A/N: I'm so sorry this update took so long everyone! Life has really taken a tole lately, and I could not find the time or energy to write anything for awhile. Anyway, enough of my excuses! I hope you enjoy this next installment!
Rin awoke to find herself lying in Kagome's bed. She blinked in surprise before she remembered that Kagome had insisted that she sleep with her last night. Kagome hadn't been willing to let go of Rin for anything after she told her about the attack the night before. Rin din't complained about Kagome's over attentiveness. She needed it after that ordeal.
Rin tentatively got out of the bed before she made her way to the front room. There was no sign of Kagome in the apartment. She paused when she noticed a handwritten note placed on the kitchen table. Rin walked over and picked it up. It simply read that Kagome had to leave early that morning to cover a shift for someone at the hospital. Rin let out a sigh before she placed the note back on the table.
It wasn't like she didn't understand where Kagome was coming from. She was a nursing major who needed to complete as many clinical hours as she could in her undergrad career. If she planned on becoming a doctor before she got married and had kids, she had to take advantage of every opportunity.
Rin envied Kagome's career path, and how motivated she was in achieving it. Rin had just come into college, and still didn't have a clue of what she wanted to do with her life. She could only hope that she'd figure it out before she graduated.
She placed the note back on the table before she made her way back into her room to get changed. She had collapsed on Kagome's bed in the same clothes she had worn the day before. Finding a plain orange t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, Rin threw them atop her bed before she made her way to the shower.
It only took her twenty minutes to bathe, dry herself, and throw a part of her wavy long hair into a side ponytail. She didn't really know where the hairstyle had come from, only that her mother had adored it on her as a child. After her death, Rin saw it as one of the last things to remember her mother by. She wore her hair the same way ever since.
Barely taking time to brush it out, Rin let the wet strands run free. She knew trying to style her thick mane was the same as declaring chemical war. It just wasn't worth the effort it took to really style it when it merely waved on its own, regardless of what she did to it.
Grabbing a matching pair of undergarments, Rin quickly pulled them on before she put her outfit on. It was casual by many standards, but Rin didn't feel like it was worth it to dress up for classes. Especially for classes filled with massive amounts of students. No one would notice her and her plain outfit out of the mass of moving bodies. Not that she'd want anyone to notice her anyway.
With a quick last minute glance at herself in the mirror, Rin grabbed her bag and made her way out the door. She locked the door behind her and hastily made her way downstairs.
Rin left her apartment in high spirits, despite the fact that she didn't get a chance to talk to Kagome. She had another class that day, and was happy that she didn't need to worry about seeing the man from before in her history class. She still kept a cautious eye out for him on campus, but didn't let her fear ruin the beautiful sunny day.
She moved through the crowded street on her way to her first class that morning. She had a mathematics class that she was looking forward to. The reason she was so optimistic about it was because she knew wouldn't need to talk in it.
She came to a stop at a street light, and readjusted the bag on her hip as she waited for the light to change. When it did, she was the first to cross the street. Her mind was so preoccupied with whether or not she remembered to bring her textbook with her that she didn't notice the car making a sharp right turn. The driver was unaware that she had crossed the street, and Rin reacted too late.
Her eyes widened when she saw the car coming towards her, but she couldn't get her legs to move. She stood frozen in the middle of the crosswalk.
"Hey! Get out of the way!" a voice shouted at her before she was grabbed roughly by the arm and pulled to safety. She turned to look at her savior, only to suck in a sharp breath in surprise. His red eyes gave away his identity before the rest of his face and matching hair did. It was the man from last night! Suddenly, that oncoming car didn't seem as menacing anymore.
Rin hurriedly pulled her arm out of his grasp before she rushed past him.
"Hey, hold on!" she heard him yell after her, but she refused to slow down. She kept her head down as she picked up the pace. She couldn't believe she ran into him again! Why did the world hate her all of the sudden?
