boy’s development. A girlfriend was a big deal to some parents, wasn’t it?
“I know you don’t enjoy dishonesty. What I asked—no, what situation I forced you into earlier was for the sake of our investigation. What I ask now is just me being selfish,” Kurama couldn’t look her in the eye as he went on. Using Botan in order to please his mother’s fantasy of her son having a girlfriend was not something he thought kind to ask. Shiori adored Botan, he had seen it in her eyes the day they had met. News of their dating would justify all the time they would spend together from this point on, but it would also let her have something to tease him about. It was more for her than it was him. “I’d like to give that suspicion of hers some ground to stand on. In other words… either we announce it, or we show her our new relationship. This walk wasn’t just a walk… it was an opportunity for me to formally ask you to be my girlfriend.”
Somehow it felt even worse when he had put it that way. They were just walking up to the door when Kurama had stopped, finally giving her his full attention. His eyes were softer, betraying the deep turmoil ongoing inside. It was wrong. Botan would almost certainly do this for him, and if not for him it would be Shiori. Arrogant as it sounded, he knew her well enough to know that she would do almost anything for the sake of someone else she had respected.
“You can say no. After all, when a boy asks a girl out, he should mean it. I should mean it.”
Out of all the women that had ever entered his life, it was only at this moment that Kurama realized that Botan was ideal in every sense to him. He could think of no part of her that he resented. This was all about being in character, but if they were to be in character then surely he had to pull his own weight. After what she had done for him in the cafeteria earlier, it was his turn to take the initiative. He reached down for her hands and gripped them loosely in his, eyes never leaving her face. The last of the sun’s rays had accentuated her face fully. He had looked at Botan countless times but not once had he seen her in this light, and never so closely. Unparalleled beauty.
“Botan… even if it’s only until this investigation is over… would you become my girlfriend?”
Kurama was braced for rejection. Pretend or not, he could easily see how this could hurt her feelings. No matter how much he had cared for Botan, it would seem as if he was using her for his own benefit, and not only to help bolster their cover story, but to help his mother feel as if her son was normal when he’d never truly be. But in this admittance, Kurama would like to think that his being honest with her would also mean something. He wouldn’t pretend her knew her as well as her peers in Spirit World, and he wasn’t going to. While going over how this could help him, Kurama had stopped to ask himself how it could help her. What was her gain, other than helping a friend’s mother believe her son was a normal boy with a healthy interest in a good girl?
Saying that she had wanted to be as honest as she could with people earlier, at least by accepting his request to be his girlfriend—temporary as it just might be—meant that it wouldn’t be a lie anymore. It would be as sincere as he knew she was. A truth Botan could be proud of, without need of putting a veil over everyone’s eyes.
Taka
Dane
erikh