Disclaimer: Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Other characters are property of Dark Star. Quotes used for chapter titles belong to the speaker. Any song lyrics used in this story do not belong to Dark Star. Quotes found from quoteland.com and quotationspage.com.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: [Sess/Kag] As a singer, young Sesshoumaru, 25, throws a publicity stunt (even though he's popular enough). A bet: $1 million; he won't fall in love before the age of 30. And then, he gets a new secretary: Kagome Higurashi…
Genre: Romance/Drama
A/N: Next chapter's here!!!! ^_^ I'm disappointed to see that not many of my previous reviewers are transferring to this fic. ='( Oh well. Enjoy the story!
A Special Thanks! To ForsakenTenshi for coming up with the quote and title! ^___^ I luvya, 'Tenshi!!!! XD
Vow Not To Love
Chapter Two: The First Step
January 2003
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."-Chinese Proverb
~*~*~*~*~
Upon hearing the click of the receiver on the other end, Miroku released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Running a hand through his thick black hair, he tilted his head to the bright ceiling lights. Imagine me, a twenty-five-year-old lawyer, already working for one of the big guys in Japan. He had to thank the Fates for his luck; not many would land a position so high being fresh out of college. But he was good; he was very good. Somehow, Miroku found a way of persuading people so flawless that he had taken up law. After all, what better way to be persuasive than in a courtroom? He chuckled inwardly; he was gifted with charm.
Carefully, he dusted off his suit, an entirely black outfit with a metallic violet tie. Papers and whatnot were shuffled into his briefcase, which was then closed and picked up. Usually, it was his secretary's job to get his papers together and such, but it seemed that she had scurried away sometime or other during the phone conversation. He sighed; she had such nice legs, too. Oh well. I can always get a new one. The lights were flicked off and the door locked, then he was on his way down to his car.
A sleek black convertible was parked haphazardly before him. Yup, it was his car. Miroku threw the heavy briefcase into the back along with his jacket before slumping into the driver's seat. He sat for a moment, wondering whether or not he had forgotten anything. After all, he was a lawyer, and at that, a very busy and popular one. Already at such a young age, and he was one of the top twenty in Japan. Once he got a little older, he was almost guaranteed a chance at being number one. Smiling, he turned the ignition and drove off into Tokyo's busy streets.
His apartment, actually, wasn't very far, but if he wanted to walk through the crowds, it would take an hour to weave through the couple blocks that separated his office and home. Fortunately, he lived on the edges of Tokyo, so traffic wasn't half bad. The cost of living wasn't so high, either, as living in the center of the metropolis.
As he patiently waited for the light to turn green, Miroku contemplated Sesshoumaru's need for an assistant. His mind tended to wander to certain subjects of why the secretary had quit, but obviously, Sesshoumaru would've taken part in none of the inappropriate actions. He had a friend whose friend needed a job. Inuyasha had mentioned his best friend several times to him. How could he forget Inuyasha's best friend? He winced at the memory of their first meeting. Just the memory of the entire event caused him to rub at his cheek, where she had forcefully slapped him. With good reason, of course. Maybe she wouldn't be so good for Sesshoumaru's secretary…
The car behind him had started to honk madly. Looking up, Miroku found the light to have already turned green. He stepped on the gas immediately, sending the car rocketing through the semi-empty streets. Rounding the corner, he zoomed into the garage and parked the car into the space reserved for 'Takekawa Miroku.'
Sounds of a car door opening and closing numerous times echoed through the garage, and then Miroku was on his way up to Apartment 4A, pausing in the lobby of the building to check his mail. Of course, several letters were addressed to him as well as a daily newspaper, which he tossed into the garbage bin in front of the elevator.
"Damn ads," he muttered, entering the elevator.
He fished the familiar key from the pocket of his slacks and pushed it through the thin hole. There was a click and then the snap of unlocking before the lightly colored door automatically came ajar. Ah, the wonders of modern technology, he thought lightly, slamming the door behind him. His ring of keys was tossed onto a hook put up exactly for that purpose. Jacket and briefcase were both thrown onto a couch as he pulled his tie loose from the choking collar.
