Chapter 5: A New Beginning

Kouga moved closer to the girl he suspected to be a priestess. Her breathing was getting heavy and she began to sweat profusely. "I- I don't feel good," she mumbled. And not even a moment later, she lost consciousness and started to fall over.


Kouga didn't hesitate to catch the fainting girl before her body reached the ground. He looked down at her prone form with a hint of concern. Her pulse was beginning to slow down, which he knew was a bad sign.

"Keh, what a weakling. That's definitely not Kikyou," a voice snorted.

Kouga glanced up and saw a boy around his age a short distance away. He had silvery-white hair, and was pinned to a large tree with an arrow through the chest. Kouga was surprised to see the dog demon was alive. The spiritual energy in the arrow holding him in place felt like it was strong enough to purify a lesser being.

"Don't you have bigger problems to worry about, half-breed," Kouga sneered. He had never seen a half demon in person before; but something about this guy, Kouga just didn't like. His disdain for the dog went far beyond their differences in lineage, but he didn't have time to dwell on the reason why.

"You mangy wolf! You're lucky I'm trapped here or else I'd-"

Kouga ignored the rest of the half demon's statement while he returned his attention to the human before him. The jewel had slipped from her loosened fist, and he eyed it warily, unsure whether or not the orb would purify him like it had done to one of his comrades earlier. For a moment, he hesitated. But with a glance towards the girl once more, he took note of just how much blood she was losing. The sight was enough for him to push forward. Carefully he grasped the small jewel and was relieved it hadn't caused him pain. He then placed the orb inside his chest plate.

"Yeah! Now we can go!" one of the wolf demons cheered.

"We'll be the most powerful tribe with the Shikon Jewel on our side!" said another.

Kouga let out a low growl while he gently picked up the wounded girl, "We're going back to that village to heal her."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Forget the human!"

The wolf demons halted their objections upon receiving a glare from Kouga. They looked at him in confusion. Why would Kouga want to save such a weak creature? Sure, she was easy on the eyes, but there were plenty of demonesses back at the cave. There was no viable reason why they had to save the priestess.

"Hakkaku, Ginta, come with me!" Kouga called out in a tone that said they had no room to argue.

The pair looked at each other, and then at Kouga. They could sense dismay amongst the tribesmen, but instead of addressing their fellow wolves they silently nodded, and before they knew it Kouga dashed- leaving them in the dust. The two wolf demons ran after him as fast as they could. From the look on their friend's face, he seemed determined to keep the girl alive.

"What do you think has gotten into him?" Ginta asked while they ran after him.

"I don't know, but he went through the trouble to rescue her from the centipede demon," Hakkaku replied while he tried to catch his breath.

"She did know Kouga's name. Maybe there's something important going on," Ginta said in between breaths.

Hakkaku nodded in agreement while they continued their way to the human village. When they caught up to Kouga, they found him inside one of the many huts. He had placed the girl on a mat while he rummaged through the confines of the human home.

"I need something to close the wound," Kouga said without looking at the pair entering the room, "she's bleeding out quick."

"I think I saw a healer's hut earlier, I'll go grab what I can," Hakkaku said before running off.

Ginta stepped closer to Kouga tentatively, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Kouga gruffly replied while he kneeled in front of the strange girl. He brushed her hair away from her face and silently admired its peacefulness. He had never seen her before, but he felt that he knew her. Could it be possible that they had crossed paths at some point? She had known his name after all. But he would have remembered meeting someone like her. Kouga wasn't sure if he believed in reincarnation, but perhaps in a past life they had known each other?

"Go help Hakkaku," Kouga said with an authoritative tone.

Ginta flinched at his friend's seriousness, but promptly spun on his heels. He ran out of the hut and went in search of Hakkaku. He was following the blonde's tracks; however, he put his search on hold when he noticed rustling in nearby bushes.

'What's that?' he wondered.

Stealthily he stalked towards the source of the noise, ready to attack anybody who may try to cause him harm. As he crept past the bushes, Ginta was surprised to see withered hands holding up a bow and arrow.

He came to a halt, "I mean no harm."


