Author's Note (a lot to say): Back soon with another chapter, like I promised. I just wanna start off by thanking everyone who has been reviewing my chapters. As you know, I try to reply to your previous review to show my appreciation, that I actually read your reviews and take your thoughts to heart. It only makes me happy to know how happy and invested you are in the story and the characters, and it motivates me to write more. I've decided to add my replies to reviews here for those who review my chapters with a name but I cannot reply privately. For those who reply as a 'guest', well that would be harder since there would be multiple guests. I just want to do this to let you know that I appreciate you all taking the time to read and review my story :)

On that note, I hope you're staying safe during this pandemic. Just so you know, I have been and still am working since this pandemic happened, so I don't have all the free time I wish I had to spend my days writing away. So give me time to update. But I've felt my spark for this story come alive again which is why the chapters are coming out faster than normal. And let me tell you, C11 is a doozy... you will want to be sitting by a fire in a comfy chair with a warm cup of something (maybe liquor?) while you read it lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. This one gets intense. You can skip down after the next section to get right to the story if you don't see your name below. Some of my replies might reveal a few things, but I try my best not to give spoilers, so read at your own caution ;P

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Replying to Reviews:

anime-geek: To your C8 review- you asked about Kikyo's relationship with Naraku and Inuyasha. Well this is a bit complicating and, of course, will be explained later in future chapters. But not to give away any spoilers so soon... they're not having an affair/relationship, if that makes sense. To your C9 review- there will be more Inu/Kag mushiness in this chapter and especially in the next. I really wanted to build on the relationships of the characters and build the storyline solid before I went into all the CRAZY love relationships that will unfold. Trust me, you're going to thank me later for all the slow explanations. I am surprised you brought up Kag/Oni as their relationship is one of the "CRAZY" ones. The two of them come up again in this chapter- but I won't explain more about who he is to her until after Inu/Kag. And as for Kag's past, those characters have started to come out now that she's in the spotlight. As for her mother... well... Kag will explain a little bit of her to you maybe in the next chapter. At least, she'll bring up her father in the next chapter ;) I hope you enjoy this next chapter :) LMK what you think

hive-chan: Thank you for your last review. To answer your question about Kikyo's fame- I won't be putting much effort into her and her success, although it does affect the lives and success of the dancers, I just won't go into heavy detail on her fame. Her storyline isn't that important to me BUT I will still be talking about her fame, yes, because it does affect the dancers. As for her fame in USA, I have no plans as of yet. Right now, she's doing good back at home because of the US' concert, so I'm focusing on her back in Japan for now before she broadens her fame elsewhere. Though, yes, it might happen. Inu/Kag will have much more time together in this chapter and in the next (for sure) and you'll see the beginning of their romance begin to unfold. And I truly appreciate your compliment in my vision of this Kagome. As we all know, our past defines who we become, so you will see why this Kagome is the way she is when she starts opening up (when she feels comfortable to of course, because a broken soul needs to feel safe first). Thanks again for your review. I hope you enjoy this next chapter :) LMK what you think.

susu-anon: Thanks for your last review. To answer your questions without giving away too much, yes there will be a love triangle(s). And about Sai, yes! I love him too. I created him for this very reason, for Kagome to see that not all men are "dogs", even if they go to a gentlemen's club like this. But I also created him for Kagome's sake- to remember that she is still a 'person', to remind her of what it's like to be treated well and to feel like she deserves to be happy. Well, I hope you're excited for this chapter. It's good. Hope you enjoy and LMK what you think.

MinxieXCX: Thank you for your last review! I smiled and laughed the entire time because I loved how you had something to say about each of the characters. I love it. Tells me you're invested in their lives. Inuyasha's playboy ways, however, will come to light soon as he'll realize something in this chapter and in the next one :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and LMK what you think. :)

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha


The next day there was the same group of fans, possibly more, waiting for Kikyo and her dancers in front of the academy again. Everyone had apparently spread the news that Kikyo's group was at the academy, now confirmed, and many more showed up, wanting to get a glimpse of Kikyo herself, and her dance crew. As Kagome got closer to the academy, she could see the amount of people waiting outside and probably even more around the corner that she couldn't see.

'Alright, Kagome. This is it.' She had prepped herself all morning for this. As she steeled her nerves, a couple of the fans turned around and noticed her, making her gulp.

"Ah! It's the blue-haired dancer!" Everyone shouted as they looked around in a frenzy until they saw her coming up towards the door.

Kagome smiled at them and was immediately bombarded with questions and shouts.

"Can I have your autograph? Can I take a selfie with you? What's your name? Yeah, what's your name?"

Kagome smiled, trying to seem polite even though their questions were coming in rapid fire succession. Some notepads were thrusted out and she grabbed the closest ones to her, signing her name. She frowned, drowning out the voices for just a moment as she thought about her signature and if it looked presentable enough.

"What's your name?"

She looked up and smiled at no one in particular. "My name is Kagome Saito." Everyone whispered and talked with one another, looking down at their phones as they immediately began to spread the news on social media, wanting to be the first to identify who the 'blue-haired dancer' was.

"I really love the way you dance," a male called out, making her call out her thanks while looking down, signing someone's notebook.

"Can you take a selfie with me?" a female asked. She smiled and nodded, feeling the girl's arm go against her back, pressing in real close. Kagome tilted her head slightly towards the girl as she snapped the picture. One more for luck. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Everyone else began to crowd in, asking to take a photo with her, and she was stuck in the group, unable to move anywhere. She was grabbed by a few people around the shoulders as she smiled for a shot and then tried to take a step forward towards the doors, doing selfies on the way towards freedom. Everyone was in a frenzy now that they knew who she was and wanted to get a photo with her. She looked around for a hole in the crowd when she heard another round of shouts.

"It's Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

Some of the fans in her group turned around and went towards him but he was coming towards them instead of heading into the academy. They all went up to him, leaving Kagome with less people around her, and she quickly began to move towards the entrance. Inuyasha, however, reached out and grabbed her, snatching her away from the fans and bypassing all of their requests for a photo or an autograph.

"Sorry, guys. But we have to get to work. Thanks for your support." With that, he pulled Kagome with him and opened the door for her so that she could go in. He entered behind her and the sound of the fans began to die as they settled down.

"Is it always like that?" Kagome asked with a sigh, walking beside him as they made their way towards the inner door.

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair, gazing down at her with a smile. "Sort of." He paused and looked her over, waiting until his silence made her look up at him. She gave him a questioning look and he chuckled. "Nothing. I'm just glad that you're starting to open up to the fans."

Kagome shrugged and looked ahead. "I can't stall the inevitable. I meant what I said. I do love this job. I love dancing and this was what I've always wanted to do. So I can't keep being afraid of being known to the world if I want to keep doing what I love."

Inuyasha smiled, feeling her sense of determination and purpose. He respected her all the more for it, knowing that she still hadn't signed the new contract that Naraku was supposed to be printing up for her. But at least she had come to terms within herself that this was something she had to accept as a part of the job. Her life would be forever changed because of this job, but if it was her dream, then she had to accept what came with it.

His thoughts went back to the hotel room in Hawai'i when he found her so broken and scared. 'I'm afraid… he'll find me.' He gazed down at her, wondering who she was running from, reminding himself to bring this up to her later.

"Good morning!" Ginger said from behind her desk as she stood and bowed.

Kagome smiled back and stopped to bow back while Inuyasha waved and walked up to the door to open it for her. "Good morning, Ginger," she said. He waited for her to enter and she walked up to the door of their studio, opening it halfway before he grabbed the door from her and she walked in.

Most of the group was already here and after a few minutes of Kagome and Inuyasha talking with the group, the last two members showed up, making it twelve. Inuyasha called everyone's attention and they all stood in a loose circle, waiting.

"I just wanted to say that Kagome will be staying with us from now on," he said, making everyone burst out with cheers. Sango and Mai, who stood on either side of her, hugged her, making Kagome giggle at everyone's excitement. She didn't think they would be this excited about her staying. "She hasn't signed the new contract yet, but she's stuck with us."

"I'm glad," Sango whispered in Kagome's ear as she released her from a hug. Kagome smiled back, thanking Sango, just as Inuyasha calmed the cheers and began to tell them what today was all about.

"Alright, listen up!" Inuyasha waited until everyone settled down before he continued. "We're only going to learn five routines since Kikyo has five late night shows where we'll be needed. The morning shows are just for the live news and the prerecorded talk shows. They're supposed to be asking her about the Hawai'i concert and her album for her segment of the broadcast, so we won't be needed for those. We're expecting the night shows will be watched by a lot of people. Plus, they're giving her longer segments on the night shows to accommodate a performance at the end."

Miroku nodded as Inuyasha looked over at him, seeing if he wanted to say anything. "Yeah and yesterday we talked about changing up the routines and doing a different song every show so that the fans will tune in every night and see something new. It'll be good business for Kikyo and for the talk show host."

"I agree," Inuyasha continued, "But since it's already Saturday and our first show is Monday night, I didn't want to change up the routines too much." Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief, making Inuyasha chuckle. "You're welcome. Seriously though… the routines from the concert will be changed slightly, to accommodate the smaller dance space we'll have and the time we have to fill Kikyo's segment. She is going to have to cut out some verses of each song since she only has a specific amount of time for her talk segment and her song."

"I have the paper. I printed it out before I left the house," Miroku said, going over to his bag to grab it.

"Okay, thanks," Inuyasha said, looking at everyone. "It'll probably be a little easier for us since the song will be cut short." Miroku came back and handed Inuyasha the paper, his eyes scanning over the five songs that Kikyo was going to be singing. "Yeah… she's doing the first verses of every song, a chorus, a bridge and then ending with the chorus. Easy enough." He gave Miroku the paper back and began to tell everyone to line up and get to their places.

"On the email, Naraku said that the interview and the song is broken up by a commercial break. Remember these late night shows are live. But from what I understand in the email, the show crew is supposed to let us know when and where to go. We won't have time to practice at the studios because all these shows have segments with other people before and after each other. So we'll just have to deal with the cards we're dealt with at the time."

Miroku shrugged as he got to his spot between Inuyasha and Sango. "We got it," he said with confidence in the group. Sango nodded her agreement as they all stared at their reflections in the mirror ahead, their bodies starting to move to a silent beat as they prepared to dance, waiting for Inuyasha's instructions.

"I know. I trust you guys."

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It was already four in the afternoon when Inuyasha decided to send everyone home. They were tired from a long day of work but they had learned all the five modified routines and got them down quickly. Kikyo had joined them after lunch to learn her parts as well. She had so many things on her plate that she could only join them for a few hours a day. Inuyasha didn't change up her moves too much knowing that she would be too busy for five new routines, plus she wouldn't be singing the entire song. They wouldn't have much room to mover or an audience for her to be singing to, so he made her moves simple, enough for the camera since it tends to focus on the singer's face than anything else. She had learned her moves quickly thanks to Inuyasha's quick-thinking.

"Let's meet back here same time tomorrow at eight just to run through them all at least once. I want to make sure we're good. We should be finished by lunch. The first show is Monday night so I want everyone to get a good night's rest."

Everyone agreed and began to head out, saying their goodbyes and walking out in groups.

Kikyo came up to Inuyasha to talk to him. "Good choreography. I like it."

He shrugged. "It's pretty much the same as the concert but with just some minor tweaks and no transitions."

