One More's A Crowd
by Riisha
Chapter 5
Unwanted Presences
“Has Keiko talked to you in any way?”
Kurama was a bit startled at the question. “Why do you ask?”
Yusuke shrugged. “I haven’t seen her in almost two weeks. By this time, we usually go out for a dinner or something. Or we all get to hang out with each other. But I haven’t really heard from her.”
“Hyaa!!”
Mina hurled the four discs in her palms like shuriken. All four hit the dummy square in the chest. She landed on the ground, a satisfied smirk on her face.
“Hah!!” She cried. “How’d you like that, Urameshi?!”
She had dropped the ‘san’ a week ago.
“Very good, Onishi!!” Yusuke called back. “You’re getting better!!”
Even Hiei nodded from the tree branch he was perched on.
She grinned as she gave them a thumbs-up.
Botan smiled as well. She had been told by Koenma to watch the boys train Mina.
She continued the conversation, sighing, “Well, you guys have been pretty busy with Mina-san after all. I’m sure she’d understand. She does know about Mina-san … right?”
Yusuke suddenly quieted. Kurama groaned. Kuwabara shifted uncomfortably.
“Well then!” Yusuke interrupted the silence, “Moving on!”
Botan klunked. “You mean she doesn’t know?!!”
“Ah well …”
“Hey! Come on!” Mina suddenly interrupted, tossing her hair away from her face as she came closer. “I couldn’t help hearing you guys. If you’re so worried about not seeing your fiancée in a while, why don’t you arrange for a meeting?”
The lightbulb in Yusuke’s head went [click!]. “Of course!” he cried.
“Well … It has been a while,” Kurama agreed. “We’ve been particularly busy with Mina-san. Maybe we all deserve a break.”
Botan was a little skeptical. “Won’t Koenma-sama mind?”
“Has he ever before?” Yusuke rolled his eyes.
“So are we inviting Keiko, Shizuru and Yukina?” Botan asked.
This sparked Hiei’s interest. But he said nothing.
Kuwabara was more vocal, “Yukina-san?! Of course we’re bringing Yukina-san!! And …” he looked reluctant. “I’ll tell Neechan.”
“Hiei? Are you coming?” Kurama asked.
“hn …” was his simple reply.
“Hey!” Yusuke suddenly said. He turned to Mina, “Why don’t you come along?”
“M-me?!” Mina asked incredulously, and for the first time they ever saw, the girl blushed. “I-I don’t really belong there with you all! I-I’ll feel like I’m intruding.”
“Of course not!” Yusuke insisted. “You’re practically part of the gang now!”
“It would be nice,” Kurama agreed, “if the others met you as well. And it was your idea, wasn’t it?”
“Are you sure you’re all fine with it?” Mina was still skeptical.
“Of course, we are!” Botan said. “I’m almost sure that Keiko and the others would like to meet you! You are the new Reikai Tantei.”
Mina looked at all their faces, except for Hiei who seemed nonchalant about it all. She finally grinned.
“Sure! I’ll go. Why not? It could be fun.”
“Okay!” Yusuke grinned. “It’s official!! We meet up next Saturday!!”
-----*-----
Keiko was smiling.
It had been a while since Yusuke had called. And it had been to ask her to join the gang that Saturday. She was happy to hear from him again, and even more when he said that he missed her.
Though … the way he said it was … a very strange way.
Botan was grinning beside her, “I know that smile! I know that smile!”
Keiko rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t leave her face. It almost made Botan jealous, seeing how much Yusuke and Keiko loved each other. She wondered when it would be her time to find her someone.
“Where are we going to see them?”
“I’m not sure, Yukina-chan,” Botan admitted. “But we should see them soon.”
“And then we tried to…. But then we couldn’t… and then.. GRRRR! And then WHOA! Whew.. and then we were safe. ()”
Keiko looked up at the voice, surprised to see the Reikai Tantei, including Hiei, standing not too far from them, surrounding a tall, beautiful, black-haired girl.
“Guys!!” Botan called out to them.
They all looked up.
“Keiko!” Yusuke grinned, putting an arm around her. “I’d like you to meet Onishi Mina.”
