Chapter One

An Unexpected Arrival

"Nee-chan..." Souta's voice fluttered through Kagome's mind as she desperately tried to maneuver her way through a horrific maze of overdue assignments.

The towering stacks of paper were overwhelming, and somewhere in her mind Kagome knew that if she got a single answer wrong on any of them they would all come tumbling down upon her. "...the square root is seven..." Kagome mumbled as her body shifted.

"Nee-chan! You're going to be late, again!" Souta was practically screaming by the time Kagome's eyes flew open.

"Souta! Why did you guys let me sleep this long? I'm going to be late! Hurry and get out of here so I can get ready!" Kagome shouted at her unfortunate brother as she shoved him out of her doorway and into the hall.

Kagome slammed her door shut with such force that the resulting vibrations could be felt throughout the entire house.

"Kagome must have overslept again." Her grandfather mused as he continued to thumb through the newspaper for something of interest.

Kagome's mother simply smiled as she finished preparing Souta and Kagome's lunches for the day. "Kagome must have been working hard." Her mother clucked cheerfully as she poured another cup of tea for her father.

"I can't believe I overslept! This is not a positive beginning for the week." Kagome continued to berate herself as she threw everything she could find into her brothers extra backpack. Since Inuyasha still has mine. Fuming, Kagome flew down the stairs and headed for the front door.

"Kagome?" Her mother called from the kitchen. "Aren't you going to have some breakfast?"

"No time! I'll see you after school!" Kagome shouted back, already half-way down the path to the street.

Souta watched his sister disappear down the steps of their families shrine when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Souta, will you stop by your sisters school and drop this off?" His mother asked as she handed him both his and Kagome's lunches. "Kagome forgot it again."

Souta looked up and smiled as he turned to leave. "Yes Mama!" He called as he began his own journey to school.

Kagome was having a horrible day. It would have been bad enough dealing with the embarrassment of having her younger brother bring yet another item she had forgotten at home, but Kagome quickly found she knew almost nothing about her current assignments.

And I thought I was doing better, Kagome thought to herself glumly as she tried to keep up with the lesson that was being taught.

As Kagome struggled through the rest of the day she was beginning to doubt things could get much worse, when her instructor walked up to her desk during her last class.

"The principal would like to see you Miss Hiragashi." He spoke quietly as he handed her a hall pass, but to Kagome if felt as if the very voice of doom was speaking to her.

"Yes Sensei." Kagome managed to croak as her throat had suddenly gone very dry.

The walk down the hallways to her principals office was the longest journey Kagome ever remembered having to take. If only Naraku had to take my place. Kagome thought to herself as she neared her destination. I bet he wouldn't last a week.

As Kagome placed her hand on the doorknob, her stomach twisted into a knot that refused to settle down.

Principal Soto Wong's office could never be considered cluttered. A true minimalist, Principal Wong put his beliefs into every aspect of his life.

Besides his desk and the two uncomfortable chairs set in front of it for guests, the only other things in the room were a small framed print of the Kanji symbol for "persistence" and an equally small bonsai tree set on his otherwise barren desk.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably as she stood in the doorway waiting to be acknowledged.

Principal Wong looked up briefly from his stack of papers, "Miss Hiragashi, I presume?" Principal Wong surmised as he looked back down to his work.

"Yes Sir," Kagome answered softly. Though he had to be in his mid-forties, Soto Wong was still a man of great intimidation and stature. Both of which Kagome was feeling at the moment.

"Please sit down Miss Hiragashi, your mother should be arriving shortly." Principal Wong stated after a moment.

My Mom? Kagome thought to herself as the knot tightened in her stomach. Why is my mom coming?

Minutes dragged on like an eternity as Kagome sat quietly watching her principal do paperwork. Stupid Inuyasha. Kagome thought to herself over and over. If I didn't have to fight with him every time I needed to come back here, I wouldn't be in this mess!

A quiet knock on the door brought Kagome out of her musings with a start.

"Principal Wong? Mrs. Hiragashi is here to see you." His secretary quietly stated.

