"Thank you, Keiko."
A jolt of shock raced up her spine. *No! No! It can't be... Keiko Yukimura, you are even having hallucinations! Face it, Yusuke just isn't here anymore,* screamed Keiko internally and froze there for a moment. "It can't be..." murmured Keiko endlessly and turned her head around.
"Thank you."
Keiko blinked once, not daring to believe her eyes. "You are back, finally," whispered Keiko shakily, tears already brimming in her eyes. Quickly, she blinked them away, not wanting Yusuke to see her crying.
Yusuke flashed her a half smile and nodded slightly. "How are you? Are you fine?" asked the young man softly, but restrained himself from getting any nearer to Keiko. *She already has a boyfriend named Kaguya... You are just her old friend, Urameshi, that's all. You are nothing if compared to Kaguya,* sighed Yusuke inwardly but he still kept his smile on. The excitement and happiness inside him when Keiko yelled that she would wait for him quickly faded together with his thoughts. *Maybe it was just because she had a row with Kaguya. Why would any girl wait for you after so many years?*
"I... I missed you," said Keiko and ran towards Yusuke to hug him but the boy stepped back, avoiding her embrace. Keiko stopped there, dazed, and asked, "Yusuke, where have you been?"
"Well, nowhere," shrugged Yusuke, lying on his part, but his heart ached with another stab of pain. It felt like there was a knife driven forcefully through it, tearing it into bits and pieces. *I'm sorry, I don't mean to lie..." added the young man silently.
"I'm fine here... How are you then? How's life?" asked Keiko stiffly, her voice showing subtle signs of disappointment. Yusuke looked uncomfortable and he kept fidgeting with his fingers. She couldn't believe it... Yusuke was acting so cold and calm towards her!
"Well, I came here just to say hello to you... I guess I must go now or Kaguya will be waiting for you..." said Yusuke and paused for a moment. "I wish you and Kaguya a very happy time together..." continued the young man, turning and walking away as his sentence trailed off.
*Goodbye, Keiko. Maybe it was a mistake for me to come here today. I'll just go back to Makai and let you live happily together with Kaguya. Yes, it was all a mistake in the first place...* whispered Yusuke soberly as his hand reached into the pocket of his trousers to feel the velvet box. *Perhaps it is fate that the box will belong to me forever.* He clenched his jaw and bit his lower lip as he walked towards the park exit.
Keiko stood there, stunned. *What the heck is Yusuke talking about? Kaguya? Happy time together?* All of Yusuke words replayed in her mind in a blurry rush. His actions, his brief smile... "Yusuke..." croaked out Keiko painfully but he was walking further and further away from her, and it all formed a clear picture.
Yusuke had suffered a terrible misunderstanding.
"Yusuke, matte!" yelled Keiko as she ran over to him. "You saw the wrong side! You thought of the wrong thing."
Yusuke stopped in his tracks. *What?* he managed to question himself before he found a pair of arms wrapped around his waist tightly. "Keiko?" he asked uncertainly. The pressure of her warm body raised his heartbeat. "Keiko?" he asked again.
"Kaguya isn't my boyfriend and will never be. He is just a guy that a friend of mine introduced... I never intended him to be my future husband or anything," explained Keiko, her arms tightening around Yusuke.
"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Yusuke slowly and he released Keiko's arms from his waist. "I don't understand."
"Yusuke Urameshi, I will only say this once. I have never gone out seriously with another man because I knew that you would come back one day..." said Keiko, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
"Keiko..." mumbled Yusuke in a hushed tone. "I'm sor..." began Yusuke but he found the tips of Keiko's fingers over his lips. "Don't say sorry to me... I'm glad that you are finally back," said Keiko, a tear falling down her left eye and silence reigned over them.
"Don't cry... I'm scared of girls crying," croaked out Yusuke finally and dug in his pockets for a tissue but he come out with a white handkerchief.
He flashed a small smile at her. Tentatively, he reached up and dabbed away the tear streak. Keiko slowly extended a hand to grip his wrist. "You never threw this away?"
"Er... Well, you know I'm messy and I need someone to help me to clean up my life..." replied Yusuke, hesitating before willing himself to finish the sentence. "...because you always helped to me clear up everything..."
Keiko looked up at him and blinked.
"Will you help me to organize my life forever?" asked Yusuke and shoved something hard into her hands. Keiko grasped the object, her eyes showing wild confusion. It was a velvet box. "I know it is a little too abrupt but... but then I have been thinking about this for a long time already," stumbled the young man and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Will you?" asked Yusuke again, his voice full of hope.
With trembling hands, Keiko opened the velvet box. Sitting in the middle was a simple band of gold with a delicate diamond set in the center. Keiko's eyes widened slightly with shock and they were pinned on the ring. Gradually, a playful smile set in and her faint sense of humor returned. "Why is it that you always do things without planning first? Cheh! You are here without a bunch of flowers!" teased Keiko and laughed sweetly.
*Flowers? What flowers?* thought Yusuke in shock and looked around hurriedly before setting his sights on some wildflowers by his feet. He quickly bent down and plucked out a dozen daisies. "Will you?" asked Yusuke again, this time presenting an untidy bunch of pink flowers.
"If I am not around to tidy up things, your home will turn into some type of rubbish dump. I guess I have no choice then..." said Keiko, her eyes twinkling merrily as she accepted the bunch of daisies which Yusuke presented her with.
"Keiko Yukimura, reach out your hand please," announced Yusuke and removed the ring from its case. Keiko reached out her left hand, her eyes full of happiness and contentment. "May I call you Keiko Urameshi?" queried Yusuke with a laugh and slipped the ring easily onto her fourth finger.
"Yes, you may."
The couple drew closer and their lips finally met in a tender kiss before the background of a setting sun.
Copyright reserved 1999 W. Siew Lee