Chương 17: Interest
"I'll be back tomorrow," Kagome said as she slung her legs over the well's rim.
"Don't take too long," Inuyasha grumbled but was only met with a scowl. A pink flash appeared as the portal welcomed the miko back to her own time. She hoisted herself up and picked up the green bag she'd been using as a temporary replacement. She found Souta and her grandpa sweeping leaves from the yard and they didn't notice her arrival until she waved at them.
"Nee-chan!" Her younger brother ran up to her and gave her a quick hug on the waist.
She patted the boy's head affectionately. "Hello, Souta. How have you been? Where's Mama?"
"She went outside for a bit. She'll be back soon."
Kagome nodded and trudged towards their house. She couldn't wait to dive inside the tub for a nice, long bath. And if there's one thing she definitely missed, it was her soft bed. Sure, she enjoyed shard-hunting with her friends, but lying on the hard ground every night was giving her back pains.
She felt guilty when she woke up and found that it was already morning. Maybe Mama knew she needed that much sleep and rest. I kinda deserve it, Kagome consoled herself. I mean, who else gets to travel through time to find a magic jewel and battle demons AND worry about exams and high school at the same time?
She chuckled to herself. What a horrible way to live for a teenager. But then… if she hadn't fallen into the well, she wouldn't have met Shippo, Miroku, and Sango. Especially Inuyasha. There were no regrets, no matter how many times her life was in danger.
"Good morning, Kagome," Mama greeted her when she came down to the kitchen already fully-dressed for shopping. Souta and grandpa were already seated around the table.
"Good morning, Mama, Souta, Grandpa," she replied cheerfully, taking her place across her younger brother. Eating together with her family served as the time to catch up with her present life. She can even say she missed enduring the old man's loud antics about which illness he was going to use as an alibi for Kagome's absences again.
When breakfast was over, Kagome managed to borrow Mama's card to buy supplies and gifts for her friends. She made a mental list of the possible things that could delight each of her companions. For Inuyasha… well, that was fairly easy. A few extra ramen would satisfy his complaints. Shippo was as easy. Lollipops. Miroku usually settled for tea and his growing fondness for potato chips so she purchased them as well. For her best friend and sister Sango, a complete box of bathing and body works seemed appropriate, since the taijiya always appreciated the fragrance of the soap and shampoo Kagome always brought. And of course, Kirara's cat treats.
As she passed by the bookstore, Kagome thought about buying Shippo another set of coloring books. Unexpectedly, the face of Rin flashed in her mind. Perhaps the little girl could use some of the coloring books herself. Traveling with the most powerful daiyoukai didn't really guarantee a good childhood experience.
Speaking of the youkai lord… Kagome had been thinking how to properly thank Sesshomaru for staying with her on her birthday. I've been thanking him a lot lately. What could be of interest to the usually stoic inu daiyoukai? His indifference was legendary in the feudal era. Someone could be dying in front of him and he still wouldn't spare a glance. He would just continue walking in all his gloriousness, his soft white fur and silver hair whipping behind him like a mist.
She settled for a history book chronicling the warring era of Japan and what came after. If he doesn't like it, he can just return it. Or worse, burn it with his poison claws, Kagome thought as she hefted the two large plastic bags towards her favorite fast-food chain.
Inside, she was met by Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka who gawked at the bulky grocery bags. She sat with them after ordering burger and fries.
"Kagome, should you really be up and about? I heard you have a bad case of diarrhea that's why you were absent last week!" Eri exclaimed, making the people beside their table look at them.
"It's, what, thrice now? Hojo-kun was really worried about you and he always asked us when you'd be back," Ayumi supplied.
"Well, I'm feeling better now," Kagome said, internally swearing she'd punish grandpa for the excuses he'd been telling everyone.
"So?" Yuka said, eyes gleaming. "What's the status with your delinquent, two-timing boyfriend?"
And here we go. Kagome sighed. "He's not my boyfriend, guys."
"What about his ex?" one of her friends prompted. Kagome sighed again. Well, to be honest, their curious questions kind of helped her sort her feelings for Inuyasha.
"He'd been seeing her lately," she answered truthfully, just leaving out the fact that he was a half-demon and she was an undead miko. "You know, he ditched my birthday to see her."
There was a collective gasp among the three girls in front of her. "That's horrible!"
"In his defense though, he didn't know it was my birthday. I was pretty much upset the whole night but it went just fine because his brother came."
"His brother?"
Kagome wanted to smack herself. Why did she let that slip out! She knew the girls wouldn't let her go without saying anything about it. However, she can use the opportunity to assess her relationship with Sesshomaru. Relationship? More like acquaintance, she corrected herself.
She took a deep breath. "Older brother. He's like the most cold-hearted person on the planet, but lately he's been showing me a small side of his… kindness. Perhaps his adopted daughter is finally growing on him and making him show softness, but he prefers not to show it because he has a reputation for being a 'bad boy'. But you know, he's not that bad."
"Wait, adopted daughter?" Eri didn't miss that.
Kagome thought for a moment, trying to form an acceptable explanation rather than saying that Sesshomaru was a powerful dog demon who brought a human child back to life. "Hmm, he saved a little girl and took her in as his own daughter."
There was silence as they took this information in. Ayumi was the one who spoke first. "The older brother sounds more mature than your boyfriend. More dependable, more responsible, and more considerate of you."
"True that!" Eri nodded enthusiastically. "But what about your feelings, Kagome? How do you feel about the older brother?"
This took her off-guard. How do I feel about Sesshomaru? "Um… well," she struggled for words. "He's definitely interesting. But when he's around, I don't know how to act. He's very intimidating." Plus, he tried to kill me once.
"But I thought you said he's kind to you," Yuka said, frowning.
"He is! Sometimes, I think he's lonely even if he tries not to show it." And this, Kagome knew, was true. Why would Sesshomaru tolerate Jaken in the first place?
Ayumi took her hands and held them tightly. "Just know that we will support you, Kagome. And please do come to school soon. We miss you."
Kagome nodded gratefully and they separated after exchanging a few more casual conversations. As she walked towards the subway station, she couldn't help but lift her soft brown eyes to the sky.
I find Sesshomaru interesting, huh?
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