Chapter 2
She lied.
That much was certain, but why had she lied, he wondered. But his curiosity was brief. Humans lied all the time did they not? It was their nature. If he wasted his time pondering why humans did any of the bizarre things they did, he'd have wasted a lifetime. It was none of his concern, he concluded, it benefited him none to reveal her. If she wished to play pretend, who was he to stop her? He ran his tongue across a fanged tooth as his gaze drifted back to the window. He could feel Hiromi's lustful stare burning into the back of his skull, leaving him resisting the urge to roll his eyes. She was another that liked to play pretend. He only wished her fanciful delusions did not involve him. The females of his kind were as one-track minded as any human girl, yet more prone to obsession. Yes...obsessed. That fit Hiromi's description quite well.
The lesson drawled out forever it seemed, which to a being who would live several thousand years, seemed quite ironic. At noon they were dismissed for their lunch period, several of his classmates grouping together to partake in the lunches they had brought for home as the rest filed out to have lunch in the cafe downstairs. It didn't surprise him in the least to find Hiromi anchored to his desk the moment the bell had chimed.
"Takahashi-kun~" She cooed, her clawed finger tracing random shapes across his desk top, sensually wetting her lips as her sharp, yellow eyes drank him in. "Will you be joining me for lunch? Or perhaps we could find somewhere quiet and I'll treat you to some dessert?"
"Such crude words from the mouth of a young lady, Uchida-san. How appalling." He replied dully. "Have you nothing better to do than bother me?"
"I can do much cruder things with my mouth, Takahashi-kun, would you like to find out?" She purred, her hand reaching for his silk tresses, idly twisting a lock around her finger.
"I suppose that was an ignorant question on my part." He sighed in annoyance, sharply swatting her hand away from his person as he rose from his desk. He left her pouting there at the end of his desk as he made his exit, absently wondering how long it would be until she began looking for him again. Where to go? The only safe place from the likes of her being the men's restroom, and even of that he wasn't entirely sure. How is it he had resorted to hiding from a mere woman? He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the threats of a migraine. He had not quite made it to the cafeteria before Hiromi finally caught up.
"I knew you couldn't resist treating me to lunch, Takahashi-kun!" She giggled, attempting to lock her arms with his own, frowning slightly as he slid his arm out from under her own. Her sullen expression lasted only a moment before she was back to her persistent chattering. "What shall we have today, darling?"
Darling? Sesshomaru scrunched his nose, sucking in a sharp breath as a dull ache began to throb near his temples. Shrugging off the offending hand she had placed on his elbow he sought out the lunch bar, Haromi practically skipping behind him. He skimmed over the available meal sets, and after some thought decided on a tray loaded down with a bowl of rice, miso soup, hijiki salad and a fish filet with lemon sauce. Not bothering to wait for Hiromi to finish her selection, he took up the nearest empty table. Sliding his chopsticks from their paper holder, he sampled his fish, his bored gaze drifting here and there, giving the lunchroom a disinterested sweep. He noted Tachibana sat alongside his brother at a table across the room, her new mute acquaintance seemingly absent. Had she remained in the classroom?
'It is of no importance.' He scolded himself for his curiosity. His gaze shifted to Haromi as she plopped down next to him, keeping an annoyingly close proximity as her arms brushed against his own.
"Ah! You found us a table." She chirped, nudging his arm with her shoulder in an affectionate manner she assumed to believe was acceptable.
"Yes. I found a table, to which as usual you have seen fit to invite yourself to." He replied lamely, picking at his filet.
"Of course I would join you. I can't allow my darling eat lunch alone!" She answered all too sweetly.
"If only you would." He sighed, the dimwitted girl beside him leaving him without an appetite. He fixed her with a scrutinizing glare, pushing his tray away from his person, his annoyance level having reached its breaking point. "Do you not comprehend rejection, Uchida-san, or are you just narcissistic enough to think yourself immune from it?"
"I don't understand what you mean, darling." She replied nonchalantly as she mixed her salad.
"Clearly." He sneered, slamming his palms down on the table as he rose from his seat, the girl beside him jumping slightly at his sudden abrasiveness. Snatching up his tray, the soup sloshing over the edges of the bowl a bit in his haste, he headed towards the trash receptacles.
"Are you finished already, darling? Very well then, I'll meet you in class!" Hiromi called after him, unfazed by his hostility as she always seemed to be. Since their first introductions in middle school, Hiromi had felt she had some unspoken claim on him. Her family's importance in the eyes of his own made it all the more difficult. The Uchida's fabric company provided his family's with many of the materials needed for House of the Moon's designs, and his in his father's opinion the Uchida Group was the only manufacturer worthy of their products. It did not help that Madam Uchida, much like her daughter, was quite prone to flights of fancy.
There had been rumors of future marriage proposals between he and Hiromi floating around for ages thanks to Madam Uchida's gossiping. As much as he wished to deny it, in reality, he knew that in all likelihood that a future marriage between Hiromi and himself would be an inevitability, but it didn't stop him from hoping she would eventually grow tired of his cold nature. So far, his strategy seemed flawed. Depositing his now empty tray on the bar, Sesshomaru slowly drifted back to the classroom, solemnly cursing his luck.
Kagome fumbled with her bag, holding it steady between her knees as she counted out her change again. She was still short.
