-Rin and Sesshomaru-

"Age?"

"19…"

"Interests?"

"Um…"

"Favorite subject?"

"Hey! You didn't even give me a chance to answer that last one!"

"Goals and dreams?"

"To get out of this ridiculous tutoring for one…"

"Current ranking in your class?"

"I… well… let's just say…"

Sesshomaru closed the newspaper he was half heartedly reading and neatly folded it, placing it next to the couch he sat on. With a great sigh, he pressed the bridge of his pointed nose and looked down at the ground. "I know what you're lacking."

"Really? Well… what is it?" Rin asked, suddenly interested in what he had to say. She had biked all the way to his expensive condo early in the morning for this, and so far, all was terrible.

Sesshomaru was a 23 year old who graduated his first 3 years of undergraduate school at the top of his business class. His father found no need for him to earn a degree in anything, and withdrew him from his classes and placed him as co-manager of Taisho Corp at the age of 22. Since then, Sesshomaru had earned himself a reputation for being a heartless, over-intelligent know-it-all.

"You lack maturity and drive."

Her jaw dropped to the floor as she pointed at his still face. "What the heck is that supposed to mean? I am completely mature and—"

He stood, brushing himself off of the imaginary dust and raised an eyebrow at the girl before him. "If you really want to improve your grades, you must be completely willing to do as I say." Turning briskly away from her to reach for a cup of coffee on the granite counter tops, he shrugged. "And it looks to me as if you would rather kill yourself than comply. Am I right?"

Rin pressed her palms together and rotated her thumbs anxiously against each other. "That's not entirely… true."

"Tell me," he sipped his hot drink. "Give me one good reason why I should waste my time on you."

She shot her head up and glared at him with her suddenly determined chocolate brown eyes. "Because I killed my parents, and unless I work hard, I can never redeem myself! I owe Sato, and I need you to help me!"

He placed his cup down and tilted his head to the side. What is she talking about… killed her parents? He narrowed his dull golden eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

Surprised, Rin picked up her books and stood before him, bowing. "Thank you Sensei."

He sat back down on the deep red velvet couch and pulled out a book from the drawer in the table in front of him. "You may let yourself out. Classes will be with me every second day from now on from 4 to 6 pm."

"Uh… right." She quietly led herself out of his apartment condo and slowly clicked the door behind her. Why on earth did I just do that? He offered me a chance to quit, and I didn't take it! I'm such an idiot! Now I have to suffer his company for who knows how long? She let out a low groan and hit her head against the steel door.

-Sign of Unrest-

"You're late," Inu no Taisho growled.

"Sorry, I had something I needed to tend to," Sesshomaru answered with no emotion. He made himself comfortable on the office chair of the boardroom next to his father and surveyed the room.

Today was the day of the "extremely important conference meeting with Sacred Industries", as his father had called it. Sacred Industries was another large company in Japan that specialized mainly in ancient artifacts, including the safe keeping of the Shikon Jewel.

There, on the other side of the excessively long table, sitting across from Sesshomaru was a pale man dressed in a dark suit and purple tie. His hair was long and black, menacingly falling from his handsome head. Then he realized that this man was a demon too. But his aura felt strangely different than what Sesshomaru was normally used to.

"My name is Naraku," he said with a grin. "I am the manager of Sacred Industries, and you must be the great Sesshomaru." He stood and walked over to where the dog demon sat and held out a hand. "It's truly an honor to meet the youngest co manager in the history of Japan."

Shaking his hand was like sticking one's tongue to a frozen pole in the wintertime – shockingly cold and difficult to pry away from. Without another word, Naraku headed back to his chair and started the meeting.

"Now, you are all probably wondering what the purpose of today's important discussion is about." Naraku pressed a button, revealing the holographic image of the Sacred Jewel from the machine in the center of the table. "This, as you all should know, is the Shikon Jewel of Four Souls. For centuries, it has been kept under the highest security the world as ever seen. Last month, somebody was able to infiltrate the protection of the Jewel and came extremely close to stealing it."

"Who could do such an impossible deed?" Inu Taisho whispered to himself.

"Well Mr. Taisho, police reports have been conducted and the answer is still unavailable I'm afraid."

Naraku showed pictures of the scene of the crime. The cellar in which the jewel was stored looked as though it had been savagely ripped apart by claws and fangs. Sesshomaru's eyes focused on the markings of the attack and hissed. There could be only one person strong enough, or capable enough of doing something so foolish…

"Taisho Corp has the most power in Japan today," Naraku continued, turning off the hologram. "I would like to propose a deal." He faced Inu Taisho with a devious gleam in his eye. "Help us, Sacred Industries, fund for stronger security and in return, we will keep quiet about the…well… incident."

Inu Taisho's breath choked in his throat. The incident that Naraku spoke of was in fact the accidental murder of hundreds of Taisho's employees. Months ago, Sesshomaru's transformation had slipped, causing the dog inside of him to lose control of his blood thirst as a demon. It had been a careless mistake, and Inu Taisho had covered the truth well… but if news escaped into the media, not only could Taisho Corp be finished, but the peaceful co-existence between humans and demons as well.

Sesshomaru's claws slowly started to extend from his fingers. How dare this fool threaten me with such petty tactics…

"Now, now Sesshomaru. You don't want to kill another being, do you?" Naraku taunted.

"That's enough!" Taisho barked. "You have a deal, let me sign the contract."

"Good choice, Mr. Taisho." The gleam of amusement in Naraku's eyes never left as Sesshomaru painfully watched his father sign over millions of dollars to this strange man.

-Kohaku's Face-

"Thanks for meeting me for dinner today, Sesshomaru. I know how busy you must be…" Sato said, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he sat on the restaurant chair.

"Do not worry about such foolish things," Sesshomaru reassured. "What did you need to say?"

"Yes… well…" Sato ordered the food from a sly looking waitress with short black hair tied up into a high ponytail tied with a feather, piercing red eyes, and a name tag that read 'Kagura'.

"I'll be back with your food," she said, eyeing Sesshomaru with an intent interest.

"It's about Rin," Sato continued. "How… how do you think she is? I mean with her schooling of course…"

Sesshomaru sighed, his shoulders moving up and down with exhaustion. "She will be fine. I had my doubts, but she seems determined—"

"To 'owe' me… right?" Sato's eyes drooped with sadness.

"Sato, what did she mean by that?"

"8 years ago… on a raining night… Rin called our parents who were coming home from a trip, telling them to hurry home because she missed them."

"Understandable," Sesshomaru commented. "She was but 11, was she not?"

"Right. Well, they sped too fast and…"

Sesshomaru slowly understood what she head meant by 'killed her parents'.

"Look, she's really weak. Mentally, I mean. And… I just want what's best for her, and if that's putting her into your care, then so be it." The dog demon nodded, loosening his tie. "Now, I know someone like you doesn't need this, but please, for my sake, take it." Sato held out a white envelope filled with money and urged his friend to accept his gratitude. Sesshomaru, unsure, took the paper in his hands and nodded.

"And Sesshomaru, can I ask you one more thing? Please, show her what it means to live."

From a distance, behind the shadows of the bathroom corner, stood Kagura the waitress. So, Sesshomaru is tutoring some human punk, huh? She smirked. Wait till I tell Naraku this…

(a/n): okay, well, like I said, I'm trying to make up for the lost story, so if you see any similarities, then... you're supposed to! hahaha, anyways, review!