Full Summary: (although...I'm still suck at this part....)

Kagome has graduated from her High school, and lives in an apartment with her best friend Sango. While struggling to find a better job, she meets Inuyasha in all his stubborn rudeness. They don't exactly hit it off, but after she gets attacked, Kagome finds herself stuck with the ex-gang leader a lot more than she would've hoped. But maybe it's not ALL bad...read to find out the rest...hehehe...sorry for the lame summary...but whatever...

Hey! It's Ryu here! (Not actually my name, but it works as a pen name.) This is my first fanfic...so it's probably not that good. But please read an review...

DISCLAIMER: We have to do this don't we? Writers I mean...anyway, no, I don't own InuYasha, or any of the characters. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi (and she's as lucky as hell) and I'm not making any profit off this what so ever.

( Tattered and Torn )

The wind whistled through the streets, and although it was past midnight, there were many people still awake.

Pass by the nightclubs and bars, and the typical Friday night parties, you'd find yourself at the antique shop. It was a small, mostly insignificant; and passed by, by many pedestrians. But there was a group of people that had their eyes on this shop. Especially, a pair of bright golden eyes.

The owner of the store, a man getting on in his years, finally emerged from the store, carrying his hat and a small briefcase. He hummed to himself as he walked towards the parking lot, to get his car, but had to pass by the gap separating his store from the grocery next door

As he walked by, a hand reached out and pulled the man inside. He gave a strangled cry, and in his panic dropped his hat, but held onto the briefcase. The man peered through his glasses but could only make out black figures in the gloom.

"Good Evenin' Sir!"

A rough voice cut the sniggers and harsh chuckles made from these dark figures.

"What're you doin' out 'ere this late at night?"

The man started to sweat, becoming extremely nervous.

"I'm just going home! Let me go!"

Another voice, deeper and more filled with malice, came forward.

"Aw..just going home? That's all? No lies now."

The man shook his head desperately.

"But what about what's in that case of yours? It must be precious if you carry it around everywhere."

"It's nothing! Just papers and old trinkets to fix up! It's all I swear!"

"I don't think he's tellin' the truth Hiten." Said the first man to the other.

"No, me neither. Why don't you show us what's in it....if it really is nothing..'

The man trembled, and held onto the case for dear life.

"Don't make us hurt you old man." The one, Hiten said, stepping closer. The shop owner gathered his courage and stood.

"You'll kill me anyway! Whether I give you this or not! I've heard of you street ruffians! You take to tormenting passer-by's!"

A hand, covered in black leather and metal studs, shot out of the dark and struck the man across the face. He fell, moaning, to the ground.

"Actually, I would have settled for cutting out your tongue, or possibly tying you up and leaving you in the middle of the street, just to see how many 'caring people' there are in this city. But after that – "

He paused. The black figures advanced, the one in front drawing a jagged, nasty looking dagger. The man pus his hands in front of his face, and yelled in terror.

"– I think I will kill you..." He finished, stepping out, to where the storeowner could see a set of sharp teeth gleam above him.

"And I think you won't."

The smile faded from Hiten's face and the group turned around. The figure that was leaning against the wall stepped forward. He wore entirely all black, including the trench coat and boots.

"What now Inuyasha?" An unnaturally tall man with a deep voice and black makeup all around his eyes, said angrily.

"Before you idiots decide to kill him, why don't you try and get the case from him first?"

"It's easier to take from a dead body!" Hiten snarled, glaring at Inuyasha.

"True, but maybe you fools didn't realize there's a lock on that case. If you kill him, you'll never get it open."

"Are you insulting us?" muttered a large figure, who looked more like a toad than a man. "To say that we cannot break open a mere case? That we're too weak?"

"Yeah, I am." Inuyasha said calmly.

"Why you – Why don't we see, shall we?" Hiten challenged.

"Go ahead. But listen up. While you were making your menacing death threats, you seemed to have missed that that case is made out of steel. You have no chance of opening it. I, unlike you poor excuses for a gang, figure out everything possible about my subject, therefore know what to expect."

The gang paused.

"Fine, we'll do it your way Inuyasha, this time." Hiten said angrily, but not lowering his knife.

"We'll do it my way every time. That's why I'm the leader of this motley crew." He growled back. Walking over to the man, he picked him up by his shirt collar.

"Open the case." He said in a low voice. The man spat at his feet.

"Go to hell!"

Inuyasha sighed impatiently. Another hard case. What was with people these days? Only last year, he'd corner someone with twice the chance of beating Inuyasha than this guy did, but he still ran away screaming for his life.

"If I find what I'm looking for, I'll let you go, unharmed. Or un-maimed, I should say."

The old man started to tremble, despite himself.

"Or, I could kill you now. Steel is hard, but not indestructible. Dying won't save it." He said harshly, cracking his knuckles, and reaching into his pocket. The man broke and fell to his knees.

"No! Please, I-I'll open it! But please! You have to promise to let me go!"

"Didn't I say I would? Get to it old man!"

Inuyasha threw him towards the case and stood over him as he fiddled with the numbers. He sweated and finally heard a click and the briefcase snapped open.

The larger man of the group, Manten, hurried towards him and snatched up the briefcase.

"You have to let me go..." the man said wringing his hands.

"We don't have to do anything – "Hiten said, stepping forward again, and showing his knife.

"Let him go. We have what we need." Inuyasha said, taking the briefcase Manten passed him.

"What's wrong Inuyasha? Don't like blood? You getting soft?"

"I still kicked your ass, Hiten." He growled again, causing the other members to laugh. "No sense having another tick across your name when they catch you, is there?" He added.

"If they catch me, you mean..."

He shrugged.

"We'll see." He turned to the man. "Get outta here or I'll come after you myself."

The man scrambled up and ran away. A woman with an expressionless face came up by Inuyasha, and curled up next to him.

"What were you looking for, Inu-baby?"

He handed her an ancient looking bracelet with dragons on it to make her shut up. Just as he suspected, she left immediately.

Finally, after looking through the entire briefcase, he picked up a small silk bag, and dumped the contents into his hands.

"This..." he muttered to himself, holding it up to admire it.