So this is a late update... And kind of short... Hehe?

Sorry guys, Mother's Day and having no school on Monday made me really lazy. Just to let you now, I do try to do weekly updates - so every Sunday - which is hard but I'll try to have the fourth chapter done by this Sunday to make up for the late update!


Chapter Two – Substitute

Karin expected that Kagome wouldn't come to school today. The noirette, after all, looked as if she had needed to be in the ICU of the hospital. The blonde shivered at the memory that surfaced. She looked so...desperate...

"Lost in our thoughts are we," a familiar voice mused. Karin turned, shocked to meet Kagome's blue orbs. A soft gasp escaped Karin's lips as she took in Kagome's appearance.

Her dark, shoulder length, hair was combed but it looked greasy – not at all like its usual pristine state. Her skin was still an unhealthy shade – a shade paler than her usual tone. There was a heaviness in the girl's face – as if she'd aged a decade over night.

"K-Kagome-chan... S-S-Shouldn't y-you be in b-bed...?"

"Hm?" Kagome placed a hand against her face, "Despite my appearance... I'm feeling much better today... Besides, I can't really stay in bed for so long – I'm used to moving around a lot...that, and sleep... It doesn't come to me very easily..." The teen tilted to her head to the side, almost dismissing her own words. "Besides, I think it is you who should be staying home?"

"E-Eh? W-What's K-K-Kagome-chan t-talking a-about?" Karin stammered, eyes widening. She pulled at a starnd of her own blonde hair.

"Your stuttering has gotten worse – it means you're nervous or anxious. Your toes keep on tapping against the ground and your eyes keep darting from side to side. Also, you look anxious enough to heave up what's in your stomach."

"E-Eh?" Karin didn't know whether to be shocked by the fact Kagome saw and picked up all of this or rather she knew her habits within less than a month while some of her childhood friends hadn't -

The bell tolled. The differentiating pitches echoing through the cavernous walls.

Kagome spared Karin a backwards glance. "Humans are very weak creatures, Karin. It's very hard for us to cover the fact we're in pain for very long."

Karin blinked confusedly at Kagome's words – not noticing the how the girl discarded any honorifics.

What had the girl meant by her cryptic words?

Kagome glared up a the green-haired demon - his bitterness permeating the air. It made her feel sick. "Heh." he scoffed, "Humans are weak."

Kagome sighed, continuing to walk forward. She'd always disbelieved Hoshiyomi's words - after all, he had come to regret them - but now... It was becoming evident what he meant.

"Demons don't need such petty emotions yet you humans thrive off of it - that is what sets s apart. We feel to coolly while you feel to strongly."[i] An almost sad expression flashed across her face. "And eventually it becomes so evident that emotions are truly the ultimate weapon." [ii]


Kagome had pulled her hair away from her face, its unkempt state disgusting her. She'd set her math note books in front of her, reading them and editing them with each passing day to make it more manageable for herself.

However...

Kagome raised a questioning brow as the blonde who had taken the empty seat beside her. Up until now, Karin, without fail, always retreated from the room and eaten her lunch elsewhere. The blonde was fidgeting endlessly, her eyes darting from side to side – anxious.

"Karin-chan," Kagome nearly laughed at the way Karin jumped – the blonde almost launching herself a clear metre into the air [Her lips pulled up in a large smile though]. "You act as if a monster will come out and kidnap you. As someone who speaks from experience... Knowing and assuming won't help you – they can and will strike at any time. The best choice is to ready yourself but even then, you can't prepare yourself...

The sound of wood flying apart froze her to thr gound, eyes widening in shock and fear and horror. Three pairs of arms wrapped around her, a raspy voice hissing into her ear. "You have it! Give it to me, give mt the Jewel!"

Kagome's thoughts were broken as Karin let out a shrill scream. "Kyaaaa!"

Kagome froze as the usually timid girl shoved her out of her chair to stand in front of the cowering girl, using her as a shield, shaking behind the noirette. Kagome shook herself gently, attempting to get Karin off of her – and from tearing holes through her jacket's sleeves with her manicured fingernails.

"That's rude – I don't think I'm that unattractive." A light voice chuckled in amusement despite the bluntness to his words.

Kagome's eyes shifted from the trembling blonde behind her to the towering male figure ducking beneath the doorway, propped up coolly against the door frame. His arms and ankles were crossed, a smile on his face as he stared at them coolly.

Ah, him.

"Y-Y-Yamato-san..." Karin greeted weakly, her voice muffled by Kagome's jacket.

"Yo, Karin," Yamato returned, "And her friend..."

Kagome ignored him, tearing herself from Karin's iron grip with a swift jerk. His eidetic memory astounds me, she thought sarcastically. Idly, she dusted imaginary dust off her shoulders and straightened her uniform. "I'll leave you two to it."

