ONCE AND AGAIN
By Jodie-chan
Chapter 7 Counter Strike
Souta and his nephew climbed up the steps of the shrine where they live. When they reached the God-tree, Souta stopped and put his nephew down. The kid's awakened since they started climbing the shrine's steps. He bent down in front of the kid and held his shoulder. He looked sideways making sure no one's around to listen.
"Inari-chan, listen to me? Don't tell your Mama that you got lost in the mall, ok."
"Why?" Inari asked innocently.
"Because if you tell her, she'll get angry then she will not let you go into the mall anymore," Souta said trying to sound scary. The boy widened his eyes and pouted.
"You're lying, Uncle Souta! Mama loves Inari very much!"
"Of course she does, but if you can't go to the mall anymore, you will never have an ice cream ever again…and you will never see Barney. Again!" He threatened the boy eyeing him curiously.
"Humph! Ok… But can you take me to the park, Uncle Souta? I wanna ride the horse!" He looked at his Uncle face pleadingly with puppy eyes.
"Eh?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, 'What if I lost him again…hmmmnn… No way!'
"No I can't," he said calmly standing up from his bent knees.
"But…" He looked at the kid and saw a hurt emotion on his cute face, but he's not willing to give up.
"No buts Inari-chan, I can't afford to get you lost again." He said while waving a finger on the boy's face. The boy lifted a brow.
"Ok! I'm just gonna tell Mama!" He said then raced through the house.
"Hey!" He called and chased the boy. When he caught him, he turned him around.
"OK! I'm going to take you to the amusement park on Sunday… just don't tell your Mama." He sighed.
"Yay! I promise!" The boy made a crossed finger against his chest and hugged his Uncle and started to skip to the door.
"Man this kid is sure sneaky… I wonder where did he get that character? Onee-chan is quite intelligent but not that smart… must be from his father." He muttered quietly and followed the boy.
"Ba-chan!" Inari squealed happily while bounding to find his grandmother. Mrs. Mikan Higurashi appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron.
"How's my very handsome, grandson?" She said then hugged the boy tightly. Inari giggled and Souta rolled his eyes.
"Hmmm… Where you two have been? And why your nephew's shirt is this dirty?" She turned to Souta and eyed him accusingly.
Souta gulped and shot his nephew a tell-and-I-wont-take-you-to-the-park-look. The kid only grinned and nodded.
"It's just an ice cream, I bought him one on our way home, he wont stop whining if I didn't."
"I better clean you up dear, before your mother gets back home." She took the boy to the bathroom and asked Souta to get some clean clothes for his nephew.
A few days had passed in the Takagi Advertising since the arrival of their new and young President. He seems to be in good working environment with the rest of the employees on the 10th floor. Men admire his meticulous and strict policies while the women…ahem, admire him with his good looks and sturdy character, but not for a certain someone.
Kagome has been sighing a hundred times since she sat in front of the computer inside her office. She has been trying to finish the lay out of the storyboard to be presented to their client who wants their shampoo product to be advertised in TV and radio.
Sango entered her private office and looked at her friend closely. She didn't even notice her entering.
"Kagome-chan, you ok?" Sango flicked a finger in front of her face.
"Huh?" She looked at Sango with questioning look.
"I said, are you ok? You seem to be in deep thought. What possibly could the problem be? I mean the concept you made for the shampoo product is excellent. The Creative Department agreed with it right? We're just waiting for the client's presentation." Sango finished and looked at Kagome who had just turned her expression to a very irritated one.
"That is the problem." She said gruffly
"Why?" Sango asked curiously.
"Well, the jerk… I mean Mr. Takagi asked me yesterday to present and explain the concept we have come out. The idea we had tried very hard to think of was just put into waste!"
"What!" Sango was shocked too. She knew how hard it is to come out with a very good idea for an ad concept. That wasn't a joke at all. She couldn't believe what she heard from her friend. She sat in one of the chairs in front of Kagome's desk.
