Dokyusei
by
Nana
Chapter 12
Masks
****************************
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha ain't mine (although I wish he were!).
Author's Note: WHEEE~~!!! I'm back! Bwahahaha…! Honestly, I think the past month has driven me insane at last! Oh well, to get away from it all, here's another chapter, this time in Inu Yasha's POV (well, this and the next chapter). Expect a bit of strong language and possible mistakes with details concerning Kendo (man, this part was the hardest thing to do in this chapter! Things might get too technical! Gomen in advance).
A glossary of Kendo terms as well as Internet sources are at the bottom of the page, although I must stress that all possible mistakes are mine. Whatever happens, I do hope you will enjoy! Please read and review! ^^
****************************
Monday dawned cold and wet.
Sheets of rain fell steadily over the city, muffling the sounds of a beginning weekday to a gentle, persistent murmur of raindrops.
Plush, plush, plush…
Ick! Kagome thought, grimacing as she hurried along the wet sidewalk on the way to school. If she were not careful, her shoes and socks would be thoroughly wet by the time she got to class.
Why does it have to rain? She thought, glumly, clutching her umbrella.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Through the sound of rain, Kagome didn't realize the call was directed at her until it was repeated. She turned back to look at the insolent caller, annoyed.
She should have known.
Inu Yasha came bounding up, his white hair gleaming with droplets of rain, a long, carefully wrapped package on his back.
"Watch it!" Kagome snapped, avoiding the splash of water his feet made as Inu Yasha ducked under her umbrella.
"Great timing!" He said in an unusual bout of good mood. "I thought I was going to drown in this downpour!"
Kagome eyed him sourly. "Well, you should have brought an umbrella along!"
"No time for that!" said Inu Yasha, taking off his bundle and looking at it tenderly. "Took me a while to take care of this!"
Kagome peered at him curiously before shifting her gaze on the package as they resumed walking. "What is it?" she asked.
"My shinai," he announced proudly. "It's my first day at Kendo Club."
"You're joining Kendo?" Kagome couldn't believe Inu Yasha would think to join anything remotely resembling a school club.
Inu Yasha gave her an oblique look. "You make it sound so uncool," he said.
Strangely enough, there was a hint of a smile on his lips.
Kagome stared, not sure if she were seeing things. Was he really trying to make conversation?
"No!" said Kagome, beginning to smile in spite of herself. "It's just, I never thought, you know, you and Kendo--"
"What?" demanded Inu Yasha, trying to look offended. "You never thought I'd be in for Kendo? My father practically trained me!"
Kagome blinked at Inu Yasha, dumbfounded. What was it with him this morning? He had never been this chatty before. At least, he had never treated her like this before.
Is he like this when he's trying to be… nice? wondered Kagome.
They continued to walk silently for a few seconds, the moment becoming awkward as Inu Yasha realized he had said more than he had intended.
"I mean…" Inu Yasha attempted to sound casual, trying to make the best out of his blurted statement. "That was when he was alive…so…that was a long time ago…"
He trailed off, beginning to look uncomfortable.
Kagome merely nodded, not sure what to say.
Their eyes met for one brief instant, and Inu Yasha looked away quickly. In that one instant, the fragile bubble that seemed to envelop them for a few moments burst.
Kagome could almost feel the change coming over him, like a curtain falling over his features--a mask falling into place. When he spoke next, it seemed that he had returned to his normal self.
"Ha!" he said, beginning to smirk as he looked straight ahead. "Of course, I have to get past the qualification round, but that will be a cinch. After I pass that--"
"They've got a qualification round?"
"Sure," said Inu Yasha impatiently. "It's because they've got so many applicants. At any rate, I'm sure it'll be a breeze."
It seemed as though the Inu Yasha she had been talking to earlier had vanished completely, leaving her with an annoying stranger--no, not a stranger. The one earlier had been the stranger.
The person before her now was the Inu Yasha Kagome had come to know in the past week. The one whose views she wasn't sure she could happily share. The one she had promised herself she was going to torture.
"Don't you think you'd better put a low profile, especially since that Kendo Club president has you marked?" she asked.
"Who? Sesshou Maru? HA!" said Inu Yasha. "He doesn't own the damn club."
Kagome regarded him with lidded eyes.
Well, if he was being foolhardy, it wasn't really her place to warn him so. Besides, didn't she have an agreement with Sango that she was going to torture this guy? Yet here she was! For a moment there she felt she was going to melt because they had a few minutes of decent conversation!
A decent conversation until he had to remember his role and act like a jerk, that was.
Kagome sighed.
"Honestly, why do you want to join Kendo?" she asked a little flatly.
"Are you kidding?" Inu Yasha couldn't believe his ears. "This is what I've always wanted to do!"
"Yeah? But why?"
"What do you mean why?" Inu Yasha stared at Kagome, genuinely bewildered. "It's the way of the sword--it's a fighting skill! It's a-- umm…"
He fixed Kagome with an exasperated look, not sure if she was doing this just to annoy him.
And he wouldn't be entirely wrong on that one, either, thought Kagome acidly. She wouldn't be surprised at all if he was learning Kendo to beat other people up.
"Hmph. And I was prepared to be impressed if you were going to say you're learning Kendo so you can protect people," she muttered.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" he spluttered before his eyes grew round with sudden understanding. "Oh, I get it. You mean, like protect you from--let's say--Kouga?"
Where did THAT come from????
Kagome stopped walking abruptly, her face turning red, a small vein beginning to pop on her temple.
Unfortunately, Inu Yasha did not appear to notice.
"Feh! Listen, you!" he continued. "I'm going to be a famous swordsman one day. The sword skill I'm learning is not going to be used to protect the likes of you, so get real! H-HEY!!!"
