Dying to Live
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Note 1: Hey, guys! I've got some fun little chappies coming up for you in the next few posts. We'll be checking in with what's going in the modern era, and – I just want to say, in general, I realized in writing this fic how much I like Souta as a character, and that was before he became "Papa Souta". Just sorry-not-sorry in advance because I evidently also like torturin- *cough* I mean - challenging characters to an extent, if you haven't noticed already! That said, I really like the theme of the proverb below for good reason too, so don't worry, it'll be worth it - there'll be silver linings ;-)
On with the show! Cheers, Origamikungfu.
Note 2: Jikoshoukai - Japanese for "self introduction".
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"Turn misfortune into good fortune."
- Japanese proverb
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In the middle of the overcrowded train during rush hour, Kagome stood dressed in her black blazer and skirt ensemble and gripping a handhold off the overhead bar. Still dazed by the events of that Friday afternoon, she swayed along with the train's momentum over the tracks.
Outside, the view from the elevated tracks flashed by. Kagome, once a Japanese school girl, turned time-traveling priestess turned wife to yet another fellow time-traveler, gazed out, as miles of roofs of Tokyo homes flew past. How many sights of landscapes, old and new had she already taken into memory in her life? Yet, behind her eyes, she replayed to herself something that had just happened: the interview for the "Japan National Feudal Era Historical Conservancy Foundation" museum.
It had been a terrible hour to start a job interview - 4 pm on a Friday. It had taken Kagome two hours to commute from the shrine to downtown. Although that should have been plenty of time, the slightly earlier start of rush hour on the day before a weekend made things even harder. It had been 3:55 pm when she ran off the elevator in the designated office building in which Mr. Hideo Nagai and she were scheduled to meet.
Kagome moved hurriedly through the narrow hall of the 70's era building. She wondered only momentarily if there were other museum employees who kept their offices here if not on the museum property. Then, she lamented that, despite it being only nearly March, she was already sweating, by the time she threw open the office suite door and hurried in.
As no receptionist was on duty at the small desk that sat at the end of another hall of doors - presumably to offices - within the suite, the young woman allowed herself to collapse. Exhaustedly, she landed into one of the dated but quality looking brown tweed armchairs that made up a waiting area. Though the heeled Oxfords were the most comfortable dress shoes she had, her feet already ached.
It seemed like Kagome had only enough time to take a single restorative breath. Fortunately, she had just quickly rummaged through her shoulder bag to make sure a copy of her resume was in easy reach when one of the office doors opened about midway down the hall.
The man who stepped out was of average height. With a head of thick black, conservatively shorn hair and a clean-shaven complexion, he looked not quite middle aged behind a pair of round, frameless spectacles. His clothes were the typical non-descript, dark-colored trousers and white collared, button-down dress shirt of almost all male office workers. However, sloppily rolled-up long-sleeved cuffs were a sign that the man had also been taken by surprise by the early warmth of the season. As he came around the door, he seemed to notice his rolled cuffs a bit late and hurried to straighten and button them at the wrists. Distractedly, he greeted Kagome.
"Hirai-san desu ka?" he asked, pretending not to fumble with his sleeves. When Kagome awkwardly rose and bowed from a distance, he darted back into his office with a shout of "Chotto matte kudasai!"
Soon after, he hurried out to the waiting area with a set of papers in hand. Energetically polite, he begged Kagome to sit back down, much to the relief of Kagome's sore feet.
Formal greetings out of the way with Nagai's business card exchanged for Kagome's resume - she hated how she had still fumbled to pull it from her bag despite preparing it - Nagai proceeded to listen to Kagome's jikoshoukai.
Then, he proceeded with the usual questions asked of interviewees. Was the job description manageable; reason of interest in the job; and Kagome's general background and schooling, which proved tricky, as her attendance was so poor and her grades not much better.
