Fortune's Favorites
by
Nana
Chapter 2
Maiko
Author's Notes: I have made some additions to chapter 1 in order not to lose chapter 2's coherence. It contains a sizable amount of action, so I would suggest you go over chapter 1 again first before you read this new chap.
Some scenes from this chapter are also a wee bit...erm…mature (but they're very mild, and if you're familiar with our sukebe houshi's antics, then there's really nothing new here). I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please do read and review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: No need to tell you guys that I don't own a single thing here!
Kyoto
March 20, 2053
7:45 a.m.
The pattern of the cards was turning out to be most interesting.
She sat there in her dim room, contemplating this new and entirely unexpected twist that fate was so fond of dealing mankind.
It had certainly been unusual for the card to turn up at all in any of her sessions. For it to turn up now…
L' Amoureux…
She stared at the upright card where two lovers were smiling at each other, and considered if she should tell of this new and startling revelation to her patron.
In the end, she decided not to. It would certainly add more spice to the game if he, too, would not be able to know everything at any given time.
Hitomi Private Residence
Kyoto
March 20, 2053
7:45 a.m.
Ishida Miroku sighed as the private plane touched down on its pad.
A weekend of rest and relaxation in the lap of luxury seemed ideal, but he had a feeling they were not going to get much of either. Still, following the target around would mean greater chances of catching the culprits.
As they followed Hitomi Kagewaki down the plane and onto the broad expanse of his family's estate, Ishida could not help but wonder who in their right mind would not consider killing for this. For any of this.
The Hitomi fortune was one of the biggest in the world. So of course it was understandable that there would be more than a few enemies on the side. But to have an enemy with unbreakable arms and legs…that kind of technology was far from being common.
He snapped back to the present to find their host introducing them to a long queue of servants lining the entrance hall of the mansion--part of the traditional Japanese way of welcoming guests.
"Can you believe the size of this house," whispered Inu Yasha, awed, as they followed their host inside amid respectful bows and murmurs of "Irasshaimase".
"Breakfast will start at 8:30," Hitomi said. "I'm sure you gentlemen would like to settle down first. We will be seeing each other in the main dining room."
They were directed to two huge, separate bedrooms by a hushed servant.
Miroku made his way over to the huge glass window overlooking the wide lawn, and found two or three men in suits already on patrol.
How can they possibly stand an intruder made of unbreakable steel? He wondered briefly before changing into something more suitable for a formal breakfast.
Inu Yasha could not help but feel uncomfortable as they were ushered into the main dining hall.
Back at home on a Saturday, he would have been happy feasting on a carton of instant ramen with the TV on for breakfast. Here, he would indeed be served a feast, but he was feeling far from being at home.
Besides, he was not used to wearing stiff white shirts and formal pants. He resisted the urge to reach over his back and scratch.
Ishida appeared more at ease, and moved to where he was being seated.
When he was seated over the broad, low table, Inu Yasha let his gaze wander, bored. How much of this was he going to take before he yawned?
The entrance of Hitomi instantly dispelled the boredom, and Inu Yasha found himself staring agog at the person trailing behind him.
"Well, well," he heard Miroku mutter distinctly. "This promises to be most interesting."
Higurashi Kagome smiled and gave the officers a small wave as she followed her employer into the hall.
According to Hitomi, she was here because they had to discuss certain aspects of the programming department in their Kyoto firm.
Of course, there were always visor phones for communication, but Hitomi did not give reasons for not using them.
"This is certainly a surprise," Higurashi said as she took the seat next to Inu Yasha.
"You're telling us," he said as he continued to stare at her.
The course of the meal was painfully slow, but Higurashi somehow made up for it by inquiring after the daring rescue scene from three days ago.
"That was really…something," she said after Inu Yasha finished with his much-abridged version.
"Yeah, well…" Inu Yasha shrugged and turned away.
Man, he wasn't really used to this kind of thing…
He bristled as he heard Miroku take over, and stopped himself just in time.
Bristled? He asked himself, frowning.
"So, Higurashi-san. I'm looking forward to resuming our conversation before it was rudely interrupted three days ago."
Kagome laughed nervously at that and started on another line of conversation. Every now and then, she would turn to Inu Yasha with a question in her eyes, but they were given no opportunity to speak again.
