Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry it took me so long. Just to let you know, the gang will be heading off to Hawai'i soon AND this chapter has a small teaser into Kag's history. So I'm sure most of you will enjoy and appreciate this one. Another thing to note, a gift for you, I will be updating with two chapters next time: both of them are the about the Hawai'i concert. I wanted to get it all out to you in one go because it's getting soooo good between Inu/Kag when they're in Hawai'i, even now as I'm writing the next two chapters. I just can't! :) Hope you enjoy this one!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha
"It's one month away…" Kagome whispered, looking out at the couple sitting under a Sakura tree, laughing about something that was said. The way the two sat together, so close with a few casual touches, showed how much they loved each other. Kagome stared at them, her thoughts wandering back to the concert coming up in Hawai'i.
Things were going along smoothly. And quickly. She never realized how fast time flew by until they were already two and a half weeks away from flying out to another country and four weeks away from her first real-life concert that she would be a part of her. Part of her was thrilled, excited, over the moon. Another part of her was terrified. She was nervous about going in front of so many people, although she took comfort in knowing that the audience's faces would be small or in the dark so she wouldn't feel stage fright that she was already feeling. She was also nervous about the spotlight she would be put in. Her fear of being found, her deep need for privacy, would be tested now. It was either she did this, she took her dream and made something of herself, or she would always live in fear and wondering what would've happened if she had done it.
"Hey."
Kagome turned at the sound of Midoriko's voice. She looked up and smiled at her two friends, Midoriko and Ayumi, both smiling down at her. They were both gorgeous, dressed in casual dresses that matched their eyes, fitting for the summer weather.
"Hey you two."
Ayumi went to sit next to Kagome's right and Midoriko on the opposite side. The three women sat together under a low branching tree whose branches crept out at a far distance, beautiful and captivating. They all wore summer dresses, Kagome with her blue, Midoriko with her green and Ayumi with her white. "So… are you excited?" Ayumi asked.
"I'm so excited for you," Midoriko said, placing her purse down behind her as she got comfortable.
Kagome nodded. "I am. I really am. And time just flew by so I haven't really been able to take it all in and just enjoy it, you know?"
Ayumi nodded. "I know the feeling." She smiled at Kagome. "Tell us about everything. We don't hear enough at work." Midoriko nodded her agreement.
"Well… I guess, things are going good. We've been having a lot of practices with our transitions and placements recently. It's more complicated when you're working with a big group compared to just doing our solos or with a small group of us girls." The two women nodded their understanding. "We've been practicing every single number multiple times a day just to get our placements right or our transitions right. It helps though, with ingraining the steps into my brain and body. It does get a bit tedious, but we all need it just to make sure it's in our blood."
"Still, why do you have to do it so many times?" Midoriko wondered.
Kagome shrugged. "Sango said it's for Inuyasha and Kikyo to finalize where everyone fits. Especially me." She remembered the conversation she had with Inuyasha. He had told her that she was a good dancer, a great dancer, and he didn't like her being in the back. So he had brought her to the front, in line with the 'leaders' of Kikyo's group, which was a huge shock for her and it made her nervous being up there. But Inuyasha had reassured her that she should be proud. She was a great dancer and everyone needed to see it. Kikyo did. The gang did. And he wanted her up next to Miroku, Sango and himself so that others could see her talent. "They put me in the front row with Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango."
"What?!" Ayumi exclaimed, now looking at her with interest and shock. "Aren't they like big time dancers? And Kikyo's choreographers?"
Kagome nodded with an arch of her eyebrow. "Yeah, they are. And Inuyasha wants me up front with them."
Midoriko whistled. "Damn, girl. We knew that you were always good… but now it's good for you to see that someone with talent notices." Kagome shrugged, understanding what Midoriko was saying. They had always told her that she didn't belong at Midnite, that she could do much greater things if she just tried. But Kagome never did, and her friends never faulted her for not wanting to branch out of Midnite and try to work somewhere new. It was her comfort zone. It was many of the women's comfort zones.
"You'll be fine, Kagome," Ayumi said softly, shaking her out of her thoughts. Ayumi could tell that Kagome was getting too into her head. "You've been at Midnite for nine years. We know your passion for dancing, our clients see it too, and now a prominent figure sees it and they're making use of you. This is good for you. It's what you've always wanted, right?" she led on.
Kagome nodded with a frown, turning to look back out at the couple that she had been watching earlier. The two of them sat with their backs against the Sakura tree, the man's arm over the woman's shoulders, both lost in the world that they created for themselves. They were laughing when Kagome took a breath. "I've always wanted to dance professionally, ever since I was young. I've been able to do it for nine years now, thanks to Onigumo giving me the opportunity."
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
The ground was cold. Winter was fast approaching as fall came to an end. The city streets of Tokyo was in full bloom tonight as in any other night. People were roaming the streets, trying to get somewhere, while she was trying to get from somewhere to nowhere. The people around her seemed to pay no mind to her. So many people without a care in the world of who they walked past and in what condition they were in. 'The city is a cruel place' was her conclusion after a brutal week in Tokyo.
For a week, ever since she arrived in Tokyo, no one has been nice to her or offered her a job. She had little money. The money she had from the engagement ring that she had sold back in Matsuyama. That was all the money she had to her name, enough to bring her up here to Tokyo. But the funds were dwindling and she needed to find a job soon. She was smart enough to buy enough food to get her stomach to stop rumbling but never enough to make her full. But she hadn't bought any clothes or sleeping accommodations. She had found a side street that seemed quiet, or at least it had been the past week she's been sleeping there behind a garbage bin. No one bothered her but she always made sure not to fall deeply asleep so she slept upright or in an uncomfortable position so she could still wake up in case anyone bothered or harassed her.
Kagome sighed as the city lights were blinding and she was starting to feel tired. She had been roaming a new part of the city, trying to look for jobs in a new neighborhood. So many times people would either look at her and try to kindly tell her they didn't have any openings. Or they would have her sit and tell them about herself, which then would lead to a kind apology and her leaving without a job. The city was ruthless. The people tried to be kind but Kagome knew that they were judging her before she even showed them what she could do. And she needed a job. She couldn't live on the money from her engagement ring forever. Even though it was a pricey ring, the pawn shop only gave her what she figured out to be a week's worth of food while she was here in Tokyo. Rip off.
Her feet wandered down the streets, bypassing the passerby and not looking anyone in the eye. She didn't know anyone and no one knew her so she had no reason to catch anyone's attention. Without thinking, her feet knew where to go and she found herself in a familiar neighborhood. She was back 'home'. Kagome looked up at the tall buildings with shining lights, smiling at the objects.
How did she find herself back here again? First her childhood. Then her adulthood. She couldn't seem to catch a break. The gods seemed to have a good laugh with her life.
Kagome turned into the quiet side street and looked up, watching as someone walked towards her coming from the other end of the street. It was rare for people to use this side street, but occasionally she would have a couple people pass her by, especially in the early morning hours when the bars and clubs would close. But other than that, no one really bothered her, which she was grateful for.
The woman walked past her, keeping her head down, and Kagome made her way towards her 'home'. She came next to the garbage bin and sat down, propping her back against the building behind her. She sighed, looking ahead at some small graffiti written on the opposite building.
