Author's Note: Aloha everyone! I'm back! Yes, I've been off the grid, dead, fallen off the face of the Earth... what have you. Yes, I know it's been a while since you've seen an update of ANY story from me. But... I am back.

This new story I am writing is one that has been calling out to me for several months and only now I have listened to the characters and put their lives on print. My writing style is a little off, I must admit, but we'll see if I get my flow back.

Anyways... for those of you who are my long time followers... try this story. If you like 'modern-day Inuyasha' than this is right up your alley. It will get a bit... dark, as the characters have been calling out to me to do something dark and dangerous, in the sense of relationships of course. And it will get pretty graphic and M-rated. But right now... well, just read and find out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha


Standing outside of the doors, with one hand on the door handle, she froze. Time stopped as her heart began to pound, the feeling of helplessness and doubt began to creep in, taking control of her body. Kagome stood in front of the Tokyo Dance Academy building, already meeting one of her lifetime goals. She had always wanted to step foot inside this academy with its reputable history of opening the doors to so many famous pop stars in all of Japan. Kagome took a deep breath, calming her mind down. 'I can do this,' she repeated to herself, willing herself to open the door.

People walked by behind her in the bustling streets of Tokyo as they all had somewhere to be. But for her, this is where she needed to be. Kagome had gotten a call a week ago from someone who worked for Kikyo Hayashi, Tokyo's biggest pop-star and all the current rage, with even Kagome being one of her fans for the past four years. Kikyo Hayashi was a new star, at the age of 23 making it big with her first debut album that shot to the top of the charts in Japan. Her songs always made the top ten list on iTunes and her albums made the top 5 in sales. Kikyo Hayashi was the talk of the town for the millennials. Kikyo is the same age as Kagome, and ever since Kagome was 20, she had fallen in love with the woman's voice and the way her songs were sometimes personal and meaningful to listeners. Ever since she was young, Kagome had always wanted to dance, and ever since she turned 18 she had become a dancer. She just never made it big enough to be in the spotlight, at least not the one that she wanted to make it in. Now was her chance, and when Kagome got the call last week, she was bouncing off the walls in her little apartment that she had been chosen to audition for the part on Kikyo's dance group.

There was only one opening, an opening that was long overdue. Kikyo Hayashi didn't take on newcomers. She had the same group of dancers for the entire four years as a pop-star. The word on the streets was that she was hard to work with and her choreographer didn't like training new dancers to pick up the slack. Their group was also a tight-nit group, almost like a family. So this one opening for Kikyo's crew was huge to Kagome. And this was her opportunity to make something of herself, to do something that she loves to do but also to fulfill her dream.

With a deep breath, Kagome cleared her mind and focused on the door handle, pulling it open to feel the cold air hit her face with a jolt. She let her eyes adjust as she looked around at the folding chairs set up on one side of the lobby in five rows facing the receptionist behind her desk. Kagome pushed her sunglasses on top her head just as most of the girls turned to look at the newcomer with interest, sizing up their competition. She felt her heart beat loudly, a little uncomfortable in this situation, but knowing that she came here with a mission and she would see it through.

'There's no turning back now,' she thought with a grin.

Kagome walked up towards the woman sitting behind the desk. The lobby was huge, definitely fitting for the reputation that this place held. It had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides with high ceilings. Only a few paintings hung on the walls behind the receptionist desk and only one door in the middle led to somewhere into the academy building. The receptionist was dressed in a maroon business suit, obviously not a part of Kikyo's group but probably one of the workers of this establishment.

"Good morning," Kagome said in greeting. The woman looked up at her with a mildly entertained look, as if it had already been a long day for her greeting all the women sitting in the rows behind Kagome.

"Morning," the woman said with a smile, trying to seem professional. She took a piece of paper, clipped it onto a clipboard, and placed it in front of Kagome with a pen. "Take this and fill it out, please. This is a liability waiver for the Tokyo Dance Academy."

Kagome thanked the woman and turned around, looking for an empty chair among the rows of eager women waiting to be called. Some of them looked up at her, some with 'You-don't-got-what-it-takes' smirks and some with mild interest, worrying about themselves. Kagome just shrugged off the attention and went to the back of all the rows, heading to the fifth row and finding a chair a few seats in from the end. She began to fill out the form, noticing all the basic information the academy wanted to know in case she injured herself during the audition and wanted to sue the establishment. Kagome filled it out quickly, went back to give her paper to the receptionist, and the woman typed her name into the computer with expert hands. After a few seconds, the woman nodded her head and handed her a square paper with a number and a safety pin, now her "name" during the audition. Kagome thanked her again and went back to her seat when the woman told her to wait until her number was called.

Sliding into her row, Kagome sat down, placing her across-the-shoulder purse onto her lap, and tried to get comfortable among the crowd of eager women. She put on the number the receptionist gave her, safety pinning it to the front of her shirt, and looked around, noticing how some of the girls were sitting down waiting quietly and showing no outward signs of excitement or nervousness. Some girls were standing up near the floor-to-ceiling windows as they stretched their legs and arms, getting ready to be called in. Kagome even noticed a few girls chatting with each other as if they were friends and had gotten the call together. 'Hmmm… I wonder how many girls are here today,' she thought to herself.

Today was a big day for her and possibly for all these girls here. She was ready to impress the judges, to hopefully make a name for herself today so she can actually become something. She was dressed much like the girls around her but rather simpler. Kagome wore just black tights with a white workout shorts over it and a navy blue spaghetti strap over her blue Victoria Secret sports bra. She wasn't like most of these girls around her. Many look like models, skinny and ready for the runway. They had their hairs did in all sorts of style and fashion and they wore clothes to impress the judges, from rough-buckled looks to ballerina-ready outfits. There were all sorts of women here, all sorts of ages, and Kagome could only hope that she had a chance in this bunch. So many women for only one slot, but then again, it's not very often that Kikyo Hayashi takes on a new member. The judges had their work cut out for them.

The door behind the receptionist desk opened and all eyes fell on the young man carrying a clipboard. Kagome gasped, just as some of the other girls did, and there were whispers already circulating.

"Numbers 26 to 50!" he exclaimed, looking up from his clipboard as he eyed the waiting room.

'Miroku!' Kagome thought excitedly, her heart racing with anticipation. Miroku Takenaka was one of Kikyo's main dancers. He wore black khaki pants with buckles and chains on the side and a dark green shirt that had the kanji 'hope' on the front in orange. He was second to Kikyo's top dancer and choreographer. If Miroku was here then maybe…

The girls who had their numbers called all began to stand and make their way towards Miroku. He eyed them as much as he could and as they got closer to him, judging them already before they even began their audition. He nodded his head and turned around, expecting the girls to follow him. Kagome watched as the girls filed through the door, some waiting politely and holding open the door as those who were eager and overconfident would push their way through. Kagome shook her head with a roll of her eyes, not liking girls like that, who thought they were the best and looked down upon others. She sighed, clearing her mind and looking down at the number on her top.

'77'. She would have to wait a little more until her number was called. She looked around at the other women left and thought maybe she would be the last group after sizing up those left over in the waiting room. A few minutes later, the door opened and girls began to walk out, some smiling and looking accomplished. 'They must've been the group that went in before the set of girls that were just called,' she thought. Kagome watched as they all filed out and headed straight to the exit, now just needing to wait for that one phone call. Kagome noticed the figures and looks of each girl and wondered if she had a chance. Kikyo Hayashi was into fit girls, skinny girls who could relate to most of the younger generations in Japan. Most of the women here were skinny, their culture being catered to skinny people. But Kagome was not quite that skinny, or at least to her she wasn't. Kagome was different from the rest and she loved it, she loved being different and wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how many strange looks she got from people.

Ten minutes went by and Kagome kept checking her time on her phone in her purse. 'How much longer?' she thought, just as the door opened and Miroku stood in the doorway again. He looked around the room, sizing up the rest of the women waiting to be called as they all looked up at him. Then, much to Kagome's surprise, Miroku's eyes fell on her, and even across the room as she sat in the last row she could feel him looking into her soul. She suddenly felt exposed, and quickly turned her eyes from him, wondering what it was he saw in her. She was uncomfortable with his stare, uncomfortable in this whole situation, but she would see that it was done. She would not back down from this.

After a few seconds, Miroku finally spoke. "51 to 75!" The designated women all stood and filed to the doorway as Miroku left with the next bunch of girls. Kagome looked back up at the closed door just as the whispering began to dim again. She sighed, wondering what just happened. 'Why was he looking at me?' And it wasn't like he just looked at her. He 'looked' at her, as if he knew her, or seen her before, or… Kagome shook her head, not wanting to think of him knowing her. She never seen him before at work so there was nothing to fear. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Kagome groaned softly, wanting her number to be called already so she could get this over with.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Inside one of the dance rooms, Miroku took his seat between his best friend and his girl, flopping rather loudly onto the uncomfortable folding chairs that the academy provided today.

"Can you sit any louder?" his best friend asked gruffly.

Miroku looked to his right and smiled, reaching over to place his hand on his friend's shoulder and giving him and little shake. "Come on, Inuyasha… I know you're bored and I'm trying to give you some entertainment," he said with a smirk. Inuyasha looked at him, his golden eyes showing his frustration and irritation, maybe directed at Miroku or maybe directed at the fact that they were here. Miroku didn't know. Sometimes Inuyasha could be an open book and sometimes he could be as secretive as night. But one thing about Inuyasha, Miroku knew, was that he would get bored if something didn't pique his interest fast. Miroku sighed and brought his hand onto the table, fidgeting with the pencil on the clipboard in front of him.

