Being Human

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Nor am I making any money off of this drabble piece. I just hope you enjoy it.

Being Human

I know I’m not the strongest being in existence. And you know what that’s alright with me. The only thing I simply cannot stand is when people justify why I’m not as fast, intelligent, or as strong as Yusuke, Kurama, or Hiei.

“Well he’s only human.”

‘Human…’

Somehow over the years, that word had gained a negative connotation in my ear. I’ll never understand why. Hiei has tried to explain it to me on numerous occasions, and we’ve had countless arguments about my worth based solely on that word. It’s better than our insult contests I guess, but it grates more on my nerves. Good thing I’ve never listened to him much.

I once tried to garner Yusuke’s opinion on the subject, seeing as he’s had a foot in both worlds. However, answers from Yusuke tend to be vague at best. That is of course if he even bothers to answer your inquiries. Most of the time he just shrugs you off with a simple, "Never really thought about it."

It’s a little disheartening to say the least.

But he did actually answer once or twice. The same thing all the time.

“It depends how you look at it,” he would say, not bothering to provide an explanation to his statement. And somehow I get the feeling he’s just trying to make me feel better.

Better about what, I would think.

“See even the half-breed, Mazoku can’t answer a question only he would know the answer to,” Hiei scoffed at me that one time at the Ramen Stand.

I don’t listen to him anymore. The half-pint, who by the way still hasn’t even grown an inch, has made his point a hundred times over. You would think that he knew by now that I knew how he felt about humans, but it’s just his way of showing he cares.

Kurama’s stand on the issue wasn’t very helpful either. You would think after having spent so much time trying to decide whether he should remain in human world or return to the Makai that he would be an expert on the issue of which opinion was truth rather than fallacy. But no, that’s not the case in the slightest. Kurama will openly admit that his human body is a hindrance to him despite his choice to remain in human world with his human mother.

But it’s okay, I completely understand his reasons for that.

I mean if I’d been through half of what he’d been through in that form, I may not like being human as much as I do. Invisible bombs, death plants, killer video games, school biology clubs vying for his attention by threatening violence… The list goes on forever, and I don’t feel like traversing those memories.

No, I’d rather focus on what’s going on right now.

See a relatively low-level demon was messing around downtown, and Botan came to me asking to investigate (which is rare, but I'm always willing to help). The creature is actually crouched at my feet with a really bad nose bleed courtesy of moa. I may have punched him around a little too much, but I got my point across. He won’t cause any more trouble on my turf, and that’s all I wanted to accomplish here.

I wipe my hands on my jeans, ready to go home when the jerk actually speaks up.

“You know you’ll never be like your friends. Why do you even bother? You’re nothing but a weak human.”

He coughs, spitting blood all over the pavement. It’s mildly disgusting.

I looked at him thoughtfully for a second. There’s that word again, being tossed around like a life sentence, and I think I know what my answer is to this pathetic demon at my feet.

“You know, you’re right. I’m not like them. I am what I am. I'm human”

I said the dreaded word with every ounce of pride in my being, and I meant it too.

I kick the demon into oblivion just for good measure and turn to go home.

I smile.

I’m not a demon, and I don't want to be. I’ll never be like Yusuke, Kurama, or Hiei, and, you know what, I’m alright with that. I’m alright with being gentler than they are. I'm alright with not having to hide my emotions. I’m alright with being breakable compared to my best friends. I’m alright with being able to love better than I fight. I'm even alright with the fact that I will die long before any of them. I’m alright with only being able to contribute myself and nothing else. I’m alright with being only one man, the Kazuma Kuwabara.

Wanna know why.

Because when you’re ‘only a human’ going up against the nightmarish beasts of the Makai…

Victory tastes so much sweeter.


Owari


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