Yup. Here's chapter 5. And part 2 of I'm not feeling up to talking.
DISCLAIMER:
Still don't own them. Not yet anyway... diabolical laughter
( Tattered and Torn )
Inuyasha twisted the door handle, cursing as it wouldn't open. He turned and faced the door again, running and throwing his body weight against it, causing it to crash open, and snapping the lock off in the process.
He closed the groaning door with his foot and walked into his apartment. It wasn't anything fancy, but it served its purpose.
There was the open porch, which led into a kitchen on the left and a large sitting room beyond the kitchen on its right. It was very plain with no borders or wallpaper. It wasn't painted in any particular way and there were no pictures of his mom on any of the walls. Not exactly what you'd call simple, more as it the owner didn't take the time to decorate.
The fridge was positioned so it was easily accessible by most entrances and instead of a table, there was a bar with four stools, then a gap, for the entrance to the T.V room.
Inuyasha threw his jacket over one of the stools and threw his keys on the counter. Opening the fridge, he reached for a beer but stopped at a green and white carton. His fingers enclosed around the box and took it out of the fridge, his eyes staring suspiciously at it.
"What the hell is this?"
"They're called eggs. Made from a hen, which is a female chicken. Not to be confused with the more attractive part of a female body of course-"
"Shut up Miroku. I know what they are." Inuyasha didn't seem surprised that a boy, about his age stepped out of a room from down the hall. He had black hair, which was pulled into a small ponytail and the back of his head, and purple eyes.
"Then why did you ask?" He asked good naturally and calmly.
"I meant, why are they here." Inuyasha took a beer out of the fridge and flicked the cap open with his thumb.
"I bought them of course."
Miroku eyed the beer in Inuyasha's hands but kept quiet.
"No shit."
"Well you asked." He looked up and noticed the door. "What? You broke the door again?" Miroku seemed mildly surprised, but not angry.
"Feh. It's only the lock."
"That's the fifth one this month."
"Your fault for locking it."
"Well I can't have people barging in on me when I'm 'working'"
Inuyasha shrugged, chugging his beer.
"Didn't stop me."
"You must've had a bad night last night."
"Nah, I pulled it off."
"Then you didn't get the desired payoff I'm guessing." Miroku examined the damage to the lock.
"What makes you say that?"
He straightened up and raised an eyebrow.
"your keys are on the counter. You could have opened the door quietly, but you always take your anger out on something whenever you get frustrated."
Inuyasha shrugged and put his beer back in the fridge.
"Feh. So what? I got $2000, but the gang wanted equal share."
"Leaving you with about $100?"
"$120"
"It seems to be getting lower and lower each time." Miroku observed, looking in the fridge.
"It's hardly worth my time." Inuyasha scowled, taking Kagome's wallet out of his pocket.
"Uh...do you have anything besides beer?"
Miroku asked looking up from the fridge, causing Inuyasha to raise an eyebrow.
"What is it Miroku? Too sensitive for it?"
"Well, my work does require me to have a totally steady mind." He stood up and crossed his arms. Inuyasha shrugged and motioned to the cupboard. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle of what looked like red sugary syrup that had been opened once.
"What is this?"
"No idea. Mom gave it to me a while ago. Almost forgot it was there."
"Uh...Inuyasha? It's past its expiry date."
"so what? It says "best before" It's just not as great now. It doesn't mean it turns to ash the day it expires!" Inuyasha retorted.
"No, but the expiry date was four years ago."
"Then don't drink it!" He was starting to lose his patience. "Why are you even here?"
Miroku threw the syrup out, after noticing bits of something that didn't look like it belonged, floating around.
"You know why. I need a place to work and your place is safer than anyone I know."
"And remind me again why I agreed to let you stay?"
"Because I'm not a fan of your work, but I don't really care, and you don't give a shit about what I do. I help you with some of your 'projects' not to mention I pay half the rent."
Inuyasha nodded again, throwing Kagome's wallet on the counter by his keys.
"All right. Well, can you her up?"
Miroku opened the wallet and stared at the picture of Kagome. "You bet I can look her up! where'd you get this?"
Inuyasha growled at him.