All of a sudden Inu Yasha was left standing in the rain, and further moves to get himself under the sanctuary of the umbrella were repelled with surprising vigor.
"Don't you come near me or this umbrella, you wretch!" Kagome threw over her shoulder as she hurried off into the gates of the school.
She was a fool to lower her defenses and think he would turn nice. Boy, she was really going to enjoy torturing this guy. Now, if only she had a plan…
************************
"That jerk," agreed Sango sympathetically as she listened to Kagome's account.
They were sitting at the back of the classroom at recess.
"Where is he, by the way?" Sango turned around to scan the room for the culprit.
"I'm sure he's showing off his swords somewhere," said Kagome, bitterly.
"To whom?" Sango asked with an arched brow. It was pretty well known Inu Yasha had no friends.
"Sango, we've got to start devising a plan," said Kagome.
At this point, Sango turned to her with a strange expression. "Do you really, really mean that, Kagome?" she asked. "Back in the mall, I thought you were just saying it to make me feel better. Are you sure you're going to go through with this?"
"Well, yeah. I'm sure."
"Okay then. I've got just the person for you," she said, beginning to smile.
*************************
The person Sango had in mind turned out to be her lab partner. A tall, nice-looking boy with short brown hair and an easy smile. Now what was his name again?
"Kagome-chan, this is Houjo-kun. Houjo-kun, Higurashi-kun," said Sango a bit too loudly as she made the intro before Science Lab could start.
She stared pointedly at Inu Yasha, who was seated a few feet away from Kagome. He did not seem to have heard, though. He was too busy looking at the contents of the cylindrical package he had brought with him to the lab table.
"It's so nice to meet you, Higurashi-kun," said Houjo pleasantly.
Kagome could only nod and smile wanly.
This was it? This was the person Sango wanted to introduce to her? She's kidding, right?!
She stole a look at Inu Yasha, and sighed. He did not even appear to have noticed the small exchange.
Sango caught her look and sighed as well.
"Well, I know he's kind of lame, but…well, he's a start," Sango said in an undertone as Houjo said his pleasantries and left. "He's very friendly and responsible, and he's been asking me all sorts of questions about you."
"Sango…"
"Just give this a shot," urged Sango. "It doesn't mean you have to like him or anything."
Kagome sighed, not sure if this was a good idea after all.
***********************
"Higurashi!"
Kagome turned to see Houjo approach them as they made their way back to their homeroom after Science Lab.
Inu Yasha, who was trailing behind, finally took notice and frowned.
About time…! Kagome thought, sighing. Beside her, Sango smiled encouragingly.
Kagome attempted a bright smile at Houjo's direction. "Hai?"
"That was some session, huh?" Houjo said. "Imagine Myouga-sensei asking us to do overtime for Experiment 3?"
"Yeah. That was some session alright." Kagome was not at all keen on staying an extra hour or two after school just to assemble a complicated lab apparatus for the upcoming experiment, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She and Inu Yasha had already fought over it while still in the lab.
"What do you mean after classes TODAY???" He had bellowed. "I've got KENDO practice, remember?!"
"Oh right, I forgot all about your Kendo practice," Kagome had said sarcastically. "Assuming you can get IN the club!"
That had turned out badly.
So now they were not on speaking terms. Again.
It also meant Kagome would be left to do the set-up all by herself later.
"Well, I--that is, Mikagi-kun and I--are going to assemble our apparatus later too, so--" Houjo trailed off, throwing a cautious look at Inu Yasha, who was now glowering at him. Apparently, Houjo had caught the gist of her argument with Inu Yasha earlier.
Houjo turned back to Kagome with a look of purpose in his eyes. "If you need any help," he said.
Kagome smiled, unable to keep the admiration from her voice. "Arigatou, Houjo-kun."
"You see, Kagome-chan?" said Sango happily as they entered the classroom. "I told you he's really nice."
"Yeah." Kagome could not help but feel her stomach lurch at the thought of using a guy as nice as Hojou as an instrument in her war against Inu Yasha.
*********************
The moment the bell rang to signify the end of classes that afternoon, Inu Yasha slung his shinai over his shoulder and prepared to leave.
Only, he had one tiny problem.
His feet were refusing to obey.
He remained rooted beside his table, his feet refusing to walk, refusing to put as much distance as they can between him and the girl who was stuffing her books back in her bag next to him.
What the hell…? He thought, exasperated. There was no way he was going to do what a small, treacherous part of his mind was urging him to do the whole day.
No way!
"Oi," he finally said.
Shit!
Kagome did not turn, but he saw her stiffen. That was good enough.
"You sure you'll be alright with the lab thing?" The words came out in a rush, as if he were trying to get them out of his system as quickly as he could before he could die with the shame of having to say them.
So there. He did it.
He could feel goosebumps breaking out on his arm, and he fought to supress a shudder.
Man, this was soooooo UNCOOL!!! He did not have to do this! Why would he want to stoop so low???
Kagome threw him an acid look. "As if it will mean anything to you," she said in a voice matching her expression.
Well, that's right! He thought, agreeing with her heartily. I can't possibly care less! Just because I asked doesn't mean I care or anything…right?
"Why can't we just do it tomorrow?" He found himself asking, much to his mortification.
Kagome slammed her bag down on her table. "Look," she said. "I don't have to go around hanging onto your schedule, okay? I don't want to do this tomorrow, or any other day! I want it over and done with! If you can't make it today, fine. I don't need any further aggravation from you!"
"Kagome!" Sango called from the doorway where she was waiting with Houjo.
"Feh!" he managed to say, relieved to find that the brief exchange had successfully convinced his feet to get going. "That's totally fine with me."