Kikyo nodded her head, frowning as her phone began to buzz in her back pocket. "Ugh. My phone has been going off nonstop all day." He knew that to be true. She had been so distracted by her phone that after every song they practiced, they needed to take a longer break than he wanted to because she needed to check her phone. It was important things for her though, so he couldn't blame her, but for him and his crew, their job was just to dance.

"Same time tomorrow, then?" she asked, looking down at her phone as her fingers started typing something out.

Inuyasha nodded, looking up as his eyes caught Miroku's. "Yeah, tomorrow." Kikyo thanked him and walked towards the door, waving at Sango distractedly as she headed out the door.

"Hey, you want to grab dinner?" Miroku asked Inuyasha as the two of them grabbed their things. Sango and Kagome were next to them gathering their own belongings when Inuyasha shook his head, turning to look at Kagome.

"I wanted to talk to Kagome," he said, making her look at him with wonder. She paused in her movements, making him arch his eyebrow at her.

"Umm… sure. But I have to be at work by five thirty at the latest."

"It won't take too long," he promised.

Kagome nodded and said her goodbyes to Sango, who ended up giving her a look, making Kagome glare at her and shake her head. "Goodbye, Sango," she said with finality. The girl giggled and hugged her, releasing her to grab Miroku's hand and the two of them were off together.

There was no one else in the room but the two of them, making her hyperaware of how sexy he looked with his drenched grey shirt and casual black sweatpants. His hair was left down but stuck to his face from dancing all day. There was no doubt, since the day she began working here, that there was a physical attraction she felt for him. And what happened back in Hawai'i only affirmed her suspicions. Now she could classify herself as one of those other thousands of women in Japan who oogled over him. 'Ugh…'

"I wanted to ask you something," Inuyasha started, catching her attention. He watched her as she adjusted her duffle bag strap over her shoulder and waited for him. He took her in, the smell of her scent, now musky from her sweat. She wore a white crop top, exposing her stomach, with black sweatpants. He wanted to touch her skin and his mind kept replaying what happened between them in Hawai'i.

"What?" Kagome asked, seeing his eyes were looking down. She was wondering what he was thinking, his eyes going almost molten gold, something she thought very sexy and curious at the same time. 'What is this attraction I have towards him?'

"Kagome… what happened between us in Hawai'i?"

Kagome gulped, her heartbeat quickening. She hadn't thought he would bring that up. She had hoped that he would've forgotten about it and that they could just go back to how things were before. But then again, their relationship before Hawai'i was not ideal. They got into a strange argument, or whatever it was, after the practice that made such a wonderful night go so wrong. Their conversation had turned sour when Inuyasha asked too many questions about her and her past. She wasn't ready to open up to him or anyone for that matter, and that had changed something in their relationship. It only made her realize that she couldn't open up to people as much as she had hoped she could, as much as she wanted to make friends. And her disappointment in herself only made her react to his questions in a negative way, ruining their night.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered. She tore her gaze from him and stood there, defeated. There was no hiding it. He was her boss, and she was attracted to him. But she didn't even know him. And he didn't even know her. "It was just a kiss."

"Screw that!" he said loudly, making her jump. She looked at him and saw that he had taken a step towards her, his face and body closer now. "I know it was something more." He reached up, realizing that she didn't flinch from him this time, and slowly ran the back of his fingers along her cheek. Her eyes closed for just a moment and then she opened them, those beautiful, blue eyes gazing at him with such depth. He was lost. "You needed me."

She couldn't deny what he said. Could there be something more between them? Even now, she could feel the pull. She didn't know if it was just the physical desire for him or if it was something deeper, but she knew that she never felt this way for anyone before. And she was at a loss.

"I did," she confessed, making his ears flick. "If… if you hadn't found me, I probably would've left the hotel. I would've left."

Inuyasha frowned, putting his hand back to his side. "What do you mean? You would've left Hawai'i?"

Kagome shrugged, turning her face from him, not wanting him to think she was weak. "I don't know. I would've gone somewhere. But I don't know if it would've been to come back home or not."

Inuyasha shook his head in wonder. Who was it that she was running from and why? Why did this person have so much control over her life? He wanted to know. He wanted to know who was threatening her and to eliminate that threat from her. He could see just beneath the surface there was something that she was hiding, afraid of the world to see. But in these small moments of vulnerability she opened up to him and he was able to figure out just a little bit more of who she was. She let her guard down and the 'closed-off Kagome' became only a facade of what he could see behind the mask. And he could see it all along. She was lonely and hurting. He wanted to be there for her.

"Kagome…" He reached up to place his palm on her cheek, moving her face so she could look at him again.

Kagome frowned at the tenderness in his touch. He was breaking her with his gentleness. She never knew that men could be this gentle and caring. It was as if Inuyasha was peeling away the layers of her heart that she tried so hard for her whole life to keep up. There was so much that he didn't know about her, so much that she didn't know about him. How was it that in just three months, she knew so little about Inuyasha and yet felt more connected to him than anyone she has ever known?

"Listen," he said, bringing his hand back to his side, trying hard to control himself. He had to keep reminding himself that he was her boss and that he had to keep boundaries with her if he didn't want to scare her away. He still needed to ask her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But just know that it wasn't just a kiss to me."

Now she was really shocked, she hadn't expected him to say that. Kagome took a step back, uncomfortable with him being so close and uncomfortable with the things his words made her feel. She didn't want to trust any of her feelings right now. He was her boss for crying out loud. The last thing she wanted to do was get fired after she was just hired permanently.

"Inu…" she said with a frown, looking down, but getting encouragement from his confession. "No… it wasn't just a kiss."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what she said. He moved to take a step forward but stopped, not wanting to frighten her anymore. She was already retreating from him and he couldn't push her the way he did that night before they flew out. He was starting to understand her little by little, and he wanted to understand her more. He just needed to figure out what her buttons were, like now, when she was uncomfortable but opened up anyways. He can't push her too hard before she never trusts him to open up to him again. But this… this was something that he held dear. She was the only one he wanted to get to know, the only woman he wanted as his mate.

"Good," he said jokingly, turning to the side, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you might hurt my feelings again."

Kagome looked at him with a frown, seeing that he had moved but he was still looking down at her with a smile. She couldn't help but smile back, trying to cling to his mood swing. But in that moment, all she could think about was touching him, kissing him, because he was just too cute not to. He was thinking of her, trying not to push her too hard, and he was now backing off when he sensed she was starting to get uncomfortable. He was better at reading her than she was. And she was liking him all the more because of that. She could trust him better than she could trust herself.

"Thanks, Inuyasha."

He gave a questioning look. "For what?"

She shrugged. "For being you, I guess." He smiled and the two of them chuckled. It was different now between them. There was a stronger connection now and it was as if they had mended what was broken that night.

"Well… since I have you in a good mood, I wanted to ask you something."

Kagome arched her eyebrow and crossed her arms teasingly. "I thought you already asked me something."

Inuyasha made a face, agreeing with her. "Yeah, I did. But that wasn't the question I wanted to ask. It was just something that came to my mind first."

She laughed. "Okay… well, what did you want to ask?"

"Do a duet with me."

"Excuse me?" She uncrossed her arms, unbelieving of what he was asking her. Inuyasha, the famous choreographer and lead dancer in Kikyo's group, wanted to do a duet with her, someone who was just starting in professional dance? Where was the logic in this? "And this has nothing to do with that kiss?" she wondered since he had brought it up first. She didn't want others to start rumors that he was showing favoritism towards her because of something he might feel for her.

"What? No!" Inuyasha said, wondering where she got that from.

Kagome brought her hands up in defense. "Okay. Okay. I just needed to ask since you brought it up first."

"I told you, it just came to my mind." He took a couple steps away from her, needing to get some room to walk around now that this wasn't going the way he thought.

"Why do you want to do a duet with me, Inuyasha?"

He looked at her as if she had grown three heads. "You're kidding, right?" She just gazed back at him in wonder and shook her head.

"Kagome… you're an amazing dancer. And I'm saying this after all my years of dancing and choreographing, which granted, isn't that long, but I still know something when I see it. This was a gift of mine and something I fell into with the others. Four years ago, Kikyo, Miroku, Sango and I started in the music industry. We all sort of just… fell into it because of our love for the craft. And I quickly realized that I could choreograph dances in my head, which then led to the three of us dancing while Kikyo pursued singing. Miroku and Sango always loved to dance and the three of us just grew closer because of our love for dance. But you… you have the same gift, Kagome. It just comes naturally to you. Your body knows the moves before your head tells your body what to do."

She thought about it and had to agree with him, especially on nights when she did solos at Midnite. Sometimes she just went out there and had fun, not caring if she had a routine or not, but just needing to let her emotions and thoughts out in the only way she knew how. Through dance.

"See… you know what I'm talking about. So don't say you're not a talented dancer. You know that you are, which is why you're here and you've made it this far after only three months."

Kagome took a breath, hearing every ring of truth he was saying. She smiled at him, appreciating his praise and his recognition that she valued the most. "Thank you, Inuyasha. You're a really good motivational speaker," she joked.

He chuckled. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I also talk rather harshly and I'm rude from what Miroku and Sango tell me." Kagome laughed, wondering whether to agree with them or not. She didn't know that much about him to make a judgment call.

"Anyways… what do you think? Do a duet with me."

Kagome laughed, adjusting her bag strap. "Are you asking me? Because it sounds like you're telling me."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Whatever. Same thing."

She laughed louder and shook her head, walking past him towards the door. He really was too cute to bear. He was pushing his way into her heart and she was starting to think more of him than just as her boss.

"Wait, Kagome," he said, following behind her. "You haven't answered."

She smiled, though he couldn't see. "Fine."

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"From the top!" Inuyasha called, making everyone go back to their original places. They were huffing and puffing, signs of fatigue showing on their faces and bodies. Inuyasha was grilling them hard, working them nonstop for the past four hours since he was giving them only a half day. And even though they had made minor changes to the five songs they needed to dance for these next two weeks, it was still grueling and tiring to be doing them nonstop until everyone was in sync, or rather, to his standards.

Kagome and Inuyasha got together on one end while Miroku and Sango got together at the other end with Kikyo standing in between a little further up in her spot. Everyone else found their partners and they all leaned their backs against each other, supporting the weight of the other.

The music started and they waited for the first verse. When the beat hit, Kagome pushed off Inuyasha and stepped to the rhythm, throwing her hands up and smiling as she swayed side to side while bringing her hands down along her body. She looked ahead at Inuyasha's reflection, seeing that he was doing the same thing, and she smiled. They danced right past each other, switching places, hitting her spot and spreading her legs out, snapping her head to look back at him. She smiled at him while he did the same, both of them finding joy in the midst of the workout. They all moved up, now facing the front of the room, making sure that Kikyo was in her spot and they were flanking her on either side so that all the dancers could be seen in the mirror. Kagome let the music flow through her, emphasizing the sexiness of each move as she let her body feel the sound of Kikyo's voice and the beat. Inuyasha's choreography always suited his style of dance and he seemed to always make the song come alive with their bodies in just the right way.

The song ended and they were all breathing hard but cheering for each other, some of them flopping to the ground in exhaustion.

Kikyo smiled and looked at everyone in the mirror. "That was awesome, everyone!" she said, huffing, fixing her ponytail.

"Yeah. Good job, guys!" Miroku called out, turning around to congratulate everyone. "I think we're ready for the cameras."

"Lights. Camera. Action!" Shippo said with a huge grin. He couldn't contain his excitement as he moved around, his energy sustained by his demon blood but sweat was still rolling down his temples.

