DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inu Yasha! Wish I could, but I would be sued (hey, that rhymes!) A thousand domos to all those who reviewed my stories! Love you all! Hope you like this one! ~twilight zero
It was such a sunny morning at the busy city of Tokyo. Another day for students like Hojo. Then again, you always see him riding his bike as he pedals
toward the school. And hoping for another chance to see the girl of his dreams...Kagome. She hadn't gone to school for two straight weeks now.
Her grandpa said that she is still having problems with her "frail body". Frail, weak or whatsoever...I still love and care about her, he thought. I hope she's all
better now.
On the way, he saw Kagome's friends talking with each other. But there's no sign of her. Where is she?
"Hojo-kun! Ohayou!" one of them greeted.
"Are you looking for Kagome-chan? Her okasan said she's still absent, and hasn't recovered yet from her arthritis," the other one said. "You're still
worried about her, aren't you? Awww....how sweet of you!"
"I see...if you see her, please tell her to get well soon..." Hojo replied to the blushing onnas. "Arigato. Ja na.."
After he pedalled fast, the two girls began talking with each other again. "But really now, is she really doing fine? She really has problems with her body..."
Parking his bike, he looked at the falling petals of the sakura tree that decorate the gardens of the school. "Kagome-san..."
5 years ago...
"Hojo-kun, hayaku! We'll miss the festival!" Little Kagome cried at the stairs leading up to the temple. She was wearing a pretty pink kimono
with Sakura flowers embroided all over it. Her hair was down, ans she wore a elegant blue hairband.
"I'm coming, Kagome-chan!" When suddenly, he tripped on the way and lost his balance. "Itai yo!" he cried. "It hurts!"
"Hojo-kun? Daijoubu?" she asked, and looked at his injured knee. "Can you walk? Too bad if you're going to miss the festival! There's lots
of yummy stuff there!"
She smiled...and deep inside of him, he liked the way she smiles at him. It seems that Kagome's smile is enough to make the pain go away
for good. I can't let a scraped knee ruin my day with her..."I'm alright now. Shall we go?" and offered his hand. The cute girl, upon seeing that
her tomodachi is doing fine, smiled. "Hai!"
Just before the school's dismissal, Hojo caught sight of Kagome's otouto, Sota. He was picking her onee-chan's assignments for the day. That only means one thing...
Kagome's doing alright!
"Souta-kun! Chotto matte!" he cried as he was about to leave. "How's your sister? Is she doing fine already?"
"Huh? Oh, Hojo onii-chan! Kagome onee-chan's not well, but she asked me to fetch her assignments for the day! Is there something wrong?"
"Will she be able to come to school tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" and he frowned. "Hmmm....maybe not yet. Okasan said that because of her metabolism, the arthritis's now affecting her back. She can't get up."
"Is that so? Anou...just tell her to get well soon. Arigatou, Souta-kun!" and he went on his way. Kagome...are you really doing fine? I miss you...I've always missed
you...
3 years ago...
"Graduation is almost near...where are you planning to enroll for junior high, Hojo-kun?"
"I don't know...how about you?"
"Maybe at Sakuragaoka Junior Highschool...it's pretty near my house, so it's just a short walk towards there."
"Really? Then, I'll enroll at Sakuragaoka too!"
"I thought that you're planning to enroll at Tokyo Junior High?"
Hojo sweatdropped. "Um...I kinda changed my mind." He looked at Kagome, his long-time crush. During their last year in elementary,
boys are already falling in love with her. And why not? She's the most beautiful girl in the 6th grade. Pretty, kind, sweet and intelligent. She's everything that
boys would dream of. And he was lucky...she's his bestfriend. And somehow...he also dreamed of having her...as his girlfriend.
"I promise...by the time I reach junior high...I'll court you, Kagome-chan..."
Souta had arrived home, when he spotted his sister sitting in the living room...
"Kagome onee-chan! Okaeri!" he greeted.
