Note: This is rated for a reason. I've left a warning just to be extra safe. Please read it first before reading the actual story. This is my first ever Miroku/Sango attempt. And my very first time posting on this site. Feedback is appreciated. I'm currently tweaking Kagome and InuYasha's characters. I want them all to appear less mature than Sango, without going completely OOC. But I fear they'll be OOC anyway. Sorry folks. I'm also going to switch POVs during the story. It's just in regular POV because it's a prologue. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even this overdone, and cliché plot.
WARNING: Highly inappropriate content. I'm warning you now. Implied sexual interactions between Sango who could be considered a "minor" in certain parts of the world. And Miroku, who is very much an adult. This story was made to be kind of edgy, so if you're squeamish over this type of thing, turn back quickly. If anyone complains over the nature of this plot line. Please take it up with someone who didn't first warn you
about it. Thanks.
For a better idea of some of the ages. Sango has just turned 17 (which is legal in some states.) Miroku is currently 25 in the story. While I am writing this type of story, I do not condone any type of romantic relationship between an adult and someone who isn't of age.
On Thin Ice
Prologue
"Controversy is only dreaded by the advocates of error." – Benjamin Rush
It was dreary today. That was the first thing that crossed the brunet's mind that morning, as she removed herself from the warmth of her bed to gaze out of her window. Drawing the curtains back, she let her forehead rest against its cool surface, a lone drop of rain dripped down the window, compelling her eyes to follow it. When she watched it disappear from view, she breathed out a sigh.
She absolutely could not stand days like these. The girl could already predict the day's events. It appeared bleak when she played out all of the possible outcomes in her mind. Although this was already certain, she knew she couldn't keep cooped up in her room to avoid her problems. Time would not stop for her long enough to clear her mind, and free herself from gloomy circumstances.
Tearing herself away from the window, the girl made quick work of throwing on her new school uniform. Normally she would observe herself in a mirror to see if she could pass off as decent, but today it didn't matter. Her hair splayed haphazardly down her back, the edges teasing the skin of her midriff. She let it hang sketchily, before tugging on her socks and trudging downstairs to the restroom.
"Sis? Kagome is here." She heard her brother's muffled voice on the other side of the door. The apathetic girl sucked in a breath of air, readying herself for what was to come.
"Tell her she can come in. I'll be out in a second." Her voice was weak, tittering on the edge of despondent.
"Are you okay in there?" Her brother asked after a pregnant pause.
"I'm fine, Kohaku. Don't worry about me." She perked up slightly for the sake of her apprehensive sibling. He had always been somewhat of a worrywart.
"If you say so…" the younger boy's voice trailed off, the girl projected that he was deep in thought. He was probably trying to decipher how truthful her declaration was.
"Hey, Kohaku." The voice of her lifelong friend filled the room, suddenly making it brighter. She was always amazed at the peculiar way Kagome's presence seemed to light up a room. "Where's Sango?"
Before Kohaku could answer, Sango subtly opened the door to the bathroom to show her friend that she had heard her inquiry. "I'm here, Kags." Kagome's azure eyes dilated slightly, which in turn made Sango quirk a brow. "What's that look for?"
"You look incredible! I always imagined you would look good in our school uniform. The colors compliment your skin and hair perfectly!" The shorter girl prattled on animatedly, which earned a blush from Sango. "I mean it. You look great."
"Thanks." Although she didn't really feel like accepting the compliment, she knew Kagome wouldn't have it any other way.
As if a bolt of lightning had struck her friend, Kagome tensed, her eyes automatically losing their sparkle. "What's the matter Sango?"
Of course, Kagome was also too perceptive for her own good. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm just a little nervous to be back here after…so long…"
The raven haired girl chewed at her bottom lip; a common gesture of anxiety. "I know this must be hard for you. But you're the strongest person I know, Sango. You'll get through it. I have so many people to introduce you to you won't even have time to worry about…" Kagome hastily cut herself off before she could finish.
Sango sighed, running her fingers through her bangs. "You don't have to pretend like the situation never happened. He was still our teacher. I just hope he doesn't remember me."
