My sleeves are like
the rock in the offing that
can't be seen even at low tide,
unknown to anyone, but
there's not a moment they are dry.
-Nijoin no Sanuki (1141-1217)
April 4 Monday
RIN
"You did what?!" The thick file missed her head by an inch, crashing instead at the door behind her.
"As I said, I offered to date Oshiro Sesshoumaru-san for two weeks. In exchange, I'm waiving all my fees once he finds the perfect match," Rin said calmly even as her boss hurled another file at her.
"I don't give a rat's bottom about the fees. What in the world were you thinking offering yourself like that? Don't you know it's dangerous? What if you get your feelings mixed up with your work?" Kohaku slammed his palms on the table before rounding up to stand directly in front of her. "Falling in love with the client is a breach of contract; a cause for termination. Are you an idiot Rin?"
Tilting her chin up, Rin glared back at her boss, unwilling to step down. "Who's in love with him? That triple H? Please. I'd be dead twice over before I'd ever feel anything but disgust for that man."
Kohaku groaned, covering his eyes with both hands. "Get him a match – and I mean a real match ASAP." Snapping his eyes open, he grabbed Rin by the shoulders and shook her lightly. "You're my star Rin; my best. I've seen too many employees fired to take this lightly."
"Kohaku-san, aren't you over-reacting a little –" Whatever else she wanted to say was clamped shut by the force of his lips on hers. Too stunned to react, Rin could only blink as he cradled her face closer before pulling back.
"Alright, I've said what I needed. You can go now."
Returning to his desk, he resumed his nonchalant expression as he buried his nose in paperwork.
/ / / /
SESSHOUMARU
Nothing got the office in frenzy than an unannounced visit by their company's president. Clearing his schedule for the morning, Sesshoumaru waited patiently in his office until his father's presence was announced.
"Chichi-ue, you look healthy as always."
"At my age you can never be too careful," said the older Oshiro, settling himself down in front of the desk. "But should I die before my due, I would like very much to see my grandchild."
"Chichi-ue…" Sesshoumaru had hoped their conversation would not steer in that direction but he knew it was wishful thinking on his part. "I'm working on it."
"Apparently not hard enough." His father got up, lit a cigarette and wandered to the full length window. "She might have charmed Izayoi but not me. Did you think I wouldn't have Higurashi Rin's background checked the moment I heard her name? Now what did you think I found?"
Sesshoumaru forced himself not to respond too quickly for that was the first sign of guilt. "I hope it would be something I don't already know."
The InuTaisho blew out his smoke, contemplating his son's answer. After a few more puffs, the older man took his seat again and smiled. "I've raised you well Sesshoumaru. A polite and political answer as always." He flicked his cigarette ends, letting the white ash fall like snow onto the carpets. "But let me warn you… my son. If you don't get your act together by the end of the month, I will have her and her entire company out on the streets."
Showing any form of reaction now would be counterproductive.
Keeping his head bowed, Sesshoumaru could only wait until his father had left the office before letting out his frustrations on every single item on his desk.
/ / / /
RIN
Rin had spent most part of the morning looking through their entire database of female clients, sifting through the list according to occupation, age, preference and of course looks. Though Rin had assumed Sesshoumaru was comfortable with Kikyo, she hadn't gotten the sense that the former was that into the woman.
It still felt… off.
He had been too nice with her. Too polite. Too fake.
Anyone who had experienced the bitter end of his tongue – such as herself –would attest to that. Spontaneity was definitely important but she still needed to create an atmosphere where he wasn't aware at all that he was being set up on a date.
Trailing her fingers down one particular profile, Rin finally tapped on the address portion and smiled. "Let's arrange for a little home-improvement project shall we?" Grabbing her purse and the profile folder; Rin headed towards her ticket out of this Oshiro mess.
An hour later, she was ushered into the stylish office of Kazeko Kagura, CEO of Kazeko Interiors. The woman, though in her mid-30s still had that porcelain complexion and bowl cut hair that made her look child-like. She often used it to her advantage especially in her business dealings –seeing how men often let down their guard around her.
"Nakamura-san, it's so good to see you."
"Kagura-san please. It's just Rin. How are you? We've not seen each other in what… four years?" Rin had to stop herself from laughing. Four years was a long time for a woman to still be in the market for a spouse.
"Indeed. Your first ever client," laughed Kagura, pulling Rin into an embrace. "And now look at you! Heard you clinched the top spot last year. So tell me, why are you here? I heard you've moved into the male clients department."
"Indeed and I think you're a match for someone. But… he's not going to be easy."
Taking the folder with Sesshoumaru's profile, Kagura frowned as she studied his bio data. "Looks too perfect on paper don't you think Rin-chan? It's almost a shame he's likely an asshole." Bursting in laughter, she handed back the folder. "But hey, I specialise in difficult men eh?"
