Unbeknownst to Sesshomaru – his mother had placed something in to the mix that he did not foresee. It had nothing to do with his person – which, if it had been a way to explain his action toward Rin the other day, it might have taken away his self-hatred and re-directed his anger. But alas it was not that.
Rin woke the next morning tucked in her own bed, and as the fog of sleep lifted, she remembered the events of last night; not only the strange meeting with Hakai's mother, but the mysterious and wonderful astral trip with her guardian spirit – and the kiss they had given her.
She lay in bed for some minutes replaying the moment in her head over and over, hoping with each replay that the memory would become more real. Surely, such miraculous experiences did not happen in real life? Yet, it had felt so real – and what's more she had ended up in a completely different location afterwards, proving the truth of the experience. Feeling blessed beyond measure, she got up and went in to the living room where her mother was sitting with some tea.
'Good morning Rin, dear. Thank you so much for getting my medicine last night, it saved me!'
'That's okay, Okasan' Rin walked to the kitchen to make some toast. She was ravenous after her busy week; she thought over telling her mother about what she had experienced – but decided against a direct retelling.
'Okasan' Rin posed her name as a question.
'Yes, sweetie?'
'Is it true that guardian spirits or ancestors can make their presence known?'
'I believe so' Her mother looked over at the small family shrine on their window sill for her mother and father.
'I have often felt the presence of my parents when praying at their shrine'
'C – could it be possible that you could actually see them?'
Her mother looked at her with a tilted head, considering.
'I haven't ever seen any ghosts or anything of the sort – but I suppose for lucky people they might see them. Some people have 'the sight' – clairvoyance – and it's a gift for them to physically see invisible presences'
Rin waited for her toast to pop and sipped on some herbal tea.
'Ah, ok. I think I had a pretty strong experience, but I am not sure yet'
'It could've been Grandma' Okasan said 'she loved you to pieces!'
Rin smiled fondly, but she knew that the presence last night was decidedly male; after all, she had leaned fully against his chest and it had been completely flat and solid.
Rin looked at her phone as she received a message from Ayami.
'Rin! Where did you go yesterday? Also, there's a mixer in the city tonight, want to join me?'
Rin smiled at her friend's message and wrote back:
'I'm so sorry I left you! We did some research at the Inugami temple then I had to go to work. I'd love to join you; I've thought of going to one for ages! Meet me at the bus stop?'
'That's good you got some research done. I'll see you at 6pm'
Rin sent a smiley face in return, then remembered the image Kohaku had sent her yesterday. Spreading butter on her toast, she began eating as she re-opened the image and zoomed in on it. Yep, that was definitely her! He'd also sent a link which Rin followed, and it took her to a massive fan blog. Before Rin's eyes flitted hundreds of messages attacking her, saying how ugly she was for a guy like Hakai the model and how she was probably his sister or cousin or something anyway.
Rin almost threw her phone across the house in disgust – how dare people upload her image without consent! And now a mass of strangers was tearing her to shreds – did they know the girl in the photo would read these messages? It was crazy how far their assumptions were from the truth, by Kami!
'Kami, these people are crazy!' Rin messaged Kohaku 'That is me in the photo – we were on our way to the temple when a group of people took our pictures, and Hakai-san put his hand over my face like that! Everyone's mistaken about the context! How should I go about finishing this assignment if this is what's going to happen every time?'
Rin had finished her breakfast and done the dishes for herself and Okasan by the time Kohaku replied with:
'Yes these fan clubs are a bunch of psychotic 13 year old girls. Don't let it get to you. Maybe you guys could go to more isolated historical sites rather than the city where Hakai's face is plastered everywhere?'
'I'd rather not be anywhere isolated with that jerk' Rin replied.
