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A/N: Um, I really thank you for your kind response to "Job", but… I was quite dumbfounded when people asked me to 'update'. I had nothing planned for this story, I just had the idea for the first part. I only considered that there might be a short conclusion. So when I saw people asking for new chapters, I was like: "huh?"
Anyway, even if I find it hard to work under pressure, I decided to transform this in a three-parts story. Here's the second part.
Thank you so much for your support!
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
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JOB
Taisho Industries, offices
Flashback
Inuyasha was flashing everyone his grin, convinced he had just made an unforgettable impression. It was technically true, but not in a positive way.
People in the business meeting were discreetly averting their eyes or trying to maintain a polite expression after the last idiocy he had said, this time concerning geography. Inuyasha had just expressed his opinion, saying he was against making a financial treaty with a company in Rome, because he didn't like Spain.
People in the room were in fact embarrassed, but no one would ever dare say anything, or remind Inuyasha that Rome was not in Spain, but in Italy. And a prejudice against Spain was completely irrational, but again, no one dared say anything.
Not against a member of the powerful Taisho family.
Inuyasha's ignorance would not have been tolerated, had he been anyone else. Everyone in the room with him wondered how he managed to run the Taisho Industries, considering his ineptitude.
Kagome, who was next to Inuyasha as his secretary, mentally steeled herself and prepared to tactfully change the topic. She would go back to it later, when her boss would already have forgotten what he had said. She knew the financial treaty was a good choice, and she knew that everyone else in the room thought so, too.
She would make Inuyasha indirectly do what was best for the Taisho Industries. As usual.
Kagome shook herself from that unpleasant memory – one of many –, looked up from her desk and saw the clock.
In half an hour, her working time would end. She concentrated hard on the last files she had to read, in order to analyse them quickly and leave them ready for Sesshoumaru to sign the next morning. Thanks to the more human working hours she had, as soon as she finished she could go home.
Or maybe she could go visit her brother at the hospital first. Kagome inwardly smiled. Not only did she have shorter working hours and could therefore spend time with her beloved younger sibling, she could now also afford a few little luxuries for him as well. The treatment was going smoothly and she wasn't preoccupied about the cost anymore, thanks to her new job.
In fact, Sesshoumaru had offered to pay her first salary in advance and, even if she had been surprised at his perceptiveness, she had accepted. She had only been working for him for a fortnight, but she had already been proving to him how invaluable she was. She was professional and dedicated, and the job was perfect for her. Just an hour earlier, before going to his half-brother's office to speak with him, Sesshoumaru himself had approached her and told her that he was glad to have hired her.
Aside from the obvious pleasure that such a compliment gave her, Kagome had also noticed for the first time how handsome her silver-haired employer was. But she knew better than to let herself fall prey to his charms, she repeated to herself mentally, and forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand.
Half an hour later, Kagome closed the offices, and was about to leave the building when she spotted Sesshoumaru coming back. He was as serious as ever, but his eyes softened fractionally when he saw her. He gave a nod in her direction.
Kagome smiled a little in response and asked, respectfully, "How was the meeting with your brother, Mr Sesshoumaru?"
The tall man's expression didn't change. "As usual, Miss Higurashi," he replied curtly. He didn't rectify, as Inuyasha always did, that they were only half-brothers.
The young woman didn't think he would offer more information, and was about to take her leave politely, when her employer added, "I'm afraid I've had to fire him." He observed her face carefully while pronouncing those words.
Kagome gasped slightly. She wasn't surprised at Inuyasha's dismissal, but she was surprised at the fact that Sesshoumaru had been the one to do it.
Even though the two brothers weren't particularly close, they had taken their father's place at the head of the Taisho empire together, as it was Inutaisho's last wish. The black-haired woman wasn't sure about the details, but she knew that Sesshoumaru had been taking care of the companies around the world while Inuyasha had stayed in Japan to… to… well, it wasn't clear what exactly he did, beside wasting a lot of money in futile things.
However, Kagome knew he was part of the Taisho family, and didn't think he could be dismissed so quickly. But, as she reminded herself, it was none of her business, so she had no right to ask further questions.
It seemed, however, that her curiosity was clearly visible on her face, because Sesshoumaru said, with a hint of a smile, "It was a necessary measure I had to take. The way he was 'working'," he emphasized the word slightly, "was shameful for the Taisho Industries."
Those few words contained much more than what they were saying. It was now clear, especially from what Kagome knew about Sesshoumaru, that he would get rid of whatever was not an asset for the welfare of the companies. However, it was not a cold and heartless decision, it was a rational and calculated one. Sesshoumaru's brother's staying would have benefited neither the company nor Inuyasha himself. Therefore, the best decision was to fire him.
Kagome reached this conclusion while meeting her employer's gaze. By the knowing gleam in those strange golden orbs of his, she realized he was well aware of her train of thoughts, and he seemed to be pleased about her reasoning. She blushed.
The black-haired woman did her best to hide her discomfort and murmured a quiet, "Very well. Good night, Mr Sesshoumaru," before leaving the building in direction of the hospital.
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Later that night, after her brother had fallen asleep, Kagome tenderly tucked him in the hospital bed and smiled. Her brother's health was improving and he would soon be able to leave the hospital; her new job was interesting, not too difficult and well-paid; her former boss – ignorant and vexing – couldn't do any more damage to the company she was working for; her new boss –a clever man – seemed to trust her and was happy with her work…
Things were definitely going well.
But sadly for Kagome… fate had still something in store for her.
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A/N: all the things Inuyasha says are things I actually heard from people. I didn't invent anything for those parts.