Nothing in her life ever went well. And the only people she had to blame were her parents. Her good-for-nothing parents. But they were still her parents. As much as she hated them for the way they treated her, the way her life turned out to be, they were still her parents. She had enough love for them to take care of them while they got high off their rocks and passed out in the streets. She would have to go out looking for her parents late in the night, remembering the many times she would find her mom and dad passed out in an alleyway or at a bus stop, high as a kite and passed out cold. So many nights where she had to drag them back home, even as a small child. And what was a small child to do? She couldn't drag two grown adults back home, wherever their home was for the week. So as a child, sometimes if she couldn't wake them up, all she could do was to sit next to them, watching over them until they woke up.
Kagome sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest as she hugged her legs, resting her chin on her knees. She heard footsteps again but the sound was drowned out as her thoughts went back to her parents.
The two figures in her life who were supposed to be her rock, her shelter, her mother and father who would teach her how to be a decent human being, who would show love to her as she was their only daughter. Probably not by choice. Only by a careless slip-up sex night, probably high on drugs too. Whatever the case, they brought her into this world using drugs and she kept herself alive. Sometimes, it would be days before she finally saw her parents again. She stayed in the motels and ryokans that her parents were able to afford at any given time until they returned for her. They always did. Somehow, their obligation to her was still in their minds. Just not as important as their obligation to getting high. That always came first. But they never forgot her. They always came back to make sure she was… what?… still alive? She must've been a burden they wanted to get rid of, that was why they came back. To see if this time, she had died. To see if this time, they could be free of her.
The sound of footsteps came closer until it snapped Kagome out of her thoughts, making her blink back her tears and look to her side. Someone's shoes came into view, making her look up as a man walked past her. All she noticed was his tailored dark suit and his face that turned to look at her. Their eyes met, blue to blue-green eyes. She blinked and looked down at the ground, watching as his shoes left her sight and she refused to look at his back to watch him walk away. They've done it all her life. This time, she had been the one to walk away. She had left her wretched life behind and was trying to make a new life, one that wasn't tainted by her past. She wasn't doing a very good job at it, she was right back where she grew up in. She just needed to find a job so that she could make a life for herself and maybe even leave the country for good. Leave her past behind her.
The sound of footsteps returned, making Kagome look up once again to see the man again. This time, she was able to see what he wore. He had a very fancy suit. In the barely lit side street, she could see that it was expensive. He had a dark blue tie on. But it was his eyes that she was mesmerized by. He had these unique blue-green eyes. Eyes that made his face seem soft. Not to mention he was a handsome man. He had short dark hair and he looked young, maybe in his early thirties.
"My my…" he said, his deep voice resonating in her. Kagome felt her body become rigid as he crouched down in front of her, now getting down to her level like a parent discipling their child. "You have such beautiful eyes."
Kagome blinked, her body and senses now becoming hyper aware. She was trained since she was young to spot out pedophiles or dangerous men who would try to take advantage on a poor, defenseless child out in the streets, looking for her parents in the middle of the night. She had to be able to read the signs and know how to get out of dangerous situations. Several times she had to do so and most of the times she got away without a scratch. It something that she had to learn if she wanted to live.
The man smiled, making Kagome frown as she brought her head up. She didn't get a bad vibe from him. He didn't seem dangerous at all. He was a business man, that she could tell, and there was a calm air around him. His eyes were what told her everything. When she looked into his eyes she could see the kindness there. It was his eyes that spoke volumes to her.
"What's you name?" he asked, resting his elbows on his thighs, interlacing his fingers. He simply waited for her answer, never moving from his crouched position. He showed no sense of impatience or anger. He simply waited, curious as to who she was.
Kagome gulped, clearing her throat as she straightened, placing her upper back against the wall. "Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."
He smiled with a nod, glad to be hearing her speak. "Kagome Higurashi. Why are you sitting here? You are too beautiful to be here."
She smirked, closing her eyes. What were the chances that she would be here, next to a garbage bin, talking to a rich man who seemed interested in why she was here. Her whole life really was messed up.
"I have nowhere to go."
"Where did you come from?"
"From somewhere."
"And you're going nowhere?" he said with a smile, arching his eyebrow. She looked at him with a nod as he gazed into her eyes, mesmerized by them. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it was a while before he finally spoke.
"If you're going nowhere… how about you come somewhere with me?"
Kagome blinked, releasing the tight hold she had on her legs to place her hands on top of her knees. She couldn't believe what this man was saying. Either, one, he wanted to rape her and take advantage of her like what has been happening to her all her life. Or, two, he truly wanted to help her. She sat there while he crouched in front of her, the two of them not saying a word for a long time. There was a long silence as she weighed her options. She could either stay where she was, run out of money, maybe find a job but that was unlikely, and hopefully get on her feet someday. Or she could trust this man and see if he offered to put her on her feet. What did she have to lose anyway? She had nothing, nothing to her name and nothing to her integrity. If this man decided to use her for his pleasure, at least it was a way of living.
"Where is somewhere?" she finally said, her voice small.
The man smiled, his teeth white in the dark side street. "I own a nightclub called Midnite. I have many girls like you who works for me. Very beautiful, like you. Very needing of my help, like you," he pointed out. "Are you afraid of me?"
She thought of his question, turning it over. She really didn't feel afraid of him. His energy wasn't frightening. He seemed genuine in his interest in her. And right now, he was right. She needed his help. If he owned a club, he would probably want her to work for him in his club. Whatever he saw in her, maybe she could fulfill his needs. If he needed her to work in his club, that was a job. Not really a job she thought to do, but as she thought about it, the more she began to like the idea. A club. She loved dancing. She had wanted to become a dancer ever since she was a child, but knew that that dream would never come true. She didn't have the means or the background to become a dancer. But here was this complete stranger offering her, hopefully, a job in his club as a dancer.
Whatever the job, he says that he has girls whom he has helped and he was offering that for her. What did she have to lose?
"No."
The man smiled and stood, fixing his suit, and then looked down at her. "My name is Onigumo Matsumoto," he said, reaching out his hand towards her.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
"Kagome…"
She snapped out of her thoughts, blinking to turn and look towards Ayumi. She was looking at her with concern.
"Everything okay?"
Kagome nodded, smiling apologetically. "Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about my past."
Ayumi and Midoriko exchanged a look but decided not to press on it. Whether or not Kagome wanted to share her past with them would be on her. They wouldn't bother or ask. It was an unspoken agreement with the women at Midnite.
"I think that after all this time with Onigumo," she said, making the girls exchange a shocked look, hoping Kagome would open up, "I've just become very complacent in my dreams." She remembered the first day she went onto that stage and felt like this was her dream come true. But she didn't know any better. She only knew what it felt like to be dancing in a gentlemen's club having rich men at her feet, their eyes hungrily drinking her body in, as she danced on that stage. Or to be like a mistress to them, servicing them and fulfilling their every desire, with limits, of course. For years, she thought that would be good enough for her. But she began to want something more. Something inside of her was desiring for something more. She needed more than just dancing on the stage in Midnite. She wanted to dance for more people. She wanted to dance in front of a huge audience where the world could see her skills and where she could make a name for herself. She wanted more.
"I never thought that I would ever want anything more than Midnite. I've been with him for so long that he is all I've ever known. He is my world."
"Hmmmm…" Midoriko said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. "Have you and Onigumo ever hooked up?"
Kagome shook her head, chuckling. "No. Never. It wasn't like that between us. I mean, he rescued me from my past and he gave me a job. He gave me a future. I owe him everything."
Ayumi frowned. "You don't owe him anything, Kagome," she said sternly. She waited until Kagome looked at her, making sure that Kagome got what she was trying to say. "You don't owe Onigumo anything. You paid him back many times over. You've worked for him for nine years. Your debt to him is paid. And his business has grown since then and still is growing as more clients come just for you."
