When Will I Ever
Tell Her?
by Natsumi Tsujimoto
"Ohayo, Koenma-samaaaa!!" the blue-haired deity greets, as she bangs
open the 2 huge doors.
Her employer scratches his head in irritation, then continues stamping papers,
not even turning his head up to greet her.
"Something wrong with your head Koenma-sama?" she questions,
approaching him then knocking on his head like she would knock upon a door.
"Stop doing that for crying out loud, Botan!!" he exclaims, putting
the stamp to her head, ready to stamp her.
She sweatdrops and slowly walks away from him. "Uhm... maybe some other
time... Ja... He, he...." She laughs then exits the door behind her.
"What did I do wrong to deserve such a unnerving little ferry girl?"
he shrugs and looks up at the ceiling, waiting for an answer - silence.
He continues stamping his papers.
< He will never change...>
"Botan..." a blue oni questions...
< Why can't he just cut me some slack a little bit...>
"Botan... Hellooooo..." the blue oni asks again, waving his hand in
her face...
< Why does he always have to yell at me like that? Only me... why can't he
scold the other ferry girls... am I that dumb? >
"Botan!!!" he yells, ready to slap her face...
"Don't even think of doing that Jorju..." she replies as she catches
his hand.
"Heh... I'm worried you're drifting too far ya' know, heh..." he
replies with a sheepish grin.
"What do you want?" she retorts, not minding what he said.
"Well, uhm... a letter came in yesterday for you..." he explains,
handing over the letter.
"YESTERDAY?!" she exclaims quite angrily, her eyes reflecting a shade
of fire...
"Well... I forgot to hand it over yesterday, but don't worry the party will
be held next week and-" he stutters to a stop, dumb-founded by the
revelation he just spilled.
"And you can't just help to READ a letter not intended for you..." she
urges him to answer.
"Heh, well it was not my business... I know but... I couldn't help
it..." he explains, playing with his fingers.
"Well, I guess it's too late to scold you, huh? Thanks, you can go
now..." she replies, and then smiles at him.
"Hai... see ya.'" he replies, hurrying to help another oni in carrying
a pile of paper work.
"Oh, Shizuru is having a party next week, that's great, just what Koenma-sama
needs." She says to herself and hurries back to Koenma's office.
"Koenma-sama!!" she startles him by giving the door a lively bang.
Koenma feels his adrenaline rush and jumps off his seat, causing the documents
to fly all over the floor.
"What in all heaven's sake--- BOTAN!!" he shouts.
"Hey, Shizuru is having a party next week!! May be can go together!! We can
get away from work!!!" she explains, not minding the documents flying all
over them.
"They already asked me... I'm not going..." he retorts, not taking his
angry eyes off his deity.
"Then... who will I go with? C'mon Koenma-sama pleeease!!" she begs.
"Botan... N-No, no, no, Botan, stop making those eyes at me!!" he
scolds as he picks up the papers scattered on the floor.
"C'mon it's only one night please?" she entreats and makes her best
puppy-eyes to make her pleading more sincere and... cute...
"I've got work to do... what do you want to do, go to the party and have
some fun or stay here and fetch souls all night?" he questions, putting the
papers back on his table.
"Yeah, sure... you win... I'll go only because I don't want to go fetch
souls and miss all the FUN in Shizuru's party." She says ruefully as she
opens the door.
< At last... I've got a week to finish all of this and not a ferry girl too
cheerful to bug me all week. She'll probably be too busy preparing herself in
buying a dress-girl stuff.>
"Thanks, Koenma-sama... I know you asked Enma-Daioh to let me have a
day-off next week... Domo..." she whispers just loud enough for her
employer to hear. She smiles and goes off.
< She'll never change... I hope she'll never..... change... Botan.>
Botan drops by Ningenkai to check on the guys. They are to meet inside the
Yukimura Ramen house that early morn.
"Botan's not here yet..." Keiko insists, serving refreshments for her
guests.
"Yeah, Kurama too..." the jet black-haired young man said, sipping the
hot tea.
"Let's wait for them, okay?" Keiko persisted as she takes a seat
beside Yusuke.
"Hey, Kurama's here!!" the oranged-haired man said, eyeing the redhead
approaching them.
All of them are there, even Hiei, minus Shizuru and Genkai. They're still
waiting for Koenma and Botan to arrive.
"So, have you asked Maya already?" Yusuke asks as Kurama sits down
beside Hiei.
"Well, I have no choice, do I?" Kurama sighs.
"Hn. What could be so important that we have to have woman partners in this
stupid event?" Hiei inquired making short glances at his sister and the
baka beside her.
"Well, have YOU asked Mukuro?" the baka asked.
< What will I do? I asked her the other night and she just laughed at
me...>
"Not yet, but I'll make her." he shrugs, ready to slash the baka
muffling a laugh.
"Well, I didn't get to ask Maya either..." the kitsune adds.
"Hi guys..." the deity greets them.
"Hey, why so glum?" the green-eyed koorime asks.
"I tried as hard as I could to make him come, but he can't he says..."
she explains, resting her back on the soft sofa.