With that, he turned and went off before Kagome could even move.
There was no way he was going to go through the task of seeing her walk out on him. Not again.
He did not think he could bear it.
*********************
Inu Yasha sighed as he made for the Kendo Club, whose lair was in the basement of the building. Outside, the rain continued to fall, casting a gray, somber mood around the rapidly emptying corridor.
And to think he had been excited earlier on.
I don't need any further aggravation from you…
The girl's words kept coming back to haunt him.
Was that what he was to her? A nuisance? A fly she could swat away?
Baka! He shouted at himself. Since when did he start to regard her as anything important anyway?
How many times did he have to feel this strange, lancing pain deep inside him every time she turned and stalked off? And yet, he could not bear to have her so close to him, either. He could not help but like how she smiled, and yet he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off her face.
It was all so weird, this irresistible urge to get near her and run away from her at the same time.
After what he had gone through the last few weeks, he could never bring himself to trust another girl ever again.
So how could this girl make things so difficult?
And what was that nicey-nicey shithead Houjo doing hanging around her all of a sudden? The sudden appearance of Houjo, like Kouga and Fukuzawa before him, infuriated Inu Yasha. And as usual, he refused to ask himself why.
Even then, a wave of fury passed over him as a thought, unbidden, came crashing into his mind: Is Houjo the type of guy Kagome would go for? The nice, squeaky clean, dweeby guy who made him want to puke?
Get a grip!!!! He thought, roughly pushing the unwelcome thought away.
So what if he was? So what if Kagome liked the Houjos of this world? He-- Inu Yasha-- couldn't care less, remember?!
IdontcareIdontcareidontcareIdontcare…!
And yet…
He could sense that something was up, and he had a feeling Mikagi Sango was in on the whole game. After all, Houjo was her lab partner, wasn't he? At the very least, she should know what was going on.
Well, then, he had better have a talk with Mikagi soon.
But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He was nearing the doors of the Kendo Club. Very soon, he was going to learn just how much shit he was going to take in pursuit of a dream.
***********************
A distinct chill awaited him the minute he stepped inside.
Everybody seemed to know he was coming.
People in the middle of warm-up practice paused to stare. The older members, presumably Sesshou Maru's co-seniors, regarded him with narrowed eyes.
A small, fidgety sophomore--what was his name again? Moriyama Jaken?--came bustling up, regarding him with malevolent, pop-out eyes.
"You've got some nerve showing up in the middle of warm-up practice, Nishi Inu Yasha," he greeted the newcomer. "You expect us to accept you with this kind of attitude?"
"It's only five minutes after three!" Inu Yasha protested, indicating his watch.
"You're five minutes late!" Moriyama spat. "That's one point off your qualification grade! Put your practice clothes on! You will be having your shiai qualification match with Kamigata after stretching exercises."
For a split second, Inu Yasha considered putting his foot through the toad's face. That, of course, would mean he would be kicked out of this club faster than he could say "unfair".
But this was what he was expecting, wasn't it? The fact that Sesshou Maru was nowhere to be found was already a big plus (not--Inu Yasha thought with a huff--that he was afraid of that bighead idiot or anything), but it seemed he had endorsed Inu Yasha's case to his officers very well.
Inu Yasha changed into his kendogi and hakama, and quickly made his way back to the practice area.
After stretching, the kendoka all assembled themselves at the sides to watch his qualification match. Kamigata, a nasty-looking hulk in kendo clothes, stood in the middle of the fencing mat, shinai in hand. He had put on his helmet and armor. Inu Yasha took one look and frowned.
What the hell…? What was that idiot doing, getting himself overdressed for a mere qualification round with an applicant? He never realized he had them scared this badly!
Do they treat all beginners this way? Inu Yasha thought, starting to smirk. Most probably not. They must be pretty eager to dig out a reason to expel him this early.
Inu Yasha took a sweeping look at all the hushed, still faces, and realized he was definitely not going to get a fair trial. Not when Moriyama was going to act as referee. But what the hell…
"Put on your gear, Nishi," Kamigata said, smirking. "Unless you want to leave this place in pieces."
Snickers from the seniors.
Inu Yasha opened his mouth to let fly a snide remark, thought better of it, and strapped on his armor as Moriyama rattled off the requirements. "Ten minutes. The first to score two points wins." Curt and succinct.
Wasn't he going to tell him the point system and everything else as befitting a beginner's qualification round?
Of course not! Because they've got everything planned, haven't they? Inu Yasha thought, his grim smile widening behind his mask. And it's not as if he needed telling, anyway…
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well show them what kind of applicant they were throwing away.
When they were ready, both kendoka assumed the chudan position and, after Moriyama's signal, began their attack.
**********************
"This is a lot harder than we thought," puffed Houjo as he and Sango tried to get their apparatus pieces to fit.
"Careful," gritted Sango. "One wrong move and we say bye-bye to all this glass!"
"There! It's finished!"
Kagome sighed, gazing at her own unfinished set-up.
Well, this is all his fault, she thought furiously. While she was having trouble fixing this thing up, HE was out there enjoying Kendo and bashing people in.
I should really have a word with Myouga-sensei, Kagome thought, darkly.
"Here, let me help you with that, Higurashi-kun," offered Houjo.
"No--really, I--"
"Don't be silly," he said, smiling as he took the glass tube from Kagome.
Kagome shot Sango a look. Sango merely shrugged, smiling.
This was not going to do…
Kagome went over to Sango. "I can't do this, Sango-chan," she said in a low tone. "Tell him to go away."
"Kagome--"
"He's too nice. I--it's not going to be fair," Kagome went on.
Sango stared at her. "You don't like him?" she asked.
"It's not that. I just don't like thinking he may get in trouble on my account."