Hakkaku ran back into the room with a needle, thread and bandages. "This is all I could find," he said while he slid to a stop beside his blue-eyed friend.

Kouga snatched the items without a second thought, "Where's Ginta?"

"I thought he was here with you," Hakkaku said with furrowed brows. He watched while Kouga threaded the needle, but turned his head away when his friend lifted the garment covering the girl's upper body.

Kouga couldn't help but notice how soft and smooth her skin was. There were no signs that she'd seen battle or hard labor in her lifetime. It was almost like she had the skin of a newborn, she was simply flawless. More than likely this demon bite would be the only scar marring her delicate form.

"I need you to hold the flesh together," Kouga said to the blonde-haired demon.

"What?" Hakkaku squeaked. But he did exactly as he was told once he heard Kouga's growl. With hesitant moves, Hakkaku placed his hands on each side of Kagome's gash and pushed the split skin together while Kouga haphazardly stitched them in place.

Kouga made a knot at once he was finished and cut the remaining thread with his claw. He glanced at the closed wound with satisfaction, but he then frowned when noticed the amount of blood on his hands.

"She didn't even stir; do you think she'll make it?" Hakkaku asked.

"Maybe. We'll see," Kouga said grabbing hold of the bandages his friend had placed next to him, "hold her up so I can wrap this around."

Hakkaku grimaced at the order, but he took hold of Kagome's shoulders and lifted her up so Kouga could begin wrapping the wound.

"I wouldn't do that if I was ye'," said an unfamiliar and raspy voice.

The pair looked back at the intruding voice and were surprised to see an old woman beside Ginta. She was short and heavyset, and wore an eyepatch on her right eye. But what stood out more than her physical appearance was the pure aura that emitted from the woman. If her power wasn't a dead giveaway enough, she also wore a white haori and red hakama, which signified her position as a priestess.

Ginta held up his hands as signal for peace, "Lady Kaede is a healer. I told her about the human, she's willing to help."

"She's also a priestess," Kouga snarled.

"But isn't this girl one as well?" Hakkaku asked in a confused tone, but quickly shut his mouth after receiving a death glare from Kouga.

Kaede cleared her throat and took a step forward, "If ye' cover the girl's wounds without a healing salve, she will die from infection."

Kouga stared at the woman for a moment, silently debating whether he should trust the old priestess. But he turned to Ginta and gestured for him to set the girl down. They both moved over to give the priestess space to work.

Kaede kneeled beside the unconscious Kagome. The closer she got to her, the more she noticed the uncanny resemblance to her long dead sister Kikyou. Her eye went down to Kagome's poorly stitched side, 'All this to save a young girl, I've seen it all,' she thought in awe.

Upon hearing the blue-eyed demon grunt, Kaede shook off her musings and reached for a nearby gourd. She uncorked the container and the smell of sake assaulted the wolves' noses. They looked on warily while the old woman poured the liquid on the poorly stitched wound. Silently she reached inside the sleeves of her haori, which made the demon trio tense up. But they relaxed after seeing her pull out a small clay pot and lid held together with a thin rope. With ease, she unraveled the knot and revealed a green, earthy-smelling gel. Expertly she applied the salve and wrapped the bandages around the wounded torso.

"She just needs rest now," Kaede said turning towards the wolf demons.

"Thank you," Ginta piped up to break the awkward silence.

"Since I've helped treat ye' companion, I ask ye' to leave this village alone," Kaede said while making eye contact with Kouga.

Kouga nodded, "Fair enough… So long as our group is welcome. The girl is in no condition to travel."

Kaede frowned at his request, "If ye' and your men don't harm our people, ye' all will be allowed to stay until she is healed." She looked towards Hakkaku and Ginta also, "But if ye' try anything funny, we will not hesitate to protect ourselves."

Kouga stood, making the old woman tense a bit in fear, "Fine. I'll let them know what's going on."

"But don't we have to return to the tribe soon?" Ginta asked.

The blue-eyed wolf demon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Anybody that doesn't want to be here can go home. I'm not rushing to see Iwao's ass." He turned to leave, but offered the injured girl one last glance before walking out the door. Hakkaku and Ginta followed closely behind him, not wanting to be left alone with a priestess and unconscious girl.

