A/N: Here's another authors note to clear one or two things up. So don't review telling me to do things I cover in this cliff note. First of all, despite numerous reviews telling me to kill off Eri, her character will not be getting killed. If I were writing a feudal fiction I might to please the readers, but in a modern day fiction it's not that easy. Also, this fiction will remain a Sango/Miroku pairing. I never really planned to make it a Kagome/Miroku pairing, but I like to collect input for future reference and if I had got enough reviews telling me to change it I might've for popularities sake. Finally, once this fic is done, I'll be putting out a new one, entitled An Imperial Fairytale. I've already written the first chapter and plan to begin the second one after I'm done writing this.
Here's response to reviewers. I wish I could cover them all, but I am working on a time frame here.
NekoYasha101: You're right, I am itching to write a Kagome/Miroku fic but I couldn't tell you when I might be getting to it.
inulover4391: Thank you for the doughnuts.
Muffins McKenzie: Sorry, Eri won't be getting hit with any trucks.
Kasai to Kasumi: I think the Kagome/Miroku pairing is awesome, but Miroku/Sango definitely out-ranks the former by a long shot.
danger girl: Sango and Miroku is my favorite couple too.
kagomente: Happy Birthday!
That's all for now. So after that unnecessarily long authors note her comes Chapter 26!
Chapter 26: Balckmail
Summer had finally come to the students of Kokorum High. 'The group' jubilantly made their way home after the final day of school. "God I am so glad schools finally over. Free time, suntans and sleeping in are definitely in order. And who knows? Maybe your bitchy friend will finally stop pestering us, eh Kags?" Sango added as if an afterthought.
"Come on, she's not that bad!" Kagome spoke in Eri's undeserved defense.
"Do you think you and Miroku belong together? Do you think it's necessary to spend 24 hours a day trying to convince others so?" Sango countered. Kagome gave no response.
"I'm all for Eri shutting her trap, but I do wish school could continue for a few more weeks. Miniskirts and short shorts finally come into season, but do the males get to drink in the full experience en masse? No, school has to end. At least I'll still get to see my two favorite ladies here nearly everyday." Miroku said throwing one arm over Kagome's shoulder and the other over Sango's. He was smacked upside the head spontaneously by three different hands.
"Don't get any ideas you pervert." the two girls said, once again in unison.
"Keep that lecherous eye of yours off Kagome you sick bastard!" Inuyasha shouted a bit two loudly.
"Inuyasha, sit!"
"Ah! Wench!"
"Sit again! Now did we learn a little something from this adventure?" Kagome scolded as she leaned over Inuyasha's sprawled form.
"Yes." Inuyasha replied, his voice muffled by the hard earth.
"Now what do you say?"
"I'm sorry Miroku. You're not a sick bastard." Inuyasha grumbled in forced apology.
"Good boy!" Kagome congratulated.
"Damn it Kagome! If you treat me like a dog one more time I'll dump you faster than you can say 'sit'!" Inuyasha yelled.
"That'd be fine by me. I have a more than suitable replacement right here." Kagome boasted, leaning her head affectionately on Miroku's shoulder. She gave Sango a quick wink to indicate she was just goading poor Inuyasha.
"You're bluffing." Inuyasha half-guessed, half-stated.
"Only one way to find out!" Kagome dared him.
"Feh. I don't want to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend monk." Inuyasha used as an excuse. But Kagome knew better than to believe that was his reason.
"I realize the irony in you calling me a monk and I don't appreciate your sarcasm." Miroku said solemnly.
"Don't mind him you two. You know how Inuyasha is." Kagome said in her loves defense.
"How long do you plan to use that 'sit therapy' you demonstrated on Inuyasha Kagome?" Sango asked.
"I figure if I keep it up all summer he might have a smidgen of tact by the beginning of senior year." Kagome estimated.