"You mean, Inu Yasha might turn on him? Dot you think Houjo has not thought about that?--oh, all right. Fine whatever," Sango said, shaking her head at Kagome's querulous look. "Only, if you must know, he begged me to introduce him to you, so…"
Kagome stared as Sango nodded her head. "Yep. He did. And any move he has made is entirely his idea."
Sango paused. "He really seems to like you, Kagome-chan," she said finally. "But of course, it's all up to you. Don't get pressured, okay?"
Aloud, she said, "Houjo-kun, I have to get going."
"Oh. Okay. See you tomorrow," Houjo called from Kagome's table. He made no indication to leave.
Sango shot Kagome a See-What-I-Mean look.
"Houjo-kun, thanks for the help, but I think I've got it all figured now," said Kagome, attempting to smile politely. "I'll see you tomorrow as well."
Houjo blinked. "Oh. But you know, I can stay a while…" he began.
"I'll be fine. Thanks."
"Okay…well, see you tomorrow then…"
"Don't stay up too late, Kagome," called Sango. "I'll call you later okay?"
With that, Kagome was left to her own devices.
***********************
WHAP! THUD! WHAP!!!!
"Kiai!!!" Kamigata shouted as his shinai sped through the air, but it whizzed past the target area of Inu Yasha's armor without making contact.
WHAP! WHAPPPP!!!
Ten minutes were almost up and both players had not yet reached a point. But what was making Kamigata sweat was the fact that this freshman had the gall to reach ten minutes with him without being beaten to a pulp. In fact, he had not been able to touch him!
Moriyama swore silently. "C'mon, c'mon, Kamigata! What's the matter with you?" he said under his breath.
The boss was not going to like this at all! He had told Kamigata specifically to wrap things up in less than two minutes! To wrap things up before he arrived!
"Ha!" He called at random in a desperate act to derail Inu Yasha's concentration. "What kind of swordplay is THAT, Nishi?!"
"What" came a quiet, smooth voice behind Jaken, "is the meaning of this?"
Jaken could feel the hairs on his nape stand on end.
"Se-Sesshou Maru-sama!!!" He cried as he whipped around and bowed low, panic coursing through him. "G-gomenasai!"
Sesshou Maru was already dressed in his practice clothes, his arms crossed on his chest and a faint frown of displeasure on his brows. Standing behind the trembling Jaken, he towered over him. Everybody turned to regard him with curiosity and unease.
"Didn't I say under two minutes?"
"Y-yes, but--shall we call it off now?" Jaken asked hopefully.
Sesshou Maru paused for a minute. "No," he said finally. "I want to see what he's got."
The sparring match continued.
WHIP! WHAP! THUD! WHAPPPP! Shinai flew through the air in a blur.
"KIAIIII~~~!" Inu Yasha suddenly yelled as a chance finally came and he made for Kamigata's throat armor.
"That's enough!" called Sesshou Maru as he started forward.
Wha---?!!
That effectively shattered Inu Yasha's move. The kendoka broke apart from each other.
Sesshou Maru continued to advance to the center of the mat, as implacable as an advancing storm.
"Sesshou Maru sama!" Kamigata heaved, his sweating face turning a sick, off- white color.
"Two hundred subari strokes now, and practice with the kouhai for a week," Sesshou Maru said effortlessly without even looking at him.
He continued to stare at Inu Yasha intently. If looks could kill, Inu Yasha would have been dead by now.
Finally he said, "Take the men off. You are not even fit to wear armor yet."
He began to pace around Inu Yasha as the younger boy took off the helmet and the steel cage that protected his face. "The manner of your movements and sword technique is…disappointing, to say the very least. Over the years, you have collected nothing but a string of bad habits when it comes to the sword. I'd say you've got some more months to go with the basics before you can get anywhere."
Inu Yasha met his stare squarely. "Feh! Does it mean I passed the qualifications?"
Sesshou Maru stopped in front of him.
"What makes you think," asked Sesshou Maru, allowing a small, dangerous smile to start at the corner of his mouth, "that it's all over?"
***********************
Vocabulary: (unfortunately, there are lots of terms in this chapter!)
bokken-wooden sword (used in more advanced classes in Kendo)
chuddan-the basic position of Kendo-- The shinai is held two-handed in
the middle of the body with the arms in a relaxed position; the left
hand is behind the right. The tip points to the opponent's throat. The
back is straight, the hips are cocked and the kendoka faces his opponent
squarely.
kendoka-students/players of Kendo
kendogi-a heavy cotton tunic that serves as the upper garment that kendoka wear (hakama would be the divided, pleated skirt that serves as the lower garment)
KIAIIII!!!- The kendoka must kiai with the name of the point as he attacks, showing
both spirit and intent (did I get this right???)
kouhai-under classmen
men-helmet (more terms are used to describe the various parts of the Kendo armor--for more info, pls. check with the website below)
shinai- the basic sword of Beginner's Kendo, made of bamboo
shiai- sort of a combat practice with an opponent
subari-basic practice strokes done with the shinai as part of warm-up or (to insult Kamigata) Beginner's practice
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Sources lifted from (1) interesting discourses entitled "A Kendo Primer" by Neil Gendzwil and "A Kendo Tutorial" by Sarah Winters--lifted from an internet search.
(2) a more extensive Kendo glossary at http://www.rain.org/~galvan/kndohome.html
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Last note: I have taken the liberty of giving Inu Yasha a surname! Not an original tactic, as I realize some fics on ff.net have used this technique, but I agree it puts a nice touch to things. At least, it's a way for Sesshou Maru to distance himself from his accursed relation when in public! Nishi--meaning West--stands for Inu Yasha's father being Lord Youkai of the Western Lands.
