Chapter 11
The next morning, Sota wakes up to see that his alarm is a few minutes before it goes off. He looks down to the floor to see Shippo still asleep. So he turns the alarm off so that it wouldn't wake up the fox kid. He heads down stairs to see his mother making breakfast already. He looks around to see if his father is in there as well but he wasn't. "Morning, Sota." Ai greets him warmly. Sota sighs sadly. "Morning. Where's dad?" He asks worriedly. Ai places a plate of eggs in front of him. "He's still asleep dear. There's nothing to worry about." She assures him as she turns around to resume cooking to make breakfast for the rest of the household.
Sota understands her and begins eating slowly, hoping at some point that his father would come in to join him at the table. As time went by, minute by minute his father hasn't arrived at all. "What's the matter, Sota?" Ai asks him to see him disappointed. "I just wanted dad to take me to school." Sota places his chopsticks onto the plate and takes it to the sink. There's two more days left until Halloween and this is not what Sota wanted. Ai kneels down to his level. "Sweetie, I know how much you wanted to spend time with him. But for now, you need to know that he's still weak from being brought here by Miroku. I would never expect him to be around." She takes hold of his little shoulder. Sota nods and then leaves the kitchen to retrieve his backpack. He gets it and heads out the door to go to school.
Back in Kagome's room, Kagome wakes up to see Sango and Kirara still asleep. She crawls out of the front of her bed since that the bed's side is blocked off from the futon mattress that Sango is sleeping on. She takes her school uniform out of her closet so she could change in the bathroom instead. True that whenever she and Sango take a bath in the rivers, they don't mind about each other's nudity. But being her is not the case here. Not to mention, there are few boys in the house who might barge in without them knowing and show up at the wrong time. So to make sure that no one sees Kagome naked, she goes into the bathroom so she can change privately.
As soon as Sota left the house, Kagome comes into the kitchen. "Morning, Mom. Where's Sota? I thought that he would be eating right now." She see the kitchen table empty. "Oh, Sota just left the house. He was hoping that dad would take him to school today, but dad is still recovering from being brought here by Miroku." Ai answers Kagome's question as she brings her daughter a plate of pancakes. Kagome then realizes something. "But would dad's appearance freak out the public? Besides some of the citizens know about his death." Ai heads back to the stove to make something else for the next person to enter. "You have a point there. I don't want them see someone coming back from the dead to roam around the neighborhood." Ai agrees with her. "I knew that dad used to take you to school a few times. And I though it was right for Sota to have that opportunity."
Kagome can see why Sota is so eager to have Kaoru take him to school. "Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. The thing I'm just worried about is that if anyone is able to see him. You know being a spirit." She states the problem. Ai nods. "I know what you mean. So far this family is able to see a few spirits. And Kaoru is no exception. It's just if any spirit leaves the shrine, they'd be visible to anyone. That's why Grandpa makes sure that they make it to the afterlife in peace." Ai explains to her. Kagome places her plate into the sink and grabs her bag to leave the house.
"Hey." A new voice stops Kagome before she gets to the stairs. Kagome turns to see Inuyasha in the Sacred Tree's high branches. "Oh, Morning." Kagome walks up to him as he jumps down to the ground. "I saw your brother leave the house way earlier than usual." Inuyasha tells her as he crouches down for her to climb onto his back. "Mom told me that Sota wanted my dad to take him to school." Kagome answers the question casually. "But would that be a bad idea?" Inuyasha asks as he leaps from one building after another until they get to one that is a block away from Kagome's school. "Believe me, I was against it as well, but from mom told me that he used to take me to school. So I thought that Sota should have that chance to do it too, even if he's just a spirit." She explains to him as she gets off of his back and walks to the school.
Inuyasha heads back to the shrine to see Kaoru looking at the Sacred Tree. "Oh I didn't see you there, Inuyasha." He said to the half demon. "I was taking Kagome to school." Inuyasha tells him. "I used to do that too." Kaoru smiles at him. "Yeah, Kagome told me. It's too bad that I couldn't walk Sota to school." He frowns after that.
"I get that you're too afraid to that since you're just a spirit." Inuyasha points out to him. "What do you mean by that?" Kaoru is confused at that. "What I'm trying to say here is that is you were to take Sota to school, there would be people who would be able to see you despite being dead. They could get the wrong idea." Inuyasha explains to the father. Kaoru gets it. "I see. I just don't want to disappoint Sota. That's all." He comments.
"We might as well have to do something about it." Miroku steps in to the duo. "What are you talking about?" Kaoru asks him. "I'm able to draw out your spirit, but I couldn't make you noticeable to the public." Miroku explains to him. "Is there any way to make me noticeable?" Kaoru asks Miroku eagerly. "You just said that you would do something about it." He reminds him. "I meant that I came up with an idea on how to make sure that happens." Miroku tells him in a positive manner. "I'll do whatever it takes to walk my son to school." Kaoru is now determined to make sure it happens.