Kagome shook her head, hearing Ayumi but knowing that the girl just didn't understand what Onigumo did for her. "You guys don't understand. He saved me… I owe him my life. Without him…" She didn't want to think what her life might've been like if it wasn't for Onigumo finding her that day in the side street. If they hadn't met, who knows where she would've been today. One thing she did know. She wouldn't be a dancer in Kikyo's group heading off to Hawai'i in a couple weeks if she hadn't met Onigumo. So she had to count her blessings. Things were happening for her, no matter what happened in her past.
Midoriko sighed. "Well… if you feel like you owe him your life… that's something between you and Onigumo then."
"What do you think he's going to do about you being in the spotlight now?" Ayumi asked, curious. "And how do you feel about it?"
Kagome shrugged, dreading this question. "A part of me is super excited. I can't wait to be on that stage, dancing in front of hundreds of people. I've become good friends with the entire gang and I'm excited to be traveling with them to another country and just making new memories." Ayumi and Midoriko smiled with her, her excitement and joy contagious. But then Kagome sighed heavily and frowned, thinking about what could happen. "Another part of me is very scared."
"Why?" Midoriko asked, wondering what would bring this on.
Kagome looked up at the couple still under the Sakura tree. They were now packing up their belongings to leave. "I've been running from my past for so long that I'm afraid, now that I put myself out in the spotlight, that maybe…"
Ayumi frowned and turned to look out at Kagome's line of sight. She watched as the couple began to walk along the pathway, heading to some other destination. "You're running from someone," she said, understanding a lot more about Kagome now than she ever did.
There was a silence that stretched on between the three of them, no one wanting to confirm or deny the truth that lingered in the air. But it was clear that Midoriko and Ayumi now knew more about Kagome and understood more about why she was the way she was now that they figured out this revelation. Kagome was a very secretive person, more so than any of the girls at Midnite. And when Onigumo had brought Kagome in, Ayumi and Midoriko had already been working there for a while. They had embraced her and the three of them became good friends, on top of being Onigumo's top girls in the club. But they never really knew much about Kagome. She never shared much and Onigumo told them that it wasn't their business to know but if they wanted to know then they should ask her. They never did because they all had to respect each other's privacy. But Midoriko and Ayumi had been more open about their past than Kagome had been and today was a huge breakthrough.
"I'm afraid that if my face gets out there on billboards and on television that I might be found."
Midoriko turned with a frown, staring at Kagome sympathetically. "I thought you had said that it was in your contract that you wouldn't be put in the spotlight?"
Kagome shook her head. "No. My terms were that I wouldn't be used for any PR- so like billboards, interviews, television publicity, any music promotions… nothing. The only thing I would do were concerts which is where my skills would be best used." Kagome remembered the conversation she had when she was first hired. And several days later she had a rewritten contract Naraku had brought to her to sign with her terms clearly written out.
"Oh, I see," Ayumi said. "But you know there's no guarantee that you won't be noticed even at a concert."
"I know," she said, wondering what would happen. "I can only hope that things don't get out of control. But… it's the price that I'm willing to pay." She had to. She couldn't keep dreaming of being a dancer. She had to become one and to hell with what would happen. But she could at least try to minimize the damage by keeping her face off print and hope that concerts would still keep the damage under control a bit.
"You haven't told us this much about yourself before," Ayumi said with a small smile. She reached out and grabbed Kagome's hand, giving it a light squeeze.
"I didn't tell you I was running from someone," Kagome pointed out, now feeling very vulnerable.
Ayumi gave her a tolerant look. "I know." Ayumi released Kagome's hand and looked out at the empty Sakura tree where the couple once sat beneath. They were now off on their new adventure together. "You're not the only one who's running from their past."
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
"What is this place?" Kagome asked, walking besides Sango as they followed Miroku and Inuyasha towards the entrance of a warehouse building. The outside was like a normal warehouse, bare with only walls and a metal roof. But it was a big warehouse, about twenty minutes away from the academy and outside of the bustling streets of the city. Here, there were more warehouses and small businesses, not a lot of skyscrapers.
"This is where we come for photo shoots, CD promotions or to practice before a concert," Sango explained, turning to see Kagome taking it all in. "Kikyo owns this warehouse and whenever she has photo shoots for anything, she will tell the companies to come to her warehouse and setup their things, which is very convenient for her."
Miroku turned his head to look behind him at Kagome. "It's also where we come to when we are trying to figure out the group's placements on stage and the lighting."
Sango nodded. "The warehouse is decked out with all sorts of lights and equipment for her when she needs to practice and when we need to see how we might look on stage."
Kagome made an 'o' with her lips. "I get it. So you guys do sort of a mock performance in here."
"Yeah," Inuyasha said, chiming in. He didn't turn around to look at her, but reached out to open the heavy steel door to let everyone in. "It's helpful when we can't actually be in the venue to practice much. So we take the measurements we get from the venues and map it out on the floor to see how we will actually move around during the concert."
Sango led the way in and Kagome followed her, smiling at Inuyasha in thanks as she passed by. "Like Inuyasha said, it's helpful when we can't physically be in the venue until the day of. Sometimes, like with this concert, the venue isn't easily accessible so we have to work with what we have. We figured out early on that we needed a huge place to practice as if we were practicing in venues that were unaccessible until the concert date. So Kikyo bought this warehouse and fit it to her liking and just leaves everything setup for when we might need it."
Kagome nodded. "That's really cool." The more she understood about pop-stars and what they had to do and what they had to work with, she was starting to respect this industry a lot more. There was a lot more than just what fans saw on the stage. She was starting to see how much more there was to it.
As they walked in, she took in the entire, open space. The walls of the warehouse were huge, towering above with metal bars on the ceiling. Lights were hooked up to some of the metal bars above, streaming down bright lights of all different colors. Some were on and some were off, but Kagome could see all the lights in the building, mainly in the center where she noticed all the people were.
There were more people here than she had ever seen before with the group. She noticed as people walked around with clipboards and hats on with headsets that these men and women were Kikyo's crew members. She followed Sango, taking in everything around her. In front of them where they were heading to, Kikyo stood in the middle of a huge white, sheet-covered floor. There were two of them, one big rectangle further from them and one small circle closer to them, the two stages connected by a strip of white sheet down the middle. Kikyo stood in the middle of the circle stage with bright lights from above only adding to the brightness around her. Everywhere around them was dark except for this one area that Kagome assumed was their stage area as it looked like a setup of the Blaisdell Center. There were more lights setup around the white sheets, more stage lights on stands that illuminated Kikyo. Kagome arched her eyebrows. Were all these lights really necessary?
"You guys are finally here," Kikyo called out, her voice echoing around them in the empty space. "What took you so long?" she said, her hands on her hips as a woman came up to her with a clipboard. Kikyo got distracted by her as the woman called her attention to something on the clipboard and the two of them began talking together.
Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. "Whatever…" he mumbled. Sango and Kagome stopped short of the stage where most of the gang were waiting. Some were on the ground stretching out and some were standing around, talking story until practiced started. Inuyasha and Miroku went straight towards the stage, making Kikyo and the woman look up at their approach.
"Where's Naraku?" Miroku asked, looking around at the crew.
"He's coming. I needed different layouts of the venues, especially Maui's one. I just don't want to miss anything," Kikyo said, looking towards the woman and nodding her head, clearly dismissing her. The woman left the stage.
