"..." Normal chat.

ABC Thought.

Chapter 56

But it was easier said than done. Obviously.

A few days later.

While learning how to float a few meters above the ground, suddenly my youkai energy deactivates by itself and I begin to lose balance. Immediately Sesshomaru, who is flying right by my side, reaches out his hand in time to catch me.

"T-That was close!"

Seeing me smile wryly even after almost falling to death, he frowns.

"Perhaps we should continue another day."

Not able to maintain my power any longer, I suggest us to take a break. Therefore Sesshomaru carries me back to the ground to lie down. Once feeling the nostalgic green grass's touch on my palm, I let out a sigh.

Hate to admit that our progress was slow because I was scared.

We've been trying this for the whole morning now and needless to say, I'm exhausted. Physically and spiritually. All because of this youkai energy which rapidly draining me dry if being used constantly without rest.

Also due to the fact that having a human body, my capability is limited. Probably a few hours at best. Hopefully I'll be able to extend it in the future with more trainings.

Just then I realize that Sesshomaru's been staring at my eyes. And it doesn't require one to ask to know that he's curious.

"I'm not sure why Sora give her power to me, perhaps as a keepsake?"

She didn't tell me anything back then. Knowing Sora, I wouldn't expect her to. "Are you thinking that she have another motive?"

However Sesshomaru doesn't answer my question and asks me in return. "Do you trust her?"

"I don't." Without a doubt.

But then again, If I didn't accept her power and used it, I would have been stuck in soul realm forever. So maybe Sora gained a point for one thing that she fixed, whether intentionally or not. It's still not enough to make up for many other bad things that she had caused...

In one morning.

"P-Please accept these! For saving our lives!"

The middle aged merchant man and his family, who are rescued from the youkai's terrifying attack by Sesshomaru just now, presenting him some of their merchandise as a way express their gratitude toward to the Daiyoukai's *random* kindness.

"Sesshomaru-sama, what should we do?"

Standing next to the damaged cart, Jaken asks his lord.

"Take them."

Sesshomaru glances over the goods in that merchant's hands before walking off. Leaving Jaken behind to do the warping and carrying them all onto his back.

At home.

After receiving yet another gift within a short period, I can't help but ask Sesshomaru.

"Are you secretly born rich or something?"

Seems to be offended by my question, Jaken huffs and points at the warped cloth, which is double the size of his body, in my arms. "These are offerings from the lowly mortals that we've just met out there!"

"Offering? For what?"

"Unlike you. Those human are capable of appreciating Sesshomaru-sama's greatness."

Jaken recalls to their encounter with the merchants from earlier. Of how Sesshomaru's floating by the scene and decided to drop down to slay those youkai, which weren't even his target in the first place, simply because he felt like it.

"Uh huh."

Well, whatever it is, I'm glad that innocent's lives are saved. That's what truly matters.

"Alright, let's see what we have here."

Curious about what they've given us, I open up the cloth and find some seasonings, teas, pickled vegetables and dried fish. Now the problem is where am I suppose to store all of these into.

Since the shelf is already full and we still have a bunch of stuff laying around staying untouched, I suggest sharing some with Rin. However...

"We've given Rin half of it."

Jaken says. Turns out they've already visited her on their way back.

"Is that so..."

For a brief second, I pictured Sesshomaru and Rin smiling happily to each other then felt my heart tightened.

Wait a minute. Why am I feeling disheartened by this?!

To erase those annoying nonsense thoughts, I slap myself hard in the face. End up shocking them both.

"Ow... that hurts."

It brings me to tears. While Sesshomaru's checking my wound and progressing what is happening, Jaken is standing nearby scolding me non stop.

"What did you do that for, stupid?! Hitting yourself like that!"

Then they both staring at me, expecting for a proper explanation about my strange action just now. But there's no way I can tell them about my ridiculous fantasy, especially to Sesshomaru.

"Don't you two have important matter to attend to? Better leave now or you will miss it!"