At least Nagai had heard of her school, so it could have been worse, but his reactions seemed reserved, even perfunctory. On the whole, while the interview was not going badly, it had seemed hard to say it was going well. She felt a bit relieved when Nagai laid out her printed out essay replies, and his attentiveness to the conversation seemed to grow a bit. She had been particularly proud of a response she had given on a piece of feudal era poetry that the man seemed to know quite well.
After about 40 minutes of conversation and pouring over Kagome's writing, Nagai slid back in his chair. With his arms crossed over his chest, he looked back through his round spectacles at Kagome.
She was glad to finally have a chance to catch her breath, but the feeling of being observed quickly got unnerving. While her interviewer wore a light smile, his expression looked bemused.
"Nagai-san, are there any other questions you would like to go over?" Kagome asked, trying not to be annoyed by the man's somewhat odd manners.
"Mmm, maybe that's it," he replied, clearly a bit hesitant before changing his mind. "Actually, I want to tell you, 'thank you'. I enjoyed this interview much more than I first anticipated. Please don't take it the wrong way, but I almost didn't call you."
What?! Kagome had thought fairly indignantly, almost falling out of her seat. It appeared that the interview would go down as one of the most surreal experiences of her life, which was really saying something. She herself had not believed she had been called for it, but having the interviewer share the same sentiment made it truly odd.
"Oh, um - I'm glad you did?" she said, raising her voice on the question, finding that she was talking more out of nervousness, since what could possibly be the right thing to say to such a comment?
I am definitely not getting this job, Kagome had told herself right then and there, when Nagai kept speaking.
"Me too, because I'll be honest, your knowledge about the period is singular," Hideo Nagai replied, apparently not noticing the shades of embarrassment running through Kagome.
Now she actually was speechless.
Had he really given her a compliment?
Apparently he had, as the man continued: "It would have been an absolute shame to miss your essay on warlord poetry and the impact of animistic beliefs during the period. Which I'll say is what just about happened.
"You see, Hirai-san, your resume packet and your essays were stapled together by the administrative team assisting with the hiring, but somehow your resume came apart from your writing samples. So I admit, when I reviewed your application, I mainly only saw your grades and high school record - please excuse the candor on my part, but they really weren't a good reflection on the rest of your knowledge. It was actually a member of the foundation's board of directors who noticed what happened because at least you marked all your pages with your name. When I took another look, I was amazed by the writing. Unable to find any traces of plagiarism, I knew I had to talk to you, but I didn't really know what to expect. From the research required for your writing and our discussion just now, your knowledge of the archaic scripts and language of the time will be a treasure to us. You have the job."
Nagai smiled. Kagome's heart had stopped in her chest.
This time she verbalized the word: "What?"
"Oh goodness, hope I didn't offend you!" Nagai suddenly leaning back in his seat, his expression scrunching with embarrassment. He seemed nervous, apparently misinterpreting her question.
"Oh, wha- no!" Kagome interjected immediately. "No, my gosh, I have to admit I'm kind of in awe, given what you just told me. But yes! I would love the job," she replied, but her stomach was already rolling, as she thought of the question she needed to get out next. I need to be confident, she told herself, remembering the hundreds of arrows she'd landed on much more difficult marks time and again in the Feudal Era.
Kagome tried not to stammer: "But, uh - I hate to ask though, what is the schedule like? You see, working at the family shrine is really what gave me the edge in this area. I don't want to give that up anytime soon, and so I am looking for work with flexible, part time hours."
"I know that's probably wayyy too much to ask," Kagome said, waving her hands apologetically, as she finished. There, at least I said what I wanted. If it's not this, I'll get something else that will work, right?
Still she didn't dare to hope and was ready for the worst when Nagai replied: " Honestly, it's crazy, but I think this is going to be a very good fit. Technically, the position is for a Research Assistant and Coordinator, which puts it under the research budget, meaning that it can be very project driven. I really think we can review numbers in the coming days, like the required minimum number of payroll hours and the salary itself. You see the museum is active, hosting several major fundraising events a year. Your work would be preparing for these events as they come around. Based on this you will be expected to work in bursts throughout the year, but the schedule is essentially well-known far in advance for these events, so that's the benefit. What do you say?"