"Are you ready to practice?" Inuyasha asked, watching as she looked up at him and crossed her arms. She had decided to wear high-rise black tights with a black top that stopped just below her breasts. Her hair was back in a ponytail and she had light makeup on, as she normally did when out in public. There were reporters everywhere and she never knew when her photo would be taken unexpectedly on the streets.
"We were waiting for you guys." She rolled her eyes. "Well… we're still waiting on Mai and Aiko. They both texted me to let me know they were stuck in traffic and should be here in five minutes."
Inuyasha nodded his head, remembering his phone had dinged in his pocket while they were driving here but he didn't bother to check it. He had just picked up Kagome from the academy, with Sango and Miroku already with him, and they had made their way here.
"So is this O'ahu's venue we're starting with?" he asked, looking around at the white sheet.
Kikyo nodded, her eyes following his line of sight. "Yeah. The crew set it up before I got here. This is the front stage," she motioned where they were standing, "and that's the runway with the main stage," she motioned with a wave, encompassing the entire white sheet in front of them towards the back. Inuyasha turned his back to the group and took in the entire stage.
"I like it," he said, nodding his head to himself and crossing his arms, deep in thought. "It's big."
Miroku nodded. "It is." He walked forward, going towards the runway to try it out himself. "It's wide enough where Kikyo won't fall, in case lighting is bad or fans try to reach up and grab her. But it's also wide enough where we can accompany her if we decide to." Inuyasha nodded his agreement.
"Sango!" Inuyasha called. Sango stopped talking with Kagome and excused herself, walking towards the three on stage. "What do you think?" he asked, wanting her opinion.
Sango looked around, already taking it in and listening to them while she was in conversation with Kagome about today's events. "I like it. Like you guys said, it's big enough for us to have freedom to decide what we want to do." Miroku turned around to smile adoringly at her. She smiled back with a wink.
"Okay," Inuyasha said, turning when he heard the front door open. He looked back to see Mai and Aiko walking in, his ears going up. "Perfect. Let's get started."
"Can we remove the sheets?" Miroku called, looking at the crew around them. There were about fifteen crew members standing around them, waiting to do their job. They had lighting, sound and stage crew. The stage crew moved up to pull the main stage sheets away first, sliding it along the ground to reveal the blue tape that they had placed on the floor to outline the edge of the stages. Inuyasha, Miroku and Kikyo walked up towards the main stage so that the crew could pull out the smaller stage's sheet and the runway.
The group all followed suit, trying to stay out of the way of the workers, letting them do their job while they did theirs. They all grouped up on the main stage, standing around Inuyasha, Miroku and Kikyo. Sango stayed with Kagome, wanting to make her feel comfortable and being supportive if she had any questions.
"You want to run through the routine? How do you want to do this?" Miroku asked, watching Inuyasha as he turned to look at the back of the main stage. He took a minute, digesting their work space, and turned around to face them.
"Let's dance the first routine. I'll do it with you guys the first time and then we'll do it again without me, just so I can see what everyone looks like." Miroku nodded his agreement and began to tell everyone to get in formation. Following Miroku's lead, they all filed up behind him, facing out towards the stage lights and the runway. Sango and Kagome came up to stand at the front. Miroku and Inuyasha stood in the middle while Kagome stood to Inuyasha's right and Sango to Miroku's left. The other eight stood staggered in two lines behind them
"I'll stand back and watch," Kikyo said, turning to walk down the runway to stand on the small stage. She crossed her arms and leaned to one leg, waiting for them to start. "Someone start the music." The sound crew turned the first song on, the sound blaring throughout the empty warehouse, and the dancers began to move to the beat. Kikyo watched every one of her dancers, making sure that everyone's timing was on so that they moved cohesively and to her liking.
The sound crew were all talking amongst each other and working with the equipment, making sure all the sound was just right so they knew how to adjust everything next month. While the music played, they did their job while the other crew members did theirs, fixing the lights to hit all of the dancers as they moved. The light was key to practicing here in the warehouse. With the stage lights available and all around, they could figure out the best lighting for each performance, whether it be a pure white light or a colored light. They had all the equipment they needed here along with the space.
Kikyo nodded her head, watching her top dancers all stepping and moving together. She was shocked as to how quickly Kagome had caught on to everything and how well she blended now, as if she had been with her group for years. True to her wanting to try out for this position and knowing the contract, she had learned all fifteen routines in three months and she even looked like she wasn't even the new blood. Kikyo smiled, watching in pride and admiration. Her dancers were all moving together. They had practiced hard, though they already knew the songs and the routines, moving in unison.
"Good!" Kikyo called as the last beat played and they all ended on their final move. "You guys were great," she said, the sound crew killing the song. "I'm really impressed how well you've done, Kagome," she said, knowing that her voice would carry even though she was further away from them.
Kagome smiled with a tilt to her head. "Thanks, Kikyo. I had good teachers." She looked over at Inuyasha, seeing him smirking at her. She smiled.
"How did that look, Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, turning his attention out to her.
"I liked it. The lights hit you all just right."
Inuyasha nodded, moving out to the runway now, wanting to see it for himself. She might like it but he might not, which they have disagreed on things before, so he wanted to see what everyone looked like. "Play it again."
The song started back up again and the gang got into their spots, leaving an empty space for where Inuyasha was to stand. They all danced again, this time with Inuyasha standing on the runway and Kikyo on the smaller stage watching.
"Cut it!" Inuyasha called as the sound crew cut the music, stopping the dancers short. "I want this half," he said, gesturing with his right hand from Miroku to his left, "and this half," he said, where Kagome was and where he would be down to their right, "to move apart. So we'll split in half and move to the edge of the stage from the first verse into the chorus. Let's try it." The sound crew started the music from the beginning and Inuyasha nodded his head to the beat, watching the gang move apart at the specific time. He tilted his head, trying to figure out if he liked it. Now, there was a gap in the center of the stage, about the width of the runway, and he was picturing Kikyo being in the center by herself singing and dancing her part. The chorus was starting to come to a close.
"Go back to the your original spots into verse two!" he called out above the speakers, not wanting them to stop dancing.
Everyone heard and as the chorus began to close, they transitioned into the second verse, moving as much as they could with their feet movements back into their original spots, closing the gap. Inuyasha nodded slowly to himself, liking it. The song transitioned into the bridge and Inuyasha had an idea.
"Stop!" The music cut off. Inuyasha walked towards them. "Start from the beginning. This time, Kikyo, I'll be you," he said, getting into the spot where she would stand in front of the four leaders. He turned around to catch her eyes, watching her nod at him. He looked offstage at the sound crew and nodded. "Begin."
The song played from the beginning and they all started from the top. Inuyasha held a fake microphone in his hand while moving to Kikyo's choreography. While he danced, he tried to envision what she would do, what would make her stand out while the group did their thing. So he began to dance like he was her. Inuyasha had left some gaps in her routine to allow her freedom to move around and just sing to her fans, grab their hands for the VIP fans, and catch her breath if she needed before she would have to dance again. He moved to the left of the stage, looking out ahead at the opposite wall of the warehouse as if there were a crowd of people gathered there. He sang the chorus, not even worrying about her moves, moving from the left side of the stage to the right, giving both sides about the same amount of time. As the next verse started, he walked back to the center of the stage just as the group began to come back in together. Then he called Miroku up.
"Miroku! Follow me up to the front stage!"
Miroku fell out of step and began to skip forward, keeping with the beat of the song but now free-styling and dancing as if there were fans cheering at his feet. Inuyasha skipped forward, dancing and moving his lips, watching as Kikyo got off the smaller stage as he made his way where she had been standing.
