Konnichiwa dudes and dudettes! Yes, I know I should be working on my other stories, but I really have been wanting to get this one down. Anyways, just sit back, chilax, and read!

"WHAT?" screamed Sango. She was in her father's hut eating dinner, when he told her some very upsetting news.

"Sango, I know that you don't want to, but I'm in serious debt. I need you to get a job." He said. He obviously wasn't happy about this either. Sango was still pissed off, mouth agape, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Father, that's fine, but why at the palace?" she cried. She hated the palace. Sango had always hated it since she was little. She had always heard of the young lords using the servant girls for their own pleasure and how when you did something wrong they would beat you until they were satisfied.

"Sango, it was either this or a brothel. Now you don't want to work there do you?" Sango sadly shook her head. Her father sighed.

"Sango, I know that you don't want this, but it won't be for too long." She for some reason highly doubted that.

"Tomorrow you're going to move there and live in the servant's quarters. You'll be one of the maids." Sango hung her head. Now not only did she have to work at the palace, she had to clean for a living. Why her?

"Fine." She said and huffed out of the hut. She headed into the village, taking a last look before she moved to the palace and wouldn't be able to see it for a while. She passed all the shops, all the hotels, all the familiar faces. She sighed as she saw them all.

"Stupid father and his gambling." She said. Ever since her mother and brother had been killed by a demon that had nearly destroyed the village, her father had basically gone down the tubes. He started gambling, drinking and everything else he could do that would destroy him. Now, he owed money and Sango was paying for it. Sometimes she wondered why all these bad things happened to her.

Now she was passing over a bridge that was built over a river that flowed through the village. Because there wasn't any railing, she put her hands behind her and looked into the water at all the koi swimming freely under the bridge from one side to another, as thought they were playing with each other. She wanted to be like the koi. She wanted to be free to do whatever she wanted and not have to worry about everyone else. She leaned in a little further over the bridge to watch them with a better view, but she began o loose her balance. She started flailing her arms and moving her body everywhere and any which way she could to try to keep herself up. Sango was about to fall in, when two strong arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. They had a firm yet gentle grip on her, so it was easy for her to regain balance. As soon as she was steady, he released his hold.

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked. She turned to thank him, but her mouth seemed to stop working when she saw him.

This man was obviously a monk, judging by the way he was dressed. He had long black and purple robes and long staff in one of his hands. He had gorgeous pale blue eyes that could easily stop any woman dead in her tracks and makes them freeze.

And that's just what they did.

Sango had locked her eyes with his, though she was trying to pull away from his mesmerizing gaze and stop looking like an idiot. He smiled a little at her small struggle that she was experiencing and asked again.

"Miss, are you alright?"

Sango finally gave her head a little shake to get her brain back on track. Now properly functioning (almost), she managed out

"Y-yes"

By this point, the two had switched roles, and he was examining her.

"You really should be more careful," he said, "A beautiful body like yours has no purpose being soaked to the bone." She laughed a little at his comment. Sango liked him.

She liked him a lot.

"Well, I'm glad I could help you Miss," he began, but Sango shook her head.

"My name is Sango, not 'Miss'." He smiled and gave a small bow, taking her hand in his own.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Sango. I was happy to be of service." With that, he gave her hand a small kiss. She started blushing and as soon as he let go of her hand, she brought them both to her face.

"Don't be so shy," he said, "A girl like you could easily get any man she wanted." Sango blushed more, which just made him laugh.

"Well, I will be taking my leave. It was nice to meet you Sango." He turned to leave, when he was stopped.

"Wait!" Sango said, "I don't know your name!" He turned back to her and smiled.

"I go by the name Miroku." He said. And with that, he turned one more time and walked off into the large crowd of the village. Sango was trying to keep herself steady again because her head was spinning.

Miroku.

He was so handsome and sweet. It was literally love at first sight for her, and of coarse, she had to find him on her last day in the village. She let out an angry 'arrg' sound. Why was it always her? She walked off the bridge to the nearest building and began to lightly bang her head on it's side wall.

'Why did I have to meet him today?' she thought angrily, 'stuff like this always happens to me!' She stopped banging, but was now resting her head on the shop. She turned so that her back was to it and looked up at the sky. Why her?

She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder that made her jump. She turned to see who it was, and of course, it was Miroku.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said. She recovered quickly, realizing it was him, and gave a smile.

"You didn't scare me Miroku, I was just in though is all."

"Alright, well I was just wondering..." he began, "If you needed help getting home, considering the fact that you almost got hurt today. I just don't want anything to happen to you."

She blushed a little and shook her head.

"No, that's ok, I can do it. I wouldn't want to waste your time." Miroku shook his head and gave a smile.

"Not at all Sango, it would be my honor to help you." He held out his elbow, beckoning her to take it. She looked at it for a while. It wasn't a long walk to her house, and she wanted to spend as much time with Miroku as possible before she left. Quickly, Sango devised a plan. She hit her forehead lightly.

"I knew I forgot something!" she said. Miroku looked at her with a confused expression.

