Author's Note: Hi everyone! I hope many of you have been staying safe during this pandemic and have been taking up reading, especially Fanfiction :) I'm sorry this has been long in the making. I made this chapter a while back but haven't gotten around to posting it because this is more of a filler chapter to get some insights into the relationships between some of the characters and some of the changes happening in Kagome's life. So I had doubts about posting this but I figured, what the heck. It's a good chapter. Anyways... hope you enjoy this one. The next one will be coming out soon, possibly within a week as I finished chapter 10 too but just need to proofread it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha


"Tell me everything that happened!" Ayumi demanded, just as Kagome sat down. Kagome looked at Ayumi's reflection in the mirror as the women around them moved about, getting ready for the night. It was Thursday and the club was opening in fifteen minutes. Kagome didn't have the time to tell Ayumi everything that happened from the trip in fifteen minutes.

"I can't…"

"The hell you can't!" Ayumi said, placing her hands on her hips, standing behind Kagome's chair glaring at her. "You hung up on me that night when I knew you weren't good. And the only text I got from you after that was 'We'll talk later.'"

Kagome frowned, wondering why she was so upset about this. Midoriko came and placed her arm around Ayumi's shoulders as the woman was only wearing her white bra and panty at the moment, arguing with her.

"Enough, Ayumi. We can all grab breakfast after tonight's shift and talk about it then, right, Kagome?" Midoriko said, looking at Kagome's reflection.

She sighed but smiled, knowing she owed them an explanation as to what happened over the past week and a half. Not to mention all the media and fame that she had received overnight. They came back home Wednesday morning with a huge welcome at the airport from Kikyo's fans. Kikyo immediately had to go to press conferences and to radio and news stations to do interviews along with some of the group members, especially Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango. Kagome hadn't left her house all that day in fear that people would recognize her. And all Thursday, Kikyo and her dancers were still at it with the media. But that wasn't her thing, and Naraku knew it so he never called her to join the group. It was Thursday night, the first time she went out into the public since coming home. Now that she was home, things would change in her life dramatically, and she accepted that so she needed to adjust to these changes as quickly as she could before her natural instinct would kick in. Her instinct to run. For now, she just wanted to get back to work. The thought of being a man's whole attention was appealing right now. She wanted what she knew, what she was comfortable with, and she was comfortable here in a stranger's arms rather than out there in the public's eye.

"Later," she nodded, ending their conversation. Kagura came by just as the two women left to get ready.

Kagura sneered in the mirror at her, fully dressed in a black leather suit with her breasts on full display. "I see fame has taken a liking to you. Did you sleep with Inuyasha Fujimoto just to get in the front row like that?"

Kagome glared at Kagura's reflection. "I'm not like you, Kagura."

"Ha! Of course you're not," she said, turning her back to her with a chuckle. "Honey, you don't have what it takes to be me. And you just dug yourself your own grave." With that, Kagura left, making Kagome regret even coming to work now.

Fear crept in again. Her life seemed to be falling apart around her and she had no control over it. When she had come home, she felt a sense of fear. Her home wasn't safe anymore. Being in this city wasn't safe anymore. A part of her wanted to run and find a new place to start over again. But where could she go that she would want to start over? She had made a new life for her here, a wonderful life that she had always wanted as a dancer. Deep inside, Kagome knew that she wasn't willing to give it up.

"Come on," Ayumi said, snapping her out of her thoughts. This was a worry for tonight, that she would be too occupied with her problems to be mentally here. Kagome glared at herself in the mirror, putting on some lip gloss and standing to look at her breasts and butt before she followed the rest of the women out of the dressing room. She wanted to wear something that caught men's attention so she decided to wear her favorite white halter silk dress that showed off her curves and body. The dress had a very low back which meant no bra. All she wore underneath were pasties for her nipples and a white jeweled thong. The dress was elegant, one side longer than the other. It went down to her right ankle but the left side ended at her knee where the slit rode up to her upper thigh. Her look was perfect from her white heels up to the white flowers she placed all in her hair. They stood out against her blue hair.

Once she got out into the club, she noticed Jinenji standing like a statue outside in his black and white suit. The lights were already dimmed with the club lights dancing along the walls. The doors would be opening in a few minutes and all the girls had to be out and ready before that happened.

Jinenji stepped forward towards her, making Kagome smile up at him.

"Jinenji. How have you been?"

Jinenji smiled down at her with a nod of his head, genuine affection for her in his eyes. "I've been fine. We've all missed you."

Kagome smiled sweetly at him, hugging her arms against her. "Thanks. I've missed work a lot. And I missed you too." She looked around to see the girls moving about, talking together or going to see the other workers on the floor. The bartenders were in their place, the security was making last minute checks of the club and the DJ was in his booth. She didn't see Onigumo anywhere, and she hadn't seen him ever since she came home.

"Onigumo wants to see you," Jinenji said, as if he was reading her mind. Kagome smiled at him with a nod, then turned to make her way to his office. He followed behind her all the way to his door and she let herself in, leaving Jinenji outside to wait for her.

Onigumo was standing near the glass wall overlooking his club. He wore black slacks with a caramel button-up dress shirt. He had a tumbler with dark liquid in one hand while the other was up to his ear.

"I told you to take care of it," he snapped, turning at the sound of his door closing. He looked at Kagome, catching her eyes, before he motioned for her to sit and he turned to look back out at his workers. "I don't want anyone coming here because of that. Things haven't changed with my rules. My girls' privacy is my number one priority. Then, comes my clients. They need to respect my rules before I let them in."

There was silence from Onigumo as Kagome walked towards his couch. She sat down and waited, wondering who he was talking to. She could only see him from the back but she could tell by his posture and tone that he wasn't happy.

"Good. Write it up and have them all sign it. Tonight. I'm opening my doors tonight but no one leaves without signing the new contract. I mean it!" He ended the call and took a sip of his drink, the ice clanging together as he drank the entire contents down.

"Onigumo," Kagome said softly, watching him down his drink in one gulp. "Who was that?"

Onigumo took one last look out and noticed Manten walking towards the entrance, leaving his sight. He looked down at his watch. The club was opening.

He sighed and turned around, heading over to the couch to sit next to Kagome. "How was your trip?" he asked, settling next to her, turning so that he could take a good look at her. She was beautiful.

Kagome smiled at him. "It was… life-changing. I never knew that something like that would have ever been possible for me."

"You had fun?"

"Yes," she nodded. "A lot."

Onigumo grunted and grew serious. "So then you know of the damage control that I've been doing for the past several days?"

His demeanor changed dramatically, the coolness of his tone was one she knew, and she was taken aback by his question. He grew very serious and she frowned, turning her head from him. "Yes, I know. Ayumi called me."

"About?"

"When it happened. When she started seeing the videos go viral. She called me a couple days after our first performance and I saw the videos on YouTube."

"And?"

His one-worded questions were starting to make her nervous. She turned to him. "I… broke down. And I…"

"Why?"

She blinked, frowning at him. 'Why?' What was it that he wanted her to say? Kagome's eyes widened and she looked away from him, knowing that he was angry with her. "Because… you were right."

"What?"

"You were right," she said louder, her head down. "You told me that my security and my privacy will be shot once I take this job. You… were right."

Onigumo waited a beat, wanting her to really understand those words. He stood and walked back towards the glass wall, looking down at the dancing lights to see how many people were in the club. Half of the room was filled with men waiting to be waited on at the tables. He saw some of the girls walking around with trays of drinks as the men chatted away, looking around the room.