"Well… at least we're almost halfway done with auditions," he said, hoping to lighten the mood. Somehow… it didn't work.

"When you say it that way," Sango said at his left, "it makes it sound even longer." Miroku turned to his left to lay his eyes on his girl. They had been dating now for four years, meeting each other here at the dance academy when they started with Kikyo in her career as a pop star. The three of them: Sango, Inuyasha and himself, all had a history together. When they began this group with Kikyo, Miroku finally asked Sango to be his girl and everything else was history.

"Just don't say anything at all," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms as he leaned back into the chair. Miroku looked between the both of them and shook his head. The group of girls they just auditioned all began to file out of the room as the next group placed their belongings down against the mirrors on the opposite side of the room and began to line up in the middle of the room facing them. Miroku looked ahead at the new faces of women.

"Oh yeah!" Miroku started, now bursting with excitement as he remembered something.

"I thought I told you not to talk," Inuyasha said, arching his eyebrow at his friend as Miroku looked to him with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Yeah… but you're not going to believe who I saw outside in the lobby."

Sango chuckled with a shake of her head and pressed play on the iPod in front of her, starting the music in the room and ready to critique the next bunch of girls.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome looked down at her phone again. 'It should be almost my time.' Her heart began to pound again with anticipation and a little fear. She could handle fear, dealt with it her whole life and knew what it felt like before it came. She knew how to overcome her fear and this was no different. But now, Kagome could feel butterflies in her stomach as this would be her make-or-break, her one chance to have a life that she could be proud of.

Finally, the door opened and Miroku stood in the doorway again, his eyes falling on her immediately as he smiled at her. Kagome blinked, looking away from him, wondering if she was imagining it, but then when she looked back he was still looking at her with a smile. His eyes held a sort of laughter in them, making her wonder what it was he was seeing in her.

Miroku finally broke eye contact with her and looked at the room of girls. "76 to 100!" Kagome stood as all the other girls did, all of them with their numbers safety pinned to the front of their stomachs. She noticed that it was the last of them. Curiously, Kagome wondered if this was the only group of girls that were being seen today. She followed the rest of the girls like a herd of sheep through the door and into a long, beige hallway with doors on both sides that went down the entire hallway. Kagome realized this is where many big-time dancers auditioned and practiced. Tokyo Dance Academy had a high prestige in Japan and was the center point of where amateurs would start their roots and experts would return to practice in their daily lives. It was a privilege alone for her to just step foot in one of these rooms.

'Wow…' Kagome thought as she looked above her and all around her. There were photos along the walls of dancers, from ballet to hip-hop, most of whom she never recognized. She waited until the entire group was a few feet in front of her and then she allowed her feet to move, staying behind the group. Never in her wildest dreams would she think she would be here, in this prestigious place, trying out for a place as a dancer for Tokyo's biggest pop-star. Kagome felt the weight and pressure of this all come crashing down on her suddenly and she kept looking at the photos on both sides of the hallway in awe. 'This is really happening…' she thought happily, smiling as she looked ahead at the girls who were now entering one of the rooms. Kagome steeled her nerves and promised herself she would do her best.

Kagome walked in to a huge dance room with floor to ceiling mirrors lining the entire room except the door. She turned to close the door, since she was the last one in, and went towards her group as they started to put their belongings down against the mirrors. Kagome followed suit, taking off her purse and sunglasses and putting them down closest to the door. Some of the previous girls were already grabbing their things and starting towards the door, clearing the dance floor for her group. She turned to face the center of the room and noticed the table set up towards the front of the huge room. The floor was nicely polished and waxed, perfect for dancers. Behind the table sat two people, one male and one female, and Kagome gasped in excitement as she recognized them.

Sango Yamashita and Inuyasha Fujimoto both sat at the table, clearly the judges of today's audition, along with Miroku Takenaka. Kagome's heart began to pound, biting her bottom lip to contain her nerves and excitement, both in a quarrel with each other. She listened as Sango was speaking, critiquing one of the previous girls but giving her pointers and praises on certain things she did. 'Wow… they're critiquing her… I wonder if they've already decided on a couple of girls.' Kagome's eyes went to Miroku as he made his way behind the table to take the open seat between Inuyasha and Sango. She watched as Miroku nudged Inuyasha, clearly saying something secretive as he leaned closer to tell him something with a smile on his face. Inuyasha, on the other hand, looked bored like he didn't want to be here. She frowned. 'What's his problem?' she wondered. Kagome watched as Miroku leaned away from Inuyasha and both pair of eyes went to her, making her blush and turn her eyes from them. 'What the hell?!' Miroku was talking about her! What the hell was he saying about her!

Starting to get a little annoyed that Miroku was obviously eyeing her, she crossed her arms and glared at him. But Miroku had already turned his attention to the girls that were now being dismissed. Inuyasha, however, had his eyes focused on her and she stilled. Their eyes clashed and the first thought she had was how handsome he was. 'Cut it out, Kagome! You're not here to hit on Kikyo's lead dancer!' But she couldn't tear her gaze from him, drowning in his gaze. He had such mesmerizing golden eyes. It was something about him that drew her to him, something Kagome was not going to get in to. She tore her gaze from his before she got too caught up in him. Kagome turned and watched as the previous group of girls went for the door while her group began to walk forward to where the previous girls were once standing. Kagome followed suit, walking slowly, aware of Inuyasha and Miroku's gazes on her. She didn't know what it was they saw in her, but she slowly had hope that they were seeing their new dancer. 'A girl can dream…' she thought to herself with a smile as she stood in line.

Standing in the third line in the back, Kagome took her place at the end, in front of Sango. She watched as the three judges talked to each other for a bit, and saw as Miroku leaned in to Sango to tell her something in private. Then, Sango's eyes fell on her for just a moment and went back to Miroku. Now, Kagome was sure they were talking about her. And she wanted to know what they were saying. No matter. She would have to bring it. If Miroku saw something in her the first time he saw her in the waiting room, then she would have to prove it to him that she could deliver.

The music began to pump through the room, blaring from the ceilings all around them. Kagome closed her eyes and began to sway, warming up her body and allowing the music to seep into every blood vessel, every cell, until she was one with the music. This was what she did. This was the one thing she knew how to do, and she did it well. Kagome loved to dance. It was second nature to her from breathing and she only hoped that the judges would see how much she loved to dance today. Focusing only on the music, Kagome opened her eyes, gazing at all the girl's reflections ahead in the opposite mirrors. She found herself in the throng of reflections and focused only on her. The music pumped through her veins and their cue was coming up in the next set. They all had to memorize a certain choreography on their own for this audition. It was a number that was for one of Kikyo's songs, so Kagome had fun the whole time learning this number on her free time. And she loved the routine.

As the music cued the girls, they all moved at once. Kagome allowed the music to control her body. She focused only on the song and not what the other girls were doing in front and around her. She was in her world, dancing to the beat of one of Kikyo's songs. She stepped in time to the beat, brought her hands up to her body and smiled ahead at herself in her reflection. She was just having fun, forgetting all about the audition and only about herself and the music. Kagome began to breathe hard as they were three minutes into the song. It was a simple routine, which allowed her to add her own personal touches and moves when there wasn't much to do. Kagome felt sweat dot her forehead and she smiled to herself, feeling like she was on fire. Her body just moved to the beat, flipping her hair back with sexiness, as she paid no attention to the judges. It was just her and the music on the dance floor.

Finally, the music ended and they all stood posed on the final move, Kagome with her arms on her hips and her hair tossed back over her head. The room was quiet, only the sound of soft breathing from the girls could be heard. She dared a glance to Sango and saw the girl smiling at her, nodding her head as they met eye contact, and then Sango looked away. She stole a glance at Miroku, only to see him smiling wide-mouthed at her, making Kagome smile back with a little giggle. Then, she dared to take a look at Inuyasha. When she looked at him, his golden eyes shot right through her. They were intense, he was sitting up in his seat with his elbows on the table and his fingers threaded together. He was staring at her with predatory eyes, like he wanted her. She'd seen that look before, knew what it was like to be a prey caught in a predator's gaze. Kagome felt her heart beat, not from the rush of the dance but from his heated, intense stare.

"Alright, thank you ladies!" Sango said, her voice carrying in the big room as it echoed around them. "Give us a few moments." The group all began to shake out their muscles and relax as they got out of their pose. Kagome ran a hand through her hair as she kicked her legs out in front of her, letting her body relax from that blast of energy. She had so much fun, even though it was an audition. She felt like she was just dancing by herself, for herself, with no one watching. That's what it was like when she danced. The anticipation and nerves only came before the dance, that buildup of intense jitters right before something big was about to happen like dancing in front of people. Once she was on stage though, everything fell away and she only danced like no one was watching, as if it was just her and the music.

'I hope I did okay…' Truth be told, she hoped she was chosen as their next dancer. She wanted to be 'the one'. Kagome clasped her hands in front of her and watched the three judges as they looked back and forth between the girls. Miroku smiled with a shake of his head and shrugged as he looked at the group of women.

"Alright, ladies!" Miroku said, his arms open above his head. "Thanks for coming today. We'll be giving you a call if you made it."