Kohaku sent a laughing emoji before typing in return:
'How about I just help you out with it? Hakai does seem to be too much trouble. I know you – and you don't like the spotlight at all. I think you can't avoid it with the pretty boy'
'Would you? That would be incredible, thank you Kohaku'
He sent her a thumbs up and Rin spent a few hours with her mother before slowly getting ready for the mixer.
Pulling on a small black dress and some heeled ankle boots Rin decided to put her hair in a half up, half down style, leaving her bangs out in the front. Applying a little more makeup than usual, she chose a red lip taint and put on false eye lashes.
Goukon's had always interested her, because as a rule she found it hard to talk to males outside of her comfort zone – and even if she wasn't focusing on a boyfriend right now, more friends would be a great thing to have.
She made sure her mother was ok for the evening with her medicine nearby, and Rin headed out to walk to the bus stop. Sunday was a day off for her today, as the land lady was impressed with her work for her first week. She was very excited to get her first pay check tomorrow and in turn surprise her mum by paying the bills for the fortnight.
Sesshomaru had returned to human form after he had seen Rin safely home from a distance last night, and the entire time he cursed himself for such an impulsive, deeply uncharacteristic action. Why had he kissed that human?
Did his beast desire her?
It was impossible.
In history, the only women to have caused him the slightest interest were always other high-ranking spirits, and beautiful ones at that.
He had been angry at the girl when he had kissed her – never in his life had rage and desire combined – he surely knew the difference between yearning and hatred by now?
He did not count the lust-fueled hatred, but the deep sense of xenophobia he accorded to any life form outside of and below his own.
Desire was never in relation to such a thing.
Yet, his senses had overtaken him even in his full form and he had certainly kissed her. He had spent the entire night trying to figure out whether he hated the human girl - or wanted her.
He did not know love – he could not, for he didn't know what it was.
It was either hatred, or lust.
And still, by morning, after repeating all of Rin's insults towards him in his head the Demon Lord could not define if it was one or the other. He felt such fury and a need to confound the girl's arrogance towards him, to make her bow to him as the other humans did, that he could not be rid of the feeling.
Yet also inside himself Sesshomaru discovered something perhaps darker, more primal – and he was filled with such self-loathing that he had to do twenty laps of the large circular route around the multiple apartment complexes to try and diffuse it.
Even after expending energy, his self-derision was still burning high – and even stronger was his need to have her.
With Sesshomaru's thoughts bent on the one mortal subject the entire time, he soon wondered why she had not shown up for her shift at 5pm.
He thought of the demon creatures that would stalk her as soon as it grew dark, and before he knew it, the Demon Lord found himself walking towards Rin's house.
Wearing a long sleeve dark grey shirt, the cuffs pushed up to his elbows, an open V-neck showing his collarbones and the mid-line between his pectorals, he looked casual yet fashionable. The rest of his attire included skinny jeans with black military boots and a slim-fit jacket – but the Yokai did not think of those things.
He merely threw on what the modelling agency had given him for free; he'd already got their magazines a lot more attention with just him being in it.
Sesshomaru was what they'd call an 'overnight sensation' – especially thanks to online media and forums.
He reached the canal walkway that led up to the bridge across which Rin's apartment was – and he saw her walking over it. The light was quickly waning, and he cursed under his breath. She had no idea the danger she was in every time she went out – the stupid girl.
She was wearing a tight black dress and heels as far as he could make out, and she was heading toward the bus stop for the city.
Sesshomaru picked up his pace a little bit and began following her in earnest.
He saw her meet Ayami at the stop – that girl was also dressed up. Something in his mind caused him to remember an invitation that Ayami human had sent him the other day – to an event called a 'mixer' – or something equally strange.
Was this where they were going now?
He noticed a vermin parasite begin to spawn from the earth near him and he quickly stepped on it with his heavy boot, pleased that as a result his hair grew slightly longer, and his claws unsheathed.
Following Rin was a matter of his only source back to his powers, and feeding in to his growing need to monitor the girl.
