Chapter II: Reminiscing Hurts

"Sango, did Miroku, by any chance, tell you what tonight's opening act was?" Kagome asked.

The two women were walking down the sidewalk of the shopping district which lay right on the outskirts of the 'red-light' district. They had just left one of their favorite stores, Gekkani, and were worn out from shopping for the past three and a half hours.

"No, he didn't, but he did say it was great. Knowing him... that means something perverted," Sango scoffed out.

"Yeah. Hey, since it's getting kind of late, do you want to get an early dinner and head over to the red-light?"

Sango thought for a minute, before responding. "Sure. Hidama is five buildings down," she commented looking up at the passing store's name sign. "We can get a good quick meal there."

Kagome nodded in agreement before they set off, laughing at pointless jokes and Miroku's perverted ways. As they stopped in front of Hidama to wait for the host, Kuroi, Sango commented on Miroku's taste in food compared to their favorite restaurant. The younger girl giggled, clutching her sides to hold in the laughter.

They stopped their chatting when, instead of Kuroi, the twenty-seven year old restaurant owner came out, surprising Kagome. Without saying anything, he walked up and embraced her. The young woman stood paralyzed from shock while she received a completely unwanted hug.

Why was he here? He never came to this restaurant in the shopping center; he either worked from his home or at the other seven restaurants in the country. She had never been unfortunate enough to see him at this restaurant. Her thoughts blew away when, after a silent one minute hug, her friend whispered in her ear.

"It's good to see you again, Kagome," he purred out seductively, his warm breath puffing against her ear and neck. The man inwardly smiled when she shivered.

"Ryuuza... What- why are you at this restaurant? Don't you avoid this one usually?" Kagome inquired shakily. He still affected her after all these years...

The young man, Ryuuza pulled away. "It's good of you two beautiful young women to eat here." he paused when he saw the other girl blush scarlet and Kagome's cheeks drain of colour. "I'll show you two to your seats. Kuroi told me that you, Kagome, have an officially reserved table, correct?"

Kagome stiffened and nodded her head once, looking back at Sango who was holding in her laughter. They both turned their heads back when Ryuuza moved to the host's podium and grabbed two menus. "Come on, ladies. Your table awaits," he cheered.

They followed him quietly to the side-wall booth and sat down on their respected sides. Kagome expected to wait before talking to Sango, but the owner didn't leave. Instead he stared down at Kagome's face without blinking for nearly a minute. Then, suddenly, he grinned broadly and sat down on the edge of the seat next to Kagome, and she squirmed when he scooted her over gently for more room.

"Um, I have to use the ladies room. Please excuse me," Kagome blurted out suddenly.

Ryuuza moved so she could pass, and Sango stared after her friend's retreating back, following her out of sight. When she looked over at the young man, she was surprised to see him hanging his head like a little boy put in 'time-out'.

Sango hesitated before asking, "I don't know you, but... do you want to tell me what's wrong?" When the male looked like he was going to protest, Sango continued. "I know it's about Kagome..."

He sighed. "Yeah, but it's a long story-"

"I doubt Kagome will be coming out anytime soon. Start where ever you want."

He sighed again before starting.

C&M

Kagome took a deep breath; she hadn't seen Ryuuza in a long time- and 'long time' was an understatement. Four years was a long time, and obviously, after all that time the chain-restaurant owner was still single. It's definitely not because he's repulsive... He wasn't over what had happened seven years ago just as much as she wasn't. She leaned forward onto the restroom's sink counter and closed her eyes.

What had happened that fall night was completely accidental, and if she had taken a sip of that spiked punch, she would have regretted the rest of her life, in the future not having the energy and attitude left in her to do her special night job away from her unknowing friends. She wasn't so sure if they would turn on her for her illegal work; and if Sango found out about Kohaku- Kagome shuddered.

Ryuuza was extremely nice but she had turned him down when he asked her to dance. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and knew instantly that accepting his offer to dance would lead to something more, but she didn't know that not accepting would lead to something just as bad. Kagome opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror.