"What a strange day this has been," Kaede mumbled to herself.


Days went by and the human girl had not awakened. Some of the men had said Kouga was wasting his time and left the village to continue their ransacking mission along with their wolfish companions. Others just returned to the eastern lands. Before they departed however, Kouga told the men that he did not possess the Sacred Jewel.

"What do you mean that's not the Shikon Jewel?" one of the men had asked.

"We saw its power with our very eyes," another chimed in.

Kouga sucked his teeth, "It's not the Sacred Jewel from legend."

"So, what was it that fell out of the girl's body," another asked.

"The orb that left the girl's body is a jewel all priestesses are born with. It holds their power. The priestess in the village has informed me of this," Kouga lied.

"Really? I'll have to slice up a few priestesses to see if that's true," laughed one the demons.

"I guess that makes sense how poor Hiro was purified," sighed another demon.

"Why aren't you affected?"

Kouga growled, "Calling me weak?"

The tribesmen cowered, "Nah, it's not like that Kouga!"

"Then shut your mouths and don't tell Iwao nothin'. He ain't gonna' be happy being teased about the Shikon Jewel," Kouga said sternly.

The men nodded and whispered among themselves. The current leader of the eastern lands would not take kindly to the news. He would probably have one of their heads if they misled him like that.

Kouga shook his head at the flashback. He felt guilty about lying to his fellow tribesmen, but Iwao didn't need to know he currently possessed such a powerful trinket. He was already a tyrannical alpha, and the last thing subjects of the eastern lands needed was to make him stronger.

However, Kouga wasn't sure if everything he had said was even a lie. He had no clue if the jewel really was the Shikon no Tama. The girl hadn't woken up to provide them answers. And so, he waited and waited. But it got boring quick waiting for the girl to heal. Despite this, Kouga was grateful towards his longtime friends, Ginta and Hakkaku, who were the only demons to remain by his side.

As days went by, the trio remained on the outskirts of the human village. They alternated between hunting and resting while they stayed close to priestess Kaede's hut. It was advised that they not journey far from the old woman's residence in efforts to not step on the human villagers' toes. Aside from this, the wolf demons stayed in the area in case the injured girl woke up.

By the eighth day, the wolves were nearly at their wits end. Not having much else to do, the trio passed time by talking.

"Uh, I know I said I wanted her liver, but that girl is kind of too pretty to eat," Hakkaku said.

Ginta laughed, "Yeah I agree! It would have been a waste to eat her."

"Heh, wouldn't take you two for the type that likes humans," Kouga said aloofly.

Hakkaku rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Well, we don't know if she's fully human ya' know- she has blue eyes after all. Humans don't have those."

"I did wonder what that was about-" Ginta interjected.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kouga smirked and crossed his arms while he leaned a shoulder up against a tree, "she's not hard to look at. She could pass for a demon if it wasn't for the scent."

He would have said more, but they all sensed Kaede exiting her hut. They looked at the old woman's form from a distance and saw her gesture for them to come over.

"Speak of the devil," Kouga mumbled and raced over to her.

"The girl shows signs of waking. You may greet her if you wish. She may be confused after being asleep for so long," Kaede explained while she opened the door to let him inside. She would allow them a few minutes of privacy before she would introduce herself.

Hakkaku and Ginta stopped beside her, unsure if they should enter. They looked at each other, and shrugged their shoulders before pressing their ears up against the hut wall. Eavesdropping just seemed like a better bet.

Meanwhile, Kouga was once again kneeled beside the raven-haired girl. She stirred and lightly groaned before she opened her sapphire eyes. She blinked a few times until her vision cleared. All she saw for a moment was a wooden ceiling, but then she noticed a figure next to her.

She gasped, "Kouga?"

"Hey." He couldn't help but smile at her reaction. She was adorable with her large eyes. It was almost like she was a cub taking in her surroundings for the first time.

Kagome tried to sit up but winced at the pain she felt on her side, "Owww."