"Please, wait!" she heard him call out again before she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her to a gentle stop. Rin didn't turn around until the man's body came into her line of vision.
"Just let me explain," he stated before he bent so he could look into her eyes, "I want to apologize for last night. It was wrong of me to grab you like I did," he added before he glanced at his hand around her wrist and hurriedly let go of it.
"I'm sorry for that, too," he added quickly, "I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding that happened last night. I felt horrible after you ran off. It didn't ever occur to me that I could be scaring you. I just got so excited at seeing a familiar face. I'm new here, and I thought we could be friends," he explained before he took a step back to give her much needed space.
"If you can't forgive me for acting out of line, I'll understand," he promised before he bowed his head low to her, "but I at least wanted you to know that I didn't mean to scare you," he added from behind a veil of red hair.
Rin didn't know how to respond. She just stared at his bowed head in wide eyed confusion. She was sure the man had been harassing her the night before. It had frightened her to an unbearable degree. Did this man really mean what he said? Had she misjudged him?
He peeked up at her with a look of interest and slight fear that made Rin feel even more uneasy. Seeing his face in the daytime also made him look younger than she remembered. Rin thought that he looked no older than her. In the daylight he seemed harmless, so why had he looked the exact opposite the night before?
"Do you forgive me?" he asked as he slowly came to stand at his full height. Rin eyed him hesitantly before she gave him a weak nod. She didn't know what else to do, and feared that if she rejected his apology he might try to hurt her again.
The same crooked smile Rin saw the night before returned as he let out a cheery laugh. "I'm so glad! I was worried you might be afraid of me," he continued to laugh, even as Rin felt another chill run up her spine. His sudden ease around her felt like the calm before a storm. While he appeared reasonably charming to onlookers, Rin couldn't get his fiendish nature from the night before out of her mind.
She wasn't going to let her guard down around him any time soon, no matter how nice he acted towards her.
"You still haven't said a word to me," the man noted before his crooked smile softened, "you don't talk much, do you?" he asked, and Rin slightly shook her head, "that would explain last night, then. I'm sorry we got off on such bad terms. I'm pretty dense when it comes to picking up on those kinds of things," he added with a helpless shrug.
Rin offered him a weak smile before she gave him an awkward wave goodbye and started to walk around him. She was going to be late for class if she wasted any more time. She also wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
"Hey, wait," he called to her, "are you heading to class?" he asked, and Rin nodded. She hoped the news would end his off handed friendliness, but instead it only seemed to fuel it further.
"Why don't I walk with you?" he offered, and Rin hurriedly shook her head, "C'mon, this campus isn't that big! I'm sure your class isn't that far," he added, and Rin hung her head in defeat. Without being able to talk to him, she couldn't simply tell him to go away. She also couldn't get anyone else around her to help. It wasn't like he was doing anything outright harmful to her at the moment.
"Why don't we get going? Wouldn't want you to be late!" he chirped happily before he pushed her shoulder to get her moving. She visibly winched when she felt his fingers brush against the painful part of her shoulder that had bruised overnight. He didn't react to, or simply didn't notice, her pained expression as they moved forward.
While he was leading, he kept a possessive hand over her forearm. Instead of feeling like she was walking at his side, she felt more like he was dragging her along after him. He didn't even know where she was going!
Her heartbeat stopped suddenly. He didn't know where she was going, so how could he be leading her there? Unless he wasn't...Rin started to pull against his hold as the fear from the night before resurfaced within her.
"What's wrong? We're only going to your class," the young man stated with a confused brow, "I bet I know what's wrong. I haven't introduced myself yet, so you're not sure if you can trust me," he added with a knowing smile, "well I'll change that. My name is Kasai, and I'm a sophomore here. I bet you're excited that you're getting a tour of campus from an older guy, am I right?" he added with a wink.