After breakfast, she filed dutifully behind Hitomi to start their meeting.
He paused at the door and turned to the men. "I was thinking of having a night-out at an o-chaya in Gion later this evening. I hope it's alright with you."
Ishida positively brightened at the news. "We don't mind at all," he said quickly.
"Good." Hitomi smiled. "Eight thirty, then."
O-chayas were rare places to find an even rarer spectacle--the Geishas. Practically considered national treasures, theirs was a vanishing, expensive art which only the ultra-rich could now afford as entertainment.
"What?" Miroku asked when he turned to find Inu Yasha with a thunderous expression on his face.
"We don't mind at all?" he echoed ominously.
"Well, do you?" Miroku asked innocently.
"Don't think that just because you're on vacation for two days you're free to indulge on your lecherous tastes," said Inu Yasha bluntly.
Miroku coolly raised a brow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"What was all that resuming your conversation thing with Higurashi?"
A small smile appeared on Miroku's lips as his look turned sly. "Ahh," he said. "I'm finally getting this."
"Getting what?"
Miroku turned away, shrugging. "I never thought you'd be capable of it, but she is pretty after all."
"What?"
Miroku rolled his eyes. "You figure it out," he said, sighing.
A servant appeared to inform the police officers that their services were not required for the rest of the day, and that they were free to go about Kyoto as they chose.
"But what about that assassin?" inquired Inu Yasha loudly.
"The master will be quite safe here," said the servant neutrally.
"Yeah, right," Inu Yasha muttered. "I bet they were saying that the night that weirdo entered their grounds in Tokyo."
In the end, after a day of visiting temples and the local sites of Kyoto, they decided to return to the Residence early. Ishida went off to take a nap in his room, leaving Inu Yasha with a couple of hours to fend for himself.
He did not feel particularly tired, so sleeping was out of the question. He turned the TV on, and paced the length of his room, wondering.
There were so many questions left hanging.
For a moment, his attention was arrested as a news snippet appeared on TV about Hitomi Kagewaki flying off somewhere with two Tokyo Metro Police officers. The scene shifted to a vague shot of a Hitomi helicopter taking off from their headquarters in Tokyo. As the newscaster continued his speculations, Inu Yasha snorted and turned away.
Just how do these paparazzi get their scoop?
He did not dwell too long on the annoying traits of the media, however. There, underneath his large glass window and making her way into the broad expanse of lawn and garden, was a familiar figure.
Kagome…
Kagome sat on a stone bench--one of many scattered throughout the garden-- and stared thoughtfully into the pond nearby.
She finally let out a sigh and shook her head, smiling wistfully.
Don't even think about nonsense like that…she told herself almost sternly.
"What's with the sigh?" inquired a dry voice from behind.
…
Kagome started and whipped around, finding that somebody had arrived unnoticed from behind.
"I-Inu Yasha-san!" she said.
Inu Yasha raised his brows at the way she had addressed him.
"Do you make it a habit of sneaking up behind people?" Her tone came out more sharply than she had intended.
"Always," he said laconically.
Kagome frowned. Was it just her imagination or had the officer's behavior changed a bit? She had thought him rather interesting, albeit of few words, from the beginning. But now…
He continued to stand behind and a little to her side, his gaze fixed on the still surface of the pond.
"Do you always come out here?" He inquired next.
Kagome turned to him sharply.
"What?"
"Here. Kyoto. With him."
"This is my first time," Kagome said. "What are you trying to insinuate?"
He shrugged. "I'm not doing anything of the kind."
"Yes, you are." Suddenly, she was liking him less and less.
She turned away. So much for his being interesting. And all the while, she had thought his pointed silences were just an indication that he was being shy. Well, it all went to show just how wrong she had been.
After a while, the silence became uncomfortable.
"Won't you sit down? You're looming," she snapped as he continued to stand behind her.
"Don't have much time for that," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's almost time to get dressed for the night-out."
"And it's almost time for my flight back to Tokyo," she said as she stood up.
"Y--you're leaving?"
"My business meeting with the boss is over. I have no other reason to stay, do I?" she asked pointedly.
Inu Yasha stared at her. She looked as though she had wanted to say something more, but she changed her mind the last minute.