"I had a lot of damage control to do. You opened up a whole new set of problems for me."

Kagome stood and walked over to him. "Onigumo… I didn't mean to but you know why I did it." She went to him and grabbed his arm, making him turn his attention towards her. "You've always been good to me. You took me in when no one else did. You saw me when no one else did. I… I didn't mean to cause you any problems."

Onigumo smiled at her, using his free arm to reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. "Kagome… you remembered my words. Now, remember the other words I also said. I will never let you go." She blinked and looked up at him. Onigumo was smiling down at her, his eyes tender. He bent down to place a kiss on her forehead and then turned to look back down at the club.

"That was my lawyer on the phone. He's been helping me to keep your identity here a secret. But many of the clients have been calling me day and night asking about the correlation between the famous 'blue-haired dancer' and my girl Sapphire. A lot of the clients have been coming just to see you and to get answers and I've had a lot of new requests for applications to become a member because of you."

Kagome frowned, still holding on to Onigumo's arm. She lowered her head but looked out at the men sitting around at the tables while the girls began to wait on them. "So… you haven't told anyone the name of the dancer?"

"You thought I would?" he asked, his voice neutral.

Kagome shook her head. "No. I know how much I mean to you."

Onigumo grunted his agreement. "I told my lawyer to write up a new contract that they have to sign tonight. He should be here in the next hour or so. The new contract states that no one is to harass you, use your real name in here or your pet name outside of these doors. The contract binds them inside and outside of these walls. No one leaves without signing it or else I revoke their membership and I may have a bit more fun with them outside of the terms of the contract if they think I cannot ruin them. For the next couple of days, I will be sending my security out to personally deliver the new contract and have them sign it. Thankfully, my clients respect me and knows how powerful I am, so hopefully my reputation alone would prevent them from breaking these rules. I want to get a handle on this before your fame blows up."

"Is the change just for me? Wouldn't that make it obvious that I am Sapphire now?" she asked, wondering why he wouldn't add it in for all the girls.

Onigumo arched his eyebrow at her. "You think people who know you here wouldn't put two and two together? Who else in Tokyo has blue hair and blue eyes like you do? And a body like yours?"

Kagome frowned, blushing. He did have a point. Of course, whoever knew her in Midnite would see her real face outside and automatically know that it was her. "What if they don't sign it?"

Onigumo smirked, his eyes hardening as he stared down at all the men. "I know more about them than you think, Kagome. I can break them just as easily as them not signing the contract. They don't want to mess with me, and they know it. They know I'm a powerful man and won't want to cross me that way."

Kagome knew that Onigumo was powerful, wealthy and was in many powerful circles. If he couldn't do something, one of his colleagues would do it for him. She felt a sense of love for this man. Onigumo would do so much for her, to keep her identity safe, to keep her protected. He knew all about her past, who and what she was running from, and helped her to start a new life here in Tokyo. She owed him her life because he gave her a new life. She felt safe with him. Kagome smiled and brought her chin against his shoulder, hugging his arm against her.

"Thank you, Onigumo. You've always been good to me."

Onigumo turned to bring her into his arms, holding her against him. "You're my girl, Kagome. I told you I wouldn't let you go, and you would be wise to remember that. No matter where this career may take you… I am never letting you leave me."

Kagome stilled and gazed up at him, wondering what that would mean in her future. Onigumo stared down at her, his eyes blazing, claiming her. "I mean it, Kagome. I allowed you to chase after your dream and I will always keep you protected here. I cannot protect you from the outside world, but I can protect you in here from anything or anyone that comes in here."

Kagome nodded her understanding, still grateful for him. "I know. Thank you, Onigumo."

He kissed her forehead and released her, walking away to head back to his desk. "Go. Your client is waiting. Manten and Akitoki will be assisting Jinenji tonight with your protection. I have a feeling a lot of the clients coming tonight will want to ask you questions. I don't want anyone bothering you tonight while you're with a client. This is just another night for you… Sapphire."

Kagome smiled at him, feeling her persona take over her. She missed this. A way to escape who she was for the night, to be someone else, another part of herself. And even though her real life was colliding with her secret life, she would have to adjust as best as she could and as fast as she could.

"See you later," she said with a wave and made her way to the door. She opened it and immediately saw Jinenji still standing in the same spot and she smiled at him, closing the door behind her. "Well, that went well."

Jinenji nodded with a smile. "I'm glad. Onigumo must've told you then. Manten and Akitoki are downstairs waiting with your first client."

"Oh? Do you know who it is?" she asked, walking down the stairs, watching her step with her long dress.

"Sai."

Kagome stopped, frozen on the stairs. 'Sai…' Immediately the face that flashed in her mind was Inuyasha. She frowned. 'Why am I thinking of him now?' Sai was someone who she made a connection with the first night she met him. He was the only client she felt comfortable around, like she could be herself with him. And now, there was someone else who she was really enjoying being herself with, and being with Sai sort of felt like a betrayal to him.

"Sapphire. Is everything okay?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, wondering why she thought of Inuyasha at a time like this and why she thought she was betraying him. There was nothing for her to betray. Kagome shook her head and continued down the stairs. She made her way around the corner and straight towards the bar to get herself her favorite.

"Sapphire!" Hojo called over the music and the many voices in the club. "It's packed tonight! You know they all came to see you, right?" he teased.

Kagome frowned, giving him a look. "I know, Hojo. Don't remind me."

He smirked and winked at her, his hands automatically doing their thing as he made her a drink without her even having to ask. "You need one for you client?"

Kagome smiled. "Sure. Make it top whiskey on the rocks."

"Ah… Sai's here." She turned to look at Hojo but he just kept doing what he did best, obviously remembering many of the clients' favorite drinks. Kagome shook her head in wonder, looking out at the crowd that piled in since the club opened only ten minutes ago. It was full, possibly reaching capacity in the first ten minutes of opening, as if all the members were coming in on one night. There were many men she hadn't seen in the club for years, as if they decided to come back just for her. And it was obvious because all eyes were focused on her. The men at the bar kept looking down her way and talking to each other, calling everyone's attention on her. She turned and looked out at the tables where the men were all calling each other's attention towards her. They all looked at her, ignoring the girls who tended to them.

"Here you go, Sapphire," Hojo said, pushing the two drinks forward. He frowned at her when he noticed that she wasn't budging but seemed to be paying attention to everyone else. Hojo looked out and noticed that literally everyone was staring at her and whispering among themselves.

"Sapphire," Jinenji said, grabbing the drinks for her and inching up behind her. Kagome jumped and looked up at Jinenji. "Let's go. Sai's waiting with Manten and Akitoki in the lounge."

She didn't move so Jinenji went first, turning to make sure she followed him. The two of them made their way over to the lounge area that was full of bodies. The conversations stopped as she walked in, catching everyone's attention, especially Sai's.

Sai stood with a smile, his black eyes warming her as he looked her up and down once, approving her look. "Sapphire." Kagome looked at him and could only see him, focusing her attention on her client and no one else. He reached out towards her and waited for her to take his invitation. She smiled welcomely at him and placed her hand in his, allowing her to bring her closer to him.

"You look… beautiful," he said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I've missed you."

His breath gave her goosebumps and she shuddered, reeling as he moved back to look down at her. Jinenji moved to give him his drink and Sai took it with a nod, looking back at her to squeeze her hand.

"Sit with me."

