Hi everyone. This is Kirei na Megami. Kanpeki Kaori is my first Inuyasha fanfiction. Enjoy.


Chapter 1

Anshin

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

"My dear Kagome… please forgive me that I cannot be with you all the way, and I'm leaving you such burden. I'm sorry." Kagome's cheeks are filled with tear marks. "No please! Grandpa, don't leave me please!" Kagome's eyes went blank as the hand that she was holding went limp. The heart monitor gave out a steady long beep indicating the patient's heart was no longer beating. Kagome wept on her grandfather's bedside, still holding his hand tightly. "Grandpa…Don't worry. I'm going to make sure that our company will be prosperous."


After the funeral issues had been taken care of, Kagome threw her small frame onto her soft king size bed. Her eyes became sore and swollen from the endless grieving and her heart ached and felt tired from all the turmoil she had been through. Kagome reached over to the nightstand and took out her photo album. She carefully flipped the pages and cried at the sight of her family. "Jii-chan, Otou-san, Okaa-san…Why must you all leave me?" Kagome remembered the happy moments with her family. The days when they were not as wealthy, but they were definitely happier.

Kagome's brother Souta, majored in chemistry back in college, and at the age of 20, he created a fragrance that would last for more than 24 hours. It was a big hit to the fashion industry. Souta named it Yuri & Kagome after the two most important women in his life at that time, his mother and sister. The Higurashi became quite well off as a result of Souta's invention; because of that, they had enough funds to establish a fashion company of their own, which designed and sold mainly fashion and long-lasting-perfumes. They decided to label their family company Kanpeki. Within a few years, Kanpeki became the rival of Kagayaki, another famous fashion company. Perhaps it was the competition that made Souta decide to pursue a doctorate degree in chemistry in hopes of prospering Kanpeki. He headed to Columbia University in New York. Kagome remembered how she had helped Souta on his girlfriend issues back in elementary school. She loved those times, but she knew that it could never happen again. "Souta…come back soon. We need you here."


"Miss Higurashi, I know it is hard. It's hard for all of us, but please, we need your presence in the office. Please be here as soon as you can." Kagome didn't say anything and she closed her cell phone. Her head was aching and she couldn't think at all. Her grandfather had just died from old age; her parents passed away in a plane accident; her brother was on another continent, and she was the only person left in the family who could decide things for Kanpeki until Souta came back from his studies.

Kagome finally got up from her bed and headed to the bathroom. She scrutinized herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and swollen, and her face was stained by trails of tears. She opened the top drawer of her bathroom counter and took out some cream, foundation, powder, and blush. She applied make-up to her face and glared at her reflection.

"I look a little bit better than before. Now I just need some eyeliner and lip-gloss." After Kagome finished, she went to her wardrobe looking for something to put on. She decided on a black suit and a silky pink blouse. "This looks a bit plain; perhaps a brooch will do." Kagome took out a pink lily brooch made out of rhinestone, and pinned it to her suit. She examined her whole body in a mirror before she headed out. "I hope today won't be too stressful. I don't need any problems right now…" Kagome climbed into her silver convertable BMW and left her house.

Kagome stopped her car in front of a tall corporate building called Kanpeki. 'What should I do? I don't want to go in and bother myself with all those business issues.' Kagome thought to herself dejectedly. She reached for her purse and took out her cell phone. She searched for her secretary's name in her phonebook and pressed the dial button.

"Hello? This is Kanpeki CEO's office; Taijiya Sango speaking. How may I help you?" Kagome listened to that upbeat tone of her secretary who also happened to be her best friend. She slowly answered, "Sango-chan…is there anything important to discuss with the Board of Advisers?"

Kagome put her head on the steering wheel and listened to the list of so-called-important things that Sango was telling her.

"Kagome-chan, where are you right now? The office is in a chaos. We desperately need you here. Also, the ceremony for the new CEO is today at 3:30pm. I hope you didn't forget that the ceremony is for you, Kagome-chan."

Kagome whimpered at the title. She didn't want to be the president. She was forced to become one because no one else was present. "Sango-chan, I'll be there around 3:00 pm then. See you later."

Kagome closed her cell phone before Sango could object. She knew that deep inside, once she returned to the office, she would be bombarded by all those paperwork and the evilness of entrepreneurship.

The next destination in Kagome's mind was Anshin. It was her favorite place to eat. Although it was a restaurant, it was very quiet and the atmosphere there was peaceful. That was why whenever Kagome was troubled; she would go sit at the bar and just unwind. Little she knew that this visit could have a great effect on her in the future.


"Hello Kagome-san. The usual?" The bartender asked as he saw Kagome walked in.

Kagome sat down on a stool and slightly nodded her head. The bartender took the cue and proceeded to mix her usual drink.

"Kagome-san. Here's your Innocent Passion." The drink was brought in front of Kagome. She took a sip and smiled, "Kouga-kun, your drink-making skill has just improved a notch."