The girls took that as their dismissal and Kagome turned around, a little excited and a little eager to get that phone call. She really wanted to get that phone call tonight, but Miroku wasn't clear with the 'when' part and she didn't blame him. She knew these things took time. Her group was the last group of the day, at least it seemed like it, and Kagome knew that they would all have to come to a mutual agreement, which might take time. She walked back to her belongings and grabbed at her hair, putting her thick mane up in a ponytail as her body was still heated from the dance. She bent and grabbed her sunglasses and placed her purse strap across her shoulder as she turned to the door right next to her. She opened it and walked back down the hallway, looking at the pictures along the wall if that would be the last time she would see them. Kagome bit her bottom lip, suddenly nervous. She knew she would be nervously checking her phone for the next couple of days for that phone call.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Inuyasha leaned back into his chair and watched as the door closed behind that woman. 'Kagome Saito…' He knew who she was, where she lived, what her hobbies and interests were. Everything all the girls had to fill out prior to the audition was right in front of him, and her application was at the top of the pile. He stretched one leg out underneath the table and grabbed her application with her facial portrait on the front of the paper-clipped stack. Inuyasha stared into her eyes on paper, wondering what it was about her eyes that drew him to her. There was something mysterious about that woman that he wanted to uncover, something that drew him into those blue eyes.

"Earth to Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention to Miroku. "What?"

Miroku smirked, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly at his friend. "What did I tell ya? Huh? I told you she's good," he bragged.

Sango nodded her agreement, leaning her left elbow on the table and propping her cheek against her palm. She looked at the two men to her side with interest and excitement. "I like her," she said with a smile. "There's something about the way she dances that I haven't seen in any of the girls today."

Miroku nodded. "I agree. She has lots of potential." Miroku turned to look at Sango, his eyes glittering. "I want her."

Sango rolled her eyes and pushed him with her free hand. "You're such a perve." Miroku laughed, just as the last of the group of girls left the room. He had totally forgotten about them once the music had started and he kept his eyes glued on Kagome Saito. She had his full attention and he knew that she was the one he wanted to be in their group.

Miroku grabbed the hand that Sango pushed him with and kissed the back of her hand. "I only have the hots for you, my dear Sango," he said, watching as she succumbed to his words and she smiled at him. "But that woman, Kagome… I want her. I want her in our group." He let go of Sango's hand and turned to Inuyasha. "What do you think, Inuyasha?" He could only hope that the leader of their group would agree with him.

Inuyasha took a breath and looked back down at Kagome's picture in his hand. He ran a hand through his hair, remembering that first moment she walked into the room. The previous group of girls had been standing around getting critiques from Sango, as she always liked to give them pointers to help encourage them. But most of the time, he remained quiet unless he saw potential in someone. And he remembered the moment Kagome walked in. All the girls from the next group came in and he just quickly glanced over them with mild interest. A lot of the girls today either had too much makeup for his taste, like they were going to a fashion show, or they tried overly hard to impress them, like they were entering a Miss Universe contest and wanted to "bring world peace". He was a little irritated so far that these women were all that he got to choose from, and he just wanted to get through this last group of girls before lunch break and then another, hopefully not as depressing, group of girls at 1 o'clock. But then, just as he was about to get comfortable in his chair again to watch with disinterest at the next set of women, a wonderful scent came drifting into the room and Inuyasha was suddenly… intrigued. He glanced towards the door at the last woman that entered and his eyes fell on her: Kagome Saito.

The woman was beautiful, beautifully unique and beautifully herself. She wasn't dressed like the other women, who only wanted to impress, but she was casually dressed for comfort as if she was going to the gym to workout. It was her scent that caught his attention first, the scent of a flower that he couldn't put his finger on, something dark and sultry about her scent that aroused the demon in him. But Inuyasha could only look in awe as her eyes glanced at Sango and Miroku next to him. She had beautiful blue eyes, eyes that looked like the sea. Her skin was fair and she wasn't like the other girls in the room, or any that he had seen today. She had a curvy body, but he could tell that she was fit. The black tights she wore hugged her thick thighs and she had a very nice and firm ass, that he saw when she had closed the door behind her. And even though she wore white workout shorts over her tights, the shorts only helped to accentuate her ass. He thought she would look nice in a skin-tight dress, or even an A-frame dress that flowed past her hips. She did have wide hips and a narrow waist. Of course, he even noticed her full breasts that looked like they could fit perfectly in his hands, as her blue spaghetti strap hugged her body in all the right places. She had a very fit, hourglass figure, and he loved that about her body. Most of the women in Japan were skinny and narrow with nothing to offer a man like him. He liked women with a figure, with meat on their bones, and Kagome Saito was just that woman that piqued his interest, his more than one interest in her.

Inuyasha remembered the way he felt instant electricity when their eyes met for the first time, but she had quickly looked away from him. She was shy, he noticed. Even though he had watched her carry herself as if she was the only one in the room that demanded attention, she was inwardly shy and hid it quite well. He smirked when she averted her gaze from him, finding this a welcomed challenge. But then she looked back at him and he nearly drowned in her blue eyes again. Her eyes, so intensely blue like lightning, locked on to his and he felt lost in her gaze. There was something about her that he could see hiding beneath the exterior that she had, the confidence that her body exuded. Within her eyes, he saw… vulnerability.

Then, Sango started the music and the girls all went to work, trying their best to prove that they could dance for Kikyo Hayashi. It was his job, along with his two trusted coworkers and friends, to pick one girl that would come on in their dance group. There were fourteen of them, with only three as the top dancers in Kikyo's group. Those three were the ones Kikyo left in charge to find the next dancer, something that they haven't done since they started their group four years ago. They were losing one female to pregnancy who would then be a stay-at-home mom. Much to Kikyo's disappointment, she was still happy to see the dancer off with a blessing. But Kikyo was now focused on finding another girl and fast. They had a show in Hawai'i in three months and whoever they brought on would have to learn ALL the routines by then. All fifteen of them in three months. That wasn't an easy task and not any ordinary dancer could pull it off. Whoever they chose, Inuyasha had to be sure that they had the skill and potential of learning quickly and delivering. He was good at reading people, could see their capabilities, their strengths and their weaknesses, which was why Kikyo made him her choreographer and dance leader. That and the fact that he was just a damn good dancer and all of Japan thought so. When he saw Kagome dance, though, it was as if she was alone in her room dancing. He watched as she moved her body to the music, and unlike the other girls in the group, she looked ahead at the mirrors behind him as if she was the only one in the room dancing. The other girls would only focus their attentions on him and the other two seated with him, but Kagome acted as if she was unaware of their presence, or that of the other girls in her group. He could tell that she loved dancing, it was shown in the way she moved, the way she touched herself and the way she smiled as if she was enjoying every second of it. Nothing was forced, nothing was overcompensated and everything that she did came from her passion. He knew the moment she started dancing that he would choose her. There was no question. But he was just confused and interested as to why he made up his mind so quickly and without hesitation. Especially why his demon was so interested in her.

Inuyasha turned towards Miroku and Sango and he eyed Miroku knowingly, nodding his head with a smirk. "Cancel the rest of the appointments…" Sango arched her eyebrow with a smirk, surprised yet agreeing with him, while Miroku just simply laughed and leaned back in his chair, loving that he was right. "I want her," Inuyasha said. And he did. He wanted her… bad.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The whole day went by in a blur, too fast for her to even forget about what had happened earlier this morning. Kagome sighed as she knocked on the double doors of Midnite, her pride and joy for the past nine years. Midnite was a high-end, very popular gentlemen's club in Tokyo's Shinjuku District. There weren't many clubs in this district, most of them being in the more younger districts of Tokyo like Shibuya. But Midnite had a very high reputation and fame with the rich and famous, and even with the less wealthy if they were willing to spare a couple month's worth of car and house payments. Midnite was not for the small wallets.

The door opened and Kagome smiled at the brute of a man standing inside the doorway.

"Evening, Jinenji," she said as she walked in, touching his chest.

"Good evening, Kagome."

Jinenji was her own personal bodyguard. He was always around when she was on the floor, always making sure that the clients she had didn't do anything she didn't want them to do or hurt her in any way. He was very gentle with her and very nice to her, much to Kagome's amazement because in the blink of an eye he could change to a whole different person if he felt like her safety was being compromised. Jinenji always wore a black suit with a black tie, much like the rest of the bouncers in the club, and he always had his earpiece on to communicate with the other bouncers. He had emerald green eyes that Kagome loved because they were very loving and gentle, at least when he looked at her. He had one scar above his left eye from a fight he had in the club protecting her from a drunk client.

Kagome walked towards the bar and heard Jinenji lock the doors back up. It wasn't time for them to open yet. Midnite opened at 6pm and closed at 2am, much like any other nightclub. Only this one was different. Midnite was a high-end gentlemen's club, catering to the wealthy with the promise of a relaxing and memorable night. Midnite was owned by Onigumo Matsumoto, a very rich man and a very possessive man. He took care of all his girls but also was very dominating and possessive of them, occasionally stating his ownership of them to remind them as if they had forgotten. Kagome smiled and waved at Hojo, one of their bartenders, as he kept busy getting the bar ready for the night.

"Hey, Hojo!"

Hojo smiled as Kagome passed and waved back with his white rag in hand. "Hey, Kagome! Bring it tonight girl!"

Kagome turned her head and gave him a wink. "Always do, honey."

Making her way down the flight of stairs that separated the bar part of the club to the stage part, Kagome walked towards the opposite end of the club, now looking like a skeleton with no men in sight. It was eerily quiet, much to her disappointment. Kagome liked the club when it was packed and pumping with bodies, men craving for women's attentions and the sound of the DJ playing his music to the beat of the girl's bodies on the main stage. Kagome paid a glance towards the empty main floor as she walked towards the black walls.

