"Five minutes until the library closes," Kagome called out.
The straglers packed up their things and slipped out one by one.
Inuyasha leaned up against Kagome's desk, still thinking about what had just transpired.
He snapped back to reality as he heard Kagome pick up her keys. He glanced at her passively. She was slipping her neat, black purse over her shoulder. "Come on, Inuyasha."
Smiling, he followed her out the door. After she locked the door behind them, they got into her car. Inuyasha had gotten surprisingly acclimated to riding in cars.
"So what did you do in the city, Inuyasha?" She asked casually.
"Not a whole lot..." He responded, trying to keep his new job a surprise. He didn't have a reason to do so--it was a whim. His could not, and did not make any effort to conceal is self-satisfaction.
Kagome pulled over. "I know that tone. You got into a fight, didn't you?" She was expecting him to be ranting and raving, overstimulated by the strange appliances of modern Tokyo. She was almost frightened by his cool tone.
"Yes. I did." He revealed his secret, unable to hold back a huge grin. "And do you know what? They're gonna pay me to do it!"
Kagome started to drive again. "Who's going to pay you for it? Who did you get into a fight with?"
"Well, there was this jackass. Somebody told me after the fact that his name was "The Colassus", or something like that, and then they asked me if they could be my agent."
"Wow!," Kagome exclaimed, "I'm not into wrestling, but even I've heard of him."
"He wasn't any big deal. What kind of stupid name is "The Colassus"?"
"He was a wrestler, Inuyasha, they all have stupid names like that. It's all about showing off. Most wrestling is fake, but the fighting in that league is real. People get seriously injured... You're going to have great fun."
"Kagome..." His tone of concern indicated a change in topic. "I went into this store across from the library, it had a bunch of what I guess are toys... and there was this guy there..."
Kagome knew where he was going with this. She kept her eyes on the road.
"...he said that he had asked you out... like thirty-nine times....," he continued.
"Yeah... I know who you are talking about." Kagome confessed.
"Is he the only one?" Inuyasha asked.
The tension was thick. Kagome didn't respond for a few seconds then she admitted, "No... he's not."
"...how many were there?"
"Inuyasha, it's not like I said yes to any of them, what's the big deal?," she asked, getting riled.
"How many were there?," he repeated.
"a lot."
"Like 3 a lot, or 7 a lot, or 20 a lot, or..."
"A lot, a lot!" her temper flared.
"Touch-y!" He cut her off. "All I wanted was a number."
The car stopped. They had arrived.
Kagome was glaring so much that there ought to have been two holes burning through her windshield.
Inuyasha unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door.
"So... Kagome. What're you doing tomorrow?"
He got out of the car but continued to listen to her with the door open.
"Working."
"At the library?"
"Yes."
"See you there!" He pretended to sound excited to sit in the book museum for yet another day.
Kagome made a miffed sound and Inuyasha closed the door.
As Kagome backed out, Inuyasha waved so flamboyantly Kagome essentially had to wave back.
Once Kagome was gone from sight, Inuyasha entered the shrine. Mrs. Higurashi was sitting on the sofa, tissue box in lap, watching another wussy movie.
"Hi, Mom! I'm home!" He cheerfully declared.
"Shh!"
He was surprised at her dissmisal. "Mom, you'll never guess what happened to me today!" He tried again.
"Shh! I'm watching this!" She stared even more intensely into the television screen.
He stared at her a moment, then he sighed. He looked at the TV, curious as to what could be more important than his news of impending stardom. There were two women in a log cabin, and a few children as living scenery. It was snowing outside. "Oh Katie, sometimes I feel as though this winter shall never end! We shall starve and die for sure!"
Inuyasha cocked his head to the side at this show. They didn't appear to be dying, why all the yowling and bawling?
"You mustn't worry, my child, God will provide. Somehow we shall survive this harsh winter." The slightly older woman reassured the younger one.
Inuyasha sighed. This was so stupid. This would be like... voluntarily listening to Kaede for hours on end.
"Come get me when you're done with this, I have something to say." Inuyasha called as he was walking off.
"Shh!"
Inuyasha's eye twitched.
#RING# #RIIIIIIIIIIIIIING# "Just in the middle of the good part!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted as she picked up the phone.
"Yes... he's here..." She looked puzzled. "Inuyasha! It's for you!"
Inuyasha picked up the phone.
"Say hello!" She prompted him.
"Hello?"
"Yes, Is this Inuyasha?" It was the agent.
"Yes..." He marvelled over the oddity that is the telephone.
"I wanted to discuss the terms of a contract for you."
"Oh... um... what?"
"You are the guy that beat up "The Colassus", right?"
"Yes."
"Why don't I just come over, and we'll go over the terms at your place."
"Um... okay..."
"bye, Inuyasha."
"bye."
"Now hang up the phone." Mrs. Higurashi instructed him.
Without waiting for him to figure it out, she took it from him and did it for him. "What was that about?," she asked.