Chapter 3

Kagome's Kiss

The next few days went smoothly. Keroki found her-self accepted by Inu-Yasha's group. She felt very happy and content, and always slept at the bottom of the tree Inu-Yasha slept. She felt safe that way.

It was five day's since she had found her-self looking unexpectedly into Inu-Yasha's amber eye's, now that she thought about it she had to wonder. All these thoughts about Inu-Yasha… did she have a tiny bit of a crush on him?

They were walking westward now. Keroki had grown quite used to traveling and now enjoyed it. She had also noticed that in this world she was older by maybe four or five year's. She looked up to the front of the group where Inu-Yasha led them onward. How proud he seemed to her. She looked at him to admire his handsome image. Sango noticed how Keroki stared and began to wonder if Keroki had fallen in love with Inu-Yasha as Kagome had.

Kagome was now gone, she planned to spend at least two week's at school before coming back to the futile era.

Kagome was now in class. Her lab partner was Hojo. She stole a very quick glance at Hojo and blushed noticing that he had caught it and smiled at her. A few minutes' later he slid a note in front of her and smiled once again. She slipped it down to her lap using the desk to shield it from the professor's keen eye's. it read:

Dear Kagome,

Would you like to see a movie with me this Saturday? Just 2 ½ hours.

Sincerely,

P.s. Hope to Hojo

See you there. It's

Called The Samurai

She blushed and put the note in her backpack.

Her friend's caught up with her on the way to lunch and immediately began badgering her. "What're you going to say?" asked one. "You have to go!" said another. Kagome put up with this. She was quite used to it. But she was getting annoyed.

When school was out her friend's gossiped to her then too. She was becoming very annoyed. Finally she screamed at them "Will you all just leave me alone?!" They all shut their mouth's and stared at her. "Man Kagome, you don't have to get so worked up!" said Yuka. "Oh I'm getting worked up?!" she yelled back at them. "You guy's are the one's who won't leave me alone! You've been hopping in my face since lunch and I just can't take it anymore!" She screamed! With that she stormed off leaving them speechless.

On her way out she ran in to Hojo. "Oh hi Kagome." He exclaimed as she walked over. "Hi…Hojo," she said trying her best to smile but not quite succeeding. "Listen," Hojo said to Kagome. "About the note in class, well…not to rush you or anything but…do you want to go with me?" He asked her with a hopeful look in his eye's. "I…" she paused then looked at him in the eye. He seemed so handsome to her. She stopped shook her head and said "Sure…Hojo" she said smiling for real this time "Really?!" He asked happily. She nodded at him still smiling. "What time?" she asked "8:30 on Saturday?" he replied. "Great!" she said. "See you then!" she said and then skipped away feeling happy. Hojo smiled after her and then started home.

On Saturday Hojo came over to Kagome's house at 8:34 to pick her up. Kagome's mom answered the door. "Ah, you must Hojo, my daughter's date?" she said with a welcoming smile. "Yes, that's me ma'am." He replied cheerfully. "Oh! Are those flowers? For Kagome am I correct? Said Kagome's mom. "Mom? Who's at the door?" came Kagome's voice from the kitchen. "It's Hojo dear." Replied Kagome's mother. Kagome came out in a lovely black dress with delicate pink flowers embroidered all over it. Hojo stared at her for a moment then blinked and handed her the flowers. "Wow! Thank you Hojo." Said Kagome sniffing them lightly. "Well you two should get going." Said Kagome's grandfather coming in from the living room. "Good evening sir?" Said Hojo respectfully. Kagome's grandpa nodded and began shooing them out the door.

Later… Hojo and Kagome began walking home from the movie. When they got to Kagome's house they stood on the porch for a few awkward moments' "I had a really good time Kagome." Said Hojo admiring her in the light of the porch. "I did too Hojo." Said Kagome. "Well, bye." Said Hojo walking away while waving. "Bye." Kagome yelled after him. Once again she looked after him smiling at the fact that he was so handsome and sweet much different from Inu-Yasha. Suddenly Hojo turned around and ran back up to her. "Say, Kagome? Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow?" he asked her blushing slightly. Kagome could barley see it in the light from the porch. "I…I would love to Hojo." She said. And without realizing what she was doing she leaned over and kissed him gently for a few seconds. Then with a final smile went inside the house. Hojo stood there for a second thinking then went home blushing even more.

When Kagome entered the house her little brother Sota ran up to her. "What was it like kissing?" he teased at her. "What?! How'd you know?!" Kagome asked him roughly. "We have windows!" was Sota's reply. "YOU LITTLE JURK!" she said lunging at the boy who dodged the attack and ran away laughing.

Later Kagome changed into her pajama's and flopped over face first onto her bed. She rolled over and began thinking to her-self. "What about Inu-Yasha? Will he hate me if he find's out? I won't hurt his feeling's will I? I mean…I did kiss Hojo." Then she thought about the time when Inu-yasha had kissed Kikyou. That always angered her. "Who care's?! I can be Hojo's girlfriend if I want and there's nothing he can do about it! She said not noticing she was speaking not thinking. "Besides him and Keroki make an excellent pair!" She stopped. "What am I saying?! Who am I to judge them?!" she thought. "Well, they'd still make a cute couple I suppose. Besides… the way she's always looking at him make's it obvious she like's him to anyone with half a brain cell!!!" She perished the thought's and went to bed.