He killed a couple more critters and thanked the gods that the next ability that was given him was that of flight – he'd not wanted to catch a damned bus at all.
The Demon had made it to the city long before the girls, as his teleportation was basically instantaneous. The unwelcome reminder of Rin clutching to him in his arms intruded on his memory – it seemed his baser beast was bent on focusing on this mortal for some reason only Kami knew.
He tried to stay out of the way of the gathering Sunday markets crowds – but of course to no avail. He was pretty soon noticed by a few people who jostled him for a picture and an autograph; but his eyes were on the bus stop arrivals.
Finally, he noticed Rin and her friend get off a packed-out bus, and he waded through the disgusting fawning mortals to make his way towards them. He followed them to a BBQ and bar, noticing that Rin looked more done-up than he'd seen her yet, and a dark sensation swelled inside him.
Rin felt such a sense of excitement that she hadn't felt in a while – the anxious anticipation of meeting a bunch of new people in a bustling night-time city scene caused an incredible rush.
Ayami looked so beautiful in her eyes, and she hoped the girl would find someone; Aya-chan was more interested in actually finding a boyfriend than Rin was. It was always safer to go to these things in pairs anyway, and Rin was not going to let Ayami get fooled by any pervert.
'I'm so nervous' Ayami stuttered partially with cold, and partly with nervousness to her friend as she clutched on to her phone.
She knew Rin was not at all fond of Hakai, so she had thought it best to stay quiet about the fact she had invited him; it was not like she overly expected him to turn up anyway.
Yet, the slight hope that he might indeed show up was what made Ayami the most jittery of all as she anxiously glanced around the crowded night market.
'Is this the right place?' Rin asked her friend as they stopped outside a restaurant bar that led downstairs at the entrance.
'Uh – yes, it is! Let's go, I definitely need a drink to ease my nerves'
'Me too' Rin agreed.
They went down the stairs a bit slower in their heels, but they made it inside and looked around at the dimly lit, loud and crowded atmosphere. Rin wondered if they'd be able to hear each other talk – but Ayami pointed her to a table a little away from the main area and explained that it was the mixer table.
There were already four others there – three men and a girl. They'd be waiting on one other girl and one other man now – the latter being Hakai.
The table was set in a corner booth, and the four who were occupying it already had taken up most of one side. Rin sat in the corner of the free seat and she urged Ayami to sit next to one of the guys on the other side.
The greetings were made, and drinks were ordered – before long Ayami and Rin had consumed two drinks on empty stomachs and were feeling much more at ease.
'Ah so you both go to the same school?'
'Yeah – I don't know how we put up with each other though' Ayami mock-whined in reply to the guy next to her.
'And you are in college?' Rin directed to Akihiro, the neat yet attractive man who sat opposite her in the other corner of the booth.
'Yes – first year. I'm studying genetics at the moment – just entry level stuff for now though' he laughed self-deprecatingly, and Rin immediately liked his humility.
'Do you enjoy science in high school?' he asked her in return.
Rin considered 'I do like some parts of it – I find natural sciences interesting, but I am more in to art and history'
'Ah yes, sorry if this sounds rude – but you look like an artistic person. Your outfit is wonderfully coordinated'
Rin had never been given such a polite yet pointed compliment before, and in such a natural way. She bowed her head in thanks to him and found out that he lived in a city apartment alone which was walking distance from his university. He worked a part time job at a bakery to make ends meet and also did some chauffeuring.
'Do you have any wild stories from the taxi business?' Rin murmured, sipping on her third drink, liking the way Akihiro's fringe seemed to occasionally fall in his face, causing him to habitually brush it back with his hand.