With a push of a button, the TV blared on, and he found his way to the kitchen, hastily making himself some dinner. Once done, he lounged comfortably at a coffee table in front of the television, listening idly to the news. There was nothing interesting, as usual, except…
"Last night, at his annual concert in Tokyo Square (is there such a thing?), Sesshoumaru, renowned singer, made a deal to the world," the newslady announced, shuffling the papers at her desk, "He made a bet for one million U.S. dollars to not fall in love until the age of thirty. The young star, only twenty-five, has not made any further comment to the press on this offer, but critics say it will pool much more attention to him. No one knows what Sesshoumaru's true intentions are. We now await someone to 'seal the deal' with him."
Miroku gaped at the woman. He made a bet?! Not to fall in love for FIVE years?! He didn't tell me! A grimace overtook his features. That's a lot of money, Sesshoumaru-san. Are you sure you can handle it? He pondered for a moment. Is that why your assistant quit?
"I can't believe he didn't tell me," Miroku mumbled moodily. "There are legal matters to this stuff."
Miroku sighed. Oh well, big boy can handle himself, I guess. He turned the television off and grabbed a phone nearby, having already finished his dinner. His fingers automatically dialed his friend's number, hoping he would pick up. After all, I promised Sesshoumaru a secretary. He glanced up at the clock. It was late evening; Inuyasha should be home.
"Oi," a rough voice answered, "Talk," it commanded.
"You really need to work on your social skills, my friend," replied Miroku, grinning amiably.
"What do you want, Miroku?" Inuyasha demanded.
"You know your friend Kagome?"
"What about her?" he asked suspiciously.
"Is she still single?"
"…"
"I was just kidding!" Miroku cried indignantly. "Just a joke!"
"Get to the point."
"Well, she's still looking for a job, right?" Miroku justified.
"I'm not letting her work for you," came Inuyasha's response.
"Still protective, I see," he observed. "Well, anyways, it's not for me. It's for one of my clients."
"Respectable?"
Inuyasha questioned.
"Quite," Miroku replied.
There was a pause, then, "I'm seeing her tomorrow. I'll give her your number."
"Home or office?" Miroku inquired.
"OFFICE!" he screeched.
Miroku held the phone away from his ear. "Okay, okay," he yelled back into the receiver. "Thanks!" he added offhandedly.
There was the loud slam of the receiver, and then the disconnection ring. Miroku sighed. Hopefully, Inuyasha wouldn't have to find out about the employer being his half-brother. If he had known, Inuyasha probably wouldn't have let Kagome take his offer. All for the better. Miroku sighed and rubbed his neck. It was definitely time for a shower.
~*~*~*~*~
After slamming down the phone, Inuyasha wondered whether or not he would tell Kagome. Might as well. Already told Miroku I would. He shrugged. If she had gotten a job already, he wouldn't need to tell her. He would ask her about it tomorrow. They were going to meet in a casual restaurant in a more rural part of town. For some reason, it had always been her favorite place to meet, in that cozy restaurant away from lots of people, in a quiet district, with friendly pedestrians. It must give her a feeling of security. Of course, he could understand somewhat. She had been with her family for so much of her life, and now, fresh out of college, she was wrenched away to scratch a living of her own in the metropolis of Tokyo.