Rin shoved at his arm as she rapidly shook her head, trying to signal to him to stop. He merely stared at her with agitated confusion. "I don't understand," he remarked with a slight grimace, "you're just going to have to tell me what you want," he added sternly. Rin felt her throat close up at his demanding words, her fear steadily increasing as she shoved harder at his arm.
"I don't like this," he grumbled as he studied her face, "you don't look happy, but why wouldn't you be happy?" he added. Rin let out a heaved sigh before she pulled at his fingers.
"You want me to let go?" Kasai asked before he slowly pulled his hand away while keeping his red eyes on her. Rin quickly pulled her arm back and angrily held out her hand to signal for him to stay put. She began to walk away, and heard him start to walk after her a few seconds later. She whirled on her heel and signaled for him to stop and stay, like a dog. He stared at her like she had grown another head, but didn't take another step towards her.
She narrowed her eyes to show that she was being serious before she turned her back on him and walked briskly away. She didn't look back, but figured that he hadn't moved. When she made it to the last few feet to her class building, she peeked behind her shoulder to see that he was no where in sight.
Letting out a soft sigh of relief, Rin made her way into the building.
Sesshomaru set one of the newest artifacts that had been donated that morning on his desk. The sound of the main door of the museum opening and closing had distracted him. He glanced over to see the quiet human girl from yesterday's class standing in the doorway. Her hair was a tousled mess, and her causal attire made her look even more so. The orange t-shirt hugged her petite frame in a flattering manner, while her dark jeans did the same for her legs.
Simple curiosity made him glance down to her toes, looking for her signature yellow nail polish, and found that she had worn closed toed shoes that morning. His disappoint came as a surprise. Since when was he looking forward to seeing a woman's painted toes? He had never been interested in the appendage before this woman's confounded yellow nail polish caught his attention.
Sesshomaru watched her glance around the building before she froze, and looked confused. He wondered if she had come to the wrong building. Perhaps she'd turn and walk right out. Despite his inner wishes, the young woman turned her gaze towards him as she surveyed the hallway. He saw her cheeks flush in embarrassment before she lowered her head so her glasses could hide her eyes from him.
His stern expression softened at the sight, finding her shyness rather endearing. "Are you lost?" he asked, mindful to raise the volume of his voice so she could hear him. She stiffened slightly before she reluctantly nodded.
"Where do you need to go?" he asked. She didn't immediately respond, but kept her eyes hidden from him instead. Heaving a soft sigh, Sesshomaru stood before he made his way over to her. "I can't help you if you won't tell me where you need to go," he told her, and again she remained silent, hidden behind her glasses.
"Do you have a map? You could point it out to me," Sesshomaru offered, thinking that perhaps the girl had forgotten the name of the building, and was too embarrassed to admit it aloud.
The young woman glanced up at him in slight surprise, her cinnamon gaze visible once more. She appeared taken aback by his suggestion before she turned to unzip her bag. When she went to grab for the map hidden within her bag, Sesshomaru didn't miss the way she flinched when her shoulder bent inward.
His golden eyes narrowed at that, but he didn't press. Her life was her business. It was none of his to go asking questions about her welfare. It was also hardly professional to take such interest in the personal lives of his students.
The girl turned back to hand him the campus map before she leaned forward to point out one of the buildings. He noted that she used her other arm to point out the building while her injured one laid motionless at her side.
"Ah. That building is on the other side of campus. You must have been going in the wrong direction," he replied, and noted the girl's visible flinch before she turned her gaze away from him. Just what stories lied beneath her silent demeanor? Sesshomaru couldn't deny that he was curious.
Usually he had no trouble reading people, but she was a mystery to him. Much like Kagura, she was one that was hard to pin down by appearances alone.
"How much time do you have before the class starts?" Sesshomaru asked, and inwardly scolded at how polite and attentive he was being to this human girl. Why did it matter what time her class started? Why did he offer to help her at all?