Kouga blushed a little at Kagome's compliment, but his expression changed drastically as he saw another customer that came in. That customer came straight to the bar and took the empty stool next to Kagome's. "Wolf-turd, the usual." The customer said not too politely.

Kouga fought back, "I don't know what your usual is. Dog-face."

The dog-face became distorted and he said, "You know what? I'm not in a mood to deal with you today. Give me a Virgin Sex on the Beach." Kagome blushed at the name. She knew the drink existed on the menu but she never dared to order it.

"Inuyasha you just don't care who's around you. We have a lady here and you're ordering a drink with such a nasty name." Kouga said considerably but Inuyasha thought otherwise.

"Well first of all, it is just a drink. It's not like I would really have sex with a virgin on a beach. I'd prefer it in a bed. Second, you're the one who made up those stupid names." Kagome's cheeks' color intensified to a darker shade of pink, but this time she let out a small giggle.

The two males looked at her strangely. With the type of hatred between the two males, they certainly did not think their little quarrel was amusing.

"I'm sorry but it was a little bit funny. Never mind about me. Please continue on." Kagome said as she chuckled.

Kouga decided not to deal with Inuyasha and went to make his Virgin Sex on the Beach. Inuyasha crossed his arms and said quietly, "No way we could continue after your comment."

Kagome turned and look at this man next to her. He had long silky hair tied back with a hairtie, and he was wearing grayish silver suit from Armani. She thought she could faint from his cologne. It smelled so refreshing, or maybe a little too much.

Inuyasha felt an intense gaze upon himself, so he turned to the source.

"Is there something on my face?"

Kagome felt embarrassed that she was caught in the act. She lowered her head and answered him quietly, "No…"

Kouga came back at this moment and gave Inuyasha his usual. "Don't you have work you dog-faced?" Kouga asked as he wiped the glasses with a piece of cloth.

Inuyasha took a sip and glared at Kouga, "So what? I don't need to do anything. Everything's being taken care of by Sesshomaru. He doesn't trust me anyway. He thinks I'm not responsible enough." He "keh"-ed.

Kouga sighed. "Maybe you really are not responsible enough. Kagome-san is much better than you."

Inuyasha was shocked to hear Kagome. He turned and looked at Kagome, "The Kagome on Yuri & Kagome perfume by Kanpeki?"

Kagome stopped drinking and returned the stare. She thought to herself, "Well, I'm not surprised that he knows about the perfume. It was a big hit and it is what got us rich anyway. Everyone knows about that perfume. Yuri, my mother's name, and my name… I can't believe Souta actually labeled his first creation like that. Silly brother."

Kagome nodded as a response to Inuyasha's question, but Inuyasha was not satisfied with just one question. "Are you Higurashi Kagome? The president of Kanpeki?"

Now Kagome was surprised. She gave him a look of disbelief, but she tried to look indifferent. "What makes you think that I'm that Kagome?"

As hard as Kagome attempted to look unaffected, Inuyasha knew that it was her from his keen observation ability. "What a lucky day." Inuyasha thought to himself. He didn't want to scare off this attractive woman in front of him, so he shrugged off the topic.

"Never mind that. What is that drink you're having? You know already that mine is Virgin Sex on the Beach. From the color of the drink, it looks like Innocent Passion. Am I correct?" Kagome nodded with a smile. "How did you know? Are you a beverage expert?"

Inuyasha chuckled, "No. I'm just really good at observing things. Sometimes people as well."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. She felt like he meant he had observed her, but she convinced herself that maybe she was just paranoid.

Kouga saw the interaction between Inuyasha and Kagome, and he was not feeling too pleased about it. He knew Inuyasha was a womanizer, and he did not want Kagome to fall into his traps. "Kagome-san, don't you have meeting with your Board of Advisers today?" Kouga asked.

Kagome looked upset at the mention of her Board of Advisers. They had been trying to convince Kagome to sell some of the stocks of the company, but she refused. She believed that Kanpeki was her family's and only theirs. She didn't want any strangers to hold power in the Higurahi's company. "Nope, Kouga-kun. I only have something to attend to in the afternoon." Kagome answered and continued to flavor her drink. Perhaps Kagome felt stressed under the forceful stares of the two men, she finished her drink hurriedly and bid the two men goodbye.

"Does she come here often?" Inuyasha asked Kouga right after Kagome left the restaurant.

"Look dog-face. Leave Kagome alone. You can touch and play every other women but not Kagome. She's a decent but unfortunate girl."

Kouga wanted to warn his friend not to bother Kagome, or he would break the friendship between them. However, they grew up together, and he sincerely didn't want to ruin the friendship and brotherhood over a woman, even if that meant giving up the woman that he loved the most.

Inuyasha understood what Kouga truly meant, and he also understood why Kouga had stopped at where he had. They knew each other too well. Inuyasha didn't react to Kouga's friendly warning; he thought to himself, "I'm sorry my friend, but I just got to have her. I just got to."