Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ THE WOLVES OF MUSHIYORI CITY ❯ Unfinished Sympathy ( Chapter 14 )

CHAPTER 14: UNFINISHED SYMPATHY

 

 

 

When Mitarai woke he tried to leave his hospital bed but found himself bound by a rod of spirit energy tying him to his bed.

"If you think I'm letting you leave that bed before I heal you, you're even dumber than I am...and I once failed an I.Q. test."

Kuwabara placed his hands on the most wounded parts of Mitarai and slowly mended his broken bones. "I'm giving you the slow heal. You mend better that way. You mind telling me what exactly happened to you?"
"What do you mean, Kuwabara?"

"Nevermind."

"Could you get Asato, Hannah and Yu in here for me?"
Kuwabara nodded and sent in the three psychics.

Upon entering Mitarai asked for Hannah to hit Asato which she did. After he fell to the floor after a single punch to the stomach Mitarai raised his bed to better look at his friends.

"I bet going to the Makai was your stupid idea, Asato. Hannah, kick him in the ribs, please."

Hannah began to find Mitarai's requests easier to obey and did as she was asked.

 

"And you, Kaito, you should have stopped him instead of tagging along. You guys are lucky to be alive. If you'd of died you'd be in a world of shit then. You guys are not allowed to die without orders. I'm not Superman. I can't fly around the world and turn back time so I can't erase this idiotic stunt. Please tell me you two learned something useful."

"Two demons," Kaito said. "Wind demon and ogre. We couldn't get much on the wind demon leader but the ogre lieutentant is the strategic and cautious type. He could have killed us but let us go which means he's also rather arrogant. Both are somewhere in the strong B-class, but Asato would be the one to ask about such things."

 

Mitarai nodded and asked for Hannah and Kaito to leave him alone with Asato.

"First thing's first. Get Kuwabara to unbind me. Then you and I need to go get a porno movie that Yana would like."

 

Within an hour Mitarai found himself fidgeting in the hentai dvd section of the nearest electronics store.

"Nothing with tentacles," Asato said as he browsed. "Yana likes anything with nurses and schoolgirls. Consensual. No bondage." He chuckled when Mitarai gave him an odd look. "Hey, I've been living with him for over a year now. I know what he likes in a hentai. But if you think you can win his friendship back with porn..."

"No. It's just a gesture. Like you giving my Ice Cube cd back. We both know that an apology from me is worthless."

Asato responded by smacking the back of Mitarai's head which hit the dvd shelves and rattled the movies. "Stupid bastard. An apology from you would be good as gold to Yana. All the non-tentacle hentai in the world wouldn't add up to a sincere Kiyoshi Mitarai apology. Same with Amanuma. The problem is that you're probably not genuinely sorry."

Mitarai held up a movie with a nurse and a schoolgirl on the cover. "How's this?"

"Right up Yana's alley."
"Good. There's a couple more things I need to pick up before we leave. I'll meet you outside."

 

"Still a Johnny Cash fan, Asato?" Mitarai asked while handing him a cd.

"....Yeah."

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you before. Despite it all I still think you are the most capable fighter I know."

Asato managed to rein in his emotions by clenching his fists until bloodly crescents formed on his palm from his fingernails. "Yeah? Well, fuck you. You're not forgiven."

Mitarai faked a grim nod then started smiling behind Asato's back.

"Wait. Did you say I'm the most capable fighter you knew? What about Hannah?"

"Uh....I don't know her all that well. Let's go see Yana."

On the way to Yana's Mitarai prayed Asato wouldn't bring up Kuwabara, Kurama or Yusuke.

 

"So, I hear that Game Master and Yana are shacking up," Mitarai said as Asato drove. "Did you get the van in the divorce?"

"Just giving the guy some space since you ruined his life, that's all. So, what's your plan of apology? Do you have a card that says: 'Sorry I'm such a manipulative bastard'?"

"The store was out. Poor guy already had to go through the hell of living with you so I doubt a card would help."

 

Mitarai and Asato stood at Yana's door while Mitarai decided just how to approach his friend. He held his breath and pushed open the ajar door and said in a nasal voice: "Porno man with a delivery for Yanagisawa Mitsunari."

Yana glanced up at Mitarai and refocused his attention on shooting zombies on his television screen while Amanuma furiously scrawled an economics paper at a table in another room. Mitarai layed down his gift in front of Yana who stole a glance at it before trying to look engrossed in his game.

He then made his way to Amanuma.

 

"Please insert coin?" Mitarai asked.

Amanuma looked up from his writing. "It's about damn time. Don't tell me it took two savage beatings to make you grow a conscience."

"Pretty much. Any more personal growth might kill me." Mitarai reached into his shopping bag and pulled out a cd and placed it in front of Amanuma. "All this stuff you listen to is noise to me but the clerk assures me that this Pop Will Eat Itself album popular with social misfits such as yourself."

The Gamemaster looked down at his paper again. "Rap fans shouldn't criticize."

 

On the drive to Mitarai's apartment Asato felt compelled to ask Mitarai about his conversation with Amanuma. "Please insert coin? I didn't know Amanuma swung that way...much less in such a kinky direction."

Mitarai absently smiled. "Gamemaster speak. It was just me asking if I can try again with him. You know how it says: 'please insert coin' after you die on a game? Same thing here. The guy's a sucker for a video game metaphor."

"And Yana?"

"....Tomorrow's sunday, right? Handball day."

 

Even though he hurt badly and wanted desperately to sleep for the next two days straight Mitarai instead found himself watching television while he slowly drained blood from himself into a large plastic bladder.

He dozed off only to wake when a racquetball ricocheted off of his head.

"You're mine this time. Get your stuff."

 

Mitarai was glad to see Yana in good spirits even after the second throw of the ball hit him in the eye and continued to pelt him until he changed and was ready to play.

Yana acted suspisciously normal as he walked down the street with Mitarai to the school where they played their weekly game of handball.

"I'll serve first."

 

Mitarai caught the ball when it bounced to him. "Yana, I'm-"

"Forget it. I know that in your own messed up Kiyoshi Mitarai sort of way you were paying me a compliment by sending me to the makai. Even though I'm no good in a fight you sent me on a really dangerous mission. For once I wasn't just the comic relief, I had a purpose. You didn't trust the best spies in Spirit World but you trusted me. You wouldn't believe anything unless it came from my mouth. It was the first time I really felt needed."

"I know, but I'm still sorry."

Yana smiled and took the ball back from Mitarai. "Forget about it. Love means never having to say you're sorry, right?"

 

Mitarai furrowed his brow. "What's that from?"

"The movie Love Story."
The Spirit Detective couldn't help but laugh. "You've seen Love Story? You fag."