*************************
by
Nana
Chapter 12
Masks
****************************
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha ain't mine (although I wish he were!).
Author's Note: WHEEE~~!!! I'm back! Bwahahaha…! Honestly, I think the past month has driven me insane at last! Oh well, to get away from it all, here's another chapter, this time in Inu Yasha's POV (well, this and the next chapter). Expect a bit of strong language and possible mistakes with details concerning Kendo (man, this part was the hardest thing to do in this chapter! Things might get too technical! Gomen in advance).
A glossary of Kendo terms as well as Internet sources are at the bottom of the page, although I must stress that all possible mistakes are mine. Whatever happens, I do hope you will enjoy! Please read and review! ^^
****************************
Monday dawned cold and wet.
Sheets of rain fell steadily over the city, muffling the sounds of a beginning weekday to a gentle, persistent murmur of raindrops.
Plush, plush, plush…
Ick! Kagome thought, grimacing as she hurried along the wet sidewalk on the way to school. If she were not careful, her shoes and socks would be thoroughly wet by the time she got to class.
Why does it have to rain? She thought, glumly, clutching her umbrella.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Through the sound of rain, Kagome didn't realize the call was directed at her until it was repeated. She turned back to look at the insolent caller, annoyed.
She should have known.
Inu Yasha came bounding up, his white hair gleaming with droplets of rain, a long, carefully wrapped package on his back.
"Watch it!" Kagome snapped, avoiding the splash of water his feet made as Inu Yasha ducked under her umbrella.
"Great timing!" He said in an unusual bout of good mood. "I thought I was going to drown in this downpour!"
Kagome eyed him sourly. "Well, you should have brought an umbrella along!"
"No time for that!" said Inu Yasha, taking off his bundle and looking at it tenderly. "Took me a while to take care of this!"
Kagome peered at him curiously before shifting her gaze on the package as they resumed walking. "What is it?" she asked.
"My shinai," he announced proudly. "It's my first day at Kendo Club."
"You're joining Kendo?" Kagome couldn't believe Inu Yasha would think to join anything remotely resembling a school club.
Inu Yasha gave her an oblique look. "You make it sound so uncool," he said.
Strangely enough, there was a hint of a smile on his lips.
Kagome stared, not sure if she were seeing things. Was he really trying to make conversation?
"No!" said Kagome, beginning to smile in spite of herself. "It's just, I never thought, you know, you and Kendo--"
"What?" demanded Inu Yasha, trying to look offended. "You never thought I'd be in for Kendo? My father practically trained me!"
Kagome blinked at Inu Yasha, dumbfounded. What was it with him this morning? He had never been this chatty before. At least, he had never treated her like this before.
Is he like this when he's trying to be… nice? wondered Kagome.
They continued to walk silently for a few seconds, the moment becoming awkward as Inu Yasha realized he had said more than he had intended.
"I mean…" Inu Yasha attempted to sound casual, trying to make the best out of his blurted statement. "That was when he was alive…so…that was a long time ago…"
He trailed off, beginning to look uncomfortable.
Kagome merely nodded, not sure what to say.
Their eyes met for one brief instant, and Inu Yasha looked away quickly. In that one instant, the fragile bubble that seemed to envelop them for a few moments burst.
Kagome could almost feel the change coming over him, like a curtain falling over his features--a mask falling into place. When he spoke next, it seemed that he had returned to his normal self.
"Ha!" he said, beginning to smirk as he looked straight ahead. "Of course, I have to get past the qualification round, but that will be a cinch. After I pass that--"
"They've got a qualification round?"
"Sure," said Inu Yasha impatiently. "It's because they've got so many applicants. At any rate, I'm sure it'll be a breeze."
It seemed as though the Inu Yasha she had been talking to earlier had vanished completely, leaving her with an annoying stranger--no, not a stranger. The one earlier had been the stranger.
The person before her now was the Inu Yasha Kagome had come to know in the past week. The one whose views she wasn't sure she could happily share. The one she had promised herself she was going to torture.
"Don't you think you'd better put a low profile, especially since that Kendo Club president has you marked?" she asked.
"Who? Sesshou Maru? HA!" said Inu Yasha. "He doesn't own the damn club."
Kagome regarded him with lidded eyes.
Well, if he was being foolhardy, it wasn't really her place to warn him so. Besides, didn't she have an agreement with Sango that she was going to torture this guy? Yet here she was! For a moment there she felt she was going to melt because they had a few minutes of decent conversation!
A decent conversation until he had to remember his role and act like a jerk, that was.
Kagome sighed.
"Honestly, why do you want to join Kendo?" she asked a little flatly.
"Are you kidding?" Inu Yasha couldn't believe his ears. "This is what I've always wanted to do!"
"Yeah? But why?"
"What do you mean why?" Inu Yasha stared at Kagome, genuinely bewildered. "It's the way of the sword--it's a fighting skill! It's a-- umm…"
He fixed Kagome with an exasperated look, not sure if she was doing this just to annoy him.
And he wouldn't be entirely wrong on that one, either, thought Kagome acidly. She wouldn't be surprised at all if he was learning Kendo to beat other people up.
"Hmph. And I was prepared to be impressed if you were going to say you're learning Kendo so you can protect people," she muttered.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" he spluttered before his eyes grew round with sudden understanding. "Oh, I get it. You mean, like protect you from--let's say--Kouga?"
Where did THAT come from????
Kagome stopped walking abruptly, her face turning red, a small vein beginning to pop on her temple.
Unfortunately, Inu Yasha did not appear to notice.
"Feh! Listen, you!" he continued. "I'm going to be a famous swordsman one day. The sword skill I'm learning is not going to be used to protect the likes of you, so get real! H-HEY!!!"
