A/N: The reviews that I got were so sweet - and they made me laugh just a little, too - that I decided to go ahead and throw out the next chapter. :D I really hope you like this one even more. It might seem to get a little repetitive in there, but if you don't think so then it will make me feel a lot better. But anyway, do enjoy.

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Before anyone could speak, Inuyasha began.

"Guys, this is..." he lifted a dark brow and glanced at the girl in question, "Kagome."

She stood up and, embarrassed, put out a hand for someone-she hoped-to shake. It was quickly taken up, but instead of being shaken, it was kissed. Then she was pulled unceremoniously into muscled, tanned arms as a husky voice whispered into her ear, "I'm Kouga, sexy. And I'm the only one you'll ever wanna meet again."

"Eh..." was all she was able to get out before she heard a growl and was almost dropped, but she quickly found herself taken into another pair of arms. She was just barely able to get a quick peek at Kouga who was scowling and rubbing his head when she heard a rumbling laughter from the chest in front of her, "I am Hiten, and you sure have the most beautiful grey eyes I've ever seen." The two arms that were around her pulled back to hold her shoulders gently as a very handsome, if a bit ferret-like, face peered at her.

'Those red contacts must be a big hit around here,' she thought randomly as she noticed how his eyes resembled Kagura's.

Then she was struck from her thoughts, her eyes widened as she realized his face was moving closer to hers than she felt comfortable with.

"Now, now, boys. You just leave this darling girl alone," Kagome soon felt a soft hand take hers and gracefully pull her from Hiten's arms to stand beside the one speaking.

"Hm. Now then, I am Jakotsu. And I'm very glad to see another beautiful lady like myself to join the group. It's been lonely with all of these raucous men around," the sarcastic comment seemed out of place when Kagome noticed that it was a pretty face smiling at her. Beneath each of his eyes was a green triangle-shaped tattoo.

"Aw, shuddup, Jak, you're no freakin' lady," another new voice reached Kagome's ears and she looked over to see bright green eyes peering at her from behind auburn bangs.

"I'm Shippou," he smiled, scratching the back of his neck abashedly. He seemed innocent enough if his age meant anything. She already felt better knowing that there were at least a few of these guys that weren't going to try to jump her bones in a dark alleyway.

"Bankotsu." A hand met her half way and she readily shook it, looking up to see another male with facial tattoos, this one being on his forehead.

Jakotsu started, "Bankotsu is my older brother. He's taken care of me ever since we were little kiddos," and threw a loving smile at Bankotsu, who in turn scowled and sat back down in his chair to take a bite of his apple.

"Kagome, if ya haven't noticed, Jak is gay, Kouga is a male-whore, Hiten is... well not much better than Kouga, and Shippou is an annoying-ass little kid."

"And you're a half-breed, Manten's bald, and Sesshoumaru's got a frozen stick up his ass," Kouga growled. "I think she's got it now. Shit."

Before any fights could break loose, Kagome questioned quietly, "Manten? Sesshoumaru? Who are they?" She almost asked about the 'half-breed' remark that Kouga had made, but she immediately stopped herself, unsure as to what exactly that meant and if it might hurt Inuyasha's feelings in some way.

"See! She didn't know Manten's bald or that Sesshoumaru's a friggin' ice cube! I told ya wolf-bait! Geez. And for that 'half-breed' bit?! Damn. Just 'cause my dad is Sesshoumaru's dad don't mean we're nothin' alike!"

Jakotsu put up his hands as a symbol of peace before replying to Kagome, "Well, Manten is probably still in line, or he's on his way down here. And, well... Sesshoumaru," he stated this name a little more questionably in tone. "It's a fifty-fifty chance that he comes down here. He doesn't mess around like these guys, he's already a millionaire with his own company. And he's only twenty-four..." Jakotsu got dreamy-eyed for a moment before taking his seat and poking around at the food on his plate.

Kagome followed suit, but thought about that a moment more before, "Wait. If he's a millionaire then why is he here? Why isn't he in his own house, or at least a nicer apartment than this?"