Kagome giggled, watching his antics as he moved around like he was avoiding bugs. "Have you guys done this before?" she asked, wondering why everyone seemed so excited.

Sango turned to her and shook her head. "No. This is the first time we've been on the air like this. Kikyo has done some television gigs with Nippon News Network and TV Tokyo Network, but nothing on this scale where the media is booking her every single day and even late night shows are trying to get her. She's never had this kind of attention before."

Kikyo nodded her head as she turned around and everyone was staggered in the middle of the room. "I've never been this successful before. The concert in Hawai'i really boosted my album sales and back here it's almost like people are going through another phase of falling in love with my music all over again," she said with a huge smile.

Inuyasha nodded his agreement and came closer to Kagome and Sango. "Kikyo's fame is soaring, more than it did before. She's steady on the top charts and her fan base is growing by the day. Not to mention those viral videos of you, Kagome," he said, catching her attention. "You going viral boosted Kikyo's fame."

Kagome frowned, hoping what he said wasn't true, but knowing that there was some sliver of truth in it. She had been appalled at seeing how many people had viewed those YouTube videos of fans calling her the 'blue-haired dancer' and trying to figure out who she was. And it was obvious that she was a 'new' thing since they are still on her like flies every morning she showed up at the academy with the others. She glanced over at Kikyo, seeing her walk over to her belongings to check her phone. She didn't want to upstage Kikyo. That would be the last thing she wanted and would probably get her fired if Kikyo felt threatened by her presence.

"You think so?" she wondered.

Sango nodded her head with a smile. "Kagome, your videos are still viral, especially now that people know who you are and they're talking about your talent. But not only that, they're talking about Kikyo and how she's lucky to have you as her dancer. We as dancers not only bring fame to ourselves but we bring it for our artist as well."

Kagome nodded her head, loving the way Sango explained it. Now she could feel secure in knowing that whatever fame she got would be for Kikyo's sake. Besides, she was Kikyo's dancer so it wasn't like she was on stage for any other reason but for Kikyo.

"And the news media sees her fame and sees the new and rising thing right now, so of course they're all going to go after the newest thing for a while," Shippo said, bringing his hands up behind his head. He was a sweaty mess as everyone else was after four hours of dancing.

Everyone agreed with him and was happy for Kikyo and her success, but also for them now that they would be needed a lot more. Hopefully this would lead to more concerts and she would release a new album that would lead to more concerts and more music videos. A continuous cycle for a singer. Kikyo's success would mean that she would be able to continue to do what she loves to do, and so would they. It was a win-win for all of them.

Kikyo came back up towards them, keeping her eyes on her phone. "I need to go guys," she said, sighing as she looked up at everyone. "Sorry I can't make the lunch. But duty calls."

Mai frowned and shook her head. "I'm not sure I envy you, Kikyo. You seem to be busy a lot more now."

She sighed with a frown. "I am. But it comes with the rise in fame, right?" she asked, shrugging. "I'm not complaining. It just takes some getting used to, that's all. And my mind is so distracted because Naraku is calling me and my publicist is calling me. Everyone is just trying to get me ready for tomorrow morning's interview. I have a lot of points to memorize." Kikyo looked back down at her phone and pressed it, letting the other person on the line wait for her to address them. "Sorry, guys. I really have to take this. But good job today. Everyone looked awesome and I loved it. I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said, waving them off as she turned for the door. "Yes? No, I'm leading the academy now. Ben's waiting with the car. I need to call him, I'll call you back when we're driving," she said, leaving out the door.

"Let's eat!" Shiori said, placing her hand on her stomach. "I'm starving. You really worked us out, Inuyasha."

He shrugged, turning his attention back to his crew. "I told you guys I would give you a half day today. But I still needed to make sure that we were ready."

Kokoro made a salute sign. "Yes, sir!" They all laughed at her antics as Inuyasha just smiled and shook his head.

"Let's go," he said. Everyone began to head for their belongings, talking amongst each other as they began to plan the rest of their day. It was noon and they were going to eat lunch together then go their separate ways or hang out until evening. Tomorrow night would be their first late night show and they were all excited about being on camera where their friends and family could see their talents on screen. They were really making a name for themselves now.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called, following her over to her bag. She turned to him, watching as he came up to her. "You want to start today?"

"Start what?" Sango asked, coming up next to them. Kagome jumped as she came up out of nowhere, giving her a sly smile.

"Uh… geez, Sango. Why are you so nosy?" Inuyasha asked, wondering why she was always so perceptive when it came to him and Kagome. He wondered what kind of friendship they had since he never heard from Miroku that they were hanging out very much outside of work. He didn't think that Sango was that close to her. So why the sudden interest in Kagome?

Sango giggled, facing Kagome. "What are you guys doing, Kagome?" she asked suspiciously.

"Ummm…" she said, looking at Inuyasha for a second, judging his reaction. She didn't want to say anything if he didn't want her to. It was his idea anyways so he had to tell everyone first what he was planning. "Inuyasha… wants us to do a duet together."

That gained a blush from Inuyasha and Sango caught it, her eyes gleaming with mischief and joy. "A duet, huh?" she said softly, knowing Inuyasha more than he cared for her to know. She knew that he was uncomfortable, it was obvious by his body language. He wasn't looking at her in the eye, but then she noticed that he caught himself and stared her down, putting on his 'macho' demeanor.

"Yeah. I asked her to do a duet with me. I just had this idea… and I think we'd dance well together," he said, shrugging it off as if it was nothing. Sango nodded her head slowly as if she was taking it all in, when deep down she was beaming, wanting these two to speed up the process already. She always thought from the beginning that the two of them would hit it off eventually. She saw their connection the more and more Kagome was with their group. It was in the small things that both of them would do towards each other, but she saw it nonetheless. And as much as Inuyasha wanted to deny it, she knew her friend. Just like that night in Hawai'i when she knew he was just as worried about Kagome as she was when no one was able to get in contact with her. She doesn't know what or if anything happened that night when she asked Inuyasha to go check on Kagome. Not even Miroku could get anything out of Inuyasha from that night. But she knew that something happened. The way they acted around each other was different compared to how they had been acting towards each other when they all left for Hawai'i.

Kagome watched the interaction between the two of them and wondered how well they knew each other. She remembered Inuyasha had told her about their past together with Kikyo and their friendships. It seemed like Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku was much closer than she thought.

"What are you guys talking about over here?" Miroku asked, coming over to the three.

Sango giggled as Miroku wrapped his arm around her waist, gazing down at her affectionately. "Oh nothing. Except Inuyasha wants to do a duet with Kagome."

Miroku's eyes widened, never expecting that. "Really?"

"Get off my back," Inuyasha said, glaring at Miroku. Sango and Miroku laughed out loud, obviously enjoying themselves as they made Inuyasha uncomfortable. Kagome smiled, keeping quiet as she watched their interaction. She loved the way they were so affectionate towards one another. On the surface she could see them putting up these pretenses, as if they were irritated at each other. But she could tell that they had a lot more respect and love for one another than just a shallow, surface relationship. She envied them.

Miroku looked at Kagome, tilting his head to the side. "You going to do it, Kagome? Honestly… I've never seen Inuyasha do a duet with anyone in all the years we've been dancing together. He's never wanted to have a dance partner whereas I have my Sango," he said, kissing the top of her head. She beamed up at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into his side. Kagome smiled at the two of them and the love that they shared.

"Yeah, Inuyasha never had a partner," Sango said, seriously, but with a smile. "I'm happy for you, Inuyasha."

"I'm just asking Kagome to do a duet with me," Inuyasha said with a shrug, avoiding their eyes.

"For now…" Sango whispered, but then turning around and getting out of Miroku's hold before Inuyasha could make a bigger deal about this. "Come on. Let's go eat. I'm starving too." She headed for the door, ending their teasing.

Miroku shrugged and followed her towards the door. Kagome looked towards Inuyasha and watched him intently, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't seem angry or irritated at them. But when he turned to look at her, his eyes softened and she found herself getting caught up in him again. His golden eyes were just too cute.

"After lunch?"

"Sure," Kagome said, turning to grab her things.

"Leave it. No one's going to take it."

Kagome nodded, grabbing her phone and purse even though she knew that either Inuyasha or Miroku would try to pay the bill. She always wanted to be prepared to pay for her own. She turned around and smiled at him.

"I can only stay for a couple of hours. I have to work tonight." She still needed to talk to Onigumo tonight about letting her take the nights off whenever she needed to for shows. She needed her night schedule to be flexible when they would have performances and shows. Her only hope was that Onigumo would understand how much this meant to her and that he'd be willing to change her nights around.

"Okay," Inuyasha said with a smile. He turned towards the door to see Miroku waiting for them, making a gesture with his hand to get them to move along. "Let's go. I'm starving." Kagome giggled and walked with him towards the door.

The four of them made it across the street to Yura Yura, finding the others sitting at two long tables that were moved together so all twelve of them could sit together. Miroku and Sango sat next to each other on one side of the table while Kagome and Inuyasha sat together on the opposite side of the table, the four of them sitting across from one another at the end. Everyone else were already seated and deep in conversations. Kanna came up to them just as they were sitting down.

"Hi, guys," Kanna said with a cheerful smile. "It's good seeing you all again today. Is Kikyo joining you?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. She's busy." Kanna nodded with a smile.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Do you know what you would like today? Everyone else already placed their orders." Since it wasn't that full and they were able to get two tables together, Kanna was able to quickly grab their orders and put it right in before the lunch rush. The four of them placed their orders and she excused herself.

"So, Kagome," Mai started. She sat in the middle on the opposite side of the table from Kagome, gazing at her with curiosity. "You think you're ready for the cameras?"

Kagome thought about her question, knowing the depth of what it meant for her. The others might not understand why her privacy and anonymity was so important to her, but for her, it was life and death. She really didn't see any other way but to accept whatever repercussions would come down the line now that she made this decision. She was willing to accept them if it meant she could live her dream. Even if it was only for a little while.

"I think I am," Kagome said, looking down the table at Mai. Some of the others began to listen in on their conversation. "I've never done this before so I'll be looking to you guys as the example."

Mai giggled and looked at Inuyasha. "I can't say about Inuyasha. He sometimes gets himself into trouble."

Inuyasha made a face but didn't reply, taking a sip of his water as Kagome turned around to look at him, smiling.

"What do you think this is going to do for Kikyo, Inuyasha?" Itsuki asked, drumming his fingers on the table. His bangs were covering one of his eyes and he was casually slouching in his chair, resting one arm on the back of his chair as he regarded Inuyasha. "You think she's going to do more concerts and shows now?"

Inuyasha nodded his head, running a finger over the rim of his glass. Kagome sat back so that she and the others could look at him while he spoke. "Yeah. No doubt she's going to get asked about her future from here on out. I'm sure Naraku and Akari is going to figure it all out."

"Akari?" Kagome asked.

He turned to look at her. "Kikyo's publicist. You haven't met her yet. She hasn't been around much, just behind the scenes working through Naraku. She couldn't make this past concert in the states because of a family emergency. With Kikyo's fame growing, she's been really busy booking gigs for Kikyo and talking to Kikyo's record label about upcoming projects. Akari's really good at promoting Kikyo and cleaning up any messes we get ourselves into."

Miroku shrugged. "We haven't had much messes to clean up. But Kikyo did say some things a couple of times that Akari had to advise her not to say in the future. Just little things that would leak out too much information or would get her into hot water later down the road. Akari's job is to protect Kikyo from the public. That's pretty much what a publicist does." Inuyasha nodded his agreement and looked back down at Itsuki.