The young woman glanced at the clock on the nearby wall before she sadly shook her head. He could only assume she meant that she had already missed the beginning of it. "Well," he began as he turned slightly away from her, "if the professor for that class is anything like me, it isn't worth it for you to show up late. He or she would simply ask you to leave," Sesshomaru added before he noted the girl's shoulders sag in defeat. Then she let out a soft hiss that caught his attention as she grabbed hold of her injured shoulder.
"Are you alright?" he asked absentmindedly, turning back to glance down at her. The young woman caught his gaze in her cinnamon colored one before she nodded her head with a slight smile. He knew she was lying to him, but he didn't think less of her for it. There had to be reasons for why she didn't want him to know. Whether it was due to an abusive partner or a clumsy fall, it didn't matter to him.
"Since you won't be heading to class, why don't you assist me with a few things here?" he said it more as a command than a question, leaving little room for the young woman to argue. He didn't know why the words left his lips, but the same curiosity from before prevented him from taking them back. He wanted to know the girl behind the glasses. He wanted to know why she didn't speak, and why she felt like hiding was her only option.
He knew he should be disgusted by his interest in this human girl, but the darkest part of him seemed to be just as curious about her. She was a mystery for him to solve, a story for him to discover. No woman had ever peaked his interest in such a way.
Kohaku paused in front of the Annex as he gave the building a rather suspicious stare. He thought this was the building he needed to go to for his chemistry class, but there were also three other Annexes on campus. He heaved a sigh before he made his way in, inwardly hoping that he picked the right Annex.
The building was constructed into a dome-like shape to promote the most space for classrooms and laboratories. The halls also followed the circular design as Kohaku glanced from classroom to classroom.
While he was happy to finally be taking a chemistry class at the college level, he couldn't mask his unease. He had gotten into chemistry after working on various ointments and chemical creations that his sister used while on the field. Whether it was to stun an enemy or heal a victim's wounds, she always wanted to be prepared. She had given him the recipes, and showed him how to make them the first time he tied to help her. She had expected him to make them for her ever since. Not that he minded. It was one of the only chores he actually enjoyed doing for his sister.
The classroom he was looking for came into view at the end of the hall. Room 233 was a wide auditorium with two steel doors that seemed to guard the entrance like bodyguards. He shook his head in amusement at his own wild imagination before he let himself in.
A group of students were already seated at various corners of the room, and Kohaku found a seat towards the back. He pulled out a notebook and pencil before he scanned the area for anyone he knew, but he didn't recognize any faces. I was hoping she'd be in this class, he thought sadly, scanning the auditorium for a brown haired girl with thickly framed glasses, but saw no one that matched that description.
"Dude, I seriously can't wait for this class to start," Kohaku heard a guy near him gleefully whisper to his friend, "I moved all of my classes around to make sure I got Dr. Otaku as my instructor," Kohaku couldn't help but smile. That guy must really like chemistry, and the professor teaching it, Kohaku thought and found himself getting rather excited at the idea. He would love to match a great teacher with one of his favorite pass times.
"I know what you mean, I had to plead with my adviser to drop one of my classes to get in here," the other guy's friend replied just as gleefully. Kohaku was about to ask the guys what the instructor was like, but his voice got caught in his throat when a woman walked in from a door at the back of the room.
Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun and her equally dark eyes curiously gazed up at the students in the classroom. Her flawless hourglass figure was hugged by a magenta suit jacket and matching pencil skirt. A long white lab coat rested on her slim shoulders while black heels lengthened her already tall stature. Red lipstick painted on perfectly plump lips finished off her look. Had he not known any better, he would have guessed that a model had walked into the room instead of their instructor.
Kohaku understood why the guys nearby had gotten so excited about this professor. He had never seen such an attractive woman, and held his breath when she caught him staring and smiled politely. Her painted lips curved ever so slightly upward, like she was inwardly laughing at an inside joke. Kohaku hastily looked away, flustered that he was caught staring.
"Welcome to Chemistry 101," the woman greeted in a dark and sultry voice. Of course, Kohaku thought in sarcastic horror, she has to have a great sounding voice too.