Kouga put his hand on her shoulder and gently placed her back down on the mat, "You're injured. That Mistress Centipede got in a good bite."

"Mistress Centipede?" she asked until realization dawned on her, "Oh yeah, that monster attacked me."

"That demon," Kouga corrected.

Her eyes widened slightly, 'Just like my dream... Demons are real?' Kagome looked up at the inhuman pale blue eyes staring at her, "Are you a demon?"

Kouga looked at her in shock. She couldn't tell? But instead of interrogating her, he nodded his head softly, "Yes, a wolf demon."

"And you saved me," Kagome said incredulously.

Kouga brushed the stray hairs out of her face, not realizing how intimate the simple touch could appear to onlookers. He noticed her blush, "You've been out a long time. Almost thought you weren't going to make it."

"How long have I been unconscious?" Kagome asked while she nervously bit her lip.

"I'd say about seven nights," Kouga answered. He pulled his hand away, "What's your name girl?"

"Higurashi Kagome, I told you that earlier though," she said with a disappointed sigh. It seemed that the man, or should she say demon, before her was not the Kouga she thought she knew.

"Oh," Kouga bashfully looked away for a moment before he looked at her again, "You have a family and given name. Do you come from nobility?"

Kagome let out a laugh that she quickly regretted. Her side felt like it was burning, but she tried her best to push past it, "Not at all. I'm just a normal girl."

"You wear strange clothes," he said in a tone that showed he was skeptical towards her response.

"My clothes? It's my school uniform… You're the one wearing strange clothes," Kagome said defensively.

"School uniform? Last time I checked humans weren't fond of educating their females," Kouga replied, "and I wear the armor and furs of the eastern wolf tribe. It's not strange at all."

Kagome tilted her head, "Dressed like a warrior, running around with wolves, what is this- the feudal era?"

"Hmm… I've heard that term before. I guess it's an accurate description for the times we live in," Kouga said thoughtfully.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. She was simply in disbelief at what she heard, even though given the events she experienced she shouldn't be, "Feudal era… I'm in the feudal era," she whispered.

Kouga eyed her suspiciously, "You say that like you weren't aware."

"I must be dreaming," she whispered.

"You're not," Kouga replied.

She looked at him in despair, "I'm not from here! That centipede demon dragged me here from my home."

Kouga grabbed Kagome's hand in effort to comfort her, "I suppose that explains things. Are you from a land far away?"

Kagome nodded her head and gently squeezed his hand while she thought of her next words carefully, "Yeah, I guess you can say that. I don't know how I'll get home."

With his other hand, Kouga reached into his chest plate and grabbed the mysterious jewel he had been keeping safe the last few days. He held it up to her eye level, "How did you come to possess this?"

She blinked a few times before answering, "The Shikon no Tama? I- I don't know. My grandfather had just told me about it a few days ago. I didn't know it was inside my body."

'So, it really is the Sacred Jewel,' Kouga noted to himself.

"It was in my body, right? I didn't imagine that?" her voice interrupted in an unsure tone.

"It did, my guess is that's why the centipede demon had it out for you," Kouga thoughtfully rubbed his chin, "But you must be a priestess of some kind, it was in your possession. Not to mention the spiritual power you exhibited when we fought the centipede mistress. Is that school of yours a training ground for your kind?"

"Maybe… I did grow up on a shrine, and grandpa has said we were descended from priests and priestesses. But I don't know anything that's going on or why. And my schooling doesn't teach such things," she replied.

"I see," Kouga said while he gripped the jewel tighter, "so you don't know how to harness the jewel's power?"

Keeping her grandfather's lecture in mind, Kagome held his hand firmly, "No, I don't know how to use it, and even if I did- I can't allow you to have it."

Kouga scoffed, "What can you do to stop me? I can snap your neck like a twig."

Kagome winced at his callous statement and fought back tears, "Please don't do this Kouga," she begged.

The wolf demon in question pulled his hand away and silently regretted his words. He placed his hand on his knee while the other rolled the jewel between his fingers. She was pleading with him, and it was upsetting to see her so distressed. Did she think he was actually going to carry out his words or do something evil with the jewel? The thought kind of offended him, but he tried to push the feeling aside.

