Bittersweet Beginnings

Life was indeed bittersweet for Kagome Higurashi. From her spot at the entrance, she had the perfect view of a dream finally coming to life. The door frame that she stood in matched the dark wood of the rest of the building, rich and earthy. People were busy bustling around by the front desk, the sitting area, waltzing in and out of the dining area. Everything was alive and in full swing, making Kagome's excited nerves heighten.

Today was the big day. After months of planning and preparing, finally the time had arrived. All of the long, exhausting nights just to make sure this day was nothing short of perfect, were finally paying off. Her hard work, all that time spent getting her Business degrees and making sure her marks were top of the class, Kagome landed the perfect job.

A young, vibrant woman quickly skipped up to Kagome, pulling her from her train of thought. "Good morning, Miss Higuarshi!" the woman chirped. Kagome smiled, not quite used to the surname of "Miss", especially coming from someone only a few years younger than herself.

Rin Chi was the perfect candidate for manning the front desk, along with her partner in crime Kohaku. Rin was intelligent and overly friendly, and created a welcoming atmosphere that was perfect for guests. Her counterpart, Kohaku, was the Earth to Rin's Sun. He was steady and grounded, giving a perfect balance to the attitudes behind their front desk.

"Good morning, Rin. Please, just call me Kagome." Kagome smiled back at Rin, as the younger girl nodded happily. "Is everything ready to go for tomorrow?" She, herself, had gone over the thousand and one checklists in her brain, detailing any needs from the grounds, the main desk, or the kitchens. Rin nodded again, going on about how excited she was for the following day, before skipping off into the dining area.

The idea that she was about to begin her career seemed unreal. Just a mere three months ago, Taisho Takahashi, highly respected owner of various hotel chains that housed the lavish and famous, approached the fresh-out-of-Tokyo-U Business major and offered her to run one of his new projects: a large hotel planted right in the middle of a major tourist attracted area. Off an island by the Japanese shoreline, with beautiful views in whichever direction you turned, the hotel overlooked the bustling seatown below, obviously seen from any part of the island. Offering botanical gardens, beaches that went on for miles, and top rated restaurants, it was the perfect get-a-way for anyone who could actually afford it.

Of course, Kagome jumped at the chance. Really, who wouldn't? Being able to live in this secluded paradise without having to pay for anything but food and luxuries? And working for a renowned businessman, running his new project? Kagome knew the moment the offer was on the table that she couldn't pass it up, and the papers were signed three weeks later. Her salary was comfortable with two weeks paid vacation every year and complete control over the Inn. As long as the business was prospering, she could do whatever she felt was right.

But of course, every bright cloud of happiness in her life had a dark, looming outline in the back, just waiting to not only rain, but monsoon on her parade. His name was Inuyasha Takahashi, and he was about to ruin everything.

They were introduced to each other at the very last meeting, where Kagome was informed that he would be head chef at the five star restaurant located within the Inn, whose name was decided the meeting before: Belligio. Kagome assumed this wouldn't be a problem; he was an asset to the business, right? Otherwise, why would he be hired? But, of course, she was wrong.

From the moment they saw each other, things just went down hill. But really, how else should things go when he refused to even call her by her own name? Instead of being a sensible person (human couldn't really be said, considering the silver hair, golden eyes, and dog ears), Inuyasha opted to refer to Kagome as 'wench'. Of course, this not only offended Kagome greatly, but infuriated her as well. This only served to bring him enjoyment, based off the way his cocky grin grew wider and wider as her face grew redder and redder.

After the asshole was finished enraging his new technical boss and left the meeting, Kagome was then filled in that Inuyasha was Taisho's son, and was permanent at the hotel. Even though that little bit of information made her want to rip up the contract and search for a new job, Kagome knew that she couldn't. Her family's shrine didn't make nearly as much than it had in previous years, and bills needed to be paid, food and school supplies bought for her younger brother, Souta. So Kagome swallowed her pride and signed the contract, resolving to herself that a truce would have to be called. She couldn't make him leave and there was no way in hell that Kagome was backing down.

So here she was, enjoying a little moment of peace before the chaos engulfed her whole. It was almost time to call everyone together for the first official staff meeting, setting her nerves on end. This would be her first staff, the only first staff she would ever had. And Kagome had taken great care to handpick each and every single member in order to build the perfect team.

After glancing around once more, she slipped inside of her office, located just down a small hallway from the front desk. It was small and bare, just waiting to be filled to the brim with boxes and papers. Kagome took one moment to breathe in the stillness of the room, knowing these moments of peace would be few and far between. Relishing the silence, Kagome rechecked herself in the mirror on the back of her office door, and then set back out to gather her employees.

Life really was bittersweet.