Chapter 9

Asa-chan couldn't believe it... Her best friend since birth suddenly has a crush on her?

"What do I do?" she asked herself. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I won't let anything get in the way of our friendship! But... if I break up with him one day, it'll never be the same... what to do??? And what about Kyouko? What if he asks me out? I can't just turn him down! He's too cute!"

*Knock knock*

"Who is it?" Asa-chan asked from inside her room.

"It's me."

Asa-chan heard Sana's familiar voice and let her in.

"So... what were you doing?"

"Oh, uh... nothing."

"Asa, it's me."

"Well, I was thinking... About Kyouko."

"What about him?"

"Well... I've been wondering... should I 'pursue' him?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know. It's just that I've never dated before, and my first date should be with the 'right guy' and all."

"You should get to know him first. Then you can decide."

"You're right. Thanks."

"Where would you be without me?" Sana said sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

"Anyway, Ryo-kun was really nice yesterday!"

Asa-chan winced at the sound of his name. Sana noticed.

"Asa-chan? What's wrong?"

"I-it's nothing."

"What's with the secrecy today?"

"Meaning?"

"You won't tell me anything!"

"I just- I'm just really confused..."

"About what?"

"Well, everything!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Ryo-kun told me that he had a crush on me yesterday and I don't know what to do about it!"

"Well, do you like him back?"

"I don't... know."

"Wait a second... is he the one that you 'might subconsciously like'?"

"How'd you figure it out?"

"It's not hard. Someone I don't know? The list isn't long."

"I guess. But what do I do? What if I don't like him?"

"And if you do?"

"Well, what if something happens? It'll ruin our friendship!"

"You've known him since, well, forever. Nothing could ruin your friendship."

"Yeah. I guess courting him couldn't be too bad. I could see if I like him or not."

"Courting? Where did that come from?"

Asa-chan mentally cursed. 'In 11 years I haven't slipped up once! I never confuse the two worlds!'

"Heh, my mind was wandering. You know how in History, we're learning about ancient Japan and they called dating courting and everything."

"We're learning about France. Asa, what's going on?"

'Shoot,' Asa-chan thought, 'I can't tell her! Not after a decade of avoiding the fact that I live 500 years in the past!'

"I guess thinking about Ryo-kun got my brain a little scrambled." Sana looked at her skeptically but eventually bought it.

"Thinking in general gets your brain scrambled." Sana joked.

~~

Asa-chan knocked on the door.

"Asa-chan? Oh, Ryo's not here." Sango said, correctly assuming that Asa- chan was looking for her son.

"Oh... where did he go?"

"He didn't say, but he went in the direction of the forest. He left about a half an hour ago, so he shouldn't be far."

"Oh. Thanks, Sango-sama."

"No problem."

Asa-chan ran into the forest, changing into her demon form. She sniffed around for any trace of him. Nothing. 'Idiot, where are you? I can't smell anything except... blood?!' She couldn't tell who's blood it was, but worried it was his. She looked around for him desperately.

"Ryo?"

"Asa?" Asa-chan heard a faint reply and sighed, relieved. She ran in the direction of his voice and found him sitting, covered in a gooey, purple liquid. She recognized it as demon blood and asked him how it got there.

"I was walking in the forest when a demon came to attack me. I was able to fend it off, but it wasn't easy. I sprained my ankle and the demon got away."

"When did it happen?"

"I guess 20 minutes ago."

"What were you doing here? You don't take walks this late."

"I was... looking for something."

"What?"

"Just something."

"Come on, what is it?"

"Well, it's kind of covered in demon blood, but..." He showed her a white rose covered in the purple blood. "I was going to give it to you when you came home."

"That's so sweet!"

Ryo-kun blushed furiously. "I hoped you'd like it."

"I do. It's great." She kissed him softly on the cheek. It felt... right. "Come on, let's go back to the village." She said, helping him up.

"I've been meaning to ask you, did you think about... yesterday?"

"Yeah, I did."

"And?"

"I don't know. But I really want to give this a shot... us, I mean."

"So you'd be ok with us courting or something?"

"Yeah. I would... so are we?"

"I guess."

"Good. I wonder what Dad'll say..."

"I just hope he isn't too overprotective."

"Don't worry. He'll approve... I hope."

"Hehe..." Ryo-kun laughed nervously.

"I'm kidding!" They walked back to the village.

