"Kag, wait up!"
Sango huffed, hurriedly increasing her already grueling, or so in her opinion, pace to catch up to her friend. Her cheeks blew out, Kagome was only walking, how could she have gotten so damn far so fast? Soon, Sango skid to a halt to prance in front of her friend.
"You like him!"
Sango's voice was teasing and jovially in nature, but Kagome could clearly hear the underlying question. Is there finally one? Could he be it?
"Sango! I barely know the guy..."
Kagome shook her head, causing the weighty strands of black silk to swing softly in their curling positions. She'd opted for a springy look today, a more youthful appearance. Her hair had been after her shower riddled with the curling iron to with a special attachment to make her hair crimpier than normal. And so, the inch long waves bounced healthier much lighter today than all the others. There were navy blue highlights that announced their presence in the waning daylight with a shine on every lift of a single wave.
"Hah! You DO like him!"
Sango than furthered her sentence underneath her breath something around 'it's about time,' but Kagome didn't exactly take notice of that. She wasn't known best for her hearing. At least, the woman chuckled. Kagome was practically deaf, though not oblivious. Kagome was no doubt observant, sometimes too large of a degree in that respect.
Even now as Sango watched her, her arms were crossed in front of her breasts, her shoulders were shrugged up because of the cold. Unlike her, Kagome had forgotten her jacket. Sango could tell she was entranced, engulfed back into that little world all her own. A universe she desired, completely peaceful, one where she could be free and simply be herself. A person that was never truly, in full sight, seen by the prying eyes of that entire pass during the day. Sango sighed, it was a shame. Kagome was such a beautiful person, and that was not pertaining to the outward appearance that she is normally judged by.
Kagome shivered, it really was chilly out. Her hands tingled even beneath her fleece gloves. It looked like she'd have to budget a new pair of lambskin lined inside with fur, her favorite. Kagome could feel her eyes glaze as she thought lovingly of her last pair that had finally given out on her after two good, long years of high school. Those things were then toughest, but had been old. The fur was starting to fall out and the leather was dirtied beyond repair. It had been time to bid farewell and she would have replaced them, but they were expensive. And after just starting college on her own, she didn't have the heart to ask her parents to buy something so frivolous, in their opinions anyway. But now as a senior, and after living a somewhat ascetic lifestyle, she deserved a splurge, perhaps a new sweater as well? Hmm...the , wool, fur-lined cotton…
Sango eyed her friend curiously as she ticked off some unknown items on her fingers and by the look in of her she was half way to Neverland by now. What was she thinking about? No- it couldn't be about that guy? Sango couldn't help the humor spilling from her lips like honey dripping from a spoon. Though she did manage to keep herself upright, her mirth did disrupt her walking companion's thoughts.
"Nani?"
"Oh nothing, hey they beat us."
Kagome let Sango pass on this one and left her inquiry unanswered as she turned her gaze forward from its previous focus on the ground or sky. She rarely ever raised her head and focused straight ahead, preferring to glimpse at the scenery, etc. Shippou and Kohaku were standing impatiently at the door. Shippou was dancing, hopping from one foot to the other in the frost of the night. Kohaku bent his knees and then straightened then in a jumping motion to indicate he was also cold.
"Hurry up, slow pokes!"
Shippou yelled between chattering teeth, but a smile permeating his chubby, childishly cute cheeks. Kagome smiled, he would never change, hopefully. She knew Shippou would grow up, but he would always be her little orphan. Yes, one would think Shippou didn't like to be reminded of his lost heritage, but he embraced it. He'd told her once in a rare moment to indulge her obvious curiosity. He loved his parents, but he wouldn't have half the character he did now. Ironically, he was thankful, though he did miss the loving embraces of her mother and his father's bed time stories. But then again...Kagome did all that. Could he consider her...? Shippou looked down knowing it was true.
Sango's mahogany orbs closed at the sight of her haven. The small corner shop that was only big enough to contain three rooms, the biggest being the work room in the back. This was where most of the products were made and the other was only for storage, a walk in with several shelves full of their items for sale. Not much could fit in there only their orders due, the rest of the products were in a nearby storage facility. It was actually just down the street and a few blocks over. It was close enough that Sango could run down there in a few minutes to grab something if they ran out of stock in their closet. Not many could say that their workplace was their haven, their own little niche in the world that is ready to be carved to fit their personalities. But this store, though a lot of work, it was her freedom. It was hers and the only thing that was truly stable in her life.
When her parents died she was devastated. Sango became withdrawn. She wouldn't talk to anyone or leave her room for days at a time. A bathroom was attached to the room so it wasn't necessary to exit for that. Sango didn't just refuse to eat, she couldn't. She went into trauma. She only drank and no- it wasn't water. It took Kohaku, her normally emotionally neutral or stable brother, breaking down into tears leaning against her door, to snap her back into reality. She heard his weight as he pressed against the wood and when she opened it he was on his knees his fists balled on the carpet. Sango had felt the floor fall away from her feet. Her eyes were red and her cheeks blotchy. Bags rested underneath her eyes and her hands were cut. Vaguely she remembered snagging her brother about the waist and repeating the same phrase over and over.
Since that day, as tribute to her brother, she never touched alcohol again. For the first time in her life, Sango had met rock bottom and never wanted to touch it again. She preferred life flying in the sunlight through the clouds, like right now, much better. And in the memory of her parents, she took over the store. During high school, she hired an elderly woman, Kaede, and her old coot of a neighbor, Totousai. But when she was accepted to Tokyo University, she only had them take over it for her when she had class or other such detainment's. Of course, she didn't like having to ask them for help, she was independent right now, for Kohaku and herself, but she was still in school. The pair didn't want payment, or rather Kaede didn't, Totousai had stuck his hand out, but retracted it fast enough when Kaede elbowed him one in the ribs.
The young woman looked sadly at her palms. There, resting in an angled row at the center of her palm, slightly more towards the root of her fingers, was the only testament left, besides memories, or her descent into depression after her parents death. Four crescent moon-like marks were scarred into the tanned skin. Some were thicker than others because she recreated the same marks over again, but the replacement of her nails into her flesh were slightly displaced than the first entrance. So naturally the scars' thickness was scattered.
"I'm so sorry, Kohaku...I'm so sorry."
Again- keep going.
