Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapter! I'm glad you guys liked it, and hope you will enjoy this one as well. I think this chapter is going to get kind of ugly, in a sense that you'll get to see a straight confrontation between Kagome and Asami.

Title: Rewind

Chapter 7: Erase, delete and remove


There he goes, off to work as usual at 7.30am.

From where I was, I could clearly see a young woman dressed in a pale yellow maternity dress giving Miroku a peck on the cheek as he walked to where his car was, after adjusting his tie. Even at a distance, she looked attractive. Not in the seductress way like I imagined her to be, but instead, sweet and doll-like. So this is the Asami.

Miroku did not return her act of affection, and with a small nod at her, he entered the car. Waving goodbye as he started the engine, Asami turned to return to the apartment as the car reached the gates.

I watched as the familiar silver Toyota Corolla made its way out of the apartment parking lot and turned around at the bend. For a moment, scenes of how we used to pile into Miroku's car to go out on weekend outings came back to me.

So many memories, ruined by just one erroneous night.

I shifted in my seat and took a long swig from my water bottle, before turning my eyes back onto the main entrance of the apartment. She had already gone in. Thankfully, the apartment was located right in the middle of Tokyo, and hence it was easy for me to hide myself in the car among the seemingly interminable traffic on the main road.

I had to talk to Asami. Not for Miroku, not for Sango, but for both of them. After hearing how Sango mentioned she wished she had a time machine, the question in the abyss of my heart was answered.

She still loved him.

If she didn't, there was no reason she would wish to amend the mistakes that had so unfortunately occurred. If she regretted marrying him, there was no way she'd cry every night in her room.

But love alone was not enough, as anyone mature enough would understand. There were more problems to deal with, and that being a baby, and another woman. Because of these reasons, Sango had to opt to leave. She didn't have a choice since the very beginning.

I am not so sure about how Miroku felt, even though Sesshoumaru did mention to me that he was remorseful over his own actions. And from the way he did not even return the peck on the cheek, I knew he didn't feel for Asami the same way he feels for Sango.

With Sango, he was never ashamed to show any affection for her in public, often kissing her before he left for work until the old caretaker, Mr. Myouga, blushed and retreated to the washroom. I cannot help the small grin that crept up my face. They used to be so sweet together.

Like Sango, I wished I could turn back time.

But since I could not, I'd take the alternative approach. I'd talk to Asami personally. If anything can change, it is up to me to do so.

Exiting my car, I locked it, removing the shades I had been wearing earlier on and walked in the direction of the apartment.

It was good that Miroku was not around, for his presence could very easily affect my ability to think clearly. And should he be stupid enough to show any affection for Asami in front of me, I'd most probably blow up and start hurling abuses. Which is also why Sesshoumaru has no idea of my little visit as well; there was simply no way he'd let me come alone. He would either forbid me from going, or insist that he came along.

"Kagome-san!" Mr. Myouga greeted from the desk at which he always sat at the lobby. "Hisashiburi!"

"Hisashiburi, Myouga-san." I returned his greeting with a wave. "How have you been?"

"I'm doing fine, just that I get a bit lonely sometimes without hearing you and Sango-san's laughter. And I miss your signature sponge cakes!"

I smiled, mentally making a note to bring some for the old man on my next trip here.

"Oh, and what brings you here, Kagome-san?" He asked, looking up at me from his seat. "I thought Sango-san is no longer…"

"I am not here to look for Sango. I am here to look for the other woman." I replied. The frown that appeared on the old man's wrinkled face did not go unnoticed.

"You mean Asami-san?"

"Yes. She's staying here now, isn't she?"

He nodded. "She's not a pleasant lady at all. In front of Miroku-san, yes, she's always very nice. But when she is alone, she does not even greet me back when I greet her. I think she's unhappy because I commented that it was a pity Sango-san was no longer living here. And she was rude to my wife when she was sweeping the corridor."

"Sou ka…" I responded, unsure of what else to say. "Anyway, Myouga-san, I'll make my way up first. See you later!"

As the old man waved goodbye, I walked into the open elevator, habitually pressing the button for the tenth storey. The doors opened a while later, and I stepped out, walking down the corridor to where Miroku and Sango's apartment was.

My heels sounded oddly hollow in the empty corridor.

Standing outside of apartment number 10-52, I reached out and pressed the doorbell once. The merry music of Doraemon's opening theme reverberated.

My throat felt parched, and I suddenly felt a wave of panic – for I didn't know what I should say.

"Coming!" Came a sweet, childish voice from inside, before the door was opened with the familiar click. It revealed a puzzled-looking Asami, whose hand was placed over her bulging abdomen. Up close, she looked even prettier, and I realized how young she really was.

"You are…"

"I'm Higurashi Kagome, a friend of Miroku and Sango's." I introduced myself, noticing the obvious change in her facial expression as I mentioned Sango's name. Suddenly, she didn't seem so innocent anymore. A greater change overtook her features as I added, "You must be Asami, right?"

