Author's Note: I'm afraid I have to halt this fic for some time since I'll be focusing on my main fic " In Memory of You" since it is quite a long fic and I'm not making much updates on it. Hope you check it out(shameless plug-in)^_^ .
Object of Affection
Chapter 2: The Game's Afoot
Soon enough news of Inuyasha's return spread like wildfire throughout the campus. And as he entered the school halls, people nervously stole glances at him and literally stepped out of his path. Trying his best to ignore the situation, Inuyasha inwardly scowled in annoyance due to the absence of his close friends who were suppose to escort him on the way to the school.
Miroku was late. He had just come from his retreat in Kyoto when the bus had broke down on the way to the school. Speeding through the halls with his outer uniform still unbuttoned, he caught a glimpse of his white-haired friend.
" Inuyasha!!Hey!!" The monk was waving for his friend to notice him.
Then everything fell into a hush and Miroku felt awkward as he suddenly became the center of everybody's attention.
His friend was standing a few meters in front of him and it wasn't difficult for Miroku to discern the wide gap that separated other students from Inuyasha.
' It was worse than I thought it would be.' Obviously from the looks of it, Miroku deduced that people still haven't forgotten the incident despite Inuyasha was acquitted. He was still treated like a walking plague.
" What took you so long, bouzu ?"
Inuyasha's gruff voice snapped him out of his contemplation. Smiling as if nothing has happened, Miroku walked toward him and casually put his arm around Inuyasha, eliciting some surprise from the students.
" Sorry 'bout that. I hear were classmates. I'll lead you to our classroom then."
.
Pacing quickly through the corridors, Inuyasha and Miroku halted on their tracks as someone called their names.
Turning around, it was none other than the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Hitomi Kagewaki.
" Kagewakii-sensei." Both boys hastily greeted the young man.
" Good morning, gentlemen." Mr. Kagewaki, then talked to Inuyasha." Inuyasha, please meet me in the office after class hours."
" Do I have to?"
" Yes, It's not only due to the school's ruling but also I understand that you might have some difficulties adapting to your school environment not to mention your brother also requested it."
Inuyasha could only roll his eyes at the mention of his brother.
" Sensei" Miroku politely interrupted." We're going to be late for our class."
" Oh, I'm sorry about that." The young man gestured them to be on your way." If your teacher asks, please tell them that I took your time. I'm sure they'll understand."
And with that, the two boys dashed to their classrooms.
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After class, Kagome wanted nothing more than to leave this school and high tail out of town. First day of school was terrible. The students still looked at her like she was a ghost and whenever she tried to be friendly and try to start a conversation, people would stutter and tremble.
Her eyes wandered on her wristwatch waiting for the time that she and her ex was supposed to meet.
She was then caught off guard when a girl purposely walked in front of her seat and looked her in the eye.
" You look extremely like her. By any chance, were you related to Sayuri Kikyou ?"
" Whaaat?" Kagome's brows shot up in realization. So this is what the fuss was all about.
" No and I didn't even know her. Is this why people have been avoiding me lately? Does this Kikyou have a bad rep?"
The girl smiled smugly as if finding her assumptions correct." Kikyou doesn't have a bad reputation but the circumstances of her death made the people in this town uneasy."
The girl let her hand out for a handshake." My name is Kazekawa Kagura. And you are?"
Before Kagome could reply, Kagura heard something that made her turn at the the group of girls sitting nearby.
" Hah! And you believed what that bouzu is spreading. That Hanashiba can stuff it up into his superstitious arse for all I care"
The group of girls shrunk back at Kagura's loud comment. Obviously, Kazekawa Kagura, had a forceful and intimidating presence in the campus and Kagome was glad to have someone like her to be her friend.
She was smiling as she shook Kagura's hand.
" My name is Higurashi Kagome. It's a pleasure to meet you."
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Three minutes after the bell rang, Sango burst into Inuyasha and Miroku's classroom only to find her boyfriend sitting lazily near the window, idly twiddling the errant lock from his short ponytail. If this wasn't an emergency, she could have kissed him and told him that he was cute and she missed him but now was definitely not the time.
She marched towards him and slammed both of her palms on the desk causing Miroku to snap out of his daydreams. He almost fell backwards when she loudly demanded: " Where where you?! Do you realize that I've been trying to contact you for weeks!"
Miroku used his calm tone to soothe his girlfriend's temper." I was in Kyoto on a retreat. Didn't you receive a note from me?"
The monk thought about the female's time of the month when Sango was still scowling despite using his innocent boyish charm.
" Where is Inuyasha? I need to talk to him as soon as possible."
"Er, he's at the Guidance Counselor's office. " Miroku was getting confused with all Sango's flurry.
" Why do you ask?"
" I saw someone who looked like Kikyou and she's here."
" You mean at this school."
"Yes!" Sango hissed in impatience.
Miroku's mind went blank and not missing a beat, both of them ran off to find Inuyasha.
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The rooftop of the school builiding was the favorite hang out of Kouga and it was there that he had met his old friends where they had talked about the things that happened in the town while he was gone.
" So that son of a bitch really killed her?" Kouga repeated incredulously at Ginta's narration of that tragic night.
" It was obvious man. I saw Inuyasha that night when he was being carried out of the shrine. He looked crazy, man. Like a male version of Carrie, except it wasn't sauce or anything that he was covered with but with blood, goddamn f-cking blood I tell you. I swear to Kami that I still get the bumps whenever I remember that time."
" Yeah," Haggaku piped up," my cousin was a cop. And the murder weapon was an ax but even that could not hold up into court."
" How come?" Kouga asked Haggaku
" His older brother and his lawyers had argued that Inuyasha was mentally incapacitated at that time because of stress."
The three of them snorted in that statement.
" Yeah, it was just a whole lot of bull." Haggaku commented." But if you got the money and the clout, things go easy for you."
Kouga was irritated with the reality that money could buy justice. He didn't like Inuyasha before and it irked him that the said person was now mingling among them in school instead of rotting in the jail.
" And another thing that's strange is that they could not find the body."
Haggaku's comment snapped him out of his contemplation.
" You mean Kikyou?"
" Yeah, there were witnesses who testified that they saw Kikyou in the old shrine but when the police searched all over the place. They could not find a trace of her remains."
Kouga felt something cold had crept up into his spine when he remembered what Kagome told him.
" Say, would you guys show me Kikyou's picture?"
When they had led him shown him a clipping of the girls picture, his suspicions proved true. For once in his life, something scared him. Losing no time he went out to look for Kagome before Inuyasha finds her.