Midnite had four different areas. The first was the bar area which was towards the entrance door of the club. The bar was very long but only needing two bartenders, Hojo and Kohaku, both like brothers to her. There were several black, cushioned stools that lined the bar, waiting for men to grace them, while the fully stocked bar shone bright from the white and purple lights behind the bar. The second part of the club was the stage area, which was just a few stairs down from the bar level. This area took up most of the establishment, with tables and chairs setup so that it surrounded a lifted circular platform with a pole that went straight up to the ceiling. Another stage was set at the opposite end of the bar where most of the group dances would take place. The "center stage", as the girls sometimes called it, was only used when a girl had a single or when a gentleman would pay for her to dance solo. Then they would use the pole and put on a show in the center of the room. The third area of the club was the lounge area, just to the right of the stage area and on the same level. If the men wanted to take their girls from the floor to a quieter space, they would walk over to the lounge. The lounge had dark purple couches, velvety soft to the touch, in the little corner below the bar. There were black curtains that blocked the view from the entrance and the bar to the lounge so that the occupants could have some privacy, but also keep watching the show on the stage. The dark purple couches lined the entire area, three long couches altogether, with a few round glass tables in the center for drinks. There always had to be enough space for the girls to do their thing and dance for the men. The last area of the club was the Midnite sky. This was for those who wanted a one-on-one show with their girl but was willing to pay up for it. The Midnite sky was located up a flight of stairs on either side of the stage area. Two stairs went up to two rooms on either side of the club. Whoever wanted a room needed to reserve it before hand, especially with Onigumo's top three girls. But if someone wanted to take a girl in the spur of the moment, if the room was available, they were allowed with a certain high fee. In these rooms, there was a bed, a couch, a table and a platform with a pole in the center of the room so that the man on the bed or couch could watch her dance for him. Each room was equipped with a panic button on the side of the platform and on the wall next to the door should the girl need a bouncer to come in and escort the gentleman out.

Kagome walked towards the left flight of stairs, across of the main entrance, and went towards the hidden door behind the black curtains that lined floor to ceiling along all the walls. Only the working girls knew where the door was to open it. Kagome felt for the small, hidden button down near her hips and pressed, hearing the click as the door swung open.

Kagome made her way into the dressing room and closed the wall behind her. She was immediately welcomed with women's chatter and the smell of all blends of perfume wafting through the air. She had to make a face and scrunch her nose to hold in her sneeze at all the smells.

"Kagome! Kagome!" She turned and saw two of her good friends, good coworkers rather who she considered as the only friends she had. Ayumi and Midoriko were sitting at their chairs, looking at her reflection in the mirrors in front of them.

The dressing room was nothing too fancy. Across the door and to the left were all the women's makeup area. They had their own personal "desk" that consisted of their own vanity with a big mirror, their makeup and other feminine products and their chair. The mirrors were all along the wall from the left to the middle of the room and nine chairs lined the mirrors. In the middle of the room was empty space where the push racks of clothes would hang waiting to be put on by the girls. It was their work area to get ready for the night ahead and to come back to freshen up or change. In the corner to the right was their own personal lockers if they brought in bags of extra clothes or bathing supplies to take a bath before work or after a client. They also had two leather couches near the lockers, one pink and one brown, that they could take a break on whenever they needed. Across the entrance on the locker side were two bathrooms with locked doors for personal space and also another room with just a tub and shower inside. Since this was a high-end club, the girls here only wanted the best of the best. And Onigumo, their boss, knew this and wished to keep them satisfied in order to keep making money off them. So everything in their dressing room were high end, from the marble vanities and bathroom sinks to the jacuzzi jet tub and the walk-in ceiling shower. Everything in the dressing room was to pamper and cater to the dancers before, during and after their work. For they knew what was expected of them and Onigumo expected no less. He expected hard work and lots of cash by the end of the night.

"Midoriko, Ayumi… you two look like you're ready to go," Kagome commented, noticing their finishing touches on their faces. Midoriko was a cat demon, the only youkai dancer in Midnite. She was very beautiful with green eyes and dark green hair that went down to her knees. Her hair flowed like water and today Kagome noticed that she was curling the ends of them. Midoriko's stage name was Mystique. She acted very mysterious and she was very seductive but classy. She was what dancers would call "The Professional". Ayumi was another "Professional". Her stage name was Aurora because she had short white hair that went to her shoulders and beautiful white eyes to match. Tonight Kagome saw that Ayumi curled her hair just like Midoriko. The two of them were in on it. Ayumi was a half-demon, as was evident in her eyes and hair color, but she had no special powers or attributes. It was only physical, and Ayumi loved that she could still be considered 'human' except for her eyes and hair. Kagome, Midoriko and Ayumi were close, much like friends. Although they didn't hang out every day outside of work, they still were close even outside of Midnite. They were good friends and they were Onigumo's three shinning stars of Midnite. He always called them that, to remind them how important they were to him and that they were his greatest income. The three of them were his pride and joys, but Kagome was his "hidden pearl", his "secret gem", the "sapphire of Midnite". Onigumo had an affinity for her, he was very possessive of her, more so than the other girls, but Kagome was used to his touches and attention. He never did anything that crossed the line and if she told him to stop, he would obey. He showed her what a true gentlemen was, what a gentlemen at their club should be to her. And if she wasn't getting that kind of respect from a client she was to report it to him or Jinenji. Kagome was his everything to him.

Ayumi smiled at Kagome, her brilliant white teeth standing out against the red lipstick she wore. "I'm not ready just yet… and it looks like you need to get in on the memo."

Kagome arched her eyebrow with a giggle. "I didn't get no memo," she said, dropping into her chair as her illuminated figure from the bright lights above the mirrors shone back at her. "No one told me we were curling our hair tonight." She fingered her hair, looking at her reflection. She loved her hair, loved the color of it. Her stage name fit her perfectly: Sapphire. Her hair was dyed from black to a sapphire blue that started at random lengths to the ends. She loved the color sapphire, the deep depths of the sea, that deep blue that changed color in the sunlight and moonlight. Much like her eyes. Her mother always commented on how her eyes were odd and freaky as none of their family members had blue eyes. She was the exception, the regressive genes, the odd child- as her mother would say. Her deep blue eyes could be as bright as the sky or as dark as the ocean depending on her mood and feelings. Her eyes were the windows into her soul, as her mother called them, and it was her downfall in the past.

"Well we're telling you now!"

Midoriko's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as Kagome blinked and turned to smile over her shoulder at Midoriko who had her head tilted slightly as she continued to curl the ends of her hair.

Kagome huffed, reaching into her white purse at her hip. She checked the time on her phone. 5:40pm. "I won't have time to curl my hair," she said regretfully. "But I have enough curls."

Ayumi turned to her with a clap of her hands. "Yes! Your hair is naturally wavy and if you just put on your hair oil they will be as curly as ours. Now go take a quick shower."

Kagome shook her head with a chuckle, loving Ayumi for her attitude and bossy nature. "Yes, ma'am." She put her purse on her desk and got up, walking over to her locker to get her bathing supplies and towel. More girls began to walk in for the start of their night, chatter and laughter beginning to swallow up the dressing room. She went into the shower room and locked the door behind her, hanging her towel up on one of the gold hooks along the wall outside the shower. As she stripped and got into the walk-in shower, she thought about her hair. She needed to bathe quickly so she could get ready in time. Onigumo didn't like tardiness, but she didn't need lots of time to get ready. All that she wore on her face were lipstick with eyeliner and mascara to bring out her eyes even more. She didn't like wearing makeup but the girls got her to agree on wearing just those three to help accentuate what she already has, or so they said. Kagome had to admit that she did look hot in eyeliner and mascara as the black made her blue eyes look like smoky blue, especially in the dark lighting of Midnite. She looked… alluring.

Kagome sighed as the warm water hit her body and she made quick work with her bath. She was a little sweaty from the walk over and so she was grateful for the quick shower. As she rinsed her hair with water she remembered of what her mother thought of her hair. Her mother would always grumble about how curly Kagome's hair would be. Unlike her mother's naturally straight hair, much like other Japanese women, Kagome's hair was wavy and on some days when she styled it right, it was loosely curled. Her mother hated it, thought it was a nuisance to have to comb through all the curls that would get caught in the comb. Her mother had no patience for it, so Kagome learned how to take care of her own hair and style it so that her mother wouldn't get too frustrated it. Kagome frowned, remembering her childhood, and had to stop herself before she got too caught up in her past. Her work was not a place to remember the past. She had to put on her facade, her alter ego, and become Sapphire. She loved her alter ego as it matched well with who she was on the inside and who she wanted to be if she could escape this life she lived.

Turning off the water, Kagome dried herself off and stepped out of the shower onto the plush rug. She went to the huge bathroom sink with a mirror on the entire wall above the marble sink. She looked at her reflection and smiled at herself, thinking about tonight's dances and what dance she was in the mood for tonight. After today's performance at the Tokyo Dance Academy, she felt like she wanted to dance for herself tonight. Her body was still pumped that she was even chosen to audition. 'Yes… I'll dance my favorite number tonight.' Kagome nodded to herself and turned to grab her dirty clothes and walked out to get ready.

By the time Kagome walked out into the dressing room it was chaos. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the air and the smells of all sorts of perfumes that blended together made her noise cringe again. This was one thing that she would never get used to. She was only wearing her Victoria Secret bra and panty, both dark blue, as she walked out with her towel and clothes to place back in her locker.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sapphire."

Kagome turned and noticed Kagura, one of the top girls in the club, placing her belongings in her locker across of Kagome's. Kagome smiled at Kagura who just turned her head and closed her locker.

"Jewels," she acknowledged with little care.

