Two weeks later...

It has been two weeks since Yusuke had decided to stay with her. Two weeks since he had broken up with Keiko. During those weeks, they had hung out a lot. They had done a lot of stuff; get to know each other better. He was still totally clueless to her feelings toward him. When they weren't anything to do Botan had gone to Rekai to see if Koenma had any work for her to do. They weren't much to do so she had come two days later. Yusuke had gone back home and made up with his mom but he still stay over her apartment every now and then. Not that she mind. She loved having him around. He was a lot of fun.

Botan was going over Yusuke's house that afternoon. They were supposed to hang out with Kuwabara and Yukina at the mall. She was walking very fast because she was going to be late. She was almost there when she bumped into somebody. It was Keiko. Botan haven't seen her for a while.

'Hello, Keiko.'

"She looks like she's in a hurry." Thought Botan.

'Hey, Botan.'

'Is something wrong?'

'Actually, yeah. Are you going to see Yusuke?'

'Yes, I am.'

'I knew it.'

'Knew what?'

Keiko didn't answer instead, she said:

'Looks like Yusuke didn't waste any time in replacing me.'

'Excuse me?'

'I just can't believe I have been so stupid. I knew something was going on between you two. You would disappear for weeks together. No wonder it didn't say anything when I broke up with him.

'Keiko-san, what are you talking about.'

'Oh! Save it Botan. You don't have to hide anymore. I know you and Yusuke are seeing each other. My friends saw you two together. So you really don't have to lie about.'

Botan was shocked. Keiko thought that she was going out with Yusuke. Where on earth did she get such a stupid idea? She didn't know what to say to the other girl. Keiko looks like she was upset about it. But why would she care if Botan was dating Yusuke? Not that she was but didn't she dump him for another boy?

'You think you can steal him from me?' Continue Keiko. 'But you're wrong. I have every intention of getting him back.'

She left with last statement, leaving a confused Botan staring at her departing figure. Botan didn't know how long she stands there but when she finally finds her voice, she was really late for a date with her friends. Suddenly she didn't want to face Yusuke and the others. She wanted to be alone and think about all this. She turned back and went back to her apartment. Once there, she called Yusuke and cancelled the date.

'Why?' asked Yusuke.

'I don't feel so good.' She lied.

She hated lying to him but she didn't want to see him right now.

'Okay, I'll see you later.'

'Sure.'

Botan hang up the phone and went straight to her room. She closed the door behind her and crawled into bed.

It was almost seven o'clock when she woke up. She had a terrible headache and was starving. She quickly took some painkiller and went to the kitchen to get something to eat something. Once she was finished with her meal, she sat in the living room and watched TV. Thirty minutes later, her doorbell rang. She went to answer it and Yusuke was standing behind it.

'Hey, Yusuke. What are you doing here?'

'You said that you weren't feeling okay, so I came to check up on you before I go home.'

'Thanks, Yusuke. That was so caring of you but as you can see I'm feeling much better.'

'Then what was wrong? You sounded upset in the phone.'

'Oh! Nothing.'

'Oh! Come on, Botan. Tell me what made upset.'

'Okay, I'll tell you but first I need some water.'

They went inside the apartment. Botan got her glass of water while Yusuke went for a soda. They sat in the tiny kitchen.

'So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?'

'Nothing's wrong. I met with Keiko on my way to your house this afternoon. She has this crazy idea that you're going out with me. She seemed pretty upset about it and she said that she intended on getting you back. Not that I care but I just don't know where she got such a stupid idea.'

Yusuke didn't answer. Instead he had a sly grin on his face.

'Oh! No.' said Botan

'What?' asked Yusuke.

'You had that look on your face.'

'What look?'

'The one that tells me you going to do something stupid.'

'Actually, we're going to do something stupid.'

'Whatever it is, I don't anything to do with it.'

'You don't even know what it is yet.

'I still don't want anything to do with it.'

'Oh! Come on Botan, just to hear me out.'

'Okay, I'm listening.'

'I want you to help me get Keiko back.'

'You don't have to she said that she was going to get you back so you trying to get her back would be futile.'

'You don't understand. I want to make her feel what I felt when she dumped me for some stupid guy.'

'And how are you going to do that?'

'By getting myself a girlfriend.'

'Oh! I get it. You want me to help you find a girlfriend?'

'No, I want you to be my girlfriend.'

'Absolutely not.'

Botan couldn't believe Yusuke would ask such a thing from her. How could she do such a thing to herself? There was no way she could pretend to be his girlfriend without revealing her true feelings for him.

'Please, Botan. You have to help me.'

Botan was torn between her feelings. She wanted to help Yusuke but she didn't want to betray her feelings. Helping him getting another back would certainly broke her heart but seeing him sad would hurt more. She felt like she was forced to choose between a broken heart and Yusuke's happiness. She cursed her love for him. At the end she chose to help him.

'I know I'm going to regret this.'

'Does that mean you're going to help me?'

'Sure, why not. But don't make me do anything embarrassing.'

'Thanks a lot Botan. It means a lot me.'

'No problem.

'Well, I better get going. I'll see tomorrow.'

'Bye.'

After Yusuke left, Botan went back to watching TV. She couldn't concentrate on anything, so she turned it off. She couldn't stop thinking about Yusuke. She had already agreed to help him so she couldn't possibly back down without having a good reason. And she certainly couldn't tell him the real reason. It's going to hurt a lot pretending to be his girlfriend. She knew pretending that they loved each other was going to kill her mainly because it won't be pretence on her part. It would be the real thing.

She went to sleep early that evening. She was feeling drained mentally and physically. She didn't have the strength to think anymore. Everything will be fine tomorrow. She hoped.

To Be Continued...

Author's note: Please let me know what you think of this chapter.