"How do you know my name," he asked seriously in attempt to change the subject.

Kagome caught her breath before she spoke, "Where I come from there's a boy who looks just like you. He has the same name too, but he's human."

"Oh yeah? This I'd have to see to believe," Kouga said unimpressed, "I thought there would be a more interesting explanation, like you've heard rumors of my brave feats in battle."

"You're very full of yourself," she mumbled and broke eye contact with him.

Kouga's ears perked up. He was surprised at her sudden change in mood and that she was bold enough to insult him, but he was also entertained, "Well look at me, how could I not be?"

He saw her roll her eyes before she attempted to roll over so her back could face him. She failed royally however and fell over on her back. He couldn't help but let out a boisterous laugh, the human girl before him was fun to watch. She wasn't like any other human he encountered. But to be fair, none had lasted long enough for him to have a conversation with.

"Stay still before you hurt yourself, Kagome."

She froze once she heard him address her by her first name. It sounded so much like the Kouga from her home. Realization dawned on her for a second time. There was a chance that she might not be able to see him, her family and the rest of her friends again, and that reality pained her heart. She silently hoped there was a way for her to get back to the present. If this Kouga was telling the truth, her home was roughly five hundred years away.

"Don't lay here sulking. I'm sure you're quite the catch for those human boys where you come from," he said, misunderstanding Kagome's sadness. He adjusted his kneel to a more comfortable position and sat back. He crossed his legs before he spoke again, "You look old enough, you must be promised to someone."

Kagome blushed furiously at his statement, "You're insane! I'm not promised to anyone! I'm too young for that, I have school to worry about, I don't have time for a relationship."

Kouga quirked an eyebrow at her response, 'Maybe that's why human men are so against educating their girls,' he mused. "Well that wouldn't stop males from being interested, especially with those pretty eyes you have."

"Are you hitting on me?" Kagome asked incredulously.

The joy on Kouga's face was quickly replaced with confusion, "I'm not harming you-"

Kagome shook her head at their miscommunication, "It's an expression. Never mind."

"Do the humans where you come from have blue eyes like yours?" he asked curiously, "It's more of a demonic trait, and I don't scent any demon blood in you."

Kagome sighed, "Only some. But blue eyes aren't exclusive to just demons. Humans can have a variety of colors: brown, green, blue, grey, hazel, even violet. We can have different colored hair too."

"Get out of here!" Kouga cried in disbelief.

She shook her head to signify that she wasn't lying, "It's true. It just depends on what your parents were born with."

"And who has blue eyes in your family?" he asked.

"My dad did," she said sadly, which Kouga took note of. He made sure to not ask further on the topic.

"It's been nice chatting and all, but I can't just let you have the Shikon no Tama. I don't know much, but my grandfather told me how destructive it can be," she said determinedly.

"Not a chance little human, I need this," he said tossing the orb in the air and catching it with ease.

Kagome frowned, "But why? You seem strong enough already."

Kouga smirked at the compliment, but his face became serious again by the time he was ready to speak again, "I need to become leader of the eastern lands."

"You want the jewel so you can take over your homeland? I'm sure you could do that on your own without it's help-"

"No, I can't," he interrupted, "and the eastern wolf tribe is not my home."

"So, you're planning a coup?" she asked with an eyebrow raised, "That sounds just like the selfish desire that could corrupt the jewel."

Kouga sighed, "I'm not this tyrant that just wants power for myself. I have my reasons."

She observed him closely before she said a thing, "Okay. What's your reason?"

He took a heavy breath, "I'm originally from the southern wolf tribe. My father was its leader. Everything was going well until Iwao came to power in the east."

'Stone man? What kind of name is that?' she thought to herself. "What did this Iwao do?" Kagome asked furrowing her brow. She wasn't sure where this story was going to lead, but if it was anything like the name- it couldn't be good.

"Typically wolf tribes respect pack law. Iwao isn't one of those wolves though," Kouga's eyes glossed over while he began to tell Kagome his tale, "He was infatuated with my mother. Unfortunately for him, wolves mate for life and my mother loved my father. She would never betray him."