The golden rule of Midnite is to never use a girl's real name while they were working on the premises. None of the customers were to ever find out about their real names as it could ruin their lives outside of work. They worked in a dangerous business, one where crazy and psycho men could and would follow a girl home after the club closes and even stalk them for days. One of their girls found out the hard way after she was raped and murdered by a client she had at Midnite who found out her name and address. This was their absolute law to protect their privacy and possibly their lives. When the girls were alone, they would slip back to their names, but in this case, especially with Kagura, Kagome could care less what Kagura called her.

Kagura turned around, she too wearing only her nude underwear, and eyed Kagome's back. "You seem in a good mood. What gives?"

Kagome smiled to herself as she placed her things in her locker and shut the door. Kagura wasn't one of her friends here but she was a coworker and they had their differences. "I had a job interview today," she said, turning around to see Kagura with her arms crossed under her breasts. Kagura's stage name was Jewels because of her huge breasts which she loved to use to her advantage. She was never ashamed of them and loved to flaunt them, a lot. So the name Jewels fit her just well. That and the fact that she is very high maintenance and thinks she deserves only the best of the best.

Kagura arched her eyebrow, her face already painted with color to her liking. "Interview? You planning on leaving Midnite?" she asked with a little attitude.

"Who's leaving?"

At the sound of a male voice, Kagome turned to see Onigumo coming over to the two of them, his male presence dominating the feminine atmosphere. Onigumo came from a rich family and had power to his name. But it was also his looks that gave him power and dominion over women. Kagome never had a thing for him, but she had to give it to him that he was good-looking. Onigumo wore a tux, as he did every night, but this tux was light grey with a white tie on a white shirt. His shoes were polished black and his short dark brown hair was gelled into smooth locks a woman would want to run her hands through. He had dark blue-green eyes that usually was the first thing to steal a woman's heart.

Kagome smiled at him in greeting. "No one. I just did my job interview today." None of the women were shy around him as he was their boss and he did pop in to their dressing room time and again to check on them. So modesty went out the window with Onigumo.

Onigumo smiled at Kagome and went over to her, wrapping a hand around her naked waist and kissing the top of her hair. "You're not planning on leaving me… are you, Kagome?" he purred.

Kagome stiffened in his arms. She heard the warning in Onigumo's voice as it dropped a little lower. Onigumo was always nice to them but at times he could be demanding, mean and very dominating. He always got what he wanted and Kagome was told countless times by him that Onigumo wanted her, if not her body then he would have her to work for him. It was the least she could do for him after all he did for her- at least that's what he always reminded her.

"No… never, Onigumo," Kagome whispered, looking up at his blue-green eyes. She watched as he waited a heartbeat, taking her words to heart, and he smiled at her his beaming smile.

"Good girl." Onigumo released her and Kagome took a step around him, needing to get away from him and also wanting to get to work. She could always escape from her problems in her job.

Kagome walked into the open space in the middle of the room where racks of clothes were wheeled and locked into place for the girls. Many of the girls would share clothes but the top girls: Kagome, Ayumi and Midoriko, would have their own sets of clothes that no one could use. It was theirs, bought only for them by Onigumo, and everyone knew it was off limits.

"What are you going to wear tonight, Sapphire?" Ayumi asked, coming up beside her. Kagome turned and smiled at Ayumi's look. She always picked the same color but then again, that was her persona. Sapphire, Aurora and Mystique all had their own personas that they worked by and was very comfortable with, but it also came with a look. Kagome loved her look.

Kagome shrugged and pushed through the racks of clothes, finding her section and browsing through what she was in the mood to wear. "I don't know… I think I want something leather."

"Oooo… that means Kagome's going to do her favorite number tonight," Midoriko said, coming up between the two girls. Kagome nodded her head with a smile as she stopped at one of her leather outfits. The outfit was a rich blue leather jumpsuit, which to most of the girls here was a little dull and unsexy to them, but for Kagome she could pull it off as sultry and sexy. She had the curves that men would desire and with her ass, thighs and breasts, she could always make something so simple and unattractive to something hot and sexy. That was one reason why she loved her body. Yes, she struggled at times to fit in with other women and the sizes of clothing in Japan, but she always embraced her curves. The leather jumpsuit matched her eyes, which was what Onigumo went for when it came to his best girls. The jumpsuit went down to her ankles but on the outside of her thighs were cuts in the material to create a design that looked like strips of fabric were taken out horizontally down from her thighs to her ankles. This allowed more skin to show and for the clients to touch. The top was what would draw most of the attention, besides the outfit fitting skin-tight and showing off her curves. The front was a scoop neck that revealed her cleavage and had a zipper to hold her girls up but traveled down to her navel. The jumpsuit went over both shoulders like a tank top but at the back it was bare, leaving her back exposed all the way down to just above her butt-crack. Even though the outfit seemed like just a jumpsuit, it was meant to allure the clients, to show them her curves and her skin, which was what men wanted.

"I'm going to get ready." Kagome turned and walked past the giggling Ayumi and Midoriko as she went back to her locker. She needed to get her pasties so she could go braless and then finish with her hair. She noticed Kagura and Onigumo were having some sort of heated discussion, at least for her it was getting heated while Onigumo just stood there like a statue listening to Kagura rant. Kagome smiled and shook her head, walking between the two to grab the things she needed from her locker and heading into one of the bathrooms.

The bathrooms were just like the bathing room. It was huge for just one stall but it was the vanity that the girls needed the most. The huge mirror over the marble countertop illuminated with the bright lights that lined the top of the mirror. Kagome took off her bra and began to shimmy into the tight jumpsuit. It was always difficult to get into leather but she loved the feel of the smooth material once she got it on. It made her feel tight, clung to her skin and so… sexy. As she got the jumpsuit up to her waist, she put on her nude pasties and checked out her breasts in the mirror. 'Hmmm… you girls better stay locked away tonight,' she said, talking to her breasts as if they would listen to her. Kagome smiled to herself and pulled the straps over her shoulders, zipping up the front of the jumpsuit and finishing up her look. She looked… hot! Kagome smirked, her eyes glowing in the mirror as she turned to look at herself from the side and the back. There was a deep yearning in her gut, a hot desire that always came on right before she became Sapphire. This was what she needed to turn into the persona for the night, this passion that swept through her and Kagome was gone, only to be replaced by Sapphire, for only eight hours. 'Let's have some fun tonight.'

Kagome walked out of the bathroom and noticed that most of the girls had left, which meant it was opening time. She went back to her vanity to check herself in the mirror and quickly put on her eyeliner and mascara. In the mirror, she noticed Onigumo coming up behind her, his big figure looming in the back of her. She was bending over the counter, putting on her eyeliner, her mouth open just a little out of habit.

"You look gorgeous," Onigumo said, his eyes raking her figure from head to toe, stopping at her ass a little longer than necessary. She glanced at him, batting her eyes to set the makeup, and watched as he checked her out.

"Thanks, love." Kagome went back to her other eye and finished with the mascara. After she nodded her approval, she reached for her dark blue lipstick and puckered up. "What you got for me tonight?" she asked, wondering what her lineup would be.

Onigumo looked at Kagome as she focused on her lipstick. "You have three men tonight. One of them is a CEO of a company in Osaka. He will be your first client and will be coming with two of his friends that I have placed with Aurora and Mystique. The second is a president of one of Tokyo's restaurants. The third is the president of a computer software company." Kagome listened but cared little about who they were outside of this establishment. When they came in, they were simply just a man that needed certain needs taken cared of, and she provided for their needs. Of course, Kagome had rules that her men would follow and she was very strict on them, demanded them even from Onigumo, and he upheld her rules with strict discipline.

"And they know?" she asked. She always had to ask, not only to make sure Onigumo remembered but also to help satisfy her need to set the record.

Onigumo nodded with a smile. "They know." He watched as she straightened up, closing up her lipstick, but he only had eyes for her ass. She had a nice ass. Kagome turned around and walked up to him just as two of the girls were leaving the dressing room. He reached out to her and grabbed her by the neck, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You are the hottest woman alive."

Kagome smiled and placed her hands on his chest, straightening out his tie. "Thanks, love. Now let me have some fun." She walked away from him, going to the rack of shoes to grab her black stilettos and then made her way to the door. Onigumo held it open for her and Kagome smiled at him before walking out.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The music was pumping as she walked through the door and noticed that the club just opened. Thankfully, the walls were all soundproof which meant the dressing room and all the Midnite sky rooms were soundproof so that no one could hear inside or out. The DJ had already started his mix, a slow and sultry song by Beyoncé, and there were only three men inside for now. Most of the women were hounding them already, wanting to be their girl for the night.

Kagome smiled and moved towards the bar, feeling sexy in her leather jumpsuit. Ayumi and Midoriko were already standing at the bar, gaining the attention that their outfits called for.

"Hey. You guys heard about your lineup yet?," Kagome asked, noticing that there were seven girls working tonight. She counted the girls as three of them had been claimed by the men who walked in and now they were on the stage area sitting together and getting to know one another. Hojo came up to her with two glass cups, starting to make a drink.

"Damn girl… you look sexy tonight," he said with a wink, shaking the cocktail shaker up and down. He quickly poured out the martini into the glasses and nodded his head to someone behind her.

Akitoki, a human bouncer, came up right next to Kagome and grabbed the two drinks. "Evening, Sapphire." Kagome turned and smiled at him.

"Hi, Akitoki. You look handsome as ever." Akitoki was the only human bouncer in the club but he was strong for a human. He always said he worked out every day and taught kickboxing at the gym too. He was fit like the rest of the bouncers here and they all needed fighting courses especially in this job field.

"Thanks, Sapphire. You always are hitting on me you know," he said with a wink as he turned with the drinks in hand.

Kagome shrugged with an arch eyebrow. "I like what I see, that's all."

