Osoroshii Sho rode his bike as usual to school the next day. He was riding downhill when out of nowhere Higurashi Kagome jumped right in his path. Shocked, Sho tried to avoid her only to crash right into the shrubbery off the shoulder of the road. Falling down along with his bike, he cursed, "What the hell?! Higurashi!"

Wincing, although he was lucky it wasn't his crotch that took the brunt of the accident, he still limped slightly from the bruise forming between his legs. He glared at her as he stood up, wincing in pain as he did. He was about to inquire her about her curious action when she jumped right into his arm, pulling him tight against her. Sho could feel every single curve on her body. Blushing slightly, unused to be held that way, he frowned at her, "What are you-What are you doing?"

She didn't answer him but didn't let go either, only tightening her arms around his midsection. Sho tried not to struggle, feeling his body reacting to her touch; movement will only incite more trouble for him. He then wondered if she was doing this because he saw her with Touga late yesterday evening. He stared at her, "If you're doing this because of yesterday, I'm not about to open my yap,"

She froze in his arm before slowly; she upturned her face to look at him, "What do you mean?"

Sho shrugged, "Well, I saw you with Touga yesterday. No worries there. I'm not about to tell people about your.…" He gestured with his fingers, "Relationship…" He looked at her, serious. Kagome blinked at him before the meaning behind his words tickled her mind. She drew her lips inside before bursting out, laughing. Sho scowled, wondering what was so funny that she needed to laugh so hard at him.

Kagome clung to him, her hands fisting on his coat as she laughed until tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She had never laugh so hard after leaving Japan all those centuries ago. Sho glared at her and it took quite a while before she stopped laughing, at the same time pressing her face and her shaking body against his chest. She then drew in a deep breath before looking at him, "My apology, Sho. I just…to think that you think me and Ya was in some kind of forbidden relationship….you're a riot! Especially saying that with such a serious face on! Oh, it has been so long since I had a good laugh like that!"

She wiped the teardrop at the corner of her blue eyes, grinning at him. Sho stared at her longer than normal canines but decided to think of it as a birth defect. He had his own pair of fangs and so he wasn't about to bully her about it. She probably felt self-conscious to say that she hasn't had such a good long laugh for a long while due to her 'fangs'. Noticing that she still hasn't let him go, he asked, "If not…that…then what were you two doing in a forest at the first place?…alone…together…." He drifted away at the two words, feeling the familiar burn in his chest from yesterday at the thought of those two alone in a forest together.

Kagome smiled at him, "We were family. Ya had this secret base in the forest. And before you think something funny, it was more of a secret garden," She slowly let him go, "Sorry for jumping out like that," She chuckled, "But you look really funny panicking like that…its…cute,"

Sho scowled at her but he even he felt that it was half hearted. The two walked together the remaining distance to school. He didn't understand her reason to jump on him like that. Anybody lesser would have a heart attack and die on the spot. He then scowled; he didn't see or even sense her. Living the life he had, he was used to sense danger and seeing things that usually escaped other people notice. So where had she hide? He looked behind at the way they came, looking where she jumped out on him. The electric pole wasn't thick enough to hide her…attributes. So where had she hid herself to jump out like that on him of all people?

"Sho-chan, are you okay?"

Sho looked at her, "Nothing, I'm fine-," He stopped in his track. He then asked; trying to be sure that he didn't misheard her, "What did you just called me?"

Kagome, who had continued on walking, looked behind her, "Hmm? I called you Sho-chan,"

Sho stared at her in disbelieve before he felt his face burn with blush. Sho was sure his ears were steaming when he said, "WHAT?!"

Kagome giggled, "Well…it suites you just fine," She then turned from him and started to walk away, leaving a much embarrassed and annoyed Sho-chan standing alone before his mind catch up to him, "You-! Wait up!" He called at her, "Stop! Kagome!"

Kagome heard him but instead of waiting, she laughed and started jogging away from him. She knew that Sho was wondering where she jump out from to shock him like that. She wasn't about to tell him that she has been waiting atop the electric pole for him. Yesterday, Touga a.k.a Inuyasha finally told her why he had wanted for her to come back four years ago so badly.

He has finally found Sesshoumaru's reincarnation and that boy was now sitting right next to her in class. She finally understood the sudden attraction to a human male. Osoroshii Sho was Sesshoumaru's human reincarnation. As she danced away from Sho, she thought, 'This time I won't run away or let you go, Sesshoumaru,'

They continued the start of the day at school as usual; ignoring their bullying classmates. Although it seemed that they noticed the two sudden interactions along with the updated news that they had joined the same club. Now, there were bets around the school about their relationship. As the school bell rang as a sign that class has started, the one who entered their class wasn't Touga Ya but a tall man with long black hair held in a samurai topknot. He glared violet eyes toward the class, silencing them with just a look. He turned from them, the students discussing his identity in hushed tone and the where about of their homeroom teacher.