Keiko’s eyes widened. She subtly shoved off Yusuke’s arm. “So you are Mina …”
Mina grinned, “Yup! We know each other because I’m the ne…”
“Oh I know who you are,” Keiko said, a bit icily.
“Really?” Mina said, not noticing anything. “So you’ve heard of me?”
“Yes, I know a lot about you.”
“Yukina-san!!” Kuwabara called out.
“Good morning, Kazuma-san,” Yukina smiled politely. Her eyes widened a bit at another figure behind them. She gasped,. “Hiei-san! You’re here too?”
Hiei just nodded.
“It’s nice to see you again,” she smiled a bit.
Kuwabara moved in to interrupt, sending Hiei a nasty glare, “Ah! Yukina-san! Have you met Mina-san yet?”
“Oh? No, I haven’t …” Yukina said.
Mina just grinned. “Do I have your names right? Yukina … and … and …” Mina paused.
“Keiko …” the young woman forced a smile. “Yukimura Keiko.”
“Ah! Right! How could I forget?” Mina smiled sheepishly.
“Yes.” Keiko said. “I wonder how.”
Botan was getting the hint of what Keiko was implying. She facefaulted, whispering frantically, “Ah! Keiko! There’s something you need to know about Mina-san …”
“Hey!” Yusuke interrupted, not knowing that Botan was speaking. “Where’s Shizuru?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot to say,” Kuwabara said, sheepishly. “Neechan can’t make it today.”
“Shouldn’t we find a spot to sit down before we continue?” Kurama suggested. “We’re blocking everyone’s paths.”
“Oh right!!”
“Ah!” Botan called out. “But Keiko!!”
The others had already left her. Botan sighed as she caught up to them.
I have to tell them about Mina-san … or else they’ll think terribly of her!!
-----*-----
Everyone settled down in the large booth in the corner of the fast-food restaurant. When she was sure everyone was comfortable, Keiko decided it was time for a little investigation.
“Sooo ... Mina was it?” Keiko smiled sweetly. “Tell us about yourself?”
“Well…” She tilted her head a bit, thinking of something to say. Finally, she declared. “I’m afraid of Britney Spears. ()”
The group facefaulted.
“Uh … Who?” Kuwabara went.
“Whaaa?” Yusuke blinked.
Even the girls stared at her.
Mina looked up in confusion, “You know? Britney Spears? She’s a foreign singer. I really don’t like her, and maybe …”
Keiko brought a hand to her forehead. “I … All right. I-I meant … something more along the lines of yourself, and not …” she submitted, forcing a grin, “So, how did you and Yusuke meet?”
“Oh!” Mina smiled at Botan. “Botan-san introduced us!”
“I see …” Keiko gave Botan an icy look. “I wonder why.”
Botan sweatdropped. “Ah! No! Keiko! You’ve got it wrong! You see … Mina-san is …”
She was quickly cut off as a surly waiter arrived with a pad and pen, “Your order please …”
After they had each said what they wanted, the waiter left. Keiko turned to Mina again. “May I try again? Who are you, exactly?”
Mina suddenly narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. “Who am I? Are you sure you want to know?”
“Well, of cours-”
“I'm Spiderman!! ()”
Facefaults erupted around the room. Keiko had steam coming out of her ears. “I’m serious!!”
“All right!” Mina rubbed her head, embarrassed. “Sorry … I’ve been watching too many foreign movies and TV … Well, the truth about me is …”
The waiter came back and set down a plate of potato fries in front of them.
“That was quick,” Kurama commented.
“Yeah, and convenient …” Keiko muttered under her breath.
“Did you say something, Keiko?” Yusuke asked, reaching over to grab some of the fries.
“Nothing, Yusuke,” Keiko said, a little too sweetly.
And of course, Yusuke, being the caring, observant and nice fiancé that he is ……… didn’t notice …
“Actually, Mina-san is quite interesting,” Kurama inputted. “In fact, she and Yusuke have a lot in common.”
“Oh they do … do they?”
“Keikoooooooooooooo …” Botan moaned in frustration.
“Would you like some?” Kuwabara asked.