"You know that isn't possible." Kagome frowned while taking a step towards the girl. She trapped Sango in a brief embrace before pulling back and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think; I mean…you haven't seen each other in…"
"Three years." Sango interjected with her mouth set into a grim line. "I don't think that I'll feel any differently." Kohaku had long since excused himself from the room to let the girls finish. He knew better than to speak a word about the man they had been referring to. "And what luck do I have for him to be teaching the seniors."
"He has been teaching the same grade ever since you left for Kyoto." Kagome smoothed her bangs back with the palm of her hand. "I'm not sure what brought it on. I don't know him on a personal level."
"It's hard to say. Mr. Khazana, has always been a little eccentric. My father believes that he had packed up and moved onto another school."
"You mean…you didn't tell him?" Kagome seemed unsettled with that bit of information, her eyebrows shot up to hide in her bangs.
"Of course not." Sango was baffled at the mere implication of telling her father. "He wouldn't let me go to the same school as you if he knew. And frankly Kagome, I wouldn't want to be here at all if it weren't for you and InuYasha."
"Speaking of which. I kind of forgot that he was waiting in the car. There will be hell to pay. Maybe we should get going, before he rams his car into your house." Kagome could only imagine the entire structure erupting into flames after his car exploded on impact. She knew for certain he would survive the accident, but the house was a different story.
"He better not even try it. I'm still going through my training! I'll have to remind him."
"Someone should knock some sense into him. I'll have to show you the beast he has been dating for the past few months. She's a real winner." Kagome outwardly cringed, appearing thoroughly disgusted by whomever she was referring to. Sango doubted if the person was really that gruesome. Instead she wrote it off as Kagome's searing jealousy. The girl was sure that since InuYasha had an actual "sturdy" relationship he hadn't been spending much time with her. They had been nearly inseparable since primary school and Sango doubted that she was taking the changes well.
If anything, Kagome was pretty much a creature of habit, and was extremely protective of the people that she cared for. 'It's going to be an interesting year – if anything.' Sango mused trying to shake the feeling of dread away. Her heart sank when she shrugged into her backpack and trudged out the door into the waiting car. It roared to life as soon as she stepped into it. The sound made her nerves rattle, in complete anticipation for what was to come. "Do you have to drive like a maniac?"
"Keh. We're burnin' daylight people." The impatient half demon peeled out of the driveway. It made Sango's stomach lurch and Kagome squeak in astonishment.
"Are you out of your mind, idiot?" Kagome slapped him on the shoulder with enough force to earn a scuff from her half demon counterpart. "Slow down!" Sango zoned out when she heard her two best friends bickering up front, she vaguely felt the car swerving on and off the road before retreating to her thoughts.
"The name is Himori, Sango." Said girl bowed as best as she could from her spot by the lounge sofa. "I've transferred here from Okinawa."
"Yes, we received a call about you earlier this morning. The principal will see you now; she has been waiting for you to arrive." Sango nodded once in acknowledgement before bowing, and backing out of the room. She already knew the principal would be waiting for her. The girl didn't appreciate the conversation that would probably ensue. Swallowing thickly she tapped against the wooden frame of the oak door.
"Come in, Sango." The girl wasn't sure how she had known it was her before she even stepped into the room, but didn't bother questioning it either. She shuffled inside, feeling extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden. The office was as she remembered it to be three years ago, the same pictures clung to the wall; the same desk sat in the middle of the room. Principal Kaede placed her hands into her lap, giving her an expectant look. The girl bowed once more before taking a seat in front of her. "How have ye been?"
"A lot of things have changed." The brunet admitted with a slight smile. "I would take up far too much of your time getting into it."
"Perhaps." Kaede gave her a thin lipped smile. "I suppose ye are aware of why I've called ye in here this morning."
"Painfully aware." Sango nodded slowly, and deliberately.
"What do ye propose to do? It is evident that ye haven't spoken to yer father about yer situation. Is that correct?"
"That's right."
"He doesn't know that ye have turned up here again…" The elderly woman trailed off, barely above a whisper. This completely threw Sango off her train of thought. She hadn't been expecting that at all. If anything she believed that principal Kaede would have warned him first.
"But…why? He deserves to know."