Kagome nodded with a smile and waited for him to sit first before she moved to snuggle up against his body. She crossed her leg, fixed the slit on her dress, and made sure her girls weren't popping out before she reached for her drink from Jinenji and turned her attention back to him. Jinenji, Manten and Akitoki stayed close by, obviously creating a barrier, but minding their own business as they watched the people in the lounge area and outside on the main floor.

"What's with the bodyguards?" Sai asked, nudging his chin towards the three. The others sitting in the lounge area were all staring at the two of them but he ignored them, turning to look back at the woman snuggled against him. He kept his left hand on the back of the couch while his right hand held his drink, placing it on the couch next to his thigh.

Kagome took a sip of her drink, Bailey's on the rocks, and turned to give him her full attention. "They're here for my protection. I hope you don't mind."

He shook his head with a smile. "I don't mind so long as I get to be here with you."

Kagome nodded. "Of course you do. You're stuck with me."

Sai nodded his agreement and took a sip of his whiskey. He smiled, loving how she always remembered everything about him, from his personal life with his father to his favorite drink. He looked at the others as some men came up towards the bodyguards and were prevented from getting any closer, only being turned around. It happened a few times before he finally had the courage to ask her.

"I have to ask you something."

Kagome looked up at him, waiting for his question. He could only get lost in her beautiful blue eyes. Sai remembered the day when the news broadcasted Kikyo Hayashi's concert in Hawai'i. A few news stations had followed the singer to Hawai'i to report live on the concert. Kikyo was Japan's next rising star and the news wanted to report about her fame in the USA. So when he had seen the broadcast with amateur videos taken of a female dancer with blue hair and blue eyes who looked so much like Sapphire, he almost couldn't believe it. He was at work at the time and had to cancel his meeting just to investigate more into this 'blue-haired dancer' who looked so much like his Sapphire. And here she was, in the flesh against him, and he could clearly see the resemblance in the two. But he had to make sure. When he had called Onigumo that day, Onigumo refused to answer his questions, no matter what he said or asked.

He sat up to place his drink on the table in front of them, making Kagome move away slightly to give him room. He turned back towards her and leaned closer to her, catching her off guard. He knew her rules and wasn't about to go against them, but he needed to touch her. She had been gone for so long and he wasn't able to get a reason why from Onigumo aside from just saying that she had taken a vacation. But seeing that 'blue-haired dancer' on television during the time Sapphire was gone on vacation only was more evidence into his suspicion. And he was sure that everyone else in this room came here tonight to ask the same question he was about to ask.

He leaned over her, tucking her hair behind her ear, loving the way the white flowers stood out against her blue hair. Her blue eyes were wide, staring at him with wonder and a little apprehension. She still had her limits it seemed, and he wanted to touch her, but he didn't. Sai leaned down to whisper in her ear so that no one else would hear his question or know what she was answering to.

"Are you the 'blue-haired dancer'?"

Kagome inwardly sighed, looking up at the dark purple ceiling above them. She licked her lips, wondering what to tell him. He would find out eventually. She was sure that everyone who knew her here as Sapphire would put two and two together and figure out who she was and what her real name was. Even though the media didn't know yet and Kikyo's fans could only speculate, she still kept her name from the media and she made no public appearances with the others. But it would be inevitable soon. She closed her eyes. 'There's no denying it.' Onigumo would make everyone sign the contract anyway, so they would all know the truth about who he was trying to protect and why because sooner or later, just like Inuyasha said, it was bound to happen that she would have to be known.

"Yes," she whispered.

Sai felt her body tense up and he reached out to grab her arm, squeezing it gently to catch her attention even though she made no move to get out of his hold. "Sapphire." He squeezed her arm again until she opened her eyes to look at him. He saw fear and apprehension in those blue eyes, making him wonder why she would fear him. "Did I…" he released her arm, "What's wrong?"

Kagome took a few breaths, relaxing a bit as he moved back to give her breathing room. She wasn't really afraid of him. She had come to trust him throughout all this time that he had been her client. She trusted him enough to believe that he wouldn't hurt her. But still, she worried now that it was real. Now that the clients would see her and put two and two together, like Onigumo said, they would eventually find out her name if she was to stick with Kikyo. It was bound to happen that now that she went viral and she was sure that Naraku would eventually force her to do a public appearance before the fans turned on Kikyo. Once their clients found out who she was, then what? She may trust Sai with a little bit of information for now, but to trust all of these men, that would be a stretch.

"It's… nothing."

"I won't hurt you, Sapphire."

Kagome shook her head with a frown, tearing her gaze from him. "It's not that."

"What is it then?" Sai asked, wanting to bring back the smile that she had when they first started their time together. "You're afraid now that everyone knows who you really are?"

Kagome nodded. "Everyone doesn't know. I haven't made any public appearance with Kikyo's group yet so it's all just speculation for the clients here."

"You know… you are the only one who knows who I really am."

Kagome turned to look at him. Sai was staring at her with a serious expression. "I've told you things that I've never told another soul. I've opened up to you in ways that I never even knew how I truly felt about things until you brought those feelings out of me. You know who I really am. And now, you're afraid that I know you're the 'blue-haired dancer'?"

She smiled. Maybe to him it was silly for now. But soon, he would know her real name. And he didn't understand her fear of being broadcasted to the nation in this way. "Sai… I'm a gentlemen's girl who is now becoming a famous dancer for a rising pop star. How do you think the world is going to take it if they found out that I'm a gentlemen's girl? My boss doesn't even know what I do," she admitted, immediately thinking of Inuyasha again. The memory of the two of them kissing in her hotel room flashed in her mind and her heart skipped a beat. 'Inuyasha…'

"Sapphire…"

She shook her head, trying to get him out of her mind while she was working. "My personal life must never mix with my secret life here, and vice versa. The same goes with you and many of the clients here. I'm sure none of you would want the world to know of your secret life in this club and some of the dealings that go down here as 'business'."

Sai scrunched his eyebrows, not sure what she meant, but he was still knew in his membership. Kagome shook her head with a smile. "There's a lot you don't know about what goes down in Midnite besides just beautiful women and dancing. Many clients also come here to do business because no one would look in a gentlemen's club for the rich and famous to be doing dirty business in here. There's a lot we see but don't tell."

Sai understood that. His father did secret dealings too that he had only found out about when he was asked to take over the company. There's a lot that a man will do for his wealth and reputation, that Sai was starting to understand. The rich were rich for a reason and sometimes it meant selling their soul.

"This club is a haven not only for the girls here but also for the businessmen. Some men are innocent clients who truly come just for a good time with a girl. But most who come here are businessmen who wants to spend money on girls and make secret dealings where no one will see and tell."

Sai nodded his understanding, smiling at her. "I understand. I'm sorry if I ruined our time together. You were smiling when we first sat down together and now I ruined the mood."

Kagome giggled, shaking her head as she placed her hand on his thigh, getting comfortable against him again. "I just don't know what this will look like once everyone knows who I am, that's all. It's a fear of the unknown." Kagome looked at the others sitting on the couch opposite from them. Some were still catching quick glances at her. "Onigumo is having everyone sign a new contract before they leave to protect my privacy. He's also having the security go and personally make everyone who comes to Midnite sign the new contract before they have a chance to publicly say anything about my connection here. Should the media find out my real name or something gets leaked, Onigumo wants to be in control of the fallout before it happens. And I appreciate him looking out for me in the future."

Sai smiled, moving to grab his drink off the table and get comfortable again against her. He took a long sip from his glass, emptying it in one gulp. "Your secret is safe with me. I don't need a piece of paper to threaten me into keeping your secret. I knew what I signed up for when I first signed the contract. I think we all did. If we see any of the girls in here outside on the streets and by chance learn who they are, we are still under the contract agreement."