"Lecher. She's not even that pretty. And if you must know, I stole it from her. That's why I need to look up her profile, see if she's of any value."
"Just look at her! Of course she's of value!"
"I mean money value, moron!"
"What? Oh sure. Well, where're you going to spend the money if she is?"
"What's that mean?"
"I saw you kicked out of another store today..." Miroku looked up, his face hardening. "The business you're in Inuyasha, you can't afford to draw so much attention to yourself."
"You think I don't know that? What I don't need is a telling off from you! I thought you didn't care what I do anyway!" Inuyasha growled, reaching in the fridge to get his beer out again.
"I don't, unless I'm involved of course. But if you get caught, they'll trace you to me."
"If I'm so dangerous, why stay? You have a house yourself."
"we've had this conversation before. It's not all mine, although most of it is. Before my dad died, he gave it to me, as long as I kept up with my religious ancestry. So there are some Buddhist monks living there too. To them, I'm 'Houshi-sama. Miroku, the Buddhist monk. Man of the cloth' If they found out what I do, I'll be turned in instantly. I have a better chance here than home. Unless you get caught."
Inuyasha tipped the bottle up, drinking the alcoholic beverage.
"Fat chance of that monk."
"All right. I'm gonna go do this for you now ok?" He indicated to Kagome's wallet, and walked out of the kitchen down the hall.
"Feh, whatever." He went to put the empty beer bottle down when Miroku's head appeared again.
"Oh yeah. The cable bill came today."
"Shit! Was it much?"
"Well, $120 isn't going to get us two month's of it."
Inuyasha cursed and brought the beer bottle down on the counter and shattered the glass bottle.
"I ain't payin' that much!"
"D'you wanna keep TSN?"
He looked at the monk and straightened up.
"Get me the bill."
"you're crazy." Miroku said shaking his head at Inuyasha as he looked over the cable company bill. "You're going to give up food for two months just so you can watch sports and horror movies."
"You got a problem with that?" Inuyasha sneered, glaring at Miroku over the top of the paper.
'$2000 would have been great. You could have paid the bills, bought food, and would have had enough to buy a new couch. God knows we need one." Miroku ignored Inuyasha's comment and eyed the couch in front of the TV It was old and brown, and had some unidentifiable stains over it. The couch was comfortable, but it squeaked loudly every time you moved in it.
"Don't even think about touching that couch."
Miroku sighed and shrugged.
"Fine. The point is, you could have had so much more money."
"You think I don't know that? I do almost all the work anyway."
"What's your point?"
"I'm going for a walk!" Inuyasha stood up quickly, grabbed his keys and jacket and left the apartment. The door creaked, as it was slammed shut again. Miroku grinned and stroked his chin.
"Hmm...looks like he's finally going to quit. Guess it means it's all over..."
Kagome hurried through the doors of a small fast food restaurant, and went through a door which read:
'AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY'
"Hey guys! I'm here! She waved at the other people working at the restaurant.
'Kag? You're an hour late! A girl with shoulder length dark hair looked at her, concerned.
"What?!" Kagome gasped and looked at her watched. It said 5:58.
"No, I'm only-"
"It's 7:05 Kagome." Another girl said, looking over the person's order in front of her.
"But-oh!" The second's hand on her watch wasn't moving. It must have broken when she fell, like the boy's sunglasses.
"Oh god! I'm so sorry!" 'Just what I need' she thought. 'I have to stay here till 9 now...what a terrible day'
"Hurry and get changed!"
Kagome nodded and walked to the back room to get her uniform.
"KAGOME!!"
"EEEEK!"
She jumped and spun around. A blur that resembled a very small old man launched at her, grabbing her chest.
"Stop that!" There was a swish and a thud and the man let go of Kagome, falling on the floor.
"You're such an old freak!" A girl with long dark hair spat at him. She was holding a giant spatula, which was what she had used to hit him with.
"Thanks Ukyou!" Kagome said gratefully to the girl.
"No problem. I hate the old pervert." The girl smiled at Kagome and put the spatula on her back.
"Ukyou! You don't mean that do you?" The old man said getting up with big sad eyes. Ukyou sighed and rolled her eyes and turned to Kagome.