"He rejected everything! And I mean everything, from the concept itself to the colors, lightings even the execution we planned. Everything!" Kagome burst in anger; she couldn't contain it anymore.
"What are we going to do? The client is expecting the presentation on Monday!" Sango was angry too. It would take some time to start again and finish everything. They will rush the concept and it might not come out well if not properly prepared and brainstormed.
"He wants me to change everything and come out with another idea." Kagome said while waving a hand. She calmed herself a bit.
"But it's not that easy. Does he even know that? Sango said sympathetically.
"That's what I told him and he didn't even listen to my explanation." Kagome sighed. "I didn't tell you about this, because I don't want all of you to feel bad. I know how hard you all tried to help me create this ad concept."
"But Kagome-chan, I know you can do it, you're smart and creative but we don't have much time. Are you sure you want to do it alone?" Kagome stretched, looked up and stared at the ceiling.
"I'll do my best Sango-chan. If I have to bring this at home, then I'll do it. Just don't tell the rest about the jerk's rejection, ok. Promise me." She looked at her friend and smiled weakly.
"Why does he seem so hard on you?" Sango shook her head. "He looks fine with the others… Did he really take personally what happened when you two first met? I mean, you already apologized, and he didn't. If there is someone who has to be upset, it's you and not him."
"I don't know Sango-chan. Everything I do, since he started working with us, he could always find something to question. Every idea I would come out with, it's either he ridicule it or laugh at it! He is such a jerk! If we can only present those concepts with our clients without his approval, we may get almost all the possible bigger accounts that we target. In the first place why do we still need his approval, our former President did not demand anything like that." She finished.
"Well, he did tell us about that in our first meeting with him, right? He makes his own rules, and one is his approval in any ad concept we came out with before client's presentation. I think he's really perfectionist." Sango said figuratively.
"Yeah right! He's not even perfect himself!" Kagome huffed
"But he does look good, ne Kagome-chan?" Sango looked at her and winked.
"Sango-chan, don't tell me you're one of his fan girls now?" Sango rolled her eyes.
"Not in my dreams!"
"Why? You prefer Miroku?" Kagome teased when they heard shrieks outside.
"HENTAI!"
(BAM!)
"PERVERT!
(SLAP!)
The two face faulted.
"Speaking of the lecher." Kagome said lifting a brow.
"I knew it!" Sango said annoyed.
Miroku knocked on the door and entered Kagome's office with a lump on his head and a red handprint on his face.
"Good day to you beautiful ladies!" He said with a usual perverted grin. Sango eyed him accusingly and started to edge away from him.
"Same to you Miroku." Kagome greeted him with a smile while Sango glared at him.
"Lovely Sango how's your day?" He turned to look at Sango who's scooting as far away as she can from him.
"My day is just fine a few minutes ago before you came in!" She said while her brows furrowed.
"You're hurting my feelings lovely Sango." He tried to sound sad but his grin didn't leave his feature.
Kagome looked at them both noting how Sango has been affected by Miroku's flirtations. She smiled to herself when Miroku spoke again.
"Well anyways, I just came here to inform you Kagome, Inuyasha wants to talk to you about the new concept you made." He looked at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry about what he did, rejecting everything you all worked hard for." He sighed.
"It's ok Miroku, tell him I'll be there in a minute." She said smiling although she looked sad.
Miroku stood and left Kagome's office but not without groping Sango that earned him another lump on the head.
Inside Inuyasha's office, he waited impatiently for Kagome when the phone rang. He picked it up and answered it.
"Hello…hmmnnn…. ok…. let him come in." He put the phone down and resumed to sort all the folders on his desk.
He's in a very bad mood since his lawyer, Attorney Hirigizawa called him last night warning him that his wife, Kikyou would come in Tokyo any time soon.
'Why wouldn't she just leave me alone? If she only needs my fucking money, why does she have to be so difficult.' He snapped out of his thought when the door opened and his Secretary peeked.