The song continued into the chorus and Inuyasha heard Sango call out to the group to move apart again. He stopped dancing and turned around, needing to see how everyone looked. Miroku was dancing his part, facing Inuyasha, that matched the others right behind him.
"Face out," Inuyasha instructed, watching as Miroku nodded and easily flowed his moves so that he was now facing the left side of the stage, keeping Inuyasha at his back. Inuyasha nodded and looked at everyone else on the back stage. They were now apart from each other again on either side of stage, all moving together cohesively. This time, since Miroku and Inuyasha would be up on the stage with Kikyo, the back stage had Kagome in front of four of the others and Sango in front of the other four dancers. He liked it, smiling with a nod. As the song went into the bridge, Inuyasha walked down the runway, staying on it to walk back and forth, lip-singing out to the crowd, making sure he turned around to give both sides his attention. Finally, the song went back into the chorus and he decided to end back with the group.
"Stay there, Miroku!" he called behind his back as he walked down the runway, his eyes watching the others who were still dancing apart. He didn't like it. "Let's end together!"
Sango nodded her understanding and turned to see Kagome look at her for confirmation. She nodded her head and the two of them transitioned their moves back into the middle of the stage where they originally started. Kagome watched Sango every so often to make sure she was doing the right thing. The others followed their lead, making sure that they lined Sango and Kagome up in between the four of them the entire time. As Inuyasha made his way back towards the group, he knew that the middle would look too open with him and Miroku gone.
"Come to our spots," he said, making eye contact with Kagome and Sango and motioning with his hands to move in closer.
Sango nodded, looking over at Kagome to see that she was moving where Inuyasha would have been standing. She did the same for Miroku's place. Inuyasha looked at them and nodded, standing in front of them where he had originally started at the beginning of the song. He got into his position as the song began to close and he posed for Kikyo's final part. The room went silent.
"I liked it!" Kikyo called, her excitement in her voice breaking everyone's pose. They all began to relax and shake off the adrenaline, moving their muscles out. She stepped back into the smaller stage and looked at Miroku. "I don't know how you guys are going to transition into the next song though."
Miroku shook his head. "The next song is 'Sunshine'. I'm sure Inuyasha and I can find our way back to our spots easy enough."
Inuyasha nodded his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll do it. But before that, I want some mirrors so we can all see ourselves." The crew heard him and began to grab the mirrors. They had seven foot high mirrors welded into place on dollies that were set up at the sides of the room for when they needed to see themselves while practicing. It was easier to see themselves at the academy with the walls being mirrors, so Inuyasha decided to create the same environment here. They began to wheel the dollies over and turn them to face the dancers as if they were the audience now behind the stage lights. There were small gaps between the mirrors so that they weren't touching each other, giving the crew ability to come in and out to see what needed changing.
"Good," Inuyasha said, nodding to the crew, "Thanks."
Miroku was closest to the mirrors and looked at everyone's reflection. "We wanna run through it again? This time with Kikyo?"
"Yeah."
Some were getting a drink from their hydroflasks while others were stretching out while the crew had moved the mirrors over. So everyone began to file back into place while Inuyasha and Miroku got back to their spots at the back stage. Kikyo made her way to the front of them, all of them getting ready for their cue. Kikyo made eye contact with the sound crew and nodded her head.
The beat began to play again. Everyone began to nod their heads to the beat, waiting to start. Then, they began to move. Kikyo actually sang this time, getting in the mood and feeling the vibe from everyone. She held up her invisible microphone and sang along with her song as if she was doing karaoke. She tried to remember how Inuyasha did her part but she knew that he gave her freedom to dance her choreography or to just sing and interact with her fans. So she did just that. As the song went into the first chorus, she moved out to the side of the stage, just as everyone else began to spread apart. She looked at the mirrors to see how everyone looked, cohesive and in unison, making her like the way Inuyasha thought. She moved to the opposite side of the stage, pretending to sing to her fans. She started to realize that if she had danced her entire routine for the first verse, she would've been too tired to sing the chorus and move back and forth along the stage.
As the chorus began to come to an end, Kikyo began to walk backwards towards the center of the stage, standing between Miroku and Inuyasha. The mirrors up front really helped her to see where to go and where to stand, which she knew were the purposes of tapes on stage for all of them to know their places. The second verse came on and Kikyo moved up, walking down the runway and singing.
"How long do I have?" she called out.
"The entire second verse," Inuyasha said. "Miroku and I need to be up there by the start of the chorus."
Kikyo nodded, keeping her eyes ahead at their reflections, as she kept walking towards the smaller stage. She sang and put some hips and hand gestures into her moves. Her eyes went to the back quickly, making sure everyone was still doing their part on the back stage, and then she focused on herself. She made her way to the small stage and stopped in the center, watching on both sides of her as Inuyasha and Miroku came up on either side. They faced out so she was able to only see their backs, but they never lost a step. She smiled and kept on singing, loving how her crew was so professional and so good at what they do. She didn't have to yell at them or wait for them to figure things out. They all caught on fast, which she appreciated about their talent.
The bridge came on and Kikyo looked to Inuyasha, forgetting her part. He noticed she was still on the smaller stage with them in the mirror and he looked at her reflection.
"The runway. Stay there until the last chorus."
She nodded, now remembering, and began to walk down the runway. She made her way up and down, pretending that people were down below her, even though there was no drop down. When she would walk up, she would look at everyone's reflections in the mirror to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Then, the chorus came on and she began to walk back down towards the back stage. She looked at all of her dancers as they came back together, Kagome and Sango coming closer together than how they began. Then, she made her way to stand in between them, in front, and turned out to face the mirrors. Her final line came and she made her pose, the building ending in silence.
Inuyasha clapped, making Miroku do the same to encourage the group. "Good job everyone," Inuyasha said with a smile. "That was good for a first run-through." Miroku nodded his agreement as the others smiled and nodded, giving each other high-fives.
Kagome was stoked. As a first timer, she was getting praised and she had caught on quickly to what the changes were as Inuyasha called them out. She had to keep her eye on Sango sometimes since she was felt the pressure of leading the group behind her. But she did her best and in her opinion, when she watched their movements in the mirrors, she thought she did a good job and kept up with Sango. Kagome was so happy and excited, feeling the adrenaline flood her body. It was surreal.
"Let's do the next one," Kikyo said, wanting to get back to work. "Take a quick 3-minute. Then, we'll get back into it."
The others moved out of formation and went for their things on the other side of the tape, 'off-stage'. Kagome had learned early on that she needed to always bring a towel for her sweat, extra clothes just in case with a towel to bathe, and water. The academy always had water fountains so they could refill their water. Here, she noticed there was a water dispenser near the bathrooms that had lights above to illuminate the men's and women's.
Kagome went to her things and dropped to her knees, stretching out her quads.
"How'd you like it?" Sango asked, dropping to her butt to stretch her legs out. She reached for her toes but kept her eyes on Kagome.
She smiled. "I liked it. I was surprised at how well I caught on and just kept making sure I was in step with you," she said, wiping the sweat from her face.
Sango nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I saw that. You did really well, Kagome."
"Yeah," Miroku said, coming to stand by them. He sat down next to Sango and crossed his legs, regarding the both of them. "Both of you did good," he said, making Sango reach out to pat his knee appreciatively, "and I'm surprised at how well you did, Kagome. You didn't miss a beat."
Kagome flushed and shrugged. "I tried to just feel the music and follow Sango."