"I think we are going to be doing a lot more now that Kikyo is building a name for herself. We'll see where this takes her. I can only imagine she will continue to build her fame."

"It's what she wanted," Sango added, resting her cheek on her palm and her elbow on the table. "This is why we got into the business to begin with. So it's good to see the fruits of her hard work."

"All of our hard work," Miroku commented, looking down at the table at everyone. "It was only just the three of us in the beginning and then we grew to twelve. Then, we lost one and gained another," he said, looking across at Kagome. He smiled at her. "We're all in this together." The others nodded their agreements, smiling at one another encouragingly. This was their team, their group of friends, their family. They would be there for one another always.

"So…" Miroku drawled, turning his attention to his best friend. "What is this duet you mentioned, Inuyasha?" He watched Inuyasha glare at him, trying to contain his laughter at putting Inuyasha in the hot seat and letting everyone know his intentions. Sango chuckled next to him and relaxed back in her chair, making him rest his arm on her shoulders. He waited, having all the time in the world to make Inuyasha squirm.

Everyone's attention was on him now, wondering what Miroku meant by that, and he tried hard not to let it bother him. But Inuyasha didn't want everyone to know, at least not yet. He wanted to at least start doing the duet with Kagome before he told everyone what they were doing. He wasn't even sure if Kikyo would let him use this routine for one of her shows. If he was honest with himself, this was something selfish he was doing for himself, not for Kikyo.

"Thanks a lot, Miroku," he grumbled, knowing his friend could hear him. Miroku made a face like he could care less, and Inuyasha figured he couldn't hide it from the others now. "I asked Kagome to do a duet with me," he announced, just as Kanna came by with some of the other workers to drop off all of their food. They all thanked the waiters and waitresses and then waited for Inuyasha to continue before they dug into their food. "I've never done a duet with anyone before…"

"You've never had a dance partner before," Miroku commented, interrupting him. But Miroku knew that this was an important, big step for Inuyasha. And he was all in for it. He could see the change in Inuyasha ever since Kagome became a part of their group. He could tell that Inuyasha was interested in Kagome, more so than he's ever seen him interested in any female for that matter. And he wanted Inuyasha to have someone the way he has Sango. He looked down at her, squeezing her shoulder, and then looked back up at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha shrugged, staring down at his food, trying to avoid Kagome's eyes that he could feel. "I never had the need for one before." He sighed, not liking the attention on him, but looked down at everyone. "I just want to do a duet with Kagome and we can see where we go from there."

Everyone looked at each other, knowing not to push it anymore, and decided to just leave it at that. Besides, their food was there and they were famished.

"Let's dig in, guys. Itadakimasu," Shippo said, stopping that conversation. Everyone began to eat and they enjoyed their food.

After lunch, Inuyasha and Kagome said their goodbyes to everyone, of course, not without teasing from the group. Kagome took note of how everyone seemed to be making a big deal about Inuyasha wanting to a duet with someone. 'Hmmm… am I really his first dancing partner?' she wondered as they walked across the street back to the academy.

"Can I ask you something, Inuyasha?"

He glanced at her and nodded, "Sure."

"Why haven't you had a dance partner before?"

He shrugged, answering her faster than she thought. "Never really wanted one. When it was just me, Miroku and Sango, I never had a chance to think about it. And now with the entire group, I just never really wanted one." There really was no reason for one since they were a group. The only reason why Miroku and Sango seemed like dance partners was because they were a couple. If not for that, there isn't a need to pair people up as partners. They didn't have the same ratio of males to females anyway. "We don't really have the need for dance partners anyway since we're a group."

Kagome nodded her agreement, seeing his point. She was just curious as to why everyone was making such a fuss about it. "I was just wondering. Everyone seemed to be so curious as to why you chose to do one with me."

Inuyasha smirked, grabbing the door to the academy and holding it open for her. "It's not you they're surprised with. It's the whole situation in general."

She turned back to look at him with wonder. "What do you mean?"

He led the way forward towards the inner door. "I'm just a private person. The others have never seen me with a woman before. I think that's what got them all riled up."

Kagome blushed, keeping her eyes down so that he wouldn't notice. At least they had something in common when it came to their privacy. Inuyasha looked down and noticed that she stayed quiet, blushing. He smiled to himself but decided not to say anything. He nodded to Ginger as she smiled at him and opened the door for Kagome.

Now that they were back in the studio, he wanted her to feel comfortable with him so that she would open up to him while they were dancing. He didn't want her to feel afraid if he was going to touch her, which he was. It was part of dancing with someone. He walked over to his stuff to grab his iPod and placed it in his pocket. Kagome went to her bag to drop off her belongings and put her hair up in a high ponytail. He watched her, fascinated at the way she did her hair, watching the way her breasts strained against her black sports bra under her blue spaghetti strap. She wore her white pant with blue stripes on the side to match her spaghetti strap and white sneakers. He smiled to himself. He also wore white sneakers but he had on black sweat pants with a red, athletic tank top that was made for sweating, keeping his hair down for the day.

"Okay. Did you have anything in mind?" Kagome asked as she moved to the center of the room. She watched him with curiosity, smiling when he just stared at her.

He blinked and smiled, catching himself. "You doubted me? Of course I have something in mind. I have the whole routine made already."

"What!" Kagome was shocked he made the routine so fast. "Wait. How long did you have this idea?"

Inuyasha shrugged, thinking about it. "I think I wanted to do a duet with you after we did our first performance in Hawai'i. I realized how good you were out on stage and how you commanded the crowd's attention. That's the kind of dancer I love, one that is just like me," he said, watching her expression. "When we got home, I remembered I wanted to ask you to dance with me and I began to think of a routine."

Kagome made a face of awe, thinking that it hasn't even been a week since they've been home. "Wow. You work fast."

Inuyasha chuckled, coming to stand next to her and face the front of the room. "Yeah, well, I find inspiration in every day things. I can make or change a routine in my head whenever I see something or get inspired. It all just comes to me during a moment and I just roll with what my mind's eye sees. It all just comes together."

"Wow…" Kagome loved listening to the way a choreographer's mind worked, or at least Inuyasha's. She was surprised to think of how quickly Inuyasha could see all twelve of the dancers moving for one of Kikyo's songs. Planning all of their movements and transitions seemed like it came naturally to him or at least he made it seem easy. "That's awesome, Inuyasha. You have a lot of talent," she praised, looking at his reflection.

Inuyasha smiled at her. "Thanks." He decided to change the subject and get into the routine while he had her, but first he wanted to set things straight. "Kagome… you do know that we'll have to be comfortable with each other if we're going to dance together, right?"

Kagome smiled, knowingly, and nodded her head. "Yes, I know," she said, setting her feet apart to sway side to side slowly, stretching out her muscles. "I think I'm getting comfortable enough with you."

He turned and looked at her, waiting until she looked at him so he could confirm it. "I just want to make sure that you're comfortable with this. I don't want you to feel forced into doing this because I'm your boss or anything."

She smiled at him. "I am doing this because you're my boss and you asked me to. But I'm also doing this because you see potential in me. And I'm super grateful that you notice my gift and want to make use of it," she said, really meaning every word. "I want to see myself the way you see me as a dancer. I want to see what you can do with me."

Inuyasha's ears twitched and his thoughts went elsewhere. Kagome immediately blushed, thinking twice about what she said, and turned to look ahead. "I mean… what you can do with me as a dancer."

He smirked, shaking his head at the situation he put himself in. 'What the hell am I going to do now?' He was attracted to her, there was no getting around that. Even his demon was trying to get free, wanting to claim her since the first day he had smelled her scent. His demon made its claim before his rational, human side was able to get to know her. And the more he got to know her, the more all of him was attracted to her and wanted to have her. That statement she made did not help the situation. 'This might not be very smart, Inuyasha.' Doing this duet might not be the smartest thing given the situation after their kiss. But it was what he wanted, not only selfishly as a man, but also professionally as her boss. He wanted her to be noticed and he wanted to push her to potentials that he knew she could reach. She just needed that first push.

"Whatever…" he said with a shrug. "Let's get started."

Inuyasha looked ahead and looked at their reflection. "I'm going to show you your moves first and then when we get through one verse, we'll dance it together, you doing your part and I'll do mine." Kagome nodded her understanding, getting back to the task at hand.

"What song are we doing?"

"Who's Got You?"

Kagome arched her eyebrows. "Really?"

He turned to look at her. "Why? It was the first song I taught you. And it was the first time I thought you really had potential so I figured this would be a good song."

Kagome shrugged, a little apprehensive. "It's also a pretty raw song between two individuals. It does talk about being what the other needs and being addicted to one another. I mean… it's sort of like a love song."

Inuyasha smiled at her seductively and wiggled his eyebrows. "Yeah, that's why it's a perfect duet song. It makes the chemistry of the dance even more explosive. It's good for a duet," he pointed out.

Kagome couldn't help but see his perspective, but still it might be a little too raw for their first duet together. Especially after all that had happened in Hawai'i. And now that she obviously couldn't hide the fact that she was attracted to him, this would prove to be a struggle for her. "Okay. Fine."

Inuyasha smiled and took a couple of steps in front of her so she could see him from the back and look at his reflection from the front. "So the first move… you step, step, step back, step front and step out." Kagome nodded, watching him from behind doing a six count. "The hands," he said, going back to his original position. "Go in front, then up, right hand to the hip, left hand points up and cross, down." Kagome nodded her head to each beat he had to move his hands. "Feet and hands together," he said, showing her the feet and hand movements together, counting the six. She watched him one more time and then he wanted her to join in with him.

The two of them did the six count for a couple of times with Inuyasha counting down the movements. Then, he moved on to the next eight count. "Feet: Kick out then step to the side. From here, step out and roll your body to the right and roll your body to the left. Cha cha cha cha." She kept nodding her head to the beat. He did it a couple more times and she joined in a little bit when she remembered what the feet movements were. "Hands: From the last movement your hands went crossed then down at your sides. So now you bring them up to punch ahead as you kick your left foot out, then hit on your hips. Then when you roll to your right, right hand up to the back of your head, then roll to your left and left hand up to the back of your head. And you're going to cha cha forward while running your hands up your body from your hips. Then cha cha back and then bring your hands all the way up to end above your head."

Kagome nodded, watching him one more time doing both the feet and hands before he counted her in. The two of them did the moves together to the count of his beat. After a few times, Inuyasha turned around and moved a bit further away to watch her do it on her own.

"Five, six, seven, eight," he said, clapping his hand with his counts as he watched her. "One, two, three, four, five, six. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." Kagome moved the way he wanted her to and nodded his head, liking what he saw. "Again." He counted down again, watching as her feet and hands moved together. He watched the way her expressions changed as she got into the moves, remembering them without having to try and only allowing her body and face to express itself once she got used to the movements. He marveled at how quickly she learned routines and how it came naturally to her. He smiled as he finished the counts, enjoying this.

"Okay. That's half of the first verse. I'll come in and do my part and we'll see how that looks."

"Okay," she said, getting back to her spot.

Inuyasha came to stand behind her a bit, keeping a little distance between them. She looked back at him in wonder but decided not to say anything about it. She looked ahead and he counted them down to start.

"Five, six, seven, eight."

The two of them moved as he counted, keeping the beat. Kagome watched as Inuyasha's moves complimented hers. She tried to stay focus on her moves while also watching his. He moved behind her and came out to the side as they finished their six count. They both kicked out to start their eight count but then they both began to move towards each other, with him ending up directly behind her. They both rolled their bodies in opposite directions of each other, and Kagome couldn't help but smile at the wonder of his choreography. As she got into her forward cha cha, he did a spin for the first two steps and then joined her on her backward cha cha but placed his hands on her hips as her hands went up above her head. She stiffened.

Inuyasha chuckled, squeezing her hips before he released her and stepped back. "I told you."

She turned and nodded, smiling. "I know. I just… wasn't expecting that." He shrugged and gauged her reaction. But she was simply smiling at him, excitement flowing from her.

"You liked it?''

Kagome nodded. "I do. Honestly… I think it's better than our group routine for this song." That made him laugh.

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult or both."

"It's neither," she said, fixing her top as she turned forward to look at his reflection. "I'm just saying that I really like this so far. Let's keep going." She didn't know if it was really just the moves that were better or if it was the fact that now it was just the two of them dancing to this song and not the entire group.

Inuyasha smiled, glad she liked it. He enjoyed it the more he did it with her. It's different to see it in his head compared to having her dance it with him and him being able to touch her like he did. He couldn't help but love it just as much as she was loving it.

"Alright," he said, getting back to his spot. "Five, six, seven, eight." The two of them moved again to his counts, Kagome getting more into the moves now that she knew where he would be and what he would do. She made her moves to compliment his even more and kept it so that she would focus her attention on him, keeping her eyes locked on him the whole time, unless she was looking at where her hands were going. He was also locked on to her, drawn in by her eyes and the focus she had on him, as if it was just the two of them dancing together and nothing else. She only had eyes for him and he definitely only had eyes for her. This time, he moved in a little closer to test her boundaries, rolling with her from side to side and then ending with their cha cha. He didn't feel any stiffness from her when he placed his hands on her hips this time and counted the last eight count.

"Good," he praised, the two of them smiling at each other. Kagome licked her lips and jumped out of his hold, her excitement getting the best of her as she jumped around a little.

"Again."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, feeling her excitement spill off onto him and he laughed at her joy. "How many times do you want to do this? It's not even the entire verse."

Kagome laughed. "I know. I think I could do better. I think you and I could be closer than we are." He couldn't stop the shock that came to his face and he knew Kagome could read it. She smiled knowingly at him and placed her hands on her hips.

"Inuyasha… I am more comfortable with you than with anyone in my entire life," she admitted, wanting him to understand what this meant to her. This was a huge step for her, not just for her career but also for her personal growth as a woman. She felt like he was breaking down her walls and her beliefs of men. Dare she say, she trusted him not to hurt her. She trusted him to allow him to touch her in ways she'd never let a man touch her. His touch was different. She allowed his touch to go deeper, and he might not know what his touch meant to her, but she loved his touch and was allowing herself to touch him back. If not physically, then at least with her heart, or with her soul.

"I know you and I can get closer than this. And… I want to. So let's try. We have to sell the song," she said, not wanting to make the situation any more uncomfortable. She watched him as he just stared at her, and then after a few moments, he nodded.

"Okay. Closer you say," he commented, hoping she knew what she was asking for. He wanted closer anyway, so this would be just as natural for him than she would think. "Let's try it then."

The two of them got back into their spots and Inuyasha counted them down. They both started the first six count on cue, keeping their eyes on each other the whole time. This time, it was as if their bodies were drawn to one another without even thinking. They naturally found a rhythm together that brought their bodies closer every time and then moved apart when they had to. They came into the roll and Inuyasha got right up behind her, rolling his hips into hers as they moved to opposite ends from each other. Kagome could only feel her blood getting hotter and her body on fire, letting the rhythm and the beat along with Inuyasha's body take control of her. She did her cha cha forward and he was so close that she could feel the wind as he spun next to her. Then, as she did her cha cha back, he fell into step with her, closing in the gap between their bodies so that their legs were like one, their upper thighs and hips touching one another's in their cha cha. Kagome ran her hands up her body as Inuyasha's hands came to her hips and she brought hers up above her head, lying her head back against his shoulder as his came forward to her neck. His breath gave her goosebumps as he counted the last eight count, his hot breath breathing on her skin. She was hyperaware of him. Aware of his hips against hers, his groin pushed into her butt and his hands on her hips. She had never felt so needy of a man before. She wanted him. Her blood was hot, she was turned on, and she reveled in this feeling as she closed her eyes, still keeping her head against his shoulder as she breathed through it.

"This close enough for you?" Inuyasha whispered against her neck, causing more goosebumps to form. She felt butterflies in her stomach as her core clenched in response. She dared not answer him.

Inuyasha couldn't believe how Kagome's body responded to him. In just fifteen minutes, here they were, their bodies molded together and on fire for one another. He wanted her. Bad. He was trying so hard not to get turned on but she was aroused, and it was calling to his demon. He took a breath, reveling in her scent and the scent of her arousal, reminding him of that night in the hotel room. He wanted to kiss her, to kiss her neck that was tempting him. Her head was against his shoulder and her weight was leaning against him for support. His fingers flexed against her waist, trying so hard to control himself from moving them anywhere else. He wanted to run his hands along her body and feel her curves.

"Kagome…"

Kagome opened her eyes and swallowed, her mouth dry, snapping out of it. She brought her hands down and moved away from him, taking a step out of his hold. And just like that, their moment was broken. She turned around to look at him and was struck as to what she saw. He was just affected as she was. She was sure that she was wearing the same look on her face that he was, that her body was showing the same signs as his. She dared not look down to see if he had an erection. All she could do was stare into his golden eyes, his eyes that were molten and smoldering. She was drowning in his eyes. The pull was strong and on some unconscious level, she knew she was breaking down. Her whole being was calling to him. 'Inuyasha…'

He moved then, unable to control himself. Inuyasha knew he shouldn't, his rational brain was telling him not to. They were working. He needed to keep it professional. But he couldn't stop himself. The pull was too strong. He wanted her. He needed her. And he would have her.

He came up to her and was lost in her blue eyes. Her eyes were darker than before, almost a violet hue. He never noticed that before until now, and he loved it. Her eyes were ever-changing, like the way her body was changing for him. He could see the signs, her body becoming more feminine and welcoming of his. He could sense her reaction to him, hear her breathing speed up as he got closer, smell the scent of her desire. There was no denying it now.

"Kagome… I'm going to kiss you." Her eyes went wide and her brain couldn't function what he said, but he gave her enough time to deny him or not.

When he didn't see any rejection, he brought his hands up on either sides of her head, closing the gap between them. In that moment, he realized how small she was, standing there in front of him, her body bowed to him in submission and her face in his hands. He wanted to hold her and shelter her in his arms. The need was strong.

She felt his breath against her lips and then he kissed her, her eyes closing at the intimacy. She felt the heat in her body grow hotter and the heat of his through his hands and his lips. Her body immediately responded and went pliant against him. She felt like she had no control of her thoughts or her body. She simply felt and she wanted him. She brought her hands up and ran them up his back, gripping his shirt in her hands and pressing her chest into him. Inuyasha ran his tongue against her lips and she opened for him immediately. She was the one who went first, her tongue exploring his mouth with eagerness and desire. Inuyasha growled, the sound vibrating in his chest and she could feel it against hers. It turned her on even more.

Inuyasha couldn't think anymore. Her arousal was strong. Her desire and her need was calling to his demon. His hands became more aggressive in response to her need. He ran his fingers up into her hair and gripped it, holding her head at just the right angle he wanted. He thrusted his tongue into her mouth, earning a groan from her and her knees grew weak. She held onto him, leaning her whole body against him as he bent her back a little more, exploring and demanding. He couldn't help his arousal, the feel of her body against him was too much to control it anymore. This time, their kiss was different. They were obviously in need of one another, desiring each other.

Kagome couldn't believe what he was doing to her body. Inuyasha's kiss was gentle, the way he held her head was gentle, but there was aggression to it. And she wasn't in the least bit afraid. He was demanding her body to bend to his, to give him what he wanted, and she gave him with just as much demand of her own. Her tongue fought his and she could only whimper as her body was losing control. But they eventually needed to come up for air, and Inuyasha was the first to pull back, trying to regain some level of sense.

Kagome breathed hard but still hung on to him as he pulled away, releasing his hold on her hair, bringing his hands back to her face to run his thumbs along her cheeks. His touch was so tender that it caused her heart to do silly things. He touched her as if he cared for her.

"Inuyasha…" she said, pained. She was starting to come back to herself, the fogginess of lust and desire starting to clear. She couldn't deny that she wanted him, more than just physical lust. She could feel his erection against her stomach that only fueled her desire even more. But she could also feel how she wanted him as a woman wanted a man. The things he was doing to her heart was too fast, too much, and she didn't know what to think. "What are we doing?" she whispered, closing her eyes, bringing her forehead against his chest.

Inuyasha's ears twitched, hearing the pained, sadness in her voice. He frowned as she rested her head against his chest. He brought his hands around her and held her, calming his raging blood and the roaring in his ears. He tuned to the sound of her heartbeat and her breathing, willing himself to calm down so that he could think and not frighten her. He didn't want to scare her. Heck, he was a little taken aback as to how far and how fast things had escalated after dancing with her for just fifteen minutes. How were they going to do an entire song together with this physical attraction for one another? 'Physical?' No. He knew that it was deeper than just the physical he felt for her. He couldn't say the same for her, he could hear the pain in her voice, but he knew that he felt something deeper for her. Something only demons could understand.

"I won't apologize," he said, making it very clear that he wasn't sorry for kissing her. He had given her enough time to pull away but she didn't. Which meant she wanted it just as much as he did, even if her body hadn't given away all the signs. "What's wrong, Kagome? Why do you seem so hurt?"

Kagome shook her head against his chest but didn't look up at him. "I'm not… I just… You don't understand…"

"Try me," he said after she didn't finish. He still waited. He could hold on to her forever, so he just waited, allowing his body to relax and his breathing to slow down. He could even feel her body start to calm down and relax into him. She brought her hands to hug him around the waist and they just held each other.

"You don't know what this means to me…" she whispered, shutting her eyes. She told herself she would not cry. She didn't even know why she was feeling so emotional. She was a heap of a mess right now, going from lust to sorrow to overwhelm. It was all too much to understand right now.

"Tell me."

Kagome bit her lip and reared back but Inuyasha only gave her enough room so that she could look up at him. She stared into his eyes for a moment, regaining clarity and composure. She could stare at him for hours.

"I can't. You're my boss."

"So?"

She frowned, bringing her hands up to his chest. "Inuyasha… we… maybe we should call it a day. I don't think we'll be able to dance again after that."

"So you don't want to do the duet anymore?" He wasn't sure if he was understanding her. And he was trying not to get mad or offended.

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Kagome tried to choose her words wisely without offending him or giving away too much of what she was feeling. "I just think that we need to call it for the day."

"And what about tomorrow? Are we going to act like this never happened?"

Kagome made a face, wondering where these questions were coming from. "No… that's not what I meant."

Inuyasha sighed, not understanding her at all. He just wished she would be more open to him, like how he thought she was being when they were dancing. When dancing, it was almost like her body was saying the things that she couldn't. But maybe it was just a little too soon to ask that of her.

"Listen, Kagome. I won't deny the fact that I obviously am attracted to you and you obviously am attracted to me. And I know at this point, that's really all that we have. But I want to get to know you. I want you to let me in. But you keep shutting me out every time I get too close."

Kagome flinched, his words cutting her to the heart. 'That's just it, Inuyasha. I already have let you in…' If she hadn't, his words would've meant nothing to her. It wouldn't have hurt her the way it did. But did she really want to tell him that? Kagome risked looking into his eyes and saw the truth and the honesty in his eyes. She didn't know if he had feelings for her, but she knew that she did have feelings for him. And the more she was letting him in, the more she was giving him permission to hurt her. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

"Inuyasha, you don't get it, do you?" she asked him, sighing in defeat as she rested her cheek against his chest, hugging him one last time. There was no denying what she felt for him, even if he didn't know. She liked him. She needed to get to know him more, but as a woman, she instinctively knew that he was the one for her, maybe the only one who she could ever be able to allow to touch her the way he did. His touch didn't frighten her. And what he said was true, she needed to let him in. 'Inuyasha…'

"I've already let you in."

Inuyasha's ears twitched as she whispered her confession. He felt his heart skip a beat. He knew that for her to say that was huge, her walls were coming down. First, she was getting comfortable with him physically touching her. And now, she was getting comfortable letting her guard down around him. He wanted all of her and he wanted to get to know her on a deeper level. To him, this was more than just a physical need. His demon was proof that she was to be his. It was his human side that had to catch up, and it was catching up fast. As he held her, he could feel that even though she was in his arms, she could easily slip away from him. Maybe not physically but in her mind she was like dust in the wind that couldn't be contained. It was like he was holding onto a feather, hoping that it wouldn't blow away.

"Kagome… I don't understand why you fear me. Why you fear this. But don't. I won't hurt you. I just… maybe we just need to get to know each other better first."

Kagome smiled, rearing back so that she could look up at him, trying to brighten the mood. "That was what I was thinking. First good thought we had, I guess."

He chuckled, sensing her change in mood. He released his hold on her but still held her in his arms, and she didn't pull away. "Well… my mother always told me to get to know someone before you bed them."

Kagome gasped and slapped him on the chest, making Inuyasha laugh out loud. She glared at him playfully and pushed against him, wanting to get some space between them. But he wouldn't let her. He stopped laughing and bent his head down, making her pause as he brought his lips down again. He needed to kiss her one last time. She was too cute to resist. Kagome softened into him and kissed him back, the two of them opening for one another one last time before they pulled back, gazing at one another with affection.

"I told you," she said, moving out of his arms and taking a step back from him. "I've already let you in."

He smiled, liking that very much. "I'm glad." She smiled up at him and the two of them regarded one another, not sure where to take this practice now. "Maybe you're right. We should probably call it a day."

Kagome nodded her head in agreement, biting back her laughter. "Okay." She didn't know what else to say so she walked past him and headed for her things, needing to head home to clear her head and figure out what happened here and where this would take them. She didn't want things to be awkward between them from now on. She definitely didn't know how their relationship as coworkers would work out after this. But she meant it when she said she would let him in more. She wanted to get to know him more. She wanted to be a woman who was desired by a man. The right way.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called, coming up behind her as she reached her bag. He grabbed his things as she looked at him, waiting. "You still want to do a duet with me?"

She smiled, biting her bottom lip at how adorable he sounded and looked right now. He looked a little afraid, like she might reject him. She wanted to hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay. 'Oh, Kagome. You got it bad.' Kagome reached down and grabbed her bag, standing up to face him with a smile. "Yes, Inuyasha. I still want to do this duet with you." The two of them smiled and headed for the door.

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

The club was busy for a Sunday night, which was normal. The club was always busy with clients but there were busier days than others. As she walked up the stairs to Onigumo's office, she could only hope that Onigumo would agree to allowing one of his favorite girls to change her schedule when he relied on her so much.

Kagome knocked on the door and then opened it, pushing the door in to look around, spotting Onigumo near the glass wall overlooking his club. He turned to see who had invited themselves in, his eyes immediately softening as a smile took over his face.

"Kagome. Come in." She closed the door behind her and walked up to him with a smile, strutting her way towards him. She had chosen to wear one of her favorites for tonight. She was in the mood to put on a show. She wore a blue leather jumpsuit that matched her hair and her eyes. It had a plunging, open back that went down to her butt crack. The front was a tanktop style that dipped low towards her cleavage and it had a zipper that went down to her belly button, keeping her girls snug and tight. The legs of the suit had strips cut out on the sides of both legs, strips that started at the thighs and went down to her ankles, revealing skin. She had on three inch leather high heel boots that had silver buckles on them. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she had leather bands on either wrists. Her blue, smoky eyes with blue lipstick finished off her look.

Onigumo smiled at her, a drink in one hand and his other hand extended out towards her as she walked up to him. He took in her figure, smiling in approval, and then wrapped his arm around her, leaning to place a kiss on her cheek. She could smell the brandy.

"You look delicious."

"That's the point," she teased, smiling at him as he reared back and looked down at her. She always felt safe with him, but now that she was in his arms, she began to realize that his touch was different from Inuyasha's. Her thoughts went back to him and what happened between them today. That was what inspired her look for tonight and her persona that she was going to put on tonight. Sapphire wanted to command the room with her presence, capture the audience and stop all conversations. And as she was dressing herself earlier she was asking herself why she felt so compelled to do this, why she was being so bold. The only explanation she could think of was because of him. Inuyasha made her feel sexy and beautiful. He made her feel like she could undo him, and that was her plan for tonight with her audience.

"Well, you got my attention," Onigumo chuckled, taking a sip of his drink as he turned to look down at the club. His eyes scanned the room, checking in on all his girls, making sure they were safe but also doing their job. "It's a busy night for a Sunday."

Kagome nodded, placing a hand on his chest. "I have a request."

"Hmmm?" he said, not looking at her but taking another sip, the ice clinking in his glass.

Kagome gulped, steeling her nerves."I want to ask to have my nights changed during days when I have to work for Kikyo." She felt his arm around her stiffen and he gave her his full attention, but his face gave nothing away. "This week starts Kikyo's full two weeks of interviews and late night shows. The late night shows are when we're supposed to perform."

Onigumo looked down at her and took another sip, the ice the only sound between them. Kagome frowned, waiting for him to say something. Finally, after a few heartbeats, he did.

"So… you want to move your days around to accommodate your new job schedule."

He released her, sipping his drink as he headed for his desk. Kagome bit her lip, knowing he was getting mad. She followed him, wanting to explain before he got angry.

"It's only when I have to. You know I don't want to give up my weekends."

"Because that would be very foolish of you, Kagome." Onigumo got behind his desk and placed his tumbler down on his marble coaster, gazing at her with warning. "You know that you're one of my best girls. That's why I have you on the weekends. You're reserved for my top clients."

"I know," she said, coming up to place her hands on the opposite side of his desk. She could tell he was not happy and she knew she was going to get some resistance from him. She knew from the start that Onigumo was not happy with her getting another job because that would mean he would have to share her. And he didn't like that. But now that she was asking to move around his schedule, his clients' schedules, because of her job, that was not making him any happier about this situation. "I know that I'm one of the best you have."

"You are my best, Kagome," he said, sitting down but not breaking eye contact with her. He was serious. Onigumo could feel himself losing patience with her. First, she wanted to go to Hawai'i for two weeks, so he let her go. And he did lose business because of her absence. Her clients refused to come in if she was not here to serve them. They were loyal to her as they are loyal to him. Then, Kagome had forced his hand to bump up his security and protection on her when she went viral and revealed who she was, changing Midnite's contract and getting those signed by his clients within a day. Now, Kagome was asking him to move her schedule around, this time whenever she was needed with her other gig, almost as if this one wasn't important at all. He knew that it would become more frequent because of Kikyo's fame increasing, and his clients would be the one to suffer.

"So every time Kikyo has a show and you need to dance for her, you want me to let you dance for her and not for me."

It wasn't a question but Kagome nodded anyway, looking down at her hands. She was losing her nerve. She had never been able to stand up to Onigumo, not since she had met him almost ten years ago. She was in debt to him and he would always have the final authority. But she was sure that he always held her best interest at heart, in every decision that he made. Or so he told her.

"Onigumo… I would still be dancing for you. Just on different days of the week. I'm asking to switch my nights around only when I have to dance for Kikyo."

"So you want me to call all of your clients and tell them that for the next two weeks, you're not going to be working your normal nights but whenever you're conveniently available," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Kagome looked up at him and glared, now getting angry as to why he was being such a dick about it. "Onigumo… I will still be here. And it's not for both weeks. I only have to perform tomorrow, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then the last one is next Friday and that's it. It's only four nights I need to rearrange."

"And then what?" he asked, grabbing his drink again and downing the entire contents, feeling the burn sliding down his throat to his stomach. "After these performances, what's next for Kikyo? She's going to have more concerts and more media attention. So you will be needed a lot more often, right?"

Kagome sighed, turning her face from him and nodding. She didn't want to talk to him when all he wanted to do was drink and be angry at her. At this rate, he wasn't going to let her go. Not for this weekend and probably not for the future, which made her question her future in Kikyo's dance group. 'Inuyasha…' She thought of him at a moment like this, not being able to see him again and finish that duet with him. If Onigumo wouldn't be flexible with her schedule then she would have to quit from the group. Her main purpose was to dance during shows and most of those shows would be on weekends as all concerts normally are.

The knock at the door made her look at the newcomer entering. Kagura walked in, all dolled up from head to toe in purple. She had on a purple, sparkling gown that had a high slit on the right side and she had a white scarf that was tied around her neck and draped down the front and back. She looked like an American actress, walking in with confidence as if she expected all eyes to fall on her. Kagome rolled her eyes and held in her groan, turning her attention back to Onigumo.

"Leave us," he said, sparing Kagura a flick of his eye before he gave his attention back to Kagome.

Kagura frowned but didn't stop coming towards them. "Onigumo… I need to talk to you. It's about my client tonight."

"I'm in the middle of a conversation with Kagome," he said, his eyes glaring at her now. Onigumo stood up and walked around his desk, taking his tumbler with him as he went to pour himself another drink. Kagome decided to sit on his desk, crossing her legs and watching the show. Kagura always liked to spoil things and make everything about her.

"I don't like my client," she said, pouting as she crossed through the lounge area in the middle of the room. She was walking up behind him, placing her hands on his back. "He's drunk and acting obnoxious. Bankotsu had to step in and calm him down. I left him at the bar and came here. I don't like him. I want a different client."

Kagome watched as Kagura begged Onigumo like a child, wondering if she was doing exactly the same thing. 'No. She's acting like a spoiled brat.' That was a realization to see the difference between Kagura and herself, and the way they interact with Onigumo. Kagome didn't resort to begging or complaining. She asked, gave her reasons, and if she didn't get it, she let it be. Onigumo would always do his best to give her what she wanted. Always. So maybe she was the spoiled child and Kagura was the needy child, craving his attention when he gave it Kagome, Ayumi and Midoriko.

"What did I tell you?" he said softly, turning around to glare at her, making Kagura frown and take a step back, dropping her hands at her sides while bowing her head down. "I'm having a conversation with Kagome. Sit on the couch until I get to you." The warning in his voice was enough to shut her up. Kagura didn't say another word but headed for his couch and sat down, waiting until Onigumo decided to address her.

