Summary:

Twelfth-grader Kagome Higurashi is thrown into a world of crime and lies when the mysterious Inuyasha Endou wakes up from his five-year coma. Inuyasha's past is not a secret for long after Kagome finds out the truth about his criminal life and the evils of his youth.

October 24th…

Inuyasha tapped his foot on the curb impatiently. The rain pounded against him and the wind tore at his face. "Where could she be?" he said as a green convertible pulled up beside him. A woman stepped out of the car. She appeared to be in great pain as she slammed the door behind her.

"Inuyasha," she said, her voice low and filled with malice.

"Kikyo! What- you're bleeding!"

"Don't act surprised! How dare you mock me? You bastard..."

"What happened? Tell me what's wrong!" cried Inuyasha, stepping closer to her.

"Don't touch me!" Kikyo slowly pulled the gun from her jacket. She stepped forward. Inuyasha looked confused, barely noticing the weapon as Kikyo caressed his cheek. "And to think that I had trusted you…"

Hurt flashed in Inuyasha's eyes. He did not understand. He stepped backward as Kikyo lifted the gun to his forehead.

"I'll see you in hell, Inuyasha…"

August 9th, five years later…

"Mom! I'm going now!" Kagome shouted over her shoulder. She heard her mother's voice trailing after her. "Goodbye, Kagome! Be safe!"

Kagome smiled. Her mother needed the car to get to work, so Kagome hurried to the subway station. She hummed a tune, thankful that the station was only a short ten minutes away. After paying her fees, she was happy to see that her compartment had only six or seven other people in it. She sat near a window, watching the dark walls of the tunnel flash by.

Kagome was a good girl. She almost always obeyed her mother and was nice to her little brother, Sota. She made fairly good grades in school and was always polite to everyone she met. Kagome had many friends at school and was well liked, but she had never considered herself to be popular or glamorous. She had always thought of herself as an average teenager.

She was excited about her new job. It was only volunteer work at a hospital, but Kagome was still anxious to know what it would be like. She loved to help people, and she also needed the volunteer hours. Her mother had told her that while she looked for colleges, her grades would look even better along with community service.

Kagome took a deep breath to stifle her excitement.

"Ah, and you must be Miss Higurashi?"

"Yes ma'am."

The woman at the front desk smiled kindly. She was elderly Kagome felt at ease before her.

"You are here to volunteer? That is very thoughtful of you. We don't get too many young people around here who are willing to help out in their free time."

"Yeah, well…" Kagome drawled. She shifted her feet, embarrassed.

The woman smiled again and handed Kagome a slip of paper. A number to an office room was scribbled on it, and Kagome was told where she was to be instructed.

"… And he'll be helping you along these next few weeks."

"Thank you," Kagome said and headed left down the hallway. She looked down at the piece of paper again.

"Room 172, room 1…7… oh! Here it is…"

A nice man, possibly in his late forties, told Kagome that she would be helping clean the patients' rooms. She was only asked to do simple tasks like wiping down the windows, sweeping floors, and mopping. She was relieved, as she was good at cleaning. In less than five minutes, she found herself pushing a janitor's cart down a hallway. The hallway had no more than fifteen rooms and Kagome figured that she would be finished cleaning in about two hours

By the tenth room, Kagome felt at ease. She found that the patients were nice and appreciated having someone to talk to. She came to the eleventh room, but was not met by an eager greeting. She saw a man who appeared to be asleep. Ignoring him, she began to sweep the floor. As she got closer, though, it became increasingly difficult to pretend that he wasn't there.

"Er…"

Purely out of curiosity, Kagome stared at a clipboard on the windowsill. Setting the broom on the floor, she picked up the clipboard. She was surprised to see the man's information on it. She looked at the man's young face. He was handsome, but his features were pale and gaunt and slightly skeletal. She noted the tubes that helped him breathe and the wires taped up his arm and wrists. She looked back at the clipboard. Endou was listed as his identity and she wondered if he had a first name.

"Advanced comatose state? Whoa," Kagome whispered to herself. "He's been in this coma for five years."

She peered back at his face. He seemed peaceful, but the sight was haunting to Kagome. She wished she had not looked at him so closely. Sighing, she placed the clipboard back on the window and picked up the broom. She had finished cleaning and had prepared to go to the next room when she heard harsh breathing.

Kagome whirled around and saw the man gasping spastically. She rushed to his side and screamed when she suddenly felt a hand grip her wrist. Several nurses ran into the room. They were met with the sight of Kagome holding down a man who appeared to be having a seizure. The man was shaking on the bed violently. Her heart beating frantically, Kagome allowed the nurses to take over. Stifling tears, she took several calming breaths before asking if the man would be all right.

"He'll be fine, kid," a red headed nurse reassured her. Kagome had seen her earlier at the front desk. "I'm sorry you had to see this."

"It's okay," Kagome said quickly. She stared at the man, Endou, with worried eyes. The nurses had managed to subdue him. Two nurses checked his pulse and breathing patterns while another injected a suppressant into his arm.

"You may go home, Kagome, if you would like."

"Yes," Kagome said, still slightly shaken. She realized that she could not remember a time where she had been so afraid for anyone. She had thought the man would die. "I'll see you tomorrow then…"