A/N: Terribly sorry for the late update. I had a lot of stress for exams and I just couldn't find the time. I hope this chapter will make up for it though, with Chiharu-chan meeting a decent guy (Sesshōmaru will not be best pleased).
I also wanted your opinion. Either I keep updating the story (with the increasing rating and only this one warning), or I'll start updating the second part as a sequel with the rating M. What do you all think^^
It won't change the update schedule (unless I get stressed for another exam of course...), but I'm not entirely sure. The ratings T and M seem rather similar and I'm not sure when the rating should be labelled M. Therefore, what do you all think?
Also, thank you all for leaving so many reviews. I was very happy to receive them. To guest-reviewer Anon (to whom I can't reply to), thank you for your thoughts and reviews. As to answer your question about Kagome being independent or becoming independent or not, she is improving. I might not mention so a lot (because I do skip a lot fights), Kagome is, by now, capable to push her reiki into her arrows. Still, I'm mostly following the manga and not the anime, so I don't really remember her receiving any training from Kaede at this point in the manga. Also, I do think it might be very difficult to learn and get any better in such a dangerous environment as Sengoku-jidai (with all the bandits and the dangerous youkai). I definitely don't think Inuyasha would allow her to get some training (considering the time that would take), so I wasn't really planning on changing that. Kagome-chan will remain human. I was not planning on making her a meta-human or anything^^
As for Kagome being selfless. She is. But she's also a teenager and sometimes responds too harshly and makes wrong decisions (just as she does in the manga). I try to stick to that as well. Chiharu is not a saint either (I think she was stealing herself a living at the beginning of this story), and I like really 3-dimensional characters.
And I think I've kept everyone long enough. Again, thank you for your reviews.
And on with the story! Enjoy^^
o.O.o
Chapter Twenty-nine, Bonds through time
'If I could go back to the day we met, I'm sorry but I'd turn around and walk the other way.'
Canopies of sultry, summer sun filtered in through the windows as the students of the tenth grade watched a movie about volcanos. Chiharu Higurashi was seated in the front-row, her ankles crossed her pencil out, taking curt notes in her pink notebook. The teacher strengthened his movie with a lecture about ruptures in the heavy crust of the earth and as the lesson progressed Chiharu watched with keen interest as rigid tectonic plates float on a hotter, softer layer in the mantle. Geography was usually interesting enough and she supposed the diverging and converging tectonic plates were rather interesting. Kagome stared at her textbook, obviously still upset about Inuyasha.
After she'd left to get ramen, Inuyasha had come over (just as predicted). No matter what she said, he got irritated and used his impressive nose to follow Kagome's scent through the city until he cornered her in a supermarket. Their argument was mostly drowned out by the middle-aged woman arguing with a young girl with bright red hair behind the register, but it was nasty. It ended with Inuyasha telling Kagome that he had had it and two days later, they were still not on speaking terms.
Chiharu reached up to toy with her small pearl earrings and tried to focus her attention back on the teacher's lecture. She'd known Inuyasha had been angry with Kagome. And had also known Kagome had been angry with Inuyasha, but she'd thought that, if given time, they would figure it all out. Their mother had tried to talk with Kagome about it, but till thus far, she hadn't had much luck.
The teacher's gaze lingered on her and Chiharu smiled watery. "—I'm sorry?"
"Of how many major plates does the Earth's lithosphere composed, Higurashi-san?" The woman asked curtly, pushing the round-rimmed glassed further up her nose. She obviously thought she hadn't been paying attention. It wasn't completely true. Even when she was upset or had other things to worry about, that didn't stop her from being a high achiever. Chiharu never slacked off. She used to be an honour roll student with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
"Eight, ma'am,"
"Indeed," the teacher agreed, "It seems you were paying attention at least. As I was saying along convergent boundaries, subduction, or any plate moving under another, carries the lower down into the mantle—"
Kagome let out a depressed sigh and Chiharu started to scratch at the price sticker on her vinyl pencil case. She was glad when the recess bell sounded.
Afternoon classes were canceled because of the heat and Chiharu and Kagome ate lunch at a small cafe near the central station. Chiharu bought herself a spinach salad and watched from the other side of the terrace how her older sister greeted her three friends, now in high school. She laughed and joked with Yuka, Ayumi and Eri.
"Ah Higurashi-san," Chiharu automatically turned in her seat, but when she noticed Hōjo, making his way towards her older sister, she turned back to her salad. Ayumi's wavy hair bounced around her head as she hid her smile behind her hands. It was a secret to no one that Hōjo really liked Chiharu's older sister and she watched with interest as Kagome talked animatedly with the boy.
She watched Hōjo pull a parcel from his pocket and Kagome's cheeks turned scarlet. Hōjo smiled warmly, ran a hand through his bangs and intertwined his fingers together. The three girls around Kagome smiled happily and Eri wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulders.
"Your sister has a handsome boyfriend," a waitress commented and set a glass of ice-cold ice-tea before Chiharu.
"Yes," Chiharu agreed, "Well, no, he's not her boyfriend. Not yet, at least."
