A drabble for the LJ community IYfic Challenge. The theme was "Higurashi Kagome."

Title: Motivation
Rating: K
Genre: general/introspective
Pairing: n/a
Word Count: 218
Summary: Kagome can be very determined when she puts her mind to it. Of course, it helps to have the proper motivation.

Kagome was tired, her arm was sore, her fingers red and beginning to ache. She didn't care. She was really starting to get the hang of this.

When she'd started early that afternoon, just after digging Mama's old archery set out of storage, seeing arrow after arrow miss the mark--often by a very wide margin--was almost enough to make her quit then and there. Then she'd closed her eyes and seen his smug face and the thought of proving her worth kept her going.

Souta had watched her for a while, offering applause even when a shot went especially wild, before growing bored and finally wandering off to play video games. Mama came out twice; first to gently correct her form and later with a snack and words of encouragement. Grandpa kept his distance altogether. Kagome felt like she probably should have been insulted by that, but he did kind of have a point. Besides, she could still feel his gaze from time to time from whatever safe vantage he'd picked.

But now, as the late afternoon light began to fade to red dusk, Kagome allowed herself a satisfied smile as an arrow buried itself in the target. Not quite the bull's-eye she'd been aiming for, but she was getting closer.

She'd show him.

That jerk.