"Then tell me why the club is so full within the first ten minutes of opening?" she asked him, arching her eyebrow with a smirk. Sai looked at her and scrunched his eyes at her, catching on to her game and playing along.

"I think they're here to get the answer I was looking for too. I think that's normal. But I also think that the smart ones know better and understand what 'privacy' means. There are many businessmen, like you said, who treasure their privacy like you do."

Kagome took a deep breath, feeling so much better now that someone understood. She was grateful for him. The two of them understood each other and it was easy for her to be herself around him. Sooner or later, things would change about the 'blue-haired dancer' and Sapphire, but for now, at least she was comforted by what Sai said. Maybe there are people in this world who would keep her secret life here a secret once they find out who she is. That would be one obstacle down. The main one was out of her control now and she would have to let it go.

"So… Sapphire?"

Kagome turned to look at him. He held up his glass with a gorgeous smile, as if the tension was gone and they were off to having a good night together.

"Can I have another drink?"

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

"Good night!" the girls said as they made their way out into the streets. It was chilly in the morning, being that it was now two on a Friday morning. The streets were quiet with only a few people stumbling along, trying to find their way home in their drunken stupor. It wasn't a weekend night so the streets weren't as busy as they would be on a Friday or Saturday night.

"Let's go grab something to eat at McDonalds. We can talk there," Ayumi suggested, and the other two agreed. The three of them walked towards the nearest McDonalds which was only ten minutes away. The closer they got to the more common side of the city, the more busier it became. It was obvious they were now out of what most Japanese called the 'red light district'.

The three of them walked in and waited for their orders before finding a booth and sitting down together. Kagome had changed into a grey sweat pants with a white t-shirt after her shower at the club. The three of them had taken showers and were dressed in casual wear as they sat together and munched on their early breakfast, ready to go home and just flop on their beds after this. There were seven tables taken in the entire McDonalds, proving that Tokyo never sleeps.

"So… tell us what happened on the trip," Ayumi said, getting the conversation started. She held her breakfast sandwich to her lips, waiting for Kagome to look up at her. When she did, Ayumi took a bite and arched her eyebrow, waiting.

Kagome smiled with a sigh, shaking her head. "Ayumi… since when did you become so interested in my life?"

"Oh shush. Don't change the subject."

Midoriko giggled at the two and just ate her hash brown, waiting for Kagome to start. She also wanted to hear what happened in Hawai'i. Ever since Kikyo's concert on O'ahu and Kagome's videos going viral on the internet, social media and the news, she has been the talk of the town. Everyone was posting comments about how this 'blue-haired dancer' was stealing Inuyasha's heart, stirring up suspicion that they were lovers and now she was brought into Kikyo's group. The way the two of them moved together and the way they looked at each other while dancing, the fans could tell that something was there and were making rumors of their own. But no one had ever heard of or seen this 'blue-haired dancer' before and Kagome was causing quite the controversy among fans who wanted Kikyo and Inuyasha to be together.

Kagome sighed again and broke off a piece of her hash brown, popping it into her mouth. "The trip went really well. At least, before the concert, I was having a blast. We went hiking and sightseeing and shopping. And the beaches there were just… beautiful. So different from home." She recalled the waves crashing onto the sand and the way the blue water glistened in the sunlight. She remembered how the group had been at the beach that one day, in front of their hotel, just having fun together in the water.

"The first night of the first concert, I mean, I can't even explain to you guys what I felt," she said, her eyes twinkling with wonder and amazement. The two women smiled, feeling Kagome's joy and excitement spill over. "There were so many people. The stadium was sold out. And the sound of the fans screaming… I've never experienced anything like that before. My heart pumped to the bass of the music and I felt like it just wanted to explode out of my chest!" Kagome said, leaning back, using her hands to emphasize the way she felt. "We all moved on stage like one unit. And the fans never. Stopped. Screaming," she emphasized, hitting her palm against the table.

Ayumi and Midoriko had their mouths open in awe, listening intently to the story like they were listening to a fairytale. Kagome smiled and shook her head at them, leaning her forearms on the table. "One day we went shopping in Waikiki and these girls came up to us wanting to take a selfie with us. But that's not in my contract, so I told them I would take a picture for them with the dancers. When the girl took back her camera, she said, 'You're that girl. The blue-haired dancer. You're famous, you know?'" Kagome remembered that moment. It was so shocking to her at that time that she didn't know what the girl meant. But now that she looked back, that was her first warning of what was to come. That she had gone viral. What she thought would've just been a job where she could be on the down-low without having to be known by the entire world was now becoming a false dream too quickly lost.

"I think it was two nights later that you called me, Ayumi. And then, the next day I called you back and you told me what happened." Kagome turned to look out the window, seeing a few cars and people passing by. She wondered where everyone was going at this time of the morning.

"I knew you wouldn't be okay," Ayumi said softly, placing her sandwich down. She reached out and placed her hand on Kagome's, waiting until she looked at her. "I know we don't share much about her personal lives. And we don't pry. But I know that you're running from someone. I am too. I think a lot of the women who work at Midnite has a past that they're running from. It just hasn't caught up to any of us yet."

Midoriko nodded with a frown, wanting to share about herself too, feeling safe with these girls and trusting them. "I haven't told you two this before… but I had an abusive ex. He was the reason why I came to Tokyo and to start a new life." Kagome and Ayumi both looked at her with sympathetic eyes, only making Midoriko smile in amusement. "I'm saying this because I trust you two. I know Ayumi and I have shared more about ourselves than you have, Kagome, and we don't want to pressure you into anything. But we also don't want you to feel like you can't talk to anyone… because you can always talk to us. And if you feel like none of us would understand because we just don't know what it feels like, then I want you to know that some of us have a past that we're running from too."

Ayumi nodded and looked back at Kagome. "You can always trust us, Kagome. We know what it means to keep secrets when your life depends on it."

That stopped her short. Kagome didn't realize how much she had in common with Ayumi and Midoriko. And here they were, telling her that they had the same issue, even though she hadn't confirmed or denied it, people who have gone through the same things can pick out the signs in others. Kagome sighed, placing her free hand on top of Ayumi's that covered her other hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks, you two. I feel… safer now." She had never had people she could confide in and this was something new, something she would have to get used to. But deep inside, she liked it. It felt like someone cared about her.

"Anyway… I wasn't okay that night, Ayumi," she said, getting back to her story, releasing Ayumi's hand. "I broke. I don't remember much after I hung up with you. All I remember…" Inuyasha's face flashed in her mind. "Was Inuyasha being with me."

"What?!" the two women exclaimed, both of them jumping back in shock, planting their backs against the back of the booth.

"What do you mean 'he was with you'?" Ayumi asked. "He was in your room?" Midoriko asked, the two of them asking simultaneously.

Kagome placed her hands up, wanting them to calm down and be quiet as they were getting loud. Even though there wasn't a lot of people, she didn't want them to make a scene. "No, no. Not really."

"Spill!" Midoriko said with an arched eyebrow, crossing her arms.

Kagome shook her head with a smile. "He… somehow came into my room. He said he jumped up to my floor and onto my balcony."

"What?!" Ayumi said, slapping her palms on the table, making it shudder. She studied Kagome and then her white eyes grew serious, remembering about him. "He is an inu-hanyou."

