"The Meteor Garden Story"
An Inu Yasha A/U Fanfic by Nozomi
[A/N: OMG! Holy mackerel! So many reviews! How come my other fic doesn't get this many? *pouts* Thank you to all! Since there are so many, I apologize that I won't be able to reply to everyone. And in order not to prolong your wait for the story, and have placed my review responses at the end of the chapter. Enjoy! ]
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha and company, Meteor Garden, Hana Yori Dango, or any of the brands I mention here.
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Chapter 4: A Little Push Here and There
"Kagome!"
Kagome had been enjoying a peaceful breakfast this morning. She looked up, and almost groaned loudly as she was approached by Kagura.
"I've been looking for you all morning!" the other girl greeted her with a huge smile, taking a seat across from here.
"Well, I've been sitting here all morning," Kagome greeted her, shifting her focus back to finishing up her milk so she can escape.
Kagura let a flash of annoyance momentarily come across her features before she pulled the smile back on her face.
"I heard you were at Inu Yasha's mansion a few days ago."
"Yeah, so?"
"So? What do you mean so? How about filling me in on the details? What happened? Did he shower you with gifts or anything like that? Come come, we've been friends for a long time now, haven't we? Surely you could tell us a few things so we can get on his good side too?"
Kagome couldn't believe her nerve. She stood up and poured the rest of her milk over Kagura's head.
"Hey! Bitch, I spent a fortune on getting my hair done!"
"Tough!"
Kagura's scarlet eyes narrowed on the retreating girl's back. Kanna appeared beside her to hand her a towel.
"She thinks she's so tough just because she stood up to D4. We'll bring her to her knees yet."
~*~*~*~
Sesshomaru was enjoying the solitude of the rooftop when the door opened. Looking over, he found Kagome step into the sunlight. She saw him immediately.
"Sesshomaru! Uhmm. Am I disturbing you?"
"No."
She took that as an invitation to join him, because she went over to where he sat in the shade, and plunked herself to a sitting position. There was a comfortable silence between them as they watched clouds float by.
Her mind began to wonder after a while. What was it about this enigmatic man that drew her to him? Everytime she saw him, she felt strange. Do I like him? The question popped unwittingly into her head, causing her to blush.
"Would you happen to know what time it is in France now?"
"France?" she asked dumbly, trying to keep embarrassment from showing in her voice. After all, she was just beginning to play with the idea of liking him! It suddenly felt very awkward to be sitting here on the roof. With him. Alone.
"Never mind," he drawled out, still looking over the rails and studying the view.
Kagome's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, but could sense that his mind was elsewhere. Thankful for his preoccupation, she brought her knees up and rested her chin on them, letting her hair cover a part of her face so he couldn't see how her cheeks were flaming. She did steal a sideways glance at him and was mildly surprised to see his lips turned up in a small smile.
The effect of a smile on his face, no matter how small it was, was stunning, and her brain captured it like a snapshot.
She was beginning to like Sesshomaru.
~*~*~*~
By mid-afternoon, she was getting the strangest feeling that someone was following her. At one particularly paranoid moment, she stopped in her tracks and backtracked.
She promptly ran into Kagura. Literally.
"Hey! Are you following me?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips, scowling at Kagura and Kanna, who was standing silent behind the scarlet-eyed girl.
"In a matter of speaking. Anyway, it's hopeless you know," Kagura said knowingly.
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Sesshomaru. It could never be, it's hopeless. You might as well give up."
"Me and Sessho-- are you spying on me?!"
"In a matter of speaking," Kagura repeated smugly. "I'll tell you all about it later, but first of all, I want to pay you back for what you did this morning. Kanna?"
The other girl had been concealing a large pail of water, and she now threw its contents at Kagome.
- SPLASH -
"What's going on here?"
Before Kagome could retaliate at her two rivals, they started to back away from the newcomer, their hands outstretched as if to fend him off.
"Inu Yasha!"
Kagome groaned inwardly. She was not in the mood to confront him today, much less be embarrassed by him in front of Kagura and Kanna. He reached her side.
"Kagome are you okay?"
"What? What are you asking me for? Why would I be okay?"
Inu Yasha eyes darted back and forth between the pail Kanna was holding, and Kagome's wet clothes. It was amazing how accurately he could interpret the situation. He dug into his pocket and offered Kagome his handkerchief, then turned to Kagura and Kanna.
"Kagome belongs to me. Do I make myself clear?"
The color drained from Kagura and Kanna's faces. They started backing away quickly. "Y-- yes, Inu Yasha, your meaning is clear. We're sorry, we didn't mean to--"
"Get out of here. Now."
They practically fled from his sight. He snorted then turned back to Kagome. "Are you okay?"
"How can I be okay? You're the cause of all this! I am being bullied by everyone because of you and your stupid red card. My life in Shikon had been peaceful before I ran into you! It's all your fault!" she snarled. He had saved her from Kagura and Kanna today, but that was a small help considering what he had put her through these past few weeks.
He couldn't believe his ears. "I help you out and this is the thanks I get? And what do you mean it's my fault? Who told you to go and stand up for that Yura bitch anyway? Idiot girl!"