"Sayonara, Inu Yasha-san. I don't expect we will be seeing more of each other in the near future," she said formally and turning away, retraced her steps back to the mansion.
Inu Yasha continued to stand as though he were rooted to the place beside the stone bench, and swore softly under his breath when he recovered sufficiently to realize he had blown his chance.
Ishida Miroku shook his head disapprovingly as Inu Yasha recounted the events that transpired in the garden. Above them, a full moon rode the clear evening sky.
They were walking a respectful distance behind Hitomi, who was swamped as it was with his own set of bodyguards.
Kyoto had placed a restriction on cars especially in special districts such as Gion, and in order to get to the o-chaya that had been booked for the evening, they had to set out on foot from a certain point past downtown Shijo.
"Is that what you call starting a conversation with a girl you like! What the hell were you thinking of?" he snapped at his younger partner. "What you did was almost…almost criminal!"
"Well, I didn't know what else to say!" Inu Yasha said defensively.
"So you went ahead and spoke your mind out," said Miroku. "And you dare call me a sukebe when you've got a wealth of dirty thoughts stored in that brain of yours? How could you possibly imply she's got something going on with Hitomi?"
"FEH!" Inu Yasha looked away. He knew it was a mistake confiding in Ishida. So much for thinking he was going to get a little bit of masculine reassurance from him.
"You also blew your chance in getting something important from her," pointed out Miroku.
"And what is that?"
"The woman knows more than she's letting on," Miroku said. "If I'd have known you were going to chat with her, I would have told you to inquire about something. But judging from the turnout of your crude social performance, I'm almost glad I didn't."
"Why you bas--!"
"Easy on the temper," Miroku said coolly. "At least you'll have a reason to see her again when we get back to Tokyo. You can pry this from her at you leisure."
"What are you talking about?"
"Naraku," Miroku said softly, succinctly.
"What?"
"I asked her jokingly three days ago if she would happen to know a reason why her boss could be under attack, and she mentioned a certain Naraku."
Inu Yasha stared at his partner in disbelief. "How the hell," he found himself saying, "can you get people to talk about stuff like that to you?"
"A gift, if you will," Miroku said, shrugging easily. "Enough about work. We're here! Finally! Let's party!"
It turned out that the Hitomis were regular guests of the o-chaya, or traditional Japanese teahouse, that they were now in. There were not many more left in Japan, and most of the surviving ones were clustered here, in the Gion district of old Kyoto.
For the night, Hitomi had booked his favorite geisha and two more maikos to entertain them in a private suite within the o-chaya. While his goons lingered outside the closed doors and downstairs, Hitomi chatted freely with his two guests amidst the music of shamisen and the graceful, slow turns of painted ladies.
"You're drawing flies," said Inu Yasha as he slanted Miroku a look.
"Nani?" His partner asked absently as he shut his mouth, unable to tear his eyes away from one of the maikos--what was her name again? Tochiko?
Already Miroku had downed several cups of sake, so whatever inhibitions he had had were rapidly dissolving. Not, Inu Yasha decided, that he had a lot of those from the very beginning, so the poor maiko had better watch out.
After the dance number, the maikos settled in between the guests as the geisha went over to her danna to pour him another drink.
Hitomi was asking Inu Yasha a question about the police force, so Miroku had plenty of time to lavish his full attention on the maiko Tochiko.
"Have you been here long?" he asked politely as she filled his cup.
She allowed a small smile to cross her crimson lips. "A year and half," she said, her voice pleasantly deep, with a just a trace of huskiness to send a man's pulses leaping.
"And do you get to go out once in a while?"
She answered with an enigmatic smile, not deigning to answer his vague question.
Miroku felt pleasantly relaxed and totally unaccountable of his actions as he slid a hand down the straight line of her back, feeling the silk slide down his palm and fingers.
"You know, this dress…really becomes you…" he murmured.
The maiko froze as she felt his hand slide down farther to settle on her butt. It was a mere touch, as over as quickly as it had begun, but Miroku could sense that it had angered her. Beneath the eyelids lined in heavy red, Miroku could see her gaze hardening.
"Tochiko," the geisha called, effectively shattering the trance that had developed between the two. "The tachikata…"
She was being called on to dance.