Sango brushed her off. "You didn't even have to look at me. You did great on your own."
"You did, Kagome," Inuyasha said, coming to join them. He didn't sit down, but he did stand behind Miroku, looking down at Sango and Kagome. "You guys led the others well. And you were all in sync. That's a gift only some dancers have. Especially if they're new to dancing."
Miroku nodded his agreement. "These next two weeks are brutal. We have to really refine our routines, transitions into the next song and transitions on and off the stage. These two weeks are going to be the hardest of the last three months you've been with us."
Sango nodded empathetically. "Miroku's right. This is the time we all dread- a month before the concert. Sometimes we plan to practice here a month before, as in a month before we fly out, not a month before the concert date. But this time… our costumes weren't ready for us until now so we're finally here. We have half a month to get all of our transitions down on two stages, different sizes, and all be in sync."
"The crew normally leaves a month away from the concert date, but not this time," Miroku explained. "They'll leave next week, once they have a good feel as to where we'll be standing, how Kikyo and Inuyasha wants the lighting and all that. Then, the lighting, the stage, the backstage, the sound and the security crews will all fly out to the first venue to prep according to our specs. They have to get both venues done in less than three weeks. Because when we get there, we're going to have one day, if that, to run through all our routines at the Blaisdell."
"Wait, one day?" Kagome asked, shocked. Inuyasha nodded and squatted next to Miroku, getting a little more eye-level with them.
"We'll go over the itinerary later but we leave Japan Friday night and get in Friday morning. It's an eight hour flight so we should all be sleeping because once we land, he head off to practice." Inuyasha turned to look at Miroku and Sango. "We'll be practicing jet-lag."
Sango groaned, knowing how fun that was, and shook her head. "That sucks!"
"What's the time difference?" Kagome asked, now thinking she should've done more research on this trip, like the flights, the time difference and the shopping. She really wasn't ready for Hawai'i, but she was more excited to go for work and dance in front of thousands of people than sightseeing at this point.
"We're 19 hours ahead of Hawai'i," Miroku explained. "Basically we'll be going back in time, which shouldn't be too bad, I think. But the sleep on the plane should help since we land and head straight to the venue."
"We only have Friday and Saturday before the show to make sure we got everything down for Saturday night," Sango said.
"It sucks because we're used to having the venue available to us so that we have time to practice on the stage," Inuyasha said. She looked at him and could tell that he was a bit irritated but there was no anger in his voice. There was nothing that could be done about it.
Kikyo clapped, catching everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone. Let's start the second song!"
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
The sun set as Kagome walked out of the warehouse. She was exhausted and hungry, her body ached and her muscles hurt. 'I need a nice soak when I get home.' She could already feel her body craving hot water and lavender oil. Kagome closed her eyes with a sigh, feeling the warm touch of the setting sun on her skin.
"What's up with you?"
She opened her eyes and looked to see Inuyasha standing next to her. His hair was still braided back and his black tank-top made him look gorgeous in the light of the setting sun.
Kagome blushed, looking away from him. 'What the hell, Kagome! You need to get a grip.' "It's nothing. Just hungry and tired, that's all," she said, avoiding his eyes.
Inuyasha smirked, looking ahead at the sunset. "Yeah, me too." He liked seeing her like this, shy and vulnerable. He remembered the first time they ate at Yura Yura together, just the two of them, and that was a day he enjoyed because he was able to be alone with her and get to know her. It had been just the two of them, having a conversation about something and yet nothing. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was starting to like Kagome, something that was totally against his nature and against everything he thought would happen in his life.
"You want to grab something to eat?" Kagome asked, recomposing herself and turning to see him look at her with wonder. "You know any places around that make good food?"
Inuyasha arched his eyebrow with a smile. "There's lots of places around here that's good to eat. What are you hungry for?" he asked, shifting his duffle bag strap on his shoulder and urging her forward. Kagome followed close behind him, doing the same with her duffle bag.
"Whatever. After this, I'm going home for a nice soak in a hot bath. So maybe something small and fast."
"McDonald's?" he asked, turning to see her face. She looked at him with exasperation. Inuyasha laughed, waving her off. "Okay then. Let's go get some gyoza. I'm sure we can find some in the marketplace around the block."
Kagome nodded her head and followed him to his car. The sun had already set and the sky was turning a beautiful hue of colors, purple and pink. Inuyasha grabbed her duffle bag from her and threw their bags into the trunk of his car. She turned around to get one last glimpse of the sunset, smiling as she took a deep breath, feeling joy.
"You like the sunset?" Inuyasha asked, sensing her happiness, noticing the way she looked out at the horizon. Even though there were buildings around, they could still get a glimpse of the horizon since they were twenty minutes outside of the bustling city. He watched her as she looked ahead and noticed her soft features, the way her eyes softened and her smile was tender. For a moment, he forgot that she was his employee and just thought of her as an ordinary female.
"I do. More than sunrises."
Inuyasha looked out at the different colors, trying to see the sky differently. He was never one to notice the way nature changed. He had seen nature change over a century of living and after a while, it became something he dismissed. Humans changed, either a single human going through changes in life or the entire species changing through a century, they all evolved. But he didn't really take the time to notice the simplest things, like the sunset.
"I love the way the sky changes color. It reminds me that no matter how bad my day went, I always have tomorrow to look forward to. And that makes me happy. To know that I'm still here, that I can see such beautiful colors. It makes me happy."
Inuyasha blinked, shocked, and turned to look at Kagome. He could sense her sadness but her voice sounded happy, like she was trying to chase away her sadness with words that could chase away what was happening around her. He wondered what it was about her that got him so hooked, that made him want to find out why she seemed so sad, why he even cared. But it was her. It was Kagome that he was interested in, the way she smelled, the way she danced, the way she laughed and smiled, he wanted to know more about her and to get close to her.
Kagome turned to see Inuyasha gazing at her intently, making her blush. "Inu… yasha? Are you okay? Did I say too much?" She didn't want him to ask too many questions. She didn't want to tell him about her past or why she thought the way she did.
"Nothing," he said, turning back to his car to shut the trunk. "We should go get something to eat so you can go home and take a bath. Sango and Miroku are catching a ride with Shippo," changing the subject.
She smiled, looking at the back of his head. 'Thank you.' She hoped that one day she would be able to tell him more about herself. Just never about who she was and what happened to her when she was younger. There are some things in people's lives that are best kept a secret.
The two of them walked the next block over to a marketplace that took up two blocks. There were vendors on both sides of the narrow streets selling all sorts of food. Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves grabbing gyoza and tempura, then they made their way back to the warehouse. By the time they returned, all the cars were gone, everyone had gone home. The street lamps were on, making Kagome realize how late it was.
"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, leading them towards the side of the warehouse. They had a couple of picnic benches setup on the side of the warehouse for lunch breaks when everyone wanted to go outside and have a bite to eat or talk story. And it was on the side of the building that faced the sunset so sometimes the gang would sit around and talk for a bit after practice while watching the sunset.
"I'm okay. Just realized how late it is."
"You want me to take you home?"
Kagome followed him to the picnic benches and sat down across from him, shaking her head. "No. It's fine. I'm hungry too."
Inuyasha nodded and sat, opening up his bento boxes just as Kagome opened hers. The two of them thanked each other for the food and began to eat.
"Mmmmm," Kagome said, closing her eyes as she took a bite into the gyoza, "this is so good. I don't know if it's because I'm starving or because it really is the best gyoza in the world. But it's so good."
