The Fifteenth
-5 April, 2020
A/N: Phew, I was so conflicted while writing this chapter because of the focus on Kagome and Fuuto. Still, I think that it did work out well, but my opinion may be biased. So, looking forward to hearing from you all.
Thanks to:
Tsuki Otsutsuki for following The Fifteenth!And thanks to everyone who reads the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor Brothers Conflict. The story is mine.
Ema has been living at the Sunrise Residence for a year now. And we all know what has happened. But what happens when her sister Kagome comes to live with them? Will things turn out to be for better or for worse?
15. I Don't Care
Kagome's mouth gaped as her gaze stayed at the smirking Fuuto who stared at her through his glasses. He has seen her. 'UGH!!! GREAT! FU*KING GREAT! HE KNOWS!'
Her blood began to rise. 'And I've lost face. Now he'll know I went through all that shit because of him. Just great.'
She ignored him and concentrated on her other customers and roamed around the shop doing one or the other thing. 'There's only half an hour left. I don't think he'll go away.' She thought worriedly.
Kagome tried to convince Ryo to increase her shift by some 2-3 hours. 'I'll eat something outside and then go home. No reason to see him again.'
But Ryo declined. 'Ugh, why can't he be like those unfair, dictator-like bosses for once in a while?!'
Reluctantly grabbing her stuff, Kagome walked out and as she expected, Fuuto was sitting on a bench- devouring his ice cream.
Kagome took one look at him and started walking away.
"Oye!" Noticing her, Fuuto called out. "I waited back for you."
'The CRINGE.' "OH." She replied blankly.
"What is with that capital-lettered, blank 'oh'?" He took his bag and went to her.
"I was just... Why are you still here? I thought you left." Kagome questioned.
"Isn't that's what you thought earlier as well?" He smirked and Kagome blushed with embarrassment.
She let the redness on her face cool down and stared at him for some moments before speaking again, "Well, then. Why did you wait behind?"
"We live together. So isn't it obvious if we go together as well?" He tilted his head to a side as answered as if it was the most common thing to do.
'What?! What the hell's going on?!'
She observed him for a while, completely confused. "You do know you're being nice, right?"
His cinnamon eyes landed at her. "Am I? Whoa, but my 'nice guy' mode is only reserved for pretty girls. Seems like there's been a mistake. Very sorry for the inconvenience."
Kagome sighed out with relief. 'There it is. For a minute there, I thought he was going crazy.' And both of them walked along.
Nobody spoke for a while until Kagome interjected,
"But really, why did you wait back?"
She watched him as he licked the melting bottom of the ice cream and they both walked.
He replied, "Just wanted you to know that you weren't fooling anyone with that absurd "disguise" of yours." Even with an ice-cream in his hand, he attempted the double-inverted commas with his fingers.
"Yeah, yeah. I got that, alright?" She was annoyed now. "But how did you know it was me?" She questioned. "Why me, out of all people?"
"I didn't recognise you at first, you were just suspicious. And why not? I mean, I am a celebrity and I still wore just glasses for disguise. Anyone who dresses up like you did just gathers more attention and seems shady. Just be happy nobody thought of you as a child molester."
"Shut up." Kagome pouted. 'I did think I would seem dubious but I hoped I could pass as some cleaning staff.' "Still, that doesn't necessarily mean it had to be me."
He swayed the bag in his hand casually. "True. It just made you questionable. The main reason was that... I never forget a body once I've laid my eyes on it."
Kagome's face scrunched up. "Body?!"
Fuuto gave out a snort. "Ha! Like yours is any significant enough to remember."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "You know what, I've lost interest. Don't wanna listen anymore." She tried to walk faster to leave him behind.
"A lot of people don't want me to do things to them. That doesn't make me stop doing them." He quickly caught up with her and munched on the leftover ice cream. "Your sister's one of them."
Kagome didn't catch it as she focused on her speed with irritation. 'Oh god, will he ever get off my back?!'
Fuuto noticed that Kagome's bag seemed heavy. 'So that's why she isn't running.'
And therefore unaffected by her unwillingness, he resumed his tale, "I wondered who could be this someone that hates me so much, is a teenage girl, lives in the same neighbourhood and of course... Has that built." Kagome drew a breath to calm herself from the annoyance Fuuto offered her. "Who is that someone that would to go to such disastrous limits and have such bad taste in style, and there was Lagome."
She shot him a glare. "I am good at probability you know." Fuuto finished with this.
Kagome pursed her lips before speaking, "Why would you even think it was for you? And why would it be someone who would hate you? It could be for anybody."
"Lagome, let me tell you something..."
"It's Kagome." She replied patiently.
"Everything's about me."
'Yes, of course. It is.' She scowled at his cocky statement."So, I reckon you're done humiliating me. Then you can go on ahead."
Kagome stopped and hoped that he would just leave without her.
"You're not scared of me, are you?" He asked, not following her instructions.
Kagome immediately replied, "Whoa! No ways! What's there to be afraid of a seventeen-year-old?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Well, your futile attempt for disguise says otherwise." He offered a shrug.
She signed. "Well, no. I am definitely not scared of you." Fuuto looked at her expectantly. 'Why is he even having a conversation with me? Why isn't he storming off thinking I am too below his level to interact with?'
"You're... You aren't that easy to be around." Kagome finally spoke as they stood below the evening sky.
"I am sorry, I don't understand what you just said." He asked genuinely as if the mere thought of him being a bad company fumbled him. Kagome suppressed her laugh.
She took a breath, "You're doing constant name-calling. Ever since the day we met. You humiliated me in front of your... our entire family, and then every time we have encountered after that. It gets frustrating. Normally, I ignore people like you, but we're... almost related," Fuuto's eyes narrowed at the word 'almost' but Kagome didn't notice.
"And... So, it just seems better to avoid you as much as I can." She finished and clenched her bag straps.
The wind blew, providing relief in the heat. The sky had become a canvas painted with red at the horizon, azure in the middle and deep blue everywhere else with stars embedded in it.
Fuuto finally spoke, "You do know that I don't care about anything you said, right?"
Kagome blankly stared at him for some seconds and then laughed, "I don't expect you to."
"And you do know that I am not gonna stop the name-calling and all?" He asked with one palm in his pocket.
She sighed with a smile, "I don't expect that either."
"Well then, Lagome," He continued as he gazed at her and she did the same, "It's not good for someone like me to be with someone like you for long. Let's go."
The fifteenth chapter of The Fifteenth is done! Take care, everyone!