InuYasha had offered as many apologies as he could dish out; which was saying a lot. Her Inu-chan never said 'sorry' to anyone for any reason, and for that she was grateful. He was her best friend since that day in elementary school when he apologized for pulling on one of her pigtails. She was so happy and she had hugged him, and all he could do was sputter and blush. They got to know each other after that; she met Miroku soon after and she had introduced the boys to Sango, since she had met Sango through Kohaku.

But she wasn't happy with InuYasha that night she was dragged out of her house to go to a college party.

She was only a sophomore in high school and InuYasha was a senior. Kagome had refused and tried to pull her wrist out of her older friend's grasp saying that her mom would get mad; her mom had been gone for that weekend. InuYasha's only response was saying if he 'fuckin' had to go, then she did too.' Apparently Sesshoumaru said he would beat InuYasha up and leave him for dead in a rural Oklahoma city alleyway if he didn't attend. He had offered to let the boy choose to bring a friend and apparently she had been a better choice than Miroku.

At the party nothing went right from the moment she walked into the hosting house. A college guy had walked past, obviously drunk on the bottle of liquor he held in his hand, and groped her before smacking her butt and walking off. She had gotten so frustrated that whacking InuYasha on the back of the head felt like the only thing she could do.

Later that night, she had to go to the bathroom and had passed a secluded area in the back of the house. A small side area was across the hallway to the bathroom and by the vertical window was a slumped figure staring listlessly out the illuminated glass. She could tell the young college man had been upset about something and she felt the need to help so Kagome had walked over quietly and sat down, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He did after a few short minutes.

C&M

"Some things in life never go as planned, and we figure out our destinies were something completely different than what we wanted," he paused and she waited; she knew he had more to say. "It's not always about what we want but what we need and what we have to offer the world around us.

"We never really think about what we're saying or doing to other people around us. It, purposefully or not, will hurt someone, somewhere, some time. And every hard glance we carelessly give, every stiff word we shamelessly strew, will cut a scar into the flesh of those around us. And so no one can ever have a happy ending, because, in the end... someone will get hurt.

"I did that earlier today..." With that statement she knew he was finished talking.

She understood what he was saying all in all, but she didn't want to respond. He was obviously drunk, but for a completely different reason than all of the others at the party. If she said the wrong thing, he might snap at her and she'd be the only one to feel the repercussions- why? Because she wouldn't have the heart to tell anyone the reason for her pain.

It was all bottled up, just like this young man's in front of her.

Kagome took a deep breath and opened her mouth after a while of staring out the same window as him. "Sometimes our destinies are meant to hurt other people."

And that was all it took. He had stood up so quickly she thought he would collapse on the floor. He crouched down in front of her and asked her to dance in one of the most sultry voices she had ever heard; but she wasn't tempted easily as she wasn't a girl naturally born with an obsession with worldly goals.

When she said 'no thanks' to him, his face had scrunched up in a mix of anger and confusion. Kagome sighed, remembering that look. He grabbed her before she could protest and dragged her into one of the far back bedrooms, never loosening his vice-like grip on her arm. She had pushed her feet into the ground to slow his pace like she had done earlier with InuYasha, but unfortunately he had been three times stronger- college guys that looked like him obviously knew they were meant for the gym.

Ryuuza had shut the door after shoving her into the room, blocking her way out. When he advanced, she used one of the techniques her jujitsu master had taught her and made a bee line for the door. She wasn't as fast as he was when he followed her out and pinned her to the ground. His lean and chiseled body pressing against hers excited her and scared her to no end, and she had wiggled in fear of submission.

Kagome wouldn't back down for crap.

But he knew that, and at the time he wouldn't back down either.

She had screamed out: "I thought guys were supposed to be slow and stupid when they got drunk, not faster than light and as buff as the hulk!"

He had only laughed and told her he wasn't completely drunk and he that he was slow and he was weakened by the alcohol. Kagome could only gape while squished to the plush carpet. Before he could move her back toward the bedroom not twenty feet away, InuYasha appeared down the corridor, an eerie light casting a glow and making him appear like an angel with a temper.

