Chapter 6
Kimiko gently skimmed her arms along the surface the jade-tinted bath water.
The hot water felt so good, and the steam seemed to cleanse her spiritually.
…
"Kimiko, where are you going?"
Kimiko shrugged. "Nowhere."
"You can stay over at my place if you want! I have an extra futon that you can use!" Kagome chirped enthusiastically.
"No really, it's alright," Kimiko gentle turned her down. "I wouldn't want to bother you any further."
"Oh." Kagome's face fell. "I see…"
Kimiko felt guilt slug her right in the abdomen. The two girls basked in the awkward silence for a few moments.
"Ahh fine! It's not like I have anywhere to go anyway…"
Kagome immediately perked up. "That's great! I'll take you to meet my family! There's my mom… my younger brother Sota…"
...
Kimiko submerged herself entirely for a few seconds, and then emerged, water cascading down her auburn locks like a glorious waterfall.
Funny how she's never mentioned her dad, she thought to herself as she absent-mindedly began to twirl her wet hair around her fingers.
Okay… let's get this straight. I am in the bathroom of a stranger's residence, taking a nice warm bath, with nothing but the translucence of the bath water to cover me should anyone dare barge in or, God forbid, install a secret camera here to capture this.
Dare? Heck, they're entitled to this if they wanted to. This is their house. The house of the kid who practically threw herself in front of a beast to save me. I am an outsider. I am in debt to her. I agreed to this.
Not that seeing me naked is going to get them places.
"Kimiko! Are you alright in there?"
She immediately snapped out of her internal monologue.
"Um, yeah," she hastily got up and stepped out of the bathtub, wringed her hair and wrapped a towel around herself.
"Um, do you have any spare clothes?" Kimiko flushed with embarrassment. Great. Not only did I put her life in danger, I even have to borrow her clothes.
"Oh, plenty!" Kagome beamed, like she had been waiting her entire lifetime for an opportunity like this. "Do you have any clothing preferences?"
"Um, anything with long sleeves and pants."
"Bingo!" she snapped her fingers gleefully. "I'll be right back!"
She always seems so cheerful…
After Kimiko got dressed, Kagome introduced her to her family briefly, and brought her to her room.
It was a little larger than Kimiko's, but it was neater. There was a desk with a cup full of stationery and a few books supported by a metal bookend against a wall right next to the window. Cream-coloured curtains framed the windows and Kagome's bed was right next to it, adorn with pink floral fresh sheets.
"My mom said we could have our dinner up here," Kagome heaved a mattress out of her wardrobe, which seemed too heavy and big for her petite frame.
"Uhh, let me help with that," Kimiko grabbed the futon. The two girls worked together quietly to set it up, propping an extra fluffy pillow and laying out the blankets.
"So…"
"We never really got to introduce ourselves properly, didn't we?" Kagome cut her off, which took Kimiko by surprise, seeing how out of character it was for such a polite person. She nodded her head dumbly, taking a particular interest in the texture of the floorboards instead.
"Haha, well, no pressure," she gave a light-hearted laugh. "It's fine if you don't want to open up to me or anything. As for me, well, you could say that I'm an open book. I like telling people about myself. I know it sounds really narcissistic but it's not that. I just… you know… I don't know…" she took a deep breath and touched the nape of her neck.
"Hmm… well, I'd like to know more about you," Kimiko the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Kagome's face lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah," Kimiko smiled, and she felt an unfamiliar warmth penetrating her chest. What was it?
She couldn't remember the last time she had actually smiled; she had long given up on pretending that she was happy. She was in fact, quite surprised.
"Mmm," Kagome put a finger to her chin and tapped it lightly, deep in thought. "Let's see… uh, well, I am Kagome Higurashi, 15 this year, and I am in Middle School currently, the one nearby. Okay, this is just pretty basic and not to mention boring information…"
She started to move on to how she ended up travelling back and forth to the feudal era instead, which intrigued Kimiko. How the Sacred Jewel came to exist and how it was handed over to a very powerful priestess whom she reincarnated from to protect from demons all over the world who hungered for more power, and how Naraku, who was the group's common enemy, killed the priestess. "And some centipede demon came along and dragged me into the well and I ended up there, and Inuyasha saved me," she nodded at nobody in particular. "Apparently, the jewel was in my body, and the demon dug it out of me." She cringed. "And well, we killed it and another demon went after it and I shattered the jewel while trying to stop it and that was why I have to go back to help hunt for the shards, put it back together and make sure it does not fall into the wrong hands." She let out a sigh, exhausted after the long explanation.
"So, are you and Inuyasha like a couple or something?"
Pregnant pause.
"Oh, no, it's not like that," she lowered her head a little, her bangs shadowing her blue orbs. "Inuyasha's just a friend."
'Yeah, tell that to him and see what happens,' Kimiko mused.
She had already caught a glimpse of the momentary sadness in Kagome's eyes.
"Come on! Dinner's ready!" Kagome suddenly broke her train of thoughts. Seeing how Kagome was back to normal now, Kimiko decided to let the matter rest.
"Let's go then."
Kagome grinned and stood up, holding out her hand. Kimiko mustered a grin and took it.
One of the rare moments where she could feel serenity permeate the raise walls.