"Indeed, he does. But I won't treat ye any differently than I will treat the rest of the student body. That was the most careless mistake I have ever made, and I would like to apologize."
"You've called me here to apologize?" Sango sucked in a breath of air before slowly releasing it. "I don't think you can apologize for alienating someone for an entire year. It's not like I planned any of this. It just happened. Mirok- Mr. Khazana, also had no intention of disrupting the peace. It was just an accident."
"I believe ye, I really do. Unfortunately there are rules and order to be upheld within the system. Ye know this well by now. I've allowed this to slip by unnoticed – once. I cannot allow for such an 'accident' to happen again. It's clear that ye are quite wise and mature for yer age. Prehaps even more so than most of the teachers that work here. But…it's not enough. Ye are still young, ye are not of age. Mr. Khazana however – is – of age. He is an adult, and you are a minor."
Sango let the pain wash over her; old suffering that she tried her best to repress came flooding back in waves. She barely managed to croak out, "I know. I'm sorry."
"Ye say that ye are sorry, and that ye know. But is it enough to control yer feelings? Am I not mistaken – that ye had admitted that ye were in love with him?" Kaede perked a brow in her direction, completely skeptical of the girl's words.
"You are not mistaken." Her voice trembled, and shook no matter how much she tried to grip onto some sanity. "But I have grown stronger, and I have learned a lot. It's probably not much to someone like you. I will never profess to know half of what you know. But I understand how I have complicated the lives of others, and I'll do my best to keep a tight rein over my feelings. I won't do anything to make you worry."
"I desperately want to believe in ye, child. But it is my duty to make sure that everything runs smoothly. It's my duty to make sure that ye are safe. Whether ye like it or not, Sango. Mr. Khazana has committed a crime against ye. Whether ye tempted him; it matters not. There is no such thing as consensual sex with a minor and an adult."
"We didn't!" Sango protested, slamming her hands onto the desk. "I swear to you, principal. He would have never – not in a million years – have allowed something like that to transpire between the two of us. I was younger at that time, but that doesn't mean I was stupid. I knew the consequences of such a thing."
"But ye admit to being intimate with him? Many students confessed to seeing ye together. Were they all lying?" Kaede's voice was too condescending for Sango's liking. The girl took a deep breath and leaned back into her chair. Throwing a tantrum wouldn't help her get her point across, if anything it would prove that she really was an immature child; totally incapable of handling her own emotions.
"Look. Principal Kaede. I'm not calling anyone a liar, or trying to make excuses. It's all in the past. Whatever Mr. Khazana and I did; it's over. Nothing will come of it anymore; because I know what we had was wrong. I've had this conversation with so many different people, that I've had time to access the damage, and reflect on it." The girl couldn't be any more sincere as she was at that moment. She let her eyes wander to Kaede's – one –eye. The intensity that passed through the gaze made the principal nod.
"Alright. I have drawn up a schedule. Ye will have Mr. Khazana for only one period of the day as opposed to the average two blocks. That is the best I could do. If any bit of trouble arises, rest assured that I can no longer save the both of ye; even if I wanted to. Mr. Khazana is treading on thin ice as it is."
"Don't fret over it, principal. Everything will be fine." Sango swallowed the bile back and shot her a strained smirk. She had hoped it appeared genuine for the sake of her education. Even though the old woman had subjugated her three years ago, she was still going out on a limb to assist her. The girl was many things, apathetic, anxious, horrified…but strangely grateful.
'Damn it.' Was the only thing that rang through her mind as she managed to free herself from the office and make her way down the hall. She had already recognized a few hand-full of students from when she had been a freshman. The brunet pointedly ignored them, doing her best to keep focus, and to repress her emotions. 'Will he remember me?' The question resounding through her head, making her wince. The thought was quickly kicked away before she could analyze it properly.
"Oi, Sango. What the hell are you doing wandering around here?" The girl heard a rough voice from over her shoulder. She already had a slight inkling that it belonged to InuYasha. Two doggy ears twitched in unison, diligently waiting for a response.
"Looking for room 104." Sango waved her newly printed schedule in front of his face. He caught it with ease between his pointer and index finger. The half demon made quick work of unfolding it, quickly scanning his keen, golden eyes over its contents.
