Eremento No Stigma
Chapter 7: It's a... what?
Kagome groaned, nearly whimpering. She'd been making steady progress the last two weeks –While Kazuma and Ayano went off on who knows how many adventures, leaving her behind. It made her even more determined to get better, but sometimes, she still had problems when she moved.
Her illness, however, was not the reason she was in pain today.
It was… her fashion sense. "I've never needed cute clothes before." She grumbled. She'd always been too sick to go shopping or to care what father picked out for her.
She began to fume, "This is all stupid Kazuma's fault!" Before he came along, she hadn't thought twice about her appearance!
Her face flushed and her anger receded as she thought about just how much she cared now. 'C-Could I… like him?' The idea was foreign and left a strange taste in her mouth as well as butterflies in her stomach.
"Doesn't matter," She muttered to herself, "I need to go on a shopping spree!"
The green eyes that had been watching her for nearly an hour finally spoke, "I could take you."
Kagome jumped and whirled around, coming face to face with Ren, "Oh… sure." She couldn't really object; she didn't know where to buy anything.
His answering smile was blinding, "Great; come on then."
"N-Now?"
She didn't have time to answer as Ren dragged her from her room.
Kagome gulped, "Um…"
"It's cute don't you think?"
Kagome took one look at the short black skirt and paled. She'd never worn a skirt before…
Ren was waiting eagerly for her answer though and she found herself even more nervous. Why was he helping so much? He didn't seem the type to be into shopping or girl's fashion.
"…"
Ren's eyes were soft and understanding and he put the skirt back. "I'd forgotten; you've never worn a skirt before right?"
"Yeah."
He grabbed a longer, white one. "Why don't you try this on, just to see how it feels." He added it to the stack of clothes in her hands and she nodded easily, moving into one of the dressing rooms.
She slid the skirt on easily along with a slightly tight blue shirt that Ren had also picked out. "It's kind of like shorts." She said quietly, doing a twirl.
She liked it.
When she came back out –after trying on all the clothes- she decided that she wouldn't mind wearing the black miniskirt he'd shown her earlier.
They shopped on and eventually Kagome started looking for little things for Ren –even though he insisted against it at first.
Holding up a black polo shirt and watching Ren blush, she found herself struck by the oddity of it all. "Why are you helping me Ren?" he tilted his head curiously, still eying the shirt. "Shop, I mean."
He froze, "J-Just 'cause."
"Cause why?" Kagome hedged, raising an eyebrow at him boldly.
He debated telling her and in the end broke down, "You were looking for something because of that date you have with my brother right?"
Her eyes widened and her blood ran cold, "I'm not going on a date with Kazuma."
Ren cringed, squeaking, "You should tell him that."
In answer, Kagome blushed deeply and fumbled for words, "H-He knows." He did know it wasn't a date right? Or maybe when he'd invited her to the amusement park he meant… a-a date.
Ren held up his hands peacefully. "You're going to the amusement park together right?"
"Yeah…"
"That's a date." He explained, seeing her incredulous eyes. "At least it is in my big brother's eyes, and he asked you right?"
"I forgot I was being paid to protect you. I thought we could just go as friends."
Kagome frowned thinking it over. He said –the guy obsessed with money- that he had forgotten he was being paid. Did that mean that she meant something to him?
Did he like her?
Could it really be a date?
She flushed bright red and a thrill started up in her stomach; as if she was on a very fast roller coaster going up.
Unknown to even her, Ren had helped her develop her first crush.
"… You told her it was a date." Kazuma replied impassively.
Ren, in turn, sent him a childish pout and muttered, "It is."
"It is now." Kazuma sighed, saying a few choice words under his breath. The damn Kannagi probably thought he liked her now.
…Which he didn't!
"I can tell her it isn't."
"No you can't." Kazuma replied back, fighting off the urge to break something with his wind magic. "You'll hurt her feelings." Another, smaller voice inside him told him that 'hurting her feelings' wasn't the reason why he refused to tell her; she was a Kannagi after all.
He tied that voice down and slapped it a few times for good measure.
Instead he thought back to the girl who grew increasingly bold each day. He hadn't seen her for a week so he didn't think she'd feel rejected if he told her it wasn't a date.
So he told himself he had no idea why he didn't do it, "She agreed to a date?" If only her father and sister knew. They'd probably be so shamed they'd kick her from the family too.
Not that being kicked out was a bad thing; look how well he turned out. 'It would be the best thing that ever happened to that girl.'
He was jolted from his thoughts by Ren's voice. "-blushed a little bit, but she was okay with it." Ren looked uncomfortable and if Kazuma squinted he could tell the kid was upset.
'If I remember right, Ren has a little crush on her.' Kazuma thought to himself and mentally sighed. The little voice in his head escaped his ropes and sniggered. He was competing for a girl with a wickedly handsome adopted-Kannagi –who probably wasn't considered a Black Sheep- and his own little brother.
Kazuma hushed the voice again; he wasn't competing with anyone. He didn't want to end up with a Kannagi.
The whole idea seemed absurd!
So, hoping to rile Ren up, he said, "Then it's a date," he shrugged, "there's nothing more to say."
i luv niki4444
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I'M SO SORRY! D:
This took way too long to get out! :(
*hides away shamefully*
-Niki
