Rising Sun
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed. I'm glad you guys are encouraging me to continue this fic, and it's very flattering you have so much faith in me. I promise not to disappoint. (^_^)
Chapter Two
Rin was not certain that she was at the right place.
On the scrap of notebook paper she carried, Sesshomaru had written down his address in neat manuscript. He informed her that he had to pick up his younger brother from middle school and walk him to baseball practice. Rin said she would not have minded the detour, but he insisted she go on to his house directly, murmuring something under his breath about 'not babysitting two children'.
Saddened that she would not have the opportunity to meet his sibling, Rin waved goodbye and started out in the direction Sesshomaru had pointed her. When she realized that she must cross over into the next district, where all the rich people lived in mansions and had big backyards, Rin became apprehensive. Was he playing a joke on her? If so, then it wasn't very nice. She was far from home now and probably would not be able to get back before dark, much to her parents' displeasure.
The piece of paper led Rin over a brick bridge, and down another two blocks. This seemed a friendly neighborhood, she decided, and didn't worry about the strangers that passed. They smiled and bowed to her on their way by, clutching their hats to keep the wind from blowing them on a current down to the nearby stream. The water was unnaturally clean for Tokyo and she could only wonder where it led, surely not to the main river the city used.
Glancing back down at the address, Rin finally stopped at an ivory mansion, grand and lavishly decorated in the natural growth of green vines, but not to the point where it looked unruly. In fact, the elaborate gardens that stretched the length of the yard were very well kept and trimmed; the bright colors of the blossoms gave the place a welcoming feel. The house was several stories high, and each window had its own balcony. Rin thought she might be able to get a beautiful view of the night sky. Maneuvering her way through the gardens by the stone walkways, she ran up the many steps of the front porch and pressed the doorbell.
Within only a matter of moments a woman Rin took to be the maid answered. The lady was actually very young, possibly just a few handful of years older than herself. She was incredibly pretty, even in her black skirt and white apron. Her dark hair was chopped short to her chin, flattering the features of her pixie-like face.
She didn't look too happy seeing someone at the door, though. "Go away! Toga-sama is not interested in whatever you are selling."
"Huh? Oh, no," Rin laughed, "I'm not trying to sell you anything!"
The maid gave her a skeptical look, narrowing her eyes as she leaned against the threshold. She must be in college; the air in which she held herself gave something away. However, you could tell she at least valued her position working for the people that lived here, instead of being inconsiderate and just letting a stranger into their home. "Then what do you want?"
Rin smiled kindly at her. "I'm a friend of Sesshomaru Taisho's; he's in my senior class. Does he live here?"
Suddenly the other woman appeared a little jealous, placing her slim hands on narrow hips. Everything about her was petite.
"Yes, the young master does live here… is he expecting you or something?" Her tone was very rude.
"We're studying for finals together. My name's Rin Kato, by the way. He might have mentioned me before."
The maid shrugged, but hesitantly moved aside to let Rin in. "He never said anything about having friends over. Nobody from the high school comes here." She gestured down the hallway. "You can wait for him in the parlor. I'm Mari Hiromoji, and don't think you can speak down to me just because I'm the maid here."
"Of course not, Mari-san," Rin answered serenely. She actually liked the sassy attitude of this young woman. Perhaps they could try to be friends.
That would mean Sesshomaru had to invite her over again. She frowned mentally, still unsure why he had given in so easily. Rin liked to think it wasn't because she had been annoying him, trying too hard to get to know him. He thought this was all an act of charity. Well, maybe a small portion of it was, she was sorry he didn't have anyone at school. Nearly four years had passed since she met Sesshomaru on the first day of freshman year, and instead of sticking up for him, like a good person would, she merely stepped back into the corners and watched. Rin felt no better than the offenders who physically and verbally bullied him.
But, maybe he could forgive her?
Shaking her head, Rin followed Mari down a long hallway. This place was huge! Surely she was going to get lost in here frequently, and she was scared she might break something. Much of the furniture they passed looked like antiques.
She took her seat on the plush sofa in the parlor. After examining the room for a few minutes, feeling especially at home, Rin pulled a book out of her bag and began to read. She liked the stories that followed Japanese histories and myths. Rin lost herself in the world of demons and Feudal princesses when someone she had not heard entered the room and coughed loudly.