"Hm, well, that's going to change, then." The girl answered before returning to the counter. Chiharu rubbed her hands together and sighed. There was a boy at the bar smiling at her. She was almost certain he was in to her. Chiharu wasn't sure why. She was relatively pretty, but not extremely so. She wasn't as tall as Kagome, nor was she as curvy (she had barely any curves at all). Her two-coloured eyes, as rare as they were, were generally not well-liked and children hadn't been all that creative in their insults.
He smiled at her again and she felt her cheeks flame up.
"See you tonight, Hōjo-kun." Ayumi yelled and Kagome turned an interesting shade of pink. Chiharu had no time to think about it as the boy from the bar, tall with dark hair and dark brown eyes crossed the bar. His skin was tanned and his cheekbones perfect.
"Hi,"
She stumbled for a response. "Hi,"
She doesn't even hear Hōjo fumble over an invitation to the amusement-park and nodded not-so-gracefully when he asked if he could take a seat at her table. His fingers are long and nimble. She thought he was better suited for the cover of a magazine with the sharp lines and the harsh angles of his face. He's definitely handsome and well-mannered. She thought she could like him.
It's just—
He isn't him—
"I'm Arjun," He greeted and she thought he must have been originally from India.
"Chiharu," she offered breathlessly. His features were striking and his tanned skin smooth. He was tall, really tall, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. His hair is wavy and gelled back from his face and he smiled.
"Nice to meet you,"
"Yes," she nodded, "likewise."
"What year are you in?"
"Last year of Middle school." She answered dutifully, thinking for a moment. "You?"
"Senior in High school."
That meant he was seventeen or eighteen. Only a year older and he had nice teeth. She thought that her mother might approve of him. She certainly would like the marble-cut jaw, weeping into high, aristocratic cheekbones and the warm brown eyes.
Hōjo was moving away from the terrace and Kagome slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, coming over. "Chiharu-chan?"
"Erm, yes?" She stammered and Arjun smiled brightly at Chiharu's older sister.
"Oh," Kagome stuttered, her eyes flitting over the tall boy and her cheeks turning pink. "Erm, I'm going home with Eri-chan and Yuka-chan and tonight I've got a date with Hōjo-kun…"
"Yes?"
"It means I won't be home today," Kagome decided and Chiharu frowned. She'd thought they would be going back to the past.
"Then what am I supposed to say when I see Inuyasha?" She asked annoyed and Kagome pushed her hair up in a high pony tail.
"Lie through your teeth," Kagome advised and she stalked away. Chiharu stared around her and pushed her damp hair out of her face.
"Lie through your teeth, why, thank you for that advise."
"Inuyasha?"
"Her boyfriend—" she started to say, but then shook her head. "Well, he used to be her boyfriend."
"Ah," he nodded. Outside, a blue Opel stopped in front of the cafe and Kagome hurried after Yuka towards the car. Chiharu stiffly waved goodbye at them and watched the car drive away.
"And are you going to keep this Inuyasha-character at bay?" He asked amused. "Or would you be interested in going out with me?"
She bit her lip. "Okay,"
He takes her to a coffee shop downtown and she took a seat in a velvet armchair. She wasn't sure what had been wrong with the first cafe, but when he treats her with a frozen blended mocha, she sighed. Despite the clammy heat inside the drink is wonderful and he smiled.
She felt the heat creeping across her cheeks for the umpteenth time that day. He sat down into the ugly velvet armchair adjacent to hers and sipped carefully from his frozen iced coffee. She isn't the first girl he took there, she can tell by the way he acts and more importantly how the cafe workers act. His smiles are satisfactory and predatory. It made something itch at the back of her head. All the while, she fiddled restlessly with the cuffs of her skirt.
He took her home with his rusty car — he bloody well owned a car — and he peers up at the long wooden stairs up to the Higurashi shrine. His cheekbones are less prominent in the light, the edges less sharp, but he's still as handsome. She wasn't sure if she liked him or not. At least she wasn't sure if she liked him like that.
She does know that she liked her first kiss. As much as Kagome liked to believe her first kiss was with Inuyasha, she learned that evening it wasn't. Arjun kissed her slowly at first, as if afraid to scare her off and when she didn't run away screaming (too curious to do so), deepened the kiss. His fingers ghost over the delicate wings of her shoulder blades and his tongue slid past her lips. There's a hitch in his breath and she felt his lips quirk up against hers. His hand moved down the small of her back and pressed her closer.
"I had fun, Higurashi-san," he offered lightly as he stepped back. She felt her cheeks flush.
"Yes," she agreed, "fun."
He chuckled and took a notebook out of the pocket in his jacket. "This is my mobile phone number. I would love to have a repeat."
"Ah yes," she nodded, accepting the scrap of paper, "Oh, that might not be soon, I'll be away for some time."
"Oh?"
"A school exchange abroad." She answered quickly.
"Ah," he nodded, "sounds like fun."
She nodded. "Oh it is. It's just for a few months."
