Dokyusei
by Nana
Chapter 9
Precious Bane
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is all Rumiko Takahashi's. Certain scenes in this chapter taken from books 5 and 6.
Author's Note: The theme of this chapter is a very loose, entirely out-of- this-world (mis)interpretation of Mary Webb's excellent book with the same name. No disrespect is intended at the original novel. And please don't sue me! I admit! I admit! I borrowed the title because I thought the meaning is quite apt in describing the relationship of our characters with each other at this point.
At any rate, you be the judge and please tell me what you think. Still pretty much a draft so I will need all the feedback I can get! Please read and review! ^^
Rate: It will get a bit angsty and slow, but please don't worry. Things will pick up soon.
***********************
The last day of the week came by to see Kagome in a better mood than she had ever been in since she first stepped into Sengoku High School.
Even Inu Yasha noticed the change in Science Lab.
"Oy," said Inu Yasha as he eyed her suspiciously. "What's the matter with you this morning?"
"Nothing's the matter," she said, keeping her eyes on the beaker as she steadily added reagent X in. She failed to wipe the small smile from her lips, though.
"Has this got anything to do with what happened yesterday?" Inu Yasha persisted.
This time, Kagome turned to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Something's not right with you today," said Inu Yasha, narrowing his eyes. "This doesn't have anything to do with that idiot Fukuzawa, does it?!"
Trust him to think of it that way. But speaking of Fukuzawa Miroku…
"What happened yesterday was pretty interesting. I never thought he was really that kind of person," said Kagome, thoughtfully. She turned to look at Sango meaningfully as she sat huddled with her partner two tables away.
And Inu Yasha did not hesitate to jump to his own conclusions..
"What are you saying?!" He exploded. "You mean to say you liked what he did to you? You like those kinds of guys that much?!"
Kagome turned back to him, and said matter-of-factly, "I LOVE them!"
And she watched, exasperated, as Inu Yasha's eyes widened in shock. He stumbled away, his hands balling into fists. She could swear she heard him muttering under his breath, "is that how it IS? Is that how things ARE?!"
"Honestly, can't you tell it's just a joke?!" she called after him, annoyed. "What's it to you, anyway?"
Inu Yasha straightened up and glared at her. "Nothing!" he said before storming off.
"How could it possibly mean anything to me?" he huffed, just for good measure.
Kagome sighed, watching him move away.
From the look of things now, though, it seems he's back to his usual, unpleasant self, thought Kagome acidly.
And yet why was he there at all yesterday? And to think they had thought he had been beaten to a bloody pulp.
Did he happen to just pass by on his way home? But why so convenient?
And why would he care at all what happened to her outside school?
She turned her head slightly to look at Inu Yasha as he took his seat a few feet away from her and started pounding away at the mortar and pestle, crushing some chemical crystals into powder.
Because you're going to have to deal with ME…!
Why would he even think of saying something like that?
Kagome watched as he continued to wreak havoc with the hapless contents of the mortar, bits of crystals and powder flying in all directions.
I want to ask him so many things, but…
Inu Yasha lifted his head to find her staring at him, and effectively shattered the mood by saying, "What're you staring at? You got a problem or something?"
Kagome sighed.
"What's the point of your crushing the crystals to powder," she found herself telling him, "when you can't even get them to stay in the bowl?"
With that, she turned away.
Never mind…
************************
"You're looking all chirpy today," observed Sango dryly during lunch.
"I do?" Kagome asked as she bit into her sandwich.
"Does it have anything to do with you-know-who's appearance at the scene yesterday?" Sango asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Who? Fukuzawa-senpai?" Kagome teased back, deliberately misinterpreting her.
Bad move.
Sango's expression automatically darkened.
"Sango-chan, I'm sorry," Kagome said, wondering what had gotten into her to say such a thing. "That--that was an awful thing to say…"
"Let's leave him out of the conversation, okay?" Sango almost snapped. "We're trying to eat lunch here."
A short silence ensued as they tried to finish lunch. Then…
"The guy was a total asshole!" Sango exploded suddenly.
"He was," Kagome agreed.
