Kagome trusted Miroku, and believed that if he said things would work out eventually, they would. The next day, she woke up feeling better than usual, as though her conversation with Miroku last night had given her a spiritual boost. She decided to take an early morning walk. Nobody was awake yet, or so she thought.
Miroku watched Kagome leave, and sighed in relief. That left Inuyasha and Shippo… come on, wake up, people, he willed, glaring at their backs. Amazingly, Inuyasha leapt up and bounded off. Miroku smirked, though he was curious as to where the hanyou had gone. Shippo was still snoring away. No matter, he'd just whisper it then. "Sango," he hissed, nudging her elbow. Sango groaned. "What is it, houshi-sama?" she murmured. "Will you marry me?" he asked.
Sango's eyes immediately flew open. Just what was the houshi thinking? It was early in the morning and she was most definitely unprepared for such a shock. "I… I thought I agreed weeks ago," she stuttered. Miroku smiled, placing a hand where his heart was. "You haven't changed your mind?" he asked nervously. Sango fidgeted. Now that he mentioned it… she fought away all uneasiness and grinned. "Of course not, Miroku-sama. But I might if you try anything perverted," she warned teasingly. Miroku laughed. Life was perfect. But not for Kagome, though.
Kagome had heard everything, and felt the opposite of how she did earlier. Why was Sango so lucky to have the guy she loved propose to her… twice? And he loved her back. She was in one-sided love here, and it was getting late. Everyone was paired up already! Well, except single Sesshomaru and Koga, who refused to be with Ayame. Other than that, there were couples everywhere! So why couldn't Inuyasha just hurry up and choose already?
Later that day, Inuyasha, Shippo and Miroku decided to have a man-to-man walk in the woods, leaving the females behind. "Miroku popped the question again today," Sango stated in a monotone. Kagome's face showed clearly that she was confused. Why did Sango seem so bored? Why, if SHE were in her shoes, she'd be squealing with excitement. Erm, if Inuyasha were the one proposing, that was. "But Sango-Chan, you love him, don't you?" she inquired curiously. Sango snorted. "I don't know. I guess I do… but it's fading and I don't know why. Maybe it's because I can't wait any longer. I'm thinking of telling him when he gets back so we can make the wedding next week or sometime sooner." Kagome felt the blood drain out of her face.
"NANI?" she shrieked, close to hitting the ground with shock. Sango arched her eyebrows and nodded. "Yeah. I was considering somewhere within the next three days." She reaffirmed. "But Sango-Chan…" "I know it's too rushed, but I'm afraid my love for him is like a pool of water under the sun's heat. It's evaporating, Kagome, so Miroku has to hurry and restore it." Kagome, stunned, just nodded absently. How she pitied Miroku…!
Miroku's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding?" he muttered, shaking his head. "That is way too soon." Sango glared at him. "My patience is wearing thin. You propose, you marry. Simple." She snapped. He winced. Man, was this girl harsh or what? "Okay, okay…" he agreed. Only a few more days till he would be a married man. Well, he'd better grope as many women as he could before that!
That night, everyone but Miroku and Kagome was asleep. Kagome couldn't help thinking about love in general. Why was it so complicated? Miroku and Sango were the epitome of a happy couple… but why did a part of her disagree? Sango was so lucky… Kagome mentally slapped herself. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? Granted, Miroku was a great guy, but Inuyasha wasn't that bad either. She tried to convince herself that Inuyasha truly loved her but was just under the pretense that he loved Kikyou. Right. Eventually she got tired of thinking about such inevitable things and sat up straight, allowing Shippo to roll to the side. She watched as his tail shifted a little to the left. She smiled, and quietly left the hut. It was beautiful outside. So serene, so…so romantic. If only she had some company under the stars…
Her wish was granted. "Hey," called a voice so softly, Kagome imagined it to be just a figment of her imagination, until she noticed a figure standing beside her. A figure clad in robes; a figure named Miroku. "Oh, hi," she whispered at an audible level. "Can't get any sleep too?" he asked, staring at the night sky. "A blanket full of stars," Kagome mused, looking up too, then turned to Miroku. "Gomen. Yes, I… I was just troubled." Miroku chuckled. "Me too. Let me guess. We both have problems concerning our loved ones."
Kagome laughed. "That's r…" she paused. She had been wondering about Miroku just now, and certainly wasn't HER loved one. Though she would miss him, but… ARGH! "That's wrong," she hurriedly ended her unfinished sentence. Miroku frowned. He could have sworn she was about to say he was right. "Anyway," he began, "Sango's been bothering me about the wedding." Kagome twitched. Not that subject again. It reminded her of her sad, single status. "Soka," she murmured. Miroku grinned. "You?" Kagome raised an eyebrow. " HUH?" Miroku's grin grew even wider. "Who's been making you lose sleep?" he inquired. Kagome blushed. 'You' would be a pretty rude answer to blurt out. "My friend. He's a nice guy, a little older than me and quite handsome. We never had real conversations before, until, well, one night. He's usually a humorous person, and I enjoy his company. But he can be serious when he wants to. I wish I could talk to him more often, but he's getting married soon." She confessed, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
If Miroku knew she was talking about him, he certainly didn't show it. He nodded. "You still can, you know. I'm sure he'll be glad to have you around to chat with him. Do you have feelings for him or something?" he questioned, causing Kagome's cheeks to burn with embarrassment. "I guess so, recently, but I'm not sure… I still love Inuyasha." She admitted. Miroku chortled. " Well, then, Kagome-sama, I predict future heartbreak since your pal is getting married." Kagome tried to laugh it off too, as much as it hurt. Miroku sighed. "Well, I think it's time to go back to bed…" he said, smiling at Kagome before he walked away.
"Matte yo!" called Kagome. Miroku spun around. "Yes, Kagome- Sama?" he replied. "Let's stay here and wait for a star to fall."She believed that if one were to drop from the sky,their problems would disappear. He smiled in disbelief. "What?" She repeated herself. Miroku's smile faded. " I… I can't, Kagome-sama. Have fun, ok?" he responded in a choked whisper, as though he was resisting the urge to say yes. Kagome watched as he disappeared into the hut, and felt the tears fall down her cheeks like rain on barren land. Her heart was broken already. But then Miroku's wise advice creeped into her head. It would all work out eventually.