"Exactly," Kagome said, wanting them to calm down. "Of course, I wasn't thinking much about that. I wasn't thinking at all. I could only… feel." She remembered that she couldn't feel anything. She felt numb. And she remembered Inuyasha picking her off her bathroom floor and bringing her onto her bed. After that… "We… kissed."

"Ho-ly-hell," Midoriko said softly, her green eyes amazed. There was no emotion behind her words. Just a simple statement. Even Ayumi stared at her, mouth open, as if she couldn't believe it either.

Kagome laughed at the two, then looked down at her hands as she fidgeted. "I kissed him, actually. I remember he was holding me while I cried for a long time. He kept asking me what was wrong and who I was running from… but I couldn't tell him." She paused. Well, now three people knew that she was running from someone. "And I just… I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel… safe."

There was silence as the three women just sat there, taking in Kagome's words. They could see why she was always so secretive with her personal life and why she never opened up to many of the girls at Midnite. She was dealing with someone dangerous. And it seemed like everything that Kagome was doing in her life was to prevent this person from finding her. So the danger to her was still real.

"I…" Kagome started, tilting her head as she recalled Inuyasha's lips against hers. "He made me feel safe. He made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered to him. Like… he wanted to protect me." She closed her eyes and remembered the way his arms held her as he brought her against his chest. He had been such a steady rock for her that night, a safe haven when her world was falling apart around her. In his arms, she felt safe and her world was right. Kagome opened her eyes, her heart beating too fast. "I've never felt that from anyone before. Only him."

"Kagome…" Midoriko looked next to her at Ayumi, the two of them exchanged a knowing look. Kagome was falling for Inuyasha.

"He broke me…"

Ayumi frowned, reaching out to grab Kagome's hand. "What do you mean, Kagome? I thought he protected you."

Kagome nodded, feeling lost, not knowing how to adjust to her feelings or how to even make sense of them. "He… broke down my walls," she admitted softly. As she said it, it became real to her in that moment, as if she had to accept it now. Whatever she was feeling for Inuyasha was real, something deeper than him just being her boss.

"Inuyasha made me feel. He made me feel things that I've never felt before. Not for my parents. And not…" His face flashed before her eyes and she tore her hand out of Ayumi's, her eyes darting out the window. 'He'll find me.' It was inevitable now, just like Inuyasha said. It was inevitable for her not to become famous even if all she did was concerts. If she thought she could hide from the world by just doing concerts for Kikyo, she was a fool. Social media nowadays was this generation's way of communicating. It was inevitable to be in this business and not be seen by the world somehow or another. Kagome sighed, watching the street lights change color. 'What do I do? Do I quit now?'

Kagome thought of Inuyasha again and her stomach did a funny thing. She smiled to herself. "I think I have feelings for Inuyasha."

Ayumi and Midoriko remained silent, staring at one another before they looked back at Kagome. The girl was staring out the window, almost as if she had forgotten that they were there.

"What are you going to do?" Ayumi asked softly, grabbing her breakfast sandwich, wanting to keep busy while she gave Kagome time to be open. She hadn't thought that Kagome would've gone this fast with Inuyasha, though she couldn't blame her. Inuyasha was a rich, sexy, half-demon bachelor. Nowadays, everyone wanted to be with a demon or a half-demon because of how rare they had become. If not rare, then most of them were hiding from society, not knowing how to fit into this modern world, which mostly didn't accept them. Inuyasha was in the spotlight for the demon world and all of the Japanese women drooled over him. So she couldn't blame Kagome for liking Inuyasha. But now that she knew a lot more about Kagome's past, she knew that falling for someone like Inuyasha would be all the wrong things for Kagome. He was in the public eye a lot. He was a part of a very powerful youkai family who ruled the Western Lands. Ayumi took a bite of her sandwich and waited while Midoriko did the same, both of them not really knowing what to say.

Kagome thought for a while and finally shrugged, turning back to look at them, watching as they ate their sandwiches. "I have to go to work today at the academy. We're all supposed to meet today to talk about the ratings from the trip and what it means for Kikyo from here on out. And then, I have to meet with Inuyasha and Naraku to talk about my contract."

"What about it?" Midoriko asked curiously.

"My contract was only for me to cover the dancer that left for this concert. The concert was my test to see whether or not I fit into the group, but it was also the only thing I was hired for. It's up to my bosses now to see if they want to keep me."

"Are you kidding?" Ayumi said, floored. "They would be fools not to keep you now after your viral videos. Kikyo would lose a talented dancer and it might even hurt her concerts now when people don't see you in her group anymore."

"That's true," Midoriko said with a nod. She placed her sandwich down and leaned back, regarding Kagome. "If they don't keep you now, it's bad business on their end. And someone else might come and snatch you up."

Kagome smiled, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She turned her head to look back outside. 'But what do I want to do?' she thought, wondering if it was in her best interest and safety to leave the group. Maybe even leave Tokyo.

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

Kagome stepped out of the train and made her way to the academy. She had thought about this meeting the entire morning and didn't get much sleep because of it. Today, everyone had to head in to the academy to talk about how the concert went, the ratings and feedback that Kikyo received and where they went from here, especially for Kikyo. This was the make-it or break-it moment for her. And as Kagome walked through the busy streets as everyone was making their way to work, she remembered the day before they left for Hawai'i when she and Inuyasha had left each other on bad terms. She remembered feeling that day that this concert would be her last time in the group, that they, especially Inuyasha, would want to fire her. She was only hired because of the concert so it was rational to think that they didn't need her anymore.

As she let her thoughts wander, Kagome failed to notice the thicker crowds of people the closer she got to the academy. As she made her way down the streets, people were all crowding around each other, heading and facing the same way she was going. She looked around and noticed that they were all heading for the entrance of the academy.

'What's going on?'

A girl screamed, causing Kagome to jump as she turned to see who it was. "It's her! It's the blue-haired dancer!"

There was a second of silence before everyone around her converged on her like a swarm of bees and she was in the middle of it. Men and women, girls and boys, all were yelling at her, asking her for her autograph and asking to take a picture with her. They were crowding in so close that everyone began to bump into her, pushing her back into the other fans who crowded her from all sides.

"Can I have your autograph? Are you and Inuyasha dating? We love the way you dance! Can I have a picture with you?"

Kagome could hear so many voices all at once and she began to feel overwhelmed, shocked and afraid. Her eyes were frantic as she looked for a way out, not knowing what to do and not seeing any way out. This was exactly what she didn't want, or need. The attention. She tried to smile and politely turn them down, but no one was hearing her over the screams of everyone else. It was too overwhelming. Too many bodies touching her and pushing her. The crowd was getting too wild as everyone else began to move in closer from the back to see who it was they were making a big fuss about. It was obvious that a huge crowd had gathered outside the academy in hopes of catching a glimpse of Kikyo and possibly of her dancers today.

A hand shot out through the bodies of people, grabbing Kagome by the arm and pulling her through the bodies, heedless of bumping into others. Kagome looked up and saw that it was Shippo. He smiled at her and winked, keeping arm secured against him as he pushed his way through the crowd to get to the doors.

"Thanks guys! Thank you all for your love! Thank you! Sorry, but we have to get inside! Thank you! Thank you!" Shippo said politely and smiled at no one in particular with only one destination in mind. When the doors came into view over everyone's heads, he kept smiling, appreciating the love from the fans and the cheers they got, but not stopping to acknowledge them. Kagome let him pull her along, pushing her way through the crowd behind him as he led them straight into the academy.

They went through the doors and the screams of the crowd were muffled behind them. "Phew! Damn! That was a mess," Shippo said, fixing his clothes and turning to check on Kagome. "You all right, Kagome?"