What he did yesterday was totally unforgivable. Not so much to Kagome as to the person he had intended the whole show for. Kagome should by all rights be offended by what he had done to her, but she felt more sorry for Sango.
"He must be doing it for a reason," said Kagome trying to stir the conversation in such a way as to prevent Sango from sinking any deeper into it.
"The reason is obvious enough," said Sango, bitterly, as she remembered who else had been present in the café to give further motive to his actions.
Kagome briefly considered telling her his newly found merits, however lame they were, but decided against it when she saw Sango's stormy face.
After all, there was a big chance she could be wrong.
Fukuzawa may just turn out to be the usual jerk who got kicks out of seeing a girl humiliated. In the end, he could very well hurt Sango with his persistence.
But Kagome could not help but return to that scene in the sophomores' corridor a couple of days ago. There had been something there….
What was it?
It was already at the tip of her tongue…if only she could describe what she had seen on his face and heard in his voice.
She gave up with the thought temporarily and returned to the present to find Sango still seething.
"Maybe it would help if he sees you're not that affected."
"I'm NOT affected, okay?" Sango said loudly.
Kagome winced. "Erm…Okay."
What was it about certain people, that they could bind themselves to others this way? With no apology, no remorse, and no permission at all?
Against all logic, against all self-control and against all hope, how do some people just creep into one's mind and refuse to leave?
What Sango had not yet realized, and what Kagome could not bring herself to tell her was, at the rate she was going, she was already fighting a losing battle with Fukuzawa even in this early stage.
Whether Sango wanted to or not, he had gotten to her so deeply, so completely, that Sango had begun to think of him as her ruin…almost lovingly?
Well, maybe not lovingly. But there was no mistaking the passion so clearly evident in Sango where Fukuzawa Miroku was concerned.
How strange.
Could it be possible that Fukuzawa Miroku…has become Sango's precious bane?
*************************
"Inu Yasha…" Kagome said softly.
"What?" Inu Yasha said beside her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome asked, looking up from her book to find his face almost pressed against her shoulder.
Inu Yasha paused for a moment, thinking. "Copying your answers?" he said in a What-Else-Do-You-Think-I'm-Doing voice.
Kagome shut her science lab manual with a FLAP!
"Hey!" Inu Yasha said, swiping at the book unsuccessfully as Kagome moved her manual out of reach. "We're supposed to be doing this as a team! You're my lab partner!"
"We're supposed to be doing the questions on our own!" she snapped. She stood up, collected her things, and headed out the library door. "You've already copied down the experiment results!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" Inu Yasha moved to follow her, oblivious of the librarian's stares.
"Why are you being so damned difficult?" he said, catching up with her in the corridor.
"Why are you following me all the time?" Kagome hurled back.
"Give me your manual and I'll stop," he said.
Kagome shot him a lidded look. "Is that," she said, quietly, "the only thing you're after?"
Inu Yasha blinked. "Well, what else is there?" he said a bit defensively.
Fine. Ruin my day, why don't you?
"Well, what about yesterday at the café?" Kagome asked. "Don't tell me you went over there to borrow my lab manual?!"
Inu Yasha was so surprised that he sputtered for a full half minute before thinking of something good enough to say.
"Well, you should be grateful I got there in time!" He said, loudly, expertly evading the question. "Otherwise he would have been all over you!"
"At least he's very kind and attentive," gritted out Kagome. "And he doesn't treat me like I'm some ex-girlfriend he's got some unresolved gripe against!"
Kami-sama. There it was. After everything that's been said and done, it had to come back to this.
That effectively shut Inu Yasha up, and he looked away.
Oh no, you don't…!
Kagome seized him by the long white mane hanging down the sides of his ears, as well as the opportunity to take full advantage of the elusive topic. Inu Yasha's eyes went wide as they met hers.
"Look at me! This is what it's all about, isn't it?" said Kagome, angrily. "You know what? It really riles me up to think every time you see me you get reminded of her. Do you hate her so much you've got to make me her punching bag as well?"
And then unexpectedly, a pained look crossed his amber eyes, and he crushed her hand in his.
"It's not…what you think," he said, softly.