"You got that geezer Myouga for first period?" He huffed, shoving the paper back into her hands. "I'll show you where it is, Kikyou's in that class too…" She saw her friend's eyes soften and a pleasant smile plastered over his features, making him appear almost angelic in the morning light. The transformation amazed her, and unsettled her simultaneously. Kagome's face popped up into her mind briefly, before allowing her childhood friend to drag her down the hall and into a room that she had missed earlier.
Before she entered she threw InuYasha a wary glance. "So you two are getting pretty serious huh? You and this…Kikyou person?"
"Keh." The boy's cheeks reddened suddenly, affectively giving Sango her answer. "You could say that…"
"What about Kagome? Has she gotten serious with anyone yet?" This seemed to amuse the half demon, for he snorted and shook his head. Though Sango didn't miss the way his dark brows knitted together, as if he were truly considering the possibility.
"Who would date that wench?" His voice was too rough to support his thesis, so Sango brushed it off. She'd have all the time in the world to pry into the matter, but the bell had already rung – signifying her tardiness. The half demon grumbled, clutching onto the side of his head. "I hate that god damn bell. You'd better go in, tell Kikyou I said 'hi' would ya'?"
Taking a deep breath the girl could only nod before shakily turning the knob to enter the room. The tension was unbearably thick as twenty-so sets of eyes were transfixed on her person. She didn't dare acknowledge it, opting to bow to her teacher instead. "Welcome, to class 2-F. I'll allow you one day to be tardy, since it is the first day of class. Do try to get here on time tomorrow morning." Sango was shocked when she heard the man speaking, but could not see him.
"Uh…am I imagining things?" She murmured to herself. Perhaps all of that time worrying about Mirok- Mr. Khazana was finally doing her head in? This drew a few offhanded chuckles from the rest of the class.
"Down here!" The voice had a form after all. The flea attached itself to her nose making her sneeze. As soon as she did, the force sent him flying back into a corner on the other side of the room. The laughter reverberated through the encased space, making Sango blush from the attention.
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea…" The girl tried her best to bow, but wasn't sure where the flea had landed. Before she could do anymore damage, Sango hastily retreated to a vacant seat in the middle of the room.
"That's quite alright! Happens more than you would think…heedless children in these modern times. Hmph! I remember back in the Feudal age when young people understood how to properly address their superiors!" The flea appeared animated, jumping up and down. He looked as nothing more than a piece of dirt getting swept away with the wind. "Don't think I'll let you off that easy, girl. Please stand up and introduce yourself. I know that you weren't here last week. You must be new."
Sango complied as quickly as possible, already feeling guilty for sending him soaring. "My name is Himori, Sango. I'm new, and plan on graduating from this school. I transferred her from Okinawa. Please take care of me."
"Very well, thank you Himori. You may take your seat."
As soon as she settled in her chair she noticed the string of whispers that had filled the room. Some she had expected, but it still didn't aid her present situation.
"Isn't that the girl that got caught with Mr. Khazana?"
"Sure looks like her."
"Why'd they let her back in?"
"Nasty…"
The object of their attention reared her head back to glare at them, effectively silencing the gossiping trio of girls. She had vaguely recognized them, but couldn't put a name to their faces. Either way, she wouldn't stand for people to engage in such talk in front of her. She was supposed to be moving on, and putting the past behind her. These twits weren't helping her resolve in the least. Her jaw set in a grim line as her flea-like teacher prattled on about ancient science.
In the corner of her eye, she saw two specks of chocolate staring directly at her. Curiously, the girl cocked her head to the side. 'Hey.' The girl to her right spoke as quietly as humanly possible.
Sango was stunned when she looked over and saw a girl that could pass as Kagome's blander looking sister. 'H-hey.' The girl managed to stutter, still taken back by the similarities.
'I heard InuYasha talking outside of the door before you came in. Are you the friend that he has been talking about?'
