:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The day had come and gone again and Kagome was close to pulling her hair out from the general idiocy surrounding her. Wincing at the sharp pain that stabbed behind her eyes, the miko rubbing her forehead and sighed as she stepped into one of the vast courtyards leading to the exit of the school.

Something ran into her legs and knocked her over. "Oof! What the hell?!"

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a childish voice snapped at her. Her attention turned onto the obviously elementary aged boy in a green uniform as he growled at her. He blinked large blue eyes up at her and pointed at her rounded chest. "What's with the girls around here? You're the second one that I've seen cross-dressing. How weird are you?"

"What was that, gaki!" Kagome hissing, jumping to her feet and snatching the back of his collar to lift him up to her eye level. "You need to learn a little respect!"

"Why should I? I don't care what you think about me," the kid snapped, swinging around angrily. "Now put me down or I'll start screaming harrassment!"

"Tch! You're a spoiled one," the former time traveler growled, immediately dropping the boy. He landed on his back and started whining and she shook her head, dismissing him. Her little brother wasn't this much of an annoyance. "Whatever you're doing here at the high school, I suggest you go back to you're own grade. You'll just get pinched by all the crazy girls around here."

"What do you mean pinched?" He sounded a little worried, so she continued with a smirk.

"They'll start giggling about you being cute and you'll never get away."

"You're not," the boy pointed out bluntly, crossing his arms.

"Because I have a little brother, so I'm not fooled by the cutesy act," Kagome responded, waving him away and starting to walk away. She felt a tug on her sleeve in the next instant.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here! I'm just a little kid!" The kid gulped when she gave him a deadpan expression.

"Watch me."

"C'mon! Just walk me back to the elementary section. I came here for a stupid reason anyway." He mumbled the last part, looking depressed. She really tried to resist the little brat, but those sad puppy eyes staring up at her crumbled her defenses. Damn Shippo! And Honey!

"Fine. But don't expect this to become a normal occurance evey time you want to come up here and get lost," the miko huffed, taking the kid's hand and starting to tug him in the direction of the younger childrens' educational center. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Takaoji Shiro. What about you?"

"Higurashi Kagome."

"Why are you a girl in a boy's uniform?"

She was getting used to being asked that question, but it didn't stop her from being annoyed by it. It almost made her want to switch uniforms back. Almost. "I ride the bullet train to get here and there are a lot of stupid gross guys that pick on girls in school uniforms. The male uniform keeps them from bothering me."

"... That sucks for you."

"Yep."

After dropping Shiro off at the elementary building, Kagome left the school, unaware of the eyes watching her.

"Men? I think I have a plan."

"Right boss!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: