Chapter 10: Month 2, part 5: Perfume & Troubled Hearts

I left my shoes once I entered and exclaimed, "I'm home!" Surely Souta and gramps would also be home already. I raised my nose in the air and breathed in the beautiful aroma of dinner coming from the kitchen. My mom's voice also emerged with the aroma. "Kagome? Could you come here for a minute? I'm setting up dinner."

"Sure!" I responded, quickly heading towards the kitchen. I placed my book bag and pink perfume bag on the dining table and hugged my mom for a minute before looking at the dishes she was working on.

"Hey mom, what's cooking? Smells good."

She looked at me and smiled, "Something delicious…"She signaled some small bowls in front of me, "Now put these side dishes on the table, we're almost ready to eat."

I nodded and took a hold of the bowls, heading to the destined table.

"I was getting a bit worried when you didn't come home right after school, Kagome."

I grinned sheepishly, "Well, I went out with my friends to catch up on stuff. Sorry for not mentioning it sooner…" My mom smiled in response and shook her head, "It makes me glad to see you enjoying your time with your friends here," She paused and looked at me suddenly, "Did you eat? I don't want you fainting after that anemia incident…" She placed her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion.

"Yeah- We went to Wacdnald's and after that we went to the opening of an organic perfume shop," I answered, signaling my pink perfume bag.

"Did you buy something nice?"

"Well I saw a small bottle hidden in the back of the shop. They said it was made out of sakura blossoms and other organic flowers that grew only in the countryside." I took a seat at the set table while my mom set my rice bowl in front of me, accompanied by a knowing glance.

"Do you think Inuyasha will like it?"

I smiled in response, "He better!"

After dinner, I headed upstairs to my room with a heavy stomach and heavy heart. I had homework I had been neglecting since Tuesday that was due tomorrow… and it was kind of my goal not to flunk any subject while I was in my modern world with time to spare.

A yawn escaped my lips once I opened my book in front of me and not before long, I found myself looking out my window into the cool night sky.

I wonder what everyone else is up to…

"Inuyasha, quit sulking! Kagome will be back in a few days." Shippo said, jumping on Inuyasha and finally standing on his head. Their figures reflected on the back wall, caused by the slow burning flame in the hut.

"Get off me, ya runt! And I'm not sulking!" Inuyasha exclaimed, placing his crossed arms in front of him, "I just don't know why she had to go for an entire week!" He pouted.

"You're the one who said it was okay, ya know."

"Yeah, yeah… I know…"

Kaede's voice broke through the crackling of the flame outside the hut, "Inuyasha, Shippo! Dinner is served!"

"Ha, ha! Imma beat you to dinner, mutt!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping down quickly from Inuyasha's head with a tempting laugh while Inuyasha ran after him, "Not if I kick you out of the way you won't!"

I woke up with a start caused by my own snoring. The lights were out in my room and I remained at my last conscious position, in front of my homework placed on the wooden desk. I raised a hand up to my mouth as I yawned and with the other, I rubbed my eyes. I glanced at my homework in front of me, still open to the first page of exercises; I hadn't really done much (or anything) for that matter.

I groaned.

It's due tomorrow already!

My eyes were immediately drawn to a glowing red on my nightstand, belonging to my new, digital clock. 2:43 am, it read.

More like it's due today!

I groaned once again and set my forehead on my table. I had ended up sleeping earlier because my head hurt and the practice exercises made no sense!

How would I finish that before class in a few hours?

I glanced towards my window, the side of my face still remaining at rest on my wooden desk. Its funny how I had survived so many circumstances in the feudal era but how much I dreaded doing my homework.

Maybe I can ask Ayumi to lend me her homework at homeroom…

I glanced over at the clock once more and another sight caught my attention. There, on top of the nightstand and besides the clock stood the four books I had spent so long looking for.

I stood up abruptly and gasped. I knew I had forgotten something!

I was supposed to clean the last storage room yesterday afternoon!

I guess the conversation at Wacdnald's had left me completely scatterbrained of the reason I was here in the modern world.

A light wind blew through my window and that was when I finally decided on what to do. I was also more or less trying to avoid the fact that my homework was due in a few hours.

What better time than now for some heavy cleaning?

Sesshomaru stood looking at his camp by a few meters off, besides a tree. Rin was sitting next to the campfire, playing with some sticks the entourage had gathered to produce the fire. Jaken slept by Ah and Uhn, basking in the warmth the demons and campfire provided.

Rin had been quite different than her usual bouncy self ever since Kagome had left their group. If Sesshomaru had any knowledge of human emotions, it would seem as if she was feeling quite melancholy after the female human's departure.

She inquired a bit about the priestess's group and affinities but Sesshomaru had not been able to fulfill the human child's curiosity. Ever since then, Rin had stopped asking any questions regarding the miko.

She now lay on her back, the pile of sticks left forgotten next to her and directed her wide brown orbs to the starry night sky. Her small hands were placed under the back of her head in a carefree manner and her pink lips parted, emitting a sigh.

"You are troubled, are you not?" Sesshomaru glanced up at the same sky and noted the stars present.

Rin immediately sat up and glanced behind her to the source of the recognizable voice.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You're here!" She smiled. He held his head upwards to the sky but sneaked a glance at the child in question and studied her face.

She smiles. That is favorable.

"Hnn."

Rin changed her position and sat alongside him with an eager face. "How was your patrol, milord? Did you find the answer to what you were looking for?"

Sesshomaru kept his eye on the only star in the night sky. It seemed brighter than other nights, he noted.

"I deem this Sesshomaru inquired something, Rin."

A cold wind passed the campfire, noting the serious and upfront situation while Rin's smile faded to a soft frown. She glanced at the starry sky and held her vision on the single brightest star.

It reminded her of Kagome. Kagome could look like other humans, but she always stood out because of her personality; she was always the brightest.

Rin knew how normal humans were always fearful of demons and even more so of the Lord of the Western Lands, but Kagome had always looked past that and held in her company the most unlikely of companions. Rin felt Kagome as someone she could relate to, the only other human she could feel comfortable with. She also had to admit it- Rin had hoped Kagome would stay with them.

"Rin…" She began, "was hoping to see Kagome-sama again."

Sesshomaru had not expected such a blunt request or response from his human ward. He glanced down at her and studied her face once more.

Rin misses the miko.

Perhaps it was because she was a human, and a female one at that. Rin had not interacted with many of her race for a long time. It made sense that she would need to have a human influence at this age. It would be up to her to remain with demons or humans in her future.

"Soon, Rin." He replied simply, not moving his sight from the bright star in the night sky.

Rin beamed.