"Mr. Takagi, you have a visitor, he said he's your brother?" He nodded and motioned for her to let the guest enter his office.
The man was clad in a very expensive looking Armani suit, with long silver hair that reached past his waist and a matching golden eyes, emerged from the door. His expression is as cold as ever. No emotions could be drawn out of him. He looked so elegant and dignified, all Inuyasha could never be.
"Keh! What brought your ass here Sesshoumaru?" He smirked.
"Still with the bad-ass attitude, Inuyasha." He said with a poker face.
Inuyasha glared at his half-brother.
"Wouldn't you at least ask me to sit down? Is that how you treat a guest?" He smirked.
"Go sit wherever you desire!" He growled with annoyance. He wasn't in the mood to joke around, not now that he has problem to deal with especially not with annoying half-brother.
"Well, well…looks like you're not enjoying your work here. Or is it because of your wife?" He made himself comfortable in a couch against the wall in the right side of the room.
"Screw you Sess! I don't want to talk about that bitch! So shut up!" He threw glare daggers over his brother.
"Fine, I just came here not because I want to but because Dad asked me to. He wants to make sure, you wouldn't mess up our business."
"Whatever…" he snorted.
"I haven't come in this office for almost two years. I couldn't recognize much of the employees. There are many new faces." He said while looking around the cozy room, noticing how nice the interiors are.
"So how are Rin and the kids?" He asked quietly. Although they love to ridicule each other, Inuyasha always have a soft spot with kids, especially Sesshoumaru and Rin's son and daughter.
"Ah, they're fine. We're going to visit at the mansion sometime this week. Mothet called me yesterday, asking me to bring the kids, she missed them." When it comes to his children, Sesshoumaru lost his usual coldness. Maybe fatherhood changed him.
"Your wedding anniversary is near…right?" Inuyasha asked his brother curiously.
"You remember?" Sesshoumaru lifted a brow.
"Duh! I was there when you got married." He snorted.
"And I was there too when you got married." Sesshoumaru said mockingly.
"Don't start!" He growled when the door opened and revealed a grinning Miroku when he spotted Sesshoumaru.
"Ahh, good 'ol Sess'! " Miroku said smiling.
"The letch is here too?" Sesshoumaru said lifting a brow.
"Come on Sess! Give me a hug!" Miroku teased, his arms wide open. Sesshoumaru widened his eyes to Miroku when he noticed a girl standing behind him. The girl caught his attention, he didn't know why but he has a gut feeling.
Inuyasha noticed the intense gaze his brother is giving Kagome. He lifted a brow and smirked, 'He must've noticed her resemblance to Kikyou.' He thought curiously but how wrong he was…
"I guess I have to leave now. I also have a work to do." Sesshoumaru stood and headed to the door when he stopped in front of Kagome and looked at her intently.
"You looked familiar. Have we met before, if by any chance…?" He asked looking directly in her blue-gray eyes. Kagome blushed.
"I… I don't think so." Sesshoumaru nodded and held his hand to her.
"I'm Sesshoumaru Takagi, Inuyasha's older brother." She shook his hand and smiled shyly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Sir, I'm Kagome Higurashi, Junior Creative Director." Kagome bowed a little.
"The pleasure is mine." Sesshoumaru smiled faintly and left.
Inuyasha and Miroku just looked dumbfounded. They didn't understand why Sesshoumaru just went on and introduced himself. That wasn't like Sesshoumaru at all.
Miroku's thoughts over Sesshoumaru's act towards Kagome were perverted, but Inuyasha's plain curiosity.
Kagome was still blushing a bit when she remembered why she was inside the 'jerk's' office. 'Got to face the jerk's wrath…' she thought nervously since she hasn't finished the ad concept yet.
On his way towards the parking lot of the building, where he parked his Mercedes Benz, Sesshoumaru was in deep thought. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something or rather someone bothers him.
"That girl… Higurashi…"