"Get the hell offa Kagome, you retard!" InuYasha shouted out, running over and kicking Ryuuza in the upper chest.

Kagome thought that should have hurt him so much more, but in his inebriated state, the young man didn't care.

And that's when the young college man learned her name- everything that followed led to something unexpected.

"Stay the fuck away from Kagome or you'll wish you were dead!" InuYasha picked up the strangely quiet Kagome and carried her off down the hallway while the drunken young man sat in the corridor for a few minutes.

When he appeared in the living room, a large group of people turned to face him and watched his every move. He stared listlessly back while a tall lithe man walked toward him away from the crowd. They stood face to face in the center- more or less- of the living room.

"You have done harm to one under my protection Ryuuza. You will do well to stay away from Kagome Higurashi for the rest of your life. The authorities will not be contacted for I can do much worse," the baritone voice spoke. "You are warned."

That was Sesshoumaru for ya. Always so direct and discreetly threatening...

"Kagome... Higurashi," his voice drifted in the air and carried over to said girl.

He had learned her name.

And if he was strong enough and fast enough with alcohol in his system, she had known that he would remember it.

Forever.

And forever seemed to have come, she thought as she blinked at her reflection in the mirror. It was.. okay after he was no longer buzzed on the alcohol but she was still afraid. That was the first time it happened and it hadn't been the last. InuYasha was her savior, and that's why she loved him; why she was in love with him.

Too bad her job required her not having much of a love life or social life. Her poor friends. The only thing she could do was really go shopping or go clubbing at night, checking Miroku's competition or just for the fun of it. ...Clubbing was fun...

But Ryuuza was here. Not in the bathroom, but in the restaurant. He had a right, of course, but she had never seen him at this particular one, and his business had prevented him from contacting her discreetly like he had that time four years ago.. Or that time right after the party at school.

He had pretended to be a relative of hers to get into her school and see her, skipping his college classes to.. apologize.. as well as other things. She turned around so her lower back was resting on the sink counter. That had been embarrassing to no end. She was tormented for weeks with questions of schoolmates wondering why 'such a hot guy would see Kagome at school'; and it wasn't that she wasn't pretty- she knew she was pretty, but that most everyone knew that Kagome didn't have any relatives that looked like him alive... or ever for that matter.

Ryuuza had a strangely natural golden brown hair down to his waist plaited into a precise braid, intermingled with natural grey highlights. His eyes, too, showed he couldn't be related to her; they were a greenish-brown. Most Higurashis had blue eyes, with the exception of the few with brown. Blue had once been her family's recessive gene, but brown took it's place.

So he had found out where she lived, where she had her part-time job, and where she went to school. Oh, yes, and which bedroom was hers in the shrine she lived in. He was like a stalker, yet he was only trying to apologize to her; and she hadn't listened of course, which led to him knowing almost everything about her.

Even the last thing her father had said to her before he'd gone off to work and gotten killed...

"Angel, keep Souta safe again today. I'll be home late tonight."

And he hadn't said her name.

Kagome leaned her chin on her chest for a few seconds before lifting her head and looking up, then rolling her head to get the kinks out. Reminiscing hurt.

"Well it's time to get back out there and face him. Undoubtedly Sango and Ryuuza have been talking..."Kagome whispered to herself.

She moved to turn and wash her hands when she saw a spider on one of the restroom walls. She shivered unconsciously; she hated spiders. Seeing them left a cold feeling on her heart and made her wish them all out of existence. Reminiscing hurt.

Washing her hands, she left the bathroom intent to let all of her memories floating in the stale air of the tiled room. No one would know but those who were at the party. Some didn't even know. Everything was in the past and the wind could not speak; it would forever hold its peace carrying her whispers in the wind.

C&M

Sango was sitting at the table by herself, waiting patiently while occasionally taking a sip of what looked like a piña colada. The little yellow umbrella was included. She walked over and sat down, wondering silently where the menus were. After a few minutes of silence, Sango spoke up in a calm and even voice.

