The Little Harem Boy -a YYH fic (sequel to 'The Fair') Part 1 -------------------------------- Somewhere in the gardens of Meiou High... A slim boy sat solemnly beneath a towering sakura, attention focused on the book he held in his hands, and thus, totally oblivious to the numerous admiring glances being sent his way. A middle-aged man slowly approached the seated figure, clearing his throat loudly to get the boy's attention. "Minamino-kun?" The slender youth raised his head, absently closing the book he had been reading and placing it in his lap. "Can I help you, Tanaka-sensei?" Large green eyes looked up questioningly at the speaker. The older man smiled down at the boy. "Studious as always, I see. Just what I would expect from the pride of our school." Shuuichi ducked his head in embarrassment. "Anou..." "No need to be so humble, Minamino-kun," Tanaka shook his head slightly, brown eyes twinkling. "Everybody knows you're the number one student in Tokyo." "A-arigatou..." A faint blush suffused the boy's cheeks, giving the delicate skin a rosy glow. The sandy-haired man chuckled, thoroughly charmed by the youth's modesty. Who knew the boy could blush so prettily? Reaching up to adjust his spectacles, the teacher forced his mind back to his reason for looking up the boy. "Actually, _that_ was what I wanted to talk to you about." Shuuichi cocked his head to one side, eyes questioning, long red hair spilling over one shoulder. Tanaka's gaze locked onto the boy's silken curls, staring entranced at the way it seemed to burn with an inner fire when the light hit it just _so_...and promptly lost his train of thought. A puzzled frown appeared on Shuuichi's face. "Is there anything wrong, sensei?" he asked in concern. The teacher blinked, then flushed. "Oh no, _no_," he was quick to reassure him. "Everything's fine. Better than fine, actually." From the confused look on the other's face, it was quite obvious that he had lost him somewhere. Tanaka sweatdropped. He should've known he wouldn't be able to talk to the boy without tripping over his own tongue. Better men than him had tried and failed. Mentally bopping himself for thinking such thoughts about his student, he cleared his throat and resumed speaking, carefully keeping his mind on the subject. "Minamino-kun, I have something important to tell you." Limpid emerald pools stared at him. "Hai?" All rational thought immediately fled his brain. "Uh..." This was going to take a while. * * * * * "Tadaima!" Shiori put down the phone and turned to the door, gracing the newcomer with a welcoming smile. "Okaeri nasai!" Shuuichi smiled back at his mother, bending down to remove his shoes. "_You_ certainly seem to be in a good mood today, 'Kaasan. Did you have a nice chat with your friend?" The brown-haired woman nodded, walking over to the young redhead. "Mizuki-san told me some interesting news today." "Oh? What was it about?" "Well..." Warm brown eyes peered up into loving verdant orbs. "She told me you were going to receive an award from the Prime Minister." The long-haired youth blinked, slightly taken aback by the speed with which the news had circulated. How in the _world_ did they--? He'd only _just_ learned about it himself! Deciding that puzzling over the mysteries of gossip propagation wasn't worth the effort, Shuuichi turned his attention back to his mother and sighed in mock disappointment. "Drat! And I wanted to tell you that myself!" Shiori gasped, lifting a hand to her lips. "You mean it's true?" He gave her a sweet smile. "Hai." "Oh, Shuu-chan!" She beamed at her son, hugging him happily. "Shuu-chan, that's wonderful!" He laughed, the sound reminiscent of the tinkling of bells. "Not as wonderful as you, 'Kaasan." "Oh, you!" She playfully pushed him away and bustled into the kitchen, carefully bringing out the tea set they used for special celebrations. "To think that my little Shuuichi is going to be awarded on TV." She sniffed, wiping back a happy tear. "Your father would be so proud of you." Silky curls brushed over slender shoulders as her son shook his head fondly at her enthusiasm. "Oh, 'Kaasan..." * * * * * "Oi, Kurama! Wait up!" The redhead half-turned, stopping and waving as he espied his young friend. "Yuusuke!" The brash teenager swaggered over to his side, giving him a wide grin. "Keiko told me about the 'Big News'." He clapped the older youth on the shoulder. "Congratulations, man!" "Arigatou, Yuusuke." He began walking