Looking up, Rin thought for a brief moment Sesshomaru was here, and her jaw nearly dropped at the appearance of the man standing before her. He was tall and had the same waist length silver hair, however his gave off a glossy shine and the locks were brushed back and away from his face.
"And who might you be, miss?" he asked politely, shortening the distance between them in three long strides.
Rin threw the book down and stood to bow. "Rin Kato. Are you Mr. Taisho?"
The man's chuckle was a deep, rich sound, pleasant to her ears. "Mr. Taisho is my father, but you may call me Toga, Rin-chan. I presume that you are a friend of Sesshomaru's? Surely you are too old to be Inuyasha's girlfriend."
Hearing someone else call her Sesshomaru's friend sent her stomach fluttering. "Hai, Toga-sama, he promised to help me study."
Toga raised a brow at that, causing Rin to quickly rein in the gasp she almost made. He was very handsome!
"Well then, he should be home any moment now, why don't I just go ahead and show you his room?"
Rin could not help but blush. She was going to be alone with a boy her age for the first time in her life. "Are you sure you don't mind…?"
He laughed at her bashfulness. "Sesshomaru is a gentleman, and I trust him. You seem like a very traditional young woman, Rin-chan, unless you insist on studying elsewhere, I'm sure everything will be fine."
Flattered he called her a young woman, but a little perplexed that he used the suffix 'chan' with her name, Rin wasn't about to give up the chance to learn more about the boy she went to school with. Following Toga up the many flights of stairs and through about a thousand corridors, she got to get a good look at the man who was the father of Sesshomaru.
If it weren't for their similar features, Rin would not have believed that they were related. Toga defined every meaning of the word 'graceful' and a list of its synonyms. Unlike his son, he appeared neat and clean in a crisp white dress shirt and black slacks. His personality was altogether different, much warmer, and Rin could not understand why Sesshomaru looked and acted the way he did.
"And… it's the third door on the right. I've got to make a couple of business phone calls, so if you need anything just buzz a maid. It's the little red button beside the light switch." Toga smiled, showing Rin that despite his look of youthfulness he had many laugh lines.
The demon lord watched Rin enter Sesshomaru's room, and even heard the cry of astonishment as the door slammed closed behind her, tilting his head in a thoughtful manner, Toga pulled a cell phone out his pants' pocket and quickly dialed a number.
It rang twice.
"What is it, Chichi-ue?" a soft-spoken, very masculine voice answered. "I'm in somewhat of a rush."
"Oh?" Toga began descending down a staircase, running a hand along the banister. "I wouldn't want to keep you from anything important, Sesshomaru. Did you pick up Inuyasha from school?"
He could practically hear his son roll his eyes. "Must you even ask? And the Half-Breed is perfectly capable of getting to and from anywhere he wants. I do not understand why I must escort him around like a guide dog."
"It's necessary if we are to blend in with the humans. An elder brother should enjoy the company of his sibling, anyway."
"Hn."
"So…" Toga tried to sound off handed. "How's the search for your mate coming along? Any luck today?"
There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line. "No progress as far as I can see. My disguise has been very well put together… perhaps too well."
"Eh, don't let it get you down, Son. It took Izayoi more than four years of high school to figure out that I was a demon, and my get up was even geekier than yours. You will find that special girl one day… and speaking of girls, Rin sure is pretty. And I think she likes your room."
Toga grinned at the sound of a flustered Sesshomaru. It wasn't often he was taken by surprise, and he only regretted not being able to see his son's face.
In a more vicious tone: "You let her into my room? By herself? Kami-sama, do you want us to get discovered?"
"She's a schoolgirl, Sesshomaru, not a demon slayer. Did I mention she's pretty?"
He scoffed. "I know what you're getting at. We're just studying… she would not leave me alone… kind of annoying…"
"Come off it. Rin is most polite, it's just that she's human you don't want to admit the there's a chance she might be the one. Honestly, how many girls do I find sitting in our parlor waiting for you to come home? Can you blame me for getting just a little excited?"
"She's not, Chichi-ue. I have no feelings for her. Rin only pities my predicament, which is not the same as love."
~oOo~
A/N: Eh, I was going to make it longer, but then I thought "What the heck? I'll go ahead and post it." School's about to start back from me this Monday, so I cannot be sure how frequently I'll be able to update. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! (^_^)