Kagome stopped, confused, as she looked into those amber depths. She could find no trace of hatred, none at all!
There were so many things to be deciphered in that look, but there was clearly none of the hatred he had made clear in his voice.
Kagome's gray eyes widened as she suddenly realized who--or what--Kikyou was to Inu Yasha. It had never occurred to her before…but the look he was giving her now had said it all.
Kagome came back just in time to realize that Inu Yasha was clutching her hand in a school corridor.
"ACK! What're you doing?!" She quickly pushed him away, embarrassed.
Whatever little happiness she had derived from the incident yesterday was gone. Dissipated by the mere memory of a girl in Inu Yasha's mind.
"Kagome…"
But before Inu Yasha could say anything else, she turned and walked quickly away.
******************************
That evening, as Kagome was lying down on her bed staring at the bleak white ceiling of her room and listening to the sounds of her younger brother Souta playing in the next room, she couldn't help but realize what people meant to each other.
Sango had her Miroku to torture her, and Inu Yasha his Kikyou.
And what about her?
Could it be possible that she, herself, now had somebody of her own to call her precious bane?
But she couldn't possibly! Inu Yasha was certainly her bane, but since when did he start becoming precious?
It just wasn't fair! Why would people want to suffer, and why couldn't they get enough? Why do they do it? Why would they want these people--the very same people who have the power to hurt them--close by? Why couldn't they let go?
Why couldn't I let go of you…Inu Yasha?
What was she saying? She thought unhappily. Now she was sounding weird.
What's really all this precious bane thing? For a while, she thought she had an idea what it was supposed to mean, but now it just wasn't clear anymore.
The phone suddenly sounded, providing a welcome distraction.
It was Sango, but she sounded different.
"Kagome? Is that you? Can we talk?"
"Yes, sure," Kagome said, sitting up quickly. "What's happening?"
There was a long pause. Then a ragged sigh as Sango fought for control.
"Kagome…I did it," she said, her voice trembling.
"Did what?"
"I've slapped him…"
*************************
*Bane-curse, irritation, annoyance
by Nana
Chapter 9
Precious Bane
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is all Rumiko Takahashi's. Certain scenes in this chapter taken from books 5 and 6.
Author's Note: The theme of this chapter is a very loose, entirely out-of- this-world (mis)interpretation of Mary Webb's excellent book with the same name. No disrespect is intended at the original novel. And please don't sue me! I admit! I admit! I borrowed the title because I thought the meaning is quite apt in describing the relationship of our characters with each other at this point.
At any rate, you be the judge and please tell me what you think. Still pretty much a draft so I will need all the feedback I can get! Please read and review! ^^
Rate: It will get a bit angsty and slow, but please don't worry. Things will pick up soon.
***********************
The last day of the week came by to see Kagome in a better mood than she had ever been in since she first stepped into Sengoku High School.
Even Inu Yasha noticed the change in Science Lab.
"Oy," said Inu Yasha as he eyed her suspiciously. "What's the matter with you this morning?"
"Nothing's the matter," she said, keeping her eyes on the beaker as she steadily added reagent X in. She failed to wipe the small smile from her lips, though.
"Has this got anything to do with what happened yesterday?" Inu Yasha persisted.
This time, Kagome turned to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Something's not right with you today," said Inu Yasha, narrowing his eyes. "This doesn't have anything to do with that idiot Fukuzawa, does it?!"
Trust him to think of it that way. But speaking of Fukuzawa Miroku…
"What happened yesterday was pretty interesting. I never thought he was really that kind of person," said Kagome, thoughtfully. She turned to look at Sango meaningfully as she sat huddled with her partner two tables away.
And Inu Yasha did not hesitate to jump to his own conclusions..
"What are you saying?!" He exploded. "You mean to say you liked what he did to you? You like those kinds of guys that much?!"
Kagome turned back to him, and said matter-of-factly, "I LOVE them!"
And she watched, exasperated, as Inu Yasha's eyes widened in shock. He stumbled away, his hands balling into fists. She could swear she heard him muttering under his breath, "is that how it IS? Is that how things ARE?!"