In his contemplation, he had absently begun to shuffle towards his room. When he glanced up, he found himself staring at the large shelf of pictures across from the window. Focusing the blurred golden eyes, he felt a wave of nostalgia overcome him as he observed the two smiling people in the picture. On the left, a girl with full wavy black hair grinned at the camera with which the photo was taken. Around her shoulders draped an arm, that of the person on the right: him. He had even managed a half-serious smirk for the picture. The golden eyes softened as his fingers wistfully ran along the polished wood frame. They had looked so happy together…he had been happy…why didn't it work out? It was still a question he did not know the answer to, and he resented that greatly. A frown embedded itself in his smart mouth. Why didn't it work out, Kagome? Frustration tainted his aura, quickly swept away to guilt and remorse. His head drooped low to his chest. I thought…
Inuyasha shook himself from his reverie and withdrew his fingers from the photos. What was done was done. He still had Kagome, just not in the way he had wanted. They still spent much time together, and as long as he was with her, he could be content with that. Rigid steps were taken to the window across from him. Nightfall was coming on. Only a faint glimmer of the twinkling stars announced their presence with the glaring Tokyo city lights. A glance at his wristwatch informed him of the time: 9:00 PM. Releasing a pent-up sigh, he fluidly closed the curtains and began stripping off his garments. A shower would be nice.
~*~*~*~*~
A voice blabbered in quick, fluent Japanese, casting the weather and news for the afternoon. Inuyasha buried his head in the pillow, attempting to drown out the annoying, overly-cheerful voice of the newsman. His hand groped around the bedside table for the 'off' button, successfully shutting the voice up after a couple seconds. A sleepy golden eye cracked open just enough to catch the glowing green numbers of the clock. 12:15 PM, it read. OI! He had to meet Kagome in fifteen minutes!
Inuyasha frantically scrambled out of the bed, only to fall to the floor, his leg having been twisted in the sheets. An incoherent curse was muttered before he hopped up and around, speedily dressing and sprinting out the door. Upon getting out of his apartment, he realized he forgot his car key. Damn it all! He quickly found his spare key and let himself back into his home to snatch the key chain from the kitchen counter. Again, he exited the apartment and hastily locked it, rushing down to the elevator.
It didn't look like it was going to come anytime soon, so he abandoned the elevator and flew down the stairs in record time to the underground garage. Tracking down his car, he zoomed out of the concrete keep and through the streets. Numerous angry honks were directed toward him, but he ignored them wholeheartedly. Inuyasha ran his fingers through his silvery hair, undoing any tangles and clumps that happened to stick out. Before he knew it, the vehicle was parked, and he was being shown through the maze of tables to Kagome. He glanced down at his watch. 12:31 PM; he was still on time enough.
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome's head was cocked to the side, gazing out the thin glass to the park which bordered the cozy restaurant. She always got here early; it gave her time to think. Somehow, the little eatery allowed her thoughts to flow more freely when she was in its presence. Red, yellow, and orange leaves floated to the ground in gentle showers, relieving themselves of their captivity on the branches of their trees. A few people strolled carelessly in the park, chatting with enthusiasm to passers-by. Kagome smiled, her fingers absently tracing the designs etched on the teacup in her hands. The smooth mug soothed her fingers, serving to remind her that this was a day off, that she didn't have to worry today about school or anything of the like.
"You're late," she murmured softly, turning to face the man recently seated across from her.
He grumbled an apology, and she smiled. "Don't worry about it."
Earlier on, she had placed their orders, considering the amount of time it took for them to be prepared. They always got the same thing anyways. She took a tentative sip of the fragrant tea before setting her gaze onto Inuyasha.
"So, how are you?" she asked congenially.
"Fine, you?" was the chaste answer. Inuyasha never had a way with words.
"Need you ask?" she sighed dramatically.
Her idle fingers twiddled with the laminated dessert menu perched between sugar packages and soy sauce. Leave it to Inuyasha to rouse her stresses. She didn't mind, really; it helped more often than not. He was an outlet for any stress she had been suffering from. Silently, she wished for her high school life once more, the carefree straight-A student with no worries in the world. But she had grown up now. A soft smile graced her lips.
"Still looking for a job," Kagome admitted, taking another sip of her tea, "Looks like no one wants a girl fresh out of college."
"You're not done yet, are you?" he inquired, also sipping the tea which had been poured for him. "Aren't you still going to grad school?" he paused. "Or did you change your mind…"
"I changed my mind," she answered, once again turning to observe the outside world.
