Me: This idea stems from a conversation I had with a friend of mine a while back.

Disclaimer: "InuYasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Shogakugan, Viz Media, etc.

Chapter 1

For her sixteenth birthday her father bought her a shiny new moped; a result of working hard toward entering senior high and never asking for much. She knew how busy her detective father was, being consulted for minor cases while at the same time toiling over the trial of his longest mission. It was therefore unexpected when he presented her with such an extraordinary gift, just before she was due for her license.

As soon as the plastic card was in her hands she raced home to saddle the burgundy machine and take it for a test run. The euphoria she felt while speeding down the road was unlike anything she had ever experienced; the wind blowing against her face and whipping through the dark strands of hair that her helmet could not contain.

Upon arriving home she found only the family cat to greet her, and a note on the kitchen table. Her father had escorted her brother to the park to meet a friend and would come back later. With dusk approaching she thought it peculiar, but shrugged and began preparing dinner.

It was now approaching eight in the evening, her father and brother not yet home. An unsettling anxiousness gripped her body as the seconds ticked. Unable to stand it any longer, she seized her helmet and sped for the park her brother always played.

The park appeared deserted as she dismounted her moped, pulling off her helmet and frantically looking about for signs of her family.

Her heart was pounding as she ran under the cover of night. A chill had seized her body when her eyes caught sight of a figure on the ground; a familiar figure. Even before she had reached him, her eyes were prickling with immanent tears. Slowing to a stop, she stood frozen before a lurch in her stomach made her to fall to her knees. She timidly reached out to touch the person resting beneath her.

The blood on her hand that was not her own, but her father's – her dying father. In the park, out of reach of the nearest sources of light, she could just make out the sight of him. She knelt next to his form lying on the cement ground, broken words escaping his mouth, trying to reach her. "Na…ra… kid… Koha…" They were the last discernable sounds before his body shuddered still.

She couldn't even cry, the shock of his passing stilling her entire being. Shadows crept over her, and her body ached as something sharp pierced her back. She felt her own blood and the cold hardness of the ground as she fell upon it.

- - - - - - - - -

Her eyes opened just barely as she squinted to adjust her vision to the sunlight. A hand was shaking her leg, and she pulled away before knowingly turning over to look at the cause of her disturbance. As she expected, there was the girl with fluffed sharp bangs and round brown eyes, which were currently giving her an exhausted look.

"Sango-chan, lunch is almost over." Her tone was urgent, but she didn't show any sign of desperation. She watched the other girl sit up and curse under her breath, rubbing her sore arms. "This is the third time this week I've had to come up here looking for you. If you want to sleep during lunch, why not just do it in the classroom?"

Sango's expression hardened, though she didn't direct it at her. "I don't want people paying witness to me sleeping. I get enough unwanted stares as it is thanks. Besides, it's too noisy."

"You should eat, then. You've only done that once with me and my friends."

"Kagome, your friends don't exactly think highly of me," replied Sango indifferently.

"That's not true!" Kagome leaned forwards earnestly. "They just don't know you well enough."

"Sorry Kagome, but I'm not –" She stopped short at the pleading expression on Kagome's face. "Oh, come on…"

"You haven't made any friends even though we're well into the school year."

With a straight face Sango replied, "It's alright. I have you."

She succeeded in embarrassing Kagome enough that the younger girl nearly slipped off the ladder as she descended it. "W-Well that's fine, but getting to know others would be good too."

Sango grabbed hold of the top of the ladder and flipped her body so she landed next to her. As she stood, her daring eyes gazed at Kagome. "Like you with Inuyasha?"

"That's – I'm not talking about that!"

"And I'm not talking about this." Sango sounded quite content with the matter. "Let's go, we shouldn't be late for class."

Though she said this, Sango didn't pay any attention when the lesson started and the teacher rattled on. It had nearly been half a year since that moment she had dreamt about. Every time she was brought back to that awful event, the emotions she had felt then would flood back up. She did her best to contain them.

That was a reason she had adopted a yanki persona. The skirt of her school uniform was lengthened down to her calves, and she chose to socialize as little as possible at school. If she seemed tough on the outside, maybe she would feel strong on the inside. Although, it wasn't completely like that…

The melody of the bell finally brought Sango back to reality. Chairs screeched and books shuffled as students began packing up to leave the classroom.

Kagome had just finished clasping her bag shut when three girls approached her.

Yuka, the girl with the shortest hair, leant against her desk. "Kagome, do you want to check out that new café we were talking about? Eri and Ayumi said they can go."

"Talking about it really made me want to go," said Eri, adjusting her headband.

"Can you come, Kagome-chan?" Ayumi chimed in.

"Oh, um… well…" Kagome's eyes shifted sideways.