"When you didn't pop back out after ten minutes, I ordered. I got you Katsudon Tonkatsu Domburi and I ordered Unadon Unagi Domburi, since you don't like eel. I hope that's all right," she said in fashion.

"Oh that's fine, Sango. How long was I gone if you ordered after I was gone for ten minutes?"

"Fifteen or so, but that's okay. I asked Ryuuza-san when he created his chain of restaurants and he said when he found out you liked oden. Isn't that funny?" Sango didn't tell her what they had been talking about in the beginning of their conversation; it would cost her life if Kagome knew.

...but Kagome did know...

The woman across from the twenty-five year old didn't say anything for a few moments, in deep thought. "I... see," she mumbled out slowly.

"Yup. Ah, the food's here!" Sango clapped her hands when she saw a waiter headed over with the Katsudon and Unadon. "Oh... I forgot I ordered two dishes of Yakitori- one for each of us. I can pay for them if it's too much," the older woman gushed out, hoping to appease her friend from her youthful wrath.

Kagome giggled slightly seeing the pleading look on her friend's face. "It's perfectly fine. I have a load of money left from my last job shift," she said vaguely. "I can pay for everything, including that piña colada sitting oh-so-innocently in front of you."

"How do-"

"I'm not stupid. I know what one looks like from a mile away. Okay, not a mile, but you get the point. I do bartending for fun, remember?" Kagome leaned in with a serious look on her face, and a conspiratorial glint in her eyes. Then suddenly she broke out into cackling laughter.

They finished off their meals and around six thirty the women were headed back into the center of the shopping district to march over to the red-light to do the usual routine.

"I think I'll turn Alex and Aaron into my personal bodyguards. They're strong and cute... I wouldn't mind that, but you must wonder... why are two Americans working in the red-light of Japan," Sango commented.

The younger woman already knew; she had done a background check on them. They were step cousins whose family had been bombed at a family reunion. The young men had apparently gone off to party at a friend's house that night and were later called saying bodies needed to be identified and such. They were put into the witness protection program and sent here because it was thought they would be hunted for later.

Despite their love for alcohol as much as the veterans of Kin no Hebi, Miroku's club, they were very sweet and generous and definitely not lechers like Miroku. It was good that chivalry wasn't dead among modern men. Especially good-looking modern men.

"We'll never know unless we ask, but I'm afraid to."

C&M

Standing in front of the club, Kagome stared blankly at the chalkboard that served as the special menu. She couldn't believe Miroku! He was such an idiot; thinking that just because the usuals knew her, he could flaunt that she was serving that night- and even posting a different special! How rude!

1-900-FUK-MEUP...

She didn't like when guys ordered those because it usually had a double meaning. Kagome shuddered at the thought. That was the drink that guy had ordered repeatedly before going around the counter to grope her. Eww...

Sango stood next to her friend waiting patiently. It was better to let Kagome go in first. She was shy around Miroku despite her slightly flirtatious attitude around other males. When Kagome moved, it was all a quick blur. The girl had just run into the two story club at what appeared as the speed of sound! Maybe she was mad at the chalkboard?

Just then she decided to see what the board said and froze. Kagome hated that drink! She would rather kiss Hojou than listen as somebody made that order to her. Eww...

The young woman walked into the club at a leisurely pace and found Kagome ranting her head off at Miroku while InuYasha watched on with a wide grin.

"...but it wasn't-"

"You moron!"

"He was-"

"Stop making excuses!"

"InuYasha did it!" Miroku finally blurted out.

Kagome froze, and blinked slowly.

And then again.

And once more, because she still hadn't registered what her friend had said. When she did, her voice was low and completely deceiving. "InuYasha... did it... InuYasha, you freakin' moron! You deserve a whack on the head for that!"- and she promptly delivered it.

"Ow, what the-"

"You're a looser, Inu- chan."

"Now that everything's settled as usual, it's almost seven. Kagome, please just make the drink. It's been posted for two hours and everyone's already seen it," Miroku pleaded as Sango came closer to watch the routine of the past five and a half years for discussing Kagome's bar work.