There was a moment of silence, of thought. "You took secretarial courses, didn't you?" Inuyasha asked, also turning to stare out the window. From his peripheral vision, he caught the slight incline of her head. He mentally sighed. Might as well tell her. "You know my friend Miroku?" he inquired conversationally.
"How could I forget," she replied in a monotone.
A memory relived itself in her mind. The man had been charming at first, smiling beseechingly at her and kissing her hand. Then, as the minutes wore on, and they all were chattering openly, he had inched just a little too close, and of course, the result was a stinging red handprint upon Miroku's cheek. Just the memory still irritated her. His jaw was strong! Her hand had hurt for a while after that occurrence. She winced. Anything to do with him must not be very good. However, she mused, he was a lawyer, and a good one at that. The blue-gray eyes turned to her best friend, eyebrows lifted slightly skyward.
Inuyasha recognized the quizzical look to her face. He breathed deeply. "One of his clients is looking for a secretary; he told me, and since you're still looking for a job," he paused, "I thought you might consider it."
Several emotions flickered through the blue-gray orbs. First, surprise, then consideration, and last, uncertainty. It didn't look like she was convinced of the validity of this offer.
"He tells me the client's quite respectable," he rushed.
"Who?"
"He didn't specify."
"How am I supposed to contact the employer, then?" Kagome asked curiously.
"I'll give you Miroku's office number so you can ask," Inuyasha answered.
Kagome promptly extracted an address book from her bag as well as a ballpoint pen and handed them both to Inuyasha, who scribbled the number onto the paper. Kagome flicked a careful eye over the messy numbers before depositing both the pen and the book into her purse. She gave an appreciative smile to her best friend and then, the waiter appeared with their orders, setting the meals down gently in front of them. For the most part, they ate in companionable silence, Kagome contemplating the job offer, and Inuyasha longing for her musical voice to sound.
~*~*~*~*~
Flicking the light switch to her apartment, a warm yellowish glow bathed the rooms and hallways. She unwrapped the scarf entwined around her neck and hung it on the decorative hooks protruding from the wall. Likewise was done with her jacket as she slipped off her boots. A chill was starting to grow in the air, and she shivered with the cold atmosphere in the apartment. The afternoon spent with Inuyasha had been pleasant. After a late lunch, they had gone to a movie, a walk, and then a café before they parted ways with a chaste, quick kiss. She tossed her keys to a bowl on a narrow table in the cramped entryway.
As Kagome strolled down to the living room, she drank in her surroundings. The apartment had been hers for quite a while, but she was starting to dislike its choking walls. Of course, being new into the world, straight from college, she couldn't afford anything better. The walls were painted a pale mint green, a color which she almost detested. Underfoot, the soft carpet was tinted a creamy yellow, and the two mixes of color, green and yellow, clashed horribly and made her feel claustrophobic. Framed pictures hung from the walls, offering a window to past occurrences. One that caught her eye, a favorite of hers, showcased her family at her high school graduation. Friends and relatives crowded around her, set in the center, in a robe of white. She studied it for a moment before sighing and chastising herself. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, her mother had always advised. God, she missed her family.
Sinking down into the couch, she turned on the TV and allowed herself to unwind for a moment.
"Star Sesshoumaru is said to have found a challenger for his bet, what many would call a publicity stunt," the newslady broadcasted. "A Japanese-American CEO, one of the richest in the United States. As head of B.U.R.N. Enterprises, this Morimoto Naraku just has a million dollars to throw around."
Kagome flipped the channel. Sesshoumaru had been all over the news for a few days now. She sat back and reflected upon Inuyasha's brother she had heard so little, yet so much about. Inuyasha had described the man vehemently as an arrogant bastard, worth nothing more than his ego. Kagome still had yet to hear their family history, as Inuyasha had refrained from telling of it to her, but she imagined it was quite a sticky situation. Even as she ticked off the list of obscenities her best friend had referred to his half-brother as, she couldn't imagine any of the attributes to be true. The guy looked nice enough on TV, but who knows, no one really knew him in his personal life. Oh well, not like I'm gonna meet him anytime in my life. A glance back at the screen told her nothing was on, nothing worth watching at least, so she turned the television off and sank into the cozy sofa. What to do now?