"You'd better get changed. And fast. You wanna get outta here as fast as you can." Kagome nodded and hurried to get her uniform again. The man turned from Ukyou at the words 'get changed' and followed Kagome.
"Kagome! I noticed you left your uniform! So I fixed it for you!" Kagome smiled.
"Uh...thank you Happosai-sama...i think..." She opened her locker and gasped. Instead of the skirt and red and yellow top, it was just two pieces of red and yellow fabric, hardly enough to cover herself.
"D'you like it Kagome? Huh? Huh? I spent so much time fixing it! Please wear it! Or you'll make me cry!"
Kagome looked at her employer frightfully. "Uh...well..."
"Leave her alone!" There was a swish and another smack from Ukyou's spatula.
"No way you can wear that in public Kag. Here, take mine." She offered Kagome a normal sized shirt and skirt, and grinned when she thanked her.
"But what about you? What d'you wear?"
"Oh don't worry bout me! I'm more comfortable in boy's clothes. Well, at work anyway. Besides, I'm in the kitchen. No one sees me."
Kagome thanked her again and went to get changed, hearing the occasional smack from Ukyou's spatula and: "Don't you have a store to watch? Instead of looking up girls skirts?!"
The next hour passed slowly for Kagome. She was switched from cleaning tables and the cash register and back again several times. And well...let's just say she preferred the cash. After she went to clean a table, a group of teenagers 'accidentally' spilled their soda and asked her to clean it up. And because of restaurant policies, she had to. None of them moved which meant that she had to lean over a couple of them to wipe it up. Suddenly, she felt a hand going up her leg, up her skirt. Jumping up, she threw the cloth at them, her eyes twitching.
"You can finish wiping it up yourselves!" She hurried and switched cleaning duty with someone who wore pants.
"Why is it every guy out there is a pervert?" she fumed angrily to her friend, Eri, who also worked there. The group of teenagers looked at her and laughed.
"I dunno. I guess Happosai is rubbing off on them."
She sighed as she handed a woman her okinomiyaki, and couldn't help sniffing the aroma.
"I thought working here would totally turn me off of fast food, but I never get tired of that smell."
"Well, that's Ukyou for you. She's really talented." Eri answered, passing an iced tea to a man with way too many piercing's.
"No kidding. I'd love to cook like that."
"Don't you mean you'd love to cook at all?" Eri said grinning. She had been visiting when Kagome had attempted to make the oden. She wasn't going to let Kagome forget about it that easily.
"Oh shut up." she scowled.
"Well, why don't you ask her for lessons?" Eri suggested, taking her customers change.
"Oh sure. Like that'll help." Kagome said sarcastically. 'But it's not such a bad idea..." she thought wondering if Ukyou would agree.
At 9:00, Kagome yawned, right in the middle of telling her customer how much his meal cost.
"What was that?" he said, smiling at her. She blushed and apologized.
"Gomen. Uh...it's ¥600. It's a special today." He nodded and handed her his money. As she fished for change, he held up a hand.
"No, you keep it! Think of it as a tip!"
Kagome looked up at his smiling face. The boy had light brown hair and a kind nature. He was kind of cute too.
"Uh-ok! Thank you!"
"You tired?" she was surprised by the question.
"Um...a little. I'll be getting ready to leave soon thought." He grinned again. "Maybe I'll see you later then?"
"Uh...yeah...maybe..." Kagome stuttered. Hurriedly, she said good-bye to him and went back to change.
"You leaving now Kagome?"
"Yes sir! I have to meet my roommate," she said as she hung up Ukyou's uniform and tied her shoes.
"How about a goodbye hug?" Happosai jumped towards her chest again, but didn't quite make it that time. Kagome heard the familiar clang, and Happosai flew out of sight.
"I owe you again Ukyou! You're a total lifesaver!" Kagome said smiling. She placed the spatula on her back again and handed Kagome back her uniform.
"You can keep wearing it until yours is properly fixed." She said, looking in disgust at Kagome's 'uniform'.
"Ok! Thanks! Well, I'm gone! See you tomorrow!" Ukyou waved as Kagome left the change room and walked up to Eri.