C&M

Setting to work after everyone got what they wanted, Kagome and Sango worked the bar, Yura and Tsuki working the field. The two fastest servers and the two fastest bartenders equaled the four best girls to do club work. Unparalleled and all working for him, Miroku thought as he watched them work as a team to set up the bar and waitressing booth.

Customers flooded in at seven and loud music blasted though the place dispersed by slow, melodic songs for those who loved to grind in the glass room above. It was a place for fun and games; it always would be.

At the bar, Kagome was moodily working her tail feathers off to serve orders. Sango was just helping because of what happened at the restaurant. Usually the girl was dancing on the floor or up on stage singing. I wish I was dead, I wish I was dead...The next guy who orders a fuk-me-up is going to have their brains 'uzi'ed out of them.

"Hey, girlie! 1-900-FUK-MEUP now!" He said followed by a nasally laughter. She cringed and clenched her jaw to keep from 'fucking the looser's face up' as she thought so kindly toward the man.

"Your order's coming, sir, just like all the other men who ordered one!" She shouted over her shoulder.

"Hey, miss," a soft male voice spoke up and Kagome couldn't help but turn toward the counter. "Can I get a 747 and a Caltech Cocktail?"

While he ordered, she stood gaping at the man sitting and leaning leisurely against the bar. Dude, he's fine "Sure thing.. sir," she replied dazedly still in awe. This man was gorgeous. Perfectly tan and dark black hair which tinted purple in the stream lights from above; he had the face of a god, with chiseled features- high cheekbones and everything else. She was glad she saw him and those beautiful blue green eyes of his. His laughter broke her staring.

"Find something you like, miss?" His asked with a sexy smile to back up the voice; he still managed to be so polite while implying something moderately dirty. Not that I really mind... He is sekzeh with a sexzeeh plus a secsie and a side order of sexayeh along with sezzi and... shekshinesh with an extra 'esh' at the end...

"No. No, I didn't, sir." Her jaw was firm while she tried to look him in the eyes while not drooling. He only did that same smile and it nearly broke her heart at seeing guy as beautiful as her. "Your drinks will come shortly," and with that she walked farther down the counter, shouts of 'Give me a '57 Chevy ma'am!' 'I want an Amaretto Sour!' ' Irish Coffee over here!' 'Girl, B-52!' a slurred out 'Kamakazie rocks, so hand one over!' the classic 'Dry Martini!' and a few that got on her nerves: 'A Nude Slide Down the Mountain from the lovely woman dishing the drinks,' 'A Sloppy Blow Job works for me, babe,' and '007, dun nuh nuh- nuh nuh- nah!" from the slouched drunk guy in the corner.

"I'm sure you didn't... and I'm sure they will," the black-haired man whispered under his breath as he followed her figure with his eyes. They gleamed mysteriously as he thought in the darkened club. How was he going to get that girl to trust him after he had pulled a cheesy line like that? The boss would shoot him in the leg, heal him and then shove a marker down his throat for not doing his job properly.

Oh, how his boss loved markers.

And crayons. Those things were horrible; that waxiness included whole-heartedly.

C&M

In the same tall building, the long and dark-haired figure sat, resting his feet up on the marble desk. His eyes sparkled in mischief- if Izuchi didn't accomplish his goal he had assigned, all would still be fine. Plenty of other opportunities would arise. He smirked as he twisted the cap on the sharpie marker slowly, making the pen squeak and the sound echoing in the large room. One of the markers would just go down his throat, that was all, the figure thought maliciously. He twisted the sharpie cap once more and was thoroughly satisfied to hear the squeak resonate again.

Oh, it was always fun to torture people, he thought as he spun around to look out the large windows looking down into the red-light district. It is always fun... I wonder what Kagura's doing on her night off... He pondered slightly before grinning.

Who knew?

A/N: Reviews are loved by all. Mah ha ha. Tell me if you like Ryuuza and my portrayal so far, any OOC-ness, and other stuff...

My bunny loves you all!