Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these characters.

It was finally the end of the week, and Kenma and Kagome were sitting in class reviewing for the remaining test that they had. The two were feeling confident so far with how the first two tests went, but the last thing that they wanted was to become too confident. Once they finished reviewing, they decided to take a break for the rest of the hour.

"Kagome, what are you doing for Golden Week? Working at the shrine?" Kenma tilted his head in curiosity.

"Yeah, we have a small festival on the grounds every year, so I'll be helping set up. You're doing a training camp with your club right? That should be fun!" Kagome looked at him with a grin.

"Ah…I'm not really looking forward to it." Kenma saw the look of confusion on her face at his response and looked down before saying more. "The third years are bullies. They enjoy pushing the underclassmen around, barking orders, and such..."

Kagome frowned, she never did like bullies, and she had a sense that there was more to the story than Kenma was verbalizing. Thinking about what she had observed of him, she had a feeling that he might be the target a fair amount and that did not sit well with her. "Kenma, I know that I don't know everything that is going on, and we may not know each other very well. So, I'm not sure if it'll help…but allow me to impart a little bit of advice."

Kenma looked up in curiosity and gave her a nod.

Giving him a small warm smile, "I have been bullied multiple times over the years, even by someone who could have become a great friend. So, it took me a long time to make this realization and to put it into practice." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I learned that the only way someone can make you feel small or inferior is if you allow them to. Bullies try to make you feel tiny so that they can feel bigger than they are, and usually that's because in some way they feel small themselves."

Kenma's eyes narrowed in surprise, it was somewhat hard for him to believe that Kagome was ever picked on. She was really nice, and people seemed to flock to her. Though that could possibly explain why she also held them at a bit of a distance. "A potential friend bullied you? Why?"

Her eyes fogged over a bit in memory, "I met him last year. Short explanation, I was pulled out of my last year of Middle School and homeschooled. There was an opportunity to get into a training program to learn more about being a miko and what all that it entailed during ancient times." She smirked to herself. It may not be the full truth, but it was one way to put being pulled into the past. "The program included more than just learning to be a miko, and that's how I met him. Yasha was strong physically, loud, abrasive, and had a fairly rotten childhood growing up. We probably would have gotten along much better if it wasn't for the fact that I apparently looked very similar to his old girlfriend. It was then he decided to let me know just how much I didn't measure up to her. I wasn't as pretty, or as graceful, or as strong as her. I was a useless, weak, and 'poor copy' of someone that I didn't even know."

She shook her head remembering those days, the pain and confusion that she felt when those words pierced her mind. "At first the verbal attacks he doled out hurt a lot, but I was never trying to be her nor was I trying to compete with her. Once I solidified to myself that there was no competition, that I was myself and no one else, his words didn't hurt anymore. I was able to complete the program and keep things peaceful between us at the end."

Kenma was silent as he thought about what she had told him, "You said that you had been bullied over the years… There were other times as well?"

She nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, there was one other time when I was in elementary school. I was small for my age, so that made me a prime target for bullies. However, I had a friend when I was little that acted as my protector. He was a year older and a bit taller than the others in his class, so that helped make the bullies back off." She said with a fond smile, "He liked to say that he was the only one who could tease me, and he took great joy in poking fun at my height. It would irritate me to no end."

"What happened to him?" Kenma asked, figuring that there had to be a reason why this protector wasn't there for her when this 'Yasha' character was around.

"He moved away." She replied while looking out the window. "I haven't seen him in years, and while it hurt that he had to leave, it taught me to stand on my own. I still have hope that I'll run into him again."

She looked at Kenma with a mischievous grin breaking the somber air around them, "It would be poetic justice if I wound up being taller than him or at least the same height when we meet again."

Kenma smiled a bit in return, "You're only 5'3" Kagome. You really think that there's a chance that you've surpassed him when he was apparently taller than everyone in his class? The odds don't seem to be in your favor there."

Cringing dramatically with her hand over her heart, "Let a girl dream a bit Kenma!" She laughed and shook her head with a sigh, "No, with my luck he'll be about 5'8" and still be smug about the height difference."

Enjoying the light banter, Kenma didn't want to leave things there, "What if he's taller than that? There are some guys in the Volleyball Club that are over 6 feet tall, my best friend included."

Kagome paled a bit, looked at him with a glint of horrified humor in her eyes and groaned, "If he winds up being 6' or taller, then all the kami-sama hate me!"

Kuroo and Kenma were walking home after having had just a short meeting with the Volleyball Club after school. The plan was everyone would meet at the school Saturday morning with their bags and gear. They would be staying at the school and practice in the gym all week to begin their preparations for the Inter-High Preliminaries. After the Golden Week training camp, they would begin having training weekends with the other 3 schools in the Kanto region.

Kuroo knew that Kenma had been concerned about the whole staying near the third years for a week during training, and he shared his concern. The current third years were jerks when they were second years, and now they were even worse. There wasn't a good reason for their attitudes, and they weren't the strongest players in the club by a long shot. However, without a coach or any kind of present authority figure for when practices were in session, the third years happily took control. 'Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.' Kuroo thought grimly. 'Hell, if we had a manager then maybe things with the third years would be better.'

Looking over at his silent friend, "You want to meet in front of your house in the morning as usual tomorrow?"

Kenma glanced up at him and nodded with a small smile in agreement. "That sounds fine."

"So how did your tests go?" Kuroo was curious as to if Kenma felt like his study sessions have been successful. "I've noticed that I haven't had to interrupt your evening gaming sessions lately." Kuroo added with a smug grin.

Kenma sighed at his friend feeling slightly put out. He was going to have to be wary of Kagome and Kuroo ever meeting. She was fair but scary and seemed to rule with an iron fist, though he has yet to see the worst of it if Souta was to be believed. Kuroo on the other hand was just plain devious when it came to interrupting his gaming sessions. At least he didn't live in the same house as one of them, Souta had his sympathies in that regards.

"I feel like they went well, the questions on the History test felt easier to answer than they were on the previous quizzes. I also have been making sure to stop my games at a decent time. You were being a pain."

Kuroo was cackling, as they approached their homes. He ran his hand through his already messy hair is smug satisfaction. "I'm glad that your tests went well. See you in the morning," and with a wave the two went inside.

Kuroo slipped off his shoes in the entryway, and greeted his parents on his way to his room. Placing his school bag on his desk, he then turned to his bed and dropped his sports bag on top of it. Pulling open the zipper, he began to sift through the contents and pulled out his practice clothes and towel. Gathering the items in his hands, he paused briefly to smile at the picture on his nightstand.

There within the image his arms thrown out to his sides, eyes wide and his seven-year-old face frozen in shock as he tried not to fall over. On his back was a six-year-old girl with raven hair, her arms wrapped around his neck, her face next to his with her eyes closed as she laughed at literally getting the jump on him. 'She always was good at getting revenge…'

After reminiscing about that day, he then turned and headed out of his room to the laundry room. 'Where are you Kago-chan?'

Authors Note: Just wanted to say thank you everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story! I'm glad that it seems like everyone is enjoying it so far!