A few seconds later, Kagome was settled onto her bed, phone and address book in hand. Beside her, the contents of her backpack-ish purse spilled out onto the soft comforter. Placing the book down on the bed, she skimmed through the pages for Miroku's number. What's his last name? She wondered absently. Takenouchi? Takeshi? Takeda? Her brow creased in concentration. She couldn't very well call him "Miroku-san." It would suggest entirely too much friendliness in her opinion. Hopefully, Inuyasha had taken the time to write it down. With a triumphant, "Aha!" she located the barely legible scrawl of Inuyasha's handwriting and quickly dialed the number. While the phone rang, she scanned the page for any sign of a surname. Unfortunately, there was none to be found. With an exasperated sigh, she shook her head in dismay and just waited anxiously for someone to pick up.
There was a click and then, "Takekawa Miroku's office. Takekawa speaking," a smooth voice greeted.
Thank the Lord he knows how to answer the phone! "Takekawa-san, Inuyasha referred me to you. It's Higurashi Kagome," she stated crisply.
"Ahh," he intoned, "Higurashi-san, nice to hear from you." The voice sounded a bit pained, as if he was grimacing on the other side of the line.
"Yes, I hear of a job offer? Secretarial position?"
"Yes, that's right. Are you qualified?" he inquired.
"Obviously," she shot before she could restrain herself. "Sorry, yes I am qualified."
"Type, answer the phone, write shorthand?" he interrogated.
"Yes. Does the job pay well? Who's the employer?"
Wow, she's really to the point. Sesshoumaru will definitely like her. Miroku smiled, even knowing the girl couldn't see it. "You'll have to call him to find out. I'll give you his number."
Moments afterward, Kagome dropped the phone back into its cradle with a click and stared blankly at the number she had penned. That was strange… The lawyer's actions were, indeed, a bit off the hook. After all, why couldn't he tell her the employer's name, but instead, have her call him? Be sure to tell him you're calling for Takekawa Miroku. He won't take your call, otherwise. The words rang in her mind. What a strange, strange way to get a job. She shrugged. It was still early enough to make the call and not seem rude. Picking up the phone again, she pressed the glowing buttons and held the receiver to her ear. The rings went up to six before a low, melodious voice answered somewhat irritably. She just about dropped the phone with the words uttered form the man's mouth.
"Kinashita Sesshoumaru," he intoned.
A/N: Ohhhhh~ how is it so far? ^_^ One of my reviewers for the last chapter brought up a good point. Yes, stars do have a lot of money, and I only recently realized it. Being as young as I am (just celebrated a birthday), I had no idea how much people were worth. Of course, being an international celebrity, Sesshoumaru would be one of the top, and that would be multi-million, I think. So, a million is just a fraction of his wealth, but it's still a lot of money. I may, actually, increase the value as the story wears on; it would give more to the plot and all. ^_^
~*~*~Dark Star~*~*~
P.S. For those of you curious, my b-day is on January 16. I just turned 13! ^.~ I know, I broke the registration rule, but that was my own choice. I'm official now, and I'm perfectly fine, right? *glances around nervously* Right?
LAST WORD! IMPORTANT!!!
Okay, I'm back on the update track, and if you would like to receive e-mail updates, please go to this website: http://darkstar540.notifylist.com/
I'm not sure how well this thing works, but it's worth a try, ne? Just visit the site and click vntl and add your e-mail address. It might take a while for the e-mails to be sent, but it'll come. ^_^ I'll make more mailing lists later, when I update more stories, or right now. Hopefully, I'll have some up by the time I post this. ^_^