Despite what most people believed, she did hold grudges - and she still held some contempt towards the male with unruly hair and blinding smiles and his annoyingly bright attitude -

Ugh. She still hadn't forgiven him for what he did either.

Yamato's eyes crinkled. "Rather thoughtful despite your cool demeanor, ne? Are you a Tsundere? You don't seem to be the Mary-Sue that everyone makes you out to be."

Kagome wasn't fazed by his forwardness at all. "Who said I was ever a Mary-Sue? I could be a Yandere acting like a Mary-Sue."

Karin blanched at Kagome's proposal...

Yamato laughed at the noirette's proposal on the other hand. "Why so defensive?"

Kagome paused in mid-step, halfway out the doorway and stood beside Yamato for a moment. The running back was standing at his full height – a full thirty-one centimetres above Kagome's head – and staring at the girl with something akin to amusement.

"You're a football player aren't you, Emperor Yamato-sama?" Kagome stabbed, using the pet name his fans had so lovingly called him. "A good defense is required to protect a weak inside, ne?"

A look of surprise flew across Yamato's face for moment – fully understanding her comparison. Karin wasn't much better, openly gaping at the girl. Neither said a word as Kagome took her leave, silently.

Yamato stared after her for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his handsome, sun-kissed face. Karin hadn't noticed but his dark eyes, a shade darker than his hair, had sharpened and narrowed as he watched her.

Slowly, in an almost robotic movement, the tall teen turned his head to Karin, a bright smile on his face. Karin flinched back, her hands pressing against the wall for support.

A nervous laugh squeezed out of her throat, a cold sweat pooling on her golden eyebrows.

Yamato's smile broadened as he took on a lax stance once more, casually leaning against the door.

"You're coming to practice today, ne?"


Karin, for the lack of a better word, had forgotten or rather avoided Kagome for the rest of the day. Despite the blonde's quite and modest demeanor – which showed how insecure she was about herself – she had a warmth, an innocent warmth, around her that Kagome found somewhat comforting. In layman's term, she liked spending time with Karin.

And she liked the innocent aura she gave off.

The closest comparison she could think of was a child.

A bright smile flashed across the young girl's face. Her small bare feet pounded against the ground as she ran to the tall, silver-haired male she so loyally followed.

Discretely, Kagome placed a hand over her chest – just above her heart. The fast rhythmic beating was erratic against her fingertips.

My heart...

Kagome slowly leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms and releasing a silent breath.

It looked like she was sighing.

She was trying to stop herself from having a heart attack and a mental breakdown at the same time.

Sure, she made it looked easy but it hurt like Hell.

And it was very distracting.

She was already well behind in school because of her situation – of course, her excuse was poor health, but now, she was actually suffering from poor health. Kagome exhibited better physical abilities than some of her classmates – after all, she did a lot of running – but she could feel it.

She was weakening.

She often found herself staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping. Sleeping gave her nightmares and the nightmares gave her anxiety and the anxiety led to a full-blown phobia of dreaming – amazing really what a small amount of concealer and smiling could do.

Thump. Her heart wasn't doing much better than her mind - even if she did hate to admit it. Kagome frowned. Her mother's solution wasn't much of a solution and she be damned if she actually crawled to him for help.

The fact that her mother actually kept in contact with him despite what he did...

She felt sick.


And she still felt sick. And now, angry, frustrated and the need to break someone's face - preferably with a steel chair with spikes.

When Kagome entered the Art Club's room, she had fully anticipated for Asako-senpai to jump her, screaming all the way about taking care of her herself and demanding at the same time why she hadn't come to the Art Club yesterday.

It was silent.

Eerily silent.

Many of the members were huddled in the corner, peeking out from one of the desks while Asako stood in the middle of the room, her back turned to the first year. A letter was in her hand, one with the school's twin-headed eagle insignia embossed in gold onto it.

Kagome 's eyebrows raised to her hairline in confusion. Despite being small, she knew the school prided itself in the ability of their Art Club to simple shut it down –

"NO!"

Asako's earth shattering scream tore through the silence viscously.

"No! NO! NO!" she shrieked childishly, stomping her feet angrily. "Why? WHY? WHY? Why do

they have to do this?! They took my babies!"

Babies?

That meant Karin and herself... But she was here... So they only had Karin...?

" – stupid fucking Amefuto Club!"

Ah.

Wait...

"What?" Kagome finally found her voice, "What?"

"You!" Asako reeled back and turned on the girl, snarling like a feral animal. "Why're you transferring to the Amefuto Club?! It's filled with adrenaline junkies and brutes – ! What the Hell?! Do you even know what they'll do to you?!"