Or at least she hoped it was only a few months. Who knew how long collecting the Shikon shards would take. How long would it take to see the end of the Shikon Jewel. Chiharu toyed with the chunk of the Shikon No Tama that hung suspended from a fine silver chain around her neck. The shards scarcely left her person and Arjun watched it with keen interest. He smiled widely.
"Text me when you return."
She smiled. "I will! I'll be travelling home during a few weekends."
He grin turned dangerously predatory and it does something to her stomach. Muscles clench with something hot and foreign and her face goes scarlet. He leant down again, hands cupping her cheeks and mouth warm and sweat from the chocolate he ate. She wasn't entirely sure if she did it right. Kissing him that was. After a moment he stepped back, waved at her and moved away from the wooden stairs.
When Chiharu returned home she packed her own bag, fresh undies and a bra that she'd once begged her mother for — it seemed like such a long time ago when she acted like a teenage girl — in a daze. Her first kiss had been wonderful and she wondered if he would really wait for her. Her mother raised an eyebrow at her happy demeanour.
"You're happy?"
"Hai, Mamma," she responded, "I met a boy today."
Warm brown eyes widened almost comically. "You did?"
"Gee, thanks for your support." She dryly retorted.
"Oh honey," She answered amused and chiharu sat down adjacent of her mother.
"Onee-chan is coming home late tonight." Chiharu admitted. "She's going out with Hōjo-kun."
"And what about Inuyasha?" Mamma asked, readjusting the tie of her apron and ran a hand through her short wavy hair.
"I have no idea." Chiharu admitted.
"But this boy— What's he like?"
Chiharu smiled. "His name is Arjun. He's from India."
"And now you're growing up as well." Her mother whispered wishfully and Chiharu snorted.
"If you want me to tell you about my date, then I'd advise you to not mumble about me growing up so fast." She told her mother huffily and the older woman smiled and cut a piece of pie and added it to a small pinkish plate.
"A mother wants what's best for her daughter, honey. Here, I just made it."
"Thank you," she smiled and shovelled a forkful of apple pie into her mouth. Her mother liked baking. No dish was safe for her and she thought up several creations. Chiharu liked her pie the most. She inhaled deeply, the scent of fresh apples and cinnamon filled her nose. "It's wonderful mamma."
Her mother smiled and leant her head on her hands. "Yes, it is. Now, what about this boy? Do you like him?"
Chiharu pursed her lips. She had liked him well enough and although she was rather sure she had felt the thrill of sexual tension curl into her stomach, she wasn't sure if she really liked him or not. Her lashes scrape against her cheeks when she squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her hands against her temples.
"I don't really know."
"Is this about Sesshōmaru?" Her mother asked, reaching out and pushing a lock of hair out of Chiharu's face.
"No— well, yes, I suppose. I told him I was done. I mean, I hate him or well, I dislike him strongly, but I somewhat like him as well— It's just— it's so complicated." She explained understanding she did not make much sense. "Arjun— he was refreshing. He treated me like a girl, a normal regular girl but— I don't what to do. I don't know what I should choose."
"That's the beauty about youth, Honey" her mother whispered, "you don't have to choose right now."
"Right," she muttered, staring at the weak streams of sunlight bouncing off the shiny counter, "I think I'm going to pack my bag and tell Inuyasha Kagome wants to stay home one more day."
"Good luck with that," her Grandfather said as he stepped into the shiny kitchen.
"I know. I see you later." She said and wandered over to the stairs. Upstairs she packed her miko garb and several sets of underwear. When she returned downstairs, she kissed grandpa on his wilted cheek, hugged Sōta when she passed him in the living room behind the television and kissed her mother on her cheek. They followed her to the well house and she smiled. When the jewel was completed, she would come home, go to college and make sure their lives would be perfect.
"I will be back," she promised them all.
The journey to the past was short and she silently stood in the centre of the dirt. She liked the idea of a boyfriend. Her day with Arjun had been wonderful and she thought she deserved someone. Kagome had Inuyasha. Even if they were fighting at the moment, Chiharu still thought they would end up together. Chiharu shook her head and pushed herself up the ledge of the well and sighed. When she grew up— She felt her cheeks heat up. If she grew up, because people with yōkai blood aged differently than humans did.
"Am I even able to start a family with a human?" Chiharu whispered to herself.
The air is muggy from an early summer storm and the air seeped into her skin. Chiharu readjusted the knot of her tie and flattened her hands over her skirt. Yet, she could enjoy herself with dating one for a while, even if she couldn't have a family with one, couldn't grow old with someone.
"Miko,"
She froze, her fingers growing numb above the harsh grain of the wood beneath her. She tossed her hair back and slowly met his gaze. He looked furiously.
The Lord of the Western border was definitely, absolutely, most-assuredly not in a good mood. His amber eyes were ablaze with an unknown fury and she back-pedalled. She had no idea what he was doing here, nor what it was that he'd wanted at that moment. His mouth is pressed in a razor thin line and his youki swirled around him like an impending storm.
"Sesshōmaru?" She squeaked, her rucksack falling to the dirt.
To be continued...
A/N: Next update upcoming Thursday. The muse is back^^
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