'Fuck!' She cursed, her stomach growling in spite of her luck, reminding of her of just how frustrating the situation. With a defeated groan, she shot the snack machine one last longing glance as she threw her change back into her bag. The end of the day couldn't come soon enough. Her mouth water as she passed the cafeteria, spotting the several of her classmates inside as she passed, including the Tachibana girl from earlier. She had extended the offer to Kagome to join her and her friends at lunch, which Kagome had respectfully declined. Not that she wasn't hungry, quite the contrary, but explaining why she couldn't afford school lunches was a conversation she wasn't anxious to have. Just as well, being around Tachibana made her uncomfortable and all the more guilty. Lying was one thing but lying to the face of a girl who's brother suffered the very real affliction she was pretending to have made it all the more worse. At this point she was convinced they were saving a special place for her in hell.
She sighed solemnly, the classroom nearly empty as she sank down into her desk. The plan had been foolish from the start, she admitted. But necessary. From the moment she sat down to take her entrance exams, Kagome had been plotting a way to protect herself from her future classmates. Hoseki-Kōkō was well known to cater to the children of Tokyo's elite, while not every student was the offspring of some rich family, they were all most certainly far better off than her own. She had no desire to become the object of a bunch of rich kids' torment. Her grandfather had done her family a great service in taking in she, her mother and younger brother after her father's death just months prior, despite not having the room to spare in the small house he kept on the family shrine.
Even after baring the troubles of moving her family from the country-side to Tokyo, her grandfather put all of his savings in she and her brother's education, and she owed it to him to do her best. But by popular opinion she did not belong here, she was being tossed to the wolves. If they knew, they would tear her apart. She would be under constant ridicule and torment by her peers, of that she was certain. She had then decided that she would find a way to make sure she would not be bothered, to ensure she would be able to live peacefully until she could earn her place in a good university. Making herself untouchable, yes, that was the plan. There were few who would dare show unkindness to those suffering from physical disabilities. On the contrary, in those situations, humans and demons alike seemed to find themselves uncomfortable and unsure of what to say to those different from themselves. They were often avoided. It was a harsh truth, but truth none the less. Kagome knew what she was doing was disgusting. She was going to hell for sure, she concluded. She hoped it was worth it.
"Hey, Sis."
"Oh, Souta. You're home." Kagome greeted tiredly, slipping off her loafers to don the pink slippers laid aside for her. Her legs ached from the long walk home. "Is mom home from work yet?"
"Uh..." Souta trailed off, absentmindedly turning his head towards the kitchen where Kagome could just barely hear the muffled argument going on inside. Kagome's heart sank, she couldn't make out the conversation but from the sound of her grandfather's voice she could tell he was quite angry.
"She got fired again." Kagome sighed, dropping her school bag down beside the door.
"How can you tell?" Souta asked sullenly.
"When else do they fight?" Kagome mumbled. She side glanced at her little brother, who immediately looked crestfallen from where he sat on the sofa, the action figure that he had been playing with now still in his hand.
"Do you think he'll kick us out?" He asked fretfully, his eyes glistening with fresh tears as looked to her.
"No, Souta." Kagome cooed, immediately rushing to his side. She draped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him against her side, her free hand smoothing over the top of his head. "Grandpa wouldn't do that to us, and I would never let that happen, Souta."
"Why does she keep doing this?" He cried, his arms circling around her middle, squeezing her tightly as he allowed his tears to fall comfortably.
"She's just really sad. She misses Dad a lot." Kagome sighed, resting her chin atop his head.
"I miss him too, but I still go to school." Souta sniffed.
"Sometimes grown-ups are selfish." Kagome replied. She stiffened as her grandfather's voice grew clearer, booming off the walls as their mother strolled into the living room, her eyes watered over and her cheeks flushed; drunk again, Kagome mentally scoffed, their grandfather trailing after her.
"If you're not going to do it for me, Ame, at least do it for your children! You think I can take care of you all with what I make from this shrine, huh?!" He shouted, immediately stiffening as his eyes drifted to the children. "Oh...Kagome-chan...Souta. You're home."
"Kids!" Their mother slurred, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "How was your first day of school?"
Instead of answering, Souta immediately sprung up from Kagome's embrace, sobbing loudly as he ran up the stairs to his room. Kagome's eyes followed him until he disappeared from sight, turning her harsh gaze onto her mother.
"Why do you keep doing this?" She spat. "Why are you being so selfish? You don't think we miss Dad too? Do you think he'd want you to do this, Mom? He'd be mad at you! He'd hate you for not taking care of your kids, you know that right?"
"Oi, Kagome-chan...don't speak to your Mother like that." Her grandfather scolded her halfheartedly, Ame shrinking in shame beside him. "Your mother is going to do better next time. She's just having a hard time..."
"We're all having a hard time! You don't get to be selfish!" Kagome hissed, bolting up from the couch, pointing an accusing finger at her mother. Her mother lowered her head, wobbling slightly on her feet as she averted her gaze from the angry girl. Dropping her hand, Kagome turned to her grandfather. "Grandpa, I will get three jobs if I have to. I will help you, I promise. Just please...don't kick us out."
"Kagome..." Her grandfather answered, his voice soft with emotion. "I would never cast you or your brother from this house. Your father...my son, he would never forgive me. Please don't worry about things like this. Your mother is going to do much better from now on, ne, Ame-chan?"
"Hai." Ame sniffed, dabbing at her eyes before raising her head to meet her daughter's gaze. "I will do better, I promise."
Kagome fixed her mother with an unwavering glare, tears now prickling behind her own azure eyes as she studied her flushed face. She nodded her head finally, rubbing her arm as she brushed past them, silently padding her way into the kitchen.
"I'll call when dinner is ready." She called behind her, waiting until she had reached the privacy of the kitchen, pressing herself against the wall as she allowed her tears to fall.