"You want me to thank you? Idiot, everything that everyone's been doing to me is all because of you! They're doing all this for you. They think helping you force me out of school is big deal! I hate you! Are you listening to me? I hate you! You're inconsiderate and arrogant! You're too egotistical! You're the type of guy all those psychological tests love to hate!"
And she left him standing in the hallway, pondering.
~*~*~*~
"Hurry up Myouga, I don't have all day."
"Very well Master Inu Yasha," Myouga the butler sighed. "The next question is 'If your girlfriend gets mad at you, you a) Apologize profusely for whatever it is, b) Get mad at her too or c) Make her pay'?"
"C"
Myouga raised an eyebrow at his young master. They were in the receiving room, sitting on a table that was groaning under the weight of all the Psychology books and teen magazines Inu Yasha had bought earlier this afternoon. They were now doing one of the exams they found in a magazine entitled 'What kind of boyfriend are you?'. So far, the old butler did not like his master's answers.
"Well? What are you waiting for? What's the next question?"
"The next question is 'You take your girl out to dinner. Where would you go? a) To a restaurant you like, b) To a restaurant she likes, c) To a restaurant you both agree on or d) To a snack stand for a quick bite, then on to the evening's festivities.'?"
"Hmmm… D."
Myouga sweatdropped. Inu Yasha noticed the distressed look on the butler's face. "What? You told me to give the first answer that popped into my mind," he said impatiently with a wave of his hand. "This is boring. Hurry up."
With the huge sweatdrop still on Myouga's forehead, he continued on. "Next, 'If you see your girlfriend talking to another guy, what would you…" Inu Yasha grabbed his collar.
"What? How dare you imply I'd even let my girlfriend look at another guy!"
"Master Yasha, please. I'm just reading the questions from the book…"
"Those questions are stupid, lemme see that," he tried to tear the book away from the old man's grasp.
"Master! If you destroy the book now," Myouga struggled in a tug-of-war between him and his charge for the book. "We will never discover the results!"
"Oh alright!" Inu Yasha let go of the book, and Myouga's momentum of his pull sent him over the edge of the chair onto the floor.
"What was the question?"
Myouga stayed flat down on his back on the floor and read "If you see your girlfriend talking to another girl, what would you do? A) Wait for them to finish and meet up with her later on for an explanation, b) Hit the other guy and cause a scene or c) Walk up to them, casually wrap your arm around your girl, and get with the conversation."
"B. Well? What are the results?"
"One moment please," Myouga quickly tallied the points and turned to the next page. He paled.
"Master Yasha, I suggest you fire me. I don't dare read the results to you."
"JUST READ IT!" he roared, his patience finally at wits' end.
Myouga jumped quickly to his feet and began backing away as he read the results. As the words registered into Inu Yasha's brain, he could remember Kagome's parting observations about his character:
I hate you! Are you listening to me? I hate you! You're inconsiderate and arrogant! You're too egotistical! You're the type of guy all those psychological tests love to hate!
He ran to Myouga and grabbed the book again, intending to rip the pages to shreds. Myouga quickly added: "Master, wait! There are suggestions on how to improve at the back!"
And the butler sighed with relief as Inu Yasha reluctantly sat back in his seat to listen. "Now then, here are the suggestions…"
~*~*~*~
Kagome decided to have lunch outside in the lawns to avoid any more confrontations with Kagura. However, as she rounded the corner to a secluded area she found before, she saw that her spot was already occupied. She did an about-face in order to find another location, but the guys lounging on a picnic blanket saw her.
"Kagome!"
Reluctantly, she bit her lip and turned around slowly. Miroku and Kouga waving at her to join them. Sesshomaru was also there, lying down with his arms straight out in front of him, staring at his cellphone. Inu Yasha, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen. She decided to walk over to the little party.
Kouga cleared a space for her beside him and patted it, indicating for her to sit there. She obliged, and took in the little feast they had laid out on the huge blanket.
Miroku handed her a fork, smiling warmly. "Help yourself, there's plenty."
She took the fork offered to her and made herself comfortable. However, the stares of the two handsome boys unnerved her. "Go on, continue like I wasn't here," she said graciously, feeling a little self-conscious as she took some cold cuts from the plates.
As Kouga poured a glass of juice for her, Miroku picked up their conversation. Looking to Sesshomaru, he said "Staring at that thing isn't going to speed things up any faster, you know." There was a trace of humor in his voice.
"Aww, he's been staring at that phone all day," Kouga agreed. "Sess, she'll be here in a few minutes, don't worry." Seeing Kagome's blank look, he added "Sess is waiting for Rin to tell him she's come back from France. She's supposed to come back today."
"Who's Rin?" Kagome asked, wondering if she was a sister or cousin or…
"Rin is Sesshomaru's girlfriend."
She almost dropped her fork. Girlfriend! She had been so busy fancying the notion of liking this handsome guy, she had not paused to think that he would be taken. Damn!
"Be quiet," Sesshomaru commanded, his eyes still fixed on his phone.