"What?"

Asako seethed, practically shoving the tattered letter down her throat. Kagome slowly peeled the paper from her face, deliberately trying not to piss her senpai off more.

To the President of the Art Club, Mochida, Asako,

Although not entirely rare concerning the Athletic Department of Teikoku Gakuen, the Amefuto Club has requested for the transfer of two students in the Art Club:

1 – C. Higurashi, Kagome

1 – C. Koizumi, Karin.

They are to transfer immediately.

We do apologize in advance for the inconvenience that this might cause in the future.

Sincerely,

The Faculty Advisor of the Amefuto Club,

Higure, Satoshi.

Kagome stared.

"What?!"


Kagome sat in the word, red leather seat in the principal's office. Her foot was tapping impatiently on the ground, and her arms crossed angrily. A scowl was permanently carved into her doll-like features.

She'd raised Hell in the office after storming out of the clubroom.

Nobody could comprehend how the well-mannered girl had turned into a violent demon. Trembling, the middle-aged secretary had stammered for her to wait in the office while she paged the principal from wherever the Hell he was in the school.

The door opened with a soft creak and Kagome shot up.

Hiranako Hatoshi stood in the door frame, tall and proud. His shoulders back, posture straight, expression firm and intimidating in his tweed gray suit. "Kagome," he greeted, the door closing with a click.

"What? No, 'Higurashi-san?'" Kagome snapped.

"Formalities are to be kept within the public, in private, I will address you as such." the man replied unfazed by her snippy tone and angry glare.

Kagome's annoyance grew if the deepening of her frown was any indication. "Why am I being transferred to the Amefuto Club – I'm content with being in the Art Club."

"Because I can."

"That isn't an answer," Kagome was appalled, "Why?"

"Because you're becoming an introvert with mood swings."

"I can see why you're so popular."

"That tone of voice isn't appreciated, young lady. Drop the attitude or you can leave my office – my personal space – without the answer you are looking for, and you will perform the duties of a Manager for the Amefuto Club."

Kagome pressed her lips into a thin line, biting down on her tongue in annoyance. "Why?"

"Yamato-kun requested the other day for Koizumi-chan to transfer over – despite my reputation, I do only look out for the students and desire what is best for them; the opportunity he presented concerning Koizumi-chan was best for her – "

"She's fine."

"And then, he came here during the lunch hour and requested, no, rather demanded that you also join too – it seems you've caught his interest once again." Hiranako sat in the red chair's twin, looking at her straight in the eyes. "I think I've already given you enough freedoms, Kagome, and as your guardian, I think this is the best choice for you."

"You're not my guardian." Kagome threw the elderly man a scathing glare. "I don't need a guardian – I can take care of myself."

"Not from what I've heard." Hiranako said, "And not from what I've seen."

Kagome pulled back, her eyes leaving his and flitting over to the window draped in soft creams, scanning over files and folders and various amounts of paperwork, potted plants, the wood grain of the stained cherry oak cabinets – anything but the man in front of her.

"It's evident in the way you hide from me – in your face and performance." He added and the noirette slid a hand over her face, fingers curling over her nose and mouth.

A smile crossed his face. "Mariko was right – you have become very independent, too independent – "

The door slamming against the door frame cut his sentence in two, the rest of his words caught in his throat. His mouth shut; a contemplating expression on his face as he stared at the door.


Kagome curled herself into ball as soon as she reached her dorm room. She'd thrown herself unceremoniously onto the bed without a single care and curled herself into a small, compact ball - like an Armadillo.

"You've become too independent..." His words echoed in her mind hauntingly.

"I got yelled at for being too dependent and now I'm being scolded for being too independent." Kagome let out a dry laugh at the irony.

She rolled over onto her side, closing her eyes

"Wah! Kagome! Inuyasha's bullying me!"

"Inuyasha! Sit!"

"Maa, Kagome-sama, aren't you acting too quickly?"

"Ie, Kagome-chan's actions are just right - the wicked should be punished justly." the tajiya hissed the last word, fingers clawing at the hand just millimeters from her bottom. "Ne? Crooked Monk."

"You wound me - "

"OI! Kagome! What did you do that for?!"

Gold eyes burned with fury.

"Being part of team..." Kagome murmured, "Is a poor substitute for a missing family..."


FUCK IT.

I intended for Kagome to storm down to the field and yell and scream at Yamato but then I just got so into the conversation between her and Hiranako and...

FUCK.

I made myself sad and depressed and disappointed with this chapter... TAT

Anyways, send me reviews and PM's - seriously, nobody sent me PM's about my challenge in the last chapter... Smh. I feel ignored. PM me

PM me people and REVIEW!

Please...?

P.S

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