"You weren't kidding, man!" Kohaku heard the guys next to him state in whispered awe, "she's hot as hell! Wouldn't mind spending a couple hours in private with her!" the student laughed smugly.
"I bet she could teach us a lot more about chemistry, if you know what I mean!" the other guy smirked. Kohaku had to hold in the need to roll his eyes at the two. He had been hoping that they were excited because she was a good teacher, not just because she was a "hot" one.
"I hope everyone has had a chance to look over the syllabus for this class online," the instructor continued, "I recognize a lot of familiar faces in the crowd today, but for those who have not had me for a course yet, my name is Dr. Kagura Otaku. This is not a class to be taken lightly. I go through material fast and expect everyone to keep up. If you find yourself lost, I am always willing to explain things further. Don't hesitate to come to me for help," she explained.
The class remained silent as she continued to explain to them her expectations for the class. Kohaku glanced around to see that the majority of the student body in the room were male. By the way most of their eyes wouldn't leave Dr. Otaku's face or body as she spoke, Kohaku could tell there was only one reason why her class was so popular. He wondered if it was worth it to remain in the class. She might be using her looks to keep students coming to her class. He didn't want to risk losing out on actually learning something over having a "hot" teacher.
"...and I expect project proposals sent in by next month," Kohaku caught the end of her sentence and blinked out of his thoughts to focus on what she was saying, "This isn't an easy project by any means. Only those truly gifted or passionate about chemistry will pass. If that intimidates you, I suggest that you leave now," Kohaku blinked in surprise. A tough project, huh? There might be hope for this class yet.
A couple of chairs groaned and screeched against the tile floor as students got up and made their way out. Kohaku was surprised to see the two guys next to him among the group of students leaving. They scowled in disappointment as they left, staring back at Dr. Otaku longingly even as they walked out the door. Had the project been that intimidating? Kohaku regretted zoning out during her explanation. Perhaps he could ask her about it after class.
"So, I see that only the truly dedicated have remained," Dr. Otaku smirked, "I use this project as a way to weed out the students who think my class will be easy. After all, I only want to surround myself with others who have similar passions," she remarked with a knowing wink.
Overexcited laughter filled the room as most of the male students that remained seemed enamored by Dr. Otaku, and struggled to be the one that she noticed first. A knowing smile tugged at the ends of her lips as Dr. Otaku took in the sight of her students. Kohaku could only sit back in his chair and share in her knowing smile. He wondered if those that remained really were as dedicated as they let on, or if they were simply pretending to be to stay in her class. He wondered if Dr. Otaku thought the same thing, too.
"Well, I think that's all I had planned for today. We'll start our first class the next time we meet," Dr. Otaku stated as the class slowly gathered their things. This is my chance to ask her! Kohaku thought as he stuffed his notebook and pencil back into his backpack before he made his way to the front of the classroom.
Only to stop midway when he noticed that she had already left. How had she moved that fast? Kohaku quickly glanced around for any clues of where she had gone.
"You looking for the professor?" a guy beside him asked, "I've had her for a few of my classes, and knowing her, she probably went back to her office. It's near the center of the building. Room 214. She's probably going back to her laboratory after that, so you better hurry,"
"Thanks," Kohaku replied with a smile before he headed through the rear door that Dr. Otaku had come through. When he made it to the hallway, he paused and wondered why he hadn't just asked the student who talked to him what the project was about? It would have saved him the embarrassment of having to confront his professor.
"Stupid," he grunted angrily to himself. There was no use worrying about it, he'd just have to be more attentive to his surroundings next time.
Kohaku came up to Dr. Otaku's office much quicker than he expected, and held back when he heard the sound of his professor talking with someone else. He pressed his back against the nearby wall as he listened in from behind. If it sounded like a friendly chat, he could just come back later.
"...need you to apologize to the student you almost killed," Kohaku's eyes widened at the words he heard leave his professor's lips. A student had almost killed someone?
