Hey everyone ceryoko here. Before the story, I'd like to thank all the reviewers once again because without you I wouldn't be able to go on. And that would mean my story was a dud. Also, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I haven't been feeling well and I was having exams. But my exams are over so I'll try to update as much as possible even if I still feel a little sick.
One special thing I have to point out: I'm not being ungrateful to my other reviewers but I would really like to thank palikani for the review she gave me. I think I really needed it because I thought that you readers might think that I was moving a little too fast or that I was rushing things. So thank you very, very much.
Disclaimer: Once again I say, I do not own Inuyasha the anime show or any of the characters on the show. But after this summer, I'm hoping to have a lot of Inuyasha DVDs. !YAY!
Now here's chapter three of Beauty and Brains…
Chapter 3
Kagome drove home, excitement coursing through her. 'I wonder what Souta and Mom sent me. I hope it's not one of Grandpa's Japanese relics again' she sighed as she remembered a box in the bottom of her closet that was overflowing with the Japanese relics. 'It's not that I don't appreciate them. But why can't he send me something else? Maybe something like a traditional Japanese kimono so I can show off something about Japan.' She sighed as she decided not to guess what it was before she got her hopes up.
After about ten more minutes of driving, Kagome finally pulled into the driveway beside her quaint little house. She turned off the ignition, put her bag on her shoulder and slid out of her car. 'Okay, stay calm. Souta said it was from him and Mom so I can at least relax because I know Souta has good taste and he knows I'm fed up with those relics.' She took a deep breath then strode towards her front door.
When she was at the door, she realized there was no parcel. "I thought Souta said that he and Mom had sent a parcel for me. Where is it?" she said aloud to herself. She turned to the door and opened it with her keys. As soon as she stepped in, she was met by a box that was bigger and much wider than she was. "Oh this is the package." She circled the passage with a gleeful smile on her face. "But how did it get inside if the door was locked…?" she said to herself.
She reached out and grabbed the sides of the lid of the giant box and slowly lifted it off. As soon as she stood on her tiptoes to see inside the box, Her mother and brother jumped out the box and yelled, "Surprise!" and Kagome's eyes widened just before she said "Oh my God," and fainted.
"So uh Mom, how are we supposed to get out of this box now?" Souta asked.
"I have no idea…"
Sango and Miroku had just walked into a charming little restaurant with an outside patio with tables and already Sango was wondering if she was a bit hasty when she felt sorry for Miroku. She knew he meant well but he kept looking at every waitress that passed.
"Are you enjoying you Caesar Salad, Sango?" Miroku asked, trying to be courteous because he could already see the anger in her expressive chocolate brown eyes. "I heard that it was one of your favourites," he said and smiled charmingly at her.
"It's fine Miroku. The only thing here that I seem to have a problem with is you. Can't you control yourself for once? I'm starting to wonder if you even meant any of what you said to me. Did you say those things just to make me feel guilty so that I would go out with you?" She asked, hoping she was wrong and that he had meant it.
"Of course I meant it Sango. I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess it's because I've been looking at so many women at once I still can't seem to help it."
"Miroku, maybe you aren't ready to be a one-woman man. And if you aren't, then this date was a big mistake because I will not settle for sharing a man with every woman who passes him on the street!" she said through clenched teeth then rose from her seat to leave.
"Sango wait!" Miroku stood up and grabbed her hand. "You know I want to be with you. And I know that you want to be with me too. So stop acting this way and let me try and be the man you need me to be."
Sango looked into his eyes and saw remarkable sincerity, it almost took her breath away. "How can you be so sincere? Why do you always seem to say all the things you think I want to hear?" She took a deep breath and looked at him searchingly. "I'll try to understand you situation Miroku, but you aren't giving me anything to go on. You're not giving any sign that you want to be with me and me alone."
"I can prove it to you. Please, meet me at the entrance to the park tonight at 8:00 and I'll show you. I may look at other girls but it's only you that I want."
"Miroku, this is probably going to turn out bad so please don't waste my time and yours," she said as she pulled her hand away. "Thank you for the lunch. It was nice except when you tried to touch every waitress that passed." She pulled out a few bills from her purse and put it on the table. "I'll pay for my own food." Then she looked at him one more time before turning and walking out the door.
"Sango wait!" he shouted after her retreating form. He quickly pulled out the money for his meal and threw it on the table. Then he turned and ran out the door behind her.
Looking to his right, he saw her two blocks away. "God she walks fast!" he said to himself as he jumped into his car and drove quickly to catch up to her. When he caught up to her, he pulled over and jumped out again.
"Sango, wait. I really want to make it up to you." He kept walking faster and faster because she was walking very fast and was not slowing down at all.