Rin pursed her lips in slight discomfort. Four years ago, she had successfully matched Kagura with someone and even attended their wedding. However the divorce had been finalised even before the couple returned from their honeymoon. "I'm so sorry about Naraku-san. I really am."
"No, it's not your fault Rin. Who would have known he enjoyed sex with half-beaten women? No one writes that in their profile." Kagura was laughing but Rin had remembered the look of pure terror on the woman's face when she visited her at the hospital.
"I'm almost ashamed to be here," admitted Rin. "But I do believe you're perfect for this match." She laid their profiles side by side. "Financial status, social class, education, physical preference, outlook on children… well you get it." Kikyo had only been a 60% match statistically with Sesshoumaru but with Kagura, it was a close 95%.
The older woman peered closer at Sesshoumaru's picture and shrugged. "Well, why not. It's just a date anyway. If we hate each other's guts at the first try… then we'll re-evaluate." Smiling as she looked up at Rin, Kagura raised her eyebrows curiously. "So what do I have to do?"
Giving Kagura a rundown of her three days-worth of intel on Sesshoumaru had taken almost two hours. The hard part was convincing her not to date him.
"What do you mean I can't date him?"
"He's allergic to dates. It sets off this charm alarm in his head and he ends up turning down every single woman," Rin tried to explain. "You need to ambush him and then just slip into his consciousness when he's not expecting it."
Kagura looked at her seriously. "This feels like the movie Inception."
Concurring, Rin then laid out her plan. If all went well, the business angle would push Sesshoumaru and Kagura into a working relationship; time spent over discussions would give them both an excuse to get to know each other without it being obvious that it was a date –at least not for the annoying male.
"I think what's important is that you have to be on your guard each time he falls back on his polite boy routine. Push his buttons; rile him up if you must. He won't have much of an escape once you've entered a business contract."
Kagura merely nodded before picking up her phone. "We've worked with Oshiro Constructions before so it's not an issue. Now, let's see if I can get their head architect to come and work with me."
"Good luck!"
Kagura waved her off, leaving Rin in a slightly happier mood. And with that, she skipped out of the office and straight into a pastry shop.
/ / / /
Realising too late that she had gone overboard, Rin glanced at her watch and decided to pop by her home and bribe Sota into cooking her favourite dish for dinner. After all, there was cause for celebration!
"Sota-kun! I've got something for you…" she chimed as she waltzed into the living room, only to find that every available corner was filled with flowers. "What in the world…"
"Onee-chan! Good you're here. Take some and bring them to work. I have no idea where else I can put these…" Sota dumped a bouquet into her arms in exchange for her bag of treats. "They started coming in the morning and haven't stopped ever since!"
Suspicious, Rin tried to look for the sender but saw none. "Who are these for? Me?"
To her surprise, Sota shook his head. "I don't think so. You don't use Higurashi in your official forms right? So I think it's for Aneki." He showed her one of the delivery notes. "Says here it's for Miko Higurashi."
"For Kagome?" Rin suppressed her excitement –especially after seeing the name of the company that sent the flowers. Inou Flora, a subsidiary of the Oshiro conglomerate, of course. "What did she say?"
Sota only shrugged before grinning at her as he held up the pastry bag. "So you were saying these are all for me?" He peeped and let out a happy shout. "Wow, you must want something from me. What is it?"
Sliding up next to him, Rin did her best interpretation of a cat. "Ano… Sota-kun… you love me right?" At his bright red face, Rin continued to push. "I have a yearning for those delicious dumplings… you know, those ones you always make for my birthday…"
Her younger brother looked up at the clock and frowned. "That'll take me hours! I'm going to need to buy the ingredients and then there's the four o'clock prayers –" At her pouted lips, he caved in. "Alright… what time will you be home tonight?"
Rin chucked the flowers aside and wrapped him in a bear hug. "You're the best Sota-kun! That's why I love you the most. How about 8pm?" His ears went pink as he disappeared quickly into the kitchen mumbling something unintelligible.
/ / / /
SESSHOUMARU
He kept eyeing the uncompleted fee-waiver form on his dashboard as he navigated the busy Tokyo streets to his usual restaurant. He hadn't thought much about it when he suggested the place to Kikyo which was why he was caught off guard when she invited him there for dinner tonight.
A woman making the reservations and asking him out on a date was a first.
And yet that form was weighing too much on his conscience that Sesshoumaru felt conflictual about his dinner date. Technically he and Rin still had an agreement to date for another eleven days – so did it mean he was cheating if he went out with someone else?