Kagome looked him over and liked his casual wear. He wore a jeans pant with a black t-shirt. Simple. She noticed that dressing to blend in was one way Shippo had to go about it if he didn't want to get noticed. But, with that face of his and his tail, it would be hard for him to hide himself in a crowd.

"Yeah," she finally replied, smiling at him. "Thanks, Shippo. You saved me, big time."

Shippo smiled, his eyes twinkling with such youth and playfulness. "I know that was your first time. I saw you seemed to be frozen so I decided to save you from the apocalypse." That made her giggle. He tilted his head towards the inner door. "Let's go see who's here."

The two of them walked towards the door and Kagome took one final look back when they got to the receptionist desk. "Do they stand out there all the time?" she asked Shippo, seeing the fans line up along the entire glass walls of the building, looking inside.

"We get it all the time," Ginger said behind the desk. She stood and bowed at them. "Whenever they know that famous people will be here, they tend to hang outside our doors until they meet whatever celebrity they were waiting for. Sometimes the crowd will be out there all day depending on how famous the celebrity is and how true the rumors seem to be."

Kagome arched her eyebrow, not sure if she would ever be that dedicated for a singer. "Wow. And they don't come inside?"

Ginger shook her head. "No, ma'am. Sometimes they come inside but I have to ask them to leave if they're not here to use our facility. They have to wait outside if they came for someone. Many of the people who do this a lot know this and respect our policies, but sometimes I have a few who will walk in with the celebrity and I will have to ask them to leave private property."

"How do they know there's anyone here?" Kagome asked, wondering how they knew Kikyo and her group would be here today.

Ginger smiled knowing. "Social media. It's a powerful tool nowadays. And, they've been keeping tabs on Kikyo's public appearances since she came home that they were sure she was bound to come here eventually."

"Hmmm," Kagome said, taking one last look at the crowd waiting outside. Everyone was looking around them in the streets and looking through the glass windows of the academy. "That's some dedicated fans."

"Yep. They love Kikyo," Shippo said, moving ahead to use his swipe key to open the door, holding it open for her. "And they love us too." Kagome gave him a look and walked through the door.

"I don't think they love us as much as they do Kikyo."

Shippo shrugged. "Maybe so. But you'd be surprise at how many fans the dancers get. People out there are here for us too, you know. They aspire to be like us, to dance in front of audiences, or to just learn how to dance like us. I'm sure you were once a little girl who aspired to be like some dancer you saw on TV or something. It's not just people who love Kikyo's voice but also people who love the way we dance. Those are the fans."

She never thought of it that way. Shippo was right. She was one of those 'fans' too, if she thought about it. And how many more people out there is in the same boat that she was in, either as a child or as an adult, wanting to be a dancer like them?

"You're right, Shippo."

He smiled and reached to open the studio's door. "I know you're not used to it, Kagome, but if you're going to be with us, you're gonna have to get used to it. It'll have to become your life."

Kagome frowned and walked into the room, seeing almost everyone was already here. They all looked up and smiled or waved and the two of them as they walked in.

"We'll see what happens," she said, making Shippo turn to look at her as they made their way to the center of the room.

"What do you mean?"

Kagome smiled with a shake of her head. "I need to talk to Inuyasha and Naraku today about my employment here."

"What?" Shippo stopped while she kept walking.

"Shippo… let's just see what happens," she said, motioning him to follow her towards the others so they could just relax for a bit before everyone else showed up.

"If Inuyasha lets you go now… he's proving that I'm right. He is an idiot." He left it at that. Kagome smiled and shook her head, wanting to keep her spirits up before her meeting with Inuyasha and Naraku. She was already nervous as it is thinking about it. She didn't know where her employment stood. It could go either way. According to the fans outside and social media, it was obvious that she did a good job during the concert. Whether or not it was enough to keep her here, that was totally out of her hands. And even if they did want her to stay, did she want to stay and risk exposure? She decided to let it go for now and went to join the others. Everyone sat on the floor in a haphazard circle.

"Kagome!" Itsuki said, sitting on the other side of Shippo. Itsuki's hair always went into his eyes and he always had to flick his head to the side to get his hair out of his eyes. But he liked the style and the dramatic effect it had on women, so he claims. "We missed you these past couple of days. Where ya been?"

Kagome smiled apologetically and placed her purse down behind her, crossing her legs. She wore comfortable clothes like everyone else. Today she decided to wear black shorts with a red shirt that had white floral designs. "Sorry. I don't do that sort of stuff."

"I remember you mentioned that," Aiko said, making her turn her attention to the girl. "You know, it's hard not to be in the spotlight when this is your job."

Kagome arched her eyebrow with a slow nod of her head. "Yep… I'm starting to see that."

"You're getting more attention quicker than any of us did, though," Kimiko said, squeezing her knees into her chest. "It's almost like you became famous overnight."

"She did, Kimiko," Shiori said. She remembered how well Kagome danced that first practice together when Kagome came to stand next to her in the back row. That was when Shiori knew that Kagome had a lot more talent than any of them realized. "Her videos went viral overnight and now everyone's calling her 'the blue-haired dancer'. Kikyo must be getting a lot more attention now that she has a famous dancer in her group."

Mai giggled. "I don't know who's more famous now. Kagome or Kikyo?"

"In all her interviews," Shippo started, "Kikyo was asked about you. The reporters wanted to know all about this new female dancer that was stirring up the internet. The reporters played your videos on the air and asked her what your name was." Kagome's heart stopped. Shippo noticed the deathly pale look on her face and could sense her fear, so he quickly tried to still her fears, not expecting that reaction. "But… but Kikyo didn't say anything. She told the reporters that she was obligated to keep you a secret for now, which didn't help the situation, but she didn't give out your name."

Kagome released her breath and felt her body literally drain of energy. 'Oh my gosh… if Kikyo had said something…' Her worst fears would've been realized. What was she going to do now? 'But it's bound to happen.' If they were to keep her in their group, she would obviously have to change her contract now that there was no way of trying to keep her a secret. People would demand to know her name the more they saw her in Kikyo's concerts. But even if she was let go from the group, would that even help? Her face was out there and social media and spread it like wildfire. The damage was done. 'Maybe I should dye my hair to a different color if they let me go.' Her mind was racing with thoughts when everyone looked up at the two newcomers.

Emi and Kokoro walked in, saying their hellos. "Inuyasha and the others are outside stuck in the crowd taking pictures and stuff. They might be a little while." The others nodded their heads and waited until the two joined their circle and began to chat about how well they thought the concert went and what they did for the past two days now that they were home. It was different for all of them now that the concert in Hawai'i went so well for Kikyo and for them too. She was gaining publicity which meant more shows and possibly more concerts. It meant more interviews and PR for her which also meant more for them as well. Wherever she would perform, there they would be. And everyone was excited about it.

The more Kagome listened to everyone talk about the possible future events, the more she began to understand what this lifestyle really could do for her. Their job was obviously affected by Kikyo's fame. The higher the demand for Kikyo, the more of a spotlight for them. Which gave them the opportunity of getting recognized by other musicians to dance for them as well. Of course, they were paid strictly on concerts and shows- not for Kikyo's interviews, media shows and signings. But even those shows would be a way to publicize a dancer, as Kagome had already learned firsthand. 'Could I do this?' she wondered, thinking of how dramatic her life would change if she did stay.

