Kuwabara: A Promise between men

            Yusuke and Botan watch Keiko walk home from school. Botan teases Yusuke about having a crush on Keiko which Yusuke denies. At that moment they hear Keiko scream.

            Several thugs gather around Keiko telling her that she has to pay money to continue on the road. One of the thugs grabs her and tells her there are also other ways for her to pay. Yusuke rushes at them forgetting he was a ghost but remembers when his fists do nothing but phase through the head of the thug he’s punching.

            Kuwabara and his friends fortunately arrive and tell the thugs to leave Keiko alone. Kuwabara tells her to take it as an apology for hugging her. Once she’s gone Kuwabara and his friends get in a fight with the thugs.

            The next day one of the teachers, Mr. Akashi lectures the four boys about how their behavior could tarnish the schools reputation. Botan asks Yusuke about why they didn’t tell Akashi that they only fought those boys to protect Keiko. Yusuke tells her that people like Akashi don’t care about reasons. 

            Akashi realizes the boys aren’t listening so he picks up a folder and tells Okubo, one of Kuwabara’s friends, that he will be losing his job. Okubo begs Akashi to reconsider.

            “My mother is the only grown-up in our house. My brothers and sisters are all still little. If I don’t have a job we can’t afford to eat.”

Kuwabara tells Akashi to leave Okubo alone and punish him since he was the one that started the fight. Akashi evilly suggests they make a deal where Kuwabara can’t fight anyone for a week. Kuwabara’s friends start saying that’s impossible because there are lots of people from other schools that want to fight them. Kuwabara however takes the deal. Akashi goes next door and tells Iwamoto about the deal he made. Iwamoto is supportive because Kuwabara doesn’t seem the sort to resist a fight. None of them notice but Takanaka had been listening in on the whole thing and doesn’t like it one bit. Later Okubo tells his friends that he didn’t tell Akashi but there is even more problems at home.

“My mom’s sick and can’t work either. I’m not making this up. My family could really starve.” 

            After school Kuwabara starts for home when the thugs from earlier rush at him. Akashi follows Kuwabara hoping to catch him in the act. Kuwabara’s first reaction was to run away. But when the thugs start calling him a sissy he turns and faces the thugs. He then tells them that they can beat him up all they want but he was not going to fight back. Surprising both Akashi and Yusuke. The thugs gladly do so. Akashi who was determined to see Kuwabara suffer, scampers away like the rat he is to come up with some other way for Okubo to lose his job. 

            The next day Kuwabara shows up badly bruised and battered. Akashi feigning ignorance to the events of the day before tells Kuwabara and his friends that the other teachers thought he was being to easy on them.  So in addition to not fighting the four boys have to get fifty percent or higher on the next physical science test. Okubo, Saowamura and, Kitajiri aren’t worried but when they ask what Kuwabara got on his last test. Kuwabara tells them that he got a seven. Yusuke crows that he’s smarter then Kuwabara because he got a twelve.

            Kuwabara stops at a book store to get something to help him study for the test. Some thugs see him and quickly cart him off for a beating.

            Yusuke decides to check on Kuwabara to see how well he’s studying. He finds Kuwabara fast asleep at his desk. Seeing as he has no other option he visits Kuwabara in his dreams and helps him study for the test.

            The next morning Yusuke follows Kuwabara to make sure nothing happens to him. Three thugs see Kuwabara and decide to beat him up for fun.

            The thugs knock down two girls as they try to catch Kuwabara. One of the girls hits her head and loses consciousness. Yusuke possesses her body and beats up the thugs.

            Kuwabara passes the test with fifty-three percent. When Akashi checks over the test he is shocked beyond belief. Iwamoto helps him by erasing one of Kuwabara’s answers. Takanaka has had about enough of this wicked plot.

            Akashi gives Kuwabara back his test. Kuwabara is distraught to see the test marked as forty-eight percent. Then becomes incensed when he notices his last answer is erased. He rushes at Akashi and prepares to punch him. Yusuke grabs Kuwabara’s fist and tries to reason with him.

            “I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m gonna say this! Just remember Okubo! All the poundings you took for him! Punch this teacher and all that’s erased!”

 Kuwabara lets go of Akashi and walks away feeling like he let down one of his closest friends. Akashi chuckles to himself in triumph until Takanaka appears behind him. Akashi accuses Kuwabara of deliberately assaulting him. Takanaka answers that if he also had a test that had been corrupted the same way that Kuwabara’s had been, he would have deliberately assaulted Akashi as well. He then demands Akashi correct the test score immediately.

            Kuwabara’s three friends catch up to Kuwabara and tell him that all four of them passed the test. Yusuke tells Botan he wasn’t expecting Kuwabara to hear him. Botan tells him that Kuwabara really didn’t hear them but he did sense him through his feelings. Kuwabara looks up to where Yusuke and Botan are floating and whispers a word of thanks.