The man chuckled a little and said:
'Yes, I do happen to. I once had this old man who was so blind drunk, I was surprised he was even conscious. He kept asking me to drive him to San Francisco – and upon learning that I was, in fact merely a driver and not a pilot, he became quite upset and started crying. I had to fish around for his phone in his pocket to call his first contact, who happened to be this man's wife. I hadn't even finished explaining my job title to her when she cursed rather eloquently and said: 'not again' before demanding my location so she could pick up her – quote – 'beached whale of a husband'. I waited with the man who continued to hold his impressive amount of liquor right up until his wife showed up, at which point he vomited all over the side of my car. The good thing was, the wife paid me extra for the cleaning costs'
Rin had a good laugh at this story and was wiping at tears in her eyes when she overheard Ayami exclaim:
'You made it!' to someone.
Rin looked up with the smile still wide on her face to see Hakai.
His eyes, flickering with gold flecks in the dim lights, met hers for a moment and her smile immediately faded as she looked with shock at Ayami, the alcohol having eased her inhibition to show her exact emotions on her face considerably. But Ayami refused to meet Rin's look of frustration.
'What, isn't this guy that model? How is this fair?' One of the guys said, laughing it off and bowing to Hakai, as did the others.
The girl in between the two men on the other side was blushing so profusely at the presence of Hakai that Rin nearly laughed.
What quickly took that momentary mirth from Rin was the fact that Hakai sat right next to her, forcing her to cuddle up to the wall of the booth as much as possible. The last girl arrived soon after; she was an open, amiable girl from Europe who spoke fluent Japanese and sat down on the other side of Hakai. Now, they were a complete party.
Rin felt trapped yet wanted desperately for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She had been enjoying herself so much, and now this absolute jerk had showed up to ruin her mood again! But thankfully the alcohol flowed through her system and she became equally as determined to ignore the fact that she was locked in to her seating place by an egotistical boy who attracted everyone's attention, and instead focus on enjoying the company of the man opposite her; which indeed she was.
'More drinks for this table and we'll get a few plates of BBQ please!' The guy who Ayami spoke to ordered for everyone.
With another beverage in everyone's hand, Rin leaned forward in order to direct her attention on the college student.
'So is the old man a repeat customer?'
Akihiro had been slightly stunned by the appearance of a model to the table – but he was not the offended sort to feel threatened by a beautiful male sitting next to the woman he was beginning to feel an interest for. Rin was a lovely handful – small yet curvy and she had a very pleasing face.
'It's funny you ask that, I had him again last week' Akihiro grimaced humorously.
'No!' Rin re-joined in disbelief 'don't tell me he repainted your car with his stomach contents again?'
'I anticipated it this time and quickly swung him round to face the road as soon as I saw him about to go for it'
He and Rin laughed together.
Sesshomaru watched this exchange closely from the corner of his eye. It seemed Akihiro noticed the bishounen's interest and he politely included him in his next query;
'So how long have you two known each other?'
Rin became a little rigid and then breezily replied: 'oh, this guy? Just over a week, I don't know him very well' she lied. It felt like it had been months.
Sesshomaru now looked at Rin fully.
'She's actually my childhood friend' Hakai said to Akihiro – enjoying the look of annoyed bemusement on Rin's face.
'Oh?' Akihiro looked from one to the other, an eyebrow raised in question.
'He's mistaken' Rin half laughed, trying to brush it off. What on earth was he playing at?
'She always tries to deny it' Hakai said 'she's just ashamed of me'
Rin actually looked properly in his eyes for once and shot him a warning glare, and in doing so she noticed his hair was somehow – longer?
'Ashamed of you?' Akihiro scoffed at Hakai 'Isn't your face on the main billboard?'
Hakai merely half smiled, shrugging slightly, directing the question back to Rin with his eyes, an eyebrow slightly raised.
'I don't know what he's talking about' Rin re-affirmed to her new friend 'he started at my school last week – that's as long as I've known him for'
'Hm, no; I have no idea who is lying and who is telling the truth' Akihiro mused 'you both seem sincere in your stories. Is it possible, Rin-san, that you could have blocked memories from your childhood? Maybe you did know each other'
Rin laughed at the idea, but Sesshomaru's eyes gleamed across at Akihiro.