"Send her in." Principal Wong replied as he took one last glace at what he had been reading and set it back down onto his stack of papers.

Smiling as Kagome's mother walked in, Principal Wong rose from his seat to greet her. "Mrs. Hiragashi, it's so nice to finally put a face to your voice."

"And yours as well." Mrs. Hiragashi replied as she took her seat next Kagome.

I didn't know mom had talked to my principal before. Kagome thought to herself.

Principal Wong returned to his seat, wasting no time in the process. "I wish we could have met under happier circumstances..." He began, looking from mother to daughter. "Do you know what these are?" He asked as his hand motioned to the stack of papers in front of him. Kagome shook her head slowly, her mom sat quietly and waited. "This is Kagome's student file and permanent record," he began slowly, "in this file is a list of every absence Kagome has had for the last two years. As you know Mrs. Hiragashi, we had worked out a prior arrangement last year which enabled Kagome to pass her grade."

Kagome was shocked. She had known nothing about her mothers past conversations with her principal. All the trouble I cause her, just so I can go to school. Kagome thought to herself as she felt a great weight settle on her heart. Hard as she try, she always seemed to cause problems for the people she loved.

"Yes of course Mr. Wong." Kagome's mother replied. "And again I can never thank you enough."

"Think nothing of it." Mr. Wong said, seeming pleased by the unexpected praise. "Unfortunately," He began again, returning to his former seriousness. "Since the excessive amount of absences have continued into this year, I can no longer overlook the problem. I'm afraid I can think of no way for Kagome to catch up in her classes enough to pass her grade this year."

His words seemed to hit Kagome like an atomic bomb. Not pass? I have to pass! Kagome thought in misery. Could the others really be right? Should I just give up? Just as Kagome was about to surrender she felt a strong hand cover her own. Kagome's mother looked over to her and smiled reassuringly. My mom hasn't given up on me. She thought to herself, hope returning slightly.

"Isn't there anything we can do to make it up?" Kagome's mom asked him after a moment.

"Well, I really don't think..." Principal Wong was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of his intercom.

"Sir?" He secretary spoke from the other room.

"I told you I'm in a meeting." He answered shortly.

"Yes Sir I understand, but it's Mr. Yutori on the phone and he says it's important." His secretary sounded quite insistent.

Mr. Wong sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm so sorry for the interruption. Please forgive my rudeness." He apologized to Mrs. Hiragashi and Kagome as he picked up the receiver to his phone.

"Toshi-sama, how are you?" Mr. Wong smiled briefly at the response he got. "So what is so important that you must talk to me now?" He paused, his smile slowly vanishing. "I see...why wasn't I informed of this first? It's a problem on my side, I can't understand why they wouldn't have contacted me immediately." Another pause. "Alright...yes...I can find someone I think..." His voice trailed off as his gaze fixed onto Kagome for a moment. "I'll contact you as soon as I can." And with that, the conversation ended. For a moment he was silent.

"Mrs. Hiragashi." Principal Wong started, trying to find the words for what he was about to suggest.

"Yes Mr. Wong?" Mrs. Hiragashi asked. Her hand had yet to leave her daughters.

"I think there may be a way we can help each other." He paused for another moment. "It seems the family that had signed up for our Student Exchange Program is now, for various reasons, unable to have one of our exchange students stay with them. I would not try this hard to find a replacement family and bring her over under normal circumstances." He looked at there questioning faces, "her father, whom I was just speaking to, is a very old, very close friend of mine and has asked for my personal help.'

"If you were to agree to take her in, I could consider this as a special extra credit assignment. And, if Kagome agrees to continue catching up in all of her classes, I believe I could justify giving Kagome a passing grade." Principal Wong finished and waited for their reply. He had never heard of anything more unorthodox in all his years as an educator. But Toshi Yutori was the closest thing he had ever come to having a brother, and he would do anything for him and his daughter.

Kagome had turned as white as snow from the choice she had just been given. She looked at her mother, eyes churning with questions.

"Kagome," her mother started softly, "it's your choice, I will support you either way." Though reassuring, Kagome didn't find this answer very helpful. Why don't you just quit that stupid hobby...It's a waste of time anyways. Inuyasha's voice resounded through her thoughts, as did the anger it had caused her before. I don't want to give up school! It would be like...giving up my life.

"Miss Hiragashi?" Her Principal was speaking to her.

"Yes. I want to do it." Kagome said the words so quietly she wasn't even sure she hadn't imagined saying them.

Principal Wong's face lit up with relief. He could keep his promise to his friend, and help his student at the same time. He hadn't felt that pleased in what seemed like forever.

Kagome, however, felt no relief in her actions. How can I possibly have someone stay with me? There's just no way I can do it. She screamed at herself to tell him no, but she simply couldn't bring the words to her mouth.

"Oh! How exciting!" Kagome's mother smiled.

How can she be excited about this? Kagome thought, dumbfounded.

"Her name is Akemi Yutori. She is an American and she is in the same grade as Kagome." Principal Wong smiled as he told them the information.

"Akemi's airplane arrives tomorrow morning. I can volunteer to pick her up from the airport if you like and I'll arrange for them to be in the same classes..."

Kagome barely heard a word he was saying. All she could hear was the shouting from the fight she would be in when Inuyasha discovered what had happened. But her principal was still talking, and she really should be listening.

"...after all her paperwork is taken care of we should be arriving at your house sometime mid-morning. I'm sure Kagome and Akemi will get along quite well. They both seem to lead fairly interesting lives." Principal Wong half-smiled at his words. "Well, I suppose you two have some things to prepare before Akemi gets here. Thank you both for being so patient with me today. I am truly glad that we could find a solution together."

Kagome was numb from her meeting with her principal. A houseguest? How long did he say she would be staying? Kagome couldn't remember, she hadn't really been paying attention after her initial decision. Kagome and her mother walked in silence on their way home, neither one seemed quite sure what to say.

"Mama?" Kagome asked after awhile. She wanted to scream out that she had made a mistake, that they had to go and tell him they couldn't possibly do it, but the words remained firmly stuck in her throat.

"Kagome, this is quite exciting, don't you think?" Her mother asked cheerfully. "I suppose we are just fortunate to have so many great adventures."

Kagome could only smile and nod. Her mother was always so positive. At least I can always count on her. Kagome thought with smile. "How long did Mr. Wong say she was going to stay?" Kagome asked suddenly.

"I believe it was, six months." Her mother answered calmly.

"Six months!" Kagome forgot to move her feet for a moment. Six months? How am I supposed to make this work? With that thought, Kagome returned to gloomy silence and did not speak again the rest of the walk home.

Kagome and her family spent the rest of the day preparing for their houseguest. No one had mentioned the Feudal Era. No one had to.

As much as they wanted to, they simply could not think of a way around it. It had been decided that Akemi would stay with Kagome in her room, since they had nowhere else to put her. Which presented Kagome with even more of a problem. How could she explain her absences with the girl staying in the same room with her? She simply could think of no way.

At dinner everyone ate in silence, all with the same unspoken question. Kagome's grandfather was the first to speak.

"So have you decided to stay here with us?" He asked as casually as he could, but the words sounded strained, and everyone could feel the tension in the air.

"No." Kagome didn't mean to sound short, she just couldn't think of anything else to add.

"What about Inu-nee-chan?" Souta asked after a moment. Kagome's mother and grandfather stopped eating and waited for her reply.

"I don't know..." The truth was, Kagome had done nothing but think about Inuyasha since she had agreed to take on an exchange student.

"But Kagome..." Her grandfather started.

"I just don't know." Kagome stopped him tiredly and rose from the table. "I'm going to get some sleep now. Goodnight everyone." Kagome turned away and walked up the stairs to her room.

But Kagome didn't sleep. She sat on her bed and stared out the window for hours. Why had this fallen on me too? How can I manage? Tears of frustration welled in her eyes as she waited for the morning to come.