She nodded and eyed me warily. "And who are you looking for? Miroku is not around at the moment, so I suggest you come around some other day-" She hastily made a move to close the door in my face, before I put my hand out to hold the door open.

"I'm afraid you got it wrong, Asami-san." I breathed, fighting against her efforts to pull the door shut. "The one I wish to talk to is you."

She relaxed her hold on the door, and gave me a surprised look. Genuine surprise or not, I was not so sure. "Higurashi-san. I don't recall having interacted with you in any way before this."

"You're right, Asami-san. But I knew you prior to today. I know about your pregnancy, and I know about how this has led to the demise of Miroku and Sango's marriage."

The surprise which was on her face earlier on was immediately replaced by a defensive and challenging look, and for a split second, I felt a bit intimidated.

"Oh, is that so?" She asked, her voice suddenly lower and not so dolly-like. "Since you already knew about it, Higurashi-san…what have you come here for? What do you really want?"

"Since you are so straightforward, Asami-san, I'll not beat about the bush. I want to talk about Miroku and Sango. I hope you can leave Miroku while it is still not too late, and return what you've taken from Sango to her."

Slightly widened eyes indicated her surprise at my forthrightness. She quickly recovered from the initial shock, and placed both hands protectively on her stomach, as if it wasn't obvious enough to me that she was pregnant.

"Leave? Can't you see I'm pregnant?"

"I can see that, Asami-san. A pregnancy is one issue, but it becomes another when you use it as a weapon to snatch what belongs to others rightfully."

"What are you talking about? I didn't snatch anything. The woman left on her own accord. She left this house, her husband and what now, her friend? Shouldn't you be thanking me instead for filling her void?"

"Sango was forced to leave this place because of you. And no, she did not abandon anything. Her heart is still with her home and her husband. I'm sure Miroku still feels for her." I retorted, feeling a growing anger at her nonchalant attitude.

"Well, do you know that Miroku invited me to stay here with him?" She looked at me indignantly, her chin slightly raised.

"Do you know that he did it out of guilt?" I returned her question with another one of my own. "He did it for this," I pointed to her abdomen. "Not you."

"This, as you put it, was placed in me by him, Higurashi-san. It was a night of love-"

"Sex, not love." I corrected curtly. "I understand it was a mistake that led to your pregnancy. He doesn't love you, Asami-san. He loves Sango. He didn't even kiss you goodbye just now when he left for work."

Her eyes widened as I pointed out Miroku's lack of interest in her. An unreadable look flashed across her eyes, before she spoke up again.

"If he loved her so much, why didn't he get her pregnant? If their love was so strong, why didn't they have a child of their own?"

"It's not that they don't wish to have a child-"

"Oh. So it's your friend, Sango, who is too unable to bear her husband a child. No wonder he had to resort to looking for other women." Asami said, her tone suddenly overbearing and high in pitch. "Too bad then, she can only have herself to blame."

"If you believe that love must be proven only by creating a child, then you're terribly mistaken, Asami-san. I am very much in love with my husband, and we are childless for now. If you would look through Miroku's belongings, it wouldn't be hard to find evidence of his love for Sango."

She stared at me, before rolling her eyes and looking away.

I walked further into the house, to the cabinet in which the video tapes were placed and picked out the three which Miroku had given to Sango.

"You can start with the video tapes. Miroku tapes down their happy moments with his video camera and gives Sango a tape every year on their wedding anniversary. This is concrete proof of how blissful they were. Their happy lives together are all on tape; you can see for yourself. Would you bear to watch a couple's love die because of you?"

Hostility was the only attitude present in her voice as she replied. She sounded icy, and completely irritated. Her face came closer to mine, invading my private space, and I had to stop myself from instinctively drawing away.

"If their lives are all on tape, you can be sure there will be no more sequels."

This infuriated me. Suddenly, all I wanted to is to push her down and give her a tight slap. But I held back; for any rash actions could lead to the loss of a growing life. Instead, I decided on a verbal comeback.

"If their lives are all on tape, you can be sure I'll erase, delete and remove every single scene with your miserable presence in it."

With that, I spun on my heel and walked to the door, clutching the three tapes tightly in my hand. These are Sango's precious memories…I cannot leave them here with this woman.

"Higurashi-san?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, and for a second, the only sounds I could hear were that of my own harsh breathing. I could feel her eyes boring holes in my back.

"If I were you, I'd spend more time with my husband. For all you know, he may be dying to have a child despite what he says. Maybe, he might even come to me when he gets tired of waiting."

"He does not mingle with trash."

I did not expect her reply to send a shiver down my spine.

"Well, you never know…maybe in awhile, he will never be able to mingle again."


To be continued…

A/N: OMG. OMG. I am boiling with anger now! Somehow I really wanted to make Kagome hit Asami, but I realized that would be heartless. She is after all, with child. For those who are wondering about what Asami means, you can try to read between the lines! Please review, thank you!


Glossary:

Hisashiburi – It's been a long time

Sou ka – I see