Akitoki chuckled and shook his head. He took his leave and went to deliver the two drinks to the two that just sat at the table on the stage area.

Kagome glanced around at the club, the sound of the music pumping through her veins. She propped herself onto a barstool and leaned back against the bar, looking out at the three couples that were now on the stage area. Someone would have to take the stage soon to give these paying customers a show.

"Onigumo told me I have five clients tonight," Midoriko said, her voice catching Kagome's attention. "But I only have one in the sky."

Kagome turned to look at the girl, her green eyes shining with mischief and anticipation. She smiled. "You always put on a good show in the sky." "The sky" was their term for the private rooms upstairs. Kagome never cared for those rooms, she would rather be out in the club with her client where she knew her client couldn't cross any limits with her and there would be people around to witness. There was something about the sky that just made her a little uncomfortable, only a little, but it was just the fact that she was in that person's control only for the time they spent in the sky.

"I have two tonight. But Onigumo said they paid for a few hours with me," Ayumi said with a grin. "I must be special." She giggled and glanced up as Hiten made his way towards them at the bar. Hiten was Ayumi's bodyguard when she was with a client. The three of them had their personal bodyguards who would work when they did and would be in the club somewhere watching them until they were with a client. Once the girls were with a client, their bodyguards would be close by, in their line of sight, so that if anything went wrong or the girls felt uncomfortable, all they had to do was look up at their bodyguard and he would stop their transaction for the night. Of course, money was still paid before the men had the girls, so they still got their payments.

"Aurora," Hiten said, extending his hand to her. Hiten was a thunder demon and Onigumo had hired him and his brother, Manten, to work for him after a night he watched them beat the crap out of a guy who had stolen Hiten's motorcycle. After witnessing their bloodlust and strength, Onigumo hired them as his bouncers and reigned them in a bit on their violence. "You have a client." Kagome looked up at his red eyes, his cheeks bearing purple thunder marks on both sides and his long, black hair braided- his usual look.

Ayumi looked between Midoriko and Kagome, smiling at them both with glee. "Wish me luck, girls."

"Luck you don't need," Midoriko said with a roll of her eyes. Kagome smiled at Ayumi's back as she took Hiten's hand and he led her to her awaiting client. The club was illuminated with the colorful lights and one of Kagome's favorite songs came on, "Who's Got You?" by Kikyo Hayashi.

Kagome found her body moving a bit on the chair as she let the music fill her blood.

"Here you two go," Hojo said. Kagome turned to see a martini glass was placed behind her. It was her favorite drink: a lemon drop martini, of course Hojo knew. She grabbed the stem with a smile at him and turned back around to look out at the club. Licking the rim of sugar first, Kagome took a sip and let the sugary, yet burning drink go down her throat.

"So…" Midoriko said, sitting down next to her. She wore a black lace bustier that pushed up her breasts, covering her whole torso and went down to her dark green lace panty. She had a matching dark green garter belt that connect to her black, sheer thigh highs. The girl always dressed with little clothes. She was comfortable in her own skin as most of the girls in here were. "How did it go today?"

Kagome put her drink on the counter and looked next to her, running her fingers through her hair. "It went well, I think." Midoriko was the one who had encouraged, no, nearly nagged at her, to audition for Kikyo's group. She and Ayumi knew about Kagome's dreams to be more than just a dancer in a club. She wanted to be on a dance crew, going places and making something of herself. She wanted to make it big, or at least as big as she could go without drawing too much attention to herself. "I think… they liked me?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" Midoriko asked, taking a sip of her vodka martini.

Kagome shrugged and sighed. "I don't know… I don't want to get my hopes up, you know? But I think they were watching me… I mean literally, watching me. I caught them staring at me a few times."

"Who's they?" Midoriko asked, now intrigued that they were focusing on Kagome during the audition. That's a good sign.

"Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha. They wer-"

"Wait! Hold up!" Midoriko held her hand up to silence her. "Inuyasha was there?!" Inuyasha was famous and he was definitely the photo that most women would pleasure themselves to. He was definitely someone all women wanted to be under.

Kagome laughed, playing with her hair. She noticed Jinenji walking towards them and knew her time was coming up. "Yes, Inuyasha was there."

"What the hell, Sapphire?! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

Kagome turned to look at her with a crazed look. "Why? Not like you could've done anything to him to begin with?"

Midoriko blew out and turned her nose up into the air. "As if… I would've at least given my number for you to give to him."

"Honey, I have your number," she said, watching as Midoriko turned to her with a pout. Kagome laughed just as Jinenji came up to the both of them and extended his hand out to her.

"Sapphire, you have a client," he said, his green eyes glowing with mischief but his whole body was poised and ready to take on any threats.

Kagome turned to Midoriko with a wink. "And besides… he seemed pretty interested in me already," she said with a tease. With that, Kagome left the shocked Midoriko behind laughing to herself, as she grabbed Jinenji's hand and let him lead her to her awaiting client. 'As if he was interested in me.' How could someone like Inuyasha Fujimoto really be interested in her? He was famous in Tokyo, in all of Japan, and someone like him would be off limits to someone like her.

Kagome let Jinenji lead her to wherever it was her client waited, which apparently was at the lounge. She noticed that a few men were sitting there with some of the girls, some who had come in without her noticing them. The lights were flashing all around in the club but in the lounge, the curtains on all three sides helped to make it a little bit more private and darker. There were purple and white lights at the top but they were dimmed to help keep the mood going. Kagome took in the lonely man who sat dressed in a dark blue suit with a light blue tie against his white inner shirt. He looked young, maybe middle thirties, and he was clean shaven with a nice, short haircut. His eyes were dark and his facial features were very manly, a masculine jawline that all women would drool over. Kagome smiled as his eyes met contact with her and she began to feel that pull towards him, the one she had when she met with her clients. It was all about him. She was only living and breathing in this moment for him. Whatever he wanted her to do, she would do it for him, so long as he kept to her rule too.

Jinenji led Kagome forward with a release of her hand and went to stand near the entrance into the lounge, making sure he was within eyesight of Kagome should she need him.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome licked her lips and closed the last few steps between him and her. "Hello…" she said softly, stopping right in front of him. His legs were crossed, one leg on top of his other knee, as he sat comfortably reclined in the plush couch. She noticed how he let his eyes graze every inch of her body, slowly from her feet to her eyes, and then she noticed his approving smile.

"Like what you see?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and biting her bottom lip. Slowly, the man stood up and she had to look up at him. He was taller than she thought. He towered over her and had a great physique to go with the whole package, or at least the package that she could see.

"Yes," he said, his voice booming even with the music, "I love what I see." He slowly reached out and Kagome's eyes went straight to his right hand moving towards her.

"Don't worry, Sapphire," he said, his eyes lighting up with warmth, "I know the rules." His hand went to her left hand, his fingers grazing her own as if he feared touching her but holding back the desire to, and she smiled up at him. She walked up towards him and brought her body flush against him. She felt the man's arousal, getting butterflies in her stomach. When she felt a man's arousal she always felt a surge of power flow through her, a sense of dominancy and control. That was what she loved about this job. She had control over these men. She could make them do anything she wanted them to with just the promise of being totally theirs for tonight. She could break their control that easily, by just a graze of her fingers, and they were under her spell. That complete control she had over these men is what Kagome loved and sometimes craved like a drug.

"And your name?" she inquired, even though most of the time the men would not use their real names, or else their nightly secrets might be exposed to the world and ruin their reputations. He smiled down at her, his handsome features very striking in the dim light above them.

"Call me, Sai."

"Well, Sai…" Kagome said with a smile, reaching up to grab at the lapels of his jacket. She ran her fingers along the seams and then placed her hands on his chest. "I'm all yours." She pushed him back, much to his surprise, and he fell back onto the couch. Sai chuckled, straightening out his jacket as his eyes were wild on her. Obviously she had fed his arousal.

Kagome went to his left, avoiding the huge invitation that he opened to her with his legs spread wide apart, and put one knee on the couch next to him while her left swung over his left leg. Sai had opened up his arms but rested them on the back of the couch, submitting himself to her with a satisfied smirk. Kagome licked her lips, feeling so very sexy at how in control she was of him.

"You are not to touch me," she said, leaning closer to his left ear. "Am I understood?"

Sai smiled, his cheek hitting hers and he nodded. "Sapphire… I have paid a fortune for a few hours with you. Why would I want to lose my money by something that stupid?"

Moving back, she smirked at him. "Honey… you will be begging to touch me before the end of your night here." Sai quirked his eyebrow, clearly taking on the challenge, and leaned his head back, enjoying the beginning of their night together. That's all these men wanted. They just wanted to be with a woman, if not physically then at least have them listen to their problems and their life history for a night. They just wanted to be heard, sometimes leaving their wives to come here because their wives wouldn't hear them out.

Kagome had to move a little more onto his body, placing her hands on his chest, to be able to lean into the crook of his neck. He was tall and his body was longer than hers. She noticed that as she leaned into him, he had titled his head all the way back, moaning just a little. "Now… tell me why you paid so much of your hard earned money for me." She smelled him, and he smelled like the rest: all rich and full of lies. His cologne was strong but it was musky and a little woodsy. He must have women dying over him. She smiled to herself and allowed her body to take control. Though she had no feelings for him, it was her desire to please him, her desire to give him what he needed in this moment that allowed her to be so close to him like this. To give him herself.

Sai sighed, but Kagome couldn't see his face, still faced up at the ceiling. "My father is wanting me to make a merger with a company that I despise."

And there it was. The reason why he, like most of them, came here tonight. He wanted someone who would listen to him. If his father wouldn't, then she would.