Kagome wanted to say that they must have gotten the wrong girl, because she could not believe her luck. The job could not have been more tailor made for her. However, then again Kagome had almost never dared to suspect what Nagai had apparently recognized to be true: like her mother and Sango kept encouraging her all week, living in the Sengoku Jidai apparently really had inadvertently provided Kagome with knowledge and skills that would have been nigh impossible to build otherwise. She knew so much of it, like the scripts, like the back of her hand now.
"I'll take it of course!" Kagome half-shouted in eagerness before remembering to politely bow and say, "I really thank you for this opportunity, and I promise to make the most of it for the benefit of the museum."
So now, Kagome rode, swaying by the hand hold on the elevated train, a newly employed woman.
What would Inuyasha say! For years of nagging her about spending time on school, this job was definitely going to require some time and effort, nigh-magically sounding flexible and predictable schedule aside. However, she had seen the annual pay range available in the job description - even if she made the lower end of the scale, they would be doing more than alright. And now that her Feudal-Era husband had begun to understand the cost of things in her world, convincing him was likely going to be far easier with a paycheck like that.
This job cannot have been more of a match made in heaven! Kagome thought again, finally getting over the shock. Quickly, she began thinking of how her husband was due back the next day, and all the ways she wanted to celebrate with him. Maybe she would even give her family the good news at the same time? For now, she had to hurry home to make it to Souta's omiai matchmaking dinner though.
She checked her watch again, gripping her shoulder bag tightly under the same arm. It was going to be close, but she would probably make it just a bit after the time her mother planned to serve dinner.
Kagome lifted up on her toes playfully, looking to stretch her feet and her raised arm. At last, she actually grinned and found an extra spring in her movement. The past several months leading from the year prior had been a bit of a blur, but she couldn't help but feel like things were indeed looking up once again.
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「お姉ちゃん面接はどう-
Sis, how was the intervie– Souta's fingers clicked the keys on his flip phone until the message to his sister was finished and sent. Then, he flopped back on his bed wearing his newest pair of dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt, just like his mother had instructed. He kept his hands on his stomach to steady his nerves. With his eyes, he traced the dappled late afternoon light reflecting onto his bedroom ceiling from somewhere outside the window.
While his sister was riding the afternoon train back home, Souta tried to focus on getting mentally amped for his "big night". At least, that's what his grandfather had taken to calling it over the past week.
His "omiai" – seeing and meeting but not just anyone. Seeing and meeting his potential wife – and her parents.
As Souta swallowed at the surreal thought, he supposed Ojiisan had been right. It felt pretty big now that Friday night was here.
The butterfly sensation he'd been feeling in his stomach for the past few hours seemed to come and go. He glanced over at his blue and yellow plaid button down where it hung off the back of his new gaming desk chair, and the butterflies somehow got a little worse again. Really, when he had texted his sister, he had really been hoping he could text Inuyasha, but of course he couldn't for two big reasons. Kagome and Souta were still planning when to take Inuyasha to buy a cell phone, and more importantly, he was not back yet from the Sengoku Jidai.
Souta rolled over on his side on the bed covers. He let their crisp, newness against his cheek comfort him. The covers had barely been washed more than once or twice since his family had got together to fix up and refurnish the room after the wedding incident with Sesshomaru…. Inuyasha even helped paint the walls an adult-shade of pale green with Souta early in the morning before he and Kagome left for Okinawa.
Well, maybe Souta had done most of the painting - Inuyasha had not been very good at it, his strokes were sort of uneven and all over the place. But it was the thought that counted. He hadn't even said anything about the strong vapors from the paint, which Kagome later reminded him was truly amazing since Inuyasha usually couldn't stand anything with a strong smell, human senses or not. Souta now sighed loudly to himself, feeling guilty. I shouldn't feel bad that Inuyasha can't be here tonight, he told himself. There was so much else the older man had already helped him with, and besides, Mom, Grandpa, and Kagome mattered so much to him too - they would be there with him.