Sango assumed that this was the Kikyou disturbance that Kagome had been dying to tell her about. She couldn't help but take in her appearance. Although she wasn't nearly as spectacular looking as her lifelong friend, she could certainly hold her own. Her hair flowed down her back in pools of sienna, her posture was as straight as a board, and her clothes were elegant and expensive. The most striking feature was the girl's eyes. They were a deep, chocolate color. Yet they were dull, almost void of life. It was bizarre seeing someone that looked so much like Kagome with eyes that held little expression.
She flinched, but answered her question nonetheless. 'Not sure if he was talking about me. But I did just transfer here. I'm guessing that your name is Kikyou?'
The taller girl blinked in astonishment. 'How'd you know?'
'Lucky guess.'
Sango offered her a weak smile, which Kikyou returned in a tight lipped fashion. The girl was definitely a lot more passive than her friend. She wondered how someone so proper could win over a brute like InuYasha. She'd have to investigate it further, as something seemed off…
"No talking during lecture!" The flea whined in indignation.
The two girls quickly looked away from each other to continue their lesson.
"You totally saw her didn't you?" Kagome interrogated with the intensity of fifty burning suns. The enthusiasm was an overload, as Sango had just endured three hours of the most boring subjects in the history of public school. Not to mention she had endured them with Kikyou. She had every single period with the girl thus far. All three times she hadn't noticed anything particularly special about her. From what she had gathered she was a self-preserved, rich girl with little social skills. It was almost as if Kikyou had been living under a rock for a decade.
"She was in all of my classes. She sits next to me in first period." She could see the dubious look in Kagome azure eyes. "Come on Kags. There could be worse girls chasing after InuYasha, you have to admit."
"No. There's something wrong with her San."
"Hm." Sango grinned, the mischief lighting up in her eyes. "Maybe you just want something to be wrong with her?"
"Ha! Doubtful. I know I sound all crazy paranoid, but there's something…weird." The smaller girl's eyebrows drew together attentively.
"What do you mean?"
"Just…she acts funny. When we all get together to go out, she pretends like I don't exist. When I try to talk to her she completely ignores me." Kagome huffed, throwing her arms across her chest. "And then 'Yash blames me for not trying to get closer to her. It's impossible! She despises me."
"Did you tell him that?"
"Of course I did! He said…" Kagome cleared her throat and put on her best scowl. "…You are soooo deluded, wench!" Sango grimaced at the off-pitch masculine voice her friend had just tried to use, but couldn't help the wry smile that showed all the way to her teeth. "I'm not sure what to do. Maybe since you're her little 'friend' now, you'll be able to help me."
"I'll see what I can do, Kags. Can't make any promises, she doesn't seem very open to social situations. Maybe she just feels threatened by you? You have a pretty boisterous demeanor."
"Pfft. Boisterous? You would use lingo like that. I could think of a few more appropriate words. Awesome, for instance."
"And modest."
"Always modest!" Kagome declared proudly, disrupting the entire lunch room.
"What the hell are you going on about over here? You're so loud!" InuYasha butted in, just as noisy and obnoxious as her raven haired counterpart. Perhaps they were both deaf, as they were using the exact same pitch, and affectively ruining everyone's lunch. Sango stabbed her fork into her salad as her two pals started their hourly bickering regimen. It was no wonder Kikyou had ignored Kagome. She could feel the heat and tension radiating off of their altercating forms. It was as if the entire room had melted away, and they were the only ones in existence.
"As much as I hate to put a damper on this lovely display of affection, I have to borrow Kagome for a few minutes." Sango heard a smooth voice approaching from her left. She looked over the speaker apathetically. She had gone through primary school with him, and hadn't seen him for three years.
"The hell do you want wolf?" InuYasha growled, totally disregarding Kagome's protests.
"Chill out, 'Yash." Kagome gritted through clenched teeth. "You're making a scene!"
"There was already a scene before he showed up." Sango intercepted before rolling her eyes heavenward. How could she not have noticed the hundreds of eyes gravitating towards their table? Kagome offered her an icy glare in retort, as if to say…'not helping.'