'Hey. D'you think you could give me a ride?"
"Sorry, I think I'm bumming a ride off of my brothers friend."
"I could escort you home."
Kagome spun around and saw the boy with light brown hair smiling. Behind her, she could hear Eri whispering a 'Wow!'
"If you'd like, of course." He said kindly.
"Well, uh," Kagome wasn't sure what to say.
"Go for it Kagome!" Eri whispered to her, clearly in awe.
"Uh...sure...thanks."
"Really?" he said, looking slightly surprised but happy.
"Sure. I'm Higurashi Kagome by the way." she said.
"I know." he pointed to her shirt when she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Your name tag. You were wearing it when I ordered."
"Oh, of course."
"I'm Hojo. So, should we leave?"
Kagome nodded and walked out in the chilly air, Hojo right behind her.
They walked for awhile, Hojo keeping the conversation going, even though Kagome's answers were brief. She was thinking, and didn't fee like talking very much after the day she had. But Hojo didn't seem to notice.
"Uh huh...yeah." Kagome said, although she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to.
"You think so too? That's great!" He said energetically. Kagome turned and looked around.
"Uh, where are we?"
"Um, I was sort of following you. You never told me where you were staying."
She groaned. Great. Perfect. She was lost at night with a guy she hardly knew.
"D'you have a phone?"
"Yeah, but it won't help if I don't know where we are." He said, taking out his phone.
"Ok, hold on. I'll go ask for directions." She looked around, but it didn't look like there was anyone around to ask. But then, she saw a few people going through a fence on her right.
"Stay here Hojo, I'll be right back."
She hurried down the street and through the hole in the fence.
"Kagome wait!" Hojo yelled after her but she was too busy running across the other street following the group in black, that she didn't notice.
"Wait! Excuse me!" she yelled at them, but they disappeared as soon as the words left her mouth. Standing where she last saw them, Kagome looked around.
"Now what?" This street was just as empty as the last, or, she thought it was. She heard a deep voice call out down an alley.
"C'mon Inuyasha, you promised." Following the voice, Kagome suddenly stopped as she heard another voice answer.
"I didn't promise anything."
"But you'll do it right?"
"Will I get paid?"
"Of course! Whatever you want! Just get your ass out there!"
Kagome shook her head. 'I could've sworn I've heard that voice before..." She thought and hurried down the alley until she came to a door.
"I guess they're in here..." she opened the door and walked inside.
"Helllllloooooooo?" Kagome said softly. She was inside a building, but it was dark, and she couldn't hear anything. "Anyone here?" She walked down a dank hall and came to another door. Opening it, she could hear the two people talking.
"How much money are we talking?" It was the voice again. 'Where did I hear that before?' she thought, trying to remember.
"Hey! Excuse me!" She called out, running across a room and out another door. She found herself outside again.
"Where'd they go?" She looked around and saw a guy walking up a case of metal stairs. Running, she jumped up the few stairs and called out again.
"Hello! I need directions!"
The person turned around and Kagome caught sight of his hair. It was silver.
"That's him! The guy from the street!" she gasped, finally realizing where she knew his voice from. (I mean, how many guys d'you meet with long silver hair?)
"Hey Inuyasha! C'mon! We've got work to do." The boy turned and walked away.
"You jerk! I'm talking to you!" Kagome said angrily. She finished climbing the stairs and turned the corner where she'd last seen that Inuyasha guy.
"Ugh! You're such an idiot!" she called out as she looked up. Stopping, she caught her breath.
Smoke was curling around the ground, making her cough and blinding her momentarily. Once she rubbed her eyes she saw the guy with the white hair standing with his head bowed, his bangs covering his eyes. It was so dark and the smoke was so thick...
'Don't tell me he took that seriously...' she thought stepping forwards. 'Well, he called me a wench. If he can' take some of his own medicine that's his own problem.'
"um, I need directions, could you help?" The smoke became thicker, making it impossible to see anything below his broad shoulders. He wasn't moving.
"E-excuse me-"
Suddenly, a pair of black gloved hands reached out and grabbed her.
"AAAAHHHHHHIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"
DISCLAIMER:
Still don't own them. Not yet anyway... diabolical laughter
( Tattered and Torn )
Inuyasha twisted the door handle, cursing as it wouldn't open. He turned and faced the door again, running and throwing his body weight against it, causing it to crash open, and snapping the lock off in the process.
He closed the groaning door with his foot and walked into his apartment. It wasn't anything fancy, but it served its purpose.
There was the open porch, which led into a kitchen on the left and a large sitting room beyond the kitchen on its right. It was very plain with no borders or wallpaper. It wasn't painted in any particular way and there were no pictures of his mom on any of the walls. Not exactly what you'd call simple, more as it the owner didn't take the time to decorate.
The fridge was positioned so it was easily accessible by most entrances and instead of a table, there was a bar with four stools, then a gap, for the entrance to the T.V room.
Inuyasha threw his jacket over one of the stools and threw his keys on the counter. Opening the fridge, he reached for a beer but stopped at a green and white carton. His fingers enclosed around the box and took it out of the fridge, his eyes staring suspiciously at it.
"What the hell is this?"
"They're called eggs. Made from a hen, which is a female chicken. Not to be confused with the more attractive part of a female body of course-"
"Shut up Miroku. I know what they are." Inuyasha didn't seem surprised that a boy, about his age stepped out of a room from down the hall. He had black hair, which was pulled into a small ponytail and the back of his head, and purple eyes.
"Then why did you ask?" He asked good naturally and calmly.
"I meant, why are they here." Inuyasha took a beer out of the fridge and flicked the cap open with his thumb.
"I bought them of course."
Miroku eyed the beer in Inuyasha's hands but kept quiet.
"No shit."
"Well you asked." He looked up and noticed the door. "What? You broke the door again?" Miroku seemed mildly surprised, but not angry.
"Feh. It's only the lock."
"That's the fifth one this month."
"Your fault for locking it."
"Well I can't have people barging in on me when I'm 'working'"
Inuyasha shrugged, chugging his beer.
"Didn't stop me."
"You must've had a bad night last night."
"Nah, I pulled it off."
"Then you didn't get the desired payoff I'm guessing." Miroku examined the damage to the lock.
"What makes you say that?"
He straightened up and raised an eyebrow.
"your keys are on the counter. You could have opened the door quietly, but you always take your anger out on something whenever you get frustrated."
Inuyasha shrugged and put his beer back in the fridge.
"Feh. So what? I got $2000, but the gang wanted equal share."
"Leaving you with about $100?"
"$120"
"It seems to be getting lower and lower each time." Miroku observed, looking in the fridge.
"It's hardly worth my time." Inuyasha scowled, taking Kagome's wallet out of his pocket.
"Uh...do you have anything besides beer?"
Miroku asked looking up from the fridge, causing Inuyasha to raise an eyebrow.
"What is it Miroku? Too sensitive for it?"
"Well, my work does require me to have a totally steady mind." He stood up and crossed his arms. Inuyasha shrugged and motioned to the cupboard. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle of what looked like red sugary syrup that had been opened once.
"What is this?"
"No idea. Mom gave it to me a while ago. Almost forgot it was there."
"Uh...Inuyasha? It's past its expiry date."
"so what? It says "best before" It's just not as great now. It doesn't mean it turns to ash the day it expires!" Inuyasha retorted.
"No, but the expiry date was four years ago."
"Then don't drink it!" He was starting to lose his patience. "Why are you even here?"
Miroku threw the syrup out, after noticing bits of something that didn't look like it belonged, floating around.
"You know why. I need a place to work and your place is safer than anyone I know."
"And remind me again why I agreed to let you stay?"
"Because I'm not a fan of your work, but I don't really care, and you don't give a shit about what I do. I help you with some of your 'projects' not to mention I pay half the rent."
Inuyasha nodded again, throwing Kagome's wallet on the counter by his keys.
"All right. Well, can you her up?"
Miroku opened the wallet and stared at the picture of Kagome. "You bet I can look her up! where'd you get this?"
Inuyasha growled at him.