'Anyway, what made you come tonight?' Rin was desperate to cut off Hakai from her conversation, completely nonplussed at his strange behaviour, wanting to focus only on Akihiro.
'I guess – just loneliness' the man shrugged 'even if it's making friends, I find it hard to do at university, and what with working so much - this is really the only chance I get at meeting new people. I am certainly glad I came tonight' he gave Rin an appreciative look that made her involuntarily blush.
'Excuse me?' a stranger had come up to their table, dressed nicely. She was a bit older than Rin and Ayami and looked very elegant. 'Is this the mixer? Sorry I signed up late, but it said there could still be one more'
'Oh, sure! Nice to meet you!' Everyone bowed to her and she sat down next to the girl on Sesshomaru's left, causing them all to shift together more. Rin inwardly cringed as she felt her thigh touch Hakai's upper leg, and she leaned her upper body away as much as she could.
The drink flowed and the food was shared, and Rin eased even more thanks to the relaxant within alcohol, and she found herself exchanging family life details with Akihiro. Rin mentioned how her mother was sick and she was working to take the work load off her, and how she eventually hoped to end up as a graphic designer. Akihiro told Rin how his mother had passed away when he was young, and his father had raised himself and his two younger sisters with love and care.
His career as a scientist was looking promising, as he had got in to university on a scholarship and his tutors had high hopes for him.
Sesshomaru's eyes were focused peripherally on Rin's face at his side, even though he spoke with the girl across from him. Her soft thigh was pressed flush against his lean upper leg and occasionally, due to the drinks she had consumed, she would lean forward on the table and her round breast would brush against his forearm. Her scent had become increasingly musky the more she spoke with the damned human across from her, and the Demon Lord knew she was interested in that man. He studied her cute face – the small curved nose, the pretty pink lips and the large dark brown eyes and felt his beast beckon to his baser self. Her scent filled his nostrils to the point that being at proximity with other humans did not affect him as much as it might have.
Rin felt Hakai's leg press harder against her thigh, and though very tipsy, she still managed to edge away ever so slightly, attempting to ignore the unwelcome nearness. His thigh felt hard and insistent and Rin just wanted to focus on the sweet man across from her; - in her mind, Akihiro was the complete wonderful opposite to Hakai – and that was all she needed to feel any sort of attraction.
'If you'd excuse me one moment' Akihiro interjected his tete-a-tete with Rin 'I just need the bathroom'
'For sure!' Rin acceded, and the three others filed out of the other booth seat so Rin's conversation partner could exit.
Finally, Rin could say something to the suffocating person next to her.
'Hakai-san' she murmured his name to get his attention. Enabled from the alcohol, Rin swung her gaze to her left and upwards to candidly look Sesshomaru right in the eye. Unhesitating, she prodded his slim thigh with her forefinger.
'Could you give me some space? I am just about to become one with this wall'
The Demon returned her gaze enigmatically.
'You are closer to being one with your new friend than you are that wall' he replied coldly.
Rin immediately frowned angrily, 'this is a mixer! That is what it's for!'
She had not meant sex, but rather companionship, and only now that the words had left her mouth, did it seem like she was saying just that.
'Are you so desperate to offer yourself to anyone?' Hakai murmured derisively in reply.
'Speak for yourself!' Rin flung venomously in return, glancing at the girl opposite 'and if all you can think of is – is that, when it comes to these things, then you are extremely narrow minded'
The Demon's eyes seemed to glow darkly like lit embers in to Rin's fiery glare.
'If you are not thinking of it' his voice seemed to be a thunder roll in his chest, as he inclined his head towards Rin's small countenance 'then it is you who is narrow minded'
The girl realised just how close her face was to Hakai's – his glittering hazel eyes were hooded and looking piercingly in to her own – his strangely longer hair tickled her chin and she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks as he spoke. Her face heated up, but she blamed the alcohol as she tried to shy away from him.