Inuyasha arched his eyebrow and chuckled. "I don't think it's the best. I think you're starving."
She looked at him with a smile. "Okay. Okay."
The two of them sat in silence for a bit, eating their dinners, trying to figure out what small talk to bring up. Kagome was unsure of what to say. When they were working together, she didn't have to talk much. She only had to focus on work, which meant his body, which meant reigning in her emotions for him physically. She still thought he was handsome, sexy and hot- like most of the population of women. Then there were times like this, when it was just the two of them, which wasn't very often, but when they were alone like this, she felt like she had to talk. Not because she had to but because she wanted to. She wanted to know more about him, for him to know more about her. She felt safe with him, and she didn't want to question too much of the 'why'. She realized that she was beginning to like him and she has been trying her best to not make her affections seem obvious.
"Are you excited about the concert? It'll be your first time," Inuyasha asked, breaking the silence. He was finished with his gyoza and had moved on to his shrimp tempura. Kagome looked up and smiled at him, nodding her head.
"Yes. I'm excited to go back to Hawai'i too."
Inuyasha's eyebrows went up. "You've been there before, right?"
She nodded. "Yes. I went a few years ago. I needed to get away and I just decided to go to Hawai'i for a couple weeks."
"Do you travel much?"
"Not much honestly. That was my first time out of the country." She placed her chopsticks down, finishing half of both her bentos, and now losing her appetite. She frowned, not wanting to talk about it. "I went to Maui. It's a beautiful island."
He sensed her mood change the moment it happened, but she hid it well. He watched as she slowly put her chopsticks down and put her bento lids back on, stacking one on top of the other, and setting her chopsticks on the top.
"Full?"
Kagome nodded, looking up at him. "I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach," she admitted, her heart racing. He knew it, she was lying. He frowned and watched her, her eyes turning away from him to look out at the buildings where the sun had fallen. Looking at her face in profile she was beautiful, the way her hair fell over her shoulders, the softness of her skin that he wanted to touch. And then, he remembered the way she felt about others touching her, more like when men touched her. She seemed fine with women, at least it took her a little while to get comfortable with the females in their group touching her. He had watched the way she interacted with the gang, the way Sango would always touch her arm or shoulder and she would freeze almost subtly, but then relax a second later, as if her initial reaction was automatic. But he noticed. He noticed the way she remained quiet most of the time, just listening to the women chatter about endless things and she would just sit there and smile, not saying much, or maybe not wanting to say much. Whatever it was, he had watched her meticulously over the past two months and he found himself wanting to know everything about her. He wanted to see her smile, though she did smile, but not very often. He wanted to know why she was always so aloof.
"You're lying."
Kagome flinched, refusing to look at him. He was a hanyou. She couldn't hide things from him. Even though she didn't know the extent of his abilities, she knew that if he said he could sense something, he meant it. Who was she to question him?
"I'm tired."
"Kagome… why don't you open up with everyone?"
There. He said it. Now it was up to her whether or not she would open up to him. He hoped she would.
"Inuyasha… do I seem that odd to you?"
His ears twitched, tuning to the sadness in her voice. Her face was stoic, reminding him of his brother. Even though he heard sadness, she showed none of it on her face. He frowned, placing his chopsticks in one of the bentos and regarded her seriously.
"I can tell that you don't talk much about yourself. You always seem to shy away when people ask you about things."
Kagome smiled, closing her eyes. "Of course you noticed," she whispered, though she knew he heard her. "I've been here for only two months, Inuyasha. I'm still getting to know everyone."
"That's not the real reason. The others opened up much faster than you are. I know it's something more," he said, gazing at her intently. "You just don't want to share it with anyone. Why?"
She opened her eyes to look at him. Inuyasha frowned, seeing the sadness in her blue eyes while she smiled at him, trying to reassure him. "There's a lot about me that people don't know, not even my friends."
"Do you even have friends?"
She flinched, his words struck a cord. He felt bad the second he said it, not meaning it that way, and reached out to grab her hand to apologize. But she snatched her hand out of his reach and placed them on her lap.
"I should go." She stood up to leave, grabbing her bentos in the process.
Inuyasha was fast, reaching out to grab her wrist, making Kagome stop as she stood there, looking down at him. He looked at her with such intensity that it made her heart skip. 'What do you want, Inuyasha?' She wanted to scream at him to leave her alone. She wanted to scream at him to ask her about her past. She wanted to run away and run to him all at the same time. What was wrong with her?
"I need to go, Inuyasha," she said, choking back her tears. She was so confused with herself and so emotionally drained at fighting with herself that she needed to get away from him. She needed to think.
Inuyasha didn't release her, but stood up slowly, having to make her now look up at him. They stood there, both looking like they were ready to go to battle with each other and yet both looking like they were so far from each other even though he held onto her. Inuyasha couldn't understand her, and even though he was trying, she didn't seem to want to open herself up to him. Even in moments like this, when it was just the two of them, he wanted her to open up to him and let her guard down. But the more her guard went down, the more she emotionally closed up. It had the opposite effect he wanted.
After a long pause, Inuyasha released her wrist, looking down to grab his bentos. "I'll take you home."
She shook her head. "No. I'll catch the train."
"I'm taking you home."
There was finality in his voice, as if he left no room for argument. Kagome watched as he went to throw his food away, frowning at his tone. She had done that. She had broken the good mood they both had together at the beginning and now ended their night horribly. What had gone wrong? Was she really that horrible of a person? Kagome grabbed her bentos and began to follow him back to his car in silence. She stayed a few steps back from him, giving him the space he needed. Or maybe she needed. She didn't want to push things any further. He was her boss. He was also someone she liked and wanted to tell him everything about her. But that frightened her the most. The fact that she wanted to tell someone everything about herself, and being rejected by the very one whom she wanted in her life. That was why she felt this way, there was something to lose and to gain. As much as she tried to separate business and personal life, it was a losing battle when it came to Inuyasha and her feelings for him. She wanted him to know and feared him knowing.
"Inuyasha…" she said as they got to his car. She stopped at his trunk as he went straight to the passenger door and used his FOB to open the doors. The blinkers flashed, signaling the car opened, and he opened her door for her. He gazed at her with such intensity that she had to steel her nerves to face him. "Please, let me take the train home."
He shook his head. "Get in, Kagome."
She frowned, standing her ground. "I can get home by myself, thank you." This time, she put steel in her voice, allowing her anger to chase away her unstable emotions. Anger was good.
"Kagome, get in the damn car."
She glared at him, feeding off his anger and irritation. "No. I'm taking the train home. Open your trunk. I need my bag."
"For crying out loud… if you don't get in this car, I'll put you in here and strap you in myself kicking and screaming," he said, glaring at her. The two of them glared at each other, the strength of wills now being the test. Kagome couldn't believe how fast their night had changed. Now, here they were, fighting over him taking her home. But the thing was, she didn't want him to know where she lived. She didn't like anyone knowing where she lived. Even her address on her application was false.
"No."
Inuyasha glared and released the car door, walking over to her. He reached out to grab her, intending to put her in the car, and watched as her eyes flew wide and she took a step back away from him. Suddenly, everything changed. Kagome looked like she was ready to run, like a deer in headlights, waiting to see what the predator would do. He stopped short, watching her stare at him with fear in her eyes. He'd seen that fear before, many times.