"Souta! Where have you been?" she asked.
"To your school, I picked up your assignments for the day. Oh, and Hojo onii-chan told me to wish you to get well soon."
Hojo-kun? Kagome thought. Sou...he hasn't given up yet... "Really? Um...tell him the next time you see him...thanks."
Souta was about to ask her why won't she answer him, since he's been courting her since 1st year in junior high. But he didn't...for her sister
has somebody else in mind: a certain hanyou - Inu Yasha. Brushing the thought off, he went upstairs to his room and played with his
trusty PS2. "Alright! Gran Turismo 2!©"
Kagome turned on the TV, to see what's on at modern Japan today. Back at Inu Yasha's time, nothing's new, except the monsters that
Naraku send every now and then to eliminate them. As she was switching channels, she thought of the statement that Hojo wants to tell her...
Get well soon, Kagome-chan...
First year in Junior High...
"Hojo-kun? Why aren't you going home yet?" She asked him as he was standing at the school gates during dismissal. It was the first day of school.
"I was waiting for you Kagome-chan. May I escort you home?"
Kagome smiled, and Hojo considered that as her answer. The two walked towards the Higurashi shrine silently; both were shy to start a conversation.
Recently, Kagome was hearing rumors that Hojo wants to court her, but she never heard it directly from him. She thought that 'this' was the right time to ask him...
"Hojo-kun? May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Lately, I've been hearing rumors...about you wanting to court me...is it true?" Kagome asked softly, while staring at the sidewalk near the pedestrian lane.
Cars sped by as Hojo thought of the perfect answer. Maybe I should tell her...he said to himself. "Yes it's true..."
Kagome looked at him, slightly blushing. Does she have the same feelings for me? "Eh?"
"Can I court you, Higurashi Kagome?" he asked in such a way that she was tempted to say 'yes'. "Can I?"
She didn't answer, as the green light signalling that they can cross glowed. "Look, we can cross now! Let's go!" Deep inside, Kagome intentionally doesn't want to answer his question.
She wasn't ready for courtship yet. Frankly, she thought of him as her childhood friend. No more, no less.
RRRINNNG!!!
"Moshi moshi? Higurashi Residence, this is Kagome speaking! Yuri! Yeah, I'm alright now...summer festival? At school?"
"Hai! Why don't you go there when you're feeling better? Hojo would love to have you there!" Yuri exclaimed on the line. "Oh yeah! He's been asking about your condition lately! He misses you! C'mon Higurashi-san!"
"Um...yeah...sure, I'll see what I can do. Ja na."
"Ja na!"
Summer festival, she thought. I haven't been attending festivals ever since I went to the other side of the well...hmmm...
The day of the festival has come at last. Hojo was all excited; Yuri had told him that Kagome would be going to the festival.
"Will she arrive on time?" he asked her.
"Of course, Hojo-kun! You know Kagome, she can't afford to come here late!"
"Dakedo..."
"Shimpainai, shimpainai! Believe me! By the length of time that I knew her!"
Although unsure, he smiled at the assurance of his friend. "Yeah, you're right Yuri-san. I trust her."
"Mom! I'm going now!" Kagome called out to her mom.
"Sure! Have fun, honey!"
Excited, she ran towards the front door and got out with a smile on her face. But befor she could take a step further, she felt something from the wellhouse. That same feeling she gets when danger is about to approach. What's this? This isn't good...
"Kagome..." Inu Yasha's voice broke her worries. He had come to fetch her; he already knew about the danger that they are about to face. "You can feel it, can you?" She nodded. "Is it Naraku?"
"Looks like it," he said casually, as he sniffed the air. "It's something bad, for one thing. We have to go now."
Kagome nodded in agreement, as she took one last look at the scenery in front of her...the afternoon sun of the summer festival. Looks like I won't be able to come...I won't be able to attend after all...I'm sorry minna.