"No, we're not actually dating," he reminded himself. "And technically, she didn't match me with Kikyo so she can't claim she did her job." Glancing at the form, he groaned. "But if it wasn't because of the gokon I wouldn't have met – argh." Cursing as he made a sharp U-turn, Sesshoumaru set his GPS to his matchmaking agency. He needed to settle this form once and for all.
Putting Kikyo on his handsfree call, he apologised for having to cancel their date and promised to make it up to her. Selecting speed-dial, he then contacted Jaken and instructed him to get something suitable for the lady as a token of apology.
Stepping on the accelerator, Sesshoumaru prayed that he would reach Rin's office by 5pm or he would miss her for the day. Sure that he would definitely get a few tickets for speeding, Sesshoumaru eventually made it, short of ten minutes to closing time.
"Oshiro-san, is there something I can help you with?" Rin was looking poised as she glanced up from her paperwork. "Oh, you're here to pass me the form? I did say you could fax it, right?"
A multitude of response flashed through his head but he settled on, "Could we go over it together please? I need some clarifications. Is there a room where we can speak in private?"
Though she was frowning, Rin got to her feet and ushered him into an empty conference room. This was one of the usual rooms that they used when he came for a scheduled meeting with her. The moment the door clicked closed; all pretence of politeness melted from her face. "You have… seven minutes to talk."
Slapping the form on the table, Sesshoumaru fired his brain for the best way to say what was on his mind – except that he wasn't sure what exactly he wanted her to understand. "Our agreement was for you to date me for two weeks. It's only been three days." When she remained silent, he continued. "I want what was promised to me."
For a moment, Rin looked like she was about to burst into a rant but the petite woman only leaned back against the wall and gave out a heavy sigh. "I can't. It's against the company's policy." Looking up at him, she shrugged. "I've been let off with a severe warning but one more breach of my contract, I'm out of here."
Not if he had a hand in that.
"Alright," he whispered in defeat. "No dating. But I'm not letting you escape so easily Rin-san. I still need you to help me find a wife."
"I thought you were going on fine with Kikyo-san?"
A small beep on his phone interrupted his reply. Diamond necklace bought. Would you like me to send it to Hidaka-sama now?
Texting furiously back to Jaken, Sesshoumaru then looked up at Rin. "Shall we talk about it over dinner?"
"Declined."
"Why? It's a work dinner so move it."
The door was opened for her but Rin stood in place, arms crossed over her chest. "My date's cooking for me tonight so we'll have to reschedule."
"I'll drive you there," he insisted, taking her by the wrist.
/ / / /
"I still don't understand why I'm in your car." Rin was still sulking, staring out the passenger seat window.
"First of all, I'm still your paying client and second, Sota doesn't count as a date." He almost dropped his jaw when she told him that dinner date was at home, until he realised it was just an excuse. Turning into the shrine's parking lot, he then waited until Rin led the way into the family's living quarters.
"Wait here," she instructed, showing him to a sitting room at the front of their house. "I'll get some tea and snacks."
While he waited, Sesshoumaru took a good look around the warm, cozy home. It was the first time anyone had invited him to their place –unwillingness aside – and was strangely looking forward to seeing Rin in her comfort zone.
She had clearly zipped into her room to change for when she returned, gone were the business attire and in its place, Rin wore comfortable slacks and a fuzzy pair of slippers that looked like it had seen better days.
"Sota made extra so if you're still not done talking to me in an hour, I guess I could poison – I mean feed you before you go." She poured him a cup of green tea. "So about Kikyo-san."
Ah, straight to the point as ever. Sesshoumaru had to admit that he was going to miss their unmediated conversations once the month came to an end. Returning her serious tone of voice, he shared the two short conversations he managed to have with Kikyo over the phone in the last 24 hours.
"I like her but she has this commitment vibe about her that scares me. I can imagine her wanting to get married and have five kids immediately." He shuddered slightly at the thought.
"And… the problem is?" Rin took a sip of her tea and gave him a stern look. "As I recalled, your profile stated that you don't mind children and look forward to having them."
"Yes but… I had imagined that we'd just spend a year or two being by ourselves; getting to know each other, going on trips together," he sighed. "I don't want to get married just so my sperm can be used to fulfil a woman's biological clock!"
"I assure you that Kikyo-san has no ill intentions. Besides, you should be happy that she is that willing to produce an heir for you right away. That would make your father extremely pleased wouldn't it?"
That it would indeed. His father's visit this morning had made that very clear. However… "I'm sure you've seen her profile by now. What do you think? Is she compatible with me?"
"What makes you think I'd have the time to do that?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. "But if you asked me what the system concluded, I'd tell you it says good but not an excellent match."