All of a sudden Inu Yasha was left standing in the rain, and further moves to get himself under the sanctuary of the umbrella were repelled with surprising vigor.
"Don't you come near me or this umbrella, you wretch!" Kagome threw over her shoulder as she hurried off into the gates of the school.
She was a fool to lower her defenses and think he would turn nice. Boy, she was really going to enjoy torturing this guy. Now, if only she had a plan…
************************
"That jerk," agreed Sango sympathetically as she listened to Kagome's account.
They were sitting at the back of the classroom at recess.
"Where is he, by the way?" Sango turned around to scan the room for the culprit.
"I'm sure he's showing off his swords somewhere," said Kagome, bitterly.
"To whom?" Sango asked with an arched brow. It was pretty well known Inu Yasha had no friends.
"Sango, we've got to start devising a plan," said Kagome.
At this point, Sango turned to her with a strange expression. "Do you really, really mean that, Kagome?" she asked. "Back in the mall, I thought you were just saying it to make me feel better. Are you sure you're going to go through with this?"
"Well, yeah. I'm sure."
"Okay then. I've got just the person for you," she said, beginning to smile.
*************************
The person Sango had in mind turned out to be her lab partner. A tall, nice-looking boy with short brown hair and an easy smile. Now what was his name again?
"Kagome-chan, this is Houjo-kun. Houjo-kun, Higurashi-kun," said Sango a bit too loudly as she made the intro before Science Lab could start.
She stared pointedly at Inu Yasha, who was seated a few feet away from Kagome. He did not seem to have heard, though. He was too busy looking at the contents of the cylindrical package he had brought with him to the lab table.
"It's so nice to meet you, Higurashi-kun," said Houjo pleasantly.
Kagome could only nod and smile wanly.
This was it? This was the person Sango wanted to introduce to her? She's kidding, right?!
She stole a look at Inu Yasha, and sighed. He did not even appear to have noticed the small exchange.
Sango caught her look and sighed as well.
"Well, I know he's kind of lame, but…well, he's a start," Sango said in an undertone as Houjo said his pleasantries and left. "He's very friendly and responsible, and he's been asking me all sorts of questions about you."
"Sango…"
"Just give this a shot," urged Sango. "It doesn't mean you have to like him or anything."
Kagome sighed, not sure if this was a good idea after all.
***********************
"Higurashi!"
Kagome turned to see Houjo approach them as they made their way back to their homeroom after Science Lab.
Inu Yasha, who was trailing behind, finally took notice and frowned.
About time…! Kagome thought, sighing. Beside her, Sango smiled encouragingly.
Kagome attempted a bright smile at Houjo's direction. "Hai?"
"That was some session, huh?" Houjo said. "Imagine Myouga-sensei asking us to do overtime for Experiment 3?"
"Yeah. That was some session alright." Kagome was not at all keen on staying an extra hour or two after school just to assemble a complicated lab apparatus for the upcoming experiment, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She and Inu Yasha had already fought over it while still in the lab.
"What do you mean after classes TODAY???" He had bellowed. "I've got KENDO practice, remember?!"
"Oh right, I forgot all about your Kendo practice," Kagome had said sarcastically. "Assuming you can get IN the club!"
That had turned out badly.
So now they were not on speaking terms. Again.
It also meant Kagome would be left to do the set-up all by herself later.
"Well, I--that is, Mikagi-kun and I--are going to assemble our apparatus later too, so--" Houjo trailed off, throwing a cautious look at Inu Yasha, who was now glowering at him. Apparently, Houjo had caught the gist of her argument with Inu Yasha earlier.
Houjo turned back to Kagome with a look of purpose in his eyes. "If you need any help," he said.
Kagome smiled, unable to keep the admiration from her voice. "Arigatou, Houjo-kun."
"You see, Kagome-chan?" said Sango happily as they entered the classroom. "I told you he's really nice."
"Yeah." Kagome could not help but feel her stomach lurch at the thought of using a guy as nice as Hojou as an instrument in her war against Inu Yasha.
*********************
The moment the bell rang to signify the end of classes that afternoon, Inu Yasha slung his shinai over his shoulder and prepared to leave.
Only, he had one tiny problem.
His feet were refusing to obey.
He remained rooted beside his table, his feet refusing to walk, refusing to put as much distance as they can between him and the girl who was stuffing her books back in her bag next to him.
What the hell…? He thought, exasperated. There was no way he was going to do what a small, treacherous part of his mind was urging him to do the whole day.
No way!
"Oi," he finally said.
Shit!
Kagome did not turn, but he saw her stiffen. That was good enough.
"You sure you'll be alright with the lab thing?" The words came out in a rush, as if he were trying to get them out of his system as quickly as he could before he could die with the shame of having to say them.
So there. He did it.
He could feel goosebumps breaking out on his arm, and he fought to supress a shudder.
Man, this was soooooo UNCOOL!!! He did not have to do this! Why would he want to stoop so low???
Kagome threw him an acid look. "As if it will mean anything to you," she said in a voice matching her expression.
Well, that's right! He thought, agreeing with her heartily. I can't possibly care less! Just because I asked doesn't mean I care or anything…right?
"Why can't we just do it tomorrow?" He found himself asking, much to his mortification.
Kagome slammed her bag down on her table. "Look," she said. "I don't have to go around hanging onto your schedule, okay? I don't want to do this tomorrow, or any other day! I want it over and done with! If you can't make it today, fine. I don't need any further aggravation from you!"
"Kagome!" Sango called from the doorway where she was waiting with Houjo.
"Feh!" he managed to say, relieved to find that the brief exchange had successfully convinced his feet to get going. "That's totally fine with me."
With that, he turned and went off before Kagome could even move.