Her expression taking on recognition, Yuka said, "Unless, you're leaving with Inuyasha again?"

For a moment Kagome looked surprised. "Eh? No, it's just… um…" Her friends followed Kagome's cautious gaze, which lead to Sango who was morosely sliding things into her bag.

"Do you want… Sango-san to come?" Yuka guessed at.

The conversation she had with Sango earlier flashed before Kagome. She was meek when she asked her friends, "Do you not like her?"

The three girls exchanged concerned glances. "It's not that we don't like her…" Eri began. "She's just hard to approach."

Yuka added, "When she first came to our school and people tried talking to her, she wasn't very open."

"We know it's likely because of what happened, though," interjected Ayumi sympathetically.

Kagome's eyes roved between each of them, trying to discern their verdict. "So…?"

The girls wordlessly communicated with one another again before turning to Kagome. They smiled with a unanimous nod.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome exclaimed as she stood from her chair. She swept over to Sango and effectively blocked her from commencing her trek out of the classroom. "Sango, Yuka and the others are planning to go to a new café that opened. Can you come?"

In her mind it took Sango a second to come up with an answer. It would have been a polite refusal. This decision needed to be reevaluated however, as her eyes fell upon Kagome's pleading expression. An exasperated, "Okay," was good enough for Kagome to become giddy with happiness and clasp her hands with thanks.

"She said she'll come!" Kagome nearly shouted, much to Sango's dismay. Luckily for her the other students in the room were distracted by a thundering noise coming down the hallway.

The noise stopped in front of their classroom door and students flew out of the way as a boy with long white hair bustled in. His sharp eyes caught sight of Kagome and he zoned in to announce, "Kagome, I can't walk you home today!"

She blinked at him before her face contorted into an incredulous expression. "You don't have to make such a fuss to tell me that. Anyway, it's fine. I'm going out with Sango-chan and my friends."

Inuyasha did a double-take before roving his eyes over to Sango. "You're going too?"

"Yeah…" she replied in a tone which implied it was against her will.

Yuka inserted herself into the conversation by saying, "Did you get detention again?"

"What was it for this time?" Ayumi asked.

Inuyasha's face screwed into an aggravated expression. "It was that jerk's fault!"

"Oh," Eri said pointedly. "Okay, we get it."

With a jaded sigh Kagome said, "Inuyasha, I wish you two would get along better. He's a good guy, you know."

Adamant, Inuyasha retorted, "Come on Kagome, he's always –"

"Hey, Inukkoro!" a new voice shouted from the doorway. "Sensei's looking for you." Inuyasha glowered at the boy leaning against the doorframe by his forearm.

"Kouga-kun!" Kagome exclaimed.

Grinning, Kouga strode up to the girl and took hold her of hands. "Hello, Kagome."

Smacking his arms away, Inuyasha snapped, "Don't touch her!"

Kouga frowned. "If Kagome doesn't have a problem with it I don't see why you should."

"Kagome doesn't know any better!"

"What was that!?" Kagome shot at Inuyasha.

In a hushed tone Eri advised, "Hey, you guys, calm down. You're making a commotion and people are staring…" It was true enough. Though the bell signaling dismissal had long gone, students were still lingering in the classroom to watch the unfolding drama between the three.

"Besides," Ayumi assisted Eri in her efforts, "don't you two need to go for detention?"

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Inuyasha and Kouga once again began a quarrel of unyielding proportions over who was to blame. As the subject of the squabble evolved into one about each other's intelligence, a stern order of "Will you two be quiet!?" silenced them both.

Although she had been relatively passive throughout the boys' bickering, Sango exploded when there seemed to be no end to it. All eyes were on her as she glared at the duo, whom might even have been frightened at her outburst. Without another word she stalked past them and left, ignoring the stares which followed her.

Knowing she likely wouldn't wait around, Kagome scrambled to pick up her things. With a quick goodbye to Inuyasha and Kouga, she went after her, along with Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka.

Sango was already halfway down the corridor when the girls caught up with her.

Trying to lighten the mood, Yuka remarked, "Impressive how you were able to stop them like that."

"It was nothing special," Sango answered nonchalantly as they walked down the stairs. "I can't stand it when they argue over such petty things."

"Yeah…" Yuka looked over to Kagome teasingly. "You'd think arguing over Kagome would be enough."

Scandalized, Kagome reproachfully called, "Yuka-!" but anything she would have added to that was cut short by a mass of female students jostling past them.

Eri found she had to raise her voice over the noise the girls were making to ask, "What's going on?"

"Higurashi!"

"Oh, Houjou-kun!" Kagome spotted the boy weaving between the rushed school girls to reach them. "Houjou-kun, do you know what's this is about?"

"Yeah, I heard a few girls in my class saying that Tsujitani Miroku-san is at the school."