'Akihiro is an honourable man, unlike you' Rin spoke down to him despite her diminutive size right against his large body, and the blush on her cheeks.
His muscular leg seemed to press in on her even more and Rin shuddered; the hot feeling in her core seemed to awaken something more ancient than her very soul.
'I am not like any man' he murmured threateningly to her 'you speak with contempt, yet I feel you tremble'
'Don't touch me' Rin hissed, desperation gripping her heart at the uncontrollable hotness that rose like searing flames within her, fanned to fire by his burning breath and heated words, his scent causing her to quiver; - 'let me out!'
Hakai chuckled, enjoying her discomfort with perhaps even greater pleasure than he had coveted his dreams of torment and torture.
'You will not be let out - until you learn some manners, like a good maid'
This made Rin gaze at the Demon with her mouth agape, enraged by him yet again; her bewildering body temperature still see-sawing in a nauseous fashion.
'M-manners?' She saw Akihiro was returning to the table, and before he resumed his seat opposite her, Rin jeered at Hakai lowly; 'My manners directly befit the mode in which you behave'
Truth be told, Rin also needed the toilet pretty soon – which just added on to the reasons she wanted to be as far from Hakai as possible. Yet how was she to get past the utter jerk? She breathed heavily to try and regain her equilibrium and composure.
'Ah, I see you two have known each other a while' Akihiro grinned as he returned to his seat 'the way in which you've been quarreling as I came back here gave the exact impression of long-time friends'
'She does not like to acknowledge me' Hakai bowed his head in agreement with Akihiro and Rin scowled at both men, feeling overcome and not listened to.
'The only friend I have known since childhood is a boy name Kohaku' she looked meaningfully at the personable man across from her, willing him to believe her side of the story. 'I certainly argue with him a lot, but not with the true anger in which I speak to the person next to me'
Akihiro narrowed his eyes, brushing his fringe out of his face. 'Then, you merely dislike this man. Poor guy' Akihiro smirked at Hakai.
'Don't be so hasty in casting aspersions, Rin has just had too much to drink' Hakai snaked his arm around the girl's shoulders, causing her to jump in surprise. 'See, we are perfectly at peace'
Rin felt such a warmth and protectiveness being under Hakai's arm and pressed against his side, that for a moment the purely drunken side of her did not want to move, but perhaps fall in to a deep sleep nestled against him. She was overwhelmed with his smell of manliness and cologne, the emanation of warmth so enticing, like a hearth fire, the comfort – attractive - !
Kicking herself greatly, Rin's alert and actively disgusted consciousness caused her to promptly slap Hakai's hand away and demand that she be let out from her corner.
Sesshomaru watched as Rin's face turned from Akihiro with a tender, amiable expression as she explained her need to leave, towards himself, where her pretty lips turned downward, and her brows drew in with a look of anger and demanding. The Demon cursed inwardly, swearing that one day he'd turn those expressions around the other way – so that her wide eyes looked up at only him with whimpering submission and obedience.
'I'll see you tomorrow night' Hakai said to her as he motioned to the other two girls to get up to allow Rin to leave.
'Tomorrow night?' Akihiro looked at Rin as he overheard Hakai's unusual remark. Rin blushed as she stood, explaining to her new-found interest that she worked at Hakai's apartment complex, and it was a part of her duties to clean his room.
'Ah' Akihiro's face relaxed again 'are you returning to the table?'
Rin glanced with longing at the attractive college student, then scathingly at the tall white-haired boy who had provoked her so grossly. It was his fault that she would not return to the table to pursue a conversation with Akihiro; unfortunately, the distastefulness of being pressed against That Person's side and the extremely unwelcome physical reactions that followed outweighed the allure of speaking with her new friend.
'Sadly no, I must return to my mother'
'That's a shame. I wonder, would it be too much to ask to have your number?'