There was no way he was going to go through the task of seeing her walk out on him. Not again.
He did not think he could bear it.
*********************
Inu Yasha sighed as he made for the Kendo Club, whose lair was in the basement of the building. Outside, the rain continued to fall, casting a gray, somber mood around the rapidly emptying corridor.
And to think he had been excited earlier on.
I don't need any further aggravation from you…
The girl's words kept coming back to haunt him.
Was that what he was to her? A nuisance? A fly she could swat away?
Baka! He shouted at himself. Since when did he start to regard her as anything important anyway?
How many times did he have to feel this strange, lancing pain deep inside him every time she turned and stalked off? And yet, he could not bear to have her so close to him, either. He could not help but like how she smiled, and yet he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off her face.
It was all so weird, this irresistible urge to get near her and run away from her at the same time.
After what he had gone through the last few weeks, he could never bring himself to trust another girl ever again.
So how could this girl make things so difficult?
And what was that nicey-nicey shithead Houjo doing hanging around her all of a sudden? The sudden appearance of Houjo, like Kouga and Fukuzawa before him, infuriated Inu Yasha. And as usual, he refused to ask himself why.
Even then, a wave of fury passed over him as a thought, unbidden, came crashing into his mind: Is Houjo the type of guy Kagome would go for? The nice, squeaky clean, dweeby guy who made him want to puke?
Get a grip!!!! He thought, roughly pushing the unwelcome thought away.
So what if he was? So what if Kagome liked the Houjos of this world? He-- Inu Yasha-- couldn't care less, remember?!
IdontcareIdontcareidontcareIdontcare…!
And yet…
He could sense that something was up, and he had a feeling Mikagi Sango was in on the whole game. After all, Houjo was her lab partner, wasn't he? At the very least, she should know what was going on.
Well, then, he had better have a talk with Mikagi soon.
But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He was nearing the doors of the Kendo Club. Very soon, he was going to learn just how much shit he was going to take in pursuit of a dream.
***********************
A distinct chill awaited him the minute he stepped inside.
Everybody seemed to know he was coming.
People in the middle of warm-up practice paused to stare. The older members, presumably Sesshou Maru's co-seniors, regarded him with narrowed eyes.
A small, fidgety sophomore--what was his name again? Moriyama Jaken?--came bustling up, regarding him with malevolent, pop-out eyes.
"You've got some nerve showing up in the middle of warm-up practice, Nishi Inu Yasha," he greeted the newcomer. "You expect us to accept you with this kind of attitude?"
"It's only five minutes after three!" Inu Yasha protested, indicating his watch.
"You're five minutes late!" Moriyama spat. "That's one point off your qualification grade! Put your practice clothes on! You will be having your shiai qualification match with Kamigata after stretching exercises."
For a split second, Inu Yasha considered putting his foot through the toad's face. That, of course, would mean he would be kicked out of this club faster than he could say "unfair".
But this was what he was expecting, wasn't it? The fact that Sesshou Maru was nowhere to be found was already a big plus (not--Inu Yasha thought with a huff--that he was afraid of that bighead idiot or anything), but it seemed he had endorsed Inu Yasha's case to his officers very well.
Inu Yasha changed into his kendogi and hakama, and quickly made his way back to the practice area.
After stretching, the kendoka all assembled themselves at the sides to watch his qualification match. Kamigata, a nasty-looking hulk in kendo clothes, stood in the middle of the fencing mat, shinai in hand. He had put on his helmet and armor. Inu Yasha took one look and frowned.
What the hell…? What was that idiot doing, getting himself overdressed for a mere qualification round with an applicant? He never realized he had them scared this badly!
Do they treat all beginners this way? Inu Yasha thought, starting to smirk. Most probably not. They must be pretty eager to dig out a reason to expel him this early.
Inu Yasha took a sweeping look at all the hushed, still faces, and realized he was definitely not going to get a fair trial. Not when Moriyama was going to act as referee. But what the hell…
"Put on your gear, Nishi," Kamigata said, smirking. "Unless you want to leave this place in pieces."
Snickers from the seniors.
Inu Yasha opened his mouth to let fly a snide remark, thought better of it, and strapped on his armor as Moriyama rattled off the requirements. "Ten minutes. The first to score two points wins." Curt and succinct.
Wasn't he going to tell him the point system and everything else as befitting a beginner's qualification round?
Of course not! Because they've got everything planned, haven't they? Inu Yasha thought, his grim smile widening behind his mask. And it's not as if he needed telling, anyway…
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well show them what kind of applicant they were throwing away.
When they were ready, both kendoka assumed the chudan position and, after Moriyama's signal, began their attack.
**********************
"This is a lot harder than we thought," puffed Houjo as he and Sango tried to get their apparatus pieces to fit.
"Careful," gritted Sango. "One wrong move and we say bye-bye to all this glass!"
"There! It's finished!"
Kagome sighed, gazing at her own unfinished set-up.
Well, this is all his fault, she thought furiously. While she was having trouble fixing this thing up, HE was out there enjoying Kendo and bashing people in.
I should really have a word with Myouga-sensei, Kagome thought, darkly.
"Here, let me help you with that, Higurashi-kun," offered Houjo.
"No--really, I--"
"Don't be silly," he said, smiling as he took the glass tube from Kagome.
Kagome shot Sango a look. Sango merely shrugged, smiling.
This was not going to do…
Kagome went over to Sango. "I can't do this, Sango-chan," she said in a low tone. "Tell him to go away."
"Kagome--"
"He's too nice. I--it's not going to be fair," Kagome went on.
Sango stared at her. "You don't like him?" she asked.
"It's not that. I just don't like thinking he may get in trouble on my account."