Kagome gulped. She didn't like where these details were headed.

"I guess Iwao's power went to his head, because he traveled to the south to woo my mother. She rejected him… He couldn't accept that."

"W-what happened?" she whispered.

"My father took me out hunting with him when I was only a cub. Mother was gathering healing roots not far from where we were. When my father scented Iwao in the area, he knew it couldn't be good. He told me to return to our den. I didn't listen."

Kagome's heart quickened. She could visualize a small Kouga alone in the forest, confused and unsure about what was going on.

Kouga gritted his teeth, exposing his beastly fangs. At the same time his hands tightened into fists, one of which concealed the jewel, "I followed my father, concealed my scent just like he'd shown me earlier. Iwao tried to force himself on my mother. My father jumped in of course to defend her honor… He didn't win."

"Kouga, I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically.

However, Kagome's condolences were not enough. Kouga shook with anger, "Iwao knew he was screwed when he killed the leader of the southern tribe. He had to silence the only other witness there, my mother."

Kagome could see the Shikon Jewel in his hand glow. It was strange how she could suddenly see through his flesh- just like she had when she plucked the jewel from the Mistress Centipede's body. Instead of the orb's usual lavender color, it had darkened into a deep shade of purple. It was nearly black. 'That can't be good,' Kagome thought to herself.

"I should have done something… I'm such a coward!" He yelled.

The whites of his eyes took on a hint of pink that scared her. Kagome didn't know much about demons, but she could sense the foreboding aura emitting from his body. Slowly Kagome pushed herself up in a sitting position. The movement was immensely painful, but she tried not to dwell on it.

She adjusted her body so she sat in front of him and grabbed his hands, "Kouga, it's not your fault. You were a child. There wasn't much you could do."

Kouga's body continued to shake while he gripped Kagome's hands tightly. She winced in pain, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. His eyes remained pink and he let out another growl.

"Kouga, please? Listen to me, it's not your fault," Kagome repeated, "Please calm down, the jewel is turning black."

The wolf demon remained unresponsive to her pleas. He simply stared off into space. Kagome tried to pull her hands away, "Kouga you're hurting me." He continued to growl and squeeze, making her heart skip a beat in worry. The pain was starting to become unbearable.

"Kouga!"

He flinched at her high-pitched scream. Slowly, his eyes reverted in color along with the Sacred Jewel. Kagome eyed both warily, she had no idea what was going on.

When Kouga came to, he glanced down at Kagome. Her face showed fear. She snatched her hands away, and he noticed bruises forming, "I'm sorry."

"Give me the jewel."

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

Kagome opened her hand, "I'll help you any way I can, but give me the jewel."

Kouga frowned, but he complied.

"How could you live with someone like that?" Kagome asked while she cradled the jewel in between her sore fingers.

Kouga sighed, "It hasn't been easy… I infiltrated the eastern lands about fifty summers ago."

She gasped, "Fifty? How old are you?"

"Heh, kinda lost count after two hundred, perhaps two hundred and three," he said nonchalantly.

"And here I was worried about turning fifteen," she mumbled to herself.

Kouga smiled weakly, 'She's definitely no demon. She'd still be a baby at that age.'

"So… What's the plan?" Kagome asked.

Kouga nodded his head seriously, "I have Iwao's trust. We just have to wait and strike when he least expects it."

"Some plan," she said unimpressed.

"You got a better one?" He asked in a way that showed he was insulted.

Kagome shook her head, "Not really. But I'm really tired."

"Yeah, I suppose you need your rest," he said and rose to his feet.

He turned his back and made moves towards the door until he heard Kagome's voice once more, "You're stronger than you think, Kouga."

The wolf demon paused and spared the girl a final glance. He wasn't sure what made him reveal such a personal piece of information about himself, but he appreciated her attempt to comfort him. If anyone had told him a week ago that he'd enjoy getting so familiar with a human so quickly, he'd laugh before knocking their teeth out. But this girl, she was just bringing something out of him, and it was kind of unnerving.