"It was an accident," he heard a male voice scowl, "I told you that I don't like the way you talk to me. You act all high and mighty 'cause you're the teacher and all, but I see right through you. You're trying to put up a front so I won't try anything,"
"Watch your mouth, boy," Dr. Otaku hissed, "I have the power to get you suspended or expelled from this University. If you so much as lay a finger on me, I will – " Kohaku heard her breath catch before the sounds of a struggle followed. Kohaku heard the sound of glass breaking and the rustling of clothes. He didn't need to hear any more.
Without taking the time to properly plan out his actions, Kohaku quickly rounded the corner to spot a red haired man around his age trapping his professor against her desk with his body. His fingers were clamped onto her throat, and she winced slightly when his hold tightened even more.
Kohaku didn't waste a second warning the stranger to let go of his professor. Instead, he whirled his backpack off of his shoulders and slammed it into the man's back. He grunted in mild surprise at the weight before he let go of Dr. Otaku and hastily grabbed his backpack with long fingers that looked like claws.
"What do you think you're doing, human?" the stranger growled before he tore open the fabric. Kohaku's supplies fell to the ground and the man gave out a surprised cry when a container hit the ground and broke. Purple powder expelled from the container and filled the room before it invaded the man's body and he let out a shriek of pain.
"What...the hell...is this?!" he hissed as he cupped his hands over his mouth and nose to prevent any more of the powder getting into his system. Kohaku grabbed for the breathing mask that fell with his other supplies, and quickly put it on to protect his nose and mouth from the powder.
"A defensive tactic," Kohaku replied as he stood, "you'll start to feel dizzy, and soon you'll lose consciousness," he added as the stranger stared back at him with blood red eyes filled with rage. He doubted the man could see him anymore as the chemicals began to take affect, and was about to move forward to catch him in case he fell, but stopped when the stranger did something unexpected.
He let his hands fall away from his mouth and took in a long inhale through his nose. Kohaku could only stare back at him in shock. He didn't understand, any human who inhaled that much powder would have passed out in seconds. How was this man still standing?
"It's too bad you used this against me," the man told him with a glittering smile, "This powder is flammable. I can tell by the smell. I'll burn it up before it can do any real damage to me," he explained before he let out an exhale that released hot fumes from within him. Kohaku felt the heat before he saw the fire leave the stranger's throat. A fury of orange and red lightened the room as the powder within his system and in the air caught fire.
Kohaku quickly evaded the flame's path from above before he jumped on top of a metal cabinet to escape the fire starting on the ground. What was this power? How was a man capable of this?
Kohaku let out a hiss of pain when some of the powder nearby crackled and sent sparks towards him, burning the fabric of his shirt and the skin it came into contact with. Kohaku quickly pulled off his shirt before it could burn through and get to any more of his skin.
"Hah. You humans have weak shields against demon fire. Now the little protection you did have has been removed, you don't stand a chance against me," Kohaku stared at the stranger with a calculating gaze, unwilling to allow any kind of fear cross his features. He hadn't gone through combat training with his sister for nothing. He couldn't let his opponent see his fear, or that would be the end of him. The stranger merely stared back with a smile on his face, seeming to find Kohaku's courage humorous.
In the midst of their stare down, Kohaku caught the sight of his professor staring at him. Her eyes were directed towards his chest, and Kohaku would have been embarrassed had he not known why she was staring. Scars of many kinds decorated his flesh from years of training. He had learned the lesson of his own mortality many times while training with his sister. She had told him that no enemy would take it easy on him, and neither would she.
He had never been more thankful for his sister's teaching until that very moment. Staring back at the eyes that would be the last thing he would ever see. Kohaku was willing to admit that he didn't stand a chance against whatever this man was. He had no weapons and no shield. He had nothing but his own bare hands, and he didn't think he'd get within arms reach of the man if he could breathe fire from a distance.