"Miroku just stop. Let it go. So you didn't get one girl. It's not like it's going to kill you."
"Geez Sango will you stop already," he said as he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. "I'm willing to change my lifestyle to be with you. The least you could do is give me a chance to–"
"Another chance," Sango interjected before he could continue any further.
"Sango, can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that you feel nothing for me? Can you honestly tell me that you don't believe anything that I say?"
"Miroku, I … just don't know okay? Let me think about it."
"Okay. Now would you please get into the car and let me take you back to the office?"
"Okay," she said as he led her back to the car.
They drove in silence for most of the way until Sango could not take it any longer. She turned to look at him and asked, "Do you still want me to meet you at the park? Because I still don't think it's a very good idea."
"Yes I still want to meet you at the park and it is a good idea. I won't take no for an answer, even if I have to pass by your house or call you every minute of every hour until 8:00 tonight. I won't take no for an answer."
Sango just looked at him then turned to face the window as the tree flew by in a blur of green and brown. 'I don't know what to do…"
Souta, finally getting out of the box by tearing it down, circled Kagome, slapping her occasionally. His mother came back with a glass of water and sat next to him. Kagome slowly began to stir and her eyes slowly opened to reveal confused light brown eyes.
"Kagome! Are you okay?" Souta shouted. He leaned down on her in a tight hug. "I bet you missed us, huh?"
"Mom? Souta? Oh my God I can't believe it's you!" she exclaimed as she jumped up from the chair into a sitting position and encased them both in a hug. "I can't believe you guys are my gift ... but how did you do it? You didn't come on a plane in a box, did you?"
"Of course not honey," Ms. Higurashi said lovingly. "After we flew in, we got some help from a neighbour. She helped us to get into the box and then we were set."
"Wow! And you all did this for me?" she said as her eyes welled up with tears.
"Of course we did. I don't have any other sisters to surprise and Mom doesn't have another daughter. We just missed you as much as you missed us. Oh and by the way. Just in case you want to give a gift to the person who did this, I was the one who came up with the idea."
"I'll be sure to remember that," she said, laughing at her brother's childish antics. She looked at them both, sincerity in her eyes. "Thank you, really. I really missed you guys. I love you so much and I can't imagine anything ruining this moment right now," she said smiling at them.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
As soon as Sango and Miroku got back to the office, Sango quickly jumped out the car and left Miroku and headed to her office.
"Sango wait!" Miroku shouted and jumped out to hurry after her only to be stopped by Inuyasha.
"Hey I need to talk to you for a minute," Inuyasha said to him.
"Could you give me a sec. I need to catch Sango," Miroku said as he tried to walk around Inuyasha, but he just stepped into his way again.
"Sango will be working here for the rest of the day. You can talk to her now. I just need to ask you something anyway. It's almost been an hour and I was wondering if you have seen Ms. Higurashi." Inuyasha looked at Miroku waiting for an answer.
"Oh, the new girl! Nope. I haven't seen her since this morning when she first came in."
"Well do you know her address?" he asked again.
"Nope, but don't you have her résumé? It should be on that."
"Damn! I think I left it in my study. Are you sure you don't know where she lives Miroku?"
"Yes. But you can ask Sango. She said that she and Ms. Higurashi are best friends."
"Okay thanks," he said as he tapped Miroku on the back and headed off to find Sango.
"No problem!" Miroku shouted after him. After a minute of standing there he said quietly to himself, "wait a minute. I was heading that way." He slowly walked the way Inuyasha had gone. "I can't believe he didn't even wait for me." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Maybe my problem is that I've been crowding Sango too much. Maybe after tonight, I should back off a bit and let her know she has some space."
"Um ... Miroku sir, who are you talking to?" Nazuna asked as he walked into the lobby, talking aloud.
"Oh, sorry. Don't mind me. I was just thinking aloud."
"Oh okay," Nazuna said although she still looked at him strangely.
"I'll just go find Sango now," he said to Nazuna and quickly left her weird stare.
Inuyasha ran to Sango's door and gave three swift loud knocks before shouting "Sango, I need to ask you an important question."
Sango opened the door and said "I hope this isn't about Miroku because I don't really feel like talking about him."
"Of course it's not about Miroku. Hey, whatever goes on between the two of you is none of my business and I don't intend to try and get in the middle either."
"Oh okay. So what is it?"
"Miroku said that you and Ms. Higurashi are best friends. Is this true?"
"Of course it is. Why?"
"I need her address. She went home for lunch and she's running late. She has some things to finish up for me so I need her here now."
"Oh okay. Just let me write it down for you." She turned towards her desk and began to scribble on a sheet of paper. Turning back to Inuyasha, she handed him the paper and said, "here it is."