Chalk knocked on the black board in quick precision as the man wrote his name before turning toward the student, breaking the quiet discussion and filling the class with silent trepidation. He didn't look very friendly, more of a no-nonsense kind, "My name is Hijikata Toshizou, your substitute homeroom teacher and your math teacher. Touga-sensei had to leave Sapporo for a while for personal reasons, none of your business, thank you so shut your gossiping yap,"

His sharp voice successfully stopped any questions forming among the students. He then brought out a familiar file, "Roll call,"

After the class introduced themselves by answering his call, Hijikata-sensei started the first period class; math. Unlike Touga-sensei who can be lenient within reason, Hijikata-sensei gave no sign of being merciful to procrastinating student when it came to homework. In fact, he warned of harsh consequences of delaying his homework. He didn't even looked like he was joking, the set of his jaw alone made any student shiver in their seats. Soon first period came to an end and the students let out a sigh of utter relief once the intimidating man left the class. Ayumi pouted, "Damn, and he was such a hottie too,"

Sai laughed, "I should call him Oni-Fukuchou after his namesake,"

The class looked at him for a moment before the students turned to each other; each decided that the nickname fit the substitute teacher well. Keisuke turned to Osoroshii, gathering his courage before he approached the quiet but intimidating boy, "Osoroshii-san? You are Touga-sensei nephew; surely you know where he went?"

Sho looked at him with flat black glare, spearing a cold chill down his neck. Keisuke wondered if he had done something wrong. What if it was family matter? Sho turned his face away, "Tough luck. He left late last night with no word, just a note on the fridge that he's out of town,"

The class, which has been holding baited breath after Keisuke sudden question to Touga-sensei delinquent nephew, let out an easy breath. Ayumi grabbed her boyfriend and dragged the boy away from Sho, "Are you crazy?!" She hissed, "Leave the Demon Prince alone,"

Sho scowled at the nickname, glaring at the class diva as the girl shrunk back from his glare. Kagome giggled behind her hand, making Sho looked at her. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her, to which she blushed. But Kagome said nothing as they gathered their things for second period. The two left side by side, inciting new rumours and speculation that divert far from the truth.

Soon it was lunch time and Sho went to his favourite perch, leaping to the branch with one powerful push of his legs. Biting into the bread that he bought from the school cafeteria, he stared at the dim sky, wondering what Touga was up to leaving without a word. It wasn't the first time that the man left without a single notice other than the usual note on the fridge informing that he will be out of town. Crumpling the plastic leftover of the bread he has been eating, he put it inside his pocket. Most students preferred to be inside rather than outside, especially on days that seemed to warrant heavy snow like today.

"Sho-chan?"

Sho sighed, feeling tired of telling her to stop calling him that. Granted that Higurashi says nothing in front of others but he supposed it was as far as he would get from her about the matter. He looked down, "What are you doing outside, Higurashi?"

Kagome pouted, which, to Sho dismay he found endearing, and she glared at him, "I told you to call me Kagome. I have a brother named Higurashi Souta and calling me by my family name made me think you are talking to either my Mama or Jii-chan!"

Sho shrugged, "Hn,"

"Say it!"

He sighed, closing his eyes, "Kagome. Happy?"

She beamed at him, "More than happy! I'm elated!"

"Hn,"

Kagome proceeded to seat under his branch. Sho took a glance at her before looking back at the sky, thinking it will be early home today, "You are pretty cheerful for someone the others named Ice Witch,"

Kagome munched on her bentou, "Well, I guess when I first came here I am pretty icy to the others,"

Sho frowned, "Why?"

She shrugged, chopsticks between her lips, "I don't know. I got some…what you may call transferring issue…" She looked up at him, her famous egg omelette delicately pinched between the chopsticks, "You want some? I don't think bread would be enough for a growing boy, don't you think?"

Sho looked at her, the omelette still steady in her hand as she offered him part of her bentou. Sighing, he jumped down and bit the offering, munching as he looked at her, "Happy?"

He stared at her, wondering why every single thing he does made her blush like that. Kagome smiled and he could tell that she was genuinely elated just by feeding him. For some reason, he wanted her to smile like that for him more often. He then offered haltingly, unsure and not used to it; "It's…good…I like it," He looked at her and for his part; he wanted the look that she sent him to be his alone.

She beamed, more than happy as her eyes twinkled at him, her cheeks staining red as though Christmas came early as she said, "I'm glad you like my cooking!"

Sho felt his cheek blushed in return at such magnificent sight of utter happiness. But something about that smile made him want to cry. Somewhere inside, he felt the odd sense of utter regret and despair upon seeing that smile. Out of his control, he reached out and grabbed hold of her and crushed her tightly against his chest. Kagome blinked, "Sho-chan? Are you alright?"

"Thank you,"

She tried to look at him, but he kept his hold on her tight against his chest. She wondered if those wet feel sliding down her hair and her neck was tears. Slowly, she put down her chopsticks and gently hugged him back, "It's alright. Everything will be just fine,"

Sho shuddered at her words. It was the first time something so simple that he done made someone else so happy as if heaven was just around the corner. He never thought that in his life he will ever made another as happy as Kagome, not after his failure in protecting Naomi. She never smiled after coming along with him, even though she told him that she wanted to accompany him to the end of the world. He gripped Kagome tighter, wanting to forget the look of terror that Naomi sent him, her tears and her accusation at him.

Kagome doesn't understand why he behaved the way he did but she won't comment on it. Something about Sho has scarred the boy before their meeting. If only she could reach to that scar and heal it with her power…