Yukina looked up and beamed. “Thank you, Kazuma-sa …”
“Let me help you!” Kuwabara scooped some of the fries and, to the slight surprise of those who saw, placed them on Mina’s plate.
Yukina’s eyes widened at the sight, but she kept silent. Keiko dropped her fork as she saw what was happening. Hiei glared at Kuwabara from across the table.
Mina stared at the pile of food that was now on her plate. “Um .. I didn’t want any …”
“Really?” Kuwabara looked confused. He took the fries back.
“I-I would like some … Kazuma-san?” was Yukina.
“Oh!!” Kuwabara looked sheepish again. “Of course, Yukina-san!!” he took the scoop he was still carrying and placed them on Yukina’s plate instead.
Yukina looked a little more satisfied as she politely started to eat her food.
Mina still eyes Kuwabara a bit as she continued, “Well, not much you can say about me, right? I’m pretty sure you’ve already heard everything from them.” She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the Reikai Tantei.
Yusuke and Kuwabara fidgeted. Kurama sighed.
“After all, we’ve hung out for a while!” Mina went on. “Been meeting them everyday after class for a while now …”
Keiko’s glass slammed onto the table. Her eyes were wide as she sputtered, “Every …. Day?!”
“Well, yeah! We …”
But Yusuke had finally caught on to what Keiko was thinking, not a moment too soon. He waved a hand in apprehension, “Hey! Wait! It’s not like that! I mean … We’ve all got to be with her. It’s orders from above you kn-”
Unfortunately, his voice was drowned out by a toddler suddenly wailing to her mother, screaming some nonsense about not wanting to leave. And as if that wasn’t enough, it caused a large chain reaction until there was an entire table of bawling young children.
“What are you saying?!” Botan called out.
“I’m trying to say that Mina’s the new Tantei!!” Yusuke called back, trying to get Keiko to hear him.
“What was that??’ Keiko cried.
“I saaaiiidddd …”
“Yusuke! I don’t understand you!!”
“What?! Kurama, can’t hear you!”
Hiei, sitting not so peacefully in his chair, muttered something about noisy ningen brats.
Finally, a number of adults arrived, including a few waiters, shushing the rowdy bunch. It took quite a while before the noise levels were tolerable again.
Yusuke was quite thankful that he could be heard again, “Anyway, Keiko, before we were interrupted …”
“So sorry for the ruckus,” a waiter swung by, carrying two large trays. “Here are your orders.”
He placed the two trays on their table and left again.
“Finally! The food’s here!” Yusuke said with relief, taking his order and attacking it with his utensils. Somehow, the arrival of something more interesting made him forget what he was saying.
Botan chewed at her lip slightly. She wondered how she was going to tell Keiko about Mina. Words jumbled up in her head until they made no sense, and she finally gave up thinking about it and helped herself to her own order.
The others seemed to be in the same condition.
Yukina looked over the table longingly at the plate which was her order. The waiter had mistakenly placed it out of her reach. She tugged at Kuwabara’s arm until he looked over at her longingly.
“Yes, Yukina-san?”
“Kazuma-san!” she said, politely. “Could you please pass over that plate? It’s mine.”
“Sure!!” Kuwabara grinned.
He reached over to grant her request when he noticed that Mina was having trouble cutting something.
“Ah! Mina-san! Let me help you with that!”
“Errr …” Mina raised an eyebrow at him. “Thanks … I guess …”
Kuwabara beamed as he reached over and cut her food for her. Yusuke snorted a little, and Keiko was glaring daggers. Mina looked a little humiliated, but at the same time felt too embarrassed to refuse anyway.
“Um … Kazuma-san?”
Kuwabara had his tongue sticking out as his brow furrowed in concentration.
“Ka … zuma-san?”
There was still no reply.
Finally, Mina, who had taken notice, narrowed her eyes at whom she now deemed a complete idiot, “Ey! Baka! Your girlfriend is calling you!
Kuwabara looked up, surprised as he flushed. “E-eh?! G-girlfriend?!”
Across the table, a certain koorime’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Girlfriend?” Yukina asked, temporarily forgetting their situation. “Am I Kazuma-san’s girlfriend?”