Kagome frowned. They were all his girls and he was their boss. In a way, he was also like their pimp. He took care of them and in return, they brought him money by working for him. They were his livelihood just as much as he was theirs. Without each other, they couldn't survive. But some of the girls took their relationship with him to a deeper level, wanting to please him in ways that a woman could please a man. Though she never asked him if he was sleeping with any of the girls, she knew it to be true by some of the talks the girls had in their dressing rooms. Who was she to judge? It was their choice.

"Kagome…" Onigumo started, heading towards her as he took another sip. "You're the best girl I have. You're my girl," he stated, emphasizing his word. He meant every word and Kagome knew that he was protective of her. He came up to her as she gripped the edges of his desk beneath her, wondering what he was going to do. Onigumo would never hurt her, but there were ways he knew how to hurt her without physically touching her.

"Onigumo… I'm not leaving you," she said, trying to make sure he understood that, especially now that he was feeling threatened. "I'm only asking for my nights to be moved. That's all."

"That's all," he said with a chuckle. He came close to her, crouching down so that he was eye level with her, and placed his glass down on his desk. He stared at her, his blue-green eyes unyielding and burning. "I'm only giving this to you because you are my girl. I'm only letting you have what you want because you are mine. Don't ever forget that, Kagome. And don't ever take advantage of my love for you."

She gulped, nodding her head in response. "Yes." Onigumo could be quite scary at times. He reached up to place his hand against her cheek, running his thumb along her blue-coated lips.

"I like you like this," he whispered, his eyes fastened to her lips.

Kagome pressed her lips together and grabbed his hand, placing it on her crossed knee. "Thank you, Onigumo. Shall I come in this week?"

He sighed, standing to his full height to cross his arms. "What are you asking for?"

Now they were talking business as she noticed the businessman in him come out. She smiled, feeling a little relieved at the shift in mood. "We have shows Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then, next Friday is the last."

He made a face, his eyes going up as he thought about it. "Well, you can come in Tuesday, Wednesday for this week. And next week, just take Friday off and come in your regular nights."

Kagome gasped in excitement and scooted off his desk, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Onigumo!"

He wrapped his arms around her, one hand going to her head and one going around her waist, pulling her against him. "Don't forget, Kagome. You belong to me. You're my girl," he whispered, bringing his head down into her hair, breathing her in. "I'm only letting you go because I know you would never leave me. I won't let you."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I know, Onigumo." Their history together is unbreakable, probably strange and toxic at times. But she couldn't deny how she would not be here if it weren't for Onigumo.

They released each other and she smiled up at him one last time before winking at him. "I should get back down. I wanted to do a number in this suit," she said, twirling around for him before she waved him off. "Watch me?"

"Always," he promised. Onigumo grabbed his drink and took a sip, letting her walk out without having to watch her leave. He sighed, wondering why she always got to him. She was the only one who could get her way with him, no matter how bad he wanted to say no. Every other one of his girls he would've refused from the beginning. But not with Kagome. He could never do that to her. Her light was too bright for him to contain. He wanted her to have all the greatest things that she could have in this world. And he knew that this gig with Kikyo was a dream of hers for the longest time. He wanted her to have that. But he also didn't want to lose her, he couldn't, wouldn't lose her. She was his. And he would be damned if she would walk away from him for a new job with Kikyo. Onigumo sighed again and took another sip, facing his lounge area. 'Kagura…'

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

The lights dimmed until it was pitch black. She could feel her pulse beating, making her entire body pulse with anticipation and excitement. This was the world she knew. The bass came on first while blue lights lit the edge of the stage, allowing her to see where to walk. Kagome started on the beat, her heeled boots hitting the stage in time with the beat. She brought her hands up to her hair as she swayed her hips, emphasizing her curves with her hands as the lights overhead shone on her so that the entire room could watch in a thrall. The song she chose tonight was '6 Inch' by Beyonce and The Weeknd.

'6 inch heels

She walked in the club like nobody's business.'

She made it to the middle of the stage when the white lights on her grew brighter and the blue lights shone on the curtains of the walls.

'Gosh damn,

She murdered everybody and I was her witness.'

She twirled around, pointing out her hands as if her fingers were guns, gazing out at all the men on the floor. Many of them were watching her, fascinated, unable to tear their gaze from her. Others were still busy in conversation, looking out once in a while, but needing to settle business. She faced the crowd and started her dance.

'She's stacking money, money everywhere she goes

You know, pesos out of Mexico

De uno, commas and them decimals

She don't gotta give it up, she professional

She mixing up that Ace with that Hennessy

She love the way it tastes, that's her recipe

Rushing through her veins like it's ecstasy, oh no

She already made enough but she'll never leave.'

Her body moved to the beat, the routine rooted in her mind, memorized by her body. It moved on its own accord, finding the rhythm and swaying to the beat. The song was meant to entice the audience, to catch their attention. And she always succeeded. This was one of her favorite numbers to dance to in the club. It reminded her of who she was. This was her job, yes, but this was also who she was. And she accepted that. She could have never made anything of herself until Onigumo found her and was willing to give a reject like her a job. To others, this might be a degrading job, one that looked like she was selling herself short and should be ashamed of herself for using her body to seduce men. To her, this was all she knew, ever since she was young, but she loved her job. The men treated her with respect because she commanded respect from them. Now as an adult, she was the one controlling them instead of the other way around.

'Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business

Gosh damn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness.'

She gazed down, making sure Jinenji was where he always waited for her, and walked forward, stepping off the stage, having full confidence that Jinenji would catch her. He always did. He placed her on the floor and she walked through the tables at the front to get to the center stage that had a pole going straight up to the roof. The men watched her, turning in their chairs, not once taking their eyes off her. And she reveled in this power to control them. All they wanted was her. She got to the center stage and felt Jinenji's hands at her hips, hoisting her up onto the stage easily. It was high enough where the men couldn't easily climb onto before the security could stop them, so it was too high for the girls to gracefully get on and off without losing their sex appeal. She stood up, flicking her hair back in time with the beat, and sashayed her way around the circular stage, making sure to make eye contact with all the men on the tables nearby, grabbing their attention as if she was dancing for them.

'She works for the money, she work for the money

From the start to the finish

And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar

And she worth every minute

She works for the money

She works for the money

She works for the money

She works for the money

Kagome grabbed onto the pole with her right hand and leaned her body out as she easily walked around the pole, running her left hand on her hair, twirling her ponytail. She looked up and reached as high as she could with both hands, hoisting herself up to bring her legs up over her head, crunching her abs, and wrapping her legs around the pole as she held herself upside down with no hands. Her hands moved to the lyrics, swaying side to side like the rolling ocean, coming back to caress her body seductively.

'She stack her money, money everywhere she goes

She got that Sake, her Yamazaki straight from Tokyo

Oh baby you know, she got them commas and them decimals

She don't gotta give it up cause she professional.'

She slid down the pole slowly, controlling her movement with the grip of her thighs, the leather suit helping. When she touched the bottom with her hands, she placed her forearms down away from her body, facing out, and spread her legs apart, allowing her crotch to slide down the pole slowly until her belly rested on the floor. She inched herself forward and brought her spread legs out from behind her towards her front, her flexibility allowing her to keep her legs spread wide.

'Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business

Gosh damn, she murdered everybody and I was her witnessed

She works for the money, she work for the money

From the start to the finish

And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar

And she worth every minute.'

The lights on her turned to black and blue as the song was nearing its end. She stole a glance up at the tinted windows above the bar, knowing that Onigumo was watching her, probably with a drink in hand. She smiled, and focused back on the beat, allowing it to fuel her moves. She brought her knees up with her legs still spread, her heels digging into the ground as she thrusted her hips up in time with the beat, her head going side to side.

'Stars in her eyes

She fights for the power, keeping time

She grinds day and night

She grinds from Monday to Friday

Work from Friday to Sunday.'

Digging her heels into the ground she stood up, running her hands up from her ankles, to her knees, up her entire torso to cup her breasts. Turning around to face the pole, she whipped her hair side to side and then grabbed onto the pole again. She walked around it, swaying her hips in time with the beat. She then let her outside left foot extend out and she gripped the pole with her right hand high while her left hand came across her chest, hanging onto the pole as she did a basic dip, letting her hands move her around the pole while her left foot glided around the pole until she stood up. She did that one more time, tilting her head back and doing a little bit of a back bend as she twirled herself around the pole on one leg, dipping low.

'She goin' slang

She too smart to crave material things

She pushing herself day and night

She grinds from Monday to Friday

Work from Friday to Sunday.'

Once she got a good enough momentum, she did a carousel spin. She brought her left elbow against the pole and used her momentum to kick her legs out, tightening her abs and straightening her legs out behind her so that she spun in the air around the pole twice until she had to bring her legs up in a crouch, standing up to do one last dip.

'Oh, stars in her eyes

She fights and she sweats those sleepless nights

But she don't mind, she loves the grind

She grinds from Monday to Friday

Works from Friday to Sunday.'

She placed her back against the pole, bringing her hands up to grip above her head, and spread her legs out as her hands controlled her descent to the ground until she was in a split. She placed her hands on the floor in front of her and did a few sways, whipping her hair back and running her hands along her body. She was just letting the beat control the slowness of her movements and her seductive rhythm. The lights began to go blue and white, brightening up her figure.

'Yeah, yeah, she goin' slang

Too smart to crave material things

Stacking her paper

Stacking her cake up

She grinds from Monday to Friday

Works from Friday to Sunday

Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business.'

Kagome moved forward on her belly and brought her legs behind her together, spinning her legs up to one side as she ran her hand up her legs towards her head, and then did the same on the other side. As the last line began to play slowly to end the song, she laid down sideways so that the audience could see her figure. She crossed her legs and danced her hand above her chest before she settled them onto her chest and she stared up at the ceiling. The lights went dark.

The club erupted with applause, the stage crew turning the lights back on to normal so that everyone could see each other. The men continued to applaud for her as Kagome smiled and went to her knees, bowing low to the ground in gratitude. She noticed Jinenji looking at her and she smiled at him, crawling towards him to take his hand as he helped her down off the stage. The DJ began to play music again, filling up the room again with soft music.

"Thank you." Kagome smiled at the men she passed by who wanted her to join them at their table or for them to buy her a drink, but she graciously refused. She had a client she needed to get back to. Even though he wasn't one of her favorites, he still had paid for her time and she needed to see to him. She found him at the bar, sitting on one of the stools with a drink in hand. Hojo and Kohaku were behind the bar, busy from the amount of orders coming in now that the show was over. Her client tonight was a wealthy business man from Osaka, but he was here in Tokyo on business. He wore a black button-down dress shirt with dark blue jeans.

"Did you like it?" she asked him, smiling as she came up to him.

He smiled at her and nodded, standing and extending his hand out to her, waiting for her to take it. She smiled and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her a little closer. He bent down so that his face came right up to the side of her face, smelling the alcohol on his breath.

"That was hot… Kagome…" he whispered.

Kagome stiffened and went to take a step back but he pulled her hand closer to his body so that she couldn't get too far from him. Their faces were close enough where she could glare at him, her eyes hard.

"My name is Sapphire."

He shrugged, standing back up to his height. "I saw your photos all over. You're with Kikyo's group now. Do they know that you work here?" he asked with a sly grin.

Kagome glared at him, tugging her hand out of his. Jinenji came up behind her, watching their every move, inserting his body between her and her client.

"Problem?" he asked, his eyes hard on the man.

Her client placed his hands in the air, one hanging on to his drink, and backed away, putting space between him and Jinenji. He felt the stool hit his back thigh and decided to sit down, sighing. "No problem."

