The following day started like any other. The sun was still low in the sky when Haru woke just a minute before his alarm clock. The sound of civilization quietly crept into the room in the form of traffic and construction. Aside from the thought of being found out by Kagome and shunned, it was a peaceful morning…BEEP! BEEP! click...

Usually by now his sword Tsushiken would have said something to him. "Still bitter I see."

"I wouldn't be as you say if you hadn't made such a boneheaded move." That brought a smile to Haru's face, he had been brooding all night.

"Well, sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Sure it hurt, yet think of the lesson we learned."

"I disagree. We both know that you can use me to heighten your senses, but instead you decided to skip *happily along*, until you stepped on a landmine."

"I've been on this rock for seven hundred years and life has taught me not to sweat the small stuff," but that didn't satisfy Tsushiken, rather it made him quite perturbed.

"Couldn't you sense that Miko. She almost purified the both of us. I know your insignificant brain can't think two steps ahead, but that would have dissolved all of the demonic energy that we collected and destroyed you." Haru went cold recalling the memory. There had to be a balance between the two blades for him to survive. There was no arguing with him anymore.

"…and that's why I'm going to school!, so I can learn to use my brain better." Tsushiken scoffed in disgust at how easily he could blow off the concept of damnation.

"No, you go to school so you can be with women seven hundreds of years younger than you…"

"Ah yes," The young man sighed overdramatically. "My other goal in life, and I have you to thank for the opportunity." Haru gave the blade a mocking bow on his way out.

"You jackass." Haru was just able to make out before closing the door behind him. He didn't actually have that in mind on a day to day basis, but the thought of it made him smile. 'It's all good because I still act like a kid, right?'

"No!" A woman screamed down below. 'What the,' Haru looked over the stair ledge at three ladies in uniforms standing at the bus stop. Two were looking directly at the one who cried out, "My bus pass is gone." 'Oh thank goodness, and I thought the universe was telling me something,' Haru thought, noticing the their navy blue uniforms. 'It seems we attend the same high school even. I wonder if she would accept a favor?'

The bus stop was only a few meters from the apartment, it was convenient being this close to transportation. "Excuse me Miss. I thought I noticed that you're in a bind this morning, and was wondering if I could be of assistance?" 'Wow, that was formal,' he thought.

"No, I couldn't accept, it's my fault." The girl was predictable, most people in Japan thought this way.

"Well I don't mind, but if it really bothers you then you can pay me back tomorrow. I think we attend the same high school." The girl was really quite taken aback at Haru. It really must have mattered to her if she didn't reject his second offer.

"I suppose, but I'll be sure to pay you back right away." She uttered quickly after reluctantly accepting. "Thank you…"

'Hey stupid she's asking what your name is,' his brain slowly kicked in gear. "Oh sorry, I'm Matsuo Haru." She smiled.

"My name is Yuka, and these are my two friends, Eri and Ayumi." The look in their eyes were kind and welcoming. It was the least I could do. There was something about Ayumi that caught Haru's eye however. She was looking down in contemplation like there was something deeply troubling her. Perhaps it was school or a friend of hers, or maybe both. There wasn't anymore time to empathize because the bus was just arriving. Haru paid for Yuka's fare, she thanked him once again, and he made his way to the back corner. The girls decided to stay huddled somewhere in the middle and converse to themselves. 'Ahh women,' he thought then letting his mind trail away to watch the panorama of city life.

Kagome eyed the floor of the train intently. She couldn't help thinking about the demonic aura from the night before. Why did it happen that when she was in the Feudal Era she couldn't stop worrying about school, but here, there was always something from the past that troubled her. She was a person of two worlds. Although she could never forget where she came from and her friends along the way, Kagome's heart would always belong in the past with InuYasha.

It shouldn't have had to be this way. They managed to defeat Naraku, but when the two of them came back from the past, the gateway closed, taking her love away without choice. Kagome decided that it was because of her indecision at the time that caused her to become trapped, but it was simply the Shikon Jewel restoring the order of things with its departure. She wondered if it would have been better to be stuck for good in the Feudal Era. Her three best friends would stay completely ignorant of her travels; Mom, Gramps, and Sota would be equally in the dark, not knowing if she was alive of dead. Her mother above all had been so understanding of her situation. It would break her heart to be gone without a word, but now this. It was all so awful, she thought bringing tears to her eyes. "Last stop," she heard brining her attention back to the present; '… but I can't give up hope.'