To escape from their interrogation(?) I push those two out of the house and urge them to get going. Though Sesshomaru remains a bit more to make sure that my body is okay before setting off.

Once they're finally gone out of sight, I flop down onto the wooden floor. Sighing.

Seriously... Have I always been this petty?

It's like Nanase's incident all over again, except this time no one is doing anything and I'm already overreaching.

There is nothing happens between them, right? Sesshomaru did tell me that they met each other frequently during the time I was gone but that was it. We didn't go into detail so... Arg, what the heck?!

And I manage to stop myself right there by banging my head onto the wall nearby.

"Damn it! This is crazy..."

Can't believe there comes a day when I get worried about Rin taking over Sesshomaru's heart. It's just so weird that I don't even want to think about that sentence twice.

This is what happens when one has too much free time.

Can't let this kind of attitude continue any longer, I get up and find a way to make myself busy. First is to rearrange the items inside the shelf to make some space for our newly brought stuff.

However the moment I pull the handle, the door doesn't budge.

Huh? Is it stuck?

After failing to unlock it normally for several times, I activate my power and slide the door wide open by force. Resulting an endless amount of items falling onto my head and almost burying me alive.

"Can't... Breathe!"

A few seconds of struggling and I'm finally able to crawl out of the mountain to get some air.

Gosh. We seriously need another big shelf.

It's going to take a day or two to find a suitable one at the market and bring it back home. Still, if Sesshomaru keeps on bringing more stuff back home so frequently like this. we are going to fill the house up with bunch of shelves in no time.

Not to mention that with the supply and demand imbalance that we're suffering from right now, in which I'm the only consumer, these things will just end up rotting in the corner within a few more months.

What a waste. They're all in good quality too.

While trying to figure out a way to deal with this unexpected *crisis*, a person's image pops up in my head.

Right! How could I forget?!

On the way to their house.

"Shiomi-chan!"

On the side of the road, a very friendly neighbor auntie appears. Always greets me with a smile when I pass by and even gives me the stuff that she grows in her garden.

"Hello, auntie. How are you?"

My impression of her is that she's very chatty person, and curious about almost everything. Especially youkai, despite being terribly afraid of them.

Though I think the reason for her interesting characteristic is that auntie lives alone, she gets lonely and just wants to find someone to talk to.

"Oh my... Are you moving again?"

Seeing me dragging a giant bag forward, she asks.

"Not really. Just trying to clean up my storage."

We speak to each other from time to time, our topic can be varies from daily life, chores to the gossips around this village. To her, I'm simply a girl who emigrated from a faraway land and is struggling to get used to a new life here.

"So you're bringing them to Kagome-sama's house?"

"Inuyasha's house too!"

I make a quick fix and she smiles. "So they are indeed a couple!"

For a while, auntie's been taken interest in Inuyasha and Kagome. But all in all, she's happy for their marriage.

"You know what? There's another youkai that visits Kaede-sama's place quite often."

Therefore I'm told about a tall figure dressing in white that keeps appearing at Kaede's hut, always acting distant and full of mysteries. Due to his scary look, no one dares to get close so we don't get to have any of his background stories. Or what kind his business he's having with either Kaede or Rin.

That white figure she's talking about must be Sesshomaru.

"I think he only comes to see Rin-chan! Say... Shiomi-chan also goes there so you must have met him, right?"

Seeing me nod in response, she continues. "Since you and Rin are close. Did she tell you anything about him?"

"Not... much? All I know is that they're acquaintances."

Not wanting to cause things awkward between us. I still haven't told her about Sesshomaru, or our relationship, or that we are living together inside a house up on the hill not too far away from here.

Though I don't intend to hide from her forever and will reveal everything eventually. But for now, let's just play along.

"Isn't that obvious?! He was the one who brought Rin-chan here, after all!"

Then her head tilts, trying to recall to her first time seeing them inside Kaede's village. "Maybe they're lovers. Who knows, right?!"

"Haha... Auntie, you sure loves joking around."

All of a sudden it becomes difficult to speak. As if there's something stuck inside my throat.