"Who's going to be your partner now?" Keiko questions.
"Partner?! What, we should each have our own partner?" Botan asks,
puzzled.
"Well, yeah, it's what it said in the invitation right? It's strictly
prohibited to join without a partner." Kuwabara explains.
<Well, if I can't ask Maya...>
<Well, if I can't ask Mukuro...>
"Ei, Botan... why don't we come together?" Kurama asks.
"Would you take me? Great, then there's no problem then?" She says
cheerfully.
<Son of a b....>
"Hey, Hiei, better ask Mukuro, okay ?" Yusuke urges.
"Hn. Whatever." He replies, making his way outside the shop.
Botan gets back from Ningenkai late in the evening, only to find the teenage
form of her employer waiting for her.
"You're late." He says as she passes him by.
"I know it's way past my curfew... sorry." She replies, facing him.
"So, what happened?" he insists, trying to urge her to tell.
"Nothing much, me and Kurama will be going together... and we planned to
give Shizuru and her fiancé a present that's all." She replies, her eyes
drooping with sleepiness.
"Oh? So, you're going with Kurama..." he repeats, shifting his gaze
from the window.
< Why do I feel uptight all of the sudden?. Maybe I'm really over worked.>
Silence surrounds them.
"Look, it's way past bed time, Koenma-sama, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good
night." She breaks the silence.
"Yeah, good night..." he replies, watching her walking away from him.
< This is not happening, why do I feel so, so, so... guilty... am I missing
something here?>
He shakes his head and smiles.
<I'm tired, that's right I'm tired. That's why I feel this... stuff.>
Finally the day arrives...
< It's 7:00 in the evening, and I'm still not finished with this. I'm really
tired.>
Koenma buries himself with books, researching things about Reikai, as his father
was requesting. In truth, he just wants to kill time inside the library, instead
of seeing the redhead picking up the deity.
<Heh, looks like Botan's been stood up...>
<No, the kitsune would never do that...>
<Yeah, you're right...>
He dismisses his thought as he remembers how Kurama has been picking her up the
past few days. He hardly missed a day to take her out.
"Kombanwa, Kurama-kun!" the Blue oni greets as he opens the huge door.
"Good evening to you too... is Botan ready?" Kurama asks, eyeing the
delicately beautiful bouquet of roses he's brought.
"Hai, I'll get her. Meanwhile, why won't you go sit in the library. Koenma-sama
is there." Jorju explains as he hurries to Botan's room.
"Koenma, still busy working I presume?" Kurama points out as he sits
beside him in the sofa.
<What the hell is this fox doing here?! That Jorju... I told him not to let
anyone disturb me...>
"If you finish that earlier than you expect, maybe you could drop by
Shizuru's apartment to join us." Kurama adds.
"Yeah, well would it be okay? I don't have a PARTNER to go with."
Koenma replies, emphasizing the word partner.
<You're asking me to go?! Sheesh... you already have her.>
"No, no, she just wanted the party to be more exciting that's why she
paired us up, ya' know her..." Kurama explains, urging him to come.
"Yeah, well, I will probably finish this by tomorrow, I won't be able to
go." Koenma sneers. Kurama just seemed too 'happy'.
"Listen, do attend if you have the time, co'z it could be too late for
you..." Kurama insists.
"What's that supposed to---" Koenma says, puzzled as he sees the
emerald green-eyed kitsune fix his eyes on someone coming in.
<Botan?!> Koenma gulps.
"Sorry, I took a while, I was having a hard time walking with these, so I
decided to practice first." She says, while giving the both of them a
sheepish grin.
"It's okay. Here this is for you... shall we go?" Kurama continues,
eyeing her carefully.
Botan is wearing a turtleneck backless dark blue fitted dress that clings to her
fit and beautiful body. She shyly places her hand on his arm and they slowly
walk away.
<You're too beautiful to be an assistant...>
"Uhm... Koenma-sama..." she pleads, a blush forming on her face as she
sees her employer's eyes directly on her.
"Yeah... uhm.. What?" he asks.
"Don't wait up, okay?" she insists as they go on their way.
<Yeah, I guess I won't wait Botan... coz for thousand of years I've
waited...>
Then, Koenma thought of the last words the kitsune said, "IT COULD BE TOO
LATE FOR YOU..."
<When will I ever tell her?>
<Maybe... I'd better do something.>
"Jorju!!!!" he exclaims.
The apartment is full of guests and everyone is having the time of their lives
as a popular J-pop on, M-flo's "Been Waiting For So Long", comes on.
Kurama dances with the deity, and they both give out shouts and spurts of
laughter. The whole room becomes a disco frenzy.
"Are you having fun?" the Kitsune asks as he dances with the deity.
"Well... yeah kind of... it would be fun if Koenma-sama could join us
though..." she replies.
"Don't think about it, c'mon, he wants you to have fun tonight so don't
disappoint him." He insists.
After sometime, all the lights are turned on and the dinner begins. They all eat
and chat happily.
Then, it is time again to dance to the slow tune of Utada Hikaru's
"Eternally", and just as if on cue, Shizuru excuses herself from the
chatting crowd and goes to see someone at the door.