"I just wanted to talk to Kagome for a bit. That's all." The wolf demon threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender, but the sheepish grin that followed contradicted the gesture. Kouga hadn't changed much over the years. His pack brothers still loomed over his shoulder thoroughly spent from trying to keep up with his antics. He wore a long leather jacket and a dark choker. The contrast made his aquamarine eyes stand out. Sango had always admired the orbs, just not the person behind them. It was clear that InuYasha had shared the sentiment. He looked downright murderous.
'Interesting.' The brunet thought, carefully listening to the argument she was sure would ensue.
"She doesn't want to talk to you wolf-shit. Just fuck off, we're busy."
"Busy? Trying to kill one another…" Kouga observed with a sing-song voice. "Don't worry; it'll only take a few minutes."
"No. Piss off." InuYasha waved him off with a clawed hand, trying to dismiss the idea altogether.
"Enough." The raven haired girl batted his hand away. "What do you need Kouga?" The outrage on the half-demon's face was worth all of the unwanted attention for Sango. She snickered under her breath, trying desperately to pay attention to her salad and not her friend's misery.
"What? Like hell I'm going to let you go anywhere with him! Look at him…he's such a fucking…" Before he could finish, Kouga was already leading the smaller girl away from the table and out of the lunch room.
"Come on Kagome. I need to ask you about the dance…" That was all Sango heard before the tops of their heads vanished entirely, leaving a seething half-demon in their wake.
"I can't believe that-that!-" It wasn't often InuYasha was at a loss for words. If anything he just resorted to profanity, but not one curse escaped his lips. Sango was fascinated and horrified all at once. Things had certainly changed around here; she just didn't know the hopelessness of her two friend's new predicament. She shouldn't have been surprised though…Kagome and InuYasha gave new meaning to the word 'dense.'
"It's okay, InuYasha. I'm sure she'll be fine. Kagome can handle herself pretty well." Sango tried in vain to comfort the half-demon. His pout twisted into a look of disgust. She decided it was best to leave the subject alone given his current temperament. He was always a loose cannon, and held very little control over his aggression. "Next period…is Mr. Khazana." The brunet seized her chewing. "I don't suppose you have him?"
"We all do." InuYasha seemed to lighten drastically; Sango could only estimate that he had taken pity on her. "It should make things easier, right?" A tiny ounce of hope clung to every one of his syllables, but not enough. The question was still shrouded with uncertainty.
"Has he…changed a lot?" Sango cursed her own curiosity, but allowed the question to loom anyway. "I know he's only a teacher, and that no one knows him outside of the classroom. I mean, that's how it should be."
"It's hard to say." The half demon grunted. "He looks like the same ol' sap to me. Though there was a rumor two years ago, that he started drinkin'. Apparently it was an issue that had to be taken up with the school board."
"Drinking?" Sango mused aloud, more to herself than her friend. "How strange."
"Keh. If I had to teach all of these assholes, I'd start drinkin' too." The girl prayed that no one in their right mind would ever hire someone like InuYasha to teach a classroom full of innocent people. She could only imagine how much of a conundrum that would be.
Before she could question him further, the ball rang. Students hurriedly filed out of the lunch room, nearly stampeding on one another. Sango however, hung back in a pitiful attempt to stall, and to gather her feelings. InuYasha had long since stalked out of the room, presumably to find Kagome. She didn't have to struggle to find her next class, because she could hear them quarreling all the way down the hall and into her next class.
She took a much needed breather, before following suit.
"Just take it easy, San. Everything will be alright. Just go in there as any other student would, okay?" Kagome rubbed the skin of Sango's arm, trying her best to appease the girl. She appeared deathly pale, and her breathing had accelerated to the point that Kagome had feared for her health. "Maybe you should visit the nurse?"
"No. She should go in." InuYasha interposed before the brunet could answer for herself. "If you want to go to school here Sango, you have no choice but to face the music."
"Do you have to be so insensitive? She's a nervous wreck." Kagome chided him, swiftly bumping his ribs with her elbow. The scolded half-demon grumbled a slew of four letter words that made the two girls blush despite growing accustomed to the boy's behavior.
"InuYasha's right, Kagome. I have to go in. I can't just keep running away if I want this to work." Sango rubbed at her temples, trying to mentally prep herself for what was to come. "Just don't abandon me, okay?" She knew it sounded like a fairly desperate plea, but she wasn't sure if she could make it by herself.