Kohaku took in a quick breath through his mask before he moved slightly forward on the steel cabinet, reading himself to jump at the man. But just then, the air stood still. Kohaku could only blink in surprise when all the air in the room suddenly disappeared. He tried to inhale, but only managed to choke instead. He turned to his right to see that the office door was shut. When had that happened? No one had moved since Kohaku had barged in, so who shut the door?
With the lack of air, the fire around them suddenly extinguished before oxygen returned. Kohaku ripped off his breathing mask and began to take in grateful gulps of air.
"You seem to have forgotten about me," Kagura purred with a suggestive smile before she brought her hand up to collect waves of wind around her wrist, "You have made a terrible mistake trying to attack me and then one of my students. If you want to ruin your chances of a normal, human life, then go right ahead. You're doing a wonderful job so far," she teased through clenched teeth before she let her hand fall and the wind funnel around her wrist flew towards the stranger.
He brought his hands up to block the attack, but his body wasn't powerful enough to break the wind current, and he was sent flying. His back hit the nearest wall with a loud crack before his eyes drifted close and he collapsed onto the ground.
Kohaku took a few seconds to collect himself before he climbed down from the cabinet. He glanced back to see that his shoes had left a skid mark over the top, and he grimaced slightly. "I may or may not have just marked your cabinets. I'm sorry about that," he added with a slight laugh.
"Who are you?" Kagura asked him solemnly, ignoring his attempt at a pitiful apology.
"I'm – well – I'm a student in your chemistry class," Kohaku replied lamely with a stretched smile. He could feel the tension crawling up his spine as he struggled to think of a way to remedy the situation.
"That's not what I meant," Kagura suddenly replied from his side. Kohaku jumped slightly at her speed before he locked eyes with her and gave another start. Her dark eyes from earlier were gone, replaced with crimson eyes instead. While the stranger's red eyes had looked bright and horrifying, her's looked dark and beautiful.
"You are marked," Kagura announced as she laid a finger on one of Kohaku's scars right above his collar bone, "as a demon slayer," she practically spit out the title as she hastily removed her finger like his skin had burned her.
"Demon slayer?" Kohaku parroted back before he brought his fingers up to feel the scar there. It was shaped into the form of a snake with an extension that felt like a sword. Kohaku had thought it was a weird scar formation, not a symbol. He didn't even remember how he got that scar.
"Only a demon slayer can bestow the symbol to another, so that must mean there are more of you in this town," Kagura growled before she captured Kohaku's gaze in her own once again, "despite what you may think, I've done nothing to deserve death. It wasn't until this demon showed up that I have used my power at all. You have no right to take my life," Kagura added bitterly.
"Whoa, I didn't say I was going to take anyone's life. This demon slayer thing is news to me," Kohaku replied while throwing his hands up to signal that he was innocent in it all. Although, he had to admit that if it was true, it made sense why his sister had trained him so rigorously. He assumed she did it to give him a way to protect himself against attackers, but when he thought back she had used other weaponry while training with him. Had she been training him to become a demon slayer without him even realizing? Just what was his sister hiding from him?
Kagura scrutinized his gaze for a few more seconds before her eyes widened slightly, "you really don't know," she added. Kohaku thought back to when he caught her staring at his chest before. Had she seen the mark while he had been fighting the stranger, and thought he had come to kill her and the stranger?
"Regardless," Kagura hissed suddenly before she grabbed Kohaku by the throat and shoved him up against the wall, "you are to speak of this to no one, do you understand? I haven't worked this hard to keep my true identity undercover just to have it exposed by some boy," she threatened.
"Do you think anyone would believe me if I did?" Kohaku asked back through wheezes as he struggled to breathe.
"Humans will believe anything," Kagura bit back, "give me your word, as a demon slayer,"
"But I told you, I'm not a – " Kohaku began before he winced when his throat began to pulse painfully under the pressure of her fingers.
