Chapter 5: The Set-up
"You serious?" Inuyasha's voice asked on the other end.
"I don't get it either buddy." Miroku replied. He had been explaining his conversation with Koharu to Inuyasha. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think she's glad I like Sango."
"Why'd you fess up?" Inuyasha asked.
"I didn't fuss up. She figured it out on her own." Miroku explained. "I just said yes when she asked me to confirm her deduction."
"Why didn't you lie? If I had been you I would've denied it. Some folk don't like to get there heads torn off by their girlfriends. Surely you didn't expect her to take it so lightly?" Inuyasha said rather loudly.
"True, I didn't." Miroku admitted. "Now that I think about it, I really didn't have a good reason to admit it. Maybe I just wasn't thinking."
"Or maybe," Inuyasha began, "you had a subconscious reason for telling her you like Sango."
"Like what? The only result that I would've thought could some out of that was getting dumped." Miroku stated, perplexed.
"Maybe you wanted to get dumped? So you could be with Sango?" Inuyasha asked slyly.
"That's a valid deduction but it's not as simple as that." Miroku explained. "What about Kuranosuke?"
"Good point. You'd never have a chance with Sango, single or not."
"What's that supposed to mean? I have a chance with pretty much every girl at school, and you know it to." Miroku confidently smirked. He had fallen right into Inuyasha's trap.
"So, you think if you were single, you'd have a chance with Sango, even considering Kuranosuke is in the way?" Inuyasha aimed the killing blow.
"Right." Miroku said curtly.
"Then why wouldn't you want to get dumped, if you really do think you have a chance with Sango? Admit it; you wanted to get dumped, just so you wouldn't feel guilty." Inuyasha explained logically. Miroku responded after a moment of silence.
"Damnit. How come you have to get all smart on me like that? I'd expect someone like Koga or your brother to figure that out, but you?"
"Shut up, I gotta go. Talk to you later."
"Peace out man." Miroku said as Inuyasha hung up the phone.
Kagome had been patiently waiting while Inuyasha was on the phone with Miroku. "Did it work?" she asked the half breed.
"Of course it worked." Inuyasha said with a victorious smirk.
"Great! Now all we got to do is get a confession out of Sango!" Kagome squealed gleefully.
"I don't think this is such a good idea Kag? You're aware were breaking up two couples in the process, right?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.
"It's all for the greater good." Kagome reassured him. "Sango and Miroku will be happier this way."
"Whatever. I still think your crazy for even thinking Sango could like Miroku that way." Inuyasha commented rudely.
"Why wouldn't she?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at such an obvious question.
"One word. Hands."
Kagome pondered this for a second. "I mean besides that. Miroku does that to lots of girls. They don't care, why would Sango be any different?"
"All I know is those backhands he gets hit with are good enough proof for me."
"Trust me Inuyasha. This is all gonna work out fine." Kagome said confidently.
"Feh."
"Ah, my favorite time of day." Inuyasha sighed as he sat down to lunch the next day.
"Why, the food or Kagome?" Miroku joked, as he usually liked to do, especially to Inuyasha. Inuyasha responded by raising a lump on Miroku's head.
"Give him a break, Inuyasha. It's really no secret." Kuranosuke joined in. He was rewarded seconds later, by having a chopstick wedged firmly in his ear, by the ever growing anger of Inuyasha.
"Can you say anger management?" Hojo got in his two-cents while trying to pull the chopstick out of his friend's ear.
"You're like a child. If you like Kagome, just go ahead and say so." Sango advised. "Not like any harm could come of it." Inuyasha seized an apple and took aim at Sango, but Miroku caught Inuyasha's wrist before her could loose his missile.
"Hey you guys want to go see a movie tonight?" Kagome asked nervously, hoping a subject change would halt Inuyasha's tantrum.
"I'm not free tonight, but you guys can still go if you like." Kuranosuke said.
"Sure!" Hojo said excitedly. "Which one?"
"I know! The new Ring!" Miroku voiced his opinion.
"Fine by me. The first one was good enough." Inuyasha said.
"Any horror movie is a good movie." Kagome corrected him.
"Except for the Blair Witch Project. that shit was pretty lame." Miroku reminded her. "Anyway, how's that sound to you Sango?"
"Nice. Count me in. That just leaves you Hojo." Hojo shifted nervously at this.
"I'm not really the biggest fan of horror flicks." he said.
"Oh please!" Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "You must be the biggest coward I know."
"Horror movies are supposed to scare you. That's how they work." Kuranosuke sarcastically explained.
"I don't care. I don't like being scared!" Hojo continued to complain.
"Too bad. You're over ruled four to one" Inuyasha reminded him.
On the way home from school. Kagome Hojo and Inuyasha decided to take a different route, so they could discuss their plan without being over heard by any of their friends.
"So this is how it's going to work. You and I need to make up excuses for why we can't go, but then go in secrecy to make sure something happens between Sango and Miroku." Kagome laid out.
"I can't believe you! Why can't you just leave things the way they are?" Inuyasha complained.
"Because things aren't right the way they are." Kagome defended.
"I still don't think you should be instigating like this." Inuyasha said. "Hojo, help me out here and talk some sense into this woman." Inuyasha looked for support.
"Leave me out of this! It was the work of you two in the first place. All I'm promising is that I won't tell Kuranosuke you're trying to screw over his love life."
"You two are so oblivious. I'm not instigating or 'screwing over' anybody. I'm setting right the worlds problems." Kagome continued to support her ludicrous plan.
"The worlds problems!" Inuyasha was shocked at Kagome's tenacity. "This isn't the world's problem. I think this is your problem Kagome."
"What do you mean my problem? It's not my fault those two are too dense to see that they like each other." Kagome said confusedly.
"I think what Inuyasha is saying is you're the only person who can't stand it that Sango and Miroku aren't together." Hojo tried to explain.
"Exactly! Thank you! God Kagome, you are so stupid sometimes." Inuyasha exclaimed, relived that someone was around to side with him.
"Whatever. It can't hurt to at least try my idea!" Kagome complained.
"Fine, but it's not going to work." Inuyasha said confidently.
"It'll work. Just wait." Kagome said.