The next night Hojo came to pick her up at 8:16. He brought her a rose probably the most well kept rose Kagome had ever seen. "For me?" she asked smiling. "Yes," he answered. "It's a rare delicate rose just like you." He said beaming at her. She blushed then taking his arm they set off for dinner.

Next week went very well for Kagome. Her friends apologized for pushing her so much and congratulated her on her kiss. Unfortunately most of the school found out, but though Kagome did not expect it in any way, she found her-self feeling quite proud of it. She and Hojo continued going to movies and dinner's and other thing's through out the week. She was very happy.

At the start of the third week she went through school casually talking to friend's, seeing movie's with her boy friend Hojo, and passing her classes quite well. It was at lunch that she realized that she had meant to return to the futile era on Sunday, Yesterday. "I can't just leave! I'll have to go after school's out. But I'm doing so well on my grades!" She thought.

After school was out she began running home but ran into Hojo. "Hi Kagome!" He said with a smile. "Hi, I got to go Hojo. I'm going on a camping trip to the…beach! This weekend." She said catching her breath, then running off. "Kagome?! Wait!" Said Hojo running after her.

Kagome reached the house ran through the living room past her grandfather sitting on the couch. "Hi gramp's! Going to the futile era! Say I'm sick again okay?! She grabbed her other backpack and ran toward the well house. Her grandfather stared after her and was about to resume reading the paper when there was a knock at the door. Sota answered it. "Oh hi Hojo! I think Kagome's out back." Hojo thanked him and ran to their backyard he heard a voice in the well house and entered. "Oh man!" said Kagome. "Inu-yasha is going to kill me!" She disappeared down the well. "Kagome!" Hojo yelled down after her then without thinking he jumped in him-self.

Chapter 4

Hojo down the Well

Hojo tensed his muscle's preparing to land at the bottom of the well, but saw a purplish surrounding come into view all around him. Then suddenly he found him-self at the bottom of the well. He looked around for Kagome. "What going on here?" He thought. "Where's Kagome? Am I loosing it?!" He shook his head and began climbing out of the well with a vine he found dandling down from the top. Then he began to hear faint voices. "Where have you been?!" came a rough voice he had never heard before. "I'm sorry Inu-Yasha! I just forgot!" He heard Kagome say. "There's no point in fighting let's just go!" He heard a woman say.

He reached the top and popped his head out to see if anyone was in the well house, but to his astonishment he found him-self blinking into day light. There were tree's all around him. "Kagome?!" He called out looking for her. He ventured into the new never before seen wood.

He had been walking for a minute or so when he heard something which he thought came from behind him. He turned around, but continued walking backwards. A moment or so later he came into a clearing and suddenly felt another back press against his. There was surprised "Huh?!" Hojo hurled around and found him-self facing a young man about his age.

The young man had black hair and held a staff. He also noticed that the stranger had a tiny child on his shoulder. But the child had a fluffy tail behind which seemed some what like a foxes. "Who's that?" asked the child staring at him. "I don't know, who are you?" The man asked. "I… that is my name's…Hojo?" Answered Hojo befuddled. "Hojo?!" Said Kagome running up to them. "Kagome!" said Hojo running up to her and smiling. She stared at him. She was so focused on the fact that he was actually there that everything but him seemed blank.

"How'd you get here? Why'd you come?" Kagome asked shocked. "I followed you" he answered solemnly. "But why?" she asked again. "Well, you seemed really urgent like something was wrong. So I followed you to see if there was something I could do to help." He told them. "Oh, Inu-Yasha isn't going to like this." She said putting her hands on top of her head. "I'll go then." he sad heading back to the well. "No! Come back!" said Kagome running after him. "I'm just going to get you in trouble with this Inu-Yasha guy." He said looking at her some what coldly. "He thinks I love Inu-Yasha!" she thought looking into his eye's they seemed to be in so much pain. "No! You have it wrong! I travel with Inu-Yasha that's all! I love you!" she said grabbing his shoulder desperately. He too looked her in the eye. Her eye's seemed sorrowful. She hugged him.

Inu-Yasha had not been far away he was coming over to them but stopped when he heard Kagome announcing her love to Hojo (at least he thought that was his name.).

A few minute's later they welcomed Hojo to stay the night with them. Keroki expected Inu-Yasha to try and keep Hojo away from Kagome but was surprised when he showed no interest. In fact he seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder. But when he did look at her he gave her a hatful look.

Inu-Yasha continued doing so and it was night when Kagome began feeling foolish and embarrassed. Finally she plucked up her courage and asked him "Are you mad Inu-Yasha?" He couldn't hold it in any longer. 'TRAITOR!" He yelled her. "What?" Kagome began. "I thought you loved me!" He yelled over his shoulder heading towards the woods. "Where are you going?!" Kagome yelled after him. But it was to late he had already disappeared into the wood's.

Keroki stared after him. "I have a bad feeling that he might not come back." She said to her-self and leaped after him swiftly.