Everyone looked up as the door opened and Kikyo walked in first, followed by Naraku, Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku. The five of them looked around, noticing that everyone was already here, and Kikyo smiled at them all.

"Thanks for waiting guys," she said, a huge smile on her face and her arms open wide in happiness. "I'm so proud of everyone with our Hawai'i concert. Give yourselves a round of applause!" Everyone smiled and clapped for each other, looking around the room to acknowledge each other's hard work and effort.

"After all those months and weeks of blood, sweat and tears," she said, finally making it towards the circle, "Everyone did such a good job. My album has been in the number one spot for the past two weeks. I've been getting requests for interviews and performances every single day," she said, looking over at Naraku.

Naraku nodded his agreement and they all moved to sit on the ground, joining the circle. "Yeah. Kikyo's been having news stations, morning and nighttime shows, and even music stores asking for her. It has been… a busy couple of days since we flew back," he agreed, running his hand through his hair.

"Thank you, Naraku," she said in a sing-song voice, bumping into him for a moment.

Inuyasha stretched out his legs and looked around at everyone. "Let's talk about the concert before we get into future events. How did you guys think you did?"

"We don't have the video coverage yet of the shows," Miroku said, "so we can't critique ourselves just yet. But once we get the video, I'll have them copied and I want all of us to go over the videos and look at what we liked or what we could've done better. Like we normally do," he said with a wave of his hand.

Inuyasha nodded his agreement. "So… what do you guys think? Thoughts? Concerns?"

There was a momentary pause as everyone began to recap their performances, thinking about what they could've improved on.

"Well," Shippo started, making everyone turn to look at him. "I liked the amount of time we had to practice at each venue. I think we made it work with what we had available, including time, space and whatever." Everyone nodded their agreements, waiting to see if he would say anything else.

"I think that if we were to ever go back to the MACC," Sango started, "that we would have to request either a bigger dressing room or get two rooms, one for each gender, because I found it a little cluttered. We were all trying to step around each other's things. I think if it wasn't for our costume and makeup crew, our dressing room would've been a mess. They were helping to clean up while we were performing."

Kikyo nodded. "Well that is what they're there for and I'm really glad they were there for that venue. I did thank all of the crew for making everything go so well, for all their hard work and diligence. Naraku did speak with them too just to acknowledge them and their efforts. I think it was also hard for them since we had to fly out some of our equipment too."

Inuyasha nodded, staring at the floor in front of him. "The MACC was definitely the one that lacked the most."

Kikyo turned to him. "The stage was the hardest to get used to. I think the security team tried their best with what was available. But I still feel like the security should've been increased because of how the stage was designed."

Naraku nodded his agreement. "I agree. We wasn't prepared for that."

Everyone began to look around at each other or look at the floor, waiting for someone to make a comment. When no one chose to speak, Inuyasha looked at Kagome.

"Kagome?"

She looked up at him, curious. "Hmmm?"

"Do you have anything you want to add?" he asked, watching her. "This is your first one. I want to hear if you have anything to share."

Sango smiled at him and then looked at Kagome, catching her eye and giving her encouragement. Kagome frowned, looking down at the ground, thinking for a moment.

"Well… being that this is my first time…" Everyone was looking at her now, waiting for her to continue. "I had a lot of fun, honestly." She looked around at everyone, smiling at them. She didn't know what her future was here with the group so she wanted to make sure that she told them everything in case she wouldn't work them again. "I really learned a lot from this. I liked how organized our itineraries were every day and how everyone really bonded during our excursions. I had a lot of fun with all of you," she said, smiling at everyone as they all nodded and smiled back. The conversations they had in the cars and the small talk they made at their meal tables really helped her to feel comfortable around this group, enough to call them her friends. "It was also really interesting to experience the backstage of a concert because I've always wondered how things were run behind the scenes."

"Haha! Didn't think you'd be running around naked with us so soon, huh, Kagome?" Mai asked with laughter.

Kagome shook her head with a smile. "No no. It's not that." 'Besides.. I'm used to that already.' "I just really appreciated seeing how organized everyone was and how we respected each other's spaces and privacy as much as we could. And I thought our performances went great. No one messed up and we were all cohesive. I think everyone did a great job," she said, clapping her hands together in excitement. The others agreed with her and all gave each other encouragement.

Inuyasha smiled at her and nodded. "Good to hear." The two of them stared at each other until finally Inuyasha looked away from her and turned to Kikyo. "Do you want to cover what's coming up?"

Kikyo nodded, clearly bouncing with excitement that she couldn't contain. "Yes!" Everyone focused on her now as she began to explain to them what was in their future. "These next two weeks I'm booked with interviews and shows. A couple of them are with performances too since I'll be promoting my album. So… you guys ready to dance?"

Everyone nodded and smiled, excited that they would be doing more shows and more publicity. Inuyasha, however, looked over at Kagome and watched her reaction. He knew what her contract said, which was why he would have a talk with her after this with Kikyo, Naraku, Miroku and Sango, the same ones who helped with the auditions. They would all have to make a decision on keeping Kagome but she would obviously have to rethink her contract. Now that they were into more media and doing on-air performances, Kagome would either walk away from the job or change her contract and stay. In the end, it was up to her.

He didn't want to see her leave. She was truly a talented dancer. They would be an idiot if they let her go now after her performances in Hawai'i and after her viral videos. Everyone would be after her now- other musicians and even choreographers. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he was willing to admit to himself. But he agreed that it was strictly the business. Kagome's eyes met his and he stilled himself, staring into her blue eyes. He was always so mesmerized by them. 'And her lips…' Oh, and there was that kiss too. Inuyasha remembered the feel of her lips on his like it was moments ago. He hadn't kissed anyone in over a hundred years.

"Inuyasha…" Kikyo called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You think we should just stick to one routine and one song? Or change it up every time?"

"We would have to change it up. The media and fans would get bored if we were to do the same song on every show. Plus… we want to promote your whole album and not just one song." Kikyo agreed, thankful that he understood what was best for her career.

"Well… that settles it then," Shippo said, raising his hands up over his head. "I need to get a makeover." Everyone laughed at him as he ran his hands through his hair, winking at them. "What? This hair needs tender loving care."

"Pfff… whatever," Itsuki said, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "My hair needs tender loving care." Everyone began to laugh and chat about Shippo and Itsuki's hair, giving their suggestions on how they think they should do a makeover.

"Alright, alright," Naraku said, trying to settle everyone down. Once the room quieted again, he looked to his phone as he began to tell them their itinerary for the next two weeks. "So the first show is on Monday for the morning news. Then, there's a late night show Monday night. I think we should open up with Kikyo's number one hit to impress the viewers if they haven't heard of her yet," he said, looking over at Inuyasha to see him agree.

"The next one is Wednesday morning on another morning news station. Then, Thursday night is a late night show. Friday morning is a morning news station and that night is a late night show. And Saturday night is another late night show. The following week is all talk shows- most in the mornings as most of them are prerecorded. There's also a show on Friday night in a park that a news station puts together every so often with artists and bands, and Kikyo was asked to do a song for that one. But other than that… Kikyo will be booked for the next two weeks with media outlets and shows. And I will send this list of days out to everyone by the end of today," he said, waving his phone at them before he put it away in his pocket.

"Busy couple of weeks," Kikyo said with a sigh. "But… I love it!" she said, nearly jumping up from the ground. This was what she had always wanted and dreamed of. Finally, after all these years, she was getting recognized and people were loving her music.