He inelegantly snorted before exiting the room. Slowly, Kagome lowered herself onto the tatami mat she had woken up from. From a distance, she heard two male voices wailing.

"Kouga! We had no idea!"

"You idiots were eavesdropping?"

"Iwao's such a bastard!"

"Wha- let me go! Stop hugging me!" Kouga cried.

Kagome couldn't help but smile faintly while she slowly dozed off. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd wake up to see that this was all a crazy dream.


"Where on earth is Kagome?" Eri whined.

"Her mother said she was sick with a bad case of the flu," Ayumi replied.

Yuka frowned in response, "Yeah, but it's been a week already! She's missed two tests. You know how much she struggles in math."

The brunette-haired trio sat at their usual spot in the school cafeteria. Incessant teenaged chatter and excitement filled the room, but the girls in question couldn't help but miss their shy blue-eyed friend. She was the baby of the group; without her, they couldn't have their fun teasing the timid girl.

Aside from the jokes, Kagome's presence was greatly missed. It was also a bit concerning since the last time they saw their friend, she was soundly asleep in an underage boy's car. Hopefully the devilishly handsome Kouga was a perfect gentleman towards Kagome. They would have to ask her for all the juicy details next time they saw her.

Eri frowned and picked at her bowl of rice with her ebony chopsticks, "Kagome nearly failed algebra last year. Geometry doesn't seem to be going well either."

"I don't know why, it's so easy-" Yuka began to say but was nudged by a disapproving Ayumi. "We all struggle with things… Same way Kagome had to help you pass history class. You should help her study," Ayumi said while she pulled at one of her stray curls.

Yuka sighed, "I suppose you're right. She saved my behind. I'll make sure to take detailed notes for her while she's out."

"Great! I can pitch in and take additional literature notes," Ayumi said happily.

Both girls looked at Eri after. She stared back at them blankly, "What?"

"Eri! We need to help Kagome," Ayumi chastised.

"Fine, fine! I'll write down notes for English class. She's terrible with that too," Eri said, "It's pretty ridiculous though. How can she be hafu and not able to speak English?"

"Her father was hafu," Yuka corrected.

"And he died when she was very young," Ayumi added, "Who's to say he even spoke English? We don't even know where his other half is from."

Eri pouted in annoyance, "Well she should know another language, everyone should. We live in a globalized economy! But Kagome should especially learn if she's going to look like that."

"Don't be one of those, Eri! You're talking about globalization, but you sound all backwards like a grandma. Kagome looks very Japanese. The only giveaway are her eyes, but they're a dark blue. Almost like circle lenses," Yuka countered.

"Yeah, her eyes aren't as striking in color as-" Ayumi glanced over silently towards the back of the cafeteria. Eri and Yuka followed her line of vision and saw she had gestured at Kouga. Ayumi turned around to face them once more, "You know…" she whispered while she not-so-subtly tilted her head in his direction.

Eri and Yuka nodded in agreement and whispered their thoughts on the strange boy who had transferred to their school. They hadn't interacted with him since the dance, he seemed to be a loner. At least it appeared that he was whenever Kagome wasn't around. It was almost funny to see how anti-social the Kouga was. Girls in school were completely enamored with his mysterious "bad boy" aesthetic.

A short distance away, Kouga sat reading his book at his table. No one joined him to his relief. They were all too intimidated to engage him in conversation. His ears perked up however, when he overheard Kagome's friends gossiping. He was glad to hear that her friends were relatively supportive. It was impressive that they were willing to step up so she wouldn't fall behind. Unfortunately for them, he knew Kagome wouldn't be returning for some time. He was also shocked to hear how her friends discussed her lineage while wasn't present. 'I guess humans aren't much different. They care about pedigree as well,' he mused, 'Hanyou, hafu. My, how things have changed… No wonder Kagome had such a soft spot for him.'

Kouga frowned at the thought of round amber eyes. He shook his head silently to disperse the image from his mind. The bell rung in time to save the boy from his brooding. Slowly he closed his book and stood while he watched the rest of the students rush out of the cafeteria.

He looked up at the ceiling, 'Kagome, I just want you to be okay…'