"Thanks, Sango," he said and turned to leave but Sango called out again.
"Wait! Inuyasha, did you see Kouga this morning? I heard he made a commotion this morning down in the lobby."
"Yeah he did. I saw him. Apparently, if he didn't take a draft of the advertisement to his boss, his boss would have taken his head off. Luckily for me, Kagome had already done his draft so I just gave it to him. And he loved it. He said his boss would definitely purchase it."
"That's great. I guess Kagome is better than you thought huh," she looked at him accusingly.
"Yeah I guess so. She's pretty good at what she does. But anyway I have to go." He left out the door and within a minute, he stuck his head back into the door and said, "oh and Sango, since Miroku keeps fu... up things with you, I'll talk to him, then I'll talk to you. He probably expresses himself to me better than he does to you okay?"
"Okay Inuyasha," she said smiling. "And thanks. I never thought that maybe you might actually be my friend, or a friendly guy for that matter. Bye."
"Yeah bye." He left the room this time and did not turn back. Instead he went straight to the parking lot and jumped into his red Ferrari and sped off to the address Sango had written. 'I wonder what's taking her so long. I hope it isn't that boyfriend of hers or things are going to get complicated and messy. No one is going to stop me from getting what I want.'
After driving for about twenty minutes, he pulled into a driveway that matched the address. He looked in front of him and saw Kagome's Porsche parked in the driveway. "I'll have to remember where she lives," he said to himself as he tucked the paper into his pocket.
He walked towards the door and heard Kagome making a sincere confession of her love for someone. Growling he rapped hard on the door. 'That better not be a guy she's talking to!'
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Kagome got up and went to the door and opened it. "Oh Mr. Takeda, what are you doing here? And how do you know where I live?" she said getting irritated because he had just messed up her reunion with her family.
"Don't worry about it. I need you to come back to the office now. I didn't exactly hire you so you could come home to your man and leave the company hanging."
"Come home to my man?" She stared at him incredulously then a smirk spread across her face. "Oh you mean him," she said indicating her brother. "Mr. Takeda, I'd like to introduce you to my family." She pointed to her mother, "this is my mother and that," she said indicating her brother, "is my little brother." She faced her mother and brother and said "Mom, Souta, this is Mr. Takeda, my boss."
"Oh, so you got the job Kag? That's so awesome. I'm really happy for you." Her brother jumped up and hugged her tight.
"Thanks Souta."
Inuyasha just stood frozen on the spot, looking embarrassed that he had assumed that Kagome was involved with a boy who turned out to be her brother.
"Mr. Takeda, are you okay? You haven't said anything and my brother just asked you something."
"Oh sorry, I was just thinking. What did you ask?"
"I asked if you think I could come down to you company building and see what goes on there."
"Um, I guess so. Just try not to get into anyone's way."
"Cool!"
"Kagome, we have to go now, I'm expecting an important phone call that I think you have to be present for."
"Oh okay," she said and picked up her bag. As if on cue, her belly grumbled rather loudly. High color rose to her cheek as she looked up at Inuyasha and muttered an apology. "I haven't eaten as yet. I guess I didn't realize until just now."
"But we have to go now," he said, his patience wearing thin.
"Don't worry about it Kagome. I'll whip up a sandwich for you and you can buy a drink on your way back," her mother said as she headed to the kitchen to make the sandwich.
Inuyasha looked at Kagome and said, "let your brother take your car and we can go back in mine. That way, we can head straight to the office and he can get his tour with Nazuna."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea. I'd rather ride alone, if you don't mind."
"In case you don't know, this is not opened to discussion. I'm telling you to let your brother drive your car and you are riding with me. I'll be waiting in the car," he said just before he left.
A minute later, her mother came out of the kitchen with a paper bag in her hand. She handed it to Kagome and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks Mom. Come on Souta."
Kagome and Souta walked out and she gave him the key to her Porsche before walking over to Inuyasha's Ferrari.
"You're letting me drive your Porsche?" Souta asked incredulously.
"Not by choice I assure you," she said as she glared at Inuyasha. "Just don't scratch it or damage it in any way or I will hurt you."
"Okay Kag. Mr. Takeda, you have to be the most awesome boss if you got Kagome to let me drive her car," he praised Inuyasha before jumping into the Porsche and starting the ignition.
"No problem," Inuyasha called and pulled out of the driveway, followed by Souta in Kagome's Porsche.
As they drove, Inuyasha looked over at Kagome who was staring everywhere except at him. "Is there a problem Kagome?"
"No. Why would you think so?" she asked, not turning away from the window.
"Because you won't look at me." He put his hand on her leg and said, "look, I'm sorry if I scared you back in the office."