"I fear this is where we part ways friends. Sango and I must depart. I trust we shall coordinate a hang out plan tomorrow?" Miroku said in a fancy farewell.
"Why do Sango and you have to leave? Why don't we all chill somewhere?" Inuyasha asked, for once putting aside his I-hate-the-world-and-everyone-in-it attitude.
"We have err…plans." Sango replied.
"Come on." Kagome insisted. "What do you and Miroku have to do that you couldn't let Inuyasha and me in on?"
"That, you really don't want to know." Miroku answered for the both of them.
"Yes we do! Tell us." Inuyasha ordered sternly.
"Hey, who do you think you're ordering around pal? We don't gotta say anything if we don't wanna!" Miroku argued. Kagome, who had been thinking about what Sango and Miroku might be doing that they wouldn't want Inuyasha and her around for, caught on. She grabbed Inuyasha by the arm and dragged him away.
"Come on Inuyasha, we don't want to know." Kagome told him.
"I wanna know, I wanna know! Don't you?" Inuyasha complained.
"I already know. I'll tell you when they aren't around, 'kay? I don't want them getting angry at me." Kagome explained. Inuyasha looked sulky but didn't protest.
"Kagome will probably figure it out you know. She's not so ditsy to miss something this obvious." Miroku reminded Sango as he watched the other two leave.
"It's no biggie. One of us probably would've told them eventually anyway. Being our best friends, were obliged to tell them everything, right?" Sango said.
"I suppose. But you do remember what happened the last time you let Kagome in on one of our little secrets, don't you?" Miroku asked.
"Yeah, but the idea she gave everybody turned out to be true afterwards. Besides, it died down after a while. Enough talking, don't we have 'plans' we need to execute?" Sango said seductively.
"You've become quite the dirty girl, haven't you?"
"So? That doesn't answer my question."
Miroku flashed a grin. "Indeed."
A satisfied Miroku lay on Sango's bed with his hands behind his head. Sango closed her eyes and rest her head on his chest. He had nowhere to be, so why not force Miroku to stay a little bit longer? The answer arrived in the form of an opened door and a very startled and disgusted younger brother. "Hey Sango do you know where…" Kohaku trailed off as he witnessed the horrific (to him at least) scene before him. One arm hand flew to his face to block his view as the other slammed the door closed "Ahhh! My eyes, my eyes!" the poor boy wailed. Miroku sat bolt upright.
"You didn't tell me your brother was home!" he hissed.
"I didn't think it was important." Sango shrugged.
"You thought wrong; very, very wrong!" Miroku shouted.
"Geez Miroku, calm down. We'll sort this out." Sango said all too calmly.
"We? Why me? He's your brother!" Miroku complained.
"Because you were there too."
When both Sango and Miroku were garbed they exited the bedroom to find Kohaku slumped up against the hallway wall, staring at the door with frightened look on his face. He appeared to be in a traumatized state.
"I think he's in a traumatized state." Miroku commented.
"Kohaku?" Sango said softly, squatting down to his level "Can you hear me?" he slowly nodded his head.
"Are you alright?" He shook his head.
"I'm sorry you got exposed to that but you really should knock before entering." Sango continued
"You should lock your door if you're doing something like that!" Kohaku accused.
"I'll keep that in mind. Just please knock before you go into my room form now on. And don't tell Dad." Sango pleaded.
"No worries on that first part. Now, not telling Dad might be a little harder. It depends." Kohaku said.
"Depends? What on?" Miroku asked, fearful of his safety if Sango's father were to find out.
"On how much that information is worth to you two." Kohaku answered slyly.
"Fine you little swindler, how much do you want?"
"How much you got?" Reluctantly, both Sango and Miroku fished out their wallets and handed all their money to Kohaku.
"Take it and go thief." Sango ordered him.
"Nice doing business with you." Kohaku said as he walked away with a reverent bow. "Sweet!" Kohaku thought as he counted his bills. "I should walk in on those two more often."