Countless hours passed by, and still there is no sign of her. Hojo's hopes are starting to go down the drain again. Maybe she isn't feeling well yet, he thought. I shouldn't have invited her; she might experience a relapse! Kagome's friends are already having a good time, catching goldfishes in the goldfish catching booths. They were having the time of their lives. Hojo remembered the days when he and Kagome used to do that together...
"Wai! I got one!" he exclaimed.
"Honto?" Kagome asked cheerfully, as Hojo showed her the transparent plastic bag filled with water, containing the goldfish. "Wai! Hojo-kun, sugoi!" She asked the booth owner to give her a skin-lined hoop to catch one. "I want a goldfish, too!"
She searched the fishes until she found a pretty golden one. Patiently, she placed the hoop under it, and...PLOP! The fish went right through the hoop!
"Nani? Waaah!!! It broke through!"
"Here, let me try!" he offered. Hojo asked for another one, as he relaxed beside her, waiting for the goldfish to stay still. "I'm going to get you," he murmured, then lightly swung the hoop upwards. "I got him!"
"Wai! Arigatou, Hojo-kun! Subarashii na! It's so kawaii!" Kagome never felt so happy in her entire life. She hugged him, and it made him blush. The booth owner smiled at them, and so are the other players.
"Arigatou!..."
It's already nighttime, and the officials are starting to arrange the spot where the dance around the campfire's going to be held. He stood just some distance away, looking at all the
preparations. One of his male friends stopped by and have a little talk with him. "Aren't you going to dance, Hojo?"
"Hai...anata wa?"
"Boku? Well, I have my kanojo Ritsuko with me, so we're going to dance! Wait...Higurashi-san! Why don't you ask her?"
"She isn't here."
"Sick again? Poor Higurashi-san! She's missing all the fun! Well, gotta go now! Ja!"
Thinking that the festivities aren't all that exciting after all, he decided to go home.
"Hojo-kun! Look, look! They're arranging the fireworks now! Sugoi! I love fireworks!" Kagome merrily cried, clutching her precious goldfish bag.
"The booth owner told me that they're going to display them in a couple of minutes! It's just a matter of time!"
"Kagome...I wonder, if you're at least there, at least...so you can view the fireworks at the Higurashi shrine..."
Hojo went to the shrine, hoping that she would be there, sitting under the big tree, eagerly waiting to witness the fireworks. His feet climbed the
seemingly endless flight of stairs leading to the place. When he got there...he saw her...
...with a young man wearing a red gi, with ebony black hair and gentle brown eyes...it was Inu Yasha, in his human form. It turned out that it's the new moon, and he was just escorting Kagome
home from the battle at the other side. Kagome looked so tired but happy at his company...
"...glad that it's over. We won again....um, thanks for escorting me home, Inu Yasha."
"Sure, no big deal," the hanyou replied, his head turned away so she won't see him blush. On impulse, she hugged him, happy that
he was always there to protect her. "Arigatou," she whispered. Inu Yasha, though surprised, hugged her back also, as he realized that
it came to the point that he also...loved her.
Just before the last step, Hojo stood there, watching as the pair exchanged hugs...and kisses. From the schoolyard, the clock had already striked its 12'o clock chime...
and fireworks began to luminate the night sky...
"Wai! Kireii na!"
"Look, that one's shaped like a chrysanthemum! Pretty, isn't it Kagome-chan?"
"Hai!"
The highlight of the event, the fireworks display has come at last. Kagome and Hojo are watching them at the top of the hill, near the shrine.
As she was watching with joy, he was looking at her, her brown eyes sparkling with joy. "Kagome..."
"I love you, Kagome...and I will always..." he thought as the pair watched the display making its performance under the sacred tree of the shrine.
"I like you, Kagome...I've always liked you..."
But now, this confession of his undying love was replaced with words of loss and sadness. As he looked at the couple watched the fireworks that illuminate the night sky, he said to himself...
"Sayonara...be happy with him."