Author's Notes: Hey guys! I know I haven't updated Heart, Mind, and Soul but I will be doing that soon! It's just that I was recently inspired to write this story. My friend advised that I visit a certain website called "Gives Me Hope". The site is composed of different happenings in random people's lives that have given them hope. It ranges from random acts of kindness (like featured in this story) to true love and inspiring feats. The website not only gave me hope, but it inspired me to be a better person and thus inspired me to write this story. I think the character I developed for Kagome is very fitting. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story as much as I will enjoy writing it.

Disclaimers: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters.

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Just Like Kagome

Part I – The Unfeeling

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You know that feeling you get when someone does something good for you? It's just so out of the blue; you never see it coming. We all think about how dangerous it is to be taking to strangers, but we forget how kind they can actually be. They can easily put smiles on your face, leave you with a light heart, and even make you forget the bitterness that you were carrying before.

Kagome was just the person.

I met her in high school, during my junior year. She had no friends, which was something that surprised me. She smiled at everyone in the hallway, helped the new kids who seemed to have lost their way, held the doors for the janitors and teachers, and even went as far as to help the disabled kids up the stairs whenever they needed it. But for some reason, she helped them as strangers, and she'd stay a stranger. Kagome never felt the need to befriend anybody, because for her, just helping them in their time of need was enough. They did not need to know her name, they did not need to pay her back.

So, why, of all people, did she choose me to be the exception? Kagome came up to me one day, as the other kids were making fun of my silver hair and golden eyes, calling me a "half-breed", just like they always did. It was nothing new; I was already used to it. But Kagome came up to me that day, lunch tray and everything, and sat down at my table.

"Hi, Inuyasha." She was my first real friend. And she brought others along with her. After Kagome, making friends just seemed so natural. However, she never did the same. Whenever I called her out for a birthday party or a gathering, she'd decline politely as always. "Sorry, but I have to study tonight." Or she would say, "Mama needs me tonight. She needs to work overtime and I need to take care of Souta." It was something I could not control, and therefore I didn't try to.

But her excuses became too much for me, and I began to think that she was growing tired of being around the half-human-half-dog. I went over to her house one night, only to find that she was home alone. "Kagome, why did you lie to me?" She never answered my question, but at the same time, I don't think I wanted her to. However, she made it completely clear that she wanted to be friends. She apologized and that was it, and I let it go. She said she would make it up to me by spending some time together. But the next day, she said that her mother needed her to buy groceries, so I would have to go with her if I wanted to spend time with her.

Of course, I could never say no to Kagome. She seemed to have some sort of power over me.

"Inuyasha, why are you so grumpy all the time?" Her question was not offensive, but asked merely out of curiosity. "You hardly ever smile."

"Gee, maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm being called a 'half-breed' every day."

"Sarcasm gets you nowhere, either."

"Feh, whatever." But instead of losing her temper with me, like everyone else did, she just shrugged it off and snaked her arm around mine. It was the first time that I felt it: the leaping of my heart into my throat. It was the first time I became aware of my feelings towards Kagome, my feelings that I promised myself I would never speak of.

As we were paying for those groceries, she seemed distant, as though she weren't paying attention to her own life. "Kagome?" She turned around, only to glance at a couple whispering loudly to each other. It was obvious they were fighting. They could not have been much older than we were, but judging by the rings on their fingers, they were married.

"Shut up, Miroku! Do you know how embarrassing this is?!"

"Sango, it's okay. We'll just ask them to put the groceries back―"

"And let them know we're too broke to buy a couple of damn tomatoes and a box of cereal?!" The woman was flushing with embarrassment, and I mentally scolded them for being stupid enough to not know how much they had in their pockets before coming to purchase something. Truly, the embarrassment was their fault.

The man ignored his wife and smiled at the cashier, who was waiting impatiently for the rendered amount of money. "I'm sorry, miss. But it appears that we don't―"

"I'll pay for them." Kagome's soft voice surprised me again. She pulled out her wallet and stuffed a bill into the cashier's waiting hands. "Let them have the change, too, please." Then, she walked back towards our lane, grabbed our bags, and pulled me behind her as we left the building.

"What did you go and do that for?" I asked her when we were in my car, and I was driving her home.

Again, she did not answer me.

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END PART I