Rin saw the look Ayami gave her, but she was too annoyed with her friend due to Hakai's presence to return the glance.
'Of course!' Rin was standing next to Hakai as she bent over to show Akihiro her contact.
'Thank you very much, Rin-san. It was wonderful to meet you'
'It was my pleasure, Akihiro-kun' Rin bowed to him and sent him a dazzling smile.
The call of nature rather imminent, Rin straightened herself and without a cursory glance at Hakai she rushed off in to the darkly crowded room.
'I'm sorry, what was your name again?' Akihiro's voice seemed to have come down a notch in tonal quality, and the smile in his eyes was gone as he addressed Sesshomaru. That Demon merely looked at the human male coldly after his gaze had returned from watching Rin's retreating back.
'If you attended this mixer to sabotage that lovely lady's chances at finding a partner, then you are despicable indeed' the college student remarked caustically, sipping his drink. He set it down again and returned the Demon's hazel gaze, that to his discomfort, he found considerably intimidating.
'It's obvious the girl doesn't like you, so you'd best leave her be' Akihiro concluded, polishing his glasses with his shirt, speaking with acerbic authority as though to a schoolboy he imagined Hakai to be.
The college student perhaps expected some emotionally charged, childish comeback from the guy. His ears pricked when the obnoxious wrecker of his conversation with Rin instead chuckled quietly in a humourless fashion.
'You said you studied genetics' Akihiro heard the pretty boy ask rhetorically; and he glanced at the white-haired model with a look of confusion – this impudent fellow had not even been at the table when that part of his conversation had taken place with Rin. Had he?
'Then perhaps' Akihiro watched with interest and a strange twinge of fear as the elegant male plucked a silver hair from his head, turning his eyes with cold hatred toward the college student. 'Perhaps before you continue your courtship of the girl, you should review the results from that specimen, and reconsider your position'
Sesshomaru could barely credit exchanging so many words with the waste of space Rin seemed so besotted by, but he'd suddenly felt like scaring someone for once; he was not used to being spoken to like a child by a creature immeasurably younger than he. For now, he had to find Rin quickly before she was eaten alive like a tasty morsel.
Akihiro held the fine white hair between his thumb and forefinger as though he'd been passed an alien artifact. What on earth had just transpired? What did that rude schoolboy mean by reviewing the results from this hair?
His mind ran rampant, and most of all the burning curiosity within the heart of the budding scientist told him he'd just been handed something of an anomaly.
That Hakai had seemed unusually striking, even for a model, and his turn of phrase was beyond the years of his school age.
Excusing himself, Akihiro rushed from the mixer and towards his university lab, holding the hair in his hand tightly.
Rin had relieved herself and breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, what a blessing to be gone from against the side of that reprehensible classmate!
She shuddered, allowing the coolness of the bathrooms to revive her sobriety somewhat and balance her soaring body temperature.
To think she had almost momentarily enjoyed Hakai's sideways mock embrace! What had he been playing at by pretending to have known her in front of Akihiro?
In stark contrast that college student was a man who seemed genuine and humble. Rin brushed down her left arm as though ridding her skin of the contact she had so regrettably had with Hakai.
'You will not be let out until you learn some manners, like a good maid'
Rin wanted nothing more than to slap him, twice – no! Three time across the face! A hot tear of anger sprung in her eye and she nearly had to slap herself to get a grip on the situation.
This was no good at all. She had to avoid any and all contact with that person, no matter how he provoked her.
Rin was above this emotional outburst and she was going to prove it.
Running cold water over her over-heated hands, Rin stared at herself determinedly in the mirror, before drying them and releasing her up do, running her fingers through her long hair to comb it out. Blinking hard she mentally affirmed that from now onward, she was not going engage Hakai in any way, shape or form.