"Well, well, you made it!" she exclaims, tugging the hazel-browned eye
young man inside.
"Where is she?" he asks.
"Why are you asking?" she inquires.
"I came to pick her up..." he replies, not looking back at his friend.
"Over there, they're dancing. C'mon, I'll show you." She says,
pointing to the couple at the end of the room.
"Well... I'll just wait for her here." He shrugs.
"O.k., if you insist, stare at her all night... like that would make her be
yours..." she comments as she makes her way back to her loving fiancé to
dance.
Kurama and Botan dance around and out of the corner of Kurama's eye he spots the
prince standing and staring at them.
<Hn. You're a pity... don't just stand there, come over here, I'll gladly
give her to you.>
"Botan, looks like he's come, as you hadn't expected." He says coolly
"Really, that's great, let's go over there..." she insists, gazing at
her employer.
"Why don't you just stay there and I'll go get him for you." He
persists, and then goes over to Koenma.
"She's waiting for you..." he whispers to Koenma's ear.
"Yeah, thanks." Koenma thanks him and receives a nod in response.
Me no mae ni (There before my eyes)
Iru kimi ga sukoshi kagayaki (You're oh so faintly glowing right before my eyes)
Mawari gamienai (and I can't see around the light)
Watashitachi wa doko ni iru no (so tell me where we are, tell me where we are)
Zawameki (Because I can't see)
Hajimeta haikei no naka ni (the backdrop getting noisy around you and me)
Mada kienaide ne (but don't you try to turn it off)
Mou nani mo kikoenai (Cause I can't hear a thing, not a single thing)
But I can feel you breath
Odoruku hodo kimagure na (It's almost surprising how fickle it is)
Tenkai ni sukoshi dake (It's almost unlike me, doing this)
Watashi rashikunai kitai wo o, o, shiteru (But I think that I want it to happen
for us, oh, oh, I do...)
"Hey, what took you so long?" she inquires, ending the silence between
them as they dance.
"I've been thinking..." he answers, looking into her lavender eyes.
"Thinking of what?" she looks at him in puzzlement.
"About things that I've kept secret for so long..." he follows,
touching her cheeks...
"Well, you can trust me... what is it?" she urges him to continue.
"Botan... I love you..." he forcefully says as he moves closer to her
ear and whispers to her again those words.
Silence takes over...
I wanna be here eternally
Kono mama mitsumeatte itai (Here with you, with my eyes on you and your eyes on
me)
I can feel you close to me
Itsumademo soba ni wa irarenai (Now and forever, we won't be here together you
see)
Kono shunkan dake wa (I only want this moment)
Zutto eien ni (always, for eternity)
"Koenma-sama..." she stutters, not finding the words to tell him...
"This is not Reikai, Botan..." he comments, making soft touches to her
cheeks.
"Can... you go with me outside? Let's talk a little bit..." she
insists.
"No. We'll finish the song..." he persuades as he pulls her and hugs
her warmly.
"Hai... of course..." she smiles and rests her head on his chest.
Tatakaini (Just a little more)
Dekakeru mae no hitoyasumi ( in that second we're together as you go to war)
Anata to sugoshitai (I want to spend it here with you)
Yakusoku wa kondo aeta toki ni (we promised when we met just you and me)
Can you hear me breathe
Odoroku hodo dewa nai (it isn't surprising, the way this has gone)
Tenkai ni mo kando (and for everyone, this time exists)
Shichau toki ga dare ni date o, o aru (for people to love, and for them to be
loved, oh, oh, it's there"
As the last chords of the song play, they pull away from the lock of their
embrace and knowingly smile at each other. They proceed to the balcony where
they gaze at the beautiful view of the moon.
"Can you repeat those words again?" she urges him, making him smile at
her words...
"I love you..." was his reply.
"Then... why did you wait so long?" she insists, keeping a distance
from him.
"Why? Does it matter?" he asks, quite annoyed with what she said.
"It does..." she says defensively...
Koenma moves closer and kisses her softly then passionately as he feels her
kissing him back... then Botan slowly pulls away and asks...
"I haven't told you my answer yet..." she says as she shifts her eyes
to look at the moon again.
"You kissed me back..." he insists and smiles inwardly.
< That's your mistake Botan...>
"Then what's your answer?" he asks and pulls her closer by the waist,
her naked back against his chest.
She grins sheepishly and turns to him then kisses him on his lips. He replies by
cupping her neck.
"That's my answer." She says as they both decide to go back inside and
join the others.
< My heart skipped and went calm a bit... it's too good to be true... she
loves me back>
< I finally told her... at last...>
~Owari~
Author's Notes: Insert standard disclaimers here, I don't own Yuyu hakusho...
(Blah,blah.blah...)
I also don't own Utada
Hikaru (I hope I do) but if you want to listen to the song, you might as well
get a copy of her exquisite album, Distance, if you're a fan of j-pop. Also the
Song " Been so long" from M-flo is from the sound track of beat mania.
Many thanks also to
Alli-chan, who revised this fic. Arigato! ^_^
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