"Honestly, can't you tell it's just a joke?!" she called after him, annoyed. "What's it to you, anyway?"
Inu Yasha straightened up and glared at her. "Nothing!" he said before storming off.
"How could it possibly mean anything to me?" he huffed, just for good measure.
Kagome sighed, watching him move away.
From the look of things now, though, it seems he's back to his usual, unpleasant self, thought Kagome acidly.
And yet why was he there at all yesterday? And to think they had thought he had been beaten to a bloody pulp.
Did he happen to just pass by on his way home? But why so convenient?
And why would he care at all what happened to her outside school?
She turned her head slightly to look at Inu Yasha as he took his seat a few feet away from her and started pounding away at the mortar and pestle, crushing some chemical crystals into powder.
Because you're going to have to deal with ME…!
Why would he even think of saying something like that?
Kagome watched as he continued to wreak havoc with the hapless contents of the mortar, bits of crystals and powder flying in all directions.
I want to ask him so many things, but…
Inu Yasha lifted his head to find her staring at him, and effectively shattered the mood by saying, "What're you staring at? You got a problem or something?"
Kagome sighed.
"What's the point of your crushing the crystals to powder," she found herself telling him, "when you can't even get them to stay in the bowl?"
With that, she turned away.
Never mind…
************************
"You're looking all chirpy today," observed Sango dryly during lunch.
"I do?" Kagome asked as she bit into her sandwich.
"Does it have anything to do with you-know-who's appearance at the scene yesterday?" Sango asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Who? Fukuzawa-senpai?" Kagome teased back, deliberately misinterpreting her.
Bad move.
Sango's expression automatically darkened.
"Sango-chan, I'm sorry," Kagome said, wondering what had gotten into her to say such a thing. "That--that was an awful thing to say…"
"Let's leave him out of the conversation, okay?" Sango almost snapped. "We're trying to eat lunch here."
A short silence ensued as they tried to finish lunch. Then…
"The guy was a total asshole!" Sango exploded suddenly.
"He was," Kagome agreed.
What he did yesterday was totally unforgivable. Not so much to Kagome as to the person he had intended the whole show for. Kagome should by all rights be offended by what he had done to her, but she felt more sorry for Sango.
"He must be doing it for a reason," said Kagome trying to stir the conversation in such a way as to prevent Sango from sinking any deeper into it.
"The reason is obvious enough," said Sango, bitterly, as she remembered who else had been present in the café to give further motive to his actions.
Kagome briefly considered telling her his newly found merits, however lame they were, but decided against it when she saw Sango's stormy face.
After all, there was a big chance she could be wrong.
Fukuzawa may just turn out to be the usual jerk who got kicks out of seeing a girl humiliated. In the end, he could very well hurt Sango with his persistence.
But Kagome could not help but return to that scene in the sophomores' corridor a couple of days ago. There had been something there….
What was it?
It was already at the tip of her tongue…if only she could describe what she had seen on his face and heard in his voice.
She gave up with the thought temporarily and returned to the present to find Sango still seething.
"Maybe it would help if he sees you're not that affected."
"I'm NOT affected, okay?" Sango said loudly.
Kagome winced. "Erm…Okay."
What was it about certain people, that they could bind themselves to others this way? With no apology, no remorse, and no permission at all?
Against all logic, against all self-control and against all hope, how do some people just creep into one's mind and refuse to leave?
What Sango had not yet realized, and what Kagome could not bring herself to tell her was, at the rate she was going, she was already fighting a losing battle with Fukuzawa even in this early stage.
Whether Sango wanted to or not, he had gotten to her so deeply, so completely, that Sango had begun to think of him as her ruin…almost lovingly?
Well, maybe not lovingly. But there was no mistaking the passion so clearly evident in Sango where Fukuzawa Miroku was concerned.
How strange.
Could it be possible that Fukuzawa Miroku…has become Sango's precious bane?
*************************
"Inu Yasha…" Kagome said softly.
"What?" Inu Yasha said beside her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome asked, looking up from her book to find his face almost pressed against her shoulder.