"Okay… so I want to go over a list of songs we're going to do for all those shows. And then we can talk about the routines for the songs. I think I want to change some of them up, make them different from what we put on at the concert. So… we need to grind them down this weekend to make them solid by Monday." He looked around to see everyone either nod their heads in understanding or roll their eyes at the next two days of hard work. "We're also going to go over Kikyo's ratings really fast and then I want to have just myself, Kikyo, Naraku, Miroku, Sango and Kagome stay around for a bit while everyone else can leave."

"And be back to practice tomorrow morning at eight in the morning," Kikyo said sharply.

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

Once everyone left the room, the six of them stayed behind like Inuyasha said.

"Can we bring in some chairs?" Kikyo asked. "I don't want to sit on the ground anymore."

Inuyasha and Miroku got up and walked over to one of the corners of the room. Inuyasha pushed a mirror in and revealed a dark room inside where there were stacks of folding chairs lined up, hidden away. Kagome watched as he and Miroku took out six chairs from a hidden room, making her surprised at how high-tech this place was, and they walked back over to them. Once they all unfolded their chairs and everyone got comfortable, Naraku started by taking out his phone.

"Kagome. Your contract was only supposed to be for Kikyo's concert in Hawai'i. And we were very lenient with you. We allowed you to create your own set of rules and stipulations that we abided by, and might I point out that Kikyo is still abiding by your terms," he said, giving her a dead stare. Kagome frowned, wondering why he was being so direct and rough about it. Even Inuyasha turned to glare at Naraku, not liking his change of attitude. "I'm sure you've been thinking about what you're going to do now that the concert has ended."

She nodded her head, looking at Kikyo. "I have been thinking about it a lot." She thought about leaving Kikyo's group and in the end, she couldn't give herself a good enough reason to leave. She liked being around everyone. She considered them all friends now and wouldn't have it any other way. She also loved her job. She loved when she was on stage dancing in front of an audience and with people who shared the same passions she had with dancing. Talking with Ayumi and Midoriko this morning also helped her to sort through her options and thoughts, coming to this realization. "I've decided that I want to stay. If… you guys would have me."

Inuyasha's ears twitched, smiling as she told them her decision. If he was honest, he hoped to hell that she would stay with them. And he knew that she was one of their best dancers, a huge asset to Kikyo's group and to her fame. For them to let her go now would be a disservice to her and to Kikyo's name. He didn't want her to go for more reasons than he would like to admit, but at least she was the one choosing to stay.

Sango clapped her hands together, a huge smile on her face. "Yes! Of course we want you to stay, Kagome," she said, speaking up for everyone.

"Hang on," Naraku said, stilling the enthusiasm. "We can't have you staying with us unless you change your contract."

"I know," Kagome said, interjecting. "I know that my contract is a huge liability and I've been thinking about that too." She looked to Kikyo, hoping that she would still get the position. "I appreciate you keeping to my contract, Kikyo, and not revealing me in your interviews. But… I also know that it implicates you and your fans might get angry at you for hiding things. I also know that if I stay and your fame continues to soar, then it's impossible for me to stay hidden. I'm okay with it now. I love my job here, I love dancing and I really enjoy being here with everyone."

She looked to Inuyasha, seeing the smile on his face. She flushed, forgetting her words for a second, and had to look away from him before she looked to Sango, needing to look at someone else besides him. "I've decided to stay with the group and nullify my terms in my contract. We can go back to the original one that everyone else signs. It'll take me some time, but I think I'll be okay with all the PR stuff."

That made Inuyasha frown. He remembered what she had said to him in the hotel when he had found her broken and crying on the bathroom floor. She was hiding from someone. That was why she didn't want to be in the spotlight and made into a public spectacle. There was someone she was afraid of finding her. Every instinct in him told him to protect her. He wanted to, no, needed to protect her. So he would and now that she would stay with the group, he could keep his eyes on her more often to make sure that she was safe. He sighed to himself, closing his eyes in disbelief. He needed to talk to his parents soon. All of this could only mean one thing.

"The only thing I ask," Kagome continued, "is my hours. My job at Starlight is very strict about the nights I'm on because it's the busier nights of the week and I'm one of the veteran workers. I have to work Thursday through Sunday nights at the restaurant." She looked to Kikyo, hoping she would understand her schedule. "I hope that this won't affect me being in the group." She also knew that many of the late night shows that Kikyo had coming up these next two weeks were all at night, which was a dilemma.

Kikyo frowned, looking to Inuyasha and Naraku sitting next to her. "Well… most of our shows would be on the weekend. I mean… even our concerts and performances would be on weekend nights." The two men nodded their agreements.

Kagome frowned, knowing that to be true. All concerts were usually held on weekend nights anyways so Kikyo's wouldn't be any different. "Well… my second option would be to ask my manager to switch my schedule around. But I'm not sure he'll like it because of how good I am with the weekend rush."

"Why don't you just ask him to switch your nights around only during the weekends when we have shows," Inuyasha proposed, making her look to him. "It's not like we perform every weekend. And like I told you before… a lot of us have another job besides this one because it's not like we're needed all the time like Kikyo is. It's her full-time job. We're only here to support her when she does shows, music videos and performances, which won't be every single day or every single weekend. We usually find out in advance what Kikyo is lined up for in terms of when we're needed to dance. So whenever we get the word, you can give your boss enough time to just switch those nights around."

She smiled at him, liking his idea. She was sure that Onigumo might not like the idea at first because the weekends were their busiest nights. And her clients were all accustomed to coming on specific days for almost ten years. Now, she would be asking him to through a wrench in the way he ran his business and have her clients come on a different night than usual. But she was willing to try. Like Inuyasha said, this wouldn't be for every single weekend. She would just have to hope that Onigumo would go along with it. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, nodding her head in agreement with him.

"Well, Kagome. If you're okay with the spotlight and the fame and all that…" Kikyo started, "Then I would love to keep you in the group." She raised her hand to her chest. "I, personally, love your dance style. I loved it since you auditioned and I think you have such an amazing talent. And it's obvious that my ratings went up because of you being such a viral sensation right now. So, I have you to thank." Kikyo smiled at her, clearly making Kagome nervous at the praise. Kikyo laughed it off. "Honestly, Kagome… you're an amazing dancer. And I want you to stay. But I just needed you to rethink your contract now that things are changing for me and would be for all of you."

"I don't see how it was every going to work anyways," Naraku said softly, shaking his head.

"Shut up, Naraku," Inuyasha said, clearly irritated with Naraku's attitude. He got it, the guy was irritated since day one when they had to make a completely different contract just for this one dancer. How special could she be? But to Inuyasha, it was worth it and now it should be obvious to Naraku that it was worth it. At least she was willing to change it now and she acknowledged that it wasn't going to work anymore.

"I'm game," Miroku said, wanting to break the tension. "I, too, don't want to see you leave us, Kagome. We all want you to stay, even the others in our group. I think we all had such a fun and bonding experience in Hawai'i that now you've become a part of our family. It would suck if you were to leave us now."

'Family?' Kagome thought. She never had a family like this before. She smiled at Miroku, taking his words to heart.

"Well that's settled then," Inuyasha said, making her look at him now. "I guess you're stuck with us." Everyone began to laugh, clearly lightening the mood. Kagome looked around at everyone, glad that she was a part of this family that wanted to keep her around. Yes, she would have to get used to being in the public eye and the fame that would come with that. The fans camped outside the building was a testament as to what she was in for. But, she also was looking forward to all the excitements and new memories that would come in the future.


Don't forget to review. I love reading what you think about my story so far. It encourages me to write more, faster too.