She rose gracefully to her feet and padded over to the front. Miroku shook his head, aware that he had carried things a bit too far.
Man…but she had looked so beautiful…
What happened next was totally unexpected. They didn't know how it started exactly, but suddenly the geisha was screaming, and Miroku looked up to see a couple of sharp lance-like things twisting in the air, flying straight at Hitomi's throat.
Somebody shouted--it must have been Inu Yasha--and Miroku lunged to knock Hitomi out of the way.
Hearing the din, the bodyguards stormed in, and confusion reigned.
"Ishida! It's her! The maiko!" shouted Inu Yasha from above the screams as he made for Tochiko.
But Tochiko had suddenly lost her delicate small movements. She grabbed at Inu Yasha with the swift and surprisingly strong grip of a man and hurled him against the wall.
Inu Yasha was not to be taken by surprise. He rebounded and drew out an activated Tetsusaiga.
"Inu Yasha! No! Not in here!" Miroku shouted as he made his way over.
But Inu Yasha was not to be given a chance with his sword. The maiko threw a couple of pellets into the air, and Inu Yasha had the foul luck to have them explode in his face.
As Inu Yasha landed on the ground coughing and retching, Miroku could see the maiko running to the open window. With one leap, she had traversed the low balcony.
Miroku followed her out, leaping over the railing, landing on the ground below in a practiced roll, and he was running after her.
She was dispelling her clothes, layer after layer, her strides getting longer as she got rid of the hampering garments. Silk bellowed past Miroku as he continued his chase.
She would occasionally turn to throw some spiked weapons at him, but he was quick to dodge them.
Dammit…if only he had a laser gun! But he had not thought to bring one. Not since he was bringing Shakujou, his laser staff.
Under the light of the full moon, he could see her now, shorn of the wig she had been wearing. Long, dark hair fanned out from a ponytail, a long graceful body sheathed entirely in black. She looked so very familiar…
That assassin…
But no.
Something about the manner of her movements, the lightness of her feet, indicated that she was a different person.
Nevertheless, she was going to be deadly.
Miroku took out his weapon.
"Stop it right there! Police!" He yelled.
Unbelievably, unnervingly, she answered back with a low laugh.
"Honto, officer?" she asked as she leapt on top of the wooden wall marking a dead-end street. "Are you going to read my rights from here?"
Miroku brought out an activated laser Shakujou and sliced through the wood of the fence neatly.
She leapt away effortlessly as the wood gave way from underneath her feet, but this time, Miroku was too near, too fast for her.
He caught her in mid-air. In the confusion of legs and arms that resulted as they landed on the ground in a heap, he managed to pin her down with a hand on her chest.
Miroku's eyes widened as he realized what he was holding onto.
This, whoever this was…she was unmistakably female!
Noting where his hand was and taking advantage of his moment of hesitation, the woman beneath him gave an indignant cry and brought a free hand down savagely on his cheek.
Crraaaaackk!
As Miroku's head reeled from the shocking impact, she yelled, "Hiraikotsu!"
Before he could collect himself, she slid out from under the police officer. Miroku's time to catch the girl had run out. Just then a big, blurred object appeared from nowhere and came hurtling toward him.
Miroku looked up and he knew it was too late to dodge the gigantic weapon, and so he did the only thing he could think of.
The weapon crashed against an upraised Shakujou, inactivating the weapon and sending it out of his hands.
Miroku landed back on the floor with a thud.
Dammit…but this wasn't turning out very well, was it? He thought hazily as he struggled against the effect of alcohol and numbing pain to get up.
His eyes shifted to a pair of dark boots as they made their way over to him.
Kami…what's going to happen now?
But curiously enough, nothing happened. The owner of the dark boots stopped a few steps away from him.
She had only one word to say to him before she turned away and bounded off into the darkness of Kyoto.
"Sukebe," she hissed.
Vocabulary:
Danna- patron
Geisha- Geishas are artisans unique to the culture of Japan. For more info on geishas, here is a link which I had found very useful in my research for this chapter:
Maiko- a geisha-in-training
O-chaya- a Japanese teahouse
Tachikata- a form of dance
Shamisen- traditional musical instrument