"Lecher. She's not even that pretty. And if you must know, I stole it from her. That's why I need to look up her profile, see if she's of any value."
"Just look at her! Of course she's of value!"
"I mean money value, moron!"
"What? Oh sure. Well, where're you going to spend the money if she is?"
"What's that mean?"
"I saw you kicked out of another store today..." Miroku looked up, his face hardening. "The business you're in Inuyasha, you can't afford to draw so much attention to yourself."
"You think I don't know that? What I don't need is a telling off from you! I thought you didn't care what I do anyway!" Inuyasha growled, reaching in the fridge to get his beer out again.
"I don't, unless I'm involved of course. But if you get caught, they'll trace you to me."
"If I'm so dangerous, why stay? You have a house yourself."
"we've had this conversation before. It's not all mine, although most of it is. Before my dad died, he gave it to me, as long as I kept up with my religious ancestry. So there are some Buddhist monks living there too. To them, I'm 'Houshi-sama. Miroku, the Buddhist monk. Man of the cloth' If they found out what I do, I'll be turned in instantly. I have a better chance here than home. Unless you get caught."
Inuyasha tipped the bottle up, drinking the alcoholic beverage.
"Fat chance of that monk."
"All right. I'm gonna go do this for you now ok?" He indicated to Kagome's wallet, and walked out of the kitchen down the hall.
"Feh, whatever." He went to put the empty beer bottle down when Miroku's head appeared again.
"Oh yeah. The cable bill came today."
"Shit! Was it much?"
"Well, $120 isn't going to get us two month's of it."
Inuyasha cursed and brought the beer bottle down on the counter and shattered the glass bottle.
"I ain't payin' that much!"
"D'you wanna keep TSN?"
He looked at the monk and straightened up.
"Get me the bill."
"you're crazy." Miroku said shaking his head at Inuyasha as he looked over the cable company bill. "You're going to give up food for two months just so you can watch sports and horror movies."
"You got a problem with that?" Inuyasha sneered, glaring at Miroku over the top of the paper.
'$2000 would have been great. You could have paid the bills, bought food, and would have had enough to buy a new couch. God knows we need one." Miroku ignored Inuyasha's comment and eyed the couch in front of the TV It was old and brown, and had some unidentifiable stains over it. The couch was comfortable, but it squeaked loudly every time you moved in it.
"Don't even think about touching that couch."
Miroku sighed and shrugged.
"Fine. The point is, you could have had so much more money."
"You think I don't know that? I do almost all the work anyway."
"What's your point?"
"I'm going for a walk!" Inuyasha stood up quickly, grabbed his keys and jacket and left the apartment. The door creaked, as it was slammed shut again. Miroku grinned and stroked his chin.
"Hmm...looks like he's finally going to quit. Guess it means it's all over..."
Kagome hurried through the doors of a small fast food restaurant, and went through a door which read:
'AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY'
"Hey guys! I'm here! She waved at the other people working at the restaurant.
'Kag? You're an hour late! A girl with shoulder length dark hair looked at her, concerned.
"What?!" Kagome gasped and looked at her watched. It said 5:58.
"No, I'm only-"
"It's 7:05 Kagome." Another girl said, looking over the person's order in front of her.
"But-oh!" The second's hand on her watch wasn't moving. It must have broken when she fell, like the boy's sunglasses.
"Oh god! I'm so sorry!" 'Just what I need' she thought. 'I have to stay here till 9 now...what a terrible day'
"Hurry and get changed!"
Kagome nodded and walked to the back room to get her uniform.
"KAGOME!!"
"EEEEK!"
She jumped and spun around. A blur that resembled a very small old man launched at her, grabbing her chest.
"Stop that!" There was a swish and a thud and the man let go of Kagome, falling on the floor.
"You're such an old freak!" A girl with long dark hair spat at him. She was holding a giant spatula, which was what she had used to hit him with.
"Thanks Ukyou!" Kagome said gratefully to the girl.
"No problem. I hate the old pervert." The girl smiled at Kagome and put the spatula on her back.
"Ukyou! You don't mean that do you?" The old man said getting up with big sad eyes. Ukyou sighed and rolled her eyes and turned to Kagome.