"It's okay. I am a big girl, you know. I don't need you to treat me like a child. I don't feel like talking. Is that so strange?"
"Oh, my bad. I'll remember from now on that my being concerned for Kagome Higurashi is over the limit."
Everything went silent again and neither of them spoke at all until they reached the office building.
Inuyasha turned to Souta and said, "go to the lobby and talk to the girl at the desk. Tell her I said to give you a tour of the building."
"Okay," he said as he went his on way.
Kagome and Inuyasha headed to the office and got there just in time. As soon as they entered the room, the intercom sounded and Nazuna announced that the phone call that Inuyasha had been waiting for has just come.
"Take the seat in front of the desk and I'll put it on speaker so we can both hear," Inuyasha directed. After Kagome sat down, he sat behind his desk and pressed the speaker button. He answered, "Hello, Takeda Advertising Industry. This is the president, Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha ... I haven't heard from you in a while. How is my company and did you hire the new creative designer like I asked?" asked his brother Sesshoumaru.
"Yes we haven't talked in a while, my company is doing very well and yes I did hire a new creative designer. She even impressed Kouga with one of her drafts. Sesshoumaru, say hello to the new creative designer, Kagome Higurashi."
"Kagome whispered to Inuyasha, "I did?"
Inuyasha nodded then mouthed to her to listen.
"Hello Ms. Higurashi. I hope you are enjoying your position at the company."
"Hello Mr. Sesshoumaru Takeda. Yes, I am enjoying the job. It's everything I thought it would be."
"Well I'm glad to hear that. Now, on to more important matters. One of my clients has moved from here in Japan to there in New York and I need you to keep his attention on our company. We can't have Naraku's company snatching him up from us. He's worth a lot of money so if you lose him, I'll kill you."
"Okay, okay. Geez, no need for threats," Inuyasha said. "Is that all that you have to say?"
"No, there's one more issue. I have scheduled the company picnic for this weekend and new rules and games have been set. First of all, you cannot bring ramen to the picnic Inuyasha."
"What! Why not?" Inuyasha whined as Kagome snickered discretely in the background.
"Because I said so. Besides, I know your taste is more refined than that."
"Humph!"
"Now the rules. It is an all white affair. You must where white or you will not be permitted to enter."
"Is that all, because I do have a company to run."
"If you'd stop interrupting me I'd go a lot faster. Now shut up little brother and stop being a moron." When all he heard from Inuyasha's side was Kagome laughing, he continued. "As I was saying, all the games are the same with the addition of a company swim relay race and another game I have in mind but we'll have to discuss it later. Four people, two males and two females, will race through the new pool at the new building we had built. Oh and before I forget, there is money on the line."
"Really? This is getting more and more interesting," Inuyasha answered. "I'll talk to you later. Oh and Dad wants to speak to us and before you ask, no, I don't know what's it's about. Bye."
"Thanks and Bye."
"Finally turning his attention back to Kagome, Inuyasha said, "so, Kagome, how good of a swimmer are you?"
"I'm okay I guess. I'm not as fast as Sango but I think I'm pretty good. But I don't think I want to swim at the company picnic."
"Why not?"
"I ... uh," she started to think, 'what would get him off my back?' She looked up at him and said, "It's my time of the month."
He looked at her for a while as if he was waiting for something more. When she said nothing more, he said, "so wear a tampon or something."
Kagome face took on a deep red. "No really I can't. I'll be crabby and mean. Even Sango gets mad at me."
"Look, I don't care if you have to go to the hospital. You are swimming on my team. End of discussion." 'Besides, this way, I'll get closer to you without anything in the way.'
"Whatever." She got up and headed back to her office when he stopped her by saying, "It's going to be me, you, Miroku and Sango, and we'll be practicing this afternoon at my place. You do remember where that is, don't you?" he asked with a sly smirk on his face.
She glared daggers at him then slammed the door to her office. 'God, why can't he just leave me alone? It's bad enough that I can't help myself. I'll just avoid getting near him. I will not be another name on his list of fucked and discarded.'
Alright, this is chapter 3. I tried to make it longer. Other characters will be introduced soon.
In case anyone didn't pick it up, Naraku has a company similar to Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's but something isn't right about their working schemes.
To answer some questions, yes, don'tbreakme, Kagome and Kouga will meet soon but it may not be right away. He is very important closer to the end of the story.
Oh and Sesshoumaru is married but I can't choose to whom exactly. So readers please review and let me know if he should be married to Kagura or Rin. I don't really hate either pairing but I think the Sesshoumaru/Rin thing is sort of overdone and nasty 'cause I'm accustomed to seeing a little girl. But I'm writing this story for you guys so it's what you want that counts.
Finally, Review, Review, Review!
ceryoko