again, Yuusuke falling into step beside him. "I'm rather excited about it myself." "Man, I can't believe you're going to be on TV!" For a moment, the younger boy looked almost envious. Kurama shook his head with a self-deprecatory grin. "It's only going to be for a little while. The camera will probably focus on the Prime Minister anyway." "Well, yeah, but _still_..." The two friends walked on in companionable silence for a while. Then, "Have you told Hiei about it yet?" "No, he still hasn't come back from the Makai." "Nani?!? He doesn't _know_ yet?!" Yuusuke gave his friend a nervous look. "He's not going to freak out again, is he?" "Oh, come on, Yuusuke! Of course he isn't." Kurama smiled reassuringly. "It's not like _anything's_ going to happen--I'll probably just get preached at for an hour or so, then receive the plaque. Even Hiei wouldn't be able to get mad over something like that." "I dunno," was the dubious reply. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this...Maybe you ought to go and send Hiei a note or something." "Don't worry about it. What could possibly go wrong?" * * * * * Sheik Abdul Ben Hassad was bored. Absently tossing aside the gobletful of wine he hadn't bothered drinking, the curly-haired young ruler wearily eyed the wildly gyrating bodies below. One scantily-clad girl gave him a seductive smile, tossing her long raven locks with carefully calculated grace. He yawned, not even bothering to hide his indifference to her charms. Another hopeful gave him a flirtatious wink, long fingers teasingly plucking at the artfully arranged veils that formed her particular costume. His eyes passed over her as well, listlessly flicking about the room for something to prick his interest. By Allah, was there _nothing_ else to do in this place?!? If all those blasted old men had wanted was for him to choose a concubine, they could at _least_ have gotten someone who appealed to his tastes! Hell, he'd been better off in boot camp! Brooding blue eyes stared down at the decadent scene. He'd be willing to bet his entire inheritance that not a one of them could manage to hold a decent, _intelligent_, conversation with him. Snarling in frustration, the newly crowned heir pushed himself off the divan, incidentally knocking aside the sloe-eyed vixen crawling into his lap. With long, loping strides, he stalked off to his room. He'd get more entertainment watching the TV. * * * * * Kurama stared, wide-eyed, at the milling crowd of teenagers below. They carried banners and little 'I love you Minamino-kun' flags, and the _looks_ on their faces--! Not even the wildest of Makai beasts had ever sported such predatory anticipation. He nervously began to twirl a lock of hair around one slender finger. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." Yuusuke gave him a pitying look. "It's too late to back out now." Wincing, the redhead had to agree. Inwardly, he berated himself. He could see the members of his fan club gleefully recruiting the other teens and sweatdropped. His feelings of impending doom grew even stronger. * * * * * Abdul lay sprawled on the couch, idly flipping through the 100+ channels on his brand new TV. Thoroughly disgusted with life in general and _his_ life in particular, the boy petulantly threw down the remote. This unfortunate recipient of his frustration traced a graceful arc though the air, a black blur against the lighter gold decor, before falling face down on the floor with a sickening crack. The TV abruptly switched to another channel, the 35-inch screen replacing 'Days of Our Lives' with a foreign newscast. Heaving a deep, put-upon sigh, the Arabian prince raked a hand through his dark blond curls and prepared to stand, intending to turn off the damn machine. A lovely, melodious alto stopped him in his tracks. Startled blue eyes slowly focused on the owner of that voice, a slender, red-haired figure graciously shaking hands with some dried up old politician on the screen. The camera abruptly zoomed in on that slim form, lovingly displaying the youth's delicate, elfin beauty. At the bottom, subtitles diligently translated the goings on into English. Tearing his gaze from the mesmerizing youth, the sheik quickly read the scrolling words, looking for clues as to the redhead's identity. Moments later, he blinked, stunned. Apparently, that fey creature was the brightest student in Japan. A gleeful smile gradually grew on his lips. <_Well_ now...> * * * * *