And then, "Indeed, it would make more sense. Alas, my father asked of me to watch over my dear half-brother here. Yet, as much as Inuyasha does not believe me, it actually is not too much of an inconvenience, for it is, at least, closer to work."

'Oh,' she thought.

"Hey, Sesshy! Decided to stop being a recluse and join us?" Jakotsu beamed over at him from across the table.

"Have I not ordered you to grace this Sesshoumaru with silence from now on, Jakotsu? That pet name you have so lovingly given me only gives me a migraine. And do not forget that I hold absolutely no interest in you."

"Oh, so cold! But no worries, I didn't forget. And, hey, I've been calling you that for at least a year. By now, one would think you'd be used to it."

"Yes. If only one would think."

"So!" Kagome broke in unexpectedly. "If I could ask you a teeny little question. Sesshoumaru? Why do you talk like that?"

He simply raised an articulate eyebrow at the rather demeaning and out-of-the-blue question, but continued to eat his aristocratic sub sandwich.

"I mean, why do you talk so proper? Not to be rude or anything, because I think it's actually kind of neat, but seriously. It makes me think of some medieval movie based in the sixteenth century or something."

"As much as I would adore spending my time humoring your vast intellectual interrogations, I have things of a much dire importance that i could be attending to. Really... practically anything would be a better use of my time." He glanced off in the distance thoughtfully to add effect to his delightful sarcasm.

She lurched up out of her seat and steadied a finger in his direction. "Oh, well, you're eating! If that is a 'dire importance' then everything I do must be recorded by the kami to show how utterly unbelievable my prowess at being a human is. Geez... You're such a freaking jerk, AND I just met you."

A few muffled laughs at Sesshoumaru's expense could be heard around the table, before...

"Really? Are you not in junior-high, girl? So what are you doing here? I believe your mother will be soon calling you for bath time."

"What!? Junior-high!? Bath time? Excuse ME, but I'm almost eighteen! AND I've got C's here!" She motioned to her chest with both hands. "How many junior-high students do you know with C's?!" Her anger was far past sane thinking, and so she didn't even care to remember what she'd just blurted out. Instead she kept a straight face as she crossed her arms under her breasts and scowled, thus causing her "C's" to be even more evident.

"Well, actually she does have a point there..." Kouga stated, with Hiten and Miroku nodding fervently, as he looked at the thing that most junior-high students did not, indeed, have.

Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly, stating something under his breath that went along the lines of "and this is why I am a 'recluse'".

With the stares, she blushed heatedly before sitting back down in a huff got back to eating.

"Hey, Kagome. What room did you say you were in again?" Shippou's slightly higher-pitched voice could be heard across from her before taking another bite of his burger.

"Oh. I'm in, uh, room number... 36," she nodded after thinking for a moment.

Three more heads looked up at her.

"Really!?" Shippou exclaimed.

Jakotsu smiled profusely, "That's great! Kagome, I'm room number 34!"

"And I'm 35!" Shippou stated excitedly.

Miroku gave a half-smile, "Inuyasha and I are 31 and Bankotsu's 26. Kagura can be a real nice lady sometimes. Especially when you pay enough and there's enough rooms to get a choice. We were all able to get rooms fairly close to each other. ...Well, that is if we wanted them. Sesshoumaru is the only one completely off by himself. And Kouga, Hiten, and Manten got rooms next to each other on our floor as well."

Kagome looked at them wide-eyed, "That's so cool." Then she looked at the guys with a doubting grin, "Well, just as long as you stay out of my room when you don't have permission."

Miroku gave her a faux-hurt look, Hiten simply looked away, and Kouga gave a predatory grin in response.

"It won't matter much anyway. You'll be begging me to come into your room soon enough."

Jakotsu swiftly knocked Kouga over the head before winking at Kagome, "Don't worry, dear, I've got your back when it comes to those three."
"Me too!" Shippou agreed as he clutched his right hand into a fist and smacked the palm of his left hand.

Inuyasha looked at Miroku and shook his head, "Just lemme know if the monk tries anything. And for him," he pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Kouga. "I can always introduce him to my fist again, if we need to go back outside like last week..." He gave a smirk and brushed his fingers through his off-white hair - a color that Kagome could only guess as being unnatural, but then she glanced at Sesshoumaru. 'Hmm... Maybe extreme early greying runs in the family? Maybe?' She would certainly think more on that later.