"You'd better get changed. And fast. You wanna get outta here as fast as you can." Kagome nodded and hurried to get her uniform again. The man turned from Ukyou at the words 'get changed' and followed Kagome.
"Kagome! I noticed you left your uniform! So I fixed it for you!" Kagome smiled.
"Uh...thank you Happosai-sama...i think..." She opened her locker and gasped. Instead of the skirt and red and yellow top, it was just two pieces of red and yellow fabric, hardly enough to cover herself.
"D'you like it Kagome? Huh? Huh? I spent so much time fixing it! Please wear it! Or you'll make me cry!"
Kagome looked at her employer frightfully. "Uh...well..."
"Leave her alone!" There was a swish and another smack from Ukyou's spatula.
"No way you can wear that in public Kag. Here, take mine." She offered Kagome a normal sized shirt and skirt, and grinned when she thanked her.
"But what about you? What d'you wear?"
"Oh don't worry bout me! I'm more comfortable in boy's clothes. Well, at work anyway. Besides, I'm in the kitchen. No one sees me."
Kagome thanked her again and went to get changed, hearing the occasional smack from Ukyou's spatula and: "Don't you have a store to watch? Instead of looking up girls skirts?!"
The next hour passed slowly for Kagome. She was switched from cleaning tables and the cash register and back again several times. And well...let's just say she preferred the cash. After she went to clean a table, a group of teenagers 'accidentally' spilled their soda and asked her to clean it up. And because of restaurant policies, she had to. None of them moved which meant that she had to lean over a couple of them to wipe it up. Suddenly, she felt a hand going up her leg, up her skirt. Jumping up, she threw the cloth at them, her eyes twitching.
"You can finish wiping it up yourselves!" She hurried and switched cleaning duty with someone who wore pants.
"Why is it every guy out there is a pervert?" she fumed angrily to her friend, Eri, who also worked there. The group of teenagers looked at her and laughed.
"I dunno. I guess Happosai is rubbing off on them."
She sighed as she handed a woman her okinomiyaki, and couldn't help sniffing the aroma.
"I thought working here would totally turn me off of fast food, but I never get tired of that smell."
"Well, that's Ukyou for you. She's really talented." Eri answered, passing an iced tea to a man with way too many piercing's.
"No kidding. I'd love to cook like that."
"Don't you mean you'd love to cook at all?" Eri said grinning. She had been visiting when Kagome had attempted to make the oden. She wasn't going to let Kagome forget about it that easily.
"Oh shut up." she scowled.
"Well, why don't you ask her for lessons?" Eri suggested, taking her customers change.
"Oh sure. Like that'll help." Kagome said sarcastically. 'But it's not such a bad idea..." she thought wondering if Ukyou would agree.
At 9:00, Kagome yawned, right in the middle of telling her customer how much his meal cost.
"What was that?" he said, smiling at her. She blushed and apologized.
"Gomen. Uh...it's ¥600. It's a special today." He nodded and handed her his money. As she fished for change, he held up a hand.
"No, you keep it! Think of it as a tip!"
Kagome looked up at his smiling face. The boy had light brown hair and a kind nature. He was kind of cute too.
"Uh-ok! Thank you!"
"You tired?" she was surprised by the question.
"Um...a little. I'll be getting ready to leave soon thought." He grinned again. "Maybe I'll see you later then?"
"Uh...yeah...maybe..." Kagome stuttered. Hurriedly, she said good-bye to him and went back to change.
"You leaving now Kagome?"
"Yes sir! I have to meet my roommate," she said as she hung up Ukyou's uniform and tied her shoes.
"How about a goodbye hug?" Happosai jumped towards her chest again, but didn't quite make it that time. Kagome heard the familiar clang, and Happosai flew out of sight.
"I owe you again Ukyou! You're a total lifesaver!" Kagome said smiling. She placed the spatula on her back again and handed Kagome back her uniform.
"You can keep wearing it until yours is properly fixed." She said, looking in disgust at Kagome's 'uniform'.
"Ok! Thanks! Well, I'm gone! See you tomorrow!" Ukyou waved as Kagome left the change room and walked up to Eri.