Sesshomaru spotted Rin just exiting the restaurant and making her way down the busy mall, weaving among vendors and food stalls. Her lovely wavy brown hair was freely playing with the wind around her head and she seemed to have purpose to her quick walk.
The Demon kept his head low so to avoid anyone's gaze and lifted the lapels of his coat to reach up to his cheekbones, so as to partially hide his countenance.
So, the draw of speaking further with that weaselly college male was out-trumped by her disgust of being seated next to himself?
Sesshomaru sneered and did not keep his eyes from the back of her curly head.
She would learn how to want him, by the kami's.
She would soon realise that he was her only god.
The Demon Lord felt such a quick festering obsession over this one mortal that he nearly stopped to lash his beast to pieces with self-hatred, but the Yokai's urge had already been entertained too much by his thoughts.
Whether it was his direct connection with Rin and his returning powers, or her open loathing of him that provoked him – or possibly her fiery nature coupled with the utterly vulnerable expression of her face, and her small soft, curvaceous form; - his nails dug in to his palm as he kept trailing the girl ahead of him, cursing even his knowledge that Rin existed at all.
For once a demon focused on something, it was it's purpose to own it in entirety, even it took a thousand years to conquer it.
Back in the science building at the university, Akihiro had paired PCR buffer with enzymatic laundry powder in order to extract DNA from the hair follicle.
Being alone in the lab made the test seem even more ominous than perhaps it really was, and he waited with a strange sense of urgency for the results.
Completing extraction, the student placed the specimen within two fine transparent glass films and placed it under a microscope.
Peering through the lens, Akihiro froze.
Immediately turning the knobs every which way to ensure he saw rightly, he stepped back for some minutes before returning to study the object at the end of the scope.
In place of a double helix comprised of a sugar, base and phosphate, he saw only a shape resembling a lightning bolt, and it shone with a phosphorescence so blinding that he had to squint in to the lens. There were no recognisable components such as adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine – in fact, any trace of mortal DNA structure was absent. The matter seemed to let off sparks of energy, and Akihiro watched as suddenly the bolt-like structure disappeared altogether.
Staggering backwards against a bench, he gathered his senses, looking feverishly across at the bookshelf at the far end of the room. Half running toward the shelf Akihiro scanned the section under possible DNA aberrations and mutations, grasping the book with both hands to skim the contents. Therein was a diagram of found DNA irregularities, and among them was one shaped just like the structure he had witnessed.
'Found among remains from the graves of the 26 martyrs in 1596, this sample was re-structured using current technology to form a biological imprint resembling a lightning bolt. In ancient mythology, this same figure has been used to represent demonic apparitions materializing on the physical plane in human form, as lightning symbolises the turning of elements in to an entirely new creation – hence the trans-formative metaphor. However, this is merely conjecture. Other possible sources of this DNA molecule could include a lost race or tribe of humans, though no other known specimen has been recorded'
Akihiro read that paragraph probably twelve times before it began to sink in.
Could it - ? No. It could not.
A – a demon?
It was laughable!
He only believed in that which had proof and could be tested thoroughly.
Yet, had he not just tested the proof? Was he going to believe what his eyes just saw? With a quickening heart rate, he recalled the white-haired boy saying, 'reconsider your position after reviewing the specimen'.
The college student grew deathly pale and he had to sit himself promptly on the ground; the book falling from his hands.
There was no way – and yet; - that boy did indeed hardly look human. Not to mention, the creature had known he was a geneticist, though he had not even been present at that point of conversation.
If he was a – demon – then what was it doing on earth?
What purpose did it have to appear as a human among the living?
Was it haunting that lovely Rin?
It had seemed possessive of her, for sure.
Akihiro chewed his bottom lip aggressively. He had to think all of this over; he could barely comprehend what he had just seen.
If it was true, then he needed to tell Rin of the danger she was in and get her far away from that monster, as a matter of urgency.
Yet, he just as dearly did not wish to meddle in the affairs of a demon – if that was indeed the case.