"We got your back, Sango. Just go in for Christ's sake. If anything funny happens I'll have his ass on the floor so fast that he won't know what hit him."
"I don't think that would be helpful." Kagome laughed nervously. "In fact, that would be counterproductive."
"Keh. You know I'd do it for you. So just suck it up, and get on with it." Sango nodded with new found determination. It wasn't a whole lot of determination, but it was enough to step after the duo and into the room. She didn't dare to look up, but she knew that the room had been affected just by her mere presence. The girl could feel it. No one said a word, or even bothered to breathe. She could feel Kagome's hand on the small of her back, trying to guide her.
A few minutes of silence heightened the tension. Until that voice…that voice that she had heard in her dreams and her nightmares had spoken up. It was very subtle, charming as it has always been. It was deep and sturdy, like the pounding of her heart. She could hear it through her ears along with his melodious, and baritone voice. It was enough to make her knees shake. Sango was sure that she would have lost her balance if it weren't for Kagome's delicate care.
"Himori." Mr. Khazana spoke softly; a twinge of surprise was evident in his tone. But it was masked with something she couldn't quite designate. He stood from his chair, still the same impressive height she had remembered. His handsome features looked…strained, and his violet eyes sparkled with something akin to enthrallment. His hair hung to his neck in a small pony tail, just as she had remembered it. The memory that she had been the one to stroke that hair in between her fingers set her body on fire. Her mouth suddenly went dry as paper.
Instead of replying, she simply bowed, hiding her face behind her bangs. When he didn't say anything else, Kagome led the stricken girl to a desk that was placed in front of her. Before she could sit down, Mr. Khazana held up his hand, exposing his palm. "Before you sit, why don't you introduce yourself to the rest of the class?"
"Um, forgive me for speaking out of turn, Mr. Khazana. But I don't think Sango feels very well right now."
"She doesn't feel well…" Miroku trailed off, finding the window to be more interesting than the new student. "Well then, why don't you go ahead and introduce Himori to the class, Higurashi?"
"I'd be glad to." Kagome stood from her seat and tugged on Sango's hand. "This is my friend Himori, Sango. She moved here from Okinawa and will be staying with us until graduation. Please make her feel welcomed."
A few wishy-washy 'welcomes' reverberated through the classroom. Sango however, still refused to look at her teacher. She opted for staring into space which was the most nonthreatening thing she could possibly think of. Mr. Khazana could be heard fumbling around with the papers on his desk, which intrigued the brunet, but not enough to chance a glance at him.
"So, where were we from yesterday?" A few turned pages later and he was zealously speaking about modern Japanese history. She could surmise that if this were three years ago, she'd be staring holes into his person, and admiring every sound that fled from his mouth. But it wasn't three years ago, it was now – and now? She just wanted it to be over. Every time he spoke her heart felt as if it were plummeting into the pits of her stomach. It was nauseating, disgusting. She wanted to spill her lunch from her body.
Sango finally got the nerve to peak at him from behind her bangs, and was shocked when his eyes were already glued to hers. He narrowed them slightly, but continued the lecture as if nothing had materialized. The minutes dragged on, agonizingly slow. So slow that she contemplated suffocating herself with her own text book just to be free.
When the ball rang, Sango breathed out in utter liberation. She sloppily got to her feet, fighting through the crowd to get to the door. Of course life was never that simple. "Himori, if you would please? I'd like to speak with you for a few minutes." The brunet froze in mid-step, her shoulders suddenly becoming tense. Kagome worriedly hung back after the rest of the students had left. "You shouldn't take too long Sango, next period will be starting soon." Instead of saying it to Sango, she had purposely stared at Mr. Khazana to convey the message.
He nodded once. Hesitantly, the raven haired girl turned to leave. When the door closed behind her, Sango felt her legs try to give out on her, but held strong. Neither of them said anything, and Sango wouldn't dare to look over her shoulder to see what he was doing.
Mr. Khazana cleared his throat nervously. "Sango…" The girl felt his hands make contact with her shoulders. The sudden electricity of his skin against hers made her whirl her head around to face him.