"How so? Those two look good together. It would be a waste if they aren't."

Inuyasha's and Kagome's house.

As usual, Kagome opens the door and greets me with a smile. Then almost loses her footsteps by the view of a giant bag behind my back.

"What's wrong? Are you running away from home? Did you two have a fight?"

Kagome looks concerned and starts throwing at me a bunch of question about my relationship.

"No. It's just that our house couldn't store any more of these so I decided to share with you guys."

After hearing my explanation, she sighs in relief and helps me to squeeze the bag through her door. Once done, I collapse onto the wooden floor. Finally be able to rest my pair of pity legs.

"Did you walk all the way to my house carrying this by yourself?"

Kagome's surprised once seeing me nod.

It's quite inconvenient since phone has yet to be invented, there's no way for us to inform each other about our upcoming arrival or asking for help from afar. Though it's not all bad since I still have power to back up for such disadvantage.

Well, we still have pigeons which are trained to specifically deliver letters but that just takes too much effort...

"If I was normal, it would have taken a whole day just to get here."

Kagome smiles to my joke as I open up the bag, then she gasps by the amount of items inside. Varies from weird-looking decorations which Sesshomaru has gotten from god-knows-where to cosmetic, accessories, fabrics, seasoning and many more.

"Still, are you really going to give me everything? What about Rin?"

Upon hearing her name, something inside me slightly twitches. Goddamned it, not again!

"I'm sure that she's experiencing the same situation as I am. Can't trouble her any more now, can I?"

To distract myself from any weird thoughts, I pick up a piece of fabric lying nearby to show it to Kagome.

"Look, isn't it pretty? I'm sure it will suit you!"

We start discussing about what to choose and picking up her favorite colors. Even after having gotten most of what she wants, there are still many of them left so Kagome offers to share with Sango as well.

"I don't see why not." And I agree wholeheartedly.

Needless to say, Sango's happy when receiving these unexpected gifts. Even claiming that some of them are valuable and useful in some aspects, in which I certainly have zero knowledge of.

By the time everything's done, the sun has almost set.

"Nee-san."

Just as I'm about to head home, Kagome stops me.

"You've gotten something in your mind, haven't you?"

It seemed that Kagome had noticed something was off about me for the whole day, but couldn't find a good chance to talk about it until now.

"Perhaps it's a difficult topic to talk about but I will try my best to help, in some ways."

She's willing to listen to my troubles and hopes that I can open up to her more.

"I'm fine. Just a little bit tired. That's all."

In response to Kagome's consideration however, I fake a smile and simply excuse myself. Not wanting her to get involved or worry about me again over something so trivial.

Back home.

"This is kind of random but... How old are you?"

I was curious about it for a while and wondered whether youkai understood the age concept. As predicted, Sesshomaru didn't. Though I did learn that he had been wandering around the earth for a very long time now.

"If you guys are capable of living that long... Then in the future, where was you before we met?"

Maybe Sesshomaru can't live up to my time, which is at least four to five hundred years away...? But if he actually can, won't that be completely messy?

I mean, Sesshomaru could have randomly appeared before me one day and claimed that we were lovers from centuries ago. Like some fantasy stories people usually read in the books.

While I'm still pondering about our potentially messed up timeline, Sesshomaru looks at me like I've caught some weird disease.

"You've been acting strange, again."

All of a sudden he states, and I can already feel his stare piercing through my soul.

"H-Have I really?"

Somehow I have a bad feeling about where this conversation is heading at.

"But I'm all good and happy right now! Maybe it's because you're not used to having me around this much?"

While I'm trying my best to remain positive, Sesshomaru isn't.

Seriously, it takes lots of effort to get used to my new life with him in this world within a short period. I don't want it to get ruined by us having a fight already.

Can't let our peaceful day ends in disaster, I approach and sit in his lap.

"Just in case you're going to accusing me of avoiding you."

Feeling Sesshomaru's arm around me, I snuggle my head against his chest. "I'm not, okay?"