When Asa-chan got home, she was glad that her parents were eating dinner. She sat down in one of the chairs and wondered how to break the news. 'I should just get it over with.'

"Um, Daddy? Mom? You know how you said it would be ok to date?"

"Yeah..."

"Did that apply to courting, too?" She asked nervously.

"Courting?! You're 14!!!" Inu-Yasha growled. "Who is it?" He said menacingly.

"Honey, let her explain." Kagome said. "Now who is it?" She asked simply.

"It's... Ryo-kun."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah? Well, that's a relief." Inu-Yasha sighed. "But don't forget to mention that if _anything_ happens to you, I'll cut his throat." He said gruffly.

"Alright Dad. Thanks for taking it so well."

~~

"Mom, Dad... do you think I'm... ready to court?" Ryo-kun asked while Sango was trying to bandage his ankle.

"Why?" Sango asked suspiciously.

"Because... I kind of have something to announce."

"Announce it."

"Well, I'm kind of courting Asa-chan."

"You are??!! That's great!!!" Sango cried. "It's a good thing that you aren't at all like your father or she never would've said yes." She laughed.

"Hey, _you_ courted me!"

"That was different." She stated.

"So... it's ok, right?" Ryo-kun asked.

"Of course!"

~~

Asa-chan got up at 6:30 the next morning, and to her surprise, Ryo-kun was already up waiting for her by the well.

"You're up early!"

"I just wanted to say 'bye' to my girlfriend before she left for school!"

Asa-chan blushed. She liked being his girlfriend. "That's sweet."

"Well, how'd your parents take it last night?"

"Not bad, actually. But my dad said that he'd cut your throat if you ever hurt me."

Ryo-kun jumped a little.

"I'm not worried; I know you'll never hurt me. Your parents?"

"They were ecstatic."

"I'll bet our moms are planning our wedding!"

"Hopefully they'll remember that we're still fourteen."

"Hopefully!" Asa-chan glanced at her watch. "Oh, I have to go! I'll be late to school!"

He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"I almost don't want to leave," she said. "But I have to... bye." She jumped into the well.

~~

"Asa? You look out of it."

"Huh?" she asked dreamily. It was like she wasn't even there.

"Oh no! A pop quiz?"

"WHAT?" Asa-chan snapped back into reality.

"Works every time."

"Sorry Sana, but I can't help daydreaming!"

"About who?"

"My boyfriend, no duh!"

"So you're dating him now?"

"Yeah. It just feels right."

"Are you thinking of bringing him to the dance?"

"Dance? What dance?"

"The dance that everyone's been talking about for the past week! I'm serious, you are way out of it!"

"Just forgot. Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm even going to go."

"You're going to miss the first dance of the year?"

"I don't know. I mean the dances last year were pretty lame."

"Those were _jr. high_ dances! This is _high school_~!"

"You were the one who said that it was no big deal!"

"But it is now!"

"What suddenly changed your mind?"

"N-nothing."

"Sana." Asa-chan said sternly.

"Ok. Kyouko asked me to the dance after homeroom." Sana said, afraid of what Asa-chan would say next.

"Really? What'd you say?" Asa-chan didn't sound at all jealous.

"I said yeah."

"So what makes it so important that I go?"

"I don't know; I just want my best friend to be there on my first date."

"I guess I'd be the same way if the situation was flipped. And besides, if I bring him, it'll be my first date, too. Alright, I'll think about it."

"Yes!"

"I'll talk to him about it."

"Thanks!"

~~

"Ryo-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to one of my school dances?"

"Sure, but I thought that you said they were lame."

"Those were jr. high dances! Anyway, it could sort of be like a... date."

"Alright."

"Great! Oh, and I think it'll be a double date; Sana's going with Kyouko."

"And you're ok with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Wouldn't it be awkward?"

"If you thought I'd be jealous, I don't see any reason why I should be! I have the sweetest boyfriend in the world, no matter what century."

A/N: Another long chapter! This one seemed a bit more corny..... oh, well. ^_^ The website that I was going to post in chapter 6 got erased, so here it is one more time, but instead of having the dots (.), I'm going to just write (dot), ok? (And there's no www) poets(dot)notredame(dot)ac(dot) jp/cgi-bin/jedi-inon Um, I haven't started the next chapter yet, but I'm going to get started on it when I can.