Chapter One
By: Enchanted Kagome
A/N: I reposted both chapters because I realized my "-----" showing time passed didn't get posted… hehe… my bad! Please reread! It should make more sense now!
Summary: Kagome Shinjino grew up in poverty…Now, when the need is most, she is determined to do what she must to support her family. However, her live turns upside down when she falls in love with the rich and powerful InuYasha InuTaisho.
The girl sighed as she went over in her head—for what must've been the ten billionth time—what she was going to say to her mother. Her raven black locks fell over her shoulder, blocking her face as she climbed up the stairs to her apartment. She nearly tripped because the shoes she had were too big. But, one didn't have a choice when one's receiving hand-me-downs. She knew she should be grateful, and she really is. Mrs. Aino had always been kind to her mother, her and her brother. Mrs. Aino was more than willing to give Kagome her daughter's old school uniform and shoes. And, after a while, Kagome got used to the baggy clothing that were obviously too big for her.
"So…we list the good things and then…try to skip over the bad parts, which are few," she reminded herself. She had finally found an apartment that was cheap enough and habitable. In fact, it was actually very nice…except for the…well…she didn't want to think about it just right now.
"Okaasan! Tadaima!" she said as she entered their shabby apartment.
"Oh! Kagome! You're back!" Mrs. Shinjino smiled at her daughter. This was the daughter that had been her reason for living, along with Souta, her son.
"I found us a pretty cheap apartment!" Kagome said, masking her face into a smile. She quickly went over the order of discussion again. Good things, then, bad things—but it would be better to just skip them all together.
"Really?"
"Yeah! It is about as good as ours, and costs us only ¾ the rent. The owner also provides grocery money!" Kagome replied, careful of holding up her smile.
"What's the catch?" Mrs. Shinjino's smile dropped.
"Mom…why does there always have to be a catch?" Kagome asked, knowing she can't escape from the bad points now.
"Because I know this world…I know things aren't as simple as they seem, nor as innocent," Mrs. Shinjino replied. Her eyes had a faraway look, as if she was looking back at something years ago.
"Well…I just kinda have to do some things for the…owner," Kagome replied.
"What's the address?" her mother questioned. Kagome's stuttering and reluctance to answer had sparked her suspicion.
"Here," Kagome said, handing her mother a piece of paper. "This is the address."
Mrs. Shinjino's eyes widened at the address.
"No," she said decisively, still staring at the paper.
"But okaasan…" Kagome started.
"I will not have my kids grow up in that area! Do you know what kind of people live there?" Nanako asked her daughter angrily.
"Okaasan! That's the way though!" Kagome replied fiercely.
"No it isn't!"
"But okaasan! We don't have much time left! This is a good deal!"
"No, Kagome."
"I'll drop out of school, and that will give us enough money for Souta to finish school. And with the money I could earn, we'll send him off to college," Kagome tried to reason with her mom.
"Kagome…I can't let you do this. We'll find a way," Nanako told her daughter, though—deep down—she knew that there was no other way. Still, she could not let her only daughter sink that low for the mere sake of money. She knew that Kagome wasn't doing the only for money, but out of love for her and Souta, but even so, she can't allow her precious child to do something like that.
"Okaasan, there is no way…you know it. We have hardly enough rice to put food into our mouths. Our rent is due in two weeks! Where are we going to get the money? We aren't like the…Higurashis, or…Inutaishos," Kagome started, naming the two richest families in Japan. Her eyes were so blurred with tears, she didn't notice her mother flinch at the names. Somewhere during her outcry, she fell to her knees. "They'll have plenty of money left even after buying all of Japan but we don't! This is the only way! OKAASAN!"
"Kagome. I know you. You take pride even living in the shabbiest place, wearing the shabbiest clothes. But once you go that low…you'll everything—most importantly, your pride…your own self-respect. I know you will. I can't you do it. I can't let you become a whore for the sake of money," Nanako replied quietly, looking away—wishing that someone, somewhere, can understand her own pain.
"But you can, okaasan! You can! I won't care. And it isn't permanent! Once Souta finishes school and gets a job, we'll leave for good," Kagome reasoned. Deep down, she knew that her mother right. She couldn't stand the thought of having to fall so low. But worse, she can't stand seeing her family starve to death either.
"No. And that's final," Nanako stood up and walked to her room, or what was supposed to be her room. The small apartment was cut into three small rooms by three pieces of cloth. She stopped at the roughly made doorway and gazed back at her daughter. After a moment of silence, Nanako started again. "You used to have so many dreams, so much hope. Kagome…why are giving up on all of those? How about becoming a lawyer? Why? Do you want to…truly?" With that, she headed into her own room.
"No. But, okaasan, you've seen the ugly face of Fate. You've seen how cruel she could be…you were broken by her before as well. What makes you think that a fifteen-year-old child, a toy of Fate from birth, a joke from Destiny…can stand unbroken?" she whispered to the silent night. "Dreams…hope…they're a luxury that I can't afford." She closed her eyes and let the tears flow free. Once again…her cry was left unheard.
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Wow! Finally got that chappy out! Yes, I cried at the very end…
Yes, I PROMISE I'll update Cupid's Mistake sometime during the next week or so…it's just that I've got some much on my mind…stories you know…and I'm really busy…
At this point, the Author is unable to go on due to interception by characters in Cupid's Mistake
Kagome-hime: Hey! I want to see what happens with me!
Sango-hime: I know! It is so boring…being stuffed here with nothing but that HENTAI!
InuYasha: I am going to find out Kikyou is not the same as that girl right? I mean! She's having a love affair with that NARAKU! I don't want her for my wife.
Sesshoumaru: Hurry up! I want to see my brother humiliated in front of all the readers.
Authoress: gulp looks for escape path Um…I promise I will in the next week…millennium or so.
Kagome: No way! Sit girl! no crashes Aw… pouts I was hoping it would work…
Miroku: There is another way…
Everyone else: Which is?
Miroku: Easy…pin her down and force her to right for her freedom…
Authoress: runs for her life… Ja ne minna-san! AHHHHHH!