"Alright, enough about myself. Tell me about your day instead."

Since the world doesn't revolve around me, I urge him to share the stories of his journey. Fortunately, Sesshomaru becomes less wary and begins to tell me about some of the stuff that he's gone through these days.

"Sounds exciting! One day, I'd want to go on an adventure with you!"

In instant that sentence earns me a flick to the forehead. When I'm still trying to figure out why, Sesshomaru reminds me his reason for going outside everyday is not to play, but to face dangerous opponents.

And it's also for our flight accident a few days ago.

"But I'm still learning, you know. It's really not easy!"

As our talking ends, it's already passed midnight. Seeing me dozing off in his arm, Sesshomaru decides to leave that topic to some other time so that we can both go to sleep.

Several days later.

While I'm out in the woods picking up some mushrooms for tonight soup. A group of four men in their 30s that I have never seen before approaches me from behind. All of them looks suspicious and has weapons ready in their hands.

"Do I know you people?"

Getting goosebumps from their stares, I take a few steps back to prepare for battle.

"Oh, I'm sure you will. Soon after this."

One of them smirks and takes a step forward to where I am standing.

"Onee-chan!"

Just then, we hear hurry footsteps and a distress call from afar. It's Rin, who was tagging along with me into the forest to harvest mushrooms but got separated a few minutes ago.

"Rin! Where did you go off to?! I was so worried!"

Rin finally be able to make her way back and appears right beside me. Her hands are still carrying a basket full of various berries and mushrooms.

"Oi! I recognize that girl!"

Suddenly, one guy within the group points his sword at Rin. Shouting.

"Back then, she's with that crazy youkai!"

It seemed that not long ago, this man and his other group got slaughtered by Sesshomaru for trying to get to Rin. He was the sole survivor from that massacre and returned to tell the tale.

"I-If that girl is here then he must be here as well! He's going to kill us all!"

Being forced to recall to that terrifying moment, he loses his composure and his voice begins to break.

"Are you saying that she's his woman?! Fuck! We're getting out of here!"

With one last scream, they all scatter and disappear without leaving a trace behind.

"Onee-chan, are you okay?"

Concerned, Rin asks and checks for any injuries on my body.

"Y-Yeah. You scared them off before they could even touch me."

Hearing so, she grins cheerfully and holds my hand to lead me lead back to Kaede's hut. "Let's us go. Everyone must be waiting!"

On our way home however, my heart feels heavier for every footstep I take.

But why? Wasn't I suppose to feel relief after what happened?

Instead, what brought to me on that day was pure suffocation...

The following days.

Early in the morning, I find Jaken sitting by himself next to our front door.

"What are you doing here? Where's Sesshomaru?"

Curious, I ask him and he groans.

"Sesshomaru-sama has gone off somewhere with Rin." Therefore Jaken's asked to stay here to wait for them to return.

Yet Sesshomaru didn't mention any of that to me at all. I wondered why? But then again... Did he really have to?

"I'm sure it won't take long. Maybe they're already on their way back."

Figure that it would be awkward to leave him to do other stuff, I pick a seat next to him for a bit of chit chat.

"Considering how long you've been with Sesshomaru already. You must be always want what is best for him, right?"

And Jaken huffs like it's the most obvious thing ever. "Do you even have to ask?!"

"I heard that it was a little chaotic soon after the Bone-Eater's well closed?"

Actually, Sesshomaru didn't tell me much about what he was up to during that specific period, only far later on. So this was just a bait to make him open up about their stories.

"Yeah. It's all because of you."

Surprisingly he takes it well and glares at me, though I'm sure it bears no ill intents. Leaning his back against the wall, he recalls to that dark time and sighs again.

"Still, thanks to Rin. Things had gotten a lot more under control."

When Sesshomaru closed himself off from everyone. It was Rin who was actively seeking for Sesshomaru and staying by his side, whenever possible, to fill up the void in his heart.

"Then... Wouldn't it be better if he had chosen Rin? Will Sesshomaru be much happier than he is now?"