"Tell me," she said, moving back so that she could look at him. His dark eyes were on her now, clinging to hers as he drowned in her eyes. He was silent for a long time, just the music playing in the background and the two of them moving so subtly against each other as they breathed.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are so beautiful?" he asked her, and it made her heart soften. Kagome smiled, deeply touched at his words.

"Many have told me I'm beautiful, honey. But you just reminded me that I am tonight. Thank you."

Sai licked his lips and nodded, "You're welcome." He moved then, bringing his hands up. "I need a drink. You're making me… hot."

She giggled and moved off him, looking down at the bulge in his pants where he was straining to be let free. He moved to lean back, now with his drink in hand, and took a sip. She watched as he drank, really drinking in how handsome he was. If she wasn't so independent and dignified, she might have slept with him. And many other men who had walked in here and shown her a good time.

"Didn't mean to," she teased.

Sai laughed them, a deep rumble in his chest as he gazed at her. "Sure you didn't." He took another sip and then rested the glass on his right leg, moving his left arm up and around her to rest on the couch again. "Now… where was I?"

She took the invitation and moved into him, getting comfortable against his side beneath his arm. He felt safe in this moment for her. "You were telling me about your father not listening to you."

"Is that what I said?"

"No." She touched her index finger to his chin, making him look at her. "But that's what I heard. I'm very good at listening, even when you try to hide the truth… Sai."

He laughed again and she wondered if he knew that she knew his name was false. It didn't matter, but she giggled with him.

"Clever little bluebird." Kagome's smile faded away but she didn't take her attention off him. "Yes, my father doesn't listen to me. He wants me to take over his company soon, as he wants to retire and give me the reigns. But he wants me to do everything his way. I mean, how does he expect me to rule my own company if I have to do things dictated to me by my father?"

She could feel his anger in his words and his body got tense. She stroked at his chest and let her finger play along his neck in little patterns. "Have you told your father this?"

He chuckled. "I think not." He paused to take another sip, his eyes never leaving her. "If I told him, he would probably throw this huge fit to get me to realize how fortunate I am to have all of this," he said, opening his arms to encompass the lounge, "and that it was he who provided it for me on a silver platter."

She smiled up at him. "Well, maybe not. If he does love you, he will hear you out. You can't just assume that he's going to throw your words under the rug and not hear you out." Sai quieted but held a small smile on his face, listening to her words, so she continued. "To have amassed such a huge empire for you, he has to have excellent communication skills and he must understand the importance of considering everyone's ideas besides his own." Sai never said a word, he just stared at her, and so she continued even more. "If I were you… I would just try. You never know until you try and life is too short to pass up an opportunity."

The music blared in the background and a couple walked past them at the corner of her eye, but Kagome could only stare at Sai. He was quiet, his eyes focused on her but his face was soft. She didn't know if he was hearing her or just thinking she was a hot piece of ass that he wanted. After a few beats, she couldn't take the quiet and so she moved away from him enough to reach up and place her left hand on his cheek.

"Say something, honey," she encouraged.

Sai smiled, shaking his head. "Like what?" His hand on his drink tightened, his fingers turning white. "I want to touch you so bad, Sapphire," he whispered, making her smile. She got that a lot, but there was nothing she could give him but a smile and a change of topic. They knew the rules. No touching. They could only touch her arms, but nothing more. They knew what they were getting themselves into when they paid for her company but that was the price the men were willing to pay for her.

"Sai… how about we go out to the dance floor?" she said, changing the topic so that he wouldn't get upset or offended.

Just as Kagome was about to shift, he moved his left hand and grabbed her hand that had just left his cheek. She looked down at his hand holding hers and he placed hers against his chest. She gazed up at him in wonder.

"How is it that men don't give up their entire world for you?" he asked, bewildered.

She smiled with a laugh. "Many have, honestly."

"Is that so? Well, they must not have had much to offer."

Kagome shook her head. "No, honey… they had a lot to offer… and so much to lose," she said softly, letting her facade slip.

That had Sai's attention immediately and he squeezed her hand tighter. "You are worth the risk."

Her eyes flew to him and she slipped easily back into Sapphire. "Let's just have fun tonight, you and I. I am here only to please you." 'Damn… he's really getting to me,' she thought. Sai was a sweet man. He was probably single, which was why he was aroused so quickly. He wasn't getting laid. But then the fact that he was so aroused easily and he had such a nice personality is the most evidence she got that he was probably single and waiting for someone to capture his heart. She totally was not that girl. And it was obvious he wanted to get to know her as if they were sitting inside a coffee shop talking about the weather.

Sai frowned, but let his grip on her hand go so that she could run her hand along his chest. "You are a mystery."

"I am yours."

Sai smiled. He finally nodded and then leaned back, taking another sip. His eyes suddenly looked up and he tensed, making her turn to see Jinenji standing right in front of them. She smiled up at him but he didn't smile back, keeping on his badboy look while working.

"Sapphire, your number is coming up."

She smiled. "Please tell Hakaru I won't be doing one tonight." Jinenji nodded, not asking for an explanation. Kagome smiled and turned her attention back to Sai as Jinenji walked away.

"Your number?" Sai asked, intrigued as to why they were bothered. He looked at her expectantly, noticing the way her blue hair fell along her face, framing her beautiful, deep blue eyes. In the darkness of the club, Sai was sure her eyes were as dark as the deep, blue sea. He fell in love with her eyes and he was already smitten at her kindness. She wasn't like any of the other girls he's met at any club, any gentlemen's club or anywhere on the streets in his entire life. He had never met anyone like her. This woman was pure, that he could tell, and she didn't seem to care about anyone else but him right in this very moment.

She smiled, her eyes shining with delight. "I was supposed to do my favorite dance tonight."

Sai's eyes widened, "A dance?" She nodded at him. "Why don't you?" He wouldn't mind watching her dance. Heck, he would pay to watch her dance if he had to.

Kagome reached up and placed her hand on his cheek again, rubbing her palm along his smooth jawline. He had recently shaved and she could smell his aftershave as she brought her head in, making his mouth slack open as she noticed his breathing accelerate. Her body was flush against his and she moved as his chest moved up and down. She brought her head to his ear, avoiding his opened lips.

"I'm having a wonderful time with you. You make me… feel." She couldn't tell him anymore, that she enjoyed his company, that she appreciated his sincerity and his willingness to open up about his feelings, that she wanted to spend the rest of the night here in his arms. Some of the clients she had were real jerks, only wanting to watch her dance or for her to touch them. Most of them came in here knowing that they could get whatever they wanted from her because they paid for it, and there were a few who would break her rules and she had to call for Jinenji. But then there were those few, like Sai, who were a real gentleman and made her wonder what happened in their life that would cause them to come to a gentlemen's club seeking solace. 'Hmph… they're just as screwed up as I am.' She had no right to question why they were here anymore than they had a right to ask her the same thing. But in this moment, nothing else mattered but being here in Sai's arms. It was times like this where she dared to make herself believe that she might find a man like Sai, who would look at her like he was, as if she was the only thing in this world that mattered to him.

If only for the moment.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome sighed as she combed out her hair. 'I need a bath.' She stared at herself in her mirror, her reflection at the end of the night always hitting her right in the gut. She looked at herself, sitting down in her chair, staring at her faraway eyes, as if she wasn't there at all. Truth be told, she was exhausted. After work, she was always emotionally drained. Physically, she had spent the night dancing with and for her clients, all three of them. The first, the CEO Sai, he was a real charmer and Kagome really enjoyed the few hours that they had together. He kept his distance and was true to her rules but it didn't stop him from telling her how much he wanted to touch her, to hold her, and after he got a bit more comfortable due to the alcohol, to make love to her. He was sweet, the sweetest man she had tonight. The other two were just here for themselves, as most of them usually were. One man was a restaurant owner and he obviously was used to barking orders because that's all he did with her. He wanted her to touch him everywhere, although when it came to his junk she had to object after the few times she had managed to do so but she was getting a bit uncomfortable doing it. She only had to glance over at Jinenji once before he came over quickly, leaning in so that her client could hear him over the music, but Jinenji wasn't one to yell. He made his point without raising his voice or telling anyone twice. After Jinenji had his 'talk' with her client, things went a little more smoothly after that, or at least she didn't have to stroke his junk anymore. Then, her last client, the computer geek, was just that. Of course, he wanted to watch her dance and most of the hours he remained silent, his eyes calculating and analyzing all that her body had to offer him, but he said very little. Which made it a boring night for her.

Kagome sighed, again. 'Look at yourself, Sapphire… what am I going to do with you?' she thought to herself. It was always at the end of a night that she really began to rethink her life and where she was going. 'Nowhere.'

"How was your night, Kagome?" Looking behind her reflection in the mirror, Kagome caught eyes with Ayumi as the girl walked in from the club.

"Boring. Weird. Yet… enjoyable," she said with a smile, looking back at herself. Thinking about Sai brought a smile to her face.

Ayumi, of course, caught notice of it. "Enjoyable? Which one?" she asked, now interested as she went to her chair next to Kagome's and her figure was illuminated by the bright lights of their vanities. Ayumi began to take off her stilettos as she turned her swiveled chair to face Kagome.

"My first client… he made me feel special."

Ayumi smiled knowingly and rose her eyebrows. "I know, honey. I love the ones who do."

Kagome nodded and leaned back, turning just her head to look at her friend. "It's hard to not fall for them… I mean they have it all…" She turned to look at herself in the mirror, her eyes dark and filled with fear. "They can provide security and money. They throw themselves at my feet and will do anything I ask of them. They promise me a better life outside of this place if I would just be with them…" Her voice trailed off as she thought of the many men who came into Midnite with promises of a brighter future from this dark establishment.