Inu Yasha paused for a moment, thinking. "Copying your answers?" he said in a What-Else-Do-You-Think-I'm-Doing voice.
Kagome shut her science lab manual with a FLAP!
"Hey!" Inu Yasha said, swiping at the book unsuccessfully as Kagome moved her manual out of reach. "We're supposed to be doing this as a team! You're my lab partner!"
"We're supposed to be doing the questions on our own!" she snapped. She stood up, collected her things, and headed out the library door. "You've already copied down the experiment results!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" Inu Yasha moved to follow her, oblivious of the librarian's stares.
"Why are you being so damned difficult?" he said, catching up with her in the corridor.
"Why are you following me all the time?" Kagome hurled back.
"Give me your manual and I'll stop," he said.
Kagome shot him a lidded look. "Is that," she said, quietly, "the only thing you're after?"
Inu Yasha blinked. "Well, what else is there?" he said a bit defensively.
Fine. Ruin my day, why don't you?
"Well, what about yesterday at the café?" Kagome asked. "Don't tell me you went over there to borrow my lab manual?!"
Inu Yasha was so surprised that he sputtered for a full half minute before thinking of something good enough to say.
"Well, you should be grateful I got there in time!" He said, loudly, expertly evading the question. "Otherwise he would have been all over you!"
"At least he's very kind and attentive," gritted out Kagome. "And he doesn't treat me like I'm some ex-girlfriend he's got some unresolved gripe against!"
Kami-sama. There it was. After everything that's been said and done, it had to come back to this.
That effectively shut Inu Yasha up, and he looked away.
Oh no, you don't…!
Kagome seized him by the long white mane hanging down the sides of his ears, as well as the opportunity to take full advantage of the elusive topic. Inu Yasha's eyes went wide as they met hers.
"Look at me! This is what it's all about, isn't it?" said Kagome, angrily. "You know what? It really riles me up to think every time you see me you get reminded of her. Do you hate her so much you've got to make me her punching bag as well?"
And then unexpectedly, a pained look crossed his amber eyes, and he crushed her hand in his.
"It's not…what you think," he said, softly.
Kagome stopped, confused, as she looked into those amber depths. She could find no trace of hatred, none at all!
There were so many things to be deciphered in that look, but there was clearly none of the hatred he had made clear in his voice.
Kagome's gray eyes widened as she suddenly realized who--or what--Kikyou was to Inu Yasha. It had never occurred to her before…but the look he was giving her now had said it all.
Kagome came back just in time to realize that Inu Yasha was clutching her hand in a school corridor.
"ACK! What're you doing?!" She quickly pushed him away, embarrassed.
Whatever little happiness she had derived from the incident yesterday was gone. Dissipated by the mere memory of a girl in Inu Yasha's mind.
"Kagome…"
But before Inu Yasha could say anything else, she turned and walked quickly away.
******************************
That evening, as Kagome was lying down on her bed staring at the bleak white ceiling of her room and listening to the sounds of her younger brother Souta playing in the next room, she couldn't help but realize what people meant to each other.
Sango had her Miroku to torture her, and Inu Yasha his Kikyou.
And what about her?
Could it be possible that she, herself, now had somebody of her own to call her precious bane?
But she couldn't possibly! Inu Yasha was certainly her bane, but since when did he start becoming precious?
It just wasn't fair! Why would people want to suffer, and why couldn't they get enough? Why do they do it? Why would they want these people--the very same people who have the power to hurt them--close by? Why couldn't they let go?
Why couldn't I let go of you…Inu Yasha?
What was she saying? She thought unhappily. Now she was sounding weird.
What's really all this precious bane thing? For a while, she thought she had an idea what it was supposed to mean, but now it just wasn't clear anymore.
The phone suddenly sounded, providing a welcome distraction.
It was Sango, but she sounded different.
"Kagome? Is that you? Can we talk?"
"Yes, sure," Kagome said, sitting up quickly. "What's happening?"
There was a long pause. Then a ragged sigh as Sango fought for control.
"Kagome…I did it," she said, her voice trembling.
"Did what?"
"I've slapped him…"
*************************
*Bane-curse, irritation, annoyance