Part Two

She hummed a song to herself as she piloted her comb through the mane of dark hair that spilled down her shoulders and brushed against her hips. She smiled at her reflection, it mimicking her every move. In one graceful motion she swept a hand under her hair and tossed it over her shoulder. She hurried down the stairs and grabbed her lunchbox before going out the door. She could hear her parents yelling some last-minute instructions at her, and replied with the usual "Okay!" She had hoped her parents would leaver her alone for a change, but that was unlikely to ever happen.

She sighed and adjusted the backpack strapped to her shoulders. After such a nice summer, she wasn't exactly looking forward to going back to school. It wasn't wearing the sailor-type uniform that bothered her; she actually thought the ensemble was cute. She just didn't feel like it was necessary for her to be bored for hours at a time. She shifted the backpack again until the straps were under her big sailor collar. She heard someone behind her calling out her name, and turned to see who it was.

"Hey, Kagome!" she greeted cheerfully. She slowed her pace so her friend could catch up.

"Hi!" answered the dark-haired girl with a smile.

"You look eager to get back to school." Both girls laughed at the joke. "But seriously, if it weren't for all of the friends we have, school wouldn't be worth our time."

"Very true," agreed Kagome. "There are always the boys to look forward to!" At this she gave her friend a playful nudge. She was ignored, but Kagome wasn't about to give up so easily. "Oh, come on, San! I know you want a boyfriend!" San gave her friend an impatient stare.

"Okay, but who do you know in our school that's mature enough to bother with?" Kagome opened her mouth but no words came out. "Exactly." Kagome frowned, and as they walked she searched her mind for a name.

"What about Hojo?" she offered. San thought it over.

"Yeah, Hojo's mature enough," she agreed, "but I think he has a crush on you."

"Me?" Kagome looked shocked at the idea.

"I'm sure you haven't noticed, since you hardly ever detach yourself from Inuyasha--" here Kagome blushed a violent shade of red-- "but he stares at you during class sometimes. His eyes have that look to them."

"That look?" echoed Kagome. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"It's the same look Inuyasha gets when he sees you."

"Oh, that one! But he does know I'm taken, right?"

"Why else do you think he looks so sad when you and Inuyasha start sharing each other's saliva?" Poor Kagome was turning redder by the minute.

"We're in love!" she protested. "You'll feel the same way some day, you just wait!"

"Maybe," conceded San with an impassive shrug. "I'm in no rush."

The girls entered their school. They were hailed by more of their friends as they filed into their first class. San spotted Kagome's boyfriend first, not that he was particularly hard to spot: his silvery hair stood out in any crowd, as did his yellow eyes. Several girls were throwing him dreamy looks but he just walked on by them. San admitted that he looked handsome in his navy blue uniform, even though he constantly tugged at the collar as if it were about to choke him.

"Inuyasha!!" squealed Kagome. She rushed at him and nearly bowled him over in a hug.

"Kagome, I missed you!" he cried, showering her face with kisses.

"You guys have only been apart from each other for a few days," San told them; neither of them paid her any attention. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Kagome. The girl was not only fortunate enough to have a boyfriend, but she had also gotten one that loved her and was completely devoted to her. Inuyasha would never dream of hurting his girlfriend in any way. There were very few other guys that were like that in their school.

"Hey, San!" waved the silver-haired boy. "Had a good summer?"

"Pretty good," she nodded. "What about you?"

"Eh, it was okay."

She felt in the way of the couple, so she took a seat at an unoccupied desk. All around her couples were reuniting and expressing just how much they had missed each other. Watching this gave her a feeling of loneliness even though she was surrounded by friends. There were times when she ached to have a strong shoulder to lean her head on, or to feel the warmth of arms around her body. Just once she would like to go to a school dance and not feel awkward watching the couples dance to slow music. It wasn't often, but every now and then she wished she had a boyfriend.

She sighed sadly. She had never had a boyfriend in all her years. There were days when this was something she was proud of, since girls were starting to date younger and younger these days. But most of the time she felt like she was missing out on something great. What was it that caused her to not have a boyfriend? She had never even been asked out by a guy; not even her guy friends asked her to the school dance. Am I not pretty enough? That was what it had to be. She just wasn't pretty enough for a boy to want to go out with her.

In the midst of the joy surrounding her, San felt miserable.

"Ah, finally found it!" She turned her head slightly and saw someone wearing navy blue approach the desk directly behind her. The unknown male sat down on the desk. "Whew. This place certainly isn't like my old school." There was something about this boy's voice that made her forget about her problems. "Oh, hello. I just moved here. My name is Miro." San turned to look at the new boy.

Staring down at her was a handsome young man her age. He had black hair pulled into a small ponytail. He wore two earrings in his left ear and his collar was unbuttoned. His eyes gazed at her through glasses that he wore. His image seemed to be a cross between a geek and a gang member. San felt herself staring at him longer than necessary. Her heart was racing inside her chest and she felt a slight flush come over her cheeks.

"Hi," she breathed at last. "I'm San."

"San," he repeated with a smile. "That's a pretty name."

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. She didn't notice how Yuka and Sayuri were ogling the two of them, whispering to each other and giggling. She didn't see Kagome turn to her and smile, then poke Inuyasha, who wasn't interested at all. Her thoughts felt hazy. One of her arms hung limply over the side of her chair. She couldn't figure out what it was, but she knew there was something familiar about this new boy. She had a feeling she had gazed into those violet eyes before.

In a rush, a memory she never even knew she had presented itself to her. A handsome monk asked her to dance, and he swept her into his arms. The moon hung overhead watching them dance. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter as long as she was with this monk. Both of them were battered and their clothing was ripped, but they wore smiles on their lips. They had whispered a promise under the night sky and had sealed it with a kiss.

"Have we... met before?" asked Miro quietly.

"Yes, we have," she responded. "Long ago..."

They smiled at each other. Just like that night five centuries ago, the world around them seemed to fade away. The only thing either of them were aware of was each other. Miro held out his hand to her.

"San, I would be honored to dance with you."

"I would be delighted."

~End