"Uh... well, I'm sure it'll be okay." She smiled before Kouga could try and refute his declaration, hoping that her words would be true enough.

'At least it seems I won't be getting bored or lonely anytime soon,' she smiled at them just as the last belated figure sauntered up to the group with a happy face and a full plate. He wedged himself in the empty chair between Hiten and Shippou. This new addition was the most bulky, also the least encumbered with hair, of the nine, but he seemed to put off a nice enough first-impression. No scowling, growling, or trying to make-out with her. Good, good.

"Hello," she greeted warmly. "You must be Manten."

He looked over at her quizzically with his hotdog half-way in his mouth before he took it out still whole and tilted his large head to the side.

"I'm Kagome. I'm... uh, new to the complex."

"Uhhuh, I see. Nice ta meet you. I see you have a nice head of hair on you, as well. What shampoo and conditioner do you use if I might ask?"

"Oh... Um...Ga-"

"Manten, that's kind of a personal thing don't you think, especially for someone you've just met. I apologize, Kagome, but Manten has a thing for hair. He and his brother have been working in a branch of Sesshoumaru's company. They are trying to create a natural way to grow hair and reduce hair loss. Before that, though, they found a way to naturally kill the hair follicle so that women - and men - don't have to shave." She motioned to Manten, "Manten was so excited by their breakthrough that he just had to be the test subject. And... well, his heroic deed backfired. So now that they have completed that project, they're working on restoring the hair."

"Wow! That's amazing, you guys!" Kagome couldn't hold back her wonder as she studied Manten's bald head from across the table.

"I just might have to get my hands on some of that if it's possible."
"Yes, I know exactly how you feel about that! As soon as I heard about it I had to get some myself." Jakotsu agreed whole-heartedly.

"Feel! I did it two months ago and there have been no problems!" Jakotsu scooted back his chair and motioned to his leg for Kagome to examine.

Hesitantly she looked closer at his shiny, hairless leg before she gently rubbed a finger over the smooth skin.

"Oh! Wow!" She cheered excitedly. "I would save so much money if I didn't have to buy shavers! Not to mention time!" She expertly missed the bored looks Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged.

"Yeah, but if you've not seen it in the stores yet, it's rather expensive," Jakotsu furrowed his brows.

"Oh," Kagome frowned, but was quickly smiling again when Jakotsu reminded her that, since they were all friends now, she could probably get it for free if not at least with a major price reduction.

"But I would feel bad though. I mean if that stuff is so expensive, then I shouldn't get it for free."

Hiten was quick to put his foot in the proverbial door, "Oh, darling Kagome, it would be absolutely perfect if you want to pay me back by going on a simple date with me. Come on, what could it hurt?"

Jakotsu quickly gazed over at Hiten with doe eyes, "But Hiten, you never gave me that offer. You just made me feel bad for weeks afterward! I would have certainly gone out with you on a date if you'd offered!"

"Um... well... I, uh. I was just kidding about that, Kagome. Heh... heh... It's just fine!" Hiten quickly downed his cup of water before standing to throw his trash away.

'That was interesting... Poor Jakotsu, but it seems neither Hiten nor Sesshoumaru are much into guys,' Kagome giggled to herself while finishing up her own tray of food. 'But I'm sure he already knows that and just likes to mess with them.'

"Actually..." Kagome muttered under her breath.

She then proceeded to snap her fingers and look up at Jakotsu with a grin, "That's it! Hojo!"

"H-Ho what?" Kouga stuttered with a full mouth.

"Jakotsu! I want to set you up with one of my friends!" Kagome grinned when she had Jakotsu's full attention, missing both the laughter that exploded from Inuyasha and the sound of Miroku falling out of his chair.

A/N: Yes... hard to believe they're still at the lunch table(that's the repetitive part). :P

And... Manten's not hot. Sorry, but there has to be some reality here. Not EVERYONE can be hot. :D