"Kagome…" he said softly. 'What happened?' What brought on this sudden change in her? She seemed frightened. 'Of me?' Inuyasha placed his hands on his hips, containing his anger. He was pissed, confused and wanted answers that she obviously wasn't going to tell him. One minute she was sad, the next she was angry at him, and the next she was afraid of him. He gave up. If she didn't want to tell him, he couldn't force her to tell him things that she obviously didn't want him to know about. And if she didn't want him to take her home, he couldn't force her to get in his car as much as he wanted her to.
"Fine." He used his FOB to pop the trunk open and it clicked, going up slowly on its own. "Get your things."
Kagome swallowed hard and took a breath, calming her pounding heart. She stared at him, his face unreadable now. Whatever he was thinking, he wasn't going to say anything more. She was grateful and hurt. 'I'm the one who did this. How did this night go so wrong?' Kagome frowned, walking forward to grab her duffle bag. When she placed the strap over her shoulder, she moved back to thank him, but he turned around to shut the trunk and walked over to close his passenger door.
"The train station is a fifteen minute walk from here," he said, walking around the front of the car, not looking at her. "Go south. You'll see some signs for the train station. Follow that." Inuyasha opened the driver's door and got in without another word. He shut the door and turned his car on, driving straight out of the parking stall, frustrated and angry as hell. How did this night go so wrong? They were having a good time, grabbing a bite to eat and then small talk which led to serious emotions that led to a shutdown and a mixup of emotions. And here he was, leaving her alone in an empty parking lot. As Inuyasha looked back in his rearview mirror, Kagome's lone figure stood in the same place, watching him drive away. He tore his gaze from her and signaled his turn, turning out onto the main road to head back home.
"How did this night go so wrong?" Kagome whispered, watching as Inuyasha's car sped onto the main road and back into the bustling city.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
"It's time to board!"
Kagome turned around to see Sango and Miroku coming up to her. She was sitting in the coffee shop in the terminal, waiting to hear on the speakers for her flight number to be called to signal they were boarding. Much to Kagome's surprise, they were flying a commercial flight. For some reason, she thought that rich people, including a pop-star, always flew in private jets or stayed in hotel suites. But after receiving their itineraries, Kagome was shocked and pleased to see that they were flying on Hawaiian Airlines, in comfort seats, and they were staying in kingsize bedrooms by themselves so they wouldn't have to share with someone. Miroku and Sango would share one room, but everyone else had their own room and their own bed. She was glad she didn't have to share with anyone. She needed her privacy and her space.
"I didn't hear the announcement," she said as Sango and Miroku came near. Just then, the speakers beeped and a robotic voice came on, announcing their flight number and that first class passengers would board first.
"Oh," Kagome said with a smile, grabbing her purse and coffee cup. She looked back out the window at all the airplanes sitting and waiting to take people within them to another city, country, continent. "Let's go."
The three of them made their way back to their gate where the gang were sitting and standing around each other, waiting for their seats to be called. Kagome had to steel her nerves. This past two weeks had been rough. Ever since she and Inuyasha got into it that night, their relationship has been strained, even professionally. He didn't talk to her as much, let alone look at her unless he absolutely had to talk to her about something to do with work. Most of the time they talked to each other in a group setting and that was easy for them to avoid eye contact, which only made it more clear that he didn't want to talk to her. Strictly business. No more getting to know one another, since she made it so clear that night that she didn't want to tell him anymore about herself. 'It's best this way… he doesn't have to know.'
"Go on ahead, Miroku," Sango said, pushing him ahead as she stopped and grabbed Kagome's arm that wasn't holding her coffee, snapping her out of her thoughts. She waited until Kagome looked at her and waited even longer so that Kagome knew that she was serious. "What's going on with you and Inuyasha?"
Kagome frowned and looked away from her, not wanting to tell Sango.
"Tell me, Kagome. I know something's wrong. You guys have been acting strange around each other for the past two weeks. I want to know what happened. Did he say something to you?" Kagome remained silent but shook her head, giving that much to Sango. "Tell me, Kagome. What happened?" she pleaded. She knew that Kagome and Inuyasha had something between them. It was obvious to her since Inuyasha had been her friend for years and she had never seen him interested in a woman before, at least not in the way he had been interested in Kagome. It wasn't about the sex. The way he danced with her and talked with her, Sango knew that there was something blooming between them. But that all died two weeks ago. Even Miroku noticed it and wasn't able to get anything out of Inuyasha but a gruff reply for Miroku to drop it.
"Please, Kagome," Sango said, looking at the gate to see that Inuyasha and Kikyo were now looking their way. She saw Inuyasha look at Kagome and then turn around. "Kagome…" Sango said, looking back her. "Tell me what happened. Did he do something to you?"
Kagome sighed, knowing that Sango wasn't going to drop it. And thankfully, she wasn't sitting next to Sango on the plane since she was sitting beside Miroku. She was sitting next to Shiori, but Sango wasn't going to drop it and she was afraid of a long plane ride with Sango bothering her the whole way.
"I don't know, Sango. I think he wanted to hear something that I wasn't able to tell him." Like why she went to Hawai'i. He never asked that specific question, but that was what saddened her, and changed the entire mood of the night. They had gone from a beautiful sunset to arguing about him taking her home. There were things unspoken between them that night, like why she enjoyed watching the sunset so much or why she went to Hawai'i to begin with. Even though he didn't ask them out loud, she felt the overwhelming sadness of not being able to tell him when she was starting to connect with him. There was so much that she wanted to say and so much that she couldn't say.
"You wasn't able tell him? Like… your past?"
Kagome nodded, turning to look back at Sango. She released her arm, frowning as she regarded Kagome. "I think he's starting to realize that I'm just not someone who will talk about myself and my past like that. I think he's starting to see that he shouldn't waste his time becoming my friend."
"Oh shut up," Sango said, turning to place her hands on her hips, looking away from Kagome. "I don't want to hear you say things like that about yourself, Kagome. I'm your friend. You have friends here. And we're not wasting our time being your friend."
Kagome smiled sadly, feeling her eyes sting with tears. She would not cry. She had been in such an emotional rollercoaster ride for the past two weeks, feeling sorry for herself and then berating herself, telling herself that this was for the better. No one could know about her past. And yet, here was Inuyasha, someone who she wanted to confide in and knew that she couldn't if she wanted to protect him and herself.
"Please drop it, Sango. I really don't want to talk about it. I think… I think I might cry, and I don't like to cry in public."
Sango looked back at her with a frown. She sighed, resigning. "Fine. But when we get to Hawai'i, you're going to forget about all this and put on a good show. The day we land will be busy. It's the day before the concert," she reminded, sounding as serious as she could. If Kagome didn't want to be personal, then they would be professional.
"I know." She knew the agenda. She had her itinerary. She had prepared for this day for the past three months. She got her nails done, retouched the blue streaks in her hair, got a wax, she was prepared for this big day when she would finally dance professionally. She was ready. Whatever happened between herself and Inuyasha would have to wait until she came back to Japan. For now, he was her boss. Nothing more. They would figure it out when they got back.
As Kagome looked at the gate, the speakers beeped again, making the announcement that the next set of passengers seated in the comfort seats would be able to board. Kagome sighed, looking over to where everyone in the group began to stand. She saw smiles on their faces, excitement poured off of them in waves and she could feel it from here. Just then, her eyes fell on Inuyasha, catching his golden eyes watching her. The two of them stared at each other for a long time, both of them trying to gauge what the other was thinking. Kagome frowned, biting her bottom lip, and was the first to look away. She looked for Sango and found her making her way to stand next to Inuyasha, catching his attention as he began to talk to her, a scowl on his face. 'Yes… we'll figure it out when we get back.'