"Tsujitani Miroku-san!?"

"Do you know him?"

"Of course!" Eri gushed. "Tsujitani Miroku of Rumic Academy, his father is the owner of a renowned jewelry business. Every week he visits a different school to meet the female student body. Handsome, intelligent, athletic… he's quite a ladies man."

"He is a bit strange though," added Ayumi. "He has a tendency to grope girls and ask, 'Will you bear my children?' to each of them."

Sango made a face. "Strange? He sounds like a downright pervert to me."

"Even so, he's still incredibly popular." Yuka spun around to face her friends. "Shall we go see for ourselves?"

Outside at the school gate was a horde of girls from their school. In the middle of the chaos was a boy wearing a navy blazer, part of the standard issue male uniform of Rumic Academy. His hair, which would have been shoulder-length lose, was tied back in a short ponytail, and adorning his ears were rings of gold.

"Look, there he is!" Eri pointed excitedly as she leaned on Yuka's shoulder. "Do you think we'll be able to meet him?"

It was a wonder to Kagome how her friends could get so easily sidetracked over boys. "Eh? What about the café?"

Yuka tilted her head and smiled. "Don't worry, the café isn't going anywhere. Tsujitani-san on the other hand only revisits a school when someone he's interested in attends there."

"Isn't he a playboy?" Sango muttered wearily. "There must be plenty of girls he has an interest in."

Wagging a finger, Ayumi clarified, "Yuka-chan means someone he really likes. While it's true he may date many girls, he never visits their schools because he knows it would cause a commotion with the other students."

Sango shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I would think that for someone he really likes he wouldn't want a commotion for that particular girl." She moved onwards to leave the school grounds. "If we're not going to the café then I'd like to go home. See you later."

"Ah – Sango-chan!" Kagome quickly turned and gave a slight bow to the other four. "Sorry, but I'll have to go too." She waved them goodbye as she scampered to tag after Sango.

"Hmm…" Eri placed her hands on her hips, a perplexed expression crossing her features. "Kagome always seems to favour Sango-san, doesn't she?"

Ayumi observed them thoughtfully as Sango and Kagome began to approach the school gate. "You can't really blame her though."

Houjou felt himself smile softly. "Higurashi has a big heart… that's something I admire about her."

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi stood by his side, glancing at one another. Kagome sure had a full plate…

The parting of schoolgirls caught Miroku's attention; it was something he rarely ever experienced. He found the cause to be another female student, who was drawing a path to leave. Even from the distance between them, his gut told him something was different about her. Her long hair swayed amid the slight breeze in the air, and her eyes were so focused… Suddenly unaware of the girls who clamored around him, he only saw her… and the way her expression changed when another girl joined her.

"Sango-chaan!" Kagome looked slightly cross as she complained, "I wish you'd let me know when you're leaving."

Sango's brow hitched. "Eh? I thought you were going to stay with your friends."

"Contrary to what you may believe, I'm not as interested in those things as they are."

"Hm… well it's not like you need to be anyway."

"Come on, not you too…"

"Sorry," Sango smiled apologetically. "I know it's not really my business."

They continued walking down the sidewalk, but Kagome's eyes hadn't moved from watching over Sango. Surely if she had been having that conversation with one of her other friends, they would have pressed on a bit further. Not Sango though. She was different. Her mind made up, Kagome abruptly halted. "Let's go to the café."

"What?" Sango turned and blinked at her. "What about your friends? Wouldn't it be unfair? Besides, I thought you wanted me to go along with them."

"Well… they'll understand, and there'll be plenty of other times we can all go somewhere together."

Though Sango was still dubious about it, Kagome lead her on to the Four Seasons Café. It was a quaint place not too far off from their school. As they opened the door, the bell hanging above rung; and they stepped into a serene wonderland. The café was furnished sparingly, but still held a warm and comforting ambiance. Against the walls were soft cushioned booths to seat many, and pictures of still life hung in the picture frames above. There were a few customers scattered about, but not in such a way as to be disruptive.

The girls choose to sit at a table for two by the window, and as soon as they were settled a waitress not many years older than themselves approached. "Hello, my name's Yura! I'll be your waitress for today." She placed a menu on the table before each of them. "Let me know when you've decided what you want."

When she had left them alone, Kagome leant over the table and pleasantly whispered, "What do you think?"

Glancing down the menu, Sango replied, "It's nice…" She looked up at Kagome. "Do you want a piece of strawberry shortcake?"

"H-Huh?" Kagome's fingers fumbled with her own menu as she quickly scanned it over.

"That's your favourite, right? Or… do you want to try something else?"

Kagome went down the menu reading each of the listed items. Several of the sweets appeared to be of the café's own making. Trying one of those should be clear choice, but… "No," Kagome smiled and set her menu down. "Strawberry shortcake would be great."