"The whole reason I came here in the first place was to buy food for tonight's dinner!" she said, "I'm sorry, but if you want to take me home, you'll have to come with me through the stores."

Miroku nodded his head.

"Well then my dear, let's get going."

Sango gave a mental 'yes' as she took his hand and pulled him with her. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all. She took him through all the stores first, then went back to actually buy things. They were at a fish shop when the problem with Sango's whole scheme came undone.

The lady who worked there asked for money. Sango collided her hand with her face for the second time today. She hadn't brought money! She was just going for a walk, plus they had enough money troubles. When Sango didn't pay the woman, Miroku got a little worried.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. She looked back at him with an 'I'm so dumb' look.

"I forgot to bring money." She said. Miroku watched her rub her eyes in a frustrated manor and then got an idea of his own.

"I'll pay for it." He said and handed the woman the money and took the fish. Sango looked at him in shock.

"What? Miroku, you don't have to do that! I can't pay you back because my father, he's in debt and we barely have enough to..." Miroku took his hand in his chin and thought as Sango continued to pour out why she couldn't pay him back.

"Well, you can't pay me back with money?" he asked. Sango stopped he babbling for a minute and nodded. Miroku shrugged his shoulders.

"Then I guess you'll just have to pay me back by other means." He said.

"Other means?" she repeated, "Well what do you want?" she asked. She really didn't have anything to give him.

"I don't know. I'll tell you what, I'll think about it, and when we get to your house, I'll have an answer." Sango nodded to him as he smiled. He began to bring her back to the other shops, her panicking the whole time. What would Miroku ask for? She had almost nothing now thanks to her stupid father.

Sango was very careful about what she bought, trying not to raise his price too high. When they were done, all that she had bought were the fish, and octopus, and some herbs. As they walked back to her house, she began to panic more than ever. What on earth could he want from her? The moment of truth was approaching, and rapidly at that. They were almost there. Her hands began to shake, so she held them together, fingers intertwined.

And now, they had arrived.

Sango turned to Miroku who handed her all the things that she had bought. She quickly went inside (her father was drunk and passed out on the floor) and put the things down, then returned outside.

"I've made my decision." He said. Sango gulped hard. Would his request cause her father to really go bankrupt?

"Well, what is it?" she said. You could hear the fear in her voice. Miroku laughed a little.

"Try not to sound so scared! I'm not going to ask for anything that's going to destroy your life or anything. My request is very simple." Sango felt a small wave of relief hit her dead in the face. She let out a small sigh.

"I'm all ears." She said almost confidently, "What do you want?" Miroku gave a smile.

"A kiss."

Sango froze. A KISS? She'd never kissed a guy in her life! She was starting to get nervous. It's not like she didn't want to, oh that could never be a reason to hold back, but she really wasn't sure what to do. 'Just take the easy way out' she thought to herself.

With that, she leaned up a bit and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Miroku looked a little surprised when she saw his face. He touched the spot where she had kissed him.

"Nice, but that wasn't what I meant." He said.

Crap.

Sango began to play with her fingers. No easy way this time. She would really have to go through with it. Miroku got a little closer to her and rubbed the side of her face with his hand, then took her hand, cupping the other one around her cheek.

"Don't be so nervous," he said, "It's not like I'm going to bite." He slowly began to descend and close the gap between them. Sango shut her eyes as hard as she could, awaiting what was going to happen.

But it never came.

Miroku let go of her altogether and gave a small bow before turning and starting to leave.

"Wait!" Sango called out, "Why did you stop?" Miroku looked back at her.

"I'm not going to force you to do something you obviously don't want to do." He said in a disappointed tone. He tried to turn again to walk, but Sango yet again stopped him.

"But what about what I can give you?" she asked. He turned back and gave a small smile.

"To be honest, you can keep that stuff for free. I was just looking for an excuse to kiss you, but I guess you and I don't see eye to eye." Sango ran up to him and took his hand.

"It's not like that at all!" she cried, "I was just nervous! I've never been kissed...before..."

Miroku turned to face her, and saw a strange sight. Sango was beginning to cry. Miroku whipped her tears a bit before beginning to stroke her hair.

"Sango, I want this so badly, but I won't lay a lip on you without your approval." She was blushing by now, but she was smiling too. Sango got in even closer, almost so that their bodies were touching. She leaned up and kissed him right on the lips.

A little surprised at first, Miroku didn't do anything, but after coming to realization with what happened, he began to kiss back.

When they broke apart, Sango was upset again. Miroku stroked her back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She began to cry again.

"I have to leave tomorrow," she said, "my father is making me get a live-in job at the palace!"

"That's great!" said Miroku. He seemed really excited about this.

"But we won't be able to see each other!" she said. Miroku shook his head.

"It's alright, I work at the palace too! Today I got a day off!" Sango's tears of sadness were soon replaced with happy ones. She leaned against his shoulder and he quickly concealed her in his loving grip. They were there for a while, until Sango pulled away. She knew that her father would be getting up soon. She walked back to her door, then looked back at Miroku.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said.

"Until then." He replied. And with that, she entered her hime, feeling as though tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

So, whadaya think?