Still, he had gotten so used to having Inuyasha and Miroku around the prior year, it was a bit like getting spoiled. Going from years of being Kagome's annoying little brother, to the years where Kagome was hardly around so that Souta sometimes felt like his mother's only child, to having his sister back and, finally, not just one but two pretty cool "older brothers" around had been pretty amazing. He even liked when Kohaku, who was close in age with Souta, came over from the Feudal Era too; though easily, it was the older two guys Souta really could look up to. That, and by comparison with his grandfather's loving but often slightly rigid old man's way of doing things, Souta had been grateful to have some more easygoing role models around now that he was getting older.
Now it was a little tough getting ready for this clearly big moment without them. It wasn't like Sango wasn't good to talk to, but like the rest of the family, Souta had noticed how her pregnancy seemed to weigh on her. No, it seemed better to leave Sango to his mom and sister. He did not want to upset her - she already had enough to worry about without his anxieties.
Of course, Souta normally always felt like he could talk to his mom and Ojiisan. Given everything Kagome had already thrown at them, Souta didn't doubt that they were also two of the coolest family members a guy could have, hands-down. Still, their increasing earnestness in preparing him to take over the family shrine had started to make the dynamic between them change a bit.
He brushed a finger over the "mature-looking" green paint on the wall that he had been so proud to pick out. Since he couldn't have either of his "big brothers" there with him then, he instead thought back to something Inuyasha had said to him that morning they were doing the painting.
"Don't you think it's gonna look pretty suave?" Souta said, excitedly putting down his paint bucket on the drape spread over the floor and stepping back to have a look.
They both wore molded dust masks though the window was wide open, letting in fresh, cold air. Over his mask, around which he'd also tied a bandana from Souta, Inuyasha blinked at a messy crisscross of strokes he was laboriously applying. Meanwhile, across the way, Souta had the more practiced technique and had finished painting his half of the wall first. "What, the paint?" his sister's husband questioned, sounding a little confused by Souta's comment.
"Yeah, I'm almost a college student now. This place was in need of an update, a new look for the adult me," Souta had said, feeling proud. Highschool graduation was right around the corner, and it was no secret he was excited to finally start his semester at Tokyo College for Social Welfare Studies for his Psychology major.
"Huh, it's a good color if you like it," Inuyasha grunted, clearly just going along with what Souta had said for his sake, making the younger man smile under his mask. Then, clearly not at all hesitant to take a break from brushing, his brother-in-law put his brush in the can and got up to stand with Souta.
A moment passed, as they observed their work in the early morning light before it was Inuyasha who spoke again. He turned to look at Souta, and in the same familiar, gruff older-brother tone he'd come to use with Souta over the years, he said, "But listen, kid – it's cool growing up, but try to enjoy the time while you can. Life gets complicated before you know it, so you gotta take the time to prepare yourself so you can handle it when the tougher stuff – both the good and the bad – comes up."
Souta smiled, so the expression could touch his eyes over the dust mask: "Thanks, Inuyasha, I'll remember that."
And he had remembered it. Souta knew he had to be brave now. He was eighteen now, definitely no longer a child. He had watched as Kagome and Inuyasha had the courage to take the leap to get married. Even now, Kagome was out doing her best to get a good job and Inuyasha was off taking steps to master his new demonic form. If they could do all that, then Souta could do his part and do his best to prepare to take care of the shrine and all the people, who relied on it and for whom it was home.
With the butterflies thankfully having gone down for the moment, the musical tune of the doorbell drifted up the stairs.
"Souta, they're here!" he heard his mother's voice call up from the kitchen below, as it had so many times before over the years.
"Okay!" he called back, already having bounced up from the bed and thrown on his nice plaid shirt. Putting on his smoothest air possible, Souta even had the collar straightened and the last button done, as he bounded down the stairs to meet Mayu Takada for real for the first time in person.