Sesshoumaru didn't know why he was relieved to hear that. "But what do you personally think Rin? I had just thought, if we were that compatible, you would have matched us right from the start. And yet, yesterday was the first time we met."
Instead of replying, Rin poured him some tea and pushed a plate of biscuits in front of him. She was still silent when he finally took a piece in his mouth; chewing at the offering with an expectant look on his face. "Matters of the heart transcend all boundaries of age, status and preference. If you like her, that is enough for me. You've never actually liked any of the women I've matched you with so far haven't you?"
No, that wasn't it but before he could say so, a gentle male voice called out to her from behind them.
"Oh… you're still here Oshiro-san?" Looking down at Rin, his features softened even more. "Would you like to eat now?"
"He's leaving," Rin decided, getting up to stand by Sota's side. "I'm eating every single morsel and I'm not sharing!" Her tone took on a warm, almost loving note as she smiled up at her brother. Only her scowls and stern words were reserved for him it seemed.
"Onee-chan, you shouldn't be so rude to our guest. Oshiro-san, if you do not mind our humble home cooking, please do stay for dinner."
When Sota left them alone once more, Sesshoumaru couldn't help sending Rin an accusatory glance. "I can't believe you used your brother as an excuse for a date."
However, Sesshoumaru had to evaluate his words when he saw the extent to which the man had prepared the meal for her. Rin had mentioned earlier that she had a craving for dumplings but judging from the carefully handmade delicacy, Sesshoumaru had a newfound assessment of the young man.
This wasn't just a younger brother cooking for his older sister. Higurashi Sota was very much in love with Rin. From the way he set the table to the presentation of the food itself, Sesshoumaru imagined a puppy waiting expectantly for its master's approval.
"Oishi! Oh Sota, you're the best!" Rin was already too much in bliss to pay any attention to either of the men in the room; oblivious to the two pair of eyes focused on her. "Sota, I take it back. Don't get married. Cook for me every day ok?"
For a matchmaker, Rin had to be blind not to understand how much her words meant to the younger man. Blushing to the roots, he shyly offered her more before turning to Sesshoumaru. "Does my cooking not please you Oshiro-san? Temple food can be quite bland –"
"Don't mind him Sota-kun. He can always leave if he doesn't want to eat."
Stubbornly however, Sesshoumaru sat through the meal, watching with interest as the siblings danced around each other. From what she had told him, Sota was clearly not blood-related to her and if he someday wanted to marry her, it would surely be well accepted within the family. After all, once he was ready to be the head of the shrine, he would be expected to take a wife. What better candidate than one already groomed within the compounds?
Sesshoumaru didn't know why it irked him slightly to know that but then again, it was none of his business – right?
"Sota-san, thank you for dinner. Would you perhaps walk me out? Your sister doesn't look like she could get up." Sesshoumaru glanced at an agonised Rin leaning against the wall with a hand on her belly. She had lazily waved him off and told him to come to her office the next day instead.
"Please don't think differently of her. Rin Onee-chan works really hard. She's just like that with people she's comfortable with." It surprised him to hear that from Sota for Sesshoumaru had never thought Rin relaxed enough to be comfortable around anybody.
"No not at all. She's invaluable to me and I really don't want to lose her." Sesshoumaru waited until Sota had looked up at him before continuing. "So, if you want to make your move Sota-san, you should do so now."
The younger man blinked a few times; cheeks turning slightly red. "I… I don't understand what you're trying to say Oshiro-san."
Mentally smacking himself, Sesshoumaru leaned closer and whispered, "You want to cook for Rin every day for the rest of your life don't you? I understand." Patting the man's shoulder, he then took a step back and laughed. "To help you along, let's make a bet. Whoever gets Rin to fall in love with him first in the next one week will have the right to do just that. I can't cook much but I'll be sure to feed her everything she loves without fail."
It pleased him to see Sota's eyes widening in shock; a second before those kind gentle eyes hardened, chin tilted up to accept the challenge. "Rin Onee-chan isn't a toy for you to bet on. I won't lose."
Watching as Sota returned inside the house, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile to himself. Of course he wasn't actually going to do anything to win over Rin; but at least… at least if she could find happiness with someone she loved, then maybe he wouldn't be feeling this guilty going out with Kikyo or any other woman for that matter.
/ / / /
A/N: Have you ever been in that situation where you possibly like someone but feel that you weren't what he/she needs? Maybe you try to push that friend of yours who's always had a crush on your crush and genuinely felt you did the right thing? Well, for me, Sess and Rin are in that situation now. It's a bittersweet moment for all the characters in this chapter and so we'll see how it goes.
A small translation note for the poem: wet sleeves are a sign that someone has been crying (wiping tears on their sleeves) and usually a metaphor for unrequited love. Perfect for this chapter.