Kuwabara was too red-faced and dumbfounded to answer.
Hiei on the other hand, seemed a bit livid, “She is NOT that baka’s gi-”
“ahaha!!” Kurama cut him off, sweatdropping. In a desperate attempt to avert any possible circumstances, like perhaps a toasted Kuwabara or Mina, he said. “I am sure Mina-san was only joking, right Yusuke?!”
Yusuke wore the same desperate grin. “Right!! Right Hiei?”
Hiei seemed to refuse to reply, stabbing a little angrily at the food before him.
“I was?” Mina seemed unsure. She figured the way the baka and the cute little girl acted together was almost like a couple. She looked suspiciously at the three men (?) as she continued, “Anyway, I was saying … she was calling you.”
“She was?!!” Kuwabara was devastated to not have heard her. He turned to her, the ultimate look of apology on his face, “Oh! I’m sorry, Yukina-san!! What did you need?”
“Oh …” Yukina smiled weakly as she was reminded. “It was nothing.”
“Are you sure?!” Kuwabara almost seemed like a puppy dog … almost …
“Yes. I’m fine, Kazuma-san.” Yukina said, a little blankly. “I’m sure Mina-san needs your help more.”
Hiei’s jaw dropped.
Kurama’s eating utensils fell to his plate.
Yusuke choked on his soda.
Botan whipped her head around to stare, her hair barely hitting Keiko in the eye, who was once again glaring daggers at Mina.
Even Mina seemed to pause and stare at Yukina.
The only oblivious party was Kuwabara, “All right then.”
He turned to Mina but she already had a hand up to stop him. “Oh no! I’m okay! No need! I can do this myself!”
“Y-Yukina-chan?” Botan asked. “Are you all right?”
Yukina recovered a bit, smiling for everyone. “Yes. Really! I’m fine.”
“Tramp …” Keiko hissed under her breath, still glaring at Mina.
“This day …” Botan moaned again, “… is not turning well.” She leaned back her chair. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked Koenma-sama for the day off … I wonder what’s happening up there anyway.
-----*-----
Koenma threw down the papers in front of him.
“You’ve got to be joking!! What proof have they found?!!”
The oni cringed at his master’s yell. “I-I don’t know!! I was just ordered to bring you the reports!! I don’t know anything!”
Koenma sighed, calming himself down. “Yes, yes. You’re dismissed then.”
As the oni left the room, Koenma picked the papers again, scanning them intently. “I don’t believe it,” he muttered to himself.
“Koenma-sama?” George asked uncertainly.
“George. Call for Botan. She needs to return immediately with Mina-san.”
“But Koenma-sama! We don’t know where Botan-”
“Fine then. I may have an idea of where she is.” Koenma leapt off his chair and shuffled to the door. “I’ll go to Ningenkai myself.”
“B-but Koenma-sama!” George was mildly shocked. “You haven’t been there since … since … the incidents leading to the Makai Bujutsukai!”
“It may take too long to contact her, as you said.” Koenma was already in his ningen form, straightening his clothes. “Perhaps it would be a good idea for Yusuke and the others to know this as well. Mina will need all the help she can get for this one.”
George felt uneasy. What could possibly be concerning his master so much that he was acting this way? He finally dared to ask, “Koenma-sama … what were those papers?”
Koenma made no move to reply and had already exited.
George knew that it wasn’t right. He knew that Koenma would probably yell at him if he found out. But he was worried, and the worry drove him insane.
Finally, he gathered his courage and picked up one of the reports littered across Koenma’s desk.
It was from Enki. Yusuke had once told the Makai lord that it would be a good idea to keep in touch with Reikai, but it was very infrequent for him to send something, especially not at this time.
It perked the oni’s interest even more, and he began to read.
Reikai,
Mukuro’s underlings have been saying that there was some weird activity going on around the southern mountains in Raizen’s old territory. Though Mukuro herself says there isn’t any need for worry, I decided to inform you of this, especially since these things are going on very near that same place where he was thought to have disappeared long ago. By he, you know that I mean …
George’s eyes widened as he lowered the paper on the desk again.
“Oh no…”