'Hey. D'you think you could give me a ride?"
"Sorry, I think I'm bumming a ride off of my brothers friend."
"I could escort you home."
Kagome spun around and saw the boy with light brown hair smiling. Behind her, she could hear Eri whispering a 'Wow!'
"If you'd like, of course." He said kindly.
"Well, uh," Kagome wasn't sure what to say.
"Go for it Kagome!" Eri whispered to her, clearly in awe.
"Uh...sure...thanks."
"Really?" he said, looking slightly surprised but happy.
"Sure. I'm Higurashi Kagome by the way." she said.
"I know." he pointed to her shirt when she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Your name tag. You were wearing it when I ordered."
"Oh, of course."
"I'm Hojo. So, should we leave?"
Kagome nodded and walked out in the chilly air, Hojo right behind her.
They walked for awhile, Hojo keeping the conversation going, even though Kagome's answers were brief. She was thinking, and didn't fee like talking very much after the day she had. But Hojo didn't seem to notice.
"Uh huh...yeah." Kagome said, although she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to.
"You think so too? That's great!" He said energetically. Kagome turned and looked around.
"Uh, where are we?"
"Um, I was sort of following you. You never told me where you were staying."
She groaned. Great. Perfect. She was lost at night with a guy she hardly knew.
"D'you have a phone?"
"Yeah, but it won't help if I don't know where we are." He said, taking out his phone.
"Ok, hold on. I'll go ask for directions." She looked around, but it didn't look like there was anyone around to ask. But then, she saw a few people going through a fence on her right.
"Stay here Hojo, I'll be right back."
She hurried down the street and through the hole in the fence.
"Kagome wait!" Hojo yelled after her but she was too busy running across the other street following the group in black, that she didn't notice.
"Wait! Excuse me!" she yelled at them, but they disappeared as soon as the words left her mouth. Standing where she last saw them, Kagome looked around.
"Now what?" This street was just as empty as the last, or, she thought it was. She heard a deep voice call out down an alley.
"C'mon Inuyasha, you promised." Following the voice, Kagome suddenly stopped as she heard another voice answer.
"I didn't promise anything."
"But you'll do it right?"
"Will I get paid?"
"Of course! Whatever you want! Just get your ass out there!"
Kagome shook her head. 'I could've sworn I've heard that voice before..." She thought and hurried down the alley until she came to a door.
"I guess they're in here..." she opened the door and walked inside.
"Helllllloooooooo?" Kagome said softly. She was inside a building, but it was dark, and she couldn't hear anything. "Anyone here?" She walked down a dank hall and came to another door. Opening it, she could hear the two people talking.
"How much money are we talking?" It was the voice again. 'Where did I hear that before?' she thought, trying to remember.
"Hey! Excuse me!" She called out, running across a room and out another door. She found herself outside again.
"Where'd they go?" She looked around and saw a guy walking up a case of metal stairs. Running, she jumped up the few stairs and called out again.
"Hello! I need directions!"
The person turned around and Kagome caught sight of his hair. It was silver.
"That's him! The guy from the street!" she gasped, finally realizing where she knew his voice from. (I mean, how many guys d'you meet with long silver hair?)
"Hey Inuyasha! C'mon! We've got work to do." The boy turned and walked away.
"You jerk! I'm talking to you!" Kagome said angrily. She finished climbing the stairs and turned the corner where she'd last seen that Inuyasha guy.
"Ugh! You're such an idiot!" she called out as she looked up. Stopping, she caught her breath.
Smoke was curling around the ground, making her cough and blinding her momentarily. Once she rubbed her eyes she saw the guy with the white hair standing with his head bowed, his bangs covering his eyes. It was so dark and the smoke was so thick...
'Don't tell me he took that seriously...' she thought stepping forwards. 'Well, he called me a wench. If he can' take some of his own medicine that's his own problem.'
"um, I need directions, could you help?" The smoke became thicker, making it impossible to see anything below his broad shoulders. He wasn't moving.
"E-excuse me-"
Suddenly, a pair of black gloved hands reached out and grabbed her.
"AAAAHHHHHHIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"