Kouga whistled. "Would you look at that?"
Three heads turned in the direction Kouga was pointing. Kagome felt her jaw drop.
Inu Yasha was approaching them, and he looked… different. It was an understatement really. He looked anxious as he stopped in front of them.
"Well? What do you think?"
He shifted from one foot to another, obviously embarrassed. He was wearing a boyish T-shirt with short sleeves, and the words "Good boy" was spelled out boldly across the front. The shirt's color was pink. He had tucked the shirt primly into pristine navy blue slacks, and he was wearing white rubber shoes.
Kagome had never seen a worse combination despite the limited clothing of her class. Her anger slightly diminished at his appearance, and her abject hatred of him mollified. She burst out laughing. She knew she was being rude, but couldn't help it.
Miroku and Kouga, after getting over their initial shocked, joined her. Quite soon, three bodies were rolling merrily around the lawn, with Miroku and Kouga pounding their fists on the ground in hilarity. Sesshomaru was ignoring all of them.
"Damn, I knew I looked stupid!" he snarled, pulling out the shirt from his waistband. "You!" he pointed to Kagome. "I wore these clothes for you and you laugh at me!"
"What are you talking about? I never asked you to wear-- to wear--" she giggled. "I never asked you to change your fashion sense."
Inu Yasha hesitated, then decided to tell her the truth. In a low voice he was sure only she could her, he confided "I did some of those psych tests you said would love to hate me? I got a really bad score, and they sorta suggested I try to change by beginning with my appearance."
She immediately stopped laughing, touched by what he said. Then she remembered she was still angry at him.
"Serves you right for believing in a stupid test!" she teased.
Inu Yasha could feel his temper rising. "Idiot, I did those tests at your suggestion and now you call them stupid?!"
"Who are you calling an idiot?" she asked, her temper flaring as well.
Miroku watched them bicker in fascination. "They're good together, don't you think?"
"What?" Kouga sent him an aghast look. "You believe she and Yash could be a couple?"
"Well why not? No other girl has captured his interest long enough and she certainly has the spirit to keep our friend in check."
Kouga frowned at this, but said nothing. Sesshomaru suddenly stood up. They looked at him questioningly.
"She's here."
And he took off in a fast stride back towards the building.
"Hey, if you two lovebirds are finished squabbling, Rin has arrived."
It was probably the word "lovebirds" that caught their attention. Kagome and Yash had been in the middle of a grappling match, with Kagome winning. They blushed, and immediately released their grip on each other.
"Idiot."
"Jerk."
Kouga took Kagome's arm as he hurried after Sesshomaru. Miroku saw the scowl Inu Yasha gave his friend before they too, started off towards the building to meet Rin.
[A/N: Argh! I was hard-pressed to finish this chapter. We had a lot of paperwork to finish today. I might not be able to put a new chappy up tomorrow… anyway, again, I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all who reviewed. Here are the review responses:
Karen: Thank you! I could hug you, in fact, I will! *hugz* I'm so glad you found it funny. I've always had difficulty writing funny fics, as I declared in the Author's Notes of my other story "What Could Be", but I'm thrilled so many found this one comical. Thanks a million to you and your friend!
Megitsune and Emerald Dragon Hanyou: I'll reveal later on why he found it funny. ^_^
Jax: Uhhm. If you can tell me how I can manage and properly maintain a list, I would be happy to send you updates. Though I believe here in FF.NET, if you are a member, there is a feature called "Author Alerts" which will automatically send you an email as soon as an author you put down in your list updates a story.
Lil' Chi Chi: When I was writing it, I wasn't sure about it sounding funny. When I read my story again on FF.NET, that's the only time it hit me as amusing. I was like "Whoa! Hey! I wrote a funny line! Kewl!" ^_^ I've always been challenged when it comes to writing comedy. Your compliment means a lot. Thank you!
Jazzy: Yup, he or she sure was a jackass. ^_^ Yes! Hojo-bashing in the next chappy! His appearance is coming up!
Ecila4Ever: All of them are, but it's not known to anyone yet. The only ones who know they're demons are the D4 themselves. ^_^ All will be revealed in later chapters.
Pingjingling: Nope, but it's gonna come really close.
Kinamara: I'll *try* my hardest to update everyday, but I can't make promises due to the irregularity of my workload.
Battousai: Please enlighten me why the title should be D4? Coz the story isn't just about them, and it's mostly about Kagome.
Stuckintexas: Your review made it 45, so I still appreciate it very much! ^_^
krN*KyutEe: I think MG is pretty good, as long as you get the English-sub version. Hehe, don't get dubs, they don't quite portray it as well as the original. ^_^ And I'm partially Chinese, not Taiwanese.
Aki no Yume: Well, Miroku's kazana is a… uhm. Special power. Sango doesn't have such in the Inu Yasha series, so I figured the kazana bit should make him "special" enough to be considered a demon. Whacha think?
And to everyone, if anyone bothered to read up until this point, hehe, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your enthusiasm for our fics and your reviews keep us authors inspired to continue writing. We appreciate that you let us know that you appreciate our work! ^_^