"Seems like you are causing problems for Sapphire. Is there someone else I can get for you tonight?"

He stared at Jinenji, wondering if that was a threat. He had paid for Sapphire so he would get what he paid for. "No. She's mine."

"Is she now?" The three of them looked to see Onigumo coming towards them, the sound of the music low in the background, filling the void until he made his way up to Jinenji. "Problems tonight?" he asked, looking at Jinenji and then towards Kagome. "Sapphire?"

She shook her head, not wanting to cause a bigger scene. "It was nothing. He just… mentioned my name."

Onigumo turned to him and glared, if looks could kill, his eyes burning with rage. "Is that so?" He went to sit on the stool next to the client, making him uncomfortable as the man stared down at his drink as if waiting for a reprimand. "You did sign the contract, did you not?" his voice tight.

The man nodded. "Yes."

"And the contract was very clear about Sapphire's privacy, was it not?"

"Yes."

"And being one of her privileged clients, I would've thought you of all of my clients would understand the brevity of the terms in the contract. Should I revoke your membership?" he asked, looking ahead as Hojo caught the cues of the conversation and decided to lighten Onigumo's mood by sliding over a drink to him. Onigumo took it and sipped at the dark amber, waiting.

"No."

"Then, don't let me hear of this again. Inside or outside the club. I will follow the terms of the contract if I should hear of you breaking it. Trust me… I have lots of eyes and ears in Japan. As you know with the men who come here," Onigumo said, turning around to stand up and take one last glance back at the man. "I have friends in high places. And I take my business very seriously." He made his way to Kagome's side and placed his free hand on her cheek, bringing her head to him to kiss her forehead.

"Don't let him get to you, Sapphire. Lest he wants to suffer the repercussions of breaking the contract." With that, Onigumo let them get back to their allotted time together that the man paid for. At this point, Kagome really didn't want to spend any more time with him. He was one of her clients, yes, but he could be a real jerk if he wanted to. His money and power made him think that he could get whatever he wanted. Their conversation just now proved it. But he did come for her and he did pay for her time so she had to deal with him and serve him. This was her job anyway. It wasn't like she never had to serve someone she didn't like being around before.

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

The backstage room they were given was big enough to fit all twelve of them, although it didn't have enough seats and mirrors for everyone to get ready at the same time. So they took turns in shifts. The great thing about their group dynamic was that everyone moved around each other easily, knowing what to do and when to do it, allowing everyone to get to their things and having their chance. The room they were given was to the bare minimum, with a couple of couches and chairs near the makeup mirrors. But the walls were a drab grey with a few paintings of a bamboo forest and one bathroom. It was obvious that it was a room not to get comfortable in but to wait until one was called out.

"So… anybody nervous yet?" Shippo joked with a sly smile, looking around the room to see who would fess up. He sat at the end of one of the couches with Kagome next to him, then Shiori and Kokoro at the end. All three of the women were dressed and ready.

The men were all dressed and ready while some of the women were still putting on makeup and doing their hair. They all shared the mirrors as they listened along.

"I'm excited!" Sango said, sitting on the other couch. The two couches formed an 'L' in one of the corners of the room, opposite of the door. "I can't wait. I want to see the replay tomorrow."

"Well since it'll be on live, you can probably find it on YouTube before midnite," Inuyasha said, moving to sit next to Sango. He brought his leg up to rest his ankle on one knee. "Japan's late night shows are always live and they always like to make fun of their guests."

Miroku nodded, standing near the door, leaning against the wall. "Yeah. The hosts can be a little crude at times, but that's why the late night shows are so popular. There's a little more free rein with what they say and the opinions they express. Plus their viewers like the banter and the laughter so they end up getting more ratings." He shrugged, not one to watch much television, let alone late night shows. "I don't see the hype."

"Well, that's why Akari had to prep Kikyo with what to say just in case her emotions got the best of her," Inuyasha said, thinking. "Naraku and Akari are out there behind the cameras supporting her, so she should be fine." Kikyo was doing the first half of her segment now, which was an interview with the host before she would be asked to perform.

Mai came towards them, fixing her outfit as she went to sit next to Inuyasha. Now only four of them were putting on their finishing touches at the mirrors. All the women wore the same outfit they wore when they danced this number in Hawai'i. They wore a black leather pant with a stripe of hot pink on the sides and a matching black button-up leather tank top. The tank top had pink butterflies that seemed to fly up from one hip to the opposite side of the chest near the shoulder. They all had on hot pink eye shadow, lipstick and light pink glitter dust on the sides of their eyes. The men wore the same leather pant with a loose, leather jacket that had a pink hoodie. They would wear this outfit for a couple of the shows and two other nights they would be wearing the other outfits they wore for those numbers. This was one of Kikyo's signature colors and looks, the pink butterfly, so she wanted them to wear this outfit most often during their on-air performances and at the last park performance at Hibiya's Open Air Concert Hall with the other singers and bands.

"I think they're just testing her and maybe bringing up questions that their viewers might have," Mai said, looking at the others still getting ready in the mirrors.

"Yep. That's it," Shippo said, bringing his hands up behind his head to close his eyes. "It's almost like they want to see her screw up, though."

"Well, we won't let that happen," Emi said, turning around in her chair at the mirrors. Everyone nodded their agreements, ending that conversation.

"Oh," Inuyasha started, "before I forget. Next week Saturday is one of my family's charity events. I'm inviting everyone."

The others smiled at him and nodded, looking at each other in excitement. "Oooo a party at Inuyasha's house," Emi said, placing one more bobby pin in her hair.

"My parent's house," he corrected her.

"Well that's even better!" Mai exclaimed next to him, practically bouncing in her seat. "I love your parent's house."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her, deciding not to say anything. To him, his parent's charity events were mostly a bore. It was all formality and showing off, and they had been doing it for years that it just became natural to him. But he did love the food and alcohol provided. And since it was a family charity event, he was obligated to show face.

Kagome looked around at everyone, wondering why everyone seemed so excited.

"Inuyasha's family is rich," Shippo said as if he read her mind. She looked over at him next to her as he smiled. "We've only been there once as a group for one of their small gatherings, and even that seemed like a huge event. His parents have a castle as a house!"

Kagome's eyes widened, turning around to look at Inuyasha. He simply just waved his hand at Shippo, brushing off his comment. 'Wow.'

"Whatever. You guys can come if you want. I thought it would be a nice way for us to celebrate after these next two weeks of shows and to celebrate Kikyo at the event."

Everyone agreed excitedly. Kagome simply smiled, unsure whether or not she should go. But everyone's chatter was cut when a knock on the door called their attention. Miroku moved over to open the door and one of the workers with a headpiece and a clipboard in hand stood in the doorway.

"We're ready for you."

Everyone began to stand up, checking themselves one last time before they headed out, talking along the way down the hall as they followed the worker to the studio area. He took them to the edge of the curtains until they could see around at all the cameras setup with wiring all over the floor. One person operated the cameras while another stood behind him, making sure the wires were out of the way, clipboard in hand. The lights shone on Kikyo and the talk show host as Kikyo sat at one end of a couch closest to the host, while the man smiled and continued to ask her questions about her album sales behind his desk. Kikyo could only smile and answer honestly and eagerly, obviously excited at the support from her fans.

Naraku noticed them and left Akari next to the main camera to walk back towards them in the darker area of the studio.

"You guys ready?" he asked softly.

Inuyasha nodded. "We're good. How's Kikyo doing?"

Naraku shrugged, turning around to check on her again. "It's not going as well as this morning's interview. He seems to be wanting the dish on her coming ups rather than on her success now. But Akari warned Kikyo that this was Akihiro's game with his guests. Akari did her research on him and the questions he asks his guests so Kikyo is prepared for his slick comments. She's been deflecting it pretty well," he said with a satisfied smirk. "I just want him to get his head out of his ass and focus on her and her success now, not on how she got the money to start in this business to begin with."

Inuyasha frowned, looking at Kikyo as she held her composure, her smile contagious, even making the host smile. She was genuinely happy with where she was and how she got there. "Well, she looks like she's handling herself."

"Yeah." Naraku turned back towards them, glancing at his watch. "They have a minute left and then they'll cut to commercial. You guys have five minutes to get to your spots on the side stage and the cameras will start rolling."

"It's not a big deal, Naraku," Miroku said reassuringly. "We've got this. Concerts are way worse than this." The others agreed with him.

Naraku sighed, turning around to look back at Kikyo. "I know. I just want to make sure everything goes well for her."

The others walked further into the studio, watching where they were going while slowly making their way closer to the side stage where the curtains were setup to give a nice background. A woman came up to them and smiled.

"You're the dancers?" Sango nodded for them. "Perfect. You can go there," she said, pointing to the area they were already heading to, "and get ready. We should be cutting into commercial soon. Kikyo will join you when the interview is over."

They could hear the host wrapping up the interview, wishing Kikyo success in her endeavors and encouraging his viewers to buy her album in store or online. He thanked her for coming and reminding his viewers they would be back after a break for a performance by Kikyo Hayashi.

"Wrap!" someone called out and the green light in the studio turned red. Everyone began to move around, making noise and talking to one another as they started a commercial break. Kikyo shook hands with the host again, the two of them saying a few polite things to each other, and she left him to head to the side stage area where the group waited. Naraku and Akari followed behind her, joining the others.

"How'd it go, Kikyo?" Shiori asked, clasping her hands together, hoping that everything went well.

Kikyo smiled at her as her costume and makeup crew rushed up to her, some carrying her dancing outfit while others carried their makeup bags. She had only a few minutes to get ready.

"I have to head backstage real fast to get ready. I'll see you guys in a couple of minutes." With that, she hurried behind the curtains to change right there in the open backstage. She had no other choice, which was why she had wore dance underwear to do a quick change in the open.

When Kikyo came back three minutes later, she was ready in her pink tutu with black leather pants and a black, leather tube top that had pink rhinestones along the seams. Her makeup team had put some pink hair clip-ons in her hair to give her that striped pink hair look while they made her makeup match the women dancers'. It was amazing what a team could do in just two minutes.

"Ready in two minutes!" someone called out in the studio.

Kikyo came back to them a minute later just as the host joined their party as well.

"Wish you guys luck!" Akihiro said, smiling at the dancers while noticing Kikyo's team around her doing last minute touches, fussing over her as they fluffed her hair and checked her makeup. She smiled at him as someone came over and handed her a microphone.

Naraku and Akari came up to Kikyo as the others waited in their spots. "You need anything?" Naraku asked. Kikyo shook her head as someone dabbed the perspiration on her forehead, not wanting it to ruin her makeup. The heat from stage lights could always be felt in a small studio and right now in leather, Kikyo could feel the heat.

"I'm good. Just gotta do this song and we're done."

The cameras that were on big contraptions allowed them to roll around as they made their way to the side stage. One man behind the camera maned the controls for the machine while another stood behind and brought along the wires so it wouldn't get caught under the wheels. Only two cameras came towards them, setting up in their places while the crew began to talk to one another, making sure all the final adjustments were right.

"Okay. Let's do this," Kikyo said, leaving her team to head to the others waiting. This would be their first television performance and she was so excited. "Thanks, everyone," she said sincerely, looking around at them all. They were in pairs, waiting with backs against each other, smiling encouragingly at her, as someone began to call out the time. They had twenty-seconds before they were on air. Kikyo smiled, unable to shake this feeling of gratitude. She was gaining more attention by the day and she was loving it.

"Let's give them a show."


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