Everyone cleared out of the train. Shortly after the tone, indicating its departure, sounded off. It felt strange these last six months how she had become much more independent. She was able to see her friends from Junior High on occasion, but classes were almost never the same. There was a time when they were all able to walk to school because of the short distance from home. Unfortunately, that changed as well. The three girls had told her that they would be taking a bus to school come the start of high school, and Kagome decided It was better taking the train each day because it meant more sleep every night. Still, there were still fond memories with her of their conversations about InuYasha, the psyco boyfriend (cue the violins). They would have to get together again for old times sake and maybe discuss the truth of where she had been all those days.

Ayumi, Eri, Yuka, and Haru disembarked from the bus along will a few other students. Haru made his way ahead to the school leaving the girls side. "…but that's crazy," one of them began. Ayumi had broken down about the night before. The date she was intending to go on would have been much better if it weren't for the freak happening right outside the restaurant.

"He fell ten stories," Eri began.

"…then jumped away like nothing happened?" Both girls were amazed at the story, but none more than Ayumi who had lived through it. The worst part is that her so called friend that night didn't even believe the story and thought she was blowing him off. Ayumi was just looking for reassurance, yet there was nobody that could collaborate her story. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"We believe you Ayumi," Eri chimed in again.

"Of course," Yuka agreed, thinking back to the last freak incident: the school play perhaps. Who knew that the school would allow a demolition like that, just for the sake of a cultural festival.

"I knew it." The three stopped dead in their tracks, and turned to see Kagome smiling brightly at them. "I knew I would see you ladies this morning." They instantly forgot their worries for the moment to greet her. "Kagome, it's been awhile. You haven't been sick at home have you?"

"Oh I wish…" Yuka seemed surprised at first but then reacted with a laugh to what she thought was sarcasm. Kagome only maintained her smile to attempt avoiding the awkwardness.

"Say Kagome, how's that boyfriend of yours doing? We haven't seen him in awhile." Aww they had hit the whammy, sullying her mood like a bucket of cold water. It took her awhile to get her words together. Ayumi quickly picked up on her mood.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it Kagome."

"No… I do. Just not right now." Kagome's words were quiet but firm as she looked up to address her friends. "How about this evening. There's a certain fast food chain I've been missing," but everyone, especially Ayumi, shuddered at the thought .

"Well you see Kagome," Eri began in support of her friend. "There was something really weird going on there the other night."

"I know I saw someone fall from the apartment building across the street, but then I saw the same person fly away like some kind of super-human." Kagome was suddenly thrown off her balance remembering the incident last night. It was probably the same demon that she had seen.

It was clear that he wasn't making any great attempt to conceal himself. Such reckless actions could raise all kinds of investigations if the wrong people found out. Before, a demon could roam the forest freely if he so chose, but today, humans far outnumbered demons. It was usually in their best interests to lay low if they wanted to enjoy the long span gifted to them. Kagome had never encountered such a demon in the present, and that kind of audacity and strength could pose a threat to the city and its residents.

"Kaaagooome…"

"What?" The nonresponsive priestess finally broke from her thought process.

"Houston we had made contact!" Yuka threw her hands up in the air in joyful praise.

"Do you know something about this Kagome?" Damn, Ayumi was always so perceptive in a sideways manor.

"No. No… of course not." Her voice ended on a high note. It would only further complicate the explanation she had to give, but they deserved to know the truth. "We should get together sometime soon though." Kagome let out a smile that reassured the girls that she did in fact know something.

"Whenever you're ready Kagome," Ayumi smiled warmheartedly back at her. 'You're going to let her off the hook that easily,' the other two thought back in unison, but Yuka was first to break up their mini get together.

"Look at the time!"

"*Yes, let's not be late*" Kagome let out cheerfully, moving briskly to the school campus.

"She's definitely hiding something." They all agreed. It was her way of handling things that took time: stay quiet and wait for her boyfriend to come around.

Notes:

Hey everyone. Sorry about the slow start; I will never be a fast writer, but I'm trying to make up for it with plot development.

Chapter 4 is almost done, so bear with me *RAWR*. I don't want to have to take back any of my words if the story changes direction in my head.

It will get more exciting,

I promise... *fades off into the sunset*