"Fine. Then give me your word as a man," she offered. Kohaku took a moment before he gave her a confident nod. She released him and Kohaku caught himself before he went tumbling to the ground. He fell back against the wall as he greedily took in more air, even as his throat pulsed in painful protest.
"Good," Kagura smiled, "and I will give you my word that I won't reveal what you really are either, even if you don't fully understand what that is. It will keep us both alive longer if the world doesn't know what we really are,"
"I understand that," Kohaku agreed, although questioned why he was being so calm about the whole situation. He thought his brain would break down at the knowledge that demons actually existed, but instead, a sort of serenity overtook him. A feeling of belonging came with the knowledge, and Kohaku wondered if a demon slayer was what he was truly meant to be. Was that what his sister was? Did she use her missing persons business to mask her true profession? He'd have to ask her to find out for sure.
"Now, what to do with this one," Kagura sighed as she glanced at the man still out cold on the floor.
"Is he a demon too?" Kohaku asked, although felt like an idiot when Kagura gave him a disbelieving look.
"Is that not obvious, by this point?" she bit back, and Kohaku rolled his eyes with a nod while he grumbled about her attitude under his breath.
"Do you recognize him?" Kagura asked, making a point to ignore his grumbling. Kohaku stopped his complaining to take a closer look at the stranger. After a moment, he gave up with the shake of his head.
"No, I don't," he confirmed.
"Well, we'll need to dump him somewhere. I don't want him lying in my office for the rest of the day. I'll find a way to punish him for this later," Kagura huffed.
"Why don't we just put him in the lobby? He'll just think he nodded off while waiting to talk to you," Kohaku offered.
"Fine," Kagura replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "just get rid of him, will you?"
"Alright, but..." Kohaku began, and saw the woman tense slightly, "what does this mean for us? I don't know if I can look at you as just my professor anymore,"
"You're going to have to," Kagura replied sternly, "I'm willing to keep your secret, so you have to keep mine. No matter the cost or discomfort it will cause," she added. She moved towards the edge of her desk before she picked out a shirt from one of her drawers.
"Here's a clean shirt that you can wear. You can keep it, if you want. I have no use for it," Kagura offered as Kohaku took the white button up polo shirt from her hand. He pulled it over his head before he let it fall to his waist. It was a little bigger on him, meaning it probably belonged to a taller man, but Kohaku was happy with the fit. It was better than having to walk back to his apartment shirtless.
He wanted to ask why his professor had a clean man's shirt in her desk drawer, but decided against it. He figured that he had learned more than enough personal things about his professor for one day.
"Is there a reason why you didn't kill me just now?" Kohaku asked.
"You're a demon slayer," Kagura replied, as if that was answer enough.
"Yes, but what does that matter? You nearly suffocated me earlier. You could have kept going and finished me off. So, why did you hesitate?" Kohaku couldn't help but ask.
"Because I don't think it would be so bad to have a demon slayer on my side, for once," Kagura replied with a knowing smile, "who knows? You might come in handy for me, someday,"
"Someday," Kohaku hesitantly agreed before he walked over to the stranger and lifted him up so he leaned against Kohaku's slightly taller frame, "I'll just drop him off at the lobby then. See you in class," he added before he dragged the unconscious demon out of his professor's office.
The walk to the lobby was quick, and Kohaku hadn't run into anyone on the way. He let the man collapse onto one of the lounge chairs before he turned to walk out of the building.
It was then that he realized he hadn't even asked his professor about the class project.
A/N: So, kind of an awkward ending, I know! But my fingers needed a break, and I thought it tackled what I wanted the chapter to cover. For those that are curious, I'm not sure if I'm going to create a Kohaku / Kagura ship in this fanfiction. As of now, I merely see them as building a relationship that will be purely platonic, in comparison to the more romantic relationship that will blossom between Sesshomaru and Rin. Let me know what you think, and if you would want more between Kohaku and Kagura! Reviews make me happy! =D