Ayumi frowned, noticing Kagome going off into her mind again. They were friends outside of work, the two of them and Midoriko. They hung out and chatted about things outside of work, about their personal lives and their dreams. But Kagome always held back when it came to her childhood and her past. She never really told them where she came from, where her parents were and what brought her to Tokyo to begin with. She was very secretive when it came to her past, but Ayumi always respected Kagome's privacy. It was their job to be secretive, it was their only way of living, to hide who they were from others.

"Kagome…" Ayumi called, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. Kagome turned to look at her, her blue eyes clouded with memories that Ayumi knew nothing about. "Let's not talk about this here." Even though they were in the dressing room and they were officially "off", Midnite was not a place you wanted to spill your secrets in, especially with the women they worked with. There were eyes and ears all over the building, even though Onigumo didn't keep videocameras in their dressing room. All the girls knew that while they were on Midnite property, they needed to watch what they said on the premises.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow. You wanna go to Shinjuku Gyoen tomorrow morning?"

Kagome smiled and nodded, feeling suddenly very tired and wanting to go home as soon as possible. "Yes. Thanks, Ayumi." The girl smiled and nodded back.

"Of course. It's been a long night," Ayumi said, turning her chair back to face her mirror as she dropped her stilettos. "Let's go home."

Kagome sighed, again. She was tired. It was a long night, now being 1am. The girls were done by 1am even though the club closed at 2am. The music still went on and last call wasn't until 1:30am, but Onigumo still kept it open in case there were a few drunks who needed a cab or needed to be woken up.

Taking a look at herself, Kagome grimaced. She needed to take her makeup off, or the little that she had on. Her lips were still dark blue as she had to touch up throughout the night, but it was her eyes that caught her. Her eyes were dark, the eyeliner and mascara holding true to its waterproof abilities, but she looked even more tired than she felt with her dark eyes. Her eyes were a deep blue because of the eyeliner and Kagome just wanted to take off her makeup before she headed on home.

Grabbing the cotton swabs and some makeup remover, Kagome went to work as the door opened and more of the girls walked in. With her one eye open, she noticed Midoriko and Kagura walk in talking to one another.

Kagura laughed as she began to undo her bun, heading over to her chair. "You should've seen the look on his face when Manten told him to get out." Kagura laughed, making Kagome stop and look at Midoriko in the mirror.

"Who's face?" she asked, curious just as Ayumi was as the both of them looked between Midoriko and Kagura.

Midoriko's eyes fell on her and she smiled softly. "Apparently a man came in asking to see you." Kagome's eyes widened and she straightened up, giving Midoriko her full attention.

"Who?"

"What does it matter?" Kagura asked, making Kagome turn to see her sitting on her chair, not even turning to look at them. "It's not like you're going home with him anyways." Kagura then turned and smirked at Kagome haughtily. "I would definitely take him home and have my way with him for the rest of the night." Kagura hummed to herself and clearly dismissed them as she continued to unravel the pins from her hair.

Kagome shook her head at Kagura's arrogance and attitude. She focused back on Midoriko as she sat next to Ayumi and began to take off her makeup. "Who was it?"

Midoriko shrugged, dabbing at the makeup remover. "I think he was your first client tonight. I remember seeing you two together when I walked into the lounge with my client. But Manten told Jinenji so I'm pretty sure he's going to be walking you home tonight."

Kagome took a deep breath and turned to look at her forgotten cotton swab in her hand. 'Sai…' She inwardly groaned at the fact that he had returned. It meant that he had feelings for her, that he wanted to see her again, and probably would because he could pay to see her again. But whenever things like this happened, like clients coming back after their appointments, or when the girls felt unsafe because of a client during the night, one of the bouncers or the girl's personal bodyguards would walk them home. Thankfully, Kagome lived close by so she didn't have to worry too much about walking alone for long on those nights when she did walk home alone. But most of the time, Jinenji would walk her home because he insisted and wanted to keep her safe. She appreciated him all the more for his care and thoughtfulness, even though he insisted it had nothing to do with it being his job to walk her home. He did it because he wanted to.

"Great," she grumbled to herself, taking another cotton swab and going through the routine. She didn't mind Jinenji walking her home. She just hoped that nothing would happen to the both of them on their way there, and especially not to Sai who was so nice to her the whole night. Jinenji was only a half-demon but he certainly could pull his own weight when it came to a fight. He had the strength of bulls and Kagome was confident in his abilities to protect her. It was just that she worried about him putting his life on the line for her. But as Onigumo would remind her, it was his job.

Kagome took a deep breath and threw her dirty cotton swabs away, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked fine for now. At least her eyes didn't look so dark and dreary. With a quick look around at her desk, Kagome grabbed her phone and her over-the-shoulder purse.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, then," she said, standing up to smile farewell at her friends.

Midoriko turned to smile at her. "Good night, Kagome."

"I'll see you tomorrow. 10?" Ayumi asked, her eyes hopeful.

Kagome smiled with a shake of her head. "Ten." Ayumi never got up early, whether she worked the whole night or not. She loved to sleep in and let the sun and the heat of the day wake her up naturally. Kagome waved at the two, skipping her farewell to Kagura and the rest of the girls, and she made her way out into the club.

The music had stopped and it was eerily quiet after the life the club just had an hour ago. It was a little after 1am and the club was empty except for the workers. The lights were on in the entire club now to help the cleanup go efficiently. Hakaru, Hojo and Kohaku were all putting the chairs up onto the tables for the night. Midnite was a very clean and classy gentlemen's club and Onigumo took pride in that. He never let any of his bartenders or security team go home until the entire club had been cleaned and the 'sky' was disinfected and cleaned as well. Most of them didn't mind though. Hiten and Manten especially loved to work throughout the night as they liked to sleep in throughout the day anyways.

Kagome walked through the club waving at the others as she passed them by, telling everyone good night. Tomorrow was another day and she would be back again. She made her way towards the bar where Hojo was now running to, coming up behind her with a broom in his hand.

"Good night, Kagome!" he said, confirming to her that he knew she had a good night.

Kagome glanced at him with a smile. "Yeah. At least my first one was."

Hojo smiled and the two of them stopped at the bar where he had stacks of money rolled up in the crystal tumblers lined up along the bar. Each stack was for each girl. As it was with most club dancers, they were paid cash upfront so that there could be no trail back to the girl. That was what Kagome loved the most about working here. She had privacy, privacy from the emperor and from society who might want to dig into her records only to find… nothing. Since her 'paycheck' was paid upfront, she only had to worry about her medical which Onigumo had helped her with. Most of the girls, however, had a second job that would help them with medical insurance or give them a steady income should they choose to move on from this lifestyle, while some were still college students looking to make an extra buck.

Hojo placed the rolled up cash in front of her face, holding it between his index and middle fingers. "Girl… you and I should runaway together," he said with a tease, his smile clearly giving away that he knew she banked tonight.

Kagome laughed, grabbing the money and reaching to grab his chin with her left hand, giving his head a little shake. "Hojo… you wouldn't want to be stuck with me on a desert island if the world came to an end and we were the only male and female left alive."

Hojo's eyes widened a fraction. "Really? You're that bad, huh?" She nodded and released his chin, smiling with a nod.

"Good night, Hojo."

"Good night, Kagome."

She walked away from him, hoping that he didn't take offense to that, but it was the truth. She sighed and looked down at the money rolled in a rubberband. It felt big and she thought back to Sai. Perhaps he had tipped well. 'Hmmm… must be several thousand.' She smiled gratefully and placed it into her purse.

Looking up, she noticed Jinenji at the exit as she got closer to the door. She smiled up at him, noticing the way he had changed his demeanor again. He was always softer with her when it was only the two of them and there were no clients in the club. He seemed to relax more when he didn't have to have his guard up all the time.

"Kagome… you ready to go?" Jinenji asked, watching as she walked right up to him. He smiled at her, seeing the fatigue in her eyes. Jinenji felt a deep desire to protect her, and every time at the end of the night when she would go home and he saw her like this, so exhausted, Jinenji felt the desire even more. He wanted to protect her from the world when she looked like this. Kagome looked… vulnerable.

Kagome nodded as Jinenji moved aside to let her through the door. Stepping out into the street, she opened her purse to reach in and grab her phone. She had forgotten to check it earlier just in case she had any miss calls. Kagome grabbed her phone and brought the screen to life. 'Hmmm' she thought, seeing that she had a missed call and a voicemail. She put in her passcode and went to her voicemail, listening to the message that she had received at 6:02pm.

"Evening, Kagome. My name is Miroku Takenaka." Kagome's footsteps faltered and she jerked to a stop, her whole body frozen as her wide eyes glued to the sidewalk. "I wanted to thank you for your performance today at the academy. We really enjoyed your dance style and the way you move. Give me a call back. I have a proposal for you if you are still interested in a position on Kikyo's dance team. We would love to have you. Call me back as soon as you can. Let's set up a time to meet tomorrow so we can talk in person and get the ball rolling. Good night."

The recording of her cell phone came on, asking her if she wanted to replay the message or delete it. But all Kagome could do was bring her hand up to her mouth as her eyes looked up to see Jinenji staring at her worriedly.

'Holy shit!' she thought excitedly, trying to contain her sudden desire to bounce around in a circle. 'I got the part!'


Author's Note: So what did you think? Let me know! I love your reviews. It encourages me to write more but also steps up my game for any improvements that I need on my part. I hope you come on this new journey with me :)