"Okay." Sango waved the waitress to their table and placed an order of two coffees and a slice of strawberry shortcake. Yura jotted it in her notepad before scurrying off to fetch the order.

"Odd…" Kagome mused as she glanced around. "The way the others were talking about this place I thought there'd be more people here."

"This is fine." Sango leant back placidly and crossed her legs. "I like the quiet atmosphere."

Kagome gazed down at her own hands resting on the table. "I'm glad you like it. When I asked you in the classroom if you wanted to come, you didn't look like you wanted to."

It was a surprise. Sango hadn't realized Kagome was able to notice what she was really thinking back in class. She didn't know she could read her that well. This discovery was embarrassing, and she wondered how frequently Kagome would perceive her without her knowing. Kagome was really something… and her reply reflected this. "I'd go if it's with you, Kagome."

"Uh – Wha?" Kagome didn't know what to do. Sango occasionally would say these things to her during their conversations; words that made her flustered. It was likely the way Sango would say them that got to her. The way she would be serious about it, the way she looked her in the eyes when she said them. It was all very confusing…

"Here's your order!" Yura sauntered up to their table with their order balanced on a tray. She set a coffee down for each of them and asked, "Who is the cake for?" Kagome raised her hand and Yura purred, "Ah, of course it's for the sweet girl. Enjoy!"

Sango gave the waitress a calculating look as she strode off to attend to another customer.

With an, 'Itadekimasu!' Kagome dove into the cake with her fork and took a bite.

"How is it?" Sango queried.

"Mmm, it's good!" Kagome brought her arms close to herself happily. "Do you want to try some?"

"No, it's okay." Sango lifted her coffee and blew across it gently before sipping.

"Sango-chan, it'd be a waste to come here and not try any of the sweets."

The cup came down from Sango's lips, and she was smirking. "Look who's the one being wasteful."

"Eh?" Kagome looked down at herself and saw her hair brushing the top of her cake. "Ah, oh no!" She picked the strands off and eyed them regretfully.

"Wait here, I'll get some damp paper towels." Sango pushed her chair back and headed for the washroom.

"Mou…" Kagome twirled the iced strands of hair between her fingers. How was she careless enough to do that? She decided to cheer herself up with the cake sitting on the table, getting in a few more mouthfuls while she held her sullied hair. A hand covered her own, and she felt something wet against her skin. She looked round expecting to see Sango, but instead there was Yura, wiping a cloth across her hair. "Oh, um… thank you."

She smiled at her with amusement. "You're quite welcome." Yura strung her fingers through the hair she just cleaned. "Please take care of your hair." Her eyes hazed. "It'd be a shame if something were to happen to such lovely locks." She held Kagome's hair to her lips, and kissed it, causing the schoolgirl to flinch.

"Excuse me!" Sango stood a few steps away from them, water dripping from the paper towels squeezed tightly in her hand. "I don't think it's proper protocol for servers to do that to customers, is it?"

"S-Sango-chan…"

Yura straightened and observed Sango callously. "I was just giving her some friendly advice."

"A little too friendly if you ask me." Sango dropped the paper towels on the table before reaching into her bag. She extracted her wallet and popped it open for some money to hand to Yura. "Here, we'll be going now." Hoisting Kagome by the arm so she could stand, Sango turned to Yura. "You're lucky I don't report this to your manager. Consider it a warning." She pulled Kagome along by the hand and didn't look back at the fuming waitress as they left.

"Honestly, it's no wonder there were hardly any customers with people like that working there!" Sango began ranting as soon as they were outside. She glanced over her shoulder. "Kagome, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah… but…"

Sango stopped her strides and faced her worriedly. "… But?"

Kagome looked uncomfortable. Maybe even scared of what she would have to say? "But… we didn't finish what we ordered."

"… Huh?" Sango was nearly gaping. "That's what you're worried about? Not about the fact that she invaded your personal space?" Her voice was on the verge of growing livid.

"Well yes, that part was disturbing, but… it turned out okay because you rescued me." Modestly she smiled at her. "I'm glad you came with me, Sango-chan."

Sango stared at Kagome's figure, kind and unassuming. Kagome had always been that way. "You could have handled her just as well, Kagome. As for rescuing you, it was nothing compared to when you did it for me."

She had done it again. Those words… Kagome tried to smile, but it was awkward.

They began journeying for home, and the complicated thoughts in Kagome's head faded to simple ones. "I didn't even get to taste the coffee …"

Sango shook her head, incredulous at Kagome's priorities. "Oh, never mind that. It wasn't that great anyway."

Me: The nature of this story and "InuYasha" would indicate this fanfic to be a lengthy one… I hadn't anticipated that when I started this for some reason.
So I imagine updates won't be frequent; my apologies in advance.