"You mean, Inu Yasha might turn on him? Dot you think Houjo has not thought about that?--oh, all right. Fine whatever," Sango said, shaking her head at Kagome's querulous look. "Only, if you must know, he begged me to introduce him to you, so…"
Kagome stared as Sango nodded her head. "Yep. He did. And any move he has made is entirely his idea."
Sango paused. "He really seems to like you, Kagome-chan," she said finally. "But of course, it's all up to you. Don't get pressured, okay?"
Aloud, she said, "Houjo-kun, I have to get going."
"Oh. Okay. See you tomorrow," Houjo called from Kagome's table. He made no indication to leave.
Sango shot Kagome a See-What-I-Mean look.
"Houjo-kun, thanks for the help, but I think I've got it all figured now," said Kagome, attempting to smile politely. "I'll see you tomorrow as well."
Houjo blinked. "Oh. But you know, I can stay a while…" he began.
"I'll be fine. Thanks."
"Okay…well, see you tomorrow then…"
"Don't stay up too late, Kagome," called Sango. "I'll call you later okay?"
With that, Kagome was left to her own devices.
***********************
WHAP! THUD! WHAP!!!!
"Kiai!!!" Kamigata shouted as his shinai sped through the air, but it whizzed past the target area of Inu Yasha's armor without making contact.
WHAP! WHAPPPP!!!
Ten minutes were almost up and both players had not yet reached a point. But what was making Kamigata sweat was the fact that this freshman had the gall to reach ten minutes with him without being beaten to a pulp. In fact, he had not been able to touch him!
Moriyama swore silently. "C'mon, c'mon, Kamigata! What's the matter with you?" he said under his breath.
The boss was not going to like this at all! He had told Kamigata specifically to wrap things up in less than two minutes! To wrap things up before he arrived!
"Ha!" He called at random in a desperate act to derail Inu Yasha's concentration. "What kind of swordplay is THAT, Nishi?!"
"What" came a quiet, smooth voice behind Jaken, "is the meaning of this?"
Jaken could feel the hairs on his nape stand on end.
"Se-Sesshou Maru-sama!!!" He cried as he whipped around and bowed low, panic coursing through him. "G-gomenasai!"
Sesshou Maru was already dressed in his practice clothes, his arms crossed on his chest and a faint frown of displeasure on his brows. Standing behind the trembling Jaken, he towered over him. Everybody turned to regard him with curiosity and unease.
"Didn't I say under two minutes?"
"Y-yes, but--shall we call it off now?" Jaken asked hopefully.
Sesshou Maru paused for a minute. "No," he said finally. "I want to see what he's got."
The sparring match continued.
WHIP! WHAP! THUD! WHAPPPP! Shinai flew through the air in a blur.
"KIAIIII~~~!" Inu Yasha suddenly yelled as a chance finally came and he made for Kamigata's throat armor.
"That's enough!" called Sesshou Maru as he started forward.
Wha---?!!
That effectively shattered Inu Yasha's move. The kendoka broke apart from each other.
Sesshou Maru continued to advance to the center of the mat, as implacable as an advancing storm.
"Sesshou Maru sama!" Kamigata heaved, his sweating face turning a sick, off- white color.
"Two hundred subari strokes now, and practice with the kouhai for a week," Sesshou Maru said effortlessly without even looking at him.
He continued to stare at Inu Yasha intently. If looks could kill, Inu Yasha would have been dead by now.
Finally he said, "Take the men off. You are not even fit to wear armor yet."
He began to pace around Inu Yasha as the younger boy took off the helmet and the steel cage that protected his face. "The manner of your movements and sword technique is…disappointing, to say the very least. Over the years, you have collected nothing but a string of bad habits when it comes to the sword. I'd say you've got some more months to go with the basics before you can get anywhere."
Inu Yasha met his stare squarely. "Feh! Does it mean I passed the qualifications?"
Sesshou Maru stopped in front of him.
"What makes you think," asked Sesshou Maru, allowing a small, dangerous smile to start at the corner of his mouth, "that it's all over?"
***********************
Vocabulary: (unfortunately, there are lots of terms in this chapter!)
bokken-wooden sword (used in more advanced classes in Kendo)
chuddan-the basic position of Kendo-- The shinai is held two-handed in
the middle of the body with the arms in a relaxed position; the left
hand is behind the right. The tip points to the opponent's throat. The
back is straight, the hips are cocked and the kendoka faces his opponent
squarely.
kendoka-students/players of Kendo
kendogi-a heavy cotton tunic that serves as the upper garment that kendoka wear (hakama would be the divided, pleated skirt that serves as the lower garment)
KIAIIII!!!- The kendoka must kiai with the name of the point as he attacks, showing
both spirit and intent (did I get this right???)
kouhai-under classmen
men-helmet (more terms are used to describe the various parts of the Kendo armor--for more info, pls. check with the website below)
shinai- the basic sword of Beginner's Kendo, made of bamboo
shiai- sort of a combat practice with an opponent
subari-basic practice strokes done with the shinai as part of warm-up or (to insult Kamigata) Beginner's practice
*************************
Sources lifted from (1) interesting discourses entitled "A Kendo Primer" by Neil Gendzwil and "A Kendo Tutorial" by Sarah Winters--lifted from an internet search.
(2) a more extensive Kendo glossary at http://www.rain.org/~galvan/kndohome.html
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Last note: I have taken the liberty of giving Inu Yasha a surname! Not an original tactic, as I realize some fics on ff.net have used this technique, but I agree it puts a nice touch to things. At least, it's a way for Sesshou Maru to distance himself from his accursed relation when in public! Nishi--meaning West--stands for Inu Yasha's father being Lord Youkai of the Western Lands.
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