Everything's becoming colder and harder to breathe, to the point that I'm no longer able to control my wordings.

"I don't know what you're getting at but... While Rin's kind and innocent. you are nothing but trouble."

Jaken gives me a strange look, but answers to my question anyway.

"Indeed, it would have been better if Sesshomaru-sama picked Rin in the first place."

Jaken admits that if Sesshomaru hadn't carried any feeling for me, he wouldn't have been the one to suffer most from Sora's incident. Along with what happened to the Bone Eater's well that caused for my long term absence.

"But what's the point saying all of this now. It's not like he's going to change his mind-"

The moment Jaken turns around, she's already gone. What's with her all of a sudden?

Later on.

Without realizing, I've already reached to Kaede's village.

I didn't even know why I came here. Somehow my feet just moved on its own...

Then, Sesshomaru and Rin appear from the sky together. After landing to the ground in front of Kaede's hut, they don't part way immediately and continue discussing something with each other.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama! Take care!"

Being patted on the head, she smiles to him before rushing into the old-looking hut with the bag in her hands. While Sesshomaru remains outside and watches her closely.

This is how things should be. But why does it hurt so much?

Spotting my shadow from afar, Sesshomaru glides over to meet me.

"Were you two just return from the market? Did you have fun?"

Seeing him nods in response, my heart sunk.

"That's... great! Anyway, Jaken is probably still waiting for you at home so..."

Therefore I ask him to leave first to take care of his ongoing business. "I''ll be back soon, after seeing Rin."

Kaede's hut.

The moment stepping inside, Rin's seen to be arranging the stuff that she has just bought with Sesshomaru. Upon noticing my presence by the door, Rin tries to cover everything with a piece of fabric and hide them behind her back.

"It's just me. Why acting so mysterious?"

I keep calm and try to make it sounds like a joke.

"Well... Uhm.. Because this is suppose to be a secret."

For the first time, Rin averts my eyes.

"By any chance... Did Sesshomaru help you pick that up?"

And she nods, somewhat reluctantly.

"Then it must be pretty."

Hearing my compliment about the item that I've yet to see, her eyes brighten up. "It sure is!"

Immediately Rin gasps and covers her lips. Worried that her carefree and innocent nature may give it away.

"Ah! Did you walk all the way here in bare feet? Wait, let me check if we have another spare!"

Notices my feet are covered in mud, Rin offers to find a pair of straw sandals for me to wear. While her action is clearly showing that she cares for my well being, it still feels like she's trying to get away from our conversation.

"No... It's fine like this. I'll see you later, okay?"

With one last look of the surrounding, I bid her goodbye and step outside.

"Okay, got them! Onee-chan?"

Once Rin returns, Shiomi's nowhere to be found. "Where did she go?"

"What's wrong with me? Why am I acting like this? Even though this is unfair, for both of them."

Every day, I reminded myself to trust them and yet, something in me stubbornly rejected those feelings. All over and over. It's breaking my soul apart and making me feel miserable.

Stop it... Any more of this and I will go crazy...

After taking few more steps, the sky began to rain.

"Seriously, can this day be any worse?"

I tried to laugh it off, only to end up in tears.

"... I am the worst."

Everything kept on pouring, so much that I could no longer see what was up ahead.

Hoping that these cold raindrops would help me clear up my mind, I walked some more, then started running. Faster, until the wind cut my skin and could barely breathe.

Once the route ended, I shut my eyes and jumped.

For some reasons it took so long to hit the ground, so I opened my eyes again. To see that my body was gliding freely in the air, just like him. It's terrifying and exciting at the same time.

I had no idea how this happened. I didn't know how to stop. But I didn't care.

Without a clear destination in mind, I continued flying straight ahead for god knew how long. Passing a few unfamiliar places and eventually, a flower field.

Desperately I tried to reach to it, but my eyelids were becoming heavy.

That place was so beautiful, and yet...

At least the last thing I could hear before falling asleep, was his voice. Calling for my name...